Well, its official: Josh and I are in a band called The Following (at least, we think thats what we are going to be called). Here's the back story.
So, Josh and I (but especially Josh) has always wanted to be in a band. In Painesville, he got that opportunity when he joined Broken Buildings, as their bass player and got to do some acoustic gigs with them as well as their debut concert. When we moved back to Michigan, we realized that that was one of the main things we missed (I loved to go to the concerts and hang out with the band and their groupies!). Now, we both have the opportunity to be in a band with some talented teens, and we are also going to try to make the cut to play at the Big Ticket Festival this year!
We usually play on Wednesday nights for youth group, and I have been learning drumset. At first, I just played for Josh because the teen who usually played is in basketball, and cant make it right now. But I have been actually starting to enjoy it, and am getting better every time I play! One of the teens said it would be awesome to play on the Indie stage at Big Ticket Festival, so Josh looked up what we needed to do to make it happen. This is all we have to do: Get together a promo kit and send it in. By MARCH 1st!!! (Promo kit includes: song samples, band photo and info, and possibly some reviews). At first we thought that this would never happen because we would have to not only come up with songs, but also record them and send them in somehow! But, God is good, and Josh wrote a sweet song that we put to music today. With that, and another original plus one sweet cover, I think we will actually have it all ready to send in by March 1.
So, you should pray for us, and if we do get chosen to play, come see us!!!! It will be so crazy and awesome if we get in, and really, all God.
PS: We were thinking that if we sent the music to one Matt Moore, he could give it a listen, and if he liked it, he could give us some sweet praise :) (But only if you like it!)
We realize that this was a crazy idea that came on really fast, especially since none of us have ever really performed for an audience ( I think all of us have been on stage, for worship, but thats a lot different then performing!). We just figured that we only live once, and the worst thing that will happen is they reject us. We will never know if we dont try!!
I will let you know if we make it when we find out, so stay tuned!!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Joy Revisited
While times have been pretty rough in the Hill household lately (sickness, stress, long days, big decisions...), this is a blog to show us that God is always there, helping us find the joy in the little things.
I'm pretty sure our house should be quarantined... there has been at least one person sick, if not all of us, since about Thanksgiving! It makes it easier, though, when I get to wake up to a smiling baby despite the fact that her face is covered in dried snot with her hair matted in it :P She has her moments, but she is one of the happiest sick people I know! We have had some pretty fun times, despite the sicknesses we have all been facing... for instance:
Aurelia and her Daddy have had fun making music. Here's a fun video of her 'beat boxing' with Josh!
They also had some fun playing guitar today :)
I also found a blanket I had been crocheting for Aurelia before she was born... Not anything fancy, just something to do to keep me busy. It was almost done, but I think that because she came 3 weeks early, I didn't get it finished. Well, I decided to finish it, and found that I was really making it for Marvin...
Aurelia had a really nice party last weekend, and we had a good time mingling with friends and family. It was a pretty long day for her, but I think she had fun getting so much attention :P She is definitely not shy, and loves to be with people! She also loves to dance... Any time she hears any type of beat, she starts moving. It's really cute, especially when she is standing up and starts shaking her tush!
I am enjoying being a mother, and new things about Aurelia everyday, as well as new things about myself. We are also enjoying having Marv as a part of our family, even thought he is a pretty rambunctious! Soon, he will have an appointment to get neutered (Bob Barker would be happy :P), and I think we are going to have his front claws taken out... he's gotten Aurelia too many times while they have been playing together. (Don't worry -- Marvin is a fully indoor pet... I wouldn't take his claws from him and then send him out into the wild!! He will still fully be able to defend his territory from Aurelia with his back claws and his teeth :P)
Also, another exciting this is that I am on my way to receiving an elliptical machine. Here's the story: Josh has given me a challenge. I must work out every day for two weeks, and he said if I do, he will know that I am serious about doing it and that he will buy me an elliptical. Pretty sweet, huh?! I have worked out for 4 days in a row now, and I am glad that he has given me the motivation to do it. I am hoping this two weeks will be a jump start into a lifestyle change. It has been difficult for me to get motivated and keep up with my working out, especially this winter. I am not big on running outside when it is cold, which is mainly why I can talk myself out of working out. But, with this new motivation, I have done Jillian Michael's 3o day shred for 4 days, and my goal (besides an elliptical :P) is to finish that video. I am excited for the warm weather too, when I won't have an excuse to get out and run again!
