My Year in Review

So, since I haven't posted in a year, I thought I'd do a quick Year-In-Review, just to catch all y'all up to speed about what's been happening in my life. My last post from last year was in April, with a photo-shoot that my sister did. That following weekend, I got ENGAGED! And my life since then has been a rapid ride, full of many changes, some pleasant, and some not so pleasant.

I'll be honest and say that I thought that I'd never get married. I'd been down that road once already, and it hadn't worked out, and I'd reached a point in my life where I figured I'd missed it, you know? And I really was okay with that. I figured I'd get a cute little house, a couple of cats, and be happy with my writing and my knitting. A good, old-fashioned, old maid, so to speak. And I enjoyed that idea. So when Josh walked into my life, it was a huge upset. Not a bad one, mind you, but a big one. And it did cause a lot of old hurts that I'd thought I'd gotten over to come back up again, in a different way. But by the time Josh proposed, I was head over heals in love, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was God's plan for the both of us.

So, I got engaged in April, and we started wedding planning right away. WOW! I've never been very good at making a lot of decisions when I have a ton of options, and planning a wedding is nothing but full of decisions with a bazillion options. Who knew that people cared what was on the tables, and that it really did matter if the plates were white or not, or if the silverware was clear plastic or white plastic. Really? All that matters? Why? But anyway, I digress. I went dress shopping and found the perfect dress (is there any other?) and things started to fall into place after that. I think it was harder trying to find a bridesmaid's dress than it was to find my dress! No wonder my hair is turning grey. :) It was so amazing how so many people pitched in to help. I had one friend who catered the food, and it was AMAZING! Another friend helped me with the flowers and putting the bouquets and organizing the decorating. If it wasn't for her, I'm not sure how the wedding would have turned out!  And I couldn't have done it without my maid of honor. She was there through it all for me. We made colored sand and melted crayons to make crayon hearts. It was so much fun. Stressful at times, but fun. Crazy, wild, but fun.

And then, almost before I could blink, the wedding date arrived. So many things happened that day, it was CRAZY! But God was good, and everything worked out, and the day just flew by. I got married in September, and it was beyond anything I could imagine. I'll upload some pictures in another blog post, but I don't have access to any right now.

Since then, I've just been working a lot, and adjusting to being married. It's really different, not going to lie, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've dealt with a lot of junk from my past these past few months, and Josh has been incredible supportive. God has been washing and cleansing my heart, and I'm learning to walk on the waves while keeping my eyes fixed on Him. But more on that to come later. :) I've just got to say, it's good to be back. I have missed writing and blogging. Hope you all have a wonderful evening!

In His Love,
Christy

Music Mix-Up Mondays #34

Hey All! So these past few days have been really hard, as I've had something unexpected happen in my life. It was a shock, and it's been really hard and sad. No, no one died or anything. :) But it still hurts and is sad. And yesterday, my mother showed me this hysterical video that I thought I'd share. If you haven't heard of the movie Frozen yet, then you really must be living under a rock or in the forest. :) This is the song, "Let it Go," sung by a young man doing many favorite and beloved Disny & Pixar voices. Enjoy!
Which character was your favorite? I really like Winnie the Pooh. Or Goofy. :) I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, and it brought a smile to your day! :) In His Love, Christy

Music Mix-Up Mondays #33

Hey Everyone... I know I haven't blogged in about a year, but one of my "new year resolutions" has been to blog more. Obviously, that hasn't happened yet. But, "every day is fresh, with no mistakes in it yet," and I'm starting fresh today. :) So, since today is Monday, and Monday is my music day, I'd thought I'd start with a music video. This week, I picked a song from my church's women's retreat that happened a couple of weeks ago. I've heard this song a bazillion times before, but this time, God used it in a new way for me. The song is called "Forever Reign" by Hillsong.




In the second verse it says, "You are peace, You are peace when my fear is crippling, You are true, You are true, even in my wandering. You are joy, You are joy, You're the reason that I sing. You are life, You are life, in You death has lost its sting." and the phrase, "in You death has lost its sting" jumped out at me. I've always thought that it was talking about physical death, which is true. But there was so much more that God had for me. This is what He showed me:
   Not just physical death at the end of my life. But the death of the lies that I have believed, the friendships that are lost, the dreams that have been shattered, the innocence that has been ripped away, the emotions that were trample on, the freedom that was cut off. They will be restored by His power. The power of the enemy is gone. The sting has been replaced by my Heavenly Father's love, by the grace of Jesus, until the only thing left in me is His light and truth. I have no need to walk in the pain of death.

So that is my encouragement to you today. Don't walk in the pain of death, whatever form it may take in your life. It does not need to have power over your life. Jesus died to take it away. Run to His arms, for only there can one be made whole again.

In His Love,
Christy