Two Words: Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club. There are really no words to describe it. It all started with Sarah and myself meeting every Saturday morning at Panera to share what is going on in our lives and laughing and enjoying time together. Then it began to grow and grow and now there are around six of us who are committed to meeting anytime we are in town, even if just a few of us can get together. Sometimes we even have special guests, mainly friends of Rachel, but they are always welcome to join and it is such a blast. I have never experienced a group of women quite like them. We are committed to one another. We are committed to loving and caring for one another. We are committed to being transparent with one another. I could go on and on. It is truly the epitome of Christian community. I am so very blessed. Thank you Sarah, Rach, Morgan, Hannah, and Alyssa for being so great and being committed to something that is totally of the Lord. I know it is something that will last for a very long time because these friendships are eternal!

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

How I Spent My Thanksgiving...

I started off the day driving to Lexington with Macy to run our first race ever! And this is what the Lord blessed us with....

Yeah, the sky was AMAZING.

It was such a fun experience and we finished in almost 30 minutes.

I spent Thanksgiving with the family and it was good, but one thing was missing...the love of my life. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life celebrating holidays with him!

I made some sweet treats because I like to bake...

I have so many things to be thankful for! The Lord is so good to me.

Ephesians 5:29-30 Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is Next?!

This is the question I have been pondering in my heart with the Lord. I am really excited for the next step in my life. I get to marry the most amazing guy I have ever met and then...

Well, that's what Matt and I are praying about and it would mean so much to have the prayers of those who surround us and love us. Matt is in the process of looking for a job for when his internship is finished. With that said, we are not sure where that church will be, but I am already praying for those at that church and praying that God will reveal to us the right place. Just a background: Matt and I met while he was a youth intern and I was volunteering with Junior High, so it is so cool to see the Lord place a man in my life with the same passions as myself. That is why I can't wait to serve alongside Matt in youth ministry. I love the church and the blessing it has in the lives of so many, so to serve in the church with our lives is such a divine calling and I am so thankful. If you could pray with us that we would seek the Lord's guidance as to what church to go to next, and for the people at that church whoever they are, that they would become our family.

I am so excited!!!

Ephesians 1:18-23
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Pumpkin Cookies Anyone?

These are Matt's fave...and possibly mine too! I thought I would share the recipe:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cinnamon chips

1 cup chocolate chips

And however much vanilla you are in the mood for, usually more than what recipes call for =)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Mix together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and the pumpkin. It doesn't look the most appetizing at this point but don't no worries...

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and spices. Then pour the dry ingredients in with the mixture with the pumpkin and throw in some vanilla.

Stir in the cinnamon chips and chocolate chips and you are ready to start putting them on a cookie sheet.

Bake for about 13 minutes.

And then you will have some yummy pumpkin cookies!!!

Golf

The fall golf season has come to an end, so one more season to go. It is crazy to see how far I have come since I first got here. There were many times that I wanted to give up, but I thank the Lord that I didn't and that I hung in there. It has been a crazy season in my life, but a wonderful one, too. Not many people get the opportunity to play a sport at the collegiate level, so I am very grateful. It's just another one of the many adventures the Lord has set out for my life.

It has taken me the past three years to finally realize why I play the sport. I don't play it for my coach, my teammates, my parents, but for the Lord who has blessed me with the gift to play golf. I am glad I didn't end my college golf career without learning this. Because I have learned this, I have been a better athlete, a better teammate, and a better follower of Christ on and off the golf course. I thank the Lord for continually working in my heart to finally get me to this point. I enjoy playing the sport so much more now!

I am also grateful for the girls on the team. I love them so much and I am thankful for each and every one of them. It has been a joy to get to travel with them and get to know them. It has been great to see how we have all improved and worked so hard to get where we are. As my golf career draws to an end, I just want to continue to glorify the Lord with the gift He has blessed me with and to enjoy this season of my life.

Oh yeah, and next season we are looking for a win! =)

Opportunity to Share the Gospel

I am engaged!

My fiance' proposed almost three months ago. How he did it? Let me tell you.
Matt, my fiance', had been telling me for months that we would be going to Wicked. I was so excited. Midway through the day, he handed me a letter and told me to open it with my dad. So when I got home, I opened it and it said that we would not be going to Wicked, but that I would be going on a date with my Dad. It said to go to dinner at Stoney River, which is where Matt and I had our first date, and he had a gift card in the envelope to cover the cost.

I had an inkling it was coming...

After dinner, I was to be home by a certain time and I would find out what was next. I got home and waited, expecting Matt to show up. I thought for sure it would happen that night. Instead, my friend Sarah came to the door with a gift and a letter. The letter said to pack my things because I would be spending the night with some girls. Not what I expected, but still so exciting! I opened the gift and inside was a shirt that Matt had bought me in Nashville, but told me I couldn't have it until a certain day. Well apparently that time had come, but I couldn't wear it til the next day.

I spent some awesome time with some awesome girls (Shout outs to Sarah, Rach, and Morgan, oh and Momma D who let us use her place). We talked a lot and laughed a whole lot. The best part of the night was when they prayed over me. Truly amazing.
I was informed that I was to be ready by 5:30 in the A.M. so I tried to go to bed early but it was impossible considering the fun we were having. Plus, who could possibly sleep when you know what is to come the next day?

I woke up and Matt called to tell me I didn't have to be ready til 8:30. So he came and picked me up. Then we went to Anchorage Cafe and chatted for a bit. Matt asked me what were some really cool things that Jesus did and I remember rambling on and on, but I also remember looking down at Matt's Bible where he had written "Be like Jesus" above a certain passage...

After talking for a bit Matt was like lets go for a walk on the trail nearby. He stopped by his car and grabbed a bag and jug of water. On we walked. We went to this bench where we had prayed at before and he told me to sit down. I sat down and he took out a bowl from the bag and poured water into it. He slipped off my sandals and knelt down and prayed for me, thanking God for me.

Then...he washed my feet. Which I later realized was the passage Matt was turned to at the cafe earlier. Tears were flowing. Wow. It still blows me away. He made sure to tell me that he wanted to love and serve me as Jesus did. Are you getting goosebumps yet?

After that, he took out one of my journals from the bag and turned to the date that was a year ago from that day. I had written a prayer about the kind of guy I wanted, one that was committed to serving the Lord with their whole life. And God had provided. He provided Matt McGuire.

It was so great getting engaged in the morning because we were then able to celebrate our engagement the rest of the day.
We went and ate breakfast.
Then got dance lessons and learned the foxtrot and some swing.
Next we went back to where we got engaged and got pictures taken, which we use as our engagement pictures, thanks Julie Wiegand.
After that we went to church, and last surprise...a cookout with friends and family.

I think my favorite part is that I can use this story the rest of my life to present the gospel. Matt washed my feet, just as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show them the fullness of his love. It is my prayer that God uses our relationship as an example of the gospel as we live it out for a lifetime of selfless love.