Here's a little update on my life. I have officially accomplished one year of college. My first semester was spent at UT Chattanooga and my second semester was spent here at MTSU. Both semesters were phenomenal. I would not trade either for anything. God had something different to teach me at each place and I am thankful for the memories, friends and lessons learned. Now that summer is started up I am about to begin work as a summer day camp counselor at the YMCA here in Murfreesboro, TN. I am super stoked to say the least….I mean I get paid to be a kid!! What up!!!
Anywho, this past semester has been the most thrilling, joyful, freeing semester of my entire life. hahaha because I finally unclenched my fists, opened my heart and let go. When I did that everything changed. I saw a new side to the character of Jesus and He took me so much deeper. All the things I had prayed for and strived for all my life have come to pass and you want to know the secret….LET GO. I thought I had let go. I have always had this deep passion to know jesus more and to go deeper with him. I strived for Him….but I didn't realize that all that striving was a little pointless because He is right here, in front of my face. It was as if I have been running so so so so hard…but running in place…getting nowhere. All he said was "come, let go, let me love you, I am right here." I wanted to work for something to gain. Jesus already did it all…i have nothing else to gain because Jesus freely gave it all to me!! It's really cool to look back on my life and see how the whole time Jesus has been waiting for me to burnout and simply lie at His feet, for Him to pick me up and hold me. And as He holds me I begin to relax, release, let go and just be. haha Wow. The Gospel is so good!!! The Gospel is simple, it is joyful, it isn't hardwork. Haha when is loving someone you love hardwork? Like, I get so giddy when I hear the name Jesus!! haha I am so in love with my big bro,best friend, dad and lover of my soul.
Okay, so that is the very very very shortened version of this past semester. It's been amazing. haha living abandoned in Jesus simply makes things…well…a lot more simple. haha its just LOVE! hello!!
Along with going deeper and deeper with Jesus I have found such a rich community among friends that I have known from church and school my entire life…but were never close with. Funny how God works…
He has completely blown my mind and my friends, that are now not only my best friends but very dear brothers and sisters…I don't say that lightly either. I wish you knew how intimate and dear this community is. I never thought I'd find something like this after Swazi. I never thought I could love a people so much that i cannot even express in words. This community is a community like none other. Honestly, I have no words to describe what these people that I have reconnected with this semester mean to me! They've taught me the simplicity of the gospel and the joy of jesus!! They've taught me what love looks like, what a laid down lover looks like!! Wow, ha i really have no words to express my thankfulness and ridiculous love for these folks!!
And that is the hard part…. This is where the emotional roller coaster begins. Time is getting closer, our mission team already has a Facebook group and we are all connecting which is so great!! I am getting so incredibly excited!! On the other hand, I am getting so so sad knowing that I will leave my very near and dear community here in Murfreesboro. I know maybe it sounds silly but when you get so close with a group of people that are first and foremost madly in love with Jesus then it becomes very difficult to leave a community that intimate!! So i have mixed emotions…that of extraordinary excitement for the journey ahead and that of extreme heartache leaving behind my very best friends. Selfishly, I want them with me. haha
I know that what is ahead is that much more greater than the season of life that I am in now. Which by the way is so hard to believe because, wow, this semester has been the most incredible semester of my life!! I have never been so madly in love with Jesus. I don't want anything else besides Jesus…and selfishly my community!
Jesus is enough.
