Today was a pretty uneventful day, but the weather the past 2 days has been amazing. Something about a 70 degree day with sunshine, perfect blue skies, the green returning to the grass.... it puts me in a good mood. I will open my door up wide, let the fresh air in, and listen to music. The colder months can put me in a bit of a slump, even though I don't have to deal with being stuck indoors because of snowy weather. That warmth of sunshine beating down with just the perfect amount of heat to make it comfortable is enough to bring me out of my winter shell. All too soon, we will have horribly humid weather with temperatures in the 90's and hundreds, so I am going to soak up as much of the spring weather as I can. It's a beautiful time of year to live in the south.
Joey has a 24 hour CQ shift tomorrow, which is a bummer. The rest of the Army has a 4 day weekend, but Joey's Friday and Saturday will pretty much be shot. I guess Family Friday will have to wait until Family Sunday this week! haha. I know he's really bummed... he has been dying to play some xbox so that he can break in his new gaming chair and Astro's. I have to admit, we both got spoiled by the time he had off after the deployment. The days seem long for him now... starting at 5:45AM and ending at 5PM, sometimes a little later. By the time 7PM rolls around, he is out like a light. I try to be understanding, but I miss him, even though he is here with me. It could be a lot worse, so I try not to complain, but we really enjoy each other's company, so he gets bummed out about being so exhausted just as much as I do. I'm just thankful that he isn't out in Afghanistan getting mortared numerous times each day. I don't miss hearing those through the computer/phone almost every day that we talked. Not a good feeling. I will definitely take him being tired and falling asleep on my couch where I can snuggle up to him over a deployment ANY day.
In other news, I HATE SCHOOL. Still. As the quarter is progressing, I find myself caring less and less what my grades are, and I'm increasingly lazy when it comes to putting forth any effot on my assignments. I'm sure part of it is due to that fact that these classes aren't even going to transfer towards my prereqs for the Dental Hygiene program. I feel like it is just wasted time and effort. I need to look at it as a chance to raise my GPA. I have grants that pay for my tuition, so it doesn't hurt me to be taking the classes... it's just a bit discouraging to feel like my efforts are wasted, I suppose.
Nothing really new happening in the past few days, but I'm thankful for every day anyway. ^_^
Spring-Sunshine and Sticking with School,
Ashley
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Joseph and Ashley Rivers - Circa 2007
Not knowing what to wear, mostly because I didn't really have anything for this type of occasion, I put on a black v-neck shirt with a pink cami underneath. I wore black dress slacks with it, and "scrunched" my hair to try to bring out the waves. Joey also didn't have much to wear for this event, so he wore a button-up white shirt, also with black slacks and dress shoes. We didn't have much, but we had each other and our kids. Whether anyone approved or disapproved of our relationship, we knew that we were meant to be together, even though we may have stepped outside of the Will of God. Today was the day that we were going to "become one", in the eyes of the court and in the eyes of the Lord.
"Have either one of you been married before?", asked the clerk.
Joey and I looked at each other, then giggled back,
"No, neither one of us have."
"You'd be surprised at how many people find out about previous marriages once they come here!", she said.
After filling out and finalizing the necessary paperwork, we sat on the bench, awaiting our names to be called. I looked around and all of the happy people in love who were there for the same reason we were. I couldn't help but think of what the lives of all of these people, including Joey and I, would turn out like. Every one of these couples loved each other, but statistics would prove that there were at least a few of us whose marriages wouldn't make it. It won't be mine, I decided. Not mine.
When our names were called, we looked at each and grinned, then walked into the little court room.
"Do you have any witnesses?"
"God is our only witness today!", I responded, partially trying to crack a little joke, while the other half of me was serious. It was just me, Joey, and God that day.
As we were being "married", I stared in the eyes of the man that I was vowing to spend the rest of my life with. I was nervous, but mostly excited and full of love. I felt at peace about our future, and knew that God was going to take care of us as we began our life together.
