Storms

I've been reading through Acts lately. In Acts 27, Paul is being sailed to Rome to appeal to Caesar for his accused crimes from sharing the gospel of Jesus. On the way, they encounter a terrible storm of hurricane force. They were forced to throw all their cargo and tackle overboard and their ship wrecked. Paul heard from God in a dream that He would spare the lives of all who were sailing, but their ship would be destroyed. Paul shared this with everyone and was confident that they would all live through the ordeal, even though their ship was going to be destroyed in the process.

This made me think of the other storms in the Bible, particularly the one the disciples faced with Jesus on the boat. Jesus was sleeping through the storm and he even rebuked the disciples for being afraid of the storm. He assured them that He would protect them from the storm.

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It seems to me that God is in the business of protecting us from storms. Because storms are inevitable, aren't they? No matter where we live, we are guaranteed to get some rough weather along the way. I mean, that's just science. And I think the same is true for our personal lives. No matter how perfectly things seem to be going, eventually we will all face personal storms. Those storms may be broken and hurting relationships, financial burdens, job loss or not feeling fulfilled at work, the stress of everyday obligations, a series of bad decisions, and even the death of loved ones. Some storms are worse than others. Some are of hurricane force and some are just afternoon thunder showers. We're likely to get a mix of everything in our lives.

But despite that fact, there is GOOD news! God promises to see us through the storms. Just like he literally saw Paul and the disciples through their storms, He will see us through our proverbial storms as well. That's not to say there won't be devastation. The ship Paul was on lost everything but their lives...all their belongings and even the ship itself. Basically, they barely got out alive. So, don't lose faith when things seem to be falling apart around you. Don't let doubt set in. God is there with you. He is walking you through the storm. Even if He chooses to not pull you from it immediately, He will see you through it.

And even if we do lose our lives now...we have the amazing gift of eternal life with Jesus in Heaven waiting for us on the other side. So, it's not much of a loss at all.

This is so easy to preach when things are good. It's so hard to say and believe and trust when you're right in the middle of the storm. I get that. I've been there. But I hope this can serve as a reminder to you that God is with you and He will not let you be destroyed. You may be hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed! (2 Corinthians 4:8) And that is something worth proclaiming!

With His love,
Christy

Updates and a Declaration!

I've been conflicted about the blog lately. I don't have time to devote to it the way that many other bloggers do. I honestly just don't feel like making a fancy page, getting sponsors, creating tabs, and having a blog that's worthy of hundreds of followers. But when I try to participate in this blogging world, I feel pressured to do those things. I get jealous of the bloggers I follow. I feel like I need to be traveling to fabulous places, wearing the most trendy outfits, and snapping breathtaking pictures with an outrageously expensive camera. But that's not my life. And I don't want to feel bad about my life because the fact is...my life is pretty darn wonderful as it is!! I am blessed beyond words. So I don't want to get caught up in something that makes me feel otherwise. And it's no one's fault but my own.

I will probably still read blogs of all types, and I'm not saying I won't EVER post a fluff piece, but I am going to rededicate my blog to God. That may seem strange, but that was the original intent of this blog. I wanted to share what God had been doing in my life and all the lessons I was learning through my time with Him. And I've gotten so far away from that. So now it's time for me to declare that I am going back to the basics. You will be seeing a lot more of what I meant for this blog to be about. Probably still some other things every now and then, but not as a majority. If you quit reading, I understand. But I hope you don't. Because I hope that you can be inspired or learn or grow with me in this journey.

Now...I feel like I can't move forward without at least doing a quick update from where I left off back in December. So, here it is...in pictures! Enjoy the recap, and check back tomorrow for the beginning of my posts of substance! Thanks, friends! :)

I turned 27, and Scott bought me these cute boots and a Joyce Meyer devotional :)

Pictures of all the pretty things around my yard...

We decorated for Christmas

I graduated with my Master's! Whoop!

We celebrated Christmas...this is my niece Kyli and her mom.

My other niece Keirra

Me and my sister in our new PJ's! 

Me and my Daddy

We redecorated our master bathroom...new paint, light fixture, shower curtain, mats, soap dispensers, waste basket, tooth brush holder, and towels! 

And we painted our master bedroom...more work still to be done in this room!

Happy Tuesday!
~Christy~

What's Happening

Well, I have officially failed to blog at least once a week as part of my 27 Before 27 goals. Sorry. In my defense, one week was Thanksgiving and I was traveling the whole week, and last week I had a family emergency that kept me occupied the whole time. I'm not going into details about it on here just because it's not the kind of thing you talk about to everyone and this is a very public blog (even if I only have like 20 followers!). But I will say--please be praying for me and my family.

So, what's been happening since I've been gone, other than that? Well--as I said, we traveled for Thanksgiving. We went to south Florida and visited all of Scott's grandparents and then spent Thanksgiving and the following weekend at my mom's in Tampa. I got to see my brother for the first time in nearly 2 years, which was awesome. We had so much fun. I hope he keeps making good choices and being the brother I know and love. We also got a new camera! That's right! I can start to somewhat join the other cool kids in blogland. I won't be sitting at the same lunch table, but I've moved a couple tables closer! ;) We got the Nikkon Coolpix P510. It does not have exchangeable lenses, but it's has 42x digital zoom and so many settings I'm still not even close to knowing how to use it to its full potential. But I'm having a great time learning! Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving...when I was just starting to play with the camera. And these are coming from FB since I'm not at my home computer right now, so the quality is not quite as good as it really would be.

