Rehearsals,Weddings,Receptions,Brunches Oh My!

Krasner Rehearsal,Wedding,Reception,Brunch

Well, the past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind for sure. We have worked on putting wedding stuff together almost everyday for 2 weeks. RyLee and I have spent a lot of time together becoming greater friends. From wedding dress fittings, to shopping spree's to yard sales, to Sam's Club pricing, to raiding the freezer at Aldi's, we have done so much! It has been exhausting, but fun for sure. I would not have missed it for the world.
We had the wedding rehearsal dinner at Clay & RyLee's and put together homemade Lasagna which was a huge hit. I did not know we could get 30 people into their living room/dining room... but we did! Chely let them have the wedding at her 1900's historic home, which was absolutely beautiful with the original hardwood floors and the remodeled kitchen. We broke the kitchen in real good too! Chely was great and her friend Melissa/Mindy were great hosts. The wedding was in the front yard and the reception was in the back yard. Clay had the band play "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles before he walked down the aisle. RyLee had them play "Someday My Prince will Come". It was a picture perfect day, a fairy tale wedding! We cleaned and packed everything up after they left and I got home around 1AM. The brunch at their house was today, a beautiful, sunny day and friends were over to eat hot dogs and hamburgers. It was a nice time to visit with new friends and old alike. Clay and RyLee wanted to do this for their friends because they love everyone so much.
Clay & RyLee were so appreciative of everyone that helped bring this together. They got to tell the story of how they met in France of all places. It truly was a union put together by God. I look forward to the day when they get to help me with my wedding. I love you my friends and I pray a Wild at Heart/Captivating, Song of Solomon marriage for you. You are truly blessed of the Lord!
Now they are off to their honeymoon destination.....sunny central Florida and all of the wonderful sites it has to offer. (Click on the pic above to see all the pic's from the past few days)

Hillsong United

Hillsong United

We went to The Ryman tonight to hear Hillsong United. I can honestly say it was an amazing time in worship. When I am there with them (this is the third time I have heard them in person) it is such a worshipful time with the Lord. I just lose myself in Him. They sang many of our fav's and also some from their new CD which has not been released here yet. Their heart for worship is what makes the songs so amazing and that touch the soul. Worshipping my Lord is my true heart. I could do what United does every day of the week. What an honor to lead people into the presence of God, totally vulnerable, open and abandoned to HIM.

Also, Michael W. had a surprise guest there, Actor Jim Caveziel who played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ. He talked about how much one of Michaels songs had ministered to him and helped him through the filming of that movie when he was having such a hard time. He was struck by lightening, got Hypothermia, had his shoulder separated when he was carrying the cross. He talked about how there is nothing more important than Jesus and our influence as Christians on a lost and dying world. He spoke from the heart.

I also took some pic's while we were standing outside waiting to get in. The guys were hammin' it up for the camera. I was so very glad I got to go.

Quote

God determines who walks into your life....
it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

Someone sent this to me today and I felt it was worth posting here. Very profound.

Birthday Week, Friends, Family, Flowers

Birthday Dinner Family & Friends

Revised: I added some more pic's. Aaron, Beth, Wes, Sherry and the kids took me to dinner before church for my BDay. They gave me a wonderful journal! I love to journal. The mexican food was great! Thank you all so much! The Parrys had a Bday party for me after church on Wednesday night! It was great! They had some friends come by to help celebrate including my nephew! There was cake and music and flowers and a swanky present "Dance Dance Revolution!" Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! Thanks so much guys! I love you all! Also my family took me to dinner for by BDay and some close friends went with me to lunch for my BDay. Then I got flowers from one of my youth friends-Jessica, and flowers from my Area Director in Arbonne plus a surprise mini party on Monday night. Thanks so much for celebrating with me-I love you guys!

Circumstances vs Trust in God

Andy was teaching on Monday night at The Loop. It was a great message and one that really spoke to me.....I needed to hear it, and it sort of hit me between the eyes. I had let circumstances overrun my life...whether anyone else wants to admit it or not, we have all done this. It is so easy to get your eyes on the circumstances facing your life, because as Andy pointed out, circumstances scream the loudest. They get in your face and can overwhelm you and when that happens, you feel like you can't trust God.... which is exactly what the enemy wants. That is why I wanted to share the notes from his message. It truly ministered to me. It was the 4th part of a 5 part series. This night it was called "Trust Me". He referenced 1 Timothy 4:12

The theme of the message, and the statement that really hit me was "God is trustworthy and the circumstances are not!"

