desires.

"If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy, I can only conclude that I was not made for here."- C.S. Lewis

 

Nothing satisfies. Nothing in this world at least. How many times have you had that desire to acquire something more, thinking "if I can only get this one thing, I will be satisfied." Sure, maybe you don't consciously think of it that way. But think about it for a second. That thought process really has to be the driving motivation behind always wanting 'more.' If I can just have this one outfit, my closet and my style will be complete (until next week when some new trend comes out). Or if I could only get this dream job I would be fulfilled and serve a purpose (until you get burned out, or it isn't quite the dream you thought it would be). Or what about the whole husband issue? How many girls do I know that think if they could just get married life's problems would be solved? Too many. 

See, none of these things are bad things, but I am convinced that so many times our motivation for them is way off base. I am convinced of that because I know my motivation is off. I thought being a PA was what I needed to be fulfilled because I feel like my purpose in life is to help those in need. And, don't get  my wrong, I love medicine. But you know what? It didn't fulfill me. I'm glad I'm a PA. I'm thankful for my job. I am going to love what I do every day. But it's not my identity. I absolutely love being a wife. I love my husband, but he isn't enough. I can't expect him to be. He is just a man. And even though he is the best husband I could ever ask for, I will still spend my days extremely disappointed with a lot of expectations unfulfilled if I look to only him to meet all my needs. And clothes? come on....do we really think those are going to satisfy? Embarrassingly enough, I think sometimes I do. If you look to this world to satisfy you, it will always come up short. Because you and I were not made for this world. We were made for eternity. And our Heavenly Father is the only one who can satisfy us. So my prayer today is that I will stop looking at the things of this world to meet my heart's desires and start looking to my Savior.

Let's not look to this world as if it's all there is.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. -Ecclesiastes 3:11

-Lace

sweetness.

Last night I baked the most yummy dessert. And it's healthy. I had to share! I got this recipe here. I love this website more than words can express. Seriously, I have made a dish from here every night for the last month - and none of them were a disappointment. The best part is, they are ALL healthy and weight watchers friendly. This gal even calculates the points for you.

As you may remember from my random post, I almost always have to have milk before I go to bed at night (exceptions include illness, being out of the country, and having dessert at a restaurant for dinner). And if you recall, I cannot drink milk without eating something - gross. So I usually have a little bite of peanut butter or a taste of something sweet. These are such a great alternative! These little cookies were  only 1 point a piece! And Jacob even liked them!

On another sweet note, I got some "just because" flowers the other day with this sweet card.

Happy Sweetest Day to you!
-Lace

sweet pups.

Sweet Baby Koa

peek-a-boo

monkey halloween costume. he wasn't impressed.

my sunny girl as a tiny baby.

honey eyes.

love from mama.

playin' catch.

-Lace

attitude.

"Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure." (pin)

Yep.
Today has been one of those days. Tonight we are having about 15 people at our house. And I'm cooking. I had my day planned perfectly. I was going to get up, start working on my new garden (fun , huh?), then clean house, go to the grocery store, start dinner, get dressed, finish dinner. Oh, and try to squeeze in a work out somewhere in there.

I started my garden, realized I needed compost, and went to the nursery. While I was out, I decided to go to the grocery store. So I went and bought all the stuff for tonight's (hopefully) yummy dinner. I came home and began unloading my groceries. I shut the front door behind me and......oops. It locked. I locked myself out of my dirty-needs-to-be-cleaned house. With groceries in my car. And my phone trapped inside.

Funny thing is, this morning I was just thinking about this quote and how I need to watch my attitude when things don't go my way. It is so easy to pout or get angry. But, I thought about the times in my life that I've watched other people handle difficult circumstances with grace and patience, and how much more respect I had for those people. One of those people is my husband. See, he is the most patient and calm person I know. You can literally throw anything his way and his first instinct is just to start trying to come up with a solution, or just move on. He doesn't waste time whining about it or getting mad. He doesn't see a point in those things. How much more would I get accomplished if I just handled things differently?

Back to my day: So here I am locked out of my house. Phone's in the house. Groceries in the car. It's the middle of the day.

We just had new neighbors move in across the street and I had been meaning to go over and meet them. So that's just what I did! She let me use her phone. I couldn't get anyone. So I started working on my garden because I figured.. I had to be outside anyway. Might as well be productive. I finished that chore. Then my neighbor came back over to check on me and let me use her phone again! I finally got Jacob and he came home to let me in! :)

Moral of my story: I still got to do everything I needed to do today. I didn't die. Nobody was any worse off for what happened. And because I didn't throw a fit, I don't have to feel guilty about the way I reacted today. I get to go on with my day knowing that I kept a good attitude, and even made a new friend! Now back to cleaning and cooking!

pinteres

-Lace

fall.

cooler weather. beautiful colors. boots. scarves. chilly evenings. longer runs.camping. fires. hot chocolate. pumpkins. family.

This is what I LOVE about this time of the year. So to celebrate the 1st day of fall, I made wreaths and planted mums (which will probably be dead in a couple weeks). And I was going to make s'more cupcakes.... buuuuut I bought the wrong kind of chocolate. So ice cream it is.

