Dreams becoming Reality

WOW! 

That's what I find myself saying almost everyday for the past 3 weeks...WOW! 

In case you haven't heard, Michael and I are about two weeks out from opening our very own restaurant!  We are opening a franchise called Cheeburger Cheeburger in Bayou Vista, LA (just outside of Morgan City) In case you haven't heard of Cheeburger Cheeburger you can check em out at www.cheeburger.com!!! 

WOW- right!? The reality that we are actually opening a restaurant is taking a bit to really hit home with me.  This has been a dream of Michael's since he was a little boy.  The history and connection to the franchise is that Michael's uncle actually opened the FIRST one and started the franchise.  

So as a young boy Michael grew up helping around the store, making cars 

(<<<which are little paper cars that the kids meal's come served in)                                                                                                                           and having his own Cheeburger Cheeburger has been a childhood dream. 

Here is Michael with his brothers and sister.
How adorable huh?!

(From left to right is Alex, Michael, Jamie and Anthony) 

This is pictured at the original store on Sanibel Island, FL. 

Shortly after we got married, we started this little game with each other as we would drive around town.  Whenever either one of us saw an empty or vacant restaurant spot or shopping center spot we would get the others attention and randomly say "what if we put a Cheeburger Cheeburger there!"  

Then we began talking about it as if we were seriously searching for a good piece of real estate.  But, it was so fun to dream out loud and imagine all the possibilities of what COULD happen one day.  The reality of that was SOOOOOO far away that neither of us really thought it would happen any time soon if ever.

 So now after almost three years of dreaming... it's really becoming a reality and it's so hard to believe! 

What I love more than ANYTHING else about this entire opportunity or process is this-  That God gets ALL of the glory for ALL OF THIS!!!  Because really, we are two 25yrs olds, no degrees in business, no REAL restaurant experience (I mean we both worked as a server but that pales in comparison to what it takes to be prepared and know how to open a restaurant), but we've had a dream to open a Cheeburger Cheeburger and we've trusted the Lord and relied upon the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and equip us as He's called us.  Bottom line we refused to believe it was impossible- because with Him all things are possible!  And we are so thankful for His favor and how He has orchestrated every detail in this entire process.
To Him be all the GLORY!!!

This is such an exciting season to be apart of and I am so thankful for the support and encouragement from everyone in our lives.  We are so blessed!!!  I can't wait to share more soon 

PS. We open April 13, 2012!  

Pass the carrots please

I'm not even sure if there would have been enough carrots to save me as a child from my horrible eyesight.  

School mornings were always tough growing up, every morning my mom came to wake me up I seemed to have some type of stomach flu that attacked me in the middle of the night and was only curable by staying home from school.  Obviously my mom always saw through that, but it did cause frequent late mornings and which often meant I missed the bus.  Unlike other parents who would've just driven their child to school, my mom would drive as fast as she could and hunt down my bus.  We would chase each bus we saw until we found my bus number, and follow them to the next stop so I could get on.  

(All of this was normal to me, who knew most people just got to their bus stop on time, huh?!)

I remember the day my mom realized I needed glasses very clearly...

It was the beginning of a new school year, and I had just started 2nd grade.  I was already familiar with the bus chasing routine, and as we were getting close to the back of the bus my mom asks "is that your bus number?"  All I could say was "get closer, I cant read it!"  So instead of getting on the bus that morning, I quickly visited the eye doctor for the first time and came home with my first pair of glasses.  I was amazed at everything I was able to see so clearly with my glasses. 

As the years went by my eyes got worse and worse, and so my glasses got thicker and thicker..  

Fortunately for me contacts are my best friend.  What amazes me, since I am able to sleep in my contacts, is that I often FORGET how blind I really am.  However, I am reminded every now and then when I have to pull out my glasses and wear them for a few days.  It's the worst few days because I am all disoriented everywhere I go, but I am so grateful for my contacts and the ability to see clearly! 

That's often how it is when we come to Jesus.  We were blind to His grace and forgiveness and the LIFE that He offered to us and then He opens our eyes.  In the beginning, we are amazed at everything in our lives we are able to see so clearly.  But after awhile we get comfortable in Christ, forgetting sometimes that we cannot see on our own.  As if having the ability to see now has something to do with US, and losing sight of how BLIND we really are with out Jesus!  

What a great way to be reminded that we are all the same distance from the cross!

Celebrate Recovery

It has been a month now that I have been leading the women's Celebrate Recovery group at Crossroads, and it has been incredible!  Deciding to lead this group was an anxious decision for me at first,  full of doubt and worries wondering if I was going to do a good job, but every week God has shown Himself faithful.  His Word is the rock that I stand upon through the doubt and worry.  

 "And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.   Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me" *2 Corinthians 12:9*

It truly amazes me, because every week (without fail) I get this nervous knot in the pit of my stomach, doubts pop up, and its like I'm on a roller coaster as it slowly cranks to the top and I have no choice but to enjoy the ride.  And to my surprise I am really enjoying the ride, every week as the class ends I gather my things and stand there in amazement at what God just did- not just in the hearts of the women in the group but in MY heart.  I am so dependent on Him to speak through me and be made strong in my weaknesses.  Nothing I teach will be effective unless He opens their hearts to receive and believe, because ultimately nothing can bring freedom to our lives from the past besides His redeeming love!  

The title of the study we are doing this month says:

 "Stepping out of denial and into God's Grace"

I thought that was so encouraging for anyone, because the truth is we are all affected in our lives, we've all been hurt and we have (or still do) struggle with how to handle that pain or disappointment.  And often we just deny it, pretending its not there or that it doesn't bother us anymore, rather than exposing it to Jesus and letting HIM handle our hurts 

(He's the best at that!) and He's the only one who can bring a WHOLENESS back to our heart!  

Let's celebrate our recovery! 

busy busy bee!

We have been such busy bee's this summer!  The past four months seem to be a giant blur of traveling, work, cleaning, laundry, church, more work lol, and everything in between.  I've found myself saying recently "when things slow down" but then realizing that things haven't slowed down 

and I'm not sure when they will !!!

So I've made a pre-new years resolution (and I'll probably renew this one come January!) To slow myself doooooown! 

 Ecc. 3: 12 "I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and do good so long as they live"

I rejoice in the busy schedule and will  seek wisdom on how to slow down a bit (at least slow enough to find time to blog)

Collections

Growing up I used to love to collect things.  I had so many different collections.  I collected china tea sets, coins, barbie dolls, ty beanie babies, anything Eeyore, porcelain dolls, baseball cards and spoons.  I don't know how exactly I started collecting spoons but that was my favorite thing to collect.  As I got older and began traveling,  I would specifically look for spoons that were unique to remind me of the place I visited.  Each spoons carries with it a flood of memories of the places, people, and experiences.  When I look at all the spoons its like I'm looking through photo albums of incredible memories.  And there are few things that bring me joy like finding a really awesome spoon on vacation (its like finding the golden egg in an Easter egg hunt - which I did that too!) 

I just acquired my 56th spoon and it has quickly become one of my favorites.  It is one of my favorites for a few reasons- first, it is very beautiful and unique in shape and detail and second, because it was found this past Easter weekend on our vacation.  

When I look at the spoon all I can think of is "change", and it fills my heart with comfort and joy as I reflect on things that are changing in my life and how Jesus never does.  He is my rock and my salvation and on Him I place my trust, and I can rely on Him alone as I joyfully watch the change all around me.  

Planted and Rooted

Last May we purchased our first home.

It was an exciting time and filled with all sorts of new responsibilities like a mortgage, managing utility bills, mowing our own lawn, taking care of our landscaping, and other things that you never think about or take care of until you have a house.  I was so excited about our landscaping, because when we moved in there were nice beds made but all the plants had died over the previous winter freeze- which meant that I got to go pick out all new plants.  I've always loved the idea of gardening but never have put that desire into practice and here was my chance!  I got gardenias and camellias and then some annual flowers to plant.  After it was all finished I felt so accomplished, it was so energizing to do something with my hands and then stand back and it look at what I had planted. 

When spring came around the corner this year, I was again excited to freshen up our landscape with new flowers and color.  So when I went to plant all the new flowers I thought it would be nice to have Jeter outside with me.  I put his rope outside, hooked him up and started organizing the plants.  Next thing I know, I turn around and Jeter and his rope are wrapped around one of the gardenia bushes.  He ran toward me and pulled the plant right out of the ground!  I realized it would not work having him outside with me, put him up and came back to the uprooted plant.  When I looked at it though, the roots hadn't been uprooted at all.  The plant had NEVER taken root over the past year.  I was amazed because it looked just as healthy as the other plants, and looking at it you would never know that it wasn't rooted in the ground and really growing.  

Jesus tells a parable about the seeds planted in different soil ~ Matthew 13:5-6 "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root."  

I wonder how many of us look good to others on the outside?  When compared to those around us we look like we are healthy and growing, but really we can be pulled 

out so easily because we're not rooted.  

Jesus continues in Matthew 13:8 "still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."  

The soil that he was describing in the parable was about our hearts and how we receive the word of God.  Jesus explains in Matthew 13:20-21,23 "The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away... But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it.  

This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." 

John 15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, 

so neither can you, unless you abide in Me." 

Jeremiah 12:2 "You have planted them, and they
 have taken root: they grow and bear fruit"

It is the condition of our heart that allows God's
Word to take root in our lives.  He causes
growth and fruit to bear if we remain in Him!

More Than I Ever Imagined

   I am a huge fan of... 

Some of my favorites are ColorSplash, Dear Genevieve, Sarah's House,  Holmes on Homes, and Curb Appeal.  However, my absolute favorite is Income Property.  I think I like this one so much because the rental spaces are usually in such bad shape that it IS hard to imagine it to be a livable space.  But more than just repair the structrual/foundation problems and renovate it to be lived in, I love how it is transformed into an incredible apartment.  I just imagine being a homeowner of one of those places and maybe feeling like it could get 'spruced up a bit' but never thinking it could ever be a place someone would WANT to live in.  I guess that's why the homeowners are always so surprised when they see the finished product.  

I've been so encouraged by the current sermon series at Crossroad's called "Imagine".  It's challenged me to really let my heart imagine and dream with the desires God has placed in me.  As I watch HGTV, at the end of the shows are the big reveals and almost every time, the first reaction is "It's more than I ever imagined it could be!"  (and maybe they just don't televise the bad reactions, but I have to believe they all turn out good).  I had never noticed that before until we started the "Imagine" series, and I thought it interesting how the designs are always 

"more than they could have imagined".  

I watch these designers on HGTV as they go into a space that often looks hopeless, but they don't look at it the way we do.  They see with their imaginations and are able to see a vision for that space and then accomplish an amazing design- more than the homeowners could have asked for or ever imagined.  

It puts a desire in me to have that kind of perspective of the world and circumstances around me.  I want to see with

 His eyes and understand with His mind.  

1 Corinthians 2:16 "...but we have the mind of Christ."  I want to look into a hopeless situation, and be able to imagine what the hope of Christ could do to transform their life.  

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen."      

~ Ephesians 3:20-21