Friday Five - Events for the last weekend of February

Listed below are are 5 events that grabbed our attention for this last weekend of February/beginning of March:

Friday, February 28 
Kristian Stanfill and the Passion Band in concert
World Outreach Church at 1921 New Salem Rd, Murfreesboro, TN 37128
http://wochurch.org/passion/


Saturday, March 1 10am - 4pm 
Dr. Seuss Celebration (FREE Admission!) and the Curious George™: Let’s Get Curious! Exhibit 
The Discovery Center at 502 SE Broad St, Murfreesboro, TN 37130
http://explorethedc.org


Last Weekend! Exhibit Ends March 2 (Hours are Saturday: 10 am - 4 pm, Sunday: 1 pm - 4 pm)
The Award Winning Exhibit: Wedding Dresses Through the Decades
Oaklands Mansion at 900 North Maney Avenue Murfreesboro, TN


February 28 and March 1 (Friday and Saturday, 7:30 pm, Sunday, 3:30 pm)
Pride and Prejudice
Springhouse Theatre Company at 14119 Old Nashville Highway Smyrna, TN 37167
Call 615-969-9273 for more info 



March 1 - March 8 9am - 6pm
Encores Murfreesboro Spring Consignment Sale
Mid TN Expo Center at 1209 Park Avenue Murfreesboro TN 37129

(image found via pinterest)





Must Have Music - Ellie Holcomb

I don't even know where to begin with the love we have for Ellie Holcomb. Her song Magnolia was the inspiration for the blog name and she's been singing beautiful truth in our lives over these months while we prepared to launch. When she started her Kickstarter campaign for a full length album we were thrilled! And As Sure As the Sun has far exceeded our expectations. Anytime we actually get a vote on what's playing in our home or car it's on full blast with many of the songs on repeat. As Sure As the Sun is a must have, but you won't need us to tell you that - you'll take one listen and Ellie Holcomb will convince you herself!


Before the full album was released I purchased the wonderful song Marvelous Light. When I played it for the first time in my car I released a flood of happy tears, thankful tears, tears of sheer joy, and hit repeat at least 3 times. The other song that I have on repeat is The Broken Beautiful - here's a glimpse - "you took my shame & you walked out of the grave so your love will take broken things & make them beautiful". Can I get an AMEN?! Only Hope I've Got, Night Song, Love Never Fails, Love Broke Through, and I Want to Be Free are my current favorites. OK, I'll be honest, I really want to listen to the entire album on repeat all day. It's true!! I even gifted it to the first person who sent me their email on Facebook and Instagram if that tells you anything :) Just get the album and sing praises from the top of your lungs - you won't regret it!

Check out this performance of Marvelous Light performed at The Well Coffeehouse in Nashville.



Also, to get another glimpse into the beautiful stories behind the songs visit Ellie's blog here.

What to do with our measure of faith….

When I began attending my church I had never read the bible except trying as a kid to thumb through the pink Precious Moments bible given to me as a birthday gift one year. I didn’t grow up in church except going on occasion and I just had an idea of what God & Jesus were about. Apart from praying when I really needed help or saying night time prayers and singing Jesus loves me with my kids, I really didn’t have a relationship with God or even know He wanted one with me. 

I even had Noah & Moses confusion - which one had the boat and which one did all the other stuff? The Word of God was just stories I had heard, it wasn't ALIVE in me, it wasn’t IMPRINTED on my heart

Abut six months in to attending church regularly, my church began a new year long discipleship program called The Journey. When the Journey started I knew that was just what I needed - a translator for all of this bible stuff. I thought I knew what I was getting into but I had no idea. Especially when they assigned Discipleship Coaches...  I get Kerri - the Pastors wife!! To say my my first thought was a holy one would be a blatant lie. My first thought was FEAR. I can't tell her my stuff! They'll kick me out! So I was committed to not blabbing. I'll get good teaching but I'm not telling her my junk or that I get Noah & Moses confused! But you know what? Every time I talked to Kerri she would ask me questions and I would just answer every question she had honestly. Like, no sugar, honest. What is up with that? How was she making me talk? I distinctly remember hearing myself talk to her and at the same time trying to tell myself to shut-up. HOW is she breaking down the barricade I built around myself? 

