A Quick Fix Delicious Chicken Dinner

June 6, 2014June 6, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Happy Friday Y’all!

Sad to say, I am NOT feeling well…still…but at least I am home today, with my sweet husband. Always looking for that silver lining… 🙂

As promised, we have a DELICIOUS recipe for you today. It’s simple and easy to make, and you can easily alter it based on your own personal taste!

Because we love spice, we chose seasoned pepper, and red pepper flakes as two of our seasonings. Also, we used a spicy relish in addition to the heirloom tomato and roasted red pepper. Seriously, this was a DELICIOUS dish, and easy to make after getting home from a long commute and a long day at work! 🙂

Enjoy this meal, and you won’t be sorry! What are some of your go-to recipes for a quick homemade meal?

Have a great weekend folks!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

YOU Are Qualified To Be His Disciple

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

Folks, I apologize, but I am not feeling well. I can’t leave y’all hanging with no post for two days in a row, though, so I am going to leave you with an awesome message from our pastor, Alan Mushegan. For all those of you who have asked about the church we have grown to feel is more and more like family, here’s just a GLIMPSE at how the Holy Spirit is moving at Full Turn Church:

Show His Love through your love for others! I have so much to say about this message and how it has touched our lives, but I also feel as if I may lose my lunch so I better not stare at this computer any longer. Say a quick prayer I feel better soon!

Hopefully, I’ll feel better tomorrow because we have a killer recipe for y’all – Easy & Delicious! If I don’t feel well, I’ll make sure my better half posts the steps and ingredients so you, too, can enjoy this meal!

In Christ,

TTC Tuesday

Joy

June 3, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres6 Comments

You may or may not have seen this verse posted on our Facebook page this morning. The Holy Spirit has been guiding us to read a selection of devotions from the devotional by John MacArthur called “Drawing Near”, and the devotion for yesterday – which didn’t get read until today… 🙂 led me to the verse above.

It’s amazing how the Lord will direct you if you allow Him.

We have been through ups and downs and trials and tribulations over our lack of a child. This time last year, I didn’t go more than a day or two without crying and sobbing and feeling depressed about not being able to give my sweet husband a baby…This year we are rejoicing in the joy of the Lord.

Baby Jonah already has a blanket and several sweet little outfits at home. As soon as we have finally moved into our new home, we will begin working on her nursery. The Lord has brought us a promise and such happiness in the faith and knowledge of His plans for our little family.

James 1:5

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

The song below (which you will need to watch within a browser) describes the joy of the Lord and the grace He provides so well: “Exceeding Joy” – Hillsong

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

No Fear!

May 29, 2014June 5, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

I remember, back in middle school, all the ‘cool guys’ wore t-shirts with this on the back:

Craig, did you have one of these? 🙂

Why is it that having “no fear” is something we only apply to our secular lives? Jesus calls us to have “no fear” when it comes to our relationship with Him and where He leads us and guides us.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

But when He calls us to do something, we think:

“I can’t make that happen. I’m too busy.”

“Our schedules don’t allow for that.”

“I’m not good enough.”

“Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!” Isaiah 44:8 NLT

So, we are left at a crossroads…

Craig and I have been at this crossroads. And last night it became very apparent that there were three ways to go at this particular crossroads (as with most all of them):

So, we are thanking God for leading us and gently guiding us to this place of peace. We are choosing His Way – knowing He is our leader, and the only one we should be following or fearsome of at all.

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”Mark 5:36 NLT

What's Up Wednesday

R-E-L-A-X

May 28, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres9 Comments

Coming in September…The site of our Two-Year Anniversary Getaway!

Cue me and Craig relaxing in the sun…We cannot WAIT!!! (and if you knew the SMOKING DEAL we got on this place…Wow!)

Mexico, here we come!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

What Does A Christ-Follower Look Like?

May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Have you ever thought about the answer to that question: “What does a Christian look like?”

Do any of the people above look the same? Not in the least on the outside. But they all follow Christ. So our hearts should ALL LOOK THE SAME.

The point is that, as Christians, we are all called to be ‘ambassadors’ or ‘representatives’ of Christ here on Earth. This not only means we CANNOT judge someone by how they appear to us; it also means that we need to keep in mind that when we present ourselves as Christians, we are now in our peers’ minds as representatives of Christ in ALL THAT WE DO.

That can be VERY powerful – in either a good or a bad way, depending on how we handle ourselves!

