5 on Friday

Cheers to the lovely linkup creators: Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!

FLIGHT...BOOKED!

...for my little sister's bachelorette weekend in Miami! I've never been, so I am pumped! Can't go wrong with a getaway vacay on the beach. Now just waiting the few months between now and then... :)

I confess: I cannot think about this trip without quoting Will Smith.

NURSE TINA
I couldn't stop laughing at the sight of what's below. Mark hurt his knee playing football (soccer, really ;)), and Nurse Tina came in to help. Mark's request.

 

MARKY IS HOME!
My hubby was gone for a few nights this week on business in Chicago. I know we did long distance for the majority of our dating relationship, but now that we're married...goodness! Even a few nights away from him and I miss him before he's even gone!!

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FOOD BABE
Have y'all heard of her?! I'm starting to read a lot of this website recently. (The Food Babe is from CLT, woopwoop!) Especially this article my sister sent me about Trader Joe's, my favorite grocery store. EEEEK! Trying to stay informed!!

Food Babe

BROWN SUGAR CINNAMON
Though I'm partial to my beloved Starbucks, I do love when the DD coupons come in the mail. 99 cent coffee any size?! Yes, please. And there's a new flavor that probably has a million unhealthy things inside of it, but right now I'm fine with coffee syrup being my favorite foodie vice. (I'm sure the Food Babe wouldn't approve. ;))

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P.S. Join Kaitlyn @ Wifessionals and I for our free online March Bible Study! Scroll down the link for details.

 HAPPY FRIDAY, Y'ALL!

Pop on over to The Birdie Bowl to visit my sweet February sponsor, Khala!

In The Word: Hosea

 

This was tough stuff. I definitely wouldn't call Hosea a "feel-good" book of the Bible. But we know that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching (2 Timothy 3:16); therefore, we cannot pick and choose the parts of the Bible we listen to. ALL of it is meant for us. ALL of it points to Jesus. 

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It's so easy to read Hosea and think...goodness gracious, Israel is baaa-a-ad. Horrible. [I mean, I never realized the Bible said "whore" so much. Seriously!] But we are quick to forget who we are and what Jesus has done for us in spite of our sinfulness.

I love what the devotion said in response to reading Hosea 10:

Sisters, we need to keep in mind that sin is sin. 

God grieves our sinful nature no matter what it looks like in human eyes.

We all have idols in our lives, we all stumble, we all put human capability before God's sovereignty at times.

No matter how sweetly it's packaged up and delivered, it's still sin.

- She Reads Truth

Ooof. "No matter how sweetly it's packaged up and delivered, it's still sin." That one hit home for me.

But God doesn't want us to get down on ourselves. He wants us to come to Him in our brokenness. He wants to cleanse and complete us. He wants us to sow in righteousness and reap in mercy:

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In the Lord, we have endless hope. No matter how far or how fast or how long we try to run away. We cannot escape His love. He wants us to be in relationship with Him. The way He loves us transcends all human perception. Hosea illustrates these truths.

I love the Tim Keller quote that was shared on the penultimate day of the study:

 

The cross. 

Hosea paints a story of what's to come--before the world has met its Savior.

The cross.

It covers every ounce of our sin, shame, and guilt.

The cross.

Unending love. Amazing, undeserving, never-changing grace.

Thank you, Jesus!!!

...Let it rain, let it rain. Open the floodgates of Heaven...

March 2014 Study Announcement
Want to read along with us? Please do!

March Study: She Reads Truth - Promises

This is a 21 day study. We will begin reading on 3/5. We will link-up on 3/27.

Share your thoughts/reflections along the way on Instagram with #ImInTheWord.

Pop on over to The Birdie Bowl to visit my sweet February sponsor, Khala!

Before the Blog: Our Rehearsal Dinner Slideshow

We had our rehearsal dinner at Dressler's Restaurant, one of our most favorite places to dine in CLT. It's absolutely perfect for a dress-up-and-splurge-a-little [on dollars and calories!] date night. We love it there...the service, the food, the skyline view, and especially the desserts. And we used to be able to walk there from our old place! So lovely. :)

But this is less about rehearsal dinner and more about the a little throwback in time to the slideshow we played before toasts that night. Truthfully, I hadn't thought about the slideshow in ages until this song came on the radio yesterday. It flooded me with rehearsal dinner memories and inspired me to document this part of our story.

So here goes a happy peek into our entire lives...from our baby selves to growing up to falling in love...

I won't say I've converted my Englishman to a country boy, but did I mention that he loooves him some country music!? He even picked the last song on the slideshow. :) Eeee! Bless. And lucky me!

