Where we are, Where we've been

This blog started out as a random endeavor and has become something with a little more meaning.

First, the stats.

My first post:

Stride. . .

I feel like I have hit my stride on this whole college thing. I am learning to balance my spiritual life, with my academic life, with my social life, with my love. . . OK, let's not get too carried away. I am so happy where I am and I am learning that the place of duty is most definitely the place of blessing.
Today I signed up for volunteering at the Anderson Free Medical Clinic, went to my first epidemiology class (and liked it a lot), studied organic (yes, I'm a dork, but I like it a lot too!), celebrated Julia's belated birthday with the rest of the girls of 731, watched a movie, started a blog (woot woot), outwitted the Clemson parking services by parking in a timed spot for an hour and a half instead of the hour I paid for, and realized that a week from tomorrow is the First Friday parade and the start of a football weekend!!!!!!
Life is good and this semester is SO much better than last!! Thank Heavens, that I have finally hit my stride!!!

The Years, by Numbers: 

The first calendar year (2009) I wrote 17 posts. 

The second year (2010) I wrote 27 posts.

The third year (2011) I wrote 89 posts.

And thus far in 2012 I have written 5 posts--eesh, I need to hurry up. 

2009 began (in August) with hitting my stride at Clemson and ended with the joy of being in the Lord.  (Which, by the way, I just read that post and was completely encouraged! Yay for a blog!!)

2010 began with Word Vomit (that whole episode still makes me cringe) and ended with transitions from 2010 to 2011 and what I expected to occur in the year to come (after reading that post again, though, let me say that in 2011 I DID NOT do a medical mission trip, obtain a paying summer job, have many clinical experiences or really and truly figure out where I would be for the 2 years following college [that's still in the works, but hey, obviously we got the 1st month down pat because here I am!]--so maybe my expectations were a little high for 2011!)**

**Please do not ever let me "predict" the year ahead, again!!

2011 began with the brokenness of marriage and relationships (wow! way to begin with a bang there Catharine!!---I'm so sorry for that!!) and ended with a quote from Bonhoeffer (now that's a way to wind down on a year!!). 

And 2012 began with my first blood spatter on my scrubs!!! Well, it really began with a hiatus message but we'll skip that one for record-keeping sake of actual events. But with blood spatter to begin who knows where 2012 will wind up!!!! I'm super-excited about what 2012 will bring, I'm a little nervous, a little anxious, a little ready to say "Good Riddance!!" to surprises, and just wondering where I'll wind up at the end of it all! 

So now, back to what I said about the blog taking on a little more meaning. At first it was a record of events, I've only ever prayer-journaled and I began to realize that things were slipping by and this is what came from that realization. Then I realized that I had one or two readers and I began to publish some of my more serious thoughts on here. With that came more in-depth examination of those thoughts because I knew if they were published for all the world to see I had to be ready to give an answer for what I believed and I had to publish them in such a way that they weren't misconstrued (so I really had to dissect my thoughts and ask myself, 'What are you meaning when you think or say such-and-such?", etc.). And now, I'm realizing that people are reading this little site and that through it they are praying for me and loving me all the more, and I cannot tell you what that means to me! I covet any and all prayers and am so very grateful for them! 

But also, I hope that this site is an encouragement to your soul as a reader. I don't know much but I hope that something that the Lord has revealed to me or caused me to write on this site has been useful to you. There are times when I sit down to write one thing and an entirely different thing gets posted and usually that's for my sake entirely but I hope that in some way you've been blessed too!

Anyway, thanks for reading for two and a half years now! It means a lot!!!!