Write Your story on my heart

This past weekend, women from our church gathered in a b-e-a-utiful cabin in Gatlinburg for our annual Women's Retreat. To say we were excited for a weekend girls' getaway would be an understatement. 

My gal, Di, and I were ready for our roadtrip. We brought the goods- coconut M&Ms, Sweedish fish, girly magazines, Chic-fil-a breakfast, and most importantly- a playlist with all the woman-power Greats: Mariah, Whitney, Martina, Shania...

The weekend was full of relaxing moments. Sunbathing on the deck with the gals (while pretending to read, but really doing a great job at the art of gab instead) earned me my first tanlines of 2014.

The theme of the weekend was "Write Your Story". In our services, women shared their stories in the most honest, candid, vulnerable ways. They shared the good, the bad, the lovely, the ugly, the joyous, the devastating, the exciting, and the unbelievable. These are women that I love and respect; women that I "know" from church. They are Godly women. But somewhere along the way, I forgot that they are real. And they have stories, too.

 There is something unbelievably beautiful when we share our stories together. That is when the glory of The Lord is revealed best- when we show how He has radically changed our lives.

In hearing their stories, I was challenged to form my own; to reflect on the work The Lord has done in me.

 The best part? He's not done with me yet. The healing has just begun.

After LOTS of laughter, and a steady flow of healing tears, we headed home.

I am beyond thankful for the weekend, and for the hard-working and talented women that planned and and executed the retreat. 

My prayer at the end of this retreat was simply this:

"Lord, I give you the pen. Continue to write Your story on my heart."

Oh, and these faces? These were gals that were thrilled to be together, yet giddy to get home to their handsome husbands.

Forever

He's alive!!!

Wow, what an incredible Easter weekend!

I can't stop watching this video.

Every time I listen to the recording or watch this clip, I am overcome with chill bumps.

Forever He is glorified!

Click below, but only if you're ready for the Holy Spirit to rock you!

Kari Jobe "Forever"

Big News

The Lord is so gracious to us.

Every. single. day.

Beyond measure.

There are times I fail to recognize His goodness.

Thank you, Lord, for provision, for guidance, for faithfulness, for Your love.

As The Word says, there is such reward in trusting in you. In abandoning our own feeble attempts to understand the situation. 

In trusting in You alone, there is peace. There is guidance. There is an outcome far better than we could have arranged for ourselves.

La Casa Darcy has experienced this in the past couple of weeks...


On Monday, I begin the next chapter in my life book as...
 the newest Project Coordinator for the Creative team at Lampo, Inc (Dave Ramsey)!

I am beyond excited!!!

The principles that Dave Ramsey teaches have made a monumental difference in our home- for our marriage and for our future children. Through these teachings, Jon and I have set goals for our near (and not-so-near) future. We have established vision, and we are developing dreams.

The fact that I can be a part of instilling this revelation into the lives of others is incredible.

My new boss- he's pretty rad. To trust and respect my boss is huge.

And the team? They're ridiculously talented. I can't wait to join them.

This video gives you a behind-the-scenes look in the life of the Creative team, and in particular, to our leader.

I'm pumped to be the newest member of the team.

Here's to new beginnings and amazing opportunities!

And to our Lord whom provides an outcome far better than we could have arranged for ourselves.

When He speaks freedom.

The following has been The Lord's Word for me during this past season of change. The entire chapter comes off the page at me. 

It's. so. good. 

I invite you to read it- in its entirety. For this post's sake, I have highlighted my most favorite lines.

Psalm 37

Of David.

5 3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;

17 

The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

2539 

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

This passage is where my scripture memorization is coming from these days. Pulling this passage about, piece by piece; I can't get enough.

You see, for about a year now, I felt God prepping me for something. I didn't know what- but I knew it would be totally different than what I was used to. I knew He was calling me to get ready. 

At the end of May, an unexpected opportunity was presented to me. It was something that I was truly so excited about; almost to the point of not believing it could be true. They were asking ME to accept this position. Me! And at such an unexpected time!

I took the next month to make my decision- Jon and I prayed, we crunched numbers, we dreamt about a different future for our family, we made plans. As the excitement fluttered in my heart, the fear also billowed up in my stomach. Fear of change. Fear of provision. Fear of... health insurance?

You see, I have Type 1 Diabetes. One of the perks of teaching in my county was the incredible health benefits. For diabetic teachers, they covered all cost at 100%! That was unheard of, and I knew that no other career (or county) would provide that.

I audibly heard God say to me, "Am I not bigger than BlueCross?" Sounds silly now, right? But at the time, the fear was very real. And this new opportunity revealed just how deep that fear ran. 

Have you ever prayed for peace over a situation, but it didn't come right away? Have you ever asked God for His guidance, knowing all the while He was already leading? Has God ever asked you to just trust- commit to Him first and foremost?

Now that I'm able to look back on the situation, I realize God was speaking the whole time. I was praying over and over again, but my prayers were drowning out His words. 

"Be still, and know that I am God."

"Wait patiently for me."

"Commit your way to me, and I will do this..."

"Delight in Me. I will make your steps firm."

My God began to flood my mind with memories of times when He had provided, been faithful, guided. He reminded Me how GOOD He is. And He challenged me to trust Him.

Trust.

Commit.

God, I need peace about this situation!

Give me your desires.

I want to follow You!

Commit your way to me.

I need your peace!

Recognize I am who I say I am.

One afternoon, when I knew it was time to make my decision, I spent a couple hours on the phone with health insurance companies. The numbers and jargon had finally got the best of me. Here it came- anxiety began to flood my body.

In a refusal to let the enemy take me down, I put everything aside. I turned on my worship music, and I began to sing. I prayed. I sang some more.

Through tears running down my cheeks, I whispered, "Okay God. You've never left us hanging before. You are the Provider. You are Faithful. You are Good. You are Gracious..."

I began to relive life experiences when God knocked my socks off. My whisper grew louder. Stronger.

"I trust you, God. I commit my way to You. I believe this opportunity is from you, and I accept it. We will go where you're calling us. Yes, God!"

And you know what? That peace that I had prayed over for a month, but had yet to experience it- that peace came over me. It flooded my living room. My somber prayers became a moment of dancing for my Lord, all over the house!

That fear that had taken over my mind was released. Freedom! 

When God speaks freedom over His people, it's not just over the unsaved. He speaks freedom over the bondage that we place over ourselves every day, sometimes unknowingly so!

I so loved my years as a teacher. I was blessed beyond expectation with coworkers, administration, students, and parents. I changed my career without malice intent or regret. God had been prepping; He was moving in me. 

And I accepted this new life change with true peace and abandonment of fear.

He's still prepping, you know. I realize I have not arrived yet. This year I am the newb. I am learning. And I am loving every minute.

God, I don't know where we're going. But I trust You completely.

There is such freedom in those words.

catch up..

I did it. 
It was inevitable.
I did the very thing I knew I would do when I started this blog. 
I let an annoying amount of time go by in between posts. 
Oops. 
I admit it... things have been a little cuh-razy around La Casa Darcy.
Blogging, unfortunately, did not take priority.

It pains me to even think about updating this blog by writing a much-overdue post, but, here goes. We've gotta start somewhere. 
I mean, I did mean for this blog to be a way of us to document our first few bits of marriage together, right?

Let me just summarize some of our happenings of late:

Take a breath.

Here we go.

 We'll do anything for free Chic-fil-a. Dress like a cow, get a free sandwich? Sure! Why not?! (Jon looks thrilled, I know, but we did have a great time.)

 Loving that my bros are back in Nash, mostly, after a busy summer on the road. This night in particular, we took them (and our friend Ted) put-put golfing. They sported their hand-made "bro tats". Duh. (For the record, I came in second place that night!)

 Jon was sporting a feaux hawk for a few weeks. I LOVED it! And now we find out, so did all of our friends! Jon shaved it off, but I have a feeling another hawk may be in the near future.) We are loving our grill and back deck. Now that the weather is cooling off, expect more cookouts, y'all!

 We bought a new car! In CASH!!! (Although, these are the keys of the first car we bought, then returned, then bought our new car. Long story. All you need to know is God is good and we got a dependable car.) Blessing alert: once we turned in the Altima, we were expecting one more payment of almost $300 and an additional $400 fee to ship the leased car to auction. BUT... Nissan told us EVERYTHING was covered! We didn't owe another penny!!! Can you say, "Amen"!

 Jon taking it back to his Panamanian roots... plantains... they were stupid good!!

 We are fiercely committed to our "Get Debt Free So You Can Have The Most Adorable Mixed Babies Ever" plan. This is a pic of our envelopes. This is a praise in itself, that I don't crawl into the fetal position once the bi-weekly "budget meetings" commence. Not gonna lie...we have a significant amount of debt. However, we have a plan. We are sticking to it. And we serve an unbelievable gracious and provisional God!!

 Life is BUSY these days. We are trying to MAKE, not find, time to study The Word together. This pic was taken one Saturday we spent at the park, laying on a blanket under an oak tree, reading God's Word and meditating on what He says. it was an awesome time for us.

 And, of course, we had to suck up the last bit of summer at Las Paletas... gourmet popsicles g0 straight to me heart.

 I am falling more and more in love with this man every. single. day.

 So, since Jon has a second job valet parking cars in downtown Nash on the weekends, I am giving a whirl at being a Stella & Dot Stylist. I adore their jewelry, think a lot of their company, and really am enjoying this side business! (Only, I've gotta make more time for trunk shows...) Anyway, this pic is of some treats that were served at one of my August trunk shows. Thanks, Kelsea!

 For the past few months, God has been prepping both mine and Jon's hearts by whispering, "Get ready". (I think I blogged about this earlier.) For what, we didn't know. But we both feel such a calling to enter the ministry together, so we have been praying for that opportunity. And here it is!! Our church has always loved its college students, but never had a ministry specifically targeted toward college students alone. Jon and I were asked to head up this ministry, and after prayer and consideration, we accepted! We serve with a fabulous group of people that teach Sunday School, direct a not-so-small small group, plan Sunday meals, and help with Wednesday services, and Jon and I are responsible for the mid-week service. We have been soaking this ministry in prayer, and we are both honored and humbled to be a part. These labels were placed on packages of Ramen noodles we delivered to college students on move in day!

 Planning/leading the "Overflow" mid-week service means I get to do my absolute most favorite thing- lead worship alongside my brothers. AND hear Jon bring The Word! It has been truly ridiculous- the way these college students worship. The Holy Spirit floods our sanctuary, and with hands raised we experience true, genuine worship. It really has been surreal to lead a service together as a family. Really, as I'm writing this, I'm realizing it's a dream come true.

*If you think of us, please remember to pray for us and for the Overflow Student Ministry. We want nothing other than what God has for this ministry. Come, Holy Spirit, Come!!

 Since our lives are stupid busy these days, we are learning we have to schedule time for just the two of us to be together, Sounds silly, right? But it's soooo true, I guard time with my man ike I guard my meal time. :)

One night, our friend Alyssa blessed our socks off by GIVING us her tickets to watch the Tennessee Titans play! We had SOOOO much fun going together! One of Jon's biggest passions is football. What can I say? I'm trying to convert him to be a Titans fan. :)

 This past Labor Day, we spent time on the water with friends. Again, much needed time. Time to be together and be with friends. It might have been ugly, rainy weather. But we had a blast!

 This was only Jon's second time water skiing. Get it, baby!

 So. I'm trying to learn to run. That's right. Trying.

Jon is an amazing runner. He's one that can run for like 10 miles at a time...for FUN! Who does that?

Anyway, I am determined to become a runner, or at least a jogger haha. And you know what? Since I have the best trainer, I am actually developing some skill! 

