vlog//girl behind the blog.

Yes.

I'm jumping on the band wagon.

I've been watching all of your vlogs and have decided to join in on the fun.

Here it is, my first TGBTB (The Girl Behind the Blog ;).

Oh, and look who decided to join me right after I had finished videoing....

                                                                    

timing.

                               
                                                                            //Source via Pinterest//

the country life.

I wake up and throw on my work-out pants and tank top.

I add a light jacket just for good measure.

I'm ready.

I eat my breakfast of blueberry yogurt and homemade granola, while catching up on all my emails.

I log in to my school website and see what my assignments are for the day.

This particular day is wet--we were blessed with showers the night before.

Blessings abound.

Turning up my music and setting the pace, I make my way to the neighborhood.

Hitting the concrete I settle into a run--pacing myself for the 2 miles.

En route to the neighborhood, I notice it.

Just barely poking up out of the rain-covered leaves.

New life.

Blessings abound.

Finishing the 2 miles, I'm ready for the sights that welcome me back to what is called home--

my life...

Sorrel horse hair left behind after a tail swooshing.

It hangs limp--just moving with the wind.

Remnants of the rain that poured down on the gravel driveway.

Not even yet soaked into the earth.

Turning the corner, I see them.

The two boys.

The sorrel is 19. 

The other, it's a mystery (no registered papers). We think the grey is 10.

They see me and prick forward their fuzzy ears.

One whinnies. The other just stares.

They have two totally different personalities.

Blessings abound.

I go over and say hello to the boys before heading inside for a wet, cold drink of water.

The day goes on.

School assignments are completed.

A blog post is written.

Errands are run and a Redbox is rented.

Snoozes are taken.

Dinner is prepared.

A game of phase 10 is played.

And then it's time.

One of my favorite times of the day.

Feeding time.

(sister feeds in the morning and i feed at night)

I head outside.

The two are impatiently waiting at the white vinyl fence.

I lift the latch and head out the gate.

I hear a knicker.

Climbing the ladder, the sea of hay envelops.

I find the machete and cut open the strands that hold the scrumptious hay together.

I  hear the horses beneath me--waiting for the hay to fall in front of their stall doors.

Blessings abound.

I fill their water buckets and lock them in for the night.

I leave.

The sound of the munching of content, healthy horses is such a good thing.

Blessings abound.

It's been a good day.
Oh, how I love my life.

out of breath.

It's 7:30 a.m. on this wet Saturday morning.

We arrive at the location and it's electric.

The hustle and bustle of the volunteers is evident and appreciated.

Runners are everywhere getting their game faces on.

We're ready.

We find a spot in the Hunter Hills building hallway and wait. It's cold outside but the rain has stopped.

Stretching and snapping a last picture before heading outside, Mom, Me, and my Sister head to the starting line.

Blessings abound.

I'm out of breath.

Well, actually that is an understatement.

I was gasping for air.

This race was a challenge.

Hills....and guess what? Once you thought you were past one hill there was....*dun dun dun*...another gimongous mountain to climb.

I passed the 1 mile mark...2 miles...."okay, I can do this."

Then the 3 mile mark. I grabbed a cup of water from the water station and took a quick swig and doused myself with the rest--while running around the bend.

I switched to a fast walk for a few feet then I was at it again....jogging.


Just as I thought I couldn't run any farther, I saw it.

The finish line.

I have never been so excited to see a finish line in my life.

As I approach the line, I hear the announcer say my name into the microphone. Seeing my number, and reading my name off the list, she was cheering me on.

Then, I saw my family. Daddy. Mom. And my sister.

Mom and sister had finished a few minutes before and were cheering me on the last couple of feet.

I made it.

Staring up at my time, I crossed the finish line.

Blessings abounded.

We completed it.

The third 5k was checked off the list.

This run was to benefit. To benefit Chick-fil-A's Winshape Foundation.

Hence, lots of free Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits and even a visit with the cow.


The Sweet Frog frogs were there too. The sis and I were super happy.

I would believe that we're two of the biggest Sweet Frog yogurt fans.

Blessings totally abounded.

After downing our water and checking our times, it was time for some fun.

Need I say more?...





And yes, we all three slid down the massive slide.

Blessings abounded.

Stats for my info:

Time: 00:35:21

Finished-

Overall: 109th out of 197

Female: 47th out of 117

Age Division: 20-24

Place: 4th out of the 9 in my age group

a word.

At the beginning of the year, many of you had the amazing idea of choosing a word.

A word for your everyday life.

A word that you would put into practice for this year.

I also chose a word.

Mine: 

Contentment.

For me, contentment has such a huge effect on my life.

Ever since I can remember, being content has been a challenge for me.

Whether it was waiting for a much anticipated package to arrive in the mail, or impatiently waiting on an answer from mom and dad about us being able to go the the Mexican restaurant with friends, the challenge was still there.

As I have grown older, my need for contentment has grown. 

Not to mention, the items and issues in life have gotten more serious.

