Colorado {One of my Happy Places}

Jeff and I just returned from a week in Ft. Collins, Colorado.  Every other year, we go out there for our staff conference with Cru.  Over 6000 of our staff/missionaries go and it is a wonderful work environment:).  We get to hear from some great speakers who encourage, challenge, and motivate us in ministry.  We also get to hear from some of our national and local leaders.  It's always fun to hear what the Lord is doing around the world through Cru.  We have been on staff for 11 years and I am always amazed at this conference at all the places our organization is and all that it does through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our little slice of the pie here at Alabama has been and still is such a blessing for us to be a part of.  We love seeing God change college students lives with His gospel!  It is just such a blessing to be a missionary in Tuscaloosa both in vocation and just in life:).

In addition to our meetings, we got to enjoy amazing food and fellowship with other staff friends.  Ft. Collins has the coolest downtown and some of the best restaurants.  We thoroughly enjoyed eating pretty much every meal out.  And, I really was able to stick to my clean eating besides a few times where I indulged in my favorite pizza ever!

The best part of last week was that we got to go alone.  Our parents gave us a wonderful gift in taking care of our wild bunch.  My parents had the first part of the week and Jeff's parents had the second half.  I'm almost positive they will never say yes to doing something like this again though! HAHA!  They had an interesting week full of high fever, bike wreck, stray kitten showing up and staying, lost tooth, rash breakout, late bedtimes, early wakeups, and much much more.  I think it felt like things went crazy when we left, but we realized that nope...that is just our normal.  Life with 4 children is never boring and never really that easy...especially if you aren't used to the craziness!  Anyway, we are soooo indebted and thankful to our rock star parents who took care of our crew so well! 

It was honestly the BEST WEEK.  I got time to myself (even went and got a pedi/mani), time with my husband, and time with great friends...most of which centered around amazing food:)!  It was the perfect time away and now we come home rejuvenated and ready to start a new school year!

Here are some pics from the week (all from my phone and instagram)...

 

 

bowling with some friends

I worked out some at the CSU rec center!

We stayed with Paige and her family.  She is one of our involved students at Bama and we love her!  Summer nights in Colorado are so nice and cool.  We enjoyed sitting on their patio one night by the fire just chatting! 

 

sunset at Horsetooth Reservoir

In Process

I think I've mentioned this before, but with every baby, at about the year mark, I begin to come up for air and out of the fog.  This time was no different and so about 7 months ago I began to come up for breath and began a journey that I've shared about with eating clean and working out and finally losing all my baby weight.  What I haven't talked about is the spiritual awakening and renewal that the Lord has been so gracious to bestow on me as well.  I truly am a firm believer that our bodies and souls are very intertwined and so as I began to make changes in my body and for my health, my soul began to crave more of Jesus.  As I saw discipline forming in my life with eating and exercise, the Holy Spirit began to move in me and urge me to discipline myself in the word of God and begin meeting regularly with my Savior again.  And oh how good it has been.  I tell people all the time lately that I feel better than ever!  And it's not just my weight loss and eating clean...its my spiritual health as well.  My heart longs for Jesus and to know Him more than it has in awhile.  I am ever more aware of my sin and the ways that I fail everyday to honor him.  It's a tricky place to be sometimes...but the simple truth is I need Jesus.  I need time with Him, reading His word and praying.  So, if I need Jesus then why is it so hard for me to truly want others to know Him too?  To know the salvation He alone offers.  To know the peace and comfort and security of eternal life.

This is where I've been camping out the last few months.  Mostly it started with reading through Acts and also reading David Platt's Follow Me.  Talk about convicting.

If I truly believe the above verse (and I do with my whole being), then why is the following verse not very true of my life...

FOR WE CANNOT BUT SPEAK OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD.  ACTS 1:20

The disciples saw their teacher die and then raise from the dead. 

They saw Him perform miracles.
He changed their lives and they understood He was the promised Savior.
And so, they could not help but tell about Him and spread the good news!

I have become all too comfortable keeping that news to myself.
I mean, technically, I am a full time missionary although I get the privilege of staying home with my kids too...and this is still such a struggle.
I have become complacent and comfortable with being a spectator of Christianity for the most part.
I really have become convicted that this is not right.

On the one hand, I don't want to be typical
but on the other hand I truly love my comfortable suburban life.
I want to be fully surrendered to following Jesus and being His disciple...and yet all too often I am lured into thinking life is about me.
I am quiet, a little shy, and evangelism is not a natural gift. 
YET, my heart is becoming more and more enamored with my Savior, and I pray that as my affections for Him are stirred and my understanding of what it means to follow Him expands, that I will be obedient and not be able to help but speak of Him to a watching and dying world.

I want to love others in word and deed.
My Jesus has done amazing things for me.
 I want others to know Him and experience Him like I have.

