Perfectly Peaceful Weekend

This weekend was simply wonderful. It was one of those weekends where you were not expecting much, but man it was amazing.

Friday at work felt like I was counting the seconds until 5pm rolled around. Finally get home and Matt shows up only 30 minutes later! We had subs with the kids, Christina, and Dan and just hung out till the kids were sent to bed. Then it was game on. The four of us sat at the kitchen table playing board games and card games and my favorite game (Spoons) until around midnight and until we were all officially EXHAUSTED! 

Saturday morning, I was woken to the sound of Batman cartoons and my cute little nephews sipping on their morning chocolate milk. My sister and I got up and went for our "run." This meant we walked around the neighborhood for a little over two miles, talking about everything haha. We came back and made coffee and cinnamon rolls... yummy!! I, then, recruited the help of my nephews to wake Matt up so we could go on our adventures for the day! After a quick shower, we loaded up the car and headed to lunch. We went to Zoe's Kitchen, where Dan had gotten coupons for free entrees and it was soooo good! Christina found a cute little children's museum in Rock Hill that the kids loved playing in for a few hours. We also tried to go to this "park" in this Indian reservation.... it didn't quite look like what it did online haha. So, instead we went on a little trail hike in a near by state park and found a playground there. Look how cute my boys are!

When we got back to the house we were all ready for a little nap! Matt and I headed to Taco Mac's for a dinner of wings and went to TCBY for some frozen yogurt after. We came back to the house to watch Duke beat up on UNC and it was a sweet victory to end the night ;). 

Sunday was by far my favorite! We were all a little thrown off by daylight savings but managed to get to church on time some how! After church, we had a delicious lunch of homemade lasagna and headed to hang out outside. We sat around with coffee in hand in mid-60s weather and it was perfect. Dan set up his Eno hammock which made for a great afternoon nap and the kids had a blast playing in the mud. Around 4pm, Matt headed back to Clemson and we got ready for a life group cookout. Before we headed out, the boys had a blast jumping in some leaves in the front yard. And check out this air that Luke got!

How can you not love this cutie pies?!? We headed over to a friend's house where the kids played in their HUGE backyard and the "adults" sat around just talking. It was so peaceful and easy-going! Not to mention, it stayed light outside until almost 8pm! One great thing about daylight savings!

This weekend was nothing special, but it was perfect to me. I got to spend time with the ones I love with no schedule constricting us. I was beautiful outside and so relaxing! PLUS, the first sign of spring! 

Monday morning hit me like a ton of bricks when I slept through my alarm and woke up an hour after I was suppose to! Oops!! But with Monday almost under behind me, this week looks to be fairly easy. Tonight I'm head to Clemson for a few days on a "business" trip with a coworker. (That makes me feel old.) Here's hoping the week will fly by so I can have another amazing weekend!

Why I'm Joyful

So since my last post was kinda dark and depressing, I figured I'd brighten this blog up a bit. This post will be all about what makes me joyful. and that's quite a lot!

I'll start with my family because if you know me, you know they are THE most important people in my life. And they are pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

First, there are my parents! My mom, who is my twin, has always been the listening ear that I need. My dad, who I get my humor and sarcasm from, has always been my teacher and my rescuer (mainly with my car haha). Needless to say, they have taught me to love hard and stand strong. 

High School Graduation 2012

Then there are my siblings! My best friends! I'm the youngest of six kids and I can honestly say I love each and every one of them, most of the time. ;)

Forever Ago ?

Next, my in-laws. The wonderful people my siblings fell in love with! The people who I have come to love as my own siblings!

The other Meredith (Scott's wife) and I

Brooke (Nick's wife) and I

Dan (Christina's husband) and I

AJ (Caroline's husband) who I don't have a pic with

And then there are my favorite little nephews and niece! The little ones in my life that make me so excited to have kids one days!

Luke (4), Bryce (1), and Mark (2)

Coan (almost 8 months)

Lucy (1)

I would be willing to debate that not another family could bring so much joy to another person than my family has brought to me. I love them with all my heart. Here's more pictures of my whole family, cause I just love 'em.

