Love.

Fall is my absolute favorite season! Spring is a close second, but the leaves that are changing are just breathtaking! I love pomegranates, pumpkin pie, the smell of rain, the heat coming on, Thanksgiving, baking delicious fall desserts, sweatshirts, and especially the orange, yellow and red leaves!! =D

Oh life...

Life is crazy. I don't know where my life is heading right now. God has really been putting a lot of stuff on my heart and mind, and with that, there have been a lot and lot of tests. Oy! I am really kind of over having so many questions! In my freshman bible study last week, we did something about our old selves and our new selves. It was definitely good for me. =) It was good to see who I used to be and who I have grown (still growing) to be the Christian woman I am today. I have also had a lot of time to think. Which, as dangerous as that is, it has been good. Everyday at lunch, I sit at the park, either doing quiet time, reading 'A Praying Life' or finishing homework. That time is usually about one and a half to two hours of just me time. God has really shown me a lot through those times also. I have been able to think about life, relationships, life, school, relationships, life, my prayer life, and a lot more stuff. Even though it sounds ridiculous and repetitive, it has been so good. In girl time, we are talking about the sin in our life and accountability. It really makes you think throughout the week. Holy cow! It has been great! Erika gave us a sheet of accountability questions that really is great to look at everyday and ask yourself how you are doing on certain things. =) Also, one of test God has been continuously putting me through is a test of relationships. Not necessarily just friend relationships, but boy relationships also. It is so hard to figure out what he is doing and I just wish that I could have answers, but I am starting to realize, that even though I don't like them at all at the time, they are really building me and making me grow in ways I didn't know that i could grow in. There have just been so many instances where I feel like a relationship is going really well, and then something happens and it is just all down the toilet and Satan gets in my head and starts listing off why I don't have a boyfriend right now, or why I am lonely. This whole exercise has really made my prayer life grow. It has been great. Also, we are doing song testimonies and I chose the song "Beautiful" by Bethany Dillon. This video. It is such an amazing song and when I feel down and not liking myself anymore, I just blast this song and it just fixes everything. =) Thank you Jesus for everything.

Psalm 13:5
"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."

Fall! =)

Oh my goodness! Fall is my favorite season and it is also the time of my favorite fruit! Yep. You guessed it! Pomegranates! The only problem with these amazingly delicious fruits is having to cut them... What a pain! Well, here is a step by step way to help you cut into this fruit! Be careful though! They can stain anything! :)

First: Cut the 'crown' and the bottom off of the fruit
Then, take the knife and push it in to the pomegranate. Just enough to get through the skin to the white part.
Score it into 4 different sections
Then, in a bowl of cold water, pull the fruit into four sections

Then, trying to keep the fruit under the water (to contain the juice) remove the seeds from the skin. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the skin will float
Take the pieces of skin out the best you can
Then dump the seeds into a strainer then put them into whatever container you want!
Then, violà! You have successfully cut and de-seeded a pomegranate! Eat them with ice cream, pies, tarts or just by spoonfuls! =)

ENJOY!!

The Constant

This past weekend was the Collegiate Fall Conference and it was so amazing!! I feel as if it gets better and better every year. Jeff Iorg was our speaker and the theme this year was "The Constant: Finding the Anchor in a Turbulent World" It was so so great to hear all of his talks. If you ever have time, you should listen to some his podcasts. He is a pastor that has an amazing story. I went to his workshop that was called, "Discerning God's Call" and I do not regret going to this one at all! Holy cow! He talked about three types of call experiences and then he told us about all of his call stories. What an amazing guy! The whole weekend was full of amazing worship led by Micah Peacock, amazing community, great talks in our small groups, camping, laughing, amazing talks and all around great great great time with God. I learned so much about myself in two days. =) I love this weekend every year and I cannot wait at all for next year! Thank you Jesus for such an amazing Christian community!!! =)

Tent city!

Yes, those are hammocks. Some boys stayed there instead of tents... =)

Great friends... =)

13.5 minutes of fame

Lots of hang out time =D

Of course bonfires!

And of course IHOP at 11:30 pm.

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

²²Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. ²³For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you

My Amazing Grandmother.

Sunday I got the news that my grandma passed out because of high blood pressure and she hit her head. She had an internal bleed in her brain. This immediately made my stomach drop. I don't ever want to see my grandma leave this earth. We can't deal with anymore death in our family right now. Grandparents are supposed to be there for when I get married, or when I graduate, or when I have kids. She is one amazing woman. Even though she repeats herself sometimes (don't we all?) I love her stories and her passion for our family (She knows anything and everything there is about Anderson and Gray history!) I love her seasonal sugar cookies, her collection of precious moments, her love of Brad Sneed, her cooking, her collection of pigs, sunflowers and cookbooks, and yes, I even love her passion for KU. =) She is in the hospital right now and not doing to well. I can't even imagine what our family would do without her. Correction. IDON'T want to imagine that. So, I am asking right now, if you do pray, please pray for her healing. At least long enough for my sister and I to talk to her about the Gospel. We have really been wanting to recently, but haven't and we just don't know where she stands... I am so scared that something is going to happen and we won't be able to talk to her anymore...Thanks guys!

"but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Thank you Jesus!!

This morning in Church, it was a big baptism blowout!! It was so wonderful to see so many people accept Jesus and get baptized this morning! How great! =) It just made me think, "Holy Cow. Jesus is so fantastic!" Yep, that is basically what I said to myself =) I look around and his grace is just everywhere. How amazing that he made every little thing, including nasty june bugs... =) Sooooo, Thanks Jesus!!!! =D

"For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands."

Psalm 92:4

I am so ready!!

Oh my goodness! I am so ready for football!! I just love the adrenaline it gives you, I love the friends, the hanging out, basically I just love football!! hehe =)

First of all. I am pumped for K-State football!!!

The band, willie, the wabash, Wildcat victory, friends... yep. Awesome. =)

BUT.

Not as much as I am pumped for SEAHAWKS, baby!! =D

and Seahawks sundays with the fam. =)

12th man all the way!!

Yep. Football is definitely my favorite sport to watch. =) LOVE IT! =D