It really is a perfect day.

It really is a perfect day outside. 71 degrees and it's January. Planning to spend my lunch hour(s) on a patio somewhere with jpang. Couldn't ask for much more than that.

And tonight, a sleepover with some really cool 9 year olds and my roommates : )

My other favorite of the day:

"the beauty of the cross is that your grace has found me just as I am." Jeff Johnson's new song, Amazed. LOVE IT.

Some people call it a leap of faith...

I came across this quote earlier this week, "the biggest adventure you can ever take is to start living the life of your dreams."

Since Monday it just keeps popping in my head at the most random times. If you know me and my friends you might know that we are big talkers. Not in the sense that we like to one-up each other but just that we have big dreams. Or at least like to pretend like we do! Ha. Anything from wishing Houston and Dallas were a little closer, to moving to a new city (San Diego anyone?!), to owning a bar in uptown; the options are endless.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that maybe I just am not living the life the Lord has called me to live. For the past 6 months I have just had this stirring of something to come and I still have absolutely NO CLUE what it is. Frustrating at times but mainly just exciting...at least I think : )

Found this randomly as well and just really like it. Goes right along with exactly where my head has been recently. I would love to blow it up, frame it and make myself read it every. day. "life is short, live your dreams and wear your passion."



I'd rather be a dreamer any day but at some point it's about taking that leap of faith. Listening to that constant whisper on my heart. And trusting in His perfect plan no matter where it takes me.

B.r.e.a.t.h.t.a.k.i.n.g.

Nice knowing you Texas. From here on out, you can find me here.

TGIF.

So happy that it's Friday and I have hardly any plans this weekend! Should be nice to just kick back and have a fun weekend in Dallas!

For today, I am posting a list of WANT's. Maybe extravagant wants, so I will just call them wishes. Anyway, I have been getting countless emails from Anthropolgie to J.Crew showing off their spring and summer wardrobes. Let's just say it makes sitting at my desk very, very hard. I definitely catch myself wishing/daydreaming of anywhere but here.

So for today, I will just wish. And maybe plan how I can purchase a few of these things in the near future.



These super cute sundress from Anthro.


This perfect white tunic from Nordstrom. My fav for so many reasons : )



ALL or ANY of these. Except maybe the bobcat orange ones. Kinda been there, done that.



This super comfy t-shirt from Free People. WITH leggings. Perfect Bachelor/Girls night wear. It even comes in maroon : )



Also, this dress from Nordstrom. My roommates have already seen me lust over it.



This precious skirt and top from Emerson Made. All their stuff is just flirty and fun. And who doesn't want to be that. HA.

I guess that's all for today. TGIF!!!!!

I just wanna get away.

So today has been a really good day overall. Feeling just grateful. For friends and family and so many other things. BUT the only problem is I just really wish I was here. Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park in Washington...



(Yes, this is what it really looks like at sunset.)

I've been here a few different times with my cousins and family in Seattle. Kayaking, camping, exploring. Everything you need for a week in the backpack you hiked in with. Just enjoying the beauty that God gives us.



Just so peaceful and simple.

 Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power
   and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
   for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, LORD, is the kingdom;
   you are exalted as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11
Anybody in??

"not perfect, just pursuing"

Sooo. Today I just feel like my heart is on overload. My life the past couple weeks has felt kinda crazy. Kinda off. Kinda like I'm just not really myself. Like someone else is living in my body and I'm just going through the motions.

Last night, I went to the Village and I hadn't been in two weeks. It's crazy to realize the instant level of peace that I felt just walking in. Like God telling me, maybe this is just one small thing that you have been missing the past couple weeks that has made things feel just not quite right. I love the Village because it is one thing in my life that I hear directly from the Lord telling me, "this is exactly where you need to be, this should be your church home." That is why there is so much peace I think from being there. Next goal: onto building community through the Village but that can be another blog post...ha.

Last night Matt continued to work his way through his series on Habakkuk. Needless to say, God was speaking directly through Matt to me on so many levels. This is one of those sermons that I think I could listen to 10 times and learn something new and great each and every time.

