Saturdays, Surprise and Signing

This morning, on this oh so precious Saturday, I woke up to Jen climbing in bed with me! She was over on this side of town and when she got to her parents house no one was there, so she decided to surprise me at my house! In my bed, nonetheless! It was a happy time, and a nice surprise. I knew I would see her today, but I had no idea I'd be waking up to that precious face of hers. After we laid in bed talking for a bit, I decided I should take me a shower and get ready for the day. While I showered she sat and talked to my parents downstairs. Some things never change! :)

You see, in two weeks we are singing in our dear friends wedding, (Insert huge excitement scream here!!!!) and we have yet to practice anything! So, after I was all showered up my dad got out one of his ten million guitars, and we practiced. Oh, how I love singing with my Jen. There is seriously nothing like it, and NO ONE I would rather sing with. This may sound so big headed of me, but Jen and I blend like no one else, and we can read each other like no one else. When together, you may find us busting out in song at any given moment. Inevitably, I will sing melody and she will sing harmony! This is because we were taught to sing the same way, which always helps when you are trying to blend with somebody.

At one point during the song, we looked at each other and she did her look of "I am about to do the harmony" and I gave her the look of "Here's where your should do harmony!" Laughter immediately followed, and we had to start over. Oh, I love it! I am so excited about singing with her again (because it has been FAR too long) that I could wet myself. Sorry for the visual. But it really is exciting!

Once we finished practicing, we headed over to her parents house where we got to see The Parker. Oh, that girl. She gets cuter and cuter by the minute! And boy, is she smart. She entertained us all. Especially with the leg lift during she and Jaclyn's rendition of "If your happy and you know it...stomp your feet!" Her version of stomping your feet is stomping her left leg in such a graceful way. Oh, it is precious!

Jen and I then had ourselves some WONDERFUL China Inn Cafe. Chinese food is our thing. It's been our thing our whole life. It's what we eat when we're together. Especially if we are together in Houston! It was the best Chinese food meal I've had with her in a while.

Needless to say, I love this girl. I love that she lives in Houston...again. Even though we may not see each other everyday, it warms my heart to know that IF I wanted to see her, I could drive 30 minutes to her precious apartment and have me a fabulous time, with some laughter included. We could possibly even bust out in song during that time. Which I know is inevitable, not just possible.

I love you, Jen. Thank you for making this Saturday one of surprises and singing!

Cactus Cuties

Y'all, as a singer when I hear a good song with some good harmonies, I am automatically in love. With that said, you HAVE to watch these precious girls, who range from 6 to 11 years old sing the National Anthem. For being so young they can bust it. And not only that, they are from TEXAS! Yes, I've got that Texas pride that is unexplainable. Enjoy

Venom Red

What is Venom Red and goes vroom, vroom?!

MY NEW CAR!!!!

(And really, it doesn't look as morbid as it sounds!)

Yup, folks, I did it. I took the plunge.

Today I said goodbye to my faithful Saturn that I have driven since I was fifteen, and bought a brand spankin' new car!! I am so excited and boy do I love it.

You know what I love the most about it? The new car smell! Oh, it is glorious.

And do you know what I love the least about it? Oh yes, that would be my new car payment.

So, what did I buy, you ask?

A new Nissan Rogue. I am so in love. And floating on cloud nine.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking!

The last picture of my very first car!

I'll miss you, sweet car! Adios!
Signing my life away... (at least I had my Diet Coke!)
Oh, look at it. :)
Me and sweet Gabriel (or Gabe as I like to call him!) when everything was officially mine!
The back of my new cute car! (I had to show you all of the sides, didn't I?!)

Yes, Eddy it is. Oh my gosh...did I really just buy this?
About to pull it off the lot!!!
It now has a whopping 24 miles on it.

Excuse the hot mess that was my hair, and the tired smiles. It was a long day!

And, just for the record, I am in no way, shape or form partial to red (or venom) cars, it just so happen that this one was the best deal, so I got it! And yes, Venom Red is the official color of the car. Scary, I know!

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!

Sending hugs your way!

A Lily Among the Thorns

A Lily Among the Thorns. That is something that I so long to be. Not just a girl who loves Jesus, but a girl who stands out among the rest. A girl that is different. That I would TRULY be set apart. (Solomon 2:2)

But let me tell you, sweet friends. This takes work. Sweat. Tears. Laughter. Wrestling. Questioning. Studying. Meditating. Memorizing. Prayer. And so forth. It's not something that comes natural, especially in the flesh.

I'll be honest and say that this "revelation" of mine, if you will, is very recent. But it is honest and true.

In pursuing this for my own life, I have challenged "my girls" to do the same. That we, as a girls ministry, would be set apart. That they too would pursue this kind of lifestyle. Even at the age of 11 or 17.

