We had our Christmas photos taken!
I ordered my Christmas cards and I am so excited to send them out!! 🎄😁 Married life really is the best.
It’s Beginning Look A Lot Like Christmas! #WifeLife Vol. 5
beautiful
MoJoe Wedding
Just a dream y’all. Enjoy some sneak peaks from our photographer!
This Guy
This guy I’m seeing. What can I say? He’s pursuing my heart with such gentleness and respect, I can’t recall ever feeling so valuable. It’s lovely. It’s beautiful. It’s still so new and so fresh, I’m looking forward to seeing where it all goes. But as it stands, it’s looking pretty awesome.
Fear? Psh.
So I conquered a fear today. Or rather, found a new way to conquer an old fear.
A little green opal now lives on my ear in this nice right helix piercing. I’m loving it!
Also, update on that new shampoo from Function of Beauty. LOVE IT, my hair is softer and the split ends are much improved. Definitely recommend. See my previous post for a link to get $5 off your first order!
Unofendable
🚨 Rant Alert 🚨
Actual conversation I had today on Instagram with an undisclosed stranger:
Me: “Your body is exquisitely beautiful, too beautiful, in fact, to be given away for free. Which is why it saddens me to see gorgeous women post scantily clad or nude photos of themselves. You’re worth so much more.”
Them: “How dare you disrespect me! I graduated from ____ school of art! You’re making me feel uncomfortable! I am offended!”
So. I basically said you’re way too beautiful to be given away for free to the world, you’re worth so much more than that and this world doesn’t deserve you for free…. And that is offensive.
This is how our culture responds to truth. “OH, my feelings!!” Not all the time, but most times, “I’m offended” can be translated to “You made my conscience feel convicted and I’m not ready for a paradigm shift so I’m copping out of this discussion that endangers my lifestyle!”
Just a reminder to my fellow Jesus Freaks. When you walk in the truth, you cannot, should not, be offended by any slander thrown your way. Jesus promised that the world will hate us. We must be unoffendable. When you walk in the light, you no longer need to fear the dark.
One Flesh, and Reflections
So, tonight as I am listening to the rain and doing some reading in scripture, I thought I’d share a recent realization I had.
I was thinking back to some memories from my childhood, and my parents, and how they used to laugh and carry on, and I said, out loud to myself, “Man, I miss them.”
My dad is still alive. I see him at least once a week. It’s my mom that I miss… right? Then I realized… My parental unit was just that, a unit. Two people, yes, but joined together by God, one flesh.
6“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
~Mark 10: 6-9
I still have my dad, yes. But, God took my mom home. And my dad is now joined with my lovely step mom, Polly. He is the same man, but also, different, his other half has molded and changed him and they have become their own unique unit. One that I admire and enjoy, but it’s not my unit. So I do miss them. I miss my parents. Both of them. I miss what they were, and what they meant to me as I grew up. Their marriage was not perfect, they had some struggles, but almost 25 years and they were still totally in love. I remember the day my mom passed away, we saw it coming. We watched her O2 levels drop.
70%
65%
60%
and my dad leaned down and kissed my moms forehead and said “Liz, I love you, dear. I love you. Stay with me. I love you.”
To her very last breath. Till death do us part. I pray that the Lord brings me a man who will love me like that. When I have nothing to give. My mom was too ill to cook, or clean, she was not able to be sexually available for him, she was barely able to put on her own shoes. But he loved her. And he painted her nails, and shaved her legs for her so she would feel pretty and feminine even though she was unable to go anywhere. He cooked for her, and cleaned, and brushed her hair. And he never once complained. He cared for her the way Jesus cares for us, His Bride. We have nothing to offer, but He treats us like we are precious, and irriplaceable.
I sometimes have nightmares about that night. The sounds the body makes when it literally suffocates are other worldly, and horrifying, and when those nightmares come they last for several nights. But on that night, without being invited, or told what was going on, no less that 6 close friends of my family came to visit my mom. As I was being ushered out of her room so the nurses could attempt to keep her breathing, my friends were walking in. One of them, my good friend Jese, stayed the night with me. Her awesome husband brought her pjs, and she slept on my couch, let me sit numbly without talking to me and was just… there. I didn’t sleep. I just sat. And I didn’t sob. I just let the tears roll down silently. In the morning she made me gluten free pancakes and vacuumed our house, and cleaned our kitchen, all of which had fallen to ruin during the week we had spent practically living at the hospital. She also arranged for a full course Thanksgiving dinner to be cooked for us, as this all happened on Nov. 22, 2014.
