Still Runnin on that *~.JOY.~*

Hey y'all!

I am SO SO THANKFUL...BECAUSE I AM FINALLY DONE WITH MIDTERMS!!!

God has really gotten me through this week! I've continually been filled with joy and peace. I'm just SO HYPED UP and am even ready and excited for what God is ready to show me next. I know that this could mean trials may come my way, but I say, "COME AT ME, BRO! HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!" because I know that God is on my side. As I have said and have been told so many times: If God is for us, who can be against us? :)

Ultimately, God is the One Who has given me the motivation to get through this week before spring break! But He has also given me amazing and wonderful people - my brothers and sisters in Christ - to really push me and encourage me!

I just think it's so amazing how the body of Christ is so encouraging to each other. Of course, there are times when we can be rude and hurtful, but when we all are holding on to the hope we have in our Savior, it makes it all the easier to encourage, encourage, ENCOURAGE!

Just today I had an awesome lunch date with a friend of mine, and it was great to see God show up in our conversation. She encouraged me so much and I am really excited to see our friendship grow in the upcoming semesters.

It was also crazy to see God use me. He gave me the exact words to tell my friend, and I could totally relate to her situation. In the end, we were so joyful, knowing that we could be confident in who we are in CHRIST, and not this world. 

Other people who have really encouraged me are Corinne, Bria, Caylin, Taylor, really everyone I have come in contact with has been really great this week, despite midterms and papers! So great!

I know that life won't always seem this easy; trials will come. But I am confident that God is with me, and NOTHING can separate me from His love and mercy. Knowing this, I am ready to take on whatever the world is gonna throw at me! BRING IT ON!!!!

AAAAHHHH!!! SO EXCITED FOR SPRING BREAK!

Just one more class and 4 hours of work to get through! Then we'll be HITTIN THE ROAD, Y'ALL!!!! I'll be blogging about the trip to Massachusetts as much as I can! Corinne might even make a video and take pictures, so I'll definitely be posting those up!

I hope the rest of your week goes well! You've made it halfway through! I challenge you to trust God with the rest of your week! He has you in His hands and has great things planned for your life!!! Be totally confident in this!!!! :)

Love to alla y'all! <3

I've got the Joy and Peace that Passes Understanding Down in my Heart

Y'all. Yesterday was... <3

I woke up and just had the joy of Jesus in my heart. I have no idea what in the world happened. The night before, I was explaining to Corinne, my big sis here at Covenant, that I had one night of peace, but even after that, I couldn't help but constantly think about other things and other people and it was stressing me out. 

But then the next day...my attitude changed completely.

I was so happy I danced around in my room to KPOP music, something I hadn't done in forever (yes, Friday night I had a dance party, but it wasn't to happy KPOP music!) I wore blue (when do I not?!), but I just looked at myself in the mirror and was super confident in who I was...and Whose I was.

God gave us a BEAUTIFUL day on the mountain! The sun was shining, and it was a little chilly, but not so much that we had to wear hoodies even! I wore sunglasses for the first time in ages yesterday!! :)

I walked around and smiled and talked to people even more. I felt like I could skip around and sing and dance all day. It was just so great! 

I went to Starbucks with Caylin, Corinne, and Bria and got ahead in my math homework.

Let me repeat that: I got ahead in my math homework. 

Now, THAT'S something I'd never thought I'd say in A MILLION YEARS!!!

Then we went to Walmart and got some snacks for our 20-hour spring break road trip. I'm so pumped!!! We're leaving Thursday night instead of Friday so we can go to Caylin and Corinne's cousin's (did you follow me there?) basketball tournament on Friday and Saturday. It's gonna be so exciting!!! (So, keep you eyes peeled {...or don't cause that's kinda gross LOL :P} I'll write my 1st SPRING BREAK 2013: MASS/NYC TRIP post on Thursday night either when we hit the road or when we stop at the hotel!)

All-in-all, I had even more JOY and even more PEACE yesterday than I've had in the past couple of weeks. I mean, sure, I was still slightly thinking about the things I'd been constantly worrying about, but they weren't bad thoughts. They were concerned thoughts, thoughts that didn't worry me because I knew and I still know that God has them in His hands, and that He has good things planned for me.

