in a new city

where we serve at our new church.

a new role

as

wife

and

homemaker.

a new routine

that no longer includes

text books, spelling lessons, and tutoring sessions

but rather

mopping, laundry, and meal planning.

a new normal

three hours from family

and

from everything that I was so accustomed to.

Four weeks ago today, when we turned onto Cleveland Street, I was anxious to unpack boxes (and there were lots of them!) and make our home exactly that.

Tonight the boxes are empty and everything is in its place. I love our apartment, and I especially love the fact that I share it with my handsome husband!

I am settling into the new.

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

Isaiah 43:19

And asking God to do a new work in my heart.

Asking Him what new lessons He wants to teach me as I pack my hard-working hubby’s lunches, wash dishes and clip coupons.

I am certain that I am exactly where He wants me to be, doing exactly what He’s called me to do, but in the midst of so much new I must be careful to seek Him diligently,

asking Him to make rivers when loneliness leaves me dry, to make a way through the wilderness of inadequacy that can be so paralyzing when dinner doesn’t turn out quite like I planned or it takes me an hour and half to grocery shop.

I want Him to do a new work in me, making me more of what my Daniel, our church, and most importantly my Lord deserves in a wife, an associate pastor’s wife, and a daughter.

I am so excited to be back on the blog front sharing Scripture here at LovingmyLord and plan to make it a big part of my new life here in Caldwell!

Stay tuned for new posts much more frequently now that we have Internet access here at home, but until then I am praying that He is doing new things in your life as we finish the last few days of January!

Wow. Much has changed since the last time I blogged.

In the last 3 weeks,

we’ve gotten married, our day was perfect, more than I dreamed and planned for it to be,

enjoyed a very warm and very wonderful week in Hawaii,

celebrated the birth of our dear Savior with our family back home in Maryland and Pennsylvania,

packed all of our belongings,

and moved to a new city to begin working at a new church.

It’s been overwhelming. It’s been beyond amazing. 

It’s been a learning experience.

It’s been yet another reminder of our Lord’s faithfulness!

I’m so excited about what He has in store for 2012 and can’t wait to begin sharing His Word again here at LovingmyLord. You can also find updates on our life and ministry at our family blog, newlywedsinnewjersey.blogspot.com 

I’ve been absent on the blogfront lately since we don’t yet have internet at our new house and because I’ve been focusing on making our new house our home, but  I will resume shortly!

Meanwhile, I’m praying that you are rejoicing in the precious promises His Word is filled with and ask that you pray for me as I settle into a new normal!

Grandparents age. Children stray.

The car needs repaired, the cabinets are nearly empty, and there’s a stack of bills in the mailbox.

Life is,well, life.

We struggle with contentment, with impatience, with the daily battle between the flesh and the spirit.

Life doesn’t go as planned because we’re sinful, fallen, broken.

But then we find Hope in Scripture.

Hope that brings gladness when circumstances are anything but.

Yes, there always seems to be more month than money, but “yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25)

Yes, children who know the Truth sometimes live as if they don’t but He promised that if we would “train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Yes, it breaks our hearts as we watch our grandparents’ steps slowing and strength fading, but that only means they are a little closer to Home. For to be “absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” is far better. (2 Corinthians 5:8)

Yes, sin leaves scars and regret lingers long after the deeds are done, but “as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) He’s forgotten and longs for us to live in victory only daily fellowship with Him can bring.

Hope in Christ brings a gladness like nothing else can!

Gladness knowing He works all for our good and His glory even when we can’t quite see how the current season fits into His plan.

Gladness knowing it’s not all about now, but rather much more about later. About eternity.

Gladness knowing that He will never ever forsake us. Regardless.

Gladness knowing undeserving sinners can know what it means to have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Gladness knowing that the baby born in Bethlehem grew up to hang on a tree on Golgotha’s hill that we might be with Him in Paradise.

What an amazing gift!

“The hope of the righteous shall be gladness..!”

Proverbs 10:28

Only one week to go! I’m so grateful for all He’s done!

Giving so much more than I’ll ever deserve.

First, life and breath, twenty four years ago bright and early on that October Sunday.

Godly parents.

A happy childhood.

Church when the doors were open.

Then, everlasting life and Your Spirit making my heart Your home, nearly fifteen years ago on that April evening.

Middle school.

High school.

The ability to navigate the craziness of both.

Finally, graduation, a year earlier than I should have, on that hot June morning.

I thought I knew where I was going from there.

Turns out I knew little.

Little of where I was going and little of Who You truly longed to be to me.

That was 2004. I was certain marriage would follow soon after.

It didn’t.

And I couldn’t see it then, but it didn’t because of Your goodness,

because You wanted me to fall in love with You before I fell in love with my Prince Charming.

And tonight, I’m so grateful.

Grateful for the last seven years,

for lonely nights,

for broken hearts,

for healing straight from Your nail scarred hands,

for time at home developing relationships with my favorite people on this earth,

for time in my classroom, it’s been much more than nouns and verbs,

but rather life changing lessons taught not by me, but by the students You saw fit to bless me with,

for time to grow up into You,

to discover a passion for Your Word,

for writing,

for photography,

for life.

