I'm not chasing the American Dream

   So this title might be a little deceiving. I love America, and everything that our founding fathers stood for. I love having life and liberty, but I no longer want what we call the pursuit of "happiness". I don't want to climb a corporate ladder, work 9-5, become famous, or even the perfect house with a white picket fence. This week in my time with God I've been pretty convicted about the comfy life I live. The things society tells us we have to do in order to reach the world's definition of successful: a nice car, the latest apple product, a four year college degree, the list goes on and on. Our purpose in life is so much simpler than all of that, He just wants us to love. God tells us that the two greatest commands are to love Him with all our hearts, our souls, and our minds, then He tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). This is obviously easier said than done, as I have grown up hearing these verses time and time again, but it's like a new light has been shed on them. 
   Even more so, I admire what Paul writes to the church of Thessalonica about the life we are to live. He tells them:

    "About brotherly love: You don't need me to write to you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers to do so even more, to see to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone." (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, emphasis added)

  If we are loving God with everything that we are, we will then love others, and not just those closest to us. In fact, we are told to do so even more, so that outsiders will notice. We will grow to love the girl that keeps to herself at school or work, the man who is homeless on the side of the road, the widows, and the orphans. Oh how we will love those who are less fortunate than us, how I pray that my heart will be overfilled to see their needs! 
  Now to be clear, I'm not saying to give up getting your college degree or your 40 hour a week job just to fulfill this purpose. Because if you look at the passage above Paul tells the church to work with their own two hands. God is going to use what you are doing, and the people you encounter everyday for you to fill His two greatest commandments. And in time, the things you thought would give you the happiness will fade away, and He'll start to align things in your life to give you joy, everlasting joy. He will give you those blessings you need when you need them, in His timing.
  I'm also not saying I have it all figured out, far from it actually but, I am looking to Him and His abundant love to flood my cup so that I can love on others. My heart aches to just do something more than just sit in comfort, and while I do not know what exactly that entails yet, I know that I'm starting somewhere. After praying and searching through Compassion International's website, Joel & I have sponsored a little girl from Togo. Her name is Shalom, which means peace, and derives from a root which means complete, perfect, and full. I am so in love with this precious little girl whom I have never met, and may never get to meet here on this earth. I pray for her daily and for all those around her to just teach her about our Father and that her needs are met. God is using this little one to break my heart for so much more than I can currently fathom. I am praying, willing, and waiting for Him to use me for His purpose of loving others because it is so much greater than chasing after the temporary that is the American Dream.

Home Sweet Home

   I have been a terrible blogger. And while I would like to update y'all on everything that has gone on, that would take entirely too long. So, I'll keep that part of my post short. In August, we came home to visit family for two weeks. It went by way too fast, but I was so very thankful that we had time to relax and enjoy time with our loved ones. September was spent packing our little house into a storage unit and spending every little moment possible together. The day I was suppose to come home turned into a three day weekend for Joel, so I was unexpectedly able to stay an extra few days. I came home to surprise my family a day early and then Joel left less than a week later.
   Moving back home, I've wasted no time whatsoever when it comes to getting back into the chaos that is a big family. It definitely makes me miss the quiet that I've grown used to back in Texas. However, I love seeing my siblings everyday and being around my family has made the past seven weeks pass by so very quickly. One thing I've started to realize in this season of life is that God has placed so many wonderful people around me to listen, support and just be loved on by. I am so beyond grateful that He knows what I need before I do, and blesses me with it before I even think to ask. The past five weeks my church has been doing a series called BLESS in the book of Nehemiah, and it has been so awesome to see how this series has just lined up with things I am going through in my week with God using other people to bless me. I have learned so much and I am trying so very hard to let God use me as a blessing to others, which is one of my greatest hopes in the difficult season.
   I know this was a pretty short post compared to my previous ones, but take a listen to the link I have up above, and I hope to be writing more often over the next few months!

