We hung out this weekend and took pretty pictures.

Hey hey heyyy!

I only put this picture up because I feel as if it describes the Foursome very accurately.

Mercy: radiating charisma. But her real happiness in this picture came from recently watching the One Direction movie.

Grace: being adorable. Also giggling at everything (the only reason we are friends is because of our mutually inappropriate senses of humor).

Me (Laura): forcing a happy, compliant face but secretly mocking everything under the surface. Also looking fabulous. I always look faaaabulous ;)

Rose: off doing her own thang, having a panic attack about something weird, and talking. Also fangirling about the 1D movie.

here's a better picture from Saturday. I believe that is Ethan with his fingers behind my head. And my dad's bald spot can be seen glowing over Rose's shoulder. Whatever. It's like 1 of 2 nice pictures taken of the Foursome ever.

Anyway, I'm going to make this post short because my mom's laptop needs to be charged and I'm sitting in the coldest corner of my room, which is also farthest away from a plug outlet. Freaking technology. I place the blame on outdated electronics rather than my own stubbornness.

    Grace, Mercy, Rose: I love you girls and enjoyed each of your posts last week. They were funny and inspiring and I am so excited to start 2014 off like a boss. Also G&M, I cannot wait for February. I love seeing your faces on the Internet, and hearing your voices on the phone, but in just 42 days I can touch your faces and watch you talk in person (I know that was creepy but I also know y'all can forgive me;).

    I honestly had no idea what to write about today. Mondays always surprise me. After a rigorous first day of my last semester of high school (*cries in the fetal position*) I figured I would write something cute and vague as usual, but then my home life got crazy, and I hung out with my neighbor, and my friend called with a giant family crisis, and my sister and her lanky biker-friend had an argument with my mother about the American education system over dinner.

     Just another typical day in my life.

    My memoir will one day be called: Wait, What the Heck? The Story of A Young Girl's Awkward Childhood (I'm thinking by the time I'm old enough to write a memoir I'll be past my awkward stage).

    It's funny, because I have been praying a lot lately for God to surprise me, to make it easier for me to surrender to Him. I have found that whenever I ask God for something He always responds in the most ironic ways imaginable, as if he enjoys making my want to groan with frustration and laugh and love Him evermore deeply, all at the same time. I asked for surrender, and what did I get? Overwhelming distractions and drama.

    But in the middle of my rainy Monday, when anxiety got the better of me and I beat myself up for wasting time and screwing up, I felt the need to pray, and to simply pray the words Thy will be done. 

    Thy will be done. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

    I worry about the future. I imagine my first day of college, and worry that I'll have no friends, or my roommate will hate me, or guys won't take me seriously, because I'm an apparently naive Christian girl who has never dated. But why should I overthink everything when God has my future plans in His hands? I find that the upcoming events I spend less time thinking and stressing about and building up expectations for are always the more enjoyable ones. But I have a sin nature, like everyone else, so I overanalyze and plan when I should just go with the flow. But like everyone else, the Creator of sunsets and springtime awakenings loves me unconditionally.

    Things are probably going to be fast-paced and crazy this semester. I have to make my Final College Decision, get senior pictures taken, apply for jobs and scholarships, knit a baby shower gift for my small group leader, start running with my neighbor-friend again. and go on my youth group retreat a week from Friday, to name a few. I could factor in eating and sleeping, but you know what? God's got this. I need to spend less time thinking and more time doing and living my life for His glory.

    Mercy, I know you hate writing after me, but I can't wait to read your post tomorrow. It will be fabulous, just like your pajama jeans.

--Laura :)