Dancing Daffodils

Marrying My Best Friend

2006-05-15T18:33:00.000-04:00

On May 5, 2006, my best friend asked me to marry him. Just when I thought I couldn't be happier, he made me happier. Andrew and I will be married on July 28th of this year. The Lord has already provided a furnished house for us, and we are looking forward to making it our home.
I praise the Lord for Andrew. He's an amazing man. You know how as little girls, we talk with our friends and try to imagine what our perfect man will look like and act like and do for us one day? Everything I ever wished is come true in Andrew. He's everything,and I am so excited about spending the rest of my life with him.

Attn: Long Lost Friends

2006-04-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a task staying in touch with anyone who doesn't live within a 20 mile vacinity of me. My friends from college probably think I've fallen off the face of the earth-- with the exception of Heather, Heather, and Britt-- I talk to them alot-- at least once every other month! Even the cousins I grew up with are work to keep up with. Crazy how consumed with your own life you become that forget about the lives of the ones you love. If you are one of my long-lost friends and are reading this, please jot a quick note and let me get in touch with you again. Absence hasn't caused me to forget you!

On The Road Again

2006-04-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I get to return to the one place I most love to be and the one place I dream about being whenever I am away from it--with Andrew. The roads from here to North Carolina are wearing out from all the back and forth that's been going on since February. I think I could drive it with my eyes closed (but I won't try!).
Today was my first subbing job in over 2 weeks. Now that teachers have tasted of freedom during spring break, I'm really hoping they are eager to catch a few more glimpses of that freedom between now and the end of May.
Life continues on as normal. When I'm not working I'm at home scrapbooking, cooking, or whatever my hand can find to do. . . which sometimes is not much, unfortunately.

Imperfect Moments

2006-03-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

My pipes burst. The ones in my house. It's been a mess. This happened about a week and a half ago, and it's still not completely better. Then there was the carpet thing a few days ago and the sink thing yesterday and . . . Will there be a "thing" waiting for me when I get home today? Yes, these trials have a tendency to frustrate and bring out the ungrateful attitude, but the Lord gives us something to encourage us in the midst of the daily frustrations. On top of his own precious Word, we also have the opportunity to be encouraged by other's words. When I turn the corner at church and look down into the smiling faces of two boys and hear, "Hi Bubba!!!" my heart is immediately encouraged. When I hear a certain ringtone and know who's voice I'm about to hear on the other end, my heart is immediately encouraged. When I finally hear that, "Hey" then there is nothing in the world that could wipe the smile off my face-- it doesn't matter what kind of shambles the house is in. When I heard a Burmese man tell me over the phone, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much for helping out the Burmese community!!" before I had done anything at all, I was encouraged. The encouragements far outweigh the frustrations. The blessings far outweigh the trials. We know life can't be perfect. We need to remember to be thankful even for those imperfect moments.

Lord, When I All Things Would Possess

2006-02-21T18:05:00.000-05:00

"Lord, when I all things would possess,
I crave but to be Thine;
O lowly is the loftiness
Of these desires divine.

Each gift but helps my soul to learn
How boundless is Thy store;
I go from strength to strength, and yearn
For Thee, my Helper, more.

The more I triumph in Thy gifts,
The more I wait on Thee;
The grace that mightily uplifts
Most sweetly humbleth me."
Thomas H. Gill

Valentine

2006-02-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way."
Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Happy Valentines Day to my hero.

Scattered Sunshine

2006-02-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

This afternoon was absolutely gorgeous for the first time in months. When I walked out of church it was warm enough that I just put my winter coat over my arm and enjoyed the semi-warmth of the sun that was finally shining through the clouds. With just that hint of warmth, I made plans to go outside and enjoy it with a nice afternoon walk. However, the couch beckoned to me after lunch, then sleep beckoned, then Andrew called, and by the time I was up it was snowing again and overcast. The moral of the story? Enjoy the sunshine before you sleep.

What's in a Culture?

2006-02-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

My sister and I were talking yesterday about various extremeties in other cultures. . . not being able to refuse to give your child to someone who asks for him. . . could that really be the culture in a country on THIS planet? I was reminded of how little we know about things outside our own culture, let alone our own personal world of entertainment and leisure. It's so easy to get too comfortable, too content, too ignorant. For any of you who have ever felt the slightest burden for a people, guard yourself from becoming too anything and eventually forgetting about them. The Lord hasn't called everyone to go abroad, but everyone can at least pray for those who are.

Creative Endeavors

2006-02-10T10:49:00.000-05:00

This is crazy. Never in a million years would I have expected to be this technologically advanced. I suppose it's just one more way to be all things to all men, huh? Well, perhaps that's one reason for creating a blog of my own. But another is that it's just kind of fun. . . a new adventure. There have been a lot of those lately. So many adventures that I had to start choosing which ones I would take and which ones I would set aside. Life certainly has its thrills. We can plan to the tee, yet never really know what to expect for sure.