Alone but Not Lonely

I'm linking up today at The Gypsy Mama for 5-minute Friday. It's been a while since I did this, and I like having the writing prompt--saves me having to decide what to write on! And it's lovely to visit the others in the link-up and see how they interpret the prompt.

Hop over and visit others' blogs, and maybe write a five-minute post of your own?

What to do:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word. 2. Link back and invite others to join in. 3. Go and comment on the post of the person who linked up before you. This is the one rule of this community.





Today's prompt: lonely.

I could be lonely right now.
I'm home alone, in a house that's quiet except for the ticking clock and the sound of cars going by outside.
But I'm not really "lonely". I think of lonely as a negative thing--alone, and not wanting to be. Sometimes we want to be alone. Even I like being alone sometimes, and I'm an extravert.

But I'm not lonely.
Sometimes I kind of feel lonely, even when I'm not by myself--missing my mom and dad and siblings (I still haven't fully gotten used to living eleven hours away from them). Missing my friends--all my closest friends live far away from me now, and I hardly ever see them.

Missing family and friends or not, I always have the comfort of my husband. With him, I'm never lonely. He's the best of both worlds: my closest family, and my dearest friend.

And more than that, I have Jesus. I know, there's no physical presence there--I can't reach out and touch him. But I know that the Holy Spirit lives in my heart, and I know that God is everywhere, all the time, so I'm never, ever truly lonely.

But there are so many people who don't know the amazing presence of a God who loves them, who desires to be always near them. I think it's those people who are truly lonely. And what's sad is, they don't even know what they're missing. That "God-shaped vacuum" C.S. Lewis talked about--they have it, and don't necessarily even know it.

I'm thankful that, although I may be alone, I'm not ever truly lonely.

Weekend fun and exciting happenings!

Happy Friday! I've spent the day so far doing laundry at my grandparents' house. They are officially AWESOME. I love them.

I also love my husband, who took me out for lunch today (Subway, yum!). And who is working super-hard, like he always does, to help provide for me. Seriously blessed with that man.

I have two exciting things to tell you. One is that I'm guest-posting for Lindsey Brackett today! She is one of my favorite bloggers, and she asked me to talk about one of my favorite things: loving our husbands. From that post:

The source of all love—whether love between friends, between children and parents, or between husbands and wives—is God.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8

We know what love is because Jesus has modeled it for us. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16 “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

God has described to us what real love looks like. 1 Corinthians 13 is a great starting point, although that kind of love is only shown perfectly by Jesus himself. Jesus said that the greatest commandments are these: to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40).

These Scripture passages all give us a great definition of what love is and where real love comes from. But what does love look like, practically speaking, in a marriage?

Head to Lindsey's blog HERE to read the rest, and leave her some comment-love! And read her other posts...she has a beautiful family and a beautiful heart for the Lord.

The second exciting thing I can't actually tell you about yet. It's TOP SECRET business. But not for long. Keep an eye on the blog, and my Facebook page-- trust me, you're going to want to hear about this the second the word is out!

Finally, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Today's payday, which means grocery shopping (I'm probably one of the few people in the world who has fun meal-planning, grocery-list-writing, and playing the how-little-can-I-spend-on-groceries-and-still-get-lots-of-good-food game). Plus tonight we're going to an ice cream social at my in-laws' church and going to see the new Wolverine movie with my brother-in-law and his friend, and tomorrow we get to see another of Joshua's brothers and pick my friend Sara up from the airport. Mini road trip with my hubby? Yes, please! I'm also hoping to squeeze some garage sale-going in there...we're on the lookout for a couple of bedside tables and a hutch for the kitchen. Dreaming big!

So. Go read my post on Lindsey's blog. Keep your eyes and ears open for the news I'll finally be able to share soon. Have a fantastic, joy-filled weekend. And tell me in the comments what you're up to! I love hearing from you!

Twenty-two lessons in twenty-two years

Today I'm turning twenty-two.  It's not a particularly exciting birthday, like eight years from now will be (gee, am I really going to be thirty in only eight years??).  However, I like even numbers, and I like symmetry, so 22 is a good number.

I've learned a lot in 2.2 decades.  Most of these lessons have been things I've come to understand fairly recently, but they're all a result of experiences throughout my life.  I thought it might be fun (and a bit of a challenge) to come up with twenty-two worthwhile things I've learned about life, relationships, and myself.  Can you relate with any of these?  It can't be just me!

1)  Don't make snap judgments about people.  Some people you might not like much at first but later you'll become friends, and some people who seem cool when you meet them really aren't.

2) Never hold a grudge.  It's not healthy for you and it doesn't affect the other person much anyway.

3) Learn to laugh at yourself.  You do goofy things, and you'll be happier if you can see the humor in those things.

4) Avoid assuming (although do try to assume the best about your spouse as much as possible).  We all know what happens when you ASSUME.  Yeah.

