what has God been teaching you lately

My friend Jenny is someone I miss spending time with greatly. We went to UCF together, but after graduation she moved to another state and though we've kept in touch it has been years since we have been able to sit down in a coffee shop together. The reason I bring Jenny up now is because of a particular question she always asked me. It always came after we were settled in our chairs with our warm cups in hand. She would look at me and say, "So, what's God been teaching you lately?" I miss questions and conversations like that.

If Jenny were here I'd tell her this...

There are days when I take the time to sit at His feet, listen, reflect, and process in order to apply. There have been far too many days when I have chosen other things instead. The days in which I have chosen to learn, God has been faithful to reveal Himself to me, and I am grateful He hasn't held my frivolity and faithlessness against me.

For months I have felt the tug and gentle whisper on my heart to focus a good deal of my time on the study of prayer and the study of words. I finally began those journeys this week. I read A Praying Life by Paul Miller about a year ago, but I read it quickly. I decided to re-read it and really camp out among the pages to hear what God has to say and to reveal about my approach to Him in prayer.

As far as words go...I think I am careless with them. I think I talk too much and often too soon. I think I say things without thinking. I won a print from Naptime Diaries awhile ago and I chose the print with Proverbs 15:4 for a reason...I need the reminder. I am going to spend some time learning more about what He has to say about the power of words, reflect on my own, and I am going to do my best to apply what I learn. My mannual will be God's Word and my guide and teacher will be the Holy Spirit. This lesson is going to hurt. To be perfectly honest, it scares me.

Nothing huge. No major revelations or profound thoughts. Just pursuing things that I know I ought to.

Jenny, I miss you and I wish I could process some of this with you over a cup of joe!

hillsong united live

 

Last Saturday morning we received an invitation to the Hillsong United Live concert. When Andrew said the words, I literally shot up from the couch and asked him, "For real?" I heard about it on the radio months ago, but because money is so tight I didn't think we'd actually get to go, so I put it out of my mind and tried not to think about it even though I really wanted to go.

Hillsong United Live is popular for their worship songs and albums. We sing many of their songs at church and some of them have come to mean a great deal to me personally. I wanted to see them perform live, but I had my qualms. Their music and lyrics are so reverent, so joyful, so real. How would they measure up in person? Would they be cheesy, speak too much Christianese, or worse, be phony and make the concert all about them? After all, I had come to respect them and feel a camaraderie with them as I sang and worshipped along with them at home and in my car. Would going to the concert disappoint me?

We arrived Saturday night and the arena was buzzing with excitement. We found our seats and settled in. My youngest sister, Stacey, called to tell me that she and her friends had picked up the tickets they had been given from the will call booth and they had amazing seats. They were downright giddy and I could hear the excitement over the line. Floor seats, front row. She and I text messaged like crazy so that we could locate one another among the thousands filing into the arena. This big sister felt comforted knowing exactly where she was even though there were 3 levels separating us. Soon after we waved like crazy to each other, the lights went dark and the crowd cheered and screamed.

The performers came onto the stage and the music filled the space. My qualms were relieved. This night would only be about One Person's glory and He wasn't one of them wielding a guitar or microphone on that stage, but He was in the room. This must be called a concert because there are performers and there is live music, but other than that the connotation that goes with the word concert ends there. The lyrics came up on two big screens for those of us who did not know all the words by heart. This was a worship service. A 3 hour long worship service and it was amazing. The band was humble and gracious. They were fabulous musicians and singers. They led the arena in song very well. And it was all about Jesus. And my heart was full.

I looked down at Stacey often and saw her singing her heart out with raised hands. It was beautiful. I teared up on more than one occasion.
  

At one point the band left the stage for the night. I had no doubt that they would return for an encore. In the meantime, while the arena was dark, the whole audience continued singing the chorus to the last song they had sung. The WHOLE audience. A Capella. It was incredible and I never wanted it to end because it felt like I was peaking through a slit in the doorway of heaven. A vast multitude of people singing to King Jesus. It felt perfect and right and good.

I look forward to the days ahead when those "nights" are the norm and not the exception. It reminded me of the famous C.S. Lewis quote, "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."

The link below is a play list of Hillsong United music and much of it we sang on Saturday night. I hope you will take a listen and enjoy.

YouTube Playlist

like jonathan and david...

 

She was my first real friend in college. We were both enrolled as Theater Majors and looking back now our friendship was the only real reason for that. She and I were fast friends. Kindred Spirits right from the start. We navigated the waters of independence that college gives to youths fresh from their parents’ homes. Together we explored campus, attended different campus ministries and churches, ran our errands, and just plain processed this new life we were experiencing over meals and car rides.

We lived together one year and it ended on a sour note. We still had a lot of growing up to do at that point. Oh, we were so young! Then, as only the truest of friends can do, we got over ourselves and realized that being friends was far more important than pride or being right. We started really being real with one another and found that sometimes in order to heal the deepest hurts in life, you need a best friend to share them with to help carry the load and see you through. So we did that. A lot. 

And we moved back in together and this time it worked out great. We still had our moments every now and again, but who doesn’t? They are just moments. We watched Dr. Phil every single day while we ate dinner because back then watching Dr. Phil and eating cereal for dinner were both acceptable behaviors. We ran errands and attended campus ministries and church together. We had a wall in the kitchen that we used to randomly put up Bible verses to encourage each other and by the time we moved out it was full and beautiful. Over the years we watched each other make some mistakes and grow up quite a bit. I was there the night she met her husband. She was there when I started falling in love for the first time and heard all about it. 

