Working Hard

I've been working a lot lately.  More than usual - well scratch that not more than usual.  It's been overwhelming.  I moved in May (if you didn't know that) to Birmingham Alabama and am currently working in the Athletic Department at Samford University.  It has been a neat experience seeing the changes in the department over the last 6 months, but I won't lie to you it has been difficult.  In the last several weeks it's been harder than I have ever imagined it being.  Maybe it's because I'm dating, maybe it's because the holidays, maybe it's because I despise and loathe basketball season... but it has been hard. 
I have been questioning if this is even what I want to do with my life.  Anyone shocked reading this? I love my job.  This is what I thought I was supposed to be doing - why am I hating it all of the sudden?  
[insert Jesus.]
1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."
Can you say Thank you Jesus.  Sometimes when I am falling apart, which lets face it - happens more often to me then most people, I reword Bible verses and substitute my words to speak to my current situation.  
DISCLAIMER: I am not GOD, nor do I believe my words are better than GOD'S... however, I do believe the Holy Spirit is in me and thus helping me apply His Word to my life. 
1 Corinthians 15:58 (AP Version [Abby's Paraphrased Version] hehe)
"Hold up, Abby, be strong, have patience, sit with the Lord, and always be enthusiastic in your work no matter your circumstances or your situations, but know that when you work with enthusiasm and an opposite Spirit - you are showing MY [Christ's] love to those around you.  That work is not in vain and that work is what I have sent you to do, because when you are happy and when you LOVE others in your work - you are glorifying Me."
So not exactly paraphrased... Abby's Extended Paraphrased Version :) 
Maybe you aren't going through this at work, but chances are there will be something in your life that comes up and will challenge you and you will want to quit.  Remember - do it with joy!  Show people how to work for the Lord in any profession!  

Resolution

No it is not New Years or even my birthday.  I am not trying to lose weight or change my behavior.  

It isn't Lent or a religious holiday - it is simply time to realize what God has in store for each of us.

This resolution reminds me that men are out there that are solid, strong, and bold in their faith.  These men know the importance of obedience to God's will and the love for their wife like Jesus and His bride.  

These men learn from their mistakes, answer to God, and my favorite...

LEAD their family in the law of the Lord and in forgiveness, integrity, and to honor authority. 

These are the characteristics of a man of God.  

And if I didn't know any better, I would be describing my future husband.  So if I am 24 or 34 - It doesn't matter, because those who wait patiently on the Lord shall be praised!  

This is my first Thought Provoking Thursday - and I hope you have enjoyed it because there will be more to come.  And I have never been so filled with Joy in my life.  I am also doing the James study by Beth Moore and I cannot wait to see what God has planned.  My first week - I met some incredible women of God.  It is so neat how God places people of all ages and stages, but yet some how we are all on the same road.  We are all struggling with some of the same issues and because of that... we have each other - and God has placed each other in each other's lives for 

SUCH A TIME AS THIS :)

My Inner Thoughts Lately

I took this from the VOICE translation and it has really been on my heart lately; so I wanted to share this with you:

ROMANS 9:20-22

20Here’s my answer: Who are you, a mere human, to argue with God? If God takes the time to shape us from the dust, is it right to point a finger at Him and ask, “Why have You made me this way?”21Doesn’t the potter have the right to shape the clay in any way he chooses? Can’t he make one lump into an elegant vase, and another into a common jug? Absolutely.22Even though God desires to demonstrate His anger and to reveal His power, He has shown tremendous restraint toward those vessels of wrath that are doomed to be cracked and shattered. 

I have been struggling with comparisons lately.  Just comparing myself to my sisters, other Miss Arkansas Contestants, even olympians like Natalie Coughlin.  I came across this verse the other day in my NIV bible and decided to take a look at it in my new the Voice bible.  I love this translation because it sounds like my dad talking to me.  Not Tab Turner, my dad, but My Heavenly Dad and with this translation I can almost hear Him audibly speaking this to me.

