Weekending: Is it break yet?

I was waiting for badly for this weekend. I'm not sure if it is just the time of year or if this year is exceptionally exhausting but I find myself every week just barely holding on until the weekend. I'm so glad that this is the last week of school until winter break and I'm really hoping I can recharge that week.

Friday Night
We had our staff holiday party Friday night and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go because C was out of town for the weekend. Another teacher who is single told me that she was having some girls over for some wine before the party so I joined them and we all went together to the party. It was nice having people to walk in with and hang out with, a little bit of a safety net. This is my second year at the school and I've made connections with some people but was afraid it might be awkward and it totally wasn't. We had a blast singing and dancing, I can't wait until next year and for C to be able to come with!

Saturday
It was baking day at my mom's house on Saturday. We invited some of our family friends over (a mom and her 4 teenage daughters) and we baked for almost 5 hours. We ended up with all of our favorite cookies and I will be happy to have a treat in my lunch each day this week!

In the afternoon I went shopping for some gifts for kids I took from the Giving Tree at school. I am working on trusting God in all areas, including my finances. I spent more money than I should have, but as I was leaving the mall I was thanking God for providing for me so well that I can now provide for other people. It is an amazing feeling.


I came home and put on the fire && tv and started wrapping all of the presents I bought. My brother came to drop something off and we sat and chatted for a while. It's so great to catch up with family. I did some cleaning and got all of my school stuff ready for Monday so that I could just relax Sunday night.

Sunday
I love that we are singing Christmas carols in church. It's just another thing I love about this time of the year.

My grandad and I had our annual Christmas shopping date Sunday afternoon. I always take him out and help him pick our presents for people. It is such a special time, I'm so thankful for him.

Linking up with Meghan!

Weekending: Wedding Number Three

This weekend was the perfect mix of fun and relaxation.

Friday evening my fiance and I ordered pizza and hung out at home watching the Seahawks game. In the years that I have known him I've gone from a girl who knows nothing about football to one who actually enjoys watching it and is actually in a Fantasy Football League this year! I'm ready to show those boys how it's done! :]

Saturday morning we went and picked up my ring from the jeweler because it had to be resized. I missed it this week so I was happy to have it back.

That night we went to another wedding, the third in three weeks for us, and that was a really fun time. It was for a girl I've known since elementary school and her and her fiance both went to the same college we went to so there were a lot of familiar faces. It was a very young wedding which is how I hope ours will be, a good party && lots of dancing. I didn't take as many pictures as I should have but here is one I snagged from the instagram hashtag of some of their decor.

Today church was good, like...really good. Some days I just have constant chills and goosebumps and feel so present in that moment with the Lord. Today the service was amazing && we sang this song is response to the message, it was powerful. 

I went shopping with my best friend && got a new pair of jeans && cute top from the Gap. I'm desperate for some new teacher clothes so those were a good addition.  This afternoon I've been continuing my hunt for the perfect wedding venue, catching up on shows on my DVR, and creeping on the facebook/instagrams of my other friends who got married this weekend. 

Linking up with these lovely ladies.

I'm planning to spend at least 8 hours in my classroom tomorrow...hello, framework writing, decorating, and Nationals planning! 

Happy Monday! 

I'm backkkk!

I made my blog private for a while last year because I was nervous about having so much out on the internet. I teach high school and I had some really curious kids who were doing everything they could to find anything of mine on the internet. I loved sharing things on this blog but I didn't want to risk them finding it. Even though I don't think I wrote anything that they shouldn't see, it feels like a huge invasion of privacy. I'm feeling a little less worried about them now so I'm back and ready to keep this up again. I loved having fellow bloggers to chat with and enjoyed starting to build those relationships so I'm happy to now have my blog up again.

Anyways, a little about me to refresh your memory.

Name: Jessica

Follower of Christ: I think this defines me in so many ways. My days begin and end with words to the Lord. I know that he controls everything in my life and I am living to serve him. His love is beyond words. I've been through some hard times in my life and I believe those are what truly brought me to him and now that I'm there, I never want to let go.

Status: ENGAGED! :D My boyfriend of 5 years proposed to me last week, we'll be calling him C around here. It was absolutely perfect and I've been waiting so long for it to happen. Let the wedding planning, begin!

