Fall is finally here!! Fall is a season of fun. It reminds me of pumpkins, apple cider, hot chocalate, bonfires, smores, corn mazes, orchards, football, friends & family and soooo much more! I love the color changing of leaves, and the briskness that comes with it. God sure did know what He has doing when He created seasons. When you are coming into a season change it is exciting because that means new shoes!! They may not all be brand new, but its time to dig out those shoes that have been put away since April. You always find those shoes that you forgot about.
Last week Keegan and I celebrated our year and a half anniversary. Time just flies by. Surprisingly I am the one who always remembers these things right at midnight, but this time Keegan was on top of the game. I bought him a card to send and I didn't even send it on time... I know shame on me... Well, I didn't think Keegan remembered that well, I just thought the night before he remembered. Boy was I wrong. I received a card in the mail before I even sent mine out. It was soo special to come home from work with my mom opening the door with a card from Keegan in her hand. I felt sooo special=D
Keegan is actually flying out to see me for a very small trip. He is going Thursday evening and leaving Saturday afternoon. It will definitely be bittersweet. I am just sooo excited to see him again. It has already been 3 weeks, but feels a lot longer. He is so sweet, he told me he has a surprise for me Friday night. I am anxiously awaiting to see what he has planned. I will let you know when I find out.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Labor Day Weeked in Georgia!
So after everything that went on last week I was able to go see Keegan!! God was very faithful. I did not book my ticket until Thursday evening, but I got a decent price on it. I flew out of Milwaukee which is a little drive but not too bad. I had to work Friday morning at 7 and then I left around 11 to catch my plane! I landed in Atlanta at 5:15 pm. I was very excited yet a little nervous. I was not sure why, I love seeing Keegan. I think it was the fact that I was going to Atlanta rather than seeing Keegan.
When I saw Keegan he came out gave me a big hug and handed me pink roses! He is soo sweet. And that is not all... I put my luggage into the trunk and I opened the passenger front door to see peanuts, and Veggie Tale fruit snacks with a bottled water sitting there for me. It made me SMILE! He knew I was wanting a light snack as I have had nothing all day due to trav
eling. Fruit snacks were one of my favorite treats as a little girl and having younger siblings I have grown to like them again.
Later that evening we went out to dinner with one of Keegan's old jhigh friendsand his wife. We ate at an Italian restaurant as Italian is one of my favorites! I stayed with this couple all weekend. It was very nice of them to open up their home to me for the weekend. I was nervous and did not know what to expect. I only met them for like 1 second before... It ended up to be a great time, and I enjoyed hanging out with them. We watched movies together, and got dinner again together Saturday night. The couple has a 6 month old baby boy who is just soo cute. It was fun to play with him and see Keegan interact with a baby! I just enjoyed every second I got to spend with Keegan.
On Saturday Keegan and I spend part of the morning at a Nature Preserve park. It was nice to sit and talk and spend time with each other. Saturday evening we had to go to church and Keegan left early as I stayed back to hang out with Elysia. We just sat down and talking & watching some TV. It was nice to get to know her better. She is very sweet. I was very nervous to go to church again. Meeting so many people is very overwhelming, especially in the position I am in. I felt pressure again, but I decided not to let it get to me, and that is what I did. It was a really good service, but I could not wait until after church so I could spend time with my baby!
