Jesus is better, no really, he is.

I, along with every other graduating senior I know, find myself in a tug-of-war. A game between the comfort of old and the fear of the new. Despite the fact that I have a somewhat "clear and ready" plan I wake up each day wanting to hang on to every moment of my time left at Texas A&M.

While searching for answers from anyone and everyone I realized that God had handed me the key already. I have been reading through the book of Hebrews and have found reassurance in one simple fact: Jesus is better.

Christ is better than any religion. He's better than any job, any sum of money, any relationship, any title or position, any future promise, any solid ground and any dream.

Jesus wasn't an accident. He wasn't just some guy that showed up at the opportune time. His arrival, his life and his death all were pre-planned by a God that loves us because we are his own, we are his children. Christ offers us beautiful closeness to a God that is greater than our imagination.

Sometimes I literally have to stop myself from thinking and just sit in the quiet and soak in the absolute love of God. A love that I will never fully grasp. It is in those moments that I truly can relax. He loves me. He loves me so so much.

I love the fact that Hebrews emphasizes that Christ was of flesh and blood, he was human. (Hebrews 2:14) Jesus was tempted, persecuted and punished. He feels our pain and understands our setbacks. It is so easy to place Christ on this pedestal. So easy to make him untouchable and unaccessible. This is not his desire. He desires to draw near to us and to comfort. Christ brought a new covenant of a "kingdom that cannot be shaken" (Hebrews 12:28).

It's on these truths that I can sit back and breathe. Things change. Growing up is inevitable but our God has a miraculous plan for my life. If I've learned anything over 4 years it's that my plans are incomparable to the plans of God. His are SO MUCH BETTER!

Wherever you find yourself tonight I pray that you will just sit and be silent. Allow yourself to soak in the love of God, the sacrifice of Christ and the reassurance that comes with both.

When did I grow up?

*Disclaimer: I am writing this blog from my iPod, avoiding studying, so ignore the plethora of misspelled words and grammatical errors!

After spending a week in my hometown with my family I find myself reflecting on a lot of things. It's crazy to think that 4 years ago I was trying to prepare myself for a move to College Station and for all the changes that would accompany this move. College seemed so strange and distant from the small town life I lived. College was a new beginning which would provide freedom from the gossip and harshness of high school drama. I chose my college without visiting the school. I had been a few times as a child but for some reason hearing my older brother say that I should go to A&M solidified my choice. I knew that living four hours from home would be different but I desperately yearned for independence and freedom from the chains i had in Rockport.

This time around things are so different. I have absolutely loved my four years at A&M and thank God every day that He brought me here. I don't want to leave and even better I have nothing to run from. Dallas is now the destination and it scared the bajebees outta me! Never have I been on my own in a big city but if I have learned anything in four years it's that you have to take yourself out of your comfort zone.

Sitting at home this past week made me realize how much I have grown in four years. God has provided me with such a nurturing group of friends. Having solidified my life in Christ has allowed me to become a true woman. I cant pinpoint the day it happened but sometime, somewhere over the past four years I became an adult.

I am still learning and growing every day. The process is never ceasing but constantly refreshing.

Armor of God

We live in a world that focuses on the bad. Destruction. War. Famine. Genocide. Drugs. Violence. Uproar. Hostility. Hate. Prejudice. Stupidity. Devastation. Disasters. Heartbreak. Loneliness. Suicide. Apathy. Greed. Gluttony. Lust. Lies. Deceit. Pessimism. Darkness. Idols. Masks. The list goes on...

Yet, rarely when we speak of these things do we look to "blame the devil". Why? Because it sounds crazy, doesn't it? It's a scapegoat, right? I mean come on it's the year 2011 not 1804. We can just blame the problems of the world on this "devil" guy.

Today I realized something. I realized that I was being tricked by the devil's lies. It probably sounds crazy. Like I am about to start ranting about exorcisms and witches and demons, which [by the way] I have witnessed. (But that's a different story).

I'm talking about the spiritual side of the devil. The side that whispers to you when no one else is around. The one that fills your head with the idea that everyone is out to get you. Everyone is against you. And you, well, you're just alone.