Job: I'm a high school science/agriculture teacher going into my second year. I am an FFA advisor so I spend a lot of extra time at school working on projects and competitions. FFA is all about leadership through agriculture, it's the country's largest youth leadership organization.

Living: I'm currently living with my boyfriend in an apartment that we moved into last November. I absolutely love it and it definitely feels like home.

Hobbies: I love to read! My two favorite authors are Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks but I'm the kind of person who just goes to the library and picks a few random books off the shelf (I might judge them by their cover) and takes them home to read. Usually they end up being good so I must have good taste. I love reality tv, maybe a little too much. I enjoy shopping but I'm super cheap so it's hard to me to spend money. For the next few months leading up to my wedding I know I will be spending way too many hours on pintrest. If you want to follow me feel free to comment and I'll send you a link.

Education: I'm working on my masters online right now. It's been going great so far, I'm two classes in and have 16 total. Once school starts I'm nervous about the stress of teaching + grad school + wedding planning, but that's life right.

I think that's enough about me for now. More will come out in upcoming entries but just wanted to give a little background to refresh everyone's memories. Thanks for coming back and reading, I look forward to chatting with you all! <3

Believing God.

I was thrilled when I saw that Beth Moore was offering several of her e-books for free to download after the new year. I have been wanting to read some of her books and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I started with Believing God and I feel like the beginning has been a little slow but I'm starting to get into it.

She tells readers to set a goal for themselves to try and achieve and I was inspired by some other bloggers and set my goal to be that I would make my quiet time in the morning instead of in the evening. I always get up with enough time so that I can have a half hour to myself in the morning while I'm eating breakfast to go on my computer and read blogs, look at facebook, and do a couple other things. I decided to devote this time to Christ for a week and see how it feels. I'm only one day in and I'm not going to lie, it's hard! I'm in such a habit of checking everything in the morning and it's hard to go 24 hours without going to some of these websites but thats okay! I love the challenge and I think that it's really building my spirit and making me realize what I need to crave, which is the Lord, not social media and people I don't even know. I've been missing out on using this time to connect with the greatest person of all, my Heavenly Father.

I'm thinking that I will probably make this last more than just a week but right now that is my challenge that I need to meet. I've also been thinking maybe I will have to get up 45 minutes earlier so I can have my devotional time and then still have computer time. We shall see, but for now, God first. As it should be. Always.

share the good news

This week at bible study we are talking about Evangelism and we had some really intense conversations. I still consider myself kind of a 'baby Christian' because I am still learning and haven't been involved in the church for very long. I find these talks so interesting because I am thinking about things I never thought about before.

When talking about evangelism our pastor made a point that we are pro at evangelizing, when there is a new starbucks, we all talk about it...when there is a new iphone, the same. We are forgetting the greatest news of all, Jesus died for us and we can all have eternal life! Why are we not shouting this from the rooftops? I'm guilty of this, I use my blog to talk about my faith but ask me how often I talk about it with friends who are non-believers and I probably couldn't tell you the last time I did. I am so thankful for my small group and friends from church who help me grow but I wish I could do that for other people.

I want to become more intentional. I want to spread the good news and find ways to show God's love.

How do you share the good news?

Heaven

Today was one of those days at church where it really hit home and made me think. We have been studying the bible from cover to cover for the past 8 months and today was the end, we made it to Revelation. I'm going to highlight some of the things that my pastor said that really shook me.

1. The only thing that we can take to Heaven is other people. Whoa! All of the people who I am surrounded with on Earth are exactly the people who I want to be surrounded by for eternity...but are they all believers? Sadly, no. What do I need to start doing to have an impact on everyone in my life, including getting them to believe, accept the Lord, and end up in heaven with me.

2. Heaven is so great that we can't even compare it to Earth. By making it seem like Earth is a good place to live, we are making heaven smaller. We are meant to be on this Earth to do work for the Lord but it doesn't end there, it is about eternity in heaven. It's hard to accept that we aren't meant to remain on this Earth but we need to remember how amazing heaven is and that we can't even compare it to Earth.

3. Heaven is a place of sweet reunions. When we arrive and go through those pearl gates we will be surrounded by people from all different time periods and all different parts of the world. There are people who we will be able to talk to and learn from, but first we will head straight to the arms of our loved ones who are up there waiting for us. The people who we have been missing for a few days, a few years, or many years, will be there with arms wide open.

