The Finals Survival Guide

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Hello, all!

I’m typing this from one of my comfy study spots on campus on the last day of class. I had an exam today (not a final, but I’m not going to rant about that now) and just turned in an extra credit essay. Now that my brain if fried, I thought I would un-fry it by sharing some of my best study tips, ways to survive finals, and encouragement for the upcoming week. Obviously, everyone is different, but these are just things that work for me.

1. USE. A. PLANNER

I’m sure a lot of you already do this, but I can’t stress enough how important it is for me to write out all of the times and places of my exams. I would feel so overwhelmed. To go a step further, I like to plan out when I am going to study for each exam. Luckily, mine are pretty spread out, so I just drew little color-coordinated arrows over the days I’m going to study which exam.

The planner I have is Erin Condren and I love it! My friend gave it to me as a “starting-college-gift” with UNC’s colors, my name and everything (seriously, the sweetest gift ever if you’re thinking about Christmas presents). One reason I love it is because it’s completely blank and you can personalize it with the month tabs and date stickers. (Click on the picture to go the website.)

2. COLOR COORDINATE AND SEPERATE WITH FOLDERS

I am a very visual learner, so it helps me a lot to write everything out when I study. For different topics I’ll use two different colors, so I can associate them together. I’ll remember it like, “This theory was written with purple and orange…or light and dark blue…” or whatever floats your boat.

Secondly, for each exam, put your notes in separate folders (or at least separate them in some way). There’s nothing worse then having everything jumbled, or wondering where “that” paper is. This way, you can sit down, pull out that folder and voila!

3. TAKE AN HOUR EACH DAY TO DO SOMETHING THAT BRINGS YOU LIFE

Not YouTube or Netflix. Sorry. You’ve been called out.

Bake a cookie! Or 17! Watch the sunset while writing in your dream journal while wearing a moisturizing facemask!

Ok, for real, though. I think you can get so caught up in studying, that it actually feels like you’re going insane. You need to remember what you’re doing this for and that there’s life outside of school. Don’t be too hard on yourself and have grace for yourself during the next week and a half. This may be the fourth day in a row you’ve worn those pants, you may have finished that small cake by yourself…this is all hypothetical.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  1 Corinthians 10:31

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Celebrate

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Happy December 1st! It’s been a hot minute since my last blog post, but the holiday air is inspiring me. 🙂

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I was reading a post from my favorite blogger, The Freckled Fox, and she was talking about having a word to focus on each month. She made a great list of example words and the one that stood out to me most was the world “celebrate.” Here’s the link to her post:

http://www.freckled-fox.com/2018/10/my-word-for-october.html
Thinking of this word was actually completely unrelated to the holidays. I think that celebrating should be all year long and daily. Right now, in this season of college, there is such a heavy workload. You finish one assignment, paper, exam, etc. and you quickly move on to the next. I know high school can be similar and I imagine this pattern happens after college too.

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That’s why I think it’s so important that we stop and celebrate the big and little things in life. Did you finish that exam you were really nervous about? Did you complete that project or presentation you put a lot of effort in? Maybe your friend, brother, coworker, etc. had something good happen to them. Celebrate with them! I think we would be surprised about how much we could build relationships by being genuinely excited for each other.
Celebrating doesn’t have to something big. It could be spending time with a loved one, doing an activity that you enjoy, or simply stopping and thanking God for his wonderful blessings!

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.           Psalm 71:8

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I’m Going to College!!!

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GUESS WHAT!!!

I got into UNC! I’ve been waiting to hear this news ever since I submitted my application in October. You can imagine how relieved I felt. Of course, after seeing that my decision was ready it took me about 20 minutes to open the new window!!!…that was stressful.

A few days later, my good friend Gabi (who also goes to UNC) took me around the campus to take pictures of all the cheesy photo spots! THANK YOU, GABI!!! You will one day be an amazing mom!

While we took pictures, there were other students doing the same, but with their caps and gowns on. They were celebrating and they looked so happy. This will be me soon, but honestly, I am so nervous about the next few years.

I want to do well! I want to succeed! I know we are not defined by what college we go to or what grades we receive, nevertheless, I am fearful of failure. Let me tell you what calms me every time I feel this way:

God has already won.

He has the victory. Any evil, fear, or pain is too late. We think that life is like a movie or a book. We sit there waiting to see what’s going to happen. Is there a happy ending? Are the good guys going to win? In life, we might now know what’s going to happen, but we know the outcome. Jesus wins Every. Single. Time.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

What Jesus went through on the cross was horrific. Most of the time, when we think about it/talk about it, we can’t go there emotionally. When he endured the cross he defeated sin and death and was/is/will always be victorious.

 

So, whatever fears, burdens, or anxieties you have, give it to God and let him comfort you.

I know this song isn’t new or anything, but I’ve been listening to it a lot. It’s so good!

Thanks for reading!

Brooke

Feeling Purpose Through the Mundane

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Hello, all! Happy Wednesday!

I haven’t posted anything for a while, because (honestly) I kind of gave up on the blogging thing. However, I’ve missed it and I feel like I should give it a second chance.

Last December I finished my associate’s degree at community college and any day now I will hear back from colleges about transferring this upcoming fall. THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!

The point: life has been pretty calm and can be uneventful at times. No school, no work, no challenges/obstacles to overcome. I get bored easily, and I sometimes feel guilty for not being productive.

