Go

Yesterday in church we talked about missions. Our pastor is truly led by the Lord and he always manages to capture my heart during his sermons.

We talked about mission trips that groups from the church were taking and a husband/wife missionary couple spoke to us about the work they were currently doing in Guatemala. But we also talked about the mission work that can be done right HERE...in our own city, with our own people. One of the major points in the sermon was that mission work can be anywhere. We don't have to go to a foreign country to be disciples of the Lord. We should be missionaries and disciples right here, in our neighborhoods, our schools, our jobs, our grocery stores...everywhere. In fact, as Christians we are actually commanded to do so!

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We focused on this verse during the sermon. This is God commanding us to GO and make disciples of all of his people. It doesn't say "some should go" or "a few will go," it just says go. Obviously God doesn't call everyone to a life of mission work in a foreign country, but He does call us ALL to a life of mission work wherever we may be. 

And it's definitely not easy. I'm not saying that. I feel like I'm terrible at witnessing for God. I get really awkward and say things that sometimes don't make sense. And I guess I've kinda used that as my excuse. As in "I'm not good at witnessing, it's not my calling." Well, guess what Meg (yes, I'm referring to myself in the third person), total wake up call today. Whether I feel good at it or not, I am called to GO in the name of God, to share in the name of God, to do whatever I can to save others in the name of God. 

A nursing school mission trip to Mexico.

I think this service really hit me today because lately I have been feeling God telling me that I could do more. I have felt convicted and moved, but I haven't really been sure of what He is telling me to do, so I've just kinda ignored the feeling. And while I don't feel called to go overseas to do mission work, I do feel called to do something right here, right where I live, among people I know, among my family and friends, my neighbors, and my coworkers. 

During the end prayer, the pastor encouraged all who were feeling moved/convicted by God to go up to the altar and pray for His guidance and to commit to doing whatever He was leading us to do. I stood there, praying silently, listening to the pastor, and I thought, "No need to walk up there to the altar, I can commit to listen to God right here. I can commit to go wherever He leads me right here." I mean, after all, we were sitting in the back and the altar was WAY up front. 

And then the pastor said, "The hardest step may be this step up to the altar. If you can't commit to walking to the front of the church, how can you commit to following God blindly where He may lead you?" Wow. Was that line directed at me or what, right?! : ) So there I went, heart racing, up to the altar. I got on my hands and knees and I just prayed, "Lord, I'm not sure what you want me to do, but I'm here. I'm ready. I want to do it. Show me. Guide me." And I also said a little thanks that I had put leggings on under my dress since I was on the floor. ; )

I'm not sure where God will lead me, but I know that I want to go wherever He leads me to.

Is God leading y'all to do something? To GO somewhere? To just be more of a witness at home? 

Y'all pray for me please...and I'll pray for y'all. 

Love, love!

Some Answers

There was this one time...about 6 months ago to be exact...that I asked y'all for questions and promised to do a vlog and answer them. 

Well, it's quite obvious that didn't happen. But hey, I'm going to answer a few of them today...in text form. And then maybe one day (when I actually have makeup on) I'll do a vlog and answer the rest. : )

- How did you and your hubby meet/fall in love?
- I actually have written (several) posts about how we met, started dating, got engaged, etc. It's quite a lot to read, but if anyone is interested, just click the love story tab underneath my header and it has links to each post. : )

- What made you decide to become a nurse? Do you like it?
- The Lord led me into nursing. The summer before I started college, I spent a lot of time in prayer about where God wanted my life to go...and eventually He led me into nursing. I absolutely love it, but it's definitely hard. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and under appreciated...but I always feel blessed to take care of people. One sweet patient can make up for a hundred bad patients.

- Where do you work?
- I work in the Emergency Room in a hospital where we live. It's crazy, exciting, exhilarating, and exhausting all at once. And I really wouldn't have it any other way. I love the drama and the thrill. I love getting a sick patient and helping to save their life. I love having the opportunity to serve the Lord by taking care of His children.

At work with a coworker.

- What is your dream job?
- My ultimate dream job is a combination of nursing/stay at home mom. I am SO happy that nursing is a profession where I can work as much or as little as I want. Once the babies start coming, I will definitely cut back on hours and spend more time at home.

- What does your husband do?
- Most of y'all probably know this by now, but just in case y'all don't, my husband is a fireman. And he's the cutest fireman in the whole entire world. : ) He has such a passion for what he does and it melts my heart.

- Are you ever worried about your husband since he's a fireman?
- Most definitely. But what wife doesn't worry about their husband? I try to remember that God is in control of our lives and I put my trust in Him. I would never want my husband to do anything else, though, because fighting fire is what he loves. And it's beautiful when someone really loves their job.

The hubs and his daddy.

- Were you ever engaged to anyone other than your husband?
- No, I wasn't. I really only had one other serious boyfriend and there was too much drama to ever lead to anything more serious.

- Why did you start blogging?
- I started my blog after my dear friend Melissa begged me to. She had just had a baby and started blogging to keep her family up to date on life...and she wanted me to start a blog, too. I really only posted once a month in the beginning and I had about 5 followers, all family and friends. I got more into blogging in November 2010 and started to post more regularly. Blogging has definitely been much more of a blessing than I could have ever imagined. I have grown as a person and made some beautiful friendships.

And the infamous question...

- Are y'all going to have kids one day? When?
- We definitely want to have kids one day. We are open to having our own children and adopting, whichever the Lord has for us in life. I think that my husband will be the sweetest daddy ever. We aren't exactly sure when that time will come. We just celebrated our first wedding anniversary and are enjoying being lovebirds. But y'all will definitely know when the time comes! : )

So there y'all have it, a few little snippets from my head. I will definitely be answering more of the questions that y'all asked (back in March, ha!). If y'all have any new questions, feel free to ask away!

Love, love!

Melting Pot

Title referring to this random blog post today. Let's get started. 

First of all, be sure to enter the chevron clutch giveaway from {AO3} Designs!

I made taco pizza the other night...and it was delicious! I used ground turkey instead of beef. And husband never even noticed. : ) Definitely a keeper. We nearly ate the whole pan in one sitting!! Recipe here. 

One of my best friends is coming in town for the weekend and our plans consist of: her going on a blind date with a fireman, making dessert, watching Lifetime, taking new friends to church, and going to the fair.

And...

...I have grey sparkly nails and "Disco Pink" lipstick (from Maybelline). It should be a perfect weekend. 

Now that y'all have skimmed through those exciting few sentences, here's the part that y'all really need to actually pay attention to. One of my sweet blog friends, Laura from Twirl, has started a little way to give back called The Grace Project. 

Basically, she has visited Africa a few times on mission trips and the Lord has given her a heart of compassion for this place and a desire to make a difference. It all started with a sweet lady named Grace and with Laura sending her a small monetary gift. 

Laura and her family have continued to send money to this family over the years and she has invited us as bloggers to contribute! So far, they have raised $545 to send to this family, which is helping some of the children go to school and better their lives, so that they can turn around and better the lives of others around them. It all starts with just one person...one person willing to give, one person's life changed, one person paying it forward...and hundreds of lives can be changed. 

Can y'all spare $10? $5? Are y'all willing to skip your Starbucks/diet coke/etc for the day and donate it instead? What if it meant the family got electricity? Clean clothes? An education? To read more about The Grace Project and donate, go here. Y'all need to read the story in her words. It's amazing. 

Let's change some lives, y'all! 

Happy weekend!

Love, love!

These Three Things - A Complete Waste of Makeup

Thanks for all the sweet words about our home yesterday! They were much appreciated! : ) It's time for "These Three Things" again and this week the guest poster is a sweet Texas former blonde/currently brunette with a ton of creativity and a lot of sass! Welcome sweet Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup! She does two weekly linkups that are well known in the blog world and always has the perfect touch of sarcasm to make me laugh!

Hey Mackey Madness readers! I am Neely and I blog over at A Complete Waste of Makeup. I also tweet about eleventy billion times a day.....so yeah. I am about to become a Teacher after switching careers from Advertising. I love wine. I love peanut butter. I love Tory Burch shoes. I love Sephora. 

I may or may not (read may) have squealed when Miss Megan asked me if I wanted to be a part of her "These 3 Things" series. I mean does that even require any thought??? I immediately said of course and then panic set in. Whatever do I write about to describe my 3 things. 

