Our Family walking out to gezibo on our 10 year anniversary. 10-01-09 Such a special day.
Ezra and Jaida took their role very seriously. They were very proud and excited. So cute.

Trying to BE what I claim I believe

I havn't blogged in almost a year. I've decided to take back to it, recently, for my own sanity. It helps me to walk through my thought processes.

Well I am not even going to go into 2009 except to say that it has been a interesting year. I will call it the year of recognition. We spent most of the year running, so to speak. But God is SO FAITHFUL, He lead us through some tough times to reveal many hidden things that we'd have probably missed had it not been for the struggle. I am sure this paragraph leaves you very curious, but we will leave it as it is. 2009 summary, we are well and I believe in His will.

Trying to BE what I claim I believe...

I am about to embark on one of the scariest, most exciting, and faithful things I have ever attempted in my life. I am putting my money where my mouth is,..HA! Quite literally actually! That's funny! LOL!

After many years of wanting, dreaming, praying, fearing, hoping, ...I could go on, I am finally going to record an album. This spring God willing. This is not definite, as many details are still falling into place, but they are, in deed, falling into place.

I have been raised in church and taught to "believe" to have "faith". Why is it always easy to believe God has a plan or call on everyone else, but so difficult to believe he has a plan for you. I don't know, quite honestly. I have always had a terminal case of self doubt. But yet deep down inside always dreamed I am called by God and tried hard to seem confident in that fact. Over the past ten years I have been slowly cultivating my gifts in music, through church and worship at home. For the last two years my involvement in the church has been quite limited, which if I am honest, was difficult for me. BUT it has been the greatest time of worship in my life. I began to write, like crazy. Then to really dream, to get a vision for how God just might want to use me to touch hurting people through music.

Really? Am I actually going to do what I have always said I believed? Be quiet fear! I am truly trying to take my thoughts captive, and not read ahead so to speak or speculate. I am just trying to take this a day at a time, and let God do it. Cause He is the only one who can anyway. I am humbled by each unexpected piece of the puzzle that falls into place. Just overcome to be accurate.

Noah has been just....amaze-ing. He has become my hero. When I am looking at the mountain or the mountain range before us and have forgotten I serve the mover of mountains, Noah has been so quick to simply dismiss the the mountain. I mean just looks at it and says, "So?" then reminds me of the promise God has made and plays the role of my biggest fan. He is also really good at reminding me that it is NOT about me anyway, yet somehow making me feel so special all at the same time. I know! I literally look at him in total awe sometimes. Thank you God for my hubby!

So here I am, My most important call is, of course, my kids and husband. Just to be clear, I have not forgotten that fact. In fact I feel more aware of it than ever, and I find myself enjoying my tasks more than ever. Funny. Maybe cause I am no longer baring the burden of defered hope.

"Hope deferred make the heart grow sick, but longing fulfilled is a tree of life" proverbs 13:12 Wow is that ever true.

I pray as you read this you are inspired to tackle a task you have allowed fear to keep you from. Do not despair He is abundantly able to complete the good work He began in you. Do you believe that? Really? Weather you believe it or not, doesn't change the facts. He is able, and will. WILL! HIS will shall be accomplished.

Isaiah chapter 6 talks about how Isaiah is being called. He has this vision, he sees God as a judge seated on a thrown, he sees the majesty of God. Suddenly he is acutely aware of his unworthiness. He says,"woe to me I am a man of unclean lips, from a people of unclean lips."

God in His majesty lets an angel take a live coal from the sacrificial altar(JESUS) and cleanse Isaiah's lips, simply by touching them with the coal. The angle says,"see this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away & your sins atoned for." In the passage to follow Isaiah hears the call of the Lord saying " Whom shall I send? and who will go for us?" This is the biggest part, Isaiah doesn't hesitate, or fear. He believes he has been atoned and simply says, "Here am I, send me!"

I am crying as I write this, because I long to believe I am worthy, redeemed. and just say, "here am I Lord, send me." In essence this is the point, I am trying to BE what I claim I believe.

