ahhh. I cannot tell you enough how wonderful it feels to have my fingers on the keys of my laptop again. That's right! IT'S FIXED!! I was shocked bc I thought it was gone forever, but one of my dad's friends apparently is a super genius who saved my computer.... along with all of the pictures I thought I had lost forever. I'm so happy!!!!
Well, the holidays are almost over. Tonight is the last big celebration for awhile. I had an amazing holiday season. So many blessings, great time with family, lots of delicious food, lots of new presents!!!
I got some AWESOME decorations for my house! I can't wait to put them up-- that's actually what the hubs & I are doing today... I'll have to try and post some pics of the finished products. Somehow the decoration gene passed right over me and I feel like I can have a tacky taste at tims, but I reeeallllly tried this time & I think the end result will actually be cute--- and maybe, jsut maybe, kinda stylish? haha. Ok, maybe that's taking it too far! But I also have done some projects of my own that I'm kinda proud of... pics to come!
Another thing I got a lot of for Christmas was running gear. Now I have no excuse to start running again. That was my exact thought yesterday as I called Shirley (the mom-in-law) up to go on a run with me. I happily put on a cute new running outfit, laced up my new shoes, and ran out the door with Ry's phone with my RunKeeper ready to track the run. 4.75 miles later, I was no longer "cute" in my running outfit, my feet and legs were killing me, and I wanted to just push STOP on the phone! lol... But that's why I love Shirley, she pushes me & honestly I had no idea that I could have done that many miles so soon after not running for so long! It def helped having her to chat with as we went along & Ryka on a leash to kinda help pull me up those hills LOL... But today I can barely walk. It's ok tho, I'm still kinda proud of myself!
One more week of break. My, it's flown by. But I've really enjoyed it a lot. A lot a lot. 16 more weeks until I'm an RN. 16 more weeks until this season of my life as a student ends. 16 weeks til I'm in the real world finally doing what I've dreamed of doing for so long! And 16 weeks til I'm finally making a little mulah to help out the hubs & get to spend more on fixing up the house, etc!
I know this semester will fly by, and I want to soak up everything I can to learn and to enjoy the time I have left with the amazing friends I have made along the way.
I hate catch-up blog posts. Next time I'll write something more meaningful- something that I've been learning...
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE EVERYONE!
I'll write again next year :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
True Beauty.
Somewhere along my journey with the Lord I have found something very near and dear to my heart. A message that I wish all girls could take and fully believe and live 100%. A message that I am striving to fully live out as well.
I have always struggled with self image. It's just been my battle. To be honest, my weight is always something hanging over me- I always strive to exercise more, eat better, etc. And when I fail (usually daily) it's hard for me to feel confident, to love myself, to feel beautiful. I've already posted about the "happy weight" that tends to creep up on you when you are truly happy and married... but this is my insecurity. I don't like to share it, because it honestly is a weak spot for me in my self confidence. With this being said, I know every women has something about her that keeps her from being CONFIDENT, from feeling BEAUTIFUL.
There are a million books out there that tells us as women to LOVE OURSELVES. To come to the place where we accept ourselves for who we are, the way God created us, just as we are. And to JUST BE CONFIDENT! Yeeeeea I wish it was that easy, but it's not. I've tried it a million times- just think "I'm ok the way I am". But somehow self pep talks just never seem to cut it for me.
But girls, there is a way to feel truly confident and truly beautiful. I have experienced this before.... The closer we are to God in our relationship with him, the more we begin to overflow with confidence, the feeling of being loved and sought after, and authentically beautiful.
I want to share with you some of my favorite author, Leslie Ludy, that has had enough of the world's way to finding confidence. I hope it opens your eyes to this subject as it did me. This comes from her book "Set-Apart Femininity".
Despite the well-meaning Christian campaign to boost the modern young woman's self confidence, the reality is that we do not possess anything beautiful or worthwhile in or of ourselves. If we obtain a worldly outer beauty, we only have a propped-up, hollow, fleeting appeal that quickly fades with time and age. As Proverbs 31:30 says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing." And if we muster all the human heroism and try to become a "good person", we only have a self-made, faltering form of goodness that can never stand against the stunning righteousness of Jesus Christ.
At first glance, it may appear to be wonderful and even spiritual sounding message to discover our own beauty and learn to love and accept ourselves "just the way we are". But if we rely on something that we possess to make us beautiful, we cannot receive the supernatural, transforming beauty of Jesus Christ.
This is the whole point of the Gospel: the whole message of what Christ does for us. We must lay down everything of self and be overtaken by a power, strength, beauty, and grace that is wholly not our own. That's when we find the ability to live out the supernatural, divinely beautiful, valiantly herioc Proverbs 31 life that He has called us to live as set-apart women.
Our sinful, self-lovingature urges us to buy into the idea that in and of ourselves we are important, noticed, and captivating. Yet the truth of the Gospel is not based on our intrinsic loveliness, but the fact that Christ loved us even while we were yet sinners, naked and covered in our own blood and shame (see Ezekial 16:6).
Any human beauty, any human value that we might find within ourselves is just a filthy rag compared to the limitless beauty and glory of Jesus Christ. Christ's beauty is perfect. And, in spite of what we deserve, He desires to adorn us with is spectacular glory. He may choose to showcase His beauty through us in a unique way, through our own individual personalities or the special gifts He has given us. But it is not our unique beauty that must shine for this world to see. It is not our own beauty that we must discover and embrace-- it is His.
We will not overcome our insecurities and gain the sparkling confidence we long for by singing "The Greatest Love of All" or reading books that exhort us to "live out our own beauty". And we will not become world-changing, set-apart women by letting "self flash off frame and face." The secret to becoming the radiant, beautiful, alluring, lily-white princess of childhood dreams is forgetting all about self and becoming completely consumed with only one thing-- Jesus Christ.
How encouraging that is to me today! I don't have to look to my self, as I do all too often, to find confidence. But rather I can look to my Jesus, and as I fall more in love with Him he gives me a true confident radiance and beauty that can only come from Him. My prayer is that as women, we can all give our insecurities to Him and allow Him to begin transforming our lives, attitudes, and confidence.
BEAUTY.
It has been instilled in every women the desire to feel beautiful, to be loved, to be confident in herself.
I have always struggled with self image. It's just been my battle. To be honest, my weight is always something hanging over me- I always strive to exercise more, eat better, etc. And when I fail (usually daily) it's hard for me to feel confident, to love myself, to feel beautiful. I've already posted about the "happy weight" that tends to creep up on you when you are truly happy and married... but this is my insecurity. I don't like to share it, because it honestly is a weak spot for me in my self confidence. With this being said, I know every women has something about her that keeps her from being CONFIDENT, from feeling BEAUTIFUL.
There are a million books out there that tells us as women to LOVE OURSELVES. To come to the place where we accept ourselves for who we are, the way God created us, just as we are. And to JUST BE CONFIDENT! Yeeeeea I wish it was that easy, but it's not. I've tried it a million times- just think "I'm ok the way I am". But somehow self pep talks just never seem to cut it for me.
But girls, there is a way to feel truly confident and truly beautiful. I have experienced this before.... The closer we are to God in our relationship with him, the more we begin to overflow with confidence, the feeling of being loved and sought after, and authentically beautiful.
I want to share with you some of my favorite author, Leslie Ludy, that has had enough of the world's way to finding confidence. I hope it opens your eyes to this subject as it did me. This comes from her book "Set-Apart Femininity".
Despite the well-meaning Christian campaign to boost the modern young woman's self confidence, the reality is that we do not possess anything beautiful or worthwhile in or of ourselves. If we obtain a worldly outer beauty, we only have a propped-up, hollow, fleeting appeal that quickly fades with time and age. As Proverbs 31:30 says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing." And if we muster all the human heroism and try to become a "good person", we only have a self-made, faltering form of goodness that can never stand against the stunning righteousness of Jesus Christ.
