As I have been reflecting on the Word recently, I have repeatedly re-read verses saying to myself, "I am supposed to do what?" What the Bible tells me at times doesn't make sense according to society.  Don't believe me?  Take a look at these examples.
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back." Luke 6:27-30
Did you get that initial what? reaction that I did? Everyone else tells me that I am supposed to not like those who don't like me. I am supposed to get revenge on those that hurt me. If someone steals from me, I am to persecute them not give them something else. That doesn't make sense. 
Not convinced?
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Matthew 5:11
So, now not only am I supposed to this well about those who hurt me, but I am supposed to regard it as a blessing? The World tells me that if I am insulted it is because something is wrong with me and I need to act more like everyone else. Well, that really doesn't make sense.
Okay, last one. 
 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24
We are all undeserving sinners who will NEVER be good enough for God. No matter what I do and no matter what you do we're still going to be dirty. But God sent His perfect, spotless Son to die for rebellious me.  That doesn't make sense. 
But you know what? I'm glad Christianity doesn't make sense. 
If it did make sense, I would spend my eternity separated from my Father and Lord. I would have no hope in this world and I would have nothing to live for. I would have to own up to every single sin I have ever committed and God would tell me that I cannot be with Him.  What the World tells us and what God tells us are two completely different things. So, yeah a lot of the things the Bible says aren't going to make sense in our society. But that's okay. That's exactly how God planned it to set each and every one of us apart from the world.  God loves the world so much that He isn't going to give us the punishment we deserve, and He wants us to do the same to others. So, let's keep not making sense. Let's keep people asking us questions. Let's keep sparking people's interest and then pointing them towards the cross.  "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" John 16:17 

1. A Great Planner

I got this adorable personalized planner from maydesigns.com This planner is small (only 5x8) so you can fit it in your bag with all of your other textbooks. Based on last year's experience, smaller is better for planners. When I had my laptop, binders, and textbooks in my bag the last thing I wanted to do was add another bulky item to carry.  

What I loved about this planner is how I could personalize everything about it. I picked my background (the navy blue flower pattern) and the color of my monogram. You also can pick the font for your monogram or if you'd like you can put your full name or just one initial. 

2. Color-code Everything

Okay, this is my binder from last year, so it's slightly dirty and I don't have a new purple notebook yet because I still have a few months until school, but you get the picture. I was able to keep each class binder organized because I easily knew which folder goes where and which notebook to grab when I started a late night study session. Instead of having a pile of 20 different colors and no obvious class pairings of notebooks, I would have probably grabbed the wrong notebook for a class at least once a week. 

3. Desk Organization

I think having my textbooks stare me down while I was in my dorm room really pressured me to study when I would much rather be watching my favorite TV show on Netflix, so I recommend keeping your binders and books in plain view so they guilt you too. My method was to buy this organizer from Office Depot. It holds all of my binders and textbooks. Each divider was a class and I was able to fit my binder and that class' textbook in each section. So, in the morning when I was packing my backpack, I would just grab one section and if the section was empty, I knew I had everything! I never once forgot a book or notebook by keeping organized this way. 

4. Schedule Free Time Wait, how does this help you academically? Well trust me, it does. When I finished all of my classes for the day I allowed myself to watch one episode of my favorite show before I would start my homework. Once I worked for over an hour, I would allow myself to watch another show, or at least part of one, if I needed a break. By taking time to de-stress, you will be able to tackle your assignments with a renewed spirit and you will most likely punch out better work than if you were sick and tired of school. 

5. Work and Then Play I always finished my homework earlier rather than later. About 90% of the time, I would have all of my assignments finished before I ate dinner and I loved having my schedule that way. I would have all of my evenings free to do whatever I wanted with them and I was able to have a good break at night from anything academic. If you get caught up in the afternoon with all of your tv show watching and other activities, you may have to pull a super late night because that one assignment you thought would take an hour actually took three. Also, some people are still in class in the afternoon, so not much is going on around campus until the evening anyways.   Now, obviously there are exceptions. For example, at IWU everyone goes to Teter Cafe (which opens at like 8pm) to do homework and socialize. So, if I was planning on that I would leave some assignments to do at night, but always a small amount. 

A Taste of Southern Hospitality

I'm back! And it was such a great trip! After nearly 3,000 miles of driving and exploring 9 different states, I can say I've successfully experienced the south. It was absolutely gorgeous, so I could not help but take tons of pictures. For your viewing pleasure, I have compiled a few of my favorite shots during my week long adventure and organized them by day!

  Enjoy!

Day One: Drive

My hobby for the roadtrips: knitting!

Mississippi River

Day Two: Vicksburg, Mississippi 

Day Four: New Orleans

 Day Five: Orange Beach, Alabama

Day Six: Orange Beach, Alabama

Shoutout to Kudos from Kayla on the beach!

Day Seven: Nashville, Tennessee

Day Eight: HOME

Louisiana Bound

See you in a week!

As I enter into my second month of summer, I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on my first year of college. It was unbelieveable. I made friends, I lost friends, I grew in my relationship with God, I laughed, I cried, I procrastinated, and I studied into the night.  But, I would not change a single moment.  Due to the chaos of my time at IWU, I had to rely on God for answers throughout my school year and He gave me some verses that really spoke to me and I believe they can speak to you. 

-Here are the three verses that were essential my freshman year at college-

 [Galatians 1:10] Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. 
Even at a Christian college, temptation is around every corner. Many students still expect to have the typical "college experience" and will bend the rules to achieve it. I had this verse taped about my desk and I would look at it every single day. I am not on this planet to make the most friends, I am here to serve God. 
[1 Corinthians 10:23-24] "Everything is permissible" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" - but not everything is constructive.   College is the first step towards freedom. However, we are responsible for using that freedom to our advantage. We cannot neglect our studies to go out with friends everything and allow our grades to fail. We cannot recklessly spend our money and have to scrape by towards the end of the semester. Every decision must be handled with care and respect as students experience their first experiences in adulthood.
[Proverbs 19:21] Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
This verse is a total "story of my life" moment. I am a planner. I plan for absolutely everything and God taught me this year that it is not always going to work out that way. I entered into the school year saying "I'm going to do this and this and that and be happy" but God said "Oh no you're not. I have better plans for you." For example, I was given the amazing opportunity to work with a local youth group (shoutout to my UCYG) and I had experiences I could have never dreamed of. It was the best and all in God's will. So, as you enter into college for the first time, or maybe your last, try not to plan. It most likely won't work out anyways. Just pray for God's guidance and will in your life.  //
What verses have inspired you during the past year? Comment them below

Rainy Day Blues

Cardigan: H&M 

Tank Top: H&M

Shorts: Kohl's

Necklace: Claire's

Summertime Henna Tattoo

 I got this at home henna kit at Michaels and thought I would give it a try! What do you think? 

First, mix water and the henna powder. Once mixed, add the oil included. 

Let it sit for 45 minutes!

 Draw your design on your arm! (I went with a feather)

 Allow the design to harden on your skin for a minimum of 3 hours

Remove and admire! (It will darken overnight)