Restore

I invite all of you to watch this amazing transformation. I really can't say enough to describe the difference between where out church was a year ago, and where it is now. I promise, you won't be disappointed that you spent five minutes watching this... I even made the cut during production. This girl who is usually on the opposite side of the camera squeezed in a sound bite, haha. Enjoy!

Emerald Coast and Easter

We made our first Destin trip of the season over the weekend- and it was no small feat. Not only did the regulars go (Steph, Me, Liz and Wyatt) but we added a few "newbies" to the group this time :)

Kurt was thrilled, I am sure, to have SEVEN women and two children take over his house. Among the bras, panties, bathing suits, night gowns, diapers, tampons, hair bows, sippy cups, bottles, toothpaste, face wash, Vera Bradley and sand toys, we managed to disseminate every semblance of order in his home.

But, we DID make it to the beach and almost not lose our minds. My child acted in typical two-year-old fashion and made a scene every where we went-- come to find out, he had Bronchitis and so did half our party upon returning on Sunday. Other than the meltdowns and the illness- I count the trip a success. Especially since Kurt's new girlfriend didn't run screaming for the hills after spending the weekend with the crazy Olis/Hamm crew :)


I am still trying to get back into the swing of things this week as we prepare to celebrate Easter season. I just love this time of year--not because of the baskets, the egg hunts and the blooming foliage, but because I simply cannot think of anything more sacred than celebrating the ultimate gift of Grace.

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. " 1 Corinthians 1:17

Elf on A Shelf?

I realize I have been slacking on this blog, and I promise to add our Thanksgiving/Christmas season pictures very soon. The busier each year gets, and the more shopping, decorating and celebrating I participate in the less I seem to focus on the real reason for the season.

We found out on Monday that one of Wyatt's precious teachers at school was killed in a tragic car accident last week. Miss Jessie was one of the kindest, most gentle person I had ever met, and she had a very special love for Wyatt. She will be deeply missed. This news really caused me to stop and think about all the things I take for granted on a daily basis, and how hard this time of year is for a lot of people. The commercialism and the gifts and the parties don't matter. I am so very, very blessed with family and friends and a good job and a home and the list goes on and on and on...

I want Wyatt to know and feel the joy that this time of year brings... and boy does he! He knows who Santa is, and that he is supposed to be good and that the Christmas tree is completely magical. He goes ape over the lights in our neighborhood and can't wait for his presents. I am so happy about this, and I can't wait for Christmas Day... but I also want him to know that we would have none of these things if it weren't for the birth of Jesus.

This year I have decided to forgo the "elf on a shelf" that so many people celebrate. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, and we may do it next year- but I just couldn't add one more "thing" to take away from what I feel our focus should be on. With Santa alone, I am struggling to help Wyatt understand the correlation between the fat man in the red suit and the babe in the manger. We play with his nativity set each night, we are singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and I may just get a cake as well. I hope that these traditions will instill in him what is really important.

Merry Christmas!

Easter Egg Hunt and Fishing with Daddy....

Working hard on his crafts...
The scariest Easter Bunny EVER- and of course my child loved the scary bunny- ha!

Wyatt had a very fun weekend! On Saturday, we took him to his very first Easter egg hunt. Not only did he look incredibly handsome (sorry Mark :), he also loved the action of retrieving and tossing the eggs in his basket. He practically mauled the other toddlers over to get as many eggs as he possibly could before the other hunters spotted them. We kept apologizing to the other parents as he pushed their little ones aside to get to the plastic goodness lurking among the grass. I can already tell he has his Mom's competitive spirit and his Dad's eagle eyes- this kid wasn't messing around, that's for sure.

Not only did little man encounter his first egg hunt, he also went on his first fishing trip with Daddy. I didn't get home from running errands in time to relieve Mark (oops :) so, Wyatt got to join in on the fun. Worms, fish, a boat and the lake- what's not for a little boy to love?

On Sunday, Wyatt has lots of playtime- in the nursery, at a birthday party and a family dinner with his cousins from Indiana. I think this little man is worn out from all the fun.

We are so excited for Easter. What a special week this is! I try every day to focus on Christ's journey to Calvary. It really helps me to keep all the petty every day stresses in focus, when I think about all that Jesus has done for me. A sinner in need of a Savior, I am forever indebted to His grace and mercy which flows freely- His grace is amazing, isn't it?

Living Simply

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. " James 1:2

This was the verse that Pastor Brian based his sermon on yesterday. I have read this verse many times when studying scripture, and it always has given me hope when I myself, or others are going through tough times. Yesterday, however, there was a new light to these words- a new angle on this message. I felt God speaking straight to my heart as he used our minister to speak words that I so desperately needed to hear.

The message was titled "It" and the opening questions were clear- What are you living for? What is IT to you? Before Pastor Brian could even complete the sentence- the answer scrolled through my head like the ticker on the bottom of the business channel. The lies that satan have spun in my heart are as thick as black tar.

Be the perfect mother, be the perfect wife, be the perfect employee, the perfect daughter, the perfect friend, the perfect homemaker, the perfect christian, the perfect hostess, the perfect (fill-in-blank) Perfection is just around the corner- just keep going, because perfection equals affirmation. No one will love you if you are only mediocre. There is no room in this world for failures.

When you cut the crap, when you get down to the core of things... when I am only left with my inner thoughts and desires- that is my IT. Perfection is what I strive for, what I have always chased and chased and chased. Frankly, IT is exhausting. I never can just be. How sad is that? Instead of chasing the Lord of my life, instead of overflowing with abundance in Him, instead of crying out to the God Almighty- I try to do IT myself, and I am left drained, empty and stressed- constantly stressed. Instead of being grateful for what the Lord has given me, I am constantly thinking about what I need next. I try to fit my relationship with Christ in a box- always making excuses for pushing my quiet time off the table- after I dust, after I fold laundry, after I feed Wyatt... until it doesn't happen at all.

This week I am holding myself accountable to ending this viscious cycle, one habit at a time. God's lesson to me couldn't haven't have come at a better time- when I needed to hear it most. Mark is out of town, and I am hosting our bible study on Wednesday. As usual, I am behind on my lessons. Normally, I would be scrubbing floors and dusting my furniture until it gleamed- but this week, my quiet time and my son will be taking precent over the dirty grout in my kitchen. My friends love me for who I am- my Lord loves me for me- not for my spotless house.

Thank you Jesus for your unending grace and mercy- Thank you for showing me that I am NOT perfect, and never will be. Thank you for loving me in spite of my black heart- help me to be a little less like Martha, and little more like You.