What does the devil tell me on a regular basis?

1] I'm alone. This is his strongest and most powerful lie. He uses it against me every day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. [Yes, it gets old, but why change something when it's working, right?]

2] People are against me. Those whispers are always about you. That laughter? Aimed at you, in a hurtful way. That look? Yeah, it was meant to sting. He uses this to make me question friendships, which leads back to lie number 1.

3] You're not enough. And will never be "enough" in any category. And especially not "enough" for any person. Go ahead and take a look back at lie numero uno.

4] It's smarter to question, rather than trust. You guessed it...leads to number one.

5] And lastly, you are not important.

But I thought you had this great faith? You are always posting about the love of God and how He consumes you. How He makes you strong and resilient.

Oh, my God does all of that and more. My God opens my eyes to the devil's schemes. But, I am easily persuaded to just keep them shut.

I realized that somewhere along the past few weeks my diligence towards reading the Word started to slip. I still craved it, but I wasn't satisfying the cravings. School, friends, family, "I just don't feel like reading", tired, stressed....blah blah blah. Yet, this weekend I read 4, count it 4!!!! "fun" books. But yet I don't have time to read....right.

It goes without saying that it wasn't hard for the devil to squeeze his way right back in. And tonight as I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself and wanting to rip apart someone, I realized that it wasn't the other person who was bitter and hostile...it was me. Ouch.

So I cracked open the Bible to my favorite "pick up" book, Ephesians. And God's Word hit me with this: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 5: 10 -12

What did I learn today?

1] Trust God and seek Him ALWAYS. Not when it is convenient. Not when you can "make time". ALWAYS.

2] It's not your "strength" that will get you through. You cannot possibly hang on without God's all encompassing love. This love that provides you with protection against the evil that so easily tears you down.

3] When you're angry, stop, breathe, and re-focus. Maybe the person you are angry with is actually yourself.

Forever growing and learning and falling again,

Kathleen

My Valentine's Day Rant...

Because everyone has one, or wants to write one.

Here's my view on Valentine's Day:
1] You're single, completely single
These our those people who aren't even "flirting" with anyone. There is no "potential" future relationships. You are actually SINGLE. ENJOY IT! Being truly single, allows you to live free of expectations which normally lead to letdown because you cannot expect someone else just to miraculously know what you're thinking. So embrace it! Go out with your friends! Have a dance party in your bedroom to angry music! Do whatever you want! And flaunt it! Of course for those of us in this position, Valentine's Day is a harsh reminder that we're alone. [ouch] But in reality we are never alone. We are surrounded by friends, and family who love us. And even greater than that we have a God that loves of more than anyone on this planet is capable of anyway! So to you, single friends, I say be joyous.

2]You're single, kind-of
So you've been texting this guy back and forth for a few months now. Maybe you've even gone on a few frates [friend + dates = not actual date, nobody is putting labels on this thing = CONFUSING]. You wake up today, with those little butterflies in your stomach and your heart keeps skipping beats when your phone alerts go off. STOP YOURSELF NOW!!!! If the guy [or girl, not meaning to be sexist] hasn't made an attempt to get things started before now, he's not going to start today. The guy at the bus stop holding roses isn't him. The flowers that show up at your apartment are in fact from your parents. And those delicious chocolates are from your roommate. I'm not saying nothing will potentially happen, but the chances of it happen today are very very very very very slim. SO stand strong! Go out with your girls! And pamper yourself a bit today!

3]You're dating [BF/GF]
So you're in an official relationship. There are no ??question marks?? in your relationship. The lines are clear and you guys are in the middle of them. YAY! Valentine's Day is meant for you two. It's an opportunity to go a little above and beyond. BUT girls: DO NOT OVER ANALYZE EVERYTHING! If you told the guy, "I'm not really into Valentine's Day, so let's just keep it simple", DO NOT [I repeat] DO NOT, expect him to show up at your house in a suit holding 42 dozen roses, with a limo to take you to a secret romantic spot to have dinner that he's made. That's just not fair to him. Those are ridiculous expectations and you already told him that you didn't really care. If you did in fact care, then SAY IT. Seriously, I've been this girl. I remember explicitly telling my current BF that Valentine's Day was stupid and I would have nothing to do with it. Yet, I was heartbroken when I had to walk around school without flowers like the rest of the girls in relationships. Don't be that girl. So I say enjoy today. Even if it's simple! Spend some quality time together and don't make a big deal about everything!