Oohh, Aahh, See the craters!

We were going for old horror movie, but I've been told more than once it looks like an old sitcom. :)

Just before the feast!

Pre-feast goodies

yummy spiced apple cider

Me and my brother...being silly :)

We also recently decorated for Christmas. I will share those pictures in a later post, along with some pretty pictures of the plants and flowers that are blooming in our yard currently. I'm definitely getting better with the camera each time I use it. You'll see! :)

I've applied for three jobs, one of which is basically the job I've been doing for the past three years. But since I will no longer be a graduate student, they had to change my title. I actually had to apply and interview for it! Needless to say, I've been offered the position. It's not a full-time benefited job, but it will pay a little more than I was making before, and I'll have more hours. It's definitely a blessing to have something like that while I'm still looking for something in my field.

My birthday is in TWO days! I will be 27 and will have to face the music with my challenge. I took a peek a minute ago and I think I've met most of my goals, which is good!

I graduate next Friday! All that is standing between me and my master's degree is a few more days at my internship, an evaluation meeting with my supervisor, a presentation tonight, and two papers (only 5 pages each). It hardly seems real!

Hope you all have been well and are getting in the Christmas spirit!

Love,
Christy

Things I'm only just now thinking about...

I know there has been a lot of talk around here about possibly getting pregnant soon. Sorry. But it's about to continue.

These are the things I've thought about this week:

• I need new work clothes since I'm applying for big girl jobs. Should I spend money on a lot of new clothes if those same clothes may not fit me in a few months?
• Wine! Holiday dinners without wine?!?! Graduation celebrations without wine?? I know it's very sad that this is even a potential problem. It's not like I'm addicted; I just really like wine!
• Am I the weight I want to be right now? I know I won't be able to vigorously work out once I get pregnant. Will I get really fat? I'm not worried about a giant baby bump...just a giant everything else. I'm scared I'll use my pregnancy as an excuse to not workout and to eat as much as I want. And I was really hoping I would be a tiny bit thinner before I got pregnant. And my core! I need to workout my core first!! I'm just a tad concerned about all this!
• I tend to have digestive issues and I have a bladder condition that causes painful spasms. I'm terrified that pregnancy will make these conditions much worse. 
• and the age old concern of will I keep working after I have the baby. You know all about my concerns. But I just won't know until I know. I'm going to continue on until then with pursuing a career and finding something that I love to do. I'll plan to come back to work. And if I have to change my plans later, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. 
• And what if none of this even matters because what if I have a hard time getting pregnant? Or what if I have a miscarriage? These are scary thoughts that I try not to dwell on. I just have to trust that God is in control and His plan is perfect.

Pretty nursery...I'm obsessed with the gray stripes. Yes, there I go with the gray walls again! :)

What I'm NOT worried about:

• Being financially ready. Don't get me wrong. We are NOT financially ready. Who is? I'm just over waiting for that to happen! I know God will provide and we are obedient with our money. We'll make it work!
• Being good parents
• How this will change my relationship with Scott

And I think those are three very important concerns. I can deal with all the worries and stress of all the other details as they come up. But as long as we are emotionally ready and we know we will stick together and love each other no matter what happens in the process, that is all I really care about. 

Hope you all are having a wonderful week and are as ready for Thanksgiving as I am! (And for now, wine is still on the table! ha!)

~Christy~

Goals...

I admit that I'm only writing today b/c it's been a week since I last posted, and one of my 27 before 27 goals was to blog at least once a week. Bad reason to blog, yes. But I'm doing it anyway!

Speaking of my goals, I think I'm doing pretty well with most of them. I need to break out the fall decor now that all the Halloweeny stuff is safely boxed away until next year. Losing weight has not been easy. I know I said only three measly little pounds to help buffer the holidays, but it turns out the holidays are a mightier opponent than I accounted for. Even with working out several times a week, it's not enough to battle the Halloween candy, the pumpkin spice desserts, and all the other unhealthy goodies and meals that come with the holidays. And it's not even Thanksgiving yet! Fortunately my gain has been minimal. Some weeks I have lost weight, but I usually gain it back the following week. I guess as long as I don't gain 10 pounds this year I'll be okay. I want to keep wearing these size 6 jeans!! And even though most of my dress pants, even after having them altered a few months ago, look like clown pants...I'm not looking to growing back into them!