I can be summed up this way, "I am the perfect storm of Caffeine, Glitter, and Random"

Yep....I will use those as my 3 things : )

1. Caffeine: Some call it an addiction, I call it a way of life. Every morning I must have a Venti Nonfat 5 splenda latte, well stirred with light foam. Yes, I'm that person in line behind you that YOU HATE! I am also the mayor of my Starbucks. HOLLA foursquare. I also love that when I order my drink through the drive thru they say "Hey Neels." Not Neely. Neels my nickname. Yes, the Starbucks people and I are on a nickname basis. Thats how serious I am about caffeine. 

The Holiday Cups came out this week....let's just say I took it too seriously. 

2. Glitter. When I say glitter, I mean actual glitter and also metaphorical glitter. What is metaphorical glitter you ask? I shall tell you. Metaphorical glitter is having fun. Not hoochie mamma fun but just fun with friends, fun with a guy, fun with the fam, or fun spending time by yourself. I love a good Neely day!  I take Pure Barre (my workout crack) 5-6 days a week and it's all about the fun. It involves great music, fun people and while it's crazy balls hard, it's one of my forms of "glitter." I also craft. Yep. I'm one of THOSE people. I scrapbook a ton, I knit, I find stuff online and say "I could make that." I take my butt to Hobby Lobby, buy the materials and craft my little heart out. That's where the real glitter comes in. 

3. Random. I change a song after 35 seconds. I tend to be doing multiple things at once: Drinking wine (A MUST), blogging, watching some awesome (read crappy) reality show, and texting someone. 

Proof:

I'm honestly a pretty random person. I tweet movie quotes and song lyrics. I blog about whatever floats my boat. I am silly about 75% of the time. The other 25% of the time I'm a little less silly. I try to make the people around me laugh and smile as much as possible. I really like owls. See random. I love to dance. I once hung out with Emily Griffin, author of Something Borrowed. 

Proof: 

Thank you Megan for giving me the opportunity to highjack your blog for the day. Isn't Megan just the sweetest thing EVER! Love her. Come visit my bloggy blog. It's a good time. 
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Ahhhh, Neely. You always make me laugh. I can totally picture that Starbucks scenario and I'm seriously jealous that my 'bucks people don't know me yet. Hopefully soon.


Now head on over and visit Neely and get a daily dose of her glitter. : )


Love, love!


PS: Chevron clutch giveaway still going on! Enter here! 


PPS: OMG...weird blog spacing. Eeks. 

Ahhhh, November

I'd just like to say that November is my favorite month, without a doubt. Although October does run a close second now since it holds our wedding anniversary. 

Growing up, November was the month that we looked forward to all year long! I have two siblings and sweet November holds ALL of our birthdays...the 22nd, the 24th, and the 28th. Needless to say, that week is one crazy, exciting week full of presents and cake, not to mention Thanksgiving falls in there somewhere each year. It's like an overload of love, family, sugar, and pictures. Plus, November means that Christmas is SO close! 

Being that it's officially November and we are finally starting to have some fall-ish weather, I figured it was the perfect time to share a few things that are filling our home with the festive spirit of fall. 

Somebody is a camera hog. : )

The start of November feels like a time to start fresh, appreciate God's beauty, spend time outside (without sweating), welcome changes, and stop and just SEE/FEEL how blessed we are. 

Are y'all November fans?

Love, love!

PS: Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chevron clutch! : )

Birthday Wishes and a Giveaway

Today is a SUPER important amazing day...it's my best friend Michaela's 21st birthday!!!!!!!!!

Michaela and I when she came to Louisiana in September. 

I seriously can't say enough good things about this sweet woman. I left her a little birthday love over on her blog today, so be sure to check it out and wish her a happy birthday!

And since birthdays should include presents, let's get on to the giveaway today!

The amazing Angela is here today from {AO3} Designs. This shop is full of stunning clutches that are unique, classic, elegant, colorful, and fun. They take pride in creating all of their clutches by hand and each clutch is a true work of art and impeccably made!

Prepare to be blown away from the beauty in this shop:

Stunning right? Today {AO3} Designs is offering one reader this beauty:

AND the winner can pick any color ribbon to go along with the sweet clutch!

