Sunday, June 7, 2009

an encouraged heart.

so today has just been a very encouraging day. a wonderful day. so i rejoice in it. God is so good and He never ceases to amaze me and give me the encouragement that i need right when i need it. over the past week i have really felt like God has shown me that this is right where i'm suppose to be. at least in this moment and for now. i will wait patiently until He shows me where i will go next. but today i have been encouraged in knowing that i am right where He wants me to be. i am suppose to be singing in the choir. although i am not singing in the capacity i would like to be, He has me right where He wants me. i also know that i am sooo excited about teaching the 2's class. it's funny how the verse used today in the class was this...


"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." --Joshua 1:9

the teacher told the children that God would be with them wherever they go. i've heard this verse over and over again, yet it was what i needed to hear today. there are a lot of things going on in my heart and life that can be stressful and discouraging. yet i have a great God who is always with me to help me through and to give me the grace i need to get through each day and every situation i face. it brought to my mind a song by the band Tenth Avenue North that has touched my heart. the song is called "By My Side" and it just echoes the fact that God is always with us and wants to be there because He loves us. i will let the song speak for itself now because it just says it so perfectly. [and i highly suggest you check out the band's other songs because they are just filled with encouragement and inspiration!]

Why are you striving these days

Why are you trying to earn grace

Why are you crying

Let me lift up your face

Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love

Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough

To where will you go child

Tell me where will you run

To where will you run

And I'll be by your side

Wherever you fall

In the dead of night

Whenever you call

And please don't fight

These hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side

They swallowed the grave on that night

When I drank the world's sin

So I could carry you in

And give you life

I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you

I want you to know

That I, I love you

I'll never let you go

i hope that the words of this song encourage you in the way that it has encouraged me.

until next time, peace and love.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

a bigger picture.

hello friends. have you missed me?

i wish that i could keep up with this thing better, but i have gotten busy or lazy. hmm. probably lazy. but i have been busy. i have been doing some odd babysitting jobs[not odd odd, but here and thereish kinda deal] haha. i've been spending time with special people. some from home and some from school! my heart has been full of seeing friends and getting to enjoy their company. i have greatly enjoyed seeing people from school..only because it brings back the sweet familar feelings of what i had called home for the past four years. but i have also enjoyed spending time with my friends here at home.

so this year has been interesting. i have tried new things. yes, i know i have said this before, but i really have. last night i went downtown with michelle, jill, deborah, and haleigh. we went to the gallery hop in downtown winston where they had several blocks blocked off so people could enjoy going into the very unique and interesting art galleries and shops. i enjoyed looking at the art although some of it was not anything i would consider beautiful or appealing to my eyes. there were some very interesting quilts, sculptures, photographs, paintings...and puppets. haha. there were also belly dancers, fire throwers, and two musical groups. one group of musicians were three guys playing their acoustic guitars. they had this folksy/westernish/rough around the edges look about them. but they were good. then there were two older woman who were singing. i dont really know how to describe them, but deborah and i decided that because i sing and am learning to play the guitar and she is wanting to play drums that she and i should start a band and feature our act downtown. maybe next year. we also found an empty shop that we would open and sell our art, lamps, tiles, and cds in. :) we had a great time debating the fish on the cars and making up stories about people, and practicing the walk and hair flip...and me trying not to die as i trip up the sidewalk on trade street. oh, and see all the cute puppies that were there.


speaking of puppies...thursday i saw the most precious puppies at the pet store in greensboro. trey, alicia, and i played with an almost three month old chi-weenie. she was precious. trey decided her name should be leah or rosa. :) oh thursday was such a fun day. we met at the mall then drove to downtown greensboro. we ate our huge picnic lunch at center city park. it was a cute park with fountains, sculptures, umbrella tables, and a pretty sweet apartment building where trey would like to one day live. [alicia and i decided we couldn't afford it] :(
then we went to several cute little shops and to the green bean coffee shop on elm street. it was a real cute place and alicia and i made our mark on the chalk wall in the bathroom and decided the circular mirrors in the back room were arranged to be in the shape of brail and said a word. but we dont know what it said. lol. we also saw a real cutie there. he was a josh groban look a like with pretty blue eyes. if only alicia and i had the guts to go talk to him! lol. maybe next time!
we then went to the empire room where we almost crashed in this very ancient parking deck that was probably built at the beginning of time. we went to support the children's home society and enjoy the beach music. the embers played. they are from raleigh and i thought that was pretty cool. there was also a real cutie in the band too! you know me...and musicians. ;) needless to say it was a great day!

soooo....i have rambled. but onto the "bigger picture" and reason for this post. well i guess i had more reasons.

yesterday, i had a meeting with madonna who is one of the main children's ministry people. i went to go talk to her about getting involved and serving in the children's ministry. i thought that i was only going to say that i wanted to work in a preschool sunday school class every other week, but madonna has bigger plans for me. i am going to start teaching the 2's class every other sunday. i will start this on the 14th. i am excited about it and slightly nervous....because i'm the main teacher. not like this is a huge deal, but i'm the teacher...and i will have a helper. this will be interesting. but i love kids, so it will have to be fun! :) so this position will help to prepare me for something that madonna would like for me to do starting in the fall. she would like me to become a preschool director. i'm not entirely sure what all this encompasses but i will be in charge of the preschool teachers[somewhat] and i would make sure that they have everything they need and can help make sure the team stays up to date and in the times. because of my 22 year old mind and all i know what is more going on in the world. haha. but i do see how it might help to have people of different ages and areas of expertise or gifts to help out and make sure that we are reaching these precious children and teaching them and showing, serving, and sharing with them about the love of Jesus. this is a very big thing. if i happen to be called into doing this. i need to pray quite a bit about this because i would have a lot of responsibilities with this position. it's so funny how God works and uses other people to show me some things that i could do. there are people to encourage me to do bigger things and to challenge me to step up. i'm excited because there are so many new opportunities that are coming up that i have found within center grove. we shall see what happens. but i'm open to anything right now.


my next mission. to be as passionate about finding a job. i have yet to look. i'm lazy. i know it. i'm also scared about it too. but i'm hoping to get some things done this week in regards to that. someone please call or text me and tell me to JUST DO IT! haha.


until next time....peace and love.