still blessed

courtesy of weheartit

the past couple weeks i have started doing something i haven't put that much effort into throughout the course of my samford career. and that's putting time into being the sorority girl i dreamed of growing up to be. my first two and a half years i had mostly focused on developing friendships with the people it was easiest to do so with, the ones that would be stuck with me for the rest of my life because the majority of them live in orlando. but now i've been investing my time with a group of girls i call my sisters, and i could not be any happier about it. i had never made a conscious effort to reach out to them and let them see who i am as a person, or let them see my pain. this past week i finally decided to write down one of my prayer requests on the sheet of paper we pass around chapter. just a simple little phrase. the one year anniversary of my dad passing away is coming up. as soon as the email went out i received letters, emails, and text messages of people letting me know i, as well as my family, were in their prayers. wait a minute. the same girls i hadn't invested nearly as much time in as i should have? the ones i would abandon in order to spend time with my other group of friends? they all know i've considered dropping on more than one occasion, and i may not be the best Alpha Delt, but they are choosing to love me anyway and lift me up in a time of need all because i wrote one sentence on a sheet of paper. that's sisterhood. that's why i'm an alpha delt. that's why i love my sisters.

lit nerd

via Tattered Cover

The other day I had to annotate a monologue from Shakespeare's The Tempest, and it was quite possibly the angriest I had ever been. Why on earth am I supposed to care what word Shakespeare used at this particular time and why he did it? He didn't write it so that half a century later college students would curse his name. He wrote it to make our hearts feel something. I don't care what the authors of anything actually meant, how it applied to society in their specific time of living. Isn't it the dream of a true artist to have their audience relate to what they did? I shouldn't have to focus in on one word in one passage and focus on what that means. I should be focusing on the beauty of the entire work, and how it's still applicable in my own time.

comfort

i miss my dad. all the time. every day. and it still makes me cry thinking about the fact that i can't just write him a letter to say hey i love and miss you, or call him on the phone, or skype him, leave a funny video on his wall and laugh about it later. and it hurts so bad. i curl up in my bed and think about how much i miss him. but tonight i'm trying something new, rather than curling up in my desolation, i'm seeking comfort from the One whose care i'm in on earth, just as my sweet dad is in heaven.

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Psalm 71:20-21
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

Lamentations 3:31-33
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.