Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts

6.13.2014

Down the aisle

why do kids grow so fast? This was taken 8 years ago.

Since wedding is on the brain 24/7 I thought I'd share a detail that I'm SO excited about and can't wait to see come to life. I'm sure to be a hot mess.

My boys are walking my mom down the aisle. Just before they approach the altar my brother is going to take their place and give her away. I LOVE that she is sharing this moment with my boys and that my brother is gracious enough to allow them the opportunity. 

This morning i was scrolling through their photographers wedding portfolio I sort of lost it.
 I'm going to cherish the moment forever.

We are counting on you to capture all the things. 
I just know you will. And please accept my apologies 
ahead of time…we can be a rowdy bunch.
Good Luck 
         &
THANK YOU!



10.09.2013

wild and free


"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, 
and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Galatians 5:1

it is easy for me to suffer from bondage, life is so busy. i often find myself trying to take shortcuts as far as my spiritual life goes. as much as i wish sometimes that i were the boss, i am not. the only place that i will find true rest is in Christ.
i am dependent on HIM. 
i love the feeling i get inside when i am actively pursuing Him. nothing can replace it. so why even when life gets crazy do i slowdown my pursuit? it makes no sense.


i want to feel free, daily. 


these photos were taken in july when we were in virgina prancing around an inlet on the chesapeake bay. my boys were so in love with the forests and the bay. they truly were wild and free, soaking up the beauty that the lord created all around them. they were light, free from worldly distractions. this day will go down in our family history as one of the best ever. 


my prayer for us all today, is that we pursue him, grabbing hold of the freedom and rest that Christ provides. feeling light like child full of His grace free from the bondage of sin.

happy wednesday
Be Wild And Free!

9.30.2013

little children



yesterday, marked my fourth year as our church's sunday school director. 
time flies when you are having fun
and have the best team of teachers who with their whole heart care about 
"training up our children in the way that they should go, 
so that when they are old they will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
my teachers, God bless them, make me look good. i don't make them look good. 

yesterday, right smack dab in the middle of liturgy
our priest called my husband and i (he's guilty by association) up to the front of the church
and presented us with the above icon. 
"Christ blessing the Children"

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, 
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them."
Matthew 19:14

Luke 18:17 continues to say,
"Assuredly i say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

in my study bible these are the church fathers notes on what little child means:
a little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless. he does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows. instead, he lives in complete simplicity.

you guys, i want to be a little child.

i am so humbled to have received this gift, i really feel like i don't deserve it. 

i just love our little children big.

7.11.2012

i'm a hustler babe...maybe?

last week an uninvited guest arrived.

this guest arrives every month like clock work.

each time the guest arrives she? brings unwelcome cravings and emotions.

salty. sweet. salty. sweet. and this time the need for a pepsi everyday came along too.

so what do i do in my jacked up emotional state?

i give in to the stupid cravings and go thru the drive thru everyday for a Pepsi or a COKE.

on wednesday we went to taco bell and i wish i could tell you that this song had just come on the radio and i was just about to change it because no sane person would allow their child to listen to it even if it was the clean version but it didn't. i deliberately downloaded it on iTunes and deliberately put it on my iPod and deliberately played it in my car....when the taco bell dude opened his window leans my way to hand me our drinks hears the song and says, "oh thats my sh*t"
my face went white um hello my kids are in the back seat dude
then it registered. i'm no better. what the heck. i'm letting my kids listen to this sh*t. OhEmGee!!!

on saturday pronounced saturdy. my oldest and i went to sonic. happy hour. happy check book.
am i right?
i pull up and sonic dude says, "ooh i like your scarf it makes you look pimp"



what the heck???
i'm not a pimp!
and i will have you know this time i was listening to ingrid michaelson.  def. not pimp music.

but
i started thinking...
am i a pimp. a hustler. i don't know. i was listening to rap and wearing a bandana on my head.
(i was thinking more rockabilly when i put the bandana on...) i surely don't want to fool you into thinking that i am this great amazing christian when behind closed door i am allowing my children to listen to rap. Uh No! i want to be the girl that is what you see is what you get inside and out. one who love the Lord like CRAZY who is thankful for his awesomeness and blessing and faithfulness each and every day so...
here's the thing
i want to glorify God in everything that i do and if i'm getting what feels to me like negative comments maybe i need to look inside and make a change. to be renewed. more literally Anakainosis. change sometimes is hard but oh so Good.

