Honduras

Ryan and I are back safe and sound from a week-long mission trip to Honduras! Our church sent 25 team members to Jalaca, Honduras from July 7-14 to minister at New Life Children's Home. We had a wonderful week getting to know each other, loving on the sweet children, and serving the Lord. The men spent most of their time on a construction project and the women led something similar to VBS, distributed shoes, organized supplies, and helped wherever necessary.

This was my first trip out of the country and it grew me in lots of ways pretty quickly. Seeing how these children live and how desperate they are for love helped put my world into perspective. It was nice to unplug for a week and concentrate solely on our mission. I didn't think about work, my endless to-do list, or any other seemingly "important" items on my agenda at home. Being in Honduras showed me how rewarding it is to live simply- to focus on Jesus and victorious Christian living- and to stop majoring on the minors. When you encounter children who have never owned a pair of shoes... you realize the things that stress you out are trivial. When you briefly live in a place without hot water, frequent power outages, mice scurrying through the walls, and no air conditioning... you realize how blessed you are and learn not to take anything for granted.

I am incredibly grateful for the privilege to serve with my husband.  I am more in love with him than ever before. The Lord has done amazing things in our lives and in our marriage over the last several months and being able to minister with him has given me pure joy. It was also great to bond with my church family and get to know them better. I will be forever thankful for the opportunity to serve in Honduras and for the ways the Lord has changed me in preparing for and serving on this trip.

Riding the bus from the Honduras airport to the village. Officially awake for well over 24 hours at this point.

Tegucigalpa

Our room for the week

 

Shelly Maria. Not to be confused with Shelley Marie. :)

Sandra loved Ryan-- would not let go of his neck!

Sweet Miguel

The men working hard on the dorm

The supplies we brought for the kids

Waiting on church with Emily 

Ryan preaching at the first church service with a translator. One of the best parts of the trip!

Haiti the model

Crafts with the boys... making masks

Yenni... stole my heart

Chalk is fun!

Ryan and David mixing cement for the girl's dorm

Ryan and Jason :)

 

Shoes we brought for the kids

Miguel excited about his new, clean shoes!!

Mrs. Jennifer telling a Bible story

 

Feeding brigade for the local Hondurans

Put my spiritual gift of organization to work in the supply closet :)

Ryan wrote our initials in the cement <3

"Bertha" aka the cement machine that did not like to work

 

Maria... one amazing woman!

Erika and me on the last morning

The wonderful Barnes family

Kendra and me

Student Life camp

I won't attempt to put into words how great our week at camp was. The Lord moved in the lives and in the hearts of our students in a huge way! CIU grad, Jeremy Kingsley, was our Bible teacher for the week and challenged us to be audacious Christians. It was incredible in SO many ways. Here are a few pics :)

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Father's Day 2012

Holley and I had the best dad in the world. He was the kind of dad who was thrilled to attend all dance and piano recitals, countless cheerleading competitions and pageants... and even Dance Marathon at 1 a.m. at USC just to cheer me on for a few minutes. He yelled loud and proud to support us in all of our activities. He was our #1 fan.

Snorkeling in the Bahamas

Not only was he athletic, enthusiastic and passionate, but he had a strikingly sensitive side too. He was the kind of dad who studied God's Word in front of us and challenged us to memorize Scripture together so we could "hide it in our hearts." He was the kind of dad who shared in our emotions and really felt what we felt-- no matter happy, sad, or angry. He was the kind of dad who wrote notes to put in our lunchboxes and sent us emails to say how proud he was to be our dad. He would dance with me in our living room to Rod Stewart's "Great American Songbook" and on stage with Holley in The Nutcracker.

He was a dad who wanted to spend his Friday nights grilling steaks for us for dinner before settling in to watch Ocean's Eleven or Tombstone for the 98th time. He was the kind of dad that allowed me to talk to him about anything. He knew all of my secrets, hurts, goals and ambitions. He had the best advice... which always included consulting the Lord in prayer. 

He loved my friends and announced at my high school graduation party that it was an honor to be known as "Shelley's Dad." He would wake up early on Saturday mornings to make my friends and me pancakes or go get us Publix subs for lunch. He was the kind of dad who constantly made us laugh and lifted our spirits. Never will I forget driving to the beach for the first time by myself and reading his directions that said, "There will be a fork in the road, but don't stop to pick it up." ;)

He always put us first and never let a single day pass without saying I love you and I'm proud of you. He was taken far too soon, but made a monumental impact on the women Holley and I have become. Today I celebrate Father's Day in remembrance of my amazing Dad who gave me more joy in (almost) 22 years than some daughters experience in a lifetime.

Houston, TX

I am also thankful for a father-in-law who loves us so well and goes the extra mile to serve his family. Ryan is lucky to have Phil as a dad and I'm grateful I am his daughter-in-law!

Psalm 103:13 

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Divine Revelation

I had the opportunity to attend the Trinity Focus Group luncheon at the Summit Club today. Debby Jones, wife of CIU’s president, was the featured speaker so she invited me and a few of my co-workers to join. Not only did she share a little bit about Worthy: An Event for Young Women, but she gave a message that the Lord prepared just for me. ;) For starters, it was based on my life verse: Proverbs 3:5-6. So I knew I was in for a treat right from the get-go. 

She talked about how we have a glancing and a gazing problem. Too often we GAZE over our problem, complain until we are blue in the face and occasionally GLANCE at God. This lifestyle becomes our default when we are not spending daily time in the Word and trusting Him with all of our hearts- just as Proverbs instructs. When we lean on our own understanding and gaze (with temporal eyes!) at our problem instead of at our God; we are depending on our own strength instead of His. How selfish that is!

We think fixating on all that we want to change about our situation will somehow give God a hint to do something about it. That’s not how it works. He longs for us to gaze at HIM, not our circumstance. Isaiah 14:24 says, "Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened." Do we really think He doesn't know what's going on in our lives?

Our posture should be towards the Heavens… leaning on Him alone to satisfy us and care for our "problems." I desperately needed to hear this simple yet profound message today—so maybe it will help someone else too. I was convicted, reminded, and inspired to shift my focus off of myself and towards the God of the universe. He is worthy. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

1 year anniversary!

This year has flown by!! It's really crazy to think we have been married one year today!

I am so thankful for you, Ryan, and for our marriage. You make every single day so much fun. You hold me accountable to the woman God has called me to be and you encourage me daily to live a life worthy of that calling. Your tender heart, bright smile, and quick wit make you so very easy to love. Thank you for being a husband who cares about the little things and for showing your unconditional love for me through word and deed. It is such an honor to be YOUR wife and to walk beside you in ministry. Happy Anniversary My Prince!! I LOVE YOU!

 

Colossians 2:2-3

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Wistful Wednesday

The Three Amigos :)

Happy Birthday Megan!

Happy 26th Birthday to the best friend a girl could have! The Lord blessed me with Megan's friendship in the 5th grade. Since then, we have experienced just about everything together and I honestly do not know where I would be without her.

Megan is beautiful inside and out and has been an uncommon friend to me over all of these years. She encourages me to be more like Christ, loves me and all of my quirks, and has been a rock and support for me time and time again. Words really cannot express our unique, sisterly, and inseparable bond. I count it one of my greatest privileges to call Megan my best friend. Here's a little photo montage from recent years! :)

My Matron of Honor

USC Graduation May 2009

ADPi Senior Band party

Maymester trip to Atlanta

 Rush

Relay for Life 2007

My Dad's favorite words!

Angelica's wedding

Jessica's wedding

Meg and BD's engagement

Megan's wedding shower

Me as her Maid of Honor. She's a Davis!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!! I LOVE YOU!

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

25 on 25

Ryan turned 25 yesterday... his golden birthday!! To celebrate, we headed to Atlanta for a quick getaway to see the Braves play, visit the Georgia Aquarium, and eat at The Cheesecake Factory! We also decided to call this our 1 year anniversary celebration since that's quickly approaching next month! We are excited to spend the rest of this long weekend relaxing with family and spending some time on the lake.

We are currently driving home and Ann Voskamp is helping to keep me sane in this crazy traffic :) Here are some Instagram pics taken from my phone to recap our weekend!

Isagenix

On May 2, Ryan and I began the Isagenix 30 day cleanse. After several months of watching my good friend Bridgette Grice promote Isagenix... I decided to see what all of the fuss was about. I was a critic at first, but finally came to the conclusion that I shouldn't knock it 'til I try it. I'll be honest with you: Ryan and I were initially very skeptical. We weren't sure if this would be right for us, if the products would really work or if it was just a bunch of hype. Well folks, we are 21 days in and have lost a combined total of 19 pounds! We now understand the hype!

We started Isagenix to jump-start a better way of eating and living. Ryan and I had pounds we wanted to lose and I personally found myself STUCK for months! We needed an extra push to motivate us to eat leaner, exercise more, and be more aware of what we consume. Isagenix has been the perfect change agent to get us back on track. However, please understand that Isagenix is not the be all to end all. You still need to exercise and eat sensibly. If you put forth the effort, you will have a great ROI.

Incorporating Isagenix into my life has not only helped me shed a few pounds-- It has helped me amp up my running, increased my energy, and has improved my muscle tone. The 30 day cleanse is working for us because it's easy, adaptable, and flexible with our crazy schedule. If you want to feel better, lose weight, and replace unhealthy meals with all-natural, low-calorie ones... I suggest you try it and decide for yourself if it's right for you! 

Click here if you want to learn more about Isagenix or the 30 day cleanse. If you have questions or are interested in ordering-- just send me an email at smd1223@gmail.com!

Mother's Day weekend

Happy Mother's Day to the women who have greatly blessed and significantly impacted my life! In my 25 years, I've had several "mothers" who have helped shape me into the woman I am today. I am grateful for each of these beautiful, godly women and for their investment in my life! Can't wait until the day I can love and nurture our children the way these women have cared for me.

My mom

My mother-in-love :)

Dawn, Ms. Patti, and Patty

Coach Canady

Proverbs 31:29-30

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.