May 15, 2012

CLASSES ARE OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =) Big hurrah... Friday the campus shut down and I moved my boxes out, locking the door behind me and not looking back. Twenty credit hours and six months after I flew back to the USA this winter, I have finished my junior year. Hello, Miss Senior. That's right! Me, the top dog, finally eligible to contend for a bottom bunk, larger closet space, and better parking. And the finish line to my Bible college journey is finally just a few short steps away! Very small, comfortable short steps for little petite me, too! =) This time next year, almost exactly, I'll be dancing across the stage to receive my diploma, my handshake, my 3-seconds-of-recognition for four years of too much work. May 16th, 2013. Mark you calendars! It's going to be a fun day =)

The future on pause for a few minutes - this post is about this past semester. I wanted to say thankyou to everyone who prayed for me. I truly could not have made it without God's strength. So many times my own failed, but He always helped me along and somehow, I made it! The effectual fervant prayers of a righteous man availeth much.... so much =) James 5:16

I did something new this semester. As classes finished up and finals began, I took a few nights to write down the people whom God had allowed me to meet this semester and tried to list a few things I have learned from them or can learn from them. Sometimes it was all negative, but there was so much positive.... I found myself inspired by the little things I'd seen in people, and overwhelmed by how much I have to grow! The very nature of college demands that many people will cross my path only for this one semester, and especially now that I am transferring Panera jobs, I wanted to make sure that the opportunity I had was not taken for granted. I blotted out the names and specifics, but I wanted to attach a part of the list here and encourage all my readers to never grow complacent where they are. I tend to ignore the people around me, because I'm not very social and have little interaction due to my hectic work and school load, but God put it on my heart to stop and open my eyes and try to grow, grow, grow...

I am looking forward to such a good summer! =)

* pray. for everything. Cherish family. enjoy the journey of life. look for value in the broken things. love.
* really care about people (even strangers). take time to talk to them. smile. a lot. be true to your convictions. laugh while you're young. sing while you vaccuum. make a "wow" experience to *everyone* who crosses your path.
* kill your enemies with kindness. it pays off in the end.
* encouragement is never out of style. keep drawing. maybe someday you'll make a picture that looks real.
* dress cute no matter what. and a cute purse WILL be noticed. Also a hug, a wave, a compliment goes a long way to building a friendship.
* be ambitious. each curve is a new challenge. live with zest. throw the rulebook out once a semester and live a little. scary movies are the BEST. always have icecream and tissues. girl nights.
* love God, and love your boyfriend. devotion is a beautiful thing. so is sincerety.
* go the extra mile yourself. Inspire others by working hard. Add on a little love <3
* people appreciate being told they are appreciated. treating those beneath you to a little something special is a huge morale boost.
* pay attention to details, and they will bring you attention.
* if you have a car, offer a ride.
* don't be competitive. don't ever leave your car a mess. don't ever chose favorites.
* it's okay to excell. to be a quick learner. to do your best all the time. and to have cute nails at work.
* be a good friend. long ticket times are lame, but getting yourself hurt in the process just makes them longer....
* don't take out your bad day on someone. it may come back to bite you and give you a bad reputation.

....and so many more!