Thankful

I am thankful for cool breezes and open windows and the ability to sit and work on my back porch with a new album (Imagine Dragons) playing in the background.

I am thankful to have gotten to spend the morning with girlfriends, eating girly food and wearing sparkles and pointy heels. Sometimes it's nice to feel glamorous, even if just for a Saturday morning wedding shower.

I am thankful for Mr. Right who took me on one of my favorite dates last night. We've found a hole-in-the-wall sushi place that we have made "our place," and paired with a movie it provides for the perfect, no-stress Friday night date night. Avocado and cream cheese and shrimp tempura and snuggles from my man have a special place in my heart.

I am thankful for a good night's sleep.

I am thankful that our sweet little nephew Jack is doing so well in the NICU. Feel free to say a prayer for him this morning.

I am thankful for new seasons, not only with weather but also with work. Mr. Right's last day at the church was last Sunday and it has been exciting to see him spend this first week studying so hard for his real estate license. I am praying for refreshment and new opportunities for the both of us.

I am thankful for the way God has already blessed my little shop and given me the opportunity to stretch my creative muscles in a way that is really good for me. And I am thankful for friends and family who have been so encouraging during this process.

I am thankful for a God who is sweet, even in times of waiting, and resting, and hoping.

I. Am. Thankful.

My life verse

Most people know that I LOVE scripture, like LOVE it. What better way for a weak-hearted girl to be tough and bold and confident than to have scripture to rattle off during life's most worrisome moments? And one of my very favorite scriptures in the whole entire world is Jeremiah 32:27 because it reminds me that NOTHING I encounter is too big for my God.

No trial will ever worry him.

No challenge will ever overpower him.

No sickness will ever be more than he can heal.

No unexpected crisis will ever catch him by surprise.

If you'd like a copy for yourself, visit my shop over at Etsy - Texas Lovely.

Stability

Y'all, I don't like change. It stinks. I also don't like it when I lose control. When life throws me things that I wasn't expecting, when my little world that I've so carefully crafted gets turned upside down. It's the pits, I tell you.

I bet you can relate.

Which is why I ADORE this verse. Like, I love it so much I might get it tattooed on my forehead. It's that great. But since I'm too much of a whimp to get a tattoo, instead I made it into a poster, which I plan to proudly display in my bedroom next to the place where I have my morning Bible study.

Life may get crazy, y'all, but I am thankful that my God can provide me with the stability that nobody and nothing else can seem to offer.

To purchase this or other scripture art, check out my online store, Texas Lovely. Remember, I'm offering a buy-one-get-one-free until the end of August so you can keep one for yourself and bless someone else who might be in need of a little love.

Rejoice

I've been designing scripture posters for myself for years. I have a framed copy of all of the verses I need to make it through my workday with my sanity intact framed next to my computer, so that whatever challenges I might face during the day, I've got a scripture handy to quote over and over until I can regain my sanity. 

Yesterday during my morning Bible study I stumbled across this verse, and it just made me HAPPY. Don't you love it when the Bible throws something like this at you, that you can just wrap your arms around and hug close to your chest and let out a huge sigh of relief and just... rest?

Life is nutty right now. Then again, it always seems that way, doesn't it? Through a lot of unknowns right now, as Mr. Right and I take a big leap of faith and try a new adventure on for size, I want to remain THANKFUL for all of the ways God has provided for me in the past. He has shown up before and I am certain he will show up again.

Do you keep a list? If not, you should. I keep a running list of all the ways God has shown up, answered my prayers, knocked my socks off with blessings or snuck something in unexpectedly that could have only come from him. Seeing that list makes those giant leaps of faith, those urgent prayers during a crisis, those dark moments when nothing will do except for a MIRACLE, more manageable. Survivable.

So let's rejoice together in ALL of the GOOD THINGS our Lord has given us and our households. 

PS--To get a copy of your very own Ombre Scripture Art, visit Texas Lovely online. Until the end of August I'm offering buy-one-get-one-free on this piece so that you can keep one for yourself and give one to a friend who might need a little reminder to rejoice.

In case you were wondering...

