Present Moment: How are you feeling right now? Fine? Content? Stressed? Are you on the verge of a nervous breakdown? Have you experienced those anxiety or panic attacks at the most random times, random places, at least three or four times in the last month, current month, or this week even? Does it make you feel like a thousand knives are being thrown at you all at once? Let me tell you something, you're not alone.

Life has its way of placing stress on all of us during our weakest and vulnerable moments. It can be caused from school, work, dating, relationships, friendships, or just life in general. You ever heard that saying it's on the inside that counts? Still incredibly relevant today. At times, it may seem that things look and seem peachy keen on the outside. In reality, nothing is even close to peachy keen/Confession: I may come off strong-headed on the outside but on the inside, I'm a weak, fragile, and vulnerable human being created by God, The Almighty.

But you know what is the worst feeling in the world? Losing control. We all want to have control in our lives through the variety of situations and obstacles thrown at us. For the good, the bad, and downright ugly, having a stable control in our lives keeps us balanced. But when things, obstacles, and situations go beyond our inner control, that's when it becomes tricky. Sometimes, during the process, we experience discouragement, hopelessness, or, the worst, helplessness. It sometimes makes you feel like life is a total bitch and you just want to dig up a hole in the ground and bury the dirt over you and never come out again. I know I have experienced those feelings (hint hint, fragile inner soul speaking).

For all the college students out there, it's that busy time of the year: Finals Week. You might be thinking, "what in the hell am I still damn doing here in the library this late at night?" "Can this week be over?," or the infamous "Screw dem finals I want to be a lazy ass beach bum." You might be having a thousand thoughts running in your head or having those mental and emotional breakdowns every two or three days or, mostly, lacking those mandatory six to eight minimum hours of sleep from those all-nighters pulled. Those blood, sweat, tears, and lack of sleep are hitting at you all at once. Let me tell you something, this is only the beginning. You'll face troubles, you'll face stress of all kinds, but most of all, you'll experience perseverance that you never thought you would have. This is only the beginning. Persevere through it. You're near the finish line.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds,because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" Peter 1: 2-4