so i'm just a little excited....

I have an article featured in the latest Christian magazine for teen girls, 2:21 Mag!

If I could do cartwheels, I would!

But for some reason my cartwheels always end up looking like a half-hearted bunny flop, so I think I'll celebrate by going to bed early tonight.  That just made me sound really old.

I love this magazine.

To the moon and back.

Know any teen girls?

Pass it on!

can I unload on you?

....pictures from my iphone, that is (smile and breathe a sigh of relief).  Thaddeus loves the hipstamatic.  He's hip like that.  I have about a hundred pictures on my phone Thad has taken around the house and I think they're all great!  Most are pretty blurry, but he managed to get a few steady shots (and I helped him just a little bit). 

This week we've been quarantined.  My twins share everything....including sore throats.  So life has slowed down to a crawl and we've been drinking chicken broth and taking cool baths.  

And if you happened to drive by the Shell station on Railroad the other day, yes, I was digging in the trash can.  But I was wearing the gloves the kind gas attendant gave me.  And I did find my debit card.  Just in case you were wondering....

Have a lovely weekend!

superstar kidz club

Superstar Kidz Club

Where do you think you would find five teens every Saturday morning for months in a row?

Not sleeping in!  They're out on the streets by 9 am taking the love of Jesus to the poorest neighborhoods in our town.  That takes commitment.  That takes passion.  That takes radical hearts!  I am amazed by this generation.  As my husband likes to say, "this is the generation that will!"  And it is.

We don't have to travel thousands of miles to find our mission field.  It's right here.  In our backyards.  In lines at the food pantry, under the interstate, in fatherless homes and neglected playgrounds.  And if we really believe in a love that's bigger than this world, then we'll find them.  We'll find hungry hearts and fill them with Jesus.  If we really believe in eternity, then what is temporary won't matter quite as much anymore.  

I asked God to break my heart for what breaks His.  And I'm overwhelmed with heartache.  I cry every time I visit Superstar Kidz Club and get to pray with a little lonely boy or girl as tears run down their cheeks.  "God, they need love!  What can I give them?"  Those thoughts tumbled through my mind, arms wrapped over a little boy's shoulder as he cried over the loss of his best friend.  You can give them my Son.  I'll never leave them or forsake them.  God's love is the greatest gift.  We prayed and I told him that Jesus will be his best friend.  Closer than a brother.

Because he's been that for me.

I've lost best friends.  I've been that lonely little kid who cried themselves to sleep.  Something beautiful happened to me, though.  Jesus really and truly became my best friend.  He was always the first one I shared my secrets with.  The one I ran to with my hurts and my fears and my insecurities.  He held my hand and never let go.  He showered me with his love, filled my heart with joy.

I want that for everyone.

such a coon

Dear Boston aka my little rascal,

You have eyes that twinkle and a smile that melts my heart into putty.  Give me one of those toothy grins of yours and I forget all about the mountain of flour you spilled on the upstairs carpet or the honey you drizzled all over the dining table and chairs.  Moments like this one, when you found your daddy's coon hat and the gorilla he had when he was just a boy so much like you, make my heart flip flop and flutter.  You wrap your little arms around my neck and tell me you love me and I could hold you like this forever....

I love you my little coon,

your Mommy

eeeek!

Okay, so I'm not the most organized person you'll ever meet.
I'm one of those really laid back type of personalities.  As in spur of the moment, fly by the seat of your pants types.  I don't like to start fires or cause waves.  I'd rather be the one to put the flames out and throw a life buoy.  So far, this has worked for me.  My unorganized state of existing has occasionally created stressful situations, but nothing that couldn't be fixed in a mad dash of productivity.

Well, those mad dashes have now been occurring in increasing frequency.

God's putting his finger on one problem area of my life and I'm squirming just a little bit under the pressure.  After all, being unorganized isn't exactly sinning, is it?   I can justify my lack of organization.  I can think of a million reasons why I can't be organized.  But the problem is that I've now seen a bigger picture.  I know the unnecessary stress it causes and while I never thought before that it affected anyone but me, I've discovered I'm wrong.  It affects my ability to be my husband's best helpmeet, my kids best instructor, a good neighbor, an available friend, a ready witness.

