"First comes the love, then comes the...whaa..??"

Ah, don't we all remember the little childhood rhyme? Though, looking back, not much "childish" about it, ha! But from a very young age, it seems we are taught that there is a certain order and structure to life that is meant to be followed. In some aspects, yes, I do agree. But in this newlywed  phase of life, when it seems like everyone around me is popping out the little ones, all the singles are getting engaged, all the marrieds are celebrating life milestones, I think know that the main thing the Lord is trying to teach me is to sloooowww dooowwwwnnnn....

Did you happen to read through all that crossed out stuff? If you didn't, don't worry you didn't miss out on anything except IRONY. (Which means you need to go back and read it. Now.) In case you did read it and the irony is lost on you, let me explain. I started this post (yes, that exact above paragraph) on June 18th of this year. I never finished it because I didn't know how to finish it, and also for one other reason. Less than one month later, on July 16th to be specific, I found out I was pregnant. I am sitting here laughing to myself and shaking my head (lol-ing and smh-ing?) even as I type that out because it is so...yes, I shall say it again...ironic!! I mean goooo figure.

In some ways I think writing out that pre-pregnancy post was me trying to prove to myself that I really was coming to accept the fact that I don't need to do things in the same timing as others. And that really is true. I don't. God has a timing specific to everyone's individual life, so why try to walk in someone else's shoes? So why am I pregnant, you ask? Well, fact is, birth control only works if you take it when you're supposed to. So there ya go.

(Sidenote: we always knew this would happen. Don't know how we knew, but we just did. Maybe God was preparing us? Or maybe it was just the simple fact that expecting me to remember to take a pill every day at the same time every day was absolutely laughable. Don't know that we'll be trying that again! That's a whole 'nother conversation though...)

So here I am, nearly a month later and now I have to deal with all these emotions I'm having.

Yay! I'm having a baby! You're only pregnant because you wanted to be like other people. I'm glad I'm pregnant! I wouldn't be if God didn't want me to be! You are so unprepared for this. There goes the rest of your life. That's what you get for not having discipline with your pills. You don't even like birth control! Therefore you should've expected to get pregnant; therefore, you should be happy. 

And so on and so forth. I wish I could say that early on, most of my thoughts were positive and that I was just bubbling with excitement. I mean, there were times that I did feel that way, but the fact is, my emotions varied so far and wide that I wasn't sure what was at the core of what I truly felt.

And then came the morning sickness. O. M. G. Worst three months of my life. I mean, seriously. Talk about teetering into depression. I lost between 3-6 pounds during my first trimester, and I only recently got back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Words simply cannot express how absolutely miserable it was to spend the majority of the day leaning over a toilet or always needing a trashcan next to the couch or the bed or always having to keep a plastic bag (or two or three) in the car because I threw up whenever I drove (or was a passenger!) from pregnancy-induced motion sickness. I got the worst hot flashes, and come to find out, public stripping is unacceptable. Everything smelled disgusting. Everything tasted disgusting. Commercials with food looked disgusting. Everything Jeremiah made during that time was disgusting. Life sucked. Blah blah blah. My poor husband! Poor ME!! haha.

It's true. Whoever called it morning sickness must've been a man or some very, very, very lucky woman.

(Sidenote: Want the gory details?? Once I brushed my teeth after I threw up because I didn't like the gross feeling in my mouth. The taste of the toothpaste made me gag, and I threw up again. At least I was already in the bathroom. Yay for positive thinking...!!)

(Sidenote part 2: I do give God all praise though because the way things were ordered, I ended up submitting my two week notice for Things Remembered just a few days before we found out about the baby! The decision to leave was totally unrelated to the pregnancy (I wasn't experiencing morning sickness yet), yet in God's perfect plan. Cuz there's no way I would've survived that retail job and those crazy hours and all that stress with how I was feeling! So glory be to GOD!)

You're probably wondering why in the world I'm sharing all this. I'm actually wondering this myself. Well, I guess I wanted to finish the post I started all those months ago :-) But seriously, even as I'm writing I know this can come across as a bunch of complaints with no real solutions. I guess there are some things I want to clear up, both for myself and for others. For one, I know it's easy to try to keep up appearances. For those of you who read this and are friends with me on Facebook, I'm sure you'd have to agree that most of my statuses are happy and excited about having a little one on the way, and let me be clear, those posts are totally genuine. But getting to the point where I could share that happiness and it actually be how I truly feel....well, that's been a process.

