Back for Round 2!

WE'RE BACK! Back in college, back in our niche, back in the roommates life, back to ridiculousness, back to making new friends, back to learning how to manage relationships near & far, back to worshiping together in chapel, back to this section of life the Lord has us in now.

After a long and glorious weekend trekking through downtown Savannah (including the of-course-we-must-go-there lunch trip to the Pirates House) Momma and I pulled into CIU at 9:00 Monday morning. This past week has been a crazy rush of figuring out classes, unpacking boxes (yes, it took me the whole week guys) running for textbooks, already pre-planning roommates weekend IN Savannah this coming April, and a LOT of class reading. It's been chaotic, crazy, and at times more than a little overwhelming. And after sitting through this first week [and weekend] we've come to a half exciting, half scary conclusion.

Sophomore year is going to be hard. 

In every sense of the word.

It's going to be hard mentally. Classes are harder, and we're growing up. Things aren't as set in stone as they used to be...and some things I've held to as Gospel since I was little I'm beginning to realize aren't. 

It's going to be hard emotionally. There's relationships walking into our lives and some walking out, and both are difficult to deal with. Within the first 48 hours we've been at school, I've already had one teary, heart heavy, Lord why do you have me here, night. 

It's going to be hard physically. I was in bed at 11:30 Thursday night. 11:30 guys. That never happens...not unless I'm sick, dead, or have stayed up sunset to sunrise several nights in a row. But there I was, snuggled in, falling asleep before midnight. Why? There's more homework, workouts, classes, meals, friends, relationships, and growth to be done than there are hours in the day to do it. 

Of course it's going to be difficult spiritually. I haven't had a year yet that hasn't had some trial somehow, in some way. Which in a weird way, is something to be thankful for...because when you stop learning & stretching, it's this kind of crazy coincidence that you also stop growing. And God doesn't deal in stagnancy. 

In the midst of all this crazy God has already been faithful to meet all of us, me especially, exactly where I am. 3 themes that seem to have traveled repeatedly through classes, chapel and life this week are contentment, faith, and the idea that God consistently brings you to situations that overwhelm you so you are constantly reminded on whose strength you stand and depend. 

Contentment is something I've struggled with for a while, and something that really came to a head this summer as I was home. I've been blessed with a beautiful family, beautiful home, beautiful friends, and not much to ask for or complain about. But I am, and always have been, home to a restless heart that looks to much to fast to the future, and spends not enough time in the present....which is hard when God places you in the midst of what can only be described as a long period of waiting and training. And I've always heard my entire life, whether from well meaning peers or adults, "Don't worry, honey. God's never gonna give you more than you can handle." Have I been guilty of drawing comfort from that? Absolutely. But is it true? Nope. 

As I've grown and watched life happen, and especially as I've walked into my second year at CIU, I've realized that God delights in giving us more than we can handle...because let's be honest. If you're not called to higher heights than you can reach, how are you ever going to grow? It happens in sports (and life) all the time. Coaches ask for more miles, teachers push for better grades, God asks for greater faith...because when goals stay at levels you can reach, achieving them brings no improvement, no growth, and ultimately no glory. 

So here's me tipping my hat to this upcoming year....and openly admitting that I'm actually kind of excited for the hard mixed in with all the good! Because trials mean growth and frustration brings forgiveness and ultimately tears at nighttime bring joy in the morning :) 

Also there's a nerdy, book happy, oh my gosh I LOVE MY CLASSES post coming. Cause I got good ones this year guys. BUT REALLY. 

day 24: juice.

This is gonna be a shoutout to the Petty 2 men. Aka, that sentence was a little disclaimer that if this blog post doesn't make much sense to everyone reading, it's because MOST of it's in direct reference to jokes, ridiculousness and overall hilariousness......but for most of it I guess you had to be there :P

The Core Five (minus Landon) 

I say Core 5 not because they're the 5 most important guys on the hall, OR because they're the 5 coolest guys on the hall, although I think they're all of those things but I have to because I'm related to most of them through the weird Petty2East family tree that formed halfway through the year. These 5 men (plus Landon) are the reason that the roommates caw when they enter rooms (or anywhere actually) talk in  weird accents (that sound Italian coming from Kayla) and get really, REALLY freaky looks from strangers because we forget that not EVERYONE knows that when you make a fist you've now made it possible for people to steal the fistbump from you. I'd say they're the reason we're weird, but honestly we were weird before we met them. They just kinda claimed us and made it a lil' more culturally acceptable :) 

On a MUCH more serious note, these 5 guys (plus Landon) are some of the most Christ-centered, Gospel driven men that I know...even more so because they somehow manage to be wise, funny, ridiculous, encouraging, including, and big brother-esque all in one. They set an example not only in the way the treat those around them, but specifically in the way they treat those closest to their heart....a couple of them are dating my best friends ;) I am thankful I have them in my life to listen to, look up to, respect, and occasionally, occasionally laugh at. 

Thank you roommate for the prompt for today. 

.juice. 

day 14: kooky.

"Kooky! It's like cookie with an 'oo' instead of an 'uh'" 

The word of the day is 'kooky' which I love because (1) it's not actually a word I don't think, and if it is it's not used nearly often enough and (2) because this word can be used to describe me, my best friend, and most situations we get ourselves into. 

Kooky is appropriately used when something is a little off and a little strange....somewhere between 'i ate the glue in preschool' and 'sometimes I talk to myself.' I don't think it's a bad thing to be :D 

If you know me you know I'm a little bit...kooky. I have my quirks and my little ticks....I use sound effects when words aren't sufficient, make up my own when I feel the English language is too boring. I talk to myself, run laps in the rain, and imitate birds to get my friends attention. My laugh is loud and never sounds quite the same twice in a row. I'm awful at telling stories, get distracted in the middle, and write my thoughts better than I speak them. 

I've been blessed enough to find best friends that do all of these things with me....or at least think I'm funny when I do :) 

So I guess this is my plug to embrace the weird. Within reason of course. If your friend is STILL eating glue...eh, you might wanna take a few steps back.  But everyone has their quirks, and while sometimes they might bug you, if you try and put people in the box of what the world says "popular" "cool" and "funny" looks like....you might be missing out on a lot :) 

day 5: crossing the finish line.

and the word of the day is 

FINISHED

Doing cross country senior year got me very familiar with one feeling in particular: the feeling when both of your feet finally cross the finish line. Physically, mentally, and emotionally you're exhausted. You've left everything back on a 2 mile racecourse. You have nothing left to give or hold onto, except this little bubble of pure joy, accomplishment and excitement that you can FINALLY stop running. You're finished. 

In a lot of ways, this feeling fits this year for me at CIU. Starting in August with no expectations and a lot of unknowns, and driving off campus to end in May with no energy, and lots of memories. So for the memories that made it bearable, and the struggles that made it worth it, here's to a year's worth of memories that I can finally mark finished. 

.beach weekends with my best friends in Savannah, Georgia.

 .19th birthday celebrations.

.the CIU fall hoedown with my lovely hall. 

.autumn in downtown Columbia.

.winter formal.

.THE COLOR RUN.

.passion 2013..i have no words.

.luke bryan at rodeo houston 2013.

.this night. too much laughter.

.all those roadtrips back to the 2013ers.

.charleston 2013 with the roommates.

.collins' family easter.

.all these crazy crazy friends.

I don't have pictures to represent my struggles, but since all the ups have to have downs the struggles were definitely there too :) And with them, I am also glad to be finished.