This post was inspired by my best friend Anna. While attending a New Year's Eve party the other night, she came up with an idea that her family does every birthday. You say three good things about the past year and three things you are looking forward to in the coming year. I have never really been big on making new year's resolutions I really liked this idea. So here are mine...
3 good things from 2012
1. Getting a job-although there are days where I question if this is where I am supposed to be I am thankful to have a job doing something that I love. I am thankful that I now feel financially stable and that I don't have to ask my parents for money.
2. In June 2012 my best friend came home from Argentina. This is a good thing because although we talked while she was gone, it was def not the same has having her here every day and just being able to pick up the phone to call her. I know that her time in Argentina was the biggest blessing for her, and that she has grown so much. I am glad she is home!
3. Realizing how important family is. I know how cliche this sounds, but it's the truth. When you think family is the only thing you got, you realize not to take them for granted. I am very grateful for mine especially during this past year.
3 things I am looking forward to in 2013
1. Losing weight and starting a healthier lifestyle!
2. Growing in Christ even more! I feel that 2013 is going to be a great year and that God has big things in store for me! I can't wait to see what these things are.
3. You knew it was coming-the possibility of meeting my future husband. I know that this may not be the year, but I am being hopeful in prayer that it is. But it will all depend on God's timing. Trust me I'm ready.
Happy New Year!! Looking forward to a great 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Letting Go
As I mentioned in my last blog I am really struggling with this phase of life that I am currently in. I am trying to find my place in this world. I'm not sure why I act like God isn't going to give me what I need or that he isn't going to see something through, because he always does. This morning Maria gave her testimony to our Sunday School class. Something I needed to hear. She talked about how we (as women) always have a plan. We plan out our entire lives. For example. I wanted to be married by now, and at least having a child or two. But guess what I'm not. Maria had the same sort of plan as in the fact that she wanted to get married and have kids right after college. She was with this guy for 6 years and thought he was on the one. But long behold God had another plan. And it was Jason. The man of her dreams. Never in a million years would she have thought she would have waited that long to get married. Long story, short her testimony inspired me because I am all the time planning my entire life. I need to learn to LET GO. I need to trust that God has his OWN plan, that in the long run will be way better than mine. His plan will meet all of my needs in HIS TIMING which is the hardest part.
Friday, November 16, 2012
I'm Back
I'm BACK!! I know it has been awhile..months actually. Having a big girl job keeps me pretty busy and I do not have a lot of time for blogging. There are a lot of things going on here lately that I want to update you on...
First things first, please be in prayer for some very close friends of mine and their church. And also my old youth pastor Eric. His life is being dramatically changed, and I'm hoping that he will use these changes for God's glory. It's funny because I feel like sometimes we don't see the bigger picture and then something happens and it's like wow...I get it. Eric is someone who "raised" me in youth, and I'm not sure I would be where I am in my life now without him. Please be in prayer for him, and his family.
Wedding season is in full swing again. The next few months are going to be filled with showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings. My friend Jessie (who I mentioned in the last blog) is getting married on December 15th. I was asked to be one of her honorary bridesmaids and I was delighted. Jessie is a great friend and I cannot wait to share this special day with her and Hayden. My friend Donia FINALLY got engaged to her boyfriend Robert. Let me tell you this is one engagement I (and Donia) have been waiting on for a super long time. Robert originally told me he was going to do it last December, and yet here we are in November and it just happened. It was well worth the wait, and I am thrilled for them!!
I am still struggling a little bit with this phase of life I am in. 25 is such a hard age! Let's not talk about the fact that I am going to be 26 next month...blah! It's so weird because most of my friends that are my age are either engaged, married, or having babies. I am not doing any of those things. Yes-I have a good job that I love, but I am single and starting to feel like I don't really fit in anywhere. You always hear people say that when you go to college it's the biggest change of your life. I beg to differ, I think when you graduate from college and get a real job is the biggest change of your life. The real world is tough and I am leaning that the hard way.
Life is hard, Life is all about change, Things happen when you least expect them. I am praying and believing God for bigger and better things!
