In so many ways, Your love has saved the day.

"Don't take much for this crazy world to rob me of my peace

And the enemy of my soul says You're holding out on me

So I stand here lifting empty hands for You to fill me up again."

Ain't that the truth? Let's be honest, this world is not perfect.

We face trials and tribulations every single day.

But we can't let that effect how we live our lives.

We need to learn to sweat the small stuff and laugh it off.

"But it's the time in between, that I fall down to my knees

Waiting on what you'll bring, and the things I can't see

I know my song's incomplete, still I'll sing in the time in between."

Don't be afraid to mess up.

Be goofy.

RELAX.

Take a day and do nothing.

Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.

Be patient.

Expect and except the unknown.

Be open to new challenges.

Do something nice for a stranger.

Sing your heart out.

Fall in love.

Don't be afraid.

Enjoy the ride.

And last but not least...

Pray.

Even when you think you've hit your final straw. When you think you can't take it anymore. When you feel like giving up is the only choice. When you feel like no one will listen.

He will.

"If someone were to follow in your footsteps, what path would you be leading them down?"

-Anonymous 

I am a lucky girl. :)

I know I'm going to sound like a broken record when I say this, because I've pretty much mentioned it on every blog I've done, but I don't care.

 I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE THE FRIENDS THAT I DO!!!

Seriously this past week has been a lot of scary ups and downs for me and I can honestly say I would not have been able to get through it without my amazing friends.

There were a few times when I literally thought,

I can't do this anymore. My only choice is to give up.

But here's the awesome thing about my friends, they would NEVER let me do that. I've never met a group of people that have loved and cared for me as much as these people do and literally i'm floored by you all.

I know to those of you who had to coach me through this week were probably a little annoyed with my pessimistic attitude and continuing to see everything in a negative light, but THANK YOU SO MUCH for not hanging up the phone and telling me to suck it up, greatly appreciated. :)

When I'm whining and moaning about how much I have to do. When I'm complaining about the little amount of sleep I got. When I'm freaking out because I don't know how on Earth I'm going to add something else to my to do list. When I'm crying because the stress has gotten so bad I can't even comprehend a way to handle it. You're there. Each and everyone of you. Giving me guidance, assuring me that everything is going to be okay, and telling me to TAKE A BREAK!

Sometimes I think I really don't deserve it. What did I do that would possess God to surround me with such wonderful people? Whatever it was, I'm beyond glad He did. :)

I love you all to the very depth of my soul and I know that this blog post doesn't even begin to do you justice with how awesome you guys are. But just so you know, even when I'm whining about life and driving you crazy because you have to continue to tell me the same things over and over....

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

Perfect.

Goodness it's been a tough week. I've never been so mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted all at once.

I will be the first to admit, I'm a people pleaser. I'm not ashamed of it, but sometimes it can really take its toll on a person. I love to make people feel better and am beyond blessed that my friends trust me enough to come talk to me and listen to my advice.

But I have to realize that I AM NOT PERFECT. No matter how bad I want to be, it's just not going to happen.

Believe me I have my fair share of days

 where I don't have the answers

where I don't have the right advice

 where I feel like I've failed my friends

where I can't seem to do anything right

where I feel like the world is caving in on me

....where I feel like I have no where to turn.

I CAN'T let that define me. I NEED to embrace my flaws. I HAVE to prove to myself that even though I can't obtain perfectionism....

I CAN be the perfect ME.

Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than perfect
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You're perfect to me

--Perfect By P!nk

(Pink, you're preaching to the choir girl.)

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FAIL.

learn what doesn't work first, then see how you can make it better.

Ypsilanti, Michigan - ADPi District Leadership Conference 2011

Lincoln to Des Moines. Des Moines to Michigan. Doesn't sound too hard does it? 13 hours. On a charter bus with 100 sorority girls? Yeah, that was my weekend.

Friday: 
 5:15am - Wake up (after going to bed at 1:30am)
 5:30am - Load bus
5:45am - Depart Lincoln, head to Des Moines to pick up Drake and Iowa State ADPi chapters.
9:45am - Arrive at Drake. Get situated. Back on the road.

(spend a bajillion hours driving trying to sleep on an uncomfy bus with 100 girls gabbing)

7:45pm - Arrive at mall in Michigan, Eat at a super sketch Chinese place.
*Note to readers, DO NOT eat Chinese at a mall in Michigan, no matter how many free samples they try to stuff down your throat, JUST SAY NO!
8:20pm - Back on the bus
8:45pm - FINALLY REACH HOTEL!!!!!!
9:00pm - Get into hotel room and realize we have ONE bed, for 4 girls. Fail Ypsilanti Marriott, absolute fail. You booked a sorority conference, common sense much?
10:30pm - Meeting with District Leadership Team
11:45pm - Meeting over.
2:00am - SLEEP!!!