When you really think about it, no one expects for you (me--Christ-follower, married woman) to be feeling anything but sheer joy at the announcement of a child. And even if there's the slightest inclination towards that, no one would expect for you to be broadcasting those mixed feelings to the world. I mean, how un-Christian-like is that!? (more transparency needed in the body, anyone?) Also, it's so easy to hear about the good stuff with pregnancy, all the oohs-and-ahhs and not the hard, uncomfortable, I-think-I'm-going-to-die-why-does-sex-have-to-lead-to-misery-and-BABIES moments. Well, here I am, broadcasting. Just me and my flaws...flaws and all? I hate Beyonce. Well, hate's a strong word lol. Dislike. Where was I? Oh yeah. Broadcasting. The Lord has seriously brought me (and the Husband too, actually) a LONG way since that fateful July day, and it would just be wrong to not give testimony to what HE's done!

So there ya go. This is the intro to me sharing the spiritual, emotional, and physical road I've been travelling since finding out about baby girl (who I love immensely!). It's a road I didn't want to be on at first, but that I'm so thankful and HAPPY to be on now.

How'd I get from those initial emotions to where I am now? Why did I have mixed emotions to begin with? How has being pregnant affected my relationship with both God and the Husband? Stay tuned for Part 2....

The Month To Surpass All Months

It's here! It's here! We are officially in February and I am too hype, because that means my wedding is in just over three weeks! Ahhhh! Excitement, man. Excitement. So many awesome things are happening this month, I just have to share...

February 4

Bridal Shower! My maid of honor, who's been my best friend since like...forever!, has been totally enjoying herself by not sharing ANY details with me about the shower. Grrr! Oh well, I know I'll enjoy it :-)

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February 5

 The Favorite and I's 3 year dating anniversary! (Oh, you thought I was gonna say the Super Bowl?! I didn't even know it was on the fifth til my brother told me a couple days ago. Shows how much football I watch!)

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February 14

 Valentine's Day! Not even one my favorite "holidays," but I'm always down for chocolate :-)

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February 18

 Spiritual Birthday! On this day of 2001, Jesus drew me to Himself, opening my spiritually blind eyes to see my need of Him and His grace and mercy! No longer am I among the walking dead, but the alive in Christ!

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February 25

WEDDING DAY! "And the two shall become one..." It's so surreal; I'm marrying the love of my life! My first boyfriend is also my last, and I have the honor of being his wife! (And he has the honor of being my husband! hehe) Definitely pray for us, that we'll truly have a wedding & marriage that honors the Lord!

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February 26

 Cruise!! DEFINITELY looking forward to the honeymoon, ya'll. Nobody better try to contact us! ;-)

Do you see how much LOVE is in each of these days!? From the beginning of the month with people showering love and gifts on me and the Favorite, to the beautiful union we'll have before family and friends, love, GOD's love is so real and present. And with that in mind, I already know that there are probably more things that are going to arise during this month, some great, some not so great, but in the midst of it all, whether good or bad, I choose to rejoice, and I choose to count my blessings because they are MANY and my great God has been doing, is doing, and will continue to do a great work! 

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you 

will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

~Philippians 1:6

Yes, I'm Still Here!

Just in case anyone was wondering I have not fallen off the face of the earth or disappeared into world wide web oblivion. What's that you say, no one was wondering? Ah, who cares. :)

Life has been bizzaayyy lately, and Lord knows I want to blog more frequently but unfortunately it just keeps getting pushed further down on the priorities list. Can I give you some highlights though? ...I'll give them to you anyway!

This busy woman you see right here is me. Though I totally should've totally  photoshopped my  face in and used Paint (the program...not actual paint!) to color her arms brown. Eh, oh well, you get the picture. P.S., thanks Google Images!

I GOT MY WEDDING DRESS! Today actually. And lemme tell you it is lovely!! I went the non-traditional route and bought my otherwise insanely expensive way outside my budget dress used! Sites like recycledbride and oncewed are ahh-mazing, wish I woulda come up with the idea for those sites!

