Fall is My Favorite!

This time of year is so unbelievably GORGEOUS! It's like a canvas around here... One that's been fantastically painted by our Creator for us to marvel at. Every morning I do just that. I look out these windows and I'm so grateful for the beauty that I'm surrounded by. The trees are every color, there's new green moss growing on the trunks of the oak trees, and the sky even seems to have a golden tint to it. The air is crisp and it smells sooooo good!

The boys enjoy their time outside even more since it's no longer an oven out there. They build their forts, ride their bikes, play soccer and baseball and kneel at the creek in front searching for evidence of new water life. Soccer season is now over for us, so we have a break from organized sports until baseball starts again in February. My boys welcome this break. I'm glad that they aren't the kind that needs constant involvement. They enjoy their sports, but they also enjoy eachother and all the simplicity that life has to offer when you slow down.

I was doing my devotional last night and I came across this:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

I pray this morning that every thought that crosses my mind is one that makes my Father smile. I pray that the words that come from my mouth, as well as the words that appear here... in this journal of life... are ones that are pleasing to Him. I pray that God can view me, from the inside out, in the same way that I view this beautiful day that He has made...

A canvas made to behold.

Risky Business

I am about to take a very big risk. Those who know me know that I AM NOT a risk taker... so this is BIG for me. I'm also not one who enjoys talking politics. I remember witnessing family members getting into some pretty enormous political "debates" (more like borderline fist fights) at the dinner table when I was a child. I think partly because of this, I avoid talking politics most of the time. However... as many people do... I feel passionate about this year's election. Maybe not even because I love one candidate's ideas more than the other. I feel a need to share what's on my heart, politically speaking.

I just feel SO strongly that this man was chosen.

November 4th, 2008... a day that God has known about LONG before any of us did. He knew who our candidates would be and He knew who our next president would be. He knows the needs of our country. The biggest need cannot be met through ANY one person. The biggest need is JESUS. There are plenty of christian people out there right now who think our country is "going down" now because Barack Obama was elected our next president. I have listened to people speak to me about the results with a voice of panic. My question is... What happened to feeling confidence in the fact that God knows all of our days? He knows what lies before us and how every situation will be handled, right?

I am not feeling any panic over this. I have some conservative views, but I want to have MORE compassion because that's what WE ARE CALLED to have. I want to have compassion on my country and the many people out there who don't feel the blessings that I feel every day. I want to have compassion on this man who will be leading our country and his family. They have had to listen to christian people speak such ugliness about them... calling them things that they are not, accusing them of ideas that NONE of us can say are ABSOLUTELY true. We (as christians) are supposed to be the people who are the feet, hands, eyes and ears of Jesus. How does having such a poor attitude about one person (it really doesn't even matter WHO that person is, right?) exemplify this?

More than anything, I will be on my knees praying for our president and for our country. If anyone asks me what I think about the election, I will be brave and tell them my thoughts. I will tell them that this man was chosen. He was chosen by the highest authority and that authority has great things planned for the lives of the Obamas ... and even greater things for ALL OF US in this nation.

I love this song by Brandon Heath. It is my own personal anthem right now, and I pray that it becomes the anthem of many in the days, months and years to come.

"Give me YOUR heart, Jesus."

For clarification...

The reason I believe I'm taking a "risk" in this post is because as a christian, I have been made to feel/think that christian people ONLY think conservatively. I know that even some of my closest friends and family will be shocked to find out that that's not where my heart is. If you want to read more about this subject from an EXCELLENT christian author, I encourage you to visit Donald Miller's blog. Read his post that he wrote on the 4th. It's incredible reading!

Something Beautiful

I've been inspired. A new "blogger friend" recently had a post where she asked the question...

"What's beautiful to you?"

After giving it much thought, I commented back on what I thought was beautiful. I don't always comment on the blogs I read. This time, I was glad that I did, because I have reflected back to these thoughts many times this week. It's easy to get caught up in the business of life, isn't it? It's even easier sometimes to let the thoughts of everything that's NOT beautiful (like my boys' bathroom) take over our brains.

I'm glad that I gave myself a few moments to think about what's beautiful in my life. God blesses us. He blesses us every day, and in ways that sometimes go unseen unless we really stop to think about it. I pray that you can find the time to stop here... think for awhile, and jot it down. Even if you've never commented before... put it out there. I can almost promise you that you'll think on it and be blessed by it for days to come.

What's beautiful to you?

Oh... I almost forgot to share with you what's beautiful to ME! To name just a few...

1. Witnessing my boys working diligently on their school work.
2. The smell of fresh coffee first thing in the morning while the house is still quiet. Of course, the taste of it on my tongue too!
3. Watching my boys explore and play outside. Their creative juices work best out there. :0)

Be blessed by everything BEAUTIFUL ~

Out of the Mouths...

Every now and then I like to post the funny little things that the boys say around here. During this past weekend, they had a lot to say. Here's just a taste...

As we were watching 'Deal or No Deal' the other night, Caleb and I were snuggling on the couch. Out of nowhere Caleb says:

"Mom, how come God doesn't talk to me?"

Me: "Honey, God DOES talk to you. You have to be still and quiet most of the time in order to hear Him. You know that little voice that you hear every once in awhile? It's usually telling you what's right and what's wrong, right?

Caleb: "Yes... I hear that voice sometimes."

