8.23.2010

Picture project-October

I am loosing my mind not sure why I am up right now... and whilst I am up I am not sure why I get so distracted by things that are not on the important immediate to do list.. if you know me you know that i obsess about albums, getting them done, looking at pics, capturing our lives as they flash by.  not sure why, i know it has no place in eternity... but them again, it's a ref. to where we have been and where we are going and... ok enough rambling lets get to the good stuff.  So I decided for a few weeks I am going to post random pics I come across while making my albums, just fun ones that I haven't seen in a while that make me smile, enjoy if your looking.

Looked up in the past hour:
how to make potato plantain omelets
Summer fun crafts by skiptomylou.com
Scrumdillydo.blogspot fireworks painting with a salad spinner
Splat mat material to make my own
Kiddly.com paper dolls hopping K and I can make ur own and share with an artsy friend too
& last but not least:
~these pics~



I love this group of pics bc it captures the explorer side of Kehnley, her posing and the amazing cuteness of little kids in jeans, it's amazing to me that they have denim is small and smaller! Her expression as she kisses Fancy just for the picture to be taken then say "let me look" to see herself is priceless!

8.16.2010

Day 8 to 10 : Thanksgiving to Obedience

We have certainly had a lot to be thankful for, and I am thankful especially for this week, for Bry to experience God in a new way, and for God to use my time alone (and by alone i mean surrounded by kids and toys and friends and family) lol... but totally alone at some parts of the night once the girls are in bed and to just hear God's voice.  It's amazing how the things God gives us can distract us so much from Him!  I am learning more and more just how to honor Him with those gifts and not be carried away by them.  I had an awesome time in Dallas getting ot love on my best friends and I only wish that I had more time to do that stuff more often.  I got to experience God's miracle in seeing Kairi Anne, so beautiful this baby girl!  I loved seeing Amy and Landry's new place, it's so nice!!  I want to move in :)  Sadie looooveed the dogs!  I can't wait to get back and see how kehnley has been doing! I will post pics soon of my trip there. 

As for thanks giving, I picked Bry up from the airport on my way back and it was so funny to see him, he looked different, but the same, Sadie looked at him and stared for a moment then smiled like she hadnt all weekend.  It blessed me to think that at 6 months she knows his face and loves him so much!  I know that smile made him feel so good that she was saying with her little gummy grin 'I missed you'. 

I have spent the past few days listening to Bry's stories, they are pretty amazing and I am so beyond joyful that I married a man who knows how to share his heart...he has been reading me his journal and its like Im there with him experiencing it all together.  Thanksgiving that God lets us be a part of the sharing of the gospel that it my give us momentum to love others into knowing Him and experiencing His joy and experience His power to change hearts, especially our own.  If the soul propose of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever then in a world where there are so many distractions from that:, where rather than enjoy Him we enjoy His gifts and instead of glorifying our God we glorify ourselves...the gift of seeing salvation come to the lost it reminds us that it's personal and speaks differently to everyone.  As long as we dont misunderstand the gospel message is the same: Christ came that we might be united once again to God after the sin of our flesh separated us from Him, we are saved by believing in our heart that Jesus is Lord and confessing with our mouths that He is all (Romans 10:9-10), although the way it reaches hearts is very individualized.  Thankfully we celebrate the 30 lives that were changed because of those who were faithful to go on this trip and the many more from them who will come to experience the Joy of the Lord.  We have much to celebrate, tonight under our roof we celebrate that my darling Bryson is home but more so that he did not let anything keep him from sharing the love of God with the world! People from all over: age, gender, race, social standing received Christ last week because God was gracious enough to call Bry out of his comfortable home and into the mountains of Venez.
Thankful for the men and women and children all over the world putting their own agenda aside to live out their faith and share Christ with all they meet, to orchestrate meetings in order that some might know Him and be formed into His likeness...they are risking their lives even for the gospel.  For their obedience I pray tonight.  Let the harvest be fruitful for them Lord, let them not labor in vain. 

