May your days be brighter

 

I'm not usually a morning person. Just ask Hunter but it takes 4 alarms, several "wake up or you're going to be late" threats, and copious amounts of Starbucks to get me through. Mornings and me, we're just not really meant to be.

 

I've always envied those who could wake up early and spend time with God before the chaos of the day began. Those quiet, tranquil moments that I'm sure bring about awe and reverie for The Great I Am. Man, I always had a little green-eyed monster on my back for that kind of dedication.

 

During a conversation with Hunter one night, I asked him why is it so hard for us to get up and meet God in the morning, but we can so easily get up early to grab random breakfast dates with each other. I honestly feel like it's easier to meet and greet with someone of flesh and bones and substance you can feel, rather than the One we cannot see right in front of us. It's easier to break dates with Him because hey, I'm covered by grace and He understands.

 

Those excuses and reasons to miss out on some of the most epic dates with Him finally caught up to me and I had had enough. No more "well I'm not a morning person so there..." or "He knows my heart; I'm good." Yes, those may be true but they still don't warrant a reason to not spend time with Him. Because let's be honest - am I doing it at the end of the day? Take a wild guess as to what that answer is.

 

So I've prayed for God to wake me in the mornings with a renewed spirit to seize the day by greeting Him first and foremost. And wouldn't you know, I've been able to wake up early? What a weird feeling it is to see Him first thing in the morning and we can talk about all the things going on. He and I, we hash out some of life's hurdles and rejoice in our friendship and make new on our end of the bargain {more so me than Him because He's that good}.

 

What are your excuses for not spending time with Him? If you're anything like me, you've got enough to last you a lifetime. Let's burn those excuses, say to hell with them, and seek Him always. May your days be brighter for it. 

Coffee Date

If we were on a coffee date I'd share with you of all the wonders going on in our lives. Things such as our rejuvenated spirits thanks to our beach vacation; or how God has been working out some pretty interesting details; or how (thanks to Him) we found the leak in our skylight and {hopefully} repaired it.

 

If we were on a coffee date I would ask you what's been going on with you, what's new and exciting in your life. Whether it be school, work, kids, who you're dating, husband lovin', I'd want you to share your soul with me.

 

If we were on a coffee date I would giggle as I confessed that eating crow is so good. Add a dash of salt and it tastes just like humble pie. My "crow" would be how much I have truly grown to love church. Because if you remember, I went through a period of hating church. Not so much The Church, as in God's intended church, but as in what church has become. I would have argued before that it has become a way of guilt-tripping people, country clubbish, hypocritical. And then I realized I was focusing on the wrong thing: PEOPLE. When you remember why you should be going to church in the first place (duh, to worship GOD), then your whole perspective changes. And people don't piss you off anymore :)

 

If we were on a coffee date I'd ask for prayers. Prayers for my MIL as she begins treatments at the end of July; prayers for our lives as we are in the midst of seeing what God has in store for us. I would ask you what your prayers are and together, we would pray. Because let's be honest, when somebody says, "Oh, I'll pray for you," they usually don't. Trust me, I used to be one of those.

 

If we were on a coffee date we'd laugh and laugh over all the frivolous things in our lives. And rejoice in our friendship, make promises to do this again soon. Because I dadgum love you, I would give you a big hug.

Hand in hand + Update

As I was talking to a friend earlier this week, I realized I haven't really given any updates at all since we received the diagnosis for my MIL. Goodness, that was back in November!

 

God is faithful and He is always good (yes, even when bad things happen to good people). Shortly after that November post, my MIL continued having regular blood work done to monitor her status. We received a wonderful Christmas present in the form of good news - her numbers were stable. Not necessarily better, but also not worsening which is great!

 

After much deliberation on her part, she decided to seek further consultation and opinions from doctors at another facility. Thank goodness she did and with her team of experts, they now have a treatment plan they are going to try. During July, she will begin "prep" work to start chemo at the end of July. We're just so grateful to have a game plan and her doctor is fairly confident on the success she will obtain from her treatments.