4] You're MARRIED
First off, congratulations! :] You have that person who is going to stand by you through thick and thin. The person God put on the planet to love you as closely to the way that He loves you. [Ya, I'm envious]. My advice for you, FAN THE FLAME! I don't care if you've been married 2 days or 82 years, buy your wife some flowers. Wife make dinner for the hubs. Or vice-versa. Well, maybe the wife could by the hubs something else like umm...beef jerky? tools? I don't know. I'm not married. Today is a day to look at each other and remember why you are in fact married. Why you love each other and why you always will. Yay, for you love birds! :]

Above all, remember that no matter what you're current relationship status is [facebook or in your head] you are worthy of love and are in fact loved. So, keep a smile on that face.

Day 5

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory
Today I'm supposed to post a picture of my favorite memory. How in the world am I supposed to pick one memory from 22+ years of life?? I really have no idea. At first, I figured I would post a picture from the past year, but I realized that I recently created a "Top 10 of 2010" list so that would be repetitive. The first thing that popped into my head was a family trip years ago. I seriously can't even remember the exact year, but it was one of the last trips my entire family (Mom, Dad, and 2 Bros) took together. We went to the Grand Canyon and along the way we stopped at a placed called Zion National Park. Not really sure what we were getting ourselves into, we started out on a hike in the canyon. The water was really low at that time so you could walk right next to the river. Because of the constant supply of freshwater the sides of the canyon were overgrown with green moss. There were multiple water falls that cascaded down the side of the canyon. Needless to say, it is still one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.

Day 4

Day 04 - A picture of your night
Simply because I am in fact a college student, my typical Sunday night consists of coffee, notes, and my iPod. Tonight was no different. I spent most of it studying. Grabbed a quick bite, aka. fed myself to the max, at CiCi's. [Always good while you're there, always bad after] Came home and started my laundry. Talked to my lovely family on the phone. Worked out. About to shower and finish my night by reading some scripture. All in all a productive and wonderful evening.

Day 3

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
This was actually a really hard pick for me, because I like TV shows but I wouldn't say I LOVE any of them in particular. I just like having something to watch before I go to sleep or during a study break. BUT this show reminds me of my childhood which is always a good thing! I actually started watching BMW (Boy Meets World) during the re-runs. I didn't watch a lot of TV as a young kid besides Saturday morning/Sunday morning cartoons. I love love love BMW! Always makes me laugh, with a little drama on the side. And come on who doesn't find Shawn to be a total HUNK? Oh, 90's hair....And then Shawn's brother comes into the picture in later seasons and man, what a HEART THROB! All over the cover of Tiger Beats, for sure. :]

Day 2

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

This is Ms. Julie Huerta. We have been friends since forever. Seriously. I was born September 22 and Julie was born November 22. I'm pretty sure we were kickin' it at the YMCA daycare by December. Fun Fact: We share our middle name, Elise. I still remember staying that night at Julie's house when I was like 4 years old. It was my first time to have a "big girl sleepover" and I still have a photo her Mom took of us that night. Now we are both off at college and doing are thing, but I still consider her to be on of my best friends of all time! So blessed to have a life long friend :]

30 Day Challenge

My friend, Mandi, started this 30-day photo challenge. Sounds like fun so I'm going to play along. Be prepared to learn lots of things about me that you probably didn't really care to know. :]



Day 1
A picture of yourself with ten facts

What Comfort Zone?