Happy Friday
First things first, please be in prayer for some very close friends of mine and their church. And also my old youth pastor Eric. His life is being dramatically changed, and I'm hoping that he will use these changes for God's glory. It's funny because I feel like sometimes we don't see the bigger picture and then something happens and it's like wow...I get it. Eric is someone who "raised" me in youth, and I'm not sure I would be where I am in my life now without him. Please be in prayer for him, and his family.
Wedding season is in full swing again. The next few months are going to be filled with showers, bachelorette parties, and weddings. My friend Jessie (who I mentioned in the last blog) is getting married on December 15th. I was asked to be one of her honorary bridesmaids and I was delighted. Jessie is a great friend and I cannot wait to share this special day with her and Hayden. My friend Donia FINALLY got engaged to her boyfriend Robert. Let me tell you this is one engagement I (and Donia) have been waiting on for a super long time. Robert originally told me he was going to do it last December, and yet here we are in November and it just happened. It was well worth the wait, and I am thrilled for them!!
I am still struggling a little bit with this phase of life I am in. 25 is such a hard age! Let's not talk about the fact that I am going to be 26 next month...blah! It's so weird because most of my friends that are my age are either engaged, married, or having babies. I am not doing any of those things. Yes-I have a good job that I love, but I am single and starting to feel like I don't really fit in anywhere. You always hear people say that when you go to college it's the biggest change of your life. I beg to differ, I think when you graduate from college and get a real job is the biggest change of your life. The real world is tough and I am leaning that the hard way.
Life is hard, Life is all about change, Things happen when you least expect them. I am praying and believing God for bigger and better things!
Happy Friday
Friday, August 17, 2012
Growing Up
I am now entering this phase of my life that some would call ADULTHOOD. Although technically by law you are an adult when you turn 18, I don't think you have really achieved adulthood until you have graduated college, started a big girl job, got married, have kids, etc. I believe that all of the things contribute to adulthood...Why you ask? Because all of these things consist of doing at least some part of these things on your own. Let me be the first to tell you that growing up is hard to do.
It's weird because this weekend is when the majority of college students go back to school. This is the first time in 2 years that I am not moving back to Boone. There are some days where I wish I could move back to Boone, but then there are other days where I am so thankful that I don't have to deal with the stress of registering for classes, or moving into a new place. Now I am having to deal with the stress of making sure my classroom is ready for 18 preschoolers. Which is also a lot of stress, but I am also very excited about beginning my big girl job. It's hard to believe that I am the LEAD TEACHER. I am in complete control of 18 children, and their lives are in my hands for most of the day. I am trying to prepare my heart and my head for this. I am a lucky girl because my internship was better than I could have ever imagined, and I learned from one of the best teachers around, I am still a little nervous about having my own classroom and my own set of children. Please pray for me in the coming weeks that God will give me a peace about getting everything done, and a heart that is so ready to love on these children as they enter my classroom.
Back to the growing up thing. As most of you know I have attendeda few a ton of weddings in my day. Just recently two of my very close friends got engaged. My friend Nicole to her lifetime boyfriend Alex. My lifelong friend and old roommate Jessie to her boyfriend Hayden. I could not be more excited for these two couples!! Another part of growing up is getting married, but I am patiently waiting on God's time for that. On another note, my friend Emaly (who is the same age of me) just had her first child on August 7th. This is another event that blows my mind. She has a baby, she is my age, and one of "us." But let me tell you how much I love that little baby already. His name his Micah Parker Williams and he is absolutely adorable!
So between big girl jobs, engagements, and having kids I would say that most of my friends and I are now in the full stages of adulthood. Stay tuned it should be a good ride...
XOXO
It's weird because this weekend is when the majority of college students go back to school. This is the first time in 2 years that I am not moving back to Boone. There are some days where I wish I could move back to Boone, but then there are other days where I am so thankful that I don't have to deal with the stress of registering for classes, or moving into a new place. Now I am having to deal with the stress of making sure my classroom is ready for 18 preschoolers. Which is also a lot of stress, but I am also very excited about beginning my big girl job. It's hard to believe that I am the LEAD TEACHER. I am in complete control of 18 children, and their lives are in my hands for most of the day. I am trying to prepare my heart and my head for this. I am a lucky girl because my internship was better than I could have ever imagined, and I learned from one of the best teachers around, I am still a little nervous about having my own classroom and my own set of children. Please pray for me in the coming weeks that God will give me a peace about getting everything done, and a heart that is so ready to love on these children as they enter my classroom.