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

Anything but Ordinary

  Yesterday, one of my closest friends shared her testimony on her blog. If you'd like, you can read it here. As I read, I was heartbroken by the fact that we've been friends since middle school and I never once considered how differently we'd grown up. I grew up in a family where my grandparents, parents, and siblings all attended the same church every Sunday and Wednesday night. Where I accepted Christ as a child and was baptized. I can remember being a kid and my parents having other couples over for Bible studies, or sitting in my grandparents living room watching my Pawpaw study intently in King James Version Bible.

  As I sat reading her story, it hit me that I had been so caught up in being a "good" Christian, that I hadn't paid much attention to those around me, that I had just been lukewarm. And then, I reread it. The words stood out to me, like they should have been bold, italicized, underlined. She wrote, "because my testimony is short and simple". I was not reading something short and simple, I was reading something inspiring. Growing up in a Christian household, I felt as though I was the one who had a "short and simple" testimony. I never really struggled with my relationship with God until I had graduated high school. Even then, I have never experienced even half of what my sweet, enduring friend has gone through in her twenty-one years.

  Later on in the day, I was reading in a wonderful book called Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman. Side note: It's about treasuring the Gospel in our everyday, mundane life. Gloria uses examples from experiences with her husband and kids to really hit home the points she is making, which I love. She is a wonderful writer, and I highly recommend this quick read. Anyways, I came across this amazing little passage in the book about testimonies. Y'all, sometimes I am in awe of how the Holy Spirit uses things to show us about God and His glory. Our "short and simple" testimonies that we just think are no big deal, are actually a HUGE deal. Colossians 1:13-14 puts it like this: 

"For he has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

  In other words, there was a spiritual battle going on for your soul. A battle of which Christ has been victorious because He defeated death and you chose to follow him. I like how Gloria Furman describes it too.

"The Holy Spirit of God peeled the scales from your spiritually blind eyes, awakened your soul to the bright light of the gospel in the face of Jesus Christ, and breathed life into your lifeless soul."

  This simply amazes me. I cannot ever say it enough, especially when it's put that way. Not one of us has the same story of how they come to know Christ. No matter how simple our stories maybe, if we're 5 or 105 when we accept Christ, our testimonies are anything but ordinary. He works in all of our lives in different ways, molding us to become more like Him and to fulfill God's will for us. Nonetheless, when we come to know Him, the scales are peeled off, just like that described of Paul in Acts (if you haven't already look up Acts 9:18). Paul went on to do some amazing things to spread the Word, and we are called to do the same!

Why I celebrate America Everyday

   The 4th of July holiday weekend has come and gone. The decorations have been discounted and school supplies has taken its place on the shelves. Girls have put away their American flag shorts and taken off their blue and red nail polish; boys have put their 'Mericas chubbies away. We now wait another 364 days for another celebration of America's birthday.
   While some people wait for holidays and three day weekends for barbecues, endless instagram selfies, and some quote on Facebook/Twitter that talks about how great America is, there are some of us who wake up and celebrate the land of the free everyday.
   Each morning I wake up in my 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath town home with basement and bonus room on the largest military base in the free world. Come visit us in our home and you will find a vast majority of red, white, and blue. From the kitchen, to my red bathroom towels (plus navy & white shower curtain), and the handkerchief quilt on our bed, you can pretty much see my love of the US of A. And let's not even get started on the fact that half of my clothes are in red, white, or blue (the cowboy boots I got married in anyone?).
   My husband wakes up at 5:10, goes to PT, then comes home where he puts on his ACUs (complete with 1st Cav. patch and American flag), and goes back to the company where he spends his day working until 5pm Monday through Friday. Sometimes he is away for a week at a time, sometimes he will be gone for months, but I am so blessed to be married to a man who serves our country.
   A country in which I am free to serve a mighty God. A God who continually pursues His people even when we fall so far away from His Word that our nation was founded on. A country in which as a woman I am able to vote and was able to receive a free education. Where I was not refused the right to go to school because my parents could not afford it or because I was needed more at home. A country that fights to give other nations the same basic human rights we so often take for granted. Our Founding Fathers knew exactly what they were doing in 1776, when they chose to shake up the world in order to pursue happiness. Thirteen colonies took a huge risk, and over the next 6 (almost 7) years they would fight to defend their Declaration that took over a year to prepare for and write. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most reproduced and inspiring political documents in the world. How many of us have taken the time to read it besides the little excerpts we read in U.S History, Government, or American Literature class in high school/college? I would venture to say very few, even more so many of us probably don't even remember what we read. Soon after it was written, the Declaration of Independence was mass produced and spread throughout the colonies. People took the time to read it! Our ancestors took the time to read the many reasons why they left and separated from England, most would read it every 4th of July from then on. It is still the most inspiring and copied political document in the world. Fun Fact: Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the 50th anniversary of the 4th of July.
   Needless to say, we are beyond blessed to live in America and we take that for granted. Since 1870, when Congress made the 4th a national holiday and 1938 when again Congress made it paid holiday for federal employees, we have made the 4th a day of fireworks, picnics and Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest (that started in 1916). We love parades, carnivals, and downtown celebrations. We get together with family and friends to celebrate the day that we told England we were better off on our own. Then we wait for the next three day weekend to barbecue, and wait until the next year to do it all again. I however, will choose to revere America everyday. I celebrate America everyday for my husband and all the many who serve/have served over the past 238 years to defend all that we have here, for all those who are currently deployed (R.E.D. Fridays anyone?), for our ancestors that took a risk coming to a new land, for our freedom we experience daily, and for the men who wrote an amazing document that shaped the course of history. I celebrate America.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

