happily ever now

I'm writing this to all my single sisters in Christ who are waiting for that right guy to come along. Don't give up on the desire to be married but don't put everything else on hold until then either. I think about what my wedding day might be like. To be standing beside the man I’ve been unknowingly praying for and believing would come into my life at the right time. To know I’m marrying my answer to prayer. 

While it’s fun to daydream about my “someday,” I can’t let myself dwell on it too much. If I continue to plan and look ahead to that day, I’ll miss out on what’s happening around me. I’ll be so focused on later that I’ll be missing out on right now. Looking too far ahead robs you of right now. 

I want to be knee-deep in going after what God has for me when my prince does finally ride up on that white horse. There’s a quote that says: “A woman’s heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him to find her.” That’s what I want. I want to be so focused on becoming who God wants me to be and doing what He’s called me to do. It all comes back to God's timing and trusting Him - two things that aren't always easy but always worth it :)

*Photo source: http://arbutusphotography.com/gallery/ 

grace to wait

I'm so glad it's the weekend! While I don't always have a chance to have my devotional time in the mornings, I did today and one sentence stood out to me. Today was titled "Are You Using Your Faith?" Here's part of what Joyce said: "Don't merely pray for the problem to go away, or that you will get something you need or desire, but also pray that you will have the grace to wait with a good attitude." I liked this because life isn't always easy. Sometimes what we're called to do is hard or we're growing tired of waiting on God to answer our prayer. But we can totally trust Him! I look back and see how He's come through for me time and time again and it's a major boost to my faith! I know He's not forgotten about me and He's definitely not running late. I want the "grace to wait" on God - expecting him to do great things!

stop getting and start receiving

I'm really liking Joyce Meyer's Trusting God Day by Day devotional! 

1 John 3:22: "And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him."

"When everything in your life requires effort, life becomes frustrating and exhausting - and that's not the kind of abundant life Jesus came to give us. No, God wants us to live with a holy ease, a grace that keeps us from striving and struggling through life. That doesn't mean everything will be easy, but it means even difficult things can be done with a sense of God's presence and help."

"the no brainer wardrobe"

I'm not sure how I found Hayley's blog but I did and it didn't take me long before I subscribed, allowing me to get her posts sent directly to my email. Her goal is to inspire women to "create lives of more passion and less fuss." To help with this desire, she has written an e-book, The No Brainer Wardrobe. I just bought it and am super excited to put into practice her advice. She talks about the importance of deciding what your style is and then building on that. She goes over the different body shapes and what looks best for each. She shares where to find good buys and then gives different examples of how you can mix and match an outfit. She gives great, practical advice to help you look your best. You can download the first chapter and can also buy the book for yourself! It's only $7.99 and is 82 pages full of good stuff :)

static

I just finished My Imaginary Jesus by Matt Mikalatos. While it had its cheesy moments, he also made some good points. Towards the end of the story Matt is desperately trying to find the real Jesus. He's been serving the Jesus he's conjured up in his mind but is no longer satisfied with that Jesus. He wants the real one. The book is the journey he went on to find this Jesus. But at the end he has the choice to finally leave the one he's grown used to or to walk into the room where he knows he'll find Who he's been searching for. One of the other characters tells him he's unable to hear God speak to him because of all the static.

"I mean that your head is full of static. Stuff full of television and radio and comic books and noise. You say you can't hear Jesus, but it's because you have earbuds in all the time. You're afraid of silence. You're afraid to let even a strong signal through...when exactly is Jesus supposed to have a conversation with you?"

I'm guilty of that. I'm always working on something, reading, listening to music - go, go, go. But I need to slow down and just savor what can be found in silence. I need to let God be able to speak to me in the quiet. To. just. be.

already amazing

I'm reading a book right now called You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth. Holly is super cute and incredibly honest as she shares from her own struggles in an attempt to allow other women to discover how amazing they really are. I'm posting my review of the book later this week but I wanted to share a part that stood out to me - I just couldn't wait! I highlighted these lines and will probably post them where I can see them...again and again:

"In Case You Ever Wonder

You question...

Is who I am okay?

You're more than okay - you're His (Ps. 139:14)

You ask...

Do I have what it takes?

You've got all you need (2 Pet 1:3)

You wonder...

Can I do this?

You can do all things (Phil 4:13)

So go for it, girl.

Dare to make that difference,

take that step, follow that dream.

