"This is your year!"

The title of this post is a phrase I've heard from multiple people around my school in the past two weeks. What is it pertaining to? My relationship status. I know that the motive behind them saying it is a mixture of wanting me to be happy with someone and also their curiousness as to what I am like when I have a boyfriend. I think it secretly gives them a giggle thinking about "Momma Amber" (the girls' nickname for me) going googly eyed for some boy. But even though I know their teasing is all in good fun, I am finding myself completely discouraged by it. And it has unearthed a lot of sin in my life.

For as long as I can remember I have liked boys. At 4 years old I was crushin' on a lifeguard. At 5 years old I told my friends and parents about a boy I liked. I wasn't shy about it and could not keep it to myself. Over the years I have had a couple of not-so-serious relationships and one that was serious. Everyone always told me they thought I would be married by the time I graduated college. And this brings me to the sin that has been surfacing. I am a senior in college. I am almost 22 years old. So when my friends say, "This is your year!" I automatically think "YES IT IS! I deserve this! I'm ready! Lord, what in the world is going on? I thought this would have happened a long time ago! At least I thought I would be dating someone! My last boyfriend is getting MARRIED for heaven's sake! What happened to my turn?"
Wow. Talk about selfishness, pride, resentment, just all out sin.

And then the Lord showers his grace on me. And I am so thankful for his love, for his forgiveness and that because of his death I am free from the bondage of sin. I've been going through Romans the past couple of months and have just been blown away by God's goodness, love and mercy. Romans 3:21-24 says, "righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

So in those times when I begin to question why I'm not married yet I remember that if I never get married does not change the most important part about me: that I am free from sin and have been given the righteousness of Christ. I am a new creation in him. My life is to be an expression of all out worship to my King and I can do this by being married OR single!

So I guess it's about time!

Ok, it has been like over a year since I last updated on here. I guess I just got out of the habit and then life got busy.
I kind of miss blogging though. Especially now that I am away from home I think it will be a good way to keep people informed into the little things that are going on in my life.
Basically, long story short, last August I finally got to go to Boyce ON CAMPUS. No more of that online stuff! Although it was such a blessing to work full time and be able to do internet school, I absolutely adore my school. I love the girls on my hall, the professors, the classes, just everything. I found a great church which my roommate Katie and I both attend and we belong to an awesome community group (bible study) that meets on Wednesdays.
I am now a SENIOR which is absolutely crazy. Just wow. Super scary though.
I'm at school now but I leave tomorrow to go to Katie's house in St. Louis. I was here for a Jterm (five day intensive course) that ended last Friday.
This coming semester I am taking 18 credits and trying to work a part time job. We'll see! I am finally buckling down and doing math. Bleh.
The Lord has been so gracious to me. I feel so blessed to be here. I want time to slow down so I can take it all in. But that's not how life is going. It keeps getting faster and faster. But I guess that just means that before I know it I'll be heaven-bound!

"When we arrive at eternity's shore, where death is just a memory and tears are no more, we'll enter in as the wedding bells ring, your bride will come together and we'll sing You're Beautiful!" - Phil Wickham.

Owl City and Current Life

So I'm pretty much obsessed with this band. It's one guy. His voice is so soothing and pure. LOVE. IT.
Reminds me of both Mae and Hellogoodbye




IN OTHER NEWS...

I am doing school and working hardly at all! I need more hours, otherwise I will have to get a more regular job.
Love my classes, but am not feeling motivated. This is my first semester of college ever not having any classroom courses. It's hard to endure. I feel like I'm still in Summer mode.

My birthday was AWESOME!!!! Loved it.

I am currently obsessed with decorating. Case in point, my house is currently filled with small squashes, there is a wreath on our door decorated with a big bow and red ribbon looped around it, multiple strategically placed candles, and a gigantic flower arrangement of deep red, orange and yellow.

Cardigans are also a big part of my life. Six purchased within the last two months.

I also love, love, love cooking/baking/trying out new recipes. In the three weeks, I've made pumpkin bread, brownies, jello, deviled eggs and my pumpkin pie bread fluke! Meredith and I also tried out cool recipes with popcorn. I doused mine in a mix of spicy herbs and sea salt with a spritz of I can't believe it's not butter spray. I am also looking forward to making some Wassel sometime later in the year. And a new idea from Aunt Laura; freshly baked bread!

Decorating? cardigans? cooking? I think back to the Amber before the age of 10 (the time of no shirt, all mimi, no pink, all sports and all brightly colored sweat pants) and wonder if my daughter will be the same way. :) Well, actually, the pink is still not in my life! But the brightly colored sweatpants are GONE!
Well... sports is still there. But the shirt stays on! and Mimi I guess stays in my room at all times...
I guess I'm not too different from that time. ;)

Philippians 3:20-21

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

School has started

So I'm a week and a half into the fall semester! Loving it (mostly) so far :) There are always obstacles, but they are being resolved. I love the content of the classes. I feel so fortunate to be a student of a school which I already love the classes and the professors and I know I'll be OK this time.

Work is semi-steady. I am definitley not making a lot of money, but I am working at least once or twice a week, which is very good.
I am very thankful for little children who ask me to sing "Jesus" songs over and over. They are three and two and I guess they just like me singing to them, and they ask for Jesus songs, because the first time I sang to them I guess I was only singing songs with His name in it. So now they just automatically ask for a "Jesus" song. So at least they are being exposed to some theological truth through the songs and maybe it will resonate with them somewhere down the road.

Ashley and I are going to see David Archuleta and Demi Lovato tomorrow. Ahahaha, I thought it was just David but I was wrong. It should be fun though. I am happy to get to spend some fun time with Ashley.

I am still looking for deep meaningful Christian fellowship with people my own age. This has been a prayer of mine for quite some time.

I am listening to Red. Such an awesome band. I want Flyleaf to come out with a new album!!!

My 20th birthday is in less than a month :)

That's all for now!

An Unexpected Blessing

There are a lot of rewards that I enjoy in my job....and this is just one of them :)

A quote from "Radical Womanhood"

"All the good things we can do here on earth are trumped by the one thing that is truly good-to worship Jesus now and for all eternity!"
-Carolyn McCulley