Time is such a funny thing, the older you get the quicker it flies by. I don't know about you but this past year has just flew by. It seems like only yesterday I was saying my final goodbyes to Kilkeel High School and sitting my A-Levels, unsure of the future and today I am nearly finished my first year of University. I am literally nearly 1/3 of the way through my course already... And I am not sure if I am okay with that!!
Anyways, months 6 and 7... What a whirlwind it has been! I have been in 2 different countries, completed 2 essays, been ill, met up with lots of friends and had LOTS OF FUN all in the space of 8 weeks!
The start of month 6 was spent catching up with all my Cardiff pals after being on placement and away from them all for 6 weeks! I think coming back to Cardiff, after being on placement, made me realise how settled I have become, I can call it my second home and mean it!! God has provided me with so much more than I could even imagine this year! Like seriously, God completely blows my mind all the time - we ask him for something which seems so insignificant and is a really small prayer and we DOUBT whether he will answer our prayers and then he just does SO MUCH MORE than we can even imagine possible! And I think moving away and being by myself has really helped me to rely solely on God and what he provides and my faith in him has grown more than I could even imagine through this!
Since around the time I was on placement, I've really struggled to make the time each day to get stuck into my Bible and spend that time with God each day. And over the past month or two I have felt so guilty because I hadn't been doing this and I really didn't know how I was supposed to pick up my Bible get stuck in and be excited about it. Well, this past month I was out on my Church's big day away here in Cardiff and was browsing at the bookstall there and came across this book called "Women of the Word" by Jen Wilkins. I read the blurb and was like, "Jemma, it can't do you any harm to read this book and it might just help to spark a desire to read your Bible again." So I bought it, and I can honestly write and tell you now that the £6 I spent on that book is the best £6 I think I have ever spent. I have been challenged, stretched, encouraged and inspired in my faith and I after reading one chapter I literally am so excited to get stuck into my Bible and study it for myself. I realised that it's okay not to 'feel' all these emotions all the time when reading the Bible, but by simply reading and studying the Bible with our minds we will ultimately fall deeper in love with the God of the universe who we get to call DAD!!! How amazing!! Any girls reading this, who want a practical, helpful, encouraging, easy-to-read book that will help them with there Bible study, this is the book for you!!
Anyways, God has definitely been teaching me a lot over these past 2 months and through the ups and the downs I have most definitely been encouraged and challenged in my faith! Here are some highlights over the past few months:
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| Last Hall Group with these fabulous hall group leaders!! |
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| Hilary turned 21!! |
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| Friends who share crepes stay together forever! |
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| Thankful for these lovely CU girlies!! |
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| Lunch and Llamas with this crazy girl and the wonderful Hannah (who is taking the photo!) |
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| #bexandjemscardiffadventure |
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| I get to live with this smiley, funny gal next year!! |
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| Photo booth fun at Forum Wales!! |
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| I kinda like Morag a little bit! |
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| Walk/Hike with this crazy crowd! |
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| "Let's be cute and do the Titanic pose on top of a mountain" |
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| Beyond thankful that these two wise ladies are leading Hall Group now!! |
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| Risa is a delight!! |
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| Table Quiz selfie!! |
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| Bonfire + friends = AMAZING!! |
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| 'Cause you can't go away on a bus and not take a selfie |
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| #cardiffisbeaut |
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| Brunch with Beth is always a good idea! |
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| Walks and talks and dreaming with Ffi is always fun!! |
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| Sunset whilst walking to Hall Group - delightful! |
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| These girls never fail to make me smile!! |
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| The Irish gals on St Patrick's Day!! |
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| So much love for these ladies and their friendship!! |
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| Dinner and cinema date with Barbs... |
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| ...and Sazz!! 16 years of friendship with these two and we're still alive - that's an achievement |
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| BAE DATE!!! |
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| I missed her snuggles over the 11 weeks we were separated!! |
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| Reunited with my favourite ginger... |
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| ...got my 18th birthday present 9 months late... |
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| ...and we took lots of selfies!! |
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| My two baes got to finally!! |
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| Word Alive was a delight - even with tonsillitis!! |
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| These wonderful ladies never failed to make me smile!! |
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| #squadgoals |
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| A joy to spend the week with these guys and being spiritually fed!! |
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| Hall Group laser quest was an absolute blast |
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| Twenty Questions over afternoon tea with this gal made me smile!! |
And that's it, months 6 and 7 gone in a flash! I cannot believe that my first year in Cardiff is nearly over: just 3 weeks of uni, 6 weeks of placement and I'll be home for summer... CRAZY!! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support and I am beyond excited to see what these last couple of months in Cardiff will throw my way!!
Wrote with love,
Jemma
