Break Open the Sky

Break Open the Sky in short, confidently calls out, in love, how our church has become complacent and afraid to be like Jesus in a world where the norm has become to serve yourself. Author Stephan Bauman hits the nail on the head when he talks of how our churches perform more for money and numbers these days, instead of out of love, charity, and kindness.  Bauman uses the teachings of Jesus to shed light on how we need to let go of fear and instead run to Him in trust and faith.

If you are looking for a book to light a fire under you and help you go from complacent to world changer, this may be a great read for you!

A Bleak Read

font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Upon reading the synopsis of The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan, I was excited to dive in, and read the rest. I was not aware, most likely to my own ignorance and lack of research, that this was a follow up of another book the author had written. So, when I opened to page one and began to read, I was a bit thrown off and found it hard to get into the book. While the book was pretty well written, I just wasn't able to really immerse myself into any of it. I didn't really relate with any of the characters, and I didnt really want to imagine myself in the world that they were in. Oh, and I wasn't a big fan of the constant profanity used.

font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I found this book to be a dud for me. It was difficult to finish. I will say that it was refreshing in that the author captured some of what might actually happen in a huge worldwide crisis like this: It wasn't all about the main characters saving the world in one fell swoop after tragedy has hit, but instead focused on what a day in, day out life would look like when tragedy strikes.

font-family: "brandon text" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I wouldn't recommend this book to my friends. Mostly because the profanity just isn't really necessary in my world. It really takes away from the story and the plot. But that's just my opinion. To each their own.

I received this book from Blogging For Books for free in return for reading it in full and posting a review.

Full Disclosure: Saying Goodbye to Social Media

Hello.

I would like to take a moment to share with you a bit about my present situation, so that you are fully informed before I take a hiatus from social media for an unknown amount of time.

The past couple of years have been very rough. It has been full of ups and downs, to be sure (with most of them very dramatic -- not many gradual inclines or declines). I guess I could say it started about the time that Koen was born -- we decided to give away almost all of our physical possessions and travel the country. From there, we decided to move to California into a position that while we thought was right for us, it was totally wrong. While we have found great and real friends here that care for us and love us (high point!), we have also seen great struggle with financial, work, relational, physical, and spiritual related things (low points). In short, every aspect of our lives has been attacked at one point while we've been in California.

In the past 2 years, I have given birth, traveled the country with two kids, moved across the country away from my family and friends, started working full time after being a stay-at-home mother for 4 years, found out my dad has cancer, lost my job (due to me going home to MI), got a new job (definitely a high! Its the job I've always wanted!), and I have struggled to keep my marriage alive. Oh, and I have also been trying to find the confident and outgoing person that I am on the outside, on the inside.

The first time I realized I was struggling with a bout of deep depression was when I had no desire to get out of my bed and be Mom to my loving children. I had no fight in me. I was embarrassed, but not enough to do anything about it. It went on for days. All I could see was the darkness surrounding me, and I only did things when I had to, which means I pretty much went to work and that was it. I knew that I had something to live for, but I had no will to live. I hated myself, and everything I did just made me hate myself more. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from.

I finally got motivated enough to seek help, and came out of the depression little by little. And things were getting better. And then I started praying and seeking God even harder, and things got great. And then my dad got diagnosed with cancer. And things came crashing down again. We went home. It was hard. We came back. I found out my boss hired someone for my position without telling anybody about her decision. I got hired for a new position (with more responsibility, pressure, and time away from home). The darkness found me yet again in a vulnerable place in life. I had stopped praying. I had stopped seeking.

Full Disclosure: That's where I'm at. Right now, in this moment. I am still on the fringes of the darkness, and it is all too real. Every day I have to push myself to get out of bed, and to actually try, not even for myself, because I find myself not worth the effort. But my kids are worth the effort. Today, I find myself at my heaviest: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Today, I write this to be real with you. Because life isn't perfect. Because people struggle. And I'm struggling more than I've ever struggled before. But I wanted to share it with you. Because today will be my last day on social media for a while. It tends to consume me when I am in a bout of deep depression, and it helps to feed the lies that already play in my mind. I am going to focus on getting healthy; on dealing with the demons in my life; on being the person that I want my children to look up to.

If you need to contact me, I am available through text and email. You can message Josh if you need my phone number or email address.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know that right now, I am at my all time low, but there is a small glimmer of hope. I will be seeking professional help and also trying to seek God.

It is the high points that are kindling a hope that I would someday (soon) like to have back: My beautiful kids, my job and new work family, my residents... I see the way God has provided and continues to provide. I pray that someday (soon) I remember what it is like to allow myself to be loved the way the Father loves me.

