A Gift For Any Occasion

June 9, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

My mom’s birthday is TODAY (Happy Birthday, Mama!!) and trying to decide what to get for the woman in your life who has everything is a difficult task!

So, where is one of the absolute best places online to buy the ladies in your life something special – in most any price range?

Check out Marley Lilly! Clicking on the image above will take you directly to their online store! We have had so much luck and great experiences ordering from them, and (don’t tell Craig!) I have a definite order to place for us prior to our upcoming beach trip!

That’s only just a sampling of the many gifts and ideas you’ll find at Marley Lilly! Check out their site, and find something your wife, mother, sister, daughter, best friend or co-worker will just love!

To my mother:

Have a wonderful birthday! We love you!

Matthew 6:26

May 27, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

You’re in for a double dose of the Newlywed Lefebvres today! Being off for the holiday weekend meant finally getting to sleep in a little bit late, and completely spacing on writing our normal Monday post. To be completely honest, this weekend was such a blessing my mind was elsewhere. 🙂

So, better late than never, we have two posts for you today: Monday & today’s regularly scheduled programming!

Typically, neither Craig nor I are much of the movie-goer type. I think the whole time we were dating we went to the movies once – maybe twice. There just hasn’t been anything worth going to the theater for — until recently. Especially as Craig & I grow closer in our relationship to Christ, more and more of the aspects of “Hollywood” in the world hurt our hearts, and we steer clear of those items. Whereas once upon a time we were able to go to the movies and see anything that ‘sounded good’ to us, now we are more discerning about what we take in.

So far in 2014 we have been truly blessed with the amount of Christian movies airing on the silver screen:

Even the questionable Noah…

Last night, we had the privilege of enjoying this one:

We didn’t even realize this movie had a Christian influence until Casting Crowns posted about it on Facebook:

While Craig and I, obviously, aren’t parents – yet (Hurry up, Jonah Elizabeth!!! 🙂 ), this was a refreshing film for any Christian. It was funny without being vulgar. The language was colorful without being crude. The costuming was beautiful and vibrant without being immodest. This storyline was compelling without being full of sex or violence.

Trace Adkins even spoke about Jesus’ amazing love for us, in spite of who or what we are.

If you’re looking for a night out, this is a movie for the whole family to see! Be sure to support films like these!!

And now, for our regularly scheduled programming:

Folks. If you still don’t believe in the power of prayer, let me tell you know that you better open up your heart and your ears.

I have been praying for something to happen for about six months now – maybe a little bit longer. I won’t divulge what that is to protect the person for whom I have been praying, but know this: I knew I couldn’t change the situation. I knew God was the ONLY ONE who could do anything in this situation. I prayed for His Hand to work. For His Will to be done – not mine.

And the impossible happened.

In all seriousness, it would be like my telling you I wanted to wake up and find our neighbors on our doorstep, check in hand, letting us know they felt sorry for us and knew we were ready to move, so they were going to buy our house – with cash. And then that happening.

What I prayed for is something I felt God wanted to occur, but I knew it was just outrageous to even begin to consider. I didn’t know how to get from Point A to Point B, and so I asked Him to take over. I told Him that if it was really His Will, He would have to handle things because it would be a miracle if it happened.

And people, it HAPPENED. It may have taken a little time and a little patience. But it happened. My prayers were answered and His Will is being done.

To God Be The Glory.

If there is anything you are struggling with, ask for His help and have faith.

All our love to you friends. We pray for all God’s blessings upon you.

My Choice Monday

Give Me Faith

May 12, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Happy Monday! Here’s hoping all of you had an especially wonderful weekend and Mother’s Day!

Today I wanted to share with you a song (both video and lyrics – so turn on your speakers and watch this post in a browser)…I first heard this last Wednesday evening at church, and was SO.MOVED. by the lyrics and the heartfelt passion with which the singer sang it.

After this weekend, which as you may imagine was a ~~little~~ lot emotional for us, words and music like that which follows is such a beautiful reminder that, although we are far from perfect, He has everything under His perfect control. Waiting on the Lord is not easy. We have total faith and trust in Him, but we are still human and imperfect.

I may be weak, but Your Spirit’s strong in me. My flesh may fail, but My God you never will.

