The Devil Isn't Allowed Here....

In the past few weeks I have started a few different studies beyond my Jesus Calling morning devotional.  One of which is a study that is truly hitting me in the heart and slowly but seriously letting Jesus work on it and mold me more into what He wants for me to be.  The on-line study is through Proverbs 31 and is on the book by Karen Ehman called "Let. It. Go".  A wonderful book about letting go of control over you life and letting God take the reins.  Simply amazing but that isn't truly what I want to share with you today.

There is someone who tries to enter my life every time I go deeper into my relationship with Jesus.  Someone who is so completely jealous of my relationship with Him.  Someone who wants my attention to be on him and him alone.  This person appears every time I open up my heart to my Savior and say, "Lord change me.  Change my heart.  Make it what you want it to be.  Come into my heart and soul and clear out the junk."  Every single time I say those words, there is someone who loves all the junk he sees in my heart and will do and say anything to get me to hold tight to all the junk I so badly want to throw away.  This person isn't welcome in my home.  He is not welcome in my heart.  He is not welcome in my life.  Yet he is so sly and good at what he does that it is so easy to without knowing it open up a window and letting him come crash on the couch for awhile.  If you haven't guessed it by now, his name is the devil.

You would think that after putting my trust in the Lord for so many years and having this happen every time that I would be on the look out and see it coming.  But friends, I never see it coming.  It catches me off guard almost every single time.  That's how the devil works, when he sees an opportunity he is going to take it.  He is so clever that whatever God is laying on my heart in that weeks study to change, the devil usually attacks that the hardest.  I'm going to be completely transparent with you, this week it was this very verse:

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” ~ Proverbs 15:1

I get teary-eyed just thinking about it guys.  Anger is such an easy thing to give into as human beings.  Hurtful words sometimes can come flying out of your mouth before a second thought is even given.  Hurtful words can cut and cut deep.  And ladies.... the devil knows.  He knows how easily as human beings we can fall into anger and everything that follows it.  He knows that relationships are the easiest thing to go after, and the easiest thing to hurt those relationships is in fact anger.  So let me tell you, he has been working hard to enter this home and make a boom.  Every day there has been something new he has used to try to stir up anger and harsh words in this home.  And if I'm being really honest, there are a few times he succeeded. And as much as that makes my heart hurt, I'm so very thankful I can bring those moments to Jesus, lay them down at His feet and not carry that burden and start fresh again.

Therefore I want to take this time to publicly declare that the devil is NOT welcome in my home.  He is NOT welcome near my family.  He is NOT welcome to try and break up my relationships.  He is NOT welcome to slip through the window unnoticed and crash on my couch.  I am a daughter of the King and that's where my heart belongs.  Every time he tries to bring this family down, all it does is bring us to our knees and cry out for Jesus.  Every time he pushes us to the limits, all it does is make us work harder to become more and more like Jesus.  We aren't perfect and we will mess up but boy do we have a Savior that loves us, holds us in His arms, and let us know it's all going to be ok. 

As always I'm going to try and keep my eyes better pealed for ways the devil is going to try and attack.  I challenge you all to do the same.  Try hard to block him before he even tries to knock on the door.  Every time you draw closer to Jesus, I promise friends he will try to bring you back his way.  Don't let him.  Cling tight to our Lord's hand and His promises.  I promise He will see you through whatever the devil tries to throw at you......

~Chrissy

How I lost 50lbs in 6 weeks...

