A New Season for The Belts

Today, on this cherished holiday, I get to let everyone know how the good Lord is living in our lives!!! We are embarking on a new journey together, and I'm thrilled to finally be able to share this with you.

For a couple years now, Taylor has been feeling the pull to leave band directing. He loves teaching; he loves music; and he's loved his students. But, the demanding schedule has caught up with him and neither of us are satisfied that a band director's schedule will fit into the way we would like our lives and family to look. Last June, we were blessed to join the Park Row congregation in Arlington here in the metroplex; and Taylor has been serving in a part-time role as the worship minister. Our time with Park Row has been incredibly fulfilling and has allowed Taylor to see more clearly the new passions and direction God is giving him! The elders at Park Row have invited us to stay on with Taylor serving as one of the full-time ministers, and we have accepted their invitation!!! Beginning June 1st, Taylor will be serving full time at the church; and we could not be more excited! He will continue his work with the worship ministry still fulfilling his passion for music. In addition to worship Taylor also has a little-known passion for college-aged young adults. Park Row is situated right next to The University of Texas at Arlington and there is a huge need for a college ministry in this area. This summer, Taylor is going to embark on the journey of building a college ministry from the ground up. At this point, this is one of the most exciting things for us on this new journey! We are getting to be totally open to the Lord's leading and getting an opportunity to get out into the community around the church in ways that have not yet been pursued. It's a very exciting time for both us and the congregation.

So, what does this mean for me? Well, this new season just would not be complete without me making a big change as well. After much praying and talking, Taylor and I have decided to allow this change in his career to also be the time for me to go ahead and transition to staying at home. We knew that would happen when we had kids anyway, and have just decided to go ahead and make this change a little earlier. There are really two reasons for this decision. First of all, as you know, last summer I joined the Premier Designs Jewelry team as an independent consultant. This business has filled areas of passion in my life that I did not know existed. I have loved the ease with which this "job" has allowed to me to get out into the community and minister to women outside of my congregation! I also did not realize how thoroughly satisfying having a home-based business would be to me. I love how I can help our family out financially while being at home and also fulfilling my role as wife at the same time. I am in the process of transitioning this business from part time to full time beginning in June. This will, Lord willing, be able to seamlessly transition into motherhood as well. Secondly, I wanted to have as much flexibility and time as possible to help Taylor out with his new endeavors at the church. I'm fully involved in his worship ministry, and we are still exploring all the ways I can be involved in a college ministry. It is SO exciting to us to work side by side on this journey, and by working from home I will be much more flexible to join him (and HIM) in this work.

Am I done with teaching forever? I hope not. I will be finishing up my training as a dyslexia therapist at the end of this school year. Sometime in the next year I will be taking my Academic Language Therapist exam, and intend to keep up my teacher's license and my C.A.L.T. even while working from home. My goal is to eventually begin private therapy for dyslexia children. Taylor and I are unsure as to the timeline on that journey, but it is something both of us want for me at some point in the future.

For now, this is where God is leading us. Taylor into a full-time supported ministry position, and me to stay home, minister to women through Premier Designs, and serve alongside my husband. In several ways, this is a huge "Abraham and Sarah," leap of faith decision; but it is one we are fully at peace about and so excited we can't stand it!! We will be moving from Lewisville to Arlington this summer to be closer and more involved with the congregation, so that will be a huge thing as well. :)

So many changes...so much God! We love you all! Thank you so much for praying us through this journey!

Merry Christmas Time is Here!

Cold, snow, hot chocolate, spicey candles, evergreen trees, blue, silver, red, green, wrapping paper, warm blankets, sparkly lights, festive music, cozy fires. These things and many, many more bring this holiday season alive for me!

I have been extremely reflective pretty much since Thanksgiving. The Lord is doing some amazing things for Taylor and me these last few weeks. We are watching with wide-eyed, open-eared anticipation as God moves around and among us opening doors for our future that are beyond our wildest imaginations. As of yet, we know not what 2010 will bring for us, but we do believe it will be big and directly in the will of the Lord. We pray daily for His guidance and that we will simply be obedient, mission-minded followers of His word joyfully going wherever He next sends us. It is completely fulfilling to find ourselves this anticipatory while completely at peace knowing He is working around us in ways we cannot see but faithfully trust!

