Sometimes the thought of planning something for New Years can be quite intimidating as it is supposed to be an amazing night.  But it seems to be the times that you don't try to plan much, that everything just falls right into place and everyone has a great time.  This, was one of those years.  We had a really lovely celebration as we spent time with friends munching on snacks and appetizers, popping a little bubbly, enjoying a few cocktails and as with any good party we played some fun-filled (and somewhat competitive) board games and had to throw in a good ole college game of flip cup (not going to lie, it's still fun).

But now, all the bubbly has been popped, glasses cleaned and put away, the snacks have found their rightful place in our bellies, the games are stored away until next time, and the happy tiredness that follows a great celebration has ensued.  The end of 2014 has come and gone and it's time to gear up for another year.

I have a good feeling and high hopes for 2015.  After spending some time reflecting on 2014, I found myself hopeful as I looked forward to thinking of goals that I might like to set for the coming year.  Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with goals and picking ones that might be realistic (cause no one likes making a list that never gets crossed off).  But as I've been thinking about the goals I might have for this year, I want to take the pressure off a little bit by making them less about specific things that I need to do, and more about ways that I want to grow in the next year.

Living a life in Christ, our lives are all about transformation - about becoming more and more like Christ as we take off the old self and put on the new as we are made new in the image of our creator.  This thought always excites me.  Who doesn't want to be transformed into a better version of themselves!!?

With that said, I want this year to be one of transformation.  At the end of 2015, I want to look back and be able to pinpoint all sorts of ways that I have grown and been transformed more into His likeness.  Here's a few ways that I hope to transform my life in 2015.

1. Above all else, I want to give myself more to the Lord- to be transformed into a better reflection of Him.  I want to dig deeper into His word and come out knowing more about Him and understanding how I can be a better communicator of his Love. 
2. To become a stronger and healthier person.  Spending time with a physical therapist (who happens to be really amazing) for some pain in my lower back and previously for a clavicle injury, I have learned just how important it is to maintain good posture in everything we do and to strengthen the core muscles that support our body.  I want to continue to practice good posture and be actively strengthening my body so that I can not just keep the pains away, but have a stronger healthier body.  (P.S. Did I mention I started YOGA??  I had this on my to-do list forever ago, and I finally went and I love it.  This is going to be a big part of this transformation goal.)
3. To become a better writer.  I want to actively pursue ways that I can grow in my writing abilities and further use them for the glory of the Lord.  Ways that I intend to do this are: blog more consistently (even when I don't feel like it), help others edit their writing whenever I can, read lots, and pray more intentionally about how God might want to use this gift.  
4. To be a better friend.  As I shared in my looking back on 2014 post, this past year was a difficult one for me in regards to friendships.  I have hopes that 2015 will be one of restoring and reconciling disconnected relationships.  
5. Invest in building a stronger marriage.  It is so easy to flow through life with my sweet husband by my side (which is amazing) but I want to focus on how we can better our relationship.  To learn more about each other, discover how to better support each other, to communicate better, and bring more joy into each other's days. Overall, I want to strengthen our marriage.  Just as I  want to be transformed into Christ's likeness, I also want our marriage to be a strong reflection of His love.  I am really looking forward to pursuing transformation in our marriage-  I'm excited to learn more about my husband and I also think lots of fun dates will be involved.  

5 days into January I am feeling pretty hopeful about this new year, and am praying that my positive attitude and desire to make progress in each area of transformation would continue as the year moves on.  As you, too, set hopes and goals for 2015, please let me know how I can be an encouragement or help remind you of the goals you are reaching for.  And please, if you feel lead, do so for me too! The Lord gave us community so that we may encourage one another and build each other up- and this is just one great way that we can do that.  

Cheers to a wonderful 2014 and a hope, joy, and transformation-filled 2015.  

xoxo

--- linking up with The Tiny Twig - Goals with Grace ---

--image by Marissa Maharaj--

For this first time in what feels like forever, I am sipping on a vanilla latte, gazing out the window watching cars go by as I settle into the comforting feel and buzz of the chatter at my favorite local coffee shop.  Whether writing a paper in college or working on a message for college ministry, planting myself at a little coffee shop to get things done amidst the light chatter and sounds of the espresso machine has always been the perfect environment to encourage the words to pour out from my fingers.   So when I had a little time in between appointments and my computer in the backseat I knew that this was just what I needed to spend some time looking back on 2014 before the next year is here.   

