All In Just Over A Month…

October 1, 2014October 2, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres6 Comments

Wow – It’s been awhile since we have published a What’s Up Wednesday! But once you see “what’s been up” in the post below…I think you may understand the reasoning for the break from blogging! 🙂 Enjoy the mini picture album, and see how much God can do when you simply say “YES!”

It all started with Craig and I putting our house on the market. We knew it was time to move…but at the time, we had no CLUE of how big God’s plans for us were!

When we made plans to move to Maine, and answered His call to “PACK!”, our house sold in basically the snap of a finger! We knew we would be downsizing, and so we had a grand ol’ two-day yard sale:

After everything had been sold, donated or packed, we took a final look at the beautiful Georgia view from our back porch…

…and we said goodbye to some of our dearest friends…

…and we packed up the biggest moving truck Penske had available…

…and set off for Vacationland (otherwise known as “Maine”)! *If you’re a Lefebvre, you understand why I’m pointing to the grill of this truck…If not, just know this moving truck was an International…and that means it was ‘OK” to make the trip!

We made the LONG drive from Georgia to Maine…

…and arrived safely to our little apartment with the furs!

We started to check out our new neighborhood…

…and enjoyed some delicious seafood and beautiful views along the way!

Our pups enjoyed the ocean for the first time…

…and if you’ve never watched the movie “Marley & Me”, do…and you’ll understand why the beach was such an experience for us… 😉

We celebrated our two-year/cotton wedding anniversary, and received this beautiful cotton bole from my parents in a box!

We celebrated our marriage in Cancun, Mexico!!

We had the most MAGICAL anniversary dinner at Thai Cancun…All of the pictures taken were taken from our own private tiki hut for dinner!!!

When we returned from our whirlwind trip, it was back to work for me! Fortunately, being a youth minister means I have the most rewarding and fun job in the world and we got to see Rend Collective Experiment!! If you have never heard of this band…A) They are AWESOME! and B) Look them up! I especially like their song “Build Your Kingdom Here”!

Next up, we celebrated my 32nd birthday! Craig made me a Gluten-Free Three-Layer Banana Pudding Cake! It was DELICIOUS! And yes, I know, I am incredibly blessed to have such an amazing husband! I don’t take him for granted – at all!

We visited the Victorian House in downtown Portland, Maine, and also the Urban Farm Fermentory…

We walked around downtown Portland, and I found a pier on which to take a Pier picture…

…and we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Street & Co. (also in Downtown Portland)…

…where we, of course, enjoyed the lobster! Lobster Diavolo for Two, to be specific! Yum!!!!And that, my dears, is what has been keeping us so busy! In between all of that, we welcomed our sweet and beautiful niece, Eden, into the world (not in person yet, so that’s coming); we attended a Church conference in middle Maine; we traveled to and from Atlanta because my biological father was in a terrible motorcycle accident (Prayers are still needed for him, please!); and we have been running a youth ministry while I study Biology on the side.

I need a nap.

But don’t worry – We’ll be back tomorrow!

Food For Thought Friday

A Great “To-Go” Recipe FOr Kids (& Some Adults)

August 8, 2014August 6, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Good Morning Folks!

We have a fun recipe for y’all today – Vlog Style! It was fun getting to pretend I had my own Food Network or Cooking Channel show for a little bit! 😉 Of course, you’ll need to view this video in a browser. So, if you received this post in an e-mail, simply click on the title (in blue) at the top of the e-mail, and you will be redirected to the website, which will enable the video to be played.

Wasn’t that such a quick and easy “semi-homemade” fix? I made these for Craig to take on his trip for simple, portable meals and they worked out great! He loved them and they are simple to make and easy to pack for lunch! All of you pilots’ wives out there, keep this one in mind! 🙂

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend everyone! We are off to Portland tomorrow for the day, and we’ll be sure to snap a few pictures to share next week!

TTC Tuesday

Pack!

