king of my heart.

it was 73 degrees Friday. and while that's all nice in January, I can't help but wonder what that means for the month of August. praise the Lord for air conditioning, I guess!

so we're home. it's always an adjustment for me and this time is no different. waking up in a house with a couple extra family members and knowing your parents are right down the road is nice. so being many miles away without knowing when we'll go back is always a little hard. and Norah is so bored without all of her family and those darn Michigan dogs. so I decided to take advantage of the weather and take her for a walk. she's always up for a walk.

I just wanted to share this song though (I'll post the video at the bottom too). we came back to town facing a few unfortunate things. one being a half empty shed. there are so many reasons I am thankful it was just the shed, and not our house or cars, but when you're processing what might have happened and how it all feels premeditated and like a really bad joke.. and you're glad to just be back to your own bed, but then can't quite get comfortable because you feel a little violated. it just kind of stinks that the comfort of family we just left is so far away, honestly. and it is only things that were taken from us, but still a bummer. 

anyway, the song. it's long but I'd just turn it on while you're doing whatever it is you're doing today and declare it over all of the things. a friend posted it on Facebook and I hit play and just started walking. walking in a place that sort of feels uncomfortable this week. but going confidently because He is good. He is protecting us and has never, ever stopped.

so here's this pretty little thing.

just really happy she doesn't fully understand that anything is weird and can play in her yard without fear and sleep (though not for very long, ha..) like this and dream sweet dreams.

but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

love. 

sitting here at the table.. it's suddenly really sunny and starting to rain. and all of these little yellow things start flying around, which is sort of exciting when you realize they're leaves. but then my brain gets a little confused when I remember it's December. and it's supposed to be snowing.

even after two years.

the locale.

so.

here's the thing.

Chad and I thought we would make a new year resolution type commitment at the beginning of the year. and I thought it could be something I would blog about so the family could see what we were experiencing. we're sort of doing well with it, but sort of failing at the second part.

I haven't blogged about it once, ha.

we decided to try one new local restaurant each month. we've been here for two years now (what!) and while we had experienced a bit of the culture, we couldn't stop hearing how AMAZING the food is here. but in all honesty we hadn't been too impressed. so we thought we would try harder to find local spots and try some of their cuisine. so far, we've found some gems but also some not-so-gemmy (?) places.

I know it's kind of late in the year to start, but I still thought I'd throw some of the places out there, even if just to make myself feel better.

january. our first stop was Katie's in mid-city. probably our favorite so far. if you go, you should to try the garlic feta fries. if you're into that (probably horrible for you) kind of thing. we find ourselves randomly craving those fries. we went back when Chad's parents were visiting in March and everyone loved what they ordered.

february. we had Breakfast at a little place in uptown called Couli. hasn't been our favorite (we love The Ruby Slipper and Surry's, which are both hard to beat as far as breakfast goes), but could have just been an off day, so maybe we'll try it again sometime.

march. the Milk Bar. they have a couple locations and we've only been for lunch, but we thought it was great and really good for a quick, casual place to eat. strangely enough, we haven't tried a shake, but I hear they're delicious. also, in this month we stopped in a cute place called Manhattan Jack in uptown with Chad's parents. good coffee, really good treats and a nice place to take a break from all of our adventures with parents. we've been again since and now I for sure want to be there right this minute. ( :

april. this is where things get blurry. we signed our lease for the house and were crazy with moving and going back to Michigan to get the rest of our things and all of that fun stuff. so I'm a little bit unsure of where we went. I will say, somewhere around the March/April time, we went to Crêpes à la Cart on Broadway Street for a nice treat and we had never been there before, so that counts. ( :

may. again, not so sure, as this is when we moved. I think we stopped in to Parenton's Poboys because our landlord told us about them and they're pretty much in our new neighborhood. kind of a little hole in the wall that looks like a house, so you can almost miss it, but the owner takes great care of her customers and takes pride in how fresh her food is. bonus. we had probably the best po-boys (overrated sandwiches in New Orleans) we've tried so far here, so that's saying something, I think. definitely worth a visit for you locals, so look it up!

anyone hungry yet? I am.

