25.12.08

Do You See What I See...

Dad, Ross, and Corbin playing board games. Boys only I guess... if you wanna play you have to say "Boys are fantastic, girls are elastic" three times... I'm not too sure being elastic is the insult of the century, but this game is based on a book written in the 30's.
Mom is cleaning... she never rests, I'm convinced. Not even on Christmas Day. Taking care of us all. Christiana is modeling her new clothes without realizing it. She loves everything, so she has created an outfit so she can wear it all... :)
Puggers is looking under the tree, table, wrapping paper and everything else for food scraps... he's always hungry for our food!

Do You Hear What I Hear...
Beautiful piano music... rolling dice... dishes being put away... laughter... :) (and we can't ignore Pugsley... the dog who snores while awake)

I LOVE Christmas!

24.12.08

Here are a few reasons why I love Christmas...

Yummy baked goods
Giving
Hot drinks (like a Peppermint White Mocha from Starbucks)
Family and Friends
Feeling like, if only for a few minutes, that all is well in the world.
A reason to buy a cute new outfit for Christmas Eve Service at church
:)

This is a short list, and hopefully doesn't need to contain Jesus' birth for you to know how important that is to me. Without His birth, I couln't make the list above.

Merry Christmas!! Hope it is full of blessings!

2.12.08

Addicted

OK. I just decided I need to go public with my latest addiction... although I'm sure this will not come as a shock to anyone who knows me. And just for the record, this addiction will be added to a fairly long list of not-so-bad things to be addicted to :)

Just tonight, I went to the store to stock up on groceries. It's always a bad idea to shop when hungry, but I think I did pretty well... irrelevant. So anyway I got some really good pasta for dinner... but I couldn't hold out for that... I had to dig into... are you ready??

Salt and Vinegar Chips.

It's pathetic, I know... but I love them!

In case you are wondering, here are a few of the other things on my addictions list:

diet Coke... or all pop for that matter
coffee
Gilmore Girls
Friends
chocolate chip cookies
shopping

2.10.08

Front Porch

The porches of my life...
porches of significance.

A place that will always be 'home'. Summers at a young age, eating sunflower seeds and believing life to be so simple. Watching the big trees sway back and forth in the constant breeze... seeing the seasons change. Bringing all kinds of growth over the years. Looking through the window, into a life that has brought me to where I am today.

Porches carry memories.

A tropical surrounding claims a piece of my heart. Here there is also a constant breeze. One that smells of flowers, salt, and sunshine. I could sit forever, and sometimes do. A place for laughing and crying, praying and praising. A place I also call 'home'. Watching the Lord move through this place... that was so hard to leave.

Porches carry love.

This place sometimes feels more sideways then I want life to feel. This is a place that brings on new challenges, with an extra helping of hardships. A place that is quite the opposite of Never-never Land. But, this place is a home, where I have found friends. This place will forever remind me of the constant provision in my life. Where God has me now... and may take me from later. I know, it's all in His hands.

Porches carry futures.



-Dad, thank you for the reminder of all the porches in my life. I love you.-

20.5.08

SiMpLe LoVe


The feelings and desires I have for a man I don't even know yet should be exampled after those of my Lord, and His love.
How strange to be able to sit in oblivion to your surroundings and dream up the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Whether you have an actual person in mind, or you totally make that person up, those butterflies are there... and you find yourself sighing, and loving "love stories" so much more. Wanting to do things that you think makes you a better house keeper, child care-taker... a better person. In hopes that one day, soon, you will run into him.. maybe bump into him and lose your grip on something and as he hands it back to you... your eyes meet... and the rest, is well.. in your dreams. ha.

lord, thank you for the perfect example of love, relationship, and intimacy.

I want to be so in love with the Lord that at times I am in total oblivion, doing all I can to be exactly who He's created me to be. Knowing thats who He's in love with. I want to spend time with Him, and talk about life and love and what makes us happy. God just wants to skip rocks with us... what Simple Love.

8.4.08

We're havin' fish tonight!

Wow! God's provision is truly abundant! I officially start at DSW Shoe Warehouse on Saturday, and boy will I be glad to get out of the house! I think I'm suffering from a tid-bit of cabin fever.

