Hello, 2013!

Hello, there!

 

2012 was a crazy one, was it not?

Was anyone else a little relieved when the ball dropped and a new year - a new start - was given to them?

 

If I could describe 2012 in one word, it would be this: change. Change in job, change in living situation, change in income, change in dating outlook, change in marital status, change in youth leadership, change in family, change in friendships, change in my relationship with God. Some of them were far more for the better, and some were far more for the worse.

If there is one thing that people can tell you I don't cope well with, it is change.

 

Ironically, our sermon on Sunday {taught by Gary Vaughan} was centered around the idea of a new year bringing the opportunity for new change. The statement was made that "change is not working hard and willing circumstances to be different...real change comes from submitting your life to Christ and living out of that relationship." Colossians 3:1 was referenced, which points us towards the idea that we are raised in a new life with Christ, and that real change begins with that new identity. It reminded me of II Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." It just brings such a renewed sense of hope for new beginnings - excellent way to view a new year!

 

Tonight, while assisting in leading the 11th and 12th grade girls' small group, we asked the girls what their spiritual commitments were for 2013. One said to get more involved with activities at church, another said to read her Bible more. I remember having similiar answers at their age, and I even have the same answers now.

 

But then I realized: without the real change that Gary spoke of on Sunday, aren't those resolutions just "working hard and willing circumstances to be different?" Is there a real change of heart when those resolutions are made?

 

Whitney {my co-leader} mentioned an example she heard in a Beth Moore study years ago: "What ugly wallpaper do I have on the walls of my heart, that needs to be removed before I can replace it with something new?" What steps do I need to take to empty myself of the bad, to make room for the good? Furthermore, what is the "bad" in my heart? We asked this question for the girls to answer, and their answers were insanely relatable: cussing, bad attitude, anger, impatience, laziness, and selfishness. What is the "good" I should replace those characteristics with? More good answers from my girls: compassion, peace, patience, selflessness, humility, gentleness.

 

I came to the conclusion that I will resolve to give my heart a makeover: too often do I lose my patience at work, or get irritated with my husband (still weird to say!), or allow a curse word to slip out in a moment of frustration or pain. Too often do I let selfishness win out over selflessness, and a negative attitude declare victory over a positive outlook.

 

2013 will be another year of change, that is without a doubt.

Here's to it!

 

P.S. I also am resolving to begin with a post per week...if I do more, that is GREAT. But one post per week is achievable, I think.

 

What are YOUR resolutions in 2013?



We Did.

JOE AND I DID IT.

I am now Mrs. Anna Crews!

A few of my favorite photos are below, enjoy!

 

{I got my toenails done to match the girls' dresses.}

{My personal favorite of Joe.}

{I LOVE MY GIRLS.}

 

{Thank you, Pinterest!}

{Remember my top secret unity ceremony idea? A unity braid! A cord of 3 strands is not easily broken...<3}

{A few of our youth group girls that I work with!}

{Joe and I with the Powell's--a HUGE thank you to them for allowing us to use their property for our big day! We love y'all!}

 

Hope you enjoyed the brief photo summary!

Xoxo,

The Crews'



T minus 28 days!

I cannot believe my wedding is only 4 weeks from today. Panic is starting to set in! There is so much to do still, I just want to freeze time. When I said, "Yes!" in May, I had no idea how fast time would fly to October. I feel like I've blinked, and it's almost here. Pinterest isn't helping with the process, because I only keep seeing more ideas I love. Someone should really block Pinterest from my iPhone and laptop until October 21st. {No, but really, please don't...} Haha!

 

Today is bittersweet: it is the first day of fall. I LOVE FALL. I love layering clothes, I love not having a ton of humidity, I love a slight chill. I also love bonfire-season. The downside to this is that I no longer live in my sweet little house on Sugar Hill Road, where I could have bonfires in my huge backyard every weekend. I moved into the house Joe and I will live in together at the end of May, and Joe is at his parent's until the wedding. I realized this morning, when I let the dog out and felt the brisk morning air, that it is bonfire season...and for the first time in a couple years, I can not have a bonfire kickoff to fall. This is probably not a bad thing, as all my time and energy is invested in this wedding and settling into our home...but I sure do miss having all my friends over for fire, drinks, and music.

