...your new favorite song...

Song of the Day/Week/Month/Who knows how long:

How He Loves Us-- Kim Walker

Ready to be undone, internets? Amazing lyrics. I can't even handle it.
Lyrics (for your enjoyment, cause that's the kind of friend i am):

He is jealous for me
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.

Yeah, He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us
Woah, how He loves us

My favorite line:
"when all of the sudden i am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, and i realize just how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me."
WOW.

oh, yeah.. also the line that says
"i don't have time to maintain these regrets when i realize the way he loves us"

yes lord!

so take a listen and worship this morning. thanks kim walker for ushering me in to the presence of jesus today~

...my two favorite men EVER...

it's fathers day and i've spent most of this day reflecting on two things:

1.  the awesomeness of my husband, especially as a father to our girls; and

2.  the things i loved about my own dad.

a few things i love about steve:

1.  in many ways he is still a kid at heart, so he is usually much more playful with the girls than i am. he is a GREAT dad. he does his fair share of bath times and book readings (and butt wiping for that matter).  he takes the girls fishing, to the pool, and to bass pro shop.

2.  he has an amazing laugh. it's definitely my all-time favorite laugh.  have you heard it? if not, you must. it will make you smile. :)

3.  his humility.  you know those arguments you have with people that make you want to dig in your heels and fight? that's my response most of the time.  steve, on the other hand, is much more likely to choose humility and grace, even when he has the right to fight. he's not impulsive and rarely spits out things he later regrets.

4.  spiritually he is a trailblazer, looking for what God wants to do- now- in these days.   he is seeking how, where, and in what ways God is moving and wants to move, and doesn't put Him in a box.  he's not one who is a follower of trends, but one who genuinely seeking the heart of God for a fresh move of His kingdom here.  he's a lover of Jesus and one who pursues him wholeheartedly and a man i am gladly willing to follow.

5.  he's my best friend. and he shares all of his life with me, and cares about all of mine as well. he's an amazing partner and co-laborer.

a few things i loved about my dad:

1.  he loved me.  he went to countless numbers of concerts, amusement parks, political fundraisers and the like just to be with me.  while i was at the university of alabama, he sent me newspaper clippings and notes just to say he loved me. all the time. and when my brother and i were growing up, he took us to six flags on wednesdays (his day off) just to goof off together. not just once mind you- he bought season passes.

2.  he loved my mom.  they fell in love when they were 16, and stayed that way until his death in 1996.  they modeled a healthy marriage of passion, love, friendship, and grace.

3.  he was a hard worker, and could do just about anything.  many a time i called him in the midst of a stalled out home repair project, and he would rush over to complete the job.  i'll always be able to picture his beautiful, strong and calloused hands. 

4.  he was loved by everyone who knew him.  i know people say this about others, but it's true of my dad!  his funeral was one of the largest they had ever had in town, and that makes me proud because i know that means he was loved and respected by other people.  

5.  he was likable and  fun to be around. he loved a practical joke, and had a willing cohort in those (my brother).  he was the life of the party, and never met a stranger.

two men, not too terribly different. both captured my heart and still hold it. i'm thankful this father's day for the fortune of having the BEST of the best. 

...our pale pink ain't so pale...

"AAAAAHHHHHH!! That's some serious PINK!!!"

if you've followed our blog at all, you know that we just moved to georgia last month.  the interior of the house is a duron color, tobacco road.  it's a really great neutral color, but it's covering every square inch of wall space in this house.  and that's just too dang much of one color, no matter how fabulous it might be.

so we are painting four rooms: our bedroom, the dining room, sara's room, and anna katherine's room.  

our room and the dining room are going to be a fabulous brown benjamin moore color called "cambridge riverbed", sara's room will be a yellow yet to be determined, and anna katherine's room was going to be a pale pink.  

we picked benjamin moore's "posy pink", but it was crazy bright on the walls so we lightened it up with a GALLON of ultra white and went with it.  it's still somewhat of a shocking pink, but hey- it's DONE. 

after 9 full hours of non-stop painting i am finished.  2 coats, blisters on my hands, and all. praise Jesus for good worship and alone time in the midst of accomplishing a time-consuming task on the to-do list!

