i'm in a class this semester on career management. it's really very insightful- i initially registered for it because my advisor told me that it is a GPA booster (there aren't enough of those in the business school) and that i would probably find it pretty interesting. i unassumingly signed up for it, not knowing what i was going to get myself in to.
my professor is a cool guy- former baylor football player, funny and hard of hearing, like myself (the hard of hearing part.. ha). he has recently been asking us if we know what we want to do post-college and talking to us about what we would do if we could do anything in the world. it's gotten the wheels in my head turning without a doubt. for as long as i've been at baylor, the path after college has been pretty clear. i never gave much thought to doing anything other than getting my degree in HR and then going to get my masters of health care administration and hopefully work in a children's hospital in texas. i'm passionate about people, i love the idea of how rewarding being in the health care industry is, the job is secure and it pays well. sounds like a good gig to me.
it wasn't until recently that i came to the realization that there is not just one perfect job for me. i just figured that my current degree plan was the result of a bunch of little decisions i made that were now adding up: i applied to baylor as a business major, i got in, i registered for those business classes, i decided that accounting/finance/economics/management sounded awful (sorry to all of my accounting/econ/management professors- you're all lovely people but i think you'd be the first to tell me that i shouldn't pursue those fields) and so now i find myself looking at human resources, the most people-oriented major in the business school.
is there one option that is better for me than another? certainly so.. but is there a right option? that i'm not so sure of. over the past month, i've had random people who all mean a great deal to me, but don't know each other mention that they see creativity in me. that makes sense- ever since i was a little girl, i've been drawing and taking pictures of people and writing. my mind has always drifted to the romantic, the idealistic, the dreamy. truthfully, i've never considered those things as a career option... but why?
that now puts me at a place of thinking about what it is that i want to do with my life. i want to do something that i love, but more than that, i want to do the thing that will bring God the most glory possible by utilizing the gifts that he has given specifically to me. whether that's in a hospital or in front of a canvas or behind a camera or something else i'm completely unaware of at this time will be fun to watch unfold. because He always has something fun up His sleeve.
please don't ignore the dreams you have and the things you want to do that you're not sure are realistic. emily p. freeman, author of 'a million little ways', pushes her readers to think about why it is that we so often assume that pursuing the things that we want to pursue can only be done at the expense of our responsibilities. really though- what if we each desire to do certain things because God created us a certain way- not to make us miserable or tease us while we do something we hate, but to actually mold us into becoming more like him, for his glory and for the benefit of others? what if the thing that we most long for, those things that we can't stop thinking about or keep wishing we could do, is the thing we were actually made for and are being equipped to do?
"the Shepherd laughed too. 'I love doing preposterous things,' He replied. 'why, I don't know anything more exhilarating and delightful than turning weakness into strength, and fear into faith, and that which has been marred into perfection.. that is my special work,' He added with the light of a great joy in his face. 'transforming things- to take Much-Afraid, for instance, and to transform her into-" He broke off and then went on laughingly. 'well, we shall see later on what she finds herself transformed into." -hinds' feet on high places
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
no longer a slave to fear
if i can be straight up, fear is something that i struggle with on a daily basis. fear of the unknown, fear of sickness, fear of poor performance, fear of missing out on things... fear is rampant in our culture and is a reminder that we live in a fallen world and that things aren't exactly as they should be.
i know i'm not the only person that is fearful of things, but sometimes it can feel as though i'm the only one. fear is a part of human nature, but i'm (slowly) learning that it's how i deal with my fears that determines how i live my life.
the pastor at my church gave a sermon on fear a couple of weeks ago and he made some incredible points on the topic of fear:
1. first and most importantly, fear is NOT FROM GOD. you can rest assured that God DOES NOT SPEAK TO YOU THROUGH FEAR, but through promise: "for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. on the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 corinthians 10:3-5). the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of me; He who lives in me is greater than he who is in the world.
taking every thought captive is incredibly difficult for me to do. the thoughts of fear creep in and before i know it, they've infested my mind and i've come up with the worst possible scenario. it's something that is definitely a work in progress.
