Community
-
Interrupted and a Giveaway
Super exciting news (for the book nerd and blogger in me)!!!
Jen Hatmaker (who I adore) asked for 250 bloggers to read and write about her updated copy of Interrupted. Seven radically challenged me in a million ways so I thought I would apply and I got chosen!!!! I am oh so excited to dive into Interrupted!
I will be blogging over the next month on the book and how it challenges me which I am sure it will as the tagline is “When Jesus wrecks your comfortable Christianity.”
If you would like to follow along, you can get the book here at a 20% discount.
And at the end of it all, I will giveaway a copy of the book to one of my dear readers. 🙂
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
A Note on Budgets
For awhile in my life, I was a Dave Ramsey nay-sayer. I worked in an industry with a very low opinion of his tactics and methods. They had valid reasons for their dislike of him. But I was just a band-wagon jumper. I did not have any real reason for disliking him, but I did.
In preparation for marriage, our pastor told us we could cut out one of week of pre-marital counseling if we went through Financial Peace University (FPU). Seemed like a fair trade–one week of pre-marital counseling for nine weeks of FPU. (I am sure this is what Jordan thought as well..) I figured I might as well give him (Dave) a shot and at least have a solid reason for my dislike of him. Plus, I knew Jordan and I needed to talk about combining finances and budgets and all those money issues before we got married. Thus, we signed up for Financial Peace in January.
After nine weeks, I have to admit, I am still not his biggest fan nor do I think his way is the best way for everyone. I do think some of his principles are rock solid, but I also think some of his principles are plain hogwash. That’s life though. I don’t take every piece of advice my financial guy gives me either. What I will say is FPU was a game changer in my personal life and I believe in our marriage as well.
Game Changer #1: Switching to cash. Do it. I dare you. And I promise you, you will save money. Because at the end of the day, I don’t like to spend my cash. I will pack a lunch and sit at a restaurant to save my allowance. I think twice about shopping, what I am purchasing, and how often I eat out. We cook a lot. We spend time together at home and the TV we paid cash for just sits there collecting dust because we won’t spring for cable or rarely the $1.49 a Redbox movie costs (I mean, who’s allowance does it come out of??).
Game Changer #2: Sticking to a budget. We created one. I made this spiffy Google Doc spreadsheet that is color-coded and full of formulas (insert nerd here). BUT the key is, we stick to it. Most of our bills are automatically deducted and for everything else we switched to cash. I never worry about over-drafting our account and we have been able to save a crazy amount of money. This is not to pat us on the back by any means (especially because we aren’t following Dave’s steps in order), but to say that I never realized how much the little purchases added up until I cut them off.
Game Changer #3: We are able to be generous. Perhaps my favorite part of going through FPU was the fact it opened up lines of communication on our finances and allowed us to align our priorities. We save a lot, but we also give a lot. Our finances are not a source of contention or stress in our marriage-they are a source of joy and we have been able to use them to bless other people in our life.
At the end of the day, I am glad I gave Dave a chance. I have been able to spend the last 3.5 months of marriage enjoying life and not stressing over finances. I have been able to find joy in experiences and not in stuff. And we have been able to meet needs and pay off debt and save money in ways I never thought possible. If you have never attended Financial Peace University, I would challenge you to find a class and sit through it with an open mind. It may not solve all your problems, but it may just save you from making a few more.
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
My Africa, Imperfect People, and a Whole Lot of Passion
Places.
People.
Passions.
Those are the last three threads weaving together in our study through Restless. I have to admit, while this whole book has been challenging, these three chapters hit me hard. I have struggled a lot around those three threads. And realized I have a whole lot of hurt, anger, and disappointment welled up inside. Some of it I can see God using to paint my story and some of it I can see Satan using to destroy me and cloud God’s glory.
Places.
For a long time, I wanted to move to Africa. Sell everything and live somewhere on a continent I fell in love with at a very early age. As I grew older and started traveling, I realized living overseas was not my calling. In fact, without Skype I am sure I would have self-destructed in Saipan. I know God gives grace to handle His calling on your life, but I became more and more convinced God was calling me to mobilize those around me and be a force at home. I had seen poverty and experienced hopelessness and I wanted to share my experiences with my friends and peers who had so much to offer. Ironically in all of this, the one place I did not want to go was back to southern Indiana. And yet, as we approached the Places chapter is restless, this was exactly where I found myself. Married, settled, and in southern Indiana for the foreseeable future. This is my Africa. My heart still beats passionately for Swaziland and someday I will go back, but today God has planted me here. And I plan to invest and dream and pursue my passions here to the fullest extent.
People.
