Friendship on fire.

 I'm sure you've heard that "love is friendship on fire". Maybe you like that idea, maybe you don't. But you don't really get it until you have it. 

I have a group of seven girl friends who I would consider my best friends. They have known me for years. We have grown up together. We have hurt together, laughed together, cried together. We act serious together and completely silly with each other. We are real and open with each other and sometimes we're not. We go on adventures together and have scrapbooks of memories together.

What I have with my husband is an unexplainably deeper version of that. He's the person I want to talk to. The person that I want to end my day with, just watching tv, playing video games, or sitting in the quiet next to one another. He's the person I get frustrated with and tell him so. He's the person that I'm seriously vulnerable with and crazy-silly with. We grasp hands and grow together. Hurt together, laugh together. We talk through things...and sometimes we just be and don't talk. He's my comfort-person. He is my absolute best friend. 

We were friends first. And then that friendship caught on fire. 

It makes me sad when married couples aren't best friends.When they don't have fun together. When they aren't for each other. When they don't want to talk about simple things and serious things. When they don't want to just do life together. 

Sure, best friendships have bumps in the road. Best friends hurt one another and get frustrated. Each friend is imperfect and brings those imperfections into the relationship.

But where romance and passion may fail, where legal documents may seem negotiable, where marriage may seem overwhelming, friendship overcomes. 

So, my single friends out there, don't look for Mr. Perfect. Just enjoy building those friendships...and, one day, you'll find yourself falling in love with your best friend.  You'll be laughing at a party or playing video games or watching your favorite movie on the couch or riding in a van to a TV studio in Garner...

,,,and you'll look over - and all of a sudden it all makes sense. 

Friendship on fire. 

A mother of a weekend

 

 It was a great weekend of productivity and loving on all of the moms and grandmas in our lives!

 

We started off Saturday morning assisting and cheering on my dad as he worked on our new deck!

Jessie and I took Mrs. Vickie shopping to love on her for Mother's Day. We spent the majority of the afternoon in Charming Charlies - where Jessie and I appreciated and made fun of (check out the sea urchin afro rings above) some of the jewelry...and Mrs. Vickie was in heaven. We met up with Derrick for dinner to end the evening. 

Derrick and I started out Sunday morning watching a sermon on God's Will and His Ways from Elevation in Charlotte...from the comfort of bed.

We went grocery shopping, visited all of our wonderful grandmothers...and spent time with my mom for a bit while my awesome dad continued working on the deck (mom and I are standing on it above). 

 We went to Hope's Sunday at 5 service to learn about serving others...

Met my family for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings!

Present time for my beautiful, gracious mom...

And we ended with one of my favorite nights of the year...Survivor finale! 

Taking Back Sabbath

It sounds like the name of a CD...or book...

But it's the stage of life I'm in. 

In the Old Testament, God makes the Sabbath a priority. A big deal.

  (Exodus 31:14, Leviticus 23:3)

In the New Testament, Jesus took time to rest. (Mark 6:31)

But, in today's society and in my mind, busier is better. You always have to be doing more and more. To just sit and relax means that you're not doing something you should be doing. To be exhausted is good. 

Lately, I've been grasping to work out my priorities. Every week night has been booked. Every Sunday has been busy from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Some Saturdays are filled with work, some filled with household responsibilities. All important things, all good things...but altogether it can be a little overwhelming.

Derrick and I are going to our new church - Hope Community. The service we go to is at 5 p.m., which means - starting today - we have all day Sunday to ourselves. This makes me feel guilty...but I think God knew I needed it. 

It's time to take back the Sabbath. Spend some time with Jesus. Sit on the back porch and take in creation. Snuggle with my husband. Get in the Word together. Pray for the week ahead. Watch a movie. Go grocery shopping together. Visit relatives. Go for a walk. 

See, I think God gave us a Sabbath - a day of rest - for three reasons:

Time

He wants us to spend time with Him. To give a portion back. To hang out with Him, rest in Him, meet with HIm, focus on Him. 

Trust

He wants us to trust Him with our lives. Set aside the need to control everything, to always be busy, to be planning and doing - and trust Him.

Take Care

He designed our bodies, our spirits, our minds, and our world. He knows that going going going all the time wears on us. He wanted to take care of us. To give us a time of rest. 

So, I'm excited. Selfishly excited to have some more time available. Spiritually to spend some more time getting to know Jesus. I'm praying I can take back the Sabbath. I'll let you know how it goes. 

This morning we slept in. Woke up and read Philippians 4 together, prayed for the week, listened to our favorite worship songs, and then watched a live sermon from SeaCoast church in South Carolina - all in bed. Then we made our grocery list for the week and went grocery shopping together. When we got home, I did the budget and picked out my clothes for the week...then we headed to visit some of my relatives who we haven't seen in eight months...although they live right next door.
It has been a Day of Rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

 and I will give you rest."

