Tired.

Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I am doing a NEW thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Yesterday, my dear precious best friend Kristin gently reminded me that I have not blogged in TEN days...that is so unlike me so I do sincerely apologize! I guess it's 11 days now--woopsies :)

As you know Mom, Shelby, and I took a girls road trip out to Colorado to move Shelby out there. I was right when I said, I am not one for driving too much BUT I can honestly say that I have driven across the country AND that I would do it again with mom and sister...I just LOVED spending time with them. We stopped in Knoxville, Nashville (stayed), St. Louis, Kansas City, MO (stayed), and then finally made it to Denver. Oh did you notice that we made no more stops after Kansas City (only for food and potty), well that is because there is NOTHING! I am not exaggerating when I say you see the same thing for 600 miles...I don't recommend driving across Kansas! When we FINALLY arrived in Denver we got settled and boy was it chilly. High of like 45 ish and rainy/hail. We survived but of course it got pretty when mom and I were leaving. It was sad to leave seester but I felt very at peace about where she would be and although it will be a time of adjustment I can tell that she is happy and that Colorado is really where she wants to be so I am excited to see what NEW thing the Lord has in store for her life and am excited for her plan to beautifully unfold!

Mom and I got home late Saturday night and it felt so good to sleep in my own bed! I am in this very surreal place...I got home and was thinking, what next? I haven't had this kind of time since I don't know when! I was able to go up and see my precious little kindergarteners graduate and have gotten to see some friends which is always very encouraging but I am just tired. Why am I tired when I am not doing anything? It's not necessarily a sleepy tired but a weary tired perhaps. I am tired of people asking, what's next, I am tired of not knowing what's next, I am tired of everyone else's plans falling into place and mine is stuck in idle mode, I am tired of not having the community I had a school, & it's absolutely BIZARRE to me that I am not going back to Clemson come August, & I am tired of not feeling happy because of my uncertainty and I am tired of the devil being able to have that affect on me, and therefore, I am just plain exhausted. That all sounds terrible I know and I am joyful because I know that His ways are bigger than my ways and his thoughts are higher than mine. But I know and can rejoice in the truth that "life is not a snapshot, it might take a little time, but you'll see the bigger picture...its just the dark before the morning" and it cannot compare to the joy that's coming! :)

I am keeping my options open and I am just excited to spend some time at home for the summer kind of figuring out who the Lord wants me to be and where/how I can best serve and glorify him. I am helping with VBS coming up, taking classes at the YMCA, planning on spending lots of time at the pool with the Bolands (YAAYY), playing at the lake and the beach of course...so even though I am unsure of what's next, I don't want to take for granted this time that I can just 'chillax' for a while! Happy Memorial Day weekend all :)

Isaiah 40:29 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." 

Overwhelmed.

Philippians 1:6 "Being CONFIDENT of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!" 

What exactly does the word overwhelmed mean? Right now it means three things for me: I am overwhelmed by the unknown, I am overwhelmed with what I have coming up in the next week ish, and I am so happily overwhelmed with the amazing blessing I have had at Clemson University over the past four years, for family and friends, laughter and tears, trials and JOY!

I still don't know what the future holds and am becoming more & more content with where the Lord has me right now. I am just in an unknown transition that leads to a little bit of anxiety! I have found myself kind of in a plateau in my relationship with the Lord...I yearn to want what the Lord wants, and desire to seek his heart and trudge towards the cross, however, this place of uncertainty has been the playground for the punk devil. In this time, I just know I have to be VERY intentional in getting in the word and in prayer. The Lord is in the process of breaking me so that I can become more and more like him and even though it is difficult sometimes the payoff is so worth the run!