Missing AJ

Missing AJ, Dan, and Eric

Missing AJ

The Whole Clan! WOO

Then there is my boyfriend, who I've been with for over a year. He has loved me every second and has always been patience with me. He has taught me so many things and I wouldn't trade one second of our time together! 

Valentine's Day 2014

Next is my best friend. I met Sarah when I was a freshman in college and we lived together our Sophomore year. She has helped me become who I am today and I miss her dearly while she's in London or Dallas.

Fall 2014

Obviously, there are more people and things who bring me joy, but these are the ones that I wanted to share with you! 

Our Guide to Holiness

Lately in my Life Group, we have been going through a book called "The Hole in Our Holiness" by Kevin Deyoung. It's all about how the church and christians are not only missing holiness, but always missing the strive for holiness. It's very convicting as you can imagine. 

Well last night's chapter was called "Reason for Redemption," which explained that we weren't just saved to glorify God or because He loved us (which are also true), we were saved to become holy, like Him. Now that's extremely convicting! So many of us, including myself, are so quick to become lazy in our walks just because we know we have God's grace. We tell ourselves that we don't really need to do anything because we are already forgiven. And it is such a reality shock that that is just not the case! 

One verse that Deyoung used in this chapter that really got to me was Hebrews 12:14: "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord." (NIV) Oh man! That's scary stuff right there! "Without which no one will see the Lord." Holy Canoli! Without holiness and the strive to become more like Jesus, no one gets to the Lord. 

This makes you take a look at your own life and really think to yourself, "Do I have this drive? Am I gonna be enough?" And the fact of the matter is, NO, you alone are not holy enough to be with God. But when we were asked last night how this made us feel, I was at peace.

It was so very weird and it took me a while to figure out why this wasn't bothersome to me, but I figured it out. I was/am at peace because I know that I don't have to do this on my own. If this was a journey that I had to take on my own, I would be royally screwed. But God does not make us go through this on my own. Yes, it is still going to be hard. And yes, we are going to have to fight daily for our journey to holiness. But we have a guide who has already made it to the goal. In fact, He has always been the goal. 

So no, I'm not worried. I know where I will be in the end. No, this does not give me the right to be lazy and not work towards it. But this does mean that I am not alone. 

Isaiah 41:10: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed. for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (NIV)

Life's Not Fair

Here's a phrase that I've only heard about a million times....

http://www.tanktopsflipflops.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lifes-not-fair.jpg

Life's not always fair, but God is, even when we don't deserve it.

I'm sure you grew up complaining to your parents that "Johnny" down the street got to do something and it's not fair that you don't or that "Sue" got the new toy and you want it too and they would come back with the classic line of "Well sweetie, life's not fair" and if they're extra nice they'd add in a sweet "get over it." Man, I cannot tell you how many times that conversation sent me off in a cloud of rage! Everything should be fair! Everyone should be treated equally, we all should get the same opportunities and nobody should have more of an advantage in life than another. Well, that's certainly not how life works, but thankfully, that's how God works.

In Romans 10:13 God clearly states, "for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (NIV). Now this is what I'm talking about! He doesn't say "for the smart people who call" or "for the pretty people who call," He says "for EVERYONE who calls." God wants to have a relationship with everyone, not just the popular people or the successful people or the people who "need" Him more. He gives everyone a fair chance to be saved. 

So, no, it's not fair that your boss didn't give you that promotion you deserved. It's not fair that your friends aren't treating you right. It's not fair that you work your butt off to only get mediocre grades. It's not fair that your loved ones are sick. It's not fair that the "love of your life" broke your heart. But what's really not fair is that God gave up His perfect son to die for our sins. 

We all know that one bible verse we recited over and over again when we were younger, but probably not many of us really took a look a what it was saying. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (NIV). Let's take a second to think about this. Think about if you were in this position. Think about your son, daughter, nephew, niece, that cute little kid you babysit, whoever. Now think if someone were to offer you a million dollars in exchange for them, would you do it? Absolutely not! Not even a million dollars could buy you the happiness that they have brought into your life. Now think about this question. Would you let them die in exchange for saving millions of people's lives? Who would ask such a question?!? That's so unfair, but that's what God did for us. 

