Mixed-Bag Friday

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

Yay for Friday!! We are looking forward to celebrating the anniversary of our first date and our engagement tonight with dinner and a movie!! Do you have any big plans for the weekend?

Today is sort of a mixed bag here at The Newlywed Lefebvres – several things to share with you at random. 🙂

First, here is the devotion I read today.

I know God placed this one in front of me today for a reason. Part of our hope in Him is the ever-constant reminders of His faithfulness. No matter what your prayer, He listens.

Below is a video (yes, you will need to open this post within a browser to view it), of an amazing moment. The 40-year old women shown has been deaf all her life, and here, she is hearing for the first time! Can you even imagine?!?! 40 years of silence, and then beautiful sound!??! Nothing short of a miracle!

That is truly joy personified!

And finally, it’s no secret that I LOVE TO READ! It’s one of my better habits 🙂 The more I read, the more I discover the beauty of words, and the sentences they are weaved into. Here’s a listing of the supposed “Ten Best Sentences Of All Time”, some from some great pieces of literature…I don’t know that they are the greatest sentences, (They missed out on one very important book which houses all of the greatest sentences!) but the beauty of the words and the complex way they convey their meaning…It is truly art.

Well, now, you should have plenty of food for thought to round out your day and plenty of conversation starters for the weekend! 🙂

Enjoy yourselves, and we’ll meet you back here on Monday!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Christ Will Shine On You!

February 13, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

{Please view this post within an internet browser in order to play the video.}

About two years ago, I made a decision. Having just gotten married and introducing myself to one of the longest commutes ever, I chose to turn off the argumentative talk radio and the popular music in the mornings, and listen to a Christian radio station. I found that while I was immersing my car interior with God’s love and peace, I was more apt to say a prayer than a swear word at the driver who just cut me off.

Fast forward to 2014. The morning commute is not enough. During the past several months, Craig and I have grown in our devotion to God, and we simply cannot stomach half of the music on the radio or the shows on television.

Read Ephesians 5.

This is why it is said: Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 5:14

When you are truly living in the light of Christ, the things of this world – the music, the movies, the television shows… It all seems foreign. It used to pain me to hear a certain swear word, that I feel strongly blasphemes the Lord. Now? Not only does that word sting my ears, the filthy talk we are flooded with constantly, burns. It hurts. It makes me want to cry for the world who doesn’t know the peace that Jesus gives.

We usually don’t plan our posts, but I’ve felt this one coming on all week. Interestingly enough, I read another blog I’ve subscribed to and found her post yesterday to be oh so similar. Coincidence? I think not. Not where God is concerned. Read her post here. God is speaking to a world that has become all too complacent and lax – a group of Christians who need to take a stand.

One of the bands we had the pleasure of seeing at Winter Jam was Tenth Avenue North… Listen to the song below. One of the pleasures of listening to Christian music versus popular music is such beautiful music. After all, anything written to praise the Lord can’t sound any other way.

Food For Thought Friday

What Lies Ahead

January 17, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

We made it! It’s Friday & we have a busy weekend planned! Tonight we will be attending the Joan Hunter service at A Call To Salvation in North Georgia; Tomorrow, we head to LaGrange for haircuts & highlights & maybe a little bit of late Christmas-ing; Sunday, I cantor at Mass, and may be heading to Pure Barre in the afternoon; Monday, we round out our weekend as we visit the Atlanta Center For Reproductive Medicine and meet with our endocrinologist, nutritionists, counselors, etc etc etc. Very productive few days!

Today, I thought I would share with you a beautiful story written by Zig Ziglar‘s daughter, Julie Ziglar Norman, for Guideposts Magazine. It is a touching story that should leave you with the following “food for thought”:

It’s never too late for God to change you, and work through you.
God is truly the Almighty and anything is possible through Him.
Heaven is real.

Read the story here.

Another piece of “food for thought” this Friday also comes from Guideposts, in the 2014 Devotional. It’s all about being present and looking forward.

Philippians 3:13

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead

In this first month of this new year, one thing we all can take away from Paul’s writing in Philippians is to move forward. Don’t dwell in the past – whether you are looking back with longing for those “good ol’ days”, or with regret and disdain toward memories filled with shame and darkness.

