You know what, I really like mornings. This is convenient because my future occupation pretty much requires it. This morning I woke up at 3:45. Not on purpose. Inconvenient? Yes. BUT I was able to get so much done!! I cleaned and made muffins and worked and did laundry and got to spend time with Jesus with my yummy candle. 

I love mornings. His mercies are new every morning. I love that. 

This verse just brings me joy every morning. 

Psalm 143:8 (NIV)

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, 

for I have put my trust in you. 

Show me the way I should go, 

for to you I entrust my life.

Read this version too.

Psalm 143:8 (The Message)

If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice, 

I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you. 

Point out the road I must travel; 

I'm all ears, all eyes before you.

Also:

Ephesians 1:19b (The Message)

oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

Mhmm yes. Will you walk in that today? Days I walk in that are simply the best.

{Independence Day!}

Happy 4th of July!!! I love wearing red white and blue. And I really love American flags. So grateful our country was founded on biblical principles. So thankful for freedom!! 

P.S.-  April and I painted our nails alternating colors--Red, White, Blue--with sparkles. Awesome.

{YES}

This video makes me just want to scream SUMMER!!!!!!! 
Also, it has so many colors and glow in the dark (eeeeek!). Reason #247 & 248 why I love Coldplay.

Challenge: listen to this while driving home from work, school, pool or anything with the windows down. Just scream! It feels awesome. This one's for you Bo...

{Summer Lovin'}

Dear Frozen Mini Reeses, we have a love-hate relationship. Right now, I hate you. Dear Barton Springs, your subzero water temperature makes laying out bearable but Apey doesn't like your "floaties" (fungi, algae) so we won't be back this summer. Dear Boot-campers, seeing you raise your hands during worship makes me cry. Dear Little Brothers, thanks for acting like you were embarrassed that I visited. I know you loved it. Dear Andrew Wommack, listening to you while working has made the hours quite meaningful. Dear Summer, I love you.

{Dreamlights}

Okay watch these. When I watched them, I muted the video and was listening to Beautiful Things by Gungor. Bo showed me these videos and I'm obsessed. How did he know I would be? I

Here's the story. It's like real life Tangled!!!!!

{My heart will burst at the thought of..}

1. My dad being healed. Oh how I wait for that blessed day that his body finally responds to the promise written in the Scripture. The promise that He has already paid the price. We are saved. "Saved" in the Bible comes from the Greek word sozo. Sozo means several things: cured, ensured salvation, get well, made well, recovered and restored. Restored is my favorite. I love the notion that He restores me daily. He restores me mentally, physically and emotionally. He has restored everyone of us when He died for us...by His stripes we are healed- Isaiah 53:5. 
2. Having my own home. I get butterflies when I think about the tiny house that I so want in the future! It will be warm and cozy and clean. There will always be pillows and blankets in the living room so I can lay on the floor with loved ones and talk about life as we know it. There will be candles to make me feel like I am walking into a perfectly lovely store. I want a tin roof to fall asleep under with the rain pitter-pattering like a noise machine app on my phone. I want a rap-around porch with rocking chairs that I can sit and rock away the years with family. I want a yard with a swing on the tree so I can watch the world while swaying with the wind. I want flowers because there really isn't any better smell than freshly planted flowers in mulch. I want lots of crazy mugs that show how many places I've traveled and drank delicious chai and (hopefully) coffee. I want my bathroom mirrors to be covered in verses and Truths. I want mason jars and twinkle lights all over. I want a crafty room for the kiddies with chalkboard walls. I just can't wait for a home. 
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo
3. Europe in the winter! OH I cannot wait till I get to Europe and teach the little ones and travel and all things good. I have a feeling I will want to stay. Can't wait to pretend I'm really artsy fartsy. 
4. Becoming a teacher. I can't wait to love my students. I can't wait to know all of their names and little of what makes them up. I can't wait to write down silly quotes and take silly pictures of crumbs on their face or their shirts inside out. I can't wait to welcome them with a hug every morning and push them out of my class in the afternoon :)

I sometimes get so happy thinking about the future and what is to come! Joy joy joy joy down in my heart, YAY! 

I love the here and now. But as Anne Shirley says: tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it. 

{Quote of the day}

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”

- T.S. Eliot

{Anthology}

The new edition is here!!! I love this little mag.

1- because the theme just happens to be, Life is a Party. Ya know I'm gonna dig that.
2- it's so colorful!!! I love love love colors. Trust me, this magazine has so many colors you could squeeze the pages and out would spill a million Crayola Crayons. Perfection.


Okay, I'm going to stop there because you just have to read it! You can read it online right here or you can buy it at Anthropologie or you can subscribe!

sista sista.

Dear Lauren,
I'm finally doing a post about you. I know that it has bothered you that I haven't haha. I just have so much, too much to say about you. I don't even know where to start! Here goes....

