"A joyful heart is good medicine," -Proverbs 17:22

"You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound."
-Psalm 4:7

"For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust His holy name."-Psalm 33:21


Every morning this week I have just woke up with a smile on my face. Not necessarily smiling because of being awake (definitely not that), but more because I knew my day would be wonderful. The Lord has blessed me with so much joy this week in the wake of my hopeless feelings last week. 

He has given me...
  • Joy through spending time with old friends, making new ones and just hanging out studying/eating/talking
  • Joy through finding a balance with home vs. school so far
  • Joy through having fellow Christians by my side in classes where evolution is thrown upon us
  • Joy through not having too much homework, but still understanding that homework
  • Joy through having a parking spot (even if it is a hike) in a safe neighborhood
  • Joy through interacting with other Christians through Cru and my church's college group
  • Joy through having the Holy Spirit with me every moment of every day
--GeneticGinger
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Coming into college I (naïvely) expected everything to be rainbows, butterflies and every good thing. I thought I would meet a bestie during my first week, get to know all these amazing people, hang out in big groups of friends and laugh, and overall have the best time of my life. So far, none of that has been on point. Yes, I have met some friends and have spent time with them. But more often than not, I am looking around for someone to talk to who won't just respond to my questions, but will return them and be equally outgoing. Things are even harder as a commuter. Most of the people on campus have had at least a week to cultivate friendships with their suitemates, hallmates and roomates. Whereas, I am coming in with a few high school friends, but no 'college' friends at this giant school. Coming home every night, I feel like I'm leaving one world to enter the next. Yet again I am living another sort of 'double life'. It has only been two days of school, and I know the next few weeks will bring more relationships to light, but I can't help feeling discouraged at my luck thus far.

--GeneticGinger
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Why hello there! It's been quite a while! In less than a week I am off to the wonderful world of college where I will be studying Genetics and (hopefully) English. Lately, I have been struggling with the whole "phyche" of going to college. The other day after feeling quite overwhelmed and alone, I put these feelings into words in my journal. It is modified a tad since it is from my journal, but otherwise delve into the inner workings of my mind...

{ I feel alone. I am the penguin stuck on a drifting iceberg, while the rest are relaxed on the firm-rooted glacier. I want to tell my friends what I am feeling, but they won't understand. I feel like I am about to sell my soul for four years, but more importantly; I feel like I've lost two years of my childhood. On the outside, I am an 18-year-old college student, calm, collected and prepared for this grand new adventure. On the inside however, I am a 16-year-old girl who dreams of being asked out to a dance and is still giggly and stupid. Who am I? I was told by one friend that she saw me act sixteen for the first time the other day. How many times have I tried to squelch my real age and not act "older"? So many adults wish they could go back to their teenage years and not only am I trying to act older, but I am beginning adult life much younger than most. I'm unsure of how to deal with it. My friends don't understand, the people at state don't understand, my family understands better than most, but still, even I don't understand it myself. This is going to be a trying time for me. I know I am in Christ, but which part of me is that? I need to accept that I will be beginning life earlier than most and not look back on what I have lost, but look ahead to what I hopefully will gain. }

Before you think I'm all depressed; I'm not. Once I put my thoughts on paper, it is like a weight drops on my shoulders. I'm completely ok now :)

--GeneticGinger
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I'm in somewhat of an identity crisis at the moment. I feel like I'm in a bubble. Floating over reality. In Limbo. Able to see everything, but unable to do anything about it. Everything is moving slowly, and at a tedious pace. In this bubble I am uncertain about my future. Am I going to go to college next year, or the year after? Will I have a gap year or will I not? Will I be spiritually, emotionally and intellectually prepared for college? 

It's not that I'm insecure but my mind just spins and twirls and leaves me without thoughts I can rely on. Every college I have toured, I have wanted to go to. What is this supposed to mean? Can I trust what I think about college? The whole idea of "you know the right one when you step onto campus" is a bunch of fooey, honestly. Every school I have visited feels like the right one. Ultimately, I'm sure the pricetags on these colleges will bring my mind back down from la la land, but until then, I'm stuck in the land of dreams thinking, dreaming and planning for each college I "want" to go to. 

Even though I'm struggling with this my feeling of helplessness and uncertainty about what lies ahead, I comfort myself on this song by Jason Gray and know that God has the best thing planned for me and that I don't have to worry and plan, and ponder all of these major decisions, but I can give them up to God!






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We've all heard that cliché phrase "I don't have a life" not only do I hear it all the time, but I'm quite guilty of using it. Not only does it signify that you're throwing a pity party for yourself, but it also implies that you're not trying to seek out your purpose in life but would rather stay stagnant mulling over your loss of a life which you are bringing upon yourself. 

