Talk about distracted

We have what we call here at work "New Partner Orientation" which is always the last Friday of the month. On this day, all the new businesses that have joined the chamber in that month attend to introduce themselves and get a tutorial of the chamber and what we do. It's quirky to us but it is informative and inspiring to the businesses, thus it continues. Anyway, I get here at 7am to put extra chairs in our board room, make coffee and so on and then I check emails and update our social media outlets...which brings me to you, blog...hence, the distraction.

Making time

I spend much of my spare time spying on others' blogs and then I find myself becoming jealous of the fact that "the others" keep up with their blogs consistently. While it is motivation to update mine, I still lack the drive to follow through so that is that. The blogosphere is cool and my to-do list and honey-do lists get bigger after spying. We are definitely feeling the "married and want a house-itch" that most couples often feel. We have beautiful hand-me-downs along with fabulous wedding gifts that we are ready to put them to use and on display! So rather than falling into peer pressure and buying a house here in Florida, we did not renew our apartment lease and actually moved in with one of J's friends from work. It was a win-win situation; J's friend was planning to have a roommate who backed out and we wanted to be lease-free and save more money...and we live on the beach now!

Update with pictures and details to come.

How wonderful

We are married & we couldn't be happier! Finally, we are husband and wife! We are enjoying each day together and it is truly wonderful. The wedding was amazing, our trip home was amazing and our trip back was just as sweet. The honeymoon was such an adventure and we absolutely had a blast. We spent most of our week laughing which was such a relief and sweet, exclusive escape...just like we were hoping for.

Treasuring each moment together and continually praying for guidance so that I may be the best wife. So many blessings and just wanted to share a quick blurb before bed.

24 days and counting...

I am getting married!!! I cannot believe the day is almost here even though I've been eagerly waiting since the day I knew I loved him. Even before that, when Jonathan shed a bit of interest in me, I knew he was special and the man God put in my life for a big reason. This is the part that doesn't make sense to me and is weird to explain to my family and closest friends: it was not a conscious thought or idea, it was recurring thoughts and subconscious curiosity that seemed to surface in the back of mind...often...and here our paths naturally crossed when the time was right (although sometimes it didn't seem like it because of distance in college and the obstacles we faced) but there is a plan and I am learning in the past few months what trust is required to be at peace with the unknown plan. This may seem like a "cheesy, fairytale story" to you if you're reading this but we have argued, screamed, hugged, prayed, listened, miscommunicated, talked, asked questions, held hands, sat in silence, kissed, cried and the "fairytale" is that our trust in God is the power we have to become the best husband and wife for each other. The beautiful lessons God is teaching us now, through experience and pre-martial counseling is that you learn to communicate and argue...you learn to express perspective, feelings and thoughts in a way that comforts your unique other half. Think about it...if each human being is completely different than anyone else in the world think about the opportunity to offend, disrespect and miscommunicate your message to them. Think about what learning it takes to even come close to effectively communicating and loving someone in a way that they can understand. The incredible reward to look forward to and that we will work on every day of our marriage is learning the way to show love and communicate so that we both are handled with care and flourish in our lives.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power- 1 Corinthians 4:20

I still want to do a project with glitter

I love arts & crafts. I remember my elementary years of projects when I would paint, sew and try to organize every single item in my room with a designated and colorful box. Mom taught Lacy and I how to cross stitch, among many other things...things that have stuck with me and I still entertain those creative roots everyday.

My generation is artistic and I think we have embraced our cultural surroundings and artistic needs. Especially with social media, people are expressing themselves and sometimes, I don't think they even know it. I'm not making that bold statement that social media is art, but communicating is the common factor. Communication is an art, to me, and we see people openly expressing themselves every moment of the day.

My fascination with Facebook & Twitter isn't finding long-lost friends, or sharing my pictures with the world but learning about complete strangers. It's incredible. No longer are you friends with the people on your street but the people across the ocean, in a country you've never seen, in a town you didn't know exists.

Nothing like a good porch

This wrap-around porch is beautiful. The view is outstanding, whether you are looking at the fall leaves and the chill water or flush greens and hot temperatures, the serenity of the lake is undeniable. It's the perfect place for family to be together, to fulfill the traditional gathering where you grill out, have lemonade and laugh a lot. I'm thinking about this because it's Christmas and J and I are packing up and heading home tomorrow; I couldn't be happier and at the same time couldn't imagine what holidays would be like if I wasn't able to share it with our families. I love this Christmas Season and enjoy everything about it from the decorations, to cold weather and hot chocolate but especially the Christmas Story that we've heard many times. It's a magical time and I can't wait to cozy up with J, with our families and enjoy every moment we all have together.

Thankful during the Christmas Season

Today I am 23 years old and though I don't feel older I've gained more life experience and perspective. It's funny how in adulthood we expect to know all of the answers, have the confidence to lead a successful life and the world seems like a cushioning place to live...it's even more ironic that I have learned, at times, I am more insecure and less confident of decisions. Learning to let go of control and give every inch of worry to God is something I work on every day. Once we learn to do that, our lives will transform into a life of great joy and faith and one without disappointment. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for what Jonathan and I are blessed with and we are aware of those who are without. The Blind Side is a wonderful movie that only reinforced our sensibility to humans. Not just the poor, or homeless but even those that have food and shelter but are empty on the inside. It's rare that those "with" are exposed as needy because they have the look and put on a facade of "everything is okay". Our world is consumed with an economic recession and the figures and stats of unemployment or loss of income but we should take a step back to look where the recession has hit. There is a real recession in our hearts where we have hardened and lost sight of the vitality of life and the joy God intended for us to share in.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Proverbs 17:22

We have allowed stress, tragedy and pity to rob us of true joy and happiness. My prayer is this Christmas season, people would be exposed to God's love and hand everything over to him so that they may live in harmony and experience true joy.