purely being her

an open letter to all the single folks this valentines day

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 01:35:00 +0000

to all you single gals and fellas out there, here is an honest letter from a person just like you.

as valentines day approaches, normally I could care less about the holiday but something about living on your own just makes it different. and in a way, it has been harder this year. but I am not here to complain to you about being single - I am here to be honest with you.

getting married. having kids. falling in love. it is not the end all. it is not the point in our lives. if it was, then you would have every right to feel sorry for yourself. but, praise Jesus it isn't.

whenever I start to feel the loneliness or the enemies lies creep inside my head I remind myself through the Word that we don't live for this world.

yes, marriage, kids, & falling in love are all gifts from God and they show us God in a deeper way. and God put them in place for a reason; they were created by God and for God.

but before all that, He was in existence. and we are alive because of Him. we live in freedom because of Him through Christ. our lives are because of Him and for Him.

In Luke 14:27-28 Jesus says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple." here Christ isn't talking about literally hating your family, but rather choosing Christ before your family.

because when you choose Christ before anything else, you can better love your spouse. better love your kids. do better at your job. we were created by Him and for Him. so, doesn't it make logical sense, to seek Him above anything else if He is our maker and creator?

in Mathew 6 Jesus talks about this again, in verse 33 He says "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." if you read before verse 33 you will see that "all these things" is related to the material things the people were anxious about at the time, but yet God doesn't say these things are terrible. He just asks them to seek Him above all else & "these things" will be added to them.

the key thing I believe Jesus wants us to do is to live for Him. seek Him before it all and give the rest to Him. but, you can't do this by yourself; it is a work of God within you. pray, read the Word, meditate and ask God to reveal Himself to you.

and there is something beautiful about falling deeply in love with God when you don't have anyone else to "fall in love" with. granted, it is challenging but the way God has changed my heart + revealed Himself to me these past few months has been incredible.

so, whoever you are reading this, married, single, divorced, whatever your situation may be - just know that you are not alone and that God is madly in love with you and that is enough.

xo,
Moriah

a week without t.v.

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 03:04:00 +0000

When I get married and have a family, something I have always said I will do is get rid of nearly all TV - not because I think it is bad or life-draining but because I know the million other fun or relaxing things I could do. But for now in order to prep me for the many months of travel ahead of me without TV I am going one whole week without TV. Kind of different because Netflix is always playing while I work (because I sew all day) to keep me distracted and honestly for me it is not an issue. But, I want to know how my mood and my sleep would change without it - so here it goes. I have done it before and it is not that big of a deal but it just takes self-control. Hence, literally the only reason for this blog post. So, one week without TV. Maybe you will see a blog post or two more up or not. I don't plan this blog out because I have a 1000 other things in my life that are planned and I need something where I can type whatever and whenever I want. So my loves, here is to more creativity and a week without TV. Happy Saturday.

xo,

Moriah

our purpose + His saving love

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 01:56:00 +0000

Lately, there have been many things on my plate and my brain begins to look like a scattered mess (and it is). When the to-do list piles sky high - things get cut. People get cut. Sleep gets cut. Time with the Lord gets cut. I don't always like to admit it, but some days I am just mediocre. I just check all the boxes and try to go to bed at a reasonable time.

But, when those days happen - that is when I know the enemy is starting to creep his way into me. Because I was not made to simply do life. To go through the motions or to even leave a legacy. I wasn't made to be successful. To make a living. To live a nice life. Or anything like that. I was made to unconditionally love people and show them Christ through that. (Matthew 22: 37-39 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'") Whether it be right here in North Carolina or in Australia. It doesn't matter. He is the reason for life.

I have a choice, when I find myself going through the motions, I can choose joy, I can choose love, I can choose servanthood or I can go back to my self-centered ways of checking the boxes. It takes a lot of humility for me sometimes to get back into His purpose for me. To really serve someone else and to be completely in the moment. To love completely just like Christ did for us.

Even after doing this for a day, weeks or years I can still feel defeated. Like I didn't do enough. But that is where God shows up. That is where our beautiful salvation comes into play. You have heard it a million times, but our works will never be enough. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Our merciful God gave us salvation as a gift. He chooses to love us so we could be with Him and experience something like nothing else. Experience something eternally.

The place where we realize our purpose and His saving love for us is one of such beauty. (Romans 9: 38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.")
It is where everything clicks. It is where you will have a peace unlike no other. It is where His love story starts to unfold. It is where, when you have that choice between being mediocre or being joyful, your whole mindset can change because He is the living spirit within you. You are free. You are adored. You are loved. Because of His sacrifice. Because of his unfailing love.

So, as another week passes - love completely. Choose Him.

where is the line between hustle living and happy living?

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 03:19:00 +0000

Recently, so many different things have been pondering my mind and I have been feeling like it's not enough. Balancing life is insanely hard. I have been wondering "where is the line" for so many different things. Where is it for work balance? Where is it for relationships? Where is it for God? Where is the line drawn for day to day life in general?

We get this constant message of work harder. Hustle harder. Dream bigger. While I am firm believers in all of those things, some days I feel like I can barely get through the day. Some days I feel like I do one thing really well and then everything else slacks. I hustle really hard to work well, but then when it comes to just being with family and friends I am exhausted and can't give them my all. It is sometimes the simple things that get to me.

Life has been a lot slower these past few months and it has been lovely, but I have just been having a hard time focusing. Focusing on the Lord and being with Him. I feel like all of these things come at me when I just try and be still. The to-do list piles up: the people I never responded too, ideas I have for my business, future plans, relationships I should invest in and everything in between. It is all small small things and typing it out honestly sounds kind of silly - but in all honesty, don't we all struggle with balance?

Where is the line? Where is the balance? In what ways can I glorify God the most? Am I really making an impact in His kingdom?

In tonight's post, I don't have answers. Because in reality I rarely ever have the right answers.
I want your thoughts. Your opinions.

Much love,

Moriah

california pt. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:38:00 +0000

here is the last and final round of photos from california.

california pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:31:00 +0000

round two in photos.

california pt.1

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:22:00 +0000

went to california for the first time. part one below.

christmas 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 20:11:00 +0000

everything you see below is christmas of 2016. starting post thanksgiving to christmas day. xo

thanksgiving 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:58:00 +0000

we had our first ever thanksgiving with the mattix's (I think) - either way it was so so much fun! we had lots of great food and played a few games of football. here is a little recap.

nyc // november

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:56:00 +0000

we took a girls trip to nyc!!! I am not a huge fan of cities, but nyc wasn't half bad. so many fun places and lots and lots of people. here is what went down.

boston, ma // october

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:33:00 +0000

round two in boston with the crew.

beach camping // september

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:33:00 +0000

round two of beach camping only this time featuring constance. recap below. xo

in between.

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:21:00 +0000

here is what life looked like in between all these months. just a little beautiful mess.

morning tea

little illy dog

flowers

runs to the river.

more target runs

girls night

corn silos

late night coffee.

the mattix move.

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 08 Jan 2017 19:15:00 +0000

I am trying so hard to catch up on my blog posts, but I just have so much to post about. I will be keeping it short and simple. as soon as I got home from Compass I found out that my cousins were moving in town. BEST NEWS EVER. so here is a little recap on what that looked like.

I have never seen the atlantic the way it was this day. so blue. so clear. and so graceful.

been tres amigos since the day we were born.

best donuts of our life.

we always ended up at target somehow.

then we were always at the beach somehow too.

walks to the river.

so pumped on life.

nicaragua // july 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 16:37:00 +0000

the last part of compass, was our missions trip to nicaragua! we flew from boston to florida to nicargua. nicargua was beautiful. it reminded me so much of hawaii. we spent a week there hosting a vbs in the poorer areas of the community. we would spend all day at our site and come back to our host home and swim and eat yummy homemade food. this was my first missions trip and it was a great experience. here is a recap of what happen.

this is 2am in the morning on our flight out to nica.

so traveling in groups in a foreign country city was not my favorite thing to do, but it made for some good laughs. this is managua.

the streets of mangua.

the Lord calls us to love. to love with all our heart. to give it all - physically and mentally for His glory. even through the sweat and endless piggy back rides - we loved and that is all that matters.

no one knows what is really going on in this picture but it was super fun.

afternoon talks on the water tower - with my girl harmony.

the streets of managua.

this is the lagoon we got to visit and jump in. it was SO much fun.

this table is where many memories happened. it is where the children colored. it is where we planned our day. and it is where we took our afternoon naps after a long day.

this bus is full of memories.

take me back.

we had a weekly verse and this is where we would practice it everyday.

the playground was on of my favorite spots on the site. it is where the kids ran free and wild.

endless games of "pato, pato, ganzo"

meet tanyia. she basically became my child for the week. she was filled with such a sweet love and joy.

the endless piggy back rides and side chats.

this was our translators brother. he was so adorable.

just hanging in the lagoon.