I'm really not sure what happened in June and July. we went to The Blue Tomato at some point, which is right around the corner from our house also. they serve just about every kind of food, which made me question the place at first, but it wasn't bad actually. we also went to Cafe Navarre recently and had really yummy breakfast foods.

we've still got some time in August, so we'll keep you posted on this month, and I'll hopefully finish the year off with monthly updates. by the way, this is just a glimpse at some of the restaurants here and doesn't even begin to list all of the great ones we had already been to. these are just the new local ones we've tried. let us know what you think if you try any of these places and if you have any recommendations, we'll take them for the remainder of the year!

love..

heat advisories and a baby shower.

I have a harder time finding the silver lining, or whatever you want to call it, here than I did in Michigian. I'm trying. before we moved here, God had me in this place of loving any weather that Michigan brought to the table (which is kind of a big deal if you know anything about Michigan weather) and it was beautiful thing. and I try to keep it positive and full of gratefulness on here, but I think August is my rock and a hard place. the air is just so thick here. does that make sense. it's just really really thick. and I always feel so gross. like I can honestly say I would rather have to put on a sweater any day than feel the need to change my clothes/shower half way through the day because it feels like it's over one hundred degrees and the humidity is through the roof and our cars don't have air (seriously, you can check weather.com.. not exaggerating.. heat advisories all week here? that's hot). can I just not be a southern summer person even though I live here or do I have to find a reason to like it? can't I just say I'm grateful I don't have to drive on icy roads all winter? oh, well I guess that's my silver lining. sorry. end scene.

in other news.. a friend of ours is having a baby in September and some of us had the pleasure of planning a baby shower for her. she is waiting to find out the gender, so we wanted plan something not so girly but also not so blue. (: I saw this honey themed shower online, and then found out the mom-to-be loves honey, so we thought we'd just go from there! so we can't take all of the credit, but we did try to make it a little different and special in our own ways. it was so fun to be creative and celebrate Sarah and her honey as they wait for their new little honey on the way (so much cheese there I know). I wish I had a photo with the rest of the planners, but once again I was not any good at getting lots of photos while thinking about everything else. next time that will be delegated. (: at least I got one with Sarah.

trying to keep with a yellow and grey theme (like the baby's room) we filled the desert table with lots of yellow and grey candies, had some summery deserts and a berry salad with a honey/lime dressing. so delicious. we also had cans of lemon san pellegrino and tea and water in a couple of bee hive beverage dispensers, which were a perfect addition the the decor (thank you Brittaney!) and everyone left with a cute little jar of honey.

a special thank you goes to Chad, who I worked like crazy the week leading up to and on the day of. and he did it all with a smile on his face. and to Lauren, Emily, and Brittaney.. I think we pulled off a pretty successful shower. (: you're all wonderful. praying Billy and Sarah were blessed and felt all of the love I know everyone there has for them. can't wait to meet the little babe!

love..

dreams.

[this photo has nothing to do with the following post, I just thought it was a good one. (: took my first yoga class with a couple friends and it was soo nice. I went again the next week. I added a little filter-love here, but the real credit goes to this lovely lady.]

ever have that dream where you're back in high school and it always seems to not go right and be a bit stressful. yes, that was me this morning. and also, ew.

whenever I have that dream (not so often, but it has happened multiple times. at least I feel like it has), I always seem to have forgotten about my math class. I get really stressed that I haven't attended the class in forever and I have all of this homework I didn't even start, but when I finally go to said math class, it's like my teacher never noticed. I'm not in trouble and my grade hasn't suffered at all. and then I'm a little bit stressed about that whole situation because it doesn't make any sense.

every. single. time I dream about high school, I've forgotten about my math class. and I don't understand.

later, the song 'Ugly Day' by Five Iron Frenzy was stuck in my head. which is very random; I can't remember the last time I listened to that band. but it did take me back to the high school days again, when Chad introduced me to the song. one minute I'm dancing in my head and the next I'm being super grateful I'm still with Chad and even more grateful the high school days are behind me. (I'm most thankful for Chad, I just wanted to accentuate the fact that I love not being in high school anymore.) (;

why, after not writing for so long, am I writing about this? I dont know.