Verse 1:

I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you to open my eyes
To see that You’re shaping my life

Pre-Chorus:
All I am, I surrender

Chorus:
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you’re good and your love is great
I’m broken inside, I give you my life

Verse 2:
I need you to soften my heart
To break me apart
I need you pierce through the dark
And cleanse every part of me

Bridge:
I may be weak
But your Spirit’s strong in me
My flesh may fail
My God you never will

– See more at: http://elevationworship.com/songs/give-me-faith-the-song/#sthash.5EwDStQ2.dpuf

This is originally an Elevation Worship song, but the small group singing it above (Worship On The Porch) does such a beautiful rendition, and they are SUCH an inspiring ‘organization’. If you like this song, listen to their version of “Holy Spirit” by Jesus Culture – another one of my absolute faves.

In Jesus, we have it all – truly. But we are still human. Our flesh is still weak. We still battle the enemy and deal with the world on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter how strong our faith is, we need to ask Him for faith and strength every single day.

My Choice Monday

#loveonpurpose

May 5, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Monday Everyone!! I hope everyone’s weekend was as gorgeous as ours! The weather just couldn’t have been any more perfect!

This week marks the beginning of Love On Purpose Week and “my choice” for you today is to get involved in your community by loving on purpose!

Monday: Today is all about saying THANK YOU to our first responders – police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, armed forces.

If you can’t think of anything else to do, pray for our troops, police, firefighters and EMTs’ safety and well-being! Let them know they are loved and appreciated with baked goods!

Tuesday: This is Intentional Act of Kindness Day. Do something intentionally kind, for no reason at all – other than sharing the love of Christ. Pay for the person behind you in line at Starbucks. Buy lunch for your co-worker. Bake brownies for your neighbor. Wash that dirty car in your cul-de-sac.

Wednesday: Make an INTENTIONAL effort to spend time with the Lord today. Learn about His Love by worshipping Him and spending time in the presence of His Holy Spirit.

Thursday: Thursday is the day to show your appreciation for teachers! We don’t have children, but we do have a very good friend who is a teacher and she is getting dinner out tomorrow on me. 😉 If you do have children in school, here is an awesome idea I saw this morning on Facebook:

Friday: Friday is the day of the Paulding County Meth Walk – Click here for more information. If you live in the area, you can walk or run to support the fight against this horrible addiction, or, if you live in another area you can make a donation by clicking the same link!

Saturday: Saturday is the day I am most excited about! We are collecting women’s (gently worn) clothing and shoes, and new, full-size containers of women’s hygiene products to create Princess Packages in support of a ministry called “Out of Darkness” which rescues women from the world of sex trafficking and prostitution. By clicking the link, you can find out how you can help! If you live in the Atlanta area, you can drop items off to me at my office or our home (e-mail me), or to FullTurn Church. I’ve begun a collection at my office for items, as well as raided our local Dollar General and my closet! Help us help these women turn their lives around!

And on a lighter note, this little “app”/game I found on Google Chrome this morning has me entertained…

I’m stuck at “59” elements…Help. 🙂

That’s all for today folks! Let’s show Christ’s love all over the world this week (and always!)! And take pictures to post, using the hashtag #loveonepurpose all week long!

My Choice Monday

Healthy & Simple…& Delicious

April 28, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

I missed y’all on Friday!!! But work was crazy and the day just ran out on me…So I promise today’s post is going to make up for it, because you are going to come away with a brand new, super healthy, and utterly delicious recipe to make this week!

As we mentioned last week, we have been meal-planning and trust me, it is the easiest way to simplify your life and lighten your budget! You do not have to be organized or decisive to make this work for you and in the midst of it all, you will end up discovering some WONDERFUL recipes that are both healthy and extra simple to make.

Each week, scour Pinterest and Facebook and Ziplist and your old cookbooks, collecting dust on the shelf, and find 3-4 recipes that sound like good, healthy meals that aren’t a 40-step process to make. It’s super easy to do. Instead of pinning all those recipes, print them out and make a grocery list for the week using those recipes as your guidelines.

Remember, you can create lighter lunches or “Leftover Buffet Night” from your dinners!