Today, Josh decided to do a little of the video with me, and found out that it is a lot harder than it looks!! Also, he didn't have any hand weights, so he decided to use Aurelia. I am thinking that that made the workout harder as well :P It was nice having him doing it with me, even though it was only in the beginning (he didn't quit... he had to take care of the baby), because it really helped to motivate me and to keep going even though I wanted to stop and rest.
I'm pretty sure our house should be quarantined... there has been at least one person sick, if not all of us, since about Thanksgiving! It makes it easier, though, when I get to wake up to a smiling baby despite the fact that her face is covered in dried snot with her hair matted in it :P She has her moments, but she is one of the happiest sick people I know! We have had some pretty fun times, despite the sicknesses we have all been facing... for instance:
Aurelia and her Daddy have had fun making music. Here's a fun video of her 'beat boxing' with Josh!
They also had some fun playing guitar today :)
I also found a blanket I had been crocheting for Aurelia before she was born... Not anything fancy, just something to do to keep me busy. It was almost done, but I think that because she came 3 weeks early, I didn't get it finished. Well, I decided to finish it, and found that I was really making it for Marvin...
Aurelia had a really nice party last weekend, and we had a good time mingling with friends and family. It was a pretty long day for her, but I think she had fun getting so much attention :P She is definitely not shy, and loves to be with people! She also loves to dance... Any time she hears any type of beat, she starts moving. It's really cute, especially when she is standing up and starts shaking her tush!
I am enjoying being a mother, and new things about Aurelia everyday, as well as new things about myself. We are also enjoying having Marv as a part of our family, even thought he is a pretty rambunctious! Soon, he will have an appointment to get neutered (Bob Barker would be happy :P), and I think we are going to have his front claws taken out... he's gotten Aurelia too many times while they have been playing together. (Don't worry -- Marvin is a fully indoor pet... I wouldn't take his claws from him and then send him out into the wild!! He will still fully be able to defend his territory from Aurelia with his back claws and his teeth :P)
Also, another exciting this is that I am on my way to receiving an elliptical machine. Here's the story: Josh has given me a challenge. I must work out every day for two weeks, and he said if I do, he will know that I am serious about doing it and that he will buy me an elliptical. Pretty sweet, huh?! I have worked out for 4 days in a row now, and I am glad that he has given me the motivation to do it. I am hoping this two weeks will be a jump start into a lifestyle change. It has been difficult for me to get motivated and keep up with my working out, especially this winter. I am not big on running outside when it is cold, which is mainly why I can talk myself out of working out. But, with this new motivation, I have done Jillian Michael's 3o day shred for 4 days, and my goal (besides an elliptical :P) is to finish that video. I am excited for the warm weather too, when I won't have an excuse to get out and run again!
Today, Josh decided to do a little of the video with me, and found out that it is a lot harder than it looks!! Also, he didn't have any hand weights, so he decided to use Aurelia. I am thinking that that made the workout harder as well :P It was nice having him doing it with me, even though it was only in the beginning (he didn't quit... he had to take care of the baby), because it really helped to motivate me and to keep going even though I wanted to stop and rest.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
On Being Intentional
Being a mom has definitely taught me a lot. One of these things is how easy it is for material things to distract me from spending time with Aurelia. An example would be using the computer while trying to make myself believe that I am giving her my full attention.
God has really been trying to get through to me the necessity of being intentional. I've thought about it in the past, but never really realized what it meant. I think a lot of us go through life wondering what is next, or where we will be next year. I guess, to an extent, that is good... God doesn't reveal His plan to us, and He shouldn't have to. He did, after all, create the entire earth and everything on it. He is omnipresent, all knowing, and all powerful. But, while we are waiting for what's next, how do we go about our everyday tasks?