I haven't felt like I had anything to write about lately and thought, you know what? I'll just say hi to my family by telling them about my morning. ha. sorry, I'm sure you would rather hear about New Orleans and whatevs. today, you just get Ali's dream.

[I wrote this a few days ago, but then I decided it would be a good (terrible) idea to catch a stomach virus that has been floating around down here. I don't think I had enough strength to even look at my computer, let alone pick it up.]

so if anyone likes to interpret dreams and wants to give the recurring situation a go, I'm all ears. (;

listen: Ugly Day | Five Iron Frenzy

watch: this video. it was all over the internet yesterday, so you've probably already seen it but the longer I think about it since I watched, the more and more beautiful a revelation it is to see.

read: (or look) also has been all over the internet for a bit now, but come on. this guy? he wins.
ooh and this.. got a vsco grid, yo. did that make me sound cool? whatever.

oh yeah, and see you tomorrow, Michigan!

love..

then.. now.

[if looks could kill..]

 

[over a year ago. there's an extra friend here, so really we only lived with just five other people. (; ]

we started out with lots of roommates here in New Orleans. loved it. and wouldn't trade that time for anything. I really am so thankful that we had friends who were willing to share one space with us. (if any of you are reading this.. hi! we love you!) we spent a couple of years at that apartment and were able to have the cheapest rent possible living that close to downtown, I'm pretty sure. needless to say, splitting rent four ways is fabulous for a season, especially when you're not working very much. so we were able to build our savings back up a little and this year we just felt like we were able to move somewhere on our own. we basically only lived together, just us, for a year before moving here, so the change has been fun.

so here we are. in the house! for the most part, we're unpacked. we get a little bit done everyday, it seems, but it also feels like there's a lot left to do. we have also been able to do a little bit of yard work (also going to take some time) which has been fun and something a little new for me. I even used a hedge trimmer for the first time! feeling super accomplished. almost like cutting hair. (:

love..

moving time!

this little baby U-Box finally showed up today and we can't wait to get our hands on it. Chad was working, so I didn't want to dive in just yet without him. don't you just love our rusty, little gate? ( ;

we have been running around, getting things ready for the move, feeling pretty busy and tired. but all the while waiting for what felt like months for U-Haul to do their thing. it's crazy how you can get so worn out from waiting. anyway, the next couple days will be full of lifting and arranging and hopefully lots of fun.

and when is this whole teleportation thing going to happen, am I right? sometimes it would be nice to just have our families pop in so they could see the place but not have to spend a fortune doing so.

oh, and since I've been neglecting updates, at least neglecting how often I want to, maybe I should talk about our anniversary last week! I sort of felt a little bad for not posting a lovey something or other on here for my husband. but I feel like the fact that we so enjoyed each others company the entire day is more important than some soon forgotten blog post. I'm sure you understand. but April 30th marked three years married and we can't wait for so many more! we ended the night with dinner out and our waiter just so happened to be from Michigan, so that was neat.

hope you're all enjoying your week! I'll try to be back soon to keep you all posted on the move and such.

love..

lazy.

I love how gloomy and stormy it is here because I feel a little bit of justification for how slow-moving I am today. that, and I think we were deep cleaning until 7pm yesterday (at our new house AND our current apartment). we finally sat down for small group and somehow had enough left in us to watch a movie after, which kept us up very late, and I finally rolled out of bed at eleven this morning. (WHAT! lazy.) anyway, we worked really hard, so I'm trying to forget (or let go of) the fact that I slept the morning away. and let's be honest, when it's stormy here, the city is like one giant puddle, soo...

we spent Easter and the few days prior with our Taylor parents and I sort of feel like we're still recovering from the food induced coma that weekend gave us. seriously, so much eating happened. but it was lovely. and we went out to see not one, but two (!) of the movies Chad has worked on, so that was special to have his parents here for. I loved watching how proud they were of him, seeing his name on the big screen.