I've been cooking more! Yes, I could've put that in all caps, but to be honest, it just doesn't come across quite as epically (is that a word??) as something like getting a wedding dress. However, I've made all sorts of tasty things lately, like fried smothered pork chops, deviled eggs (more about that delicious disaster in another post), brownies, cakes, and more! I really do enjoy cooking...when I feel like it lol. I should probably try cooking more things my babe likes to eat since, ya know, we're getting married and all. Eh, he can try new things ;-)

I changed the name of my blog!! Now if you didn't notice this, please don't tell me. Just pretend like you were shocked when all of a sudden you clicked on my page and *GASP* My Life: Perpetua was gone!! I like the new title though, don't you? Maybe you'll like it even better once I explain why I actually changed it. Hehe.

I've got a bug! ...a shopping bug that is! I never used to be too big into shopping for clothes and shoes, though I did like purchasing things now and then. Ya see, I typically preferred to break my budget on something more temporarily satisfying such as say...yummy food! But now, I have a problem. A serious one. Hi, my name is Ashley, and I am addicted to TJMaxx! Lol. I'm serious though! Now I like to buy clothes, shoes, AND food, and my Things Remembered budget is getting squeezed to the Maxx! (yes, pun intended! corny, I know) One look at my purchases though, and I can't say I feel too bad. Girl's gotta look good, right? ...scratch that. Girl's gotta (help) save for the wedding and the future and college and ahhh! Okay, honest truth, it's just a couple cute splurges now and then ;-)

I'M GETTING MARRIED!! Yeah, I know that's not new news, but I think have good reason to be ecstatic! I love my man, and I do not exaggerate when I say I CAN.NOT. WAIT! to be his wife. I'm gonna be a MRS.!! I always thought Mrs. sounded old. Whatever, I'll take this matronly title any day. Well, in 123 days, to be exact... :-)

There is so so much more I want to share! God has really been teaching me so much it's crazy and exciting and painful and refining and ahhhh so much good stuff. I really want to discipline myself to make time for writing more, because I love to do it, I want to blog! Sounds easy peasy, right? Now to actually get 'er done!

Now about that time discipline thing? It's 1:53 a.m., which equals past my bedtime. Which is also about to equal either laying down in bed and watching something on Netflix  or laying down in bed and reading The Broker by John Grisham. Which is better? Well, seeing that the last time I watched Netflix before bed I watched For Colored Girls and went to bed depressed, I'll probably go for the book. Anyone else see the movie? Wait, don't respond to that question! I'll have to post about that movie at a later time, and you can talk then. In the meantime, I need to go to bed! :-)

He Proposed...And I Said YES!

I know, I know I haven't posted in a while and now I'm springing this news on you! Nope, no joke. As of Wednesday, April 6, the Favorite and I are engaged to be married!! Woohoo!!! Sooo exciting! :-)

Let me give you a little background. Since we both live in the DMV area (which is where I was born and raised), the Favorite has met all of my immediate family, but I only met his mom and one of his sisters once (when they came to visit up here!). We've been dating a little over two years, so it was definitely about that time to meet his fam. So we planned a trip to Miami (where he grew up) for a few days this month. The day before the trip (April 6th), we planned to meet to go to a Borders blow-out sale (yay books!) after I finished Bible study on campus. So we met up at the metro, and I must say I was quite happy when I saw him. Looking handsome as usual, I came up behind him and gave him a hug (shout out to Jamil for the cut and shape up!! lol!). Amidst lots of laughs and teasing, we finally found the Zipcar he'd reserved and set out for Borders. (Now something I should insert here that I didn't know until after the fact is that the Borders sale was just an excuse for us to meet up! ...I mean, not like an excuse was really needed hehe, but he did a good job in covering his tracks in making sure nothing seemed out of the ordinary.)

After some book hunting, the Favorite suggested that perhaps we could go to the National Mall to check out the cherry blossoms while they were in bloom, before the Festival ended. A few weeks prior to this day, we had actually been talking about the Cherry Blossom Festival (and how we always miss it!), so viewing some of the lovely blooms under the beautiful DC night lights sounded like a plan to me. (Sidenote: we didn't actually go! He had other plans...)

On the way there, we stopped by Potbelly, and anybody who knows anything about me knows that I love their sandwiches - a Wreck on white, to be specific - and also their chocolate malts! He dropped me off at the entrance, long enough for him to drive around the block while I got my sandwich. As we headed over to see the cherry blossoms, I rambled on about so many things, such as our upcoming trip to Miami and the poor service I had just received at my beloved Potbelly. Needless to say, I was rather aloof about anything that was about to happen!

Just look at that yummy delicious goodness!
Photo courtesy of Google Images

Once we parked on the Mall we simply wandered for a bit, talking, laughing, and reminiscing on the many times in the past that we'd done the exact same thing. (As a matter of fact, he asked me to be in an official courtship/dating relationship with him at the Washington Monument!) We happened upon (actually, no. I found out after the fact that the Favorite had scoped this place out months ago!) this lovely garden that, as many times as I've been on the Mall, I had never seen before. It had a huge cast iron fountain in the center, with several perfectly placed lights to illuminate the unique foliage that surrounded it. We sat on a bench across from the fountain, and the Favorite pulled out a book that we have been going through for a few months now entitled, 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged. This wasn't at all odd or out of place, because we pretty much would take the book whereever we would hang out. Dinner, the movies, the park, anywhere! It was a fun and interesting way to get to know each other even better, and also to prepare us for the marriage that we both knew would inevitably come, though neither of knew (or at least I didn't!) when.

Photo courtesy
of Google Images

In order to keep the book from getting too monotonous, we would each pick a number and ask each other the question associated with that number. That night was no different. One of the questions was about love, and whether or not the love we demonstrated to each other lined up with biblical love. Then, he asked me whether I thought we were ready to be engaged. Of course I said yes :-) But again, this wasn't weird or out of the ordinary because it wasn't like this was the first time we'd talked about engagement and marriage! **disclaimer: details from this point forward get a little blurry because it seemed so surreal!** We went back to the book, and the Favorite began flipping through it, looking for a particular page. He said something along the lines of him running across a question that we hadn't gone over yet. And there it was.....

Question 102.



Ashley Danielle Strickland,

Will you marry me?

I stared at the page, jaw dropped. As I lifted my eyes to look at him he began to kneel, and pulled out a little box with a beautiful ring inside. Somewhere in the midst of this, I said yes!! :-) He slid the ring on my finger then wrapped me in a tight hug. It was all so beautiful! 

I must have said "oh my gosh" at least thirty thousand times that night because I was in such shock. Jeremiah would just sit and gaze at me with a smile, while I had a huge grin plastered across my face, shaking my head saying "oh my gosh" and looking back and forth from the bling on my finger to his content face. A few minutes after he proposed, I said I needed to walk around for bit. As we strolled slowly around the garden, it finally hit me: I AM ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED!!! I squealed and the Favorite spun me around. (I'm smiling to myself just remembering!) He pulled me into a hug, and we stood there like that for a few minutes. I remember saying "Oh my God," and it was at that point that it really began to sink in the depth and significance of this moments. It wasn't just the fact that the Favorite, whom I love, wanted to marry me, it was all the fact that our Sovereign God who sits high in the heavens has been ordering my steps and his for years prior to this moment!!

Just to give you a snapshot (It didn't begin here, but this is where I started putting it all together)... 
--Family financial situation caused me to leave six years of private Christian school education to go to public school. The school opened my eyes to the desperate need in the black community for believers to take a stand for righteousness found in Christ! This prepared me for the next step...
--I didn't get into my college of choice; not because of grades, but because of a paperwork technicality! So I ended up going to Howard, my last choice of school (which I now love!) Howard led to ministry opportunities...
--I got involved with Howard's chapter of the Impact Movement, which allowed me to put feet to my faith and to fulfill my God-given desire to reach out to the African American community on the college campus (and at Howard, pretty much the whole campus is black, hence HBCU hehe). I was actively involved with evangelism, discipleships, campus outreach events, and more! The Favorite and I met through ministry...
--Jeremiah was a junior and President of our Servant Team on campus when I came onto campus as a freshman. We got to know each other through service to the Lord, and initially we weren't really even attracted to each other; we were just brother and sister in Christ! But as time progressed, we both began to realize that the Lord was changing our hearts toward each other...
--February 2009, after talking to my dad for his approval, the Favorite asked to begin an official courtship with me. It hasn't been all flowers and ice cream (weird combo, but you get my drift), but the closer the two of us grew to the Lord, the closer we grew in our relationship with each other. Time progressed and...
--April 6, 2011, two years, two months, and one day after beginning dating, the Favorite once again sought my father's approval, and upon receiving it he asked for my hand in marriage! Yayyyy! And here we are now :-)

So there is a very brief snapshot of how the Lord has ordered things long before I even realized it! Of course there's more (He knew me before I was even in my mother's womb!), but just to give you an idea. We certainly DO serve a risen Savior; I have His testimony in my heart and in my life! (Here's my Happy Resurrection Sunday plug!)

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Well to make to this long exciting story short(er), basically we ended up leaving the Mall and going to my house where I shared the news with my siblings and parents, and took lots of pictures! We stayed for hours and it was just a wonderful time! And then the next day we left for Miami where the Favorite introduced me to his family as his fiancee :-) God is good, eh?

I welcome prayers as God continues to prepare the Favorite and I for the wedding and our lifelong covenant of marriage!

I Miss Blogging!

I've allowed myself to get "too busy" to blog, and I simply don't like it! I'll attempt to catch you guys up with all you missed during the end of January, the month of February, and the beginning of March!



This was me while I was sick. Except I'm not white.
 And I'm not blonde either. In case you didn't already know! ;)
Photo courtesy of Google Images

Well, I got super sick around the last week of January and lost at least ten pounds! Those of you who haven't ever seen me in person don't realize that means I weighed a whopping 93 pounds! It was quite scary; Much to my dismay, I could tell my clothes were bigger on me! I am QUITE thankful that I got over that little bug I had and have gained most of the weight back! I am trying to stay on top of taking better care of my body. Right now I'm attempting to do this by monitoring what I'm putting into my body (i.e., foods and vitamins) but I hope to soon get my bike out of storage and get back to riding it! Now there is an exercise I actually enjoy :)

Photo courtesy of Google Images

A few weeks prior to this happening, I got a new job! But it just so happens that I was sick during that first week I was supposed to start, so I ended up starting late. The Lord worked it all out though! So I've been at this job for a little over a month now; time sure does fly by!

Three main highlights of February: the 5th, the 14th, and the 18th! February 5th marked two years that the Favorite (also known as Jeremiah) and I have been "officially" courting/dating! We had a fantastically fun day spent enjoying an overcrowded IHOP, exploring a nearly deserted in-need-of-tearing-down mall, laughing and joking in a photography studio (maybe I'll post pictures at a later date!), and lots of talking in between! I so enjoyed that day ;)

When I got in the car, the Favorite had a
pretty pink rose on the seat!

We decided to celebrate Valentine's Day on that Friday the 18th instead of on Monday the 14th, and that was sooo fun! We both dressed up which is always fun (he look quite dashing, I might add, hehe)! He picked me up from work, and in the car I was met with an abundance of chocolates AND chocolate covered strawberries, YES! :) We went and picked up the pictures we had taken on the 5th, and also purchased 4 (yes, you read that right - f-o-u-r) purses! Before you get on my case, let me tell you the total price for those FOUR purses: less than 20 bucks! Oh, and they weren't all for me, f.y.i. :)


Chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva AND cakelove!

The Favorite hadn't told me where we were going for dinner in advance, but once we were almost there, he shared the name of the place and let. me. tell. you. I was THRILLED. It was a Brazilian steakhouse called Fogo de Chao in DC. Each of us was given a card--one side red, one side green. When the green side was facing up on the table, the servers constantly came to the table to give us different cuts of meat!! Our taste buds were on overload (in the best possible way), so after awhile we had to flip that card over to the red side to simply rest from eating! The environment was wonderful, and I loved the bathrooms (I have this thing for really nice bathrooms...don't ask. Actually, ask away if you so desire, hehe). We had so much fun there; I loved it. (And I would HIGHLY recommend it to any and everyone! ...assuming you aren't a vegetarian, hehe.) We closed out the night by going to a small jazz club called Twins Jazz. It was so relaxing to just sit, chat, and take in the live jazz being played. What an exciting, memorable night!

At Twins Jazz in DC. I love the red behind us! :) 

Another exciting thing about that Friday the 18th is that it was my spiritual birthday! I turned 10 years old in "spiritual years." I am so thankful for that sermon my pastor preached when I was in the sixth grade that opened my eyes to my need of grace and forgiveness from my Lord Jesus Christ. What a journey it has been since then! My prayer is that 10 years from now every single day will show more growth than the day before in my walk with the Lord.

Well, those are the highlights of my February!! It's so hard to believe we're almost halfway into MARCH! Time sure does fly by! I would love to hear if there have been any exciting updates or changes in you guys' lives in the past few weeks and month(s)!

24 Years and Counting!

Happy 24th Anniversary to my amazing parents!! 24 years, 7+ houses, 6 kids, 2 (soon to be 4!) high school graduations, 1 college graduation, and 1 son-in-law later, they are still so in love with each other and still serving the Lord!! I'm really thankful for their godly example of love. I'm not married yet, but when I am, I know that there are so many positive aspects of their union that I'd like to model! Not everyone can say that, so I know it's a blessing. :-)

Once again, Happy Anniversary, with many, many, many more to come!

A Life Poured Out

Tonight I was greatly blessed and moved by a blog I read about a ministry outreach to orphans in Uganda. Moved is actually an understatement. Heartbroken and nearly bawling my eyes out is slightly more accurate. As I read through different posts and saw various pictures, I really felt like I was getting a really good depiction of biblical womanhood:  a young woman who's life was being completely poured out as she let go of her own life in order to show the love of Jesus Christ. (Kinda makes me think of Vibia Perpetua...)

I was about to close the tab where the blog was located when I suddenly stopped. Would this be it for me? Would I be one of the people who sees the needs of those who Jesus had the greatest heart for, is temporarily moved by them, and then goes to sleep in my comfortable bed, forgetting the things I have seen? I hardly believe that I happened upon this blog by chance, especially now that I feel so burdened! So I've decided to not walk away pretending I haven't seen the things I've seen, read the things I've read. It's kinda crazy/funny (okay, not funny, but yeah) that I just got back from South Africa and was more moved by the needs on a screen than the ones that were right in front of me. Granted, I was in a totally different position then. Outside of working with the children in Nkanini  (which was both heartbreaking and an incredibly beautiful and exciting blessing) I was on college campuses day in and day out, ministering to students who looked just like me, living in a place, though on a different continent, that was totally Westernized. I wasn't that much out of my comfort zone.

Children from the township Nkanini, in the city of Khayalitsha in Cape Town, South Africa. Listening to a Bible lesson we shared with them. Note: They were fascinated by the cameras. :)

I believe that living a life in full surrender to Christ is to let go of the comforts and conveniences that this world offers, counting all as loss for the sake of the gospel of Jesus. That doesn't necessarily mean that God will send all of us to third world countries where sharing the gospel will be a daily risk to our lives. But who's to say that isn't what God has for us? So often we (yes, myself including) limit the plans God has for us simply because it isn't within our realm of comprehension. But why should it be? God is wayyy more than we can wrap our minds around, so of course His plans are too awesome for us to understand completely! Yet He uses us, sinful vessels, filling us up and pouring us out if only we'll allow Him to use us to the extent that He desires:  completely.

I don't know about you, but I don't want a life that I plan out myself. I don't want a life that keeps me comfortable. I don't want a life where I'm never stretched. I don't want "the good life" that is so consumed with my little world that I miss out on the best that God has planned for me, in order to further His kingdom! I know God has me where I am right now for a reason, so all I'm trying to do right now is PRAY for those that I don't have the ability to physically reach out to at this stage of my life, and to grow and take in all the lessons God is trying to teach me, so that when He calls me to move forward into whatever He wants me to be, I'll be as ready as He wants me to be.  I greatly encourage you guys to evaluate your life right now. Are you where you want to be, or where God wants you to be? His best is better than our will ever be, and I hope that you'll seek the Father for the incredible, fulfilling life He desires to give His children.

Playing Catch-Up

It's been a while, I know. I disappeared for over a month, during which time I was in Cape Town, South Africa on a missions trip. God went to WORK on that trip, and moved in my heart and the lives of others in a way for which He clearly gets all the glory! 

Met a student at Stellenbosch University that was truly in love with the Lord and desired to see people on her campus come into a personal relationship with Jesus! God always leaves a remnant...

Holiday Club in Nkanini, Khayalitcha, one of several townships in Cape Town. This group is only the little kids; there was an entirely different (larger) group of older kids! Some of them accepted Christ! Aren't they beautiful!?

UWC was like the HBCU of Cape Town! (Shout-out to HU, the best HBCU in the US!) I loved this campus and all the people there! Sharing my faith on this campus was an experience I pray I'll never forget!

It was cool for us to be back in our Motherland! All of our different complexions, all the different places we're from, yet we all had the common bond as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, a bond that holds together people of all races and nationalities who accept Him as their Lord!

