We could run away...

 

"Everything stops as we look towards the clock
It feels like we’re moving backwards
It’s easy to find potential in before
But we look the same in the afters

Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind

We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again

We could stay here where things became unclear
Fighting what’s left of the right way
But everyone hates the chances that we waste
Under the light of the new day

Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind

We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again."

Super star.

So excited for this weekend! Saturday morning I will be headed to OKC to see this beauty below be the lead in Oklahoma City University's "Pagliacci/Gianni Schicchi". In other words an Italian opera...(I think)

We have always grown up super close but have always excelled at really different things. Having only brothers though, it has always made us close and given us the opportunity to encourage each other and do really fun mother/daughter stuff together. From super fun trips to introducing me to the Dillard's Clearance Sale (ahhhh. MY. FAVE.) we always have a blast!



Needless to say, I am VERY EXCITED to see her shine and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for her future! I know the next event after her opera is over is her audition at Juilliard. NBD.

Like I said she is a super star and I love her so so much!

Break a leg, Maren!

just one of those days.

Do you ever feel like you just have days where you wish you could crawl under a rock and just get it over with already?? Yeah me neither. HA. Actually today is one of those in way too many ways. And last night when I was sick and couldn't sleep, this song was just ringing in my head. For so many reasons...

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away."


I'm so grateful for His love and for all the people in my life that love me so much and never ever hesitate to show it. Each of you know who you are : ) and you bless me beyond belief.

A few confessions.

I would like to be able to do my hair like this, maybe for brunch on a random Sunday at Nick & Sam's or for my wedding day. Either would do.

TRUTH: "Nobody really cares if you’re miserable, so you might as well be happy." - Cynthia Nelms

 

 

I think this may be what Heaven could look like. for me at least. "Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart." Psalm 97:11

 

 

I may or may not have eaten these at the airport on Friday. (YUMMMM) Also, during my 3 hour delay. A 60 year old man headed to a jewelry show bought me a boot shine (after my numerous attempts at politely saying "no") but might I say I never knew my dingy Steve Madden boots could like so shiny!

 

 

I would like to sleep/live/stay here. In the middle of NOWHERE. without a care in the world. yeahhhh i would take this in. a heartbeat. do you think they have wifi??

 

I believe that wishes really do come true. but actually that they are really just God's blessings or His way of telling us yes or no. either way, i love the moments when you realize something you wished is actually now a reality. normally a small, quiet thank you follows : )

 

I know I say this ALOT, but i'm just ready for summer to be here already and i would love to make a drink like this. Maybe Margarita style with a little bit of tequila? mmmhmmm good.

 

I need to remind myself of this much, much more. I love Dallas and everything that is here and I know the Lord has me here for so many reasons but there is always that nagging feeling/desire to go/see/do/be somewhere else. That feeling of having that fear of missing out, but then I need to remember to sit back and relax. I am 23, and have my ENTIRE life ahead of me for God to use and that makes me EXCITED.

 

_______________________________________________________

 

And I know this verse has been floating around my blog ALOT but it just keeps popping up in the most random places...

 

"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

 

...so for today, I am still continuing/struggling/being challenged to figure out what these things look like in every day life. Doing justice. Loving kindness. and most important walking HUMBLY with my God. DAILY.

 

 

Unbelievable.

"This is the world [God] has made. This is the world that is still going on. And he doesn't walk away from the mess we've made of it. Now he lives, almost cheerfully, certainly heroically, in a dynamic relationship with us and with our world. "Then the Lord intervened" is perhaps the single most common phrase about him in Scripture, in one form or another. Look at the stories he writes. There's the one where the children of Israel are pinned against the Red Sea, no way out, with Pharaoh and his army barreling down on them in murderous fury. Then God shows up. There's Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who get rescued only after they're thrown into the fiery furnace. Then God shows up. He lets the mob kill Jesus, bury him . . . then he shows up. Do you know why God loves writing such incredible stories? Because he loves to come through. He loves to show us that he has what it takes. It's not the nature of God to limit his risks and cover his bases. Far from it. Most of the time, he actually lets the odds stack up against him. Against Goliath, a seasoned soldier and a trained killer, he sends a freckle-faced little shepherd kid with a slingshot. Most commanders going into battle want as many infantry as they can get. God cuts Gideon's army from thirty-two thousand to three hundred. Then he equips the ragtag little band that's left with torches and watering pots. It's not just a battle or two that God takes his chances with, either. Have you thought about his handling of the gospel? God needs to get a message out to the human race, without which they will perish . . . forever. What's the plan? First, he starts with the most unlikely group ever: a couple of prostitutes, a few fishermen with no better than a second-grade education, a tax collector. Then, he passes the ball to us. Unbelievable."

You smile over me.

"In the middle of the storm, You are my peace.
In the middle of the desert, You are my strength.
In the middle of my mess, You wash my feet.
In the middle of it all, You never leave.

In the middle of my brokenness, you are my strength.
In the middle of my nothing, You are everything.
In the middle of my cry, You answer me.

IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL, HERE YOU ARE." Jonathan David Helser

In the middle of anything and everything He is there with me. Walking through it ALL, taking on the burdens I can't carry or simply don't want to. No matter what I do, he will never turn his back on me. No matter what frustrations, sin, stress that I deal with (or don't deal with, for that matter) He loves me anyway.

