Dear Summer...

I can't believe how fast this summer is flying by! Seriously, how is it already the end of July? Ahhh my very favorite time of the year is passing by way too quickly and I wish it were possible to just press the pause button. I can't get enough of these gorgeous summer days...I all but worship the sun and could soak in it for hours! I despise the winter with a passion (oh how I want to be a snowbird one day and not have to deal with these terrible Kentucky winters...a girl can dream, right?) and I love summer so very much! That being said, this summer has been wonderful and I'm trying to savor every moment of it and do as many "summer things" as humanly possible! I've found that having a full-time job definitely gives summers a whole new meaning and I'm missing my lazy days reading by the pool. Even still, I'm so thankful for a job that I really like and though it's hard adjusting to life as a "grown-up," I feel extremely blessed and thankful. And hey, now I treasure my time in the sun even more than I used to.

A few weeks ago, we got back from the most incredible family vacation! The six of us (mom, dad, me, Jeremy, Emi, and Darin) all went to Hawaii for nearly two weeks. We spent the first half of our trip on Maui and the second half in Kauai. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and we made so many sweet memories. I absolutely cherish the time the six of us get to spend together and I loved being unplugged, taking a break from our normal routines, and just being surrounded by God's beautiful creation! Hawaii is the best place in the whole wide world (if you ask me!) and being there with my family was a true gift. We snorkeled, splashed in the ocean (the boys played in some giant waves!), soaked up the sun, ate some delicious shave ice, drove all over the place, and saw some gorgeous sites. We saw the sunrise at Haleakala (we woke up at 2 a.m.), snorkeled at Molokini and Lehua,  and saw sea turtles, dolphin, monk seals, and tons of tropical fish. We went to Costco early on our trip and stocked up on plenty of lunch meat and ready-made dinners! The only thing we didn't do too much of was relax because we were just too busy with all there was to see and do haha. You can't go all that way and sit by the pool...I can do that in Louisville!

After returning from Hawaii, I hit the ground running and went to Elementary camp with church. I spent Monday-Thursday with a bunch of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. We had a great time learning about  worship by studying the life of David. Camp was great and I loved leading a group of 13 kiddos...it's always fun to watch their different personalities and get to know each of them. Our little team was really sweet and we had a fun time doing all the camp things including swing of faith, zip line, lake, pool, and several fun games! Most of all, it was cool to worship with the kids and help them learn more about worshiping Jesus. I think the kids really "got it" and I know that lives were eternally changed as a result of our time together at camp!

Since Hawaii and camp, life has slowed down a bit and I feel like we're just now getting into a normal summer rhythm...too bad summer's more than half over! How in the world is it almost time for the kids to be back in school? Seriously, I don't even get it! Anyways, like it or not, time is flying so I guess I better embrace reality and go with it :)

Here's a quick look at what's coming up for us:

Currently, mom is coming out of shoulder surgery (literally, I'm in the waiting room as I type this). She did great but had a LOT of work done and it's going to be a long road to recovery. It's unfortunate that it's her right shoulder (she's right-handed) so once she gets past the initial days of recovery, her biggest struggle will be adapting to life as a lefty! Please keep her in your prayers and feel free to encourage her as she walks down this long road. Momma is SO amazing at taking care of everyone around her and I know it's going to be tough for her to accept help from people. She's always the giver and never the taker but you know what I think? I think this is a great opportunity to bless her back for all the things she does for our family and so many others! I just wish she didn't have to hurt and that I could take away her pain. I know she'll be better soon though and am thankful the surgery part is behind her and now she can focus on healing!

In other news, Jeremy and I are still living with Nanny and loving our time with her SO much. She's totally going to have to kick us out because we're way too happy ha! Jeremy leaves for Budapest, Hungary for work on August 8th and will be gone for three weeks. He's really looking forward to traveling in Europe and I know he'll be challenged (and do great!) while he's there. Lucky for me, I won't be too terribly lonely because I'm going to stay with Nanny while he's gone and then we'll move out in the beginning of September. Such perfect timing all the way around!

That's about all I know/you probably don't really care and I'm simply thinking out loud as a way to pass time and document what's going on in our lives right now. Honestly, I just feel so thankful for all that I've been blessed with. My amazing husband and family, job, church, friends, and so much more. Thank you, Lord, for such sweet blessings. I am so unworthy.

Oh and I'm celebrating my 24th birthday on Monday! Wooo, I love birthdays! Now I have to get used to saying 24 when people ask how old I am! I'm trying to decide if 24 is old or young...obviously, I know it's super young in the grand scheme of life but 24 just seems kinda old too! I think I like it though. 24 is going to be a good year! :)

Sweet Summertime!

