Spring Resolutions

School Starts back today!! 

Because I am still in college and still on a semester schedule, the New Year resolution thing doesn't work well with me. I think in short term goals. Once the short term ones are completed it balances out all of the long term ones in the end. Or, thats how I see it in my mind. So at the beginning of each semester or season, I make seasonal resolutions! Here we go!

1. School continues to come first. (Im ready to be done!)

2. Maintain a regular practice schedule. (violin + Piano)

3. Read Bible + Pray deliberately everyday/night. (This may seem easy, but its not!)

4. Blog regularly (Im excited about this one!)

5. Be in the Library... A lot!

6. Exercise  4-5 days a week.

7. Plan healthy meals + execute them.

Hmm, I think all of these are doable.

So how about you? Does the year long resolution thing work for you? Do short term goals work better?  What are some things that motivate you? Do we share some of the same goals? What are some goals that are different? I would love to know!

I hope to stay motivated and help others stay motivated through the wonderful upcoming spring!

Blessings!

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

Isaiah 9:6 "For un to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

What is a wonderful counselor, and why do we need him?

To me, a counselor is someone who is wise and whom you can trust to keep all of your secrets. This person must also be honest and give strait feed back on a situation or thought. Even the Psalmist David needed a counselor way out in the fields watching the sheep. 

Psalms 119:23-24

"Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors."

Have you ever felt like that? That people are just sitting around talking about how annoying you are? Or that some people just don't like you? I sure have, this week in fact. My fiance and I have been battling the devil all week in a situation that should have never arisen. When one thing comes, ten others like to follow. We have been praying about it and consulting counselors and the only counselor that seemed to give us any comfort was one that didn't have to even say a word. Our WONDERFUL COUNSELOR Jesus Christ. He came to the world to be our counselor and direct us in the ways of righteousness. It is amazing to think that even the smallest amount of faith can comfort a person so much, in good and bad times. I don't know what I would do without the Almighty. Sometimes I feel as though God needs me but it is always the opposite. I need God. I need him everyday and in every way. God knows what he is doing and it is for our good. The Prophet Isaiah says it best: 

Isaiah 40:13 "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor?"

Trust in Him, our Wonderful Counselor! 

Blessings,

P.S. Happy Finals Week! I hope they all go well and we all finish strong! 

The First Day of Advent!

Christmas is often a whirlwind of decorations, presents, and food! All of which I am totally okay with, but this season I am trying to devote myself to remembering the season for what it is. I grew up Pentecostal Holiness and never really celebrated Advent as apart of Christmas. My brothers and I always knew there was no such thing as fat man who came down our chimney to leave us presents under the tree, but we did believe and honor St. Nick of long ago. I was never scared or injured in anyway by not believing in Santa Clause. I simply had a respect for the man he was. We also got to play along just like everyone else that some presents were from “Santa.” 

I would like to take a moment and share what Advent is really and why I would like to celebrate it more during the Christmas season. The word Advent means simply coming, or arrive. So the season of advent is all about celebrating the coming of our savior 2000 years ago and waiting for His soon coming return. As a Christian it is so exciting to wait for the return of the Almighty! I think it is extremely important to teach children about the celebration of the advent season. I am gathering all sorts of cute ideas for one day when I have children to teach it to! 

Everyday this month I intend to post something knew about the advent season in hopes of helping you find the peace and joy in the real reason for the season. I am doing this for myself as well, in means of teaching myself to step back and really celebrate the Saviors return and not worry about money or school. I need to be reminded of the real reason for the season everyday and especially this month of December. I pray this month that you may be encouraged by my blog and be in awe of the Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 9:6 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Musical Friday: Hagen Quartet

This my dear friends could quite possibly be the best quartet I have ever seen with my own two eyes! They are fantastic! 

Here is a link to their biography

I was privileged to see them perform in Austria this past summer. The brothers, sister and friend quartet are so well connected with each other that the music just seems to life the air and sooth the soul. I have never see a quartet with as fluidity as they do. Their dynamics are impecable and their telling of the music in a new way is just mind blowing. I would strongly sugest their music and albums for casual listening, study music, or to try with a quartet of your own. 

Happy Friday, and I hope this gives a little joy to your weekend!

Blessings

Pumpkin Scones

As promised I did find time last weekend to make these delicious scones by The Shoebox Kitchen. They turned out amazing and probably the best I have ever made scones!
They were gone so quickly that I only got time to take one picture of them and you will notice I did not do all of the icing that they did. And another little tidbit I just used the pumpkin pie spice mix in stead of all the separate spices. I believe another batch is soon to arrive in my home soon!

We also attended the 7th anual Greek Festval and it was amazing! I am slightly obsessed with festivals! 