       

I know that we have all heard the Potter's Hand song and we have seen this before - but really let it sink it - think about it again... just one more time.  Let your mind soak it up.  You can look like work in progress (where I am most of the time), you can be a pot that might not sell for millions of dollars and look messed up - but was made and crafted with love and purpose (middle), or you can be working on the ornate designs that take years to craft... God is still working on me - and one day I hope to get to the point where I can have ornate designs - but I fear right now I have begun a work in progress and am being crafted with love and purpose - because my days, my steps, are created for the glory of God.  

What a clear picture of who God is and what he can do for us and has done.

It just really puts everything in perspective for me.  I can only imagine how selfish my mind is and how God is so disappointed in me.  These verses allow me to gain a perspective and come back to the reality that my life is worth something only to glorify my creator.  If I don't do that - then I have not succeeded and I have not done what Christ put me here to do.

As I prepare for life - I must keep that in mind.  It is NOT ALL ABOUT ME - and sometimes I might not understand certain outcomes, but I do know that God created me and knows what HE IS DOING.  And that is where I find solace.  In His Arms.

and IN HIS ARMS.... and find

CHARMED BLISS

This is the Day that the LORD HAS MADE!

I am happy it is Friday.  Not only happy that it is Friday, but happy that it is NOT Thursday anymore.  Why you might ask?  Let me tell you about my Thursday...

I woke up around 5 am super nautious and soon after the stomach bug came and greeted me.  So needless to say, I missed 2 classes and 4 athletes tutor sessions.  I was out of it.  About noon I started feeling soo much better!  I mean not only was I up moving around, I actually wanted to go to work!  So I went to go get chicken noodle soup at Chik-Fil-A before heading up to work from 5-10.  Well guess what happened on myw ay to Chik-Fil-A!  I RAN OUT OF GAS!!!!  No lie.  Straight up out of gas.  God was looking out for me and I was only 2 parking lots away from a gas station.  So I bought a gas can and filled it up with gas.  The gas can was a lemon.  Which means that it did not work, so now I have gasoline all over my hands and the smell is still lingering in my car.  I filled my car up with gas and as I was backing out of the Gas Station, I backed into someone.  Yes - backed into, as in had a wreck, as in my light on the back of my car is busted!  Seriously how can this day get any worse....... 

OH GUESS WHAT> 10 minutes later I arrived at work and LOCKED my keys in my car!  Guys, I am NOT lying.  THis was my day.  So yes,

TODAY IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE!!!! 

(yesterday I am not so sure about)

actually, this is probably a good time to insert some encouragement.  God

allows us to go through hard times so that we realize how awesome our

God is in times when things are wonderful!!!  Becuase I am definitely

rejoicing because it is a great day...

AND THIS IS WHY!

BAYLOR BASEBALL STARTS TODAY AT 4  AND  MY COUSIN DEAN OTIS COOLEY WAS BORN AT 10 THIS MORNING!!

Because Baylor Baseball starts today it makes me miss my time in St Louis in October and my wonderful third baseman... David Freese!!!  Oh it will be good to watch spring training and see him behind the plate again!

I have adopted a Compassion child!!  His name is George and he is 3 years old and lives in Ghana!  My littel sister has had a compassion child for years now, and it was on my list of things to do this year!  I love this little guy, and I didn't know that honestly I would feel like this towards him.  I didn't know how personal it would be!  But God calls us to help people all over the world.  And I am doing that one little guy at a time!  His birthday is coming up... of course I am coloring him a Mickey Mouse Birthday picture!!

Last weekend I went and saw the VOW!! It was amazing.  I also had my lifegroup over to my house and I collaged an art clipbaord.  I have been wanting to do it forever, and so now I ahve finally done it.  I have heard mixed reviews from the VOW.  But I am here to tell you that it is favulous!  I loved it.  The part that really got me was the scene where her mother tells her why she stayed with her dad all of these years, she says...

"I chose to forgive him for the one thing he did wrong and love him for all of the things that he did right."

