The Sun Rises in the East and Sets in the West

So I'll admit, I don't live on the prettiest college campus.  There aren't too many trees and we're kind of set in the middle of nowhere with these random acres and acres of yellow grass fields.  But we definitely get the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  

I couldn't help to just sit on one of the huge rocks by the parking lot the other day and admire the sunset.  Isn't it gorgeous??

Though we may not have many plants on campus, from our classrooms or the dorms you can look over the town and enjoy the colorful trees.   Fall colors are so beautiful!

I took this picture last semester when walking back to the dorms from our cafeteria.  Imagine seeing these sunsets... every. single. day.  I'm so glad I get to live here :)

 

Probably one of the things I miss most about living in the dorms is waking up to the sunrise.  We had a huge window going all the way across one of the walls.  We could just look over the entire city and see the sun.  Majestic.

It looked even cooler on cloudy/foggy mornings. 

Well anyways, I know Thanksgiving already passed a few days ago, but this is one of things I'm thankful for.  God has blessed us with a beautiful world.  Thanks.

  "And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,  And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:15-18

God Works In Mysterious Ways

I must say there is probably nothing more nerve-wrecking than being asked to sing the National Anthem half hour before you need to be performing it.  Well, that happened to me on Friday.  My friend, Dalton, was unable to sing at the Volleyball game and was asked to find someone else who could sing instead, so he asked me. Wow! Was I honored!  Very last minute, but definitely a blessing.  

God is so good. All the time.  Even when it seems like life is going wrong in every possible way, He's there, working through every small detail.  Last school year was an extremely rough year for me.  I struggled academically, physically, and emotionally.  I even thought of not coming back again.  But I am so blessed I did.  I have the best roommate ever.  She's a sparkling example of what it means to be a Woman of God and a really good friend.   However our story of how we became roommates is so totally random.  I had filled out all my housing papers for this school year, without a roommate or any apartment mates.  My only hope was that God would bring the right people in my life.  So I showed up for room-draw, hoping to at least be able to choose an apartment with people I knew I didn't dislike, and while I was standing in line, I saw my classmate, Alison.  So being the friendly and talkative person I am I approached her and asked her what was her plan. Surprise, surprise.  She didn't have a roommate or apartment mates either.  Perfect Match!  

She has honestly been a blessing from God, we barely knew each other and now she's one of my closest friends. Unfortunately we only get to room together this semester cause she's graduating and marrying in December! But I'm still excited for her. :) Her fiance is another remarkable person and I absolutely enjoy seeing how in love and how God-centered their relationship.  God knows I struggle with waiting for the right person when there seem to be no good guys out there. But seeing the two of them is a great reminder that out there somewhere, God has the perfect match for me.

Whether it's through people or opportunities God presents in our lives, He's always there, blessing us.  When I see the bad, I try to not see it as punishment but as a trial that we must overcome.   Who would want a life without any hardships? Because of hardships we can see the blessings, they also make us stronger and better people.  Even when we seem to make decisions for the wrong reasons, it does not always mean it's the wrong decisions, sometimes God uses totally unrelated circumstances to reroute our direction in life, He sure did it for me.  I praise God for working in mysterious ways, if not I probably would not listen. lol

L-O-V-E

So I know Easter was on Sunday, and now it's Friday, but I really felt that as a strong believer of Christ His death on the cross and then His resurrection.  I should write something about this.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:13

Christ's death on the cross was a symbol of His love for us. L-O-V-E. Something of what I have definitely needed lately.  School is finally coming to an end.  We have one last week of classes and a week of finals followed by a five-day choir tour to Washington.  Though some of this may sound fun and exciting. It's really not.  I have been so stressed, and on top of that, things at home have been pretty tough too.

Spring break was completely different from what I planned.  I hoped to organize my room, take stuff back home, rest, practice for my music classes, complete some homework, finish the research for my music paper, etc.  Well lot's just say pretty much none of this happened.  As we were driving home we got a phone calling saying my grandma (from my dad's side) had fallen and had to be taken to the hospital.  Not good.  We got home Friday night, went out of town for my 3-yr-old cousin's b-day Saturday and then returned Sunday evening.  Things were okay at this point.  But Monday evening my grandpa moved in with us, and we didn't know for how long.  I had spent all Monday finally unpacking and doing laundry I had procrastinated on while at college.  Our house is just barely big enough for us and my room is the only one available for guests and as much as my parents wanted me to be able to sleep in my own room we didn't have anywhere else for my grandpa to stay.  So I switched back and forth between sleeping on the spare mattress in my little brother's room and sleeping on the floor in my older brother's music studio.  This was okay, but it was a pain in the butt to be dragging around my stuff. I couldn't just leave it in my room, my little brother didn't have space in his room, and the music studio had to be used for my brother's music lessons he taught.  I felt like a nomad.... in my own house.  Not very relaxing.  Plus I realized smart me had left my entire music folder in my dorm room.  So much for that.

Overall it wasn't bad. I really enjoyed spending time with my family.  Especially getting to know my little brother more.  He has grown up so much over the past year, he's a little man now.   The real hard part was returning to school.  The group I was carpooling with decided we should just drive up Tuesday morning in time for our 9:30am class, instead of Monday so we could spend the extra day at home.   Monday was probably my favorite day of Spring Break, but why did I agree to this?  6am is too early to be awake.   I was so exhausted by the middle of the day, and I was already not feeling my best since I had gotten sick over break (no voice, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough. eek!)  So I was standing in the risers during choir when I felt so tired I was about to fall asleep standing up while singing, is that even possible???  I finally decided to sit cause I seriously almost fell from the second row of the risers.... probably not too safe.  Then my eye started to itch... really bad.   Yep, I had gotten pink eye.  This pretty much ruined my week.   No one warned my that my little cousin we had visited at the beginning of spring break was sick and had pink eye.   Argh!!!!  

Thus I haven't blogging a lot recently since I could barely stand using my eyes, they'd been itching and stinging so bad all week.  And living in the dorms is not as fun as everyone makes it out to be.  They NEVER shut-up!!!  All the girls have seriously since I got back have been screaming and giggling non-stop, and it's not helping my mood at all. I feel like crap.... (excuse my language.) and am not myself right now.  and I can't tell you how sad I was last night when I was sitting in our living room doing homework when I heard them running and screaming after quiet hours "OMG!!! We're going to pull an all-nighter and watch the Royal Wedding."

So in the end back to Easter.  I just feel like I need a big dose of God's Love.  Some patience, energy, and strength.   but a lot of love.  I hate living with girls.  They're such back-stabbers, noisy, and annoying, and I am definitely looking forward to moving into the apartments with the upper class-men.  instead of 16 girls we will only have 8.   Praise The Lord!

I honestly thank the Lord for His sacrifice for us.  He gave up His only son Jesus, cause He loved us, despite our hatred or anger toward Him, despite our faults and failures.  He Loved Us.  He Died For Us.  I don't know if I will ever be able to come close to the way He loves us.   But Easter is not about His death but the fact that Jesus defeated death by coming back to life.  So we can be assured a free gift of life in heaven with Him if we only accept it.   God is love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  

1 Corinthians 13:4-7