On Sunday I only went to the 10:45 service. There was no reason to get up at 6am to go to church, lol... I once again rode with Elysia. It was funny because in the course of going to church 2x that weekend, 3 people asked if we were related. It reminds me of being at NCU and people asking if Gina and I are twins. Just for the record, we are not related. Church was very good. Pastor Jeremiah did an awesome job bringing the message. I really do like CCH. After church, Keegan and I went to get Mexican food. Later that afternoon Keegan took me to a mall about 30 minutes away. I must say, there is nothing like Woodfield. I was not impressed with the Georgia malls so far. It was a nice mall don't get me wrong but the stores have a small supply of merchandise. I guess nothing compares to Chicago shopping! I did however
find a shirt at Macy's for $4.99! That evening Keegan took me on a date! We had sushi! I love sushi! I had the Tiger Roll and Keegan had the Volcanoe. It was so filling and yummy all at once! After that Keegan took me back to his apartment where I was locked in his room. I could hear something, but I was not allowed to peak at all. Keegan came and got me and he had hooked up his speakers to his computer and had 2 very special songs playing. He told me, "Let's Dance!" I was soo stoked! We danced to "Amazed" and "What a Wonderful World ", the first song we have ever danced to! It was very special and romantic. We then went over to some friends of Keegan's house to hang out for a little bit. ( Iguess my friends now too, ha!) Later that night we watched another movie.
I was dreading Monday coming as I had to leave that day. It was nice though because my plane did not leave until 9:40 pm. I had the entire day to spend with my love! We went to the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest. It was soo cool. We got to touch sharks, sting rays and some fish. We saw sharks, starfish, whales, neon colored fish, squid, and many more awesome creatures. It definitely was worth going and I recommend all to go if you have a chance. We then were invited to a cook out at the head pastors house with his family. I was very nervous because it was the first time I have ever met the pastor. But it turned out to be very nice and good food. It was a great way to spend Labor Day. After that we were invited to hang out with some
friends again. Then... it was time... I had to head to the airport. As we left the couples house, I started to cry. It hit me, I am leaving once again... Each time it gets harder and harder. I know in the end it is making us stronger, but it is sooo hard! I did not want to leave. I was so happy with Keegan. I had such a good weekend and it was not fine for me to say goodbye. Well, I did not have a choice and I ended up sitting on a plane for over an hour waiting for the food service to deliver snacks and drinks, thinking about how much I love and miss Keegan already. I am so blessed to be in a relationship with him. He blessed my heart every day. I did not land in Milwaukee until 11:05 pm and I did not get home until 12:40 am. I was up on Tuesday by 5:15 am and at work by 6:50 am. I was very tired to say the least but it was all worth it because I got to spend more time with my baby!!
I know this was long, but I don't get to see Keegan that much, so it was a recap of my weekend that I have been planning since June! It was a great memorable weekend with Keegan and new friends! I loved spending every moment with Keegan. It was so refreshing to be able to talk in person and have that face to face interaction. He made me smile so many times and it felt so good inside. Okay, I will stop with this... I am in love with Keegan Walsh!
When I saw Keegan he came out gave me a big hug and handed me pink roses! He is soo sweet. And that is not all... I put my luggage into the trunk and I opened the passenger front door to see peanuts, and Veggie Tale fruit snacks with a bottled water sitting there for me. It made me SMILE! He knew I was wanting a light snack as I have had nothing all day due to trav
eling. Fruit snacks were one of my favorite treats as a little girl and having younger siblings I have grown to like them again.Later that evening we went out to dinner with one of Keegan's old jhigh friendsand his wife. We ate at an Italian restaurant as Italian is one of my favorites! I stayed with this couple all weekend. It was very nice of them to open up their home to me for the weekend. I was nervous and did not know what to expect. I only met them for like 1 second before... It ended up to be a great time, and I enjoyed hanging out with them. We watched movies together, and got dinner again together Saturday night. The couple has a 6 month old baby boy who is just soo cute. It was fun to play with him and see Keegan interact with a baby! I just enjoyed every second I got to spend with Keegan.
On Saturday Keegan and I spend part of the morning at a Nature Preserve park. It was nice to sit and talk and spend time with each other. Saturday evening we had to go to church and Keegan left early as I stayed back to hang out with Elysia. We just sat down and talking & watching some TV. It was nice to get to know her better. She is very sweet. I was very nervous to go to church again. Meeting so many people is very overwhelming, especially in the position I am in. I felt pressure again, but I decided not to let it get to me, and that is what I did. It was a really good service, but I could not wait until after church so I could spend time with my baby!