August 5, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

When we listed our home for sale on the morning of March 28th, it was with excitement and a sense of the unknown. We knew we wanted to move into a new home, but we weren’t sure where…or when…or what it would be like; we just knew that we were not living in “our” home. But besides the feeling we were living somewhere that wasn’t ‘the place for us’, there were no onlookers to our home, not many bites, no phone calls of interest….and frustration set in.

Not too much later – some time in April, Craig came to me and said, “God is asking us to pack.”

But, sadly, we didn’t listen. Each weekend there was a different excuse:

“I’m tired.”

“We’re too busy.”

“Where will the boxes go?”

“What will we eat off of if we pack up all the plates?”

…so we never really packed…

Until, one day, we truly decided to delve into making Maine our new home. We had chosen that I would take my Post-Baccalaureate pre-requisite courses through the University of New England – in Maine, and Craig would be flying out of Portland…On a whim, I sent out applications for several positions in the Portland area…and like a rocket got some responses…Then an interview…and then, I felt a still, small voice whisper that I needed to be looking in the local church bulletins, not on Craigslist.

And so I did… and lo’ and behold the first bulletin I found was for “Cluster 22” which included 3 parishes and a parochial school just outside of Portland…and they were looking for a Youth Minister…and contemporary musical talent.

Thank you, Lord, for your bluntness.

I need that.

I e-mailed the contact person…and she e-mailed back…and we scheduled an interview…

And before I knew it, I was standing in the narthex of St. Bartholomew’s in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, after just having seen what would be my office, and discussing Athens, Georgia – the common birthplace of both me and my interviewer!

The flight I non-revved home that evening was supposed to be full – as in no way, no how was I going to make that flight. And before I knew it, OVERSOLD turned into 7 available seats…and my name was miraculously at the top of the list.

I returned home excited. We talked things over. We prayed. I got a job offer from St. Bartholomew’s to become their Youth Minister. And then a phone call for a ‘shadow’ with the other position I had interviewed for.

I turned in my notice at work, and we began making plans to move. Packing.

And later that week, I received a phone call from a real estate agent. For some reason, she had chosen my number from the three listed – our realtor (my Dad), Craig and me – but I was at work and able to talk which is very unusual – and also in an extremely ‘tell it like it is’ mood.

She asked if she and her clients could view our home that morning. Craig just ‘happened’ to be home, and was able to spot-shine the house and take the dogs to the park – so that worked out perfectly. But before I let the agent get off the phone, I told her, “Please tell your clients, if they like our home, to make an offer. We are very motivated. We are moving to Maine, and we are ready to sell and move forward. Make an offer, ANY OFFER! Oh, and by the way, we have upped our commission to 4% for the buyers’ agent – just wanted to make sure you had seen that in the listing.”

And that evening, we received a phone call. Not only had we received an offer on our house. We received a full-price offer with (only) a 3% commission – not even taking the 4% we had offered!!!!

And today, when Craig was waiting for the inspector to show up the couple who have our home under contract made it a point to let him know, and to share with me, that our home was the answer to their prayers. They feel led by the Lord to our home!!

Whoa….

When we submit to His Will…the things that can occur are nothing short of miraculous!

The moral of the story is: “When He tells you to pack, don’t wait one single second. PACK NOW!”

TTC Tuesday

The Beacon On The Fridge

July 29, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres15 Comments

Well, folks, it’s Tuesday and I’m back – with a skip in my step, nonetheless!The past week has been a wild ride – to say the least. To tell this story, I’ll take you back in time a bit.

Several years ago…

{That’s supposed to be the ‘back in time’ sort of dream sequence…}

My grandmother in New Jersey (Hi Grandma!) took a trip to Maine, and sent me this gorgeous post card…

It was definitely this lighthouse (above), but not this particular picture. I loved it (and of course, the sweet note by grandmother wrote on the back), and kept it on my refrigerator for the longest time.

