A Few Favorites this Friday...

1.) Studying the book of Philippians. It has truly been such a blessing so far. I have been reminded that God refines us in His own timing and that He PROMISES to sanctify us! One other principle from Monday nights lectures was: "Confidence in God's completion of His plan emboldens the believer to serve God joyously regardless of her circumstances." 

2.) Ben Rector. Umm....I think I had heard his name but where have I been? Sorry for my lack of support Ben. But I bought your entire cd on Itunes today.

Here is just a taste of his music:

3.) Having the privilege to go to BSF on Thursday mornings for lectures. The morning class is going through Isaiah and yesterday Pam said something that caused my mom to nudge me as if to say...."Hear that, listen up!" She was talking about comfort and where we go for it. Is the first place you turn your significant other, the Internet, food, family, etc.? At the end of lecture she said, "when things are spinning out of control are you going to be down on yourself or down on your knees?" Needless to say, I tend to get down on myself...........A LOT. It is a huge struggle. It was so good for me to hear that and I hope that I will remind myself to turn to the Lord and not to other things for comfort FIRST. 

4.) My new TOMS that I got yesterday! 

So comfortable. Love them.

5.) It is a beautiful day and so much warmer! Enjoy it!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Monday Ramblings

Hello and Happy Monday! It was a dark and gloomy day in these parts and I hear many of my friends up north got a good bit of snow! Crazy Alabama weather!!

 So with this cold and gloomy day it called for a cup of hot chocolate this morning and some time with the Lord...perfect morning.

As I spent time with the Lord this morning I was reminded, as I am so often, of His faithfulness. Seriously, the Lord kept bringing to mind the hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." For Christmas, Brett's mom got me this devotional, Jesus Calling. It is just a daily devotional that I have been reading before I spend time with the Lord. There is one a read a few days ago that has stayed with me. It is short so I am going to write it out. It has been so encouraging. This book is presented as if God is speaking to you. 

"Relax in My healing presence. As you spend time with Me, your thoughts tend to jump ahead to today's plans and problems. Bring your mind back to Me for refreshment and renewal. Let the Light of My Presence soak into you, as you focus your thoughts on Me. Thus I equip you to face whatever the day brings. This sacrifice of time pleases Me and strengthens you. Do not skimp on our time together. Resist the clamor of tasks waiting to be done. You have chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from you."

I love this because I am so guilty of letting my thoughts wander or "skimping" on my time with the Lord. I am realizing more and more the importance of my time with Him. I thought it was so encouraging.

And....off the subject....but, check out this adorable mug from Anthropologie. 

Sweet Julie got me this mug for Christmas. I have always liked Anthropologie but NEVER bought anything from there. It is a bit pricey most of the time and although I LOVE the bright colors I see when I peruse their website.....not everything is practical. As I was looking around today, here are a few things I LOVED! Looking at these different things makes me excited to get married and have my own house!

I love this couch....but again...not terribly practical! :)

Cute vases...

Love these bowls!

And these too!!

Sorry, I know that is random but I was just looking around the website that I cannot afford and dreaming.... :) 

Other than wandering around and wasting time browsing the Anthropologie website I was actually productive today too. I have been in an organizing mood these past couple of weeks. It started with my closet, then all of my "teacher" stuff that I have been collecting for the past few years, and today it was my linen closet. Let me tell you it was a wreck. See, my mom shops at T.J. Maxx and stuff there is cheap so we used to buy towel sets often. That closet hasn't been cleaned out since I don't know when...it was definitely time. Everything was so crowded. I didn't really get a before picture but I did get a picture of EVERYTHING that was in the closet before...

I mean...who needs that many towels, hand towels, rags, and sheets? :) haha.

Here is the empty closet......

 And.....afterwards.....

Any of you girls who read this blog and have seen this closet know that this is looking so much better! :)

And tonight.....well, it is Brett's Christmas. Auburn is playing in the National Championship. 

And because I remember so many Auburn fans screaming, "Hook 'em Horns" last year......

I have one word: Quack!

Goodbye 2010....Hello 2011!

Well, it has come and gone. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was ringing in 2010! I mentioned last year that I really didn't do the "new years resolutions" but that there were things that I saw in 2009 that I wanted to change or new things that I wanted to try during 2010. I have been looking through that list lately. Let's just see how we did with those resolutions:

*I will write letters or an encouraging note to someone once every couple of months....not emails or facebook messages. Snail mail!

