Love a heart like mine...

Friday on my way home, I was driving with my windows down blaring Miranda Lambert on the radio like I do most days.  This day of all days, I was especially sentimental and looking for messages and stories in the lyrics.  It came across the song, "Heart Like Mine" and I put it on repeat for my whole drive home.  It got me thinking.  The chorus goes something like this:


‘Cause I heard Jesus, He drank wine
And I bet we’d get along just fine
He could calm a storm and heal the blind
And I bet He’d understand a heart like mine


I thought about that all weekend.  How sometimes I don't think even God could possibly understand what I'm going through.  I know He does.  I know He's not surprised but in my human-ness I sometimes doubt and these words stuck to me like glue.  I don't know if her intention in writing the song was to let God speak through it but He did; He spoke to me.  It's like the song said.  He calms storms, He healed, He understands my heart.  Trying to do better to remember that.  He made my heart, it's not some big giant surprise to him how I feel and I love that.  I love that He knows and He's right there waiting, arms and lap ready to just take me in, love on me, help me learn, draw me closer.  It's pretty amazing.  Never thought I'd learn more about my relationship with Christ through a Miranda Lambert song but I thank her.  :)

What-If?

I went down to Orange a few weekends ago to watch my youngest brother go to his first prom.  He was so handsome and his date was so beautiful.  I just watched them, envying them a little for not having any major responsibilities - getting to enjoy their freedom and care free whims.  I feel like I get so bogged down lately with responsibilities and day to day stuff that I forget to enjoy life and have fun.

So, I was reading a friend's blog the other day and she recommended reading this blog, a guy I love but have never gotten around to reading his blog: Read it here.

I am working on my what-if.  What if I started making jewelry for more people than just myself?  What if I learned how to actually play my guitar instead of just saying I will?  What if I got serious about starting my own invitation business?  What if I trained for a half marathon?  What if I got serious about photography and pursued it instead of just playing?

I challenge you to figure out your what-if and go after it!  Enjoy the ride, enjoy your life. 

Opportunities

I don't always understand what God has going on. I don't get it all the time. I don't think we should get it. I think it keeps me on a pursuit of Him. These past few weeks have left me utterly confused though.

I have been searching for a design job for months. I finally got an interview. I finally got a job. I love it more than words can explain.

My husband randomly applied for a job. Not randomly. He applied for an amazing opportunity for himself. He got the interview. In Dallas. Not Austin.

Lots of prayers. Lots of questions. Pray for us.

I want to be completely open to what God has for us. Really need to get out of the way. If Dallas is it, then Dallas here we come. We want Him to use us.

It's a hard thought to swallow that Austin may not be that place. Love it here. Love the heat. Love the people. Love the "weird". Love the Longhorns. Love the diversity. Love everything about it.

God, please teach me to love wherever it is you want us.

Lots going on!!

Man, May was a crazy month for me - so crazy that I just feel like I have finally recuperated. I decided to take the summer off from school just so I don't hit overload and completely lose it because I came pretty close towards the end of last semester, that's for sure! I had to take 12 hours to get my new loan so I could put it into a savings account and finish paying for the rest of my school with it as I go.

I got my acceptance letter from Texas State. I called about my new student orientation that I'll need to go to and the lady was like, wow, you're a senior, wow, you've been a senior for five years. Thanks, make me feel better. Haha! I'll probably end up staying at the community college to get all of the lower level courses done in an "easier" environment. So, the plan is to major in Computer Science with a teaching certificate. That way, if I don't like teaching then I can always go back to working somewhere else in my actual field of knowledge.

I'm thinking about applying for the ESPN internship next fall. It's an internship in graphic design. I'm pretty excited about it. My dream job is to work at ESPN the Magazine. I know, I know, I'm a strange girl, whatever. :)

On a different note, my sister is majorly showing now. You can definitely tell she's pregnant now. Is it weird that I am so in love with that little baby boy inside of her and I don't even know him yet? I just want to squeeze his little cheeks off already. He's so fiesty. Anytime Alyssa has get a sonogram or they have to listen to his heart, he runs away from the monitor or karate chops it. During her first sonogram, it looked like he was standing up and hugging her which if you're a mom, you know that isn't the best position for that little booger to be in. He's been more cooperative lately at the doctor, still karate chops though. :) She has a mini her inside of her I say. I'm excited about the thought of being an aunt and so sad at the same time that I will be five hours away from baby Austin.

