SUN :)

The SUN is finally shining today, and for today I do not feel like I live in Seattle! Everyone knows I love cold weather because I love wearing cute jackets and boots... but I must say I am ready for the spring weather to start shining through. Maybe because I actually have something BIG to look forward to this spring :) But honestly I can't wait for sunshine, swim suits, and the beautiful lake... oh and ST. LUCIA!!!
So today I am so grateful that the sun is shining and that as I write this post I can hear birds chirping outside my window.
Today even though the sun is shining I do not know how productive I am going to be... this week took everything out of me and I am so tired. So I am looking at things on my computer, trying to study for tests I have next week, thinking about tons of beautiful things the future holds for me, and listening to Pandora Radio... my most favorite thing ever.
I must say I am a little grateful for a lazy Saturday, I have not had one in a while and it is nice to just be able to check my emails, read my favorite blogs, and I got to sleep in for the first time in FOREVER and man did I sleep in... it felt so good.
Lately I am just so grateful for good friends and family. Reagan and I had a blast last night hanging out with an awesome family from our church and their kids. It was just so nice that they had us over for dinner and then we just sat and talked and laughed and lived in COMMUNITY! I love nights like that... and their kids are adorable so Reagan and I ate up the fact that we got to play with them and cuddle with their little baby :)
I am just realizing there are so many opportunities in life I do not want to miss, and so if I take the time to slow down and love on my friends and family I find fulfillment in life. That is a very beautiful thing that I am so grateful for :) God is incredible and I am so grateful for the new things He is showing me each and every day!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday and enjoys the beautiful SUN God has given us!!!

"Being happy does not mean everything is perfect... it means that you have looked past the imperfections of life."

God is Good, All the Time... All the Time, God is Good!

So lately I have been reflecting on life and the many incredible opportunities God has given me that I did not ever expect to encounter in my life. Once I really allow myself to step back, it is an incredible thing to see how God is working through my life. Even more this semester I find myself so grateful that I am able to go to an incredible university, learn incredible things, and be surrounded by incredible people. I do not know if I am more grateful for this after everything that happen last semester.... but for some reason I am. I am also so grateful that my parents have allowed me to come to TCU and are paying for my tuition... all of it... I have the best parents in the whole world, and because of that I don't think I stop and tell them enough how much I appreciate them and everything they have done for me and how much I love and miss them.
I am also so grateful for second chances and new beginnings. Finding myself in the place I was in last semester, I never thought I could shake myself of the pain and burdens I was carrying. But, since God's love is so amazing and refreshing, He carried me through when I could no longer carry myself.... the funny thing is He was carrying me through the whole entire time. He knew there was a great plan for my life, and like my pastor has said many times before... sometimes it takes hardships in our life that we have to go through to see God's hand at work in our lives and the beautiful things He has planned for us. I am really making it a priority to learn that my life is not my own but God's... without Him I am nothing and I give everything back to Him. So as I go about my days now, even more I try to do everything so that it will bring back glory to God. Sometimes this is so hard because I want to grumble and complain, but then I remind myself... you have been given another day... do EVERYTHING unto the Lord. So I now know all that God asks for is my best, not to be perfect, but to give him my best in EVERYTHING I do. When I do that, He is pleased, the outcome may not always be what I wanted it to be, but I have to know that I did my best and move on with life instead of dwelling in the past. If I choose to stay focused on the past, I will miss the opportunities of the here and now that God has placed in my life.
I am so grateful for the girls that I live with. As my time with them is coming to an end, I have really made an effort to let them know how much I have loved living with them and the impact they have made in my life. The memories we have made together will be ones that can never be taken away and for that I am so grateful. It is so incredible for me to reflect on how we all met, and how God has now made us our own little family. All three of those girls have touched my life in an incredible way, and my prayer is that I have made just a little imprint on their heart as they have on mine.
I am so incredibly grateful that I am in love and that I am experiencing love. It is a beautiful thing, that definitely has its ups and downs but it is something that I hope everyone gets to experience in their life. I find so much comfort in knowing that I get to be with my best friend for forever, but that Reagan and I have honored God the best we possibly can as humans in our relationship. So many people find it crazy that we are getting married so young... 21 and 22 but we honestly know in our hearts this is the best decision for us so that we can continue to seek God in our relationship. We both really just came to this peace in knowing that God blessed us with each other, why not cherish it for a lifetime. We find marriage as an exciting journey, one that we know is not going to be easy at times, but having each other makes it that much better. Marriage for us is not giving up our lives... it's being blessed to have the opportunity to experience life together. We are very excited and hope that our lives and relationship can be a Godly example for those around us.
I am very grateful for life. It is so nice knowing that I do not find my comfort in Reagan, my parents, friends, or worldly things, but I find my comfort in my God. It is a journey each day for me to find comfort and peace in who God has made me to be. Though, I can proudly say, I have come a long way. I am a child of God, and I may not always like who I see in the mirror but knowing that God created me just the way He wanted me to be... makes me smile a little brighter and hold my head a little higher. I am not perfect, I have many flaws, but each day that I choose to look to God for my happiness I know that I will be okay because He is the only one who truly knows the cries and joys of my heart.
Every day there are so many things to be thankful for, and to smile about and remind yourself that GOD is GOOD all the time. Allow yourself to reflect on life and be grateful for the things God has given you.... because too many times we get caught up in the things of this world and wish we had so many things, when God has provided for all our needs for the here and now.