It bewildered me so much that at one point I just had to say - OK God, I haven't scared her away yet so I'm going to choose to trust you and her.

That was my first lesson in faith.

As I study through the bible, I can’t help but notice the relationship between faith and an action. Faith is not us with eyes shut curled up and blocked off afraid to look out at what is ahead & simply repeating: "I believe, I believe, I believe."

Faith requires AN ACTION!

You know what the cool thing about faith is? We all have a measure of it

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3

God even gave us something to start with! None of us no matter our faith level ever started on empty! We all start with a measure of faith but it is up to us to take the ACTION and act upon it. 

Faith is you making a move towards God, faith is getting outside of your comfort zone  Faith is standing on God’s promises for you! Faith is knowing you are loved. Faith is falling apart and trusting Almighty God will put you back together. Faith is in the face of adversity you know who is by your side. Faith is singing His praises in good times and bad

BE PART OF THE CROWD THAT WENT TO JESUS, GET OUT OF THE BOAT LIKE PETER & WALK TOWARDS HIM, BE LIKE THE CAANANITE WOMAN OF GREAT FAITH, BE LIKE THE BLIND MEN OF JERICHO & CRY OUT FOR HEALING, BE LIKE THE GUYS IN CAPERNAUM THAT WHEN THEY COULDN’T GET TO JESUS ONE WAY THEY TOOK THE ROOF OFF!!!!

Jesus didn't say "stay right here " He said "come follow me." Action is required.

Let me encourage you today. With your measure of faith - take action! If you don't know where to begin, pray that The Lord reveals your starting place. Follow Him, move in His direction. He'll get closer to you with every step you take towards Him. And with every step your faith will grow. When we become believers and we respond to Jesus’ call and direction in our lives, the Kingdom continues to express His presence here on earth and our LIFE IN FAITH becomes a testimony to others!


Father, thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for being our Provider. I pray that you soften the heart of every person reading this today. That you lead them to where their starting point is. That no matter how long they have been walking with you that their faith is increased even more. I pray your Word comes alive and is imprinted on every heart. I pray for you to highlight areas in each of us where we can operate in increased faith. In Jesus name, Amen.





The Who, The Why, The Real...

We felt led to begin this blog to connect and encourage - locally and globally. To support our local community and hopefully inspire you to do the same, but also to be a safe resting spot where we discuss not only our community, but our community as women, mothers, and friends. We want you to be yourself here - be real. And lets take this walk together.








Can't Miss Things for February!

Valentine's Day is done, but the fun for February isn't! Emily and I have been consumed with birthday parties for our boys! We can't wait to share the details of how the parties turned out. We didn't want to leave you hanging though for February events and there are a couple things you don't want to miss….

If you need to get out with don't forget to check out Barefoot In The Park at The Center for The Arts! The play is featuring wonderful local actors and runs through this weekend through 2/23.

Don't forget about everyone's favorite monkey either…the Discovery Center launched heir new Curious George exhibit Let's Get Curious and I'm sure its wonderful!

No matter what you decide to do - appreciate your time together - love one another - and speak kindly.




Manicure Your Heart


So, Emily and I are pretty big on creating a home that you feel comfortable in, a home that people feel welcome in, and spaces where you can feel creative. While all of that is wonderful (and it may be something we enjoy a little too much - ask our husbands) it doesn't replace the time we all need to spend creating a well manicured heart, soul, and mind.

One of the best ways to do that is to submerge yourself in God's Word every day, read amazing books, and subscribe to awesome devotionals. There are so many wonderful women and men who have a beautiful way with words and inspire us with their blogs. Find what works for you, but do it. Set specific TIME aside and be INTENTIONAL. It makes a difference in your every day living.

