Christ: The Ultimate Bridegroom

December 19, 2013December 19, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

Greetings Y’all!

Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing weddings – believe it or not, right? Two women discussing WEDDINGS?!?! Never! 😉 And, in true wedding talk fashion, everything (flowers, venue, cake, dress, etc) was mentioned but the groom. Why is that the norm?

Today, I want to share with you a song I found by searching for “wedding” online – just because that conversation yesterday had me all reminiscent about a certain September 15, 2012… and God intervened. He led me to this:

Wow.

Talk about a conversation involving a wedding day that is centered on the most amazing groom, Jesus. Isaiah 54:4-8 (ESV) says:

4 Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.

“The icon of Christ the Bridegroom portrays the selfless love of Christ for His Bride, the Church (Isaiah 54). He is dressed in royal colors as the betrothed King, corresponding with Sacred Scripture’s account of His mockery by the Roman guards before His crucifixion. The crown is a symbol of His marriage to the Church; the rope, a symbol of the bondage to sin, death and corruption which Jesus untied by His death on the Cross; the reed, a symbol of His humility.” (Borrowed from the Christ The Bridegroom Monastery)

What an amazing God we have who takes us just as we are, cleanses us from our sin, and pledges Himself to us – all the while, not just forgiving but forgetting our past and our wrongs. Christ: The Ultimate Bridegroom.

Until tomorrow….

Blessings To You All,

My Choice Monday

Music & Meds For Christmas Cheer

December 16, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Monday!

We are officially 9 days away from Christmas!! Aren’t you excited!? Craig and I ended up having Part One of “Our Christmas” last night, which is the only day we have had to ourselves since last Sunday, and will be the only day we will have completely to ourselves until the New Year’s Eve. We figured we should make the most of this special time together, and so we opened each other’s “big gifts” last night. It was so much fun! We are looking forward to sharing Christmas with our families beginning at the end of the week! I think just maybe we might be able to fit everyone in! Prayers and fingers crossed!

Now for our recommendations for this week!

EZY Dose Stackable Pill Reminder Maybe you’re thinking this is an odd recommendation, but since I’ve started with the medication to balance my insulin, plus all the vitamins and supplements and allergy medications, I have struggled with a way to both make sure I remember to take them throughout the day, and to transport the pills. We found this handy pill keeper at Walgreen’s, and it has proved it’s usefulness tenfold. You can read more about it or purchase one here. Ladies, this fits quite easily into your purse; and gentlemen, with the helpful un-attaching feature, you can easily carry one (or a few) of the containers in your pocket! No more excuses for not taking your pills!
10% Off TODAY Only at The Catholic Company If you have any last minute gifts to buy, today’s your lucky day! The Catholic Company is giving an additional 10% today only with this code: F2RT7JD6 🙂 You can access their website here and can find a WIDE ARRAY of products from books to dvds to bible studies to jewelry to art to gorgeous pieces like this: Catholics and non-Catholics alike can easily find something at The Catholic Company! You can even get an extra 15% off by subscribing to their e-newsletter… Happy online shopping!
Sidewalk Prophets Christmas Album This is a phenomenal Christmas album that is both cheerful and worshipful, and contains both new and old Christmas music. I know you will really enjoy it, and your can purchase it right here! My favorite tune to get me in the Christmas spirit is “Because It’s Christmas” – and I’m giving you a little preview below 😉

Y’all enjoy the rest of your Monday, and we’ll catch up with you tomorrow!

Love & Christmas Blessings,

Food For Thought Friday

December 13, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Friday To All Of You!

Hopefully, your week has been wonderful and you are looking forward to a relaxing weekend – I know all of you are completely finished with your Christmas shopping and decorating…right? 🙂

Well, if perhaps, I might be incorrect in my assumption, take a few minutes to relax now in preparation for a crazy weekend! Fridays around here are going to be casual. Today, for instance, I have included links below to two relatively fresh stories – both good for discussion.

First, as I’m sure you’ve heard/read by now: Pope Named Time’s Person of the Year

Personally, I think this is wonderful news – Time Magazine’s cover for Person of the Year hasn’t seen a Christian religious leader’s face since Pope John Paul II in 1994 and prior to that, Pope John XXIII in 1962. As we discussed yesterday, as true followers of Christ, shouldn’t we be revolutionizing the world on a daily basis? Not so that Time Magazine notices, but so the Lord does.