I was on Facebook this morning, and I saw a post my friend Jung put up that explained EXACTLY my current situation:

"God often comforts us, not by changing the circumstances of our lives, but by changing our attitude toward them."

SO. AMAZING.

And so true! Because my circumstances hadn't changed at all yesterday, but God was merciful and gracious enough to help me change my attitude toward everything that was going on in my life. 

And guess what? That joy and peace I felt yesterday has stayed in my heart today as well! I feel so filled and I can't wait to fill up even more as I read my Bible and talk to God and see what He has to say to me today!

Whatever you're going through, you're able to still have a joy and peace in your heart that passes all understanding. God wants your attitude to be positive, knowing that He has everything under control. Does that mean that we'll never struggle again or that even with the peace and joy in our hearts everything will always be okay? Of course not.

But being confident in who you are, Whose you are, and that He has so many good things in store for you and is walking with you through the good, the bad, and the ugly can really change your perspective about life.

I pray that, whether you've had a crappy or amazing few weeks, that you'll realize how much God cares for you and that that will make you so joyful and give you so much peace!

4 more days 'til spring break for me y'all! However many weeks you have, I pray that they'll go by quickly for you and that you'll work your hardest and have an awesome, restful break as your reward! You can do all things through Christ!!! (^^)

Love ya! <3

*~. Mishy .~* 

The Peace Party Turnaround

...I don't know what just happened...

Actually, I do, but I don't know how it happened...

I finally broke down. My emotions had built up so much over the past 2 weeks, that I finally cried them all out. I felt awful because I felt like I was being impatient with people. I wasn't enthusiastic. I was tired. Like I said before, I wanted peace.

And I did ask God for peace today and that I could really focus on Him and drown out all the worries I was constantly thinking about. And, honestly y'all, it felt like even more of a struggle today to really rely on God and trust that everything was going to be okay. I was going throughout my day, telling people the truth about how I was feeling: I was tired, ready for spring break, ready for a "reset button." (*SIDE NOTE: Be on the lookout for my blog series SPRING BREAK 2013: MASSACHUSETTS/NYC coming soon! It's gonna be a BLAST! I might even do some vlogging {we'll see...})

I'm not saying that God didn't want to give me that peace or failed to give me that peace. When I first broke down though, I felt that God hadn't helped me gain that peace at all. Sure, I talked with a couple of friends about my issues and stuff. But throughout the week, I had come so close to tears. But I sucked it all up...I didn't want to cry, especially since I was in places that people could see me crying and then there would be sympathy, and I didn't want people to think that I was looking for sympathy.

But after a good cry and rant to Bria (my best friend from high school) and Taylor (my roommate), I felt a small peace inside me. I just needed to let it all out. And both Taylor and Bria gave me some great advice that I plan on sticking to. I've told y'all this before, but I always need to be reminded of it: 

Trust. In. God.

If my situation goes my way or not, I need to trust that God's plan is best for me. See, I've said this all before, but it's always good to be reminded. So, forgive me for repeating what pretty much all of my blogs boil down to.

So, this is where the turnaround comes in...

As soon as my friends had comforted me and given me advice, the first things I said were: "Thanks, guys," and "I want something juicy."

"Oh, wait!" Taylor exclaimed, running to our fridge, "We could have..."

And she pulled out the sparkling grape juice that her boyfriend, Joshua, had given to her for Valentine's Day. My tears were gone due to the fact that Bria and Taylor were making me laugh. And you best believe Bria, Taylor, and I popped open that bottle and drank most of it down as we danced to Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Jay Sean, and other various artists. We toasted and the whole sha-bang. 

Then our other hallmate, Megan, came in to join the fun, and Room 422 (my and Taylor's room) became a dance party. We were kinda nervous because it was already quiet hours and we were being obnoxiously loud because of the music and laughter. But surprisingly, no one came in and told us to shut up. 

So, we continued dancing, jamming, and having a good time.

And you know what? That was the first time I had felt some peace. I was dancing like no one was watching, singing my lungs out, eating apples, sipping sparkling grape juice, and DJ-ing up a STORM! :D It was such a great time. 