Oh, Lord You’ve been so good.

And after much waiting, in a season of change and heartbreak,

three Novembers ago,

You knew it was time.

Time to bring my Prince Charming.

Time because my heart was finally surrendered to You, my Lord and King.

Thank You.

Thank You for everything.

You’ve been so good.

* Nearly a month has passed since I’ve shared my heart by way of my blog. Oh how I’ve missed it! I didn’t want Thanksgiving to pass without typing my annual Thanksgiving post. He’s been so good! I also wanted to thank you for being faithful readers of my blog even in my absence. The Lord uses you to bless me often! Thank You! 

I’ve accomplished much in the way of wedding planning and preparation, and can hardly contain my excitement for our day that will be here very soon. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare. Only 23 days to go!

Happy Thanksgiving, sweet friends!*

Rushing through To-Do Number One while worrying about To-Do Number Two getting accomplished.

Relieved that you’ve finally fallen lifeless into bed, only to lie awake for another hour thinking of all the tasks that tomorrow and the next day and the day after that will bring.

No longer enjoying the sweetness of life because of the swift pace at which the days seem to fly leaving so much undone.

Skipping time in Scripture because you’ve overslept yet again.

Having an attitude that reflects the fact that Jesus got left off of your To-Do list.

That’s the blah of busyness.

Have you ever felt it?

Busyness quickly becomes a burden too heavy to carry. Exhausted and overwhelmed, I crawl back to my Savior seeking direction and help for finding the balance between being busy and being productive.

I am guilty of over committing, not necessarily to other people, but to myself. Expecting too much. Focusing on six tasks (or sixty, when it comes to the remaining wedding projects and other marriage and moving related To-Do’s), and allowing my heart to become burdened with the weight of so many responsibilities.

How quickly what should be viewed as an incredible blessing results in the blah of busyness, into missing the moment, failing to focus on Jesus and how grateful I am that He has me where I am today. How quickly I let worry win. How apt I am to allow anxiousness to accomplish it’s goal of making me miserable.

When I allow busyness to steal my time with Jesus and fail to ”seek…first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness..” (Matthew 6:33), I am grouchy when I should be gracious. I am sulking when I should be singing. I am most certainly lacking the joy that He died to give me. I find myself “tak(ing).. thought of the morrow..” (Matthew 6:34) even though I am fully aware of my Lord’s admonition to trust Him with what I can’t yet see or in this case, what I can see and am concerned over how it will get done!

But I don’t want busyness to make me blah! This season is too precious to spend the next month and a half feeling (and acting) that way. I want it to make me more aware of my need to rely on my Savior for strength to get what truly needs to be accomplished accomplished and the wisdom to know what is of little importance anyway. I want to savor every second. I want to joy in every step of the journey!

I want to see every task as a blessing. Every To-Do as a means of bringing Him glory. I want to praise Him when I am productive and even when I look at my list wondering why I didn’t accomplish more.

Praying that your busyness drives you to Jesus, sweet friends! Oh how we need Him!

“But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”

Psalm 68:3

You are very familiar with the first “m” being close to my heart. Marriage has been the topic of many a post over the last four months. It has consumed my thoughts. It has long been what I believe I was created to do. To be a wife and, if the Lord wills one day, a mom. On Saturday, December seventeenth the Lord will give me the precious privilege of becoming Daniel’s wife, and I’ll get to spend the rest of my days learning what it means to be a help meet to my husband.

The next “m” is one I knew would come with marriage. Moving. It’s only natural that a husband and wife have a space to call their own. A place to call home and establish their own traditions. I’ve had seven and a half amazing years at home since my graduation in 2004. Time to build and establish deeper relationships with my parents, grandparents, and other sweet family members. Time to prepare and learn skills that will hopefully help as we set up housekeeping in two short months.

The final “m”  has always been my prayer for my future husband. I prayed that he would have a desire for ministry. And that my future husband, does! In fact, he gave up dreams of a successful law career, surrendering to whatever the Lord would have for him in a life of full-time ministry. He has spent the last ten years doing just that. Working hard to pay his way through Bible College, teaching and coaching at a Christian School, and most recently assisting in the new church plant where the Lord allowed our paths to cross almost three years ago. He is a servant. He puts his heart and soul into the service of His Lord and the people he’s called to serve! Lately though, he has been spending much of his time working an outside job seventy hours a week that he might provide the finances needed for our future together all the while his heart breaking.

All of this brings me to the news I’ve been longing to share with you. Since Daniel surrendered to the call to preach long before we met, he has longed to pastor full-time. From the early stages of our relationship, we have discussed our mutual desire to serve the Lord in a full-time capacity. We have always known that we desired to raise our family in the ministry.

And the Lord has been working in amazing ways to bring those desires to pass in our lives. He knew three years ago when my family walked into a little store front church. He knew two and half years ago when we went on our first date. He knew four months ago, when my handsome husband to be pulled the beautiful diamond ring I now wear from his pocket. He knew when we didn’t.

