simple. but good.

(found here)

best ever.

Life.

This summer so far has been filled with bike rides, hikes, trips to find some form of water, working out to Gillian Michael's DVD's, j and i coming up with plans for our future etsy sight/ future store, and sleeping in.

I feel slightly guilty for not having a job and all but i have looked for one. During the school i don't normally do so many fun outdoor things so it has been good to be able to. Also, I am only going to be here for a month longer at this point anyways.

Im going to see Matthew in Dallas for a few days in July because Emma (my future sister-in-law) and brother are having a shower there. I did not think i would see Matthew at all this summer. Im thankful i get to catch a ride with my mom and them even if its just for a weekend.

I have a feeling that these next 5 and a half months will be slow at times. I prepared myself in advance about not getting to see Matthew even more now that he has a job and i am 3 hours farther that before. I calculated it and if this go as they are now i will maybe see him 4 more times before our wedding! CRAZY.

We celebrated our 2 year anniversary last Wednesday via Skype. We dressed up like we did on our first date and had the same meal that we did. I love him. Im not going to lie. The past 2 years have been hard. And if you have been in any form of a long distance relationship for any time period, you know its hard. And i am so ready to be able to sit in the same room as him. I am also learning to be way more admirable of women who marry men that travel a lot and have to be away from each other. I say this because it is also hard for me to show sympathy sometimes because so often i made myself just deal with the distance and not let it effect me. I keep telling myself that i only have about 5 more months to wait but it sometimes feels never ending.

Im wanting this time to go by so fast but also when i think about being married in 5 months my mind also says slow down, and enjoy where you are. Its an exciting and fun time in my life and im doing my best to embrace it. Its crazy how time goes by. You feel like you're crawling then the next min. you look back and don't realize that you have gone father than it feels.

Anyways. This post was probably just rambling and did not make sense but oh well. I was a little bored, felt vulnerable, and thought id write my thoughts down.

Until next time.

xoxo

Here are a few pictures from our Mtn. bike ride yesterday and our walk to another pretty waterfall.

snakes and waterfalls.

We went on a hike last week to this waterfall.

This area has so many good things to do outside.

J almost stepped on not one, but TWO copperheads not even 5 min apart.

I saved her life.

invites.

LOVE these invites! So fun. Saw them on Design Sponge Here.

I love fun parties.

p.s. notice they say play with bunnies :)

Black Cab Sessions.

Love black cab sessions.

Awesome bands all playing in the back of a cab...

I heart you Bon Iver.

Bon Iver from Black Cab Sessions on Vimeo.

Things of summer.

What I have done, in pictures, the first week i was here.

celebrated national doughnut day.

bought "non girly" knobs for my desk.

got matching key covers with j

sat at Starbucks

read

road bikes

received mail from my fiance

(notice he thought it would be funny to put my soon to be name)

watched j make chocolate coved strawberries

spent time in Chattanooga with the girls of 135

Iceland.

Thought this was beautiful too.

I want to go! who's with me?

Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.

Spoken Word.

Thought this was beautiful.

Alive.

I left Starbucks in tears today.

I know what you're thinking.. "oh no, why did she leave in tears"

But, the reason I was crying was a good reason.

I had to get up in leave in fear that i wouldn't be able to control myself if i sat there any longer.

I was crying because i was in awe of the gracious love of God.

I've been reading Psalm 119 lately. I've taken a few verses everyday and dwelt on the Word of God being alive. I have been through a "drier" season of my life the past year. Where i didn't feel or sense anything when i was reading the Word (not saying it wasn't alive, it was just a season of testing form the Lord. A testing of my faithfulness in times silence and of no feeling etc). My plan of action was to dwell and mediate on what the Word was and what it means to me.

I was reading 1 peter today and the word came alive to me! I broke down in tears because i felt the Love of God for me and his children pour out from the very words that i was reading. He is so good and so gracious! One way it came alive to me today was through the word "precious". This word is mentioned more than a couple of times in 1Peter but here are 3 of the verses where it is mentioned.

1peter 1:6&7

(to preface, this verse is talking about the greatness of the hope that God has brought us through salvation and the resurrection of Christ from the grave)

"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ"

1peter2:4&5

^{As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.}

^1peter3:4

but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

His people are so very precious to Him. Our faith is precious to Him. We are precious in His sight. Our hearts and our beauty is precious to Him. Our obedience is precious to Him. WE HIS CHILDREN ARE PRECIOUS TO HIM.

So simple, yet so powerful and when the word of God is alive in someone you know it.

I want people to know it. I want to be one of those people.

The word of God changes us.

So, in closing...

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

&

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Collossians 3:16

He is so good.

The business of being born.

You should watch this. The most informative video on birth ever. Changed my perspective on a lot of things. Seriously. Im not extreme on a lot of things but this is something I'm pretty passionate about...

I watched it on Netflix but here is the website.

oh p.s. I'm not prego ;) this is just for a future decision in life.

People may say I'm crazy for supportive all natural child birth but i know God knew what he was doing when he created us. And the things they talk about in the video will shock you.

Lately pt2.

Here are some more photos from the past week.

The trip to the swimming home with J, Logan, Isabelle, and Giselle was awesome. The water was warm and the sun was out. Defiantly made it feel like summer. Being with J and Logan is good for me. They spontaneously do things and thats something that i have lost the past few years. Today i think we may go ride bikes in down town Chattanooga. Its good being active.

Logan bought us Jillian Michael's workout DVD's yesterday! Isabelle and i started today. Lets see how long i last... Hopefully i will be consistent.

Last night we drove to Chattanooga to go shopping for Logan. Afterwards we stopped by Krispy Creme for National Doughnut day. Free Doughnuts! :) The best.

Matthew is coming in 2 weeks and we get to celebrate our 2 year anniversary!

Im so glad I'm here. The Lord has been good to me.

Sorry this entry was so random.

Lately.

Im officially in Tennesse.

Im living with my best friend this summer.

So far my days have been filled with these things:

Sharing a twin bed with my bff.

Going to the swimming hole.

Job hunting.

Hanging out with Logan and Isabelle.

Its been great.

I love being here.

More updates coming soon.

xoxo

(PS sorry about how poor of quality the picture is. Its from my camera)