DC or bust

Yet again I find myself sitting here. Blogging. After a very very long absence. It's been a very busy summer. I can't believe it's almost over!

What have I been up to this summer? Working, working, and working some more. I was blessed enough to have an internship during the school year that let me stay on full time this summer until I found something more permanent. I've also been busy applying for jobs and going to the not so occasional (frequent maybe?) summer wedding.

Many of you know that I've been diligently applying for jobs in Washington, DC. Until now, I've had little to no luck finding gainful employment. That all changed a few weeks ago. Sort of.

I was offered an internship a few weeks ago with the National Republican Congressional Committee that starts on Monday. While, this isn't permanent, it does give me the opportunity to be in DC, make some contacts and hopefully get a job!

I'm SO EXCITED for this opportunity, but I there are a lot of unknowns. I have no clue how long it will take me to find a job, I don't know many people in the DC area and I have no clue how I'm going to handle the cold winter months! With so many unanswered questions, I am relying on entirely on the Lord. While I could worry, there is no point in that. One of my favorite Christian bloggers one time said "you are bigger than a bird." Two words: SO TRUE. In Matthew, Jesus talks about how He takes care of the birds and then asks, "are you not more valuable than they?" I have to keep reminding myself that I am bigger than a bird and the Lord will take care of me however He sees fit. He goes before me to DC and watches over me.

That's all for now. I need to do some packing and figure out how to fit my whole entire life into my jeep grand cherokee. Suggestions are welcome.

I'll be sure to keep you all updated on life in the nation's capital!

CHANGE

                                                             My parents and me after graduation.
                                                            We're too cool for school. Love them!

                                         A few of the awesome friends that have enriched my life

                                         so much these past four years.  

                                 

So many things have changed in the past month that my head starts to spin if I think about it too much. Most of it has been good and welcomed but some of it has been a difficult. Nonetheless, I've learned a lot from all the different things that have happened in the past few weeks.

The first and biggest change: I GRADUATED! It's weird to think of my self as no longer being in college. I recently went to the optometrist to get new glasses and more contacts. While filling out paperwork, I had a bit of an identity crisis when I had to fill in the blank for occupation. That's when it really hit me, I can no longer just jot in student. There are, of course, other changes that have come along with graduating. More than most of my friends are moving to different places, some are even moving to different countries and a few are even getting married. 

All of this means that life as I have known it for the past four years, is over. Now it's on to new opportunities and  different adventures. While all of this transitioning could really freak me out, it doesn't. I have come in contact with a few people in the same situation as me that haven't been so calm, cool and collected. I can't say that I blame them. There have been times that I've wanted to worry myself to death about what's going to happen in the future and how I'm going to handle it. The only thing that keeps me from literally going insane is my faith. I've come to realize that while most things in life are going to change as I grow older, there are a few things that stay the same.

First, God is unchanging. His character, His plan and everything about Him will always remain the same. This is extremely comforting to me. I cannot cling to the things of this world, because they are so fleeting. But the Lord and His promises are always the same. I can trust in Him and He is faithful. He is faithful in every situation. He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. I hold fast to this and this alone. 

Second, while my circumstances may change, my purpose doesn't. I was created to Glorify the Living God. I can do this in all situations and the Lord has given me the power to do so. Whatever I do in the future vocationally has no effect on my purpose in life. As long as I am looking to glorify the Lord in all that I do, I can't go wrong. Knowing all of this makes figuring out that next step so much easier. It's so freeing to know that my life is not defined by my salary or occupation. I find purpose in something much deeper than these things and this gives me unspeakable joy and peace. 

No matter what happens in life,The Lord is sovereign. Relationships may end and occupations may change, but the Lord doesn't. If you are in a period of transition, I hope this has been comforting and encouraging to you. Sometimes this is all that gets me through the day! 

The Lost Coin

I was reading my Bible earlier and came across this passage in Luke about the Parable of the Lost Coin. It's short, but I think it's so beautiful. Check it out.

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:8-10

I just love the imagery here. I like this passage because it's all about how awesome the gospel really is. Even Angels in Heaven celebrate when someone believes. Think about someone you know who isn't a Christian and how excited you would be if they told you they believed. It's just like that in Heaven. Anyway, this is just something to meditate on. Hope someone gets some use out of this.

-Ashley 

Resolve to:

I love the new year. It's probably one of my favorite times of the year. It's a fresh start and anything can change. Most people do this through making resolutions. It's ten days into the new year and many of us have already broken New Year resolutions. I'm not going to lie, I've broken almost every single one that I've made. I'll let you in on what I'm trying to change for this year.

1. Quit biting my nails. I have been a nail biter for as long as I can remember. My sophomore year I quit biting them for about a year but for one reason or another I started again when I was a junior. I'm determined to kick this bad habit this year. There's no reason for it and if I'm being honest, my nail biting is kind of disgusting.

2. Start running again/be active and eat healthy. Everyone has this resolution I know. I ran a lot my freshman and sophomore years because I didn't have any other outlet for physical activity. I absolutely love running. It can be painful because of how flat my feet are but it's so addicting. My hope is that by the end of this semester I can run a half-marathon.

3. Pray more. I struggle more with praying than anything else in my relationship with the Lord and I really want to improve on it. I love talking to my Heavenly Father but sometimes I just get sidetracked. There are a few other things that are encompassed in this resolution. In order for me to focus more on prayer I'm going to adjust some parts of my lifestyle, like watching less T.V., a lot less.

These are what I hope to improve upon for the year of 2011, but above all else I just want to fall more in love with the Lord and learn how to glorify Him better. My church here in Columbia had a Covenant Renewal Service last night. It was quite possibly the best thing I've ever done to kick off a new year. I was able to put Christ at the center of my new year and remember what my life is all about. My life is not my own, and I want to live with this in the forefront of my mind. I hope we can all resolve to follow the Lord and fall more in love with Him.

Ashley