Held

Sometimes you're down and then the perfect song comes on and turns things around. That happened for me last night, and I am so comforted by the quiet reminder of God's grace through anything.

"This is what it means to be held

How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life

And you survive.

This is what it is to be loved and to know

That the promise was that when everything fell

We'd be held."

-Held, Natalie Grant

My life is wonderful and I feel so blessed. I'm more than surviving. I just finished college, I have the greatest family and friends anyone could ask for, and I'm going to marry my best friend in a year. I'm not going through pain or turmoil or loss. I'm truly happy.

But life after college is so odd (can anyone else relate?). I suppose "normalcy" has been torn from my life, so to speak. The other day, I found myself thinking, "I can't wait for everyone to get back in August." Then it hit me - I may still be in Waco, but the people I graduated with have left and moved on. [I'm just glad that Baylor is such a close-knit family and that we'll be together again for Homecoming, football games, and Sing!] But everything is different. We're not in college anymore. Hello real world.

I'm using this time of unemployment to refresh and relax, but ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I'm kind of totally a planner. NOT knowing what my next step is, when I'll finally find a job, or where I'll be working is driving me crazy. I've applied, I've interviewed, and nothing has come of the job opportunities. I've debated back-and-forth if I want to live and work in Austin or in Waco, so now I'm searching in both places.

This transition is all about finding a new normal. I may call my mom crying a few more times until I find it. But with prayer, the support of those around me, and the knowledge that my God already knows the future, I know I'll find it.

He's holding me in His perfect will, and it feels so good to be held!

Mr. & Mrs. House

After the craziness of final exams, I unintentionally neglected my agenda book for a little R&R. When I picked it up the other day and flipped through the next few months on my calendar, I realized that almost every weekend of the summer is already planned. With all of the weddings we're attending, I'm going to blink and it will be August!

Sallie graduated from the Speech Pathology program with Thomas and Alex, and over the years she has become a great friend to me as well. This weekend, she and her high school sweetheart Tyrus tied the knot in their hometown of Camdenton, Missouri, and we wouldn't have missed it for the world! We wanted to break up the road trip (and save money on a hotel) so we stopped in Tulsa on Friday night to stay with one of the Reed's family friends, the Smiths. When we arrived, they had dinner ready for us, and we spent the evening catching up on their back porch. Thanks again for letting us stay with you, Glenda!

We left Tulsa at 9:30 Saturday morning to drive the remaining 4.5 hours to Camdenton, and the wedding was beautiful! Sallie looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding dress, and it was so fun to be a part of their special day!!

Since it was our first time to visit Missouri, we made Thomas stop and take our photo in front of the Missouri sign.

Wedding ceremony at St. Anthony Catholic Church

The happy couple!

My beautiful roommate Alex, who was Sallie's maid of honor

Dinner was served in the backyard of Sallie's parent's house.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. House! We love you!

A Black Lab & Bublé

As I wait to hear back on a few job interviews, I'm certainly burning up the stretch of I-35 between Austin and Waco. I'm just thankful my two "homes" are so close.

Thomas returned from Uganda on Friday and spent Memorial Day weekend with his family in Louisiana. My weekend included a day on Lake Travis, dinner and a movie with one of my best friends from high school, and a wonderful worship service at Austin Stone.

On Monday, I drove up to Waco to see Thomas after two long weeks apart, and while I was in town I got to spend some quality time with Mallory and her new dog, an eight-week-old Black Labrador named Avery. Mal wanted some photos taken of her and Avery before she grows out of her puppy stage, and I always love an opportunity to be behind the lens!

I left Waco on Wednesday morning to return to Austin for a fun night out with my family. Dad bought us tickets for the Michael Buble concert back in April when a job opportunity fell through because he said I "needed something to look forward to." I am a huge Michael Buble fan, so I was very very excited! We went to one of our favorite Italian places, Buca di Beppo, for dinner before heading downtown for the concert, which was AMAZING!

Sarah and Me

With Lindsey Jo, one of my friends from my dancing days!

Thomas and I are about to jump in the car and road trip to Missouri for a friend's wedding. On the way, we're stopping to pick up Melissa, one of our friends who just returned from studying abroad in Maastricht (can't wait to hear about her trip and reminisce on my memories!). We'll stop tonight in Tulsa and then drive the rest of the way tomorrow to see Sallie become Mrs. Tyrus House!

