My Magical Year in Review

New Year's Eve 2015 wouldn't be complete without a few moments of reflection. This evening is going to look a lot like that of NYE 2014 and very different all at the same time. What will be the same is a nice quiet night at home with a home cooked meal, a glass of wine, Netflix, and my sweet girl Lilo nearby. This is honestly my favorite night to stay home. What is different this year is that I will be sharing this night with my husband. God new what he was doing when he sent me a man who prefers to spend a night at home rather than out and about.

Now I hate to let one event define my entire year so I won't do that. I'll use 3 ;)

The Meeting 3/15/15:
It wasn't too far into the year (March) that I first laid eyes on my handsome man. We spent an entire Saturday texting back and forth asking questions and getting to know one another. The next day I had decided that he seemed nice enough and asked him if he wanted to meet Lilo and I for a walk. After all, if Lilo didn't approve then what was the point :P We walked and talked for over 2 hours! Talking to him felt so easy and comfortable. Needless to say, the walk went well and we went out 4 nights in a row that next week.


Let's fast forward a few months.

The Engagement 7/3/15:
We spent most of the day cleaning, throwing away, and organizing my garage. It was hot but I pushed through knowing that we had plans to eat at my favorite restaurant, The Chelsea, that evening. As we were getting cleaned up Mark suggested that we go to Aperitivo, which is a place that has delicious appetizers and wine. I was excited for a night out on the town with my guy. It was after leaving the first place and after a strong thunderstorm passed by, complete with a rainbow, that we took a walk by the water. It was there that Mark got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I excitedly said yes and the rest of that evening is one big happy blur of happiness and excitement.

The rest of the summer was HOT as we were busy planning our wedding.

The Wedding 10/17/15:

The day I had been waiting for years was finally here! We got married in the beautiful outdoor chapel of Christ Episcopal Church in downtown New Bern, NC. The weather was amazing. It was the first weekend in about 4 weeks that wasn't consumed with heavy rains. Our families and friends were there, many meeting each other for the first time. Everything was perfect. I stood there at the alter trying to take in every smell, every thought, every sound. I wanted to remember this moment forever.


From the moment I said "I Do" I've done my best to be the best wife I can be. We are settling into married life and continuing to learn more about each other each day. I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store for us as we continue to do this crazy life together. Much love to you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Joy and Love - Advent Week 3 & 4

I'm behind on my posts but just in case you have been following, here are weeks 3 and 4 for Advent.

Week 3 we look at Joy. I always like being reminded of the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is an emotion that can be altered by our circumstances, while joy is a choice and one that we can make at any moment. It can be hard to be happy when you are going through a difficult season but you can still be joyful. How is that, you might be wondering? You can find and choose joy when you place God at the center of everything you do. Knowing that He is for you, loves you, and is always with you allows us to be confident in who we are. This isn't always easy.

For me it is taking practice. But the more I do it the easier if becomes.

Joy is trusting when you want to doubt, receiving when you want to reject,

and celebrating when you want to fear.

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all people."

~ Luke 2:10-11

The Christmas story is about the birth of joy. As we get closer to Christmas Day let's choose to step away from the stress and anything else holding us down. Let's choose joy for the King is born and he has come to give us eternal life!

Week 4 is Love. God is love. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to be born and to die for our sins. He was born to die, to give us life. Is there a greater love than that? Because of this great love He had for us, we are able to love. God loves us just as we are and yearns for us to love others with the same magnitude. This sounds like a great plan right? Until someone gets on our nerves or does something to hurt us. How do we keep loving then? The easiest way to love others is to share God, which in turn is sharing love, even when it's hard.

You can do this by sharing your God moments with others. When He is working in your life give Him the glory. Share your experiences of when God has provided or when He has given you peace beyond understanding. Doing this may encourage someone to desire to learn more about Jesus.

Invite friends to church or speaking events or concerts. A lot of people are just waiting for the invitation. You could be the bridge they need to open up their eyes to this beautiful life of hope.

Evaluate how you currently love people. Pray for the Lord to open your eyes and your heart to love others in the way that they need to be loved.

Pray for God to help you remember the reason for the season of Christmas. In my last blog I shared some recent struggles I've had with this.  With God's help, I've been making a better effort to choose Joy and Love as I prepare for the grandest day of celebration!

Merry Christmas Eve!

A Meaningful Christmas

I don't know what it is about this time of year that can really take a toll on a person. Maybe the over packed and busy schedules of all the holiday festivities or the stress of finding the perfect gifts to give or maybe it's the crowds or traffic that flood the stores and streets. Whatever it is, it got a hold of me recently and it was not pretty. I've experienced plenty of emotions just in the last week. At one point I was feeling sad about missing some Christmas parties with friends due to other things on my schedule, to feeling sad and left out about not being invited to others. I felt rushed and stressed about not having enough time to finish the shopping, the wrapping, the cleaning. I got frustrated with plans that kept changing for my visit home to see family and friends. I was even annoyed at food choices for upcoming dinners. Seriously?!?! I had a bad attitude and there is nothing attractive about that.

