30 days...

in 30 days i get to step my feet upon a flying piece of metal and fly across the atlantic to switzerland and then off to kenya. can i just tell you how i can't wait? not one little bit...i cannot wait! the fact that in 30 days, my 2 research papers will be done, i will have hopefully passed chemistry and never have to take another science class again, no more meetings, no more drama (at least for a little bit). just me and my favorite place in the world. with might i say some of the coolest.

i just can't wait. so if you think about it family. pray for kenya. that is the most amazing country to me. i love it. i love the smells. i love the food. i love the people. i love the love there. i wish i could take you all with me but i know i can't but i am kinda of taking you all with me since i know you are praying for me so much.

besides craving to go back to africa. i am just hanging here in sterling. laughing a lot and trying to say sane with all the homework and workouts. laughing helps. just in case you haven't laughed really hard in a long time. you should. it helps. promise. here are some random pictures of me with some of my favorite people in the world. i hope you enjoy them, i wish you could meet all of them too. the Lord has blessed me with so many great friends...

i love you all so much. hopefully i will see you soon! i really hope so... remember to smile and laugh. be joyful in the Lord, i promise there is always something to be thankful for. always.

(the pics in case you wanna know...
#1 at kenya date night, we are all fake laughing, just for fun...aren't we cute?
#2 me and jill and renee swisher two of my teammates at one of the boys conference tournament games
#3 me and renee at nationals...we are pretty much inseperable
#4 team kenya!! yeah! we had a date night where we auctioned ourselves off and those were our promotional shirts with pink duck tape
#5 my whole team at basketball, we are pretty much a huge family, it kinda happens when you spend every waking moment together)

new semester...new challenges...

so i woke up this morning after around 5 hours of sleep. to the beautiful sound of my alarm clock, oh that is my favorite sound in the world. went to my 7:50, which happens to be Jesus, as i struggled to stay awake the whole time, my professor asks beyond hard questions for that early in the morning and I sat there feeling a bit inadequate, ok, really inadequate. this semester might be my hardest i have ever had before, ok, once again, it will be.
so my perfectionism of A's might come to a halt, is that such a bad thing? well for me, yes.
so then as i am walking back, in the cold winter weather which makes me feel as though my face is falling off, i wonder...will life ever be easy again? i mean easy like, go back home and let mom take care of you easy. oh, now those were the days. but i also guess if life wasn't challenging, than what would i really be striving for in all reality?
so as i make my way into my dorm i find my friend grace, who is still up from the night before working on her book review and we discuss this.
i guess it's good to be busy, but really i just want to quit all the commitments i have here, just for like one week. what would it be like? to not have to go to practice everyday at 3:30? to not have to be the authority on my hall and tell my girls to shut up at 1 am every night? to not have to be the resolver of every drama issue a college girl could come up with? to not have to go to 8 meetings every week? to not have to say no to so many friends who want to hang out, but i can't because i have too much to do? to not do homework?
well...just thoughts to ponder. i wouldn't change my busyness for anything once i think about it, because i would most likely go insane. but still every once in awhile i need a vacation. just a weekend retreat would be nice. at least to just be still before the Lord and be able to focus on Him. That's the hardest part about this, finding time with Him. And wanting that time too.
Well family...i love you all. a lot. and am beyond blessed to have you all in my life. you probably won't read this because i never update, but if you do...keep on going...just keep on going...
there is a prize at the end of this race...
at least i cling onto that promise...

now off to research methods, where i get to decide what topic i would most likely wirte my disertation on...any ideas?

loves...

Finals week!

Well...lots has been going on. And since I am a college student and our number accomplishment seems to always somehow procrastinate I thought why not update my blog instead of studying for my last final...right? This is more fun anyways. I just took my hardest final in Human Social Context, definitly my least favorite class I have ever taken and I am so glad it is over with. Everyone leaves the dorms today but the basketball teams. We are stuck here for awhile, gotta love it right? The whole point of dorm life is the girls in the dorm and when they are all gone it is kinda sucky...well...yeah it is.

So anyways, I am putting some pictures on here of all the christmas parties and what not that has been going on. My closest friends here, Sarah, Michelle, Hillary, and Grace, we all went out to dinner together for our christmas present to each other, since we are all so broke! Anyways, they are amazing and they mean the world to me. I couldn't survive here without them. IF you all are ever up here, make sure to meet them. They are great!

