DAY #...oh forget it...! 30 Days of THANKS has now just turned into DAYS OF THANKS...who needs to keep track :)
EVERYDAY since August 30th, 2013, I've been THANKING the good Lord for the man I call HUBBIN'. Really, I've been thanking God for James since we went on our first date, January 7th, 2011. This man is NOT what I EVER thought I'd marry. Fall in love with. Or heck, even date! But alas, HE'S THE ONE and I SAID YES!
I am beloved.
It feels arrogant and conceited to say but, it's true. I am SO LOVED. I AM LOVED BY A MAN NAMED JAMES. I used to look at couples...my parents, grandparents, friends...and thought I knew enough from simply observing to recognize and accept what 'being in love' must be like.
Boy was I wrong.
Five years ago, the greatest example set before me was shattered and I saw, for perhaps the very first time, what LOVE really was: a choice. Not feelings. Not grand gestures. Not all the right words. Not flowers and date nights. LOVE is commitment, despite what you feel. LOVE is service, often without recognition or reward. LOVE is being honest, even if it rocks the boat. LOVE is all about the little things.
Seems I had seen and been around all the WRONG ways to love and chalked that up to being 'the norm'. That's when James came into the picture and broke the mold! The love he has for me...even amidst the annoyances and frustrations...seriously AMAZES me. I never EVER thought I could be loved so much. And he shows me and tells me EVERYDAY.
Granted, I'm still in the 'honeymoon' phase. Which definitely helps me see my glass half full :) But I'm very aware of reality. I know looks fade, expectations go unfulfilled and as much as it kills me, even if I kNOW I'm right, he may still win. But then LOVE isn't about winning...or about who's wrong or who's right. It's not about keeping score. It's NOT fiair. And it's NOT 50/50. LOVE, I've graciously learned, is 100/100. You give your all, I give my all.
And I've been given HIS all.
Doesn't mean James is perfect. TRUST ME! Nor am I....that's FOR SURE! But it's his love that REMINDS me to not sweat the petty stuff. To not focus on what he ISN'T but what he IS. Not where he falls short but where he SHINES. It's this LOVE I have from a man named James that keeps me EVER so thankful.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Saturday, November 2, 2013
30 Days of THANKS!
It's NOVEMBER and it's been stirrin' in me to share my GRATITUDE for the ABUNDANT blessings in my life. With the Thanksgiving season among us, why not go along with the fad and join in on the craze that seems to be invading the ever populated social network nation. I know I'm a day late and dollar short (whatever that even means) but hey...
DAY 1: HEALTH
In a world where it seems around every corner, cancer is striking our friends and family...where sickness seems to always be 'going around'...where people are called more by the doctors diagnosis than their actual name...I AM SO THANKFUL for my health.
Say what you will about the 'flu shot' but I NEVER get the flu shot and I've NEVER had the flu. To think of it, the last time I had a cold was last December. And that's because I was moving in the dead of winter and slept in a new apartment with no heat (duh...not smart). I've gone this whole year without getting sick....I think that's something to be grateful for!! Besides my first 24 hour food poisoning experience earlier this year...I hadn't even puked since I was a little kid.
With illness so prevalent throughout our society, I can't help but be so very aware of how blessed I am. I chalk it up to Proverbs 23:7, "As a man thinks, so he is". I believe this to be true. If you think you're going to get sick...WATCH OUT, it'll happen. If you FEAR the bug that's 'goin around'....GUESS WHAT?! I choose to remain in the confidence that I am healthy and whole, lacking nothing. And when a sore throat makes its way in, I use my God-given brain and take necessary precautions...drink tea, suck on lozenges and rest my voice.
I don't ACCEPT that it's just 'that time of year'. Eat healthy, take care of your body, REST and stand on God's Word. If it works for me...there's no reason why it can't work for you :)
DAY 1: HEALTH
In a world where it seems around every corner, cancer is striking our friends and family...where sickness seems to always be 'going around'...where people are called more by the doctors diagnosis than their actual name...I AM SO THANKFUL for my health.
Say what you will about the 'flu shot' but I NEVER get the flu shot and I've NEVER had the flu. To think of it, the last time I had a cold was last December. And that's because I was moving in the dead of winter and slept in a new apartment with no heat (duh...not smart). I've gone this whole year without getting sick....I think that's something to be grateful for!! Besides my first 24 hour food poisoning experience earlier this year...I hadn't even puked since I was a little kid.
With illness so prevalent throughout our society, I can't help but be so very aware of how blessed I am. I chalk it up to Proverbs 23:7, "As a man thinks, so he is". I believe this to be true. If you think you're going to get sick...WATCH OUT, it'll happen. If you FEAR the bug that's 'goin around'....GUESS WHAT?! I choose to remain in the confidence that I am healthy and whole, lacking nothing. And when a sore throat makes its way in, I use my God-given brain and take necessary precautions...drink tea, suck on lozenges and rest my voice.
