i'm learning to be still

ok so i've always enjoyed being "entertained"... like on holidays i want to go be where all the people are & if i'm not i feel like i'm missing something (ridiculous i know!). also, i'm such a list keeper & it gives me a lot of life to check things off my list that if i sit still for very long i feel like i'm wasting time (which is a good & a bad thing).
so the Lord has been working in me practically...
*when i'm at home with my boys in the morning i don't have anything on my calendar, just enjoying time with them. (when i'm sitting & playing with them after about 30 mins i feel like i have to get up & DO something & i'm cutting that out now.)
*i only clean my house every other week. i'm pretty much a neat freak so i'm learning to be ok with a little clutter & dust in order to be less hurried.
*michael & i are working on a mission statement & family plan to keep us focused.
*getting rid of excess in our home... jude & i went through our toys today & we are giving away a lot! :)

how He's been speaking to me...
*Luke 10:38-42 i so want to be Mary & sit at the feet of the Lord. He said that Martha was "anxious & troubled about many things" but "Mary has chosen the good portion".
*kinfolk. i read a few entries in volume one about solitude & alone time... so good!
*my sweet boys... every time i look at them & hear there's cute little voices i am reminded how much better it is to cherish them than mark things off my "to do" list.

i want our family to live simply & savor every second of this life. i don't want to get so caught up in movies & loud toys that we miss the beauty of our Lord in His creation.
Lord give me a still heart & remove my desire for business.
al

happy Christmas video

celebrate His birth & enjoy your friends & family.



al

jude turned 3

our sweet jude turned 3 on dec 1. as i was making this video & looking back at pictures i cannot believe how fast time has gone by. i want to be faithful with my time with him. he is such a sweet, innocent, funny, sensitive boy. i adore him! his heart is amazing & he cares for people so much. i pray that our Father would choose him & jude would love the Lord all his days & serve Him with all his heart. i pray that many would come to know our God through jude's life, his months, hours & seconds... may they be to bring glory to His name.



al

i am a sinner in need of a Savior

wow. i feel so overwhelmed with my sin & my darkness today. lately the Lord has brought my self righteousness & works righteousness to the surface & made me so very aware of it. i've been asking Him to bring humility to my proud heart. there is NO good in me apart from Christ! my righteousness is filthy rags (not much pretty about filthy rags), Isaiah 64:6. & yet i boast in what i can do. thoughts consume my mind about what others think of my accomplishments & the fruits of my labor.
"but the Lord said to Samuel, 'do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. for the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.' " 1 Samuel 16:7
my heart is all that matters to my sweet gracious Father. who i am & what i can do, even what i can do for Christ DOES NOT COME CLOSE TO WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME!!!!!! a sweet babe born to bring salvation to this wretched heart. the law shows me my need for my Savior. i cannot keep it. I NEED HIM! i need His grace every second.
if you can picture this... me, an independent/strong woman walking along in life i have everything together i can hold my family together, make my kids obey, keep the house clean, be nice to people, smile a lot... but just since we lost our Caroline & my mom i've learned that it's ONLY because of Him that i can smile, that i have reason to smile. that i can take the next step. that i train my children & that they know they cannot keep the "rules" without Him & He is the reason why we do any of this... it's not to please ANYONE ELSE!!!!!! i'm 27 & i've known this truth, but i'm just now letting it change me.
our Jesus is so so good! He washes us clean! He paid our debt that we may stand before God Almighty white as snow. no stains, no darkness. we find life at His cross.
advent this year has so changed the way i see Christmas & Christ's coming. thank You Father!

listen to this song & let your heart rejoice in what He has done for us.


We are not what we should be 
We haven’t sought what we should seek 
We’ve seen Your glory, Lord, but looked away 
Our hearts are bent, our eyes are dim 
Our finest works are stained with sin 
And emptiness has shadowed all our ways 

Jesus Christ, shine into our night 
Drive our dark away 
Till Your glory fills our eyes 
Jesus Christ, shine into our night 
Bind us to Your cross, where we find life 

Still we often go astray 
We chase the world, forget Your grace 
But You have never failed to bring us back 
Reveal the depths of what You’ve done 
The death You died, the vict’ry won 
You made a way for us to know Your love


al

our Savior has come!!!!!

