3 down, and 2 more to go!!

Today I took my third final... PRAISE the LORD I am getting so much closer to graduation!! So far, I have three A's as my final averages for the three classes I have taken finals for... WOOHOO!  My last 2 exams are on Monday and Tuesday (which I am a little nervous about...these could be kinda difficult)!!  Though, I have gotten to a point/ my brain is tired and I have to remind myself all I can do is my best (and study my hardest) and I have to be OK with whatever the result is.  Hopefully the outcome for these last 2 classes will be as good as the first 3 classes I took finals for (fingers crossed, lots of prayer & wishful hoping)!  I have a lot of studying ahead of me this weekend, but the beautiful thing is that this will be my last weekend to study-- GOSH I do not know what I am going to do with myself after this weekend!!!  More than likely, once this weekend is done, I will finish my alternative teaching certification stuff (since I have had absolutely NO time to do this), take the certification tests and then read books for leisure (my most favorite pastime-- yes I am weird... I could do this for hours on end)... sounds so wonderful and relaxing!! Oh and maybe get a massage... I have been so stressed this semester--hint hint: maybe my hubby will get me a nice long massage for my birthday or graduation gift! :)

News on jobs: I am still applying like crazy to tons of places, have had some great interviews and now I am just waiting for God to open the right door for me.  At first I was nervous about all of this and just wanted to know where I would work, but honestly I am beginning to find peace for this area of my life and I know that God has this all under control.  Though, if anyone out there knows any great children's charities, organizations for kids, or non-profits I would love to know about them so I could apply to them!  Also, I know that God would have not given me such a strong passion to work with children and families if He did not have a plan for me... so I am trusting Him and waiting for all things to work together in His timing... this is so hard but I have a peace in knowing my God is going to take care of everything!

Tonight's menu: Reagan and I are going to have a relaxing night.  It has been a busy week of studying and getting ready for finals (he has a big one in Greek next Tuesday-- so start praying... he needs lots of prayers for this class; all we need is for him to pass)!!  So, we decided instead of going out to dinner whenever he gets off of work (which now I just found out will be 9pm via text...so it looks like I will be eating alone tonight), we are going to make pizza at home and watch the Spurs game on TV (I guess he will make it home by half time-- better than not getting to watch any of the game with him).  So simple and yet so relaxing.  We are both looking forward to rooting our Spurs on to another victory and just relaxing and spending time with each other!

Well off to run a little bit of errands before I need to get dinner ready!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday night, spending time with the people they love the most!

PS: anyone who reads this blog-- if you could pray for me Monday and Tuesday (the days when I have my BIG finals that would be awesome :)  Cannot wait for graduation next Saturday-- woohoo!! It is time for school to be over already so that I can see all my family... I can't wait!

"Be blessed by the love of friends and family!"

Hallelujah, He is Risen!!

Sitting in church today celebrating my Jesus and all that He has done for me absolutely amazed me.  Knowing that He came to earth fully man who mingled with many, but who was also the Son of God who performed miracles, and shared with others and walked with his disciples daily just amazes me.  My Jesus died on the cross for me so that He could pay for my sins and then He rose from the grave... I am amazed by the price He paid just for me... so incredible! It amazes me that part of his prophecy was that, "Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations." Luke 24: 46 (what an INCREDIBLE gift)!!!
This morning we sang "Oh Glorious Day" such a beautiful song. At one point in the song I had my hands raised so high crying out to Jesus holding back tears so tightly.  My prayer is that one day when Jesus comes the ones I love will get to spend Eternity with me and my Lord in Heaven.  God really laid on my heart this morning while singing this song that the only way to do that is to share His love and the impact He has had in my life.  I am truthfully nothing without my God and each day I have to cry out to Him for His help and guidance.  My prayer is that through my life not my will is shown but the will of my Father; for I am nothing without Him and I pray that through my life He can reach multitudes for His kingdom so that we can all rejoice and celebrate together what He has done for us.  His gift was like no other; He died on the cross just for us so that we could have life in Him... such a special gift that I rejoice over because I am a daughter of Christ and there is no better gift than that!!

So with all that said, Today I celebrated that He is risen!

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’" Then they remembered his words. -- Luke 24: 1-8

I hope everyone had a glorious day celebrating all that God has done for us; because He gave us the ultimate gift-- and for that I will be forever grateful!!

