i need to vent.

i recently got engaged, which is wonderful! the downside is wedding planning. i have looked forward to planning my wedding for as long as i can remember and i thought that once i got engaged it would fun wedding talk all the time. the person i was looking forward to talking with the most is my mom. well, she doesn't like any of my ideas and she has something negative to say about everything.

she has turned my joy into sadness. i now have no desire to plan my wedding.

/end rant/.

i just watched nightly news with brian williams for the first time in ages.

all i can say is i am so saddened for the next generation. apparently, kids no longer have to learn how to write in cursive in the classroom. what? are they going to learn their signature? or will that be done away with as well? i am sad and disappointed. i love writing in cursive. it is elegant and timeless (or so i thought).

i will be teaching my children the art of cursive and i hope you will do the same.
let's not eliminate all the beautiful elements of the written word.

well, all of my hopes to be a regular blogger have been dashed due to the commencement of summer session 2. let's just say that hermeneutics is a full-time job and i don't take it lightly. i am thankful for the opportunity to be challenged in my education and my faith.

enough about that.

i would like to give you readers a little insight into my guilty indulgences. i have many and most of them are not shared publicly in any fashion. therefore, you should feel honored to be bestowed such information.


these are my latest guilty pleasures (in no particular order):

the Bachelorette: season 7. MANOHMAN. this season has absolutely stolen my heart. i have never been so invested in the participants of a reality tv show. i tear up when tender moments occur and i get genuinely angry when someone betrays another's trust or hurts Ashley in any way.












mccafe treats such as the mango pineapple smoothie. i had my first one today and i can honestly say that i am addicted.















filling up online shopping carts with things i cannot afford and do not need. it's an obsession. i probably need a therapist or a support group.











well, that's all for now. i must do my homework. look for more later this week.

one thousand gifts

so, 4 months ago i began reading a book called one thousand gifts by ann voskamp. i have been a faithful follower of mrs. voskamp's blog for some time and i knew this book was worth my time.

i have taken my time with this read knowing that the Spirit of God is permeating the pages. no, i'm not at all claiming that this book is the inspired Word of God. but i do firmly believe that Christ is in all things and his character overflows into this book.

that said, i have been challenged to list 1,000 gifts as ann did for the premise of her book. this blog will allow me to share with you some of the most precious gifts from God in my life.

let's begin, shall we?


1. sunrises over the ocean.
2. cool breezes on hot summer days.
3. the smell of freshly cut grass.
4. laughter.
5. healing tears.
6. music. in all forms.
7. the written word.
8. forehead kisses.
9. freshly brewed coffee.
10. spring rain.
11. the shade of trees.
12. new books.
13. hot showers.
14. late nights spent thinking and reading.
15. concerts.
16. sunflowers.
17. true frienships.
18. kittens.
19. the smile of a child.
20. lightning dancing across the sky.

trembling hands

as i sit here and stare intently at the blinking cursor i notice my hands are trembling. oh that it were some condition i was diagnosed with as a child. oh that it were the fact that the air conditioning is turned on too high. alas, i tremble from fear. this fear has always consumed my being. it is a fear of rejection and failure. that may seem trivial considering this is only a blog post. for me, putting my heart out there for even one person to see is dangerous and vulnerable.

all i want to be is somebody. someone people admire and trust. someone who is fearless and capable. and even as i type this i am reminded that because of some ripped and jagged pieces of wood, false accusations, a humble servant, and a beautiful disaster thousands of years ago...i am all the things i long to be and so much more.

see, i'm not one to be extremely serious all the time. i'm also not someone who forces religion or anything of the sort down other people's throats. who am i? i'm a child of the most loving and gracious Father. and i've seen firsthand how he can take someone who is sinking deep in their own sin and rescue them from their greatest enemy: them. take one look in the mirror and you're looking at the root of all your 'problems.' by nature, we are the most selfish creatures to walk the planet. and we run down the path to destruction as if the end result was for our good. fortunately, there is someone who cares deeply enough to save us from ourselves. and he deserves all of our worship and adoration. without him, we have nothing.

so, what now? well, i propose that if i surrender my fears to the Lord of Lords...he will lead me into everlasting peace and infinite grace. he'll do the same for you as well.