Alpha Delta Pi-Alpha Epsilon University of Nebraska-Lincoln

District Leadership Conference 2011 Ypsilanti, Michigan

Saturday:
8:00am - Wake up
8:55am - Be all pretty, preppy, and sorority like in the conference room.
9:00am - Welcome session. Chant, cheer, and be WAY too energetic for 9:00am
12:00pm - Lunch break.
1:00pm - Break out sessions
2:30pm - Next break out session
4:00pm - Final break out session
5:30pm - Dinner break.
Or for me time to go to my hotel room and resume the fetal position because of the bad Chinese I ate yesterday or my body continuing to hate me and making me feel like I'm going to die. Ugh, stupid Michigan.
7:30pm - Evening session
9:00pm - Province break out session
10:00pm - Done for the day!
2:00am - Sleep.

Alpha Epsilon with Ashlyn! Best leadership consultant ever! AE LOVES YOU!!!

Sunday:
8:00am - Wake up
8:55am - More chant, cheers, sorority behavior. :)
9:00am - Welcome session
10:00am - Awards
11:00am - Closing ceremony
11:30am - Back aboard the bus

Spend hours driving through snow, rain, sleet, bumper to bumper traffic, crazy drivers, etc.

12:30am - Back in good ole Lincoln, Nebraska.

Long weekend. But I learned tons and had a beyond wonderful time with my girls. :)

First. Finest. Forever.

We Live For Each Other

Alpha Delta Pi

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE! I hope you all have an AMAZING day with the one's you love! <3

This is the day every year where I realize I will ALWAYS be a hopeless romantic. ALWAYS. But hey, there's nothing wrong with a little romance, right? :) I wouldn't mind if anyone did something like this for me. :)

1. Midnight Picnic. Plan a midnight picnic under the stars. Get a picnic basket and fill it with goodies and aphrodisiacs. Bring a tape player and play romantic music while you eat, and save a song or two for dancing.
2. Day Trip. Take a day trip to a small town near you and make plans to hit all the romantic spots in that town. Make sure to bring a camera and take lots of shots of your lover, and have someone take shots of you two together. 

3. Go Sailing. Go to the lake and take a sailing journey for a couple of hours with your lover. There's something romantic about sailing across the water and feeling the breeze blowing through your hair. Pack a picnic lunch and lounge in the sun as you cruise across the water. 

4. Ice Skating. Take your sweetheart to an outdoor ice skating rink or a lake that has been designated as safe for ice skating. This can be extremely fun and romantic, especially if one of you needs help standing on skates!
5. Horseback Riding. Saddle up and take your date on an unforgettable ride on a horse. This can be especially romantic if you take a leisurely ride through the woods.
6. Cook Dinner Together. Plan a special meal that both of you can prepare together. French cuisine might be a good choice! Kitchen romance can be great foreplay to a fantastic evening together. 

7. Day at an Amusement Park. Children have a way of truly having fun. Get in touch with the child within, and grab your partner and spend a day at an amusement park. Go all out and buy cotton candy, ride the wild rides and have a ball! 

8. Have your Picture Taken Together. Find one of those booths in a mall where you can get cozy and close and have some snapshots taken. Get creative with your poses!!
9. Have a Masquerade Party. Invite all your friends to a masquerade party. Plan a theme, maybe even a century (the renaissance period) and have everyone dress up according to that time period. Have various activities and games planned. Make it romantic as well as mysterious.
10. Rain Dance. Next Time it rains, plan to go out in it with your lover just to play barefooted in it! (probably the BEST IDEA yet!!!) 

Here are some ideas if you and your love can't decide what to do on this special day! 

(http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/34175/50_romantic_things_to_do_throughout_pg5.html?cat=41)

SPREAD the LOVE!

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.” -Morrie Schwartz

Be Blessed.

I was introduced to this song a couple days ago and after hearing it once I fell COMPLETELY in love with the it! I'm a sucker for church songs. ;) I even got to sing it at church this morning!

Knees to the Earth By Watermark

"Be blessed, be loved, be lifted high
Be treasured here, be glorified
I owe my life to You my Lord
Here I am.

 

This is the part that gets me the most...."I owe my life to You my Lord...Here I am."

Such powerful words, yet in our crazy, stressful lives we sometimes forget.

We live for HIM.  

No matter what obstacles are placed in our way, or what moments in our lives we wish we could forget, He is ALWAYS there.

 Encouraging us, empowering us, and loving us unconditionally.

How lucky are we? <3

Speechless.

See the title of this blog? That is the exact state I've been in for the past two days and let me tell you, it's not fun.

And when I say speechless I don't mean the,

Oh my goodness, I'm so head over heels in love with that person

or the

 Oh wow, I can't believe that just happened sort of thing.

I literally CAN NOT talk.

I never realized what a social butterfly I was until I lost the ability to actually talk to people. 

Don't get me wrong, I still have a "voice" but believe me, you do not want to hear it. Think of a combined version of Justin Bieber/Peter Brady/and a hint of Cindy Brady (when my voice gets high pitched it sounds whiney) and BOOM BABY, that's what my voice sounds like. Pretty hot, right? Yeah, I don't think so either.  

I guess what they say is true, "You never know what you've got until it's gone."

Well boy am I learning that lesson the hard way.