When you give a neighbor a cookie...

We had a funny thing happen tonight.

Background: We live in an apartment complex. Back around Christmas time we baked our neighbors some cookies. Other than that, we do not know our neighbors, we just see them walking by now and then.

Tonight we had a tornado headed right towards the area our apartment is in, so Paul and I were gathering blankets and heading towards the middle of the apartment when we heard a knock on our door. It was a couple that lives upstairs, seeking shelter from the tornado. So, we let them and started chatting and then we heard another knock on the door, and when we opened it, it was the other two sets of neighbors from upstairs. So then there were 8 of us crammed in our little apartment. Eventually the storm let up and the neighbors went back home. A few minutes later Paul opened the door to check the weather, and there was a little green frog sitting on our doorstep, looking at us. I looked at Paul and said, "This is where we draw the line." lol.

In other news, I only have 9 weeks of school left! Praise the Lord! I am so excited to be graduating soon.

Bi-annual blogging is no bueno.

So, I haven't blogged in almost exactly half a year. Oops. You'd think I was in nursing school or something. Here's my life update:

LAST SEMESTER OF SCHOOL!!!!!!! HOORAY!!!!! I am ecstatic. I love my classes so far! Last semester was rough because the information in lecture was either uninteresting or were bits of information we had learned in previous classes. This semester I am getting slammed with new information, but it is super interesting and is really connecting the dots for me.

Marriage is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I love seeing my husband every evening when we get home. He is so helpful around the house (yes, even after 6 months) and it's just such a relief to finally be married after 4 years of dating. Oh, and I have had the most fun cooking different meals. I found that I LOOOOOOVE to cook and I had no idea! Marriage has made school much easier as well. I was able to pull off a 4.0 last semester thanks to the support of my husband.

I've applied for a job on the floor that I love. We will see what happens. I want the job sooooo badly. It's the one of the reasons I went to nursing school. However, God will put me where He wants me to be.

I started a new quiet time schedule. In the mornings I am now getting up 37 minutes earlier than before. I roll out of bed and spend the first 7 minutes praying, then I spend 30 minutes reading and meditating before I start to get ready for the day. It has been a challenge this week with my early morning school schedule, but I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Well, that's the update. I want to start blogging more often again. I have missed it!

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" Psalm 119:105.

I love this verse because it is so simple, but so true. If we aren't using the light (the Bible) to guide our way through life, then we are walking in darkness and we will never find the way.

Thank you, God, for Your Word!

One Month!

Paul and I have been married for a little over a month now. Monday made one month for us. For our one month anniversary, we ate at the Olive Garden and it was soooooo good! Their white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is one of my favorite deserts in the whole world.

Paul surprised me by bringing home roses! I love roses!!! I'm not a big flower person just because they are so expensive and they die so quickly (it's a lot of money for something that won't last long), but I really like getting them every once in a while for a special occasion, so our 1 month anniversary was just perfect! Paul knows me so well!

On Tuesday night (day after our 1 month) we decided to dive into our wedding cake topper (which is more like a whole cake) for our 1 month rather than our 1 year, because so many people have told us that no matter how well you wrap the cake, it never tastes that good after it has been sitting in one's freezer for a whole year. We will just make a new cake to celebrate when we get to a year.

Paul wanted me to take a picture of the dinner I made for him on Tuesday night. It wasn't anything special, but he thought it was really good. I made stuffed baked potatoes, fruit salad with whipped cream, and cut up some bell peppers. Of course, cake was dessert. YUMMY!

Married Life

I am enjoying married life soooooooo much! It is so nice to have my own husband & home to take care of every day! Of course, my sweet husband is making being married a breeze. On the days that Paul leaves the house for work before I do, I receive a little love note on the refrigerator. I've been finding that I now wake up and run to the refrigerator with anticipation, wondering what my note for the day will say. It is so much fun!

I have also been enjoying cooking for myself and my husband. We have been eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables since it is summertime. Since we live so close to the grocery store, it hasn't been hard at all to stop by on my way home and pick up fresh produce, especially since the produce has been on sale these past few weeks!

I have also found that my relationship with God has deepened since Paul and I have been married. It is an exciting challenge to spend my time serving my husband and at the same time, developing character qualities that have been lacking in the past. Being married and living with my husband is allowing me to clearly see some of the areas where I am severely deficient as far as Christian character goes.

There is the verse in Proverbs that says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord," but I think the same goes for she who finds a husband. Too bad the best one is taken now! ;)

Wedding!

I can hardly believe I'm getting married in two days! Today we will spend most of the day setting up the church, we will continue that on Friday, then we have rehearsal dinner that night, then hopefully a good night's rest & the big day is finally here!!!!! Pray for me and Paul for the next few days and as we prepare to spend our lives together.

Yes, I should be studying.

I need to be studying for my finals, but I wanted to give a little update since I have not posted since March.

We are now less than 7 weeks from when I become a Mrs.! WOW!

I am so excited to become Paul's wife and to have my own little home to tend. I have never lived away from my parents, so it is going to be a learning experience. I think it will be very hard to go into my new kitchen and not have my mother's bakeware, pots and pans, silverware, plates, etc. when I am trying to prepare a meal. I just know I'll start cooking and I'll have forgotten that I didn't have that one spice ingredient I needed. Good thing WalMart will be close! haha!

School is wrapping up soon. I have a presentation tomorrow and two finals on Thursday.

My big prayer request is for the week after this week. Not this Thursday, but next Thursday (May 14th) I have what is called the "HESI test" which is a progression test to decide whether or not I continue from junior to senior year, basically deciding whether or not I stay in nursing school or get kicked out. I get three chances to take it and pass, but the second chance is when I'm supposed to be gone on my honeymoon, so I'm really, really praying that I'll pass it the first time so that I can concentrate on wedding planning and have fun with it rather than trying to balance studying for that test & wedding planning.

I know God's will always goes forth, but please pray that I will not be anxious or nervous about this test. Pray that I will be diligent in studying, but that I will not worry about passing it or not, because God is in control. Pray that when I am tempted to worry, that I will remember to stop and pray and give it up to God. Pray that He will continue to be the delight of my heart and that I will remember that nothing on this earth matters as long as I am serving Him with all of my heart, and that He will direct my paths. Pray that I will trust Him.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7, ESV).

I'm looking forward to being around more this summer and not feeling like my life revolves around school and wedding planning. I miss everyone!

Rainy day in more ways than one

Lord, show me where You want me and who You want me to be, because all I want is what You want. Show me what You want from me and teach me to be who You will for me to be. I want to make an impact for Your kingdom, but sometimes I feel so stagnant and useless. Please help me to fight the lies that Satan throws at me and help me to remember that I'm not worthless, because I am Yours and You gave me breath for a reason. You made me to glorify You and if all I do here on this earth is live each day to praise You, then I will fulfill Your purpose for me. Help me to remember that I'm not here to save the world, but to be a vessel for You. I am merely Your instrument. Work in my heart to mold me into whatever piece of pottery You wish me to be, and help me to be content with planting seeds, even if I don't see the fruit that they produce. Do away with the will of my flesh, and make Your will what I always desire.

"But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand"
(Isaiah 64:8, ESV).

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"
(Micah 6:8, ESV).