Revelation 21:5

5 And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true.

2 Corinthians 5:17

17 If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new.

We are new in Christ. He forgives our sins, and He isn’t interested in all those bright & shiny worldly objects from your earthly past. A Christian past isn’t enough either. We were not created to play for God’s team once or at one time. We are called as Christians to live for Him every single day.

John 10:10

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.

Christ came for us to live our lives to the FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. He created us for joy, not for sulking. Oh such a lesson that will change lives! If only we were all to look forward and live out our Christian walks with abundance and with joy.

And now to end this post with some joy 🙂 , watch the video below of a little girl meeting her father’s twin brother for the first time! It is just precious!

Happy Friday Everyone! May your weekend be filled with joy & laughter!

XOXO,

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

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,

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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King (and Queen) of the Road

July 25, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

Hello All,

I realize it’s been quite sometime since I last posted a blog – at least you’ve had the pleasure of hearing from my much better half in the meantime. 🙂 I can’t say a whole lot has happened – or changed – since the last time I blogged. We have mostly just been settling into ‘normal life’, and have had a wonderful time doing so!

Most recently, we enjoyed a great visit from our “cousin-in-law”, Dani, and had a real blast while she was enjoying the Down South Georgia Heat! I recall her telling me just before she left Minnesota, she was so excited to be getting away from “all that humidity”… I laughed a little bit inside, knowing she was remembering a September in Georgia, almost a year ago, when she came down for our wedding. Late July in Georgia…not as pleasant humidity-wise. 🙂

Thank you, Dani, for making the trip! I’m sorry we weren’t able to do more – unfortunately, work tends to get in the way of that somehow 🙂 – but we hope you had the kind of relaxing vacation you were hoping for! You were such a huge help with the children I nanny! As a matter of fact, both the mother and the 2 year old asked about you today! 🙂 Maybe you have more of a future in nannying than you thought! 🙂

Poor thing! Getting Dani safely back to Minnesota yesterday was a bit of a challenge. ALLLLL the direct flights from ATL to MSP were quite full, and so she was able to spend some time in the great state of Michigan, as Craig and I worked for several hours the night before she flew out to figure out how we could get her home with the least amount of strife for her as possible. As it turns out, the flights from Atlanta to Grand Rapids, Michigan and from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis that day worked well. Thank the Lord. She made it back unscathed – and if you’ve ever flown standby, you know this to be almost miraculous. 🙂

Friday, Craig and I leave for Missouri. Via car. Yay! I am a sucker for a road trip!!! I love to make special travel snacks, trip CD’s… (although, I got the impression from our 23 year old visitor this past week that CD’s are now about as ‘uncool’ as 8-tracks…Sorry ladies and gents – Anyone who knows me, knows the Original “Pier’s Mix” CD’s are some of the best! LOL And they aren’t stopping!!)…I love stopping at random gas stations for snacks I would never otherwise eat, and slushies I would never otherwise consider slurping. I love holding my husband’s hand THE WHOLE WAY. Seriously, we do. 🙂 But, probably the thing I love 2nd best about road trips is playing the role of navigator. I guess in our marriage, it’s where Craig and I switch roles: He gets to be the Captain and I am the First Officer. Well, not on this trip. Not after I planned our route for Josh and Julia’s wedding in North Carolina, and intentionally turned a 3.5-4 hour drive into a 7-8 hour trek. While I loved EVERY MINUTE of the adventure, I think my extremely patient husband may have BEGUN to lose his marbles, considering that for the entire trip we were only on the interstate for about 20 whole miles, and never actually stayed on one road for more than 10 miles… Aaaah the joys of planning a road trip using Google Maps…and then gently ‘tugging’ at the route line… Heee hee hee… I guess, Craig didn’t see it as spontaneously as I did… 🙂 Therefore, he plainly told me this evening on the phone that he had already looked at a map and chosen the 4 interstates we would travel to our destination. Wha. Wha. Wha. 🙂 This doesn’t mean I’m not still in charge of music and snacks!!! Adventure here we come! We are so looking forward to Craig’s cousin Cara’s wedding and the following family trip in Branson! I PROMISE THERE WILL BE PICTURES POSTED!!

