Easier Said than Done

Obedience = Love. If I say I love, but I don't show with my actions I desire to please the one I love, then I'm a liar. If all of my actions line up with what's right, but I'm not obeying out of love, then it is worthless.
John 14, James 1:22-24, I John 1

I can't live in the past, or in the future. Wherever I am, be ALL there! (along the same lines, it is wrong to fear the future, or manipulate it. That's God's realm, not mine.)

Don't stress about what other people are thinking. Because I can't read their thoughts, therefore I am stressing about something I don't even know is true.

Do the right thing, even if it's the HARD thing.

God wants my life to look more like His character. But He knows the fragile stuff I'm made of... He does not expect perfection from my own strength. He calls me to Holiness (completely separated for His loving purpose). That is my motivation that determines the direction of my life.

It's so easy to say - much harder to do.
But He promises to help me through.

And that's what keeps me going.

Blissful Afternoon

Did I really not blog last weekend? Oops. I'm not very good at this apparently :-) 

Saturdays always fly. Seriously. I look at the clock and do a double-take. Where did the time go!? Maybe I'll blog tomorrow about some of the day's events.... Tonight, I'm really set on putting some pictures up here. I was glancing through my blog realizing that considering I count myself as a photograph lover, I do not put very many pictures up here. I think I might have to be more conscious of that. 

About a week and a half ago I took a walk around campus with my camera, which is one of my favorite past-times. A little quality time with my camera always makes the rest of the world fade for a short period, and it's just "me behind the lens" enjoying the challenge of getting a good shot. I walked away from that afternoon quite happy with the shots I got.

Friday Night Reflections

Hi little blog. 

It's me. I'm sitting outside Starbucks, enjoying the last of the Midwestern fall nights where it's warm enough to wear a t-shirt. I love these nights. Fridays. And beautiful. And sporadic. I have purposely been slow to make plans for my Friday night. But my roommate from last year just called me up and invited me over, and I was ever so eager to accept. I don't see enough of that girl anymore! 

I only saw her once today, and that was just in passing on the way to class. She pointed out that she could hear me singing to myself while she was still all the way down the sidewalk, which amused the both of us. 

I have to admit I have a slight headache that won't seem to be shaken. I'm blaming it on the fact that I didn't get a nap this afternoon. I know my body would have really appreciated that, but my grade was demanding the higher priority. For my Teaching Science class we have to teach a science lesson. Go figure. :-) 

Sarah and I will be the first ones to be teaching a lesson, and the written plans were due today. My "experiment" is to dissect a seed. It felt really choppy as I writing it - for some reason I just couldn't get inspired on that topic. But now that I've chosen this one, I'm sticking with it! Hopefully it will go smoothly when it all comes together next week. 

Overall, this has been a good day. We watched the movie "The Babysitters Club" at work today with the kids, which was fun for a major flashback.... And now, it's been good sitting at Starbucks just chilling out and unwinding with Sarah and Michelle. 

Questions of the future have been wandering into my head throughout the day. Just curiosities, for where I will be after college. What I will be doing. Who I will be doing it with. That seems to be the question of the hour with college kids. But also while I think of it, this is the time of life that people look back on with fond memories. God places these opportunities before me as a gift and a responsibility. He is teaching me to enjoy where I am at right now at this present time. 

Last night was really awesome! A few of us girls had a Bible study at the state university. We're studying the book of James - six of us in all. This was our beginning week so we discussed James 1. As we keyed in on how to respond to trials (and just, life in general) I realized that joy - true, unwavering, fully trusting sort of joy - has been scarce in my life lately. You know how when someone starts talking about a topic, you automatically put it in it's respective category? Like, "oh I don't struggle with that." 

But life is not stagnant. Things change. Struggles change. I guess it just reminded me to be on my toes and take the time to evaluate my walk and my life and ask, "Is this something I always write off as easy?" Maybe it is something that I used to be strong in, but that doesn't mean I will never find myself lacking in it. 

Anyway, I'm kind of trailing off now... Definitely looking forward to spending time with AnaLee! Before I go to do that, I'll leave you with this picture. Hopefully it will brighten your night (lol, if you really think about that phrase, it doesn't make sense!)

Oh and Erin wanted me to tell you that I am sitting across the table from HER.
There you go, Erin! You get to have your 15 minutes of fame in my blog (and btw, can't wait to go to the Mall of America with you tomorrow, Darlin'!)