Growing up in the late 80s/early 90s, when I thought of the year 2020, I pictured an environment very much like the Jetsons.  I figured that we would be driving around flying cars, have robot dogs and live in homes that looked like spaceships.  Although things are not quite as I hoped as a kid, zooming around in flying cars, I am so thankful for where the Lord has lead me thus far. (and I mean shoot, we have 5 years till 2020- you never know what technology will look like by then!)

Looking back on 2014, here are some of the highlights and lessons that I’ve learned:

- In January, we added Finn to our family!! I learned lots about trusting the Lord as he had many health issues as a kitten, and realized just how much having children someday will require every fiber in my being to rely on the Lord. 

- It was a rough winter!!! But that made me super thankful for two things: sunshine and a fireplace!! I cannot tell you enough how much I love making a fire in the fireplace- it is sooo nostalgic of childhoods spent by the fire or trips to Colorado warming up our toes after a long day skiing.  I am soo thankful that we were able to get an insert in our previously unusable fireplace to make it a toasty asset for warming our house!  You can count on me to be making a fire anytime you come over to visit- it might even be borderline warm outside and this girl will still find a reason to get the fireplace going. 

- In March, my sister turned 30!  It was so cool to be a part of this monumental year in her life and to see the way that she embraced the sometimes intimidating big 3-0!  Celebrating with a scavenger hunt was one of the many fun things we did to honor her special year! 

- I definitely learned that friendships are HARD.  Struggling with the ebbs and flows of long-time friendships and others that have dropped off the map, I discovered that my desire for community and deep relationships is as strong as the hulk.  I’ve learned to rely on the Lord to fill the void left by friendships lost, and I am still learning how to adjust to changes.  This has been a huge part of my 2014 and I am eager to see how God grows me and teaches me in this in the next year. 

- Surprising my mom by taking her on a trip for her 60^th birthday was a ginormous highlight of the year.  Thinking she was just going on a trip to an unknown destination with my dad, it was so fun to show up at the airport and reveal to her that we were not just there to send her off but to join for a fun-filled vacay to Maine.  This was a first time with my husband on a family trip- so this was a blessing and a learning curve as well. 

- This past summer, I finally took the jump into all things Young Living. Having used essential oils for several years, I finally took the dive to sign up, learn more about it, and share with others the immense benefits and blessings that can be found through essential oils (and I’ve already reaped some of the financial benefits too!).  They have changed my life, and I can’t wait to put more effort into this endeavor of sharing Young Living in 2015.  P.s. want to know more, please let me know!!

- In November, my husband and I took an anniversary trip to Seattle – this was definitely high on the list of highlights.  Continuing what we hope will be a tradition of taking a getaway around the time of our anniversary, Chris and I explored and relaxed in the delicious food-filled, beautiful although sometimes rainy location of Seattle.  We also marked this 3^rd year as a special one by having anniversary photos taken by our wedding photographers who live in Seattle  (like the one above- can’t wait to share more).    Spending time with Marissa and Meghan, two phenomenal and oh-so-talented photographers who share our love for the Lord, was like donuts for breakfast- a joyful and filling time.  They showed us places of the city we hadn't seen, snapped pics, and chatted and laughed over wine and cheese.  (It's pretty cool how the Lord connects believers together through his Holy Spirit- I LOVE when this instant bond seems visible.)

This is just a tiny taste of my year and the highlights and lessons I have learned.  Don’t get me wrong, there were difficulties and sad moments laced into the good... but overall, I am so thankful because I feel so so blessed.  The Lord has been so good to me and my family and He deserves so much praise and thanksgiving for every way that He cares for us. 

I am looking forward to 2015 and can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store.

May your end of the year be so full of joy and love and bubbly!  Praying that you are able to look back with thanks and look forward with hope to what the Lord has planned for you in the next year. 

xoxo

---- Image by: Marissa Maharaj ----

It has been far too long since I have sat down to write, but let me tell you - the last couple months have been crazy.  I assure you I am not hiding (like my crazy cat in our Christmas tree = trouble hah), and my lack of posts is not due to a lack of things to say - but has been a result of a busy schedule, and a somewhat intentional break to again be present in life.

But since I've been a little M.I.A. and before it all of a sudden becomes 2015 (bah!!!!?!?!), I thought I'd share a little bit of what I've been up to since last time.

