Feel the rhythm, Feel the rhyme.Get on up...

It's FINALS tiiiiime!

First Stop begins tomorrow: Domestic Relations

3.5 hours of: Divorce, Alimony, Child Custody, Property Distribution....wahoooooo

Yes, we are allowed to bring in one sheet, and it only took me 4 hours to make mine. :)

Post Title:

Yes, a cool runnings throwback. You're welcome!

Nine Days.

Happy Friday, friends!

Y'all. I have been trying my hardest to be a good student. Honest to Pete.

My life is currently filled with outlines, flashcards, treatises, post its, tabs, highlights, etc etc.

I am getting there.

But sometimes, when I am deep in Evidence, there's like...this huge distraction right under my nose.

I wonder what it could be...

....

.....

....

.....

.....

OH YEEEEAAAAAAAA

Just nine days and nine (plus) hours of exams left!!! 

Love you mean it-

Crazy Girl (don't ya know that ya love me)

Sweetest Small Group Ever.

Monday night is normally Bible study night.

My friend Eleanor and I started our then-tiny Bible study in the fall of 1L year.

Since then, it has grown to a great group of amazing ladies.

Last night was supposed to be "Small Group plus something for Lizanne's bday", but it quickly (unbeknownst to me) turned into "Lizanne's Engagement Celebration"

I was overwhelmed.

In a good way!

 It's so wonderful to have such sweet, supportive friends.

Thanks for the new white jeansssss mama p :)

Blessed!
LF

There is fullness of J-O-Y!

What a sweet, sweet birthday I had on Saturday!

Thank you all for making it so special!

I woke up early, baked some muffins, and had some cinnabon-flavored coffee (oh.em.gee delish). Not long after, I answered the phone for my first call of the day: my mom and dad singing to me! Love that tradition!

I got to talk to my grandmother, my fella, and quite a few more people before my study group came over for our morning session. I thought I would be bummed that I had to study, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

One of my fave cards from the day :)

We worked hard on some FRE and then took a lunch break to sit outside in the sunshine at the Rookery, one of my favorite places to go downtown.

The studying continued at JCup for a few more hours, and then it was time for a little group dinner/Fiesta!

A birthday filled with friends and chips and salsa... woohoo!

I love these girls! Despite them having the people sing to me after my pleading not to!



Please notice how I wouldn't put that gross hat all the way down on my head. 
I have issues.


How was YOUR weekend? Lots of love-
L

"You have made known to me the path of life,
in your presence there is FULLNESS of JOY..."
Psalm 16:11

Little Darling...

Happy Friday, friends!

Life is crazy over in my neck of the woods. No complaints though! 

How are y'all?

I cannot believe it's Friday already! And I'm having an even harder time realizing it's April 20th.

Ah, "birthday week"...."birthday eve" at that...

Birthdays for me as a kid, and even in college, were always an exciting time. More than my birthday, the rolling around of April 21st meant late spring, brighter days, and...the end of school! My favorite season just around the corner...

Yes, it's the end of school now, but sadly, the days in law school aren't as bright. I mean, they are, but instead of soaking up some rays from the great outdoors, you settle for the illumination of your desk lamp.

Oh finals! I have tackled you three times already and you still intimidate the you-know-what out of me.

But this too shall pass! It's nothing I can't do, nothing the Lord won't see me through.

Besides, my birthday happened two weeks ago as far as I'm concerned. :)

So the next two weeks of desk lamp lit days, coffee two-a-days, highlighter-stained hands, and practice exams? Woohooo let's do it! Summer is in sight!

Love y'all a whole lot-

Lizanne

Checking In!

Hey y'all!

A few randoms from the week:

We had CLS elections this week, and I'm super pumped to be leading the group as pres next year!

Registered for 3L classes yayayayayay (classes aren't yay, but 3L is!)

Got an unexpected and super nice email from a professor that made my day. A great pick-me-up!

I made this lasagna for study group on Tuesday and it was...DELISH! Highly recommend!

Birthday cards from Lauren, Ali, and Katherine are just the sweeeeeetest!

My current morning jam:

That's all for now!

