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We started a small group last night. Five couples, just getting to know each other and hoping to develop a sense of community that encourages spiritual growth in our families and personal lives. I am excited, because doing life with people outside of the church building is something Josh and I feel passionate about. Because, that's when you truly get to know people.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to develop true friendships. Especially because I think as we get older, we tend to get a bit more cynical about relationships in general. We've been hurt, we've been betrayed, we've seen friends come and go in our lives... and sometimes it's easy for us to think that all of it is too much work. Family becomes all we need. Because family never leaves. 

But, what if there was a way to make friends who become like family?

I think the answer could be hidden in our imperfections.

We all have them. Yet some of us do a better job than others at disguising them. And you know, I think that's where the problem lies. Because honestly, who feels comfortable around someone who never seems to miss a beat and is always on their "A-game?"

I know I don't.

If you were to come stay at my house for a week, you would learn that I frequently leave dirty dishes in the sink. For days even. You would learn that Cheerios are a part of our bedroom decor, and I probably should throw away the half-eaten banana from my nightstand. You would also learn a lot about my sharp-tongue when I feel anxious or stressed. I'm far from a model housewife.

But you know what? The people who love me the most, know me the best. And none of the above would surprise them.

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My husband has seen every part of my character, good and bad, and still looks me in the eyes and tells me he loves me with all of his heart. The friends who have stayed at our house for several days at a time (even one lived with us for an entire summer) are the brothers and sisters in Christ who pray for us, encourage us and treat us like family.

I find it ironic that the people we spend a lot of time trying to impress, usually never end up being our dearest and best. 

And it makes sense. Because it's ex-haust-ing always having to make sure you say and do the right thing.

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So here's my encouragement for you... don't. Don't try to say and do the right thing all. the. time.

Instead... - Say something stupid and then apologize for coming across wrong. - Forget a friend's birthday and then make it up to them by celebrating a few days late. - Invite someone over for dinner and don't be afraid to make a frozen pizza.

Because in my family, that's how we love.

It's not picture-perfect, and it's not always easy. But it's real. And it's genuine.

And those are the qualities that turn friends into family.  

It's amazing what a new blog design can do to kick up the inspiration to write! What is this, 3 days in a row now? I can't promise I will keep this up all year, but I think now that I have thrown away any expectations for myself and this blog, it's become a lot easier to just sit down and write. I just got home from a quick trip to Gainesville (about 45 minutes away) to drop my mom off at a doctor appointment and swing by Panera to meet up with a friend while I waited for her to get done. My mom and I love to talk, so there is never a moment of silence while we drive. Somehow we got to talking about college and how God provided in so many ways that seem miraculous to me now. Like the one time I got a job four hours away leading worship for a good-sized church. They reimbursed me for gas/mileage AND paid me a generous salary on top of it. Oh, and I was only 19 years old at the time. It basically paid for my entire semester of college that year, and came at a time when I desperately needed it.

And then I started thinking about all the ways God really has provided, even since then.

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2013 was the first year I have officially been "unemployed" and taken on my new role as a stay-at-home mom. Prior to that I had been working various jobs for the past decade, since I got my first job as a cashier at a grocery store when I was 16 years old. 2013 was also the first year, since Josh and I have been married, that we were able to afford gifts for both sides of our families, our little boy, Micah... and amazingly, each other.

Looking back on the year, I have tried to pinpoint a cause for this ease in financial burden. But, honestly, I just can't find one. On paper it doesn't make sense. We have an extra mouth in the family to feed, not to mention buy clothes, diapers and other baby products for. There have been unexpected doctor bills and we still haven't sold our house in Alabama. We could be drowning right now.

Instead, we're floating. And even getting a nice suntan while we're at it.

I don't say this to boast in anything we have done. Or even to say that we are living extravagant lives and throwing money up in the air above our heads. This is definitely not the case. But we have a home - a nice home with enough room for our growing family - we are never hungry and do not have to rely on credit cards to pay for flat tires. There was a time when we did.

We made poor decisions in the past with money, and I believe we suffered the consequences for it. But since we made the choice that I would stay home and raise our children, I have never seen a decision more blessed.

I write this all, not only to celebrate and praise God for what He has done in our lives, but to encourage others out there who need to hear this reminder.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

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I think we worry too much about what we don't have, instead of really looking at what we do. I know that was the case for me before I had children. It's amazing the difference a shift in perspective can make. I could complain about the movies we don't get to go see in theaters, or the fancy dinners we don't get to have as often, or even the cost of having to pay for a babysitter to do any of these things anymore.

But what I enjoy more than anything these days is a night at home with my family, cooking a nice meal (usually made for a total of $5 or less!) and streaming a new movie on our Xbox for $3.99. We take walks as a family, go to the park, enjoy God's beautiful creation... and nothing costs a dime. Our bank account is full. Our life is even fuller.

There are so many negative things going around about how much having children costs, and "your life will be over" statements that make me cringe! Maybe I'm only one year into it, and I still have a lot to learn, but that hasn't been my experience so far. And I really don't believe God ever intended for it to be.

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:31-33

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God provides. I have so much faith in this promise, because I have witnessed it with my own eyes. Through the tangible gifts of family, friends and members in our church - He has provided.

But I think we miss the part where it says to, "Seekfirst the Kingdom of God and liverighteously" and forget that there is an action required on our end. Our lives and choices should be evaluated constantly to make sure we are truly seeking what is best for the Kingdom. If we do this, we can rely on His promise to supply everything we need.   Sometimes that means taking a leap of faith when it doesn't make sense on paper. It doesn't mean you're irresponsible, it just means you are trusting in a God who is more responsible than you. And most importantly, a God who knows what you need before you ever know you need it.  

So now that the New Year has passed, you are probably getting ready to take down your Christmas tree. If you're on top of things, you most likely did this yesterday, but if you're like me and keep stalling because of how beautiful it is displayed in your home (and why ruin a good thing, right?) then perhaps a little help in the process will give you the motivation you need to get the job done. And trust me, these tips will help setting up the tree next year that much easier (only 357 more days til Christmas!)

1) Start with the ornaments.

This may seem like a no brainer, but after reading about my friend Kerrie forgetting to put lights on her tree before adding the ornaments, I just thought I'd clarify (I love you, Kerrie!) Remove ornaments from the tree and store them in a small box or container. I usually save the original boxes they came in and even a few leftover Christmas present boxes come in handy too! Mine are shatterproof, so they can be stored together without any problems. But if you have glass ornaments, I recommend using tissue or newspaper to wrap the ornaments up individually before storing.

2) Remove the lights one at a time.

I use two sets of lights on our tree. It is very important to remove the lights one at a time the same way you put them on. Yanking or pulling them off all together will cause the wires to separate inside which results in broken lights (this is why lights stop working even when the bulbs seem to be fine!) After you take care to slowly remove them, you may be wondering how to fold up the scraggly things to store them safely. I found a great tip on YouTube that I'll share below!

What you will need: - a plastic bag (for each set of lights) - Christmas lights

1) Begin by holding your arm at a 90 degree angle and placing a plastic bag over your arm and elbow with the bag open and handles facing towards you.

2) Grab the end of one of the lights and start wrapping it around the outside of the bag, under your elbow and into your hand like you would power cords or a garden hose or anything like that. (Watch this video for a better visual)

3) Once you have them wrapped, take the bag slowly off your arm and lie it on a flat surface with handles facing up. Slowly pull the edges and center simultaneously until you have the lights contained (see image below) then tie the two ends of the bag to the center in a knot.

It should end up looking like this:

3) Take down your tree.

If you have an artificial tree, this is the easy part. I start at the top and work my way down until all the branches are removed. Then I lay it in a box. Easy peasy. Now, this year we decided to get a real tree. And thanks to a great tip from my mom, this has proven to be less of a hassle than I imagined it would be! Place an old sheet or blanket on the floor beside your tree, unscrew the tree from the base and lay it down in the center of the sheet. Fold up the blanket around the tree to protect as many thistles as possible from falling all over your floor. Then, here comes the fun part... carry it out your door! Be ready to sweep and/or vacuum as soon as you're done.

That's it! I hope these few tips on how I take down my Christmas decorations were helpful to you. It's always nice to know your ornaments and lights were stored safely and will actually work next time you go to put them on your Christmas tree! :)