It took me 11 episodes of 30 Rock to piece my nephew Jack's baby quilt on Saturday. That's a new record! I'm bursting with excitement to show you and may not be able to wait until I'm able to get it in the hands of his sweet mama (my sister-in-law Michelle) before posting a sneak preview. I chose a design that I've had swimming around in my head for months, and I must say it turned out so cute I squealed, and then danced around while Mr. Right oohed and aaahed over it like a good husband of a quilter.  I may just make another one with some of the leftover fabric and stick it in my shop for a baby gift. You know, since I promised I'd never sell a quilt in there, and every good woman changes her mind.

I still have to quilt and bind it, but luckily I'm only on Season 2 Episode 12 of 30 Rock, so there's plenty of time to finish it.

I got asked if I was pregnant on Friday. Again. Three times in one day. By one woman and two men. For the record, I'm not. And people should stop asking. And I am going to have to burn that shirt (along with this one and this one and this one), which I admit was a bit loose, but I bought it from the regular section of LOFT.

On Saturday I started tracking my calorie intake/outtake on the myfitnesspal app. I'm hoping the accountability of keeping a food journal will help me with item #2 on my list. I'm on Day 4, which practically makes me an expert. (Who's taking bets that I've forgotten about this by Thursday?) PS--I've lost two pounds. It may have been water weight, but I'm celebrating nonetheless.

We watched the greatest movie this weekend - Capote. It's rated R, but if you have a husband who will tell you when to close your eyes (an opening murder scene, and about two minutes toward the very end), it's really more of a light PG-13. It's now in my Top 10 list of favorite movies. (note to self - create list of my other top 9 favorite movies.)

Does anybody else LOVE LOVE Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition? Mr. Right and I want to adopt Chris Powell into our family.  We love positive people, and we hear he's a fan of CrossFit like us. 

My favorite restaurant in all of DFW is closing in a few weeks. To be replaced with a TACO SHOP. As if Texas doesn't have enough Mexican food restaurants already. I'm not sure who was more sad, Mr. Right and I when we found out on our date Friday night, or the manager who knows us because we go so much (and send all of our friends there). Rest in peace, Cowboy Chow in Roanoke. I will miss your watermelon tea and fry bread dipped in honey and black bean mash. 

My prayer right now is Psalm 107:7 - "He led them by a straight way..." Life seems to be swirling all around us lately, with our own plans turned upside down and many of our closest loved ones going through some pretty big trials. 

"When I said, 'My foot is slipping, your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.'" Psalm 94:18-19

I am so glad you follow my little blog. Bless you!

New job

We are happy to announce that Mr. Right has taken a new job - in a few weeks he will start working as a real estate agent in Fort Worth.

It does not mean that we are quitting ministry. 
There are some crazy statistics out there about how many people who graduate from seminary are out of ministry within five years. I think it's an unfair statistic. Because a lot of churches can't afford to support their ministers full time. There are church plants that routinely use bivocational ministers - they work to support their family but their main mission is ministry. In fact, some people say that this is the future of church ministry.

This will be us for now. Mr. Right will have a "regular job" albeit a very flexible one so that he can support our family and still do ministry. We now consider ourselves bivocational.

The kind of ministry we like to do isn't very clean. Mr. Right likes to work with internationals. The down and out. The poorest of the poor. The people that society tends to write off. You know, the kind who don't have any money to support a minister. And there aren't a ton of jobs out there for that.

But that doesn't mean we can't do it. We're already voluntarily running an ESL ministry at our church, working with refugees from around the world. And Mr. Right volunteers with our Spanish-speaking ministry. And he is uniquely gifted at sharing Jesus with random people he meets in lines at grocery stores. The funny thing is, he's never pushy, rarely brings it up - but people just see him and immediately open up and tell him their life stories. At the pharmacy. And the gym. Just about anywhere he goes.

So he will continue to do ministry. And he will continue to finish school. He's scheduled to graduate with a Masters of Divinity (a 98-hour degree) in 2013.

It does not mean we will never again work at a church. 

It does not mean that we won't someday end up living on the mission field, finding ourselves as the outsiders who need someone to teach us the language and the culture. 
But for right now, we're going to do that for others, in the name of Jesus. We'll just being doing it for free.

It does not mean we're leaving our church.
In fact, we plan on staying for a very long time. Our church is our home, we love the people there, and we feel like we have great opportunities to minister there. It just means that instead of working through every service, Mr. Right will get to sit next to me, worship with me, maybe even ride together to church (something we have never done since we've gotten married). It means that we're in a good position to find some new ministries to do together. As volunteers.



