the only love letter i'll ever need.

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1 

 

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3 

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications
© 1999-2010 www.FathersLoveLetter.com

thank you, ty! 

what i'm (mostly) loving

hi y'all!! it's my FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK! my two favorite link ups, my friday at work, hump day for john... small group day.. just all good. what a busy couple of weeks we've had.  how's y'all day going?

i'm loving water aerobics. holy moly.. i went to a class here on base this morning (and this lady had on this exact cap.. i promise you) and it was so stinkin' fun. i'm sure i was the youngest there by at least 15 years but that's cool. i even got a little tan line (in case any of you are wondering... yes... i like to get a little sun kissed!) i think i am starting to like working out. maybe. or maybe not.

source

i'm loving my new swimsuit! sorry i've blogged about it like ten times, but it finally came in the mail and i love it! i don't think i've worn a legitimate swim suit in 20 years. literally. if you are a little bigger than small, i highly recommend this one. i have a terrible body shape and i feel like one sexy señorita in this suit. i'm getting a polka dot one next, and maybe even a red one!

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i'm loving dresses! i'm on a total kick right now. i totally can't wait to get lots more -- i'm thinking of redoing my wardrobe to be more feminine. you should have seen john's face when he came home and i was in the kitchen...wearing a dress! here are the ones i can't stop wearing.

sonoma life + style (kohls)

american eagle

ok.. mine doesn't quite look like this one.
it has a print on it and has larger straps. but i love it!
source

i'm loving gas prices (NOT!) i get it. they're going down. but only after they gauged our eyes out for the past few months. i get your game, oil industry -- run up the prices $1.15, then lower them $.15 so we feel like you're "trying" for us... so we're happy to pay a still-exorbitant price. you ain't foolin' me. and you're rude. (how'd this one slip into the list?)

source
(you should visit and read the article!)

i'm (actually) loving weather warm enough for hanging out outside!

source

and of course, i'm loving my precious husband and the big huge heart he has for the sophomore boys group he leads, and for our "son" in honduras. he is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me :))

annnnnd.....





{one} what’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?i have never really been on a BAD date.. just surprising ones. like.. surprise! you're paying! or.. surprise! i'm a minister!or.. surprise! i have a girlfriend who's going to meet us at the house and threaten to beat you up!yeah.
{two} if you could be any other person for one day, who would it be?because i don't particularly have anyone in mind, i will go with leigh ashley's answer too... princess catherine. it would be nice to be royalty.. just for one day!
{three} what is your favorite kind of cheese?i LOVE cheese. manchego is my favorite right now. a well-aged parmigiano-reggiano is my favorite all time, probably.i tried a new one called red dragon recently.. it was amazing.
{four} do you remember your 1st grade teacher?i do. i don't remember her name, but she was an older lady with an older lady haircut.i have fond memories of her. sort of.
{five} who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?john. unless he's is the reason i'm having a bad day! haha.. then it's my momma. my sweet, precious momma.
{six} were you ever in a school talent show?hmm.. yes, a few. one stands out.. i was with my parents. me and my mom sang and my dad rapped. if you know my dad, that's hilarious. (he's a minister and very, VERY conservative!)he had a giant gold necklace on and everything. i thought it was cool at the time.. i even wore two different earrings.  but wow.. embarrassing!
{seven} who is your favorite fictional character?lucy ricardo.
{eight} can you open your eyes underwater?weird... i used to. i remember it distinctly. but now.. not so much. in fact, i was at the pool this morning and it was like..my eyes thought i was swimming in fire.. i'd blink like crazy every time i splashed too much haha
{nine} do you look at the keyboard when you type?no.. not at all usually. i'm the bomb.com when it comes to typing. (or, i'm perfect for life full of data entry. whatevs.)
{ten} when was the last time you took a nap?sunday.. and it was DIVINE.

getting to know aleasa v. 1

first let me say.. y'all are so sweet. my friends have been the best celebrating with me in my weight loss. i hope it continues. my swimsuit finally came in the mail... i'm SO excited. the weather has not quite been warm enough for a beach day, so unfortunately i won't get to give it a run. but don't worry.. i'm totally test driving it a few hours a day every day. :) and, as hot as i look in it (kidding), i'm not quite ready to put my partially clothed body on the internet (not kidding). no good for me.. or you. trust.

i found another link up since i'm obsessed with them. i probably won't see you guys tomorrow, as we have been crazy busy and i think it's rude. yay for no judgement day yesterday, right??