There is so much God is calling me to do right now and the truth is that I really can't do it.  Not by staying the way I am.  I have to be putty in His hands.  Moldable.  Changeable.

I must become less.  He must become more.

And right now, "more" of Him includes a calendar in every room....(smile)

the poems that find you

copyright: Orissa Kent, image protected by copyscape

My lovely neighbor friend blew in with a rare breeze in this stagnant southern heat.  And with her, she brought the winds of inspiration.  On a picture of sunny poppies, were these fragments and phrases of words cut out of books.  And if you're a book lover like me, that sentence alone likely gave you a heart attack.

"It's a found poem," she told me, and I read it aloud.

"Discovery of a Living Valley... Life is clad in gentle colors.  "The air...is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious.", the words washed over my spirit, awakening my senses.

How many poems are there just waiting to be found?  Hidden in "living valleys", cloaked in dense life-giving air.  They're in the moments we miss if we're not looking,  the seconds that slip into years unaware.  

Yes, the valleys are just as tremendous as the view from the mountaintops.

Life is in the poems that find you.

I finished reading the last line aloud, "for those who have eyes to see, are beloved of God."

Open my eyes, God.

a first for everything

On Monday, my heart walked out my door in blue tennis shoes and a red backpack.  

And I'm still trying to learn how to cope without it.

I expected him to cry, but of course, I'm the one that can't seem to hold the tears back.

I now know what the Bible means when it says to pray constantly.  From the moment I leave his classroom in the morning until I return in the afternoon, I am praying.  

If I could have my way, I would homeschool my little boy.  But this year it is not an option for our family and I'm trying to be okay with that.  I'm really trying.  It helps that he has a wonderful teacher.  I am praising God for that answered prayer!

Now we're nearing the end of this week, with a surprisingly smooth transition.  Every morning, he has gone willingly.  And the few stories I can creatively extract from him are mostly positive.  I can tell it's been a huge adjustment, though, and I find myself lingering in his room after he is asleep, whispering prayers, and wiping warm tears from my eyes.

I'm taking lessons, too, in learning to trust my God.

blogging for hope

Today I am here:

Blogging for Hope for Women Magazine  and talking about "surveying our homes".

today and a winner

bounty from my flower garden

I feel like the vase in my picture.  Brimming with promises.  Overflowing with life.  Precariously holding it all together.  


God is bringing dreams to my doorstep, all neatly packaged and smelling like heaven.  Like a child, I'm eager for it all.  And He smiles into my giddy face, my excitment only mirroring His own.

"Do you trust my love for you?", again He asks and I remember the first time I heard this question from my Father.  When the dreams felt so distant...   He had asked me then to trust Him.  How God must burst  with the secrets He longs to tell us!

It was only a few weeks ago I felt my future was in limbo.  I was clinging to the promises of God.  I knew what my husband and I were called to do, but I didn't see it happening any time soon.  I found a treasure of wisdom in this quote,

"Does it make sense to pray for guidance about the future if we are not obeying in the thing that lies before us today? How many momentous events in Scripture depended on one person's seemingly small act of obedience! Rest assured: Do what God tells you to do now, and, depend upon it, you will be shown what to do next." ~ Elisabeth Elliot

My prayer has become, "God, show me what you desire for me to do this day.  However small, however big, give me the grace to do it."

And He is.  And He will!  He gives grace!  His dreams prevail.

Our family is on a new journey.  God has opened a door for us to do what we love.  We have been given an opportunity to serve the youth in our city as youth pastors at our church.  And we're beyond excited!  Our hearts have always been in youth ministry, ever since we served as youth pastors several years ago and we feel so blessed to be doing it again!  God is burdening us for this city, for the teens, for the hurting, for the needy.  We want to follow the footsteps of Jesus!  He's giving us big visions and big dreams and we know only He can accomplish them.    We're just trying to find that perfect place of balance that God wants us to live in, cherishing our family time, while working part-time with the church and in our business.  God is leading the way!

I hope that explains why I've been a little absent lately.  That and the fact that my little boy just started kindergarten this week.  Which is a whole post in itself!  It's one my heart is still trying to work through.  I promise I'll post it soon!


