In thoughts

I guess, today, I am frozen in thought. In fact, Bobby has asked me a few times if there was something wrong with me. I just can't seem to get out of my head. Questions and some answers are flowing through my head, but I cannot seem to arrive at a resolution. "Is this right? Am I doing this right? Is something wrong, does it feel off?" These and many others are plaguing my thoughts as I can't move or accomplish anything. I am just sitting here on my couch, with the dogs, thinking.

When we were first married, we were on point. We had such a clear and open channel with God's voice and urgings. We were, I was, ready to go whenever He called. I was waiting for that call to GO, to MOVE, to SERVE. I have been waiting, and waiting, and slowly stopped listening. The years following my time overseas, I felt passion and an urgency to get back over; to take my husband, the necessities and go somewhere else. I thought maybe God would change his mind, that the words He spoke to me in Australia may not apply. I'll never forget that message, "You can't do it overseas until you can love and serve those in your own home." I often thought maybe that meant God wanted me to love my mom and brother better? Did it extend to my church and my community? After 1.5 years of marriage, I'm certain that God meant more than just my immediate biological family. So why is it so much harder here? I've been told even Jesus had the most difficult time in his own town. That the peoples's ears fell deaf to what He was saying. Now I wonder, have my ears fallen deaf, have I been listening?

No, I have not. I have been busy working, trying to be a "good wife" by comparing myself to other wives, fantasizing over Pinterest ideas, occasionally volunteering at my church and slowly growing roots of complacency. That flowing channel of conversation, it seems to be dammed up. This is hard, a lot harder than I planned. It is one thing to be broken, and for God to show me who I am, what my gifts are, and to deal with my insecurities and fears as an individual...but a married woman, these are uncharted waters for me. I feel like I've been trying, fighting, and desperately swimming to keep my head above water spiritually speaking. As I read the blogs of my friends who discovered the same relationship and way of living that I had, that I thought I would still have, everything seems blurry. This is not the life that I thought it was going to be. I can feel the jealousy rising in my heart. Why do they get to pack up their cars and move across the US because Jesus told them to? Why are they overseas, discipling and fighting for justice? Why are they not held down and held back? Because they hear HIM. They are talking and listening, and they are following.

All I can think about is why have I not been talking, listening and following? What was I so busy doing that was more important than that? How do I get back there? As my fears rise, I can't help but think "What if I can't hear HIM like I once did and what if the gifts He gave me once, are no longer available to me?" Did I miss it? Bobby is serving God beautifully, and I am often in awe of the way he leads others and leads at the church. He hears God, and he follows. What happened to me? "Where do I go from here?"

Today, on my couch, I am frozen in thought.


                                                                  XOXO Mrs. Frick

Death and Grieving

Disclaimer: This is not one of those hopeful, preach the Gospel in the time of sadness, and shed light into the after life and the hope we have for the future blog. It's an outpouring of my heart. Take it or leave it.

This year, and more recently, I've been thinking a lot about death. Not in a morbid way, but in a genuine pondering of the subject. Life is so fleeting. People we have met, spent time with, and even loved, just leave us. I remember smiles, times spent together, and when I open my eyes, I realize, I will never see them again, or hear their laughs. It's surreal, it's sad, and it is hard to come to terms with.

 I am surrounded by death often at work. Suicide, death, trauma and tragedy, it is very matter of fact at my job. I often wonder if my job has made me numb to death and tragedy...but today, I realize, it has not. I feel like I have been in a state of grieving for the past few months. I grieve for my friends who have lost their loved ones, or who have miscarried...and I grieve because I miss my loved ones. This year, I have known more people who have died an untimely death or have taken their own lives, and it is taking it's toll on my spirit. I'm not talking about eternity, salvation or what happens after death, I'm just strictly talking about this life. I do have hope in my relationship with God, and I do know what comes after all of this...and in some instances that gives me peace, and in other instances, it breaks my heart.

I do believe that God has a plan, and that He is in control, but sometimes things just seems unfair. I just wished I understood his plan.

How I Miss Reading Rainbow

How many people who were the product of the 80's like me, or even had kids in the 80's remember the wonderful theme song to Reading Rainbow?

"Butterfly in the sky 
I can go twice as high 
Take a look 
It's in a book 
A Reading Rainbow..."

I used to LOVE that show, and the books they would read were always so good! As a kid, the summer was always full of excitement because there was the Library Reading Program, and the worm I could color in every time I read a certain amount of books...I was pumped to be able to advance to the next stage. I just LOVED reading as a kid, even teenager. I don't what happened in my adulthood, maybe it was all the self-help/christian/relationship books we read in college but I got a little burnt out. Now there were an occasional few I read that really stirred something within me, but that wasn't the case for most. I've decided I'm done feeling that way.

So I've decided (thanks to inspiration from our friend Kendall) to read the top 100 list. Some are classics and some are newer, but I want to fall in love with reading again. If you are looking for ideas, feel free to take a gander at my list on my Pages. #Fortheloveofreading

                                                             XOXO The Fricks

I ♥ Saturdays

Today was a wonderful day, brought on by not so wonderful circumstances. Today marks the first free Saturday of many Saturdays to come. Let me explain: the summer months are financially hard on all jewelry stores, and because of that, Bobby no longer works on Saturday mornings. While that may suck for our bank account, I am overjoyed to spend the whole day with my hubby.

Our first full Saturday together was spent wonderfully. We went to our local Farmer's Market (which is the best in the nation they say), and we had so much fun! My favorite things about the market:

*Iced soy pumpkin pie fair trade coffee that is locally roasted by Green Beans Gourmet Coffee

*Broken dish jewelry (they make sweet earrings/necklaces out of vintage china)

*Posole verde sandwiches from 138 Sandwich Food Truck

*The adoptable puppies (where we got Penny)

*And all the amazing performers

The rest of the day we spent going to a bunch of different stores, window shopping, and just being silly. So this is what the weekend feels like for normal people.

XOXO The Fricks