Quirky Things

Ash Quirky-ness

Okay, so maybe the first quirky thing about me is that I didn't ask my husband about my quirky-ness because I already know WAY to many but he of course had some things to add that I didn't knew I did.

1. I sleep with my eyes open randomly and look like a dead person.

2. You flip a movie on after 9pm and I'm a gonner. I have even tried to make my husband think that I am still awake by looking at him every now and then so he won't think I'm sleeping.

3. Traffic is one of my enemies and I talk to the people in the other cars, who can't hear me. This started because I live in AKRON, not Chicago, so WHY why why are there so many traffic jams and accidents, especially when I have to be at work on time? I think people in Akron are weird drivers, seriously.

4. When I walk in the door from work I throw my coat on the floor instantly and throw my purse down and forget about it for awhile. I arrogantly think that it's not "my job" to hang my coat up. Who is? Not sure, I just don't want to do it. :)

5. I have HAVE to sleep with a fan by my head in order for me to get a good sleep.

6. I used to collect football and basketball cards until I was in high school and even got John Elway's autograph.

I'm positive there are many more, but Drew had to read for class so the list ends here and off to the dishes I go! My house needs some picking up love. I am a working mom to my house and barely can make time for it but here we go!!

Christmas Time

I am getting so excited but cannot believe that Christmas will be next week!
I still have some shopping to do. Next year I would rather people donate
goats, sheep, or school supplies in my name than have to run around to
find me a present that I don't really need.

Seriously, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the presents
do not make the day. I love being with family, eating great meals, and keeping Christ
the central focus and reason for all of this!

What I am excited for this Christmas:

1. being w/ both families (1 on Eve and 1 on the day)
2. seeing my sister after a whole year (but VERY sad that
I won't get to see Linds for Christmas :( )
3. meeting Roger, Jess's bf, for the first time
4. making my new Caramel Sticky Buns that will be a Belden tradition
5. sleeping under the Christmas tree w/ my husband on Christmas Eve

Drew and I get to drive to Perrysburg, OH where my parents are
for the night of the 23rd until early Christmas morning. Then all of
Christmas day we'll be with Drew's family.
Then the day after I have to work, I need prayer about that.

Merry Christmas one and all if I don't get back on here before!!!

picture just a little big?

I hope to change the size of our picture soon. Sorry if it's been an eye-sore and the nasty green! I was rushing out the door when I did that a long time ago and never changed it. Updates to come soon!

***Goals***

Lately, a godly woman has really taught me so much about making goals and setting them so I can achieve them. In past years, I have made goals such as:
- I want to climb Mt. Kilomijaro
- I want to travel to New York for a week
- I want to do 100 sit-ups every day rain or shine
- I want to run 5 miles every day

Okay, so some of these goals just aren't attainable for me in the next year, seriously, the climbing thing, what was I thinking? I want to make goals that help me live with God and people with intentionality and help me do things that are biblical that I would never do if I didn't have a goal in mind.

Goals for me are not to produce guilt trips when I can't achieve them, rather, they are to spur me to do more than I usually would. Here are a few for this year:
- run 4 X a week for 20 mins or more, intensely.
- this summer, paint my nightstands and dresser
- make a bday calendar so I can remember!
- take 20 mins to clean up each day.
- Memorize Scripture ( 1 vs each week)
- read 2-3 theological/Christian books this year.
- eat less Doritos by only having them 2 x a week

If you need more specifics & would love how to make attainable goals, I would love to help! I think you can still live spontaneously even when having these goals. The best part of this is it is challenging and pushes me to do things I would not normally do on my own.

A White..... Thanksgiving????

So, I'm sitting here all cozy with a ramekin full of baked apples, brown sugar, and oats. It is so wonderful! I love this time of the year but I can only handle the snow before Christmas, not after, which is when most of it falls unfortunately.

I grew up in Missouri and the first snowfall could be as early as Christmas or the week before, but I NEVER remember snow as early as the week before Thanksgiving, and LOTS of it. Now I live in Ohio, up by Lake Erie, and we have the fortune of getting all the lake-effect snow.

Drew and I visited my family near Toledo, OH for 3 days, the longest we have ever stayed with them since we've been married. We slept in every day, had a Thanksgiving meal, celebrated my dad's 50th Bday, watched my baby brother play basketball and played intense rounds of Scrabble with my mom.
It was really relaxing and my mom had the place all decked out for Christmas, the tree, the 50 snowmen, candles, and kitchen towels. It was shining in its full glory.

Today Drew and I put our tree up!

Christmas is coming!!!! but first Thanksgiving!!!!!!

The Best October

Kirra and Taylor came to our humble abode in Stow, Ohio for 3 days. It was amazing and Drew and I couldn't have been more encouraged. What I appreciate about Kirra so much is she is such a great question-asker. She always wants to know how I'm doing with the Lord, in my marriage, etc. Drew appreciates Taylor's challenging conversations. We were so edified these
past 3 days and I am so thankful to the Lord for them. Drew and I are secretly praying that they would move into our den in our
apartment. :)

Here is what we did while they were here:

- We gave them tours of the area we live in now.
- They treated us to Texas Roadhouse for Drew's birthday.
- Drove to Handel's, the best ice-cream I know, and ate our hearts out. I think the best part about that was the ice-cream lady just kept staring at us to order and would never shut the window.
- Talking until late into the night with our pj's
- had a birthday lunch for Drew with his family
- rode their very 1st ride in "Black Cat" our affectionate name for our '91 Toyota Camry.
- waking up late every morning with the Sutton's sleeping in the next room
- Bartholomeu
- hiked a Hampton Hills and took the 3.2 miles route; which took us forever, but was such an incredible time to be with Kirra and hear her heart.
- tried to eat lunch at a picnic table but the bees kept buzzing around us
- ate lunch in "Black Cat" where there still managed to have flies and bees.
- I think everyone drank about 2-3 gallons of coffee in the 3 days: morning, noon, and night
- attempted to watch a movie but everyone managed to fall asleep before it was half-way over
- eating dinner at our table and talking for 2 hours
- praying before they left and then running out the door, testing the speed and agility of "Black Cat" to get Kirra and Taylor to Megabus on time.

And every second of that I absolutely loved.
We love you guys so much, Kirra and Taylor. This weekend was priceless.

Martha, Martha, Martha!

I was convicted today of my busy nature.
I am trying to be a good wife, clean woman,
faithful friend, godly and pursuing of God,
devoted runner, involved daughter,
daughter-in-law, and sister.....
and I'm getting overwhelmed.

I forced myself to read Luke 10:38-42; where Martha
is doing and Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet.
How much of what I do during the night after I get
off work is in worship to God?
Most of the time I am resenting what I have to do
after working and using the entirety of my brain all day!

But, how am I able to serve God, encourage and love my
husband, and maintain relationships without
feeling all used up?

That is where the strength of the Lord is able to
win over my weaknesses everyday.
Is my identity in Christ......
OR
in the things I am to other people?

If my identity is found in Christ, then not being able to
sweep the floor a couple nights in a row, cannot or should not
really upset me. If my identity is found in Christ, it doesn't mean that
I want to be sloppy but it reminds me that I am
human and not capable of "doing it all." My foundation,
being, and everything is in Christ and that foundation will never crumble
or fade away.

Balance is so important, but sometimes, everything can't be balanced.
Sometimes, all there is is the MIGHTY strength of the Lord.
and I obviously have more time than I think because I am writing this
to a people I have no idea will read. :)

I love the Lord and need Thee every hour.
Why do I act like I don't most of the hours of the day?

Uncle Brian

My uncle Brian is a believer as of earlier this spring.
Today he is getting baptized with his 11 year old daughter watching, who is not a believer.
This is such an incredible blessing because since I became a believer about 15 yrs ago, my family and I have been praying for Brian's salvation. We were never able to be super close to him because he moved around and then we moved up north.

There were a couple times at Moody that I remember God commanding me to call him.
I would always be nervous because I knew that I was supposed to share Christ w/ Brian but thinking that he would never care to know more. So, I would call but get an uneasy or uncaring response. That was about 3 yrs ago.

Then this past spring, I received a text message from him, which I thought was odd because we don't really communicate very often. I called him the next day only for him to tell me that he has a personal relationship w/ Christ!! I couldn't believe it, which really shows my lack of faith in God, and about wept!

Since then, God has removed him to Kansas City where his daughter is. He is attending the church that my family went to when we were there. The same church that we would invite him to but he would rarely come! Crazy amazing!

He is getting baptized this morning with his daughter watching. Last night, one of the families who helped out in the youth group when I was in high school, had my uncle and cousin over for dinner. They have been getting to know each other since August or so, which is AWESOME!!

I can hardly believe what the Lord is doing but it is bringing nothing but praise and adoration for Him!!! Please continue to pray for my uncle and especially his daughter as she is so young and that she would follow Jesus.

i heart fall

i really love fall.
So I asked myself, why do you like fall so much? And here are the top 5 reasons:
1. Feeling cozy
2. Football and all kinds of parties w/ bonfires
3. Picking pumpkins and apples
4. wearing hooded sweatshirts and jeans
5. The colors
extra: Christmas is coming!!

I still remember being a kid and going to school w/ all my new supplies and coming home to ride my bike until 9:00 at night. Then on the weekends, my dad, brother, and I would watch the K.C. Chiefs. Sometimes I wish I could be a kid again. Then I see a bus drive by and think, maybe I should be a bus driver because a. I love kiddos, and b. i love school life and hours. But then I think about how I cut off the corners in our '91 Camry and cannot possibly imagine myself driving something 4 times as long!

FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON!!!!!!!

The pictures:
1. The tennies I got with my bday money. I love to run and getting new shoes is always exciting!
2. The towels are fall-like and we got them today.
3. We got some new blue pillows for our couch to match the walls.
4. Robeks is a JambaJuice for Ohioans; LOVE it
5. This candles smells wonderful!!!

Retreat

This weekend I went on a retreat to The Pines in good 'ol Fremont, Ohio. A one day retreat hardly allows me to be still before the Lord but you know, this retreat really allowed me to think about God, Christ, people, and how I fit in.

Older women are a treat to be around when you are 25 years old. I have spent 5 years in college with all people my age or younger. One thing I learned that sticks out so clearly is to not judge. Christ died on the cross to demolish sin and the disunity among His people.

Gossip is poison and what is the root and effect of gossip?... judging a person and allowing others to get in on it. I have witnessed in my own life how poisonous gossip is and have been challenged to stop, just stop.

Philippians 4:8 commands our minds to dwell on what is good, praiseworthy, pure, just, etc. How much more could I encourage someone for the work that they are doing, or for just who they are instead of trying to find one fault in them in order to exalt myself?

Jesus picked and hung out with 12 guys who had lots of problems...like me. But I bet Jesus didn't go around telling everyone how much money Matthew may have stolen as a tax collector. I know he didn't go around and told the other disciples how the 3 chosen disciples kept falling asleep while at the Garden of Gethsemene, and many other stories. Christ took those 12 guys and all their faults and gave them his trust. He entrusted these 12 to spread the gospel after he would be gone.

Christians are sinners; not perfect, sinless creatures. Unfortunately, because of sin, we are not able to be perfect on earth. And maybe I should pull off my mask of perfection and allow others to see the dirt, wrinkles, and scars.

It is my goal this year not to judge or gossip about people.
I need prayer.

The First Anniversary

I can't believe that Drew and I have been married one full year. At times it feels like longer but most times it feels shorter than a year because we have done so much in such a little amount of time. Drew and I only met each other 3 years ago and done so much of life together since then.

Here are some of the joys of the past 3 years:
Moody, bro-sis, graduating, almost having lock-jaw & going to the dentist, going to Chorale concerts, almost getting beat-up in the city, McDonald's, going home for Thanksgiving together so our families could meet and we weren't dating yet, Drew giving me a cookbook before we dated, receiving Parmesan cheese as a gift from Drew once, looking forward to phone messages on my room phone from Drew, going to Dairy Queen, my dad hitting Drew on the head with a tennis ball, Megabus from Toledo to Cleveland, getting a $75 car that still works!, renting the only apt that we had looked at, Myrtle Beach 3 years & running, having 1 car and always riding w/ each other, me driving on longer car trips ( just ask Drew), Buckeyes immersion, Tribe-appreciation, and Cleveland football.... I will never convert: GO CHIEFS!!!, precious little kids dressing up like characters from Little House on the Prairie, making milkshakes and omelets, talking alot all the time to each other, music, rising early to be w/ the Lord, running & praying, The Chapel, the bands, sleeping on our pull-out couch on Christmas Eve waiting for "Santa," Michael Buble, watching all 4 Lethal Weapons & being really sad that there wasn't a 5th, building a tv stand until 2am and realizing the TV is too big for it, the car almost dying on the hill on Smith Road, and the list could go on forever!

But most importantly we have learned so much about each other, the accountability w/ each other to pursue Christ more than we ever have, and to be so honest even when it's hard.
I love my husband.
I thank God for him every day.
The First Year

The Pleasure of Pride

"The pleasure of pride is like the pleasure of scratching.
If there is an itch one does want to scratch; but it is much nicer
to have neither the itch nor the scratch.

As long as we have the itch of self-regard we shall want
the pleasure of self-approval; but the happiest moments are
those when we forget our precious selves and have neither
but have everything else, (God, our fellow humans, animals,
the garden, and the sky.)" ~C.S. Lewis~

Steppin' Out

So, Drew and I are going to try this blog stuff.
Personally, I have never been a fan because this means that
I will probably spend more time on here than necessary.
But I know that I love to read others and keep up on lives
this way so I thought you could keep up on us, too.
But, phonecalls and letters are way more personal for me,
but maybe this little experiment will change my mind.

This is the last day of August, what!??

I barely recognized summer and now fall; I'm not ready.
I LOVE SUMMER and I love fall but fall makes me realize
that soon enough the snow will be coming. I hate snow after Christmas.
Welcome to Ohio.