From August through November my schedule was irregularly crazy busy as I took a temporary position working for my dad as his administrative assistant while his regular gal was on maternity leave.  It was a huge blessing, and it's always cool to see my dad in action (I've filled in for his assistant before) but man did it take awhile to adjust to the schedule.  Having been "in between things" (ahh, the phrase that comes so quickly to my tongue and that I've come to love and hate, when people ask "what are you doing?") for so many years now, I've come accustomed to the life of being on my own schedule.  Adjusting to a full time position for 3 months was simply that, an adjustment.  So naturally after getting used to it and gelling with the way of life as a full-time employee, it was then time for my dad's assistant to come back to work and for me to re-adjust to figuring out what life outside of work looks like.

The timing of my position ending couldn't have been more perfect though, as later that week, my husband and I jetted off to Seattle for a long weekend getaway in honor of our 3rd (!!!) anniversary.  It was fantastic.  Having just spent a couple really busy months and my husband being in a busy season at work, we had been passing each other through the night.  Being able to get away from the norm and explore a new city was exactly the medicine that we needed to nourish our relationship.

We ate our hearts out, explored the city, took some anniversary photos (can't wait to see how they turned out!), had a really great time hanging out with our wedding photographers who are two incredibly sweet, lovely ladies who live in Seattle, and really just flew by the seat of our pants.  It was so amazing to see Chris unplugged and really enjoying just being.  We decided that this type of vacation is a must-do for us when things are getting a little crazy.  Not to mention, we fell in love with Seattle.

Besides our vacay, the past month has been full of lil house projects, my weekly bible study and volleyball matches, and beginning to prepare my home and heart for the holidays.  Although it's always difficult to wrestle with the questions that often flood my head, "What am I doing with my life?  What steps should I take to pursue my dreams?  Where are you leading me Lord?" - I have been intentional about not letting stress or worry get the best of me, and instead being thankful for the time God has given me to be fully supported by my husband and trusting that I'll take the necessary steps as the Lord guides me.

As for the rest of December, my goal is to be invested in the life God has given me and to really soak up the precious moments that surround the celebration of our Savior's birth.  I'm anxious to see what God has for me the rest of this month, and for the next year that is rapidly approaching.

Praying that your December is full of love, joy and the peace of Christ this holiday season.

xoxo

For as long as I can remember, I have avoided the news like the plague.  At 4:00 on days where I'm free, I love watching Ellen Degeneres.  She brings so much joy and laughter.  But as soon as the hour ends and the 5:00 news starts - click, off goes the TV or the channel changes.  I know that not all of the news is bad or sad, but sooo much of it is.  And I understand that some awareness of what is happening around me is good.  But for me, I can't be constantly bombarded with all the bad in the world because all it does is bring me sadness and fear.

Prime example...hearing all of the Ebola news about the endless cases in Africa and the ones that keep popping up in the States, is a lot to handle.  For a girl who avoids the regular news and it's heaviness, the thoughts of an epidemic sweeping our nation shakes my world a bit.  The other night I lay awake with tears streaming down my face, dampening my pillow as I couldn't get these thoughts out of my head. It was like an avalanche- these fears led to others which led to others which led to an overwhelming feeling of being like a little girl convinced that there's a monster under the bed just waiting to jump out and get me.  I hate when moments like this come and I feel so unable to control my thoughts.  Praise God that my husband was there to hold me as I cried and tried to rationalize with myself and convince my brain to think of other things because man, I felt like I. was. stuck.

Fear is like an ever-changing monster of darkness that feeds on itself, doing whatever it can to extinguish the light.  And for me, being in the darkness, lying in bed at night- is when this monster seems to have the easiest time working its way towards me.

I am a very visual thinker, (hence the monster descriptions) and so when I start to feel afraid, to me it feels as if I can literally see a cloud of darkness coming over me.  So what's the first thing I want to do?  Turn on the light.   Turning on the light illuminates the room, bringing reality into focus and ridding the shadows that creatively became a creature in the corner of my imagination.  Turning on the light helps me be able to distinguish from what is real and what is simply my fear.

One of my all-time favorite Bible verses and one that I cling to most heavily when I feel the darkness weighing on my heart (or physically in a dark room) comes from Psalm 139:11-12.  It says, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.'"