On Sunday I only went to the 10:45 service. There was no reason to get up at 6am to go to church, lol... I once again rode with Elysia. It was funny because in the course of going to church 2x that weekend, 3 people asked if we were related. It reminds me of being at NCU and people asking if Gina and I are twins. Just for the record, we are not related. Church was very good. Pastor Jeremiah did an awesome job bringing the message. I really do like CCH. After church, Keegan and I went to get Mexican food. Later that afternoon Keegan took me to a mall about 30 minutes away. I must say, there is nothing like Woodfield. I was not impressed with the Georgia malls so far. It was a nice mall don't get me wrong but the stores have a small supply of merchandise. I guess nothing compares to Chicago shopping! I did however
find a shirt at Macy's for $4.99! That evening Keegan took me on a date! We had sushi! I love sushi! I had the Tiger Roll and Keegan had the Volcanoe. It was so filling and yummy all at once! After that Keegan took me back to his apartment where I was locked in his room. I could hear something, but I was not allowed to peak at all. Keegan came and got me and he had hooked up his speakers to his computer and had 2 very special songs playing. He told me, "Let's Dance!" I was soo stoked! We danced to "Amazed" and "What a Wonderful World ", the first song we have ever danced to! It was very special and romantic. We then went over to some friends of Keegan's house to hang out for a little bit. ( Iguess my friends now too, ha!) Later that night we watched another movie.I was dreading Monday coming as I had to leave that day. It was nice though because my plane did not leave until 9:40 pm. I had the entire day to spend with my love! We went to the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest. It was soo cool. We got to touch sharks, sting rays and some fish. We saw sharks, starfish, whales, neon colored fish, squid, and many more awesome creatures. It definitely was worth going and I recommend all to go if you have a chance. We then were invited to a cook out at the head pastors house with his family. I was very nervous because it was the first time I have ever met the pastor. But it turned out to be very nice and good food. It was a great way to spend Labor Day. After that we were invited to hang out with some
friends again. Then... it was time... I had to head to the airport. As we left the couples house, I started to cry. It hit me, I am leaving once again... Each time it gets harder and harder. I know in the end it is making us stronger, but it is sooo hard! I did not want to leave. I was so happy with Keegan. I had such a good weekend and it was not fine for me to say goodbye. Well, I did not have a choice and I ended up sitting on a plane for over an hour waiting for the food service to deliver snacks and drinks, thinking about how much I love and miss Keegan already. I am so blessed to be in a relationship with him. He blessed my heart every day. I did not land in Milwaukee until 11:05 pm and I did not get home until 12:40 am. I was up on Tuesday by 5:15 am and at work by 6:50 am. I was very tired to say the least but it was all worth it because I got to spend more time with my baby!!I know this was long, but I don't get to see Keegan that much, so it was a recap of my weekend that I have been planning since June! It was a great memorable weekend with Keegan and new friends! I loved spending every moment with Keegan. It was so refreshing to be able to talk in person and have that face to face interaction. He made me smile so many times and it felt so good inside. Okay, I will stop with this... I am in love with Keegan Walsh!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Learning to Trust
God is really stretching me to really trust Him with everything in my life. There are times where I hide from God and think He does not know what He is doing, especially in the middle of chaos. When uncertainty surrounds me and I have absolutely no control, I get scared. Lately, God has been telling me to surrender everything to Him, no matter how hard it is, and no matter what it is. When things do not make sense, I rest in the fact that God knows best. However, it is a lot easier saying it than living it out. This is something that I am constantly working on. I know that God will bless my obedience and faith in Him. I find it crucial to daily commit all of my ways to Him and put my entire life in His hands.
This is something on the smaller scale of me trusting God... I was suppose to go visit Keegan this weekend, as it has been 5 weeks since we have seen each other. Well... due to circumstances beyond my control I cannot go this weekend. It is soo heart-breaking to me, and hard. It was the PERFECT weekend. I got off of work on Friday, had Monday off, had good airfare and everything looked good... Then... all of the sudden I cannot go anymore. I have been planning this trip since June, so it is disappointing. I am trusting that God has His reasoning even though I do not see it. I do not know when I will be seeing Keegan again, but I can only pray it will be soon. It has just been really hard lately being in a long distance relationship. I am trusting God to work everything out, because I know in the end it will be all worth it!
