Roomie - Rooms - Rooms

Wow. Has it really been like 2 weeks since spring break? Crazy.

I've missed blogging so much, but let's be honest...I didn't really have much to tell y'all these past 2 weeks except that Spring Formal was pretty good, seeing my mom and going shopping with her was so much fun, and I've been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY with schoolwork and such.

But lately, the talk of next year is already going around. RAs, DCs, O-Team leaders, and building and class presidents have been established. And next week we talk about room and board. Some huge stuff going on lately.

Caylin has decided that it is time to move on if she ever wants to get where she wants to go: becoming famous in the contemporary music world. Covenant just isn't the place to do that, so she has decided to transfer. We will all miss her OH-SO-MUCH! She's one of my closest friends here, and we've grown together through so much. I'll miss her hilarious remarks and dances and hearing her just tell it like it is. We all need people in our lives that do that because rarely does anyone speak the truth in love. 

Thankfully she isn't going far, so we can always visit her and she can always visit us. And we're all just a phone call or text away! :)

Well, Taylor and I had talked about rooming already and had already come to a conclusion: we'll just keep everything like it is. Same building. Same hall. Same room. Same roomie. And I was totally fine with that. Sure, everyone's always ready to jump on the wagon for change, but I was perfectly content with where we were.

Haha, well there's just been lots of talk among Taylor, Bria, Megan, and I. No, Taylor isn't going to ditch me as a roommate (although, I will say, I had a fear that she thought about it, but it was all a misunderstanding, lol). And at first, we thought we were going to move to Mac (building right next to Founders, the building we live in currently) and be in a 4- or 5-man together. But after going through our own pros and cons and then talking to our current RA Erin about it, we've realized that we would have a slim-to-none chance of getting a 4- or 5-man in Mac. 

BUT...we'd have an amazing opportunity to reach out to Balcony (our hall) and make a difference. Apparently, for the past 5 years, Balcony has had trouble keeping people. Freshman with strong personalities come in, realize the hall doesn't have a strong personality in itself, and leave the next year. So, Balcony has been going through this same cycle of getting strong girls and then losing them. I'm not saying that the girls who stay are weak, but we as freshman now feel that there just hasn't been a lot of reaching out and engagement and encouragement this year. 

Yes, the girls on our hall are sweet and I'm not saying that we hate them or that they're completely unreasonable. Live on a hall with 15 or so girls and everyone can become a little crazy and unreasonable at times. But we felt as freshman that the upperclassmen didn't do such a great job of communicating...we had to start conversations ourselves and get to know them slowly but surely.

But next year if we stay, we'll be able to change that cycle, that tradition. Instead of leaving, we can welcome the new freshman and engage them and encourage them. Not to mention, our RA for next year A.K. was sort of "ordained" by Erin according to the freshman personalities. And we wouldn't want to leave her with freshman that she didn't expect and no sophomores to help her with the transfer.

Otherwise, if we leave, the freshman next year will be another Bria. Another Taylor. Another Megan. Another Mishy. Waiting and wondering why our hall isn't so out there and well-known. Wondering when the upperclassmen will talk to us. Wondering where the out-going people are and realizing, WE are those people. And then they'll begin the cycle all over again.

But no. After so many signs like reading about Joshua and how he prepared the next generation to follow God faithfully, reading something about living in good community in Bria's psychology book, and reading some verses in Romans 15 about how the strong must help the weak, I believe we are making the right decision by staying on Balcony. 

Here are the verses I read this morning during my devotions that truly convinced me:

Romans 15:1-7 

1 We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves. 2 Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to help them be stronger in faith. 3 Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was at the Scriptures said: "When people insult you, it hurts me." 4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. 5 May the patience and encouragement that come from God allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. 6 Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God.

So, Megan, Taylor, Bria and I are pretty much convinced that we are staying on Balcony and doing a sleep/study using my and Taylor's room and Bria and Megan's room. But even though we're confident about our choice, I still think we need to pray more about it and continue encouraging each other that new freshman will be coming in and we need to be there for them. Whether they have questions about things, need advice, or just want someone to talk to. 

It's FRIDAY Y'ALL!!!! (^^) SO happy it's the weekend and that I can actually attempt to get even MORE stuff done for the next! Enjoy your day! Listen to your favorite music! If the weather is nice (which it isn't here. I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPRING?!) roll the windows down as you drive to places. Hangout! Relax! God has given us another day!

Love y'all!

*~.Mishy.~* (^^) <3