When Craig and I were dating, one of the first times he ever visited my (then) condo, he saw the postcard on the fridge and said, “Hey, where did you get this?” to which I replied that my grandmother had sent it to me from her trip to Maine. He, then, told me he had given the same exact picture to his mother from his trip (flight for work) to Portland, ME.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, but when I missed the church I was trying to navigate to and ended up a mile or two down the road, with the ocean right in front of me, and this very lighthouse to my left…heading back to the church for my interview, I felt a sense of peace…

If you’re extremely confused at the moment, let me enlighten you:

Craig will be flying out of Portland and I will be the Youth Minister for St. Bartholomew’s in Cape Elizabeth, as well as (prayers please!!!!!!!!!! I’m in the final stages of interview!) working with the mentally disabled to help them attain more independent living skills, and of course, continuing school!

So, today’s “Thank You” to our Lord is for His guidance! All along the way, this step (LEAP) of faith has had His Hand on it…and He is truly answering our prayers!! We are so excited for this new season of life and for all that Maine has in store for us!!

Please pray for our relocation!! It’s coming up soon – the middle of next month!

Well, time to head out the door and head home…and continue packing!!! 🙂 Wahoo!!!

P.S. Does anyone want to volunteer to help us move? 🙂

TTC Tuesday

Children Of The King

June 24, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

As you all know, or probably know, Craig and I have been ~~patiently~~ waiting on God for a child for exactly:

After what seemed to have been forever, we heard from the Holy Spirit concerning our future child, and we are so very thankful, expectant and thrilled for little Jonah Elizabeth to arrive!! I can’t tell you how many people during the past month have told us she’s going to be here sooner than we felt! It’s been unbelievably amazing to realize that the Lord hasn’t spoken only to Craig and I, but to those around us, as well!! How awesome is our God!?!?!

Thinking about our future little angel made me examine more closely who she will be and who I am in Christ.

Gill’s Exposition Of The Entire Bible (a comprehensive Bible commentary) says this: “…akin to God, he being their Father, and they his children by adopting grace, and which was made manifest by their new birth; and also akin to Christ, he being their head, husband, Father, and brother, and they his members, spouse, children, and brethren…”

“His children by adopting grace” – how BEAUTIFUL is that?!? The One who breathed the world – and the stars! – into existence adopted us as His Children, even though we aren’t good enough, or thankful enough, or faithful enough. He chose us.

Baby Jonah isn’t even here yet, and Craig mentioned the other day that he just loves her so much – he can’t even imagine the love he will feel for her once she makes her grand arrival! That love? The love a parent has for his child…The amount of that love is outrageous. Most parents will tell you they had no clue until they held their child in their arms how much they were capable of loving.

But take that amount and multiply it by infinity.

That’s just beginning to skim the surface of how much God loves His children.

Ephesians 2:4-7

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Our Father in Heaven love US so very much that He allowed His Son to die in our place. Really. Think about that for a second. As a parent. As a future parent. As someone who knows love. He allowed His very own Son to die a criminal’s death, not just a peaceful death in his sleep…but a tortuous, death-row slaughtering. Can you even imagine? That’s how much He loves us. He allowed that for His own Son. To save US.

That’s the LOVE of our Heavenly Father.

Embrace that amazing love, and consider what a special gift He gives when He blesses us with children.

Food For Thought Friday

Before The Honeymoon’s Over

May 30, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

Do you have a list – either on paper or in your head – of the things you ~~want to~~ have to do before you ~~get married~~, ~~turn 30~~, have your first child (or other milestone occurs)?

I’ve seen a lot of these “Bucket List” type of posts recently, and thought I would share our list with y’all:

Yep. That’s our To – Do list for our marriage before Jonah Elizabeth is brought by the stork 😉 Some of the items will be quite the feat; some are small yet meaningful; some are already in the works…

What about you? What’s on your list?

Have a wonderful Friday & weekend everyone!!

Love and God’s Blessings To You All!

My Choice Monday · TTC Tuesday

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.

Food For Thought Friday

On The Road Again…

May 23, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

FRIDAY! I could shout it from the rooftops!! We are saying our prayers that Craig makes it home today – He was stuck in White Plains, NY last night due to fog and weather…Crazy to me, since it was 97°F outside and absolutely spectacular here in Atlanta, G-A! 🙂 We cannot WAIT to begin our BUSY, wonderful weekend!!

