Posts

{more than}

Image
Tomorrow I’ll hear all kinds of details about what the Easter bunny brought...about how much fun it was to dye eggs...about the new dress that was bought and all the pictures mom made them take before AND after church... But will I hear about Jesus? Will I SPEAK about Jesus? Did Jesus play a bigger role in my day other than #HeIsRisen? Who is risen? Risen from what?  Jesus Christ ...the Son of God the most high. The King of the world.  Perfection personified. Holiness embodied. Righteousness displayed.  Jesus Christ ...Willing to submit to His Father, living a life of humble obedience.  Leaving His throne on high.  Entering a world full of sin in order to speak of the Kingdom of God.  Living a sinless, perfectly righteous and holy life...such that no one else could possibly even imagine living.  Suffering persecution, beatings of the worst kind because of His claim to be the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah. And dying... Jesus Christ ...
Post a Comment
Read more

{a better kind of beautiful}

Dear girls, 
 Stop it. 
 Stop despising the way you look. Stop critiquing everything about yourself. Stop looking in the mirror only to cringe and tell yourself that you aren't good enough, aren't thin enough, aren't beautiful enough. 
 Stop wasting time beating yourself up because you don't meet the standards this world pushes us to meet. 
 This world tells us that we must look and act a certain way. It not only fills our eyes and minds with the picture perfect model-like figure and face, but it tells us what we can do to alter ourselves in order to achieve it. We have to wear certain clothes, do our makeup in an all out kind of way, color our hair, pluck our eyebrows, lose weight, gain weight...all to be "acceptable", all to be "beautiful". 
 But the focus is wrong. The focus is wrong, the goal is wrong, the standard is wrong...the result is worthless. 
 Ladies listen: I'm not here to tell you that you're beautiful just the wa
Post a Comment
Read more

{dear daddy}

After trying and trying to determine what kind of guy I wanted as a husband I finally came to a decision that I believe most girls come to at some point. I prayed a prayer that went something like this: Dear God, please bring me a man just like my daddy. Because, you now what? My daddy is the best guy. When I was little he was my hero, and that hasn't changed one bit as I have grown up...in fact it has just become so much more true. He is my hero .   My dad is an imperfect human, just like the rest of tus. He is a sinner. He struggles with stuff. He doesn't know everything .  But he is still my hero...you know why? Well, I guess I'll tell you. He's my hero because: God is his first priority.   For years I have sat in the congregation on Sunday morning and heard my dad preach the Truth. For years I have sat around our kitchen table and listened to him talk to us about Jesus and helping us to understand more. For years I have heard he and my mom talk
Post a Comment
Read more

{dear mama}

Image
Dear Mama, Where do I even begin? How do I formulate enough sentences to express who you are to me, what you mean to so many people, how much I love you ? You taught me all the way from preschool through high school, and you taught me really well, but right now I'm struggling. Struggling to express all of that.  Mama, you are beautiful . Outwardly you are stunning! Inwardly you are priceless ! For 19 years now I have been watching you. For 19 years now I have been learning from you. For 19 years now I have been loved by you. I only wish I had realized how wonderful you are and how incredibly blessed I am to have you every one of those 19 years.  From the beginning of my existence you loved me ! When I entered this world, you cherished me.  You cared for my every need, kissed my (adorably) chubby cheeks, rocked me to sleep, soothed me, wiped my tears, sacrificed sleep, energy and time to make sure I was comfortable and happy. You taught me how to clean
Post a Comment
Read more

{then who?}

Image
People disappoint people. People let other people down. People hurt people.  People are broken and sinful. Parents, siblings, friends, parents of friends, acquaintances, people you don't even know personally but know enough about them (through countless hours of stalking on social media...come on, I can't be the only one) to basically know them...we all have those in our lives who we look up to. We watch and try to imitate the way they live, we listen closely when they talk, we run to them for advice, encouragement and wisdom...these people, in our eyes, seem to have their lives together and are pretty darn close to perfect. We unconsciously put them on a pedestal, wanting to be like them, thinking that they know all, assuming that they don't have struggles, and if they do, then they fix them so easily... Maybe you start reading the books they read, singing the songs they sing, wearing the kind of clothes they wear, praying the way the way they pray, posting the k
1 comment
Read more

{Dear littlest sister}

Image
Watching you grow up has been a joy. I love your smile, your laugh, your snuggles, your eyes, your sweet "I love you's", your bed head, your crazy antics, your energy, your wit, the conversations we carry on late at night in the kitchen... I love you, now and forever. And I wish you would stay this little forever. I wish time would pause, and you would be 4 and 1/2 for the rest of time. I want to be able to keep you from all the darkness this world offers, I want to shelter you from hatred and hurt, I want to shield your innocent eyes from the filth of sin that consumes this world.   I want to protect you from the unattainable standards this culture puts on us to be "perfect".  I want you to only see and hear the good things. I want you to dream big and not be afraid to try new things. I want you to be confident and bold about who you are. I want you to be kind and loving, and I want people to be kind and loving towards you. I don't want you
3 comments
Read more

{to share or not to share...that shouldn't be the question}

I was in the grocery store tonight, like I am A LOT of the time (we are very regular at our local grocery stores.) and as I was checking out I told the 2 cashiers who were there about something exciting...something wonderful and heavenly. I told them about Pirate Day at Krispy Kreme. "The deal is," I said, "if you talk like a pirate you get one free donut and if you dress up like a pirate you get a free dozen." I mean...how amazing is that, right? A dozen free, hot, Krispy Kreme donuts.  It is a wonderful, exciting thing. The 2 people I shared this with thought so too....in fact they said they were definitely going to do it because who doesn't want free donuts? Especially Krispy Kreme. It was so easy to tell them about it. I felt obligated to do so too, because free donuts is something everyone should know about and take advantage of. I feel like I made their weekend that much better. So why did I beat the steering wheel on my way home in anger and f
Post a Comment
Read more