stressed desserts

one of the girls at regent law has a little reminder on her carrel that "stressed is just desserts spelled backwards." I smile at it every time because it makes stress seem small and not too scary. however, when I look back over april, I see one word to characterize it: stressed. not the desserts stressed, but like REAL stress. just to give y'all a taste of this past month:

april 6th = appellate brief due (aka: way too many hours of work)
april 6-10 = practice rounds for moot court
april 9th = was told I have until the end of the month to move out... which is in the middle of finals
april 13-17 = mandatory rounds for moot court
april 16 = interview for trial advocacy
april 18 = elimination rounds for moot court
april 21-22 = move out
april 27 = first exam... morning of spill coffee on my computer & michael took my keys on accident, so I called friends frantically to catch a ride to the exam

and that's just dealing with school. april felt like curve ball after curve ball... once I adjusted for the first one, the next one was like, really?! it has been a month of asking the Lord why & trying to not freak out. april 27th was the day all the pressure inside just exploded. after that first exam, I cried for hours. when there is that must stress and pressure built up inside of you, it must come out at some point. and then I was reminded that the Lord really does have me here for a reason & He really is in control. I could not have made it through this past month without Him. the morning of april 28th I read Psalm 46... 

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride... Cease striving and know that I am God..."

talk about perfect timing?? the Lord is my refuge and my strength... He is a very present help in trouble **and stress**... cease striving. those two words are so freeing because the Lord is telling us to stop trying to make things happen on your own strength. stop relying on yourself to get through. stop trying to be strong. it's annoying that it took me a full month of crazy to finally realize I can't do this. I need the Lord, and it's only in Him and through Him will I make it through this semester. here's to eating dessert, taking one step at a time, and letting go. **cue frozen soundtrack here** happy may second, peoples!!