You really can’t even imagine how much this will simplify your life. No more, “Ugh! What can we make for dinner? There’s nothing in the refrigerator!”

It’s all planned out. With awesome dishes like this one:

Grilled Avocado & Mango Chicken

Ingredients

Package of chicken breasts (3-4)
Annie’s Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
(2) Mangos
(1) Avocado
(1) Jar Roasted Red Peppers
(1) Package of Baby Spinach Leaves

Directions

Marinate your chicken breasts in a ziplock bag filled with 1/2 bottle of Red Pepper Dressing. (I did this in the morning, prior to cooking the chicken that night, but marinate to your specifications.) Skin the mangos and the avocado, and then dice these and place aside in a bowl. Dice a red pepper (amount is to your specifications) and add to the bowl, set aside. Grill marinated chicken breasts – about 7 minutes/side. If you are grill-iterate, like me, you can use a cast-iron grill pan inside, with the same results. After the meat is completely cooked, add a little bit more of the Red Pepper Dressing to each side of the chicken, and then flip to sear in the flavor. Place the baby spinach on your plate, add the chicken breast on top and cover with the diced mango/avocado/red pepper mix. VOILA!

You can eat this for lunch the next day by turning it into a grilled chicken salad, or make extra for leftovers! So easy and so delicious!!

Well, my dears, it seems Caroline has escaped from our fence, so I need to run home and retrieve her…Goodness gracious, what a mess that little girl is! 🙂

Enjoy the rest of your Monday!! We will chat again tomorrow! 🙂

My Choice Monday

The Joy of The Friendly Mountains & Quiet Ponds

April 21, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Happy Easter Monday!

Hopefully, all of you enjoyed as beautiful an Easter Sunday as we did! The weather here was a gorgeous 75° and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! We cannot WAIT to share the pictures we took! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!

Today our choice is…

Bob Ross’ “The Joy Of Painting”

I know you know who Bob Ross is…

Really, one can be mesmerized by this guy’s painting style…Out of nowhere, there appears a mountain or a tree…God-given talent, certainly.

I came across this article today, which I found rather interesting, regarding Mr. Ross’ work. It has interesting factoids like this one:

In what percentage of those paintings is a mountain covered with snow?

Given that Ross painted a mountain, there is a 66 percent chance there is snow on it.

Here’s a video clip of The Joy of Painting, in which Bob Ross is painting a “quiet pond”:

If nothing else, his talent can certainly be appreciated – and his videos are WONDERFUL to watch if you are having trouble sleeping… 🙂

Watch a few…You may discover a few tips and tricks of painting, or you might just enjoy some wonderfully peaceful sleep!

Stay tuned for tomorrow when we share our Infertile Ground Interview “From His Perspective”.

My Choice Monday

Ask & You Shall Receive

April 14, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

Happy Monday!

Whew! What a weekend! I’m about to fall asleep at my desk, and I have a sneaking suspicion Craig is feeling the same way today! His birthday weekend was AWESOME – but also one of those ‘vacations’ you need a vacation after to catch up! 🙂

Today’s “My Choice” is an answer to many a question we have received regarding FullTurn Church and our attendance there.

Here is a video clip of the Sunday ‘sermon’ a few weeks ago:

Listening to Pastor Alan, I can feel the Holy Spirit leading his message. We truly followed God to this place, and couldn’t be more ecstatic to have our weeks and weekends JAM-PACKED with Christ!

When the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart, and urging you to do MORE for Him, to seek Him more, to follow Him more closely… you need to listen. It doesn’t matter if you are comfortable in the pew at church you have been sitting in for the past 12 years. He requires of us as Christians to seek Him first and foremost, and where He leads us, there shall we go.

Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Y’all, if you ask for His guidance, He will lead you and He will guide you. There never has to be a decision you have to make alone. No problem or issue is too big or too small for Him.

And on a lighter note…

Lulu’s On Main

This AH-MAY-ZING restaurant in little ol’ Sylva, North Carolina is the definition of a hidden gem. The next time you come to visit us for more than one day, we will drive the 2 hours to have dinner here! There is a great menu for anyone and everyone – including those of us who are gluten-free, or going through a Lenten season of vegetarianism. 🙂 Click the image to be redirected to their website.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday – It’s time for a nap!