About two weeks ago I really started praying for God to put a desire in my heart to read The Word daily. I wanted it to be a craving, something that I couldn't stop thinking about or longing for. Well, God answered my prayer. Over the last few weeks I have had an unsatisfiable need to be in The Word. I've been reading on the bus, before class, during lunch, and on study breaks. It's the first thing I reach for in the morning and the last thing I look at before I sleep. What a powerful and almighty God we have!!! All it took was for me to honestly lay down my own life and be completely available to Him.

Through the pass few weeks, God has had me jumping around Scripture but one book I am reading through consistently is Isaiah. This is a HUGE leap of faith for me. I like books like Ephesians and Romans. Books that have those "inspirational" bible verses you could easily paste on a poster. Isaiah is not one of those books. BUT it's a MAJOR contributor to so much of the New Testament. Often when reading through the New Testament I'd come across those lower case subscripts. You know the ones...you look down at the bottom of the page and it gives you the book the quote was taken from and you think to yourself "Oh, that's cool it all ties together." Isaiah was a prophet, a poet, and a politician. He literally stood on street corners while his nation was at a crossroad. Unafraid and without apology, Isaiah confronts his people with harsh and unyielding words of warning and God's power. God, as portrayed in Isaiah, honestly scares me. He's not the jolly Father-figure I imagine, sitting in a rocking chair with a Santa Claus beard. He's angry and hurt by people who continually refuse to obey Him, despite His desperate love for them. Israel didn't see a need for God. Israel was rich, powerful and successful....sound familiar? God had had enough and Isaiah wasn't afraid to talk about it.

So what have I gotten out of this? A huge reminder of the wrath that I deserve as a sinner. This is the God I deserve to face when I die but because of Christ and His complete sacrifice I will be forgiven. My sins have been justified through the death of one man, the true Savior of man kind. I can never be worthy of this. HOW AWESOME IS OUR GOD?

Isaiah will go on to warn surrounding kingdoms of God's power.But he won't stop there, Isaiah will also provide hope. A hope that he will prophesy comes through a "suffering servant".

God doesn't want to fit into my comfort zone. God is so much bigger than my comfort zone. He doesn't want to be placed into a box. Something that I find myself praying, literally every time I pray, is for God to break down the walls in my heart to allow me to openly soak in everything that He wants to teach me. It's in these intimate times with Him that I feel the most at peace. My heart seems lighter and my world seems so full of joy. I was guided to Psalm 90:14 at church on Sunday:
"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."
I literally just wrote this on my mirror because this is the prayer of my heart. I never want to lose the craving that I have to spend time with my Father. Open your heart honestly to God, you'll be amazed at how He changes your mind set and provides you with loving comfort.

Spring 2011

Well, I successfully managed to complete my last first week of undergraduate classes. All in all my 3 classes seem to be great. Self-defense is going to be an absolute blast. Yesterday we learned how to break noses! [Ya, you better watch out!] Therapeutic Principles is going to be a challenge. The course is set up to represent a Professional School level class. I am glad I will be getting exposure to this kind of format, rather than jumping blindly into Physical Therapy school. Biomechanics will probably be the worst of the 3. It's a combination of Anatomy [which I like] and Physics [which I despise].

As with every new semester I start out focused and on top of things. My goal for this semester is to not allow myself to become boggled down with school and stress. This will be my last semester at TAMU and even though school is important I am making it mandatory that once a week I do something outrageous and fun. Things such as name carvings at the Chicken, picnics at the lake and a trip to Austin are already in the works.

I am also continuing on with my reading plan. The reading plan is set in 2 week increments focusing on various "topics" throughout the Bible. Things such as "The Life and Teachings of Jesus", "The Old Testament" [current section...always a struggle for me!], "Prayer", "Women of the Bible", etc. My prayer for this semester is that reading the Bible wouldn't just be something I pencil into my schedule but rather something that I crave every day. I don't want spending time in the Word to just become a routine. I desire for this time to be refreshing and needed every day. I often think that we find ourselves "finding time for God" around the other commitments in our life, rather than the other way around. God doesn't want to be just a part of our 15 minutes every morning and prayers at night. God desires to have an intimate relationship with us that changes our mindset and thus the path of our lives. We should be "obsessed" [to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic] with God. I was strongly convicted on my continual plan to "set aside time for God". It became more a checklist: 1]Do laundry 2]Clean bathroom 3]Read the Bible 4]Cook dinner 5]Study for class 6]If time allows, pray...My desire is that my life would be radically changed every day but the Scripture I study and the openness I have with God during prayer.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51: 10 - 12

