Psalms 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (NIV)

My prayer is to be like this, to continue to meditate on his word and seek him. We cannot do it alone. But nothing is too difficult for God.

I had a very powerful wakeup call this weekend, it's funny that it would have to happen at the church I grew up in. It's amazing how soon we can forget the meaning of the things we do, we take them for granted, they become routine and mundane.

I will not be conquered by discouragement or negativity. I will overcome.

The funny thing is I thought I missed Christmas this year. I was too busy and anxious and thought theres no way I can just sit and think about the birth of Jesus. But Jesus met me. He came to me in the only place I could be found. And it was powerful.

Peace fills our hearts when we take God at his word. The same passagI'veve read over and over for years and years that has become the cliche' has now become a life line to me. "Love...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:7

...love is a choice, if you choose to love someone you have to abide by the laws of love to make it work. It's a good thing we have an instruction manual...

Merry Christmas!

Alex and I are leaving tomorrow for Cali! Whoo Hoo! A much needed mini vacation. It will be busy, but all the same it will be so nice to just get away for a little bit. I'm relaxed just thinking about it, even as I tie up all my loose ends at the office before I leave.

Alex's sister is getting married on Friday so that will be lovely I'm sure, then ight after we get to go to a Christmas party with all of our old friends. On Saturday we'll spend some time with friends and take some tours of possible apartment options. Christmas Eve we will be spending with Alex's mom and Christmas morning we will be spending with mi madre. I'm so excited, and then Christmas evening we will spend with Alex's pops. So it's a pretty full weekend and I hope it will feel long but relaxing.

So I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas holiday no matter what you may be doing. Safe travels and God Bless.

I hope to have great news when we come back!;)

You've got mail

I love good movie quotes but for some reason the holidays make e think of quotes from the movie 'You've got mail'. I'd like to share a few of my favorites from this last Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks romantic comedy.

1. "Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void. "
2. "The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino. "
3. "Your daring to march into the unknown with...nothing."
4. "Kevin, this is possibly the most adorable creature I've ever been in contact with and if she turns out to be as good looking as a mailbox, I would be crazy enough to turn my life upside down and marry her."
5. "But the truth is....I'm heart broken. I feel as though a part of me has died and my mother has died all over again and nothing will ever make it right."
6. "Joe Fox: You know, sometimes I wonder... Kathleen Kelly: What? Joe Fox: Well... if I hadn't been "Fox Books" and you hadn't been "The Shop Around the Corner," and you and I had just met... Kathleen Kelly: I know. Joe Fox: Yeah, yeah. I would've asked for your number. And I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you up and saying, Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee, or drinks, or dinner, or a movie... for as long as we both shall live? "
7. "Brinkley is my dog. He loves the streets of New York as much as I do. Although he likes to eat bits of pizza and bagels off the sidewalk and I prefer to buy them. "
8. "What will NY152 say today I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you. "
9. "Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one. It got on at 42nd, and off at 59th, where, I assume it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake - as almost all hats are. "
10. "Kathleen. YOU, are a lone reed. You are a lone reed, standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce. "
11. "When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does. "
12. "Have you ever become the worst version of yourself. That a pandora's box of all the hate, spite and condescension has sprung open? Someone upsets you and instead of walking away... you zing them. "Hello it's Mr Nasty". I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about..."
13. " Soon it will be something really depressing. Like a 'Baby Gap'. "
14. "The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings."

All of these quotes make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I also just love getting anysort of mail, it makes me feel like people are thinking about me and it makes me feel loved, whethere it's snail mail or email. This is a great movie to just curl up and watch by yourself and just have a good cry. The word that keeps coming to mind is melancholy. When I'm melancholy, I watch this movie. Maybe I'll watch it tonight.

Oh, also there is a song at the end of the movie that just makes my heart flutter.

