God did it.

The Running Waitress is no longer a waitress!
The entire story of how God gave me this precious gift will be coming soon.

just so you know...

• Destination: Guam
• Vocation #1: Kindergarten teacher!
• Vocation #2: ESL Teacher!
• I'm going to help teach an Authentic Beauty course (the physical health portion)!
• The family I'll be living with run the school.
• Their daughter, Abigail, was a friend of mine from Teenpact. We will share a room and I look forward to the "iron sharpening iron" relationship we will have.
• I leave very soon!
• My heart is overwhelmed with excitement, nervousness, and one great big, gigantic to-do list!

I l.o.v.e Christmas

My apologies for the long absence. There is much going on and I am excited to share about it, soon.


I--ice is beautiful. Now, I don't like it on the roads, but it is so pretty, don't you think, especially in icicle form?




L--lights. Christmas lights are delightful. Sorry, I am my father's daughter and couldn't resist the pun. ; )


O--opening presents, but giving them is way more fun.


V--vanilla flavoring from Mexico that tastes like coconut to put in baked goods.


E--eating. This is a given.




C--carols. There is powerful doctrine in many of them. Really listen the next time you sing, "Oh Holy Night"


H--hustle and bustle


R--Risen. Christ is risen from the dead. This is what makes Christmas so exciting.


I--homemade icing on cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.


S--Santa. I adore the old fashioned Santa paraphernalia. No. I don't buy the whole "you can spell Satan with Santa." You can also spell 'dog' with 'God.' We are only taking the English language into account. Christmas is about Jesus, but I can still think that the legend of Santa is cute, as long as it doesn't inhibit the understand of the truth and glory of the gospel.


T--tinsel. One day I will have a vintage tree with tinsel. *heart*


M--My family. I don't even want to think about not being with them at Christmas.


A--Amy Grant's Christmas Album. best. ever. I hear it and my spirits leap. no joke, folks.


S--Smiling at strangers while shopping...


Merry Christmas, dear readers!
And happy birthday, Abbi!

I'm a little teapot

Refinement: Removing the old that clung, revealing beauty.

The year 2010 has been, without a doubt, the most disappointing and difficult year of my twenty-two. And yet, through the massive disappointments, my Savior showed me that He and He alone is to be my hope. I must only ever run for Him.

I have idolized ideas of my future, and found that nothing compares to the greatest of knowing Jesus Christ.

It's all empty.

One of my favorite pastimes is antique store shopping. I love to browse at everything, especially the dishes. So many times I find these lovely silver pieces that are utterly tarnished and smudged.

I am like that. My refinement takes rubbing. My Savior gently, yet firmly, removes the dross. He does it for His glory and my betterment. But man, it hurts...like crazy. It's a sharp, acute pain. 

But He is beautiful, and I want to be a shiny piece of silver, one so pretty and clear that when He looks at me, He sees Himself.

May it be so.

It's a good thing I enjoy running during Autumn...

or else my waistline would be doomed.

Pumpkin desserts are delectable, and if I had the metabolism of a freight train (which I don't in the slightest), I would try a new recipe every day. Instead I opt for a new recipe about every week. So far I've baked pumpkin cake and pumpkin roll. Next up is pumpkin cheesecake. Mmm! Add some coffee and a good book, and let your worries leave you.

Happy Autumn!

(Images courtesy of google images)

a thing of beauty

"'When I went forward, I'm sure my mascara was running, my slip was probably showing, I felt completely humiliated and humbled before the cross of Christ and the Christians who had been witnessing to me. But nothing mattered but Jesus.


For the first time in my life, I wanted to declare before everybody who Jesus Christ was, who He was for me, my Lord and my Savior, and that He had died for my sins: I was a sinner, in need, needing--needing His forgiving grace and power.'


After a battle that lasted a year and a half, Cindy surrendered to the King."


~A personal testimony of Cindy Bauer by Latayne Scott

What IS a girl supposed to do without a camera?

It really bothers me that I can't post pictures. My camera has been malfunctioning (a nice way of saying that it is broken), and therefore I have no way of capturing the beautiful moments of my life...currently. I am hoping to remedy this soon. Until then, I will give you a brief list of some things I am looking forward to...

1. Overseas traveling (at the beginning of next year--more info to come)

2. Friends and family coming to visit at various times throughout the next two months

3. Finishing two baby quilts

4. My friend Tori's wedding (She's a great photographer. Check out her website here: Marvelous Things Photography)

5. CHRISTMAS!!!!

6. Last, but not least (actually it's FIRST)...I am so thrilled to see what God will do in my heart and in the hearts of those around me! It's so exciting! He is so amazing! YAY!

Whack

I am a blindfolded kid with a stick.

 Determined, I stand swinging at the pinata above my head

that obnoxiously moves up and down, back and forth.

At least, this is how I feel.

Sometimes I just want to know where I'll be in a year or where I'll be in six months. I had plans. They were good ones, too. But somehow they were only mine and not HIS. But the Lord wants me to trust Him. Every single day is a gift with which I can please Him. I view the climax of my life (or what I'm really supposed to do) as a pinata that dangles over my head, taunting and teasing me. But perhaps it's not really that way. Perhaps I am not swinging for treasures (or candies) of this earth, but for those above.

No, I don't know where I will be in six months. None of us do. The only sure thing I hold in this life is Jesus Christ and his beautiful resurrection love for me.And that is truly more than enough. I get to meet Him, really meet Him, one day.

So, handkerchief my eyes and hand me a bat, please. Paper mache never looked so good.