   YES, y'all are getting two post within a week of each other. I know I've posted like a billion pictures on Facebook lately, but we have done A LOT of sight-seeing and wandering here. I strongly believe that the reason they say "everything's bigger in Texas" is because the state itself is huge. Since we are in Central Texas, we're right smack in the middle of all the major cities, BUT that does't mean they are close by. Austin and Dallas are both at least two hours away, then San Antonio and Houston are a bit further. We went to SXSW in March, but since then we've found all kinds of neat stuff events that are out here.

    One weekend we went cliff jumping and swimming in the nearby lakes with some guys from Joel's company. We then learned of a neat/odd little event in the nearby town of Copperas Cove called RabbitFest. It was the first time Joel had been to a carnival and so we rode a lot of the crickety, look like they are going to break while on them carnival rides. It was so much fun, other than the fact that I had not been on any of those sorts of rides in ages and they are apparently not as fun as I remember. We came home that night feeling sick to our stomaches because we had spun way to fast on one of the rides, but it was completely worth all the fun we had. 

Joel at the lake.

Ferris wheel

   The next weekend was Memorial Day weekend. We had a four day, decided to look up somethings to do, and found RedFest, held at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Jeff Foxworthy put on the entire event for the weekend, and gave out over 6,000 tickets to soldiers and their families. Thankfully, I was able to find who had extra tickets and we got in for free on Saturday & Sunday! There were so many great performances by wonderful artists. Saturday night we saw Kip Moore and (the other love of my life) Tim McGraw, then Sunday morning we got up early to see Phil Robertson of Duck Commander and his son Alan preach. Joel & I were as red as tomatoes from an hour of sitting in the sun that morning, so we went to the nearest tent to hear all the music before going back to amphitheater to hear Jeff Foxworthy and the Florida Georgia Line. 

Meeting Bruce from Swamp People

Suburnt afternoon. 

Waiting for FLGA Line.

