Resurrecting the blog!

Hey friends! :-)

I am blowing the dust off this blog  and  finally going to start this up again! Please, please, please hold me accountable! I am known for starting something and not finishing it, hey we all have our issues! ;)

I feel I need to start blogging again to just process all that is happening in my life. This summer has been  one (amazing) blur! God is so faithful to his word! How do I even begin to describe to you just how much God has shown his faithfulness to us this summer? Bare with me as I try! :)

After a year of praying, planning and trusting God for the finances, Chris and I went to Alaska on a missions trip for 2.5 weeks. A little history for you...Alaska has been on our hearts since the day we started dating and that continued on into our marriage. Chris had led a team of teenagers to Alaska before we met and then the month we started dating he was in Alaska pioneering a new trip, visiting different villages and establishing relationships with the tribal leaders there. Our first year of marriage, we continued to have Alaska very heavily on our hearts and we just prayed for the right timing to GO! In case you didn't know, God has definitely called us to be "goers" :)

At the airport leaving from Tampa! It was 4am and we were a little tired. hah!

 For years, I have felt called to the Nation(s) but Alaska has always been a common ground in both Chris and I's hearts. After much praying and preparing, we left this July for our missions trip there! Words cannot describe how excited we were. It wasn't just a common excitement but a deep, deep anticipation to see what God did in our hearts while we were there. We both knew that God was going to reveal some specific things regarding our future ministry and calling while we were in Alaska, and that is exactly what he did! Praise him! :)

Chris and I went to Alaska as "Global Partners" for our friends who have an established ministry there (check them out on facebook: Last Frontier Ministries). They were in need of some extra help while a large team of teenagers from Teen Mania Ministries came for a missions trip. We honestly didn't know exactly what our role looked like, we were just eager to be used and walking in the will of God.

For months we were told that we would be working in the village of Minto so that became our prayer focus. We even wrote about it on facebook and in our support letters. Well, isn't it just like God to turn your plans and ideas upside down?! :) When we landed in Fairbanks and our friends picked us up from the airport, they told us that they had decided to put us in the village of Nenana instead of Minto. Chris and I both felt it was right and we again, just wanted to be used and in the will of God! 

When you trust God fully and trust that he will put you right where you're supposed to be, it is such a wonderful feeling! So Nenana it was! We had a wonderful trip working along side of the team leaders and teenagers and being the Global Partners. One of our duties included meeting with the tribal leaders of the village each morning to see what ministry or work project needed to be done. We both really enjoyed that responsibility and it was fun to play a more "behind the scenes" role than we are used to playing. We basically just served the team leaders and team in any way we could and each day was different.

Our awesome team! We came to really love all of these teens so much!

 So even though the trip was meant for us to be there to help, God had so much more to reveal to us! 

Chris and I had a good amount of "down time" to really pray and seek God about our future ministry, and there was one word that kept popping up in our spirits continually: ALASKA.

God began to break our hearts more & more for the people and ministry there and we were starting to feel like Alaska was home. I did not want to leave. I have always loved my different missions trips but have always been excited to return home, until then. God began to open our hearts more and more to the idea of doing more ministry in Alaska and possibly even moving there one day. :) 

It was such a beautiful time, between Jesus, my husband and I. 

This is my favorite picture from our trip to Alaska, we got baptized together as husband & wife!!!! :) It was so symbolic in so many ways, and truly a moment I NEVER want to forget! :)

We don't know exactly what the future holds or what our missions in Alaska will look like but we are called and yes, we must GO! :) I haven't wanted to say this (my pride and flesh were getting in the way!) but we have a STRONG desire to go back for follow up ministry in the winter. Yes, this means raising the money to go and just being real, I don't "feel" like putting ourselves out there again to our family and friends and asking for financial help but guess what? It's not about me!!!!!! :) If God says GO, we MUST be obedient. So to be continued!! :) Please pray for us! Pray that God will provide the finances to go back in the winter and pray that God will continue to reveal exactly what our missions in Alaska will look like. We are so excited and ready! :) Thank you to everyone who has already loved and supported us, whether it be in prayer or finances. We couldn't do it without each and every one of 

you! :)

Love,

Jess

Reflecting.

I can hardly believe that 2012 starts tomorrow!

As I reflect on last year, I am asking myself if I lived life to the absolute fullest? Did I love well? Was I a good steward of my time? Did I do the things God wanted me to do? Only I know the answers in my heart but I can say that I would love to grow more in these areas in 2012.

