This is Not Forever

One of my favorite bands is BarlowGirl, and I'm so excited that they have a new CD coming out in September called Love and War. Septemberr 22 is the release date so you should mark your calendars.

They've posted two acoustic sessions with 2 of the new songs. One is called "Beautiful Ending" which is really pretty, but the one which struck a chord with me is "This is Not Forever." In the video, which I have posted below, Alyssa talks about how she is always praying that God will pull her OUT of hard times, and she had the realization the day she wrote the song that God doesn't want to pull her out. He wants to pull her THROUGH the hard times, so that she'll learn and grow and trust in Him more.

This one hit home for me because, as you all know, I have been looking for fall employment. I haven't had any calls for interviews except one, which I'm actually waiting as I type this to hear back about. J and I have been pinching pennies and getting frustrated because every time we seem to be getting somewhere, something sets us back. (Such is life, no?) I've been praying so hard about finding a job and this message is exactly what I needed to hear right now -- that God will stay with me through everything, no matter how hard life gets, no matter "how high the steps are." He's with me always and He will always pull me through.

My Wedding Dress and Agape

I found my dress on Friday. I'm not going to post pictures, though (sorry... wanna maintain that awe factor... trust me, it's killing me not to, too). I can tell you that it is a halter top, ivory, and simple in an elegant sort of way. Which, if you know me at all is TOTALLY my style. There's no beading or rhinestones or anything on it, though I'm looking for a brooch to use instead of this stupid flower that's on there. But it will be fun getting my accessories; looking for things which will accent my dress and can be a little more blingy, so to speak, than I would get if my dress had beading and stuff on it.

The best part? I'm spending less than $400. Is that tacky to tell you? Well, I don't care. I love finding a bargain. Ha ha.

Yesterday, J and I went to Agape Fest in Greenville, IL. It was a lot of fun but sooooo windy. I kept a blanket wrapped around me most of the day. I loved hearing Storyside:B for the first time live, and the Afters. But my favorite, of course, was BarlowGirl. Here's what I love about them: They are so honest on stage. I really feel like what I'm seeing is not an act. When they talk about God they are serious about it. They aren't just challenging us to be a voice without doing it themselves, or without having Scriptural back up (in this case, it was 1 Peter 2:9). And while they played the same set that they did 3 months ago at winter jam, it was still amazing. They do this medley (the "Love Medley" as I like to call it) where they sing "I Believe in Love," "I Need You to Love Me," and "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever." It's always an amazing worship set and I gotta be honest... it moved me to tears last night. A-mazing.

I will post pictures later. Now, I gotta get ready for church.