anna

This year has been full of happiness, anxiety, laughter, and tears.  As this year comes to a close, and we look forward to the year 2012, I thought I would share a few things I learned from my experiences in 2011.

1. Don’t let others diminish your excitement for the little things in life.  Snow is really exciting for a Floridian.

2. Traveling is the most fun when with friends.

3. It is ok to not have a to-do list or schedule sometimes.

4. The beach is a great place to get away and think.

5. Don’t expect someone to change for you.  

6. Let yourself feel instead of overthinking all the time.  

7. No matter how messed up you think you are, Jesus paid for it all.  So don’t beat yourself up about mistakes.  

8. Make decisions for yourself.  You know what’s right for you, and don’t ever let others convince you otherwise.

9. It’s ok to not have it all together.  Your true friends will stand beside you even on bad days, weeks, or even months.  

10. There’s only one you.  Make the most of your life!

Hope you have a wonderful New Year and that God blesses you and comforts you!

This summer, I have been co-leading a small group discussion during Summer RUF, my campus ministry.  Our study has taught on several parables and how they relate to our lives.  Some weeks are definitely more applicable than others, including this past week’s lesson on Doubt, something that I have been dealing with increasingly lately.  Doubt has been part of the reason I haven’t posted on here in a while.  I doubted my ability to write and whether the material was even worth reading.  My blog started out as a way to get out my thoughts and feelings.  Sometime between then and now I have become concerned as to how deep my posts should be, and if they should have a Bible verse with a compelling message every time.  I can’t be afraid anymore of what other people will think of my posts.  Hopefully from now on I will feel more free to post about whatever I am thinking.  

Part of my doubts are linked to my indecisiveness.  It has always taken me awhile to be certain of a decision, and I don’t dive into anything without making sure it’s safe.  I can ask for advice from as many people as I want, but I will end up having to live with the consequences of my decision.  This summer, I am learning to take matters into my own hands and figure out my own life.  

The main point of the Bible lesson on Doubt was to read God’s word for answers and to pray for clarity and assurance, something I definitely haven’t been doing enough of.  My first instinct when I encounter a problem is to talk to friends for advice or over-analyze the problem by myself, when I should be looking to God for answers.  Even as one of the small group leaders, I am certainly no better than anyone in the small group.  I needed to hear the lesson just as much or maybe more than the others.  

Despite feeling a little sick and tired, today was a pretty awesome Sunday.  My day consisted of church, Jimmy John’s, reading, shopping for rompers with a good friend, and hanging out with friends for a game night.  Summer B starts tomorrow, which means summer is halfway gone.  Although my summer thus far has consisted of routine work and school, I still have been learning a lot.  My friendships with people staying in Orlando have grown over the past couple of months.  I am continually learning to trust God and accept His plans for me.  I am happy with where He has placed me now.  He is teaching me to be mentally strong and to use self-control.  I look forward to what the rest of this summer brings!

I’ve always wanted to have a nook all to myself!

So much love is in the air these days.  For now, my love of chocolate and brownies will have to suffice :)

o.m.g. i love small puppies

The start of a new season of So You Think You Can Dance always brings back this dancing fever in me.  This past Friday was the first year I’ve been in the audience of a dance recital and not been in one.  While it was a little strange to see familiar faces on stage without me, I knew last year that the time was right for me to leave the studio.   

Dancing was a blessing to me.  While each of the three studios I attended had their ups and downs, I like to remember tonight the good things about them.  Whatever happened during the school day sometimes seemed like a distant memory once I hit the dance floor.  I felt most like myself when I was dancing.  After a recital, my mom once commented on how I looked so different yet alive on the stage.  

Through dancing, I learned confidence, time management, perseverance, and how to worship without words.  I don’t know what God has in store for me in regards to dancing, whether this out of shape body will dance formally again, or if I will resort to the occasional Zumba class, wedding, or dance party.  Either way, I hope there will be dancing in Heaven.  Lots and lots of it.

Stop it!  So cute.  When I move out of my parents’ house and can afford it, I want a little lap dog!  

(Source: imgfave, via justbesplendid)

It must be a blue moon tonight since I’m actually posting.  I don’t think I’ll ever become a particularly good writer, yet this post is coming to me easier than most.  It feels so good to write thoughts down sometimes!

My summer is chill yet active.  After a week at the beach for an RUF summer conference, I am now here to stay in Orlando for the summer, unless I visit my dad some weekend in New Jersey.  I’m taking 3 classes this summer, co-leading a small group in summer RUF, and working part-time at my job at Chick-fil-A.  This summer is giving me the chance to stay busy but still gives me some time to sleep in, relax, and hang out with many friends who have stayed here.  There are several things I’m learning about myself this summer.  

Firstly, I am constantly looking ahead to the future and not stopping enough to “smell the roses.”  I often think about summer as a break from the normal routine of fall and spring semesters.  It is different from the rest of the year, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  

Secondly, as I watch the new season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” I remember my love for dance.  Some dances give me chills or even bring me to tears because of the beauty and emotion behind the dance.  I danced for fifteen years at three different studios and I believe my love of dance will always be a part of me, no matter how old or out of shape I am.  Dancing was a way I could worship God with my talents without even having to speak.  

Thidly, I have become aware of how much I want to change things that aren’t right in the world.  I try to change my friends into better versions of themselves, in my opinion.  As an optimist, it is difficult to grasp the concept that someone can suffer from something for the rest of their lives and never be healed.  It is hard to come to terms with the fact that no matter how much we want to be like Christ, we will still mess up.  Even unintentionally, I hurt people and myself.  We cannot attain perfection until we reach heaven.  

Fourthly, I am probably one of the most impatient and curious people ever.  I want insight into God’s plans for my life so badly!!  I desire to know what my career will be, when I will meet a great guy, and so much more.  This summer, I am learning to rest by slowing down and enjoying every moment of life.  I am trusting that God has a use for me in this world and that I don’t have to settle for less in life, even if that means I have to learn a little patience along the way.