It's the time...of the season...

So I've been thinking a lot lately about the brevity of life here on this earth. Time is a precious gift that more often than not, we take for granted. There is a song by Mark Schultz that has been playing over and over in my head that really explains what my mind has been dwelling on, it's called, "Time that is Left":

What will you do with the time that's left
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you loved
till your final breath?
What will you do with the time that's left?

What will you do with the time that's past?
Oh and all the pain that seems to last?
Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?
What will you do with the time that's past?

What will He say when your time has come?
When He takes you into His arms of love?
With tears in His eyes will He say well done?
What will He say when your time has come?

What will you do with the time that's left?
Will you live it all with no regret
Will they say that you loved
till your final breath?
What will you do with the time?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We all have one or two activities that our lives revolve around. For must of us it is school and/or work. And for me, and most all of my friends, Church is also a huge part of our daily lives. At the end of a long day, nothing seems to feel more satisfying than relaxing at home with a few close friends. However, how much of that relaxing time could be spent doing something to truly better ourselves, to forward the work of the Lord, to help someone in need?

Do you remember your first day of kindergarten? The first time you lost a tooth? Your 12th birthday when you finally got to go to youth activities? Your first day of high school? The first time you ever drove a car? Your high school graduation? Your first lease? Wherever you are at in your life right now, I'm sure that you can remember most of those experiences very vividly, as if they happened yesterday. The thing is, it's been years. Let's say you're 20 years old now. You felt like you would never make it there, but suddenly there you are, and life has flown by. Yet you look ahead and think, oh, 40 years old is so far away. By then I'll have done this and this and that and that and yeah, I've got plenty of time. But remember how short the first 20 years turned out to be? Very. We have been taught that the amount of time spent here on this earth is nothing compared to the eternities. We've got one shot to do the best we can and make the most out of the time we've been given. How much time is that exactly? None of us really know. People are here today and gone tomorrow, and as depressing as that may sound, it should inspire us. Inspire us to get a move on with whatever it is we've been procrastinating.

I know I know, this blog is so hypocritical of me. I sleep too much, I procrastinate til the last second, and sometimes I can be quite the flake. But the point of this blog is that I realize this, and I am turning over a new leaf, starting with a responsible, consistent sleep schedule.

"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. you can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back." --Harvey MacKay

december is here...and a new year is near!

I love my rhymes!

So I haven't done this in a long time...but everybody else seems to be, and quite frankly, I would like to follow the crowd on this one! Let's give a little update on the life of Katie Smith thus far...

I am in my second year at NC State. I have not 100% decided what I want to major in, but right now I'm all hyped up about Business, so we'll see how that works out! I am an intern at the North Carolina Republican Party and have been since May of this year. It has been both exciting and stressful and I absolutely love it, even on the days when I would rather be sleeping! I am still a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These crazy Mormons really keep you on your toes, we meet 3 times a week! But I love it and I wouldn't trade my testimony of the Gospel for anything. My best friends here are wonderful. We have formed a family...and yes, we refer to each other as mom, dad, sister, brother, etc. Some say we take it too far, but if you're around us for more than a minute, then you probably just get jealous that you are not a part of our special bond :-P As for my biological family, they are doing very well. I miss them a lot. For those of you who do not know, I am the oldest of five. There's me (19), Josh (17), Ben (14), Isaac (11), and Sarah (almost 7). The fact that I am not at home to watch them grow up gets to me quite often, but I try to visit as much as possible, on birthdays and holidays and other special occasions. I still have 3 best friends from back home that I keep in close touch with. I am grateful to still have them in my life, even if I do not see them very often, either.

Hmmm well that all sounds about right! I think I will stop there and get back to you all later about what is going on in life this week! Until then....

"There is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." --Winnie the Pooh