I plan to paint Sara's room asap.  Any great pale yellow colors you've used? I'm considering benjamin moore's historic color "hawthorne yellow."  

If you know of any, send them my way. come on internets, help a friend in need~

...it's the small things in life...

so i've been debating about writing this blog because i know you'll think i'm weird.   i've been waiting and waiting to get over the excitement of my new toilet paper holder, but alas i can not. it's been two full weeks and i still can't help but think about the wonder of this new product every single visit to my bathroom. so i must blog and tell you about the upgrade available in the tp holder department. 

at first glance this looks like a standard holder, right? well, this new holder is amazing! and why should you care? just be honest and tell me how much you dread changing the toilet paper roll. you don't want to be the one who takes the last piece of paper because then you have to deal with the wretched springy thing in the middle. right? it may or may not pop off and land on the floor. or stay in the holder once you connect it again. well, let me introduce you to your future new best friend.

 

with a simple lift, you change your roll. no fumbling around with a cheap plastic spring holder. 

i must implore you to head to your nearest home depot RIGHT NOW. and take your checkbook because these babies ain't your typical $5 holders.. they are 25 bucks and worth every cent. brushed nickel and all! unfortunately i was unaware of my impending future fondness with my holder, so i tossed the box without noting the brand. forgive me please.

here's a parting shot of two new BFF's...

...are you one of THOSE?...

people stress me out sometimes. 

especially ones who act all freaky around kids-- specifically MY kids. 

"don't go in there", "don't touch that", "come sit over here", "careful!", "don't give my daughter that", watching their every move as if my 4 or 5 year old will destroy their garage or house (or child) if they lose site of one of them for 5 seconds. 

annoying. 

and then i'm all wigged out, worrying what my kids are doing and what the heck they could be touching. ugh. i get tense and tangled and no fun at all. can you say STRESS?

sometimes i feel like just holing up in the house. forget the polite chatter- i'll just stay indoors.

call me when you've taken your valium. 

...cha ching...

gas... bought any lately? 75+ bucks to fill up my mini (van that is)... UGH

have you changed anything about your lifestyle since the gas prices have gotten so high? are you cutting down on travel at all?

...never say never?...

ok, so i got this idea from another blog. stolen with pride.

20 things i will NEVER do:

1.  i will never eat a fish with the eyes and tail still on it. unless it would be rude not to, and even then i promise to never enjoy it. 

2.  i will never stop looking for the best price. or buy stuff without knowing how much it costs.

3.  i will never quit loving and needing the tangible presence of God.

4.  i will never run a marathon.

5.  i will never get tired of hearing my girls sing or seeing them dance.

6.  i will never hate pedicures, manicures, or full-body massages.

7.  i will never turn down free babysitting.

8.  i will never give away my scale.

9.  i will never hate starbuck's decaf caramel frappucino's. or cinnamon spice latte's for that matter.

10.  i will never dread a date night with my husband.

11.  i will never enjoy humidity.

12.  i will never love dusting. heck, let's just add "cleaning". 

13.  i will never happily eat whatever i want without being completely aware of the consequences. (dang that weight watchers knowledge)

14.  i will never stop wishing i could be a contestant on family feud.

15.  i will never understand God's grace. 

16.  i will never sit on a public toilet seat.

17.  i will never stop missing my dad.

18.  i will never own a ferret. or a snake. eek.

19.  i will never turn down a shrimp tempura roll. especially with a little wassabi and soy sauce.

20.  i will never believe i'm old. especially in november when i turn 40. (OMG)

what are the things you'll never do? 

...bring 'em!...

it was thursday-- my last day in orlando. and i went to eat chinese for lunch with my best friend. i know it's NUTS but this was the actual fortune in my fortune cookie! well said, cookie maker. i suppose the time is now.
so here i am. in dallas, georgia, waiting for my new friends. if i can just get OUT of this house full of boxes and stuff EVERYWHERE, then maybe just maybe i'll meet them- those new friends of mine.

