Finals week and other sources of stress.

My friend Kevin posted this on his facebook today as I was stressing over buying train tickets. 

"The gospel freely admitted makes a man happy. It gives him peace with God, and makes him happy in God. It gives to industry a noble, contented look which selfish drudgery never wore; and from the

moment that a man begins to do his work for his Saviour’s sake, he feels that the most ordinary employments are full of sweetness and dignity, and that the most difficult are not impossible."

"And if any of you, my friends, is weary with his work, if dissatisfaction with yourself or sorrow of any kind disheartens you, if at any time you feel the dull paralysis of conscious sin, or the depressing influence of vexing thoughts, look to Jesus, and be happy. Be happy, and your joyful work will prosper well." -William Wilberforce

Something that should be encouraging, but something that's hard for me to do, because it's hard to give up my stress, my feeling of control. 

 I have to say this is probably the most stressful finals week I've ever had. Being that I have to study for all four finals, although I'm done writing my last essay! Huzzah! But it's not just the tests. I'm also stressing about other things, like transport to Madrid and getting a job when I get back and money and Christmas shopping. And the real word is worrying, which is not ok.

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6). I realized this afternoon in trying to figure out our train/bus tickets that I am not doing this. I'm trying to carry it all by myself, not "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for [me]" (1 Peter 5:7) So I'm going to try and do that more. Your prayers would be appreciated.


I have a final tomorrow (witch hunt) and one on Wednesday (culture of Spain) and language and culture on Thursday. So I'm studying up. Hopefully. Procrastinating on studying this week has made me more productive in job searching. I would so like to have a job before I go back to school, but that may not be realistic considering interviews and all. Real world problems are overlapping with Spain problems.

But on a positive note, Galicia was relaxing, my mamá is so sweet, and I'm going home in 5 and a half days. I'll hopefully post photos soon and a more good things about Valladolid when I have time to upload photos and such. 

(A kind of view of Calle Paraíso and a shot of my left ear) Still smiling thank God.
P.S. I can genuinely say it's freezing here. The ground was frosty when I walked to school this morning (which made walking fast because I was late much harder) and when we got out of school there was still frost on the trees! I think I'm getting more used to it though. I'm finally learning how to dress for it (ALL the layers!) But I'm looking forward to coming back to California still :) Alright. Back to studying!