Saturday, December 27, 2008

A Merry Christmas...

Britt and my Christmas together was really great! VERY busy but still wonderful! We attended a grand total of 6 Christmas celebrations. Christmas Eve morning was spent with Britt’s family and Christmas Eve Night was spent at Granny and Grandpa’s (Mr. Clays Parents). We spent Christmas morning with my Family, Lunch at Grandma’s (My dad’s mom), and dinner at Diane and Gary’s (Mrs. Clay’s Sisters house). And our last Celebration was spent today, Saturday, with my mom’s side of the Family. So, as you can see we have bee very busy but have really enjoyed it. I wish that I had picture of my own to post but I am not good at taking pictures. I do however have a few from online so that you can see a few presents that we got…
Dishes....


A Shower Curtain...




Our Bed Spread...




We also got a kitchen Table (Yeah), some glasses and this really cute plaque that Says "Clays...Est. 2009"
It was so much fun! We of course got a few other things but those were most of out gifts together. It was a lot of fun to get some things for out house and such...
I hope that you and your families had a Merry Christmas! And I pray a Happy New Year for you all! 2009 here we come!!!





Monday, December 22, 2008

A part of THE plan...

Matthew 26:17-19
“17Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
18And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'
19The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.”


These few verses may not say a lot to you but they spoke volumes to my heart recently. In verse 18 when Jesus tells his disciples to:
“Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teachers says My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples’”.
I began to think about the “certain man”. We know nothing about him.
Who was he?
What was his name?
Where exactly did he live?
Why his house?
The questions kept coming and coming to me....
I wondered why he was even mentioned at all. I then began to realize if he, "the certain man", even knew what he was doing? Did he realize that the Passover he was allowing them to take at his house would be the first of what we call more than two thousand years later the “Lords Supper”? I am not convinced that he knew this. I am not convinced that he knew this Passover held any special significance at all, in fact it could have even seemed insignificant to him at the time. Yet, because of his willingness to serve he was apart of something great! Yes…if the Lord did not take supper there then He could have gone somewhere else; but the fact is that man allowed this to take place at HIS home.
What an honor.

I started thinking about how at times God asks me to do things I at the time I do not come close to understanding why, of the significance to it. But…HE HAS A PLAN! And I am learning more and more that however small my part may “seem”
I want to be a part of that plan!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Merry Christmas!!!
~From Britt and Lauren~
(You HAVE to watch this...hahahaha!)

Friday, December 12, 2008

You don't really know me...

Do you ever feel like people don’t really know you? I mean, you want to be real and you want to be yourself but you feel as though you will not be excepted, or you will ne made fun of, or judge if you were to be YOU.

I hate it when people look at other people and automatically assume something about them. I can count several times that I know of that people thought I was stuck up and when they finally got to know me they said they were wrong. I have honestly spent too much time trying to figure out why they thought I was stuck up and wanted to fix it so that it would not happen again. But when I asked them why they thought that…one person said because I talked a lot, another said I did not say anything, someone even once told me because of my hair and the way I fix it…! Seriously!?!

Sometimes I feel so judged my people around me. I want to march up to some of these people, look them in the eye and say, “You don’t really know me!”

If you knew me:
You would see that I desire close friendship.
You would know that even though I am engaged I still want you to come and site by me, or talk to me. I do not shun the world because of it.
You would realize that I have done some really stupid things that I am not proud of. I just hide it well…like you.
I put on an act too often.
I have a certain way that I laugh or smile when I am trying not to cry.
I love corny movies.
I hate olives.
I can never remember singing artists/movie actors name or the titles of songs.
I desire to be accepted.
If you really knew me…You would probably not judge me.

The truth is…if I really knew you, then I would do the same. I believe that we judge people when we are just as if not more guilty of the same things. I jump to conclusions that people probably really don’t love God. Then I realize that I don’t love Him like I should and I neglect Him too often.

So…before you look at me and you judge me think about yourself. I know that sounds funny, to “think about yourself”, but the truth is we are to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” So, how would you like to be loved?

Do I really know you?

Monday, December 8, 2008

This, that and the other...

Top five things on my mind:

1.) I need to find a job.
2.) I need to finish Christmas shopping.
3.) I wish I was getting married tomorrow.
4.) It's a good thing I am not getting married tomorrow because I have a lot to do still!
5.) I am stressing too easily and that is not like me at all.

Well...I guess as you can see from above that I am still looking for a job. I have a few prospects but I am waiting to hear from them. Waiting....not something that I have mastered by any means. *sigh* I am learning (Again!) to just Trust God. Two things I am not good at: waiting and trusting when I "Think" that I can just take care of it myself.

As for the whole Christmas shopping...I got a little more done this morning and I should not have a whole lot more to do. *Yippie!* Can you believe that Christmas is only 16 days away. :0 I can hardly believe it! I am looking forward to it though! This will be a fun year! The Clays celebrate their "Christmas" as a family on Christmas Eve Morning and my family celebrates as a family Christmas Morning. So, it all works out rather nicely. I am going to spend time with the Clays during their celebration and Britt is coming to my families as well. I am looking forward to the time together more than anything. I can tell that I am getting older. First off I know what my gifts are and the only thing sad about it is the fact that it does not make me sad. The excitement of a surprise that came with being a kid left me. I still enjoy surprises but it is just not the same. Although...I don't know all of my gifts entirely which makes me happy. I don't know what Britt or really any of his family is getting me.

I had a lot of fun shopping for Britt this year. Really for everyone. I think that the only time that I have wished I was really rich was when I was wanting to buy people gifts. (or pay
the bills" haha) But really, I love buying things for people! It makes my day!

Well...I am rambling now....As for what is going on, not a whole lot new I guess. Pray for Britt during these last two weeks of school. I know that it is going to be challenging and probably a Little tiring.

That is all for now. Merry Christmas to you all!

Monday, December 1, 2008

A little prayer

Well... The Thanksgiving holiday went well. It was very busy and packed full but it was a lot of fun! I am pretty tired of Turkey though, I must say.

Right now it is back to "life". Although life as I know it is so different. I am looking for a job right now and I could really use some prayer. I am not really sure where to even start. I am sure that God can and will direct. I just need wisdom on what choices to make.

I am sure that Britt could use some prayer right now as well. Finals are coming up soon for him and there is a certain final that will be pretty difficult that he needs to do really well on. Please pray about this for us.

Other than Britt's school and my job searching I am not sure what else will be going on this week. I am going out to look for some places to apply today and going to lunch with Rachel Myers. I am also going to see my good friend Amy tomorrow. I am excited about that it seems like we have not done anything in quite awhile. Other than that not a lot is going on. I am sure that things will be speeding up as we get a little further into the month of December. Can you believe it is December??? Crazy!

By the way... Yesterday was exactly 6 months until the wedding. After this month we will be half way there!