About twelve hours ago this time last week, we were up to another one of our crazy trips! Rather than fly to Minnesota for Craig’s dad’s birthday, we decided to make the 18 hour drive again – with the pups!

They are such good travelers!!!

Craig’s dad’s 60th birthday came in the form of a surprise party, so when we arrived on Friday afternoon, we met up with Craig’s sister, Mandy, and our brother-in-law, Mike, who took us in for the night. 🙂 Thank you SO much for letting us stay with you! (Especially with Lucy & Caroline!)

We went out to eat that evening in Downtown St. Paul with Mandy, Mike & Jenna too – Craig’s youngest sister! Great Waters Brewing Company was delicious!

When we got back to Mandy & Mike’s that evening, it wasn’t very long before Craig and I CRASHED! An eighteen-hour drive and no sleep was enough to do us in for about 12 hours! 🙂

Kevin’s 60th birthday party was held at Rockwoods Grill in Otsego, which is Craig’s hometown.

Here are some pictures from the awesome party – I sure do hope we surprised my father-in-law!

Back at the Lefebvre Farm, the next day after church, we had a big family lunch and took some BEAUTIFUL family pictures outside!

And then at 6:30AM the next morning, we were back on the road to Georgia!

We had a WONDERFUL time, and hope our Midwestern Family knows they are always welcome Down South – and that we would love to have them! 🙂

Have a FABULOUS Memorial Day weekend everyone!!! I want to especially say “Thank you” to my father who is a Retired Army Officer! Thank you for your service to this wonderful nation!

Food For Thought Friday

It’s Gonna Be A Sunshine-y Day!

May 21, 2014May 21, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

We are ECSTATIC today! We were nominated by Lindsay, who authors one of my favorite blogs to read, The Newlywed Notebook, for a Sunshine Award!

Rules of the Award:

– Post 11 random facts about yourself

– Answer 11 questions for the blogger who nominated you

– Nominate 11 bloggers to receive the award

– Write your own 11 questions for them to answer

– Notify them that you have nominated them

11 Random Facts

Our favorite tv show to watch together is 7th Heaven. We started at the beginning and are currently in the 6th season.
We are the proud parents of three fur babies – 2 pups and 1 kitty (Lucy, Caroline & Daisy) – and are excited to bring home our 4th pet (another “big dog”) when we sell our current home, and move! No, we are not crazy! 🙂
We rarely call each other by our “real” names…Yes, we are still super lovey-dovey and all about sweet little pet names. ❤
I love icing. Craig loves cake. Perfect match.
Craig likes his socks to be folded…like a shirt or a pair of shorts, rather than rolled up like normal people. 🙂
We have begun to realize that our not having a child this first year and a half + of marriage has been a blessing in disguise. We have really grown as a couple and fallen even deeper in love, and once we have the blessing we can’t wait for of little Jonah, we will never again have this luxury of “just us”.
I have suffered with eating disorders. Eating & self-image are daily battles for me. I have seen countless therapists and read every book on the subject, and the ONLY two sources of REAL help to my (beginning) to overcome my issues are God and Craig. I am one blessed girl to be where I am today. Thank you, Jesus!
Some of my favorite things to do are be on stage singing or speaking publicly. My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t even like speaking over the intercom while flying the plane. Pretty sure that would be my favorite thing about being a pilot… 🙂
Craig & my dad are the only two people on earth I know who could have a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate or a bag (regular sized!) of M&M’s and take more than a week to finish it. Give me an hour or less…
Unless it is a Skinny Vanilla Latte from Starbucks, I drink my coffee black, and Craig is the coffee maker in our house – even though he doesn’t drink it.
Craig and I ~~sometimes~~ pretty much always coordinate our outfits with each other. It always makes for a pretty photo-op! 😉

The Questions…

1 | What has been your favorite vacation so far?

Definitely our trip last year to Rome, Italy! You can see more here about our AMAZING trip! A close second would be our honeymoon to Grenada – Oh my goodness. If you get the opportunity, GO. THERE. Here’s a link to that post.

2 | How many siblings do you have?

