Saturday, August 31, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
sunday sand dollars
{pardon my funky nail - the girls and I were "playing" with nail polish!}
saturday was supposed to be our beach day - but the rain was so spotty - we decided to swap day plans...
as we headed out - it was storming and I got a bit upset - I really needed/wanted to relax on the beach... I was discouraged ... BUT ... we kept driving in the direction of the beach anyway ... once we made it through the rain - it cleared up & there were beautiful skies waiting for us... we ended up having such a lovely day. I found the two sand dollar parts in the background of this picture - and as I walked along with our 2 boys, just talking and hanging out - Dylan spotted this big guy in the picture - it was completely covered up by sand - only the center of the star was peeking through - and as he bent down to look at a shell next to it - he noticed the star...we were so excited when I pulled it from the sand & uncovered such a large, in tact sand dollar - and I was even more excited when he let me keep it!
Friday, July 26, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
wine-less wednesday & the beach
Every other Wednesday for the past year and a half - Chris and I have gone out on date night.
What started out as a joke has become a long time "tradition" for us.
We love Carrabbas - and it quickly became our "Wednesday night place"...
There, Wednesdays are called Wine Wednesday - because ot the deals they offer on wine etc... we laughed and joked - even made fun of it a bit the first couple of times we went...but somehow Wine Wednesday, as an actual title for date night just stuck. I love that we make it a priority to have that time together... to get out - to be alone - to connect.
We have a million memories and a ton of inside jokes from those nights...
We've tried EVERY bottle of wine they offer, most of the servers know us now & we even skip ahead of the line when certain hosts are at the door...it's pretty cool - one of my favorite things is that
each time we go I save the cork from our bottle of wine, date it and keep it in a giant glass jar displayed in my home as a memory of the night.
Ok, all of that to say...
last night was Wednesday.
It was a "wineless" Wednesday as
we decided to break from the "routine", pack a picnic & head out to the beach.
I have not been to the beach since we got back from FL and I was "itching" for it...
We attempted a beach trip on Saturday - even drove out - but the storms were rolling in and we didn't have a shot at beach time.
So at 5pm - after work - a stressful day & getting kids settled we headed out.
Let me just say it was perfect.
The beach was EMPTY... peaceful, calm.
I say all that time that I just feel more "me" when I am at the beach.
Clear headed thinking, the sun, the sand between my toes, that salty breeze, the slow pace walk...it's like every weight gets lifted off of my shoulders and I can breathe.
We walked slowly down the beach, hunted for shells & lost track of time...
I think we walked the entire time... just talking, and finding treasures...
3 hours later...
we found the most incredible shells I had ever found, the largest shells I've ever found - and every so often we would find a whole sand dollar ... I love that feeling... the excitement of spotting it - running over to it and grabbing it...
3 whole sand dollars total - a couple of perfect halves and various pieces...
Overall, it was an absolutely wonderful trip - and even though I didn't get to work on my tan, I am so glad we chose to do something different, step out of our "norm" and spend out night "time warping" at the beach.
those are the things that matter.
those are the moments that are important.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
every morning
this is one of my MOST favorite sayings...
I am so incredibly thankful that this is true - that His joy comes in the morning, that His blessings are new each day.
today... I am hopeful!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
psalm 46:10
verse for today:
Psalm 46:10
"Be still and know that I am God"
sometimes I have to stop and remember to just be still.
be quiet.
listen.
wait.
trust.
sometimes I have to stop and remember to just be still.
be quiet.
listen.
wait.
trust.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
ziploc bags
what God showed me about expectancy ...
if you are reading this blog at all - or know me at all - then you realize that I absolutely LOVE looking for shells - the peaceful, slow paced walk as I search, the quiet time with God & finding the beautiful treasures.
I try to make sure I have a container with me when I walk because it never fails...a simple walk down the beach will turn into an arm full of shells with nowhere to put them...
{maybe I need a "fanny pack?!}
ha.
Anyway while we were in Florida visiting, I realized I didn't have anything with me that I could carry down to the beach easily - so I grabbed a large ziploc bag... the giant size - not the sandwich or quart sized.
As I was walking along - there were a few other "hunters" out walking the beach looking for shells. I noticed in each of their hands were ziploc bags as well... but instead of a big bag - they each had a very small sandwich sized bag.
Noticing the small size of the bag - I thought to myself about how very little those bags would hold...and how that was certainly not big enough for me - for what I was expecting to find.
Right then I realized - it's about expectancy - you see I was EXPECTING to find a lot of shells or treasures...
I expected to receive MORE.
It's so similar to our walk with God - what we are expecting FROM Him...
What we are believing Him for.
I know for myself
I want to come to him expecting more than I could ever ask for or think to ask him for...
I want to come to Him with the largest ziploc bag!
I don't want to be satifsfied with a little - or just getting by - I want ALL that He has for me.
Mark 11:24
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)