Grand Opening of Matthias & Keilah's Bed & Breakfast

Throughout the next 5 weeks or so, we have every single weekend and most weekdays filled with family and friends visiting us. Holy cow pies!

We are so very excited. Honestly. It's going to be great, and such a blessing to spend time with people who love and support us.

No sleep?!
Bring. It. On.

Fear

 For most of my adult life, I have lived in Fear.

It has taken many forms:
crutch, handcuff, and earmuff.
Fear has been my tool of self support.
It has kept me chained when I want to break free.
And it has helped me ignore the call of God.

Fear has been my friend. My closest enemy.

But God has been doing some hard work on my heart lately. Beautiful, but terrifying work. I won't go into details here... But I will say that I am at the weirdest place I've ever been in my life.
Standing at some very exciting, intimidating, passionate and life-changing crossroads.
And it scares me to death.

The only thing my heart holds onto is the promise of God.
He is the Rock to which I'm clinging and the Knower who I call on for answers.

1 John 4:18a says this.
"There is no fear in love. Perfect Love casts out fear."
It's as simple as that.

Jesus is the Perfect Love, and through His name, there will be
no more fear in me. Where He is, is where I want to be.

Be brave, Keilah. Be brave

The Best

You know when your husband comes home from work 4 1/2 hours late, on a Friday night, when you had a pretty awesome Date-Night-In planned for the two of you? And then when he finally is home, as hard as you try, you just can't keep from being ridiculously crabby and irrational? And just when you could almost weep from the mixture of all your emotions swirling around like those crazy fast spinny rides at the carnival that pins you to its walls, he walks toward you, opens his arms, says "Come'ere" and suddenly you melt and things seem a little better? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. And yeah, it's the best.

And you know those Saturday mornings when you wrap up in a blanket and go onto the balcony, sip your coffee and read 3 entire chapters of Harry Potter in one sitting, just because you can?

Yes, also the best.

And then you and your husband have a fight. Right in the middle of your "New and Improved Date Night". Yep, right there in the Lowe's parking lot. But you make up and say "I'm Sorry" because you are madly in love with each other. Then you try a delicious restaurant that you've never been to. And you know when you're in the movie theater, with his hand on your leg and suddenly you can't remember the reason why you were crying in the Lowe's parking lot 2 hours earlier? And then he squeezes your leg to say "I love you" and you can feel it in your heart?...

...It's the best

Memorial Weekend

I flew home to sweet, sweet Michigan, in hopes of surprising my family... and I was thiiiiiis close to pulling it off. Darn. But it was a lovely weekend... It sure was hard to leave my sweet husband here in Tennessee, but the time with my family was very much needed, to say the absolute least.

I knew I missed home, but wasn't aware of how much I missed home until I got there.

It may not look like much to you, but this is one of my favorite sights in the world.

I could pick out that driveway and those trees from thousands.

Home.
Oh, my heart.

We packed up and drove up to camp, where we spent a few days with our extended family and some lifelong friends.

 

 

 

Hearts received healing and there were tears of laughter running down our cheeks most of the weekend. Loving on my parents and siblings for 5 whole days... There are few things that bring me such joy as this.

I thank God for the time we had. He has been doing big, heartbreaking, and amazing things in my family lately. He pushes us out of our comfort zone to trust Him more. He is good and faithful in our lives, and He always brings the peace that we pray for.

Thank you to my Daddy and my Papa for serving in the U.S. Military, working to glorify God and keep our country safe. We love you. What a wonderful Memorial Day it was.

It made the second weekend in a row that I've been blessed to have a break from reality, a chance to breathe. And I never want to say goodbye, because it's so very hard... having to leave my baby sister at the airport entrance, watching her cry while she waves to me... it shatters my heart.

Sometimes knowing that where I am in life right now isn't where God needs me to be gets me feeling very defeated. It's Satan's way of laughing in my face. And it hurts...

But these are times when my sweet Lord soothes my aching soul and gives me the courage I need.

I can honestly say, with my whole heart, that I have the greatest family.
God is good. Can you feel it?