So yeah, your life is unfair, but for a different reason. We constantly disobey God's commandments, yet He forgives us over and over again. We are constantly putting Him on the back burner of our lives, yet He is right there whenever we need Him. We treat Him like an extra in our life when He should be the headliner, yet He loves us the same. So if you want to talk about unfair, talk about how unfairly amazing God is to us, how unfairly generous, and unfairly loving He is. 

So let's think about how our lives would be different if God gave us what we truly deserved... YIKES! I can pretty much assure you that it would not be pretty. Nobody would be spending eternity in heaven with God, that's for sure. So take a moment and remember every day to be thankful that even though God is a fair God, He is also a merciful one. 

TGIF?

TGIF... "Thank God It's Friday." A phrase that we have heard for so long now, even though I don't know many people that still use it actually weekly. Heck, it's even a restaurant! But even though I am thank that it is Friday and I get to have a relaxing weekend with family and friends, I am much more thankful for some other things going on right now! 

First off, I am SO thankful for warm clothes and a warm place to lay my head at night because it has been bitterly cold lately! And I am also thankful for Spring just around the corner. 

I am thankful for my sister, Christina, and her husband, Dan, for EVERYTHING that they do for me. Just last night they brought me a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts!! That's true love haha. Then proceeded to try and help me fix my brakes on my car and when it didn't work, let me borrow Dan's car and promised to help me take it to a mechanic on Saturday. They also feed me dinner every night and pack me a lunch every day! I have not had to go grocery shopping at all since I've been here!  Dan insists that Christina and I have a girls' night once a week so that we can have sister time, which has brought Christina and I closer together and for that, I am forever grateful. They are amazing examples to me! They are fantastic parents, not only to their boys, but also to their sweet foster girls! They have shown me what a great Christian relationship looks like and lead by example daily. 

I am thankful for my dad who I can call at any hour of the day if my car is acting up and he is right there with advice to help. He has dropped what he was doing many times for me and drove to Clemson just to help me out. He doesn't even get mad when I call him about stupid things, like when I couldn't get my key out of my ignition only to find out my car wasn't in park! Don't worry, I laughed at myself for this one too! 

I am thankful for my mom who has taught me to stand up for what I believe no matter what. She made a decision to stand firm in her faith last year that ended up costing her her job. God did not fail her, He provided her with an amazing new job, at an amazing new school! Though it put her through a few very hard months, she stayed strong and was an amazing example of how God works through every situation. I am truly proud to call her my mother! 

I am thankful for being able to be so close to my family. Not even in distance (most of us at least), but also in relationships. I can truly say that all my siblings and their spouses are not only family, but also friends. I am thankful that I would never hesitate to call any one of them to ask for advice, help, or simply talk. Though we fight, it seems like we're fighting to the death sometimes, I know we always love each other and want the best for each other. 

I am thankful for a boyfriend who deals with all my crap. No, really! Matt is so patient with me, even with the silliest of situations! Not only does he listen when I rant about stupid things, he makes me feel better! We have the best time together! We can sit on the couch for hours watching movies or go on adventures, either way we are just happy to be next to each other. I'm thankful for being with someone that makes my life easier, not the other way around! 

I am thankful for the family that is letting me stay with them while I am in Charlotte. They have opened up their home to me, rent free, which is a HUGE blessing on a college student. Not to mention, they are incredibly sweet and an amazing Christian family! 

I am thankful for a best friend that I can talk to no matter how far away she is. Most of you know that my best friend, Sarah, is currently studying abroad in London. We still talk every single day and she still knows about almost everything going on in my life! Thank goodness for technology! When she isn't in London, she's still about 1000 miles away in Dallas. Being able to talk to her, no matter the distance, has definitely kept me sane, at least for the most part. ;)

I am thankful for this amazing opportunity to get work experience in my field! A paid internship to a Sophomore that I am also receiving school credit for?!? It doesn't get much better than this. Not to mention, everyone is so sweet and helpful!

I am thankful for an amazing, forgiving Savior. A God that knows my sins and still loves me just the same. Even though I am consistently screwing up, He never leaves me or forsakes me. 

I am thankful for being able to live in His beautiful creation. Though there is so much evil in this world, there is not one day that goes by that I don't look outside and am truly amazing of how wondrous His masterpiece is. 

There is so much to be thankful for! Don't let a day go by that you don't remember the blessings that have been given to you by Him. 

Lucky Me

Let me start off by saying that my family is big, no, HUGE! There's my mom and dad (2), my siblings and I (6), their husbands and wives (4) and their kids (7). So that brings us to a grand total of, yes, 19. I truly believe that a big family like this isn't for everyone. There's always something going on, people are always screaming, someone's more than likely upset about something and it's normally so loud that you can't even hear yourself think! My boyfriend once told me that it was not relaxing spending the holidays at my house because he consistently felt like he needed a nap. HAHA I just must be used to it by now. 

Even though my family can be crazy and overwhelming at times, I wouldn't trade it for anything! And throughout this crazy mess, I, somehow, lucked out to be the luckiest rank in the family! Let me explain:

I was the youngest growing up. The baby of all six kids! When I was growing up I was so lucky that I got to spend all my time with my older siblings, which I absolutely loved. I'm not going speak for them because I'm sure having their quite sassy little sister following them around like an echo was a blast!!! I had the chance to learn things a younger age. I was always playing sports and games with my brothers and my sisters were teaching me the words to the latest new song. Not to mention, I learned all the dirty words earlier too.... just kidding Mom :) My siblings were always there for me, whether it was beating me up themselves, or protect me. My brother will also argue that I received things at a younger age (like a cell phone) and to that I won't argue. ;) Everyone likes to call me the spoiled one.

Being the baby of the family ended up truly being the best for me. My oldest sister is 11 years older than me. So growing up, she was a lot like another mom to me. When my mom was overwhelmed with all of our different schedules and routines, Christina was there to change my diaper, play with me, driving me around, or simply for advice. When I got older, I was able to meet my sister in a whole new light. She was actually my sister and my friend!! We were able to hang out, laugh and actually get to know the real people that we had lived with for so long. 

I also have a brother that is very close in age to me. Eric is 18 months older than me, almost exactly. Growing up with him, I had a best friend at all times. I like to tell people the funny story of why my parents had me. They thought they were done having kids after the fourth one (Nick was too much for them to handle ;) ) but the ever so lovely surprise of Eric ended up being quite a joy. After giving birth, my dad asked my mom who Eric was going to play with... so here I am, as Eric's playmate. And it ended up quite like that. We were inseparable as kids, we did everything together. We even shared a room for a while. I like to blame him for why I was such a tom-boy growing up and I am sure he will gladly take responsibility. I was lucky enough not only to have a great brother, but a best friend. 

So here's where a lot of people think, "So you had great OLDER siblings, but you missed out on having babies around the house while you were growing up." And this is exactly where they are wrong. I was an aunt by the time I hit high school. I would even argue that being an aunt was better than being an older sibling. I got everything they did, except for the bad parts. I got to hold, feed and play with these little bundles of joy and we never argued. I truly had the best of both worlds (not to quote Hannah Montana). I'm able to be a friend and even an example for my little ones (scary I know). I get to watch these little ones go from cute little babies to grow up to be (hopefully) amazing men and women. And on the little more selfish side, I didn't have to deal sleepless nights and lovely potty training (not yet at least). And I get to teach them things that their parents might hate me for ;) but don't worry, I'm sure the favor will be returned when I have kids. 

As for my "in-laws," I think I hit the jackpot on this one. Most people would be upset that they might be the last in their family to get married, but I view it very differently. Plus, my sister is 11 years older than me and got married when I was in middle school, I didn't stand a chance at getting married first. But seriously, I got to watch my siblings fall in love with their other half, I got to watch them say their vows, and start a family. What I believe to be the best part though is that I get to be picky now. My sister's biggest thing she has told me after she got married, was to never settle. I have watched time and time again what amazing spouses my in laws are and I get to be picky, now that I know what it truly looks like, when I find who I'm going to marry.  

This is not to say that my siblings don't have amazing lives, because I'm sure they will argue that theirs is better. In my opinion, I would no longer say I'm lucky, I would say I am extremely blessed.

P.S. I promise Swiger's aren't this competitive! ;)