.love story.

"every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite."

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
We’ve been together since March 26, 2009, so about 3 1/2 years! We got engaged on March 27, 2011 and were married on June 10, 2012.

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}
We met his freshman year (my junior year) of college and I had a crush on him from the beginning. I was a Resident Assistant (RA) in his dorm. Though I didn't officially meet him until around March 2009, I had noticed him in the lobby, playing guitar and hanging out with friends. The first thing I noticed about him was the way he treated others (I mean, besides the fact that he is such a looker!); he was so kind and treated everyone with respect, plus he had a great sense of humor and a knack for making others smile or laugh. After a mutual friend introduced us, we began talking, hanging out, and chatting on AIM until 2 AM (does anyone else remember AIM? haha). We became unofficially "official" the night he made the first move and kissed me to let me know he was interested in me. We have been together ever since!

Alpha Phi Omega Formal April '09 ~ One of our first dates

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}
We've been married 108 days!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? If not, where would you like to get married? 
We got married under a tree in my parents' backyard. It was a perfect day. =)

Our Ceremony

THE KISS!!! (And what a kiss it was!)

Our Venue - My Childhood Home

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!
Punk was the first one. =)

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.
– His selflessness – He is seriously one of the most giving people I know. Especially with me, our family members, his friends, and his coworkers.
– His passion – He is deeply passionate & committed to serving God; playing & creating music; and loving people. He has so many talents and gifts (it's a bit ridiculous!) and he chooses to use them to glorify God and serve others.
– His kind heart – He is compassionate, encouraging, loving, and incredibly supportive!

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?
It’s kind of a long story, so you can read it all here (under the "Our Proposal" section). But the short version is that he completely took me by surprise (because I thought I knew exactly when it was going to happen...a year later haha) and proposed to me in front of six of our dear friends (and a few other people...he was quite gutsy!). It was one of my favorite days ever. =)

Click HERE to view our proposal.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
He does a bit of both! He has brought me flowers for no particular reason, but it is mostly romantic stuff: songs, rose petals, candles, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. =)

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch? 
I am quite content having a night in with a movie and snuggling. I am definitely not opposed to a sunset dinner on the beach though either. =)
 

A picture from our honeymoon...we were cuddled up to watch a movie. 
 
10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
Do more traveling! I’d love to see Italy, France, Australia, and Ireland (again). We would also like to go to Hawaii and the Caribbean.

11. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
I can't give just one piece of advice so here goes: Communicate --> Instead of expecting your spouse to know exactly what you want, be honest and open (read: not hurtful...choose your words wisely) when communicating your needs. It saves a lot of time, tears, and guesswork on your spouse's part. Respect your spouse. Don’t speak negatively about him to friends/your mom/coworkers/whoever. Support him and encourage him to follow his dreams. Make it a priority to have time for just the two of you. Have fun together regularly. Oh, and keep dating!

12.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

These images are from our ceremony, where we each washed the other's feet. 
 
Love, to me, is putting another before yourself and serving each other's needs first before your own.

Though it can be overused, I try to use 1 Corinthians 13:3-8 as a model for how I am to love Jake and others in my lifetime. I'm definitely far from being perfect, but I'm a work in progress.

^"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies."

- 1 Corinthians 13:3-8 (The Message)

Life Lately

Hello blog friends!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote...it's been a busy life lately: going to Ireland, classes, internship, work, and wedding planning, while missing my fiancé. My internship has been fantastic, especially the training and interacting with the faculty and staff on campus. I'm really excited about what I'll be learning throughout this year and have a feeling that I will definitely be challenged and grow from this experience. I want to become a more competent and empathetic social worker/therapist. I am so excited to work with the students!

Classes are enjoyable this summer. I just finished up my work for the Ireland study abroad class, and am enrolled in Substance Abuse and Research II classes. I'm working with my good friend Paul on our research project, which I am really excited about. We are studying the experiences of survivors of suicide, meaning those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

I was inspired to conduct this research by the loss of an incredible guy Jake and I were both friends with: Cory. We spent time with him earlier on the day he passed away and his death really affected me. I am doing this research as a sort of love project in honor of him. Miss you Cory!

