I've found myself lately in the midst of flooding announcements: pregnancies, engagements, babies being born, people graduating college, marriages, life-changing events taking place. I tell myself that it's just one of those significant ages when everything seems to be occurring.
But one sticks out to me.
One reminds me how beautiful the Lord makes our stories after we find ourselves fretting for a while.
One takes me back to memories of many starry nights, future plans, outside adventures, prayers, and one single seemingly broken heart.
A name that brought my own to mind when heard by anyone that knew of either of us. A match that was so sweet, it was almost too good to be true...
& it was.
The man that showed me every day what it was to be pursued by a man of God, the man that all but promised me his heart forever, prayed with me every single night (even if it had to be through the phone) that we were living according to a future out of our own hands-- for divine intervention
...is engaged.
& I want so badly to wonder why it wasn't me or wonder why the feelings he had weren't mutual from me when there was absolutely no reason why they shouldn't have been. So many things I cannot answer except that he ended up with the right girl and the Lord's faithfulness is so beautiful to experience. Promise is so much more meaningful than doubt or hesitancy.
This engagement was so unexpectantly significant in my own life. I love how I got to watch as the Lord mended a heart I couldn't learn to claim as my own, this sweet boy's. I love how we have a healing Savior that takes our brokenness and slowly repairs it until we have forgotten what has broken it at all & we find ourselves facing something far better.
"There are far better things ahead than we will ever leave behind."
This is one instance I am so incredibly thankful for better things, even if it is me that is what is being left behind. Because when something is right, it is more wonderful than all other options. I'm thankful for relationships that get to build us up in various ways throughout our lives, people that point us toward Him, allowing us to bask in His goodness, then prepare us for things that we will find later.
Engagements are so exciting & I'm thankful that this one, too, is still so sweet to me and not full of bitterness or regret. What a delightful future I see ahead for those two and for myself that has made being patient for it that much easier.
I am beyond excited for you! I hope that you know how unique and precious you are, how rare it is to find someone so faithful, so honest, so willing to be humble before God. I hope you know how many lives you have helped change, how many people that have come to know their Maker because of your encouraging words, how many people are eternally changed for knowing you, including me. I am not the same girl I was before you, before you accepting the valleys of my life and making them seem small, dealing so gently with my fragile nature. I am thankful for you, always. You taught me what it meant to be in a pursuit toward something greater, mutually and that even when it didn't lead down the path you had in mind that it was still wonderful and worth it. I wish you a lifetime of gentle lessons, mutual growth, and the sweetest of moments that project you forward, never leaving you to look back. Oh, and love, so so much love...you deserve it!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Clicking Yes
For those of you looking to comment for class, I wrote the four blogs below specifically for y'all, not this one, but you are more than welcome to read this one as well, just know, it is for my own safekeeping, not grading or grammatical error, nothing but having a journal to look joyfully back upon.
This semester has been a whirlwind of opportunity.
First of all, I got a Linked In account, which, for those of you unfamiliar with the site, is a professional website that allows for business networking and connections. My second day having it, figuring it out, polishing up my resume, etc., I had a breakthrough. I was asked to "endorse" a man I recognized from a Christian event I attended when I was sixteen. So, of course, I clicked 'yes' to endorse his public speaking skills because I had seen him speak. I wasn't expecting anything more than the small satisfaction of getting to encourage another, not even knowing if he would ever see the endorsement or what happened after that small 'yes' click.
A few days later I received a message from the same man I endorsed. He asked if I had ever been to one of his events, to which I gladly expressed I had. I shared the fact that I got to pass along some vivid messages that were illustrated within that event that had stuck with me to many other organizations/ ministries I had been involved in after.
This man happened to be the founder of that particular company. After that one small 'yes' click, we began a series of messages. He claimed he had a position to fill & I seemed to be a strong applicant. We set up a phone interview for my upcoming Spring Break. We got to talk through many details of the position and ultimately decided I would attend a more recent event to meet the team I would potentially become part of to see how I fit in.
