i want a crucifixion type love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E9doP6EtHk

take 3 minutes and watch this video..

 

 

Tonight I got to witness one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a while.

Before Devin moved back home from Greenville after graduating, he and I attended a life group together through our church. It was honestly the best thing we ever did as a couple. We had never really gotten into studying the bible together until we started attending the small group. This was the beginning of a new relationship for us. We would have conversations that had great depth and meaning to them. We learned so much about how to have a Christ centered relationship through a sermon series our preacher did and us just studying and working through the material together.

After Devin graduated, he moved back to our hometown. There are many wonderful churches in our community but not too much to do as a young adult. Since the life group back in Greenville made such an impact on our life, Devin decided he wanted to try and start a small group back home. He started the Bible study off in Romans. They take a chapter each week and work through it verse by verse. Because I am finishing up my last year in school at East Carolina, I haven’t been able to attend the past couple of groups. Thanksgiving break is this week so I am home for the holidays and I got to attend one of the Bible studies tonight! I was very excited to be able to attend because Devin would always call me after the past couple of ones they had and would just go on and on about how great they were going! Devin has always claimed he was a terrible public speaker but he has proven himself wrong. He led the group so well! He read out loud part of the chapter and if any of y’all know Devin, he does not volunteer to read. To hear him read scripture makes my heart swell. Looking back on the life we use to live and to look at it now…I am just so humbled by the grace God has given us. I see him working on our hearts constantly. I am so blessed to be marrying a man who strives to serve God in everything he does. Devin’s faith is inspiring and I am so excited to be marrying a man who loves Jesus as much as I do.

If you are interested in attending the bible study, I highly suggest you go! Don’t let a busy life keep you from having fellowship and worship time with fellow believers. I promise you’ll get a lot out of it.

to my other half, kandi fox!

 

Kandice Fox…where do I begin. When I decided to attend East Carolina University, I had to make the choice of whether or not to live in a dorm or in an apartment. Everyone said that it was the best experience to live on campus your freshman year, so that is what I did. I decided to do the random roommate selection. I was nervous, but so excited to see who I was going to be paired with!

Right before my family and I were about to go on my senior trip to Busch Gardens, I got the email with my roommate and dorm information. It said I was going to be living in 117 Garrett Hall with Kandice Fox. I immediately looked her up on face book and her name popped up as “Kandi Fox.” All summer when I would talk about my future roommate, I would call her Kandi. She and I discussed what colors we were going to be using and shared some vague information with each other but didn’t really get to know each other on a personal level.

 

August rolls around and it’s time for MOVE IN DAY! Kandice arrived first, so when we walked in the room, we all introduced ourselves. As we began haul everything in the room, my mom kept saying, “Now Kandi..” and would start a conversation like that. I overheard her sister call her by “Kandice” so I kept trying to secretly tell my mom to call her Kandice not Kandi...but she did not get the hint.  (This has been an ongoing joke since then.)

 

It did not take long for Kandice and I to gain a close relationship. Not only did we share a tiny room, we also shared the same major in school. All of our classes were the same so we got to spend a lot of time together. One of the first nights we were in Greenville, we decided to go downtown. All the girls in Garrett Dorm started to get ready and we are about to leave and I see Kandice is still wearing basketball shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. I asked her why she wasn’t going, and she told me she was and that she was ready to go. Well, let’s just say I did an intervention with her and dolled her up a bit. When we got downtown, I learn that Kandice is only 17. This is a slight problem because you have to be 18 to get into the clubs. As we walked nervously up to the doorman, she just pulls out her student onecard to use as her ID. We were all terrified he was going to tell her no for not being of age, but no. He told her no because she was showing “too much skin.” She had put on a belly shirt instead of her tshirt and those types of shirts are not allowed in the clubs.  Guess you could say I intervened too much.

 

Anywho, as the year went on, Kandice and I became best friends. Everything that we did that year, we did together. We learned early on that we were kind of the same person. We both love everyone we encounter with all of our heart, which in turn means that our feelings are easily hurt. We both like to hold in our emotions until we just can’t take it anymore. We have this weird connection where we can tell if something is on the others mind or if we just want to cry. Put on a sad movie and we’ll both be in tears, but put on a scary movie and we’ll both scream at the screen like it’s a live person. We are both kind of shy at first, but give us time to warm up to you and you’ll see our true side. We both love to dance and think we’re really gangster, but let’s get real…we’re both “typical white girls” in that department. 

