Oh Baby!

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

Oh BABY! I am so excited to finally tell you the biggest secret we’ve kept locked away since Christmas. Adam and I are expecting our first child in August! We are beyond thrilled and thankful for this amazing gift! It is a long awaited answer to our prayers from the good Lord above. We are counting down the days until we meet Baby Dietrich. Until then, we have been catching up on lots of reading to learn all we can about this little one. 

I have experienced a great deal of emotion during the first trimester. Some of it is definitely due to hormones (hello!), but much of it has to do with the growth of my relationship with Jesus. I can’t begin to express the feelings that consume you when you find out that you are going to be parents. I’m already beginning to see why my mom always said, “You’ll understand one day when you’re a mom.”
 
I have had so many moments of joy and excitement. I have also had moments of worry and concern. Shocking, I know. But in those tough moments, I have recognized that I am going to worry about this child for the rest of my life. In a good way. I am learning that the only way to deal with that kind of emotion is by putting my trust in Him. My full trust. Even though I have tried to do that so many times in the past, I feel like it’s more important than ever to fully give up control. I feel Him working through my heart because I finally know He has to be in control. Of course, I can do my part, such as eat right (and by eating right, I mean eating lots of ice cream), get plenty of sleep, and exercise. But ultimately, this is all in His capable hands, and He has a plan for my child. I am just thankful to be a part of it.
 
I am so excited to not only share this adventure with you, but to also learn from you. I am even more thankful to have your support on this incredible journey. We are so blessed to be trusted with this gift and can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for our little family.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." - James 1:17

“God is good. God is good to me. God is good at being God.” – Lysa TerKeurst

Make Something Beautiful

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson 

Book: She Reads Truth || Sweater: Leith || Similar sweater Here & Here || Jeans: Madewell || Similar jeans Here || Watch: Nixon

First, let me start by saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” I hope your day is filled with happiness and love. Actually, I hope you find some chocolate and treat yourself to a glass of champagne. That’s a beautiful thing in and of itself.
 
Like love, She Reads Truth is also a beautiful thing. 

She Reads Truth is a Bible study organization based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is a place where creative energy flows with ease. I imagine that all the people who work there have perfect handwriting. They are the kind of people who can turn the most basic of things into something beautiful. And while I look at She Reads Truth as an environment that fosters perfect writers, they are the first to admit that they are not. I love how they describe what they believe by saying:
 
“We being in God (Genesis 1:1). We believe we are sinners in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23). We believe Jesus Christ came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21, 1 John 4:9-10), fully and forever accomplishing the work on the Cross (1 Peter 2:24).”
 
Isn’t that what we all should believe? And yet they say it so simply but eloquently at the same time. That’s the kind of the thing you will come to expect when diving into their Bible studies.
 
She Reads Truth takes the inspiring words from the Bible and turns them into an even more beautiful creation. They put these words into books filled with photographs that really make the text come alive. They break the books down into specific lessons, which allows you to take something different away from every lesson. And even though I am basically reading the Bible, it feels like I am learning more than I ever have before.
 
The great news about She Reads Truth is that you can download their app and have those Bible studies sent right to your phone. I’m more of a hardcopy girl myself. But what is also great about She Reads Truth is that there is also a He Reads Truth. So, Adam has his very own “manly” Bible study to work through on his own. But the best part about He Reads Truth is that it brought us together while keeping us in the Word. And what a beautiful thing that is.
 
If you are looking to make your Bible studies a little more beautiful, or just searching for a place to start, I highly recommend She Reads Truth. We started with the book of John. But I already have my eye on our next series, which will be the study of Isaiah in the Lent series. I hope you will use She Reads Truth to open the door to a relationship with Jesus. 

Love each other as I have loved you - John 15:12

Seasons of Confusion

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson 

Cape is old but similar styles here, here, and here || Top: Nordstrom ||  || Jeans: Madewell || Similar jeans Here || Watch: Nixon || Boots: Zappos || Similar boots here

When I think of winter, I think of snow. I also think of big fluffy jackets, warm winter boots, soft cozy mittens, and of course a gorgeous flow-y cape. Because of TV icons like Olivia Pope, the cape style is one that stands for elegance and power. I love to throw on a cape for any winter occasion. But this “winter” hasn’t really been the Tennessee winter I am used to. Instead of it being full on winter, our weeks have looked something like spring on Monday, Fall on Tuesday, Winter half a day Wednesday, and then Spring all over again for the weekend. Even though I will always pick sunny and 65 degrees over 32 and snowy, I am (slightly) missing those big snowfall wintery moments.

Like the weather, I am currently in a season of confusion. We all enter into one or two of these at some point in our lives. One day we are up, and the next day we are down. For some reason, this season of confusion is hitting harder than others. I am having a difficult time making sense of things. The cuts seem deeper. The mountains seem harder to climb. The rivers appear tougher to cross. I feel like I am constantly turning to God and saying “I just don’t understand.” 
 
In this season, I have noticed myself doing the exact opposite of what I SHOULD be doing. I am turning away from Him instead of diving into His love. But, God has taught me something during this time of defiance from Him. Even when I wouldn’t listen to myself, He sent people to tell me to listen. They found me and said “just hand it over. Give it to God.” Some have even gone so far as to grab my hands mid rant and yell over me in prayer. I needed those people. I needed them to hold me up when I was too weak to do it myself. I needed them to remind me He is good. He is in control. 

Each day, you will either be reminding someone of His strength or needing to hear it yourself. So who do you need to listen to today? Or who do you need to remind of Him? Whichever side of the relationship you are on, I pray you are able to give and receive the love He is trying to show you.  

I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. - Genesis 28:15