Obedience for us, here in our lives, to look for the greater picture, to Him who is greater and worthy of it all...how will I live out this boldness and purpose in my home?  How will I teach my girls all the mysteries of Christ?  I must start with prayer!  Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and prayers, we have felt them and it's been life changing for us all.

8.12.2010

Day 5&6: Giving light and Boldness

To date I have missed two calls and a facebook message from Bry.lol.  Looks like it's all about him and God and it's been fun being an onlooker in the relationship they have.  I love hearing the messages reading the text and seeing God working from afar.  I think it's the best possible thing because it's truly between them and I like that we will talk when he gets home.  Another amazing thing is when you pray and believe God hears prayers and then get to actually SEE them come to fruition and get to EXPERIENCE God's power, it's not only faith building, it's humbling because you realize just how awesome God is.  I am more and more learning that a relationship with Christ is about joy, experiencing joy, worshiping Him because of the joy He brings, and realizing that joy is worked, it's not a quick cheep temporary emotion, its worked into my life through sometimes really hard stuff!

Bry said that he had the opportunity to share this gospel of joy with 8 ppl and that Jeremiah 24:7 lead two to Christ and I am overjoyed that the Kingdom is growing that there are 8 more brothers and sisters in Christ who get to experience true joy in the Lord and that God let Bry experience that as well!

I know that he's the one who went away to do God's work...but I feel like God is doing a great work in me...I feel so much conviction over my heart to be greater for God, to be more loving less critical, to be encouraging, to parent with more grace and mercy and realizing how the cross is the only thing that makes me anything at all.  I feel a profound draw to the Lord right now that I haven't felt in a really long time.  One so strong that there is nothing on my heart more, there is nothing more pressing than to sit at His feet and take in His word and learn from Him.  I think it's good that Bry went away for this time for so many reasons, but one of them is that I might get a chance to be enthralled again with God.

How quickly I have been giving my affections to the things God has made and not to the creator who made them to reflect His goodness and cause me to worship Him all the more...

Back to Bryson, this days prayers are to be of sharing the light of the gospel and to cause boldness to stir in the hearts of those sharing...God has done that and there are many who's lives are just beginning, what a blessing!

We all go about our day to all kind of places with all kinds of people, it's not just about going across the world it's about going to where God has put us in areas of influence around ppl that only we have contact with and doing this very thing...
Mark 16:15
"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."

Lets do this!

8.10.2010

Day 4: Melt Down!

Sooooooo... was going to try and be thankful today, turns out when you make that your daily task... you face MUCH opposition! It was a really hard day, Kehnley was on the verge of a melt down every second! It was pretty tough, BUT every time I would start to pray for something silly like "God please dont let this painting fall and break because I dont think I could take it!" I felt conviction to pray for something a LITTLE more substantial...so anyway, I did that, and me and Kehnley had to stop several times and pray together for kind words to come out of our mouths and for loving hearts to be what we had and not meanness (Sadie didnt have to pray because she was being sweet, I had to explain this to Kehnley).

We went to get Snow cones thought it might brighten up her mood. Everything was going great till I had to spend 30 min in the middle of sadies late afternoon nap and woke her up in the process going into the bank to get a new pen number bc the snow cone shack is the only place left in Htown that doesnt take anything but cash. We get our cones and lilly had her ice cone too and we are sitting down to enjoy when kehnley has a few bites and hers falls over, only a super tiny amount falls out and she LOOSES it! I mean, gone, loses her MIND! She grabs hr face like home alone and screams bloody murder and cries and gasps and grabs her mouth and shakes her head like Lilly had just ran off with her ice cone and got hit by a car! it was terrible and HILARIOUS all at the same time, it was one of those parenting moments when you want to die laughing but have to keep your composure at the fear of scaring your child for life.

Her are a few pics of our outing, the best part of the day, except maybe this quiet moment I am having right now and the ab workout I'm gonna have before lights out...

Sadie ate her dinner in the front yard bc... well... why not!

