To Not Drown in Shallow Waters.

  It's thinking back to those first few years, well, weeks for us, that everything you ever wanted would come true...a time to be completely self centered, self absorbed, ambitious, and lay ground work for more dreams to become a reality. Two months into our very young marriage we would be invaded by a precious little girl. Our hearts were no where near parenting...we still wanted to change the world (for God, of course).  Somehow down this road, starting there, nothing has been how we planned. We've found ourselves holding onto God for dear life & at times crawling. Here's us now:

This is almost eight years later. The smiles you see on our faces are real and the joy is there. But it did not happen blissfully and overnight for us. Thank God. I look back to our beginnings and shake my head. I had no idea how to change the world, God knew this, that is why He radically changed mine. These eight years have  proven us, and what God means to us, more than all the fifteen years of simply knowing each other ever could. There has been nightmares where we really did not know if we'd have each other in the future; there have been emotional roller coasters with our kids that made us hurt more than our broken marriage. There has been loss, much pain, and a nearness of Christ that we would have never experienced any other way. In eight years Christ has seared our bond and we truly live a three cord strand. He has been our glue, our healer, our guide, & our strength. Here's the truth: 

It may be a great love story but Christ will always be the ultimate love story! You put that cross, that sacrifice, that blood, that agony, that forgiveness, that heart, that love right smack dab in the middle of your story & it is swallowed up in victory. There are things you walk through with someone that make you know there could never be another; there are testimonies that go so deep you cannot share them, but both of you know. There is a dark place you both have walked to with Christ. Those times you and your spouse don't know each other anymore, are the times you seek to know the only one who is worth knowing. How else does God make two, one? How else does God lay two self centered people down and raise one soul walking hand in hand? 

Our "first years" have most definitely not been common, but God knew I would otherwise drown in shallow waters. Had we had a normal beginning with all the pleasures of seeking to make us happy, we'd die. Die spiritually. Somehow in the uncommon, quite young,  dark beginnings I found my soul mate, and the creator of my soul. God used our past, our marriage, & our children to radically wake us up to Him. It may not have been the road we talked about for ourselves--but God by His great mercy saw fit to take us another route; one a little more steep; a little harder to climb; a little foggier; and with a much better view. 

I do not claim to have all the answers but be encouraged here. There is nothing too far out of reach that God cannot restore, heal, cover, cleanse & make new. There is no pain too unbearable that He cannot ultimately take. There is no wrong done against you too big that He cannot give you the power to forgive. 

I have recently been thinking of Shad- rack, Me- shack & Ab- indigo. Three Hebrew men thrown in the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than normal. The only thing burned off of them was their bonds. The son of God in the midst of them, they walk out free. How casual we take these testimonies. How small we see our God. Have you come to a place to see Him as He really is? Over all, in all and working through all. If we really saw God in control of all, would our faith not stir a little, and would we shake the water off from the shallow, safe end and follow Him to the depths. Do we trust Him with something small as our relationships, and even bigger, our lives? Or our kids' lives? What a relief if we saw God as those in the early days did; Sovereign and mighty to save! Why is faith a shield? Why does faith literally protect from fiery darts? But here's the thing...i can't just choose to have faith in faith itself....I need my eyes opened to who i'm actually serving. There's a mighty big difference in having faith and having faith in God! The true living God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is the God I long to know. The God of the Bible who has graciously made Himself known in so many small areas of my life; I want the faith to know Him in bigger. 

What about you? How has He held out His hand and asked you to walk out of the shallow waters of life & follow Him to the depths? 

A peek inside our Holy Week :)

I wanted to share with you our week leading up to Resurrection Sunday!
Last year I was thrilled doing a small garden with the girls that showed the empty tomb, etc. This year I took it a step further and we did a lesson and activity every night. Some nights included Justin and I acting out the story which brushed us both up on our theatre skills. It was nothing short of awesome. And fun. And beneficial. And some nights emotional. 

Our first night started with Palm Sunday! "Hosannah! Hosannah!" Our activity included the homemade palm branches (yes, made from a cut out of their palm. *snickers*). Everyone got a turn riding the donkey (played by their sweet daddy) and playing Jesus. I actually loved this first night---Hosannah, meaning 'Jesus save!!' while they threw their coats and palm branches in His path. Thank you, Jesus, you did! 

Our second night introduced Mary Magdeline. The woman forgiven of much who therefore loved much! She is the woman as we all remember who walked into the midst of many accusers and fell at Jesus' feet and wept. She broke the expensive perfume and poured everything out on the one who she saw as the most valuable. This was acted out by Justin and I, and in the middle of telling this story I did choke up....how can you not feel the overflowing love of this woman sitting at the feet of love Himself. Our activity included the girls emptying their piggy banks with a bag full of coin rollers laid out counting that money! This was to be their offering for Resurrection Sunday! What they hold as valuable given to one who is priceless!

Our third night was especially special. Here we introduced the foot washing ceremony Jesus  performed at the Last Supper. Our activity included our very own foot washing....Justin and I washed Lauren's, Lauren washed Libby's, and Libby washed bubby's. But....we made sure to muddy up those feet first! A great lesson to be learned here. 

Our fourth night was the Last Supper. Our activity was exactly that--the Lord's supper. 

(It was important to Libby to be a "real" disciple.)

Our fifth night we followed Jesus to the Garden where He wept. We talked about His sacrifice.... Our activity included gathering rocks and writing things we struggle with on them; once this was done we formed them into a cross in the ground stressing why He died. And that He took our place....

Our sixth night was the resurrection cookies. Each ingredient symbolizes a specific part of His death: Vinegar, what they gave Jesus on the cross when He was thirsty. Salt, representing the bitter tears of those who mourned His death. Crushed nuts, representing how His body was broken for us. So far, the ingredients are not very appealing! Egg white, representing the righteousness of God! But then you add a cup of sugar, representing the whole reason why He did this! Ultimate love, eternal life and a hope! drop them by the spoon full and throw in oven, which represents the tomb, tape it shut and the next morning they are hollow! Because He is risen!

We had a great time making these and I love the idea of them. The girls' favorite part that night was taping the tomb shut! Our cookies were not hollow the next morning unfortunately, not sure what we did wrong. We'll try again next year! :)

Resurrection Sunday included checking our cookies in the empty "tomb," gathering their rolled coin they did on night two for church, and these sweet pictures we did after service Sunday.

I also had their "sin" rocks we made into a cross on night five gathered into a bowl with a red cloth, representing Jesus' blood and covered with a white cloth showing we are made clean by that blood. But on the backside of each rock was written a new gift we receive to replace that sin. Praise God, our struggles are not only forgiven, nailed down, but replaced!

Feel free to share how you kept Jesus at the heart of Easter for your kids. There are many, many great ideas out there. A couple nights we also added coloring pages to go with the night's story & listened to the Kids Audio bible for each lesson. May we strive as Christian households to uphold Jesus in our celebrations & lifestyles. 

Blessings!!