Today

Today.  I am back at work after a week off.  I've been skiing with the high school kids from church. 

I've been to my grandparent's house for Christmas.  I've been to College Station for Christmas with Mama's side of the family. There's plenty of pictures and blog posts of all of these things to come.  But today, I'm sitting at my desk sifting through what came in this. 

The papers that will make me an official Certified Public Accountant.  That's right.  It's old news to most, but I passed the last part of my exam.  I am done forever with studying!  Done forever with balancing full-time job, student ministries, friends, AND studying for that gosh awful test!  I'm not sure I ever thought it would be done, but it is.  Praise the Lord!  Literally.  Months ago, while I was studying, my mom sent me these verses.  I've had them taped to my computer monitor ever since. 

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed. 
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will life up our banners in the name of our God. 
May the LORD grant all your requests. 
Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he answers him from his holy heaven
with the saving power of his right hand. 
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.   
                                       Psalm 20: 4-7

I love reading these verses now.  I did shout for joy the morning I got my scores.  I was on ski trip.  It was 5am.  I woke up and pulled the website with the scores up on my iPhone.  When I saw that I had passed, that I was done forever, the tears fell.  Tears of joy, tears of accomplishment, tears of praise to the Lord.  Glory to God - He is good!

Why oh Why with some Encouragement

Please, please, please go read this blog post.  It made me laugh out loud.  More than once.

It's about the things that come up when you start typing "why..." in google.  I'm sure that google does it for the humor, or something like that.  but I find it amusing.

One another note, I love my community group.  Yes, I've said it before. Tonight they spent part of our evening praying for me and for my test Saturday and reading scripture over me.  I just happen to think they are the greatest.  They are a huge part of the support that has gotten me through this year.  I walked into community group feeling super weary and exhausted and left feeling energized and encouraged.  I love you girls!

On the way home, I had my ipod on shuffle.  The Needtobreathe song that came on didn't hit me until it got to the chorus and these words came at me, "Lift up your head, look out the window, 'cause it's almost over now."  And I feel like that's true.  Saturday is almost here, and I'm facing it with optimism that this is the end. 

Almost there!

Support

I apologize for yesterday's extreme downer of a post. I'm working my way out of the pre-test funk...slowly. It's still lingering today, but I'm fighting it a little harder. Let's just say my resolve was worn down by the end of yesterday. I'm know I've mentioned on here a time or two about how wonderful my mom is. I'm a big fan. This morning she sent me the most encouraging email. An email saying how she was praying for me and the specific scripture she was praying over me and talking about how they are there to support me. It made me so thankful for my family and friends who have walked with me through this year. My mom said something in her email about this year being a battle...I don't think I could have put it a better way. So thank you...all of you who have supported me. I love you and I am so thankful for you. I know for a fact that I am well loved and supported. Here's the verses my mom included in her email.

May He grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose. We will sing for joy over your victory and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand; some boast in chariots and some in horses but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20: 4-7

I love the truth from these verses that the victory will be the Lord's. It is so obvious to me through everything that's happened this year that I can do nothing in my own strength. When (I'm fighting the urge to say "if" there) I pass this test, I will boast in my God, because it is through His strength that I will have passed.

Side note: I am taking a Final Review class tomorrow. I got an email from the teacher saying it would last from "8:30 am - 7pm +". That plus sign scares me just a little! So if you think about it, say a prayer for my sanity! :)

How many ways can I say tired?!

Because that's what I am right now. And be warned - positive Sarah has left the building right now. I'm sure she'll return soon, but for the moment I am tired and exhausted and so ready for this test to be over. Every day that I study is a reminder of how many times I've failed. I realize this isn't rational, but it's how I'm feeling today. So, tomorrow I'll return with a more upbeat post, but for now, this is all I have left.

Counting Down

I'll be here a week from tomorrow.

Deborah won a free week at the Hilton, I had enough airline miles to get myself there, so viola. Free vacation. I was hoping it would be a celebration of being done with the CPA exam forever, but no such luck. I missed it by one point this time. So...I'll be hitting the books again when I get back from Cabo. As frustrated as I have felt today, I've also felt some odd kind of peace. Peace that God is in control. And peace that someday, He only knows when, this test will be a part of my past. I'm excited to spend some time on the beach and at the pool totally relaxing before I hit study mode again. I'm also excited to just enjoy being off work without an agenda...I don't remember the last time that happened. I feel as if some rest and relaxation is exactly what I need after the craziness that has been this year. Cabo here I come!

July is almost over?!

Wow - it's been a long time since I posted on my blog. It has been a whirlwind month or so. From finding out I failed my test, to finding out our landlord is going to sell our house and having it put on the market, to one of our busiest months of the year at work, to the trips home to say
goodbye to Mama and then for the funeral. I feel like I haven't breathed normal or really been my normal self for a whole month. But I'm working on it. I'm working on getting discipline and a schedule back in my life with working out and studying again.

I'm looking at Boden on a daily basis during my lunch break and wanting to order cute fall

clothes, but restraining because it's months from being fall here, and because that whole discipline thing goes into my budget as well. But a girl can dream of wonderully colorful scarves & sweaters & skirts.

I guess that's really about all I've been up to. Really, just trying to get back into the routine of life. I've started a post about my Mama, but haven't been able to finish it yet. But I will, she was very special to me, and she deserves her place here...it just might take a little time.