It's been WAY too long since I've last blogged and to be honest, I've been putting off writing this because so much time has passed that I don't really know where to begin! Sheeesh...we're ridiculosly busy but a very good busy! In an effort to document things before too much of this summer flies by, I think I'll just start with a few of the wonderful things we've been up to recently. Here goes...

Summer is in full swing which means that it's my absolute favorite time of the year and I just want to freeze time and soak up these long summer days as best as I can! I seriously love summer and crave it during the entire rest of the year haha. These hot summer days are the best and you won't ever hear me complaining about the heat. I'll take this over the freezing cold and snow all day long, every day! ;) Not only do I love summer time but I love my friends and I love LOVE! Combine these things and you've got one happy girl...summer, friends, family, and weddings. Things here truly are so very sweet and I want to savor this precious time.

In the past week, I have had three of my very dearest friends go from Miss to Mrs! These girls are so near and dear to my heart and seeing them marry the man of their dreams has been so sweet! Last weekend, my family traveled down to Florida to watch my beautiful sisterbear, Lauren, marry Jordan! Oh gosh, this trip was such a whirlwind and was SO much fun! Lauren was absolutely stunning (shocking, right?!) and Jordan is adorable. Her rehearsal dinner was awesome and the wedding day was so sweet. Lauren made me feel so special (I got to be her Matron of Honor) and it truly was such an honor. I cried praying for Lauren the night before, I cried during the ceremony, and I cried during my speech. Let's just say...the emotions were real because the love is deep! My heart was heavy as we left Florida on Sunday simply because I hate the fact that one of my very best friends lives about a million miles away (or so it feels). I wish we lived closer and that we could do life together on a regular basis! Even still, I love that our friendship has lasted all these miles and years apart! Lauren is such a blessing to me and I am so very thankful for her! I'm glad she has Jordan and know he'll take great care of her and love her even better than I can :) And hey, we have some pretty sweet double dates to look forward to! #roadtrip #yesplease

Just yesterday, two of our best friends married each other! Erin is an absolute answer to prayer and I'm so thankful for her! I had no idea when I moved into Patterson Hall at UK that the girl living in the room across the hall would become one of my very best friends. Erin and Travis have loved me even before Jeremy entered the picture and they always made me feel welcomed and included. I can't even begin to count the number of times they let me tag along on their dates and not once did they ever make me feel like I was intruding or a third-wheel. They were a great example to me of a healthy, Christ-centered relationship and they truly helped shape my relationship with Jeremy. It's awesome that Jeremy and Trav are good friends too and now that we're all in Louisville, the double dates are limitless (well, the desire is at least. Time doesn't seem to be on our side right now with such busy schedules but it just makes my heart happy to know that we're all in the same city at least haha). We are so happy for Erin and Trav and know the Lord is going to continue to be magnified through their relationship, now as husband and wife! They are so special to us and we love them both dearly!

After Erin and Trav's wedding, we raced off to catch the last little bit of Macie and Drew's reception. Precious Macie girl married her Drew boy last night and I had told Macie that we would do our best to catch some of their reception but didn't know for sure if we'd be able to make it in time! Of course, she was gracious as always and said that she completely understood and would catch us when they got back from their honeymoon. Well...I just couldn't bare the thought of not seeing Macie on her wedding day so we left Erin and Trav's reception a bit early and raced off to catch the last little bit of Macie and Drew's! When we got to the big white tent, there was a lot of dancing going on and we just kinda snuck in. Macie was talking to a friend and looked up to see us standing there watching her. She literally squealed and came running towards us with tears in her eyes! Oh my goodness, her reaction was SO worth it and I was thrilled we made it in time! Ahhh just the sweetest ever! Macie and I have only really known each other for a year and yet, I feel like we've been friends since we were little! We really just get each other and I am constantly encouraged by this sweet friend. She has such a great attitude and is always pointing me closer to the Lord! Jeremy and I prayed that Mace and Drew would move to Louisville and God faithfully answered our prayers! Thank you, Jesus! We are so happy to have these two in the same city as us and can't wait to do life alongside them. Gahhh, I get giddy just thinking of all the fun that lies ahead!

