it's just no good

**update: all i'm going to say is that unfortunately it wasn't a simple solution but it's all better now. my absolutely AWESOME fiance' handled the car mechanic man so that it didn't completely send me over the edge (tears were still shed, however). thanks, babe...you are the BEST. i love you!**

ugh. you never want to see this little light come on in your car...especially as you are driving down the interstate headed to work. it's just no good, i tell you. luckily, my awesome fiance' was already going to take my car to have it serviced today and he assured me he would make sure everything is okay.

can i just confess to you, though, that i really hate (and i don't use that word often) car issues? it almost always brings tears to my eyes when i have to deal with car stuff. :(

newness AND randomness

remember when i said a change was coming to the blog? well, it's here and i have to say, i LOVE it. here's a quick shout out to jenny at pick armchair designs...she did a fabulous job!

in other news, i just have to confess that i've had not the greatest attitude over the last several weeks (for lots of reasons that just aren't blog-worthy) but the LORD in His graciousness and compassion jumped all over my bad attitude yesterday several different ways. even though correction is not fun or pleasant i would much rather receive correction than just to be left in my own sinfulness. (it makes me think of hebrews 12:6) so thank goodness for "newness" and opportunities to let go of the past and start fresh!

in the same "new" spirit, i have to say that i am really looking forward to the new sunday school year that kicks off this sunday. (i am a little stressed about it, too but there's no need dwelling on that right now.;) i'm excited about a new direction we seem to be headed and i can't wait to see how the LORD works and moves among us. it's going to be great.

the reason i included randomness in the title is because this next thought is both about something new happening in my life AND something very random. i mentioned several posts ago that i was trying to decide if i would be amy elizabeth alley or amy grayson alley when it's time to change my name on december 6 at 6 pm and the fabulousness that is my blog reader audience did not disappoint with your comments (thank you, by the way). since that one little question did get a whole 5 responses or something like that (a record on the blog with the exception of the wheelchair story post) i thought i'd give you a little update. see? who knew that when you visited my blog today you would receive such pertinent and life changing news for your day? ;) anywho,my mom and i were discussing the name change and i mentioned that i don't really like my first name and mom said, "well, drop amy and change your name to elizabeth." at first i laughed but i have to tell you that i was tempted. now, before you freak out on me or send me lengthy emails about how ridiculous it would be for a 29 year old girl to change her first name this late in the game, i will tell you that is not what i'm going to do. i will admit that it was tempting because my whole life i've wanted to be elizabeth...i just thought it was prettier than amy (no offense to the other million and one amys in the world), but for a brief second i was tempted and then i thought about how difficult it would be plus, can you imagine explaining WHY you changed your first name? no thank you. i will hold on to amy (btw...joel's opinion is that elizabeth is too formal for me...that amy suits me best and since he is the hubs-to-be, i ranked his opinion right up there at the top). although, my good friend andrea (who seriously needs to start blogging) recommended that if i'm going to change my first name, i should just go all out and really mix it up. i could be shaneequa dark alley (her suggestion and it totally fits some good times we had in dallas...) or i could be beau ling alley. anyway, she made me laugh. she is now working on a new name for joel because why stop at just the bride? i think the groom should get to have a little fun, too! :) alright, i guess that's enough rambling and randomness for one sitting.

i just want to say if you read this whole post, thank you and i think you're fabulous and pretty...because this was potentially the weirdest combination of topics i have ever tried to string together to form a post.

until next time...

so fun

only 119 more days...which is 3 months and 27 days away. isn't that fun?

one word meme

one word meme... so, here I go. i'm not that great at being concise in my writing, talking, or blogging so we'll see how well i do. you're only supposed to give a one word answer.

where is your cell phone? purse
your significant other? handsome
your hair? up
your mother? awesome
your father? loving
your favorite thing? laughing
your dream last night? crraazy
your favorite drink? diet sundrop
your dream/goal? glorify
the room you’re in? office
your hobby? wedding planning
your fear? spiders
where do you want to be in 6 years? home
what you’re not? sad
muffins? chocolate chip banana nut
one of your wish list items? puppy
where you grew up? perry st
last thing you did? facebook
favorite gadget? blackberry
your pets? none :(
your computer? old
your mood? mellow
missing someone? yeppers
your car? dirty
favorite store? target
like someone? duh!
your favorite color? pink (or blue or all bright colors ;)
last time you laughed? earlier
last time you cried? this morning

well, i did okay. i cheated on a couple.

i'm going to tag: melissa, cari, andrea (do you read this? you should SO start a blog, girl...fo real, yo :) and anyone else who wants to have some meme fun!

it's no big deal

there are a lot of things in life that are "big deals" but lately i have spent time reflecting over things that i tend to treat as "big deals" but they really aren't. i want to be the type of fiancee, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and co-worker who gets it...there are truly too many things in life that are a real deal big deal that there is no point in making a mountain out of a mole hill. ;)

i've read several blogs lately by people who have lost children in the last year. joel and i attended the steven curtis chapman concert friday night (which was awesome and amazing, by the way)....those people who are walking through such pain and suffering are faced with a big deal. life is too short and too precious to see it any other way.

now, i'm not advising that we all live in denial and choose not to work through or deal with real problems but i am saying that i want to have the right perspective. things right now that can sometimes get me "worked up" really don't matter a bit in the scope of the rest of my life OR in eternity.

really, it's no big deal.

a change is gonna come...

change. i used to laugh at people who claimed to not like change...well, maybe i didn't laugh at them but i did used to think to myself, "what's the big deal about a few changes in your life? change is fun and exciting and always presents new and different opportunities." well, my friends, i'm here to tell you that i'm staring down a laundry list of changes in my life and some days, i'm not looking forward to all of them. lots of the changes that are about to happen in my life are amazing and wonderful (you know, the wedding, getting married, having a husband, changing my last name, getting married, having a husband, ;) being a wife, moving, etc. and i am SO looking forward to ALL of that) but there are a few changes (that have nothing to do with my awesome hubs-to-be) that i don't really like.

just to be honest with you, this summer has been the summer of change, or so it has seemed, for me. lots and lots of things have changed at work, i'm experiencing changes in my relationships with some friends and for the first time in my life, i'm struggling more with change than i ever have. i spent some time last week praying about all these changes and i heard myself say to the Lord, "don't you think it's time to just let it all level out? how much change do you really think i can take?" i don't want you to misunderstand me...the changes i'm talking about aren't bad or horrible things but even so, it is what it is...change and it can make you feel as though everything around you is a bit uncertain.

i have taken great comfort in the fact that while things around me seem to change all the time, i have a deep and personal relationship with the One who never changes. so i have decided, especially when i feel overwhelmed by change, to stop and rest in Him...my sovereign, unchanging, merciful, faithful Savior.

we all know that there are times in our life when "a change is gonna come..." or maybe several changes will come but the Lord has been faithful to remind me that while circumstances and some relationships change, my hope is secure because my hope is in the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

on a fun and more lighthearted note, look for a change to come to the blog in a week or two. it's not bad, i promise...it will be a good change :).

speaking of changes, can i just tell you HOW EXCITED i am that in 4 months and 2 days i get to change my last name to alley? super exciting. amy alley. i'm still trying to figure out if i will keep my middle name or go with my last name as my maiden name...any input you have might be taken into consideration ;).

i'm off to enjoy all these crazy changes that are floating around in my life right now.

happy monday!