Messy Milestones

He Is Risen

This Easter comes at an interesting time for me this year.

I’ve just returned from a much-anticipated family vacation to Arizona and the Grand Canyon and truth be told, I’m still a wee bit jet lagged. But that’s not why this year is interesting.

For much of the past week, I have had a front row seat to some of the most awe-inspiring and beautiful God-breathed sights that this world possesses. North Carolina is plenty beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it almost seems like child’s play when compared to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon.

Earlier this week, I posted a picture that I took of the sunset at the Grand Canyon on Instagram. The picture truly doesn’t do it justice, the sight of the moon rising over the canyon as the rocks were painted with a beautiful shade of red. I tried to capture as much of what I experienced as I could, but I truly had to learn to just simply live in that moment and use my eyes to truly see what was in front of me.

The thing that I was continually reminded of on this whole trip was how insignificant our time really is on this Earth. Not insignificant in terms of what we choose to do, but insignificant when compared to the vastness and enormity of God. I mean, think about it. The God who chose to create these rocks in Sedona with the most stunning shade of red is the same God who created me. Who created you.

Sedona, AZ

The God who can create some of the most magnificent sights on Earth is the same God who decided that the world also needed me in it. Who am I when compared to the splendors that God has formed? Who am I to walk on this blessed ground that God created when I am nothing more than a flawed, imperfect, and sinful human?

Who am I? Who are we?

We are God’s chosen sons and daughters. We are the ones who Jesus gave His life for, the ones whose debts He paid with His blood. We are the sons and daughters of a God who loves His children so deeply and so fiercely that He would give his own Son for us, despite our sinful ways.

To celebrate this Easter morning, in the wake of being so deeply humbled by our God is a unique and special place to be, friends.

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.” – Matthew 28:6

A Saturday in Mebane

There’s just something special about small towns. There is so much life and character in them that makes them unique and makes you wonder about their stories – their history – as you wander their streets.

Last weekend, my family and I came together to celebrate two of my Aunt’s birthdays and decided to explore a little town called Mebane after our lunch at Cracker Barrel. Mebane is a familiar town to us, just a stone’s throw away from Burlington – where my late grandmother lived for many years and where my mom and her siblings spent a lot of their childhood. We’ve been through the area so many times, but never actually took the time to get out and walk around through their downtown area. One of my uncle’s even paid for stones to be laid in their veteran’s park for my four uncles who served in the military, but we still had just not been until last week.

A Saturday in Mebane

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Beards and Beanies // An Asheville Weekend

This past weekend I spent a day and a half in Asheville and it was no where near enough. I arrived on Friday around three in the afternoon and headed home Saturday night around 9:30 and the entire drive home, I daydreamed of a day when maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have to leave.

My heart and my soul belong to the mountains, I’ve written of that before. I live for the crisp Fall days, the beautiful rolling hills, and the fresh snowfall in the Winter. The mountains may call my name, but Asheville in many ways calls me home.

The first time I ever visited Asheville was in the summer of 2012, and I knew this place was special. In Boone, where I went to college, it was very rural and very much a small town. Having grown up adjacent to Charlotte, city life was a far cry from what Boone was and I never really saw myself staying there to live. When I visited Asheville, I remember my jaw literally dropping when I realized that the city was both populated enough to be considered a city and it had the sprawling mountain views.Read More »

24 Hours in Savannah

SavannahHeader

Last weekend, my sister and I traveled down to Savannah, Georgia for a quick sister’s weekend. My mom and her four sisters have had their own sister’s weekend at the beach for the past ten years or so and so my sister and I finally decided to have our own. (Not that we don’t have our own sister weekend every time I visit her in Raleigh). It was a tough decision between Savannah or Charleston but we both had been to Charleston and neither of us had been to Savannah. We drove down on Saturday morning and returned Sunday afternoon and here’s a little taste of what we did!

Lunch at The Wyld

Lunch at The Wyld

On our drive down, just before entering the Savannah area, we began think about where we might want to go for lunch. A blogger that my sister follows was going to be in town as well and she had some people offering suggestions on her Instagram. One girl commented that The Wyld was a great spot that was tucked away and frequented by locals so we chose to head there first. The Wyld is situated right on the marsh and has all-outdoor seating (we were hesitant at first…it was HOT…but the canopy did wonders). Many of the customers came up to the restaurant on kayak and boats! I ordered a caesar salad with a side of roasted potatoes and green beans and let me tell you, I’m still raving about those potatoes. So, so good with huge chunks of bacon mixed in.Read More »