AND....
It's finally time to announce the winner of the tukula giveaway!  Thank you for your patience with me, sweet friends!  And can I also thank you for sending love and prayers to this wonderful ministry!

Keep them in your hearts!

And the lovely lady that I will be sending a tukula bag to...

Danielle from Diamond Desire

"Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions."  {1 John 3: 18}

watermelon fields

Out In The Fields With God

by Louise Imogen Guiney

The little cares that fretted me,

I lost them yesterday,

Among the fields above the sea,

Among the winds at play,

Among the lowing of the herds,

The rustling of the trees,

Among the singing of the birds,

The humming of the bees.

The foolish fears of what might pass,

I cast them all away,

Among the clover-scented grass,

Among the new-mown hay,

Among the hushing of the corn

Where drowsy poppies nod, 

Where ill thoughts die and good are born--

Out in the fields with God.

Across the street from our house, lies this shady green field.  It does it's best to shelter from the heat, but Louisiana summers are hotter than a hornet's nest.  The kids run and play, while I sit panting in the shade.  I'm forced to be still.  No folding laundry or cleaning the kitchen.  Just sitting and watching, and playing and dreaming.  I've learned to love our hot little picnics.  I don't miss the distractions.  I relish the simplicity.  There God does the talking and I do the listening.

apronista

I received the most wonderful gift in the mail last week!  I won this darling anthropologie apron and these white rosebud earrings from a Twig giveaway.  And they are exquisite.  I love Twig.  Janna, the cute little gal behind this delightfully creative blog that's brimming with vintage eye candy, is so much fun and so inventive.  I've always wanted an adorable apron to make cooking and cleaning seem just a little bit more glamorous (smile) and maybe even inspire me to bake homemade pies and luscious layered cakes (another smile).  Well, so far, it hasn't magically turned me into baking connoisseur, but I did whip up some mean pancakes with sprinkles this morning.  Does that count?

Can you tell I've enjoyed wearing it?  

Yep, I had a grand time modeling in my mod apron, thankful for any excuse to ignore my laundry load the size of Mount Rushmore.  Wait, didn't I mention laundry in my last post as well?  I must admit, I am having trouble forgiving Eve.  If not for her, we'd have no need for clothes.  And life would be so much easier!!

P.S.  I do have several little secrets to tell you that I am dying to spill, but I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet!  

P.S. #2  And no, I'm not expecting.  : )

P.S. #3  Do check out my tukula giveaway!  And for all of you who have, I think you're wonderful!

Snapshot Saturday

"Undercover Brothers"

You gotta love those faces!  Silly glasses, butterfly band-aids, globs of glitter, and all!  Ahhh....my boys. They're a rough bunch, my little rascals.  But they have a sweet side that melts my heart to molasses.

Speaking of molasses and other sticky (and often slow) subjects, I know I've been missing from blogland lately, but life (i.e. the laundry pile) has been demanding a lot of my attention.  Much has been happening (other than the laundry) that I can't wait to share and will share very soon!  

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Don't forget to enter my giveaway below!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

tukula give away

picture of Melissa Terranova and the child she took in temporarily

Here is where my heart (the new heart--the one that God is breaking) has been taking me of late...

Uganda, Africa.

Where Melissa and Joe Terranova are following Jesus one day at a time, one step at a time.
Where they are not just letting God break their hearts for the people of Uganda, but they're committed to doing something about it.

I think what struck me the most about this couple I have never met, but have grown to love is the simple way they present their story.  In Melissa's own words,

"I get asked very often what I do and why I am in Uganda.   My answer to question number one is: I own a business.  My answer to question number two is: I'm following Jesus.   

I am not in Uganda because I own a social business that works with young tailors - I am in Uganda because Jesus called me to be a disciple and I said yes...then he called me to leave everything again and I said "I'll go" - reluctantly but I said it. THAT is why I am in Uganda."

They created a small business called tukula (translated it means "we grow") to help assist tailors in Uganda.

 My heart nods in agreement with their vision:

"...to bring real and tangible solutions to the world of poverty and aid through different means than just “hand outs” but rather “hand ups”.  We work to help those in vulnerable conditions by using entrepreneurial principles and innovative projects to achieve sustainability. 