 

I feel like God put Kandice and I together our freshman year for a reason. We have helped each other grow in many different ways throughout our college career. I am so truly grateful that God placed Kandice in my life. She is such a woman of God and I continue to watch her grow in her faith every day. She is the toughest girl I know and such a wonderful role model to me. She has always called me her big sister, but I look up to her so much. It is so hard to believe that we are in our senior year of college. I feel like just yesterday we were sneaking her into the clubs because she wasn’t old enough to get in, and today she turns 21!

 I am so humbled and honored to have gained such a friendship while in school. Kandice is one of my bridesmaids and I am so excited that she will be standing up there with me on my special day. Kandice and Devin have always shared a “brother-sister” kind of relationship which means so much to me. I couldn’t imagine how my life would be right now if it wasn’t for her.

 

Kandice, you have truly made a mark in my life and will forever hold such a special place in my heart. I cherish our friendship more than you’ll ever know. I love you sis.

 

-light skin

Wonderful weekend for the Sellers crew!

What a weekend! To start off, Saturday morning was the morning of the Oyster Festival 5k Road Race. Let me begin by giving you a little bit of background information about this race! This particular race is very special to me because last year, this was the first 5k Devin and I had ever done!

We instantly fell in love with the experience and have done several runs since then. Devin’s mom and dad came and watched us last year when we did the run. Mr. Donald of course had the camera ready for action when we crossed the finish line. He was so excited that Devin and I had found a hobby that we enjoyed doing together. Earlier this year, Mr. Donald set a goal for himself and that was to run in the oyster festival race with Devin and I this upcoming year! He started attending gold’s gym and was going every day to prepare him for the race. I was so excited that he was on the 5k band wagon with Devin and I. I loved spending time with Mr. Donald because he was like a father to me, so for him to want to do this with Devin and I filled my heart with such joy! Life was going great. Devin had just graduated from ECU, Mr. Donald was down 25 pounds, and then tragedy stuck our family May 15^th …5 months ago today. God had a different plan than what we had in mind. Mr. Donald was taken from us here on earth and went to be with his father in Heaven. No words can describe the heart ache that we all have. My selfishness wants him here with us on earth, but he gained the ultimate prize. He has already won the race. He gets to spend eternity in Heaven.

Though we missed him so very much this weekend, we continued to show our love for him by making these T-shirts. Of course we had to make them "hunter's orange."

My sister realized how important this race was to Devin and I so she decided she wanted to be a part of it! She started training a couple of months ago to run in the race with us. At first she was trying to run by timing herself..2 minutes run..1 minute walk…and she would gradually work herself up from there. I got her to try a different technique. I told her to listen to some music that she liked and aim to finish a song…then a song and a half...then 2 songs…etc. I think she enjoyed running a little bit more like this! Rather than making running a job, you have to make it fun and enjoyable. Running for me is very therapeutic. It relaxes me and gives me time to clear my mind. I pray, I worship, I dance in my head(especially when I listen to my Pitbull radio station on Pandora), I imagine, and I think  while running.

My sister finished her first 5k this past Saturday! I cannot express how proud of her I am. She pushed herself and achieved her goal. Emily’s boyfriend Drew, her best friend Casey, and Coach Hardy also completed the 5k! I know papabear would have been a proud soul of all of us.

After the race, we went and got breakfast at a local restaurant in Ocean Isle Beach. It is called Castaway. If you haven’t had it, I suggest you go try it. They serve omelets like the size of your head!

Not only was Saturday special because of the race…but it was the first day of HUNTING SEASON! Woohoo! After we ate breakfast, Devin, his mom, and I decided to go down to bass pro because Devin insisted that I needed this specific hunting jacket they were selling.

Notice the “S” on the front? He’s ready for me to rock that initial

After we left bass pro, Mrs. Susie and I talked Devin into taking us to Kirkland’s. As soon as we walked in, I was immediately drawn to this certain item which is now going to be the CENTERPIECES for our wedding reception!!! Earlier that day, I was telling Mrs. Susie I just could not find my “inspiration picture” for my wedding décor. This one item sent me straight into wedding mode! I have a vision of my wedding décor now! Yay! After purchasing 25+ of these items, we were loading up my car and the song “I can only imagine” came on. This was Mr. Donald’s favorite song to sing. Well…. I do believe this was a “God thing.” Maybe it was God letting us know that we are going to be alright. Maybe it was God telling us that Mr. Donald is rejoicing with us up in heaven. I still can’t imagine my wedding day without him being there because I know he would have been a happy soul, but I know he will have the best seat in the house and that seat will be in the presence of the Lord.

To complete our day, Devin and I went out to the woods to try and catch us a deer. As most of you know, I am a very girly girl. I don’t do bugs. Devin informed me that I couldn’t wear my perfume or lotion because the deer can smell it, but I sure did have on my lipstick!

