"...within the walls of our own home."

It's been several months, lots of planning and organizing, loads of transition, but the hubster and I are finally in our new home. We moved in almost a week ago and it is so surreal. We, of course, are thankful to all of our friends and family for the amazing support, encouragement, and late nights of unpacking and putting furnitire and blinds together, but most importantly we are so thankful and amazed at the faithfulnes of God. The details we can go over in person, with a nice chat and a little cup of coffee, but just know that every decision we have made has been with peace and assurance that we are taken care of and blessed by an amazing and faithful God. No planning on or part, even though there was alot, could have ever resulted in us having our first house within our first year of marriage. It's all God and we like to keep it that way.
With that said, I am reminded of what has become one of my favorite quotes: "The most important work that you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own home," spoken so eloquently by Harold E Lee. What goes on behind closed doors of an individual's home has such an impact on their life - children learn how a relationship should function by what is displayed in front of them by their parents; a husband and wife are able to build up or tear down one another and the relationship they have forged by how they communicate and treat one another when no one is looking; you have the opportunity to craft your environment by what you allow to be spoken and entertained within your walls and who you allow entrance into your home. Ultimately, it's your choice, but the significance of what occurs within one's home affects you and those closest to you. It's simple for me: I am able to choose whether our house is a place of peace or a place of strife. We all have that responsibility and it is one that should not be taken lightly.
I visited a friend of mine's house (shoutout to Heidi M) last week and she taught me how to make the most delicious jam. However, when I walked into her home the first thing I noticed was how peaceful it was. *I am a firm believer that when you walk into someone's home you can tell if their house is peaceful or chaotic.* Yes, it was clean and wonderfully decorated, but it was the environment that she had created for herself and her husband that stood out to me the most. Her house was engulfed in peace.
As the hubs and I settle into our new home, we are paying careful attention to what we choose to entertain and allow entrance into our home. What may seem small and trivial to some is of the most importance to us - we have been blessed beyond what we could imagine and it's our responsibility to be good stewards of what is in our possession.

The truth for a lie...

Romans 1:25 refers to individuals who know the truth of God, who know His character but choose not to follow Him, to trust in Him, those who "exchanged the truth of God for a lie." So often in our lives it is easier to believe the lies of the world, what we can see with our eyes and hear with our ears. We, as christians, are spiritual beings and therefore ALL things in our lives are spiritual, and when situations arise in our lives we can trust in the truth of God's Word or choose the fear that corresponds with the lies of the enemy. With every lie of the enemy comes fear: anxiety, worry, doubt, sickness, disease, death, despair, lack; but with every promise and truth of the Word of God comes prosperity, hope, love, health and wholeness, abundance, and peace.

In Genesis after Adam and Eve taste of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they are aware of sin, see that they are naked and they are ashamed of themselves. They hide their faces from the God that made them, that loved them, that walked and talked with them daily. God calls out to them asking where they are and after seeing that they have covered their bodies He asks them why. Adam and Eve respond that they are naked. And God, says, "Who told you that you were naked?" A few months ago Pastor Bill talked about this passage in scripture and how he pictured the same questions being asked of us when we choose to believe something the enemy has said to us - "Who told you that you were sick and dying?" "Who told you that you wouldn't amount to anything?" "Who told you that you weren't blessed and walked in abundance?" How God's heart breaks when His children who He has provided His Word for, sent His son to save and redeem, and set as inheritors on the earth to be blessed and walk in every promise established in His Word, choose to exchange the truth of His Word for a lie.

I want my life to showcase the promise of God's Word, to prove His Word is true. The manner in which you live your life bears reference to what you've chosen to believe - whether it's the truth of the Word of God or the lies of the enemy.

Distractions

During tonight's church service Pastor Bill said something so simple and profound, "Depression is a distraction from the hope that God has promised you in your life." And I began to think, what other distractions have christians bought into that have pulled them away from the amazing life that God desires us each to live. Depression is a distraction from the hope and joy that God has promised for you; poverty and lack is a distraction from the abundance and more-than-enough life that His Word has promised you; sickness and disease is a distraction from the health that God has promised you; Anxiety and worry is a distraction from the peace that God has promised you. It's all a simple distraction, and it's all a lie of the world versus the truth of God's Word. It's the difference between keeping your eyes on the promises of God and His Word and turning your head and focusing on what you see around you and accepting that as your reality.
God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, the power to overcome any and all situations through His Word and His power that resides on the inside of us, and all that's required of us is to believe and therefore speak. To continue to believe and therefore speak. But so easily we get distracted by the words or situations of others, or situations that come up in our lives, and instead of continuing to believe and therefore speak, we stop believing and stop speaking and begin accepting.
Close to the end of the service he said, "create an atmosphere in your life for the Holy Spirit to move in." Make your life, and all that encompasses it, an atmosphere for God's Word and the Holy Spirit to take residence in. Why? Because the Holy Spirit leads and guides you in all truth and understanding, provides peace in all situations; because God's Word provides life and conviction and has the power to transform all situations because it's alive on the inside of you and spoken forth into your situations.
Don't allow yourself to be distracted, even in situations where you are tempted to compare yourself to someone else. So often, we lose sight of our relationship with God because we spend so much time comparing how our relationship with God appears with that of someone else. It's pointless. Why? because God wants your heart and when your focus is on the perception of another versus the perception of yourself, you lose sight of the purpose - which is to become more like Him.