 

-Lace

great things.

The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3

Monday night we were at a small group Bible study and we were talking about how God is a promise-keeping God. He never fails, He never leaves us. I just got to thinking about all the ways he has blessed Jacob and I. All the ways he has shown Himself to us over and over  during the last 4 years of our marriage. I could literally write a novel of all the ways he has provided, answered prayer, and just plain loved on us. I don’t know why I ever doubt whether or not He truly cares or is really involved in our every day lives. I have a husband who loves me. I mean really loves me. I have a home and a roof over my head. I have family who loves the mess outta me. I was fortunate enough to get an education and have  my dream job. And I have a God who loves  me so much that He gives me so much more than I need. I am so blessed. 

 .............................................

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. - Luke 12:22-31

-Lace 

florida 2011.

Here are some pictures from our trip! We had such a blast! Sorry there are so many, but it beats the 200 I took!  :)

love love sailboats. 

golf cart rides were the best.

grillin' out.

beach concierge. that's me.

aren't they adorable?

two peas in a pod.

gang's all here.

i had a melt down on 30-A.

dog-friendly seaside.

frost bites. yum.

he. he.

beach time.

at our wedding site in seaside.

wedding site  - almost 4.5 years ago.

wedding site.

love this man.

at the red bar. a tradition.

love me some beach.

-Lace

home sweet home.

We made it home from Florida! It was the best trip! Actually, that's the second trip I think I've said that about this summer! We have been so fortunate to see so many beautiful places, and do so many lovely things this summer. But we always love going back to Florida. It just feels like home. My family has been going to an area near Destin every year since we happened upon it on our way to Disney when I was two. So, for the last 24 years I think we have only missed one or two summers when we didn't go. Jacob and I got engaged there, and we got married there. So now it is even more special to go back and revisit those places. I am going to try to upload all my pictures tomorrow and  post some on here. But for now...

-Lace

random challenge...

The Shine Project is having a random link party... so here are some random facts about myself. If you ever had a question of how quirky I really am, you will no longer have any doubts. Here goes:

1.  I have to be even. If I step on a crack with one foot, the other has to follow. This applies to a lot of other things. If you were in middle school with me, you probably remember "being even." 

2.  I was prom queen. I know, weird.

3.  I  have to have milk before I can go to bed. But I can't have milk unless I have a little bite of something with it. Horrible, bad, habit.

4.  While we're on the milk subject, I can't ever drink milk at a restaurant. Beeeecause.... I have to drink out of "restaurant" cups with a straw. And I can't drink milk out of a straw. Gross.

5.  I have one eye with brown eyelashes, and one eye with blonde.

6.  I can make a sound like a monkey.

7.  I broke my toe surfing in Hawaii.

8.  I've broken my nose 3 times. Once my grandpa hit me in the face with a boat oar. True story. But he doesn't know he broke it, so don't tell him. Oh, and it was a total accident.

9.  I am terrified of fish but I LOVE the ocean.

10.  I am a super fast test-taker.

Ok, I think that about covers it. Oh yea, and I'm going out of town (to the beach!) for the next week so I won't be posting for a little while! Have a great week! And tell me something random about you!

-Lace

a smile...

                                                            {pinterest}

Such a simple statement. And something we all know. But it really just spoke to me today. Truly, the most beautiful thing in the world is someone's smile.

Today I was in a really bad mood.. for lots of reasons. I actually had a horrible morning. My poor husband had to be around me, and I really do feel sorry for him. (I'm good now, though!) But what I realized is this: I really am ugly when I have a bad attitude. And all the make up, cute clothes, and good hair in the world won't fix that. Only an attitude adjustment will.

So, I'm going to try to remember this little pearl ~ I hope you will too.

-Lace

How we live our days...

“After the apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, people “were cut to the heart and said… ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ (Acts 2:37). The first church responded with immediate action; repentance, baptism, selling possessions, sharing the gospel. We respond with words like ‘amen, convicting sermon, great book’… and then are paralyzed as we try to decipher what God wants of our lives. I concur with Annie Dillard who once said, “How we live our days is.. .how we live our lives.” We each need to discover for ourselves how to live this day in faithful surrender to God. ”

This is from a book I read a few months ago called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. This is one of those books that you just don't forget.  It's one that you put down and just have to chew on what you just read for a while. And this particular part hit me. Like a ton. of. bricks. How many times do I read a good book and say "wow, great book. I should live differently." Or, "great sermon. I really learned a lot today." or "amen, that person has an amazing testimony. Let me tell you about their story, it's really cool." There is nothing wrong with a great book, sermon, or story.  But God wants us to have our own story. A story that is all about Him. We need desperately to let Him use US, teach US, and change OUR LIVES. Drastically. I need Him to. So my prayer today is as I start a new job, encounter new people, and have a whole new level of responsibility in my life, I will choose to let Him use me in ways only He can. I choose to respond with actions instead of pretty words. I choose to live each day in faithful surrender. Because after all, "how we live our days... is how we live our lives."

-Lace