a new bad love

it's really the little things.  i mean if we counted on the BIG things to bring about little joys in our lives we'd be waiting a long time sometimes.  i mean how often is it to get a perfect brand new job, or a winning lottery ticket, or a baby - okay sorry, not having baby fever.  but little things get our attention.

a big introduction for what i'm about to tell you is my "little thing."  

my bridal portraits were scheduled for october - to be in the fall leaves, gorgeous weather.  it was all planned out.  hair stylist on board, make up person on board, best friend in town on a weekday, photographer ready.  then it rained.  and we can't do bridal portraits when its raining.  so we canceled them.  just like that.

but now, they are scheduled again.  i'm starting to get God's humor with "oh you think you've got it all planned out do ya?"  He gets me there every time.  but back to what i'm trying to say.  they are scheduled, LORD WILLING, for february 26th.  i've got my hair stylist, make up friend, and everything else.

but one piece of this is a fun little part that i never really imagined enjoying.

it so turns out i tried my dress on in june.  i fell in love with it.  it was the first dress i tried on.  and it also happens that it is light champagne in color.  and i was dark brown in summer.  the contrast was what made the dress.

so, how can i have summer in january?  yes.  that's my new bad love.  the tanning bed.  the first round i went i hated it.  because it broke me out in a rash on my hind quarters and under my melons.  glad i figued that out BEFORE the honeymoon.  how cute would i be.  hey boo here i am. and my rash too.

but today i went for my second session.  and it really was just great.  once i got past the coffin feel and the completely unnerving feeling when the tanning bed suddenly goes off and i fear my life is being enclosed in the box, and i forget people refer to these things as "cancer boxes,"  it really was quite enjoyable.  and i'm just going to choose to enjoy it for this short time period in my life.  

it was freezing today.  and i like cold weather.  but im kind of over it, really.  so i ran into Jill's Beach - haha - and got ready for my burn session.  i laid in the bed, after wiping it of course, covered my aforementioned parts thoroughly, and laid.  it was warm, and breezy, and two old g105 songs came on, and i could be doing nothing for 8 minutes and praying about things on my mind.  yea, praying in a tanning bad, what's it to you.

so that's my confession.  i actually loved the tanning bed, and i'm ready for round 3.  i don't encourage it, but i'm going to love it for the next month or two.  yay jill!

get ready

God is so good really.  i've been convicted lately of one truth - we need to be ready for Christ's coming.  i mean really ready.  my pastor has been preaching from Luke 12 on Jesus returning.  then in my bible study book - Crazy Love - the same truths have been displayed for me.  i struggle sometimes with just discerning God's voice - because my mind is so so loud.  but it's clear.  He wants me to get this, and i'm ready to pay attention.

Luke 12:  40 says "You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him." 

if we believe the Word of God, that verse right there should change how we're leaving.  it says "BE READY, JESUS IS COMING."  

i'm so caught in the world, trying to put God in my pocket or in my world, rather than realizing i'm living in His world for just a short time.  but what if we really lived as if God could (and He can) take our lives at any second.

i'm not one to think of death.  i hate it, it makes me sad, i don't talk about wills, i don't like the idea of it.  it's sad.  but the truth is, we're all going, and it'll be so much better than this life for Christians.  

if i lived like He may return or i may go to Him at any time, this is how my life may differ:

• i wouldn't be so afraid of sharing the gospel with someone in fear of having to be in their company again, i'd just do it knowing it may be the last time i see them
• i wouldn't rush my life from one thing to the next forgetting about the Lord, because all things of this world will surely pass
• i would stand up for my faith.  i wouldn't listen to a word of people saying "if it works for them it's fine with me."  that's not what i believe, not for a second.
• i'd shine for Christ - i mean really shine.  my answers would glorify the Lord.  my actions would show that i'm running the race with straight perseverance for the Lord - not giving up and just being tired knowing i couldn't keep the pace for life.
• i'd focus on being ready - i wouldn't be caught staying sinful in anger or not forgiving or being rude.  i'd be ready.  a state of mind and being that i'd be proud for the Lord to "catch" me in.

so be ready.  don't worry about having to be around people in awkwardness that you shared the gospel with.  go all out.  share Christ.  live for Christ.  repent for Christ.  love for Christ.  seek Christ.  Seek Him first.  

i'll leave you with this amazing song.

date night

friday night was date night.  jonathan and i were so happy to get out of the house and do something since we had the flu all week.  some friends of ours, matt and liz, recently got engaged and invited us out to supper.

i've got a suggestion for a restaurant for you.  it's this place:

we had never been before, and they had a coupon, so we went.  it was AMAZING.  seriously.  it was not just good or a place we'd maybe try again, it was AWESOME.  three of us got hamburgers, and matt got a pasta dish with shrimp, and we all loved our meals.  the hamburger is ground at Angus Barn, and the buns come from La Farm bakery.  probably the best hamburger i've ever had - no joke.

matt and liz had a coupon too, so all four of us ate for $23.00.  YESSSSSSSSSSSS!  

it was a great time with good friends and good food.  you should check it out sometime.

me and julia.