[I will probably post photos of the kids from time to time, for the sake of the family.]

Meet the New You: Book Review

Change is hard. It comes with trial and exhaustion, laughter and tears. Elisa Pulliam helps us with the change that us women always strive for, but sometimes need help with. In her book, "Meet the New You", she lays out a plan to help us work through all of the feeling and emotion that change usually bring. The plan, consisting of 5 phases and 21 days, walks the reader prayerfully and scripturally through each day.

This book was very helpful and very insightful. It teaches the value of loving Christ first, and loving ourselves because we are Christ's. Pulliam does a great job relating with the readers and guiding them through the difficulties change often brings.

If you are interested in more about the author, or to buy the book, click here

I received a copy of this book for free from bloggingforbooks.com

Post 21 Day Cleanse & A Healthier Lifestyle

As many of you know, I just finished a 21 day cleanse with a friend. For this first 10 days, we could only eat fruits and veggies. On day 11, we could add chicken and deep sea fish, and pseudo grains. It was probably one of the hardest things I've done, health wise... But it was a SUPER awesome experience (and I never would have been able to push through it without the support of my beautiful and amazing friend, Annie! Josh helped too).  I wanted to do the cleanse for many reasons, a few  of them being to cleanse my body of toxins that I have fed it, to lose weight, and to get a jump start on eating healthy.

The great news is that I have been able to accomplish all of those things, and I really feel much better than I did before. During the cleanse, I lost about 8 lbs, and I lost three prior to that, putting my total so far at 11 lbs down. I am super excited about this, because I have struggled for so long to really lose weight. The best part, though, is the physical changes I can see in my body.

On day 11, I also added a workout routine into the mix -- You've probably seen my hashtags about it-- the BBG (Bikini Body Guide)* workouts by Kayla Itsines. I have been taking progress photos** in the beginning of each week, and in just three short weeks, my body is so different! It really motivates me to keep going and to keep pushing myself.

Annie and I decided to do the cleanse so that we were done by Easter and could eat the delicious ham that she made for our Easter feast. And we did! It is amazing to me, however, the way my body reacts to the things I put into it now. On Saturday, the day before Easter, I decided to eat a McChicken sandwich from McDonald's. (Eating fast food just 2 days after a cleanse = bad idea). It was literally like poison to my body. Early Easter morning, around 5am, I woke up and ran to the bathroom. My body was trying to get rid of the poison any way possible. I was in so much pain, doubled over from what felt like a fire in my belly. (I would rate the pain I was feeling as similar to the pain I felt giving birth to Aurelia. Koen's labor a little worse, only because I had hip issues in labor. So, all you Mama's out there understand a little of what I was feeling while I was sitting doubled over on the toilet.)  I actually ended up passing out on the toilet.... That's nuts! My body was in such a state of shock and it was fighting so hard, that it shut down completely!

I am still recovering from that little episode I had Easter morning, and my stomach is very sensitive and cautious. I have to eat slowly and mild right now, or else it gets angry with me... I was completely surprised that my body reacted the way it did... I mean, I read that we needed to slowly add things back into our diets, but I guess I didn't really take it seriously. I definitely learned my lesson!

The great news, is that I am actually on my way to a healthier me. For the first time in a quite a while, I am seeing progress in not only my physical state, but my mental state as well. It has been really encouraging.

*Though a lot of girls dream to look nice in a bikini, I just want to feel good in my own skin!
**I would post the progress photos, but I am not really ready to do that yet, and I don't usually make a habit of showing my skin on the internet.

Green Smoothies

As many of you know, I have just recently finished a 21 day cleanse here, and while it was pretty difficult, I really enjoyed it -- I feel much better now, and it helped jump start my healthy diet. Fern Green's Green Smoothies book was a great resource for the cleanse. I enjoyed the smoothie recipes, and how easy the book made it to make them. I also enjoyed the color photos of all the ingredients -- it is a very aesthetically pleasing recipe book.

I can't say that the book made me a bigger fan of green smoothies.. I do, in fact, have to choke them down most of the time, still. But it did open my horizons to trying new and different smoothie ideas. If you enjoy green smoothies, or juices, I would recommend this book. 

I received this book for free from bloggingforbooks.com. 

Mother of 3...

Nope. I'm not pregnant. And I don't plan on getting pregnant any time soon. As much as I think I am ready to have baby #3, Josh is just not quite there yet! But, I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity, and its one that I have struggled with until just recently.

You see, there's this neighbor boy. He is 9 years old, and he was always hanging around playing with the boys who live below us, and the girl who lives next to us. He lives across the street, and would squeeze his skinny little body through the gate of our complex to come hang out with his friends (instead of going around to the walk in gate). Eventually, he started knocking on the door asking if Aurelia could play.

