Rose infinti T-shirt Scarf

I love traditions especially Christmas ones! Growing up we had a few traditions I know I will carry on  when Lance and I have kids. One tradition we had is every year we drew names and bought that person an ornament in my family, all the way up until us kids got married, when I got married my dad boxed up my ornaments and gave them to me to put on my tree!

 Which brings me to this post about my scarf! On my husband's side of the family they have a tradition with the whole family (cousins, aunts, grandparents, and whoever else comes!) it's a sort of gift exchange, except these are the terms: the gift has to be home made or an act of service.

For example one year someone's act of service was to put Christmas lights up the following year, another persons gift was to offer manual labor on any household project. Some home made gifts were chocolate cake balls, someone wrote a book, and someone made an audio cd of a book.

Well since Lance and I don't live close to the family it's hard for us to do an act of service as our gift so we usually make something. I saw this idea from one of the girls in our church with this t-shirt scarf, and took it and made my own version of it. It was so easy!

I took one of Lance's t-shirts(he has so many he never wears!) Cut it across the width over the stomach, you can do it however thick you want it so it's best to use a plain t-shirt so no designs are on it. Then I cut the trim of the sleeves and started twisting it and as I shaped it into a rose, petal by petal I would hand sow it. Then just sow the rose wherever you want it!

You can probably do any flower or design  even buttons, and since these are in right now it's perfect, you don't even have to go to a store just look in your closet (or your husbands)

Since I'm on a 2 week break I love trying new projects out especially ones that don't require me to go to the store!

D. I. O. (Did it Ourselves)

The past few months I have been in the search for a dining room table. It's been a want of mine for quite some time because when Lance and I got married we did what we could with what we were given to furnish our home and don't get me wrong we were so blessed.
Our previous table was a little bistro set we got at Bed Bath and Beyond with some gift cards from our wedding, I really do like that table it's just a little small. Now 2 years later we are ready for a bigger table, one we can actually have people over for dinner and we don't have to sit on the floor by our coffee table to eat lol (Oh good times) The tables I have been looking at cost around $400-$1900 (Ikea, Crate & Barrel, and Pottery Barn) I would love to buy those if I had the money but I'm not one to spend money on something I know I can score a better deal so.....

I'm really excited to share about this table because for one it only cost me $40 and second me and Lance got to refinish it ourselves! Now looking at this table it had a lot of scratches but she was calling out to me to be rescued! We found it on Craigs List and the guy was moving I probably could have got it a lil cheaper but I loved it so much I was ready to pay the full asking price. So here she is before

Isn't she a beauty! The lighting isn't good but its an old ugly maple color

We sanded it down (well Lance did lol) took off that old scratchy maple color. (I give all the hard elbow work credit to my amazing hot looking husband)

His arms were made for this job! I only lasted a lil bit lol

The outcome of this table was exactly what I was trying to picture in my head which those rarely turn out for me so I was ecstatic to see how awesome this turned out, I love it! We got these chairs from Ikea and stained them to match the table, theres a bench Im getting that we will stain as well, and then just 2 more accent chairs and my dining table will be complete!

 

Addy loves this table already! I don't blame her, we had our first meal on it the other night and played cards!

She looks like she owns it (she probably will)

Total cost of this Pottery Barn Project:

Table- $40

2 Ikea Chairs- $20 each total of $40

Wood Stain- $8

Sander-$20

The bench I'm getting- $70

2 accent chairs- not sure yet haven't found them
2 new handles for the drawers- still looking for those

TOTAL- $178

O' Christmas Tree

These last 2 weeks I have been getting ready for Christmas, got most of all my shopping done, got the tree decorated, and even made a couple of my own decorations! I'm one of those people that like to enjoy the holidays and my vacations and so I usually try to get things done early so I can relax and not stress. Of course I'm not perfect and so the stress part usually falls upon me once or twice especially when it comes to buying presents but it only lasts a short minute and then I have to remember the real reason of Christmas and not get carried away. I think it happens to a lot of us I'm not trying to codemn anyone (mostly speaking to myself (: JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON sometimes that sounds cheesy but its true! Well just wanted to share some pics of what I have been up to

These centerpieces were so easy and cheap:

Floating Candles: I had leftover from our wedding

Vases: $1.00 from Dollar Tree & thrift

Cranberries: $2.28 from Walmart

Pine Branches: Free if you have a tree (: 

or go to the lot or u can buy them in a bundle at grocery stores

Well we decided to go with red & gold for our tree and we couldn't find

our star so we used these branches, I still don't know where our star is!