Now there’s an over-dinner-conversation starter for your weekend! And here’s one more, on the lighter side…

The Toughest Tongue Twister?

Can you say that 10 times fast? Maybe this conversation starter is for after dinner, when your mouth isn’t full! 😉

Have a great weekend!

All Our Love,

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

December 12, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres16 Comments

Good Morning!

Waking up at 4AM for work has its good and bad points. I think actually seeing the clock read 4:00 and realizing I have to put my feet on the floor is the worst part. After that, it’s actually not too awful. It’s still dark outside, peaceful, quiet.

When I am on the road at 6AM, my struggle has been trying to keep that sense of early morning peace about me along the way. One thing I cannot stand is a morning radio show, trying to be funny and discussing all of last night’s reality television. Gag me with a spoon. So, I have mainly listened to a News/Talk station, but after awhile that gets depressing, and depending on how long the commute is, repetitive – and who wants to hear bad news twice?!

I have tried some of the Christian radio stations, but have always felt like they were trying to sell themselves as “inspirational” and “safe for the whole family”, rather than saying we are a CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION and this is CHRISTIAN MUSIC meant to be used to WORSHIP AND GLORIFY THE LORD. And then, I found Victory 91.5 . What a wonderful way to drive to work: prayer – deep prayer, devotion, profound Bible verses, and a blend of Christian music weaved throughout. So refreshing! Such a great way to put on Christ for the day.

Which brings me to my whole point for this post: being unapologetic about our faith. We are all guilty of toning it down – buying any kind of Christian book via Kindle so we don’t have to walk around with the title showing; when someone asks us ‘what we did this weekend’ we never mention going to church and that amazing message we heard; we shy away from our faith and our beliefs and our love for Christ – but is that really love? You love your spouse, your parents, your children – Do you disavow any of them? Aren’t you proud of those you love? Do you have pictures of your family on your desk at work? Probably so.

But do you have a cross?

This brings me to the book, “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon (clicking the picture above will direct you to where to purchase this book). Craig and I found it, completely by chance, at the Edward McKay Used Bookstore on our trip to Fayetteville, NC (it was one of my all-time favorite places to go as a child!) for $1.30, used. And well-read. And for good reason.

Actually written in the late 1800’s, this book (still quite relevant today) is the story of a group of self-proclaimed Christians, as many of us are today. They attended church on Sundays, and they called themselves Christians. But did they really live for Him unapologetically?? When they took on the challenge of living for an entire year by asking themselves “What Would Jesus Do?” in every situation, they found out how lives can be radically changed by being absolutely unapologetic about following Christ, and making Him Lord of your life.

Pray for us, as we pray for you, to live for Christ and ask ourselves “What would Jesus Do?” in every situation.

All Our Love,

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…and tomorrow I’ll have pictures…

December 5, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

Knock-Knock…

We’re back!!!!!!! …and hopefully, you’re still there; still willing to read what we have to share, and we thank you so much for your patience. Geez, I sound like a phone recording for a business who has you on hold. Sorry about that!

So…alot has happened while Craig and I have been non-blogging… Here’s a short and to the point synopsis:

We had a great road-trip to Missouri for Craig’s cousin, Cara’s, wedding. Afterwards, we hung around MO for a mini family reunion of sorts in Branson -talk about a vacation so great and jam-packed you need a vacation once you’re home!
We enjoyed a visit with my grandmother in New Jersey for several days. Craig got to meet a lot of family members he had never met (sort of a reversal from my meeting a lot of new family while we were in Missouri), and he really hit it off with my Uncle Vic (my grandmother’s sister, Angie’s, husband)! Talk about peas in a pod… If you think ladies talk when they get together…oh my. We had a ton of fun!
We celebrated our one year anniversary (and my birthday) with a trip to North Carolina – Wilmington, and the town I feel as if I ‘grew-up’ in, Fayetteville. I think one of the things I realized by this third trip of the summer (and one of many trips in our relationship, engagement, and marriage) is that the longer we are together, the closer we become. The closer we are, the better and more enjoyable our getaways become – no matter where it is we venture. I might even say that we had more fun as a couple in Wilmington, NC, after a year of marriage, than we did after four months of marriage in Rome, Italy. Marriage (ours anyway) is like a fine wine….It just keeps getting better, the longer and the MORE we are together. That is just one of many many many wonderful things I have discovered over this past year and almost 3 months of marriage to my amazing husband. 😉
The source – thus far – of our infertility was diagnosed two-fold: a polyp blocking my right fallopian tube and PCOS.
I had surgery to remove the polyp and all went well!
I was offered a wonderful job opportunity out-of-the-blue…and accepted the position! Sadly, I had to leave my nanny position, but fortunately, Craig and I were blessed with my new job and all of the possibilities it brings with it, i.e. tuition reimbursement!
Craig and I bought our first car together! We love it – so much fun to drive and unbelievable fuel efficiency!
Almost a year and three months later, we are still trying to conceive. I’m currently taking Metformin to aid with the insulin resistance brought about by good ol’ PCOS, and we are in the midst of my first round of Letrazole. As always, we are placing our hope in the Lord, and believing faithfully that He has a miraculous plan in store for our journey together. We pray constantly this plan includes the blessing of children from Him.