To enter: be a follower of the Mackey Madness blog and like {AO3} Designs on Facebook. 

The giveaway will end November 8th! Good luck!

Love, love!

What's Cooking

Super horrible confession: it has been at least two weeks since I have cooked. 

It's true. We have been living off sandwiches, fast food, chips and salsa, and desserts. Here's my excuse...I have been working SO much, like five 12 hour shifts a week, and I just can't face the grocery store or the kitchen. But hey, all that is changing this week and the husband is doing his happy dance. : ) He doesn't really have a happy dance, but he would be doing it if he had one. 

Here's what's on our menu for this week:

- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

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- Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti

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- Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken

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- Taco Pizza

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- Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

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And y'all know there is always a dessert over here!

- Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

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- Smores Treats

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- Cinnamon Roll Cake (I made this last week and it was DELICIOUS! So we are having it again!)

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Seriously, menu planning is SO much easier now that I have my friend Pinterest. 

What are y'all eating this week? Anyone been a major slacker like me? Anyone?? ; )

Love, love!

PS: Happy Halloween! Be safe!!

Love and Support

We always joke about how women need emotion and men need......sex. 

Well, that's definitely true. For the most part anyway. But y'all, men definitely need more than that from a relationship. Wives, fiances, girlfriends...our precious men need us to love them, support them, build them up, and make them feel needed, wanted, and loved. They may never admit it...but it's true! : ) And we need to give them this! They deserve it! And if your man doesn't deserve it, why are you with him? 

I want my husband to feel cherished, loved, supported, and needed. This has become a wifely role that I enjoy doing and that I don't take lightly. I try to make every effort to ensure that my husband knows how much he means to me. 

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Some fun and easy ways to do this:

- Leave little notes for him...even just a quick "love you" does the trick!

- Be affectionate! Kiss and hug on him when he gets home. 

- Tell him THANK YOU when he does something for you/the house/the kids/etc. 

- Be supportive when he wants to do something by himself or with his friends. 

- Pray for him!! Daily and passionately. 

- Share good things about him when in front of other people, not negative things. 

- Do something that he is normally "supposed" to do, like take out the trash. 

- Bake him some goodies one day just because. 

- Call him silly pet names. (I use bunny bear and love bunny!)

There are so many little things that we can do for our men so that they know how special they are to us. We should want our love to feel like they are SO appreciated and SO cherished by us. 

My cute hubby. With the dough boy. He texted this to me yesterday. Ha. Who even knows?! 

What have YOU done lately to let your husband/fiance'/boyfriend know how much you love him?

PS: Obviously this is a two way street, but I don't have that many male readers, ya know?! 

These Three Things - So Shay

The absolutely lovely Shalyn is here today from So Shay to have her turn in my "These Three Things" series, talking about three things that define her. I honestly don't even think that I can accurately describe just how amazing Shalyn is...she is so down to Earth, completely hilarious, and one super talented photographer. She doesn't take things too seriously and is able to laugh at herself, which is SO nice to see in this crazy world. She's a Southern girl, so that automatically makes me love her, but more than that, she is a bright happy soul in this world. She always puts a smile on my face. Plus, the girl looks like a supermodel. And we all like pretty friends. ; )

Well hello lovely readers! I’m Shalyn from So Shay (formerly The Nelson Diaries).



I just can’t even begin to express how happy and giddy I felt when the beautiful Mrs. Mackey asked me to be a part of this series. Not only is she one of the most precious, down to earth and sweetest bloggers EVER, but she’s def. one of my absolute favorites.
If you know me, in real life, you will know that I’m the absolute WORST at describing myself. When I asked myself what three things best define me, I went blank. I could easily say my husband, hands down. Photography, of course…and then I’d have to say Sour Patch Kids.