WOW.  On Sunday we talked about the Covenant Marriage and how God calls us to forgive.  And we looked at Hosea's love for Gomar.  WOW>  this love was represented in the Vow.  Now yes, the Vow is a secular movie and was probably not even trying to mirror Hosea's love - but as divorce becomes more prevalent in our society we need to push ourselves to mirror this Hosea-like love.  It's quite challenging I think.

So I have been overeating this delicious meal lately... I think I make it like twice a week!  It is amazing! 

It is called the Vegetable Pot.  I wanted to share it with you!

ENJOY THIS!!!!  It is not fattening and it is actualyl pretty healthy! 

Hope you have a great weekend!  I am headed to the Baseball Games!!!

SIC EM BEARS

Abby



Prayer

I have really been convicted lately about prayer.  When I say I am praying for you - it shouldn't be just a shout up to God whenever I think about it.  It should be a consistent effort to pray for your needs and requests.  You know how every once and a while you will get stuck on a word.   Well the word that I have been stuck  on is Active.  My God is an Active God.  You hear of God being a gracious and loving God - but how many times do we actually stop and think about how active God is in our life.  I am amazed at the things God does in my life on a daily basis.  He never sits back and says oh you prayed for that 2 weeks ago I think I will help you with that later... he is constantly there for us!  He is Always with us - always around and always wanting us to ask for his help! Because it is when we allow him to work through us that he is glorified - no, he does not need us to be glorified- just take the sunset or the sunrise.. God does it all by himself.   But when we allow him to work through us and let HIM show us how ACTIVE he is in our life - I tell you what - EXPECT to see great things!

So the other day I was eating lunch with my friend Kelsey.  Kelsey is about to leave for India on a 3 year commitment to missions.  WOW! God blesses some people with a heart for missions in other countries and I am blessed by them.  Kelsey and I were sitting at lunch and I had been challenged earlier that day to let God work in our lunch time together.  As we were eating and talking about life and catching up (we had not seen each other since high school) - I asked her if there was anything I could pray about for her.  She really needs more support and more monetary funds for her journey to India.  She is looking for about $300 more a month for 36 months.  So if you can help - please let me know, if you can't - please pray for her and her journey and that God provides which we know he will!    I asked if I could pray over our lunch and for our situations in life and she agreed, so I began to pray and I mean wow - i felt the holy spirit around us.  He was with us there at lunch.  It was an incredible feeling.  It was so incredible that a girl at the table next to us commented on our prayer and asked us about what we were doing.  It was an awesome time to share what God was doing in our life.  To see God glorified and HIS NAME BE MADE KNOWN - through a casual lunch is so encouraging to who God is.  Be challenged to continue to pray for your friends and loved ones as the journey into new phases of life.

I wanted to share one more thing I thought was cool before I start talking about my life.  Because it is all about me right?  NOT!  that was so a joke and I hope you know that - honestly.  

Okay great movie:  Evan Almighty !  Bad theology - yes, Depicts the Bible correctly - no!  Great movie lines - OF COURSE!

So being with Taylor has really gotten me to notice and remember and quote movie lines.  Its crazy has someone can have such an incredible impact on your life.  Each and everyone of us has at least one person in which we influence on a daily basis - remember that!  People are watching you and a lot of them look up to you!

OKay - back to the point... A _D_D!  

In this movie Morgan Freeman says:

"Let me ask you something.  If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience, or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?  If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him the opportunities to be courageous?  If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

How much truth is in that statement.  As I prepare to leave for Baylor in Waco, TX tomorrow a lot of feelings are running through my mind.  I am anxious and scared of the road ahead of me, but I am also sad and heartbroken to leave the ones I love in Arkansas.  It will be hard, but through all of it do I mope and sit in despair or should I look at what God has in store for me.  I have prayed for people to be placed in my life so that I can impact them on a very intense level.  Is that going to happen with me sitting at home? Maybe, but maybe God is putting me in a position to do that in Waco.  Now yes I would love to impact from Little Rock, but obviously that isn't where God needs me.  I have also been praying for perseverance and strength in my relationships - well nothing says perseverance and strength like Long Distance.  This quote really made me look at what I had been praying for to see how God might be using me in Waco.  DO NOT GET ME WRONG _  I am completely sad and miserable and have been crying all night about this move - but deep down I have solace that God will provide and I have a loving family and a wonderful boyfriend supporting me with open arms when I come back (which will be soo soon!!) 