So, I'm in process. 
In process of knowing Jesus more and in process of learning how to daily make Him known.  I want to have gospel eyes and gospel words and weave them into everyday life with those around me.  David Platt calls it weaving gospel threads into every aspect of your life (family, work, play, etc).
And most importantly, I want to weave gospel story threads into my home and into my interactions with my children.  Ellie Kate and Samuel have both decided to trust and follow Jesus as their Savior.  I want them (and the other two little ones) more than anything to understand it's so much more than just believing...it's complete surrender and letting Him saturate every aspect of their lives so that they can share it with others. 
Being in process is a struggle. 
It's a struggle because I am sinful and I need grace every day.  And I need the Holy Spirit to help me live out my calling and convictions as a daughter and ambassador of the King!
Thankfully He is faithful and He will accomplish His purpose in me and through me as long as I have open hands and an open heart.
So I'm okay with being in process and I think it's good to struggle and constantly examine myself in light of the Word and in light of what Jesus has called me to as His follower.  


"For the last 2000 years, God has willed to draw people to Himself
 through the proclamation of His word
by the power of His spirit, 
and He simply calls each of us to do the same today.
And when we are faithful to obey His will, He will show Himself faithful to bless His word. "
-David Platt Follow Me

"I used to think being a believer was enough, but now I know
 Jesus wants us to participate,
no matter what condition we're in." 
-Bob Goff Love Does

Beach Trip 2013

At the beginning of June we got to go to Santa Rosa Beach, FL with my family! 

What a blessing!

We stayed in a house with it's own small pool and were only a short walk from the beach. 

The weather was perfect and we had a blast!!!  

Only hiccup was that Jeff had to drive to his hometown for a funeral in the middle of the week:(.  That was unexpected but part of life.  

 Of course, I took a bazillion pictures...

 

My mom rented some bikes for us to use throughout the week! 

As you can see, Anna Mitchell was not too happy about the helmet the first time we put it on her.  After the first time, she did much better and enjoyed her bike rides! 

It was super fun to ride down 30-A and get some good exercise in during vacation.  I'm so glad we had the bikes! 

We went down to the beach some at night which was nice...

Our last night after eating dinner out, we stopped to get ice cream at one of the local spots.  

I got a latte instead:).   

This was probably my first vacation ever where I did not indulge and gain weight! I stuck to my clean eating almost the entire time although I did have a few splurges:).

below is the sweetest.picture.ever.

 she is such a stinker and was so animated when we got ice cream. 

she was also all over the place!

 another pretty sweet picture.  my dad is the best! 

 the whole fam...

We got boiled shrimp one day which is Samuel's favorite!

Erin and Ryan made homemade ice cream which was a huge hit and i definitely had to try a few bites:).

And we truly enjoyed having our own pool!  We got so spoiled!

I loved taking pics of some of the pretty plants and trees.  

This one was fun to play around with and edit. 

 

Love that Erin got this shot of me on her camera...

pretty much sums it up:)

Thanks Mom and Dad for a wonderful vacation!

New Look

So I decided to give the ole blog a little facelift.

I'm hoping that maybe by doing this, it will actually make me blog more.

Like the old days...when I did more than post about our various trips/vacations.

I love my little space here on the web and I truly do appreciate all of you who keep up (maybe not so many of you anymore - ha)!

My goal is to post here more because this has long been a special spot for me to record memories of our family, but also to share how God is at work in our lives.

So, don't give up on me quite yet...although I do have one more vacation to post about. 

Maybe if you left a comment to cheer me on...I would be motivated to keep posting:).  

Summertime

Hello blog readers.  I see a trend forming that I didn't ever think would happen...my blog has definitely taken a back burner to everything else in my life.  I'm not necessarily happy about that, but I just have no motivation to blog lately.  I have lots of updates and thoughts, but just can't seem to form a coherent thought these days!

Anyway, our summer so far has been FABULOUS!  Usually every summer, we pack up the fam and head on a summer missions project with college students or we pack up and go to Colorado for seminary/leadership classes.  However, after 11 years on staff with Cru, we decided it was time for a sabbatical!  And it has been just what we needed.  We have been able to go to the beach, up to Jeff's parents for several days, lots of time with friends, and have just enjoyed being home during the summer for a chance.  Jeff has enjoyed extended time of reading and studying and refreshment which was much needed after a busy year of ministry! My  kids are even sleeping late! Score!!!! I have continued to wake up early before them to workout and spend time reading and praying.  It has just been so wonderful to have a more laid back schedule.  I think having older kids in school really makes me relish breaks from school.  Making lunches, homework, and just the busyness of the school year can really wear you out!

We are also enjoying all the fresh veggies and fruits from the farmers market!  Our two tomato plants have done really well too, and we have eaten our share of tomatoes for sure.  All three big kids can swim so well and are little fish.  If only my busy little munchkin weren't so wild and crazy, we could really enjoy the pool.  One day.

Before the summer, a new addition arrived in the family!  Jeff's sister, Jennifer and her husband Buddy, welcomed little William.  We of course had to go see him and I can't believe he hasn't made his debut on the blog.  He's precious!!!

 

That's all for now!