I cannot tell you how much comfort it brings me, to be reminded of these verses (and the ones before it that tell us there is nowhere we can go that the Spirit will not be with us) when I am struggling with fear.  To be quite honest, if I am home alone and hear a noise and the darkness suddenly brings all sorts of fears to my mind, over and over in my head I will repeat a version of this verse saying, Even the darkness is not dark to you for the night is as bright as the day. And then I'll repeat it to myself again Even the darkness is not dark to you, for the night is as bright as the day.  It's like a chant in my head that starts out quiet and grows louder as I gain confidence in the reminder that I am not alone- that with God, there is no darkness and that with Him I can bring light to, and conquer my fear.

I am so confident that we have a God who is much bigger and stronger than any of the darkness or fears that we face.  He's bigger than Ebola, he's bigger than the violence on the streets, he's bigger than the "monsters" that form in the darkness as I try to go to sleep- as Junior Asparagus from Veggie Tales would say - "God is bigger than the Boogie Man.  He's bigger than godzilla or the monsters on TV! Oh, God is bigger than the Boogie Man and He's watching out for you and me." Praise God that this is true.  I am so so thankful.

The problem though, is this.  We live in a world with a lot of darkness and a lot to be afraid of.  And unfortunately, that's not something that we can fix in the blink of an eye.  But, there is something that we can do.  We can bring light to the darkness in this world by proclaiming the name of Jesus; We can stop thinking about all the things that freak us out and make us want to curl up and hide under a blanket - we can extinguish these fears by changing our focus to the One True God who we know will bring light to the darkest of days and give us the strength to endure whatever is in front of us.  We can choose to bring light to the darkness.

This is SO not easy.  I had a terrible time moving past my fears the other night- it felt like a long fight, but with His grace and some loving encouragement from my sweet husband, I dried my tears, blew my nose and did my best to block out the negative thoughts that plagued me.  John 16:33 says, " In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  Praise God that the darkness cannot touch Him; that with Him the night is brighter than the day, and that through His Son we can look forward to a world without fear because He has overcome- He has won the victory.

I know that I have many fear-filled days ahead of me- but I am going to do whatever I can, to fight the fight and refuse to let the darkness overshadow the light. My prayer is that you will too- that amidst the craziness that is this world we live in, that we would find peace in the One who created us.

Volleyball is my sport.  I have played since middle school and still continue to play on several rec leagues and man, I miss the every day practices that made me good at my craft of being a setter.  Now that I only play once or twice a week, the ball doesn't always go exactly where I planned... Sometimes it's too far off the net, too tight, or I didn't get to the pass quick enough and the attempted set goes right in the net.  I work my booty off to try to bring my skills back to where they were in my glory days, but being that we only play once or twice a week, the perfection of my skills can only go so far.  

If you want to be able to ever-so-lightly touch the volleyball so that it comes off your fingertips with no-spin and is effortlessly placed at the perfect spot off the net, at just the right height, so that your hitter's hand can contact the ball at the top of their swing and follow through, slamming the ball into the ground destroying any possibility of the other team being able to dig the ball and create a new play... you can't just show up on the first game day and expect perfection to happen.  You have to be in shape.  You have to be super quick on your feet to get to every ball whether the pass is perfect or not.  You have to have strong forearms so the set can be created with ease.  You need to have strong legs to get low enough to dig a short ball, and to be able to jump high enough to block the other team's attempt to spike or to jump-set a pass that was way too tight to the net.  And none of that happens overnight.  If you want to be a prime athlete, you need to be prepared in season and out of season.  

As a follower of Christ, my goal is to become more and more like Him everyday so that I might be a good representation of God's love and encourage others to get to know Him and be a part of what He is doing.  But just like I can't be an amazing setter without much preparation and practice, I can't be a great representation of Christ without training.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  As practice, strengthening, and endurance are key factors in becoming a good volleyball player- the Word of God is crucial in training to be a woman of God who is equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy goes on to say in chapter 4 verse 2, "Preach the word: be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage-- with great patience, and careful instruction." I believe wholeheartedly that the Bible is God-breathed and is central to my growth, but just like I am only practicing volleyball in season right now, am I doing this too when it comes to the word?

How often am I studying the Bible only when I am really struggling, or when I am in a season of sadness or desperation?  God's word says that if I am to going to be thoroughly equipped, I need to be prepared in season and out of season.  Seeking the Bible only when I'm feeling weak or needing wisdom isn't going to do the trick.  I need to be seeking His wisdom always- to be seeking correction, training, and teaching in all seasons.

What a great conviction that I need to really get to work on being a more disciplined reader of the Word (and I've just exposed the truth that I should practice volleyball more too ;).  Guess it's time to get to work.

