marriage, the ultimate union

We attended our first wedding as a married couple this weekend.
It was so fun to enjoy the festivities... Especially because it wasn't our day!
The wedding was so beautiful!
Duh, I was watching one of my closest friends marry the love of her life.

This reading was included in the ceremony and I truly loved it.

Union
By: Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance
to this point of commitment.
At some point, you decided to marry.
From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes,
 indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way.
All of those conversations that were held in a car,
or over a meal,
or during long walks –
all those conversations that began with,
“When we’re married”,
and continued with
“I will” and “you will” and “we will” –
all those late night talks that included
“someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” –
and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart.
All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another,
“You know all those things that
we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed –
well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time.
Before this moment you have been many things to one another –
acquaintance,
friend,
companion,
lover,
dancing partner,
even teacher,
for you have learned much from one another these past few years.
Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life,
and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband.
This is my wife.

I am so grateful that I get to share the rest of my life with my dear husband.
He is so much more than a best friend, a teacher, a dancing partner.

(yep, I'm sort of freakishly short compared to J... I never really knew until I saw this picture!)

The Much Awaited Wedding Pictures!

I know this isn't going to seem like enough... And really it isn't. 

Our photographer is still editing so we got these few as a sneak peak. 

Oh how we love them already. 

And here are two from the photo booth which was by far the BEST idea. 

When we get all of the photos from our photographer you will probably get an overdose of our day. 

It turned out so perfectly wonderful and was a night we hold so dearly in our hearts. 

(I can't wait for you to see all the little details!)

Lord, make me free like a baby birdie

Yesterday morning Baby Bear came running inside and asked Mama Bird and I to check out the baby birds in the nest a bird built in our patio cover. We went outside to see their growth and realized the birds were ready to get spread their wings and fly.

{via}

We were all so excited for them, but with two dogs running amuck in the yard grew nervous. We put Pennie (our bird-obsessed pup) away in the dog run and Calvin (our pain-in-the-neck old man terrier) took off in the house to avoid the pen. We watched as baby birdie one leaped from the nest, flapped his wings clumsily, and then hit the ground. Baby birdie pulled himself up into a pretty little posture and as he did so, Calvin came running out of the house and gobbled the birdie up in one bite.

It was such a sad little moment. We yelled at him no and he finally dropped the baby birdie, but he was already dead. We locked Calvin in the dog run before baby birdie two decided to get his flight on. No movement from the nest left Mama Bird and I bored so we went in to finish getting ready for the day. Suddenly Baby Bear said the other bird came out of the nest and we had to see. Baby birdie two was sort of a hot feathery mess laying face down on the ground. We thought he too had died. Suddenly a little flap of the wing and he was all put back together!

Baby Bear had to leave for school but laid down his compassionate, animal-loving law. No dogs out until baby birdie two was gone. The backyard needed to be searched before the dogs could be free to roam. We all agreed.

Baby birdie two flew the coop yesterday sometime. Thank goodness, all alive and well. But as I think of the excitement of the morning, I can't help but think of God. Of His love and provisions for us.

But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them; and often He restrained His anger, and did not arouse His wrath." -Psalm 78:38

Just like Baby Bear did for the birdie, God provides for us to fly, to soar, and to fall without being gobbled up by a ready-to-pounce enemy (or Jack Russell Terrier!). Much like the dog run, God's grace and mercy keeps us from becoming history before our time. Much like a backyard free of dogs for many hours, God gives us time and space to grow while delivering us from deadly danger.

This Friday afternoon, I pray for the freedom to grow and spread my wings while taking comfort in the grace of the God who provides safety for me. I pray that I can lean into the beautiful heart of God that loves my feathery mess of a self... Even when I'm not quite ready to fly. I pray with much thanksgiving for the sweet baby birds that gave me a lesson while doing precisely what God made them to do, if only I could hold tight to my purpose like them.

