Precious cornerstone, sure foundation
You are faithful to the end
We are waiting, on You, Jesus
We believe You're all to us

Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church
Let the righteousness of God be a holy flame that burns
Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives
We believe You're all to us

Only Son of God sent from Heaven
Hope and mercy at the cross
You are everything, You're the Promise
Jesus, You are all to us

You're all to us
You're all to us
You're all to us
Yes, You are

When this passing world is over
We will see You face to face
And forever we will worship
Jesus, You are all to us

I was listening to this song today while I was driving and the chorus of the song( in bold and underlined) hit me like a ton of bricks. In a good way. Look at those lyrics. I can't get enough of them. So often, the church gets caught up in so many other things. In reality, the glory of God should be our passion. I think people don't understand how much the word "passion" entails. Christians should be on fire for the glory of Christ. I just can't get enough of those words! 


I've been praying a lot about my future and everything I have planned. As much as I like plans, my plans mean nothing. If God has something else planned, I need to be prepared to just go with it. As a lot of you know, I'm planning on going into Family Ministries. Last night, I was praying about it then went to read my Bible some. I ended up in Titus and came across these verses: 

1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine,but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good.In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 

Titus 2:1-8.

Then verse 15 says, 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

I'm so stinkin happy that I found these verses. I feel like they will be my guide and foundation when I go into Family Ministries. While I was reading these verses I felt a peace about my future plans. I knew God them to me at the perfect time to reaffirm what He had already been telling me about my future. Sometimes, I just have to stop and stand in awe of the God that I serve.

Cousinly Love

Happy Birthday to my cousin/best friend/room mate Briana!! This girl has always been my best friend. From playing in Wawa's backyard and mixing up weird stuff in the bird bathe to living together at Baylor, we've always had each other. We have more inside jokes than anyone else I know, we call each other almost daily to sing to each other songs that come on the radio that remind us of each other, and we find time in our crazy summer schedules to see each other every week or two. Briana was there for me all through my first year of Baylor. Somehow, we managed to convince Baylor to let Briana(a sophomore) live in the freshman dorm and I'm sooooo glad they let her. She calmed me down when I would freak out about my grades, she listened to me rant when people were bothering me, and she brought me Common Grounds drinks at the perfect time. I honestly don't know what I would do without this girl. I know I can call her at anytime and she'll be there for me. She's more like a second sister to Courtney and I than our actual cousin. We put up with each other's weirdness and trust me, we're both pretty weird, especially when we're together. I'm so excited to live with her in our apartment in the fall and to see what the next school year has in store for us. 

And here's some cute and slightly embarrassing pictures of our shenanigans the past 19ish years. 

We're pretty cute, huh?

Real Talk

I haven't posted anything in about 3 weeks. Why? Mainly because nothing interesting has happened in the last 3 weeks. Since I've been home I've been looking for a job which hasn't worked out all that great. That being said, if you know of anyone hiring, let me know porfavor! 

I just got back from graduation at RFHS. As I look around at all the kids graduating and listen to everything they talk about, all I can think of is how they have no clue as to what all is going to happen in the next year. I find it crazy to think that a year ago I was just graduating and I was the clueless one. I'm gonna try to sum up the last year with 5 things I learned. Now, this is just from my experience. Other college freshman might have experienced something different. 

Number One

No matter how much you hate Rockport(or your hometown if you live elsewhere), I promise you that you will miss it when you leave for college. Think about, the first 19 years of your life are spent in one setting then your placed somewhere else away from everyone you know. Is it scary? yes. Is it nerve racking? sure is. But is it completely awesome and worthwhile? You bet. I also guarantee that you will call your mom or dad and cry to them at least once. Whether it be about missing home, your grades, or just everything piling up; it will happen. But don't be afraid to call your parents even if you are sobbing to them over the phone. Just call them.

