Sexperiment

A few weeks ago my Pastor introduced a series to our church called Sexperiment. I know what most of you are thinking...What kind of church are you going to?? What in the world is "Sexperiment"?? Well let me tell you something... this series has changed my opinion of sex FOREVER!! During the series we even had the honor to hear Lauren, our Pastor's wife preach a few times. She was magnificant, I'm pretty sure the advice she and Matt had for the married couples of our church will change us all for the better. As someone who's marriage is FAR from perfect I'd like to say that learning about sex in church of all places has lead to several discussions that will undoubtedly change us for the better over time, and I'd like to take the time to share why...

First off let me explain a little about what the Sexperiment series was, and about the 7-day challenge that was issued starting this past Sunday. The series was a 4 week series all about sex...how society has changed sex for the worse, and how important sex is for married couples. During week one of the series Pastor Matt told us that on average most married couples only have sex 3-4 times a month. That's only once per week!! And if I can get completely candid for a moment I'll admit that my husband and I currently fall into that group of couples, and its something I'm not happy with. Did you know that sex is not only one of the greatest gifts from God, but when done with your husband/wife it and in the right context it can be one of the most natural and beautiful ways to worship our Heavenly Father? I'm not going to lie, until this series God would be the last thing on my mind during sex, and if He did come across my mind I would feel odd and honestly somewhat sinful. Matt and Lauren also gave us "homework" to do during each week, along with a bunch of tips on what the wives should do for their husbands and vice versa, along with what our roles in marriage are (Ephesians 5). Now on to the challenge...all of the married couples at Journey were challenged to have sex for 7 days straight! Once again you're probably wondering, "What kind of church do you go to?!" My answer: Only the Godliest, weirdest, most AWESOME church in history! Below is a link to one of the sermons during the series, if you're married you should take time to listen and learn why its ok to get "rowdy" in the bedroom, and if you're single you should take a listen and learn why its well worth the wait! I highly encourage you to go to www.thejourney.info and listen to the rest of the series as well!

http://thejourney.info/FAITHNETWORK_USERFILESTORE/audiolibraries/ministries/f1e45b8e-3515-4139-8cb3-568b3af0a395/mp3/06.10.12Sexperiment915.mp3

I'd like to close out the blog with some scriptures about sex and marriage. I know this is probably the...umm...weirdest blog I've ever written, but I hope it inspires other married couples to grow even closer with eachother and God in the same way it has encouraged me to want to be closer to my husband.

(Proverbs 5:15-19) Drink water from your own well—share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don't share it with strangers. Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving doe, a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.

(1 Corinthians 7:2-5) But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

~Shay~

Growing up

Last Thursday my younger brother Sam graduated from Pinebrook Elementary. I can't believe he's growing up so fast! Not only did he graduate....but he did it in style by earning SIX awards during the graduation/awards ceremony! In his honor I decided to dedicate a posting full of pictures from his big day and decked out in Pinebrook colors, green and orange. :-) So enjoy Sam...this blog's for you!!

This is a collage of Sam's baby pics they showed during the ceremony. The lighting in the gym is horrible for someone like me with an older camera, but I promise you his baby pics are adorable!

Some of the 4th graders accepting their awards.

 Sam is in the front row wearing a blue and black striped shirt...I'm still SOOOO proud of him!

 Accepting more awards...

I wanted to post my pictures of his awards, but my batteries died as I was uploading all the pics to the computer. He got awards for Leadership, Hall helpers, Best classroom helper, Presidential Fitness, and we can't remember the others. Either way I'm one proud sister! Way too go Sam...now go enjoy your summer! :-)

The new and improved Shay

Hello readers!!
                         It has been quite sometime since I've posted a decent post, so I've decided its WAY beyond time to update my blog. I've started reading several new blogs (some by friends and others by people I've never met before), and the one thing they all had in common was...they all inspire me!! I've learned so much by following these blogs, and inspiration is something I look for constantly. These blogs challenge me to think outside the box, and to go above and beyond to better myself. I hope that one day my blog can do the same for someone, so I've decided to make some changes.

First off, from now on I'm going to stop writing about random things that hold no true meaning...I'm going to stick to stuff I know and love. Whether it's my Ray of Sonshine home business (more to come on that in a new post later!), the Life business I'm involved in (this will also get its own posting because its so awesome it deserves its own post!), horses and Journey's End, my walk in faith and Journey church, music, theater, food/cooking, family and friends....etc!

I'll also start trying to update more frequently because I've become a HUGE slacker when it comes to my blog. I make time to read all these other blogs, but have neglected this blog completely. As someone who LOVES to write, and also someone who loves to inspire and hopes to change the world one day for the better (maybe blog writing isn't the way to accomplish this, but hey...its a start!!) you would think I would actually find time to type up at least one blog a week. I hate to admit I've caved into society and spend most of my free time on Facebook playing games, on my phone playing Angry Birds (in my defense who doesn't like Angry Birds), or sitting on the couch watching tv and consuming unneeded calories. The amount of free time I've had recently is CRAZY, and instead of sitting around doing the "same ol' same" I'm going to dedicate that time to my readers. I hope you guys will enjoy the slight changes and I look forward to your feedback! :-)

If I had a million dollars.

In honor of the mega millions being at an all time high I thought I'd take the time to hop back into the blogosphere and share what I would do with a million dollars (or in this case 500+ million!) Jamie and I did play tonight and I've been sharing various lotto pics from different radio stations in hopes of winning, so if by some very small chance one of us wins (it all or even a cut of it), here's a list of all the amazing stuff we'd do....

1. I'd donate all the money Journey needs for our Jkidz campus to launch in August!! The Jkidz are the future and I hope to have one or two Jkidz of our own running around someday, so why wouldn't I want what's best for our kids and help them learn about Jesus in the most amazing Jkidz area ever?!

2.I'd tithe not only to Journey but all the other churches I've attended in my life and other local churches in Davie and surrounding counties.

3. We'd pick 10-15 charities and organizations we're passionate about and donate 10k to each of them.

4. We'd finally clear off our land and get rid of all the trees and debris from the tornado and build a new house we can feel safe in and plant new trees to replace the ones that used to surround our house.

5. We'd have a house built for Sarah, Dj, and the boys and make sure the boys have a HUGE playroom in it!

6. We'd payback any family or friends who have let us borrow money in the past and treat them to something special in return.

7. I'd get rid of the Buick and get a hybrid and get Jamie whatever car he wants (as long as its 'family friendly", and hope he'd do the same for me if he has the winning ticket!)

8. WE'D FINALLY GO ON A REAL HONEYMOON!!!!! <3

9. I'd take all my girlfriends on a trip to Disney or a cruise.

10. We'd take our families on a Disney trip (can you tell we adore Disney?!)

11. I'd finally treat my gals to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory since I've taken everyone else in my life at least once.

12. We'd help our families get out of debt and set all the kids up with college funds.

And this is just the start...who knows what else we would do with 600 million dollars!! What would you do?

~Shay~

Hello 2012

I'm 15 days late in writting this, but I wanted to take some time out to say goodbye to 2011 and hello 2012!! 2011 brought alot of changes for me, some good, some amazing, and some I wish would have never happened, so all and all I'm excited for a new year and fresh start. I thought I'd write a blog about my hopes and goals for 2012. I'm not big on resolutions, but I decided I'd make a few this year. I'd love for you to share your resolutions with me if you have any. And I apologize in advance if my grammar, spelling, or anything else with this blog is off...I'm running on next to no sleep. maybe one of my resolutions should be to get more sleep nightly. ;-)

1. Pray and read the Bible more- As a Christian I feel like this is super important. You can never spend too much time in worship, and you can never read the Word enough.
2. Eat better- last year Jamie and I really let ourselves go and gained quite a bit of weight. This year I want to cut back and excerise more.
3.Excercise more- I got a gym membership towards the end of last year and have only used it twice so far. It's time to step up my game and get back in shape!!
4. Be a submitful wife- Jamie and I have been through hell on Earth and back in our 1st year of marriage. This year I want to focus on keeping God in our marriage and shining Christ no matter what we're going through.
5.Travel more- Jamie hasn't been on many vacations (our Disney trip was his 1st real vacation), so this year I'm determined to get him out into the world.

