SURPRISE!

I LOVE surprises.

Good ones, of course. Big or small. For a special occasion, or no reason! There is nothing like the thrill of being surprised.

How do I know I've got a good guy? He continually surprises me!

This week I had the honor of speaking at FCA at Campbell University. Those of you who know me know that public speaking scares the daylights out of me! I was feeling anxious and nervous beforehand. After I spoke last night, the nerves were still getting to me. I was feeling unsettled because a few people told me I had done well but I was still feeling unsure. This morning, I get a text saying I was incredible and I wasn't sure what inspired that comment so I asked. He responded my sermon from last night and I jokingly said he didn't know what I said. He then tells me that he felt bad about not being there and asked one of our friends to secretly record me so he could listen to it. I thought he was teasing me but he referenced my opening line and I was shocked! I couldn't believe he found a way to be there and support me because he knew what a challenge it was for me as well as doing it in a way that would not make me nervous.

I am one blessed lady, that's for sure!

I think I've got a winner on my hands!

Confessions of a Bride: There WILL be Tears

Life has changed drastically since June 23, 2013. I am now in the process of planning a wedding, trying to finish my last semester in graduate school, as well as figure out where in the world I am going to live come May 3, 2014!

I have embarked on this journey of getting married, and let me tell you, it is a wild ride! I am not one of those girls who played wedding growing up, or had all the details planned out by the time I was 13 years old. In fact, I dreaded getting engaged because I knew it meant I would have to plan a wedding. I don't know about you, but wedding planning is STRESSFUL.

People keep saying it is supposed to be fun and it should not stress you out. Excuse me, but FALSE. Yes, it is an exciting time but it is also nerve-wracking. Not only are you planning a celebration bringing together two different (very different) families, but you are also preparing for the REST of your life with one person. That's a big deal. It's a commitment that is not to be taken lightly. And no matter how well you know each other before you get engaged, being engaged is a learning process.

Here's the thing about being engaged: life still goes on. You still have work, school, family, etc. to deal with on top of trying to plan a wedding! We don't get the luxury of pushing pause on everything else so we can take time to take care of wedding stuff.

Oh, did I mention doing this all long-distance? Yup. Being in a long-distance engagement definitely has its challenges.

One of the challenges is letting the wedding day take over and becoming the focus instead of reminding yourself the point of the wedding is to get married. The foundation of the marriage is more important for the rest of your life than the details of one day. That is something I have struggled to remember. I constantly have to tell myself, "It's not about the wedding, it's about being married." It's easy to say but hard to believe that sometimes. You have to keep repeating that to yourself, even in those moments when it is hard to believe.

I'm not a crier. I don't easily express my emotions. But engagements, weddings, and marriages are emotional times. So, there will be a time when tears will come. They could be happy tears, sad tears, frustrated tears, or many mixed emotions! Let the tears come. They are a part of life and we need to embrace them. They help us to recognize what we are feeling and how we can grow from that.

I have cried at least twice already. I can say I hope there are no more tears, but somehow I have a sneaky feeling that will not be true. And that is okay.

Stay tuned for more confessions of a bride.

Wherever you are, be all there.

It's Over.

It's over.

Those can be long-awaited words or the most dreaded words that a person hears.

It can signify the end of a long semester full of tears and stress, the end of drawn-out labor culminating the birth of a new life, or the end of a hard-fought battle with cancer.

Those words can bring relief or they can bring agony.

We all face those moments of "it's over" in our lives. Those are moments of joy and of sorrow. As I prepare to enter into my last semester of school ever, I am about to leave one season of my life to enter into another. The words "it's over" echo in my mind with disbelief. I cannot believe I am about to reach that point. It is such a bittersweet moment because I have worked hard to get to this point, but I have become invested and a part of this community of learning and faith that I have been a part of since 2007.

The past few days, I have watched another part of the Campbell community experience this. The Campbell baseball team had a record-winning season of 49 wins. It was an impressive feat with the community rallying behind them with full support. However, the Camels lost by 1 run and were overlooked to continue on. For those players who this is their final year at Campbell, what a bittersweet end. They set a record but ended on such negative note. However, I have never seen such positive outlooks and integrity in the response as I have from the players. They have responded with gratitude and thankfulness at being able to be a part of a team full of support and encouragement. They recognize that being a part of a team that is like a family is not about the score at the end of the day. Campbell University baseball team has won something far greater. The team will only grow stronger, and I am excited to see what they do next year.

Watching the response of the baseball team, the University, and the community in support of the team has made me realize how grateful and blessed I feel to be a part of this community. It gives me hope that we as people can work together to have a community where people are supported and encouraged. As Christians, this is something we are called to do. And we need to recognize we will go through different seasons, as individuals and as a community. We need to be thankful for what each season in our life has taught us and realize that we cannot stay in one season. Just as there are four seasons in a year,  there will be many different seasons of our lives. It is up to us to embrace each season and fully live in each one.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" -Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Story Lives On

As I encounter different stories, whether reading them or hearing them, I realize more and more that the story lives on. There is power in story-telling. Stories are dynamic and ever-changing.

I recently had two different people tell me how I am part of their stories and how thankful they are for me. I was humbled and it reminded me of the people that are part of my story and how thankful that I am for them.  I do not tell these people enough that they are indeed part of my story and how grateful I am to them for investing in me. There is power in sharing. As these people have shared with me, I want to share with others.

I am thankful for my story and the larger story that I am part of as God is working in my life and others.