The most DELICOUS part of my day was this:
"Have either one of you been married before?", asked the clerk.
Joey and I looked at each other, then giggled back,
"No, neither one of us have."
"You'd be surprised at how many people find out about previous marriages once they come here!", she said.
After filling out and finalizing the necessary paperwork, we sat on the bench, awaiting our names to be called. I looked around and all of the happy people in love who were there for the same reason we were. I couldn't help but think of what the lives of all of these people, including Joey and I, would turn out like. Every one of these couples loved each other, but statistics would prove that there were at least a few of us whose marriages wouldn't make it. It won't be mine, I decided. Not mine.
When our names were called, we looked at each and grinned, then walked into the little court room.
"Do you have any witnesses?"
"God is our only witness today!", I responded, partially trying to crack a little joke, while the other half of me was serious. It was just me, Joey, and God that day.
As we were being "married", I stared in the eyes of the man that I was vowing to spend the rest of my life with. I was nervous, but mostly excited and full of love. I felt at peace about our future, and knew that God was going to take care of us as we began our life together.
Taken February 13th, 2007 - the day we were married.
So, that's the little story of our "wedding" day. Now to tell about my anniversary today!
Last night (as we do most weekend nights), we stayed up playing Call of Duty: Blacks Ops. Because of that, Joey decided to give me one of my presents early.
Presenting the 2011 Edition Wireless 5.8 Ghz Astro A40 headset... official product of Major League Gaming.
Yes, I actually asked for these (me = dork).
I am already in love with this headset. It is made for professional gaming, and I have been obsessing over them since we started gaming a lot in Korea. This is the first "wireless" edition that Astro Gaming has come out with (which actually has wires, just not hooked up to the Xbox itself). I used them last night, and they are amazing. My sister-in-law is making a "LeTHaLGoDDeSS" logo for me so that I can get custom speaker tags on the headset. It's going to be awesome!
Now to be a little more on the girly side, I have also been wanting a Clarisonic for about a year now. It has had RAVE reviews... in fact, I've never heard a bad review about it.
This is the Clarisonic Classic in pink. Clarisonic donates a certain percentage of all profits earned to a breast cancer foundation when you order the pink edition. Joey also had my name put on it... I guess in case I ever wonder if it's mine? lol, j/k. He's so cute <3
I used it this morning and it made my skin feel amazing! It is supposed to minimize fine lines, pores, and help with acne. I'm hoping that reviews prove to be true. If not, it has a 30 day 100% money back guarantee, so I will try it out for the month and see what happens!
I told Joey that I wanted a HUGE edible arrangement with extra chocolate covered strawberries and hearts in it. I honestly didn't think he was *really* paying attention (ladies, you know how men are), but it turns out that he was!! I definitely made myself feel sick by eating so many of the strawberries! I have wanted an Edible Arrangement for a while now - I think they are a refreshing, fun alternative to traditional flowers. Besides, I LOVE TO EAT!!!
Joey had the day planned for us - a casual lunch as a family, the shopping for an outfit for our date at The Melting Pot... my faaaavorite restaurant! I highly recommend it for anyone celebrating a special ocassion. It's fondue-style, and it's DELICIOUS!!! Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling so hot (I wonder if I can blame my over-consumption of chocolate covered strawberries), so we decided to cancel our reservations and go next weekend.
It was a great day, and I'm so glad to have Joey in my life. Thankful for these 4 years, and hoping for many, MANY years in the future!!!
Edible bouquets and endless love,
Ashley
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Seeing Red
There is something about the color red in a home that kind of captivates me. Red dishes, pots and pans, appliances, accent walls, decor, etc.... something about it catches my attention. It can't just be me, because I've read that many companies, especially food-related ones, use the color red because of it's ability to catch and hold the attention of the consumer. Also, red is "supposed" to make you feel hungrier, which is why a lot of restaurants use red decor or food companies (think Coca-Cola) use such a bold color choice.