Its easy to get sucked in to society's way... doing everything all at one time. (Just take a look at today's 'smart phones') Most people today believe that texting while talking to someone isn't rude (pardon me for being upfront... that is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves :P) But what if we chose to be different -- to be weIrd -- and do things more intentionally? What if, when talking to someone, we give them our full attention? Or for me, what if I closed the computer and got down and played with Aurelia? (I actually do this, I promise :P I am just using it as an example, and I have a goal of doing it all the time, and not just some of the time!) See, being intentional about everything we do could lead to many things: great conversations, a chance to share the Gospel, a chance to grow, or learn something, or fix something, or help someone. Being intentional is one step toward being a better person, at least for me.
The next time you are walking to class, or are shopping, or maybe you are perusing the movies at the video store, be intentional about smiling at someone, or maybe be intentional about praying for that complete stranger. Being intentional could really make an impact -- in your life and the world.
**End inspirational speech. Or at least my attempt at one :)
God has really been trying to get through to me the necessity of being intentional. I've thought about it in the past, but never really realized what it meant. I think a lot of us go through life wondering what is next, or where we will be next year. I guess, to an extent, that is good... God doesn't reveal His plan to us, and He shouldn't have to. He did, after all, create the entire earth and everything on it. He is omnipresent, all knowing, and all powerful. But, while we are waiting for what's next, how do we go about our everyday tasks?
Its easy to get sucked in to society's way... doing everything all at one time. (Just take a look at today's 'smart phones') Most people today believe that texting while talking to someone isn't rude (pardon me for being upfront... that is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves :P) But what if we chose to be different -- to be weIrd -- and do things more intentionally? What if, when talking to someone, we give them our full attention? Or for me, what if I closed the computer and got down and played with Aurelia? (I actually do this, I promise :P I am just using it as an example, and I have a goal of doing it all the time, and not just some of the time!) See, being intentional about everything we do could lead to many things: great conversations, a chance to share the Gospel, a chance to grow, or learn something, or fix something, or help someone. Being intentional is one step toward being a better person, at least for me.
The next time you are walking to class, or are shopping, or maybe you are perusing the movies at the video store, be intentional about smiling at someone, or maybe be intentional about praying for that complete stranger. Being intentional could really make an impact -- in your life and the world.
**End inspirational speech. Or at least my attempt at one :)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
On Being a Mom. And, Josh Groban's new video ;)
It's amazing to think that our little Aurelia is almost a year old. It feels like yesterday that I was sitting on the couch when I went into labor for her. Its also amazing how much I've grown right along with her....
I absolutely love being a mom. I know it has its challenges: delivery, lack of sleep, screaming babies, teething, diaper explosions... the list could go on and on. But all of that is worth it when she reaches out for me after being away for a day, or lays her head on my shoulder, or looks at me with her big blue eyes....
Being a mom has taught me so many things, but the main one is patience. Aurelia is getting to the age where she is starting to whine when she doesn't get her way.. That is probably my biggest pet peeve (even with the teens... its like nails on a chalkboard for me!!) I admit that I can be quick to lose patience, especially when I am tired. But I am learning that first of all, she doesn't know how to communicate with me yet, so I have to teach her how. And I have to show her lovingly, the right way to do it.
Which makes me remember this: God has entrusted me to raise her up in the way that she should go... but He also knows that I can't do it on my own strength. Remembering this helps me to gain the patience I need at 3 in the morning when Aurelia is just fussing because she wants something she doesn't need, or when she is tired but wants to be with people so she wont go to sleep. I remember that God is in control, and God is in me, which means when I just let go, He will take over.
And then of course, I love being a mom because it is SO MUCH FUN! I could watch Aurelia play all day -- the little faces she makes, the way she learns things so quickly, and the way she laughs :) I am so thankful for her in my life.
