First Comes Love, Second Comes Marriage.

I started this blog to chronicle our (husband and I) walk through love, engagement, and ultimately marriage.  Three whole years have already flown by since this beautiful day...and it's CRAZY!  Truly crazy, and I feel so blessed and so very thankful.  And as we round off another year of marriage and begin another, I can't help but reflect on the previous year.  I can honestly say I have fallen even more in love with my husband.  How is that even possible??  Still trying to figure that one out...

Our first year was a year of discovering...discovering how the other one really functioned and operated alongside the other.  We had our moments...who am I kidding we STILL have our moments...but those moments look different now. Our first year was full of standing our ground and attempting to communicate effectively, which meant no yelling and no manipulating on my part - that's just WRONG, but it was hard for me!  I discovered so many lovely things about myself (please note sarcasm) - so very lovely that I couldn't wait to rid myself of them, and truly prayed weekly if not daily that Christ would have His way in my life and rid me of all those lovely things that didn't draw me closer to Him.

And over the past few years, Christ has truly been transforming my heart and pruning bits of me that just aren't lovely. My husband has learned how to speak truth into my life in such a loving way...and sometimes, if I'm honest, I hate him for it...just for a moment, and eventually I thank him for it in the end.  We have learned to be completely and utterly vulnerable together and we have created such a safe place to truly speak our minds and share our hearts, fully knowing that our love for each other is deeply rooted in Christ, and for that I am thankful.

If someone were to ask me what I appreciate most about our marriage I would simply state ...the way we communicate and the humility that permeates through it all.  Everything is out there...we know when the other is happy and when the other is mad.  We know when the other is disappointed and when the other is sad.  And like I said everything is out there, everything is discussed, and we truly hold nothing back and that's scary, and slightly overwhelming at times, but it's real and truly beautiful and I wouldn't want it any other way.

"We can survive without each other, but we may not thrive"...husband's final words as he boarded a plane to the Dominican Republic   I couldn't have said it better Peter - the Lord knew what He was doing when He brought us together.  We are different people from different countries with different cultures and different giftings, but somehow, by the true grace of God, it just works.  And I hope and pray God grants us many more years together!!

Xoxo,

Malia

Hallelujah

I have always loved the word "Hallelujah!"  But I can't help but think, what does it actually mean??  So yes, I looked it up, and the word "Hallelujah" is used to express praise or joy, which makes sense doesn't it?  It's not a word I actually use all that often, but it sure is a beautiful word. 

And maybe I love this word simply because of what it represents - praise and joy toward Jesus!  And let's be honest, I love when people throw up a "Hallelujah" at church!

Not only does this word remind me of Jesus' goodness in my own life, but it also reminds me of a song by Christian artist, Bethany Dillon called....you guessed it, "Hallelujah!"  When I studied abroad in Mexico, years ago, I would wander the beach, listening to music, and singing praises to Jesus for bringing me to such a beautiful place spiritually, emotionally and geographically!!  It was such a beautiful time of reflecting on where God had brought me and dreaming with Him as to where He wanted me to go. 

And alot of that time was spent with this song, "Hallelujah", in the background.  I think my favorite part of the song is the chorus...

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

I'll choose to sing hallelujah

And my hope and prayer is that regardless of what is in front of me, regardless of what God has in store for my life, regardless of the ups and the downs that happen in life....I'll choose to sing Hallelujah!

And I can't write about this song without posting the song.  So without further ado ladies and gentlemen...

  

"Hallelujah"

Who can hold the stars

And my weary heart?

Who can see everything?

I've fallen so hard

Sometimes I feel so far

But not beyond your reach

I could climb a mountain

Swim the ocean

Or do anything

But it's when you hold me

That I start unfolding

And all I can say is

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah

 Whatever's in front of me

  I'll choose to sing hallelujah

The same sun that

Rises over castles

And welcomes the day

Spills over buildings

Into the streets

Where orphans play

And only you can see the good

In broken things

You took my heart of stone

And you made it home

And set this prisoner free

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

Help me to sing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Whatever's in front of me

I'll choose to sing hallelujah

xoxo,

Malia

Spoken Word.

I LOVE spoken word.  I don't know why, but I just do okay!  I mean don't get me wrong, I do love when things rhyme, and I guess I could say I like poetry, but I think the main thing that I love about spoken word is that it truly is a form of storytelling.  A person is simply telling a story about something and the words just happen to rhyme.

Anyhow, I ran across this video today on Facebook and thought it was blog worthy.  So here it is folks - Sex, Marriage & Fairytales.

Some of my favorite bits...

"We thought marriage was suppose to fulfill us and make us happy, not lonely, but the truth is God's first priority is making you holy."

"Yet the secret of joy, if we just pull back the facade, is realizing most problems arise when we elevate our spouse to God."

"If your marriage rests on anything but Jesus it's resting on something broken."

"To last you need the strength from above because it's not the LOVE that sustains the promise, it's the PROMISE that sustains the love!

"You don't fall out of love as much as you fall out of repentance."