Oh how far I have come!!

I made a B on a paper, and I am not the least bit upset. I've never made less than an A on a paper in my whole life. True story. I just feel like what I'm learning is more important than stressing over grades, so I'm doing enough to do okay. That doesn't mean I don't want to make A's. It means that I am not going to have anxiety just to make an A. Does that make sense?

This past week was kinda hard for me emotionally. I was missing my friends at home, the cafeteria food was awful, and the weather was (is) gross. I just wanted to climb in bed, pull the covers over my head, and sleep for days. I shared how I was feeling with my roommate, and I think that helped Friday to be a much better day. Plus, I got a home cooked meal last night. Oh the wonders of a good meal.

I now realize that coming to Kentucky was the first step in this new faith journey God has me on. He is challenging me constantly, and I feel myself pushing back often. I don't want to push back. I want to surrender. It's hard letting go of things, though. I don't mind sharing that I am probably going to go to a counselor while I'm here. Many, if not most, seminary students go to counseling at some point. I think that is wonderful. We are the people who are or will be spiritual leaders, and we need to be living in God's freedom and power. I don't mean to suggest that therapy is the only way to do that. I do think it is a good and helpful way to bring about emotional and spiritual healing. I have always known that seminary would not be a purely academic journey for me. I have prepared myself for the work that I know God must do in my life. Somehow I think that has ended with me putting up more walls than I had before. Please be praying that I won't be so afraid to fully surrender to God. Please pray that I will fully accept his love and forgiveness. Pray that I will walk in power and confidence that He gives me. Pray that emotionally I won't be a basket case through this whole process. I know God wants to transform me, and I want to be transformed.

Week 2

I have wrapped up 2 weeks of class. The past week was really busy with trying to catch up on reading and a quick trip home.

Classes are going well. My favorite so far is probably my youth ministry class. Every week I feel like I am learning information that is useful. I also like that teacher. The class is very interactive, and surprisingly I speak up in class. I'm not normally one to answer questions or converse with the teacher, but it's like I'm already talking before I realize that I don't like to talk in class.

I went home Thursday because I had an appt. with my dermatologist on Friday. Dang adult acne. Thursday I spent hours working on homework. Friday I did homework in the dr.'s office then headed off to KB's to visit with her, Jay, and Rory. Oh that Rory!! She is so precious, even if she did pass gas on me all day. She even "did a worship" for me (raised her hand in the air like she was worshiping). Oh...and she smiled. She was sleeping and stretching and a smile spread across her face. It was quite possibly THE cutest thing I have EVER seen. She loves me. I came back to school yesterday (Saturday) because I kept getting texts and fb messages from my friends asking when I was coming back. They all missed me...or so they said, lol. I was happy to get back and happy to see all the girls.

I must share with you coffee drinkers some new deliciousness I learned about last night. One of my friends here works at Starbucks so she gets free coffee beans all the time. Last night she was grinding the coffee and added cinnamon to it. She brewed a pot of the cinnamon coffee this morning so I poured myself a cup, added creamer, and BAM it tastes just like a cinnamon dolce latte from Starbucks. I had been wanting a Starbucks drink for forever but haven't made it there yet. Now, I don't have to go.

Alright, this is long enough. So far I am doing well at updating weekly. We'll see how it goes after this. I hope everyone has a great week. If you pray for me, I ask you pray that I will A) get caught up on homework B) not stress out about homework C) quit eating when I'm not hungry and D) get a good sleep schedule so I'm not tired all the time. Thanks! :)

Oh by gosh, by golly

I have so. much. reading. Yuuck! I need to get 18 hours worth of reading and note taking done before I go home on Thursday (I have a dr. appt. on Friday) so I will be all caught up. I planned on taking a short nap this afternoon, but it turned into a 3 hour nap. Ooops. I will just spend the rest of the evening reading/taking notes. It wasn't going so well earlier, and I got a bit discouraged.

