*~.100TH POST CELEBRATION.~* + Some IMPORTANT News

WE'VE COME SO FAR. AND WE'VE MADE IT HERE.

Or, in the words of Drake, "Started from the bottom now we here."

GUYS. This is my 100th post! Absolutely insane! I know it seems like a small milestone to have 100 posts since I've been blogging for three years. You'd think I'd have more than that, but, as you can see from reading my blog, life is one C R A Z Y ride!

Really, this post is a celebration of many things. I'm celebrating...

The fact that I'm halfway done with my junior year of college. Which means that I am over halfway done with my college career. And it's exciting and scary and overwhelming and fabulous all at the same time. The semester went by so quickly. There were things I did right and things I realized I need to improve on. I learned so much: hard life lessons and things I've been continuing to grow in since my freshman year of college. God has definitely been faithful in sparing me from many things, but also allowing me to endure painful things in order to shape and mold me into who I am right now. 

CHRISTMAS BREAK. Finishing my semester means I'M OFFICIALLY ON BREAK! And it's one of the best feelings in the world to wake up in the morning and realize you don't have to study, go to class, or work on academic projects. 

CHRISTMAS. Obviously, if I'm on Christmas break, we'll be celebrating Christmas at some point LOL. This is one of my favorite times of the year because it's just more celebrating: of the coming of Jesus, the Savior of the world; of family and tradition; of the cherishing of friends; of all the good food college kids get to enjoy for three weeks :D. So much to be grateful for!

100 posts. This really blows my mind because when I first started this blog, I wasn't sure if it'd survive past my freshman year of college. And here we are at my junior year with 100 posts, including the blog title-change under my belt. And it's been absolutely great. I'm not a huge blogger with a fancy website and millions of followers, but I'm simply grateful to see that people even look at my posts. And I thank you all for being so willing to read everything I've written so far.

New beginnings. 2014 is almost over, and I cannot believe it. In many ways, I feel like it's still 2013. Time is going by so quickly, and I want to cherish every moment that I have. One thing I struggle with during Christmas break is doing absolutely nothing because I've been going non-stop for three-and-a-half months straight at school. But I want to use every opportunity I have to do the things I haven't been able to do during the semester, like read books for pleasure, write, blog, hand-wash my clothes (only some of them, haha). I don't wanna wait until the new year rolls around for that. I wanna start now.

"The Times They are A-Changing"

Who said the above quote?....

With 100 posts here already, I've been faced with a decision. Honestly, I've been debating about this for a while now, and I wasn't sure when the right time to do this was.

Don't worry, I'm not going to stop blogging. If anything, though, I'm thinking about making the switch: from Blogger to WordPress. It may not seem like a big deal to you all, but I've been trying to do my research about moving all of my archives and things to WordPress, and I figure since I've got 3 weeks of time on my hands, I can work on moving my blog there.

Blogger has treated me well these past 2.5 years of blogging. Despite small technical difficulties, it's been easy to use. I've gone back and forth about waiting until I finished my college career to turn to WordPress when I was ready to take my blogging seriously. But I take my blogging seriously now, I thought to myself. And I do. There are just gaps in my postings because of school. If blogging was my life, ahh, how awesome would that be?

I honestly feel like it's time to make the switch now. I'm craving something new, exciting, and fresh.So, as we speak, I've got tabs up online to start the process. With this change in web address, I'm thinking of yet another change in blog name. You may be thinking, What?! Again??? I hate to put you through it again, but my thought process is constantly changing. And while I have been redefined, I've just been thinking about my life overall and how it is so full because God has given me so much. He's allowed so many things to occur in my life to shape and mold me, to cause me to grow. To bring me joy and comfort.

So I am prepared for a new link, a new name, and a new theme. And I'm hoping y'all will be willing to make the move with me! This is all so exciting, even though I know it's going to require me to do a lot of work. 

I'll definitely post the new link here (I think I'll still be able to do that...right? LOL still a lot to learn), and if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, the link will definitely be there too! I'll make sure to make an obvious announcement. :) I'm thinking I'll probably launch the new site on New Year's Day to bring in new beginnings and resolutions and such!

I love you all and hope that this change in everything isn't going to completely confuse you. If you choose to stop reading, that's okay too! I do appreciate all that my readers do to spread the word and the love around. You all have been amazing and wonderful!

Hope the holidays have been great for you all! I know it can be a hard time for some people with different circumstances. Praying that you all find true joy in the people and things that are surrounding you!


luv ya! Merry Christmas!
Mishy (^^) <3

Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens: The World Tour

GUYS.

So, I went to Nashville with my sister this past Friday, Nov. 14th for The World Tour with Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens.

OMG. JUST. OMG.

First of all, shoutout to my grandparents, who graciously dropped the rest of their day to come to me and my sister's rescue and take us to Nashville. We went through so. many. things. To try to get there, guys. First, Kae'sha's car wouldn't start. Then my friend Simon's car wouldn't start. Everyone was leaving for the soccer game at Emory that night and other friends I knew who had cars were going places and such.

It was crunch time. We had to find a ride to this thing! Thankfully, Nashville is an hour behind our time, so we still had a good amount of time to find a ride.

And lo and behold, the grandparents stepped in and went on a date in Nashville after they dropped us off for the Meet & Greet line. Heck yes. MEET. AND. GREET. My sister and I have never really had VIP Access to something like this, so it was going to be exciting.

Now, let me just go ahead and say, I've been to concerts before, but they were more like conferences with concerts embedded into them. I think the only real concert I've been too was a TobyMac concert in high school and, dude, we had some nosebleed seats. It was still a good concert tho. But it was nothing like what I experienced last that night.

So, my first concert that I was SUPER pumped to go to. So that means I'm not one of those people who goes to almost every single PTV or SWS or OM&M concert that ever happens. There's nothing wrong with those people at all, in fact, I wish I could afford and have time to be one of those people. So, needless to say, I wasn't really expecting what happened that night.