 Again, part of that MAKING time for each other... the dollar theater is just down the road from our house. Let's just say, I can't stand the thought of paying $10 to see a movie at the regular theater, but we love seeing the movie a few weeks ater everyone else saw it...and we only pay $2! This pic was taken after we finally saw The Hunger Games. It. Was. Fantastic. I didn't think I had any interest in this series. Now I'm reading the books!

 Jon traded in all of his Playstation games in order to purchase the brand new Madden 2013 football game. (He cracks me up!) After hearing him cheer, clap, stomp his feet, yell at the ref, etc. I decided it was time for me to play a game. Jon "trained" me on the game's workings...and...I beat him. (But don't rub it in his face; he still says I cheated somehow, ha!) To celebrate, we went out for a late dinner in downtown Nash. Oh yeah, another BLESSING alert: one night while Jon was valet parking downtown, a guy tipped him $40!! He said use $20 to put towards our college ministry and use $20 to take me out to dinner downtown. How awesome is that?! Thank you, stranger I'll never meet, You sure did blessed these newlyweds! (and not just with the money.)

Key phrase around our house: "We ain't got no babies!"

 The Love of My Life!

 The family I nannied for had ANOTHER baby! Baby number five!!! Jon and I took dinner to them one night. We toured their BEAUTIFUL new home, viewed "The Lorax" on their 3D TV, chased their monkeys all over the house, and cuddled with this brand new bundle of joy. I would be lying if I said I'm not tickled with excitement to have one of my own, but I can wait. All in His timing. And right now is NOT His timing, ha. :)

 Truth. We have become a little obsessed with Justin Bieber in our house. Just last night, he was the soundtrack to our dance party.

 Before Jon heads to work Saturday nights, we try to soak in the morning time together. Jon is the newest member of the Franklin Farmers' Market fan club. Local honey, organic veggies, fresh-cut flowers, live music, and food trucks?! We're so there.

This is what I'm supposed to be doing. Instead, I'm blogging. :) 

(Hey, the dryer is going!)

All in all, we lead exceptionally busy, yet exceptionally wonderful lives. Just this morning at breakfast, as we prayed over our omelets and crescents, I began to cry.

There are so many times when the feeling of debt tries to weigh heavy on my shoulders. Or I am weepy on a Saturday night because Jon is working ALL weekend, and I'm dying to see him. Or my insecurities creep in and make me feel "not enough". 

But. God.

He blesses. He provides. He sustains. He gives strength. He is faithful. 

He is Love.

And He is good.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I will trust.

Trust does not always come naturally to me. Only a few years ago did I realize the depth of this distrust...it was brought to my attention that, all to often, I even find it difficult to trust God.

Anybody out there familiar with this?

I mean, how silly it seems! This is God we're talking about. My Creator, Savior, Redeemer, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, my Provider, Healer, and Best Friend. Why on earth would it be difficult to trust in Him?

For whatever reason, my flesh makes it very challenging. In my moments of weakness, when my Type A personality goes in to overdrive and wants to claim control over everything, and get squeemish when I don't think God is moving on my behalf. It's then that I hear Him, "Trust me." It's almost comical now. I can see God throwing his hands over his face, hiding the laughter, as if to say, "My daughter, haven't you leaned this yet? I love you! I have you!"

Once I was aware of this boulder blocking progression in my relationship with my Lord, I was eager to work through it, to overcome it.

The best infiltration I have in this battle against my flesh is The Word. God's Word is filled with promises to us. 

Below is a list of some of my favorite verses. These verses put God's promises in the present tense for me. They remind me of the intimate relationship between my Heavenly Father and Mallory (insert name).

On a daily basis, yes daily, I am hiding His Word in my heart.

I Am Going to Trust the Lord…

He knows my name.

Isaiah 43:1

He sees my every move.

Psalm 139:7

He thinks about me.

Psalm 139:17

He is with me.

Joshua 1:9

He will fight for me.

Exodus 14:14

He made me in His image.

Genesis 1:27

He is my safe place.

Psalm 62:6-8

He has a plan for me.

Jeremiah 29:11

He is good.

Psalm 119:68

He is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

He is always with me.

Matthew 28:20

What are some verses you are currently memorizing?

just...be.

