Planning, praying, and procrastinating...

Life.

It sure is going by quickly these days. Do I really have less than 4 months until I am Mrs. Wesley Wells? Yes. Do I really have less than 4 months until I have to be a hard core homemaker? Maybe...:) Did I really graduate for college a couple weeks ago? Yes. Am I really a certified teacher? Yes...well almost. (It's "pending".)

Where is the time going? More importantly, what am I doing with my time? Easy. 3 P's.

Planning. Praying. Procrastinating.

Planning what?
-The wedding. We are 16 days away from being in the double digits on the countdown!...meaning we're 116 days away...meaning 116 days ago was February 3...my brothers birthday...meaning life is flying by! The planning process is going fairly well, for those of you that care. I have my dress, flowers, cake, and most recently invitations...which I go into on the 3rd "p".
-The future. How can one really plan for the future? Your guess is as good as mine. We're just taking it one day at a time, make decisions when necessary, and trying to "lean not on our own understanding". It's not as easy as it sounds. Job searches are in full swing, as well as residency searches. What will we be doing? Don't know. Where will we be living? Don't know. Who will we be serving? the Lord. At least we know that much...which leads me to the 2nd "p".

Praying about what?
-a clear vision on the future. Right now we feel like there are more uncertainties than certainties, but the Lord is faithful and will show us what to do in his timing.
-contentment and peace. Our generation is one of instant gratification. Therefore, we expect dream jobs upon entering the work place. However, it doesn't usually turn out that way. David knew he was anointed to be king, yet had to serve Saul for years, knowing that the kingship was to be his one day. In the same way, the Lord gives us a calling, yet doesn't always allow us to pursue that calling immediately. It takes time. There is much to learn. There is much to experience.

Procrastinating? Who me?! Never!
Wrong.
-I had to make a resume by tomorrow and just finalized it today.
-My car has been a wreck for about 3 weeks, and I took 2 minutes today cleaning it out.
-I printed something today that's been on my to do list for 2 weeks.
-I emailed my bridesmaids to let them know about the wedding details today, and that's been on my to do list for almost 2 months.
Productive day right? Yes, except for...
-I should have changed 2 doctor appointments today, but I never called.

BUT...I did get a mega thing done...a "big frog" that I have procrastinated swallowing because I didn't want to make a decision. However, tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I finally....(drumroll, please)...decided on and ordered invitations!!! While that doesn't seem like a big deal, for me it was. I designed at least 5 different invitations, and then had to decide on one. Those that know me know decision making isn't exactly a strong trait of mine. So here were the contenders...

It came out yellow when printed...not my fav...

I liked this one, but the color was too muted.
Not to mention I noticed a typo after I saved it, and I couldn't edit it. 

 Last, but not least...

Ta-Da! Our invitation!

 

I uploaded it and ordered them tonight. Why is that under procrastinating, you ask? Well, order invitation/figure out invitation/design invitation has been on many pages of Vera in the past few months. 

However, since my productivity increased by 300% today because I marked so many things off my list, I think I'll be adding a "p" to my 3 "p"s making them 4 "p"s. The 4th? Productivity. 

 

Plan. Pray. 

Procrastinate. (Be) Productive. 

Well, after my epiphany of my last "p",  I'm off to bed...procrastinating on cleaning my room so I can be productive tomorrow night.

Dear UM , Thanks for the memories!

Well it's official. I am now an alumnus of the University of Mobile! It was 4 long, yet short years...however that works. In some ways it seems like I just went off to school, but at the same time high school seems like such a distant memory. Either way, I'm no longer in college! Done! Complete! Finished! Whoo!                                                                                                                                                  Yes, I did get a little sentimental the day of graduation. So many sentimental/interesting things happened in the span of 3 days that I could probably make 6 blog posts out of them.However, I'll just start with this one.

As I was sitting in my group of CPA (Center for Performing Arts) classmates near the end of the name calling process, I was able to watch Wesley Wells walk across the stage. Although I wanted to stand up and say "Yay! We're getting married!", I decided that I would try to maintain my reputation as a reserved person for the last University of Mobile function. However, as I saw Wesley move up to the X, waiting for his name to be called,  I said to myself "Wesley Wells, Wesley Wells, Wesley Wells"...I know that sounds dumb, but it was like me saying "Call his name already!"

Anyway, right after I said that, I immediately had a flashback...