Sunday night I had the oppertunity to go with my dear cousin, Tredessa, to a house church she attends occasionally. The main conversation starter was John 6, where Jesus feeds the five-thousand. After about an hour of discussing this passage and seeing what each person was getting from it, I noticed that the boy with the loaves and fish starts with five loaves. But at the end of everyone being fed, there is left overs. Five loaves of bread... again. And I thought to myself... "Not only does God provide what we need, but He provides it in abundance."

Where I am in my life right now, the one thing- definitely not the only thing- that God is teaching me and showing me is how much He provides for me. In every area of my life. And I LOVE IT! He is my Rock, my Strength, my Everything. Thank you Lord for the way you teach me, and the way you ALWAYS provide! I love you!

3.4.08

Prayers...

Lord I am yours. I am fully trusting you with my life, my future. You know the plans you have for me, and that just means I don't have to worry about them! As cliche as it might sound, where You guide, You provide.

Renew me, Oh Lord. You are the healer of my soul and the filler of my spirit. Light in me a fire, Lord. I want to shine bright. How could I be so selfish to not include you in my every thing? Forgive me Lord.

Your grace is sufficient and your mercy's new every morning! I am so blessed! I love you Lord, with all my heart, and I don't want to lean on my own understanding anymore.

Your love is beautiful.
I will continue to seek your face.

21.3.08

Where He guides, He provides!

This view is from the yard, our front door.






This is my new house! (view from the sidewalk)


So, I've been in Colorado now for a little more than a week, most of that time spent with the extended fam I have here. I moved into my new house on Sunday night, and have been loving it! Of course it was hard to say goodbye to my sister Christiana, who had to stay in Aberdeen, and of course my mom and dad, and little brother Corbin, who brought me down here. But once I got here, and started uppacking- which took forever it seemed like!- it was really great!
I've been able to see God work in so many ways since being here, and that hasn't even been for that long! For those of you who don't know why I'm here; my two-year commitment with YWAM Honolulu was up this past February, and I just really felt like the Lord was calling me out of YWAM for a season. I also felt like i wanted to take this time and really get on my own two feet in areas of my life that I can't do as well living in community... or living with my parents. (Hence the reason I'm not just in South Dakota). I have a long-time good friend that goes to school here in Lakewood, CO and decided to move in with her, and three other girls! Who are all great, by the way!
But back to the ways I've seen God move... (these are my favorite things to share with people!) A week ago today (Friday) I went with my mom and dad to Salvation Army to try and find a bed, since I didn't have one coming here. Well luck was on our side when we found what seemed to be pretty brand new looking twin mattress and box spring. It was $95, which doesn't count as a Salvation Army deal to me, but I needed a bed and had the money so I bought it! We put it on hold and told them we would be back the next day to pick it up. I was thrilled at my purchase, and felt "all grown up" for just buying a BED! haha. So Saturday rolls around, and we're planning on moving my stuff into my new house, so my dad goes to pick up the new bed. Well, he gets to SA and someone had ripped off the 'hold' tag, and it had been sold right from under my feet! Luckily I had my receipt and was refunded all my money. I probably don't have to tell you that I was really upset, and even cried over it. But I just knew that God must not want me to pay that much for a bed. He was wanting me to trust Him even for something as small and petty as a bed. It was hard, but SO worth it. The next day at church I was introduced to a couple that... HAD A BED FOR ME! FOR FREE!!! Praise God!
My next big worry was not having a job. And without a car, it's kind of hard to get around. I mean, yes they have a bussing system, but it's always going to be easier to just drive yourself. I went ahead and applied online for an opening at Whole Foods Market. I know all ya'll don't know what that is, so let me tell you. It's a health foods store, the size of a regular grocery store. Make sense? Ok, so the cut off for them accepting applications was Tuesday. So I figure that I'll have to wait until after Tuesday, IF I'm even going to hear anything. Well, we shouldn't be suprised, because it's totally God, but Tuesday morning I get a call, and to make a long story short-ish, I have a job interview Monday! Awesome, uh? God's cool! He's provided me with a bed, and possibly a great job, I can't wait to see how and what He provides in the future!