Friday Loves

Here’s what I’ve been loving this week!  I’ve been fighting a cold the last few days so there’s a slight theme with some… 🙂  

1. Hot water with honey!  This has totally made it easier to drink lots of fluids. Nursing and being sick meant upping the fluids quite a bit!

2. Ice cream…for a sore throat 🙂  I’ve been loving the Natural Vanilla from Breyer’s and Pistachio Pistachio by Ben & Jerry’s and Cinnamon Buns by Ben and Jerry’s.  I’ve been looking for the best cookies and cream ice cream out there but can never remember which brands I like and don’t like.  Plus, if anyone ever finds Mint Chocolate Cookie by Ben and Jerry’s let me know….I miss that flavor a lot!

3. Time with Asher, Boaz, and Ryan (when he’s not at work).  Boaz has been such a good sport with all his crazy allergies and then with more kennel time when I got sick.  He’s been so cute around Asher too.  Though, he’s made it his mission to find all of Asher’s pacifiers…

 

4. An awesome 2 mile run with the husband and Asher!  I was super happy with our time considering we had a stroller to push (we each took it for a mile) and since we haven’t been running much.  I ran/walked 3 miles the other day with Asher and Boaz…and let me tell you that is a whole new ball game handling a stroller and a leash!  Also, I’ve so been toying with the idea of sneaking in a half marathon before the weather turns cold, but based on timing it looks like we will have to shoot for next summer for some races.  Maybe we can find a stroller friendly race!

5.  My husband who takes such good care of me while I’m sick!  From helping with Asher to coming home from work early to taking care of the dog to getting me what I want….I’m glad I married him and super glad he’s Asher’s dad!

 

Things I’m Loving Friday

1. My one word for the year! I’m so excited for this word even if it’s already been hard!

2. Gummy vitamins! They taste yummy and I actually take them.

3. Sleepy, cute, cuddly puppies.

Boaz has been so good to me in the mornings and sleeps most of the time, which is so nice!  Poor puppy though has not been able to get outside much because of the extreme cold.  Thankfully, he’s been a champ and gone on the treadmill with me a few times even if I go much slower than he would like!

4. Days off with these guys.

A day off in the middle of the week was perfect!  We slept in, got some things done, watched a movie, and generally just hung out together.  Pretty sure I could get used to having him around all the time.  I suppose work is important too 😉 And I would get antsy if we didn’t do anything and would eventually make us leave! Even though, I love a good day at home; I also love getting out!

5. Mornings to read! Almost done with the Divergent series too!

I was so happy to see that while this series reminds me of the Hunger Games, they are different enough.  So far, they have been fast, easy, and interesting reads.  I am curious about the movie that is coming out soon too!  I also downloaded a whole bunch of those free Beth Moore books! My reading list for 2014 is growing!  I got Angie Smith’s What Women Fear and Chasing God too for Christmas.  So many good things to read!

–Thanks to Julie for the fun post idea!

What’s Up Wednesday

hearing Boaz crunch on an apple that I deemed too old for me to eat

seeing the book of Luke and my DSM book

thinking that I’m ready for spring and to be able to go outside!

doing bible reading, breaking free, and a final exam

looking forward to seeing sigur ros, going to virginia, and planning another vacay

feeling content and happy to have Boaz home

touching the wooden chairs my grandmother made

missing africa and friends

thankful for being able to sleep in, cereal, pretty wedding pictures, marriage, friends, sunlight, mountains

excited about going to the mountains again

coming up easter, spring, and ally & levi coming home!

something old the shorts i’m wearing that i love

something new a super soft liberty sweatshirt that i got for free

something blue Boaz’s chew toy

3 months and counting

3 super happy months of being married! woot! in celebration, I went through our wedding pictures and honeymoon pictures to finally post them on facebook.  if we’re friends, you can look at them here. made me totally want to do the whole day over again and to run off to the mountains and the beach like now. but instead, i’ll make a list of all the fun things i love about life right where i’m at! in no particular order here are 12 things for the 12th.

