I gotta pocketful of sunshine.

Alright, so I have an assortment of random things to mention all in one post, so here goes!

First of all, another weird fear of mine (since I've mentioned several in the past) is of small steps in a set of stairs. At Rachel's graduation on Saturday, we went to Assembly Hall, and I just so happened to be wearing some very tall heels (maybe 5-inch). If you've ever been to Assembly Hall, you know what I'm talking about; those steps are TINY. As a young woman with rather large feet, I have to take special care when I go down stairs as it is, because oftentimes I might overstep and trip. This problem was amplified with tall heels and noooo railing to clutch as I wobbled down the steps. My remedy? Shoe removal. The concrete might have been disgusting, but it was better than falling down the steps allllll the way to the bottom! I was still nervous, though, even without the shoes. That is a hazard and they should definitely put in railing of some form!

On a completely separate and different note, I bought a concordance today! My very first, and I am so excited! Hopefully I'll be able to dive more into the Word this summer with it and God might reveal some really cool things to me. Only 175 hours until I leave for Yellowstone! I can only hope and pray that I might find the courage and strength to remain steadfast in my faith this summer and share God's love with the people around me. I'm going to be constantly interacting with strangers, so this should be a good opportunity for me to be better about coming out of my shell!

IU Bluebells! Photography by Chelsea. =]

"The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."

I am fully aware that this semester has not been my best academically as I write in my blog a mere 9 hours away from my biology final exam. I've followed a strict studying regimen in the past, but this year I've really embraced the idea of taking life one day at a time and trying to live it to the fullest, so oftentimes I find myself doing something really fun with my friends instead of spending hours writing that essay that everybody is worrying about. This isn't to say that I haven't been doing my schoolwork, but I just haven't put in as much of my soul into it because when I did I discovered a lot of frustration and disappointment when I didn't get the grade that I wanted.

In the end, do grades really matter? I'd like to think not. As long as I pass and I enjoy my life in the process, I'm set. I don't see the point in making myself miserable over schoolwork when there is so much out there in this world to experience and in such a short time! Really, a lifetime isn't all that long; it's like the blink of an eye in the expanse of eternity so there's no sense in wasting the one life you have to live. Take advantage of the time God has given you on this Earth, because it's not going to last forever.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

It's the final countdown!! Only three exams left, and three essays to go! Then I'll be going home-sweet-home for a little under two weeks and then heading out West to Yellowstone for the summer!! I have a feeling once I'm on that plane and officially flying to Montana is when I'll probably start freaking out, but hopefully I'll be able to keep myself emotionally stable, haha.

There are no words to describe how overjoyed I am to become a bible study leader next year for freshman girls with my good friend Trina; I just know God will be doing some amazing things in the lives of the people around me next year and I can't wait to be a part of it! It is such an honor to be given the responsibility of a leadership position, and I just hope I won't disappoint! Hopefully the Lord will reveal some good stuff to me this summer as I study the Bible more in-depth and prepare my heart to lead.

Today in church as we were told the stories of particular persecuted missionaries overseas I really got to thinking about what I want to do with my life. I thought about my mission trip to New Orleans and how much it opened my eyes to the suffering world around me, and I think it would be such an amazing experience and so beautiful to share the word with people in such dangerous places for Christians as India and China. To honor God like that by risking your life to share the message with those who are in the midst of both physical and spiritual suffering is so amazing and I greatly admire those people who are willing to do that. Hopefully I will be just as willing once I am out of college, because I definitely feel God moving in my heart to do something to help this movement.

Outside of Beck Chapel, Bloomington. Copyright- me!

Weirdisms

I realize I have some fairly strange quirks, so I feel like mentioning a few because I started out by mentioning some in my first blog.

-I can't STAND open doors at night. I have to close all the closet and pantry doors at night because they freak me out if they're open. Not completely sure why, but might be because I'm afraid someone might be watching me... very conspicuously. haha.
-I can eat pico de gallo, ketchup, and tomato soup, but I still can't bring myself to like sliced tomatoes.

more to come later, I suppose.