5) Learn to not take things so personally.  Not everything is about you!

6) Appreciate when people listen to you, and learn to listen to others.  They have a lot to teach you.

7) Learn to forgive yourself.  Guilt is not a burden you need to bear; Jesus destroyed it on the cross.

8) Try new things.  You might find you like some things you swore you never would (like country music!).

9) Dance at every wedding.  It's a win-win: you get to flirt with your husband, and show off your sweet swing-dancing skills.

10) Don't be afraid of what people think about you.  The opinions of most people don't matter, and you're defined by being a child of God, not by other people's opinions.

11) Embrace opportunities to make new friends.  Cultivate those relationships while you have the opportunity (before you move or they graduate from college).

12) It's okay to have several "best friends."

13) Get to know people of a variety of ages: your age, younger than you, and older--sometimes much older--than you.  Children bring so much joy to life, and you can learn a lot from older people.

14) Always lick the spoon.

15) Don't beat yourself up over mistakes.  Everyone makes from them.  Take note of the lesson you've learned and move on.

16) It's okay to cry and not know why.

17) You'll always need your mom.

18) Face your fears.  That's the easiest way to conquer them.

19) On second thought, just don't be afraid.  Fear is of the Enemy.  You are a child of God and the Holy Spirit lives in your heart; you have no reason to fear anything!

20) Judge sin, not people.  You don't want to turn into a Pharisee; you just want to be like Jesus.

21) Don't focus on the future; instead, have an eternal mindset.  What's going to matter after this life is over?

22) Leave the worrying about everything to God.  Worrying does no good, and only steals joy, contentment and happiness.  There is always something to be thankful for; focus on that instead of whatever is worrying you.

What are some of the most important/useful/funny life lessons you have learned?  Share in the comments!

Top X (10) reasons I'm excited for summer

This was my husband's idea.  X is the Roman numeral for ten.  Bingo!  A "top-ten" post!  Next week I'll do a top-ten things I've learned during the A-Z Challenge.  It's been quite a month!

Presenting-- the top X reasons I'm looking forward to this summer:

X: No homework.  I don't mind working during the day as long as I can come home and relax and not have homework hanging over my head!

IX: Summer clothes.  Hello, skirts, sundresses, tank tops and shorts!  I'm especially excited to be wearing my sundresses again.  Just pulled one out today for the first time this year!

VIII: Time to get the house clean.  No, seriously.  I was thinking up a list this morning of everything I want to get done around the house as soon as school lets out.

VII:  Summer work.  I have a JOB this summer!  Working at the campus library!  With some of the loveliest ladies ever!  Can you tell I'm a little excited about this one?

VI: Weddings.  FOUR of them, to be exact, and three of the four within eight days of each other!  In two of those three I'm a bridesmaid, and in one of those two my husband is a groomsman (we get to walk down the aisle together again)!  I can hardly wait to celebrate the marriages of some very, very dear friends--and especially my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law!

V: The farmers' market.  And the garden of one of my teacher-friends.  I am looking forward SO much to fresh produce, artisan breads, and fresh flowers.

IV: Time with family and friends.  My sister's confirmation is in just a couple weeks, we'll be in WI again at my parents' for one of the weddings, and they're coming in July (over my birthday week!).  Plus in August we're going to visit some dear friends after they move, and I get to meet one of my dear blogging friends when she and her husband visit us!  AND several of my closest girlfriends from school will be staying in town this summer to work, so I am anticipating some amazing girls' nights and thrift-shopping days!

III: Blogging projects. In addition to the eBook sale (going on next week!  don't miss this!), I have a few other plans up my sleeve for this summer.  I'll let you know more as I know more, myself!  I'm also excited to have more time for blogging in general.

II: Time to do more projects around the house and in the kitchen.  I'm hoping to find some nightstands and furniture for kitchen storage at garage sales this summer.  I also want to start making sourdough, do a better job keeping up with my kombucha, and develop a really healthy (but really yummy!) brownie recipe. :)

I: The number-one reason I'm excited for this summer?  More time with my husband!!  Life can get so crazy during the school year... I'm looking forward to quiet, restful evenings together, fun weekends, and trips to see family and friends together.  This is definitely the best thing about summers: I get to hang out with my best friend!

What are the top reasons you're looking forward to this summer?

Home as a Haven

Tuesdays are Titus 2 Tuesdays at Living in the Light. If you're a new visitor (especially if you're visiting from the Challenge)--welcome!!  I'm so happy you're here.  Check out my "About Me" page HERE, some of my favorite posts on marriage HERE, and my two most popular posts HERE and HERE.

What kind of atmosphere pervades your home?  Is it one of constant busyness--always running from one thing to the next, always stressed, always short on time?  Is it one of anger--everyone always snapping at each other, cruel words flying, doors slamming?