we also went on a walking tour/scavenger hunt of the garden district and learned a lot of new things about the city and saw a few houses that are owned by celebrities or where certain football players grew up; I won't give it away just in case you go sometime. (you can go at your own pace because the instructions are sent to your phone. we highly recommend it.) maybe next time we'll try the french quarter tour. we took them for gelato later and I tried the dark chocolate, honey, cayenne flavor.. that was delicious and also burned my throat, but I let it slide because it was so tasty.

we went on a fan boat swamp tour the next day, which was so much more enjoyable than I though it was going to be. I felt like we learned a TON and we got to be out in the sunshine on the water for a couple hours. our captain's name was BeeBop (?), and at the end he brought out this little alligator he had on the boat-the whole time-and let everyone hold him. I HELD AN ALLIGATOR, PEOPLE! never thought I'd say that. he was surprisingly cute and his name was Miller Light. yep. lots of new things for us when we have visitors.

and this week, we got our keys! a little earlier than expected, but good, since our move includes a trip to Michigan and back and it is giving us time to clean and move some things early. it's kind of like moving twice to one place. should be fun. or something.

somebody update us on what's new with you! (I've been hearing some people are unable to comment.. I'm not sure what is going on, but it's usually when trying from your phone. let me know, I'll keep trying things.)

love..

this and that. AND A HOUSE.

anyone else have a hard time getting rid of clothing? I try to not put too much value in my earthly possessions but my brain always comes back to 'I MIGHT wear this again'. many times that item will hang in my closet for way too long without any wear. but sometimes I'm right and I do find a way to wear it. so it's hard for me to get rid of some things. sometimes just for sentimental reasons. anyone? I know I'm not alone.

all of that to say, we've been trying to get rid of things that aren't essential because we found a house to rent!! it happened a lot faster than I expected but when we walked in we thought.. yeah. (: and then all of the little things (I LOVE how God cares about those) AND the bigger things (like $$) just made us think.. YEAH. not to mention, our landlord is extremely generous and is also holding on to the house until May so we're not leaving our apartment too crazy early. we're feeling extremely blessed and sometimes sit wondering if it's real. (; the place is very tiny with closets only in the bedrooms, so we're working on ways to take less with us and ways to creatively store what we need.

so the house is the most exciting thing happening lately. other than that, we've been enjoying having some downtime together. I am no longer watching Gideon, so we have used some gift cards from Christmas (about time, am I right?), tried a few new local restaurants & coffee shops, visited the quarter a couple times, talked about Jesus & marriage equality & life, and have tried to avoid the craziness that has been Facebook the last few days.

Chad was able to pick up a couple days of work this week and then tomorrow (!!) his parents are coming here for a long weekend visit! we always love having a little bit of home come to us. so that's what we'll be up to this weekend.

also, we're set to be in Michigan for a few days staring April 17th to bring the rest of our things from our storage unit down here. hopefully we'll get to see some of your beautiful Michigan faces! let us know if you get excited about lifting heavy things. we may have a job for you.

OH and go see Olympus Has Fallen and don't forget to stay for the credits. (: and GI Joe. (sorry husband, I can't help but talk you up)

love..

lately.

we've been entertaining the idea of renting a house when our lease is up in a few months, even though it has been SO nice having fun roommates and cheap rent. Chad hasn't been working for a few weeks so he has had time to be looking online. when I have some free time, or on the weekends, we'll drive around to see the houses he finds and check out the area that they're in.

in New Orleans you'll be driving in a nice neighborhood and all of the sudden it will change to not-so-nice. so we try to check the area out before deciding if we're really into the house. we want to feel safe without completely living in a safe bubble type area, if that makes any sense, and we've liked being closer to the city so far, so we're trying to find something close. it's kind of like a second job, ha.

anyway, we went to look at one of the said houses, started walking around the block and were stopped by some film school students asking if we'd like to be extras. kind of funny, considering Chad's job. he tried not to give that away though. [also, a few months ago, Chad, Gideon and I were asked to be in a commercial that has been airing on local channels down here. I've been trying to find it online with no luck so far, so hopefully sometime I can show you our two seconds of fame. we're basically celebrities.. (; ]

later that day, we met with a couple of guys that Chad had worked with on The Last Exorcism Part II to see it on the big screen. neither of us slept well that night, ha. BUT, it was realllly neat to see Chad's name up there for the first time! so to spare you a sleepless night, I just thought I would share that photo with you if you don't want to go. (: so proud of that man.