My tree pic came out blurry :(

I bought this wreath a month or 2 ago for $2 and got these ornaments

and the dollar store: Total cost of wreath $6

Thanksgiving Break

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with friends and family I know I sure did! This past week has been such a refreshing little break, I was able to sleep in, hang out with friends, knit, do some shopping, and most of all be with family!

My friend Rach and her gorgeous daughter Bella

 My husband Lance and I drove to Lubbock to spend time with his family, which is about 5 hours from us, we also brought one of the MC students with us his name is Sully. On Thanksgiving we had about 40 people eat with us! I know what your thinking WOW my words exactly, but it was neat that everyone wanted to bring someone, we were sure blessed with great food and the love truly was all around! And for the first time I got to try a piece of turkey that was fried and it was delicious! And of course Lance made his famous deviled eggs, which were consumed in minutes!

 After all the food was digested and I had my little nap we decided to start our black friday shopping at midnight! It was actually easier to start shopping at night instead of waking up at 4 in the morning but sadly by 3 am I threw in the towel and called it quits I was so sleepy lol

Me and Connie getting ready to hit the sales! We got some good stuff!

I love this time of year, it easily puts me in a good mood! Tomorrow we head back towards Dallas and hopefully by next weekend we will have a tree to decorate! Then 3 more weeks with the MC students and then another break for Christmas! Wow these months are flying by!

This break has not only been refreshing but has motivated me in the little things. After being around a lot of people, it was such a good reminder to just slow down and love people. When we were waiting in line at Toys R Us a lady drove by and wanted to give us free coffee, it was 25 degrees and temperatures were dropping, it was such a nice random act of kindness from a stranger. With that said find little ways to spread the love this season, love ya'll and have a wonderufl weekend!

Happy Anniversary!





On Monday marked my 2 year anniversary with my husband, we went to San Antonio to get away and it was wonderful. These past 2 years have been the start of a crazy but exciting journey, since we got married we have lived in 3 different apartments, together have had 6 different jobs, and have gotten to be a part of starting a church. It's been a great adventure so far I have learned a lot about him, a lot about myself but mostly I have learned about love...Loving eachother and loving our marriage..I would love to share with you some things I have fallen in love with:

 I love the child-like side of our marriage how we can stay up as late as we want, go for a snack or ice cream run at 11 at night, I love that when I'm sick I never have to worry about being alone cuz Lance is always there, I love that we can have movie marathons, go for walks together, pray together, read our book together, I love that we have random date nights and I love that once a month we have a planned date, I love that we study together, and can share what we are learning.

 I love that sometimes I need a punching bag to vent to and he allows me to use him, I love that he loves my cat even though he doesn't like to admit it, I love when he makes me dinner or cooks me pancakes, I love that Lance is spontaneous and sometimes crazy, I love that he is my opposite and challenges me, I love when he tries to make me coffee and surprises me with flowers, I love his boldness and the country boy inside,  I love that he cares about the little things that make my heart smile and bring me joy. He is my best friend and the love of my life!

I love you Lance Aaron Ainsworth! Happy Anniversay babe!!!

Simple Words

Mondays are my Saturdays to a lot of people, it's my day off. Like some people I like to have a balanced day off... what does that mean? Well I like to sleep in, relax, but yet get some kind of work done whether its cleaning or running errands.. all at my own pace. Now don't get me wrong there have been some days where I am completely lazy and just stay in my pjs and don't get ready til 3 in the afternoon and watch movies all morning... I love those days just the same!

 I like Mondays it's a day to reflect on the past week and get ready for the next. Something I know all too well and yet still run in to time to time is "worrying" or "stressing" that was last week for me and my husband quickly reminded me that it does no good. 

Matthew 6:27 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life."

Sometimes I feel if I think and stress too much about something that a solution will pop out of nowhere...lol that's a stupid idea. What I need to do is realize "Ok God you have always taken care of me, you have always provided I have never gone without, you always given me guidance, and you always give me your strength when I need it." So simple yet I forget it and have to be reminded.

So this week I'm a free bird, worry free, stress free, living for the now and focusing on God. I encourage those that whatever your thinking too much about to set it free so you can live free. Have a blessed week!

