Eek I’m scared!!!

So…tomorrow I will start my senior year of college. This is my last real semester of college. I have counted down the days literally until the day I could leave this little delta town, and now that it is time to leave I have thought of reasons to stay. I am growing nostalgic and have found myself in random crying spurts.

                       

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I want to enjoy this semester. I want to do all the things I haven’t done during my time here due to busyness and such. I want to focus more on the people around me, rather than being so caught up in the task. I want this to be an UH-mazing semester. I’m gonna go out with a bang!!!

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There is one little problem. I am an elementary education major at Delta State University entering Block Two. In short, that means my life will be taken from me by all of the requirements that come along with this semester. I have been warned by many that this is going to be a TOUGH semester…and I am scared. I don’t want the obligation of this semester to take its toll on my attitude. It definitely did last semester. Stress took over, and I allowed my joy to be drained. Hold me accountable guys!!! I want to stay positive and make the most of this semester. Can’t wait to tell you what I’m loving on Wednesday!!!

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Nicole

Blessed Beyond Words!!!

Okay, so this is the main reason I wanted to start a blog in the first place:  

Who doesn’t like to talk about what they love?!?

Well, it’s a link up with Jamie every Wednesday. I’m pretty sure it will be one of the highlights of my week.

Well…for starters I am loving that one of my beautiful besties, Amber Marie, has toted me around and allowed me to take her car while my poor Sarafina has been broken. Not many people would do that, but she’s a pretty generous gal. I kinda love her a little bit. If you want to check out her blog you can. Just click here. She’s a wonderful writer, and I think you would thoroughly enjoy her blog.

Yes, we’re close. Ha

I’m also loving that a precious couple at FBC Cleveland heard about my need, and handed me the keys to an extra car they have. They told me to keep it as long as I needed it, and if my car could not get fixed then I have a really good deal on a set of wheels. Can ya say answered prayer?!?    
   

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I’m loving that I got to go running tonight. I did not think that I was going to get to, but I got to go a lovely two miles. I’m also loving that I did not squash any of the froggies that plagued the track as I was running. I was able to successfully avoid them finding their fate under my running shoes. One did get kicked, but he is still alive. Hey, he should know better than to hop on a running track!!!  

  

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Lastly, but NOT least, I am LOVING that some of the students I have the blessing of working with at FBC have come and asked me how they can be involved in missions this summer. They have come and asked for applications and how to get to applications, and it REALLY makes my heart smile...BIG!!! Can I get a “hallelujah, praise the Lord, AMEN”?!?

It’s been a wonderful Wednesday, and I’m loving a lot!!! I am truly blessed beyond words. Can’t wait to tell you all about it next week!!!

Shaped by Grace,

Jessica Nicole

What's the meaning of this?!?

So, one of my besties, as you probably already know,  loves to blog. She has talked me into it. I kind of like the idea. :) I thought an awful lot about what I should title this whole blog thing. I kinda overthink everything. I did finally decide on a title, and I thought it would only be appropriate to explain this title. Anything I write is signed with "shaped by Grace". A dear friend I met in India signed an email with this signature, and I loved it so much that I adopted it. The reason I fell in love with this phrase it because of the truth that these three words hold in my life. My life has been turned upside down and beautifully wrecked by the grace of my Abba!!! I have been a follower of Christ for five years, and if you knew me five years ago you would most likely be floored by the difference. I even look back myself and shake my head. The grace of God is completely and amazingly transformational. His grace has been shown to me in ways that we all enjoy: encouragement, growth, unconditional love, friendships, redemption, etc. His grace has also been shown to me through the things we don't enjoy so much: conviction, correction, heartbreak, breaking down of walls, redirection, pruning, His plan overtaking what I thought would be, etc. You can't have one without the other, and looking back the things I didn't and don't enjoy so much at the time are some of the biggest blessings I could have ever experienced. All of these things combined have molded me into the woman I am today. I am thankful that He will continue to shape me by His grace. I have been made new by His grace. I have given the following titles: beautiful, relentlessly and unconditionally loved, adored, adopted, ransomed, restored, pure, healed!!! He doesn't extend this to us though for us to hold on to. He does it so that we will also extend this grace. I want my life to be an extension of this grace. :) I look forward to smiling, laughing, maybe even sometimes crying with you in this blog experience!!!

Shaped by Grace,
Jessica Nicole