Me: "Well, that's God talking to you, Caleb."

After a long pause, Caleb says this with a big sigh...

"Wow... God talks to ME a LOT!"


This next short conversation took place in the car on the way home from the grocery store.

Caleb: " How do you survive in a war?"

I'm preparing to give him a long, somewhat uncomplicated answer, but Colby beat me to it. He says with this kinda "Duh" tone of voice...

"You duck!"

These boys of ours make me laugh so hard! :0)

My Wish

I am one who is inspired by music... A LOT! The other day I heard a song that I hadn't heard in awhile (even though it's one of my favorite songs). Every time I hear it, my eyes get a little teary. The song is called 'My Wish' and it is by Rascal Flatts. The lyrics speak volumes! In a nutshell... it's a glimpse into my heart on what I feel for my boys. Naturally, I thought it would be an awesome idea to record my thoughts here today...

My boys are CRAZY! They have so much life in them. They have two speeds... awake and asleep. Recently, one of their favorite things to do has become climbing trees. They climb our trees, they climb other people's trees. We were over at some friends for lunch on Sunday and after the boys were finished eating, they went right outside and started climbing trees. Our friends house is close to the road and they have some pretty amazing trees right there by the road. As I looked out the window and saw my boys up in those trees with cars driving underneath them, I couldn't help but be reminded of that scene from 'The Sound of Music' with the Von Trapp children singing while hanging from the trees!

My wish for them is that life will always be as simple and fun as climbing a tree. I know in my heart that that won't always be, but a mom can make wishes, and more than that... a mom can pray. I pray for my boys continually. I have done that since the day they were born and I started to recognize specific things to pray for each of them. All three of them are so different from each other, with different needs. They are all boys though, and they will all become men. They will have pressures put upon them that I have never felt or had to deal with. I think it's sometimes harder for men to keep their lives simple. Competition is something boys are just born with and it follows them through life. I pray that my boys become confident in who they are, who God created them to be. I pray that their purpose is clear to them. I feel that with those things, confidence and clear purpose, life for them WILL be simpler and yes... even FUN!

There's a line in this song that goes something like this:

"... And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too. Yeah, this is my wish."

So, boys... mom's right here wishin' everything good in life for you. Now... go out there and show the world the "warmth of those beautiful smiles".

Oh, and here's to climbin' trees...

I love you ~

I Miss My Sis!

Some of you know that my sister is on the east coast getting her master's degree. Some of you may not even know I have a sister. Let me introduce her to you...

My sister is sweet.
My sister is eleven years younger than me, but you would never guess it!
We are very opposite of each other... she says poe-tae-toe... I say poe-tah-toe. That doesn't seem to get in our way though.
My sister is crazy!
My sister is probably the most creative person I know.
She is smart, yet not afraid to learn more.
My sister has a gigantic heart and she would save the world if she could!


I miss my sister. I'll see her at Christmas, but that seems so far away when a part of my heart is way over there in Pennsylvania.

Love you, T'riss.

In The Potter's Hands

Last night we went to an INCREDIBLE church service!

It was a Wednesday.

It was October 8th, 2008.

It was a day that our Lord has known about since "we" came to be.

One of the many things that made this church service so incredible was the fact that it was such a last minute ordeal. A flyer landed in my hands (received from a neighbor that barely speaks to us... or even waves to us for that matter) on Tuesday night. The flyer was an announcement about a special church service being held up in town. A ministry called "Potter's Field" was the highlight. I had just heard about them from a friend just the week before. I had never heard of this ministry until just last week! The seed was planted in my head, and when the flyer landed in my hands... I knew that God was working here.

There were HUGE blessings that were received last night. Blessings that opened up a part of me that has been closed for so long. As I was sitting there just letting the Holy Spirit speak to me I was overwhelmed with a sense of being FREE! Free to love, free to forgive, free to let God be God. I literally FELT the healing that was taking place in that gymnasium last night. Not just my own healing, but the healing of many. The healing of an entire community! In past years, I have felt a little confined in this small community that we live in. It's a beautiful place, but I've just never felt like it was "home". Last night as I looked around and saw these people and as I experienced this spiritual journey WITH them, I felt like God was telling me,

"Daughter, this is your home. This is your place. Bloom here... where I have planted you."

Do you even understand how GOOD that feels? After almost eight years of living somewhere that I have been trying to get out of... I actually feel like I'm finally home. I'm on that wheel. I'm spinning 'round and 'round and God is forming me. It is only He that sees the finished product. This is only the beginning though.

This man (Mike Rozell) is a potter. He creates beauty with dirt. He takes something so plain, so simple and so gritty and molds it into an incredible piece of art. He uses this area of ministry to speak to people about how we are the clay in the "Master Potter's" hands. We are not finished when we think we are. We are a continual piece of artwork. The catch is... we have to LET HIM do His work.

I am a piece of clay. I am that big glob of gritty dirt that is everything BUT perfect. But... God sees beauty in me. He sees where I've been and He sees where I'm going.

My life is but a grain of sand here. I want to be available. i want to be open for whatever God has chosen for me... as well as what He will choose for me in the future. I want to be pliable. I do NOT want to be resistant. I want to stop the struggle that I so easily fall into whenever everyday life and the decisions we make affect me in a negative way.

I want to become something beautifully crafted by my Potter's hands.