Happy August!

IT'S WEDDING MONTH!!!!!!!

How quickly time has flown by! A couple weekends ago I had my bachelorette party at the beach, and this weekend the guys are heading down for Joseph's bachelor party. Hopefully the weather will be a little bit nicer for them than it was for us. Unfortunately while we were there it rained Saturday until about 12 or 1. But I am thankful we at least got a few hours on the beach with some sun!

I've had two bridal showers. One at work and one with family and friends.They were both so fun and special and Joseph and I are tremendously blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people!

All that I have left of my stuff to move to Montgomery is clothes. We rented a U-haul trailer last Saturday and moved a bed and dresser down. I'm pretty excited about our king size bed, even if that is all that will end up fitting in the bedroom!

Everything for the wedding is pretty much done. It has been such a smooth process for us, that I truly feel God's hand and protection over our marriage. I can't wait to be Mrs. Joseph Burchfield in just 16 days!! I also can't wait to be in the Dominican for a whole week relaxing with my HUSBAND!!! We are more than ready to begin this new phase in our lives!

Where you go I go..

Hm. What's something I haven't done a while? Blog.

The past several months have been consumed with nothing other than wedding planning. It didn't take us long to book our date and venues and the "big" things. My dress was lucky #3 of what I tried on. It wasn't even all the way on before I knew it was what I would be wearing on my wedding day! Things that I thought would be quick and easy, have actually turned out to be the most difficult. Such as invitations. I never thought that would be the one thing I would be SO indecisive on. But they turned out great and this weekend will be spent with a sweet friend who is helping me address all of them.

Joseph and I have completed a pre-marital small group through our church and also developed some great friendships through that as well. I can't wait for Highlands Montgomery to be my home. We are so blessed and thankful for our church family and to have such a strong and powerful prayer covering over us and our upcoming marriage. Of course moving is definitely going to be bittersweet. It will be so hard to not be 5 minutes down the road from my best friend. And to not come to this job that I love everyday. There have been times we thought we had some options...living in between Montgomery and Birmingham, Joseph being able to move up here, but the doors were quickly shut and we know Montgomery is where we are BOTH supposed to be. We ultimately want to be where the Lord tells us and where we can make a difference for the Kingdom. We have prayed for clear vision and opportunities to be removed from our path that are not from Him and He has been faithful (and quick) in His answers and guidance.

The next 93 days are going to be busy and filled with more planning, bachelor and bachelorette parties, showers, packing, moving, wedding decorating projects, and finally the day I get to marry my best friend! I know it will fly by, as the past months already have. But I'm hoping to savor every moment of this season and (try) to not rush the next couple months!

"Wherever you go, I will go; Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." Ruth 1:16

Life change.

December was a month of complete life change. A perfect way to end one year and start another.

Haiti is now my most favorite place...ever. There hasn't been a day that I don't think about those sweet kiddos and miss their smiling faces. God really opened my eyes to a whole new world and I experienced His love and power daily. You always hear how God will take care of you if you trust Him and follow the calling He has placed on your life, even if it seems crazy, scary or impossible. Well I can now say from experience that is 100% true. I have NEVER felt peace like I did that week. The Lord is so present there and His people are so joyful. They have Jesus...He is all they have, all they need, and they are FILLED with love and joy. I think it's sad to have to go to the poorest country in the world to experience such peace and contentment.

I returned home to Birmingham about 12:45am due to delays in Miami to find the most wonderful man waiting on me at the airport holding a sweet "welcome home" sign.

When he flipped it over to other side, I was in complete shock.

I can't wait to marry the man of my dreams! I am so thankful for his leadership, his encouragement, love and support. Over the past several months, the Lord has truly changed our lives individually as well as couple. He has shown us how important it is to have Him as the foundation of our relationship and our greatest hope is that we continually glorify Him through our marriage.

 Our best friends. Our supporters. Our confidants.

We couldn't be more thankful for them.

"and human hands can't serve his needs - for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need." Acts 17:25

11 days away

The closer I get to leaving for Haiti, the more aware I am of the enemy's attacks on my life. Boy is he coming on strong. My anxiety is worse than it's been in a while. My airplane dreams are crazier than ever. My nerves are high and short-fused. Up and down emotions. I think because this trip is encompassing a lot of unknown and a lot of firsts for me. My first time flying, my first time on a mission trip out of the country, being the farthest I've ever been away from home or my family/friends/comfort zone, my first time to be in complete reliance on the Lord. I know that's what He wants though. He is taking me somewhere to show me how much I need Him, and only Him. To teach me how to relinquish control of myself. To have me in a place where I am totally enveloped in His presence. So as I try to steer my thoughts away from my fears, I keep thinking how I have longed for quite a while to go and just love on these precious people. I know that God's hand is on this trip. I know this is the time and place I am supposed to go. He has opened doors and paved the way for this from the very beginning, before the thought of missions even entered my mind. Even though I am scared and nervous I am so thankful He chose this path for me. I can't say thank you enough to everyone who has supported me financially and has been covering me, my team, and this trip in prayer.