Work is going well, although it's hard to squeeze in 10 hours during business hours with everything else going on. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to continue working with the staff at CRI and members of community organizations. It's been a terrific experience.

I went dress shopping for the wedding for the first time this past Saturday. What a fun, yet a bit overwhelming, experience! We went to a bridal shop in GR that had over 3,000 dresses! I tried 21 (ohmygoodness!) dresses on (taking pictures of each one--front and back--for later reference) and ended up finding two I like. I'm not 100% sold on either, but I'm really excited to continue shopping! Wedding planning is going pretty well also. We're hoping to lock down the date (and venue) when Jake visits in July.

I cannot wait to see him! This time of separation is really tough, but I know I'm growing and learning through it all. He recently moved into a condo with his brother Steve, which is really exciting for them. His new position at the church is going well and I'm really proud of him! I cannot wait to marry him...=)

Well I need to get to bed...another long day ahead of me tomorrow. Sweetdreams!

With love,
Amanda

Lists

I saw this on a friend's blog recently and have I mentioned that I love lists? Because I love lists. I think that this provides a really awesome structure for slowing down a little bit and really noticing what is happening in your life. A little mindfulness for all you social workers and therapists out there...

Right now, these are the things I am...

Loving:
1. I AM ENGAGED TO THE MOST WONDERFUL MAN GOD CHOSE FOR ME!!! (More to follow on that later...)
2. How quickly the last few weeks of the semester are going
3. Bright and colorful clothes and images
4. Wedding blogs with a vintage/DIY/simple feel
5. Guacamole and hummus!
6. Realizing I have 1 full year left in the Master of Social Work program
7. Being offered the internship I wanted!
8. Storms (Thunder and lightning)
9. The fact that everyone seems to be getting happier with brighter and warmer weather
10. Spending time with those I love
11. Preparing for IRELAND!

Not Loving:
1. How quickly the time I have left with Jake is flying by (He's moving to the East side in May) *SAD panda*
2. How quickly the last few weeks of the semester are going
3. How many things I still need to accomplish before Ireland
4. The cough I still have...after over a month.
5. That I still have another year of classes, homework, papers, and studying.

Accomplishing:
1. Not freaking out about the weeks leading up to Ireland
2. Some wedding tasks/decisions. Not many, but we've got plenty of time!
3. Finishing up projects, papers, and presentations.

Preparing:
1. My heart for what comes next.
2. To be living on the opposite side of the state from Jake during the most stressful, crazy year of the MSW program. :(
3. To plan the wedding and prep for the marriage!
4. To find a job once I graduate next year.

Forgetting:
1. To go to bed earlier
2. To stop saying negative things about myself
3. To return the countless e-mails I get daily.
4. TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT.

Reading:
1. Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity by Lauren F. Winner
2. Becoming The Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For by Sharon Jaynes

Believing:
1. That God is who He says He is
2. That God can do what He says He can do
3. That I am who God says I am (trying anyway)
4. That I can do all things through Him
5. That this year is going to be incredible and will help prepare me for life after school and my marriage
6. That God has a plan for my life and it's only my responsibility to follow Him

That's all for now folks...back to productivity! =)

With love,
Amanda

Check Yourself.

So I will be honest...I haven't been updating my list of good things daily. I write a few in one day to cover three or four days. Not sure if that's defeating the purpose or if it's still worthwhile. I would argue with myself that it is still worthwhile, as it challenges me to find 40 different things. However, since I am not daily updating my list, I decided to "up the anty."

This morning, I read the blog written by this talented author and focused particularly on two posts: this one and this one. (I know there are a lot of links in the previous sentence, but you should definitely check each one out!) Reading Shauna's blog posts on Lent inspired me to take a different spin on her Lenten commitment. I know it is a little late to change the game, but I figure it's better late than never, right? 

I am adding to my Lenten commitment of finding one good thing about myself for each of the 40 days that I will improve my language about myself. This can translate to: I am not going to speak words of negativity about myself to myself or others aloud. Talk about a challenge! Jake will be rejoicing when he reads this...as well as challenging me to keep my word.

Think about this seriously. How do your daily words affect your view of yourself...of others? Are your words used to uplift, encourage, and brighten? Or are they used to speak negativity, bring down, and discourage? I challenge you to check yourself and think about your words. How do you use them? How do they affect others, as well as you?

