What's The Point?

Another year. 

Another year behind us. Another 365 days of life [lived]. And another year is just hours away from greeting us. 

If you're like me, that's kind of overwhelming & exciting at the same time. 

I don't know what to expect.

I don't know if I [or others] can endure what's to come. 

I just don't know. 

And I really hate the not knowing part. 

But after a year of blessings, big changes, good changes, difficult changes, celebrations, disappointments, heartache, desperately wanting to fix things [what's new!?], and more empathy that I thought I could ever experience, I'm thankful that I did more than survive this year. 

I felt it. 

I mourned it. 

I celebrated it. 

I lived it. 

Because Christ lives. 

Because He [is]. 

And that's the point. That's the point I learned from this year. It's the point of everyday. Every moment. Every. thing. It's the answer I keep coming back to. 

And that can be the point of this year. 

No, I don't know what this year will bring. I don't know what I [or others...this world] will have to face, but I know that I can. And I can face it walking beside others...sharing in their struggles & celebrations, too. 

Because He [is]. 

I can face it, feel it, mourn it, and celebrate it. I can live it. Because Jesus lives; he's dwelling, carrying our fears, failures, past & future, and breathing life into every single struggle & joy. 

Because He just [is]. 

So, if you're feeling overwhelmed about what's to come, know that you're not alone. And you can face this year knowing that you have a savior that's living, sovereign, & cares. Nothing is too little & nothing is too big. 

No matter what this year brings, allow yourself to feel it, mourn it, and celebrate it. Live it. 

Because He [is]. 

30 Reasons for 30 Years

Each year birthdays become even more special. 

Call me extra sensitive, which is true, but [life is just so precious], how could they not? 

So last weekend, the hubby turned 30! And naturally, I made it a big deal. And we decided to take a little get-away trip to Orlando, FL. 

Cheap plane tickets, time away, & theme parks- irresistible. 

I also thought I'd be that extra cool & creative wife and celebrate him for 30 days by giving him a tiny surprise each day. Piece of cake- said no full-time working, life-balancer wife. Ever. 

So that kinda failed. Royally failed. 

But I did surprise him with some much needed cold-weather necessities. And regardless, he would've been just as content with a homemade cake and a movie. Or even just a card. That man is so simple & humble [which is why he kinda hated me for telling the admission lady at Disney that is was his birthday...because she gave him a birthday pin...and I may have made him wear that said pin. All day.] 

Which brings me to all my mushy thoughts & 30 reasons why I celebrate him. 

1. His faith. 

Christ is first. It's authentic. 

2. His love. 

It's pure. And he gives his all. 

3. His silent ways.

He's not always a talker. But his words are full. 

4. His honesty. 

He doesn't fluff. He tells it like it is. 

5. His work-ethic. 

He gives everything he can. He works hard! 

6. His balance. 

He balances work and family like a champ. We are always most important. 

7. His patience. 

He's so calm. He thinks things through rationally. 

8. His humor. 

He's so sarcastic & witty. He's the king of movie quotes. 

9. His intellect. 

He's smart & rocked law school. He remembers people & historical facts like no other. 

10. His love of presidents. 

He's always loved them. And he loves to learn all that he can about them. 

11. His love of sports. 

Our Braves, Vols, & Chelsea. He's well-rounded. 

12. His dedication.

He doesn't waver. He doesn't quit. 

13. He loves Christmas. 

It's his favorite holiday. He's legitimately sad when it's over. 

14. His love of documentaries. 

We watch them a lot. They never get old with him. 

15. He's not afraid to be nerdy. 

He likes what he likes. And he doesn't care what people think. 

16. He's constant. 

His love doesn't waver. Even when we're at odds. 

17. His talents. 

He can sing & play guitar & trombone. It melts me. 

18. His love of maps. 

It's so random. And cute. 

19. His heart for animals. 

He loves all kinds, especially whales! And our sweet Dooley. 

20. His respect. 

He respects, loves, & honors his family. He holds them in high regard. 

21. He rarely eats sweets. 

It's out of the ordinary. But when he does, his fav is pineapple upside down cake! 

22. His love of traveling. 

We don't get to often. But we plan & dream all the time. 

23. He's a kid magnet. 

Kids will just come up to him in public. Maybe they sense he's a kid-at-heart? 

24. He has great hair. 

I mean, need I say more? 

25. He used to be in a punk band. 

He wore Hurley & skater shoes. And he still likes all genres of music.

26. I converted him to share my love of Harry Potter. 

It took a while. But we nerd out together!

27. He loves to make me laugh. 

He tells me all the time- seeing my happiness makes him happy. 

28. He really is humble. 

He doesn't like attention. He sees other's strengths. 

29. We're opposites. 

He complements me. We balance each other. 

30. He's Kyle Bentley Fuller.

His middle name is the coolest. And he is who our Creator & Lord made, and is molding him to be. 

Mushy-gushy stuff aside, he's my best friend. And I'm so thankful for his life. And in times where I'm not acting or being thankful, I pray to remember these things. And the million other reasons that I celebrate him. 

And most of all, I want to remember that I love & celebrate him, because Jesus loves & celebrates him. 

[If you haven't written a list of reasons you celebrate people, I recommend it. It's such a reminder of their individuality and Jesus in them.]

You should take a peek into our fun trip! We highly recommend these attractions, [especially The Wizarding World of HarryPotter]! We had a blast! 

Florida simply has the best sunsets. 

Could this be more real? I think not. And please excuse the 3 dreary photos. iPhones apparently have auto-edit settings now? Woops. 

Giddy. Just giddy. 

Yeah, we were there. 

And we were kinda happy. 

Yes, please. 

Accidentally started at the new park, but we hopped the train and went to Hogsmeade to meet up with Nathan and Mary Beth. 

We could live there. It was so fun to be back. 

Had a little lunch at the Three Broomsticks. 

Made a little call to the Ministry of Magic. 

King's Cross! 

The Night Bus. In all its glory. 

Entrance to Diagon Alley. 

It was so detailed! 

Honeydukes Candy back in Hogsmeade. 

Fudge. 

Again, so detailed! 

The Weasley's Joke Store. 

The Leaky Cauldron entrance. 

Our dear friends, Nathan and Mary Beth, that we spent the day with! So fun. 

We purchased interactive wands that  were tons of fun at little "spell stations" they had marked. 

It clearly took focus. 

And our magic talents were shocking. ;)

Did I mention the dragon breathed real fire. No? Well it did! 

Waiting for the ride, Escape from Gringotts wasn't boring. Photo credit to Nathan. 

They were kinda so real looking it was creepy. Photo credit to Nathan. 

He was crazy real, too. Photo credit to Nathan. 

Wand twinsies. 

Poor photo quality, but it was so dreamy to end the day back at Hogsmeade. 

Day 2. Epcot or bust! The big birthday day! :)

No question where we were! 

When the wife makes you wear a birthday button, and you get a million Happy Birthdays...;) 

Loved walking & tasting through the different countries. 

The architecture is so detailed.  

Hm, do you know this guy? 

Most of our time was spent in England. :)

Rose & Crown. 

This was the 10th generation of Twinings Tea! I'm not a creeper at all. 

Poor quality. Night-life was just as crowded. Who knew the Food & Wine festival was such a big deal?  

Fish & Chips by the water. Done & done. 

Rain made its way into the area around 7, so coffee and an English store was a good little recharge. 

It was kinda hard to say goodbye. Minus our feet...they were more than ready.

Plus, we missed this guy a little too much. 

We seriously had so much fun. 

Time away from the hustle & bustle was just what we needed! And getting to act like kids in your favorite theme parks is what every 30 year old needs! ;) 

Kyle, I love celebrating you & our Lord's grace. 

What If.

June, July, and the first part of August have been such a whirlwind of "what ifs".

Basically, my [brain & heart] are mush.

A lot of self-imposed guilt. A lot of heavy questioning. A lot of not trusting.

Even in moments of peace, and comfort, I still can't grasp this "it doesn't have to make sense" business. And honestly it never will.

And that's okay. I'm not meant to. [We're not meant to.]

Yet, I [seek] to...all the time!

I just have this longing for peace, unity, and fulfillment [for myself & others]. I ache at all the brokenness in & around me. I want to turn back time and [change] circumstances & decisions...But what I really want? Perfection.

I see that.
I know that.
I feel that.

But it's against everything this world is. And against everything this world can be...[Without Christ].

So, what I'm really longing for- I'm really longing for heaven. I'm really longing for Jesus. [Thank the Lord for good, honest friends that remind me of this.]

And these what ifs-

What if I did more.
What if my parents hadn't lost their home.
What if my dad & mom could find great paying jobs.
What if they had everything they needed.
What if we lived down the road from our family.
What if I did more for people.
What if I was more extroverted.
What if I was working a dream job.
What if I wasn't tired all the time.
What if I didn't have doubts.
What if lightening hadn't struck our house, and [from an unrelated problem] the AC unit completely go out...on the [same] night.

I could go on. And on. And on. And I'm sure you could too.

But here's the thing- I don't have to...you don't have to.

We can cling to Him. We can cling to the hope of heaven- the hope of Him & His perfection. The hope that He makes us whole- He fixes the broken. He fixed it on the cross.

We can breathe easy knowing that He has got the world in His hands, and even though it may feel utterly out of control sometimes, He still has it.

And we still have [hope].

So, instead of giving in and seeking these "what ifs", I'm striving [yes, I will fail, and so will you.] to seek the "what is" of life.

What is true.
What is in front of me. [What is behind me.]
What is in me.
What is...Him.

I'm thankful for heavy times, even though they're hard. But I'm also thankful for light times, too. Times that I can cast my cares on Him, rejoice, and choose joy.

Times that I say, "what is..."

So, here's a little [okay, maybe a lot.] of those lovely, light moments over the past few months. They sure have been good for my heart.

I've found a love for stamping! 

Road-trips with my boys are always the best. 

We can now mow our own lawn! 

A weekend of rest & fun at the lake for July 4th was MUCH needed. 

Date-nights like this. 

Reminders of His truths. [By Frenchpressmornings.]

Concert with the hubs. 

Wedding stuff for the best. 

Seeing this little cutie. 

And her sweet brothers! 

Perfect lunch breaks at work. 

Cake pops after a horrible day. 

Seeing a dear, dear friend! 

Celebrating Mel's up-coming marriage. 

And throwing a shower for her!

Road-trip with the Momma & Sister to the shower. [And yes, it won't save the rotation...:)]

Sweet, sweet fellowship!

Community Group at St. Elmo Park. 

My Young Living Oils & wholesaling guide came in! 

A surge protector took the grunt of a lightening strike & saved our electronics...And this guy came out on a Friday night to make sure everything was okay! 

Our AC stopped working Friday night, too. We missed getting to go to our sweet, Emery's 1st Birthday. But we took a quick breakfast date that helped ease our stress!

Emery turned ONE! :)

A lovely, little dinner at a place we'd never been. What a relief to get away from our 80 degree house! 

You should go... :) 

There is truly a season for everything.

Ecclesiastes 3 English Standard Version (ESV)

A Time for Everything

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

9 What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business thatGod has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.[a]