Breaking Free.....

Well I have not been very good at this whole blog thing. So I am trying again....with a little encouragement from Ms. Lauren Surwic :) Here we go....

Wow. Can I just say how awesome God is. I have had the craziest couple of months here, but one thing has remained constant and that is the never failing love of my sweet Savior. Going back a few weeks to right before school let out...I got the chance to hang out with some pretty awesome people. It was so refreshing to get to hang out with such great people. The whole semester I wanted to be back home and see my family, but right at the end I didn't want to leave these great people I was starting to build friendships with. The day finally came when I had to make the 10 hour drive back to good ole Houston. 10 hours is a long time, a very long time, but this drive was really good for me. I got the chance to think about things I wanted to accomplish this summer and how I thought the summer would go and it gave me lots of time to talk to God. It was like he was sitting right next to me in the passenger seat and I was talking away.....I may have looked a tad crazy to people passing by, but I didn't care :) I had a short time with my family in Houston before I was going to be heading back up to Nashville to live with one of my best friends before she gets married at the end of the month. This time with my family was so refreshing and so wonderful, there is nothing like looking out your back door and being able to see for miles, sitting under the biggest sky in the country(there is no sky like Texas' sky) and see the stars so clearly.....Gods creations are truly amazing.

lets fast forward a bit....

Now Im in Nashville living with one of my best friends Amanda and helping here with the final touches on her wedding coming up in 10 days now! Nashville is one of my favorite places to be and I am so glad I am here. I am so happy for Amanda and TJ, its a joy to be able to celebrate this time with them. I also am excited because Jennifer my other best friend here in Nashville is now engaged and asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding too!! yay! It is such an honor to be able to celebrate with my two best friends here and these new chapters in their lives!

While I enjoy all of the excitement and its all fun, I have been working on me too. Working on becoming the woman God intended me to be. I picked up a few new books a couple weeks ago and one of them is called "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. I love this book. I am learning so many new things and being reminded of things I need to be reminded of as well. I realized that I have allowed things in my life to blind me of the real reason I am here. Things like worry, not being patient, wanting my own will at times, and frustration with why things do or dont happen to me. My God deserves more than the life I have been living. I want to break free of the things that keep me from living a life that is reckless for Christ. Because at the end of the day nothing else matters. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer and for this upcoming year. All I want is to do Gods will. For Him to be in every area of my life, to Grow in Him and to know Him more.


"Honestly I need to be broken
Honestly I need to fall down
Go ahead and shake my foundations
‘Cause honestly I'm figuring out
That of all that I have
All that I need is You
Honestly"

-Carl Cartee

Love.

Everyone needs it.

Everyone wants it.

Everyone longs for someone to give it to.

We need to show.

We need to give it.

We need to love.

Think about it. how do you feel when someone tells you they love you? you don't get a horrible feeling. no. It makes you smile, and it reminds you that someone is there for you. I have been doing a lot of reading and praying. I have been praying that God use me this semester here at Union. Sure it is a Christian University, and sure it is a great place, but there is so much work that can be done here on our own campus. I feel we all need to love each other more. I know that as this semester is about to start I am praying for a loving and caring heart. A heart that longs to serve others for my sweet Savior. I want Him to be known more than anything in this world. So, I challenge you to join with me and love those around you. you never know who is hurting or who is having a rough day. a simple smile will do, but go even farther. Ask them how they are doing. And not just ask them but really care enough to listen to the response. We do that a lot, we ask but don't listen to the answer. and if you say I will pray for you.... ACTUALLY PRAY FOR THEM. I think if we all try to do a better job at loving each other, we can make a difference.

Come all ye weary and ye broken
Come to the table of the Lord
Come sing the song of the forgiven
Come lay your burden on the Word

Come and find
Peace everyone needs a little
Rest everyone needs a little
Joy and a song to sing in the darkest night
Life even when it gets you down
Hope will turn it all around
But love is the greatest of these
Everyone needs a little

Sing all ye saints and ye sinners
Call upon the mercy of the Lord
Come sing the song of redemption
Sing about the hope that is to come

He will lift you up
He will lift you up higher than sorrow
He will lift you up
And cover your soul with healing

-Kari Jobe

same book. new chapter. with a little help from my friends.

Lauren and I

Abbey and I

So, I am turning the page in a book called My Life, And it just happens to be the end of one chapter and the beginning of a another. I could go on and on about how this past year has been hard, but I want to look towards the future. I am so excited about this new chapter in my life. I just have to say that my God is SO AMAZING. He knows exactly what he is doing. let me just tell you this past month I have been really growing. I am falling in love with Jesus again and it is the best feeling in the world.

I am reading lady in waiting again for the second time. I have read it once before, but it is different this time I am reading it with a completely different perspective. I am learning so many things. The main thing, is that as a single woman I have so much free time to serve my wonderful God. I have often looked at being single as a bad thing, but it is so not. As a single woman I have so many opportunities to serve those around me and to glorify God with everything I do. Not that I don't want the man God has for me, but I am not searching and I am content with this season in my life. I want to glorify God, serve others, and be the woman God intended me to be.

I was reading one of my best friends blogs, her name is Lauren. She is learning a lot about ministering to others and That is what we need to be doing. It is so funny how God brings friends through things together so we can help each other through and spur each other on. I wanna say a little thanks to one of my other best friends, Abbey. I was having a rough day yesterday, and she brought me what she calls a "happy". well it completely made my day, and got me through the rest of the night! Friends are such blessings.

I am looking so forward to this semester and this new chapter in my life. And hopefully I will get better about blogging more often!

We live some and we learn a LOT.

This is summer is hard to put into words. I had envisioned something far different for this summer, than what actually happened. This summer I have started living a healthier lifestyle...working out more, eating better, spending more time with Jesus. I have learned about myself, A LOT. I have learned little things, for example: working out makes me feel better about myself and I actually don't mind it, I should be more organized and I'm getting there and that if you keep up with your laundry, it takes way less time to do :) I also learned some big things. I have learned that I over think and over analyze everything way too much, I am working on that. I have seen it affect some relationships and I cannot have that. It should not be that way, So I pray daily for a trusting heart. I have learned that relationships are not easy, but are so worth it. I have been blessed with some very special people in my life. and even though things may not always go how we pictured or planned, we are apart of each others life for a reason, and I am so glad I have the friends I do. This summer I have had to be away from a lot of people I love dearly. let me tell you I have not handled this well. living far from home while at school, I built a little family and its been so hard to be away. I'm so excited to get back. I have also been encouraged by someone who doesn't even know he has encouraged me to become a more well-rounded, knowledgeable person. He is so intelligent and knows a lot about a lot, and I want to be like that! you should know who you are :) this summer has kinda been a work on Stephanie summer. A time where I have been able to take a look at myself and see where I can improve for the better :) I love how when God knows exactly what you need and makes it happen. I have seen first hand how sufficient His Grace is. He has shown me so many things, I would list everyone of them but I would be here all night :) lets just say LOVE. I have learned a lot about it. FORGIVENESS I have learned a lot about that one too. God is so great and I love how he works in our lives. I look forward to the future and seeing what all is in store. I know God has big plans. one last thing. This summer I have gotten the chance to spend so much time with my sweet family. lunches with the grandparents, visiting aunts and uncles and cousins, hanging with the parents, good times with my sister and brother in-law and making sweet memories with my precious nephew Caden. I have really cherished this time and will miss it. I am thankful. So blessed but so undeserving. Cherish the time you have with the people you love, its so precious.

-Stephanie