Laur, there are many things I love about you but the first that comes to my mind right now is the knowledge that you will always be there for me. What a comforting thought! When I visualize my life I see a few people standing next to me as the scenes change behind us. Jesus, my family, Apey, and you. I don't know if I've ever really developed that thought till now but I really do see that in my mind all the time! It's a combination of two things: 1. you are an amazing friend and 2. I never want to lose you. I will expand on point 1. You always listen to me, whether I'm sad or happy or mad or scared or worried or stressed. I find so much comfort when I think that I know I can always come to you and talk. And I do always come to you. I love that you are so wise. Whenever I talk to you about things, I know I'll get a good response. I love that sometimes those good responses aren't what I always wanna hear, and even though I may react badly to that, I love that you care enough to tell me I'm being ridiculous. I love that when I found out about my dad, you held me while I cried. I love that every time I am sad, I can be completely broken with you and not have to think about judgement. I really really love when I can be there for you when you are sad, I love it when you walk in my room after a hard day and crumple onto my bed and I scratch your back. I love how you love your family. I love how you genuinely care about everyone's life. I love how you ask a million questions to people when you first meet them! You make me laugh. I love to laugh with you. We both love the same things: coke, nail polish, reading (teen books), sci fi, mushy gushy movies, foooooooood, sunshine, etc etc etc. I love that you are so intentional. I love that you are bible study/discipleship chair, I'm so proud of you!! I'm so proud of who you are and how much you've grown since 6th grade. You are such an amazing woman. You are so loyal and caring. You are so selfless to help me with Tshirts every time. You are so understanding! I love that we are both non-confrontational but we can confront each other ;) I love that we can talk about what we struggle with and it's usually the same thing.

Your friendship means so much to me my precious sister. One of my favorite things is hearing songs or seeing movies or reading quotes that remind me of our friendship. The best thing about us is that we have been friends for a decade :) I cannot wait to graduate and teach together. I can't wait to have little play-dates with our kiddies! I am constantly reminded of the verse in Philippians 1:3 when Paul says, "Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God." That's how I feel about you Laur. I am so thankful for you. For who you are. For your selfless friendship. For your example.

I can't even imagine how much He loves you, so lavishly, wildly and immensely!

I love you more than I can explain, my best friend.

Mountainview Mustang.

Today was my last day as a Teaching Associate at Mountainview Elementary!!!!! Really bittersweet. I have been awaiting this day pretty much all year but now that it has arrived, I'm so sad!

Reasons I don't want to go:

1. I love the girls that I taught with. Our 3rd grade little team has been such a blessing to my year. Erin, Jessica and Kelsey have blessed me beyond what they could ever know. Seeing each of their face at 7:15 every morning, doing life together, sharing stories and laughs, and just being a team. I loved it. I am going to miss them so much next year as I'm interning at a different school.

I will share one story I love to tell: A month or so ago, I was having a really rough week. I felt like I was drowning, being forced down beneath the raging waters with the reality of situations and even lies that I was believing. I was feeling useless, not good enough, selfish, stupid, emotional and just downright depressed. I remember coming to the point in my prayers where I cried out saying, "Lord I just really need encouragement today. I need joy and happiness that comes from you. I need encouragement because I feel so utterly discouraged." So I go to school like every other day and had a mediocre lesson. My little team could tell I was upset and as I was leaving Mountainview to go back to Baylor, Erin handed me a card. When I got into my car, I read it and started bawling! Erin was so unbelievably encouraging and my heart felt so full!! It could not have come at a better time, thank you Jesus!!! Erin even said that she had the card for a while :) PTL that He has perfect timing. PTL that He blessed me so much with 3 amazing girls to work with and love!!!!!

2. I love my students. I loved seeing their sweet, shining and sometimes obnoxious little selves every morning! My favorite was Jami. Yes I know I shouldn't have favorites but I just can't help it. She was HYSTERICAL. She wore a parka when it was 80 degrees! AND she was such a Belieber. She wore a Justin Bieber shirt every day. Don't worry that they were "hand-crafted." She also looked like the little chunker from Up, except a girl hehe :)

this little gem is Jami. #1 fan!!

Another story: today one of my students said to me that she "had to tell me something right away."
Me-"Yes, Angelina?"
A- "I have to say that I've always thought of you as an older sister."
AW. I just about teared up, what a sweetheart. See, those moments are the moments in teaching that I live for. The moments I know I was called to do this. Because that's what teaching is all about for me, that's why I'm going to do this energy consuming, majorly underpaid job. I really believe that this is my calling. I can't wait to be the teacher that really affects her students. I can't wait for the parents of my students to think, "Hey there is something different about her. She has something I want." GOD!! JESUS!! THE HOLY SPIRIT!! Ah! I can't wait!!!! I just want to love my students. Bah I can't believe He loves me so much.


So basically to sum up this post, I just can't wait to teach my own students. I have said this before and I'm sayin it again! Not many people get to have true joy when doing their job, and I'm so thankful that I am called to something that compliments my gifts and my interests! I love kids and I cannot wait to teach 20 some odd little ones :)

Before our last day of class! We played Math Kickball :)

Hugs for me!

My favorite girlies!

P.S- I love being called Miss Caldwell.

quote of the day.

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out."