Instead of waiting on a baby doll to be delivered by the UPS man, or fretting over what to order off the menu at El Torito, the issues in life have become more complicated...

waiting for that mid-term grade to be posted--wondering if you got that A you wanted so badly.

asking yourself: "Should I buy this car now? Or should I wait a few more months until I have the cash?"

Other issues may be:

guy problems.

single problems.

family problems.

marriage problems.

and the list goes on and on.

Have you ever caught yourself wishing that you were a little girl/boy again?

Kids only think that naptime is a major problem.

I would love it if naptime was the only major issue in my life.

To tell you a secret, contentment was a major issue in my life last year.

I mean, what girl/guy doesn't want that special someone?

What girl/guy doesn't want to be successful in their academic career?

What girl/guy doesn't have that urge to buy that SUV right then and there?

via

But, I learned something.

Something I have been raised knowing, but has really hit me in the face these last couple of months.

God is BIG.

And He knows exactly what you need and exactly when you need it.

Isn't that such an awesome thought?

(totally.)

I'm counting my blessings every day and realizing that being content in Him is the greatest blessing of all.

Surprise.

But, if you're looking to find contentment in your worldly possessions, you are in for a deep disappointment.

Friends will hurt you.

Cars will break down.

And believe it or not, you may just get a C instead of an A 

(be thankful! it's a passing grade. ;)

But guess what??

God is always there.

He never leaves or forsakes. (Deut. 31:6)

He calls us His children.

and He will never hurt us.

So.

I guess what I'm trying to say is:

Be content in Him and He will fulfill all those needs and desires that you yearn for...

in His perfect timing.

Who knows, I may even go and enjoy a naptime. :)

life is better.

                           

                                                                         //Source via Pinterest//

 

5k number...dos.

Well, it was my second one.

It was actually Mom and Mem's third.

(i didn't run in the last one due to having other commitments.)

This particular 5k was a trail run.

Held at the National Wildlife Federation.

Hence,

longer times and lots of wood mulch.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the ankle-deep water we got to run through.

(fun stuff.)

But, blessings abounded.

The weather was freezing and....well, freezing.

It was mainly the cold gusts of wind that had everyone shivering.

But, boy were we thankful for that cooler weather after we got our hearts pumping and we started pouring the sweat--running our little hearts out in the magnificent God-created woods.

Blessings abounded.

AND THEN....

he showed up.

Smokey the Bear.

Yup, we were the first to get a picture with him.

(sorry to the people we pushed out of the way to get to him.)

We also saw the Chick-fil-A cow, but we didn't get quite as excited about him.

(sorry Mr. (or is it a Ms?) Cow.)

Blessings totally abounded.

Oh, and did I mention that the race started 30 minutes late due to people getting there not-on-time?

For people who can't stand being late (*ahem* like me), that really got me in a frizzy.

Like I wasn't already. 

Marli, blessings abound...

I just love her.

Pre 5k.

Post 5k.

I totally love our mother/daughters' 5k's.

Stats for my info:

Chip Time: 37:06.0

Gun Time: 37:14.0

Age Division: 19-24

Place: 7th out of the 9 in my age group





love is...

(//riding to lunch with the brother//a Zaxbys Valentine lunch date with the whole family//BBQ dinner date with these two and the parents//homemade Valentine's made by family to family//)

I hope your V-Day was filled with happy surprises.

=)

influencing the world.

                       

//Source via Pinterest//

q&a with them.

"Two YouTube video posts in a row??" you say?

Yeah, I'm on the YouTube kick.

=)

-----------------------------------------------

Jeff and Alyssa.

One of the cutest newly-married couples out there.

Here is a Q&A session that they did on Relationships and Dating.

Just them, sitting on a couch in their living room.

They totally had some bomb-diggity things to share.

It's one of the best 29 minutes-worth of watching that you will see today.

Enjoy.

Oh yeah.

Check out some of Jeff's incredible poems:

Topics include...

Sexual Healing

Sex, Marriage & Fairytales

The Greatest Artist of All Time

these guys...

....are pretty amazing, huh?

Two of my favorite things combined into one:

Acappella music + Disney = Wonderfulness.

=)

super bowl...glory?

So, yeah.

I have to say that I was one of those people who didn't watch the entire Super Bowl.

*Ahem* 

I did watch the second half of the third quarter and the whole fourth quarter...and LOVED it.

Impressed? Yeah, I thought so.



via

Great job Ravens. I really thought the 49ers were going to come back and get ya. 

You pulled it out well: 

Final Score Ravens-34  49ers-31 

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Whew, we have all of that behind us....

now for the tough subject at hand.

The half-time show.

This has been weighing heavily on my heart ever since I saw the big hype about it on Instagram.

I. was. speechless.

Knowing that guys and girls all across the world watched that kind of trash broke my heart--

and people were saying how great it was???

I'm going to share my thoughts and then leave it with you to think about...

Before the super bowl I had never heard of Beyonce. Never.

And the way I'm feeling, I kind of wish I had never seen those pictures on Instagram.

I want to ask: 

"How in the world could a guy watch that and NOT have lustful thoughts?"

"How in the world could a Christian watch that without having feelings of guilt after watching it?"

"Would you have watched that with Jesus sitting beside you?"