The most important thing that I needed to hear/heard was about how God answers our prayers and his purpose behind his YES's and NO's. He hears ALL of our prayers. Every single one. Each passing thought, moment, day. He hears, listens and responds. The tough part seems to be what his response is. Hearing no is never fun but when I think that God tells me NO because He knows what's better for me that I know for myself...that's where I can find peace in the no.

I just keep thinking about how he talked about "you don't have to perfect, just always pursuing." If that isn't grace then I don't know what is. No matter what junk we have in our lives, no matter how many times we fail him or turn our back on Him. HE DOESN'T CARE. Even more, he knows that we will do it and chooses to love us anyway. I was reading my daily devotion thing and it just talked about the heart that the Lord gives us. And in it He gives us the opportunity to reject him, embrace him, love him, or hate him. He gives us this freedom. It goes on to say that the only reason He gives us this option is because in order to have a world where LOVE is real, He must allow each person the freedom to choose His love. Even though, no matter what, he already chose us before he even created us.

So today I'm choosing to be grateful that the Lord tells me NO. That he closes doors I was far from ever realizing needed to be closed or sometimes doesn't even open them in the first place. He hears and He responds. All in his perfect plan and in his perfect timing.

So I am officially adding another "new year's resolution." To not worry about being perfect or get hung up on sin and the negative things in life but instead to be constantly focused on pursuing him through it ALL. The good, bad, hard, sad. Because the thing is, if my focus is on pursuing Him, the hang ups will slowly fall to the wayside.

Also, last night we sang Completely Done which is definitely a song that has given me much peace in the past year and definitely goes along with the Lords NO's. But my favorite part...

"What reason have I to doubt? Why would I dwell in fear? When all I have known is grace, my future in Christ is clear

The old is gone, the new has come, what You complete is completely done. We’re heirs with Christ, the victory won, what You complete is completely done.

I don’t know what lies ahead, what if I fail again. You are my confidence, you’ll keep me to the end. I’m leaving my fears behind me now..."

He takes away fear and closes doors so that new ones can be opened that bring glory and honor and praise to Him and His glory. Not our own. That is what we were created for and that's what I am pursuing.

So on a not so serious note or maybe a very serious note. I will start praying for God to give me this gem in the picture below. I'll let you know if he says yes or no... ;)



 

1.11.11

Pondering this day and wondering if anything cool will happen since it is 1.11.11 after all. Either way since it will only happen once I feel like it is a day I will always remember for whatever reason. It's interesting how you hear exactly what you need to hear sometimes. I get this daily devotional sent to my work email and this was the one for today. Couldn't describe me any better.

 

A Little Bit of Clarity

"What exactly are you perfectly clear on these days? How about your life-why have things gone the way they have? Where was God in all that? And do you know what you ought to do next, with a deep, settled confidence that it will work out? Neither do I. Oh, I'd love to wake each morning knowing exactly who I am and where God is taking me. Zeroed in on all my relationships, undaunted in my calling. It's awesome when I do see. But for most of us, life seems more like driving along with a dirty windshield and then turning into the sun. I can sort of make out the shapes ahead, and I think the light is green.

Wouldn't a little bit of clarity go a long way right now?

Let's start with why life is so dang hard. You try to lose a little weight, but it never seems to happen. You think of making a shift in your career, maybe even serving God, but you never actually get to it. Perhaps a few of you do make the jump, but it rarely pans out the way you thought. Yes, we have our faith. But even there-maybe especially there-it all seems to fall rather short of the promise. There's talk of freedom and abundant life, of peace like a river and joy unspeakable, but we see precious little of it, to be honest. (Waking the Dead, 5)"

This is how I have felt especially this week. Frustrated and definitely feeling a little foggy. Whether it is just trying to get back in the swing of things from Christmas break or what, I can't really pinpoint it at this point but I do know that I need it gone. SOON. I need to constantly remind myself of the precious faith that I have and the blessings that have been given to me through it. Dwelling on the negative is not something I do very often and not something I am proud of so I am deciding today to stop. I just need some type of change. And I feel the Lord whispering it on my heart but I just don't know what it is yet. So again, I remind myself to have patience and just to trust in Him. Even though it is MUCH easier said than done.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Unknown

What a tearjerker.

