Friendships and faith

There is lots to share and little time to write it all out .....the chore list is long tonight....because i have some motivation. Laundry needs to be folded and put away, kitchen and living room picked up, 2 nights of bible study to do and blogging is the first thing i want to get done tonight since I have it done it is such a long time and i have some cute photos to share! For bible study i am going through James a Beth Moore study and all i can say is WOW! God is really teaching me and the class some amazing things, humbling things and really opening our hearts up to the hard things to hear but the things we most need to hear and adjust about ourselves. The other weekend I was able to attend the Her True Identity Conference here in Brookings and i was blown away by how God spoke to my heart through these women! Here is a small portion of my notes:

Why have meaningful friendships
1.      Help navigate through life
2.      Support you during wavering faith time
3.      Celebrate live victories and morn the losses
4.      To seek Gods will through study and prayer 

To be a good friend:

•  Get thicker skin
• Proverbs 17:9
• Don’t take things so personally and chose to believe the best
• Stop comparing and competing
• Galatians 6:4 | Proverbs 18:24
• Worry about yourself
• Be transparent
• John 15:15
• HAVE TO BE LOYAL
• Proverbs 16:28
• Would you share if they were right there – keep the filter ON!
• Invest your time in friendships

In order to be a good friend the relationship needs to be with God first and foremost!!

 That was just from the Friday night session! Whoa! what good stuff!  I was thankful that my parents were able to take Morgan for the weekend and give Matt a chance to relax and do what he wished while i was at the conference.  One thing Beth Moore has asked is

"When was the last time scripture changed you?"

 You can read the bible all you want and attend church, and bible studies but if it is not changing you for the better, helping you learn how to be a better person and heal the pains from the past you need to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons, make sure you are acting out your faith and not just soaking it in for your self, God wants us to pour out his love!!!

Here are some pictures of the last couple months!

 I need some sun!

 Morning cartoons with the Ask's!

 cute!

 watching the 5k

 Saturday Morning Cartoons!

 Ready for church!

 look at those curls! 

 Shes a climber!

 heading out for a ride with Daddy!

 trouble! - can't leave her alone for very long!

 Ready to go out to Oakwood

 Foggy over the lake

 hiking!

 break time

I hope everyone has a blessed Easter and you are able to take the time to remember that He is Risen!

My camera hasn't been fully emptied since before Christmas - not good!I typically 'empty' my camera and blog the same time...anyways i don't have anything on my heart to share this time, I feel like i have set my self up to have heart felt things to say when i blog, so i feel like just uploading pictures isn't quite enough some times but tonight that is what it is!

We have a few home projects going on that are on going and not sure when/if they will ever be done Matt has started reorganizing the kitchen to make it flow better, giving us a work space and utilizing the cupboards above for any prep stuff and seasonings that may be needed...i am super excited because our kitchen is small it needs a flow to it, also with Morgan's ever growing pile of stuff she almost needs her own kitchen! (ok not quite)

 Matt hanging the lights under the cupboard and also the handy knife magnet already on the wall

Morgan loves watching Daddy in the kitchen...just make sure she has some Cheerios (---which she loves to feed to Mable) and is not near anything on the counter that she could maybe grab


I have started tackling the office to get it organized and set up for some sort of flow as well...having a place to put things as they come in and also everything that collects on our kitchen table NEEDS A NEW HOME! 

Our office thanks to motivation from Pintrest is starting to move along - i need to figure out just how much space i really need and what i really want to use. We are also going to repaint the office so before i get my storage bins of some kind i need to do that and figure out some of the decor before just going out on a whim and spending my entire paycheck on office stuff...!

Here is the start of it! Thanks to Morgan's diaper boxes!

 

below the window i have 4 'boxes' that are for Inbox, Do Now, Do Later, Pending (thanks better homes and gardens!) these will also come together as the room does! A huge goal was getting the desk into a workable space!

Thanks to a friend and some online looking I made home made dish washer detergent. I made a small batch because we get crazy water spots if we don't use the 'correct' stuff but it seems to be working pretty swell!!!
1/2 cup boax
1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 kosher salt (for hard water)

 Morgan helping me make homemade stuff!

I also had the opportunity to make home made laundry soap!!! Yes opportunity I always thought there would be no way to have time to do this. Well i didn't really watch the super bowl last night. I got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs I follow http://outsidethestoreboughtbox.blogspot.com/ 
I have only used it for 1 load so far but love it! 

