Hey guys!:)

So, yeah, it's officially summer. It's an incredible time of year, and I'm so thrilled that God gave me my birthday during one of the most awesome months of the year! :) (big 2-1, here i come;);))

So, yesterday was my best friend's birthday. She turned 20. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BROOKE!!) It's always an neat thing when you realized just how blessed you are when you reach another birthday...you take it for granted, but sometimes something causes you to stop and think how blessed you are that you made it that far in life. I mean, she had a liver transplant when she was 18, and here she is now!! I'm so lucky to have my best friend with me for that long, and when her birthday rolls around each year, it's a great time to reevaluate what God has given each of us.

This time of year is so random. (as are my thoughts...sorry for the truly pathetic state of randomness of my thoughts, and lack of eloquent writing.) We live in such an artificial world here at college - we have control over where we go and what we do, but the dining hall decides for us when we eat, and we have housekeepers and dorm visitation times. This isn't like the "real world" at all! Then, this time of year rolls around, and our little world which we have all become so close for the nine months of the school year, and are ripped apart for the summer, and then stuck back together at the beginning of the next school year, where you assume that everything is going to be the exact same way when you left it, and then find out that...well, it's not. Sure, the housekeepers will still clean, and Saga will still have terrible food. But your interactions with people will change... but hopefully always for the better!

In such a way, I think that summer is a great way to totally reevaluate your life and listen to what God has been wanting to tell you all school year, but weren't listening. He needs us to follow Him, and not just make our own plans. During the summer, in between the making of lattes and frappeccinos, I hope that He'll give me the wisdom to reflect on who I became this year since my freshmen year, and who I still hope to become. I want to continue on my pursuit of becoming a godly woman...but what steps does he want me to take along the way? What actions and feelings should I follow, what should I not worry about?

It's going to be a sweet ride, folks. Hang on...we'll all get through the summer. :)


In the meantime, back to my original statement! I LOVE SUMMER!! Seriously! As much as it is a great time for learning, when it comes to the little stuff like warm weather and ice-cream trucks, i really like it.:) *THINK* about it...... popsicles. water sprinklers. squirt guns. fireworks. reading books for **fun** (i gasp at the idea.), tan-lines. flip flops. carnivals and county fairs. open windows in your car with the music blasting, b/c it's all about you and the sunny weather. ....I mean, I just don't think I should live in ANY state that comes close to bordering Canada. It's just frankly too cold. It's funny... I was studying for my Brit Lit exam this past weekend... and at least five times in my notebook over the course of the semester, I came across the phrase from the Porgy and Bess musical which I had written down during dream-like states. "Summertime, and the livin is easy. Fish are jumpin, and the cotton is high. Your Daddy's rich, and your momma's good-lookin... hush little baby, don't you cry."

It was my theme song when it came to my hoping of the day that I would finally be OUT of that class and in the days of sunshine and warm weather!!!!

HALLELUJAH...I"VE FINALLY MADE IT TO THAT DAY!!!:)

Stay tuned, kids... I promise I won't leave ya hanging all summer.;)