Weekend Warriors!

I'll start this post off with this song, so you can listen while reading if you so wish. If you haven't heard of Gungor yet, please go have a listen. Gungor's music is worshipful and earnest, and I can't help but resonate with so many of their songs. Such beautiful praise!



On Saturday night, Colin and I went to a dinner party thrown by some of Colin's sweet work friends. It was such a good time! If you have never played this game, you need to. We don't even know what it's called... It's basically telephone, where each person gets a piece of paper, and they write a funny phrase on the top, then pass it to the next person, who has to draw that phrase, then they fold over the previous sentence so the next person can't see it, then the next person has to write a phrase describing the picture, so on and so forth... It is always a riot, and the best part is seeing what comes out at the end.

I'm pretty sure this one started out as "a hamster running on a wheel"...

This one, I believe, started out as "an alligator peeing as a UFO lands on its head."

On Sunday we were so excited to participate in our church's first Sunday in their brand new building in downtown Columbia! Not only is it a beautiful space, but having our own place that God graciously provided is amazing. There are actual, awesome youth rooms, too. We were so happy to worship in that space and enjoy a good ol' southern barbeque afterwards! We are grateful for our church.

All photos taken by Rod Lewis. Thanks, Rod!

Happy Monday!

Colin's Ideal Baby Gift.

Yesterday we received a package from our sweet friend, Renel. When she found out we were pregnant, she was eager to send us something she called "the perfect gift", and here it is, and how right she was! Most of you know Colin. He's a Biblical languages nerd (and I use that term affectionately, because I love it) and it goes without saying that he hopes to pass such things down to our offspring.


...Yes, this is a teach your baby the Greek alphabet baby book! When we opened this gift together... Let's just say I really wish I had my camera on-hand! Colin had the biggest grin on his face as he flipped through each page and we read each other what it said. We laughed SO hard and our hearts were so grateful for thoughtful friends. This is by far our favorite baby gift to date!


I sincerely look forward to the nights of walking into our nursery to find Colin rocking with little one, saying "THE-TA! can you say Theta?"

grace and peace!

Reverting back to childhood.

1. This is a new song off of Zee Avi's new CD! Celebrating the last stretch of summer...




This weekend Colin and I were able to go floating down the river with some dear friends. The coupling of spending time with them (and one another!) and enjoying the last weeks of summer was blissful. We "docked" our floats at one of our favorite spots on the river and relaxed for hours.

It's something I think about often when I reflect upon marriage, specifically Colin and I's, but I realized again how important the act and mentality of playing is. One of the most strengthening things about our marriage, we believe, is that we're best friends in the true sense of the words. Silliness knows no bounds, and the times we feel closest to one another are when we let our maturity go and just... play. Laugh. Splash the heck out of each other in the water. Push one another (unsuspectingly) down the rock slide. I sincerely believe the day that Colin and I stop playing together is the day that our intimacy will begin to wan.

I got to watch Colin's face light up with boyish excitement as he and Dan plotted their antics on the rapids. My friend, Carrie, and I couldn't help but comment on how one of our deepest wishes was that our husbands would keep that child-like excitement for life, adventure, fun... and us!

A weekend full of blessings. We hope you experienced much the same!

grace and peace.

another year.

23 years. Some people are flabbergasted when they find out I'm 23, either because they thought I must've been older (having been married for two years!) or because they thought I was 16 and working my second job at Toys 'R Us (trust me, I've heard that one before).

The weekend was complete with a wonderful surprise party thrown by Colin and our friend, Savannah (grilling out and yard games!), and then a quick trip to Pittsboro to spend some time with my parents, my brother, and his girlfriend. I felt loved on all weekend and it was truly special.

Thank you for the well-wishes and happy birthdays! I think 23 is going to be a joyous year!


( Ignore my awkwardness. Trying, in vain, to blow out my trick candles. Thanks, Colin (: )

sickly, chapter 3.

1. Peaceful days, where I can sleep in with Colin, sit in the living room with the windows open, listen to music and make grocery lists. I'm actually almost thankful for being sick this past week-- it forced me to relax, because I couldn't do much else. Not work, not scramble to get things done... just wind down. Now, I feel rejuvenated to go back to work and do the things that need to be done this week!

2. I know the whole internet world is abuzz about Adele, but if anyone's worth the hype, this girl is. She makes me believe that there is talent out there in a world where every voice we hear on the radio is auto-tuned. It's hard to believe that such a mature sound can come out of such a young person... her first album (which is incredible) was recorded when she was 19 years old!