He knew that He would open a door for us in a town just thirty minutes from New York City. In a church that is blessed with a wonderful pastor and pastor’s wife that we will be teaming with to serve a very culturally diverse congregation. He knew, and we are so grateful and so honored to walk through the door He has opened, to accept the call to the First Baptist Church of Caldwell, New Jersey. We are unworthy vessels and just pray that He will empty us of us and use us for His glory.

So not only will the next two months bring marriage, but it will also bring moving and finding our place in a new city, a new church and new ministry!

When we visited our new church home a few Sundays ago, Daniel preached a message from Galatians chapter six, challenging the congregation to use the opportunities the Lord gives us every day to share the life-changing message of the Gospel with those we come into contact with.

And when we look at this new portion of our journey, we look at it as an amazing opportunity!

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,

especially unto them who are of the household of faith”

Galatians 6:10

Please pray for us as we prepare. How we long to be faithful to His Call and fruitful in our service!

We are sixty three days away from the day when we will promise each other and our God that our love will last a lifetime.

We are overwhelmed by His graciousness and by the graciousness of our friends and family at our wedding shower today.

Our parents, grandparents and so many others worked so hard to make today wonderful! And wonderful it was!

From the food and decor to the sweet fellowship, it was everything I’ve always dreamed it would be!

I wanted to share some pictures of the beautiful decorations and all of the hard work that was put into celebrating what our Lord has done in bringing us together!

The beautiful tables in the foyer area!

The menu included chili, chicken salad sandwiches and lots of other fall favorites!

The dessert table! They all tasted as delicious as they look!

The yummy apple punch!

Everyone was so gracious! We opened so many gifts that we cannot wait to use in our new apartment!

In addition to the gifts, everyone brought a pantry item! We are well stocked with everything from peanut butter to laundry detergent!

It is still so surreal, so hard to believe that we are so close to our Happily Ever After!

But indeed we are, and today was filled with so many reminders of the truth in the precious promises of Scripture!

He has given us the desires of our hearts, and we are so grateful!

We pray that the years to come will be filled with day after day of falling in love with each other and with our Loving Lord who has been so very good to us!

 “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Psalm 37:14

according to the power that worketh in us”

Ephesians 3:20

This verse has been the theme of my blog since the beginning, but recently it has been consuming every day life.

As He is daily preparing me for marriage, He is continually working in ways that never cease to amaze me.

I think of where I could have been had He not turned my world upside down six years ago.

I think of all I would have missed had things gone the way I wanted them to.

I think of the perfectness of His timing, of the ways He’s opened doors and closed others in ways that are so clearly Him.

There is no denying that where He has me today is all His doing.

And I am so grateful.

This season of life is busier than any I’ve every experienced before, but oh so sweet.

Though it hasn’t allowed much time for blogging, His Word is meaning more to me everyday.

And I have much I want to share with you when things slow down a bit.

I am trying to savor every second while longing for December seventeenth with everything in me.

The Lord is proving to me that I can’t dream big enough,

or expect too much of Him.

 He will ALWAYS exceed my expectations.

As the leaves change this Autumn, so does life as I’ve always known it.

Oh, but I can’t wait to see what He has in store!

Praying that He shows Himself strong in your lives this week, sweet friends.Thanks for walking beside me on this journey by way of my blog!

Whatever my God ordains is right,
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, or need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken,
My Father’s care circles me there,
He holds me that I shall not fall,
And so to Him I leave it all.

~Samuel Rodigast

 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them,

and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 

John 10:4

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:

because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

A terror to society.

Possessed with demons.

Unclean and unclothed.

The awful description of a man, we only know as Legion, who made his home in Gadara near the Sea of Galilee.

He had  battled this evil for a “long time.” (Luke 8:27) He coped with the agony and torment by “crying and cutting himself.” (Mark 5:5) Many had tried to bind him “with fetters and chains” (Mark 5:4) to no avail.

That was until he encountered a man named Jesus.

Jesus heard the hurt in his voice. Jesus saw the glaring need in his life. Jesus, unlike those who had attempted to tame him before, spoke peace into his pain.

“For He said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.” (Mark 5:8)

I cannot imagine the relief that must have flooded through this man as possibly thousands of devils departed from him.

Oh what a miracle performed on Galilee’s shore that day!

Within a matter of minutes, he went from crazy to captivated by the Lord!

He “was sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind!” (Mark 5:15)

He was “at the feet of Jesus” (Luke 8:35) reveling in the reality of redemption!

And Jesus didn’t deliver him and leave him there in the graveyard!

He bid him “return to (his) own house, and show how great things God (had) done” for him! (Luke 8:39)

The maniac had a ministry!

The once demonic man was now a disciple!

And he immediately obeyed the instructions,

“he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him!”

(Luke 8:39)

Since hearing a message preached from this passage yesterday, I haven’t been able to get it off my mind.

It paints such a beautiful picture of God’s marvelous grace!

Grace greater than all my sin!

Though I was not dwelling among tombs, I was bound by chains of sin.

Chains my Jesus broke when he saved me fourteen years ago!

His grace becomes more of a reality everyday, and for it I will be eternally grateful!

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Ephesians 1:7

Praying that His Grace is real to you this week in ways you’ve never experienced before!

Enjoy the final week of September! The months are flying by!