"Funny how I feel more myself with you Than anybody else that I ever knew I hear it in your voice, see it in your face You've become the memory I can't erase You could have been anyone at all A stranger falling out of blue I'm so glad it was you Wasn't in the plan not that I could see Suddenly a miracle came to me Safe within your arms I can say what's true Nothing in the world I would keep from you You could have been anyone at all An old friend calling out of blue I'm so glad it was you Words can hurt you if you let them People say them and forget them Words can promise words can lie But your words make me feel like I can fly You could have been anyone at all\ And let that catches me when I fall I'm so glad it was you"

Party Hardy?

We tried...

In our attempts to build community, Alex and I tried to throw a holiday party and bring people into our home and love on them cause those are things we both deeply enjoy. Unfortunately our plan failed. The holidays are a hard time to plan anything, nobody ever seems to do exactly what they wanted to do on the holidays or go exactly where they wanted to go.

I will be honest we extremely disappointed that we aren't even on the list of places that people want to go or even on the lists of people to invite to things. But we will make good.
I'm not posting this as a pity party, or for you to feel sorry for us but I wanted to find a discreet way to express my disappointment.

It has been so hard since Alex moved out here in June, we haven't felt like we've found our niche. No one has reached out to Alex and we feel withdrawn and unconnected with people. We have tried various housegroups and nothing really fits with our schedules and with our personalities.

But on the plus side, our fabulous, wonderful friend Lis is coming over on Friday night and I'm gonna make a lovely holiday dinner and we'll do all sorts of chistmasy things and it will be loads of fun. I am very excited. We also tried a new church this Sunday, it was awesome, so close to our house and the people were so friendly, worship was awesome and we both got a lot out of the sermon. The pastor even called me yesterday to welcome us to the church. It was very refreshing. It's nice to feel wanted.

Right now I feel like we are just working to get to California, I know the reality is we probably won't be able to go until after our March celebration, just thinking logically. We both really miss our family and I know Alex really misses his friends.

...What are blogs for if they aren't to express emotions and opinions? Thank God for freedom of speech!

In other news...

Bloggity, blog, blog, blog...

We are moving, we don't know when but hopefully soon. We have decided that we are wimps and can't handle chicago's winters anymore...No I'm just kidding, we really have been feeling a pull to go back home to Cali. We feel all the doors here are closing and tons of doors out there are opening, so right now we are just praying for timing and trying to prepare ourselves for the big move. Alex has sent out his resume, hopefully he'll get hired by someone who wants to pay to relocate us, that would be pretty sweet, but I'm working on trusting that if this is what God wants for us then he will provide.

I'm so excited to be social again, it has been so hard out here, everyone has been so busy, including me and I think that some people have this idea that now that I'm married I don't want to hang out anymore. WRONG! Even my own mother said, "you know, now that your married, you don't have to call me as much, I understand." Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my husband, but I spend everyday with him, we have an appointed date night every week so we never really have to worry about not spending enough time together.

I AM a SOCIAL person and I need people, lots of people around me, I think I've been isolating myself and kind of turning introverted lately because I've been so tired and stressed with all the changes in my life recently but I'm starting to recover and seriously feeling the void of females in my life. I work all day with men, I come home to a man, when I go to the gym, all men. You get the picture? I am excited to go back to cali and start up some women's ministy type things in our church and really invest in the women out there. I am excited to start acting again at the LPAC. It's been so long. I'm excited to be on a worship team again. I'm excited to get a kitty and a puppy which we are going to do once we get out to cali;). I'm excited to start saving for our baby fund which we'd like to start working on having a baby withing the next 2 years.

Overall, I have mixed feelings, I am sad about losing my life and friends out here but very excited to start my new life with my husband out west with our families.

On a completely separate note, I'm taking a poll, just curious what everyone's favorite Christmas song is. Leave a comment with your fave please.

...Peace out G...

Pictures from Thanksgiving...

Me and Elvis on the streets of Nashville.

Is it just me? Or is it hot in here?

Ho Ho Ho! What!? It's the day after Thanksgiving!

My pops and my husband at The Grand Ole Opry.