1. what's your favorite rainy day activity?  

sleeping. uh, duh!

2. what time do you go to bed? 

considering it's 11:04 right now... will you believe me if i say 9 or 10? i totally love sleeping and we're trying to stop being college students so early bed times it is. "early".

3. how many magazines do you subscribe to?

none.. i don't really think they're worth the money. i will buy one or two in the commissary if the topics are interesting but that is really rare.

 

4. did you sell all your belongings because you thought the world was ending yesterday?

i didn't... ridiculous.

5. what's your beauty obssession?

my lips. ah. ugly lips make me shiver. (at least my own ugly lips.)

6. if you could only wear one designer/brand for the rest of your life...what would it be?

hmm.. that's a really, really hard question. one that i don't think i have an answer for. so i'll make up an answer to a different question, which is what "type" of clothing would i wear for the rest of my life... and as of this month, it would be dresses. sorry, i can't follow the rules. 

7. what's your summer must have?

pretty dresses, lots of good books, and plenty of 75 degree weather so i can frequent the beach on base!

8. do you make weekly dinner menus?

i totally do, at the heritage kitchen (my cooking blog). i haven't posted them recently because i just haven't had the time. but i definitely make them every week!

exposing myself.

i have a problem with my weight. i think every girl does. i've never been, say, morbidly obese, but i've definitely always been the bigger/biggest of my friends. i never understood morbid obesity, to be honest. i've always said that there has to be a tick in your head once you hit a certain weight, perhaps three hundred pounds. my tick was two hundred (barring child-bearing, since i've always been in the "upper" hundreds). well, ladies and gentlemen, the tick was finally set off last year. and, to my surprise, i actually didn't really do anything about it. 

until i got inspired by jennifer hudson. well, sort of. i had a doctor tell me last year that i should try weight watchers, but we didn't have the money. then, my friend who i've been working out with says she suggests it to all her clients (she's a personal trainer by profession). then i saw jennifer hudson at the grammys.

from rocco's pop revolution

and then my sisters started doing it. so i was finally suckered into it. i joined weight watchers.

i weighed myself last friday and almost cried because it was quite a bit worse than i had previously imagined. i won't share my numbers with you, but i will say that the consolation was that i didn't outweigh the sarge (which isn't saying much because he recently clocked in at 240). but i wasn't terribly far away either. (can't believe i'm admitting this to the world.)

BUT. the great news is this.

i lost 18.8 pounds! 

okay, it's probably mostly water weight. but i don't care. you can't rain on my parade today. that number is awesome. i don't expect to ever have a week like this again, but a pound or two per week in addition to that number still rocks my world.

and i ate what i wanted. literally. we went out last week... i had fettuccine alfredo. and i had a (chicken) burger and fries AND went wine and cheese tasting yesterday. but i'm obsessed with my points. i try to make sure i clock everything, even if not accurately (like if i don't know the nutrition info of a bag of kettle corn, for example haha). also, since fruit and veggies are free with points +, i loaded up on grapes and pineapple and pears to be sure that i was not only hungry, but satisfied my snacking ways.

the other thing is working out.. i really only have done it twice a week so far, but i'm trying to work in a third. i also walk the "long way" to get my mail and dance around the house more haha. my other small victory is that today, on my OWN, i decided to go to the gym (any one that knows me knows that's no small feat). and i went i kicked my OWN butt on the bike and treadmill, and even did weights. i was in there over an hour. who is this person?

y'all.

seriously.

how awesome does that make my weekend? the only thing that sucks is that now i have less points per day! haha... oh well. obviously i don't expect to have a week like that ever again.

SO. if you have ever considered weight watchers, do it. i bit the ($54) bullet and got my first 3 months. and i'll probably stay on it until i reach my goal weight (still about 60 pounds away). there is no gimmick. just a celebration! pretty soon i will go from this:

 to this. yes i willlllll.

won't you join me?

why i miss college.

i may be back with a real life post, but for now ... a few random musings.

why i miss college
by aleasa.