Our current focus is meeting basic needs (water and sanitation) of those in rural village communities through the excess profit we receive from our tailoring business.

Our ultimate focus is to serve God and others with grace, love and peace."

Not only have Melissa and Joe walked away from everything near and dear to them here in the States, but they've committed themselves to walking beside their brothers and sisters in Uganda, to giving them a "hand up" with flesh on it.

I want to give you a bag from tukula.  Your choice.

All you have to do is visit tukula and leave me a comment telling me which bag you would like.  That's it.  I'll randomly draw the winner in two weeks.  


Send prayers their way and let's spread the word!  

my mombasa carry-all from tukula

-------------------------------------

Lately, God has been shaking me to my core.  I've been staring into starving eyes from the comfort of my computer screen and falling apart.  Something just isn't right with our "prosperity" mentality.  And it's not that money is the entire issue.  It's our love for it.  Our belief that somehow we deserve it.  How quickly we forget that Jesus asked for it all; that it never really belonged to us in the first place.

I'm reminded again of another season in my life where God performed heart surgery.  I was so distraught because I didn't know how we were going to help the few persecuted Christians my husband had met on his trip to Saudi Arabia.  I reached for His Word, desperate for a "this is the way, walk in it" command from Him.  "What do we do, Jesus?" I whispered, distraught over our meager bank account and the desire to give what I knew we couldn't afford.  The first words I read through a haze of tears were "Feed my sheep"  (John 21: 15-19) Jesus was asking Peter if he loved him and after Peter's quick assertion, Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."  And then he asked a second time.  And then a third.  God couldn't have spoken any louder.  His words cut me to my quick.

Joye, do you truly love me more than these?

Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

Feed my lambs.

Joye, do you truly love me?

Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

Take care of my sheep.

Joye, do you love me?

Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.

Feed my sheep.

Yes, Lord, I'll do it.  Every day show me hungry people.  Don't let me turn a blind eye.  Don't allow my heart to become hardened or overwhelmed or my vision too narrow.

juicy

We've been on a health kick lately.  I've been determined to pack more veggies and good enzymes into our diet, so we've been juicing everything but the kitchen sink.  Even our junk food lovin' daddy has jumped on the juicing band wagon.  The twins have always loved vegetables, so they didn't need much persuasion to drink the "green juice".  (our green juice concoction = spinach, cucumber, apple, pear, peach, blueberries, grapes, and lemon, a.k.a everything but the kitchen sink) Thaddeus, my picky little eater, was not that thrilled, however.  After a couple days of eating healthy, he decided he'd had enough.  

I walked into the kitchen to find this:

Bread pops.  

Pretty ingenious, I have to admit!

my dreamweaver

God is up to something.

Because my dreams are getting antsy.

They're beating at the door of my heart, demanding to be believed.

They've broken me for people I don't know, flowing tears from a bleeding heart.

Dreams to love hurts and feed souls.

Dreams to place hope in empty hands.

Dreams to follow Jesus anywhere...even here.

Dreams to see the impossible happen for just one person...for many.

Dreams to change this world...one ordinary day at a time....one orphan at a time...one young person at a time...one starving family at a time.

My dreams seem impossible to me.

And I could leave it at that.

I could ignore the dreams, the desire to see love become a movement, the yearning to become less so that God will become so much more.

I could accept complacency. 

I could accept that there will always be suffering.

I could tell myself that God really can't use me.  That the little I have to give won't matter.

And I have.  Many times.

But God used a little boy's lunch to feed four thousand people.

Maybe he can use me after all?

There's a phrase that keeps running through my head, dredging up faith.

God doesn't exist to make my dreams come true...I exist to make His come true.

God dreamed me into existence and He wove His dreams within me.

His love was the only motivation.

Love, like an arrow, must have a target.

And His love is aimed at the hearts of man.

I want to be a bow in His hands.

an afternoon tea

"T" is for:

Tea in the garden.

Under the trees.

Time melts by.

Truly scrumptiously.

a belated fourth post

America, America, God shed His Grace on Thee!