IMG_2508

IMG_2507

This is right before the melt down! that cup is about to tip over onto the grass...
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Ps. Why is is that one of the nights when Bry is gone, as I am laying sadie down into her bed after just getting her cleaned and dressed, Kehnley takes a break from singing Cruella Devill to call my name across the hall and say "Mom, I pooped in the tub, can you wipe my bottom." Wow... there better be some people coming to Jesus this week, or I'm gonna be ticked! ( just kidding lol) I had to whisper, "step out of the tub and sit on the potty and wait there for me, i'm comin' and baby doll, dont ever do that again please."

Day 2 &3- Hearts and Fear

I am writing this in the midst of the sounds of my girls playing and laughing and realize just how truly lucky I am to have the sweet children in my home, to have my home, to have my family, my country of so many freedoms, to have a car, a church, a store 3 minutes away, a neighborhood that is safe, a swimming pool around the corner, neighbors who are friendly, and many many more luxuries that we take for granted every day. I have been asking the Holy Spirit to impart to me what to pray for Bryson and conviction in the hearts of leadership and banishment of fear for following the Lord whole heartedly and what that means keep coming to mind. SO that's what I am praying for. God has dealt with fear in my life before, many a time. I am not a worrier or a fear driven person, I am a little more unaware and almost ignorantly blissful if you will most of the time lol... so when fear does set in i know that it's not from actual circumstance but something put in my mind to distract me from trusting God, from seeing things clearly, and sometimes from making wise choices in really important times.

2 Corinth 4:6
"For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. "

It still is amazing to me that God made so many references to light and dark in talking of our relationship with Him. he gave us light that would live inside of us, that even in the dark we might not be in fear or taken over by it... but that everywhere we go would be illuminated the truth of who He is and that would change lives, including our own!

John 10:16
"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. "

This verse really broke my heart i heard it in church one Sunday, a day when i was really facing fear of Bry going on his trip and it was so convicting to me to realize that God has ppl out there who He wants to bring under His care and they are waiting to hear from Him...that made my heart for the lost change dramatically and really give me a new desire to share His love with any and all who might be like a sheep looking for a shepherd.

Ppl who desperately wanted to belong to something, have a family, have a purpose...they have one in Christ.

Jerm. 24:7
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and "I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. "

Some people think that God is disconnected (looking over but never reaching out), or a spiritual vending machine (you put prayers in you get hings out, you put time in you get your hearts desire)... or even worse that He doesnt really matter or care about you. I love this verse because it's just one of many that fill the whole bible that God loves us deeply and wants us to know that. He can change lives, change hearts, and He is like a loving Father, a father some have never had, who wants to take us into His arms and comfort us, hold us up, and give us all things good.

I prayed for my heart as well as anyone else who might have forgotten or never really known JUST how much God loves them...

Romans 8:28-32
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? "
~~~~~
He has given us so many great things, salvation and eternal life are the two that are most precious and yet, very rarely through out the mundane tasks of the day do I thank God for those, or anything else we have so graciously been given. Today I think that's what my hearts focus is going to be on...thanking Him for all this and more!

8.08.2010

The Green Monster

WE INTERRUPT THIS DAY 2 Of BRYSONS VENEZ TRIP TO BRING YOU BREAKING NEWS!

The green monster is on the loose and coming to a tub near you! Thanks Kehnley for reminding this mama what can happen when you leave a 3 yr old in the bath with tub crayons and paint while you dress a clean baby sister in the next room...
YIKES!

8.07.2010

Day 1: Pray for Safe travel!

When I dropped Bry off at the airport I was able to keep it together, didnt have the ugly cry face til AFTER i drove away :). But for real, he strapped on his "big bear backpack" and gave me the a "hang-ten" hand and then was on his way! the most hilarious part is that he packed mostly fishing pants and no rinse soap...if something ever happened to me I think he's outfit the girls in windbreakers and head out with Bear Grills on all his adventures like a crazy groupie!

Anyway, hopefully we never have to see pictures of that! lol

He told me that there were 20 ppl along with their crew that were on the flight as well from Tallowood Bapt. "Looks like the bapt. are taking the plane over!" were His words. Right now he's probably on his route to whatever town they will be in and leaving Caracas.

This what I felt the Lord was pressing on my heart to pray for today...
Day 1 Travel
Pray for safe travel to each village, town and city for the members on their team and encounters along the way that might lead to Christ

Col. 4:3 says...
"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ"

Christ IS a mystery, one that I have loved uncovering and I am hoping that it will be revealed to those going and receiving. It certainly happens that when we try to share Him with others we learn more of Him ourselves.

2 Corn. 2:17 says...
"Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

I pray that they would know these ppl are coming out of a love for God and others and they would know how deep the Fathers love is for them that they might be encouraged and renewed!