The other pictures are from my wing christmas party. I took my girls on my wing out to Pizza Hut and we had a white elephant gift exchange. I was lucky enough to get a toy plane for my gift, it is pretty slick. Anyways, it was a fun time. I have a great wing of girls, we are all loud and crazy and love laughing, so I know Pizza Hut loved us when we were done, if you know what I mean :)
Anyways, I need to study for my Themes in Biblical History test now...my foster dad teaches it so don't you think He should give me a break, I mean I am his kid and all :) Just kidding...
Love you all!

Finals week!

Well...lots has been going on. And since I am a college student and our number accomplishment seems to always somehow procrastinate I thought why not update my blog instead of studying for my last final...right? This is more fun anyways. I just took my hardest final in Human Social Context, definitly my least favorite class I have ever taken and I am so glad it is over with. Everyone leaves the dorms today but the basketball teams. We are stuck here for awhile, gotta love it right? The whole point of dorm life is the girls in the dorm and when they are all gone it is kinda sucky...well...yeah it is.

So anyways, I am putting some pictures on here of all the christmas parties and what not that has been going on. My closest friends here, Sarah, Michelle, Hillary, and Grace, we all went out to dinner together for our christmas present to each other, since we are all so broke! Anyways, they are amazing and they mean the world to me. I couldn't survive here without them. IF you all are ever up here, make sure to meet them. They are great!

The other pictures are from my wing christmas party. I took my girls on my wing out to Pizza Hut and we had a white elephant gift exchange. I was lucky enough to get a toy plane for my gift, it is pretty slick. Anyways, it was a fun time. I have a great wing of girls, we are all loud and crazy and love laughing, so I know Pizza Hut loved us when we were done, if you know what I mean :)
Anyways, I need to study for my Themes in Biblical History test now...my foster dad teaches it so don't you think He should give me a break, I mean I am his kid and all :) Just kidding...
Love you all!

long time no write...

hey everyone...well i am sure no one even reads this anymore but...here is an update on my life!
bball has begun...we had our alumni game tonight and we won 97-72 it was a good time. we have our first game on tuesday at baker and then tournaments every weekend until after thanksgiving and then conference games begin! anyways, it keeps me busy but it is fun, i love the girls they always make me smile!
life is just crazy but God is good and always faithful so He is the one who keeps me sane. i try to wake up every morning with His name on my lips and choosing to walk in His spirit and not by the flesh. anyways...enough of that!
i will try and put some pictures of fun times at sterling...just so you all can be envious of staying up late and living the party life :)
oh yeah...and melanie and michele take care of my little cousins i miss them so much, hopefully i can come and just play with them soon. tell chloe that her art is amazing and i want to paint or draw with her sometime! oh and i loved their outfits at halloween!!

Mis Amigas...

My good friend Sarah came for a visit all the way from South Carolina...I have missed her so much and it was so good to see her and catch up on times.
So I thought I would let you all meet some of best friends. They are all incredible girls! And just amaze me everyday.


This is Sarah and Michelle and Me...Two of the coolest girls in the world...seriously they are...you should hang out with them sometime and you will understand why.


This is one of my favorite pictures I think ever...I love squeezes as many people as you can in a picture you take with your own arm...gotta love it right??

Here is a group shot of all of us at the football game on Saturday night. The girls in the pic....Hillary, Me, Sarah, Grace, Kate, and Michelle. We like to laugh. A lot
.

busy....

my life is busy...
pure busyness...
non-stop...

...4 hours of sleep has been my record this week...every night so far...
...a bagel with peanut butter and honey has been my meal for lunch and dinner all week...
...i got my first bad grade on a test this year today...
...but...
...i wouldn't trade the times i have with my girls for anything...

...pray that i stay sane in the next week and a half...
...lots to do... :)

Water Slideski...

The whole gang....

Ok...so as an RA (Resident Assistant) I have to throw wing events. Basically a time to bond as a wing of girls and get to know each other better. Needless to say...we had our first one last night. I have always wanted to have a waterslide inside of Evan's in the basement....so we did. (Soap Angels!!)

Yes. We had the 1st and not last waterslide inside of a dorm! It was awesome. Julie (my fellow RA on the hall) joined in with us with her wing so it was our whole hall! My RD even came in and joined on the action!! Anyways, just one of the many reasons why college is the best time of your life. Here are some great pictures from the event!

Jilly sliding...

It was so much fun!! This is Kate and Jill in the sink when we were cleaning up!

Sterling Revival

Here are the number one volleyball fans driving to the game! :)


I'm telling you it's those Sunday Night chapels. It's Sterling College. This place I did not want to come back to about 2 months ago, but now that I am back I am incredibly thankful.
Last night I got to see one of my very close friends commit her life to Jesus! Someone I have been praying for fervently for a year. Seeing that happen is mind blowing. I held her for awhile and just cried, she probably thinks I'm crazy, but I was so joyful.
After that a few of my closest friends here on campus walked around campus for about an hour and just prayed over places where we feel the enemy has a strong hold and has places in bondage. That was amazing.