With these thoughts, anticipations, and joyful unknowns treasured deep inside me, I have entered this holiday season full of so much joy, peace, contentment, and celebration! In just 10 days, Taylor and I will be celebrating our 1st anniversary! What an amazing year this has been! We have each learned so much about each other and marriage. I find myself overcome with moments of pure amazement at how my Heavenly Prince Charming overflowed my cup of imagination when it came to my earthly prince charming! I could not ask to be married to a better man. Taylor is such a Godly man! I love watching him as he wrestles with what it means to be a Godly man, husband, and servant of the Lord. He has grown so much in the year and a half that I've known him! I cannot wait to see what the rest of our life holds!

Taylor and I have made wonderful celebration plans. We are spending next Saturday and Sunday at the Gaylord Texan Hotel here in the Dallas area. We thought it would be somewhat reminiscent of our honeymoon since we stayed at the Gaylord Opryland! :) We are very much looking forward to our weekend away just the two of us! Early Monday morning the 21st, we will be leaving to head to Albuquerque to spend Christmas with my parents and grandmother! We will get to spend a week there enjoying the company and relaxation of Christmas vacation! We are praying for a white Christmas near the mountains, but also praying it holds off til we get through the mountain pass on I40 into ABQ! :)

I'm not sure if I will blog again until the New Year. I am planning on losing myself in the celebration and time with family that this season brings so joyfully! I pray that the Lord blesses each of you with joy beyond your imaginations as you celebrate Jesus Christ and His love!

Merry Christmas!

The In's and Out's of Taylor Belt

A few weeks after we got married, I posted about a few things I'd learned about my husband since living in the same house. Well, it's now been 8 1/2 months of marriage and I have learned more! Here's a small sampling!

1) When my husband is tired and wants to wind down, he watches Sports Center. To me, the volume and hyperactivity of Sports Center is anything but "wind down" material; but to my husband it does the trick. So, I quietly shut the bedroom door and enjoy the silence of a book in the tub or in bed so that we can both wind down in our own ways. :)

2) We are at the time of year when marching season takes over our lives. Between teaching school and private lessons, after school marching rehearsals, and working part-time as a worship minister - several days a week find me in bed before he gets home and a quick hi in the morning before we both rush out the door. As a result of this, my husband's subconscious has figured out how to reconnect - sleep in the middle of the queen-sized bed. Yes, without doing it on purpose, Taylor has taken to sleeping in the middle of the bed. And, while I love to cuddle. At 2:00am, my half-asleep self wants to lovingly say, "I miss you too, but SCOOT OVER!" :) hehe

3) Taylor yearns to work in full-time ministry! I love watching him work towards his dreams!

4) Sunday mornings = Gaither Homecoming Hour Taylor tapes these on our DVR and then watches them from time to time, but ALWAYS on Sunday mornings.

I am loving learning about my husband! So excited I get to learn about him everyday!

My Singing' Sweetie

Taylor loves to sing. He, his brothers, and his best friend began a quartet 2 1/2 years ago that he dearly loved. Recently, the quartet has had to disband due to the many different directions often takes people. A couple weeks ago, Taylor was contacted by a group out of Tyler, TX who is searching for a tenor. After many discussions with the group, we decided that this will be a great opportunity for him right now. So, we are headed to Tyler today to meet the group and give Taylor a chance to sing with them. We are hopeful for this opportunity, and I am excited to my sweetheart to have a chance to be singing again-he misses it!!

My Amazing Husband

I have been appreciative today of the sweet, simply ways Taylor shows his love and support for me, and I thought I’d share them with you:

-He gets the hot water going for my tea in the mornings, and if time allows he fixes it just right and brings it to me in the bathroom.
-He runs the water for my bath when I’m ready to relax and unwind at the end of the day.
-He scratches my back and plays with my hair.
-If I am laying in bed reading at night and he's not ready for bed, he sometimes comes in and gives me a kiss on the forehead just so I know he's thinking about me.
-Sometimes after a long day, Taylor will tell me to sit on the couch and read a book, catch up on email, or have my quiet time with my Bible while he makes dinner.
-If I put a clean load of laundry on the bed, and then go back to the laundry room to start more laundry, I sometimes come back to the bedroom to find him already folding the clean clothes.
-He helped me hang the curtains in our apartment yesterday at the end of a long day just because he knew I was ready to get them up.
-He brags to other people about how amazing he thinks I am at my job.
-He takes the dog out when its dark outside so I don't have to.

