let my newness dance all over my..oldness?

 What if I told you within like 3 weeks my husband made the decision that we were going to be part of a new community of believers?

What if I told you that 2 weeks before that I lost my job?

What if I told you that 2 weeks after that the community of believers moved to a new building, and started meeting together on Sunday at 5. 5 p.m. Not a.m.

What are you thinking right now?
I hope you're thinking, "Blessed."

I lost my job just in time to go on spring break with a bunch of middle school kids. My husband and I had the chance to hear their hearts and be in their world for a week. To some it sounds painful.

It was precious. Precious time. God lets us be part of His kingdom. He entrusts us with His word and lets us speak it to the hearts of His precious, precious people. You might not think so, but 6th-8th grade is sweet in all the ways God made them to be sweet. When they're ridiculous, you see sinners just like me. And when you look past that to what God sees in His chosen children, you see all the redemption God has or can pour out on their lives. Precious.

I lost my job just in time for my husband to get a raise. And for me to be at home more often. Precious.

I shut my mouth just in time for my husband to say, "This is where God wants us to go. We're going." Precious grace from Jesus.

We started going just in time to get to know a few and walk into a new place with them.

We gave our hearts to God's people in that community just in time to start having fellowship on Sunday nights. That means we get to spend Sunday morning together, preparing our hearts and cooking and cleaning. Together. Loving on this brand new marriage God has given us. And it is so precious.

22 and without a job is different.
New people are different.
5 o'clock on Sunday nights is different.
Preciously different.

Lord, let your newness in me dance all over my old self and my old situations. Let me see your precious ways.

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Sisterhood.

Good Friday.

Today, I am reminded of the Lord's death.

That it was GOOD for us.

Because He beat death. Because He has victory.

So I also remember that it is good for my old self to die.

The woman who is worthless, afraid, jealous, and bitter.

She no longer has to live there.

He put it to death for me.

He has victory.

I am alive with Him.

It is so easy on some days. To just let death reign in my life.

But if I am going to be with Him, there cannot be continuous death. The death happens with our sin, then we must live in life. Because our God cannot stay in death, neither can our new selves stay in death once we are covered in His righteousness.

He lives.

Monday

 Sunday afternoon, I had some sweet woman time with my friend, Laura. 


My husband had some sweet brother time on the golf course.


He called me on his way home and said he had a surprise. I thought he was going to bring me a fountain dew from the gas station...don't laugh, they really are a great surprise. 

Instead, he brought me this treasure:

Free table!

I couldn't believe how blessed I was.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

Well, not exactly, I only second-guessed myself a few times. Then we looked through 3,279 50 paint samples and finally decided on the perfect blue-green color. A color I found in an old Lucky magazine. It was actually a trenchcoat, but hey, isn't that how all the designers do it. 

The husband took me to Lowe's at 7:30 a.m. on Monday to get the paint and now I have this precious blessing that makes me smile every time I walk in my living room..

I'm pairing the bright turquoise with milk glass vases and my favorite coconut candle.

Head over to Laura's blog and read up on some more sweet things!

   

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Lakeside Park roses

Saturday night lovies...

 Oh, look what I found...

My favorite boots.

There are very few candid pictures of me that I enjoy. But this one...I just was truly happy. Getting ready for my wedding, pushing boxes of decorations, with my best friends.
And I see beauty when I look at that picture.
And that unwashed hair, girl? Fabulous.

Hello, booty!

God, thank you for giving me friends to pin up all them wardrobe malfunctions. No joke, my slip was totally showing. But hey, I wanted to give everyone at my wedding an opportunity to practice mercy and grace. They did.

First picture right after the ceremony

Husband, I love you. Because you were my best friend long before I was ever your "wife." And this was the only thing we could come up with to pose after all that craziness. I really get tired of posing for pictures.

First home

When I see this picture, it will always say to me, "First home." This is the view from our first "home" as married kiddos. Honeymoon, you were full of comfort and grace.

Awake, O sleeper

Confession:

 Sometimes I feel asleep inside.

 
 I have a great husband, a cozy home, and we know we are    
 where God wants us. We feel  like we're in that cozy,
 preparation time. Things are normal...saving money, having
 lots of good fellowship, using our home to love people in.

 BUT...sometimes my heart is asleep. My mind knows what's
 going on is good. My spirit can't seem to understand the same.
 I get angry. Why can't this good stuff be good, Lord? Why
 can't I feel?

 I've tried ignoring Him, being angry with Him, feeling
 confused...

 Then I got to that point, again. That place where I'm so worn
 out. So I cried and I yelled. And once I was done,

 I sat in quietness and whispered to Him,

 "Awaken my sleeping heart."

 He did.

 We are in a war. Someone is fighting against
 us, to make us fall asleep to what our Lord is
 doing. I can't think of anything worse than
 sleeping through His exceedingly abundantly
 for us.

 Let God awaken us to this truth:

 The war is already won. Christ is risen from
 the grave, our lives are hidden in Him...so we 
 are alive. 

 Let us live up to what have already attained.