Here are some experiences I had in the 7-hour concert period:

1. Met some people in line who knew EXACTLY how my sister and I were feeling. See, I can fangirl hard if I really want to, but I wasn't going to that night because nobody wants to deal with crazy, screamy fangirls. And some girls in line were supa chill and we just bonded over how PTV and SWS are just too freakin' awesome.
2. THE MEET & GREET. I tried SO HARD not to freeze up when I was getting my picture taken with them. But for Sleeping with Sirens, all I could say, was "thank you" and with Pierce the Veil, I gave Vic a BIG HUG and told them that I loved them so much, to which Vic replied, "We love you too!" My heart. Also, the fact that Jaime pointed out that I matched my Converse to my sweater and Vic said I had it all together made my night. So, that effort I put into matching is noticeable...lol
   
   
   
   
3. LOST: warm white coat and SIGNED PTV/SWS poster: yeah. that happened. And I was really upset that I lost my poster. More on this later...
4. When everyone else around you jumps, YOU JUMP. Vic yelled, "JUMP!" and I wasn't planning on jumping because, c'mon, there was no room for any of that. But when you're so squished to people that you literally cannot move and they all decide to jump...you best believe you WILL jump, whether you like it or not LOL
5.  I found out what mosh-pitting ISN'T. There were so many times people tried to start a mosh-pit, but what resulted was either A. we all just got more squished in together or B. There would be a circle with guys and pushing each other in and out, some pushing to try to start something, others pushing to say, "PLEASE. JUST. STOP."
6. ADVANTAGE: Being so squished that your arm rests upon the shoulders of someone and you're able to take pix/vids of Pierce the Veil on stage. Yeah.
7. SHOUT OUT TO THE SECURITY PEEPS. Cause after the concert I was searching for my puffy white coat, and they were up front with a whole bunch of clothes, asking if anyone was missing any of them. And my coat sat in the midst of it all. So, white coat = retrieved. Dirty and gross, but retrieved. Those guys do their job well. Two thumbs up for you dudes.
8. Post-concert state? My diaphragm was hurting so much from screaming that my back was hurting too. My legs were sore from standing. I was afraid my calves were going to cramp up because I was on my tiptoes for so long trying to take pictures and breathe. And today? I just ached all over, and I felt like I was in some sort of daze all day. But I'm okay haha. The concert was totally worth it!

Tips for Concert-ing

DO NOT wear a hoodie or long-sleeve shirt. I wore my PTV sweater because it's probably one of my favorite articles of clothing that I own and I wanted to meet them as I wore something that had their faces/name on it. That being said, I should have changed into a t-shirt afterwards, because as soon as This Wild Life was done and Beartooth came on stage, I felt like I was gonna have a heat-stroke and I was fighting to get my sweater off me (I had a shirt on underneath, no worries).

Bring your own water bottle. I know, it's awful to bring anything to concerts, but if you're gonna bring a bag with your wallet or cell phone or whatever, pack some water so you don't have to pay money for it. Cause I cannot express how H O T it gets in there, man. 

HOLD ONTO YOUR SIGNED POSTER FOR DEAR LIFE. Or this'll happen...

It was rolled up and held together by one of my hair ties in my bag and with all the pushing and shoving, it slipped out and was crushed underneath the feet of hundreds of fans. I was upset that I had lost it. Souvenirs rock, man.

But after retrieving my puffy white coat from the security guys, my sister looks down and asks, "Is that it?" And I look down to see my poster all folded up, torn up, creased in a million places, and still tied together by my hair tie. A pure hot mess.

Notice in the picture how I still have it up in my dorm room though. See, my old perfectionist-self would have probably cried seeing my precious, signed poster damaged like this. But I looked at it and was so grateful that I had even found it in mostly one piece that I took it with me, determined to straighten it out as much as I could and put it up in tha dorm.

And shoot, it doesn't look too bad. In fact, it gives it some character. And the signatures are still legible so YAY.

Even though you've rehearsed what you're gonna say to the bands you meet, you most likely still won't say it. BUT THAT'S OKAY. It could still turn out to be awesome. Since SWS and PTV have been touring for a while, I'm gonna assume that they've encountered ALL TYPES of fans and know how to handle it. And shoot, they were such sweet guys, super humble. That's what's up.

Hair DOWN for Meet & Greet pix, hair UP for the concert. I cannot stress this enough. Y'all know what my hair looks like, right? Well, it went from totally decent human being, to cave-woman in a matter of minutes. Imagine a mane like mine getting pulled by hundreds of fans during this concert...OUCH.

It's not always fun being in the front. I was in the front (sorta) for Pierce the Veil's concert. It was fun and stuff, even though I was constantly getting shoved and elbowed and whatnot. I was able to get some okay pictures, like so... (***DISCLAIMER: I am definitely not a pro-photographer, and being pushed around doesn't help picture-taking. But these I think are the best photos I got of Vic. And it's not that Vic is my favorite of the group, I just couldn't really turn myself so I couldn't get pics of Jaime or Tony :( Mike is in the back of some of these though. El Fuentes Hermanos for tha WIN.)

And after Pierce the Veil's concert, I was totally parched and I felt like I really needed some air. Some girls were trying to shove themselves to the front, and I figured I'd let them have my standing spot and I'd go in search for some water with my sister. And then we decided we'd just stand in the semi-back for Sleeping with Sirens' concert because there was no way we were gonna fight that crowd for close spots LOL.

And these are the pix of SWS I got from standing in the semi-back:

Shout out to my sister's camera cause it was so dang good that pictures still looked decent, even from the semi-back of the crowd. And so, standing in the front isn't always the best, and standing in the back isn't too shabby either. 

