How Wow Pow Chow is back! Again, I apologize for abandoning this when I took a break from blogging. This series was supposed to get me into the habit of posting regularly, but that obviously fell through the cracks really quickly as soon as school started. But here I am, back with this series (at least for now). Here is how this past week panned out for me.

How has God been working in your life this week?

This past week was finals week, and just like everyone else, I tend to psych myself out prior to taking these exams. I feel like I get especially nervous in the moments before an exam, particularly final exams – “What if I fail this exam? What if I fail this class? OH GOD, I’M NEVER GRADUATING COLLEGE. I’M GONNA FAIL AND DISHONOR WILL FALL UPON MY FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS.” This week, I prayed a lot for motivation and confidence. I prayed that God remove my anxiety and instead give me peace and the serenity to accept the outcome of whatever happens in my classes. Whenever I get anxious like this, I tend to just give up and recoil into myself. It’s far easier to remain complacent than it is to work hard for something. But I kept telling myself that I will feel far more satisfied if I study just a little bit more, and actively try to relearn and review the topics. Of course, there’s still that uncertainty about the exam, and it’s that part that usually makes me anxious. I prayed for courage and confidence, and God delivered. I usually come out of exams feeling so defeated, but this time, I knew in my heart that I did the best I could, studied as much as I could, and that the rest will be left in God’s hands. I passed the class I was the most worried about, and dishonor will definitely not be falling on my family in the foreseeable future.

What is something great that happened this week?

One highlight of my week was being able to watch the live broadcast of Hairspray on NBC with a couple of friends – which, admittedly, is what made me miss a day of Blogmas. For those that don’t know, Hairspray is one of my favorite (if not THE favorite) musicals. When I was a sophomore in high school, we were supposed to perform Hairspray for our spring musical, but due to complications with obtaining the rights to the script (or something like that), we were unable to perform this musical and ended up doing another one. A few years after I graduated, things ended up aligning for the theatre department at my high school, and they were able to put on the show – I’m still jealous. But this week’s live performance on NBC exceeded any expectations that I had, and made me love the musical even more. I think that the entire cast and crew did an amazing job of bringing that story back to life, especially since it’s extremely relevant to current events. I’m still reeling at how amazing the performance was.

What is something that happened this week that wasn’t so great?

I think everyone has those down days where it feels like the weight of the world has suddenly been placed on their shoulders, and I definitely felt that this week. Maybe it was because of the pressures of finals, or the anticipation of the end of the quarter, but that feeling came about more often than I would have enjoyed this week. I would get sudden feelings of inadequacy in the realms of my academic life, professional life, and personal life. What helps me combat this is prayer. Can I just say how amazing the Lord is and how sovereign He is during your darkest moments? The power of prayer is definitely not to be underestimated. Whether your prayers are answered immediately, subtly, or in an overwhelming way, prayers always get answered. I’m so thankful that I have the privilege to pray during down days, and that I’m never alone in those situations.

Any interesting/note-worthy foods you’ve eaten this week?

Today during my lunch break, I stumbled upon a place in Downtown Brea (less than a mile away from my office) called “Elbows” that specializes in mac n cheese. I am never one to pass up an opportunity for some good mac n cheese, and so I immediately went in to try it out, and I definitely was not disappointed (for those who follow me on Snapchat, you’re welcome for the video of the cheesy goodness that I sent you). I got their option called “When Pigs Fly,” which was essentially just mac n cheese and bacon. It seems pretty standard and nothing to go apesh*t about (except for the bacon), but after one bite, it was definitely something to go apesh*t about. 11/10 would go again.

Overall, I’d say this week was pretty good. My days were productive at work, and with the quarter winding down, I got to spend some much needed introverting time. The next few weeks aren’t going to be too overwhelming with commitments and obligations since I’ll be on break, and I’ll be sure to relish in every second of it – and document it on here.