Pier: Just one. But he is a wonderful one. 🙂 I have a brother, Paul (or P.S.J.R as I call him), who is 28 and an Atlanta Bachelor (Ladies?!?!)

Craig has two beautiful sisters: Mandy (pictured below on the left) & Jenna (pictured below at the bottom of the pyramid), who live in the Twin Cities of MN.

3 | Heels or flats?

Depends on the occasion…I love heels…but the older I get, there’s just something about the comfort of flats…Sounds like a trick question to me! 😉

4 | If you could own one exotic animal (not a typical pet) what would it be?

A monkey, of course! (It’s one of Craig’s many nicknames…)

5 | What is your favorite blog post you have written?

Hmmm…That answer is an ever-changing one, but I suppose when it comes right down to it, it’s a toss-up between these two: Head In The Clouds or We Give Up!

6 | What’s your favorite type of music to listen to when you’re rocking out in the car?

This used to be a very different answer… Now it would be my Spotify “Starred” playlist which includes Matt Redman, Hillsong, Charles Jenkins’ “Awesome God”, Elevation Worship, Mercy’s Well, Colton Dixon, Chris Tomlin, Lecrae, Bethel Music….and a little bit of old school Randy Travis.

7 | What’s one guilty pleasure?

Sugar-free Klondike Bars & ACTUAL movie theater popcorn with extra butter!!!! This is part of our “old married couple routine” – Sitting on the couch with a Klondike Bar together (The sugar free one I eat is aptly named, “Slim-A-Bear”) or going to the movies and sharing the biggest tub of popcorn ever…but it’s ‘okay’ because it counts as dinner!

8 | Why did you start your blog?

Interestingly, we originally started the blog because we got off of Facebook and needed a way to share “our world” with friends and family. Over time, God led us to share our infertility and our ever-closer walk with Him with others and our blog ‘today’ was born. Through this blog and the people we have gotten to know through it, God has showed us so many things and spoken to us in so many ways!

9 | If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Do calories count? If not, then PIZZA AND PASTA EVERY NIGHT and ALL DAY LONG!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I’m part Italian?!? 🙂

10 | Are you an introvert or extrovert at heart?

At heart, I am probably a walking contradiction combination. I love the spotlight, but at the same time, I could easily be a hermit and only watch people from the periphery… I have a sneaking suspicion all people are actually a contradictory combination of the two…

11 | What’s one irrational fear you have? (hey, we all have them 🙂 )

Bugs, spiders, anything creepy crawly… Right after I graduated from college, I was living in an apartment – alone – and saw a roach on the wall – all the way across the room. It wasn’t moving. It was just hanging out there on the wall behind the television. But I was completely frozen. When I finally got the courage up to move, I sprinted across the tiny apartment to the laundry room and stubbed my toe HARD against the washing machine. I jumped up on top of it and my toe was bent to the side… Yep. I broke my toe trying to escape from a stationary roach 15 feet away from me.

We Nominate You!

this girl decor

run roll repeat

the veil of chastity

waiting for baby bird

biblical homemaking

coffee beans and bobby pins

flawless faith

cherishing everyday beauty

grown by grace

a calm persistence

road to baby abraham

For YOU To Answer…

Knowing what you know now, would you go back and RE-DO your past or would you keep it the way it is?
What is the one thing you wish you would have done but didn’t?
If you could be ANYONE for a day, who would it be?
What fragrance/scent reminds you most of your childhood?
What is your BIGGEST pet peeve?
Where do you HOPE to be in life in 10 years?
If you had to choose one, would you own a vacation home in the mountains or at the beach? Which mountain or beach?
What is your favorite comfort food?
What Bible verse has gotten you through the toughest of times?
What is the BEST song for your workout or run to keep you motivated?
If there was only one piece of advice you could give to your child (future or current), what would it be?