You can read more about how our story over here on Tara's blog. 

Thank you sharing in life with me! I am glad to have a place were this little video exists besides on a DVD crammed into the back of a cabinet. :)

Life set to music always makes me swoon.

What song epitomizes your life?

Happy Wednesday, sweet friends!

Pop on over to The Birdie Bowl to visit my sweet February sponsor, Khala!

Pinterest Recipe Success: 5 Ingredient White Chicken Chili

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I've told y'all before that I'm no goddess in the kitchen. As in...I put in little to no effort in the cooking department until we moved to Wilmington. I'm still a novice! So 5 ingredients to me means...bingo! I'll give it a try.

 

Some Pinterest recipes are go-tos. Some are flops. This one was a victory by a mile. Within a few bites, Mark was telling me how good it was and added that it should be on the list of things to make again.

Here is the recipe I used (and how I adapted it because I am so savvy I didn't want to go to the store)!

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth!)

4 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used a Rotisserie chicken breast...on Vic special at Harris Teeter!)

2 (15-oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained (Didn't have any in the cabinet, so I modified with 1 can of navy beans and 1 can of chick peas!)

2 cups salsa verde (storebought or homemade) (Store bought! The secret ingredient!!!!)

2 tsp. ground cumin (One of my favorite spices. Secret ingredient #2!)

Optional toppings: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips

Instructions:

Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cumin to a medium saucepan, and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm with desired toppings.

 My attempt! Woohoo!

I'm telling y'all...even with my non-chef-status modifications...it was SO GOOD. We added avocado and sour cream. I added cheese to the hubby's as well. The salsa and the cumin are what do the trick to the chili's kick, if you ask me!

Happy cooking!

Linking up with these lovelies today: Khala, Samantha, Renee, and Jenni! :)

Pop on over to The Birdie Bowl to visit my sweet February sponsor, Khala!

 

 

It's Monday...Be Amazing (And Giveaway Winner!)

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Haaaaaapy Monday, loves!

Take Monday by the horns today. Encourage someone. Smile. And make someone smile. Love hard. Serve joyfully.

Show Monday who's boss!

Two more happy Monday things...

1) Congratulations to The Modern Tulip giveaway winner #62, Mary B! Mary, I will be emailing you shortly, love!

(Results are powered through random.org)

2) Did y'all see the steal of a deal I found yesterday on Instagram?! I'm obsessed. It's that perfectly perfect hot pink color that I so adore.

I originally thought it was by Paper Crown...which would have been amazing because of Lauren Conrad, obviously. But the top is by Paper Crane. Oops! My eyes were playing tricks on me. ;)

It's still just as awesome. And pink. And fun. And I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing it to a bridal shower I'm going to this coming weekend...

$12.99 at Marshalls. Also in black.

(I hope it's at your Marshall's too!!)

 Happy, happy, happy Monday...BE AMAZING! 

Pop on over to The Birdie Bowl to visit my sweet February sponsor, Khala

5 on Friday

Cheers to the lovely linkup creators: Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!

FEBRUARY BEACH BEAUTY

Not gonna lie, I was bummed last week missing the Charlotte snowstorm. Until Wednesday. Which I spent entirely outside. And I was easily reminded what a blessing it is to live at the beach! 

A proud, unedited iPhone pic. Whoa. Do I really live here?!

You might've seen this yesterday on Insta! :) Warm weather evening beach walks are oh-so-glorious!

ACROSS THE POND
I found my long lost twinnie in blog land. And this week we kicked off a series together! Read along to find out more about us two southern girls who got swept off our feet by our English "princes." ;)

Tara's Q&A on my blog // My Q&A on Tara's blog

LOVE YOU SO MUCH
Weee! Sweet Whitney at Blessed Southern Tarheel featured her custom Cheers Y'all [THE SHOP] canvas on her blog this week. I was over the moon seeing it in its place and hearing the story behind the words she chose!

Blessed Southern Tarheel: Wedding Gallery Wall

POTTERY BARN LOVE

Pottery Barn got wind of some of my thematic design inspiration [See post: Reflecting YOU in Your Home]. If only that were really true... Nevertheless, yay for flag decor!!

Pottery Barn Pin

THE MODERN TULIP GIVEAWAY
There's still time to enter sweet Maeg's giveaway that I'm hosting! I love her, I love The Modern Tulip, and I think you should too!! :)

Please visit the original post to enter the giveaway!

Good luck, lovelies!!

   HAPPY FRIDAY, Y'ALL!

Pop on over to The Birdie Bowl to visit my sweet February sponsor, Khala!