   A few weeks later, some of Joel's family came to visit us for a few days. It was fun having a house full of people, and made me miss the hectic crazy family of mine back home. After all the girls left, Joel's brother Jon stayed over the weekend to spend time with him before he left for Hawaii. Joel left for the field and I drove Jon to the airport in Austin with both dogs. When Joel got back and had his next four day we took a trip to San Antonio. We kicked off the trip by going to SeaWorld. It was so very crowded, but we made the most of it and enjoyed it. Although, Joel kept referencing Blackfish and hoping the beluga whales would eat the trainers. Afterwards Joel wanted to see the Alamo, so we went to downtown. It was so pretty, but again crowded. Then, we walked across the street to the Ripley's Believe It or Not! and the wax museum, which were pretty neat. We decided to walk a couple of blocks down to the RiverWalk to get dinner after a long day of sight-seeing.  The atmosphere at the RiverWalk is amazing, pretty crowded, but gorgeous. I was really hoping to eat at Rainforest Cafe, but there was an hour and a half wait, so we put our names on the wait list, and then went down across the river to Hard Rock to get on the wait list there. We decided to see which one would have an opening first and waited it out. Which means we ended up at Hard Rock.

   Joel has been in the field for the last week and a half, so he will be home just in time for a four day weekend and my favorite holiday. We haven't really decided what adventure we'll going on, but it looks like we need to explore the major city of Dallas.

Puppy Lovin'

   On May 31st my wonderful husband finally agreed to let me get another puppy. Lord bless him, he's not a dog person, but somehow I've been able to get two sweet four legged babies. I found an adorable lab puppy online at the local animal control the day before, so I called Saturday morning and she was still there. So as soon as adoption hours started, I went to pick her up. Joel laughs because his birthday was that Friday and I got a dog for his birthday.

   She has been so much fun to have this past month. Dawson loves having a little sister, even though they are constantly aggravating each other, and she steals all his toys. She's also a sweet cuddly pup, which I love because Dawson isn't much for cuddles. We named her Denver and are still absolutely in love!

Georgia On My Mind

   On April 24th, I made the trek back to the Peach State. The drive was exhausting and since it was just myself and our sweet pup Dawson, it was quiet. It took FIVE hours just to get through Texas. Dawson loved the car ride, and pretty much relaxed the whole way. I'm pretty sure we own the laziest lab ever.

 Then, it was Louisiana, and the boring state of Mississippi. Needless to say, I was so very glad to get to my brother's apartment in Alabama that night. I loved being able to spend time with Daulton, since we've both been busy with becoming young adults, we haven't really spent much time together over the is past year. Friday morning, we went to the the much needed and missed southern eatery that is Waffle House before I drove the last three and a half hours home.

  Being home was quite the adventure! Seeing the Wiz (of which my sister-in-laws were amazing in), baseball games, spending time with my grandparents, hanging out with my in-laws, visiting friends, delivering plaques, going to church, and surprising my great grandmother (who turns 90 this year!) were just a few of things I packed into my two week trip. I also went to visit all my sweet kiddos at Kennesaw Elementary, as well as my old-coworkers and boss. I missed all those little faces!

   I had so much fun being surrounded by people that I love so very dearly, and wished that I could have seen everyone else that I wanted to (It was kind of an inconvenient time since it was finals week and right before Mother's Day)! Thankfully, I'll be coming home again in the next few months and Joel will be able to come also. We'll hopefully make the trip in one day, so we can have as much time at home as possible. Since it's just us and our sweet lazy pup, I had forgotten how hectic and loud it was being in such a big household. I left out on May 11th, and made the drive back in one day. It was A LOT easier of drive back since Texas is in the Central Time Zone, it didn't seem like to long of a drive. It was very nice to come back to my quiet clean home. Plus, I missed my husband! Since I've been home, we've started preparing for family to come visit and for the Texas heat in this upcoming summer.

The Lone Star State

     It has been almost three months since I've written and a busy three months it has been! On February 13th, after a lot of snow, my parents and I made the trek across four states, so that my husband and I could move into our house!

     We made it to Fort Hood on Valentine's Day and moved into our 2 bedroom and 1.5 bath town home. The last two weeks of February Joel was on a night detail, so I had the house to myself all night, until I had to pick him up at 4am. When March rolled around we were finally on a somewhat normal schedule. So the first weekend of March, we adopted a dog!

    Dawson is a spoiled 17th month old lab mix that we found at the local animal control facility, and he had such a personality. Since bringing him home though, he hardly leaves my side (hates being home alone) and lounges around the house all day, except for when he gets Joel to get in the floor or yard to wrestle with him. Yes, they wrestle. I also had to go to the ER in March.

