Refinement.

My heart just gets too full, too heavy sometimes. I don't know what to do with it all. How does one go through life being sensitive, so delicate? I read a quote that said the hardest years are between eighteen and twenty-eight - that it's time to be an adult, yet you're just not ready. I feel like that's me right now. Married for almost 7 months, went to college for a semester yet just not getting my feel of it all yet. But I know that this is just a season in my life of it being overwhelming at times. This is my season of being refined, broken down to be built up anew again. God holds me in His hands.

I'll trust in You, Lord.

Get it, girl.

Everyone has been choosing words to live out for 2014. I was interested in doing that for myself as well, but no certain word really pulled at my heart strings, but last night I read a about Megan's word (or phrase) for 2014 and I LOVED it.

So here is my phrase for 2014. I can't wait to see how it plays out for me this year :)

New Goals for the New Year

Well, I finally got my 2014 goals written down. My husband isn't too crazy about New Year's goals as I have come to discover, but that is ay-okay :) I shared in my last post my two 2014 bible verses: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." -Colossians 3:23-24 and  "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1st Corinthians 10:31. 

Five New Year's Goals for the New Year:

1. Read the bible at dinner every night with Josh - we started this tonight and, ohmyword, how it did a wonder for my weary soul. I found a chronological bible reading plan for a year and we read Genesis 1-3 in The Voice translation. It was beautiful. Josh also got the entire Lego version of the whole bible today and we read from that as well. It was fantastic.

2. Limit sodas, sugars, and junk food - really, I need to make no diet sodas my goal, but I know I'll want to splurge on one every once in a blue moon. I want to totally rid my body of sugars and nasty junk food. It does me no good to consume that.

3. Simplify and organize - I've come to realize that I will be a lot less stressed when my home and life is simplified and organized. So this is a BIG one I'm going to really work at. Thank you Pinterest in advance for helping me out with this!

4. Read atleast one book a month - I big fat heart LOVE to read... but I have a problem with finishing an entire book. So my goal is to read and finish atleast one book per month. Right now I am reading Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman and it is oh so good. Go pick you up a copy. The next book on the list is A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet by Sophie Hudson. I've been wanting to read this one for a while now and the reviews are really good.

5. Do more activities with Josh [plan them out, be intentional] -I'm just going to say it. I suck at dating my husband. I've come to realize that I need to plan out activities and dates for us or else they will just fall through.

And while I'm at it, here are some rad finds for the first three days of the New Year:

-It came a big ole' snow pouring last night. It was glorious. The first snow at our new home!

-Josh and I went to TJMaxx today, and Josh saw this dog toy. He seriously fell in love with it and pretty much begged to buy it for Ryland. We got it for only 25 bucks and it's 56 dollars on Amazon! Sweeet!

-Sexy "Christianity". I know it was posted a while ago, but just go read it. Some people have said bad things about the blog post, but it personally did me good to read it and convicted me a little. Stalking God is the response to it.

-Oh my heart. Just go read this story. Lord, use me like you have used this family all for Your glory.

Have a great and blessed weekend!

Shine bright, 2014, shine bright.

2013 has came and went. I welcomed it in at a New Year's Eve concert in Alabama with family and friends, and it went out with me laying in my sister's bed at my parent's house sleeping and being awoken to the New Year with a kiss from my husband. It was peaceful and calm, just what I needed. Lately, I have been such a frazzled mess with moving right at Christmastime (which I strongly advise not to do) and just being so overwhelmed at Christmas. It did my heart good, though, as strange as it sounds. I had to rely on God to get me through. Although my heart is still frazzled and I'm prone to worry, I know God is right there beside me cheering me along to make it through.

Today, I plan on getting a few minor things done before Josh and I head back to our home tomorrow morning. It's always bittersweet to leave the familiarity of our families, even when we only live an hour and a half away from them and visit them every weekend as much as possible.

I found a goal setting worksheet for couples that I am hoping Josh and I can get accomplished today. I wasn't really planning on sitting down and doing a goal worksheet together, but The Dating Diva's shared a January LOVE calendar and the activity for January 1st was to come up with your New Year's Marriage Resolution's together so I thought the little worksheet was perfect.