LLF

I haven't missed these Saturdays.

Happy Saturday!

I am currently knee-deep in my evidence book, notes, outline, and flashcards! 

I have the personal knowledge to tell you that...so it's not hearsay, baby.

But I kinda wish it was!

I am missing y'all and am counting down the days til a sweet summer break and 3L!

It's 22 in case you were wondering. :)

Love ya mean it-

Lizanne

"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."

2 Chronicles 15:7 (thx, SB!)

A lesson in self-discipline.

I must say, being engaged is the bee's knees.

It's exciting and fun and opens up SO many doors for a planner-by-nature to roll up her chambray sleeves and get to work!

However, I have finals in three weeks.

So I am making myself focus on those for now. 

Because I am a really good law student.

Hahaha not. 

Really, just knowing that in four weeks I can go hog wild on pinterest and the knot and traveling to fun places with my mom...that's the motivation.

Here goes nothin! :)

LLF

You are making all things new, Part 3.

Part 1 and Part 2 :)

Still on cloud nine, we ventured to my hometown, where we met up with my sweet parents, hugging them with tears in all four sets of eyes. We shared "the story" on the back deck, hugged some more, laughed, teared some more ("caught a cold" as dad would say), and A and I scurried to get ready (Yes, I did change out of the tee/jeans/flips and somewhat fixed my hair. So I mainly did the scurrying.) before our guests came over.

Everyone, not knowing what just happened, showed up for the cookout, Dad gathered everyone around, and A announced the big news! More smiles, more tears, more JOY JOY JOY. It was surreal.

The rest of the weekend was spent traveling around to family members, skyping with those far away (wish y'all could have been there so badly!!), and just trying to soak up all of what had just happened. I don't think I stopped smiling the whole time. I have honestly never felt more blessed and happy.

I will share some more fun pictures in a later post, but to wrap this set up, I just wanted to share another favorite part of the weekend. 

Saturday night, we went to Elevation Church's Easter Service, which was incredible as always. During the last song, I think I just finally REALIZED what had happened the day prior. 

We started singing "All Things New". I glanced down at my left hand (for the 13501385th time that day). I looked up. I glanced down again. It was real, it was shiny and new. Flawless. Perfect. Beautiful. I was blown away.

I started thinking about how God is constantly using the "things" in my life, especially relationships, as a symbol of His love for me, because I can be stubborn in that area! I doubt and feel so unworthy, and well, He never stops showing me! "Lizanne, focus on what is unseen..but here's something you can actually see to give you a little help since you're slow." (that's from the LLF version).

So I just became OVERWHELMED with the love of God. Yes, of course, when I look at my ring and think of the FUN story, I think of A's love for me. That in itself is sooo cool and awesome! But, I also cannot look down at my hand and not think of the love of God. A perfect, beautiful, timeless love. A love that makes all things NEW- no matter where I have been, what's been done to me, or what I have done. His love covers it. Each day he chooses to love us, giving us all things new.

I thought about the week prior, I thought about the meltdown in my car and grinned at what God must have been thinking, I thought about the crazy journey to the place I was at, I thought about all the love and the answered prayers and the amazing-ness (made that up, yep) and I just sang out in a crazy mix of humility and clarity and love and joy...

...which luckily, it's really loud in there so no one but Jesus could hear. ;) Just being honest here. :)

"You're love never ending, Your grace never failing...You are making all things NEW!"

It's been an amazing last few days and I am just so overwhelmed! :):)

Whew! I'm even running out of words to say after this long story. :) Thank you for reading! I really wanted to share the great story with my friends reading, but really I just want y'all to be encouraged! Our God really is a good, perfect, loving God. He makes all things new..for all of us!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and  momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Praise Jesus! Love you mean it-

Lizanne

You are making all things new, Part 2.

If you haven't read Part 1, don't scroll down, go here. :)

So Tuesday, I made my way home to Rock City and enjoyed some great time with family and friends. It was wonderful! My parents told me that on Friday they wanted to have a small cookout at the house for my birthday, which is later in the month, since they probably wouldn't get to see me (yay finals).

Then SA, the cute boy on this blog, asked me if I would meet him in Clemson for the day on Friday to see each other and, also, to give me my birthday present. I was apprehensive at first, because I knew it would have to be a quick trip and I wanted to be able to help my mom with the cookout festivities. Yet, after thinking about it and reflecting on all the crazy trips I've made for that fella, why not?

After having traditional Friday morning breakfast with my dad, I left for God's country (again) and met up with my beau around 10am. He was looking caaa-yute, as always, and I was about to freeze in my cuffed jeans, rainbows, and Clemson tee. It had been raining, so my hair was in it's "Hey look it's been raining" mode. Let's just say, I wasn't as precious as he. Despite my questioning the night before, I had no idea what was planned for the morning except "something for my birthday." We headed to the Botanical Gardens.

The day started with a little picnic in a favorite spot of ours in the BG, where we enjoyed some CFA sweet tea (nectar of Heaven) and A gave me my birthday present, an empty mason jar and some colorful sheets of paper. He then explained the jar was an idea I told him about from Pinterest. Yes, the idea he claimed was really lame months prior, but that he had remembered and wanted to give it to me for my birthday, because he knew I would love such a present. I was super excited, and we started writing funny things on slips of paper and adding them to the jar. Sweet Tea and quality time with my man? I was lovin' it.

Please excuse my ugly big toe(s). I inherited them.

We then continued on, exploring Clemtown and writing down memories- folding them and plopping them into the jar. Some serious, the majority silly.

"Night of graduation 2010- skipping out on a bonefire (of which another boy had invited me) to sit with you in the Ridge and awkwardly talk about "liking each other" while watching the Discovery channel...before driving my roomies back home from downtown."


"All the time- Sharing prayer requests and what all Jesus is doing in our separate lives. Worshiping together in the same room. Sneakily holding hands in church."


"May 2011- Cruising it with the family. Fun adventures in Grand Cayman. MomPat!"


We ended up down at the rowing docks my fave++++ place in town, where it was still pretty cold, but the water was like glass and it was just as it always is...beautiful! We sat and chatted and were playing around, and I added to the jar:

Still dreary..and chilly!!

"July 2010- First "real relationship talk" on the clemson docks, where we decided to make it work despite the circumstances (ahem, law school.)"


After I slid my little memory into the jar, we sat talking and being our weird selves, and A said, "You know I really wanna marry you right?"

And of course, being the sweet, perfectly normal gal that I am, I replied, "Yea, but I don't wanna talk about it."


"You don't? Why not?"


"Well, I was just here a few days ago, and I'm really just trying to trust in Jesus and I just get stressed when I think about our future because well WHO KNOWS and I don't want to be controlling and I just want to trust and blah blah I'm so weird blah blah blah...Just, let's not talk about it and just enjoy the birthday ok?"


Hahaha OH THE IRONY.

"Ok, we won't talk about it..."


After my ridiculous diatribe about trusting Jesus, we sat there in the quiet for awhile. It was kind of awkwardly quiet. Until A told me, "Ok, last slip of paper, I've got something for the jar." He wrote something on the paper, not letting me see, and attempted to put it in the bunch oh' memories. Of course, I interrupted "Um, excuse me sir! I am supposed to see/share time!" After a little wrestling, I had the folded up piece of paper, and read:

"6 April 2012- we got engaged in the same place we had our first relationship talk"


asdfjkl;asdfjkl;asdfjkl;!!!!


I looked up and there he was, on one knee, holding a very sparkly object between his thumb and index finger, (leaving no time for me to fire back with, don't you need to ask?) "Will you marry me?"


BOOM- sunny, warm...praise the Lord!

Apparently I said yes and we celebrated; calling our parents and laughing at me and me asking 153050 questions, of which included really deep, philosophical ones such as: "Is this real life?" "Did you mean to ask ME?" "Where was it (the rock) this whole time?" (in his boot. love him.) and my personal favorite..."Do I get to keep it?!?!?!?"


Then it was back to the RH, not to a "birthday cookout" but to a "Haaayyy Andrew just put a rang on it!" cookout!

To be continued...:)

You are making all things new, Part 1.

Hey, y'all!

Sorry I've been away for awhile, it has just been CRAZY LIFE over here the past few days!

I have a story for ya though! Well, the first part of it at least.

Monday, I came back from Missip and stopped in Clemson for the night to split the 8 hour trip home.

I was meeting Kristi for dinner, but she was in class til later. So about an hour before I got there, I planned to stop at one of my favorite places on campus, sit on a blanket in the late afternoon sunshine, and read my Bible until time to meet her. I was excited.

Well, despite the sun shining when I got out of my car and started walking towards "the spot", blanket and Bible in hand, it started to rain...HA! So I got back in my car right before the downpour, much to my annoyance, because well, I had already been in it for over 6 hours, and I really just wanted some quiet time to myself to read and pray... and I just knew being outside would make it much better. And, um, that is what I had planned, duh.

I found myself thinking, "Lord, with all the craziness of school and just life in general, I just feel that recently my time with Jesus has been "forced" and unintentional on my part. I just feel..weird. And well, I just REALLY want to sit in the grass and talk to Jesus and feel his presence and pray! But noooooo this random rain cloud pops out of nowhere and I have to sit in my car!"

I was on the verge of a type-A meltdown. 

However, thanks to God, I decided it didn't matter if I was in the grass next to the lake or in my truck with my piles of laundry and outlines, Jesus was still there. So I cracked open Jesus Calling and the ole NIV, but the weird feeling was still around. I didn't know where to start. I was just kind of staring at them, and getting the same feeling of just..blah. So, I closed my eyes and prayed, still just feeling like I was moving in slow motion, stuck in pluff mud. 

After praying, which was nothing monumental, just me pouring out my little heart in the most random/non-put together way, I looked to the verses in the Jesus Calling for the day and they were:

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19

and...

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:16-18

For some reason, after that, I felt unstuck! Was I still confused about a lot of things in my life? Absolutely. But the peace that came with those words was SO great. I am slowly learning, it's HIM that holds the plan, not me! Whether it's the spot I am going to spend time with Him that day, or what is going to be happening a year from now, God's got it taken care of. All of it.

It stopped raining, I walked around for a little while, then headed to meet Kristi for dinner! The next morning, I left for HOME. :)

To be continued so you don't hurt your eyes!
LF

A Confident Heart.

I've been reading this book on break and it's amazing! I have been learning SO much from it. Lots of "amens" while reading, and I'm pretty sure I've highlighted almost every page on the kindy cue. ;)

I got it for $3, and the other day it was FREE. Not sure if it's still on special, but if you have a kindle, I would suggest downloading.

Just wanted to share with y'all!

More updates from break up soon (let's just say they don't involve much studying, oops!)

I love ya. Mean it.

Lizanne

I was hopin' maybe you'd feel like takin' a drive.

Greetings from Spring Break!

I've been hanging out with my beau. 

In the Magnolia State.

So far, we have managed to take a picture (hooray).

Along with...

Eating some yummy food (per usual).

Ina's lemon chicken, parmesan orzo, peas...Spring-y/yummo

Catching some pretty sunsets in the Kroger parking lot.

Catching up with some fun friends, Mr. and Mrs. G (bama natives/alum), for lunch in Tuscaloosa!

Yay for hanging out outside of law school!

Going on yet another exploration, this time to see where the tide rolls...

While enjoying some froyo/people watching

And of course heading to the place in town I mainly wanted to see.

How can we sneak in here?

"Mama wanted me to be a preacher. I told her preachin' and coachin' were a lot alike" -Bear

"I find him extremely attractive"

"I'm standing right here..."

"I know."

(Name that movie)

Spending some time doing what I do best.

A, you're so dreamy. And creamy. ;)

Having pilot frans over for a meal!

Exploring the "African Plain" behind the boys' neighborhood.

A: "Where the giraffes water"

I'm just happy he didn't say elephant.

Oh, I just love spring break! 

Next stop...HOME!

Talk to y'all soon-

LF

Ps- Enjoy :)