SHH!

Have you ever seen a movie when there’s a court scene and the lawyer is trying to work on behalf of the client and the client starts speaking up for themselves in desperation to plea their case (and lack of trust in the lawyers ability) and then completely messes up the case and the Lawyer has that expression on their face like… WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP! JUST BE QUIET SO I CAN HELP YOU!

Scripture tells us that Jesus is our ADVOCATE. That he is actually working in the spiritual realm of life on our behalf, advocating for us. His spirit is actually speaking truth to hearts and minds on our behalf and moving things into their rightful place, on our behalf. That is incredible.

But sometimes… I think we are the client in the courtroom who starts starting up and over turning the room trying to plead our own case, prove our own innocence or worthiness or good intention.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place to stand up for yourself, but there’s also a time where silence and trusting that God is ADVOCATING on your behalf, and that the truth of who you are, and you character will stand for itself in time. That’s even more powerful when you don’t even have to open your mouth to call to your own defence, but can allow God’s spirit, and your life in and of itself to stand for itself.

We can work ourselves up about constantly having everyone understanding our good intentions, and where we are coming from, and trying to please everyone and making sure everyone is happy with us, but the truth is, sometimes people will misunderstand things, and sometimes you won’t be able to necessarily change that. Sometimes trying is implicating yourself further into a stressful and unhealthy situation where instead, you can continue to simply live in love, live in your truth, and allow time to show and tell, your heart.

Jesus is working and speaking and moving on your behalf. Let Him do his thing. Trust Him.

It’s like when Moses told the people of Israel when they were coming up against the Egyptians… “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. “ And God rescued them!

Just stand still and watch the Lord work on your behalf <3 Keep loving and living in truth & the rest will work itself out.

All my love,

Ashley XOXO

MARATHON SERIES III : How'd I get that bruise?

I turned the corner, finish line in view, strangers and family cheering me on as I finished what would be a great accomplishment— 42 KM of straight running, no stopping. A final burst of energy and adrenaline came over me as I sped past a few more runners taking that intentional step across the finish line. As my sneaker made it’s way to full contact on that last step across the line I thought, “YES!”

A few minutes later after my awesome fiance & future Mother & Father in law greeted me with hugs and water and smiles I started to feel this weird sensation on my lower back, an intense bruise. I quickly realized that the small “runners fanny pack” that I had been wearing around my waist for the past 42 km had overtime, actually intensely bruised my back.

The funny thing is, I didn’t even realize it during the run. I was distracted by the task at hand, and the work I was exerting to reach my goal.

It’s also interesting that this fanny pack is as light mesh as you could get, it doesn’t seem heavy, it wasn’t necessarily a concern of mine, but it did have a huge impact on my back as the small weight of it throughout 42 km compounded on my back over time. For the next week, I was left with a very tender bruise.

Okay Ashley, so you got a bruise on your lower back. Tough cookie? My point isn’t that the bruise was a big deal, but what this experience represents is a big deal.

In life, it’s important that we continually evaluate what we are carrying that maybe we need to set aside and lay down. Things that we need to trust in God’s hands and not our own. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, sometimes this is something we have to do everyday. Lay down our worries, or cut unhealthy things out of our lives that we are carrying as weights. We need to free ourselves from that which may weigh us down even in the slightest bit. That little stress, or that slightly unhealthy relationship may not seem to be sinking your ship right now, but compounded over time, you may be left with a bruise and wonder… “Where did this come from?!”

I love how Hebrews 12 says let us strip off every weight that slows us down. What proverbial fanny pack is tied around your waist that you need to cut loose, you need to lay aside, or place in God’s hands.

Whatever that may be, I encourage you to evaluate what it is you are carrying so that you can free yourself up daily, trusting in God’s provision and not your own, cutting the negativity our of your life and focusing on the positive, so that you don’t find yourself 42 km in with a bruise.

Maybe you have a bruise already. Well good news. Bruises heal. <3

All my love,

Ashley XOXO

The HILL

Running through back roads of Conestoga is pretty flat. You kind of ease into a comfort zone of straight roads, farmland, country sunshine… and then out of no where, there’s the steepest hill you ever did see coming up in less than 700 metres.

It’s easy in that moment to think, “How am I going to maintain my pace up this hill, how am I going to not stop, I can barely make it on this flat road, let alone a HILL.”