It is so crazy to me how God loves us so much and knows us so well that He gives us just what we need when we need to be taken care of.   

Today marks a year for when my sweet grandpa left us as he was called home to be with the Lord.  Coming up to this day, I wasn't quite sure how I would feel.  Being at his bedside, watching him breathe his last was not an easy moment - and yet it was one that was so beautifully orchestrated, so God-breathed and glory-filled that it is one that will forever mark my heart.  [If you're new here and have yet to read that story, please check it out- it is a story that deserves to be heard.]  

Dealing with grief and figuring out what life looks like without a loved one here on earth with us, is not an easy task and one that takes much more than a year to come to terms with.  I've had my ups and downs throughout this year, my fair share of tears and many moments missing his presence.  But today, I am determined to choose joy and focus on not only his life on earth, but be absorbed by the peace that passes all understanding knowing that he is indeed in Paradise with our heavenly father.  

Waking up this morning, fearing a heavy heart- I drew back my shades to find the brightest sun shining in my window.  It immediately brought joy to my heart and gave me an assurance that this day is not for grieving but for rejoicing.  For it is as 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, "do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who do not have hope."  But I have to backtrack a little bit and tell you why it was simply the sun shining in my window that made this instant connection to joy.  

My grandpa was quite the sun-bather.  Many of my memories involve gramps soaking up the sun on his face, whether it be in the dead of summer or perched in a chair at the top of the ski hill with his head leaned back and a beer in his hand.  Even into his 80's he would take his sun chair, walk down the 18 steps it takes to get to the pier (sometimes wearing a turtle neck and long pants and hiking boots haha) and allow himself one full hour of sun on his face before he required himself to go back up.  Often when we would come to visit his face would be burnt, we'd scold him, and he'd say- "I was only out for an hour yesterday."  He crraaaved the sun.  

So in the moment when Grandpa went to be with the Lord, and there appeared outside the window the most beautiful sunset with the brightest and most radiant sun I have ever seen, we knew this had to be from the Lord.  (No joke, it was spectacular).  The nurse who came to care for us even pointed out the window and said, "do you see this?"  This sunset was so fitting and so encouraging- it was like the Lord knew just what we needed to see, to yet again be reminded that He was in control and He had in fact come to call my grandpa home. 

For the next three days, I kid you not, it felt like the sun was brighter.  Being September in Wisconsin you never know what you're going to get, but those few days as we planned gramps' service and dealt with the initial waves of grief, it felt as if the Lord made the sun brighter- like He was saying, "it's okay- he's here with me!"  This brought such great peace and joy to my heart- that I don't think I'll look at a bright bright sun the same ever again.  

This is why I say, it's so crazy how God loves us so much and knows us so well, that he provides just what we need to be taken care of.  Waking up this morning, seeing the bright bright shining sun, is exactly what I needed to be reminded of the glorious moments of Grandpa's homecoming and the blessing of knowing that he is truly with the Lord.  I again felt like the Lord was saying to me, "it's okay Mindy, he's here with me!"  

It is because of these encouragements and this promise that God really does follow through when He says He will come back for us and bring us to the place He has prepared for us, that I can choose joy today even when my heart is sad.  

God is so good.  I am SO thankful for the way He cares for me.  And I cannot wait to someday meet Him in heaven, when my time comes to be called home.  

Well, here I am over a month later finally saying hello, and that I've missed you here on lovemin.  I took an unexpected blogcation as life has seriously been NUTS.   From spending time up north with family and friends, to relatives coming to visit from California, to a Packer game, and many wedding festivities... this summer has left me very little time to slow down, let alone sit down long enough to write out a blog post!   It's crazy to think that this summer has basically come and gone in what feels like a blink-of-an-eye.  It has been oh so busy, and yet so much fun because it's been jam-packed with so many great things!! For what feels like the first time ever, I am looking forward to fall and the anticipation of a little bit of a slower schedule.  Although I'm ready to say goodbye to the constant busyness, I'm still clinging to the warm weather and hoping that the fun will carry through as well.  

With the arrival of a new season, there are many new and exciting things on the horizon.  I look forward to seeing what God has for me in this time, and to (hopefully more regularly) sharing all these things with you.  But for now as I settle into a new role as a virtual assistant and prepare for another busy weekend ahead, I'll leave you with just a few pictures to give you a taste of what I've been up to for the last month.  

xo