BLOGGER MEN TELL ALL // Vol. 1

 

I'm so excited to be linking up for today's Blogger Men Tell All post.  I love my husband more than anything and I am always thankful that he supports my blogging time.  He has gotten used to my laptop being a obligatory part of our nights.  He even asks me if I'm okay if my blog doesn't show a new post in a few days. 

 

 

He is easily my biggest fan.  I thank God each and every day for bringing this man into my life.

 

 

So, for today's post it's all about him, the Mississippi Mr., answering in his own words.

 

1.  If you had a blog, what would the name be and what would you blog about?
DA MANS CAVE.... and it would be about the things I love to do.   Aka, a lot of talk about videogames/tools/football/etc.

 

2.  If you could live inside any videogame, which would it be?
If I had to "live" inside a video game, it would probably be some kind of sports or hunting game because those are the things I like to do when I can, even though my favorite is Call of Duty.   I do most of the killing there.

Wow, just wow.

 

3. Who is your best player on your fantasy football team this season?
Peyton Manning

 

4. If you could play for any professional sports team, which would it be?
St. Louis Cardinals

 

5. What do you typically do with an hour of free time?
That depends on when and where the time is.  I'm usually watching TV or playing Call of Duty, or sleeping, just like the rest of the guys in the world.

He's right.

Now, wasn't that fun? I love doing blogs that involve Brian.  He's my other half, so he needs to be more present around here.  I'm thinkingwe need to vlog, right ladies?

 

Oh, hey Friday!

Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

 

o Anniversary pictures next week.  I can't believe that Brian and I have been married almost a year! Married life is even more special than I dreamed and prayed it would be for us.  I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in all the coming years. 

 

 

o Cozy sweaters.  All during the summer, I've been cleaning out Kohl's clearance racks of sweaters.  They were all $5/each and I could not let a deal like that pass.  Now with the temps starting to cool down, I'm anxiously awaiting wearing them!

 

o Coffee.  Anyone who knows me a little, knows I adore a cup of coffee.  Going right along with those big comfortable sweaters is a great cup of coffee and a book.  Fall brings out so many new flavors to try in your coffee.  And don't kill me for this, but a Pumpkin Spice Latte is NOT on my order list.  I'm not a fan of pumpkin.  Sorry.

 

o Good Books sometimes get made into movies.  Earlier, I reviewed Gone Girl and loved it.  Coming to theaters on October 3 is the movie release.  Normally, a movie cannot light a fire to the book, but Ben Affleck is starring in this film.  That's a win, win for me!

 

I'm also going to participate in my sweet blog friend's #OperationReadYourShelves challenge.  Go visit Lauren's blog, 34 Magnolia Street, for more information.

 

 

 o Booties.  Lately, I've been eyeing some totally cute booties for the upcoming fall/winter.  I can't wait to finally wear the one's I've let slip into my shopping bag! ;)  Are you going to be wearing booties these year?! I would love to hear your opinion! I am thinking I will wear them with leggings, dresses, and skinny jeans. 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

 

   

Wednesday's Words (Intro)

I'm so excited to be joining today with Jenni and Martha Kate for Wednesday's Words.  Finding other women who love the Lord is one of my favorite aspects of blogging.  I've met and did Bible Studies with women I would never met in this life if it weren't for our beloved BlogLand.

So, since this is a brand new link-up, the girls wanted to start off with a little introduction.  So, here's a little more about myself..

I'm Kayla White.  I live in the NE corner of Mississippi. ( I'm seriously like 10 miles from the TN line and 20 from the AL line!)  I'm 30 years old and married to my precious husband, Brian.  We are coming up on our one year anniversary in October.  I can't believe it's already that close, but the Lord blessed me with the man that He knew I was meant to spend my life loving unconditionally.   

We have two furbabies, Reagan and Roxie, who have no idea that they are really dachshunds. They really are what makes our house a "home."  When I'm not blogging, you can find me reading or re-arranging some area of our house.  Brian just shakes his head at me. ha!

