Weather the Storm.....

Life has a way of piling things on top of you all at once until you are buried so deep you don't think you will ever get out. And sometimes your afraid if one more thing gets thrown on the pile you are going to break. But have you ever realized, that one thing that gets thrown on the top always seems to set the pile off balance and before you know it the pile has toppled and you're out from under it. Granted, you are left surrounded by a huge mess, but you aren't buried anymore. That is how my life has felt the last little while. During the summer everything was awesome. I had found new independence in an apartment of my own, with the best roommate! I was dating the most miraculous guy, my family and I had some pretty great times, the weather was wonderful, work was going well and I worked with some pretty awesome people. I was getting ready to start my first semester of College(FINALLY!) and I was sooo ready for that! I had the greatest friends, and I didn't know if life could get any better. Then slowly one by one things started to change. College started which was bitter sweet. I am truly thankful for my opportunity to begin my advanced education but it has been a bit overwhelming. My computer has been having issues so I've spent a lot of time at my brothers, or at the library working on assignments. I got to kiss my naps after work goodbye because I knew I probably wouldn't make it to class on time if I let myself lay down for a nap(and I proved myself right a few times.....) and, I stressed myself out wayyy too much about things that turned out to be pretty dumb. However, I gained some pretty great new friends through my classes. And I figured out what I need to do to better structure my time(granted I didn't actually figure this out until like, last week!) Now I'm to the very last week-- FINALS! I am proud to say I made it through my first semester, even though sometimes it felt like all the odds were against me. My wonderful little apartment is still wonderful. But it has been a bit of a challenge for me to keep on top of everything. Work, classes, homework, sleep, housework.... there are not enough hours in the day!!! My sweet roommate has been so patient with me throughout it all. She gentely reminds me when it's my turn to do the dishes and I haven't done them. She reminds me of little things I need to do to help myself when she notices me starting to stress. and she just loves me despite everything. I am so thankful for her and the blessing she has been in my life. As in the lives of most young adults, break ups happen. and they SUCK! It's hard to lose someone you care so much about. And the lessons that come along with it are hard ones to learn. I have found so many things I need to work on in my life to help me be prepared for the young man that I will marry. I have also discovered some important qualities and attributes I want in my future husband. I know dating is designed to help us prepare for our future, I just wish sometimes it didn't have to refine is in quite such a hard way. When school started back up some of my friends went elsewhere for school, and others our schedules just don't mesh well so it has been sad to not see them as much. However, I am so grateful for my friends. With the loss of time with some of them, I have gained time spent with a few. Heidi Thorne and Beka Glenn and I have spent quite a bit of time together the last few months and I don't know what I would do without our girls nights. I have also had some pretty great 'picnics' with Lexi Nielsen, and those always leave me feeling so..... rejuvenated. Sometimes my times with my girls were the only thing keeping me going that week. I have so many other remarkable friends that check in on me, remind me how loved I am, and just remind me of what I want to be like. I am so truly blessed to have such great friends!! As life got busier, family time got reduced. I miss my little munchkins, but I am looking forward to more time over Christmas break to see them. Along with family time disappearing, so did a bunch of other things: money, sleep, time, cleanliness of my car, my backpack, my room, and my apartment in general(again, my sweet Roommate is so patient with me!) Work has got stressful because it's holidays. Yet at the same time hours are being cut which is ALSO stressful. and then of course the weather-- I don't know about you but I HATE it when the case of the blues sets in along with the winter weather. It has been so neat to see so much wildlife in my yard, but there's just something about this time of year I'm not a fan of.... All and all, These last few months for me have been pretty interesting(to say the least). It seemed like my life was a snowball that had been pushed down the hill and there was NO stopping it! But I think it's starting to melt. It's still rolling for sure, but instead of continuously growing bigger, it's just kinda staying the same size. I have come to realize how TRULY blessed I am to live the life I have. Life has not been a tea-party that's for sure, but I know it could have been a lot worse. There are so many people out there who wish my problems were the biggest problems they had. Some people are dealing with the loss of loved ones, terminal illnesses, unemployment, homelessness, and the list goes on. In the big picture of things, I have a pretty good life. It isn't always easy and I wish I could change it, but I am thankful for the blessings the Lord has given to me and the help he has provided for me. I have learned in these last few months that sometimes you have to reach your breaking point before you are ready for the Lord to reach down, take you by the hand, and take control. He is always there to help, but sometimes you just aren't ready for it quite yet. Sometimes, you have to ask for help. Sometimes you just haven't quite learned what it is you are suppose to learn yet, and sometimes the Lord truly has been helping you along and you were just too stubborn to recognize it.

So, to let everyone in on a little secret I have figured out: Remember, THE LORD LOVES YOU, your family loves you, Your friends love you, I LOVE YOU, and people you don't know are watching and admiring you. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE! And when you feel like you are just remember, the Lord is there. He is carrying you through whatever it is you are going through, even if you don't recognize it at the time. Every day you have something to be thankful for. Some days you may just have to try a little harder to find it. The Lord wants to answer our prayers, but sometimes the answer we are looking for is not the one we are ready to receive. And sometimes, we're just going to have to weather the storm. After all, isn't that how you learn to appreciate the sunshine?!

I LOVE this song! It truly reminds me of how I have been feeling recently. I hope you enjoy it as well.