Naw, I really didn't but I got your attention didn't I?? Slap a celebrity's picture and that title on any magazine and you are guaranteed to sell millions of them.  Why is it as a society we are so obsessed with weight? Most importantly how to lose it in the shortest amount of time. Seems women and even some men all over the globe are all in this big race with each other in who can get the skinniest the fastest.  Doesn't matter how you lose it as long as you get skinny quick.  Doesn't matter if it's healthy or unhealthy.  Society really doesn't care as long as you do it.  We call healthy men and women fat and yet we call ultra skinny gorgeous.  It's really no wonder why so many teenager girls struggle with their weight.  Moms of all kinds are counting calories in every bite, saying any kind of dessert is evil and obsessing over whether or not they got enough exercise in that day.  Now don't get me wrong, watching what you put into your body is extremely important but should we be obsessing over every little bite? This is something that the past several months has been weighing heavily on my heart.  Something that God has been whispering into my ear since this summer.  Something He has been calling me to write about but that I just couldn't seem to get the strength to type out.  Weight is such a sensitive issue no matter who you are.  I guarantee the most confident woman still has issues about their own body and something they would like to see changed.  It's such a sensitive issue that I couldn't figure out why in the word God would want me to write about it, but here we go anyway.  This is my journey.....

A few months ago while at the check out counter at Target I noticed this little dandy of an image:

Notice that lovely title: How I got thin fast..... I stared at it for awhile kinda laughed inside and then got really sad.  It made me think back to the past summer and how awful I felt about myself for not losing the baby weight from Maci fast.  It made me think about all the beautiful women out there who are reading it and thinking that that's how it is supposed to be.  That once you have a baby you should be able to just work off that weight in a hurry.  The reality is folks, that's not how it works nor how it should be.  Whether you just had a baby or just aren't as thin as you used to be, the weight took time to gain.  As much as you think it did, you did not just wake up one morning 10, 20 or 30 lbs heavier than you once were.  If it took time to gain the weight it will take time to come off plain and simple.  I didn't fully understand or even want to believe that until this past spring/summer.

As a teenager I don't feel I ever had this huge hang up about my weight.  I wasn't the skinniest girl in school but I certainly wasn't the biggest either.  I would say I was pretty much average.  My mother helped me in so many ways she doesn't even know.  Eating healthy was always her goal, eating the right portions, and she's makes sure to get adequate exercise.  I never saw my mother stand in front of the mirror and call herself fat.  I never saw her refuse a bite of a brownie for fear of the calories.  I know for a fact behind close doors she probably had those little insecurities like every other woman does but I thank her so much for never showing that side to her.  I 100% give credit to her for not having severe weight fears most of my life.  I had things I wanted changed about myself here and there but nothing that made me go on crazy diets.  That is until I had a baby...

The first 3 months of my pregnancy were the hardest healthwise.  I lost a total of 20 lbs in those months but by all means it was not healthy.  I couldn't keep anything down and even though I got lots of 'you look great' it didn't make me feel good about how I looked.  For goodness sakes all I could eat was crackers!  Not the funnest part of being able to 'eat for two'.  In the next 6 months I gained 40-45 lbs.  More like 60 lbs if you include what I gained back from being so sick.  That's a lot of weight for a girl to gain but I didn't think twice about it because I was gonna have a little girl.

Once I had Maci I didn't step on the scale until I had to at the doctors.  I didn't want to know what it was because frankly, I didn't want to worry about it.  I just had the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen and that's all I wanted to focus on.  2 weeks after I had her I squeezed my big old butt into my 'skinny jeans'.  Yea they fit but they were not comfortable in the least.  But yes I wanted to be able to tell my girlfriends at 2 weeks post baby I fit into them.  Looking back that was a very stupid reason for wanting to fit into them but hey I'm human.

3/4 months after I had Maci was when I hit my lowest.  I was breastfeeding and I truly believe my body hangs onto the weight while doing it.  It's not a weight-loss plan for me.  I was at my parents and they were having some friends over to meet their new granddaughter.  Holding Maci I walked into the kitchen to see what everyone was talking about.  An old friend of my parents came up to me and said, "My you have put on weight!" Not even thinking for a second he could possibly talking to me I said, "Who me? Or Maci?" His response: "Well you of course!" The rest of it all goes downhill from there.  I try to tell him I just had a baby, he asks how old she is.... I say almost 4 months....He says then I didn't just have her...ect.  Probably the most painful emotional experience I've been through in a very long time.  In all my 24 years of being on this earth I had never felt bad about myself.  I never saw myself as this fat overweight person.  I never had someone say such a hurtful thing to my face.  Instead of standing strong and proud, I gave into the doubt the Devil placed into my mind and let those thoughts stay there.  Not only that night did I change into a bulky tummy hiding shirt, but I gave into the temptation of looking into the mirror and seeing ugly.

