I have been blessed...

From the words of Martina McBride herself, I have truly been blessed. Below is one of the first pictures that we ever took. This was our original group when we all first started out.
Julie and I were the leaders at that time. What about now?
*Our numbers have almost doubled.
*Jessie has joined us as one of our faithful leaders since our group is so "exciting." :)
*It's been amazing to watch God working through each one of these girl's lives. He has been so faithful to us all.














What an adventure it's been. I can't say enough about how much every single one of these ladies has impacted my life. From encouraging me when I'm down, always giving me something to giggle about, and just bringing me joy every single time I see them...it's been wonderful! God is good and I truly am blessed :)
Thank you so much for this past year, it's been amazing.
Love you all,
B

Sun Dried Goodness

My amazing fiance went to this place a few weeks ago:

Beautiful Italy: home of wonderful food, motor scooters, the POPE, and amazing architecture

My sweet hubby-to-be, while in Italy, bought me these:

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Holy Moly. I put them in my pasta today for dinner (whole wheat pasta of course) and every bite I took was like a tiny glimpse of Heaven. They were tangy yet sweet. They were chewy yet tender.
They. Were. Beautiful.

Thank you fiance :)
-B

A Little Update

Needless to say, things have been fairly stressful the past month or so. According to an article that I read,

What are the most stressful times in life?
1. Moving
2. Unemployed - and looking for a job
3. Getting Married
4. Having a child
5. Paperwork when buying a house

The 5th one seems a little far-fetched for me, but I'll take it. So yes. In a few months, I will be or am currently:
1) Moving (possibly twice)
2) Looking for a job
3) Getting married
and my own #4)Finishing up my dog gone master's degree while studying for a comp exam

HOWEVER! Things have most certainly become more hopeful in the past few days.
1) Both my fiancé and I have job interviews this week
2) I'm getting ready to sign on a lease for a duplex for the fall and I'll be living with the most amazing girls ever
3)I think I'm going to get a CAT! and most likely name it Alfred...or The Promise Land...or Molly after Miss Molly Kneece of course :)

So. My standings? I currently am stressed, but much more content with the Lord knowing what I'm going to do and me not knowing it. He is after all sovereign and in control - things will work out to His glory. I am confident of that!

Family

Today, I'm deciding to focus on my family :)

*My parents have been married for 30+ years
*They still love each other
*They periodically make out with each other in front of our friends to SHOW that they still love each other



*Kristi is my oldest sister and Daniel is her husband - they've been married for almost seven years
*BOTH of them have their Ph.D's in microbiology and organic chemistry...Obviously, they've got brains
*Daniel has been around since I was ten years old - he was gracious enough to put up with me and my hormonal years as a teenager
*It's really evident that Daniel loves Kristi just in the way that he takes care of her and loves her. It's awesome to watch them interact.
*They will officially be starting their own family in about 6 weeks with the birth of Nora!



*Jenny and B have been married for almost two years
*I'm always amazed at how Jenny can light up a room when she walks in.
*She has this ability to make you giggle when you need it
*She has a pretty tough job teaching a group of kids, yet she loves them and will literally do anything for them.



*I am one blessed girl
*My family supports me and encourages me on a daily basis
*There's never a day that goes by when I don't hear "I love you."
*There is also NEVER a dull moment in our house :)










Love,
B

Thankful!

Personalize a slideshow design

I have so many good memories from the past year or two that I thought I should share!
Love y'all!
-B

Trusting

As I'm sitting here in class (a 5:45-8:30 poo poo class in Greenville), it's obvious that my brain is elsewhere rather than on my stimulating action research that is of math, calculators, and high school. My tummy is gurgling from my Feb.27th yogurt and granola that I ate earlier for dinner and my fingers are swelling from the heat outside. It’s VERY exciting being me right now.

Currently, there are many things in my life that could be tremendously stressful if I allow them to be. I’ve got some friendships that are strained for one reason or another, there are tremendous budget cuts going on in the upstate so to say the least, the jobs opportunities are lacking, I’m in the process of finding a house/apartment to rent for the next year, and I’m beginning to get into the thick of wedding planning.

It’s so easy to get caught up in throwing myself a pity party, but I am bound and determined to not let myself get bogged down with stress. There is a song by Chris Tomlin that has been on my mind. A few of his lyrics are:
“Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other…There is none like YOU!”

Amen to that. God is greater than my stresses and my triumphs, He’s greater than everything! For that reason, I’m deciding to focus on the positives and trust my God that He is sovereign and that He’s going to take care of me!

Just a few positives:
*My tummy didn't get sick from my yogurt that was a month and almost two weeks past due
*I have the most wonderful family (bro-in-laws included)
*I'm going to be an aunt in a little less than two months!
*I can say that by June, I will have finished my master's degree in LESS than a year
There are about a million others, but to save you the time, I won't write about them all right here. Maybe I'll start a "What I'm thankful for today" post...Hmmmmm

-B

Who knew?!

Beth Moore, one of my heroines, recently did a post about "10 things you may not know about me" and it definitely peaked my interest. Here are her directions:
"What are 10 things - right off the top of your head - that we would only know about you if we knew you really well? 10 random things ranging anywhere on your personal map that make you a tad distinctive? Or just plain weird? Think quickly. Don't go for deep. Go for quirky. Don't try to put them in any kind of order and don't make them long. Just start typing."
So here goes:
1)I played the French Horn through middle and high school and was pretty competitive at it
2)My dad was a missionary in Japan for three years
3)My biggest pet peeve - people who whine and shirt tags sticking out
4)I could eat cheerios and chocolate for every meal
5)I LOVE to fish
6)I sucked my thumb until I was in the third grade and I can brag about the fact that I never had braces or any dental work
7)The only reason I went to Clemson? Because my parents didn't want me to go there
8)I WILL beat you in a burping contest unless you are Kristi James Whitehead...and then I just fail. Utterly fail.
9)I have an obsession with high heels
10)I was a rebel two years ago and got a tattoo :)

Happy Easter Weekend!! Yay Jesus!
Love, B