I have an amazing and wonderful husband, and I just had to share him with my readers. There are many, many more ways that Taylor shows me his love; but these are the ones I have been thinking of and appreciating today.

Lessons Learned in Sharing a Bed

Due to being a little on the tired side this week and nursing a little bit of a hurting heart, I needed some smiles. I thought passing them on to you might be fun for you too. The following are my lessons learned in sharing a bed:

1) I hog the covers. I don't know how it happens, but in the morning the sheets are always farther on my side of the bed than Taylor's. There has even been a time or two where the poor man woke up shivering because of the lack of covers. I promise I don't do it on purpose.

2) Taylor snores (okay, so do I-says he...but I don't like to admit it, and I don't think it's very often). Last night Taylor's loud snoring came into my dream as a rythmic noise I was trying to stop. Upon awaking (at 1:15am, mind you) I discover that the love of my life is laying on his back VERY noisily sawing logs. I gently woke him up (unfortunately, with a start) and asked him to roll over. He complied and quickly fell back to sleep with no snores. No sooner had I gone to the bathroom, rejoined him in bed, and found a comfortable position-he rolls back onto his back and promptly starts snoring again!

3) I sink lower in the bed as the night goes on. Another thing I don't know why or how it happens, but there are many mornings where I wake up with my head level with Taylor's shoulder or chest instead of his head. This is funny because you'd think my feet would hang off the bed. They don't because I end up putting them diagonally onto his side of the bed. :) The problem with scrunching lower in the bed, however, is that when Taylor wants to cover up his shoulders in the middle of the night he has accidentally covered up my head. Apparently, in a dozing stupor, I groan as I toss the offending covers off my head and go on with my dreams.

4) Three nights ago, I was having a strange dream that I don't really remember. What I do remember is Taylor suddenly swinging his fist at me from his side of the bed and whacking me on the arm. As this happens in my dream I am awakened by a horrible pain in my realistic arm. Due to the delirium of the middle of the night dream, my feelings are immediately hurt and I declare, "What was that for?" Taylor starts profusely apologizing for hitting me with his elbow as he rolled over (apparently with much gusto). I realized that the "on purpose punch" was only in my dream, but because of the early hour and the sleepies I had trouble shaking off the hurt feelings and going back to sleep.

5) The night after incident #4 mentioned above, I wake up to go to the bathroom. As I return to bed, I sit on the edge of the bed while I apply chap stick to my dry lips. While sitting on the side of the bed, Taylor moans in his sleep, jerks really big, and sends his arm wholloping extremely violently onto my pillow. Even though it is early and I am sleepy, I am aware of how awful that situation could have been if I had been laying there. Talk about a rude awakening! Thankfully I was already awake. It turned out Taylor was having a nightmare and was fighting off some attacker trying to take me hostage.

6) One Sunday afternoon, we laid down for a much needed Sunday afternoon nap. I had just gotten completely comfortable and relaxed when out of nowhere Taylor sits straight up, leans forward and starts messing around with his feet and the sheets at the foot of the bed. By doing this, he has completely uncovered me (which I guess I deserved, see #1) and the fan is now blowing directly on me making me cold. I am laying there trying to figure out if Taylor is awake or asleep because something about it struck me suspiciously like sleep "walking." Apparently the questions of "What is he doing?", "Is he awake?", "Do I wake him up?" were written all over my face because he turns around, sees my face, and says, "I'm awake!" He then dies laughing realizing how silly he suddenly looked and explains that he thought something had bitten his toe (we had been having an ant problem in our apartment). We had quite a laugh before we finally took that nap.

Needless to say it has been an adventure learning to share a bed with my wonderful husband. I wouldn't have it any other way, though, because I love knowing he is there and having his companionship even when catching z's.

I'm Getting Married in 9 Days!!

So, I haven't blogged in awhile. What have I been doing? Running around finishing all the wedding details. Now we are 9 days away and I cannot wait! I'm so ready to be married and living in the same apartment with Taylor! The wedding details are pretty much done besides a few last minute things that will be done next week. At the moment I'm working on packing so that when we get back from the honeymoon there won't be that much to do to get me out of my apartment by December 31st. So, I wanted to say that I've had plenty to blog about but no time to blog. I am hoping that after the wedding I will have more time to share all kinds of things with you, my readers! Thank you to everyone for your love and support!

