allysalyers-blog

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My attempt to RE-START my blogging venture!

Re-start.  I hate re-starting.  Or, beginning again, if you will.  It is always indicative of the fact that I never finished.

I could make a list a mile long of all of the endeavors that I left open-ended!  Just to name a few, since I'm sure this blog won't be read if it were a mile long, let's start with all of those journals I bought that I filled about 1/8 of the way!  Or, how about that recipe box that I intended to stock with all of the recipes I actually made that I found off of Pinterest.  Oh, and did I just dare to mention Pinterest?  I might as well take a five year hiatus, because it will take me that long just to finish printing off the recipes I posted to my "FOOD!" board, never mind actually cooking them!

So, tell me, did my pessimistic rant catch your attention yet? If it did, I'm sorry.  I'm not always like that.  Well, yes I am.  It's just that I can put up a good front and keep the chatter that I just spewed out inside my spinning, overwhelmed mind.  That's right...my head spins.  Not literally of course, but it is always spinning with thoughts, plans, words, people's opinions of me, ideas, fears, worries, anxieties, did I say people's opinions of me?  Oh, yes, I think I did.

I love my husband.  (New thought, so it needed a new paragraph).  I love him for a lot of reasons and I'm sure I will talk about that some day here, but I love him today for telling me I should start blogging again.  He just walked into the house yesterday (I think it was yesterday) and said,

"Hey?" in the form of a question.

And I said, "Yeah?" we use a lot of words when we communicate.

"You should start blogging again."

I responded, "Yeah?" As if to imply, "tell me more."

"Yeah, you know, you can share about being a mom, or how you are creating a healthier lifestyle and how that is affecting you, or DIY stuff, or thoughts you have about the Gospel."

So, this morning, when I woke up to a crying baby around 6:23 am, the last thing I'd thought I'd take 20 minutes to do was re-start this blog I created about 4 years ago.  Not because I don't like Chase's advice, I love it.  No, mainly because I have to start something like this when everything is perfect.  I'm the kind of gal who needs the sun to be shining, the scale to read a good 20 pounds below 179, and for life to be "as it should be," whatever that means.

Yet, in good ole' Olympia, WA, the sun is definitely NOT shining, the scale in fact reads 179, relationships are messy, forgiveness isn't easy, anxiety is trying to take the center stage, and oh, what's that sound?  That's the sound of my 3-month-old waking up way too early from his nap.

I'm about to wrap up, but how depressed would you be if this is all I could offer you?  I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to have people relate.  So, if you are reading this and you can relate, maybe not to the specifics, but you can relate to the chaos, the hurt, the frustration; then allow me to offer both of us hope.

The hope I will share is the only reason why I began blogging again.  This hope is simple and sure; powerful and vast; strong and secure.  It is nothing like the weather, the scale, relationships, or dirty diapers (well, those can be strong if you know what I mean).  This "hope" that I speak of is of the "steadfast love" of the Lord...

This love is what pulls me out of bed in the morning (at times, literally PULLS me out).  This love meets me on my worst of days.  This love keeps me and sustains me and pursues me even when I go looking for other types of love.  It calms my ever wandering thoughts and reminds me of my true identity.  This love causes my soul to utter words like the Psalmist,

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:24,25

Steadfast love causes me to re-start.  Re-start my day, my blog, my thoughts - re-start with the truth that is found only in Jesus.

Steadfast love is found in Jesus.  Re-start your day with this truth in mind.  And let it sink in.

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We begin the Christian life through faith and repentance, and we continue the Christian life through faith and repentance.

Tim Chester in You Can Change

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#voodoodoughnut #holycrap (Taken with Instagram at Voodoo Doughnut)

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#voodoodoughnut #portland #lastnightalltogether (Taken with Instagram at Voodoo Doughnut)

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My love. (Taken with Instagram at NorthWest Public House)

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#family #lastnightalltogether #portland #oregon (Taken with Instagram at NorthWest Public House)

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Marionberry Danish and Hot Cocoa #demolished #sanfransiscostreetbakery (Taken with Instagram at San Francisco Street Bakery)

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I love him. Starbucks for the drive home #treatreceipt (Taken with Instagram at Starbucks)

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That's my husbands dream bike. (Taken with Instagram at Safeway)

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Taking a stroll on our Steamboat Island! Love having dad here. (Taken with Instagram at Steamboat Island Driving Range)

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My favorite guys! #thankful #alkibeach (Taken with Instagram at Duke's Chowder House)

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"You Can Change" by Tim Chester. #truth #nolifeapartfromjesus (Taken with Instagram)

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@natewauzynski bonding time! (Taken with Instagram)

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@natewauzynski beach time!! (Taken with Instagram)

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Instagram world... Meet Jack. #ridiculous #lovethiskid #family (Taken with Instagram)

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#GQ #model #husband @chaselsalyers (Taken with Instagram)

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Ha ha ha. ! #family (Taken with Instagram at Starbucks)