I've been blogging for several years now, but in the last two years I've really put more focus into making it memorable.  I started it as just a fun thing to do, but once I met and got engaged to Brian, it lead me down a road of being able to document our lives and all the memories I never want to forget. 

I've loved meeting the women that I have through this journey and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for me next!  So, grab a cup of coffee (and me one too!) and let's be friends. 

 

Weekly Wishes // Vol I

This week, I'm starting to keep myself more accountable for life and this blog by linking up with The Nectar Collective.  Brian's ballgames ended this past Thursday night and we are both really looking forward to getting back into our "routine" at home.  

Current Week:
+ Organize my desk area + Clean out master closet + Donate clothing // shoes // jewelry + Reagan and Roxie's needs + Start preparing a Christmas Shopping List (Yes, for real.)
What is on your list this week?  I'd love to hear. 

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
// #TotalSocial with Helene In Between // A Look Back in Time..

GREAT READS: // Pin to Present: Freezer Foods with Love, Fun, and Football // Sponsored Posts by A Beautiful Exchange

#TOTALSOCIAL // #GuiltyTotalSocial

Official Hashtag: #GuiltyTotalSocial

 

Laaaadies.  I'm so stoked to be back for this session of #TOTALSOCIAL with Helene.  And what can be more fun than showing of our guilty pleasures?!?!

 

So, let's dive into mine.. (& I hope we are still friends by the end of this post..)

 

1. Carrie Underwood.  I'm going to be real honest.  I don't like her for her music, or her looks per say.... I'm addicted to her LEGS.  I mean hello!, I need to borrow her trainer for a few weeks. 

 

Source: Glamour magazine

2. Dr. Pepper.  I have stopped drinking my beloved DP.  I know, I know.  I've had the occasional sip on Sunday mornings when Brian and I go for breakfast, but other than that it's been missing from my life.  Have I lost any weight? No.  Does that make me want to go drink an entire 2 Liter myself? YEP.

 

3. Puppies!  And my "puppies" I mean every single dog, no matter it's age or size.  They are all sweet little baby puppies to me.  I'm way obsessed and would very well be the dog lady if Brian would let me...

 

4. iPhone.  I mean, who the heck isn't obsessed with their phones? It's the best stalking tool out there today.  :)

 

5. Notebooks.  I can spend hours in a office supply store.  And I snag pens ANYWHERE I go, even church. 

 

6. Fried pickles.  Do I have to tell you any other reason why?

 

7.  Pretty Little Liars.  I'm old enough to be their Mom, but that's okay.  I still indulge myself in their little high school problems.

 

 8.  Apps.  Yes, I said apps. I will download and try apps ALL the time.  I'm obsessed with finding the newest ones.

 

9.  Cookbooks.  I can dig through a cookbook and cherish it forever.  But I may never cook from it.  I just like having them.

 

10. Lists. Which is why this one is at 10.  I also am guilty of being OCD and liking even numbers.

 

Did you link up today? I would love to see your #TotalGuiltySocial posts! 

   

// currently :

Currently, I am... 

//reading... I'm still in the last book in the J.C. Andrews series for Flowers in the Attic.  I loved the first four, but this last book is just not interesting to me.  But I'm determined to finish it. 

//enjoying... A nice cup of coffee.  No better way to start the day!

//listening... K-Love.  There's nothing than to hear God's worth through some music.
Sidenote: During my Mom's wreck last week, she was listening to K-Love and I just know God knew her heart and kept her safe.

//feeling... happy!  Brian and I have been SO busy lately and I can finally see light at the end of our (very busy!) tunnel. 




I'm linking up with Jenna and Anne.  Grab the prompts and let us know what YOU are currently doing!
 

#NamesOfGod2014 Volume V

Recap: Vol I, II, III, IV.

Chapter 10 Pausing For A Moment - Chapter 12 The Lord Who Sanctifies You

I love how in the opening of this chapter, she states how she simply reacts to situations rather than truly listening and relying on God.  We all do this and we all need to strive to fix this.

Now, I'm not going to lie to you.  Marking the words in this exercise was challenging for me.  I really don't grasp things or ideas that way.  It's just not in how I learn.  So this section really didn't help me. I can see the reasoning behind it and hope that you (who do like it!) found it beneficial. 