Number Two

Don't live in fear. Don't be afraid of what people think or what could go wrong. Just go for it. I was not looking forward to going to a new church in Waco. The thought of going to a church other than FBC Rockport, especially by myself, completely freaked me out. However, I went and I'm so thankful I did. You can't be afraid to try new things. Within reason of course ;)

Number Three

Appreciate your friends and family at home before you leave. Soak up every bit of Summer and every amount of free time you have with them. You'll soon realize that your family will be there for you regardless of how far from home you are. Your family is the one that will support you throughout college. That being said, keep in mind that whatever you do in college, needs to make your family proud. College comes with a lot of independence and you have to choose what to do with that. Going back to the topic of friends, you will drift apart from people. I hate to say it, but I don't even talk to some of the people that I was close with my senior year of high school. Everyone moves away, gets caught up with school, and makes new friends. Don't get me wrong, being away has also caused me to grow closer to some of my friends. Those are the friendships you cherish and fight for. 

Number Four

School is hard. You will make a bad grade on a test. It's gonna happen. It's awful when it happens, but you deal with it (aka call mom crying) and move on to the next test. There will be a week where you have 3 tests, 2 papers, and countless pages to read; but once again, you handle it and move on. College is way different from high school and I think you'll realize that within the first week. Helpful hint: get to know your professors. If you aren't happy with a grade, ask to come in during office hours and discuss it with them. Professors realize when a student really cares about a grade and that will come in handy. Lastly, study until you think you're ready for the test, then study 2 more hours. And I mean actually study. Don't just sit down in front of the TV with your book open. I mean go to the library and immerse yourself in the material. 

Number Five

Trust in God with everything you have in you. You'll go to college and things will get tough. You'll have questions, doubts, and fears; take them all to Christ. He's the only one that will help you through it. You'll soon realize that people will let you down every now. And believe or not, but sometimes, theres just not an answer to your question. Talk to God about it. He never lets you down and will always listen. Eventually, you'll sort through your problems with His guidance and come out even stronger than before. Don't be afraid to question what you believe. When you question it, you look for reasons why you believe what you do. You'll find those reasons and it will make your faith your own; it will solidify who you are and what you believe.  Talk to God about your problems. Surrender everything to Him and He'll see you through. 

There's a good chance that the majority of people reading this won't even be college graduates. However, I think a lot of these apply to daily life, not just college. These 5 things pretty much sum up my first year. Keep in mind though, college is amazing. I absolutely loved my first year at Baylor and I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else.

Chasing Love

I finished my first year of college! It's so crazy that I've already been out of high school for one year. I absolutely loved my first year at Baylor, but I also love being home. I've already seen a ton of people that I've missed over the past few months and it makes me super happy. I love being able to go anywhere in town and seeing familiar faces. I also absolutely loved being at church on Wednesday and being back with the praise team. I realize I'm using the word love a lot, but when I talk about Rockport, it's hard not to use it frequently.

For some reason, the word "love" has been the topic of a lot of conversations  between my friends and I lately. In college, I noticed a lot of girls were actively trying to find a soon-to-be husband. It actually comes off pretty silly sometimes. Then there's always that friend that has to have a significant other or they just can't go on with their life. Stuff like that really drives me crazy. Don't get me wrong, I'm really stinkin excited to fall in love, but I don't think I'm actively searching for that person. When they do come along, awesome. I've learned in the past few months that if something doesn't work out, there's no point in worrying about it. If it's mean't to be, Christ will work it all out for me. I was talking to one of my guy friends today that I love dearly and he was saying pretty much the same thing. Hearing a guy my age agree with me on this was really encouraging. Finding a spouse shouldn't be your priority in life. Is it awesome when it happens? I'm sure it is. Is it something I look forward to? Definitely. But is it something I'm actively searching for? Negative. When it comes along, I'll know it. I haven't gotten to that point, but I have faith that I will. I've learned the hard way, that when Christ isn't my priority, nothing falls into place like it should. I think a relationship should be Christ centered and when both of the individuals don't have Christ as their first priority, the relationship is just doomed from the start.

I'm excited to fall in love and spend my life with someone. But I don't live my life searching for him. I live my life and relax knowing that his person will come in when God feels they should. They're not here yet, but they will be eventually. I'm not gonna lie, I have pretty high expectations for the guy I'm gonna spend my life with. However, I don't think this is a bad thing at all. I think my expectations are very realistic and I know that there is a guy out there that meets those expectations.

Sorry if this is an awkward blog. I kinda feel like it is, but I haven't posted in awhile and this is what was on my mind. It floors me to think I've completed my first year of college but it has been pretty awesome. God has taught me a ton of things since leaving home and it's been tough a points, but it's turned out pretty great.

This picture pretty sums it up, huh?

