You know, on the way home from work today I got to thinkin...I am so blessed to be a Southern woman. I am so glad that I love sweet tea, that slower laid back way of life, sitting on the porch in the rocking chair listening to the rain, picking hydrangeas from the front yard, monogrammed towels, the word "yonder" or "y'all", chicken n dumplins, grits, and all of those other wonderful things that make up the Southern way of life. (For those who may disagree with me about that list, it is just my opinion and is not limited to any of those things...anyway..)
I got my Southern Living magazine in the mail today and I just love reading it. It talks about SO many places that I want to go and see..i'm making Seth a list so he can remember in case he wants to plan a surprise get-away for us.. ;) hint hint...
One of my favorite things that has come with marriage is our evening walks. Since we moved to NC, we take Penny on a walk every evening. It's such a great time to reflect on our day, to share our struggles, and to chase our dreams. (That was corny, but true). One of my dreams is to own a big Southern style home with a wrap around porch..when you walk inside you are overwhelmed by the smell of fresh apple pie and dogs. Wait..that was a horrible analogy. Fresh apple pie and the sounds of laughter...is that better? But you would see a couple of dogs laying around..okay, whatever.. you get the point. I want our home to be lived-in yet beautiful and elegant. And you know what? I don't care what anyone says but I would like to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. HAH!
One of Seth's dreams is to open up a Tennis and Golf shop featuring indoor tennis courts and the latest technology for demoing golf clubs. Arizona sweet teas and a golden retriever would await you when you walk in the door. You know those soft chewy peppermints that melt in your mouth? He wants those at the check out counter. I could go on forever about our dreams, and i'm sure I've already bored you with them before but I still like to talk about them..and hey, it's our blog so we can do that, right?
Oh yeah, I also want to can my own pickles when I am older...that way I can eat them all day every day without paying lots for them. So I guess that means I will need a garden.
For those of you who are not aware of the happenings in the tennis world, the U.S. Open is going on right now. What does that mean for us you might think? Well..let's just say we are both sitting on the couch, watching Andy Roddick play some guy whose last name looks like "Tipsarevichsedechusick" with our Lacoste hats on. Seth has the same one Andy is wearing and I am wearing a different color. And you better believe that our television will be on EVERY single night to watch EVERY single match that Seth deems important...I'm glad I like tennis otherwise I would be one grumpy wife these next two weeks.
Now on to a little more serious discussion....
One thing that I need to be in constant prayer about is money. When Seth and I got married, we thankfully both had some savings that we joined together. Well we spent the WHOLE summer unemployed in Georgia...we still had to feed ourselves, we still had to pay bills, and we still had to travel all over the South for weddings/get togethers/ vacations...common sense will tell you that our savings was drying out with each passing month. Once I got my new job and Seth got his, we were really relieved. Lord willing, we would have money each month and maybe have some left over!
Still, I have not been in prayer about how we should spend our money. I am constantly worrying that we won't have enough to make it each month and that if we spend it on one thing that is not "necessary" that we will be doomed. How are we supposed to pay our bills, rent, tithe and still have money left over to put into savings?
This is what the Lord says I should do:
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" -Matthew 6:24-26
I need to remember those words the next time I am worried. I know we will be fine if we just trust in the Lord. It's just so hard to do sometimes...but I am trying! The Lord will bless us so much if we just put our trust and hope in Him. I need to put my worries aside and rejoice in what I have!
So that is what's going on here in the Jones' household...
And now I will leave you all with these:
"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~ Roger Caras
That is us in our Roddick hats. Seth wore his hat because Roddick had that same one on while he was playing..I wore the other one halfway making fun of Seth and halfway because I thought he was so stinkin' cute with his love for all things tennis.. :) Oh yeah, and Penny wanted in on the fun...
Huey Cat, out of ALL the places in our house, decides to plop down on the newspaper...
Alright, enough from me...Have a great evening!