For most of the summer I hated my body.  Hated every detail about it.  Felt like the fattest girl ever.  Tried to work out and got frustrated when it didn't work out.  Got sucked into all the conversations women have of what they hate about themselves.  I felt awful.  I know my hubby got so sick of me saying how gross I was.  Trust me he told me.  And then one bright and shiny day God spoke to me as I was rocking Maci.  And this is pretty much what He showed me:

(Just saw this image on Pinterest today, which gave me the courage to write)

I saw Maci growing up watching every move her momma makes.  Watching her momma hate the skin she is in.  Watching her mama criticize every detail God created on her.  Watch her momma have some pretty dang low self worth.  It. Broke. My. Heart.  I don't want that for my baby girl.  Whether I'm overweight or not doesn't matter.  What matters is what SHE thinks of herself and if she watches me act like this? Lord what am I doing to her.  

I tell you what ladies and gentlemen, that's some pretty intense powerful stuff He laid out in front of me.  Is it hard to look inside yourself and see all that? Of course.  No one wants to think they are setting their kids up for failure.  But if we aren't acting, thinking, doing all we want them to do...then how in the world are they going to grow up to have some awesome self confidence.  How are they going to think good about themselves.  If they see momma not loving her body, how is that little angel gonna be able to feel good about her own? 

God created us in His image and He thinks we are beautiful no matter what we look like.  He doesn't care if society sees us as overweight, underweight or perfect.  What matters is how He sees us.  So mamas who just had those beautiful babies, it's ok to still have baby weight.  It's ok if it takes you awhile to lose it, or if you don't.  Ladies and gentlemen who think they are overweight, it's ok to take your time to get where you want to be.  Be healthy.  As long as you are healthy and feel good about yourself that's all that matters.  You are perfect in God's sight so forget the rest of the world.  It's not easy but once you let your insecurities go about how you look you will feel amazing. God will help take that burden off of you and you. will. be. free.  

After about 10/11 months I got to my pre-baby weight.  Did it feel good of course.  Am I back to my size 6 that I was when I got married? Heck no.  But that's ok because in God's eyes I'm beautiful.  I'm ok in my own skin now and it feels amazing.  If anyone were to call me fat now, I'm 90% sure I could look at them and tell them I don't think so.  I'm right where I'm supposed to be.  :)

"You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you"

Song of Solomon 4:7 

Oh how He....

Saw this beautiful image on pinterest yesterday morning.  That little girl looks so happy and full of life.  So perfect in the eyes of that daddy kissing and loving on her.  When I first saw it I thought oh how cute! Didn't really think too much of the words written so carefully below the picture itself.  I feel like we all do that more times than not.  See such beautiful thoughts that are clearly from God and we just tend to overlook them.  Until Jesus decides we need to remember them and think of them in a much bigger way.....

Later on in the afternoon, me and my adorable newly 1 year old baby girl were in the kitchen playing and goofing around.  For those of you who don't know Maci, she has such an infectious laugh and smile.  She lights up the room with her big beautiful grin and I promise I'm not just being biased.  ;)

So here we are sitting on the kitchen floor, why I have no clue...I was in the process of making some homemade bread and the kitchen is Maci's most favorite place to be (especially if mom is in there trying to get something done).  I bet for about 10 minutes or more we spent playing with this silly pink doll blanket.  I would put it on my head, she would take it off and I would yell "BOO!", she would giggle, give it back to me and the process would start all over again.  After a few minutes Maci got the hang of it and decided she wanted to be the 'hider'. 