Psalms 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

Simple Words

"THE SMALLEST CROWD YOU WILL EVER LEAD IS YOURSELF....

BUT IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE" -John Maxwell

When God speaks to me it's usually pretty simple, sometimes loud and clear and sometimes in a whisper. I feel like it might be that way for a lot of people. Most of the time it's me hearing God in my own thoughts saying something like this..."OLIVIA YOU KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO DO DUH"  lol well it's different everytime but somehow God always gets His Way and His Will through to me.

I just wanted to share what God has been teaching me and like I said it's pretty simple but to just "lead yourself" no one else can do it for you, other than God you know yourself best. Sometimes we feel like we can't grow or be challenged until someone else paves the way but what God has been telling me is "Olivia lead yourself by following me I am the way"  Is God going to put leaders and accountability in your life of course but we have the choice to make ourselves grow. My prayer is to strive to be a great leader not of a crowd but of myself. Thank you God for always teaching me and loving me.

"FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH I CALL TO YOU, I CALL AS MY HEART GROWS FAINT, LEAD ME TO THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I." Psalms 61:2

Pumpkin Patch!

This past weekend was fun my hubby and I went to the Pumpkin Patch!

This was our first time going to this pumpkin patch and we got lucky because there ended up being 2 patches right next to eachother which means more selection to choose from. Let me tell you I was on the hunt for a good looking pumpkin!

We have a winner!

I love pumpkins mostly for whats on the inside. Lance and I have this silent agreeement where he carves the pumpkin and I bake the seeds it works out quite well actually! Can you guess what he carved?

 Last year we tried this new recipe with the seeds and we like it so much we decided to make it again. Of course I still favor the traditional salted ones so I made both!

This picture is the one of the cinnamon ones(Lance's fav)
What you need:
Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar, Butter spray
Bake on 375 for 15 min or a lil longer if you like them crispy! Enjoy!

This was a fun week but as much as I love pumpkins my favorite time of the year is just around the corner......Christmas! Not gonna lie I have already started listening to Christmas music lol. Until next time have a wonderful week!

Deep in the Heart of Texas!!!

Sweet Savings Saturdays

I'm back again this week linking up with Becky over at http://www.kindnessinspires.com/ to share the fabulous finds we got for great deals. It's been fun for me because I just moved and am still in the process of decorating our home which quite honestly I think for most of us is a never ending process lol. But anyways here's what I found:

 Candlestick- $3

So I was really excited when I found this because I had 2 other candlesticks that I loved but my cat broke them so in honor of those I got this one!

My next purchase I found was an old lantern, now I don't want you to think my apt is themed in light fixtures but lanterns are something I began having an interest in a couple years ago. I saw this one and it was discounted cuz there's a piece of glass missing but you can't tell and it just makes it look that much older.

Lantern-$1.49

This is Addy she also like this lantern!

The bicycle on the right is another lantern I got from someone but the actual lamp broke :(

The last thing I found was a jar and I have been wanting something to put my cottonballs in which sounds strange but when I have my mind set on how I want something to look I hold out til that "look" is complete.

Jar- $1.49

I'm still looking for something to put my cutips in if you have any ideas please help!

So for 3 small textiles I only paid $6.48 this was a great week for me. If you want to share in this excitement come join us weekly to inspire and get inspired!

Sweet Savings Saturdays

I'm so excited for this post because I was inspired by my friend Becky to pull out the creative side in me and so  I have decided to link with her http://www.kindnessinspires.com/p/sweet-savings-saturdays.html and share in the inspirations. 

Well this week was my first attempt and I was a little busy packing and moving but of course us girls can not turn our eyes when we spot something that can turn into a treasure. My treasure was a wreath I found for $2 at a local thrift store I don't think it would have normally caught my attention but Kindness Inspires posted a crafty idea in holiday wreaths and it stuck with me.

I hope to get some ornaments or some sort of decor to make it into a Christmas wreath (my First Christmas wreath)

My next find was more personal lol I found a Banana Republic sweater for $3 now I'm not one to shout brand names but when I get it for a good deal I can't help but boast!

This was exciting for me because the weather is changing and a good sweater is always a comfort in the closet.

That's all I have for this week I'm excited to be inspired and share in the creative ideas of others feel free to join us!

Birthdays & Busyness

This past month was fun, crazy, and exciting! We celebrated 2 birthdays, Lance's birthday was Sep 15th and mine was Sep 25. We are only 10 days a part and we both turned 26! For Lance's birthday I took him to Benihanas since he has never been there.

