The Rundown

Just because I know you all are interested in every little thing that I do... ;)
Just kidding, but seriously here's what been going on, what's going on, and what is coming up!

Last weekend, Joseph and I took engagement pictures!!! I think I failed to mention that in my past few posts. It was so fun. Joseph's mom took the pictures and she did an incredible job. I'm not allowed to post them yet though... but maybe a sneak peek will be coming your way soon.

This past weekend, my family and I went to a fellowship meeting in Millersville, TN. It was very encouraging and fun and funny. It's always good to be with God's people.

On the way home, Joseph's side-view mirror broke off. It was scary. We heard a loud BOOM! then saw that the mirror was gone. We turned around to find it, and couldn't. There wasn't even any damage to the surrounding mailboxes. So we went home, put on our raincoats and grabbed our flashlights, and went on a midnight search for the mirror and whatever caused the damage. We found the mirror, but that was it. The cause is still a mystery.... ooooooohhhhhhhh (making ghost-like noises).

Saturday I sat on the couch all day and watched movies with Joseph. It was phenomenal.

Sunday-AWESOMEST DAY EVER! (I'm aware awesomest isn't a word). Read the post under this one to hear all about that great day.

Today I turned in SO much homework, I thought it would feel great, but I just got more homework. Oh well, only one more week after this one!!! Ahhhh!!!

This weekend we are going to Michigan!!! Whoo hoo! Road Trip. I'm so ready. So So ready.

Monday Madness... Again

Monday Madness... If I wrote this tomorrow it would be Testimony Tuesday. But today is Monday, so we're going to stick with madness. 

"I have been young and now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread." Psalm 37:25

That's a scripture to shout about. God truly takes care of his children. I could list story after story after story about how He provides for us, but I will share with you the most recent one.. the one I am SUPER pumped about right now. Last week Joseph started his new job (he loves it, by the way). And on Thursday he found out that the department he just left is being shut down, and everyone is being laid off. Whoa. So yeah, first and foremost, let's pray for those people who are losing their jobs. They are moms and dads and husbands and wives, and they need our prayers. But then lets praise the Lord that He provides for us and takes care of us and constantly has a hedge of protection around us! Joseph didn't know when he left the other job that he would have been out of a job had he stayed, but God directed his footsteps and absolutely should be given the credit for what happened here! It was a miracle and a sure sign of God's grace and love towards Joseph (and me hehe ;) )

Okay, another story. One equally as awesome. Last Thursday (I think), my sister Christina had the opportunity to make a speech in front of about... well, we thought it was just sixty students, but it turns out the students from alternative school were in the room, and so were the lunch ladies, and some teachers, and other staff.. and well, people are just coming out of the woodwork who heard what she said. Christina was elected president of the school's branch of FCCLA, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. She wasn't going to give a speech, but then she did. To make a long story short, she told the students that where much is given, much is required, and that she had the truth and she was going to share it with them. She proceeded to ask the students if they wanted to go to heaven. They all raise their hands. Then she dropped truth on them like an atomic bomb I tell you! She gave it all to them: Jesus name baptism and being filled with the Holy Ghost. Her teachers were getting antsy, you could have heard a pin drop. However, the results have been phenomenal. Already two girls want to be baptized in Jesus name, and more and more students are coming to her, asking questions, or just letting her know that they heard what she said. And that is the most important part: that they heard the truth.

So this is my shout out to all young people: YOU CAN WIN SOULS!!! Just do it! Yeah, it's scary, but it's so worth it. 

Final story. Yesterday we had two awesome services at church. Sunday morning the presence of God just filled the sanctuary, people were in the altars crying before God and I know they touched the throne with their prayers. Sunday night we had a visiting evangelist. There is a man who has been coming to our church for several weeks and he has been baptized and was seeking the Holy Ghost. After the evangelist preached, he made and altar call. The man went straight to the altar. He said he wanted to be filled with the Holy Ghost. The entire church came up to pray for him, and I PROMISE before everyone could even get up there (I was playing piano and singing so I saw the whole thing) he was speaking in tongues. He had so much faith and he was so ready to receive, it was just that easy. I was pumped. It was absolute madness.

People, these are the last days and revival is here. However, every day people are falling away from the Lord. Don't be one of those people, just go ahead and join us. It will be worth it after all!

Monday Madness

What a clever title for this post. I should have thought of it a million Mondays ago and I would have used it every single Monday since then. The truth is, madness is exactly the word that fits with my Mondays. I was sure that if I lived through last week, I would live forever. I was wrong. If I live through this week, I will live forever. 

