Life as we know it...

... Are work day mornings rushing around, trying to get ready, pack lunches, take the dog out, etc. We always pause to kiss each other goodbye and give well wishes for the day.

... Has been full of surprises in just this year alone.

... Reminds us to slow down here and there when we get to going too much. We always try to make time to just sit and be still.

... Is made up of afternoons spent walking our yard and playing with Manny. We've been watching him closely over these last few months to see how he would handle being an only pup. We're convinced he's happy as a clam knowing that he gets our full attention and snuggles.

... Has made us really happy despite the down moments. God has walked with us in some of our scariest, darkest times and we know He will continually walk with us in the days to come.

Life as we know it is sweet and wonderful, full of love and happenings. Life as we know it, is GLORIOUS.

Oh the places {WE} will go

Happy Monday morning folks! I know, I know. It's Monday. But still, it's the start of a new week with new adventures. That can't be too bad, right? Now that 4th of July has passed, I'm pretty much ready for Fall weather to be here. I'm ready for the boots and scarves, cool mornings, and the holidays that come with the Fall season. It's going to be a good Fall, ya'll!

Facebook decided to lovingly remind me of the time that Hunter and I traveled to Honduras for mission work and talk about memories flooding back. 

Look at those little babies! And that view! It got me thinking about all the adventures we've been on over the last 6+ years of our lives together. Some really great adventures, others we didn't enjoy so much. But just seeing how far we've come together and how God has held us in His hands throughout everything really puts it all in perspective. His love for us has never wavered.

So on this Monday, as I'm eagerly anticipating the Fall season, I'm also looking back and thanking God for His mercies, grace, and love. I'm thanking God for the man in my life that I am so utterly in love with. I'm thanking God for our little country home that keeps us warm and provides a place of rest and retreat. I'm thanking God for loving me endlessly, never ceasing, no matter how far I may stray.

Facing {MY} Giants

There was so much great information that was touched on during our time at camp. The main focus or theme of camp was CONVERGENCE - choosing one path or the other with the hopes that you would choose the path that converges your life with God's. One particular night, the pastor was speaking on sin and how you can try to overcome your repetitive sin, or the sin that you repeat constantly. For me, that was a nasty tongue. Whether it be bad language (I know, I know ya'll) or belittling someone else, I've known for a long time it all needs to stop.

But it's so dadgum hard to break a habit.

So the pastor brought up the idea of facing your giants head on. In essence, when you pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins, don't just skip flippantly right over that part. Instead, NAME your sins out. What a gross taste that put in my mouth?! Having to say, "God, I'm sorry for belittling {name}. Can you help me to turn away from that. God, I'm sorry for saying the words I said. I know they hurt you." Hearing myself say those sins out loud and really looking them in the eyes has pretty much nipped that in the butt from happening again. Granted, I will still struggle, but I have become much more aware of what I say.

And then the pastor said to take it a step further. Write down your top three sins you struggle with daily. The ones that you don't even realize you're doing in that moment until the moment has passed. Once you've written them down, keep them somewhere where you KNOW you will look at it throughout the day. For me, that's my planner. Ya'll... you will realize how quickly you are starting those sins in the day. It's a nice little wake up call when you have a way to hold yourself accountable.

So I want to challenge each of ya'll today - what little or big sins are struggling with that are keeping you at a distance from God? Own those giants, look them in the eyes, and say, "My God is stronger than you" and let's knock them out together. Know that you're not alone in your every day struggle to maintain a somewhat Christ-like lifestyle (I say somewhat because, honestly, we will never have the perfect Christ-like lifestyle). Love each of ya'll tremendously. Mean it!

Mountain {TIME}

What a whirlwind the last few days have been! Hunter and I just returned from Ridgecrest, NC with so many new memories, revitalized spirits, and deeper friendships. God is good! We, along with several other adults, took 60ish teenagers up into the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and ya'll, it was glorious! I was sitting on my back porch yesterday, just taking a break from getting the house back in order from being gone, and I became nostalgic of the time we spent there.

 

It's so easy to find your groove again when you're able to unplug and step away from life. We could all use a bit more unplugging.

 

This was the view from our dorm room. And this was also the only picture I took all week. I'm not kidding when I say I "unplugged"

 

I will share on a couple of things later in the week that really struck a chord with me and have since settled deep into my heart. But for now, I will say this:

 

I didn't realize I had become so numb and indifferent to God.

 

Yea, so that was kind of a painful process to own up to and work through. I may or may not have cried. But nevertheless, He and I are finding our routine again. I'm trying to figure out how to not become numb to HIM, but still keep the every day struggles and pains from overtaking my mind. It's a see-saw battle of trying to keep my defenses in tact, all the while, allowing Him to be near me. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm getting better each day.

 

For so many months now, I have been wishing away 2017. I was ready for 2018 and to get past all that 2017 had left in its wake. But I've since decided to embrace all that this year has thrown at us because here's the thing:  My pain/frustrations/situations are all being used for God's glory. No matter what may be going on, He is with me through it all. Even in the suckiest parts of suck.

 

That's who my God is.

July Feels

Happy month of July and happy halfway mark through the year! I just love everything about the month of July - celebrations of all kinds, shorts and flip flops kind of weather, beach days, late night sunsets. Something about July is just magical for me. It's as if the year reaches a point where it recharges itself and begins again for another round of life to be lived. I feel like July is a month where a new page can be turned over, fresh and clean, ready to be written upon.

 

It also happens to be my birth month, so there's that. I've been through a lull the last few years with each passing birthday. It was just another day, another year, nothing entirely special. For some reason, my excitement and passion for birthdays has resurfaced and I'm entirely excited to celebrate my last year in my 20's. Let's just let that set in for a minute....
 

My 20's contained some of my most influential years of my life that have brought me to where I am today. Growing pains and sweet moments have molded me into the person I am now that has allowed me to very readily take on all that my 30's will bring. The last 9 years of my life have been quite mesmerizing in the sense that I can't believe a decade has nearly passed. I feel like my teen years are so far behind me now, yet, it seems as if yesterday that I welcomed the young age of 20 into my life. Such a bittersweet time in my life.

 

I have a few things up my sleeves that I want to accomplish in my last year of being in my 20's. Things like learning how to play one song on the violin, seeing someplace new that requires a plane ticket, taking local adventures and rediscovering my love for the beauty that surrounds me and is within a short car drive, going to a Braves game in their new stadium, hiking new trails, primitive camping with my man (I honestly can't believe I just typed those words #needabathroom #andabed), and so many more adventures. To my last year of being in my 20's - let's knock this out of the ball park.

Love Letters

Dear Hunter,

We were just stating the other day how fast time has flown. We've experienced 6 years of life together and despite some of the harder times, we cannot wait to see what God has in store for us in the coming years. We can honestly say that our marriage has endured some ups and downs, some turns and twists, but through it all we've kept our focus narrowly on God and on each other.

I love that we can sense the other's feelings or thoughts without ever having to say a word. It's like we're connected in some spiritual sense, a tether attached to both our hearts, creating a link between our emotions. When one is hurting, the other knows almost immediately and is able to respond in such a way that no other person could do so perfectly. Our eyes provide a window into our souls for each other and we use those as guiding lights to assess the other person in various situations. It's amazing how God has created that for us.

 

{circa 2016 - take me back!}

I know I say it daily to you, sometimes multiple times throughout the day, but I truly love you. I love the way you snuggle so sweetly and sleepily in the mornings. I love the way we pick at each other and how it's like we're old friends. I love that cute little toosh of yours. I love the way you can make a friend no matter where you are - you are my social butterfly. I love that kids are instantly drawn to your spirit and truly find you fascinating, personable, and funny (maybe the fact that you're like a giant has them fascinated too). I love your quiet way of taking in things and how you can so easily control your emotions. I love that you're mine.

We try to plan for the future whether it be bills or growing our family, and sometimes things don't work out in the way we would like. But I'm so grateful to be making plans alongside you. The complex and harsh details of being an adult are softened and eased because we navigate them together. I wholeheartedly believe that each morning our feet touch the ground, the devil is saying something along the lines of, "Crap, they're awake." We've been told that the devil doesn't like marriage and will do what he can to destroy it. He's tried, I'll give him credit for that. But his attempts to undermine the beauty of all that our marriage reflects and stands for are futile and laughable.

We're a team, boyfriend. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

Always yours,

Kel
 



Adventure {AWAITS}

Happy Tuesday! Hopefully everybody had a wonderful weekend and were ready to face this new week head on. We've had some pretty rainy weather these last several days and I'll be honest, it makes getting out of bed in the mornings pretty dern tough. I just want to stay in bed and snuggle all day long. But duty calls...

 

Have you ever had an ah-ha moment? A moment where it seemed that clarity settled in and you decided to change your ways? Yea, no?

 

Hunter and I had an ah-ha moment this past weekend where we decided to get out of routine and into adventure. Hear me out for a sec - we have somewhat of a routine each week and weekend. Now there's nothing wrong with a little bit of routine; I love a good schedule. But when your routine tends to undermine the chance for adventure, it can get a little, well, boring. So we've decided to start adventuring!

 

We have so many great things close to us - the Gulf coast, adorable towns, hiking trails, and so much more. Panhandle Florida really is a neat place and we totally take it for granted! Of course we'll have to be reasonable because #brokerthanbroke, but we decided we shouldn't wait until "we have the means" to go and do and see and live and be. We're not guaranteed tomorrow so why wait to live until then when you can live today?

 

With that said, we've got a few ideas and plans up our sleeves.  But if you have any ideas of fun things that you've done in the past, we're open ears to any and all suggestions! As I've mentioned before, 2017 has been a growing year for us and we don't want to waste any moment of life that wasn't lived to the max. Seek adventure, my friends!

Sweet Memories

There's just something about memories that always does a soul some good. Being able to reflect on periods of time in your life that brought happiness, joy, laughter, and learning curves. Memories can mold us into who we are today, shape us as the person that God intends us to be. It's even sweeter when memories have family and friends involved, life that was shared together.

 

Just the other day, I was able to catch up with a sweet friend of mine that I have known since birth. No lie. Our mothers were friends {and still are} while they were pregnant with us and she was born just 2 months before me. 29 years of life lived together in different parts of the world, in different life situations, and we find our way back to each other. You know it's a true sisterhood when you can see each other after months apart and pick up right where you left off.

 

 

As my friend and I reminisced over life and the adventures we've had together and individually, I couldn't help but to thank God for her. Lapoo {as I call her} is a true woman of God - strong, independent, fiercely loyal, and above all, loving. She loves without end and fights for the good. I've always admired my sweet sister in her adoration of her Father, the way she finds joy in all things. She IS Proverbs 31:29-31.

 

To all the women in the world - let's cherish each other, build each other up, and root for each other.
To my sisters in Christ - let's love each other and represent to the world what God's love looks like. Can you imagine the change that could come about?

It's been awhile since I first {SAW} you

My goodness folks! It's been about 1.5 months since I've even logged into this place and I'm blown away by the sheer fact that it's June already. As in summertime. As in OMG IT'S BEACH WEATHER. And we have plenty of beautiful beaches in the Panhandle of my home state.

 

Enough ramblings... What in the hay have ya'll been up to??

 

Life sort of took over in mine and Hunter's world. God has really been stretching and growing us (it's been painful, not gonna lie), we've experienced firsts and lasts, had our hearts broken and on the rebound, and just really have endured some of our wildest days yet.

 

we clean up pretty good...

Let's catch up...

 

- Hunter got a new job! He's still doing the same line of work {forestry} but he's now with the State so that means a little bit more normal hours. Hunter is currently working hard to become certified to fight wildfires (yes, it makes me nervous, but I'm super proud of him) so he'll be one of those guys that will be deployed when wildfires break out. Be sure to hug a forester today!
 

I seriously swoon over him every.dang.day (And this is during a burn)

 

- I survived sessions here in the Florida Legislature and I honestly learn something new every day. Hunter and I are very fortunate and thankful to have our careers and the ability to have a roof over our heads, food on our table, and a little extra spending money. We live simply but wouldn't have it any other way.

 

- Hunter and I have also been veeerrrrryyyy busy with Young Life in Tallahassee.  Don't know what Young Life is? CHECK IT OUT. I seriously wish I was a teenager or college student again JUST so I could do Young Life and the summer camps. We're actually in our down time right now since school is out but we're super excited for everything to kick back up come Fall. God has some really big plans with Young Life and we're excited to see where it grows to (we're looking at you Quincy, Florida).

 

- We've been dealing with some family illnesses in the last few months. This is where faith comes into play, people. Not knowing what is going to happen, not really understanding why someone you love so much has to get so sick, and not being able to heal them has really forced us to trust solely in God and His purpose. Yes, we don't understand things that happen but HE DOES. And His ways are always good (even when it totally sucks). Faith is having that hope and belief that everything is going to be okay regardless of the outcome.
 

My FIL is literally the best.

For you non-southerners... Sug (n): a term of endearment (pronounced "shoog")

 

- We recently had to put one of our pups down. I won't go into reasons and I'm not quite ready to dive into that topic {and probably won't on the interwebs}, but I can honestly say it was one of the hardest things I have ever done (Hunter will agree with me). I would not wish that decision on my worst enemy. Our hearts are still healing but we know we made the right decision. As bad as that hurt, we survived it and are learning from it. Don't want a pity party, just ask that ya'll continue to pray for us.

- My baby sister graduated high school!! I officially feel old as dirt, thank you very much. Fun fact for all you local folks - she's a photographer. And a dadgum good one at that. Feel free to check out her page on FB and contact her should you want any pictures done.
 

 

All in all, I feel like we've lived a lot of life in the last 6 months. We've rejoiced and jumped around wildly; other days, we've hit our knees begging God to take the pain away. But that's life and we wouldn't have it any other way. It's beautiful, ugly, wild, calm, and above all, it's ours to live. No matter what our circumstances are in that moment, we thank God and give Him all the glory for allowing us to experience those moments.

First day of SPRING

I do believe today is the first official day of Spring... And I could not be more excited! Spring signifies such a beautiful time for me - it's the time where things come back to life, out of hibernation, and bring forth such beauty. I love the memories that are associated with Spring. It was the time of year where Hunter and I rededicated our lives to Christ years back. It was the time when we got engaged.

 

circa 4.20.2014

 

I spent yesterday at the beach with my MIL and it was such a beautiful day on our Gulf Coast. As we were driving back home (we literally only live about 1.5 hours from the coast), we commented on how lucky we are to be able to live close to such a pretty place. Not many folks can say that they live within a days' drive to white, sandy beaches. We're truly fortunate!

 

this does not have a filter... it's just that pretty!

 

I truly hope this Spring season brings each of you a sense of renewed life and beautiful days that are to be cherished. Regardless of where you are in life, the events that are happening in your life, just take each day as it comes. There are many times where Hunter and I literally take each minute as it comes, each second as it comes.

 

Lastly, I want to dedicate this post to my father-in-law. He faithfully reads my blog and shares with me his thoughts - and I LOVE it! Ros, here's to praying that on this first official day of Spring, God will continue to bring healing to your body. His ways are always good and I'm so thankful for His mercies. Love you bunches!

Losing Control

photo courtesy of my sister

 

I'm not sure if I've said it before but 2016 and 2017, hands down, take the gold in life lesson teachings. Between last year and the last couple of months, we've really been forced to reconcile with the cards that have been dealt to us and our families. We've also been forced to surrender all of our control to the One that controls everything.

 

Can I just admit for a quick second how painful this has been?

 

Over the last several months, God has slowly but surely chiseled away at everything that I held high above Him. And a lot of that was because of the control issues I had. I fully believed that I could control many situations; I may not have said it out loud, but I certainly told God to take a back seat because I'm driving. What a joke.

 

God has so lovingly held me (and us, for that matter) through this process as He has chipped away our hard, exterior selves and this in turn has forced us to willingly surrender everything we have to Him. I'm talking about the wants and idols we had placed above and before Him. For me (let's be honest for a minute here), I had placed before Him my idolatry of wanting things done on my time, my way. I had placed Him behind those things because I felt that I could control those very things on my own.

 

If you can just imagine the wake up call that He gave me, times it by about 100. God showed me very quickly, and lovingly, how I had decided to take those reins back from Him and drive that buggy. I was in control of the very train that was wrecking my life. Comparison stole my joy, and the devil laughed at his accomplishment. The beauty of all of that though? God never left me. He never quit on me. He stood with me when I realized with utter embarrassment that I had allowed myself to become another pawn for the devil to undermine all of His work.

