Music Monday

You know that feeling when you check your email and then wish that you didn't? That's where I am right now...struggling to finish everything that's due in the next 24 or 48 hours and the work just keeps piling up.

Here are some tunes that are getting me through it:

needtobreathe's The Reckoning
Gungor's Ghosts Upon the Earth and Beautiful Things
David Crowder Band's Oh For Joy
Matt Papa's This Changes Everything
Gavin DeGraw's Sweeter 
Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe (yes, I'll admit it)
Michael Buble's Christmas

Also, a sweet friend shared this with me last week:

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Happy Monday!

Love, Kayla

blessed and oh so thankful | part three

The week is coming to a close, which means my concentration needs to increase and my procrastination needs to decrease. But one more post never hurt anyone, right?

My last two posts were very long and specific so I'm going to try and make this one a tad shorter and much more concise.

So here it goes. I'm thankful for...

North Carolina, this beautiful state I live in

my King's Domain family (just read any post I've written in the last 6 months) and the hour-long phone calls we often share. Who knew I would ever become a "phone-talker"?

UNC and all of it's tradition - what a privilege it is to study here

The Summit Church

The Gospel and the freedom it provides - "There is nothing I could ever do to make You love me more, and nothing I have done that can make You love me less."

movie nights with my family after finally deciding what to watch 

the ridiculous "questions of the week" that Amy always seems to come up with (some of our best/funniest conversations result from these!)

coffee and Port City Java (where I currently am...with my stack of library books next to me)

silly nights with my roommates

the ability to travel and to make a list of places to go and see that aren't completely out of the realm of possibility

my Route 56 kids and their smiles that greet me at the end of a long week

encouraging messages from my parents exactly when I need them

lunch dates with my Grandmother

being able to still act like I'm twelve and take crazy pictures with my sister and cousin

friends who will watch animated movies with me even when they know I'll probably cry (okay, that only happened one time)

living 2 minutes away from YoPo

my walk to work twice a week under a canopy of fall trees

Happy Thanksgiving, happy Fall, and happy studying! 

Love, Kayla

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good; 

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100

blessed and oh so thankful | part two

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! I hope you're enjoying this fabulous holiday and ate your best meal ever. Stuffing, sweet potatoes, and all things pumpkin are some of my fave Thanksgiving treats :) AND I've been spending time with my extended family that I love very much!

Today's "thankful" post is dedicated to a variety of people who all hold a special place in my heart. God has blessed me in ways I never imaged before coming to college, and one of those ways is in the friendships He has given me. There have definitely been times when maintaining friendships has been one of the hardest things I ever thought I would experience, and other times when it was the easiest thing ever. But the people I have in my life now have stuck through it all and never fail to point me back to Christ, my ultimate purpose in life.

To begin, I'm thankful for my roommates Amy and Dana...aka the people who keep me sane. I seriously could not have asked for two better people to share life with. When I think back to my goofiest, most ridiculous moments, these two are definitely in the picture. They are also probably some of the people who know me the most because they are there for both my worst and best moments. Thank you guys for putting up with me, for loving me, for hugging me (we'll work on that some more though :)), for listening to me babble on and on about nothing, and for always pointing me back to Christ. I'm SO excited for our next semester and year together!

Emily and I have been friends since the sixth grade...can't believe it's been 9 years!!? It's kind of sad that we still go to the same school (which I didn't think was going to happen!) and hardly ever see each other, but when we do hang out it's like nothing has ever changed, which I'm sooo thankful for! Emily is definitely one of the people who really knows how I operate, haha. She has been my friend through awkward middle and high school and everything that involved: band, prom, silly crushes, ridiculous music videos, inside jokes, etc. Emily, I know I have a friend in you forever, and that makes me incredibly happy :) I can't wait to see where you, my super-talented friend, ends up, and I hope I'll be right by your side the entire way!

 

I don't know what I would've done without my Bible study. My sisters from Powerhaus and I share some wonderful memories together and I could go on and on telling stories about things that have happened with these girls. They are some of my best friends and sharing life with them has been an incredible blessing. Kelly, Talley, and Alison, thank you for loving on little freshman Kayla like you did, and continue to do everyday. Y'all immediately pointed me to Christ and helped make the Gospel such a real thing in my life and for that I am forever grateful!

To my "family" - You guys are hilarious, wonderful, sweet, incredible, my fave, awesome, and my best friends. Thanks for loving me and making sure I spend my time doing fun things...instead of just living in the library. I love how y'all continue to open yourselves up to anyone and everyone. Our family continues to grow and change, but that's what makes it just that much better! I am so blessed to have friends like you and I'm excited to see where the next 90 years takes us (because we're going to live and be friends forever, obviously).

Sorry I got a little picture-happy in this one! Thanksgiving will continue all week for me (probably because I actually have time to blog...and it's a wonderful study break) so prepare yourself for more!