My Choice Monday

Faux-ah: Not The Story You Think

April 7, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Happy Monday!

What did y’all do this weekend? Anything exciting?

We kicked things off on Saturday with a matinee showing of “Noah”. And after reading all of the hellacious reviews about it, I was not expecting much…

However, we were pleasantly surprised!

While this movie did NOT follow the story of Noah, Biblically, word-for-word, scene-for-scene, it did a few other things I speculate were completely unintentional of Hollywood in their making of this epic film:

It showed the infinite power of God. Within the storyline of Faux-ah (Fake Noah 🙂 ), we see Noah realizes he is to build an ark, but the world is dead. There are no trees around. Nothing at all to build a vessel of any kind with is in sight. Once Noah turns and follows God’s instruction regardless of the lack of HOW to accomplish His will, God provides a forest for Noah. With the quickness of the snap of a finger. There, in the blink of an eye, is every piece of wood Noah could ever possibly need to build his ark. All because he had FAITH in the power of God. Did it happen exactly this way in the Bible story of Noah? Perhaps not, but it could have. Without meaning to, Hollywood showed the infinite, insurmountable power of the God we serve.
It showed that God provides. Perhaps this one and the preceding point are interchangeable, they are both noteworthy! In the movie **spoiler alert**, only 1 of Noah’s 3 sons has a wife. The other two are single and very concerned for how they will replenish the earth without wives of their own. The answer given them? God will provide. And boy, does He! That’s all I’ll say!
It showed the deep flaw we have to doubt and to misunderstand as humans. Throughout much of the film, Noah misunderstands God’s direction, and even prior to that, he seems to doubt that God could have called him. He isn’t possibly good enough to take on such a task. And while many critics of this movie have pointed out that the Bible never says Noah doubted or misunderstood anything, (and they are correct) take yourself into account, in this situation. If God called you to build a boat. In the middle of what was basically a drought-ridden desert. Would you have to think on it for a moment or would you simply pick up your toolbox and get to work? Has He ever asked you to do something you just felt you weren’t good enough for? Has He ever spoken to you, and you thought, Wellllll…..maybe what He actually meant was…. ?

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

I suppose it’s up to you, ultimately. We felt that, while the movie was by no means Biblically literal, the film certainly presented a good story with a lot of Christian themes. If you go into the theatre with that in mind, perhaps you won’t leave disappointed. We definitely didn’t.

Have you seen ~~Faux-ah~~ Noah? What were your thoughts?

Wait, before I go today, I wanted to share this with you. I was reading my New Yorker at lunch and came across this column/article… It gave me a laugh so I thought it might bring a smile to your face, as well. 🙂 All about a girl’s “conversations” with her mobile banking app… Enjoy!

New Yorker: Mobile Banking App

Have a beautiful night, y’all!

My Choice Monday

What’s For Dinner??

March 31, 2014March 31, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Welcome to Monday!! Hopefully, all of you had wonderful weekends! We definitely did!!

This morning I was blessed with a beautiful surprise, and the entire course of this morning’s post changed! My sweet little grandmother from New Jersey called and let me know she flew into town and is in Atlanta! How exciting! Craig is still in town, so we are meeting her this evening after work and taking her to dinner.

Now, this sudden scenario may not seem an ‘issue’ to any of you, but yours truly is a PLANNER with a capital “P”, and immediately, my mind has gone into overdrive:

So, in your neighborhood, where would you take a surprise out of town guest for a casual, yet classy, not loud dinner? (Seriously, we want your answers below in the comments! You just never know when YOU will be in another town and not know where to eat…and I don’t mean a big chain restaurant either!)

Here are a few ideas in some of our favorite cities:

Empire State South – This little gem in the heart of Midtown Atlanta not only is a go-to for dinner. They offer breakfast, brunch and lunch, as well – not to mention some delicious desserts and libations! It’s a classy, casual setting – and perfect for out-of-town guests, as many of it’s food options are regionally delicious.

OK Cafe – While not even close to ‘fancy’, this is an Atlanta classic with DELICIOUS food and if you’re in the mood for comfort in a diner setting, this is the place to go! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, take-away – it’s all awesome! I highly recommend the Rocket Burger. Yum!