    While home alone, I was slicing apples on a mandolin slicer and accidentally got my pinky. I definitely freaked out since I was bleeding like crazy, and called my momma then my husband (who had the car). Thankfully, he was able to rush home and get me to the hospital. After two washrags and a lot of gauze full of blood, I had a numbing shot in my finger and three stitches. A few days later we celebrated my 21st birthday in Austin, where we wandered 6th Street, ate dinner, and listened to a lot of bands participating in SXSW. We didn't really know that the festival was going on until we got to the town full of hipsters.

   Since then, we've dealt with taking Dawson to the vet, a few weeks with Joel in the field, and a sinus infection that made me look like a Who for a few days. Last week was tough, I know that Fort Hood was all over the news, and we told our families as soon as we knew what had happened. Thankfully, we were already home and safe. So between last week and the arrival of the President tomorrow, April has had quite the start! Hopefully, I will write every week or so now.

January Wedding

  

   For those of you who do not know, or those of you in shock.... SURPRISE!! After a lot of praying, talking, and reading in Bible study together Joel and I were married Friday night. I know many were surprised that we had only been engaged for three weeks, however I believe when you know, you know. On Friday morning I picked Joel up from the airport and drove down to the courthouse to apply for our marriage license. Eight hours later back at the courthouse, we exchanged our vows and our rings. Honestly, I do not believe I would have had it any other way. Neither of us like to be the center of attention. Plus, I would have been a nervous wreck getting married front of 150+ people. Thankfully, our family was in support of this and we had a small reception of just our siblings, parents, and grandparents. It was sweet and simple exactly like, if not more than we could have wanted. 
  I think that the movie When Harry Met Sally says it best, "When you realize that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Joel and I knew we wanted to spend our lives together, so why not go ahead and build our life together now? Especially when we have put Christ in the center of it all. I am so blessed to have married a man who loves Jesus as much as he loves me, and even more so he loves me as Christ loves the church. I've always been told and firmly believe that true love is putting the other person before yourself, which is what we strive to do and I pray we will continue to do. We have taken a big life changing step, but  we serve an omniscient God who knew our future together before I could even imagine it! I never would have thought that I would be married to the boy I had a crush on over a year ago, but Psalm 139:16 says, "Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written Your book and planned before a single one of them began." I am so excited to start this journey with my best friend. I know were made for each other; he truly is my other half and God certainly knew what He was doing when he brought us together. With that, here are a few of my favorite wedding photos: 

"The man said,

"This is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called 'woman,'

for she was taken out of man."

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."

Genesis 2:23, 24

I have found him whom my soul loves.

   One of my favorite books in the Bible is Song of Songs. I love the story that is created between King Solomon and his bride. Not only does it reflect the intimate relationship between a husband and wife, but it also reflects the relationship of Christ and His bride, the church, which we are called to have in Ephesians. Another reason why I love this book is because Joel included a passage of it in one of his letters to me while he was in OSUT.
   I don't think I can begin to tell y'all enough how much of a blessing he is. He has such a giving heart and always makes sure that I am laughing or smiling. He listens to me when I rant, tell him stupid stories, and when I'm down right confused on what to do. I praise God that he is a man who prays before every one of our meals and before he makes decisions. I am thankful that he seeks after God in everything that he does. People see Christ in him; one letter I got from him while he was training talked about how some of the guys had started reading their Bibles and were asking him questions. Most of all, he loves me, just as Christ loves the church. I have absolutely no doubt that Joel will be the leader of our household that God has called him to be.
   We took our engagement photos the Friday before he left to go back to Texas. Miranda, Joel's (and soon-to-be my!) sister-in-law, took some amazing shots. Pictures that captured our silliness and our love for one another. There were so many great ones that I wanted to include on this post, but I've narrowed it down to some of my favorites.

"His mouth is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable. 

This is my beloved and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem."

Song of Songs 5:16