My Greatest Demon

I'm not so sure about you, but I know that I can pretend everything's perfect when it's really not. I'm good at telling myself, "No Amber, that's not you" or "It's ok Amber, you don't have a problem." I may not have a problem, but I have a little demon that sits on my shoulder and whispers mean things in my ear. Just like the little guys in cartoon characters.

My greatest demon is body image. I grew up playing soccer and never had to think twice about what I was eating. My freshman year of college was marked with much bad "dorm food" and the eradication of any kind of working out. When I moved home from my freshman year carrying fifteen pounds more than I left with, I realized it was time to take myself more seriously.

I hit the road hard. Running three miles at first, quickly building to five, and then growing higher and higher in number from there. I rushed a sorority and realized that all the really cute girls were skinny. I wasn't super cute, but I ran a lot so I stayed thin.

Two and a half years later and I'm running like mad now... Six miles is a short day and working out at the gym to get the killer arms my wedding dress seems to call for... But I'm not at that skinny sorority girl weight. And every time I look in the mirror I see that extra pudge around my waistline only to be frustrated.

I'm not overweight by anyone else's standards (well maybe some...), but I have no problem looking into the mirror and seeing so many things I wish I could correct. Probably more that I wish I could fix than that with which I am satisfied.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; 

male and female he created them." 

-Genesis 1:27

Growing up in church I have always heard that God made our bodies, thus we should love them as His creation. Well, I love my body because it's a useful tool that God made for me to use... But I don't like that I can't shape and sculpt it to look "perfect" (whatever that means). I have been praying what seems like constantly for God to rip that little demon from my shoulder and place him far, far, far from here, but God is showing me that I can tell that demon "No." It's that simple, just saying no.

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden form you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

-Psalm 139:13-16

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God knows my frame. He knows those little pockets of fat. He knows the unwanted pimples and follicles that I despise. But the difference between God and I: He loves  dearly my greatest (and tiniest) imperfections. In fact, it's through those most hated parts of me that He acts so greatly through. In fact, the parts of me I love the most, I happen to take for granted... Leading the "loved" to be lessonless.

I'm beautiful because He made me so. Little demon, be gone, I'm a beautiful babe of His.

Practically some tips I have found helpful to dealing with body image issues and frustrations:
1. Listen to your body and eat when it needs fuel.
2. Know that your size is genetic and environmental... Not everyone can be a size 0.
3. Exercise regularly in a way that you love.
4. Know that weight changes in cycles that run weekly and monthly.
5. Work on being gentle mentally... Treat your body right in your mind.
6. Ask for support and encouragement from friends. In return, be honest and vulnerable with them.
7. Decide where your priorities lie. Would you rather spend an hour at the gym getting the "perfect bod" or walk and chat with a close friend?
8. Mental health effects physical well-being... Take time for your mind.

What's your greatest demon? 

What are your practical ways to deal with your demon? 

Let me know, I will pray for your fight... And please, please pray for mine. 

Sharing is Caring

I'm at one of those points in my life when I get it. (It's temporary I promise.) God has been working really diligently to make me understand what it means to share. He has revealed to me that sharing truly is about showing others how much you love and care about them.

Recent events in my life have shown me a little piece of God's great heart... And how He longs for me to act it out. 

In Luke 6:38 God says, 

"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressured down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

Being the fond of cooking gal that I am, this relates so well to me... The more cookies you make, the more you have to share, the more people have the opportunity to enjoy your talent. 

Listening to a trusted, close friend hate on one of my most celebrated efforts truly broke my heart. I was crushed to have someone I love make it obvious she was disinterested in sharing in my accomplishment. I left the conversation frustrated and hurt... But I knew full well God had a hand in this. I reexamined my goals, I rediscovered my passion and started a new project of my very own that went on to win a couple awards. As I thought (many times over and over) on the painful conversation, I first realized the importance of sharing. 

We are taught at a young age that "sharing is caring". With such a trite little phrase, it's easy to take the true implications of sharing for granted. 

In Acts 20:35 Luke writes,

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" 

It is the heart of God for us to share in everything we do. Why does it seem competition, getting ahead, and being the best beat out growing, experiencing, sharing together? 