The thing I noticed was just how polite he was. When someone in the complex got home and had groceries, he would stop what he was playing and help them carry their stuff to their apartment. He always said please and thank you, and when one of the neighbor kids would argue with my decision about something, he would tell them that we need to respect said decision. So, as time passed, Nico started hanging around more and more. He kind of took on the role of big brother to Aurelia when older kids were around, as well as when they were playing inside. And Koen absolutely adored him.

The thing with Nico is that he just never went away. He started showing up more and more. He started coming over right after school and staying until bedtime. He was going to church with us. He was eating dinner with us. He was always. Around. So, I had a choice to make.

I had always talked about wanting our home to be a safe place for people to come. A place where they can feel at home. A welcoming place. I believe that God gave us this place, and its His to use as He pleases. It became clear to me that He wanted this to be a safe and comfortable place for Nico, but I had a selfish attitude -- I was having a difficult time with Nico always being around. Mostly, I was having a hard time changing my attitude and outlook on something that is probably way bigger than myself.

By allowing Nico to be over at our house, I am giving his mother sanctity in knowing he is safe*. I am giving Aurelia and Koen playful interaction. I am giving Nico the same thing. Josh is giving Nico a positive example of a male role model, which Nico does not have in his life. The only person I was thinking of was myself. I wanted to focus on my family, but wasn't realizing that the whole time, Nico just wanted a solid foundation to call family.

Now, I do know that I enjoy and even function better sometimes with a wind down period. I have just learned to mentally reschedule when that time is, and rethink what it looks like. My gears needed to be shifted, and now I feel like I can see a little into what God sees -- God has big plans, and I am but a small part of it. I don't want to spend my life being selfish and living for me. I want my door to be open for people to come and call this place home. I want the neighbor kids to know that God loves them, and that starts by showing them God's love in our home.

So, with that being said, I have become a mother of 3 (for now, anyway), and I am learning to love the challenges it presents, the joy and laughter it brings, and the ways in which I am able to share God's love in every moment with not 2, but 3 amazing kids.

*Please note that Nico has a mother who loves him dearly, but does not have a father figure in the picture. He also lives with his 18 year old brother who does not treat him well, and his 12 year old sister. Most days, his mom is working, or trying to keep up with a household as a single mother. They don't own a car, and she has been having some health issues, which she is also trying to get taken care of. Knowing that Nico has a place to go that isn't always at home with his brother eases her mind. We talk often, and she is a really nice lady.

Today, we went to the park, because according to the weather, we are supposed to have rain for the next five days (I'll believe it when I see it).

My beautiful kids. I dont know why they looked so unhappy. They were having a blast. 

I don't want my selfish desires and/or ambitions to get in the way of the opportunities God has for me. I wanted my home to be a sanctuary for others, but when it came down to it actually being that, I was challenged. I wrestled, and finally gave in to what God was calling me to do. It is amazing what it is like to let God lead, and I see it time and time again. When He is in control, lives are changed, and God is glorified.

When God is calling you to something, don't look away. Instead, even if it is challenging, accept the calling. He is there with you through it all, and You will be resting in His peace. Let's learn to love one another before we love ourselves, because only by loving other will we truly begin to love us.

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.…

1 Peter 4:8-10

Instant Happiness?

I'll admit, when I got this new journal to review, I didn't completely agree with it from the time I clicked "review this book". I mean, something called the "Instant Happy Journal" sounded to me like a quick fix to trying to find the true joy in life. While I believe that the key to true joy and happiness is knowing Christ, I think that this book would suffice as a fine aid in daily reminding the reader to be inspired and to always be thankful.

This journal is a 365 day journal that encourages inspiration, gratitude, and joy. Some pages prompt you to write about something going on in your day, whether it be something that made you laugh, made you cry, or made you yell. Other pages quote an encouraging saying or a philosophical thought on the top. Still others have information from research studies about happiness. It is very colorful, and every page has space to write.

I decided to review this book because I enjoy positive quotes and I also enjoy journaling. For my personal use, I found that this journal did not have enough space to write, and I am also more motivated by Scripture, not science. So, while I enjoyed some of the things that each page said, others I found to be irrelevant or un-motivational.

I think that while I find this journal to be bright and fun, I wouldn't buy it for myself, or for my friends, because I want them to first find happiness in Christ.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for free, to review.

For more information or to check out the book for yourself, click here.

The Importance of Community

The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind of emotion -  our family has experienced joy, sadness, frustration, and even some fear.  But most of all,  we've experienced an un- ending shower of love.