Have a great week, yall!

Am I rambling?

Alright yall, I'm giving it another go. I'm still kinda in a blog funk, but we will see. This post is going to be very unorganized, I already know it. I have a few things I need to get down on paper (ehh screen?) but they aren't related at all so the post in general is probably going to be everywhere. Hang in there with me yall! 

I was in Austin this past weekend spending some quality time with my sister. First off, have I said recently how much I love that she lives so close now? LOVE it! Anywho, we were on our way somewhere and we saw this short guy running across the street. We waved him on and he just kept running. We soon found out that he was running to catch the bus that was about 50 feet from us. The bus started to pull away as we yelled, "NOOOO!!! RUN LITTLE MAN!!!" Thankfully, the bus stopped and he was able to jump on. That's when a thought hit me. We were so enthralled with this guys life for one minute then he got on the bus and that was it; I'll never see him again. When we go about our daily life, we come in contact with people for just a few short moments and then they're gone forever. It just kinda made me realize that I have to use those few short moments to show love. What if I'm having an awful day and someone passes me and I subconsciously give them a dirty look? That's the way they remember me. I have just a few moments to brighten up their day. If I waste those moments, I won't ever get them back. 

Like I've said before, I feel the need to be in control of situations and that can get in the way when it comes to surrendering everything over to Christ; which is a necessity. I've also mentioned before that one of my fears has always been that I won't find someone to spend my life with. Maybe I hadn't mentioned that. This is awkward. Oh well, you know now! Anywho, about a month ago, I realized that this isn't in my hands and that I have to surrender this over to Christ or the outcome won't be good. So I started praying about it and slowly put surely, I could tell that I was handing it over. Let me tell you, this is SUCH  a relief. It's so nice to not have fear about relationships. I know that Christ has got it covered, and who else could do a better job? And now that I have surrender that over, God is doing some things with the whole situation and it's pretty awesome.

On a lighter note, I only have one more week of classes then I'm done with my first year at Baylor! This semester has absolutely flown by and it's crazy to think I'm almost finished! I just have to survive finals.  I'm planning on doing a summer class online and finding a job somewhere. So know of anyone hiring?? I don't want to work in the food industry, but other than that, I'll take a job anywhere! Tomorrow, we have all day off so all classes are cancelled! We  have this thing called Diadeloso, which means Day of the Bear for all of you non spanish speakers. There's activities all around campus including concerts, food trucks, and CAMEL RIDES! It should be a fun time! 

I hope yall are having an awesome week! Here's a funny video in case you aren't having a good week or you just need a good laugh. You seriously can't watch this and NOT laugh.

Quotes

I'm back!! I hadn't realized how long it had been since I had posted. These past 2 weeks have been CRAZY. In the span of one week, I had 4 tests and 2 research papers. I realize it doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me, it's killer. I at least found the topic of the papers interesting. The first one was on attachment theory with adoption so pretty much just researching whether adopted children had problems feeling attached with their adoptive parents. The other paper was for chemistry(bleh) and I wrote it over Thalidomide. We could choose to write about anything that had to do with chemistry and I find Thalidomide really interesting. This drug caused severe birth defects in the early 1960's and is now being used by people with Multiple Myeloma to help them. It's crazy! Anywho, I'm finally home and able to relax some before getting back into school next week. Thankfully, I only have about a month of school left! There's just something about being back in Rockport that gives me a sense of peacefulness. I feel like no matter what is going on in Waco, I drive into Rockport and it all just goes away. I love it here. 

If yall know me very well, you know that I absolutely LOVE quotes. I'll see certain ones and realize that that is exactly how I feel, but I just couldn't say it so eloquently. However, there's also some quotes I absolutely despise. Feel free to post a comment if you disagree, I'm up for it!

In three words I can sum up everything you need to know about life: It Goes On.

I've seen this quote a lot by people that see it as a very positive and uplifting thing. Personally, I find it so incredibly sad. I just don't think you should sum up life like that. Granted, there are certain times where you have to remember that life will go on despite your current situation, but in general, life should be so much more than this. It shouldn't just "go on" and you deal with it; you embrace it and live life energetically and with a purpose.