The Latest Social Network

My sister came home from college excited about her latest obsession, a website called Stumble Upon. This "discovery engine" finds fun websites, blogs and other online media that meet your search criteria, and Sarah loved having this website as a study break during final exams. She has found many hilarious videos, interesting news articles, and delicious recipes that she loves to share with Mom and me.

I've been searching the Internet for fun wedding planning tips and ideas, which is how I found MY new obsession, a site called Pinterest, a "social catalog."

"We know you have great taste in something. Our mission is to make Pinterest the best place for you to share your taste with the world."

The layout allows you to simply scroll through photos of things under a selected category, and when something catches your eye, you can click on the photo to find out more information or to find the original URL. If you're logged in as a Pinterest user, you can comment on photos to ask the original user how the recipe or craft worked for them. I've also seen people post photos of things they've seen online or in magazines, asking the Pinterest community where they can find the product or how they can recreate what they see. It's really neat, and slightly addicting!

I've been looking at things in the "weddings + events" category, and I love all the DIY projects and design ideas. A lot of the photos I've found have given me some inspiration for wedding colors, bouquets and centerpieces!

Other categories include "food + drink," "film + music + books," and "home + furniture." Mallory and I were browsing Pinterest the other day and found some really neat recipes, like lemon poppyseed pancakes, and she's found some cute dog ideas for her new puppy Avery. Once Thomas and I get married and have our own place, I have a feeling I'll be scouring Pinterest for home improvement and interior design ideas!

I love love love Pinterest! Check out www.pinterest.com or follow @Pinterest on Twitter. I think you'll be happy you did.

Summer Loving

It feels wonderful to be done with school, and as I wait for a job to come through, I'm learning to cherish the little moments and enjoy these weeks as my last real summer vacation.

So, here are just a few of the many things I'm loving this week!

Quality time with friends.

Not having a schedule means getting to hang out with friends, sometimes spontaneously. Meredith, Sterling, Thomas and I regularly have Wednesday "double date" nights, but since the boys are in Uganda this week, Meredith drove down Wednesday afternoon for sushi, shopping, and the American Idol finale. Last night, Maria and I met up at an Austin 24-hour favorite, Kerby Lane, and talked for hours. Today I joined my good friend Ashley and her 16-month-old daughter Paisley at Brushy Creek for a picnic lunch and fun in the water park, and then this afternoon I went to Alex's house to bake a rainbow "cake in a jar".

Baseball season.

My uncle has had season tickets to the Round Rock Express (the minor league team in town) for the past 12 years, and he has really sparked my love of baseball. Okay okay, so maybe I first fell in love with the game as a kid because he bought me a snack at every inning... but he doesn't have to bribe me anymore! Last Friday, my family went to the Dell Diamond to see Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton (Rangers) play with the Express since they're both in rehab for injuries. I'm a huge Rangers fan, and the fun night ended with their traditional Friday night fireworks show.

Falling in love with my hobbies again.

Over the past two weeks, I've filled my free time with things I used to WISH I had time to do! I've always loved to read but never had the time to read for fun in college, so the other day I sat at Starbucks for two hours with the book Something Borrowed and my favorite drink, an iced White Chocolate Mocha. I finished the book - so now I can go see the movie! - and I'm now halfway done with Water for Elephants. Here's the rest of my summer reading list:

1. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
2. Something Blue by Emily Giffin
3. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Any other book suggestions?

The Real World Begins

Dad, me, Thomas, Sarah, Mom and Uncle Steve after my graduation

With one of my best friends and roommates, Alex

I can't believe it has already been a week since I graduated from Baylor. It really hasn't hit me that college is over! As happy as I am about the exciting things to come, I'd be lying if I said last weekend wasn't difficult. I've been blessed beyond belief with amazing friendships and memories while at Baylor, and saying goodbye to friends was really hard.

Having said all of that, I think it's time for a much needed update. I had every intention of using my blog to document the final memories of senior year, but time simply slipped away!

My last semester at Baylor was wonderful. I finished two internships, one at the local magazine as a photography intern, and the other as a PR intern at The Dwyer Group. They were both great experiences and I look forward to applying those skills to a job soon, which leads me to...

The job hunt! I had a very promising lead towards the end of the semester (with possibility of starting before I even graduated) and a job offer in Waco seemed right around the corner. However, I was disappointed when I learned that the company decided to use internal resources to fill the vacant position. It was back to the drawing board, having already submitted 10+ applications to companies in Austin and not hearing anything. I prayed for God to open and close the right doors, which means something better must be out there waiting for me! I continue to hunt for my first job, and I'm looking to stay in Waco for as long as possible to be close to Thomas as he attends graduate school at Baylor. Once he graduates next August (2012), we'll figure out our next move together.

