Walking in the Shadows

Today was the day. Closing Day. It is surreal as I sit and look over the pictures and think of the memories made in this ugly little white house. We put the house on the market For Sale By Owner and in just 50 days had an offer, we accepted, and today we closed. The Lord has been so good to me and my little family. Much laughter and tears filled this home; today is indeed a bittersweet day. This was our first Christmas in the house (2008)     Easter 2009   In March 2010, we brought Miss Addison home.     Do you see how young Chandler was? Oh my, look at that smile!        Easter 2011   The boys first Turkey Kill (2012)     These babies grew up here; 7 1/2 years is a life time to a child.   Christmas 2013   Our love grew strong in this house, we were well past the newlywed years and had already seen some tough times. I learned during these years what...

*This post has been in holding for a couple of months. Sometimes it's hard to be honest and raw. I pray my honesty will be a help to someone today. I don't measure up. I know I don't. I can look at anyone my age and see a million things I'm not or can't be. I am so not the homeschool Mom who explains Algebra perfectly and never raises her voice. I am not the Mom who enjoys playing Barbies for hours (although a little Barbie time is great). I am not the wife who has supper on the table promptly at 5:00 pm each day. I am not the wife who never questions her husband and just joyfully follows (I always question actually). I am not the daughter who thinks selflessly of her parents and helps them with practical tasks like they deserve. I am not the sister who calls her brother weekly to tell him she loves him (even though I do love him so). I am not the friend who calls daily because honestly I am not sure I'll know what to say. I am not the Christian who giv...

Are you familiar with the song "He's all that I need?" The chorus says " Let Satan roar like a lion, let him come in like a flood, I'm anchored in Jesus Christ my Lord, He's all that I need." While I know that is true, I much prefer the way our church choir sings those lines " When Satan roars like a lion, when he comes in like a flood..." I don't know about you, but in my life Satan has never needed an invitation to roar, he just busts right in! If you have lived any time for the Lord, you have surely experienced Satan's roar. I don't mean the flat tire or your mortgage bill increasing or your health insurance cancelling, I mean the life altering, breath taking situations that arise seemingly out of nowhere. Those are the times when Satan roars. Those times you look back on for the rest of your life, as times of hardship and difficulty, times you learned much but would not desire to repeat.  What do we do when Satan roar...

Now that school is back in session, I hope to be a bit more regular with my blogging. I've looked forward to school starting and now that it's here I find myself lamenting the free time that is no more.  Here at our house, we read. Alot. So, in honor of reading and my lack of time now to read, here is what we've been reading this summer. This was one of the only novels I read all summer, and it was actually Jason's book that I read after he finished. Great read. If I had to pick a favorite read this summer, it would be this book. It touched me in so many ways, and truly changed me. I want to buy a hundred copies and give them to all my friends, it really is a great book!! This author is above my reading level, ha, but this book was a good read and I was able to grasp his message. Ravi Zacharias is an author and apologist, he has a podcast called "Let My People Think" as well.  This one is just a good, fun read for the Homeschoo...

Today signifies the end of our first week back to school and boy are we so happy its Friday!! Seriously, I wouldn't trade anything for the privilege to home school my children, there are no words to describe the treasure it is. I know that home schooling is not for everyone, but for those who have the joy, I do hope you joy in it. This year we are all over the map so to speak with a kindergartner, an elementary student and a middle schooler! This Momma has her hands full!! The two oldest are taking Spanish this year with Rosetta Stone and Ethan is taking an introductory aviation course. My little one is working through Abeka exclusively, as they have the best foundation we believe and it is still affordable at her age.  So, here's to a great year of learning and being together and hopefully more blogging!!

I must write a disclaimer before I go too far in this post. This post is not my attempt at marriage advice, counseling or judgment. It is simply a glimpse into our life, which is what this blog is about, our Little Journey in Faith. We will celebrate 16 years of marriage this August and in that time have faced many challenges and obstacles, just as all marriages face. We have gone through a miscarriage, financial ruin, loss of jobs, moving, spiritual warfare, temptation, backsliding, child-rearing, surgeries, and in these days physical pain. Not to mention the personal battles that are not for others to read about. But, today, I want to remind all the husbands out there of the importance of flirting or wooing your wife. Husbands, do you remember those early days of dating when you would do anything to make your girl smile? The thrill of seeing her look at you with love in her eyes? Did you know that you can still experience that? You can still have the playful banter of those dati...

  I can hardly believe my baby is 5 years old today! It really does seem like she was just growing in my tummy yesterday. What a joy it is to be a mother to this girl, I love her more than I ever dreamed I could.  Happy Birthday my precious girl!

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." Anne Bradstreet, The Works of Anne Bradstreet I do enjoy the beauty of the snow and the warmth of Hot Chocolate with the family, but lately I have been craving the warmth of spring and the bright rays of the sunshine. March has arrived and with it the hope of spring, and the end of the cold, long winter.  Life is full of seasons, just as winter seems barren and hard, spring brings showers of blessings. Lately I have felt I was in winter, the cold outside seemed to mirror the cold within. Not a defeating cold, just a weary cold. Have you ever just felt weary? My body has certainly been weary lately, and sometimes when the body is weary the soul follows suit. However, as weary as we may be, can you not still see the beauty in the cold? Look how the snow covered trees look so peaceful, how about the pure white of the snow, is...

Do you see this full laundry basket? I just emptied it, literally, like 6 hours ago. I trudged up the stairs last night, exhausted and headed to take a relaxing bath when I saw this. This overflowing basket of laundry. My first was response was, UGH! Oh and then the conviction came. You see, I read this story yesterday, this amazing story of a Mama of 4 dying with cancer. She is my age, with a 13, 10 and 5 year old, so similar to me, yet she is dying. Her story gripped my heart as I read of her love and as she told of God's faithfulness in the hardest of times. And here I am, feeling frustrated over a little pile of laundry.   That laundry is piled high because of my family. My. Family. I don't deserve any good thing, but to have a family, a loving family, that is so much more than I deserve. God has given me so much, including that pile of laundry. So tomorrow, as I climb those same stairs to bed, may I see the pile of laundry, smile and whisper a prayer of gr...

January is here! Are you ready for it? January and I have a love-hate relationship. I love the New Year with a fresh start, but January seems to be the longest month ever and brrrr so cold. The cold makes me crave comfort food, and I don't know about you, but Chicken Tortilla Soup is a fav for me. Here is my version of it... Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients:  2 Cups Cooked Chicken 1 Can Black Beans undrained 1 Can Rotel (you can use original or mild depending on your family's heat preference) 1 Can of Tomato Sauce 1 Cup Homemade Salsa (or you can use your favorite store brought version) 2 Cloves Garlic minced 1 Can Chicken Broth Cumin (eyeball it) Chili Powder (eyeball it) Onion Powder (eyeball it) Instructions: Mix all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Or you can simmer over the stove for a few hours. Top with shredded cheese and Tortilla chips. Enjoy! So, what's your family's favorite comfort food?