I think of what life would be like if I had never had a baby. It would have been a lot different, maybe easier at times. I would have more free time to do whatever I wanted to do without having to get a babysitter. But I don't care. The person I am now is a much better than the person I was then... I have grown so much, and I would never want to go back. I have the most beautiful daughter, and the most wonderful husband, and great friends. I would trade my free time for that any time :)
Oh, and here's the Josh Groban video I promised! Also, FYI, Groban is also working on a new album.
I absolutely love being a mom. I know it has its challenges: delivery, lack of sleep, screaming babies, teething, diaper explosions... the list could go on and on. But all of that is worth it when she reaches out for me after being away for a day, or lays her head on my shoulder, or looks at me with her big blue eyes....
Being a mom has taught me so many things, but the main one is patience. Aurelia is getting to the age where she is starting to whine when she doesn't get her way.. That is probably my biggest pet peeve (even with the teens... its like nails on a chalkboard for me!!) I admit that I can be quick to lose patience, especially when I am tired. But I am learning that first of all, she doesn't know how to communicate with me yet, so I have to teach her how. And I have to show her lovingly, the right way to do it.
Which makes me remember this: God has entrusted me to raise her up in the way that she should go... but He also knows that I can't do it on my own strength. Remembering this helps me to gain the patience I need at 3 in the morning when Aurelia is just fussing because she wants something she doesn't need, or when she is tired but wants to be with people so she wont go to sleep. I remember that God is in control, and God is in me, which means when I just let go, He will take over.
And then of course, I love being a mom because it is SO MUCH FUN! I could watch Aurelia play all day -- the little faces she makes, the way she learns things so quickly, and the way she laughs :) I am so thankful for her in my life.
I think of what life would be like if I had never had a baby. It would have been a lot different, maybe easier at times. I would have more free time to do whatever I wanted to do without having to get a babysitter. But I don't care. The person I am now is a much better than the person I was then... I have grown so much, and I would never want to go back. I have the most beautiful daughter, and the most wonderful husband, and great friends. I would trade my free time for that any time :)
Oh, and here's the Josh Groban video I promised! Also, FYI, Groban is also working on a new album.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Official Business... We're Moving!
I guess it's official... Our family will be moving sometime this year back to the good ol' Pleasant Mount (Mount Pleasant).
Here's some background info: When Aurelia was there in the hospital with pneumonia, it was a big eye opener for Josh and I. We realized how much we love it there and how much we thrive. We both really enjoy the college atmosphere as well as ministering to college aged people (technically that is our age group still!). So, we started praying, because we didn't want to this idea to be our own -- we wanted to make sure it was of God.
I will admit that at first, while the idea sounded good to me, I got back to Kingston and realized just how much we have here and what we would be leaving. We have not only grown as a couple, but we have learned how to be a family, with Aurelia being born here. Also, this church family has been so good to us, loving us through our struggles and helping us through them. They have also taken Aurelia in as their own, and that was one of the hardest things for me in leaving: Taking Aurelia away from a wonderful, loving church family.
But for some reason, God just kept telling me to trust Him that this whole Mt. Pleasant idea WAS of Him, and not of me. We decided to seek some Godly counsel from people we love and respect as Christians, and felt like we were doing this for God, and not ourselves, so we decided to finally bring it up to Josh's bosses. After talking to the Pastor and his wife about it, we felt like this was really where God was leading us, even though it would be very difficult.
Tuesday night, Josh talked to the church board about it, and last night, we had to break the news to the teens. It was probably one of the hardest things I've done in a while. I realized just how much God has been using not only us in their lives, but mostly them in my life. I realized just how much they mean to me, and how much I am going to miss them.
But with that said, we still know that God is going to use this move for good... I am excited for the possibility of having some teens up in Mt. Pleasant for a weekend and for keeping in touch with them to hear about their lives. While this will be very difficult to leave, God has shown me that He has been using us here to plant seeds in hearts, and to help seeds grow. I will be leaving here knowing that God is in control of Kingston, and that He is going to provide these awesome teens with someone who loves them a lot!