We need your prayers.
Change is exciting but also scary, especially for two people who are planners to a fault. We need prayers as Mr. Right changes careers and builds a new business. We really feel like this is what God wants, and we assure you that this is something that we have prayed over for quite some time. But navigating through change and finding new roles to serve in can be challenging. And I need your prayers because as always I battle against fear of the unknown - pray that God will continue to give me big faith and the wisdom to know how best to support Mr. Right through this transition.

We need your friendship.
We are thankful for friends who love us no matter what our jobs are, who trust us to follow the Lord's leading for our family. Mr. Right will need your encouragement (and your referrals... wink, wink) as he starts a business from scratch.

We need rest.
If you go to church with us, you may not see us for a few weeks. Mr. Right hasn't gotten to attend a single worship service in ten months. He needs to hide in the back of a sea of unknown faces and just worship. And so we have plans to visit the church where our brother-in-law leads worship. The church that Mr. Right's parents helped plant. We may take an out of town trip that doesn't involve us driving back at midnight Saturday night so Mr. Right can make it to work the next morning.

But we will be back, with batteries recharged and hearts excited for a new chapter.

Hope

As someone who works in the healthcare industry, how do I feel about this week's supreme court decision?

My hope is not in the president, or the supreme court, or in what the government can do for me. My hope is in the name of Jesus.

Women's Dinner

My sweet church hosted a women's dinner for 600+ women this week.  Here's the recap of this wonderful, chocolate and big-jewelry-filled evening:

1. The men of our church served the women. They dressed up, donned black aprons and acted as waiters, graciously serving their women so that we could feel doted on. Mr. Right volunteered, and I may be a bit biased, but I think he looked mighty handsome carrying that pitcher of ice tea.

2. Our church invited my ESL ladies to attend. For free. And so many of our members came by to welcome them and tell them how happy they were that they chose to join us. 

3. Some of our ESL students come from cultures where a man would NEVER serve a woman. So this dinner blew their mind. It was a great testimony, and they felt so very special. It's nights like this, where they feel loved on, that softens their hearts to hear and accept the gospel.

4. Our church took up a collection to pay for textbooks for our English students for next semester. We almost cried when we found out - they had kept it as a surprise from us. Textbooks are very expensive and most of our students have very little money - so this is a huge deal.

Thanks to First Euless for investing in women. And thanks to the women who chose last night to invest in our English students. 

"And I pray that you... may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  - Ephesians 3:18-19

Truth

I need constant reminders of truth, so I created this picture to go next to my desk at work. And since I work in advertising, it needed to be pretty. Chevrons are pretty.

Choosing lovely thoughts over anxiety

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Lord, help me to rejoice in you - fill me to overflowing with joy that can come only from you. Help me to be joyful and celebrate you every day, no matter if I'm suffering or having the greatest day ever.

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

Lord, I'm good at being gentle with folks I like. Help me to have a gentle spirit on those bad days, around difficult people, when I let my guard down. Help my speech to reflect your gentle nature.

The Lord is near.

Thank you, Lord, for always being near. Even when it feels like I'm alone. Help me to cling to that truth - you ARE near.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God.

Lord, this goes against my very nature. Sometimes I drown in anxiety and worry over very big things... and very small things. Help me to take captive every thought and filter it through the promises you've given me in scripture. That you are near... that you will never leave me nor forsake me. That you are in control. Please quiet my anxieties and insecurities and replace them with a thankful heart. Help me to remember to pray as soon as I get anxious. And help me to remember to choose joy.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Lord, thank you for promising to replace my anxieties with your peace. The kind of peace that goes beyond my own understanding. Please guard my heart and my mind. Please reign down peace on me and my family.

Finally, (Bethe), whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

Lord - when I'm feeling anxious, please help me to replace those fears with thoughts of true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy things. Thinking on lovely, true things... what a productive way to occupy my mind, which never seems to slow down. Help me to be disciplined in this.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

What a wonderful promise! Lord - I want your peace. I have tasted it, and I want it every day. What a lovely way to live.


(These are the verses I've been meditating on - Philippians 4:4-9, NIV)

Don't waste your pretty... and other encouragement for single women

I was single for 30 years, and the I will admit that I used to hate Valentine's Day, because it was just highlighting the fact that I was still single. Probably the only one - or so it seemed. So a few years ago I gave this pep talk to my Sunday School class to encourage my fellow single friends that we could survive our single years, and not only survive... but do it fabulously. Here's what I told them:

How to survive your single years:

1. Your fabulousness isn't determined by your relationship status.
Sometimes that's hard to remember when you see all your friends post pics of their beautiful husbands/boyfriends/babies, and you're home hanging out with your Schnoodle. But whether or not you have a Valentine does not determine your value.