At first glance, it may appear to be wonderful and even spiritual sounding message to discover our own beauty and learn to love and accept ourselves "just the way we are". But if we rely on something that we possess to make us beautiful, we cannot receive the supernatural, transforming beauty of Jesus Christ.
This is the whole point of the Gospel: the whole message of what Christ does for us. We must lay down everything of self and be overtaken by a power, strength, beauty, and grace that is wholly not our own. That's when we find the ability to live out the supernatural, divinely beautiful, valiantly herioc Proverbs 31 life that He has called us to live as set-apart women.
Our sinful, self-lovingature urges us to buy into the idea that in and of ourselves we are important, noticed, and captivating. Yet the truth of the Gospel is not based on our intrinsic loveliness, but the fact that Christ loved us even while we were yet sinners, naked and covered in our own blood and shame (see Ezekial 16:6).
Any human beauty, any human value that we might find within ourselves is just a filthy rag compared to the limitless beauty and glory of Jesus Christ. Christ's beauty is perfect. And, in spite of what we deserve, He desires to adorn us with is spectacular glory. He may choose to showcase His beauty through us in a unique way, through our own individual personalities or the special gifts He has given us. But it is not our unique beauty that must shine for this world to see. It is not our own beauty that we must discover and embrace-- it is His.
We will not overcome our insecurities and gain the sparkling confidence we long for by singing "The Greatest Love of All" or reading books that exhort us to "live out our own beauty". And we will not become world-changing, set-apart women by letting "self flash off frame and face." The secret to becoming the radiant, beautiful, alluring, lily-white princess of childhood dreams is forgetting all about self and becoming completely consumed with only one thing-- Jesus Christ.
How encouraging that is to me today! I don't have to look to my self, as I do all too often, to find confidence. But rather I can look to my Jesus, and as I fall more in love with Him he gives me a true confident radiance and beauty that can only come from Him. My prayer is that as women, we can all give our insecurities to Him and allow Him to begin transforming our lives, attitudes, and confidence.
"If a soul has any beauty, it is because Christ has endowed that soul with His own, for in ourselves we are deformed and defiled! There is no beauty in any of us but what our Lord has worked in us." - Charles Spurgeon
Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.
-Song of Solomon 2:2
-Song of Solomon 2:2
Friday, December 9, 2011
Catching Up
Wow. I haven't had a chance to post in so long. I have missed writing in my blog! But the past few weeks have been crazy busy with Thanksgiving, finals, etc. My first day of break is today. Whew, I can finally catch my breath and relax for a bit. I'm definitely going to enjoy this month of freedom, it has been a long time coming!!!
Mom and I came down to Meemaw's for the night and so we've had a fun night. We ate dinner and just had some girl talk. Then some exciting news came- my uncle and his wife just got 2 little kiddos to adopt! We are ecstatic! This is the 2nd adoption that has taken place in my family lately. It has truly opened my eyes to the adoption process. It is so touching to see these precious babies come from horrible conditions to a warm and loving home.... and how you so easily love them just like your own. I'm so happy for my aunt and uncle!
Tomorrow we're gonna do a little Christmas shopping. Speaking of Christmas, I'm finally getting in the spirit. My house is now decorated, with our stockings hung over the fireplace. It's cozy- it's nothing fancy, mostly just decorations that Mom has passed down to me. But just knowing it's ours- our home all decorated for Christmas. Being young and married and being able to enjoy our cozy little festive home together is something special for me. It's something I'd always dreamed of. Our first home, a hodge podge of Christmas decorations, a little Christmas tree, and two people who are very blessed.
