So, I'm not sure anyone really reads this blog.... but if you do, you should know....


SEAN AND I ARE ENGAGED!

I'm the luckiest girl on Earth! I'm excited about getting to proclaim the Gospel with him the rest of my life!!!!

Waiting does get easier as you go....

I've discovered waiting is quite a paradoxical thing. It gets both harder and easier as you go along. Each day I learn to be more content in the Lord and trust the goodness of His plans and His kindness each day. And yet again each day, the wait becomes harder and harder. I've been learning so much that contentment will not be found in the objects we think will satisfy us, but only God alone. We all say that we know this, but do we know it where it is really tested in the furnace of day to day life? I think this can only be accomplished by the grace of God, but I'm thankful He's teaching me. Father, please help me to know you the way I ought and build a foundation of theology that will sustain me when the hard and trying times of life hit. Please continue to sustain me now.

These days....

I know I just wrote a blog post, but its been so long and I've missed it so much I just couldn't restrain myself from writing another.

These days ---

*I'm living in Norman (which for all of you OSU students and grads, isn't as bad as it sounds!)
-I'm enjoying living with my family (my Granny, cousin Alesha, and precious little Addee Marie. I have plenty of stories, that's for sure!), having a backyard, having a park directly behind my backyard, not paying bills, and lots of sunshine.
-A few things I am not enjoying so much are job searching, transition time, and trying to decide what to do after the summer (and all of the OU fans - though they've proved to be nice thus far).
- Something I am very much looking forward to is a much needed vacation in Mexico, starting on SATURDAY! I am very much looking forward to some uninhibited time with the Lord, relaxing, and enjoying his creation. Que bueno! Ay!

*I'm transitioning.
-This includes leaving lots of old and familiar from Stillwater and coming to a new place with lots of unknowns. I'll be starting from scratch again. On the list of things to do are: finding a job, finding a Church, and finding friends. No big deal, right? HA.

*I'm in love!
-Who knew this day would come? Ha. Definitely not I. I am so in love with a man who is so far beyond anything I ever imagined or dared to ask for. I have been so blessed with such a precious gift who constantly evidences the love of God to me. Ah-mazing!

*I've taken up gardening.
-Okay, I've only planted one window planter with three plants in it, but still - this is a huge deal in my life. Who knew? I'm loving it thus far and my plants are still alive after four days!!!!!

Hm, that's all the bullet points I can come up with for now.... but I hope it's not as long between now and our next meeting! Thanks for keeping up with my life!

Waiting doesn't get easier as you go....

Thoughts of wedding gowns, venues, married life, engagement rings, and oh so many other wedding related thoughts have been filling my mind these days. As a single girl I thought waiting for the love of my life to come around was difficult. As a girl who is in love with him, waiting for that blissful day to come is so much more difficult.

I cannot express to you the longing I have to be his and for him to be mine. The longing grows with each day that passes.

Our longing for the coming of the Lord should be the same way. Each day that passes should grow our love for Him and our desire to be His for all eternity. Each day should contain a growing of affection for Him that deteriorates our affection for even the most precious worldly things.

I praise God for the gift of a man whom I am so in love with, but I praise Him more for the love of the One who will never fade or pass away. All the sweet gifts here and now are only a small taste of the divine richness of who He is.

I understand more what Romans 8:22-25 is talking about.

May we long for our precious Savior more than all else in this world and may we patiently wait with hope for that day when He returns.

I keep coming back to this song....

I first fell in love with song in East Asia when the trip was hard. God just kept revealing that the ups and downs of following Him were worth it. I'm thinking about it a lot now too. It's all worth it. So worth it. What an amazing King we serve who is worth sustaining and sacrificing all things for.

Kendall Payne
Ups and Downs

All that I've found through the ups and downs
Is that I'd have it no other way
Life in the raw is both fragile and strong
It's both lovely and ugly the same

Who can attest that when they're at their best
Oh their worst is still crouching close behind
It's coming to peace with the darkness in me
That allows the true light to shine inside

So let it go, for we are still far from home
Though you try and try to escape
To live and to love will always be dangerous
But it's better than playing it safe

We are composed of a symphony of notes
Every life is as music to His ears
I'll play my melody be it haunting be it sweet
Unashamed of what anyone might hear

So when the load breaks your back and your will
You must still keep your heart in the game
To live and to love will always be dangerous
But it's better than playing it safe

So let it go, when it don't feel like home
When inside is your only escape
To live and to love will always be dangerous
Would you want it any other way?

It's been a long, long time....

I really don't know what to write about, but I just felt like I should post something.

I sure don't want you faithful readers to be disappointed though if I post something with no substance, so I must think of something good.

I've got nothing of substance. Honestly.

I could tell you about my dreams last night, or how I'm teaching a class as we speak, or about what I had for lunch (Yarpa dolma!!!!) - but none of those things are really exciting unless you know how fabulous yarpa dolma is.

Sorry guys. You're just out of luck.