Our Founding Fathers once said:

"We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!"  -John Adams and John Hancock [April 18, 1775]

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” -Patrick Henry "Orator of the Revolution" [May 1765 Speech to the House of Burgesses]

“ It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.”  -George Washington

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever.” -Thomas Jefferson (excerpts are inscribed on the walls of the Jefferson Memorial in the nations capital) [Source: Merrill . D. Peterson, ed., Jefferson Writings, (New York: Literary Classics of the United States, Inc., 1984), Vol. IV, p. 289. From Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, 1781.]

this is forever

"looking forward to forever"

Joel and I on our engagement eight years ago

My honey and I celebrated seven years of marriage last weekend.  Life interrupted our anniversary plans and we ended up staying home sick with sick kids.  I made a grand attempt at a romantic meal of my husband's favorite pad thai.  It tasted like soggy wet rice noodles.  But he ate it and didn't say a word.  Wise man!  He's certainly learned a lot in seven years.  (smile)  I was the first one to mention how terrible it was and we shared a good laugh.  No use crying over wet noodles. We planned to watch a movie together after we put the kids to sleep, but Legend had other ideas and my poor man ended up falling asleep on the couch.  A couple years ago, I would have been hurt that he couldn't at least keep his eyes open for such an important day.  But four kids and seven years have taught me a lot about expectations! 

I have learned the one thing I can expect in life is that the unexpected really isn't so bad after all. 

So even though we didn't have a romantic rendezvous in tropical paradise, we enjoyed a day together at home with our favorite people.  I pulled out boxes of pictures and we reminisced about the day we met and how we've changed (or haven't).  We laughed at Joel's continuously evolving hairstyles and my tried and true.  We remembered how we fell in love... the sweet friendship...the love notes...the first date. 

And we were reminded that staying in love is just as beautiful as falling.

We fell in love, and because we've already fallen into it, it's not something we can fall out of.  We make a choice to stay, or we make the choice to climb out.  And sometimes we've climbed out before we ever realize we've taken the first step.  We may choose not to forgive...first step.   Or we can't overlook wrongs...second step.  We stop appreciating the little things...third step.  We lose respect...and we decide to walk the final steps away.  And we think the next time we fall in love it will be different.   But love doesn't change, we do.

And so often we change for the better when God's grace makes something beautiful out of our messy lives.  I can't withhold forgiveness when I've been given it so freely.  My baby forgave me for soggy wet rice noodles and I forgave him for falling asleep.  Such is the way of love.

Episode Seven:  The golden oldies

View last year's episode here.

red, white, and blueberry spritzer

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!
Hope you have a snap, pop, and crackin' good time!  We've been poppin' firecrackers since Thursday! 

And just in case you need something to wet your whistle this Independence Day, here is the recipe I promised:


Beth's Blueberry Spritzer

1 pint blueberries
1 bottle Italian lemon spritzer (or soda water)
Sprite
Fresh mint leaves

Directions:
Crush a handful of blueberries in the bottom of your glass and fill your cup halfway with Italian spritzer.  Pour in the same amount of sprite.  Add a few crushed mint leaves, stir, and enjoy!

five in the fast lane

Our Thaddeus turned five this week.  When did that happen?  I blinked and now he's a big kid.  It's been a whirlwind of five years!  Thaddeus wanted to have his birthday at his Mimi's house, so we decided to just invite family this time.  He talks incessantly about his imaginary green race car, so I knew I had to make a race car cake.  And baking is not my trade.  I was petrified.  Last year we had a pirate ship cake made for him that was nothing short of amazing.  I wasn't sure what he would think about this one, but he ended up loving it.  At least it was edible!  There were several moments in the process where I wasn't sure it would be!

We had a lovely time with our aunts and uncles and cousins of all ages.  I must say that I really love this family that I've married into.  They are some wonderful people.  It was a great party!

The chocolate race car

Mimi whipped up these homemade waffle cones

All our favorite ice cream toppings in a dozen jelly jars

Thaddeus blowing out his candles

Boston wearing his waffle cone

The pool party

Legend learning how to swim : )

Blueberry spritzer swirled together by the lovely Aunt Beth

  (post coming soon on how to make this classic summer drink)

The birthday boy breaking in his brand new radio flyer Big Wheel.