Back to the growing up thing. As most of you know I have attended
So between big girl jobs, engagements, and having kids I would say that most of my friends and I are now in the full stages of adulthood. Stay tuned it should be a good ride...
XOXO
Monday, June 18, 2012
Changes
I know that I have been MIA lately. I have sat down a dozen times to write this blog, but then realized that I didn't have enough time or something else came up. Here it goes...to say life has been busy is an understatement. I have gone through a lot of changes in the past few weeks and I am excited and sad about some of them.
I spent the last day of school with my kids at my internship. We had a little graduation thing for them and it was precious. I was so sad! I can't believe the school year was over and that I finally had to say goodbye to these kids for the last time. One of my sweet little girls in my class made me this teacher bag with her hand prints on it that stood as the flowers. She wrote my name on it and her name, and the year. It was the cutest thing and I cannot wait to use it. Saying goodbye to my kids was hard, but I know they are going to go on to be the best kids they can be. I am thankful that I got to be a part of that.
In other news, my plans for the summer I have changed. I thought that I was going to be keeping the Carpenter girls all summer, but I am not. They had some family members step up and volunteer to keep them for the summer for free. Completely understandable, but I was very sad. I spent two days with them last week and those were my last two days with them. One day Caroline cried and on the last day Julia would not let me go. I was so heartbroken for them. I know that they were looking forward to spending the summer with me, and now that as all changed. I will miss them dearly. So what am I doing this summer? Working at BBQ King of course. I am so thankful for that job, and thankful that Keith is going to let me work this summer. I also plan to go to the Outer Banks with my WHOLE family, and hopefully make a visit to Boone very soon. I miss that place like crazy. Also, a HUGE event that is happening tomorrow is that my best friend ANNA SIPE is coming home from Argentina for good. It has been two years, which some days is hard to believe, but I am so excited to have her back in my life on a day-to-day basis. Although I will say since she has been gone I feel that our friendship has only strengthened but because we have managed to stay in contact and put forth the effort to remain close. I can't imagine what my reaction is going to be tomorrow when I see her, and know that she is home for good. I AM SO EXCITED just thinking about it!
More exciting news....
After my internship I was in full-job hunt mode. I was freaking out thinking that I wasn't going to find anything, and I knew that my parents would not be happy. Being in a school setting for my internship I decided that I was ready to try something else and that I really wanted to be in a center if possible. Well as luck would have it I called this place in Denver (that I had heard really good things about) called Ms. Em's Child Development Center. The Director told me that they had a lead teacher position open for NC Pre-K starting in August. I thought...how perfect! Because my internship was with NC Pre-K so I already knew the curriculum and was comfortable in that setting. I filled out the application, went an for an interview, and GOT THE JOB!!! Ahhhh...I am so excited. God is so good!! Not only do I get to work in a center, but I am getting paid through the state and benefits through the state.They also operate on the public school calender. So it's almost like I am working in the public school but I am not. The best of both worlds? Possibly. It is hard for me to fathom the fact that I am going to be in charge of my own kids come August. I have an assistant-that's crazy to me. Do I feel prepared? Well yes-mainly because I had the best cooperating Pre-K teacher in the world. Thank you Rosemary! So I will start in August, but this summer will also consist of a lot of planning. I am going to have my own classroom! Hello BIG GIRL STATUS! I can't wait to start this journey of being in the real world! Life after college isn't that bad!
That's all for now!
I spent the last day of school with my kids at my internship. We had a little graduation thing for them and it was precious. I was so sad! I can't believe the school year was over and that I finally had to say goodbye to these kids for the last time. One of my sweet little girls in my class made me this teacher bag with her hand prints on it that stood as the flowers. She wrote my name on it and her name, and the year. It was the cutest thing and I cannot wait to use it. Saying goodbye to my kids was hard, but I know they are going to go on to be the best kids they can be. I am thankful that I got to be a part of that.