2. i am fearful when Christ is not central in my life. i find that when i am at my most fearful, it's because i haven't been spending as much time with Him as i should be. by saturating my mind with Jesus and memorizing scripture and rejecting fearful thoughts, i can prevent a lot of worry from invading my mind.
3. fear is meant by the enemy to immobilize us. satan's job is to do whatever he can to keep us inactive and destroy our relationship with God. he uses confusion to paralyze our emotions and if left unchecked, fear can literally make us sick. i'm learning how to reject fear by reciting scripture.. "God is not the author of confusion but of peace." the great thing is is that satan isn't creative. he's actually pretty dumb. my pastor told us that to the degree that we feel fear, we should beat it with double the amount of prayer. (that's a lot of prayer for me..)
i was talking to my parents yesterday about fear and they reminded me that you can't sweep fear under the rug. you have to face your fears head on and you have to replace it with Christ and his promises.. and you definitely shouldn't dwell on future problems that may or may not ever happen. are they wise or what?
i know i'm not the only person that is fearful of things, but sometimes it can feel as though i'm the only one. fear is a part of human nature, but i'm (slowly) learning that it's how i deal with my fears that determines how i live my life.
the pastor at my church gave a sermon on fear a couple of weeks ago and he made some incredible points on the topic of fear:
1. first and most importantly, fear is NOT FROM GOD. you can rest assured that God DOES NOT SPEAK TO YOU THROUGH FEAR, but through promise: "for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. on the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 corinthians 10:3-5). the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of me; He who lives in me is greater than he who is in the world.
taking every thought captive is incredibly difficult for me to do. the thoughts of fear creep in and before i know it, they've infested my mind and i've come up with the worst possible scenario. it's something that is definitely a work in progress.
2. i am fearful when Christ is not central in my life. i find that when i am at my most fearful, it's because i haven't been spending as much time with Him as i should be. by saturating my mind with Jesus and memorizing scripture and rejecting fearful thoughts, i can prevent a lot of worry from invading my mind.
3. fear is meant by the enemy to immobilize us. satan's job is to do whatever he can to keep us inactive and destroy our relationship with God. he uses confusion to paralyze our emotions and if left unchecked, fear can literally make us sick. i'm learning how to reject fear by reciting scripture.. "God is not the author of confusion but of peace." the great thing is is that satan isn't creative. he's actually pretty dumb. my pastor told us that to the degree that we feel fear, we should beat it with double the amount of prayer. (that's a lot of prayer for me..)
i was talking to my parents yesterday about fear and they reminded me that you can't sweep fear under the rug. you have to face your fears head on and you have to replace it with Christ and his promises.. and you definitely shouldn't dwell on future problems that may or may not ever happen. are they wise or what?
"you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on you..." isaiah 26:3
"for God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love and of a sound mind." 2 timothy 1:7
"do not fear, for i am with you; do not be dismayed, for i am your God. i will strengthen you and help you; i will uphold you with my righteous right hand." isaiah 41:10
"now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way." 2 thessalonians 3:16
Friday, December 19, 2014
Choosing Tri Delta
I love that God's hand of provision is over whatever we do and wherever we go. I have been reflecting on this semester over the past few days, thanking Him for all of the friendships He's continued to strengthen and the new relationships that have been forged. Now that I've had some time to slow down and process some of what He was up to, I'm already excited about what next semester has in store, starting with recruitment.
These are the girls that I've grown to love, the girls that I spend my weekends with and the girls I eat way too much Torchy's queso with. They are my prayer warriors, my home team, my middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people. I didn't have the opportunity to go through recruitment at Baylor, and that is what makes being a Baylor Tri Delta all the more remarkable. These women are an answer to months of prayer-- they will never have any idea how refreshing and reassuring their placement in my life has been (although I hope to try and let them know)!