1. being married

2. my awesome husband

3. my adorable dog Boaz who loves me

4. my church family.

5. a wonderful place to live that is warm even though it’s still cold outside

6. traveling to look forward to in the future

7. friends’ super cute babies

8. being able to e-mail and text best friends

9. being able to cook all sorts of deliciousness

10.  pinterest boards of lovely things

11. books to read and time to read them

12. mornings spent with god reading the bible and doing the breaking free bible study

What are you loving about your life right now?

Hello

I’ve discovered that I need to be willing to say “hello” in order to have the opportunity to love well.  Since I’ve experienced the revolving door of missions and life, I find myself hesitating to engage.  I skirt the outside of the group waiting to see where the cards will fall.  I toss the decision back and forth in my mind about whether or not it’s worth it to put my heart out there.  Saying good-bye over and over is hard on a heart.

Coming to Greece challenged me like none other in this area. I knew I’d only have a limited amount of time here to meet people and then the good-bye’s would come.  I came in unintentionally with an agenda of not crying or connecting too deeply.  That didn’t work.  Not at all.

I couldn’t help but love big and love hearing everyone’s stories.  I found myself opening up and making heart connections.  I stripped the masks slowly and painfully.  I stared in the mirror at my own weaknesses and insecurities.  And the beautiful thing? I was loved deeply.  The girls here ushered me in with grace sprinkled hands that knew how to hold my heart well.  They pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to jump off the cliff.

The hard good-bye’s taught me that I can risk and show up and that the hello is absolutely worth it.

Home?

i’m still catching my breath not sure if it’s really okay to breathe again…still tentatively being like, wait really? and yet all the time thinking oh hey maybe this is just the beginning of a beautiful year of celebrating!

so without further adieu here is the current photo menagerie of the place i’m calling “home?”

it’s a start. a work in progress. and likely things will change, but so far i do love it and it’s me.

first off. i legit love my bed.

and well as you can see…i have a love for shoes and standing mirrors.

I’m in love with this shelf I found–for now it’s here in the kitchen! Plus, the clock has always made me happy.

a little cluttery but convenient and logically placed to include all sorts of happy over here from my mod podge magnetic board to my yellow cup to the paper towels with cupcakes on them to my pink blender to my bright colored silver wear.

love from africa postcard + marathon love water bottle + cute white table + painted chair=happy

the words came of course…because I love me some words and can stand in front of the fridge for FAR too long playing with these–at least I’m not eating?!

and this one found a spot on my wall.

here’s my lived-in living room

i LOVE accessories! hello tons of earrings and some necklaces! and cute african boys giggling at me as I get ready.

added a few pops of color in here =)

this room gets SO much sunlight in the afternoon it’s glorious.

transformed this little area into a nice workspace.

and here’s some more books and more africa.

and oh hey craft corner!

and lastly cue my fave furniture find!

there you have it! the lovely picture tour =)

control vs freedom

are you afraid of anything that has the power and the strength to sweep you off your feet and go over your head? #controlvsfreedom

ISAIAH 52:1-2 Awake, Awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. ²Shake yourself from the dust; arise, sit [erect in a dignified place], O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

The very thought of being swept away by a current far more powerful than I, terrifies me.  The ocean tides wait to drag me under deep.  The swirling water pooling at my feet hauntingly whisper of the way they can pull me out to sea.

Yet, in all that glorious power, when coupled with goodness, I find freedom.  When I let go of my fear and mostly of my control, I find peace.  I find the peace that surpasses understanding.  The Lord, Mighty to Save, sweeps me off my feet.  He drowns me in His love.  His love is fierce.

