Surviving? I think THRIVING!

Here is my wonderful husband pictured. This is the day he preached his first sermon in big church! :) Yay! And because my wonderful mom wasn't there, I had to take on her role and document this momentous occasion with a picture. Smile. This is him, Bible in hand, looking all pastoral on me! Kinda crazy... I know!

So, Jacob had been stressing for 2 weeks about giving his sermon. Since the moment the pastor (one of our great friends) told Jacob (the now interim youth "minister") that he would be going out of town and would need Jacob to fill in for him.  Bless his heart... he was a bit nervous. Not merely the fact that he would be preaching, but what God had laid on his heart to tell the church.  He wasn't planning on giving a lovey-dovey, everyone hug and get-on-with-life kind of sermon.  He was planning on relaying the message that he has been pounding into the youths' head to the adults of the church.  This message is TUPOS meaning the impression you leave on someone by your words, actions, and the way you live your life.  He spoke out of Titus 2. Everyone should read it. Titus is a tiny book filled with wonderful nuggets of truth on how we, as Christians should live, and how we should "do church."  Jacob directed his sermon at the "leaders" of the church - the older men and women who are encouraged/commanded to teach the younger generations and the younger, recently married men and women who are called to live a life of love and self-control.  So, YES, Jacob survived his first sermon from the pulpit.  He survived in front of life-long Southern Baptists.  But not only did he survive, HE THRIVED. He made us (including myself) laugh, he made us think, he made us accept conviction, and called us to a higher standard of Christianity. My husband THRIVED! And I rejoiced in my heart and out loud (of course) because of the wonderful man God is transforming him to become. It is awesome to sit in the congregation and watch your husband be COMPLETELY used by the God of the universe. Clear speech. Clear thoughts. Minimal sweat and nervousness (hehe). It was an awesome experience I pray I never take for granted. I am a proud wife. He THRIVED.

On another note, I have survived my first semester of being a real, post-secondary interpreter!!! WOW!!! I can't believe the semester of classes is over.  I interpreted things I never thought possible: Biology, Biology Labs, History (at rapid fire pace combined with a bit of perversion from the teacher), MATH, and... GEOMATICS!!! I did it. I survived. But, like Jacob has, I believed God has allowed me to THRIVE. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes, I didn't sign everything exactly perfect and I found out that my spelling skills are AWFUL!!!  BUT, the students succeeded, they understood, they accepted me, they trusted me, and they requested me again! I call that THRIVING! I am so blessed and know that it is only because of God's grace that I can do this.  Everyday I pray that God would be in control of my heads, my though process (changing the message from English to American Sign Language), and that the students would understand at the same level as their hearing peers do. I take my job very seriously and feel the same burden a teacher does. It is up to me to deliver the information accurately, appropriately, and with a good attitude.  It's a hard job, but I love waking up and interpreting everyday. YES, I have A TON to learn and am excited about that process, but I have proved to myself that I am able. I am not inadequate. My God is bigger than my lack of knowledge in science and math. I am blessed with skill and will be a great interpreter as I continue learning.

So... me and Jacob are Survivors, but our Jesus has made us THRIVERS!!!

NeWnEsS ~ Today is the day that the Lord has made!

These are the flowers Jacob got me last week. I think flowers represent newness and freshness in life, and that is what I feel has taken place in our lives, our marriage, and the Springtime that is budding before us outside.

Marriage is hard. Marriage is something to work at DAILY, but it is so worth it. Me and Jacob learned that this week. It is a hard transition to go from living for self for 20+ years to surrendering that mindset and living for your spouse and your marriage FIRST in all aspects for your life.  It's hard to really understand what marriage is all about until you are willing to get down and dirty, work through each others' dirt and hurts, and ABANDON selfishness in our hearts. Difficult conversations are bound to happen in order to understand each other on the deepest level possible.  But, Oh, WHAT A JOY to finally understand that you are not in this physical life alone. To have someone to walk beside, to pray for diligently EVERYDAY, to conquer strongholds and obstacles TOGETHER, to laugh togather, to cry together, to pray together, and to live life to the fullest side by side. WHAT A JOY! Easy to figure out and live by? Absolutely not. Satan will surely attack at any time we leave the door cracked to our home and hearts. He waits and prowls around waiting to attack! {I really dislike Satan!!!} But Our God has already defeated him! Hallelujah!

This life is SO not about me! First, it's about my Jesus! My Savior! Giving my all for His calling and for the advancement of His kingdom! Second, my everyday life, attitude, actions, thoughts, words, focus is on Jacob and our marriage. HARD! I am a selfish person. I want to be ALL things to ALL people. Yes, I am a servant and am called to love ALL, but my husband HAS to be my priority! I CANNOT and WILL NOT expend ALL my energy on things such as work that are NOT ETERNAL!!! I will cater and love and exhaust myself for things that will not burn up, that will last forever, and that will please my Savior's heart! I am convinced that the time, effort, tears, laughter, prayers, etc. that I pour into my marriage will bring a smile on my Jesus' face and He will say, "Good job, my good and faithful servant!"