When you think about it, the sorority that you join becomes a lot of who you are in your 4 years at Baylor. You want to make sure to pick a group of girls that will help you grow into the best version of yourself. When I was going through recruitment, my mom told me it was like when you're starting to date a boy: "When it's right, you just know it." When it came to pref night, I just knew. I made my choice and walked out of the voting room confident that I had made the right decision.
So why pick Tri Delta, you ask? Where do I even begin?
First of all, I love what we stand for. The very beginnings of Tri Delta were founded on the idea of being a society that is "kind alike to all members and think of a woman's inner self rather than her personal appearance." In a world full of negative stereotypes about sororities, it's nice to remember that the foundation of this group that I associate myself with has its roots in something deeper than the physical.
The members of this chapter are undoubtedly some of the best people I've ever met. The very first time I hung out with them, I could tell that this was what college was supposed to be about. They are quick to take an interest in you, hear your story and ask you questions. They are genuinely kind people. They love others so well.
I also love Tri Delta's commitment to St. Jude. It's the thing that links all Tri Delta chapters together. Every single member has a personal reason why they love that hospital and it's inspiring to listen to how passionate they are about it. And with good reason: Tri Delta as a whole is currently in the middle of raising $60 million in 10 years for the children of St. Jude to open Tri Delta Place, a short-term housing facility for the families of patients undergoing treatment. Families never have to pay a dime whenever their kids are receiving treatment, and that includes their housing. Baylor's chapter raised over $100,000 last year, and we're so proud to serve St. Jude by doing our part to keep the doors open for another day.
Social events, football games and Sing have formed some of my favorite Baylor memories. We've had a Gatsby themed semi-formal, a glow in the dark themed semi, formals, a Boots and Bowties themed take a date, Country Christmas and a date dash to Cameron Park Zoo. We had Tri Delts all over the TV during College GameDay and I rushed the field with a bunch of my friends after we beat TCU. And we placed 2nd in Sing this year! It's been the best year and a half and I can't wait for the next year and a half.
If you can't tell already, I love these people and this sorority with all of my heart. They are hilarious, caring, fun women who are truly a reflection of Jesus' love. If you're a freshman reading this, I hope you will come to love Tri Delta as much as we do! We can't wait to meet all of you in a couple of weeks.
These are the girls that I've grown to love, the girls that I spend my weekends with and the girls I eat way too much Torchy's queso with. They are my prayer warriors, my home team, my middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people. I didn't have the opportunity to go through recruitment at Baylor, and that is what makes being a Baylor Tri Delta all the more remarkable. These women are an answer to months of prayer-- they will never have any idea how refreshing and reassuring their placement in my life has been (although I hope to try and let them know)!
When you think about it, the sorority that you join becomes a lot of who you are in your 4 years at Baylor. You want to make sure to pick a group of girls that will help you grow into the best version of yourself. When I was going through recruitment, my mom told me it was like when you're starting to date a boy: "When it's right, you just know it." When it came to pref night, I just knew. I made my choice and walked out of the voting room confident that I had made the right decision.
So why pick Tri Delta, you ask? Where do I even begin?
First of all, I love what we stand for. The very beginnings of Tri Delta were founded on the idea of being a society that is "kind alike to all members and think of a woman's inner self rather than her personal appearance." In a world full of negative stereotypes about sororities, it's nice to remember that the foundation of this group that I associate myself with has its roots in something deeper than the physical.
The members of this chapter are undoubtedly some of the best people I've ever met. The very first time I hung out with them, I could tell that this was what college was supposed to be about. They are quick to take an interest in you, hear your story and ask you questions. They are genuinely kind people. They love others so well.
I also love Tri Delta's commitment to St. Jude. It's the thing that links all Tri Delta chapters together. Every single member has a personal reason why they love that hospital and it's inspiring to listen to how passionate they are about it. And with good reason: Tri Delta as a whole is currently in the middle of raising $60 million in 10 years for the children of St. Jude to open Tri Delta Place, a short-term housing facility for the families of patients undergoing treatment. Families never have to pay a dime whenever their kids are receiving treatment, and that includes their housing. Baylor's chapter raised over $100,000 last year, and we're so proud to serve St. Jude by doing our part to keep the doors open for another day.