2. No pity dates. Learn to say no.
It seems like yesterday. I was 24. I had a boyfriend. And yet some sweet clueless boy in my singles group at church cornered me and asked me on a date. To a Joel Olsteen rally. (I couldn't make this up.) I was so caught off-guard, and so worried about hurting this poor boy's feelings that I panicked and blurted out "I'll email you." My boyfriend was obviously mad when I told him, and it just delayed the inevitable rejection. From that point on I decided that I would learn to be good at saying no. And I did. It's a great life skill to have. I found that boys really do want a direct answer - and for you, it's like ripping off a band-aid... you can just get it over with.

No pity dates girls. Even if he tells you that God told him you're the Ruth to his Boaz. If God didn't tell you, it's okay to say NO.

3. Never, never, NEVER settle. Don't waste your pretty.
We all know that the bible says not to be unequally yoked. Meaning, if you're a believer, then you need to only date believers. No missionary "I can change him!" dating. Don't even dip your toe in the water, or you may fall in.

But it's not just because God wants to take away your fun and eliminate what seems like 95% of the hot guy dating pool. God has a better plan for you - check out Ephesians 5:25-33 and know that having a husband who "washes you with the Word" is such a total treat. Wait for a man who will pray for you. Who will lead you and your children well. Who will love you in the same sacrificial, intentional way that Christ loves his church. It's worth the wait, even if it seems like you have to wait forever. I promise.

4. Being single doesn't mean there' something wrong with you. God's plans are bigger than that. 
Well-meaning people used to infer that people were single because God had some work he needed to do in their hearts. Like somehow the entire singles department was made up of weirdos, and the entire young marrieds department had everything together.

Ummm... have you seen some of the crazy people who are married out there?  God's still going to still refine you after marriage. Probably more. But there may be other reasons why you're still single.

You may be single because God wants to use you to encourage another single girl. I think God kept me single for what seemed like FOREVER because he wanted some older girls to encourage those sweet 22-year-old girls who thought life would end if they weren't engaged when they got that college degree. My 29-year-old self showed them that life isn't over if you aren't living the white picket fence American dream. God is a whole lot more creative than the American dream.

Or, your Mr. Right may not be ready for you yet. God did a major work in my Mr. Right's life, and we just wouldn't have been a good fit a few years ago. Plus he lived in Colorado, and I would have hated long-distance dating. But when the time was right... he practically dropped in my lap. He moved suddenly from Oklahoma to Fort Worth and then drove FORTY-FIVE MINUTES to my church - I have assured him that I prayed him all the way here. So keep praying for your future man... he may have a long commute to get here.

5. Use this time to its fullest. Find an adventure.
For me, I decided I would use my time to travel. And I did - three trips to Europe, plus I traveled all over the US and to Mexico... basically anytime a friend or family member was up for a trip, I was the first to volunteer. And because of that, I watched sunsets on the beach in Greece and saw my Rangers beat the Yankees in New York. I also ran a half marathon, learned to quilt, got a master's degree, took salsa lessons... no need to sit at home on Friday nights wondering where your man is. Go find an adventure.

6. Serve. Serve. Serve.
"Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

While you're waiting for Mr. Right, keep yourself busy by serving others. You'll end up having a blast, and when you're focusing on others you have less time to sit and worry about when your prince charming will make his grand entrance.

7. Don't be bitter. Don't make all guys pay for the sins (or extreme stupidity) of just one.
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger... be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Eph. 4:31-32)


"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)


There's nothing uglier than bitterness. The cutest girls are the ones with sweet spirits.

8. When you DO date... don't peace out on your church and your ministry.
We've all seen someone do the break-up walk of shame back to church... they fell in love and disappeared from the face of the planet. And then somebody changed their mind, and whoops, she's back. Don't be that girl. But if you see that girl... go love on her, because she probably could use a friend.

9. NEVER compromise your morals. Remember your lines and don't cross them.
Know your limits in advance... because in the heat of the moment, when that cute guy looks at you with those big brown eyes... you're probably not going to make good decisions. So already have your mind made up - it's worth it.

