Anticipation!

I am nearing the end of undergrad classes forever! I can't believe this. Wednesday (now today, I guess) is my last day of class. A month from now I will already be student teaching somewhere. By the time finals end this semester I will be more than ready to have a break from paper-writing and test-cramming. I want my big, comfy bed in MY house - with MY candles - and MY music. I want to wake up and smell my mom's pancakes. However, this is a change that I have anticipated for so long.... and now that it's almost here, I don't know how to react!

Besides anticipating the day when I don't have any more finals or papers, I am very much anticipating the day when I become Scott's wife!! July 14th seems like a lifetime away sometimes, but we are more than halfway through our engagement. I see what people mean about long engagements being hard, but for us a shorter one would have been really pressing. This way I haven't had ANY wedding stress during school, and we've been able to actually have fun with it!! Plus, we are in more conversation and discussion about issues that we have more time to consider and pray about.... a huge plus. Nevertheless, the past few nights my heart has just been restless for him. I cannot wait to not have to leave at the end of the day. I especially am excited about seeing him more than a couple of times each week! :) I know that the first year especially will be trying, but I also know that we will have a blast. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a faithful best friend on earth. Now I just anticipate being his roommate for life! :)

I've been thinking about a third kind of anticipation lately. Over Thanksgiving break, I was in the Dallas area with my sweet fiance, where we spent time with his family. On one afternoon, we all decided to watch Elf - one of my absolute favorites. There's this scene where Will Ferrell (Buddy the Elf) finds out Santa is coming. He screams. He tells EVERYONE. He's jumping up and down, flipping out. But no! That's not enough! He proceeds to stay up all night there at the department store where he is quite intentional in decorating the store from ceiling to floor.... hoping to welcome Santa in the most deserving way possible. He makes the Empire State Building out of legos, cuts the most amazing and intricates snowflakes, puts a Mona Lisa drawing on the Etch-a-Sketch for a Christmas tree ornament, and hangs lights anywhere he can. When I was watching it, I couldn't help but think of people today. Are we preparing our hearts for Christ, for the Bridegroom's return? Even on Sundays or Tuesdays or Friday nights....every day... are we preparing our hearts for worship? Are we intentional in "decorating" for the King, not only to impress or put on a show but to glorify Him like He deserves? If there's anything you learn about Buddy in that scene, it's that he anticipates Santa- and he responds accordingly! As children of the Most High, I pray that we anticipate the Messiah even more.