The Joy of the Lord is my Strength. Forever.

I am really awful at keeping up with this. Life get so busy and I am forgetful, I will try to be better.

Life has been on fast forward the past few weeks and I just want to hit the stop button, for just a second. Last week I met the teacher and classroom I will be working in this semester. I got put with the second graders. They are the sweetest things in the whole world. I had been having some doubts about becoming a teacher because I love learning about the bible and once I dive into my Major classes I wont be learning about the bible as much, but the moment I stepped into that classroom I knew it was exactly where I was supposed to be. The kids were so excited for me to be in there. Two little boys hugged me. Two of the little girls said they liked my bracelet and one boy said he liked my pants. I am so excited for the rest of the semester. Little kids seriously bring me so much joy. I can't even contain it all.

I feel like God has really been coming alive to me lately. Everywhere I look I just see His beauty and it just amazes me. This past weekend we went on our New Student Retreat up in the mountains, it was 10,000 feet above sea level, it was very hard to breathe, but boy was it beautiful. I had forgotten how much I love retreats and just getting away and being with God and hanging out with friends. It wasn't a Thrive or Encounter but it was what I needed. Yesterday coming home I was confused as to why I wasn't sad that we were leaving. I came to the realization that going home from a youth event meant leaving my friends and returning to the real world where I would struggle to keep my relationship with God as strong as it was that weekend. Coming home from this retreat I wasn't sad because first of all I wouldn't be leaving my friends, I live with them. Second of all, I'm not afraid of losing my high feeling with God. Everywhere I go there are hundreds of people who are completely in love with Jesus and it's hard not to feel the same way and be in a state of constant worship. I love it.

I am filled with so much joy and love for my heavenly father, I don't know why anyone would not want this feeling. I've come to LOVE chapel. I get so excited to be in the presence of God with all my new friends around me. God has been so faithful to me and I am so glad He has chosen to be beside me during this journey.

This has become my favorite song. It's called You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham. I love listening to it and soaking up the lyrics::

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who You are
You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see You there hanging on a tree
You bled and then You died and then You rose again for me
Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful, You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see Your face,
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see Your face,
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see Your face,
I see Your face

I see Your face,
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful.