Okay... I am feeling bad after never posting.
Just a couple of things to say...
Teaching is great, but only the part of being with the kids!
Being married is one of God's greatest gifts - especially if you are married to the hunk I am!
I love being able to take care of our home. I am looking forward to being able to take care of it full time one day, if the Lord allows! :-)
I hope that someone reads this!!

Well.... it is Monday again! Today was my last day at Clarkesville for Student Teaching. I have loved my time there, and especially the students I have! They were all so sad when I was leaving - they just couldn't seem to get enough hugs! I just loved it because 4th grade is such a good grade. They are not in the middle school mindset of 5th graders, but they are still "little" enough to still enjoy their teacher! I felt really spoiled from their love and sweet little gifts (flowers, balloons, cards, and I even got a Willow Tree from one of them!)

Anyway, my permanent retainer also broke today... *sigh* It seems that things have been "raining and pouring" lately in terms of the things going on in my life! But, I am hoping things will settle down as the summer comes and the wedding is over!

I am watching "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" on Lifetime, which is really sad and good so far. Okay, I am going! I will update again soon!

Okay... so Brittany just practically begged me to update this thing! I am so sorry I have been out of commission once again.... but with the wedding plans picking up speed, buying a car, student teaching, getting a job, preparing to graduate, and keeping up with normal daily stuff... life has been a tad bit hectic lately! To update everyone on the news, I am now officially an employee of the White County School System, having signed my name on the dotted line today! It feels good to know I am going to actually get paid for doing something I love so much! hehe

Hmmm... with less than 50 days until the wedding, and I am SOO excited, but also nervous and anxious in other ways! I am looking forward to being with Levi, but I know that there is so much that is going to be like "culture shock" to us!

Welll... Brittany, I am hoping this is good enough for you for right now.. I have to go finish my last paper that I have to write to graduate!! woo hoo!!

:=)

Decomposers & the Holy Spirit

I just got finished exercising. It is so amazing to me that when you expend energy by exercising, you actually get MORE energy?! Who woulda thunk it?

Well, today I taught about decomposers. The funny thing was... I was telling my kids about how decomposers break down dead animals into nutrients and things that make the soil rich and good for the environment. Then, where there was once something dead and decaying, there then can come life once again by the presence of new trees and plants, etc.... Well, when I was telling them about all this jazz, one boy raised his hand and said, " Why would they want to eat something dead? Why wouldn't they want to eat something good?"

Well... at this moment, I was already getting really excited because the Holy Spirit turned a little flip in my heart.. I answered him (even though it was probably illegal)..." Well, it is my personal opinion that God made these little creatures to eat exactly what they were made to eat and they were made specifically for this task. Just like you were made to be you, and I was made to me and to be a teacher." My face had to be glowing and God had to be laughing His head off because I was seriously getting EXCITED and SPIRITUAL about decomposers! *sigh* I guess some of us have to be taught through the smallest things.. literally!

But no joke.. just the fact that God made everything to work together in such a specific order.. the natural cycle of life. Think about where you were before you were saved.. how you were rotting, decaying, and dead in your sins. He came in, broke up the fallow ground in your heart, and turned YOU into something He could use when He saved you!!

Okay, I guess I will start doing this again since Brittany and Katie have become so faithful at it! Today was a non-eventful day. I suppose I feel that I don't have anything to share that someone would honestly want to spend time reading. Who knows how long this will last, but I will certainly try!

I guess I could write about my upcoming wedding... can you believe it is only 95 days from now!? I cannot believe that the time has flown this fast, though I believe that my heart is getting more and more ready with the days that pass. The Lord has taught me so much about love, choosing to love, and striving each day to be the woman He wants me to be. Though it will be a challenge, I am excited about marriage... especially to a cutie like Levi!! hehe

School.. :-)

Wow! Back to school already and already in the swing of things... *sigh* In some ways I enjoy it, while parts of me love being at home, visiting with family and Levi. It is so nice to not have to worry about things, but I believe God does have a plan throughout all this schooling! I guess it is a good thing because I never would have met Levi or have gotten to experience some of the wonders I've seen while I've been here. It is such a beautiful town, and I am so blessed to be a part of such a great education department.

I have been missing all the time I got to spend with the Lord over the Christmas Break, but I understand that I must still constantly commune with Him, though I can't always be listening to good music, reading my Bible, or listening to good preaching.

My only prayer is that I can make an impact on this school before I leave. I feel that colleges every where (as we already know) are moving more liberal as the value of secular knowledge takes precedence over Godly and Biblical knowledge. Please pray that I will be a constant witness and truly be able to lead someone to the Lord here. It is so important that our college aged students know the Lord... if they don't take a stand for the LORD, what will happen to the next generation?? Please keep me in your prayers so I can fight the good fight of faith and live like a TRUE Christian among so many who do not know the loving God that I know!