3. So much coming up in the next months-- to top it all off, we're planning our second wedding anniversary trip! I can't even believe it'll be two years of marriage in July. We already booked our hotel and flight (thank you, thank you, tax returns!). Since we did something very Rachel-friendly last year (not that Colin didn't want to do it and didn't love it, but laying in the sun is definitely my thing), we're going to do something different this year. We'll be spending a long weekend in D.C., seeing the museums and sites, going to a nice dinner on our anniversary, then we're going to go see Manchester United and Barcelona play at Fed Ex field! We are so excited! We feel blessed to be able to do things like this together.

4. I'm also on the hunt for the perfect everyday shoe. I've had two pairs of TOMS now, but honestly the two things that attracted me to them in the first place (them being different and also the company's philanthropy) have come and gone. Literally everyone in the world has a pair now, but mainly the allocation of their (abundant!) resources and their stewardship is kinda sketchy. I like the idea of a shoe that goes with anything and is effortless-- I've been eying a few pairs of keds but can't commit. Any thoughts?

5. Kevin comes tomorrow! We get our friend back for the week. It's a harsh reality of post-college life that people move away and you rarely get to see them. Fortunately, sometimes you do :)

Hope you're enjoying your rainy Sunday!

home!

Back home in South Carolina after a week full of old friends, new friends, 80 degree weather, 40+ hours in the car, hating Oklahoma, swhite being pulled over, armadillo roadkill, ghetto spiderman impersonators, and lots and lots of laughter. So thankful for my friends, and for the time we get to spend together, even though we all live apart.


The wonderful thing about being cooped up in the car for so long, minus time with friends, is there's time for introspection and asking the Spirit to be the Revealer.

Being "unplugged" for the majority of the week was such a good thing for me. I'm not one of those people who goes on frequent tirades against social networking and all, because I really do believe that it's a tool that, if used well, is beneficial and good. What I did realize, though, is that my insecurity and even my vanity and materialism (which is another blog post entirely, which I'll get to later this week) seems to be spurred on in a huge way by what I'm feeding myself (what I'm reading, what I'm spending my time doing and thinking about). When I read through my google reader every morning and eye all of the fashion blogs that I follow, I find myself coveting. The expensive clothing, the endlessly stylish wardrobe, the beautiful skin and hair. It sets my mind and heart on things that aren't good for me-- it spurs my heart to insecurity and a desire for things that aren't eternally worthwhile. Instead of setting my sights on paying off our loans so we can get on the mission field, I find myself wanting to go shopping. It really grieved my heart this week when I allowed myself to be convicted by this realization instead of brushing it off.

As a disclaimer, hear me when I say that fashion blogs are not bad. Shopping is not bad. Wanting to be fashionable and express yourself in what you wear is not bad. I'm simply speaking to my own sinful tendencies, and how I can tell my heart is turned from pure and good things when I focus so much time and attention on these things. Contentment is unattainable in this area. What my heart needs is to read of and focus on its true worth and where it comes from. All I can think about is "Here, God! look at my sea shells!" (via John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life).

One of the reasons I keep a blog and write about some convictions or thoughts I have is because I know that, because it is out in the public and many people read it, I will be held to a standard in some way. It's an accountability that I appreciate being there. As of now, up to an indefinite point in time, I'm only going to read the blogs of my friends and some select others. No fashion or beauty blogs. I look forward to the refreshing of my spirit and the diminishing of a lot of things that turn my heart away from the Lord and towards myself.

grace and peace,
the wife.

it's been quite the week.

Hello, Friends! What a lovely, lovely, lovely day. Let's enjoy it, because it looks like a "wintry mix" is going to hit Columbia on Friday supposedly. Gross.

1. I've been looking at this picture all week-- I can't remember exactly where I saw it first to credit-- and it makes me so, so happy. The colors, the lighting, the patterns and textures... It's just good.


2. On Wednesday I leave for beautiful California with Cait and Swhite! Since Cait left all of her stuff out there in LA after graduation, including her car, she absolutely needed us ;) to fly out there with her and then drive it all back to the East Coast. Cross-country trip, anyone? I am way excited to spend so much time with my best friends on a welcomed adventure, and to get to meet all of Cait's college friends and see her life for the past four years! I'll try and be good about taking pictures to share when we get back. I will also try and coerce Colin into blogging a little while I'm gone!

3. Also, I think that you should check out Laura Marling. She's been an accomplished artist for years now, and is still only 20 years old! Her sound is simple and beautiful. Her boyfriend isn't too bad either (Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons)!



4. The other day was a really awesome thrifting day-- took a short break in between work and a meeting to go to His House with Katie, and it was so fun! Here are some of my finds...