Love love love,

Kayla

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Psalm 95:2

blessed and oh so thankful | part one

A few days ago I had the privilege of reading a dear friend's testimony about how God worked in her life through King's Domain this summer. It brought tears to my eyes as I caught such an awesome glimpse into her heart and was reminded of the sweetness and goodness of God that He allowed me to experience alongside her. It got me thinking about what I'm truly thankful for and why. I know it's a tad cliché around this time of the year to get all sappy and talk about what you're thankful for and couldn't live without, etc. But seriously, what's wrong with that? Maybe we all need this holiday to be brought back down to reality, to take a break from our stressful lives, and to be reminded of how blessed we really are. I definitely think my eternal perspective is revived around this time of the year - something I've been needing recently!

I can't talk about being thankful without immediately thinking of my family. Though we have our rough patches for sure, they are ones I can continually come back to when I'm in need of love and encouragement. and lots of hugs :)  My parents do incredible things for me, something I often take for granted. Now that I'm in college I am so thankful for those late nights in high school when my mom would stay up with me as I finished a paper or project or even just the ridiculous amounts of homework we were assigned. She would edit my papers, listen to me rehearse speeches, make my lunch everyday, drive my siblings and me to school and then to ballet class and then to basketball practice, and to everything in between. My dad, too, has just been supportive of anything and everything along the way. He sat through countless boring ballet and flute recitals, was the best basketball coach ever, and never stopped telling me how proud of me he was. My parents put up with me changing my major 4 times in 2 years, they helped me buy a plane ticket to visit my best friends in January, they supported me during my entire Summer Project journey, and so much more that this one post cannot contain. Phone calls with my silly brother and sister never fail to make my day, and the excitement on Thomas' face when I come home to visit makes me SO happy! Emily has always been and will always be my best friend. Having a sister is something I know I don't value enough, but I am slowly realizing the blessing that she really is. Growing up with her by my side will never be forgotten and I cherish her friendship so much.

 I could go on and on all day about these people, but fortunately for you, I won't do that :) Have a very happy Thanksgiving (Eve)!

Love, Kayla

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

 

study FTW: a review

For some strange reason this semester has proven itself to be the busiest one yet. Apparently all of my professors decided it was a wonderful idea to assign researcher papers that are due at the end of the semester, so unfortunately I have been hanging out in the library/every coffee shop on Franklin St. like it's my job.


Because I am such a "studious" student (hah, maybe?), I have now managed to visit 10 different study locations this semester! Some I love....others, not so much. Here is my master list of study spots. Hopefully you'll be able to put it to good use in the upcoming exam season!

• Caribou (both Franklin St. locations): This is definitely one of my new favorites. Living so close to Franklin St. has been wonderful this semester, and Caribou has free coffee refills! The atmosphere is nice too because it's not super quiet (it's not really quiet at all...) but it's not obnoxiously loud either. I don't think I can count how many times I've camped out here this year.
• Davis Library: The thought of being in Davis all day is kind of depressing but it's a great place if you're looking for mostly quiet surroundings and a guaranteed afternoon/night of productivity. And hey, it's open until 2 a.m. again in case your brain still functions that late! Bringing friends usually makes it better.
• Starbucks (Franklin St. & South Campus): Starbucks tends to get a little crowded, but everything about their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Peppermint Mochas (they're back!!!!) is wonderful.
• The Union: I really like the Union for those awkward hour breaks between classes. I tend to not get much done here because there are so many people, but the top floor is a little quieter and the atmosphere isn't as stressful as the library. Oh yeah, and there's coffee.
• Panera Bread: This is a fun, casual, not-too-serious study spot. Their coffee is great (always a plus) and not to mention the delicious treats you can eat while you're there!
• Chick-fil-A: Chloe and I have only done this once but it was awesome! Maybe I just love the food there, but isn't that reason enough to try it? You'll most likely become best friends with the people who work there, and if you sit near the bathrooms you can watch the cute little kids run in and out all day. This is definitely one of my new faves, but I'm also one of those people who could eat Chick-fil-A everyday. 
• Barnes and Noble: B&N is one of my favorite places ever (mostly for not studying, but studying here is cool too). Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the bookstore or find a corner to sit and enjoy a good book. A major plus is that your study breaks can include walking around and making lists and lists of books you want to read! Mine is never-ending.
• Old East Library: Living on campus has its perks, specifically living in the Olds. Overlooking the famous Old Well, the Old East library is a cute little study spot that's particularly great because it's a quick 10 sec. walk back to my dorm. It's pretty cool being one of the "regulars" here and recognizing all of the other studious undergrads who tend to spend their nights there. We should form a club.
• Graham Memorial: It's getting to be that time of the year when the fireplaces are being lit and you can snuggle up on a couch with a good book (or a book from Davis...whatevs). I love doing work here. It's so cozy and pretty and there are outlets everywhere! (yay for my computer not having a battery!)
• The Trip: Studying in my room is usually a fail, so this is not really a place I would recommend. Amy and Dana can attest to the fact that my bed always wins. And after 10 p.m. with all 3 of us in the room is just plain insane. That's probably why I love them so much :)

Happy season of exams, paper-writing, and coffee-drinking!
LOVE, Kayla :)