JUST ONE MORE!

After much back and forth, flip flopping, I have finally figured out that I AM GRADUATING IN THE SPRING/SUMMER! Just one more semester (plus a summer abroad in ITALY!) and I will be a college graduate! HOO-RAH! I have been praying about this and trying to figure out what exactly to do since this semester started.

And as I was reminded in my quiet time last night, God hears me, God remembers his covenant and never forgets me, God sees me and God knows my desires! (Exodus 2:24-25)

For a while now I've been contemplating getting a minor in French. My only hang up was that I would have to stick around an extra semester to take my last French class. Just one class. I thought I had come to terms with the idea that I would be in school until December 2013 until a few weeks ago. I started to really doubt that and was not at peace with it at all...and it hit me. And I'm not really sure why or how I had not thought about this before...but I decided to explain to my French teacher (whom I've had for the past six semesters) my dilemma and ask about doing an independent study. It was a God thing for sure! She said that was not a problem and we would talk more soon about it.

That afternoon, I went and talked to my advisor to find out what I have left to take before I graduate. And it just worked out that all I need is an intro philosophy class (which I am taking in ITALY THIS SUMMER!) and three electives.

So I talked to my french teacher today about what exactly my independent study would entail and again confirm it would work for me to do it. It will be a 4000 level class, I will meet with her weekly and write an extensive research paper on a topic of my choice. It will be a lot of work, but I am looking forward to it!

Only thing left to do now is find out if I can walk in the Spring. Oh, and figure out what comes next in life...? NBD!

Lord, I am so thankful that you have a plan. A plan that is for my good and your glory. I am thankful that you hear me, you remember me, you see me and you know me. You know the desires of my heart and I ask that you would guide and direct my path, that I would be attentive to your leading and seek first your will! Show me what's next, I'm ready and excited to see what you have for me! 

Ever Presence

"Try to stay conscious of Me as you go step by step through this day. My Presence with you is both a promise and a protection. My final statement just before I ascended into heaven was: Surely I am with you always. That promise was for all of My followers, without exception.

The promise of My Presence is a powerful protection. As you journey through your life, there are numerous pitfalls along the way. Many voices clamor for your attention, enticing you to go their way. A few steps away from your true path are pits of self-pity and despair, plateaus of pride and self-will. If you take you eyes off Me and follow another's way, you are in grave danger. Even well-meaning friends can lead you astray if you let them usurp My place in your life. The way to stay on the path of Life is to keep your focus on Me. Awareness of My Presence is your best protection."

- October 15, 2012, Jesus Calling, Sarah Young. 

If you haven't read Jesus Calling by Sarah Young you need to. Today's devotion was exactly what I needed to hear. So here's some honesty for you. Lately it has been a struggle to spend time in prayer, to study the Bible and to simply be still before the Lord. I have fallen into a "plateau of pride and self-will." But the most reassuring thing is is that God is ever present. Even when I have reached a plateau in my walk. Even when I have allowed myself to fall to the temptations of self-sufficiency and serving myself. He is here in the midst, holding me close and never ever letting go. As I make myself more aware of his ever presence, my focus will turn less on me and become more on him.

Lord, break my selfish hard heart. I ask that you will remind me of your presence through out my day, and the rest of this week. Let me set my heart and mind on things above. Teach me to be still and covet my time with you above all else.

Thank you for your ever presence and your tender kindness.

Amen.

Throwback Thursday!

Since I have a little spare time today between classes I've decided to do a Throwback Thursday. I have realized there is a HUGE gap in my blog from like Spring Break until just recently when I got back to blogging. So in order to fill in the gap I think I'll write some posts about the big things that happened from March til September. Cause there were some pretty fun and exciting things that happened. So I'll start back in April.

In this post I talked about the possibility of my sister coming to spend her two week spring break with me here in the States. Well SHE DID! And it was such a sweet time. We spent three out of the three weekends she was in the States in Atlanta. And since Atlanta is basically one of my favorite places in the world and I was with one of my favorite people in the world, it was fabulous. 

The first weekend (March 31) I got up super early on Saturday and drove to Atlanta to pick Stephanie up at the airport. We got to have lunch with Rachel, Mrs. O'Meara, Nathan and Hye Zhin before we headed home to Savannah. 

That week we just hung out around Savannah. I skipped class one day to have a beach day!

Thursday night, we drove up to Atlanta to spend Easter weekend with the O'Meara's. 

We spent Good Friday at Passion City's Good Friday service. It was such a wonderful worship experience. The Passion band (Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfell, Christy Nockels, and David Crowder) and Louie Giglio did such an amazing job of leading 20,000 people in worshiping the RISEN KING!

The next day we spent shopping, trying on hats, getting ears pierced and catching up with Rachel! We have too much fun together...

Easter Sunday we went back to the Verizon Amphitheater with Rachel and Nathan to celebrate the resurrection of our Jesus with the Passion City crew. It was just as overwhelming as Good Friday. Such an awesome time of worship! 

After a lovely afternoon with friends, we headed back to Savannah for the rest of the week, only to return to Atlanta for another fun/friend filled weekend! 

I was able to switch my days at work so we left for the weekend a little bit early and went to visit Bethany in Pine Mountain on our way to Atlanta. We spent the afternoon with Bethany in Columbus and convinced her to come stay with us Friday night in Atlanta! 

Friday night was opening night of was opening weekend at Turner Field! So Hye Zhin, Nathan, Patrick, Stephanie and I all piled in Nathan's car to go to the game.

AND the Civil Wars were there for a pre and post game show. They are basically just as AH-MAZING live as they are on their cd. 

After an fantastic season opener, we made the trek back to the car. As we were driving out of the parking lot, we hit a bump that made the muffler fall down. The parking lot we were in was sketchy to say the least...so we found a better lit one to wait in while we figured out what to do. Bethany our knight (or knightess) in shining armor came to the rescue! She decided to come and stay the night with Stephanie and I, so she navigated the streets of downtown Atlanta to find and rescue us all.

The next day we took Stephanie to the airport and said goodbye after fantastic two weeks!

I ended up making a whole weekend of it and went home with Bethany to Pine Mountain for the night. I got to meet all her Impact friends and then come back to Atlanta for another Braves game on Sunday! and THEY WON AGAIN! :) 

All in all it was a sweet two weeks with my sister, who is one of my very best friends! I love her so very much and am so thankful to God for what he has given me in her! <3