I am such a sucker for older/vintage housewares. I think that most of the new things put out these days, like casseroles, cookware, dishes...etc. are boring. Everything's stainless steel, white, or black! This old thermos ($0.25) is in great shape and I love the color.


This blazer ($1)! I have been on the hunt for a good tweed blazer and look every time I go thrifting, and I finally found one! I wore it today to church and love it. This is the sign of a trusting friendship-- there was no mirror in the store, so I just put it on and asked Katie yes or no. It was a yes!


And lastly, these belts ($1 each)! I have so many dresses and tops that need to be belted, which has become my favorite thing to do, and these do the trick. They're in fun colors with gaudy buckles, and I love them!

Not pictured is my awesome pampered chef stoneware baking pan ($1). When I got home I checked online and saw that they retail for about $65 on Amazon.com.... wow. Find of the day, for sure! I can't wait to make apple crisp in my new pan! Thrifting is my favorite hobby. It provides hours of relaxation at a very, very low cost, offers me a chance to be a little creative with my dress, and it helps feed my desires to nest/decorate.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

real.

it's been almost a month.

we've struggled with whether or not to make it plain on our blog what's been going on this past month. for a multitude of reasons (wanting to be transparent, wanting people to know so we don't have to verbalize it to everyone in person...) we have decided yes. we hope this comes off as earnest, because our lives aren't solely consisted of social commentary/pretty things/good music.

we found out near the end of september that we were pregnant. what an amazing, beautiful surprise! we were scared and excited (definitely more excited, though). systematically over the next few weeks we began sharing the news with our immediate families and our best friends. the dreams of kissing sweet little hands and feet and meeting our little one were swirling in our heads for almost a month. just short of announcing our news to the general public, i began to show symptoms of a threatened miscarriage. i was put on bed rest by our midwife, but a few days later i woke up to a 'symptom' that is unmistakable. I began to miscarry at 10 weeks.

it was a physically difficult time for me, as the miscarriage took almost 2 1/2 weeks to complete. During that time, Colin and I knew our baby had gone to be with the Lord, so dealing with the physical symptoms and the waiting was devastating as it coupled with the most extreme grief we've ever felt.

I remembered something today that Michael Card wrote in his book A Sacred Sorrow... "The degree to which I am willing to enter into the suffering of another person reveals the level of my commitment and love for them. If I am not interested in your hurts, I am not really interested in you. Neither am I willing to suffer to know you nor to be known by you. Jesus' example of these truths comes alive in our hearts. He is the One who suffered to know us, who then suffered for us on the cross. In all this, He revealed the hesed of His Father."

we have been loved so well in this time. Colin and I didn't need to cook for weeks because of the meals that were brought over. We have been flooded with prayers and encouragement. Those who love us have sat with us and cried, listened, offered healthy diversion, and driven down to accompany us to doctor's appointments/cook meals/clean our house (thanks, mama fien!). It is one of the biggest times in our lives where we have felt the Body of Christ accomplishing God's work "with skin on", as people say.

God has held us. He is our Peace, our Treasure. He is our only Good Thing, and He IS good. We have entrusted our little one to Him and know, because of His character, that our baby is safe with Him, experiencing Him in such a way as we haven't yet. We are so grateful to know and worship the Lord.

I (Rachel) know and am reminding myself that, although I believe and trust those things, I am allowed to be sad. I don't have to be ashamed of my grief or try to mask my hurt. There's something in our culture that makes sadness into something like a lack of faith or failure. If I'm being transparent...I am hurting. Every day seems to have a heaviness to it that I'm never sure I'm ready to face. But... I trust in the Lord's plans, I trust that His heart for us is good, and I trust that He will see us through this. Although this Truth doesn't change the physical reality that I am no longer pregnant with our little one, it does change these things from utter despair to hope. For that I am so, so thankful.

please pray for us. thank you, friends.

grace and peace,
the husband and wife.

if you were an ice cream flavor, you would be my favorite one.

we are back from a wonderful vacation (that we literally almost missed! more on that later.) It was incredibly fun and restful. we had a great time! Colin will blog about our cruise later this week. for now... likes!

1. Mindy Gledhill. I've loved her since the first time I heard her on nienie's video blog. her music is just...flowy and sing-songy.



2. teaching and being involved in youth group. I love the people i work with, and i love the girls! teaching has been really good for my heart and relationship with the Lord. it drives me harder to pull application from the passage and mull it over in my heart as i go through the week. challenging, for sure.

3. also, my google reader was blown up with quilts today. it made me want one. i don't think i have the patience (or talent) to actually make one, but if someone wanted to gift me this one i would be quite alright with that :)

from CarsonToo's etsy shop.

