Romans 12:1-2

Sup, yo. 
First week back is finally over! Only two weeks left.
This week wasn't too terribly exciting,
besides the fact that I......

I SNORKELED THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But before I go into all that jazz I'll inform you on other things.

lalalalalalalallalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalallalallalalaaaaaa.

So yeah, this week we got back into the swing of things. Back to lectures, morning tea, cleaning dishes for two hours everyday, journals/workbooks, the Strand, and Castle Town. 

This weeks lectures we learned about Spiritual Warfare. I didn't really have much thought about what it would be like to be perfectly honest. 
But this week did really help me heaps. 
It all started on Monday before lectures. We had morning worship and that's when it really hit me that I am truly a living sacrifice for God. That He has something SO great for me. And it was bittersweet. Cause I'm all happy cause I finally know I have a purpose in this life and that is to share God's glory and love and His kingdom come and all that good stuff that God does in your life, but then on the other hand it hit me hard....I'm a living sacrifice..... A LIVING SACRIFICE.... I hope you get what I am talking about.
God's calling me to do things and I am finally realizing that I am gonna have to sacrifice things. And to be honest... it sucks. I could easily go back to my normal life back in Tennessee and do all the "normal" things. But no.... I can't I just can't! This is only the beginning of what God has for me. I know I'm gonna be in missions for a while. And I'm super duper happy and sad all at the same time! GAH! God is so good. He definitely sees what I am doing and He is blessing me for that. I just love Him!

Anywho... during worship I was having my moment and that's when I got told (by God) to fast. I never, never, never, EVER, ever, ever, NeVeR fasted in my whole life. I never liked it and I would just avoid that topic completely. And I never really saw the point to it, funny how things work, hahahah. So yeah, I felt called to fast for three days. THREE DAYS! I've never gone so long without food. And I LURRRRVVV food. Everyone knows that. But, yeah. The first day was amazing. God really spoke to me and temptations came my way BIG TIME (I got asked if I wanted a free frappe, and my outreach group brought SO MUCH FREAKIN' chocolate to our meeting) but, I just spent a lot of time with God and He kept on telling me things, and I was feeling amazing! I never felt hungry! And I was excited for the two other days! 
So, I wake up the next day and I feel like crap. Complete and utter crap. It was hard for me to get out of bed,  walk to the bathroom,  and hold my tooth brush to my mouth. Oooooo, it was awful! I kept just trying to read my Bible and get things, but I just felt so sick. 
Then.....
all of a sudden.....
I just started puking my guts out. I only had water in me and I was puking all that out. UGH! 
Yeah, so after me throwing up someone else and I decided it was a good idea for me to stop. 
Then, after throwing up heaps again I finally ate a piece of toast and started feeling bunches better. 
God is good.
It was my first time fasting and I got so much out of that one day.
And I know God is happy that I am suffering/sacrficing for Him.
There will be other times to fast and when that time comes I will do better at it... like drink juice or something.
Hahah, I just LOL at myself cause I threw up. 
But yeah! I'm proud of myself! 

Anywho... my figuring out that I am a living surifice played well into our teachings in Spiritual Warfare. Basically the whole week we just learned about "running the race" (which I am doing)
and sometimes we end up walking the race, but that's okay. Just keep going towards that finish line. And it's not bad to have others help you along the way. I know that sound cliche and all, but it's so true guys. 
I'm running my race, heck we all are. Just keep running guys! And lean into God when times are getting hard. When He see's you trying your very hardest to bring glory to Him, He will see that and He will bless you! That's just how He rolls. 

Our God is so big! So strong and so mighty. There's nothing our God can not do.... FOR YOU!! (and you and you and you and you!)

So yeaaaaahhhhhhh, besides all that there wasn't too much going on. Besides Megan and I watching Dr. Phil, bahahahahahaha. Such a retarded show.... I FREAKIN' LOVE IT!
Oooooo and I got to Skype my whole fam! EEEE! I love when I can talk to my whole family in one sitting. Makes me so happy.

K, well enough about all that stuff.
Let's get to me snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef!
HOLY COW IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys..I saw one of the seven wonders of the world. How cool is that?! Never ever in my life did I ever expect to be half way around the world in Australia... doing all this fun stuff. I've experienced so many great things and I just feel so lucky! 

K, so getting to the Reef took like 4 hours. Ugggh, my goodness it sucked. I got sea sick. So I just forced myself to stay in the fetal position and fall asleep. And I still feel like I am rocking on that boat and it's making me sea sick again. eewwwyyyy.

But once we got there the terrible 4 hour boat ride and having all my body parts fall asleep on me was all worth it.

The Reef was GAWWWGEOUS. The water was so blue and pretty. And once we got on our wetsuits (we looked like freakin' smurfs) got on our flippers and our masks we were good to go! I jumped in and just gawked at all the beautiful things below. There were so many fishies all different colors, sizes, and shapes. I EVEN SAW A SHARK! A GREAT WHITE SHARK! IT WAS HUGE!!! I SWAM WITH IT.
Just kidding... I mean I did see a shark and I did swim with it (really far away from it, but that counts) but it was like this dinky little shark. A white tip or something like that? 
GAH! I wish you could all experience what I saw! It was so breath taking.
And the Reef! EEEEEEE, God is just so creative. Hehehehe. That's all I'm gonna say.

So yup, after about snorkeling for about two hours, we got back on the boat for another 4 hour long, sickly boat ride. But this time I took some motion sickness pill thingy... it helped.

I'll shut up now and show you some pictures now! So you too can gawk at the beauty!

Video frist!

Okay, now pictures!

^^IT'S THE GREAT BARRIER REEF GUYS!!!!!!!! AH!^^

My outfit for the day.

I work it.

Fa sho.

Me n' my main gals right before we went in!

Love dem.

:)

Photobomin' is my main hobby.

SNORKELING IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!!!!

AAAAAAA!!!

That's me in the middle.^

On the left is Lisa and the right is Victoria!

Here I am.

In Australia!

In one of the seventh wonders of the world!

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF!

That's me on the left, swimming in the Great Barrier Reef if you didn't know. Or in case you forgot.

Megan and I!

Lisa and I!

Here are most of the gals and I after we finished snorkeling!

We didn't wanna take off our suits!

Totes comfortable and so figure flattering.

(Victoria, Carlie, ME!, Denise, Megan, Lisa)

Hope you understand why I'm freakin' out over being able to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef.

Gorgeous, right?!

Just like you, hehehehehe.

Okay, well I shall blogs all y'alls later to inform you on some other kind shin digs that happens in my awesome life down unda.

Peace out!!

God bless!!

xx

P.S. Psalm 51:10