Don't Let Life Pass You By!

So, tonight was the last official night of the Bible Study that I have been involved in over the past 8 weeks. I know that I have mentioned it in the blog, so I thought that I would share what God has taught me! For all those single ladies out there (which is 3/4 of my primary target audience) this is especially for you!

The Bible Study is titled "Identify" and it taught integrity in singleness and Biblical womanhood. You can imagine the issues I was challenged with in this class! So here goes bullet points of 8 weeks worth of information in one blog....

• The first week we talked of covenants, the old and the new, and their importance in relationships. This lesson blew my mind. It was immensely in depth, and I came away wanting to know more! Did you know that all covenants have two parts? Basically in the old covenant when people sacrificed animals, they cut the animal in two and walked between the animal, signifying that if they broke their covenant with God that what happened to that animal would happen to them...intense right? Well, when Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice (the curtain tore in half into two pieces...interesting I know...) we no longer have to sacrifice animals, but we are still to have the same kind of mentality regarding covenants. I never fully understood the gravity and depth of a covenant such as in marriage and my covenant relationship with Jesus. I mean the idea that if I break a covenant relationship I am saying break me in two? Ok, so not literally, but you get the point! That is intense in depth commitment right there! The symbols of two parts of a covenant are written all over the marriage relationship. A bride walks down the aisle between two parts, a groom stands at the front initiating the relationship, just as Jesus initiates a covenant with us, there is the lighting of the unity candle signifying the two becoming one...I could go on, but I will stop. This lesson rocked my world and if you want to know more details about the covenant relationship we have with Jesus and how it relates to our worldly relationships, just ask! I would LOVE to talk more in detail about this!


• Aha #2: Adam just woke up one day and Eve was there! This is so cool and relevant to us as young single women. I think that so many times we feel as if we have to go looking for a boyfriend or mate, but this is so far from the truth. We just need to wait on the Lord and His timing! He will provide for you just as He did for Adam and Eve...maybe when you least expect it, such as while you have laid your head down for a little nap...


• Aha Momento Numero Tres: God does not withold anything good from us! Just because you don't have a boyfriend, husband, or fiance right now and you feel as if you are all by yourself...Christ has you right where He wants you! When God says no to one thing, He is saying YES to something else. Find out what the Yesses are and delight yourself in them!
  
• Lesson #4: God is a God of redemption and grace...that is all I have to say about that except that I encourage you to fully experience God's redemption in your life...it will be so liberating and change your viewpoint of how you extend grace to those around you!


• I got tired of numbering them: We talked about women's roles according to the Bible. Eve was created to be Adam's helper. This is not about inferiority, but role and function. As women, we are called to submit to our husbands, but we are also all called to submit to God and authorities in all areas of our lives. A lady came and led a panel discussion for our class. She did not get married until her 37th birthday (great birthday present, huh!). She said that during her time of singleness, she submitted her life to Christ and that it was GREAT practice for marriage and learning what it means to submit to her husband's leadership. God created man and woman equally, but He created each of them to perform a different function. This is so great, yet I feel as if that verse has gotten so mis-translated! The greek word hupotasso means "to subject oneself," and has a tone of willingness, not forced obedience. Submission is not subjection, but the heart of submission is rooted in deep love for one another. This does not mean that a woman cannot be a leader (after all, I am convinced that leaders surround themselves with leaders), but she is to ultimately submit to her husband's leadership and humbly lead where God calls her to in other realms. This does not call for wimpy women or doormats, nor does it call for tyrants or dominant women. God did not call women to either of these ways of life, but to be a helper, to have a heart of humble leadership, and joyful submission. Submission means to "affirm, receive, and nurture strength and leadership." What a wonderful assignment! And when looking for a husband, you are searching for the pastor of your home, so choose well my friends! A husband and wife should be a Godly team, displaying Christ to a lost world in their relationship and ministering together in their God appointed roles. Don't settle for less when looking for a partner in ministry for the rest of your life!
  
