New creation

I made some goals on paper last year. I can't find the paper. Yeah, must've been really important. Ha! I know that some of them happened, some didn't. More photography was learned. Check! I sure wish I saved a bunch of money. No check for that one!  Eh. Life goes on. 

But of course, I will write another list. You know why? Because I LOVE making lists! Maybe this year I will check them all off. Maybe I won't. I will strive for a thankful and productive life and that's that. 

So, what is my list of things this year? I'm so glad you asked.... ;) 


1. Pray. Pray for the sake of communing with my God. Pray for the evil to be undone. Pray for forgiveness. Pray for joy. Pray for the brokenhearted. Pray. Pray. Pray. 
2. Read. Read the Bible of course. It's a given right? Or maybe somedays, it's not. Lord help me! Read things that stretch me and grow me and teach me and make me laugh and cry and think more about creation and humans and why I am here, living the specific life God has provided to me. 
3. Write. In my journal where no one will read it til I'm dead or old and my kids might gain some insight to what I was feeling or dealing with at a particular time in my life. Write on this here blog for the joy that it is to share my thoughts and life with others. Write letters to friends and family to stay connected. Emails count.  ;) 
4. Do something I've never done. Or better yet, a few things! I really want to zip line and I have a photography project that hopefully will happen this year. 
(I know it's not quite yet 2014 but I scuba dived today! Already doing new things!) 
5. Don't stop dreaming. That's a good goal in my opinion. Dreaming helps with the day to day monotony. It spurs me to try new things which makes me feel like I am LIVING baby and also helps me accomplish my #4. 
6. Love. Serve my people. Find new people. Make them my people. Love them all. 

And that my friends is what I want to accomplish this new year of 2014. Yes, there will be so much more than this list. I can't wait to see what there will be. But this list is to help guide my decisions of day to day life. Live intentionally!! There are and will always be choices. That's a gift from God. Choices. Make 'em good ones! 

God bless you all this new year! 

Calm and bright

Feeling and knowing that I am a blessed woman. I have these four children. Another two in heaven who I am dying to meet and a kind, hard working, hilarious husband of 12 years. I have family on both sides (mine and my husband's) that are truly some of the most generous and loving people I know. We have a network of friends throughout the country that we love and that love us. I have a relationship with Elohim, The Creator of this world, and I am at peace with Him. I have done nothing to earn His love. I just received it and He continues to give it graciously, daily, moment my moment.

Do you know this God? I hope you do! He can get a bad rap for being intolerant. He can be misunderstood. But I have read the Bible and I know why He says what He says. It is because he knows us humans. He understands, better than we do, how to really and truly enjoy this life and have the freedom from guilt. He knows that if we follow His ways, there will be love and there will be a way of living that is gracious and kind and good. I realize it can be hard to lay down our "rights" or our own ideas of what "really livin'" is to us, as individuals. But I have seen time and time again, how when someone comes to know this God, the One True God, that they are softened to the hardness of life and enjoy the freedom of what it means to live for Jesus. Yes, there are rules. Yes, God has a right way to live. But every time I surrender to His will and lay down my own ways or desires, I am free and I just don't quite get it, but it works beautifully! I surrender all is one of the hardest songs for me to sing and mean the words that come out of my mouth. But....

 when I do, surrender that is, I have peace. I just can't get over that word.

 Peace.

 That feeling. 

 Peace. 

That assurance.

 Peace. 

I pray you have peace this Christmas. I pray you have peace for always and forever. Peace with God Almighty! Peace within yourself! Peace with others!

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. ~ II Thessalonians 3:16

Merry Christmas!

Trials & Hope

The last couple of weeks have been stressful. Micheal's truck broke down. He still had to deliver bread. He was supposed to be able to stay with the kids while I had a couple photo shoots. That didn't happen as he had to work on his truck. Therefore I took the kids with me. We barely made it. He fixes his truck with great excitement, only for it not to start 2 days later. More stress. More frustration. More long days as he works with his cousin to get both their routes done in the same amount of time as it usually takes to do just one. Then came Saturday night. Micheal had worked another long day. We were on the phone discussing what to do. So we decided to look at some trucks. You need a truck to make his job possible. He drove around looking for a good deal and God gave us one! Success! I have to say, I am so happy for him. He has wanted a nice truck for a long time. The guy never buys himself anything. Monday morning comes and now it's his cousin's turn to have a broken truck. If Micheal wouldn't have bought that truck they would have both been not working. So another couple of days of working long days together. At least the job is getting done. :) 

That was Micheal's side. Mine consists of crazy winter weather and staying home and having cabin fever because of a flat tire and a sick baby. A whining, feverish, sad baby who needed to be held constantly. I am good and fine with snuggling and holding my babies, but how exactly do you get things accomplished while holding a baby 24/7? Some things require two hands! Micheal would come home and fall asleep. Not a lot of communication going on between us. Not because we don't want to but there just wasn't time! 

