Sunday, November 27, 2011
An Abundance of Thanks
It's a few days after Thanksgiving and it has been so nice to just relax and do absolutely nothing! We had a couple friends over and had SO much wonderful food! It's almost gone soooo we're probably going to make even more! We're not ready to stop eating!
Monday, August 22, 2011
We Are Blessed
I think it finally hit me that Thomas and I are moving into our new place in 5 days! OHMYCOW!!! It's exciting to move into a new place, start fresh, decorate...but this is ESPECIALLY exciting for both of us! Before Thomas and I got married, he was living in a studio because he was still in school. His lease didn't end until Sept of 2011...so we both crammed everything we could in there when we first got married. It's very funny how we first started out...
We didn't have a bed, we had a twin air mattress. We thought that to make the place look bigger, we would squeeze the air mattress in our walk in closet and we slept under our clothes for about 2 months. When we were both tired of not sleeping and we had enough mula, we upgraded to a queen! YES! Now we have...a double high queen air mattress! We were thrilled! We felt so blessed because one of us didn't have to fall of the bed anymore! But after a few months of that...and deflation...and hardly any room to walk in our studio because our giant air mattress was in the middle of it...we saved up enough money to buy...a REAL full size bed! No air mattress, no more trouble getting situated on our moon bounce of a bed while we ate (we don't have a table and chairs) and no more having to climb over the bed to get to the bathroom (which has no door, by the way). WOO HOO! We REALLY felt blessed!
Then it came time to start looking for an apartment a couple of months later. We searched high and low, spent hours looking on craigslist and even consulted the help from a realtor. Then we found the PERFECT place! It was available when we needed to move and the price was within our budget! It truly was a God send. Right now we have a half size refrigerator, a half size stove, no dishwasher and about 2 feet of counter space. God blessed us with a REAL size refrigerator, a REAL sized stove, a bathroom with a DOOR, a dishwasher (seriously, Thomas and I don't have to argue about who has to do the dishes next!) We also got a few bonuses! A fireplace and an in-unit washer and dryer! Our bathtub gets clogged super easy and our new tub has the glorious addition of being a whirlpool tub. And paying and keeping up with laundry has been very difficult. We really, REALLY feel blessed!
A lot of people questioned how we were going to make it work when we first got married. I had to quit my job to move to Chicago and Thomas didn't have a job. But we did it! We were obedient and persevered through some tough times and God blessed us because of it. Coming from barely anything to absolutely everything we need makes us SO stinkin' grateful. I have never appreciated a microwave like I do now. We still need to fill our new place with furniture, but when we get that couch and that wonderful table and chairs...sigh! The joys of being able to sit down on something other than the floor or the bed to eat! And having plenty of space in the kitchen to cook will make cooking less disgusting with all of those dishes being piled up! I can do laundry whenever it needs to be done and can "keep up house" and do all those wifely duties a wife is supposed to! heehee :) I can't wait to make our house a home :)
God used the beginning of our marriage to teach us patience and how to be grateful. Some people have a lot when they first get married...a car, a house, great careers, which is not bad, but that was just not that case with Thomas and me. God had a different plan in mind. The best part about all of these different challenges is that we were able to grow spiritually alongside one another. Our walk with the Lord strengthened and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. Today we are stronger in Christ.
Saturday is the big day! And ironically, that is also the same time I moved back home from California exactly 1 year ago!! I can't believe all of the things I've gone through in the past year. You think your plans are good, but God's are always better! "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
We didn't have a bed, we had a twin air mattress. We thought that to make the place look bigger, we would squeeze the air mattress in our walk in closet and we slept under our clothes for about 2 months. When we were both tired of not sleeping and we had enough mula, we upgraded to a queen! YES! Now we have...a double high queen air mattress! We were thrilled! We felt so blessed because one of us didn't have to fall of the bed anymore! But after a few months of that...and deflation...and hardly any room to walk in our studio because our giant air mattress was in the middle of it...we saved up enough money to buy...a REAL full size bed! No air mattress, no more trouble getting situated on our moon bounce of a bed while we ate (we don't have a table and chairs) and no more having to climb over the bed to get to the bathroom (which has no door, by the way). WOO HOO! We REALLY felt blessed!
Then it came time to start looking for an apartment a couple of months later. We searched high and low, spent hours looking on craigslist and even consulted the help from a realtor. Then we found the PERFECT place! It was available when we needed to move and the price was within our budget! It truly was a God send. Right now we have a half size refrigerator, a half size stove, no dishwasher and about 2 feet of counter space. God blessed us with a REAL size refrigerator, a REAL sized stove, a bathroom with a DOOR, a dishwasher (seriously, Thomas and I don't have to argue about who has to do the dishes next!) We also got a few bonuses! A fireplace and an in-unit washer and dryer! Our bathtub gets clogged super easy and our new tub has the glorious addition of being a whirlpool tub. And paying and keeping up with laundry has been very difficult. We really, REALLY feel blessed!