As you grow in your blogging, pay it forward and help someone just starting out... They're blessed to have your help and advice. As you grow in your relationship or marriage, pay it forward and share in your ups and downs with younger relationships... They'll be blessed to have your wisdom. 

As you grow and share... You will be blessed.

Who wants to share with you today? 

Who needs you to care enough to share with them? 

P.S. Are you ready for this week's Simply Sweet Ingredient Challenge? 

Get together your hummus for tomorrow's post!

It's a Family Affair

So turns out that getting married isn't just about J and I. Well, I knew this, sort of. But yesterday, dear sweet Mama Bird day, God revealed to me that J and I are not just making our own family, but in fact, bringing together two families into one.

Yesterday was going to be a day at the zoo with Mama Bird and her boys, J and I... Then his step-mom extended a dinner invitation to my family and I. J was really excited about it so I reluctantly passed the idea by my mom. (So often there are so many reasons... Baby Bear doesn't like to sit still through dinner and is a picky eater, the house would be full and noisy, Popsicle gets confused about what's going on and that can stress us all out... and the list goes on) To my surprise, Mama Bird said yes, let's do it.

And from here the night went wonderfully!

I have never been in a house full of so much love and happiness. We laughed. We prayed. We fellowshipped. We bonded. We grew, not as two families, but as one.

I knew J was perfect for me just six short months after we started dating, but last night, God affirmed that knowledge. He showed every one of us in the house that not only did J and I love each other, but everyone was enjoying the love.

"So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate." -Matthew 19:6 

Through the course of the next four months (and one day), God is not simply bringing J and I together, but instead, He is bringing together our entire families... A safety net where any man who should try to break us apart can become tangled because of the bonds between our family. I'm excited to grow more wrapped up in J and his lovely family!

My Dearest Jesus

My Dearest Jesus, 

On this Saturday, sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I write to thank you.

Thank you for taking on the burden of the cross. 

Thank you for entering into a physically and relationally painful state to save me, an unworthy soul. 

Thank you for holding me in the palm of your hand through all of my mis-steps and sin. 

On this Saturday, sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I write to thank you. 

Thank you for your great love for me, a love unmatched by any other.

Thank you for making Sunday a day of great glory with your resurrection. 

Thank you for all of the difficulties you endured to ensure eternal life for me. 

On this Saturday, sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I write to thank you. 

Thank you for taking on the wrath of your Almighty Father, unlike any other would. 

Thank you for your power that is matched by your amazing grace and mercy. 

Thank you for loving me as your own, for creating me perfectly for your plan. 

On this Saturday, sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, I write to thank you. 

I write with a heart overflowing with awe in considering the horrid crime you endured. 

I write with a heart breaking for the hate put upon you by your friends and enemies alike.

I write with a heart overwhelmed by your love despite my obvious sins. 

Thank you, not only for enduring the crucifixion, but equally as important, for the resurrection. 

Thank you for choosing to give me much more than my unworthy self ever deserves.

Thank you for expecting my best, but embracing and forgiving me at my worst.

My dear Jesus, thank you.

What Did Jesus Do?

As a child going to church as a family was an important Sunday morning activity. I would head off to class with one goal in mind: learn what God was teaching so I could share with mom and dad. (Yep, I wasn't so into real live application yet) One Sunday in particular, I remember proudly wearing a woven bracelet home from Sunday School and giving my parents a lesson on what Jesus would do.

For years, or maybe more like decades, I spent so much time thinking about the ways that I was not honoring Jesus. I wasn't doing what he or His Almighty Father would want me to be accomplishing. And that led to lots of frustration. Until this past week, something clicked. I got it. Jesus doesn't want me to dedicate all my time worrying about what he would do, but instead he wants me to lean into what he did do.

In taking on the cross, Jesus overcame the finality, the everlasting damage of death and rendered it harmless. Upon the cross, Jesus cleansed our pained, sinful souls restoring their utmost beauty and splendor. Conquering the cross shifted the world's paradigm: Jesus redefined strength, transformed power, muted death, healed sorrow, and radicalized love.

But did Jesus do all this with a worry about us being more like him? Nope. He did this out of his unending, undeniable, unfathomable love, mercy, grace for us. Jesus didn't take on the cross to weigh us down, to sink our already waterlogged ship, instead he conquered the cross to show us his undying love for us.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 

God didn't sacrifice His only son out of pity for us. He understood the reality of the situation, we were lost, sinful souls who needed a savior, who needed His son. It's not about our works or becoming perfect, it's about leaning into the love, grace, mercy, wonder, righteousness that was granted to us upon the cross. We must stop working so darn hard to get Him to love on us, and take in what is already there for our enjoyment.

The gift God gave us of His beloved son on the cross centuries ago was unprecedented. He unleashed His immeasurable wrath upon His own child to ensure life unlimited to the children who acted in direct defiance of Him. Oh, how He must love us.



As Easter nears this Sunday, remember we are here. We are here for a reason. But we are here only by His unending grace and mercy. Remember what Jesus did for us and enjoy it. Don't worry about all your shortcomings and failures (God knows how many times I've listed every time I've disappointed myself), but instead focus on the wholeness, the forgiveness we have because of His amazing son, Jesus.

Happy Easter Season my dear friends!

I hope you can receive the amazing things Jesus did just for you. 

Enjoy this time with family to realize oh, how He loves you.

Me as a Soaked, Seeping Sponge

[via]

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, 

but for him who died for them and was raised again." 

-2 Corinthians 5:15

At church on Sunday the pastor gave an amazing message about the radical love of Christ and the way we, as His children, are called, asked to love as He did, radically. He went on to illustrate the way the character of a Christian is revealed through the toughest of tribulations we face. 

He said, "When life gets tight and we are squeezed, what comes out of us?" 

Being a kitchen loving gal, I could only think of my pretty pink sponges. When I'm done cleaning the kitchen and the sponge is water logged, I am sure to squeeze out the excess water so it doesn't get stinky. Sometimes, I'm surprised at the color of the liquid that spews from it's pores. For example, today I roasted beets. That magenta color they are known for leaked out onto my counter, so I wiped it up thinking nothing of it. After dinner, I squeezed hot pink water from my pink sponge, a pleasant surprise. But sometimes, nasty brown water comes out. And I want to puke knowing that dirtiness came from my seemingly clean counters. 

I found myself wondering, when life squeezes me out to make sure I don't get stinky inside, does something pretty and pink come from inside me as a result of my loving self, or does brown nastiness spew out grossing out others (and myself)? 

With the grace of God, I am working towards the pretty pink liquid, spewing out love and grace, mercy and patience, self-control and gratitude when life calls for anything but such lovely things. It's not easy, in fact, I'm sure if you squeezed me tight enough right now something closer to brown would flow from deep within me, but I'm trying and, for me, that works. God doesn't need my pretty and pink, but He asks me to work towards it in order to glorify the great works He is baking within my little soul. 

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "yes" in Christ. 

And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."

-2 Corinthians 1:20

What would be squeezed out of your sweet spongey self? 

Is it pretty and pink? Or stinky and dirty like me?

Drippy Drop, Drippy Drop

One of my all-time favorite worship songs is "Ancient Skies" by the Michael Gungor Band. I listen to worship and country while I'm running... This song seems to beg me to play it over and over. I always get caught thinking, repeating, meditating (and not in the ommmmmm kind of way) over the lyrics.

"You're amazing. Creation cries, so will I, You're amazing." 

As I listen to the sweet melody of the Michael Gungor Band, I can't help but think about all of the things in God's green earth that scream of His glory. In fact, while I'm running, I often think about the way my body is a wondrous tool He so perfectly created. The complexity of the human body is far beyond my capacity to comprehend, but I'm going to share the amazingly orchestrated process behind an uncontrollable bodily function: sweating. Yep, I'm writing a God blog about sweating.