(This resolution=FAIL. I mean I won't even try to sugarcoat it. It was just a fail! )

*I want to remember that my role towards Brett is first and most importantly, his sister in Christ.

(I have to say, this is a struggle for me. If you know me, you know I am ready to get married and you know that I struggle with my patience in this area. For the most part, I feel that I was encouraging to Brett but I do have to remind myself that he is never going to satisfy me even when we do get married and that I am his sister in Christ!)

*I want to cook more and learn more about it from the best, mom!

(I think this is one that will be continued in 2011...I call myself a "stay-at-home-daughter right now and I am thinking I will take advantage of this role. However, for 2010, I believe I was somewhat successful, particularly with baking. haha.)

*Save money. Give it to those who are in need.

(This is something I want to continue in 2011 and of course throughout the rest of my life!)

*Blog more consistently...haha. Lets not be too specific. :)

(This was a success! I mean, I am on the blog train and honestly, I should probably get off a little bit. I really do enjoy this blogging business. I love writing on mine and also reading others! I also like to pretend that I have many faithful readers! :) haha)

*Be intentional with all that I do and not waste time.

(This is certainly a day by day thing that honestly cannot truly be measured. I'm sure I had great days and I'm sure there were weeks that I was terrible...)

*I want to be more faithful with my prayer life. I want to be consistent in praying for my family and friends and ask them specific ways that I can pray!

(This actually was better this year! I am so thankful! The Lord truly showed me the power of prayer and I tried to be more faithful in my prayer life.)

*I want to be more consistent with my time in the Word and with memorizing Scripture!

"I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You."-Psalm 119:11

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." -Matthew 24:35

(Again, not so great with this. I think it is because I had no plan to help me with being consistent)

*I want to read one book a month...I saw this on someone else's resolutions and I think that this is such a great idea and although school is overwhelming and crazy...I believe that this is completely reasonable and beneficial.

(I really did okay with this. Towards the end it was a struggle. I think once student teaching started it became more and more difficult to find time to read. I'm like a grandma...so once I get into bed....it's over. But, I want to do this again, because, I definitely read more than I would have and this blog kept me accountable for most of the months.)

*I want to take better care of my body as far as what I put into it with the things that I watch, listen to, read, and eat!

(Umm....I can't really measure this one either. It wasn't perfect but definitely a day by day thing.)

And now...for 2011:

I think I had maybe a few too many things I wanted to work on last year. I am going to try and focus on a few things this time.

1.) Back to memorizing more Scripture...Making a plan that is simple and doable.

2.) Plain and simple: Serving. Serving more and in unique ways.

3.) Being consistent. Being purposeful. (No, I don't know exactly what that will look like but I pray that I will be obedient and truly listen for what the Lord wants me to do.)

Well, that is all for now! There are plenty more things I should work on and hope to work on throughout this next year but for now, this is what I have!

I am CERTAIN that 2011 will be just as great as 2010!

Happy New Year and Come Lord Jesus! :)

Broken

That is the only word that describes how I felt this morning as I spent time with the Lord. I won't go into detail but I was brought to Psalm 33:

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then Iacknowledged my sin to you an did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'--and you forgave the guilt of my sin.Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found' surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding but must be controlled my bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

I am thankful that He breaks me. I am thankful for His grace and forgiveness.

And just because....

Been loving this song lately....

"Your sacrifice demands my life and I will live to honor Your holy name..."

Traditions...Old and New

Happy Christmas Eve!! While it was not a "typical" Christmas Eve, it has certainly been a great one with a few traditions and some new ones.

The day started out with breakfast with Julie at Spot of Tea. We didn't decide that this would be a tradition but I think it should be. Christmas Eve breakfast every year at Spot of Tea? What do you think Jules? :) This is one precious friend I have and I am so thankful for her!

The day was kinda crazy but we ended with our Christmas Eve tradition. Waffle House. No, we are not normal! haha. Not quite the same this year cause we were missing a big chunk of our family! But, it happens and we will all be together THURSDAY!!! So excited!!

Our special friends....

Love that Waffle House....haha.

Also, I was playing around with my camera last night. I had seen this tutorial and have wanted to try it for a while. I thought it was so cool!

