Overflowing Treasures....Or Trash?

I have this problem and perhaps you can sympathize with me. I'm a very organized person which is great. My complication? I have a hard time getting rid of things. In other words I keep just about everything that means something to me or I think can be useful sometime in the future. I think this can be good concerning some stuff but overall is this a good or bad thing??

Holly has called me a pack rat for awhile now. Looking around my room and seeing everything organized and in order, I always thought it wildly unreasonably that I would be so....until I did some deep cleaning. All I have to say is: oh brother!

I have hung on to almost everything that holds any sentimental value to me. They are the most difficult for me to let go, so therefore I usually don't. It drives me crazy but at the same time it would kill me to give it up or throw it away. I couldn't believe some of the things I discovered packed away in boxes and such, some stuff I've had and hadn't seen in ages. It's like this raging battle taking place inside of me. I don't need it but I just can't trash it!

I'm doing a little better and the last cleaning excursion of my room was profitable as I finally begun letting things go. But the bad things is that I have discovered this struggle recently appearing in other things, such as my text message inbox and my e-mail. They constantly remain full because there's too many messages/e-mails I wouldn't consider deleting. AHHHHHH!

This really is a struggle. The problem is that I don't see any solution but letting go of some things. I feel like just throwing up my hands over this. Am I a hopeless case?

Short Summery of 2008

We have officially entered 09'. 2008 was a fantastic year for me. It was one of the best! I look back over it and I am so touched and grateful of all of God's blessings. He has been faithful to bless us in numerous, countless ways. God has been my strength this year--my dear friend. I don't know how I could have gotten through without Him (I wouldn't have!). He has once again provided, protected, taught and blessed me. He is so gracious and good and I give Him all the praise!!

Many things occurred last year. A few would be: Autumn accepted Christ as her Savior, Amber and Autumn were baptized, I graduated from high-school, Holly and I attended a 2-day woman's conference in Alabama, I started piano lessons, took two trips to Bob Jones University, my sister and I enjoyed our first rode trip just her and I to our great aunt and uncle's (had a blast), took the ACT test, I volunteered and attended a summer camp, and our family was able to enjoy a few vacations among many other things.

What a great year it was!! I am grateful most for God and all that He taught me, my wonderful family, the friends He blessed me with, God's blessings of health, and for my beloved church family where God has done so much in our lives. I couldn't thank Him more.

I pray that God will continue to shape me and that all that I do will glorify Him. I praise God for such a great year and I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in 2009.

What I Will Be Doing Starting This Fall

College classes start this week and it looks like I won't be packing my bags and moving to college campus like I thought and desired. This final decision has been made with much prayer. I haven't spoken about it much on my blog, but it has been a winding road coming to this final conclusion but I now do believe this decision is what God wants.

"So, since you aren't attending college this fall, what will you be doing?" you may ask. Well, besides saving up for expenses and preparing for college next year (if the Lord wills), there's several things I hope to do to occupy my time. I do not believe success is equaled in a college degree neither is college the most important thing on my "life to-do's"---even though, don't get me wrong, I highly value higher education and know without a doubt I want to pursue some avenue of it at some time. But, for now, God has a reason that I am not going to college this fall and I plan to make the most of this season in my life.

So then, what will I be doing instead?

First, I plan to be practicing deeper spiritual disciplines. Since I am out of school and have more hours in my morning, (and because once I start college I will be most likely pressed for time), I want to make this season a time for much study and growth. Disciplines such as much more Bible reading, deep Bible study, intense prayer, and diligent Bible memorization are a few that I hope to saturate my time and my mornings. It is my goal to do much more memorizing so I will "hide God's Word in my heart." I am working on the book of James right now (yes, the whole book; it is possible!) and there's so many other verses I want ingrained in my memory.

Second, I will be working on completing my correspondence course in Bible from Liberty University's Home Bible Institute. Right before graduation I took a break from this study and haven't started back until last week. This course is basically an outline and overall study of each book of the Bible going from the Old Testament to the New Testament, then finally ending with doctrinal studies. It's a two-year course and I think I am about half way through right now so I hopefully will be finished by next year. I really have enjoyed this study and I am really thankful for all I have been learning through this course.

Besides working on my correspondence course, I will also be undertaking much self-study. Learning is readily available and is basically at our finger tips in our time in age. Just because I am not in college right now doesn't mean I can't learn on my own! I already have several books I am reading which includes studies in government, economics, speech, etc., but I also plan to do lots of research, and just well, learn! Going to the library and doing some research and reading, making searches on the internet, or whatever, I want to study several things on my own. I really enjoy to learn, more than I did when I was in highschool...