Last weekend I went to that event. I was amazed at the enthusiasm and tricks they attempted to keep the message they were portraying so modern. The youthful audience loved it! I even loved it. They shared stories of hardship, of redemption, of purity, of marriage, and ultimately shared the message of how Christ's death on the cross has made us clean, as believers. After the show they prayed "THE prayer", you know the one. Next, they asked everyone who had prayed the prayer of salvation to step forward in boldness and accept a free gift from the event staff. Before I knew it, I saw hundreds of people pouring forward toward the stage. It was a truly touching moment when I felt complete assurance in my decision to pursue this organization. There was such power & spiritual movement in that moment of the night, that is being built up to be spread all around the world.
Now, as the applications probably pour in and the final decisions are made, I'm here waiting in complete security of God's plan for my life. I have been blown away with the amount of encouragement, recommendation letters, and sweet moments that have grown me to be ready for what has been prepared for my near future. I am also so anxious, thankful, and humbled that it has fallen so gently into my lap, so there was no doubt I'd recognize it.
I am constantly praying that when opportunities arise that I will be sure in my decision to mutually pursue them, that if there is even a faint doubt they would be taken away from me. I have found zero doubt moving forward in so many areas lately, even when it starts with something as small as simply, clicking 'yes'.
This semester has been a whirlwind of opportunity.
First of all, I got a Linked In account, which, for those of you unfamiliar with the site, is a professional website that allows for business networking and connections. My second day having it, figuring it out, polishing up my resume, etc., I had a breakthrough. I was asked to "endorse" a man I recognized from a Christian event I attended when I was sixteen. So, of course, I clicked 'yes' to endorse his public speaking skills because I had seen him speak. I wasn't expecting anything more than the small satisfaction of getting to encourage another, not even knowing if he would ever see the endorsement or what happened after that small 'yes' click.
A few days later I received a message from the same man I endorsed. He asked if I had ever been to one of his events, to which I gladly expressed I had. I shared the fact that I got to pass along some vivid messages that were illustrated within that event that had stuck with me to many other organizations/ ministries I had been involved in after.
This man happened to be the founder of that particular company. After that one small 'yes' click, we began a series of messages. He claimed he had a position to fill & I seemed to be a strong applicant. We set up a phone interview for my upcoming Spring Break. We got to talk through many details of the position and ultimately decided I would attend a more recent event to meet the team I would potentially become part of to see how I fit in.
Last weekend I went to that event. I was amazed at the enthusiasm and tricks they attempted to keep the message they were portraying so modern. The youthful audience loved it! I even loved it. They shared stories of hardship, of redemption, of purity, of marriage, and ultimately shared the message of how Christ's death on the cross has made us clean, as believers. After the show they prayed "THE prayer", you know the one. Next, they asked everyone who had prayed the prayer of salvation to step forward in boldness and accept a free gift from the event staff. Before I knew it, I saw hundreds of people pouring forward toward the stage. It was a truly touching moment when I felt complete assurance in my decision to pursue this organization. There was such power & spiritual movement in that moment of the night, that is being built up to be spread all around the world.
Now, as the applications probably pour in and the final decisions are made, I'm here waiting in complete security of God's plan for my life. I have been blown away with the amount of encouragement, recommendation letters, and sweet moments that have grown me to be ready for what has been prepared for my near future. I am also so anxious, thankful, and humbled that it has fallen so gently into my lap, so there was no doubt I'd recognize it.
I am constantly praying that when opportunities arise that I will be sure in my decision to mutually pursue them, that if there is even a faint doubt they would be taken away from me. I have found zero doubt moving forward in so many areas lately, even when it starts with something as small as simply, clicking 'yes'.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
College Window
This week has been exhausting!