I don't ACCEPT that it's just 'that time of year'. Eat healthy, take care of your body, REST and stand on God's Word. If it works for me...there's no reason why it can't work for you :)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Looking on the 'bride' side...
Every love story begins with 'how we met'.
I met James at church.
We were introduced by none other than my pastors, whom met him at the gym.
Gym rat meets hard-core pastor. It's like a Best Seller title.
I had my reservations because he was so old... fashioned (you thought I was just gonna say OLD?!?!) Though it's true, he was just a tad bit older than me.
Nevertheless, his persistence and charm paid off and age became nothing. I consented to a first date, of which he always likes to point out how I supposedly ate like a horse. Just cause I ain't no sissy girl who worries about her figure (I'll run it off later) and had to fend for her food amongst 3 brothers growing up, so what if I can put it away?!
Plus, the guy took me to a fancy steak house and though odds already were in his favor of having a second date, any sensible girl would've done the same..."of course I'll have the Lobster waiter"!
Well that second date did happen and that's when we both knew, this was it! (Guess it was good he saw my eating habits early on!) Two years and 4 months later he popped the question. Soooo worth the wait (insert sarcastic tone and rolling of the eyes here)!! In all seriousness, and girls you know what I'm talking about, the 'WAIT' is soooo hard while you're in it BUT honestly, at least in my case, it was SO worth it. And I can say that with all sincerity. I won't lie, I had my days...or weeks even, when it felt like it was ever gonna happen. But I learned fairly early on in our relationship that if I focused more on what 'wasn't happening' instead of what 'was happening', I was going to miss out completely on what was right in front of me.
Looking back, both of us have changed SO much since we started dating. In a good way. Which only feeds my hope for our future. A healthy relationship SHOULD evolve and grow. If you find yourself in a rut in your relationship, chin up, it won't always be that way. As long as you're working on yourself and working on loving your partner. You'll still have off days. You'll have rough patches. But once you've ridden out the storm, you can look back and see how you've grown closer and stronger because of it. Yes, live in today. Stop and smell the roses. But don't dwell on the darker side of things, because tomorrow WILL be brighter :)
With my recent status change from 'dating' to 'engaged', comes a new season in my relationship. For anyone who has planned a wedding, they know the craziness that ensues. Living in today while planning for tomorrow is quite the balancing act. What I've found to be true is this: you can only plan one day at a time :) I want so much to be already married. To start our lives together. More than anything I just want to get through all the details of the BIG DAY! What keeps me grounded is reminding myself that this only happens once. This season of life only happens once. And from what I've been told, it FLIES by!
So while I'm 'in it', I've chosen to enjoy it. I've chosen to not let the inevitable STRESS that brides get, overcome me. I've chosen to stop and smell the roses. Because what is ONE DAY in comparsion to a LIFETIME with the man of my dreams?!
Well that second date did happen and that's when we both knew, this was it! (Guess it was good he saw my eating habits early on!) Two years and 4 months later he popped the question. Soooo worth the wait (insert sarcastic tone and rolling of the eyes here)!! In all seriousness, and girls you know what I'm talking about, the 'WAIT' is soooo hard while you're in it BUT honestly, at least in my case, it was SO worth it. And I can say that with all sincerity. I won't lie, I had my days...or weeks even, when it felt like it was ever gonna happen. But I learned fairly early on in our relationship that if I focused more on what 'wasn't happening' instead of what 'was happening', I was going to miss out completely on what was right in front of me.
Looking back, both of us have changed SO much since we started dating. In a good way. Which only feeds my hope for our future. A healthy relationship SHOULD evolve and grow. If you find yourself in a rut in your relationship, chin up, it won't always be that way. As long as you're working on yourself and working on loving your partner. You'll still have off days. You'll have rough patches. But once you've ridden out the storm, you can look back and see how you've grown closer and stronger because of it. Yes, live in today. Stop and smell the roses. But don't dwell on the darker side of things, because tomorrow WILL be brighter :)
With my recent status change from 'dating' to 'engaged', comes a new season in my relationship. For anyone who has planned a wedding, they know the craziness that ensues. Living in today while planning for tomorrow is quite the balancing act. What I've found to be true is this: you can only plan one day at a time :) I want so much to be already married. To start our lives together. More than anything I just want to get through all the details of the BIG DAY! What keeps me grounded is reminding myself that this only happens once. This season of life only happens once. And from what I've been told, it FLIES by!
So while I'm 'in it', I've chosen to enjoy it. I've chosen to not let the inevitable STRESS that brides get, overcome me. I've chosen to stop and smell the roses. Because what is ONE DAY in comparsion to a LIFETIME with the man of my dreams?!
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