 

And that was when I lost control, giving it all over to Him. The weight of the world I was carrying left my shoulders in an instant and I could breathe deeper. Now I'm no fool and I know those temptations to regain control will creep back in (and it's already happening), but I also know my God is stronger than that. He will have His way with me, and my life, however He sees fit for His glory.

 

I've lost control. And I don't want it back.

Home {SWEET} Home

Hunter and I realized the other day that we've been in our new (to us) home for about 6 months now and we just couldn't help but thank God for His timing and mercies. Our home is small, quaint, but full of so much love. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else than where we are now.

 

The mornings are my most favorite time to watch the woods around us come to life. The fresh morning dew across the pasture, how the sunlight filtrates itself through the pine trees, and the birds chirping as loudly as they can. It kind of gives me a glimpse into what heaven will be like. I love the stillness that surrounds our home, the escape it provides to us after a long day.

We've always thrived on making our home available to any and all who need a place to come and rest. Whether it's to rest in the friendship we have over a good meal, or to literally rest in our guest room for a weekend - we just want to be available to whoever may need a place to just be.

The irony doesn't pass me that our home has become a sanctuary these last several weeks. We've had some joyous moments where celebrations were had and memories were made but we've also shed several tears in the last several weeks in our home. Through it all, God has stood by us, wrapped His arms around us, and held us close. God is reminding us each day of His goodness, His faithfulness, His love no matter what the circumstances may be.

In this home, our knees have hit the ground as we cry out in prayer. In this home, the floor has been danced on as we karaoke'd in the kitchen. In this home, we've loved deeply and disagreed lovingly over things in life. In this home, our marriage has endured some of the hardest days and some of our best days.

In this home, God has been glorified.

Disciple NOW 2017 - {RENEW}

photo courtesy of fb

 

Goodness. Have you ever walked away from a weekend with your body so amazingly tired, but your spirit so full of life?? We spent this past weekend with several teenagers, adults, staffers, God-loving folks through our Disciple Now event that was held at our church. And it was EPIC.

 

For those who don't know, Hunter and I absolutely love teenagers. I know, weird. But we do and we love that God has called us to that ministry to be able to love on them, do life with them, and hopefully pass on some valuable life lessons. It's easy for folks to disregard teenagers as the "problem with our society" but I can honestly tell you from years of being around teenagers (and being one myself at one time), they are not the problem. Teenagers go through so many hormones, emotions, feelings, things... It's crazy.

 

Anywho, the weekend's focus was RENEWing your heart, mind, soul, strength and to surrender everything to God for His glory. There were so many Gospel-driven points discussed throughout the weekend but the one thing that stood out to me the most and I want to share with this bloggity blog was this:

 

This life is NOT about you. PERIOD.

 

I'm guilty of forgetting why I'm here day in and day out because let's be honest, life gets BUSY. Life gets hard sometimes and there are days where I'm like, "Let me just get through this day." But that's not how we should look at each day. I really would have to do several posts about all that was talked about this past weekend but I want to leave you with this.... Where is your heart with God right now? Is it even with God?

 

If you have any questions or need prayers, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm one of those awkward people that will grab you and pray with you in the midst of everything going on around you. 

Each day is a {NEW} page

I love that each day comes without any real, concrete proof as for how that day will go. Sure, you can make plans to see a friend for dinner or vow that you will vacuum the house when you get home from work. Those moments can be planned, sometimes they come unexpectedly, but either way it can make for a great day.

 

There are those days where the unexpected, unplanned things come about. Maybe you run out of gas (knock on wood, I've never ran out of gas) or your hair goes flat in the Florida humidity. Sometimes a day ends with unwanted news that impacts your life in bigger ways. Those things can kind of make a day pretty crummy.

 

Regardless, each day is a new page in your chapter book of life. And how glorious is that??

 

For the last several weeks, my sweet boy has been working tirelessly to reach a goal he had set out before him. He took the necessary steps of paperwork, testing, questioning department heads, etc. and all to the come to a head just this past Monday. Monday came as a planned day to hopefully complete the final step in obtaining his goal... And he succeeded!

