"He will not delay...my refuge and strength always...I will not fear, His promise is true..."

Our tree this year

Welcome, 2012!

It's supposedly the last year of the world according to Mayans. Not like I agree with any of that hype, but still kinda cool to think that I'm living in that year. Man, 2012. I've been alive for parts of 3 different decades! Life goes so fast.

The ladies who went to
the bachelorette party

I've had an awesome time at home for Christmas and New Year's. Leaving tomorrow morning (well, technically this morning) to go back to Pullman and start off the new semester. I'll be at the first 3 days of classes and then it's back on a plane for Alison's wedding!  Craay-zee! I'm looking forward to it a lot though, and hopefully by my next blog will have some pictures to post. I get to pick up their wedding present from me on Thursday. I won't say anything spoiler-ish...but I hope it works out like I planned it. It's funny the social events you don't quite know the etiquette for until you're there. Being in the wedding has been one of those, but I'm learning! And did I mention excited? And amazed? :)

Family Cmas Card Pic

Christmas was really cool this year. Very chill (except for the part where Bubba picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport... :P ) and a lot of quality family time. The older I get, the more you realize how expensive Christmas is! After buying gifts for as many people as I did, and not a lot of expensive gifts at that, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of friends and family who buy things for me. You know...I'm just overwhelmed by generosity in general. I'm struggling with that lately, with how to accept all of the free gifts that God has given me.  It's so hard to think about how easy my life is compared to people everywhere! From across the world to my brothers and sisters in Pullman, there are those who have had so many struggles and challenges. I don't understand why God hasn't asked me to walk through those, and I don't feel worthy of the "free ride" that I think I have had. Everyone's different, yes, and has a different story to live, but that seems like such a cop-out answer to what I'm thinking. And then, when struggles DO come, is that because I'm in trouble?? Or because it's finally "my turn" to suffer? I don't know how I'll rectify that in my head. God's been so good...and I just can't fathom it. My natural reaction to that is to feel guilty! But I'm not called to a life of guilt and shame! *sigh* Issues...

Brady in his snazzy new car

This coming semester is going to be hard. Not gonna lie. I'm looking forward to the next chapter, but I also forsee a lot of stress. I'm going to have to be a better time manager and studier than I ever have before. My friends and family need me, my school work needs me, the world needs me, I need to have time with just me and Jesus... And I'm also feeling convicted about being "too busy". I'm a chronic over-committer. If I'm asked, I can't say no, so I just make a litttle more room on my plate. Even God took a Sabbath, though! I'm wondering about doing that this semester, or at least trying to. Working super hard all week, and then having everything done by Saturday night so I can spend Sunday doing nothing "work" related. Still praying about that, but it sounds really awesome as of right now. It's going to require some habit changes though. And those are always hard.

I know this is a short entry, but it's late and I have to get up early in the morning to catch my flight. I'll try and update again soon to make up for it. Thanks for being there, blog-o-sphere!

* Always, Kristian Stanfill