Notice: Semi-Permanent Blogging Freeze

Hey Y'all!

This is Bethany speaking (typing actually). Okay, well have you noticed we haven't been blogging lately? Yeah you probably have (sorry 'bout that). But, I (Bethany) have had something that God pressed upon my heart to change in my life. Weddings (and the Wedding Industry) have helped me sorta "find myself" over this past year. That's a long story in and of itself. But that's for another time. Anyhoo, weddings have become an obsession really. It may not be a huge I-have-to-spend-every-waking-moment-looking-at-weddings-in-print-or-on-the-web sorta shindig, but it's still an obsession nonetheless. If you follow the trail Obsession->Idol->A God. And the 1st & 2nd commandment state this:

1 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me."

2 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them."


So, I must abolish this idol before it becomes overpowering. I will be giving up weddings from January 1st, 2011 till the last day of my Sophmore year in 2012. Yeah, that long. That means no wedding blogging, no reading wedding blogs, no drawing wedding dresses, no planning future wedding businesses, looking up my favorite vendors, etc. etc. So, Elianna and I have agreed to freeze SFAB till that day in '12. I can't promise you we'll be back blogging, but there is a minimal, minimal chance. I must focus on my schoolwork now and give it my all 110% and focus on my spiritual life 1110+%. Yes, this seems like a daunting task, but to me, it sounds luxurious! I will miss the wedding world a ton! I can assure you that. But right now I just want to be completely drowned in Christ alone. Gotcha?

I'm pretty sure that is where my career will be, but right now it's all about Christ, school, family, deep friendships (not shallow ones) and the dog! Okay well the last one will be included in the family department ;) Weddings will wait. If I don't know the latest trend or the newest wedding on SMP, I'll be O.K. Really, I will.

I need clarity and depth in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. At the end of this life nothing else will matter. That is why this time in my life when I have no bills to pay and nothing to worry about (except schoolwork deadlines), needs to be focused on HIM. Alone.

Other important things need part of my attention too: family, deep friendships, schoolwork (*cough, cough*) and the lovely dog of mine.

As I write this post, I'm already thinking about my future in the wedding industry. But that will have to wait. It will, and it can. I need to focus on God first and foremost, if He has led me to to wedding industry for some reason, I'm sure He'll bring me back there in His own way and His own timing. I have to let Him write my life story.

(P.S. Thanks to everyone who has helped me with this in one way or another, you might know who you are if we specifically talked about it; or you might not know who you are if something that you said, or something that you did impacted me in a way on this subject: Elianna {in a ton of ways}; Mom {for your wise words}; Dad; Auntie C; Choxie; JenR; Riah; SarB; TalP; EllG; CatG {S&A too}; CassE; HannB;----If you want an explanation please ask me next time I see you or call/email me.....Thank you each and every one of you!)

If you want a deeper explanation (aka megapost) on this, please visit my personal blog where I will be blogging my journey: http://damaskdreams.blogspot.com

Or follow me on Twitter (which I 'll try to update often): http://twitter.com/bethanyaleshire

Or if you feel lead email me: bloggingbethany@gmail.com I'd love to hear from you!

As I hit publish on this post, I'm hesitant. But it's got to be done. As Lara Casey says, "Feel the fear and do it anyway!" That is what I'm doing.

Publish Post.

Done.