Whew! It’s been a busy past few months! As soon as I have a spare second, I will post the pictures of our adventures here. It won’t be too long either, because I’m anxious to show you our Christmas decorations!

We thank you again for keeping The Newlywedlefebvres on your blogroll, and ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers. Infertility and PCOS are uphill battles, and nothing less. We pray for His Will to be our will, and that His Will be done.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways My ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways and thoughts higher than yours.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Our Love & Greetings,

Pier & Craig

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What Would YOUR Book In The Bible Look Like?

June 11, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Good Evening Everyone (Or Early Morning, Depending On How You Look At It),

So during our Bible Study a week or so ago, the chapter we are studying in “Experiencing God” mentioned that the Bible, as a whole, isn’t an account of the people in the Bible – like John, Peter, Ruth, Noah or Abraham, but rather is a story of God working through the lives of these people. The Bible is then an autobiography of the Lord, and the other characters throughout were vehicles through whom He worked.

This got me to thinking. Suppose Noah hadn’t built the ark, as God instructed. Suppose Noah heard God’s instruction and thought, “Ugh. It’s too hot to build an ark. I don’t even know HOW anyway! I’m not a boat builder! Plus, I have plans! I don’t have time to do this.” Or what if Mary had not said YES to God’s invitation to carry His Son?

The Bible would be a very different book if those who accepted God’s instruction had lived according to THEIR will, rather than HIS will. So, what would a Bible story of YOUR life look like? Would the book be full of detail as you followed Christ and carried out His plans, or would it be a short account in which Jesus asked you to do something, and you told Him you were too busy and let YOUR plans get in the way?

In considering this, Craig and my ‘Mission Statement’ for our marriage had to be re-examined. And so, even though he was off work all last week, and I usually enjoy the luxury of not having to be at work until 11AM, we followed God’s call and rose early each morning to lead the music together for our church’s summer program for middle and high school students – who were less than thrilled to be at church at 8AM when on summer vacation. This week, even though I am working a 9-5 schedule with the sweet children I nanny, I am rushing off to help lead the music for VBS each evening after work from 6-8:30PM.

We certainly aren’t asking for medals or accolades here. Not in the least. BUT the whole idea of considering what your story in the Bible would resemble certainly made us realize that following God’s Will and putting Him first in our life was absolutely the MOST important thing. Even though 12-13 hour days are NOT fun, and getting up early on your day off is NOT typically anyone’s cup of tea, living life for Christ is our mission, and as we have learned, His ways are not always OUR ways.

I thank God He brought me my soulmate, who stands right by my side as we endeavor to lead our lives for Him. The Lord doesn’t always guide us down the newly paved road, but more often than not, the bumpy, gravelly, dirt path most people try to avoid.

We pray He will continue to guide us, and we ask for your prayers for our journey, as well. We would love to pray for you, too, and many of you we already do! If you have a special request you would like us to pray for you or with you, please e-mail Craig and I at newlywedlefebvres@gmail.com

Well, it’s now time for bed, as there is another full day of nannying and VBS and puppies…Yes, we have multiple doggies in the Lefebvre household now! Don’t worry, our next post will include more on recent events and if we are diligent, even some pictures!

