Year of Friends

(and no, I’m not referring to the hit TV show…) It’s a fact that we were never created to go through this life alone. We were created for companionship, for relationships of all sorts. The Bible is full of examples and teachings on the importance of friendship and having someone to lean on and learn from. I can’t speak for everyone else, but for me letting go of people is either extremely hard or pretty easy. Being a military child definitely gave me skills on making friendship quickly (and knowing that I probably won’t live next door to my bff forever), but being a creature of habit makes it hard to acknowledge and let of friendships that may no longer friendships. Over the past few weeks I’ve realized that just because you’ve “always hung out” or “always sat together” doesn’t mean that you’re true friends (#LetsBeReal). It’s a harsh and sad reality, but a truth nonetheless.

However, I truly believe that 2014 will be a year of new, and better relationships, especially friendships.  I was recently talking with someone about our 2013 reflections and we discovered that it seems as if 2013 was a year of character building for so many of us. It has been often said that in order to make friends, you must be a friend. So with the new “us” it makes sense that God would start to orchestrate opportunities to meet with each other and share what God has done in us. I’ve already personally witnessed and heard from many others (without even bring up the topic) about how God has been putting new people into our lives and restoring old relationships in 2014. One of the worst feelings in the world is when you feel as though your are going through the toughest times of your life alone without guidance. We shouldn’t have to go through seasons of loneliness for God called each other us to help each other(see Ecc. 4:9-12) or to be a friend, even if just means sitting there with together through the storm (see Job 2:11-13). Life is better when done with friends.

So over the next few weeks I will be praying and believing for renewed and new friendships. But not just any ol’ relationships; but the amazing, encouraging, lifelong friendships. I encourage you to do the same, and also to take the time to be a friend and reach out to someone new or make amends with an old friend. Let’s do this thing together!

Pinterest Picks: Office Organiztion

With the briskness of new year still upon us, many people are still doing pretty well on their New Year’s Resolutions and or goals.  I decided to do quick post about some of my favorite pictures from Pinterest about office/work space organization. I work part-time in a shared office area and although I cannot personalize my work office, I’ve always envisioned my self one day having a super cool, cute, and organized home office (or at least a designated work space). Since “getting more organized” is usually on most people to-do list here are some pins of mine to hopefully inspire you (or distract you…). 

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Shout Out: One for the Teachers

I am sooooooo thankful for everyone who has picked up the profession of becoming a teacher. I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful education.  Although at times the same privilege of an education gives me headaches and stress, and I am thankful that I live in a country and in a time where I have the opportunity to learn as much and as openly as I do.

As we near the ending of one semester, I look back on all of the wonderful educators who have inspired me, challenged me, and believed in me. And to those individuals and those following in their footsteps I would like to say:

1 I’m thankful for you teaching me about time management by not taking late assignments.
2 I’m thankful for you teaching me about learning from my mistakes by allowing test corrections.
3 I’m thankful for you teaching me to have confidence in my self through having us do oral reports.
4 I’m thankful for you teaching me to be a leader and a team player with group projects with people I may or may not be friends with.
5 I’m thankful for you teaching me how to work hard for what I want by not giving me an undeserved “A” .
6 I’m thankful for you teaching me that picking a career isn’t always about doing what’s the most glamorous or makes the most money; but it should be about whatever brings you joy and helps others along the way.

Thank you for doing all that you do both in and out of classroom. You’ve left a positive impact on my life and on the lives of many many others I am sure.

[Inspiration from Others]
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
―Benjamin Franklin

“They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it”
―Nicholas Sparks

Monday’s Mindset

I was inspired by a series that the blogger over at Life Through Preppy Glasses does with his 5 Random Monday Thoughts. I took my own spin at it…so here it is, Monday’s Mindset”

1. I love Sundays with my family.

2. No matter how much things say “easy to install”, chances are that they really aren’t.

3.  Tremendously excited my classes don’t start until Wednesday because I’m a little unprepared right now.

4. I’m really ready for the fall change of weather. (I miss my scarves and I’m sure they miss being worn.)

5. This “Carry-On” Essie nail polish from Essie was a good buy. After being surrounding by burgundy fall clothing and accessories all day (#SalesAssociateProbs) I realized that I needed a nail polish of this shade in my life so I got this one, and I’m loving it!

