Blind date Blog

Since everyone on Facebook seemed to be so curious about my blind date, here it goes. :) It was actually a lot of fun, even though I don't see it really going anywhere. He's friends with one of my really good friends, so we double dated with her and her fiance. We ate at Brandy House and had Bananas foster for dessert (so good!) and then went to starbucks. It was very relaxing, not awkward at all and it beat staying home on Friday night cleaning toilets. He lives 2 hours away and I think that we're in 2 very different places in our lives, but all in all, it was one of the more enjoyable blind dates.

House stuff is moving right along...hoping to close on the 15th, maybe sooner. Yikes! Sorry this is so short and boring, but I don't really have much to say! More later.

I'm a big girl now??

It's been a few weeks since I've posted (as it was pointed out to me last night by my friend Tess) but it has been a wild few weeks, to say the least. Here a few of the highlights:

• I bought a house!!!!! I close on Tax day. It all happened so fast, but God has opened every door and the process has gone smoother than I had anticipated. If you're in my area, I know great realtor! I had looked at the house about 2 weeks ago, then last weekend, I went to look at it with my realtor, Sunday made an offer and by Monday after lunch- I was on my way to owning a home. Yikes!!! The only thing I have to do is paint- I don't really like the neutral color that is in the entire house. I have to be out of my apt. on the 30th, so needless to say I've started packing already, because the 8 weeks or so in between now and the 30th are crazy. I love my house--it's in a great location and my close friend lives one street over.
• I'm going to have a niece this summer! My BFF Jessica and her hubby Corey are having a little girl! Vivenne Rose should arrive mid July. Auntie A has already started buying girly clothes. I got the cutest little LSU cheerleader outfit...she should be able to wear it for football season. Jess, if you're reading this...don't worry--I've been scouting the sale and clearance racks! :)
• I got to enjoy one of the "perks" of my job last week- scabies. OMG!!!! It was absolutley horrible. It was like having poision ivy on steroids...I itched so bad. But I'm cured now and have to be treated again in 7 days. this meant that we had to treat eveyrone in the cottage...fun times.
• I passed my LCSW!!! ( I think I already mentioned that--but I'm really excited-its' over with!)
• I got to see 4Him in concert last night. It was the first time they've performed together in 3 years-it was so good. Very refreshing. I needed that time to just unwind and worship in the worst possible way.
• I could really use some prayer right now. I'm not going to get into specifics, but if you want to know-just ask me.

I still can't believe that I bought a house. Its one of those things that I kind of thought that I would be married when I did, but honestly, there hasn't been a lot of sadness with this.

God is so good. Someone told me last week that God has been so good and gracious to me. I needed to hear that and be reminded of that. He has---I just tend to forget that sometimes. He has opened doors for me that blow me away, put people in my life that love me just when I need it the most, continues to meet my every need, constantly reminding me of His faithfulness. One of my favorite 4 Him songs is "where there is faith." I was really hoping that they would sing it last night and they did. One of my favorite lines of that song is "Hope everlasting in He who is able to Bear every Burden, to heal every hurt in my heart It is a wonderful, powerful place Where there is faith." I was convicted a bit when i heard that line, because sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I feel like I don't trust God enough. I woke up this morning feeling so peaceful- knowing that He is forever faithful.

It's been a while

I've been a horrible blogger! I passed my LCSW test! I'm so excited and relieved that this is over with and it only took me twice! I couldn't believe my eyes when the screen said "pass"...i kept blinking, expecting it to change to fail. I was telling a friend of mine that this has been a goal of mine for several years. The speaker at my high school baccalauarate service talked about the importance of setting goals and writing them down. I remember doing this and I came across the list a while back when I was at home. I remember some of them being: working in ministry, graduating with my social work degrees, achieving my LCSW, going to seminary. All have been achieved except for the seminary one and God has very clearly shut the door on that one for the time being. I remember something that the Lord spoke to my heart shortly before I graduated college: "Ashley, 50 years from now, it's not going to matter who you marry or how many kids you have or how many letters you have behind your name. What's going to matter the most is how you lived your life for Me." I think about this as I deal with young lives every day. I don't ever want to forget this.

I really feel like I'm in a season of sifting right now. So not fun! But I really feel like the Lord is sifting the clutter out of my life, out of my head, mind, and heart. I'm fasting from tv and facebook for an undetermined amount of time. I was kind of shocked by this revelation, but I really feel like it is what is needed to declutter and get rid of the noise so that I can clearly hear from God. I know that the sifting process involves grieving a situation in which in all honesty, has just been really hard to face. Kind of like its staring you in the face and you refuse to acknowledge it, thinking that its just an illusion. But what I do know, probably better than I wish I did, is that grief takes time. I took a grief class in grad school and found it fascinating to learn that grief is not necessarily related to a physical death, but its more often related to a loss--anything of value or importance, dreams included. I'm so thankful that hope does not disappoint. My God is a God of hope.