Why I need More of Jesus in my Life

The other day, I was reminded again that I need more of Jesus in my life. Nothing is guaranteed from day to day- our health, our loved ones, even our homes. In the midst of sadness or trials, Jesus is our sure foundation. His love never fails and His mercies are new every morning.

Why do I need more of Jesus and less of me?

::He is my anchor. I know He is always there when I need to cry out in prayer, bearing my heart and those who are on it. There is nothing more comforting than knowing we don't have to go through difficult circumstances alone.

:: He provides rest. No matter what stage of life you are in, more than likely it is a busy one. We can become so wrapped up in our agendas and schedules that we forget to sit and be still in His presence. I can speak from experience that when I do so, everything else fades away for a time and somehow becomes less important on my to-do list. I've found that for me personally spending some quiet moments with the Lord first thing in the morning is the best way to set my day in the right direction.

::He is my strong tower. When the winds of life blow uncertain, He provides shelter and a sense of peace through the storms. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)

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It is my prayer that my capacity for God would continue to grow and I would desire to run to Him first with every need. Would He be my focus, your focus, each new day!

Lately I've been...

Lately I've been...

-Looking forward to the day when Baby M. makes an appearance. Whether we have a little he or she to love on, this little one has already filled a special place in our hearts. Some days the thought of parenting seems oh, so overwhelming and scary, but other days (like today), I'm just really excited. Of course, most-things-baby are on my mind these days so I've been working on a registry, prepping the nursery and doing that thing they call nesting. Hello, thorough cleaning and organizing. I can only imagine how much worse it will get in the next 3 months! But my house & hubby might thank me. :)

24 weeks, my most recent picture :)

-Loving that springtime is finally here (some days!) That means planting flowers, decorating with bright & springy decor, and sitting out on the front porch again. Oh, and garage sales. I've been out most Saturday mornings recently trying to snag some deals for baby and the house. It's always fun because you never know what you're going to find.

Most recent DIY project- a boxwood wreath. Loved how it turned out!

Porch decor

-Enjoying some good books again. Recent favorites have been Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters! by Rachel Macy Stafford.

You can read more about it here. I was so challenged by this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who desires to live a more intentional, people-focused life. It's written from a mother's perspective, but can certainly be applicable to anyone.

Another fun book has been DIY Succulents: From Placecards to Wreaths, 35+ Ideas for Creative Projects with Succulents by Tawni Daigle.

Succulents have often intrigued me and this book provides some great info on caring for such plants (for someone like me who needs a little help) as well as adorable craft and decor ideas for the home.

What have been some of your favorite spring activities lately?

Trusting for today and tomorrow

I’m realizing these days that one of the most important things I can do right now is to trust. Trust that God in His infinite wisdom is sovereign. Trust that His plans are greater than my own. Trust that His timetable is always perfect. He knows what He is doing, even when doubt creeps into my heart. It’s not my desire to doubt my Father in all of His goodness, yet sometimes it just happens. In those moments, it is so important to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5.) Instead, I can proclaim aloud God’s promises in His word, both to encourage me and to cause the enemy to flee.

I have Psalms 37:3-7a highlighted in my Bible along with a heading I added- ‘What to do while I’m waiting’: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” 

We all go through many, many waiting periods in our lives. They vary from person to person, although sometimes they share similar characteristics. It’s my hope that I can always learn something valuable through the lessons that Jesus teaches me, whether big or small.

 Photo credit to my talented brother, Justin

Also, Isaiah 30:15a- “This is what the sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength’…”

Rather than dwelling on the what-if’s, I desire to focus on the what-is and Who is. My Jesus holds me in the palm of His hand. He sees my today and He sees my tomorrow. And that, my dears, is enough.

A Thankful Heart

The Thanksgiving season has come and gone already. It's one of my favorite times of the year! Sure, I enjoy Christmas also, but there's just something special about reflecting and giving thanks for our many blessings from above.

Here are just a few of my thankful highlights from November:

 We held a ladies seminar at our church recently. 

It was a great event filled with rich teaching, good fellowship, and...

wonderful food.

We hosted about 90 ladies from various backgrounds 

and denominations, which was exciting.

 We enjoyed the wedding of good friends last weekend. 

Yay for dressing up and celebrating marriage! :)

 It was special to host my hubby's family for Thanksgiving.

I had fun decorating- simple, but festive.