College Credentials

With school starting in about one month I have already gotten the “fall semester fever” (even though I did summer school). I love school, and everything that comes with preparing for a new academic year. As someone who has lived in multiple housing settings, with a great plethora of personalities, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on this room mate/dorm kinda thing. Since school is starting within the next month or so, I decided to comply a list of helpful sites, tips,and tricks for those starting their first year of college, or who have been in the game for a while but haven’t heard of these resources.

1. slugbooks.com This website is absolutely AMAZING! You just type in your school, the subject, and the course then it does it’s magic. Slug Books searches the top major book retailers (including amazon and ebay) and compares the prices for you right there. I mean granted some schools use textbooks or materials just for their school (thank you chemistry) so you’ll have to purchase it from your school. But if you can get it for cheaper somewhere else please do your self and your wallet the favor.

2. Dorm Packing List: Okay, so as someone who likes to have everything planned out (as much as possible). I love dorm packing list, maybe even a little too much….but hey, gotta make sure you’ve got everything!!! So I’ve found, investigated, and compared a lot of these bad boys, so here are a few pretty good ones I’ve found. Remember though that every school, dorm, and set of room mates will be different, so compare each list and see which one (or two) work bets for you!
*Organize.com Checklist
*Bed Bath and Beyond Checklist
*Ikea College Checklist

3.A lot of people may not know what they want to major in when they go to college, or at least have it narrowed down. Good news is that there is a tool for that. “What Can I Do With This Major” is a wonderful resource that has many, many, many majors listed and gives information about the types of people who employ certain degrees, possible career paths, etc. And if you’re undecided, no problem. There is no need to rush (just try do it before the end of your freshman year), and I know tons of the people who end up working in fields totally different than what they have their undergrad degree in.

4.Rate My Professor: Huge round of applause to the creators of this site! It does just as the name implies….rates and reviews of your school’s professors by your own classmates and university peers. Granted, some students are just really bitter, and others are the super 4.0 pre-med students who get perfect grades in absolutely anything and everything. So just be mindful of that, and also sometimes it’s a class that is designed to be tough, so no matter who you get the class will be a challenge. But don’t be afraid of taking the more difficult class or professor, you may just be surprised on how well you do.

Alright, so there are 4 of many lessons I have and will give about college and such…may even do some more of these. Good luck to everyone going to school (even though its a little early). But I hope this list is semi useful to someone.

**Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by, endorsed by, or other wise compensated by these companies. The ideas, reviews, and thoughts expressed about these products, are simply mine own.

Growing Up & Passing Time

I don’t know when it happens, and I’m not really sure if its even an exact moment of time. But somewhere along the course of life, it happens. You grow up. You finally step into your big kid undies and start becoming an adult.

And it’s crazy how fast time flies, which is why we probably don’t notice that monumental transition form childhood to adulthood occurred. I mean I’ve been 21 for 2 months now, and honestly I barely remember that I’m older than 18 most of the time.

In one year alone I fell like so much has happened. In 24 months I have completed two years of Bible college, finished my second year as summer staff at Discovery Camp, became the proud care taker of Greta (my iPad), started by first year of college, made some new memories with my new roommates, joined an awesome Christian organization where I joined an amazing small group. I changed my major twice (I can explain I promise). I finished the year with a 3.5 GPA (not too bad). I started a new job about a month again. Now? Now i am working 1.5 jobs, paying rent and bills, and taking two summer classes. Now, I am no longer on the adventure road of being a a child. Now, I am starting to be an adult, and it’s hard, and I, You, WE will still make mistakes. But hey, that will always be part of life, no matter what point in it you find yourself. Like motivational speaker Joe Tye said “If you’re not enjoying the journey, you probably won’t enjoy the destination.”