Since my mom was taken home, I have seen the fruit of my suffering. God has used me to reach out to people in ways that I would not have been able to, had I not experience this pain. Empathy is such a gift. Anyone can say I’m here for you. But when someone can come along side you, and cry with you, and feel your pain with you, that is truly a gift.
Anyway, all that to say, the marriage union is truly, miraculous, and beautiful, and the best picture of Christ’s love that we can find on this earth. And that is why Satan attacks it with such vigor. Kind of eye opening, isn’t it?
~TQG
My Everything
My Savior is my everything, my fears may plague me at times, but He shines through with Grace and Love, and the promise that He will never leave me or forsake me. Hallelujah!
Ruth & Boaz
I’ve been told no less than 3 times this week that I am beautiful. At least 4 times that I have gorgeous hair, and twice that I have a sweet spirit. God knows when I need the reminder.
I’m watching everyone I know, coworkers, friends, family and people I don’t even know getting engaged and married and having kids left and right. People that are younger or not much older than myself. It’s awesome, seeing everyone so happy, pursuing futures with their new spouses. But it’s also kinda hard. I have to keep reminding myself that I would rather be single than with the wrong person, or lower my standards just to get affection.
What I’m looking for is totally worth the wait. I know my creator is thrilled to reveal His plan. He’s got my love story all written out, each step I take traces the lines of His pen. I grow closer each day to the moment when clarity hits. He delights in romance, the joy of learning to love someone completely and fully.
My man is being prepared for me just as I am for him. A man after God’s own heart. Who loves God more than he loves me, and puts God first in all he does.
I studied the book of Ruth again recently, and I have to say, I just adore the love story of Ruth and Boaz. It’s so imperfect.
Tragedy, hard manual labor, long sweaty days in the sun.
A medaling older woman who gives questionable advice requiring Ruth, a woman, to essentially make the first move. (A big deal back then!) She literally tells her, wash yourself, wear your best perfume and clothes, but do not let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking. I don’t know if they were drinking water or wine, but regardless. She’s getting her daughter in law ready to wow an unsuspecting man after a long hard day of work. Sneaky old lady.
But then, Boaz, a kind hearted, honorable man, sees her hard work and blesses her for it. And takes her forwardness with such grace.
“May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after younger men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not be afraid. I will do for you all that you ask, for all the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman. But now, though it is true that I am a near kinsman, there is another kinsman more closely related than I. Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will act as next-of-kin for you, good; let him do it. If he is not willing to act as next-of-kin for you, then, as the Lord lives, I will. Lie down until the morning.”
So she lay at his feet until morning…
I strongly encourage you to go read this book to get the full picture. There is no question that he liked and was attracted to her, but yet he sought out the course of action that was honorable and in her best interest, all while reassuring her that regardless, she would be taken care of. Even in the way that he asked her to remain for the night rather than go alone back to her home with Naomi.
I also love how when Ruth recounts the story to Naomi the next day, Naomi says “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.”
I get the feeling Ruth was jittery and nervous about what would happen and where she would end up. I can relate with that.
I also like the honest, but very strategic way Boaz poses the idea to this other next of kin. He is totally honest, but it’s clear he is definitely hoping to be the one to redeem Ruth. It’s precious. I can’t help but see in my mind a mature, wise man, talking to this other next-of-kin, his heart pounding, praying under his breath that God bless him with this strong, hard working, worthy woman.
The whole thing is just dripping with raw humanity, and it’s beautiful. It makes my heart smile. God has such a great sense of humor.
I’m not perfect, and I never will be, but I’m hoping and praying I will be a worthy bride to my own Boaz someday.
Wordaholic
I’m a word addict. I can’t get enough, and these recent Pinterest finds just lit my fire perfectly. So well worded. Had to share.
Little Things
Thankful for God’s handiwork. I haven’t always been appreciative of the way He designed me. But I’m learning to. Especially my natural beachy waves. ^_^
Made in His image. To think negatively of yourself is to criticize the greatest artist of them all.
That Quiet Girl You Sort-of Know 