This year I have felt like I don't have a life mainly because I have been an awful friend for a multitude of reasons. I've not kept up with a lot of people because my head has been constantly in a school book or novel. My weekends I held sacred for me, myself and I. Worst of all, I held education higher than my relationships with people. Usually, it's the other way around for most, but for me school has always been important as I feel like my grades define me. I have very high expectations and those expectations get me into trouble as I feel they have to be met in order for my life to be the way I want it to be. For these reasons, I distanced myself from people and the other day I sat thinking and I realized that God created us for relationships with people, not relationships with school, books and grades. I had been hiding behind the façade of "the smart one" and justifying my solitary life because of that and at the expense of the friendships I've made. In my justification of myself, I would say I don't have a life as I don't see many friends, but it was my fault I didn't reach out in the first place. 

Yesterday, I was reading my Bible and came across this verse. 
"The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life." -1 John 5:12

I read it over to myself again in order to fully grasp the meaning. Not only do I have a life in Christ, but I am saved, loved, and redeemed. I don't have to live in fear, live with no purpose, or live for others, but I can live in the knowledge that I am free from sin and will one day go to heaven. This sounds rather elementary but there are times when those simple truths can completely free you from your sins to worship God wholeheartedly. 




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My generation. The generation proficient in text terms like "lol" and "ttyl". The generation who has lost the love of books, music and art. The generation who lives inside glued to a light streaming out of a piece of plastic. The generation who doesn't experience the wonders of the outside. The generation who has lost a part of them to technology. 

Why has this happened? We can't just blame technology for this, though it is a large problem in society. But what is to blame is that America is not Christian anymore. There I said it. Once upon a time America was a very prosperous nation solidly founded on biblical principles but now, now just look around. Magazines highlight immoral lives and consequences of a night on the town. Music features relationship after relationship often with immorality read between the lines. TV and movies showcase reality shows that really aren't reality and happy endings achieved thorough lying, disobeying and hating (I'm sorry Disney fans). 

With all these different things clamoring for out attention day in and day out, how do we listen to what God is trying to tell us? How do we hear the birds sweet singing and the soft rustle of the trees? How do we understand ourselves and what we believe without looking within ourselves? 

This has got me thinking. It's time to change. It's time to rebel against our generation. It's time to put the phone away, close the computer and turn off the TV. It's time to sit outside, read a book and listen, just listen to the wonders of nature. The poets in the Romanticism period stressed the idea that God is found in nature. Nature is the visual manifestation of God's handiwork and wonderful design. It's time to write poetry, think up a story, draw a picture, play some music, spend time with sweet friends,  and listen to God's voice and seek Him out. 

For the next week, starting on Monday the 21st, I'm cutting out everything electronic. This means:

  • No Facebook-Not even any notifications on my phone to tempt me
  • No Email-Except school emails and other important communications
  • No Texts or Calls etc-Unless it is an emergency or someone has to get ahold of me
  • No TV-None whatsoever. 
  • No Music-Except classical music like the Hobbit Soundtrack
  • No Computer-Except for school 

It sounds like I'm grounding myself, but in all honesty, I'm freeing my mind to think and wander. I may be cutting things out but I am going to gain oh so much. I hope to:

  • Write some poetry
  • Journal my feelings on this experience 
  • Seek the Lord in nature
  • Read some wonderful books 
  • Do some art
  • Seek the Lord in Scripture 
  • Listen to the Lord's Voice
  • Write letters to friends I have not seen for a while
  • Skype with those faraway who I cannot see and spend time with
  • Take some beautiful pictures 
Will you join me? Will you put away the electronics and experience nature? Will you hear God's voice? 



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I think the art of manliness has been lost in the American society today. Not the "ohhh I'm manly because I can lift this dumbell"man, but the gentlemen found in Jane Austen's time. The men like Mr. Darcy who own up to their faults, pursue their chosen women with every fiber of their being, and ultimately worship a high and mighty God. 

Today, so many boys (not men because they don't act like men) chase after flighty, squealing, flirty girls. While the girl who spends more time in the Word rather than on her face sits in the background unnoticed by these immature boys. Godly girls like this always compliment the few guys who are actually gentlemanly, but these girls never get complimented themselves even though they patiently wait and watch for the right guy to pursue them.

Waiting is hard. I'm realizing that now as I wait to see what college I go to. The same applies to guys. Girls I've known for a long time have been in and out of relationships but I choose to wait. I don't want to be immature about dating, I don't want to have a relationship that is summed up perfectly by a Taylor Swift song and I really don't want to date more than one person. Ultimately, this is a hard road to follow, but I'm sure that in the end I will look back and see the wisdom in my decision to wait. 




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