Don't you wish your back looked this good?
I do too!

Have you ever considered all of the process behind the thin layer of water that covers your entire being when you're working out really hard? Me neither. Until Michael Gungor got me thinking. In order to sweat a person needs to raise their core temperature enough to set off the sensors in the thermosensitive neurons found in the preoptic and anterior regions of the hypothalamus. This little bundle of neurons then sends a signal to the sweat glands found all over the surface of the body, that it's time to drop the surface temperature in order to cool the core. Whoa. Yep, all that, just for the watery stuff that keeps you cool.

Now, I'm not going to end it there. You see, humans and horses are the only mammals with the capacity to sweat in extreme amounts. God made us special. We don't pant like dogs because our bodies air condition through water evaporation. And the actual contents of our sweat... That's a whole other kind of awesome.

Lactate, the chemical that makes muscles sore after a really tough workout, is excreted in our sweat. It's not just salt and water, it's chemicals that are not necessarily helpful in recovery from an intense workout.   Also, the composition of sweat acclimatizes... Yep, when you're sweating in the heat it emits a different "recipe" of sweat than in mild warmth or cold. It's complicated. And, not that you should skip sunscreen, but sweat has an anti-ultraviolet radiation protection component to it.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities -His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." - Romans 1:20

Sweat isn't just a random function of the body. In fact, it's a perfectly orchestrated cooling mechanism God equipped our bodies with. Think on Him in all the little things that your body is constantly doing for you... Do you ever think about how to sweat, or make your heart beat, or to digest your favorite sweet treats? Nope, I didn't think so.

Take a moment to appreciate the amazing tool that God gave you in your body today. 

When you're pushing your body... Whether it be to chase that little one down at the park, or lift that last box into the new house, or with your trainer who hasn't an ounce of mercy, think about the gift He created so carefully, so well-thought out, just for you.

And finally, the topic for tomorrow's Top Ten Tuesday:
Favorite, Couldn't Cook Without, Kitchen Tools! 

Call the Movers, It's Time to Relocate!

Lately I have felt like I'm just not on the same page as God. 

Like He has plans that He's not letting me in on. 

With it being His fault for keeping secrets, I find myself creating a distance between us. 

Lately I have felt like my prayers are falling on the deaf ears of a busy God.

Like He has greater fish to fry, so I fall to the wayside. 

With it being Him whose schedule is so full, I find myself giving up. 

Lately I have felt like the words in my Bible don't contain the life they once seemed to have.

Like He has stopped breathing His ever-powerful spirit into me. 

With it being Him who isn't blessing me with His spirit, I find myself distracted. 

Lately I have been letting go. 

Like I'm a slacking student who doesn't care about the lessons from my teacher. 

With it being my fault for being lazy, apathetic, stubborn, thick-headed, 

I need to move, relocate, find a new, more humble posture. 

It's all too easy to get involved in a cycle of laziness, of apathy, of indifference. 

God has blessed me with a big lesson: 

If I'm not feeling close to God, guess who moved? 

(Easy answer here: it's me.) 

So I'm moving. 

Somewhere in a better place with Him. 

I have no reason to be a big blamer, instead, I must grow myself, my walk, my trust. 

I want to grow my God section on here. 

He is what makes life simply sweet.

And I want to share His blessings with you. (Please stay tuned)

Meet My Mama Bird

I have someone I want you to meet. She's so special to my little heart, so near and dear to every day in my life, so sweet, kind, and graceful, but strong with the heart of a lion. Who could be this phenomenal?

My dear Mama Bird. 

Over the last two and a half years my Mama Bird has fought, not only for herself, but for the love of her life, my Popsicle, and for the family that they have so perfectly created. She has fought against the indifference of a dozen doctors, the mystery diagnosis that seemed as though it would never come, and doubters who were sure her intuition was wrong.

