One hundred and eight days until my life changes forever. My name will change. My routine will change. And my home will be shared with another person. I am so excited for that day and all the days to come!

But right now I’m cherishing where I am. I recently finished graduate school and I am back to working full time. The transition hasn’t been as challenging as I thought it might be, which has been very encouraging.

I am facing the future with expectation, excitement, glee, and even some fear. I fear that I won’t be the best wife. I fear that I will be overwhelmed with change. But I know that God is always with me and I know that having my best friend by my side at all times will be worth it.

There are plenty of things left to do for the wedding – sending out invitations, attending bridal showers, cake tastings, and hair and makeup trials, and finalizing decor and details. While all of those things can add up and be stressful, I am thankful and enjoying every step of the process. I know that engagement won’t last forever and I want to acknowledge my current stage of life.

I’ll be honest – it’s pretty nice living with just my cat. I like the peace and calmness, having a quiet space to do whatever I please. But I am eager and so happy to have a husband to do and share life with. Life is about the journey, not the destination. I want to savor every moment of it and remember to find the joy in all seasons.

Even in the waiting, God is there. All you have to do is seek Him, and He will come.

The quiet of a rainy afternoon – my cat sleeping in my lap, the sound of the rain falling outside my window, mixed with the light piano music streaming through my phone. The world slows down and I feel my heart still with the knowledge that everything is all right. These are the moments I live for; time when I can just find peace within myself. The world has been tossed and turned with chaos at every corner. Sometimes I have to face it, but sometimes I can just be in the stillness.

Finding the peace in the day can be tough. Some days I struggle to find the silver lining, but today I am soaking in it. The stream of thoughts come and go, as I work through what I’m feeling. When will this pass, I wonder? I pray that life stays this way for a time. I know it will end, but for now I choose to enjoy it. Take the time to stop and admire the circumstances set before you. God is in control and He chooses the moments to show His calming presence. He knows when I need it.

Find a moment to conjure this peace within yourself. Revel in it, because it could be gone in an instant. Surround yourself with what you love. Snuggle on the couch with a pet or a loved one; put on some instrumental music; make a cup of tea; watch a fire crackle on YouTube. Whatever it takes. Live your life because it’s the only one you’ve got. Take care of yourself. Be determined. Be strong. Move forward. But still find these times to remind you why life is worth living.

My heart is heavy for what’s going on in the world right now. COVID-19, racism, accidents, sickness, separation. All of it is getting to me. The pandemic, the strikes, the riots, it makes me scared. I’m scared not only for my health but the health of my family and friends.

I’m hurting from the news and the fact that people are being killed for no good reason, other than the color of their skin. It’s heartbreaking to know that innocent people are being treated so unfairly.

God calls us to love. Love one another as He first loved us. His abounding love is what the world needs right now. As Christians, we are called to share and spread love. We need to speak out against racism – against treating someone as less than ourselves. We are all equal before God. We must stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ, because to God, we all matter.

I’m thankful for the privileged life I’ve lived, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about the lives of those different from me who face true hardship. I do care and I do love. I am praying for the world in this time, and I hope that God intervenes in a big way through these traumatic events.

Thank you Lord for being with us and protecting us even in the darkest of times. He is with us always.

Every love story is different, each one unique in its own way. The way you meet, your first date, how you fall in love – each person at their own pace. The most important part of any love story is having God at the center. When God is the first thing on your hearts, everything else falls into place. His calling is different from her calling, but the two come together and form a united bond.

No two people are perfect, but they can be perfect for each other. When God brings two people together, He knows what He’s doing. He has a plan for each of our lives and He knows who we’ll end up with. He places stepping stones along the way to lead us down the path He has designed for us.

The Lord knows all and loves all. Trust that He will work everything out for His glory and our good. Sometimes we just have to trust Him and follow His directions without seeing the end result. I’m thankful for my love story and I’m glad I get to share this life with the person I love. All because of God’s perfect plan.

There are a lot of struggles in both my life and the world in general right now. The coronavirus is causing a halt on many events in almost every part of the world – sports events being postponed, concerts being cancelled, flights being denied, church services being online, etc. The world is stocking up and being cautious.

Then, in my own world, I have stressors that come from my personal life and my work life – I recently got a kitten and she is a handful to take care of; I’m in a busy season at work where I’m staying longer hours and gaining more responsibility; my schedule is abnormal because of the pandemic. It can all feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing.

When I start to reach my breaking point, I reach out to God. He is there to catch me, to comfort me, to reassure me that everything is going to work out. He knows all. He knows where my life is going. He knew the start of the virus and he knows where it ends. He is in control, even when the future seems murky.

God also uses the people in my life to keep me grounded – namely, my boyfriend, my family, and my friends. After being together for almost two years, my boyfriend knows me pretty well. He knows how to make me feel better and he tells me what I need to hear. His sincerity, loyalty, and love astound and amaze me every time. God put him in my life because He knows that I need someone who is able to reassure me that everything will be okay and I won’t ever be alone.