Travel back with me to 2007...the year I became a high school graduate. In January, I knew that I was going to the University of Mobile, and I knew that I was going to major in music. I thought I had it figured out. No surprises. Just graduate in May, babysit over the summer, go to UM in the fall...easy. 

Now Wesley Wells. He was planning on going to Wallace Community College for his basic classes, and then transferring to Auburn later. His plan? Graduate, work over the summer, go to Wallace in the fall...easy. 

Senior Sunday 2007

In June of 2007, after almost 4 years of friendship, we admitted our affections for one another for the first time. It was a whirlwind (because we had gone 3 years avoiding the topic), and we began a journey of our relationship together. Did it cross my mind that I was leaving to go to Mobile for school, and he was staying at Wallace and then going to Auburn? Yeh, I guess a little. I chose the Scarlett O'Hara approach and said "I'll think about that tomorrow". Smart, I know. I was such a wise high school graduate...(ha...)

 

That summer, our youth choir was supposed to go to a choir camp with hundreds of other students to record a new book of songs, do bible studies, have break out sessions, and do some mission work. I remember Wesley being really excited because he wanted to go to the breakout session of incorporating drums in worship. However, when Dad went to make the reservations in February, our church was put on a waiting list. Apparently the other churches were so excited about it that they filled up the spots within hours of registration being open. It was kind of disappointing because we had been looking forward to going, but Dad and Bro. Joel began to explore other options. They decided on MFuge (a mission camp) at the University of Mobile. 

In July of 2007, our youth choir went to MFuge. (At that point, Wesley and I had been officially dating for about 3 weeks and were googly eyed and giddy.) They announced the first couple days that there would be a box in the dorms that we could put a reply card in, and that would put us in a drawing for a $20,000 scholarship to UM. Since I was already going to UM and we were looking for ways to make the summer last forever so we wouldn't have to do long distance, Wesley went around telling everybody that he really needed that scholarship so they "probably shouldn't fill out that card".

The last morning celebration came right before we were going our last mission sites for the week. The admissions counselors came out on stage throwing cups and t-shirts and pumping us up for the announcement of the scholarship winner. Of course when they said, "and the recipient is..." I said to myself "Wesley Wells, Wesley Wells, Wesley Wells"...but I didn't in the least expect them to call his name. THEN THEY DID.

He got up with a shocked look on his face, I turned around to look at him with a shocked look on my face, I turned around and saw both my parents with shocked looks on their faces...Was this real?!

Later that day, my dad went with him to talk to the admissions counselors about the requirements. If he wanted to be able to get the scholarship, he would have to come his freshmen year...which meant he had less than a month before he would start school. Not much time at all... When we came home, his parents talked about it, and they decided to visit the campus a couple weeks later.

As it turns out, I'm not a cheap date. Wesley had to pay for college to be near me! ;) But needless to say, Wesley enrolled at the University of Mobile. I know it was a step of faith for not only him, but his family as well. One day Wesley was planning on staying at home for 2 years, and then next he was moving off to school within weeks. It know it was a hard transition for them, but there is no doubt that the Lord's hand was on it.

My favorite part of the story is that Wesley was upset about not going to Son Power because he really wanted to take a class on incorporating drums in worship. His sophomore year he began playing on Wednesday nights at a church, and eventually auditioned for a worship band at school called Impact. He has been traveling and playing drums for Impact for 3 years now and is currently in Texas on his last trip with Impact. They've traveled all over the south east and went to Uruguay in 2009. The experiences he's had at UM have been more than he could have ever imagined for himself. To think he was upset about SonPower...I'm overwhelmed by how the Lord provides above and beyond anything we could ever imagine.

What next, you ask? Well, that is a very good question. I wish I had a detailed answer that included my future as a professional crafter, Wesley's awesome, fun job opportunities popping up everywhere, a free place to live, and somebody that really wants to give us a beach house for weekend getaways. Alas, I do not. What do I have?

The past. I can remember the provisions and faithfulness of the Lord and know that everything can change in one day. I will not live in the past; however, I will look back as God's faithfulness gives me a hope for the future. He has a plan for us, and we can only follow it one step at a time.

The Lord brought us here, but we also wouldn't have gotten where we are now without our parents'  love and support. Thank you, Mom, Dad, Mr. Larry and Mrs. Vickie.

Until next time...which may be tomorrow since I had so many blog-worthy moments this weekend ;)