I am in a place in my life where I am ready for what God has for me next. I do not want to say I am discontent, because I am very blessed. However, I am anxious for the next step. Now, that I have graduated from college, I am 'waiting' to see what is next. I feel like I am living in a 'waiting stage' and it is very frustrating at times. I know there is a lot of change right around the corner, but I am open to it and I am excited for it. As I am in the 'waiting stage' of life, I know that God is preparing me for what He has for me next. It just gets hard because most of my friends do not live in the Chicago area, but rather Minneapolis & Springfield (where I went to school). I miss being able to hang out with my friends. Enough rambling... I know through all of this God has His hand in it... It is hard to see at times and I am learning to trust God with those areas in my life where I have no control, even though I obviously have no choice.
This is something on the smaller scale of me trusting God... I was suppose to go visit Keegan this weekend, as it has been 5 weeks since we have seen each other. Well... due to circumstances beyond my control I cannot go this weekend. It is soo heart-breaking to me, and hard. It was the PERFECT weekend. I got off of work on Friday, had Monday off, had good airfare and everything looked good... Then... all of the sudden I cannot go anymore. I have been planning this trip since June, so it is disappointing. I am trusting that God has His reasoning even though I do not see it. I do not know when I will be seeing Keegan again, but I can only pray it will be soon. It has just been really hard lately being in a long distance relationship. I am trusting God to work everything out, because I know in the end it will be all worth it!
I am in a place in my life where I am ready for what God has for me next. I do not want to say I am discontent, because I am very blessed. However, I am anxious for the next step. Now, that I have graduated from college, I am 'waiting' to see what is next. I feel like I am living in a 'waiting stage' and it is very frustrating at times. I know there is a lot of change right around the corner, but I am open to it and I am excited for it. As I am in the 'waiting stage' of life, I know that God is preparing me for what He has for me next. It just gets hard because most of my friends do not live in the Chicago area, but rather Minneapolis & Springfield (where I went to school). I miss being able to hang out with my friends. Enough rambling... I know through all of this God has His hand in it... It is hard to see at times and I am learning to trust God with those areas in my life where I have no control, even though I obviously have no choice.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
This past summer
Life after graduation has been fun but challenging all at once. A lot has happened but I am very happy to be done with school. Especially after taking 40 credits this past 9 months.
I am working at a property management company doing administrative work. I enjoy my job and the people I work with. It has been very fun having my first full time job. I started working 10AM to 7PM but I am now working 8:30AM to 5:30PM. I am enjoying working these hours a lot better=) I have been working here for 1 month now. After graduation I applied for jobs and I was surprised to find myself with 3 job offers. God truly blessed me and I chose the one that I thought suited me well.
Being home this summer with my family has been such a blessing. After going out of state to school for the past 4 years, it is finally nice to be able to stay in one place and have m
y family with me. JJ & Amanda have loved having me home, as well as Ben & Shawna. They are so cute. As soon as I come home from work I get kisses & hugs. Amanda always wants to cuddle up and sleep with me. They are just getting so big it blows my mind. When I started college Amanda was only 3 weeks old!
Keegan is officially a youth Pastor!! I am so proud of him. He is living in Douglasville, Georgia pastoring at a church called Church of Chapel Hill. The youth group size is around 140, which is a decent size for someone just starting out. The church itself is about 1500. It is an incredible church. Keegan has been using his gifts making new changes for the better of the ministry such as: small groups, creating a hang out atmosphere, putting together a created team, & launching REACH (iamreach.com). He has a lot on his plate as he does everything.