51 Days!

There are 51 days left until the wedding. How are we doing?

-We are exhausted from the crazy, crazy marching season schedule we've been keeping-2 more days of that, and then we'll hopefully get to see each other earlier than between the hours of 8 and 10:30!

-We are excited to finalize such things as: writing vows, buying our rings, gathering all the decorations for the church, organizing more gifts from showers, finish painting the apartment that Taylor is already in, etc.

-We are very tired of all the driving we're doing around the metroplex just to try to see each other and spend quality time together on a regular basis-we are very much looking forward to living in the same place in just 51 days!

So, yes, these things above sound like we're busy and exhausted--and we are...but in the midst of all of that we are excited. We are thrilled to be finishing up our premarital sessions-they have been incredible! We are thrilled to be getting our apartment slowly ready for us as a married couple. We are having so much fun dreaming about our future together as man and wife. We are very much in love and very sappy all day every day.

Busy-yes. Tired-yes. In love-yes. Excited-yes. Ready for December 20th--OH YEAH!!!!

Can anyone relate to these pre-wedding emotions?

The Lord's Provision

I posted a while back that Taylor and I were patiently waiting for God to provide him with a job. I realized this past weekend that I never came back and updated the final outcome of that situation. So, let me go back and tell you a little story.

The last week of July found Taylor, yet again, as the #2 guy for an incredible assistant band director position. We were hurt and scared about the possibility of him not getting a job. Taylor began exploring his options of putting himself out there as a private lessons teacher for the school year. We were not sure how we would make ends meet once we got married, but we were praying fervently that God would provide the students.

On Friday, July 31st Taylor came over to pick me up for a date. He walked in the door excited because he had been called (at 6:00 on a Friday night!) to interview for a position as a percussion director. There was a "bad news" side to this exciting announcement. The position was not with the school district. It would be hired by the band at a much lower salary than a district employee. However, it was a guaranteed pay check for 12 months unlike searching for private lessons students. In addition, he would corner the market on private lessons for the high school and its two feeder middle schools and be able to charge for those as well. We were very excited at this unusual, unexpected, but hugely welcome surprise. The next morning (a Saturday) Taylor drove to North Richland Hills to interview at Birdville HS. The interview went extremely well, and we were back to praying that this would work out. Sunday afternoon at 12:15, the director called to offer him the job! He was to begin work at 7:00am the next morning. We went from scared and frustrated to overjoyed and in awe of God's work in a matter of 4 days!

We were ecstatic!!!! We had prayed and prayed for the best fit for him. The way that it came was not at all how we pictured it, but it was a huge blessing! Taylor is doing very well. He loves it, and the kids have really taken to him. We do not know what next year holds...it is really not ideal for Taylor to stay in a position that is not with a district. But, for now, we are thanking the Lord for His provision and praying about what He might have in store for us next year.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us! The Lord is good and faithful! We will continue to trust Him with our future!

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
Matthew 6:34 The Message

I Love You, Taylor!

My fiance is amazing! There are so many things I love and appreciate about him. Because of this, I wanted to share some of these things with you, my readers.

