Not many people know this, including my husband, but I've been doing "The Love Dare" from the movie Fireproof. I'm on day 13. However, day 12 really stuck with me. I've been meditating on it for the last day. It was about WILLING to let your spouse win. Willingness is showing selfless love, just as Jesus did...
"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus has." (Philippians 2:3-5)
What a powerful passage. It hit me like a ton of bricks as I reread that passage over and over again. I had to keep asking myself, "Do I have the same attitude Jesus had? Am I willingly looking out for others? Do I give up and let my husband win ever?" I had a hard time answer those questions. Not that I don't ever do them, but I finally figured out that I don't do them enough. I finally figured out that most of our "problems" were within myself.
I have always struggled with my faith, especially after I got baptized back in 2009. The journey of faith is not an easy one, however it's very easy to fall off the path. I've done it plenty of times. I know I love Jesus Christ with all my heart and I know I need him in my life.
I've also gone through many life changing events over the past several months. I got married in April, moved to a totally different state in June, and went from working 40+ hours a week to being a house wife. My dream has always been to go into sonography and become an ultrasound technician. Lately, I've been getting more involved in that field and have become even more excited. I'm also scared though...scared it's not the right path. Just like I've been scared at times in my marriage.
I think it's so important to lean on God, especially during times of confusion. I just wish I would do that more often. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
Who lives this verse? Who struggles with this verse? I do both. But it's easy to live this verse when you let go of any pride and fully trust God. Once you trust God, it's easier to have an attitude like Christ.
One thing I have learned is that Jesus overcame so much suffering and pain for us. We can do the same. If you are feeling lost and confused, this is the perfect song....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8AB0vUU038
"Overcome"- Jeremy Camp
Anytime I feel like I need guidance, I listen to the song. Amazing song!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Our Love Story (Part Two)
After getting back from Utah over Christmas, we immediately started wedding planning. We had picked a date and were planning for it. We were thinking of a date that incorporated us individually. SO we subtracted our birthday's and came up with 1. After figuring out the day, we had to find a month where the 1st was on a Saturday. We happened to come across September 1st, which was my grandfather's birthday, who passed away 16 years ago. I knew that would be the perfect day. Wedding planning began. We went through so many different venues but nothing stuck with us. We figured we needed more time and changed the date to June 15, 2013.
Shortly after, I was dying to go dress shopping. The very first one I tried on was under $400 and I fell in love with it. I ordered it along with the shoes and I felt things were coming together. A couple weeks later, I got a phone call saying my dress was in. I immediately went to go try it on. It didn't fit like the one I had tried on and I was devastated. The one I had tried on before was a size bigger and had more material.
I came back the following week to try on more dresses and to exchange the one I had ordered. There were two other dresses I had fallen in love with. I finally chose my dress, made an appointment for alterations, and brought it home, where it hangs in my closet back in Indiana.
I knew when Matt and I got engaged that I would be moving to Dallas, TX where he got a job offer. I was really looking forward to this new chapter in my life, however was unsure of how I felt about moving to a totally different state without being married. I also knew God wouldn't approve. Matt and I talked about it for quite a while and finally came to a conclusion...We'd have our own private ceremony with two witnesses and my pastor from Kentucky on April 6, 2012 and have a bigger ceremony on June 15, 2013. We ordered our rings, and things were set to go.
Things didn't work out how we would have liked it to with my pastor from Kentucky and got in contact with my cousin's husband who did ministering for a career on the side. He was happy to marry us, gave us an outline of the ceremony, and met us at our location ready to marry us. Matt and I became husband and wife at 5:00pm on April 6, 2012 in front of God and my mom's side of the family. This ceremony meant more to me than I had imagined and I realized in that moment that I didn't need a big fancy wedding to feel the love I have for Matt. Those 10 minutes were special enough for me and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
We do plan on having a renewal ceremony somewhere down the road with family and friends. It could be a year or 10 years from now. We'll know when the time is right!
Shortly after, I was dying to go dress shopping. The very first one I tried on was under $400 and I fell in love with it. I ordered it along with the shoes and I felt things were coming together. A couple weeks later, I got a phone call saying my dress was in. I immediately went to go try it on. It didn't fit like the one I had tried on and I was devastated. The one I had tried on before was a size bigger and had more material.
I came back the following week to try on more dresses and to exchange the one I had ordered. There were two other dresses I had fallen in love with. I finally chose my dress, made an appointment for alterations, and brought it home, where it hangs in my closet back in Indiana.