Have I told y'all about Taylor?  He is pretty much amazing.  We are going to eat with the Mafia today at lunch.  It's going to be soo fun!  If you don't know who the mafia is... it is the Gosser Klan!  THere are soo many of us and we call ourselves the mafia because everywhere we go - we see a family member.  So watch out - you cross me... i've got the mafia.  JUST kidding!  no but seriously we are everywhere!

My life in pictures!

Found this on my google reader thanks to kati baldwin! Inside this wax paper sack (white square on the back of heart) is bird seed for a wedding!  How cute!

Laura Leigh made this bug for a project at school out of paper mache - if you can't tell it is holding 10 cupcakes.  hmmm wonder where she got that idea!  she loves her big sister!! and i love her - wow! I am going to miss that little goober!

Friday was my last day of workout before leaving for Waco with my trainer Julie!  She knew I had been craving a lemon tangy cupcake since my diet - and so she brought me one from cupcakes on kavanaugh!!  How sweet is she.  Kind of defeats the purpose of workout - but I engulfed that sucker!  It was soo good.  And as you can see I am wearing a sweatshirt!  I have been soo cold despite to extreme heat we have been experiencing in Little Rock. 

Me and Laura Leigh decided to tie-dye yesterday before the rehearsal dinner with Taylor - this is how it's done ladies and gentleman:

1. Swirl your shirts - and rubberband them!

2. Put something on the ground!  and dye your shirts!  Do not forget to wet your shirts with water it soaks up the dye better.  

3.  Wrap in Seran Wrap for 6-8 hours or however long.  I am ADD so i left mine there for 2 days ha OOPS!  My shirts are the 3 on the stop and Laura Leigh's are on the bottom.

This is the kit from Walmart that we used it was $24.95 and included a ton of colors.  We dyed 6 shirts and we ran out of almost every color - so I would recommend this kit if you are doing a lot of shirts.

Then Laura Leigh made cupcakes they are called FunCakes - don't ask thats such a weird name.  But they were sooo good!

I am soooo soooo sooo proud of Taylor.  He officiated his first wedding tonight and let me tell you one thing - I am the most proud girlfriend in the whole world right now.  He did marvelous and was so eloquent and spoke very meaningfully to the new couple!  He spoke on the positions and duties of a husband and wife in a relationship and encouraged them both to carry out those jobs and not to forget them.  I think he is a keeper!  The wedding was fun I got to see a lot of his friends and meet the girlfriends which were so sweet and very talkative!  It was a very fun night!  oh and the food was great.. but I forgot to taste the wedding cake.  WHAT! i know I am soo silly!

May your prayers always be answered.  May your life always be full.  May your path always look inviting and may you always have great friends on the sidewalk of your journey!  But most of all, 

May you be charmed in the Bliss of the Lord - and may that be your daily strength.

Be Blessed.  Be Charmed.  Be Happy.

Abby

The Wait Is Over!!

Taylor and I finally took a picture together and how I'd love for this to be an entire blogpost about how cute and precious he is or how perfect we look together.. I'll refrain because it will probably sound like Delilah and I don't know about you but when I hear Delilah on the radio I want to gag. So I'll jut show you pictures! And if you want to comment.. Feel free!


Did I tell you that Taylor brought me to St Louis this weekend? We drove up after he got off work on Friday and brought my cousin Trey and his girlfriend Madison. They are juniors in college. It's so wonderful how Taylor was thinking about us and our witness and how we should NOT come alone to a city! Taylor is great and always takes the high road with me! Love it!

We got up today and went downstairs for hotel breakfast and it was $12 a pop so we went to McDonalds!!

Then it started raining so we chilled in the hotel room for a while and finally left and went to the Galleria where we had Panda Express - I do not know what it is about mall foo courts but they rock! We saw several cubs fans and because Taylor is a Huge cubs fan he had to talk to them all!

