15 Things to Give Up to Be Happy

Someone posted this article on facebook today and I read it and really liked it. It was a great reminder of things that I can work on since I pretty much do all 15 things to try to be a little happier and not worry so much about things I can't control. I would encourage you to read it.

The start of many lasts...

I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting lately with friends as it begins to hit us that this really is the end of our college career in the classroom. As pharmacy students we've had a rather long period of saying goodbye to Drake and our friends.

I feel like I had a lot of "lasts" last year with the end of being a DG collegian such as: last formal, last night living in DG, last time being a student with many of my friends, last chapter, etc. As I said goodbye to a lot of my friends when they graduated it seemed like I would be at Drake forever. I mean I still don't graduate until May 2014 (which still seems like a long time from now), but now I'm realizing the year went rather quickly. It's still very strange to walk on campus and see people wearing letters that I don't know, or to walk across campus and feel really old since I don't recognize the majority of the student body anymore.

Now it's just starting to sink in that this really is my last week of classes. I will never again be a student going to class everyday, sitting in lectures, or going to labs (unless I decide to go back to school which is very unlikely). I won't be seeing the same group of students that I've been in class with pretty much everyday for the past 5 years.

Courtney and I were talking about all of this tonight at her house and just reflecting on our friendship and also just our Drake experience. I told her that I really don't think it'll feel real that I'm not a student until everyone is on rotations doing their thing and we don't see each other in class everyday. I was also joking/serious that it won't feel like it is really different until October when she's not in Des Moines with me anymore and we can't just call each other to hang out on the spot anymore.

It's also just strange to reflect back on these past 5 years at Drake. When people tell you it goes by fast so enjoy every minute you really don't believe them. Especially when you're having a bad week or are super busy with tests/projects/papers/etc it seems like this college experience will never end. But now I see how fast it really goes by. It seems like just yesterday sometimes when I was moving in freshman year and didn't know anyone. Now I really feel like Drake is my home and I can usually walk anywhere and see at least 1 person that I know (or at least recognize).

I also don't really think that I've changed that much since I was a freshman at Drake. I feel like the same person, but then when I reflect back on the past 5 years I see how much I've changed and grown. This has been a time for me to really figure out who I am and what I believe in. It really has been a time of me just being able to live life with people who have different beliefs, backgrounds, etc. and really learn from them and try and understand them better. College has really taught me so much about who I am and I think I'll be leaving Drake a much more confident person and someone who is much more sure of themselves. Not that I have things figured out by any means, but I at least am on my way and am much more comfortable with who I am.

So here's the a week of many more lasts: the last day of Monday classes, Tuesday classes, etc., the last time having a test in college, the last time sitting next to the people who have been there for me these past 5 years, the last....

I'm so thankful for my "Drake Experience" and all of the people who have been a part of it. For all of the times I hated pharmacy school (and I'm sure they'll be many more in these next couple weeks) I'm very thankful for the chance to be a pharmacy student at Drake. I'm also very excited/nervous to start my first rotation in a couple weeks and to learn so much more about what being a pharmacist really is about.

Thanks for reading through my mess of reflections and hopefully some of it made sense. Right now I feel like my brain is just a jumble of emotions/thoughts/etc. with studying and preparing for rotations that I'm not sure if it really makes any sense.

Being Known

This week at Greek IV we talked about the woman at the well and one of the things we discussed was how everyone has a longing to be known and accepted. And to the Samaritan woman at the well that is exactly what Jesus did he knew all of her crap and told her about it, but still accepted who she was and loved her. We discussed how that essential is what everyone wants. We're all really good at putting on a face and acting like we have it all together to the majority of the world, but what we really want is someone to actually get to know us and see all our crap and be ok with it and love us. If you're lucky you get that in your close friends. They are the people you can take out your frustrations, hurts, etc. but they will still always be by your side loving you no matter what. Even if you don't have that with friends it's so awesome to know that Jesus is there and no matter what you do or don't do he already knows and he is always there waiting to love you. I just love that and I love looking at Bible stories with new groups of people so that you get to see it through different eyes and pick up on different things.

We also watched this modern day interpretation of the woman at the well which was really awesome.

Through this discussion someone shared a poem that someone else had given her that was really good so I thought I'd share it on here (to the 3 people that read this blog). The author is unknown as far as we know, but it's still a really good and an awesome reminder of all of the amazing plans God has for you and how much he longs for you to be satisfied in him before you look other places.

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone,
To have a deep soul relationship with another,
To be loved thoroughly and exclusively.

But to a Christian, God says, "No, not until you are satisfied,
Fulfilled and content with being loved by me alone,
With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to me.
With having an intensely personal and unique relationship with me alone.

Discovering that only in me is your satisfaction to be found,
Will you be capable of the perfect human relationship,
That I have planned for you.

You will never be united to another
Until you are united with me.
Exclusive of anyone or anything else. Exclusive of any other desires or longings.
I want you to stop planning, to stop wishing, and allow me to give you
The most thrilling plan existing . . . one you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the best.

Please allow me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching me, expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am.
Keep listening and learning the things that I tell you.
Just wait, that’s all.

Don’t be anxious, don’t worry
Don’t look around at things others have gotten
Or that I have given them
Don’t look around at the things you think you want,
Just keep looking off and away up to me,
Or you’ll miss what I want to show you.
And then, when you’re ready, I’ll surprise you with a love
Far more wonderful than you could dream of.
You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready,
I am working even at this moment
To have both of you ready at the same time.
Until you are both satisfied exclusively with me
And the life I’ve prepared for you,
You won’t be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me.
And this is perfect love.

And, dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love.
I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me.
And to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union
Of beauty, perfection and love that I offer you with Myself.
Know that I love you utterly.
For I am God. Believe it and be satisfied.