I find myself sitting around way to often wondering how I am going to make something happen the way I want it to or calculating a plan when I realize, I AM WASTING MY TIME. Not to say that He doesn't want me to be seeking his plan for my life but the way I am wired, patience is hard for me. I can rest in it for a few hours maybe a day and then I become restless wanting to know more, finding it hard to be patient. Always desiring that next step...

So at times, when I find it hard to be patient I try to sit and think about the past and how His plan has been fulfilled in my life. Not to say that it has always been easy by any means but His plan has been fulfilled in ways I never even imagined at times and when I look back and reflect and then see where I am now, I find myself consumed by one word: GRATEFUL.

And in these moments I find it easy to be patient for the future and to see the rest of my story written by Him and Him alone. I pray that he continues to break me when I try to plan my life out only so that He can build me back up and that He could be glorified as I continue to lean on Him.

I can wonder all my life why or how God loves me as much as he does. I can sit around and ponder for forever or I can just embrace it.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
         And what does the LORD require of me
         But to do justice, to love kindness,
         And to walk humbly with my God? Micah 6:8

So, here's to walking humbly, being patient, embracing His plan and to telling my story.

truth.

...everything will be justttttt fine.
...the world will keep spinning.
...God's plan will ALWAYS trump mine.
...I will choose to be content in the places He has me.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out your hand against the anger of my enemies, with Your right hand You save me. The Lord WILL fulfill his purpose for me; Your love, O LORD, endures forever -- do not abandon the works of Your hands. Psalms 138: 7-8

love.

5 things I LOVE this Valentines Day!

1.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAUMU3QQE6w

2.


 


3. 1 John 4:16-19 "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us."



4. my bff's
  


5. and these "words of wisdom" ha ;)



And one more...Reese's hearts or any holiday Reese's really. Somehow they are just so much better than the regular ones.



XOXO loves.

and one other thing.

This quote just pretty much yelled at me. It's just so true.

Spreading out my wings.

You're love it never fails, it never ends.
You're love it never quits, You never stop chasing my soul.
Chasing my soul...

You're never giving up on me. You're never giving up on me.

You set me free. Set me FREE. Oh, my Jesus.

I'm coming alive, I'm dreaming again, I'm flying again. I'm spreading out my wings and I'm not afraid. You'll never let me fall, You'll  never let me go. You're dancing all over this place, all over Heaven.

You're never giving up, You're never giving up, You're never giving up on me.

You're singing over me, I can feel Your heartbeat. And You came running for me.

My top 5.

This is now in my top 5 places I want to go next. The 12 apostles off the coast of Australia!! So, so awesome! So now Australia slides in place along Amsterdam, the Greek Isles, Paris & Machu Picchu. Ahhhhh....


Maybe I can see them all before I'm 30 (maybe 35) because let's be real - that list will keep growing and time definitely isn't passing any slower.

I'm choosing to be grateful for today even though it has been a little on the crazy side. AND I'm excited for our kickball season numero dos to start tonight.

And since today has been a little on the crazy side I will just pretend like I am here:



with my fingernails this color:



and all my besties right by my side : )



A girl can dream, right?!?

ice, ice and more ice. oh and a little bit of snow!

What a crazy past week it's been! I only worked one full day and one half day of driving into the office getting there by 11 and leaving at about 4:15. You would think no work all this time would be FUN, and don't get me wrong we had alot of fun but there is just something about being stuck inside that makes you a little crazy.

Needless to say the time off was great. Spent a lot of it working from home while simultaneously hanging with my roomies. We did everything from watch old seasons of OTH (One Tree Hill) for all you non-fans, went sledding on TX sleds aka cookie sheets for us, ordered in food, drank wine, laughed alot. It really was so fun! And now it could happen again Tuesday night, I'm not planning on getting my hopes up after having practically 4 days off in a row last week  BUT I would take another one snow day without complaining : )

 

snowy views from the front porch in celina AND a snowy Celina sunset -nothing really compares and i'm always impressed over and over again

And a little view of my Thursday night, nothing better than a night by the fireplace with a good book!

One little thing is being inside with all the ice definitely makes me thankful for the sunshine and being outside and enjoying the little things.



Also on Sunday the superbowl was in DALLAS?! or Arlington or FWAD or North Texas...Wherever you want to call it, it was here! The roomies and I were set on seeing some celebs (and there were PLENTY in town) but it didn't happen. We were only sad for about 10 minutes until we get into the piano bar with NO line and had one of the more fun nights I've had in a while. And YES I do love Bon Jovi. Next time kk and I will have enough cash to get them to play the Aggie Fight Song, that I know for sure.

This is the only picture I have from the super bowl party but definitely one to remember. We had a few Jersey Shore wanna-be's hosting the party and I got one in action...SO SO FUN!

Anddddd the Packer's won! Honestly, I only cheered for them because I like Aaron Rogers and Lil Wayne. "green and yellow, green and yellow, green and yellow." HA. But semi true...

Hoping that this week goes by fast and that last week didn't spoil me too much. AND tonight, the Bachelor. In case you didn't know, the only way to get through a Monday. AND they will be in Costa Rica. So maybe I will paint my nails "Do you think I'm Texy?" and pretend like I am there too. : )

Here's to wishing it was summer and I was in Costa Rica. Or just laying by my apartment pool. At this point, I would take either!