If you are still reading and haven't checked out, I am almost done. My life verse is the simplest and hardest. I am not perfectly walking in this faith walk but praise be to God he expects no more of me than willing-ness. My heart is to live this....

Isaiah 61:1

The spirit of the sovereign Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Just a few thoughts. LOL!

Seeking the simple life

I've been doing a lot of thinking about how hectic and crazy the pace of life has become.  How I am sure God never designed us to handle the stress levels we are carrying everyday.  I long for simplicity.  To simply love my family, to serve my God, to be happy and content.   To live in continual gratitude not wanting.  Lord I long to be still and know.

Please touch all who read this and feel a stir inside as their spirit cries out for less.  

Finches Wedding

Holy Cow It's been a long time. Well here is a tiny post. I don't have the pictures off my camera yet. So that is why I havn't posted.

The Finch Wedding was so beautiful and fun. We danced like crazy. I hope to get more pics from their wedding but here are a few. Ezra was the ring bearer and did great. He had to walk across a rail-less bridge on an infinity pool. Very brave. These pics are from the rehersal.

We'd like to say a real late congratulations to Brittany and Sam Finch. Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!

Womens Surf Boot Camp!

Noah has been conducting Surf Boot Camps since last year. It has been a learning process for him and he now has a great friend Dave Horan, "Big Dave" as we like to call him, working with him. He is a Green Beray and works with Blackwater. He has brought much military training and great ideas to the table. He and Noah bring there experience and knowledge together for a one-two punch of aerobic, plyametric, water training and team building exercises. Each day camp is started with a mini devotional and prayer, also each work out is closed with prayer. All in all you get challenged mentally, physically, and spiritually. Its good stuff! I say this from experience because they just did there first Women's Surf Boot Camp and I was part of it. Thanks to my 2 friends Chelsey and Brittany, who took turns sleeping at my house and watched my kids three times a week. It severely kicked my butt, so hard, every time. It was so worth it.

Above we are doing high knees in the water. Right, we are listening to the wisdom of Lynn Brookes before we start our workout.

This has been such an awesome experience. Not only did I get pushed farther than I thought I was able to go, but I got to know and bond with a bunch of amazing women. We had so much fun. Every time you finished a day you were sooo proud of yourself for hanging in there. Cause it was hard. This experience was so humbling but yet made me feel so Strong, physically and mentally. Cause let me tell you, at 5am you got mental battles, and I HATE running and would dread the mile run we did in various ways. I would tell myself "put one foot in front of the other. just keep going. you can do this." The last day I ran, I literally, had to tell myself ,out loud, cause I was just STRUGGLING... "I love to run. I am light and fast" It sounds ridiculous but I had to do anything to finish and at the time that was what I needed. At the end of four weeks I was actually sad it was over.

The whole gang. 27 women! ......me loving running......... push ups! down and holding.

Drowning...shore brake sit ups!

So I wanted to share this with my friends and family. I am very grateful for the boys and their efforts. I miss all the ladies too. Especially the shore brake sit ups. Love you girls!

Flutter Kicks...............last day Victory!.................Jodi look'n ripped!

Team building exercise.

Feeling the Love. The boys were convinced that we girls are tough cookies. They loved us.

Wild things let your hearts sing!!!

First there were freezy pops....... THEN......it got interesting!

Here is a bunch of pics from an ordinary evening when you get four kids four and younger together. So for you future parents don't be scared just embrace the madness. Life is never dull.

This is what happens to well behaved girls after sugar and Ezra's encouragement.

I put so many pics up cause I felt you needed the full effect of what was really going on.

They were having a praise jam session. They were very into it. "Blessed be the name of the Lord!"

Jaida was keep'n up and loving every second!

Model shoot with Ezra and Elizabeth. Hilarious!

Hope these made you smile and laugh like Kay, Winfield, Noah and I did.

A day with four

Not long ago I watched the Bevins girls and got some adorable pictures that day. They get along so well and love each other.

I let them go outside. I had to run in the house to get something and returned to find three naked blue jays in the baby pool. So I got them each a pair of Ezra's underwear. They were so funny.

We love Elizabeth and Annabel Bevins.