Social events, football games and Sing have formed some of my favorite Baylor memories. We've had a Gatsby themed semi-formal, a glow in the dark themed semi, formals, a Boots and Bowties themed take a date, Country Christmas and a date dash to Cameron Park Zoo. We had Tri Delts all over the TV during College GameDay and I rushed the field with a bunch of my friends after we beat TCU. And we placed 2nd in Sing this year! It's been the best year and a half and I can't wait for the next year and a half.
If you can't tell already, I love these people and this sorority with all of my heart. They are hilarious, caring, fun women who are truly a reflection of Jesus' love. If you're a freshman reading this, I hope you will come to love Tri Delta as much as we do! We can't wait to meet all of you in a couple of weeks.
“Everybody has a home team: It’s the people you call when you get a flat
tire or when something terrible happens. It’s the people who, near or
far, know everything that’s wrong with you and love you anyways. These
are the ones who tell you their secrets, who get themselves a glass of
water without asking when they’re at your house. These are the people
who cry when you cry. These are your people, your middle-of-the-night,
no-matter-what people.” -Shauna Niequist
Friday, May 9, 2014
immeasurably, immeasurably more
monday is my last day of sophomore year. where did the time go? i feel like it was just yesterday that i was driving from nashville to waco completely unsure of what was ahead of me for the next 9 months. Jesus had a lot of surprises in store & lots of lessons to teach me! i'm freaking out as i think about being halfway done with college.
adventuring has become one of my hobbies this year. it makes life exciting! at the end of the day, it's not the countless hours that i spent in the library that i'll remember-- it's the little, out of the ordinary things-- the concerts, the weekends spent with friends, the football games, the lunch dates that turned into hour-long conversations-- that made this year as wonderful as it was.
"forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, i press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." philippians 3:13-14
upon arriving at here, i was bombarded with
a LOT of new faces that i quickly grew to love. from people i met
around campus, to new tri delta's i met by the dozens, to professors and
roommates, these people have been
consistent in loving me as Christ loves. they love without condition;
they live with the overflow of the holy spirit in them. it has been inspiring to
watch as i've learned what it means to love others the same way.
on a more serious note, i realized that i worship my schedule. i glorify busyness. just when i thought that there was no way that Jesus could strip me of my pride any more than he had my freshman year at ole miss, He found another way to pull it off... and even though i'm suffering the consequences now, i am glad He did :) i naively over-committed myself in my classes, participated in sing, held an officer position in tri delta and tried to have a social life and let me tell ya... it doesn't work if you're trying to make it on your own.
i thought that i could handle financial accounting, microeconomics and quantitative business analysis by my own strength. YEAH RIGHT. i've never been a straight-A student, but i've certainly found a significant amount of security in my grades. the Lord was faithful to humble me. i came to the realization last week as i was writing a paper for one of my classes that i am a slave to my schedule, and this will never carry me far as a Christ follower. psalm 46:10 says to be still and know that He is God. rarely do i take the time to simply rest in His presence and be reminded of His love and peace that passes all understanding. it is way too easy to get wrapped up in my own little world and rely on my own sufficiency to accomplish my tasks. there is an enormous amount of pressure placed on us as college students to get good grades, know what we're doing with our lives and know the steps we need to take to get to where we want to be. consequently, it causes me to picture my life five, ten or even fifteen years down the road: where will i be living? what will my job be? what will my position be within that job? what will my salary be? will i be married, and will i still be friends with the people i'm friends with now? then i have to stop and remind myself that this is not where my identity lies. my identity is in Christ and who He says i am. i am not what my GPA says, and i am not what my future job title says. i won't wake up and have my problems of being too self-sufficient and too fearful of the future solved overnight. it will probably always be something that is a struggle to surrender, but by His grace, little by little, He will mold me into someone who mirrors Himself. i am so excited to return to baylor in august for another year of immeasurably more.