Other than that, I think I'm well on my way to meeting most of my goals. I don't think we'll be painting the fireplace after all...but I think that's because we're going to paint the walls instead. I'm loving gray walls these days and want to paint my whole house in shades of gray (50 is probably too many!) (no, I haven't read those books!) (okay, enough side notes!). But a whole house of gray walls sounds depressing. I know if I decorate appropriately it won't be, but I'm not always the best at decorating. Especially now when time and money is tight. Anyway. That all is to say...I'm not painting the fireplace! Now look at some pretty, pretty gray walls... :)

Source: bhg.com via Christy on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Christy on Pinterest

Source: westelm.com via Christy on Pinterest

I applied for my first full-time job yesterday! I have no idea if I'll even get an interview, but I'm excited that I'm officially trying. Speaking of trying...I'm out of pills! Still not actually "trying" yet. But soon. Probably soon. Probably. (I may need more convincing now that the time is finally upon me!)
Scott's family is coming to visit this weekend. I'm super excited! We always have a great time. And his dad is playing bass in our band at church. This will be the first time that he'll be playing when I'll also be singing. We'll be like the von Trapps! haha!

I guess that's it for these Friday ramblings! I have met my quota! ha!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! :)

~Christy~

Happy First Friday!

Hello, All!

In Statesboro we celebrate the first Friday of every month with something called First Friday, which is a celebration downtown. Vendors come out, shops and restaurants stay open a little later than usual, and there is usually some main event planned which is based around a monthly theme.

I've actually never gone to a First Friday before, but have wanted to for a while. This is the first time we've been home with no plans on a "First Friday" since we moved into our house in town. Perfect time to go, yes? :)

So, tonight is a date night. For dinner we're going to Sugar Magnolia, a bakery downtown, for homemade pizzas and seasonal beer. We may stay for a brownie or cupcake for dessert, or we may walk up East Main St. and get a cupcake from Sweet Cheeks, which is another bakery, but this one specializes only in desserts--mainly cupcakes. I'm so excited for our quaint little date night, walking around downtown Statesboro, getting dinner at local venues. What can I say? I'm a small town girl at heart!

The theme for this month is sustainability, and they're showing a free documentary on the courthouse lawn about computer and electronic waste. There will be free popcorn and hot chocolate, and the film makers will be available after the show for Q&A. I admit, it doesn't sound like the most exciting movie to watch on date night, but I think it'll still be fun to get all bundled up and huddle together on a blanket on the courthouse lawn and watch a movie with a bunch of other Statesboro locals. :) And if we decide we aren't in the mood for that, we'll call it an early night, buy a bottle of wine, and head home for a movie on the couch.

Via

I love having fun little things like this planned that we can look forward to all week. We've been counting down the days (and now the hours).

Unfortunately Scott has to work tomorrow because we have a home game (Goooo Georgia Southern!!). But the good news is, this will give me lots of time to work on some neglected school work. I have a massive presentation the week after Thanksgiving, and I do NOT want to put that off and have to spend my much needed vacation time working on that awful thing! As boring as a full day of homework sounds, it will be such sweet relief to make a dent in that project.

Sunday I'm serving in the nursery at church, and then...no plans! Hopefully it'll involve nothing more than laundry and watching movies. Yes, we watch a lot of movies!

What are you up to this weekend? Hope you enjoy it!!

~Christy~

Halloween 2012! :)

So I know I said we were planning to dress as Men in Black since I had to wear a suit the latter part of the day on Halloween (working at a Career Fair), but my wonderfully creative hubby decided on Friday that we should go as Peter Pan and Wendy. I laughed at him at first b/c I didn't think we would be able to pull it off. Was he going to wear tights?!?! But he insisted that it should be easy enough. We went to Goodwill Saturday morning, and...it was!

We bought my night gown, Scott's green slacks and green polo from Goodwill. Then we went to Hobby Lobby and bought some ribbon to tie around my gown and put a bow in my hair, and some felt and a feather to make Scott's hat. Then we went to Wal-Mart where I bought the long johns and slippers. :) Boom! Done!

We went to Scare in the Square in downtown Statesboro (where above pictures were taken) and we had a few people ask if they could take our picture. We even had one family ask if we would take one with their daughter who was dressed as Tinker Bell!

Some friends of ours wanted to dress up, but didn't know what to do. We had some pirate costumes at church from a series we did with the kids, so they borrowed those and were Captain and Mrs Hook (who is also pregnant by the way!)

the court house at Scare in the Square

After the party on the square, we went back to our house and had hot chocolate and popcorn and watched a few episodes of "Scared Shrekless" (a couple of our friends had their daughter with them so it had to be family friendly).

Yesterday, for actual Halloween, we had a party in my office and Scott's office had a costume contest for the whole campus. We have actually won before, but this year we sadly did not. However I still feel I can cross "come up with an awesome Halloween costume that could win the contest" off my 27 before 27 list.

In the afternoon I had to change into my suit and work a Career Fair on campus. I was so exhausted after all that, we decided not to go out last night. We stayed home, cooked homemade veggie pizzas, had a glass of wine and a few pieces of candy, and watched Psycho while we waited for trick or treaters to come around. Unfortunately we only had 3 small groups of kids show up, and most of them weren't even wearing costumes! But I was still pretty excited to hand out candy for the first time in my own home! :) We even had some kids tell us they like our house, which was sweet. And they were super excited that we have the good candy! I figured we might have some left over, so might as well buy stuff we like!

Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween, too! Now...on to Thanksgiving my birthday, and Christmas, please! :)

~Christy~