The day is gray. Some would say dreary, but I prefer cozy. The rain fell loud and heavy through the night, the intensity of the wind causing walls to creak and windows rattle every so often. This morning, mistiness is intermittently interrupted by pockets of downpour. Candles are lit, coffee is poured, and I am snug and content at my desk, separated from mesmerizing drops of water by mere inches of wall and window. A new day need not be sunny and dry to beckon us into it. Nor does the beginning of a new year need fresh starts and clean slates to set us up for success. Over a week into January, what started on a bit of a whim has settled into steady. My husband and I decided, quite at the eleventh hour, to drive to Florida for the new year. The 15 hour drive was entirely worth it the minute we saw the expressions of astonishment upon the faces of my parents, brother, and sister-in-law, who were not expecting us in the least. I will forever treasure having that moment on video. I’ve never been one to select a word at the beginning of the year… or if I have, I’ve forgotten all about it by February. What I find happening to me more often than not is the word ultimately finds me at the year’s conclusion. 2023 for me… was an absolute whirlwind - in the best way. It was filled with trips to see family, birthdays, showers, a wedding, new babies… all the very best things God has graciously gifted us in this life. Getting to hold these precious little souls breathing their brand new breaths far outweighed the inconvenience of driving in bad weather, delayed flights, and chaotic work days upon returning home. I travelled or was away from Tennessee 95 of 365 days in 2023. I often found myself joking that in 2024 people would both know where to find us and find themselves very welcome in our humble abode in Tennessee. Yes, as 2023 came to a close and we tucked ourselves away at home for Christmas focusing our hearts on Christ, travel was the furthest thing from our minds. So I found myself a bit bewildered when my husband suggested the final adventure of the year… and not telling anyone about it. But ever the surprise enthusiast, it didn’t take me long to fall into stride with his plotting. We booked a rental car, picked it up, and in the early hush of the next morning before both sun or neighbors has risen, we embarked on our journey to the sunshine state. And now home a week, our toes dipped and acclimating to whatever 2024 will be, I’ve left the whirlwind behind, not lacking in my gratitude of all it brought, but very much looking forward to an intentional calm and quiet I hope to bring to this new year - even (and expectedly) if the actual year and its events doesn’t lend itself to either. Happy January, sweet friends. May this year not only bring you beauty and joy, wonder and adventure, but most importantly may it bring you closer to the God who gifts them. xo, Lauren

simply sharing what I've learned...

I woke up to a whisper of a snowfall on the morning of our wedding. It lasted through my time in God’s Word and lingered just long enough for me to capture a few pictures of the leaves outside my bedroom window. I’ve always loved the snow, but living in the South, don’t see nearly as much of it as I did growing up in Western New York. Watching it fall on that cool February morning, I couldn’t help but look up and smile at the subtle affirmation that God cares about the smallest desires of our heart. He is good to us in the big ways and the small ones and this was a day we'd experience both. If I’m honest, it wasn’t the day the two of us had dreamt up, at least not prior to all things 2020. Yet, after getting engaged in in the midst of a bid of world chaos, God gifted us a new dream. He rewrote the details in our hearts, assuring us all that would matter the day of our wedding was His Presence and our own. We’d tried to plan it for the fall, but the details never quite came together. Knowing his family was halfway around the world, and mine had different levels of comfort regarding traveling in the midst of uncertainty, easy solutions felt just beyond our grasp. But God. I privately prayed for Him to work out these details and make a date known to us. Who was I to question if I woke one morning to a date circled on my calendar in a Heavenly hue of gold? While I believe God could have done just that. He didn’t. Instead, as He often does, He chose a much better way to reveal things to us. Later that day, unaware of my prayer, Josiah came to me and did something he’d yet to do in the planning process. He suggested a date. February 1st. He thought two becoming one on 2-1 had a nice ring to it. I couldn’t help but smile. Unbeknownst to Josiah, God had used him to answer yet another of my prayers. We began to follow through on the plans God had clearly already set in motion. We’d already completed our counseling with a pastor who was a dear friend. Another God story for another day. Pastor Lou readily agreed to being available on February 1st. We had someone to marry us. We called my parents, informing them of what we wished to do. I knew it would be difficult to not have more family and friends there, but I knew it would be impossible to not have my Dad there to give me away. They made arrangements to drive down with my sister and rented an Airbnb, providing us with a beautiful setting to say, "we do." We had somewhere to get married. I ordered a simple dress I found online and we made our way to the mall to get Josiah’s suit and have dinner. It was our last date night as fiancés. We had something to wear. We stopped by the local flower shop on a Saturday morning, Josiah nodding in agreement as I picked my favorite shade of blue, then proceeded to do the same as we tasted cakes and I inquired about a wedding-appropriate shade of blue frosting. We had flowers and a cake. I knew as we drove around, from spot to spot in our sweet little town, that this was the place we were meant to begin. This place had been home to both of us and would now become the place where we’d make our home together. The place God had always intended for us to meet and where we’d live until or if He called us elsewhere. We had a home ready and waiting for us to plant our roots. My parents and sister arrived late on Friday night or rather a little after midnight on Saturday morning. It had been over half a year since we’d last been in one another’s presence. It was the first time I saw my sister pregnant and was able place my hand on her growing belly, home to the precious life growing inside of her. Blessing upon blessing. We had guests. Before we all groggily found our way to bed, we did a late night exchange of month old Christmas gifts. My Mom handed me a box. My Christmas present from my brother. Being in the army and due to travel restrictions, he’d been unable to make the trip. I opened the box to a pair of Cole Haan Wingtip Oxford sneakers in my favorite shade of blue. Of course when he made the purchase we’d all been unaware of when the wedding would occur, let alone a color scheme. They weren’t traditional wedding attire, but their sudden appearance was another example of God weaving Himself into even the smallest of details and a fun way for my brother to have a say, even from a distance. I had my shoes. The next couple of days flew by as we worked out last minute details. My Mom had arranged a caterer and at the last minute added a few more flowers to the order. Thank God for Moms. My friend was set to take photos and we’d found someone to video the ceremony. We had a menu along with a way to remember and share the day. We picked music for the ceremony, chose Bible passages important to both of us, settled on the song we’d dance to with one another, and then my Dad listened to the song I'd chosen for our dance. A song, the minute I heard it, felt it was written about him. A song that spoke of a girl always seeing the love of her Heavenly Father in her Daddy's eyes. It was perfect and true. We had God's Word and music. My Mom showed me her jewelry and let me pick out the necklace and earrings I'd wear on my wedding day. I realized with my dress, flowers, shoes, my mother’s jewelry, and my grandmother’s pearls, we'd checked off something old, new, borrowed, and blue. We had tradition. The night before the big day we all settled into our own version of a rehearsal dinner and finished watching Father of the Bride, something we’d done the night before my sister’s wedding as well. I soaked up every moment, tucking the memories away. God was giving us more than we could have imagined and our hearts were full. He’d brought us, with such ease, to the most important day of our lives. And so on that morning when I woke up, the snow felt like He’d wrapped everything up in a bow to present to us. I wish I had the words to describe what it felt like to look into Josiah’s eyes that day, knowing I held the hands of the man God knew I needed. He’d been preparing our hearts for one another long before we met and now, in that very moment, He was knitting them together in a new way. He united our hearts so that together, we could spend our marriage pursuing His. There’s more to say and far too many details than I could ever completely convey here. Suffice to say, on February 1st, before God, Josiah and I vowed forever to one another and I became Mrs. Josiah Sleewa. And just like that, we had everything. We imagine a day in the not too distant future when we will be able to celebrate with our loved ones. Maybe not all in one place at one time, but intentionally and joyfully as life allows. In the interim, our prayer echoes the lyrics to our first dance: When we're weak and when we're strong When it's hard to carry on Oh God we want your love on display Here we are, we're yours and yours alone God, here we are May what you joined be not undone We want the world to see your love through us. We want more of you We are two becoming one May what he's joined be not undone May our love put Christ on display Xo, Lauren