I know I haven't given y'all a recent update on my job, but I hope you know that I am absolutely LOVING it. Yes, it has kept me as busy as a bumblebee, and yes, it has kept me on my knees for this generation of girls (that I am not much older than) that is SURROUNDED by lies. Oh, the lies. But it is worth every second.

But, I'll be honest and tell you that I have questioned this job. (Don't get me wrong, I haven't thought about quitting. No ma'am!) But, it is a bit overwhelming at times. Sometimes I don't even know where to start. I wonder if the Lord picked the right person by placing me here! (Because you know, I was confident in teaching. Girls Ministry Director? Not so much!) Especially with this whole ministry thing! You mean to tell me that I signed up for this?!

But then I am reminded by comments, posts, emails and conversations that encourage me to no end. That remind me why I am here, for such a time as this. That truly in my singleness there is NO other place I'd rather be. For real. Not to say I won't do this when I'm married, but I know without a shadow of a doubt I couldn't give it my all as much as I am now. And it is all worth it.

Which also reminds me that HE placed me here, instead of teaching, and that HE is working everything out through me. That if I give Him the Girls Ministry at Cypress Bible, and commit it to Him, then I just get to tag along. He reminds me that I cannot do this on my own, and if I even try to, it will without a doubt, flop. He keeps humbling me, and I keep asking Him to.

So instead of constantly (we're working on this) worrying about who I will marry, or when it will happen, I want to use this time of singleness to it's greatest potential. That I wouldn't look back on it and think I should have done more. That I would give my all to these girls. He has given me this responsibility, and I am accountable to Him for what I choose to do in this time.

I can throw myself a pity party. I can complain about my life all I want. I can want this or that all the time. Or I can embrace this time and truly glorify my wonderful God. The latter sounds so much better. I am tired of wallowing and worrying.

Y'all this is my constant prayer and my constant idol. Thank you, No Other Gods!

Serious, being married, or wanting to be married is an idol that I have to shake. It gets in the way of many things. No, it is not bad to want to be married. And it's not bad to think about it. But if I am thinking about THAT more than I am the Lord. Oh bless. Houston, we have a problem.

This is me, confessing to you, that I want to be a Lily Among the Thorns. That I want to pursue Jesus with all I have. That I want the girls ministry at Cypress to be a thriving one. Not because of me, but because God is amazing and can do more than we can imagine.

With that said, I just recenetly started a blog for the girls. I am so excited! Go HERE to check it out. I am SO excited for what the Lord has planned for my time here. I don't know how long it will be or what it will look like, but He does. I trust that He will work this thing out for His glory!

Lord, thank you for allowing me to have this opportunity in my life to pour into these girls, like I had girls pour into me. I pray that I would only be a vessel and that you would move me out of the way. That I would constantly be reminded of the need for you in my life and in the ministry. That if it truly is mine, that it would flop. Lord, I pray that you would richly bless this time of singleness and that I would embrace it. You know the plans you have for me Lord. I need only to trust you! I love you so much!

Weekend Reunions

Since Jen and Joanna both did a weekend recap already, I felt the need to follow suit.

This weekend was a RELAXING weekend. It was so great!

After VBS this week I was most definitely EXHAUSTED on Friday night! Since the parentals were at the Red Sox game, along with the big brother, the little brother and I decided to spend the evening with each other. Precious, isn't it! I do love me some brother time.

Anyway, we went to the movies to see Wanted, but it was sold out. So, we ended up heading to Blockbuster and renting National Treasure 2 because I had yet to see it and frankly I LOVED the first one, so I definitely needed to see the second one. Kev had already seen it, but he didn't mind. Really, I am grateful that Wanted was sold out because I honestly don't think I would have made it through the movie. I am notorious for falling asleep in movies, and I was bound to fall asleep in that one. That movie, I am sure, is not one to fall asleep in, so all was well. Yes, I did get some shut eye for about 2.5 minutes during National Treasure 2, but I quickly arose after realizing I DIDN'T want to fall asleep during the movie. And yes, it was just as fabulous as number one was!

(Hint: When falling asleep during any situation that doesn't involve getting shut eye, chew gum. Honest to goodness, it helps!)