Enjoy the moment. I'm setting a bad example here with all the pictures, but someone expressed to me how they read an article from a musician's point of view about seeing a sea of cell phones and cameras during their show and how it really bothered them that the audience was watching them through their screens and not actually being present. That thought hit me while I was at this concert, so I tried limiting myself to a few pictures and videos here and there. Because ultimately, the video isn't going to sound as good as the concert itself. So stand there and watch the actual show. Be present in that moment and enjoy it. 

STRETCH AFTERWARDS. I'm still sore from the concert after I stretched my arms and legs afterwards. I don't wanna think how stiff I could have been had I not. I know, it's weird to think that you should stretch after a concert, but if you've jumped, danced, or head-banged, then I advise you to. 

And here I am. Back on campus, extremely tired, but extremely grateful that my sister and I were able to go to the concert, thanks to my grandparents. I had an amazing time. Oh! And I got some sweet merch that I get to wear on campus...

 

Post-concert depression is totally a thing, just so ya know.

Also, This Wild Life is officially my fall/winter soul music. Seriously, I'm so glad I was introduced to those guys during the concert, cause they ROCK!

Hope y'all have a great week! I think my last month of the semester is gonna be INTENSE. Trying not to freak out over here LOL.

luv ya!
Mishy (^^) <3 

My Purpose as an English Major, Writer, Blogger

Hey y'all.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about who I am, mostly as an English major and writer, and honestly, it's been very discouraging. I've felt kind of out of place within my major when it comes to literature classes and even writing classes.

I'm currently in a Shakespeare class that makes me feel inferior to my classmates because I can't grasp concepts within the plays we read. I know that you're placed in a class to learn things you don't know, but it's hard to listen to other English majors understand themes and such within plays while I float around and wonder, How in the world did they notice those things?

And even though I'm not taking any writing classes, I've just been wondering about the way I write for academic papers, for fun, and even for this blog. I'm following a lot of passionate, well-versed writers on Twitter, and am in AWE of how well they can communicate their thoughts through poetry, prose, and other projects they're working so diligently on.

The comparison game sucks, I've said this before, but I can't help but compare my blog and my writings to those who are able to write something every day or work on major writing projects. I feel so behind in my writing game, and I feel like blogging about my life isn't offering anything to anyone out there. I sat and thought, Who wants to sit and read about my life when they can just go out and live their own? What makes me think that people will want to read this? What do I offer in writing my own story?

Thinking about these things is hard, and I've had to delve into the truth of why I do what I do. Why do I blog? Why do I want to write for the rest of my life?

I'm realizing more and more that I am interested in other people's stories and lives. That it intrigues me how vastly different my life can be from their's, despite small similarities or common interests. I find that I learn so much more through listening to someone's life story. 

And maybe that's why I blog about my life. Because there are things within my life, whether they be mistakes or amazing life-changing events, that someone else out there can relate to. Maybe they haven't gone through it personally, but they may have a friend who has or maybe they're in a similar situation, and reading what I have to say comforts them in knowing they aren't the only one going through something.

Maybe I blog to be a testimony. To show others out there the struggles of a young Christian woman, who doesn't have it all figured out, who struggles with many things (sometimes the same things repeatedly), and who is desperately reaching out for Jesus to take hold of her life completely. 

I tore myself and my blog apart (figuratively, not literally) because I felt like I wasn't offering anything to people, like I wasn't rallying a movement for people to follow their dreams or to get them to feel loved or encouraged. 

But ya know, my blog is what I make it. At this point in my life, being a junior in college and trying to balance my studies, work, and social life takes a lot of time and effort. I definitely try to blog when I can, especially when something has been placed on my heart to write.

But this is where God has me right now. Sure, right now I may not have time or even resources to promote my blog, to make it more appealing to the eye, to make it something more to my readers. But it's what I've been given, what I've created, what I've held onto since my freshman year of college. And I am going to be grateful for it, no matter how insignificant I feel this blog is.

Because I really don't know how it's been affecting people. All I see are numbers and stats. I don't see the changing of people's hearts, the smiles on their faces. 

My purpose isn't to be one of the best writers, English majors, or bloggers. It isn't to prove anything to anyone or to even get numerous compliments or hits on my posts. It's to use what I've been given by my Heavenly Father - the gift of writing - to express my life and the world and people around me to bring them closer to Him.

It's not about me and what I can write or say or do to my blog to make it more appealing or more professional. But it's about using what I have to bring glory to God.

And so, this is the space. These are the things God has given me to work with.

And without playing the comparison game, getting discouraged, or depending on myself, I will write.

My Mission

"Humans need a mission that is BIGGER than us."

The quote above was said by my pastor two weeks ago after he had shown us this beautiful video he'd watched from his Facebook feed. The video portrayed a young Asian boy stealing from a pharmacy to have medicine for his sick mother. As the pharmacist threw the boy out and yelled at him, the man who owned a small restaurant across the street went over to them and paid the pharmacist the amount for the medicine the boy had stolen. He also asked his daughter to put some soup in a Styrofoam cup ,and he gave it to the boy, who ran away without saying even a thank you. 

Skip 30 years later...

The same man and his daughter are still working in their family owned restaurant, and the man is still giving food to the people who are in need. Suddenly, he has a heart attack and is placed in the hospital. His daughter is given the bills, and she is afraid she'll have to sell the restaurant her family has owned for years.

When she goes to visit her father, she receives a letter, and the letter explains that all of the hospital bills have been taken care of because of some medicine and a cup of soup given thirty years ago. The doctor was that little boy, thirty years ago.

Really heart-warming, right?

Pastor Ritchie explained that after watching that, we all feel like we need to get out there and do something. We all want a mission for our life. But that mission needs to be bigger than us.

When I heard the quote above, I began to think about my own life. Honestly, I've been feeling really comfortable with where I am. Sure, there are still difficulties in life, but there hasn't been anything that has shattered my world. And so, I'm comfy. I get up every day, go to my classes and work shifts, do my homework, have some "me time", go to Zumba or some other event that's scheduled, take a shower and go to bed. 