Sometimes I look back on the week and cannot fathom how I got through it. Lately, the days have been flying by, then weeks, then soon I will be completely done with college. When I focus on what a small window college is, I appreciate it. I like being challenged, I'm thankful for the smaller classes that invite feedback, opinion and critiques. I like stretching my mind, thinking of abstract things I wouldn't otherwise. I have even stumbled upon a newfound art I enjoy. Poetry. Well, I don't write it for fun but when I have to write pieces for class, I enjoy it.
That's all we can hope for here, I suppose, in college, I mean. Aggieland has not disappointed when I consider all the hopes that have been exceeded. We hoped to meet wonderful people, be encouraged to do new things, for the simple chance that we may unexpectantly fall in love with something we never thought of doing before. College allows us to reflect on who we are, where we are going, and what we will eventually become.
I love college and I'm not sure how ready I am to depart...
yet, I know the small window is closing soon and I will be forced out, despite.
Sometimes I look back on the week and cannot fathom how I got through it. Lately, the days have been flying by, then weeks, then soon I will be completely done with college. When I focus on what a small window college is, I appreciate it. I like being challenged, I'm thankful for the smaller classes that invite feedback, opinion and critiques. I like stretching my mind, thinking of abstract things I wouldn't otherwise. I have even stumbled upon a newfound art I enjoy. Poetry. Well, I don't write it for fun but when I have to write pieces for class, I enjoy it.
That's all we can hope for here, I suppose, in college, I mean. Aggieland has not disappointed when I consider all the hopes that have been exceeded. We hoped to meet wonderful people, be encouraged to do new things, for the simple chance that we may unexpectantly fall in love with something we never thought of doing before. College allows us to reflect on who we are, where we are going, and what we will eventually become.
I love college and I'm not sure how ready I am to depart...
yet, I know the small window is closing soon and I will be forced out, despite.
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| https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuucMdQ7cE0wgxm4FJsnrgigMYlhWsEQaBU0kVqE2ik_V94Iqm9V3u_5AtUAZuFmLTqzGGDtwVyQtWGpNITX8IZ2TLTqB6J-RDieM_rKM3GDFOZ6r3wClRA7_Tmg1wrt1VgpaSqHZB8o/s1600/regular-window.jpg "Window of Opportunity" |
Roommates
In college we think of things in terms of roommates. Things are divided by semester course loads, sure, but who you live with says so much about who you are, what others assume you're up to, and who some of the biggest influences in your life are during whatever duration you live under the same roof.
This past year especially, I have been so blessed to live with two lovely women who have really helped make a house into a home. We have endured some hard lessons, made some sweet memories, and ultimately, my life was made richer for getting to live life with each of them in the close context of our quaint duplex.
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| Keri, Ashley & I in the park across the street. :) |
Smiles come easy around our house. There is always someone here to share a hot meal, take a brisk walk, a friend to non-judgmentally confide in. I couldn't imagine a much better environment to call my own.
We even have a peaceful little park across the street. It is full of trees, a fountain and benches overlooking a pond full of fish. It's nice to slip on some shoes and jog over there to hang a hammock or walk the dogs. It was also a hot spot for this year's Christmas cards.
I can't imagine how different it will be after this summer when we've graduated or moved forward in our lives, facing whatever comes next for each of us. But I'll leave here with lifelong friends, which makes the feeling of home stay with me. Home is not a house but the people who love each other within it.
We even have a peaceful little park across the street. It is full of trees, a fountain and benches overlooking a pond full of fish. It's nice to slip on some shoes and jog over there to hang a hammock or walk the dogs. It was also a hot spot for this year's Christmas cards.
I can't imagine how different it will be after this summer when we've graduated or moved forward in our lives, facing whatever comes next for each of us. But I'll leave here with lifelong friends, which makes the feeling of home stay with me. Home is not a house but the people who love each other within it.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Monday Morning Smile
As I waited behind a long line of people waiting to order coffee in the Memorial Student Center, I noticed the girl in front of me fumbling through her bag, coming up empty. I, feeling in an oddly jolly mood for an early Monday morning and understanding what a sore subject being denied coffee is, offered to buy hers since she had obviously forgotten her wallet. She hesitatingly accepted as I jokingly attempted to convince her that it could be my "good deed of the day". After she ordered, we introduced ourselves, talked briefly about our futures, what we wanted in life. We eventually figured out that she went to high school with my good friend and we shared a few other common friends, small world! As our time came to a close and we parted ways, her smile stuck with me. It was so genuine and full of thanks for such a small deed.
