Im back?

Maybe. I don't know how often I'll post, but I am back for today.

So, what has gone on since my last post in March?!? ALOT! Let's start at the beginning. Met my future hubby in January and knew right from the start he was the one. He didn't know till much later. Amazing stuff with the church plant, got engaged, got married...and now it's almost Thanksgiving and Christmas. Seriously, 2011 has been my favorite year.

For those that have not met Josh yet...he is pretty incredible. Such an awesome husband, an amazing leader, and my best friend. I am so thankful for him and extremely blessed.

Last year about this time I did a slew of thankfulness posts...I think I'll do that again...starting tomorrow.

Music

Most of you who know me, know that I have a huge love for music. I just love music. From raw untouched music, to music that has been edited, music, coming in 2nd to Jesus, makes my heart beat. When words cannot express the way I feel, I can always find a song. My favorite kind of music is raw. Be it a piano or a guitar...just to sit and listen puts a smile on my face. If you are ever around me, you will most likely be annoyed because I am always playing music...and I have song ADD, so I switch frequently and often. There just isn't enough time in the day to listen to all the music that I want to hear, so I have to skip around. I don't play an instrument, or sing, but I have a deep love for both. Wanna know a secret? Well, I'll reveal it later...gotta put feet to my thoughts first :)

Whirlwind

That is what I am in. I am living in a whirlwind. Occasionally it is calm, and nothing is going on, but give it a little time and it picks right back up. This is not me complaining. I really and truly am enjoying this whirlwind I am riding through. I love the busyness and all the details it brings with it. What I have found that I least enjoy is the down time. When I have those spurts of not really doing anything, that idle time, the devil tries to get in and steal my joy. When I am busy and doing what I love and serving and just doing stuff, my mind is filled with nothing but love and Jesus, but the second I sit down with this idle time, all that stuff that was just consuming me starts to settle and the frustrations start to seep in. Have you ever heard that idle hands are the devils workshop? Well, in this case, it is my mind. I begin to over analyze, and think about things that I KNOW the Lord will take care of. It begins to infect my mind, and it is hard to get away from. Solution...don't be idle...ever? Well, I am going to have to say that is most likely not possible since we all need to have our couch time, but through talking with my Savior, and accountability, I know Jesus will help me patch those cracks so nothing but Him seeps in.
This whirlwind I am in...is amazing. It is where my heart is...and it is where I know the Lord wants me to be. I would say that at this point in my life, I am the happiest. Yes, there are somethings that I am struggling being happy with, but I am choosing joy. I am not going to let frustrations or insecurities or anything that is not of Jesus to get me out of my happy mode. I choose happiness.
I will end with a verse...a verse that is a reminder to me to give it all to Jesus..."Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7 In whatever I face, I know He is there for me, He cares for me, and He loves me.
I choose Joy and Happiness in EVERYTHING I do! I want to be infected with that.

Reasons I love NC

When I left work yesterday, I decided to take the scenic country road route home. I do not normally take this route because of school buses stopping every 5 seconds...I don't even need to explain, you all can understand that. Anyway, as I was driving with my windows down and sunroof open, blasting some stripped Gavin Degraw and paying attention to the scenary around me, I began to think of the many reasons I just love NC. With that said, I do believe I will share some of those thoughts.
We will call this, Ashley's top 10 NC lovin reasons:
10) Lots of country
9) the smell of fresh cut grass
8) unique weather...you just never know
7) so many outsiders comes here...I am not a transplant...born, raised, and most likely will never leave :)
6) ACC
5) we can hunt off our backporch, then drive 5 minutes to the nearest mall
4) Jesus loves NC
3) trees and grass...lots of it
2) my entire family lives here
1) Im from here
That was a pretty dumb list, but seriously, I love my home. There was a man mowing a big field, and I could smell the onions that he was mowing over. That is a happy smell...gets me ready for spring and the hot sun!
OKay, I am done blabbing