-I love the way that Taylor talks to me. He is so respectful and so sweet. Even during frustrating or tense conversations, he speaks to me in a loving manner.
-He is incredibly sensitive to how I am feeling in any given situation-emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally. He knows when my introverted side kicks in and I need a "people-break." He knows when I just want to be quiet and not talk. He knows that sometimes when I get quiet I am either tired or upset, and he always checks to see what he can do, if anything, to help.
-He knows when to listen and not "fix-it"
-I love the way Taylor will reach over to touch me or squeeze my hand to reiterate to me that he is still right there next to me-not going anywhere, ever!
-Taylor spends a lot of time thinking and praying about ways he can better lead our relationship spiritually. We continually have conversations about ways to keep areas of our relationship strong, and he will go away from our conversations contemplative. He will bring it up in a day or two telling me what revelations he has had.
-I love that Taylor is so involved in making our wedding day special. We are striving to make it more than just a pretty day, but to design it to represent the life commitment we are making to each other. It is going to be a wonderful day!
-We laugh all the time. I am so blessed to be marrying a man I can play with. We can be silly. We find things we enjoy doing together, and we can laugh until both of us are crying. Life will hold ups and downs for us along the way, but laughing together will be one of the most healing things we can do. I love laughing with Taylor!
-I love watching Taylor become my husband. As we progress closer to the wedding date, we find ourselves making more and more decisions as a couple. Taylor takes to his role as the man of the "house" so well! He spends time thinking about things, putting pencil to paper, looking at issues involved, and coming up with plans. We talk through all of it, and in every conversation his tone of voice just drips with the enthusiasm of providing for and protecting us.
-Taylor is wonderful with kids. We have done a little babysitting together and had an absolute blast! I am so excited that one day I will get to watch him be a daddy to our babies! I cannot wait to be parents together!
-I love Taylor's heart! It is so genuine, caring, and authentic. He wants what is best for people. He strives to be a better man of God every day-longing just to touch people's lives with Christ through him.
-When Taylor sings, I melt! God has blessed this man with a voice that glorifies Him each time his mouth.
-Taylor spoils me. I would love him even if he didn't, but I appreciate the way he showers me in all kinds of displays of love and affection from quick jotted love notes on a scrap of paper to flowers to tickets to a musical I am dying to see and everything in between. He is SO thoughtful!

There are so many other things. I could go on and on for the rest of the night! I am so in love with this man! God has so richly blessed me, and I am thrilled to be spending the rest of my life with him. He is my best friend and sweetheart, and I love him with all my heart!

Thank you for loving me Taylor!

Catching Up

Man, it's been a long time since I've posted. Life has changed so much for me in the last few months I guess I've just been to focused on other things to keep this up and going. Here's an update on the exciting things going on in my life:

-Taylor and I went on our first vacation together!!! We spent a day in Amarillo, TX visiting some friends, then 9 days with my parents in Abq, NM, and 1 more day in Deming, NM with one of Taylor's old roommate's and his family. We loved NM!!! Albuquerque was beautiful, and we could have stayed another week! We are going to love vacationing together in years to come!

-We bought a washer and dryer together a couple weeks ago. It was delivered today, and laundry is running as I type! It's really exciting to me to own a washer and drying. Not sure why, but I'm feeling very domestic!

-We are having our first official date night tonight!!!! Batman at a drive-in theatre! I cannot wait!!!!!!

-The wedding is 4 months and 19 days away! Sometimes that amount of time seems just perfect to get everything done. Other times it can't get here fast enough. The planning is going extremely well. All the big stuff (besides recording music and sending out invites) is done, and now we are just handling little things as they come along. Planning a wedding is super fun, and I am so thankful that I have a fiance who is excited about the wedding and is very involved in making our day just perfect! Taylor and I are having a blast being engaged. This summer has been a dream of being able to have limitless amounts of time together after spending 10 weeks apart. Of course, as school gets closer, that time is drawing to a close; but we are thrilled to be living in the same town just the same. We have grown closer together as a couple during the summer spending the majority of our time laughing, talking, and just being together. Yes, we have officially had our first little differences of opinion, but we came out of it better appreciating the love that we've been given! :) We are very ready to be living in the same house and starting our lives together as the Belts!

-I have officially started my training to become a dyslexia therapist. This week was my first week of class. I have two more weeks of training before school starts. We'll meet regularly during the school year for training seminars, and then I'll have more next summer and school year. In the summer of 2010, I will be able to take my ALTA exam which we certify me as an Academic Language Therapist. I am so excited about this new journey in my life. I am exhausted and on brain overload at the moment. The learning curve is huge, but I've been told by October all the craziness of getting started will start settling down. Despite the current overwhelming task, I am loving it. I can't wait to get in there and start meeting with my students!!! I am thrilled that after I complete the exam in '10 I will be able to do private therapy. What a blessing for the future I have been given. I will be able to stay home with my family and do therapy on the side so that I can continue to make a difference in the lives of struggling readers. Once again, I am so blessed to have Taylor as my fiance. He is just as excited as me about this opportunity. He's even told me he'd build a room onto our house if that's what it took for me to be able to do therapy from home!! I love the fact that he dreams right along with me!!!