• Focus on kingdom things rather than getting a date! If His house grows more full while our homes grows more empty, then it is worth it!


• Walk in your singleness joyfully!

• God is 100% good to me RIGHT NOW!


• When considering a man to be your husband, do not have unrealistic expectations (i.e. dark, tall, handsome, plays every instrument, ALWAYS puts down the toilet seat, can sing me to sleep, has gorgeous hair, future president of the universe....you get the point...). God may want to surprise you with something different than you would have chosen yourself, so allow negotiables, but don't confuse character qualities with actions. Good can be the greatest enemy to best. We have to be willing to give up really good relationships in order to free ourselves to live in faith, waiting for the best relationship that God could design for us. Work on becoming a Godly woman, and when looking at a potential mate, there should be non-negotiables that stem from the expectations of Jesus Christ. Check out these verses to see what it looks like to be a Godly woman and to see what to look for in a Godly man:

*1 Timothy 3:2-11; Proverbs 31; 1 Corinthians 13:4-13; Ephesians 5:22-33; Titus 2:1-8; 1 Peter 3:1-18

• Desires are not bad (such as for a husband), but when it becomes an idol, it is not okay. It is okay to hope for, but not to put all your hope in things you may not have now.


• Marriage is about your holiness, not your happiness. You have to find your fulfillment in Christ and Christ alone, or you will never be truly happy! Marriage is good, but so is being single. Neither is better than the other. Being single is hard, but so is marriage, so in these times, if Christ is not your foundation, it will seem almost impossible to get through the rough patches! Marriage is meant to help us catch a better glimpse and understanding of our relationship and intimacy with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not fulfill or complete us. Until then, learn to delight in Him with all that you have!

• This one is hard for me to grasp, but God does not promise us a husband, family, children, etc. I know, GASP!!! But, he does promise to take care of us! I have talked to some close friends and we all agree that as long as Jesus lets us get married BEFORE He returns to take us home, we will all be happy, satisfied, and lived a fulfilled life! First of all, it is hilarious that we are telling Jesus when to come back. Second of all, even if we are still "single and ready to mingle" by the time He does return, how beautiful is it that the first aisle you walk down is towards your Bridegroom, Jesus Christ?!?

• Lastly, as young single women, so many times we see marriage as the start of our life and happiness...we will get married and have our happily ever after ending and everything will be fine and dandy forever and ever...right? WRONG! Your life starts NOW, so get going! Don't waste your time! If you see marriage as your goal and end all in life, there will always be other things you want, such as desiring a child, wanting the "American Dream,"(house with white picket fence, SUV, soccer mom), or the desire to be PTA president, so end this line of thinking NOW! Don't see marriage as the start to your life...because let's be honest..if we did that, we may be waiting around for a very, very, very, very, very, long time (i.e. 37) to start our lives... Don't let life pass you by! (Luke 1:38) Live life NOW! And don't forget, to everything there is a season....

That is my two cents on my Bible Study. It may be more information than you ever wanted to know, but I know that it encouraged me and challenged my thinking in a way that I had never been challenged before, so I hope that this blesses you as well!

As for the good news....drum roll please...I got into law school at Liberty University! Not only did I get accepted, but I got a scholarship as well! This is just another testimony of God's goodness and grace in my life. He has had His hand on my life the whole time. Waiting on the Lord's timing and plan to come to fruition was immensely discouraging and challenging, but when I look back on it, I see God's faithfulness and it makes me appreciate the struggles I have been through all the more. It has also helped me to delight in His blessings! After a year of rejection, I started doubting my abililties, moved home and got a job, and had a HUGE pity party for about 3 months until I realized it was time to snap out of it! Now the Lord is showering down His blessings! I get to go to law school, and not only that, He is providing economic assistance. AND I get to go up north to the East coast, which has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl! AND I get to study law at a Christian institution! What could get better than that? The Lord really does know what He is doing and His plan really is better than anything I could come up with on my own....

