This Good Life

  I can't help it.  I'm in love with this wonderful man.

“May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”     --Mother Teresa

Today, my mind is in a million different places...  Transitions.  Weddings.  Missing mom.  Loving love.  Christmas.  Youth ministry.  In laws.  Good friends.  Work.  Everything that 2015 has entailed.  Seriously....my mind is a pinball machine at the moment!  While some of my thoughts are incredibly hard and full of struggle & doubt, most of the events running through my head contain great joy.  And in the midst of both joy and struggle, I am reminded of something.  ...it is His breath in our lungs I love that phrase.  I love that reminder.  It's beautifully simple, wonderfully powerful, and stunningly peaceful.  We are borrowing life.  Life from the Great Creator.  We are not our own.  And that's amazing...  It's amazing to have love and gratitude for Him who blows air into my soul and stirs my heartstrings as He moves.  In the joy and in the s...

ONE MONTH OF BEING MARRIED!!! It's been such a fun, hard, interesting, and strange journey so far. But I love it. We are learning. Sacrificing for each other. Trying to get better daily. And, hey, it's just super great having an everyday-sleepover with your best friend!  As we are still waiting on the "real" pictures to come in, here are some informal ones!  Love love.                       Go here for our wedding website, which includes the story of THIS! (pictured below):         Being in love is fun.

This is a blog post by Emily P. Freeman.  And these are words that I want to pray today.  From going on an Inner Life retreat this weekend and experiencing solitude, silence, and prayer, to getting back into the full swing of things on a bright Monday morning, I do yearn for more stillness of the weekend.  My life isn't typically "still", nor do I think it will ever be...  My life seems to be busy and full of really good things that take up my time.  Yet solace with the Lord is something my soul desires and something that I want more of.  Lord, to you I pray. "We confess our tendency to worship productivity and that our exhaustion is often the result of our own obsession. Show us how to walk at Jesus’ pace. Remind us that our souls aren’t made for hurry but to find their rest in You. Teach us the sound of our Father’s voice so that we can move to the unforced rhythms of grace. Reveal to us our own assignment and empower us to do our ...

Betrothed. That word takes one a whole new meaning when you are actually experiencing it! I am officially betrothed to my Love, and he to me. It's so exciting! I am loving this time in my life. I'm loving wedding planning, I'm loving all the congratulations and all the newness of our engagement, I'm loving looking forward to October 24th, I'm loving living the transition from independence to preparing for marriage. These are very special months and I won't have them for long! I'm determined to appreciate this time and cherish it while I can. However, I also don't want to be engaged forever.  It's almost like a state of limbo. You're not quite a single person, but you're not fully "one with another" either. You're...waiting.  A beautiful waiting, indeed.  But a waiting that was not designed to be the final destination.   As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices ov...

There are several basic things in this physical life that we cannot live without.   Food.  Air.  Water.  They are needs that must be met and if we do not have them, then we must  seek them out . For those who live in Kenya, for example, water that is drinkable and clean is elusive.  It can be a challenge, if not impossible, to find such a treasure.  Yet when it is found....my, my!  How good it is!  And how much good can be  done   with it – precious water used for cooking, cleaning, hydration and so much more.  God's provision from the sky coupled with rain catchments, freshwater wells, or sand filters provide day-to-day life for  millions .         S imilarly in our spiritual lives, there are several things we cannot flourish without.  In an impoverished or desert spiritual season, we may feel like those essential things are completely missing.   So we must seek them out . ...

I've been debating about posting this for a while.  It's meaningful to me.  It's sentimental.  It's very special.  This is the speech I gave at Momma's memorial.  Well, most of it anyway...I've left off a few parts.  But recently I've been pretty emotional about Mom -- just missing her, needing her, wishing she was around.  Maybe posting these words is a way for me to love on her from afar.  Yes.  That is what I want this to be. Love you, Mom! It's been a very long 23-month journey for our family.  And at the same time, 23 months flew by and it just wasn't long enough...I'm not sure that anyone can be fully prepared for losing someone so close to them.  I know there's not enough mental preparation I could have done in any amount of time to get ready to lose my mom and best friend.  But. There has been such purpose in these past two years.  These years were nothing we expected, nothing we would have asked for, noth...

Well. I went to Iceland. Solo. January 2014.  I loved it.

I love my Youth Group!

A friend from college posted a scavenger hunt challenge. Apparently him and his buddies did a version of this last year in 2014, and it'll be an annual thing for them.  Although I'm not participating with that group per say, I am certainly intrigued.  And I want to borrow their idea...rise up to their challenge...join their game...

I feel like the past 15 months without Mom has consisted of quite a bit of mourning.  Healthy mourning.  Personal mourning.  It's painful, yes.  Little things can trigger the most heart-wrenching of emotions.  But I feel like I've grieved most significantly over losing Judy Swift Newton .  Judy, as a person.  As a woman. The world has lost her laughter and her joy, her compassion and her love for children.  In this earthly life, we'll never again get to experience her goofiness or her godly advice...that came straight from someone who knew her Lord intimately.  We won't get to smell how her Woman perfume makes her smell like the Judy we all adore.  We won't get to crack up at her silliness, be charmed by her personality, or feel incomparably loved by how she cared for people as beautiful individuals.  I won't get to bet pennies on card games with her or go on crazy "I love Lucy"-esque adventures with her.  I'll miss her being ...

For MMXV:  "What if this year, we resolved to live out Faith ? Faith in God who loves us & has our best interest in mind. Faith that when we are walking toward Him, He will guide us & lead us in the right direction. Faith to believe that God has empowered us with wisdom & courage to make good choices . And then Faith to go ahead & make those choices." What if...?