 

I told you I would keep you posted on this wedding process, so here's some of the "new" news:

 

1. We decided on a unity ceremony idea! I don't want to share it yet, as I'm so excited and want it to be revealed the day of the wedding. But what I can share is my thought process leading up to the choice! Our wedding is outside...meaning candles/open flame symbolizing an eternal commitment probably aren't a good idea. Nothing would be worse than lighting a beautiful candle to represent our marriage vows, and to have a fall breeze come in and blow it right out. Embarrassing!

The only other choice it looked we were left with was the obvious sand-pouring ceremony. {Insert gag here.} First of all, sand is beachy. I like the beach, but our wedding is not at a beach, nor beach-themed. Second, I am so "anti" doing what everyone else does or expects. Not that I'm a huge rebel, I just like to be different. Obviously with a wedding, there are certain traditions I am sticking to because I'm a southerner, and a Jesus-lover. But I want to do them {respectfully} different. My dear friend, Whitney, {an amazing wedding planner who loves Jesus with all her heart!} found a really beautiful idea, that fits the feel of the wedding perfectly, and I am so beyond excited to use it.

 

2. I am using tutorials from The Small Things Blog for my hair, my sister's hair, and Beth's hair. I have always had a love for Kate's blog {see here or here}, and I am so thrilled that most of her tutorials are for beautiful, classy, simple styles that will be stunning for our wedding vibe. A very close friend of Joe's, Autumn, will be doing our hair.

3. Some of the guys from church (particularly a group of senior high students whom we dearly love) are choreographing a dance for the reception. They are extremely excited and I am beyond curious and thrilled to see what these goobers come up with. I was totally rooting for having the bridal party and a few select friends do a flash mob during the reception, but after my sister giving me a strong "NO," I decided to let it go. {But I still think it'd be REALLY cool!}

I think that's all I am at liberty of sharing at this time. :) I can not WAIT until after the big day, when I can show you everything else! Secrets are SO hard to keep when I am this excited. :)

Engagement Sesh!

Just because I love you...I will share with you the sneak peek photos from my engagement session. (Note: I spelled "peek" correctly. At 6am this morning when I tweeted the photos, I said "peak" and was attacked by an anonymous Twitter grammar officer and informed of my mistake. Never. Again.)

And here you are! I love love love the colors in this one...

And I love the big-wide-world-openness of this...

BETH IS AMAZING! :)

yes, i'm alive..

well hello there!

how are you? how is your life, what is God teaching you? what neat things have you found on pinterest this week?

i've decided to break my silence and finally catch you up on the last 2 months' happenings :) i can't really offer a good excuse as to why i haven't been blogging, except that i haven't really used my computer for much of anything lately. i've finally today sat down and sorted through facebook requests, twitter followers, and pinterest ideas.

major things that have happened since my last post:

1. i started a new job!

i accepted a position closer to home at southside eye care, and am really excited about it. i've been here almost 2 months and i have learned so much. i actually made a pair of prescription sunglasses a few weeks ago! cut the lenses, and everything :) i'm working with patients a lot more now, doing all of their exam work-up prior to them seeing the doctor. i love it! i get to chat with my patients more, and i love spending that time with them.

{note: i really, really miss my friends from the other job though. not a day goes by that i don't miss my scribe support system girls!}

2. after 3 long years, i have a boyfriend!

i am dating my best friend, and while i'm still working through what a dating relationship should look like (for me/us), it's going great. it's kind of a long story, and i will spare you the lengthy explanation/back-story. short version: we've been friends for years and i finally allowed myself to open my mind to the idea that we could be more. the biggest adjustment for me is trying not to be SO independent. it is strange for me to have someone else around. ha! for so long it's what i longed for, and now that i have it, i'm so lost on how to handle it! it's a learning process, and i love it.

3. my sister AND my brother are in relationships now, too!

i've known jill's boyfriend for years, and i love him to pieces. i've been rooting for this coupling for a while now. they have been best friends for a long time as well and it was only a matter of time. :) i'm meeting lee's girlfriend tomorrow, and i'm very excited. she seems beautiful in multiple ways. and whatdya know?! all 3 of us are dating our best friends.