Sure, it wasn't a "spiritual experience," where I was sitting there in the pits of despair and I saw the light and realized, "Wow, God is here."

But it was a time when I realized that God had blessed me with such great friends and great times we had. Those blessings outdo ALL of my worries and troubles and awful emotions. And it gave me peace.

And I am so thankful.

And the party's still going on! Imma sign off and join my friends so we can end the night with a BANG! 

Love y'all so much! God is continually teaching me and showing me things each day and I pray that He does the same for you as well!

Back to the party! Peace out! <3 (^^)

The Lighthouse

I am swimming.

The water is nice and calm. I enjoy the balance of the warm sun on my face and the coolness of the clear, blue water as I gracefully swim in it. I dive under, feeling the amazing rush of water pass by me, and then I swim all the way back up to the surface. The breath that I inhale when returning to the world above is refreshing. I smile as the small waves ebb and flow against me. All is well.

I am unaware.

I'm enjoying my nice little swim so much that I don't notice the dark clouds looming off in the distance. I am caught up in how the waves feel against my skin, how the sun's rays are radiating off the water. The dark clouds move closer and closer, but I don't see them. I have my eyes closed and my head leaned back, embracing the relaxation of it all.

I am caught.

Suddenly, the sun disappears. I can see the light from behind my eyelids vanish, and I quickly open my eyes to find that dark clouds have completely enshrouded the sky. The once-small and calm waves are now growing larger as the wind blows against them. I then realize that, despite warnings and precautions given to me, I did not bring a life jacket. I silently scold myself for being so careless, but I know it is too late now to regret my mistake. A medium-sized wave heads my way and I manage to avoid it from swallowing me. But I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on...

I am trying.

It doesn't take long for the storm to grow stronger. I'm completely trapped in the middle of it. Do I face it? Do I cower in fear? Do I try to swim away from the enormous waves? I need to try to stay alive, I think to myself, I can't give up! So, instead of swimming away, I stay where I am, courageously treading water for my life and facing the storm, alone.

I am struggling.

I continue treading water as much as I can, but the water continues to rise, and I can feel the waves getting stronger as they crash violently in my face. I breathe in as much air as I can while my head is still above water, just in case my arms and legs give out without my command and I go under without warning. The waves continue to grow in size. Suddenly, I am engulfed by an unbelievably huge wave. And I go under.

I am terrified.

The force of the wave hits me like a brick wall, my entire body becomes limp, and I'm surrounded by water on all sides of me. I open my eyes, but see nothing but darkness. I try to swim back to the surface, but the wind is so powerful that it seems that I will never taste sweet oxygen again. I try to hold onto the air that is stuck in my lungs. I feel a large bubble float past me, and I know that I have wasted my breath. And I panic.

I am drowning.

Once I begin panicking, I know that my fate is inevitable. I will surely drown in this awful storm. No one will know what happened to me. I will die alone, in this cold, dark sea. I decide that if I am to die, I will make it swift, so I decide to let out the rest of the air that is trapped in my lungs...



But wait...



There is HOPE.

Just as I began to open my mouth and let my breath and life go, a small light shone before me. I peered at it and realized that it was coming from the surface. A glint of hope fluttered in my chest. Was that a light coming from a boat? Had the storm actually stopped and the sun was shining gloriously yet again? That small hope gave me enough strength and energy to swim my hardest back to the surface. My lungs burned, wanting the air to be released from my body. It seemed like an eternity before I reached the surface...

There is GRACE.

I gasped violently, so violently that a sharp pain shot through my chest, and it felt as if my throat were on fire. I gulped in as much air as I could, my lungs still aching from holding in air for so long. I blinked several times to get the water out of my eyes so I could see where the light was coming from..

...and I couldn't believe what I saw.

There, maybe 100 feet away from me, was a lighthouse, it's light obnoxiously bright and scanning the sea for any ships lost or in trouble. 

How did I not see the land or the lighthouse before? Had the storm been so rough that it just led me toward shore?

I smiled. Because I knew the lighthouse couldn't have been a coincidence.

It had been there the entire time, and I knew that. 

There is PEACE.