Speaking of Thomas, did I mention we're getting married? Thomas proposed on April 17, and I absolutely feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! The full engagement story and a story of our relationship is published to our wedding website, which we'll be debuting in the coming days. He is currently on a mission trip with his fraternity, and I'd love it if you would pray with me as they serve the Lord in Uganda. Check out their blog for daily updates with stories of God's glory!

Since Waco is a ghost town with everyone gone for the summer, and with Thomas out of the country, I decided to come home to Austin for a few weeks of rest and relaxation with my family. My little sister Sarah is home, having just finished her sophomore year at Texas Tech, so we're enjoying time together while Mom and Dad are both at work!

So, the "real world" begins. Landing my first job, planning a wedding, experiencing both growing pains and joys, and living in the peace of the One who provides it all... bring it on.

Divine Appointment

Have you ever opened your Bible and stumbled upon a note you once wrote in the margins? Nothing makes me happier than looking back on how God has revealed himself through sermons, Bible studies or daily devotions.

Today at Highland, Kyle started a new series on the book of Jonah. As I turned to Chapter 1, I smiled as I read "Uganda, 05/19/10." Winnie, one of the evangelizers we met while at Restoration Gateway last summer, talked about Jonah during one of our morning prayer sessions. I wrote down a quote of hers that I'll always cherish.

"As long as you have an appointment with God, He is faithful to accomplish it."

Thinking back on our trip to Uganda, I was reminded of a divine appointment I had on the plane. I journaled about it upon arrival in Kampala, and when the memory was triggered this morning I felt led to share it with you!

___

"The flight from Amsterdam to Uganda began with a special God moment. The man sitting to my left was named Eric and was a native Ugandan. I'll admit, at first I was a bit nervous and didn't want to make conversation, but his willingness to open up put me at ease. I realized what an incredible opportunity I had to learn about the people I'd meet before I even arrived.

Eric is a solider in the Ugandan army and was returning home after being in the U.S. for seven months of training. He told me that he has two children whom he couldn't wait to see, Evelyn and Arinda. Arinda means 'protector' in their language, and his son was given that name because Eric said, 'God protects us!' When he asked me what my name meant, I told him that Amanda means 'worthy of love.' He then pointed to my ring and said, 'Someone loves you!'

At the time I was wearing my James Avery cross ring, so I proceeded to tell him about how my parents gave it to me after I was baptized. I shared a little about my faith as a Christian and how for us baptism is a personal choice of faith as a public statement of our relationship with Christ. I asked him about religion in Uganda and he said it's primarily Christian -- a mix of Catholic, Protestant and Seventh Day Adventist. 'But I believe that religion isn't a group or a title,' he said. 'I know that being a Christian means having a relationship with Jesus.'

I'm sure I was smiling when he said that! As much as I was fidgeting in my mind, trying to orchestrate a conversation that led to the gospel, God's promise became a reality. He said to Moses in the Bible, 'I will help you speak,' and now He was calling the shots in my conversation with Eric.

Eric told me all about Uganda's history and his involvement in the army. He spoke almost in a whisper, since talking about the war and the Lord's Resistance Army wouldn't ordinarily be an acceptable plane conversation, but it was so humbling to hear first-hand of the cruelty behind the Invisible Children documentary. I was humbled to think about the sacrifices Eric made to be away from his family while pushing the LRA out of Uganda.

'I hope my children understand why I do what I do,' Eric said. 'I want to make sure they have a better life, that they don't have to experience unrest.' I tried to imagine his reunion with his wife and kids in just a few short hours when we landed. Wanting a better life, Eric left home and gave up time to train in the UPDA (Ugandan People's Defense Army).

In the same way, wanting redemption and reconciliation with His people, Jesus left his throne in heaven to pay the ultimate price for our sins. How much sweeter will our reunion be when we finally see Christ face-to-face?! The Word became flesh so that we could experience true life. Life with hope and grace and mercy in the mist of so much hurt."

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"I hope my children understand why I do what I do." Can you hear Jesus saying that? He yearns and pleads for us to understand His grace, to try and wrap our minds around the magnitude of His love for us. What a beautiful reminder of his loving mercy.