Our dear friends got married!!! Chu and I love them so much! But seriously, how could you not love these two?

I loved hosting these two beautiful souls! They’re both so sweet and adventurous. I love how the Lord brings people into my life and how He strengthens my relationships through His love! Thank you Jesus for friends and sisters!!

Some of my good friends with the guys who make our lives even brighter. This was an amazing day because us ladies have dreamed about this day for forever and we finally did it! We got all of us and our significant others in the same room. We don't know when we'll be able to do this next, but I'm going to treasure every opportunity I can get with these people.

I, Isaac, take Thee, Rebekah by Ravi Zacharias 

This was a sweet, honest, convicting, and thought provoking book about marriage. In this season of my life it has given me much insight. Below, you’ll find some important things I took from this book and if you don’t plan to read this book soon then enjoy some quotes because it might just change your mind. It’s hard to not just quote this whole book! haha

 1. Parental blessing is vital. 

“While not a guarantee, parental counsel and blessing is nevertheless the way of wisdom and must be seriously considered.” 

 “The chances are that if you marry somebody in violation of your parents’ will, you are playing a high-stakes game as you enter the future. Any time you violate an authority that has been put in place by God, you need to be twice as sure you are doing the right thing.” 

 2. Have the will to love. 

“Love is as much a question of the will as it is of the emotion. And if you will to love somebody, you can.” 

 “Without the will, marriage is a mockery; without emotion, it is a drudgery. You need both.” 

 “You must choose to lay down your life in the best sense of the term. You surrender your will to the will of God but an act of commitment and in the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God. That is the indispensable beginning. No one likes to begin life with a funeral. But in a sense, that is where marriage begins. You choose to die to yourself and to bring to life a new affection.”

3. Serve one another with kindness. (A really convicting and refreshing chapter for me.)

“There may be reasons to disagree. There may be reasons to struggle. After all, two wills are merging into one. There are constant compromises and surrenders demanded, but there is never a reason to be unkind, particularly when you are tampering with the very fragile nature of a person’s sensitivities.”

“Kindness is the touch, the look, the beat of the heart, and the act that seeks to cherish and guard the one to whom you say, ‘I love you.’“

4. Remain Pure

“Romans 13:14, ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’ In other words, do not put yourself in a place where you can fall.”

“The Lord reminds us that as physical as the sexual act is, the marriage bed remains undefiled because His presence sanctifies the act. That is the privilege of a man and woman coming together in consummating the physicality of love, representing the spiritual bond between the two.”

5. Prepare yourself.

“Ask yourself if you truly have the maturity to sacrifice your selfishness for the responsibility that lies ahead.”

“He is the bridegroom coming for the Bride, and He will come when the Bride is ready for Him. If marriage is as grand as the Bible intended it to be, then it is worth it to wait until you are ready for that right moment … for the right one.”

6. Be prayerful.

“It is a self-evident truth that a person who truly prays and seeks God’s wisdom in life recognizes the sovereignty of God and is committed to seeking God’s wisdom in life’s important choices. It is important to understand that it is a prayer life that builds character that honors God, not one that brandishes its spirituality or seeks to use prayer as a credential or a badge of honor.”

“A genuine prayer life is one that is constantly broken before God. Such a person’s life demonstrates the humility that is born out of brokenness.”

“Prayer is not a substitute for action, but prayer undergirds action with the strength that makes the difference.”

7. Face reality and each other.

“Marriage brings face to face two people committed to God whose face is distinctively revealed in each as they see each other in the light of God shining on each other in the light of God, shining on each countenance. God brought them close to each other because each was the other’s answer from God, to rescue them from being alone.”

“Marriages that are Christ-centered are beautiful to behold and wonderful to enjoy. Romance as God intended it can last a lifetime.” 

Finally, a special thanks to my senior pastor for letting me borrow his book for free. haha

I appreciate this man right here. For the two weeks of family visitation, thank you for your sacrifice, patience, and love 💕

My parents had a graduation party for my brother and I. I had family from CA and MN come, which is rare! It’s hard to see everyone all together, but it warmed my heart to see everyone come together for my brother and I. I felt even more loved when I received gifts from the family members that couldn’t come. It feels special to know that they’re thinking of me and celebrating with me even from afar.  It truly was a busy weekend (seriously, my left eye is twitching from lack of sleep), but it was one filled with love and joy. I can’t thank my family enough for everything. Family time is precious.

