Claustrophobia Vs. Courage.....

Marked one off the old Summer Bucket List yesterday!

Last year's bucket--note to self--get new bucket this week.
you get the visual.

We went to Chattanooga for the day yesterday! We have not been in about 3 or 4 years. Presley was in a stroller the last time we went, so it has been a while.

It's always been one of my most favorite trips! It never gets old. Ever.

Here are some memories from our trip.

First Stop: Incline Railway at Lookout Mountain

YES, this is steep! One mile up the mountain! Deep breaths...

we made it safely!

Maw Maw is the reason this whole trip was made possible. :)
thank YOU!!!

yes, we are THOSE people

my favorite tree! a Canadian hemlock

some nice folks offered to take our picture. Rock city ROCKS!

STRONG kids holding up a big rock!

Last but not least--Ruby Falls.

Okay, I would be a little remiss if I didn't tell you this: I did not go through Ruby Falls with everyone. Nope. Couldn't do it.

Let me explain...I have this little thing about tight spaces. No entrance, no exit, dark, and many people. And caves.

I am pretty sure the diagnosis is claustrophobia. Yep, that one.

We all took the long elevator down into the ground of Ruby Falls. I was prepared and prayed up to go through with it. We exited the elevator, and suddenly my chest felt like an elephant was pouncing on it. For real.

I stayed for a few minutes, and quickly told my family that I had to get out of there. Now.

The tour guide was super sweet and quickly led me back to the elevator. She told me as we rode back up to light, air, and wide spaces....that it happens a lot. They call it the "short tour".

Reassuring. Or at least she tried to be.

So, I was a member of the "short tour group". Probably even the President.

The advantage? We received a refund for my ticket. Yay.

The last thing I remember when I was running back to the elevator to find air, light, and wide spaces was Joseph saying, "Summer of Courage, Mom! Remember!! You can do this!"

Oops.

I said back to him: "Claustrophobia overrides Courage. Every.single.time."

Yeah, that's it.

What's on your Summer Fun Bucket List?


no more caves, darkness, or underground trips for a while,


jill

Summer of......

It's Summer time!

A friend said that she and her children started a "Summer of..." this year.

Well, this stuck like glue to me, because I love any kind of traditions!

Joseph and I decided on:

"Summer of Courage".

We both liked this idea because we wanted to encourage each other to step out and do something we normally would not do. Something it would take lots of courage to do!

Several things have already come up that have challenged us in this area---and we LOVE the challenge!

As we were getting dinner ready a couple of nights ago, we decided we would also incorporate the

"Summer of Culture"into our meal times.

I want my children to be well versed in different foods and cultures. This has always been important to me. Joseph went to Italy with us in 2009, and the things that he learned while there have never been forgotten. Presley keeps reminding us that it's HER turn. :)

We began our Summer of Culture last night with Mexican Night. Tacos, black beans, corn, and churros were on the menu. Of course, the kids had orange drinks made in Mexico as well. Danny had a Fanta Orange because he was a last minute show-up after tennis practice. He was happy to oblige the Fanta Orange. :-)

We spoke some Spanish words as we ate, and I got out the globe and showed the kids where Mexico was. 

Tonight, in keeping with our Summer of Culture, we had Italian Night. Spaghetti, salad, and pretend-mineral water were on the menu. If you order water in Italy, they automatically assume you mean mineral water in a bottle. You have to be very specific and say "no gas" for regular water, OR you say "with gas" for mineral water. {see, we learned something there} :-)

The kids have already requested a Chinese, Japanese, and American night in the near future. 

I've got some research to do on some other countries and their foods and culture in the meantime. 

I have to say that this reminds me SO much of the things my Momma would do with us! She was the MOST fun Momma! She would make homemade biscuits and shape them into little animals. Everything was fun when we were little! I hope and pray my kids will remember these little things just like I remember all of the fun details that we did as a family. :)

Mexican!

Mexican Moustaches by Presley ;)

moustache kids

spanish olives

chips and salsa

Danny's sign <3 font="">

finally, time to eat! couldn't wait for Daddy and Joseph!

homemade churros and whip cream
{my version--breadsticks, melted butter and cinnamon, and bake in oven--yummy!}

Mothers, daughters, and silly pictures....

Happy Mother's Day 

2013

Just Be Scared....

My new favorite quote! 

I challenged my kids to do this every single day last week. 

Get your heart racing, be BOLD, be courageous!

Walking, Talking, and Drinking.....

I just took a walk. It was after dinner, and my soul was craving time with the Lord. Outside, walking, in the beauty of His creation.

My head was spinning, I needed to hear His Voice.

We walked together, He and I. I talked, I shared my heart, I thanked Him for all that I saw. From the birds nest hanging delicately from the pine tree, to the tip top of a tree that had broken off and was just pointing heaven-ward.

I noticed the neighbors dog walking in front of me. Gleeful and playful was she. Not a care in the world. Blissfully unaware of danger or worries, or anything really.

I was jealous for a moment. Lord, why did you make us humans with this brain and all of the complexities? Why do we have the capacity to worry and to be shaky in our Trust and Faith?

No answer. Just birds chirping.

I kept talking, sharing my heart and claiming my stake at the Cross. The stake that He gave me when He died for me.