are you taking part in she reads truth?
 Living The Surrendered Life was ahhhmazing
these are the things that have smacked me in the face over the last week.

wed. july 4. day 14. if you can't say anything nice don't say anything AT ALL.

fri. july 6. day 16.  keep your heart right and treasure the word of GOD.

sun. july 8. day 18. guilt paralyzes. conviction motivates.

needless to say I AM CONVICTED.


i am seriously loving this study. a new one starts tomorrow (thursday). go here and join the party. it's worth it i promise.

but in the mean time i will blame my unwelcome guest for my destruction.
                                                ( fri june 29. day 9. DO NOT BLAME if you fall into sin OWN IT) 
                                                                                                                CONVICTION
                                                                                                               i really don't like that monthly guest.


i will not become paralyzed with guilt. nope. each day is new. and today is a good day to make some changes.


so bye-bye huslter. i don't want to outsmart people and make them think i am something i am not. i really do love Jesus and i want it to show in all of my actions. :)

thank you Jesus for enlightening me over the week. 
i needed it.

“Wherever your treasure is, 
there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Matthew 6:21


linking up here

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6.13.2012

strength


{via}

i don't know about you but when i exercise i need near perfect circumstances.

i need loud music with a fast beat. but at the same time i need quiet, as in no one better be talking.

with the boys home all day everyday for the next 67 days (but whose counting) getting the things daone that I need to get is and has been a bit of a challenge. 

the other day i was on my treadmill, yep i'm one of those treadmill or bust kind of girls i had my music blasting and in comes my baby my 11 year old baby wanting to have a full on conversation. NO!

i thought to myself good lord son don't you see i am trying to exercise? i have headphones in my ears running at an 8 mile per hour pace. how in the heck do you expect me carry on a conversation with you. i'm going to fall off and break my neck 
dramatic i know
not that i don't want to talk to you, but if mommy doesn't get in a good exercise and run off the stress of you and brothers non stop bickering on only day 3 of summer vacation...life will not be pretty.
i stopped the treadmill took out my headphones and obliged him in his questioning. mind you he had no interest in talking to me before i started my workout. go figure thats they way it always goes.
i gave him some tasks to complete so that i could finish my workout. oh my that was a bad idea. he decided that if he was going to work then so was big brother and he started antagonizing him. next thing you know my boys are full on shrieking like girls and had each other in a headlock. how they both had an arm around the others neck is still beyond me.  so for the second time in my 30 minute run i had to stop the treadmill. 

i may have flipped my lid a little bit, and said excuse me gentlemen 
they hate when i call them gentlemen because i sound sarcastic. NO REALLY???!!!
  your father and i are good to you and respectful of you both, and we expect the same respect from you period. now i am going to get back on the treadmill and finish my workout and the two of you are going to go sit down on the couch and read until i am done. if you are not sitting on the couch when i get off you will be in your room for the rest of the day. ok?! thanks!!

guess what 3 more times i had to stop the treadmill. THREE. 
worst workout ever.

i saw the above sign today and i thought to myself geez this is so true. 

i really do love when my boys are on vacation, summer is my favorite we get to be lazy with a relaxed schedule and i do have the strength to get throughout the rough days. and if i don't have the strength i can rest easier because i know that if i call on the Lord each morning and through out the day HE will give it to me.


"The Lord is my strength, my shield. 
My heart was sure of him,
I have been helped and my heart exults, 
with my song I give him thanks."
Psalm 28:7

i sure am thankful for HIS Mercy and Grace and for MY strength.


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5.17.2012

make a joyful noise




i've been a little grouchy, ho hum, bah humbug, lately.
reading this this morning was so good for me! 

God sure is faithful in giving us what we need exactly when we need it. 
i am so thankful!

make a joyful noise yo!
'nuff said

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5.03.2012

childlike. a much needed reminder.

on tuesday evening my husband, youngest son and i went to visit my grand while my oldest was at youth group. when we walked in to the long term care center my heart was so sad. all of the elderly that are at risk for falling were lined up in their wheel chairs around the nurses station. i spotted my grandma and she had her hand in the air like a student.

i approached her and asked her what was the matter. she said pleading "can you please help us? we have been sitting here for over an hour and no one will help us."