God will go with you -

and love will see you through."

never give up

I was looking through a stack of books in one of the classrooms I was working in a few weeks ago and the title of the book on the top jumped out at me. Never Give Up by Regina Burch is part of a Character Education series and the theme of the book is applicable to adults as well as children. The book constantly repeats the phrase "never give up" and I love that message! The illustrations are super cute and I love the idea of encouraging kids with this book.

Whatever you might be going through, never give up! Life doesn't always make sense and sometimes we wonder where God is when we're in the midst of our struggles or pain. Never give up! We have to continue moving forward and continue trusting - even when it doesn't seem like our circumstances have changed. Never give up!

the one

I was thinking about the whole idea of "the one" today. A while back I read Praying For Your Future Husband by Tricia Goyer and Robin Jones Gunn. It's a really great book and leads you through praying for your future spouse in different areas of his life - ultimately bringing him to the place of being ready to meet you. So I was just praying about my future husband today, thanking God for him though we've yet to meet. And then I started thinking about "the one." I believe in there being one person for me - to an extent. The way I look at it is that God has someone for me, who's a perfect complement to my personality. Someone who is strong in areas that I'm not and vice versa. But is there just one person out there, suited to me? That makes me think of the movie Ever After where Henry is asking Leonardo da Vinci this very thing (source: www.imdb.com):

"Henry: Do you really think there is only one perfect mate?
Leonardo da Vinci: As a matter of fact, I do.
Henry: Well then how can you be certain to find them? And if you do find them, are they really the one for you or do you only think they are? And what happens if the person you're supposed to be with never appears, or, or she does, but you're too distracted to notice?
Leonardo da Vinci: You learn to pay attention.
Henry: Then let's say God puts two people on Earth and they are lucky enough to find one another. But one of them gets hit by lightning. Well then what? Is that it? Or, perchance, you meet someone new and marry all over again. Is that the lady you're supposed to be with or was it the first? And if so, when the two of them were walking side by side were they both the one for you and you just happened to meet the first one first or, was the second one supposed to be first? And is everything just chance or are some things meant to be?"

It's an interesting subject but at the end of the day I have to leave it with God. I know He has someone for me and I don't have to understand all of the "how's" - just that He's working it out. Will he be a Prince Charming? Probably not but he'll be just right for me :)

seeds vs. pearls

Steven Furtick talked about in his daily blog post the other day about, in a nutshell, waiting. He was discussing the difference between seeds and pearls: "God will sometimes give you pearls, and when He does, be thankful. But from my experience, God’s wisdom and God’s work usually comes in the form of a seed, not a pearl. A seed has to go into the dirt to develop. It takes time. It doesn’t have the obvious value that a pearl does. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t significant. A pearl may have immediate and obvious value, but a seed has latent and potential power. It doesn’t look like much immediately, but over time its true worth shows itself."

I really liked this because it's where I'm at right now. Although, honestly, I feel like there will always be something I'm "waiting" for. What I'm learning is how to not put life on hold until that waiting is over. You have to live life in the midst of the waiting. Pearls look beautiful and are great for showing off but it's the seeds that bring growth. The seeds are the ones where you learn who you are and what you're capable of. The seeds require time to grow. As you plant the seeds, you invest tears and prayers and abilities - who you are is wrapped up in the seed. Don't abandon the seed just because it might be taking a little bit longer than you thought it would for the harvest. Don't give up. Wait for it.

wait for hope

"God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. it's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. enter the silence. bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: wait for hope to appear" (Lamentations 3:25-29 Message).

This was in a book I'm currently reading and I absolutely love it! It really spoke to me when I came across it. It was one of those moments where I paused and had to read it again. Maybe it'll speak to you too...

year in review: songs

Several songs have become my theme songs for this year. Some were released this year and some just finally meant something to me. The one that stands out to me is "With Everything" by Hillsong United. Oh my. This was the song at youth camp that was THE song. It was the one that stirred all of us up - especially when the bridge hits - and I get chills even now. SUCH a good song!

Francesca Battistelli's whole "My Paper Heart" album is amazing but "Beautiful, Beautiful" would have to be my favorite (the acoustic version is very cool). "Behind the Scenes" became a soundtrack for me this year because I love the message. It talks about how God is working in our lives even when we can't see evidence of it. "Someday Soon" makes me smile - I look forward to being able to live out the lyrics when I get married someday :-)

I'm not a huge country music fan but I really like Rascal Flatts. Their song "Unstoppable" is about, to me, not giving up even when everything inside of you wants to quit. It's about refusing to go back and continue moving forward. I also finally heard their version of Matthew West's "The Day Before You" this year and it's pretty amazing too.

