I Will Wait.

I guess this is just as good of a time as any to use those Pinterest wedding pictures. :)

Well I came home like a stone

And I fell heavy into your arms

These days of dust, which we've known

Will blow away with this new sun

And I'll kneel down, wait for now

And I'll kneel down know my ground

And I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you

So break my step, and relent

Well you forgave, and I won't forget

Know what we've seen and him with less

Now in some way shake the excess

But I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you

Now I'll be bold as well as strong

And use my head alongside my heart

So tame my flesh and fix my eyes

A tethered mind freed from the lies

But I'll kneel down, wait for now

I'll kneel down know my ground

Raise my hands, paint my spirit gold

Bow my head, keep my heart slow

'Cause I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you

And I will wait, I will wait for you  

                                                   

                                                   -Mumford & Sons

____________________________________________________

This song has been bothering me in a good way for a few weeks. This is like Ruth. Totally about God, yet totally about a man & woman. I can't shake it. It's in my journal, ingrained in my brain, and on my heart. It makes me teary eyed every time. Lord, give me someone who gets this. 

This one just deserves an amen. 

you're one in a million to me: the Proverbs 31.. guy?

Pinterest.

I'm over it. It's a culmination of years of boys, dating, heartbreak, and just not getting it right. Years of falling for the troubled guy that I want to change (i.e., project), the guy who thinks he knows everything (and of course doesn't), the guy who thinks he has it all together (but only in his mind) – in short, the wrong guys. I go out and just see lost people. Guys who think that being falling-over-drunk is attractive. Who think that Vineyard Vines and a southern accent are going to win the prize.

Seriously, where is the Proverbs 31 guy? 

Sure, it is the chapter from the book of wisdom that every girl who's ever come within a 10 mile radius of a bible study has ever read. It's about how a Godly woman should aspire to be. But are those things not 100% applicable to men, too?

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." 

Why can't you substitute man in there? "A man who fears the Lord is to be praised."

That's what I'm looking for. I'm sick of those guys who think that masking themselves in GQ's editorial looks is going to cover a cobweb-inside. Who think that being charming is going to change that they are really a complete jerk and only after one thing. Who tell you what you want to hear, but only for personal gain.
That's not God's plan. God's plan is for a man who isn't falling over drunk; who isn't just looking for a little fun; who isn't on the prowl. His plan is for someone who is respectful; someone who is disciplined; someone who is going to be the spiritual leader of a family one day. Someone who loves in a 1 Corinthians 13 way, as cliche as it may sound. I just don't see that out there a lot. I think it finally clicked for me last night. I was out, and I just looked around at all of these people and thought, of all of the perfectly dressed guys who look exactly like what I picture in my head as my "perfect type," I realized how completely ubiquitous they all seemed. A dime a dozen. No, I don't want that, I want the good-Christian-leader-of-a-family-respectful-mature-disciplined guy. I can tell you right now, it's a lot harder to find, but God's plan is perfect, and it is worth the wait. This little rant might cost me some fun, but oh well, who cares?

I don't want a dime a dozen, I want one in a million.

Love Story.

via

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I now live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."   

-Galatians 2:20

This is one of my favorite verses that I've committed to memory, and it's so appropriate for today. This verse wouldn't exist without the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Our sins went to the cross with Him. How powerful is that? Not only the people before and with Christ, but also those after him. For generations and generations after Him. We are given a hope and a future because of Him. It's so important to take a few minutes this Good Friday to reflect on the amazing gift we have received. He gave His life so that we could have eternal life. What a love story.

I and love and you.

This is perfect.

 "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." 

-Dr. Seuss

l o v e .

Pinterest.

don't wanna mess this thing up.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I have an affinity for love and country music. And I. love. Lady. Antebellum.  "Just a Kiss" might be my favorite song of the summer.

signed, sealed, delivered, I'm Yours.