I sometimes wonder why I get so down on myself about different things. In reflecting on why I feel the way I do about myself, I realized that speaking negativity about myself for years has given those negative words power over me and I am not particularly pleased about it. Our words truly have power, particularly when spoken in my opinion. If I do not learn how to change the way I speak about myself soon, I could spend my entire life speaking negative words or thoughts and never improve how I see myself. I know God sees me as his own beautiful daughter and that my boyfriend, family, and friends all see beauty in who I am and how I look. I want to see what they see in me and appreciate the body, mind, heart, and soul the Lord has given me. 

I know it is important that I do this. The way I speak about myself influences others' feelings about themselves and me. I do not want to continue making my love feel badly that, no matter what he says, I still have moments where I do not understand what he sees in me. I do not want my children someday to feel badly about how they are made because I speak words of negativity about myself around them. This is important. Not just for me, but for those I love and surround myself with. Hopefully this will end up being a longer-than-Lent challenge. For now, I leave you with one of my absolute favorite verses...

"You're beautiful from head to toe, my dear love,
   beautiful beyond compare, absolutely flawless."

            - Song of Songs 4:7 (The Message)

With love,
Amanda

40 Days of Good Things

So I decided that part of my Lenten focus is going to be improving how I see myself. My goal is to list one thing each day that I like about myself.  It can be physical or otherwise, but I have to list one thing per day. I've already started the list in a Word document, so hopefully I will remember to write one thing per day.

I also want to start limiting the number of times I head for the drive through and drink pop. I'm not cutting it out completely, but I could definitely stand to benefit from setting boundaries in how often I indulge. 

Today we went to a large flea market and looked at several shops full of antiques, Southern attire, and delicious homemade Mennonite goods. I had a productive day, picking up small gifts for my family members, as well as some delicious banana butter (don't knock it until you try it!) and a beautiful ring at an antique shop. It's gorgeous. 

We also went to a glass blowing art shop. We were able to catch one of the glass blowers making a vase...what a great experience! We were almost completely mesmerized watching the artist work the glass. I find myself wanting to learn how; how cool would that be?!

We grabbed a snack/linner at Five Guys burger joint...always order the regular size fries...because you shouldn't eat even a regular size order of fries by yourself! After that, we packed up and headed back to Massanutten Resort to relax and do homework.

I'm currently sipping a margarita and doing homework by the fireplace in our condo, surrounded by some of my best girlfriends and a wonderful woman who chose to hang out with us. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here on break. It's been wonderful to catch up with these ladies and see where life has and will be taking them. I love these ladies and pray the best for them. 

It's a movie/homework/junk food chat night. =) I'm excited!


With love,
Amanda

The Cheerful Heart

 “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” - Proverbs 15:15

I subscribe to daily e-mails from "Girlfriends in God," a daily devotional from Crosswalk.com. I am terrible at remembering and actually doing devotionals every day, so it's been rewarding to have my devotional sent to me daily. 

Today's message was from Mary Southerland and was entitled "Laugh it up!" In reading through the devotional, I realized its topic was finding joy. Great timing! It was such a blessing to read today.

You can read the entire devotional here but I wanted to give you a few highlights.

Some truths about Joy:

1.  Joy heals.  

Proverbs 17:22 - “A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.”

2.  Joy makes us strong.
Nehemiah 8:10 - “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

3.  Joy makes the ordinary special. 

As we learn to celebrate the ordinary things in life, we build a life of joy because it is against the backdrop of the ordinary that God’s work becomes extraordinary. 

So tonight, K's mom arrived to join us on our trip. =) And there was a surprise (I had an idea this was going to happen)...G showed up! I haven't seen G in a lonnnnng time and that's sad, as we used to live together. I've really missed G and I am happy to have this time to catch up with her!

That's about it for now. Goodnight all!

With love,

Amanda 

Rejuvenate

Spring break has arrived...finally! I am so thrilled for the week that awaits me! I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend the week with some of my best girlfriends from undergrad. We're all fighting our way through grad school, med school, or undergrad and this is a much needed vacation from the "real world" for awhile. We're leaving for Virginia Saturday morning and from there on out, we plan on relaxing, reading, spending time together, giggling, jacuzzi chats (there is one in our condo!), and even homework time (unfortunately). It has been so long since we've been together and I am excited to share with these ladies what may be one of the last opportunities for us to do something like this. Prayers for rejuvenation, safe travel, and a wonderful time are appreciated!

