"There is one King, He is Jesus. King of Glory, stong and mighty."
So it looks like I've somehow stumbled back into livejournal land. I've been sitting at my computer all morning, not really accomplishing much, but my eyes are beginning to get sore from staring at the screen.
It has been an incredibly tumultuous year from me (and when I say year, I mean since September when the school year begins). I even surprise myself with how happy I am an UMB. Thanks to the Honors Program, I've found an incredible group of friends which has opened all sorts of doors to Christian fellowship that I honestly wasn't expecting to find through the school. I've experienced a number of new congregations and denominations. I've had the chance to talk to all sorts of Christians, from conservative to liberal, and it has been amazing for my own faith journey. Also, as I was questioning this summer whether or not I wanted to remain in the Episcopal Church, all of these experiences have helped me to see for myself that the Episcopal Church is the place for me.
Just the other day, I was in Bath & Body Works and I was talking to a girl who worked there and it turned out that she also goes to UMB. After a couple of minutes she said "I don't know if you are interested, but we have a bible study at the school on Wednesday afternoons." I had been going to the Monday afternoon bible studies but I knew about the Wednesday ones. The thing that impressed me was that she was so willing to invite me to a bible study, not having known me for more the 4 or 5 minutes. I wish I could be more like that. Especially going to a liberal university, I feel like I have fallen into the habit of being far too apologetic for being a Christian. I've become too quiet about it, because I'm over-aware of all the people around me who are so adamantly opposed to what I believe in.
The less bright side of the past 5 months is that tomorrow I'll be attending my 3rd funeral since October, and I have fallen out of touch with a lot of people I whole-heartedly intended to stay in touch with. Disappointments and losses can feel so crushing sometimes... especially when you've lost the friendship of people who have been wonderfully supportive through to hard times.
But you always need to weigh the good with the bad, I guess. I have so much love in my life right now, and there has been so much prayer for my family these past fews months and I honestly believe there is incredible power in that.
My sisters and I are closer than ever, my mother is, honestly, my best friend. The distance between us has done nothing to hinder my friendship with Annie, and my relationship with Dave is more than I ever expected and I'm unbelievably happy.
So in short, my whole life is completely different than it was this summer. I feel like an entirely different person than I was. I have a newfound respect for the people in my life, and I've learned the hard way that, more often than not, I need to be putting other people's needs before my own.
And for everyone I haven't talked to in months... I truly, truly apologize. I have a long list of all of the people I've been meaning to call for weeks and weeks but I get lost in work and school and everything else life throws at you. So please accept my apology, and please don't take it personally.
I think that's enough for now. I've broken my many months of silence on livejournal, although this entire entry is ultimately just me procrastinating for a Greek and Roman Mythology essay that is due tomorrow (the professor of the course said in class on Tuesday that "the bible belongs in a mythology class," but I won't even start on that right now).
Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain. --1 Chronicles 4:10