And as far as goals we have several for 2012. Our 1st and biggest goal is to get a new home this spring. I've already gone "house shopping" with my grandma and sister and found several houses I would love to move on our property. The biggest problems with being able to do this is clearing off the land where the tornado damaged the backyard, and coming up with the money to get a place.

I've also decided to open an etsy shop while trying to get Simply Shay wedding and events off the ground. I'm thinking about making inspirational knick-knacks like magnets and things like that, but I have no idea how to get started. I've been brainstorming ideas for months, now I need to get things off the ground. I don't know the 1st thing about creating an etsy shop, so this will be interesting.

Also as mentioned above, Simply Shay is a HUGE goal for me in 2012. I've had so many people tell me I'm choosing a tough career path, the stakes are against me, I'll never be able to make anything of myself being a wedding planner in a small town.....blah, blah, BLAH!! I want to be able to prove these people wrong and also prove to myself that with hard work and being able to think outside of the box anyone can accomplish their dreams.

Does anyone else have some big goals and resolutions to accomplish this year?
                                                                                                                                 ~Shay~
                                                            ~Shay~

Changes

Hello bloggers! After almost 3 months without access to a computer I'm finally back! And yes, I really just posted a David Bowie video at the beginning of today's blog. As the song (and blog title) might suggest, I've been going through alot of changes these past few months. Some good, some that could probably be considered bad....but overall I feel like each change has been for the better.

The 1st change was deciding to branch out on my own and slowly get a wedding and event planning business started on my own. I still haven't gone through my certifications class yet, but plan to as soon as I can come up with the money. Luckily you don't technically have to be certified to be a planner, it just gives you a "professional edge" as peole call it. After alot of thought and a meeting with my friend Kendra awhile back, I've decided to use the name of my blog for my business as well. I look forward to having Simply Shay Wedding and Events up and open for business hopefully by the beginning of next year (which doesn't give me alot of time!) I also hope to eventually be able to branch out the business (if I can get it off the ground) and eventually hire extra people who are just as passionate about weddings and events as I am. I'd also like to be able to do yearly events for charity:water, amd maybe some kind of Christian event (like a HUGE concert or something) to raise money for Journey and other local churches. If anyone has any ideas or would be willing to lend a helping hand to make these events a success, please let me know. :)

The next change I've been through is deciding to switch volunteer positions at Journey. I love, love, LOVED being a greeter, and miss it greatly. Its only been two weeks, but I miss being one of the 1st people that people see when they walk through the doors, especially our VIP's. But I LOVE my new position just as much if not more (if that's even possible!) I am now a volunteer on our Next Steps team. Next Steps is the station they send new Christians (or people rededicating their lives to Christ) to turn in their information and get bags with info on what it means to accept Christ, a cd on baptism, a postcard from Pastor Matt, and a new Bible. We're there to be their support team, to answer any questions they might have, talk to them about their decision and baptism, and to pray with them if they ask or seem to be overwhelmed. We also talk to people who are interested in signing up to be baptised. Nothing beats November 6th....the day we launched our new campus (and my 1st Sunday on the team!). Between both services we had over 50 people decide to accept Christ. Not all of them came to our Next Steps table, but it was amazing and uplifting to talk to those that did.

