No, I didn't forget.

over the past several weeks, 5 or 6 different blog post have been drafted and deleted. and although the number was small, a few people reached out to me, asking where my little blog had gone.

no fear. i did not forget. i let married life sink in a bit before the blogging started again. because there are so many things that come with marriage and the last thing i wanted to do, would be to ignore the most precious part of my life, with the computer in front of me.

i also had to put a disclaimer on myself. what would and wouldn't be shared about our new life, what is beneficial to share, and what isn't. and ultimately, why did i ever even start this thing?

got to that place, and i can move forward.

so to get to the basics, this blog is going to change a little. my desire and calling is to help other people, whether through my little stories and through wisdom i am gaining from the Lord. i pray it helps others and encourages them on their journey through life. whether it's about marriage, gluten free cooking, my work with Wellspring or an adventure of some sort. my prayer is that someone, you can learn from what's going on... and maybe be entertained by our life's adventures.

note- the name change on the ole blog.
here is why.

mov·ing

ˈmo͞oviNG

adjective

1. 1.

   in motion.

   "a fast-moving river"

   synonyms:

   in motion, operating, active
2. 2.

   producing strong emotion, esp. sadness or sympathy.

   "an unforgettable and moving book"

   synonyms:

   affecting, touching, poignant, heartwarming, heart-rending, emotional,

we are blessed to be a blessing and i am excited to start writing again.

-mbf

engaged prayers. #1

2 corinthians 4: 18

as we look Not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient, but

the things that are unseen are eternal.

today i pray for will and i as we continue planning our wedding and our life. it's been two and a half weeks and we are getting things checked off the list. help keep our minds focused on things above the earth. things over the sun. 

as we begin finalizing things for the wedding day, go before us and prepare the steps. give us words to say when plans don't match other's plans. give us ears to hear and understand. focus our attention everyday on the covenant we will be making in your presence, by the power of your Holy Spirit. 

our marriage covenant is forever. our wedding day is not. 

amen. 

we are engaged.

well guys, it happened.

i am engaged. to be MARRIED.

i was weary of social media posting because i didn't want to skip on telling anyone. but, this is the world we live in.

eight days ago, my mister wonderful proposed to me where we met. it was natural and supernatural all in one second. my heart and mind could not comprehend everything happening and proceeded to almost combust with the purest joy ever experienced.

i pray, that if you have not experienced a love like this, that you do.

sometimes i see couples and they say "i am engaged to my best friend" and feel it cliche. but in reality, my mister wonderful is my best friend. through and through. i pray also, that you find your best friend.

i pray these things for you, because the last 18 months of my life have painted an earthly picture of how Christ loves us. God's love for me has become visible through my almost husband. His faithfulness to His promises is evident through my almost husband. these signs and wonders, things i prayed for as a little girl, things i never knew i needed.

this journey is beyond special. we are beyond blessed. and i guess i am going to have to change my blog name etc. pretty soon...

i just can't stop praising the Lord. his goodness overflows!

far better things.

There are far better things ahead than any we have left behind- CS Lewis

I had breakfast the other morning with a friend at one of my favorite spots in West Side Provisions. We sat down over coffee, oatmeal, and tofu scramble chatting about our shared industry and Savior.

We discussed the ups and downs of living off on our own, the love of city life, and the challenges of bringing light into the workplace. I left with a full tummy and a full heart.

Before our breakfast, I had been struggling with a pressure unknown to my own heart. I didn’t know until she pointed it out. She wasn’t even talking about me, but I knew Papa God was. And suddenly, in a couple sentences, the Lord revealed truth through another person. And it freed me.

“It’s okay my daughter. 

It is wonderful that you are different.

 I created you this way.”

There are dreams, certain desires, and goals that are mine. No one can steal your dreams, but they can certainly crush them. So many times we find ourselves searching for some way to accomplish our dreams in a fashion that other people will find acceptable. Talk about tiresome.

Sometimes the things we leave behind (like old friends, home towns, etc.) are still trying to hold us in the past. In the “behind.” But I want to press forward…

The alternative is that our savior created a way for us to accomplish our dreams and goals without remodeling them to fit inside everyone else’s parameters. Thankfully, if we consecrate our will to His will our desires become what He desires and our heart is His heart. {Isaiah 6:8}

The Lord knows the desires of my heart. They are unconventional because my Jesus was the most “unconventional.”

Those words were exactly what I needed to hear. The Holy Spirit whispers it to me every day. And it is where I find my confidence. {I am wonderfully made… proverbs 139:14}

i am glad i left a certain mindset and certain desires behind. committing my will to His is allowing His work to become complete in me. i cant wait for whats ahead. for the things the Lord will do through my life, the people i am going to touch in His name, the children i will raise in a supernatural way, the marriage God planned in advance for me. i am excited for the better. truly i am blessed beyond measure.

There are far, far better things ahead of us.

creative spark.

My uncle david is a true source of musical inspiration. Not that my parents are not; they have encouraged me through all my musical endeavors. But my uncle has a true taste for music. It has passed through his children and over to me. One day, when my mandolin skills surpass novice, the family will all play together. His bangitar is really cool.

He sent a text the other day with a new band – The RendCollective. Well, new to me.

While I work- I listen to their albums over and over. They are so anointed and powerfully brought together.

Yesterday one line from the song Desert Soul just struck me.