I knew when Matt and I got engaged that I would be moving to Dallas, TX where he got a job offer. I was really looking forward to this new chapter in my life, however was unsure of how I felt about moving to a totally different state without being married. I also knew God wouldn't approve. Matt and I talked about it for quite a while and finally came to a conclusion...We'd have our own private ceremony with two witnesses and my pastor from Kentucky on April 6, 2012 and have a bigger ceremony on June 15, 2013. We ordered our rings, and things were set to go.
Things didn't work out how we would have liked it to with my pastor from Kentucky and got in contact with my cousin's husband who did ministering for a career on the side. He was happy to marry us, gave us an outline of the ceremony, and met us at our location ready to marry us. Matt and I became husband and wife at 5:00pm on April 6, 2012 in front of God and my mom's side of the family. This ceremony meant more to me than I had imagined and I realized in that moment that I didn't need a big fancy wedding to feel the love I have for Matt. Those 10 minutes were special enough for me and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
We do plan on having a renewal ceremony somewhere down the road with family and friends. It could be a year or 10 years from now. We'll know when the time is right!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Our Love Story (Part One)
I figured I'd post how Matt and I met, as well as how we ended up where we are now...
I had just recently ended a year long back and forth "relationship" when I decided to sign onto my Myspace account (this is when I still got on that website). I noticed I had a friends request from this guy named Matt and I decided to check out his page. All the information was general and kinda nerdy (hehe!), but one thing that really caught my attention was that he was attending the University of Notre Dame for his MBA. My first thought was, "Oh my mom is going to love him!"
I decided to go out on a limb and write this guy a message. We ended up making small talk for most of the night and exchanged numbers. After about a week of talking, we decided to meet in public. I am not one to go out and meet some random guy off the Internet by myself...so I drag my sister along with me! We met up at a Starbucks. He was already waiting inside the door when we pulled up. My first initial thought was, "Oh, please help me lord...look at those jeans??" He had on this really tight gray t-shirt (mind you, it was end of October in Northern IN, brr!), and these really short jeans with long socks on. I looked at my sister and said, "He looks kind of dorky." Of course she told me to be nice. He walked out when we saw us making our way to the door. He pulled me in for a half hug and smelled wonderful! I knew with whatever cologne he had on, it could make me fall in love with him. He greeted my sister the same way and we all walked inside to get coffee.
We talked for about an hour and decided it was time to part ways. We hugged each other goodbye and he asked the question every girl would love to hear but that I dreaded. "When can I see you again? I'd love to take you out." Being unsure of how I felt about him, I told him we'd discuss it through texting. That night he approached me on Facebook out of respect, telling me he wasn't Catholic or didn't have any religious background. Not being a practicing Catholic anymore, that part didn't bother me. All I wanted to know was if he believed in God. He said he believed in a higher power, but wasn't quite sure what that was. We then got to talking about my beliefs on intimacy and pre-martial sex. We found our beliefs were different and could causes problems in a relationship. We decided it was best to go our separate ways, but still be friends.
Two days later, he asked me to reconsider and at least go out on a date with him. I told him I'd think about it. My sister needed help writing her resume and Matt had offered to help her. So we decided to meet up at Starbucks once again. Knowing he cared about my sister and helped her like that made me realize he was worth keeping around...I just wasn't ready to give my heart away. As we were leaving that night, he asked about that date again. I told him that I needed some time, that I didn't want him to be a rebound, but that I was interested in getting to know him. He took that as a rejection and decided that was the last time we'd ever see each other again.
That night, I texted Matt and told him I really enjoyed hanging out with him again. He was shocked I even wrote him and told me that he wanted to give up on trying. I finally decided to go out to lunch with him. We went out to Applebee's one Sunday after church and enjoyed each other's company. We decided to keep seeing each other.
Our first official date was the Norte Dame vs. Utah football game, on November 13th, 2010. I was nervous as he was trying to sneak me into the student section (I hated doing things like that!), but was excited to see where it might lead us. My mom dropped me off at his apartment and he said he had something for me. He gave me a bag that had a Notre Dame hoody and chewable multi vitamins (since he knew I had a hard time swallowing regular vitamins). It was such a sweet gesture and I knew he really cared about me. We still had time to kill and were both really tired. We figured we'd try and lay down for a nap. I knew this would be a test. I figured he'd be worth dating if he stayed on his side of the bed and I stayed on mine. He never once tried to make a move on me...that was the moment I knew, there was something special about this man.
We made our way to the game after our nap. It was drizzling out, but still pretty warm for November. I was wearing the new hoody he got me, which kept me really warm. As we made our way to the stadium, the drizzle became thicker. I knew by the end of the game, I'd be soaked. Notre Dame of course was winning. It was such a cool experience to be in the student section. By half time, we both we're soaked and figured we'd get a picture and leave. This picture is seriously one of my favorites....