God has already introduced me to some amazing girls that a truly living a life with their eyes focused on Him. I am so blessed to know that 2 of these girls will be joining me at UT-Southwestern for Physical Therapy school. What a joy to know that even during our struggle through school we will have sisters in Christ around us to provide support and love.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6: 2

Whirlwind

That title pretty much sums up my weekend.

It was one of those weekends that was completely unplanned except for the fact that my parents would be out of town for their 31st wedding anniversary. Yeah, you read that right they have been married for over 30 years and are probably the happiest I've ever seem them.

Things started out pretty normal for a weekend spent at home with just me and my younger brother, David. [I can't really say little brother anymore because he, at the age of 12, is practically the same height as I am.] I pick him up Friday from school with a large Ocean Water from Sonic. Not sure why, but for awhile now David and I have had this unwritten rule that we stop at Sonic whenever possible, especially between the hours of 2-4pm for happy hour. [I always wished I had a cool older sibling around that could drive when I was in elementary school, so they could pick me up and I could avoid the bus, haha!] Came back home and settled in on the couch excited to watch the Aggies play in the Cotton Bowl. Sadly, the Aggie defense decided to stay home for the game so we kind of got our butts handed to us. David and I felt like the loss was going to put a damper on the weekend, but it didn't.

That evening I decided to start reading, "I Would Die For You", which is an adaptation of journal entries, both physical and online, from a 15 year-old boy, BJ Higgins. BJ had a radical and blunt way of spreading the story of Christ and I found myself unable to put the book down. Once I reached the halfway point, at 1am, I decided it was time to call it a night, but just couldn't sleep. I ended up reading chapter 5 of Ephesians and just openly talking with God, something I had been halfheartedly doing over the break.

Saturday, we went to watch Gulliver's Travels, which was really cute. [It's kind of a thing David and I always do, going to the movies that is.] After the movie, I, Kathleen Elise Sullivan, coughed up the big bucks and bought an iPod touch4. Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely hate dropping large amounts of cash on anything, but I had been saving for a new mp3 player for awhile. Anyway, we picked up the iPod and headed home to get it all set up. For the first time ever, David showed me what was up! Showing me how to navigate through this new touch screen business and everything, haha! It was pretty awesome. We order Panjo's to go, since I had been craving their pizza for about a year and then got cozy at home and watched another movie. We finished the evening with a hilarious game of Chubby Bunny, in which we both had marshmallows coming out of our nose and ears. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a really really long time. I decided to read more of the before mentioned book and before I knew it, it was 2am and I was finished. My face stained with tears and more continuing to run down, I turned on my new iPod to just make a quick update on Facebook and Twitter.

A status caught my attention and I messaged the writer. The status was questioning what God meant by the commandments and what was sin. I made somewhat of a overview of God's love for us and the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, told the writer I would be praying for them, and told them to not be afraid of asking any questions. For the next hour and a half, I [terribly] typed on this new gadget, afraid to switch to a computer and miss another question or opportunity to talk about God and Christ. Not since Uganda had I felt God so close to me. I prayed and prayed that God would speak through me and that I would not turn this conversation to be anything about me. The writer had so many great questions that I myself had asked and these questions provided me with an opportunity to dig through old notes from sermons, bible studies and personal study times. I found myself reading over an old journal and reading bent up note cards shoved into the spine of my Bible. The entire time I kept thinking to myself, "Don't stop asking questions!" When I finally signed off, I was completely restless. I turned on some worship music and just sat in bed talking to God. I don't think I had been that open with Him in quite some time. At the end of it all I just felt this peace. And I realized that this was again a refreshing moment for my faith. Another time that I would look back on and say "You see what He did there? Yeah, He made me even stronger and He showed AGAIN how much He loves me and desires a close relationship with me." I realized at the end of it all that God is never far from me, He is always that intimate. It is I who focus my attention on other things. It is I who find distractions and time consumers more important than my time spent with my Father. Again, God reawakened my heart and reassured my soul.