 Matthew 11:28

Pencil You In...

If you haven't seen or heard from Derrick or me in a while...it's not because we stopped caring about you. I promise.

Free weeknights are very rare in our life. Watching TV at the time it comes on doesn't happen. God has been so good to us, and we live life to the full. There's a whole list of people - literally - that we're waiting to dedicate time to...

Growing up, we always had family night. When we began watching Survivor, Thursday night become our big family night...and so it is still. And I value that so much. So when Derrick and I got married, that was something I made a priority. Thursday nights with my family, and he happily supports that.Who can argue with interactive TV watching and good food.

While we were engaged, we wanted to have a family night with Derrick's family as well. So Monday night is our dinner and game night with Derrick's family. It's fun to play Cranium, Farkle, Taboo...over Mexican or Italian or pork chops.

So those close to us know that Mondays and Thursdays are generally taken.

 We have chosen family as a priority.

 Growing up, church was traditionally Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. And, for the most part, we still follow that model. 

Wednesday night is our Small Group -we started a new one last night, and we loved it! And we go to Hope's Sunday at 5 service. So our Wednesday and Sunday nights are taken. 

When we don't have work events on Friday nights, most of the time Derrick is editing his personal video work, and I do laundry and clean. I know it doesn't sound fun - but I love getting all of that done.

Tuesday nights are generally our open night - which means that they get quickly booked with friends and family. Dinner in downtown Raleigh with my best friend. Hanging out with church friends in Fuquay. Going out with Derrick's family...

That leaves us with Saturday nights at home.

So, like I said, I promise we're not trying to ignore you. If you're free on Tuesday or Saturday nights...we can pencil you in :)

Weeping Forward

The name of this post is from Day 3 of Kelly Minter's Ruth bible study, and I think it's a little relevant at this point of my life. (Check it out!)

This particular devotion talks about how Naomi, Orpah and Ruth wept as they were leaving Moab. They were heartbroken. But Naomi and Ruth wept forward. Mourned but continued on to the next part of their lives. Sometimes moving forward isn't easy, but obedience to God's plan is key. 

Although I'm not weeping, this is a period of good-bye in my life... and a period of hellos. 

This past Wednesday night I was feeling a little down. I told Derrick, "nothing's wrong, I'm just feeling a little melancholy..." He smiled that I used the word "melancholy" and then asked if I was just tired of saying goodbye. I hadn't thought of that. But maybe that was it. 

It's the end of the year at Campbell. A time of much free food and festivities. And, this year, a time of big goodbyes. Thirteen of my student ambassadors are graduating. Many of them I have grown close to, and they have all blessed me. I have loved getting to know them, sharing in their lives, and celebrating with them. Three are particularly special to me, and I've been spending time recently with them - saying good bye. 

But after every graduation, we welcome a new class. A fresh group of students who have no idea in what ways their time at Campbell will change them. And, after every leaving ambassador, I invite new students to become a part of the program. I get to know them, am amazed at their dedication and spirit, and get to share in a portion of their lives. 

Tomorrow is our last Sunday at Relationship. Wednesday night we went to our last Life Group. And I'm not good at saying goodbye. I don't want to risk crying. I don't want to make a big deal of it. But we've poured our lives into RC and been poured into for the past year and a half. These people have become our dearest friends and church family. And it's definitely going to be different. 

But Thursday night we had dinner with some new friends from Hope. Derrick is quickly making friends with his coworkers and getting plugged in, and I'm excited to do the same. On one hand, I'm sad to be saying "goodbye" to one church and one friend-group, but I'm excited to be saying "hello" to new friends, a new church family, a new adventure. I'm excited to see what's ahead on the path. 

So sometimes life might make you sad. Moving forward may break your heart. But it's okay. Weep forward. 

Her husband is respected...

My husband is a super cool person. 

He's the best best friend. My partner in life. My rock. 

He is someone I respect and am proud of. 

And we've had quite a journey together...

When we met, he wanted to be a PR consultant. For those who don't know him extremely well, that might seem like a stretch, as he's a little more laid back than outgoing. 

I remember when he fell in love with video. It was the same semester he fell in love with me. We took a video production class together because, eh, it seemed like it wouldn't be too bad...And everything changed.

And we began this crazy-beautiful journey. I grasped his hand, and we started down the path. And it's been amazing so far. Sometimes bumpy. Sometimes dark - with God only allowing us to see the very next step. But I'm Derrick's shotgun rider - with my feet up on the dashboard (which he hates) and music playing in the background. 

Our first video production had us as the stars in this suspenseful, romantic, doesn't-actually-make-sense movie trailer. Next thing I know, Derrick was researching the heck out of video equipment.

