Come To Me

Three years ago Tuscaloosa got hit by a devastating tornado. 

It's been mostly quiet around here since then and we are thankful. 

April in Alabama is not fun, I can tell you that. 

Well exactly 3 years later, tragedy has struck again and this time very close to our hearts.  

Sunday and Monday were bad weather day for Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.  

A Cru staff family in Arkansas lost a husband/father and two children leaving Mom to raise the 7 children who are left alive.  Their home was also reduced to it's foundation. 

It's beyond heartbreaking.  While I didn't know the Tittles personally, I know their hearts and their livelihood...because it's similar to ours.  Their faith seems strong right now, but they will need so much to pick up the pieces of such devastation.

Tittle Family Loss 

And then Monday night, we lost one of our own. 

A University of Alabama student who was involved in our Cru ministry and on the swim team. 

Jeff has been discipling him for the past year. 

He died valiantly saving his girlfriend as a basement wall (where they had gone to take cover from the storms) collapsed on top of them.  

This was not as a result of a tornado (there was one that went south of town though) but from the heavy rains.  John was doing the right thing by being in the basement.  It is so hard to understand.

Jeff left Tuesday morning to be with students and his family.

They had a prayer service with about 75-100 students near campus.

It was a sweet time of worship, prayer and remembrance of a young man who so many loved and respected. 

While Jeff was in the prayer service, I started going through our mail from the weekend 

(as we had been out of town). 

 My heart skipped a beat as I found a letter from John that he had sent to us about 

his upcoming summer missions project with Cru.

I got chills and was reduced to tears as I saw his handwriting and read his words. 

 In his letter John wrote about deciding to go...

"in my daily prayers, the words "COME TO ME" seemed to constantly flow through my thoughts...".

So heartbreaking and yet joyous that in the most full way God truly did call his servant to come to Him. We are praying that in his death, John will lead more people to Christ than if he had been able to go on his project to Lake Tahoe.

last spring break in NYC

John was a fun loving goofy guy.  Here they are in subway in NYC last spring break on our Cru mission trip there

The Tittle loss and the loss of John is a stark reminder of the pain we have this side of heaven. 

Oh how hard it is to watch tragedy and pain like this unfold in the lives of believers.

And yet, it also points to the cross. 

To the anchor that holds us all together until eternity.

We lean on Him and we trust Him even when life hurts and doesn't make sense.

We find joy that John's faith has been made sight.  That He is seeing his Savior face to face. 

We trust that John's life will be used to further the Kingdom.

To bring revival to our campus. 

To lead others into eternity with him.

To allow our hearts to lean into Jesus more. To live differently. 

Please pray with us to that end. 

Teach us to realize the berevity of life,

so that we may grow in wisdom.

Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, 

so we may sing for joy to the end of our life.

Psalm 90:12, 14

"Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. 

He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies, 

and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. 

Do you believe this?'" 

John 11:25-26

Oceans

Oceans {Where Feet May Fail}

-Hillsong  

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed 

and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name

Keep my eyes above the waves

My soul will rest in Your embrace

I am Yours and You are mine

Easter 2014

 

The table all set for lunch...

We had a few guests for lunch, so I pulled out my china and silver, which I never do...but it seemed like the appropriate and super fun thing to do today!!! 

We had a wonderful morning at church reflecting on how Jesus has overcome death, sin, and fear!  So thankful for His redeeming work on the cross and in His Resurrection.  It is overwhelming to think of the beauty of Christ's sacrifice and love and all that it means.  I am grateful for this holy season of remembering the greatest story every told! 

 

 

Ellie Kate's beautiful dress is on loan from a neighbor/friend who got this and it didn't fit her daughter so we were blessed to wear it this year!!!

Anna Mitchell's beautfiul heirloom dress was made by Jeff's mom for his sister, Jennifer who wore it 35ish years ago.  None of my other girls wore it for some reason, so I'm glad Annie came along and got to wear it this Easter.  It really is so beautiful and special!!!!!! 

So thankful for these four blessings in my life!!! 