Not only have we been celebrating the marriage of several of our dearest friends, we've also been celebrating the love in our own home. Jeremy and I shared our first wedding anniversary on May 18! We had a gift card to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (Jeremy earned it through an award with work...we would never spend our own money on such expensive food! Goodness gracious!) so we totally splurged and had an oh so fancy date night! The following weekend, we enjoyed a little "stay-cation" at the Seelbach Hotel downtown and had a great time eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory and walking ALL over Louisville (we walked 7 miles...in sandals I might add!). I can't believe we've already been married a year now and look back at all the sweet memories we've made, lessons we've learned, and hard times that we've endured together (mainly with me and my job search). Jeremy is such a blessing to me and the way he constantly loves and serves me humbles me to the point of tears most days. Really, I feel like I fall short of being a "good" wife SO many times (more times than not) and yet, he loves me so well and is always there to help, encourage, and support me. I don't deserve him but I sure am thankful! I'm excited for the many years that are to come and am savoring these sweet days of being newlyweds. Though I'm definitely looking forward to the days of owning a home and chasing babies, I'm quite content right now and we're loving this time where it's just the two of us. It's fun not having a lot of responsibilities and being able to focus on our marriage and friendships without the stress of a family to take care of! Everything in it's proper time, right? :)

Speaking of savoring sweet times, we're just loving living with Nanny and truly can't express the gratitude we feel towards her. Every single time we pull down the street, I stop and say, "Nanny's seriously the best! I can't believe we get to live here!" We are loving her sweet company and it always makes me so happy to hug and kiss her before I leave for work each morning and again before we go to bed each night. We have fun cooking suppers for each other and look forward to watching So You Think You Can Dance on Wednesday nights. Nanny is always looking for ways to bless us and it just makes us want to be a blessing to everyone else. Nanny's example, hospitality, and selfless love truly are inspiring and we are so thankful for this opportunity to live with her and learn from her. We joke that she'll have to kick us out once it's time to move into the condo because we don't ever want to leave! #roommatesfalife ;)

Well, that's the best I can do for now! There's still so much left unsaid but at least I got a few words out haha. Basically, life is sweet and God is good! We're loving summer, loving living with Nanny, loving being in/going to a million weddings, and feeling extremely blessed and so very undeserving! Just as we are blessed, I pray we can be a blessing to those around us and hope that even in the inadequacy I feel, I hope the Lord will use me and that Jesus' love will radiate through me! I'd appreciate your prayers for that as well and hope to write again soon! Xo :)

New Job News!

Well hello there! My little blog has been a bit neglected this past month in large part because Jeremy and I have just been trying to survive this brutal winter! This extreme cold (who knew there was such a thing as a polar vortex?!) and snow have been quite painful and left me longing for warmth (and Hawaii) just about every single day! We've fought the winter blues by watching the entire (yes, ENTIRE) series of Parenthood and have become quite happy sitting directly in front of our little space heater. I'm convinced I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Jeremy's remedy to this was buying me a space heater, which I am very thankful for! All of that being said, allow me to jump into the real stuff and share what the Lord has been teaching me over these past couple weeks, as well as, share some super exciting news!

One thing God has been continuing to teach me a lot about lately (really, since about the time I graduated) is patience. It's so hard to be patient and wait for things that we desperately want/think we need. I remember how hard it was to be patient as a little kid and now, as a young adult, patience is still something I'm working on! Though it's so hard to be patient, it's almost always worth the wait and it's in these times of waiting and not knowing that we really have to trust in the Lord and rest in His perfect timing. Let me explain a bit about where I'm coming from...

As many of you know, I graduated from UK with a degree in Elementary Education. This summer, I applied to several full-time teaching jobs here in Louisville but was not able to get a position. I absolutely believe this was the Lord's doing because He was preparing me for something else, which I now know but at the time, it was hard to be patient and trust that God was working "behind the scenes." Our vision is so limited while God's faithfulness is limitless and His timing is so perfect. All throughout applications and interviews, I constantly prayed that the Lord would put me exactly where He wanted me to be. Well, He knew that I couldn't handle working full-time while adjusting to all of the changes of living in a new city and figuring out how to be a wife haha. I didn't get a job as a teacher and decided I would try my hand at substitute teaching. Fast forward a couple of months and I began subbing, hoping to "get my foot in the door" at Christian Academy. I've subbed for the past five months and have had the opportunity to work with every Elementary grade. I learned a lot during this time, most notably that I have a sweet spot for the older kids (3rd, 4th, and 5th graders) and lack some patience when it comes to the little ones. Wiping noses and tying shoes isn't really my thing but I just love how the older kids soak up everything you say and have those "aha" moments! In addition to discovering these things about myself, the Lord used this time to teach me another important lesson: flexibility. You see, subbing was quite challenging for this Type-A planner and I really had to rely on the Lord to carry me through the uncertainty and unpredictability. It's been a good experience but I am SO excited to share what I'll be doing next...