Well behaved women rarely make history

I'm all about rules, yall so obviously I'm one of the "well behaved women." Okay so the ones that break the rules make history. But for what? Nothing good I would imagine. They make history by disobeying someone and doing something that is frowned upon. Also, the well behaved women might not be known by the whole world, but I would guess that they've made a much stronger impact on the people that do know them. I would rather be known for positively influencing a handful of lives than being known worldwide for doing something against the rules.

 I hate religion, but love Jesus.

I strongly dislike this saying. For off, it was the theme of a video that went around a while back that everyone was posting. I think the thing that really bothered was that people posted it and didn't really think about what the video was saying. They just saw that it was saying he loved Jesus so they posted it; not really comprehending the intensity behind the statement. Religion gives us a way to organize our faith and also gives us a chance to do mission work. It gives form to our relationship with Christ. Religion is an awesome thing as long as it's based on a relationship with Christ. Not to offend anyone, but I think the whole "religion bashing" movement is a cop out for those that don't want to actually attend a church. 

Git er done

I legitimately HATE this saying. Other than it being ridiculously redneck and hick sounding, I can't even give you a reason as to why I hate it soooooo much. I guess on top of being redneck it has horrific grammar? I don't even know. When I hear someone say it, I automatically cringe. It drives me nuts.

Sometimes, it's hard to put into words how I feel about things. I know what I mean and if I'm telling somehow about it I can say it; but typing it down can be difficult sometimes. Yall, I'm sorry if this post is a completely failure and makes so sense. Maybe the quote thing wasn't as interesting as I thought it was gonna be haha 

The past few weeks have been kinda weird but also exhilarating. I've been praying about a lot of stuff and I'm seeing those prayers get answered. It's such an amazing thing to be able to see prayer being answered and to see how Mighty our God really is. There's been a lot of things lately that I've been praying about; everything from people's well being to my future to relationships and it's so awesome to see how God is paving the way in every aspect of my life. 

I hope yall have a great Easter Holiday!

Oh!! and Sic Em Lady Bears for being undefeated and National Champs!! 40-0!!

Back to Reality

Spring Break is officially over and has been for a few days now. The last few days of Spring Break were pretty great. On Saturday, I was in a mixed doubles tournament with my dad. I'm not gonna lie, I was kinda nervous about it. I played tennis in high school for 2 years but due to my back problems and problems with the coach, I didn't play my junior and senior year. This semester, I'm in a tennis class so I've been playing more. Tennis is actually like my therapy. I can be having an awful day but when I'm out on the court playing, it disappears for awhile. Anywho, the tournament actually went really well. We won 3 matches and lost 1 so we ended up getting 3rd overall. Not bad seeing as my dad and I had never played together before. 4 Tennis matches in one day is a lot of tennis when you're not used to play tournaments. The tournament was really fun, but it was super frustrating to me. I knew I could have played A LOT better than I did but it just wasn't working. In my last match, I couldn't even get my toss right for my serve. It's literally just tossing a ball into the air and I couldn't get it right. So frustrating! Overall, it was a lot of fun to play with my dad and against all his friends out there; even if I could barely move that night. 

It's been tough getting back in the swing of actually working. Instead of refreshing me and giving me energy, Spring Break just reminded me how awesome Summer is and how not awesome school is. Just a few more weeks and I'll be done! Thank goodness. I went to advising early in the week and decided on which classes I'm taking next semester and I'm actually super excited for them. For the most part. I'm taking Neuroscience, Greek, Theories of Family Development, Individual and Family Financial Management, and Christian Ethics. I'm excited for Christian Ethics but I know it's probably going to be really frustrating as well.  

My sister and brother in law are coming to Waco this weekend and I'm excited to see them. I'll spend Friday and Saturday with them, and then Sunday will consist of church and writing a research paper. Fun stuff. There's some pretty exciting things going on right now, but we'll see where God takes them. Who knows! I'm slowly figuring out that this isn't my life to live; I'm living my life for Christ so He gets the final say. I might not like it, I might not understand it, and I might be afraid of it, but I've gotta listen to it. Even it if it means going against what I thought the "plan" was, I gotta have faith. It's a hard lesson to learn and I'm still learning it. By the way, I'm looking for a job in Rockport over the summer(that doesn't involve working in a restaurant) so if you know of anything, please let me know!

 Is that not the cutest cat ever? 

I just really liked this and figured I would share :)

Yall have a good week!