Journey From Here

Needed a new name, new look, new direction, new motivation for this little blog...(so maybe Ill get back in the habit of writing)

Journey From Here.

Here...Here has been many starting points in my life of the "next thing"...High school, college, wedding, birth...these major life events. But right now I just feel "here" not knowing the next big thing and it makes me think of not the next big "thing" but having a big "journey"...with lots and lots of little moments along the way.

We have been talking in our house about how we just feel the Holy Spirit at work so mightily in our lives right now and in the past few years in so many ways. Some hard and challenging, some incredibly joyful, and many that are both of those. I said that I feel as if we are at a starting point. Starting point of something I'm not quite sure of. The Lord has been stirring and growing and stretching and changing us.

I Feel peace. Feel inspired. Feel thankful. Feel more in love with my Savior.
and then sometimes...or actually alot more than sometimes..,
I Feel restless. Feel unsettled. Feel stirred.
I feel ready.

I know that all of these are what makes up "here"...here where He wants me to be.

I am grateful for the feelings of love and joy and peace. I am also grateful for the others...that is how I know He is working on me and in me and through me. Bringing me "here" and taking me from here on the journey He has for me.

So here we go! Off and running from another starting point and I am excited to see where we go from here!

Life Changing Read...

Get it. Read it. Get more of Him. Get the Holy Spirit. Life Change.

Lost... Found

Six seasons have come and gone and one of the best television shows has come to an end. Sunday night marked the end of a journey of sorts as I watched a story that has captivated my thoughts since 2004. Like many people I became hooked because of the intricate plot and masterfully developed characters. Lost grabbed me for another reason though back in 2004. The show premiered on September 22, 2004. My father passed away on September 21, 2004. During the pilot episode we discover that our main character Jack had recently lost his father. For obvious reasons I felt a connection with the character. The entire show has been building toward a finale that aims to answer questions. It was leading the viewers on a sort of quest.

It’s interesting because after my dad’s passing I said all of the right things to family and at the funeral and I know that only God gave me the strength to make it through that time. But in the months and years after that week in September I started to miss my dad more than I thought I could. I know now just like I knew then that my dad is with Christ and that September 21 didn’t catch him by surprise. Perhaps that’s another reason why the show moved me so much. Every part of the overall story was connected. There were no accidents, everything happened for a reason. Broken people were brought together in a broken place in order to be fixed again. No matter how crazy things got on the island there was always hope.

Lost is not a primer on orthodox Christianity. However, for me it reminded me of one of the deepest longings of my own heart. I’ll admit at the end of last night’s finale when Jack walks in and opens the casket to find it empty I shed a tear or two. It reminded me that someday I’ll see a casket and it will be empty. I know that right now my dad is with Christ. I don’t grieve as those with no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), however I still grieve to this day. I don’t often talk about it with anyone, but I think about my dad almost daily. Some days I get caught up with the rat race and I forget, but then there are moments like watching Lost and I remember. Much like the characters in the finale I get a glimpse every now and then of what really matters and it gives me strength to carry on. I sit next to my wife and remember that I'm not alone. My daughter hugs me and smiles and I remember that there is such a thing as unconditional love. I see my son reach out for me to hold him and I remember that God carries me always. I remember that we are all characters and there is a master storyteller who sees His whole story and is moving it to an epic finale. A finale where all of the glimpses will turn into sight and where the questions will be answered. A moment that will turn into an eternity of being transformed because of the Light and Love that will be seen face to face.

Month in review.

