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| The roommate and I (one of them) |
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| My beautiful bedroom |
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| Love this part |
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| My kitchen |
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| A little Canadian pride |
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| The bathroom, sinks around the corner, washer/dryer are to the right |
I can't describe the joy I feel when I'm here. It has it's hard days, but there are so many more ups than downs. Yeah, class loads can be a lot, especially with 19 credits (Public Speaking, Chemistry, Spanish, Lab, Business Law, Data Solutions, Photography + part time work); but when I understand that my priority is not anywhere near school, it makes it a lot easier. Yes, I'd like good grades, but I'm starting to understand why I'm even attending College; it's not for my own gain, it's for glorifying the Lord. I don't need College. If the Lord wants me doing something, He's going to give me the skill sets and knowledge to do it. I can see my grades suffering, and I'm having to deal with that in my own heart, but in the midst of all that is going on in my life, the Lord is so good and is so prevalent in my life at this moment. I don't need to be in the top percentile of my class, I need to be a pleasing fragrance to my Lord God. I am doing His will on Campus right now. I'm happy to say that the Luke18Project has begun this past week, so has a women's bible study and small group (please see "Crusaders" page). I'm so excited about the kick off of a new year and a new look.
Outside of school, I'm obviously busy with Softball, but I'm trying out some new things.
1. Tennis ; I've never played Tennis before in my life, but I thought I'd give it a go and have some fun with sports! It's as competitive as you'd like it to be, you can participate in tournaments if you'd like, or just come out and practice. At this point, I'll be going to one tournament in October, but with my softball schedule, I can't attend any others.
I'm loving this sport though. It's so much more difficult than it looks, but I'm liking how relaxing it is! It's a good way to just hang out and have fun after softball is over. There's no pressure at all. It's great!
2. Learning how to say no. ; Last year, I had this thing, if someone wanted to hang out, I'd drop everything and go. It was a way of fitting in. But I'm realizing more and more how to prioritize my life a little and understand that it's okay to not go out every night and it's okay to stay in my house and go to bed at 10:00 on a Friday night. It's not weird that I want to wake up in the morning and be fresh for the Lord. I don't get things accomplished at night, so I'm learning how to wake up at 5, 6:00 a.m and be prepared for my day. (It's kind of interesting that I've learned this about myself in the midst of this craziness; yeah, I'm a morning, introvert person). This way, I have at least 4 hours before class to not only get myself physically ready, but spiritually ready for the day as well. This is such a crucial part of living where I am right now.
Living in the midst of college students who are consumed with the college lifestyle, I must get myself consumed with the Lord's lifestyle for me. I am understanding more and more what Holiness looks like on a person, and I'm craving it the more I gain understanding on it. By understanding how much I want this characteristic, the more I'm okay with saying no.
Thanks for all the prayers my friends. They are going a long way and I'm holding up well. Camaraderie is much needed down here as it is dull and dark times in the city of Valley City, but alas, the light is coming around the corner. The winds of revelation and the rain of cleansing are just over the horizon. Beloved, Ezekial 37 is the song to sing over Valley City State University.
1 comment:
So encouraged to read this Caitlin! It's awesome to hear where God has you right now and all the things He is teaching you (including tennis, which is a great sport!) Blessings, blessings, blessing. We're rooting for you from up north.
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