Each year we are given a gift....a fresh start! What are we going to do with it? We only have one life to live....are we living it with purpose? Are we pursuing the dreams that God has placed in our hearts? I feel that 2012 will be a year of "doing" for me. What I mean by that is...there are SO many dreams and desires that God has placed in my heart and 2012 I just need to step out and well, DO THEM! Why do we complicate it? I am thinking of the NIKE slogan---JUST DO IT!

I find myself wasting so much time just thinking about all the things I want to do for God...how much could I have accomplished with the time I wasted thinking??! So, my New Years resolution is to step out and do it. Dive in and take a leap of faith....run hard after the desires and dreams God has given me for my life. I am filled with great joy and anticipation today as I reflect on 2011 and all that God did and as I look to the future.

2011 was an incredible year for Chris and I as enjoyed our first year of being married. I will always cherish this year when I think of all of the "firsts" we experienced together. We grew and learned SO much in our relationship and our love for each other has grown even more :)

Some of my highlights for 2011 would be:

-Going on our first missions trip together as husband and wife. As most of you know, we have a heart for the Nations and this trip was so strategic and special for us a couple. I will cherish the memories always. We went to Guatemala , btw :)

-God speaking to our hearts individually (then coming together and realizing it!) about adoption and a very specific thing regarding that. To be continued ;)

-Starting our own business! We are now the proud owners of "Unity Cleaning Services" here in Bradenton, Florida! God has given us a huge vision for this company and it is our desire to build this company to support our calling for missions. SO EXCITING!

-Learning to walk through the hard times together....we have walked through a few very difficult situations with our families this year and just learning to be each other's "rock" was a very beautiful thing!

-Going on spontaneous getaways together....we have been blessed to go to Orlando a few times, and also to Clearwater Beach & Jacksonville. Even though they were in state trips, we had a BLAST together and made some incredible memories.

-Starting my photography business, "Jessica Gunn Photography". This has always been a dream of mine and I FINALLY stepped out and started doing it! :) I have soooo much to learn but I have been doing many photo shoots and we have been so blessed financially through my business already! God is good!

-God giving us the name of our ministry. I can't release it yet but let's just say, God is good and his ideas are always the most creative and the best!!! :) This ministry name reflects our heart's perfectly and we are so humbled and excited!!! :)

That's just mentioning a few things but I am SO thankful for every moment God has given me in 2011. Through the good times and the bad, I have learned incredible lessons on faith, perseverance and love. I challenge you all to live 2012 to the absolute fullest!! :) NO regrets!

Love,

The Happy Little Housewife

Fill it in!

maybe I should: be cleaning the house.

I love: dates with my husband

people would say that I’m short. very short.

I don’t understand why: bad things happen to good people. and why anyone would want to abort their baby.

when I wake up in the morning: I want to go back to sleep. Or drink coffee. lots of it.

I lost: my passport once. yuck.

my life is full of : Babies and Love.

my past is full of : testimonies of God's grace!

parties are even better with: junk food and hot tubs.

I wish I had more time : to make crafts.

dogs are: nice when they're small and clean!

cats are : only cute when they're kittens.

tomorrow I’m : helping my mom with the babies.

I have low tolerance for : people who gossip or are just downright rude.

I’m totally terrified of: people I love the most dying too soon. and birds.

never in my life have I : done drugs or smoked.

high school was: a blur.

when I’m nervous I : sweat and shake.

take my advice: live each day to the fullest. do something out of your comfort zone. travel the world.

making my bed : is more fun now that I have my own house and cute bedding.

I’m almost always : spending time with my husband! :)

I’m addicted to : chocolate and facebook.

I want someone to : read this.

~The Happy.Little.Houswife.~

I sat here for 10 minutes trying to think of an appropriate title for this blog post.

There are so many different thoughts racing through my head and my heart tonight and I cannot really slap one title on it.

Let me be real and raw for a second. I have been struggling with wanting to continue to blog because I know that any one can read it. Now you're probably saying "duh...that's what a blog is for." Yes, I know that. But deep down, sometimes I wish that only my closest friends and family members could read it because I fear people that may be "uncomfortable" to me are reading it. God has really spoke to my heart regarding this though. What an opportunity I have to share my heart and be open and raw with those people. It's a scary thing to be 100% vulnerable with those you'd rather not go there with. But here I am, this is me--a glimpse into my heart--like it or not :)

My husband and I have been going through a huge battle the past year. Let me clarify--this has nothing to do with our marriage, we are madly in love and have an amazing and healthy marriage. I am going to try and be careful of how I word this battle because I want to keep a pure heart. This battle is with some very key relationships in our life. These are people that should be in our lives daily, but have chosen to let the trials and the circumstances of the past block reconciliation. It's so heart breaking and to be honest, this has been the hardest battle of my life (at least one of them). I literally wake up sometimes and feel physical pain in my heart because I ache for restoration so badly.