In other news, my plans for the summer I have changed. I thought that I was going to be keeping the Carpenter girls all summer, but I am not. They had some family members step up and volunteer to keep them for the summer for free. Completely understandable, but I was very sad. I spent two days with them last week and those were my last two days with them. One day Caroline cried and on the last day Julia would not let me go. I was so heartbroken for them. I know that they were looking forward to spending the summer with me, and now that as all changed. I will miss them dearly. So what am I doing this summer? Working at BBQ King of course. I am so thankful for that job, and thankful that Keith is going to let me work this summer. I also plan to go to the Outer Banks with my WHOLE family, and hopefully make a visit to Boone very soon. I miss that place like crazy. Also, a HUGE event that is happening tomorrow is that my best friend ANNA SIPE is coming home from Argentina for good. It has been two years, which some days is hard to believe, but I am so excited to have her back in my life on a day-to-day basis. Although I will say since she has been gone I feel that our friendship has only strengthened but because we have managed to stay in contact and put forth the effort to remain close. I can't imagine what my reaction is going to be tomorrow when I see her, and know that she is home for good. I AM SO EXCITED just thinking about it!
More exciting news....
After my internship I was in full-job hunt mode. I was freaking out thinking that I wasn't going to find anything, and I knew that my parents would not be happy. Being in a school setting for my internship I decided that I was ready to try something else and that I really wanted to be in a center if possible. Well as luck would have it I called this place in Denver (that I had heard really good things about) called Ms. Em's Child Development Center. The Director told me that they had a lead teacher position open for NC Pre-K starting in August. I thought...how perfect! Because my internship was with NC Pre-K so I already knew the curriculum and was comfortable in that setting. I filled out the application, went an for an interview, and GOT THE JOB!!! Ahhhh...I am so excited. God is so good!! Not only do I get to work in a center, but I am getting paid through the state and benefits through the state.They also operate on the public school calender. So it's almost like I am working in the public school but I am not. The best of both worlds? Possibly. It is hard for me to fathom the fact that I am going to be in charge of my own kids come August. I have an assistant-that's crazy to me. Do I feel prepared? Well yes-mainly because I had the best cooperating Pre-K teacher in the world. Thank you Rosemary! So I will start in August, but this summer will also consist of a lot of planning. I am going to have my own classroom! Hello BIG GIRL STATUS! I can't wait to start this journey of being in the real world! Life after college isn't that bad!
That's all for now!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Internship
Warning: If you don't like kids or are sick of hearing about my internship, you should probably stop reading now.
I am blessed girl, there is no question about that. Back in January when I first started my internship I had no idea that I would love it so much, or become so attached to my kids. I feel that I truly got to learn from one of the best Pre-K teachers around. She taught me so much, while also letting me do all the things that I wanted to do during my time spent there. I would love to get to work with her again one day!
My kids are amazing. I knew that Friday would be a hard day, but I think I held up really well. I only cried TWICE!! One of my sweet boys brought me this wreath made out of crayons right after I had read this really sweet card from one of my parents and the tears just started flowing. That was the cutest gift I have ever received. I tried to clear up my tears real quickly. At breakfast it happened again. One of our parents ate breakfast with her daughter and she said to me, "She (her daughter) was not happy because I was leaving." I noticed that this little girl wasn't acting like herself that morning, and I wasn't sure what was wrong. Well I found out real quick that she was sad. Sad that I was leaving. So those are the two times that I got emotional, until I got in my car to leave of course. During group time my teacher asked each child, "What do you love about Miss Graham?" Some of the responses were because she's sweet, or because she is beautiful, she has pretty hair, she reads to us." I almost lost it then-but I held it together thankfully. Before lunch the children gave me some gifts and then we had a group hug. This was such a great moment for me. I LOVE THOSE KIDS! We decided that we were going to skip nap time this day to celebrate. Trust me, we hate nap time just as much as the kids do, so this was a treat for all of us. We went outside to the picnic tables and had cupcakes, and cheese puffs...what fun! As each child left I gave them a thing of bubbles, and hugged them so tight because I never wanted to let go. It was a hard day, but it was also a great day. One that I will never forget. I am going to go back and visit them for special events such as water day, and their graduation. Seriously, these children have changed my life, and I will always be grateful for that.
