We're Engaged!!!!!

Well....Trace proposed:) and I said "yes"!!!

As many of you know, Trace and I have felt that the Lord was calling us to marriage for some time now and we've been in a little bit of a waiting stage. Just waiting on the Lord's perfect timing! But the time has finally come and we couldn't be more thrilled!!!!

To give you a little background and to give you a little glimpse of what God has been doing, I'm going to start at the beginning:).

Many of you know Trace and I met in an unconventional way. We got to know each other via email and phone for a few weeks before we ever met in person. We lived 5 hours away from one another, Trace was in Tallahassee, FL and I was in Birmingham, AL. We met in person on October 1, 2011. After a few months of many, many phone calls, and Trace making a few trips up to Birmingham, I traveled to DC to spend part of the Christmas holidays with his family. While we were there God confirmed, for both of us, that he was calling us to be together, forever.

At the start of the new year, Trace began looking for jobs in Birmingham. This began the process of searching, lots of prayer, and waiting. However, we didn't have to wait long. In God's great sovereignty, and in ways I don't have time to type out, he provided Trace with an amazing job and Trace was in Birmingham by mid-March! This whole process was a HUGE testament to God's faithfulness to us. We knew job hunting could be a process that dragged on for months, but as we trusted God to provide, HE went above and beyond!!!!!!!!!

Trace moved to Birmingham the week my dad came over for a visit, perfect timing! They got to spend some great, quality time together and we both got to see a lot of my dad, which was such a sweet blessing. After my dad's visit we headed into the Month of May Mayhem! We were both so crazy busy that month, me finishing up school, traveling to friends' weddings, traveling to sisters' graduations, Trace speaking at a conference....just one thing after the other every day! But God, again, was so graciously faithful!!!!

Life started to calm down....a little....about two weeks ago.....And here comes the good part....

On Saturday afternoon, we were spending some time with family and were supposed to go to a park to walk around, but never got to go. So as we were leaving on Saturday night, Trace told me that Sunday morning we should go to the Botanical gardens to go for that walk we never got to have. So I of course said that would be a great idea. I had a little suspicion creep into my mind, but it left just as quickly as it came because Trace had done such a great job of making me think he didn't have the ring yet!!!

Sunday morning, I wake up and get ready, and 10 o'clock rolls around and I haven't heard from him (he was still sleeping!). We swap a couple texts of me saying that we could always go some other time, and him replying in full determination to go for a walk. So I just rolled with it:). He came and got me and we drove out to the Botanical Gardens. I'm in super exploratory mood and want to go look at all the places we HADN'T been before.....when Trace was just wanting to go to a specific place we HAD been before....the place he told me he loved me the first time.

SO....we finally get to our "i-love-you rock". We stand there for a minute and he reminds me that this was the place he told me he loved me..........he started fiddling with his pocket and saying something that I honestly can't remember.....when all of the sudden, after i say, "what are you doing?".....He gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him!

My hands went straight up to my face and tears started gushing from my eyes!!! After I clicked back into real life I was able to let out a "YES!"

I have been so unbelievably blessed by God's amazing grace to be marrying the man of my dreams! A man that loves God and is devoted to serving Him, who loves me more than I can understand, who cares for me in the most thoughtful ways, who loves movies, who makes me laugh,  who makes me feel the freedom to be myself, and who encourages me in truth. Our journey is just beginning, but I couldn't have asked for a better man to walk through this life with. I am so excited to glorify God together! I am so unbelievably blessed beyond all I could have ever asked or imagined!!!!!

Forsake me not when my strength is spent...

It's hard to believe that I only have 14 school days left for this school year!!!! Time continues to fly by faster and faster. This month is already completely full! Between end of the school year To-Dos, school requirements, my baby sister's graduation, co-leading a small group, babysitting, friends' wedding showers, actual weddings, and traveling to California my schedule is jam packed! Now, don't get me wrong, it's jam packed with awesomeness:) but it can wear me out if I'm not careful.

God has graciously provided me with a Psalm that I am claiming for this last month. He revealed it to me when school started in the fall, but I'm seeing it now through different eyes! This is my cry to Lord in the midst of the craziness! The whole Psalm is absolutely wonderful, but there have been specific parts that have spoken to me as an exhausted teacher:). I hope these verses can be a small encouragement to some of you as well!

Psalm 71

¹² O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!

¹⁴ But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.

¹⁷ O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
¹⁸ So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.¹⁹ Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
²⁰ You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
²¹ You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

²² I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
²³ My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.

It's been awhile.....

Wow...........it has been a little too long since I've babbled about my thoughts with the blogger-sphere. Since my last post my life has flipped upside down....in the most amazing way!

My job at Westminster continues to be one of the most amazing blessings that I've ever been given! I love my kids, I love my team, I love the parents, I love the values of the school! I cannot imagine a better job! This year has seemed to go by in flash! With only a month left I am overwhelmed by a very long to-do list, but so incredibly thankful for all this community has brought to my life!

My class at Christmas

Another amazing blessing that God has given me this year has come in the form of a man:). Trace Armstrong and I have been getting to know each other since August of 2011. There is a TON to our story and one day I will be sure to record it all on this blog, but for now I will just hit the high points. Trace and I immediately "hit it off" and we both felt that the Lord was calling us to be together. After much thought, prayer, and travels to see each other (he lived in Tallahassee, FL), I flew with him to DC to spend Christmas with his family. During my time there, the Lord really confirmed for me that this was exactly where I needed to be! And, just because God is awesome like that, he was confirming the same things for Trace. At the start of 2012 Trace started looking for jobs in the Birmingham area. Sooner than we could've expected, he had one! :) Trace moved up to Birmingham mid-March, just in time for he and I to spend some great quality time with my dad who was visiting!!! I am so thankful that the Lord has put Trace and I together! He is so patient and loving toward me....God really has given me a tangible picture of Christ in Trace! I am so thankful for God's unfailing faithfulness and grace on my life! Please continue to pray for Trace and I as we are trying to balance our schedules and as he continues to transition to a new place, new job, new church, new friends, etc. The Lord has been very gracious in the midst of it all, but pray that he continues to allow me to be the helper I need to be to Trace! 

My first visit to Tallahassee