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" -- John 11:25-26

Senioritis

Ladies and Gentlemen, I must admit... Senioritis has taken over me.  I have no motivation to study anymore, to look at school work or do absolutely anything that has to do with school.  I am in need of a break NOW-- my brain needs to shut off... RIGHT NOW!  Though, I have a week and two days until my brain can shut down (honestly I do not know how I am going to make it).  In high school I never really experienced senioritis because I was too excited to go to college; I now know exactly what people are talking about.  In a nutshell, my brain hurts and feels like it cannot hold anymore information.  My body is tired, and rundown and in need of sleep and relaxation.  I cannot wait until May 3rd at 11:00am... that is when my last final will be done and all I will have to look forward to is graduation on May 7th.  Speaking of graduation, I cannot wait!  I cannot wait to see my family and celebrate with them and have a degree "under my belt!!"  My dad keeps telling me to "FINISH STRONG" and Reagan keeps saying at least you have an end in sight (he has many more years of seminary to go).  So, this is a pact to myself that however tired I am and how much my brain hurts, I will push forward and do my best because I am too close to slack off now; I have worked way too hard and overcome too much to give up now!  So I will do my best, because as the little train once said, "I think I can, I think I can!!"

Well I am off to look at my finals study stuff yet again.. Oh joy (catch my sarcasm)!! It will all be over so soon and I can finally celebrate... celebrate I will-- I cannot believe the day is almost here!!! :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter weekend and is celebrating our Lord and all He has done for us; such an amazing price He paid for us!!


"When the world says, "Give up,"  Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."'

Words & Good Friday

Lately I have been realizing how powerful WORDS really are.  They can either be used to lift someone up or tear someone down.  Words are spoken in a time of comfort and a time of joy.  Each day we all say so many words, but do we ever stop and think before we speak?  I know I am at fault so many times for speaking before thinking, and that is when people end up getting hurt the most.  A devotion I read a couple of weeks ago had this scripture tied to it that I have been meditating over.  The scripture says: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer" -- Psalm 19:14. Over these past couple of weeks this scripture has been my prayer because many times I speak before I think and that does not always bring Glory to God... which is so shameful but yet such a true reality.  So, I have been choosing each day how to use my words with others... choosing to let me mouth speak the truth and be a light for God; some days I have done great and others I have failed (all part of being a human that sins).  I have really been focusing on this because I have been hurt by words and I know others have been hurt by my words; so I want to make sure that everything I say and do brings God all the glory -- so the first place to start for me would be with my words.  Whether it has been a good or bad day, I want the words I speak to others to be a reflection of Christ, I want to bring Him all the glory because He has done so much for me.

So just food for thought, how are you using your words?  Are they bringing honor to God or tearing down the people of His kingdom?

Tonight, we have a Good Friday service at our church.  I am looking forward to it, even though my allergies are driving me crazy (Texas weather needs to decide what it is doing)!!  I am ready for the Holy Spirit to fill me tonight.  I want to stand in awe amazed for what my God did for me.  He was crucified for my sins so that I could have life in Him... that is the most amazing gift I have been given and I do not want to overlook how precious it is.  So tonight, my prayer is that God gives me peace and a heart to feel Him because more than ever I need to experience His grace and overflowing love.  Thank you Lord for dying for me so that I could be your daughter; I am so humbled by your love.

"Living He loved me, Dying He saved me, Buried He carried my sins far away, Rising He justified, Freely forever, One day He's coming, Oh, Glorious Day, Oh, Glorious Day..." - "Oh Glorious Day" by Jeff Johnson

