Refreshed

I'm a horrible blogger, I know that about myself. So, after a several month break, I'm back! Hopefully I will be able to keep up with this better, but considering what my schedule looks like, I doubt it... One really quick thing I wanted to share because it has stuck with me all week and been on my mind, so in Julie-land that means it's a keeper! :) In Psalm 36 David is writing about God's faithfulness and love and I loved the way he worded it...

"Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justic like the ocean deapths."

I'm such a visual person that I loved how this gave me a frame of reference and a visual picture to begin to understand the depth and size of God's love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. I would be one of the first people to tell you that God is all of these things and so many more, but this helps me comprehend and grasp who He is so much better! I can tell you this, over the last few weeks I have experienced such a refreshing experience with God that I have seen all of these characteristics evident in my life, and I'm loving it! I'm so thankful that He unconditionally loves us and welcomes us back wholeheartedly when we wander or stumble away... It's beyond my understanding, but I'm so thankful to serve and love such an amazing Savior.

Bountiful Life

Happy Thanksgiving! :) I love this holiday, it's one of my favorites. I love having the time to just relax and reflect on the plentiful blessings that I have in my life. It is so easy to focus on the things that I don't have and what I 'need', but how much more amazing and rewarding would my life be if I instead focused on the amazing blessings that I experience on a daily basis. So, in the spirit of being thankful, here are a few of things that I am beyond blessed to have...

My relationship with God. It hasn't been as easy road, there have been a lot of bumps and detours on the road, but it's been so worth it. He has truly carried me through some difficult times and brought me out on the other side a more compassionate, loving, and faithful woman.

My family. Seriously, they're awesome! They have been such a wonderful support system; I know that they are there for me and love me unconditionally. A girl couldn't ask for a better set of parents who have stood strong for their faith and loved each other and God through the difficult times.

My friends. Truly a blessing. I am so thankful for the amazing men and women that I have been blessed to walk through life with. I've heard it said that people are lucky if they have 1 or 2 close friends, praise God that I have many more than that. If you don't know my friends, you should! :)

The man. Yeah, the rumors are true, he really does exist. I'm thankful for his strength, his sense of humor, his work ethic, his compassion, his protection, his support, his encouragement, his hand to hold, his great communication, and his ability to push me out of my box and make me a better person. :)

My job. Okay, I know that teenagers can be agrivating, but I really do love my job. They are my mission field, and I'm so thankful that God has called me to serve these students at this time in my life.

My health. Yeah, I know, here come the back jokes and how often I crush my spine. Let's be positive, I keep doing it and I haven't been paralyzed yet! So thankful that I'm able to function on a daily basis and I'm not that hindered by physical restraints.

My house. Wow, who would have thought I would be able to own such a gorgeous house at this point in my life. God totally had me at the right spot at the right time. Love my new bathroom, closet, and bedroom!

My education. I know I complain about doing homework and writing papers, but I'll be almost finished with my doctorate by the time I'm 30. That's freaking awesome! Then I wont ever have to worry about taking another class ever again!

Okay, there are so many other things that I am thankful for, but it's time to get ready for some turkey!!! :) Enjoy your time with loved ones!

Missing in Action

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I last blogged! It has absolutely flown by... I blame it on crazy schedules and absolute exhaustion! :) Life is good. Life is really good. I'm happy, and I'm content, and I'm absolutely confident that God has a plan for my life...

To be honest, last year sucked! I hated my job, I hated the classes I took, and I hated where my personal life was. This year, I love my job, I just kinda hate the classes I'm taking, and I love where my personal life is. Thank goodness for God's promises and the fact that He doesn't give up on us. Life is truly an experience and something that isn't easy, but should be embraced and enjoyed. This can be a struggle for me to remember since I'm so busy and always have 50 things to do on my to-do list, but it's an important thing to keep at the forefront of my mind. I'm just so thankful for the people that God has brought into my life, I truly am blessed by my family, friends, and "other" people... maybe more on that later! ;) So, on that note, I'm headed out to spend time with some of my favorites and enjoy this thing called life!

God's Promises

Over the last few months I have come face to face with a realization... I love God, I trust Him, I want to serve Him, but I struggle to believe Him sometimes. I know what His word says, I have so many examples in my life of times that He has provided, yet I still question if He is going to do what He says. I know this is illogical, but it is still a struggle that takes place in my life...