You may say: "Awwwh, Marli. Of course I wouldn't have....Jesus isn't even here."

I don't know about you, but Jesus is with me everywhere I go.

To the guys:

I am so sorry that you had to view that kind of trash Sunday night.

I know in today's society it is so hard to keep your heart and mind filled with pure thoughts.

It makes me so sad to know what you guys have to go through in everyday life.

Especially during a harmless football game.

I don't see why they had to hire 3 girls who moved their bodies around, with barely enough clothes on to be considered underwear, to the beat of trashy music-- 

especially for a sport that mainly you guys watch. 

I pray for the guys in my life daily. 

I pray that you'll have the courage to have power over the remote and turn off the TV or computer.

 I pray that you won't click that mouse when the temptation is there.

I pray that you won't fall into that dangerous pit of sin.

I pray that you'll keep your life pure.

I want to thank you ahead of time for the effort you make to maintain the pure thoughts.

The effort you put forth to filling your mind with His Word. 

For walking away.

Keep it up, guys.

To the girls:

We would never dress like Beyonce in public (...right??).

If we only knew how our guy friends view a body like Beyonce and could see her through his eyes.

Young ladies, we have an honor and a privilege of dressing modestly for our guy friends. 

They don't have to lust after our bodies.

Matthew 5:27 and 28 says:

"You have heard that it is was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Ladies, do you realize what this is saying?

If a young man looks at a young lady and lusts,

(definition of lust-coveting through the influence of impure desire.)

he has sinned and commits adultery in his heart.

Ladies, to put it plainly, if we dress immodestly and they look at us with lustful longing, 

we have made our brothers in Christ sin.

I don't know about you, but that makes me quake in my boots.

I pray and hope that you'll have the courage and the strength to dress modestly.

Cover up.

Spend more time and money if needs be for that modest shirt.

Believe me, whether they say it or not,

they appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Believe me.

I have an older brother and a daddy.

I'm having to shop longer and harder for my clothes too.

You can do it, girl.

"For a man's ways are before the Lord, and He ponders all his paths."

Prov. 5:21

How, after watching a half-time show like that, can we go into church and feel comfortable singing:

 "Create in me a pure heart, O God..."

or

"Closer to Thee, near to Thy side, Closer dear Lord,

I would abide; Hold me in Thy embrace, 'Neath every

smile of grace, Grant me, Thy child, a place closer to Thee..."

Do we really desire pure hearts in worship every Sunday and Wednesday night?

Are we "closer to God" during the week? Or just on church days?

Are we able to partake of the Lord's supper every Sunday or pray to our Heavenly Father with pure thoughts after watching something similar to the Super Bowl?

------------------------------------------------------------

As for the commercials...

Don't even get me started--that's another topic for another day.

Although, I am thankful for people who care and would create this one. 

My favorite.

 -----------------------------------------------------

Also, please go and read L's thoughts on the Super Bowl.

Pretty amazing.

-------------------------------------------------------

Note:

I really do say these words in love.

It's just something that I have been thinking about and had to scribble (or should I say type? ;) down on paper (oh no, wait. ...down on the screen...).

Thanks for listening to my heart. <3

i love her.

Sometimes we're not so serious.

Yeah, that's us.

I love my sister so much.

the blessing of fro-yo for dinner.

The hair is styled and the maxi dress is long.

The day has been productive with time spent in the books and completing tests on the Dell.

Mom and I are about to leave. To go meet her. The other sister.

After a long day at work for the sister, she is ready to be free.

Blessings abound.

maxi dress with jean jacket

We pull in and wait.

After time passes, we see her red and white Bronco pulling in the parking lot.

We're ready for this. 

A night with just the mother and daughters.

Blessings abound.

First stop.

It's fro-yo for the ladies.

Cake batter and Espresso-flavored for me. 

All the toppings follow: cookie dough, reese's m&m's, and oreos.

Who cares it has over 200 calories.

My blessings abound.

cookie dough toppings

Second stop.

The toy store.

Yes, we let our inner kid-at-hearts take over.

Blessings abounded.

Third stop.

Stein Mart.

Whether looking or buying this was the place to be.

We hit up the Red Dot sales.

A red jacket for the mom, a necklace for the sister, and earrings for me.

Blessings abounded.

Fourth stop.

Church for Bible study.

The topic:

Being Holy as God is Holy

Just a few jot-downs from the incredible lesson:

...the presence of God left Jerusalem because the people

became unholy.

A holy God cannot live with an unholy people.

(Ez. 8-11)

The lives of Christians are to be holy.

(1 Pet. 1:15)

We are the tabernacle that God is so insistent about with keeping

us holy and pure.

We don't have the old tabernacle anymore...

it's US!!

If we intend to see God, it's because we intentionally were holy.

(Heb. 12:14)

We spent precious time with other sisters in Christ.

The blessings abounded.

Fifth stop.

Home.

The sis and I rode in her Bronco.

She asked me to drive. I happily agreed.

She was my shot-gunner and took over the iPhone for the tunes.

Moving and singing to the beat, we trucked our way along the moon-lit highway.

Arriving home,

the blessings abounded.

//More blessings.//