A new way I'm jumping in to be more intentional is journaling. I've never been brave enough to journal - you read that right - brave enough. I mean, what if someone finds what is actually running around in my brain? It may frighten most. ;) BUT I found this beautiful Lent journal and just the beauty of it convinced me. And the fact that Jessi, founder of Naptime Diaries, is one of those people who I mentioned before…who inspires us.

So, want to jump in? Is it being more intentional with your prayer time? Getting in to the Word more? Or is it journaling? I don't know what you need, but most of us could up our game in one area or another. I know I can.

If you'd like to join us in journaling with the Naptime Diaries' Reflective Lent Journal you can find it here. The journal is not dated, so it can be used any time of year and will serve as a great motivator to make us more intentional and focused. Honestly, we can't wait to get started! :)


grace and intention - reflecting on my words for 2013

Last year I was inspired to make some goals thanks to finding Lara Casey . Not resolutions, as those seemed to easily get broken or forgotten about a week or so into the new year, but to be more specific about what I wanted to see with the year ahead of me and how I wanted God to use me. So I decided on 2 words - grace and intention.
(made with the Rhonna Designs app on my iphone)
 During this particular season in my life I had an almost 1 year old and was quickly realizing how much guilt I had (I was working on that through counseling - hence the word grace) working 3 days a week. I really wanted to be more intentional about my time with my family (husband included). With the new year it was obvious that we were going to have to make changes with my son's childcare since the wonderful Thursday babysitter we all loved was pregnant. Perfect timing all around? I don't really believe in coincidences, so yes, it was His timing. Hard questions were asked in our family - do I want to be home full time? Do I really want to leave my job? Where else could I go? Could I work with Chris (my husband)? - and after a few months the answer came around the beginning of spring. I would stay home with Finley 3 days a week and would work with Chris and my father in law on Monday and Wednesday so that Finley could still go to his Aunt Shannon's house and enjoy his time with them. We all had peace with the decision and so it was that in June I started my new job. It was wonderful, it was different, it was an adjustment, but man oh man - IT WAS SO WORTH IT!

Now, a year later, to look back and see how much has changed in our home I am not surprised by what He has done - He keeps his promises - but I am in awe. He started giving me vision of what I was called to do since I made more time to focus on Him and to be intentional about my relationship with Him (which is why I am currently writing on this good ol blog!). I dug deeper spiritually through the many different studies I found on www.shereadstruth.com which was a total game changer for me. I had been ok with bible readings, but to be consistent and intentional about my daily quiet time was new to me and probably one of the biggest successes of 2013. 
doing my quiet time really does make a difference with my day. I can't encourage it enough!
Now the word grace fit in just about every aspect of my life. It was a reminder to give myself grace as I was and always will be a work in progress, to give others grace, and to remember the grace that was given to me and to live it out on a daily basis. While that seems pretty generic, it's not. When you have expectations of others that will never be met (wow, did I learn a whole lot about that in my counseling), when you know that as a mom you will need it as you feel like you fail yourself or your child on a daily basis, or when you have a mile long list of things to do but know that your child just really needs YOU - well, there is grace. For me, for you, for others, for ALL. And the best example was when my Savior put all of my junk on the cross and died so that I may receive this grace to give to others. I want my son to give grace freely and guess where he is going to learn how to do that? Yup. It starts with me. A heart change is almost necessary every day to do this - so I pray for the Lord to change my heart and to fill it with GRACE
This sign hangs in my kitchen and I walk by it numerous times a day. Great reminder! (from altar'd state and the d is an oldie from anthropologie)

I am so thankful that I didn't turn a deaf ear when reading through all of Lara Casey's encouraging and inspiring posts last year even though it can seem very intimidating to start something new. I tweaked it to what I knew was possible for me and came out much better for it. Even though we are a couple months into the new year it's never too late to shift your focus and START with a word to focus on for 2014. I can't wait to see how mine - compassion - comes to play this year but I know HE has big plans for it!