And for the record, brown craft paper is a genius way to serve multiple purposes:

-mess-free tablecloth, 

-names for place settings can be written directly on it,

-& it fits the season!

Cheese and cracker appetizer which was gone in no time!

Today's reasons to be thankful: decorating for Christmas, catching up with dear friends, and fun games/snacks! What are you thankful for today?

Home: A Place & Culture of Rest

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

Psalm 62:5-8

Since stumbling across these verses again the other day, I’ve been meditating on them often, asking myself where I’m dwelling. Am I dwelling in the rest and assurance that is found in my Jesus alone? He is my rock and my fortress. Time spent with him enables me to face the storms of life. How important it is to pour out my heart to him on a consistent basis, baring my soul before the One who made me.

I am incredibly thankful to have been given the opportunity to change my work status to part-time. It has been very right for me and our sometimes hectic schedule. My dear husband was very supportive in my decision (read more here) and has been my encouragement all along. He has admitted to me that he has noticed a real sense of rest when he enters our home at the end of his workday. My simply being home more often has aided in setting a culture of rest here that we did not have before. If I’m honest, the transition time was more difficult than I expected it to be. Yet the Lord brings changes into our lives and sometimes asks us to surrender our agenda through those changing seasons.

As I mentioned earlier, consistent time with my Father is so vital in setting the tone of my day and ultimately, the tone of our household. The joy of the Lord is a very real thing and joy is found in spending time with Jesus. Another challenge is this-

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There are days when I’m at home cleaning and doing laundry and I find myself wishing I was doing something of more importance. Those things just feel mundane after awhile. But then I remind myself that joy is a choice. When I choose joy, my spirit is lifted and I have a reason to sing.

May His unending joy be your strength and your song today!

Home Sweet (First) Home

They say home is where the heart is. I’d have to agree completely. We enjoyed our first home, a rental, for one year before purchasing our current home. I’ve been meaning to share a few snapshots of our “log cottage in the woods.”

Through the seasons:

  Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

Room by room (minus a few):

I loved our spacious entryway room with my piano.

We also loved our little breakfast bar. It was perfect for a quick morning bite-to-eat!

Our comfy living room

I loved the cheery yellow walls through most of the house, including our bedroom.

This gorgeous mantle is probably what I miss the most. Although we didn’t use the fireplace, I thoroughly enjoyed decorating the mantle with the seasons.

All in all, we have many treasured memories of our first house. God blessed us abundantly. Now we are excited to create new ones in our new home! What's your favorite feature or memory of your home?

Winds of Change

The summer is coming to a close; each evening is getting shorter and with it comes cooler temperatures. A gentle breeze blows and reminds me of the upcoming need to switch out my wardrobe for fall fashions, as well as enjoying hot drinks and fall-like activities. It also reminds me of the current season of life that I find myself in at the moment. The winds of change are blowing and to be completely honest, I’m not sure how that makes me feel.

After teaching for five years, I felt God calling me to say goodbye and move onto the next thing that He has in store for me. While difficult, it brought a great sense of peace in following His leading. As the new school year begins, it reminds me of the past. What I did and who I was as a teacher. But as the Father has repeatedly reminded me, it’s not healthy to continually dwell in the past. He calls us to live in the present and embrace the now, while looking ahead with eagerness to the future. So that is what I’m striving to do.

Instead of speaking into the lives of students, now I am privileged to be an encourager to many others in my life- friends, family members, fellow believers, and even strangers. He is showing me to look for opportunities every day to be a blessing, filling others with joy and how creative I can be in that- a conversation with a retail clerk, making a friendly phone call, mailing a postcard, baking a plate of cookies for a neighbor, etc.  We recently moved so I’m eager to meet and greet those in our community and begin to build relationships and friendships.

People need to take priority over items on a to-do list. Although I have many boxes left to unpack and rooms to organize, it’s good to take time to be still and allow the Holy Spirit to direct my days. The house will be neat and tidy someday. Maybe J

Just a few favorite snapshots from our summer:

 I'm going to miss these gorgous blooms. 

Our former house had many beautiful flowers.

We are so excited to have bought our first house. 

Plus we celebrated our 1st anniversary the day after we moved. :)

 One of the highlights of our summer was a trip to Maine with dear friends.

This was a spectacular sunset at the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Our cottage was next to a lake. Such fun kayaking there.

Lots of pretty views and hiking trails. 

What have been your summer highlights thus far?