Thankful Monday #1

Mondays are just plain hard. The phone never stops ringing and my e-mail by 9:00 a.m. is overloaded. Somehow the lunch "break" turns into a sandwich at my desk. They are long, hard, and totally overwhelming. However, they are another beginning! "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) Not only do we start anew every morning; we start anew every week.

So that I will hopefully be more dilligent about posting and updating this thing... I will have "Thankful Mondays." They may be hard and difficult, but what a blessing the Lord has given us in another day!

Today I am thankful for... Blake. I was pondering what my first "Thankful Monday" would be about... there is MUCH to be thankful for today. He immediately came to mind. I LOVE being in Auburn this year with both of the boys. I especially have enjoyed adding Blake to the mix. He and I are pretty much the same person, just 6 years a part and different genders. He is my heart! He LOVES being a freshman and is soaking it all up... or has for the last week. I am most thankful that he is finally well. He was pretty sick for the first 3 weeks of school. One ER trip per an ambulance, two trips back home to Mom and Dad and several prescriptions later he is well!! I know this whole freshman year (and really most of college) is trial and error, however, I hope and pray the Lord will use this precious boy is big ways! Blake (and Trey) I am so thankful to be in Auburn with you and I cherish this time!

Waiting...

Are you waiting? For a husband, a wife, a child, for the next available customer in line? Through out the day, through out our week, during seasons of our lives we are all waiting on something. Ultimately we are waiting on our Heavenly Father and our true home.

I am waiting... for Anne to get back from EA, for football season to start, for Christmas break (my first real vacation all semester), for my purpose in life to drop from heaven on a blinking sign, to start a family, always waiting... I hope I will always be anxiously anticipating meeting my father face to face. Along with waiting is the longing that is associated with whatever you are waiting for at the moment.

This is a concept, a theme that was discussed often in my small group last year. Several girls were anxiously awaiting their weddings this summer, most all were awaiting graduation and moving out of Auburn, waiting to find a job.... they (we) were and still are frustrated with waiting.

My precious friend Jenny sent me a sermon this week that spoke truth straight to my heart on this very subject... leaving me with several things I have continued to pray through this week.

On a side note... I am so thankful for Jenny. She is one of the best friends a girl could ask for... she is so loyal. She has a God given ability to be a really good friend to a lot of people. She makes our friendship a priority and I am so thankful for her wisdom and laughter. I am so excited to be heading to Nashville this weekend to see her and many other precious girls...

So, I was just reading my notes I took while listening to this sermon and I couldn't figure out how to 1. get my point across clearly and 2. not give all the good parts before you even listen. I will leave you with... Sometime this week, after listening to the sermon... go to Psalm 139 and let the truth sink into your very being. Do you believe His words? There is a raw insatiable need for the real, living God! The giver of all our desires, longings and things greatly anticipated!

SERMON: No link, but it's on i-tunes for FREE... go to Breakaway Ministries podcast and Christy Nockels is #74 - Women's Breakaway (not the video podcast.)

My (the) Best Friend's Wedding

I put that "the" in there for you Anne, just to get on your nerves! Ha! Well, the weekend is over and it was more perfect than I could have ever imagined! Katherine was BEAUTIFUL! I cried all weekend, it was fitting since I have cried since before she even knew she was getting engaged, but most of the world knew.

It was a perfect picture of God's faithfulness and a wonderful display of His glory! Friday night we were all privledged to hear Mr. Cunningham read "Robert's Perfect Woman," a list of items he wrote when he was 16. It was beyond AWESOME! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I think #10 was everyone's favorite!

It was hard to let her go, but she will be just around the corner, living with a boy! I think several of my other blog friends have written about the wedding, but I couldn't pass it up... this was one of those big events! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure!

My Life in Pictures

I don't have time to update much over the next couple of weeks, so I thought I would do an overview (in pics)! A few things I have failed to mention and didn't want to miss blogging about... Over the 4th I introduced one of my favorite people, Courtney,

to one of my favorite places... Camp Mac. Did you know she loves to dance like this?

We did everything kid style... down to Party Night in the Rec Hall... and we did a little of this thing, affectionately known as the Wet Willie.

Also, I think I forgot to tell you... this same beautiful girl will be my ROOMMATE in less than 7 days. Bless her heart! We move this weekend!

Moving on.... Did you know this girl will be a bride in less than 2 weeks?

I literally have cried almost everyday in anticipation. I am hoping to get all the emotions out before the big weekend so that I will be partly sane. It's hard giving your best friend up, but I sure do love, love me some Rob. It makes it much easier! And on top of marrying her off... we are sending them,

off to EA 3 days later! Wedding and Going Away Party all in one weekend! Again, getting all the tears out now.

I am working on a post about this past weekend... Chicago was great! These girls were so much fun to hang out with...

Stories and more pics to follow later!

Work is crazy... this madness...

starts in less than 40 days! Old Folks Home is taking reservations now... spaces are limited.

On a parting note... I am so blessed. My life is not perfect and these are definitely some of the highlights. The valleys I seem to not record as often... but you can see below one from last week. This is just real life, the good, the bad and the ugly.

God knows Best

God knows best... kinda of (actually not kinda, always) father knows best! I have started a post on my journey through searching for my spiritual gift, but that one still needs some work. So, I thought I would share about my day. Today has just been one of those days, I just have worked myself into a funk, complete melt down mode. I know I am blessed. I have tried to grasp His sacrifice for me yet I know I will never comprehend its magnitude. However, in the midst of all the joy I am still that whining child, "Daddy why can't I have it?" I continually question why my heavenly Father withholds and he constantly sings over me, "Because I love you and I know best."

As a child my father would take things away that would harm me or withhold things that were dangerous. I don't think it was the taking part that bothered me so much as it was I wanted what I couldn't have. The classic child mentality. I do the same thing so often with my heavenly Father. I simply want what I can't have; how stupid. He knows best. End of discussion. Just like the big puzzle he sees the pieces that don't fit and the pieces he will hand us over time to make the puzzle complete. Only He knows the finished product.

Well, still on the wedding circuit but taking a break this weekend to see a few of my favorite people... these three girls...



I could not be more excited. I'll post pics and stories when I return. I hear MK has some big news for us! Windy City here I come!

BING or Google

I love the New York Times... great and interesting articles. I came across a few today that were particularly well written. I really enjoyed this interview with Justice Ginsburg and her view point of women on the court, although I could do without her adoration for affirmative action, but that's another post. The most interesting thing I came upon was an article about BING. I had no idea this even existed... I mean that isn't saying much, but I really like it. Thought I would share! I don't know if it will pull me away from Google and my iGoogle page, but a nice change sometimes.

Haley and Clay

Great weekend... beautiful bride, LOVED spending time with people I don't see very often, and HOT weather! Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure...