What Engaged/Newlyweds REALLY Want to Hear

Ahhhhhh being in love. It’s a beautiful, precious, wonderful thing, isn’t it? Joshua and I were engaged for fourteen months, and it was a blast telling people about the plans and making all the plans themselves. And now we’ve been married for almost two months, and it’s lovely telling people about where we went for […]

so, I’ve been a wife for 3 weeks!

Y’all. Have you tried marriage? It’s amazing! Big supporter of marriage right here. The last time I wrote, my heart was aflutter and my head was in ten different places making at least four different lists. There were many unknowns and more worry than I wanted to admit. What if I get sick the […]

so, I’m going to be a wife in 3 weeks.

And I have to say, it’s a bit intimidating. Partly because I’m marrying a really hot, incredibly godly guy; and partly because I’m finding that most of my expectations from my childhood and even past year are not quite being met. Pinterest has caused more stress than help, to be honest. Random bit of advice: […]

the Rushing engagement.

One year ago, my heart felt wild with freedom. I was detached from any romantic relations or romantic expectations. I would be heading to North Carolina in May to, in God’s timing, fulfill a life-long dream. God had opened several doors of ministry and brought unique people into my life, and I was content. I […]

Our Messiah: Part 3

“Grandmother Anna, you must stay in today,” I sigh for the third time that morning. “You’re not well.” My mother’s grandmother smiles at me, her eyes disappearing behind layers of soft wrinkled skin. “I am as well as I have ever been. The Lord’s work will not wait. I must go and pray at the […]

Our Messiah: Part 2

“Marah, quickly. Guests will start arriving as early as tonight. We must be ready.” I stumble down the steps carrying an armload of sheets. “Mama, I am moving quickly,” I say, muffled by the pile of cloth. “It’s not my fault Papa asked me to carry all these at once!” “Watch now,” my sister grunts, […]

Our Messiah: Part 1

I joyfully skip down the dirt path as the sun rises. The shepherds already have their sheep on the hillside in the distance. I call a morning “Shalom!” to our neighbor who sits outside washing clothes. “Sara,” she says with a smile. “Too much excitement this early in the morning. Are you off to see Mary?” […]

Our Messiah: A Blog Series

It’s just been one of those weeks. Long days at work, sent my sister back to college, got some kind of stomach/cold thing, shattered my phone screen, stressed about Christmas presents, Christmas programs, and Christmas parties . . . Let’s just say, I’ve been a bit of a mess. And to top it all off, I came […]

. . . 459 Days Later.

459 days ago, I stepped off a plane. I was home. But was it really home? It didn’t feel like it. 459 days. That’s how long it’s been since I was in Grenada. 459 days ago, at this moment, I had just gotten home from being picked up from the airport and going out to […]

November’s call.

Tomorrow is November! I, for one, am terribly excited about the prospect of the days getting colder and shorter, the Christmas season beginning, and the hustle and bustle of the holidays. (Is it acceptable to listen to Christmas music now?) But let us not forget a very important aspect of this month. And although I […]

Stop Waiting.

“I’m just waitin’ on God.” “God is really teaching me patience.” “Just praising Him in the hallway.” “I know He’s working behind the scenes/even if I can’t see it…” How many times have you heard these common Christian phrases? I say them all the time. I always feel as though I’m waiting for the next […]

peanut butter, pinky promises, & prayer.

Well, my summer at The Wilds of North Carolina is over. It still feels surreal, the fact that it actually happened. I was actually there as a counselor. I actually wore green every day, and jumped up and down clapping and cheering even when I was tired, and ran up and down those 100+ steps […]

After one month . . .

As of this past Tuesday, I have officially been at my favorite place on earth for one month. Whoa. My first week here: May Staff. We did trash runs, bleached the guys’ bathhouses, stained decks, stocked housekeeping closets, and got to know the handful of people that were here pretty well. Second week: staff training. […]

and the summer hasn’t even begun . . .

I’m currently sitting in the room pictured above. You’re looking at an enormous gorgeous window that overlooks the 110 steps and the field below. To the right of the picture is a large brick wall with a fireplace at the bottom, and a mounted moose directly above the fireplace on the bricks. Above me, and […]

the next chapter.

This time last year, I was leaving Barbados to return to Grenada. This time this year, my life is about to change again. In seventeen days, I am flying to my favorite place on earth to do what I’ve been dreaming of since I was twelve years old. I’m going to meet seven or eight […]

What I’ve Learned from Traveling Solo

It is currently 8:03 pm, and I’m in the backseat of a truck near D.C. on our way home from Greenville for the weekend. And all that’s on my mind is travel. Greenville is a rad town. I didn’t want to leave. The towns we’ve driven through during the past 10+ hours with their quaint […]

Marrying young . . . and why I’m OK with being honest about it.

Warning: extreme honesty ahead. I am not writing this to bash anyone who is marrying or who has married young. I am not even writing this to bash the blogger–a fellow wordpress user–who wrote the article about why people should shut up about people marrying young. I am, however, writing this to share what God […]

love of camp, est. 2006

So, I’ve been keeping a secret from many of you. As of late November 2014, I have been accepted as a counselor at The Wilds of North Carolina! WOO-HOO! Some, if not many, of you know how big of a deal camp is to me. Ever since going to the elementary/middle school level of The […]

that’s a wrap, twenty-fourteen.

It’s the fresh, raw hours of 2015. What excitement and adventures await this year! Before I dive headfirst into a brand new 365 days, I have some reflecting to do. I’ve been thinking about the poem I wrote a year ago. Let me refresh you: Less crying, no more fear Living right now and […]

by faith.

Hello from the comfortable couch next to the pellet stove in our home. Much has changed since I last blogged. I am not sweating profusely or listening to insects chirp outside my window, nor worrying about whether or not I’ve remembered to pack everything. I am, however, still aching for more adventures and stories to […]

Here’s to the close of a chapter.

It is 11:40 pm. I have a splitting headache, my jaws hurt from an ulcer + laughing and grinning tonight, and there are tons of bugs due to the rain and moistness today. But my heart is full. Tonight during the service, several people stood up and spoke about me: what they admire about me, […]

and the madness continues…

Life is full of adventures! Yesterday (Tuesday), I headed to the primary school for a day of fun and just hanging out with the students. There were games and food and no uniforms as the children ran wild and, many of them, flocked about me. I loved sitting in a crowded classroom as 7 or […]

take notice.

This past weekend was a wild ride. Friday I woke up feeling sick and disgusting, but went to the church that afternoon to help decorate for a wedding that would be on Saturday. We were there for several hours, blowing up balloons, thumb-tacking tulle bows onto the pews, and moving chairs, tables, and desks around. […]

June.

It’s been too long since I’ve give y’all a real update, and far too much has happened to tell you every detail. But I still want to let you know what’s been happening down here on the Isle of Spice for the past few weeks. Well, close to the beginning of the month, I was able […]

in His image.

Today was a wild day. I’ve had several rough days in a row, though they have been progressively getting better. Today was no exception. I was down this morning, then cheered up while I got ready for Bible Club. That was lovely: the lesson was quite timely (as I’ll explain soon), and the kids listened […]

A journal entry.

Lately I’ve been considering the fact that I’m 20. Seriously. Like, what am I doing with my life? When I sit down and think about it, it’s something like: “Wow. 20 years old. 2 different jobs that had nothing to do with each other. One year at a community college under my belt–and […]

Lord of the Small.

“Praise to the Lord of the small broken things, Who sees the poor sparrow that cannot take wing Who loves the lame child, and the wretch in the street; Who comforts their sorrows and washes their feet.” Some little ways God has been showing how huge and awesome He is by giving me little blessing-moments […]

The adventure within the adventure: Barbados 2014.

Barbados. First impressions: Flat. Cooler + better breeze than Grenada. Very flat. I learned a lot that week (April 23rd-29th): both informational knowledge and life lessons. We arrived Wednesday night and the following morning jumped right into the daily schedule. Each morning everyone went to the camp to eat breakfast; then we loaded up into […]

Moments.

Stop. Stop what you’re doing, and think. What did God show you today? How did He reveal Himself? Stop worrying about your circumstances. Stop trying to figure everything out. Stop stressing. Stop crying in despair. Stop focusing on your brokenness. Stop focusing on yourself. Stop pacing. Stop over-thinking and over-analyzing. Stop avoiding decision […]

Those pivotal moments.

Tonight I let my mind wander a little bit. I try not to let it go too often, or I start thinking selfishly and wallowing in self-pity. But tonight, my mind went, instead of to a certain place, situation, or person, to a certain time. A year ago, in fact. Last March, I broke my […]