Should a Wiser One Take My Place?

Now that I am growing up I am starting to fully understand the importance of Christmas and the everyday lessons we can take away from this season. Christmas is not about the presents, its not about shopping and trying to provide outlandish gifts for our family. Christmas is about love.

When looking at Christmas I like to look at Mary the Mother of Jesus. This Girl must have been pretty awesome. Mary was a normal girl around my age (20) probably a little younger. She was living out her NORMAL life, engaged to Joseph, but God still used Mary. God used this NORMAL girl to do something unbelievable. God used Mary to carry his son. I can only imagine the fear that Mary must have felt. She truly let God be in control of the situation and put 100% faith in him.

In doing my blog reading today I came across this quote that truly captures what God wants us to take away from this Christmas season. "Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts" (Janice Maeditere). As we continue to this new year we need to really open our hearts to the things God is showing us. Through the opening of our hearts we can truly experience the gift of Christmas, the Gift of Jesus being sent to this earth for you and for me. Mary's heart was open to the position God wanted her in. Open your heart to where God has you today, and really seek his direction for your life in this coming year. There is not a wiser one to be in the position you are in, because God has you exactly where he wants you to be.

I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.

xoxo,

Mindy

Tis the Season

Tis the season for hustle and bustle.

Tis the season for Christmas vacation.

Tis the season to celebrate Christs birth, family, friends, and love.

Tis the season for me to start blogging again.

I have just finished my first semester as a Junior. I had all major classes except for one. Lets just say THANK YOU GOD I got through this semester. It was a struggle grade wise, but it taught me a few things, and this semester also brought me a few new things in my life.

This semester taught me that its ok not to make all A's. No matter what my grades are, I am still going to accomplish my goals. There is always going to be that one class you just dont grasp, that one professor you just cant stand, and those tests you just cant seem to pass no matter how much study time you put into them. But one thing is still true. I am still going to graduate ASU. I am still going to find a job (crossing fingers) helping families be the best they can be for there little ones, and Im still going to have an awesome support system behind me telling me that I am going to get there.

Though this semester started off on shifting ground I did not know what God had in store for me. I became Prayer Chair of my sorority, and have grown so much closer to Christ leading a bible study each week with a group of girls. I am so excited about this semesters book bible study that I can hardly stand it. It is going to be great! We are going to be reading the book "A Jewel in His Crown." I know we are all going to be challenged to live a life of excellence that we are called to this semester.

This semester also brought me 35 new sisters! I am so excited about having that many new sisters and I love them all to death! They are a great group of young women and they all have a great passion for God. It is so awesome to see how excited they are about being apart of SAO. It reminds me just how excited I was when I first joined, and the reasons why I want to be apart of this group of girls.

I also was blessed with two very special littles. They are the best! (I know I am a little biased) But seriously these girls are great. They both are very talented and both have a great relationship with God. I am thankful to call them my SAO family. I knew it from the start of things that I wanted these girls because of the bond we shared. We already have so many stories, adventures, and laughs that no one would ever understand.

One more thing the semester brought me (and Im probably going to get "in trouble" for blogging about it) is a guy.Meet Marcus. I was not looking for him when I found him, but Im very thankful that we took the time to get to know each other. We fit together very well and we support each others goals in life.

Now that I am home I am enjoy laughs and lots of family time. I am so blessed to have a wonderful family. They are full of support no matter what I do in life. They provide me with a sense of understanding that God already has it all planned out so you should live your life and not worry about what anyone else thinks of you. We chase christmas lights hunting for the biggest trees, the craziest decorations, and even the lights that go with the music. I truly enjoy being home and growing up like I have. I am so thankful that I can call both of my parents and my sister my best friends and enjoy every moment I can with them during this break.