I need this time away. Away from school, work, and a few other things as well. It's been increasingly hard to find joy some days with all the stress (sometimes self-inflicted), frustration, and work I experience. Life has had a way of getting me down sometimes and it bothers me when I let it overwhelm me.

As I sit writing this second portion of the post, I am in Mcgaheysville, VA. It's a bit rainy here but I am absolutely loving being here. The road trip here was eventful (with this group of ladies how would it not be?) and we made it here safely at 11:30 p.m. I drove the last portion of the trip and fought the darkness and rain while driving the Astro, heretofore referred to as Gavina. It was a challenging trip, not without some casualties in time and keys, but there was a lot of laughing and giggling. It's been so wonderful to catch up with K, B, and S. These ladies make every day an adventure and it's been great to be reunited with them.

Last night, I was able to enjoy the jacuzzi in our condo before bed. It was incredibly relaxing after a long day of driving. Our resort is in the mountains and it's just gorgeous, peaceful, and exactly what I needed this break. I am so excited to post the pictures at some point. Already I am feeling less stress over the things of my everyday life.  

As Lent approaches, I am debating over what to do. A friend is making the commitment to work out every day and I like that idea. I also had the idea of writing one post a day, each day focusing on something else I like about myself. This would be a big challenge for me because it's so much easier for me to find something I don't like about myself than to find something I do like. Thoughts on Lent ideas or suggestions are welcome!


My thoughts are prayers are with the Campus Ministries spring break teams. Jake is on the trip to East Palo Alto, CA. I'm missing him, but thankful for this opportunity for him to go and serve with friends.


I'm signing out for now. To everyone on spring break, I pray you get what you need out of this time. As for me, I'm still trying to work on finding the joy in everyday life and appreciating what God has blessed me with right now. 


With love,
Amanda

Waiting on God

This past year has been a big time of waiting on God for me. Whether it be regarding hearing from grad schools, job possibilities, graduate assistant positions, grades, or a study abroad application, God has had me waiting. It's always been a major theme in my life, but the past year has been such a test of how I respond when faced with uncertainty.

I recently was accepted to study abroad in Ireland with the School of Social Work for two weeks in May for class credit. I've never been able to afford studying abroad and am so ecstatic about this opportunity! Ireland is on my bucket list of places to go before I die and I am more than happy for this chance to visit the land of my heritage...(not really but I wish haha). It's beautiful there and I think it will be a perfect transition into my spring/summer semester of classes and an internship. 

In other news, some big changes have been in the works for awhile now. After a lot of prayer, talking, and consideration, Jake recently accepted a full-time position as a Worship Pastor/Director at his home church. This is his last semester at GV and he will be starting the position in May/June. This next year we will be on opposite sides of the state. 

The day he accepted the position officially, I wrote my thoughts down...here's what I came up with.

My thoughts from December 16, 2010:

Today, Jake officially decided to accept a position as a worship leader/pastor at Rockpointe Community Church, his home church. After a lot of stress, worrying, weighing, praying, and contemplating, he has been led to accept this position for the upcoming year and leave Grand Valley behind. We're not sure of all the details quite yet, but we are very excited about this opportunity for him to serve God and minister to his church.

I know he is an excellent person for this position and that his heart is in the right place. I know he will do a fantastic job and that it is important to him to see his church grow and flourish during a season of change for so many churches across the world. It's as though churches are facing a turning point: continue on in the way things have been or take a new path and dig deeper to learn what it truly means to stand in Christ and live life as a follower of God. Jake is passionate about worship and his heart is so beautiful, especially when he is leading worship or playing music in honor of God. It's one of the things I first noticed about him when I went to Campus Ministry services my junior year. There's a difference between leading worship/playing for worship for your own "stuff," whatever it may be, and playing for the glory of God. Just by looking at him, or by listening to him play and sing alone, you can tell, without a doubt, that Jake's heart is after God, and in those moments of worship, it is for God's glory alone he is playing. It's incredible to be in his presence when he worships (though a bit distracting for me...hence I close my eyes to focus) and to hear him talk about his pursuit of God. This new adventure in his life...our lives...will be an incredible journey to embark upon.