"God is not who you think He is, God is who He says He is."

WOAH time is flying by!!

So reality has really hit me, the wedding is going to be here so soon. I know I keep saying I never thought this day would come, but seriously it is almost here. The Save the Dates have been mailed out which means the real invitations are coming soon! I have two showers to attend in March... it just doesn't all seem real. I am taking my bridal portraits in April... and then I am in the home stretch. I am getting excited but nervous. anxious and scared. so happy and can't even wrap my mind around what marriage will be like. I do know though that God has placed the most amazing man in my life and he compliments me in so many ways. I am honestly blessed knowing that I get to walk through life with him. At times, I find myself trying to image what our wedding day will be like... but I can't get a clear picture. I know I will for sure be so excited to see Reagan... but will I have tons of butterflies and tears?? The one thing I know for sure is that I will be so excited to get to the end of that isle and hold Reagan's hands. This is such an incredible step that we are getting to take together, and it makes me so happy knowing that I get to love him now and forever. Love... wow I never thought I would experience it, but I have definitely experienced love and it is one of the most amazing things ever. Reagan has not only captivated my heart but he has taught me even more how to love. I know marriage can be crazy, but I look forward to waking up every day with him and ending each day in prayer with him by my side. I guess I just look forward to the little things in life that people over look... but those are the things that I love about our relationship... the little gestures of love, just getting to be with each other and having my heart race knowing that I get to see him. He is the love of my life and I am blessed beyond words. I really am looking forward to the BIG day... and before I know it I am going to be Mrs. Farish... so crazy but I am so excited!
Life is a beautiful thing, and I think the thing I am most grateful for is that I am getting to marry my best friend and my love, what could be better than that... absolutely nothing!

"A lot of people see marriage as settling down, but I look forward to truly living my life with you."