Our washer and dryer have been giving us some trouble lately, so we decided that the time was right for us to make a purchase on a new set. I have wanted a front-loading set for a while, but the prices have just been TOO high to even consider making that kind of purchase, especially considering the pedestals that set them to a functional height/add storage are $200-$250 EACH! Talk about "nickel and diming" people to death. Sheesh!
Anyways, after walking into the store, I found the set that I had to have. What color? Of course, red.
We ended up getting a really great deal. We got the pedestals for free, and they were already marked down because they are being discontinued. I was able to talk to the sales guy down an additional $300, plus he gave us a $35 gift card. We saved $800, plus got a gift card, lol. We would not have found a front loading set w/pedestals for any cheaper at any store.
I know it seems strange that I'm going on about it, but if you read my blog from yesterday, I almost feel like it's God's way of saying, "See? I know the desires of your heart, and I will take care of you." It's as if God is almost proving to me that by being obedient and sowing the seeds by tithing, that he WILL follow through with his promise to multiply what I have sown.
Lesson learned. He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him!
Faith, obedience, and shiny red things,
Ashley
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Give *JOYFULLY*!
First of all, let me begin by saying that THIS IS MY VERY FIRST BLOG POST!! I already feel such a sense of relief from being able to have a way to release what is going on in my life or what is on my mind. With that being said, here is what was on my mind today...
I am a Christian. I am far from perfect, and I will not hold myself above others because of my relationship with God. Often times I feel as though Christians are put under a microscope on a daily basis. Whether it is intentional or not, there are many people who pay more attention to someone who has proclaimed that they are living for God, almost as though they are watching and waiting for the day that the person messes up or does something "less than Godly". When it does happen (because, like I said, we WILL mess up. We are HUMAN!), you can tell that it is almost gratifying for the person that has been paying such close attention, as if it is their "AH HA! CAUGHT YOU!" moment. I have felt this several times, and I try not to let it bother me. TRY. This is the key word! A true Christian does not think that they are exempt from failures, disappointments, sin, etc., but instead, it means that they try as best as they can to live in the way that would be pleasing to God. For me, it has been a learning process. There is still so much that I do not know or understand.
As a child, I never grew up in a "Christian Home". Don't get me wrong, my parents didn't encourage me to be a crazy, rebellious child, but God wasn't a part of daily life. A lot of the people that are now a part of my life grew up in the church; as a matter of fact, it is all that most of them have ever known. Some things that are normal and go without thinking to them are things that I've had to learn over the past handful of years since I have been saved. One of these things is Tithes and Offerings to the church. Actually, not just to the church, but to God.
I feel guilty just by saying it, but I want this to almost live as a testimony for not only those who haven't known God their entire lives, but also to those who have and still struggle with this from time to time.
Anyways, back to the subject...
God has been extremely gracious to us lately. His blessings are constantly flowing into our home unexpectedly and abundantly! I am so thankful for all that He is done... truly! However, today, as I was figuring out our finances for February 1st-15th, it was time to write out the Tithe check. For those of you who don't know (and anyone who has more knowledge than I do, please feel free to correct me if I mess any of this up!), tithing goes back into the Old Testament, where the Israelites were to give 10% (the word "tithe" means "tenth") of everything that they earned/grew to the Temple.
Malachi 3:8-10
"Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, "In what way do we rob or defraud You?" You have withheld your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove ME now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
Leviticus 27:30, 32
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD."
There are others, but those were just a few.
No one can deny the "power" of money. Everyone needs it, and everyone wants it. People do CRAZY things to get it sometimes! Letting go of it is the hardest part of all. God wants us to give joyfully unto Him! So, why do I struggle with this so much? Sometimes, I don't, but today... I really did.
