Big Updates!!!

Oh my it has been an extremely LONG time since my last post! In the past four months several things have happened in my life.......

* My sweet Daddy faced a very scary health problem. After going to the hospital with shortness of breath and chest pain, we found out that 90% of his main artery was blocked. After a long test the doctor placed a stint in his artery and he was kept in the CICU over night. I have to admit, I never knew I could be that scared. I've never seen my mother so scared and I'm so thankful Alica and Aaron were there with us. Aaron was our rock. He calmed us, explained things to us, and hugged us. During this time, I spent alot of time in prayer and God reminded me that He is always good and always holds us in scary times. I was going through the book of Pslams in my time with God and as I looked back over those passages I was comforted...God is my Provider, my Strength, my Shield, my Fortress,..and so on. I'm so thankful that my God carries us and uses these situations in our lives to make us more like Him. Well, after completely changing our eating habbits, I am now cooking out of a Diabetic cookbook and Pop has lost 20 lbs! I'm so proud of him and he is doing great! He had his last Doctor's apt last week and the Doctor is very pleased :)

*Mike came to visit in March and it was so great to see him! He came for the whole week of my "spring break" (for those of you who don't know, that's the BJU week of preaching that they tell us is our "spring break") I miss him everyday..

* I survived the last dreaded weeks of classes...one week I had 4 tests, a final exam, a term paper, and two presentations...by the end of that week I couldn't remember my name and I was snorting caffeine..haha just kidding! But I was extremely tired.

* Graduation day was amazing!!!! I couldn't believe that four years of so much studying and writing papers and learning chinese (yes, I'm still wondering how I survived those two yrs of learning that language) and giving presentations..it was all over. My sister, Aaron, Mike, my parents, and his parents were all there for the ceremony and I'm so thankful thankful they came! As I walked across the platform and shook the President's hand he said, "Nice gum!" For those of you who know me you know that when I'm nervous and I'm chewing gum I tend to chew very fast....yeah, not my finest moment. But then I was handed my diploma (actually it was the diploma holder) and I couldn't believe that I had done it! I walked back to my seat and saw my family waving at me and all I could think was I hoped I made them proud. It was such a great day and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to go to college and get a degree.

* After graduation I spent over a week in PA with Mike and his family. It was so great to just relax and spend time with my best friend. We went to the Bellville sale and got whoopie pies (for those of you who haven't had one of those, they will change your life...amazing!) And saw the Amish. We spent time with family and enjoyed date nights. It was wonderful to be with him, but so hard to say good bye.

* Now I'm job hunting and I hate it..but hopefully something will come up soon!

I'm the luckiest...

I have grown up in a rare kind of home. I say that because my parents have been in love with each other for over 30 years....yes, I said IN LOVE! As a kid, I always knew my parents were different from my other friends' parents. I knew that my parents had disagreements, but I never heard them fight. My parents always showed affection. And one of my favorite memories is when my dad would tell my sister and I that we had the most beautiful mother in the world....he said that every sunday morning before church. As I got older, I prayed for that same kind of love and my mom always told me that the best is worth waiting for.

I have been dating Mike for a little over a year now and I can honestly say that I love him more every day. I have no doubt that he is the man that God has for me and God answered my prayers and gave me more than I deserve. Mike knows me better than anyone else. He loves me so well...he is gentle, patient and kind. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world and I'm so thankful for him!

Even though he isn't a TN fan, I still love him :)

One of our date nights....he's the best!

It's been a while...

Well, I never realized how busy this semester would be! I'm constantly studying, reading, working on projects, etc... I'm so very ready for Thanksgiving!! It's hard to believe the semester is almost over. As I look back over this past year, it amazes me how much has changed. I'm so thankful that God works in mysterious ways. I love looking back and being able to see God's hand in everything. He takes those things that you thought would hurt more than anything and makes a beautiful ending. I'm so thankful that He guides our steps and holds our hearts. I know some may be getting a little sick of how I go on about my sweet Mike, but I just can't help it! :) I am blessed beyond measure to have such a wonderful boyfriend and best friend. His love and support has been such a blessing to me. I never knew I could love someone this much and I can't wait to see how much more love I will have for him 50 years from now. I'm so thankful that out of all the girls in the world, he picked me! I'm still not sure why, but I'm thankful he did! Just 10 more days until he is here!

Learning to speak and learning to listen...

Isaiah 50:4 "The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned."