Then he interned doing a video for Campbell's campus ministries, and his eye for video was evident. Before we knew it, he was getting all of the behind-the-scenes details and experience of this crazy industry, as he began working for the youtube sensations - Rhett & Link. In fact, I started this blog while he was gone on his first out-of-town video shoot and wrote about his positive attitude about the hard journey ahead - check it out. 

Three months into our engagement, R & L let us know that they'd be moving to California. That began the hardest period of Derrick's job-life so far. Months of applying for dozens upon dozens of job. No responses resulted in us getting married at a point when Derrick didn't yet have a job. That required a lot of faith, patience, and budgeting. I remember how hard it was for me to go to work while he was at home, and how devastating it was for him to apply to job after job without hearing back. People gave him a hard time a lot, but I am proud that he never gave up. 

A month and a half into our marriage, Derrick finally took a job at HHGregg. I was so proud of him. He rocked that job. We celebrated every little commission-based check he brought home. Some nights he would do well. Some nights he would come home dejected after selling nothing. I remember sitting at home alone at 10 p.m. at night, wondering if how he was doing. We were thankful he had something. It was hard being in that situation as newlyweds. But it was a huge blessing going through it together.

Then, one day, Derrick got turned around trying to find a wrong address I had given him. When he went to turn around, in a parking lot behind Ruby Tuesday, he saw a sign for Amazing Videos. On a whim, he looked them up - and figured that it wouldn't hurt...he emailed the owner - and a few weeks later, he started working there, soon moving up to Media Director. His time there has been a huge blessing - as he's gotten to know some pretty cool people and work on amazing projects. 

Last October, he stumbled across a job at a pretty well-known video studio in Raleigh. He applied and, out of the other hundred or so applications, he got the job. It was awesome. I was so proud of him. But neither of us felt right about it. We didn't feel at peace. So - out of complete faith - he turned it down. 

Today, Derrick starts a new job in video ministry
 (that we didn't even know we should be dreaming about). 

And I'm just as proud of him as I was the day he started working at HHGregg. 

But - wow - I am so happy for him, and I love marveling in God's amazing plan. Because he's worked so hard for it. We've been praying for it. He's been preparing for it, learning for it, ready for it. 

Derrick Green is the coolest person I know. And I'm so proud of him. I love being his partner.  

No matter what the future holds, it's my hand in his on the path God's paving. 

Hijacked Miracles: Part 2

Now it was a waiting game for Derrick and me. Lots of prayer, excitement, and anticipation. Having to keep it between the two of us until we heard something. While we waited, I was reminded of God-things leading up to this point. 

In January of last year, we moved from Hilltop to Relationship and, before we knew it, we were plugged in, serving, and surrounded by a new church family. I was baptized at Relationship. Friends and family began coming with us. And Derrick was soon involved with the video ministry, while I was leading our First Impressions team. 

In the fall of last year, Derrick had been offered a job at a large video studio in Raleigh. The job would have been a step above where he was, but we felt like he needed to stay in his current job. That God had other plans for us. We didn't feel at peace about Centerline, though we couldn't quite put our finger on why. And Derrick enjoyed and was blessed in his current job. So we waited.  

For the past few months, Derrick has been exploring long-term dreams of getting into video ministry, although we didn't exactly know what that would look like for us. Did that mean he should start his own business? Focus more on video at RC? We talked through all the options, did research, explored the possibilities, but weren't quite ready to take any next steps. 

So that's where we were when we got Allen's text message that morning.

 God has been preparing us. God has been working - but He had been keeping the end of the path dark. He had shown us one step at a time, preparing us in little ways...but still wanting to surprise us with the big-ness of His plan. 

So,at this point, it was obvious that this was a miracle. A story brimming with God-things. But the question was: Is this only Allen and Sara's God-thing or is it ours too? We certainly didn't want to hijack their miracle. 

We waited two weeks. We visited Hope with Allen and Sara. We prayed. I was excited, but skeptical. And also very aware that this new job would mean leaving our church family - which was definitely the hardest part of trying to wrap my mind around things. It's still the hardest part of trying to wrap my mind around things.

For two weeks, I had been praying "for us to hear something soon", "for God to guide and bless the decision-makers", "for them to let us know something soon". 

But on Monday, April 1, I wrote and prayed for "Hope to get in touch with Derrick tomorrow!" And that's what God did. Derrick got the email about an interview the very next day. (He, of course, said that I should have written tomorrow two weeks earlier). 

So Friday a week ago Derrick interviewed with Hope and loved his time there. And last Thursday he got the official job offer in the mail. We'll be starting this new adventure one week from tomorrow!

We're ready. Ready for a new journey. Ready to be used in new ways in a new place. Ready to celebrate the awesomeness of God. Ready to see what God has in store. 

I ask that you'll pray for Derrick in his new job and pray for both of us as we begin this new chapter in our lives. Our God is greater! His timing is perfect. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us!

Ephesians 3:20