Busy Bee Weekend

WOW this weekend has been jammed packed.  I seriously do not know how I have made it through this weekend.  Let's start with Thursday, since that is where all the craziness began. I started the morning with class (which I was just a tad late to, thanks to traffic), then once I was finished I had an extra credit service project thing until about 3:00 and then I had to work some more on a group project.  Once this was all complete, I left TCU and headed back home.  I then had to go to the chiropractor to be adjusted (since life has been so busy I have not been in forever).  Once this was done, I stopped by a sweet friends to pick up some things and then ended up chatting for quite a while because I seemed to have a lot to talk about that I needed her to listen to and give advice.  Once this wonderful chat was over, I headed to my sweet friend Beth's for a good friends baby shower.  Paula was such a beautiful glowing mom and Jocelyn was a doll-- love them both to pieces.  Once the shower was over, I had to hurry home and get packed for the mini trip Reagan and I were going to take to college station to see his mom and brother.  We left at about 8:45 on Thursday night and did not get there until about 11:30 and then we hung out and stayed up entirely past my bedtime... 3:45 am to be exact-- I was so exhausted.  I got very little sleep that night because I was uncomfortable and not in my own bed... I am weird like that-- I hope other people are too.  Friday was filled with errands with his mom and brother and just catching up on life.  I also got to experience a fabulous Aggie ring ceremony for one of Reagan's brothers friends so that was definitely an awesome experience for me (since I was raised an Aggie since my father graduated from there). Once the ring ceremony was over we headed to a Mexican restaurant (highly mediocre-- I do not know what I expected from a Mexican restaurant in Bryan College Station-- to say the least they have not mastered good Mexican food!) for an early dinner and then once this was done Reagan and I got back on the road to come home.  It was a short trip but we were glad we got to see his mom and brother all day on Friday.

Beautiful Paula and Jocelyn-- loved celebrating them and their new beginning on Thursday night.  Jocelyn was recently adopted by Paula and her sweet hubby -- these wonderful parents and their three kids are loving every minute with their new baby sister... what an incredible blessing God has given them! (PS: the picture was taken by a great friend... her name is Katie-- you should check out her photography...Katie&Matt photography)

This is my awesome Women's bible study who helped put on the shower for Paula and Jocelyn-- love all these women to pieces :)



Now, lets move to Saturday.  I had to be up at 6:30 am to go to the 5K zoo run that I signed up for with my community group.  When the alarm went off I was definitely regretting my decision (especially since Reagan and I did not get home until 11:30 on Friday night).  Though, I forced myself out of bed-- threw on my jogging clothes and headed to my sweet friend Julie's house since she was doing the race too.  On Saturday morning it was definitely chilly-- so Julie and I questioned multiple times what we had gotten ourselves into.  Though, once we got to Fort Worth we were so glad to see people from our church community group. I am proud to say that Julie and I ran over half way during the 5K and then speed walked the rest of the way... so definitely not bad for our first 5K and I was proud of our small accomplishment.  Also, I was so proud of our friends Matt and Katie who have been training for a 5K together and they ran the entire way... SO AWESOME!!  Once the race was over, Julie and I headed home.  I had homework to do and a couples wedding shower at 4pm.  I got very little homework done by the time I had to be showered and ready to head back to Fort Worth.  The wedding shower was beautiful, and after that was complete I headed home to go on a date with my sweet hubby.  We went to Olive Garden for dinner and then went to see the movie, Lincoln Lawyer (good movie).  I cherished our date last night because they seem to be few and far between lately, so I was so glad we got to spend time together!! :)

Julie and I before the Zoo 5K race-- we were so cold!!

Julie and I after the race-- we were High-fiving because we had just completed our first 5K together!!

On to Sunday... Reagan and I had to be up by 7:20 am to get ready for church.  It was definitely a struggle for me to get out of bed (I require so much sleep lately).  Once at church, we helped set up for the service and got things ready to go. After service, we had lunch with a youth couple who are helpers for the youth.  It was so nice to visit with them and hear their encouraging words they had for us.  Once the lunch was over, we drove as fast as we could to meet our friends Brad and Julie to head to the Warrior Dash that Reagan and Brad were competing in.  They had an absolute blast, did a great job in the race and will definitely do it again!  So proud of my hubby... he did such a great job at the race!

Brad and Reagan before the race-- Brad decided to not show his awesome costume yet!!

All the guys after the race-- absolute filth, but they had a blast doing the race and obstacle courses!

To say the least, this weekend has been a jammed pack.  Sorry for such the long post-- just so much happened this weekend that I wanted to remember.  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  I am off to finally rest-- I deserve it after this crazy weekend.


"God thank you for the blessings of friends you have given us in our life-- thank you for all the laughs they brought us this weekend; we are so grateful for the loving people you have placed in our lives."