I am also sure that God is moving us to use our experiences/talents to help college students grow closer to Him. I am excited to start that part of our journey as a family, in Mount Pleasant! Thanks so much to everyone who has been a blessing, and who has been praying for us -- your prayers mean a lot to us!!
We love you all :D
But with that said, we still know that God is going to use this move for good... I am excited for the possibility of having some teens up in Mt. Pleasant for a weekend and for keeping in touch with them to hear about their lives. While this will be very difficult to leave, God has shown me that He has been using us here to plant seeds in hearts, and to help seeds grow. I will be leaving here knowing that God is in control of Kingston, and that He is going to provide these awesome teens with someone who loves them a lot!
I am also sure that God is moving us to use our experiences/talents to help college students grow closer to Him. I am excited to start that part of our journey as a family, in Mount Pleasant! Thanks so much to everyone who has been a blessing, and who has been praying for us -- your prayers mean a lot to us!!
We love you all :D
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Aurelia's first Christmas
Christmas Day has come and gone, and minus the crazy sickness I had and Aurelia's croup, I think it went pretty well! The great thing is that Aurelia is probably the most down to earth baby, even when she is sick, which made for easy traveling and such. At first, I felt like I shouldn't have been taking her outside when she was sick, but upon investigating croup, I found that the cold air probably helped her with the inflammation in her little lungs. So I didn't feel as bad :)
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas evening with the Hill family at the cottage this year. It was a good time just relaxing, eating, and catching up. This year we included Mom and Dad in the name draw pot, so money spent was less for everybody. I received a great gift from my new brother in law Alex: some slippers that I wanted and a beginner's painting set that includes some brushes, paint, and five canvases.... we'll see how that goes :P
Christmas Day we drove home for church, which was nice. After church, we came home and took a nap, which was much needed, since I was feeling not so great. (Turns out I had a bug that was going around... never would have guessed that heartburn/indigestion would be caused by a bug... but I am glad it was nothing more than that. The first 4 days of it weren't that bad, but the last 2 were pretty painful.) It was a lot of fun celebrating Christmas for the first time with Aurelia! She got very spoiled by all of her family members, and we ended up getting her some Mega Bloks. Oh, and her church family spoiled her quite a bit as well :P Here she is in her Christmas Dress :D
The Hill family has a small tradition of making egg rolls on Christmas Day, and since Josh and I were at home, we were going to miss it.... So, even though the cottage was almost two hours away, we decided that we really wanted egg rolls! We made the trip back and were glad that we did -- along with egg rolls, Amy made HotPot for us to enjoy :D Monday was spent in Owosso with more family for Christmas, and then we were finally home!
Today has been one of the first days that we actually had nothing work-related to do, and it has been so wonderful! We spent the day sleeping in, playing with Aurelia, and watching TV/reading. Tomorrow and Thursday will be just as nice, being able to hang out and relax (although I think laundry will have to be done eventually :P) until we head out to Clare either Thursday evening or Friday morning.
I am not really sure if you all wanted to hear what we have done for the last weekend, but thats what you got :) The main news is that I don't have something major going wrong with me and Aurelia is also on the road to health! Josh is doing well... enjoying his time off, and being a great dad and husband!!!
I also chose to start working out again today, because it makes me feel way better when I was this summer. I have a pair of 'goal jeans' and a nice 'goal sweater' hanging on my wall to motivate me when I feel like being lazy or when I feel like eating the whole jar of frosting in our fridge.... which would be a lot of points (I started counting those again too :P) I have been full of excuses about weight and eating and working out, and I am sick of not following through. It is probably the hardest thing I have had to do my entire life, and I have always failed at losing weight. I am ready to actually do it this time... I think that God really used this sickness to help me see that my body is His temple and that I need to be healthy in order to really serve Him and my family in the best way possible.