That being said, I cannot help but feel anxious in this season. I have known for awhile that change was upon us each individually, but also as a couple, regarding our present but mostly our future. I have a lot of feelings about this change, as I know it is a wonderful thing for our lives and God will bless Jake richly for following His command, but I also know the reality of agreeing to become public representatives of Christ. You would think that we already are, and in some ways, you would be right. However, when someone agrees to take a position in the church, it is then that you are agreeing to put yourself out there, really out there, and open up your life to be commented and critiqued by members of the congregation. It is almost as if you become a "celebrity" of sorts...in regards to the public attention. Your personal life is on display and anything that may not be "up-to-par" or shiny and clean is subject to discussion.

I think a lot of it is that I'm scared. Am I good enough to be his wife? Am I the right person to stand beside him on this path? Do I "have it together" enough to be a worship leader's wife? I have struggled this year to find my grounding and feel rooted in who I am in Christ. I want to know God more. I want to be the best possible wife to Jake in the future. I want to really know I am loved and accepted not only by Christ for who I am, but also by myself. I'm just scared I won't be able to get a hold on it in time.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

I'm really excited for Jake and so proud of him! I know he will do an amazing job as the Worship Director at Rockpointe and can't wait to see what God has for Jake there. I will be traveling to Ireland in May when he moves back and when I return, I will be starting my spring/summer classes and the first semester of my internship. Lizzie (Jake's sister-in-law) is having another baby in mid-May so that is something we're all looking forward to also! I know I will be learning a lot in the next year and it may be a struggle frequently, but God has me in His hands and I will grow in this time.

I've been really stressed lately. I'm not quite sure how to manage everything on my mind and want to excel. I feel like I'm constantly taking one step forward, two steps back in making progress in my life. I have a lot I need to get together yet. I realize I'll never 100% have it together, but I feel so far from even sort of having it together that it's been really discouraging and frustrating. 

Most of the things I'm concerned about, there is nothing I can currently do to change them. It turns out that this is just another one of those times where I need to rely on God and wait on His perfect timing and grace to see me through the ups and downs of life. Until next time friends...

With love,
Amanda

Steps to Simplifying Your Life

So I've been thinking that I have a lot of things. Things I don't always use. I saw this list of ways to simplify your life and thought I might share them...here's to a simpler, more organized, less stressful life!

Steps to Simplifying Your Life

1. Learn to Say No
   This is a big one for me. I want to be helpful to others and serve, but there is a time and place to say no. This is going to be something I work on more this year. If you feel guilty about saying no, suggest an alternative.
   
2. Create a Place for Everything (and everything in its place)
   I LOVE organization products. Having everything in its place so I know where to find it is a dream come true for me. This is evidenced by my color coordinated, season organized closet, as well as my desk organizer full of office supplies. To have everything in a certain place makes your life less stressful and you are able to save time when trying to find particular items.
   
3. Pay Bills Automatically
   I don't always do this, but some of my bills are withdrawn from my checking account automatically. I receive an e-mail statement a few days before the money will be withdrawn and then it's taken care of! You don't have to worry about having enough checks or stamps to pay your bills this way.
   
4. Stop Being a Slave to E-mail
   Apparently, the average person spends about seven hours a week on e-mail. SEVEN HOURS?! Yikes. This is something I definitely need to improve upon. Though my e-mails are organized by color tabs in gmail, I still seem to have an overflow of e-mails every day. An idea for those who have e-mail subscriptions, create a different account for those e-mails so your personal e-mail inbox will not be overflowing.
   
5. Clean Your Closets
   I've already gone through my closet twice this year getting rid of items I no longer wear or use. I'm thinking it needs to become a more regular thing for me, because oftentimes I'll end up making some excuse or another for keeping an item. It's hard to be ruthless with my wardrobe, but keeping in mind that I donate my items to Goodwill or Salvation Army makes the letting go a bit easier. Having fewer items in your closet makes it easier to choose your outfit for the day. Another idea? Wreak havoc on your closet and completely commit to getting rid of those items that don't fit, feel funny/uncomfortable, aren't used, etc. After you collect these items, get together with a friend or a few and have a clothing exchange. I did this recently with a friend from work and while we both didn't keep all of the clothes we received in our trade, we did get some new-to-us items for free. =) It's a lot of fun!
   