After a long and exhausting week of nursing school, this weekend brought me back to reality of how wonderful life truly is. I am so undeserving, but my God is so gracious. I am so blessed to have the support and love in my life that I do have. Life is so short, so take advantage of the times you have with one another. Embrace and cherish every second you have with your loved ones.  

To my bestfriend....

 

Happy birthday mommy!

So a little bit about my mom…she is seriously my best friend. This may seem weird to some people, but I share such a close and special bond with her. She is my guidance counselor, inspiration, and role model. She is the one person who has never given up on me. I definitely call her my biggest fan. She never left my side through the good times and the bad.  We do not have the typical mother daughter relationship. Growing up I was always a mama’s girl and it is safe to say… I still am. I look like her, act like her, sound like her, laugh like her, think like her.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX-04oKskFs

“People always say, I have a laugh like my mother does.
Guess that makes sense, She taught me how to smile when things get rough

I've got her spirit, She's always got my back
When I look at her I think, I want to be just like that

When I love I give it all I've got, like my mother does
When I'm scared, I bow my head and pray Like my mother does”

 

These are a few of the lyrics to the song above. This song pretty much sums up my relationship with my mom. She taught me how to laugh when things do get tough. I have experienced firsthand that life is going to throw you curve balls when you least expect it. I know everyone has heard the saying “God’s not going to give you anything you can’t handle.” FALSE. He’s going to present challenges to you that are going to knock you off your feet. Tough times are the perfect opportunity to show your faith and love in Jesus because you will get through those difficult times WITH HIM as your guidance. God will bless you with the people you need in your life to get through these difficult times, and for me, that has been my mom. Throughout life, my mom and I have had to experience some very difficult times but through the power of prayer and strength we give to each other, we’ve made it.

 

 

Growing up and being the youngest child, I was the last to leave home. It was just me and my mom. When I think back on those last couple of years of high school and being the only child living at home, I think about the hours me and mom spent together. Majority of the time we would find ourselves sitting on the kitchen counter talking. We talked about everything. Nothing was off limits.

I was and still am to this day such a “home-body.” I probably will never move too far away from her. Family means the world to me and I cherish every moment I get to spend with them. When I come home for the weekends from school, all I want to do is spend time with my family and catch up with my mom. We still talk on the phone every day while I’m off at school. This may be abnormal to some, but it is just how we are. Anything exciting that happens during my day, she is one of the first people I want to call and tell! 

 

Throughout wedding planning so far, my mom has been an absolute blessing! She made sure we had majority of the planning done this summer so I did not have to plan a lot during my final year of nursing school. Without her help, I would probably have nothing done so far! Shopping for my wedding dress with her was so memorable. I knew I could tell which dress was the one by the look in her eyes. One way I can tell I am her child is that we have both had wedding dress nightmares already. I dreamed Brennan was playing “dress up” in my dress with her friends and my mom had a nightmare that Brennan’s pet gerbil chewed a hole through the bag and ate my dress...I mean come on, who has dreams like this?

To wrap this up, I just want to say that everything I do comes from my mom. The way she taught me to view life…to know that when things are going wrong, God has a plan…a better plan than I could ever imagine. She taught me how to be independent. How to know that nothing can stop me from achieving my dreams. She taught me how to love. When I love, I give it my all…just like you have done for me.

Having a mother like you has been such a blessing. Thank you for being YOU.

Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Lets talk about Mrs. Meghan Sellers....

Let me tell you about a girl named Meghan…well let me begin by saying that Meghan is married to Devin’s older brother Drew. They got married in December of 2012. I can’t believe it’s already almost been a year.  

 

 

 

I asked Meghan to be one of my bridesmaids and she said yes!

 

Anyhoooo.. I first heard about Meghan when I went on a weekend trip to Charleston with Devin’s family. We heard Drew mention her a couple of times, which was strange for him to tell us about a girl he liked, but we all knew she was something special when he went and bought her a souvenir from Charleston.  When I finally got to meet Meghan, it was like we had an instant sister connection. She talked and opened up to me like she had known me for years!

 

She completed her student teaching abroad her last semester at UNCW. She was gone for about 2-3 months, I believe. Little did she know that when she was on the way back to the states, Drew was waiting for her at the airport with a beautiful diamond ring! We were all so excited!