For the past 9 months, my parents, Jeremy, family, and close friends have joined me in praying for a job that I would love in a place where I can be used and feel purposeful. I've struggled with finding a passion for teaching in an elementary school setting and don't feel like I was made to be a classroom teacher. Over the past couple of months, I've felt the Lord tugging at my heart and leading me towards ministry (just like my Momma). That being said, Jeremy and I began praying for an opportunity for me to work at our church, Southeast Christian. Well, low and behold, the Lord has completely opened up a door and paved the way, just as we prayed. Oh my goodness, He IS SO FAITHFUL!

Last week, I was offered an incredible job at our amazing church! I will be serving full-time as the 3rd/4th/5th Grade Bible Study Associate and will be joining an awesome team of people who want to make sure that kids are connected to Jesus and one another! I am so excited about this opportunity and know it is ALL of the Lord's doing. This entire situation has been bathed in tons and tons of prayer and I am absolutely certain that God worked out ALL of the details. He has heard our prayers and after months and months of uncertainty and searching, He has led me here to a job I have dreamt of! My first day will be next Monday, the 17th, and I can't wait to dive in and see where the Lord leads me and the Children's Ministry at Southeast. I know He has great things in store and am honored that I get to be along for the ride! 

So there you have it, folks. Just another reminder that God is ALWAYS working and that His timing is so perfect. Had I gotten a full-time teaching job earlier in the year, I never would have been able to do this. I'm so glad God knows best and that He opens and shuts doors so that we must follow wherever He's leading, even though it can be quite scary when things seem so uncertain and unknown to us at the time. 

Thank you, Jesus, for your extravagant goodness, faithfulness, and provision. I'm so unworthy yet still you love me. And you love to blow my mind with your blessings!

*Here are a couple of recent pictures. We had a fun time building a snowman, although now he's become more of an "iceman" than a snowman haha!

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

 -Psalm 28:7

Happy 2014!

It's hard to believe it but 2014 is here! 2013 was such a great year for us that I don't know how 2014 can beat it...but I'm hopeful it'll be just as wonderful! This past year, I graduated from college, married my best friend, and moved to a new city. We got to travel to two tropical islands (Antigua and St. Thomas) and also managed to squeeze in several other little trips (Detroit, Canada, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Columbus). We've laughed a lot, cried a lot (me haha), and made a whole bunch of awesome memories! 2013 was certainly a big and blessed year for us but I'm excited for 2014 and the whole notion of new beginnings, fresh starts, and exciting goals/dreams!

A look back...

Christmas break was absolutely wonderful! It was so fun to spend quality time with both of our families. We spent the first part of our break doing fun things with Jeremy's family. We ate out, went to Louisville Mega-Quest, played lots of Farkle, baked cookies, and celebrated Christmas Eve. The rest of our break was spent primarily at my parent's house and we enjoyed plenty of rest and relaxation with the occasional outing to see a movie or go to the mall. My favorite day of break was New Year's Eve when we went tubing at Perfect North. Jeremy's parents came up and the whole Hancock side of the family was in town. We had never done it before and it was SO MUCH FUN! We had a blast sledding down the hills and soaked up all three hours! I just loved that we were all together and everyone had a great time!

I'm sad to see the break end (I always get emotional when I have to leave home for Louisville...maybe one of these days I won't cry when we pull out of the driveway at my parent's house haha) but I am hopeful for this new year and the new blessings and adventures that are in store!

A look ahead...

The other day, I was reading my Jesus Calling devotional and felt like the Lord was speaking directly to me. It's funny how this happens so frequently...it's like Jesus really is giving me a call and sharing what He knows I need to hear :) The devotional was centered on Ephesians 3:20-21 and shared "I am able to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me. Do not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered. Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark. The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation. Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention. Keep your eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life." It only seems fitting that as we go into this new year, I was reminded to dream big and be patient. I know that the Lord is always at work, even when it may not feel like it at the present time. I love how for so long it may feel like God is silent (hello the time between the Old and New Testaments), and then BOOM...God shows up and everything makes total sense! He sure does have a crazy way of blowing our minds like that. I think Mark Batterson sums it up best by saying, "I have come to expect the unexpected because God is predictably unpredictable. God always has a holy surprise up His sovereign sleeve!"

As I continue to wait and pray for a job, this verse is really encouraging to me and reminds me that God is able and I simply need to trust in Him!