 

 

 Abigail's dress is one I got for EK a few years ago from a friend who was selling heirloom dresses for super cheap.  I'm so glad I got this for all my girls to get portraits done in at age 5 (and to wear on Easter:)).

And, sweet Samuel is BEYOND over me taking pictures of him...but he graciously allowed me one shot! 

Isn't he a handsome buddy who is wearing a shirt and shorts handed down from some sweet friends?

I am reminded this Easter of the beauty of the body of Christ...because that is how my kids were clothed.  It is a picture of God's grace to me...because I don't deserve to be able to dress my kids like this.  It doesn't even matter obviously in the scheme of things...and a fact I am keenly aware of.  Nice clothes absolutely will not matter in eternity...but they do bring me some amount of joy this side of heaven.  Jeff and I are missionaries and don't have a ton of money to spend on nice things, but GOD ALWAYS ALWAYS provides.  He just does.  We live in the deep south of Alabama, and it is tradition and fun to dress in our best on Easter.  Of course, if our family couldn't do that, it wouldn't be the end of the world, and God would still be gracious and good to us.  But this year, I didn't have to spend a dime and my kids just looked precious and each one of them was a reminder of how God provides and continues to provide for us in ways I don't deserve.  I admittedly (sometimes more than I should) love nice things and He was gracious to provide nice things this year.  Jesus didn't die and then defeat death so that we could wear nice things, but none the less, His death has provided grace and mercy everyday.  And sometimes I think He extends that grace and mercy to us in little ordinary meaningless things like pretty outfits.   Sometimes that grace and/or mercy is shown in suffering or hard things or unplanned things.  We had a Easter like that a few years ago and it was a stark reminder that Easter is not about the fluff or the nice things we put so much importance on.   I love how the Lord can teach us so many different things in each and every season He brings into our lives.  I'm thankful that God alone plans out each and every day and in all the ups and downs we can trust Him and depend on Him and live for Him...all because of the Cross!

Here is the post from a few Easters ago when things didn't go as planned...

Not About the Fluff.

Happy Easter! 

Preparing for Easter

 We had fun dyeing Easter eggs yesterday after school! 

This is one of the kids favorite activities.

Annie was super into this year...so adorable!

 

Here are a few other things we are enjoying this Easter season...

 Dayspring Countdown Calendar

can use at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter

Resurrection Eggs 

thanks to Dede for getting us these:)

 

Some Things I'm Digging

In other words, a My Favorite Things post!  I love learning about things or sites or tools that friends or other bloggers love.  So I thought I would share a few of mine today.  In no particular order...

1. Whitagram

This is a little free app on the iphone that lets me post my iphone pics without cropping them into a square.  Then I can share straight from there into instagram.  Just something fun.  Sometimes I don't mind the square crop but other times I want to post the full pic:). 

2.  The Honest Company 

This is a company started by Jessica Alba that offers organic all natural cleaning, household, and baby supplies.  I love that their stuff is so cute (I'm a sucker for cute graphic designs and logos)!  But I also think it all works really well.  We are not using their diapers anymore, but did for awhile.  I think when you order a diaper bundle that it is actually a pretty good deal even though it seems expensive at first, you are ordering in bulk and they are natural and good for your baby and don't end up being any more than pampers (I did the math at one point).   I'm hoping to potty train soon so I stopped ordering them.  You can order stuff in bundles to get the best deal.  I love the Essentials bundle. I get one about every 2-3 months and order things like hand soap, dish soap, shampoo, bug spray, healing balm, laundry detergent, and lotion.  I really LOVE their lotion and laundry detergent!

If you decide to try The Honest Company, will you purchase through my link HERE?