Anyone who has worked in ministry, served in a ministry,  or started a ministry understands that it can be a glorious and difficult experience.  You have people with lots of ideas and good intentions coming together for the greater good.  When our own agendas get in the way,  and we forget to continually and in every moment ask for God's guidance,  things can get a bit hairy.

Sometimes,  the focus gets shifted onto what ourselves and the world can bring to the table instead of what God tells us to bring.  As humans,  it is our natural instinct. But with continual prayer and with the word of God in us,  his will is done.

Last week was Josh's last week as worship leader at the Edge. We have pretty strong convictions,  and many things that were happening at the church,  we felt,  were not appropriate. We did a lot of praying and self reflection,  and decided that we had to bring these concerns up to the senior pastor.  After many weeks of talking and discussing things with him,  we (the pastor and ourselves) decided that we would be done the first week of February. This week,  after some exchanged feelings,  the pastor decided to let us go.  This happened suddenly, yesterday afternoon.

To be honest,  it left me feeling hurt and a little frustrated (mostly with the way things were dealt with. .. I like to finish what I start,  and just have closure). Our phones were disconnected, and the pastor angrily approached my husband about everything in an intersection in their vehicles. But I know that God is good,  and that even though I felt like we were just pushed out of a life boat into the middle of the ocean with no paddle, My God is a faithful God, and He would provide.

And boy, did He ever.

Yesterday, we were essentially cut off from our church.  BUT:

Yesterday,  I got a full time job that pays more and I will be doing what I love.

 Yesterday,  friends rallied around us to show us love in a time of hurt and confusion... one family let the kids and I stay with them while Josh moved our stiff from the church.  They made us dinner and gave us some storage space.  They added a phone line to their plan so that we had a way to contact people (and gave us a phone to use).

Yesterday,  we were approved for low cost Internet at our home and got everything set up for it.

Yesterday,  some friends heard some news about us being done,  and hadn't heard from us all day, so they stopped by to check on us.

I have been completely overwhelmed by the love from our friends that we have made since being here.  Even today,  sine other friends stopped  by to bring us ice cream and chat.

Then I realized - community.  Its been the word we've used from the beginning. This is what life is about.  Coming together to live each other and help each other and just do.  Life. Together.  I feel so alive,  not because of the size of my house or the things that I own,  or the money I make.  Its because my friends,  the people that I surround myself with,  they love me. They build me up in Christ. We laugh,  we cry,  we talk about God. We do life together.

The pastor apologized for his reaction, and things were left in ok standings. My prayer is that time will heal the wounds that have been made, in all parties involved.  I know that he is still working,  and he is in complete control.  I know that none of us are perfect,  and we all make mistakes.  I know that we maybe didn't always approach issues with grace or tact. But I know that God is working in all of our lives,  and he uses all things for our good.

My God is an awesome God. He has extended grace and mercy to us in a time when we need it most.  He has provided in every way possible,  and He has shown us over and over again what it means to love through the means of our families, and our friends who have become like family.


No greater love has man than this,  to lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

#RedSandProject

Recently I was a guest blogger for the averageadvocate.com. I wrote about the #RedSandProject -- what it is, why I took part, and whether or not you should. As I've never been a guest blogger on a blog before, and because I think that the Average Advocate is a great blog, I think you should check it out!

Doodletopia

One thing I enjoy about blogging is being able to review books, especially when I am able to review books like "doodletopia cartoons" by Christopher Hart. I have never been much of an artist, but I always love to try. I enjoy reading, but sometimes I just need a fun book to review, and this one caught my eye. I love the way that I am able to doodle right in the book. The book includes many different chapters such as a 'finish the drawing' chapter, a chapter focused on facial expressions, funny couples, and cartoon animals. The book is super colorful, with lots of helpful hints and space to try different doodles. 

The book is very colorful and catches your eye, and is very fun and low key throughout. Hart gives great hints and ideas. I also love that he adds a chapter on cartoon calligraphy. I like that Hart has a good balance of instruction, examples, and free space to let your imagination flow. I am not much of an artist, but I enjoy that I am able to draw the cartoons that Hart has drawn, as well as try my own things right in the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn how to draw cartoons as well as anyone just looking for a fun doodling book.

I received a copy of this book for free from blooggingforbooks.com

Check out more about this book here.

'Tis the Season for New Years Resolutions

These past few days have been a whirlwind of activity, all reminding of how good God is, and why we weren't meant to do this life alone. I've also been thinking about New Year's Resolutions (only 26 days left until the new year...)

On Friday, a couple of our friends had a very small get together for Koen's first birthday. It was at this amazing play place (think McDonald's on steroids) and the kids absolutely loved it. 