A lot of people questioned how we were going to make it work when we first got married. I had to quit my job to move to Chicago and Thomas didn't have a job. But we did it! We were obedient and persevered through some tough times and God blessed us because of it. Coming from barely anything to absolutely everything we need makes us SO stinkin' grateful. I have never appreciated a microwave like I do now. We still need to fill our new place with furniture, but when we get that couch and that wonderful table and chairs...sigh! The joys of being able to sit down on something other than the floor or the bed to eat! And having plenty of space in the kitchen to cook will make cooking less disgusting with all of those dishes being piled up! I can do laundry whenever it needs to be done and can "keep up house" and do all those wifely duties a wife is supposed to! heehee :) I can't wait to make our house a home :)
God used the beginning of our marriage to teach us patience and how to be grateful. Some people have a lot when they first get married...a car, a house, great careers, which is not bad, but that was just not that case with Thomas and me. God had a different plan in mind. The best part about all of these different challenges is that we were able to grow spiritually alongside one another. Our walk with the Lord strengthened and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. Today we are stronger in Christ.
Saturday is the big day! And ironically, that is also the same time I moved back home from California exactly 1 year ago!! I can't believe all of the things I've gone through in the past year. You think your plans are good, but God's are always better! "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
Monday, June 27, 2011
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This verse has always resonated so soundly within my soul. It has always given me great comfort to know that God really DOES have a plan for my life, but it is up to me to follow that plan. I have already gone through so many trials in my life where I had to put my complete trust in the Lord, not knowing what was ahead. After all, God doesn’t call us to live by faith and not by sight for nothing (2 Corinthians 5:7). Where would we be without faith? What if we always knew what the outcome would be? What if we were given a clear map of directions that told us which path to follow? Initially, it would be awesome! I don’t have to worry, I can relax, I can breathe…but I know my faith in the Lord would slowly slip away and I would call on Him less and less. As time would go by, I would forget what my relationship was like with God before I got that road map. I would know that He existed, but He wouldn’t be so near to me. In James 4:8 it says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
I think we don’t get a road map for that simple reason. Without one, God teaches us how to draw near to Him. Yes, at times it can be hard and I have fallen plenty, but He is so gracious enough to pick us back up so we can try again. When Thomas and I got married, we had an unclear vision of the road that lie ahead. The one thing that was clear was that God had called us to get married. He gave us tons of confirmation, everything fell into place, but after the vows were said and the rings were exchanged……no idea.
But…God knew. He has known from the beginning. During that time God was asking us to trust in Him to bring that plan to fruition. There were moments when I was really unsure if we would be able to pay rent the next month or have enough money to buy groceries, but He has always seen us through. The most major thing the Lord taught me throughout all of this was that it’s okay to be afraid. Shoot, I was scared out of my mind when God told us we should get married! With all of the trials and uncertainties, ups and downs we’ve faced in the past 7 months, I have such a better understanding of what trusting in God truly is. I also believe because we understand it better, we have been blessed in ways we never imagined for our obedience to Him. I am so grateful I can trust more easily, with less worry, and with less fear. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
I can’t believe Thomas and I are about to hit the 7 month mark on our marriage! I am excited to see God’s plan unfold as Thomas and I journey through life together :)
This verse has always resonated so soundly within my soul. It has always given me great comfort to know that God really DOES have a plan for my life, but it is up to me to follow that plan. I have already gone through so many trials in my life where I had to put my complete trust in the Lord, not knowing what was ahead. After all, God doesn’t call us to live by faith and not by sight for nothing (2 Corinthians 5:7). Where would we be without faith? What if we always knew what the outcome would be? What if we were given a clear map of directions that told us which path to follow? Initially, it would be awesome! I don’t have to worry, I can relax, I can breathe…but I know my faith in the Lord would slowly slip away and I would call on Him less and less. As time would go by, I would forget what my relationship was like with God before I got that road map. I would know that He existed, but He wouldn’t be so near to me. In James 4:8 it says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
I think we don’t get a road map for that simple reason. Without one, God teaches us how to draw near to Him. Yes, at times it can be hard and I have fallen plenty, but He is so gracious enough to pick us back up so we can try again. When Thomas and I got married, we had an unclear vision of the road that lie ahead. The one thing that was clear was that God had called us to get married. He gave us tons of confirmation, everything fell into place, but after the vows were said and the rings were exchanged……no idea.
But…God knew. He has known from the beginning. During that time God was asking us to trust in Him to bring that plan to fruition. There were moments when I was really unsure if we would be able to pay rent the next month or have enough money to buy groceries, but He has always seen us through. The most major thing the Lord taught me throughout all of this was that it’s okay to be afraid. Shoot, I was scared out of my mind when God told us we should get married! With all of the trials and uncertainties, ups and downs we’ve faced in the past 7 months, I have such a better understanding of what trusting in God truly is. I also believe because we understand it better, we have been blessed in ways we never imagined for our obedience to Him. I am so grateful I can trust more easily, with less worry, and with less fear. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
I can’t believe Thomas and I are about to hit the 7 month mark on our marriage! I am excited to see God’s plan unfold as Thomas and I journey through life together :)
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