1 Cup Borax
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 bar Fels-Naptha laundry soap

Proof that i actually made it!

 Look at those legs!!!

A while back i posted how excited i was about this project.and...it has been through the test!!! I really like it and i have been able to find things much faster...but it must move to the next level...cords we use and cords we do not! That is a project for a rainy day! 

 We want to go play out side!! Please!!!

Shine

This past week has been interesting for me I challenged a friend to just be a child of God and make that the priority for the week and everything will fall into place after that , I had done a pretty good job of it the week before but for some reason this week I threw my own advice right out the widow after talking with her. Each day I try to take some time and pray to make sure my day is in God's hands and that i have the strength to be the best person i can be with what i am given, that was thrown out the window as well. I have also been trying to read the bible each night...nope that didn't happen...I kept getting more frustrated through out the week but I didn't go back to the basics, back to what i know i need to do in order for me to be a better me. I did not make being a child of God a priority and there for I had a lose tongue, i was thin on my patience with Morgan and Matt and didn't reflect Christ the way I should.

Today during service the alters were open to come before God, pray, take care of your unfinished business, I went up there not knowing what my business was but knew I needed to go. The one thing that has been on my mind a lot lately is my Wednesday bible study, that even though the material is laid out to the T i am nervous for leading, and the only thing that came to mind that I could ask God to do was to help me set myself aside, work through me God, set myself aside, put my agenda down and let God be in control, set myself side, JUST set myself aside and let God control my week, let God be in control of my class, let the work be through him, yes I am leading but only because of him, and only because of him did our 6 week Monvee material take 13 weeks (could have been 14 or 15th but the semester was up!). God is working on me and is challenging me in ways i didn't know i could be challenged. Going into this week i know it is God's agenda, God's control and i have been set aside so he can do a work in me, so he can shine through me like the sun shines on the moon and i can be Graceful to those in my path and to make my priority being a child of God.

Another thing that has been on my heart is the fact that i am in the right place. I am suppose to be an employee at Daktronics and in my current role. (most days :) ) About a week ago one of 'my' students left for student teaching, didn't think it would effect me to much but the day she left I was given a Tiger, bag of mini snickers, and the sweetest not ever, I just skimmed the note and got this jist of it, (if i would have read it fully i would have cried!!!!)  When I brought it home and had Matt read it, his eyes got watery and said you don't just get a note like this unless you are impacting peoples lives, since that note i have been reminded through various conversations with co-workers that i am in the right place, to share God's grace....a day or two before she left i had a very defeating day at work and my 2 calendars with positive thinking/words to live by were not cutting it any more (and normally they do) i prayed - and was thinking God this is a silly prayer but i need something that can bright my day up when I am feeling defeated and when i feel like the day is against me. God answers prayers and I got a Tiger to bright my days when i need them!

Morgan has been a busy little girl!! Cursing along furniture, growing an attitude, laughing when we tell her no, growing a personality, trying to play with the dogs, imitating a lot of our sounds, eating about as much as Matt and myself for dinner, telling us when shes ready for bed by crawling into her room, letting us know she was a bottle by crawling into the kitchen and pointing at the microwave, getting into cabinets, giggling, tickling mom, sleeping in weird positions, here is a snap shot of the last few weeks

 Matt and I went to the cities for the Bronoco's game and some relaxing

First Christmas!!!

 

 JUICE - its what was for dinner! Matt did a 10 day juice fast

 Not sure i want to do that again, but i finished it!

 action shot! but she LOVES watching Matt juice or for that matter do anything in the kitchen

Thanksgiving!

There is so much to be Thankful for today!!! To even be thankful for anything I need to first let it be known how thankful I am for God's Grace and an unfailing savior. 