and this is what we did today on my day off..

basically.. we just ate food. (; explored the city a bit too. (see: city greens. nola beans.)

and here are a few of my iPhone photos and instagrams as of late.

love..

hope.

well hi there.

just thought I'd throw out a little hello and let you know what we have been up to. which is not much. but a lot at the same time. you know, those times.

this little guy (check out those eyeballs. gosh.) recently lost his grandmother. while he isn't fully aware of what is happening around him, it has made me realize new kind of love. I have wanted to cuddle a little more, hug a little tighter, and play a little longer. he is teaching me lots and he's not even two. (: so my last couple of weeks have been lots of all of that and just trying to be there for his parents as much as possible. [he also turned two on Valentine's Day. happy birthday, buddy!]

I've been going through a little bit of a 'heavy' season. maybe some of you can relate. as I process it more, I can see lots of little areas that have played into it, though at first it wasn't something I could really figure out. but Chad's mom lead me to a sermon by Kris Vallotton. it was about hope and how it is something that is so important to have. hope is necessary. hope was something spoken over us by a friend in Michigan around Christmastime and to be honest, I haven't really felt it. I haven't felt hopeless, though not super hopeful because I felt heavy, but wasn't sure why. I feel that even just the reminder of hope has lifted a lot from my shoulders. and I tell you this not to worry you, but I'd love it if in some way it spreads hope to others.

hope deferred makes the heart sick. proverbs 13:12. hope is necessary.

'but faith can look at the trouble and still hold on to the promise.. faith sees, hope feels.' remember hope!

a few other things that have been going on down here..

a couple of weekends ago was Super Bowl Sunday, which I know you are all aware. we found the game online and were able to see our apartment in an aerial shot during a commercial break. we could also see the dark Superdome from our balcony when the power went out, so that was fun.. we didn't go out into the craziness really. we figured this whole month kicks off lots of festivals and parades that we probably won't be able to avoid, so we just stayed in. there is so much happening with Mardis Gras and more, which is so funny to me because we are not big festival people but we live in NEW ORLEANS.

(I also learned that Mardi Gras can play into the heaviness I feel.. what was intended for celebration has changed into something a little more evil in some areas of the city and even if we stay inside, it's here. so pray for us and our friends and this city.)

oh, and if you happen to like Sylvester Stallone and find yourself in the theater watching Bullet To The Head, keep in mind Chad worked on it in 2011. he was the camera PA so he probably wont be in the credits, but feel free to look. it's probably not a very light, happy film, so our feelings won't be too hurt if you don't see it. (:

listen: Song of Solomon | Jesus Culture (with Martin Smith)
watch: Hope: The Divine X-Factor | Kris Vallotton

love..

now you see me and beautiful creatures.

just thought our friends and family would enjoy seeing a trailer for something Chad worked on. if you remember him writing here a while back, this is the show he was working for a few days when Isla Fisher told him he was cute. something, I'm sure, he will always hold high in his memory bank. (; but really, I would too, ha.

view it on Yahoo here.

he also worked on this one..



(both are set to be released in 2013, as well as GI Joe: Retaliation)

hooray, Chad! I love you and I'm ever so proud.

..

an overdue update.

it is days like today that I am grateful for not having a job, anywhere to go or anything to do in the evening. a good case of, I don't know what, I guess chest congestion has taken over and just running to Walmart today kicked my butt. I don't think I have ever said that word on here.. (:

anyway, writing to you from an extended stay hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana. Chad has been working on a show here for the last three and a half weeks so I have driven back and forth a few times because four weeks away is too many weeks away.

I thought I would just share some photos of what this last month has held for us.

at the end of July, one of our beautiful cousins got married and I had the honor of making the hair pieces for her and her bridal party. lots of fun. we weren't able to be in Michigan for the wedding, so I was grateful to be involved in a little from way down here.