And here is a photo montage…..

the wonder ladies I got to lead and serve at Bible College #NDorm4Ever

The girls of the first year of the Source

Some of the Source team after the annual DC water slide rides

Carina and I in our History Class

Christmas time and the twilight premiere with my small group!

Room mate bonding!

Forgiveness and Healing

Every Tuesday and Thursday a good of friends and i have a little get together and Bible study. Last night we talked a few things, but the topic we spent the most time thinking about was forgiveness. It’s pretty safe to say that forgiving someone who has offended you, hurt you, or wronged you (whether intentional or not) is easier said than done.

Why is that? Why is that we can tell someone of all the times that they hurt us, but can hardly think of three times that we have hurt someone that we love (which I’m sure we are all guilty of)? I think it’s because if we are honest, we will admit that forgiveness is difficult because we feel as though by forgiving this person, we are justifying their actions. We are saying that we they did to us, how they mistreated us, lied to us, let us down, was okay. And I’m not saying that it was. What I am saying is that the only thing forgiveness does is continue to hold you back from living your life, from trusting and loving again. Stormie Omartian once said “Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right, it makes you free.”

Let’s say you had fallen down a flight of stairs, and greatly injured your arm and you just knew that your arm was broken. You could hardly move without experiencing this intense pain, and it was physically obvious that something wasn’t right. Wouldn’t you want to go to the hospital and get your arm treated so that you can continue to live your life, and use your arm the way it was meant to be used? It’s the same thing with forgiveness. Someone did something, words were said, a deed was done, and now your sitting there with a broken arm and a broken heart, unforgiveness and bitterness swelling up inside of you. Isn’t time that you go to the doctor and be healed? Isn’t time to let the hurt go, and starting living and loving life again?

All I’m trying to say is that getting hurt is inevitable, but being healed from that pain is a choice.
Eph.4:32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

-Stephanie

21 Lessons Learned Before 21

It’s kinda hard to believe that in less than one week I will be 21 years old. I don’t know about everyone else but whenever it gets close to my birthday I go through an emotional cycle. I ask myself various questions, make observations, have a self elevation, prepare a plan for the next year, wonder where all the time has gone, get a little overwhelmed feeling like I haven’t done much with my years so far, and finally encourage/reminded myself that I am only going to be (insert age here) and I still have more seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, and decades to fulfill my dreams and desires. (Yes, that sentence was a run-on with a lot of commas on purpose.)

Anyways, during my reflective stage I decided to make a list of things I have learned so far and things I know to be true. Hopefully among this list will be something you have already discovered as well, something you’ve never considered, and something that challenges what you know…so here we go…

1. There is always a reason to have hope.
2. Every woman should own a little black dress, and a great shade of red lipstick.
3. Some people change, some people never will. However, it’s not your job to make them do either.
4. No matter what the outcome, things always turn out how they are supposed to be.
5. The right perspective and attitude can make a big difference in any situation.
6. I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FULLY KNOW, COMPREHEND, AND UNDERSTAND THE LOVE, MERCY, AND GRACE OF GOD (and honestly, I’m okay with that).
7. ” We cannot become who we want to be by remaining what we are.”  -Max Depree
8. Do something you love, just because you love it.
9. Everyone has a story: a past, present, and future.
10. You can’t judge someone by their scars unless you’ve been through all of their wars.
11. Always be learning and exploring. Knowledge (in the right way) can be a powerful thing.
12. Sign language is a beautiful thing. (Languages in general.)
13. It’s good to have a plan, but leave room for detours.
14. Be courteous towards others. You never know how your lives will intertwine in the future.
15. Nothing worth having comes without a struggle. You’re going to have to make some hard calls and tough decisions.
16. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. People learn two ways: from the experiences of others, or the experiences of yourself. Asking for assistance and can you a lot of time, trouble, and heartache.
17. It’s okay to not be okay. You don’t have to always have everything together.
18. Standards aren’t something you reach for, it’s something you refuse to go below.
19. March to the beat of your own drum. Never be afraid to be an individual.
20. If you don’t step forward, you will always be in the same place.
21. Take a chance! It’s easier to live with scabs and scars than with regret.

