Be Still.

So, hello again. I did not mean to make this such a long break from me posting and at first I did totally forget about it, but then I realized that I have other priorities and things that I need to get done that should come before this blog. I want to make sure that this blog is not another job for me to do but more like a way to share my experiences, my struggles, etc. with you all so that I can potentially encourage y'all or even myself be encouraged. The day before school started this semester I was typing this in a post that I decided not to post...

I could not be more nervous about starting the semester off tomorrow morning, bright and early at 8 am! I have not been looking for to this since winter break began. I have absolutely no idea what to expect and I know, hearing from others, that it will be difficult. I don't feel prepared. I don't feel like I know enough. Yet I am starting this semester anyway. I am in the teacher education program. And I am continuing to pursue my dream of being a teacher. I know that God has blessed me to be able to get where I am right now, but boy how nervous am I. It is going to be a tough semester. Long, busy days. Lots of projects and papers. Lesson plans. So much more than I did last semester. 

Every single bit of this is still absolutely true after being in classes for about two weeks. I have never been so overwhelmed. I feel like I have SO much to do yet have no information on what it is I have to do. I have yet to be placed in a classroom for my Classroom Management & Discipline class, I am still not used to rushing straight to work after a long day of classes, and even more stressful (at least for myself) is that I haven't even truly organized all of my stuff for my classes. I am ALWAYS organized... but I have NO idea what the best way is to organize this semester. I am nervous for when I am placed and other days I have to observe how exhausted I am going to be. I am nervous for the fact that this is just my pre-practicum semester and that I still have my practicum AND student teaching left. I am nervous. And I am overwhelmed. But I have faith and trust in the He who can calm me; in He who has it ALL under control and in His hands. 

Two weekends ago I went to Passion and Friday I am leaving for CSFs Winter Retreat in Gatlinburg. I am hating being gone so much, but getting myself out of the place that gives me stress and anxiety and going to a place full of worship, fellowship, and relaxation is definitely something that God has been blessing me with lately. He keeps reminding me that He is still there- no matter how stressed, nervous, anxious, or exhausted I am- He is still there. And as I am writing this He keeps putting this verse in my head. How great is that?! Yet again, another reminder that He is still there. 

Friends, I truly hope to get into a schedule here soon and update you all on my goals for January and hopefully make some for February as well. It really has been on my mind and more apart of my everyday routine having these goals. I am not promising any posts soon, but I am not leaving/done blogging, I just need to get everything going on straightened out to where I am not having nervous break downs every night. Hope everyone is doing well and is staying warm/safe from the weather (snow/ice) we have been having. 

January Goals

I have realized that in order to complete things on my 101 in 1001 list I must actually intentionally do them. I am excited to get things crossed off; because being a list maker I love the feeling of crossing things off when I have completed them. Doing this challenge is just that, a challenge, but I am very excited to see how doing these things changes my life. I believe that I will become a lot more motivated with this challenge. So with that being said I have decided to make a list of things I think I can complete this month. 

5. Memorize a verse each month of 2014. 
This is the verse I have decided to memorize...

8. Go back to Passion.

I already know that I am doing this because I leave in a little less than 2 weeks, but I am so excited to be going back. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this year because it was absolutely the best decision I made last year in going; and it was a great way to start out 2013. 

9. Go a week without listening to anything but Christian music. 

I primarily listen to Christian music anyways but there are times with I turn on something else. I want to completely listen to it and see how it changes my days. Here's to the first week of ten that I have planned to do! 

43. Participate in Carabox.

I think it was in November that I have signed up for Carabox. I think it is such a great opportunity and I can't wait to further get to know my partner. :)

77. Organize my iPhoto.

I have already started working on this and it is such a relief to finally get all these pictures I have organized, especially with a new year of pictures on its way! 