-Along with the learning curve for becoming a dyslexia therapist, I am learning how to become the best future wife for Taylor that God can create me to be. We have had some difficult times this summer as Taylor has searched and searched for a job, but so far it has evaded him. We are both wondering why he keeps being told, "You've blown us away, your resume is fantastic, but we gave the job to someone else." He's in the process of pursuing plan B as a private lessons teacher, and we are praying so fervently for a good number of students to make themselves available to him. We have prayed and prayed since March (actually, Taylor's been praying since before that) that God would bless him with a position at a school that would be the best fit for him. Obviously, God's plan has not involved any of the dozens of school's he's applied to. But, what is the plan? And, what does being a supportive future wife for Taylor look like for me right now as he strives to be the provider for us? Needless to say, it's been a little bit of a roller coaster this summer. But, we are holding on to God so tightly knowing that despite all of our confusion and questions He will not let us down. He knows the plan, and He will take care of us.

So, that is my catch up in a nutshell. There is much going on. I will try to making blogging a more regular thing, but we'll see where life takes me in the next few weeks!! I pray blessings on all of my readers! My God bless your life journeys with new and exciting (even if difficult) chapters!

"You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you."
Isaiah 26:3

Engagement Pictures Part 2

On Monday night my dad took pictures of Taylor and I at the golf course. We were going to do a third session in different outfits, but we loved these so much and have so many to choose from we decided we have plenty! He took about 250 shots...the following are some of my favorites! Enjoy!

Engagement Pictures Part 1

Taylor and I have asked my dad to do our engagement pictures. Part of the advantage of using him is that we get to take them several different times! Today we took pictures in Albuquerque on the golf course, and we plan to do another round at sunset before our trip is over. Parts 2 and 3 will be in future posts. The bottom two pictures in this post are from the day he proposed. All the rest were round 1 of engagement pictures taken the day after Taylor proposed while we were still at Harding. Enjoy!

Vacation with my Fiance!

Taylor and I are in Albuquerque, New Mexico visiting my parents.  We've been gone since Wednesday the 2nd, and are not returning to Dallas until the 13th!  So far our vacation has comprised of:

-Taylor playing golf with my dad

-Me reading my novel, taking naps, and sleeping late

-A trip to Santa Fe where we saw some sights and went to eat at a really cool restaurant where the wait staff sang Broadway show tunes.

-A minor league baseball game where we could see the mountains from our seats!

Our plans for the next few days include:

-Mom and I driving the carts while the boys play golf tomorrow, then we're off to get massages.

-Laying by the pool

-More reading and napping

-Card games and movies

AND

-Engagement pictures!!!!

This has been a wonderful vacation and we're really excited about the next few days.  It has been so relaxing and tons of fun!  We've talked multiple times on this trip about how excited we are that we get to do vacation together for the rest of our lives.  I promise to work on downloading some engagement pictures sometime soon after we get back home!  Happy July to everyone!

The Knot Wedding Web Page

Taylor and I made a wedding web page on theknot.com. I wanted to share it with you!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/KristiLowery&TaylorBelt

Three Swings and a Ring

I'M ENGAGED!!! I feel like shouting from every mountaintop and dancing in the streets like King David (although I'd opt to wear clothes!)