“holy spirit, I am lost without your creative spark in me”

When I think of all the things I’ve done in the past out of my own strength, it’s no wonder how I’ve failed.

Then i saw this tweet saying: success always takes help. Failure is done alone.

And those two things lines up in my mind and I had to stop and just thank God. I am so thankful for the great helper we have in the Holy Spirit. And that he wants to help with the smallest thing (in our mind) and also in the greatest things we will ever do. How many times have I relied on my flesh to get me through; or attempted something on my own strength- then failing – asked why?

The Lord sent us the ultimate helper and nurturer, he is available for us. I am overwhelmed by this goodness.

But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses. Acts 1:8

In o t h e r news:

I met Lisa Bevere. A life goal which was birthed over the summer came to fruition at the end of January in Nashville. My friend Karri got to pray and speak with her for some time. I was more blessed by listening to their conversation then I could even think about getting face time with Lisa. But the next morning I made an effort and spoke with her at the merch table. That lady is so full of wisdom and anointing – I would have sat with her for hours just soaking up her knowledge. Thank the Lord she writes! My valentine gave me her newest – Girls with Swords- and I cannot wait to read it!

Also, I read two books in January: Undaunted by Christine Cain and The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. I would recommend reading both, specifically the Circle Maker and I would tell you to read it right now. If you want to revolutionize your prayer life and understand what constant, dependent, strong prayer looks like- this is the tool.

A few things I cant get enough of right now-

1.Gel nails (I started and now I don’t want to stop)

2. Waking up at 6 am

3. Breakfast food dates

4. Kari Jobe

5.Antico

6. My new glasses

mb.

committments//2013

Today, I don’t know where to begin. I’ve never gone this long without actually writing. So much to say and seemingly catch you up on, but let’s just live in the present.

New year means new commitments. Resolutions are easily broken after a couple weeks, the gym begins to thin out, people start eating out again. To start, new vocabulary. No more resolutions, just commitments. Vulnerability and caring less about what other people think are close to the top- so I may as well just let you in on my little commitments for 2013.

1.       Invest.  I am not going to use the word “spend” any more. I don’t want to spend time, spend money, spend energy. I am going to invest. Invest in loved ones, invest in my ministry, invest my time in work, invest my heart in my passion, invest energy in taking care of myself. Everything you invest, you have a return. What you sow, that will you also reap. [Gal 6:7]

2.       Strengthen. I will strengthen relationships. I will strengthen my body. I will strengthen my mind and my soul.

3.       Rest. I will rest in the security I have been given through my Savior. Rest in the Sabbath. Rest in love.

4.       Love. I want to be known by my love and passion for others. This has been a banner of mine for many years, because this is what the Lord is calling me to do in my life.

5.       Wake. I know this seems counteractive to #3, but it’s not. I want to wake up earlier to invest, strengthen, and rest later. See what I did there?

I have little commitments within those that can be used for later little stories as a journey through this year.

That’s enough for today. Stay tuned 

good morning fall.

yesterday was a perfect first day of fall. nice little breeze, there were actually crunchy leaves, and last night i had to wear a sweater to dinner.

these are all things that make this girl a happy camper.

i know it is a little early, but i got up to prepare my heart, soul, mind and body for a nice little 19-mile run with william. and as i was sipping on a small cup of coffee, i decided to pick up my good ole friend Oswald Chambers.

Mr. Chambers and i have a lovely relationship. he is deep enough to give me something to chew on, but his daily entries for Utmost are not too long that i have to reread them 8 times to fully catch every morsel of insight.

after i read today's reading, i had to share. i was going to just tweet a blurb, but you can only say so much in 160 characters.

it's called The Missionary's Goal. and the verse is Luke 18:31. here is what the reading said that struck me...

in our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, 

but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning,

and the beginning and the end are exactly the same,

namely,

our Lord Himself.

We start with Christ and we end with Him.

The goal of a missionary is to do God's will,

not to be useful or to win the lost.

A missionary is useful and he does win the lost.

HIS GOAL IS TO DO THE WILL OF GOD.

Nothing EVER diverted our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. 

Neither gratitude or ingratitude turned our Lord even the slightest degree away from His purpose.

The SAME things that happened to our Lord will happen to us on our way to "jerusalem." 

There will be works of God exhibited through us, 

people will get blessed, 

and one or two people will show gratitude 

while the rest will show total ingratitude. 

but

NOTHING must divert us from going up to our jerusalem.

there are so many times i hear christians across the globe get discouraged because "people are not receptive" or people "aren't hearing them." that is when i think about Jesus and how he was rejected, tortured, and slain by the very ones He came to save. the students will never surpass the master (matt 10), so why would we think we would be accepted with open arms?

this was so encouraging for me. especially with the work we do here in Atlanta. 

this should be encouraging to you, through whatever you are doing in your life. 

let nothing divert you from your goal; from doing the Lord's will. 

surround yourself with people that will build you up to reach your goal. 

or who will serve under the same mission. 

what is diverting you away from the goal as Christians and missionaries? 

family?

            friends?

                        your job?

                                        your relationship?

                                                                    yourself?

remember who we are as Christians. we are imitators of Jesus. so in our lives, let us demonstrate this. 

let nothing divert you. 

i am a missionary. my goal is to do the will of God. 

i hope this gives you something to chew on this wonderful fall morning. 

peace and blessings. 

mb.