i'm not really a movie watcher.  as i've mentioned in a post before, i am an on the go type person.  except of course when i have the flu and my body physically will not allow and i feel like i'm getting bed sores and muscle loss from laying on the couch for hours on end.  besides that though, yes an on the go type life.  

i'm not a huge movie buff, i don't know celebrities names, but there are certain movies that i can watch 4000 times and still love them, dearly.  a very select few.  poor jonathan.  he loves movies.  he would watch them everyday if he could, and he nearly does.  he loves them.  all types.  

me? no.  i love julia roberts movies.  usually when we decide to settle down and watch a movie i provide him with the following selections to choose from:

notting hill.

runaway bride

pretty woman

see a theme?  i'm not joking, those are the three we choose from, every time.  yes.  julia roberts is in all three of them, and i love her in them.  specifically runaway bride.  mostly because i can relate.  not because i'm running away at the altar, don't worry jonny.  but she just reminds me of myself in that movie.  i'm watching it now actually.

let me just leave you with a few quotes/thoughts from the movie to reiterate my love for this movie.  julia's character is maggie carpenter, just fyi.

maggie:  " a girl can't get married in flannel."  

- jonathan wouldn't mind, and it'd sure be a heck of a lot more comfortable than a big dress, but i suppose i can't get married in flannel either.

maggie:  {while fighting with her veil} "who makes these things?"

peggy (her best friend):  "calm down the veil is not attacking you."

- i foresee this being something i say right before i walk down the isle.  and even moreso, i foresee gloria, my maid of honor and best friend, telling me that it is not attacking me - very matter of factly.

maggie:  "i hate big weddings.  i'd like to get married on a wednesday, while everyone's working.  if i ride off into the sunset, i want my own horse."

- don't get me wrong, i feel so blessed for those we are inviting to be there, but walking in front of 200 people with beautiful music playing while everyone looks at ME makes me sweat.  a lot.  and go to the bathroom.

maggie:  "no sauntering down the isle.  i don't like that.  don't waste time.  just go."

- i WILL tell my bridesmaids the same thing.  no need for keeping to the rhythmic beat, let's just do it.

so.  enjoy that.  if you have not seen runaway bride, you are greatly missing out.

see ya.

a big laugh.

i love people's laughs.  they are all different.  little kids laughs are the best.  when my brother tickles his girls he can get them both to straight belly laugh.  and i LOVE it.  and when you hear someone laugh it makes you laugh, and it's just great.

so, laugh at this.  and pass it on.  it's really funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gklbB7TYoK4

God is good.

this is Christ

during my devotions today, i ran across an excerpt online by cooper abrams - he is trying to explain salvation in layman's terms.  i really loved this analogy, and i just wanted to share it.  i'll post more later, but for now, i just wanted to share this.  take it, and share it with people who don't know Christ.

"Suppose that you got mad with someone and went and stuck a knife into the tires of their car. Afterward you began to think about what you had done and you began to understand the truth that you had done something wrong. Two wrongs to not make a right. You went to the person greatly embarrassed and told them you had something to confess. You then explained that it was you who had cut their tires. You told them with deep emotion and sincere guilt that you were sorry and you begged them to forgive you for doing this bad thing against them. Supposed they were kind and gracious and said they would forgive you. That would be truly wonderful for you wouldn't it? . . . .But there is something else to consider! Who would pay for the tires. Suppose you had not even a penny to your name....how could or would you pay? The answer is that you could not pay.....yet suppose the person you harmed would say I forgive and I will pay the price.

Folks that is what God did. We have not way to pay any of the debt we owe God....not even a penny. Yet, the debt must be paid, and so Christ Jesus, God's only begotten Son, God incarnate in flesh....went to the Cross and there He paid for our sins. He paid the debt we could not pay and thus His forgiveness is verified in His sacrifice and payment."

influenza

it was a great weekend.  really.

then sunday i woke up with a small cough.  nothing big.  no hacking. nothing.  then i went to sunday school.  i was exhausted.  but what's new, if i wake up that early i should be tired.

then we went to church and my entire body felt as if someone had hit me with hammers from my ankles up to my head.  awesome feeling really.

so i left church early.  came home.  laid down.  the rest of the day.  then took some advil.  felt slightly better.  then woke up at 2:30 this morning felt like death, took some advil.  

then i went to the doctor this morning.  and i have the flu.  but let me back up and bring God into this.  i didn't call the doctor all morning because i did not want a strep test or bloodwork.  i decided i felt so deathly that i'd call.  i even asked the sweet front desk lady on the phone how they check for flu - "oh they will do a strep test and bloodwork."  fantastic.  i love gagging and feeling as if i'll pass out - while feeling like death.  but i started praying for God to just be present and get me through it.

turns out, based on my symptoms and fever it was flu.  God is so good really.

so i've been at home.  watching ellen, and oprah, and runaway bride.  waiting for this mess to roll out.  here's a photographic representation of flu.

sidenote - go get your flu shots, i don't care what you think.  ive never gotten one, because of a fear of shots.  but i'd happily take a jab to rid of this mess.  so go get your flu shot.  or else.

tissues for nasal drip

yummy raspberry soiree tea for my body

influenza shortener

body ache removal drug

drink of choice

seriously - this is the bag my tamiflu prescription came into - thanks for the smack in the face cvs

wordless weekends

kine after dessert

baby phat giving herself a shot

the men having wise conversations

future husband

sister love

dessert

songs for you

i listen to pandora pretty much all day at work.  it's so great really - you can put in what type of music you like and then hear other music you never knew existed.  i love it.  and i love it when marvin gaye comes on and i shut my door to dance in my office.  don't tell.

anyways, i came across three songs i needed to share with my b-log readers.  you're going to like them.  oh yea, they're REALLY good.  they may make you dance, a little, or a lot.

