Meet The Griffins

Jimmy proposed on November 24, 2009 at Research Park!!

I'm going to be a Griffin on June 12, 2010!! Which is why our wedding website is titled...

www.MeetTheGriffins.com

We wanted to blog throughout our engagement, so our blog posts are on the wedding website!! We've been writing most of them together, but sometimes taking turns. Here's a preview of some engagement photos.  You'll have to check out our website to see the rest! :)

This new year brings so much change, so much joy, love, huge endings and even bigger beginnings!  I will graduate from college and be finished with school indefinitely, possibly forever.  I get to marry my best friend and start the biggest ministry and blessing of our lives together.  But of all the things I am sure of, there is still so much I don't know.  Instead of fear, the unknown variables evoke a spirit of praise and humility.  I have no idea what is in store, but have faith in a God who knows my heart and needs way better than I do!!

"I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me." -Psalm 57:2

Halloweenies!

I normally don't do anything for Halloween, but this year my Life Group had a community party in the afternoon, for which I dressed up as SwineFlu (pig costume + fairy wings) and took lots of pictures! Afterwards, I came home and had "Halloweenies" aka hot-dogs on Halloween with my roommates.  Here are some pics from the fun day!

I made cupcakes for the Cupcake Walk!

I think the kids had a fun time eating them!

There was also a football toss, cookie decorating, and homemade PLINKO!

While I'm Waiting

As I promised my faithful readers (aka-my mom! :)) that I would write more, here is my delivery.

This verse sums up life right now: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." -Romans 8:18 (ESV)

I love music with awesome meaningful lyrics, and music that encourages and points toward Scripture.  This song by John Waller (from the Fireproof soundtrack) accomplishes both of these things.  Do yourself a favor and listen to this song, While I'm Waiting.  

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Feeling Wordy

Goodness gracious God is FAITHFUL!! My roommates are laughing at me because I won't shut up about God's faithfulness today! My roomie Emily and I each logged about 20 hours of studying for our Human Diseases test, which seems excessive for a 50 minute exam, but believe me-it was necessary. It's a weird combination of excitement/joy/disappointment when you prepare so hard for something that's over in less than an hour. You know it's been a long day when you realize the only time you've eaten all day was over twelve hours ago (so I'm snacking as I write).

#1 way in which God displayed His faithfulness to me today: my car battery died when I tried to start my car right AFTER my early morning exam, not BEFORE!! There is no explanation for that other than that God was looking out for me.

Since A&M offers some of the most random fun kinesiology classes, I try to take one every semester. When else am I going to have the chance to learn to snow-ski or scuba dive in Texas? More fun than water-aerobics, pilates, and even Ultimate Frisbee--is this semester's KINE class: CHALLENGE ROPES COURSE!! Once a week we go out to this hidden forest in Bryan and play games and climb on things for two hours!! The prof is great--she's one of those people who speaks their love for Christ with every action, not just word, and challenges us to find the purpose behind every activity we do together. Since the location is in the middle of no-where we all carpool-and I am one of the carpool drivers. (This will become relevant in just a second.)

To understand the second amazing way God was faithful today, you should first know that I have recently been praying for opportunities to share my faith and love for God with other people. How many chances have I missed, how many disciples could have been made for Christ if I had been committed to doing this from the moment I first believed? Well, because I had car trouble earlier in the day, I ended up only driving two people home after class, one of whom was my friend Amy Morse, and the second was a guy in the corp. I wasn't just regurgitating the "Roman road" or "5 steps to knowing Jesus," but actually getting to talk with Him about how God has changed my heart and why I live my life differently. Who knew I could have such a great time being stuck in 5 o'clock traffic?!

You may have noticed that I'm averaging one post every four months, but as I have been feeling rather wordy lately, you should expect some more action coming from my blog. I will leave you with a picture of my amazing new roommates, the ladies of 508!!

99 Balloons

I don't know if this will work but I'm going to try to post a YouTube video. While watching stupid YouTube videos inspired by kittens and other mildly humorous things is often a favorite past-time of mine, the Lord used this short 6 minute video to teach me a LOT about Him!! Following the video is a short update on life and what God is/has been teaching me!


