Thankful.

Hello All!

Allow me to take a break from my typical tales of humorous college experiences, and get a little deep on you all for a moment.  Thanksgiving is just two days away, and as much as I can't wait to stuff my face with mashed potatoes until I can't breathe, I also want to take a second and remember that Thanksgiving is not called "Wonderful-Food Day" (although it may as well be).  Being in college and encountering so many new things that I am not used to, I have been feeling extremely grateful for a lot of new and old things in my life; both here, and back home.  I thought I would share a few of these things with you all!

Headphones-Okay, this one is a little silly.  But headphones have seriously saved my life these past months!  Not only can I enjoy listening to music or watching movies without disturbing the roomies, but they help drown out my roomate's constant snores...bless her heart.

My Location-Let me explain.  I had no idea that I would end up here, out of all the schools I was considering.  And while I'm still not sure how I feel about being a mere 2 hours from my home, I cannot imagine myself being anywhere else.  It's crazy!  What I love most about where I'm situated, is that it allows the occasional visitor(s) from back home to come and see me!  I have LOVED getting to see some of you in my "turf", and it makes me extremely grateful that I'm just a hop, skip, and a jump away!

Church-Growing up in the same church my whole life, I was a bit nervous that I wouldn't find a place that I would feel as connected to down here in Cowtown.  But I did!  And right away!  I have been feeling so thankful for Discovery; going to church is one of the highlights of my week.  I always feel so comfortable and re-fueled for the rest of my week when I'm there.  I have also loved getting to know the people, and making another community in a different area of campus.

Starbucks-Caffiene.  Delicious sweetness.  Need I say more?

Bikes-Although at times I curse the days when I have to ride in the rain, I am very thankful that I have a flat campus that allows me to ride my bike Shelly to class (and other places) in a pinch.  Plus, it can be a great stress-relief after getting out of a not-so-pleasant lecture.  Oh! And I have to give some credit to my little basket, which makes transporting of things so much easier (and cuter!)

Skype-I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see some of my friends faces for months at a time!  Last night I had the pleasure of skyping my wonderful friend Abs in Australia!  Talk about the wonders of technology!  But for real, skype is da bomb.

GOD-Ok, this one might get a little lengthy. Without getting too "churchy", I need to give God some ALL the credit for all the things I am thankful for.  To be honest, I was a little bit anxious about how my faith would change and develop as I left home and came here.  But I can say now that I have never felt closer to God in my life.  Its funny, in college there is so much time just to think about things (and usually OVER-think them), and I have realized that ending up here is proof that I can never ever plan my life out as well as God can.  I remember this time last year, as a Senior, I made the decission to give my future college plans to God, and let him place me where I need to be.  Well, admist some kicking and screaming, I ended up here.  A place I never suspected.  But now that I am here, I can't imagine being in any other school, any other hall, meeting any other people.  And that is proof to me that God is in control.  There is no way I am here by coincidence or sheer luck.  As someone who constantly needs to be in control and tends to feel very anxious when I start to loose some of that control, trusting in God is such a hard choice to make.  Its a daily effort to seek out what he has for me; but when I do, I have seen first-hand how things end up better than I could ever have imagined.  There is such a peace I find when I place my hope and fears in the Lord.  Of course being a part of Cru, and being around people who share my same faith has helped it develop.  But it has been a personal journey too--surrendering all of my fears and anxieties of all the "unknowns" that I encounter here has shown me that God can really change my life for the better.  I don't understand how people think that having Jesus in your life is restrictive and boring; I am proof that it can be the most exciting journey, bringing the most unexpected surprises!  I am so so SO thankful to God for all that he has done for me, and for the family I grew up in who supports me in making the personal decission to believe and trust in Him. So grateful.

Of course I have EVERYTHING to be thankful for; especially the fact that I'm coming home tomorrow! (And I just found out my class got cancelled--woooooot!!) This is just a little sampling.  Normal Cowtown Adventures will presume shortly.

xo Cami