I swam as fast as I could toward the lighthouse, ignoring my aching limbs. I wanted so much to be on land, to just lie on the ground, take a deep breath, and rest. I finally made it to shore and threw myself at the ground. I looked up at the lighthouse, the light continuing to shine. I smiled and felt my heart lift. There. Now I can feel it; this overwhelming peace and rest and comfort from being in that violent storm.

So, you're probably wondering...

Why did I try to face the storm all alone and ignore the lighthouse entirely when I knew it was there the entire time? 

Well...that's a good question...

*           *           *

I ain't gonna lie, y'all.

These past two weeks have been rough. I've been through so many things emotionally, physically, and spiritually that I feel like I'm just running on EMPTY right now. I feel so weak, so tired, so fed up with everything going on.

And, yes, I will admit that I haven't been reading my Bible as much as I would like to this week or last week, which is probably the reason why all of my life levels are on empty right now. Trust me, I really do wish that I had filled myself with the Word and asked that God would just give me peace these past weeks. I probably wouldn't feel the way I feel now.

It feels like I've been in, not just one, but several storms, and I continuously "go under," unable to "breathe" or handle anything that's going on. And, of course, my Lighthouse, my Savior, has been with me this entire time, shining His Light so brightly for me to see, calling for me to draw near to Him and rest.

...but I've been so stupid and foolish, ignoring His constant calls, even though I know it's good for me, know it will save me and give me peace and comfort.

Why? Why did I ignore Him? Maybe it was because I wanted to sulk in my own troubles. Maybe because I wanted the comfort of this world. 

But how could I have wanted the comfort of the world when the comfort of Jesus is surpasses everything?

My flesh is weak, y'all. So, so weak. But like I've said before, in my weakness, God is STRONG. 

*~. Romans 10:11 .~*

11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed." (this comes from Isaiah 28:16)

WILL. NEVER. BE. DISAPPOINTED.

The Bible is amazing. It is exactly what we need, when we need it.

I recently finished reading the book of James. But obviously, I need to reread it...just read some encouraging verses here...

*~. James 1:2-4 .~*

2 My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, 

3 because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.

4 Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need.

Totally what I need to be reminded of right now! Not only do I need to run to Christ when in times of trouble, but I should be JOYFUL as well! Of course, easier said than done, but that's where God comes in. He is able to give me that unspeakable joy that can overcome the worst of times.

Sure, as I'm typing this, there is still a little of uneasiness, a little disappointment, a little sadness...a little restlessness. It's midnight for crying out loud, and I need a shower and sleep! :P

But, I know that God is faithful, and even though I can't see the big picture right now, His plan is perfect. God has me right where He wants me at this point in my life, and I just need to continually keep trusting Him.

I need that overwhelming peace.

So, even now, I give up all of these awful feelings to my Rock, who doesn't disappoint. And I ask for peace.

I pray that all of you, whatever you're going through, run to God. Not to family, friends, school, music, books, or whatever.

Run to the One who is calling to you even now.

I love you all. Praying that He will continually work in your lives and you will notice Him working. 

He is faithful.

*Suggested Songs:

1. "I Am" by Cece Winans
2. "Well, Alright" by Cece Winans

The songs above are old songs I used to listen to as a little girl growing up with my dad. I always sang them with him, never really understanding the words, but loving the beat. 

And now, listening to them years later, I understand exactly what they mean. They remind me of the hope I have in Jesus. I hope they reveal to you the hope we have in God and that He is all we need. 

"I AM that I AM, I'm all that you need. 

I can, yes, I can no, it ain't too hard for Me. 

Do you know, really know, do you really believe? 

Every day, every night, of your life, I AM."

- from "I Am"

Hide Your Love Away

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY Y'ALL!!! <3

Totally should be doing some Intro to Lit reading, but guess what? Anthem Lights new single "Hide Your Love Away" released tonight, so I just HAD to take a study break and buy it on iTunes and share it with y'all! The YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQg0W05ivc 

Seriously, check it out! One of my favorite songs now! Such a beautiful song!

Some of you out there have that "special someone" to celebrate Valentine's Day with. I truly hope and pray that you enjoy celebrating this love holiday with them!