Craig and I have been working really hard to ‘re-prioritize’ our life, and keep God as the center of our relationship. Still not being pregnant, we have had to really put all our faith and trust in Him, and devote ourselves to seeking Him first. Just like the day I felt God tell me we needed to ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.’… We have been striving to live just that way. The Lord has presented us with some great and very unexpected opportunities to witness to what He has done in our lives, and sometimes, in the very strangest of situations. 🙂 We have also come across some AMAZING reading material, which I would LOVE to share with you:

1. Jesus Calling by S. Young. I don’t care who you are, or what preconceived notions you may have about daily devotionals…but you must go out and buy this book immediately. If not sooner. And if you are one of those who agrees with Dani and believes CD’s to be a thing of the past, well, there is also a Jesus Calling App – for both Apple and Android phones and tablets. Hurry. This is the most amazing devotional. When Craig is out of town, I send him a picture of the morning’s reading, so here’s a sample:

The whole devotional, while not divinely inspired, obviously, is biblically and prayerfully based, and its written as if Jesus Himself were speaking directly to you. It is utterly amazing. Craig and I have found our days just aren’t the same if we begin them without Him. 🙂

2. Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. I know my husband and I both have written and spoken about this book, but it is another must have. I cannot tell you how much we have learned from and grown together in studying God’s Word with this Bible study as our guide. We have taken it very slow – at times purposefully, at others not do much, but God has used those thoughtful periods to really touch our hearts and teach us and lead us. The title of the book really says it all. It’s really all about learning to truly experience God, to actually have that unbelievable and sometimes seemingly unattainable intimate relationship with Him.

3. Freedom Beyond Comprehension by Joan Hunter. Wow. This book changed the way I thought/think about so many things. It’s main preface is about letting go of the past, but there is so much to be learned about not only the forgiveness of Christ but His unthinkable love and power to heal – & not just in a spiritual way, in a physical way, as well. One profound quote from the book says that God doesn’t do ANYTHING just partway, He does everything all of the way. Simple, yet amazing truth. You won’t be disappointed reading this!

So as I end this entry, I will show you a little project we just recently finished – my idea and design and Craig’s construction:

The picture does this hanging birdcage lamp not a bit of justice. It adds such a great ambient light to the room! You’ll have to come see it in person!

We can’t wait for your visit!! Talk soon!

God Bless,
Pier & Craig

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Random Tidbits For Today

November 12, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

We are super excited to leave this week for Marty & Dani’s wedding in Minnesota! Marty is Craig’s cousin and was also our Best Man. They are a very special couple to us and we can’t wait to celebrate with them this weekend! Keep your fingers crossed for the flights, as we try to fly out Thursday evening!
I discovered the BEST GLUTEN-FREE frozen blueberry waffles EVER. They are delicious. Oh my goodness. Gluten-Free or not, I would urge you to try them, and see if you could do the healthy(ER) alternative to waffles. Here’s a link to this delicious breakfast: http://www.vansfoods.com/The_Goods/#/Waffles/Wheat_Free–Gluten_Free/Vans-Blueberry-5
Craig and I ventured out to a ‘dance club’ in town this weekend and quickly discovered why we hadn’t been back to this place since the last time we went, back in the summer of 2011…Not only was it so smoky neither of us could breathe, but I was also ‘accosted’ by a rather hulky female who (commenting on my sparkly sea green top) asked who I thought I was, Vanna White? I think my husband was a little tickled by the remark…Um…was that a compliment, Mrs. Hulk? I can think of a million people I would be SAD about being compared with…but not Vanna White!??!
Happy (Belated) Veterans’ Day! We sent my father a thank you text, but that doesn’t even begin to cover the amount of gratitude we hold for him and all other U.S. Veterans and Active Duty Service members. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our great nation!
Yesterday’s Gospel reading was from The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 12, verses 38 through 44, and our homily really made me think about how much more I could (and should) be doing. God gave me musical talent, so why am I not singing with our ‘choir’? He blessed me with the ability to speak in public well, and without nervousness, so why haven’t I stepped up to be a lector? Because I always have an excuse…My commute. Oh, we travel too much for me to make a commitment to something like that. Oh, they don’t really need me, do they? It’s time for me to stop making excuses for why I haven’t devoted more of my time to the Church, and do something about it. Stay tuned….
And last but not least… GO DAWGS!!!! Seriously! A 38-0 win over Auburn AT Auburn to take the SEC East!! Wahoooo! The Deep South’s oldest rivalry, indeed!