When we came up here Dad was still trying to get us tickets.. Well we got them around 1:30! They were great seats behind 3 base line! however, it would have been nice if i would have known the game started at 3!  at 3:30 Taylor received a text from a buddy asking where we were sitting.. hey guess what!  we were still at the mall! So we rushed to the stadium (about 15 minutes) made some great friends at the parking lot and then ran inside!  Our seats, again, were wonderful and we had just the most wonderful time.





Here we are at the food court!  First official picture together!! Adorable!





In the suit store waiting on our boys - this is Madison and she is dating my cousin Trey! She was so much fun to hang out with this weekend!






This was Maurice and he helped Taylor pick out a suit for next weekend.  Okay let me let you in on a little something special in Taylor's life (besides me haha joke!)  Taylor is getting the honor to perform the wedding ceremony at one of his great college friend's wedding's next weekend.  How awesome is that.  So he had to get a suit - which is a great purchase for a 22 year old. He needed a suit.  Well, this suit was wonderful. and Looked very handsome on him.  I am getting to go to the wedding and I am wondering what I should wear - I will probably call my friend Amy, she is the best dressed... EVER!  I wish she lived with me!  She should most likely come over this week to check out my options.  I will give her a call.





Taylor in his suit!  Love it!  OKay - can i just state again if I haven't before how crazy I am about this boy and how excited I am to see him do his job.  He has been going over notes and praying about this sermon for a while and I am thrilled to see what God has in store for this couple - And I get to be there!  Have you ever been with your family, boyfriend, or friend and just been in utter joy that you were with them... that is called BLISS my friend! And I have a ton of it right now!  This boy makes me soo happy.  Oh, and I am excited to sit and watch him do a great job... can you be excited for that?  I am.





Here we are at the Cards Cubs game.. which the Cubs lost MISERABLY at.  However, the cubs came back today and won 6-3.  Touche Clark!  Taylor does not meet a stranger so everybody we saw ALL DAY that had a cubs shirt on, he had to talk to!  We got some crazy stories, but for the most part - I have learned that Americans are very friendly people and if you are being authentically genuine - they will be the same back to you and it will all work out!  Be inspired to be authentically genuine to a stranger tomorrow.. whether that be in the gym, at the store, or even driving - wave, say something nice, ask about something positive!  You will find bliss.





The gang at the game!  We had so much fun altogether and let me tell you something - madison can talk some smack!  The cubs were not playing veryw ell, the GM got kicked out, bad play at third, lowsy call at second - and they could not hit - 3 up 3 down every inning but the first.



After the game we went to Cheesecake Factory and there was an hour wait to get a beeper!  and then a 2 hour wait after that.  we said - no thanks!

and headed to red lobster -

Rules of the trade:

1.Get the Coconut Shrimp!
2. Get the Lobster Pizza
3.  DONT FORGET DESSERT _ CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE AND ICECREAM!



No lie - it was gone in a blink of an eye - and it was GOOD!




Me and Taylor - Still with that silly hat on - At least I know he is faithful and loyal!!  :)






So Today - with everything going on... I have decided to sit in peace in the knowledge that God sees everything, he knows everything, and he holds me together!  He knows what is coming up and what shall pass!

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 I will proclaim the name of the LORD.  Oh, praise the greatness of our god!  He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all His ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright, and just he is!

I am sooo impatient!  I want the answers NOW!  However, I bet God is laughing.  He is probably saying oh my child - have you learned nothing.  How many of us wander in life and think why isn't this working out - why isn't everything happening like it should.  It's because we don't have the missing puzzle piece - JESUS.  It is so bard sometimes to see God's hand and his plan at work, but walking daily and praying daily for his hand and his help and guidance in faith knowing that HE HAS REASONS AND HIS PLAN IS PERFECT!

Psalm 33:11 - But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Yes sir, that is a true verse!~  As everything in life starts wokring out again, and everything begins to unfold - I always feel so silly - like Look at your perfect plan jesus!  Your wonderful timing - WOW!!   Every curve, every tear, every bump and bruise had a purpose - and that purpose gave me a divine conspiracy.  He formed me - he knew what would happen!

