Freedom

Ready is for people who trust in themselves,
Who want to live small & safe lives. 

Freedom is for people who trust in the One who made them,
Who want to live lives too big to be ready for. —Abigail Green

I want to live now, in freedom and abandon, not waiting until I'm "ready." Because in reality, I'm never really going to be ready for the big things that God will ask of me. I'm never going to be ready for them, because He wants me to rely on Him in them. Freedom. Freedom is allowing God to do what He will in your life and saying yes to what He asks, regardless of whether you feel ready or not. I don't want to live small and safe. I want to live free in Him.

//via

Weekend Wrap-Up // Food & Decor

Happy Friday! It's a beautiful day and the weekend is almost here, so why not be happy? Today I wanted to share a couple recipes (mmmmm) as well as some updates we've made to the apt and a helpful post about cleaning out your possessions. Read on!

I posted this on the Insta when we had it, but I just have to share it here too. Holy smokes, guys! This is like our new favorite thing! It makes an amazing meal, or you could make little mini ones for hors d'oeuvres.

✔️french bread 

✔️garlic butter (I just melt some butter and stir in fresh garlic)

✔️pesto 

✔️fresh mozzarella 

✔️basil or Italian seasoning 

✔️salt 

✔️tomatoes

Spread the garlic butter and pesto on the sliced bread. Top with slices of fresh mozz, sprinkle with basil or Italian seasoning and salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 min then top with tomatoes. Wallah!

Also, for your tastebud's pleasure, these Baked Asparagus Fries looks SUPER yummy and easy. Win-win. Will def be trying them out soon.

And this recipe for Mexican Street Corn Salad is actually to die for! My sis introduced me to is a couple weeks ago and we made a batch yesterday and ended up eating the whole thing! So yumm. But instead of putting the onions, peppers, and garlic in raw, we char it with the corn. So much better, I would guess. :)

This last week saw our bedroom getting some updated decorating! I was going for more simple and neutral. I think it worked! We moved our ribbon garland to the sun room, where we put it over the windows behind the keyboard, and it is soooo pretty there! It will be perfect for summer when we spend more time in there with the windows open and breeze flowing through. I think it adds a little bo-ho touch. :)

This post about how a couple got rid of half their stuff is super inspiring and will definitely be coming out again later this spring/summer when I'm hoping to do some major purging. There's some really practical tips and questions to ask yourself when going through things.

So that's about it! Some new recipes for your to try, as well as some new decor that's been happening around here. We're headed to Nebraska in a couple hours to spend the weekend with my bro and his wife who just moved there, as well as my grandparents and aunt and uncle. It should be an awesome weekend with the fam! Hope you have a good weekend too!

And if you haven't already, don't forget to check out some of the recent posts:
Discipline or Regret... or Not?
Our #keepthelovealive Retreat and How to Plan Your Own
Start With a Little
Comfort & Security

Discipline or Regret... or Not?

Do you ever have days where you just feel like you were so undisciplined, or lazy, or didn't get done what you wanted to? I do. And I had one recently. And it led to a whole lot of regret. It led to anxiety. It led to beating myself up and feeling like I had made all the wrong choices. It made me long for time travel (come on smart, science-y husband!). But seriously, I had a pit in my stomach, wishing that I could go back and start the day over. I was filled with regret.

//via

I've heard it said that everyone must choose one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. That really resonates with me. I get it. But I also think there's a third choice: Mercy. Grace. Forgiveness. When we don't choose discipline and start to feel regret, God offers us new mercies. Every single morning.

//via

He offers us hope and love and mercy every single day, so that we don't have to wallow in the past, whether it is looming with darkness and hurts and sins or simply unfinished to-do lists and minor disappointments. 

Praise God that I don't have to live in regret, even when in the worldly sense that's where I should be. Praise Him that He makes every day new and gives me second and third and 562 and one million chances. Praise Him that although discipline is the better choice, and regret is real, He still invites me to live in the here and now and to dwell on what He is doing and has done, not what I have failed to do. His mercies are new every morning!

Our #keepthelovealive Retreat & How to Plan Your Own

Last weekend Loverboy and I went on a #keepthelovealive Retreat. I named them this because before we were even married we were told to take time alone every few months to just get away and be intentional. So we're keeping the love alive, yes?

This time around we hit up Airbnb (which is awesome and I'm totally sold on and can't wait to use again!) and found a secluded cabin on Bass Lake in New Richmond, WI. It was super beautiful and the perfect little spot for a quick getaway. We left Friday morning and came back Saturday afternoon, so it was just over 24 hours. 

We spent a lot of time reading, praying, and talking, either cuddled up on the cozy couches, enjoying the view from the deck, or walking through the country neighborhood or near the lake. We enjoyed the hot tub and grill, and explored an antique shop in Hudson before our dinner at a local Caribbean restaurant. 

All-in-all, it was wonderful, and I highly recommend doing something similar if you are married. Get away for 24 hours or a long weekend and spend some extended intentional time with your spouse. But you might be wondering just exactly how to go about this, or what we did during our time. Well then, read on!

{ain't he handsome??

Here are just a few tips for having your very own #keepthelovealive retreat ...

1. Have a plan

It was super helpful for us to set aside some time before the weekend and plan out things we wanted to do, read, talk about, pray for, etc. We brought along a couple marriage books and read and talked though some of them, and we had time set aside for time with the Lord alone, and time together. We read through and discussed this ebook, 5 Simple Marriage Tools. We also brought a couple games and planned to watch a movie. 

2. Get on the same page

It's important that as you plan this retreat that you and your spouse are on the same page with your priorities and expectations for the time. Sit down and write down or talk about what each of you are hoping to gain from the retreat. If one of you is looking forward to relaxing and laying around all day while the other can't wait to go hiking and do a bunch of activities, it's going to be a tough realization once the time comes.

3. Keep it affordable... or don't!

You can totally make a retreat affordable! We did so by using Airbnb and keeping it to one night. Other than the expense of where we stayed, we just had to pay for a dinner out and that was it. Easy, peasey. But, if you have the funds, and you want to, why not splurge and spoil your spouse a bit? Just make sure it's in the budget! ;)

I really do hope that you go on your very own #keepthelovealive retreat. And it can totally be themed too! This retreat we focused on our marriage (duh), but we also focused on justice and human trafficking, both in our praying and time with the Lord, and with our conversation and planning with each other. It's cool to see how the Spirit leads when you let Him.

P.S. Do you follow me on instagram? If not, first of all, I'm sorry for your loss. Secondly, you should! All these photos are from my instagram, so just imagine! You could have followed along for all the #keepthelovealive goodness in real time. Next time, friend. Next time.