Last week Ryan and Trev's band All We Know performed in downtown Springfield. They put on an awesome show with some of their new songs that were rockin'! But how they ended it was so touching. Craig gave their testimony as a band, saying this is what they wanted people to take away from them...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spnxE-s0KKs
Check it out. It honestly melted my heart, of course I am biased, but I was so proud of them.
And I don't think I'd ever loved my husband more. I'm one lucky girl.
I've had a lot of things on my heart lately, things I've wanted to blog about but haven't been by a computer! Now that I'm on break for a month I really want to spend some time growing in the Lord while I won't have as many distractions and things pulling for my time. I definitely feel the difference when I'm not being consistent in reading my bible and spending time with God. I have bought some new books and can't wait to dive into them as well! One more goal is to do some pinterest projects for my house as well as rearranging and decorating/painting in some of our rooms.
Being here with Meemaw is so fun and I love it, but after 2 years it's still soooo hard to be away from my husband. I am so used to our life together and sharing everyday with my best friend, that when I'm away from him it's like a piece of me is missing. We are so attached lol. I never thought I would be this way with someone, but he truly is my other half! I have loved every minute of our marriage, even the hard times, because it has brought us so close and our love has only gotten deeper. I'm thankful and blessed and so happy that God made him perfectly for me! Hopefully over break I can finish the book "Created to be his help-meet" that I had gotten over halfway through. It was so convicting and really showed me God's plan for me as a wife. Maybe there will be posts to come! I love sharing what I'm learning as I continue on this crazy journey of life!
Mom and I came down to Meemaw's for the night and so we've had a fun night. We ate dinner and just had some girl talk. Then some exciting news came- my uncle and his wife just got 2 little kiddos to adopt! We are ecstatic! This is the 2nd adoption that has taken place in my family lately. It has truly opened my eyes to the adoption process. It is so touching to see these precious babies come from horrible conditions to a warm and loving home.... and how you so easily love them just like your own. I'm so happy for my aunt and uncle!
Tomorrow we're gonna do a little Christmas shopping. Speaking of Christmas, I'm finally getting in the spirit. My house is now decorated, with our stockings hung over the fireplace. It's cozy- it's nothing fancy, mostly just decorations that Mom has passed down to me. But just knowing it's ours- our home all decorated for Christmas. Being young and married and being able to enjoy our cozy little festive home together is something special for me. It's something I'd always dreamed of. Our first home, a hodge podge of Christmas decorations, a little Christmas tree, and two people who are very blessed.
Last week Ryan and Trev's band All We Know performed in downtown Springfield. They put on an awesome show with some of their new songs that were rockin'! But how they ended it was so touching. Craig gave their testimony as a band, saying this is what they wanted people to take away from them...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spnxE-s0KKs
Check it out. It honestly melted my heart, of course I am biased, but I was so proud of them.
And I don't think I'd ever loved my husband more. I'm one lucky girl.
I've had a lot of things on my heart lately, things I've wanted to blog about but haven't been by a computer! Now that I'm on break for a month I really want to spend some time growing in the Lord while I won't have as many distractions and things pulling for my time. I definitely feel the difference when I'm not being consistent in reading my bible and spending time with God. I have bought some new books and can't wait to dive into them as well! One more goal is to do some pinterest projects for my house as well as rearranging and decorating/painting in some of our rooms.
Being here with Meemaw is so fun and I love it, but after 2 years it's still soooo hard to be away from my husband. I am so used to our life together and sharing everyday with my best friend, that when I'm away from him it's like a piece of me is missing. We are so attached lol. I never thought I would be this way with someone, but he truly is my other half! I have loved every minute of our marriage, even the hard times, because it has brought us so close and our love has only gotten deeper. I'm thankful and blessed and so happy that God made him perfectly for me! Hopefully over break I can finish the book "Created to be his help-meet" that I had gotten over halfway through. It was so convicting and really showed me God's plan for me as a wife. Maybe there will be posts to come! I love sharing what I'm learning as I continue on this crazy journey of life!
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