In Christ Alone...

...my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fierest drought and storm

Beautiful words of truth.

My big sister and Brandon's big brother sang this beautiful song at our wedding.

Thanks to a Pinterest tutorial, I took this special song and made it a part of our home.

My Craft Needs Have Been Set Free!!

So now that we own a house, I have felt my inner-craft needs have been released! I have always loved scrapbooking and making random little crafts here and there, but now that we have a home to decorate I have been a busy-bee making lots of small and not-so-necessary crafts but oh so fun to make! Brandon and I have decided that making crafts for me is therapeutic. I would rather sit and play with fabric and hot glue than watch TV or taking a bubble bath. Let's just say, the people at Hobby Lobby know both Champ and myself (he is welcomed at our Hobby Lobby - the employees love him and he loves them!)

I have included pictures of some of my random projects below! Much thanks to pinterest for some of the inspiration!

fabric flowers to add a little color to a boring lamp shade...

burlap and white fabric on wreath...(peek-a-boo Champers!)

coffee filters and spray paint...

old hand-me-down rocking chair re-coated with spray paint to get it a fresh look for the summer!

canvas and puff paint ....

photo, canvas and paint...

poster board and moss....

New Boots

So I got some cowboy boots! I've lived in Texas for 22 years and never owned any! I think I can consider myself a true Texan now! Anyhow, I'm now looking for events I can wear them to - Houston rodeo anyone?

When deciding between the typical brown boot and the red boot - I obviously had to go with the red. We all know I'm not wearing these boots for field use - pure fashion :) Fingers crossed that cowboy boots wont go out of style anytime soon!

33 days

So lets review what has occurred in the pastt 33 days..
1. We got hitched!! ;)
2. Had the most amazing time in Maui
3. Celebrated Christ's birth at 6 different houses
4. Packed everything and moved to H-Town
5. I started the full-time job as JUMP and GiGL director at Second
6. Brandon started Seminary at Southwestern to pursue a Masters of Arts in Christian Education
7. We began out CARES team part-time job at our apartment complex (weekly welcome visits, along with three parties per month, plus many other fun things)
8. We are experiencing a brand new building opening for Second in Pearland (opens January 24!)

All this to say that I feel a lot wiser than I did 33 days ago :)

And, although I feel like Im swimming in things to do (plus literally swimming in boxes in our apartment that have yet to be unpacked), I have the most amazing man alongside of me through it all. And I am blessed, thankful, joyful, excited and at peace because God placed all of this before us and gives us Philipians 4:13 to stand on!

Now, I'm going to lay down in my pjs, enjoy the delicious dinner my hubs is cooking, and learn JUMP and GiGL songs until the sun goes down :)

Our next two years...

God has really opened up the doors for Brandon and I to be in such a unique place in our lives right now. We are seeing job opportunities unfold, but are knowing that we are being called certain places.

We had known that we wanted to do CARES ministry for a long time. We both LOVE entertaining and getting to know our neighbors... so what better way that to coordinate the community events?!? I LOVE event coordinating and pulling pieces together to make a party -so this is JUST up my alley! And Brandon thrives off getting in a deep conversations a relationships with people - so this will open up so many ministry opportunities that we are beaming with excitement about!

Brandon and I went last Tuesday for our CARES interview. She approved us the join CARES halfway during the interview. What an amazing answered prayer that was! We were hoping to find out soon wether or not we'd been accepted - but God didn't hesitate to let us know. The normal turn-around time to get placed in a CARES apartment is about 6 weeks; at the end of our interview, she offered us a location to go look at that evening. Another AMAZING burden lifted. Jesus knew our hearts cry to be somewhere soon!

We then interviewed with the apartment manager on Friday - and again, about halfway into the interview she informed us that she knew we were the right people for her from the moment she saw us - God is amazing. She then offered us the position on the spot and took us to pick our apartment! WOW. We had NO idea this would all happen so quick but we are LITERALLY jumping up and down, in tears, excited! We are very very much aware that this was ALL God's handy work. We heard His calling and sought after it - and we have landed in our new home! PLUS Our manager is so so so sweet and very excited that we will be joining their staff.

On a side note, last night John, Brandon, Allison and I went to the Nutcracker Festival at Reliant Stadium.. and I get this tap on the shoulder from someone who looks a lot like me...it was my half-sister whom I haven't seen since the 7th grade. WOW. It was awesome seeing her and catching up for about 15 minutes. Brandon and I look forward to going to their house soon for dinner to really catch-up and reminisce about our Dad. Im so excited to hear her stories about him :)

God is amazing. He has taught me over and over this summer that if I wait for Him, listen to His calling, and follow it obediently, then I will be blessed far beyond my imagination.

Apartment 337... here we come :)

For You Alone Be Glorified

I'm at a point of exhaustion that I have never reached before. Every level of my being is worn down to the core - emotional, mental, physical.

But I know it's times like these where my true testament of my faith shines the brightest - no matter what I am enduring, He should be glorified through it all.

Never should my weakness become a burden; instead, let it be an opportunity to let His light shine brightly in my life.

Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him

Nehemiah 8:10
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Habakkuk 3:19
The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

The Life of a Pre-K Teacher

WOW. I am overwhelmed with how much work is required to teach the little tykes! They are such busy bees... if you turn your back for, literally, 10 seconds, you have lost all their attention. They are at such a curious, striving for independence, learning to not bite/hit/say mean things, age. I am with the precious babies, all 19 of them, from 8-5. And I have no planning period. So calling my life "overwhelming" right now is a light term. I try and run and laminate a sheet of paper here and there on my way in and out of lunch. And I attempt to get things organized for the next day while the kids line up for recess. I really am trying my absolute best to give these children the best knowledge and education...and as long as I'm trying my best, that's all that I can offer.

I can't complain though - the Lord put me here to learn, grow, gain experience and make a difference in the children's lives. I have to be completely honest though - there is nothing I look more forward to than the last hour when we are in our "learning centers" and I get to work on enrichment art with different small groups. It's at this point that I can give each kiddo individual time. I love to chat with them and hear what they are feeling, thinkin and learning. They have the cutest things to say.. it makes my heart melt.

I also love when I hear the kids using sayings that I say and when they start singing with me randomly. A favorite of mine that they have started joining me in on when I start to sing... "Good morning, good morning, its great to stay up late... good morning, going morning to you and you and you and you and you, etc etc." (From Singing In The Rain).

Altogether, I am learning tons and am bombarded with support from my amazing fiance, who comes to visit me for lunch at least 2 or 3 times a week!

Oh, and we are 72 days from being man and wife!!! :)

Our class represented China at our school-wide cultural celebration. In their little minds... we definitely flew to China and it was amazing. :)