10. Remember that God's timing is PERFECT. He has a plan for you. He keeps his promises, and he has not forgotten about you.
"The Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him." (Isaiah 30:18)

"Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust you." Isaiah 26:3

So my fabulous friends... any other advice that I missed? How have you chosen to thrive?

I am thankful for my daily Bible study

On Day 11, I am thankful for my daily Bible study. 

Mr. Right and my in-laws gave me this gorgeous chaise lounge for my birthday last year, and it has become my very favorite Bible study spot in the mornings. Imagine me sitting on this, curled up in a blanket sipping my first cup of coffee of the day, with my Bible open and my pen ready. This is my spot.

For the record, I don't particularly like the term quiet time. It sounds a lot like time out. I guess I can just call it my daily Bible study, but even that sounds so academic. It's my time to curl up with my savior, to pour out my heart and to fill my mind with truth so it can weed out all the gunk and insecurities that have crept in from the day before. Maybe I could call it my Mornings With Jesus? It sounds so much more brighter.

Right out of college I was mentored by a Sunday school teacher, and one of the first things I asked her was, "What does your daily Bible study time look like?" I asked everybody I looked up to, because I wondered what "magic" thing they did that made them crave their Bible. I learned that there's no magic way, and that everybody's looks a little different.

In case you're wondering, here's what I do... for now. It changes occasionally. For instance, before I got married, I used to do my Bible study in the quiet of the evening, before I went to bed. Or, if I knew I would have a conflict, I'd do it on my lunch break at work, or after work, but before I left the office. But when I got married, my schedule was turned upside down and I had trouble juggling time with my husband, my workout, housecleaning, grocery shopping, time for projects I want to do, hanging out with friends... and my Bible study.

And so with the encouragement from Mr. Right, I moved to the early morning Bible study, because then I never have a conflict (except for two morning meetings a month). My alarm now goes off at 5:30 a.m. (gulp) and I'm out of bed with coffee made by 5:45. I curl up in my reading nook and start with a short prayer, and then I read a daily devotional from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest - this is new, I just started that part last week. It's a quick one-page read, and then I start on whatever I want to study in my Bible. 

I find that I need to have a plan before I start - otherwise I tend to fumble along and lose motivation. I'm easily distracted, so having a plan works for me - it's not for everybody. For the past few months I used a workbook on the life of Paul by Beth Moore to guide my daily devotional. Now that I'm finished, I am working my way chronologically through the New Testament with this guide. (You can even sign up for a daily email update with the day's reading--let technology work for you.)

After I do the day's reading (sometimes I do two days' worth if it's short) then I do a longer time of prayer. I keep a prayer journal where I write down all the things I want to pray for, and that helps me keep a record. It's so encouraging to look back on what I've been praying for and see all the places God has answered my prayers. I also write things I learned in my daily reading, including verses I want to memorize or things I want to study further. I have a whole slew of old journals that are so sweet to look back on.

Girlfriend, learn from my mistake: I keep a separate prayer journal for home and I do NOT take it with me to church. Because sometimes I write very personal prayers in my journal, and one time I lost my journal at church. I won't lie, I almost peed in my pants. More so, because my husband works at the church and I was terrified a coworker might find it and read through it. That's a mistake you don't make twice.

How long does all this take? About 45 minutes to an hour. There's no magic time limit, but it's what seems to be working for me... for now. Let me encourage you that I am NOT an early morning person and that for the first few weeks it was tough to focus when I wasn't all the way awake. But like anything, you get used to it, and now I've come to look forward to those early morning times of peace before the chaos of life starts raining down. 

So that's my way of doing things. Not the only way, but if you're trying to get motivated to start reading the Bible every day, maybe it can be a jumping off point for you. And, if you have another way of doing things, I would love to hear from you - I am always up for new ideas.

"Sanctify them with truth; your Word is truth." -John 17:17

I am thankful God protected me

On day 10, I am thankful that God protected me during a very scary wreck. As I was driving on 820 between I-35 and 183, an 18-wheeler driving in front of me swerved and hit the car next to it. That wreck caused a lot of chaos and debris, and the car next to me swerved to miss the wreck and ended up hitting me. 