God has been teaching me alot about the way I speak to people and today's message was on the topic of the way husbands and wives speak to each other. Pastor Hubbard used the verse above as a way to teach us what it means to learn how to speak and listen. Obviously, learning was the key word. "A trained tongue is not natural." I began thinking about different situations and how I usually react to them. I thought about all of the times I don't stop and think about the way my words effect those I'm speaking to. It was a very convicting thought! Pastor Hubbard went on to say that because this is so unnatural for us, we need to seek God daily for His help. If our hearts are teachable and sensitive to the Lord, He will help us speak words of love, encouragement, and support.

As he related this to husbands and wives, my eyes were opened to many things. I began to think about my relationship with Mike and wondered how many times my words were empty and thoughtless. I think something I struggle with is the way that I listen. "The reason the servant's tongue operated so productively was that his ears opened so consistently." What a powerful statement! Communication is so important in any relationship and your communication will only grow if you are both listening as well as speaking. Proverbs 21:9, 19 "Better to dwell in a corner of a house top, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman."
After Pastor read these verses he told us that women have powerful words that can either bring down or lift up their husbands. God is actually saying in these verses that men would be much better off in a corner of the house top or in a desert than with a nagging, angry woman! Then he drew us to Proverbs 31:26 "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is law of kindness." This woman understood that if her heart is centered on Christ and she desires to speak with His words, than her husband will be blessed by her words, not discouraged by them.

I want to be like that kind of woman! A woman whose words are full of grace and love, and a woman who is willing to listen with her ears and her heart. I have a long way to go with the whole communication thing (just ask Mike!) but I pray that as I listen and speak to him he will see a heart that's willing to learn how to listen to him and speak to him in a way that encourages and loves him.

They're Everywhere!

One of the entertaining things about my school is the fact that there are so many odd couples....everywhere! They walk as close as they can to each other without actually touching, they sit on the same side of the table, they stare into each others eyes...ok I'm done ranting. I can't even walk down the sidewalk because they're just standing there staring at each other. But there have been a few times this semester that I've seen the normal couples. The ones who are friends. They laugh and talk and have fun together. I've seen guys jump out from behind doors with sunflowers and it's so sweet and funny. When I see these couples it makes me miss Mike more than I ever thought I could. I miss talking to him and laughing with him. I miss spending time with him. I love the fact that he knows my favorite flower and the way I like my coffee (VERY important!) He's great and I miss him. But Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away..... trying to stay positive!:)

The portrait should point beyond itself...

I have been going to a great church in Greenville. The pastor has been doing a series on marriage and even though I'm not married, I have learned alot! Today we discussed why marriages fail and the purpose of marriage. God created marriage and it is gift. "Marriage is designed by God to magnify His loyal love." I've heard it put that marriage is like a triangle. Two people focusing on loving God and He in turn brings them together. The more these two people love God, the more they will learn to love each other the right way. Marriage is a picture of God's love for us. When people only focus on the portrait, their marriages become strained, but when they look beyond the portrait they understand what they represent- God's love for the Church. "Marriage is a beautiful pleasure that is satisfying, but again it points beyond itself to the ULTIMATE love." This phrase was so powerful to me. God designed marriage to be beautiful and satisfying, but only that it should reflect Him. I have seen so many couples who are consumed with the perfect picture.... the beautiful house, good jobs, cute kids... and yes, the picture is pretty, but it represents nothing. I heard the testimony of a young couple who chose to live in low income housing for the purpose of reaching their neighbors with the Gospel. They just graduated from college and had really great jobs. Instead of focusing on the "American Dream" they decided to follow God's leading and show His love to those around them. They may not have much, but they have each other, their love and desire for God, and a desire to point others to Christ.

I know I have so much more to learn about marriage. But I pray that my marriage will be consumed in God and that our portrait will point to something beyond itself- our Savior.

"Marriage is not to replace heaven, but to prepare for it."

New blog!

Michael Cohenour is not only my boyfriend and best friend, but he is also one of the most gifted people I have ever known. I say gifted because I believe that God has given him the gift of helping people. He has such a tender heart and compassion for people. He listens, tries to understand, and gives godly advice. Mike will do great things for God and I can't wait to see how God is going to use Him.

He just started his own counseling blog and I think everyone should read it! His words point you to Christ and remind you of the hope and love of our Savior. I'm so proud of him and I'm thankful that he is so willing to reach out to others and point them to Christ. Here's the website...check it out! www.hopecounselinggroup.blogspot.com