In the area of earning money, for the meantime I will be working part time for my Dad. My Dad owns a thriving home business blessed by the Lord of making signs and creating graphic designs. My Dad not only wants me to work for him and pays me hourly, but he needs my help! He is usually swamped with business and orders, so most of the time there is something I can do to give him a hand. I love helping my Dad and there's no one else I'd rather work for. Will I get a job/job in the future? Maybe. But right now, there's really no need. My Dad pays me more than the minimal wage!

I will also be babysitting weekly again for the same family I have worked for the last year. This time, however, I will be working twice a week, for at total of about 10 hours a week. There's 4 kids I have the responsibility to monitor at the ages of 12, 9, 6, and 3. It's a great job and something the Lord has greatly blessed me with. I love the kids and spending time with them, and I get paid very nicely. What more could I ask for? God is so good to me!

For an additional side job, and if the Lord blesses, I will also continue printing t-shirts along with my sister.

Next, since I have graduated and don't have a strict form of "schooling," besides flexible self study, I plan to help Mom more around the house to lighten her load a little bit which includes doing a majority of the cooking.

Besides the privilege of helping mom, I also want to develop more of my homemaking skills. Besides those things such as cooking, baking, cleaning, laundry, helping with homeschooling, etc. I would like to embark on other things, like for one, develop my sewing skills. Our pastor's wife is planning on possibly teaching some ladies in the church how to sew, including myself. I would love to learn how to sew some skirts...I also desire to crochet a quilt, particularly a baby afghan for my hope chest. I've always wanted to but never have taken the time. Plus, I would LOVE to sew a quilt. I sewed a small one when I was in about the 8th grade, but it was nothing fancy and I forgot how I did it. I have searched for quilting classes around here but haven't found any just yet...

As for weekly activities, my church is starting a Bible study on Mondays from the book "Changed Into His Image" by Jim Berg. I know this will be good and I am so excited! Holly will be taking with me as well. My church is also hoping to start a Bible memorization program. I just can't wait for this to start!!

I will also be continuing my piano lessons on Tuesdays afternoons and practicing daily.

With all of this, I also hope, if the Lord's will, to start a Bible study for young girls. I am still praying and planning, but some how I feel like this is something the Lord wants me to do. Not that I am a good speaker or teacher (speaking in front of large groups is not my favorite thing to do!), but it's been a desire of mine for many years and I think this is the opportunity to do so. (I may be writing more on this later...) In concordance to this, if I can make time, I'd also love to start a blog designed particularly for young ladies.

Some other things I'd like to pursue if I have the time are:

-Doing some deep and extensive reading. There's so many books I desire to read!!
-Working on some books I have started writing but are unfinished.
-Possibly take some CLEP tests and go ahead and earn some college credit. I'd especially like to go ahead and clep out History of Civilization, a freshman core subject.
-Look into scholarships

I also desire to help more in our church, if there's anything I can do and if they can use me.

As you can see, useful things to do certainly aren't limited!!

So, these are a majority of the things I hope to be occupying my time with this year. "Bored" is never part of my vocabulary, and I am positive it won't be this year either!

I didn't write this to brag, neither to say that I think all young ladies should do what I am doing. Rather, I wrote this to share what I will be embarking upon and where God is leading me. Believe me, I did NOT take this decision lightly---much prayer, fasting and thought went into it. Being in God's will is essential to me, and I deeply feel that this is where He wants me for the time being. I was not happy with this decision at first. I cried and was very upset and thought I'd be "loosing" a year that could be spent on a college campus earning college credit. But you know what? I now see things differently and I do not think I am "loosing" a year at all! If all I did was sit around and watch TV, then that would obviously be a problem, but rather God has things for me to accomplish and I need to be faithful. Life after graduation doesn't start at college! There's so many things I can do to use my time for the glory of God here at home. In addition, I can work on becoming closer to my family members and developing a stronger relationship with my siblings.

I only want to be where God wants. If going to college will never be a part of His will for the future, then I shall never go. If He desires me to start next year, then I will be packing my bags at that time. In the meantime, my duty right now is to do what I am called to do and that is another year at home.

As for now, higher education and college will have to wait. I didn't think this would be the path I would be taking but I am and you know what? I am happy about it and excited to see what the Lord will do. :) May He be glorified.

~~Brooke~~