Currently

{Spending my afternoon at Lake Blue Ridge}

Reading Mentor Texts and using too many post-it notes to mark the multitude of fabulous ideas. The fact that this is one of my “fun reads” shows that I’m a (future) teacher nerd.

Writing…this post.

Listening to my Brooke Fraser Pandora station. She’s one of my favorites.

Thinking about how sweet this proposal was (read #2). I would love to be proposed to in my future classroom one day.

Wishing I could order all the books I have on my Amazon wish list. At least my library card will get lots of use this fall.

Hoping for a road trip full of adventures and laughter with my mom. We’re going on a girls trip to Waynesville, North Carolina to see her sister and mom this week.

Watching reruns of The Cosby Show. Gosh, I love this family.

Loving being able to sleep in. These mornings will end as soon as my 7:45 and 8:00 classes start.

Wanting a second cup of coffee. My almond joy creamer is just too good.

Needing to get back into the groove of eating breakfast instead of just having coffee.

Feeling excited and expectant for this school year.

I'm a Bridesmaid.

My heart is dancing with happiness because of this sweet card I received in the mail over the weekend. I’m going to have the privilege to stand beside one of my best friends on her wedding day! Janice and I met in our sixth grade gym class and our friendship was meant to be. I remember sitting on the bleachers and starting a conversation about our matching cell phone cases {we were cool like that}. We became fast friends and grew together throughout those awkward years. We made it through braces, crushes, and funny clothes. Nearly all of my middle school memories involve Janice!

As we started high school together, God got a hold of our hearts at the same time. We both started to hunger for intimacy and relationship with the Father. We were able to encourage each other to pursue Him like we never had before. I can honestly say that God used our friendship to change my heart. We had a strong friendship before, but it became so much sweeter as the Lord became the center of it.

Not long after, the two of us started to learn about God scripted love stories. The thought that God wanted to script our love stories was revolutionary to us! Eric and Leslie Ludy’s When God Writes Your Love Story completely transformed our outlooks on romance. We started to talk about surrendering our future love stories to the Lord as we dreamed about the mighty men of God that would one day win our hearts. Together, we decided to trust God to script our love stories in His timing and His way. It’s a decision neither of us will ever regret!

Although, I’m still waiting for the Lord to script mine, I’ve had the joy of watching Janice grow in love. I remember going on a LONG walk with her before she started dating her guy and talking about her growing feelings. I’m so proud that she guarded her heart and waited on him to initiate the relationship. He has pursued and won her heart ever since! I know that the Lord is the center of their sweet relationship and that He will use them to impact the Kingdom together.

My heart topples over with joy when I think back to that decision we made to surrender our love stories to God! She assures me that it’s worth the wait and SO much more beautiful than she imagined.

Our friendship has withstood time and distance and I’m grateful for her faithfulness in my life. Janice is a red-headed beauty with such a tender heart for God. She has the kindest heart and an infectious laugh. We truly are kindred spirits and I can’t wait to stand by my sweet sister in Christ as she transitions into the newest season of her life!

Here are a few photos from a road trip we took together two summers ago...

Letter Day

Goodness, it’s Friday again and I’m sitting here wondering where this week as gone. These summer days are breezing by and it’s time to write a few letters again. I’m linking up with Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds…

Dear Cara Carroll,

I want to be you when I grow up. They creativity that you pour into your classroom is such an inspiration to this future teacher!

Dear You’ve Got Mail,

You’re still one of my favorite movies. What’s not to love about New York City, small bookstores, and Tom Hanks?

Dear Amazon,

I love opening my mailbox to see a package from you. The joy that comes with those brown boxes is too fun! Tell me I’m not the only one…

Dear storm clouds,

Please stay all day! Rainy days spent at home are the best.

Dear summer tunes,

You make ordinary moments so much better! How mundane would certain moments be if there wasn’t music to dance or sing along to? Here are a few of the songs that I’ve listened to consistently:

Have a joy-filled Friday, girls!

Warrior-Poet

{source}

As I was sorting through various documents I have on my computer, I stumbled upon a powerful quote I saved a while back. It came from an article in the Set Apart Girl Online Magazine…although I’m not sure which issue. In the article, godly men with hearts after the Lord shared their advice about waiting for God to script your love story. Here is one that stood out to me:

“Do not focus on the warrior-poet, but rather THE Warrior-Poet (Jesus). Make Him the big deal of your life. Get away from the nonsense of looking for the “right guy” and lose yourself in Jesus. It is when you are completely obsessed, lost in, consumed with Him, that He will orchestrate, in His perfect timing, an encounter with a true warrior poet. I know we warrior-poets are seen as a rare treasure, but so is a true Christ-built woman of God. I am not interested in a “religious” girl, not even one who is radical – I want a woman of God who is grounded in the Word, who delights in Jesus alone, who cares not what the world thinks, dresses and behaves with the highest standard of modesty, dignity, and honor. It is far more appealing, enchanting, and romantic to find a Godly woman who is lost in Jesus than one who is worried about finding the right guy to marry. But remember, our precious Jesus IS faithful, good, and overflowing with love. Trust Him.” –Anonymous warrior-poet

The truth of his words makes my heart pound now just as much as when I first read them. They stuck a chord within me and made me wonder about my life. Does it reflect that of the woman he described? Is Jesus my deepest joy and delight? Am I wholly grounded in the Word? Etc.

In so many of these areas I fall short, but I rest in the fact that I'm able to start fresh each day. Each morning I'm able to give the Lord my heart and pursue Him again.

However, as a young woman, I also wonder about when "my guy" will enter my life. I wonder about when and where it will be. I dream about those details. Sometimes I just wish he would come into my life out of thin air, but where is the worth and excitement in that. In my heart I know that God is using this time to prepare us as individuals. I can feel that the Lord is preparing my heart for him to be brought into my life whenever that time may be (hopefully sooner than later).

But, I have no desire to search for a man because I know that God is more than capable of bringing one into my life. My future husband will be a great blessing to my life, but he will not complete me. My identity is only found in Christ and I want to be wrapped up in Him. When the Lord does begin to script my love story, I'll look back on this time with thankfulness. I'll be glad I spent this time building a foundation of finding my deepest joy in my First Love.

One Thousand Gifts

Here are a few of my gifts recently...

Birds chirping…creating their own symphony

Hearing a live blues/jazz band play at a local coffee shop

Seeing an older couple dance to said music

Blossoming friendships with other bloggers

Dancing to music while doing chores

Falling asleep to the soft and steady sound of rain

Creativity that comes with writing

The sound of the coffee pot brewing

Exploring new places after getting lost

What has filled YOU with joy recently?