6. Invest in Smarter Lighting
   I haven't done this yet, but it seems like a great idea. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs use 75 percent less energy than regular bulbs, are better for the environment and last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs.
   
7. Save Time with Speed Dial
   I have my favorite contacts saved in speed dials, but haven't thought to include important numbers such as my doctor, dentist, favorite take-out spots, etc. 
   
8. Book Ahead
   This makes sense. It's easier to plan to accomplish something if you book it in advance. Tip: There is a shorter waiting time for appointments made at the beginning of the day or after the office's lunch break. 
   
9. Prep Your Gym Bag
   A great idea for people who want to spend more time at the gym, but make excuses not to. When I lived on campus during undergrad, I had some physical education classes I took voluntarily so I could work out regularly. When I didn't have those classes in my schedule, it was so much harder to get to the gym...and it was only about a five minute walk away! Shameful I know. If you pack your clothing, shoes, water bottle, etc. ahead of time and take it with you to work, school, etc. you will have less reason to make excuses as everything you need is right there!
   
10. Stock Your Desk
    I've never had a problem with not having enough office supplies, as I am a pen/notepad/marker/highlighter/etc. freak. Other great ideas to keep stocked at your office or in your backpack are hand lotion, pain medication, kleenex, and contact solution.
    
11. Clean Out Your Purse
    Doing this regularly can really help you cut out the clutter. Get rid of wrappers, receipts, grocery lists, and other trash that gets lost in your purse on a daily basis.
    
12. Ask for a Helping Hand
    This is a struggle for most people. I have a bit of a control issue so I like to do things myself to make sure it gets done the way I like. If you're like me you may need to let a bit of control go and delegate tasks to group members or members of your household.

Hope some of these ideas help! Have a great week!

With love,
Amanda

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Wow, 2011 already? Time just seems to be flying. Sadly, I haven't been on here much in the past month. I kept meaning to blog over break, but when I figured out that Christmas break 2010 would be my last long-term break until Christmas break 2011, I decided to spend my time with loved ones (great choice!), relaxing, and taking a step back from the technology world. Thank goodness I did, because I find myself already missing the life unconnected.

So many wonderful things happened in 2010 that I am eager to see what the year 2011 has in store for me. I've been a "Christian" throughout my life, but in the past few years, I've been growing closer to God as I wrestle with myself and His plan for me. 

The Passion 2010 conference was a terrific way to start off 2010 and I am sad to have missed it this year. The people I met, the things I learned, and the emotions I experienced on that trip were truly life-changing. The planning, time, thought, and prayer that goes into that conference each year is incredible and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend the 2010 session with such wonderful people all around me. It was a great way to begin my last semester of undergrad. 

After a fun but stressful last semester with family and friends, I finished up at Grand Valley with a Bachelor of Art's degree in Psychology on May 1st. Scared about what was next but excited for whatever was ahead, it felt good to be done. I applied to both GVSU and WMU for their Master of Social Work (MSW) programs and began the wait to hear back from the schools. I moved home and job-searched most of the summer, to no avail. It was easy to be disappointed and discouraged, as I was simply looking for a summer job, but I was able to find one at Menard's and worked part-time as a cashier from July to October.

Throughout the summer, I was blessed to have the opportunity to visit Jake at least once a month in his hometown. His family was so loving and welcoming to me, as they opened their home and extra bedroom so I could stay and visit. It has been such a blessing to be able to spend time with each member of the Sciacchitano family and get know them better. Visiting Jake and his family, as well as spending time with my own, brought some bright spots into challenging summer I faced. 