Ooooh I cannot WAIT to read these answers!! Especially after this afternoon’s embarrassment…. Y’all. I was on a GLOBAL CONFERENCE CALL. I was listening LIVE in the conference room where our company president was speaking. I had turned BOTH of my phones to silent, and chose today to wear a new dress and REEEEALLLY high heels… So all of a sudden, DURING THE LIVE CALL, my phone decides to play – at full volume – “Don’t Turn Around” by Ace of Base. And I RUN out of the room (as fast as I can in sky-high heels), and try to turn it off, but it freezes. I finally get it to stop. I double check that the volume is off (It is.) I make sure that, even though it turned itself on, iHeartRadio isn’t on. (It isn’t.) I go back into the conference room.

And 2 minutes later, it happens AGAIN.

Needless to say, this time, I left my phone in the neighboring conference room, just in case it decided to take hold of a mind of it’s own….HOW EMBARRASSING!!!!!!!!

The moral of the story is: Turn your phone OFF. Don’t trust SILENT. 🙂

Oh, and don’t worry, this Friday will be What’s Up Wednesday – You’ll get to hear all about our big weekend trip!

Until tomorrow,

TTC Tuesday

Keep Your Heart & Your Bible Open

May 20, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Even in the midst of a not-so-great morning, God revived our spirits today – as only He can…

Yesterday, at 6:30 AM, we pulled out of the Lefebvre Century Farm driveway and began the journey back home.

By midnight, we were in Tennessee and our sweet Lucy pup was beginning to regret her decision not to eat any of her dinner or drink any of her water or potty when we stopped at the Kentucky border. Craig had just switched back into the driver’s seat at our last stop, and knowing I had to be at work at 7 AM, I was twisting and turning in my seat, trying to fall asleep for the rest of the drive…But Lucy’s panting and whining in my ear was not like the lullaby I was wishing for.

Needless to say, God guided us safely home, and just after 2 AM we pulled into our driveway – utterly exhausted. All five of us – Lucy, Caroline & Miss Daisy included – collapsed into deep slumbers in record time, and before long at all my 5 AM alarm went off. Boo – Hiss.

I spent this morning at the office grumbling about my sleep deprivation and rubbing my tired eyes. I was lamenting the fact I had to spend the next eight hours here, and then would return home to a husband-less house, since Craig flies out this afternoon. Woe is me. (Yes, friends, even after two 18-hour car rides together in one weekend, we still have spent the morning texting and talking on the phone all lovey-dovey, as usual. And are still saddened at having to part for the week the minute we return home!)

We spent a good chunk of the car ride yesterday discussing just how good God is, and where we feel like He is leading us right now. We sang praise and worship songs together; We listened to several podcasts of awesome sermons and devotions; We did not talk about The Voice; We didn’t mention one single movie star; There was no US Weekly to be found along the car ride. And we are very aware that none of that is “normal”. We are also very aware that there are plenty of people who make snide remarks behind our backs about our relationship and our devotion to God and His Will in our lives, and that’s okay. We aren’t living our lives to make anyone else happy, and we certainly don’t feel left out not knowing what’s going on in the world of E! Entertainment. But we aren’t judging you for your lifestyle or how you choose to spend your time.

We choose to live with our hearts on our sleeves, and sometimes they get broken more easily that way – but they are also left more vulnerable to God’s interception and for that we are thankful! A text message I received this morning – one that made my heart skip a beat – is one anyone else could have smiled at and laughed, “Ha! I’m infertile! We wish!!”

But our faith and our openness to His work all around us made that text message into a certain gift. And it was just that – a little gift from God.

A dear dear friend of mine messaged me this morning:

Of course Craig and I were just overjoyed! We don’t believe in coincidences, and my friend didn’t know about our “Jonah Revelation“! This dream and the fact she chose to SHARE it with us has GOD stamped all over it. We could have taken our grumbles to heart and dismissed this as “nothing” – but no! It isn’t nothing and God doesn’t wait for you to put your best foot forward before He delivers you a message.

Perhaps this little message is nothing more than reassurance.

But one thing is for certain: Our God is after a love relationship with us. He communicates in a very present and REAL way.

You only have to invite and foster that relationship.

Then WATCH IT GROW and follow Him in amazement. You will never again be like this world.

You may lose the majority of your “friends”.

Your family may never understand you.

But you will be happier than you ever thought could be possible.

Keep your heart and your Bible open.