This is probably long enough. I don't think I have anything to add to it, so Good Night :)
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas evening with the Hill family at the cottage this year. It was a good time just relaxing, eating, and catching up. This year we included Mom and Dad in the name draw pot, so money spent was less for everybody. I received a great gift from my new brother in law Alex: some slippers that I wanted and a beginner's painting set that includes some brushes, paint, and five canvases.... we'll see how that goes :P
Christmas Day we drove home for church, which was nice. After church, we came home and took a nap, which was much needed, since I was feeling not so great. (Turns out I had a bug that was going around... never would have guessed that heartburn/indigestion would be caused by a bug... but I am glad it was nothing more than that. The first 4 days of it weren't that bad, but the last 2 were pretty painful.) It was a lot of fun celebrating Christmas for the first time with Aurelia! She got very spoiled by all of her family members, and we ended up getting her some Mega Bloks. Oh, and her church family spoiled her quite a bit as well :P Here she is in her Christmas Dress :D
The Hill family has a small tradition of making egg rolls on Christmas Day, and since Josh and I were at home, we were going to miss it.... So, even though the cottage was almost two hours away, we decided that we really wanted egg rolls! We made the trip back and were glad that we did -- along with egg rolls, Amy made HotPot for us to enjoy :D Monday was spent in Owosso with more family for Christmas, and then we were finally home!
Today has been one of the first days that we actually had nothing work-related to do, and it has been so wonderful! We spent the day sleeping in, playing with Aurelia, and watching TV/reading. Tomorrow and Thursday will be just as nice, being able to hang out and relax (although I think laundry will have to be done eventually :P) until we head out to Clare either Thursday evening or Friday morning.
I am not really sure if you all wanted to hear what we have done for the last weekend, but thats what you got :) The main news is that I don't have something major going wrong with me and Aurelia is also on the road to health! Josh is doing well... enjoying his time off, and being a great dad and husband!!!
I also chose to start working out again today, because it makes me feel way better when I was this summer. I have a pair of 'goal jeans' and a nice 'goal sweater' hanging on my wall to motivate me when I feel like being lazy or when I feel like eating the whole jar of frosting in our fridge.... which would be a lot of points (I started counting those again too :P) I have been full of excuses about weight and eating and working out, and I am sick of not following through. It is probably the hardest thing I have had to do my entire life, and I have always failed at losing weight. I am ready to actually do it this time... I think that God really used this sickness to help me see that my body is His temple and that I need to be healthy in order to really serve Him and my family in the best way possible.
This is probably long enough. I don't think I have anything to add to it, so Good Night :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Our Last Great Hope
"We don't have to be a generation of wasted potential. 'Our Last Great Hope' shows us how."
This is the quote from Steven Furtick, a lead pastor and author, that is on the front of the book entitled 'Our Last Great Hope' by Ronnie Floyd. I agree with Mr. Furtick: Ronnie Floyd does a nice job of taking every Christian's mission -- The Great Commission -- and breaking it down in a way that we can apply it to our everyday lives. Floyd helps us take steps toward "awakening the great commission" by stirring a passion in our hearts to change our ways to reflect Jesus' behaviors.
I found this book to be challenging, deep, and a good overall read. I gained not only a deeper understanding of the Great Commission, but also a new perspective of how I am called to see it through. I would recommend this book to any Christian looking to further understand what God has called His children to, as well as those looking for ideas on how to live out what they will learn.
I received this book for free from booksneeze.com
This is the quote from Steven Furtick, a lead pastor and author, that is on the front of the book entitled 'Our Last Great Hope' by Ronnie Floyd. I agree with Mr. Furtick: Ronnie Floyd does a nice job of taking every Christian's mission -- The Great Commission -- and breaking it down in a way that we can apply it to our everyday lives. Floyd helps us take steps toward "awakening the great commission" by stirring a passion in our hearts to change our ways to reflect Jesus' behaviors.
I found this book to be challenging, deep, and a good overall read. I gained not only a deeper understanding of the Great Commission, but also a new perspective of how I am called to see it through. I would recommend this book to any Christian looking to further understand what God has called His children to, as well as those looking for ideas on how to live out what they will learn.
I received this book for free from booksneeze.com
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