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Hey y'all!
Today I am linking up with Rachel from Oh Simple Thoughts and Madison from The Whetherhills say I Do for a coffee date!
I love coffee, but I love coffee with good friends and good conversation even better-so I am so extra excited to have a virtual coffee date with you ladies this morning!
If I were to really be sitting down to coffee with you I would order a caramel macchiato. So good.
If I were to really be sitting down to coffee with you I would order a caramel macchiato. So good.
This has been such a sweet season of life lately.
A crazy-busy but sweet season of life.
There are graduation parties to attend, birthdays coming up, bible studies, a full time job---but all of this craziness is teaching me things along the way.
I am learning to be patient, to manage my time well, and to be content with where I am and with what I have.
With all of the craziness, I have been left feeling inadequate. I do not do well under pressure. So every day when I try to live out my faith while I am stressed out, I fail. Every time. I work ten hour days, and usually have somewhere I have to go right after work. So, with all of this on my mind, the second a customer gets a little antsy, I am not the sweetest version of Lacey-lets just put it that way. I am being completely 100% transparent when I say that because I'm not proud of that. That is not the way my Savior would have me to act. This is what I'm struggling with. Living out my faith when the pressure is high and I feel like so much is expected from me.
But you know what else I've realized? This season of my life, I have been growing more in my faith & relationship with Christ than any other time in my life. I've prayed to know my God on a deeper level. To experience him in a whole new way. And He has answered that prayer! He is taking these mundane struggles and using them for his glory. He has been showing me that yes, I am inadequate. But with Him, I can overcome. With Him, every day can be a joy. (Yes-even ten hour work days can be one of the most joyous days of your life!) And I am striving to glorify Him with these struggles.
Discipleship. Something that has been on my heart lately. This topic seems to be what all of my quiet times, bible studies, and prayer times have pointed to. I have come to realize that discipleship is vital. That everyone needs to be a disciple and also themselves disciple. To be a Timothy, but to also be a Paul. Sometimes its not fun-it's messy- but that's because discipleship is personal. It's relational. We are called to love people.
Also, the new goal of my life is simplicity. It used to be "gold glitter everything". But now that my eyes have been opened to how much all this earthly "stuff" has a hold over my life-I feel like its time to detox and focus everything that I am on my Creator. You can read more about this here .
With all of the craziness, I have been left feeling inadequate. I do not do well under pressure. So every day when I try to live out my faith while I am stressed out, I fail. Every time. I work ten hour days, and usually have somewhere I have to go right after work. So, with all of this on my mind, the second a customer gets a little antsy, I am not the sweetest version of Lacey-lets just put it that way. I am being completely 100% transparent when I say that because I'm not proud of that. That is not the way my Savior would have me to act. This is what I'm struggling with. Living out my faith when the pressure is high and I feel like so much is expected from me.
But you know what else I've realized? This season of my life, I have been growing more in my faith & relationship with Christ than any other time in my life. I've prayed to know my God on a deeper level. To experience him in a whole new way. And He has answered that prayer! He is taking these mundane struggles and using them for his glory. He has been showing me that yes, I am inadequate. But with Him, I can overcome. With Him, every day can be a joy. (Yes-even ten hour work days can be one of the most joyous days of your life!) And I am striving to glorify Him with these struggles.
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| My brother & I. |
Also, the new goal of my life is simplicity. It used to be "gold glitter everything". But now that my eyes have been opened to how much all this earthly "stuff" has a hold over my life-I feel like its time to detox and focus everything that I am on my Creator. You can read more about this here .
Another aspect of my life that I am learning from is my relationship with Matthew.
We know that we are going to be further pursuing our relationship, and we are both SO excited. It's kind of hard to just sit back and enjoy the season of life that we are in because we are anticipating something more-our next step in our relationship.
Any other ladies struggling with this (or struggled with this before you were engaged)?
I would love to hear from you and get some advice!
Any other ladies struggling with this (or struggled with this before you were engaged)?
I would love to hear from you and get some advice!
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thank you for sharing the messy parts! i can completely relate to feeling pressure and overwhelmed and it making you not the best version of yourself! i get that way too and when i have a full week with no downtime i am a grump! but it is also during those times that i realize my need for the Lord so much & it pulls me towards Him! :)
ReplyDeletep.s. i struggled so much with wanting to just move forward to the next stage of our relationship. this was TRULY hard when we knew we wanted to get engaged and even during engagement because you are planning a wedding almost 24/7 and that's where you focus is. it's so hard to just enjoy engagement and "be here now"! but it is such a sweet time & i always reminded myself that i needed to prepare for my marriage, not just my wedding. and that helped me to just be in the present!
ReplyDeletei also asked myself "what is God teaching me through this relationship and this time?" "what can i learn or what do i need to learn before i move to engagement and then marriage?" it is SO hard sometimes though - i'm praying for you that God would give you the clarity and strength to get through this struggle. also that you would know it's completely normal when you desire to move to the next step, but God's plan is perfect and His timing is best - even if we can't see why now. and i pray that He would comfort your heart like only He can!
Thank you for the encouragement! I love how you were always seeking to see what God was trying to teach you in those times. I'm going to look at it from that viewpoint from now on! :)
DeleteThanks so much for linking up today Lacey Beth (also, side note, I am mildly obsessed with double names, I think your name is just too cute!) I love your honesty, and love your openness! I remember waiting for the marriage convo to come up with my now husband...and it was so hard to be patient. One verse I clung to was Acts 1:7..."It is not for you to know the times and seasons fixed by the authority of the Lord." I found so much comfort in knowing that I was not supposed to know when the next step would occur, when I would get engaged, or when I would get married. All I am supposed to know is the Lord is good, and he wants to give good gifts to his children. And I am his child, so I can trust in his authority and timing that it will be so so good or me!
ReplyDeleteHope that is a comfort to you as it was for me sweet girl! I will be praying for you in this time! Much love!!
Thank you Rachel! I admire you so much and your desire to be a godly wife! I look up to you a lot, but especially when it comes to your marriage! I also love that verse. That is one to be memorized! And thank you so much for praying!
DeleteLacey Beth! You are just so sweet! I loved reading your post today! Thanks for being vulnerable! Oh my stars do I remember how hard it was to wait to have that conversation... it seems like forever. But it will go by soooo fast. Before you know it you will be engaged and then you will be married and you will look back and wonder where the time went. I think the best people told me in this time of my life was to try and enjoy the season I am in. It is so easy for me to say that but know that it is so worth it. God has given us today so we need to live for Him today and then deal with tomorrow when it comes. That was helpful for me at least. Praying for you in this waiting season! Have a great day sweet girl!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the encouragement! and thank you for the prayers!
DeleteLoved reading this post, sweet friend! It is so easy to get overwhelmed and I pray that during this busy season that you can find time to rest at the feet of Jesus. Our culture always wants the next step and it can be so hard to want to be engaged and then you'll want to be married, but enjoy dating! It's such a special time and you only get to do it this one time! Then you'll be married and it's a whole different and amazingly wonderful ball game! Rest in where the Lord has you at right now. :) Thank you so much for linking up!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you put this...to be a timothy but also a paul. I am praying this for both of us! So glad I found you via the link up.
ReplyDeleteThis is so great! Thankful I found this through the link up :) I totally understand where you are coming from! It's so cool to see how you are embracing His grace and allowing His strength to be your direction. Super encouraged by you! Have a blessed day!xo C
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