I knew this was coming soon. Taylor and I have had a wedding date set for a couple months now. We've already started planning the wedding, it was just a waiting game until he proposed. I had decided I was pretty sure he was going to do it next Monday the 16th which would be 3 months from the day we met. We came to Searcy, AR on Wednesday to see my grandparents, visit with friends, and so I could introduce Taylor to Harding since it has been such a special place in my heart. Yesterday morning we had a plan to meet one of his friends in front of one of the women's dorms to say hi and set up a time to get together later in the weekend. We got to Patti Cobb Hall, and there was no sign of Brandon. Taylor spotted a Harding swing that was vacant. Now for those of you that don't know the significance of the Harding swing-let me fill you in. There are beautiful white swings all over campus that are very much a trademark of the university. During the fall and spring semesters, it is very difficult to find an open swing. Students sit and visit or study on them all the time. But...they are most known for their romantic attraction. A common saying at Harding is "Three swings and a ring" meaning that if you are caught swinging with the same guy three times, then you must be bound for marriage. So, back to my story--we head over to the swing and sit down. I am very excited to be sitting in a swing with Taylor, but anxious to meet his friend and head to the education building to see some friends and professors. Taylor leaned over to put down the bag he is carrying, and then looked up and tells me that he loves me. He had a very intense look in his eyes, so I asked him if he was okay. Next thing I knew he was down on one knee in front of the swing. Unfortunately for Taylor, the words that came out of my mouth at that exact moment were, "No way!" I was shocked that he was about to propose to me considering I was fully expecting it next week! I put down my drink, took off my sunglasses, and tried very hard to pay attention. I was already giggling at this point and so excited to be experiencing this moment at long last! Taylor said some sweet things to me, most of which I cannot remember due to the giggling and excitement. However, I do remember him talking about how God brought us together 3 months ago, and how he had planned for this moment to happen right here in this place because Harding had meant so much to me and been such a huge player in my growth as a woman, Christian, and student. He picked up a ring box, popped the top open and said, "Kristi, will you marry me?" I barely got the word "yes" out before I had given him a hug and a kiss. He told me to turn around and wave. The friend we were supposed to be meeting was standing there with a video camera capturing the entire thing. We stood up and hugged, then he told me to turn around the other way. I did, and I saw my parents walking towards us. Taylor had invited them to come along and take pictures of the moment and share in the celebration with us afterwards. We spent the next 30+ minutes calling everyone we could think of, before we started running around campus so that I could introduce my fiance to everyone I could find to talk to. The moment was so special to me. I'm not even sure if I would have realized how special it would be to me if someone had asked me about it beforehand. It was perfect. It was simple, it was sweet and romantic, and it was us! The weekend has been incredible and I've loved every minute of it. We are both exhausted from all the excitement and emotions surrounding this event, but we are floating on Cloud 9!

This man the Lord has given me is amazing. He is all I could have dreamed about and more! In 6 months and 7 days I will be pledging my life to him. We are soul mates, best friends, confidants, and help mates. Life with him is going to be an adventure, and I am so excited to take the ride. I am so blessed, and I pray every day that I never take for granted the gift that he is in my life!

So, for the questions that might be out there: Yes, there are pictures of the ring forthcoming. It's a round 1 carat solitaire on a white gold band! It's absolutely gorgeous! And...the wedding is December 20th in Dallas. YEA!!! This is so much fun! Keep checking the blog for all of our engagement/wedding adventures that will be happening in the next several months!

"Many waters cannot quench love."
Song of Solomon 8:7

Long Weekend Activities

I have had a 4 day weekend this weekend. Of course, today (Memorial Day) is a holiday for obvious reasons; but we also had Friday off as a "bad weather" day which we never needed. I packed this weekend full of fun. On Friday, Taylor and I headed off to Nacogdoches for a wedding. We spent Friday afternoon around the campus of SFA while Taylor showed off all his favorite spots and took a stroll down memory lane with me by his side. It was so much fun! We both felt like young college kids again as we walked hand in hand around the campus. I'd never been to SFA, and I loved it! It's a beautiful campus, and it was so much fun to see where Taylor spent his collegiate years growing as a musician and a man! I cannot wait to take him to Harding next month and do the same thing on my end!

On Saturday afternoon we sang in his friends' wedding. It was our first time to sing together publicly, and it was a BLAST! We had several kinks to work out the night before (including completely transposing the part of the song I sang up 2 1/2 steps just so I could sing it without sounding like a man!). But...for the wedding day everything went off without a hitch. It was such an honor to sing for them and such a blessing to sing together. I look forward to singing many more songs by Taylor's side. We headed out of town as soon as the wedding was over to head to Royse City outside of Dallas for Taylor's family reunion. I'd met a few family members, but there was a big ole crew I hadn't met yet. Everyone had heard about me, so it was funny to see the looks on everyone's faces when we walked in and hear all the "Oh, so you're Kristi!" On Saturday night at their family reunion they have a concert where different groups of people and different portions of the family get up and share songs with the rest of the group. Taylor and I sang "The Love of God" with his brother Jordan. All of the cousins in Taylor's generation got up to sing a song and they let me join them. The Belt portion of the family got up to sing a song as well ("Gentle Shepherd"), and they asked me to jump up there with them! It was so much fun!! The whole evening was a blessing.

