Jesus wants the Rose

I cannot believe the amazing things Jesus is doing...

He's redeeming people & using them as poster children for broken people (Tim & Sandra got engaged last week...redemption story for all to have hope!)

Students are asking for more & stepping into risky territory...

Students are coming home..
Seth-8th grade longshot
Jodie-9th grade good girl
Hannah-I've been asking for her for a year and a half! Holy freaking cow.
& 2 more just last night.

8 College students gave their lives to Christ just this week.

And Ashlea is in process...Goodness am I begging Jesus for that girl! I pray He keeps stirring up her heart & making her desperate for Him! Don't let her think too much & talk herself out of needing you...that girl could very well come home this weekend! AH!

I've started listening to some of NewSpring Community Church's sermons. Beautiful & Don't Get Married Until series....listen to them.

9 days.

Happy

The other day, D. mentioned something about making a list of things that make you happy/are fun to you. So, here's mine.

• Nature (walking/hiking)
• Creative projects
• Puzzles/Board games
• Soccer
• Watching new movies
• Cleaning
• Baking
  
• Makeup
• Taking pictures
• Playing with babies
  

I'll probably be adding to this list as I think of more things that are fun to me/make me happy. For now, I need to figure out a way to do one of these things every day.

What sort of things are fun to you? What makes you happy?

What in the WORLD!

Jesus is doing some crazy amazing stuff...I'm still in awe of the work he's done in just the last week.

• 2 girls in my lifegroup have come out asking for help processing their stories....in-freaking-credible.
• A girl named Caitlin came to our lifegroup last weekend & felt safe enough to share her story, which helped her realize something was off as she was telling us, & then 3 days later, she gave her life to Christ
• A girl in my small group in Fused opened up with me Sunday & let me in, telling me she believes in Jesus but there's this hole where something is missing & she doesn't know what it is. This girl doesn't trust many people & she keeps to herself a lot, so it's very precious to me that she 1. brought it up herself & 2. really shared her heart as she knows it.

My heart is so pumped for what Jesus has started, & I'm begging him to help me be courageous, fearless & dangerous as he entrusts me with more.

Along with all of that, I am in the process of moving in with M. & S. Last night D. & I ordered chinese food & spent a few hours painting my new room. Turns out, we didn't have enough paint, so we will be finishing it tonight. I'm excited to see the finished product & then move my bed & clothes in. Soon I will be living with two great girls, being challenged & held accountable. It'll be fun!

I'll post pictures of the final product asap.

The Red Cups Return

It's that time again...
Starbucks cups are that cheery red color and my yellow coat has been a staple need the past few days. Not to mention, it's NOVEMBER.

I can't believe how quickly time has flown this year. So much has changed and grown in me, and still there is a long way to go before this girl is the woman God made her to be.

Just a few memories from the last week:

• Jenn Ellwood gave her life to Christ

• Whitney Belcher gave her life to Christ

• Stephanie made some great steps following Jesus...boy is she stepping into risk like never before!

• I got to help Annalisa in a convo & be a part of a 15 year old girl, Portia, giving her life to Jesus

I have also decided to move in with Shannah & Meredith...it's a hard yes. If I stay at dad's I could save a chunk of money, but I know that Jesus has more for me living with these girls. SO, I'll be moving in very soon!

Nov.28 is me & Dusty's 2-year. I'll be producing that weekend, as well as the weekend before, so I have no clue when or what we will get to do. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise me with a pretty piece of bling? One can only hope...

Pumpkins & Weddings & Spice Girls, Oh My!

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post...not that a whole lot has happened...

October has undoubtedly been the month for weddings this year. Dusty & I were in, went to, or invited to or shot a wedding each weekend of the month...What in the world? All of them have been very different, but I think we both walked away taking little pieces of each & storing them in our heads for when we get to really plan ours ;)

Speaking of ours, he's been asking me again about engagement length & bridesmaids/groomsmen, etc. Sometimes I think he'll propose before the end of this year, & other times I wonder if it will even happen within this next year? Let's just get this show on the road, I say! I can't wait to start planning & start our life together...

Until then, I'll be moving in with Shannah & Meredith, two of my good friends who will for sure be like iron sharpening iron while I live with them. They are incredible women & leaders...I can't wait to be so up-close learning from them.

Well, that's about all. For now, I leave you with this yummy goodness that I want to make & eat....maybe tonight!

YUM!

Now to work on my Scary Spice costume...

Happy Autumn!

Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season of the year.
Cool weather is approaching and it's almost time to whip out the scarves & boots!

I just bought some skinny jeans to wear tucked into my boots, and new blush and lip gloss. What a boost it gives you to have fun new accessories. I'm in love with my new plum lip color for the fall!

Now it's time to get some new shoes! I hope to take a trip to DSW soon with my BFF Frances...let me just say, they have some FABULOUS shoes, and they're all on sale right now! Like these:

I also want to make pumpkin bread & watch the leaves change colors.

TO DO LIST for Autumn 2009:

• Make pumpkin bread
• Go to a concert out of town
• Carve pumpkins
• Go to apple orchard
• Go camping/hiking
• Hot air balloon ride
• Football game (college or high school)
• Lead high schooler to Jesus

I'm in such a good mood.
LOVE!

Why does God want to take all the fun out of sex?

This weekend in church was possibly the most shocking & most freeing message I've heard Pete give. Especially with where I am in my relationship with Dusty-Jesus exposed some places in me of fears & mindsets; things I was believing that were not true.

I realized that even though I would like to think that come marriage, I would have fun with my sex life, I was still living in the straight & narrow. God gives us guide rails to help guide us and protect us, but within those barriers, there is so much freedom when you're married. I've been stuck on a single lane country road when God wants me to drive on a 20-lane highway when I'm married.

For example, I didn't know oral sex was OK and a gift from God in marriage. Same with toys & phone sex, etc. Turns out, God wants us to have LOTS of fun having sex. He wants us to experiment and laugh together trying. And husbands want their wives to get dirty!

After this weekend, I'm looking forward to marriage that much more. Until then, I want to stay pure & let Jesus keep doing His work in me, readying me for what's to come.