Walking in Freedom: Step one...

Pic from the art museum when we went two weeks ago...

We went to church last night since today we'll be busy with work & school...

After the teaching, during worship, 

I started thinking on and confessing some specific places I have yet to fully walk in freedom...

Broken shackles and chains often represent freedom from bondage.

As I confessed each thing and meditated on the reality of this freedom, this familiar image came to mind: broken shackles and chains littered around me. Each pile represented one of these issues or areas where I've remained bound... As I drew them in my journal they took different shapes and weights.

Recognizing our freedom in Christ is the first step.

Walking in it is another entirely.

Here's to taking one of those steps...

Have you considered lately all that you've been set free from? Are you walking in it or still hanging out with those old chains like I was?

Take captive every thought...

In 2 Corinthians Paul talks about us living by different standards than the rest of the world... and one thing he mentions is how as Christians we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor.10:5)

While it's true we need to take our wrong-thoughts captive and make them obey, there's a positive spin that we can also apply here... Mark Batterson taught me in his book Primal, that we need to take captive the good thoughts and ideas too!

We need to capture them [in words or pictures] and act on them.

A past coworker used to warn me about letting good things I had started just 'die on the vine'.. She was right... in business and personally- may we take captive these thoughts & ideas and make them obedient to Christ.

Lord, please fulfill in us that which you have set out to fulfill!
Thank you that no word of yours returns void, but it always completes that which it set out to accomplish! (Isaiah 55:11)

broken for a reason....

Sunday was one of the sweetest days yet.
Maybe ever.

At church we sang:
Where, oh death, is your sting?
[and the tears came- overwhelming me at the reminder of death's sting lately...]

-a friend losing a friend [*like Mary]

-miscarrying mamas [*like Audrey]

-mamas losing children! [*like Tanner]

As we sang that one short line, it was as if a finger poked right to my heart, pressing in too hard, puncturing deep.

I couldn't help but weep for my friends and their great great loss.

The very next line...
Swallowed up in victory!
Reminded me of the hope we have in Christ.
All things remdeemed-
even death.

And in that moment I scribbled in my journal,
Oh yeah. 
Victory. 
Because those babies may be lost to us, 
but they're found in You.
They're safe in Your love forever.
Please comfort those mourning moms.
Remind them of your victory.

At the end of service I went up for prayer... 
To give back this burden.
To lift up those who have lost. 
To be moved to action...

All the pray-ers were busy with others,
so I just sat and let the tears flow...

And then Jeremy came and prayed for me. His words and knowledge of my heart were a tender and precious encouragement.

And then a woman (who I do not know) came and humbly sat at my feet, lightly touched my ankle, and prayed in whispers.

I put my hand on hers to thank her for her touch & prayers.

She looked at me with an almost disappointed look and said, "All I've got is 'beauty from ashes' if that means anything to you"... I wanted to respond & tell her how perfectly it resonated, but the floodgates were open again and I just had to let it go a minute.

It truly felt as though God put his finger back to that place that ached and stung during the song and said "There. That place."

[A giant spotlight.]


"Don't miss this. I broke your heart here for a reason. Embrace the brokenness. And go embrace those who are broken. Mourn with those who mourn. I want to give them beauty for ashes."

Later that day, in this sweet spot down the street, I added this story to my journal, and this prayer... Thank you for burdening me with these women's loss. I know it's your compassion and your heart for them at work in me. May I be a faithful steward of this gift.

Thanks for reading, friends.
Not sure what will come of this, but I'm hungry for more direction and action. Please pray for me -that these burdens will bear fruit and prove beneficial.

Start Something That Matters...

Start Something That Matters

Borrowed this treasure from work this week.
(well, I borrowed NOOK & this is what I'm reading)...

What a great story...

Appreciate the wisdom of starting something new and authentic!

My heart is all kinds of dreamy reading this... so much possibility and potential...

On a whole different note... 

I read this online yesterday... 

good words by Donald Miller... 

Intimacy with God Comes when we Accept His Kindness

Blessed is the man...

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." -Jeremiah 17:7-8

...working on my trust issues:)

InstaFriday

Last weekend we were finishing out fall break at home...

Birthday presents for Sister!!

The pouch is just duct tape and velcro. And a few insta-pictures of the fam. ♥

Her birthday party at MedievalTimes... too. much. fun.
(Seeing my dad boogie with the 8&9 year olds had to be the best part!!!)

Sunday lunch with our brother&sister-in-law.
Cade rested up while we ate so we could take 100 more pictures of him before we parted ways! (here's the album link in case you want to see a few from the real-camera:)

Sister and me- celebrating our 5-day-apart birthdays together at Miyabi. All she wanted to do was the birthday chicken dance. It was awesome.

These two. Being silly. ♥

Monday we came back to Raleigh for school & work...

Our chair-friend greeted us. No more morning coffee dates with this guy I guess... 

Almost finished the book I'm reading. It's been good for the soul.

My actual birthday was Tuesday, but lunch didn't work out that day, so my coworkers at the studio spoiled me Thursday with a birthday lunch and ice cream cake... what!?? It was super sweet! ♥

We haven't had very many datenights since we moved to Raleigh. In fact, we've only had one so far. So, I decided to remedy this by asking for Friday nights off. The weeks are busy enough. We gotta have soooome JK time. :)

So tonight consisted of black bean burgers and a walk through the museum...  and blogging while he read for his Arch-history test this week. :)

It was lovely! ♥

one of my favorites :)

Guess what else...?

On this weekend last year we first visited Raleigh to look at NCSU as an option. Wow. Just one year later and my love is in the thick of architecture grad school. Couldn't be more thankful!

(I have a picture very similar to this one that J took of me during that visit. Now we live here. Crazy!)

....linking up....

another sweet birthday...