It's been a busy, but great few first weeks of my junior year in college, but despite my comfort, I feel so empty. And I've realized that it's because my mission is limited to myself. I do all I do in a day to survive so I can get to the next day, the next weekend, the next week. Not once have I stopped and thought, "Today, everything I'm going to do is going to be for God, and not for myself and my own comfort."

After talking with Bria, I am convinced that I need to challenge myself daily to do all I do that day to glorify God. Whether it's sitting in class and giving my full attention, listening instead of speaking when a friend needs to talk, or reading my shelves in the library, my main mission is to do all that I can to glorify God with what He's blessed me with. And that's is SO MUCH.

Also two weeks ago, our chaplain spoke a message that I definitely needed to hear.

Notice that there is something crucial missing in my list of things that I do during my day: spending time with the Lord. I know it's an important part of my life, but I always have that excuse: "I'm so busy."

Chaplain Lowe spoke today on us being sheep and Jesus being the shepherd, which most Christians have read in the Bible or heard in a sermon before. But what he said was so true, and it opened my eyes to a different perspective. We were reminded that, yes, we are to follow Jesus, our Shepherd, our Savior when He calls. But when He calls, do we listen? Do we know what the voice of our Savior sounds like?

Now, obviously, we cannot physically hear His voice, but even when we are making decisions and going about our day, can we hear Him? Chaplain Lowe said that the only way we can know His voice is if we know Him. And the only way you get to know someone is to spend time with them.

His message convicted me so much. One quote that struck me was this: "We cannot follow Him, if we do not know Him."

And I sat there in my desk (because we were in chapel overflow then in a classroom), asking myself, "Do I really know God? I haven't been spending time with Him every day, in fact, it's been a while. And even when I do spend time with Him, I feel like I haven't been fully paying attention. How am I supposed to know what His voice sounds like and know where He is leading me?"

Such deep questions I need to continue to ask myself on a daily basis. Lately, when I've been reading my Bible, I feel like I'm not getting anything out of it. Not that every time we read our Bible we should have some strong revelation or conviction, but I felt like I couldn't hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me. And it isn't God's fault, it's mine. My head has been so clouded with things I need to do, things I want to do, thoughts surrounding people and events and other things. I have truly not been focused on the Word at all. And that scares me so much.

I want to get back to where my focus was on what I needed to be focusing on. I feel like I've strayed so far from the voice of God that it isn't even a whisper to me anymore. And so, on top of dedicating my days to living them for the Lord and not for myself, I am wanting to just sit in silence with no distractions (phone, school work, etc.), and I just want to read my Bible and focus on God. Because He is worth the time I have. I should be excited to get to know my Heavenly Father more. And yet I see reading my Bible as some type of chore or as a thing I do very first thing in the morning at breakfast because it's what I'm supposed to be doing.

It shouldn't be a forced thing.

I want to get to know God so that I can know His voice, so when He calls me to do something I will do it and I will do it for His glory and not for my own personal gain here on earth. 

My mission is going to be bigger than me. And I challenge you to have a mission that is bigger than you!

WHOA. - An Update + My Main Focus for My Junior Year of College.

So, this past week has been pure CHAOS. Beautiful, time-consuming chaos.

Last Friday was my last time working at in the Facilities department at my school. It was a great day. I definitely miss the people I work with, but thankfully most of them go to school with me and live on campus so that's awesome!

I moved in that Sunday night and setup my side of the room because the next day I started O-Team (Orientation Team) training. It's been an exhausting week, but it's also been filled with excitement! I've gone to meetings, met up with my Core Team, gone out to eat, planned things, helped move new students on campus in, etc.

Even though I've been so busy with everything going on at my school, I've been so amazed at how awesome it all has been. Already I can see God working in the lives of the leaders, the new students and their families, the entire campus really. And it is so wonderful!

All of that is seriously the tip of the iceberg. There is so much that I've learned within this past week that I'd love to write about and tell you all about, but I can't really explain it all. To be honest, I haven't really processed it all. 

There is however, a main theme I'm focusing on this year that I wanna share with y'all...and that is LOVE.

We see it everywhere, whether it's among family, friends, couples, etc. But I wanna focus on love within the body of Christ. Right now, especially, on my college campus. I have witnessed and have been an example of so much judgment, ostracism, and dislike toward one another. And yet we say we are the body of Christ and that we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

I'm definitely not saying that we can't have different likes and interests, but we shouldn't have hatred toward each other just because someone dresses differently, has different music tastes, lives in a certain building, or hangs out with a certain group of people. I've been thinking a lot about how much I, myself, have judged people around me. And yet, I don't want to be judged by anyone else.

And so, I am praying that the Lord just guides me in loving the people around me more. I know it's going to be super hard and I'm going to be presented with more opportunities to learn to love. But I am also praying that the Lord prepares my heart for those opportunities. 

I am SO EXCITED for this year, guys. Like you have no idea! 

I hope you all are doing well! So sorry I haven't been present lately! I know some of you have already started school again and some of you are starting soon. I start this upcoming Thursday! Ahh, I'm not sure if I'm ready for that! But I'll be praying that the Lord keeps you as you start school and that He would just show you what areas you need to grow in to become more like Him!

I love you all! I'll talk to you soon, hopefully!

luv ya!

~ Mishy. <3

P.S. My REVAMP posts will be on hiatus for the school year (my friends and I have gotten most of the things we've needed to complete our revamps) UNLESS someone wants to email me their own personal revamp, I'm totally willing to post it during the year! :D 

I'm Still Here!

Hello, August.

I can't believe summer is almost over. It went by faster than I expected! Well, lemme update y'all on what's been going on with me. I know I've been silent lately, and trust me, I haven't abandoned the REVAMP project!

