I know who He is

I don't know what He's doing, but I know who He is.

God, that is. I know who He is. I know He's a faithful Father, a loving, merciful Master, a Healer, and the gracious giver of all good things. He sees the depths of my heart, and He loves me anyway. He has a perfect plan for my life and cares about the intricate details of my life (and yours too!).

So... why do I question him? What is it about my stubborn, white-knuckled "need" for control that won't let me release full surrender to the One who I know has only His best in store for me? I know that I'm not the only one who struggles with this, any my heart for this blog is to be as transparent as possible. After all, we're all in this together, right?

Jesus loves us more in a fraction of a second than anyone else ever could in a lifetime. Can you even wrap your brain around that truth? It's mind blowing. What love, what grace, what wholesome devotion He has for us. So, with that said, what can we do to return that affection?

What is helping me - and it's a daily process, something I have to put at the forefront of my thinking each and every day - is reminding myself that I have to be all I can be where I am, when I'm there, for Him.

Each part of that decision is important, because being all I can be.... for Him implies that I have to always try my best at everything I do, as if I'm doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) even if I'm not necessarily happy about it. Everyone knows that it's easy to be happy when you're doing something you love, but how is your spirit when it's not so fun? That's where true joy comes in. If you have that true joy that can only come from Him, it's present even during the struggles.

Having this attitude where I am, when I'm there implies that I can't be focused on the past or consumed with the future. I have to force my mind to understand that today, God has me where He has me, doing what He would have me to do, and I have to not only learn to be okay with it, but to thank Him for it (even if I don't understand it right now). It all goes back to what we know... He's the giver of all good things, He has a perfect plan, He's faithful....

So, if you're struggling with this same idea of giving it all to God, I hope these words have been of some encouragement to you and give you the encouragement you need to put full faith in His plan, His purpose, and His timing. Lets work towards the peace that can only come from this kind of surrender together.

Bridal Shower Goodness

A few weekends ago, I had the honor of hosting my cousin and best friend's first bridal shower. I was so excited I could hardly stand it, and I had been planning for months. I sent out the invitations about one month before, and everything was going smoothly. Well, to my dismay, I found out six days before the shower that there was going to be a funeral at the church where I had reserved the room and the family needed that space for receiving friends. Obviously, this long-time church member should get priority, no question about it, so there was nothing to do except find a new space... and fast. Thanks to my wonderful aunts, they helped me find a place and let all the expected guests know of the location change, so it all ended up working out perfectly.

What was so ironic is that the place where we ended up having the shower is the same place where Kiley hosted my bridal shower last Fall. Growing up together has been such a joy - we have been through the good, the bad, and the ugly together. We have learned how to love, forgive, grow, and change while having each other's shoulders to lean on all the while. It's been such a gift. We were awkward preteens together, we've cried for each other through every heartache and celebrated each other's victories, we graduated from high school and then college around the same time and now we have the opportunity to share in the joy of hosting bridal showers for each other, and help plan weddings just months apart.

The Crossnore Meeting House is a small meeting place that's used for several different groups located in the cute little town of Crossnore, NC. The walls are adorned with memorabilia and historical photographs documenting the decades of precious people that have lived in the community. It is the perfect size room for a shower like this because it's big enough that it doesn't feel crowded, yet there is an intimate feel to it, as well.

We had all kinds of delicious food, including taco dip, spinach and artichoke dip, BBQ meatballs, mini shrimp cocktails, fresh fruit, veggies and ranch, heart-shaped cucumber sandwiches, grape salad, chocolate dipped strawberries, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, chocolate dipped oreos, my great aunt's famous butter mints, a peanut butter ball with graham crackers for dipping, and wedding dress shaped sugar cookies. It was a wonderful spread, and there was something for everyone!

With the help of my amazingly patient husband, I made this darling tissue paper garland. I had seen it on Pinterest for a while, and was eager to try my hand at it. With just a few simple cuts and a hot glue gun, it's amazing what you can accomplish. I used this tutorial.

The white lanterns I used for decor were purchased from various places as centerpieces for my wedding in December. I seriously have lanterns all over my house, and love using them for decorating! I also used frames with quotes and pictures of the happy couple.

There were so many precious ladies there- both friends and family. It is so sweet to be surrounded by women who love, support, and share in your excitement!

I found this wedding hashtag printable on Pinterest. I love using a hashtag for weddings, because it's such a convenient, fun way to share photos and see them all in one place from different perspectives.

These decanters come in so handy for parties, and they are such a fun way to display your beverages.

This pretty wreath was made by Kiley's soon-to-be grandma-in-law with the initial of her new last name!

I could have NEVER done this shower without the help of my Momma, who is the most creative, joyful person you could ever plan a celebration with. She just delights in making things special for people, and has an eye for beauty that is truly unmatched.

Also, a huge thanks to my sweet husband, who was up at ungodly hours helping me with crafts, helped cook, moved tables and chairs, unloaded the car in the rain with almost no sleep, and kept me laughing the entire time.