Distracted

Running on empty...?

Too busy...?

Sounds all to familiar. 

Why do we feel that we must jam-pack our lives? 

If we have an open spot on the calendar it must be filled. 

I took a moment to reflect on what "busy" is going to my life and this is what I found...

1} I'm out of shape and not finding time to exercise, eat right and take care of myself.

2} Out of sorts emotionally. I can go from extremely happy to crying is .05 seconds.

3} I fell out of touch with those who are closest to me. Both friends and family.

4} My spiritually looses its priority.

Lately I've been a bit overwhelmed and this verse always contorts me:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon your and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

It was time to prioritize. Actually take Sunday as a day of rest. Yes I said it, rest.

I had to find balance. The differences between what I want and what I need.

Lastly, I need to remember to dream. I have dreams and its never to late to make them a reality.
To reach them, I have to set goals. Some short term, some long, but at least I have this
list to reflect on what I've accomplished and how far I've gone.

We don't always like to think that our days are numbered.
Our kids are growing in a blink of an eye. The time to live your dreams is now.

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise." Ephesians 5:15

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." Psalm 62:1

Making alone time with God has moved to the top of my priority list. Asking what God wants from me.

Things in our life has changed and God has opened this new avenue for my photography
business to expand by leaps and bounds. Just in case you have wondered where I've been
or what I've been doing, I wanted to share with you a few images for my last portrait session. 

You can view the entire photo session here.

I want to close with this...

If Satin can't make us bad, he can make us busy.

Think about it and prioritize what's important in your life.

Love is a Verb

What is a verb? 

A verb is an ACTION word.

LOVE is a verb.

Some think of it as a feeling or emotion, but love is actually something you do. It's a choice.

My husband and I have been married almost 11 years and we still get asked if we're newlyweds. It feels like it was only yesterday. When he walks into the room, my stomach still gets tingly. I feel that spark when he touches my hand. When people find out that we also work together, {in the exact same room}, spend nearly every second together of every day, they wonder how we do it. We wonder how someone couldn't. Why are we so different than the "norm"? 

God is the center of our marriage. We live by 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

"⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails..." 

Source

Think of it this way....

Be patient. It's not easy with the world moving at light-speed, but don't rush life. 

Enjoy it. Especially all the little things that you miss when you're rushing though it.

Be kind. Not just some of the time, all the time. Live by the Golden Rule,

"treat others the way you want to be treated."

Don't be envious. Seriously. Change your outlook on life. 

Replace the "I wish I had..." to "I'm thankful for...".

Don't be boastful. Being proud and full of yourself is not attractive. 

Instead be modest, humble, and unassuming.

Records of wrongs. Life is not a game, so don't keep score. Be forgiving. 

Letting evil in, will destroy your relationship. Even a smigin. It can be an addition, dishonesty, or betrayal. Then celebrate and cheer about your dedication an loyalty.

Changing these things in your relationship, you'll have the marriage of your dreams!    

It worked for us. 

One other tidbit of advice, join a couples bible study.

Pray together.

What comes out during a couples prayer time, will change your life.

We're not just saying this, we're living it.

  

Spur of the Moment

I'm very much a planner person. We have our vacations scheduled at least a year in advance. Seriously. 

Many of you might not know, my husband and I work together. Not only for the same company, not only in the same building, but in the very same office. I turn my chair around, and there he is. When people here this for the first time we always get asked, "How on earth do you live and work together all day long, everyday?" Our response, how could we not. We have God in the center of our marriage. We're inseparable.

I found the one my heart loves.

Songs of Solomon 3:4

 My husband and I have lunch together everyday, but lately it has become a routine where we spend a a little while eating together and its back to work. Earlier in the day he had told me what a gorgeous, warm day it was outside. When he brought lunch in, something in my mind clicked. A memory of what we used to do earlier in our marriage. We were heading to the beach for a picnic. 

Remember to treasure the little moments in life. 
Some of the best ones will be spur of the moment. 

Casey Wiegand's

{Guest Post} Casey Wiegand + Win Casey Wiegand Ad Space

My name is Casey Wiegand, I am a freelance artist, wife and mama. 

I love painting and sharing our life through my blog...where you can expect pieces of my perspective on life, faith, kids, marriage, with touches of art, creative inspiration, projects and things I love along the way. I have two little ones with the hopes of lots more and am married to the love of my life!

Any C-section mamas out there? Any of you look at/see/ notice your scars everytime you are getting ready/ showering, etc?

Well, I do.

I love my scar. I love what it represents.

I love that long after my children are grown, I will still have my scar from my 2 previous c-sections (and however many more). I love that it is a daily reminder to me of the 2 little lives I have to take care of & think about.

Scars represent beautiful things. They make us who we are.

What about our emotional scars? We all have them. Some run deeper than others...some change us for better and some create walls in us.

Our scars make us who we are, don't they?

When I started blogging it was because I found this quote:

"I find beauty in not only the beautiful things in life, but the bittersweet and sad as well. To me, there is something poignantly lovely about the human experience from its splendor to its grief. God created all our emotions, not just the happy ones, and for His good purposes. That's why a good cry can feel so good. And hitting our limits forces us to look outside ourselves for a Savior. It is in the plea, when we're at our end, that we can find that which is truly life-giving. Personally, my moments of deepest grief, deepest pain, have resulted in the most beautiful seasons in my heart. I've met God more intimately in those moments than in all the other pleasant ones combined. What isn't completely lovely about that?" 

Leslie.

I was going through a hard time and something about this quote gave me hope. And peace. And then the entire blogging experience and community pulled me out. Into a better place. 

Now...just months later, here I am embracing the scars... letting my hurt make me lovely.

I realized something along the way. I am better off with my hurt. My past. Embracing all that has happened and allowing it to make me a better me :)

Isn't she just amazing!

Which one of your lucky peeps would like to win ad space on Casey's blog for the entire month of April?

Now you can enter below to win!

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