The last part made me think about the people in my life who I have lost and if they were believers and are waiting for me. My heart breaks thinking about a certain person in my life who might not be up there but I try to believe that the Lord is merciful and maybe, somehow, he made it and is waiting up there for me.

That's what on my mind this Sunday. Have a great week!

changing my heart.

Sorry for being gone for so long, the month leading up to school has proved to be pure craziness and I'm sure it will only get crazier as the school year approaches. We don't start school until after labor day so I still have a couple weeks before I finally get to meet all of my kiddos. I cannot wait!

I went on a camping trip this weekend and I was sleeping in a tent on my own. I am not a camper by any means and I am also scared of the dark, this meant that it was a pretty scary time. I found myself awake in the middle of the night freaking out because I thought I heard noises outside and instead of just crying or trying to sleep I started praying. I asked the Lord to keep me safe and he calmed my nerves and helped me get back to sleep. I love being able to turn myself over to the Lord and know that he controls my life. He has it all planned out for me and he will keep me safe.

I have been meeting with my small group for a few months now and I am loving the relationships that we are forming. I'm so thankful to have a group that is helping me to grow in my relationship with the Lord as well as providing me with friendships.

I know that I keep saying it but I will have some classroom pictures soon! I want to wait until everything is perfect though I'm sure that will never happen.

Happy Wedesday!

Worth

For a long time I have been wanting to serve in the Nursery at Church and today was my first day! I was a little nervous since I didn't know what to expect but it was a lot of fun. I miss when I used to nanny and take care of little kids so it was a blast to be able to read them stories and play with them. I think it will be a highlight of my week. But before I volunteered, I listened to a sermon that rocked my world, and that's what I want to share.

Today at church we talked about value and how people measure their worth. Our pastor made an analogy about the fact that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Remember in the 90's when we all bought beanie babies because they are going to be 'worth' so much? Well right now those are all sitting in my garage gathering dust. Anyways the point was that our value is in Jesus. He came to this Earth for us. He was betrayed, abandoned, mocked, beaten, tortured, wrongly sentenced, and eventually killed, for us. Jesus really loves us, all of us.

Jesus died for me. I am a person of great worth.

Jesus died for you. You are a person of great worth.

When you are feeling sad, alone, discouraged, or just having a bad day, try to remember how much you are worth. You are on this earth for a reason, you have a purpose, and you were given this life by our great creator.

Jesus' Miracles

If I miss church on Sundays I love to listen to the sermons in my car when I am making long drives. Yesterday since I drove for almost 4 hours I decided it was the perfect time to catch up on the messages I missed from the past two weeks when I was on vacation.

Right now we are reading through the Gospels about the life of Jesus. Whenever I read these stories I am amazed by the love that Jesus has and all that he did for the people around him. He performed multiple miracles to make people believe in who he was and what he came here to do. One of my favorites is the story of feeding the 5,000. My dad used to reference this story when I was a kid and when I saw it in my reading I instantly knew what he was talking about. Jesus will always provide. He provided those thousands of people with their fill, it was a miracle. When he was in a boat in Sea of Galilee with his disciples they came across a storm. They were all worried that they would sink and drown but Jesus told them not to worry, to have faith, and he calmed the storm. This showed how powerful he was. Yes he could heal the sick, make the blind see, rid people of demons, but he also could control nature which was even more impressive to the people around him.

These miracles are impressive to read about, but I know that some people have a hard time making them relatable in real life. If I stop and think about my life, I know that I can see many miracles right in my own life. I have a brother who was born weighing less than two pounds. It was a miracle that he survived and now he is healthier than ever, just ran a marathon last weekend, and is taller than me! I decided to become a teacher and in student teaching I found that I was at the perfect school. There wasn't an opening there and I was discouraged and sad that I'd have to leave. One day I found out that the teacher in my subject area resigned and I applied, interviewed, and was hired. It was a miracle. Miracles are all around us if we open our eyes to see them.

