Updates! June 1, 2008

Well, it’s been embarrassingly long since I last blogged…for those of you who care to read my blog! But don’t worry, I will deliver! I even have pictures to show you!! 

First, I don’t have Mono! Praise the Lord! However, the levels in my blood that determine the possibility of Mono striking again are EXTREMELY high, so I’m on a series of 2 shots a week for 2 more weeks. I’m hoping they help, my levels go down, and I’m not so tired! 

Second, Jon was in this weekend!! It was so fun to spend time with him again. It’d been 3 weeks since we last saw each other and so it was about dang time we hung out! We had our tasting on Saturday which was SUPER fun and yummy! We’re gonna have good food at our wedding I had to work that night, but afterwards, we came home and had a little “photo shoot” with my dad for our slideshow. I THINK I might know what he’s thinking, but it’s supposed to be a surprise Here’s one of my favorites:

On another note, I’ve been promising Jordan that I would show her pictures of the “creations” we’ve made/bought for our duplex. So, without further adieu, here’s what we have so far!

Jon made our headboard and our coffee table (modeled after one we originally bought, but realized it was laminate and couldn’t paint!) The Lord has really blessed us in providing things to fill our duplex. We are both so excited to use the things He has given us to bless others and make our home a place where others feel welcome and comfortable. Oh! I almost forgot! We bought a washer and dryer this weekend, too and we’re REALLY excited about them!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about our upcoming move and I have to admit I am a little sad about leaving. I can’t wait to be married to Jon, living in College Station and beginning our lives together. It’s somewhat bittersweet. I know I will miss the friendships I have developed here, but I am looking forward to the ones I will develop there. I know I will miss the relationships I’ve formed with the people I work with and am praying for the ones that are yet to be made in College Station. I will miss my family, but I am looking forward to starting my own with Jon. You see what I mean? I’m a glass-case of emotions here!! HA! This is the way God has made me…I soak everything in so much that I get EXTREMELY sentimental about EVERYTHING! (Ask Jon or my family…they’ll confirm this!) But it’s God providing for and meeting my every need, even the material ones, that reminds me that he is still before and in all things. 

The job search continues…unsuccessfully! Thankfully, I had a God-moment (or a “Come-to-Jesus” moment, as my mom would call it!) when I was working on wedding stuff this past week. I was listening to a song called “Wedding Dress” by Derek Webb that paints such a vivid picture of what our relationship with Jesus can be like: we are so eager to put the dress on, run down the aisle and call ourselves his bride, yet struggle with actually BEING the bride of Christ. In it, he asks if Jesus could really love him when he doesn’t even trust him to provide. He says that he has one hand in a pot of gold with the other in Jesus’ side. This really stuck out to me because I’ve become pretty discouraged in looking for a job. I’ve allowed the weight of finding a job that will meet Jon’s and my needs while he is in school and doing the internship to overwhelm me. God spoke to me through these lyrics and I was reminded AGAIN that all provision comes from One Source: Jesus Christ. I MUST trust him to provide every single need I might have. Not only that, but I MUST trust him to provide for every single need that Jon might have. And, I MUST trust him for every single need that we will have as a couple. Are you getting the idea? I’ve got to stop seeing money as our provision and rather, seek the Lord and HIS provision. He is more than capable to meet our needs and then some!

The changes are still coming but one thing remains the same: God’s grace is sufficient and more than enough. 

Sitting, waiting, and thinking. May 17, 2008

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. Since I last blogged, I came down with strep. I had all the symptoms…sore, scratchy throat, headaches, weepy, etc. The frustrating thing about this is that I have had these kind of symptoms 3 different times in the last 2 months…not normal!

Now you must know that when I began working at CBC, I acquired my very own insurance! Along with that, I have the privilege of paying my own doctor bills. Our family has gone to the same doctor for years and years, however, upon receiving my own insurance, I quickly learned that this family doctor did not accept any insurance, which was code for “expensive”, which was also code for “shop for a new doctor!” I didn’t think this would be such a difficult task until I started looking around and found that NO doctor was accepting new patients. Frustrating. So, for the time being, I had settled on a doc-in-a-box. I liked him at first because he would perscribe me antibiotics, give me a shot before I left, and only cost me $25! However, after my second trip to this doc and talking to my mom, I realized that it wasn’t exactly a good thing that he never diagnosed me, nor did he tell me what kind of shot he was giving me! Sore throat #3 came along and I went to the doc determined to get a diagnosis. Well, when I asked him what I was sick with, he replied, “The throat.” Hmmm…thank you. In fact, I think I rattled him so much that he didn’t even give me the much-deserved shot!

All this to say, when the sore throat symptoms came back, I was not wanting to waste $25 on a doctor’s appointment that would get me nowhere and spend $35 on meds that I’d have to repeat 3 weeks later. Well, my mom sat me down at dinner, gave me a blank check, and told me to go to our family doctor…her treat. Thanks, Mom!! It was so nice to go back to our doctor and get some great medical attention. He swabbed my throat and the results for strep came back positive. I also had my blood taken to see if my mono has returned (I got mono my freshman year of college). So, I’m not sitting here with strep and praying that my mono hasn’t relapsed!!