 

When I look back on my college experience {which I often do}, I cannot help but think of Beth and the many memories we made. The Lord undoubtedly chose us as friends long before we knew it. He molded me and helped me to grow in my faith and in my relationship with Him through much of my friendship with Beth. She will always and forever be dear to my heart.

For 5 years we have lived in different cities and it’s been really sad. In those five years she has had two adorable little boys whom I love very much. This Fall we will be in the same city once again and I hope and pray it will be that way for a really long time. 

The pictures below are from a cruise we went on with her very sweet and generous family. We had an amazing time! We cruised from Boston to Maine to Quebec to Prince Edward Island. We even toured Green Gables, THEE Green Gables! Here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip.

Midnight Chocolate Extravaganza…I can clink my milk carton to that! Cheers! Beth, let’s do this again with our families some day…

 

Today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Beth! Love you, my friend! 

we liked it so much we went back

My dad has a name for it. He calls it, "The Keys Disease". I have it bad. I wrote the message below in the sand and at the time I wasn't sure if I was speaking it to my husband or to that sweet, salt air and soft sand.





We went back with my sister and her husband. We arrived just in time for sunset and it was beautiful.










Each day we hung out on the beach and in the sand bar. Each night we played games and watched the beginnings of Shark Week {which seemed appropriate, but not at the same time given our surroundings during the day}.

I learned that my brother-in-law could do this...



and that my sister has the teeniest bit of a mean streak...




One morning we went to this adorable place called the Midway Cafe for breakfast. Midway because while you dine or shop you will be 80 miles from Miami and 80 miles from Key West. It was delicious, and the ambiance was fabulous. I wanted to go there {still want to} every single day for breakfast. If you find yourself near Mile Marker 80 you should definitely check it out.



Kellie tried their coffee and thought it was delish. They roast their own beans!











Did I also mention that I wanted every single thing I saw in the gift shop including the art on the walls!?  And this sweet, little sign...

On our way down to the house we passed a used bookstore and I was dying to go in! So we took a few minutes to meander through the shelves and shelves of old books. I found quite the treasure! A teen romance novel from 1948. Jean Craig Finds Romance. I cannot wait to read it and see how the times have changed! I'll have to post a picture of the book. 

We then went back to the house and got out to the water where we spent the rest of the day. The guys threw the Frisbee around for a bit while Kellie and I read.



We found several hermit crabs and I just loved checking them out. I am sure it was not a shared affection. I made sure they were put right back where I found them.




Then we found this guy...



and I screamed a bit and laughed at myself a lot.



He was really quite beautiful, and I instantly regretted that one time I ate crab legs and vowed never to do it again.



The next morning was perfection. Serene, gorgeous bliss. Andrew and I enjoyed the quiet company as we sat out there together with our books. I don't think anything could make me more happy or content then to be on the beach with a book.



That particular morning happened to be Kellie's birthday so we wrote a message for her in the sand.








Then while she and Jorge enjoyed the quiet morning, Andrew and I went inside to whip up a batch of birthday cinnamon rolls.







We had a wonderful weekend. I am so sad we aren't there right now. Keys Disease indeed!

i've watched her grow in grace and stature

When I was a little girl I had a bedtime routine. Every night I would get in bed. My mom and I would read a Bible story and then we would pray. My prayers were consistent. I always prayed for a little sister. One day my mom said we had to pick up some cupcakes from Publix to celebrate, but she wouldn’t tell me what we were celebrating until my dad got home. We were sitting in our teeny tiny kitchen and I was bursting at the seams with excitement. WHAT WERE WE CELEBRATING!? Then my mom said the words I had been longing to hear…”You’re going to be a big sister!”

Kellie arrived July 31, 1989 and I could not have been more excited about it! I prepared for her arrival right along with my parents. They went to birthing classes and I went to big sister class 101, where the nurses at the hospital taught me how to swaddle, feed, change, and hold babies. She and I are 8 years apart. We were never really the age where we could play together, but I was happy to care for her and just be with her. As she got older I, I took joy in bossing her around guiding her and being the big sister.






I left home at 18 to go to college. Kellie was 10 and it was sad to not be able to see her grow up. She did homeschooling which was great because it allowed her to come up and spend time with me several weeks at a time while I lived 4 1/2 hours away. We had a great time whenever she came up and I will never forget some of the memories we made. {Or how painfully thin I was when we made them.}












Pretty sure this picture was my idea, but Kellie is a good sport and she humored me.


Kellie was the first person I talked to about Andrew and I. In fact, I woke her up at 2 am to tell her all about his confession of love for me. And she recalled the story when she gave a speech at our wedding, something that I was so proud of her and honored by her for doing.

She is my sister and my best friend. A sounding board where I can go to and talk without receiving judgment, maybe a strange look, but never judgment. She is always honest, but never harsh. I treasure her more than she knows.

Kellie is the kindest person I have ever met. She is always putting others first. There have been many a moment when I have thought of her and looked up to her even though I am the older one. She loves the Lord deeply and she serves Him well. She has traveled the world on mission trip after mission trip. She is quiet and reserved and I am loud and obnoxious unabashed, yet we get along great and she is still willing to be seen in public with me. She is a fabulous daughter, sister, wife, and friend. All who know her well and see her often are blessed!

{This picture pretty much sums it all up.}

I am late in posting this because we were in the Keys celebrating yesterday. Kellie, I hope you felt loved and celebrated. Happiest of birthdays to you! May this year be one of the very best years yet! I love you!