 And for mine well we went to Stephan Pyles I have never been there but they are known for their desserts I guess the chef was on Top Chef. It was quite an interesting evening but one I will never forget! I also got to go shopping and Lance got me an Espresso Machine!

In the midst of the birthdays the Masters Commission students arrived  and we had a full week of orientation which included prayer, team building, a breakfast, a letter to God, and so much more! Our theme for Masters this years is "A Year of Never Befores" Giving our students opportunities to do things they have never done before and taking them on an adventure!

I'm truly excited for this packed year, it's gonna be great I'm living one of my dreams and I don't want to take it for granted! I can't wait to share what God's gonna do! Stay tuned....

a lil tired

It's been a few days since I wrote and there's a reason....I have been so tired lately but a good tired! We have been a little busy getting ready for this next year of Masters Commission this past week we moved furniture into all the apartments for the students and have been working on the first week of orientation. All of the leadership and staff are back and making things happen for this to be a great year! More than physically tired its been mentally draining but in a weird way I like it because when I get home my bed is my favorite piece of furniture and I fall right to sleep, which I love!
Well I just wanted to drop by and fill you in. Things are going great, just living life and although some days I feel like I'm trying to keep up with it I'm loving every minute of it! Have a wonderful weekend and be blessed!

"The Purpose of Life is a Life of Purpose."

Go and BE....

Dreams do come true!

September has already started off pretty crazy for me we just got back from one of our best friend's wedding in North Carolina and it was beautiful! We reunited with some great friends and really just enjoyed ourselves! I love weddings!

Well a few posts back I wrote about a new journey that was in the works. My husband Lance and I started applying for positions at other churches a few months ago we really felt God was taking us in a new direction we just didn't know where and decided to just "move" and take a step somewhere. Well to make a long story somewhat short our steps lead us back to where we started. Funny how God works and the ways He works I am  constantly in awe of His splendor!

I have had a dream for about 5 years to be a director of Masters Commission USA, these past 2 years I felt that dream slowly slipping away. I stopped thinking about it stopped planning for it and stopped dreaming about it. Honestly I wasn't really sad about it I just thought maybe God had other dreams for me and that was just something to encourage me for the future. Well turns out that, that dream never disappeared but God had it stored in a secret place, I like to think that God placed it in a crock pot and turned the heat on slow and let it cook just at the right pace so when I tasted it, it was made perfect just for me! 

This year I get the opportunity to work with Masters Commission as an assistant director and I am so excited. A passion of mine is to see young people loving God with everything and seeing them at their full potential and that's what I will get to be a part of this year and I can't wait! 

I have a lot of dreams and sometimes I feel that my dreams are so big that they kind of just wander into space and might not ever come down to earth and happen but now I can whole-heartedly say "dreams do come true" and it's like nothing I have ever experienced and my challenge for those reading this, is this... "Dream, dream bigger than you think, and if you stopped dreaming come alive and pick that dream back up because there is an All Powerful God that wants to create dreams for you and He needs you to be patient and carry those dreams out! We were all created for a purpose and I believe the dreams God gives us are little pieces of that purpose."

"Nothing happens unless we first dream." 

"You are never to old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream. " C.S Lewis

Vacation

 I don't have too much to say...This past week was a little busy and definitely sad. We said good bye to one of my best friends and her husband. They are headed to Boston, they felt like they were suppose to leave and be closer to their family. I fully understand that, family is important and especially when your thinking about starting one of your own you want to be by them. I know friends can come and go but I truly believe I will be friends with her forever so it doesn't make me too sad just sad to know she's no longer in the same state. 

Well summer is pretty much over and I'm almost ready for it to be because I love fall! But the reason I'm not quite ready is because I haven't really taken a vacation lol I mean to me that's what summer is all about. Not to worry though Lance and I are about to go to South Carolina to visit grampy and then we will head to North Carolina for one of our best friend's wedding. It's gonna be a good week and its pretty much our vacation. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully being able to finish my book (since that was one of my summer goals) 

So until then, enjoy whatever is left of summer!

Jaimie Lynn Marie

You will have to excuse me I'm not myself today. Actually, around this time every year my emotions are usually all over the place.

