Love Is In Bloom

           When I was in school, by the time I was a junior I felt a leading from the Lord to go to John Brown University for college. I had applied before senior year and had already accepted. I was THAT sure of it. I wanted to go to school for ministry and cover all my bases, so that one day I could be in Women's ministry. (Something I believe is still in my future;) There was just one problem- I did not have any friends there. Sometimes I have the strength to be outgoing, but I really don't like the idea of first impressions and the awkwardness of getting to a close friendship. I was exhausted at the thought of all that it would take to make a close friend when I got there. I had been surrounded by the same best friends since middle school and then spent my summers with my kindred spirit camp counselor friends. How was I going to manage at this school where no one knew anything, but their impressions of me?              I'll never forget my first week at JBU. I had a lu

         I am sitting in my new room at my new house, tired from the journey it took to get to this place of peace in our living situation, but mainly I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord who was with us every step of the way. His ways truly were higher and greater than I imagined in the times that things seemed to make no sense at all and I felt so in the dark about his plan. I am grateful for his grace to keep me from losing heart and I'm so grateful for the people who carried us in prayer and helped us in countless ways along the way. Last blog post, I wanted to wait and see how the closing of our house played out before writing all the details of the last part of our journey to finally have a house in Little Rock and no longer a house in KC. I pray I remember every detail, because God's fingerprints were all over it and my faith has been built enormously.          This Summer when our KC house was not selling and financially it was straining to have that house now

     I write to you, humbled, by the grace of my amazing Lord, who in his absolute goodness and loving kindness has allowed me to go through trials this year that have changed me for the better.      I have wanted to write for a while, about the journey Jesus has taken me on, but every time I would try to share, he kept telling me "The story isn't over...wait to share this testimony, because I have an even better ending for it, dear one." Tonight, I am wide awake feeling like He is saying, its time, at least for this portion. :) I pray He gives me the words to describe what He has shown me through this year, because it is too beautiful for what I have vocabulary for.         When we moved to Little Rock, we had a lot of confirmation that we were supposed to come here and all the doors were opened, except for the fact we still had a house in KC. After a few months of it being on the market, we had a couple ask to rent our house for a year and we prayed about it and fel

              If I tell my testimony of my life with Christ, it is interwoven with a place I went many times and in many seasons of my early life. This place is called Brookhill Ranch Camp.When I speak of my friends, you will hear of a handful that I met at this place. In fact, if you look in my text messages, I am talking to three of my camp friends and in my inbox messages I am in a group inbox with an entire girls staff from long ago and four other separate conversations with friends I met there. This place is interwoven in who I am, but the amazing thing is that it is not the actual place that makes me who I am, but a living Lord that encountered me with his incredible love and transformed me through this place many times.                   It all started when my parents let me go with my childhood best friend to camp and we made memories. I was the camper who snuck food and brought ants in the cabin and passed notes instead of slept. I was the camper who inevitably would choose f

              Well, I am sitting here with a swollen face once again trying to fight an infection in the bone of my face. My house is a mess, my laundry is way over do, and I need to make a trip to the grocery store realllllllly badly, but I am too afraid of the crazy hand, foot, and mouth going around to take my children anywhere near a shared grocery vehicle. I would like to say my Bible is split in half by my couch, because I have been reading it so much, but the truth is that Evy got a hold of it and went to town. The amount of times we have watched classic Mickey cartoons this week is absurd and there was a scorpion in my bedroom yesterday. Although all of these reasons may be why you think I say I have insurance to not judge other moms, it is actually just a cherry on top of  my real reason! ;) (I'm even blogging with all this going and have watched "Elle's Whats Up Moms" youtube channel in my "spare" time, so that can be added;) My real insurance to n

A year ago tonight....                            I had butterflies in my stomach and wondered how I could possibly sleep knowing that tomorrow I would meet my daughter. I could only dream of what she might look like and be like, but she surpassed all my expectations the moment our eyes met. I remember walking into the hospital the next day for my induction and having the biggest smile on my face excited to get this baby in my arms. The day for the most part went very smoothly and I had only a little bit of pain even with induced contractions. I barely felt any of them even before the epidural and that was a miracle in itself. I remember our first night together and how she snuggled in a perfect newborn ball on my chest for the first part of the night. She was beautiful, she was snugly, and she was mine! :) I remember even if she was asleep, I was hardly sleeping just peeking at her "one" more time. There is nothing like the high I feel after meeting my children for the firs