24

It’s a blurry photo, but the memory is pretty vivid. I loved that I got to celebrate my 24th birthday with family from both my mom and dad’s side of family. Thanks everyone for all the love!

Things I’m grateful for at 24
1. My fiancé 
2. My family
3. My friendships
4. My church family/community

I guess to sum it all up, I’m grateful for my relationships. Although I’m so undeserving of everyone in my life they truly make life sweeter and enjoyable. I am blessed beyond measures with their presence.

Women's Book Study

At the beginning of the year some of the young adult ladies at my church decided that we wanted to do a book study together. I was so excited because for once our church actually had young adult girls! Most of us went off to college so we were gone for a while, but we all recently came back and so I was super hyped for this book study. I have also never joined one before so I was definitely looking forward to reading the same book and then meeting up to discuss it. Most importantly, there’s accountability with our reading and in our spiritual lives.

The book we decided to read was “Disciplines of a Godly Women” by Barbara Hughes. I know, upon hearing the word discipline it can be a turnoff, but the book is truly filled with words of wisdom and LOTS of grace. At the beginning of the book, Hughes addresses our wordly idea of spiritual discipline and gives us a new outlook on it

“Let’s face it: Many of us think of spiritual discipline in terms of ‘living the letter of the Law’ or as a series of draconian rules that no one could possibly live up to. Such legalism seems to us a path to frustration and spiritual death.

But true discipline is a far cry from legalism - thank God! The difference lies in motivation: Legalism is self-centered; discipline is God-centered. The legalistic heart says, ‘I will do this thing to gain merit with God.’ The disciplined heart says, ‘I will do this because I love God and want to please Him.’ The true heart of discipline is relationship - a relationship with God.”

She splits discipline into five categories: soul, character, relationships, ministry, and grace and within those categories, Hughes breaks it down even more specifically.

Soul

• Discipline of the Gospel - The Source of Godliness

By this gospel you are saved… . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 1 CORINTHIANS 15: 2-3

• Discipline of Submission - The Posture of Godliness

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11

• Discipline of Prayer - Submission’s Lifeline

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kind of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. EPHESIANS 6:18

• Discipline of Worship - Submission’s Celebration

Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ROMANS 12:1

Character

• Discipline of Mind - Submission’s Education

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. ROMANS 12:2

• Discipline of Contentment - Submission’s Rest

All my longings lie open before you, O Lord. PSALM 38:9

• Discipline of Propriety - Submission’s Behavior

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. PHILIPPIANS 1:27

• Discipline of Perseverance - Submission’s Challenge

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. HEBREWS 12:1

Relationships

• Discipline of the Church - Submission’s Framework - God’s Family

I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 TIMOTHY 3:14-15

• Discipline of Singleness - Submission’s Framework - Singleness

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:17

• Discipline of Marriage - Submission’s Framework - Marriage

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man t be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” GENESIS 2:18

• Discipline of Nurturing - Submission’s Caress

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. GENESIS 3:20

Ministry

• Discipline of Good Deeds - Submission’s Industry

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  EPHESIANS 2:10

• Discipline of Witness - Submission’s Commission

For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. ACTS 4:20

• Discipline of Giving - Submission’s Generosity

It is more blessed to give than to receive. ACTS 20:35

Grace

• Grace of Discipline

But by grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:10

Spiritual discipline is essential in pursuing God and godliness, “None of us is born righteous; none of us naturally seeks God or is reflexively good. We need an abundance of God’s grace and help to discipline our lives.” I’ve been learning about how disciplining my soul, character, relationships, and ministries are ways to help me pursue God and His characteristics even more. In many ways, I’m also learning that in order to die to my flesh I do need these spiritual disciplines. If I ignore to discipline those areas of my life it’ll be harder to fight my sinful desires and we all know it’s a daily battle. Praise God that even in my failures to discipline myself that God’s grace remains steadfast and overflowing though. Hughes’ sweet reminder, “God is not counting your failures against you, and you’re not building a treasury of merit with your success. You are simply trying to bring some discipline to your spiritual life because you know it is what your heavenly Father wants for you. He understands our failures better than we understand our own children’s.”

Sisters, I pray that we will be able to discipline ourselves in the efforts to pursue God and godliness. May the Gospel be our foundation as we submit to God’s will and purpose for our lives. I fully trust that in our pursuit for God’s characteristics that there will be fruits and kingdom growth. In our failures may we receive God’s grace and pick ourselves back up. May we do everything all for the glory of God!