4. um..i'm not sure if this is exciting, but i'm ending "the best year of my life" on tuesday!

my cousin, maggie, who is 4 years older than me, told me when she turned 24 that it would be "the best year of her life." i looked forward to 24 with such anticipation for the best year of my own life; and i must say, it didn't disappoint! i wouldn't say it was the BEST year, but i have grown in so many ways and learned so much. in 3 days, i hit the big 25. and to quote jessica simpson (which is something i don't make a habit of):

"..25..it's almost mid-twenties, which is almost 30."

whoa.

catch up with me on twitter or pinterest! hope to post again soon <3



to whom it may concern: the civil wars.

okay, how many of you have heard of this amazing new duo..

the civil wars?

i saw them last night live (front row..amazing). their music is beautiful..but them doing a live performance nearly makes you cry.

their website has a free download. and a free live album, i believe. get it..it'd be a good christmas present to yourself. :)

{joy williams and john paul white, the amazing duo.}

random fact: joy williams used to be a contemporary christian singer.

check out their facebook page. you will fall in love with their beautiful voices!

my current favorite song: "to whom it may concern"

why are you so far away

in my arms is where you ought to be

how long will you make me wait

i don't know how much more i can take

i miss you

but i haven't met you

oh but i want to

how i do

slowly counting down the days

til i finally know your name

oh, the way your hand feels round my waist

the way you laugh, the way your kisses taste

i've miss you

but i haven't met you

oh but i want to

how i do

dear whoever you may be

i'm still waiting patiently

<3

oh, and ps, the opener for them was a new band called milo greene. check out their facebook too!

{two of the members from milo greene!}

they are super talented too! they all are talented at multiple intruments and trade off every song. as joy from the civil wars described them: "they're like a musical chinese firedrill!"

mustard seeds.

so i came across a list today: "things i'm believing God for in 2009." i made it in my old cell group (bible study group) back in november or december 2008. it looked something like this:

1.) for a friend of mine - we'll call her "sharon" - to find God. {didn't happen; but i have faith!}

2.) for a then-recent ex of mine - we'll call him "bill" - to find happiness. {i think he did!}

3.) for a godly relationship. {STILL believing God for this one!}

at the end of it, i wrote "2 corinthians 1:9b - '..we learned to stop relying on ourselves and rely fully on God..'" those words were so crucial to me in the months after i rededicated my life to Christ. i had to recite them DAILY to myself. i even summarized it into a quick slogan--"God's got this!" when i felt overwhelmed, unanswered, confused..that was the phrase i'd throw out and remind myself and others of. my bible study group joked about having t-shirts made!

needless to say, the list was a little thought-provoking.

first thought being, "how often do i still pray for 'sharon'? do i remember to be Jesus to her?"

second thought being, "well, so much for the relationship in 2009..2010..2011. maybe 2012, God?"

and the final thought being, "do i remember to rely on God in my daily worries, heartaches, and triumphs?"

what are YOU believing God for? got an idea in your head? hold it there for a second.

“you don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “i tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it would move. nothing would be impossible.” {matthew 17:20}

were you thinking in too small of a box? were you merely hoping, and not believing, that God is big enough and good enough to answer your prayers? well guess what? God is big enough to captivate "sharon's" heart. God is good enough to provide the right man for me when the timing is right.

so i ask you again: what are you believing God for?

tonight's truth.

this quote has never meant more to me than it does at this moment --

    "a woman's heart must be so lost in God that a man must seek Him in order to find it."
         
          - max lucado

Jesus, take my heart and hide it away. keep it safe and hold it tight; people are going to try to steal it, hurt it, distract it, break it and stomp all over it..but if I give it over to You, it'll be in good hands. won't You hold it awhile?

like a lightning bolt.

this will be short, and to-the-point.