But it’s in that moment that you take captive that thought and start telling your body and your mind that you are going to maintain your pace up that hill, that you can do it. Declare positivity, faith, a can-do attitude over the hill, over your life situation. It isn’t this hooky magic, but it informs you mind, which then speaks to your body about what it’s attempting to accomplish, and thus it looks for every resource in your body to see that delcaration through to fruition.

Your mind and body will resource what you tell it. Whether it good or bad.

If you tell it there’s a hill and you can’t. You won’t. If you are saying you’re tired, you’re going to have a bad day, that you can’t— your mind will actually look for ways to affirm that.

If you tell it there’s a hill coming up and we are going to crush it. You’ll at minimum, do better than you would of, had you told yourself you couldn’t. Your body and mind will look for muscles, energy restores, positivity, strength to get you through. You’ll start seeing opportunities that you hadn’t before, you’ll start seeing the progress you’re making.

What are you telling you body and mind? That’s what you’re resourcing yourself with. Don’t you want to resource yourself with strength, ability, power? Start declaring that.

Even focus the next 24 hours, to not tell yourself one negative thing. And if you do, actually say out loud, “No, (enter the opposite positive thought here). And just SEE how it changes your frame of mind, your energy levels, the atmosphere around you, even the situations and people around you!

It’s so simple, yet so powerful.

So back to the hill. I’m preparing for this hill, and before I know it, I’m on it, I’m in the middle of it, and I’m thinking, “Wow, it’s actually not as steep as it looks.” You see from far away, it can be intimidating, it can seem so steep in relation to where you are. But it’s crazy how every step forward, eats away at the height of that mountain, it actually puts it under your feet literally and figuratively, and you are ON TOP of it before you know it.

Here’s to the hills— and getting to the top.

— Ash XOXO.

Anointing - MARATHON SERIES

It was about 9 km into the race and I had the realization that if I was going to really finish this thing, and run more than 3 times the distance I had already run, I was going to need SUPERNATURAL strength. Y’all know what I’m talking about?

So out of know where I just spoke out loud, the word anointing! (I’ve never done this before, it just seem to come out of my mouth!)

I prayed: Lord, anoint me to run this race, set it a part as a purposed journey for me to accomplish and see through to the finish through your strength and power.

ANOINTING is a biblical term that, in short, is… to be fuelled by the Holy Spirit’s power in order to accomplish something that is set apart for God’s greater purpose.

Every time I’d start to get tired, I would yell ANOINTING! I think I was starting to scare some people.

I was reminding myself I was purposed to run it with specific provision to do so. Meaning, I was declaring in faith that I was ANOINTED to run it, I had the authority, ability and power to run it, because of God’s anointing.

Back in bible days, you couldn’t become KING, and obtain the rulership and authority that you were being given, until you were anointed as king. When you were anointed, now you had the proper blessing, provision, and intention, the permission to go walk into what God had for you. Kings were anointed for a specific task and calling, and they were given everything they needed to accomplish their mission by God. Because they were anointed. For a specific thing, at a specific time.

The oil that they used to anoint kings was representative of the Spirit of God but also of the official designation to an office by God’s decree.  It was an indication that they were sanctioned or ordained by God. 

What is it that perhaps has always been a dream of yours, or something that you’ve been gifted in, talented in, that God is anointing you to do. I encourage you to think about that, identify what it might be in this season of life for you, uniquely. And then take hold of that thing, and do it with the confidence that you are anointed, purposed, to do this!

I’d love to hear what that might be for you!

Ash XOXO

FANCY FASHION?

TRAINING GROUND - the marathon series

TRAINING GROUND

Sometimes, without even realizing it, your present day activities & habits are actually your training ground for that which is NOT YET.  Something you don’t even know about… How could you be training for it?

So my fiancé & I (meaning I signed us up, paid and didn’t tell him) decided to run a marathon in 30 days, meaning 30 days away we signed up & started training. 

The only reason we were physically capable of running a marathon with only 30 days on intentional training, was the years of athletic conditioning beforehand. 

Did I know that those early mornings at the gym a year ago would be preparing me for an eventual marathon? No way! Did I still somehow drag myself out of bed and do it? Well, most of the time.  What is it that your daily routines could be setting you up for… (that is so exciting!) Start preparing— do what is good, what is right, what is healthy. That’s why we’ve gone to the gym for years. Because we knew it was good, it was right, it was healthy, we didn’t know for what specific purpose it may serve. If you’re having trouble knowing where to start and what to build into your routine, yes look at your goals & vision for your life, but also it’s in the simple doing what is right, what is good, what is healthy. Being obedient to God in the little and the big.