It's been a while

Well, 1 month has passed since I have braved the blogging world. I have wanted to post many times, but as I would write, the words just wouldn't come out the way I wanted them to. I either felt it was too strong, or just plain pointless. Now, I know that most things I blog about are the just funky humor of me, but when I don't laugh at myself, then really, there is no point in posting. I need to atleast be interested in what I put down. Oh man...I am starting to bore myself...moving on...
Alot has happened since I last posted on February 1st. I moved. Well, that happened on the 29th of January, but I never blogged about it. I love my new home!! I have 2 pretty spectaular roomies, and we just have fun ALL the time!! For instance, last night we were trying to put our foot behind our head ...if you don't get a good mental image of 3 girls doing that and think it is funny...you got something wrong with you. hah.
Well, I do have BIG news. This is something that I have been praying about since, well, a while, but specifically about this since January. My heart is in the church. Well, Jesus has my heart, but I love church. Church is my "happy pill"...when I leave, I am always high on Jesus. Okay, so the big news that I want to share is that I am leaving Summit and helping plant a church in the Holly Springs/Fuquay area...Relationship Church. I AM SO EXCITED(calm down) I have been praying about this for a time now, and then in January I heard about it....then heard more and more about it...kept praying, and BAM...committed. I spent yesterday afternoon in the area with some other amazing people just driving around and chatting...awesome time bonding and just being where we will officially be very soon. Please pray and for real, if you want to be apart...come on!!! This is so exciting!
I have become incredibly blonde lately...the things I do and say...wow...what is wrong with me? I mean, it's funny, but really now...how can I be that off sometimes? HAHA!!
Okay enough of me and what is going on over here...

Pasture

I am in a pasture. I know that in this pasture, the Lord is teaching me all the things I will need for when I move out of this pasture. Like King David...as he was literally in the pasture tending to the sheep...the Lord was preparing him for all the things He would use for His glory later on down the road when he moved out of his pasture. Do I know where or what the Lord is preparing me for? Absolutely not. Am I excited and having faith and trusting the Lord with each step? Absolutely! I do know this, whatever I do, wherever I go, and whatever comes my way...I will do it all for the glory of the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, it says that whatever we eat or drink or whatever we do, do it for the glory of the Lord. That is my purpose. My purpose is to glorify the Lord. That is why I am here...and that is what I want and am going to do. No, I am not perfect, and I will have some days where my thoughts or actions are not glorifying the Lord, but I am striving to take every thought captive. I am striving to glorify the Lord and to shine shine shine for Him.

Not only is my purpose to glorify the Lord in everything, but it is yours too. Are you glorifying the Lord with the way you are living, thinking, acting, and in all areas of your life? We all have the exact same purpose...are you striving to fulfill this purpose?

Hello Emotion

I know I have blogged about tearing up in Caribou before, but it happened AGAIN, today. As I was jumping onto facebook, I saw a status that caught my eye. Immediately, as if on cue, I began to tear up...tears of joy, tears of excitement, tears of sadness. You see, my younger brother got his packet today...his packet that will release him from the marine corp. I had happy tears of joy for him finally beginning to close this chapter and move on, excitement of what is ahead for him, and then sad tears because of having to say goodbye to the corp. I know that this is a good thing...I know that the Lord has great things in store for Adam...I am so happy for him. As I called him, tearfully, I could just hear the excitement in his voice...he is looking down the road. He knows that the next little bit is going to be busy, turing in gear, and signing papers, but he is ready for this door to close and to move forward. He shared many aspects of good news he has received today, and my heart is so full of all kinds of emotion for him. I am so thankful for Adam, for his willingness to serve our country, for his faithfulness, and just admire his constant strive to press on even when the times are tough. Even though he is my younger brother, I have always admired his strength. He is a rock...but he has the biggest heart.

Adam, I am so proud of you, so thankful for you, and I love you so very much. I look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for your life, and all the amazing things you are going to do! You are amazing. You have been through so much, seen way too much, and yet, you are still Adam.

Okay...I need a tissue :)

Crazy Love

Crazy Love. I am talking about a love that is so overwhelming, so life altering, that you just want to cry. That is the love I have for my Savior. Each day, as I dive into His Word, and as I strive to have a closer relationship with Him...I fall more in love. This is not just a simple kind of love. This is a crazy, go all out, cry in the middle of the mall, shout it to the roof tops kind of love. I am learning and growing everyday.