Some Honorable Mentions would go to "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon and"Show Me What I'm Looking For" by Carolina Liar (we actually used this in our Easter program at church). I've also discovered OneRepublic this year and "Passenger" might be my favorite.

There are way more songs I could list that have impacted me this year but these would top the list...

25 hours

Tomorrow we gain an extra hour - something that only happens once a year. I'm pondering how to spend this extra sixty minutes. Normally, I never get that extra hour of sleep - instead I stay up an hour longer and am still tired in the morning :-) Yet I'm thinking of doing something beyond watching tv for another hour or working on my laptop. There's a new book out (that is now at the top of my "to read" list") called "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick. It's a book about having audacious faith - the kind of faith that believes in the impossible happening. The kind of faith Joshua had when asking God to make the sun stand still. I received an email from the publisher of the book, asking me to participate in something that can potentially change the world. Tomorrow, when we have that 25th hour and the sun seemingly stands still, people will be praying. It's something interesting to think about. Now, I may forget and spend that extra hour doing something else but the idea of Christians asking God for the impossible sounds very cool.

sweetest day

I'm participating in a little blog exercise because I'm all about being up for a challenge :-) Tomorrow is Sweetest Day and I've expressed my shock that I've NEVER heard of this holiday until this year - more specifically when I looked at my calendar this week and noticed it. So as well as being up for a challenge, I'm also all about googling things. I looked up the day and am pleasantly surprised at the beginnings of it. It began in 1922 when Herbert Kingston wanted to do something nice for those in need in his city of Cleveland. He delivered chocolate to the surrounding orphanages and hospitals. Since then it's evolved into more of a second Valentine's Day but I like what Kingston had in mind. Knowing the background, I don't mind sharing my birthday with Sweetest Day. May we all find some chocolate tomorrow to celebrate :-)

ordinary

My pastor made reference to this verse this morning and it's stuck with me. I've heard this verse about a million times before (maybe a slight exaggeration) but never in this translation. Romans 12:1: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." But look at it in the Message: "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering." That just seems more real to me - more applicable in my life than "present your bodies a living sacrifice." It makes the point that EVERY thing in our lives can be given to God as an offering and I don't know about you but that seems pretty cool to me.

fall

With a new season now upon us and an almost new month, I wanted to take a few seconds to share something that isn't a book review or an amazing recipe :-) While there are seasons in nature, we also experience seasons in our lives. Maybe it's the start of a new career or new relationships. Maybe it's moving somewhere new. Whatever it is, we go through times in our lives when one chapter is finished and another begins. A fresh page is waiting to be written on - life to be lived. So I'm encouraging any who come across this to enjoy life - find something each day to be thankful for. I love fall and am excited that it actually feels like it (we had a some 90 degree weather last week - was not happy about that :-). I love the colors of the leaves as they change and hearing the crunch when I step on them. It just seems to say to me, "it's fall!" So I'm wishing you all a "Happy Fall" - be it literally or if you're embarking on something new.

simple things

I think I've blogged about this before but I'm really trying to make an effort to find delight in the simple things. To not be so rushed going to work or running errands that I miss out on enjoying the feel of the sunshine or spotting that cute rabbit before it scampers off into the bushes (which for some reason gives me a "Bambi" flashback). I don't want to be so goal-focused that I forget to live in the now. What's prodded this is a little boy I met yesterday. I was filling in for a resource teacher and he was the last student of my day. He's in third grade and is autistic. After he finished his work he got on the computer (the teacher warned me he would go to the same site he always goes to...which he did) and printed off a picture of a Power Ranger (taking a bunny trail which makes reference to the Bambi comment I made a few lines ago...anywho, I remember the original Power Rangers and yes the fight scenes were unbelievably cheesy but man, you gotta love the classics :-). He then found some blank paper and proceeded to draw his own "armor" like one of the Power Ranger vehicles. He then taped the paper to his clothes, including paper "wings" on his back and then went back to class. I smiled as he left, being reminded again of how amazing an imagination is. I recently read somewhere that the toys kids have today don't require any imagination. The toys make all the sounds, not allowing the kids to come up with their own - as a result, they become bored with them. So here's my challenge for any who may read this: find ways to use your imagination. Remember what it was like to be a kid...