So conclusion. God is amazing. He works through people who are amazing. And He has made everything and everyone with the ability to be amazing.
Anyways, I am smiling and life it good. Wait no..it's great.

Praise Jesus for the things happening here on campus.

Water What?

Kellie bugged me to update so once again...I am avoiding the millions of things I have to do.

Chapel on Sunday was quite good for me. I got to worship with my peers and listen to teaching from one of my other classmates. His words really hit me in the face...lets see...like Jesus saying, "Knock, knock...you there? Ok fine since you don't seem to want to listen to me or open up the door I guess i will just come through and and throw a baseball in your face so you will pay attention" Now I am not saying Jesus is violent. But I wonder how many times he just wants to shakes us so we will come to some sense and listen. So the main point...

Matthew 14:22-32

So basically Jesus tells Peter to walk on some water right? I mean come on no big deal, the worst thing that would happen is he would drown. I think way too often I read this story as of course I would do it, I mean HELLO! It is Jesus, the son of the creator of the universe. Yeah I would trust him. But then I think of Peter, a lonely fisherman, someone who wasn't a rabbi in studying somewhere trying to be like the rabbi above him. He wasn't the best of the best right? So he fishes. I can't even imagine that, all day long, that smell...yuck! Ok, so there is a terrible storm. Check point two when I am like "Well if I jump in and I can't walk, I'll just swim right?" Could Peter swim? How wavy was it exactly? Are we talking a down pour or justa drizzle?
Basically what I am trying to convey is that we underestimate how bad the storm was and how hard it was for Peter to jump out. But....

He does it.
He walks.
Then he sinks.

Why?? Why the sinking? Because he lost his faith right? I mean that has to be the answer. But here is my main question...What did he exactly lose his faith in? I think our first response and the best sunday school answer would be Jesus. But (this is when Jesus just busted down my door because I didn't open it like a member of SWAT and made me listen) I don't think he lost his faith in Jesus. It says in verse 29 that Peter begins to sink and says "Save me, Lord!" Peter cries our to Jesus. He cries out to Jesus...to who? Jesus. For me I don't think I would cry out to someone I don't have faith in. So why did Peter do that if we think he lost his faith in Jesus?
Ready for it (and I didn't come up with this on my own...chapel...I'm telling you come to Sterling)
Peter lost faith in himself.

HIMSELF!!!!

For all the times people told him he wasn't good enough...he remembered that and began to sink. I don't think Peter thought he could do it.

Anyways, that was long...but meant a lot to me. I so many times feel like Peter. I know Jesus thinks I can, but I don't think I can...sounds corny but true. So where is my faith in myself? Not where it should be.

I need to shower...Bye...

(oh and melanie..I painted a lot today...I love paint. I just got to be free again, isn't it weird how paint does that?)

I'm sucked in...

Well since everyone else in the family has one...I feel a bit disconnected so I thought I would join the life-sucking-cyle-of-bloggers-united. So basically this is something to do besides my homework right now. Is that bad? I'm already in the cycle of procrastination.
So since I know all of you care I will tell you about my life.
My life = Busyness
I'm in Sterling doing about 5.3 million things but it is all good. I'm an RA this year so I have a hall of girls that keep things interesting for me. I'm still playing basketball, but often question why, but it is going well. I spent 3 1/2 hours in the gym yesterday so that was good. At least I'm in shape right?? Oh yeah and I found out today that I am going to be the art teacher for the Charter School here in Sterling...taking after my parents, I know, don't remind me.
As far as Sterling in general God is doing amazing things. We have a ton of prayer going on on Campus, every person is getting prayed for everyday! This is year is a huge year of change for Sterling. And it is really cool to be a part of it.
Well..I need to go make root beer floats for the entire campus now...Here are some pictures of things that have been going on here in Sterling.

Top 5 things here in Sterling:
1. Watching my girls wear little kid sleepers they bought at Target
2. High Ropes Courses...climbing swinging ladders way too high in the sky
3. Being loud in the hallway and having a freshmen tell you (as the RA) to be quiet
4. Watching freshmen make fools of themselves
5. Dancing with 12 other RAs (8 being guys) to Kirk Franklin in front of the entire student body.

My favorite girls! Ready to move the freshmen in!

Gracie Erin and Me at Highland Games!

Me and Paul...just chillaxin...

My fellow RA's in our outfits for the talent show...in which we did dance to Kirk Franklin

Love you all...
Erin