I woke up with hope.

Today, I woke up happy and hopeful. I have been praying for a few of close friends… all of whom I love more than anything. I just know good things are around the corner for them and I am so so so excited to see what happens.

And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us.

Romans 5:5

Hang in there, ya’ll! You know who I am talking to!!! Love you guys!

I am so thankful…

That I have silly friends that can laugh at themselves.

I love laughing. Clearly.

A smile.

I opened my devotional and read this verse:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you.

Psalm 32:8

I love knowing that we are all loved in this way… That God put us here for a purpose and not to wander with no direction or guidance. How amazing is He, that He offers us even more than the ultimate sacrifice?

I guess I am just a little awestruck today.

Did he just say that?

… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

-Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Every Sunday, I begin my morning by co-teaching the third grade KidzWorld class with my friend, Chris, at CrossPoint. I LOVE the kids that are in our class… they are sweet, love being at church and sometimes say some really really funny things. One of my favorite regulars is named Bryce. He is always willing to help, sets a good example for the others, and loves telling us about his football games.

For the past month, we have been talking about Determination… what it means to keep on going, even when it’s hard or you’re tired… Our anchor verse has been Hebrews 12:1. I asked Bryce to read it to the class.

He read it perfectly, and finished by saying, “Hebrews 12:1 NIV.” He pronounced it NIV, and not “N,”"I,”"V.” Chris corrected him and asked him if he knew what that meant. Are you ready for this…???

New and Improved Version.

Chris and I looked at each other… and we couldn’t help but laugh. He just said it with such positivity and so matter-of-fact. I about fell out of my chair. We told him that was a great guess… but explained what it meant.

Gotta love kids. Happy Monday!

Perfect.

It’s bedtime.

Rain is beating down on my window and my dog is curled up next to me.

I am going to get some good sleep

New Series at Cross Point: Dream Job.

It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait.

Dream Job Promo from Matthew Singleton on Vimeo.

28 & 62 days.

Meaning, there are 28 days until Thanksgiving and 62 days until Christmas.

I love this time of year.

My favorite things about Thanksgiving:

• Sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole. If that’s all I eat on Thanksgiving Day, I am a happy camper. I don’t even care if I smell turkey.
• Sitting around in pajamas watching football games after we eat Thanksgiving dinner.
• Having a 4-day weekend.

My favorite things about Christmas:

• Spending time with my family in Memphis.
• Homemade Spinach Ravioli (Family recipe passed down for generations… the sauce alone takes 3 days to make!)
• Christmas lights and Christmas Trees.
• Buying gifts for everyone and wrapping them up in pretty wrapping paper (I know that’s not what it’s all about, but I like doing it anyway!)
• Peppermint Mochas.
• Vacation.

I realize that we haven’t even gotten passed Halloween yet… but I’ve already been to a Halloween party and I feel like I’ve had about enough of that. Plus, it’s so cold inside the office that I’m thinking snow may start blowing out of the vents. Just saying…

My job.

This picture sums up our three-day meeting.

One night we had a costume party.

It’s times like these that I love my job.

Dear Tropical Place waiting for me in Heaven,

On some days more than others, I sit and daydream about you. Usually, I think about you while I am at work… my fingers so cold that they are numb and my nose dripping because it’s chilled. That happens daily. I tried to remedy the situation by sipping hot tea and bringing a fleece blanket from home… even wearing winter clothes to the office when it was still 95 degrees outside… but nothing helps. It just results in endless trips to the bathroom or continuous mocking from my similar eskimo-like-attired co-workers.

I know that we will meet one day… a glorious day when all I will know is happiness, warmth, family, Jesus, sunshine, love and God’s glory.

Until then, I will only think fondly of you,

Me.

Hilarious.

Last night, I was taking Palmer out for the last time before bed. It had finally stopped raining for a minute, so we walked halfway around the block. We were slowly meandering back when the bottom dropped out. IT STARTED POURING. Why this was hilarious: 1) Palmer LOATHES rain… more on this in a minute. 2) I had flip-flops on. Not just any flip-flops – the kind that are VERY slippery when wet and definitely a hazard while trying to run in the rain. My neighbors were standing on their porch, politely chuckling at my misfortune. I don’t blame them. We were probably a site.

This morning: Still raining fairly steadily. I took Palmer out before I left for work. Normally, he is dragging me down the porch stairs. Not today. I hopped down the stairs. Palmer was staying put. It was raining and he was not going to budge off of the front porch… no sir. I tried coaxing him, even picked him up and put him in the yard… yeah, he just ran straight back up to the front door. Palmer is going to have a very long day…

A few random things:

• I have determined that Nashville drivers were never taught to merge. My theory is proved pretty much daily.
• I love dark, rainy days like today… but I love them more when I can stay in bed and watch a movie instead of come to work. (I am, however, very thankful for my job… that I have one.)
• I talked to a good friend the whole way to work this morning. I love catching up… A side note: Catching up with a good friend at 7:45 am means that I have turned into an adult, doesn’t it? I mean, sometimes stuff like that just hits me out of the blue. In college, I don’t even think I ever saw 7:45 am. (Just kidding… I probably had just rolled out of bed for my 8 am accounting class.)
• I fly out tomorrow morning at 5:40 am. I hate flying. I don’t know why… but I get claustrophobic and am anxiety-ridden. Pray for me, seriously. I think that I am going to need a tranquilizer. I also always wait to pack until the last minute and I always get irritated with myself for doing that. Yep… I still waited until the last minute this time.
• My office is still cold. Freezing, actually. Some things never change.
• I am almost finished reading The Shack. I have made myself take my time while reading this book. I wanted to really process what is being said. This book has challenged my faith in so many ways. Very good. I think that everyone should read it. One of the things about the book that I LOVE… is how it illustrates Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

That’s so encouraging, to me. I think that’s all I have, for now… Happy Wednesday… (Friday is coming back, soon!)