::Tea and Raindrops::

I was sitting indian style on my plush bed and thinking about life. Do you ever just stop and think about that? I guess I become much more philosophical when it is raining outside and I am sipping on Numi earl grey tea but I realized I don't stop and reflect on the things that God has given me that truly makes me smile. So I will indulge:

A great one to begin with is....

A luke warm cup of Numi earl grey tea

New experiences

Spending time with friends

20 questions

Playing Games (I love cards)

Consistent weather (unlike STL)

Music (every type)

Sunglasses

The perfect Bible verse at that moment

God's promises

Flowers (any kind except roses)

Sun bathing

Great exercise

Bodies of water

Traveling

Reading

Inside jokes 

Being outside (camping, walking, etc)

Playing sports (I most recently attempted cricket)

There are so much more but I just wanted to name a few. I hope you can enjoy one of these beautiful things with me sometime.

::Bring on the Sun::

Summer is finally here! Wow this year was so much fun and so much work! I can't begin to explain all of the things that I learned. It would blow your mind! :-) But now it is summer time and I just love summer time. I have a room all to myself, which I am still working on setting up exactly how I want. I work as many hours as I can get my hands on. I learn so much about myself and have extra time to just chill. This summer I am working on routines. I want to get into a work out routine, a wake up routine and focusing on God routine. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew! 

::Keeping My Head Above Water::

School is almost over. Yes my junior (pseudo senior) year is almost at it's demise. I have prospered and struggled. Focused on Tasks and relationships. Loved few and loved many. And now I am directionless. I am waiting, still. Actually I'm being pretty patient, this surprises me. I want to have my entire future planned out but alas it is not, and that is okay! This summer will give me time to enjoy what God has for me right now. I will be very busy working as I am applying for different off campus jobs in addition to my on campus ones. I hope to find myself, as I will be all by my lonesome in the dorms. I plan to work hard, laugh hard, exercise hard, and play hard. I hope to find routine as during the school year I am just trying to tread water to accomplish all that I do. There are many parts that this routine must have and I will let you know if they all get fit in.

Oh interesting news today.....I'm a Junior Marshall, again. It is sortive like when you get held back a grade. So I will get to "walk" at graduation three years in a row. I'm just that "special". (that made me giggle)

that is really all the fantastic news I have to report...now signing off from my nearest Starbucks.

::Pensive::

Oh that feeling that one has when standing at that fork in the road has been lurking over me for about a week now. I'll be honest, I have no idea what to do. I have two "professions" that I could choose. One is the future that I have had since a little girl, to love on students and prepare them for the future. The other is one that I have learned to love, and has the same goal of loving on students and preparing them for the future. One has a definite opening when I graduate, with a retirement plan and excellent benefits. The other is one that I will have to work for to get a job, but feel worth and accomplishment by getting there. One is terrifying, and full of disbelief in myself. The other is exciting and so rewarding. One can be found anywhere in many different outlets. The other is specific and may cause me to relocate. One makes very little pay. The other makes even less. So as you see, I don't know what to do.

This feeling has caused me much turmoil in the past couple of weeks. I know what my "heart" wants to do, and I know what my "brain" tells me to do. As for the direction God is having me go, as of yet, I don't know. I do have faith that he will open the necessary doors to make whatever His will is happen. But this means patience and lots of it. I don't know what I am supposed to do before and after I graduate college. I don't even know what major I want. So I stare at the two roads before me and wait.

I will leave you with as much hope as I have: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." Jeremiah 29:11 (yes this is taken a little out of context but tonight it speaks volumes.)

::Fried College Kids::

When coming to the south, I am often greeted by the views of Fried Chicken stores usually named ridiculous things like "Fry-daddy", but today it was definitely fried college students as each one of us are burnt. But it was totally worth it. I spent the day on the beach, enjoying the sun and surf. Then after we spent our sun time we went to LuLu's for dinner. This place was so adorable (and showed a beautiful sunset, as you can see to the left) and had tasty marina food. Also we found an artist there who put henna on almost all of the ladies on the trip. I have a neat little marking on my foot. It is my first henna tat, and I love it. I believe tomorrow holds tons of shopping, we shall see how that goes! 