My pictures weren't perfect but then again I didn't really take my time when creating the covering for my lens...But, I thought they still turned out pretty sweet.

Little Christmas trees!

And a few more of our tree....

I have thought a lot about this time of year and although I have learned that Jesus was not REALLY born during this month, it is the time that we celebrate His birth. I am so thankful for my Savior and that He came to this horrible world out of obedience to His Father. He lived His entire life in obedience until death on the cross. He was born to die for me. I also think a lot about Mary during this time of year. How incredibly brave and obedient she was as well....

"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.' 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.......For nothing is impossible with God.' 'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.'" -Luke 1:30-38

I cannot imagine hearing that. I think about all of the emotions she must have felt. I know she was probably excited and scared and was probably looked down upon by many around her. I hope that I am always obedient to what the Lord calls me to and never question Him because His ways are not my ways.

Now, to leave you with a little something adorable this Christmas Eve..

Sounds more like, "Happy Day Daisy...." but you get the idea! :)

Happy Christmas!

Baking and Sinning.. :)

Tomorrow is my LAST DAY OF COLLEGE/STUDENT TEACHING! Wow! It flew by! We are having our Christmas party tomorrow which mean I had to do a little baking tonight.....it also means that the kids will be INSANE! I will survive! Anyways, I decided to bake two different things for our party. This first one I got here. They looked so good and I had to try them! 

Brownie covered Oreo. Seriously? That just sounds ridiculous. I mean they are good. Like....G-double O-D...GOOD! But who could think of that? 

The second is a family favorite. We weren't sure what to call them. We put peanut butter cookies in a muffin pan, bake them, pull them out, push a reeses in the middle and sprinkle it with M&M's. Muffin? Cookie? Behold the MOOKIE! My family is ridiculous! 

Anyways, I am certain my students will enjoy them! 

(P.S. Sorry about the iPhone quality pics lately..I have a nice camera and could probably make these treats look better...but hey, the iPhone is handy...)

So tonight I was reading a passage of Scripture that I have read so many times. In 1 John 2:15-17 it says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyones loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

Let me just confess, I love the world. I don't want to love the world but often, I do. For example, this week my parents downgraded our TV package. Basically, we really don't watch TV that much anyways but we definitely didn't need all the channels we had and we were paying too much for something we barely watched. BUT....let me say, I LOVE me some Gilmore Girls. I want to be Lorelai Gilmore. Well, apparently abc family did not make the cut of channels we now get. I'm gonna be straight up....I have seen every Gilmore Girl episode quite possibly 3 times each. I still enjoy reruns. Ridiculous? Yes. Waste of time? Probably. Would I still like to watch them? Mhm.. I cannot tell a lie. But, honestly, do I NEED it? No. I have been just fine this week. 

There are so many things in my life that would show that I love the world. I have idols in my life. There are things that I put before the Lord every single day and at the end of the day I am always left thinking....these things are going to burn. Why am I not focused on eternal things? I am selfish. I am a sinner who is saved by some miraculous grace. I am thankful but I do not show it. 

I also have another struggle....I dwell on my sin f.o.r.e.v.e.r. which just equals more sin. Awesome. After I do something I know is wrong, I should confess it and move on. But I really have a hard time with this. I know that God is not keeping score with me but in my human head I think, surely He is sick of me. On Sunday, Jack finished preaching through the book of Genesis. It only took us a little over 2 years to finish it! Well, at the end of Genesis we see the end of Joseph's life. In verses 15-21, Joseph's brothers are so scared that Joseph is going to retaliate and "give them what the deserve" because Jacob has died. Joseph weeps because he has already forgiven them. They dwelt on this and lived in fear for 17 years. His brothers were so focused on themselves that they couldn't see Joseph's forgiveness. I am so like those brothers sometimes. I am constantly dwelling on my sin and waiting for God to "punish" me, that I forget, I was forgiven a long time. All I have to do is confess and move on. 

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." -Romans 8:1-2

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." -1 John 1:7

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." -Psalm 103:11-12

Jack pointed out that at the beginning of Genesis everything was good. He created this world and it was good. Genesis ends with death and guilt. He explained that something went wrong and that was the fall of humanity. But thankfully, we have the hope that there will be no ability to sin in our new Garden!

I pray that I will stop living for the things of this world, live for the eternal things that last, and stop dwelling on those sins that have already been forgiven.  