i thought that i could handle financial accounting, microeconomics and quantitative business analysis by my own strength. YEAH RIGHT. i've never been a straight-A student, but i've certainly found a significant amount of security in my grades. the Lord was faithful to humble me. i came to the realization last week as i was writing a paper for one of my classes that i am a slave to my schedule, and this will never carry me far as a Christ follower. psalm 46:10 says to be still and know that He is God. rarely do i take the time to simply rest in His presence and be reminded of His love and peace that passes all understanding. it is way too easy to get wrapped up in my own little world and rely on my own sufficiency to accomplish my tasks. there is an enormous amount of pressure placed on us as college students to get good grades, know what we're doing with our lives and know the steps we need to take to get to where we want to be. consequently, it causes me to picture my life five, ten or even fifteen years down the road: where will i be living? what will my job be? what will my position be within that job? what will my salary be? will i be married, and will i still be friends with the people i'm friends with now? then i have to stop and remind myself that this is not where my identity lies. my identity is in Christ and who He says i am. i am not what my GPA says, and i am not what my future job title says. i won't wake up and have my problems of being too self-sufficient and too fearful of the future solved overnight. it will probably always be something that is a struggle to surrender, but by His grace, little by little, He will mold me into someone who mirrors Himself. i am so excited to return to baylor in august for another year of immeasurably more.
"great is thy faithfulness! morning by morning new mercies i see. ALL i have needed thy hands have provided-- great is thy faithfulness, lord, unto me!"
Saturday, November 23, 2013
so, that was disappointing.
wow-- what happened tonight, baylor?
that was our shot, right?
national championship dreams-- gone.
hooooollllyyy wow... this isn't the baylor team we were expecting.
at least our colors aren't orange and black.
at least we live in texas. they have to stay in oklahoma.
i hate to admit that all of these thoughts crossed my mind tonight. for baylor nation, losing to oklahoma state felt somewhat like a giant slap to the face, but The Lord reminded me of something as i watched/screamed at the TV while bryce petty missed that snap in the beginning of the 4th quarter.
hold up, haley. keep things in perspective. you serve a God who is far more sovereign than baylor football. baylor wins? He is good. baylor loses? He is still good. we have the huge blessing of being able to attend baylor university, and having a football team full of studs is just an added bonus. while i am just as disappointed as the next fan, (texts to my boyfriend and i quote: "WHAT THE HECK IS ILLEGAL TOUCHING?!?! .. crying. .. I'm going to hit something.") all that matters at the end of the day is that our King is still on His throne and we find our identity in Him-- not how well our beloved bears do on a given saturday. sic 'em.
that was our shot, right?
national championship dreams-- gone.
hooooollllyyy wow... this isn't the baylor team we were expecting.
at least our colors aren't orange and black.
at least we live in texas. they have to stay in oklahoma.
i hate to admit that all of these thoughts crossed my mind tonight. for baylor nation, losing to oklahoma state felt somewhat like a giant slap to the face, but The Lord reminded me of something as i watched/screamed at the TV while bryce petty missed that snap in the beginning of the 4th quarter.
hold up, haley. keep things in perspective. you serve a God who is far more sovereign than baylor football. baylor wins? He is good. baylor loses? He is still good. we have the huge blessing of being able to attend baylor university, and having a football team full of studs is just an added bonus. while i am just as disappointed as the next fan, (texts to my boyfriend and i quote: "WHAT THE HECK IS ILLEGAL TOUCHING?!?! .. crying. .. I'm going to hit something.") all that matters at the end of the day is that our King is still on His throne and we find our identity in Him-- not how well our beloved bears do on a given saturday. sic 'em.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
grateful
only three words can summarize my first month in waco: GRATEFUL. FULLNESS. JOY. praise the Lord!