 I wasn't going to post anything especially today because this week has been a little difficult but I really wanted to share what has been going on in my mind because for one what I'm going to say is the one thing in my life I rarely talk about and my husband asked me why I don't and the truth is... I think I'm scared to talk about it because I fear it will make me sad but really I need to because I don't want to forget and second it's a part of my life and I started this blog to share the things God is teaching me and about His love. So here it is...

9 years ago today the most devastating thing happened to our family, my mom passed away. She was one of the most amazing women I know. Her name was Jaimie Lynn Marie, she was a school teacher and was actually mine and my sisters 5th grade teacher( and no we didn't get special treatment) 

She's the first person who taught me how to worship God. At the private school she taught, every morning she would make her students sing and said that it didn't matter if you had a good voice but that we needed to practice because that is what will be doing when we get to heaven. She is also the first person who taught me to read my Bible. She would get up every morning at 5:30 and read her Bible, I wanted to be just like her. She loved coffee, cats, and jewelry, I guess that's where I get my likings from.

 These past couple years I have missed her the most I think because of all the transitions in my life she would have been my go to person and the other day I felt like I was forgetting her so I wanted to share some things for my sake but also to say that through this unexpected situation I began to have a real relationship with God something I don't think would have happened if my mom was still here. Even though I miss my mom's love and her presence in this world, I know God's love is so much stronger and is everlasting. Really I needed to begin to rely on Him more. Not only that but he gave me a husband and best friend that will talk about her with me whenever and that is something I prayed for because it was such a sensitive event in my life.

 Honestly most days I don't think about her, and some days I will randomly cry, but I know I will always love her in my heart. God really does have a plan for everything, good or bad if you just trust in Him! Through this I have learned that healing is not always a "one time thing" but a process that God wants to break down so He can rebuild and take out the hurt and pain and make us stronger. I have learned that what was once my pain can become someone else's healing. Lastly I have learned that God is the only consistent thing in my life and is always there for me.
I leave you with this my mom's favorite verse:

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Lettuce Wraps

One of the things I love about Lance is that he is always up for trying new things. We love trying new restaurants and new foods to eat because sometimes being in a routine can get a lil boring. Our new favorite meal to eat is Thai Lettuce Wraps especially since its like 110 degrees outside and the humidity is a killer, lettuce wraps are not only filling but refreshing! 

So if you have never had them I recommend trying them at The Cheesecake Factory that's where we first had them. Now since we can't go eat there every time we crave them we decided to make them. Lance and I like to sometimes to take a recipe and alter it to our liking and in doing that it may not always turn out but we talk it over and discuss what would work better next time. That's what happened with this recipe it was definitely edible but needs a few alterations. The lettuce was perfect fresh and crispy, the chicken was cooked just right, but it was our veggies. We mixed the veggies in a stir fry with the chicken and it got a little too much flavor so next time cook the veggies separately and we would add asian noodles to put in the lettuce wraps.

In case you want to try here's what we used but you can 

always be creative and put what you think you would like:

1 lb or lil less of boneless skinless chicken strips 

2 tbsp veg oil

montreal seasoning (for the chicken)

1 cup Mixture of veggie slaw (broccoli, cabbage, carrots)

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp ginger

Iceberg Lettuce

 Soy Sauce depending on your liking

dash of basil(or fresh basil broken up)

dash of sesame oil (optional)

Cucumbers sliced (optional)

Heat oil on high, cook chicken about 2 min on both sides, then add garlic and ginger. In a separate pan add a lil oil cook veggie slaw, add soy sauce, basil. Wrap it all in the lettuce and enjoy!

Notice the Veggies to the right how dark they look! Too much flavor, you should be able to see the color lol and we forgot the cucumbers!

Summer Projects

These past couple of weeks I have been working on a couple projects some turned out pretty good and of course I hit my bumps in the road. 

The first was a quilt I started working on last summer, now this was before I had a sewing machine so I started it by hand and it wasn't turning out to good. I have never made a quilt by hand so I wasn't expecting it to be amazing but I was becoming frustrated and a little disappointed with it. And well I'm not the type of person to give up so easy I do try to find an alternative solution if something doesn't work out. So I thought well now that I have a sewing machine why not turn it into a sewing machine cover, so that's what I did. I was not going to let all that hard work go to waste!

My second project I made sure was a little easy, I guess you can say I needed to re-boost my self-esteem a little. I made pillows for our bed. I felt pretty good about this one because the fabric cost me $4.19 and I already had the stuffing so for 2 new decorative pillows I didn't have to pay $10-20 each and I always find great joy and satisfaction in knowing I saved myself some bucks!