And when she would take the blanket off her face she would give you that sweet sweet smile and then giggle away.  These are the moments I will remember when she is grown up and off on her own, but during this particular  moment the Lord decided He needed to tell me something and show me something I needed to see to fully grasp His love...

I've always known that God loves me and He created me in His image but for one that grew up in the church that tends to just get lost in the every day life we have here on earth.  We know He loves us but sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Therefore as I was sitting there looking at this beautiful perfect child in my eyes, and just feeling my heart swell up as I watched her sweet face full of joy, my thoughts went back to that first image.  The image I saw on Pinterest.  I sat there staring at Maci and thought, "My God, my loving and awesome God, you love me more than this? You love me even more than I love my own daughter don't You?  You see me as this giggly beautiful child don't You? You will never leave me.  You will never stop loving me like I will never stop loving her will You?"  Now friends, it may seem like such a "Sunday School" answer.  It may seem like something that is such a practical thought that you are taught right away as a Christian, but friends, do you fully feel every ounce that is in that promise?  If you have children think of how much you love your kids and think of how much happiness they bring you....think of how even when they mess up or are 'naughty', how much you still love them.  It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about that kind of love.  That kind of powerful love.  He watches us everyday just as I watch Maci play and giggle.  When He watches us giggling and laughing we bring a smile to His face.  He hurts when we hurt and oh how He rejoices when we rejoice. 

Oh how He loves us...oh how He loves us.....Oh how He LOVES us.......

It's a beautiful thing....we may not always feel like we deserve it....but that doesn't stop Him.  His love is far more powerful than we could ever imagine.  Can you feel it? I sure hope you can because it is there far more than we realize it......

Leaps of Faith

January 2, 2013.....2013.....crazy how time flies.  Still to this very day I feel like the year 2000 was just a couple years ago. When in reality it has now been over a decade ago.  It is true as you grow older time seems to go faster and faster.  I don't know if I ever really believed that saying until we had our Maci. 

Last year I remember at this time I was very big and pregnant.  We were just mere weeks away from the arrival of our daughter and we didn't know where the past 9 months had gone.  I returned to work on the 2nd knowing that I only had a few more weeks left of getting up and going to work everyday.  While on one hand I was so excited to be able to spend all that time at home and watch my baby grow and change everyday, on the other I was scared out of my mind.  Of course the decision to quit my steady income job had been a careful thought out and prayed one, Trav and I still felt like we were taking such a huge leap of faith.  We had taken little baby steps here and there that God told us to do but this one was the biggest one He had ever called us to do.  Where would that extra money come from?? Would our bills always get paid on time?? What about the extra little human that would be depending on us for every little thing she needed?? What about food to feed ourselves?? What about things we would want to buy or even need to buy?? There were so many unanswered questions and neither Trav nor I would ever really speak them out loud.  We just kept telling each other that God has our back and no matter what we would make it. 

Now did I deep down in my heart and soul believe this with 100% certainty?? If I'm being honest, probably not so much.  I deep down thought that after about 10 weeks I would have to find at least a part time job to help pay the bills.  I thought our savings account would be drained within a few months and that would be the end of it and we would look like the idiots.  But I just kept praying every day, "God take care of us...please don't let us fail". 

Well guess what folks?!? In just 2 short weeks we will have been living on Trav's small income for 1 whole year! When I looked back at the past year and saw all that God has done for our family I was so amazed.  All the little things that happened were worked into the whole scheme of things.  One of the biggest blessings that I will never forget is my dear sweet co-workers at West Elementary throwing me a diaper shower just a week before I had Maci.  You really don't think it sounds like a big deal but guess what?? We didn't need to buy diapers for 6 whole months!!! God is so good to have placed those sweet women in our lives.  There were so many other little things that happened here and there that were just when we needed them.  And to be honest there was no other way to explain them except God things. 