During the 4th of July weekend, I had the opportunity to fly out there and see everything for myself, and to celebrate Keegan’s 24th birthday. We went to the cheesecake fac
tory! I enjoyed myself very much. I stayed with one of the pastors on staff and his family. They were so welcoming and very hospitable! I did have a lot of emotions running through me. I felt like everyone was looking at me and I had to perform. Perform what? Good question, ha. Keegan, told me to just be who I am, it does not matter and I do not have to perform. He loves me the way I am and that is all the matters. It was a very short but enjoyable weekend.
My birthday was 3 weeks ago and Keegan flew out for it. It was a great time to see him again. The highlight of the weekend was definitely a sunset cruise off of Lake
Michigan. I had an ice-cream cake for my birthday and it was delicious!
I was going to go to graduate school this fall but God had other plans. It was too late to apply. I am just trusting God that His timing is perfect. God has been so faithful though everything. I am so blessed to have God’s favor on my life! It is going to be different as this fall I will not be attending school, as I have for the past 17 years of my life, lol… I am enjoying being in the ‘real world’, ha! It is hard to be away from Keegan as it has been over a year, but through all of it, we remain strong. Keegan has been such an incredible boyfriend by keeping the romantic element in the mix even though we are away! I have not posted all summer long, I will be better at it now that I am a little more established=D
I am working at a property management company doing administrative work. I enjoy my job and the people I work with. It has been very fun having my first full time job. I started working 10AM to 7PM but I am now working 8:30AM to 5:30PM. I am enjoying working these hours a lot better=) I have been working here for 1 month now. After graduation I applied for jobs and I was surprised to find myself with 3 job offers. God truly blessed me and I chose the one that I thought suited me well.
Being home this summer with my family has been such a blessing. After going out of state to school for the past 4 years, it is finally nice to be able to stay in one place and have m
y family with me. JJ & Amanda have loved having me home, as well as Ben & Shawna. They are so cute. As soon as I come home from work I get kisses & hugs. Amanda always wants to cuddle up and sleep with me. They are just getting so big it blows my mind. When I started college Amanda was only 3 weeks old!Keegan is officially a youth Pastor!! I am so proud of him. He is living in Douglasville, Georgia pastoring at a church called Church of Chapel Hill. The youth group size is around 140, which is a decent size for someone just starting out. The church itself is about 1500. It is an incredible church. Keegan has been using his gifts making new changes for the better of the ministry such as: small groups, creating a hang out atmosphere, putting together a created team, & launching REACH (iamreach.com). He has a lot on his plate as he does everything.
During the 4th of July weekend, I had the opportunity to fly out there and see everything for myself, and to celebrate Keegan’s 24th birthday. We went to the cheesecake fac
tory! I enjoyed myself very much. I stayed with one of the pastors on staff and his family. They were so welcoming and very hospitable! I did have a lot of emotions running through me. I felt like everyone was looking at me and I had to perform. Perform what? Good question, ha. Keegan, told me to just be who I am, it does not matter and I do not have to perform. He loves me the way I am and that is all the matters. It was a very short but enjoyable weekend.My birthday was 3 weeks ago and Keegan flew out for it. It was a great time to see him again. The highlight of the weekend was definitely a sunset cruise off of Lake
Michigan. I had an ice-cream cake for my birthday and it was delicious!I was going to go to graduate school this fall but God had other plans. It was too late to apply. I am just trusting God that His timing is perfect. God has been so faithful though everything. I am so blessed to have God’s favor on my life! It is going to be different as this fall I will not be attending school, as I have for the past 17 years of my life, lol… I am enjoying being in the ‘real world’, ha! It is hard to be away from Keegan as it has been over a year, but through all of it, we remain strong. Keegan has been such an incredible boyfriend by keeping the romantic element in the mix even though we are away! I have not posted all summer long, I will be better at it now that I am a little more established=D
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Graduation!!
I graduated from Evangel University last Friday with a BBA in Management. It was a great ceremony. We had the largest graduating class, 500 students. My family came down as well as my grandparents and Keegan. It was a great time. I graduated with honors and with cords in SIFE. It is an awesome feeling to be done, yet I am still trying to get used to it. I am s
ure it will hit more come fall and everyone else is going back to school and I am not. I am excited to get a job, and enjoy life! Keegan graduated from NCU on Friday. I went up to Minneapolis for the weekend and spent time with his family. It was a great weekend.