Today, was another simple day. After a restless night between God rocking my spiritual world and a crazy storm threatening to rock my physical world, I was pretty exhausted. I knew my parents were coming home in the evening so I decided to cook. I had been lovingly pampered all break, but my parents deserved to come home from a restful weekend and not have it completely collapse on them. Sadly, my sweet angel, Snickers, would take her last breath at 7:55pm. She was such an amazing cat and even as she passed she was purring. It was comforting to know that she wasn't hurting and that she knew we were all there with her. It's crazy to me how attached you can become to an animal. Snickers was my companion for 17 years. She consistently licked my hands/face, especially when I was crying. Snickers found us, in a way, right after we had taken in another cat, Cowboy. Cowboy, after fighting with kidney failure for years, passed away over Thanksgiving break. Since then Snickers had slowly begun to decline. To say that animals do not love is an obvious lie to me now. Without Cowboy, Snickers just slipped away. So heartbreaking to be without her, but she was truly a companion to me and that is how I will remember her.

After a very emotional good-bye, we sat for a re-heated via microwave meal. Not as delicious as I intended but still good.

As I headed into my room to begin typing this post, David walked in. He stated that he had really enjoyed this weekend, and then started to cry. I thought at first that it was about Snicks, but then he said, "It's just the last one." Well, I fell apart all over again. You see, he knows that this is the last break I will have at home for some time. Physical therapy school starts in May, so unlike most years I won't have a summer vacation to spend at home with him. It was in that moment that I realized just how much I loved my little brother and how much he has grown. That kid seriously blows my mind. He's so funny, it's absolutely ridiculous. He has this manor about him and his personality is uniquely him. It's not often that a girl, at least for me, sees her brother cry but those glimpses of the little boy inside are really beautiful.

This weekend began unplanned and ended with unexpected events. It's these sorts of days that remind me that God has a rehearsed plan for my life. He's in control. It's my job to be open to talk, but also to be still and listen.

Top 10 of 2010

*I saw this idea on another blog and thought that it was a really wonderful way to reminisce about the past year and to remind oneself of the multitude of blessings the year provided!*

2010 has been another year of completely unforgettable and wonderful moments. Much like past years at Texas A&M, I can say that 2010 was full of surprises. Every New Year I imagine what I will be feeling this time next year and I'm never even close to the real emotion. 2010 marked some big moments for me, including but not limited too, becoming a sister-in-law, going out of the country alone, starting my senior year of college, and trying to make grown-up decisions about my future. Through it all I have learned to see God's hand in every aspect of my life. He has shown me that through faith we have been given great freedom and have become surrounded and involved in a love greater than anything else on the planet.

When I imagined my life at 22, as a young girl, I can promise you that it looked very different than the life I am living. For this, I am eternally thankful. While many of my friends have taken huge steps such as getting engaged or married, and even having babies, I myself still feel too young for such great commitments. Living as a young, single, but wildly independent lady has taught me a lot about myself and the things I cherish the most.

Enough about all of that, it's time to write down some memories.

DISCLAIMER: The following memories are listed in no particular order, except for number one. If one of your favorite memories with me is not including please remember these are only the first 10 I could think of. :]

10) MY OLDEST BROTHER GETS MARRIED!!!!! March 13, 2010
My oldest brother, Michael, met his match and married her. :] I became a sister-in-law but most importantly finally had a sister!! April fit so perfectly in our family from the start. I love the way Michael and April interact with each other. I can say that I'm pretty excited to watch as they spend the rest of their lives together. The wedding itself was truly beautiful. It was one huge celebration and for the first time in years most of my family was there.



