a friday manifesto

life? it's not a competition. 

there isn't one correct timeline. there isn't one right path. 

 be encouraged. we all have something to offer. 

so create, serve, write, speak, raise children, do whatever it is you were made to do. the world needs you. 

and most importantly, love. love others and love yourself. 

we're all just hoping our lives mean something. let’s live in a way that says we think each one does.

linking up with casey and jeannett

wash, rinse, dry. repeat!

there's something about washing dishes that i find so satisfying. (i understand if that makes me crazy.) but as i stood over our sink last night, washing and scrubbing and rinsing, i thought about why i found so much meaning in this chore.

a sink full of dishes often means community--a weekend spent with family or a morning cooking brunch with friends. it represents time spent preparing food, hands used making and eating, the nourishment of bodies and spirits.

washing dishes provides an opportunity for centering--focused time spent unplugged, away from the constant calling of facebook, instagram, twitter, email, blogs (yikes, that's a long list). when i'm cleaning dishes i have to be present in order for it to get done. it's nothing but me, warm water, and the dishes. it seems silly but there aren't many moments in the day where i'm not trying to get a few things done at the same time, or where my attention is (poorly) directed in a few places. over the years, i've noticed how much harder it's become for me to do one thing for an extended period of time. for example, i can't read more than a few pages of a book without reaching for my ipod to check some social media account. doing this chore reminds me the importance of focusing on the present moment.

cleaning the dishes is a daily act. each evening (ok, most evenings) i take things that are dirty, messy, used, and scrub them back to their original state. how true is that of us each and every day? sometimes i feel like i just go through the day acquiring a mess - a poor attitude here, a word spoken too quickly there, a moment spent relying too much on emotion. and yet, He offers me the opportunity each and every day to be made like new. how necessary and good it is to go to the Father and let Him pour His forgiveness and mercy over me. washing dishes reminds me of His grace, no matter how messy i may be.

100 layer cake + our wedding!!

a few months ago, our wedding photographer surprised us with the news that our wedding pictures had been accepted by 100 layer cake. shortly after i received an email from them asking some questions about our planning and our day. it honestly felt so surreal. justin's work is always phenomenal, but i don't feel pretty enough or crafty enough or cool enough for such an amazing site!

however yesterday we were fortunate enough to be featured on a website that was a huge source of inspiration to me as i was planning. you can check out the blog post here.

and a big thank you to justin for making our wedding day look magical!

why saturday mornings?

i was talking on the phone with a friend last saturday morning. it was around 9 am and she mentioned that she wasn't sure if she'd called too early. i laughed, confessing we had still been in bed, but it was ok (especially because her reason for calling was to tell me she was having twins!). i then said that john and i have talked about how we want to enjoy our saturday mornings, just the two of us, before we have kids. and for us, that means sleeping in!

i thought a little more about this after we got off the phone. this really is a special time in our lives. once we start growing our family, things will be very different. and while we are excited for that time to come, we also realize and value the importance of living in the present. and that was when i knew saturday mornings was the perfect name for this blog.

saturday mornings are...

sleeping in...

having sleepovers on our couch...

making delicious breakfasts and taking the time to savor them...

exploring where we live.

saturday mornings are for living life slowly, intentionally, soaking in moments, enjoying each other, and being thankful for each one we're given.

a fresh start

well, hi there! starting a new blog is always a little awkward, right? there's no history; a rhythm of writing and interacting hasn't been established yet. just you and me. the only way to do it is to just go for it, i suppose.

welcome to everyone visiting from my old blog. and welcome to everyone new, too!

life for me looks pretty different since i stepped away from blogging last year. on august 11 i gave up being a champ(ignon) to become a beckler - one of the best decisions of my life. john and i have been married a little over 7 months, yet it does feel like we've been husband and wife forever. (in a good way!)

i've been feeling the urge to start writing again, and i hope to use this blog as a place to keep memories of our first years of marriage, as well as share what's on my heart. there will probably be random posts of nonsensical silliness from time to time. after all, laughter is the best medicine.

in that spirit, i can't think of a better way to end this first post than to give you a little taste of what married life is like around here. here's a recent facebook post from john:

so sarah wakes me up this morning at 6am to help her turn off her alarm cuz both her hands were asleep. she looked like a dazed t-rex. just flailing and shouting "i cant feel my hands, I CANT FEEL MY HANDS!"