As I mentioned in the last paragraph, we launched at our new campus on the 6th. This by far is probably my favorite change! The new building is amazing, and it was an honor and a privledge getting to help get it ready for the launch! I even got to help rip up tiling....anyone who knows me knows I'm a girly-girl to the fullest extent, so doing this made me feel really odd, but in a brilliant way!! I also helped paint and move stuff in, it was a really fun but long week the week we did everything. I can't believe we've been in the new building for almost a month now...its quickly became home to us, and I've almost forgotten what the old building looks like (until I drive by it on the way to the new one that is! ;p)

There are tons of other mini changes I could mention, but I'll save those for another blog. I hope you guys enjoy this one, and look forward to many more to come now that we have a running computer again! :)

~Shay~

Bloody Mary

Hello bloggers!! I promise I'm slowly trying to get back into blogging, but until my computer at home is fixed you'll have to settle for the occasional one whenever I can make it out to the library. With that said, I wanted to make time today to talk about one of my favorite things....Halloween!! :)

This year I'm volunteering in a haunted trail in Rural Hall as the urban legand herself...Bloody Mary!! In case any of you decide to come out and see us I won't give away the secrets to my part as Bloody Mary, but I will say that I have had an amazing time so far and hope to continue to do this for years to come!


I have to admit the actress in me went a little crazy when I was asked to be Bloody Mary. I know its just a haunted trail, but I was determined to "portray" her to the best of my ability. I remember the game we used to play as children growing up, where you would stand in front of a mirror and say "Bloody Mary" 3 times and supposedly Mary's ghost would appear.  I'll also admit I remember doing this several years in a row at Halloween parties....I now realize now how silly we were because if anything would have happened we would probably all be in therepy right now!! Anyway, being curious as to what started the urban legand of Bloody Mary I decided to google it and see what I could find. Here's tthe most interesting stories I came across:


 Example #1:As told on the Internet, Dec. 21, 1997:
Some of my friends, five of us, cramped ourselves into a small bathroom in my friend Cathryn's House. We ended up saying Bloody Mary (more like chanting it) about 20 times or so for anything to appear. When we did finally see something it started out as a green glow then the darkened portrait of a face became more visible, by that time half of us were screaming so we knocked each other down trying to get out of the bathroom and then I flipped on the light. It was a welcome relief.


Example #2:
As told on the Internet, Feb. 16, 1994:
When I was about 9 years old, I went to a friend's for a birthday/slumber party. There were about 10 other girls there. About midnight, we decided to play Mary Worth. Some of us had never heard of this so one of the girls told the story.
Mary Worth lived a long time ago. She was a very beautiful young girl. One day she had a terrible accident that left her face so disfigured that nobody would look at her. She had not been allowed to see her own reflection after this accident for fear that she would lose her mind. Before this, she had spent long hours admiring her beauty in her bedroom mirror.
One night, after everyone had gone to bed, unable to fight the curiousity any longer, she crept into a room that had a mirror. As soon as she saw her face, she broke down into terrible screams and sobs. It was at this moment that she was so heartbroken and wanted her old reflection back, that she walked into the mirror to find it, vowing to disfigure anybody that came looking for her in the mirror.
After hearing this story, which was told very scarily, we decided to turn out all of the lights and try it. We all huddled around the mirror and starting repeating "Mary Worth, Mary Worth, I believe in Mary Worth". About the seventh time we said it one of the girls that was in front of the mirror started screaming and trying to push her way back away from the mirror. She was screaming so loud that my friends mom came running into the room. She quickly turned on the lights and found this girl huddled in the corner screaming. She turned her around to see what the problem and saw these long fingernail scratches running down her right cheek. I will never forget her face as long as I live!!


I'm not going to lie...reading some of the stories I came across freaked me out. I'm not quite sure if I believe any of these stories, but they definitely helped inspire me in what to do and say in my part of the trail for the next few weeks!! I hope you guys will come out and see us if you live in or near the Winston-Salem/Rural Hall area! I'd love to see what you think of my "performance"!