A plaque I found from Day Spring says "she knew that she was formed by God's hands, dreamed up in his heart and placed in this world for a purpose' 

It amazes me to look back through my life and know the path I was guided on, God was behind me then and will be for ever. He has blessed me with a husband that knows me better then I know myself, a little girl who is a joy to us and everyone who comes in contact with her, family full of love, 2 furry friends that are always excited to see me and snuggle, a home, and a comfy bed :)

Morgan has had 4 ear infections in 10 weeks...a little crazy so we took the plunge after chiropractic care wasn't quite enough and had tubes put in Wednesday. Being this was the first big thing that we have had to decide on for Morgan I think there was a lot more weight on our shoulders then we realized and we worried more then we should have. This is a pretty common and quick procedure, we spent longer calming her down afterward then she was in surgery. She was not a happy girl coming out of anesthesia but that is to be expected and she was hungry!! There are a few places in the bible that tells us not to worry. I am really struggling with not worrying and trusting in God that he has control. I pray each morning that God can be in control of my day and that i am ok with him being in control, that he can take my worry and let me enjoy the day i have in front of me. This has helped a lot i am in a better mood on the days that I heart-fully pray this, but i still struggle in many areas. Matthew 6:25 says “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

  

Waiting to go in to get tubes 

Sick little girl

 she loves sucking on cold rags!

 Our little Marshmallow - (thanks Renkly's for the wonderful cloths!)

 Momma Mable making sure Morgan is ok after tubes - we feel bad we got her fixed and can't have pups because she for sure has momma tendencies

Eucalyptus, Monvee and Grace

My favorite smell is Eucalyptus. After spending a semester in Australia I really started to like the peaceful smell of it! So when I get a chance to take a bath I have a few selections of Eucalyptus smelling bath soaks, i also have a spray (oil)i use often times when i am stuffy in the bathroom after a shower or in our bedroom at night or even in Morgan's room, it helps me breath better!!! Just the thought of it makes me relax!

I am leading a women's Monvee bible study on Wednesday nights, I told Matt when it started i would do the 7 week class and that is it. I am a slow learner and know that when i put limitations on God he doesn't listen well!!! We are going on our 8th week of the study and i think we have at least 2 or 3 weeks left. I have never been in a small group where you can feel that God is there, each and every lady that has showed up was placed in this study for a reason, to tell there stories to help the other ladies, see something in a different light, to learn from each other, we typically have 8-10 women there and each time is amazing. I told the ladies last week that I feel like I can't just end the study at the semester and that we need to keep meeting in January. I am thankful the study is on Wednesday's because it really recharges me to tackle the rest of the week.

One amazing story - we had a lady show up a few weeks ago for the first time, she had stopped into the church a few times but had not joined a group yet, the Wednesday she joined us she was riding her bike past and was ready to get home to watch a TV show she was super excited about. Something (GOD) made her turn her bike around and walk into church to find a small group. As she was walking up to church her landlord was walking out and they knew exactly what study to take her to....it was so amazing to see the group respond in Grace to someone new in the class everyone welcomed her with open arms. The mission statement vision statement (whatever they are called) is:

Encounter grace: we want people far from God to know God through faith in Jesus.
Grow in grace: we want people who know Jesus to grow close to Jesus.
Give grace: we want people who know Jesus to share Him with others and bring His teachings and ways to a world that is in desperate need of the love of Jesus

My group is a PERFECT example of this. Words can't even begin to express my thankfulness to God and my excitement.  I also feel that the story above is under told but i don't know what words to use to explain in! God is Amazing!

GRACE - there is so much behind this! Grace is about being forgiving, looking past what one has done, if you have a bad day, you don't need to take it out on the waitress that maybe is having a bad day as well. Try giving someone that extra smile, hold the door for someone with full arms, let someone into your lane when you are driving, try to be kind to people no matter what is going on in your day and see how that can turn our attitude around. EVERYONE deserves grace, no matter what you have done, haven't been to church in a while, God is graceful, go, if you go every once in a while, don't feel bad about it, you have to do what you can and God is graceful. Were you selfish when you should have really sat down to read with your kid, or call your friend to see how they were doing, its ok. God is graceful.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. ~ 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)
God has given you GRACE so you can give it to others...

 Aussie boy!

 to cute!

 happy Holloween - well kind of..she wasn't to thrilled about the outfit!

 Morgan and Mable playing!

nose crinkle!

now for a bowl of ice cream

******SIGH********

my bowl of ice cream was great!

My  I am wore out! I haven't sat down for more then 20 minutes since church! So my brain isn't working quite well to write much

ahhh! she is trying to stand!

 After a 2 hour party in the middle of the night this is how she passed out!

 Grandpa Steve came to visit and meet Morgan

 love the way she is looking at Matt!

 Matt's aunt and uncle and their dog came to visit and meet Morgan as well!

 enjoying some fall weather and leaves

8 months old!!!



Ah my baby is growing up way to fast.