I believe that God uses children to praise him and tell of the Lord's glory (psalm 8:2) Yesterday my mom asked me if I have been talking to Samuel about Easter. I probably should have been, but I honestly forgot it was coming up so fast! He is going through a phase where he says no to almost anything-except if you say a truth about Jesus ,he will look at you with a big sincere smile and say "Yessssss!", "oh yes!", or smile and nod really big. He kept saying to me last week "what does God say? Hmm? What does God say?"And he would finish with "the Bible tells". This would remind me to read my Bible when I hadn't .He also likes to make anything into the shape of a cross and yesterday my mom said something like:"do you know that Jesus is our savior and died on the cross for our sins and rose again?" (Explaining Easter) and Samuel responded "YES!!!! Holy, Holy, Holy!" That is possibly one of the purest and truest responses

            Some people are horrified by riding in airplanes, snakes, sharks, spiders etc., but for me, one of my biggest fears is the dreaded STOMACH BUG. I wake up sometimes in anxiety and I am just afraid I will feel nauseas, which makes me feel nauseas and turns into a horrible cycle. This fear started after I had two hyperemesis gravitum pregnancies. I think part of me is afraid the stomach bug will come and not leave for months at a time (the reality of my pregnancies), but another part of me just realizes it is really just that awful. It also really hurts my heart when I see other people feeling this horrible feeling and going through something like the stomach bug. I do not wish that feeling on anyone, ESPECIALLY my children.               Four nights ago, I woke up to my precious daughter screaming in her bed. She had thrown up and it had gotten in her eyes and all over (ill spare the details). I felt shock and my knees going weak, because I was so sad and afraid and sorry al

I never want to forget... -The way Evelyn almost constantly sits in the splits and uses her pointer finger to search out your face- if she really likes you. That pointer finger is always ready to be in my business.;) - When Logan is out late at Pray Now and me and Samuel watch BBC Cranford together instead of going to bed. Or, I put him to bed and miss him too much and we decide to play some more, because he is really fun to be with. - The way Evelyn is so hilarious! She is just plain funny and makes me laugh every single day with her funny looks and optimistic outlook on life. She is like an energizer bunny and then all of a sudden she will sleep 6:30pm- 9am on a regular basis! I love how we both love a long nights sleep so much. (I wish Samuel did!hehe) - The feeling of Samuel crawling into our bed before the sun comes up and how he sometimes falls asleep between Logan and I...or most of the time doesn't, but still lays next to us giving us kisses or smiling, just happy to be

*I have had this post as a draft for a long time, but did not feel peace from God to post it yet. I needed to experience and learn a few more things before I finished and made it public. The story I talk about happened a couple of months ago. Hearing Hettie Lou speak this weekend put into words what I had been feeling in my heart, but was not sure how to say. I know how to say it now.:)*             I wanted to take Samuel to his favorite breakfast place and my mom said she would come with us. I had been up with Evelyn the night before and Samuel randomly woke up at 5:45, when he usually wakes up at 7:30. I was really tired and was looking forward to getting out and shaking off the horrible exhausted feeling that sometimes lingers if I stay at home. It had been a lot of days with no break and Samuel was in a season of being extra demanding and I felt at the end of my rope. There are times when toddlers need constant discipline before they realize they are not the ones in charge and i

     My birthday wish is always the same every year and I am not afraid to share it, because I do not believe in magic or luck.;) I do believe in the power of prayer, miracles, and that God's word and Spirit are alive and active in my life, so I will share my "wish", which is more like a prayer. It is this: "To do God's will to the fullest extent, no matter the cost and to know him more deeply this year than ever before." I hope that you will pray that over me as I pray it over myself. I am excited for another chance to live another year for the one who gave everything for me-Jesus Christ. My blessings are more than I could have dared to hope for and I am so thankful! This is my first birthday with TWO kids! Things are not always easy and the road to this birthday with two kids had trials, but I am so full of joy and thankful for all that He has done this year in my life! Evelyn is my biggest present this year! Birthdays make me reflective and  I love lookin