My Brother's 20th Birthday!

I have three wonderful brothers! We celebrated one of my brother's birthday a few weeks ago at my house with homemade enchiladas!

Andy is my only younger brother. He is starting OSU this fall! Happy Birthday Andy!

Birthday Boy:

Gorgeous Gracie, my neice! All grown up with her new hair cut!

Precious Ebbie! With brownies all over her face!

Lucy is not exactly sure how to smile pretty just yet. She always closes her eyes!

My husband with my older brother, Jim!!

Family Vacation

Every year Colby's entire family gets together for vacation at a lake in Arkansas. This has been taking place for a number of years. Each year there seem to be new people added through marriage or more babies. It is always so fun and relaxing to get away and enjoy sweet fellowship with his family. I truly married into a great family!

Here are just some of the cousins hanging out!

Colby's cousin, Andy, proposed while we were there!!!!! We LOVE his fiance! Welcome to the family!

Sweet husband with his neice, Savannah. She is Colby's brother's daughter.

We LOVE baby Harper!!! This precious baby is Colby's cousin's new baby! She is PERFECT!

We've been Married 2 years!!

Colby and I enjoyed a WONDERFUL day as we celebrated our 2 year anniversary. We got married on July 22, 2006. This year we both surprised each other with something. I surprised him with a couples massage at Cottonwood Salon and Spa in Edmond. That was the best thing EVER. We were in the same room with 2 different massage therapists. We had an hour massage together! We really enjoyed it!

After our massages, Colby surprised me as we went to check into a bed and breakfast for the evening. Our room was unbelievable. It was so relaxing. We felt like we traveled to another state, even though we just drove a few miles to get there.

Here is a picture of part of our room:Me and my sweet husband!

Hot husband! :) aka: model

Colby is an incredible leader and provider. I really have never worried since we have been married about things. He takes care of everything and makes me feel secure. He is a godly man that people admire and look up to. He leads me spiritually and challenges me to go deeper. I can not wait for more years of marriage with him!

Home & Husband

My sweet husband is finally home! He has been in Colorado at Young Life camp. I absolutely hate being a "single-wife" and staying all alone while he is gone. However, I am so proud of him and what he is doing. I so wish I could have gone, but with this being the busiest time of the year for weddings, that was just not possible.

Got to brag on my husband a bit....
He is a phenomenal and gifted speaker and relates to youth of all ages. I got to go and watch him speak to some high school students at church, and could not stop smiling. He has a gift. He has a passion. And he is totally using it for the glory of God.

Colby, I love you so much and am so proud of you. I respect you and want to honor you as your wife. You constantly make me smile. You go out of your way to be thoughtful towards me. You are the most selfless man I know. You have your eyes on Jesus and people can tell there is something different about you. You challenge me, encourage me and lead me. I love you with all of my heart!

A little thing called JOY....

First....I am a horrible "blogger." Probably the worst. My consistency is not there. My grammar is definitely lacking. In the midst of this "online journal" I hope those that come to read it can sense someone just being real, living life and journaling some random things. May these "random things" be used by God of something you needed to hear on that day....

With all that being said...I have been dwelling on one verse lately.

"The JOY of the Lord is your strength."

-Nehemiah 8:10

For some of us, this may be a verse we have heard hundreds of times before. We may have it memorized. We know songs that have it included in the lyrics. But has it hit the core of your being?

I am writing to those who are burnt out, hurt, lonely, tired, weary, ready to give up, longing for more, confused, etc. I am writing to myself.

To be rejuvenated, to be refreshed and revived, we need JOY. True joy. Lasting joy. Real joy.

Joy that comes only from the Lord.

Joy that comes from being obedient.

Joy that comes from doing what you know you are supposed to be doing.

Joy that comes from being real and disposing of the masks.

Joy that comes from doing what you absolutely love to do.

Joy that comes from resting in the Lord and taking time off.

Joy that comes from caring more for others than yourself.

Joy is something that I believe you have to choose to have. I want to be joyful no matter what. I do not want how I am feeling sway if I have joy or not.

Let's choose this day to have joy!

Just a little update...

It has been a while since I have posted anything. I have had nothing very specific to blog about. So today, I am just going to start typing and see where things lead.

Well, today Colby left for Jamiaca for 9 days! Ahhh... I hate being a single wife. He is going with the church where he is a youth pastor at. They are taking a group of high school students to Jamaica for a mission trip. This is his first time out of the country and his first time to go on a mission trip! I can not wait to hear about his experience!

Thankfully, me sweet, wonderful incredible friend Sara lives with us and so I am not totally alone. We have opened up one of our guest rooms for her for the summer. We have loved having her with us. She is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet! Here is Sara:

Today has been such a wonderful day off. Sara and I went to Lake Hefner and ran 3 miles and walked 1.5 miles. It was so beautiful outside! We had dinner together, took our two dogs on a walk around the neighborhood and now we are watching Father of the Bride and painting our nails a beautiful pink color! I love having girls night!

We need to go to bed soon, because we have to be up at 5:30am. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we do Boot Camp at our gym. It is a hard-core work-out regimen. It is so fun! It does require some early mornings, but it is totally worth it.

Moving right along, let's talk about the Lord. This particular verse has been staying with me constantly:

"Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you at the proper time."
-1 Peter 5:6

There are several parts of this verse that I think about constantly.
"Humble yourselves." This means, "life is not about me." I need to do what John talks about "He must increase, and I must decrease (John 3:30). Every day, I must decrease. Die to self. Focus on the Lord. Look at His face in my life. Look at Him throughout my entire day and how He is working. Know that He is in control and not me. Know that life is about glorifying His name and not my own name. One of my greatest faults is how it is so easy to be prideful. I am constantly having to break down that stronghold and acknowledge the True One.
"The mighty hand of God." Do I really believe that the hand of God is mighty? Even when things get hard? This verse reminds me that God can do anything. ANYTHING. He is the mighty, holy sovereign one. He is the one that created the universe. He is the one that causes certain things to happen on his timing. He has the hand that can move mountains. I must have the faith to truly believe that He has the mighty hand. My hands can do nothing unless God puts His in mine.
I am constantly praying a phrase that Moses said in Exodus, "Show me your glory!" God, show up in my life. Show me your realness and show me your glory. May I acknowledge you at all times. May I be aware of Your presence around me. May I decrease. May You Increase. Amen.

This will change your life...

Louie Giglio - Laminin