Or is it one of peace--kind words of love and forgiveness the norm, organization keeping everyone on track, time set aside each day to slow down and be together?

As the "lady of the house," setting an atmosphere of peace is primarily my job.  That doesn't mean it's entirely my job, or entirely any wife and mother's job.  Husbands, daughters, and sons all contribute to making home a haven--a place where people feel safe, comfortable, welcome, calm, and peaceful.

There are several ways that home becomes a place like this.  First, it helps if a home is clean, tidy, nicely organized, and tastefully decorated.  These are tasks that generally fall primarily to the wife and mother--but cleaning and organizing are jobs the whole family can help with!

Second, home is a haven when friends and relatives are made to feel welcome and comfortable.  What kind of guest accommodations does your home have?  Are you comfortable with having people over for meals or longer visits?  Do you stress and worry when you have to prepare a meal for more than just your family?  Practice hospitality--be kind and generous to those who enter your home.  And that includes your family!  Is your home a place where you, your husband and children, look forward to returning each day?

Third--and perhaps most importantly--a home is a haven when it is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  Do you make your home a place where the Gospel is predominant?  Does everyone who comes into your house feel the presence of the Holy Spirit?  Fill your home with prayer, worshipful music, good books, the regular reading of Scripture (individually and as a family), and ask the Lord to be present in your home.  Just as our bodies are living temples of the Holy Spirit because of God's gracious work in us, so we ask that our homes be places where he is present as well.

Jami at Young Wife's Guide talked about this very thing in a sweet and thoughtful post yesterday.  I highly recommend you read what she had to say!

Share with me in the comments--how do you make your home a haven, no matter what your role in the family?

Food, romance and forgiveness: I am thankful for these things

I appreciate the pattern of "Thankful Thursdays" because it helps me focus, on a regular basis, on all the many things I have to be thankful for.  That's not to say that I'm not grateful to God every day for what he has given me, but I like noting particular things.

For example, today my husband took the car to be washed--it's so lovely and shiny now!

Supper today was fantastic again...tilapia kind of like what I did last week, except with lime and basil instead of lemon with garlic and butter.  We had it with rice and a tomato-cucumber-yogurt salad.  SO good.  It is such a blessing to always have plenty of good food.

I made homemade yogurt this week, and it turned out!  I'll share more about that tomorrow!  I am thankful for the success, but even more for the opportunity to add to my cooking and homemaking skills.

I'm thankful for my grandparents, and the fact that they let us do laundry at their house every week.  I love spending time with them; it is an amazing blessing to have family so close, both them and Joshua's parents.

I'm so thankful for my husband and how romantic he is.  Last week he took me for dinner at an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to visit for a long time, and to see Les Miserables (SUCH a good movie!).  This weekend we're going on a little getaway for Valentine's Day--not far, but it's much-needed and will be so nice.

As we begin the season of Lent, I'm reminded how unspeakably grateful I am for the fact that Christ suffered so much--for me.  He endured an incredibly torturous death so that I would never have to experience separation from God.  He gave up the rights of his divinity and suffered as a human so that I can live eternally with him, now that he is risen from the dead.  This, above all things, I thank God for.

Linking with: Loved and Lovely, The Fontenot Four, black tag diaries

apparently I'm growing up...

So I discovered proof of something recently: I'm growing up.

How do I know?  Several things:

Joshua and I spent over an hour working on our budget this evening.  It was fun.

My goals for this weekend are: get the kitchen clean, and get the bathroom clean.

I'm looking forward to composing a grocery list and a detailed, two-week meal plan tomorrow.

I'd rather watch The Dick van Dyke show than any TV show made in the last 40 years.

A clean kitchen is a joy to my heart.

I would rather sleep than do a lot of other things.  (Although I realize this is also true for infants and the elderly, so maybe this isn't so much a sign of growing up as it is of simply being human.)

My bedtime is 10 pm.  Even on weekends.

On a similar note, sleeping in means sleeping till 9 am at the latest.  Bliss!

Junk food equals homemade pizza and brownies.  (Thank goodness.)

I would rather eat oatmeal with flax seed for breakfast than sugary cold cereal (yuck).


And yet, I'm still a 21-year-old college student.
But I'm also married, so maybe that's an explanation for why I feel so weirdly adult.

I realize, of course, that I still have a lot of growing up to do.  I haven't had much life experience in comparison to my grandparents, or even my parents.  There are so many things left for me to learn and experience.

But let me tell you, for someone whose peers are all still living on a college campus and whose biggest worries are test scores and what mystery food will be served in the cafeteria, it is weird to state all those truths I listed above.  I feel... unusual.  Isolated.  Often misunderstood.

That's why I'm so thankful for the few married, close-to-my-age friends that I do have.  Because they understand, and it's so good to have friends who understand.  Who get me, who can sympathize, and who know how exciting it is to have a grocery budget over $50 a week.  (Not kidding.  That's about what I feed us on, and I am so proud of myself.)