Lastly, but definitely not least, I had a great weekend! My weekend with SAGE Girls Ministry surpassed any expectation that I had. The women that run that show are immensely well rounded and everything I hope to be one day! They are funny (hilarious actually), goal driven, intelligent, beautiful, and the ultimate example of Biblical womanhood that I spoke of above. They are a non-profit organization that puts on conferences around the U.S. and challenge teenage girls to live a life that is above reproach by going full out for Jesus. AND it is a weekend of all girl time! I was "SAGE tired," as they call it, when I got home, but it was completely worth it. I am sure you will hear more about this in the future....I think that I may be doing some more conferences through an internship program that they have! I will say I had my first experience with someone asking for my autograph, which I find hilarious...those girls will be a little disheartened when they find out that their autograph is worth no more than the corn biscuits they had for dinner (the conference was in Oklahoma and I feel as if they would eat corn biscuits for dinner...hence my random tangent)....

That is all....The theme of the SAGE conference this year is transparency...maybe that is why I have talked everyone's ear off way too much tonight...if you have stuck it out and read this through, thank you! I hope God blesses you extra...maybe He will send you a corn biscuit to enjoy for dinner...or prince charming...

Until next time be blessed!!!

Back to the Real World....

Homecoming has come and gone and so here I am, back to the real world. I realize I miss college...a lot....I have nothing left to say about that because it is rather upsetting, so I will just give you an update on the past week or so of my life.

Last Wednesday, I got to partake in "The Great Pumpkin Hunt" for the first time in my life. What is "The Great Pumpkin Hunt," you may be asking yourself. Well I am glad you asked. It is a HUGE hunt around the entire town of Georgetown amongst the youth at First Baptist Church. Each clue leads them one step closer to the prize..."The Great Pumpkin." What or who is "The Great Pumpkin" you may be asking yourself...well I am glad you asked. It is a person dressed up in a pumpkin outfit that is hiding in the church. Interesting, I know. So, yes, these kids drive all over town looking for clues leading them to a person dressed up as a pumpkin. That is the end. The way these kids compete you would think that there is a HUGE, fantastic prize awaiting them at the conclusion of this mad game, but all that awaits them at the church once the pumpkin is found is cookies, hot chocolate, and bragging rights for a year until next year's harvest season comes around. This was a fun and crazy experience to say the least. There were over 300 youth that attended and my dad was "The Great Pumpkin." I wish I had a picture of my dad dressed in a pumpkin outfit to post here for everyone's amusement, but alas, I do not. It was a fun night to say the least....and I got assigned to be the driver for a car full of boys so you can imagine the conversation in the backseat, and the stories I have to take away from this most interesting experience....Is God preparing me for something...maybe...maybe not. All I have to say is that I learned far more about the young male mind that night than I ever hoped.....

As far as work is going...I am enjoying it more and more each day. The company that I am with is in the process of doubling their rental property and is building 80 new town homes. The past week or so I have been going out to the new site in the afternoons. This has been chopping my afternoons up a bit and making the days go by much faster. I am busier, which is always a good thing!