...God is so cool...

so i'm back. from the craziness of selling and buying a house. and from a 2 week mission trip to ghana.  did you even know i was gone? i haven't blogged for a month and a half (eeek), and i'm ready to get back to it. so give me grace if it's a little patchy over the next few weeks.

i plan to blog a bit about ghana, but for today i'm gonna start with a story about God's goodness.

yesterday i was feeling a little blue.  it was a mix of a bunch of things-- jet lag, an argument with steve, being displaced, and the reality setting in that we are in our last week of being in florida and will be leaving some really great friends.  i had decided to get a pedicure because: 1. i haven't had 30 minutes alone in 3 weeks and needed some time; 2.  my feet were in need of some serious tlc since pounding the dirt roads of ghana; 3. i only get 2 or so pedi's each year, and i've been waiting ever so patiently for my summer treat. :) so i went.

so while i'm getting my pedicure i notice an older woman come into the nail place.  i'm a people watcher, and i always find myself wondering about people's stories... what's going on in their lives, how they see themselves, and if they know jesus.  this particular woman looked a bit blue herself.  i had finished up the pedi, and she was still waiting for someone to work on her nails.  i decided to get a manicure to boot because my hands were in awful shape and it was only 8 bucks more. i was moved over to a manicure booth, and that older woman was moved to the booth next to mine.  she only said about two or three sentences to the vietnamese woman helping her, but i could tell from those 2 sentences that she was struggling in life.  i surmised that someone important in her life must have died. now, granted, i was not invited into her conversation. i just overheard her because she was 2 feet away. 

then i felt like God wanted me to encourage her. i have to admit i quickly (but temporarily) dismissed this option, because, well, i had no idea what her response would be and it's uncomfortable to approach a complete stranger with a "word" from God. so i waited. and God said to do it. i knew it was him because he wouldn't let me blow it off. and my heart was beating extra fast. ugh.... what if she screams at me about God's lack of intervention in her life, etc.? geez, i was depressed myself. i wasn't up for a theological debate in the nail place. all reasons to not do it. but i knew i was going to anyway. i listened for what he wanted me to say.

i was moved over to the drying lights, far away from my original spot next to her. after my nails were dry, i made my way back to her.  i touched her on the shoulder, leaned down, and told her that the Lord told me to tell her that everything was going to be alright, even though it may not feel like it. her eyes welled up with tears, and she asked, "really?" i showed her the emblem on my ghanaian necklace, and told her it is a west african symbol meaning "except God." except for God we can do nothing. i told her the scriptures tells us that God never lets anything happen to us that we can't handle. and reminded her once again that she would be alright. she thanked me sincerely, and i knew that our conversation-however brief- had affected her and given her hope. i didn't share overly profound words, but i'm convinced they were exactly what she needed for this season.

god is so cool. i love when he does stuff like that!  he allowed me to minister to a woman in real emotional need, and to get outside of my almost overwhelming self awareness.  i believe that he orchestrated it all-- she and i to be there at the same time, the wearing of this particular "except God" necklace on this day, the prompting of my manicure (i NEVER, EVER get a manicure AND a pedicure), and he prepared her to hear and receive encouragement from him.  he reminded me his nearness all of the time.

i want to be less aware of myself and live more aware of others and where they are. i want hear God's voice.  i want to be used by Him all of the time. life is more fun that way. and that's the way it was meant to be.  

...my life is nuts...

i've been MIA for a while now. mainly because stuff with the house was in the works, and i was waiting to be able to write that we've sold the house. and found another in georgia. SO, we've sold the house. and found another in georgia. contracts are firm, but inspections are still left. they did the inspection on our house yesterday, and we are waiting to hear their proposal for repairs. we'll do our inspection in georgia some time next week.

meanwhile, steve and i leave for a marriage retreat tomorrow morning. he's leading worship for it, and we get to go to st. simons! yippee!

i plan to get back to blogging once we return. and then i'll add some pictures of sara's 4th birthday, and other fun stuff..

~peace out~