Through the Lens: Capturing Stories

Today I am reminded to celebrate moments. This picture was an attempt to capture our little niece with her great-grandma. The lighting wasn't all that great and that little one was a bit wiggly. All I could do was click away, in hopes that I would capture something.

And I did. I captured a shot of generations, sharing together. I was pretty much oblivious to what was happening in the background, my daughter and her older cousin reading. I didn't even notice Grandma and baby looking on. But I'm so glad I caught it.

It is such a great picture of life right now.

Now this great picture is my current favorite scrapbook page. I love these four ladies, I love what the represent in my life, I love that I get to share life with them. That is a moment I want to celebrate, a moment I'm so glad I captured.









Today Melissa at the Inspired Room is sending out the reminder to capture those beautiful moments. Head on over to see the beauty that others are capturing today.

To me it seems like a game of hide and seek; if we look hard for them, they will be found. I'm going on a treasure hunt today, camera in hand, looking to capture a few things. Care to join me?

Picking my Projects

photo credit: Cottage Living

"I will walk in my house with a blameless heart."

Psalm 101:2 provides us with a glimpse into King David's desires for his home. Another version states, "I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."

What is this perfect, blameless heart that David was referring to? A perfect heart is one that is not divided, it has integrity and wholeness (Warren Wiersbe: Prayer, Praise and Promises).

David wanted to walk through his home with an undivided heart, one that is focused on God and his authority and plans above all else. A blameless heart that placed the priority on what God wants to do and accomplish, not on what we feel must be done.

As women and homemakers (whether we stay at home or work outside of it) we have the great task of walking through our homes with an undivided heart. I know that I often struggle with a heart pulled in many directions. What I want to do around the house and what I must do in my roles as wife and mom do not always match up. When they don't I find that the pulling I feel creates tension and stress in my home. My job and goal should be to create a place of peace, this can only be found by surrendering my thoughts on home to God's thoughts on home.

We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 10 to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The Mofffatt translation states it this way"...I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ." As a homemaker this struck me. How often do I take on every project that comes my way, without running it by God first, without checking on his timing?

All of what I do as a homemaker should reflect Christ's priority and Christ's leading. Do I jump into projects around the house without thinking through the process? Will a great idea (like painting or redecorating, remodeling, moving the furniture around....) enhance the spirit of my home? I would say no if in the process I neglect bigger things; time with my husband and children, finances (yes, most projects take some cash) or even my own health. How may of us have stayed up too late to finish one more thing, or grown stressed out because we can't get it done just right, or can't even get it done at all?

Yes, a new project may make my home look better. But if in the process I neglect the spirit of home, my home and all who live there will suffer for it. I am encouraged and reminded today that I must surrender all of my heart to God, the part of my heart that wants time for little projects around the house and the more important part of my heart that wants to be the best wife and mom that I can be. Sometimes the most important calling will ask us to lay the other desires of our hearts aside for a season. We must pursue Christ's best for us, in doing that we take every project prisoner and choose to walk in our house with an undivided heart.What if we're in the middle of a project that just is not working, do you find yourself fighting to get it all done? Ask God for his perspective and his ideas on how and when to complete it. Maybe it's time to lay it aside for a bit. It will still be there next week or next month. What if your thinking of beginning a new project, big or small? Pray about it first, seek Christ's perspective. If it's the right thing for you and your home God will make the way. He'll provide finances or creativity in lack of finances, he'll provide time, and he'll provide the grace to get it all done on his schedule.My first priority as a homemaker, as a woman, is to create a home-not a show house. The spirit and heart of my home is the most important thing. If I put that first, the rest will come at the right time. It's a matter of my heart and surrendering it to Christ.

Where'd we go?

We've been away-Zac and I took off for an amazing summer camp week. We've been gone, away from the kids for seven days now. Yikes. I think it's safe to say that we're missing them. My amazing sister has been doing her best to capture them for us, she nailed it with this. My two and her one-stunning, isn't it?