Welcome to Stress Zone

To say the least, I am stressed.  Not just a little bit stressed, but A LOT stressed.  These weeks leading up to graduation feel like I have more due than I ever have before.  More than anything I just want to turn my mind off and be done with school... because seriously, I am over it.  Also, I am stressing because once I heard back from Gladney that I did not get the job (due to the economy... THANKS A LOT) I have not heard back from any of the other jobs I have applied to.  Reagan sees this all on the bright side and told me yesterday, "Well at least they have not sent you something back that says No."  OK, yes that is true-- but some of these jobs I applied to weeks ago and have heard nothing back, which just really frustrates me to no end!  I need an answer or something-- please... because this state of waiting is killing me.  Oh and to top it all off, I was late to class this morning, parked in a lot that I always do in this same spot in the lot (if it is an open spot) at the very end.  Which yes it is not a technical parking spot but I am not blocking any traffic, and this morning was my lucky morning to get a $50 parking ticket since I was not in a defined parking space.  I was so frustrated.  I went and tried to appeal it but oh no... the lady was like you know what a parking space is so you will have to pay the ticket.  Here is my thought, maybe TCU should make some more parking lots and stop building so many buildings that are taking away commuter parking-- so incredibly frustrating. 

Well off to homework I go and then night class-- the madness needs to end sooner or later because I may have a stress break down, sooner than later.  I am so tired and need a break-- all this craziness of life needs to end soon.


"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." -- Psalm 18:2

Drained by life

So lately in the Farish household, Reagan and I have been in a "season".  A season of life where quite frankly we have no idea what God is trying to teach us or the direction and plans He wants our lives to go.  To say the least this is quite frustrating for someone like me who is a type A personality.  I have prayed over and over for God to show me the direction He needs us to be going in or to provide answers for our little family, and I feel that God has not answered my questions and prayers yet.  I had to be reminded by a friend yet again today that all things come together in God's timing not your timing.  Which I totally understand this and thank goodness God knows the plans for my life and not me.  But, it is hard waiting (since we are human), and it is hard being patient and diligent.  I am tired, I no longer know what I should be praying for other than that God provides us with clear understanding and direction for our lives.  I feel defeated and more than anything I hate seeing my husband feel defeated... it breaks my heart to see him in a slump. 
Though, I cling to the hope that once this season passes we will look back on it and see all that God taught us through the grueling process.  Though, right now I want to surrender.  I want to throw my hands up and let God know that I am done with this season and I would like to move on... but the reality is I cannot tell God what to do when He is in control of my life-- He runs the show not me.  So as we wait for answers my prayer since the beginning of this season is that through this God brings Reagan and I closer together and demonstrates to us His unfailing love.  I know God is there with us every day and every step of the way, but at times lately when I have cried (which has not been pretty) about all the situations we are in and all the unknowns --- I have had to tell myself over and over that even though I feel like I am going through all these things alone God has never left my side... that my friends is one of the constant comforts I am clinging to each day.  God is going to work through all these situations in my life and Reagan's life,  He will provide for the things that need to be provided, make ways for us in jobs, allow us to spend more time together as a couple, and at the end of the day we will still be able to have time to take care of ourselves and each other. 
More than ever through this season Jesus is teaching me that I need Him and that I need to give every part of my life to Him.  If this is what God needed me to learn through all that has happened this semester, at the end of this season I will praise and thank God for molding me even through the resistance and hard times I have had in my life over the past couple of months.  I think once this season is also over (all in God's timing) that I can honestly say I have began to learn to trust women again (being a youth pastor's wife it is hard to learn who you can trust as a friend and who you cannot)-- those who I have allowed myself to walk into relationships with over this semester have been an absolute blessing in my life and truthfully God given relationships.  I really feel like God knew I needed these women in my life to talk through stuff, and learn from them about similar experiences they have walked through... I have learned so much from each wonderful women; for that little blessing I am so grateful beyong words.  I have allowed myself to be open to these women, to ask them for advice and guidance, and to have them pray for me... this for me is a Huge thing... and if God was needing me to learn trust through this season I am definitely on my way to learning this life lesson.  All I can say is that through every season (good or bad) my God is with me every single day cheering with me on the good days and providing me comfort on the days I just need to cry; thank you Lord for walking with me every step of every day-- I could not make it through each day without your strength and guidance, because I am nothing without you.

So in the days and weeks to come please just pray on behalf of Reagan and I.  Pray that God begins to reveal His plans for our lives and the doors that need to be open will open and the doors that need to be closed will close.  More than anything--- prayer is all we need right now to make it through today, tomorrow, and the next day.

"Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you. He will never leave you or forsake you." -- Deuteronomy 31:6

Pray, Pray, Pray!!