Now to the good stuff....this past weekend was Baylor homecoming!!! I have decided that there are two levels of homecoming. The first level is awkwardness. The reason being that you run into people that you may not expect to. I am not sure why you wouldn't expect to because Baylor has its way of being so large, yet so small at the same time. But anyways, it happens and awkward moments arise. Then there are always those people that you see that have been recently engaged, married, or maybe even had a kid...and you NEVER knew. This can sometimes create awkward moments because you realize how truly out of touch you are with those that you once called "friends." Or it creates awkward moments because you have none of that...and you realize how you have very little to connect to that person you once had so much in common with....awkward. Then there is always the question, "So what are you doing now?" This can (and most likely) creates some awkward conversations. For me it did anyways, only because I am not quite the well established person I had hoped to be at this time in my life. This may or may not have led me to "exaggerate" where I am in my life right now, only after stumbling to answer the question. This is always awkward for all involved. I tried coming up with a cool story such as follows: I created a new invention of the post-it note that is to debut next week actually...so I am kind of important to 3M right now and am rather surprised you hadn't heard.....while a good story...I just stuck with the truth...I am a college graduate living at home....sigh....Lastly, I found it awkward because there is this pull to still want to be a student and hear all the gossip, sit on the student section at the football game, and do other random things that should be strictly allowed for students, but you find yourself doing them anyways. It is hard crossing the line from Baylor student to Baylor alumni...and this poses some conundrum and awkward moments. I guess this all just takes time to perfect the art of passing from good student to good alum.....I will say that after the heat of that game on Saturday, I will pay whatever price it takes to get the shady seats...there are some perks to being an alumni...

Besides the tiny bit of awkwardness, I have decided that homecoming is pretty much the greatest invention EVER! The entire week leading up to homecoming, the Posse and I had been emailing and counting down the days. I kept saying, "College life...here we come!" And that we did!!!! My weekend was complete with Pigskin, the bonfire, a midnight snack on campus (comprised of pizza and fanta), girl talk, laughter, late nights, sleepless nights, slumber parties, dance parties, early mornings, the sound of Diet Dr. Pepper opening in the A.M., being with the posse again, waking up to familiar faces as I did for two years, early morning routine, inappropriateness, parades, more girl talk, bonding, college football, crammed car rides, back seat drivers, sonic happy hours, naps, more girl talk, more laughter, shopping, memories, awkward moments, 6 girls talking at once yet somehow understanding it all, and inside jokes! I have discovered that some things never change, and that while we may think that Baylor will never change or go on without us, in fact Baylor (and life) does go on!

Homecoming is such a wonderful time of tradition and memories, AND you get to see people that you have missed so much, so the good FAR outweighs the little annoyances of awkward moments. I really enjoyed seeing all of my friends and catching up on life! I always find myself laughing a ton when I am around these people, and it brings such joy to my heart. There is just something about homecoming that warms the heart. Maybe it is the liveliness of Pigskin, seeing old friends and professors, and being at the place that had such a huge impact on my personal growth, development, and maturity. Whatever it was, I LOVED every last second! Although, it went by WAY too fast. I found myself kept wishing it would slow down, but alas, it did not. I suppose we shall have to wait until next year to reunite again....sigh....

So this has been my past week (or so) in a nutshell. It has been a fantastic week! Homecoming and Halloween have come and gone, and this can only mean one thing: The holiday season is just around the corner!!!! I am SO excited! This week I am only working four days (one down...three to go) because I am going to work a girls conference in Oklahoma next weekend with Sage Girls Ministry. I am very excited about the opportunity to serve and minister to young girls and possibly intern with the women that run this show! Please pray that all goes well. I will update you on how the conference goes. Also, I have some exciting news that I am not ready to share with the public world of blogging yet, but stay tuned....it is GOOD!

I enjoyed seeing everyone at Homecoming and missed those of you that were not there. I send you all my love! Until next time...be blessed!

It's Tough Getting Older....

So today I turned 23. Someone asked me what I was going to do to celebrate today and I simply (and slightly smugly and bitterly) replied, "Everything I did not do when I turned 18 and 21. And I am going to do it all by myself!" We laughed and I went about my day. I said this because I knew my 23rd birthday was not going to hold too much excitement, and I guess I wanted to escape reality and imagine what excitement might look like in the life of Amy D for a split second...oh Amy....some might say.....I was immediately snapped back into reality as I realized how ridiculous I was truly being. First of all, I was not going to buy a pack of cigarettes and smoke them, or buy a lotto ticket, or buy alcohol and get drunk, nor was I going to go to a club just so I could get carded....and I most definitely was not going to get a tattoo...my luck is that if I actually did these things, I would get drunk and then get a tattoo and wonder why I had BOB's name on my back.....oh Amy...Second of all, this is just plain delinquency...and NOT the excitement I would want or need....although it would make for an interesting story to tell the grand kids....