I am a wife now. I love my husband with ALL my heart and am so excited to live with my best friend for the rest of my life here on this crazy earth. I am thankful for problems. I am thankful for hard conversations. I am thankful for my marriage and my Jesus.

Our God IS Greater!

Chris Tomlin's OUR GOD       

This song is AMAZING! I feel it explains how I feel about our powerful God in this season of my life. All around me I have seen peoples lives be impacted by unexpected events.  From one of my best friend's brother being tragically killed in a motorcycle accident, my formed Bible study co-leader (whom I adore and look up more than I can explain) becoming pregnant with triplets and then losing two of them, my Bible study girls here dealing with some really hard issues, my heart has been broken. God is in it all. I can't possibly understand it all, but I know He does. I can't possibly comprehend why these things must happen, but I trust He will get ALL the glory.

When I found out about my friend's brother passing away, I immediately called her. She was broken beyond words, no doubt, but as we talked I reminded her that God is in control. God is holding her and God is still holding her brother. She paused and said, "I know He is, and HE IS GREAT!" How powerful. How humble. I hope and pray that when the rain comes in my life I can say, "I know He is in control and He is great!" Whatever that may be, HE IS GREAT! But it didn't stop with her, her whole family praised God.  And why wouldn't they? They had praised and rejoiced in Him until that moment, why would a situation change who God is.  It doesn't! What faith. I was blown away by those simply words and can only trust that my faith in my Savior is stronger than this world's circumstances. My God is forever this world is temporary, and my friend knows that.  Yes, she and her family are devastated, but their hope is in the Lord, where it always has been.

I am broken. Seeing God in the midst of tragedy. Seeing joy in the center of tears. Seeing one little girl, of the triplets, struggling for life because 100s of prayers are lifting her up constantly throughout the day. Knowing:
Our God is Stronger
Our God is Greater
Lord, You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer
Awesome in Power
Our God, Our God...
is overwhelming. I hate that the people I love must experience this things, but I am so grateful that when our hearts are crushed we can SPRINT into His arms and rest. We can cry. We can trust. He will reaffirm. He will mend. He will hold us.

For the tag of the song;
And if our God is for us then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is for us then what could stand against us?

This is one of my favorite verses (Romans 8:31).  I think it shows God power, His compassion, and His ability to protect each one of us.  But it has been so meaning to me, and I'm sure my husband as well.  He is allowing us to be a part of His kingdom work down here in this strange place (I have grown to love it, but it is quite strange).  I am reading 1-2 Samuel right now. How God specifically chose Samuel, then Saul, then David.  How He chose them knowing their sins and weaknesses, and placed them in a leadership role. I am so humbled that God chose me. My past is picture perfect. If you asked me 5 years ago if I would be the youth "minister's" wife I would have told you no. But God is faithful, chose me, and empowered me to do His work. I am not worthy of teaching young girls about purity, avoiding insecurities, and not worrying about what others think, but who is? He has chosen me to be an imitator of Christ for these 20-25 girls, and I humbly take my cross and will struggle and strive and run and hustle and chase and fall and stumble and succeed and race to follow my God. NO ONE AND NO THING CAN STAND IN MY WAY! My God is stronger, My God is Greater!!! He is higher than ANY other! And today, that is my joyful hallelujah!

Saul's story:
They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people."




Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
1 Samuel 10:23-24

A nUtCaSe In A nUtShElL

In the last 5 months I have graduated from college, gotten married, moved away from my mommy, started my first big girl job, started a girls' Bible Study, and am living in this strange place they call Troy, AL.  WHAT A BUSY 5 MONTHS!!! But what an amazing God i serve. I don't really know how to start this blog... but I want to share my God stories and the INCREDIBLE THINGS he has done and will do in, through, and around me.  I want to share these wonderful events/thoughts/craziness with my friends, family, and strangers (I know there will be strangers b/c I am a blog stalker now too thanks to by BFFs). I hope you enjoy and can look in your own life and see God's MIGHTY, AMAZING hand through it all.


I am... a sinner saved by grace who daily experiences mercy and compassion from a Savior whom I do not deserve. A passionate person in general but I absolutely adore the people in my life, sign language, ministry, and anything that has to do with my Supreme Savior.  


Looking back an seeing how my life's journey has brought me too today, God has constantly posted road signs, been there through every flat tire, and been right beside me on those days I felt I had the top down with the sun shining. My God is... overwhelming. I am excited to share my stories with you. 


What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Philippians 3:8-9