What A Day!

Mmm.....A day off in the middle of the week. Sounds good. Thank you Veteran's Day. I had the best day yesterday. I slept in....and by that I of course mean I slept till 7:30ish. But hey, 7:30 is better than 5! I got up and hung around the house in my PAJAMAS! I got ready and was so blessed to go to BSF yesterday morning. I know I have blogged about BSF before because basically my family is obsessed. haha. BSF is Bible Study Fellowship. It is a wonderful Bible study and you can probably find a class near you. Check out their website for more information. Anyways, I was able to go. I am not involved in a class because I cannot go on Thursday mornings. It is unfortunate but I was thankful for the opportunity this morning. In BSF they are going through the book of Isaiah and let me tell you that hearing a lecture definitely helps Isaiah to come alive and I was able to understand more of what was going on. It was so encouraging.

During the lecture, Pam talked about the Holy Spirit because in this portion of Isaiah that she lectured on, there is a clear picture of the trinity. She reminded us that although we are not able to physically walk with Jesus every single day as the disciples are, we have something much better. We have His Spirit which NEVER leaves us. She explained that we should never be jealous of someone else's relationship with the Lord because, "His faithfulness to others will NEVER interrupt His faithfulness to me." What comforting knowledge. A couple of principles from her lecture and I'll be done....(sorry)

"King Jesus has left believers His Spirit and His Word until He returns in glory!"

and

"When King Jesus reigns, unity and praise will characterize His people."

Sorry for the preaching....Bottom line: I wish I worked at a school that would let me have Thursday mornings off. :) Thankfully, an evening women's class is coming SOON!!

After BSF I got to meet this boy for lunch and spend some time with him. Breath of fresh air. It is interesting because Pam also talked about anxiety at BSF. While I don't consider myself to be extremely anxious there are times when it just hits me. Well, of course, today it did. I just had a lot on my mind and was basically over-stressing and having a "girl/dramatic" moment. This boy always knows just what to say to calm me down. Bless his patient heart.

We ate, talked, ran some errands, and spent some much needed quality time together. Brett's parents came into town and I went with his family to watch Brett coach the first varsity basketball game of the season. The lost but played hard. It was a tough game. We wrapped up the day with the last South Alabama football season. What what. STILL undefeated ladies and gents. STILL. :) All in all....days off in the middle of the week have my vote. It is early and no I did not type this post....this early in the morning. I had started it yesterday and it got late so I thought I'd finish it. I know you are all dying for my next post. haha. Just kidding. I am off to see my first graders shortly.

Have a happy Friday!!!

"I could never lose You. And this life will pass away,

but You will never change."

-Eternal, Sanctus Real

Take a Drive With Me....

Every morning I make the early drive to my school to embrace a group of fifteen adorable first graders. Every morning I have about 25 minutes to spend with my Father on that drive. He knew that I needed that drive every morning. He has given me the privilege to spend these few minutes with Him before I enter the fun, hectic, intimidating, frustrating, overwhelming, exhausting, and loving community I call my classroom.

I have found that in the years that I have walked with the Lord I have had mountain tops and valleys. Through it all, I have struggled through the tough times and learned so much through the ups and downs. There are times that I am consistently in His Word and learning so much and there are times when my prayer life is great. I feel like the two never exist at the same time. As of late, God has really been showing my the power of prayer. I love being able to talk to Him on my drive to school. I love being able to tell Him how good He is, confess my sin (which takes almost the entire drive...let's just be honest) and thank Him for all that He is showing me and teaching me. I love that I am able to pray for each of my students by name and pray for my school. I get to pray for my family and for Brett. I have the privilege to pray for the laborers and the laboring that is being done around the world and in our own city. Yes, the Lord knew that I needed that drive. He has answered prayer after prayer that I have prayed on that drive to school. I am thankful that I am able to go straight to Him every single day at anytime during the day.

I will say that lately I have been struggling. Last night a friend of mine blogged about how much she felt like she sucked lately and it was basically my thoughts exactly. We all know that Romans 3:23 says: "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" I fall short of His glory and His perfection everyday. Even in the midst of those feelings of missing the mark, doing everything wrong, or failure, He always reminds me that I am His and He has forgiven me of every sin I have committed and ever will commit.

"No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand"

This has been so encouraging. I am thankful to know that nothing can take me out of His hands! I am forever His.

