Lessons of the soul and Experiences in 'sweet home Alabama'

Some of the hardest words for me to say is "I surrender. I give it up. No strings attached." Many times, God calls us to do and say the things that are the hardest for us. Why? Because then, and only then, we get to see that He, and only He, can give us strength. And when we have that strength, it will not leave us. We are stronger than we realize. He is stronger than we realize.

When I was 13, I had to say to Jesus, "I surrender my sinful self into your hands." I knew that I couldn't change the selfish and sinful person I was without surrendering it to Him. When I was 17, I had to say to Jesus, "I surrender my profession and future to your hands." I knew that I couldn't accomplish college without his guidance and without surrendering my plans to Him. When I was 19, I had to say to Jesus, "I surrender my confused and hurt heart into your hands." I knew in that moment that my heart was unable to be repaired with His love that conquers all. After that summer, He brought Justin back into my life. When I was 21, I had to say to Jesus, "I surrender the man I love into your hands." I knew that only God knew how to make our paths cross and our future plans combine. And now, at almost 23, I am again saying, "I surrender my plans, dreams into your hands." Because I know that only God knows the exact time He will reveal to me His exact place for me.

In church today, we sang a praise song called "I Surrender". It was a new song to me, but it was amazing how much it connected to my current state. It was so joyful to sing out loud the outpouring of my soul to Jesus! At some point in our busy lives, we all will come to this place at different times, where we must sing and shout to Jesus, "I surrender ALL to you, ALL to you!"
Here's a link to the praise song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KK-9LfKsoo

As our preacher said, "The love of Christ will drive you to do things you'd never do without Him."

Thank you for your prayers as we search for God's purpose for me in Texas. He is so good, and is showing Justin and me more clarity everyday.

Love, R & J

Here are some fun pictures of the past week!
Justin with his ASBC class "The Dragons!". They were doing "The X Factor" challenges.
The wives got to go watch "The X Factor" challenges from the cat walk above. It was so much fun to watch the husbands figuring out the solutions :)

Justin getting ready to score in the Icarus game! The married flight won!!!
Only in Alabama can you go golfing next to a horse farm!!
My first time driving the golf cart!! It was a fun Saturday outing!

Enjoying the Journey

You know how some songs just hit you at the perfect moment in life. Maybe I'm weird, but music has always been a huge part in my life. Tonight as Justin and I drove to explore our new home, this song came on the radio. The song is written around the idea of life being a journey. It was neat because Justin and I were having a conversation about not focusing on getting to the next place, but enjoying every step of the way. Taking in the moments, together. Like my sister Kathy said, no matter where you are in life, there is always going to be trials, it's just about finding the positive. This also makes me think of a verse Mrs. Donna gave us before we left when Jesus says, "but after I have been raised, I will go before you (Mark 14:28) ." This journey that we all are on called life has many mountains to climb, but take joy that the Lord is going before you and will protect and guide you. Focus on the joys and memories along the way while you're climbing. And at some point, find a quite place, and enjoy the view :)

Love, R & J

The Climb lyrics
I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head sayin
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on
'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

We're here!!!

Well, we made it to Montgomery safely and smoothly. It was hard to leave, but so great to see the housing down here. We had planned for a bedroom w/ private bathroom, but ended up in a suite! It's so nice to have more room than we'd planned!! I am really enjoying trying new recipes, like honey mustard pork tenderloin! Justin has had a blast seeing some of his best buds from Auburn...and our place has become the hangout :) which I love!! so much fun! Here are some pictures of our home for 6 weeks.

...of course there are pics on the fridge already =) more to come!
the bathroom that they clean for us twice a week...i know we're being spoiled.
my own KITCHEN!! clean, organized, and ready to try out some new recipes!
the room...we have TWO closets...his and her's ;)
Den with pull-out couch for guests :D
The view with my aloe plant that has made it through lots of moves already!
view of kitchenette from couch!
my very own CRAFT CORNER!!! *it's amazing*
Justin's Study corner...not as fun as my Craft corner =)


We are super excited about the week ahead...first paycheck, first work week for JB, and I get to go with my family to Disney World!!!! So grateful for how smoothly the first few days have been. I'm loving this time to catch up on some reading, scrapbooking, and having time to enjoy a new place! I'm learning my way around base and enjoyed my first trip to the commesary (grocery store) today...the prices are great!! God is so faithful and loving. We both are continuing to learn a lot about trusting in God, loving each other, protecting your marriage, and having a daily walk and relationship with God. Thank you for your prayers.

Love, R&J

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." -1 Thes. 5: 16-22

Bitter-sweet

So I finally have the word to describe the adventure we're on..."bittersweet". Thanks to a dear friend from our Sunday School class that has gone through a very similar situation, I now am able to put a word to the feelings. I guess I've heard the word a thousand times, but only recently understood the feeling. We have experienced "the lasts"...for example, "the last time at church until Christmas" or "the last time a family member can call us up for last minute plans." But then we are so excited about all "the firsts"! The first move, the first job, the first home away from home.