At the end of this month Keegan is moving. He got a youth pastor position at an awesome church that I cannot say the name of until April 24th when it is announced to the congregation. I am very excited for what God is going to do through Keegan. It is a great opportunity for him. I am very proud of him. He is also working on REACH, check it out iamreach.com. It will hopefully be launching this week. Spread the word to any youth pastors you know.
As for me, I am in the middle of a transition. I am going to start looking for jobs this week and I hope to have a job by August. I wanted to take a small break after graduation to recuperate. I am excited but nervous all at once. I know that God is going to direct my steps and guide me. I am just in a spot right now where I am confused at what where God wants me right now. I thought I had everything planned out for the summer, and it seems to me that every time I have a plan, it gets changed. I am learning to be patient and just waiting upon the Lord. I have been praying constantly for God to show me where He wants me and to give me some direction as I embark on this new adventure. I am excited to see where God brings me in the next few months or even weeks!
As I left Minneapolis on Saturday, I was sooo emotional. I think it was because I was leaving MN for good. Since Keegan will not be up there any more, I will not be making any trips anytime soon. I do not know the next time I will see my friends up there. Also, I will not be going back to NCU anytime soon and NCU holds a special place in my heart. That is where I met God, where God changed my life, where God intervened for me, where I wrestled with God, where God showed me what I should do with my life, where I met Keegan, where I met all of my wonderful friends, where I served in leadership for 3 years. I never expected to get emotional, but it hit me as I left. Also, it was very hard leaving Keegan this time. I cried three times before I left. I just want to be with him and not a part any more. I hate having to say goodbye. But I know that God is making me a stronger person through this. I know that soon I will be with him. I think I am more sad because he will be moving and I will not be moving with him. I am just putting my trust in God and that is the best thing to do!!
ure it will hit more come fall and everyone else is going back to school and I am not. I am excited to get a job, and enjoy life! Keegan graduated from NCU on Friday. I went up to Minneapolis for the weekend and spent time with his family. It was a great weekend. At the end of this month Keegan is moving. He got a youth pastor position at an awesome church that I cannot say the name of until April 24th when it is announced to the congregation. I am very excited for what God is going to do through Keegan. It is a great opportunity for him. I am very proud of him. He is also working on REACH, check it out iamreach.com. It will hopefully be launching this week. Spread the word to any youth pastors you know.
As for me, I am in the middle of a transition. I am going to start looking for jobs this week and I hope to have a job by August. I wanted to take a small break after graduation to recuperate. I am excited but nervous all at once. I know that God is going to direct my steps and guide me. I am just in a spot right now where I am confused at what where God wants me right now. I thought I had everything planned out for the summer, and it seems to me that every time I have a plan, it gets changed. I am learning to be patient and just waiting upon the Lord. I have been praying constantly for God to show me where He wants me and to give me some direction as I embark on this new adventure. I am excited to see where God brings me in the next few months or even weeks!
As I left Minneapolis on Saturday, I was sooo emotional. I think it was because I was leaving MN for good. Since Keegan will not be up there any more, I will not be making any trips anytime soon. I do not know the next time I will see my friends up there. Also, I will not be going back to NCU anytime soon and NCU holds a special place in my heart. That is where I met God, where God changed my life, where God intervened for me, where I wrestled with God, where God showed me what I should do with my life, where I met Keegan, where I met all of my wonderful friends, where I served in leadership for 3 years. I never expected to get emotional, but it hit me as I left. Also, it was very hard leaving Keegan this time. I cried three times before I left. I just want to be with him and not a part any more. I hate having to say goodbye. But I know that God is making me a stronger person through this. I know that soon I will be with him. I think I am more sad because he will be moving and I will not be moving with him. I am just putting my trust in God and that is the best thing to do!!
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