{i hear you laughing, those of you who know me. i promise, it will be!}

a patient made me cry today. i was filling out his cataract surgery papers, and i began to cry right there in front of him. here's why: he told me that this was his second time scheduling this surgery; that his wife had died a few weeks before his original surgery date. i looked in the chart, and saw that date was just in september of this last year. i said, "oh, i'm so sorry to hear that. i can't imagine." he took this as his go-ahead to continue the story. you know, sometimes all a person wants is to have someone listen. its hard to carry hurt all alone, it needs to be let out.

he proceeded to tell me that he has been with his wife for 63 years, and that they were married for 62 of them. i asked him how old he was when he met her. he replied, "i was 19, she was 18. i will never forget the day that i met her, either. she was beautiful and kind. i couldn't stop staring. and it was like a lightning bolt hit me in the back of the head, and i realized, 'this is her, this is the girl you are going to make your wife,' and then a year later, i did. they told her last year that she had a month to live, and put her in the hospital. she died in there."

i looked up at him with the biggest lump in my throat, and the nile river building up in my eyes, and said, "gosh, you're making me cry!" he just smiled a sad smile, and i could tell he still loved her as much then as he did 63 years ago.

one day - be it now or months or years from now - i want someone to love me that much. and i want love to hit me like a lightning bolt.

what am i living for?

i heard some song lyrics recently that have inspired my daily outlook on life. i'm completely obsessed with living these words:

"i will live to carry Your compassion into a world that's broken-to be Your hands and feet. and i will give with the life that i've been given, and go beyond religion to see your world be changed by the power of Your name." {via lincoln brewster/darlene zschech}

wow. it's been a while {well, a few months anyway} since i've dwelt on something and really chewed on what it means, as much as i have these lyrics. i want to dissect them a little bit--

i will live to carry Your compassion -- what does that look like in our daily lives? obviously the "Your" i'm referring to is Christ's. Christ's compassion was timeless, patient. it didn't discriminate. it was joyous. not for a day, not just around certain people he liked hanging out with. it was for all people, from all walks of life. it was for all of eternity. do people look at you and see something different? i'm talking to my fellow Christians, here. our visual field tech asked me a few weeks ago asked me what i was doing after work. i told her that i was going to help lead worship at a youth event for a church in hampton. she responded with, "you're a Christian? i should have known. Christians just have a certain glow and happiness, you can pick them out." that {to me} was not a pat on the back, or an ego-feeder. it was an encouragement and a challenge to let God's love flow through me so that others will notice that i am indeed carrying His compassion to a broken world.

i will give with the life that i've been given -- the title of my blog posts an age-old question. "what am i living for?" i am living, because a Master Creator chose to give me life. and because He has given me this life, i want to use it to give back.

go beyond religion -- i love this. "religion" is such a touchy subject in today's world. people worry about what's politically or "religiously" correct when it comes to God, instead of what's divinely inspired. we are called to step outside of the box of what is religiously correct and to do whatever we need to do to meet our world where it is. it means not just praying for those we do life with, but loving them. getting down on their level and just showing them love, whichever form they might need it in. it might be a meal, it might be a prayer, or it might be a listening ear. they might realize your love, they might not. i encourage you to live out the basic principles you learn in church on sundays, in your daily life monday-saturday. what basic principles, you ask? Jesus himself said the greatest commandment is to love. love others like Christ loved us. can you even imagine what our communities would look like if we all lived this out on days that didn't begin with "sun"?!

i hope this has inspired you.

...

1 corinthians 13:8,11 -- love never fails...and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. but the greatest of these is love.

anna+dating, part two: haven't met you yet!

so valentine's day is this weekend. in that, i can't help but think back to last valentine's day...and how i thought this year was going to be so completely different from the way it actually is going to be. i believe somewhere i still have a card i was given last year promising something along the lines of "today will be special in our own way and next year will be even more special in another way." it saddens me to think of the heartbreak that evolved and came and went in the last 365 days.

that being said, i will not be single forever. {although somedays it feels like it! haha} i will find someone who is a million times a better man than i've ever known...or dreamt of knowing. and to whoever you are, this one's for you.

a friend of mine is having people over sunday night, and calling it an "i just haven't met you yet" valentine's party. i actually really love that idea! its so cute! {why aren't i that creative??} and not only is it cute, it's thought-provoking and makes me so much more optimistic during a time that is kinda depressing for us single-folk. and what's even more awesome is what billy graham once said:

"God is even more interested in your future and your relationships than you are."