I was accepted to both WMU and GVSU's MSW programs and decided to return to Grand Valley, as their program is more catered to what I would like to do (clinical/counseling). I liked WMU's program also, but found GVSU's advanced generalist program to be the experience I was looking for. At GVSU, MSW students serve three semesters at a field internship with the same organization, and GV is not a "track" program, as WMU is. Though I know what I would like to do in social work (ideally), I believe it to be important that an MSW student is not simply competent in their area of practice, but also in other areas. I have a micro focus, simply meaning I would like to work with individuals or groups on a more personal, face-to-face level. I am thankful, however, to take classes that also teach me about the macro aspects of social work so that I may grasp a better understanding of the field as a whole. 

I applied to several Graduate Assistant (GA) positions over the summer and beginning of fall semester but was denied several times. It felt cruel to me that each time I would be so hopeful, only to be disappointed and feel let down. I didn't understand at the time, but God always has a plan.

I began my first semester in the MSW program by living at home, working at Menards, and commuting three days a week to classes. My wonderful friends offered their extra rooms, beds, and couches to me and at different points, I took them up on their offers. I don't usually like to depend on others, but it was a terrific blessing to me that I was able to spend some quality time with loving friends and have a place to stay, as well as to avoid driving around all the time. I am deeply grateful for those friends allowing me to enter their homes and apartments and share some time with them. Though life was very crazy with commuting, staying all over the place, working, and taking classes, it was a great experience and I learned a lot about people from it.

Through a good friend I met in class, I was referred to a GA position at GVSU's Johnson Center for Philanthropy. Doubtful that I would get the position but still willing to try, I submitted a letter of interest to the person in charge of hiring. Interested, he responded to my letter with a request of a resume and cover letter. I began to get a bit excited but still looked at the situation realistically, thinking it was unlikely that I would be the person they were looking for. I sent both documents to him and scheduled an interview. I was nervous, but just before entering the building for my interview, I finally gave the position and its possibilities over to God completely. In all of the earlier GA positions I applied for, I prayed that God would grant me the opportunity to have one of these positions. One in particular felt so right, but never happened. It was so disappointing to see another opportunity pass me by. I realize now, looking back on it, that I never really gave God the option of not giving me what I wanted. Disappointment is a bitter pill to swallow sometimes and I am so thankful that I finally surrendered to God. I went into the interview with a clear mind and expectations that whatever happened would happen and be God's will for me. 

I ended up acing the interview and was offered the position on the spot! Thank you Jesus! I still cannot believe that I have been blessed to be working as a GA for almost five months now. I am so thrilled and thankful for this position, as it completely covers my first year of graduate school tuition, with a terrific stipend on top of my tuition paid! God is so good! 

I continued commuting for awhile, until my wonderful boyfriend mentioned to a mutual friend that I was looking for a place to live. She needed a roommate for the place she was offered to rent and we decided to live together. After some waiting and figuring some things out, we were cleared to move in. The place she had found through another mutual friend was, again, above and beyond anything I could have expected God to do for me! I've always wanted to live on a lake and guess what? Our apartment is a finished basement floor all to ourselves (our own rooms, bathroom, pantry, living room, and kitchen area) looking out onto a small, but beautiful lake. It's incredibly reasonably priced...practically a steal on our end, and we are able to use their washer/dryer and stove without any problems. We pay one, very low price every month and that's that. Wow God. Why are you so good to me? I still say to my roommate that I cannot believe we were blessed with this place. Our landlords are terrific, sweet people and have been so wonderful to us. Our apartment is truly a home away from home for me, located between downtown GR (about 15 minutes away) and Allendale (about 8 minutes away) in Jenison. I love my roommate and enjoy quality time with her whenever possible (not often enough!). This location is great because I am able to get to my classes and work in little time and still live fairly close to the love of my life, who is a Resident Assistant (RA) on the Allendale campus. God is so good. Seems to be a theme in my life...;)

The first semester of grad school was really tough and stressful, but with a lot of prayer, late nights, and the support of wonderful family, my boyfriend, friends, and classmates,  I made it through with great grades and a sane mind. (Woot!) =) Christmas break was a very much needed break and it was wonderful to spend time with my family and Jake and his family. Family is so important to both of us (which I am grateful for) so it meant a lot to be able to spend time with everyone I love dearly. We even got to spend NYE together for the first time! The time we had together before beginning school again was, as I have said before, a blessing for me. It is what I will be clinging to throughout this next year as things change and life gets a bit more challenging. 