This Thursday, and every day, I am thankful for the life God has given me: the good and the bad, because I learn more from mistakes than I do from successes, and I trust God more in hard times than in easy.  I'm so very thankful for a husband who loves me even when I'm an idiot, for friends who accept me exactly as I am, for family who are always there when I need them.

Because there's one more reason I've realized that I'm growing up:

I have come to learn that the greatest blessings in life are those that can't be assigned a monetary value.  Not things that can be purchased.  Blessings that are tangible, but absolutely priceless: family.  Friends.  Faith.  Forgiveness.

No matter how grown-up I get, I hope to always remember that.

Linking up today (for the first time in so long...so grateful!):
black tag diaries, Jenni Mullinix, lovely little whimsy, kate says stuff, First Day of My Life, Passionate and Creative Homemaking

Of school and cooler weather...blessings abound

The seasons are changing...schedules are changing...routines will change.  It's that time of year, and it gives me so much to thank and praise God for!  It's good to be thankful...but it's essential to know to Who those thanks and praises go.  I am thankful to God my Father, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for all the blessings He gives me every day, and in this new season of school and cooler weather.

Today's post is really late...but I am so thankful for that because it means that today is the first day of our four-day weekend. :)  Joshua has two extra days off between his summer job, and school starting on Monday.

I am thankful for cooler weather!  We've had the windows open every night.  It's so wonderful.  I'm very ready for fall!

I am thankful that my friends are coming back to campus this weekend!  It's been a quiet summer...I'm so excited to see some very special people.

I'm so thankful for work.  I LOVE the people whose houses I clean.  I enjoy working catering at school.  And I'm so excited to get back to working at the library on Monday!!!

I'm thankful for financial blessings.  The bill for our schoolbooks this year was terrifying, but thanks to financial aid it's all covered!  We were even able to help out my brother-in-law with buying books for his freshman year.

I'm thankful for family!  In the last week my parents have celebrated their anniversary and both their birthdays, and my brother's birthday is tomorrow.  Plus we spent last weekend at Joshua's parents.  Our family is amazing.  I love them so much. <3

I am so thankful for the school we go to.  We have amazing professors, and it's such a blessing to be on a Christian campus.  I get to go to chapel every day this semester, and I am looking forward to that so much.  I'm also in three classes with Joshua and three with my best girlfriend, and that is an incredible blessing!

I am thankful that I get to be in "advance" hand bells, and choir, this semester.  I love music, I love the directors, and I can't wait to be involved in our annual Christmas concert in December.  It's also one of my favorite ways to praise Jesus--through music!

I love all the new things that come with this new season.  It's a reminder of how good and great our God really is!!


Linking up to these lovely ladies:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; Kate Says Stuff; First Day of My Life; Lovely Little Whimsy; Passionate and Creative Homemaking

Marriage and Family Reunions

This past weekend we went to a reunion of my dad's mom's side of the family.  This group has been getting together every other year or so since my grandma's parents died in 1998, and before that they met every year at my great-grandparents' for Christmas.  Now the families of my grandma and her three brothers take turns hosting.  We've been practically all over the Midwest in the last 13 years (the two previous reunions were a few miles from my parents' house!).

This year we met at my aunt and uncle's, and it was the first reunion where I felt like one of the adults.  Kinda.  I'm over 21 and married now, and the oldest of my generation of cousins (the youngest is just 8 months old!), but I'm also 8 years younger than the youngest of my parents' generation.  It's kind of a weird place to be in.

Then, of course, the biggest change for me was having my husband with me!  There were about 20 people he hadn't met yet, and I was SO excited to introduce him to my family.

We've been talking about this reunion for months, and I knew it was going to be really different this time.  The biggest thing I had to remember was to keep my husband as my top priority.  Yes, we were with my family and I don't see most of them often, and they have all known me since I was born (except for all the people who have recently married into the family!), but my husband knows me better than any of them.

He is the one I married and with whom I promised to spend the rest of my life.

So during the weekend, while I was flitting around talking to various relatives, I made sure to pay as much attention to Joshua as I could.  He hit it off with one of my dad's younger cousins and they spent some time visiting.  And then Joshua and I had several hours of alone time at the hotel one day, which we both really needed.

We both had a lot more fun over the weekend than we were expecting to.  The weather was much nicer than anyone had hoped, I got to cuddle all my little cousins (and second cousins), and we met for the first time the girlfriend of one of my dad's cousins, who endeared herself to us all right away.

And then we went home...and I realized how important it was for me to remember how important Joshua is, and make sure he knows how special he is to me.

Because at the end of the day (and the beginning!), he is the one who is always here.  We come home to each other, not any extended family (however much we love them!).  We are each other's family...and that's how it should be.