9)SNOW DAY IN COLLEGE STATION! February 2010
It has snowed twice in College Station since I've lived here and it's always so beautiful. There's just something special about the way the snow just covers all imperfections. It doesn't seem to matter what goes on in class or at work that day, because when you step outside, everything is perfect. This year it started snowing on a Tuesday, during the semester. I remember this because I volunteered at the hospital on Tuesdays. The patients we saw that day were so joyful and thankful. The snow seemed to remind them that even though things are hard now they do get better. It was by far one of my favorite days at the hospital.

8)The Fightin' Texas Aggies (18) BTHO Nebraska (8) at Kyle Field! November 20, 2010
If you know anything about me at all, you know I love college football, but I absolutely adore Fightin' Texas Aggie football! There is truly something awe-inspiring about being a part of the 12th man that you really cannot explain to anyone who hasn't been a part of it. The roar of the crowd during a sack, the anticipatory silence before a big play, and the rumble that echoes throughout the stadium during the War Hymn, gives me goosebumps every dang time! This game is particularly special to me not only because we beat a fantastic Nebraska team, but because it would be the last time I would stand with the 12th man as a student. I remember being able to feel my heart beating in my chest during the entire game, and I'll never forget the emotions everyone felt when we realized we were going to win this thing! "There's no formation, like the victory formation!!" I'll never be able to erase the way the 12th man towels looked as a record number of devoted Aggie fans waved them proudly for four innings. I wanted to cry at the end and not because of the win, but because I realized that this was it. This was the game that I would always remember. This was the game I'd be telling my grand kids about, because yes, it was a great game, but even more importantly it marked the beginning of the end of my time as a current student. Gig 'Em Aggies!



7) Megan and I MOVE to THE TRAILS! August 2010
After living with a boy for almost a year, I can tell you that I dread moving in with another one later down the road of my life. It's not that I don't love Phillip like a brother, but they have a different mentality about cleanliness. haha! :] It didn't help that the apartment that we lived in was probably part of one of the crappiest complexes in College Station, but man was that place cheap. Needless to say, Megan and I had had enough and were ready for a change. We found a cute 2bedroom/1bath apartment near Wolf Pen Creek and decided this would be our new home. Megan and I have lived together since first semester of freshmen year. We were randomly placed together, by the housing gods of Texas A&M University and more importantly by our own Heavenly Father, who knew that without each other our experience at Texas A&M would not be all it could be. Megan has been there for me through everything. She is my dearest and closest friend, and 2010 was no different. As for the new apartment, we still love it. We finally have a cute-sie decorated pad! :] Very girly, sometimes messy, but definitely us.
*First photo is one of our first games at Texas A&M some time in 2007, and the second photo is from our last game, November 2010.*






6) Halloween! October 31, 2010
I will be the first to say that Halloween of 2009 was a complete and total disaster for me. It is one of the few days from the past years at Texas A&M that I look back on and think "Really self?" BUT this year was a complete BLAST! Megan and I both had tests the following week and so we decided to have a low-key but still awesome Halloween. I'm pretty sure we started buying the stuff for our costumes some time in September, but whatevs. We originally were going to try and be the 90's band "Ridiculous", a group we created, but after finding some fabulous steals at Goodwill, we became "Punk/Pop". I portrayed a 90's punk kid and Megan portrayed a peppy, 90's pop star. All-in-all the looks were fabulous and a TON of fun to put together and wear. We spent the night with the lovely ladies of 2302 and assorted other guests. It was great night with wonderful people!

5) KARAOKE TUESDAYS!! Summer 2010 - Present
For some reason, Karaoke Tuesdays became a staple in my schedule starting some time in late spring/early summer. Karaoke Tuesdays is exactly what it claims to be. It is a Tuesday evening that consists of getting dressed up all cute, going to O'Bannon's and singing your heart out to classics and not so classics. It's always a good time and you are guaranteed to meet interesting people. I have proudly sang Karaoke myself a few times. My repertoire consists of "Spice Up Your Life" by The Spice Girls (DUH!), "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, and a multitude of other crowd pleasing favorites. One of my favorite parts about being in College Station during the summer is the lack of crowds. You can go out with your friends and pretty much see the same people. You don't fight for tables or wait in lines, and you can actually drive on Texas and University. But my all time favorite part of CS in the summer is that even if you are taking summer classes, you always seem to find a way to squeeze in some fun!