This started with the series from North Point Community Church that at least three of my friends mentioned/blogged/tweeted about.  Then it went to my addiction with The Civil Wars song, “To Whom it May Concern.” It was all wrapped up into a neat little package by a church that has blessed me so much in the almost two years I’ve gone to it.  The series that started it all was Andy Stanley’s The New Rules for Love, Sex & Dating.  Rocked my world.  Then The Civil Wars started linking all of these thoughts together in my head with their song that reads more like a love letter to that person you’re always waiting for—sometimes impatiently and sometimes in the designed patience that God wants us to live in.   And then, in one of those you just have to laugh about how funny God can be type things, all of the past series from Highlands have linked all of these thoughts together into one.  Patience, not settling for what we want, but what God wants, worrying, resting in God’s grace-- all of these things that are such a burden on our hearts.  

Andy Stanley’s series was one of the most riveting I’ve heard. The main point? Are you who the person you’re looking for is looking for? Wow. Wow. Wow. That was so convicting, inspiring, and true all at once.  He spent the next few weeks diving into how to be that person.  Watch it.

Then there’s this love-letter-song by the Civil Wars.  Some of the lyrics?

Why are you so far from me?

In my arms is where you ought to be.

How long will you make me wait?

I don't know how much more I can take.

I missed you

But I haven't met you

Oh but I want to

How I do

Slowly counting down the days

'til I finally know your name

and then at then end, my favorite part/story of my life/ part that tugged at my heart:

Dear, whoever you might be

I'm still waiting patiently

Waiting patiently –for someone who is not in my life or not revealed to be that person yet?  That’s the hard part about anything in life.  We rush into things, like marriage, because we're impatient and don't get the timing right-- we (I) don't always listen to God's timing. Sometimes I joke and say, “patience is the virtue I definitely don’t possess.”  When I think about it though, that impatience is like saying that what I want is better/more important/not worth waiting for.  Clearly that is NOT God’s plan, that’s Satan’s handiwork—a truth that was pounded into my stubborn skull in the two series at Highlands, From the Grave and Life Story. 

We’ve been having a series of visiting pastors while ours, Chris Hodges, is on a sabbatical.  They’ve been rocking my world just like he does.  Rest, worrying, displaying who WE are meant to be, not who we’re trying to be? Yep, those are all hitting straight into the heart of yours truly.  The topic of rest was particularly convicting.  If we want true rest, we have to surrender our lives fully to the will of God.  Ambition, pride, impatience —they’re all barriers from seeing what God truly wants for our lives.  The unforced rhythms of grace happen when we stop trying to be something we’re not and relax in God's grace.  Yup, I needed to hear that.  So many times I limit myself to the paths of others because it’s safe, and I’m not patient enough or dependent enough on God’s plan for my life.  … Not gonna lie, that’s a hard thing to realize.

Rick Bezet’s sermon on worrying was by far the part that hit home the most.  Every one of my friends knows my perfectionist, anxiety-driven personality.  What if things don’t happen in my time frame?  What if this awful thing happens?  What if I don’t get what I’ve been praying for for so long?  What if there isn’t the person I’ve been waiting for for my whole life?  What if I don’t get the career I’ve always dreamed about?  Worrying is the paralyzing fear that God tries to save us from.  It’s a tool of Satan to drag us away.  We can’t reach God’s full potential for our lives if we live in fear.

So, once I opened that package, I found rest, relief from anxiety, a stronger trust in God, and an even stronger thirst for God and His plan for my life, not my own.

Whew. Now that sounds like a love letter in itself, huh?

Photos via Pinterest. 

xoxo.

Slightly awkward, janky BlackBerry pic...

Here's my cute little Valentine on our way to dinner with our other two favorite Valentines.  :) Love.


I also just stumbled upon this piece of truth blogged by my fellow Trinite/Samford Clubber, Ashlyn.  Please check it out, because she is wise beyond her years.

Love never fails. 

-1 Cor. 13:8

je t'aime.

via

Hope you all have a happy Valentine's Day full of hearts, hugs, kisses, cupcakes and lots and lots of pink. :)

XOXO

heart.

My Valentine's date is my best friend.  We're going to Starbucks and writing our Southern Women's History papers in the aftermath of Step Sing. They better have the heart cups this year.

Be jealous.

And imma need an Edgar's heart cupcake, too.