Here we are introduced to another name, Jehovah-nissi, meaning "The Lord is My Banner."

I want my banner to wave high and proud.  On judgment day, I want My Banner to show my obedience to Lord.  I love how it says "You are not alone on that battlefield; look to the Lord your banner." 

Isn't it nice to know He has us and comforts us when we most need it?!

Jehovah-mekoddishkem is the next name given to us.  This means the Lord sanctifies you. 

What did you think of this week's studies?

**Also, I want to bring your attention to something.  I know most of you have heard of The Unveiled Wife.  Well, I was chosen as one of the bloggers to participate in doing her 30 day devotional study.  I am starting it today and would love to have some of you do it with me as well, if you would like. 


I am hoping this will provide a new outlook on my marriage with Brian.  We are still newlyweds, but I know some days I could do more as his wife to support him.  I am ready to God to show me something in this study.  I'm eager to learn.

I will be posting my final review on September 1, 2014.


Let's let God control our lives and marriages. 

#NamesOfGod2014 Volume IV

I have to admit, I'm at the beach this week, so this post might be shorter than they normally are for regular weeks. In case you missed my previous weeks then check out Vol. I, II, III. 

This time I'm covering Chapter 9: The Lord who Heals

Very early on in this chapter, we find a statement that says Ignorance is bliss.  That's exactly how I feel a lot of days.  It says we live in our own world, ignorant to the reality of how much we need God.  

We want to change the world ourselves.  We want to make the most of our days, but we don't want to be bothered with others troubles. To me, these are the days when God is challenging us the most.  He wants to see us reach out our hands to those in need, those who need our love. 

We are introduced to another name, Jehovah-rapha.  This means the Lord who heals!

Today, stop and take a hard look at yourself.  Are you sharing The Word? Are you helping those who need relief? Are you telling of God's wonders?

Jehovah-rapha is the Great Physician. If you need physical, emotional, or spiritual help then you need to seek Jehovah-rapha. 

Keep God close. He is listening.  He will heal.

Sunday Spin Vol. II

Hi! Welcome to the Sunday Spin.  A couple weeks ago, I started this as a way to just recap and relive the previous week's happening, or describe your weekend.  It really has no rules and is whatever you want to make of it.  To see my first Sunday Spin, click here.

This past week was amazing.  Brian's little brother, Ben, has been staying with us while he is home from college, so Brian has been having a good time playing Xbox with him.  Lindsey and I opt for talking about wedding and food, ha!

In case you missed anything, I covered what we did last weekend, and getting to see the very precious Nannie.  I also found a new favorite picture.

Note to self: Get this printed and send to her.

I also linked up and shared my thoughts on #NamesOfGod2014 Vol.2 & #NamesOfGod2014 Vol.3.  I'm loving this study and would encourage you to look into it if you haven't already.

I touched on what Marriage and what it means to be in Community Brew Volume 2. 

And then I did a lot of this...packing!  I should mention that as you're reading this, I'm sitting on a beach in Florida.  Yes, I slipped out and away before you knew it!  But don't fear, I have some great posts for this week to keep my face around. 

So, ladies, have a great week!  Catch me on Instagram to keep up to date with me.

Oh, and snapchat me! My username is kwhite1012

   

#NamesOfGod2014 Volume III

* Not sure why this posted, half done, yesterday.  If you saw it, please dis-regard that and try today!*

 

This study is amazing.  If you are not participating, I strongly encourage you to grab a book and start it yourself.  It will not disappoint.  If you want to catch up, you can find my Volume 1 and Volume 2 posts for a recap.  

Today I'm going to be covering Chapters 5-8.  I'm totally sure I'm on track with everyone else, but since there are no rules I am just going to handle it this way.  It makes sense in my mind! ha!

 
Chapter. 5 The All-Sufficient One   In previous reading, we leaned of Elohim, El Elyon, and El Roi. Today we are moving into the name El Shaddai, meaning the all-magnificent one.    We see the example of God appearing as El Shaddai to Abram when he blessed he and Sarah with descendants.  This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  That's pure trust.  Abraham and Sarah believed in the Lord and His promises.  
  In my own personal life, I've seen El Shaddai on those days when I felt like life was just too much and I was letting stress take over my heart and mind.  El Shaddai showed up and helped me conquer those issues.    

Chapter 6 The Lord

 

Before knowing God as El Shaddai, Arthur says we need to know Him as Adonai, meaning your Lord and Master.

 

To really know the Lord, you have to have a relationship with Him. This means you give total submission to Him. He is your Lord and Master. 

I really love how it states that with submission comes all we need for the task He puts before us.  So many times I find myself feeling "alone" but God always shows up and shows me that He has my hand, even in the most difficult of days.

Chapter 7 The Self-Existent One

We are introduced to another name, Jehovah.  This is a name fairly common in our language.  We see it abundantly in scripture. It is translated to mean " to be, or to become".  We see that God tells Moses at the burning bush that he is "I AM WHO I AM".  I think it's important for us all to remember that in our daily walks.  He is the same as he was and the same as He will be.  Lord and Master, forever.

Chapter 8 The Lord Will Provide

Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide.  Isn't that the best thing to hear?  Our Lord WILL BE THERE for us.  In those lonely bad days and through the glorious days.  He will be there. And He will provide.

Are you seeing God speak to you through this study? Have you been following along?  Don't forget to LINK-UP today with Rachel or Nicole.  I'm so excited to see what your heart has to say.  Don't be afraid to listen, He will speak.  

 

 

COMMUNITY BREW : Vol. 2

MARRIAGE

Verses: 

Ephesians 5:22-33

1 Corinthians 7:32-35

I'm so happy to see you back here today for the Community Brew link-up.  First, I want to say thank you to the ladies who keep this going, Madison and Rachel.  I love that we can use this space and our lives to show off what the Lord is doing in each of our lives.

I also want to encourage you to read the verses listed above, especially the ones listed for Ephesians.  This is used in marriages all over the world.  It was spoken in mine.  These words are DEAR to me heart.

How has your "life stage" helped you grow in your relationship with Jesus? 
- I turned thirty this year, so to say that my life stage has changed is an understatement.  I think in the last two years, I've found an even deeper relationship with God that I ever thought i would, honestly. 

What has God been teaching you about being single?
- Ladies, please hear me.  If you are single then YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  I thought being single was the worst thing at one time.  I was depressed that all my friends had husbands/boyfriends/etc. to go and do something with on weekends.  I was bitter. 

And then I started realizing that life isn't so bad single.  So, I used my time being single to focus on ME and MY dreams.  I went out with friends, caught up with old friends, spent time reading, and just being ME.  It was so beneficial in hindsight, and guess what?  Brian walked into my life shortly after...

What is God teaching you about being a wife?
- Every day, God gives me a new lesson on being Brian's wife.  Some days it can be something as silly as learning to be less control-freak when Brian leaves his empty glass on the table.  Then, some days it's challenging when I have to be in a serious conversation with my husband over something personal to us.  I am blessed for both of those days because I would be lost without him. 

God doesn't give us more than we can handle.  If you think He has, then I assure you that your lesson is yet to be learned.  God pushes us, test us, and angers us sometimes.  But being a wife is my priority right now and I will ask God to guide me any way He can.

What lessons have you learned while being engaged?

- My time while engaged, was a huge blessing to me.  I can see now that I was taught patience.  When Brian and I got engaged, I was ready to settle the deal and just have a wedding and become his Mrs.  But I stuck with my plans and waiting 11 months to walk down the isle to the man of my dreams.  To some, eleven months is long and to some it is short.  I think for me it was perfect.  God knew I needed the time to adjust and let me learn a valuable lesson from it in doing so.

You can catch my entire Love Story by clicking here.

#NamesOfGod2014 Volume 2

I am so happy to be back today with volume 2 of #NamesOfGod2014.  If you missed my post #NamesOfGod Vol.1 then you can find that as well.     Again, I want to say thank you to Rachel and Nicole for hosting this Bible study.  I love that I have found a good group of friends via blogland to share my love for the Lord.  I love what this study is showing to all of us, even if those things be very different.   That's what is awesome about God. He shows you what He knows YOU need to see, not what everyone else thinks you should. I'm picking up at Days 5-10 today.  

