Procrastinating. This is what I am doing by blogging. I am avoiding writing a ten-page paper on a Saturday night. Can you blame me? However, I realized I haven't blogged since January 30th! But then again, how did May get here so fast?! So I am going to update you on my life picking up from the BIG RACE...

• I completed my first half-marathon and survived it enough to want to do another one! My roommate and I are thinking about running one next fall and finding a beautiful location maybe out of town. I am still running, but not nearly as much as I would like.


• I became a true Californian. I went to the beach one Saturday afternoon and went to the snowy mountains the NEXT day. Yes, this is THE perk of living in So Cal.


• I absolutely love my job! I am one of those few people in life that actually love there 8 to 5 J-O-B. Most days, I am bogged down in details, emails, excel spreadsheets, and solving problems and in doing those administrative tasks it is easy for me to forget the big pictures. It is through the logistics of my job that over 350 students have the opporutunity to be trained and serve God overseas! And man I want to give my life for the task of seeing people come to Christ. Yesterday, was one of those days at work where I was able to literally see the big picture of what God is doing through my title at "International Service Projects Coordinator." We had a commissioning service at CBU for our 31 teams that we are sending overseas (about 350 students). I was personally blessed and moved by the intimate prayer and worship time with my own team going to East Asia this summer. I still can't believe that God allows me to be a part of his work in some of the most unreached places. It baffles my small Alicia brain. I am so inadequate but He delights in my service somehow my service brings Him glory. We also put on this awesome "Night of Nations" where all the teams performed skits sharing what they were doing this summer. We had about 800 people show up and it was a reminder of the hope we get to bring to these 21 different countries this summer!! God, why do you allow me to be a part of this task?!!!


• I took four classes this semester in graduate school. I would say that they have been keeping me busy. This semester has honestly been a huge struggle for me academically. I haven't fallen in love with seminary yet. And honestly, I haven't loved my profs or classes. This is about 80% my problem not theirs. I could be honest and say that I have just been going to classes to get a piece of paper and not for the pure joy of learning. UGH. I am not sure how to get out of this funk, but this is kind of where I am.
• I spent a majority of this semester being distracted by a tall, dark, and handsome man. It's amazing how men can hijack your brain. For the past year, I have been casually getting to know and develop a friendship with a man and this semester we actually made it official. Unfortunately, all of that intentionality was in vain and it looks as though the door to that relationship is closed. I can be honest and say that I am still praying through what the purpose of all of that was and honestly might not ever know. Somewhere along the way we have made relationships so complicated, but I guess when you have two independent lives coming together along with two imperfect people you can't help but expect difficultly. Even Paul says in I Corinthians to expect trouble in relationships. But then through this relationship, I was also reminded of the beauty of God's biblical model of relationships. Even though they are complicated and messy, there is great beauty in being committed to someone- two is better than one- having a ministry partner for life! I love the idea of one day NOT having to say goodbye to someone in my life (my life for the past 4 years), someone to dream the impossible with, someone to sharpen me and keep me accountable to the Word, someone to laugh with, someone that you just enjoy being with and living life with, but most importantly someone that we can both look back at our lives together and know that we were faithful to the task and that hopefully our lives brought Christ glory. I have honestly really been struggling with the Lord with lots of questions of why... but that just reveals where my heart is...this is the first time in my life where I want my own will more than His and that scares me. So I am praying that God will continue to show me how to trust Him...God, please increase my trust in you. The best thing I would say I gained from this relationship was that I experienced my first non-dysfunctional relationship and man it was sooo fun!
• I dyed my hair almost black. It has been a fun change mostly because people say I look like a different person and because I get a lot more compliments on my tan and blue eyes...who knew? It makes me giggle. The also humorous thing is that my bangs got completely botched in the haircutting process and it has been a funny joke with me and my roommates. Lets just say they have been pinned back for the past 3 weeks and might be for a couple more!
• I have really awesome roommates. They are my family. They are there to rejoice with me in my victories, to love me when I am unlovable, to pep me up when I need it, and to be just what I need when I need it. Being single and 25 is honestly hard some days, but God has been unbelievable in sending me sisters in Christ to share life with!


• I changed churches again. I am back at Sandals and am soo excited about my choice. I really missed the people and community of Sandals. The people who make California my home all attend Sandals and I found myself needing that community again! So I am back and soo excited about joining my small group. There is an awesome small group of married couples and singles my age that all have a heart to be overseas, love living life, and have amazing hearts for the Lord. I am stoked to join this group very very soon...



• I am going home in May to see my family!! It is my mom's 50th birthday and my cousin Chris is getting married!! I can't wait to see them... I hate that they are soo far away, but it makes being together so much better!