For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.- John 3:16

So, I have had the worst two weeks. I wrote last week about how I got into an accident and also fell in the mud while exploring nature. This week I hit my best friend in the face with a racquetball and forgot my favorite water bottle in my English class which made me late for my Care and Prevention of Injuries class. I've cried a lot these past weeks and my stress levels have far exceeded any possible limit I thought they could. I'm sure that I will be prematurely gray and will have wrinkles in my twenties. There were so many times where I just wanted to crawl up into a ball and not leave my dorm room.

I've sat here the last two weeks and felt sorry about myself, wondering why something like this would happen to me. I didn't deserve getting into a wreck. I didn't deserve falling in the mud. Erin didn't deserve me hitting her in the face with a high speed racquetball. I might not have deserved all of that but I didn't deserve the love I got either. I didn't deserve the texts from ladies from church telling me that they were thinking about me. I didn't deserve my parents love, encouragement, and wisdom when I thought the world around me was burning. I didn't deserve the message from my uncle telling me that my little cousin was bragging about me to one of her friends tonight.

How does someone like me deserve the love and support of all of these people when I sat here and only felt sorry for myself? How do I deserve the love of God when I struggled to believe that He loved me the past two weeks? There is a saying that goes, "I can't brag about my love for God because I fail Him daily, but I can brag about His love for me because it never fails." How do I forget about His amazing grace and mercy in everyone's lives? God is an amazing God who continues to baffle me because of His unfailing love for everyone and for me. I think that we all forget sometimes how much God loves us. I mean, He sent His only Son for our sins. 

If you are ever down and out (kind of like I was and a tiny bit still am) remember God's love for you. Remember the lives you've touched and all of the people who love you and look up to you. I couldn't have made it through these two weeks without the love and support of everyone. 

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I thank you for the continued support and prayers. I was able to drive my car home today and am at home relaxing. 

Wrecked

 He said: "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help and You listened to my cry." Jonah 2:2

Lets recap the "wonderful" (sarcasm) week I've had this past week. I came back to Columbia and started my classes. Not too bad other than an 8:05 (which has been moved to a place closer to my dorm). On Thursday, I decided to head out to the area shopping center to see if they had some items that I needed. Upon returning, I hit 5 o'clock traffic and ultimately another car. Her car had minor damage and mine seems to be all cosmetic (PTL!!). However, it was one of the most stressful, scariest things that I have ever been apart of. Luckily, I have amazing sorority sisters and amazing best friends who came running to my rescue. My dad also has amazing friends who came to the wreck site and to look after the wreck at my car to see if I can make it down to the beach next weekend. 

On a happy note, the weather this weekend has been amazing. So, my friends and I decided that we needed to at least enjoy the wonderful weather. For me, this would have been done playing tennis, for them it was a walk down near the river. Today, we went to the river. We walked down the paths and even took some unbeaten paths. We walk down near the river and I slip and go into a split. I was wearing jeans and white Converses. Needless to say I was not a happy Campman (haha, get it? Campman, camper? Ok, its lame). 

I think that God will wreck our lives so we realize that we can't do anything ourselves. God is an almighty god who has a plan in our lives. I think it took not only me getting into a wreck, but also falling in the mud to see that. He lets us get dirty and then He cleans us off. Kind of like what Erin and Morgan did for me (after they stopped laughing). 

Singing in the Rain

May He give you the desires of your heart and make all of your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4

I write this as I am sitting at my happy place. The beach was never something that I thought that I would miss once I went off to college. I spent all summer on the beach and maybe only went once or twice for my own enjoyment. I, however, have found myself missing the aroma of the salt air and the way the waves endlessly kiss the shore. I miss this place and it makes me happy to be here. (Which is why I walked on the beach in the rain yesterday.)

While I have a great life with family and friends that support me, I don't feel like I am appreciative of what God has blessed me with. This is why my New Years resolution isn't to lose weight or eat healthier. It is to be happier. This world is full of trials and burdens that weigh us down, but it is also full of great and wonderful this that have been take for granted.I know what you are thinking. "Katy, are you my happy with the life you have now?" My answer to that would be: yes I am happy but not in the way that I want to be happy. I'm not as happy as I could be.

I am reading a book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. In the book she chronicles her journey to be happier and the different aspects of her life she works on to make herself happier. While some of her subjects, such as marriage and parenthood, don't apply to me, I will still be using her happiness project as a frame and stepping stone for my own project. There is a saying that goes something like, "Everyday isn't always a good day, but there is always good in everyday." I'm hoping that I will start to realize this and ultimately live a happier life. Also, from a happier life comes a healthier life.

Along with this, I am hoping that 2015 is the year that I become a better woman of God. I also am currently reading a book called Dirty God by Johnnie Moore. The book talks about the grace of God in our lives and how Jesus came from the gold paved streets of Heaven to the trenches of the earth. Along with this, I also recently purchased a book of sorts from She Reads Truth and I am hoping that it will help me better understand the gospel of John and Jesus' life.

I think that God is using this new year and new stage of my life to become a better daughter, sister, friend and follower of Christ. Be looking for updates on the books I'm reading and the progress of my happiness project in the "Happiness Project" tab on the above tab. Don't hesitate to ask questions either! There is a place for questions and comments on the side tabs.

I am so excited to see where 2015 will take me and I am so glad to have your love and support along the way. I hope that you all had a fabulous and blessed holiday seasons and that your upcoming year will be blessed! 

Peace and blessings!