Phase 2 of our move // last couple of weeks in Texas

This past weekend, Zach and David drove down my stepdad's trailer that he so graciously lent us, loaded up with all of our furniture from our house. I reserved a storage unit locally that I was very pleased with (super nice, clean, great location, super nice owner, great service- if any of my local friends ever need a storage unit, message me! I would highly recommend this one.) the day before they got here, after doing research on literally all the ones in Allen (15+) plus a couple ones in Plano. I met them at the storage unit about 7:15pm Saturday evening. My Papa had an extra lock lying around in his garage, so that was a blessing to not have to buy one! Zach and David got everything unloaded and stored in under an hour. I was proud of them and as always, impressed by their hard work. We went back to Papa's afterwards where Savannah and Mason were watching a movie and waiting on Daddy's arrival (Gavin came with me to the storage unit to meet them) and unloaded a few boxes there.

The next morning we had a great service at church and then went to lunch with Papa to eat Mexican food (I have seriously missed real Mexican food!!)! Afterwards we got some other random things done around the house while the kids napped.

We went to Sunday night church and the kids had Awanas. Mason earned two patches for his cubby vest for memorizing 2 Bible verses. Savannah memorized 3 Bible verses that night also. I'm so proud of them. **Since then, Mason has memorized 2 additional verses and is ready to recite them this next Sunday!!

Zach drove back to NC one last final time on Monday with David. (He will be moving down 2 weeks from today and I cannot wait!)

Savannah has had a great week of school so far. Last week, on Friday, in honor of a great first week of school, she and I got a treat at Braum's while Mason was napping at home with Papa. I'm so proud of her! Yesterday, was Chick Fil A night at her school, so after eating the family favorite dish, cheesy BBQ pasta that I make, we all (Papa, the kids, and I) went to Chick Fil A for ice cream! It was a nice, fun time. We went by my aunt's house afterwards to look at some logos for Zach's business, Dallas Aeration. I'm so thankful for all of her advice, input, and overall eye for things we may not always notice. She's just awesome! I'm also thankful for our great friends, Tyler & Michelle, and all the hard work Tyler has spent working on our website for Dalls Aeration. It will up and running soon and I will have a post about the business then.

Mason also had his first day of his new preschool yesterday and he absolutely loved it! It is a great school and we are so blessed to have gotten in mid year like this. The teacher said that you would have thought that he had been there all year. His school even does computer class and Spanish class too! I think that is just awesome! After I picked him up at 2, we went to the park right by Savannah's school and played until it was time to pick her up at 2:50. Mason and Gavin both had a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed (and am still enjoying) this amazing weather!

Today is my birthday and it has been a great day so far! I had a nice time with my Papa and coffee this morning, also received a lovely phone call from my wonderful sister this morning, then got to visit with my stepdad this morning for a little bit, saw my Papaw at the nursing home, along with my cousin, two of my cousin's kids, and my Mamaw. The boys and I drove through afterwards and got a sweet tea for me and Papa from my favorite place to get a tea (BURGER STREET- amazing sweet tea with Sonic style ice). Right now, both boys are napping and after they awaken and we pick Savannah up, we are all going to go by James Avery and the kids are going to pick me out a charm for my charm bracelet for my birthday present from them and Daddy :)

It has definitely been a great birthday so far!

Since arriving in Texas, I have had an overwhelming peace from The Holy Spirit about this being where we are supposed to be right now. I have found myself just singing praises to Him, literally nonstop, all throughout the day. He has given me such joy, not just here in Texas, but before we came as well, ever since I turned my life over to Him 17 months ago. I am so grateful for Him leading me and my family, revealing Himself not just to me, but now to my husband as well, and just literally guiding us every step. I'm thankful again, that He is the God of new beginnings, resolution, redemption, and hope. He has filled me with such hope and unspeakable joy. I literally cannot describe the joy He has filled me with; all I can do is just subconsciously and consciously sing praises to Him all throughout my jobs of the day. He is worthy of all praise! Hallelujah!!

A verse I have been meditating on for a couple weeks is Isaiah 47:4. "My Redeemer, The Lord Almighty is His name, is The Holy One of Israel." He is so Holy and so good! At church last Wednesday, Pastor Jim was talking about how even the demons recognize Jesus' deity and fear Him. Mark 1:24, "and there was a man with an unclean spirit and the unclean spirit turned to Him and spoke, "what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Let us alone! Art thou come to destroy us? I know who You are- You are The Holy One of God!"" What a powerful verse. This one verse speaks volumes to me. The power contained in Jesus' name, blood, Word, and Spirit cannot be contained and is very real. Even the dark forces of this world recognize that power and fear it. We as His children, have nothing to fear because we have been covered with His blood. Hallelujah!! What a Savior!

My Redeemer lives!! And He is coming back soon!! 