First let's dig in with the name El Elyon.  This is the name that designates God as the sovereign ruler of the universe.  I love this name.  I love knowing that our God is the ultimate ruler, protector, etc.  God is our ruler from generation to generation.  He wasn't just around while our grandparents' and parents were growing up.  He is still here today with us, and will be there for our children's lives.  He is there, all the time. Doesn't that give you a sense of peace?

 

In Isaiah 46: 9-11 God encourages us to forget all those things of our past.  We need to let go of them and stop letting them have control over our lives.  It's only God who can control us.  It's all through Him. I can speak from personal experience and tell you that I'm thankful for a forgiving, loving. non-judgmental God.

 

As we move on into chapter four, we are introduced to another name of God.  El Roi is the God who sees.  Life will not always be perfect.  We will get hurt, angry, sad.  We will feel betrayed and wonder why God would allow bad things to happen to us.  We may even feel like God isn't listening or watching out for us.  El Roi is the proof that He does listen, He does see.  God never turned his head on us, even if we feel He has.

 

I love knowing God sees.  Don't you?

 

I understand finding it hard to trust, but with God, it's secure.

 

What did you learn? I would love to hear.

Weekending Edition

Well, last week I did good and started my new link-up Sunday Spin.  This week I was a complete fail and didn't even get to schedule today's post, much less one for yesterday.  This weekend was jammed packed and I'm still needing some extra sleep to recover.

 

Let's rewind a bit to Thursday.  I left work early and drove with the family to Memphis to pick up Ben from the airport.  If you are new around here, then Ben is Brian's younger brother.  I won't say "little" anymore because he towers over me so isn't exactly my definition of little.

 

He had spent the last month in Fort Knox, KY doing some Army training so we were all very excited to see him and get to bring him home.  Ben stays at our house while he is in town and not in school.  It's a joy to have him around and I know Brian loves having his "bubba" with him as well.  I know a lot of people sometimes don't get along well with their in-laws but I have been beyond blessed in that department.  I consider them as my own family, not in-laws.

 

And sadly, I'm a bad blogger and don't have any pictures from this night.  I was so tired and completely never thought about getting my phone out.  Ooops.

 

Friday, I worked and then went home.  Ben had taken Lindsey (his fiancé) on a date and so Brian and I decided we too would have a mini-date.  We tried out the new Mexican restaurant in town and I really liked it.  After dinner, we went to our normal location- Lowe's.  And this week I came out with more items than Brian.  [Insert shock face.]

 

My better half

 

Saturday, we loaded up bright and early and made the trip to Cairo, Illinois.  It was the annual 4th July Fish Fry at Brian's grandparents' house.  We waited for the weekend after so Ben would be able to make the trip as well.

 

Blake and I, having fun in the backseat

Bethany and some cute cousins

After some time with Brian's Mamaw and Papaw, we stopped for a visit with his precious Nannie.  And a little fun fact- her real name is Nannie!  Nannie Claire to be exact and that's one reason I want my future little girl to be named Klaire.

 

 

 

And, hands down, my favorite picture of the day....

 

Nannie asked me to comb her hair.  My heart just exploded with pride and I wish she lived closer so I could do it every day.  I just love this woman.

 

On the way home, Brian, Ben, Blake, and myself decided to stop for dinner.  So we stopped at Olive Garden and stuffed ourselves.  But it was OH so good. 

 

 

I'm pretty sure Blake enjoyed his spaghetti from the look on his face.  He was such a doll the whole day.  I love you, Blake!

 

Sunday, we dropped off Roxie Jane before church and picked her back up afterwards.  She had her first haircut and I just want you to know she was adorable!

 

 

What a blessed weekend it was.  I'm so glad Brian and I have wonderful family to spend time with and make the most of this life. 

 

Now, I'm going to work on getting the rest of this week and next week scheduled so I can get packed and enjoy my VACATION next week!