I. Love. Valentine's Day. 

<3

be mine.

It’s 10 days away.  The most exciting holiday for some, and the most dreaded for others.  The second group usually views it as a holiday created by Hallmark to sell greeting cards.  Well it’s always been one of my favorites, and it is actually a legitimate holiday. I remember spending countless hours in elementary school preparing valentines for our class parties while my mom (or Super Room Mom as she’s more affectionately known as) baked cupcakes for my classmates.  I took this seriously.  Personal message on each one.  Nerd from birth, I know. 

Fast forward almost 15 years, and another Valentine’s Day is almost here.  Instead of taking a cynical view, why not take the time to celebrate love?  It’s the most powerful emotion we can feel and bestow.   It doesn’t matter if you’re single, betrothed or utterly heartbroken.  Boyfriend or bestie, friend or foe.  Love. Deeply.  And wear pink. :)

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  

-1 Corinthians 13:3

All photos courtesy of Bippity Boppity Boo.

love never fails.

True Life:  I am obsessed with weddings.  Exhibit A..

    “Love never fails.” 

In my room at school, I have an old, framed black and white picture of my grandparents that I snuck out of the house.  The beautiful photograph was taken when they were just married.  In the picture, my grandfather is beaming, smiling at the camera, while my grandmother is just looking at him like she’s the luckiest girl in the word.  I keep it in my room to remind me of what unselfish love is, and to remind me to never settle for less (though sometimes I lose sight of this). 

In my quiet time I was reading through a little bit of Romans, and I came upon Romans 13, in which it lays out that it is through love that we obey God’s laws.  Well, then my thoughts turned to 1 Corinthians 13, which is probably what most people think about when they think of love.  When I was in 9^th grade, my French class was also homeroom, so we did prayer requests and such during that time.  I was so lucky to have a wonderful teacher who had us memorize verses every week, and the most important passage she ever had us learn was this one. 

..and Exhibit B...

Sometimes I look at relationships I have and truly try to lay down the verses in the passage and see if they are evident--if I am showing the signs of love, if the people I surround myself with do. Am I patient, am I kind? Am I keeping records of wrong, am I being rude?  Sometimes I don’t live up to what God has laid out as true love.  Sometimes it’s REALLY hard to love some people.  But if God gave His only Son to save ME, I can love, even when it’s hard. 

So once again, that photo on my desk is a constant reminder—a reminder to STRIVE to truly love everyone with everything I have; to only allow myself to fall in love with someone who embodies biblical love.  Because “if I give away all I have…but have not love, I gain nothing” (verse 3). God is love, so if we strive to follow His ways, we must love. 

...and Exhibit C (D-Z are on my desktop.) p.s. I have another huge obsession with wedding photos in fields.

Photos courtesy of Bippity Boppity Boo, which I found thanks to Miss Magnolia ...another thing to distract me from papers and classes, haha.        

all of the advantages

cute, aren't they?

My friends know that I have an obsession.  A big one.  It begins with "Great" and ends with "Gatsby."  Being a Montgomerian means you love that book.  You're lookin' at a girl who was born on Gatsby Lane.  Who spent her days shopping on Zelda Road.  Big time obsession here.  Inspired by the ultimate Montgomery belle, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, F. Scott penned The Great Gatsby, my absolute favorite book in the world.  It transports you to a magical time.  It makes you feel like you know the characters; it makes you feel connected to the Fitzgeralds. I can just see Zelda prancing through MCC, the Serena van der Woodsen of her time (I'm a Blair, in case you were wondering..but that's a totally different topic).

Needless to say, I love the book.  And as no surprise, one of my favorite quotes comes from this classic.  

"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

This quote brings me back to reality so very often.  So many times I get caught up in petty criticisms over shallow things, or I just plain don't count my blessings.  You never truly know what battles people are in or how much they've overcome to get where they are.  I'm learning to thank the Lord for the advantages that He has blessed me with and to appreciate them and to use them for His glory.  Learning is a journey, though.  I'm takin' it one step at a time.  Good thing He's right beside me.

guess Kate is a Gatsby fan too..