Mama Bird isn't just an amazing woman of God with the grace of an angel but she also trumps the strength of a 20-foot bear. She doesn't just make wondrous dinner for all when the house is flooded with guests, but she also manages to teach us kids how to love being in the kitchen just like she does. Most Stay at Home Moms put up their list of "occupations" talking about being a teacher, a nurse, a mediator, an advocate, a financial analyst, an advisor, and the list goes on... Well right now, my mom is literally doing it all.

She is nursing my father back to health in a brutal fight against Lyme's Disease through daily infusions and constant maintenance of his PICC line. She is battling health insurance after their denial of my father's illness. She is advising me on my journey to become a wife. She mediates between a rambunctious, although adorable, eight year old and a slowly healing husband. She is managing the businesses her once thriving entrepreneurial husband started and ran. She is teaching us kids to grow, not only in our maturity, but in our faith in a great and always strong God. 

Mama Bird isn't just taking care of the logistics at home, but she tops it all off being more fun than any other mom could be, especially in the two-year long pickle we are currently experiencing. She not only keeps old traditions alive, but manages to make new ones on a regular basis. Her joy is contagious. I can't count the number of times people have said they don't know how she does it. She does it because God has blessed her with immense strength and power, despite her small frame. 

You can see the amazing words, recipes, and adventures of my Mama Bird just like you see mine by checking her out here. I promise you will be blessed... Probably much more than you will reading through my posts. 

Who blesses you, inspires you, amazes you?

Top Ten Tuesday: My Life Essentials

I know my list of things I couldn't live without is ridiculously longer than ten... But for the sake of Top Ten Tuesday I have to settle! Here goes nothing! Please enjoy!

1. A blanket. 

I sleep with my ears covered at night and without a blanket I wouldn't be able to cover my ears... Plus, I LOVE blankets and seriously have a half a dozen of them in my bed at a time. Yep, it drives J nuts and we aren't even sleeping in the same bed yet!

2. My NIV and Message Bible. 

Both translations are next to each other... It's amazing! If I read the NIV and don't get it (which happens more often than not, the Message is there to make it all clear... But I can still follow along easily at church when the pastor is reading from the NIV version!

3. Mascara. 

Yes, shallow. But of all beauty essentials, this is essential. Even J notices when I don't wear it. In fact, he always says, "Where's that black stuff that makes your eyes all big and pretty?"

4. A good run. 

I run for fun. But not just for fun. I run to clear my head and work out my heart. My best thinking happens along the roads my feet graze as I move through my neighborhood.

5. My family. 

Oh the joy this group of people brings me. If you haven't read enough already, you will soon realize they make my world go round... And for good reason!

6. A good read. 

I have been a bookworm from a very young age... In fact, it all started before I could read! I would go to bed with a pile of books just so I could go through all the pictures... To this day, I sleep with one or two books in my bed nightly. Guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

7. My iPhone. 

Not because I think iPhones make the world go round and are the best thing ever, but because I love my phone. I love having a phone that calls and texts and gets voicemails (and Twitter!). I truly love to be able to text my Mama Bird or J whenever I want and as frequently as I want (as much as they might get sick of me!) 

8. My computer. My new MacBook Pro. 

For my 22nd birthday-college graduation celebration, I got a new computer. But not just any new computer, I got my dream computer, a MacBook Pro! It really revolutionizes my blogging, photo editing, writing, cooking, working experience. I love being able to do all of the things that I love on the computer which can easily perform all that I need of it.

9. My blog. 

I write like a mad woman. But this sweet little spot is all mine and allows me to be held accountable for my words, for my thoughts, for my passion. I know people are expecting to see writing and I want to be dependable. Without you, my dear readers, this puppy wouldn't be working out the way it is. So essentially, number 9 is you.

10. Last, but definitely not least, my dear J. 

Literally I don't know what life would be like without him. He has been here through the darkest and brightest times in my long (okay, not so much) 22 years. He puts a smile on my face every morning and every night even when I'm sure it's impossible to get any ounce of joy out of me!

I Surrender

Yesterday J and I attended church like we regularly do on Sunday mornings, but something special happened in my heart. Something out of the ordinary.