In the sermon my pastor was talking about how Jesus is not a genie, you can't just call on him when you want and ask him to grant your wishes. It doesn't work like that, Jesus wants to be part of you life all of the time, not just when you need something. It made me evaluate my life, am I only calling on Jesus when I need him? Lately I have been striving to make sure to be more thankful than ever. I know that there are so many things in this life that I have been blessed with and it is important to take the time to thank Jesus for each of those gifts. Without him, I would have nothing.

What miracles have happened in your life? Thank God for them. What are you feeling blessed with right now? Thank God for the blessings.

Happy Saturday!

-J

Christmas in July

I think I've mentioned before that at my church right now we are doing a 'Cover to Cover' series in which we go through the entire Bible in about 9 months. Tonight we finally reached the New Testament!

Tonight I read about the birth of Jesus, a story we've all heard endless times, but I think it meant a lot more as I came across it quietly in my own personal reading. As I read about Mary I was struck by one of the verses when she said simply, 'I am a servant of God.' This was so powerful because she is a young woman who was just given news that meant her life was forever changed. She was going to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. Did she ask questions? Did she complain? Did she turn to Joseph and seek advice? Nope, she simply said that she was a servant and accepted the news.

Wow.

To me this really stood out and it made me think about times in my life when God might have been leading me somewhere. Was I willing to drop everything and serve the Lord? I honestly don't know if I have always been willing to do that. Reading this tonight made me see another example of someone so whole heartedly following the Lord and how beautiful it is.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” - Luke 10-12

Happy Christmas in July. 

Nehemiah

I read this book a couple of years ago before I ever really studied the bible and when I returned to it in my reading this week I found some things that really stood out that I wanted to share.

"Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord if your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

Joy is something that comes from the Lord. Even in the hard times it is important to remember that even though we are in the midst of hard times, the Lord still loves us and wants to see us full of joy. There are many things that we can allow to interrupt our joy but we have to push past them to see all of the things that we have to be joyful for. I pray that I keep my eyes fixed on the Lord, on all of my blessings, and on the joy in my life.

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes." - Nehemiah 4:14

I pray that if I am given a task by the Lord that I have the strength to complete it no matter who my enemies are. I pray that I will take time first, in prayer, to ask for support and guidance and that once it is clear that this task is meant for me that I will be steadfast. Nehemiah did not give up on his task to help restore Jerusalem. Even when he was facing opposition and his enemies were right before him he first "prayed to out God and posted a guard day and night to meet the threat." (Nehemiah 4:9). In my life and I am working to make my prayer more intentional and constant throughout the day and Nehemiah is a reminder of the importance of this task. Whenever I face something in life, big or small, prayer should be the first thing I do.

"We will not neglect the house of our God." - Nehemiah 10:39

I pray that God is always first in my life and that I always provide him with a home in my heart.


Anyone else read Nehemiah lately or have any thoughts on this book? I'd love to hear!

-J

an open door.

Today in my Bible reading I was in the book of Esther. I was eager to begin this book because I know that there are a lot of great devotional that go along with it so I figured that it must be a good one! I simply read the scripture myself and didn't use a devotional, but I look forward to revisiting it and diving into it deeper in the future.

After my reading I thought about some of the messages that I got from the scripture and the one that stuck out at me the most was how thankful I am that God always allows us to speak to him. Unlike the King who doesn't allow visitors, he is always welcoming us and our problems. No matter what is going on in my life I know that I can turn to the Lord for guidance. He is willing to take some of my burden so that I do not have to carry it alone. Esther was brave and she was willing to face her king for her people, despite the chances of her being punished for her actions. While we can all learn something from her bravery and dedication to her people, I am thankful that we have a King who is always approaching and begging to be in our lives. What a wonderful King.

-J

employed.

It's official, I will be a full time teacher next fall! I interviewed last week and was told that I would be give the job but I've had to keep it hush hush until last night when the school board finalized it at their meeting. I could not be happier. I am at a school that I am familiar with, working with my mentor teacher, and with the best students.

I already am spending my days dreaming about what I want to do. I am slowly making a list of crafty projects that I want to complete, how I want to design my bulletin boards, and my plan for the first day of school. I will probably spend the day at school tomorrow since it's the last day and I can tell the kids i'll be teaching there next year and wishing them a happy summer.

