Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Y'all!!!! We went to santa's village on Sunday night with some good friends, the Jacobs, and took some pre-Christmas pictures. It was cold, crazy and filled with Christmas cheer! Enjoy the pictures....

What has God called you to do with your cloak?

A couple of weeks ago, I was studying 1&2 Kings about Elisha and Elijah and their ministries, I love the symbolizm of the cloak. We were first introduced to the "cloak" in 1 Kings 19 when we saw the cloak on Elisha and how when Elijah asked him if he wanted to be a part of his ministry Elisha threw his cloak, (which then symbolized status, and wealth), around Elijah's shoulder's, meaning I am "all in", you can have everything of value to me because I want to follow you. In 2 Kings 2 Elijah was getting ready to ascend into heaven and he was ready to pass on his ministry or "cloak "to Elisha symbolizing that it was his turn to lead the charge. The cloak was used not only by both prophets to separate the body of water in 2 Kings 2:13-14 but also to show who was the prophet. It was God's way of showing the people around them that they believed and followed Him whole heartily. What does it look like for God to want us to throw our "cloak" around him and just be "all in?" How does that play out in our lives? How often has God given us the charge to hand over our "cloak" to be able to effectively serve Him with our whole hearts? What would your cloak look like? Anger, money, possessions, lust, laziness and the list goes on. I feel very challenged to daily check my heart and life for anything that would hinder me in my walk with my Savior. My passion with being a completer to my husband during this church planting season is that I would not only throw my "cloak" around his shoulders but that I would help him persevere to spur others on to believe in what God has laid on our hearts. I leave you with Elisha's charge, do you have it in YOU? "So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elisha went up to him and threw his cloak around him." 1 Kings 19

Are you a Jezebel?

Life is moving at a crazy pace right now. We are in full throttle of church planting, raising four precious babes and trying to manage the chaos! Two weekends ago Michael and I were able to getaway for a night at our churches marriage conference. It was such a blessed time for the both of us. It is so fun to "let your hair down" and enjoy reflecting on the good times and hard times to let God use those circumstances to grow you in your marriage. I helped out our good friend on Saturday do a "speaker/listener" demonstration who was teaching one of the breakouts on communication and I was blown away by the little tid-bits I learned. God must have been laughing at me because he revealed some interesting ways I sin during conflict with my loving spouse. I thought I knew how to effectively communicate with Michael in a conflict and for the most part I did, but it is funny how the little things can get you! One of the ways I get caught up is that Michael is forever telling me that I am not listening when in a fight, and of course I always rebuttal, but I learned that when someone else is speaking and you are only thinking of ways to negate EVERYTHING they are saying, then guess what? You aren't listening! Hello! It wasn't any major epiphanies, just practical stuff like that but it provoked some great conversations between us.


I am also convicted about the influence we have over our husbands. Do we daily use that influence to bring honor to them and glory to our Savior? In reading this past week in 1 Kings 21:5-25 I learned about a woman named Jezebel who was married to a powerful king, Ahab. Instead of being a helper or completer to King Ahab she was an ultimate manipulator. In fact she was so good at "fixing or meddling" in her husbands affairs that she had an innocent man killed. When times got tough she whipped out the pants and put them on instead of challenging her husband to lean on God. 1 Kings 21:25 says, "There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife." Wow if that is not convicting women, I don't know what is. How am I a completer to my spouse? Am I daily bathing in God's word and not just reading it but memorizing it and applying it to my life? Let me leave you today with this thought from Gods word, found in 1 Peter 3:1-4 "In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, when they see your pure and reverent conduct. Let your beauty not just be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes – but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight. "

Some Light Reading...

So I just finished reading two very interesting books, the first is called Faces of Rage. The author, David Damico does a great job explaining how in our rage we take control, at least we try. We intend to manage our lives, but instead only fragment and paralyze our souls. The strength, joy, and wholeness of life will not be ours unless our relationships to others are redeemed in our relationship with God. Damico says our strategy of control leaves us starved and weak. Rage wears many masks, rage can be both warrior and peacemaker, it can be the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing. Rage is not just about angry emotion it is about self-protection, it blooms in the deep soil of unresolved loss. It is hard to find life amongst the rage. Life is conquering circumstances to maintain an inseparable relationship with the Lord who is our treasure and glory. I believe God used this book in my life to help me examine triggers of when I let my flesh or circumstances control my thoughts, attitude, and behavior. It does not always look like a red eyed, fire-breathing dragon but it effects me and others as if it was. I am never going to "arrive" in this life and it is not going to get easier, but I believe that God gives us a brain and tools, the bible, and a Savior to pave the way to have abundant life with His son, Jesus Christ.

For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ! Romans 5:17NET

Last Summer Fling

OK, so life is moving at a very fast pace these days with four children, our church, Watermark just opening up at our new facility and church planting in full gear but I love it! Last weekend we spent some much needed R & R with old friends swimming. I swear my children are fish!! We are ready for the transition of school and responsibility, well I am at least! It will be crazy to see the twists and turns that God sends us on this fall... The verse I have been clinging to lately is Isaiah 60:19 "The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory"

Schools In

First day of school! Braeden was excited to see old friends and Jackryan was looking forward to making new ones. They are getting so big so fast! Braeden was thrilled with his short, new dew. Jackryan loved his early b-day present, his new backpack and lunch box.

Here we are last summer in Estes Park, Colorado.

My boys in brown..
Pretty in pink...
Bathing beauty...
Hats off boys...

Ju Ju

My little girl has changed my life. She is amazing!