My friend who wrote an encouraging blog last night also reminded me of a great quote by John Newton and I will leave you with that:

"My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things--that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

I pray I will never forget this. Have a great week!

Well...It's About Time!

I know! I know! It has been f.o.r.e.v.e.r! I feel like so much has happened since I last blogged! I am in the middle of student teaching and my 20 consecutive solo days! I am all by myself and honestly, it has not been terribly stressful but it has been a lot of work! Loads of lesson plans and preparation for my weeks=not much time for blogging! But, I am loving it and I am halfway done!! In two weeks a good bit of craziness will be over!

I was able to have a little fun last weekend! Brett bought me Carrie Underwood/Billy Currington tickets for my birthday and finally the day came when it was time to go to the concert! It was like a birthday present almost 3 months later and it was FABULOUS! We had such a fun time!

Oh Billy....He was wonderful!

She was beautiful and talented and so entertaining! She definitely busted out some....

"How Great Thou Art" in the middle of "Jesus Take the Wheel." Best part of the night probably.

I tried to upload a few videos but blogger is being weird.

Katherine, I took a video of Billy Currington singing, "I Got A Feelin'" just for you! Remember when we were obsessed with that song? Speaking of Katherine I have to give a huge Happy Birthday!! It was on Tuesday but I just have to say it on here!!

I know we have plenty of other pictures together from wayyyyyyy long ago but this was one from the beginning of college and I thought it was funny. Crazy to think we have been friends for like 12 years!

And....look how far we've come! P.S. This was the most recent picture I have of us. Over a year ago. This is sad and needs to change soon! :) Love you!

In other news....well, not much is going on. I have been struggling through plenty and learning so much. I think that God has really used this semester to teach me about the power of prayer which is so encouraging. He has also revealed a lot of sin in my life. We have also been going to a Bible study/Discussion group on Wednesday nights. We are doing the video series, The Truth Project. It is basically a series that discuss how we can have a biblical worldview. It has been great to be with the Estis' of course and we have also met some pretty great people! I have learned so much and been so encouraged!

Lastly, I will be celebrating 2 and a half years with this boy tomorrow....and by celebrating I mean saying...."Yay. 2 1/2 years!" :) haha. Either way....I am happy to be in this sweet relationship and I love this boy with all my heart!

I hope everyone has had a relaxing weekend!

Something to encourage you on your Monday....

"I see you there hanging on a tree. You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me. Now you are sitting on your heavenly throne...soon you will be coming home! You're beautiful! When we arrive at eternity's shore...where death is just a memory and tears are no more. We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring. Your bride will come together and we'll sing, You're beautiful!" -Phil Wickham

Loving this song right now. :)

Being Shaped...

Sorry for the lack of blogging. Can I just say that through my crazy, busy schedule, my tiredness, and the times I feel completely unfaithful to the Lord, He is so good. He always knows exactly what I need and He fulfills every single need. I am so undeserving. The past couple of weeks have been so busy and it is only about to get crazier. I begin my 20 solo days of student teaching this next week and I am so excited and slightly nervous. Not so nervous about the teaching part....just about how busy I will be. Anyways, God has really used student teaching to show me about my prayer life and how He answers prayer in His perfect timing. I am thankful that He hears me and answers me.

I have been studying through the book of Isaiah. It has been challenging and frustrating because Isaiah is a bit of a tough book to study all the way through....at least it has been for me. But, this week as I have worked through Isaiah 6 I have been so encouraged. One of the questions that was asked in my study was....."What are the words that you are speaking saying about your heart?" (something like that) They referenced the verse that says, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks..." This question was hard to answer. Honestly, over the past couple of weeks I have complained, whined, judgmental, torn myself down, and been discontent. It's amazing. My mouth gets me in trouble so often. Ultimately, what I say comes from the fact that I am not being fulfilled my Christ and not allowing Him to meet my needs. It has been convicting but sweet to see how God continues to mold me and teach me new things. Here is the first part of Isaiah that I have just found so encouraging.

"I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above hi were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts of the thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!' Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.' Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!' -Isaiah 6:1-8

Well, not much else going on. I will have a busy, busy weekend trying to prepare lesson plans and activities for the next couple of weeks. Pray for me over the next four weeks when you think about it! Hope all is well! Thanks for reading my ramblings!