This moment was the start of the rest of our lives. We went through many ups and downs, spent a summer apart while he was in Dallas for an internship, and even found ourselves at a crossroad where it led to devastating breakup. Of course we only went without talking for 2 days and decided we wanted to try and make it work again. We worked on our friendship at first and it blossomed into the most wonderful love I can imagine. For Christmas, he invited me back to his hometown in Utah where we spent the holiday season with his family. I already felt like I was apart of the family the moment we walked in the door. They welcomed me with open arms, along with plenty of hugs and smiles.
December 26th, 2011 was the day that changed my life forever. We bundled up, took a horse drawn sleigh ride up a mountain to a western restaurant. We had a delicious dinner and enjoyed the music being played. Before we had to go, Matt was determined to get a picture taken. Little did I know, he had a plan. As he finally flagged down a waitress to take a picture, Matt handed her the camera. I was ready to smile for a picture when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. Found out after that moment, he had the whole proposal recorded. :)
I had just recently ended a year long back and forth "relationship" when I decided to sign onto my Myspace account (this is when I still got on that website). I noticed I had a friends request from this guy named Matt and I decided to check out his page. All the information was general and kinda nerdy (hehe!), but one thing that really caught my attention was that he was attending the University of Notre Dame for his MBA. My first thought was, "Oh my mom is going to love him!"
I decided to go out on a limb and write this guy a message. We ended up making small talk for most of the night and exchanged numbers. After about a week of talking, we decided to meet in public. I am not one to go out and meet some random guy off the Internet by myself...so I drag my sister along with me! We met up at a Starbucks. He was already waiting inside the door when we pulled up. My first initial thought was, "Oh, please help me lord...look at those jeans??" He had on this really tight gray t-shirt (mind you, it was end of October in Northern IN, brr!), and these really short jeans with long socks on. I looked at my sister and said, "He looks kind of dorky." Of course she told me to be nice. He walked out when we saw us making our way to the door. He pulled me in for a half hug and smelled wonderful! I knew with whatever cologne he had on, it could make me fall in love with him. He greeted my sister the same way and we all walked inside to get coffee.
We talked for about an hour and decided it was time to part ways. We hugged each other goodbye and he asked the question every girl would love to hear but that I dreaded. "When can I see you again? I'd love to take you out." Being unsure of how I felt about him, I told him we'd discuss it through texting. That night he approached me on Facebook out of respect, telling me he wasn't Catholic or didn't have any religious background. Not being a practicing Catholic anymore, that part didn't bother me. All I wanted to know was if he believed in God. He said he believed in a higher power, but wasn't quite sure what that was. We then got to talking about my beliefs on intimacy and pre-martial sex. We found our beliefs were different and could causes problems in a relationship. We decided it was best to go our separate ways, but still be friends.
Two days later, he asked me to reconsider and at least go out on a date with him. I told him I'd think about it. My sister needed help writing her resume and Matt had offered to help her. So we decided to meet up at Starbucks once again. Knowing he cared about my sister and helped her like that made me realize he was worth keeping around...I just wasn't ready to give my heart away. As we were leaving that night, he asked about that date again. I told him that I needed some time, that I didn't want him to be a rebound, but that I was interested in getting to know him. He took that as a rejection and decided that was the last time we'd ever see each other again.
That night, I texted Matt and told him I really enjoyed hanging out with him again. He was shocked I even wrote him and told me that he wanted to give up on trying. I finally decided to go out to lunch with him. We went out to Applebee's one Sunday after church and enjoyed each other's company. We decided to keep seeing each other.
Our first official date was the Norte Dame vs. Utah football game, on November 13th, 2010. I was nervous as he was trying to sneak me into the student section (I hated doing things like that!), but was excited to see where it might lead us. My mom dropped me off at his apartment and he said he had something for me. He gave me a bag that had a Notre Dame hoody and chewable multi vitamins (since he knew I had a hard time swallowing regular vitamins). It was such a sweet gesture and I knew he really cared about me. We still had time to kill and were both really tired. We figured we'd try and lay down for a nap. I knew this would be a test. I figured he'd be worth dating if he stayed on his side of the bed and I stayed on mine. He never once tried to make a move on me...that was the moment I knew, there was something special about this man.
We made our way to the game after our nap. It was drizzling out, but still pretty warm for November. I was wearing the new hoody he got me, which kept me really warm. As we made our way to the stadium, the drizzle became thicker. I knew by the end of the game, I'd be soaked. Notre Dame of course was winning. It was such a cool experience to be in the student section. By half time, we both we're soaked and figured we'd get a picture and leave. This picture is seriously one of my favorites....
