A Southern Storm

There have been several bad storms roaring through the South over the past couple days. Yesterday, (4/27) at 10:45 a big ole' tree fell on my parents home. Thank goodness for God's protection as they hovered in the hallway. In a blink of the eye, life can change. The beautiful home they share, the home Kaitlin and I grew up in, is now in need of a major facelift. It isn't "totalled", but everything was moved out and into storage last evening. I spoke to dad briefly at lunch time yesterday and he was full of energy as they were dis-mounting the flat screen from the living room (he's probably hoping to get a bigger one, ha!). I got to hear moms voice for a few minutes last evening and she sounded so joyful...so full of life and thankful for their safety. The way the church family, family and friends wrapped their arms around my precious parents amazes me. There is no earthly love that compares to the love we have in Christ. When we are like-minded in this way, amazing things happen. Everyone came together for a common purpose...and they did so in love. The entire house and all their belongings was packed up and hauled into storage units in just 12 hours! Someone donated a 25 foot rental truck to move their belongings. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart; the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:37-40). These wonderful people gave selflessly of themselves out of love. What an inspiration! Between family, church family and good friends, my heart was at peace last night knowing that God was providing. Philippians 4 says that God will meet all our needs...He does ALWAYS provide, doesn't He? 

Be Blessed!
With love, Stefanie

Being Thankful!

Wow, it has really been a long time since my last post! I have had an interesting week...found out that I have strep throat and mono (ew!) and have been laying low in our home. I have been so bored this week! AH! So blogging...I am back! We have so many things to be thankful for, don't we? Things that we take for granted! So, here is a short list of things I am thankful for on this Friday afternoon:

1. Our home! As I am typing this, the wind is raging and roaring outside!

2. My precious niece and nephew! They are so full of joy!

Aren't they PRECIOUS!?!

3. I'm thankful that we took the most AMAZING trip ever last July with my family. It was a two week Wild West Adventure that I will remember always!

Old Faithful Inn

4. I'm thankful that I have a precious sister that is getting married in less than 3 weeks! I am happy for her and know that Britton is an answer to prayer!

Engagement Pic!

5. I'm SO VERY thankful that my parents are so passionate and "in love" with one another after 35 years! They are such an example to me and Bryan! 

Jackson Lake Lodge, in front of the Grant Tetons

6. I'm thankful for the man that I get to spend the rest of my life with. Enough said! :)

On the boat last summer, our favorite thing to do!

Those are just some of the things I have to be thankful for! Hope yall have a great Friday! What are you thankful for?

With love, Stefanie

A Voicemail & a Text

 
So, a crazy thing happened to me yesterday! I was driving to work and the motorcycle in front of me flipped over, tossing the driver off into the street! I slammed on my brakes and swerved into the other lane so I wouldn't hit him or the bike...which was lying in the middle of the road. Thankfully, I didn't get hit by the cars in the other lane. I took a couple deep breaths and said a prayer of thanksgiving. As I rode the elevator up to the 5th floor, I tried to "shake off" the anxious/nervous energy that was coursing through me. Around 1:00, I walked into our staff break room to take a quick break and  checked my phone. I had 5 texts and 1 voicemail. I quickly responded to the texts and then...I listened to the message. 

Crystal, my sis-in-law, woke up at 6:15 yesterday morning and felt the urge to pray for me; she said if was on her heart in an overwhelming way. She left me a voice mail expressing her thoughts and her message was so encouraging and uplifting! I then re-read a text from Bryan....here is what it said " I prayed on my way to work this morning, thanking God for you and asking that he keep you safe". Really? Two people were praying for me at the exact same time yesterday morning...right before I witnessed the accident that happened only a few feet from me? I felt (and still feel) an overwhelming sense of peace. God was really taking care of me! And you know what the cool thing is? He could've protected me from an accident without having anyone consciously praying for me. He could've kept me safe and that would've been great! But instead, he put a sense of urgency on Crystal and Bryan's hearts and they lifted my name up in prayer... He worked through them so that we all are greatly encouraged and awe-struck by His Ways! Prayer is powerful! James writes, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective". What a blessing to know that our words are effective! The word means "able to accomplish a purpose" and "capable of producing an intended result". God tells us we have that ability!

"...We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us..." (Romans 8:26). Crystal and Bryan didn't know why they had the sense of urgency to pray for me yesterday morning...but God knew. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, surrounded me for the rest of the day. Thank you to Crystal and Bryan for being lights in my life. You are a blessing!  Love, love, love to you both!

With love, Stefanie

Faithfullness

 What an amazing week I have had...I can't thank GOD enough for the blessings He has shown our family! On Monday, I flew into Monroe Louisiana where Kaitlin picked me up. She had been driving all morning (from Nashville) and we continued out trek to Shreveport to meet up with mom and dad. Dad had his surgery Monday morning and all has gone incredibly well! He was discharged from the hospital 24 hours later, pain free and in great spirits!