During the opening prayer -take note, NOT after the message and just after two worship songs- God ripped my attention from myself and quickly placed my focus on Him. As the prayer began, the pastor encouraged us to surrender, to pause and to take a moment to admit our greatest barriers in order to better surrender to God. He then encouraged us to think about that which we need to surrender, to put it into a sentence "God I surrender..."

Wow, I had a lot on my mind that was weighing really heavy on my heart.

God, I surrender body consciousness. I surrender the way I question how you made me.

God, I surrender my doubtful heart, always second guessing your perfect ways.

God, I surrender all the fears and anxieties that wreak havoc in my heart.

God, I surrender my "perfect" plan that is full of many more holes than I can ever imagine.

God, I surrender the bitterness I bottle inside.

God, I surrender the pain I refuse to heal, I let keep emptying me of my joy.

God, I surrender my frustrations with my circumstances, it's about attitude not aptitude.

God, I surrender my timeline, my goals, my incessant mission.

God, I surrender my unwilling soul, my fighting spirit.

God, I surrender my excuses about why later, why not, why me.

God, I surrender my imperfections, and my obsession with them.

God, I surrender me. 

And with that surrender I take on a whole new perspective, a whole new life's mission, a whole new purpose... One that focuses on Him instead of me, on helping instead of receiving, on hope instead of darkness.

I Want to be THAT Kind of Wife

Growing up in church I always heard about the Proverbs 31 wife... She is a precious woman who knows what it means to be kind, trustworthy, a good steward of her faith, husband, and family while providing compassionate, generous help to those around her. Yeah, I want to be like her... But there's another woman that I hear about often and would love to be like.

Two Simply Sweet Note: I didn't get this off some random site... I made it myself! Go ahead and borrow, just remember to give credit where it's due!

The Country Song Wife

There ain't nothin' not affected when two hearts get connected (Brad Paisley) 

Because I win and you win when it's who loves who more  (Thompson Square) 

But you know we're gonna make it, that's a pretty safe bet (Thompson Square)

She's small town from the country, she ain't big time, but she could be (Rascal Flatts)  

I still remember you came by my trailer with some chicken legs and homemade wine.  

(Steel Magnolia) 

And when I got home... before I said Amen, asking God if he'd play it again  

(Taylor Swift) 

Mama, you taught me to do the right things. (Carrie Underwood) 

And the most beautiful girl holding both of them (Lonestar) 

And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect, All-American girl. (Carrie Underwood)

Then she walks up behind me and throws her arms around my neck (Rascal Flatts) 

The love for me, girl, I see in your eyes... That's beautiful, beautiful every time. (Lee Brice) 

My oh my, you're so good-looking, hold yourself together like a pair of bookends (Blake Shelton)

And I, I, I gotta believe, there has to be a you for every girl like me (Sugarland) 

And the heart of a faithful woman, who never let him forget (Lee Brice) 

You'll always be my angel no matter what you do, cause you take me to heaven just by being you.
(Steel Magnolia) 

She's my kind of rain like love from a drunken sky (Tim McGraw) 

Oh if you could read my mind, you'd know you're everything I need (Tim McGraw)

That little girl smile, that woman in your eyes (Brooks & Dunn)

I ain't saying I'm perfect, but I promise I'm worth it (Sugarland) 

Cause I heard Jesus, he drank wine and I'd bet we'd get along just fine (Miranda Lambert) 

Country (shoot) from her cowboy boots to her down home roots, she's country from the songs she plays to the prayers she prays ( Jason Aldean) 

I've got myself a wonderful country star worthy man 

(if only his voice matched his amazingness - wink, wink).

I just hope I can be the country babe he deserves!

I Got Style, Yes I do, I Got Style, How About You?

Well, maybe I don't have so much style, but I do have spirit! My new sweet southern soul of a friend, Amber Ashleigh, (yep, she has the most beautiful, angelic, wonderful name ever!) gave me my second stylish blogger award! Turns out people actually think I have style... Good thing I don't post my hot mess of an outfit on here every morning or my honors would be relinquished in a snap!