Take Care and God Bless,

Pier & Craig

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Where Faith Will Lead…

April 30, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Some bloggers post daily, and well, as you may have noticed, we don’t. There’s a reason for this, and it isn’t laziness or the fact we’re TOO boring! 😉 We do have A LOT going on, but the fact of the matter is we only blog when we feel ‘led’ to do so. I feel like our blog is meant to be, not only an update for our family and friends of what’s going on in our lives, but also a tool in sharing Christ’s love – how He has touched and miraculously transformed our lives – and how sharing that can help others, as well.

Today, I felt led to blog about my new job – I just love it! I’m a nanny to one-month old twins and an adorable, bright and bubbly two-year old little girl, and this position has been nothing short of a life-changing experience for me! Some said it would be a realization for me, insofar as how much of a ‘handful’ caring for young children really is. As a matter of fact, I not only care for these precious babies, but I cook for the family, as well – at least twice a week. I also do the children’s laundry and help keep the house clean and orderly. I do some grocery shopping and help run errands. After all is said and done, I feel quite blessed – not stressed.

Don’t get me wrong – This isn’t an EASY or RELAXING job AT. ALL. However, it’s work I love to do! There is such a sense of accomplishment in providing care for children and in helping a family, versus my former life of filing and typing documents and speaking in corporate lingo. This is not to say there is a thing in the world wrong with that type of work – more power to those who thrive in the business world and the corporate environment! At this time in my life, an office just isn’t where I’m supposed to be!

I know God blessed me with intelligence and I could easily have accomplished whatever sort of academic agenda was at hand, with His guidance. But right now, that’s just not my place in the world. In fact, my new job has only strengthened Craig and my faith, and made us desire a family of our own even more. We cannot wait to have children of our own!

We have wanted children from the beginning, but now with some fresh experience under my belt, I can confidently say being a mother is what God has in mind for my life, for our lives, and parenthood is the path He is leading us on. It’s funny, the life lesson I’m receiving has the benefit of a pay check, when the ultimate job we desire for me pays nothing – monetarily speaking. 🙂

Please pray for Craig and I in starting a family of our own. Please pray for patience. Please pray for strength of character. Please pray for the blessing of many children on our marriage.

In Christ,

The Newlywed Lefebvres

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Six Months of Marriage!

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

Today is a wonderful day marking SIX MONTHS of Wedded Bliss for Craig and I! Such an absolute blessing these recent months have been, and there is no one to thank more than God above! Thank you; Thank you; Thank you – Infinite thanks! Never could we have found our jigsaw puzzle piece matches without His omnicience!

In other news, I apologize it has been several weeks since I last wrote – the tides, they are a-changing! 🙂 And with those changes, of course, come a lot of time consumption! 🙂 What all has happened since we last met? Well, due to an…interesting turn of events….I ended my employment as an Executive Assistant a few days earlier than planned…My, that’s a long story…As we noted in the last blog post, Craig and I had been planning for me to leave for several months, but when we KNEW the time was right, we acted…and within DAYS, we had not just one, but 4 different job opportunities staring us in the face – and I hadn’t applied for a single one of them. Please know, we aren’t pointing this out in order to boast, but simply because it was only further proof we were on the path God was leading us down! Jesus says in Luke 17:6, “If you had faith no bigger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would.” We listened to the Lord, put our trust in Him, and He provided. Nothing is impossible with God. (Thanks to our choir director, Dian, for reminding us of this again last week with a BEAUTIFUL song – “Nothing Is Impossible With God”, sung in four parts. Come hear us sing at St. Francis in Cartersville! Sundays at 10am!)

We prayerfully considered all of these 4 positions, and in the end, chose the one that, while on paper may not look the ‘best’, is certainly what we feel I am being called to do at this time. The new job begins in April – so more details to come!

Other than this new career path, it’s been a busy couple of weeks filled with catching up on cleaning and resting and COOKING! 🙂 We even had the pleasure of entertaining my brother for dinner one evening when he came to meet little Lucy! Stuffed pork chops. Delicious! If you’re interested in the recipe, send us an e-mail, and we’ll let you in on our EASY to prepare and gluten-free secret! 😉

Well, I must be off! Before my husband returns home, I promised him I’d finish sewing the draperies for our bedroom – a long overdue project I finally have the time to complete!

Take Care All Of You!

Much Love,

Pier & Craig