Letting God Write My Life Story

Recently, I have been realizing that I am not in control of my life GOD is, and that life would be so much easier if I would allow Him to be in complete control. I have found that when life is crazy and I try to control my world everything gets even messier, though when I give my WHOLE self to GOD, He does such a better job at aligning everything according to HIS plan. What an amazing thing... that the creator of the world knows what is better for my life than I do!? I have just found it so amazing lately that God knows my every thought, my every fear and all my happiness... so why is it so hard for me to let Him guide my life? I think as a human, I like feeling like I am in control of something, though in reality I really am not. The things that happen in my life are because God had a plan for them to occur. Looking back on this past year, I realize that everything happen the way God intended it to. Luckily, I searched for God's guidance and through faith I allowed Him to guide me and that has blossomed into a beautiful thing. For once in my life, I feel free from the burdens of life. Now I am not saying I don't stress anymore, but I look at stress in a different way. I can either freak out and not find a solution to the problem or I can take one day at a time and look to God for guidance. I have found that the second option brings me so much more comfort. I have no idea what God has planned for tomorrow, next month, or even my marriage for that matter. Though, I do know that God has written a beautiful story with my life thus far which gives me immense faith in knowing that the rest of my story will be a beautiful one. I have learned that I find satisfaction in life when I completely look to God for every aspect of my life. I am only human and I do make mistakes, but luckily since God is my Savior and knows my heart and the plans He has for my life He gently guides me back to the path He has chosen for me. At times I catch myself standing in awe at the magnificence of God because He truly is the only person who knows my heart, knows my intentions, knows my passions, and knows the goals I have set for myself. I am finding complete joy in knowing that even though I do not know what my future holds I know it will be a beautiful thing because I will be a beacon of light for God, and my only prayer is that my life will exemplify the love He has for me daily. All I need is God in this life... not money, or silly worldly things... just simply the loving embrace of my Heavenly Father. Knowing that I have that comfort and strength embracing me daily makes it that much easier to walk through my day with my head held high. My God is a gracious God and with Him I know that I will make the most of my life and at the end of my journey I can smile because I know I will have done everything I possibly could to bring glory to Him. Life is a short journey, so reflect and allow yourself the opportunity to let your life go and to give it all to God. The comfort and joy that comes from that "letting go" experience is a beautiful thing.

"For I know the plans I have for you Declares the Lord..."
-Jeremiah 29:11

It's February Already?!

WOW! How January flew by! I cannot believe it is already February!! Seriously, I feel like I am going to blink and its going to be June... so crazy! I really am getting excited for the wedding though... save the dates are coming out this month!!!

So with it being February already.... that means Valentines day is soon! This Valentines day is going to be a little different. Reagan and I are going to a couples night on Friday the 12th with a ton of couples from our church and then on Valentines day I have no clue what we are doing. Since we have been dating for 4 years, I am definitely out of creative ideas. I want to do something cute since it will be our last Valentines as a dating couple, but I can't think of any cute ideas. So if you have any creative ideas, please send them my way!!

This past week I have been thinking about how blessed I am. I go to an amazing college, have incredible friends, have a new opportunity at a new major which I love... what could be better than kids?! I have just been learning lately that life is so short, that each moment must be cherished. You may not have the most amazing and memorable days every day, but I have learned that there is something to smile :) about each and every day. I am also in the learning process of allowing myself to trust people completely. It's a hard concept and one I have to give God daily. I definitely am one of those people who wear their heart on their sleeves and I feel I have people's best interest at heart; though at times I go the extra mile one too many times for people and I when I need their support I don't always have it. So I am renewing my trust on God's word and that He provides for all of my needs. It is such a beautiful thing knowing that God holds my life in His hands daily. I am so blessed to know that I am able to cry out to Jesus when I need His help and guidance. What a beautiful thing that seems to make me smile daily knowing that I am taken care of by my Heavenly Father.

So, this weekend Reagan and I are going to look at the townhouses we are planning on moving into. He has seen them before and seemed to like them a lot. I on the other hand have never seen them before. I just find it a huge plus that they have an attached garage so that I don't have to park and walk in fear every time I want to get into my little abode! It is so crazy to think that if we do decide on the townhouses, that in just a couple of months that will OUR home. I am excited but I can't believe that it will be all ours. It is exciting knowing that we will get to come home to each other everyday and make dinner together. It gets more and more exciting everyday knowing that I am getting to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. The journey we have been on together has been an incredible one, but I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in our marriage!


"Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness"