THE GOODS

This is my first Ireland blog post. And more than anything it is for my mom and sister's appeasement. However, I am glad to update anyone who reads this about my first few days in the TU Irish Studies Program! We all got here last Saturday morning, and things have been nuts ever since. So i wanted to a least leave a few lines before i post more hopefully later this weekend or earlier next week.

First of all, the way this trip has come about is a huge blessing in my life. I was not originally planning on studying abroad until sophomore or junior year, but a couple months into first semester I was praying about it a ton and God made it super clear that this semester was when it was best to happen. While here I am taking classes that qualify for some gen ed requirements at Taylor (i.e. Celtic Christianity=Historic Christian Belief, Irish History=History). The program goes from January 27th to May 5th and there is so much packed in between it's ridiculous. This is just the end of the fifth day and i have already become acclimated with the Greystones community (where we are staying), been running along the Irish sea, using the Dart train system to go to numerous cities, and today we spent all day in Dublin for a scavenger hunt. Hopefully i will be able expand on these in due time, but it is incredible and I am literally loving every second. There are 20 girls and 5 guys on this trip, so there is definitely enough estrogen to fuel a 20th century women's rights rally. But whatever. Its still Ireland. And all of us have gotten close pretty quick.

More than anything though i just want to grow so much from this experience. As the trip approached in mid January, it started to hit me that I just need these few months to grow spiritually and inwardly after having just gone through the first semester. I dealt with a ton mentally and I think this is a great time to step back and reevaluate what the smokes just happened. However, I am doing so with the mindset that God has huge plans in the works as long as I keep the Gospel at the center of my present focus. This realization made me understand that it didn't matter where i was spending these next three months as much as it does what I am doing with the time. God just happened to bless me enough by putting me in my favorite House Hunters International location. I love that I am doing this now in college because it is like i am (I don't mean this in a bad way at all) getting it over with so that i can have three years after to focus and hit Taylor (which I love) hard. I want to keep good track of this blog, but we are always moving here and things are crazy. And Mom I will post pictures later but I am taking some! But in the midst of the commotion of my life right now or yours at home, I pray you can meditate on this verse my Dad left me with for my trip.

Galatians 5:22-26

But the fruit of the spirt is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

soooooo GOOOOOD

DONT WASTE YOUR LIFE