A New Stage of Life

Next month I will turn 27. And I'm starting to feel old. I know that I'm not old, but sometimes I feel like it. It is interesting how much has changed in my life in the past several months. I went back to school. I got a sweet puppy. I got temporarily laid off from work. And as of yesterday, I am permanently laid off from work now. Business just is too slow for them to have me back in July. This was not surprising for me but it still made me really sad. Not just for the obvious reason that we are officially poor now, but because I worked there for almost five years. It was like the end of an era. So much of my life is changing. I'm a student now and sometimes I feel like my future is up in the air. But even when everything around me continues to change ( and I HATE CHANGE).. I can find some peace in knowing that my Lord never changes. He is always the same. His love for me is always the same. His provisions continue. His mercies are new every morning. I can be sure of my future because I know He is in control of my future. There is a Matt Redman song that says, "Praise you, the God of our yesterdays, Praise You, the God who is here today, Praise You, our God as tomorrow comes. So whatever lies ahead Whatever roads our grateful hearts will come to tread You'll be there, Lord We will fix our eyes on You And know that there is grace enough to see us through You'll be there, Lord You'll be there in the struggle You'll be there in the fight You'll be there all the time .." God is so good. I'll praise Him through all the struggles and be thankful for who He is!

Getting back into shape.

I had no idea just how out of shape I had gotten until I joined a gym this week. Actually, Corey and I both joined a gym. They opened up a new one about 2 minutes from our house and it's open 24 hours a day so I have no excuse for not making time to go.. even when I go back to work and I'm going to school!
But- back to how out of shape I am.. sheesh! I had not worked out in an entire year! Not even a little tiny work out. I broke my ankle a year ago and had to have surgery on it so I obviously couldn't work out for a couple of months due to that... however, I didn't realize that it doesn't take long to lose that buff body you have when you do absolutely nothing. All I've done for the past year is sit around on my butt and eat.. and I have clothes that don't fit anymore to prove it. So, since they opened up the gym so close, Corey and I both decided it was time to do something about our rounded middles and big butts.
The first day working out was embarrassing... no just plain downright SHAMEFUL! But, slowly and surely, I'm getting back into shape.. It's a slow process but I know in the end it will be worth it.. My goal is to lose 10 pounds. That is reasonable enough, I think. I just wonder how long it will take to do it.. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.

How He Loves Us

Sunday, Corey and I visited a church for the second time and they did a song called "How He Loves Us" and I wept when I heard it. If you know me well at all, you know that I cry pretty easily but I haven't cried at church in so long, I couldn't even tell you how long it had been. As I sat there listening to the words, I felt the Lord draw me close to himself like I can't ever remember Him doing.. And I have felt His presence so closely since. He used this song to awaken something in me that had been asleep for several years. I had forgotten how much He loves me!
Here are the lyrics.. and if you want to hear the song, you should google Kim Walker's version of the song. It's pretty incredible.
He is jealous for me Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so Oh, how He loves us How He loves us so. Yeah, He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves.
So we are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes If grace is an ocean we're all sinking So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves He loves us, Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves

All I can say is that my heart is absolutely overflowing with His LOVE FOR ME!

To go back...

I have not blogged in awhile. It is final exam week and I have been really stressing out and studying as much as possible. Tonight is my last final exam and I will be finished for the semester. Thank you Lord for getting me through this semester! There were definately times when I questioned whether I would make it or not.
So, Last night, I was reading a blog of an old college aquaintance of mine and she had blogged about regret. In her blog, she said she hates it when people say they don't regret anything in their life because they wouldn't be where they are today if they hadn't made those choices. I agree with her. If I could have some do-overs, I would do them in a second! I have made some really bad choices in my life. I have been through some things, that quite frankly, I wouldn't go through again if I could change it. I believe I went through some of those things because of my own stubbornness and my own sin. I was rash in making some decisions, I didn't pray through some things before I went barrelling ahead. At the end of her blog, she challenged herself to start thinking before she made a choice, " where will this decision land me in 10-15 years"...
I've decided to take her advice. I would like to start taking a little bit more time when I make a decision. I would absolutely like to start praying a little longer before making a decision.
Don't get me wrong, there are also things that I wouldn't change in my life for all the money and fame in the world. I am so glad I married my husband after only 11 months of being together. Some people may call that rash, but he is my perfect match and I truly believe I got God's best in that department! I don't regret going back to school after all that time of being a working woman :).. I know that that is a decision that will land me somewhere great in 10-15 years.
But since I can't go back and change those things that I wish I could, I am thankful for the lessons learned and the challenges of recent blogs to think and pray before I start rushing into things.
Thank you Lord for life experiences and that you work ALL things for good ( good AND bad decisions alike). You are truly good all the time.

Latest News

Yesterday I received news that I will be laid off for the next 2 months from work. It's sad that it will obviously be less money for us, but we are trusting our Lord to provide for us, and we are confident that He will continue to take care of us financially and physically. He has been so good to us. Praise Him!
To look at it positively, I am very excited that I have been given this time to concentrate on my school for the summer and to focus on Corey and our family. It is a great gift that has been given to me... an opportunity to be a housewife for two months! I'll keep you updated on how I like it.

HAPPY EASTER

I used to get excited about Easter because I LOVED hunting eggs. My friend Jamie Stone and I seriously hunted eggs til we were about 14! Call it immature if you want, but all I know is it was FUN!
This morning, I woke up excited to celebrate that my Lord is RISEN! I've been looking forward to this day more than usual this year. I honestly don't know why except I sure have sensed His grace so fully this year and today is the reason I can experience that grace. My heart is swelling with thankfulness for his sacrifice and at his power because he CONQUERED DEATH.. for me.. for YOU!
Thank you my sweet Savior, for your sacrifice of your pure life on the cross and because you didn't just stay in that tomb, you rose again on the third day just like you promised. Thank you for keeping your promises to us. Thank you for paying it all for me so I don't have to. You reign victorious! Praise you, Lord.
May we celebrate our Risen Lord today.

My beautiful Dog-Child

So these are the latest pictures of Fifer Bernard Dalton. I seriously think he is the most beautiful toy poodle that God ever created. Not to mention the smartest! These are of him after his grooming visit. The ladies there tied a cute little Easter egg kerchief around his neck.. How adorable is that?? Even though it does make him look a little like a girl. That's ok.. He can be metrosexual ;) By the way, he knows how to sit now!