If all goes as planned, I'll try to update tomorrow with our goals and resolutions we came up with for 2014! In the mean time, here are my TWO 2014 bible verses that I want to really live out and focus on this year:

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." -Colossians 3:23-24

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1st Corinthians 10:31

Happy New Year!

Friday Favorites

I want to be a blogger. I really do. But I just don't know where to begin... rather than just blogging mindless things. I know it will come to  me though eventually. So for now here are some of my favorite things throughout the week.

{one}.

I am in love with this Christmas tradition. I'm not sure I have the money & time to do it this year, but you better believe I'll be incorporating it into my traditions next year!

{two}.

These little dog bowls are the absolute cutest. As soon as I can afford them they will be taking residency in Ryland's little corner.

{three}.

I recently found out about an organization called Project Night Night that I have already started buying items for. Go check it out and get involved. I think it's such a great idea.

I hope everyone has a blessed and safe weekend! Twelve more days till Santa comes to town!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness; Week Two.

I am continuing on from last week with the 30 days of thankfulness link up from The Harrells on Hood.

November 8th: I am thankful for Fridays. The weekends are some of my most treasured times. My husband and I drive back down to our hometown every Friday and stay till Sunday to visit with our families.

November 9th: I am thankful for celebrating family's birthdays and spontaneous babysitting nights. We celebrated Josh's cousins birthday last Saturday at a Mexican restaurant and drove back to his home for cake. We also got to babysit two of the sweetest little girls who, though they are not related by blood, are our family.

November 10th: I am thankful for late night babysitting gigs and church and Sunday lunch. I got to babysit two awesome boys on Sunday night! They were five and seven years old and absolutely so fun to be with. Church on Sunday morning was very refreshing for my soul. Have you heard Nothing I Hold On To/Climb? It penetrated my soul so deeply. Give it a listen.

November 11th: I am thankful for the cold weather. I absolutely love it. Big sweaters, uggs, and great coffee!

November 12th: I am thankful for cute barber shops and new husband hair cuts. I found the cutest little barber shop in our town and I took Josh there to get his hair cut! I'll have to post pictures of it sometime later, but for now here's a picture of  my handsome husband's new do.

November 13th: I am thankful for a husband who takes care of me when I'm sick. I got a cold a few days ago and my husband has been so good to me.

November 14th: I am also thankful for husband's who call from the other room saying "This song is for you!" and precede to play my favorite song from The Nutcracker. He's a keeper, y'all.

wildest dreams.

I recently started a book study with the community at  (in)courage. The book, A Million Little Ways, has already changed the way I think about my life and the way I live my art for God. One of the chapters talks about our wildest dreams and it made me start thinking... what are my wildest dreams? I want to travel all over the world - from England to Italy to Africa to serve. I want to travel to the country where my husband and I will adopt some of our future kid(s). I want to live on a farm and grow my own food and raise chickens and goats and everything else. I want to hear many little feet pitter patter on our floors. I want to be an explorer, an adventurer. My husband shared with me he wants to have a windmill farm. That's his wildest dream.

There's a quote from the chapter that really sticks out to me. It says "What if you desire to do a particular thing because God created you a particular way, not to tease you or to make you miserable, but to actually mold you into becoming more like Him, for His glory and the benefit of others? Could it be possible that thing you most long for, the thing you notice and think about and wish you could do, is the thing you were actually made and are being equipped to do?"
That really struck a chord in me. After I read the chapter, I hopped on over to the discussion blog post on the chapter. I was reading through the comments on the chapter and I noticed a woman's comment that just inspired me so much. She said (to sum it up) that whatever our desires our, whatever our wildest dreams are, start pursuing them NOW. If you want to go to France, start learning French. If you want to live off the land, start growing things NOW! If you want to be a missionary, start now by sponsoring a child! There are so many steps we can take to start fulfilling our wildest dreams NOW! I just loved that so much. I am really going to start focusing on taking baby steps to fulfilling my wildest dreams right now.

It's not too late to go join the book study now! I'm three chapters behind just soaking it all in.