"I'm giving it all to the only Son, who was and is and yet to come!" -Starry Night by Chris August

Phase 1 of Move // The Start

I'm sure most of you know we made it to Texas! We arrived in 2 vehicles last weekend with Mason's bedroom furniture, Savannah's dressers, and all my clothes; after much unloading and unpacking, we made it to bed in Texas after midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning. Zach had to drive back to NC on Monday and took my stepdad's 18 ft trailer that he let us borrow. Zach is coming back down this coming weekend with the trailer loaded down with the rest of our furniture and I'll be meeting him at a storage unit to unload it all in. He'll be driving back up to NC one last final time Monday, will work 2 additional weeks up there and continue to tie up any still loose ends before moving down here for good on February 11th.

I got Savannah enrolled in her new school Tuesday and she started that same day as well. I was very impressed with the school and all they offer. I know she'll do great. She said she had a great first day and she loves her young, sweet, fresh, and energetic teacher. 

I got a call that Mason can start at his preschool next week. This was great news as we weren't sure if we could get him in or not. All though it wouldn't be a huge deal if he didn't get to finish the spring semester in preschool and he could always start back in the fall, it would be a big deal to Mason! He absolutely loves school and would go every day if he could! The preschool here had a family move away over the beginning of the New Year, thus creating an opening for Mason! We tour it today and assuming we love it (which I anticipate we will), we'll enroll him today and he'll begin next week and go twice a week.

Yesterday, I also signed Savannah up for spring soccer, which she is SO excited about! She'll be playing for Allen Sports Association, which again I'm very impressed with so far. She starts practicing in February and her first game is in March. The season goes through May and I told her hopefully after that, we can get her back in gymnastics here. She's been doing gymnastics in NC for nearly 4 years and absolutely loves it. I also have loved watching her progress and excel. I think a nice break to play soccer will be most welcomed and beneficial; I do after all, want her to be well rounded. However, nonetheless, I want to get her back in too, to ensure she doesn't lose her skills and can keep progressing. 

Mason is SO sad he's not old enough to play soccer this Spring. He'll be old enough to play in the fall, so I told him just to hold on a few more months! :) I just love my sweet boy!

Gavin could not be happier, as usual. He's such an easy going, content, and happy baby. Seriously, I am so blessed to be his mother. He has kept Papa laughing and has entertained all the congregation at church last night and Sunday, as well as any family that has stopped by. He's just so sweet.

Savannah and Mason also both started AWANA's at church this past Sunday. They absolutely love it and I cannot wait for them to get more involved and more into it as the year progresses. I was in AWANA's growing up and it was such an impressionable time on me. I'm so anxious to see them progress in Scripture memory, especially.

Savannah's school has lots of exciting things coming up and I'm looking forward to Savannah being able to participate in some of them. I got a flyer last night of a parents night out coming up, they are doing for the girls at her school where they get to hang out with the high school cheerleaders and learn cheers and help them at the upcoming pep rally! How cool is that? I plan on taking Savannah because I know she would have an absolute amazing time! She also a 100th day of school celebration coming up where she has to decorate and wear to school that day, a shirt with 100 of anything! After much brainstorming, I've decided that we are going to do... RHINESTONES! After all, Savannah loves her some bling! ;) 

We are settling into a routine quite nicely here, I must say. When I pick Savannah up from school, I go ahead and make her lunch from the next day and make coffee to go off automatically the next morning then, as well as go ahead and lay her clothes, shoes, and hairbow out for the next day. After dinner, it's straight into the bath and teeth brushing time for the kids and then they can watch a movie before bed. Savannah is realizing that these early mornings come, well, EARLY! This morning, she said to me, "Mommy, it's not time to get up, it's still night time!" It was right at 7:00am. I told her that it was morning, just early in the morning. She reluctantly got up and got her clothes on, I fixed her hair, she ate breakfast and then brushed her teeth. At that point, she was very ready and excited to go! She hardly told me bye as she hopped out of the car in the carpool line at school, she was in such a hurry to get out and get in there. It thrills my heart that she loves school so much! 

Although everything is going so well down here, I cannot WAIT, until my sweet devoted husband gets here too and joins us! We miss him dearly and love him even more!

I thank God the Father, that He is the God of new beginnings and for this new beginning He has so graciously given to our family!

Stay tuned for an upcoming second update after phase 2 of our move!

If you missed my last blog about LOVE, you can click her to be redirected to its post to read it: http://thegreatestremains.blogspot.com/2015/01/love-our-greatest-commandment.html

Love // Our greatest Commandment

My blog is titled after 1 Corinthians 13. I am not too ashamed or proud to admit though that when I first created my blog and named it that, I knew far less about real love and understood far less about real love than I do now. I'm not embarrassed to state this, but rather thankful for the gift of love that The Holy Spirit has since instilled in me. I'm thankful for the growing ability to love. I look back at how much less I used to love and cannot help the well of tears in my eyes at how amazing His grace is. His grace truly is ever so abundant and He is the God of new beginnings and second chances. It's never too late to ask Him to help us better love as He loves.

But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. (I Corinthians 12:31 NKJV)

What is the best gift? What is the more excellent way?

