A Purposeful Peek

It started out as my mother's idea for a family photoshoot, and it turned into something so much more… The incredibly talented Taylor at HolliB Photography captured a moment that will never be replaced or recreated. This is now one of my all-time favorite memories, and I am privileged to offer you a sneak peek inside one of life's greatest joys...    What was all of this in reaction to........? "For this child I have prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I have asked of Him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord." 1 Samuel 1:27-28 We are blessed beyond measure by God's faithfulness and perfect timing!  It has been incredibly special to hold what felt like the world's best kept secret, but our joy has been multiplied as we've shared this news with family and close friends over the past few months. We look forward to this new adventure as we welcome the L...

January was cold and snowy here in NC, and my mind has been drifting to warmer, sunnier places. And when a good friend of mine recently told me she booked her plane ticket to Greece for her upcoming honeymoon…memories of my own Greek honeymoon flooded my mind with visions of winding cobblestone streets and delicious gelato around each corner, towering ancient structures and crumbling remains of history, crepe shops tucked inside painted doorways and romantic moonlit dinners with an unobstructed view of the Parthenon.  I thought of the deep blue Mediterranean Sea and the salty breeze off the water, the windmill-dotted Greek islands and walking in the footsteps of ancient Biblical figures. And, ohhh, Santorini! The bright white domes and vibrant blue rooftops, the ornately adorned donkeys climbing the 500 stairs, the windmills of Oia and the island's famous lighthouse, black sand beaches and cliffside villages. And most of all, the sunsets… Should you ever find yourself in Greece,...

There's nothing quite like a new baby in the family to bring a whole new dimension of pure joy, laughter, and love…there's something so special about that first born that is so unique and can never be duplicated by anyone else... ok, stop! You thought I was about to make an announcement, didn't you?! Admit it. ; )   Well, the baby I'm talking about is my first nephew, Levi Blaze.  He literally came blazing into this world 3 years ago today and hasn't slowed down since!  He stole my heart when he made me an aunt and had me wrapped around his finger since the second I Skyped with my sister from her hospital bed only hours after he was born.  I had been up all night, waiting for news of his arrival, and cried when I met him (on camera) and learned his name.  I was blessed to fly out to visit him only 2 weeks later, and I got to help give one of his first baths, take him to get his first immunizations, and rock him all night so that his parents could try to get ...

For the significance of this story to be fully understood, it is best told in 3 seperate parts…especially since it's the way this story unfolded. Part I: JJ came to me one Saturday morning with a swollen, red, irritated eye.  He was pretty sure he'd simply scratched his eye while removing his contact, but over the course of the day, it became extremely painful and sensitive to light.  Against his strong-willed insistence that he would be "fine," I looked up the nearest Urgent Care clinic and all but dragged him into that waiting room.  While sitting among the crowded waiting room of people -- snotty-nosed children, old men with hacking coughs, and crying babies -- we happened to notice several framed book covers on the wall.  They appeared to be children's books, and the author's name matched a name we had seen on the window of the clinic.  When we finally got into a patient room, we asked the nurse what the story was behind those children's books on di...

"We won't be getting Christmas gifts this year. Mom can't afford them," she said very matter of factly...not in the way you might expect a child to say, with an expectation of sympathy from others. She was just stating the facts.  She and her siblings, always very humble, usually blended into the group of inner city youth that congregates every Thursday night for a program at our church called The Landing. It's a group for those with "hurts, habits, and hangups" (don't all of us fit that category?!) and a place where meals are shared and real life is lived out, discussed, and challenged. Truth is spoken into these young lives about their capability to overcome their circumstances through learning to trust, having hope, and realizing their self worth as a child of the King. This young girl's mother was an exotic dancer. Her children, ashamed of her lifestyle, prayed and pleaded with her to find a new job. Their prayer was answered when their mot...

One thing that I've prayed for since living in North Carolina is a true sense of community.  I'm not talking about learning to appreciate our city/community - that was easy to do - I'm talking about  PEOPLE who build community and do life together.  It's something I had while living in Oklahoma with my family and friends, but since moving to North Carolina, I was immediately immersed in my work (which, don't get me wrong here - I work with some incredible people who I consider dear friends!), but that was the only community I knew.  It was long hours with busy people, many of whom had family nearby to visit on holidays and weekends.  Being "transplants" from the Midwest, JJ and I were truly all each other had. While this served us well in building a strong foundation for our marriage, we began to wish for a community of people with whom we could share life, grow in our faith together, and be challenged by. After visiting many churches over our first year...

Two thousand and thirteen.  Yet another memorable year in which we were blessed by both expected and unexpected adventures.  It seems like every December, we all say "where did this year go?" It just seems to fly by.  I'm learning that if I don't take the time to consciously enjoy each adventure, it all blends together into "just another year."  While I didn't make a specific "New Year's Resolution" for 2013, my goal was to be more intentional about enjoying each month and not wishing it away in anticipation of the next season.  I think it's safe to say that although I may not have stayed in this mindset 100% of the time, this year was one in which I truly enjoyed each season.  As I reminisce about this year, here are some of my favorite memories from each month: January. Rang in the New Year celebrating the marriage of a dear friend to the love of her life. We dined and danced into 2013 with my closest college friends at The Depot in...