Linking up today:
The Alabaster Jar; lowercase letters; The Better Mom; Raising Arrows

family, friends, faith--so many blessings

I love Thankful Thursdays.
They're a rock in a sea of change.
They ground me.
They re-focus me.

OK, maybe that's a little dramatic, but I still love having a day every week that reminds me to focus on all the amazing blessings God has given me.  I mean, I know God is awesome, but really!!  He is so incredibly gracious all the time.  (For more on that, see yesterday's post.)

Today, I am thankful (as always!) for my amazing husband.  I can't put into words the blessing he is to me every day.  He is my reality check, my self-esteem-booster, my source of romance, my personal comedian, my best friend and my favorite person.  And just this morning he told me that the homemade cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast were the best he's ever had.  Bar none.  Including Cinnabon.  If he hadn't already endeared himself to me, that would have done it right there.

I am thankful that in TEN DAYS not only will my parents and sister be here, but so will my best friend and her family...and the two families will get to meet for the first time!!  I last saw my family in May and I last saw my friend...well, about two weeks after that, so it is high time for a visit.  And THEN the first week of August we're going to a family reunion with my parents, siblings, and, well, the whole family on my grandma's side.  (This happens about once every two years, so we are tight. :) )  And Joshua gets to meet most of them for the first time...which will be a little overwhelming, but I'm so excited!

I am thankful for good food.  Beef, cream-of-mushroom soup, and red wine in a slowcooker for six hours on high results in some of the most yumminess I've put in my mouth for a while.  And, as I mentioned, killer cinnamon rolls.  YUM.

I am thankful for friends with whom we can talk about our faith, and who challenge, inspire and encourage us.  We and another couple decided to start meeting on Saturday nights for dinner and a Bible study for the rest of the summer (and maybe into the school year) and I'm so thankful for them and our time together.  And we get to hang out again the day after tomorrow!

I am thankful that God continually speaks to and encourages me, and the many creative ways he chooses to do so...books, blogs, friends, family.  I have felt his presence more clearly the last week or so than I have before.  I want nothing more to be in intimate fellowship with my heavenly Father...may he grant me the grace to be open to that and to be in communication with him.

I'm also so very thankful for the new, wonderful people I am getting to know through blogging.  I wish I had more hours in a day to keep in better touch with everyone!  It's amazing to realize how many other people are so much like me...and how far the Body of Christ really reaches.  Heaven is going to be incredible (we'll have to have a big bloggers' get-together once we're all there! :D ).

Share in the comments, if you would like, all the ways God has blessed you in the last few days.  I love to hear how he is working!


Linking today with:
black tag diaries; The Fontenot Four; First Day of My Life; Kate Says Stuff; A Punk, a Pumpkin and a Peanut; Live Called

My Greatest Desire

If you could do anything, be anything, what would it be?
If you could have one wish granted...what would you wish for?

Would you want to be a doctor?  An actor?  An artist?  The president of a Fortune-500 company?
A missionary?  Teacher?  Pastor?
All these are worthy callings.
But none of them (well, except missionary) have ever appealed to me.

I'll let you in on a secret--which you might already know about, if you've been here with me for a while.

The two things I've always wanted to be are a wife and mother.


There.  I said it.  If I could wish for anything, it would be to spend the rest of my life as a wife and mother.
Wife, check.
Mother...someday. :)

When I tell people this, I often get funny looks.  And questions like, "So why are you in college?"  (For the answer to that, read THIS POST.)  I'm at a small Christian university that, until just about fifteen or twenty years ago, was actually called a "Teachers' College."  And I'm not in the education program.  That puts me in a minority.

When I fill out applications for jobs and there are questions like, "What are your future goals?" or "How is this job preparation for your future career?" I shake my head and smile.  Because what I write is not what most people expect.

Since the 1970's, when feminism became popular and its influence filled nearly every household in America, it has been unusual and even strange for women to want to be full-time wives, mothers and homemakers.  For many women, it is absolutely necessary for their family's financial well-being that they work outside the home.  I'm sure there are many women in the workforce who wish they could stay home with their children.

But the fact that I have a choice, and I choose to stay home, is not nearly as common now as it used to be.

I'm blessed to have a husband who plans on helping me fulfill this dream.  On his (future teacher's) salary, we'll never have a lot of money, but we will never be wanting.  He supports me completely in my desire to be a full-time mother and homemaker.

I know that the profession of "homemaker" will not make me a lot of money.  It won't earn me much recognition in society.  My promotions--from mother of an infant, to a toddler, to a child, to a teen--won't increase my salary.  Learning new skills and perfecting the ones I have won't earn me a "Homemaker of the Month" plaque.

But love and appreciation from my husband and (future) children will be worth far more than that.  When I can look back on a life spent serving my family and those around me by being a godly wife, mother and homemaker, my greatest wish will have come true.