I recently read a fantastic book, Empty Promises by Pete Wilson. (Click here to check it out on Amazon!) The timing of my reading this book could not have been more perfect, high-five to the Holy Spirit. I found this book a joy to read as the author is very open and honest, however I found it also a challenge as the reader must in return be open and honest with oneself.

You see, I began this summer trying to check-off my notorious checklist for life.
As a single gal, it used to look something like this:
Find a gorgeous, adoring, Christ-following husband.
Fall in love.
Get engaged.
Plan a dream wedding on a small budget.
Enjoy honeymoon bliss.
Decorate the new townhouse.

Let's see...I've got a gorgeous, adoring, Christ-following husband...check.
Now, we work our butts off for ______ years until we are debt free and reach financial peace...
We work extremely hard, climbing up the career ladder until we can both fulfill our dream jobs.
In about 20 years (just kidding, Mom), we will start having babies, and then all the fun begins...

If you're a Type A, plan-a-olic like myself, this list may not seem too crazy to you...
The free spirits in the world, however, are laughing at us.

This verse is at the very beginning of Empty Promises, and it stabbed me like a knife:

"No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content." Ecclesiastes 1:8

Whoa. Was this verse written for me?

But what about my "goals," God? You know? These dreams that you birthed in me, and in Jon too, and that we believe you want us to fulfill for Your purposes? When do these start playing in action?

Then I am reminded.

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 37:4

And there it is. Delight myself in the LORD.

You see, without even realizing it, I've placed these "idols" before God. They're not even necessarily "bad" idols, but Pete writes that "idolatry is when I look to something that does not have God's power to give me what only God has the power and authority to give".

Yikes. I bet that if we all did a little self-eval, we'd find some hidden idols that we didn't even realize we had given such prominence. I know I sure did.

In my desire to please God and fulfill His "purpose" for my life, I am rushing past the most important factor...HIM!

Like I've stated before, I'm a dork. Typical Type A personality, high-strung, go-getter type. These character traits often benefit me, especially in the career world. However, patience is never a strong point of mine, and this kind of rushing-to-produce mantra is not always the sacrifice of praise God is looking for.

I'll admit, I have some control issues as well, And when I combine my internal need for control with the "regime of the plan", the outcome is not always beautiful. Here's another quote from Pete:

"when the need for hurry meets the desire for control, it becomes really easy to start worshipping someone and something other than our Creator God" (page 8).

Yikes.

And so this is where I was.

Trying not to sound like a book salesman, let me reiterate that you. should. read. this. book.
Everyone should.
I believe there are some huge points to be learned and scriptures to be examined in this title.
But moving forward, this is where I'm at...

I believe that God is calling to just..."be".
Be content.
In who He says He is and in what He can do.
Be content.

Yes, He's given visions and dreams.
Yes, He promises to see those dreams to fruition.
Yes, He's guiding the way and yes, He does have a plan.

God has been asking, "If I never did another thing for you, would I be enough?" Of course my instant reply is, "Yes, God!" But He is searching me heart (Psalm 139). And He is challenging me to consider my answer. On a daily basis.

I choose to just "be". To live in the presence of this God. To saturate myself in His Word, and hide His Word in my heart. To accept each day for what it is...a gift. And to seek His purpose each and every day.

This is the last quote I'll use for this entry, mainly so I don't get sued by Pete Wilson for stealing his thunder. But I pray these words will be etched on your heart:

(Page 13) "...I believe that God has not given up on you. He is, in fact, powerfully present in your life...In his resurrection, he gave us hope that we can indeed experience the fulfillment of our desires. Jesus is continually inviting people to give up their idols and follow him. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is worthy of our whole devotion. He alone has the authority to forgive all of our sins. He alone has the wisdom to guide our whole lives. He alone leaves us invigorated rather than exhausted, at peace rather than anxious. He alone has the power to fill the gnawing inner emptiness we all experience and bring purpose to each and ever day that he sees fit to grant us as a gift."

Ushered In.

Tonight, as I'm waiting for Jon to get home for our late-night date, I am overcome with an urge to listen to  this song; a song that I grew up hearing my mom singing in church services. You know, one of those worship songs where the whole congregation lifted their hands and wept as living testimonies to her praise. (Man, I'd do almost anything to hear my mom sing this at church tonight.)

I decided not only to listen to the song, but watch this video on YouTube. The video shows Cece Winans singing the song live. 

Cece Winans - Alabaster Box

As I sang along to the words and meditated on the meaning behind them, I was ushered into His Presence- right there at my kitchen table. 

Before I knew it, I was weeping over my turkey-provalone melt. 

It was as if the heart of the Biblical woman became more real to me than ever before.

Her sacrifice of praise was so real. so intimate. so crucial.

I am overcome right now by this Biblical story, by this beautifully arranged song, by the powerhouse voice of Cece. But mostly I am overcome by the anointed Presence of God. It knows no time and place. His Spirit falls on us whenever we ask to receive it. And I'm thankful for that.

new heart.

In our church's youth group, we've been studying the story of Jonah. Last night, as we met in our girls' small group, I listened to middle school and high school ladies discuss their "running" from God, something I'm relating all-too-closely with these days. Another one of our sponsors (an amazing woman; a true Proverbs 31 woman whom I love and desire to be just like!) shared this verse with the group. 

Today, I just can't seem to get away from these words.

Ezekiel 36:26

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Today my prayer is that I will receive this new heart, and allow this new spirit to be at work in me.

Can I be honest?

Lately, it's been a real challenge for me to dive into The Word on a daily basis. On top of that, my prayer life has been greatly diffused. There are major events occurring in my life during this season- events that require me to drop to my knees and pray; events that require me studying The Word of God to seek His Will and absorb His Truth. However, my humanity, my flesh, my selfishness, whatever you want to label it, has made this a difficult relationship. I haven't been involved in any "bad" or "sinful" acts; I've just been...well...busy. Yet, the ignorance of my relationship with my Creator is one that can never produce a healthy harvest.


This morning, I was able to sleep in (compliments of spring break), wake slowly, make my breakfast of yogurt covered in granola with a side of fresh fruit, sit on my bed, and finally come before the Lord.


This was an act of obedience; something I have not been so swell at lately. If I'm being honest, lately I've been a weak prayer warrior, more like a prayer "drummer boy", and I have indulged in disobedience without even realizing it.


This morning, as I prayed for His Spirit to speak to me, for The Word to literally become my daily bread, I was rocked by what I read.


In all four of my readings this morning, the act of disobedience was addressed:


"The ones who are most aware of God's presence in their lives are the ones who love Jesus with a passion and who have abandoned all disobedience to Him. God uses them without reservation."


Whoa. This whole time I've been asking God to "use me", however, I didn't realize that my lack of passion and my disobedience was literally the road block.


My all-time favorite verse is Ephesians 3:20 "To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." I was shaken this morning when I realized in my feeble prayers, I have not given Him room to do immeasurable things in my life. This very morning I wept as I gave my fears to God, asking Him to work in my family- for my job, Jon's job, our finances, our visions and dreams. Our desire is for God to work through our marriage in such a way that God is the only explanation.


Have I been praying for this immeasurable work? Have I opened my heart to it? Have I prepared for it?


I read more.


"To those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and who come to Him without reservation, trusting in Him as the source for all righteousness and strength, He satisfies."


Whoa. Definitely sensing a common theme here. And there's that "trust" word that's so hard for me.


"We must truly come to Jesus, not casually and with reservation, but with enthusiasm, openness, and trust. We must prepare for the overflowing tide, always looking to Him in faith. We must excitedly expect Him to fulfill His promise."


I so desire this living water to not only flow, but gush, throughout my home.


After I prayed this prayer, abandoning my disobedience, committing my complete trust in Him, and excitedly expected God to fulfill His promises so I could tell people about His work, an AMAZING thing happened... but I'll have to finish this story later on.  :)


Ephesians 3:20


Come to Him. And come with expectancy.