Most of you know that it's tax refund time. Beyond that, God blessed me with extra money from school grants and Joey extra money from being deployed longer than 365 days. This time, our 10% from our usual 1st of the month paycheck, added to 10% of the other money that we've been blessed with this week made this check a very difficult one to write. It was a check for over $1,000. Normally, I wouldn't post such personal information, but this is more than a quick blog.. it's a testimony. Now, some people would think that it's crazy, and honestly, this is how I felt today. After crunching all of the numbers, when I began writing this check, something came over me.... I can't even explain it. It felt like a surge of negative emotions; fear, anxiety, panic, shock, hesitance... it just overpowered everything in me. It was so overwhelming that I "freaked out" for lack of a better term and literally start tearing up. I stared at the checkbook with that seemingly large number staring back at me. I couldn't bring myself to write anything else on the check. I finally said to Joey, "I can't do this... I don't know why, but I just can't", then ran upstairs and buried my head into my pillow. I felt guilty and unwilling... I am supposed to be giving JOYFULLY unto the Lord.... so why am I feeling like this?
2 Corinthians 9:7
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
I want to be a cheerful giver... ALWAYS, but today was overwhelming for some reason. After praying, I realize that everything I have is a result of God's glory. I look back at 4 years ago when all 4 of us were living in one room of my dad's house. We had nothing. We were living in sin. We were struggling in our relationship and in life. We were trying to survive on about $9.00 per hour with Joey's job. We haven't been perfect, but I realize that every good thing that has happened in our lives has been given to us since we have been faithful to God. I have heard that whatever you give to God, he will multiply it 10 fold. Even though I struggle sometimes with sowing my tithe money, I am thankful that I have reached a place where I can take a step back and really pray and reflect on the situation, then realize that I am blessed far beyond the large check that I wrote today. I realize that I was only thinking of the other "fun" things I could do with that money, and I know that wasn't a mindset that was coming from the Lord. After all, I still have the other 90%.... am I really that selfish? I am still a work in progress, but as each payday passes and each seed is sown, I may not be THEE most cheerful giver, but I can tell that God is really helping me with it. I am so thankful that I have my amazing husband to not only be loving, giving, caring, and just amazing in general, but he is also an amazing man of faith, and has a wonderful relationship with God. When I was upset, he came upstairs to help me to understand and comfort me. He reminded me that it's all he has ever known, and shared with me an amazing story about my mother-in-law giving him and his brothers/sisters a quarter as a child for a gum-machine, then giving them an extra 2 or 3 cents to save towards Tithes (isn't that an awesome way to teach a child what tithing is and the importance of it?). I never really understood it, but I'm really trying my best to not only understand, but to also become that joyful, cheerful giver that I need to be 100% of the time, not just 60% of the time.
God has blessed me abundantly, and I thank God for his mercy, understanding, and grace.
I am a Christian. I am far from perfect, and I will not hold myself above others because of my relationship with God. Often times I feel as though Christians are put under a microscope on a daily basis. Whether it is intentional or not, there are many people who pay more attention to someone who has proclaimed that they are living for God, almost as though they are watching and waiting for the day that the person messes up or does something "less than Godly". When it does happen (because, like I said, we WILL mess up. We are HUMAN!), you can tell that it is almost gratifying for the person that has been paying such close attention, as if it is their "AH HA! CAUGHT YOU!" moment. I have felt this several times, and I try not to let it bother me. TRY. This is the key word! A true Christian does not think that they are exempt from failures, disappointments, sin, etc., but instead, it means that they try as best as they can to live in the way that would be pleasing to God. For me, it has been a learning process. There is still so much that I do not know or understand.
As a child, I never grew up in a "Christian Home". Don't get me wrong, my parents didn't encourage me to be a crazy, rebellious child, but God wasn't a part of daily life. A lot of the people that are now a part of my life grew up in the church; as a matter of fact, it is all that most of them have ever known. Some things that are normal and go without thinking to them are things that I've had to learn over the past handful of years since I have been saved. One of these things is Tithes and Offerings to the church. Actually, not just to the church, but to God.
I feel guilty just by saying it, but I want this to almost live as a testimony for not only those who haven't known God their entire lives, but also to those who have and still struggle with this from time to time.