I don't have high aspirations or career goals according to the standards of society.  But when God created Eve he made her to be a helpmeet to her husband, to take care of the home in which God had placed them, and to be a loving mother to her children.  I like to think that God has given me the same jobs he gave the very first woman.  To fulfill them to the best of my ability, with his help and forgiveness, is my "dream job."

What about you?  To what vocation has God called you?

 

a few little things

blessings

Most delicious pork roast ever: rub roast with a little oil and then a mixture of herbes de Provence, garlic (I used powder) and ground pepper.  Massage it into the meat, and then sear in a hot pan until brown on all sides.    Meanwhile, rough-chop one onion, two stalks of celery, four cloves of garlic, and if desired two (large) carrots.  Place in slow-cooker.  Rest browned roast on vegetables, pour 1 1/2 cups water over all, cook on high for five hours.  Bliss.  Plus your house will smell incredible all day.


I realized something: having a clean, organized house actually does make me happier.  I am now even more motivated to finish off my big cleaning list.  I checked a few things off it yesterday: the closet is now reorganized, mostly cleaned up, and mostly decluttered.  A little bit is left for today, and I intend to leave it perfect.  I got rid of a fair bit of trash; it was fantastic.


Apparently my husband really likes it when I sit down with him when he comes home instead of when I keep working.  He actually forced me to sit down and stop cleaning last night.  Then, since we had friends over, my friend Ruth did the dishes so I didn't have to.  I realized something else: when I get into "cleaning mode," it's really hard to stop!

My maternal grandmother called last night.  I get to see her on Friday.  I'm pretty excited.

My mom called this morning.  I also get to see her on Friday.  And my dad, my siblings, and other family and friends.  Can. Not. Wait.


Hubby and I had a fantastic morning.

I am guest-posting again today!!  At a fellow young wife's blog--actually, it's Jami's at Young Wife's Guide.  She's such a lovely lady, and she and her husband just found out last week that they're pregnant with their first baby!!  I am thrilled and honored to be guest posting for her today (and tomorrow, with part 2 of the post).  Stop by Jami's blog to read my post and leave her a little love!


We are so blessed.  I'm so thankful.  God is SO very good.

Never Alone

It's been so long since I've written.  At least five days. :)

I had an insanely busy weekend...homework, housework, spending time with my hubby and family and friends.  And since yesterday afternoon I haven't been feeling well.  I've been drinking a lot of tea, trying to combat the gunk-filled, itchy, scratchy throat and a cough.  And taking painkillers for the headache and aches.

But I miss writing, and I need to write.  Not that I care so much about the pageviews.  I know I'll share this and people will read.  You always do, and thank you.  But I need to write.  To get in the written, or typed, word what's in my mind.

I had a long talk with my friend Stephanie today.  And before that I had a talk with a favorite professor.  And before that class with another great prof.  All three things had something in common: they reminded me that I'm not alone.  That I'm not in this crazy thing called life by myself.

Let me explain.  In my first class today ("Exile to Christ," a history course covering that period in history), we were talking about the things that Christians in the early church, and even Jews in the time before Christ lived, went through.  Things like wondering when the Messiah would come, and for the Christians, wondering when He would come back.  Things like trying to live according to God's laws.  Things like fighting against the ways of the world, because the ways of the world are so different from our ways.  What we as Christians experience today, this minute, is no different than what Christians have been experiencing for hundreds of years.

After my second class, I stayed behind to talk to my professor for a little bit.  I forget how the conversation started, but we talked about struggles we've had, and that we've witnessed in others.  How he struggled with depression without knowing that he even had it.  How I had to fight a life-affecting phobia in high school.  How a beloved friend of mine struggled with her self-image.  And my professor and I talked about how we had loved ones who helped us through those hard times.  For him, it was a psychologist friend who realized that my professor had depression.  For me, it was Joshua who helped me fight the phobia till it's now almost gone.  And more than anything, it was our faith in Christ that got us through.

Then my friend Stephanie and I were working together at the library.  And we started talking about our faith, struggles we've had, things we've learned, ways God has taught us and brought us closer to him in the last few years.  And we realized how much we have in common, and she and I were able to encourage each other and just listen.  She's a good listener. :)

Tonight our dear friends Ruth and Joe came over with yummy snacks and a great movie, to keep sick little me company while Joshua was at work.  It was exactly what I needed.

In so many ways, God has revealed himself to me.  So many people have been Christ to me throughout my life.  They have been his hands, his arms, his smile, his voice.  God has chosen to love me through other people.  Through them I know that God takes care of me.  That he is always near me.  That he is watching over me, and that he has my life, my self, my soul in his hands.  That he has been working in everything in my life for my good and his glory.

"Never will I leave you," Jesus told his disciples.  "Never will I forsake you."
He hasn't.  He won't.

thankfulness of things tangible and things intangible.