And I know there are some of y'all out there who don't have a "valentine." LOL, a guy friend of mine made this statement a few days ago: " 'Valentine.' What's that even supposed to mean?!" 

Well, I can definitely relate to those of you who are single out there. Sure, there are plenty of people out there without a "valentine," who say, "Aww, c'mon! Stop being so pessimistic! Valentine's Day celebrates love. Which means, love for EVERYONE! Not just your boyfriend, girlfriend, fiance, husband, wife, whatever! Love on your family and friends!"

Haha, yeah, that whole quote up there? I said that this past week. And it's true. You should definitely love on your family and friends. But seriously...it's easier said than done to forget having a "valentine." Because we all want to have someone say that they love us.

Seriously though, "Hide Your Love Away" by Anthem Lights really helped me remember to hold on and wait. Because waiting is going to be totally worth it! Sure, waiting is easier said than done too. But if you just hold onto Jesus and focus on Him and trust that He knows what He's doing, it won't be long before that "special someone" walks into your life. And it'll be the perfect timing and the perfect someone because it was God's timing and the perfect someone God meant for you to be with!

That, my friends, is AMAZING!

I encourage you to love on everyone: your family, friends, hallmates, girlfriends, boyfriends, fiances, husbands, wives...

And for those of you who are single, take heart! (awful pun alert) God has you right where you are for a reason. Maybe His plan for you is to be single for the rest of your life. I'm not trying to scare you, but hey, being single isn't a bad thing! Or maybe you'll soon become engaged. I don't know God's plan for your life, but I know that His plan is the BEST plan, and is specifically unique and special to YOU!

Love to you all on this holiday of love!

I know you've probably already read it a thousand times, but read 1 Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter"! Remind yourself what true love is! :)

And remember, "God is love!" (^^) <3

I'm Thinking...I'm Thinking...

Have you ever had those times where you're just sitting there, life is good, not a care in the world...

and then BAM!!!!

Maybe it just sparks in your brain due to some previous things that happened in your life. Or maybe someone says or does something.Or maybe you watched a movie, read a book or magazine, or listened to some music. And it leads to these awful, filthy, wretched, ratchet, disgusting impure, immodest, just plain UGLY thoughts that just invade your mind.

You know what this could lead to? 

1. You dwelling on those thoughts so much, that they're all you think about anymore. You can't go anywhere, do anything, say anything without your mind being drenched in those thoughts.
2. That dwelling lead to acting on those thoughts. You're constantly thinking about whatever it is so much that it has led you to believe that it's the truth. So, you act, not thinking twice about what you're doing.

So yeah. I don't know about you, but lately I've just been struggling with what I've been thinking about. And those thoughts could be about anything NEGATIVE and NOT FOCUSING ON GOD. Those thoughts could be worries, judgments, insults...the list goes on.

So, instead of doing the things I was supposed to be doing in the 2 hours before my Spanish class, I sat at my desk and searched the Bible for verses on thinking and our thoughts and also about temptation.They were so encouraging that I've decided to share them with you! :) (They're translated in the NCV, by the way.)

*Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want. BUT those WHO LIVE FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT are THINKING ABOUT THE THINGS THE SPIRIT WANTS THEM TO DO. If people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is DEATH. BUT if their thinking is CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT, there is LIFE and PEACE.* ~Romans 8:5-6


*Brothers and sisters, THINK about the things that are GOOD and WORTHY OF PRAISE. THINK about the things that are TRUE and HONORABLE and RIGHT and PURE and BEAUTIFUL and RESPECTED.* ~Philippians 4:8 


*I hope my WORDS and THOUGHTS please YOU. LORD, You are my ROCK, the ONE WHO SAVES ME.* ~ Psalm 19:14


*STAY AWAKE and PRAY for...STRENGTH against temptation. The SPIRIT wants to do what is RIGHT, but the BODY is WEAK.* 
~ Mark 14:38

Y'all have an amazing rest of your weekend. I'll try to post more, but lately, I've been SUPER CRAZY busy. Doesn't mean God hasn't been working in my life though! (^^)

I pray that you would continually rely on Him and pursue Him. 

When all our focus is on Him, it's easy to push all horrible thoughts aside! Love y'all! <3