The 21st.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 had been a highly anticipated day for a few reasons. The 21^st of the month always brings joy and excitement to the day knowing it will always be an anniversary for us. This time it was the 4 month mark. As with every month we reflected on the month before and celebrated in some form or fashion. This month caused for a little extra celebration…

Nathan had to defend his comprehensive exams (all 192 pages) and propose his dissertation in the same day. Passing these two HUGE things means you are an official PhD candidate and you are ABD (all but dissertation).

 Well, I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Nathan did in fact pass his “comps”(comprehensive exams) and his dissertation proposal was accepted. You may now call my husband a PhD candidate and ABD, two acronyms that we are pumped about.

Nathan planned quite the celebratory night filled with some delicious tapas, sangria and some delicious desserts to top it all off.

 I am utterly proud of all the incredible work Nathan has put into his degree thus far and I know those who have been through this process with us can speak to that as well. We are both so grateful to the Lord for the blessing he has given us in Nathan making it past this milestone-HE is good.

No better way to end this post than with the lyrics to Nichole Nordeman’s song “You are Good” which was actually sung at our wedding. It never gets old.   

When the sun starts to rise

And I open my eyes 

You are good, so good

In the heat of the day

With each stone that I lay

You are good, so good

With ever breath I take in

I'll tell you I'm grateful again

When the moon climbs high

Before each kiss goodnight

You are good

When the road starts to turn 

Around each bend I've learned

You are good so good

And when somebody's hand 

Holds me up helps me stand

You are so good

With every breath I take in

I'll tell You I'm grateful again

'Cause its more than enough 

Just to know I am loved

And You are good

So how can I thank You

What can I bring

What can these poor hands 

Lay at the feet of a King

I'll sing You a love song

It's all that I have

To tell You I'm grateful 

For holding my life in Your Hands

When it's dark and it's cold 

And I can't feel my soul

You are so good

When the world is gone gray 

And the rain's here to stay

You are still good

So with every breath I take in

I'll tell You I am grateful again

And the storm my swell 

Even then it's well and You are good

Pinterest Board: Buttons. Blouses. Trousers. More.

With a hint of fall in the... air boots, autumn colors and blazers are making their way to the forefront of my closet. For this Pinterest Board of the Week I thought it would be fun to spotlight a few of these yummy items.

Fall Colors.

Perfect Fall Get-Up.

Let's get real, this blazer is just too perfect.

Such a great combo.

Just a hint of Winter.

With football well into the season and a few leaves or two on the ground, I'd say it's safe to say Autumn is being received with open arms in this household.

He is faithful

Growing pains. That has been my diagnosis of where I am right now. Being away from all of my close friends, my support system, has been so difficult. Working 8-5 everyday has presented its own challenges as I have found there to be such little time to go out and just make new friends.

…on Thursday nights Nathan and I host a graduate student and young professional’s small group. After a time studying the word the guys and girls split up for a time of prayer. This time has been such a blessing as all of the girls are in such similar stages of life and experiencing transitions of their own. I have met a few girls in particular that are both recent graduates (like me) and one is even newly married (like me). HE is so unbelievably faithful and that fact just hit me like a ton of bricks last night as I was surrounded by a group of women who the Lord has handpicked to be in my life for this next year and during this time in my life! I’m so grateful for these blessings.

Growing pains won’t break you. They will only cause you to lean more on Him and see the way He is providing and taking care of you, daily!

Let me say that I am utterly grateful for my husband, Nathan as he constantly points me to Christ and reminds me to focus on the positives, on His blessings.

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17

 I’ve always loved that verse in Zephaniah and how it depicts the way the Lord loves us!

Marital Compatibility

The Truth About Marital Compatibility is a great article written by Phil Smidt, who is the counseling pastor as well as the Marriage and Family pastor at one of the Mars Hill campuses. It takes a look at biblical compatibility and offers 5 questions for both singles seeking a spouse and married couples. 


5 Questions for Married Couples Who Want to Become More Biblically Compatible: 

1. What do you focus on more frequently, what's wrong with your marriage or what's right with it?

If you're a Christian, there’s a lot right about you because Jesus has saved you from God’s wrath and now owns you. You have every resource in Christ available to you (2 Peter 1:3). As a redeemed child of God, forgiveness and grace can flow freely from your heart allowing you to minister to your spouse’s weaknesses. But do you live that way?

2. When is the last time you did something intentional for your spouse?

Kindness and thoughtfulness strengthen marriage. Yet many couples feel entitled to speak harshly, be contemptuous, or withhold forgiveness. “For better or for worse” is not permission to sin. It takes faith and humility to respond graciously when you are angry, hurting, or misunderstood.

3. Do you believe God knew what he was doing when he had you marry your spouse?

When marriage is difficult it can be tempting to think you made a mistake, forgetting marriage sharpens us, often in painful ways. Step back and remind each other what you appreciate and admire about one another. Chances are, those qualities are still there, but you have allowed sin and selfishness to creep in and cloud your view.

4. Do you need to repent of discontentedness and complaining in your marriage?

It takes a supernatural intervention by the Holy Spirit to make us thankful. Our tendency is to compare and complain. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle command in Scripture (Col. 3:15-17), not just a suggestion or holiday in November. What are you thankful about? What would it take for you to enjoy your spouse?

5. Do you and your spouse pray together? Do you pray for each other?

It's difficult to grow hard-hearted and embittered toward someone you are praying for frequently. God will do his best work in your marriage when you are in prayer. Prayer acknowledges our need for God and worships him.       

Pinterest Board: Design

Packaging. Logos. Typography. Design. I'm smitten by every bit of it-the feel of paper, the final touches of a product and the way one chooses to manipulate the letters of the alphabet.

Enjoy these design goodies from Pinterest.

Clean & Simple.

Standing Out in a Positive Way.

Just right.

Nailed it.

Every bit of goodness. 

Love the color and the hidden silhouette. 

Utter perfection

If there was a room that was a perfect depiction of me it would be this one. The chairs, the curtains and oh that beautiful rug-truly utter perfection in my book. So much joy would be brought to every meal, simply because of these colors. 

Enjoy. 

Chicago Bound

My "little" (we will use this term loosely considering he is nearly a foot taller than me) is officially a Chicago resident for the next four years while he studies at Columbia College of Chicago.

Unfortunately Nathan and I weren't able to tag along for the big move-in, but we are nonetheless absolutely thrilled for this new chapter in Adam's life.

A few days ago Adam sent me this picture taken from his dorm room window (not your typical tiny living quarters but actually an apartment designed with perfect modern flair)...

Awesome view.

Adam,
Enjoy the windy city for all it has to offer. Enjoy college for all it has to offer. Pursue deep relationships that will make you a stronger man of God. Pursue relationships you will look back on in years to come, one's where see His provision for your life through those blessings. My prayer for you is that He stretches you out of your comfort zone only leading to truly reliance on Him alone-the only one who can satisfy. I love you Adam.

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:14, 17-19