He talked about 4 points:
1) The beginning-God's divine plan
2) The Breakdown-where it went wrong (the breakdown came when circumstances overruled certainty. Circumstances speak the loudest, faith is a decision we make.
3) The Belief-returning to God's truth
4) The Blessing-living as a Godly man/woman

When it comes to circumstances he said to obey what has already been said to you- Gods will-Gods wisdom. Make a decision and step out by faith and do something. God will not be real to you until you trust Him. He is the one certain thing. It is our circumstances that are uncertain. Circumstances will lie to you, they do not take into account the God of the Universe. He is certain, we can trust Him.

Why do we fail to trust God?
The lie of smarts-we think we can figure things out, we think we can analyze and work through whatever we want to control, leave God out.
The lie of security-we think if we have enough money in the bank, a good car, all those things that we think will make us feel secure, but there is no security outside of truly trusting God.
The lie of safety-we will play it safe, not step out of the boat, not take chances or risks and then we will be safe. Trying to maintain security, fear keeps you from getting into relationship. Circumstances can overrule our lives.
The lie of status-trying to maintain how people view us, how we should promote ourselves, wanting everyone to think we have it all together. It takes us away from faith in God.

***Don't trade certainty in God for circumstances*** Believe God is who He says He is. We don't know what is best for us but God does. God when your truth conflicts with my life...that is when my life bends to you.

When you take a step of faith, it will rock your status, your security, your faith, it does not fit our normal thinking! What is He leading you to do? What steps of faith is He asking you to take? What are you trusting Him to do in your life? Do you believe He is trustworthy? Will you believe Him instead of the circumstances that are facing you? You have to make your own decision. God say's "trust me", He knows what He is doing.

Prayer: God we trust you, you are the one who knows how to work this out, we trust you to do it, speak it, change the circumstances in our life!"

God does not fit in the box of our reason. Nothing is impossible with God.

Time with friends............

Easter Sunday

Today was a beautiful sunny day. It started out so cold, but is turned out to be glorious! We had dinner with some of my favorite people, The Parrys, and then on to another favorite peoples.....Clay and Rylee. I am blessed to have you all in my life and as my frieds. We worked on wedding stuff at Clay and Rylees, we worked on rocker hair for Stuart and Ethan at the Parry's. Click on the pic to see the rest of the day!

Greater Love.........

It's Spring and with that comes all of the toil and struggle of nature to bring forth the leaves on the tree's, the flowers and it sometimes is a reflection of the struggle we are in.

Today's devotional is really a continuation of my last blog over a week ago, but at the same time, it comes on a day that shows God's true love, His greatest sacrifice for us.........The Rssurrection. Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friends. That is what Jesus did for us. There is no greater sacrifice, no greater love. He sought us, pursued us, fought for us, died for us, and now He romances us. Where would I be if He had never done any of these things? Lost for sure.

I am humbled, thankful, and in awe of how He made us in His image. The Man and the Woman each with their own distinctive attributes, yet all of those attributes are still God, still His reflection. How He see's us, what He see's in us even if we don't recognize it ourself. Sometimes as a woman, you begin to wonder if the way you are feeling is a weakness or insecurity. I mean, you have the media everywhere spinning their view of how a woman should be, should look, should talk like, etc. And then you learn more about God's attributes He has placed in you...how He made us to be, and you realize you're not weak, or insecure.....you just desire the same things God does. I love you Jesus.

"Can there be any doubt that God wants to be sought after? The first and greatest of all commands is to love him (Mark 12:29–30; Matt. 22:36–38). He wants us to love him. To seek him with all our heart. A woman longs to be sought after, too, with the whole heart of her pursuer. God longs to be desired. Just as a woman longs to be desired. This is not some weakness or insecurity on the part of a woman, that deep yearning to be desired. God feels the same way. Remember the story of Martha and Mary? Mary chose God, and Jesus said that was what he wanted. “Mary has chosen what is better” (Luke 10:42). She chose me.

Life changes dramatically when romance comes into our lives. Christianity changes dramatically when we discover that it, too, is a great romance. That God yearns to share a life of beauty, intimacy, and adventure with us. “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). This whole world was made for romance—the rivers and the glens, the meadows and the beaches. Flowers, music, a kiss. But we have a way of forgetting all that, losing ourselves in work and worry. Eve—God’s message to the world in feminine form—invites us to romance. Through her, God makes romance a priority of the universe.

So God endows Woman with certain qualities that are essential to relationship, qualities that speak of God. She is inviting. She is vulnerable. She is tender. She embodies mercy. She is also fierce and fiercely devoted. As the old saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” That’s just how God acts when he isn’t chosen. “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any other god!” (Ex. 20:5 NLT). A woman’s righteous jealousy speaks of the jealousy of God for us.

Tender and inviting, intimate and alluring, fiercely devoted. Oh yes, our God has a passionate, romantic heart. Just look at Eve." (Captivating , 29–30)