I know what you’re thinking right now. That’s YOUR three things that YOU came up with? LAME-O.
I know, that’s exactly what I was thinking.
So…I turned to my best friend and asked him what he thought.
Our conversation about 3 seconds ago:
Me: Babe…what three things define me??? (I’m yelling this to him from upstairs)
Drew Drew Hot Pants: What? Why?
Me: Cause babe I gotta do a guest post! It’s gotta be good! What would you say?!?
Drew: Babe I don’t know. There are so many things!
Me: Exactly! I’m so random. I’m a compiled mess of everything! How am I going to write this? Will you write it?
Drew: Okay!
Me: Really!? You’re gonna do my guest post for me? (I sarcastically say this)
Drew: Sure! (He might have had a few beers at this point)
Me: Lol, you sure you want to write it for me? Do you even know three nice things that define me?
Drew: Do they have to be nice?
Me: VERY funny…HA.HA. Seriously though.
Drew: Yup babe! I’m gonna tell them three things that define you. 1. Sweet Boobs. 2. Sweet Lips. 3. Sweet tush.
Me: Alrighty then. Go for it sucka. (Hand him his laptop) Type away. Don’t be gross.
Drew: *smiles*
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This is Drew.


My beautiful wife asked me to do this guest post for her, and right about now she thinks I’m writing about her sweet boobs, sweet lips, and sweet tush…and even though it would be REALLY easy to write about this, I think I’ll keep it G rated and tell y’all three things that I think define Shalyn.
Her heart. 


Shalyn’s heart is not your average heart. It’s the most genuine, caring, honest, warm, and kind in this entire world. I know it’s easy for someone who loves her with all his heart and soul to say this about someone, but I truly mean this. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She’s the person who always puts others first, and always worries about everyone but herself. She’s the girl who will call you bawling her eyes out and you’re literally thinking she was just in a wreck or something…but no, it’s just her crying because she accidentally ran over a squirrel that "had a family or girlfriend or wife" as she says and they’d never get to see him again.



She’s the girl that prays when she sees an ambulance going down the road and hopes that the person in need is okay. She’s the girl that will see a stranger and say hello and give you a high five just because. She’s the girl that holds open doors for others. She’s that girl that will hold your hand and tell you it’s going to be okay. She’s the girl that will do anything you ask of her, even if it puts her in a bind. She’s the girl that volunteers to help even when she doesn’t have the time. She’s the girl that wears her heart on her sleeve and gladly does so. She’s the girl that will be there for you no matter what, and even when you don’t ask. She just has a way of caring too much, and I guess that’s why I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I know that beautiful heart of hers loves mine forever and ever. It’s really a heart of gold.

Her smile.
Shalyn got best smile in high school and I only know this because she told me how she didn’t understand how she got it because she absolutely hates her teeth. However, I know exactly why she got this because it’s the best smile in the world. It will lift you up, and it will make you happy in an instant. It’s contagious, and it’s genuine. It’s infectious and will just light up a room. You know, she’s got three smiles…the one where she’s up to something and knows that I’m either a.) about to be surprised or scared of what she’s about to tell me or b.) the smile where she is so excited about something and she’s trying to hide it. She has a smile that is just kind, and you can see that she’s a truly happy person regardless of the hardships she’s been through in her life. And then there’s the smile that just beems with laughter and I’d like to say it’s when I’m doing something to make her smile. It’s my favorite smile. It’s the smile that literally swept me off my feet the minute we met. 
Her friends & family
I say this because she literally has a million friends and her family loves her so much. I know they mean the world to her and that she’d go leaps and bounds to maintain her friendships, as well as make new friendships. She will do anything for her friends and her family in a heartbeat. She’s a people person and I love that she’s so easy to get along with. Her friends and family make her HER because it is a real reflection of the type of person she is. She truly believes in being friendly to everyone, regardless of how hateful people can be. Her friends and family mean everything to her, and I know she means everything to them. 
There you have it. A little mushy I suppose but I guess that’s why she married me. 


But seriously, my wife is the best. I really am the luckiest guy in the world. I’m just sayin…

Thanks for having me Megs!

-Drew Drew Hot Pants

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Ahhhhhhhh, I think this is my favorite post ever! I seriously teared up reading what Drew Drew Hot Pants had to say about you, Shalyn! It's SO obvious how much he loves you, admires you, and respects you. And I totally agree with him about your stunning smile...it really is contagious! It makes me smile, even through the computer. Is that weird? It is, isn't it? Great. 
Moving on...y'all really are the cutest couple ever! And he's such a smart hubs...because a happy wife definitely equals a happy life! Amen and amen. 
Thanks so much for being here, Shalyn AND Drew! Go visit them here!