 

At this time, I would like to ask for continued prayer. Pray that God's will is done, whether that is healing through His power or modern medicine (never discount the wonders of modern medicine), or if He has other plans. No matter what, we're seeking His will in everything. Pray for my MIL as she will be affected by the chemo. Strength, peace, and minimal sickness are the goals here. Also pray for our family - this is personal and will be very hard to see her go through this.

 

She's a damn fighter though.

Vacation Blues

Hello Monday-after-a-weeklong-vacation! Our time spent at the beach was so needed and loved in every sense of the word. I will say though, coming back to routine really does my little soul some good. We stayed in Mexico Beach, visited Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, Pier Park in Panama City Beach, and the famous 30A drive. We really are so fortunate to live just 1.5 hours from the coast. LOVE my state!

 

An honorary photo dump for your eyes to feast on while I try and get this next load of laundry going...

 

 

 

 

Welborn {Woodworking}

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before how our home is pretty much entirely secondhand items... but it is and we love it. We built our kitchen table ourselves and are so proud of the simple beauty in it, and what it represents to us. Over the last several weeks, we've toyed with an idea, talked about the basics, harped over the costs, analyzed the products, and in the end, came to a decision.

 

Hunter and I have decided to {bravely} step into the world of woodworking and repurposing. We will begin by building a couple of simple things and learn new tricks and tips. I will frequent the local thrift stores, yard sales, roadside shops in search for the unwanted, older items. And we'll bring them back to life.

 

That's right, we are going to see what God has in store for us as we take on a somewhat daunting dream of building furniture and repurposing items for others to find joy and comfort in. We hope that as we start out, we will be open to learn all the do's and don'ts of woodworking; the various styles and colors that people covet for their homes; and assist in making families' houses feel more homey and adored.

 

Hunter and I want what we build to reflect the love and work of Christ. We will pour our blood {we'll try to keep it off the furniture}, sweat, and maybe some tears into each piece as we design them into an artwork. We will pray over each item as it's completed with hopes that it will bring blessings to that person's home. But more importantly, we want our endeavors to reflect those of people who just dadgum love other people.

 

The pieces that are built will be built primarily from old wood, whether it be from old barns, palettes, or anything of that nature. Just like our life in Christ brought us back from the dead, we want to revitalize what has been discarded. And make it glorious. We're hoping that in this process, we will meet and greet and get the chance to love on so many folks. Be in prayer for us as we embark on this dream. If it becomes something great, awesome. If it's something that just passes the time, that is amazing too. 

Giving thanks

Thank you to my sweet, sweet husband for your ever-faithful patience and all my many little dreams. I'm eager to start this new one and see what it brings.

Thank you to my little black car from getting me from point A to point B. And kick, kick, kicking along because we all know I need you to live for as long as possible.

 

Thank you time for being so good to me. I so thoroughly needed a weekend like this one, and we're leaving for the beach in 5 short days. 

 

Thank you bank account for continuously reminding me where my spending limits are. You really are a gem.

 

Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Christ - for loving me, fellowshipping with me, growing together with me, and taking all my painful honesty with a smile. You mean oodles and oodles to me.

 

Thank you to my family and friends - your love for me carries me daily.

 

Thank you God for blessing me in all the many ways. I cannot begin to place into simple words how fortunate I feel, but I do know this. Because of your love and mercy, my life will always be full and wonderful, regardless of the circumstances in those moments.

May flowers bring June bugs

With the month of May came beautiful weddings and celebrations of sorts. It also brought the goodbyes of loved ones and learning how to find a new normal.

 

May brought about few storms to water our growing tomato plants but the good Lord introduced new friends into our lives that have sparked our ministry.

 

Many gatherings and cookouts took place in the month of May. Babies were snuggled, graduations were had, and life was lived. I couldn't have asked for a better month of May.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

June will bring beach trips, days spent in the sun and soaking in all that the Forgotten Coast has to offer.

 

The month of June will also bring about school for Hunter, the testing of his patience (and mine) as he endures his way through it. I know that God will guide him confidently through it all.

 

I pray that the month of June continues to bring fellowship, discipleship, love, and celebrations of all kinds. June, let's see what you're made of.