rejoice! our King has come as a lowly babe!
al

He has good for us

my husband & i have led worship at our church for about 4 years now. what a blessing this body has been. we have grown so much here. they stood with us when we lost caroline & my mom. i have known the grace & fellowship of our Father more because of this body. now the Lord, in His sovereignty, is moving us on from here. the church is not able to keep mike on at the end of the year so we are seeking the Father for what is next for us. He has been growing our hearts for trafficked children. we don't know how we are to be involved in caring for them, but we are asking Him to lead us.
all in the Lord's timing we are going to get our sweet baby from Uganda (we can't move until we get our baby) & then our plan is to sell our house & move up to grand rapids, mi. mike's parents have some coffee shops up there & they have offered us a place to live & a job until the Lord shows us where we need to be. the Lord could bring something else up before then, but we will wait on Him & trust His timing. He is good. He is over all. & He knows what He's doing for His greater glory & our good.
we will be, & we are, quite sad to move on from this place, but we trust. we appreciate your prayers!
al

pumpkin goodness!

here are a few yummy pumpkin recipes! pumpkin is like my favorite sweet thing! YUM!
>pumpkin cheesecake (i made this for thanksgiving the past 2 years! delicious! i used honey instead of agave, sucanat instead of brown sugar, arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch & ground nutmeg instead of fresh.)

>pumpkin bread (i made this for thanksgiving morning! it is so amazing & moist! i used all whole wheat instead of all purpose flour & walnuts instead of hazelnuts. the best part is it's made with maple syrup. yay for no processed sugar!)

>pumpkin cookies (i haven't made these before, but they look yummy! i would use whole wheat flour, sucanat & coconut oil instead.)

>chocolate pumpkin bread (oh yes i made this! used sucanat & whole wheat. AMAZING!)

al

toiletries

i think what you put on your skin & hair is just as important as what you put in your belly. we use all natural products. it's actually really crazy... since i've been using natural stuff, when i use stuff with a bunch of chemicals in it my skin breaks out or my hair gets all greasy. yuck!
here are a few of our favorites:
facial moisturizer
face wash
sunscreen
shampoo
conditioner
lip gloss
toothpaste

kids:
diaper rash (THE BEST cream! makes their rash go away in just a few hours!)
hair & body wash
cream
lotion

enjoy your day,
al

listen

we love love love sovereign grace worship music! such rich truths. this past summer we went to the worship God conference in maryland. it was so refreshing for mike & i. (i wish we could just move to maryland & go to covenant life church. :) ) they just released the gathering which is the live album from the conference. so so good!




we also really like this album of theirs. & this one.

sojourn is a sovereign grace church in louisville... amazing! their music is amazing! (below is a song from their new Christmas album.)



i usually stay away from Christian radio because it's all so cheesy & not a lot of depth to the lyrics... i just listen to sovereign grace music now. ;) i usually have it playing at home throughout the day... brings peace to our home to have the Word of the Lord sung over our family. good stuff. also, it's my favorite that jude knows most of the songs by heart! :) (cute, musically gifted little boy.)
al

kettle corn... yum!

here's what you'll need:

here's what you'll get:

*put about 1/8c coconut oil in a 3 qt (or larger pot, make sure it has a lid that fits) & turn it on medium heat

*add 3 kernels to the oil as it warms up... once those kernels pop the oil is hot enough

*take the kernels out & add 1/8c of sugar & stir it really well & REALLY QUICKLY (you don't want the sugar to burn... believe me)

*add 1/4c popcorn kernels & stir around in the sugar & oil

*put the lid on & shake over the stove until the popping has slowed (again, do all of this quickly & don't keep on the stove for too long after the popping has slowed the popcorn will burn)

*pour it into a bowl & enjoy!

extra treats:

*sprinkle a little cinnamon over the popped popcorn

or

*add a tsp of peppermint extract to the oil when you add the sugar

in other news:

>I AM SO SO SO SO SOOOOO EXCITED THAT MY LITTLE SISTER IS COMING HOME FROM AUSTRALIA THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!! i could pee my pants... & i just might! i adore this sweet woman! she has the greatest servant's heart & loves the Lord & desires to honor Him so incredibly much! ahhh she's great! so, quite excited for time with her before she goes back to australia for another year at hillsong.

>wish i needed some new glasses because these look amazing. 

>go buy this album right now!

>this is incredible! seriously... i just want to live like this! enjoy every simple moment.

al