Year Ending!

As 2011 comes to a close, I really want to reflect on the most important things that happened. Every day in my life is an adventure so for the last 365 days, have been full of tons of adventures.  2011 started out like any other year. I had goals that I wanted to reach and  I had those New Year's resolutions that everyone has. I should have written these down because I forgot what they were and that is bad because it showed that  I didn't keep them. My journey with Christ continued to grow stronger and continue on its wild ride.  It had many ups and downs but the number one lesson I learned is that no matter what I go through in life, God is going to  love me immensely now and forever.

  In February, I went to my first ever college swimming championships known as MACS! I went with my team and didn't metal or anything but I swam in it and that is what I was proud of. The three days really helped my team grow stronger than ever and the bond formed.   My parents came to support me and it was just a very great accomplishment for me.

   Some small things that were memorable was me finishing Chemistry forever and completing my first , stressful, year of college on a good note.  The random weather patterns that happened this year such as the random earthquake, which I could not feel because I was in the ocean and the hurricane that cut my beach vacation with my family short!

Another big thing about the year was when my sister got engaged in May to her boyfriend of 2 years.  I am so happy that he is joining the family. He is such an amazing man and he loves my sister so much. I can't wait to have him as a part of our family.

 It would not be right to talk about probably one of my favorite things of 2011 which was starting a new job at Carson Simpson farm which is a summer day camp. Carson Simpson is such a great place to work.  Despite the really hot summer days and dealing with kids all day can be very tiring and take a lot of someone, it really holds a special place in my heart. My faith was as strong as ever there because all of the staff are very encouraging and the devotions at the begininning of the day really helped me get through the day on a positive note. Working in a Christian environment where everyone is supporting you and walking through your journey with  Christ with you is a rare opportunity to have.  I met some amazing people and made some life long friends and i also made a few very special  friends there as well which made for a pretty awesome summer. The staff was very close and we all had one purpose. TO love the kids that attended camp in the best way possible and teach the kids the gift of the gospel that should be shown to all.  It is probably the best thing that happened to me  this year and I go to work with my sister too which was great. it was here where I learned that No matter what, God's love is a love that won't let go. 

Going back to Messiah for my sophomore year was fun. I got to room with my best friend and I met some more amazing people. However, the latter part of the year , the months of my semester were not as fun for me and pretty much an ongoing challenge that I had to overcome but I did and now I am excited to see what this New Yeas has to offer!  Bring on 2012!

It's the Holiday season.. Top 5 reasons why I just love Christmas!

5. The lights and the decorations just make everything great. It lights up- the streets and makes everything joyful and happy.

4. The season of Giving. I just love going to the store and finding that gift that my loved ones want and being able to give them what they want.Seeing their smiling face when they get it makes me happy as well.  God gave us His son as the ultimate gift so so giving  for us  shouldn't be hard right?

3. Making gingerbread house and cookies while listening to Christmas music with your friends and family.

2. Being off of school and spending time with loved ones!
1. Celebrating the birth of  a baby that came as an innocent, perfect baby to save the world from their sins. Jesus is the reason for the season!
Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy the blessings that you have and enjoy life's little moments that make you smile.

Done!

There are so many words to express why I am so happy to be done!  I am back in Philly now the place that will always have my heart even though I go to Messiah.  Overall, being at Messiah this semester has taught me a few things .
1. God will always be with me and is always wanting me to succeed. I don't deserve any of the grace that He gives me or any of the love because I am far from the child that He wants me to be. Under all circumstances, He has my heart and soul. 

2. At Messiah, my roommate and I made it a thing that every Thursday we would go to Powerhouse which is just simply an hour worship service in the dark and an hour out of your day just to totally focus on God. It was so relieving. One of my favorite songs this was You won't relent-Jesus Culture. As many times as I fell away from God this fall when life got busy and hectic and I just didn't have the time, God was still there working on my heart. The great thing about God is that he won't relent unitl He has your whole heart. He will keep bringing you back to Him until  He and you are one and He has your whole heart.

3. I realized that yes, my learning style is very different that others. Because of my learning disability, It takes me a lot longer to study, understand material and just comprehend everything than most people. I  do not use it as an excuse, but I had to realize that Messiah is a extremely tough school for me and whenever people on  my swim team and others told me that I was not managing my time well and I was managing all the time I had, I had just wished that they understood me. Compared to last year and this year, My grades improved and I did find some more strategies of how to learn better. I am getting an education and doing my best for God and no one else.  So I need to stop letting other people get to me and just know that my whole life revolves around God.

So, now I have a break from Messiah people and I can just get have a great relaxing break with family and friends here who are soo cherished to my heart;)

is this christmas?