As I begin this next semester (four more to go!), I hope to enjoy the time I have with Jake, family, and friends. I am hoping to study abroad for the first time in May (1st-15th) on a School of Social Work trip to Ireland. The country is beautiful and I hope to experience it and the culture firsthand. Ireland is one of my "bucket list" locations so I am excited for this possibility (brought to you by: God's provisions through a wonderful place to live and a GA position. Thanks be to Him!). Jake is nervous, as the women in movies who travel to Ireland usually fall in love with Irish men and live "happily ever after." However, I think he knows that there's no one else for me and though the accent is indeed attractive, no man could steal me from him. I'm his...and he's "stuck" with me (thankfully he doesn't seem to mind at all! ;) haha).

I'll celebrate 2 years with my best friend in March of this year. It's crazy to think about because in some ways, it seems like we just started talking the other day, while in other, more important ways, it feels like we've known and loved each other forever. I am so thankful for his presence in my life and feel incredibly blessed that he chooses to do life with me. Such wonderful things are ahead for us and while I greatly wish time would speed up, I am happy for the time we have together now. 

2011 is shaping up to be an exciting and challenging year for me. Things I planned on are changing and things I did not expect are shaping up. I am excited to face the year ahead, but realize I cannot do so without God. He has blessed me so much in this life and I am excited to walk the rest of it with Him. I am eager to grow in my relationship with God and want to learn more about how to be more like Christ. I hope to look back on 2011 as the clock ticks down with a smile and my best friend's arm around me, remembering both the wonderful times and the hard, thankful to be alive and in God's hands. 

Love, peace, and joy,
Amanda

a beginning

There is something absolutely wonderful and yet frustrating about writing. Writing allows you to express your opinions, beliefs, and innermost thoughts and feelings. I find it refreshing to be able to write down what is going on in my life; sometimes simply to get the thoughts out of my head and the feelings out of my heart so they will be remembered with detail for the future. It's important to me that, someday, I will be able to remember how I got to where I'll be. So many great things have already happened in my life and I want to remember them, cherish them, and hopefully pass them on to my children someday.

Other times, writing is a process that allows me to wrestle with what I'm turning over and around in my head, put it down in words, and hopefully come to some resolution with the situations I face. A friend once advised me to write down all of the thoughts I was bouncing around in my head about a situation that was driving me crazy. That advice has turned out to be very helpful. Writing my thoughts down helps me to cut out all the excess and repetitive thoughts and get down to the nitty gritty of what I'm actually thinking and feeling.

This past year, I met with one of my good friends from high school to catch up on life. I just love those dates with great friends! My friend was telling me about beginning a journal to her future husband and I thought it was a great idea. I had always wanted to write a journal to the man I marry and decided to finally put it into action. Someday, I think he'll enjoy reading about my thoughts, feelings, and memories. =) It's been fun writing them down so far. I have really enjoyed documenting my life and experiences for the past year.

Which leads me to this.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I've been getting into painting canvas the past few months. I find it to be very therapeutic for me. I wanted to surprise Jake with a painting of his favorite Bible verse. He gave me the one above. Since then, the verse has really stuck with me. Think about it and really process it.

Rejoice ALWAYS.
Pray CONTINUALLY.
Give thanks in ALL circumstances.

I don't know about you, but I don't always rejoice. I don't pray continually. And it's very difficult for me to give thanks in absolutely all circumstances. I'd like to work on those things.

I've been wanting to commit to writing a blog for awhile now. I have a blog on Wordpress but never really let anyone know about it, so there was no need to write consistently. I had the freedom of expressing myself honestly, without the fear of judgment or putting myself out there. It's scary to really put yourself out there, whether you're in front of people or putting your thoughts on a blog for everyone to see.

I know to grow requires stretching. I wanted to write this blog to explore my life, feelings, thoughts, and attempts at growing closer to God, as well as my efforts in learning how to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. Some of my favorite things to do in life are to smile, laugh, and spread joy. The title of my blog was inspired by the Bible verse in combination with my desire to be joyful on a daily basis.

So here goes. I can't promise I'll be good at this, but I'm going to try. I'm sure I will learn something along the way...and if nothing else, it's worth it to express and stretch myself, and explore. I hope you enjoy my ponderings along the way!