Oh but I'm not here to complain. If I'm not careful, "A Lovely History" will become "A Not-So-Lovely History" with all of my rants and whining about school and life in general. So here is what I am going to do. I believe there are three types of madness. One type of madness deals with rage (which is the one I am really leaning towards, since I just looked at my grades... but we won't go there). The other type of madness is insanity (which is the one I will be when this semester is over and my brain has been fried for good... but we won't go there). The final type of madness, the one I want to talk about is a madness that has to do with ecstasy, or enthusiasm. Something that gets you so PUMPED it's just plain madness. 

What in the world am I talking about? I'm talking about what I taught in Sunday School to the teenagers at church, but ultimately to myself as well. Here is what I have learned:

The phrase "fear not" is mentioned 365 times in the Bible, once for everyday of the year, if you will. 

That's not the madness part. That's the part you find when you google "Fear Not." 

Here is the madness part... Maybe you have questioned, "Why does the phrase, "fear not" mean so much?" Okay, maybe you haven't, but I like to make things a little difficult. This is me: Joseph tells me all the time, "just don't worry about... whatever." And every single time I get frustrated because, you know what? It's not like I want to worry! It just happens. I know the Bible tells me not to worry, but that doesn't make it any easier! I feel the same way sometimes about "fear not" because yeah, I hear ya, but it's not like I want to be fearful, it just happens. I know the Bible tells me to fear not, but does that make it any easier?

 Actually yes....

This is why the phrase "fear not" is so comforting: it represents a promise. Every single time that God tells us not to fear, he gives us a reason why we shouldn't. Do not fear because "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." Fear not because "I will hold your hand." Fear not because "I am with you." Fear not because "I will fight this battle for you." 

That's madness.

Easter

What I can do...

I know you all are SO interested in what is going on here at school, and by school I mean classes and homework and stuff like that. WELL, have I got an update for you today! With only three weeks left of school, plus finals, after this week (you like how I should really say I have five weeks left, but I made it sound so much better?) they are trying to kill us, which is why, of course, I am blogging. If you're not an elementary education major, or a teacher yourself, then you probably won't be able to grasp what I am about to say, but believe me when I do say that it is outrageous. 

Today is Monday. On Wednesday I have a whole standard-based unit due (tasks I-V), my completed collaboration project, an evaluating an author paper (five pages) and a summary of my teaching tolerance lesson. Tomorrow I am teaching P.E. and on Thursday I have a math test. All of this homework is not helping me with my "I'm over school and I don't care anymore" attitude. It's making me care much more than I want to. Oh well.

I CAN DO IT!!!

You know why? Because today, like just ten minutes ago I decided that I was going to start a personal study on women in the Bible. I was originally going to read the book of Judges because I haven't read it before and I know it has some good old testament stories in there; However, I started to read about Deborah and decided that I would go with the women study. So I'm sitting here thinking about my homework and I am reminded that Deborah was a judge, Jael killed the leader of the enemy's army, Ruth left her family, and Esther saved her people, and all of them did this in a time when women were looked down upon! They were told they couldn't do anything. So by all means I can do my homework!

It's still waiting

I have been searching my blog like crazy for the past five minutes looking for lyrics that I know I posted on here sometime around... last April, but I cannot find them. So here I am posting them again, because I would always like to be able to find them here.

Love is waiting
In the autumn on the ground,
between the traffic and the ordinary sounds
I am thinking signs and seasons while a north wind blows through
I watch as lovers pass me by
Walking stories - whos and hows and whys
Musing lazily on love
Pondering you
I'll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell
When it's time to walk that way we wanna walk it well

I'll be waiting for you baby
I'll be holding back the darkest night
Love is waiting til we're ready, til it's right
Love is waiting

It's my caution not the cold
there's no other hand that i would rather hold
the climate changes, I'm singing for the strangers about you
don't keep time, slow the pace
Honey hold on if you can
the bets are getting surer now that you're my man

I could write a million songs about the way you say my name
I could live a lifetime with you and then do it all again
and like I can't force the sun to rise or hasten summer's start,
neither should I rush my way into your heart 

Why are these lyrics so important? This is a song I heard on Pandora before Joseph and I started dating. I posted the lyrics on my blog, and he saw them and "hoped" they were about him, and they were. That's super sweet, but they are also important to me because these words have stuck with me for the past year because, even though I am in love, there are still things in life I have to wait on, such as the wedding, or answers to my questions about the future. I have found though, that waiting isn't that bad when one knows she is waiting on great things. Yeah, I'm anxious to get things rolling, to know where I'm going, but it's easier to wait when I know that love is waiting on me.