1. friends within reach. friends everywhere. friends as close as on the other side of the bathroom and only as far as a mile drive, all day, everyday. i miss you megan, emory, amy, kelsey, jonathan, drew, bethany, lauren, megan, brooke, warren, alan (sometimes... just kidding), twinita, all the rest of PC 07, and pretty much every KX and EEE between 2007 and 2010 (except one.. you know who you are). the real life is SO rude, making us have to move away from our best friends and plan to hang out with the ones who are near. i miss ANY night being an appropriate hang out night.

2. taco bell/walmart at 2 am. actually, just 2 am in general. i miss a) having the energy to be up until 2 am, and b) actually having something to do at 2 am (see #1).

3. complete control of when i did and did not participate in my responsibilities. i mean, why can't i skip work when it rains?

4. ruckus. okay, if you didn't go to college in 2007-08, you missed out. you could download any song or album for FREE with a college email address. they shut down not long after that, but sheesh.. great while it lasted! sometimes, being a college drop out is awesome (only when you go back and there are cool new things like facebook and ruckus).

5. random money appearing (?) ok, so i was kind of a party-er. i admit it. and SOMEHOW i always had partying money. not sure how i managed to pull it off (my parents gave me about $50 a month so that wasn't it..that would only cover a few nights out!) but i always did. how did i become less innovative over time? and i wouldn't be spending it on "a good time" either.

6. breaks. at least every few months, there was a break from class (not including my self-appointed breaks). why can't there be summer break in real life? i mean, i'll even take a week here and there that i don't have to ask for. just a substantial break. you know.. for showing up to work regularly. right?

7.tiger tunes. only obu people will understand what i'm saying. but i actually kind of miss all-nighters... mostly homecoming weekend/performance time. i didn't think i would enjoy it, but it was one of the best memories i will ever have of my college life! this could actually be expanded into "tradition". i love traditions!

8. kappa chi serenades. i miss having boys gather outside my house and sing to me. of course, john does it sometimes... but he needs a choir haha

9. learning. okay. i said it. i miss hanging out with people who's entire day was dedicated to imparting all their knowledge to me.

10. college schedules. like, scheduling the load of your classes for tuesday/thursday and being able to ... erm... "sleep in" on monday and ... "start the weekend early" on friday. first of all, i miss the variety. one only had to endure with a touch schedule for a while. i also miss the "last class" being the end of the day as far as responsibility goes. now when i get off work, i get to continue my day job of homemaker! (but i like it.)

11. because i either don't like lists of ten or i have no restraint, the last one is my college town, arkadelphia. tiny little arkadelphia in southern arkansas. we had to make up our fun in this little place, but it sure made us creative (for lack of a better term). i never, ever thought i would, but i do. to be honest, i kind of enjoyed small town life. i'd be willing to live in a small town when we get older too..  "it's a great place to call home" haha.. for four years.

wednesday in a week that is flying.

do any of you feel like time is flying? typically, a few weeks after easter is not a busy time at church... but it's so busy! i feel like i'm running in one of those sad little wheels that hamsters get stuck in.

i've been thinking a lot about why i blog, and have come to the radically anti-climatic conclusion that i just like having a blog. it's nice to be known by people who don't really know you. more than that, it's nice just to unload your funny or hard days onto the web. so, in the spirit of blogging just because, here are my favorite memes of the week!

i'm loving that i am about to splurge on the cutest swimsuit ever. (i shared this before but i don't care!) i'm hoping to get it in black.

i'm loving skirts and dresses. i'm totally making over my wardrobe. (sorry i don't have a picture!)


i'm loving obsessed with gladiator sandals. about 3 years too late. whoops.

i'm loving that it's almost time for the new season of RHONJ! omg. it's totally my guilty pleasure. don't judge me!

i'm loving the summer weather in full effect. beach towel, here i come (thank you 80 degrees)!

i'm loving that i'm finally planning my first cruise (and how one quickly turned into three...yes)!

and of course, i'm loving my sweet sergeant and his precious good moods in the mornings!