This is where we've been, and who we've been with. Pretty cool, huh? About two hundred of us all together-most of us middle and senior high students. We had an amazing worship band and one awesome speaker. And God. He's the most important and he showed up in a big way for us, for those kids. It was pretty fun to see, it was awesome to watch and be a part of kids connecting with God. In all our years of youth ministry this is going down as one of the best camps. Best for us, best for our group, best over all.

Now, we've got some serious sleep to catch up on. Those munchkins of ours are coming home tomorrow!

Just a Quickie

Of course, when you're four, it's perfectly acceptable to play in the fields with your best white clothes and your hot pink boots. That's totally cool. And looks totally great too.

Celebrating

Yesterday I had a birthday. And I had a party. I wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by all my favorite people, eat good cake and laugh-a lot.

We threw open the doors and invited everyone in.

We had a delicious cake and to die for cookies (actually death by chocolate is thier official name-thanks Mammie!)

We sat around and talked and laughed while the kids played crazy, rowdy games.

We enjoyed each other and the beautiful evening.

We loved on the youngest member of the family, lots.

And of course, we wore our best party clothes.

We caught up on life.

And we shared some jokes.

It was everything a perfect birthday could be. And I had a few of those amazing grateful, overflowing emotional moments. Just so glad to be surrounded by so many amazing folks, just so blessed that God has planted us here.

And Mom and Dad, we missed you! Wish you were closer so you could have been there too.

Painted Kitchen Cabinets, or the Cheapest Kitchen Redo Ever

How's that for a title? This is the story of a work in progress and of a girl who really wanted to do something cool. But she was worried for a long time about the process; how long would it take, how messy would it be, what if she did it wrong, what if she hated the end result?

But then that girl took a leap and said to herself, "It's my kitchen and my house and I can do what I want! I'm the one living here and so I'm gonna do it. Pthbttttt!" You hear that? That's the sound of me sticking my tongue out at any naysayers.


Yeah, this was a process, both in time and in a chance to learn a bit. Not about cabinets but about enjoying the process of a good work. You see this project took longer than I thought it would and there were some days I couldn't even pick up a brush and paint. But in it all I was reminded that a process isn't bad. Just as the kitchen was a process, I'm in a process too. I didn't quit because it wasn't working out like I hoped. God doesn't quit, and won't quit on me-even if it takes a while for me to learn what I need to.

Now, on to the finished project.

Here's the start of it, just as I was taking the doors off.

And here's how it looked with the just the primer. And how it looked for about two weeks.


But it's okay-it's done now and I so appreciate the finished product. It's a great place to start the day.

And the best part, I got a new kitchen for twenty dollars! I already had the primer and other supplies so all I needed was the paint. Not bad, huh?

What the cheapest redo you've ever done?

I'm linking up to The Inspired Room's Beautiful Life Series; even though life was pretty good before the new kitchen I was reminded that taking a chance and doing something you've always wanted to do (regardless of how it might have turned out) sure makes life beautiful for me. Head over to the Inspired Room to see how other's are finding beauty this week.

I'm also linking up to Kimba's DIY party-be sure to head over and see all the awesome DYI projects that are gonna-you're bound to find some serious inspiration!

Thoughts for Tuesday

FOR TODAY: June 23, 20009

Outside my window...spinach and lettuce are waiting to be harvested.
I am thinking...I loved seeing the first hummingbird of the season this morning.
I am thankful for...three kids playing happily upstairs.
From the kitchen...a hot cup of coffee in my hand.
I am wearing...my favorite brown dress.
I am creating...new kitchen cabs (by way of paint).
I am going...to the pool for swim lessons.
I am reading...Last Child in the Woods.
I am hoping...to spend more time outside today.
I am hearing...Rita Springer on the iPod.
Around the house...seashells.
One of my favorite things...my new hair. Color (done by a pro) makes such a huge difference.
A few plans for the rest of the week: birthday plans for me, swimming lessons for the kids and a fun bbq party with friends.

Here is picture to mark the day:


I found this idea from The Simple Woman's Daybook via Ali Edwards.

I love this simple idea to chronicle my everyday, the right now things.

Because today matters. Today is a good day.