3. Norwex Enviro Cloth

My friend Julia sells Norwex products and I have fallen in love with their enviro cloth!  I have two and use them primarily to clean my kitchen countertops and my bathrooms counters and sinks.  They are antibacterial microfiber cloths and they make cleaning so easy! Seriously love them.  The enviro cloth is also the ONLY thing that leaves my granite clean and sparkly.  Everything else leaves streaks which I hate!  These seem sort of expensive but I promise it's worth it!  I want one more to be able to keep upstairs for my bathrooms.  They also sell a polishing cloth which is great for windows and mirrors.  Their cloths are antibacterial so you don't have to use cleaning supplies...just water!  I LOVE that since I really don't like using a lot of chemicals in the home.  These also cut down on the amount of paper towels you will use.  Another huge plus for me! If you want to check it out, go to Julia's page HERE. 

I'm not earning anything from this, I just seriously love the product that much:).

4.  Women's Sanctuary Bible (New Living Translation) 

This has been fun for my times with the Lord.  I got this Bible a few months ago and decided to go with a different more story like translation.  I'm not a scholar so I didn't necessarily care for accurate on greek or latin translations, but just wanted to read something different than I'm used to.  New Living is a good translation for that.  This Bible also has little devotional readings throughout which has been nice.  I've been reading through the Bible, starting in Genesis (of course) and have just loved it!  It's been such a fresh way to connect with the Lord and see His redemptive purposes through the history of His word.

5. Ebates

I sometimes forget about Ebates, but this is seriously the best way to earn free money if you shop online! I always try to shop online when I can just because it's so much easier especially at Christmas and for birthdays.   Plus when I remember to go through Ebates, then I earn free money on my purchases. I've received over $150 in checks since I started using Ebates a few years ago. I know other poeple who have earned a lot more cause they even make big purchases like appliances on the internet just to earn cash back through Ebates. Check it out, if you haven't already!!! It's great and there are no gimmicks! 

6. Ashley Sievert Makeup

So I entered a giveaway on instagram to win this makeup and I totally WON!!!! I was so pumped to receive it in the mail.  I received the velvet creme (like foundation but super light), powder, and under eye concealer.  It is amazing y'all!  I don't spend a lot on makeup usually, but I'm hooked.  After this free set is gone, I will be investing in more.  It's super sheer, waterproof, goes on easily, and gives great coverage. Go to her website to read more about it! www.ashleysievert.com

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So there you have it.  A few things I'm digging in this stage of my life!  Let me know if y'all already use this stuff or if you decide to go for any of it!  Love hearing from anyone who still reads this forgotten blog of mine:).  Haha!!!

Just Some Rambling

So, I finally bit the bullet and ordered 5 paperback black and white books of my blog from the last 5 years!  I went to Blog 2 Print and used a coupon they had.  I think it was a worthy investment.  I have been so nervous for years that something might happen to all these memories.  Well at least now I have them in print!!!  Reading back over the books has been such a pleasure.  It's also reminded me about what a bad blogger I've become.  I used to record our family memories so much better.  I treasure that so much.  Even if no one comments or reads much in this space anymore, I really do want to keep it up and do a better job of detailing our daily lives.  I know I will want to remember these days!

One reason I don't blog much is time of course.  Another reason is I just so often feel like a jumbled mess.  I don't feel like I can form a coherent thought half the time anymore.  My brain is mush.  Our life is very full and yet even with that fullness, some days are also just mundane.  But there is so much beauty in the busy and the mundane I believe.

I've shared some about how the Lord is teaching me to rest more.  To observe the sabbath.  To abide in Him so that I am able to bear more fruit in the work He has called me to.   I've shared about parties and the holidays, but I haven't shared about how life is in general.  I hope and want to do that more!

Our ministry with Cru is going so well.  Jeff is an amazing leader.  I am so proud of all he does day in and day out leading other staff and our students to Jesus.  I'm amazed at the stories he brings home each week.  Alabama is such a different University than when we were here.  It has grown from around 19,000 to over 30,000 students.  Over half of the student body is from out of state. And I'm not talking just surrounding states.  I'm talking Oregon. Washington. California. Colorado. Connecticut.  These are not Bible Belt cultural Christians students anymore.   Some of the students our staff meet with have truly never heard the Gospel truth spelled out.  It's just amazing to see the life change that has happened over the years in students lives.  Seeing them captured by the beauty of a Savior and then following Him in radical ways.  I truly love being a part of the kingdom advancing through college students.  It is such a ripe time in their lives.  My main ministry is to Jeff and the 4 little ones in my care.  However, I try to go to our large group meeting from time to time as well as attend a staff meeting or prayer meeting from time to time.  We love to have students over, but at this stage in our life with kids having homework and after school activities it doesn't happen as much as we wish.