exactly a month ago, my heart was anxious about leaving my family to go to college again, and not just college-- a completely new college. even as my mom and i made the trip to texas together, i was a mixture of excited and nervous. what did Jesus have in store for me in waco? i could only pray and try to affirm what i knew about the Lord-- he is faithful, he's never leaving me, and he is good.
well y'all, let me tell ya what. his faithfulness has knocked my socks off and rocked my world in the best way possible. my heart is SO full. i have felt the Lord's peace consistently-- the peace that passes all understanding. his presence saturates this campus and he is moving.
he is continuing to stretch me to have more and more faith and is showing me there are lessons to be learned in the discomfort. once again, i am in a position of relying solely on the Lord. in the times of joy, i rejoice and trust him. in the times of loneliness, i still rejoice and trust him. he has led me here, and he hasn't failed me yet!
my goal for this year is to live life ABUNDANTLY and LOVE people extravagantly. everyone has a story, everyone has passions and things that make them who they are. everyone wants to be heard and known and loved. and i hope to never stop being captivated by the creator of all of my favorite things and the ways he personally shows me he loves me (i'm lookin at you, sunsets/friends/family/queso/naps). it is SO well with my soul. :)
"i want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. and i don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. i want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. i want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and i want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad he gave life to someone who loves the gift." -shauna niequist
exactly a month ago, my heart was anxious about leaving my family to go to college again, and not just college-- a completely new college. even as my mom and i made the trip to texas together, i was a mixture of excited and nervous. what did Jesus have in store for me in waco? i could only pray and try to affirm what i knew about the Lord-- he is faithful, he's never leaving me, and he is good.
well y'all, let me tell ya what. his faithfulness has knocked my socks off and rocked my world in the best way possible. my heart is SO full. i have felt the Lord's peace consistently-- the peace that passes all understanding. his presence saturates this campus and he is moving.
he is continuing to stretch me to have more and more faith and is showing me there are lessons to be learned in the discomfort. once again, i am in a position of relying solely on the Lord. in the times of joy, i rejoice and trust him. in the times of loneliness, i still rejoice and trust him. he has led me here, and he hasn't failed me yet!
my goal for this year is to live life ABUNDANTLY and LOVE people extravagantly. everyone has a story, everyone has passions and things that make them who they are. everyone wants to be heard and known and loved. and i hope to never stop being captivated by the creator of all of my favorite things and the ways he personally shows me he loves me (i'm lookin at you, sunsets/friends/family/queso/naps). it is SO well with my soul. :)
"i want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. and i don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. i want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. i want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and i want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad he gave life to someone who loves the gift." -shauna niequist
Saturday, July 13, 2013
the adventure continues
it's incredible to me that God maps out our entire lives before we are born, knowing each and every turn, bump, valley and mountain we will make our way through. before i was born, he knew the number of hairs on my head, how tall i was going to be, what i would weigh, what my strengths and weaknesses would be and what would make my heart do flips of joy. he knew the exact moment i would realize i can't do it on my own and let him take over my life.
he knew where i'd go to high school, he knew where i'd go to college, and he knew i would join tri delta. he would know that i'd fall in love with the university of mississippi at age 15, have my mind dead set on going there, and ultimately end up transferring to baylor university. he knew that it would take me until age 19 to figure out that I'M SO NOT IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE-- and that seriously rocks.
it makes me simultaneously freak out and be at peace when i think about how my plans aren't usually God's plans. on one hand, i like to know what's going to happen and when i don't know, i stress out. but on the other hand, my heart is at rest-- my very best plans aren't even on the same scale of the wonderful things my heavenly Father has in store for me. #gojesusgojesusgo
i took my first visit to ole miss the fall of my sophomore year of high school and never looked back. i know my friends were beyond annoyed with how much i talked about it-- the grove, the boys, the campus, the city... i mean come on. what more does a 15 year old girl need? i was also the first one in our class to know where she was going to college. the possibility of me going somewhere other than ole miss was never a possibility. my dad made me apply to baylor, but he couldn't even get me out of the car for a visit (thank youuuu, regents/freshman year mission trip to waco.) i got a big scholarship too-- i can still hear my dad saying, "haley.. are you SURE you don't want to go to baylor..?"