Anyways, back to the subject...
God has been extremely gracious to us lately. His blessings are constantly flowing into our home unexpectedly and abundantly! I am so thankful for all that He is done... truly! However, today, as I was figuring out our finances for February 1st-15th, it was time to write out the Tithe check. For those of you who don't know (and anyone who has more knowledge than I do, please feel free to correct me if I mess any of this up!), tithing goes back into the Old Testament, where the Israelites were to give 10% (the word "tithe" means "tenth") of everything that they earned/grew to the Temple.
Malachi 3:8-10
"Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, "In what way do we rob or defraud You?" You have withheld your tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.
Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove ME now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
Leviticus 27:30, 32
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD."
There are others, but those were just a few.
No one can deny the "power" of money. Everyone needs it, and everyone wants it. People do CRAZY things to get it sometimes! Letting go of it is the hardest part of all. God wants us to give joyfully unto Him! So, why do I struggle with this so much? Sometimes, I don't, but today... I really did.
Most of you know that it's tax refund time. Beyond that, God blessed me with extra money from school grants and Joey extra money from being deployed longer than 365 days. This time, our 10% from our usual 1st of the month paycheck, added to 10% of the other money that we've been blessed with this week made this check a very difficult one to write. It was a check for over $1,000. Normally, I wouldn't post such personal information, but this is more than a quick blog.. it's a testimony. Now, some people would think that it's crazy, and honestly, this is how I felt today. After crunching all of the numbers, when I began writing this check, something came over me.... I can't even explain it. It felt like a surge of negative emotions; fear, anxiety, panic, shock, hesitance... it just overpowered everything in me. It was so overwhelming that I "freaked out" for lack of a better term and literally start tearing up. I stared at the checkbook with that seemingly large number staring back at me. I couldn't bring myself to write anything else on the check. I finally said to Joey, "I can't do this... I don't know why, but I just can't", then ran upstairs and buried my head into my pillow. I felt guilty and unwilling... I am supposed to be giving JOYFULLY unto the Lord.... so why am I feeling like this?
2 Corinthians 9:7
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
I want to be a cheerful giver... ALWAYS, but today was overwhelming for some reason. After praying, I realize that everything I have is a result of God's glory. I look back at 4 years ago when all 4 of us were living in one room of my dad's house. We had nothing. We were living in sin. We were struggling in our relationship and in life. We were trying to survive on about $9.00 per hour with Joey's job. We haven't been perfect, but I realize that every good thing that has happened in our lives has been given to us since we have been faithful to God. I have heard that whatever you give to God, he will multiply it 10 fold. Even though I struggle sometimes with sowing my tithe money, I am thankful that I have reached a place where I can take a step back and really pray and reflect on the situation, then realize that I am blessed far beyond the large check that I wrote today. I realize that I was only thinking of the other "fun" things I could do with that money, and I know that wasn't a mindset that was coming from the Lord. After all, I still have the other 90%.... am I really that selfish? I am still a work in progress, but as each payday passes and each seed is sown, I may not be THEE most cheerful giver, but I can tell that God is really helping me with it. I am so thankful that I have my amazing husband to not only be loving, giving, caring, and just amazing in general, but he is also an amazing man of faith, and has a wonderful relationship with God. When I was upset, he came upstairs to help me to understand and comfort me. He reminded me that it's all he has ever known, and shared with me an amazing story about my mother-in-law giving him and his brothers/sisters a quarter as a child for a gum-machine, then giving them an extra 2 or 3 cents to save towards Tithes (isn't that an awesome way to teach a child what tithing is and the importance of it?). I never really understood it, but I'm really trying my best to not only understand, but to also become that joyful, cheerful giver that I need to be 100% of the time, not just 60% of the time.
God has blessed me abundantly, and I thank God for his mercy, understanding, and grace.
Abundant blessings and cheerful giving,
-Ashley
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