So now that I have finished my internship, I am OFFICIALLY done with college! Ahh...it feels so good. The job hunt is in full swing. Please join me in prayer that I will find a full time job for August. I will be doing the nanny thing for the summer.
-the newest app state alumni
I am blessed girl, there is no question about that. Back in January when I first started my internship I had no idea that I would love it so much, or become so attached to my kids. I feel that I truly got to learn from one of the best Pre-K teachers around. She taught me so much, while also letting me do all the things that I wanted to do during my time spent there. I would love to get to work with her again one day!
My kids are amazing. I knew that Friday would be a hard day, but I think I held up really well. I only cried TWICE!! One of my sweet boys brought me this wreath made out of crayons right after I had read this really sweet card from one of my parents and the tears just started flowing. That was the cutest gift I have ever received. I tried to clear up my tears real quickly. At breakfast it happened again. One of our parents ate breakfast with her daughter and she said to me, "She (her daughter) was not happy because I was leaving." I noticed that this little girl wasn't acting like herself that morning, and I wasn't sure what was wrong. Well I found out real quick that she was sad. Sad that I was leaving. So those are the two times that I got emotional, until I got in my car to leave of course. During group time my teacher asked each child, "What do you love about Miss Graham?" Some of the responses were because she's sweet, or because she is beautiful, she has pretty hair, she reads to us." I almost lost it then-but I held it together thankfully. Before lunch the children gave me some gifts and then we had a group hug. This was such a great moment for me. I LOVE THOSE KIDS! We decided that we were going to skip nap time this day to celebrate. Trust me, we hate nap time just as much as the kids do, so this was a treat for all of us. We went outside to the picnic tables and had cupcakes, and cheese puffs...what fun! As each child left I gave them a thing of bubbles, and hugged them so tight because I never wanted to let go. It was a hard day, but it was also a great day. One that I will never forget. I am going to go back and visit them for special events such as water day, and their graduation. Seriously, these children have changed my life, and I will always be grateful for that.
So now that I have finished my internship, I am OFFICIALLY done with college! Ahh...it feels so good. The job hunt is in full swing. Please join me in prayer that I will find a full time job for August. I will be doing the nanny thing for the summer.
-the newest app state alumni
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter
This weekend has been nothing short of glorious. It all started with Secret Church on Friday night. This is something that I have never been to before, but it was awesome. We gathered at Mt. Anderson around 7 to watch a podcast (kind of) by David Platt, it did not end until about 2am, but I could not make it that long. I am hoping to go back and finish out my study guide because what I did hear was some pretty powerful stuff. This study was called the cross and suffering. As a Christian I still always get discouraged when "bad things happen to good people." After Friday night I no longer have that mentality. I wanted to share with you all a few of the things that I learned during Secret Church.
1)The cross is the key to understanding all suffering. For Christ suffered on the cross for our sins, although most of us think that means there will be no suffering in our lives, that is wrong. Suffering will come, all Christians will undergo suffering, but God is still in control.
2) Everything in all history, including suffering was planned for Good Friday. I have never really thought about this until now. Everything points to Good Friday. Everything before the cross points forward to it, and everything since then points back to it. The cross means everything to us a Christians because for us Jesus paid our debt so that we may have life more abundantly.
3) I would encourage all of you to read Genesis 1-11, this chapters assure us that there is hope. These chapters have changed my life over the course of the past 2 days...it is some good stuff!
4) Things to remember...We have a King who is guiding us. God is constantly working in our lives. He orchestrates every detail using a variety of circumstances.
5) His perfections never change.
6) We need to embrace the curse and run to the cross.
7) God will show himself faithful to us. I know we hear this a lot, but I have taken the past few days to really mediate on this. For me, this is saying why worry because you know that God is faithful? God has a plan in his time, in his way, and regardless of what that is it will be good, because He is good and he is faithful always.