Saturday was a pretty laid back day. I really did nothing of productiveness. Shame on me! I could have cleaned my room and I didn't. I do feel kind of guilty for not using my time wisely, but y'all, I just could not motivate myself. BUT, alas, that night I did have a wedding to sing in, so, I did do SOMETHING productive! :)

Do y'all know how fun reunions are?! Oh bless. I have mentioned before that I used to be in Houston Children's Chorus. Seriously one of the most amazing organizations I have ever been apart of, and still do things with. I mean for goodness sake I got to sing with Josh stinkin' Groban!! Saturday one of the alumni girls got married and asked some of us to sing at the wedding. It was so much fun! I love hanging out with those people. I love picking up right where we left off. They are lifetime friendships that I am forever grateful for. We just get each other. At any moment you can find any of us busting out in song. Even if one word has been said. If that word was in a song we sang, then by golly we're singin' it. It is a blast to be had at EVERY gathering. I can only imagine the JOY that will take place next year at the 20 year "reunion"! So, needless to say, the wedding on Saturday night was fabulous.

Meet Amy. One of the most hilarious people you will ever meet!

I love me some Amy time!

Watching...

...this take place! :)

Smiling for the camera while dancing the night away...

Action shot of the dancing! Oh, the fun!

Today was a good day. VBS Sunday took place and boy, we brought that place down. I can only imagine what the visitors were thinking today! I promise, our church doesn't always look like a jungle, and we don't always have ten million people on stage doing a hand motion to every word sung, or jumping around all over the stage! But, I do love me VBS Sunday! I also got to see (and hug) some of the oldies (but most certainly goodies) from church like Lauri and Greg and his most precious wife, Allison! Greg was one of our old youth pastors who moved to Pennsylvania to serve at a church there. They are here for a while this summer and I can't wait to pick Allison's brain about girls ministry! It was so good seeing ALL of them! After church the mom and I went to Freebirds while the boys enjoyed yet another Red Sox vs. Astros game. I will have you know that my sweet Astros won this series against the Red Sox. We are so proud.

Two of the most precious/godly ladies you will ever meet! :) And Lauri, your hair looks FABULOUS!

We couldn't leave Greg out! :)

Tonight I enjoyed a WONDERFUL message on Friends by Pastor Gregg at First Baptist. Oh y'all. Could Exodus BE any more amazing? I am LOVING this series and can barely wait till next Sunday to hear what is next! The Lord has gifted that man like no other and I am so grateful/blessed to be able to learn from him. I can't wait to share with y'all the message of tonight. I promise tomorrow to post a blog about it. All I know is I am more grateful for my sweet friends that the Lord has blessed me with, and I am truly certain that they are gifts from the Lord. Girls, you know who you are! :) I am thanking the Lord for you tonight!

Well friends, I am off to bed. Why am I always blogging at night now right before bed?! I am going to try and be consistent again. When I stop blogging for a while I feel so overwhelmed at all that I have to tell y'all!

Here's to my consistency...

Nighty night!

VBS, Birthday's and Work...Oh My!

I can't seem to keep a consistent blog these past few months. Whew.

SO much is going on, and then I sit down to type it out and I am exhausted, start typing, then give up cause I have TOO much to say!

On that note: I am making this short.

1) Last week, after getting home from Florida, I worked on VBS stuff all week. Our church doesn't use the Lifeway one, we create our own, so there is always stuff to be done. (Not that there isn't stuff to be done when you use the Lifeway one!) Let alone, it is one of our biggest outreaches at the church and it is crazy busy. Everyone gets involved. This year we are doing a water day (which includes water moonwalks) and me and another lady are in charge of it. So frankly, I have been dreaming about water day since I arrived home from Florida. It has been tiring and hot but I have loved every minute of it. The kids have too! :) So, needless to say VBS is in full swing this week. I think you all know how that goes! Enough said. (But, if it does come to mind would you pray that the rain would hold off everyday till at least noon!?! I would be most grateful!)

2) No Other Gods has been fabulous! Are you doing it?!! Oh my gosh, just the introduction taught me so much that I am still chewing on. I had to read the whole Exodus passage just because I couldn't stop reading. But, did anybody else notice how many times he repeats that there shall be no other gods before Him?!!! Umm, I think it is a warning. He repeats Himself TONS of times, and when He repeats, we better open our ears and HEAR what He is saying! Oh, it is so good. Whether good or bad, I shall have NO other gods before my one TRUE God! Amen?!!!
3) Student Ministries keeps me busy. Very busy. But I absolutely LOVE every single part of it! Praise our good Lord! :)

4) For the past 2 weeks I have been able to attend First Baptist on Sunday night. Y'all, it is SUCH a BLESSING to hear Pastor Gregg teach from Exodus. It is SO GOOD!! And something I am so needing to hear. Since I can't go to "big church" on Sunday mornings at my church because I have other obligations, it is so nice to be able to be fed on Sunday nights. If I weren't getting fed somewhere, I think I would go insane! I have so missed being able to go these past few months, so these past weeks have been extra special. And, I get to give this lady a hug every Sunday night, too, which makes it even sweeter!