I, my sister, and a friend of ours drove 6 hours back to my hometown last Saturday. It was my first time driving all the way back home. The trip went well, and I was DEAD by the time we arrived.

We weren't here for just one week of solid vacation time...well, at least I wasn't. I had jury duty this week, and was called in on Monday. I hoped that that would mean that I served for just one day and I would have time to do whatever I wanted the rest of the week. 

And God was gracious enough to grant me my week of vacation! I only served on Monday, and the rest of the week the courthouse didn't need to have ANY jurors! Talk about a blessing!

So, I've been at home, getting things done like renewing my driver's license, changing my residential address, and getting my hair cut. Guys, my hair is so short compared to what it was! I'm pretty sure I've never had it so short before, and it'll take time to get used to it. But I'm excited to try something different! I may post a picture of my hair for the next REVAMP post haha!

Anyways, so this week has been filled with business matters, fun at the beach, seeing friends from high school. It's been a great week of vacation away from cleaning the campus. But I'm not ready to go back! LOL

But I only have two weeks of work left! And then I move back on campus and start O-Team training! AHH! How is time going by so fast??

I plan on doing as much blogging as I can for the rest of the summer, and I'm really going to try my hardest to keep the blog updated during the school year. No promises though! I don't know what this school year is going to hold, and I'll be a JUNIOR, so I may be SUPER busy. But we shall see!

Well, today's the last day at home. We are leaving bright and early tomorrow so we don't have to hit any major traffic on the road. Pray for us as we travel! :) I'm going to miss this place, but I'm happy to know that I can still come here when I have breaks and stuff.

I hope everyone's had a great couple of weeks! Summer is so close to ending, so do what you've always wanted to do! Have as many adventures as you can before school starts back up again! I pray that the Lord will bless the rest of your summer!


luv ya!
~ Mishy (^^) <3

Who Am I?

Okay, so, once again, I'm going to apologize for the tardiness of the REVAMP segment. I feel like the weeks are just getting crazier as the summer goes on. Not only for me, but also for Bria and Caylin. 

So! I'm sorry that this isn't the post you were probably expecting. But! Don't go anywhere, for I was given some awesome insight yesterday when I went to church that I would like to share with all of you....

Who am I?

When some read that, they think of the song "Who Am I?" from Les Miserables. It sort of popped into my head too, I'll admit it. I could hear Hugh Jackman singing this phrase super intensely before belting out: "24601!" LOL, but I'm digressing.

I feel like this is a question I ask myself daily. Some days I think I'm one person, other days, I feel like someone else. It's not like I change my personality in front of different people or anything (I used to play that game in middle school. Yeah, not fun and will never play it ever again), but I'm just lost when it comes to who I am, what my personality really is.

I know my name. I know my ethnicity and family background. I know where I came from, where I am now. I know what I like, what I don't like. I know who my friends are. I know I'm a Christian, what church I go to. I know I'm a junior in college, an English major, psychology minor. 

But, I still don't know, ya know?

For instance, I say I'm a writer. I just feel like a writer, as I write for my blog, or for fun or in my journal. The next day, I feel like a traveler. I just wanna get out. See the world. Be in a place where I don't know anyone and where no one knows me. That same day, I'll feel like a dancer. The right music gets me moving, and I think about how much Bria and I love to memorize KPOP dances and go to Zumba during the school year. 

Am I the only person who feels like this?

Well, yesterday at church, Pastor Ritchie preached a message focused on Ephesians 1 titled "Identity Crisis." Totally fitting for the moods I've been in this summer, the questions of who I really am floating through my mind constantly. I'm gonna try to go through some of the main points of the message, but it definitely won't be as good as Pastor Ritchie preaching it straight to you, I can tell you that much!

Basically, what I got from yesterday was this: I not only was I reminded of who I am, but also of what I have. 

First of all though, it's good to point out that who I am and what I have is all through Christ. Without that main point, I really wouldn't know anything about who I am or what I've been given. 

So, this is what I learned yesterday:

***What do I have/what have I been given?:

- "every spiritual blessing" (v. 3): Pastor Ritchie pointed out here that just because the verse says "every spiritual blessing", it doesn't mean that God doesn't give us both spiritual and material blessings. Too many times we think of God's blessings as only spiritual, when He's blessed us materially as well!

- "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses" (v. 7): because of His sacrifice, we are redeemed and forgiven of our sins!

- "an inheritance" (v. 11): when Jesus comes back to earth, we Christians, as His children, will be co-heirs with Him on the new earth for 1000 years!

- "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (v. 13): once we heard the Gospel and believed it, we were given the Holy Spirit, who now resides inside of us. Pastor Ritchie said that sometimes people say that they wish they could go back to Old Testament times so they could communicate with God one-on-one and actually see the Holy Spirit...but we can see the Holy Spirit inside of every day Christians today. Of course, not physically see the Spirit, but we interact with it every time we come in contact with a fellow brother- or sister-in-Christ.

So, WHO AM I?

Well, if we look at the above section, it kind of speaks for itself...

I am a Christian, therefore, through Christ...

I am blessed abundantly.

I am redeemed and forgiven.

I am a co-heir of the kingdom to come.

I am a temple for the Holy Spirit.

And if I can focus the core of who I am on all of these things, I'll be able to trust God when it comes to my identity or personality regarding things like writing, traveling, or dancing.

But if you ask me, those three things seem rather insignificant when I look at the bigger picture.


I hope you all are reminded of who you are and what you've been given through Christ. Even though with every day life can distract us from remembering this, it is a comfort and an encouragement to know that our identity isn't based off of those things. Work, school, a career path, a hobby, friends, family, etc. - NONE of these things define who you are, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ.

Look to Him for your identity. And I can guaratnee you that you will like what you see far better when you focus on Him than on other things.