For the remainder of the day her smile kept me smiling, contagiously. I'm glad for getting just a small peek into another Aggie's life and for the reminder that giving is always better than receiving.
It's the simple things, even just a sweet smile over a cup of coffee on a Monday morning that spur on the truest happiness in this life, I'm convinced.
For the remainder of the day her smile kept me smiling, contagiously. I'm glad for getting just a small peek into another Aggie's life and for the reminder that giving is always better than receiving.
It's the simple things, even just a sweet smile over a cup of coffee on a Monday morning that spur on the truest happiness in this life, I'm convinced.
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| Starbucks Coffee https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2S-G3P7vsQLMq6MYyWQR0jjkwuS4BwvwPTBn9D1VFQzYnd2lNFPvV0XoUU8CicYJqYooZSkGAxhaEHsk1m7SwgaSlrNW0ksY6PrfdVv5hMyX_RQrY0KxAXxB3vd28R43t4jp21mX-7o/s1600/starbucks-cup-quote.jpg |
Joy
Today I was so blessed to have the opportunity to catch up with my friend, Joy, who has been studying abroad all semester but has finally returned home. While I was missing her from Texas, she was off to Spain and Paris, where her boyfriend proposed on the Eiffel Tower! Chills overtook my body and tears filled my eyes as she spoke of the bumps in a relationship that has ultimately turned into a union for marriage. I am so encouraged to see how she has stood so firmly in her Faith throughout many trials and now gets to cheerfully see her faithful patience pay off.
She kept saying how beautifully perfect the entire trip went. I could picture it. I think we spend a lot of our time picturing these perfect moments occurring at different chapters in our lives, ceremonial moments worthy of celebration. But then there are other times, times when we catch ourselves feeling discouraged because we miss past moments of joy or we see them presently happening all around us to everyone else. That's the thing, we won't all have the same story to tell or meet significant others in a particularly planned way. Sometimes we have to face hard stuff to get to the sweet stuff. Sometimes it's the rough times that make the great times memorable, happy, beautiful.
Our chat was a sweet reminder that even when life seems to be handing you sour flavors or bumpy routes, there's a divine plan that works out in perfect timing, better than we plan for ourselves.
So, as I celebrate all that my sweet friend has to look forward to, I also celebrate the fact that my life has been filled with more beautiful moments than I'll ever deserve and that more are on the way.
Oh, and the fact that her name will soon be an alliteration, Joy Jones, that's worth a smile too! :)
She kept saying how beautifully perfect the entire trip went. I could picture it. I think we spend a lot of our time picturing these perfect moments occurring at different chapters in our lives, ceremonial moments worthy of celebration. But then there are other times, times when we catch ourselves feeling discouraged because we miss past moments of joy or we see them presently happening all around us to everyone else. That's the thing, we won't all have the same story to tell or meet significant others in a particularly planned way. Sometimes we have to face hard stuff to get to the sweet stuff. Sometimes it's the rough times that make the great times memorable, happy, beautiful.
Our chat was a sweet reminder that even when life seems to be handing you sour flavors or bumpy routes, there's a divine plan that works out in perfect timing, better than we plan for ourselves.
So, as I celebrate all that my sweet friend has to look forward to, I also celebrate the fact that my life has been filled with more beautiful moments than I'll ever deserve and that more are on the way.
Oh, and the fact that her name will soon be an alliteration, Joy Jones, that's worth a smile too! :)
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| Joy! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200734818763156&set=t.1542628085&type=1&theater |
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