For the record, I love Jennie Allen. And I love how blunt she is. She called her readers on the carpet in this chapter for piddling in our relationships.
Piddle- to spend time in a wasteful, trifling, or ineffective way
We looked at the people in our lives and narrowed them down to people we need and people who need us. As Jennie put it, “find your people and invest in them.” I sent a text to one of my dear friends who is in the study with me and said, “you are one of my people.” I need her. The thing about it is, those people may hurt you. They may disappoint you. And in those times, we are to fight even harder for them. As I looked over my list, I saw a group of people, some of whom had only been in my life a short time, and almost all of whom were connected to my place. I smiled at the perfection of God’s plan. Coming back to the place I once dreaded has filled my life with a group of people I desperately need and a group of people God has called me to love. Far from perfect, they are daily challenging me to grown in my faith and dependence on God and enriching my lives in a 1,000 ways.
Passions
What are you passionate about? What makes you angry? What gets you excited? I know beyond a shadow of doubt I have a passion for women, for dignity, for freedom, and for organization (random I know). As we continued to tie our threads together, I could see how each of my passions sprung from deep hurts and moments of pure bliss in my life. Some of my passions flow from strengths I believe God has given me and some of them flow from experiences I have had. All of them perfectly fit with the people and places in my life.
The past semester has boiled down my life to one page of threads. One beautiful story. Gifts, moments, people, places, passions. Woven together by the Creator. I am bursting with excitement and trepidation over what is next and determined to take the pieces of my life that feel disconnected and lay them at the feet of Jesus. He is weaving together a story and a vision I cannot wait to share with you.
Until then, take some time to think about the people and places in your life.
Are you piddling in relationships or are you committed to your people?
Have you found your Africa? Is it here or there? Do you need to more fully invest or divest and move forward?
What are you passionate about? Why?
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
Restless and Scared
After the wedding, for the first time in two and a half years, I have no deadlines, no papers to turn in, no plans to make, no vendors to book, or photographers to follow-up with. It is, in some regards, a glorious feeling. And yet, as someone who thrives on deadlines and plans, I feel a bit restless.
Luckily, in my Bible study, we are reading a book called Restless by Jennie Allen. (Enter God’s perfect timing) The book is about having the freedom to dream and then use our unique gifts and talents (or stories) pursue those dreams. However, before dreaming big dreams, the author lays out some reasons why we often choose to sit on the sidelines instead. Reasons such as fear or pride or being afraid of being prideful. We sit on our gifts and claim humbleness while killing the things God put us on the planet to do. Gifts He gave us to fulfill His mission, bring Him glory, and draw people to His kingdom. But sitting on the sidelines is not the answer to pride or selfishness. We have to fight daily against our personal ambitions to be great for greatness’ sake and seek to use our gifts to be great for the glory of God. This has been majorly convicting. For much of my life, I have been a sideline dweller. I struggle with fear and insecurity and pride and wonder why God would ever use me. I sit on the gifts God has given me because I am afraid to step out and use them. And the whole time, I am restless. I am anxious. I am frustrated. (you would think I would have put the two together at some point)
When we started the book, I had no idea how God would unfold my life. I was in the process of major life change- a marriage, a new degree, and a new schedule with time I haven’t had in years. Almost immediately, a vision started to come together. A vision other people have caught. And all of a sudden, the part of me who loved the sideline has been propelled into the middle of a group of people willing to share in a vision I am believe so very strongly.I will be the first to admit, I am scared to death. I would so much rather quit now and go back to the sidelines. It is safe there and there is little chance for injury. But a growing restlessness in my soul is propelling me forward. Every time I am tempted to re-shelve the dream, I go back to my journal and ask God for strength to keep going. And I do something. Yesterday I wrote out vision and mission statements. Rough drafts with need for refinement and clearer focus, but it was a step. And with each step forward, my faith grows stronger. I wish I could say the fear is dwindling, but right now, I think the fear is God’s way of reminding me I cannot do this without Him.
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
A New Start
It has been over a month since my last blog. My new year’s resolution to write once a week has been long forgotten and given we are only three months in, is slightly depressing. I have, however, been writing. I just have not felt anything was worthy of posting. I read other people’s blogs and start comparing and wonder why their post gets tweeted and plastered all over social media while my little blog sits..unnoticed..unread.
As life has drastically slowed down in some ways, no more school, the wedding is over, and I am finally living in one place, while all my stuff, I am going to try my hand at blogging again. With a new rule. If I write it, I post it. No more saving blogs as drafts until I decide someone might want to read it.
I might also work on revamping my blog a little to better reflect the current season of my life. Because although in some ways it is still adventurous, it a lot of ways it is very simple. Full of community, trying new things (like cooking!), and a husband whom I adore.