I also helped put together an Olympic themed party for our church on the night of the opening ceremonies. the goal was to collect non-perishable food items and donate them to a local food bank. all together the church collected over 1,100 items for a food bank that desperately needed them. it was fun to be a part of.

after that, I have mostly been in Shreveport. there's not much here so I have nothing exciting to report really. I am just glad to be able to see Chad when he gets out of work and occasionally go out to eat with him here.

in less than a month I will be heading to Romania! I can't believe how fast this trip is coming all of the sudden. excited though. God has provided funding so generously, as He always does, and basically all I have to do now is get packed. which is a large task on its own..

{we have a watermelon, y'all!!}

an update of sorts.

tip: if you're living in New Orleans and currently driving around with a cracked windshield and you haven't bought your brake tags, expect to get a ticket. also, expect to pay something like 300$ for said combination of violations. yeah..

question: what are brake tags and why don't they tell you to get them when you register your car in Louisiana for the first time? and why is it that we have become such a dishonest people that if we asked a police officer that question, he wouldn't believe that we didn't know about brake tags?

that being said, we are both officially Louisiana residents with Louisiana registered cars and Louisiana licenses. never did I think I'd be speaking those words. so there's that.

in other news. the sky has looked a lot like this for a bit every day. I'm kind of enjoying it. weird? maybe. but that's okay.

this is what we did on independence day..

I saw a flicker of a firework on the way to the theater and we heard the finale of a firework display over the movie at one point, ha. Chad was working on a music video all day so this was our night. a really fun movie though, if you were interested at all. at least we were together.. I couldn't say that last year. maybe next year we'll make some holiday celebration plans. I did wear a navy and white dress with a red bracelet to the supermarket earlier in the day, so I tried a little.

Chad joined the union last month and he has been working almost consistently since. joining the union means he has a higher rank on set and he is working his way to having insurance. hooray! we have never had insurance together so it will be nice. it also means we have to pay the union a lot of money though. but everything has been working out nicely (thank you, Jesus). I am so proud of him. such a hard worker.

have a great week. we'll be wrapping up the fruit of the spirit series in the next few days, so I'll talk at you again soon.

fruit of the spirit: faithfulness.

..courtesy of my New Orleans friend, Nathan. super grateful for this guy because he not only teaches us about God centered relationships and being a great parent, but also because he lets me hang out with his amazing wife. a lot. they are a big part of the church we've been attending and Emily has been such a blessing to get to know during this big move in an unfamiliar city. & I needed a little help on turning faithfulness into words this week, so here he is to talk about it.

Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? – Proverbs 20:6

So what is faithfulness? It’s simply a person who is loyal, dependable, trustworthy, and honest. And sadly, I think this is one of most absent fruit in the life of most Christians in my generation. Time and time again, I see my friends commit to doing something and never act upon that commitment or see them find themselves so afraid of commitment that they run away as quickly as possible. When I became a Christian, it was one of the things that probably changed the quickest. Prior to being a Christ follower, I wasn’t a person of my word and could care less about faithfulness. Now, as a Christian, I want to be a person of my word. I desire for my yes to be yes and my no to be no. 

At the end of the day, a person either chooses to live a life of selfishness or a life of faithfulness. You can choose to be faithful to your marriage or you can choose to be selfish in your marriage. We can choose to be faithful in our job or we can choose to be selfish in our job. We can choose to be faithful in our relationships or we can choose to be selfish in our relationships. Your love of self will quickly harm anything of value in your life. Love is meant to be shared, not squandered. 

Here are some lessons that I’ve learned on my journey with faithfulness: 

1) Remember Christ’s faithfulness to me. 

I think it’s helpful when talking about faithfulness to begin with discussing the faithfulness of God. We are ultimately dependent on His faithfulness for our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:8-9), for Him to forgive us of our sinfulness (1 John 1:9), and for eternal life (Hebrews 10:23). We are dependent on Him to deliver us from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). We are dependent on Him to deliver us through the difficult times of suffering (1 Peter 4:19). Luckily, God isn’t like us in that he doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). He’s ever constant. We can trust in His faithfulness because He is faithful in all of his promises (Psalm 145:13)! 

When I’m reminded of the faithfulness of Christ to me, I am able to remember my faithfulness to others. 

