Marriage Retreat, March Madness and More!

I really cannot believe it is March 13th.  Really?  Seriously? I have been married for eleven weeks already.  How did that happen?  Even though we had a relatively low key wedding and reception that didn't take months and months to plan and recuperate from...it really feels like we JUST got married!  We just spent the weekend at a marriage retreat with 19 other couples from my home church...it was a blessing to get away for a weekend to Bonclarken Conference Center in Flat Rock, NC to spend time with other couples some married for more than 30 years and some still dating or engaged!  We listened to a video series by Mark Gungor that was entertaining, yet informative.  I wouldn't say I agree 100% with everything he said, but even those points we discussed with the group and weighed in our opinions with each other.  It was a wonderful weekend full of smiles, laughs and most importantly, time away with my husband!

All of the wonderful couples at the marriage retreat!

For those who aren't aware, I am a HUGE UNC Tarheel fan.  Well, if you caught the ACC tourney over the weekend, you know it didn't end the way I wanted it to.  Now onto the NCAA tourney and maybe a chance at redemption.  The only thing that made it bearable was that Duke lost before us and we did manage to hang on til the last shot, though giving the game to the better team for that game.  Florida State creamed us during regular season and deserved the win both times.  I still don't have to like it.  March Madness also siginifies the end of my favorite sports season, college basketball...hopefully I can hold on 'til football season, because you won't see me watching any boredomball, oh I meant baseball.  Yuck!

My daycare kids are growing like weeds and time is flying by WAY too quickly for me as I near the end of this chapter of my life.  I can't hardly imagine my life without daily care of these precious babies, but I know God's plan for me will be laid out in the weeks, months and maybe year ahead...and for that I am excited, nervous, sad, overwhelmed and overall thankful that I was able to be a part of so many lives over the past 16 years. 

I have some prayer requests that are heavy on my heart today and I am lifting them up to God, praying for wisdom, guidance and discernment.  It's "funny" how you can be bebopping (yes, that's a word) along and realize that some things around you aren't what they seem.  Makes you wonder what else you've missed along the way either through being deceived or just plain clueless, but nonetheless I am trusting God to help me sort it all out. 

I am in love with the song, Never Once, by Matt Redman.  It speaks into my heart and reminds me just how far I've come through God's love, grace and mercy in my life.  It hasn't always been easy, nor will it always be.  But His unmistakeable guidance and evident hand in my life just fills me to overwhelmingly overflowing with thankfulness.  I can't hardly process how much my life has changed from this time last year.  Looking back at this post from March 2011 is a reminder like no other...how BIG our God is.  Even though I took that step in obedience to what I felt the Lord was leading me to do.  I hated, yes hated ~ even though that's an ugly word,  every single second of online dating.  I met a few nice people, but the overall experience was one I could've done without.  However it was one of the steps in the process that led to RC and I being where we are today, and I will FOREVER be grateful for that!  I now know what it really feels like to see God work in and through the many trials of your life to bring about blessings and reveal HIS plan.  Not until I completely surrendered my life did I really begin to see God's direction...not to say I haven't felt guided in the past, but to really be to a point in my life where I said, Lord I cannot do this alone...and I trust YOU to show me the path. The words in "Never Once" ring true now so near and dear to my heart and I hope maybe one of you will be touched as well.  My favorite lines are the chorus that say "Never once did we ever walk alone, never once did You leave us on our own, You are faithful, God, You are faithful" It seems so simple, yet is so very true...God will NEVER leave or forsake us...He tells us so in Hebrews 13:6...And when we stand on the mountaintop and look just how far we've come (verse one) it's hard not to be utterly amazed at what God can and will do in and through you if you will focus your eyes on Him.  Whew...I'm on a tangent here, however...I am so blessed and can't contain my excitement for all that God is doing in my life...I want to shout it from the rooftops, but I'll settle for my blog for now - so if you are still reading...bless you! :)

I am off to spend some time with my sweet RC who is sitting and strumming the guitar as I type...Blessings to all who have passed by here! 

Stephanie