Norah Jones - little room

Corrine Bailey Rae - put your records on

Marc Broussard - let the music get down in your soul

hope you LOVE them.

all things wedding

today was a great day.  tomorrow i'll post my "wordless weekend" entailing all of the pictures from the night with my sweet family.  it was a wonderful night tonight.

today, mom and i headed out and got our wedding game faces on.  as of today, we have 12 weeks - i just screamed like the girl in father of the bride after her shpeal - i met a man in rome, and he's wonderful and brilliant, and we're getting married - AHHHHHHHH!  hope y'all got that.  but yes, 12 weeks.  dad would mathematically give that to me in hours and make me sweat, but 12 weeks does it justice enough.

so for me, the whole planning thing was much more fun in the beginning.  i loved planning the big things - honeymoon, wedding place, flowers, dresses, photographers, and so on - but this little nitty gritty detail creativity mess just hurts my head.  i'm not creative, not by any stretch of the imagination.

but today was so good.  mom and i went out to montague lake, where we're getting married, and just walked around and looked around, and envisioned, and laughed, and froze our noses.  it made it more real.  like wow, 12 weeks from today here's where i'll stand, here's where jonno will stand, here's where my girls will stand.  it was great.

then we went out just wedding snooping.  we went to jo-anns, a.c.moore, michaels, back to jo-anns.  we have finally decided on our centerpieces, and we made our sample one tonight.  i kept shrieking, and i'm not a shrieker.  i love them really.  then we decided on our wedding favors, and we bought materials for that.  it just seems like the creative juices actually fell out today, and i liked it.  mom and i had such a great time and just enjoyed planning, and saying oh how bout this, or oh gosh never that, or wow i feel nervous just thinking about it.  it was a great day.  here's a sneak preview of some of our centerpieces:

we just LOVE watermelon and sunflowers. who doesn't?  i'm praying you caught the sarcasm on that and would knock me out if that was my centerpiece idea.

well i'm off to bathe.  hope you liked that honesty there.  then i'm going to start my two new bible study books - crazy love and the 5 love languages.  see a theme?

night y'all.

the night for dates.

last week jonathan and i missed date night because i had a cold and was lame and went to sleep at 8:30.  so tonight was our second date night, and it was my turn to plan.  i am really loving it.  it's so fresh and new and gives us something to look forward to.  

so tonight was my turn.  we were both pretty tired from the week, so i contemplated staying in.  we bought some new paint for one of the bedrooms in our new house (my new house in april, currently jonathan's house - we don't shack up if you were confused) the other night and so i thought about painting tonight.  but then i decided that was a tad lame for the super planner - by super i mean anal, not excellent.

tonight was wonderful.  or a fairytale - if you're into taylor swift.  we started the night off by going here:

gloria had told me we ought to try it, and i trusted her judgment.  i just wanted somewhere we had never been and somewhere casual.  i wasn't in the mood to dress up.  i knew walking in we'd like it - there were two sets of cowboy boots sitting out as decorations, a few cowboy pictures, some horseshoes, antler chandeliers, and so on.  

the food was really great.  our waitress was even greater.  her name is jillian if you go there, you should request her.  she was just fantastic.  we both ate til we were about to pop.  we talked about farming and life.  here's jonathan smiling at sweet jillian.  he cute.

after supper we decided to grab a quick bite of ice cream - because we weren't already full enough.  i mean really, cold stone was staring at me telling me to come over, so i listened.  we ate our ice cream and then went to the second part of date night.

as a little sidenote, jonathan and i have decided to boycott going to movies, because the price is outrageous, and because they wouldn't take jonathan's coupon one time.  but tonight, i decided it was an exception. we haven't been to a movie in probably a year and a half.  

one of my coworkers told me that "true grit" was really good, and she even gave me a coupon for $2 off two tickets.  so we used that, and we felt better.  the movie was seriously GREAT.  it's not the traditional stacey movie - anything with julia roberts falling in love - but it was so good.  it was a western based around the end of the 1800's (i think, could be wayyy wrong), and i told jonathan it reminded me of johnston county - that's where part of his family lives - he didn't think it was so funny.  actually he did, because he's my number one fan.

all in all it was a great night.  he's so good to me, and i'm so blessed that after all this time we've ended up together, with God's hand so in control.  so y'all go get a steak, wear your cowgirl boots, and splurge to see true grit.  and oh yea - if you bring your movie ticket stub to the coldstone at beaver creek you get a buy one get one free love it.  and we loved it.