This moment was the start of the rest of our lives. We went through many ups and downs, spent a summer apart while he was in Dallas for an internship, and even found ourselves at a crossroad where it led to devastating breakup. Of course we only went without talking for 2 days and decided we wanted to try and make it work again. We worked on our friendship at first and it blossomed into the most wonderful love I can imagine. For Christmas, he invited me back to his hometown in Utah where we spent the holiday season with his family. I already felt like I was apart of the family the moment we walked in the door. They welcomed me with open arms, along with plenty of hugs and smiles.
December 26th, 2011 was the day that changed my life forever. We bundled up, took a horse drawn sleigh ride up a mountain to a western restaurant. We had a delicious dinner and enjoyed the music being played. Before we had to go, Matt was determined to get a picture taken. Little did I know, he had a plan. As he finally flagged down a waitress to take a picture, Matt handed her the camera. I was ready to smile for a picture when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. Found out after that moment, he had the whole proposal recorded. :)
The night he proposed!
The restaurant where he proposed
How we ended up married so quickly and in Texas is coming soon!! Thanks for reading!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Best Daily Workout Routine!! : )
Whether you have a really busy schedule or too much time on your hands, I have figured out the best work out routine for both!
Recently, I've been getting up about 30 minutes early than what I used to and have been walking around the apartment complex. It's really difficult finding the right time when it's cool enough outside here in Texas. I found early morning is the best time. I've sacrificed 30 extra minutes of sleep to stay in shape, and the results are fantastic! I just put on my workout outfit, brush my teeth, and throw my hair up. I walk for about 20 minutes each morning. If I don't find time to do it in the morning, I'll do it in the evening around 8:30. Walking helps you feel energized and motivated and that's why I find it beneficial to my mental state. It also tones up your calves, thighs, and butt muscles too...so that's always a plus! Once I get home, I normally do a set of 100 crunches for my ab work out. I sometimes do the upper body routine from Denise Austin "Daily Dozen" workout video.
For those with a busy schedule, the perfect workout routine would be the workout DVD session with Denise Austin "Daily Dozen." You do 12 easy exercises in 12 minutes and get phenomenal results! She does 3 days of different cardio exercises, one day focusing just on the lower body, one day focusing on just the upper body, and two days dedicated to relaxing yoga! It's an amazing workout and I've been really happy with the results of her workout routine.
ALWAYS make time to keep yourself healthy. It really makes a difference. I went from a 40+ hour week plus taking night classes to being a full time wife while waiting to get into school for sonography. Mentally, I became really depressed and felt like I lost everything I was worth. When I started walking every morning and exercising again, mentally, I felt better and more motivated to do things! I also started losing some fat I had gained from sitting around more. It really does help.
Recently, I've been getting up about 30 minutes early than what I used to and have been walking around the apartment complex. It's really difficult finding the right time when it's cool enough outside here in Texas. I found early morning is the best time. I've sacrificed 30 extra minutes of sleep to stay in shape, and the results are fantastic! I just put on my workout outfit, brush my teeth, and throw my hair up. I walk for about 20 minutes each morning. If I don't find time to do it in the morning, I'll do it in the evening around 8:30. Walking helps you feel energized and motivated and that's why I find it beneficial to my mental state. It also tones up your calves, thighs, and butt muscles too...so that's always a plus! Once I get home, I normally do a set of 100 crunches for my ab work out. I sometimes do the upper body routine from Denise Austin "Daily Dozen" workout video.
For those with a busy schedule, the perfect workout routine would be the workout DVD session with Denise Austin "Daily Dozen." You do 12 easy exercises in 12 minutes and get phenomenal results! She does 3 days of different cardio exercises, one day focusing just on the lower body, one day focusing on just the upper body, and two days dedicated to relaxing yoga! It's an amazing workout and I've been really happy with the results of her workout routine.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Welcome!!
As you saw with my first post, I finally gave into blogging. I enjoy reading blogs by others, so I figured I'd start myself. As I said in my first blog, I just relocated to Texas. I hope with my blogs, people will find some helpful advice (once I start blogging more!)
Here is my husband and I.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Here is my husband and I.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Welcome to Our New Life!
I FINALLY decided to start blogging in order to keep in touch with people through other sources. We relocated to Texas at the beginning of June of this year and absolutely love it here. We have a beautiful apartment, Matt has a great job, and I'm registering for classes hoping to get into the sonography program here.
Here are a few pictures of our apartment....
Here are a few pictures of our apartment....
Our living room (it has a couch now!)
Our couch from IKEA
My Figurine Case Cabinet
Our Beautiful kitchen/dining area
Kitchen Area
Our Bedroom
Our Bedroom
Guest Bedroom
Master Bathroom
Guest Bathroom
Our New Patio Furniture (4-piece set all under $360)
More updates to come soon!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)