If someone would have told me how the semester was going to end up in August I would have laughed at them. I am truly thankful for every situation I've ever been put into because it has pointed me to the person that I am growing into. It is teaching me how to deal with different situations and how to grow from different things. I love looking at God putting the pieces of my life together and reminding me that He has everything under control and its not up to me. I promise bloggers this next semester will not be as challenging since I've gotten one behind me with all major classes and I'll make time to blog on a regular basis. Stay with me I havent forgotten you guys yet!

Love,

Mindy

Season Premiere

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL!
Its one of my favorite times of the year. Yellow, Red, and Orange trees spread across campus bring smiles to my face daily. The crisp cool air that allows you to wear cute cardigans, boots, and scarves, and drink endless amounts of coffee-guilt free.
This year as I look at this transition to Fall, I being to think of my new season of life. This is not the season of singleness, this is what I like to call the season of Contentment. With this transition of the real seasons, my personal seasons are also changing. I have found it very easy since my last post to find contentment in where God has placed me in my life. I am hopeful, yet awaiting my time. I am happy for my friends and loved ones who have found their happiness and I use that as a way to personally grow until I meet someone.
"The thing I’m learning is that in order to fully experience the beauty of life, we have to be willing to trade where we’ve been for where we’re going." (The Single Woman) I have been through so much in the past couple of months. Places I never thought my life would go, positions I never thought I could do, and picking up pieces I thought I could never put back together. But God is one great healer and he "knows the plans." He is the author of my story and I have finally given him back his pen.
So with this season premiere of fall 2011, I plan to close the book on my Summer, and fully invest in what God is wishing to do in my life this year. I am going to continue my current obligations, and prepare myself for when its Gods time and also have a blast along the way.

Love,
Mindy

HOLD FAST

This past month God has just been hitting me in the face with things that I have been personally struggling with. No matter where I go I learn a little something that I can apply, something that speaks to me, or something that makes me go "MINDY that was SO GOD!"
The past few months have been a constant struggle for me to find contentment in God's timing for my life. I am such a planner that I want to take away the pen from God's hand. I need to give it back to him, because he knows so much more than what my two little eyes can see. I have had downfalls, shortcomings, and days I just want to give up. That is when God steps in.
I was home the other Sunday from college and a woman who's faith I admire so much told me "well hold fast God has something better in store." Those words were not just about my singleness. Those words were about my life. God has a great plan for it, and I have to give him complete control of the pen. As I look over my life, and where I want to go in the future I know what I want...but what is God calling me to do??? I can only find that when I hand back over the pen.
As I sit in my apartment doing my devotion night after night I have constantly read that we must use our singleness as a time of learning. Learning to carry out our current obligations. My obligation right now is to serve God, attend classes, family, sorority life, and friends. One of my devotions this week was on Rebekah and how she was able to meet God's appointment for her life because she was carrying out her current obligations. Rebekah agreed to marry Isaac a man she had never met after watering his servants camels. Rebekah and Isaac were miles apart during this time, the journey to each other was not an easy one. Rebekah went to this well every night so the night she met Isaac's servant was not anything out of the ordinary. Her willingness to help serve others put her in the right place at the right time for God to match her with Isaac.
As I try to relate this to today's world I realize that we all have our own camels to water. We all have those that we are called to serve according to God, and if we focus on our current obligations instead of our singleness than God is going to put someone in our lives at the right time.
I have been blessed with a wonderful roommate who is going through the same heartache that I am going through. She relates, she understands, and we laugh about our singleness (because what else can you do). Every time I am on the brink of having a meltdown she can tell. She knows my heart, she knows my desires about Love. Just like God. Though we dont like being single-we long for that intimacy, that friendship, and that love , its actually a blessing to have each other because we get to sit and talk with one another, we get to pray for one another, and pray for the others future husbands. We have many late night conversations, but last night we were talking about how God prepares your heart for your future husband or wife. My roommate brought up a wonderful point that I have reflected on the whole day. Though my mind may say "ok I want to find my husband," and I feel like my heart is prepared to meet him, God may still be working in that young mans heart. We have no clue where they are in there lives, so we must carry out our current obligations, be steadfast in prayer, and hold fast because God is going to bless us in so many ways. Now, I am not saying that my heart is prepared yet, because I know it is not. God still has so many things to work on in my heart to prepare me for that special man. But I know I must wait on the Lord, God's timing not mine. God's purpose for my life, not my plan.

