La La La

Soooo in the vacation mood now!! I am counting down for Europe!! I am distracted, so here are some recent pics:
Tess and Jason on their big day:

The chapel where they got married: Reception pics:

Prom/FNFN/Ash Festa

Home group pic at Tess' shower

Absolutely crazy weird art show in Deep Ellum:

Lisa Woodard, artiste extrordinnaire:

Plan B (a.k.a.) Putting on the big girl panties and dealing with it ...

Someone once said, "Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."

Or, perhaps more theologically sound, "The heart of a man disposeth his way, but the Lord must direct his steps." Prov 16:9

So my best friend and travel partner, April, has mono. MONO!!

She had cancer, had 2 surgeries, and was healed, and now she has MONO! Therefore, our vacation to Brussells and Paris is no longer happening. So I am still going to Spain for a week with my family.

I guess maturity kicked in somehwere late last night when I decided to put on my big girl panties and deal with it. I can get my flight moved, we purchased travel insurance, and we can get refunds on our cancelled travel arrangements. I am dealing with it. As much as I want to whine and complain, I fully trust that God has a purpose in all this. That fact isn't even up for question in my life anymore. I trust Him to bring me so much joy and purpose and fulfillment that I can't even be sad for too long. He's got this crazy thing called life so planned out to the uttermost degree!! So, I fully accept that things change.

But I am still sad!

I cussed a little. I mean, according to some, it IS F-bomb Tuesday, right?!?!!!!!! I took full advantage of a well placed curse word. (But not the F-bomb people! That's a little intense.)

But I had mono so I totally understand how miserable it is.

I already took 2 weeks off of work, so I am going to do a little in-country vacay for this first week, (starting this Friday) then fly to Spain on June 27th when my parents are going. So ... if you wanna travel or have few free days in the great Lone Star State, let me know!!

Much, much love. April, I love you. Our friendship sanctifies me. ALL THE TIME!!

How to spot a tourist

I was looking up funny top 10 lists of how to spot a tourist in Europe. Here were a few highlights:

1. People making obscene gestures around national monuments/statues
2. Baseball caps/new balance tennis shoes or nikes
3. Drinking orange fanta and eating ice cream (i did those 2 things EVERY DAY in Spain, there's something about drinking fanta naranja overseas that is just so yummy ... it's different over here and not as good)
4. Wearing college logo t-shirts (I did this too!!)
5. carrying a map and looking lost - (Admittedly, I am often in a general state of not fully knowing where I'm at, direction-wise, while I'm overseas.)
6. fanny packs and hawaiian shirts
7. talking about the war/George W. or politics in general (not a problem there.)
8.wearing gucci sunglasses and carrying louis vuitton purses (also not a problem)
9. Wearing tevas -- EWW.

... perhaps I shall make my own list when I return.

-I started cleaning and doing laundry today, so I can begin packing later this week. WE LEAVE SATURDAY! And on that note, pray for April H., she just found out she has mono, which is exactly NOT the kind of news you want to hear right before you leave for a European vacation. So...please lift her up. It's been a rough year physically with several procedures and missing and making up all that work at her job ...

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It was a great weekend with a wedding and other fun stuff, I'll post pics soon.

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This Thursday if anyone is out and about, come visit me!! I am going to be packing all night and chillin at home, so come visit and say hi/bye!! I hate flying on planes over the ocean and would love to hug each and every one of you before I go. Much love.

ABIDE

Let me tell you what: God is working!

I have been walking with friends lately through death, and two other close friends with emotional heartbreak, not to mention figuring out my own seeming uncertain life!

But is it uncertain after all? I'll share with you what the Lord's put on my heart over and over again in the past week:

ABIDE IN ME!

I have been digging deeper into what this actually means - and what the Lord has re-iterated over and over again is this: been trust in how I've moved and worked in your life, and abide in me until the time when I choose to move again. I feel like "abide" has a subtly different shade of meaning from "wait," and in my heart this makes all the difference. I am not by nature a patient person. But I can patiently abide and trust my Creator while His peace washes over me - the kind of peace that surpasses all human understanding!

Thinking about the peace He offers each one of us just stirs my heart that much more deeply for Him. Another mental picture that comes to mind is that of a tree with deep, deep roots planted by the water like it talks about in Isaiah. Or is it Jeremiah? Well, anyway, come rain or shine, freezing winter or warm spring, the deep roots are unshaken.

To me, "abide" also means listening more, talking less. It's hard for me to set my own agenda aside, but spending time with the Lord asking Him to speak to me (instead of the other way around) has changed me!

It also means being more intentional in my free time - more of what I love, what stirs my heart for Jesus, and less of what drains me. This has meant spending more time outside running, reading some books I'd put aside, and spending with friends that make me laugh! And I am without any guilt laying down those obligations that do nothing but rob me of joy.

The enemy came to steal, kill and destroy us in any way possible. But Christ!! He came so we could have a joyfully abundant life in Him!

Today...

1. Went to the Ranger's last night for Tech Alumni Night, a little disappointed they didn't play the fight song or really do anything cool at all...in fact, they lost 15-9. Super lame. But the seats were pretty sweet, and of course we had fun!

2. Listening to sermons at work.

3. Googling anything and everything I can think of to pass the time.

4. Stomach is growling - meeting mom and bro at my apt for lunch.

5. My hair is growing out - my hair girl Christina would kill me if she knew I wasn't maintaining her work.

6. She would also kill me if she knew I use cheap shampoo.

7. I leave really soon (June 21) for Euro-trip 08. Did I mention I'm scared of flying over the ocean? I mean, COME ON I've watch Lost waay too much ...

8. I am ready for college football season!

9. I am ready to go see the new Batman movie.

10. That is all.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Perfect submission, all is at rest;

I in my Savior am happy and blest,

watching and waiting, looking above,

filled with his goodness, lost in his love.

This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long;

this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

This summer, my rommate and I (without verbalizing it), basically decided to put ourselves through bootcamp. Even as I type these words my leg muscles pound with the dull ache of being over-exerted and over-worked. And I love it! Monday and Wednesday mornings at 6 am we have a "date" with Wes, our teacher who pushes us physically to the limits each week. We are seeing and feeling the results. The other days I run or do step class (or sleep in!) But it's so much easier when the alarm goes off to get up knowing she'll be there too - great accountability.

The obvious metaphor of course is my walk with Christ - there are times when I am full of boundless energy and ready and willing to run the race, and He pushes me to the limits and calls me to a deeper, more meaningful walk with him. There are times when we have to rely on each other, the body of Christ to encourage and speak life and truth to one another.

Last night I went with some friends to visit another friend who has recently experienced great tragedy in her life - shocking and horrendous, the kind of thing that would make some people ask, "Where is God in all of this?" Through all the hurt and confusion I saw the body of Christ at work - at her house there were at least 50 friends and family over: cooking food, swimming in the pool, loving on one another and simply providing a listening ear when necessary. God was right there in their home - in the middle of it all His spirit was there comforting and working on hearts to draw them closer to himself.