The moral of this post to start the new year is that when you take those leaps of faith, no matter how big or small, God has your back.  He will take care of you, He will be there for you, He will comfort you when you need Him.  He will NEVER leave you.  Yes we had our struggles but God helped us through so much.  Don't be scared this next year to take that leap of faith He is calling you too....I promise you it will be so worth it! :)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11


~Chrissy

Teach them to be good

Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora Theater, Sandy Hook........all 4 horrific events I've sadly had to see happen at my young age of 25.  Events that were so unbelievable that we are still in shock for each one.  Events that lead us to question everything we've ever known. Question whether we are safe, question whether we should send our children to school, question whether we should go to a movie....and sadly some even question whether we really do have an all powerful, merciful God.  No words can ever fully describe what we as a country are feeling.  We know that change has to happen, we just aren't certain what that change might mean for us.....

Travis and I have had so many conversations since last Friday about Sandy Hook.  When we first heard we were on our way to Sioux Falls to celebrate Christmas with my family, so we had a good couple of hours together to feel everything we were feeling and express it to each other.  We got to be angry together, we got to be scared together, and we got to be sad together.  I'm so thankful God gave me this man to walk through this world with me.  Travis knows my heart so well and shares in the same feelings I have on so many things.

Last night after Maci was safely put into her bed our conversation turned back to that day.  We both shared new things we had heard through the news on it.  Of course talked about the ridiculous things people say on facebook about it.  (Let's all be honest, there are some really really far out there things being posted)   I told him about an interview I had seen on Katie with a mother who lost her daughter in Columbine.  This mother went and talked to the mother of one of the shooters 9 months after that day in April.  The mother had no idea what to say to this woman who the world was blaming for her son's actions.  Before she rang that doorbell she asked God to give her the words to say and ask.  What he said back to her was this: "Ask her about her son.  Ask her who he was." When she did that, the mother of the shooter cried as she talked about a normal boy growing up.  A boy who was just like everyone else as a child.  A boy she had no idea would turn into a murderer. 


We also talked about how a change needs to happen.  While we aren't sure what that change means for the government, we do know what that change means for us.  To be a better person period.  Not just this next week, not this just month, not even just this next year.  Forever.  We talked about our little girl and how she is going to go through so much in her life.  With all our generation has had to witness so far, I don't even want to begin to imagine what our children will see.  Because the fact of the matter is, this world will only get worse.  But we also know that if we do everything in our power to raise her right, she just might be a small change in the world that it needs. 

Ironically, just an hour after Travis and I had this conversation a dear friend texted me asking me a question I didn't know if I had the strength to answer.  I didn't know if I could say what I wanted to in a way she needed to hear it.  In a way that would not only bring comfort, but would also be accepted.  This whole event is so delicate and we have to be so careful what we say and do about it because everyone is at a different place with it.  She asked me if I ever look at my beautiful baby and feel so much love but then get a sick feeling inside thinking about how messed up this world is.  And they have to grow up in it.  How bad is it going to be for them if it's this bad for us?

Powerful questions.  Questions I have wondered about before too.  I picked up my phone and prayed as I responded.  As this is what came out:

Yes but I also know we have a God that loves us.  There is evil in the world.  There is no way around it.  God gave us free will and therefore some aren't going to chose good.  In fact it's easier to choose evil sometimes.  I know without a doubt our babies will see some awful things in their lifetimes.  But then I think about how amazing they can be.  That if we raise them to know the Lord, and do the best we can, and pray continually for them.... What if they do something great?? What if they are placed on this earth to save a soul?? Even if it's just one soul it is all worth it.  For them and for us.  What if they live their lives far more greatly for the Lord than we do?  Teach them to be good.  Teach them about Christ.  Teach them to reach out to those who hurt and are the outcasts.  Teach them to stand up for someone who is bullied.  Do that and it will all be worth it.  But yes....when I'm rocking Maci to sleep I do think about it.  But then God meets me in that place and gives me reassurance that it will be ok.

