weddings

are all around me!!! :)

Awareness

Sometimes. I am very unaware.

Actually, most of the time I am unaware.

Like tonight, we had lifegroup and split up into small groups and read the passage Luke 15:11-32 about the prodigal son. We were talking about what God was saying through it and what we thought about when reading the passage. After about a 15 minute small discussion about how we are like the lost son, blah blah blah, how we are jealous and selfish like the other son, blah blah blah, Dagen suddenly brought up a point that I think is much more relevant than any of it.

He said when reading the story, the only thing he can focus on is the father...neither of the sons really stood out to him or taught him anything new because they do the same things that we do all the time. But the father was so steadfast, consistent, and compassionate through all of it that all the sudden we all took on this new perspective of this passage that we've torn up and talked about since, well, forever.

And I've just felt convicted about it since. Like, how can we read the word of God and of course focus on the people and the acts and what the people are doing and how we relate to them so much, but just completely ignore the role of the father through all of it?

How can I just focus on myself and how to improve myself and my actions so much that I just ignore the character and goodness and consistency of the father through it all?

I don't want to be unaware of the father...the most important part of this huge parable/story called life. I want to be aware of the father, learn from the father, see the father's character. He's the most important part of the story, anyway. I mean when you really think about it, studying the father's actions and his character gives me so much more hope that there is someone so loving and so consistent, no matter the state of my self, emotions, or my character.

That is all for today!

Today

I started training for the bearathon.
I have 10 weeks.
I'm starting at 3 miles today. hope i can do it!
Lord help me!!!

Thought of the day

Since when have I become a clean freak??

-Alexa

Maybe..

Since it is almost NaBloMo or whatever it's called, I think I may challenge myself to try to do this. I'm not promising a daily entry, but I will make a conscious effort to update on my life more frequently.
For now, this is the major thought of my day: Accounting.
I just switched my major to Accounting exactly two weeks ago. Its not really a huge deal, I just found my international business classes to be very unuseful for anything outside of school, and it's not something I'm super passionate about in any way. I kept thinking about switching my major but just figured that idea would eventually pass. However, I decided it would be more responsible of me to use my education towards something that would benefit me in the long run instead of something very general and ambiguous. I did well in my first two accounting classes and really really enjoyed them. So I made the switch.
Honestly, I'm scared out of my mind!! I'm so so excited, but that still does not take away the feeling like I'm about to dive into really deep scary waters and just hoping I'll make it to the other side alive.
So those are my thoughts for today. Pray for me and my diligence/self-discipline to increase like crazy before these upper level classes start for me next semester.
Love,
Alexa

Update on Life

Hi friends and family!
Just thought it's been a good 5 months since I've posted so it's probably time for an update.
I'm sorry for being such an awful blogger....really I am !
I have started my junior year here at baylor. It's going really well!! I've really loved this year so far. Well, school is starting to get really difficult, so that's not going as well as I had hoped. But I'm pushing myself to be faithful in little!! Take it day by day and not get overwhelmed. Other than that it's great.
I have a new living situation, and I'm seriously convinced now that God loves me because of this living situation I'm in. It has been such a blessing to be surrounded by the awesome women of God that I am surrounded by. I'm not living with anyone I lived with last year...it's all new for me! But they are great friends, super encouraging and wonderful and hilarious. We just have a blast all the time. One of them even got engaged this past weekend and it was such a fun time keeping it a secret and helping her now-fiancee get everything prepared! She is soooo happy!
What else...lifegroup is going great! Actually, its going awesome and wonderful and amazingly! God has given us so much freedom in leading its ridiculous. We decided this year that if its not fun, we're not doing it. and by the grace of God we've been able to live that out. I can truly say the Lord has given me confidence in leading this year which I havent experienced yet, and it's awesome! The people in our lifegroup are hungry for more of God and its just great! we are so blessed. We also have another person now interning to lead with us, so there's four of us now instead of 3, which actually helps take the load off a bit. :)
Anything else...I am scared of growing up and having to graduate college and get a job. I went to the career fair, got in my incredibly cute pencil skirt and ruffle top outfit, with my little resumes that are pretty unimpressive, and realized I am awful at being a professional. I'm so awkward and insecure when I'm around professionals. I guess I need to get over that soon! I am thinking about switching my major from International Business and Business Spanish to just Accounting with a minor in Spanish. I think it may be more practical, especially if I want job security right out of college. But I really have no idea what God is calling me to after graduation and where. I guess I still have some time (but not really...)
NEWS FLASH! Big news...I am a runner now! Okay...kind of. Let me explain. I am setting a personal goal to run the Bearathon half-marathon in March. I am not a runner at all....when this whole thing started I could not even run a mile....but I've been consistently running at least two miles recently! Hey, gotta start somewhere, right? I've really learned to enjoy it, and am challenging myself to pray during runs so that it becomes a worshipful experience for me. :) So pray that all works out! haha.
I cant think of anything else. My life really is not that eventful. Sorry!!
But thank you guys for everything and always supporting me.
Speaking of, I will be putting an India update on my next post :)
Love you all!
-Alexa

Bangalore, INDIA!

Hey family and friends!

I just wanted to update you that summer has already begun for me! I start summer school this week and have already been getting a head start on working at the baylor library here in Waco. So far so good!

Also, I have an awesome opportunity to go on a 3-week-long missions trip to Bangalore, India this summer with a group of about 20 other college students and my college pastor. We will be leaving July 20th and returning August 5th, spending the entire time with our church plant in that area serving them and sharing the gospel with people in the city.
I need your help!! please pray for us! Pray for hungry hearts and divine appointments, for boldness, and of course for finances! We're believing that God's going to do A LOT on this trip and have already heard awesome testimonies from teams already in the area. Also, if you would like to help/support me financially, please let me know and e-mail me at alexa_phillips@baylor.edu. This trip is about $2,500 per person and anything at all is appreciated. But please know that what we really need are prayer warriors to fight with us, and your prayers are more than enough for me!!!

Thank you guys so much for everything. I am extremely excited for this trip and everything that God is going to do in this city, and have never felt more peaceful about a trip like this before.

Love!
Alexa