I am thankful for my husband's extravagant love.  He helps me around the house.  He does laundry while I'm at class and work.  He works hard to help support our little family.  He blesses me with gifts, with little cards to surprise me, with a getaway last weekend!

I am thankful that my failures don't make me who I am: that God does not count them against me, but sees me as his precious child, holy, forgiven, sanctified.

I am thankful that I don't have to live focused on my sinful self.  I am always sinful, but I am always a child of God: holy, sanctified, forgiven--a saint of God.  This is my life, too.  God lets me be a worker in his kingdom, in ways that I don't always know about, but ways that always give him glory.

I am thankful for my amazing friends, women (and a few men, too!) who make me smile, who encourage me, who help strengthen my faith, who share their wisdom with me, who encourage me, who love me for who I am.

I am thankful for my parents, and my parents-in-law: people who bless us without ever expecting anything in return.  They pray for us all the time, they do sweet things to surprise us (like the Valentine's Day package my mom sent today!), they have raised us to believe in and love God, and continue to encourage us in our faith.

I am thankful for time to do homework.  Time to do housework.  Time to be with my husband.  Time, most importantly, to spend time with God.

I am thankful for the reminder that there is so much more beyond this life.  Earth isn't all there is.  This life isn't all there is.  To me, this gives meaning to my life right now: knowing that there is more to come.  Eternity with God.  Everything here points to my life with him in heaven.  Suffering won't last.  Sickness won't last.  War will cease.  Poverty will disappear.  Sorrow will stop.  Death will end.  This life has purpose and meaning, always.

All is Gift

You might have heard the warning, "If God only let us keep the things we were thankful for, how much would you have left?"

I don't like that question.  First, blessings aren't about us.  God doesn't give us gifts because we deserve them, because we obey him, or because we are properly thankful.  He gives us blessings because he loves us!  That's it, plain and simple.  He delights to give us good things, as our perfect heavenly Father.

Second, that question is entirely LAW.  Again, we have nothing to do with the gifts God gives us--it's all from him, and by his grace.

However, it does make me ponder...how many blessings do I have that I haven't thought about?  What things do I take for granted?  How has God blessed me in ways I don't often notice?

The simple answer is, everything.  Everything is gift.  But singling things out, praising God for individual blessings, is acknowledging his role as Creator and Provider of all good things.

Day 24 of the Joy Dare says to list "3 things blue."  Well, today the sky is blue.  Bright, clear, winter blue.  It's so beautiful!
Yesterday I had on a blue-and-white striped blouse, one of my favorites.  I really like how I look in it.
Joshua has a necklace with a pendant that he got to commemorate getting his Eagle award in Boy Scouts.  It has a blue stone.  It's a reminder of how much he has learned and grown over the years, how responsible and trustworthy he is, and the accomplishment for which I am so proud of him.

Today, day 25: "One grace borrowed, one grace found, one grace inherited."
borrowed... A lovely (also newly married) friend is loaning me textbooks for a class.  I love using used books, especially literature textbooks, because of the notes and markings left by the previous reader.
found...hm.  For once I can't think of anything.  I know there must be something :) but nothing that I can think of has gone missing and turned up again, at least not recently.  I read a poem by a classmate entitled "Lost and Found" that was delightful and uplifting.  I suppose that could count!
inherited...that's easy. :)  Much of the furniture in our house (couches, end table, bed) were 'inherited' from other people--all of whom, I am glad, are still alive, but who didn't need the items anymore.  There is much history in our home's furnishings--lots of stories, lots of love.

All these things are blessings...and thanks to this Joy Dare, I've realized that and given thanks to God for them.  All is gift!

The Gift of Community

If I lived all alone, had no friends or family, and spoke to no more people than were necessary each day, God would still bless me incredibly.  He would give me a home, food, a way to support myself, and most importantly his Word and forgiveness and eternal life.

However, my life is SO much more full and complete with friends, family and spouse!  Besides being a blessing to me, having interactions with many people over the course of the day gives me opportunities to be a blessing to others.  God works through me to accomplish his purpose in the lives of many people besides me.

Today's Joy Dare (well, yesterday's actually) has to do with the blessings of interacting with other people:
"One thing you wore, one thing you gave away, one thing you shared."

I wore (am still wearing, in fact) a real pearl necklace that I got while I was in Hong Kong my freshman year of high school.  I haven't worn it in a while, and having it on brings back memories of the day I bought it, the people I was with, the other experiences I had that day, and the things God taught me on that trip.

I gave away time and energy at work, to help feed a LOT of college students (technically I got paid for that, but I think it counts!) and I gave time and energy at home to get the kitchen clean, food made, and bread baked for my husband and me.

I shared hugs.  Quite a few at church!  I thrive on hugs, and I have several friends who appreciate hugs as much as I do.  Giving and receiving hugs is comforting, reassuring, and joy-filling.