I am also reading through the book Crazy Love. In the second chapter, Francis Chan tells about a young girl whose desire was to really infest others lives for Jesus. She wanted to leave a legacy from her young life...a legacy that mattered. A legacy that honored Christ. As I read through the second chapter, I was brought to tears just thinking about how much time is wasted in life. We worry about money and the clothes on our back, when in Matthew 6, Jesus reminds us that the birds are provided for, what would make us think that He wouldn't provide for us? I call that a smack in the face. Hello people. We are wasting our time, our thoughts, and our energy on things that Christ will take care of for us. No, I am not saying quit your job...I am saying that even at your job, or whatever you do...show Christ. A friend of mine shared once that while working in a business, someone did him wrong and still got paid for her half...did he complain about it? No. Sure, it upset him, but he chose in the moment to represent Christ. Even though we have a particular job to do, we can show Christ in whatever we do. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 it says that whatever we eat, whatever we drink, and whatever we do, to do it all for the glory of God. Are we doing this? Are we glorifying God in all we do? As I type this, I am reflecting on my life...and things that I do...am I glorifying God in my life? Am I showing Christ in the work place? Am I showing Christ to my friends and my family?

This love that I have...this crazy love that I have for my Jesus...I just want to shout it out loud. I want to spread Jesus in everyone I see. I want everyone I come in contact with to become so infected with Jesus and to be filled with this crazy joy I have, and to have this continual song of praise in their hearts.

I have changed the words to Michael Buble's song Crazy Love a bit...this is a song that represents Jesus...

He can hear my heartbeat for a thousand miles, and the heavens open up everytime He smiles. And when I go to Him, that's where I belong, and I'm running to Him like a river strong. He gives me love love love love Crazy Love. He's got a fine sense of humor when I am feeling low down, and when I go to Him when the sun goes down, He takes away my troubles, He takes away my griefs, takes away my heartache, in the night like a theif. He gives me love love love love Crazy Love. Yes I need Him in the daytime, and I need Him in the night, I want to wrap my arms around Him and hug Him tight. He gives me love love love love Crazy Love.

I have so much love its awesome. My heart has grown.

Jesus...I am so in love with You.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

This doesn't happen alot, but it has happened atleast once a week over the past 3 weeks. I will wake up randomly in the middle of the night...WIDE awake. No going back to sleep. This is a kind of awake and alertness to where I want to put my running shoes on and sprint out the door...but I feel that at 3AM that might be a little unsafe. So, what is a gal to do when she is awoken at 230 in the morning? Pray. I get out of my bed and head to the couch. For the next however long, I just pray. Let me tell you...it is the sweetest time. My mom used to tell me growing up that if you wake up in the middle of the night, it is the Lord calling you to prayer. That has really stuck with me. A few weeks ago when this happened, I immediately knew what I needed to pray specifically for. So, next time you wake up at a random time during your sleeping period, take it as a call from Jesus to get on yours knees. If you don't have something specific to pray for, pray for everything and everyone. Talk to Jesus. Nothing is sweeter than spending time with Him in the wee hours of the morning.

Happy Sunday! Hope you have a wonderful time worshipping with your church family today!

Advice from an average runner

I like to run. It is fun and good exercise. I am just an average runner. I am not running in order to win, I am just running out of pure joy. I like to run in races, but it is more of a competition with myself and not with others. So from one average runner, I will like to share with you a bit of advice. Now this may not apply to you, but they are some of the tricks, issues, and things that I go thru when I run.

What no to eat before a run: Mexican food. You know what it does to you naturally, so, why would you eat it right before a run? Don't. I LOVE mexican food, but I have to wait at least 5 hours before a run if I eat it.

What I like to eat before a run: A milkshake. Strange, I know. I am not doing that this go round, but when I was training for my half marathon last year, I would eat a milkshake on the way home from work basically everyday and then go straight out to run once I got home. Some of my best runs were on days that I had a milkshake.

What I eat/drink before a 10miler: cup of black coffee and a gel pack...then half way thru the run, another gel pack. This gets me going and I can run non stop.

After I run: I shower...because I stink. Then, I go about my day.

I know that stretching is a good thing to do, but I never stretch before or after a run.