My kids challenge me each moment of every day.  I'm not kidding.  They are amazing and wonderful and I love them so much my heart hurts.  But they require so much.  It is a daily struggle to lay my life down for them.  I want to live my life for myself much more!  And I'm thankful that I get to do some life giving things for myself periodically cause otherwise I'd go crazy:).  I'm thankful that I've made meeting with the Lord each morning a priority so that I can love the children better.   We went to a conference last month called Empowered to Connect. It was amazing.  It was all about parenting children from hard places.  It gave us such great tools to parent our guy from a hard place who 8 years after his adoption still struggles daily because of his background.  The conference has led us to a shift in how we parent all of our children though.  It was such a good reminder for me to parent with connection in mind.  I want to connect with my children.  Do I need to train them and raise them to be all the things I desire and God instructs them to be? Yes! But I think in the chaos and in the selfishness I am so prone to, I was missing a lot of chances to connect.  To give grace.  To shepherd towards Jesus.  The last month of parenting them has still been hard (of course it has...I don't think it will ever be easy), but it has been so much better.  In many ways, I've learned to lay down my desires and wants more, but it has been rewarding to see the ways I am getting to connect with these precious ones God has given me.  I have no greater joy or calling than to connect with them and make sure they know they are precious and loved. 

Frozen Birthday Party (+ a free printable)

Last weekend, we finally had Ellie Kate's FROZEN birthday party!!!! 

 Ellie Kate was so excited and I had so much fun putting everything together!  We already have so much Frozen paraphernalia that the girls have gotten for Christmas and birthdays....so the decorations were fairly easy for this party! I just used books and dolls and added a few snowflake ornaments I got after Christmas on sale at Hobby Lobby.

We had the party on a Friday night because she begged to have her best friend Neely spend the night afterwards! So the food table consisted of popcorn cups, powdered donuts and candy corn, marshmallow sticks dipped in crystal sugar, snowflake sandwiches, pretzels and carrots, and snowflake cheese.  Pretty easy and kid friendly stuff!  And of course we had cupcakes.  I went with homemade this year and just sprinkled this blue sugar crystals on them to look like frozen ice. 

I made a poster size Olaf for the girls to play "pin the nose on Olaf".  They loved that and wanted to play it over and over again:). 

Ellie Kate / Elsa

Her grandparents and aunt/uncle/cousins got her the beautiful Elsa dress for her birthday and she has almost worn it everyday since:)!!! 

Found it on ETSY in this shop.  

It is beautiful and very well made!!! 

 

Elsa and Anna (Abigail's dress is from Target)

 

favors were these little sparkly cases from the walmart party section.  i added little lipglosses and necklaces to them.  easy and cheap!

the girls made frozen crowns with glitter foam and sticker jewels (found at hobby lobby).  i cut out the crowns from a template i found on this site.

the girls also colored some Frozen pictures

we of course had the Frozen soundtrack running so the girls could sing along to their hearts content

Ellie Kate read the FROZEN storybook

pin the nose on Olaf was a huge hit

Silly girls and even Samuel came and crashed their pic:).  Silly boy! 

I had a sitter take Annie to chick fil a.  Best decision!!! Love that girl, but she can be a little high maintenance and crazy at events like this:).  I didn't want any distractions. Ha!

Such a fun party that I know my sweet Ellie Kate will remember forever.  She is absolutely obsessed with all things Frozen and so it was a no brainer to have a this type of celebration for her 7th birthday!  Abigail is already asking to have one too...her birthday isn't until November:).  

If you have a Frozen obsessed child like I do, then I thought I would share a free printable with you!  Here is a blank invitation for you to use!!!! 

Just right click and download.  Print on white cardstock and fill in your info.