Lastly, this project hmmm...... well let's just say it was fun and great practice! 

I made an apron but I wanted to use some of the pieces of fabric my aunt sent me and went for this tie-dye kinda theme and I just wasn't pleased with the outcome. Can't really say what, I just think it lacks something. So anyways I'm sure I'll use it and make more but that's what I have been up to. Summer is almost over so I'm finishing these projects and will probably start new ones. Fall is on its way I can't wait its one of my favorite seasons!

Shining a little Hope

I read something this morning and wanted to share it because for one its from God's Word and there's nothing more powerful or encouraging then His words and second it brought me hope.

1 Peter 1: 6-7 " In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

When I read this it wasn't the word trials that stuck out to me but faith. My faith is more valuable than gold and God wants to get rid of all impurities so I can be useful to Him. The trials we go through are a refining process not a punishment, they are a tool not a weakness, but if we do not walk through them with faith as our backbone we will fall. 

In Psalms 47:4 it says that God chose our inheritance for us. That's good to know! We must do our part for His kingdom so we can receive the inheritance that He already chose for us.

God mold me and use me so I can bring you glory and honor.

It's the little things

Well it's been an interesting month full of decision making, new changes, and just a lot of "newness" if that's a word. 

So I wanted to take a break for myself. I feel everyone needs to take those kinds of breaks in their life where you just relax and do... whatever is you want!

So for me something I enjoy doing and have since I was little, was sewing. My aunt is the most creative person I know when it comes to fabric, sewing,  quilting, pretty much anything crafty she knows how to do it.  

In fact she even made my sister's wedding dress!

When my sister and I were little girls she bought us a sewing machine and taught us everything we know.

Unfortunately my sewing machine is back home in California and these past months I have had the itch to sew something so my wonderful husband went out and bought me a sewing machine! Not only that but I told my Aunt about this crave and she sent me a box of fabric what more could I ask for! So here I go sorting through fabric I think I am going to make an apron..... 

The devil is a liar!

 I’m a 100% human but sometimes I wish I was a superhero and had my own special powers. So I’m going to vent for a little bit, don’t worry it’s not about a friend of mine but I’m pretty sure you know who I’m talking about. Let’s just call him for what he is: the enemy, the evil one, a thief, a piece of trash and really not worth venting about but like I said I’m only human.

I mean “Who does he think I am? A Fool! Please…. He is wasting his time I’m not as vulnerable and insecure as he thinks! He’s an idiot and all the other cuss words!”

Ok I'll stop there...

Let me just say if bad things start happening to you and you’re being attacked from left to right just know you’re in God’s will and to keep pushing through.

“Satan will do anything he can to scare you away from your God-ordained destiny.”- Beth Moore

I woke up today with my game face on and wanted to beat someone up you know the one I’m venting about. Normally if something bad were to happen to me I would stress, think anxiously about it, and take it out on the next innocent person standing in front of me but not today. And honestly that would have done me no good anyways so why not take it out on the devil! I woke up with a bad dream and instantly prayed against it! I was stressing about finances and decided to speak boldly God's rain of blessings down and seriously within minutes we were blessed financially! Now I’m not trying to sound all strong and righteous cuz most times I’m not but that’s why I have God in my life, He is truly my strength, and my provider! I believe its okay to get mad but for the right reasons and to not dwell on it. I just wanted to share that because sometimes when attacks come I don't always fight the right enemy but I choose to fight myself or others around me and that's not good. So all that to say is don't be like me and do that but know who you're fighting and that God is on your side!

“The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy; but You Lord Jesus you have come that I may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10

More Bitter than Sweet

I guess in the last post I didn’t boldly come out state that we are moving to Arizona but yes we are, we prayed about it and really feel this is the direction God is taking us. When we made our decision and the answer was the same on both ends Lance and I were very excited and still are. But it wasn’t until Sunday that it really began to sink in that we are leaving our family. When I say family I’m not talking about our immediate family, but our brothers and sisters; the ones that have walked with us, discipled us, led us, prayed for us, loved us, shared good times with…our friends. Since this whole decision we have been pretty discrete about talking about it to our family I guess because we are sad and though we know they would share in the excitement with us, it really is going to be hard and different.

