NEW YORK CITY

if there's one major thing that sonny and i have in common, it's that we are terrible at keeping secrets. the worst i know actually. next to my little sister and i who for every year we lived together, spilled the beans about what we were getting for christmas.
the best was the year she knew she was getting a cell phone but "santa" left it in the at&t bag...priceless. also a story for another time.

about a month ago i started thinking about how incredible my husband is and how much he does for our {little} family. he works really hard. i also got to thinking that the only really out-of-state vacation we've ever taken was to hawaii on our honeymoon. and holy moly that was four years ago.

new york at christmas time has been a dream of mine since i was little. the closets i ever get is the macy's thanksgiving day parade. and i cry when i see the rocketts, the macy's sign and yes. the big man in red.

so i got to thinking.
yolo.
we're going to new york this christmas.

a week from today actually.
so naturally. we needed a list of things to do.

A TO-DO LIST FOR NEW YORK CITY

-rockefeller plaza. the big, beautiful tree. it's going to be the most amazing sight.
-bryant park. ice skating maybe?
-times square. because hello. it's new york.
-the MET. "it's the mets, and they suck. we lie the yankees". if you don't know that quote, i'm not sure we can be friends.
-empire state building. the view.
-ground zero. i think it's going to be one of those moments i'll remember for the rest of my life.
-radio city music hall. if nothing else, a picture of the sign.
-macy's. because i have waited 25 years to see it in person and not just on tv during the parade.
-the blue coffee. in movies, all i see is people in new york with a cup of blue coffee. 27 dresses. seen it? the coffee. where it comes from, i have no idea. but i'll let you know.
-central park. and take a carriage ride. which may have been sonnys idea. i know, he's literally the best.
-5th ave. here i'll perfect my window shopping.
-little italy. p a s t a. in my belly.
-grand central station. maybe they'll be a dance breakout.


is there more? you bet. any suggestions are so welcome!

new york, i can't wait to see you.

intentionally, creatively, perfectly

"everyone who is called by My name,

whom I created for My glory,

whom I formed and made" 

isaiah 43:7

can we all just take a huge sigh of relief on this one together.
ready?
breathe in
and out.

because listen, if you didn't catch the magnitude of that verse. go read it again.

we're called. created for HIS glory, and formed by the same Creator who made the solar system.
hello. that's amazing.

as i was reading, the "created for My glory" really caught my attention. because i got to thinking, about a life where i was focused on just myself. a life, without Jesus. how much time would i spend pumping myself up?

i don't know about you.
but i don't really walk around telling myself how awesome i am. and no, that isn't because i don't think i'm awesome and have self esteem issues. it's because i walk around telling myself i was created by THE most awesome God. i tell myself that yea, "i am woman, hear me roar" because I have God who's "roaring like a lion" in me (ok truth time. i hate that song but it's what came to mind).

God didn't create humans with the intention that we'd end up...well, kind of like how we are now. selfish, completely self absorbed, so worried about what the rest of the world thinks we're doing (or not doing), and always giving ourselves the high five instead of Him.

we were created for His glory. to live lives that point to Him, and not ourselves. to wake up every morning with the intention of doing His will, and not our own.

but somewhere along the lines. things got a bit lost and fuzzy.

and don't get me wrong here. i'm all for girl power and all that jazz. but i just think it's Who we first sing those praises about that's the point.

i was reading a she reads truth plan from a while ago the other day and came upon this:

so good, right?

i think the most important thing, is to live out how we were created.
intentionally.
creatively.
perfectly.

and no. i'm not talking about the perfect 1950's house wife. or the straight a's kid.

i'm talking about living out the perfect love that we were created with, and that lives in us.
living with such intention that every day counts. every day we've spoke the name of Jesus over someone, every day we've taken the time to pray for friends and family. we've looked for opportunities to really be Jesus to others.
creatively. and i'm not just talking about painting a picture or taking a picture. i'm talking about living a life full of color. because grey isn't that flattering of a color anyways.

so what if, we threw out the "me, me me" mentality?
what if we really focused on His glory and not our own?

i think things might be a little different.

hello september

is it just me or is it crazy pants to anyone else that it's SEPTEMBER?

one of the greatest months of the year because football starts.

go browns. 

and with a new month, comes new goals. 

because i love goals. even when i don't stick to them. 

#1. book a wedding

i have some seriously wonderful brides inquiring with me. 

#2. find a church

we haven't found a church in orlando yet. such a big decision to make. 

#3. loose 5 pounds

remember when i wrote about loving all the food and not caring about what i look like. i lied. 

#4. read through Jeremiah

for some reason this book has been on my brain lately.

a short list. but a list of goals. i'm excited for september because there's so much newness going on. summer is on the way out, ok well not totally in florida. but fall is here. and that makes me happy. 

here's to a great september. 

don't give up

dear almost quitter,

stop for a second and remember why you're doing what you're doing.

remember what made you decide to do this.

remember the feeling you had when you first accomplished that really big goal.

no one promised this would be easy. no one said that taking a giant leap of faith was smooth sailing.
if you're like me, there are times when you wonder if your parachute is malfunctioning.

it's not.

it's going to catch us on the way down.
ok really, HE is going to catch us on the way down.

we're going to make it.
why?

because in a crappy world, we've got to keep our chins up.
because those haters. girl. they are going to hate.
and those doubts and insecurities are going to sneak back into our heads.

but this.
this career. joy. life. choice we made.
we're doing it.

we're really, really doing it.

so on those days that you want to quit. don't. that won't get us anywhere. that's what the world wants. to weigh us down. to make us think this isn't what God created us to do.
but it is.

keep.going.

sincerely,
the girl who wants to quit all the time.
but won't.