Friday night, we walked around downtown at the city's Christmas tree lighting -- they had jump houses, craft tables, Anna, Elsa and Kristof were there, and a lot of music. Today, we sat down for some family time and did an edible craft, Christmas trees made with sugar cones and candies for decorations! It was a lot of fun (and delicious).

While we were decorating our edible trees, I asked Aurelia if we should hang up our stockings today, and we were figuring out where to do it. While I was a bit bummed that we didn't have a tree to put up yet, I was going to build up hanging our stockings, because I know that she really enjoys decorating. And then, someone knocks on our door. I thought it was probably a neighborhood kid wondering if Aurelia could play (because thats usually who it is 95% of the time). When Josh answered the door, however, it was our friends, Rachel, and TJ, with a Christmas tree for us. They also brought lights and bulbs! Oh, and it was a live Christmas tree :D 

Along with that, its the help that we've had from people at church with our marriage, its the knowing that people care and are here to support us and love us, even though we aren't perfect people, that I have really been feeling. This might be the first time in our marriage where we have really felt like we have people in our lives who we consider ourselves close to... Its not that we haven't had community in the past, we have. But we feel like we fit in here. I love that. I love having community. I love really getting to know the people in our small group and doing life with them. 

We weren't meant to do life alone. Friends have done so much for us. Their love reminds me of Jesus -- He loved people. He saw a need, and He helped. What if we took our love for our friends one step further, and loved the widows and the orphans? What if we loved the homeless the way our friends love us? 

Thats why my New Year's Resolution is a bit more in depth this year. Honestly, I don't ever really have anything I set in stone to accomplish. This year, we have made many great memories fitting our life into a minivan, going out across the country, trying to go where God called us. We've also been in situations that tested our faith, and tested our patience. In the end, God has blessed us far more than we deserve, and people have loved us and helped us even though they didn't have to. 

Next year, I want to give back. I want to love back. I want to show my kids what it means to truly love like Jesus, and show them that they can love that way to. I want our family to be so in tune with Christ that He is whom people see, not us. I want to bring my faith to life and not run away from the hard questions, but speak truth in love. I want to love people. 

What are your New Year's Resolutions? What are your blessings? 

Sorry this is kind of choppy... I was trying to multitask (generally a bad idea when I'm trying to write a blog.)

God Bless!

Blessings In A Difficult Season

color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;"> Happy Thanksgiving! Its a bit late, but it is still a good thing to think about. I have been reminded over and over again about all the blessings in my life. You see, in all honesty, things are tight. Moving across the country doesn't come easily. It is probably in the top ten on my 'hardest things I've ever done' list. With that said, it is probably the very first item on my 'Best choices I've ever made' list ( I don't actually have lists like that. They just fit well with what I was writing. But maybe I should make lists like these...)

Where was I? Oh yes.

This journey has had its challenges. A few of them have been being away from our loved ones, financial stress (everything really is more expensive in California!), figuring out things like health insurance and preschool, and also time management. As the icing on the cake, all of these have caused quite a bit of strain in our marriage and our motivation.

But, here's the best part: I see God in all of these (not always in the moment of stress, but when I reflect on the moment later, He is ALWAYS there). These struggles have, first and foremost, pushed us to a point in our marriage where we HAD to seek help. And God had someone lined up who is meeting with us weekly and guiding us with a biblical outlook on what a Godly marriage should look like.

You see, in every difficult situation, God is there saying, "Trust me. I am here for You. I love you." He has brought us here, and He isn't about to forsake us now. I haven't had to go grocery shopping in a while because of the food pantry that our church puts on. We don't have a Christmas tree or lights this year, but someone had an extra tree that they are letting us borrow. People from the church helped to furnish our entire home, including a crib and a bed for us. Aurelia is in preschool and loving it (and it doesn't cost anything for us).

God is with us. And we have had to rely on Him to be there for us, because we can't do it on our own. This is a hard season of life right now, but God never called us to an easy life. God is working in and through the church we go to. I get to see not only the congregation grow but also the leaders. We are being shaped into what He wants us to be, and it is something worth fighting for.

My blessings don't look like success to the world. And I think I am thankful for that. Yes, sometimes I forget about what we have, and think I want something different, but then I truly take a moment to look around at what is surrounding me - a God who is Love, friends that help me and love me for who I am, a husband who hasn't given up on our marriage (even when I have quit trying), beautiful, happy children - and I know that I have all that we need. Because God is taking care of us.

That's where my help comes from. That's where my peace comes from. That's where my joy comes from. I want to always turn my eyes to the one who created me.

This Christmas, I am thankful for all the ways that God is working in my life, and I am remembering who He is.

May Peace be with you all!