In the midst of the chaos, I am thankful that I didn't hit the 18-wheeler ahead of me. I didn't get rear-ended by anybody behind me. I didn't hit the concrete barrier to my left (it was an area with heavy construction and concrete barriers on both sides of the highway with no shoulder or room to move). I never lost control of my car. And best yet, the people involved in the accident were all polite and insured.

Yesterday could have turned out very differently, for all four cars. But I am thankful that God chose to protect us. Time to celebrate.

"How can I repay the Lord for all His acts of kindness to me? I will celebrate my deliverance, and call on the name of the Lord." -Psalm 116:12-13

Give me grace

I think one of the greatest lies the enemy has for us is that we're alone. That nobody else can relate to our problem. That we're the only one. That it makes us abnormal. That nobody will understand.

Through my years of serving in women's ministry I've found that one of the greatest things we women can do for each other is to be transparent. To be willing to remove the veil of perfection and let others in on our struggles. 

I'm not a perfect wife. 

I'm not a perfect housekeeper.

I'm not Martha Stewart.

I don't have it all together... I have junk drawers and my mascara runs and I have absolutely no idea what I want to be when I grow up. 

This year as I've struggled with health issues and the lingering physical and emotional scars it brings, I've found that several of my friends have silently been carrying the same burden. I had no idea. It was so encouraging to find out I'm not alone. 

I've had countless friends share with me their deepest, darkest insecurities, and I just hug them and tell them... me too.

Satan wants us to feel isolated, because that's when we lose hope. God created us to be in community, so that when we struggle with unfixable problems, there's a girlfriend nearby who can take us to get ice cream and pray for us and encourage us to keep on fighting.

We're not alone. Underneath those skinny jeans, tall boots, statement necklaces, and perfect Pinterest projects are girls who, like you, need someone to reassure them that they're not the only ones in the midst of a battle.

Let's boast in our weaknesses, and cling to the power that comes through Christ.

PS--This month my little blog hit an all-time high of just under 2,000 hits. Thank you to my sweet friends (and family, and husband) for paying me so many visits. I am thankful for you.

Like a well-watered garden

God is incredibly sweet sometimes. Well, really all the time. But sometimes my eyes are more open to notice it. Lately it's been one of those times.

I'm a words of encouragement person. It's what I crave more than money, or prestige, or just about anything else. I need to be liked and I like to be praised. And there's one key area in my life where this has been hugely lacking this past year. It has been a struggle that no matter what I seem to do, I can't do enough to earn a pat on the back. It has left me feeling insecure and disheartened.

Mr. Right and both of my families have so kindly joined me in praying over that situation, that God would move and create a peaceful and encouraging atmosphere. And while God's made some small steps in that situation, it's funny... because while I've been obsessing over just a few people who are discouraging, I have gotten encouragement from the most unexpected of places. Random people that I didn't even know a year ago have given me some of the most meaningful encouragement at times when I just didn't see it coming. Even yesterday, I got an unexpected note in my mailbox that absolutely brightened my day. While I was so focused on something I couldn't control, God has been answering that prayer in infinitely greater ways. There is such a richness to his blessings.

My situation has challenged me to watch for people who, like me, need encouragement. Want to join me in creating unexpected blessings to unsuspecting people? It sure is fun... 

For this man I have prayed...

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is of Hannah, a young woman who in total desperation after years of infertility pleaded to the Lord to give her a child.

And He gave her Samuel.

I can relate to Hannah. For so many years, I got on my knees and prayed that the Lord would bring me a partner that I could serve alongside.

And he answered my prayer.

It took Him what seemed like forever to answer my prayer. Years of what seemed like unanswered prayers, years of feeling like I was forgotten, like I missed my opportunity. Years of praying that I could find contentment in the now.  where so many that seemed to go unanswered, and at times (okay, most of the time) I was so impatient.

And then Mr. Right came, and I didn't have to do a single thing. He was such an answer to prayer.

Maybe that's why I get so overwhelmed when I hear him preach. For this man I prayed so many years. I hoped and hoped that I would someday find a man of God who could lead our family, encourage me in my ministry, and set an example of love. So yesterday, when Mr. Right preached to a group of seniors, and I could see his love pouring out for these widows and people forgotten, I felt a welling of emotion. It was a special opportunity to hear my man preach, and to know that his words were authentic, lived out in private as much as they are in public.

I wonder if I will ever get used to hearing him preach.

I hope I never do.

