Why I Stopped Watching Grey's Anatomy. On Healthy 'Sexpectations' and Holiness

Can I start by saying just how much I used to love Grey's? Like, seriously SO much.  I have a group of friends that used to get together every Thursday to watch it together, but I had no interest in joining them because I just loved sitting down by myself with a glass of wine, a box of tissues and having myself a big 'ol cry. Man, do I love a good cry. When Chris and I started seeing each other he dutifully watched it with me. I don't think he ever loved it like I did, but he probably wouldn't say he hated it either.

Then we got married, and it got a little more complicated.

OK. Deep breath.

Fasting, Prayer and Bagged Salads - The Next Chapter of Our Love Story

In my last post I told you all a portion of my love story with my Husband. At the end of that story I mentioned that after a time of prayer and fasting and seeking the Lord's will for our lives we had decided we would be wed. First of all, to clarify, I don't mean that we got engaged at that point, but instead we made a decision, together with the Lord that we would get married. Chris didn't propose until months later.

So to set the stage, we are happily back together at this point, and things couldn't seem any better. We spent every waking moment together, and were just enjoying life and being madly in love.

I had a trip to the Dominican Republic planned with a couple of friends since before Chris had even moved home. As excited as I was to get to the beach and enjoy some sand and sun with one of my best friends, admittedly I was also a little sad to be leaving Chris for a week. At this point we had only been back together for just over a month.

Kicking Down The Door- What Every Girl Deserves

I thought today I would share another piece of my love story with my husband. It's one of my favorite parts of our whole pre-engagement story. Very movie-esque if you ask me!

So first of all I'll set the stage a little. Chris and I started dating at the end of March 2009. We were only dating for a mere 5 weeks before he informed me that in 3 weeks he would be moving to Vancouver for an undetermined amount of time. There's a lot more to that story, but for the sake of keeping this post to an appropriate length, I'll just say that God unmistakeably called him to Vancouver for a season of learning and ministry.

So there we were, 8 weeks into our relationship, saying goodbye, with no idea when we would see each other again. The night he left we told each other that we loved each other for the first time. Bittersweet doesn't even begin to describe it. I loved him very much already. I knew right away that what I felt for him was completely different than anything I had felt for anyone in the past. It wasn't just more, it was completely and drastically different. I knew we were to be married.

What My Lenten Sacrifice is Teaching Me - Part 2

As I was praying about what I wanted to fast from for Lent I came across this question, which at the time seemed very large, but now that I have finished Lent it certainly resonates.

"When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, how will I be different?"

I'm not sure I had given much thought to that before. The fact that my Lenten sacrifice might change me. I'm quite pleased to say that it has. It wasn't easy though, as change often isn't.

Chris and I gave up television. Not just television, but essentially everything that happens on the television. That means my poor husband also gave up video games. What a trooper! We lented in the traditional fast & feast method, in that we fasted from TV Monday through Saturday, and then "feasted" on Sunday. This is because every Sunday is a day when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ - albeit a small scale in comparison to Easter Sunday. If you were to count the days in between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday you would find it to be 47 days (not 40) hence not fasting on Sundays.

What My Lenten Sacrifice is Teaching Me - Part 1

Lent. Let's start with a little history, shall we?

Lent is a Spiritual Discipline that is often viewed as an empty religious practice- even by Christians. The roots of Lent go faaaar back. It is believed it started somewhere around A.D. 203.  There is some evidence that the 40 day period was a bit of a mistake - that the writings were translated improperly from Greek into Latin, and it was first written that followers of Christ should observe a 40 hour fast leading up to the anniversary of the Resurrection, and it was a misinterpretation of a punctuation mark that caused 40 hours to look like 40- 24 hour days.

Oops.

When Exactly Did I Become "That Girl"?

I'm planning my High School reunion. Ten years. Oh Boy. I could say a slough of cliche things about how I can't believe this much time has passed and all that, but that's not why we're here today.

We're here to try to pinpoint the moment in time that I became the girl that plans her 10 Year Reunion. See, I mentioned to a co-worker and friend of mine that I was planning it, and his response was "Ya, I guess that makes sense. You're totally THAT girl. THAT girl planned my reunion too"

Here's the thing. In high school I definitely was not that girl. I wasn't on school council, or in Leadership (I think it was a class...? Or an extra curricular..?) I didn't help organize any pep rallies, or dances. Heck, I didn't even attend pep rallies or dances (Truth - I didn't go to ONE high school dance) Even when there were things going on during lunch hour in the cafeteria, I was usually found upstairs not watching, or not even in the school.

Before I Knew Jesus, I Used To Be Judgemental.

I am not who I used to be. Yet, I am haunted by my past.

I think we all are to some extent though, don't you?

Someone very close to me is going through something very hard right now. When I asked why they hadn't wanted to talk about it they said that they feared being judged by me. That they always feared being judged by me. My first reaction was that I felt frustrated because it is something I have run into a few times since being saved - family and friends assuming that since I make different choices than I used to, I must be judging them for doing the things I no longer do. First of all, this is not truth, and couldn't be farther from it. Second of all, this was actually not the problem at hand. The problem was that this person has always felt judged by me.

Can I tell you a secret? I used to be a bit of a jerk sometimes.