Last First week of School...as an undergrad student I guess

It seems like I have been in school for forever but at the same time no time at all...how can this be?  Well I will give you the big ideas of how my first week has gone.

I LOVE my apartment! My bed is lofted, which isn't my fav but I have lots of room and a futon to take naps on :)  I also get my own sink and only share a bathroom with my immediate roommate.  This doesn't seem big but when you are living with 10 other people it is!  I love having lots of roommates.  Today four of us went on a walk around Cedar Falls.  It was fun to get to talk to Farren, a roommate I just met, but absolutely love already! 

Ministry has been hard getting started.  First of all I feel really disconnected to campus since I am only here for a semester.  On Tuesday I just decided to tell God: Lord, I don't want to serve you right now, I don't feel like this is where I want to be, etc etc.  But lets get real, God always knows just what to say to encourage me.  It came from 2 Timothy 1:7 "He has not given you the spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline."  Guess what the one who is in me is SWEET-power? Love? self-discipline? it is exactly what I need!  I am still struggling getting a bible study together but think my apartment is going to be a good starting place, today on our walk I talking to Farren about it and she is in.

Classes are going extremely well!  It's easily going to be my easiest semester since I was a freshman.  I love many of my classes, ok all but my Capstone and Methods of Science.  My Capstone is entertaining because my professor is a stick it to the man kinda guy, hilarious comments that are often inappropriate; The class however is about science terms that are way over my head and i can't pronounce.  Methods of Science is just plain boring.  I have decided to dedicate my time to working on my doodles and building relationships with the girls that sit at my table, possibly by writing notes.  Our professor reads off of a wordy PowerPoint that she posts online. 

My time with God has been awesome since coming to school!  I have these very awkward breaks in my school day that are like 2-3 hrs long so I just stay on campus, hemisphere lounge of the Union, and do my quiet times and some homework.  It's been awesome.  I am reading through Acts and I love it!  As I am about to embark on a new journey next semester it is really good for me to see how the first church is run and just their love and fellowship with each other.  It has also been sweet to see the faithfulness of God, in the end of Acts 2 it talks about how God gave them favor in the eyes of all people and was bring new believers into their group daily!  WOW! I am beginning to pray that for this not just of Navs but for this campus.  It makes me so excited to see what God has in store next!

Tuesday night was Nav night and it was flippin' AMAZING!  First of all we had to sit on the floor and stand in the back because there were so many people!!!!!!!  Worship was great with the packed house!  Kyle Nelsen did a great job of explaining what the Navigators is all about and laying out the gospel.  I am so excited to see how God is going to work through this ministry with him leading it!  Also as student leaders we are praying for over 100 students to sign up for Main Event this year.  We are going to take charter buses if we can get enough people to go!

Ok, last but not least I am reading a book/going through a bible study with the book Calm My Anxious Heart. It's so great!  I am learning so much from this amazingly wise woman!  I started reading it after I got really anxious about student teaching over the summer.  It has been so great to just let go and let God take over.  This weeks memory verse was Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  WOW!  I have had this memorized for a long time but I haven't really meditated on it.  I have learned that we have a choice when we are tempted to anxiety a.We can become anxious and nervous and just a mess or b. We can pray!  Pray specifically for what we are tempted to be anxious about and pray for peace, which is God's part.  Our part is to pray.  God's part is to give us peace.  This has changed not only the way I have been dealing with my anxiety but also my prayer life. 
One of the activities I did this week was right out the positive and negative parts of my circumstances at this time of my life.  So i did this.  Then it asked which one do you dwell on...ok I had a TON more in my positive side yet much of my time is spent on the negative part.  Dang!  Philippians 4:9 says "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you."  It takes practice to give our anxieties to God.  It takes practice to pray specifically.  It takes practice to be thankful.  It takes practice to dwell on the positive.

So here are my thoughts, lessons and processings for the week.  Hope you enjoy! :)

I am the worst blogger in the world! - Prayer (week 5)

I have decided I am most definetly the worst blogger in the world...pretty much because I don't do it AT ALL! I just forget about it. I love reading others and then after I am done reading theirs I don't do my own. So here is an attempt as writing about what has gone on over the past month and a half.

1. Faith, Prayer, and promises week! (July 5-10)

This was a sweet week for me! I was just able to really look at my prayer life and first see how little my view of God is. It's amazing how closely linked these three things are. A highlight this week were actually from our bible study:

a. Are you not? Who have you discovered God to be?

Over the course of my life God has proven to be many things. He is a provider (meeting all of my needs according to his glorious riches Philippians 4:19), He is sovereign even when it seems like things are out of control, His is powerful, He is faithful. I could go on and on. Who have YOU discovered God to be?

b. Did you not? What has God done for you?

He let me discover his love! I became a believer because God revealed his peace to me. He provided me with a family. He loves me unconditionally. He has given me amazing friends who encourage me in my walk with the Lord.

c.Will you not? What are you believing God to do in and through you?

So what am I praying? I believe God will provide give men in exchange for my life Isaiah 43:4. I believe He will grant me wisdom when I ask and when I'm in need Proverbs 31:36. I believe He will guide me when I am lost and confused on what to do next Proverbs 3:5-6. I believe He will also protect me Psalm 32:7. I believe God will make me into the woman He desires me to be- Phil 1:6 & Gal 5:22-23

I was asked this summer by a friend what is my biggest fear. I told her being alone was my biggest fear. Even thinking about it makes my heart hurt. Promise I am claiming: "...and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20 I hate being lonely, but Jesus promises us that He will be with us always, where ever we are: if we are in Jacksonville or Slater or Cedar Falls or Managua, Nicaragua; He is there with us! Praise God!

Ok I was going to do a summary of all the weeks but I'll do them in separate posts so it won't be overwhelming.

Fun things this week:

1. Group date with Troublemakers

The date ask is on facebook in two parts!  If you can take a look at the video-very creative

We went to a condo on the 18th floor, on the beach!  SO BEAUTIFUL!  Then the guys made us an amazing dinner and we played catch phrase.  My abs hurt so much from laughing after this 5 hour date!

Just ignore my blabbering about how awesome it is, just look for yourself and imagine you were actually there!

2. We dressed up as cows for "cow appreciation week"

This is my work groups: L to R-Me, Kayla, the cow, Jeff, and Emily!  Jeff was a little embaressed by us.  We stopped to get gas and Kayla was mooing out the window at other customers.  Jeff appoligized "Sorry for my friends."  Haha...too funny!

3. Sunrise Sunday morning before church!

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.