 

photo courtesy of the hubby

 

My husband hangs out in the woods all day for his job. Part of his hanging out includes conducting prescribed burns and he was finally able to obtain his certification to add to his resume. So many long days with physically exhausting demands on his body has allowed him to reach this goal with such certainty. I honestly could not be more proud of him and all the hard work he has put in to provide for our little family.

 

Hunter, this past Monday was a new page in your exciting book of life. I'm humbled to be married to you and excited to experience many more new pages turned in our lives together.

Angels {AMONGST} Us

via

 

This past weekend was one of those weekends where you wake up on Monday morning thinking, "Where did that weekend go?? Did we even have a weekend??" I usually take that as a good sign that the time was well spent and not a minute was wasted.

 

I woke up this morning in a particularly good mood (with it being a Monday and all) as I reminisced on this past weekend, thanking God for His angels that He brings into our lives. Hunter and I have some of the most genuine, kind, loving, realest friends I think anybody could ever have. Their generosity towards us is beyond humbling and reminds us so much of Jesus' love for us.

 

When I think of all of our dear friends and as I thank God for them, my mind always goes to the story of when Jesus washed His disciples' feet. That selfless, simple act has so much weight tied to it and some major life application lessons that can be applied by each and every one of us. I love how Jesus just taught a life lesson, in the middle of a bunch of dudes (who were arguing about their level of placement in heaven, mind you), without even batting an eye. At least that's how I picture the scenario. Total drop mic moment.

 

Hunter and I strive to be like Jesus every day by "washing the feet" of our friends. We strive to be kind, loving, servant-leaders, placing others before us, etc. So when a friend (or friends) do the very same thing in return to us, it always just sweeps us away. Kindness can be hard to come by in a world this dark, angry, and overran by sin. When you experience kindness, it reminds you of the love God showed His people through sending His only son, Jesus.

 

Thank you, God, for placing people in our lives that have shown Hunter, myself, and our family so much love. Thank you, God, for placing angels amongst us.

Capturing {MOMENTS}

Goodness it has been some time since I've seen this little space. As I touched on briefly awhile back, I've somehow managed to become a bit of recluse, both Hunter and I. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing though... We've had a lot going on and taking the time to really pull inward and preserve our sense of peace has kind of been good for our souls.
 

 

Fun fact about the photo above: My sister took that. She recently got a camera and has been playing around with it. Ya'll, her work is so good! We're encouraging her to pursue photography and graphic design once she's graduated high school (only a few months away!!). I've officially hired her to do all my pictures. If you're in the area, she would be MORE than happy to take pictures for you or your family as she is trying to build her portfolio.

 

We recently tried a new restaurant and for all my local folks, you MUST check it out. Such a cute setting in an old home, with many items repurposed into things. The food was superbly delicious and fresh. Below is a picture from their Facebook page and was actually the table we sat at.

 

 

I'm always so amazed at how God can meet us where we're at. For awhile I had been struggling to find time and ways to get back into His word. I decided to start listening to the Bible app as I drive into work each morning and I've been pleasantly surprised with how much it changes my days. Not only does it change my outlook for each day, I've been able to retain so much from the reading. At almost 30 years old, I still learn something new every day.

 

We're finally getting a "winter" here in Florida and wouldn't you know, I'm starting to crave spring weather. It's been a strange winter here with more warm days than cold days, so I decided to purge all of the big winter jackets I owned. It always feels good (to me, Hunter is a different story) when I'm able to declutter our home. Less stuff means less problems in my opinion, ha!

 

Happy Monday, friends. Enjoy the day for it's another day of life to live!

{GRACE} Alone

I mentioned last week that I've been journeying through the Bible and I'm currently in Leviticus. Ya'll, do not ever tell a new believer to start off in Leviticus - it'll drive them mad. But just like every other part of the Bible, it does serve a purpose and can be applied to our every day lives. My application?

 

Thank God for Jesus. Seriously.

 

If you haven't taken a journey through Leviticus, I encourage you to do it. Just listen to how many types of burnt offerings there are for different things (guilt, sin, etc.). The entire time I'm listening to it I can't help but think of how dead I would be if I lived during those times. That's probably why God knew I would be better off in the A.D. era and preferably with running water.