98. Learn how to budget. 

Thankfully I have found such an amazing blogger who has amazing tips on budgeting with the envelope system. If you need to budget and stop swiping your debit/credit card because it is easy, go read Victoria's posts on How to: The Envelope System and How to: The Envelope System for College Students. {Go read her blog at happilyeverstrader.com, you definitely will not regret it!} But I am definitely ready to learn how to properly budget and it'll be helpful with two bloggy friends, Megan from Life of a College Girl and Taylor from Anchored, who want to encourage each other through this process! :)

So there you have it! Six goals that I plan to accomplish in January. I'm excited to start January off right with Passion and finalizing a budget. Wish me luck, and if you would like to encourage each other through anything let me know, I would love to! 

Breaking Free in 2014.

Ever since the new year started my heart has been aching for more. I feel like even though I grew a whole lot spiritually last year that I still want more. And I fully believe that that is a good thing and that God is pushing me and wanting to me grow even closer to Him. I took advantage the other day of the FREE Beth Moore ebooks and downloaded quite a few that I've heard are amazing. I started reading Breaking Free, and even though I am not far into it it still has definitely captured my heart and attention. In Breaking Free, Beth Moore lies out nine lessons that will help us with reading this book and two of them have really stuck with me. 

"Any sacrifice we make in our quest for freedom
 will be wholly consumed and blessed by God." 

She mentions that to be liberated by Christ we have to make sacrifices. God intended me to read this. He wanted me to realize that I cannot become closer to Him without letting some things go and committing completely to him. "We fear making sacrifices. But the irony is that we make a lot of sacrifices when we are not living the will of God." How true is this statement?! When we don't give up things/idols in order to glorify God and for Him to take control of our lives we truly are sacrificing. "He will bless." The more we give up to grow closer to our Lord, the more we gain. So why wouldn't we want to sacrifice certain things that we think we need just because we are afraid of what may happen without them?? We are scared of the unknown, but we should know that He will provide even more than we can dream of the minute we give it all up for Him. 

"To live in the freedom God has purposed, 
we must recognize and forsake all other gods."

This definitely goes along with the lesson that I have above, but even more solidifies that fact that we must sacrifice and forsake everything that is a distraction that we put before The Lord. "We're going to discover idols we did not even know we had." It is crazy to me to think how many things are idols to me. My heart breaks over this and I pray that I can be broken of these things.

This is what I want my goal to be more than anything this year. I want to be completely broken from all things that I have made my idols and fully rely on God for everything. I want to sacrifice the things I think I need for what God knows I need and what He can only give me. I am so ready to see what more God has for my life. I have made a list of a few ways I think will help me to do this. 

I pray that I take this list and apply to it my life. I pray that I sacrifice and am broken doing so. I pray that 2014 is the year of change and that my heart grows closer to the Lord and that I desire the Lord and his word more than I ever have before. 

101 in 1001

I have seen these posts from many people and have been really inspired but never really thought I could actually finish everything on this list. But here is my 101 in 1001 list, and I am ready to see where God takes me with each of these things and can't wait to see how I am able to glorify Him in accomplishing them! I'm excited to see what I get to cross off my list in these 1001 days. Such a fun and great thing to do! If any of you are doing this, good luck! 

Start date: January 1, 2014

End date: September 28, 2016

Spiritual:
1. Read the whole bible
2. Read all of the christian books I have now before I get anymore (0/10)
3. Read the 7 Experiment by Jen Hatmaker- and actually do/keep up with the experiment
4. Go back to Haiti
5. Memorize a verse each month of 2014 (0/12) {I decided a month because i want it to actually sink into my heart and truly understand what it means}
6. Baptize someone
7. Read through Acts again
8. Go back to Passion
9. Go a week without listening to anything but Christian music, do this 10 times (0/10)
10. Try my Prayer Challenge again, start with a month and then go from there.