boys R bad.

live life on the edge for Jeus.

overall, nicaragua was an amazing place. the people. the community. and just being able to be the hands and feed of Christ was a beautiful thing. until next time. xo // moriah

boston::theology week // july 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 19:02:00 +0000

as i sit here and reflect on theology. a flood of emotions come to me and i just cannot quite explain it. during theology week in boston we questioned each other beliefs and we were asked biblical questions, that we had never though about before. we were just pushed to our limit in the deepest most spiritual way. but among it all, through the trials and questions we still managed to have a heck of a good time and get to know each other on an even deeper level. here is a little photo recap of the week.

this is all seven of us (minus our mentor)

harmony is a friend that always makes me happy. we went on countless adventures together. we did so many stupid things. but among it all we challenged each other and grew in Christ.

this photo accurately describes how we felt 99% of the time after every adventure.

van rides were SO much fun because we blared the music up super loud and shook the van.

we found this little beach(ish) thing on the campus and it was a nice getaway from all the chaos.

basically the most artsy picture of all time.

over the week we became experts at enoing.

ask anyone on the trip with me. 90% i was barefoot.

this photo is one of my favorites because it reminds me that life is good. God is good. and i am in love with it all.

basically our group in a picture.

harmony and i went on countless walks. daytime. nighttime. anytime.

my favorite part of the day was our table talks - we all got together for an hour and just chatted about the day and laughed. ah. so much fun.

tres amigas.

the rest of the world was in black and white but we were in screaming color.

our days consisted of lectures and bad food. but in the midst of it it was a lot of Jesus and a whole lot of laughs. this was one of the most difficult weeks for me, but it was totally worth it and i am amazed at how God moved through us in such a short period of time. xo // moriah

adirondacks:: lavivda // june 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:26:00 +0000

this summer i was able to go on such a unique discipling program and man God moved lives. the program is so unique it is hard to explain. to put it in short terms - we got rid of a lot of "worldly" items and were striped to the raw core of ourselves. the trip consisted of three parts, lavivda, theological week, and nicaragua. the first part was lavivda. we backpacked for ten days in the woods of NY. no technology. no deodorant. sixty pounds on the back. and with eight other strangers. it was hard work. but it was so amazing. here is a recap of what happen.

this is when we were packing away for the next ten days.

the first meal of the trip and if this tells you anything it was the best meal of the trip.

just casually repelling.

i climbed this whole entire rock wall. one of the rock tracks took me at least an hour to do.

so, here is the thing we were not suppose to swim. but within the first few hours we were getting out feet wet.

there were nine of us. all complete strangers and we decided to go spend 10 days in the woods together. genius right?

just an average day at the site. our days consisted of hiking six plus miles, setting up camp, eating, sleeping, packing up camp and then doing it all over again.

this was the BEST view of the whole trip. we were literally thin the clouds and this is just one of those moments you can't fully capture on camera. the wind was so strong and we literally were looking down on tree tops. it was incredible.

best view of lavivda.

this trip was indescribable. we cried. we laughed. we hiked. and we learned a whole lot about Jesus. these people you see in the picture are my true brothers and sisters in Christ and i am honored and blessed to have spent a month with them. xo // moriah

kauai // summer 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 23:05:00 +0000

guess who went back to the beautiful island of kauai? this girl. this time was so beautiful and different. i flew out for two weeks and go to experience true Hawaiian living. we hit up queens bath, the local waterfalls, this amazing hike on the drier part of the island, babies beach, the bay, kitchens beach and a few other local favorites. here is an recap in pictures.

and the journey begins.

we flew over oahu on the way there.

this is where i stayed. it was true Hawaiian living. no ac and cool breeze coming through.

my girl sheena made me a flower crown out of real hawaiian flowers.

the everyday swing. this had a beautiful view over the valley.

little a and i. a is rocking some seababy.

adventure is out there.

we went on walks everyday and it was so much fun.

the green is just breathtaking.

the best burgers around. mmmm. real meat and all.

my little mama friend.

adventure is where memories happen.

yes, i jumped from this view. and it was epic.

outdoor showers ad baths are the best.

everyday is a pool day.

literally the best juice around. so so good.

hiked/kayaked into this epic cold waterfall.

the best beach/bay on the island.

a and i had some quality time together. xo

kitchens beach with my crew.

monk seal!

in real life.

the fly home.

that is a wrap. aloha!

kauai was marvelous as always. one day i would love to live there and do missions work with the locals. it is a completely different lifestyle full of nature and simplicity. xo // moriah

paris:: europe // feburary 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 23:05:00 +0000

the amount of steps we climbed to get to the second floor of the eiffel tower.