God bless y'all.

a childlike faith

i love that song that goes by Ten Shekel Shirt (weird name) called "unashamed love."  one part says, "You are worthy...of a childike faith and of my honest praise and of my unashamed love...and of a holy life and of my sacrifice and of my unashamed love."  i love that song really.  i love it mainly for the "childlike faith" part.

i love kids.  i worked at a preschool for a while and just loved seeing the innocence and the dreams and the faith really.  

furthermore, i love my nieces.  God's given me so so much joy through them.  they're a huge blessing.  i love spending time with them.  doing anything.  pretending.  watching movies.  playing outside.  i love them.

this past weekend i babysat the girls.  while campbell was napping caroline wanted to go outside.  so i took her outside for a bit and we walked around.  she loves to look for "deers."  yes, deers, plural, with the s.  we look for mommy deers and baby deers and daddy deers.  she loves being outside.  she loves to see animals and nature.  she loves it, and i love being out there with her.

so we were outside.  and all of a sudden she says, "aunt stace how is ice made?"  that was because we had just had the ice storm.  so i tried to give some answer that had some sort of substance to it that would make sense.  then she asked me, "aunt stace well how does God make it rain?"  she's fully aware that God is in control of this place.  that God made her pretty, that God makes the animals, that there is a Heaven, she believes, and she wants to know more.

immediately i thought of Job, where God starts questioning Him and basically saying - look chump, who's in control.  okay so God probably/definitely didn't call Job a chump, but He got his attention, and He got mine.  i told caroline about how it says God holds the water in His hands and has buckets of snow in a storehouse up in Heaven.  that intrigued her.  and she believes it.  she loves it.  she loves to know more.

she's a blessing, because from this i've really been diving into Job 38 and 39 these past few days.  you should check them out.  it is a reminder of how HUGE God is, and how He always has been - and how little we are, how little earth is, how short life is, how little we know, how limited our minds are.  He laid the foundations, He holds snow and allows it to fall, He knows the birth cycle of mountain goats and gives them inherent knowledge of how to care for their young, He drew lines for the oceans to not go past, and they don't - it's amazing isn't it?  check it out.  think of my nieces - they're lovely.

surprise - don't be jel.

sorry y'all, but i just need to brag on my soon-to-be-husband.  he is absolutely amazing.  he is very much opposite of me in so many ways, and that is what makes us work.

i'm the type of person who likes to get somewhere as fast as possible.  for instance, if i need to get something out of the kitchen i usually swish my feet in a light jog to go get it.  there's no need to get there slowly.  when i'm driving i go 5 over. because i won't get a ticket (hopefully), and it'll get me there that much quicker.  jonathan.  not so much.  life is a sunday drive.  we go 5 under the speed limit.  we walk slowly.  we don't rush. no. no rushing.  but that's good - it makes us us.

another example.  jonathan is a dreamer.  i'm a realist - or something.  jonathan has lots of hopes and dreams.  he has big thoughts of what could be.  me.  not so much.  i love ideas sometimes - like living on a lake with 6 kids jonathan farming plenty of money.  i think like that sure.  but i'm not a dreamer really.  i think of what can be done, realistically.  if it doesn't seem realistic, it probably won't happen.  pessimist?  maybe.  but that's what i love about him.

and on another note.  romance.  jonathan has been a romancer since he was born.  he may  not like for me to tell his business on the internet - actually i know he won't, so i won't - ish.  but he's always been the romantic type.  me?  haha, no.  not so much.  i don't like to be called "babe," i don't like to be told how beautiful i am, i don't like surprise dates (they make me anxious), and i don't like goggly goo talkin.  no thank you.  but that's also why i love jonathan.  because he finds ways to romance me that will actually mean something to me.  he's good like that.  he's selfless in loving me.

so today.  work was work.  good mostly.  stressful slightly.  but good.  i went for a walk.  then i came back to this:

roses.  delivered to my office.  while he's out farmin...he thought of me and had some flowers delivered.  and i love them.  they're not roses because i don't love roses.  they're an arrangement, and they smell good, because i love that.  and they're in a blue vase, which i love.  given with a simple note - none of that goggly goo mess.  he's lovely, isn't he?  yep, i am marrying him - in less than 3 months.  bow chicka wow wow.

Be Still

lately i've been listening to song after song after song for my wedding.  like i've posted before, i love music.  i love the lyrics.  i love something that makes me want to dance.  i love music.  it makes me feel, and think, and reflect.  

in the last month or so i've come across this song and have had it in my heart and my head.  and it's just so good.  it's such a good message and something to ponder in our own lives.  mine especially.

check this out:

Still - Hillsong United

it's just moving, really.  but i've just been thinking.  i really struggle to be still.  to be still physically is tough in itself.  i like to be doing.  even if it's sitting relatively stationary, i like to be on the computer listening to music or planning wedding things, or looking on facebook.  i like to do.  that makes it difficult to just be still, physically.

but mentally - wow that's even tougher.  it's nearly impossible for me to be still in my thoughts.  to stop.  to drown out my thoughts, my worries, my anxieties, my memories, my plans...it's tough to really stop.  

on a sidenote, i've asked jonathan if he has times that he's nearly thinking of nothing.  and he says yes.  out on the tractor.  he's obviously paying attention to where he's going.  thank goodness.  but he's free in his mind.  i give him a hard time for that sometimes, but i'm envious really.  