I appreciate being by myself as much as the next person--sometimes even as much as an introvert, even though I most certainly am extroverted!  However, I LOVE my family and friends, and I am so thankful that they are a huge part of my life.

You know what's a blessing?

So many things are blessings today!

Twenty followers!  (One doesn't show up on the blog, just my owner's "dashboard.")  THANK YOU!

Comments and encouragement from new people, wonderful people, sisters in Christ.

Bloggy link-ups leading me to people I needed to find, words I needed to read.

Most amazing of all... the realization, while reading all these lovely people's words, how far-flung the family of believers is.  I'm reading the words of women all over the country--all over the world!--and they're going through the same struggles I am, they're encouraging me in the ways I need it most, they're looking and longing to serve God too.

What a wondrous thing this blogging community is!  Bringing together people from all backgrounds and walks of life--but with a shared, common faith.


All these people whom I'll probably never meet in this lifetime are people I'll be sharing eternity with.  How incredible IS that?!?

If you're reading this, please leave a link to your blog--only God knows who needs to read it today.  And visit at least one other person who commented, so that you can be a blessing to them as well!  I pray that God will make all of us a blessing to each other, as he uses our simple words to speak His glorious truth.

In His peace...

Graces from Others

Why is it so hard sometimes to accept things from others?  Is it pride?  A desire to take care of ourselves?  The yearning for independence--from parents, from employers, from anyone?  Or would we rather just give instead of receive?  That's better, after all--not taking from others but giving to them instead.  That's what Jesus did, isn't it?

If we're looking to the Savior for our example, yes, he constantly gave of himself to others.  But he had no home of his own once he left that of his father.  He had no way of earning money.  He had to rely entirely on the love, generosity and grace of other people for his food and lodging.  He had to receive gifts from those to whom he was the Gift.

If Christ accepted gifts, blessings, grace from others, than I can do no less.  After all, God chooses to bless me through other people.  That's what today's Joy Dare is about: "Three graces from people you love."  I like how Ann phrased this.  It's not just "Three graces from other people."  It's "Three graces from people you love," those with you often, those who know you best--those you desire to serve the most.  Those from whom it is sometimes hardest to accept grace.

God has blessed me, offered me grace, through people I love, and very recently:
My grandparents offering a ride to church on the morning of their commissioning (for their fourth missionary trip!).
Friends spontaneously having us for supper.
My husband reminding me that I can give it all up to God, simply trusting, not worrying, taking the control from me and helping me put it in His hands.

How has God shown his grace to you through people you love this last week?  I would love to hear how he's blessed you!  Please share in the comments. :)

Thankful Thursday

I have so, so much to thank God for this week!  I mean, we're constantly showered with blessings, but I'm more aware of them than usual.

-beautiful weather and the promise of SNOW this weekend!

-decorating our home for Christmas and the loveliness of our tree

-six months of marriage as of this week Tuesday, a marriage that gets better every day

-six months of living in our apartment as of today--such a beautiful, cozy home

-our jobs and extra work and extra money

-a lovely, sweet lady whose lovely house I cleaned yesterday (and got paid for it!)

-safety in our travels last weekend

-a car that can and will be fixed

-friends who picked us up from the bus station (yes, that's what happened last weekend)

-improving health for Joshua's Dad

-only two weeks left of the semester (!!!)

-family who loves us

...and so much more.

May you all see God's goodness in every moment of every day.

Home for Christmas

I've been both looking forward to and dreading this Christmas.  I've been looking forward to it because it's Joshua's and my first Christmas as a married couple.  It's our first Christmas in our new, own home.  I get to decorate my home, bake goodies for us, celebrate with family here.  And my parents will be coming down to visit between Christmas and New Year's.

But this will be my first Christmas not at my parents' house.  It will be my first Christmas Eve and Day not with my parents and siblings.  And honestly, I'm having a hard time with that.  I'm going to miss them a lot.

They'll be here in spirit, though.  Joshua and I assembled our tree (yes, it's fake) and decorated it tonight.  Here in Nebraska pine trees aren't as readily available as they are in Wisconsin, and thus they're quite expensive.  So we found one at Walmart that will do just fine.  However, the box claimed that the tree is six feet tall.  It isn't.  It's about five and a half feet tall.  So it's a baby tree, but I'm okay with that. :)

My mom sent a box of Christmas things when we moved after the wedding.  I knew I had about twenty ornaments that I've been given each year.  But what I didn't know was that my mom had included even more ornaments: ones that I made in Sunday school when I was little, favorite ornaments that had always been on our family tree, and most precious, an ornament of two little bears in stockings with our names written on the back.

We'll be getting a few of Joshua's childhood Christmas ornaments from his family soon.  And then we'll have our tree.  Ours.  Joshua's and mine. :)

This is home now.  My family is spread out over several states, but this is where we live, my husband and I, and so this is home.  I'll be home for Christmas.