 I asked "do you need something?"

she said "yes i do i need to go to the restroom."

i grabbed her wheel chair and as i was doing so, she said. "i was praying to God that he would help me and he sent you. God listens See mi hija God talked to you and you listened."

about that time my son reached us and bent down and gave my grandma a kiss on the cheek. she straightened herself up tall and announced to everyone "this is my great grandson"

i melted.

after we took her to the restroom we took her out side. it was just before dusk all the little birdies were singing their good night songs, the air was cool it was a perfect evening. we listened to her tell her stories. she gave us a much needed laugh.

just before the sunset my mom drove up. when my grandma spotted her she turned to me and said "did you tell your mom that you were coming to visit me?" i hadn't and i told her so. she shook her head in disbelief and said again "God listened. I prayed all day for my family" and point at us all she said, "i prayed for you and you and you and all around." pointing in a circular motion.


she began to yawn, so we took her back in and got her ready for bed. as we were saying our good byes and tucking her in my mom asked her if she wanted to watch t.v. grand said, "no i want to pray." it was so sweet and childlike.

for the last few weeks i have been so distracted that the time i spend with God got pushed aside. no pushed aside isn't accurate. i was deliberately not spending time with God. awful i know. this visit with her was such a good reminder to give God the glory and time that he deserves. he listens and cares even when we don't think so. he's always waiting for us to come to him. and when we do his arms are opened wide.

and HE said: "i tell you the truth, 
unless you change and become like little children, 
you will never get into the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:3

i was pondering sickness and suffering today, because i have been so upset that i have had to see all of my grandparents suffer. when we are sick and suffering we revert to being childlike. maybe that's the point of it. to be childlike to get us to turn back to God. to really really turn to him. and love him as the little children do. 

grand told me recently that when i was little i would dance and sing sunday school songs. my favorite one was "i've got the joy down in my heart" i remember sing and dancing well more like twirling like it was yesterday. anyway, she said she asked me why i loved Jesus. and i said. "i just do!"

after all how does a child elaborate their reasons why. we are born with a love for the Lord, we were created to worship and praise him. 

life is beautiful.

each day is a gift. 

love the Lord innocently & without any reason with all your heart.
&
today just for fun do something childlike.


what i learned from the bible 
a challenge.365 link up 

 the idea is for everyone to write a post about
 1}what you read in the bible recently.
 2} how it spoke to you. 
3} how you applied it in your own life.
 4} what you learned form it.
 5}please link up your post not your blog.

 my hope is that through this link up we encourage each other to remain in the word.
 life sure is a heck of a lot easier when we spend time with God each day.


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2.29.2012

trust



{via}
the last few days have been really hard ones.
we know we'll get through it.
God always has our best interest at heart.
all we need to do is trust.

we do. 

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p.s. dont forget to link up tomorrow for life's lessons

2.10.2012

ray of light

quick questions 

did madonna's half time show make you want to bust out your madonna greatest hits cd?


i really forgot how much i love this song



it makes me want to dance.
but dance i do not do well. any rhythm i had before children completely
 disappeared once they were born. each taking more than the first.


music is such a part of who i am. 
i'll take a song and bend and mold it into mean something it doesn't. 
 i attach memories to everything big or small.


that being said...
we all know though who the true ray of light is.


when Jesus spoke again to the people, he said,
"i am the light of the world. whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life."
john 8:12



{via}

happy weekend everyone
i hope it's full of 
light
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8.03.2011

the center of the bible

i have received an email about the center of the bible many,many times. i tried to figure out how post it on my blog and couldn't. if you would like me to email it to you i will. it's really cool.


this is the verse at the center of the bible:


"It is better to trust in the 
LORD 
than to put confidence in man."
Psalm 118:8

do you think this is a coincidence? probably not...
So,


Everyday!



treeofolive


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7.20.2011

faith, hope, and love



Source: None via KellyVago on Pinterest



So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 corinthians 13:13


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3.18.2011

hume lake

i am so bummed out!

next weekend there is a couples retreat at 
hume lake.

my hubby and i went to this particular retreat in 2009 and loved it. 
last year we couldn't go due to his work schedule and this year we can't work it out for the same reason.

ken graves is the speaker. 
he's the pastor
of calvary chapel in bangor, maine

he seriously is a giant, deep voiced lumber jack who loves jesus.

i saw him in 2009 when we went and he is back for 2011

yay, for everyone who gets to go. 
boo-hoo for me.

i posted a you tube clip of him below this post. you should seriously check him out. 
the video is 2 minutes. 
watch it!!!
he's super cool.

he pumps you up for the lord 

here a few pics of me and my mister at the retreat in 09'

the crew

me and my mr. conquering the high adventure course!




I hope everyone that gets to go has a blast

happy weekend everyone!

xoxo