Write stuff down...I mean it.

Happy New Year! Can I still say that?

Life over the last month has been crazy. Christmas! New Years! Moving back to school! New semester! My Mom's birthday! Planning a concert!

Wait...what?

Like I said, life has been crazy. Not overwhelming crazy, thank goodness. It's just been...busy.

The rest of Christmas break was spent with work, family, friends, Settlers of Catan, and books. It was nice to be home, and hard to come back to school. It's always hard to leave my family and friends, but once I get back on campus I remember why I like being here. I'm following my dreams! And a lot of really neat opportunities come out of following your dreams.

I'm a college senior now! I'll get to walk across a stage to get a diploma for the first time in my entire life in December. So ready to cross the finish line! Graduation this year means harder classes, thinking about the future more, wondering where the heck I'll be after all of this is said and done. It's a little bit scary, but more exciting than it is scary. I'm ready!

I made a trip home last weekend for my Momma's birthday. It was a good weekend. I got to spend a lot of time with my family, snuggle my big, furry, wintry puppy, see friends, and celebrate my Mom! It was good to be home, but it was also good to get back to school and establish a good routine here for the semester.

While I was home, I suddenly landed smack in the middle of planning a concert. It's something that I enjoy doing, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.

Which brings me to the above photo.

Everyone has their own way of getting organized and prioritizing things in their life. The above is how I organized my brain this morning. I was walking around my quiet dorm room, messy hair, pajamas, and slippers still on, wondering what the heck I was going to do with my day. All of these things I wanted to get done, but I just no idea how to execute it in my brain. It was almost to the point where I'd become overwhelmed, but the day was saved after I wrote things down. I immediately felt 10x's better after I finished getting organized and was ready to face, not just the day, but the weekend, too.

Now, it's Saturday night, I have all of my homework done, my grocery shopping completed, and I'm already semi-organized for next week. Now, I can spend a Sunday relaxing and hanging out with friends, which will allow me to go into next week feeling refreshed.

If you're feeling like you don't know where to go next, write things down. Get it out of your brain, and just start moving.

Have a happy Sunday, friends!

Finishing well...

(Before the last filming of chapel for this semester.)

(The last homework assignment of the semester.)

This week is the last week of classes at Southeastern. Students everywhere are rushing to their last classes, getting final homework assignments in, and are hunkering down in the library and coffee shop to get everything done.

Coming back to school for a week and half after being gone for Thanksgiving for over a week is tough. You're at home for just enough time to get comfortable and settled back in, then you have to pack up, come back to school, put your head down and keep moving. Motivation is lacking and eyes and hearts are set on being home for the holidays.

With these feelings welling up inside and distractions it can be difficult to do everything to the best of your ability. For example, I've spent the last two days attempting to write my last paper, which would conclude all homework assignments for this semester. My frustrations toward writing this paper were clearly displayed on Facebook and Twitter. And for goodness sake! The paper only had to be 1,000 words! I kept saying in my head, "I don't care. I'll be fine just as long as I finish this ridiculous paper."

It can be easy to throw in the towel at the very end of a long, busy, and stressful semester. For me, this semester is the most stressful one I've ever had. I've never taken so many credits in my college career, never had so many things going on at one time, and I certainly don't know how I'm still standing on the other side of it.

All of this brings me to the point of this post. Just two words...

"Finish well." 

Yes...That's what I want. That's what most of us want at the end of anything that we've put many hours into. Like I said, it can be easy to want to throw in the towel at the end, but remember: You've worked hard to get to where you are standing right now. Put your head down, keep working, and stand at the finish line, looking back, knowing with confidence that you did the best that you could.

Happy final-ing!