I’m sure whoever is reading this didn’t expect a huge blog on my medical history, but there it is! If you made it through all that, congratulations! On to something different…

This past week Stephanie’s freshman roommate, Mary Beth, passed away. Stephanie is one of my good friends and was one of my roommates in college. Mary Beth was in a car accident in Austin, resulting in a broken pelvis and brain swelling. The doctors were unable to reduce the swelling and she went to be with the Lord on Wednesday evening. Although I never met Mary Beth, her death has affected me deeply. More and more I am reminded of the brevity of our life here on earth and just how quickly we can be swept away and immediately be either in the presence of Jesus or the gates of Hell. I once heard Beth Moore say that we only have one chance, one chance to know God as mortals. Mary Beth’s death got me thinking more and more about that. How am I using my time to know God in this way…as a mortal, human being that has limited understanding, a short attention-span, and split desires? I have ONE CHANCE to experience God’s unlimited grace before I am face-to-face with him as an immortal being. I go through times of spiritual drought and spiritual apathy, but this shouldn’t define my relationship with Christ. I’ve been praying for God to stir within me a passion and desire to know him fully while I am here on this earth, so that when it is my time to leave this earth, I have soaked in every opportunity to know him HERE.

A much needed update! May 14, 2008

Well, I can’t believe it’s been this long since I updated this thing…actually, I can believe it because I haven’t been much of a blogger. I definitely keep up with different blogs…I find myself reading a friend’s blog, then find another friend’s blog and now my list of blogs that I read on a daily basis just keeps growing! So, I thought I should have one of my own in case people are wanting to keep up with me.

A lot has happened since I last wrote. The most exciting of which…I am now engaged!! Jon asked me to marry him on November 10 and we’ve been busy ever since planning for our August 9 wedding. It’s hard to believe that our wedding day will be here in less than 3 months (87 days, 21 hours, and 37 minutes to be exact)! Also, Aimee, Luke and Austin found a house about 5 minutes from my parents house and moved in at the end of February. Savannah is no longer living with us and I no longer am dragged around our yard! She is loving her new home and even has deer to bark at through their fence. Her favorite spot in their new yard is their flower bed…which is dirt right now. Yes, she is a clean dog! HA! Jon lived with my family for the past semester and just left this past Friday. I’m adjusting to him not being here anymore, but definitely miss him!

I am on the verge of change. Lots of it! The actual change has never been a problem for me, rather the anticipation of it. I think and think and think about the changes coming. By the time they come, I’ve thought out every possible circumstance that could happen and am just ready for the change to come and for me to adjust! Jon and I will be living in College Station (in a very cute duplex, I must add!) for at least a year. He will finish his school in December (WHOOP!) and begin his internship with Grace Bible Church (GBC) in the Spring. We will be leading a Coach Group throughout the year. GBC has what they call “Growth Groups”. We will be working specifically with the college Growth Groups, which are student-lead Bible studies. The leaders are called “Coaches” and we will be leading a group of these leaders. Jon and I am SUPER pumped about this! I’m really excited to develop the relationships I began on my trip to North Africa this past summer, as well as getting to spend some more time in College Station. However, I’m sad to leave San Antonio and all the things that God has provided me with here.

On the subject of change…Jack Taylor (an evangelist that has been preaching for over 50 years) came to our church about a month ago and spoke at a Prayer Dinner that my mom was hosting. One of the things he said has stuck in my mind and encouraged me so much during this period of my life. He said that we are in a constant state of change, so we might as well accept that change. The moment we stop changing, we are dead. He went on to say that the awesome things that God has done in our lives now, will pale in comparison to the things God WILL do for us. I continue to hold onto that hope…that the things God has for Jon and I in College Station, and wherever else He takes us, will hold great things and will cause the things He has done in the past to pale in comparison! What a great promise!

Anyways, I’ve decided that this is a way that my friends and family can keep up with the changes that are going on in my life, because they’re about to come in abundance! Be encouraged that God is moving among us and wants to amaze us with the changes He’s bringing!

My first blog! November 8, 2007

Well, the guys have been bugging me about setting up a blog. So, without further adieu, here it is! Not sure I’ll update as often as I should, but maybe this will give you some insight into who I am, the things I’m passionate about, etc.

My sister (Aimee), brother-in-law (Luke), and nephew (Austin) all moved here from Owasso, Oklahoma last Sunday. Since they are in between houses, we have had the privilege of taking care of their beloved dog, Savannah. Savannah is a lab and something else mix, but she seems to think that she is a horse. She weighs between 40 and 50 pounds and her favorite activity right now is dragging me around the yard on a leash. Of course, I would love to feel as though I am dragging her around on a leash, but that just isn’t the case! It’s actually quite hysterical and I imagine my family has a pretty good time watching her GALLOP down the hill of our yard with me holding on tight. One of these days I’m going to bite it. That will be a fun day, let me tell you! Regardless, she’s my friend/nighttime roommate until Aimee and Luke find themselves a house.

Well, that’s about the extent of the excitement in my life! I’ll update more later. Have a blessed day!