I love you all! I hope you have an amazing week! I'll definitely try to post something revamp-ish this week or this weekend! Thanks for bearing with me!

luv ya!
~ Mishy (^^) <3

Today Tho...

Y'all...today was...SMH. 

I feel like I write more about the happier times in my life than I do the hard ones. So here's a hard-knock life post for ya...

Let me be real honest: this week hasn't been the best. It's been a little more stressful, the weather has been weird (like, burning hot one minute, and then pouring rain the next), work has been kinda blah, and my sister's car has been having issues starting up a few times in the past few days.

Today took the cake tho. 

Kae'sha and I went to work as usual...and as usual (at least for the past two days or so), her car didn't start up in the parking lot during our lunch break. It took about twenty minutes, and finally, it started, and we bolted out of there like there was no tomorrow.

We ate so fast. Kae'sha had three pieces of toast. I ate two pieces of provolone cheese smashed between two pieces of plain white bread and drank all of the water in my water bottle (didn't have time to fill it up afterwards either). 

We were supposed to check on some cats we've been taking care of for a neighbor, but we didn't have time, nor did we think that Kae'sha's car was reliable enough for us to use to get there and back. But we scrambled to her car, with high hopes that it would start right up so we could drive back to work.

It didn't. 

And we didn't have time to sit in the car and wait for it to decide when it was going to start up. We had to find a ride to work right then.

And, honestly, I was frantic. I didn't want to be late to work. The frustration was settling in. Kae'sha and I called Grandpa to find some form of transportation and we called our supervisor to let him know that we may be a little late coming back from lunch.

We tried Grandpa's car...couldn't find the right key. So, we grabbed a key and walked all the way to a family friend's house (up this STEEP-STEEP-hill), to use their car...only...we had the key to the wrong car.

So, we had only one option...we had to walk.

I mean, it wasn't too far...but when it's already 1pm and it's still maybe a 10-20 minute walk, depending on where you're going on the campus, and it's hot as crap outside...not to mention you're frustrated, emotionally exhausted...

...yeah, I was fed up. Today was rough.

Obviously, we made it to work eventually. One of my supervisors, Amanda, fed me Wint-O-Green lifesavers until I could forget my horrible experience. According to Kae'sha, it started raining after I'd reached my destination and gone inside. And another supervisor, Miss Sandy, drove us back home after work.

So the day ended pretty okay.

When I was in the midst of it all though, I could feel the weight of everything just crashing on me. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's what I was feeling at the moment.

But really, this was the first time in a long time that I'd been through a day as frustrating as this. And we all have to go through days like this in life.

And of course, when Miss Sandy came over to look at the car, it started right up. Why? Because that's how life is, LOL.

See, now that I've gotten through my rough time today, I can kind of laugh about it. I mean, sorta. I'm kinda tired from walking and working...and lack of sleep...

I'm kind of rambling right now to you all, haha, hope you don't mind!

Anyways, I guess the moral of this little summer adventure/nightmare is that we all go through hard times...they'll come and go. But they will end. And they aren't as big as they seem. And we need to take time to recover from them. For instance, I'm recovering from my rough day by working on tha blog (yes, this blog, this post, and actually another post that's on the way tomorrow! :D), listening to my favorite music, and texting my best friend.

Soon, I'm gonna get some cookies and milk. Mmmm, recovery snack!


Well, I should probably do something about that lack of sleep I'm having...good night all! Sweet dreams!

luv ya!
*~.Mishy.~* (^^) <3

HEADS UP!: REVAMP '14!

...ever get bored of your style?

About a month or so ago, Caylin, Bria, and I were in my room talking about clothing and how fed up we were about the way we dressed. Okay, maybe not "fed up," but we were pretty tired of the clothes we had. We all desired to have clothes that fit and that accented our body types, and we longed for the styles of other people we knew.

Items that were mentioned included beanies, tank tops, snapbacks, wedges, kicks, rompers, and better-fitting shorts and pants. 

Now, I don't want you to mistaken our desire to change our styles for ungratefulness or self-hatred. We want to change or, as we like to call it, "revamp" our styles so we can look more our age (since, I will admit, we all have pretty young-looking faces LOL) and try something new. Instead of admiring other girls wearing things we wished we could wear, we decided, "Hey, we can wear that stuff if we want to! What's holding us back?"

And so, the birth of REVAMP '14 began!

...along with a new blog segment!

Every FRIDAY, I'll be posting a REVAMP post that will have pictures of items that Caylin, Bria, and I either purchased or are planning on purchasing, along with a description of where we acquired the item and maybe even why we bought them; the inspiration of this certain item/style.

Style is constantly changing, so in no way am I trying to pressure any of y'all to dress a certain way. This is just something fun me and two of my closest friends decided to do, and I just wanted to share it with you all!

I am SO PUMPED about this new segment! Clothing is so interesting, and I just love all the different looks a person can have! Everyone has a specific style that is unique to them, and since my friends and I are different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities (spelling of that word? Totally unsure, LOL), it's amazing to see what suits each of us. I hope you're as excited as I am!

So be prepared for the first ever REVAMP '14! post THIS FRIDAY! :D



It's WEDNESDAY! We're halfway through the week! I don't know about any of you, but I'm really excited for the weekend, mostly because I don't get normal weekends sometimes. I may work Saturday, have Sunday off, and then have two random days of the week off...but then have to work that next Saturday again. 

My work schedule is complicated, haha.

But I hope those of you who are working (and I hear some of you are still in school, preparing for exams) are doing well! You can fight through this week if you do your best! I'll be praying for each and every one of you. Everyone has a different story, different factors within their lives that are causing joy, pain, confusion, and numerous amounts of other emotions. I pray that the Lord gives you strength to surpass whatever valley you're in, and grateful and joyful attitudes to understand and appreciate the hill you are standing on top of!

