31 days

31 days – fall 2013 – quality time

You know what I love? Spending a morning sipping coffee with family and/or friends {bonus points if it’s my house and I can where my white robe}. There’s something so nice and simple about early morning light and quiet moments.

early morning coffee | atwell adventures
Yesterday
I talked about how my faith had changed since July 7.  But really it started about 6 months before that. In the early mornings while sipping coffee with my Savior.

After we got engaged in December, I decided to start waking up earlier to spend time reading the Word and praying before I went to work.  Normally, I would just do it when it was convenient for me, and sometimes it didn’t even happen at all. As I prepared for the upcoming changes, I knew this was the last thing I need to leave off my to-do list.

Having a time set aside to spend with my Savior, the Lord began to show me this was the deepening our relationship needed. Quality time. Time to be renewed in Him. Some mornings it was through a passage that I read over and over instead of quickly glancing through, other times it was just talking to Him and really releasing my control over to Him.

When we began pre-marital counseling, the Lord kept reminding me that if I was spending the quality time with Him, my actions and thoughts will be more likely to reflect Him. If my first focus was my relationship with Him and acting like Him, I could be a better wife, helper, listener, friend to G {and of course, it doesn’t stop there – He challenges me to be a better daughter, sister, aunt, friend, co-worker, and even share His love to the strangers I encounter}.

Thank goodness He overflows.

And now a few months have gone by, the wedding and honeymoon are finished, and we are settling into life.

Although my daily schedule looks much different than it did four months ago, the routine of spending those quiet, early morning moments with my Savior has thankfully continued and He continues to restore me and make me new.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?”

Jesus. More Jesus.

31 days - newlyweds | Atwell Adventures

31 days

31 days – fall 2013 – faith

The first definition of faith that you’ll find online is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

faith | Atwell Adventures

Complete trust or confidence.

Ohhh, that stings.

Soooo, I can’t put my trust in my new husband? Or confidence in G and his plan for us?

No, no I can’t.

When I said yesterday that one of the biggest changes I’ve seen in my life since becoming a newlywed was my faith, I meant it. It could be because I’m spending more one on one time with Him {more on that tomorrow} or maybe because I’m praying more {more on that Saturday}.

It’s simple but I complicate it. Spending more time with my God strengthens and deepens my faith –  just like spending more time with G deepens and strengthens our relationship.

I find it hard to comprehend that God wants to be a part of my messy life. But He does. He not only wants to be a part of it – He wants to be the center of it all.

31 days - newlyweds | Atwell Adventures

31 days

31 days – fall 2013 – ch-ch-ch-changes

Since July 7, life has changed.

For a person like me, change can be fun and exciting, yet difficult because it requires growth.

It’s easy to stay the same, but I’m finding it much more interesting in embracing new things {people, places, ideas} everyday, even if some of them come with growing pains {I’m talking about you, budget… more on that in the days to come}.

change and grow | atwell adventures

The biggest areas I’ve noticed changes in?  Faith, moneyhome life, and traditions.

ChangesAsANewlywed | Atwell Adventures

Some of the changes have been by choice, others by circumstance.  Our purpose: to build a strong foundation for whatever lies ahead of us.

31 days - newlyweds | Atwell Adventures