 Sadly we know 1 thing about all of the shooters in these cases.  They were different.  Their classmates called them weird.  Does them being the 'outcast' make any of this ok?? Of course not.  What they did is wrong.  But I want my kids to do everything in their power to make sure no kid feels alone or weird.  Bullying has become a normal in our country.  We have brushed it off as kids being kids.  In the past year I think we have finally started to at least try to wake up and realize it needs to change.

Yes change needs to happen in this country.  Does it need to come from the government? I don't know that answer.  The only answer I do know is that we need to change.  Change how we act and feel.  Teach your kids to do good.  Teach them to reach out to others.  Teach them to stand up for those that are the 'outcasts'.  

I'm going to leave you with a link my mom sent me this morning.  A devotional she gets daily through her email; it talks about how to pray for the mommies of those that lost a child last Friday.  Continue to pray for them daily friends, for as long as you can.  Because once the media gets tired of the story, they are still left with the pain of it. 

How to pray for the families of Sandy Hook


Merry Christmas friends.  Make the most of it and show the world the love of Jesus. :)

~Chrissy
 

 

Can you Imagine?

As mother's we've all felt it.  That moment when your baby is handed to you for the first time.  That moment when time stands still and all you can see is this precious face staring back at you.  That moment when your heart swells with more joy and love than you ever thought was possible.  A love that is totally unlike anything you've ever experienced in your whole time on this earth.  A love that is 100% indescribable.  We then get the great joy of watching this little person experience everything for the first time.  The first smile, the first tooth, the first crawl, the first boo-boo, the first word, the first step....all of it.  Which brings us a whole new level of pride knowing we are helping shape this little life into something great.  But can you imagine if that little life was going to grow up to be something far bigger and greater than you could have ever dreamed? Can you imagine if that little life you carried in you for 9 months, the life you have kept safe and sound, would grow up to save the world? That that little life was actually the Son of God??  Can you even wrap your head around how that would feel??  Can you imagine....

Last night I had the privilege of attending our Women's Christmas Event at our church. The speaker was incredible in my book.  She really made me think of the Christmas Story in a way I had even looked at it before.  The entire message was on promises and how our loving God fulfilled His promise on the first Christmas by sending His Son Jesus to be born.  There was one part of the message though that really stirred something up in me.  She talked about sweet young Mary and how Mary gave birth to Jesus.  Yes of course, nothing new there, I've always known that.  Yet the speaker talking about imaging how Mary felt feeling that little boy kick inside of her and know that He was the Son of God.  That is something I honestly never truly thought about before.  Perhaps it's because this is my very first Christmas with a baby of my own.  A baby I felt kick and hiccup inside of me.  A baby that I have got to witness some incredible firsts with.  A baby that I have an indescribable love for.

All morning long as I have been doing everyday mom stuff I have been thinking of Mary and how she did all of this stuff with Jesus Christ.  She gave Him breakfast every morning, kissed His knees when He fell down, giggled with Him as they played, rocked that sweet baby boy to sleep.....All of those things us mothers do, she got to do those with JESUS.  Can you imagine?? I still can't even wrap my head around it, how on earth did a girl around the age of 13 wrap her head around it.  To be honest, it would have scared me to death if someone had told me I would be carrying and giving birth to the Son of God.  I don't know if I could have said "Yes Lord. Use me."  I don't know if I would have had enough faith to completely surrender in that way.  But Mary did, God knew she would; that's why He chose her and not me.

Last year around this time I bought a WOW Christmas CD.  There was 1 song on there that I just totally fell in love with.  Loved it and played it over and over again.  This morning as I had that same CD in that song came on.  Still so in love with it but this time as I was listening to it, I truly listened to every word and got a whole new meaning out of it.  Probably my all time favorite Christmas song now.     