And if I’m honest. I want that same kind of love.  Love like a lion.  Love to sweep me off my feet and surprise me like crazy.  A love worth waiting for…

whole

That beautiful time of the week slipped into place without notice.  Friday, you’ve come all too soon and yet right on time. My heart still needs to play a little catch up and my head wants to process oh so much more.  Time swooshes by and I’m reaching for air to exhale so I’m ready for a little ditty of writing without editing. Five minutes without frills.  The real, raw kind of writing that hits my soul in a refreshing way.  No holds bar. Whatever pours out onto the page.  And today, we’re writing on….

Whole

I crinkle the sides of my face when I think about the beautiful thing the Lord did.  If you’ve seen my face and the laughter that comes when talking about this story then you’ll know that I’ve found my safe place.  I found someone safe who listens to my whole story.  I laugh because for so long I kept secret about this refuge because I hadn’t learned how to swallow my pride.  Most often people gets bits of my story and bits of my heart.  Those who know the whole story lodge themselves in the depths of my heart. This healing process with this counselor friend mentor peer beautiful soul  unfolds in unexpected ways and I’m realizing that the journey toward wholeness requires telling the whole story.  The more pieces I tell the more I come together and fold unto myself in wholeness amidst the brokenness. God loves hearing me share the whole story. So do other people. The real parts of life. Life’s too short to skimp on these.

—–

what pours out of your heart when you write about “whole”?

hope

and this makes me think that maybe just maybe i’ve had hope all along.

and trust i’m choosing. over and over. trust that hope won’t disappoint.

hope in god. that is.

praying.

seeking.

asking.

knocking.

waiting.

#abh

made for monday

Hey there Monday! Let’s kick up our feet and play along because Monday’s need a little fun and questions seem to do the trick. Plus, I love hearing people’s responses =)

Are you going on any summer vacays? Yes!! Eee, leaving tomorrow for a little cali-cation. 

What is your favorite place to eat? Um. Why I asked a favorite question when I don’t do favorites well…but I think my fave place to eat pre-marathon is now Olive Garden—chicken scampi sans chicken…so basically scampi. so tasty! I do love panera, chipotle, starbucks (for PTL and vanilla chai), cheesecake factory, nando’s, and really though most of the time i love eating at home since most of those slash all of them aren’t even in my town… =)

What’s God whispering to your heart lately? rest. trust. hope. especially in the hard. share your story. and it’s okay to cry. 

What is the most random thing you see in the room you’re in right now? I don’t know if it’s “random” but it’s a wooden giraffe. I liked it so I put it on my bookshelf. 

Skirts or shorts? Skirts!!! Still looking for that elusive running skirt that will stay in place and keep me happy on those long runs that I love.

Favorite type of pen to use? I have yet to find one….on the hunt for one! I really really really would love to find some awesome colored pens that don’t bleed through the pages in my bibles. That would be fabulous. Though, I want all colors–pink, yellow, green, red, blue, purple, etc. 

What is one thing you always pack? A good book to read. Any recommendations?? I just finished “Whatever you do, Don’t Run” and it was fabulous and hilarious! So was Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me. I’m also FINALLY reading A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Yay for good books.

Top love languages? Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Quality Time/Touch, Acts of Service. Shower me with words of love and encouragement and I melt especially when they come in the form of surprise gifts of words. Give me a BIG, honest, “I love you no matter what” kind of hug and I exhale. Connect with me and be intentional about talking/spending time with me and let me know that you’re not going to leave and you’ll have me teary eyed. 

What are you praying about like the persistent widow prayed? home. (not necessarily a place, but kind of…not necessarily people, but kind of…it’s just home. i want home. so many heart desires rolled into that little word that i keep asking with tears in my eyes saying, home? is that too much to ask for?)

Song(s) on repeat? Brian Wahl’s songs, Perfect by Pink, Redeemer by the Moment Sound, Last Train Home by FM Static, What if We Were Real by Mandisa, Just Cry by Mandisa, Amos Story by Aaron Ivey, When She Cries by Britt Nicole, Come Home Beautiful by Seth Primm, The Beat by Ben Rector, and I’m sure quite a few others…I’m SO a repeat girl. 

Your turn!