Let's Love Like Jesus

As humans, I think that it is a very difficult thing to love like Jesus loved. Jesus loves selflessly, and humans are naturally selfish. Jesus loves to serve people, and humans are naturally greedy. Jesus loves unconditionally and humans are conditional. We were born with the natural ability to love ourselves first. That's why grace and mercy are so important. God has so much of both of these. Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. Mercy is compassion and forgiveness shown to someone whom it is in ones power to harm or punish. Both of these definitions make me stop and really try to fathom the beautiful God we serve. Mercy, however, is something that I just can't wrap my mind around.

God has mercy for us. He knows what selfish, greedy people we are, and yet he has compassion for us. He forgives us. Why? Because He is a loving God. And because of His grace and His mercy, we are able to love others in the same ways that He loves us. We love because God loves us. We extend mercy because we have been given mercy (that none of us deserve).

So why does the Christian world have such a hard time loving certain people? For instance, the LGBT community. Whether we consider ourselves a part of it or not, the Christian faith has had a bad name with the LGBT community. They tend to be cold and hateful toward Christians because many Christians have been cold and hateful toward them. As Caleb Kaltenbach explains in his book, Messy Grace, Christians and the LGBT community have a lot in common. They just dont realize it because they are too busy hating each
other.

Kaltenbach's book is a book written for Christians and the LGBT community alike. It is a call to love others like Jesus loves us. As a pastor with gay parents, Kaltenbach has had experience in both worlds, and this book talks of how he has learned to love without sacrificing his convictions. It is truly a book that should be read by all people, especially Christians. Its time for us to get in the Word, see what the Bible really says, and stop hating people because they make you uncomfortable. Let's love like Jesus loves.

I received this book free from bloggingforbooks.com.

To learn more about this book or the author (which I highly recommend you do), click here.

All in God's Time

As much as I try to make this entry sound sophisticated and well written, I just can't contain my excitement enough to do so. You see, today, Josh has secured us a place of our own. After three and a half months, after sleeping in our van, in hotels, and on the floor of other peoples' homes, we finally will have a place to call ours. 

Don't get me wrong -- the adventure that we have been on has been an amazing one! God called us to go, and we obeyed. Because of that, we got to experience some things that we never would have been able to experience. I learned a lot about myself, and became closer with my family. And, because we decided to be obedient, we were led to this wonderful church family who has taken us in and loved us like one of their own.

I will admit, it was a stressful time looking for an apartment. It was difficult because most of the places want proof of at least a years worth of income, and we obviously don't have that. There was also the fact that Fairfield is much larger than Mt. Pleasant, making the application process more of a competition of sorts. 

And of course, our budget for rent limits us on where we can live... California living is much more expensive than Michigan living! Because of this, we have been doing a lot of prayer, asking God to lead us to the best place for us. We know that wherever we end up, we will be right where God wants us, and He will keep us safe. We will definitely not be in the rich areas of the city, but we won't be living in the ghetto, either. I know that God is pushing me out of my comfort zone daily, and this will be a way of pushing us to love the people around us (and probably learn Spanish as well... most of our neighbors are Spanish speaking, I believe) no matter what, and to be a light n the darkness. 

All this to say that we are SUPER excited to start this next chapter of our lives -- it will be challenging yet rewarding, because we know that we are following God to the best of our ability, and God will shine. His people will hear of Him, and that is something to be excited about :D

This is My Body

Health is all the rage right now, with our society getting more and more unhealthy. I see it all over my news  font-family: 'Brandon Text', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">feed: Invitations to become an independent product salesperson for all types of health lines that are popping up all across the nation. I find myself getting annoyed by the constant barrage of invitations, but I will admit that I do enjoy a good success story. I find it motivating and helpful in my own journey toward becoming as healthy as I can be.

Ragan Sutterfield's story is one of those inspiring stories. He was unhealthy and uncomfortable in his own body, so he decided to do something about it. He started eating right and exercising, and found his niche in running. He has run crazy long races -- 50K's! -- and also competed in the infamous Iron Man competition. In his book, he talks about how he started the journey to health, and also talks about the training process for the Iron Man. Throughout the book, he talks of the why of why we should be getting fit... His reasoning is to be the best we can be for Christ.

I will admit, he has put much thought into this idea. He goes into detail on things that I have never truly thought about, and really had me pondering my reasons on why I want to get healthy. It was a pretty good read, and I think that deep thinkers would really enjoy sinking their teeth into the ideas that Sutterfield puts forth.

I received this book for free from bloggingforbooks.com

You can learn more about the author and where to buy his book here

The Ups and Downs of Social Media

Whether we like it or not, social media is part of this new generation and society we live in. It exploded into being with websites like Classmates.com and sixdegrees.com, but got really popular with sites like Linkedn, Friendster, Myspace, and of course, Facebook. The goal with these sites was always the same: Get connected with people. That's what its always been about, whether its about reconnecting with people you once knew, or meeting entirely new people. 