During their engagement, we took a Sellers family trip to the mountains. This was the first time I really had the chance to bond with Meghan. Even though we were just getting to know each other, we slept in the same bed! I’m not sure what it is, but I believe the BEST girl talks are late at night right before you are going to sleep. We talked for hours and hours just about life, worries, joys, experiences, etc. This same weekend, Meghan got the chance to really get to know Drew and Devin’s parents. Mrs. Susie and Mr. Donald have always been a huge part of my life and I wanted Meghan to share the same bond. Mr. Donald has always played a huge role as a father figure to me. It didn’t take long for the same to happen with him and Meghan. Mrs. Susie and Mr. Donald only had boys so we were his “baby girls” and I am more than honored to share this title with her! :)  

 

Meghan has always been what I call my spiritual coach. She loves Jesus with all of her heart and it shows in her everyday life. I had never met anyone who expressed her love and passion for Jesus like she does. She is just such an inspiration to live a better life. I longed to find that love for Jesus like she had.

 

Devin and I decided to make a serious life change last year and to live a more Christ centered life. We both knew about Jesus Christ and believed in him, but it never really sank in. We both had that “lukewarm” love for Jesus(this is not true love by the way. "No love is better than half love"-wise words from Mr. Donald). We started going to Integrity Church which is a church in Greenville, NC. We started surrounding ourselves with people who loved Jesus and shared the same desire to serve him as we did. It was hard trying to stray away from those who had been in my life for so long, but the roles I was living when I was surrounded by them was not glorifying God. Devin and I began to pray, talk about Jesus, and dig into the Bible together. All of these things we had never done before.  Before I knew it, Jesus Christ had taken over my life. I could tell the Holy Spirit had taken ahold of my life and it’s not ever going to let go! I have been saved by Jesus Christ, who gave his life for me!

 

 

I do believe that Meghan was the light that lead me toward the path to Christ. She has also helped me gain a relationship with Devin's brother Drew. I am so excited for our future and the experience we will get to share with them.  Watching Drew and Meghan grow in their relationship with one another and continuously having Christ as the center of their life was truly motivating to us. They finally got married after what they say was a long engagement! The wedding was truly a fairytale. I have never seen such a beautiful bride. Drew, you’re a lucky man! As Devin and I grow in our engagement, I am so thankful to have great role models like them to turn to. Meghan and I have always been like sisters, but when October 4, 2014 rolls around we can make it official. I can’t wait to share the same last name as you!

"Sellers Girls"

Let me tell you about a girl named Brennan.

When I think about Brennan, this is the sweet little face I think of!

Where do I begin? I met Brennan when my mom and her dad started dating. She was only 7 years old at the time. She was so very shy when we first met. I couldn’t hardly get a word out of her. After spending a couple of days together, I knew we were going to share a very special bond.

I am the youngest in my family, so with Brennan, I got the chance to play “big sister.“ I took on a whole new role in my life. I strive to be a good role model for her and someone who she can always come to when she needs something. After we got to know each other a little bit better, I took her everywhere with me. She very quickly became attached to my hip. I was a senior in high school when I met Brennan. I was a cheerleader so she loved getting the opportunity to come to all the football games and basketball games. She usually got to sit with the cheerleaders.

I had already decided I was going to attend East Carolina University early on in my senior year. I knew this meant that I would have to leave home soon and that broke my heart because I didn’t want to leave her. I spent every chance I could with her and cherished every second we got to spend together.  My friends all thought I was crazy for always inviting her to tag along, but I remember how much it meant to me when I was younger to hang out with my older sister, I wanted her to get the same experience.

When I left for college, I made a promise to her that I would always be there for her no matter what. Still, to this day, when I walk in the house from being away at school, I am greeted with a huge hug from her. She use to jump right into my arms and I would carry her around on my hip. It’s hard to believe that she’s getting too big for me to do that now.

Brennan stared middle school this year. She sent me a picture of her on the first day of school. She is so grown up and is becoming such a little lady. She’s getting to the age where I am probably not “cool” for her to hang around, but no worries…I will continue to tag her along with me everywhere and be the goofy big sister that likes to sing and dance ridiculously in the car. I will try my best to not embarrass her to badly…cant make any promises though! 

I asked Brennan to be one of my bridesmaids! Of course she said yes! I can't imagine my wedding date without my side kick standing up there with me. She has been such a huge help during our planning so far. She loves looking on Pinterest with me and showing me new ideas that she has seen or thought of. There are only a couple of people who will see my dress before 10/4/14 and Brennan was one of them. The look she gave me when I had the dress on let me know that I had found the one. Her opinion means so much to me. I knew she will tell me the truth, she has no filter! Brennan has been such a huge part of my life and I would be lost without her. She is not just my sister, she is one of my best friends. 

 I love you!