Getting into shape

This made me laugh hard:

Anyways...
Four weeks into the semester!
My friend reminded me that we are (already or only, call it what you will) 1/4 of the way done with the fall semester.
I'm not sure if I should be encouraged or discouraged.

I have been struggling with time management. I am not the kind of person who can explicitly schedule out every minute of my day, but I do have to have some sort of structure in my life. I've been putting social first, which is not good. I need to become more of a hermit-like person.
I did go on an amazing fall retreat last weekend:

I realize that this whole "college thing" is totally a God-thing.
Going into it, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be getting in, I applied late, I would have to have a ton of loans, and then I was out-of-country for most of the class enrollment period. I was just like, whatever God wills will happen. I surrendered it to Him and stopped worrying about it {mostly}

All of those excuses? God took care of everything. Every little detail!

Now I just have to work to get the groove of using my brain.

I am feeling pretty certain that God has put me in this place to learn and grow. I've heard a few stories of God pulling people out of college to go into full-time work, but I'm experiencing the inverse. God directs every path individually (such a beautiful thought) and if I keep on trusting Him, I know He'll see me through.
My faith is growing through all of this.

So as I'm working on getting mentally in shape, I'm also working on the physical side of in-shapeness. Running around campus from class to class is a good workout. Whee windsprints! My backpack is also about 100 pounds [maybe a slight exaggeration], so it's a good arm/back workout.

My university has an amazing gym, and I've been trying to go there and swim, weight train, and run. My goal is to build up to the ability to run a 1/2 marathon again (and do way better than before)

I've never been a lap swimmer, so the ability to jump in and swim 25+ laps would be awesome. Yesterday I did 8. But Rome was not built in a day...

Anyways, all of that to say that there is much to work on and improve in my life, but God is holding me up! Kind of a boring update, but c'est la vie.

I so love this passage. I identify with Israel, thinking that maybe God doesn't care so much. But He does! {Isaiah 40}:

27Why do you say, O Jacob,

and complain, O Israel,

“My way is hidden from the Lord;

my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.