It was a rather odd birthday, but overall it was a good one. I had to work on my birthday. I am not going to lie....It is tough getting older and adjusting to the real world. So, as I drove into work this morning a little before nine, the calls just started rolling in telling me Happy Birthday. It started with my grandparents, which is always a delight because they talk to me at the same time! I can envision them sitting in their recliners one on one phone and the other on the other phone just talking away....It brings joy to my heart! My heart was gladdened when they raved about how proud of me they are and how young I am.....that's when I received a phone call from Sarah Begin. Being that I am the first posse member to turn another year older, she reminded me of how old I am (a slight contrast from the conversation I just had with my grandparents). Then throughout the day the entire posse decided to let me in on a few secrets as to why it is a good thing to get older....here are just a few reasons (I have filtered because as we all know....sometimes the posse can be inappropriate...)
1. Senior Discounts
2. Depends-who needs a bathroom break from the routine of your day when it is on you....
3. Handicap Parking-you can drive slow AND park close....along with whatever the heck else you want....you have a handicap parking sticker...that is all that matters....
4. Earlier to bed-no one can give you a hard time about it
5. You can say whatever you want when you want-no filter required and it is acceptable...sort of.

SO, as you can tell, my birthday was a very uplifting and encouraging day....haha. I am kidding. This did bring some laughter into my mundane day at work. Although we did have a party at work today because my boss' birthday was yesterday....it was fun. Olive Garden was for lunch and that is a favorite of mine so I can't complain.....

As I complain and joke about getting one year older, there truly is no place I would rather be. To keep things in perspective, I would like to reflect on the past year of my life and state some reasons why I am so excited about getting another year older (and wiser I might add).
1. I have become a more confident woman who is starting to really know who I am and what I want in life....I can't say that about myself a year ago from today...it really is a FANTASTIC feeling...
2. To add to #1, I am becoming my own person, gaining independence, truly being myself, and doing things that I want to do for a change....I guess you could say I am sassy and satisfied!
3. The past year's experiences have brought me so much pain (and many tears), but also the most joy, fulfillment, and freedom I have ever experienced in my life....
4. I have experience God more in the past year than I have in a very long time....this has been well worth every second of the long road of this past year....
5. I have wonderful, wonderful life long friends that love me dearly and encourage me on every level and every step of the way...that has never rang more true in my life until this past year....
6. I have been blessed with two Godly, wise, amazing parents, and two beautiful, vibrant sisters who I love more than life itself....without these people I would not have been able to make it through this past year...for this, I am eternally grateful and immensely blessed.....
7. And for the perfect 7: I have never felt more challenged, dealt with more struggle, or had as much heartache as I have over the past year, but as a result, I have never been more in love with my Savior, never been so full of life and joy, and never been so at peace at where the Lord is taking me!

So, I guess getting another year older isn't so bad. It is a time to reflect and think back on the past year of your life and look forward to a new beginning and year ahead.....

As I arrived at accountability group this evening, I was feeling rather sorry for myself, for a number of different reasons which I will not bore you with (the depressing old folk jokes hadn't helped this even though they did bring some laughter...) As I arrived with cake (left over from the roaring party at work), we began to discuss how it was my birthday when one girl said, "But imagine how much has happened in the past 23 years, how far you have come, and what all is going to happen in the next 23 years!" My perspective changed at this point. I really do have so much to be grateful for. I have had countless facebook messages, emails, phone calls, and text messages from many, many people that care about me and love me and wanted to wish me a happy birthday. I have a good job, wonderful friends, and an immensely gracious family! I have had a great year of growth and change...and this is just in the past year...this doesn't even include the last 23 years of my life! If life has been this good for 23 years...I can only imagine what the next 23 will be like! I hear life gets better with age...I look forward to experiencing that to its fullest! I've got a lot of living to do! So here's to getting another year older...it really is a wonderful thing and I look forward to where life is leading me!

Oh, and for those of you wondering...my birthday didn't turn out too bad....in fact it was excellent and concluded by a good movie with my parents and some good friends and some new clothes from none other than Banana Republic...it really is okay getting older...

Until next time...be blessed!

Silence....

So I am sitting here writing this blog in utter silence, which is interesting since my sisters are home for fall break from Baylor. Jen has gone to get the food (since the parentals are gone) and Mel is taking a cat nap. Which leads me here writing to both of my faithful readers (thanks Mom and Dad).

This week I got the honor of going to a conference called Conclave. It is put on by the Baptist General Convention of Texas and it is strictly for youth ministers and youth workers. Considering I spent two summers working in youth ministry, took several classes at Baylor surrounding the adolescent age, and I am currently work with 7th graders as a small group leader, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to go. I got to stay at a really nice hotel and learn about youth ministry! It was an awesome experience. I also got to have lunch and coffee with some dear old friends! It was a much needed break from the monotony of what has become my everyday life!

I got to learn a lot about youth ministry and how to minister to youth effectively, but I think that the most interesting thing that I learned about was girls and the media. The media is having such an effect on young girls today, their sexuality, and their attitudes. It was very interesting (and heart breaking) to hear statistics and facts about this. What I took away from this session was that we cannot change the media or the fact that the media and advertisements are affecting young adolescent girls today. What we can do, is train them how to think and respond to this. This is something that I am in the process of doing...keeping an extra close eye on letting the pure in and guarding against the impurities of our society. After all, if I am not living this out in my life, how am I going to encourage young girls to do it?

I got home last night and spent the night in this huge house all by myself. It was not as bad as I thought....probably because I was asleep by 9 because I wasn't feeling well. I did not wake up until the alarm went off, so I didn't hear one weird noise being all alone! I did wake up without a voice, however. If you were to hear me saying this to you as opposed to writing it, I would sound like a man in your ears. Yes, I have a man voice, probably due to the fact that the doctor diagnosed me with an upper respiratory infection this afternoon...not exactly a pleasant arrival back home after a great week conferencing! But it looks like I will have a full week off of work...

I would also like to take this time to give a shout out to the TRI! I miss you all dearly! I hope you are all having a TRI-riffic day...homecoming is in two weeks and I am more ecstatic than you know! Until next time...be blessed!

I never would have thought....

I am sitting here watching college football, wondering how I got here. I NEVER would have thought that I would ever be this into college football. I think that it is my freshman college roomate who is obsessed that I have to thank, or maybe the fact that it is a great way for me and my father to bond. He does put up with a lot from all us girls, so it is the least I could do! Whatever the reason, I never would have thought that I would waste this much time watching different teams run around a field tossing a football. But alas, here I am, and I have to say that I may waste a lot of time, but I am LOVING every minute of it. There is something about the excitement of the fans in college football, the energy of the team, and the exhileration of never knowing what is going to happen! Today is another prime example. First of all, A&M lost and have a worse record this season than Baylor, which makes me very happy. UT, ranked #5 beat the #1 OU team....HOORAY AND HOOK 'EM! Florida (#11) is beating #4 LSU. OSU (#17) is beating #3 Mizzou...and BAYLOR BEAT IOWA STATE 38-10...SIC 'EM!!!!! This has been a great and exciting day in the life of college football! AND the announcers are saying REALLY GOOD THINGS about Robert Griffin, Baylor's new quarterback. He is going to be a star, and I am excited about the future of Baylor football. The class of 2012 gets to be the second largest class, the class that is around during the ending of vision 2012, AND experience good football at BU, with possibly a bowl game during their college career...JEALOUS? I believe I am!

This past week at work was MUCH better! I am finally getting into the groove of things and figuring out my place in the office. Everyone in the office has started calling me the business counselor...mainly because everyone that calls feels like telling me their entire life story, not leaving out a single embarrassing or gory detail. At least it keeps things interesting and makes the time not creep by so slow. I am not sure what it is about me that makes complete strangers confide the details of their life in me. I will say that I prayed this past week for the Lord to show me how He can use me at work, but I never would have thought it would include listening with a counselor's ear at a real estate investment firm...

Friday night, we made the trek back to Baylor for parents weekend! We had dinner with Mel and some of her friends and their parents at none other than Ninfas! Mexican food is my favorite, so Ninfa's is always a welcomed delight! We then made a girls weekend trek to Bedford so Mel and Jen could meet Baby Riley! We had so much fun having a girls day with our cousin, grandma, aunt, each other, and the new baby! Mom made more bows, so naturally, I put each one one her head, while oooing and awing. I almost put her in my purse and brought her home with me...those bows are TOO CUTE, especially on her precious little head!You always wonder what a baby will look like when its in the belly of a friend or family member, but I never would have thought she would be THIS cute! Here is some proof of my mother's amazing bow-making talent and just how cute they/she really are/is. These are just a few of the bows...and pictures...

Tomorrow (Sunday) a good friend and her mom are coming to church and lunch. I am very excited about seeing them both and know that it will be good times! Then, I will make the trek to Austin to my Bible Study. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this women's Bible Study. I have learned so much about myself, who the Lord is, and about Biblical womanhood. It has only been three weeks, and I have been challenged spiritually on a level that I have never been challenged before. And, I have met some amazing girls that are in the same place that I am in life. I never would have thought it would be this much of a blessing in my life! This week we are learning about women's roles according to the Bible and submission....I am looking forward to it, but am praying that the Lord can open my heart to teach me what I need to learn from this complicated, and slightly controversial issue in society among Christian women, men, and churches in today's world. I will let you know how it goes.....

Well, I am going to peace out for the night....football is calling my name!Until next time be blessed!

It's Time to Make History...

This is where the making of history begins.....

So the past few days have been good! Today as I drove home, I was talking to my father about a few things that have been going on in my life. The past seems to keep revisiting me and it has been an emotional time, but also a time of healing and rejuvenation in my life. Anyways, as I sat there and talked with Dad about my day, the conversation turned once again to how I am doing. My father has an interesting way of saying the right thing at the right time. His words usually contain a level of wisdom, which usually leaves me pondering. So, I thought that I would share Dad's wise words for the day with the rest of you: "Amy, it is time for you to make history, and stop trying to relive it." Now, I don't know about you, but for me this is revolutionary advice! So many times I catch myself getting so caught up in the past: how to change it, how to go back to it, how to redo it. No matter how badly I want to, the past is in the past....it is time to move ahead...so I might as well try to make history while I am forging on as opposed to reliving it!

This leads me to an update of the events in my life most recently. This past weekend was very eventful. Friday night, I met Mom and Dad for dinner after work. We shopped a bit and then met Jenni for a movie. Now for most of you this sounds like a normal Friday night, but for me it was rather odd. We saw "A Night in Rodanthe", and it was NOTHING like I expected it to be. It started out good...and ended BAD! Overall, this movie was great, but for me it was an emotional roller coaster. All I can say is that if you tend to cry during movies, don't go see this one. I usually do not cry in movies, and I cried through most of it...maybe it was the long week...who knows...

Mel and Jen came down with ZTA for sisterhood retreat to shop on Saturday morning, so we got to go to lunch and have some family time. This is the time I value dearly, so it always stinks when they have to go back to school, and I have to stay here. Oh how I wish I were still at good ole Baylor-U, but once again, I can't live in the past...I must move forward! Luckily, we have discovered the greatness of skype and can have sister time anytime we want through the internet. Tonight, they decided to do a dance (or two) for me, which made for hilarious entertainment for the evening!


Now for the explanation of the pictures of me with a baby. For those of you wondering, no, I did not have a child...Saturday afternoon, Mom and I made a mad dash to DFW because my cousin had her baby two weeks early! She had a baby girl named Riley Nicole. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. She is the MOST PRECIOUS little girl you have ever seen...I'm not biased or anything...I got to hold her for hours and never wanted to let her go. At this stage in my life, I am convinced that the best kind of babies are the ones that you can love on, cuddle, dress up, feed, spoil, and then give back to their mother! My mom made some bows to take to her, so I took it upon myself to try every single one of the bows on her little bitty head. Her grandpa didn't like the idea for fear of squeezing the baby's genius brains out, but me and Riley's mom enjoyed it thoroughly. It added some entertainment and Riley was a hit among the nurses! All I can say is that this little bundle of joy came into this world in style! Here are some pictures of her to capture your heart...

So, Baby Riley came into this world and history was made! A baby is a beautiful miracle from the Lord...it is also a constant reminder to me signifying the hope of a new beginning, a thought that brings peace to my heart during this transitional phase of my life! As you can tell, she is adorable, the bows are precious, and our home has officially become a bow-making sweat shop (minus the small children)! I am slightly obsessed with Riley! I guess she is a second cousin, but because of my relationship with my cousin, I feel like an extremely proud aunt!

As you can tell, my week has been much better than last! Work is getting significantly better and busier day by day which is a HUGE blessing to someone who cannot stand sitting still at a computer for hours! God keeps reminding me in small and large ways that I still have so much to learn! I hope that each one that reads this is having a fantastically wonderful week! Until next time be blessed and take your turn in making history, instead of living in it!!!

Taste and See...

Have you ever tasted something that did not turn out quite as you had imagined? Maybe it turned your nose up, made your lips pucker, and made your taste buds incredibly angry. Ironically, these type of things are usually the things that are best for our body. If you are anything like me, you taste things that you maybe shouldn't and they taste wonderfully perfect, leaving you wanting more! These delicacies may scan any category; but for me, they are sweet, valued at 427 calories, contain 38 grams of sugar, and are evenly tossed in partially hydrogenated oils to top off the goodness...Ah, the joys of having a sweet tooth...

As I lay in bed last night, unable to sleep and attempting not to cry myself to sleep (it was unsuccessful), my mind wandered to my taste buds. While I have to admit that I often find myself lying in bed wondering what item will be the first to make it into my body the following morning, this night I thought of my taste buds in a different light. I realized that just like my taste buds, my humanity usually desires things that are also not the best for me. I am sure that some of you can relate to this statement. Maybe it is the really cute boy sitting next to you in class that you can't have, the new pair of shoes that are a "necessity," but will rack up your credit card bill a little higher (or in my credit card-less state, there is no money in the bank), or the perfect job that you want now, but can't have because you lack the experience or education (thus leaving you to settle for the less than perfect job). Whatever you insert into that blank, we all have things that we want and can't have or taste of things that are not healthy for us on any level. I usually rationalize it by saying, "But it just tastes so good!" That is, until things turn sour....

I was made aware that I have been doing this lately. I have been tasting things, holding onto things, or desiring things that I just can't seem to have. It may not be that I will never get to taste the goodness of these earthly things, but the Lord continues to whisper gently, "Wait for my timing. Pursue Me. Love Me. Follow Me."

After my sleepless night, I sat on the back porch with my mother having a heart to heart conversation. Again, I found myself crying my eyes and my heart out from a sense of unfulfillment in my life, for whatever reason. Yet, as I did this, I once again heard Christ hum in my ear: "Taste Me. See how good life can truly be when you live in the goodness of Me." This calmed me down, while reminding me once again that I have been trying to taste and fill my life with things and people, but have not been doing my very best at tasting the sweetness of Jesus. My challenge today is Psalm 34:8. This will calm any aching heart...and the best part about it is that He comes calorie free!

Until Next Time be Blessed.....