oh sweet paris. the location i have dreamed of for years. i have been saving since middle school. we finally made it. it was quite the experience. it was so beautiful, but i learned one thing real real real quick. i am not a city person. i am the beach gal all the way. i enjoyed all of the tourists locations, but the people and people. though, it was completely worth is and i would love to go back again.

the view from our hotel.

the louvre.

well. this picture explains it all. this was so cool to see.

honestly, we didn't make it that long in the louvre just because neither of us are really art people. but this was my favorite piece of art in all of the louvre.

the ceilings were epic.

something famous?

now, this was a treat. a huge treat. when we went out that night, we were not expecting to see the eiffel tower and when we saw it twinkle, it was so beautiful.

hey hey. guess where we are? PARIS.

so so beautiful.

we climbed up both levels and it wasn't that far of a climb. totally worth the only 5 euros we paid for it.

this. now this is paris.

notre dame.

we ended up going on our hotels top floor and having a treat and enjoying the gorgeous night time view.

paris was so nice and it was great to go, finally. my favorite part was probably thirft shopping. the thrift shops there are so small, but it is so much fun to push through to the one euro bin. i also enjoyed this view above and the fruit dessert i had on the top floor of our hotel. oh so much fun. bonjour! xo // moriah

germany:: europe // feburary 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 22:41:00 +0000

so our next adventure was sttutgart, germany. our friends from back home moved their temporarily. it was so beautiful. it was a completely different environment than what i was used too. the community there is so surreal. everyone walks everywhere. rain or shine. the house that our friends were staying at was an ikea dream. we took a plane from england to sttutgart and from there we had a grand old time.

this moment will forever be priceless. those movies where the military guy runs and kisses his lady for the first time in months? well it was like this x1000. these little girls ran out to me and gave me the biggest hugs i have had in a while.

because in real life - we are one big hot mess.

car ride reading.

in germany, there is country for a little while and then you see cities on a hill and this continuously happens all throughout germany.

puppet show - courtesy of kate wallace.

we visited this epic castle and we hiked up to see it.

the castle actually closed early because the wind was so insane.

two little loves.

germany is full of rain and cloudy days.

basically, kate is my little sister. as well as abby.

overall, germany was so much fun and the bread there is amazing. the lifestyle there is completely different than america. it is so simple and environmentally friendly. now the language and the weather, those were a whole different challenge. but i am so thankful to have been able to go and would love to go back again! xo // moriah

england:: europe // feburary 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 18:10:00 +0000

it all started when i got a text from my mom asking if i wanted to go to europe for about ten days in the spring and which i responded "HECK YES," like it was even a question. she is super rad and found an awesome deal. it all came so quickly and i couldn't believe that i was actually going to be going to england, paris, and germany all in one trip. this trip was so much fun and we flied SO much. i think seven plane rides? in ten days. that is what i am talking about. so our adventure started off in england and here is what became of it.

the journey started in norfolk, va then baltimore, then iceland, then paris, then england - did i say we took a lot of flights?

rubin courtesy of the mama.

chilling out in baltimore before our six hour flight to iceland - it was a red eye. the best kind of flights.

hey, guess what -

iceland lights

mega big library in birmingham, moments away from our hotel

so, quick story: we were suppose to be taking a train the next day to see rabekah in england, but all the sudden we get this knock on our door and what do you know its good ole rabekah! i was in complete shock and loved the surprise.

we are in the uk and what do we get for dinner? american food. yall. american food. what the world.

our view. while most of the city was under construction it was a fun adventure.

rainy days & city walks.

three of the four of us mattix girls!

also another quick story: while trying to get from the train station to rabekah's bible school we couldn't get a cab. no one. nothing. so we preceded to hike in and after many miles we got there. i personally loved it. rabekah and mom on the other hand, not as much.

after a long walk, we made it!

little lambs and sheep everywhere. it was so great.

just hanging out in england together, no big deal.

the beautiful castle my sister got to stay in over the course of a few months.

overall, england was great and the small country-like town that we went to reminded me of home. i loved the environment there and all these cute lambs made it even better. seeing my sister was so much fun, but it was so sad to leave her. the bible school in general had an amazing community and it was so cool to see a small glimpse of that. also, this is the very castle where my aunt and uncle met! how crazy! keep your eyes out for the next post about..........germany!! xo // moriah

outer banks // christmas 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 03:13:00 +0000

in 2015 we had a big family reunion at the outer banks over the christmas holiday & it was a blast. i am lover of the beach, no matter what time of the year it is. our weekend consisted of surfing, nerf gun wars, yummy food, and lots of walks to the beach. just the way i like it. here are a few shots.

christmas eve on the beach

the fresh market is where it is at.

fancy tea for a lovely day.