A Small Little Rant...

One of my biggest frustrations is when individuals fail to accept responsibility for themselves. A constant need and attitude of blame toward others puts you in a position to limit your ability for change and God's ability to work in your life: if nothing is ever your fault and you have no affect on the outcome then your actions and choices don't matter; your life is then a result of chance. It's crucial for parents to teach their children that a specific set of actions results in specific consequences, and that there's consistency throughout their life. So many individuals mine and Kevin's age have never been shown consistency in regards to their behavior, or they have friends and family members who excuse their behavior instead of forcing them to own up to the choices they've made and the role they've played in their current situation. YOU are responsible for YOUR life: your choices, your words, your actions all add up to where you are currently. If you don't like it, change all of the above. But, don't blame others in an effort to remain lazy and not take responsibility.
The Word states that we have what we say, that the power of life and death is in the tongue - in the words that you speak! The manner in which you speak is the direction your life will take. You have individuals around you that are watching you, examining your life to see if it mirrors what you say you believe, and you can't be lazy regarding the influence you have. You have friends, children, family members, all watching you to see if what you profess to believe is true. This is a tremendous responsibility that we have as christians, and we can't do any of it in our own strength or through our personal ability - we don't have to calculate our steps and our thoughts and our behavior in an effort to "look" like we're doing the right thing. We love God + we love His Word + we put it into practice. Will we get it right every time, no. But, the fruit of our lives, the result of a life that lives to bring glory to God, is a life that speaks for itself and that will speak to the hearts of those around us.
But, you can't make excuses for yourself. You can't accept everything that comes your way. You have to take control of your life and it starts will your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Take responsibility.

Discipline...

So, after many years of not working out I decided to start running. My motivation is simple: I'm the largest size I've been in my entire life, and I want to get in shape to run either the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure or the Tulsa Run this fall. I have begun the Couch-to-5k program (it's a progressive program where over the course of 8 weeks you will end the program being able to run 3 miles continually without stopping). Well, I started in late January, and then Tulsa and surrounding areas experienced the largest amount of snowfall in its history, which halted my program for two weeks. Next, I started the program again only to find out that the huz and I began house hunting, which took up most of our evenings and weekends. With the house found (we're building our first home!) and the snow melted, the program has begun again and I have a new perspective: I want to be disciplined. Yes, there are weight loss goals and health-related goals, but I want to incorporate a lifestyle of discipline. And, although I've only ran two sessions in a row this week, it is so obvious how un-disciplined my life was. You know, my life two days ago.
The more I work out the more conscious I am about what I eat and the more aware I am regarding the small un-disciplined areas of my life. I like this. I don't mind being called out, sometimes it's what you need. And I would have never thought a little running program would do just that.
So, stay tuned and I'll keep you updated.

a little reflection...

I love progressive change. I love the feeling that you're evolving, growing, maturing, and becoming more of who you desire to be. I also love that when you're married you get to witness this not only in yourself, but in your spouse as well.
Change is necessary, it allows each individual to adjust, adapt, and to have the opportunity to grow. It also provides an opportunity to see a different and new side to the individual you thought you had seen it all from. I love that.
As newlyweds, we are experiencing alot of progressive change in our lives, which also means natural changes in the lives of our friends and family members as well. For our marriage, it is important for us to surround ourselves, our home, and our relationship with individuals who provide support and encouragement, who seek progressive change in their own lives, and who speak life into any and all situations. Those who don't have seemed to fall by the wayside; not intentionally, of course, but when you have a relationship as precious as a marriage, a relationship that will set the tone for your children (or future children) and their view of love, respect, commitment, and how a relationship should function, it is something that requires a high level of awareness and attention.
Sometimes the attention and awareness you activate in your lives will cause others around you to question and formulate their own opinions regarding the choices you have made. That's okay. It's important to remember that only you and your spouse are aware of all the intricacies that are involved in your lives, as well as you not being aware of all the intricacies that are involved in the choices and lives of others. It's best to make the choices that you deem best for you and your spouse and trust that others are doing the same.

Our First Home!

A big change has happened in our family - we purchased our first home! This exciting moment in our lives is coupled by the fact that we are building our first home. As newlyweds celebrating 8 months of wedded bliss, we never imagined that prior to one year of marriage we would be in a place financially to build our first home. The only way this has been possible is because God is faithful. That's it. There's no other way to explain it. We could try, we could tell you that we had a savings account prior to us being married, that we saved every month, that we practice good stewardship, and all that would be true. But the positioning and timing of God's faithfulness is beyond anything that Kevin and I could plan on our own. No amount of planning on our behalf could have put this situation into place. Daily Kevin and I sit back and know without a shadow of a doubt that those who place God first, honor His Word, and trust Him experience unmerited favor beyond what can ever be imagined.
So, bring on the paint colors, the brick choices, the guttering options, and the carpet swatches! Thought we'd share our journey with you...so, here's our land!