Puppy Love

Just want to make sure that everyone understands that I need a dog that looks just like this one in my lap by tomorrow morning! Ok thanks. I'm so in love with it! Honestly it's going to be awhile until I have one, but c'mon, does it get any cuter?

Above is a picture of me with our new house keys (note the pink ribbon tied on, courtesy of my Mother-in-law)!
Friday marked my last day as a Lanier Elementary Wildcat (my last day as a first grade teacher)! Ahhh mixed emotions!
I cried so hard when those 1st graders left (more on thoughts about those kids during another post and time). I'm overjoyed to move to Smryna.
My husband and I had moved all of our belongings to our new home in Smyrna April 23 although my teaching contract did not end in Gainesville until May 27. Our apartment lease had run out April 1 and we didn't want to pay what was asked for more than necessary to stay (it was quite a bit more). So our compromise was to pay extra for April and then to gut it out apart for the month of May. We moved our belongings and Parker April 23 to the Smyrna house and moved me to my mom's house in Gainesville for 1 month.
Parker & I LOVE LOVE LOVE being with each other and we missed each other terribly when apart for even a day. We are that couple that would opt to do everything together excluding some awkward situations that could apply to :). We are best friends. A lot of people say, oh it's because you are still newlyweds... to which I usually think, yes, and always will be. I can't tell you how much my heart lights up just to do little life things with him. He is my favorite person on earth and every day with him is filled with love, joy, laughter, and blessings. I felt like a missing part of a puzzle piece had been put back into my heart when I came home Friday to my Smyrna home to stay not just for the weekend, but forever with him <3
So as much as I loved family time and my 3 mile commute to work each morning of late April- May, I missed my hubs so much more. So yes, Friday was wonderful for that reason alone.
But little did I know that God had a spectacular blessing in story that same day. As you could imagine I will no longer be teaching in Gainesville because of the distance (70 mile commute one way people or 1 1/2 hrs on a GOOD day). So I decided to venture out and attempt to find another job teaching or something other than teaching (I left that part in God's hands). I applied to many different jobs and basically prayed for God to show me what to do. Long story short, He gave me a job Friday!! I'll be working as an leasing agent at the Worthing Companies in Dunwoody.
Now let me brag on God for a second! I didn't apply for this job. I didn't submit a resume. My friend came to me and told me about it, stating that I would be PERFECT for it. So I told her I would submit my resume after school wrapped up. A series of events lead me to do it sooner than planned. Within a week of walking my resume in, I got a call back for a second interview, and the next day after that a job offer! I accepted the offer on my last day of work at Lanier! Never doubt the perfect timing of God who loves you so much!
So after several months of walking by faith into the unknown and trusting God to provide my future job (still with my knees shaking quite a bit), God of course showed up in a BIG way and never EVER fails me.
I did a pretty good job most days walking in faith and trusting. However I had this little twinge of doubt and fear remained in my chest that I was always ignoring too. Sometimes it won, but I tried not to let it win more than it lost.
I prayed about this situation and had faith more than not, but there again I feared sometimes and I wondered if we had made the right decision at all. But in the depths of my heart I knew God was leading us and that we had followed. I knew we heard His voice and that He loved us and would always provide. Truly the faith of the mustard seed is enough and He was listening to even the smallest prayers about the situation. He has blessed us beyond measure with our home, my job, Parker's internship, and so many other things this year. May we always grow in our faith so that God can be glorified and move mountains in our lives!

Song for May

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhNrrrCCTdA

Grace Abudnant

There's an old Christian saying that I heard quoted over the lunch table the other day: "Those who require much grace should freely give much grace to those who need it."

An old friend called me this weekend and I finally returned their call today. It turned out that old friend had an apology to give me... of things from almost 2 years ago that happened between us. It feels like decades ago that the issue they apologized for happened...they changed, I changed, and life moved on. In the most deepest depth of my heart I had already forgiven this person and actually even understood why they did the things they did. Honestly they weren't that bad for someone who was carrying the kind of cross this particular person had. I had made my own mistakes in this particular relationship and although I had apologized in the past for these misdemeanors, I was pleased to have the opportunity to do so again.
How lovely is was to have them offer an apology for an unresolved issue. I'm blessed to get to receive that! I don't take for granted how many times people part ways with their issues unresolved and how wonderful it is for me to get to talk this out with this person. I'm so glad that I got to put that good old saying into practice!

Eye Candy

A collection of some of my desired decorative ideas, along with furniture pieces, paint colors, etc to be updated as I find them! Yummy! Currently I'm obssessd with bedrooms and the blue shades you see here. LOVE.

Jesus in Matthew 5:3-11

Thoughts adopted from one of Jesus' sermon, most popularly titled "The Beatitudes."

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you are at the end of your rope. Less of you means more of God and his reign.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you feel you've lost what's most dear to you. Only then can the One who is most dear to you can embrace you fully.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you are content with just who you are- no more, no less. That's when you find yourself the proud owner of everything that can't be bought.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink and the best meal you could ever eat.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you get the inside of your world- your mind, your heart- put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you care. At the moment of being care-ful (full of care) you find yourselves cared for.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
you can cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and you're place is in God's family.

YOU'RE BLESSED WHEN...
your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

Count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit Me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.

{Oh how I to be blessed in this way in life. Jesus draw me closer to you}

Beloved Words

Many of us Jesus followers know this scripture well. It has new meaning for me as a married woman. As I read God's inspired words I am refreshed. This is what I want my life to be about.

Proverbs 31:30-31
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.