Well I just found out some kinda exciting news (at least I am going to try and keep my hopes up).  I got a call from one of my friends that works for one of the company's of a job that I have interviewed for and she asked me if I had heard back from the job or not.  I told her I had not and she said that was a good thing (I was kinda confused because the waiting game does not sound good to me).  Though, she told me that there is just a lot of stuff for the position that they are trying to figure out and that they want to have a definite answer for me before they get back with me.  I am choosing to look at this as a huge positive, I think it is very important that they are evaluating every little thing before they choose to hire someone on.  Also, it does feel really good to know that I have not heard a NO back from the company, this makes me feel like I am still in the running.  Though, everyone knows how the economy is right now... so please pray!  Please pray that this company has the room to bring me on as an employee and that everything will work out the way it is supposed to... waiting is such a hard thing for me to do.  I still feel at peace about my interview that I had with this company and that feels good, and I have not really freaked out about not hearing back yet (which is very weird for me), so I am believing and clinging to this peace God has provided me with that everything will work out for His ultimate glory.  So, I am asking that everyone pray that either this is the job God needs me to be at, or if this is not the job that the door is closed and God opens several other wonderful opportunities for me.  I know that God is in control and I have to rely on Him and His timing for me life.  PLEASE PRAY, because I need all the prayers I can get right now and prayer is such an AMAZING and POWERFUL thing!!

I will definitely keep everyone posted if I get any updates about anything.  God is in control and I know that He knows what is best for me life!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:6-7

A simple phone call

I had 2 sweet ladies in my life today call me on the phone just to talk and make sure everything was okay with me.  Seriously, these 2 ladies probably did not know how much these phone calls would mean to me when they made them.
The first one was from my best friend, Hannah.  Her and I talk on the phone all the time, but this weekend had been so busy we really didn't chat much via text or phone.  So as soon as I left the gym this morning and saw that I had a missed call from her, my face just lit up.  She is my one person that I know I can talk to about anything and this morning I definitely needed to just talk, and hear her laugh and her voice; it is so nice having that special person in your life.
The second phone call was from a sweet lady at church that runs our women's ministry team.  I also had a missed call from her once I left the gym this morning.  Her voicemail definitely brightened my day, and the true genuine spirit of her just calling to check on me and see how things were going was definitely what I needed.  I find it so amazing how God just places people on your heart at a certain time when the other person needs it the most.  Just being able to follow up with her and know that she is praying for me, definitely means a lot to me with everything Reagan and I have on our plates right now.
I definitely appreciate the love of these two women, and am very grateful for the support they have provided and the prayers they have said for me.

For those of you who are wondering... I still have not heard back from Gladney about the job I interviewed for.  I heard the hiring process takes some time with this company so I am still waiting patiently (somewhat) to see if I got the job or not.  So I will definitely keep you all posted on the status of the job, for some of you the wait is killing you just as much as it is killing me!

I ask that during this week if Reagan or I come to your mind please pray for us.  Reagan's youth group has a big youth event this weekend, and just please pray that the hearts of these students are molded and changed the way God needs them to be.  Also, I ask that you also pray for Reagan and I as we walk forward in making some decisions for our lives.  We both believe that prayer is a very powerful thing, so we would appreciate all the prayers we can get!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day, and is enjoying this crazy spring weather (the wind is blowing so hard here in Texas)!!

Off to studying I go and then night class... Believe me, I am counting down the days until I walk across the stage... It is getting so CLOSE!! :)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:6-7

Great way to start my day

Nothing could be better than starting my day out getting my baby/mommy fix. I got to watch one of the sweetest family's kids from our church this morning. Pure joy and laughter fills my heart when I am with this sweet family. Though, I must say that the absolute best part of the morning was rocking their sweet baby girl to sleep and letting her stay cuddled in my arms because she screamed as I tried to put her down in the crib. I was definitely fine with letting her sleep her little dreams away in my arms. I think when I become a mom one day these will be the moments and things I cherish the most. There is just something so peaceful and loving about a child falling asleep in your arms and nestled in their cozy spot... Such a precious gift from God. Thank you God for letting me start my morning out with the simple pleasure of rocking a child to sleep, reminds me to slow down and enjoy the small, precious things in life.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and relaxes!!

I will leave you with this sweet picture of the beautiful baby girl I got to hold and rock to sleep.  She was sleeping hard, and it was such a precious gift to be able to hold her in my arms and love and her and pray for her.  God is so good, and definitely knew that I needed this sweet moment this morning to remind me of such precious blessings :)

"Treasure the simple yet beautiful gifts in life that God has given you."