-Ray Bradbury

wood & white.

take me here, so clean and warm.

time to snuggle up.

old people.

one of my favorite places to go in waco is the starbucks in woodway. the reason i love it is because i'm surrounded by older people. i have found a few places in waco where i like to escape the "baylor people," as grandma dorothy would say. i really like old people. i like them because they, for the most part, are very wise. on monday, an older man sat next to me and got out his bible and journal. right then i wished that he was my grandpa. he was sooo cute with his little fedora and bible. it made me realize that i want so much to have someone in waco that is older and wiser than me. just to live life with and have someone here to put things back into real life perspective (because we all know the baylor bubble isn't real life). i'm at starbucks right now and these women next to me are praying.

three things: 1- i really love waco. 2- i really love the bible belt. 3- i freaking love seeing people praying. 

just thoughts.

happy turkey day!

holidays are hard, i've decided. everything is different these days.  

reminder to self: give thanks for the good :)

cute little turkey treats!

#1 thing i'm thankful for today: another thanksgiving with daddy.

seriously?

I'm awake at 4am. This is quite a regular occurrence for me. I'm annoyed. And in that stage of tiredness where your stomach feels a little sick. Ya know it? Ps. shout out to Anna who is driving back from Destin right now...bleck what a terrible thing to stay up all night. Well I am going to be "productive" here on my little blog so I'll just go ahead and say what I'm EXCITED for about going back to Baylor. In no specific order of course.

1. Sleeping in Nicole's bed all semester.
2. Seeing Anna.
3. Having really cool neighbors.
4. GLEE STARTS SOON.
5. Not having to work as much. I'm clocked in right now. Hehe.
6. Having a car!!!
7. Sunshine and rollerblading
8. Sonic happy hour. We have that here too but it's just not the same.
9. New things await!
10. Sisterhood retreat. Haha adda girl lauren!
11. MUMFORD & SONS CONCERT!!!! Well it's in Dallas. Still in the greater bubble of Baylor?
12. I'm turning 21 in a month. Weird I'm the oldest?
13. Beartrail. Love that thing.
14. I really need to paint my nails right now. Also I think I'm hungry. Who gets hungry this early?
15. 25 miles till Anna gets to Houston! Maybe she can sleep at Tiana's?
16. Oh back to the list, I'm excited to utilize my new phone on campus! Twitpic this! Twitpic that!
17. I got new curtains. I like them. I spent WAAAAY too much money this summer.
18. I GO TO CHICAGO SOON! Eeeeeeee can't wait to see the bean. And April.
19. I want to go to the lake soon. Bo?
20. I'm sick of making this list so I'm gonna go now.

big bad news.

A lot of people have been asking me how I am, now knowing that my dad is going to die. Well as expected, I am not okay haha. I've always said "I don't know what I would do without my dad" and so thinking about what I'm ACTUALLY going to have to do without my dad is scaring the crap out of me. I feel like I can see all the things that are going to happen, like my dad not being there when I get married, or when I have kids. I see them and I feel the pain and weight of that knowledge just pushing at the outskirts of my mind. Trying to break free and crush me under sadness.

Yea, I know that God has a plan and that it will be good in the long run. I do know that. I know that God's ultimate purpose in allowing this to happen is so that He is glorified. I know all the Sunday school answers for why my dad is sick. But it's not really what I need to hear right now. I mean, this sucks. Really bad. For my whole family. If you're looking to comfort me, right now, I just need you to BE with me. Hug me when I cry, cry with me, talk about how bad this sucks. That's where I'm at right now.

I know the Lord provides. I've experienced miracles. It's hard to pray for a miracle that my dad be healed when the doctors say it's impossible. But then again, I do worship the God of the Impossible. I will lean on the Lord for comfort because He is the only true comforter. He did lose His only Son.

Funny, I get a bible verse every morning on my phone and He is so faithful with encouraging me:

"We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

2 Corinthians 4:16

Hahah, my dad just informed me that he wants to move to Beliz. OKAY dad.

tea freak.

I love tea. Not more than Coke. But it is my caffeine fix when I choose not to drink Coke (very very rare). And....

TODAY IS FREE TEA DAY AT MCALISTER'S!!

Don't worry, this shirt is only $12.95.

savvy.

I feel really technologically savvy..I learned how to make ringtones on my iTunes and put them on my phone. I have to admit that I've spent a ridiculous amount of time doing this. Everyboday gets a ringtone!! WHOO! (spoken like the "everyboday gets a humpback whale!!")

Also, breaking news. Ben Rector has a new EP. Get it.

And, recently I've been obsessed with Mumford & Sons. So if you don't know them, go listen. Awake my Soul is my favorite. Little Lion Man is too but it has a really abrupt cuss word in the middle of the chorus. So that limits the times I can listen to it, don't want to pollute the little puberty ears of my brothers. Good sister right?

In addition, I love kids. Babysitting Maranda yesterday (she's 2) and we were at Chick Fil A, she's sees this guy and goes "WOA THAT MAN IS A VERY BIG MAN!!" Real loud. Real embarrassing. Real real funny. To be fair...he was extremely large. Kids say the darndest things.