Prayer & dance parties

They pushed the closing of our house back a few more days. Which means we have to pay another month's mortgage. Which wouldn't be a huge deal, except that I thought we were done. I thought we were finished paying unexpected expenses.

We've already paid to fix the foundation. We paid to fix the air conditioner that was vandalized during the break-in. We paid to rewire most of the house. Paid for some miscellaneous minor repairs. Paid someone to water our grass for four months. Paid to repaint the whole interior. Paid to replace a set of doors. Paid two mortgages for five months. And we still have to repay our tax credit to Obama.

My first response to this latest news wasn't rejoicing. I cried. A lot. And then we prayed together, reminding ourselves that we will continue to trust in the Lord even in the midst of bad news. We will choose to give thanks in all circumstances, even when it's not easy. Or fun.

And then Mr. Right and I threw a dance party in our living room to cheer ourselves up.  Dancing silly hip-hop moves I learned in middle school to Sir Mix A Lot made us laugh until our sides hurt. And then we slow-danced to George Straight, right there, barefoot in our living room.

We decided to choose joy.

Fast forward to today... Mr. Right called me this afternoon with wonderful news. He called our bank and explained our situation, and we don't have to pay our mortgage this month after all! The banker was so kind and offered a solution that works great for everybody... and we found out we get $300 more back on our escrowed taxes than we originally thought. So, we actually "made" some money today! (which is all theoretical since we're still taking a loss... but less than I thought we would be losing as of this morning)

There will be some rejoicing going on tonight in the Wright household...

We continue to choose joy. And I may celebrate with ice cream.

We choose joy

What a week. Things were hard when it started, and then they got tougher. To my praying friends, please feel free in join me in praying for these things:

1. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm 116:15

We lost a great man to cancer this week - a favorite relative of Mr. Right, whom he worked for and admired and respected. He was a patriarch of their family, and while we will miss him desperately, we are also rejoicing that he's reunited in heaven with his maker.

We'll be roadtripping to Oklahoma soon to celebrate this great man's life, and will probably eat our weight in fried chicken and pies.

2. Remember how our house got broken into a few weeks ago? Our homeowner's insurance may not cover the cost to fix our air conditioner. It's one of those red tape technicalities that took us completely by surprise. Please join us in praying that as we fight this decision, the insurance company will reconsider, thus saving us thousands of dollars in repairs of a costly piece of equipment.

But in the midst of a stressful week, we still enjoyed some great moments - I got to read books to my niece, enjoy special time in the car with my man on our West Texas roadtrip, go wedding dress shopping with a special friend, and grab dinner three nights in a row with some amazing women. It was still a good week.

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

Make it behave

How awesome is this shirt?

Them's fighting words...

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

-2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

Take captive every thought and MAKE IT OBEDIENT to Christ. Make it behave...

(insert fist pump here)

I choose you

I must admit that there is one area of my life right now that I feel is defeating me. It makes me feel like an utter failure. It doesn't matter what my "thing" is, we all have one from time to time. For me, it's a battle that I seem to be fighting almost daily.

My husband calls it "bean plating," because it's like staring at a plate of beans and trying to analyze it, dissecting everything on the plate and wondering about how it's cooked, why each bean is shaped the way it is, are they correctly positioned... and yet, it's just a plate of beans. There's no need to overanalyze. It's just beans.

My plate of beans is causing me worry, fear, and stress. My plate of beans makes me doubt my abilities as a wife, it makes me wonder if I'm normal.

My plate of beans is winning.

Last night, as I confessed to my husband that my plate of beans--salted with insecurity and fear-- is making me doubt my abilities as a wife, my kind, sweet, patient, Christian man did the greatest thing he could possibly do.

He told me, "I still choose you." He chooses me. Even though he's caught more glimpses of my deepest insecurities than he probably ever thought was possible... the flaws that I've worked so hard to hide from the rest of the world for decades... he still chooses me.

I know I'm not the only woman who craves to be chosen. Whether you're watching Hard Time in a Women's Prison or The Bachelorette, we see so many examples of women who will go to great lengths to be chosen. To be accepted. To be loved.

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

"The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

Deuteronomy 7:6-8

Even in the midst of my battle of the beans, my husband chooses me to be his treasured possession, in spite of my biggest insecurities. That love shows me, in a way I can touch and feel, a tiny glimpse of the kind of love my God has for me.

I am so thankful for a husband who points me right back to the cross in the most unexpected of ways.