Reminder

I'm so quick to forget that despite the fact that I screw up and live my life to the contrary, I have a God who loves me with a love I don't understand and a God who is faithful regardless of the circumstances. I found out Monday that I didn't pass my last test. I have to take it again. Since then all I seem to be able to focus on is how I mess things up for myself and how I just don't quite measure up. But God is so faithful to remind me that His love for me is far greater than a love that is dependent on whether or not I am a CPA. Thank goodness!!!

Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. Psalm 117

Final countdown...

I've been reading these very interesting posts from this guy who I don't know. I read about him on Julia's blog, who heard about it from Erin, who heard about it from this girl (who I don't know). Don't you love the internet?!? :) Anyhow, there are six parts in the series and I think they are interesting, humurous and take a pretty honest look into the lives of single adults and why we don't date!

Quick health update: I do not have a kidney stone. It turns out it's a complicated ovarian cyst. I don't really know what that means, other than what my doctor told me, which is that it's made up of liquid and solid tissue. BUT, because it's causing me pain, she referred me to another doctor to have an ultrasound and figure out what to do from there.

Three more days until what is hopefully my final test! Woohoo!!!

Interesting Week

It has been kind a crazy week. Long story short I have a kidney stone. A little more than a week before my test. My last test. That I really want to pass so that I can be done! Given some of the crazy pain it's been causing me (we're talking pain killers required), I'm praying it passes sooner rather than later!!

Honestly I'm just glad it's happening now, and not when I was on the ski trip last week (which I will post about very soon)!

Three Quarters...

...of the way done! I found out today that I passed the third part of the CPA exam. Praise the Lord is all I have to say! Only one left and then I can put all this studying nonsense behind me forever! I'm hoping to take it sometime in January and call it done!

Tonight the non-stop pace I've been keeping since I finished my test at the beginning of the month is beginning to catch up with me. I'm doing what my very wise friend Jen instructed me to do...spending some time alone. A night for me. For the serious introvert that I am, it is strange to have to be told to spend a night for me. But I'm glad I have friends who know me and see my need for alone time.

Today I had lunch with one of my girls. She has the ENTIRE week off of school for Thanksgiving...it seems completely unfair. The joys of being in high school. When I called her to see where she wanted to go to lunch she said she didn't care as long as she could get Caesar salad. It cracked me up. Who craves Caesar salad?

Okay...sorry for the stream of consciousness post...it's about all I have left in me tonight.

Done!!!

Test #3 is done...for now!  I won't find out until December if I passed it, but that is okay with me.  I am just going to enjoy having a nice break from studying.  So, today begins my month of marathon blogging.  I think it's going to be fun.  This post is probably going to be a little scattered.  I'm getting ready to leave for The Draw - our high school ranch party, and I'm still a little too in test mode to post anything of substance.  Tomorrow.  So many plans for tomorrow!

This has been a wedding filled season of my life...I have been to a wedding every weekend for

 the last three weekends.  I have a break this weekend and am so thankful!  I had lunch with Michelle after my test today.  I was looking at her book of wedding pictures her mom had made for her...the pictures are amazing!  It made me SO excited about these girls coming to town!

The last time we were all together was here, at Michelle's wedding, and I am so excited about spending time with all of my college friends.  Friends who know me.  Friends who love me despite my moodiness, with all my quirks, and just unconditionally.  They really are the best friends a girl could ask for, and I am so excited about our weekend together!!!

I'm lost in study land...

...which would explain the sheer lack of anything of substance on my blog lately. The good news is, I actually have something to show for it. I have now officially passed 2 of my 4 tests. I think it's really going to happen. Sometime in the near future, I will be able to put those illusive three letters after my name. Although that is not my primary reason for doing this, it will feel mighty good to be able to do it. It's kind of crazy how different it feels this time around. If you've known me for very long, you know I started this whole process a few year ago, when I was right out of school, working about 1,00o hours a week (I may exaggerate...just a little), with my main motivation for taking the test being the fact that I was supposed to for my job. It didn't go well. I passed a couple of the tests, failed a few times, and then let the ones that I did pass expire. So here I am. Like I said, this time around is different. I decided that I needed to prove to myself that I could do it, and I am definitely in the process of doing just that. And it feels good.

All that to say, sorry for the lack of substance here on the blog. I'm headed to Pine Cove this weekend with our high school students, and I'm sure I'll at least come back with some pictures to post, and maybe a couple of good stories. Hopefully none about putting a hole in the wall in our cabin...we did that last year! :)

Behind...

I realize I'm long overdue a post. For some reason I can't seem to make myself sit down and write anything...except when I'm supposed to be studying. I'm taking my second part of the CPA exam 2 weeks from tomorrow. Wow. Maybe after that I'll sit down and write some more. For now, I'll leave you with a brief summary of what happened in the month or so that I haven't been blogging:

1. Nat came into town and we threw a baby shower for Sarah. Much fun was had by all!

2. Took my first part of the CPA exam.

3. Went with my family to help pack Rebekah's house in College Station and see Deborah as maid of honor in Leeann's wedding.

4. Seen Batman & Mamma Mia in the same week. Julia would be so proud.

5. Saw John Mayer in concert - without his shirt on the whole time, by the way.

6. Celebrated Brooke's birthday.

7. Studied. Lots of studying.

8. Read a lot of Stuff Christians Like to procrastinate.

I actually do have pictures of most of this, but they are sitting on my camera and I haven't had a chance to upload them yet. I will maybe update the post with pictures whenever that happens!