There are few things in this life I do not like and one of them is goodbyes, I hate goodbyes I’m not very good at them, when my mom passed away I didn’t get to say goodbye and people would tell me that’s okay because you will see her in heaven. Well, I do know heaven will not be the next time I see our family I pray not anyways but for now I will just say see you later. I don’t wish to be all sad and gloomy in this blog but to bring encouragement.

So I will say this, that there are friends that come into our lives for seasons some long, some short and then there is family, family lasts forever. Therefore I have that to hold on to, they are family, they are valuable, and to make sure I keep them in my life!
Signed with tears

Revelations

In the past couple days I have experienced a few revelations and theres nothing better than grasping it, letting it sink in and then sharing it so it can help others now or in the future, so here I go:
Lately I have been wanting a simple Yes or No answer from God is this what we are suppose to do? YES or NO, should we go here? YES or NO unfortunately God doesn't work like that. Instead God showed me through feelings and through His eyes. We needed an answer to a job we interviewed for at a church and during service I began to feel what God felt about these people, I began to feel His love for them and His purpose for them. God didn't just want us to show up, Him leave and then He give us the answer after it was all done but He wanted to intimately walk with us through the whole process so we could feel what He thought about these people so we could see His vision for the church and in turn we would know if that's where we were suppose to be. I hope this makes sense sometimes it doesn't always come out the way it does in my heart. But I pray for anyone making tough decisions to really feel God through it all and to not just ask Him to guide you through it but to intimately walk right with you.

Moving Forward

Well our trip to Arizona was all that I hoped and wished it to be and definitely welcomed us with her heat. There were 4 things I was expecting coming back to Dallas and when you ask you shall receive. My pastor previously spoke on “Asking God for things” and I can definitely say I have put that into action. I asked God for friendships in the works and we met some incredible young men and women of God. Sadly, I have no pics because we were constantly on the go but we did meet a wonderful couple, Jeff and Tiffany. Tiffany is the Pastor’s daughter and Jeff is Tiff’s husband, they are very passionate about seeing young people grow in their relationship with God and not to mention are very musically talented! We thank you Jeff and Tiff for hanging out with us and of course for our In&Out treat!

2nd on my list, “a tan,” coming to Arizona that was one thing I knew I could get without even trying. I love the sun you can ask my husband every minute we were out in the sun I was basking in it!

Next on my asking list was a rejuvenated spirit, even though the primary purpose of this trip was not a vacation we always try to make the most of our time when it’s away from work and that’s what we did. We love hanging out with people and just being around encouraging uplifting people can definitely refresh your spirit!

Lastly I asked for peace in my heart, peace to know if this is God’s will of where we are suppose to be. It was in the middle of church, during worship to be exact, when people were coming up for prayer and I felt God’s touch on my heart and I instantly broke inside because I knew the answer. I knew that God has a plan bigger than us and even though it might be scary we will not be alone because it’s not us doing it but God working through us. I began to realize in order to move forward you have to be willing to go through change and that being comfortable should never be an acceptable state because then you’re not allowing God to truly use you but just doing what feels good. I heard a quote that says “When you are through changing, you are through,” and I know I’m not through and that my life is still in the beginning stages. We are not sure what exactly is next in this process and I can’t say I love the state of Arizona but hey “I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s forward and as long as God is the One leading me!”

Arizona here we come

Well in a few hours we will be headed to the airport where we will be visiting Arizona for the weekend, and quite honestly I’m a little nervous. As I have mentioned previously we are applying for other ministry jobs at churches. We have already had a couple phone and Skype interviews with other churches and this will be the first “in person” interview. I’m nervous because I don’t know what to expect and I guess that’s pretty normal but at the same time I’m excited and anxious because we are trusting God and that’s the best place to be. I truly believe everything happens for a reason! When we return home from this visit I hope to leave with new friendships in the works, peace in my heart, a tan, and just an overall rejuvenation in our spirit. Good bye dallas hello Phoenix! Be good Addy poo!

Joy!

Today I received a special surprise; my husband came to my work with Starbucks and “I love you” flowers. Can I just say that it truly made my day I was already feeling tired and not having the best day so it was perfect timing! Sometimes on days like these I would probably go out and treat myself but having someone else treat me was just as good. So I just wanted to share my joy because I realize that it not only affects me but others around me. And for those of you that are having a wonderful day to make sure you pass it on and for those who may be feeling blue or a little under the weather to go out and treat yourself!

“A Joy shared is a joy doubled”