The amount of things that had to happen just right in order for me to be able to get this job makes me thank God every day. I truly feel like he knew this is where I was meant to be and he made it happen. This school has impacted me so much in just a year and I can't wait to see what will happen in the future.

I am blessed.

I am not lucky, I am blessed.

Last night when I was skimming through my Pintrest to find graphics to make a new background on my computer I came across this one, and it really spoke to me. I hear so many people who make comments like, man, you are so lucky! I used to think, sure, i am lucky, but a while ago I started actually thinking about it. When I was thinking about it I realized that no, I'm blessed. God has chosen some great things for me and he is following out His plan for my life. While I am lucky, I also think that I work hard to deserve the things that I earn. I also thank God daily for all of the gifts that he has given me. It is hard for some people to understand this concept but I think that having a strong faith means sometimes that you don't believe in luck, because luck isn't what makes things happen, God is. In the past I haven't been one to completely fall and follow the Lord but that is the person who I am becoming I am loving every minute of the journey.

Reasons I am blessed:

• I have a wonderful family who loves me and supports me. Especially my mom who allowed me to move back home after college and lets me live here for free. She feeds me and we do fun things together and she never complains about me being back at home. 
• I have the best friends. I know who I can call whenever I need someone and even though I am 100-300 miles away from almost all of my close friends, we keep in touch and feel closer than ever. 
• I live in a beautiful house, in a safe neighborhood, in a great town.
• I have a steady income with the ability to not have to worry if I want to go out to dinner with friends or shopping one afternoon. I have freedom to do what I please (within reason) and do not have to worry about my finances. 
• I have traveled to many places all around the world that some people only dream of. I have seen things in real life that some people have only seen in movies. I have a strong desire to travel more but I am blessed to have been to many of the places I have been.
• I have a passion for education which will provide me with a career for the rest of my life. 
• I am healthy and happy. 

There are so many reasons to be blessed, take a couple minutes today and think about your blessings. 

-J

Jeremiah 2:32

"Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number."

Today in my reading I came across this passage and it really spoke to me. As a young woman I had the thought, jewelry is important! The analogy spoke to me and made me realize how many days have passed that I have forgotten about God. 

In my bible there was a devotional about this verse and it talked about using the morning to praise God and thank him for all that he has done for me. I found this interesting since when my alarm appears on my phone it says 'Thank God for today.' I try to start my day centered on God and maintain that as much as possible throughout the day. Instead of trying to take specific time to pray I also say little prayers all throughout the day. For example, today in the lunch room there was a teacher talking about her husband with leukemia. It was impossible for me to simply listen but instead I instantly prayed for her and her husband. I find that if I take a minute to thank God for my blessings in the moment I am so much more aware of Him all around me. 

I love that my faith is growing. I know I still have a long way to go but it makes me feel so much fuller. I am also thankful for the people in my life who I have to talk about my faith with. Those relationships are growing and pushing me to grow as a person. God is great. 

Decisions && Midweek Confessions || 2

I made a big decision today and I feel so good about it. I have been tossing and turning over the options and trying to figure out what was the 'right' decision. I'm still not sure what is exactly right but I know what I feel in my heart and that is what I went with. I also put a lot of prayer into it and I think that helped me to have clarity. Currently I couldn't be happier and am so excited to see what the future holds. :]

Midweek Confessions!

-I was super nervous to join a small group for bible study at church and it was such an amazing decision. In just a couple weeks I already feel so close and connected with this group. I can't believe I was so nervous and waited this long.

-I hate jeans. I immediately put sweat pants on as soon as I get home from school/work. I love being able to be comfortable and always put on sweats so I can sit on the couch with a blanket. If I have to go out again I will complain a lot...then put jeans back on.

-I was going to give myself the day off today (perk of being a sub!) but instead my phone was ringing every 30 minutes this morning and I felt guilty so I got up and took a job. They were obnoxious middle schoolers and I almost regret it.

-I am dying for the sun to come out so I can start sitting in my backyard to tan. I am so white and I don't want to go fake tanning. Please sun, appear!

-I've eaten ice cream in some form every day for the past week. It's my weakness and I don't really feel that bad, but my waistline isn't appreciating it...