Mary stepped out in faith and let God use her however He needed to.  She got to raise a precious baby boy that she didn't know how long would be here on earth.  She got to raise the Son of God.  Just makes me stand back in awe and wonder.  My prayer this Christmas is not only that God will help me be the best mother I can be to our sweet Maci but that He will use me in whatever way He needs to.  And if it's something so big I can't wrap my head around it....I pray He gives me the strength I need to say "Yes Lord. Use me"


Merry Christmas to all.  Remember the true meaning of Christmas.  Remember that sweet baby born in a manger.  :)

~Chrissy

All I Ever Needed....

Last night I finally started on a pinterest project I've been waiting patiently for weeks to find the time to do.  I'm using canvas' and putting the lyrics to the song we danced our first dance to as husband and wife on them.

(The above photo is in the early stages of me starting on it so please forgive the bubbles :) )

While I was looking up the song lyrics I was trying to go back and remember why on earth that was our song; which is "All I Ever Needed" by Bret Michaels.  For the life of me I honestly could not remember why it was.  We obviously really liked the song otherwise we wouldn't have chose it, but I couldn't think of a super sentimental reason why we did.  As I was typing up the lyrics though something hit me.  This song is totally and completely 100% us at the moment.  I honestly don't think I could have chose a better song to describe the past 3 1/2 years of our marriage.  I won't bore you with the lyrics to the whole song, but here is the chorus:

We didn't need fortune we didn't need fame
Just a little shelter from the rain
Your hand to hold on to
When times got tough you pulled me through
We didn't need a castle made of stone
Just you there as I grow old
Your heart to hold on to
All I ever needed was you

 

Now of course when you first see those lyrics and hear them as a 21 year old totally head over heels in love with the man of her dreams you definitely want those words to be true.  You like to think you don't need fortune or a castle for your marriage to last but honestly how true is that of marriages in todays world? So many of our generation is getting married on the feeling of love but honest to goodness doesn't know or think that it involves a lot of work every day at it.  Or depending on how they were raised think that hey, if it doesn't work I can always get divorced.  I can think of a few people I know that got married in their early twenties and before they even hit 30 they were divorced.  It breaks my heart how easily a marriage is thrown away sometimes.  I don't believe that all of the sudden you can wake up one day and decide you don't love the person you are waking up next to anymore.  I do believe that if the marriage isn't given the attention it needs and deserves that couples will eventually lose hope that things will ever be the same again.  

Travis and I obviously have not been marriage a long time.  We haven't even hit the 5 year mark yet, but believe me when I say we have definitely hit some bumps in the road.  As I looked over this song once again and looked back to the day when I was all dolled up and at my best dancing with a sparkle in my eye for a man I could now call mine, I thought of all we have done in our short 3 1/2 years of marriage.  I especially thought of all that happened in the past 11 months.  In the past 11 months we had a beautiful baby girl and I chose to quit my steady income job.  Those 2 things alone put a stress on a marriage.  Not only have we had to figure out how we were gonna live on a low budget, but we've also had to figure out how to find time for this whole marriage thing when there is a little girl that badly needs our attention more.  We went through the stage of thinking our house is just way too small for our family of 3, we've had stresses with money every now and then, and we've of course had some disagreements every now and then but you know what? As I was looking over those lyrics again it all hit me at once.  May sound odd but it was like the Lord needed me to do this project to remember something.  We don't need all the money in the world, we don't need a big castle.  All we need is each and to know that no matter what comes at us, I will be by Trav's side to help him through it and he will do the same for me.  We can live in this house for as long as it takes and be busting at the seams, and as long as our kids feel the love busting at the seams as well that's OK. 

Therefore I am so extremely excited to get this project done and to display this reminder proudly in our bedroom.  I would even encourage the rest of you to do the same.  Doesn't have to be the same project of course, but do something visual that you will see everyday to remind you of those little things.  Remind you that as a husband and wife you can face anything that comes at you.  But above all, also remember that Christ also needs to be involved. :) 

-Chrissy

(As a side note, I'm pretty pumped Travis and I are taking the time to go on a little getaway by ourselves without the little one.  Friday just can't come soon enough!)