Undecided

Day 24: My Top 3 Worst Traits

Haha!  Wow! There are so many to choose from.  It is completely obvious to anyone who knows me that I am definitely a sinner.  There are so many things about me that need refining that I am having a hard time deciding which 3 to write about.  Which ironically leads me straight into my first top trait....

1. I am the ABSOLUTE WORST at making decisions.

No seriously.  I am.  I can stand in the same grocery store isle for 10 minutes trying to decide whether to get the 15oz or 32 oz ketchup.  I will make 3 trips to the store to pick out a vacuum and end up not getting one.  I will say I donno/I don't care anytime you ask me what I want to do today.  I'm telling you guys its bad, real bad.  I am often kept from doing things I enjoy because I won't make the decision to go do them.  I have called my parents/husband begging them to make huge life decisions for me.  Not only am I bad at it, I hate being forced to make decisions.  Which definitely makes things worse.  So, basically, if you need something decided. Don't come knocking on my door....

2.  I am so self-conscious.

Ugh.  Isn't every girl?  Gosh it's just the darndest thing.  O how I wish I could feel as beautiful as my husband thinks I am.  How I wish I could love my freckles, or feel in shape, or enjoy my curly hair.  Why is it the curse of all curses on the female race that we have to be so gosh darn self-conscious?!

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll do everything in the world to come off as self confident, but deep down in side I am a worry wart about my appearance, personality and the like.

3.  I am a grudge holder.

There, I said it.  I admit it.  Ashamedly.  I hate this about myself!  When someone hurts me or "does me wrong" I just can't get over it.  It's the silliest thing too because I know how awful of a sinner I am and that I make offenses to other all the time.  And honestly, I will make amends with those "offenders" by talking through it or making up but deep down I am still holding on to it.  I think of the other person differently or I feel like they owe me or something.  It really is an AWFUL trait that I wish the Lord would rid me of.  I will just keep on praying that He saves me from my sins and refines me to be more like Him....

Pants on Fire

Day 23: Things you've learned that school didn't teach you.  Things school taught me that aren't true....

1.  Work hard 9 months out of the year and you will get 3 months of pure laziness.  Laying by the pool, sleeping in, family vacations, neighborhood flashlight tag, etc.

Talk about rip my heart out.  I go through 20+ years of school where this is engrained into my noggin and then BAM. reality hits.

You mean I won't get a summer anymore?!

You mean I have to work 12 MONTHS out of the year?!

You mean I only get 1 week vacation from work the WHOLE year?!

Yea, school definitely didn't teach me that. Sayonara Summer....

2.  A complete memorized knowledge of the Periodic Table is essential to your future.

Yea, that's certainly not true...

3.  Books cost around a hundred dollars.

Funny thing, ever since I've finished school, book prices have dropped dramatically.. hhhmmm.....

4. A normal work day is 8:30 to 3:30 with a 30 minute lunch break.

Imagine my surprise when my boss told me our work day was 8-5 and to eat at my desk while I'm working!

5.  Its ok to be late as long as you have a note from your parents.

Apparently real life bosses don't think that is a very good excuse.....

Nehemiah 12

This chapter is very similar to the other chapter in that Nehemiah has kept track of and honored specific people by giving us a list of their names.  In this particular chapter that names are of the priests and levites that were serving the citizens of Jerusalem.  Nehemiah was not just rebuilding the city, He was rebuilding a people, a community, and as part of that rehabilitation he was setting them up to be a people of the Lord again.  These priests and levites were Israel's direct link to God, and Nehemiah was praying and hoping that they were lead the people in following the Lord.

At the dedication of the Wall the Lord's people were obviously overflowing with joy.  They were celebrating a victory, a completion, a new beginning!  Not just any celebration though, it was a dedication to the Lord, acknowledging that it was the Lord who provided.  These people were not just sitting in church singing from the hymnal book.  It says that "they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy." They brought in the singers from other regions(v 28), Levites(v 27), choirs(v 40), the town leaders(v 31), and all of the men, women and children(v 43) rejoiced!  

Verse 43 says that the sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away! The Bible doesn't exaggerate either, it really could be heard from FAR away.  They were PRAISING our Lord and were not ashamed to do it loudly!

Think of any modern day celebration: A birthday party, graduation, wedding, anniversary, job promotion, family reunion, july 4th, etc.  Think of what we do and feel when we celebrate those occasions, then multiply it by a lot.  

I am going to use an exert from my Quest Study Notes again, because I love how it explains everything:

"When we work with God on any great endeavor, we're not done until we celebrate and dedicate that work.  Celebration involves the entire congregation and takes full advantage of music and ceremony to heighten the sense of joy and worship.  Dedication reminds us of our dependence on God and invites Him to guard the work accomplished.  Such a time often marks a fresh beginning for God's people- with a renewed sense of purpose, identity, worth and security of His care."

If you have anything to add or any questions about Nehemiah 12 please feel free to leave a comment.  I'll get back with any questions as soon as I ask someone wiser than me;) Have a wonderful day! Love, Devon

Post Favs

Day 21: A Link to all your Favorite Posts

Obviously this one is a tough-y because all of my posts are so wonderful, just HOW am I going to choose my favorites?!?  ;)  hehe just kidding.  I definitely have some favorites, and oddly enough they revolve around food.  Hhhmmm.  Ok, I'll only do a couple favorite food posts and then a couple non food posts.  Otherwise we all might get too hungry to finish reading.....

Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
They are just too dang cute not to be a favorite....

NeriumAD

Because my life has recently been changed by this product and this company

Our Wedding

Because I want to help everyone have a beautiful wedding at a reasonable price!

36 Years Later...
Because it turned out waaay better than I thought it would, and my parents actually liked it!

Hamburger Cupcakes
Because these are the most fun cupcakes to make!

Beginnings

Because it was the starting point to this grand adventure I'm on..

Oh to Pic....

Day 17: Favorite Picture of Yourself and Why

Ok, so bear with me on this post.  My favorite pictures I have ever had taken of me are from my engagement shoot.  I still remember very vividly how nervous I was.  Nervous that I wouldn't look pretty.  Nervous my hair wouldn't work right.  Nervous I would have zits on my face.  Nervous the trees wouldn't be colorful enough.  Nervous it would be raining.  Nervous I would have weird smiles.  Nervous my outfit wouldn't look cute.  Nervous our personalities wouldn't show up in the pictures.  Just plain nervous about almost ANYTHING that there was to be nervous about.

I have loved engagement pictures my whole life.  I love looking at them, whether it is someone I know or some random person.  I just think they are so darn special.  It is at an adorable exciting time in your life and you are so much in love with your fiance and that always shows in the pictures.  Plus you will have those professionally done pictures for the rest of your lives to display in your homes to remember how good you used to look before you had kids... :)...

What if after all that, I didn't like my own engagement pictures?!?!

Well,  The Lord blessed me yet again.  I absolutely positively adore my engagement pictures!  Our photographer, Emily Rodgers (whom I would totally tell everyone to look up and hire if she wasn't retired), was amazing and captured us perfectly.  I love the colors she enhanced and the ideas she brought to the table.  I was so relieved to get the pictures and to love every one of them.

Sooooo, all that being said.  My engagement pictureS are my favorite pictures of myself.  All of them.  I couldn't choose.  Lucky you gets to see them all.....

And there you have it Folks! My favorite pictures...