peace be still.

Peaceful is not exactly the first word that pops into my mind while describing myself.

In fact, it may be the last word. 

It is also not a word that anyone else would describe me with.
I am quite positive that the phrase "oh Easton is that really calm, tranquil, peaceful girl" has not once been uttered. 

Trust me, I am well aware of this fact. I am also completely fine with it. I is who I is. I do what I do. I am who I am.

That being said, this is one thing that God has started to place on my heart. That through all the chaos that is my life and through all the hype that I conjure up, I must find peace in each and every day.

Without peace my world becomes full of words, noises, and sights.
Without peace my day-to-day distractions build up in my mind.
Without peace my judgment becomes impaired.
Without peace my focus is on myself rather than my Savior.
Without peace my self becomes my world.

I need peace to hear God.
I need peace to remain sane.
I need peace to flood over my insanity.

John 14:27 states this:

     "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid."

You see, I need peace. 

But the peace I need cannot be found in this world.

    The peace I need doesn't come from any nap I take.
    The peace I need isn't gained through reading for pleasure.
    
    The peace I need is found in Him alone.

This peace comes from blocking out the world.
     This peace comes from focusing in on my God.
          This peace comes from diving into the Word.
               This peace comes from worshipping His name.
                    This peace comes from dwelling in the Spirit.

In college it is hard to find a place of peace. 
There is constantly someone to talk to, 
                    somewhere to be, 
                    something to be doing.

It's easy to try & just nap off the feeling of being overwhelmed
Or to go on a walk with a friend to "clear your mind"
Or just chill with a group of people in a casual setting.

But without that One-on-one time with the Lord it is impossible to find true peace. You cannot find peace from any self thought out solution.

He is the only remedy.

So as the chaos and stress of the semester begins to pile on

        I will look to Him.

As the distractions become even larger and more tempting

        I will look to Him.

As I get more anxious for break and my motivation decreases

        I will look to Him.

For He has promised us a peace unlike any we can look for.

He promises a peace that RESTORES our minds and hearts.

He promises a peace that is REAL.

And that is the only peace I need.

His Presence.

A few weeks ago I sat in a pew as my father began his sermon. 
Same routine as every other Sunday.
I always enjoy hearing my dad preach, in fact he is my favorite pastor to listen to. 
But I especially love hearing him preach about things that have been on my heart.

As in this instance when he preached on the presence of the Lord. 

For the past few months the message of the presence of God has constantly been brought up in my life. Worship music in particular. In many different songs introduced to me throughout late spring and the summer, this message has been pounded into my head. In the best, most beautiful way possible.

Now, I have had heard the words "presence of the Lord" thrown around throughout my many years in church, but it was not until recently that I truly felt His presence.

I am not saying it was the first time I had felt the Holy Spirit, I am simply saying it was the first time that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was present and that He was engulfing me in all that He is.

You see, the Scripture teaches that when Christ died for us He sent the Holy Spirit to us. For we are never alone and He never truly left us. In John 14:17&18 Jesus tells us:

"He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him because it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you know Him because He lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans-I will come to you."

When we recognize God, we recognize the Holy Spirit.
And when we recognize the Holy Spirit, we experience God in a whole new way.

We feel Him.

How lovely that is.

How lovely that our God sent His Son to die as a living sacrifice
How lovely that His Son never left us alone
How lovely that we have His Spirit here on earth with us

How lovely.

                                                         

These three songs simply echo the things that have been revealed to me since starting college.

His presence is all I need, all I want, all I seek.

His presence is air, my song, and the love I need.

His presence is Heaven.

His presence is welcome.

His presence is glorified. 

His presence is good.

So, so, so good.

falling.

I love fall.

I love the way the air smells...

       the change in color...

       the leaves falling...

       the holidays that it leads up to...

       the tradition...

I love it all.

I cannot pinpoint an exact reason to this love, but it started when I was young.

Maybe it is because as a child I counted down the days until Halloween--the one day a year that I (a sweet-toothed,candy-obsessed child) got to stuff my face with Kit Kats, Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, m&ms, War Heads, Whoppers...I could go on, but I think you get my point. 

Or maybe it is because I knew that as soon as the leaves were gone, snow was coming soon. I loved school, but I loved snow days more. 

Or maybe it was because I loved seeing my family and with fall comes family. Thanksgiving has always been at our home and nothing filled me with more joy than having all of my loved ones under one roof. You may or may not know that my family has some rather unique traditions. Enchiladas and Italian food. No, not at the same time. Homemade enchiladas the night before Thanksgiving. Italian food at a restaurant on the Plaza Thanksgiving day. Food perfection.

Or maybe it is simply because fall is happy. 

It is warm in a crisp, cool way. 

It is joyful. 

It brings lovely colors. 

It makes my heart feel full. 

I just love it. 

Tonight I had the wonderful experience of returning back to my 9-year-old self. No, I didn't get to stuff myself full of every kind of sugar. I got to decorate pumpkins.

And it was wonderful.