so i'd like to start getting away.  alone with God.  and really hearing Him.  my prayers are so consumed of "God please be with ________...God please let Your will be done with ____________...God forgive me for _____________...God I need you...."  Those are all so wonderful and so sincere and God loves those, but i often times forget to listen.  to stop.  to be still in thought. to let Him tell me something.  to be still.  to get away. like Jesus did.  

so i hope you all can get away today. and tomorrow.  and just be in perfect peace with God and trusting Him.  i pray you can be still - mentally and physically.

snobs

every morning i listen to bob and the showgram on the way to work.  it wakes me up in the morning and makes me laugh out loud.  by myself.  while people in nearby cars at stoplights look at me.  no, it's not always the most wholesome show all the time.  but it is funny sometimes.

so this morning the topic that i caught was "what kind of snob are you?"  let me explain.  snob definition by bob:  someone who believes their way of doing something or their "thing" is superior and the only way to do something or have something.  hahaha that made sense.

okay, examples.  kristin said she was an underwear snob.  she only buys victorias secret, a certain kind.  to her, those are the only acceptable kind.

mike only uses a certain kind of pens.  other people's pens are not good.  

bob is obsessed with his iphone and considers all who do not have iphones to be inferior in the world.

so i started thinking.  what is my snob-ism.  sorry y'all, this is a really deep conversation, and it may be above your education level.

i have a few too.  

coke products.  when i order a diet coke from a restaurant and the waitress says "is diet pepsi okay?"  i'm faced with a conflict.  should i be weird and say no, or should i say yes and drink something that tastses bad.  so coke products.  i'm a coke snob.  

also.  mint chocolate chip ice cream.  i only eat "white" mint chocolate chip ice cream - such as breyers.  the green stuff just doesn't cut it - it seems fakey.

also. black coffee.  since i've become a big girl and work in a corporate setting (HA), i have started drinking coffee...socially.  and to keep my eyes from shutting.  but if i don't make my black coffee, it tastes wrong.  i can't do it.  it is either too strong and makes me shake all day and panic that i'm having a heart attack.  or it doesn't have enough splenda and it makes me feel like my jaws are going to break from bitterness.  so a coffee snob am i.

so what's your snob?  what kind of snob are you?

Weekends without Words

i've been m.i.a. this weekend.  well to the blogging world anyway.  i've decided to start something new.  weekends are tough to stick to the computer (if they're a good weekend), so i've decided to start just posting pictures of the weekend.  hope y'all had a great weekend!

a slight change. ha.

okay.  so as said before, i am one for plans.  i love them.  they make me feel secure.  i love the expectation of what's to come.  sometimes God likes to show me who's boss and whip my so-thought plans out of whack.  it's not always fun, but it builds me.

so last night, i was going to visit my bff in goldsboro - gloria.  we had great fun.  she is in dental hygiene school, and she gave me a dental exam.  on the bathroom floor.  with a book light.  she's going to be so wonderful at what she does.  it's always just relaxing and so fun to hang out with her.  we are going to be little old lady friends like this:

that's me looking in my purse for my TUMS.  and that's gloria saying to herself "stacey, quit being anxious, you are not going to throw up."  if you know me, you got that one, if you don't, just don't worry about it.

okay, so back to yesterday. and a slight change.  

jonathan and i booked our honeymoon like 3 months ago.  because that's what people like me do.  we are going to Primland and then Hawk's Cay.  ahhh. lovely.  we really can't wait.

we booked our flights through Expedia (did you just sing that in your mind - something like this - exx speedd eeeyaaaa dot com).  so last night on my way to g-town, i got a call from an 800 number.  i usually answer those phone calls in a weird voice and play with them for a little. but i didn't this time.  

the lady on the phone spoke about 1 out of ever 25 words in english - that makes for difficulty understanding.  she informed me that there was a "slight change" in our flight.  hmm..slight.  yea, no.

apparently our flight from Miami to Greensboro was changed from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  that's not slight friends.  

so then we were told if we didn't want that flight, and there weren't any options, we'd be charged $300 to change our flight.  HA.  okay.  $800 to fly to florida - no shanks.  

long story short, i talked to a few supervisors - i'm so bold, i know - and i received confirmation that i received wrong information (3 times, 3 different people) and we would not be charged any money, and we could move our flight to raleigh durham free of charge, leaving at 10:15 a.m.  perf.

lesson - do not book through expedia.  they are tricky. and very hard to understand.  go straight for the airlines, then you can take up your problems with just them.  i'm so glad i could help you.

peace and hair grease.

laugh.

whenever my family gets together there is generally a lot of youtube watching.  my middle brother, daniel, is always up to date on the funniest youtube videos.  sometimes which ones are shared depends on if mi papa is around.  

i thought i'd share a few videos with you all to laugh.  really laugh.  if your dad is around he may not think they're funny.  just kidding.  enjoy.

cockroach and weatherman

poor guy.  poor cockroach.

hide your kids

i think i want to meet him.  i think i want to stay away from lincoln park though.