4) MY VERY OWN AGGIE RING DAY! September 17, 2010
I understand that most universities do in fact have a "college ring", but I have yet to hear of any school that makes it quite the CELEBRATION like we do here at Texas A&M. The Aggie Ring symbolizes many things but to me it symbolizes 4 years of hard work and serves as a reminder of all the memories you made at this great University. I still remember being given my Aggie Ring Day Countdown Calendar my freshmen year. I proudly pulled off hours at the end of each semester and when the day finally came to order my ring I couldn't have been more excited. I come from a long line of Aggies and I had been wanting my Aggie ring since I was a little girl. Going to the Former Students Association building to order my ring was exciting but not nearly as exciting as going back there to pick the little gold piece up! I woke up super early and snagged the first ring day pick up slot, which was at 2:45pm (i think?). Of course classes dragged on that day and by the time I finally could go home, I just couldn't wait anymore. I changed into a cute outfit and called up my girls, Megan and Emily. We got in line and waited in anticipation. I'll never forget how exciting the whole process was, from signing off for my ring to finally having Megan place it on my finger to taking tons of pictures with friends! It was a great day! And yes, I did dunk my ring. No, it wasn't enjoyable, but I'll never have to do it again. :]

3) My Bestie's 21st Birthday! August 31, 2010
Megan was such a trooper. I turned 21 almost a year before she did and between my birthday and hers practically everyone we knew turned 21 as well. But finally her day came and we made the best of it! Her birthday was during the week and on top of that took place during the first week of classes. We still took her out for margaritas at Ninfa's, which sadly turned out to be a major flop because of a nasty fake strawberry mix in. Then later that night, which was luckily a Tuesday, we took her out to North Gate to our old reliable O'Bannon's for some singing. We ended the night at Mad Hatter's where Megan could get her dance on. :] It was a really fun time, even with a small group!






2) ROAD TRIP TO AUSTIN! June 26, 2010
Megan and I created a "List of Things to Do Before We Graduate" and on that list was "Finally make the drive to Austin." We had been saying since freshmen year that we would make the 1 1/2 drive to Austin to visit some of our Longhorn (hissss) friends, but had never actually done it. So during the summer, we picked a weekend and made the drive. We had some awesome mix CD's for the drive and definitely got some strange looks from people in other vehicles as we danced and drove our way to Austin. We spent some time with some of Megan's friends from high school and then some time with my lovely friend Alley. Alley showed me the ropes on 6th street, which was quite the ummm...experience? That place is definitely crazy and far from my comfort zone but it was fun with Alley and Buddy showing me the way. We ended up running into Tiffany and her boyfriend, Chris, which was just crazy and so we also got to spend time with them! All-in-all it was a great trip and as usual it was nice to get out of College Station for a little while and get the taste of different air, so to speak. I think my absolute favorite thing about Austin was the food. We went to lots of "hole in the wall" places and they were all delicious!





1) Uganda!!! May 2010
The absolute best experience of my year was my trip to Uganda, Africa. I had never been out of the country, besides a vacation to the Bahamas, which I don't count because we were at a very "Americanized" resort. It was my first time to fly by myself. It was my first mission trip. It was wonderful. You can read all about my adventures on this blog, which actually was started because of that trip. I could go on and on and on about Uganda, but if you're interested just go back a few blog posts. The trip opened my eyes to many things, but mostly things about myself. I fell in love with the people of Uganda and even now my heart yearns to go back. Sometimes when I look back at pictures I still feel like I'm there, sleeping under the mosquito net as Jen complains about how "dodgy" hers is. :] I met fantastic and strong followers of Christ on the trip, who each shaped me into the woman I am today. I can only thank God for the blessings this trip provided. My heart will never be the same, and because of that neither will my life.