One of our final debriefs in Cape Town was about "re-entry stress," which in short involves what our reintroduction to American society would be like, especially for those of us (nearly all of us!) who'd never been out the country before. It has definitely been an adjustment for me, and I miss the team and the people I met in Cape Town a TON, but I'm so thankful God allowed me to have the experience of fulfilling His Great Commission on the other side of the world. Our God is an INTERNATIONAL God! How great He is. :) 

The team at Dulles Airport in Virginia before flying to London-Heathrow. This was back before we really knew each other... but doing God's work (and living in close quarters!) has a way of drawing people so much closer together!

When I got back from the trip, I was still really busy! My family moved while I was gone, so I began unpacking things from the trip. I got to catch up with my family and my Favorite, which has been awesome. :)

Back stateside with my awesome family!

He's my Favorite.<3

I could end this post here, but other cool things have happened too! I got to meet up with high school friends for the first time in a year or two! It was cool being able to catch up with the people I graduated with. We're definitely a multi-cultural group, and I just love that. 

Me and a few of the girls I used to hang out with in high school.

Some awesome news is that Alisha at Soul in Bloom and Jamil at Amped Soul are now engaged! Here's their blog shout-out: CONGRATS again! I'm so glad everything with the proposal went well and that it was an enjoyable day for them and all involved. 

The happy, newly engaged couple! I know God is honored by their current relationship and the union to come!

Yay! As an added plus to the engagement, my friend Sevrena (first from the left) surprised us with a visit! Definitely a highlight of the weekend for me!

So much is happening in life these days, but I want to still blog as much as possible! I hope to give more details about the trip to Cape Town in the coming days/weeks, but we shall see! I wonder what everyone else in the blog world has been up to during the past weeks/month? Staying busy and having fun, I hope! :) Until I write again...

In Active Pursuit

Have you ever had that weird feeling that someone is watching you? or, even worse, following you? It's somewhat creepy to constantly be looking over your shoulder, wondering if there's someone behind you with a target on your back, searching you out to do you harm. I don't know about you guys, but whenever I have a feeling like that, my fight or flight adrenaline quickly kicks in, so that should trouble arise (which, thank the Lord, it hasn't) I'm ready to be on the run!

Something that God has really been showing me (even when I'm not realizing it at the time!) is that there really is someone who's always following me. Always watching me. Always in pursuit of me, with one target in mind:  my heart. That someone is Jesus. From the beginning of time He has been in active pursuit of my soul, desperately seeking out for me, reaching out to me, trying to take hold of me, but for some reason, He has not succeeded. And that is certainly no fault of His. 

Just like when I get that creepy feeling that someone is watching or following me, deep down in my heart of hearts, in the depths of my soul I know that Jesus pursuing me. But even though I know it's for my best, for my good, that fight or flight feeling still seems to initiate, and I end up running away from the very One Who has the best of intentions for me. Why, oh why is this the case?

Over the past week or so, I have consistently been getting into conversations with people (close friends, mostly) about a topic near to my heart (perhaps too near...). It finally, FINALLY hit me today that the repeated occurrences of people talking to me about that very thing were not merely coincidences; these were people God was using to bring attention away from what I was holding so close and put all the focus on HIM! Sounds so obvious, right? Well initially it wasn't to me, but I finally figured it out, thanks to the Holy Spirit's continual and consistent and repeated prodding.

So all this time I've been acting like Gomer, in flight mode, running and running and running away from Hosea, a man who loved and pursued her in spite of her adultery and unfaithfulness. I am that unfaithful bride, who's chosen to run after things of this world, things that don't satisfy, don't sustain, don't do anything for me except draw me away from my eternal and perfect Lover, the one who has faithfully pursued me in the midst of my unfaithfulness. All this time I was deceiving myself, assuming that I was indeed the good soil, being fruitful and productive and mature in the Lord, when in reality His seed of the Word was being choked out by all of the thorny, temporal things of this life I've allowed to take priority.

Well, it's about that time to fall back in love with my Savior, to be His faithful bride, because to learn to be faithful and to love a fraction of the amount that He does would be to be faithful and to love in an incredible way, a way that I've been unable to do apart from Him. I feel like David in Psalm 51:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (emphasis mine)

I praise the Lord for His patience, His long-suffering, His love, and for His active pursuit of my heart; it is because of Jesus that I now am able to repent and return.