Love,
Mindy

Living out Proverbs 19:21

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is from Proverbs 19:21. This verse says "many are the plans in a mans heart, but it is only the Lords purpose that prevails." I have found this verse to be so true in my life through different situations, but NEVER has played out in such a way as it has this week. This week was a very hard, stressful, and confusing week. Its not going to be 100% better next week or the next, but one day the Lords will will prevail and I will understand why I've had to go through the things I've gone through this week.
As I have said on here before I have had one other serious relationship before B. I do know what heart ache has felt like and I have used it to help my friends get through challenging times in their lives. Now that I am experiencing it all over again I am now getting all the advice I once gave them back. And its a lot harder to hear that to say. I do have hope and a heart full of faith that God is not going to give me anything that I cannot handle. I know that Gods plan is so amazing that I just cant even picture it.
Its like when you were a little girl and you dreamed of meeting Cinderella at Disney, when you finally met her she was just as beautiful, just as amazing as you always pictured her to be. But while you were getting to Disney you couldnt even think of how it would be. Thats how my God love story is going to be.
I was so in love with a boy that I can not even begin to describe the Love I am going to feel for my husband one day. People I tell you ITS GOING TO BE AMAZING. So hubs if your reading this get ready for some Mindy lovin!
I dont regret anything, I know this has taught me a lot. It has taught me trust, commitment, and how to love and be a best friend to the person you are in a relationship with. Though my plans didnt come out of this I know Gods plan is going to be so MUCH better than what I can picture for my life.

Pray for Big things-God always wins,
Love
Mindy

Dear Husband

I have started reading "Praying for my Future Husband, Preparing your heart for his" and it is such an awesome book. In this book there was a prayer at the end of the chapter about is your future husband a GOD lover. This prayer really spoke to me and I thought I would share it with you. I am beginning to pray for my husband from the "garden" of my heart. Jesus is the branch and I his daughter is the vine.

"Dear Lord Jesus, its so amazing that You can see my future husband now. You know him.
You love him. Lord, since You know the man You have designed for me, I pray that any other relationship will be unappealing to him. I pray that if he is giving away a part of his heart, his emotions, or his body, You will show him Your better way.
Most of all I pray he'll be a God Lover. Not only do I ask that You distract and keep him from other, harmful relationships but also that You draw him closer to You. May his heart be so full of You that he doesnt need anything, anyone else...until the time You appoint to bring me into his life.
And for every day of his life, hold him in the palm of your hand. Amen." (Praying for your future Husband)

a lesson in patience

This week one of my best friends, roommates, and sorority sisters came and stayed a few days with me. I have not seen her in what seemed like forever, and when we are around each other we are always bound to get into a deep conversation with each other about our lives. Though I will not be putting up the details of that conversation up here, I will tell you that God is working in both of our lives with patience, but in very different ways.
I am learning that my time will come, and though its not my season of blissfulness at the moment it may be someone else time. I know the goals that I want to get out of life, but its all about Gods timing and his will being met.
Right now I am ordering a book called "Praying for my Future Husband" and while reading the blog of the author I found this quote that describes what I am going through.

"Give Him time to do great things. The greater the work He plans, the greater the prayer preparation that may be necessary, including prayer for guidance. God often waits so that He can be even more gracious." Wesley L. Duewel

Maybe right now is not my time, but God is going to be even more gracious when it comes my time. Maybe things are not looking my way now, but when God provides he provides better than I ever imagined. Thank you God, for providing for me despite my gift of patience. I ask that you help me be content and enjoy the moments that you are giving me, and the days that you are blessing me with instead of trying to control the future for myself. Your plan will be done in my life, you will fight for me. I just need to be still.