{one} what profession have you always admired?i love (good) teachers and professors. the end. {two} what would the title of your memoir/biography be if it was written today?"prodigal daughter: the mystery of God working through our mistakes" ha! {three} how far do you commute to work?hm.. about 8 miles? it takes about 10 minutes on a good day... five of those are on base! {four} are your earlobes attached or detached?detached.. the cool ones :) {five} do you eat the unpopped kernels of popcorn at the bottom of the bag?Ugh. I hate those things. I try to nibble at them if they're partially popped but they are such a disappointment haha {six} what is the strangest gift you’ve ever received?for our wedding, someone gave us a homemade picture album... you'd have to see it to know what i mean :) {seven} what is one tv show that you wish hadn’t been cancelled?fresh prince of bel air. i know all good things come to an end.. but i could watch that show FOREVER. also, the office. i know it's not cancelled yet.. but......... {eight} what is something that you are saving money for right now?we've got money for new couches ready! we're about to start saving for our five year anniversary cruise! :))  woohoo!! {nine} what hobby would you like to take up?scrapbooking. but i'm too much a perfectionist. none of my projects would EVER get done. {ten} how many times a year do you get really dressed up?maybe once, for the ball. if i go, that is!
NOW... go link up!

friday hop!

1. Have you ever had roommates?

I have had several. I have loved one. The rest... well... the rest just didn't quite jive. 
 

One had our whole basketball team over, one by one, in a matter of weeks. (yes.)
 

One's crazy ex stood outside our window until midnight until she finally called the cops on him. I realize that's not her fault but.. wow. 

 
One was a Jesus loving, Christian Ministry majoring, drunken wanna-be party girl who managed to make out with (or more..the jury's out) at least 3 or 4 random guys from the VFW in town. And cheated off my Christian Theology notes. (what?)

Most of my roommates eventually ended up pretending I wasn't alive while I returned the favor. Haven't had much luck in that department... except the Sarge. He's a good roommate.  

2. How many names do you/your children have? (i.e. Prince Charming William Phillip Arthur Louis John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt)

I don't have kids yet, but I don't understand all the names. My kids will have a first and middle name. And I'm even wondering why a middle name, but three sounds so well-rounded and complete when rolling off the tongue!

3. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

I did! I wasn't particularly interested in it, but the girls all got together and we wore tiaras, made crumpets and cucumber sandwiches, and drank girl drinks. So.. it was fun. I actually only watched her walk in and then went home. 

4. What is the messiest room in your house?

The storage room! Oh my gosh. It's out of control. I don't even want to talk about it.

5. What is your ideal mothers day?

One where I have children...and that's all I have to say about that!


 

Link up and hop on (after the jump)!

praying the rosary.

This is shaping up to be a long post. I hope you'll find it interesting. As a disclaimer, I am neither Catholic nor Anglican, so please correct any mistakes you find if you are a practicing Catholic/Anglican. I'm definitely new to this idea.

Have you ever heard of Anglican prayer beads? If you know much about Catholic rosaries, you already know how it works. I've been intrigued by the use of rosaries for a while, and how they could possibly aid me with my prayers.

source

greatest weekend.

hi everyone! i'm telling you now, this month is going to be crazy crazy! i have some wacky weeks ahead, so i hope i get plenty of time to blog and keep all of you up on my craziness.

first of all, this weekend was awe-some. first we went to the lake and hung out.

the Sarge and his BFF

me and my BFF

our favorite couple

then we went to islands and had delicious eats.

this sweet little boy has his first crush! haha

and it was a great day. sunday was the Sarge's official date of rank and rachel's birthday, so rachel, carin, and i went on a girls' date to see water for elephants. i'll get to that in a later post. then we had a fun birthday dinner at rob & rachel's house!

our church gives flowers for special events in people's lives!

happy birthday rach!

AND.

as she was blowing out her candles... the news came.

::source::

now. i'm not going to get into it, because everyone feels strongly about this is all kinds of directions. but i will say this. as i looked for pictures of him, it made me sad to know that he's responsible for so much evil. after thinking about all the innocent people and those in the military that have paid with their lives for his beliefs, i can't find it in myself to hold back the rejoicing (in justice). but man. sucks that there's another soul paying his own penalty when it's been taken care of. i try not to go here much, but there were a lot of political things that got under my skin. like "crediting" obama with this victory. the same obama that was, just a few weeks ago, willing to halt the pay to those with their lives on the line overseas. that's as far as i'll go on that.

but the ONE thing that i read that didn't manage to piss me off sunday night/monday morning was this:

Romans 6:23 // RT @StevenPatton: Went to bed thinking that OBL death shows we all believe that death is justice for sin.

think on that.