Read through Phillipians 2:1-18 below:

Philippians 2:1-18

Thinking Like Christ

Are you cheerful because you belong to Christ? Does his love comfort you? Is the Holy Spirit your companion? Has Christ been gentle and loving toward you? 2 Then make my joy complete by agreeing with each other. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and purpose.

3 Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be free of pride. Think of others as better than yourselves.

4 None of you should look out just for your own good. You should also look out for the good of others.

5 You should think in the same way Christ Jesus does.

6 In his very nature he was God.
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to.
7 Instead, he made himself nothing.
    He took on the very nature of a servant.
    He was made in human form.
8 He appeared as a man.
    He came down to the lowest level.
    He obeyed God completely, even though it led to his death.
        In fact, he died on a cross.
9 So God lifted him up to the highest place.
    He gave him the name that is above every name.
10 When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone’s knee will bow to worship him.
    Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow to worship him.
11 Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
    And God the Father will receive the glory.

Living Like Christ

12 My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. 13 God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to be in keeping with his good purpose.

14 Do everything without finding fault or arguing. 15 Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault in a sinful and evil world. Among the people of the world you shine like stars in the heavens. 16 You shine as you hold out to them the word of life. So I can brag about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing.

17 But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I’m talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and joyful with me.

We are the gateway to His Amazing Love for so many out there. Christians should look like Christ – inside and out.

The more we allow Him to lead us, the more He transforms us.

We are His light to the world!!! SHINE BRIGHTLY!!!!!!!!

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.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Grace, Guidance & His Everlasting Love

May 15, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

At the top of our prayer list is a request for God to guide us along the path He has chosen for us. Over the past couple of months, as we have walked down those paths and continued to pray for His guidance, He has led us and spoken to us in some utterly amazing ways.

I mentioned on Tuesday that I spent a large part of Mother’s Day evening in tears. Whenever I let the enemy remind me of past failures and regrets, sadness and sin, it gets me into the pit of depression. (Does this sound familiar to any of you??) I feel injured and helpless, hopeless and despairing – but that is NOT the state of mind God wants for His children. Not in the least!

And He is an the answerer of prayer.

This past week, He sent His messengers out with the following Word for me:

I love you with an everlasting love.

Here are, specifically, the messages He sent my way:

“Times like this are when I sing “I Have Loved You” over and over. He loves us with an everlasting love, and we are His! If He loves me that much, who am I to question my worth or why I am sometimes lonely?”

(Here’s a close-up!)

If you can’t read that on your screen, it says “He loves us with an everlasting love and nothing can thwart His Will. This means we should be at peace. We should set aside our worries. We should remove our fingers from our ears that we might hear the music of the rolling spheres magnifying His name.”

And then last night on Facebook, this came across my news feed:

I’m sorry, folks, but this just brings me to tears (of joy!) even as I type this. God loves us so much that He wants to calm our silly fears and concerns and worries! He SPEAKS TO HIS CHILDREN!!! He wants a real RELATIONSHIP with YOU. That’s right – The One who CREATED THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE FROM NOTHING wants to be your FRIEND, your FATHER, your FIRST LOVE!! How could that not phase you!?!?!

You could be cynical and say this was coincidental – but God doesn’t work in coincidence! I am a firm believer that He speaks to us through His faithful people, through the world He created, and through His Word.

Last night, just before I fell asleep, I caught a brief snippet from Max Lucado on television, speaking about how, historically, the world’s religions have been based on attempting to find favor with their gods – through their lives, their actions, their own doing. But we don’t have to worry about that!

Christianity does not work that way. God gave us this precious gift called GRACE.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

We could never even think of doing anything remotely good enough to deserve an OUNCE of His love, but we don’t have to. All we have to do is accept Him as Lord over our lives, to believe in Him and believe that He sent His own Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for our sins. That’s it.

God’s absolutely amazing grace takes care of everything else.

His reminder to me this week was that He loves me with an unstoppable, unchanging unbelieveable, otherworldly love – A love I cannot begin to fathom; and I don’t have to be “good enough” for Him to bless me (us). I don’t have to be “good enough” to do His work with singles (I can’t WAIT to begin!). I don’t have to be “good enough” to share His love and mercy on this blog.

All I have to do is love Him back – and even when I fail at that (which is often), He loves me STILL.

{Yes, you will have to watch and listen to this in a browser! And do listen…This is a beautiful hymn…Sung by a men’s quartet beautifully!}

God’s Blessings To You All,

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.