-J

Song in my head

I am a music lover. I was in band for 11 years (5th grade straight through college) and even was in a band service fraternity. So, it would be an understatement to say that music had an influence in my life. As a result I feel like I have a constant soundtrack in my head that is impossible to turn off. There are always lyrics scrolling through my mind and I find myself singing to myself when I think none of my students are paying attention. I try to be careful with the type of music that I listen to because I want the thoughts that are in my head to be ones that are positive and upbeat. 

'Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake!

Come and rise up from the grave!'

A couple months ago I challenged myself to try and listen to only Christian music for a month. I didn't really keep track of it but I left my radio tuned to the local Christian station and put my favorite Christian cd (Tricia Brock) in my car. I found that I loved the music and it put me in such a great mood on my way to work! I love being able to praise the Lord every morning and thank him for giving me another day on this great Earth. No matter my mood, there is a song that fits, and I love that. 

I lean not on my understanding, my life is in the hands of the Maker of Heaven 

I give it all to you, Lord, trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me

I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open.

There is nothing I hold onto.  Nothing I hold onto.  Nothing I hold onto.

This is my favorite song lately and I have had it on repeat since I discovered it. It speaks to me because right now I am trying to figure out some important things in my life and I want to give it all to the Lord. When I feel overwhelmed or worried about something I remember that the Lord is doing something beautiful with me and I need to open my hand and be ready for whatever comes my way. I find so much comfort in knowing that I am not necessarily in control of my destiny, and knowing that someone who loves me more than I could ever know, is. 

What songs are always running in your head?

-J 

Waiting for Sunday.

When I was in college, Sunday used to be the day of the week that we all dreaded. Sure, it meant that we could sit in sweats, watch tv, and not leave the couch all day, but it also meant homework and the impeding doom of Monday. Now I find myself looking forward to Sundays more than almost any other day of the week (Friday's are still tough to beat :P) because I know how much going to church will fill my heart and spirit.

I love my church. I've been to a couple different ones and I feel completely at home and accepted in this one. The people are great and I just joined a small group which is making the experience even better. Sunday mornings are my favorite because I love singing with a room full of people, praising God, and lifting up his name. I sing those songs in the car by myself all the time, but it feels so powerful when there are hundreds of other voices alongside mine. It makes me feel so good. I love when our pastor gets up to speak and God allows his message to speak to me. There are so many days when the message fits exactly what is happening in my life and it makes me feel so much better when I leave knowing exactly what I need to do. God hears my problems, He hears me calling, and sometimes this is His way of giving me answers. It is powerful. God is good.


Time to go straighten my hair and make some breakfast.
What do you love about your church?

-J

Friday's Letters || 1

I decided to join this link up for 'Friday's letters'. I think it's a super cute idea and perfect for a Friday. 

Dear Friday - Thank you for existing. You make me feel so much better about life. I love that you make me automatically happy. Dear Twitter - Thank you for allowing me to cryptically express my feelings in a short 140 characters or less. Dear Students I'm subbing for today - Please be nice, do your work, or at least pretend to do your work so that I can pretend I think you are doing your work. It's really a win, win situation. Dear Sun - Please return, asap. You make my life so much brighter (hahaha...) and I'm ready to wear some summer clothes. Dear God - Thank you for the blessing of this day and please stay with me and help me continue to figure out this thing we called life. Growing up is hard, but I feel so much better knowing that you are by my side and have it all figured out. <3

His Plan.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

How do you know that you are following the plans of the Lord? Recently I have received some news that had been the answer to my prayers. I was overjoyed and full of happiness, thanking God immensely for what he had done in my life. Shortly thereafter, I realized that there were some complications to this news and it wouldn't be as easy and full of joy as I thought.

Initially, I cried. I wondered, why is this so hard, how come I am forced to make this decision? That night happened to be the night for my small group bible study. As we were reading we came across the story of Jereboam and how the Lord told him exactly what to do, and he did the opposite. We started talking about our lives and if we are following the plan that God has laid out for us. It made me stop and think, I know that God has made this happen for a reason and now I need to trust in the rest of his plan. I can't be thankful for one part but then weeping about not knowing the rest. God is all knowing and I need to trust in that and believe that he will make the future fall into place. I am turning my heart to the Lord and really going to pray hard this week. I'm praying for clarity, patience, and an open heart to accept what he has waiting or me. 

What are you praying for this week?