the past month...

i hate when i look on my blog

and haven't been here in a month.

i love blogging

but you can definitely tell

when i am in school

and when i am out of school.

i always have so much more

time and inspiration

to blog when i'm not

going to school everyday.

the past month has been

filled with lots of stuff.

so much has happened

and it feels like it has been

much longer than a month

since 2014 has begun.

i am learning to surrender

for sure.

my one little word couldn't

be more fitting for this year.

within the first few weeks

of the year,

we had a guest preacher visit our church.

he gave me some of the most

wonderful and prophetic insight

to my past, present, and future.

he had a lot to say about surrendering

and he helped me to realize a lot

of new things about myself.

i was amazed at this man's gifting

and ability to be able to tell me things

that i know came from god

and things that were so timely

and so necessary for me to hear

right now.

god is so good.

he really is.

he never ceases to amaze me.

i have been pondering on everything

he told me and really trying to work on

the things that he recommended.

i have been spending much more time

reading the sweet word of god

and the good lord is speaking

to me so much through his word.

i am at a place that i have never

been and i am really thinking hard

about where to go from here.

i also bought jen hatmaker's book,

7, and read through that quite quickly.

it is life changing.

it has me thinking about life

and church and ministry so differently.

it has me re-thinking the way i have

seen many things for a long time

and i am thirsty for more.

i am wanting something deeper

and more meaningful.

i am, as always,

re-evaluating my job.

i want something more.

teaching and i have a love/hate

relationship and right now,

let's just say,

i'm not head over heals.

i am nurturing new friendships

and spending time reviving some old ones.

i have actually had lots

more creative time than i expected.

i have been working on project life

and i'm hoping to post what i have

so far this weekend.

vera and i are actually going to a crop

on saturday and i am excited to get caught up.

things at home have been

so quiet and chill.

i've been able to read a lot when

i'm home, which i love.

i'm so glad to have all of our

huge projects out of the way

and just enjoy our home.

i am looking forward to starting on

some little re-vamps here and there,

just for fun.

i knew 2014 was gonna be great.

i am working on making myself

better, doing what god created me to do.

i'm not quite there yet,

but, i'm on my way.

i'm excited for what he has in store

for me and shane.

i am excited to see where things will

go from here.

as always,

thanks for stopping by

ash...