Surviving Spring Semester

Spring semester is finally over. Spring 2012 was by far my hardest semester of college, but it was also the most rewarding. My two hardest classes were Public Relations Research and Public Relations Writing. Both classes tested my patience and my writing skills. Not to mention they were incredibly challenging. So despite the all nighters, group projects, and presentations I am rather thankful for these courses. They prepared me for the internship interviews I had with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Dallas Arboretum, and the Susan G. Komen foundation. Taking those courses really got me excited about life after college and working in the public relations field. I also feel more motivated to go to law school and lately I have even been thinking about getting my Ph.D. I am in shock that I only have a year and a half left at OU.

I cannot talk about spring semester without bringing up the two girls who helped me survive it. Kourtney and Emma were my rocks during this semester. We would spend 12 hours or more in Gaylord working on stuff for PR Research and PR Writing. They were a nice support system. We helped each other understand that we were not the only ones who were experiencing a tough semester. We developed a ton of inside jokes, complained a lot, made YouTube videos, and just shared a lot of laughs. Just so you know, our friendship seriously developed over a group text one day during PR Research. I am thankful for finally finding friendships with girls who are in my major.

Young Life was awesome this semester. I have formed friendships with several new girls. Two girls in particular, Aubrey and Lauren, have really been a blessing to my life. We bonded over our obsession with The Hunger Games and our love for food. I’m really excited to see how the Lord works in their lives during their next three years of high school.

This summer I will be interning with the Susan G. Komen foundation. I am so incredibly excited to be working with an organization that I am passionate about. As most of you know my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2007. I feel blessed to get to work for an organization whose mission is to end breast cancer forever. I will be living in Addison with my Aunt Mary since my internship is located in Dallas. I am looking forward to spending the summer with her after her battle with chondrosarcoma this time last year.

I have a feeling this summer will be rewarding and I hope to learn a lot. Below are pictures that pretty much summarize my spring semester at the University of Oklahoma!

The Rents Due

Last night I went to Casa Mana's performance of RENT. I saw RENT on Broadway six years ago. My second time seeing the performance, I interpreted the musical differently then I had the first time I saw it.

Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s the struggles, experiences, and triumphs I have experienced in the past. But six years ago I interpreted the musical as a story about hope, love, and friendship. While I still believe the musical has those elements, I left the theater with a greater picture of what the message the musical is actually sending.

After the musical was over, there was a question and answer session with Rent’s cast held for audience members. A girl in the audience asked the cast, “What do you interpret RENT to mean?” One of the main characters, Meme, replied, “You are RENTING your time here on earth. And you have to make the most of it.”  Her answer completely blew me away. I had never quite thought about the musical sending that message.

As we left the theater I kept dwelling on those two sentences. “You are RENTING your time here on earth.” That sentence in particular really stuck with me. I guess I have never considered my life being rented out. Here is my interpretation.

We have been given this incredible opportunity to live. Life is this journey that has been given to us for a reason. I am here right now in this moment because of God.  He has aligned this beautiful and unknown path for me to follow. Each day a little more of the path is revealed. How glorious is it to think of life like that? Your time here on earth is being RENTED. God has given me the opportunity to do His will and reach out to those who are lost. There are moments in my life where I am so blown away by His grace. Despite the suffering and loss I have experienced I am still filled with joy. So I guess what I am saying is, it is time for us to utilize our rent. The rent will be due one day. You may wonder when the rent will be due. And I believe the rents due when I get to heaven. Someday I will get to stand before God, hand him my lease, and say I used EVERYTHING you gave me.

2012 - it is time

So we are already a month into 2012 and it seems 2012 might be just as crazy as 2011. The year 2011 flew by. As I am getting older, I am becoming more and more aware of how fast time is moving.

2011 was a busy year. It was filled with its ups and downs. Significant events that stood out were: The birth of my cousin Kai who is an absolute blessing to my family. My aunt was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma and is now cancer free. Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado was even more life changing than it was in 2010. My other cousin, Zoe started Kindergarten. My brother graduated high school and started his freshman year in college. October 25, 2011 marked the 4^th year of my mom being cancer free. My cousin Johnny got engaged to a wonderful girl named Tania who just encompasses such a passion for life. And I finished my fifth semester of college in December and finally got my first 4.0.

So what does 2012 hold in store? I hope it is a year of pure joy. I want to be so filled with God’s presence and everything He has in store for me. I hope to live my life more for Him rather than for myself. I want to learn more and serve more. I want to find an internship that aligns with my passion for life and serving those around me. I hope to complete spring semester with a positive attitude no matter the good or bad that may occur in between. It’s time for me to start living life more. To stop getting upset about things or occurrences in my life that may not go my way. I’m here in this current point in my life for a reason. So I need to do more to remind myself about how blessed and fortunate I am.

It is time for me to appreciate the people in my life more. To spend more time with my family and friends and stop obsessing over being perfect all the time. It is time to spend more time outside and devote more time to God. It is time to fall more in love with this life that is ahead of me.

It is time to take on 2012 and never look back.

 Baby Kai

 There's Only One - Aunt Mary and I at an OU game 3 Months after her surgery

 Frontier Ranch 2011 - On top of Mount Crystallite

 Zoe - 6 years old and in Kindergarten 

 Grant at graduation, he just finished his first semester at UTA

 Race For The Cure 2011 - I ran in CELEBRATION of my mom being a 4 year cancer survivor

 Johnny and Tania getting engaged

 Completed my fifth semester at The University of Oklahoma