justin timberlake and single ladies

i'm so blessed.  all of the men in my wedding party have agreed to enter into the reception in these exact leotards, doing this exact dance.  {sarcasm}

should've said no - your friends that is

by "weak-a-miss" did you mean "weakness?"  bless her heart. and her roommates' hearts.

enjoy.  i'm going to go learn how to dougie.

share your food.

church yesterday was amazing.  i'm so excited to share some things that are in the works at our church.  jonathan and i have been going to Fairview Baptist Church for a little over a year now. or so.  our new pastor is going to be marrying us, and we feel so blessed.

we knew that there was supposed to be an announcement of sorts yesterday, and we were slightly in on the announcement.  we're on the inside track.  like in cranium, when you get your first question right.  haha. okay back to church.

yesterday pastor craig preached on Isaiah 58.  if you haven't read that, go read it.  it discusses how God is so not fulfilled by hypocrisy.  He's not okay with His people fasting to get a reaction - walking around with their faces all sunken.  He's not okay with people pretending to be His people and walking around with gigantic pieces of wood in their eyes while praying for God to handle the other people with the little specks in their eyes.

but then. if you read further, God tells His people directly what He wants instead.  He wants us to share OUR food with the hungry , provide shelter for the wanderers, give the naked people clothes, and not turn away from our own flesh and blood (v.7).  then He tells us what He'll do for us.  all good things of course.  He'll make us shine. He'll bless us. we'll quickly heal.  we'll call to God and He'll answer.  and so on.

so the announcement?  oh it was big.  so big.  our pastor has been convicted that God wants us to use the land next to our church to farm. as a church body. to plant crops. and let God use them to feed our neighbors.  our community.  our flesh and blood.  

he announced it and the church went about cheering.  the kind of cheering where you get chill bumps on your skin and you pretend you got something in your eyeball.  then this sweet little lady said "y'all we need to go pray about this."  and, well jonathan and i are usually just not up for going to the front of the church.  number one it causes slight (major) anxiety.  but it was different.  every person got out of their seats and went up front.  and we prayed.  in expectation.  waiting for God to answer us and affirm us and to use what we plant to bring people to Him.  and to feed them.  so we're waiting to hear from Him, but we think we've already heard.  we're excited about the future of our church.  

let me know if you'd like to be a farmer at Fairview :)  God bless!

sweet girl.

for a while now my mom and i have wanted to take my oldest niece, caroline, on a date to Build a Bear.  we were going to go before Christmas, but we didn't want to face the crowds.  so, we set up a date for yesterday.

let me just say that my nieces are such a constant reminder of Christ's love.  they bring me incredibly joy.  they have such a zest for life and problems that arise unfrequently (not a word) can be fixed with marshmallows and cheese.  i love them.  i love spending time with them.  here's a picture of baby phat and kine (aka campbell and caroline).

so. back to yesterday.  yesterday we went to pick up kine around 10:30.  we drove out to crabtree for a surprise adventure, and we were all three so excited.  car rides alone are a blast with kine.  here she is ready to go inside!

when we got inside, Ama (my mom) and i walked kine to Build a Bear.  at first, the experience was slightly overwhelming.  there was a lot of chanting children and staff.  that makes me overwhelmed too.  so we went through all of the animal bins to pick out just the right one.  kine decided on a pink bear, kind of like a carebear - which she was in her Christmas parade :).

the next step was the stuffing.  she was a tad bit hesitant at first - after all, that's a tad bit of a weird concept to put stuffing into your stuffed animals - but she handled it like a champ. we then picked out some clothes.

kine knows her fashion.  we picked out a hot pink puffy vest and some skinny jeans.  no, not just jeans, skinny jeans. we then complimented the outfit with some blingin' pink converse type shoes (unfortunately my camera died before i could get a picture of the finished product).

after that, our sweet bear was complete.  except, she needed a name.  kine decided to go with a solid name - SALLY.  if you know my sweet girl, you know that anything that needs to be named will be named sally.  we're not sure where that comes from, but its just how it goes.  sally the fish.  sally the scarecrow.  sally the stick person aunt stace draws.  sally.  its the name she likes.

so we took sally with us and went throughout the mall.  kine wanted ice cream before lunch.  so we gave it to her.  then we had chickfila.  then we went and rode Clifford, a horsey, and Thomas the Train.  the day was nothing short of amazing.  

i'll leave you with a few short "kine-ism's":

1.  when walking through the mall we saw a guy in a kilt.  i allowed caroline to see him to see what she'd say.  she walked passed him, looked at him, and said "silly boy, skirts are for girls.  boys don't wear skirts!"  the guy laughed. and so did i.

2.  at lunch there was a group of about 20 individuals who were dressed like animals.  they had animal hats on, wore animal ears and animal tails.  i don't know why.  caroline caught wind of this and looked over at them.  she looked at me and said "aunt stace, they're wearing animal outfits.  is that silly?"  i told her it was.

love that girl. and love my baby phat too. 

date night

jonathan has decided that friday nights should be our date nights.  this stems slightly from the fact that i am one who always likes to have a plan.  i like to know what's going on.  i like to know what time we'll be going to what place and what we'll be doing at that place.  the whole "fly by the seat of my pants" idea makes me sweat.  jonathan on the other hand loves the idea of "going with the flow." yikes.

so jonathan has decided that we should designate fridays as a day that we'll have a plan.  even if the plan is to get a movie and stay home. 

so last night was the first of these date nights, and it was jonathan's turn to plan.  after work i called him to see what the plan was, because he had kept it a secret for the week.  he gave me three options, because he knows i like options.  

