patience

This weekend was slightly historic for me. It marked the official end of my undergraduate degree. It was a day of sweet reunions and "see you laters." I never imagined myself getting teary-eyed at my own graduation, but I found myself gazing from family and friends during the prayer (he had just mentioned thanksgivings to those who helped us) and getting emotional. Nonetheless, it was a day of pure joy. I was surrounded by those who have prayed over and with me, those who kept me sane, and those who unrelentingly loved on me during my collegiate journey.

Looky looky at my family

Roomies4lyfe

Got to graduate with these beauties

After graduation I was finally able to cross off another bucket item. I have always admired tattoos and wanted some of my own. As a teenager, I kept threatening my parents that I would get them when I turned 18 since I would not need their consent. However, my dad made the stipulation that I was to wait until I was out from his roof before I could get tattoos. Naively I assumed he literally meant out from his roof. Thus I hoped to get them when I went off to college. But he made it clear that he meant out from all financial support. Luckily, last Christmas break, he slipped up and said I could get them when I graduated college. Thus, I wasted no time getting between graduation and a wedding. You're probably thinking, them?! Yes, I got more than one. And patience paid off because I like them a whole bushel and a peck.

And here's the story behind the two.

 This is actually a snip-it from my very first blog post ----{James 4:14 "You don't even know what tomorrow will bring-what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes."  While a stranger to the Good News might think that verse is insane, I find complete comfort in it. My 20 years of life has had some rough and smooth parts but compared to eternity, it is nothing! My life that I sometimes consider boring or hard or joyful is like snapping your fingers. The 'bit of smoke' in the verse is translated as a 'mist'..hence the title of the blog..a mist of a life.  When considering the two months that I will be gone--who knows what I'll be doing, who(m) I'll be coming into contact with, or when this body of mine flies Home? My God knows the answer to each of these questions. Each of them have troubled me in this process since I loveeee to plan everything out. However, I must daily deny and carry the cross and forget about these meaningless issues.}------Thus, MIST has been an influential part of my life for the past three years. The word is not only how I began this blog but gave me a new look on life. It's on my dominant hand because it will be something that I'll see each time I open a door, write notes, or use utensils. I will not be able to one day without knowing that my life but a bit of smoke. 

The second one also derives from James 1:2-4 "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."  How on earth can I consider trials with joy? Why on earth should I? Because without trials [big or small], our faith will not grow. There must be maturation of the faith. Moreover, joy doesn't come from circumstances or people like happiness. Happiness is fleeting. JOY only comes from God and does not leave when the troubles occur; thus I should have infinite joy. It should be a joy to face these trials, tribulations, and persecutions because we do not face these alone but our God stands with us.