Family is so important! Spending time with Mom, Dad and Kaitlin for 3 days really filled my family love tank! Mom and Dad's kitchen is being remodeled, so everything is covered in plastic or paper...including the living room and dining room. This meant that we all piled up in their bedroom during the day so we could be together. We watched the video that dad took from our summer "Wild West Vacation", watched baseball (Go Phillies!), enjoyed some home-cooking and played our favorite card game, Rook. It was very special that it was the four of us...it was like old times  (before our wonderful men came into our lives!). Kaitlin and I were thrilled because we saw so much of our mom's family:  our Grandparents, all three Aunts, two Uncles and and some of our cousins. It's crazy to see how everyone is growing up! (it makes me feel OLD!) In fact, I am the first of 24 grandchildren (and that's just from my mom's side!). Growing up, I was surrounded by family. They helped shape me into the person I am today...and it was wonderful to see them again!

Our God is Faithful...Psalm 33:4 says "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does". God heard and answered our prayers for Dad's healing. There are many people that have been praying and encouraging our family in the past several months. People are praying that haven't even met him! I thank you with all my heart for lifting my dad's name up to our heavenly Father. In Ephesians 4:32, Paul writes, "Be kind and compassionate to one another..."; we have been shown such kindness and compassion from many special people. Thank you for showing Jesus through your thoughts, prayers, and uplifting encouragement!

"Come near to God and he will come near to you" (James 4:8). I have felt closer to God in the past couple months than I have in several years. It is because I have spent more time and put more effort into my relationship with Him. If we choose to be near to God, He will be right there beside us...through our accomplishments and great times & through our hard times and struggles. God will never leave us, forsake us, abandon us or turn his back on us. And as long as we are willing to come...He is there, waiting for us.

With love, Stefanie




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Enjoy the Wind

 
Do you ever think life is passing you by? Or that your schedule is too hectic?  That you are too busy to enjoy the little things? We have many commitments pulling us in different directions; each one needing our time and attention. Demands that are placed on us (or that we place on ourselves) can be overwhelming and unbearable.

I realized something yesterday while pulling out of my driveway. I need to stop with my scheduled day and busy routine and enjoy the beauty around me. As I walked into the crisp October air, I took in my surroundings. I noticed the changing of one season to the next; the colors that filled the trees were bright and brilliant! Against the blue sky, the leaves were beautiful shades of amber, burnt orange and rustic red. The sun was shining and provided enough warmth (along with a jacket and scarf!) that I was cozy and content. There is a verse that comes to mind, "Be still and know that I am God". (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes, we need to be still and appreciate the beauty that God has created for us on earth. He created it for us to enjoy...and in doing so we honor Him. He cares for us and wants to bless us and enrich our life. Let's take a break from our crazy hectic schedules and enjoy the beauty of today. Breathe in the cool air and allow it to refresh your soul. Walk outside, look around and Be Still.

With love, Stefanie

Sisters

Yellowstone 2010

Today is my beautiful sister's 27th Birthday! I can't believe it! It seems like yesterday when we were sharing a bedroom (even though we had our own rooms) and whispering late into the night. I am so grateful for the relationship I have with her...we are sisters, best friends and each others "go to person". I love her with all my heart and wish her many more wonderful years of happiness! Thank you, Kaitlin for being the best sister EVER! love ya girl!

The Power of Influence

Have you ever wondered how your life influences others? Or how we are influenced by those around us? Recently, I've been thinking about this.  Does my life influence others for the good, or the bad? Is there a grey area? Is it possible to be neutral and not influence either way? I'm not certain, but I think there are only 2 options...we either bring people up, or we pull them down. It's kinda crazy to know that we have the ability to alter the way people think...act....live. We can encourage or discourage.

Let me share a story that serves as a good example about the power of influence. When I wake up for work, I mentally prepare myself. From the moment my feet hit the floor I am thinking good thoughts about the work day. On my drive to work, I pray about the day and ask that God use me to serve Him. I'm usually in a good mood when I get to work (unless I am in desperate need of coffee!). There are mornings that I and am challenged to stay positive, happy and upbeat. Why? Because those around me might be exhausted, negative, critical or unkind.  It's easy to become that way after working all day, isn't it? If I experience these emotions when I walk in the door, it is discouraging and can bring my mood down. On the other hand if I'm greeted by a smile and "good morning", it starts my day off so well! How can something this insignificant change my mindset? It's called the power of influence.

That was a simple example to illustrate a point; there are hundreds of ways that we influence those around us every day…whether we want to or not! There’s a phrase my momma taught me that has stuck. “Think yourself into a way of feeling”. I interpret this as motivating ourselves to think more positively and therefore, our actions will reflect our renewed state of mind. I re-route my mind because I have the power to change my thinking and mood. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that most people would rather bring forth a positive energy as opposed to a negative one.  We have the power to choose our mindset and control the direction of our day (many of us are control freaks in some aspect of life, so this should excite us!). Now, I am not saying  this works for everyone…it just happens to work for me.

It’s important that we make a daily effort to positively influence others.  It’s unrealistic to think that we can be happy all the time or that we can do it all by ourselves. How do we have joy and allow those around us to experience it? I love the verse in Nehemiah 8:10 "the joy of the Lord is my strength." We must look to the source of joy in order to harbor it within ourselves. As we go about our day-to-day lives, let's remember that anyone we come in contact with will be influenced by us. We can encourage others through our kind words, gentle spirit and positive attitude. Let's choose to renew our minds, cleanse our thoughts and allow our joy to be seen by everyone around us.

With love, Stefanie