What A Difference…

March 27, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres13 Comments

My, oh my, what a difference a few years can make in your life.

Three years ago tomorrow, I was hemming and hawing over what outfit to wear on my first date with “this guy” I had been talking to over e-mail and late-night phone calls for the past month. I’m sure I was obsessing over this decision in my favorite bar of the week, after work, beer in hand, and a worn out spirit in my chest. I was almost out of hope. Where was he??? I had been praying for “him” for what seemed like forever.

Two years ago tomorrow, “that guy” devised a proposal scheme that caused me to actually fall out of my chair, and crawl to him – knelt down on one knee, and answer “Absolutely!!!”, while crocodile tears streamed down my cheeks. I was shocked God had FINALLY answered my many prayers!

A year and a half ago last Saturday, “that guy” was waiting for me at the end of a long aisle. I had the biggest tears of joy in my eyes I have ever had in my life. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much more I would love the man waiting at the end of the aisle.

Last night, we sat next to one of our dearest friends for Wednesday night church and worship at the new non-denominational church we have been attending in addition to Catholic Mass every Sunday. I was so sad when the ‘sermon’ was over. I gave my friend a hug and thanked her for leading us to such a spirit-filled place. She may not have known it, but I had tears in my eyes. Tears of happiness I am beginning to experience with my whole soul.

I thought to myself, three years ago I would have been in a loud bar with friends on a Wednesday night.

Two years ago, Craig and I would have been having a ‘tv dinner’ at my old condo in Atlanta, having a few beers, listening to music, maybe heading out a little later to meet some friends for a mid-week drink.

A year ago, we may have sat on our sofa on a Wednesday night, sobbing about our infertility.

Last night, I saw with new eyes and noticed some wonderful changes Christ has made in our lives. We have an ever firmer faith in the Lord. We are in church as much as we possibly can be – because it’s the desire of our hearts. We long for His Word. We pray together. We study the Bible together. We TRULY mean it when we pray for His Will to be done in our lives. I no longer listen to ‘regular radio’; instead we are all about praise and worship music in our household. We no longer live in sorrow about the lack of a baby’s cries in our halls. We trust that He has wonderful plans in store for us. There is no question He has a beautiful child waiting for us in our future. I have even let His guidance take me to a place the evil one has forever told me I wasn’t good enough for. I now realize, I am NOT good enough…but He is.

Everywhere we go and look and listen in today’s world, we feel like strangers in a foreign land. There’s a reason. We are.

There is a new king of our domain. It’s Christ.

My, oh my, what a difference ~~a few years~~ Christ’s reign over your life makes.

Titus 3:5

Not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost;

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,

What's Up Wednesday

What’s Up?! Wednesday

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

Good Morning and What’s Up??

As I’m sure all of you have, Craig and I have been BUSY this Thanksgiving – Christmas season…Recently, it seems to start even earlier actually. I’m thinking about what our Christmas cards are going to look like as early as September, and we place the order by Halloween…

I realize this is news to absolutely no one. We are all busy and have a million things going on – especially this time of year. And one of the things we are all busy with is buying gifts, and then wrapping them – and in our case, shipping them to their ultimate destination (Note: Do not open said package when it/they arrive!!! :-).

Craig and I finished our shopping early this year – like extra early, which has been hard for us, in the ‘keeping what we bought each other a secret’ kind of way – and we have spent the past few nights in a sea of ribbons and bows and wrapping paper. As we were sitting on the floor the other night, I was making a bow from burlap wired ribbon and polka-dot grosgrain ribbon, and Craig was watching me pretty intently. He said, “Where did you learn to do that?!?”

I replied, “My mother.” And really, you should see her wrapped gifts. They are worthy of the pages of a magazine, and bring to my mind childhood memories and family traditions…

My husband has tons of great stories and memories of he and his father and grandfathers. Most of them involve International Harvester, working outside, and cows. His face lights up when he tells me about his childhood.

When I think about growing up, nothing about tractors really comes to mind, but when I think about my parents’ house at Christmastime, I think of helping my mother wrap presents. I felt special because it was something I, alone, got to do with my mama, while my dad and my brother were doing something manly. I learned all about creating bows out of ribbon, creasing the edges of the paper just so to make sure designs lined up and symmetry was straight, and I got to place my finger in the middle of the ribbons she was tying to ensure the knot was tight and centered…

Now this is part of our holiday tradition. Finding pretty ribbons and coordinating wrapping paper and gift tags, creating artful packages…Just a plain old gift bag and store-bought stick-on bows won’t do. It all came from my mother, and now here I was (have been) on the floor in the guest bedroom, creating bows out of ribbon, while my husband puts his finger in the middle to make sure the knot is tight, and helps me crease the edges of the paper just right.

Add in the Christmas music and a glass of wine (or Ol’ Santy Eggnog with brandy) in a Spode Christmas Tree glass (courtesy of my grandmother), and you have a lasting holiday tradition, passed on from one generation to the next.