May God be praised for His faithfulness through both the hills and valleys of this life!

luv ya!
*~.Mishy.~* (^^) <3

The Impact You Have

Hey y'all!

LOL, okay, so I know it's been a while. In fact, I was supposed to post something maybe two weeks ago, but I honestly don't know what happened. I know that I've had PLENTY of adventures since then: Walmart and Sonic runs, watching so many movies, sleepovers, pool trips, the list goes on!

I am so thankful because it's been a full summer so far. Yes, eight hours of every summer day is filled with work, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying myself!

So, I had a thought a couple of weeks back that I wanted to share with you, and obviously, I never did. So without further a-do, here it is!:

Thoughts from May 22, 2014...

I was at work today, still deep-cleaning the dorm rooms for campers coming in next Wednesday. Cleaning is pretty mindless work, so I have plenty of time to either

a.) sing/hum
b.) think 
c.) not think
d.) daydream
e.) get in a conversation with the person/people closest to me

Sometimes, on a really slow day,  I do a combination of all of these things to keep myself entertained and to make the time go faster.

Today, I was thinking about where I was in my life within all aspects: my spiritual walk, my status as a student, my personality, my opinions/views, etc. And I realized how much all of these things have changed within the past few years. Then I began to wonder: what was the cause of all of these things changing?

There are plenty of answers to this question, and one of the ones I came up with today was this: the impact of other people strongly affected me, shaping me into the person I am today. Of course, the Lord knew that those people and the situations regarding them were going to occur in my life, causing all these changes within me. 

Some of it was good: I began seeing the world in a completely different light that was even more beautiful and inspiring than I had known. I connected with people, our relationships growing stronger as we experienced life together. I got to see what other people were interested in and passionate about, and that allowed me to look within myself and see what I was interested in and passionate about.

But some of it was bad: I felt pain I never thought I would feel and saw the things and people I knew and loved change in the blink of any eye. I saw how quickly coldness could replace care, not only in those I as surrounded with, but also within myself. I experienced what felt like massive separation from God, my friends, my family, and myself.

And when I think about both the good and the bad times, I remember the scenarios...but those scenarios involved people. I'm not trying to point fingers at people here, for I know that at some point in my life, I have impacted other people in good and bad ways alike.

I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention how HUGE of an impact we each have on those around us: our family members, our friends, our classmates, our neighbors, etc. At some point, someone said something to you, whether it was good or bad, and it affected the way you saw the world. Whether what was said was about you, a friend, a worldview, a country, a famous person, etc., you began to think about what was said, and it changes the way you think.

From experience, I realize how many people have impacted my life in major ways. I thought about how what was said or done changed how I thought, not just about me and my life, but about the person who said or did whatever. I'll be honest, it pains me sometimes to think about the things that caused a lot of brokenness in my life.

And today, I realized how important it was for me to examine my own life, day-by-day. Before I say or do something, I should ask myself, "How will this person take this? Will it change the way they think about themselves or others in a bad way? Instead of saying/doing this, how can I display the love of Christ to this person?"

You never know how much you've affected someone by what you've said or done. There have been countless times when I've had a bad day, but I will be so encouraged by a friend giving me a compliment or by receiving a note of encouragement in my mailbox, and those people had no clue that I was having a rough day. I've also had times when I've had a good day, and the things people said or did to me actually brought me down from my good mood.

So, all this to say: realize that what you say and do matters. You not only reflect who you are, but you also affect the people around you and could possibly change the way they view many things, such as themselves.



Well, that was what I had to say! I don't think I was going to end that thought like that, but it's been so long that I honestly can't remember where I was going with that thought. So sorry! I'm only human!

I hope you all had a great start to a new week! You've made it past Monday already! I know you can conquer this week with the Lord's help! (^^) Remember that what you do and say matters! 

Trust and "Living as a Temple"

Hey guys!

Well, it's about that time of the year: spring time. And it seems that when the sun comes out, love is in the air. In the past couple of weeks since I've been back from spring break, and even maybe the week before then, couples have been popping up here and there.

You probably know where I'm going with this. I'm going to be completely open and honest here about what's been going on with me and what I've been thinking lately. So, hang on tight!

Yes, I am single, and yes, it is a struggle to be single sometimes. At first, when I heard about some people I cared about getting into relationships, I was genuinely happy for them. You know, being in a relationship is a great big step in life, and it's exciting and fun and adorable. 

But you know, after a few weeks or more of hearing about a few new couples getting together, that genuine joy for them begins to fade. You smile when you hear the news, but inside, you begin to think, "Wow, everyone I know is getting in a relationship. I suddenly have this pressure that I need to be in one too."

And then after thinking those thoughts, I knew that I really didn't need to have that pressure and that being single isn't bad. I know this. In fact, a part of me really isn't ready to open myself up to that just yet. So instead of moping around because I didn't have a significant other, I began to question exactly why I didn't. I began to criticize who I was: my personality, my outer appearance, my talents, my interests, my everything. I played the "Comparison Game" once again, and most of the time, whenever you play this game, you lose. 

So yesterday after work, I was crying in my room, feeling just ugly, unlovable, not good enough. I questioned my worth and who I was and if there was something wrong with me that other people could see that I couldn't. And while I was sulking in all these feelings, my mom called unexpectedly.

And as a girl, I told my mom what I was feeling, how I really just didn't want to be on campus anymore with everyone walking around in pairs and how it was all just really hard. My mom gave me some advice, telling me not to think about it, but of course, that all is easier said than done. 

I continued to lie in bed crying, when I noticed my His Princess Warrior book sitting in the corner next to my alarm clock. Now, I know, this sounds like one of those cheesy, Christian encouragement books, but I'm not joking, almost every single time I pick that book up and read the pages where my bookmark was placed last, the topic is always something I'm struggling with and the encouragement is just what I need. That's a total God thing, and I know it. Only the Holy Spirit could move me to pick that book up and feel as if I could get some help from it.