Treat your present with excellence, invest into it, you never know what it could be preparing you for. Then, at a moments notice, you find out about an open door, an opportunity, a challenge laid before you, and with only “30 days” of intentional training, you  can actually do it. 

When you’re in “training mode” you learn a lot. You learn lessons that help you grow and prepare you for your “marathon.”

You learn what you’re good at, and what you are BAD at. For example, I realized that I could not STAND Josh running ahead of me and waving at me to hurry up. I usually hit a wall at about 9 KM that I had to start preparing to get through, and then I’d be okay again, I learned that hydration is everything, without Water throughout a long distance run— your muscles are going to get super tired. I learned that water becomes a cupcake at the end of 20km and I learned that what you wear on your feet is IMPORTANT so get a good pair of sneakers and socks. I learned that training with others is so encouraging. Sharing the journey, having each other to be accountable to and get that run in, and then cheering together at the end— that’s everything. Get people around you.  All of these learnings helped me make the right adjustments in order to face the full 42 KM.

I hope you are making the literary connections between whatever it is that is your training ground right now. What is it that you can learn and take away, and improve, that will set you up for success in your “marathon.” 

I have SO much I have written about this whole marathon journey, but for now I’ll leave you with that. Train now, to be ready for what is coming even if you don’t know what it is. Maybe you’ll find out what’s next & be able to step right into it with little specific preparation because of all that has gone before it. 

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s coming: 

• “Phone a Friend” what happened at 22km 

• Grace & Anointing - how I talked myself through the 42km 

• The HILL

• Run with me

• The family

• Where did I get that bruise? 

• How’s he doing

• Was that an angel? 

WEDDING PLANNING

Hey friends!

So I have decided to write a few posts on… you guesses it— WEDDING PLANNING.

There are so many tips and tricks that you learn along the way, and I want to make sure I share my learnings with all you Bride to Be! So here just 5 tips that I’ve LEARNED so far among many!

Invitation List

Although you probably have access to most of the people around you, I suggest mailing everyone’s invitation. It will give you peace of mind all at once, that everyone is getting their invitation. Yes, it will cost more with postage, but it avoids you having invitations in your purse for months until you “happen” to see them again.

Flowers

They can be VERY pricey! Costco flowers have had amazing reviews from friends and many wedding websites I’ve read. Highly recommend! And hey— makes for a fun evening with your bridesmaids putting together your bouquets!

Signage

I was spending HOURS (not being a graphic designer by nature) trying to design amazing welcome signs, programs, and the list goes on, when ETSY has hundreds of templates that you can buy and edit and then have printed, for very affordable prices!

Wedding Veils

You can spend A LOT of money on a veil at bridal boutiques. I recommend checking out JJ House for veils. I purchased mine there and am IN LOVE with it.

It’s ALL special

Now I might get an eye roll from some of you… but every moment of your wedding planning is special— and it will hopefully only happen once! So ENJOY it and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for it! This is your time, and surround yourself with people who will be happy and excited for you, realizing how fantastically exciting this time of your life is, you will look back on it and cherish it forever! Make the memories amazing. That’s up to you!

As it is in Heaven

Hey friends!

It has been WAY too long since I’ve written.  So happy to have a moment to share a thought that I had just today.

As many would know I am getting married very soon, and I’m VERY excited about it. Looking forward to such a huge moment in your life, you want it to be perfect, of course! You want the week of, the day of, the beginning of marriage, you want it all to be beyond all your expectations.

I’ve been praying into our wedding and marriage being amazing, but having trouble articulating into words exactly how to pray for what I desire it to be.  Then it hit me— AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

All of a sudden that perfect and biblical phrase that is found in the Lord’s prayer, perfectly summarized the desire that I have for my wedding week and day and my entire marriage. As it is in heaven— full of joy, goodness, togetherness, peace, love, grace, celebration, enjoyment, fun, ease and so many other amazing things.

I thought this is such a powerful statement to pray over everything in our lives, our day to day routines, our relationships, our careers, everything! As it is in heaven.

What would happen if we started being more and more intentional on living out that declaration in our day to day. Let’s pray it AND practice it. What contribution can we make to bring “As it is in heaven” to our lives, to the lives of others?

As it is in heaven <3

Ashley