Stay tuned…
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
Heartbreak, Hope, and an Opportunity
In the last month, some really exciting things have started to fall into place. A good friend and I are working really hard at trying to put together a human trafficking task force and it looks like it might actually happen. Divine appointments have been made, people are getting on board and I am on cloud nine. This is what I want to do with my life. This is my Holy Discontent.
However, it is also devastatingly heartbreaking. The more I read, the more I research, the more I talk about it, the more my heart breaks. All I want to do is stop every person I see and tell them about what is going on in this world and almost certainly in their own backyard. To think it does not happen here is foolish. To close our eyes and think we play no role is perpetuating the cycle. Because you may not be buying a girl for sex, but you may be buying a t-shirt made by a worker paid less than $.10 an hour, forced to work long hours, and probably physically, mentally, and sexually abused. Even companies who try to do the right thing, such as Knights Apparel struggle to turn a profit because for many of us, price is king. We want the most stuff at the lowest cost with no regard for human dignity.
As I reflect on the disgusting nature of women beaten and abused, and workers starved and threatened, I rest in the fact God’s heart is breaking too. He sees the enslaved and the broken and hears their cries for rescue. And He has created you and I to be part of the answer. To be the hope of rescue and redemption. Because for a victim, someone speaking up may be their only hope for rescue and redemption through the Christ is the only way to heal the wounds of slavery.
As we continue to talk and dream and plan, I believe with everything in me, God has placed us in this location at this time to do something. To start a conversation, raise awareness, and continue to fight against trafficking. If you are interested in joining us, feel free to use the Contact tab and send me an email. Our small group would love to come talk to your organization about human trafficking or get you involved in our grassroots effort!
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
-
And the Winner Is..
Gayla!!
Which makes me happy because she happens to own another local business- Gaylacake-which I absolutely love!!
Thanks for participating and hope you stick around to read my blogs and perhaps enter a few more contests!
(I used this website-Random Picker–to choose a winner to ensure it was fair!)
-
Blog Contest
Due to some technical difficulties, the winner will be announced tomorrow!!!
You can still sign up for updates to be entered!
🙂
-
Blog Lovin’ and a Giveaway
Who doesn’t love free stuff??
In an effort (maybe selfish) to expand my horizon of readers, I am going to do a giveaway. It’s pretty simple.
Step 1: Subscribe to my blog. (on the right hand side of the screen)
Step 2: Check back on February 14th to see if you won.
One of my goals for this year was to blog once a week. I have been going strong so far and I would love to share my blogs with a few more readers. I average about one blog a week so no worries about your inbox being bombarded with emails and you can unsubscribe at any time (although I hope you don’t!)
In the spirit of February, the prize up for grabs is a set of Peppermint Lavender Valentine’s “XO” soap from the lovely Soap Solutions. Soap Solutions is a local shop selling the most amazing handmade, all-natural soaps. I LOVE them and I want everyone else to love them.
So thank you in advance for subscribing to my blog and happy month of love!
*Don’t worry, if you have recently subscribed I will add you to the drawing!
-
Models of Goodness
Saturday I sat in a room surrounded by women who have shaped my life. Some of them were family, many of them were simply women who have taken the time to pour into my life. As we celebrated my upcoming marriage, I looked around at the faces in the room and can tell you each one of them has lived up to the advice given in Titus 2.
Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.(Titus 2:3-4, The Message)
My mother is wonderful. I love her and respect her for so many things. But one of the things I appreciate the most is she took to heart “it takes a village” and always encouraged me to develop relationships with other women. She never got upset when I would spend my afternoons or Saturday mornings spending time with other women talking about life and learning from them. She gave me one of the greatest gifts I believe one can give their children. The blessing to have other “mothers.” And these women have shaped and molded me into the person I am today. They have loved me, admonished me, encouraged me, supported me, included me, and celebrated with me. As I have watched them in their roles as wives, mothers, business women, and church leaders, I can honestly say, they have impacted my life in ways they will never understand.
As I prepare to be a wife, I am increasingly thankful for all the women in my life who have played a part in shaping who I am today. I am overwhelmed by the love they still have for me, the excitement they have over my upcoming marriage, and the way they encourage me in my spiritual life. Despite miles and months between visits, my time with them is always full of hugs, laughter, and conversations that pick up right where they left off. I will always be thankful for the “moms” I have had, the women who have become close friends, confidants, and role models. As I begin on the journey of being a wife, their advice and example is sure be invaluable. So I say, thank you. Thank you for the time invested in my life, the prayers, the hugs, the laughter, and the encouragement. I will be a better wife because of the examples set for me.
You May Also Like
Being Brave Everyday
