Dreams do come true.

Remember this post from a while back?  Well, the kids were able to maintain there memorization of the Lord's Prayer from The City Harmonic's song, "Manifesto", and we talked about how cool it would be if we could see them in concert one day.

That day happened in September.  Yep, they came to our city.  And even crazier, the event was at our church!  The kids were soooo excited to see these guys "in real life" and the live version of Manifesto was nothing short of electrifying!

After the show, the kids were able to get the autograph of each band member and meet them personally.  Here they are (totally forgot my camera, so my apologies for the fuzzy shot!):

To add to night was an artist we had not heard before named AJ Cheek.  We all enjoyed his acoustic set and were able to buy his album after the show.  Ashlynn and I play it constantly around the house and in the car now.  Check him out on itunes, the album is titled "The Art of Letting Go", it's inexpensive and you will love it!  What really stood out to us about him, was his intentional, authentic spirit.  You could tell his heart was truly in his music and it was all for the glory of God.


Good show, great artists, awesome time!

On my heart.

"My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles."

Psalm 34:4-6 NIV(emphasis mine)

We serve an amazing God. Not just some "pie in the sky" god, the GOD. The God who created the universe and created us in His image. The same God who sent his Son to die for every single one of us on the cross.

Listening to Hillsong United (Aftermath) last night this song caught my attention, it's title is "Take Heart". Here are a few of the lyrics:

So take heart. Let His love lead us through the night. Hold on to hope. And take courage again.
....He wears the scars of our freedom. In His name. All our fears are swept away. He never fails. All our troubles. And all our tears. God our hope. He has overcome. All our failure. And all our fear. God our love. He has overcome. All our heartache. And all our pain. God our Healer. He has overcome. All our burdens. All our shame. God our freedom.
He has overcome.

(These are only a portion of the lyrics, if you get a chance pick up the cd or download it off itunes, you will not be disappointed.)

Jesus is all of these things and more. But most of all, He wants a relationship with you. Not just to give you a list of rules and regulations, but to love you. Yes, it requires a change in your heart and it will require you to lay down your "rights" and desires. But His are so much better, so much more fulfilling, so perfectly made for you. Get to know Him.

"But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in His freedom!"

Romans 6:17-18(The Message)

The trail.

With Randy still on the mend from his torn muscle, my schedule has become a bit discombobulated. The cold, cloudy, snowy weather has taken my motivation level to an all time low. It reminds me of a conversation I had with my cousin a couple of months ago when we were discussing her job. See, she works for the parks and recreation in her state and spends her days maintaining, building and clearing the public trails. It's beautiful for her to see God's awesome handiwork and fulfilling to make these trails as close to nature as possible.

But.....

It's back-breaking work. Each day, with a heavy load of tools (nothing can be motorized) they journey to their destination. They labor all day and just when they feel worn out and ready to collapse, thy must hike uphill back out of the trails. "I love my job, I don't want to complain, but some days that hike really gets you", she told me.

As I listened to her I had one of those light bulb moments. " That's it!", I thought. "That's motherhood and life. You love it so much, but all day you labor and when you think the day is almost done, there stands the big hill. You have to muster all of your strength and climb back up....knowing you will be starting over the next day."

Just like my cousin, I have the tools I need to help me in my work. Each day I can choose what I will use and how much time I will dedicate to these "tools". Mine, also, are not motorized, they take elbow grease and diligence. How easy it is to skip getting up early to read the Bible or take the time to pray over my day and my family.

Sometimes it seems there is no progress, the trail is so long, you don't see an end to it. But then, you turn around and look back to see beauty, to see a way was made. Rough and narrow it might be, God is guiding each step and leading you to the next path that must be cleared.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:2-4

How are your trails coming?

Mom, what's for breakfast?

Ryder was working away in the schoolroom yesterday and showed me what he had drawn on his paper. At the bottom was a house, above that another house, above that another house and so on. Then there was what appeared to be a road with dashed lines and a giant house.

Ryde: "Mom, this is our house on the bottom, the next one up is Jesus', the next one up is mom's, then dad's and there is one for Ashlynn, me, Gage and Adysen."

"It's heaven, mom. See the street of gold. Remember, what you read in the Bible about that we would get our own castle? Well, I drew one for everybody. Do you think we will have our own or will we live together?"

Me: "I'm not sure buddy, but we definitely won't be alone! Do you want your own or would you like to be with mom and dad?"

Ryde: "Oh, um, I want to be with you guys. I don't even know how to make my own breakfast!"

Glad to know he needs us for something!

More snow and attitude.

That pretty much sums up my day. It's still freezing here and more snow is on the way. I'm trying really hard not to have a bad attitude about the cold, but it is definitely getting to me.

My patience is shorter, my smiles less frequent, my skin is cracking on my hands and feet, my kids have cabin fever like I've never seen, my gas bill......oh, stop me now.

Then, Randy came to me last night after talking to his dad on the phone. One of his cousins up north has been battling brain cancer and has now been confined to a wheelchair, they're not giving him much time. He has a wife and three young children. Two of Randy's aunts are also battling cancer with not much hope either.

Hits like a gut shot. I'm complaining about what? Yes, the cold stinks, stinks, stinks. But.....I'm not visiting Randy in a hospital, weak and broken, knowing I may lose him any moment. He's not wondering if the mastectomy will rid me of cancer. Or hoping the hysterectomy gets all of those nasty, body ravaging, mutations of cancer.

And, if I'm honest, I didn't have the best attitude when I looked out the window to more white today. It's really that imperative choice of spending time with Jesus, everyday. To be in contact with Him in prayer all throughout the day, asking Him for the strength to let go of what I can't control and live with the fullness and joy I should be.

How different my day might be.

Colder days.....

The weather is getting chilly here so we aren't getting out that much. Translation: not much to blog about :-). We are already getting "cabin fever" and we must find some order to our day so we don't all go crazy! I know once I start feeling better things will get back to "normal".
Had a sonogram of the baby today. Looks great, long arms and legs that were moving all over the place. The heart rate was still up in the 160s, a girl maybe? I haven't shared much on the blog but the last two weeks have been touchy with some different issues. The doctor is confident that baby is growing well and all things will heal (a slight tear behind the baby's sac has been causing some concern). Anyway, I ask that you keep praying for the health and safety of this pregnancy, it's definitely been testing my faith. My pregnancies have a way of always bringing me closer to God and that's certainly not a bad thing!