As some of you know Mom, Shelby, and I leave tomorrow to road trip to Colorado. Whew. What a trip-three days of driving. Now I am not one for driving too much, especially across the country (I'll be fine if this is my first and last time I do that), but I am excited to spend time with seester and mommy! Shelby is moving to Colorado for 'x' amount of time and I am very excited for her, to see her in her element, a place she loves to be and it is my prayer that she thrives there. That does not make it any easier, I cannot say I am happy to leave her out there. I don't like that my sister will be 2000 miles away but thank goodness for cell phones and text messages. :) That all came real quickly, graduated Friday, packed up and moved out of my apartment Saturday, unpacked and organized, repacked Sunday, and am leaving at 8 am Monday morning. Wow...that is a lot in a short amount of time. I really am excited and am looking forward to lots and LOTS of good time with the girls but it is a little overwhelming!

AHHH, I am a Clemson Alum. Can you believe it? Where did the past four years go? It seems like just yesterday I was moving ALL of my stuff into an itty bitty dorm room in Manning 3B6. Those years flew by but I certainly cherish the memories. To be frank, it really is a weird place of transition. I don't think I will ever have a community like I had at Clemson and with my group of friends because we lived life together, right there. Now, we are all going different places and although we will stay in touch it will just not be the same. Yes, that makes me a little sad but I am overjoyed that I was blessed with such amazing friends at school. Friends that were there for me in the ups and downs, friends to run the race with me, to push me along in my relationship with the Lord, and to hold me accountable. My family was so supportive, except for when the boys wanted to give me a hard time about going to "cow college" and not the REAL university of South Carolina...phoooy on them I say :) And yes, Evan did have the nerve to waltz into my graduation in his Carolina shirt-what was he thinking? Anyhoo, they have always been there for me and I am thankful and have a happy heart that I had the opportunity to go to a wonderful school and that they have ALWAYS and will ALWAYS be there for me!

Thank you for your prayers for Mom, Shelby, and I as we travel this week! Love to all of you and great big hugs! :)

"I may be weak, your spirit's strong in me...

My flesh may fail, but my God you never will."

* We decorated our caps with the Zeta crown in rhinestones-didn't they turn out just too cute* 

Done Done DONE!

In the blink of an eye, the semester has come and gone! I cannot believe that I am finished with college! In 5 days I will officially be a Clemson Alumi-that is so hard to believe. My years at Clemson have been filled with so much happiness, fun memories, great friendships have been made and will remain, and lots of love! I have loved every minute of my time at Clemson but it's time for a new phase of life, which YES is still unknown! :)

*Note: I could not find a picture of one with an '11 in it but yes I am graduating in 2011 :) 

I will spend this week back at my apartment packing and playing with my friends! I cannot wait for a wonderful "senior week" and am looking forward to the BIG DAY on Friday! 

These past few weeks have been pretty busy! Last Sunday we had our ZTA Senior Brunch! Mom and Dad came up for that and it was so special! Dad's read their daughters letters and daddy did such a good job! Of course Dad and I just cried but it was good happy sweet tears! It was also a good time to spend time with the girls in my pledge class and see how great being a part of Zeta has been! I have loved every minute of it, really getting to know lots of girls, formed wonderful relationships, seen the Lord work in REALLY cool ways, and have had lots of fun! 

After all that emotion for one week, I started my last week of student teaching. Bittersweet to say the least but to be the last week it was some kinda busy! We did lots of Mother's Day things and had "breakfast and a book" for our moms, grandmas, aunts, or friends on Friday morning. It turned out so cute! Moms came in, Crystal read a book for everyone and then the children read to their moms and vic versa. It was so cute and such a great idea. We also got each child to tell us their favorite recipe that their mom makes and how to make it and compiled a recipe book! They were TOO funny! On Friday, my last day, they had an ice cream party for me, made me lots of cards, and helped paint me the most precious stool EVER! Notice all the little bugs, the clouds, the sun...yes you got it, those are all their sweet little fingers! Philippians 1:6 is around the stool that says "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." How perfect is that? I could not have asked for a more sincere and wonderful gift! I squalled when I hugged them all goodbye-I thought I was fine but it just hit me all at once and I started and could not stop! But I know I'll visit and stay in touch! Overall, I could not have asked for a better student teaching semester, a more wonderful teacher, and precious children!