It wasn't until I finally sat down Sunday evening, after a day of go, go, go and do, do, do that it hit me square in the face. I was going through some emails on my iPad and came across a devotional that had been sent to me the Friday prior that I had been too busy to read until that moment. The title interested me so I clicked on it. It read, "Is Merry Christmas Really What We're After?" At that particular moment I wasn't really sure. The writer encouraged us to have more than just a Merry Christmas but to have a Meaningful Christmas. When I stopped to think about why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place I felt ashamed. It's not about presents and parties and fancy dinners. It's about celebrating the day that Love was born into the world to save us all. It's so easy to get caught in this trap of complaining. And, if we don't catch it, it can spread like wildfire, it can strain relationships, and it can flatout make you miserable during the hap happiest time of the year.

What I'm doing tonight is challenging you to take a moment and take inventory in your heart. What is consuming you this Christmas? If it's not the miraculously birth of our Savior Jesus Christ maybe we need to take a step back and figure out why that is. I will leave you with this closing thought from the perfectly placed email that was left in  my inbox for me to read to remind me that

Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

"Yes. I want us all to have a merry Christmas. But more than that I want us to have a meaningful Christmas. Not one that is consumed with consuming or lost in senseless secondary conversations, but one that is fixed on adoration, celebration, consideration and awe. One that reflects on and gives thanks to God for sending Jesus to be our hope. One that is rich with depth and love and relationship. One that is ful of His fullness of grace." (Gwen Smith, Girlfriends In God)

Prepare - Advent Week 2

As week 2 of Advent closes out, here are some points and thoughts from this weeks Christmas Devotional. 

Preparation is a statement of faith. I can't begin to imagine exactly what Mary was feeling when she told Joseph, to whom she was not wed, that she was pregnant. And I can't imagine what Joseph's initial thoughts were to this news. They each had their own share of trials to endure as more and more people found out. Mary and Joseph didn't let that stop them. They both knew and believed in their hearts that this was real. Mary did what was best and left town and Joseph stayed with her. They both prepared for the greater mission that they were a part of. To give birth to the One that would save the world.

While none of us will be birthing baby Jesus, God still has a plan for each of our lives that line up with His will and story. Christmas is a great time to prepare our hearts and minds for what is to come. I don't just mean for the birth of Christ, but for what is ahead for each of us. This weeks devotion shared four ways to prepare.

• Eliminate distractions. Focus more on family and friends and the things that money can't buy. Don't stress over finding the perfect gift or getting agitated at the crowded stores. Simplify your life. Be still. Focus on the reason for the season....Jesus.
• Notice God's hand. Look back and make a list of all the times God has seen you through a difficult circumstance. Remember how He has provided for you even when you thought there was no way out. Believe that He will continue to work all tings for your good. 
• Discern God's will. Take time to pray and mediate on God's will for your life. It's sometimes easy to do things our own way sometimes but His ways are always greater.
• Unite in a mission. There is power when people come together for a cause. Whether it is with your family or maybe your church group, relationships can be strengthened when you work towards something together.

How will you prepare? For me it means intentionally sitting down each morning with a daily Christmas reading and beginning my day with Jesus on my mind. 

Faith - Advent Week 1

As we enter into the Christmas season I wanted to be more intentional with my time spent in God's Word. I looked around and came upon a 5 week Advent devotional from lifeway.com. It's a weekly devotional that focuses on one word or idea to reflect on for the week. As I finish each week I would like to share some of what I learned and some insight I gained while studying. My hope is that you too can take something away from it.

Week 1: Faith

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14

This week the writer explained how waiting and faith work together.

Nobody likes to wait. We live in a society that has instant access to almost anything. You can download movies and books with the click of a button, you can record shows on your T.V. and watch them whenever you want and not even have to wait through commercials, and at most restaurants you can call ahead to put your name on the waiting list before you even get there to decrease your wait time. Because of all this instant gratification we are all used to, I become impatient quite easily with any type of waiting. Waiting 5 minutes at the draw bridge downtown, waiting for someone to call back, and waiting on hold on the phone are a few that I am guilty of.

The same is usually the case when we are waiting on God's timing. His timing is usually not the same as ours. We become impatient. We try to do things our own way and it usually doesn't work. This is where faith steps in.

"Now without faith it is impossible it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who can seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Advent is a time of faith and waiting. If you have been waiting on something, be encouraged that God is faithful. Having faith means that you trust Him. Trust Him to keep His promises, even when they seem so far away. While we wait is a great time to grow in our faith in Him. The waiting prepares us in just the right way for whatever is to come. While we wait for our Savior let's try to embrace the place we are in and give praise for all He has already done.

"The story of Jesus' birth gives us assurance and joy because even though the waiting lingered for decades, God broke through at just the right time."

I'll close with this prayer from the devotional:

"Lord, I remember the years of waiting for a Messiah. I'm often impatient with my life. Please teach me to enjoy You and not just the blessings I see in Your hands. Fill my days with laughter and joy through the hardship and uncertainty. Remind me that when I think I'm waiting for an eternity, it really isn't. Life on this earth is infinitely smaller than a second in the light of true eternity." Amen