Shameless Persistence

*I'm taking a break this week from the study of 1 Samuel, but I'll be back soon with more David!*

I’m involved in an amazing program called the Student Action Leadership Team (SALT) and it is truly my heartbeat. Over the years I’ve taken on more and more responsibility, and now I’m one of the coordinators. Part of my job is handling online registration. Which is pretty easy to manage. IF people actually fill out the application.

See, what happens is that people forget to fill it out. (I can’t blame them. I’m a total procrastinator, too.) Then I have to contact the veterans, the people who SHOULD know what they’re doing because they’ve been doing SALT for YEARS, and tell them that they MUST fill out the form. (Trying not to rant here, ha!) I’ve finally learned that telling them once usually doesn’t work. I have to bug them repeatedly, text them every week, nag them at the planning meetings, for them to fill out the form.

I hate doing it. I hate nagging. I hate having to remind them. I’m not a confrontational type of person, so I just don’t like it. But I’ve learned that there are times when being persistent is necessary.

One of those times is prayer.

Sometimes I struggle with praying for the same thing over and over again. Like, God already heard me. Surely He’s getting annoyed that I keep talking to Him about the same thing over and over again. But that isn’t true.

In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus tells a parable that explains how prayer should work: be persistent until your prayer is answered.

Jesus said to them, “If one of you has a friend and goes to him in the night and says, ‘Friend, give me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine is on a trip and has stopped at my house. I have no food to give him.’ The man inside the house will say, ‘Do not trouble me. The door is shut. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you bread.’ I say to you, he may not get up and give him bread because he is a friend. Yet, if he keeps on asking, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

Luke 11:5-8

In my Bible next to this parable I wrote: shameless persistence.

See, the man in the house doesn’t get up because he’s friends with you. He gets up because you bug him enough that he gives in. Shameless persistence.

The verses after explain that as we persist in prayer, we should progress in intensity.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10

Ask: Verbalize your requests to God
Seek: Continue approaching God, as if you’re looking for something you’ve lost.
Knock: Persist until the door is open. Keep praying. Pray more intensely and aggressively.

Wow. This parable totally debunks the myth that we only need to pray once for something! Yes, God knows the need, but He wants us to continue approaching Him for it. He WANTS to give us things, but He also wants us to ASK him for it.

So I’m doing it. I have things I’ve been praying for years and I haven’t seen any results, so I kind of backed off on those prayers. Not anymore. I’m bringing them before God again, and I’m not feeling guilty that I keep praying the same thing again and again. I want to be shamelessly persistent, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s doing any good, so I can see those prayers answered!

Balloon Fest

A few weeks ago, Casey told me about a balloon fest outside of New Orleans and asked if I wanted to go. Of course I said yes! I went to one in Shreveport a few years ago with my second family and it was so fun!

You can see the photos from that balloon fest here. For some reason they are some of my most favorite photos I've ever taken. Probably because they are colorful and also because those memories are so special!

Speaking of colorful...

The best thing about festivals is the food! We got some kettle corn and corn dogs!

The sunset was beautiful, so of course we had to take some pics at golden hour.

Most people didn't realize that you could cross the bridge and go to the other side of the little creek to get up close to the balloons. But we did! So we went over there and spent a few hours talking to the balloon pilots while we waited for the balloons to fly.

Unfortunately, it ended up being too windy to inflate the balloons, so they decided to just light the fires in the baskets. It was nice and toasty standing next to them while they made the balloons twinkle!

After the festival, we headed back home, about an hour and a half drive away. At some point I realized we weren't going the right place, and Casey told me we were going to one of my favorite bakeries in NOLA—Angelo Brocato's! We found it a few months ago when we had dinner with friends in New Orleans and wanted dessert after. Casey is truly the best at finding amazing restaurants, and Angelo Brocato's is no exception!

I absolutely love their cream horn, their hot chocolate, and their cafe au lait. Casey loves the cannolis. It was a wonderful way to end the evening!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you're having a happy Thanksgiving!

We are spending some time with Casey's family and having a wonderful time. The last few days have been relaxing and fun. Yesterday my best friend Julianne (who is dating Casey's brother) and I made some yummy goodies—pumpkin dip, firecrackers, and apple pie! Baking is one of my most favorite things, so being in a cozy cottage by the lake surrounded by family and baking with my bestie is definitely my happy place!

We had a huge lunch with all the good stuff. Afterwards some of the family went on the lake while Casey and I took afternoon naps. Once it got dark, we made a bonfire and ate smore's! Now everyone is watching the Saints game (except me, obviously, since I've been editing photos and decided to blog). I finished off the last of the mac and cheese a while ago and better go get a piece of pie before it completely disappears.

I have so many things to be grateful for that it would take forever to list them all, but some of my top things are:

• Knowing and having a relationship with my Savior
• Being married to an amazing guy who is everything I could have ever dreamed of and more
• My adorable little fluffball, Oxford
• A beautiful house that we have made into our home
• An incredible church and church family
• Being able to work alongside my husband in ministry

And one I'm super excited for...

• WE'RE GOING BACK TO SINGAPORE!!!!!

Needless to say, I'm beyond blessed. 

Florida Trip Part 2

A month and a half later and, well, here's part two. (And here's part one!) Maybe I'll get part three up in 2019.

On our second day in Florida, we went to our friends' wedding! (Which was the reason we were in Florida in the first place.) And... I have not ONE photo. Of the wedding, of my outfit, nada. But it was a beautiful wedding!

After the wedding, we changed and Casey and I went to play mini golf. I think I've said it before, but Casey LOVES mini golf. We played five games of mini golf over the course of our three-day trip. Not even kidding. And we LOVED IT! We played at one place that let us feed alligators on the course!

After mini golf, we met up with our friends for an evening at the beach and some delicious Cuban food. So enjoy our beach pics with friends!