If you do not want to be noticed while you run, here are 2 things that I do: 1) I wear a hat and sunglasses...it is like my disguise, and I mentally think no one can see me or 2) go running when it is dark outside. now that is fun!!

If I hurt after a run, I get over it. No pain, no gain.

Music...gotta have good music. Although, my ipod was dead the other day and my run was amazing...maybe that is just because I had a lot of thoughts running through my head...thoughts like, jokes, blogs, books, Bible study...everything under the sun.

Okay...there is some advice that you can probably choose to ignore (except don't ignore the mexican part).

High.

I am so high on Jesus. Such an incredible weekend at my incredible church with my incredible church family...did I say how incredible it was...well, it was just plain amazing!!! On Saturday morning I went to the small group leader rally...no, I am not a small group leader, but I would like to head one up one of these days. Anyway, I got a lot out of it. Just with daily life and other groups that I am in, it just really prepared me and gave me a better mindset and how to look at things. Then, on Sunday morning, I served both services. Let me just tell you, the Bay team at Summit is pretty much the most amazing team ever. We have so much fun...laugh a lot, and just love those that come worship with us in the Bay. I could have stayed in the Bay all day yesterday and been so content. From welcoming, to counting money, to the insane amount of laughter, let me just say that when I left church yesterday, I was so full of the love of Jesus. He is all I need. He is the air that I breath, the song that I sing, the joy that I am so full of, He is everything.
So, today starts Day 1 of the Esther study! I am so pumped! There are around 11 of us that are doing the study and keeping each other accountable in our daily quiet times! I am so excited and thankful to have all these women who have a love for Christ and a desire to draw closer to Him!

How do you know?

When you know the answer to that question, please share.

The Man.

Let me tell you about a man. This man is amazing. To me, he holds many of the same qualities that King David had. He is a man of tenderness and strength. He is strong in battle, and tender when not. In modern day terms...he is a hard worker and gets the job done all while fully relying on the Lord to get him thru. At home, when he is with his family, he is loving and kind. From jesting around with his children, loving on his grandbabies, and sitting snuggly beside his gorgeous wife on the couch...he is passionate and caring. He wants nothing but the best for his family. He is a giver. His time, his energy, his love, his kindness, his amazing ability to get things done...he will give and never expects anything in return. He loves Jesus with all his heart. His laughter is contagious. He is always a joy to be around even if you are just sitting. This man is a hero in many ways. He is a hero to his children. He walks life with them, encourages them, teaches them, loves them, disciplines them, and has deep and meaningful relationships with each one. He is a hero to his grandkids. Even though they are young, they know he is the man. He is the arms that will hold them when they are crying, the hand to hold when out and about, the snuggles he gives when it is cold, or just being silly. He is a husband that loves his wife. His relationship with her is strong, silly, crazy, loving, halarious...he and his wife are the perfect pair. There are so many ways to describe this man, but my favorite way to describe him is, Dad. This man that is ever so loving, caring, strong, tender, smart, good looking, funny, and just hands down amazing is MY dad. I not only speak for my family when I say this, but for those who know my dad...he is awesome. *He also makes one GREAT father in law (ask his son and daughter in law)...and happens to have a single daughter *cough*

Dad, you are truly one amazing man. I am honored to be your daughter. I am blessed to be your friend. We have had many fun adventures and memories, from NYC, Europe, you being my boss :), singing songs on the way to school, betting what the temperature will be when we get to the bridge, "wake up", bear hugs, squirly, watching our favorite tv shows together....and way too many more to name. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being such a great example.You are a fearless leader, a loving husband, a tender father. You are amazing. You, my daddy, are the man.

Goals.

I make goals. By making goals, I challenge myself to meet them. I am pretty competitive...especially with myself...so I will be incredibly motivated to meet my goals. I have certain personal goals, but they are not blog worthy :) My main goal for 2011 is to grow in the Lord as much as I possibly can. I don't want to limit myself in my knowledge of the Word, so I am going to expand by reading lots of books. Another main goal is to finish school strong. To study and read and soak in all the material. I will have my associates by June, and then I will evaluate where I go from there. 2011 is going to be a great year! I am excited and I am looking forward to all that the Lord is going to teach me!!!

Happy New Year friends!!!