These days (with Facebook being the queen of all social media), while the goal is still to be 'connected', it seems to do just the opposite. We see people on their phones, tablets, or computers just about anywhere: waiting in the doctor's office, in line at the grocery store, in church... everywhere. It can be so easy to get pulled into the online community where many people post all the good things about their lives (leading us to start hating our life or wishing it was more like what we see). We can spend all of our time on social media and miss the everyday things happening around us. Or, we can spend all of our time trying to take the 'perfect' picture to post to social media that we are completely missing the moment to cherish forever. 

I've definitely done my fair share of  'Facebook Bashing', mainly because I feel convicted about the time I spend on the site. These days, however, while I still need to make sure to live in the moment and not spend all of my extra time on it, I have come to be thankful for Facebook, and use it for the true reason it was created: to stay connected.

Living 2400 miles away from our family and friends has proven to be no easy task, and it has only been about two weeks since we have officially moved. Facebook helps us to be a part of their everyday lives and for them to be a part of ours. I love that! 

I also love the accountability Facebook can give me. I don't put up post-run photos of my nasty sweaty self because I think it looks nice, or because I want people to feel bad about themselves: I post them because by posting them, it holds me accountable. When I don't post them, my runner friends can go, "um, where is your nasty sweaty running shot? Go get your run in!" Or they can motivate me if I had a particularly rough workout. If anything, I am going to be able to look back at all of my nasty sweaty pictures of myself and know that I am making a change for the better in my life. 

I guess I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I will keep posting photos of my family, though, and not feel like I am OVER posting.. Because after all, if you are my friend on Facebook, I am assuming you are interested in what is going on with my life :) 

**I apologize if this is scattered and not well put together... I am trying to write it while feeding children and answering the daily 100,000 questions that my four year old asks :)

The last week, and The Edge Community Church

This week has been pretty good. (I say week, but I don't even really have a concept of when our week starts or ends, or even what day it is...!) Since I last posted, we have been quite a few places. We have pretty much been all over CA... south, north, and central. From LA, we went down to visit Josh's
cousin, Ian, and his girlfriend Callie in San Diego.

We really enjoyed San Diego, and really would love to call that home. We were also able to spend the afternoon and evening with the Johnston​ family, who made us dinner, and spoiled me with some delicious iced coffee :D Josh heard from a church in Fairfield, CA while we were in San Diego, and the pastor was interested in meeting with him. So, we left San Diego, stopped back at the Sanford's home just to sleep, and then left early in the morning to make the six hour trip up to Fairfield.

We met with the pastor and his wife, and they generously put us up in a hotel for the night. Basically, the church is a newer church of about 120-150 people that is in need of a worship team/leader. After meeting with the pastor and also sitting in on a worship practice, Josh and I saw the need but also didn't feel like it would be a good fit for our family long term. After praying about it, we felt like Josh has a lot that he could offer the church, and decided to offer to stay for a trial period, or a time that we could help build the worship team/program up (because we have three weeks before we need to be back in MI..) From there, if progress was being made, we could come back in September.
We decided that if the pastor liked the idea (and could find us housing for three weeks) and wanted to do it, then God was moving this forward. If the pastor didn't, we would move on and that would be the end of it. Well, the pastor liked the idea, and found us housing for three weeks. and this is where we will be until we leave to come back to MI in August. It is an interesting set up. but I am excited to see what God will do with us here. I know that Josh has a lot of knowledge and experience to help grow their program, and is great at leading and teaching music, so he will be used in some awesome ways.

We also ended up going to Redding for a couple of nights, and camped at a place called Whiskeytown Lake. We got to hang out with Derek Collard and do laundry in a super retro laundromat. Oh, and we did get to meet some people from Derek's church, The Stirring... they were pretty awesome and pretty hipster :)

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us throughout this trip... A few specific prayer requests: Josh's throat/vocal chords have been rough  for a few weeks, from when he caught a cold. They are still trying to heal, so I ask for prayer for healing on his vocal chords, so that God can use him effectively. Also, prayer for our kids: they have been doing a really great job and seem to love our adventures (Aurelia was telling a lady about them at the laundromat!) but I know that it is a lot to not have a schedule. Please pray that they continue to do well, and continue to get rest.
Tomorrow we meet the congregation of the church (It is called The Edge Community Church). Prayers for that too! Thank you so much again, and know that all of you are in my prayers everyday :)