Pompeii Pizza – Located in Elk River, Minnesota (about an hour outside of the Twin Cities), we read rave reviews about this local pizzeria in Midwest Living magazine – and just had to try it out. It was delightful – This Italian girl can attest to pizza worth ‘wasting’ calories on, and this is it! Not only were their pizza and salads yummy, Craig found some local brews he was pretty impressed with, as well!

Chatterbox Pub – This neighborhood bar/restaurant in St. Paul, MN, will always remind me of our dating days. It’s one of the first places I went with Craig & his family, one of the first visits I ever made to Minnesota – fond memories for sure! 🙂 The food was tasty; the drinks were satisfying and there were even games to play while you waited for your food. Perfect!

The Mash House – This brewery/restaurant came highly recommended by my parents on a trip to the town in which I spent a good portion of my childhood – Fayetteville, North Carolina. Craig and I paid them a visit last year and were in no way disappointed! Steaks, shrimp, pasta, fish, sandwiches, burgers, salads, brewed-in-house beer… We may just go back simply to eat there again!

What are your go-to restaurants? Let us know, and we just may meet you there for a bite!

You’ll have to wait until later this week to find out just where we eat tonight with Grandma Flo! 🙂

My Choice Monday

The Nativity Stones!

March 24, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

We have such a wonderful treat for you this bright and shiny Monday! A few weeks ago, we were contacted by a company called Nativity Stones, about doing a product review and a feature article on their behalf. After reading their story, we couldn’t say no!

Here it is, straight from The Nativity Stones’ website itself:

On a winter’s night over 2000 years ago, Mary and Joseph traveled the road to Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus ordered a world census to be taken and all subjects were required to return to the place of their birth. Despite Mary’s advanced pregnancy they journeyed from Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph’s birthplace. Joseph searched urgently for lodging as it was Mary’s time to give birth, but all of the inns were filled. In his desperation Joseph finally found a cave at the edge of town to shelter his wife. It was here, in the Cave of the Nativity, where the Christ Child was born.

Early Christians flocked to worship at The Cave of the Nativity soon after His death. In 325 A.D. Byzantine Emperor Constantine, along with his mother Empress Helena, officially recognized the site of Christ’s birth, constructing churches to commemorate the three principle events of Jesus’ life. One of the churches was the Church of the Nativity, which was erected over the cave where Jesus was born. The cave was then enclosed in an eight-sided structure and the church was built above.

Despite the following years of neglect, wars and destruction, the Church of the Nativity has always drawn faithful pilgrims from around the world. It is the oldest Christian Church in the world and continues to be a sacred symbol to the devout. It was designated an endangered World Heritage site by UNESCO.

In 1963, there was a one-time excavation to allow another exit for the thousands of visitors who come to the Cave of the Nativity each year. During that excavation a portion of a wall just a few feet from the fourteen pointed star commemorating the actual place of Christ’s birth was removed.

The stones from that wall – the Nativity Stones – witnessed the birth of Jesus. These are the very stones cradled in the Nativity Stone heirlooms.

Wow. What a story!

This company has taken these stones, from the birthplace of Jesus, and incorporated them into beautiful Christian jewelry & timeless pieces. We received a wonderful piece from The Nativity Stones, and I am so excited to have this cross and authentic piece of our Lord’s history – just in time for Easter! The cross I am wearing here is the Classic Nativity Cross – perfect to use in prayer, or just to wear as a reminder of the amazing God we serve and worship!

And we have a treat for you! You, too, can have a beautiful Christian heirloom – and with a special discounted rate! Just enter the code “newlywed15” at checkout to receive a 15% discount!!

What a wonderful gift for Easter, Confirmation, no occasion at all! I urge you to purchase one of these special pieces! You won’t be sorry!

We also want to give a shout-out to a dear blogging friend we have featured before here: The Veil of Chastity showcased us on Friday:

We are SO BEYOND BLESSED with great friends and family and their prayers and encouragement. Thank you for your commitment to us!! It means more than you could ever imagine!

I was thinking just Sunday morning…SO MANY OF OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! Yet, so often, we overlook those answered blessings and focus on the {seemingly} negative things in our lives. God is so good. He is so faithful.