Praise HIS name.. Let us always be thankful for our salvation and the love we KNOW to be true!!

Thanks to Mrs. B @ Cherish the Home for the image above! I loved it!

Well.. it's back to school and classes for me! Break has been amazing, refreshing, and completely filled with good Godly growth. I pray that He will help me to become a better woman as I go back to school and try to spread His love and His salvation to others.

God is Still on the Throne

Continuing in my post about God still being in control of this big world that is turning, I wanted to post a poem I was reading last night in "Heart of a Handmaiden" by Cathy Corle. If you haven't ever read one of her books, I highly recommend her - she is an evagelist's wife and is a very wise woman!

Here is one of the poems that she had written and included as a little interlude between chapters...

God is Still on the Throne

When my heart is in distress

When the billow rolls, and the burdens perss,

I may not understand

just what my Lord has planned

But I know God is still on the throne.

At times my sould may be cast down

And the enmy is encamped around

When no hope I see, still I look to Thee,

For I know God, You're still on the throne.

I can still give God my praise

In the deepest nights and darkest days,

For I know that He chooses best for me

And I know God is still on the throne.

God is still on the trhone

And the Father still cares for His own.

Child, don't despair for the Lord is there

Yes, God is still on the throne.

- Mrs. Cathy Corle

Thank Goodness for that!

Thursday Thoughts

It has been a great day.. somewhat "blah" but still very good. I have been thinking and praying for our country a lot in the past few days. It has really been a burden on my heart because I see so much downfall in our country just in the past years.. and it seems continue getting worse. Why do you ask? Fortunately the answer isn't hard, and fortunately God isn't surprised. He has been whispering peaceful thoughts and words to me, to assure me that He is STILL in control. Whether anyone else believes it or continues to stand for the truth (God's Word), God is still on the throne. Thanks be unto God that He still cares about us though, and it doesn't matter to Him that we live in a place that declining spiritually every day. He still looks upon each of us with love and yearns for us to worship Him as He deserves.

Let's make sure that we are living our lives for Him today and not ourselves. It is so easy to try to live like everyone else and not live for Christ. He has a plan for you, and He willing and ready to restore you to that plan no matter what you have done! Trust Him, Obey Him, and Let Him lead you.. HE won't let you down.

Praise be to God, forever and always!

Wow! The second day of January 2007! I can hardly believe that this year has already begun. I slept very late today, much to my own dismay. I wanted to get up early and get started doing some things for my mom, but that was unfortunately not the way it worked out! *sigh* Oh well, I suppose it is what I need since I will be heading back to school soon.

What has been on my mind lately? Being filled with the Holy Spirit! I guess I had never actually thought it in most of my 11 years of being saved. I knew that I had His Spirit within me and that He directed me, but I never actually asked Him to. Since I have been struggling a lot with "the FLESH," I decided to completely and deliberately give and yield myself to the Holy Spirit. Thank goodness He does what He says He will do. I have been giving myself to Him daily and constantly for the past 3 days, and what a blessing it has been! My cup has been overflowing because I am choosing to listen, walk in the Spirit, and obey the Lord in everything. Also, I am choosing to REJOICE evermore, just as the Word says to do.

As you can see I am not much of a writer or a professional blogger, and hopefully this will get better as I get more experience! Thanks be unto God for a new year - May 2007 be the best year of our salvation and Christian life yet!

ABC's of Ashley


A - Available/Single? Neither.. unmarried as of yet! :)

B - Best Friend? Levi

C- Cake or Pie? Both!!

D - Drink Of Choice? Water or Diet Cherry Coke

E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? Mousse!

F - Favorite Color? Baby Blue or Dark Purple

G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Bears

H - Hometown? North Georgia

I - Indulgence? Dessert.. Blizzards!

J - January Or February? February

K- Kids & Their Names? None.. there are a bunch of names that I like!

L - Life Is Incomplete Without? Jesus, God, Holy Spirit

M - Marriage Date? Don't have one yet!

N- Number Of Siblings? 1 sister

O- Oranges Or Apples? Apples

P - Phobias/Fears? Spiders, Snakes, and Bees... *sigh*

Q - Favorite Quote? Don't say anything unless it is absolutely necessary... a nugget gleaned from my Daddy

R - Reason to Smile? Because God is GOOD!!!

S - Season? Spring

T - Tag Two Or Three People? Not sure what this means..

U - Unknown Fact About Me? I love to cross-stitch

V - Vegetable you don’t like? Beets.. wait are those veggies?!

W - Worst Habit? Being unable to decide what I want if there are more than two options!!

X - X-rays You’ve Had? Toe (LOL), Teeth, Right Wrist

Y - Your Favorite Food? Moma's Chicken and Dumplings

Z - Zodiac Sign? Doesn't matter!

This is the first post of many to come, I hope!!

I pray this blog will be a blessing to someone, as so many others have been a blessing to me!

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gfit, Jesus!