My Family from PA

..came to visit. It had been a long time since they came down, so it was nice to have them see where we live and, I guess, how we live, which is usually in the living room, in the kitchen, or snapping photos....oh or shopping. A life summed up, ha! Anyways, we ate, we took a couple walks, we shopped around, we watched a couple moves, and played some video games. Here is some documenting...

Cousin BJ

What a handsome face...

Me and my uncle.

My cousin, Stephanie.

After messing with the settings on my camera...

C-Town Shopping Trip

...with Mary Scott and Maddie. We started with pancakes at the Stuarts Draft HS pancake breakfast - got to see my students early on a Saturday morning and eat delicious pancakes with my favorite cousins-in-law. Then we made the trip to Charlottesville to check out the mall and get even more grub. We shopped. We made Maddie eat butter. D tried sushi and spit it right back out. And we ended the day eating cannolis as we drove home in a hail storm. Great day!

One reason to take Maddie with you - she volunteers to carry all the stuff. : )

She'll do anything.

My face is dumb.

Yay shopping day.

Big Round Balloons...I Love Them.

; )

So I love thinking of the possible photos we could take at our wedding...our wedding that is yet to be planned, but still, I love photos. We thought of antique cars, old furniture, and photo booths. But the cheapest accessory I hope to purchase to glorify our wedding photos are these awesome round balloons that have become fairly popular...at least as seen on the wedding blogs I am semi-attached to. Look below:

Bridesmaids with balloons, instead of bouquets?

This bride was inspired by "Up"

Oh yeeah!

Ice Ice Baby

I was rummaging through my photos and I came across these again and I just couldn't let them sit in a folder on my computer. This little chica, Miss Kaya Wade, is so adorable. And really loves ice and any uncle that supplies it for her.

P.S. I do apologize for the cheesy title...but, really? Can you blame me?   : )

Modcloth

I am getting tired of the same old shopping around here - Khols, Target, Pennys, Old Navy. So I decided to take stroll around the internet and consequently spent about 20 minutes virtually sifting through the racks of dresses on Modcloth. These dresses are so vintage inspired and adorable. Here are some of my favorites.

The Modern Wedding Topper

It's amazing the variety of wedding toppers out there. It's not just your momma's lady-in-veil-standing-next-to-man-tux topper. However, I am not going to have a normal three-tiered cake. And there is no way I would ever change my cake to accommodate a topper. I love my future wedding cake. Kyle's step-mom Kim is going to make our cake, shall I say cakes. She makes this amazing chocolate chip cake in the shape of a bundt and she is going to try a few other recipes, which I have no doubt will be amazingly delicious, for a collection of bundts to be placed on cake stands and cut into for our guests to enjoy. Still....here are some cute toppers.

Very Kyle and I. 

How cute.

I love love love this one. I might just have to buy it and put it somewhere. : )

WHAT IN THE WORLD?!?!?

Fear No Evil

David, the beloved, the killer, the deceiver, the forgiven, the king, wrote this:

 ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
 ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
 ³ he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

I am amazed by the power in this message, amazed by David's faith. There are many psalms that call on the Lord to guard David from his enemies, but this one offers such powerful belief in the power and love of God. Lately, I have been wrestling with fear. Fear of all kinds. Fear to step out and make a difference. Fear to speak out and look like a fool in the eyes of this world. But most of all, fear of going to bed alone. 

I literally have to convince myself to go to sleep, to keep the lights off and my eyes closed. I fear evil in the hearts of men, who plan to steal, kill, and destroy. Sounds familiar, almost as if I fear the workings of the devil. I want to grow in faith enough to speak as David did. To say that I know my God well enough and trust in him enough to perpetually lie down in peaceful green pastures and fear NO evil.

I think I have focused too much on trying to make it happen myself. So I have given it to God. I ask for strength and growth in faith, so that I can find peace and solace at home instead of anxiety and inner turmoil.

More verses that squash fear and inspire faith:
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

 

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)

Good point - what can man do to me that my God couldn't stop or prevent? God is all powerful and all capable. I insult his supreme power to put him in such a limiting role in this world. The devil may have the ability to roam this world, but he is definitely not as powerful as my God. 

 

Joyce Meyer explains courage as a sign of maturity. That as we continue to experience God and see how he takes care of us, making sure we have all we need, then we begin to relax and do not have the same fears as before. She explains that fear is Satan's way of distracting us and probably, this is me talking, his way of making us doubt God as well. Meyers writes, "Anytime trouble comes fear is usually the first thing we feel. Satan injects "what if" thoughts into our head, and we often begin to see the worst possible outcome. As soon as that happens, we should realize what is going on - Satan is trying to keep us from going forward in God's will and good plan for our lives." Taking that to mind, I just want to say: the devil has no jurisdiction or stronghold hear on my soul or heart. He is banished by the name of Jesus. Banished. And with him, fear.