The other day, when I was upset about this I went on a really long walk, prayed, and listened to a couple of worship songs over and over again. Here’s what I wrote on my phone:

“Trials can come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s actually easier when you can take action/do something about it even if it’s hard. The most challenging trials are things that make us question our worth. Doing nothing and just sitting with God is hard. When you strip away all your works and deeds, what are you left with? Do you still feel purpose-filled? YOUR LIFE IS NOW! THIS IS YOUR CALLING! Are you going to step into it? Are you going to be a leader? Battles aren’t always crazy and noisy.”

I hope that makes sense. haha! I wanted this blog to be exciting and eye-catching, but for now, I will just be sharing little encouragements like this. It’s not about what we do, but who we do it for. I live for Jesus and that is where my identity comes from. 🙂

When It Feels Like God Isn’t Listening

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Happy February 25, everyone! This blog post is going to be a little heart-to-heart chat about some things that are really important to me. I might seem a little too deep, but I hope reading this will bring you a newfound peace and confidence.

 

Without going into great detail (maybe I’ll do a separate post with specifics), about six years ago my little sister became very sick and every doctor she saw was either very puzzled or dismissed it as the flu. After searching for some time, Duke Children’s Hospital was able to tell us that she had 4 kidneys (not all were functioning properly). At first, this resulted in almost daily doctors appointments and tests, and many surgeries. Over the years, they discovered she also had tethered cord (which greatly damaged her bladder) and many complications with her large intestine. Since 2015, we have traveled back and forth to Columbus, Ohio, for her to receive care at Nation Wide Children’s Hospital. Now she has a Malone in her stomach and a stimulator in her back. This is a VERY condensed summary of the past six years. I could tell you stories upon stories of the adventures and challenges we’ve had.

I tell you all of this information just to give you an idea of how dramatically life changed. For a while, life was just about surviving, getting through the days, and doing whatever was needed to be done. Nowadays, we are definitely not as stressed and have a better handle on things, but we still have so many questions with very little answers.

I think we all have that one thing (or multiple things) in the back of our mind that nags at us. That one thing you’ve been praying about, but eventually it slips away because nothing has changed and you don’t why.

I’ve been praying to God for miracles for years, and though some days I have more doubts, I can tell you that God has been there every step of the way. I think that every person faces loneliness. You can be surrounded constantly by the most supportive and comforting people in the world, but you can still feel lonely in your soul. Believing that God is there and he is a wonderful father is what Paul meant when he said to “fight the good fight of faith.”
So let us not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. -Galations 6:9

Hope is very powerful. It’s an expectation and desire for something. When we hope for something that doesn’t happen or hasn’t happened yet, we question God and his promises. We can become confused, bitter, and depressed.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.                                                                                                                                                -Proverbs 13:12

But what if we put our hope in Jesus instead of our circumstances? What if no matter what happens, we long for God’s will to be done and his promises to be fulfilled? It’s like asking God for a candle when he is the sun! I know he promises to care for me and uphold me. He has the BEST plans for my future and the future of my loved ones.

When we do this, we have a joy that is UNSHAKABLE. God’s love is incomprehensible and I constantly have to remind myself of that.

 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. -Ephesians 3:20
I may not know his plans and I may struggle with them from time to time, but when he touches my heart I have joy beyond compare, confidence in my steps, and a hope that fills all emptiness.
Thanks for reading!
Brooke

Valentines

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Happy February 14th, everyone! I was intending to do this post this past weekend, but life got a little crazy. I traveled to Ohio (I live in North Carolina) for my little sister’s medical care and during the trip I got food poisoning. Let me tell you: it was NOT FUN! All of that is a different blog post for a different time.

Anyway! I hear today is a national holiday made of overpriced flowers and chocolate hearts. Just kidding! (I mean, not really, but I think Valentines day is much more than that.) Today is a day to celebrate the affection you show to your loved ones. Whether you’re in a relationship or single, today is a day to value your relationships (romantic or not) and to remember how loved you are.

Have an awesome Wednesday, guys!

Brooke

 

Ferrari Cakes and Fresh Paint

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Hello, blogging world! I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would write for my very first post. It’s not super thrilling or entertaining, but I think it’s important to focus on the sweet and simple things in day-to-day life. So, let me tell you about my brother Stephen’s 14th birthday. I spent a chunk of the week repainting his room and baking a cake. Some things got out of control and instead of sulking about it, my family and I had a good laugh and I thought it was too hysterical not to share. So, stay tuned!

At the beginning of the year, I felt like God was telling me to share my life on a larger scale. I didn’t know exactly what that would entail, but a few weeks later, I got the urge to start a blog, and it all kind of fell into place! It’s like a fresh coat of paint for the new year. 🙂

Here’s where the funny part comes in! I absolutely love cake decorating, so naturally, I was very excited to make Stephen’s birthday cake. I had grand visions of a tall, red velvet, Ferrari-themed cake, but from the very beginning it was disastrous.

The cake was crumbling and falling apart. I could not get the fondant to turn gray and it kept cracking. After many desperate attempts, I realized it WAS. NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN. At first, I was upset, but I realized you can’t win them all. My family and I laughed our heads off, and it will be a funny memory that we will never forget!

Please know that this is probably the worst thing I have ever made! Seriously! Don’t disregard my future baking posts! 😀

So, no matter what type of day you’re having: you feel on top of the world, you feel like you can’t win, you’re bored out of your mind, or you can’t fit one more thing in your busy schedule; let me leave you with this encouragement:

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” -Colossians 3:23-24

I’ll be writing again soon!

Brooke