Of course, it isn't the Bible, but the fact that they are "letters from God" (written by Sheri Rose Shepherd, of course, and based on what Scriptures say themselves) that are to strengthen me in my daily walk is such an encouragement. Anyways, it was called "The Trust Factor," and this is what it said:

My Princess Warrior,

It's time, My Warrior, to surrender your fears, your insecurities, your pain, and your loved ones completely to Me. 

I want your whole heart and mind and soul to be worry free. I want your complete trust so you can focus on your faith and be free from the spirit of fear controlling you. Give up the fight of trying to figure it all out. Don't let your circumstances hold your heart hostage or cause you to lose your confidence in Me.

I am asking you on this day to answer this one question: In whom do you place your trust?

Love,
Your trustworthy King


That right there encouraged me so so much. The peace of God just swept over me. 

The last line of the letter is in bold because that question completely struck my heart. Who was I placing my trust in? Honestly, I was placing it in other people's opinions and thoughts. I was concerned about what the world thought of me, and I placed my value in that. And that is totally not what I'm supposed to be doing!!

Even though this letter really touched my heart, that doesn't mean my struggle of being single went away automatically. But to be reminded that I can place my trust in the Lord of the universe was just too amazing for words.

And the verses that were given for this letter? Ahhh, so perfect:

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised." ~ Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and no grow weary. They will walk and not faint." ~ Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

God's truth and promises laid out in Scripture! Such a beautiful thing!!!

Now fast-forward to today...

This morning, there was a women's event called "Living as a Temple: Self-Compassion, Body Image, and Imago Dei" that all women of Covenant College and even the Lookout Mountain community were invited too. I knew this was going to be an encouraging event, but I felt that I would hear the same basic things I was always told: 

"You're fearfully and wonderfully made!" 

"God made you like no one else on this earth! You are made in His image!"

"Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore we need to take care of them and respect them! Here are some tips..."

And while Kellie Currin (the speaker), did touch on these things, she focused a lot on self-compassion instead of self-esteem. Self-compassion is giving yourself grace because you know that you're not perfect and never will be. You aren't so hard on yourself for the mistakes you make, but rely on the sacrifice Jesus made to cover those sins and flaws you have. Yes, when we sin, we are to bring it before the Lord in repentance, but we don't have to punish ourselves so severely and wallow in guilt-ridden feelings all the time. We are FREE IN CHRIST! When we allow ourselves grace for being imperfect people and learn to love and respect ourselves, we can then show that same love and respect and compassion to others. 

Something that Kellie said that I loved was that when we think about all of the negative thoughts about ourselves (i.e. Your ugly. You're not worth it. You're so stupid.), we would never tell someone else we knew those things. So, if we wouldn't tell our friend or anyone else that they're ugly, not worth it, or stupid, why do we say those things about ourselves?

I wish I'd had my journal with me to take notes during the event, but alas, I didn't! But I truly got so much more from that than I thought I was going to. There was also an amazing video of a spoken word by two women listing our fears and doubts and reminding us of God's unconditional love. It was on a blog called "A Holy Experience." I encourage y'all to check it out! I think it was called something like, "This Is Us: The #EstherGeneration".

Afterwards, we all broke off into smaller groups and discussed what we learned and what struck us the most. Our group actually got past the issues of body image and touched on deeper, more vulnerable topics. But I was so at peace and amazed how a group of girls, who sort of knew each other, could just be open about what they were struggling with and ask for prayer for those things. 

It really opened my eyes to the fact that, even though some people look like they have it all together on the outside, on the inside they could be hurting so much. And now, I am so motivated to continue to pray for all the women on our campus (and even my campus as a whole!) because everyone has gone through different things and is still going through things. 

My heart right now is at peace, encouraged by the truth that was spoken to me through the event and through Scripture and my fellow sisters-in-Christ. I know this doesn't mean that I'll never have the struggle of being single again. It will come up again eventually. But I need to remember who I place my trust in. 

Not the people around me. Not this world. But my Savior, Jesus Christ, who smiles on me and sees me for who I am: His beautiful daughter. 

And seeing myself as that allows me to say that it's okay that I'm single. I can be single and still see myself as beautiful, and that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone around me thinks there's something wrong with me. I can be confident in who I am because I know Whose I am! 

I can use this time of singleness to focus more on living for God. Not saying that I can't do that when I have a relationship, but it's more difficult to focus on anything but that once I am. So, I'm praying that I see this time as a positive thing!

And I can also trust that God has a plan for my life, whether that's being single & content with that or eventually getting married, and that it will be so very good and more than I could possibly imagine! And that's EXCITING!!!!

And all of you who belong to Christ: you are all beautiful, wonderful creations of His! You are made in His image! :) Don't forget Whose you are and the freedom you have because of it!

I hope y'all's weekend is going great! I'm taking a little time to write this, but then I have to get started on this homework. I have a creative writing assignment (cause, I mean, when do I not?) and Bria and I have a Doctrine 2 test on Monday! :P If you think of us at all this weekend, please pray that that goes well for us!

And speaking of my best friend Bria, she went to the women's event this morning too and wrote a blog post about it as well! She's got such great reflections on what she got out of it, so definitely check out her post on it HERE: http://bria1320.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/finding-our-worth/

Also, I just wanted to clarify that I told y'all about my struggles, not to get sympathy from you, but to express that I'm still human and still going through this journey called life, and that while I'm writing to y'all about serving the Lord and trusting in Him, I definitely don't have it all figured out, and won't until the day I am made perfect in Him! Please just continue to pray for me as I go through my daily walk! Your prayers are so so appreciated!!! 

Love you all! Praying that your weekend is filled with fun and rest! Know that you are not alone in your struggle! The Lord stands by you! And what a comfort that is!

#luvya!
~ Mishy (^^) <3