During this uncertain time, it’s important to remember the blessings in our lives. Instead of fretting about the unknown, we can focus on the what we do know, and we can give thanks for the blessings, both big and small, in our lives. Be thankful for health, relationships, work, rest, time to reflect. It’s what we need most right now.

It’s February, and of course that means it’s the month of love. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s a day that many people dread, but others look forward to. It can be a day to celebrate those you love or a day to mourn those you’ve lost. Valentine’s Day should be a day to be thankful for all of the relationships in your life – whether that be a significant other, family members, friends, or even pets! It shouldn’t be a sad day just because someone doesn’t have a special someone to share it with. I went many years without a “valentine”; this year is only the second year I’ve been in a relationship for Valentine’s Day out of my twenty-one years of life.

While it’s fun to give and receive cards and flowers and chocolates, the meaning behind Valentine’s Day goes deeper than that. In fact, the greatest love of all time comes from the creator of the universe Himself. God is love. He created it. It comes from the essence of who He is. We can only love one another because He first loved us. In this way, love is something to be celebrated because it’s how we can feel connected to one another. Love is the most powerful emotion and it’s something to be treasured.

This Valentine’s Day, make it a point to do something special for someone. That’s what the day is all about!

We all go through hard times. Challenges that we face and overcome just make us stronger. Stepping into a new career is a big change and it takes adjusting to a new environment, new people, and a new company culture. Sometimes I can find myself feeling lost, searching for purpose. Life is all about fulfilling purpose. Everyone struggles to understand the meaning of life and to discover what their unique purposes are, myself included.

I’m reminded by the Bible that the purpose of our lives isn’t determined by what school we go to, which career path we choose, or who we spend our time with. Our purpose is embedded in our creation, by the One who brought us into this world. Our purpose is to follow Jesus.

This purpose has many different shapes and forms, and there is no specific way to fulfill this purpose. We make mistakes and we learn from them. We don’t need to place an unnecessary burden on one decision to affect our whole lives. Yes, some decisions are important to ponder, but if we are hesitant to ever make a choice, how will we fulfill any kind of purpose?

Learning breeds knowledge, which breeds wisdom, which breeds growth. Growth within ourselves is what pushes us to the next step. If we keep moving forward, we will find our way to the path meant for us to follow. Rather than focusing on making the “right” decision, we should instead seek purpose in whatever path we choose. God can use any situation for His glory and for our growth. We just have to be willing to follow Him.

Today was my last day. My last day of undergrad. I will be receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting as I walk across the stage and take my diploma in a few short days. This moment is very exciting – knowing that 7 semesters of hard work has finally paid off. But along with this excitement comes many preparations and changes.

Beyond Christmas, I will be starting a full-time job. I’m very thankful that I have the opportunity that I do, but stress comes along with change. I’m a creature of habit, so moving into a new apartment and creating a new routine – one without school – will be really hard. The only thing certain in life is that there will be uncertainties. I don’t know what the future holds. I can only hope for the best, pray, and give it all to God.

Even when the future seems uncertain, I can hold on to the promise of God’s constant presence, my boyfriend’s steady support, and my family’s heartfelt encouragement. A song that comes to mind is Some Things Never Change from Frozen 2:

“Some things never change
Turn around in the time that’s flown
Some things stay the same
Though the future remains unknown”

How true this is, even when the future is fuzzy and the glass is fogged, some things will be there. Just remember to hold on tight to the ones you love and know that everything will turn out alright in the end. God can turn any situation into something that makes us stronger.

Lately I’ve been struggling with originality. I feel like I have a story to share, I just don’t know how to share it. I want to embrace the truest version of myself to display to my friends and family, and on social media. I want everything to reflect me and who I am. I’ve been grappling to define those terms – “Who am I?”

Last Sunday, I heard an awesome sermon that addressed that question. Many people define themselves by what they do, who their family is, or what they’ve accomplished. Those things are all great, but they don’t really define the essence of who we are. If we strip back the titles and the glam, what are we left with? We are children of God. Once we acknowledge that fact, we can find peace in knowing that our worth doesn’t come from the temporary things we hold on to. We have an eternal kingdom waiting for us.

With this knowledge, I have been trying to work on sculpting myself. I’m in a transition stage from student to adult, and I need to find a way to keep who I am, while finding ways to expand myself. I want to explore all that I can be, and express myself creatively.

Be YOU-nique!

Do you ever feel like you want to get away? As if somehow running away would solve all of your problems? Trust me, I’ve been there. The stress, the obligations, the time pressure, it can all be overwhelming, especially when there is seemingly no end in sight. But let me give you this encouragement – God’s got you. His timing is better than our timing, and while it may seem unbearable right now, He will get you through this.

With only 4 weeks left until I graduate with my Bachelors degree, the semester is piled with projects and exams. I have never had as many group projects as I have had this semester and let me tell you, they are not fun. In fact, I dread them more than any homework assignments or even exams! I like to be in control, and relying on group members is definitely not my forte. But I know that I will get through it. And you will get through whatever problems you are facing right now. It will get better.

Trust God’s timing and know that it will all work out for your good. Your trials and tribulations will only make you stronger. Keep on pushing! You’ve got this!