Jesus & nature.

drive up to the beach. this time is enjoy because i can just be still and talk with God.

surfing was a blast, even if this was just white water.

we model. call 1-800-mattix. k? thanks.

all the little cousins

exploring the outdoors

dear adison, i hope you grow up to be a women on fire for God.

cheers for the salty air and messy hair.

this little pool was the coolest at the beach.

happy smiles with mi hermana.

following my footsteps.

just be there. all there.

the outer banks is my second home and we are up there quite often. it was a joy to spend some time with family and be outside to enjoy God's creations. xo // moriah

kauai 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 23:40:00 +0000

this is island living.

aloha. i thought i would get back into the swing of things and post some of my travels over the past few years on here. i know. it is way late. but i really want to record all my adventures on this blog. so this is take one on our kauai adventure in june of 2015.

and we are off. nearly 12 hours of flying.

airport mexican was a no go.

oh the many ways they spell "mariah" at starbucks.

airport people watching is always fun.

SO close.

reunited at last!!!!!

adventuring in the valley.

the river full of memories.

this view was pretty epic after a muddy rainy hike.

can you count all of the heads?

barefoot livin'

the trail to the waterfall

morning swims with A

jumping off the waterfall!

the whole gang

best shave ice on the island

my little sidekick.

girls nigh out filled with art, matching necklaces, and yummy food.

rope swings!

the way of lifestyle here is something completely different than all of the us.

you sure bet there is no filter. our 6 mile hike was totally worth this view.

yes, this is how you get across the creek.

yes we all basically lived in a horse stable for two weeks and it was oh so great.

overall, kauai was SO gorgeous and the amount of memories anna and i made there were priceless.

i could go on and on about all the stories and this post probably only accounts for half of the things we did. but man God was so gracious in allowing us to go visit the Beans and we had the time of our lives doing so. stay tuned for more travel posts. xoxo // mariah

sunday feels

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 21:03:00 +0000

i miss blogging so much and i am thinking about writing about my travels over the past year, so maybe i will catch up on nearly 2 years of travels. for today this post is just simply about taking a day off to rethink and be with our Creator. sundays are the days i choose to not work or do any school work. lazy? no. healthy? yes. sometimes these days can be hard because i feel my to do list adding up and i often wonder if i really should be just reflecting. but then i have afternoons like today and i can feel Him all around. i can feel the peace and i am reshifted to what is truly important in my everyday life. though on my days off, i find it key to be in reflection on these days. to take time to talk to God, go outside, and let that to do list go for one day. for someone who is very productive orientated (is that even a word?) it is a battle. but i never regret it. i found that today spending about an hour outdoors and by the water left me feeling refreshed and renewed. so, here are some thoughts for today's sunday. who knows, maybe i will be back next week?

today's view ^^^

but if not HE is still good.

noreply@blogger.com (Moriah) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 17:12:00 +0000

life has been a little crazy recently. between sewing, school, work and other life events it is all catching up to me. but as i sit here writing this blog post i have been wanting to write for so long i am reminded that life is one beautiful mess.

last week hurricane matthew hit our area. pouring buckets of water out from your garage into a yard that was half way up to your knees in water, was not fun at 12 am. in those few hours i could feel God's power that i have never experienced before. as the wind races and the water is rushing through our yard, i felt helpless. i felt as if there was nothing i could do but ask God to give me strength to keep going, so I did. and as I sang the lyrics "you are good...good..good...we will prophecy into every situation, that you have never changed and you never will." these lyrics were what i was holding on to as i lifted one bucket of water after another out of our garage and into the racing winds of the night. knowing He could stop this at anytime and He was still on His throne.

then the debate happen and it left me feeling again, helpless. the possibility that these people were going to be in charge of our nation -scared me. now that i am becoming and adult, the law affects me a whole lot more than it did eight years ago. i run a business, i work. i go to school full time. once again i had to remind myself that "He knows and He never falls off of His throne."

so, just a few of these trials in my life over the past few weeks left me knowing a side of God i can easily forget about. that He really is the Almighty Being. He sees it all and yet He is still good. He still could change everything in one moment. He knows. and He never ever falls off His throne.

xo // moriah