My God is Sovereign

Man, I am a LOUSY blogger. But, to my defense, I am a busy lady. I am a senior in college and in my last semester before I student teach, I'm planning a wedding, trying to spend enough time with my friends and my AMAZING fiance, and I'm trying my best to grow in my walk with God. Needless to say, I stay busy. Enough excuses, time to share an awesome work of God.

Four years ago next week I was a senior in high school playing in the North/South All-star volleyball game. The North/South game is played by four teams. The best seniors from the North 1A/2AA teams play the South 1A/2AA seniors and the same with the 3AAA/4AAAA teams. Funny that four years ago I was playing and this year I have been asked by an FCA representative to speak to this years All-Stars. As I was praying and listening to what God wanted to say to these girls, he really showed me that I needed to tell them what I wish someone had told me when I was in their shoes. I had some quiet time tonight and God just spoke to my heart and I filled in a detailed outline of 5 things I wish someone would have told me 4 years ago. Then God spoke to my heart again and said that I should write all of this in a letter and print it out for each girl to keep. Then he spoke to my heart again and told me to see who this years all-stars were. I knew I wouldn't recognize any names, save the ones from my hometown. When I got to the names of the two girls chosen from my high school alma mater, I wanted to drop to my knees before God and thank him for the chance to speak his truth to them. I am completely blown away by God's plan and God's timing in not only my life, but the lives of others. Praise God for his sovereignty!

My God is a God of Romance!

It's amazing how when you ask God to remove you from the equation and speak to the heart of others how he honors your sincerity and does just that...in ways that you least expect. I haven't written on my blog in a about a month and a half now, but by accident I stumbled across my own blog tonight and read this comment.

hey there. I was googling "Above all else, guard your heart,for it is the wellspring of life"
Proverbs 4:23 and I came across your page. After reading your blog I was very amazed at your age and how much love and devotion your life has for GOD. I am about your age and I must say your blog has really shown me that it doesnt matter how old you are, we as a individual can all be a ambassador for Christ and you have truly inspired me to LET GOD be the main source of my happiness and definitely the keeper of my heart. THANK YOU but definitely THANK GOD.

I wanted to write this person back and say thank you for the spectacular encouragement, but they didn't have a contact on their profile, so ohjaneeee...thanks for allowing God to use you to build up a sister in Christ. I'm blown away by how God uses little details to do things that he knows will take my breath away over and over again. He IS the God of romance!

The Rang Story

For those of you who read the last post and wanted the engagement story...here it is. You're welcome.

Background info:
1. Will and always go to this plantation called Redcliffe about five minutes away from his house, when we go to see his parents in North Augusta. When we are there we always climb the same Magnolia tree and just sit and talk and have a blast being kids for a little while
2. We've been talking about carving our names in this tree for about a month now
3. In the book of Ruth, Boaz places a blanket around Ruth to show that he wants to marry her
4. Will and I flirted for the very first time at a youth event for Ignite called FNL

Without further adieu, I give you...the story:
Saturday morning, August 4th we woke up and decided that today was the day that we would carve our names in the Magnolia tree. I was wearing a white tshirt Will's mom had bought me and Will was wearing his black FNL shirt. I thought it was a little strange that he was wearing black knowing that we were about to go out into 100 degree heat, but hey...he's a boy--he doesn't know any better (JK he's brilliant and he had a reason, as you can see in #4 from the info above...however, I was clueless). Moving on, around 10:30 am we drove over to Redcliffe and made the trek to the Magnolia grove. We climbed the tree and in true country girl and boyscout fashion we carved our names in the tree. It was blazing hot by the time we finished so we decided to try and find a place to sit in the shade, but there was a bride wondering all over the area around the plantation home getting her wedding photos taken, so we decided to drive around to the main gate. The view facing the main gate is about 500 yards of dirt road leading to the plantation home, lined with Magnolia trees. On the left side of the road there is bench about 100 yrds from the gate. Well, we walked over to the bench and sat discussing how perfect and fun the day had been so far. Will asked me to hold that thought that he had to get something from the car. So, I'm thinking that he's getting his camera or something like that, but he starts walking back with this long box wrapped in silver paper and white bows. My mind races and it seems like it takes him an eternity to get back. He told me that he had a gift for me, and I opened the box to find a blanket which he took out and wrapped around me saying, "I want to wrap my blanket around you." and left in the box was a road sign with his last name, and when I saw this he said, "I want you to have my last name" he gets down on one knee, "Will you be my wife?" I squeal, kiss him, and then I said YES! We went back to his house and my parents and sister were waiting there along with my favorite flowers and five bridal magazines his mom had bought for me. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." Eph.3:20a How GREAT is our God!!!!

Love--the way God intended

Wow...it's been a while...and I have HUGE news. I'M ENGAGED! Yep, Will popped the question and I said "yes"! I'll post another blog after this one with the story, but for now the important story at hand is to explain how awesome God's love is and how God showed me clearly that Will was specifically designed with me in mind. This is going to be a pretty personal blog, but I just want to share how love is when it is the love that I believe God intended when he created Adam and Eve.
Two nights ago I hit a spiritual wall. I realized that I had been taking baby steps away from God since the day that Will proposed (August 4th). Satan had successful distracted me with the happiness I had found in the engagement and the stress of getting ready to go back to school. All week I drove out and back to Anderson to paint the house I am going to be living in this semester. I kept busy--devoting little or no time to quiet time with God. Saturday night, I broke.
I can't explain how it happened but I realized that the look in Will's eyes was not the same. His reactions to me and his warmth toward me had changed. It seemed as if he were looking at a stranger. This broke my heart, and brought me to realize that I hadn't been myself since he put the ring on my finger. Since the beginning of our relationship we have done our best to keep God at the center of our relationship--giving Him the glory for every great moment and praising Him in the storms--and we have been able to tell when the other was being lazy in their walk with God. Saturday night is when I realized just how God has used Will's love for me as a thermometer measuring my walk with Him. When I'm on fire for Jesus, Will is constantly romancing me and showering me with love.
Thank God that Will is not in love with who I am--without Christ I am nothing. Will is in love with the woman God made me when I invited Jesus to live in my heart. I prayed for this before I even met Will. I prayed that God would mold my future husband's heart in such a way that he would not love me by myself, but that he would be in love with Christ in me. I had to wait 21 years and make many mistakes before God placed Will in my life, but I would do it all over again to receive the prize that I have in my future husband.

I'm back...for now.

Hey stranger. I've been busy. Sorry I haven't had time to write. Hopefully I can make up for that today. I've been working for the YMCA as a summer camp counselor for the past month and a half. I have learned so much about kids and discipline. I have no fear about teaching now. If I can handle these kids, I can handle any class that comes my way. I've also learned a lot about loving the "unlovable." It seems that the kids that everyone else wants to push away come running to me. I love it. It makes me want to be more like Jesus.
I took the Praxis II content exams and passed. YAY I'm that much closer to becoming a teacher. I'm still considering graduate school. I could go straight into teaching, at a middle school, and have the classes for certification paid for...or I could go to grad school and more than likely go in debt. Hmmm...still debating that one-surprisingly. I know that I am called to teach middle school, and I will do whatever it takes to teach it.
God is great, my life is beautiful. And I'm loved by a man that loves Jesus. What more could I ask for? Hopefully more to come soon. Stay tuned. For now, I have to go get ready for a wedding. Which seems there's been an abundance of this summer. Peace.