The rules for the award go as follows: 

1. Link back and thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award 5 recently discovered blogs.

4. Contact them and tell them about their award.

Seven more big things about me... 

1. My 22nd birthday is today... Somehow this sounds really mature to me. Like 21, you're young and dumb and can drink too much because you just don't get it. 22 sounds like you've got your life together and know what you're doing. Oh my! 

(AND doesn't that cake look like it's got a whole lot of candles on it!) 

2. Not only do I love A&E's show Storage Wars... But I live in the same town as Darrell Sheets (The Gambler) and his son Brandon (The Sidebet)! If you haven't watched the show you need to... The Sheet Boys are my absolute favorite and it was soooo exciting to run into their friendly selves at the local mall. 

3. I have a journal I carry in my purse to write down any big thoughts that come into my little mind. I'm forgetful if I don't write things down, so this is my way of keeping track of things... And I often use what's written in my blog. 

4. I literally melt thinking of anything Julia Child. I adore her. Her copper pots, her sweet accent, Meryl Streep playing her... Her ridiculously difficult to understand recipes, her silly little ways, the way that she is portrayed in Julie & Julia. That's when cooking took off for me! 

Meryl Streep couldn't have been more perfect for the role!

5. I am convinced that pink floral print can solve any problem...

See, don't you feel better already? 

6. I broke my first bone and had my first major surgery all in one week... Yep, shattered my nose and the surrounding bones. The only solution = reconstructive plastic surgery. 

My doctor and anesthesiologist at the doors to my operating room!

7. I played soccer for ten years. Taking the field still feels like home. I want to get involved in a league after J and I get married and settled down in our home together! 

Enough about me already... Here are my awardees!

1. Sarah at Savoring Sarah

2. Jamie at This Kind of Love

3. Alysa at InspiredRD

4. Ashley at Adventures of Newlyweds

5. Ailinh at Memoirs of Mrs. Harris

6. Danielle at Positively Positive

7. Caley-Jade at Mrs. Rosie Posie

I know, I posted more than five... But I think you'll all be able to find it in your hearts to forgive me! 

What a Wise Soul You Are Dr. Seuss!

I am quite possibly the biggest Dr. Seuss fan ever... In fact, so much so, that his books were my favorite growing up and I had to read/have all of them. My poor parents. I may or may not have memorized most of them at a very young age.

I definitely was a proud owner and reader of ALL of these puppies!

Then in high school I had a project where I had to write about the most influential person in American history... Yep, you guessed it, I wrote about Dr. Seuss, but this wasn't just any old powerpoint! I dressed up as the Cat in the Hat complete with a goldfish in a bowl and presented my powerpoint that was completely rhyming just like Dr. Seuss' books! (Just in case you were wondering... I got an A+!)

I know, it looks like a space ship... But it's not, it's the library named after Dr. Seuss and his wife!

After high school I went to college... to the University of California San Diego... where Dr. Seuss and his wife sponsored the building of the library! Yep, every midterms and finals crunch time was filled with the sweet drawings of Dr. Seuss pasted all over the library walls. So cool? Yeah, I just loved it.

But in all of this time the wise words of Dr. Seuss never truly set in... Now thinking about them I realize he got it right. He truly understood what it meant to march to the beat of your own drum. And he turned doing that into his life's goal.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is Youer than You."

I can't argue that one... Not only can I not argue with him, but he's right, no one is me and no one gets to live the life I'm living, so I need to do it right for me. That means doing what I love with who I love: God, J, Mama Bird and family, running, cooking, loving, learning.

And for those who don't like it... Well, that's fine, but turns out, you don't really matter that much.

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

Yep, those who really mind don't matter... If you can't find it in you to be some kind of supportive, some kind of sweet, well then I really don't seem to matter that much to you and ditto, I feel the same way!

Oh Dr. Seuss, what a wonderful wise soul you are!