I hope you are encouraged to slow down and be patient!  God does have a plan - and if you are unsure what that is right now... GET EXCITED!! that just means the best part of the story is yet to come!!  YAY!

Have bliss in a charmed way!

Abby

God, do your thing!

I have had the most fun time at the beach! Destin is by far the best place to relax and rejuvenate the soul. Preacher at church last Sunday said that he was at Yellowstone National Park and God said - look at what I created. Without any man made interference - I did this. This is what I can do when you let ME DO MY THING. Wow! That is kind of how I felt when I saw these sunsets at the beach. No, they do not even begin to capture the magnitude of God's beauty - but it does make you sit back and think. Hey, what if I didn't interfere with what God was doing in my life - What do you think would happen? Would you begin to see miracles, would jobs line up, would sicknesses begin to heal, would troubles seem to leave? Life might be a little easier - if we just let GOD DO HIS THING.

Yah, okay - now that I look at it - It's pretty disgusting! haha but here is a better picture from the back porch looking onto the Bay side (not ocean front).

And then here is one of a prettier day at the beach!

If you haven't been reading my blog Miss Cupcake Queen (Here) then you probably don't know about my obsession and insane craving for blueberries. After my diet for Miss Arkansas I have been craving blueberry ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! I am pretty sure I showed you yesterday the blueberry cake thing that Bethany and I made, so today I am going to show you the blueberry things I ate.

This is a blueberry pancake my dad made for me. I grew up eating powdered sugar and butter on my waffles and pancakes - call me weird, I know! But I love it! In fact, everyone was making fun of how much powdered sugar I had put on my Pancake in ratio with the actual BLUEBERRY pancake. Let me tell you - it was so good. Dad put real blueberries in it. It was delicious. He told me a trick that I will share with you: Heat the blueberries up in a ziplock bag before putting them in the batter - that gets some juices out of the berries so that they will mix in the pancake batter and give a fresh berry taste! Nom. Nom. Nom.

For lunch we went to Panera Bread and then got FRO - YO at 32 degrees. It was really good - of ocurse I got the Blueberry Cheesecake yogurt with real berries on top. DELICIOUS!





A picture of the Fro- Yo bar. It is actually a really cute place - but it was legit 32 degrees in there. It was a freaking ice box! yikes! we sat outside.



Girls Night Out! We all went to the Back Porch for dinner.

1. took Molly Anne forever and a day to eat her 1/2 pound of crab legs - we had paid and she had cleared our table before Molly Anne was finished. ha

2. Our waitresses arm muscles were ripped = we eventually asked her if she was a gymnast. She said yes, when I was younger! What! I wish I had arms like that good grief!

3. We no lie - sat down at 9:30, food at 10:15 and did not leave until 11. late night. yikes! still fun oh and we got t-shirts out of the meal!








After dinner - we stopped by Alvin's Island.

1. the most perverted shirts I have ever seen - i will never walk back in another one of those stores.

2. my sister got a cute destin shirt - (last picture)

3. Molly Anne won $2 in quarters out of this gambling machine.

NOTE TO READERS: she lost it all trying to win MORE! GAMBLING does that to you - don't waste your money. Okay, off the soap box. :)










Last morning there - Bethany And I made a spread of breakfast! Everybody was happy :) it was a good day. Cinnamon Rolls, Bisquits and Jelly, Eggs, and Sausage. Wow! Just call us IHOP!






This catches McKenzie in Action! She was spitting off of the 12 floor and trying to hit the man doing yard work. after about 5 tries.. she actually did it! No worries, he had a hat on.



Then, finally our last night - we had picture time! Here are some of the best!

This is my family!

All of the girls that went! We had a blast can you tell!

Then we went to the Mellow Mushroom and had some pizza!

Remember that no matter what happens - the same God that puts the stars out at night, and the same God that created sunset and waters the earth - cares for you!

He loves you. Be blessed in that and Thankful and have bliss in your life.
Abby