As I sit in the lounge of my dorm hall, doing homework, I am surrounded by Christmas decorations and hearing the sounds of people talking in the hallway. I think to myself how I am blessed to be right where I am. I am having a homework date with my friend, Laura and have had a very productive night. I am really stressed with all the work that  I have but I am trusting in God to get me through it! I know He can and in 8 days I will be home for Christmas.  Christmas is in the air everywhere. Music, decorations, trees, lights and cookies. However, I don't see much Christmas cheer yet. Hoepfully, when I am not as stressed,  I will get into the Christmas mood.  I can not wait to go home and just be with my family and be done my first semester! ANd I don't know what else to write on here so I will call it quits for the night!  Soon  to come will be the top ten reasons why I just love Christmas.

Life's challenges but lesson's learned.

I AM so happy to be home for Thanksgiving break but  I haven't written on here for awhile because there have been some things I have recently been struggling with.  This past year and  a half at Messiah has been the hardest of my entire life. I have been challenged more than I ever have been. Challenged with academics,challenged with my faith, and challenged in all aspects of my life.  Messiah is very good with academics and sometimes I feel like I don't belong at Messiah because  it is too hard for me.  I have a different learning style because I have a learning disability that make my brain process information a lot slower than other people's and I have to work harder.  That of course is not an excuse because many people can be successful  while having a learning disability.  In high school, I breezed my way through. I was on honor roll all the semesters and it was just a lot easier obviously.Sometimes I just feel like I should quit college and just work and than get married and have a family since that is what I want to be the most is a mom! But than,  I remember that my purpose on this Earth is to glorify God with my whole heart  and love him. I want ot work hard at everything I do to give him glory.  Swimming is also very challenging for me. Don't get me wrong, it is very fun but a lot harder than I have ever been used to.  I also feel like I am kind of slow and feel like sometimes I compare myself to the other swimmers and don't understand why they are getting the times they want and I'm not when I am putting in the same amount of work.    There are just many other challenges that come my way daily like missing my family and friends back home, not reading my Bible enough and things like that.   With all of these challenges comes blessings.   I realize that yes, my learning style is different than other people's but it just makes  me a stronger person. I mean who said that life was going to be easy It is extremely hard and without God by my side, I wouldn't be able to do it. He is the peace and joy  I need every day. So when the work gets hard, I just remember that I am doing the best I can for Christ. As for swimming, I am blessed to be a part of an amazing group of swimmers like the swim team. They are  a great godly group of people.   Once again, swimming gives me discipline and is a stress reliever and as much of a challenge it is for me. I know that I am a stronger person now than I ever have been because of these challenges that have been  put my way. I am thankful to God that He is with me always and I am so glad that I have such a supportive family and friends. As thanksgiving approaches, I will remember these things always<3

The Fall Season with a touch of Winter.

Well, last weekend I woke up to find the ground covered in snow. It was absolutely beautiful! I know some people hate snow but I love it because it depicts God's creation so well. I also was excited because snow reminded me that Christmas is coming soon and I just love Christmas. :) Sometimes in the midst of the messed up world that we live in and the toil and strife that we endeavor, we need snow to show us that there is a God who is bigger than all of that. The snow to me depicts a beautiful scene. White is the color of purity and innocence. It is great to look at the ground as pure and innocent even if it is for only a little while until the snow melts it.  It shows God who is like the snow bringing us peace and joy in the times of our lives when we need Him most. The world might be evil but the snow makes it just simply glistening.  So even though it came in October and we might not have wanted it nor prepared for it,  I was happy it came. It gave me piece of mind and made me look to God knowing that He is always there for me. And I mean, I am 19 years old but who doesn't enjoy playing in the snow. Everyone is a kid at heart sometimes. So the next time the snow comes, I encourage you to look at it as peace and joy among the messed up world and don't be mad that it came but rather enjoy the beauty of it and go have fun in it because everyone needs a break from life sometimes to do things that they just enjoy.  Snow is amazing! Enjoy it!
~Remember live your life, love people and laugh at every moment!

Just look at the beauty!

The challenges that Life throws upon us. yet God remains strong.

 So right now, It is Halloween night and I'm sitting in a dark room  with only one light on wondering why I am feeling this way! I am supposed to be loving swimming but now I don't. My heart is not feeling it as much anymore and i love my classes but I feel like there is not enough time in my day.. I just need a break from reality and just need a mental health day where I can sit down and relax with a good movie and a good book yet I don't have time for that either. I know I am not the only one going through this but I feel like the whole world is against me right now. It is hard for me to happy right now as well and the only joy I am feeling right now is my joy that comes from Jesus and I can look heavenward and know that no matter what I do. His love is a love that won't let go:) That is a constant reminder in my life as well! So I know that blog posts are supposed to be happy and exciting but right now my life is not that and I needed to write down my thoughts because now I honestly feel better!