::Here Comes the Sun::

First of all this trip has been in the works for a couple of years. We have been trying to convince our boss that a spring break trip would be great for the student body. This year we succeeded and made out way to Orange Beach, Alabama. The trip there was so crazy, as it was a 14 hour drive in a big MBU bus. We left at midnight and got here around 2 pm. There were some crazy times on the way here, lets just say college kids awake in a trucker station at 3 am is never a good thing. We finally arrived at our hotel and let's just say this hotel is incredible! Like one of the best Hotels I have ever stayed in. Then we jumped in the heated pool and enjoyed the Alabaman sun. Soon after that us ladies got all dolled up and went "out". It got a little crazy but we had a good time. Finally we ended the evening with a relaxing walk on the beach. It is so nice not to have to be a certain place at a certain time and to have time to just have fun. This Spring Break will be a blast, more to come later. 

::Putting the Best Foot Forward::

Today was a rough one. At the moment I feel like I am floating on a pink cloud of tiredness. But these feelings are more than worth it because today was one of the highest attended Campus Visit Days Missouri Baptist University has ever had. It was great sharing the love I have for the University with the potentially incoming students who will make it even better. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and questions that each student had as they are trying to make an educated choice on their next stop in their road of education. I hope each year just becomes bigger and better! Way to go Admissions!

::Ms. Intern::

I am proud to call myself an intern. Every Friday I prepare myself to learn all that I can and "be all that I can be". Okay I really just sit at the perk and do the tasks that are set out for me to do. But starting last Friday I got the first taste of what I would like to do after college. I spent a couple hours having a Freshman Admissions counselor go over the breakdown and tasks of what he does. And let me tell you I learned so much and loved every second of it. I will try to keep you all in the loop of what is happening with my internship and all the wonderful stories that come my way, It is sure to be a doozy!

::Empathy Pains::

My heart is breaking every day. The great part is that it is not breaking because of me, but instead because of God. I have never been a very compassionate person, I don't know why? I have a hard time walking in someone elses shoes. And then showing them that I care. But one at a time, okay sometimes many at once, people have came to me with burdens. These are burdens I have never been around and often don't know what to say. I just listen the best I can and show them Gods love through what He promises in His word. Thank you God for breaking my heart and please give me the words the point these people to you.

::Prioritizing People::

When times gets crazy and there are lots of activities to plan, things to clean, and homework to finish, the first thing I pitch out of my life is my time for relationships. Recently, I have realized the problem with this particular mind frame. God calls us to build relationships with each other and caring for one another. What a failure I am! So this weekend I am trying to change this. I got the opportunity to go out with some lovely ladies to Oberweis to get some amazing FREE LATTEs! Wait did you hear that FREE. Yup and it was so lovely to get to catch up with these girls. Then Lindsey and I went to a friends movie night and saw tons of old and hopefully new friends. For me the easiest thing to do is hole up in my room, I guess this is my introverted side coming out. But I know that this can be a very wrong thing. Thank you to all who keep me accountable, and to those who want to see me smile! 

::Legacy::

There comes a time in everyone's life when they ponder the imprint they have created in their "world". My world for the past three years has been Mobap. This may seem silly but I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into MBU. This past weekend, however, I have seen a little fruit of my labor. Student Activities took some current and aspiring leaders to a leadership retreat. And being President of Student Activities, I had the opportunity to lead many of the meetings. I am so amazed at the caliber of leadership in SAC. They have gone above and beyond what I expected of them. There is passion, innovativeness and initiative in the group and I am very proud. I feel relieved to hand off the position that I have held for two years to any one of these wonderful men and women. Thank you to all who will continue this Legacy.

::Sometimes You Just Gotta Live A little::

There are days where the only times I see my room is right before I go to bed. I feel like I am constantly busy. Don't get me wrong, I love the activities that I choose to be committed to, but sometimes you just gotta let your hair down. And so Friday I did just that. After I crashed on my bed (being busy makes you tired) I was woken by my phone with a simple text message saying, "game night". That little phrase changed my Friday into a whole bunch of fun.