 

I found this cute little book for a dollar at the Greek Festival and I can not wait to read it! 

I would have to say the Mr. and I have had such a wonderful week/weekend! Now back to studying my brains out! 

Blessings

Oh Pumpkins

Amongst my crazy college life (meaning no life) I took some time out to meander though pinterest the other day. On that journey floated to reality for a split second to realize that fall is coming!! Oh how this excites me! I just adore fall with the changing of leaves, cooler days, the smell of a fire coming from neighbors chimneys, and most of all PUMPKINS! To me pumpkins have everything to do with fall! So back to my pinterest travels yesterday; I wandered upon newly posted recipes and almost everyone of them had something to do with pumpkin. My day was made. So as soon as I get some free time on a weekend I will make some delicious treats!

 

Thanks! 

Lonely One

When I think of the word “lonely” I think of not having anyone around, a state of quietness, or deserted. So, what happens if that is not how life is and there are people around who love and care for you, yet the feeling of loneliness remains inside? What is there to do about this deep feeling of being alone? 

For the past few weeks, since I have been at school, I have felt like this so much! I believe that my homesickness and frustration in being at school has increased much more this year than my first year here at school, when I was new and had no one I knew. At school I am five hours away from my home and family, so there is no just dropping everything and running home. I have to wait it out for certain weekends, or plan much in advance to get to my family and loved ones.

Well, I looked up the meaning for the word lonely and I was given generic descriptions such as: (without companions, solitary) and for a place (unfrequented and remote). I found the definitions of this word to be bare and hopeless. So as I turn to the bible to look up some encouragement apart from the desolate word, I discovered that David, the writer of Psalms felt just as I do right now. Psalms 25:16 says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” I read those words and prayed an imitative prayer to God, but I think to myself, “how did David, a man after God’s own heart, get to a place of loneliness and torment?” I scrolled up to the beginning of chapter 25 and read verses 1 and 2 which say, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.” How can this be the same chapter that I am reading? In verse 1 David is putting his trust in God and believing in the Lord to not let anything harm him. Reading down David asks God to show him the ways of the Lord, to guide him, and to teach him, while all of David’s hope is in God. 

As I try and imagine how David can be so lonely, as shown in vv.16, when he is so close to God; I find a footnote in my NIV study Bible, which says that David was the target of his enemy’s words. In a sense, David was mostly dealing with spiritual warfare to not let his spirit take in all the nastiness that was being said to him. 

I find it so encouraging that David has gone through this situation, because in our world today there are so many “bullies” that come against us. Satan tries to tell us “you are all alone” or “you are worthless”, but through this cry of David we continue down to see that in verses 19-21 David says to God, “See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May my integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” David is completely trusting in God! David knows that God is holding him through the hard times no matter what, because David does not let anything askew his faith, trust, and hope in God! 

As I feel hopeless and lonely in my dorm room praying the same prayer as David did; I am encouraged to know that I am not alone! God is with me, and I know that He is holding on to me because I remain faithful to Him. Loneliness is not supposed to be a lesson of selfishness, but a lesson of giving. Give yourself to God today and let Him use you in this trial season of your life. Choose not to let your heart be troubled but to speak in faith as David has shown us how to do. 

A few more encouragement verses to look up are:

• Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst?”
• Psalms 119:116 “Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed.” 
• Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
• 2 Thessalonians 2:16 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,”
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

EC Fitness Chalenge 5K

Today is day 3 of my official EC Fitness Chalenge 5K training! I am entering a race on November 12th! This will be my first ever 5K experience and I have just 8 short weeks to train! I am super excited to accomplish this goal! I has several friends a loved ones who are pushing and encouraging me! 

So, Since this is day 3, let me tell you what my previous two days were like.

Monday the 12th I Ran/Walked for 30 minutes ( 2 miles).

Tuesday the 13th I did circuit training with a group in our Student Activity Center. This training is provided for the EC Fitness Chalenge coordinators. As well as Run/walked about 40minutes (about 2 miles *outside*) I am soo sore from the group training and the run! My muscles are YELLING at me! 

Today will be a 30 min Run/walk with more running than walking I assure you. I will probably run on the treadmill. I find that I can run much longer on a treadmill than outside, I am not quite sure why but I hope to be just as good out side in the near future! 

In the mean time I live in the practice rooms playing music all the time, and studying! I am so relieved this semester seems to be going by quickly! Life is so difficult when not around the one’s I love! 

Helpful Tips

Hey everyone, I hope you are having a great week and now that everyone is starting school again I have a link to College Study Tips thatI think is helpful for starting the school year off right! I hope you enjoy the rest of the day!