#1 make pasta at home, go out for coffee, then come back home and watch a movie.

#2 go to The Diner in downtown raleigh. then go to Cafe Helios for coffee. then go home and watch a movie.

#3 go to Carabbas, then go grab coffee, then go back home and watch a movie.

i chose option 2!  we love going to The Diner, because they play oldies music and have milkshakes.  we love it!

so we got to the restaurant and parked in a parking lot.  i asked jonathan if we were allowed to park there.  the sign said "only patrons of The Creamery.  all others will be towed."  jonathan figured it was okay.  so i trusted him, momentarily. 

when we got inside the restaurant i was so paranoid that the car would get towed that jonathan kindly took my keys and went and moved it.  much better. now we can eat in peace.

the food was fantastic, the music was good.  then we walked to Cafe Helios.  whoa. weird place.  very very weird place.  the music was like some sort of dream and the atmosphere just threw me off.  weird.  then we walked to my car to go about our night.

we walked up to the car to find a sweet surprise. a ticket.  not sweet.  but definitely a surprise.  ironic huh?  apparently we got a ticket for parking within 5 feet of a driveway?  did you know that was a law?  us neither.  so now you know.  don't park within 5 feet of a driveway - you'll get a $30 ticket.

overall though we had a lovely night.  i'm so so ready for married life.  when we don't have to get exhausted and fall asleep and then one of us wake up and have to drive home.  it'll be so lovely.

an exciting upgrade

happy friday!

i've started a new tradition for myself for fridays.  i really am more of a fan of fridays than saturdays, because fridays hold so much anticipation for what is to come for the weekend.  i love that i can go to sleep on fridays knowing i can sleep in on saturday.  it's almost better than the sleeping in itself - just the idea of knowing i can sleep in feels so good :).  i love the weekends and the freedom of them.

so back to my tradition.  i've started going to chick-fil-a for breakfast every friday.  it's a guilty pleasure. but i love it. i'm not the kind of person to get something different or try something new. i'm very comfortable with ordering the same thing from a restaurant every time i go, for years. after all, if i know i like something what's the point in trying something new?

so i parked and walked inside.  i placed my order with the sweet sweet lady. one butter biscuit, hash browns, and orange juice.  yummm.  so what's the new addition?

YAYYYYY...they no longer have the mini cartons of some random orange juice brand. they have simply orange.  i LOVE simply orange. it's so..simple.

so needless to say the day was started off right.  happy friday.  have a great weekend.  sleep in late. or don't. whatever you prefer. praise God - He's good.

music

i really love music.  i think i'd be more okay without a tv than without a radio or computer to play music. i don't have any musical talent whatsoever.  well, my sister-in-law and i can sing pretty good duets, but beyond that, nothing.  but i love music.  every song that i hear reminds of something, makes me feel something, or makes me want to be or feel something. 

for instance.  the other night jonathan and i were driving around and kenny chesney's "she's from boston" came on the radio.  i told jonathan that that song makes me want to grow dreads, wear a red sox cap, listen to reggae, and work on a harbor.  listen to the song, you'll feel that way too.

and then there's the song jonathan and i have chosen to dance to for our wedding. when i hear it i'm lost in what i'll feel like at the exact moment we're dancing and married. i'm lost in what people will be thinking and feeling and how they'll look at us. it's not just a song anymore. it's a memory. or a foreshadow.

all that to say, i love music.  i love to just listen to music for hours. so right now, i've got some new favorites i thought i'd share. hope you love them too.

Crystal Bowersox:  Mason

Train:  Marry Me

Drew Holcomb:  Better Love

Michael Cera and Ellen Page:  Anyone Else But You

Ja Rule - Put it On Me

yes. i just brought y'all back there. to ja rule. and yes. i know all the words. and yes jonathan texts me sometimes and says " every thug needs a lady." he's not a thug. but i'll be his lady. the end.

okay. enjoy. goodnight.

chew on this.

i have two things to sustain your hunger for today.

number one.  i am not really a huge huge fan of Trader Joes.  not because their things are bad. all of my co-workers are pretty obsessed with it. but for me, it's just different from the norm, and i don't do well with that.  i'm a creature of habit.  i can't go to trader joes and get cinnamon toast crunch.  i have to go and get cinnamony organic grahams - or something.

BUT

there is one thing from trader joes i've become slightly obsessed with. and you should try to.