 

What is one of the most important lessons you have learned?

So Here’s the Plan…

I have a confession. I am a melancholy personality. If you don’t know what that means, then feel to look it up (we are quite the interesting bunch). One of the traits of a melancholy is that we are all about keeping things in order and thrive with structure.

A great example of this would be when I took psychology in high school. On the first day of class the teacher had generated a very well put together seating arrangement for the class, where each student had a specific seat just for him/her, with their assignment on the desk, etc….it was absolutely amazing.  But one day about a week later the classroom desks were completely rearranged, and instead of having the seating chart posted on the projector there was only a simple message “find a seat”. While most people would enjoy the change of pace, me being a melancholy, went to a temporary paralyzing shock (okay, maybe not quite that but pretty close). I stood in the room, staring at the screen trying to understand why my teacher was attempting to torture me. Finally when I my body was able to move again I turned my head towards the teacher’s desk and gave her a look sort of like….

then I proceed to walk out of the classroom until two seconds before the bell rang, once everyone else had chosen their seats and then made my decisions from there (less options, less stress).

The point is that melancholy types don’t usually do to well with sudden and abrupt changes. We like making plans, and love it when those plans follow through, but life has a tendency of not working that way. For example, we started a new semester of school today (for which I was totally excited about) so naturally I wrote down, picked out, and plan every part of my day as much as I could the night (and week) before…then the day actually arrived, and life had some surprises up her sleeve. A good chunk of things had gone the wrong way within 30 minutes of me being awake, and yeah I could have just thrown my hands in the air and say “screw this, I’m going back to bed!” But I didn’t, and you know what? Everything ended up turning out just grand, even better than I thought it would.

It’s amazing what can happen when you learn even the more that to go with flow, and roll with the punches. I am by no means saying that having plans isn’t necessary, because without planning and preparation no task can be proper complete or goal can be reached. I’m just offering that we be willing to add an asterisk on the plans of our lives and day indicating that our life and plans are subject to change; but more importantly we are okay with that.

There is a quote (yes…chances are there will always be a quote) that pretty much sums up my life as melancholy and what I’m trying to say over all.  I’m pretty sure you all are familiar with it, or something similar but Denis Waitley once stated “Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.” In other words, have your plans and lists and charts but know that not every hiccup is a major road block , sometimes they are simply speed bumps and pot holes on the journey to an amazing destination.

 

P.S. I would love for you take the temperament personality test ad leave your results in the comments below

*Click here to take the Test!

 

Here’s to the New…

There’s something exciting, enticing, invigorating about new things. Whether it be a car, house, book, shoes, boyfriend, job, nail polish, heart, anything. New things just have a way of making us happy…..eventually. A lot of times new means disposing of the old, getting rid of the used, taking out the trash. And that’s the scary part, relinquishing the things we once held dear to grab onto the things we now need and desire. And no matter how old you are or what the situation is , letting go will always be hard. But quess what, as soon as you release and give up the old, you are automatically in the position to receive and accept the new, the improved, the better (literally, try it). I’m not saying that letting go is easy, but I am saying that there is a joy and freedom that happens.  Let me tell you from personal experience, freedom is a lot more enjoyable than bondage; new is a lot better than old; and a great sacrifice always produces a greater glory.

So let go, in order to take hold. The new and improved is waiting, and the old is ready be released to move on…….

“Change can be good but it’s always tough to let go of the past” -Emily Giffin