God has carried us through this journey so sweetly and has taught us many valuable lessons in it. Even though good has come from it, wow--has it been painful!

Choosing to love when you really don't feel like it and pray daily for people who have hurt us tremendously, has been a battle. I am happy to say that for the most part, thanks to God's grace, I feel like I've succeeded. I am not saying that I succeeded every single day, I definitely have my moments (ask Chris! lol). But after my "moments", God picks me up and whispers so sweetly to my heart..."Love Wins."

That has been the theme for me during this battle. Love wins. If you look at hopeless situations where it looks like restoration is nearly impossible, you can see a pattern-----------------------Love wins....every.single. time. When I feel like I can't go on, I am so encouraged by God's unconditional love for us and reminded that we are all called to love unconditionally just as Christ loves us. That is easier said than done sometimes...okay, most times. It's easy to love people who haven't hurt us. I've got that down pretty well, but people who have "wronged" us? That's a challenge. a big one.

I encourage you, if you are walking through a battle where it's quite uncomfortable and hard to keep loving difficult people--remember, Jesus' unconditional love for us even when we don't deserve it. Are you being Jesus to those difficult people? Love Wins. A scripture that is carrying me right now is 1 Corinthians 13. A scripture we so often hear and usually end up tuning it out and saying yeah, yeah yeah I know--it's the "Love" scripture. But really take the time to dissect it and meditate on it.

If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Oh how I am so humbled when I really allow that scripture to soak into my spirit. I can be the perfect wife, wonderful mom, awesome daughter, good friend, missionary, etc--but if I do not have love...and not just love, but TRUE, GENUINE, Love for people and not just people, but difficult people--I am. nothing. You are nothing.

Are you truly loving people in your life? I encourage you---LOVE. WINS.

Love those difficult people to life! Love them just like Jesus loves us--unconditionally.

We are on this journey together. Let's encourage each other and do this thing!!! :)

~Happy.little.Housewife~

Fall time & missions

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's the first official day of fall and I couldn't be more excited! Fall time is my very favorite time of the year. I love the cooler weather (like 80 degrees here in Florida, lol) and all of the warm and cozy decoration. Bonfires, hoodies, pumpkin bread, fall scented candles, cool breezes, and a sense of a fresh start with kids going back to school! :) Love it all! I love Fall even more now that I have our Wedding Anniversary in November! Oh and did I mention my Birthday is in September?!

I want share something very exciting for me and near to my heart! I have officially signed up for a 2 week missions trip to......UKRAINE! My heart is absolutely bursting with such joy and anticipation! The trip will take place most likely in May (still waiting to check airline prices and coordinate with the missionaries there). I told God that I would go and that I feel extremely called to this trip but he would have to provide my deposit. The deposit was $200 and we simply did not have that extra cash right now. It was a leap of faith and a little scary but I was also filled with such anticipation and faith! Well, sure enough GOD CAME THROUGH!!! God provided my deposit and I was able to 100% commit to the trip!!!!!!! :) This time it will only be me going, as Chris feels he isn't supposed to go. Although I will miss him greatly, I am excited to see what God has in store for me on this trip!

When I was 18 years old I went on a missions trip to Romania and it forever changed my life. God broke my heart for Europe and although I know Chris and I will travel to many different nations, Europe is what my heart burns for.

Will you please join me in prayer for this trip? Pray for my team I'm going with....that our hearts will begin to be prepared for the ministry at hand and that we will see MANY come to know Jesus!!!! :) Also, please pray for the funds I need for this trip...God knows! I trust him so much and I'm extremely excited to see how he provides every penny!!!!!!!! :) If you are interested in supporting me, you can comment on here or contact me on my Facebook!

I AM SO EXCITED! This is what I am called to do and to be in God's perfect will for my life is such a Beautiful feeling! I stand humbled and amazed at all God has trusted me with...I just long to do MORE for his Kingdom.....USE ME JESUS!

"What we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." ~Mother Teresa~

Love,

The happy little Housewife