2) Remember the why of my commitment. 

When we commit to a person or project, we always remember the what – I’m doing x to accomplish y. But my one time choice of commitment is not enough. I have to renew that commitment. I have to find myself continually coming back to the why rather than the what of that commitment. I have to come back and remember why I’m faithful to my spouse. I have to come back and remember why I’m faithful to my church. In the difficult times, if I don’t have a why, I’ll find myself abandoning the commitment altogether. 

3) Remember that a no is better than an abandoned yes. 

There is a fine balance between committing to everything that comes your way and committing to nothing. If you commit to everything, you will quickly burnout and the important things that you committed to will all suffer in quality. If you commit to nothing, you will find yourself years later filled with regret after an unaccomplished and uncommitted life. 

In the process, remember the importance of saying say no to the unimportant, but do not negate the necessary. While in the process, also remember to keep an ear tuned to God to direct your steps. 

4) Remember to commit to things that add value to your life. 

It’s okay to be a little selfish and some commitments are rewarding. A 25th wedding anniversary is a rewarding time. Celebrate! You enjoy spending time with underprivileged children and giving them hope of a better future. Engage! You enjoy playing weekend basketball with friends - suit up and enjoy your friendships and the friendly competition. It’s perfectly okay to enjoy your commitments. 

5) Remember to commit to the things that matter. 

God, Marriage, Family, Church – these are things that have everlasting significance. These things matter. The birthday party for your cousin’s bratty children – not so much. If you are going to commit, make sure the things that you commit to are quality commitments.

'Your love of self will quickly harm anything of value in your life.' wise words. & really glad he mentioned psalm 145:13. such a great reminder to be faithful to God..

'..the Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.'

so what does faithfulness mean to you? feel free to chime in.

also, read from others in the fruit of the spirit series:

| out loud in my head | the rabbit hole chronicles | a joyful journal |

| by feet or heart | the ever-changing thought | broken rubies | apopiptolepis |

fruit of the spirit: goodness.

goodness [good-nis] noun:
     1. the state or quality of being good.
     2. moral excellence; virtue.
     3. kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.
     4. excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.
     5. the best part of anything; essence; strength.

these last couple weeks have gone by way too fast. but it is good to be home with my husband.

the generosity of the people in my parents lives continues to blow me away. they were able to drive down here (with me tagging along-one way tickets are SO much cheaper, ha) and visit for a few days (which makes me think of how they were able to go to PARIS when we were STUCK there). both times the physical made it seem impossible, but the spiritual and the generosity of others made it just the opposite. those people, the wonderful friends my parents have, teach me about goodness.
they were able to experience a little bit of New Orleans and my dad finally got to see where his daughter was living. he said he's proud of us. so, distance aside, I think he approves.

speaking of my parents.. today is their anniversary! twenty seven years. happy day to the greatest of mom and dads. send love their way today.

isn't that the cutest? note that both of them have on tap shoes. can't even handle it.

more goodness:

| out loud in my head | the rabbit hole chronicles | a joyful journal |

| by feet or heart | the ever-changing thought | broken rubies | apopiptolepis |

jazz fest anniversary.

for our second anniversary (which was Monday, by the way. yay!), Chad bought us day passes for Jazz Fest on Thursday. Jazz Fest is in full swing  every weekend for a few weeks but he decided on Thursday because Florence + the Machine were going to be there! it was a very hot and sweaty day, full of lots of walking, new foods, and some really delicious iced tea, but we were so grateful for these intimidating rain clouds that kept hovering but never let out any water. they were a nice break from the sun. Florence is very fun to see live. she is so soft spoken and sweet but the noise that comes out of her mouth when she sings is larger than life. such a whimsical show. the photos on her albums do her absolutely no justice. she was so beautiful and lovely and weird and I loved it so much.

we were pretty far away, but we're not really front row concert people anyway, so it was nice to not be elbow-to-elbow with lots of other sweaty people. (: and we could see her on the screen just fine. that said, I don't have a photo of her loveliness that day (here is one from someone up close), but I can show you how far we were, ha.

 have a great weekend.