1. When God does great things for His children, we can ONLY respond out of JOY in worship! The only thing we have to offer God, besides our entire lives, is praise!!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. -Psalm 84:2
2. I have no idea where God is leading me in life-but I love learning to trust Him! I recently declined a summer ministry position and would normally be freaking out about what I'm going to do this summer - but I know that God is faithful, and He will provide the right opportunity for me to bless Him with the desires He put in my heart. i.e. loving people, loving Him, and all things related to Health and crafts!
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. . . Psalm 138:8
3. I'm learning that loving God a lot does not make you exempt from temptation and sin; if anything, our love for God makes us more of a target for Satan because He wants us to fail.
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. - 2 Cor. 11:3
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. -Mtw. 26:41

Thanks for reading!! I am praying for you - that God surprises you with His love today and that you respond with JOY!! :) BE BLESSED!!

I love the girls in my Impact camp: ALPHA NAPHTALI! (aka PINK!)

I made a crooked pink Naphtali cake in my new crooked house!

Jimmy and I like to play!! We were jousting in Wal-Mart in this photo!
Me, Jimmy & Jay (Jimmy's brother) at the beach on New Years Eve!
Watching A&M BTHO TU in basketball!
Emily's 21st birthday! Future roomie!

Isaiah 55:8-9

"For my thougths are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:8-9

I feel like writing a blog requires you to be either uber-insightful or hilariously witty, neither of which I am, which is why I have only written once in 3 months. My fault is that this whole "blogging" thing has not been for me, but for you, the two people who have actually read this.

I love to write, and I do almost every day. On a shelf in my room sits a stack of old journals, full of prayers, fears, joys, challenges, brokenness, dreams, and tears, crying to my God. Some of the sweetest times I've spent with God have been when I go back and read through old prayers and I can SEE the Lord's faithfulness. He brought peace when my soul was in turmoil, and clarity when I longed for understanding. He knows my heart better than I do. He whispered my prayers to me, knowing what I would need before I even asked Him. I serve and worship a FAITHFUL God, and He is beautiful.

I love that when I go back and read my journals I can see God's love and hand in my life so clearly; but I ache for others to know that kind of faithfulness too, which is why I want to write here more. My prayer for this space is that God's name will resound louder than my own; that these words will not come from me but from my Father who lives in me, and that maybe by writing here He will change me, challenge me, and make me more like Him.

The Beginning!

So this is my first blog. Why blog? 1. I love to write. 2. I love people and learning their stories, and a blog lets me do that. and 3. I want to share my story, as it unfolds, with my family and friends. Stay tuned to hear more about what I'm learning, what God is currently teaching me, and about all the crazy mishaps I get myself into!

I thought I'd start by stealing this from my new friend Blair.

i am: full of joy!
i think: I have life figured out at least once a week, until God reminds me that I very much do NOT.
i know: every single line from every episode of Friends. seriously.
i want: to have big adventures and capture them with great photographs.
i have: never been good with directions.
i wish: that the the weater reflected my mood all the time.
i hate: folding laundry. and mushrooms. and dirty toe-nails. gross.
i miss: my family and my friends who are at camp. and home.
i fear: people never knowing how much I love them.
i feel: like dancing.
i hear: the dishwasher drowning out Alabama's Greatest Hits Album playing on my itunes.
i smell: the daisies on my table.
i crave: life! and the Word. and also, sweet tea.
i search: for one-of-a-kind "hole-in-the-wall" places that no one knows about, cool antiques(currently looking for an old printer's tray), and for random ways to encourage people.
i wonder: if I'll know anymore about life when I'm 30 than I do now.
i regret: not taking more risks.
i love: taking pictures.
i ache: for lost hearts.
i care: for daisies over roses.
i always: have a camera with me.
i am not: sure what I want to do with my life.
i believe: that I have FREEDOM in CHRIST!
i dance: all the time!
i sing: in my car, very loudly and horribly.
i don’t always: answer my phone...or call people back. I'd much rather talk in person.
i fight: with my sister; and Katie, because she's like a sister to me.
i write: in my journal.
i win: at Scrabble. Let's play!
i lose: track of time too easily.
i never: have gum, or a pen, when I need it.
i confuse: directions, streets, pretty much anything to do with navigating roads.
i listen: to my current favorite song on repeat until I can't stand it anymore.
i can usually be found: at a coffee shop, or on my bike, with a smile on my face!
i am scared: that I won't ever be great at anything.
i need: hugs.
i am happy about: my clean room. and sunshine! and my new blog!