One lesson Justin has taught me is that, it's not about me. A lot of times we all get caught up in how sad WE are, or how lonely WE are, or whatever WE feel, but recently it's in those moments that I remember...it's just not about me....it's about God or about others. God has been our Provider, Companion, Guide, and Patient Teacher. He has began to teach us a lot through our Sunday School and through experiences, that it's all about His love and how He has shown that to us. I am breathless and speechless when I consider all that He has done in us, for us, and through us!! He's totally in control and I can't think of a better place for us to be than in His will.

Please pray for:
-Safe travels.
-Baby Charlie and Anna Claire's growth and health.
-Justin's dad's safe trip home in August.
-Rebekah's job opportunities in Texas.
-Peace and comfort from God through all these changes.
-An acquaintance that recently lost one of their two twins before birth and the other is in critical condition.
-All our friends who are beginning marriage soon and those who are adding little ones to their families :)

We're three days away!!! Thank you so much for all your encouragement and prayers. Hope you each are enjoying the beautiful summer weather and the fun summer vacations!! (below is a pic from our Memorial Weekend trip to Edisto...it was BEAUTIFUL and relaxing!)

Love always,
R & J

^{(Romans 15:13)}"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!"

Two weeks to go!!

We cannot believe that we are only two weeks away from departure from South Carolina. A little scared because of ALL the newness, but totally excited to begin this journey!!! We've had lots of fun stuff going on and memories in the making the past week and thought we'd share some special pictures from the time with our two nephews (Daniel and Charlie) and niece (Anna Claire), our Bon Voyage family party, and our celebration of 6 months of marriage!! We feel so blessed and are so grateful for each moment we get with our friends and family.





Love, R & J

"How can I keep from singing your praise, how can ever say enough, how amazing is your love!"

Magnificent May!

Wow, where to begin! This has been a great few weeks! We cannot believe we are down to 3 weeks and counting. We have really been blessed while living here in Lexington. We've been able to attend lots of friends weddings, showers, and get togethers! We have also been able to spend lots of time with family on Wednesday nights and the weekends. One lesson I've learned is to take in the moments. I believe that is one of the most important lessons so far in my life. Just to stop and take in the moment that you're in. Justin has learned to Trust God. Trust He will provide. He will always provide as we continue to believe in His sustaining power!

We've enjoyed getting ready to move into our new home in Texas. All the boxes are packed, we got a new washer & dryer =) , and furniture is in the process of being bought. We're so excited about a family Bon Voyage party we're having this weekend. It's going to bring us so much joy to have all the family together before we head out. Lots of people ask me if I'm sad or nervous, and I have to be honest I have had one day that was full of emotions, but after praying to God with an open and honest heart, he redirected my energy and gave me peace.

As always, our nephews and niece have continued to bring so much Joy and Love into our lives. As I told Kathy today, "there isn't many things in this life that make me feel this loved." The twins are home and we are ALL loving it...it is just so neat to see every prayer the Lord has faithfully answered. Daniel is just as full-of-life and excitement as ever! We had a very fun day at the park's Kid's Day...it had tractors, horses, and popsicles :0)


We are celebrating our 6 months of marriage this week! It is hard to believe it's been that long, but at the same time so very much has happened in such a short time! I cannot begin to praise God enough for the blessings and grace he has LAVISHED upon us.

We continue to pray for our country and the decisions our leaders are making. Luke 19:40 continues to come to our minds when we feel that it's a lost fight..for "how can we keep quiet about what the Lord has done for us!" (Acts 4:20)

Love you all. Thank you dearly for your prayers and please know that we continue to lift up those of you who have asked us for prayer. Take care!
Love, R & J

Luke 19:20
"If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!"

Who am I?

Who am I?
(A question we should all take time to answer.)

I am blessed, broken, and beyond repair.
I am made whole, understood completely, and indescribably filled with grace by our Savior.
And Him alone.
Life lessons...I've had plenty and know that there are many more to come.
Heart breaks...countless.
Sisters...two.
Soulmates...one.
Fears...I try not to count.
Dreams...too many to count.
Loves...I can think of four. Family, Friends, Teaching, and Nature.
Tears...I've been told I have too many.
Laughing...one of my favorite hobbies.
Dogs...a fear turned into a love.
Flying...ironically my fear and my husbands dream.
Friends...if you let people use you, they will...if you let people love you, they will.
Fate...it surprises you, whether you let it or not.
Singing...medicine for the soul, no matter what my emotion is.
Anger...one emotion that can be used as a weapon...use with caution.
Prayers...I've learned to have Faith, He is there listening and cares.

*The truth is this...not everyone cares about Who you are, or Who I am...some people will read the title of this post and stop there. But their views don't determine your value. It's all about who your Creator made you to be, and by knowing that, you are able to tap into your purpose.

"Who am I?" by: Casting Crowns
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..