5) And last but not least, it is my BESTIES birthday today. My sweet girl is 23! Oh, I would give anything to be with her today to celebrate what a blessing she is from the Lord to everyone. Jen said it so perfectly in her birthday list today to our Jo. She truly is one of the best friends I have ever had. This girl is an encourager, a listener, knows exactly what to say and when to say it, a prayer warrior, a hugger and a wonderful friend to all. And not only that, we are pretty much the same person. Love the same clothes, jewelery, shoes and what not! :) Jo, I so wish I could be with you today and celebrate YOU, but I know that John is taking extra care of you and making this day more than spectacular. I love you so much and miss you more than you could ever know!!! Hope this day has been MORE than wonderful!! I love you!!

Well sweet friends, I must be going. My bed is calling my name! :)

Love you all! Thank you for keeping up with my inconsistency! ;)

Mac Book 101

My little brother got a new Mac Book for graduation. Now, let me tell you, yes, I think Apple makes great products. No, I have nothing against Mac's. Personally, I don't think I could bring myself to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a computer. Like, seriously. (Granted, I know it has some fabulous applications, but, I don't think I would use a computer like this to it's full potential!) Who knows, I mean his cute little laptop is growing on me...but still. When it comes to buying 'big' things, I tend to pinch pennies.

That aside, I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed the photo booth on this thing. I have had more fun than is probably humanly aloud in living room history. These pictures have brought me great entertainment, and some HUGE laughs. I can't believe I am sharing these to the public, let alone, the world wide web. But, I felt the need to share my entertainment.

So, enjoy a few laughs on me. And don't worry, I am laughing right along with you. 

Off to shower...I smell like fish.

Thank you, nasty Galveston water. (Although I did have a fabulous day of relaxation! That is if you care to know!)

A Day of Rest

Well, I am back and completely and utterly exhausted. The wedding was gorgeous, and the late night drive back...well...not so gorgeous. The night before our high school camp to Florida we pulled into our driveway a little after 2 a.m. where I took a shower, exchanged things in suitcases, then drove my sweet little self up to the church at 4 a.m. to hop on a bus to Florida. Can you believe that of all years, I slept the LEAST on the bus this year! What in the world was that?!

My body is still recuperating.

Florida was great. A bit exhausting and we had to do some schedule changing, but other than that it went pretty smooth overall. I am just now feeling the effects of the week, though. I know that the Lord changed some hearts and some decisions were made, so we're praising the sweet Lord for that. The theme was about "returning to your first love" and something that I needed to hear, too, so the Lord was sweet to speak to me this week also! I love that even on a high school trip, we, as leaders, are NEVER past the message given. To think that we don't need to hear what they are learning is completely silly.

When we got home on Friday night, I hopped in bed and slept till almost NOON on Saturday. Seriously. I think the last time I slept till noon was in Jr. High after our church lock-ins. THAT'S how stinkin' tired I was. It was much needed though.

I had yet another wedding last night. My mentor teacher this past semester took a trip down the aisle and looked absolutely beautiful. She looked like a porcelain doll. Everything was gorgeous!

Today we had lunch at one of my Dad's favorite restaurants, Red Fish Grill, after church (which, if you live in NW Houston and are ever on the lookout for some good seafood/sushi make your way over there and you will not be disappointed. That is according to my Dad who is an avid sushi lover.) and then I stopped by Jen's parents house to see she and Grant and their good friends from Louisiana. I then headed to First Baptist tonight and heard a wonderful message from Pastor Gregg. He never disappoints! I am so glad I went because it was much needed.

Tomorrow I have the day off and Claire and I are heading to Galveston for the day. I know, how in the world can I go to a beach after just being on the beach for a whole week? But this trip is different. MUCH more relaxing and resting which is most definitely needed. I plan on taking a few beach towels, a good book, and layin' by the nasty water concerning my mind with nothing. Believe me when I say I need this day off. Normally I am not one to ask for a day off, but I know with more trips coming up, VBS next week (which is in full speed this week, too) and just getting done with a trip, I for sure don't want to overload myself. I plan on re-fueling tomorrow. And really, just spending some time 'being still' which everyone needs every now and then whether they admit it or not.

Thank you so much for all your prayers for Florida, and all the traveling and whatever else you prayed for. I am so grateful for you and most definitely appreciate it. You all mean the world to me. I so hope to be back in your lives after tomorrow! I do miss reading what's going on in your live's, but for now I am just flyin' by the seed of my pants!

BIG hugs to everyone!

Enjoy the "sneak peak" pictures of the past few events!

Florida: Retro - 2008

(It was a different decade for each night! So fun!)

Can you guess what kind of cake this is? One hint: It was huge in the 80's

Mr. and Mrs. Fast

06-07-08