This is SO AWESOME.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/homeless_man_with_golden_radio_voice_91PQ3yMBa58vOf1n4MuToJ


See, God's plan really is so perfect. For EVERYONE.

Oh the places you'll go...

So I am sitting at work semi-frustrated and semi-bored and the only thing that is getting my by are the fun things I keep thinking about that I will be doing SOON. So I figured I would share, with my few faithful readers. ha.

This weekend the Aggies play LSU in the Cotton Bowl!



I'm hoping/expecting/praying for a BIG Aggie Win on Friday night! And my beautiful friends below will be in town to share in all the fun :)



Lots of birthday's and adventures are coming up too! Lots of friends will be turning 24, which will easily result in road trips back and forth to Houston! My favorite : )

Next weekend KK and I are going to GirlTalk!!!!! Finally. And google image tells me it will look something like this. Hmmm....

 or this  hopefully we can handle it : )

Also, in March/April/May I will be going back on the road for work BUT this time I will be in places like this:
 AND  AND

SO SO GRATEFUL AND EXCITED! Who wants to join me? Seriously, I have been known to sneak people in my suitcase, ha.

"Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

It really is THAT simple. So for today, I will do just that. Delight in HIM and Him alone.

Daydreaming...

Today I wish I was here....

or here.


or even here.



Actually I'd take them all : )

Wow, it's 2011...

So this post is about 3 days delayed but I have been writing and re-writing it out in my head for the past few days.

When I think about 2010 about a million thoughts flood my head. New friendships, old relationships, desires, hardships, hopes, new experiences, and I could go on and on.

In 2010 (just to name a few) I...

• Traveled to lots of new places with my job - Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Georgia & Miami just to name a few.
• Moved out of my parents house and to uptown with my best friends!!
• Found a church that I LOVE and started becoming a mentor with Champions of Hope.
• Pledged to run a 10k with Kristina Kiesling, even though this goal is turning into part of 2011 as well ;)
• Played on a kickball team (never really thought this would be something I said I did).
• Made countless roadtrips to Houston to see my OTHER best friends.
• Exceeded my goal quota at work.
• Got an iPhone 4, slightly life changing. but really.
• and STARTED THIS BLOG.

so now in 2011 I hope to...

• Actually run this 10k that we have planned.
• Drink less Diet Coke/Diet Dr. Pepper/Diet Pepsi. starting out with none before noon. slightly pathetic but let's be real, I need to start small to make this goal a reality.
• Become a member at The Village and get involved in a life group.
• Travel back to Spain :)
• And a few other things that I don't really care to share with the blog world. ha.

So here is to my hopes and goals. If you see me on a semi-regular basis, ask me about them! Accountability is always a good thing.

BUT one last thing when I think about the last year...

It's crazy how perfect God's plan for my life is. No matter what crappy, hard, frustrating, amazing, perfect, fun things I go through in life. God planned these things JUST for me. He knew how I would react and be challenged and exactly what I would learn. That really leaves me speechless and just so amazed.

I actually like when God completely throws you off. When you are just living your life in what you think is perfect harmony and then He says noooo not so much. And your world may crumble, but He is going to build it back up in a way that HE can be glorified for it. And for that I am SO thankful.

So for 2011, I'm not looking back with fear and I'm not looking forward with anticipation I'm just excited and I'm going to try EVERY DAY to just rest and trust in His perfect plan for my life. Because let's be real, there is no chance of me changing it anyway :)

And one last thing of 2010 (I know I said that earlier) BUT I would say this song describes me with almost perfection:

"What reason have I to doubt, Why would I dwell in fear, When all I have known is grace, My future in Christ is clear. My sins have been paid in full, There’s no condemnation here, I live in the good of this, My Father has brought me near, I’m leaving my fears behind me now. The old is gone, the new has come, What You complete is completely done, We’re heirs with Christ, the victory won, What You complete is completely done. I don’t know what lies ahead, What if I fail again, You are my confidence, You’ll keep me to the end, I’m leaving my fears behind me now."

Here's to 2011!