That's it for now, I'll update again soon because this isn't the half of what's been going on, just all I have time to share for now!

For the love of Baseball!!

On to the updates...

Going to Wrigley Field last year has completely ruined baseball for me. We went to Houston this weekend to see my little bro for his birthday and he wanted to go to an Astros game. We packed up the 11 of us and went. It was horrible. It was raining. The dome was closed. It was NOT baseball so that probably added to my first statement. At Wrigley, everybody is a fan. Not the kind that just wear the t-shirt, I mean, die-hard fans. They made the game so much fun! They could have probably told you the name of the 2nd baseman's dog if you had asked...they just really love their Cubs. It was an awesome experience that I'll never forget. We finally went and stood down by the Crawford boxes and the gas pump by the Pumas and it was maybe 10% of what Wrigley was like but it made the game more enjoyable for the moment.

My little sister is 4 months along now. SHE'S HAVING A BOY!! I will be an aunt all too soon! I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it! They are going to name him Austin and I can't wait to see his adorable little face. He was breach on the day that they took the sonogram. It looked like he was hugging Aly. :) I know this isn't a good thing but at least he has some time to move. They saw something on the scans of his little heart that they are concerned with right now so pray for them as they go to their next appointment this week! I'll post some pictures when I get a chance! :) She's starting to show and it's beyond adorable...I'm loving this! I'm ready for it to be my turn! :D

That's it for now!!

The plan has fallen through...

So, we had this amazing plan. We got the Bush "first time home buyer interest free loan". So we're thinking wow, what a great way to pay off all of our debt!!! We'd pay off the credit card, then take that monthly payment and add to what we already pay on my car to get it paid off quicker and when it got paid off, we'd add BOTH of those payments to his car note and it'd be paid off 2 years early. It was amazing. We were excited. Then....

MY CAR BROKE!!!!

No lie! It broke. So much for the genius plan was my first thought and I was bitter but we really prayed about it and after much of that along with time and consideration, we decided to get me a new car that had a warranty on it still. We couldn't afford to fix my car and either way we sliced it, we were going to be upside down on a car payment which is awful and yes, I've been griped out by my parents and a lot of other people for that matter but it wasn't a choice of ours.

Leading up to yesterday, I was so excited. We were getting a 2008 XTerra, well, we DID get it. :D When we got to CarMax though I like, all of the sudden got all girly and emotional. My Rav4 was the first thing that was "ours". We bought it together. Both our names were on the title. Bryan was like, aww, why are you sad? This is supposed to be a happy day so I explained to him and then he was like, oh, well it's ok...this is ours too. Haha. I love him. :)

I'll post pictures when we detail it and make it all pretty. The dealership washed it and sprayed some wax on there in places so we need to remedy that Reno style. :)

We have no other news in the Reno house other than Summer has begun for my husband officially and if I can make it one more month, I'll have much less stress in my life! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger they say...we'll see how that works for me. ;)

Life and Love

For those of you who don't know, my aunt passed away last week. She was not sick, she randomly had a massive heart attack and passed away at the tender age of 41. She was the wife of my dad's brother. She lived a full life. She always had a smile on her face. She was always helping somebody do something. She would put you first ALWAYS and never expect a thing in return. She was a precious lady and my uncle loved her so much! My uncle and I are pretty close so it was hard for me to be there and see him in that much pain; suffering that much. Bryan and I prayed and prayed for him and my cousin. We prayed 2 Cor 1:3-8 constantly asking God for that strength and comfort to give to my uncle and my sweet cousin. I know their loss and I feel their loss but I can't imagine experiencing it on their level.

In the midst of tragedies always comes a rebirth, a new beginning. I'm excited to tell you that my little brother is now engaged and will be married soon. He proposed on Valentine's Day to his girlfriend, Lauren. They are both moving to Houston to begin new careers and a new life together. I'm excited for them and I wish them all the very best!