Others:
11. Do something for someone without them knowing
12. Pay for someone in the drive thru behind me
13. Lead a bible study group at my home (either CSF or through church)
14. Cook dinner for my mom
15. Cook dinner for my aunt and uncle
16. Send a letter to the 3rd graders in Haiti
17. Send people cards in the mall for their birthdays

Relationship with Reese:
18. Make a day each week for "date night/read together"
19. Have someone take nice pictures of us together
20. Celebrate 6 years & 7 years together
21. Get engaged
22. Get married
23. Start our own traditions
24. Put together a photo album
25. Join a couples bible study when married

School/Work:
26. Get a 4.0 {I've never gotten a 4.0, but I've been really close to it for the past 2 semesters.. I truly believe that I can do it}
27. Teach my first lesson plan (before becoming a teacher)
28. Student teach
29. Journal through student teaching/ideas I come up with for teaching
30. Pass the Praxis II
31. Graduate from college--> THAT'S CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT!
32. Find a job at an elementary school
33. Have my first class of students
34. Survive my first year of teaching
35. Bring breakfast/lunch for teachers at my school
36. Organize all of my class material for teaching

Blog:
37. Organize/design my blog to my liking (I seriously do not know how I want it to look guys, idk my style)
38. Do my first year recap (2013)
39. Finish & post my 101 in 1001
40. Try to plan posts and actually prewrite them, rather waiting until last minute or day of
41. Sponsor a giveaway
42. Meet other bloggers
43. Participate in a CaraBox
44. Meet a reader
45. Have a series with another blogger
46. Learn how to edit my blog properly
47. Write a post each time I complete things on this list
48. Have a guest post on my blog
49. Post a guest post on someone elses blog
50. Try doing monthly goals
51. Try to do at least 10 Favorites Fridays (0/10)
52. Write to 20 bloggers (0/20)

Adventurer:
53. Go on a vacation out west
54. Go on a vacation in another country
55. Go camping (I haven't been since I was little)
56. Visit 5 new/smaller restaurants in Lexington (0/5)
57. Go to NYC for christmas
58. Go to 3 new states (0/3)
59. Go to Charleston, South Carolina
60. Take a spontaneous road trip with reese
61. Go on a picnic
62. Go back to the cabin at Red River Gorge
63. Take a spontaneous girls trip
64. Go snow tubing again
65. Go to the lake
66. Go horse back riding
67. Fly a kite.. I don't think I ever have!

68. Go to Nashville & be a tourist
69. Go to the drive in again/more often during the summer

Goals:
70. Get a puppy
71. Exercise more often
72. Try running
73. Run in a 5k
74. Get a DSLR camera
75. Learn how to properly use that DSLR camera & its features
76. Take pictures for someone
77. Organize my iPhoto
78. Print out my Haiti pictures
79. Print out pictures that I really want to keep
80. Go through clothes at the end of fall/winter that I haven't worn
81. Go through clothes at the end of spring/summer that I haven't worn
82. Plan out my wedding
83. Be in a wedding
84. Finishing decorating my room
85. Do 3 pinterest DIYs (0/3)
86. Host a christmas party for my friends

87. Go to a Keith Urban concert
88. Get a pair of Tory Burch Reva Flats
89. See a broadway show
90. Learn how to make coffee at home to my liking {I spend way to much $$ on Starbucks!}

Home/Food/Financial:
91. Have my own home/apartment
92. Decorate my own home
93. Make a cleaning schedule
94. Plan out meals during the week
95. Have a month of planned out meals
96. Try a new meal each month of 2014 (0/12)
97. Try 5 new meals in my new crockpot (0/5)
98. Learn how to budget
99. Consistently budget
100. Go a full week without eating out or having Starbucks, do this 4 times (0/4)
101. Go a full week without spending money on myself/shopping

I am excited to see where I get with this list and how many I can actually accomplish. I have made a page for this and will be crossing things off there as I complete them. It was very difficult to find the last 30 items to put on here but I finished it! If you're doing this as well I would love to know so that I can help encourage you. And I would love for y'all to help encourage me also! I pray that you have an amazing year and that you truly focus on the important things in life.