one night towards the end of the school year, i had a freak out. what if i wasn't supposed to go to ole miss? what if i was actually supposed to be at baylor? i surely couldn't turn back now-- ole miss is the school! i don't know why i had a freak out that night, but looking back, it makes me giggle. even if i missed the mark the first time and went to mississippi when i should've gone to baylor right off the bat, the Lord's plans are the ones that are ultimately established. only God knows if i missed the mark or not, but i learned so much during my freshman year about loving others. i learned to embrace the uncomfortable and the loneliness and how to deal with the awkwardness (semi-well), and i made such sweet sweet friends. i'm beginning to develop a more adventurous spirit, too. most of all, though, i have learned that this life is never perfect. things aren't always going to go according to plan, and i need to chase after new adventures with Jesus with childlike faith and a twinkle in my eye. even though i don't know what the road ahead of me looks like, He does know, and it is good-- and that's enough for me. following Him to waco, texas is the new adventure, y'all.. he is gracious; he will provide.
"every day God invites us on the same type of adventure. it's not a trip where he sends us a rigid itinerary, he simply invites us. God asks us what it is he's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world he made. and then, leaning over to us, he whispers, 'let's go do that together." | bob goff
he knew where i'd go to high school, he knew where i'd go to college, and he knew i would join tri delta. he would know that i'd fall in love with the university of mississippi at age 15, have my mind dead set on going there, and ultimately end up transferring to baylor university. he knew that it would take me until age 19 to figure out that I'M SO NOT IN CONTROL OF MY LIFE-- and that seriously rocks.
it makes me simultaneously freak out and be at peace when i think about how my plans aren't usually God's plans. on one hand, i like to know what's going to happen and when i don't know, i stress out. but on the other hand, my heart is at rest-- my very best plans aren't even on the same scale of the wonderful things my heavenly Father has in store for me. #gojesusgojesusgo
i took my first visit to ole miss the fall of my sophomore year of high school and never looked back. i know my friends were beyond annoyed with how much i talked about it-- the grove, the boys, the campus, the city... i mean come on. what more does a 15 year old girl need? i was also the first one in our class to know where she was going to college. the possibility of me going somewhere other than ole miss was never a possibility. my dad made me apply to baylor, but he couldn't even get me out of the car for a visit (thank youuuu, regents/freshman year mission trip to waco.) i got a big scholarship too-- i can still hear my dad saying, "haley.. are you SURE you don't want to go to baylor..?"
one night towards the end of the school year, i had a freak out. what if i wasn't supposed to go to ole miss? what if i was actually supposed to be at baylor? i surely couldn't turn back now-- ole miss is the school! i don't know why i had a freak out that night, but looking back, it makes me giggle. even if i missed the mark the first time and went to mississippi when i should've gone to baylor right off the bat, the Lord's plans are the ones that are ultimately established. only God knows if i missed the mark or not, but i learned so much during my freshman year about loving others. i learned to embrace the uncomfortable and the loneliness and how to deal with the awkwardness (semi-well), and i made such sweet sweet friends. i'm beginning to develop a more adventurous spirit, too. most of all, though, i have learned that this life is never perfect. things aren't always going to go according to plan, and i need to chase after new adventures with Jesus with childlike faith and a twinkle in my eye. even though i don't know what the road ahead of me looks like, He does know, and it is good-- and that's enough for me. following Him to waco, texas is the new adventure, y'all.. he is gracious; he will provide.
"every day God invites us on the same type of adventure. it's not a trip where he sends us a rigid itinerary, he simply invites us. God asks us what it is he's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world he made. and then, leaning over to us, he whispers, 'let's go do that together." | bob goff
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)