4. His House. I have blogged about this before, but i love His House! today I went thrifting (honestly completely for my sanity's sake rather than any desire to shop) and left with 4 skirts and a blouse for $5. I love that some elements of 80's fashion have come back in style-- high waisted skirts, bold patterns... this is good, because all His House has in the way of clothing is from the 80's and 90's. most of it is horrendous, of course, but oh, the thrill of the hunt.

5. and... fires! with friends! it's that time again and it makes us so happy. i don't think we ever laugh as hard as when we're sitting around the fire.

dislikes..

1. being far away from some of my favorite people in the world.


we love you guys! grace and peace,
the wife.

m-m-my heart like a kick drum!

1. i really do have great friends.

2. the bronze ring, with matching skinny bands to put around it. a girl can dream. i love that it's cast from the mold of an actual river rock. ah, etsy.

click picture to go to Colby June's etsy shop!

2. i want to be discipled by someone. i know that is a huge undertaking for that person, but it's biblical and i would love to have someone to pour into me, help me to grow, help me to be a better wife and lover of Jesus. also, i want to disciple someone. i saw the awesome power of a godly, loving woman in my life in highschool, and would love to (try to) be an encouragement to someone now. i'm praying for both of these things and for God to do them.

3. this song is so fun. i love the Avett Brothers unashamedly, despite how extremely trendy it is right now. there's something so consistently beautiful about family members singing together.


4. i wish that i could hang out in this tent all day and read my books.

found via {this pretty space}

5. last night i got up to pee in the middle of the night. from the bathroom i hear Colin talking, so i come back into the room to find him standing right in front of the door. he laughs out loud and says, "oh! hahaha, i thought that you were hiding somewhere and were going to jump out and surprise me! hahaha!" and gives me a huge, long hug, which is kind of more like him hanging on me than a hug. then he turns around and plops back into bed. he was asleep. he remembers nothing of it this afternoon.

6. i think that i lead a beautiful life. not because it's devoid of hard things, pain, or things i would change, because it's definitely not. but God is beautiful, and life is full of commitment and exploration and growth. i will choose to take pleasure in small things and (try, although it's hard) to cherish this time.

grace and peace,
the wife.

my sisters.

a few things to sum up a great weekend.

i value friendships like the ones i have with these girls. everyone talks about those certain, few and far between friendships that are able to consistently pick up where they left off, no matter how much time has lapsed. i am so thankful to say i have that in these girls! the same memories are still dear and funny, the same jokes, everything. it's a bond.
i love that Caitlyn knew me both before and after i knew the Lord. she was sitting in the pew a few seats down from me praying along with the other girls i had befriended that summer that my heart would be moved. it was. i love that we left college closer than we were before it had started, even though we were all the way across the country from each other. i love that Swhite is the reason that i even heard about CIU. i love that she used to see me freshman year in earth science class and secretly think to herself that i was a huge skank (little did we know that this 'skank' and ROTC girl would soon be each others' life lines later on in high school..). God is funny.

i can truly say that i hold my friendships to a higher standard because of these girls.

thank you for braving mountain passes and the most humid weather you've ever experienced to come visit us in our little trailer. 'Abby' misses you already!

a little rant, here it goes..

i'm a little annoyed. i talked about this with a good friend yesterday and have been thinking about it ever since. and since this is our personal blog, i'm going to go ahead and put this out there.

i get really hurt and offended (for other people at this point, but for myself when i was engaged) when people belittle the blessing of marriage, having a baby....etc. by being just plain bitter or lumping it together as some weird social phenomenon. okay, yes, it might be weird that a lot of people around you are getting married/having babies, but the facts are, if you believe this, God does marriage. God creates life. He chooses when and who and in what timing. chances are, the people you're talking about have sought the Lord into the ground about the decision to get married, and He has led them to that point. to be bitter about people getting rings put on their finger/walking down the aisle/finding out they're having a baby is actually belittling God's work, so please don't do it.

it also makes people have a sense of guilt that they should not have over something that God, in His grace, has given them. if someone is going through such a landmark time in their life as these things, REJOICE in it with them! there isn't a reason that they should have to stifle their joy. i'm not talking about gloating or boasting, which is also wrong, but celebration over God's blessing should be shared with our brothers and sisters. having to walk on eggshells when planning a wedding or be constantly weary of pregnant-woman conversation is not suiting to these situations.

(i am not, however, talking about people in our lives who are suffering some related pain and loss in their lives or who have in the past. of course there are huge exceptions to this rant, and we should be loving and considerate of those who have suffered pain. this post does not include them.)

grace and peace,
the wife.