pray.

I think prayer is such a simple task, yet hard to accomplish...for me at least. I can pray. I will pray. But I don't always believe what I pray. I am like the father in Mark with the sick daughter and Jesus tells him to believe. The father replies...."I do believe, but help my unbelief." I am that Father. I can sit and pray. That's easy, but I don't always believe that what I pray will transpire.

This leads me to the prayer that I have been praying for over a year now. I want a teaching job. I am ready for one. I feel prepared. I am excited. I am willing. I know God has this specific place for me. A specific classroom with the name "Miss Pierce" inscribed on a wooden block placed perfectly in the center of my old, antique looking wooden desk right next to the apple a student brought me last week. So I not only pray for the opportunity to have that teaching job this year, but I pray for His Will to be done.

Now it's time to believe all that I pray. I have an interview this coming Monday at a school I would LOVE to teach at. It is exactly the kind of place I want to be. I pray for it and I ask you to pray for it as well. I want the job...I get the chills just thinking that I may possibly have this opportunity.

God plainly tells us that He answers our prayers when we ask. So why I don't believe that, who knows. But it is time to start believing what I pray. Sit back and watch the Lord provide.

"To the faithful, He shows Himself faithful..." -Psalm 18:25

me gusta Cancun.

I have decided to stop posting albums on Facebook. It may be because I don't feel like I need to share so much of my personal life with the facebook world. Or it could be because I already spend too much time on there as it is. Making an album would just add to that. Or it may even be because I am getting more mature, more wise, more sophisticated and I want to save all the cool pictures for my blog. Who knows what the case may be, but with all that said, I sit here writing with itchy, peeling skin because I just got home from Cancun. It was a trip with the family to celebrate some major met goals, and boy, did we celebrate. We celebrated so much that we all came home with Montezuma's Revenge. For those of you who do not know what that is, look it up. It's real. Trust me.

The trip began with an early morning flight. We arrived at our resort to be handed glasses of champagne while our bags were personally delivered to our room. That's when the trip began....

The lobby.

After we settled in, we went to the first meal of the trip. A delicious meal overlooking the ocean. And after that, we found out that room service will give you anything you want. In that case, we took them up on the offer. Midnight rolled around. Teddi and I made a phone call. A cheeseburger, french fries, and delicious taquitos were delivered to our room.

A typical day in the life of a Pierce on vacation looked like this: Wake up, take a short run on the beach, either order room service or go to a restaurant for breakfast, lay out, lay out, get a drink, lay out, read, lay out, take a nap, each lunch, take a nap, lay out, get a drink, maybe take another nap while laying out and then finally head inside. Boy, did the days wear me out.

Nights were always fun. We would dress up and head to one of the six restaurants they had at the resort. Every place would serve at least a four course meal that was to DIE FOR. A few times I really thought I died and gone to heaven.

A few excursions were penciled in...if you count snorkeling, traveling to a town, and going to the spa. But when we weren't doing those things, we were either eating, sleeping, or tanning. It was great.

Thanks to Megan for getting her Master's. Thanks to Doug for passing his CPA exams, and thanks to me for graduating college (in four years with my credential thank you very much). Without these accomplishments and of course, my parents for giving us this vacation, it would not be possible. As they always say, "This trip deserves to be in a photo book."

His will.

I have to say that this is the year in which I have learned that God's will is not only the best for me, but it will be done. I can't begin to think of all the things I tried to do, whether that be moving away, finding a full time teaching job, and even the little things....when they were not in God's will, they did not get done.

At first, I was frustrated and kept asking God, "why, why why?" Then my mindset began to change. I really began to learn about God's will. I threw my hands back and said, "Alright God, you know what is best for me. I will do my part. I will do what I am called to do and let You work everything else out."

And that is exactly what He has done. When I sat back and actually let Him guide my life, I began to see all He is doing and all the good that comes from it. He really does know what is best. And when we sit back and let Him actually work, man, He does a lot. The best part of it all....it is good.

When I begin to feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or discontent I remind myself that...

-His Will will be done in my life.

-His Will is what is best for me.

-He is sovereign.

-He is faithful.

I will sit back and let Him be the driver of me and not the other way around. Because Lord knows I am one horrible driver who never pays attention, never follows rules, and believes I can text and drive at the same time.

"Our Father in heaven

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven...."