Things I've Learned To Love - Judson Edition

My life has changed a lot in the last year. I've gone from a single, community college attending, kindergarten teaching girl who was just waiting on God while in kind of a transition area of my life. A year ago tonight, I would have been writing this from my Mom's basement sofa. Now, I am laying on my very own sofa (or futon...) which I bought off Craig's list and split the cost with my roommate, in my dorm room, typing this as a listen to people down the hall watching Veggie Tales.

One of the things I've learned in the last year is how to be happy, not because the situations in my life make me happy, but rather because I choose to be happy about the situations in my life. Being at COD, while all my other friend's were off pursuing a new, independent life at a university was actually really hard. I felt lonely a lot, and often times felt like the only people who really cared about me (besides my mom and bestie) were the 20 kids I taught in an after school kindergarten program at the YMCA (not that this is a terrible thing :) ) Anyway, to say the least, after waiting a year on God, struggling, praying, and mainly learning to be content, God has really blessed me. My life is pretty darn good right now...however, about this time last year I spent some time in my blog writing about the things that I love...they were pretty generic things, the little things I learned to love. I guess what I'm saying is that I never want to stop being thankful for the things that I have, so, just as a little reminder to myself, here is Things I've Learned to Love - Judson Edition.

1.) Standing over the Volkman bridge with the cutest guy in the world, watching the massive carp swim in Tyler Creek.
2.) Seeing every other person on campus walking shoeless in the middle of 40 degree rainy march, for Tom's Day Without Shoes to remember to raise awareness for the numerous impoverished countries who's children walk shoe-less every single day, and knowing, one hundred percent with-out a doubt, that I am in the right place.
3.) Sunsets over Wilson Hall.
4.) Exploring, finding secret passage ways, and fun hiding places all over campus. They really are there.
5.) Crazy dance parties in the stairwells of Ohio Hall at 3AM with the best friends a girl could ask for.
6.) Heart-to-hearts in the car on the way to a beautiful mansion with an organ inside of it.
7.) Learning to love on long car rides.
8.) Taking unplanned adventures, and discovering new places. :)
9.) Kidnapping friends at midnight and driving to Dunka (Dunkin Donuts).
10.) Amazing God moments.
11.) Living in a community of women who I know at any moment will hold me up and encourage me when I'm at my lowest, and rejoice with me when I'm on top of the world, and will make sure to keep me in check.
12.) Being EXCITED about my classes, and eating lunch with my teachers, who know me by my first name.
13.) Speaking of which, having teachers who know me by my first name, and about 3 other nick names they like to yell down the hallway in the Fine Arts Center.
14.) Getting care packages, and waiting for that once a week lunch date with my mom.
15.) Knowing that I belong.
16.) Knowing that I've waited, and dreamed, and longed, and held out for God's answer, knowing that after so long, I'm living in that answer.

I don't know much, but I do know that I must decrease, and He must increase. I know that Christ is my life, my entire being. I know that I am the dirt, and He is the gardener, and He is planting in me seeds of LIFE. I know that He is the sun, and the water, and oxygen that give me life and grow me each and every day.

I know I am filled to be emptied again.

God is good. :)

Who knows what I will be thankful for a year from now?