Being a healthy college student = hard

Well I'm sure all of you have heard of the freshman fifteen? Well at ASU they say it's tough to gain those fifteen pounds considering you walk up and down hundreds of steps multiple times a day. But being healthy in college is tough. I have a meal plan but they offer more unhealthy food than they do healthy food in the dining hall. I can only deal with eating salad so many times a week especially when I can go grab a chickfila sandwich and waffle fries just as easy. There is also a grocery store on campus and a organic grocery store in walking distance. But, what college student is able to afford the organic store or the grocery store on campus. I mean $6 for a box of cereal is ridiculous. So of course I'm on a tight budget and stick to 20 cent ramen noodles and $1.00 boxes of macaroni and cheese. My room is slam packed with crackers, tater chips, ramen, Mac and cheese, cookies, everything unhealthy lol. Eating all this food would probably be okay if I could exercise the way I need to. My dorm is located directly next to two gyms. But I never have the time to go to one. So my goal is to make time. A lot of us usually use the excuse "I don't have time" when in reality you do you just have to make time. My goal is to exercise 2 days during the week and 2 times every weekend. Hopefully I can maintain my weight or maybe even loose some weight. Lord knows I'll need to if I keep eating all this junk food.

- Hayley 

Crafty, crafty, crafty

So in order to make my form super cute I got crafty over the summer trying to think of some cute ways to decorate. Well, I painted canvases this summer and plenty of them. It's my new hobby :)

My friend Mason begged and begged for one so I made him this Yosef one.

My rookie Shannon needed some canvases so this one is hers.

And this one.

Dorm Sweet Dorm. This one hangs next to our door.

What's life without a little Disney? Some of my favorite Disney quotes.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul. Hebrews 6:19

The first canvases I made. These hang above our beds. Love them.

This one was for my boyfriend Brandon. Even though we're far apart I wanted him to remember that distance makes the heart grow fonder.

My sister wanted this.

Little Elijah just had to have one too. Braves baseball is his favorite.

My step sis Lori asked for one as well.

Now Jackson just couldn't decide what he wanted. So we put a little bit of everything on his :)

I for sure wanted to make sure that I had some pictures on my wall. Well I found the idea of using ribbon and clothes pins to hang my pictures up and I love it! I also found some purple lights in the Halloween section at Walmart to add a lil something else. 

I'M BACK!!! For real this time :)

I've worked all day long trying to fix this blog up. I think it's looking pretty good! Well update on my life. I'm in college now at Appalachian State University. I am majoring in Elementary Education! This university is absolutely amazing. I'm loving it so far. I've been dating the love of my life for 8 months now and were going strong even though were almost 200mi apart. There's a downside to college life. I don't feel as close to God as I used too. I've tried out a campus ministry, but it just didn't feel right. My school work and Brandon consumes most of my time. I guess you could say Brandon is my social life lol. I'm taking 16 hours this semester, it's going great other than it consumes a lot of my time. So my new spiritual goal is to get back close to God and to read his word a little more. I found some verses I really like last night. 

"God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom, but we simply have to trust His will." Psalm 37:5

"I will not cause pain without allowing something newto be born", says The Lord. Isaiah 66:9

"Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18

"Now faith is the substance of things hopes for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

"I lift my eyes up to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from The Lord, the maker and Heaven and Earth." Psalm 121:1-2

" I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 (always been my favorite verse")

I pray that I can figure out what exactly it is I need to do to get back close to God. But, these Bible verses sound like a good start. Now I need to apply these to my life. 

Planning on posting on here a lot more. 

- Hayley 

I'm Back!

Not that anyone really reads these but i'm back and a lot has changed. Senior year is going great! I love my classes and our Homecoming was a blast!! This year is going by extremely fast thought :(. I am now single. I am now praying I get into Appalachian State University to major in Education.

Over the past month i've realized just how difficult and complicated relationships are. I broke up with my boyfriend of 3.5 years because I honestly wasn't happy and hadn't been completely happy in a while. Now that I look back on the relationship, I had fun and I don't regret it at all. I notice I jumped into a relationship because I needed someone due to my parents divorce. Love is complicated. After breaking up with my boyfriend, I tell my best guy friend how I feel about him and he reveals that he's wanted to date me since freshman year and tells me all sorts of sweet things. Well, things started off going fast but perfect and then he ends it! I don't completely understand but I guess I'm just gonna be single for a while. I honestly don't know how to be single. I really miss having someone to lean on! I've also noticed how precious life is and that we let it pass us by and never really see the big picture. I've grown closer to God. I never noticed how much I missed while i was with my first boyfriend. I pushed a lot of things to the side. I missed hanging out with my friends and I missed becoming me. I love who I am and I wouldn't change me for anyone other than God. With the holidays coming up I kept saying to myself "wow you're going to be alone", but in truth I can actually enjoy the time with my family and only have to worry about me. I can't believe i'll be off at college this time next year! It blows my mind! I don't know what i'm going to do! I will miss everyone soooo sooooo much!!!!!

VBS 2012 "Adventures on Promise Island"

This week at VBS I was reminded of all of God's promises that he has for each and every one of us. 
Monday- "I am with you"- God promises that he is by our side whenever we need him. We discussed how in Daniel Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego were thrown in the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar and God was with them. " 23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
Tuesday- "I care about you"- God promises that he cares for each and everyone of us. In John 11:1-3;17-44 Jesus cares for Mary, Martha and Lazzarus
Wednesday- "I give you what you need"- In Mark 2:1-12 Jesus helps a man brought by four friends.
Thursday- " I will save you"- Jesus died for each and everyone of us so that we might live with him forever in the kingdom of Heaven.
Friday- "I will answer you"- God listens to you and answers your prayers

We've learned 3 really good songs this week that I can't get out of my head lol

"His promise is forever" 

 "Standing on the Promises"

"God cares about me"

We had hand motions and dances for each of the songs. You should have seen the younger kids dancing and singing their little hearts out for Jesus it was heart warming! :)

God is so good :)

I have to admit that I have pushed God away a little over the past few years. During my parents divorce we didn't go to church anywhere really but I sure relied on him alot. I knew he was there for me when I didn't really know who to trust. When I got real upset I always said to myself "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and pulled through the heartbreak. Even though it has been 4 years since my parents divorced I still get really upset over things. Their divorce caused me to mature faster than some people my age because I had to be an example for my brother and sister. To be honest I haven't been the best role model for my sister and I should really try to do better. My brother is like my own son it feels like, I know that's weird but he was born when I was twelve and my parents divorced after he turned 1 so i've always been the one there for him. He doesn't constantly have my mom and dad but he's always with me. They are a big reason that I want to be a better Christian example. I started to go back to church when my boyfriend Michael invited me to go to "teens" with him on Wednesday nights. I was very shy at first even though I knew most of the people there I honestly didn't pay attention like I should have. Now that I have been going almost every Wednesday for almost 3 years I've started to grow closer to God. I wish my boyfriend would go to church every Sunday too but he won't. I really want to join the church one day but I'll look dumb asking to join when I don't even come on Sundays. I just, well, miss being close to God. This week we have been having VBS and I have really noticed how close that I used to be to God. God has really tugged at my heart so far this week and I really am set on listening to him and trying to grow closer to him. God is good to me so good and I need to stop and realize that sometimes.

Senior Pictures

 I wanted to share a couple of my senior pictures that Mrs.Melissa Kidd took for me :). We spent the majority of the day taking pictures at my boyfriend Michael's House and then we headed to North Moore and to Asheboro to take some more pictures. We finished off our photo session with a stop at Chick-fi-la for some delicious ice cream!