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:1-13 NKJV)

I was reading one of the current devotional plans I'm doing on YouVersion a couple days ago, Joyce Meyer's New Day New You. That particular day was discussing how all of us as followers of Christ, main priority should be love. If our main priority is not love, we're not going to get everything else right. When you truly stop and love people, or rather, stop and truly love people, suddenly a lot of your other flaws start becoming less noticeable or perhaps more forgiveable. It's easy to forgive a loving person, someone who you know really does love you. 

What would things look like in our lives if we truly loved people and not just put on a persona of loving people? If we never delve in deep in our love for people, but rather remain superficial, how's that really love?

Love is love. Love is what 1 Corinthians 13 describes. That is not how most of us act towards the majority of people in our lives. My Mam-ma used to always tell me, it's easy to love the lovely, but it's not so easy to love the unlovely. I understood this example then and knew what she meant, but honestly just didn't want to love some people. I loved loving the lovely to me people, even if they weren't lovely to others, but those people who were unlovely to me, I just sometimes felt as if I almost couldn't bring myself to sincerely love them.

For example... It's easy to drop in and bring a treat to or do something nice for someone you like or perhaps even your family, but it's not quite as easy to do that for someone you don't like or perhaps the odd ball in the family.

But see... That's not really love. If we only love and do nice things for those who are like minded as us or those we like, we don't really know how to love, do we?

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you" (JOHN 13:34 NKJV)

Joyce Meyer candidly points out that we can't love God, but hate other people. 1 John 4:20 This is such an excellent reminder. We want to be like Jesus, we want to love. Well, we can't have it our way. We have to really love the way He loved. The way He showed love to Mary Magdalene, despite her sins. The way He showed love to Peter, despite knowing he would deny Him. The way He showed love to Judas, knowing all the while that he would BETRAY Him.

We are all no better than those first three examples that came to my mind. We were all scarlet before He made us white as snow. We all were as filthy rags, before He made us a new creation. None of us are righteous and are all deserving of an eternity in hell. 

There's good news though... He came to save us and paid our ransom! Death has lost its sting and hell has no victory! (1 Thessalonians) If we really understand this sacrifice, this love, then why not start by showing others our own love?

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. (I Corinthians 16:13-14 NKJV)

This is a song called, Forever and A Day, by Bethel, that I LOVE! 

I was afraid, Your love set me free.
I was in debt, You paid the price for me.
I was hurt, You took away my pain.
I was alone until You called my name. 
I was broken and You mended me. 
Before I was, You loved me.
You healed my body and You made me whole.
No matter what I do, You don't let go. 

I will sing to the King, I am the ransomed one.
How I love Your holy name!
Holy to the Lamb who was slain!
When I laugh and when I cry,
You are the reason why!
How I long to be with you, forever and a day!

-Bethel

My One Word 2015//Humility

My one word for 2014 was "Rid". I vowed to rid negativity out of my life in all forms: people, relationships, conversations, etc. While I could always still improve in this area and every area, I feel very accomplished and successful in my one word for 2014. I broke away from a lot of negative relationships that were doing more harm than good to my walk with Christ. I formed some new positive relationships as well. I did very well in avoiding people trying to suck me in to conversations talking bad about another and became very good at just saying, "oh  okay" or "oh" in response to people talking bad about someone to me and trying to get me to, in turn, say something bad about that person in response. This made me feel very good as well, as I have been the victim of idle gossip and firsthand have seen how it can ruin relationships. It was a sense of accomplishment to be able to stand strong in my commitment to avoid such things.

Always recognize the difference between venting and gossiping! The wise seek out Godly counsel and therefore if you are truly just venting, you're likely going to be only talking to one or two people and those people would be classified as Godly counsel. They will give you Godly advice and encouragement and will not further help you tear down whomever you are speaking about, nor will they repeat the conversation to another. If that's not what your conversation looks like, it IS very much gossiping.

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge- by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. -1 Timothy 6:20-21

Now I urge you brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. -Romans 16:17-18

For 2015, after much thought, my one word will be humility. While with 90% of my relationships, I am very humble and don't have a pride issue at all, there are those 10% of my relationships that I do struggle to be humble and that pride is used by the enemy to interefere with my walk with Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts me of this often and that is why I have vowed to correct this this year! I know with constant conversation with The Lord and constantly asking Him to let The Holy Spirit fall on me and consume me so wholly that there's not an inch of me that's able to be prideful, I can overcome this in the same way I did negativity in 2014. I will be working on my pride in the area of subliminally and subconsciously judging someone and also in the area of not being humble in my understanding of someone or a situation. One thing that is very important to me is listening with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply. This can be better accomplished by having absolute humility. 

Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. -1 Corinthians 14:20

But I want you to be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. -Romans 16:19b

PRIDE IS EVIL!! And the Bible tells us that pride comes before a fall!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. -Philippians 4:5

May my gentleness be evident to you all in 2015! ❤️