8) God uses suffering to teach us to rely on Him. When bad things happen we always have questions and these are the times where some of us rely on God the most and then others turn away from God during this trials. God wants us to trust him completely, and for some of us this may mean going through some tough times to teach us to fully rely on him.
God is teaching me some great stuff right now, I am learning, and growing. I feel like I am in a new place-a great place. And all I want to do is shout from the rooftops about how great God is..which leads me to the next point. Easter Sunday-what an amazing service we had a Mt. Anderson. Growing up in a Baptist church I have never really been the first to raise my hand or to clap. When I went off to college and started attending Cornerstone Summit this was a norm for them. It soon became a norm for me because the Holy Spirit began to speak to me, and I wanted to raise my hands, dance, etc. Anyway, long story short I felt the Holy Spirit begin a work in my life this morning like never before. Just thinking about what Jesus did for me, and how he arose from the grave on this glorious morning is enough to make anyone shout with joy. We were singing a song this morning, "The Power of the Cross." One other person was standing up and I stood up too and lifted my hands to the one who paid my debt. Now, normally this would never happen. I would just sit there and close my eyes and sing. This morning I gave up on caring what others thought, and just thought about my Savior (that's all that matters). It was the best feeling. During the next song almost the whole room was standing, and tears were flowing from my eyes. It was a POWERFUL time, and my heart was so full I was overwhelmed. I know that this is one Easter that I will never forget. "I will rise when he calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on eagle's wings, before my God fall on my knees."
Happy Easter!!
1)The cross is the key to understanding all suffering. For Christ suffered on the cross for our sins, although most of us think that means there will be no suffering in our lives, that is wrong. Suffering will come, all Christians will undergo suffering, but God is still in control.
2) Everything in all history, including suffering was planned for Good Friday. I have never really thought about this until now. Everything points to Good Friday. Everything before the cross points forward to it, and everything since then points back to it. The cross means everything to us a Christians because for us Jesus paid our debt so that we may have life more abundantly.
3) I would encourage all of you to read Genesis 1-11, this chapters assure us that there is hope. These chapters have changed my life over the course of the past 2 days...it is some good stuff!
4) Things to remember...We have a King who is guiding us. God is constantly working in our lives. He orchestrates every detail using a variety of circumstances.
5) His perfections never change.
6) We need to embrace the curse and run to the cross.
7) God will show himself faithful to us. I know we hear this a lot, but I have taken the past few days to really mediate on this. For me, this is saying why worry because you know that God is faithful? God has a plan in his time, in his way, and regardless of what that is it will be good, because He is good and he is faithful always.
8) God uses suffering to teach us to rely on Him. When bad things happen we always have questions and these are the times where some of us rely on God the most and then others turn away from God during this trials. God wants us to trust him completely, and for some of us this may mean going through some tough times to teach us to fully rely on him.
God is teaching me some great stuff right now, I am learning, and growing. I feel like I am in a new place-a great place. And all I want to do is shout from the rooftops about how great God is..which leads me to the next point. Easter Sunday-what an amazing service we had a Mt. Anderson. Growing up in a Baptist church I have never really been the first to raise my hand or to clap. When I went off to college and started attending Cornerstone Summit this was a norm for them. It soon became a norm for me because the Holy Spirit began to speak to me, and I wanted to raise my hands, dance, etc. Anyway, long story short I felt the Holy Spirit begin a work in my life this morning like never before. Just thinking about what Jesus did for me, and how he arose from the grave on this glorious morning is enough to make anyone shout with joy. We were singing a song this morning, "The Power of the Cross." One other person was standing up and I stood up too and lifted my hands to the one who paid my debt. Now, normally this would never happen. I would just sit there and close my eyes and sing. This morning I gave up on caring what others thought, and just thought about my Savior (that's all that matters). It was the best feeling. During the next song almost the whole room was standing, and tears were flowing from my eyes. It was a POWERFUL time, and my heart was so full I was overwhelmed. I know that this is one Easter that I will never forget. "I will rise when he calls my name, no more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on eagle's wings, before my God fall on my knees."
Happy Easter!!
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