I guess I should write a bit about life here in The Tucky. I live with a girl named Liz who is super nice and normal (that's always important...ha!). There are 2 other girls in my suite, and 5 other girls in the other suite on our side of the hall. I like them all, and we regularly eat lunch and/or dinner together. I have classes with several of them, too, so that is a big plus. Wilmore is a tiny town and is bascially just the seminary and the college. Speaking of the college...we have to eat dinner in their cafeteria. All dorm residents had to buy a meal plan, but the seminary cafeteria only serves lunch. So, any other meals have to be eaten at the college. The food is better there, so it's not a big deal. Anyway...Wilmore is about 10 minutes to a bigger town and about 20 to Lexington. So, everything is really close. I am very thankful for that! Luckily, the Target isn't too close to here, so I'm not tempted to go in randomly and spend money that I should be saving! :)

As far as school, I am taking 3 classes this semester (9 hours): Basic Christian Theology, Foundations of Youth Ministry, and Kingdom, Church, & World. My Basic Christian Theology is a TON of work, but we (my dorm mate Ashleigh and I) love, love, love our prof. I have a big paper and a bigger project in Foundations of Youth Ministry, but the weekly reading assignments aren't too bad. KCW isn't a hard class (even our prof. told us that). There are at least 6 girls I know in that class. We have to read books and write papers on them and do small group work. I think I will enjoy KCW a lot.

We all really like chapel. Usually the messages are so interesting and just plain good. The music varies from hymns to contemporary stuff. The hymns kinda rock my world because we use the United Methodist hymnal (we are a Wesleyan school), so I don't know a lot of them OR I've never sung the versions they sing. I like the hymns, though, and it's really cool to see people worshiping to both hymns and contemporary songs the same way.

I really really really like it here. I miss people from home (none more than Rory...oh my heart), but I know this is where God has placed me, and he has surrounded me with great new friends. I know you all have been praying for me. I appreciate it more than you know, and it has made my transitition here so much smoother. Plus, I got that scholarship! God is faithful, and He does provide!

I haven't felt like writing much until now because I had been so tired. I guess I finally got caught up on sleep and started feeling better yesterday. I will update as the semester goes along, at least once a week...if I'm not just swamped with homework. Thanks again for the prayers. I hope everyone has a great week.



PS: I took my nose ring out. I was afraid it had a cut or sore that I couldn't see (it did). AAAND it is just too dang hard to have a nose ring when you have allergies like I do. Makes for a hard time blowing your nose (tmi?)! :)

This stuff makes me mad too

Ok, so have you guys heard the story of the South African runner whose gender was questioned, so they made her take a "gender test?" It's really appalling. I just feel so bad for this woman. She's only 18!! I won't say more because I think this post from another blogger states how I feel quite well.

:)

Sooo...I got the scholarship! It's only $1000 per semester, definitely not full tuition, but I am still so happy!! God has provided just like I knew he would!

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! I am spending a relaxing day in the dorm until time to go out this evening. Lots of the girls are reading in preparation for the first day of class tomorrow. Not me!! I don't have any assignments due tomorrow, so I'm definitely not doing any work. I don't even have my books, yet. Tomorrow is sure to be a busy day with class, chapel, and plenty of errands to run. I'm excited, I'm not gonna lie. I'm good at school, and I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine. I really like it here, but it's hard not to compare myself to the other people here and think I am not good enough to be here. I know everyone has a story and God uses anyone he chooses and no one is perfect, but I still feel inferior. I know this is where I am supposed to be, and God is going to transform me. I just have to learn to see myself the way he sees me.

I am a new student no longer

Orientation is over, and I am officially a seminarian. The last 2 days have been cram packed with events and information, but I think the new students as a whole have been so blessed. The professors prayed over us yesterday in the chapel service then came to lunch. My friends in the dorm and I keep talking about how welcome we feel here and how much the faculty seems to care. Over the 2 days we had a photo contest...whichever group took the best photos (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) got a prize. Our group got 2nd! We were pretty excited.

I am forgetting lots of things...oh yeah, the person who preached in chapel today used lyrics from David Baroni's song "Took Me Out of Egypt." I was so excited because I was like "HEY I KNOW WHO WROTE THAT!!!"

Yeah so I guess that's all for now. I'm sure I will remember more later.

I'm here!

I am in Kentucky and all moved in my dorm. I've been relaxing and getting to know the other girls on my floor. Orientation is tomorrow and Friday. I will update soon!