THE Allison Legg got married. Now she’s Allison Quick and just as spectacular as ever. I’m so lucky to get to live life alongside a woman as incredible as her. To get the honor of being near the Legg family that weekend was such a great reminder of what strength and full dependence on the Lord looks like.
Beautiful. That’s the only way to describe the whole weekend.
THEN, my dear roomie Abbey and I got to spend an entire week together. We hopped to Waco and spent an embarrassing amount of time at Common Grounds. Luckily, their credit card machine was down and we could only pay with cash... so cowboy coffee didn't break the bank on this trip. We even got to spend a night in the dorms, re-living the college freshman dream and then the next night with our newly married friends Rachel and Corey! They are super grownups and have their own home together. I just love it. Their pets... either hate us, or like us too much. Its still debatable.
THEN, Hales got married! Oh my goodness, I still can't believe it was real life. All of 229 reunited with great rejoicing and maybe for the last time... at least for a long time. Laser tag, an absurd amount of sugar, TWO trips to Chuys, Crooked Tree coffee, decorating the church, standing there listening to Hales and Nick commit a lifetime to each other... the whole thing was just so fun. And now she lives in Missouri! Crazy crazy crazy. All my friends are so adult and live all over the place now.
and then back to the Forge!!!!
love this family so much.
sometimes we get to go to really cool places and do really cool things. and its all so secretive I never really know what to share.
SO. I wish I could tell you some of the really cool stories of late... but we've gotta keep things under wraps for future Forgies. sorry!!!!
but I'll do you one better, I share what God's been doing in my heart lately.
Over the last semester I have learned a TON. Almost too much at times... we say its like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. In this environment there is constantly something to learn, or someone to learn from and not nearly enough time in a day to process through it all. I feel like last semester I was constantly absorbing, soaking in new things every single day about the character of God, about my identity, and about how to live in community. But to let this all take root and bring about change... is an entirely different thing.That takes some work and effort on my part, absorbing isn't enough.
Vulnerability time.
Last semester I learned so much about beauty. I mean really, its like 3 posts down... check it out. Learning so much about what God sees as beautiful and really beginning to hear that my beauty has very little to do with the external things. I know... this lesson is old-school. 6th grade girls sunday school old. But as women we struggle with this time and time again. After really starting to understand beauty and letting my femininity become a bigger part of who I am, I thought I had "it beat." I was secure, strong, happy with my inner beauty Lacey.
oops.
time to learn a lesson.
January rolls in with a big dose of insecurity, for no apparent reason. And in my nieve, still so immature mind I'm screaming, "WHYYYYY is this happening again???? Why do I feel like I need to prove something to anyone??? I know its not truth.... but I'm just so burdened by this insecurity.... woe is me..."
#snifflesob #pitypartyofoneplease
Praise God for meltdowns. You just can't really hide that something is up when you cry in front of people. And praise God for people who are willing to be awkward and ask you whats going on. And Praise God for leaders who are bold and will call you out when you are believing lies. Here's the thing I'm having to re-learn.
Insecurity is not the boogie man. He doesn't just appear and hang out for awhile and victimize you. Its a lie, a hallucination of sorts... something that might appear real but really isn't true at all. I can choose to not acknowledge insecurity. I can choose to fight it.
The lies don't just vanish simply out of the knowledge that they exist. Nope. Bummer. We have to fight against our sinful, fallen nature everyday.
enter: discipline.
This semester we are diving into learning about spiritual disciplines and how they relate to living like a disciple. Discipline isn't there for punishment or to act as a sort of retribution for sin... an absolution of guilt. Its creating an opportunity for me to get out of the way and to let God speak. We so often ask, "what does it mean to hear the voice of God?" but I'm beginning to realize that far too often that something inside me that isn't fully listening.
I might do it all wrong, but I'm excited to learn what it could look like to listen to God with a whole lot less of me in the way...
and thats life right now! at least for today. Around here the lessons are ever-changing and always impacting.
current reads:
The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer
The Story of My Life, Helen Keller
The Divine Conspiracy, Willard
1 Peter 3:3-4
The Pioneer Woman Cookbook. I'm so obsessed. 4 sheet cakes in 2 weeks. no bueno/SO bueno.
Israel countdown:
38 days
If you ever have any spare time, you should totally read Beth Moore's "So Long Insecurity." Scripture alongside this book. Amazing. God has really helped me to become more and more and more triumphant over Insecurity. He rocks!!
ReplyDeletejust now reading this. i'm proud of you. keep fighting. i know you are beautiful.
ReplyDelete