My mama and I spent a good 45 minutes picking out the perfect...8....pumpkins. If you have ever been shopping with us, you know that we are very good at it but we occasionally have a difficult time narrowing down the things we want to buy. But we did it. 

So here are the eight pumpkins that made the final cut.

You may have gotten dizzy if you had been watching us walk back and forth between pumpkins. You also may have been ready to cut off your ears listening to us discuss the pros and cons of each pumpkin. Like I said we are indecisive, but in the end we get the job done. I love our eight little pumpkins.

Now, we found the perfect pumpkins. But it couldn't stop there.

So, we (my mother and I) decided to get a little Pinteresty on this lovely October night. After devouring some delicious chili (did I mention fall is my favorite?!), we took two pumpkins and made some magic.

Let's just say, glitter was our friend.

 Glitter Massacre

Mama's Pumpkin

 

My Pumpkin

Koda Bear

Reliving childhood memories and being an absolute weirdo with my mother made this evening one of the greatest evenings in a long time.

And it was the best kickoff to fall that I could ask for.

Happy Fall Y'all!

two months.

two months.

two months have passed since my frantic call to my parents.

two months have passed since the most emotional day of my life.

two months have passed since I begged to come home.

two months have passed since the day that I panicked.

two months have passed since the day that I learned to trust.

trust God's truth.

trust God's promises.

trust God's life plan for me.

trust God's Word.

trust God.

two months.

two months of learning that God is so much larger than I am.

two months of learning that even when I fail, He never leaves me.

two months of learning that patience is a virtue.

two months of learning that my plans may fail, but His prevail.

two months of learning.

These past two months have been the longest months of my life.
In the greatest way possible.
I have seen God in a whole new light.
I have felt God's presence in a whole new way.
I have experienced God.

It is only month two and yet I have already learned so much. I have been given people to guide me and comfort me and support me and laugh with me and spend time with me and cry with me and be real with me. Beautiful people who love Jesus with their whole being.

And once again, I am thankful.

I am thankful for the trials I have faced over these past two months.

I am thankful for the blessings God has poured on my life.

I am thankful for the memories I have made.

I am thankful for the opportunity to attend SBU.

I am thankful for the wonderful fall weather after what felt like an eternity of heat.

I am thankful for my RD who hooked me up with a babysitting job in which I get to be around a precious BABY every week.

I am thankful for Beasley Hall.

I am thankful that I have gotten to spend time with my grandmother in Springfield.

I am thankful for the trips home.

I am thankful for the suite across the hall from me full of four girls who crack me up daily.

I am thankful for the coffee shop that I spend too much time in.

I am thankful for God's grace...
love...
mercy...
kindness...
PATIENCE...
goodness...
promises.

I am thankful for these two months.

getting there.

Well hello.

It has been two weeks since my last post and I have no idea how I let time get away from me like that. I guess just caught up in the craziness and distraction of college and college life.

I have spent this past week really thinking about college. About what it means for my future. About what it means I have accomplished in these past few years. About what it means for my present life. 

College is good. 

It is a lot.

A lot of learning how to live life. 

A lot of learning how to handle people

A lot of learning how to react in tricky situations.

A lot of learning time management.

A lot of learning tolerance.

A lot of learning how God is stretching me.

A lot of learning thankfulness and gratitude.

A lot of learning how to manage MONEY.

A lot of learning how to make myself keep my room clean.

A lot of learning.

It is unlike anything I could have prepared for, thought up, guessed, or been ready for.

I still deal with being sick for home. I still go home most weekends. And that's okay.

In time I will not feel the need to be at my house every weekend.

In time I will get used to this being my temporary home.

In time I will get in the groove of things.

In time I will be more appreciative of Bolivar.

In time I will adjust.

But right now, I am still figuring things out.

I am still learning.

A lot.

It is just week seven of school, but already I am finding my place here.

I am sorta, kinda, maybe figuring out what studying looks like.

I am getting used to each of my different professors.

I am finding a balance in how much I hang out in the coffee shop.

I am discovering what being a college student entails.

I am adapting to the nasty cafeteria food.

I am growing in my tolerance and patience.

I am learning what living with girls is like.......

Girls.

Not any specie I have ever really been familiar with.

Yes, I am a girl.

Yes, I have girl friends.

Yes, I know what girls are like.

But living with girls.

Now that's new.

Although it is 1,938,234,424 times different than living with boys, I am growing used to it. In fact, I am starting to enjoy it immensely. 

God has dropped some phenomenal sisters in my path here at SBU and I am eternally thankful for that.

I am learning,

     growing, 

     adapting, 

     discovering, 

     transforming,

     shaping into the woman I need to be for the Lord,

                  the daughter I need to be for my parents,

                  the teacher I need to be for my students,

                  the sister I need to be for my brothers,

                  the wife I need to be for my husband,

                  the mom I need to be for my children,

                  the friend I need to be for my friends,

                  the warrior I need to be for the Kingdom,

                  the me I need to be for God's will in my life.

I'm getting there.

          Slowly but surely.

I'm getting there.