you can't always get what you want

My family didn't travel all that much when I was growing up. We went to the beach nearly every summer and that was always our big vacation — the highlight of each year. But when I was 11 we flew out to Colorado to spend some time with friends and then spent a week and a half driving through Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. We stayed in inexpensive hotels and ate bread with cheese and summer sausage in the car to avoid the cost of eating out for every meal. I don't remember what my siblings did to pass the time, but I listened to books on tape and daydreamed about cowboys, turquoise jewelry and living on a houseboat on Lake Powell.

being catapulted into Lake Powell by my brother and sister

family at the Grand Canyon

Mesa Verde

My young eyes were opened to new places and spaces, and I wanted to see more. My horizons especially expanded when I hit college. I've had the incredible blessing of visiting Alaska, Ireland, England, Korea, Uganda, Hawaii and islands in the Bahamas and Caribbean. In between those big trips have been relaxing vacays to the beach with family or with bunches of friends. It's all been amazing.

But.

A couple of years ago it started to really bother me that Andy and I hadn't taken a trip just the two of us since 2008. Other opportunities always seemed to pop up, though, and we never wanted to turn down time with family or friends. As much as Andy likes to vacation, I'm the one with the travel bug. It didn't bother him that we weren't planning private get-aways, because we were still going places together (which certainly is a valid point, and we do always manage to sneak off and do fun things on our own).

I kept telling myself next year we'll go. Last year I was especially sure something would happen in 2013, because we'll celebrate our 5 year anniversary in May. In the past, we've kept our celebrations low key in order to live it up on those milestone anniversaries.

Today Jo from A Cup of Jo posted about the babymoon trip she took with her husband to St. Lucia. We booked our anniversary/babymoon hotel last week. We're going to... drumroll please...

Pittsburgh.

Hehe. So, clearly, this isn't my dream vacay. I figured we could snazz up the trip by booking a nice hotel, but every hotel we looked at within the city had rates of $250 and up. Yeah, that just ain't happening after buying a house, flying to Hawaii, going on a cruise and then finding out a baby is on the way. (2012 was a crazy, wonderful year!) We ended up booking a hotel outside of the city and settled for a room with two queens because a room with a king-sized bed would have cost an extra 60 dollars. For some reason, it was that perfectly practical decision to nix the king bed that made me lose it. I cried.

"This just isn't what I pictured," I explained to Andy.

You know what, though? God has given us MUCH. I don't want to compare our getaway to everyone else's. I don't want to be reckless with the money that God allows us to have, and I certainly don't want to be ungrateful.

I'm embarrassed to tell you what a struggle this whole thing has been for me. I feel silly for crying. It's good to admit we don't have it all together, though, so whoop, there it is.

I gotta say, I am pumped that we are FINALLY going to eat at one of the restaurants featured on "Man Vs. Food." You've probably been wondering why we even picked Pittsburgh in the first place, and the three reasons are 1) we can drive there, 2) our friends rave about it and 3) we've seen the Pittsburgh Man Vs. Food episode at least three times and we're dyyying to try Primanti Brothers. Basically, we're going for a sandwich.

Other than pigging out on sammies piled high with meat and fries, we plan to see the Pirates play the Nationals, browse The Strip and check out a few museums. Got any suggestions for a romantic outing while we're there?

where is your treasure?

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21


I struggle with this verse. As a daughter of God who loves her Father, I desperately want to obey Him and store up treasures in heaven. As a wife, daughter, sister, friend, and lover of books/fashion/home decor/etc... I also delight in my earthly treasures. It's hard for me to find the line within my heart that separates my selfish desires from my genuine joy and delight in the Lord when it comes to those things I've listed above (earthly treasures). Does that make any sense? For example-- my books. If I view anything in my life as a tangible treasure (not including people), I think of my books. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to them. Most of them were gifts or cost me less than $5 (Green Valley Book Fair, holler), but they are still precious to me. Anyone who knows me well would say that my love for reading comes from God. My parents never had to pay me a dime to read a book (if they did I would be rich). I devoured books as a child, and I still do when I have a good chunk of time.


I don't believe it bothers God that I love to read or that I love my library. In fact, I think it brings Him joy. BUT, by buying books and lining bookshelves with them, how am I not storing up treasures on earth? In fact, translated in the Greek, the verse is really saying "Don't accumulate / heap up treasures" (as in stockpile). I do accumulate books. My love for books is within my heart! I can't deny that. And not to at all take the spotlight off of myself, but I don't think I know a single person who isn't homeless who doesn't have knick-knacks or gadgets or something that they own more than one of.


OK-- I know it's all about the condition of our heart and where our priorities lie. I know that it would be bad if I were buying books to look smart. It wouldn't be right to spend my whole life reading and not spending time with God and family and working. I guess the struggle for me is that  this passage doesn't include the middle ground of having treasures on earth AND in heaven.


Later in chapter 6 the Word tells us we cannot love both God and money (which, if you look up in the Greek, translates to treasures/riches/wealth). At Bible study last night we talked about how to make wise decisions concerning our income and how we can do so in a way that is accordance with scripture. 


I'll admit something- there's quite a list of things I want for our house right now. We legit NEED a new shade or curtain for our guest room because the shades broke and too many overnight guests have had to change in the bathroom... but that isn't the end of the world. I want:: more frames, linens, lipsticks (lame, I know)... while I can't think of anything else right now I know there's a much longer list than that! It's easy for me to get carried away when I'm shopping, especially when the items I'm buying aren't expensive. The thing is, stuff always adds up. It stinks. 


While Andy and I do work, have a budget, tithe and pray about big purchases, I want to do more than that. I want to ask God about little purchases too. I want to align my heart to His will. I want to find more delight in what's in store for me after death than what I have here on earth. 


What treasures on earth are you holding on to?

blessings poured out

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
Malachi 3:10

God was not joking. Give to God, and He will give to you so much more.

These are the pieces of furniture that we have paid for since getting married:
Out of our three top floor rooms (master bedroom, twin bed guest room, office): a stool
Main floor (living room, kitchen, dining room): leaning shelf/desk unit, bookcase, 1 couch, tv stand, cabinet/shelf unit, end table
Basement (second office and queen bed guest room): nothing.

God has poured out so many blessings on us in the form of free furniture that we are literally running out of room for them.


I can't imagine what our savings account would look like if we had not experienced God's blessings through the generosity of our friends and family. We probably wouldn't have a savings account.

Don't turn away from the generosity of others.
Don't fail to recognize the blessings God has poured out to you.
He is worthy of our praise!