Taylor and I drove back into town late Saturday night in order to go Highland Oaks on Sunday morning. This was the difficult part of the weekend. After a long, emotional week for the staff and elders at HOCC our senior minister has decided to resign. It was a very emotional morning. I have been blessed to have a friendship with our minister and his wife outside of the minister/church member relationship that always exists. I've had long "figuring out life" conversations with them. I've babysat their kids. I've had game nights with a whole group of people that they were apart of. It is going to be very hard to see them go. It's is going to be a time of healing and transition for HOCC. Please pray that the pain will reside, and that the Lord will guide and lead the elders and ministry staff at HOCC. Pray for the transition time and the eventual hiring process that will take place to bring a new senior minister on board.

Today is Monday. It's the last day of this 4 day weekend. Aside from the emotional exhaustion of yesterday morning, the weekend was such fun! Taylor left last night again to go back to Midland. We have only 6 days left in this long-distance portion of our relationship. It was much easier to say goodbye last night knowing that very soon he will be coming home for good! I am SO excited for him to get here and for us to start our summer! We have a TON of fun things planned, and I'm looking forward to each one of them!!

I hope your long weekend was fun and exciting as well! May God bless you and your family and friends. May God guide you and shower you with grace through whatever type of transition you may be experiencing in your life. God bless!

Weekend in Albuquerque!

Taylor and I came to Albuquerque, NM this weekend. My parents just moved here about a month ago, so I was anxious to see this new place they are living. In addition, Taylor had yet to meet my parents. We have had a fabulous time! It's been the icing on the cake to this relationship. All things are in place now, and it is so exciting!!! We were in Old Town Abq. yesterday and Dad took several pictures of us so that we could add to our collection. The following pictures are just a taste of what he got. It was so much fun, and we love how they turned out! We're going to be uploading them onto an album online. When that's done I'll post the link so that you can check out all of our cute photos! Blessings!

So Blessed!

I am loved by three men.

The first to love me cannot be seen.

He calls me His child, and He saved me from a life of sin and death.

I call the second one Daddy.

He provided for me as he taught me about the providence of the One who first loved me.

The third man that loves me is a gift from the first and a blessing to the second.

He will soon get to be the earthly provider and the son the second one never had.

My First Love has so graciously given me these two men on earth who have and will provide for and protect me.

My First Love has richly shown me His unfailing love through the love of these two here on earth.

I could not be more blessed to have been shown the love of my Heavenly Father through the love of my earthly father and my earthly prince.

I am loved by three men.

The First gave me the second and the third.

Oh, what rich love!

There is No Other

Wow! It's so amazing and awesome what God can do in a period of three weeks. These last three and a half weeks have been transforming in my life. God has just continued to show me over and over that His way and His timing are best and that all things work together for good. Obviously, as I have blogged about recently, Taylor is a HUGE blessing in my life. Our relationship is incredible, and what we see God doing in us as individuals and as a couple continues to blow us away on a daily basis. In addition to this change in my life, I have been praying about taking my career in a different direction. I have been burned out this year, and I have always known I wanted to someday find myself working in a more specialized area. I found out on Tuesday that I have been accepted through my district to be a dyslexia therapist next year! I am so incredibly excited! Like I said, it's amazing and awesome what God can do in a period of three weeks! I was reading tonight about God's right to rule and I came across this verse: "I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." He has been in control the entire time, and He's always known that these last three weeks would come to be. He simply asked me to be patient, walk by His side, and learn about Him a little more so that I could be ready for this time of my life.

On a different note, I really wanted to share a school story from today. We had major, major storms in the area last night that caused a lot of damage in the neighborhoods around my school. The kids came in today fired up and ready to share their stories of missing trampolines and toppled trees. But, my favorite story of all was from a little boy in another 1st grade classroom. Here's how it went:

Boy: "Miss Roof, a subtraction problem happened in my backyard this morning."
Roof: "Oh no, what happened?"
Boy: "I have 4 chairs. 1 blew into the alley. 1 blew into the pool. And 1 blew into the spa. How many chairs are left?"

I guess we're teaching them something, huh? He came to my class today and shared that with my kids, so that we could use his real-life problem as our problem solving for today. It was fantastic! Happy subtracting!

"I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me."
Isaiah 46:9