Week One -- The Thumb of Michigan

I would be lying if I said that the start to this grand adventure that God is taking us on started out smoothly. Our plans were to leave on a Thursday afternoon, and by God’s grace we did, but not without our fair share of obstacles to overcome that morning. First of all, we thought we were a lot closer to getting rid of/sorting out all of our stuff, but the stuff just never seemed to end! We spent the morning packing the van (which is stressful in itself to try to fit your life and the life of your family into a minivan!) and organizing/getting rid of the rest of our stuff. I guess it was just a high stress time, and to top it off, Aurelia gave us a pretty good scare when she lost control of the little four wheeler that she was riding on, started to go down a pretty good sized hill, and rode straight into a tree. Thankfully, and with God’s hand on her, she didn’t hit her head hard enough to have a concussion -- just a fairly large goose egg and some bruising and scratches.

That was our morning -- the morning of the day that we had been waiting for; the day of our grand adventure. That is not at all how I had pictured it in my head. I thought I was going to be very excited to get in the car for the first time as we took off for our first destination, with the kids singing and happy and Josh and I excited and on the same page. In reality, by the time we got into the car, it was the last place I wanted to be. The kids were tired and fussy, I was irritable, and Josh and I were at odds from all the stress and craziness leading up to that moment.

Whew. Now, I don’t want you to think that I am just going to whine about all the negative things that happen on this trip. My goal is to tell you the positive things that God shows us, and the ways that we get to see God moving. I just had to tell you this so that you know that even though we have, by faith, given up everything to go where God is calling us to go, there are still hardships. But I believe that God uses these hardships to bring us even closer to Him and to rely on Him more still. This is still hard for me – I try to fix things all on my own instead of looking to Christ to be my rock and my foundation. When we look to Christ in not just the big decisions, but even the little decisions we face on a daily basis, our relationship with Christ will grow.

Okay, so we finally made it to the Beutlers’ home, and we were so thankful that we did! We have been able to bless them by doing some odd cleaning jobs around their home that they haven’t been able to do because of time restraints or other things. (To learn more about the Beutlers and how they live out their faith daily, you can tune in to my newest blog, Everyday God, coming soon!) We have been able to wash windows, clean out their pool and get it ready for the summer, and mow their lawn.

The lawn mower was especially fun to use, and it was the first time either Josh or I had used a zero turn mower. And Aurelia really enjoyed helping clean off the blinds (although it seemed like we ended up getting sprayed more than the blinds did…)

Beyond cleaning and helping out our friends here, it has been really great to just talk and catch up. We’ve been able to hang out with our friend/sister Jody as well (if you watch the video Aurelia talks about our trip, it is the same Jody that she refers to two times!)

We were also able to go to the youth group of a church near Caro and play some live music and just hang out with the teens. God is always working, and we are able to see Him in the everyday things by putting aside our schedule and helping others. We are planning on being her until Thursday, and then we will be headed to the Chicago area. Thank you for your payers and support. God is good!

Let the Adventures Begin...

This last week has consisted of organizing, packing, and more organizing. I am not even sure how we came to acquire so much stuff in the last six years! (And most of it was probably within the last four years, since we have become parents...) This past week has been very tiring, going through stuff and putting them in piles only to go through them again to make them smaller piles. At that point, we put them into a tote and then sorted them one more time before packing it into the van to make sure it was all something we might use on the road... WHEW!

It has been some hard work, but we have finally gotten the van packed with pretty much everything we own. I knew when we heard God calling us to this adventure that I would learn many valuable lessons from it, but I didn't know it would start so soon. We haven't even hit the road yet, and God has me learning that my possessions -- the things that I thought I had to have -- are just that... things. Aside from a few totes of memorabilia from my childhood or pictures that Aurelia has made for us, everything is replaceable. We know that God is a God of provision, among many other things, and so we have decided to take a giant leap of faith and let Him provide for us by giving away all of our earthly belongings that we don't need on our trip.* It has been challenging, but now that we have finished the task at hand and have just what we are planning on taking with us, I can already feel my faith being restored. The verses of Matthew 6:19-21 came to mind often in our sorting: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth nor rust destroys, and thieves do not break in and steal; For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Tomorrow, we set off to see our friends in the thumb of Michigan, and we hope to reconnect with old friends as well as make some new friends to love, serve, and encourage. If you know of a place that needs some extra hands for a project, some good music, or someone who just needs some encouragement, please let us know -- we would love to add them to our list of places to go!

Thank you for your prayers and support as we make this decision to throw off everything that entangles us and follow Christ. We love you all and would not be able to do this without you!

Pictures to come of our new 'home' all packed and ready to go!

*The only thing that we have in storage right now is a few totes of keepsake items and a few large musical instruments that we are thinking of possibly selling...