So many pictures to post, so many things to write...wait for it, wait for it...beaubaby is starting to army crawl which is so cute and has his two front top and bottom teeth, and reese is our little sassy girl right now! She definitely needs to be in a drama class or something :) but so sweet and fun. She just got asked to be her first flower girl in this girl's wedding, so I am pretty sure she will knock that one out of the park! Just had spring break which was great to have time with skip home all week. doing house projects, cleaning out the garage...Broke out the reefs over spring break...there is something about my black reefs that makes me happy. They are sooooo old they are now melded to my feet perfectly...I never want a new pair! (And yes, I wash them every year all you germ-a-phobs!) Had a fun girls night out, did some shopping, made some cupcake pops...Decided that this year I am going to garden, like actually be a gardener. I started with herbs in pots (I have mint, chives and rosemary) now Im ready to move on to flowers in our front bed, and my dream would be to grow some more herbs, blackberries and a few other things in a bed in our backyard. Now, the fact that this requires some knowledge and also tools, which I have neither of, makes this an interesting project! Anyway, deeper topics of discussion and more pics to come soon, as in tomorrow! I promise! Happy Spring!

Snow Day!

So yeah, couldn't narrow the pics down any more than this...So grateful Skip and I both had the day off and could do snowy things with the reesie and beaubaby!--including make-shift snow boots of target bags! Had a great day and are so thankful for the fun and time together as well as the sweet reminder of our Great Creator through this rarely seen (in texas anyway :) ) piece of His beautiful creation! -- "Though your sins be as scarlet, they are washed white as snow!" Happy snow day everyone!

GFA and Change...

You might have seen the little gadget we have had in the top right corner of our blog since we started it. You might have not really looked at it. If you have never heard of Gospel for Asia, please check this out! We support a native missionary with them and some other things with their organization. We love them, 100% of what you give goes to the field! The director, K.P. Yohannan, is unbelievable and his books will change your life. I am re-reading Revolution in World Missions and every chapter is just life changing. We have ordered almost all of his other books as well and are on a mission to read them all this year. We have been completely pricked and moved to not only pray for and learn more and be more aware of the state of the world and world missions, but to DO more. We want this year to be a year of seeking and growing and of the Lord teaching us, molding our hearts, leading us to what He has for us to do and be. I truly hope we are in a season of Him working in us, Him changing and growing us. The Holy Spirit is moving in us to get out of the mindset of just making our little bubble more easy and comfortable, but instead to live our lives truly in service of our Savior in tangible, physical ways...to be thinking of the all the lost and hurting people and feel convicted to do something, to show Him to others, to soak Him in. And this is evident here in the place we are planted...we want to be more aware, bold, and intentionally a picture of Him to the people and in situations God has given us at work, in our neighborhood, people we run into on the street...Skip and I were so blessed to have what we did at Denton Bible with College Life...a once in a lifetime experience where we exploded in our knowledge, love and service for the Lord...where we were so focused and intense on Christ and His Word. Outside of that, our attentions, affections, and actions are so often pulled, deceived, distracted by the daily grind and sinful desires. Daily "quiet times" are so often a struggle. I pray that we are stirred with renewed and restored affections for our Savior this year (third word of the year--affections) , that He stirs our affections for our lost, hurting world and that He continues to direct our steps to whatever He has for us. Please look at and read the GFA website and seriously read K.P Yohannan's books!

my buddy...

Anybody remember this guy?? I am sortof a freak when it comes to remembering stuff like this (shout out to this girl)... I mean, for example, the skip it jingle, rainbow brite, popples, teddy ruxpin, big wheels, the theme song to Care Bears, Lite Brite and the ever awesome My Buddy and Kid Sister. If you were a kid in the 80's, you should still know every word and the tune to the below jingle...

“My Buddy, My Buddy,
Wherever I go, he goes.
My Buddy, My Buddy,
I’ll teach him everything that I know…

My Buddy and me
Like to climb up a tree.
My buddy and me
We're the best friends that could be.

My Buddy, My Buddy
My Buddy and Meeeee!”

Now, yes, I am the first to admit there is a slight resemblence to Chucky and actually dolls (and puppets) kindof creep me out...BUT, the catchiness of the jingle just got in my brain and lately we have been referring to the beaubaby as the "beau buddy" sometimes...even singing the song inserting his name...see below example.

"beau buddy, beau buddy,

wherever I go, he goes..."

Dang that catchy jingle.

Of course...I think MY buddy is way cuter...and a lot less creepy. :)