...a little glimpse of the sweetness...

Especially thankful for
a long morning before work,
a pumpkin donut from my studio coworkers,
Kayla's birthday message,
a sweet supper break,
and getting to brainstorm ideas with J for his next project...

Plus sweet calls, emails, tweets & texts from friends & family!! :)

Appreciate all the sweet blessings that mark another year!

((not to mention all the spoiling that happened while we were home over the weekend... that'll have to come at a later time though))

-32- oh my.

May this year bring much growth, wisdom, understanding, and love!!

May I put my talents to work in worship of a mighty God!

May I do for one as I'd like to do for all...
(loved that thought from Ricardo's newsletter today!!)

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. -Ephesians 3:16-19

31 days of thanks... {the album}

daily

October

thanksgivings

{{in pictures}}

I'm still  writing as many as I want in my journal everyday, 
but I was looking for a 'fun' way to share one a day-& keep myself accountable:)

(THANKS for the inspiration, Marie!!)

Fall Break Week (InstaFriday style)....

It's Fall Break for my husband

(from NCSU Architecture grad school). 

Thank goodness for a break to catch our breath!

It's nice to be home in Myrtle for a few days 

-resting and recouping and collecting hugs!!

We found this greenway this week
-a block from our place in Raleigh-
so beautiful.



This pretty piece lives on the curb next door.
Haha. She's a beauty, huh!?
I couldn't resist posing for this pic!!!



Grad school is no joke.
I knew we'd be busy, but I really had no idea just how busy!

'savoring moments' is our motto for survival thriving and staying close in the midst of our crazy-crowded schedules!

this was our burrito-supper-break-outside-the-Arch-studio moment ♥



Jeremy's Architecture projects from the past few weeks.

Needless to say,
he impresses me big time!



I am enjoying framing at the studio.
Got to frame a set for twins this week.
So cool.


A little diptic of our visit home so far...
top: former [favorite] co-workers
bottom-left: Sister (birthday lunch at school)
bottom-right: Myranda hug!

Collecting hugs is my favorite part of being home.
...and being totally spoiled by family...


we're spending the first two days with Jeremy's parents...
(man, they're the best spoilers ever!!)
and garden peas just happen to be my favorite!! :)

we'll spend the next two days with my mom, dad, and sister...

Love it.  Love it.

....linkup play....

Jeannett {@ Life.rearranged} says:

Share your silly, sweet, and quirky moments of the week using nothing but cell phone pictures! A DSLR is great, but sometimes the sweetest and most telling moments need nothing more than the low resolution cammy on your phone! I have an iPhone and use the Instagram app, but any grainy cell phone pics are welcome!

His banner over us is love.

clearly ♥

His banner over us is love., originally uploaded by kimalford.

the gift of words... [for Mary]

This 'gift of words [for Mary]' is actually for her best friend Claire... on Mary's birthday... which would have been today.

Mary would have been 29 today.

But early in the morning on May 1st she was hit and killed by a drunk driver.

(The trial is actually taking place today.)

I have two brief, but very vivid, memories of this sweet girl.

She used to come visit Claire regularly, and when they hadn't stayed up too late the night before,  they'd come to church together, all smiles of course.

The first time I'd met her was one of these visits. She and Claire sat behind us in church. She was so lovely. I had already heard so much about her, my heart already loved her.

The second time she and Claire were having one of their famous ice-cream-for-lunch dates. It was next to the restaurant where we were eating that Sunday, and I popped in on them. They looked at me like guilty little children with their hands caught in the cookie jar. It was such a sight!!

Mary and Claire were beautiful friends.

Claire's life has drastically changed since that morning when she received the news that Mary was in intensive care... and then worse.

Mary also left behind a husband, parents and siblings.

She was treasured by many.

Life can be so sweet and then hurt so bad at times. Our hearts get all jaded and broken and fearful. The temptation [for me at least] is to hold back, build a wall, guard the door. But then -as we try to lock out all that can hurt us, we end up locking out goodness too. Our walls are all too effective.

I have watched my friend Claire hurt from the loss of this sweet friend & friendship. I have seen her temptation to give up, throw in the towel, build a great wall. But she has resisted. Instead she has prayed and pressed in for blessing and comfort. She has allowed God to strengthen and walk with her through mourning. And she has reached out in new ways to friends like me. And for that I am grateful.

I wanted to bless Claire today. My prayer is that she will be wrapped in the beauty and comfort that she has continually offered others. And that she will embrace joy and celebration for a life well-lived and a friendship savored.

You are a jewel, Claire. I'm so thankful for you. Pray you have deep deep peace today. -Love you!

Come & Rest...

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.-Matthew 11:28-30

I am slowly working my way through the book of Matthew...
I've always loved these verses.

I love that Jesus refers to himself as 'gentle and lowly in heart.'

This reminds me that
what the world sees as weakness
is actually strength.

So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:18

Challenge to be Thankful...

In June I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp...

You may or may not remember me going on about the wonderfulness of this read...

So, during that time, I
-started this wonderful[ly messy] gratitude journal
-made it to 500!!
-felt a milestone had been reached
-and [amidst the move & transition of life in August] I lost the journal... :|
(For now anyway... I still have hope it will turn up... deep in the bottom of a bag, in the car... somewhere... and if it doesn't, I have it's twin on standby:)

Well, Marie has inspired me to uncover this lost treasure and get going again... Every day in October is the challenge...

at least one thing you're thankful for

-write it down
-facebook it
-tweet it
-blog it
whatever you do...

Want to join us??

Since it's already October first, I'll go first...

My first thankfulness is going to be you. 

...blogland... encouragers.... friends...

I'm thankful for this space 

and you who tarry here 

and comment/text/call 

with your encouragements... 

thanks for all the love! 

Pray you're blessed this day!

♥♥