"I need you to understand..."

It's a little late, but happy new year! I'm terribly sorry I haven't written in a while; my mind has been in different places lately.

New Year, new beginning:
Anyway, it's a new year which means a new part of my journey is beginning.  I hope everyone has figured out their new year resolutions and that they have all been going as planned! I myself, have found mine to be a challenge. Mine is rather personal, but I feel as if it is a very important part of my journey. Resolution: stick to my devotion and further my relationship with Jesus Christ. Needless to say, I definitely let some things go last year, but I am doing my best to get myself back on track. In order to do so, I've been working on a one year devotion for students which is actually the title.  Rick Christian is the author and he is quite amazing.

This book was given to me by a family friend who has been more so of a mentor for me. She is a retired teacher and coordinator of the AIG program at the high school I graduated from. She's a graduate of UNC with her undergrad in public policy and political science and she also has her masters in public administration. She has changed the lives of many students and continues to do so everyday. The grandmother of two, and mother of three. Although she is retired from teaching she continues to change the lives of students everyday. She attends seminars throughout the year that are held in well-known places such as Harvard University. She is a woman of God and genuinely cares for today's society and the future of today's generation. I could continue with the many things this woman has done and continues to do, but you'd be reading this post all day long! If it isn't obvious by now, this person is very special to me. She has done a lot for me from reading my English papers to looking over my college applications to teaching me some of the biggest life lessons I will learn. She is one of my biggest fans and I don't know what I would have done or would do with out her. In the inside of the book she wrote, "Jamie, I hope this will remind you how much God loves you and what a great plan he has for you." Those words will forever stay with me.

As a college student it is inevitable that I will face many challenges and will see things I have never seen before. Some of these will challenge my relationship I have with God and I will undergo some of the pressures I will face (even if I try my hardest not to). Despite the many mistakes I will make and sins I will commit, isn't it amazing that God will still love me unconditionally? That he will still forgive me for all of the stupid things I do in this crazy life of mine? Isn't it incomprehensible how much he loves us? Every single one of us... It honestly, blows my mind. I'm definitely looking forward to the life he has planned for me, the journey he will take me on.


Christmas:
Christmas was wonderful, but it isn't over for me yet! Having dad home has been great, even if he does pick on me constantly. On Christmas day, not only did my family celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but also the birth of my granny! She turned 83 on December 25! This weekend, my family will be traveling to my dad's parents, so we can do Christmas with them. It is hard to find a time where we can all get together, because we each live such busy lives. My grandparents stay on the go, my family is always busy and I'm in college, therefore I must work around this college schedule. My dad's sister is married and has two boys. One 15 and the other 17. Eli, the 17 year old, is about to graduate; so, it is obvious that he is very busy preparing to experience a new chapter in life. Henley, the other cousin, is also very active with school and sports. It's all just crazy! So, we normally all get together the first of the month. I'm looking forward to seeing them all! I miss them very much (they live in South Carolina, so we don't see them often). I'm sure this weekend will be very enjoyable.

New addition:
On Sunday, we will be adding a new addition to our family!! :) We are getting a new puppy! She is a sheltie and we have decided to name her Kensie (we might change the spelling to Kenzie). It's a bittersweet time, in my opinion. Over the summer we lost our first sheltie, Zoe. Zoe was an amazing dog and was a part of our family. We got her when I was four years old, so I grew up with her. Therefore, it was veryyyy hard to let her go. I'm very excited to get Kensie, but it is a bit weird to me because we've never had another sheltie. I'm sure she is going to make a great addition to our family and will be a great friend to Cadie, our spoiled miniature dachshund.

Anyhow, I hope everyone is doing well and has had a great holiday!

Below are pictures of Kensie and Zoe. Again, Kensie is the puppy and Zoe is the grown Sheltie.