Just a few Reasons why one must love the Fall and Fall break!

So i had a great fall break from Messiah this past weekend! It was a cool weekend but I was able to spend some of it outside enjoying the fall crisp weather.

1. The colors of fall are just spectacular. Seeing brown,orange and yellow leaves just melt my heart. It makes the place you live so much more beautiful and you tend to appreciate God's creation more. I certainly do!
2. You can pull out those sweaters and long sleeved shirts as they have been tucked away all spring and summer. My winter clothes have definitely got to be my favorite in terms of style. Cute cardigans, sweaters, boots, and corduroys!
3. Once it is fall, I know my two favorite holidays are just around the corner. Thanksgiving and Christmas.
4. You can act like a little kid again and play in the leaves and throw leaves in the air with no one judging you! You are just having fun! Carving pumpkins is always a blast as well!

Father daughter time:)

5. Best part of fall break: Hanging out with family , having absolutely nothing to do and going outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

something that has been on my heart recently!

Today at church the pastor talked about how we need to stop being scared of things but to fully put our trust in God. God is always with us. He is all powerful and He is for us and not against us. We live in a cruel world where everyone seems like they are against us. Christians get ridiculed all the time because we are supposed to be the "perfect people" in society. In all actuality, we are far from perfect. However, even though we are not perfect, we need to stop fearing people and things. God is for me not against me. In human forms, this is like a big brother defending a younger sibling.They don't want anything bad to happen to them and if it does they would defend us and be there always. Well, God is all powerful and can fight off any "bad guy" that comes in our midst and He will always be there and He loves us so much that He will always be for us and not against us.
Recently, I have been struggling with trying to figure if God is really there for me always. It is so easy to get so involved in school work and friends that I sometimes forget that I have someone who is waiting to communicate with me and is waiting for me to come to Him. Church was really great today and I am so happy that we have the freedom in America to worship freely on Sundays. Our God is certainly greater than any other thing ever!

Home is where the heart is

Why families are so important:
1. They love and care for you even when you know you are a weirdo and hard to handle.
2. They are simply just great to be around.
3. They know you better than anyone else on this earth does yet they still are interested in what is going on in your life and takes an interest in your life.
4. You can be yourself around them and not have to get ridiculed or made fun of if you say something that might sound really retarded and stupid.
5. And the last reason why my family is so important is they make me so happy.

You know the common saying, Home is where the heart is.? Well, that is certainly true for me. As much as I love  my college, Messiah, my heart will always be in Philadelphia where my home is and where my family resides. Home in this quote not only means just where your actual home is but actually where your family is and where you  feel most comfortable.

I was able to go home this weekend and see my family and it was a  great weekend. I mean the Phillies lost and so did the Eagles so that was kind of depressing but it was just great to see my family again and be at home for 2 days. I also visited my grandpa in the hospital which was hard to see but it was great to see him too. He is recovering quite well now. I got to see both of my sisters and my family played Frisbee golf to enjoy the gorgeous weather God supplied for us.  It was great to see my family! I love them all so much. I am blessed to have such a great family!

" In too Deep"

as I think of the last week, I think of the many emotions that went through my mind! stress, happiness,worry, love, and nostalgia.  The semester is starting to get into full swing! I have a full course load of work and 6 classes and swim team!  I love it here but this week was really stressful and it made think of how much I missed the summer. The song that signifies my week would definitely be "In Too Deep"  by  Sum 41.  I was in a comfortable place this summer. At my house where my family who is my world, were there all the time and I know they are still at home cheering me on but I just miss it.   Life goes by at full speed.  I don't always want it to go by so fast but I can't help that and I just need to live each moment to the best of my ability.  So, I'm here writing as I am feeling in over my shoulders, and writing to get everything out. I sure hope it gets better!
-overwhelmed.

This is my first entry ever on a blog! My best friend told me I should get a blog so I decided to. Well, i must say this past weekend of mine was great. I saw my family for family weekend at messiah and I got food and they took me shopping and it was just great to see them. They are my life and I don't know what I would do without them.! Saturday was also great because the Phillies who I am a die hard fan of clinched the National League East title for the 5th year in a row! They make me so happy! I was in my room by myself screaming and jumping around because I was so excite for them!  Unfortunately not too many people here are Phillies fans. I feel like people here hate Philly sports however, I have no idea why. So this is a ramble of a first post but I didn't know what else to write. Bye for now!
-Christie