Spent my night with this beauty eating dinner and spending time being indecisive on candles at World Market. Thankful for her. (Taken with instagram)

Today I took a sick day.

I wasn’t physically sick and did not feel guilty about this because, instead, I was spiritually sick and needed to heal.

In the past I would have never done anything like this. I would have pushed my spiritual matters aside. But as I was getting ready for work this morning and feeling spiritually exhausted and hopeless I knew I needed to do something about it.

So, I called in sick and spent my day in the book of Job and in prayer. If you’re unfamiliar with the book of Job in the bible, it’s about Job a righteous man who loses everything as a test of his faith. I know that my current situation is not as intense as his, but it is enough to make me feel sorrow and doubt and I wanted to embrace this reality and seek God’s strength and truth to overcome this.

As I was reading, and understanding Job completely, God encouraged me through his truth in his word and in his characteristics. 

I was reminded to persevere, keep my faith, be on guard of the enemies schemes to weaken me and to rest in the reality of how much God loves me and knows all my needs and everything in my heart.

So, I encourage you, if you feel a need to have a heart check or be reminded of God’s truths so that you can bring about spiritual wellness, then take a day just you and God and see what he will do in you.

I am blessed in this trial and thankful God counts me as righteous to test my faith and spur me on to constantly seek him for all my needs.

Cutie patootie at the K. Nothing better. (Taken with instagram)

This guy… (Taken with instagram)

With my love. Reunited and it feels so good. (Taken with instagram)

Decided to make a display of wedding invites and what not. Hello wedding season. So happy for all my friends. (Taken with instagram)

Glory be to God who, in his love, has stripped me of my idols and the things I worshiped in place of him. 

I feel the urge to share a little of mine and Spencer’s story this past year.

………

This past year has been such a roller coaster. It’s been crazy and hard, but beautiful. So beautiful. 

Spencer and I graduated college almost a year ago and it has been such an unexpected ride. As college students we are told that getting that degree will land you a job right out of college and all your dreams will come true. I was that college student who held onto this as something that would bring me hope, comfort and acceptance. But little did I know, God had other plans in mind for us. 

As I write this, Spencer is still without a career and I am extremely thankful. Now I, this time last year, would have thought this to be the worst thing ever. What’s crazy about all of this is Spencer has been through so many interviews and gone to career fairs and agencies but it just hasn’t been God’s will. God has completely used this situation to show me what I idolized and worshiped in place of him. He has refined me, and it has been painful, and stripped me of these things all for my good. It’s been the hardest season of my life so far, but the most rich and most beautiful. God has done so much in mine and Spencer’s hearts through this. He has shown me where to put my hope; in him and him alone.

Through all of this I feel so blessed that He loves Spencer and I so much to bring us through this season of hardship together to bring us closer to him. There is so much more that has been involved in this process. There’s been a lot of tears, anger, questions, uncertainty but there has been so much growth, encouragement and hope that has happened that far outweigh any of those things. I have never experienced so much freedom, joy, peace and contentment in my life while in this valley. It’s only by his Spirit that this is happening. Instead of clinging to things of this world to bring me comfort and safety, I cling to Christ and what he has done for us and to God’s unfailing love.

It has been so beautiful, also, to see Spencer’s heart and faith through all of this. He has so much faith it blows my mind. I have loved getting to watch him and listen to whats in his heart through all of this. He is such a wonderful man. One thing the Lord has shown me is that being a man doesn’t mean having a career and all the bells and whistles that come along with that, like being a provider. A true man is one who seeks the Lord first and leads in humility in such a way to bring those around him into the light of the gospel. I couldn’t be more thankful for Spencer and that God is preparing us for marriage. I am truly blessed to have him as my husband. 

I just wanted to give God glory in this, even if it’s through a tumblr post. 

Know that if you are suffering or in a hard place right now, God is there and he is refining you and will use whatever you are in to bring him glory and to show his love for you. His love is so great it overwhelms me. I’m overwhelmed by the ways he disciplines us out of love to make us more in his image as his sons and daughters. Our God is great and I am forever thankful.

Happy Easter Everyone.

Haha funniest thing of my life.

“Like people who greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem and then later pronounced ‘Crucify him,” we are fickle people who often deny Christ in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Remembering the events of Jesus’ last week helps us see ourselves for what we are: sinners in need of a Savior, a Savior-praise God-we have in Christ.”

Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!

{Redeemer Fellowship}