~~~~~
As far as us here at home, we spent the day at Fancy and Papa's house swimming, playing and just enjoying their company. Every time I began to miss Bry I just prayed for him in different ways. I know that everyone out there who is deeply in love thinks that their relationship is unlike any other, and its true if you have a great love...there is just nothing to describe what it's really like to be married to some one you have been in love with most your life, like us. Going through this preparation for this trip its stirred so many emotions in us both.. one of them is just the realization of how beyond blessed we are to have a love like ours, to be so passionately in love and to be so close, he's my best friend, but more than that he's the companion that God picked especially for me. Some people don't believe in "the one" they think that there are plenty of ppl you could be with, it just so happens this person through circumstances ended up being the one...I disagree I know there is no one like him, there is no one who could compare in my life. He's been the love of my life for 13 years...and to think that there are moments I haven't cherished with him breaks my heart. This trip has opened my eyes to how much I need to make it a priority to show him just how precious he is to me, how much I adore him and I don't ever want to waste a day that I might have to just know him more. 13 years of caring about a person and learning them and sharing the most life changing moments together and yet there is still something in me that gets all caught up when I see him! I miss him like crazy. But then again, the Holy spirit keeps reminding me that I neglect to show my love for the Lord, my allegiance to Him, and i am convicted of the time i spend on other things rather than knowing Him more... I have missed having a heart that chases after Him and His word. So even as I think of Bry and miss him, my heart is caught up in my Love for God instead and I am taking this time to stoke those embers that have grown dim over the past months and take my focus off the things that have distracted me all this time and just consider God's unending love for me, I know there are others out there who need to do the same. Don't wait...

8.06.2010

Vomos Venez...Praying Bryson through the mission field

It's currently 12:25, I'm so exhausted I can barely stand to keep my eyes awake to write this post but Bry leaves for Venezuela tomorrow on his first of many mission trips. Its been a crazy few months leading up to his departure tomorrow. We've been hit with a lot of things, a lot of distractions, a lot of trials, but God has been faithful and fully involved in all of it showing us His will. Even in the midst of much opposition, however, he is still going and i am still 100% positive it's what God desires most. Prior to him even stepping foot on a plane, he's had the opportunity to share the love of Christ and the calling of Him on his life and heart with people at work and family, it's been a long time since we both have had this passion for boldness in this way.



Our hearts have been bruised and broken again for the lost!The quickest way that the enemy could distract us from that calling was to make us busy in our own lives... and it certainly happened! But I am so grateful for Bryson's fervor to go and to share the gospel, to teach and to encourage.... it's truly been the compass of our home. There are a few events I want to record so I don't forget in the Lord prepping and preparing this trip for us.

1. we knew we didnt have the funds for this trip or anything around it and God provided above and beyond what we had ever hoped, up until the last day with some very real and random ways for us to have all angels of this trip provided for financially

2. Bry had a chance the day after finding out he was on the evangelism team to run into a pair of Mormon's with Ronnie (what are the chances of that.. those poor guys didnt know what they were getting themselves into) and Bry was able to really engage in some tough and probing conversations that was just a little prep course before he left for Venz.