jump

Sometimes in life you just have to close your eyes and jump. I had a "jump" moment earlier today, thus sparking a blog post. My ultimate career goal is to be a teacher so I'm subbing as a way to get my foot in the door. The hard part of this is the aspect that I'm walking into a classroom, not knowing what grade I'll be with (though I can now do a little legwork to find that out in advance) or any background knowledge of these kids. Each day is a "first day" for me until I become familiar with the school, teachers and students. A big part of me wants to cling to what I know, only wanting to work in schools that I've been to before because it's comfortable. The other part of me knows I need to step out and establish as many connections as I possibly can so my name is out there when hiring time comes in the spring. It's all a matter of deciding to just jump. Back in the summer, my youth group went to a local pool for a fellowship evening. No sermon, no small groups - just hanging out. I had a sudden surge of boldness and wanted to go off the high dive. One of the teens went with me and I watched her gracefully splash into the water. Then it was my turn. I realized about halfway up the ladder just how high this really was. Reaching the top, I looked out and then down. It seemed like a very long way down. If I had continued to stand there, thinking about how far I would soon be falling, I might've chickened out. Instead, I took a deep breath and jumped. It was a surreal feeling because I remember that it felt like I kept falling and falling before I met the water. Coming up for air moments later, I swam to the side and climbed out. Was I glad I had jumped? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably not :-) But I jumped - I didn't let anything keep me from taking that leap and that's something I want to apply to my life in order to enjoy this one shot I have at it.

another day

I'm making a decision about how I view life. Each day is not just "another day." Pepperidge Farm came out with a slogan saying, "never have an ordinary day." That's my new philosophy. Each day is remarkably unique. There will never be another August 19, 2010...ever. I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in long term goals and things we're striving for that we forget to enjoy each day. We forget to find delight in the little things. We're too busy to not only stop and smell the proverbial roses but we end up trampling them in our haste to reach our next destination, our next "to do." I'm just as guilty of this. I'm all about planning out my day and then expecting it to go just as I plan. We won't even get into how often that doesn't happen :-) We need to find reasons to celebrate each day and soak up every second of life we can. I think we're all aware of the brevity of life. That fact should make us all the more determined to enjoy each day. Make the decision now to not have just "another day."

sauce

I'm a firm believer that butter, salt and cheese can enhance just about any dish (maybe not all three at the same time but those are my staples). And chocolate. How can I forget chocolate? Pasta is one of my favorite foods. I especially like the fun-shaped pasta (rigatoni, manicotti, rotini, etc.). For the longest time I never put sauce on my pasta (unless we're talking about spaghetti and that's a different story). I would add butter and sometimes cheese but I'd often pass on the sauce. It wasn't until I was feeling daring one day that I added sauce with my three staples. I took a bite and my taste buds were very happy. I had no idea what I was missing until I was willing to try something different. And so my point comes into play. How many times do we do the same with God? We insist our life (i.e. pasta) is just fine without "sauce." We don't want anything to upset our carefully constructed bowl of pasta. Yet we have no idea what we're missing by telling Him "thanks but I'm good." I WANT SAUCE!! I want what He has for me even if I don't know it at the time. I'll take the sauce, parmesan and whatever else He deems will make my pasta the absolute best.

simplify

I leave for youth camp in two days. I've started packing but it seems I still have a thousand things to do. I'm trying not to stress. See, I tend to over-plan and make things more complicated than they really need to be. This year, I'm making every effort to simplify things for camp. I'm going as a leader which means I'm taking things for the girls in my cabin and trying to keep it all "simple" isn't easy. I like having a plan A, B and even C but this philosophy doesn't translate well when it comes to packing bag after bag for a four-day trip.

It comes down to control. I like knowing I'm prepared and ready for whatever life may decide to throw at me. But how often are we really prepared for life? How often do things go like we want them to? Yeah, not all that often. There needs to be a balance between going with the flow and being prepared. I want to be able to have a plan but be ok if it gets chucked out the window. I think one way to achieve that is by keeping...things...simple. Not becoming so wrapped up in details that we lose sight of the big picture. Being too busy focusing on each piece of the puzzle and where it fits instead of looking at the finished product. Now for me to put that into action :-)