Lord, let it not be about me, but Your words spoken from my lips. Your love felt through my touch. I am merely just a vessel.

"Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling." Exodus 15: 11, 13

worry monster.

I think as humans, we are all our own worst enemy. I try and carry more burdens than I ought to. Problems of this life, of this world, of these people, are not mine to bear. They have to be turned over to the Father. Why is so hard to accept this most generous offer? Why is it so hard to let Him have our pain? Why is so hard to just approach the Throne and let it go? Ephesians 3:12 says I may approach God with freedom and CONFIDENCE. Confidence that all things work together for my good, because I love Him (Romans 8:28). How offensive it must be, to say "here, God, I'll loosen up the reins a little bit, but I won't give it all to you. I'll offer you pieces of my struggles, of my life, but I don't trust you enough to let you handle everything."

Guilty.
But I have no reason, no excuse to be. When has He never come through for me? When has He ever failed me?
.....never. not once. 
I am only failing myself by letting my mind wander to those places of distrust and unworthiness.

"We are not puppets. We are not robots. We can control our thoughts. Maybe not the first one, because sometimes we are bombarded with something from out of nowhere. But we can control where we let that thought go. The second thought is ours. We control it.
...Or maybe someone at work said or did something that created more work for me (Very annoying!) Things like that happen to all of us. But I have noticed that I can either nurse that feeling until it is magnified, or I can catch the thought and stop the avalanche of bad thoughts that only produce destruction." -Holly Wagner

Worrying only solidifies the act of not trusting the perfect and flawfless will of God. Worrying is not going to achieve His plan for my life.

I pray for the Lord to take captive my thoughts. I pray for Him to meet me in my dreams. I pray for myself to reflect every joy back upon Him and release every struggle to Him....and let it STAY with Him. Lord, help me to surrrender it all.

His Hands.

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still
Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave you
When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave
I never leave your hands

To me this song is so beautiful. The lyrics are full of His promises. The Kingdom is unshakeable. No matter the trials we face, we remain in the palm of His perfect, loving hands. He is our safety and our refuge; our protector and healer. There is nothing in this world that I walk through alone. Circumstances that surround me are unsteady. But I have my HOPE and FOUNDATION in the Lord...the one constant and STABLE thing I can always count on, that can never be taken away from me.

So thankful.

Every high thing must come down.

All I can say is that this past weekend was phenomenal!! Friday night and most of the day Saturday I was at ReCreate, a women's conference held at my church. Some of the major things that really stuck out to me were...

• be a light, ALL the time. God is not a secret to be kept (Matt. 5:13-16 MSG). SHINE!
• God allows us to be in certain situations where we are DESPERATE for His power. This is something I think will be huge for me while I'm in Haiti. Fear, unfamiliarity, emotions I can't even begin to imagine...nothing, no one BUT God will get me through it.
• Fruit doesn't grow on mountain tops, it grows in the valleys. We are typically developed the most when facing a challenge. Courage grows in adversity.
• There are right and wrong responses to how we react to suffering. Focus more on what's happening IN you, rather than TO you. God always delivers. He has. He will. He will continue.
• God's love is inexhaustable. It reaches beyond all condemnation. He is always always always reaching out for me..I am his beloved.

Saturday night, after the conference, Darlene Zschech was recording her next live album at our church! We gathered the boys and enjoyed a fun and powerful night of worship! I was especially excited that Kari Jobe was there for a few songs...(I might be a little obsessed). That CD is going to be great for real.

Anyways, I got to thinking back to college days, and how my friends and I would get so excited for band parties and other events. Although fun at the time, I realized Saturday night that singing, dancing, jumping, and getting excited for Jesus is so much better and more fulfilling!! I don't regret that time in my life, but I am so thankful to be out of that stage and I'm just trying to focus on living out my sole purpose..to love and glorify God in every aspect of my life.

Every high thing must come down
Every stronghold shall be broken
You wear the victor's crown
You overcome, you overcome.