Michael Jordan Year// Thoughts on being [23]

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday. 

Or as Miley Cyrus likes to put it, my Michael Jordan year.

Or as Blink 182 puts it when nobody likes you. 

Despite the lack of positive song lyrics about being 23, I celebrated as best as I could. 

My birthday, to me, has always been like a National Holiday. I start counting down the days right after Christmas. 

I love celebrating and being around the people who mean the most to me on this day. 

My family always celebrates the day before, because of being off work for MLK day. 

My family came up for the day and we hit the outlets looking for some great deals on clothes. We found them. 

We also enjoyed just sitting around and enjoying a beautiful day in Boone. 

That night, we went to dinner at a Japanese statehouse in Boone. 

(I wish I would have gotten pictures with everyone who came to celebrate, these are the ones my momma snapped to remember the day.) 

On my actual Birthday (Tuesday) I had two three hour classes. 

Boone was calling for snow and it started about 1pm. 

When I got out of class at 3:30 the ground was covered and it was sticking really good. 

In 23 years of life, I have never seen one Birthday that did not include snow. 

Perks of a January Birthday. 

My birthday dinner with friends was canceled due to slick roads. 

The University closed classes after 3:30, so my roommates were able to be at home with me. 

My roommate Karen cooked toco soup (one of my favorite meals of hers.) 

I will have to have her come over to my house one day just to fix it. 

Marc's momma made me cupcakes for my birthday dinner the night before and we had leftovers. 

We ate these sweet treats and watch the marathon of Teen Mom 2. 

My Child Development and Social Work Brain waves were off the chart while watching it.  

Today is a snow day for me from my internship at a local school. 

It is also catchup day for the work that I have not brought myself to do yet. 

So, 

Here is to being 23. My Jordan year. Wishing for great things to happen, a lot of memories made, and health and happiness as this new year of life starts off. 

xoxo, 

Mindy 

Me stepping out of the Boat

Its time to get real with you.
Its time to tell you about how I am stepping out of the boat.

I have been following Jarrid Wilson's blog for sometime now. Today I downloaded his book 30 Words to start going through as my daily devotional for this year.

Today the word that he choose to discuss as he opened his book was F A I T H. 

When I first thought about Faith, I thought about God's grace, God's timing, and God's commitment to us. I thought about the words I had learned in Sunday School growing up, the teaching my parents implanted into my life growing up in a Christian home.

As I read about faith this morning, I did not know how much I would use those words today.

In this first chapter on Faith, Jarrid talked about Petter and how he was a faithful servant who with all his heart loved Jesus. To initiate his faith Peter stepped off the safety and comfort of his boat as we see in Matthew 14:20. Although their were waves and rolling thunder, Peter took a step of faith toward his goal: JESUS.

Now you make ask, how does this apply to me and my day?

Yesterday I started my second semester of graduate school. When I fist started thinking about Graduate school I thought I was crazy. (I am not one who loves school, and it takes a lot for me to make the grades that I do.) As I began looking at jobs that I wanted, I saw how valuable a Master's Degree in Social Work would be.

"Sometimes having faith means engaging in something so bold that you will end up looking stupid if Jesus doesn't come through."- 30 Words

Last semester, I constantly questioned if I made the right choice in going straight through undergrad to graduate school. I made it through first semester, and I was proud of the grades that came along with it. Grades that reflected the effort that I put into that semester of learning to be a Graduate Student and bring my level of thinking to the next level.

Today, once all of the course sylabus' were in my hand, my heart began to beat at a faster pace. The semester was once again starting-this time at warp speed. As I looked over one course in specific and seeing that it was the exact same as a class I had in undergrad, I began to get frustrated and those why's started reappearing.

I cried on my drive home.
The pressure being released with every tear.

Once I got home, I had an email from a Early Childhood Organization that I am apart of with a "policy update"-something that included a pending legislation-something that I could use for my class assignments.

That was a total God moment. Showing me that my faith was so small. Showing that I need to be like Peter this semester and STEP OUT OF THE BOAT!  Showing that like Peter, my ultimate goal is JESUS and Jesus is going to take care of me in getting to the calling that he has placed on my heart. Like Peter, I need to have the Faith that God is going to take care of me. He has placed me specifically in this season for a purpose. I should not question my ability of getting to the end goal because Jesus is going to supply all of my needs.

Today, I encourage you to STEP OUT OF THE BOAT!

xoxo, 

Mindy 

And Second Semester begins...

 I sit her on my bed with a mound of clothes that need to be folded. Three loads of Laundry ready to be switched and suite cases that need to be packed I begin to develop fears for the up coming semester. I begin to wonder how did I ever go straight from Graduating in August (due to a summer Internship) directly into Graduate School without dying?

This Month off from classes and my field placement have been wonderful. I have been able to use one of my many talents: Finishing a Series on Netflix. Make that two.

This past month I have spent time with my family, friends who I have not been able to spend time with, and I have gotten to work with my Babies in Sunday School. This break has been one of so much relaxation that I am fearing getting back into the swing of things on Monday morning at 9:30 am.

This semester, I pray that I will be used in my field placement to reach out to the Elementary and Middle Schoolers that I work with. I pray that I will not be afraid to "sound like a momma" and to remember I am not their friends-but someone who can guide them when needed. This semester I want to connect with a group of believers through a life group or bible study. This semester no matter what comes my way, or what season of life I am in I want to invest in others and know that those in my life are investing in mine.

Here's to a lot of coffee, a lot of studying, and a whole lot of Jesus. 

xoxo, 

Mindy