Circumstances! They aren't always what we would love. But this is the Advent season. The looking forward to. The longing of Hope. And thank God for that hope! He got us through these last couple of weeks with much more grace than we knew possible. Not to say I didn't lose it a couple times, crying at my frozen hands trying desperately to air up that darn tire or screaming out to God to help this sweet child in his pain, which in turn would help this weary mama. 

The circumstances have changed. Micheal now has a truck that starts right up despite the freezing temperatures. Little baby lover's fever has waned and he is sleeping again. The whining is replaced with his usual cheerfulness. The weather isn't quite so cold and windy. The tire is aired. We got out of the house! 

But God is the same and He always will be. Our circumstances change and sometimes we go through a trying couple of weeks. But God is El Roi, the God who sees. He is El Elyon, the Most High. He sees us. Has sympathy for us. He is the Most High, yet comes down to meet with us and show us his mercy and kindness. His provision and faithfulness. My LORD is just so GREAT! 

The purpose of a spiritual experience is to equip us to do and say something for God. - C is for Christmas. 

So here I am. Doing life with a praise song in my heart and saying to you all, God is good. Life is good because of Him. I long for the hope of heaven. The time when He will receive his followers and we shall live eternally with Elohim, the Great Creator. But until then, we go on living day by day, trials as they come, successes as they come, and we can live it joyfully as to the LORD because of WHO GOD WAS AND WHO GOD IS AND WHO HE IS, YET TO COME. THE SAME FOREVER. 

LORD, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the  mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. -Psalm 90:1,2

Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He can and will get you through anything that comes your way. And not just get you through, but get you through with JOY! 

Superheroes

Ironman and Captain America made an appearance in our little town the other day. Just in case you weren't able to see them....

Pause. Let's do a little counting. 

Snowfall

Last night as we were driving home the snow began to fall. It is so magical. All that white puffy fluff covers everything and I think of Christ's love covering all of me and the yuckiness of what my sin is. All you can see is white. It looks clean ya know? I know I am washed clean through the blood of Christ and that knowing gives me peace within myself and a knowing peace with Elohim, my Creator God. 

Just a few shots of our morning......

This daughter of mine has more patience than her mother. He was whining and the next thing I see is this. Makes my heart sing!  

 
He got all ready to go enjoy the snow and instead started enjoying legos once again. 

Showing little brother the white stuff. :) 

Happy Wednesday! Is there any snow in your neck of the woods? 

The tree!

In the little moments I have to dream while I eat my toast in the morning, I think to myself of how wonderful it would be to have some time to blog more. Then I snap out of it and realize I choose to read a book in my free time or read some article on the line. I love blogs and when people actually post interesting things on a weekly basis or pictures every day. But how do they do it? 

Oh well. It's been 1 month and a half. We have done so much. We have enjoyed the last 6 weeks and there are pictures to show for it and happy people living together for more evidence, but this is about the last 2 days. 

Happiness comes in pine trees. And lights tangled up around that tree. And too many ornaments. And kisses by the tree. And a family making more memories. This is what I got. 

Chasing each other through the trees. Even the little guy. Then he stops to get a feel for it. Literally. I love his little finger reaching out to see what it will be like to touch the tree trunk. Ah, little humans.

Shaking it up! I love these people! August is our in house chef.

Chillin out together. Always. 

The beginning of a LIGHT filled Christmas season. I just sit on the couch and stare at the tree. All those ornaments equal blessings to me. I can remember when and where we got them, from who, and it brings me to a place of contentedness and peace. Jesus is LOVE and this is the month that we really get to sit and ponder that FACT. That Love came down to us, to save and rescue.

We decided to mix it up this year. Instead of the Jesse tree we got this book. Not exactly Advent but we are thinking about God and that is what matters. All eyes on Jesus. Our hearts full as we remember the greatest gift ever!