Joe-Joes.  my co-workers introduced me.  they are nothing short of amazing. and i want you to try them, but do know you'll be obsessed too.  they're seasonal, and they're lovely.

okay, number too.  as i posted in one of my first posts, i have just started a new devotional by John Piper.  this doesn't need much explanation, but i wanted to share with you, because it just blasted my mind. Check this out:

"God's will for us is not paralyzing frustration because of imperfection.  His will is liberating courage because of the certainty of our future in Him.  The "Not Yet" makes us humble and vigilant. And sometimes the road seems long.  But the "Already" makes us confident and bold, and reminds us that the road is short.  Jesus walked it.  And in Him, we are already home.  While we live, this is our calling:  brokenhearted boldness.  Contrite confidence.  The image of Christ on earth:  the Lion and the Lamb."

so. chew on your joe-joes and this excerpt today.  God is good.

blessed.

i think there are two areas of my life in which i can so clearly see the hand of God.  well there are far more ways than two, but there are two ways that i can't miss Him.  i can't just go about my business and miss Him.

when i have time to get outside and just stop for a bit and see His creation i'm blown away.  at work i try to walk everyday, and there are awesome trails, and i'm usually just blown away.  the stars are positioned perfectly in the sky, the clouds painted in the sky, the sunsets, the symmetry in flowers, the adaptation animals have, the leaves.  i could go on and on. but nature does it for me. it brings me back to God.

the second thing is my relationships. my fiance, my future husband.  my family. my friendships. my precious nieces.


well tonight i was able to just feel God there again.


i went to supper with my good friend, Lindsay.  she's one of my closest friends, my bridesmaid, my sister in Christ.  we're related, well kind of.  my brother married her sister.  but it's just good.  it's good to catch up, to be reinspired in Christ. to be encouraged.

God is so good.  He gives me the clouds when i've become too internal to feel Him.  He gives me a phone call from a friend and gives them what to say when i need to hear it.  He gives me a sunset when a day hasn't gone how i'd like it to.  He gives me time to spend with friends i don't see everyday.


so. i love nature. and i love relationships. but i love God more, because He gave them both to me.

for granted

i had a thought the other day that i wish i could hold onto a little more often.  i know God allowed me to think it, and He gave me a perspective change.

my thought was this:   

my very worst days are most likely, no, definitely, what others would consider the best days they could dream of and hope for.

it's amazing how internal we can get. well i won't speak for everyone, i'll just speak for myself.  but i can look at what i'd really think is a bad day.  one filled with stress of work, anxieties, maybe a throw up virus, an argument with someone you're close to, a jerk wod who is unpleasant to you when you apparently did nothing wrong...those kind of things are what i would say a bad day may consist of.

but if i am able to get out of myself for a bit, out of the flesh, and see my life as God so would have me see it, it's amazing what i'm forgetting to give thanks for.

i'm healthy. i don't have cancer or a life threatening disease. i am able to exercise.  i have a family with so few flaws that some may say they're perfect. parents who love each other. i have a job. that pays me. i have enough, no i have way more than enough, to survive. clean water. good food. and most of all, if i can step back for a few minutes i can realize the most wonderful daily gift i have - i am a believer in Jesus Christ, and i've accepted His forgiveness - so even on the days that things seem remotely tough, i can still have absolute assurance that this isn't "it" for me. i've got paradise waiting.  life is so small.  i've got somewhere better to go when this life stops. Heaven.

okay...just a more serious post. God is good.  have a good day.

a shameful obsession

it's that time of year again.  not for new diets (no thanks), new exercise plans, or new promises to change a habit you promise to kick.  it's actually the opposite.  it's the time of year that a small obsession rolls around that i wish i could kick.  

today is the first episode of The Bachelor.  i know.  it's a bit shameful when all of my colleagues discuss their favorite books at book club, or their favorite sophisticated shows, or wonderful actors that were around in tv before i was born. i always hate the question, "stacey do you watch ANY tv?"  it's best to bite my tongue at that time rather than appearing so young and shallow in my tv selections. but it's true.  i'm slightly obsessed with The Bachelor. 

yep. that's him. brad womack. the man of choice for this season (and a previous season).  don't miss it!  it starts at 8:00 tonight, and i have a feeling it'll be a good one :) and besides, you'll have to deal with future blog updates about it anyway.  just know...you may secretly become obsessed as well.

have a great day :)

A few simple joys

i've discovered a few simple joys recently that are just good, and i thought i'd share them with you.  all of you out there. reading this blog.  the hundreds of you. right?

current devotional:  life's a vapor by john piper

 

it's lovely.  it's just a love smack of grace and wisdom for each day.  it just gives you enough to think about and then dig into the Word to find more.

Loose Tea from Teavana

right now i am currently drinking Kamaya Papaya Oolong, because the super sweet Asian man told me that it would increase my metabolism.  "it wi be so goot fo yoo bodee"

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

i was introduced to Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors at one of my good friends weddings. and i've basically been obsessed since.

k. that's enough of a peep show for y'all now. go drink some tea while reading life's a vapor and listening to drew holcomb.

The First of Many..Maybe.

a few years ago i decided to start a blog. after just a short few posts i felt like i was just writing to myself, and so i decided to delete it. however, i've decided to give it a second go. 

the first post is always a tad awkward.  where do you start?  what do you write about? the template is just the generic plain one you have to go with, because you don't know all of the fun things you can add yet. but that's okay - you have to start somewhere.

so i'm not sure where this blog will lead, but i'm okay with that.  it's not a new year's revolution, because i just don't do those. i'll try to write a few posts really quickly so that it's not so bare and all.

that's all for now.  happy new year - i hope you each can see how God blesses you richly, because i know He will be blessing.