3. Sadie went to the emergency room and we both learned not only that all we have is His.... but also the power of prayer!

4. From that God has changed our perspective on the things we have and where certain things used to be higher on our importance or priority line up, they have dropped way down behind cherishing moments we have with each other and our girls!

5. Conversations at Brys work have been circulating and deep talks of the Lord as well: biblical moral parallels, the "mission field" at large, and prayers towards service for us and the members of our church.

6. Sharing total trust and faith in Christ with family members and friends.

7. I have personally faced a lot of mental battle with this trip coming and as it got closer the thoughts got tougher to face. I was in total peace when the trip came up and as weeks began to get closer to the departure date the enemy really attacked me and I have learned the power of God's word to diminish all fear and learned more about God's heart for the world to know Him!

Some of these are really vague, but they have all been prepping and preparing us for the next 10 days. I felt called by the Lord to share some scripture that God not only used to comfort me but He used to share with me His good, and perfect plans AND what to be praying over Bry for each day that he is away. I hope that those of you who know and love us would join in with me.

8. This morning before Bry is to leave he was telling Kehnley that he was going to go on a trip to tell people in another part of the world about Jesus and His love for them and she responded in all her infinate 3 year old wisdom... "Dad, you gotta go what God tells you".

Today I feel great and at peace that things are going to transpire that God will have His glory known in more of the world because of Bry's faithfulness and not being swayed by much opposition... but I am still going to miss him and try my hardest to keep an attitude of gratitude even in the toughest moments whether here or there! We most likely won't be able to communicate over the next 10 days, but I know that the spirit goes between us and will guide our hearts on what to pray, the Lord has already laid certain things for certain days to be praying over, will you join me?

Day 1 Travel
Pray for safe travel to each village, town and city for the members on their team and encounters along the way that might lead to Christ
Col. 4:3, 2 Corinth 2:17,

Day 2 Hearts
Pray for the hearts of those who have gone to do God's work, for those who are left to wait and see, and for those waiting for salvation that don't yet know how near it is!
2 Corinth 4:6, John 17:3, John 10:16, Jer 24:7,

Day 3 Banishing fear
Fear for us here, fear for those who are doing God's will in Venezuela, around the world, and those who are being attacked in many ways by the enemy even as we pray
Ps 112:6-7, Rom. 8:28-32,

Day 4 Protection and Shield
Where ever they go, whatever they are doing pray a hedge of protection around them, angels guarding them and watching them, let them feel the presence of the mighty hand of God covering them
Ps 119:114, Ps 91:9-11

Day 5 Giving light to those living in darkness
Pray that God will unveil the eyes of the lost, that the people who know what truth is when they hear it and that they will accept this light that leave no darkness to fear anymore
John 11:9-10, Isaiah 50:10, 1 Pt 2:9-10

Day 6 Boldness
Pray for an ever increasing boldness to overcome those who are working on behalf of the Lord, let a steadfast fight be put in their spirit to speak God's word at all times
Ps. 138:3, Mark 16:15

Day 7 Strength to endure
Pray for weak hands and bodies and minds to be strengthened by God, let their will not be deterred and let them hold fast to God's purpose for them
2 Corinth 4:8, 1 Cor. 4:12-13, Isaiah 40:29-31

Day 8 Spreading of the Gospel
Pray God let the gospel reach those who will carry it on to others who might not know God, let it reach all the ends of the earth as God desires
Col. 4:3, John 12:32, 1 Corinth 1:17

Day 9 Thanksgiving
Pray thanking God for the lives who will be forever changed, for God's glory being shared and reveled and for doing all He said He would do, He is so faithful!
1 Tim 2:1,3-4, Jn 2:1b-2, 2 Corn 4:15

Day 10 Obedience
Pray for continual trust and obedience for those who are just now hearing God's voice for the first time and those who have been listening to Him for years, let them not turn away from their maker. Make their feet ready for whatever comes next!
James 2:17, Ps 67, 1 Jn 3:16-18