I was able to have such an encouraging conversation with a good friend the other day where I was able to see God absolutely shining through her life. It was such an encouragement to be able to see how God is working in her life, and such a reminder to me of how He always provides and supports. That was super amazing, and such a blessing in my life. Then, as we were driving back from Canada yesterday we drove into a terrible rain storm. I prayed that God would clear the rain and give us good weather to travel, and like that - it stopped raining!!! Seriously, right after the words came out of my mouth. Then I looked out the window and saw the most gorgeous rainbow I have ever seen. Talk about a reminder straight from God that He will keep His promises and hears our prayers! I'm so thankful for the little reminders in my daily life that God cares about what happens to me and that He promises to always be there for me.

World Traveller!!!

I love to travel! I love the excitment that leads up to a big trip! I love to explore and see all sorts of new things! I just wish that I had the money to just travel all over the world, I would have so much fun... :) I got a refund back from school, and while I should have been responsible and put it towards bills, I figured I would rather have some fun. So, I bought myself a ticket to go to one of my favorite places ever to see some of my favorite people ever!!! I'm headed to Colorado, I swear I'm going to live there some day, to see my fabulous Haley and her kiddos. I figured while I was there I should probably go see my super favorite person, CHIP! I mean, I guess I should see my best friend before he ships out for a year to serve his men and get the bad guys... ;) So super excited about getting out of Lynchburg, being able to relax, and spend some quality time with some very important people in my life! Oh, the life of a teacher!!!

What Really Matters

I've been reflective on my life a lot lately... I know, that's new, but I figured it was time I try something new! :) I think it has to do with school being over and I actually have the brain process since I'm not grading hours and hours of grammar, writing, and vocabulary quizzes. I like my life, I know it's where I'm supposed to be right now, but it's not my deep down dream. I'm so blessed to own the house I own, have amazing family and friends (seriously they're amazing, I have the world's greatest friends), I'm healthy, and I'm safe. I'm awed and thankful that I have such an amazing career, that I'm able to implement new programs, teach teachers, work with such wonderful kids, but really it's not what I do for the rest of my life... I want to be a wife, I want to be a mom, I want to make the world's greatest chocolate chip cookies. Forget feminism, I want to stay at home with my babies, do laundry, clean the house, and cook dinner for my man every night. That's my heart and passion, and yet, I'm single... I don't regret the fact that I'm not married. I've been close a few times. I absolutely 100% know that I'm not supposed to be with the guys in my past, it was a painful lesson, but I'm glad I went through what I did. So, the question is, 'now what God?' Where am I supposed to go from here? What am I supposed to do with my life? How am I supposed to live?

I don't know the answer to those questions. I really really wish I did. Do I think I'm going to be in Lynchburg the rest of my life? No. Do I think I'm going to teach until I retire? No. There's a lot I don't know, but there are a few things I do know... I know that God has a plan for me. I know that God loves me. I know that if I follow God He will lead me down an absolutely amazing path. I know that I love God. I know that with every fiber in my being I want to love, serve, know, and follow God. These aren't emotional responses, because believe me, tonight is a night when I don't 'feel' those things. It doesn't matter what I feel, it matters what I know. So, I will hold tight to these promises from my amazing Savior and I will trust that in His timing He will make His plans known to me.

Its all coming off...

Over the last few months I've gone through a rollercoaster crazy ride, and in the process I ate whatever I felt like and didn't exercise at all. Thanks to that great combination I put on the pounds and started to feel horrible about myself. I ended up only being able to wear certain clothes and leaving most of my closet just hanging there never getting used... When I broke my back and had to go to the doctor constantly, I also had to be weighed constantly, which is never good for the ego. The day that I saw I was 30 pounds more than my projected weight was one of the worse for me ever. I'd had it, I was going to get serious about losing this weight and I was going to get healthy. I knew that it was just going to get harder to lose the weight and look the way that I wanted to as I get older so I might as well do it now. So, I set my mind to it and refuse to back down! Good thing I'm stubborn... ;)

My mom and I both had some success in the past with Weight Watchers so I decided to try it again. I also wanted to be more active and healthy, because it's not just about how I look but it's also about my body being in the best condition it can. I've started cooking at home more and sticking with my points and counting everything I eat. I don't resistrict myself from the things I love, but I do enjoy them on occasion and in small portions. Now that I'm on summer break I've got a lot more time to work out and be healthy. I walk about 4 miles a day plus working on toning and everything else that I can do, and it feels great! I still want to eat junk and lay around on the couch, but I can't deny that I really actually do feel a lot better and healthier now that I'm working on changing my lifestyle. I've lost 9 pounds now, and I can't wait to lose the remaining 21, and I'm so excited about it!