• "It is through problems and failure, weakness and neediness that you learn to rely on Me. True dependence is not simply asking Me to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to Me with an open mind and heart, inviting Me to plant My desires within you. I may infuse within you a dream that seems far beyond your reach. You know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need. This is not a path of continual success but of multiple failures. However, each failure is followed by a growth spurt, nourished by increased reliance on Me. Enjoy the blessedness of a victorious life, through deepening your dependence on Me." -Jesus Calling

I've also found encouragement in God's Word, especially this verse from Isaiah 41:10. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." I feel like we (I) can so easily be entrapped by fear, even crippled by it sometimes. I know that for me, fear is one of my biggest inhibitors and discouragers and I need to often be reminded that God will fight my battles for me and I shouldn't fear. I mean really, how many times does it say in Joshua 1 "be strong and courageous" and one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). What a great reminder and comfort that the God who made the Heavens and the Earth is with us WHEREVER we go...into our jobs, our groceries, our homes, and our malls. He is with us ALWAYS.

Another thought that's been mulling around in my little ol' brain was the idea of "such a time as this" from Esther. During my Freshman year at UK, I was in a small group that spent a semester studying the book of Esther (the Beth Moore study of this is by far one of my favorites so check it out if you get the chance!). Anyways, during the study we focused a lot on the fact that much of Esther's life was spent in preparation for the time when she was Queen and was able to ultimately save the Jews. Esther 4:14 shares, "And who know but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" Though I'm no Esther, I feel like I can relate to her and learn from her. She was terrified of going before the King but ultimately, she stepped out, in fear and in faith, and was able to save the Jewish people. For me, I am encouraged that God is at work in my life and is preparing me for something great...though at the present time, I'm not quite sure what that is. Even still, I'm comforted by the fact that He is faithful and that if we put our trust in Him and follow where He leads us, then He will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28) even if it's painful, scary, and not always so fun.

Lastly, I read this from Southland's daily devotional the other day and loved the last line so much I just have to share it..."Nothing is uncertain when God is in control of my life. He is the founder and perfecter of our faith and He holds me safely in His embrace. When circumstances feel like they’re spinning out of our control, I need to rely on Him and hand over the reins to He Who reigns." Can I get an AMEN?!

Prayer...

I'm reading Mark Batterson's "The Circle Maker" and it is so so good! It's all about circling things in prayer and really praying circles around things. It's about not being afraid to pray BIG, BOLD prayers and to be specific in what we're asking of the Lord. Batterson shares "The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked." He goes on to share, "We pray out of our ignorance, but God answers out of His omniscience. We pray out of our impotence, but God answers out of His omnipotence. God has the ability to answer the prayers we should prayed but lacked the knowledge or ability to even ask."

This year, Jeremy and I have picked 7 things we are going to really circle in prayer. We're praying for a job for me (that I will love) and we're asking God to move in power in the lives of the people we know, love, and have yet to come in contact with. These prayers are bold and I love that fact that however they are answered, God's glory will be made known because there's no way these prayers can be answered any other way than directly through Him being at work!

Here are a few quotes from Batterson's book that are just too good not to share. I hope they encourage you to start praying circles around the promises, miracles, and dreams the Lord has laid on your heart.

• "Ultimately, the transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life."
• "Prayer is asking God to do something, future tense; praise is believing that God has already done it; past tense."
• "You intercede until God intervenes."
• "If our prayers aren't specific, however, God gets robbed of the glory that He deserves because we second-guess whether or not He actually answered them. We never know if the answers were the result of specific prayer or general coincidences that would have happened anyway."
• "When you spell out your prayers with specificity, it will eventually spell out God's glory."

Public Service Announcement...

When I discover something good, I just have to share it! Sooo...in addition to plugging Batterson's book, "The Circle Maker," I also have to give a little shout out to Hillsong Young & Free! Jeremy got me their CD for Christmas and I can't stop listening to it. It's Hillsong's youth ministry and the songs are really upbeat and fun. I'm loving the whole CD so seriously, check it out ASAP!

Last but not least, I wanted to join the bandwagon by posting a new year's goal ha! I've tried memorizing scripture like the best of them but oftentimes, I get intimidated by long passages and retreat back to the ones I'm "good at" memorizing...aka the ones I've heard so many times that they've been cemented in my brain haha. Just tonight, I stumbled across Ann Voskamp's blog and she has set up a great "program" to help us memorize God's Word. I truly want to have His Word hidden in my heart and know it would be such a great tool to fight against the Enemy. So...if you want to join me in memorizing scripture this year, check out this site. You can print out the verses (she made them look pretty with fun fonts and designs) and it's all free! Just go to http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/01/scripture-memorization-for-the-rest-of-us-the-jesus-project-memoryproject2014/

Happy 2014! Here's to dreaming big dreams, praying BOLD prayers, and trusting God to lead us exactly where He wants us to be!