 

My God knows me too well.

 

 

But in all seriousness, I'm so grateful that God sent the {PERFECT} sacrifice that would fulfill all sacrifices and would keep us from having to perform those Old Testament sacrifices to atone for our sins. The fact that Jesus, so perfect and without blemish, willfully chose to die for my blemishes and imperfections is truly mind boggling. The beauty in my faith versus other religions? My God came TO me to save me, rather than me trying to do as many works as I can to GET TO Him (news flash: You will never be able to do enough good works to pay for all your sins).

 

So on this lovely Monday.... er Tuesday, just sit and meditate on the fact that you have the opportunity to live a completely saved life through Jesus' death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection. There's nothing I can do to EARN that grace and forgiveness - not works, not money, nothing of my own doings will get me any closer to Him. Just by believing in Him, trusting who He was and is, and resting in His assurance of His promises, that's what will get me into the gates of heaven. Live out your life as Jesus would; don't abuse the grace He has freely given to you.

 

I cannot wait to see His face one day and give Him the biggest hug EVER.

This {SEASON} of Life

As I'm getting older, I'm finding myself creating new habits and leaving old ones behind. Habits like learning to say "no" more and soaking in more time at home, lounging around in our hammock outside, or playing with the pups. Habits that include more me time when Hunter is having to work his crazy hours and thoroughly enjoying those little moments of just me, myself, and I. And habits that include starting at the very beginning of the Bible and reading/listening (Bible App anyone?) my whole way through it.

 

Let me just say, as I'm venturing through the Old Testament I keep thinking to myself, "Thank God for Jesus." They would've hung me high in the streets if I was alive B.C.

 

One habit that I've noticed I'm putting into place (rather unintentionally) is the habit of secluding myself and our lives from those around us. Don't get me wrong, we love sharing our lives with others - it's part of our testimonies - yet I can feel myself withdrawing from things like social media, this here blog, etc. Not that anything bad has happened to cause this; it's just something that I think God has been doing in our lives.
 

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Proverbs 4:23

We've had close friends pass suddenly in these last couple of months and it's really forced us to realize the importance and value of time. Yesterday was yesterday and you'll never get that back. We're spending less time worrying, and more time enjoying; less time with toxic friends, and more time with those that seek love and kindness; less time fretting over bills, and more time dreaming and doing. So you see what I mean?

 

My sweet blog friend, Em, touched on it last week and when I read her piece I couldn't help but violently nod my head in agreement with all that she was saying. I think God calls each of us to different places and allows seasons to happen in our lives to mold us, shape us, and painfully grow us. Maybe God is taking Hunter and I through this season of life where we're closing inward and allowing ourselves to just be.

 



New Year Vibes

2017 has already proven itself to be the year of interesting. You can stay 2017, I guess. Ha! But in all seriousness, 2017 has kicked off with a bang and, I believe, is only a sign for more things to come, both wonderful, heartbreaking, real, and true:

 

+ We started off celebrating 2017 with Hunter's birthday. My sweet country boy loves a good fish fry so a couple of friends and I planned the best fish fry the boy could ask for. We're talking about yummy fried fish; shrimp and sausage gumbo; and the party was complete with the best cake EVER. 

 

 

 

+ Another debt has been paid off and let me tell ya, it feels glorious. Knowing that God has given us opportunities to be able to provide and live comfortably, while paying off debts, is truly an understated blessing. He is faithful and good to us.

 

+ Seeing how God has brought us to this point is humbling and worth meditating on. Many folks say that 2016 flew by and it really did. This year, Hunter and I will be celebrating 6 years of life together, 3 years of marriage, a million memories made, too many laughs to count, and a whole heck of a lotta love for our friends and family.

 

+ 2016 brought growth in many ways, including relationships with people. God removed specific people out of our lives and brought in new folks to help us all sharpen each other in love. It's very difficult to find good friends that will lovingly challenge you, encourage you, pray for you, and we love that we are able to do the same for them. THANK YOU God for continuing to mold each of us.

 

Here's to 2017 - may the days be bright for each of you!