"I will walk forward, Lord. I will lead women to You through Your Word. I will not look to the right or to the left, but straightforward. I will walk strong, arms by my side, not walking too fast or too slow. Just straight forward. I will lead women to Your Word. You have called me, and I will answer the call. I will not shrink back when I see the snake in the grass {the enemy} hissing at me to stop in my tracks. Telling me lies, and telling me danger lies ahead. I will not listen to him when he tells me to be safe, stay where you are. I will keep walking. In fact, I will step on his head and wipe him from my shoe. I will keep walking, strong arms, strong legs, strong heart beating for You. Beating for You."

I said these words to Him. I vowed these words to my Lord. He spoke these words through me to be spoken aloud to Him.

I then turned my face upwards to the heavens and felt the lightest rain falling on my face. It sprinkled my skin and even tingled.

"Drink of me, daughter. Drink of my Goodness. Take as much as you want, it's always there. Feel Me on your skin. Drink of my Love."

My eyes burned with tears, a lump formed in the deepest part of my throat, and I surrendered to Him.

I will drink, Lord.

I thought of the manna that He sent the Israelites. While they complained daily, He still fed them, nourished them. Dare they complain that it wasn't enough?

Dare I complain that He's not enough?

I surrendered the steering wheel that I never had control of. I pictured myself a child in the back seat of a car with a fake steering wheel. Actually believing that I was driving the car.

It's false. I never was driving the car. He has been all along.

The Blessed Controller of the Universe.

I'm safe.

He created me for His Purposes. I will live in His calling and His purposes for me. I will not shrink back in fear of what is to come, but I will walk tall, leading, eyes straight forward. My armor is impenetrable. His armor protects me.

Perfect love drives out fear. Fear is the opposite of faith.

I look around and see the Glory of my surroundings. Getting a glimpse of what the dog sees. Just pure bliss. Bliss.

I turn the corner to walk up the drive-way up to the house. I see something out of my peripheral.

It's beckoning my attention.

I turn to the left, and see a yellow flower, all alone, standing tall in the ground.

Surrounded by nothing, but grass and weeds, this yellow flower.

Yellow, my favorite color.

Standing tall, among the weeds of the world. Vibrant. Brilliant. Glorious.

I took my gift. My gift from Him.

And thanked Him.

Easter Love.....

Happy Easter 2013!

"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 

They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people"

Matthew 27:50-53

I'm an Addict....

I have a confession:

I am addicted to God's Word. I am. It's true.

Since giving up coffee, which I treasured like an addict would treasure their chosen drug of choice, I have been finding replacements for that addiction.

I think I've hit the jackpot.

Afternoon carpool was my favorite time to sip on this drug. It made me happy. It just did.

However, since detoxing from my happy drug, I have a new carpool routine.

I turn on my youversion bible app on my phone. This superior sounding British-y guy reads me the Bible in His perfectly polished accent.

I let the words wash over me like a spring rain. It's the most exhilarating thing that I've ever done. Truly, it is.

Something about God's word being spoken over you....there are no words to describe.

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:17

We are reading Numbers right now in the Bible. It's fascinating. Moses had some stellar faith. He heard from God. A lot.

I found myself questioning why the Lord did not speak to us audibly? Why did He choose to deposit within us the Holy Spirit instead of showing up in a burning bush and talking? Hmm?

After the thoughts left my heart, the answer rang in my ears.

He speaks every day. Every minute. Every second.

Not only that, but we can hear Him as much {or as little} as we want to.

How?

When we read HIS Word. 

Hello.

goodbye caffeine--hello TRUTH,


jill

Empty.....

I know I have some readers that are not SHINE subscribers, so I wanted to post this here on this site.

This subject has been on my heart for weeks, and I knew the Lord was leading me to write about it. It was a hard post to write. Only because it's so personal. Sometimes it's hard putting a mirror up to your soul, because you don't always like what you see.

But, if we don't see---we don't know change is needed. The Lord shines the light on the places that need revealing---and healing.

Thursday SHINE:

Happy Thursday, SHINE sisters! Is this week flying by, or is it just me? Maybe it's because Numbers has picked up the pace a bit. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all the words in the Bible. However, some stories just take a little longer to get through, you know?

I've never been big on numbers, anyway. Numbers in the numerical sense. Counting, adding, anything math-ish....blah, blah, blah.

Just not my thing.

So, when the Bible speaks of the number of sacrifices being made in explicit detail, I get a little lost. A little distracted.

 My mind wanders to other things--i need to call the dentist, i need to go to the gym today,  wonder what I can scrape up for dinner, did I wash Lem's underwear, i desperately need a pedicure, Oh, and my fingernails--yikes! where's that cute nail polish, did i leave it at the beach....

 {The Lord knows this is how I operated, He made me this way.}

Moving on.

So, our memory verse has had me thinking, pondering, and praying ALL week.

Am I hungry for Him?? Am I really hungry for Him?

Oh my, how the Lord knows how I have in the past filled my heart with everything but Him.

I would cram everything into this God-sized hole thinking it would fill that void that only belongs to our True Love, The Father.

For me, it wasn't a substance, but it was a a lot of other things. Things that I would literally crave, because there was such emptiness there.

Since I'm prone to being an open book, I will just share with you what those things were.

Approval. Being liked. Being sought after.

Oh, yeah. That was me.

I looked high and low, in every dark crevice I could find to get an approval fix. It's true.

My desparation for approval only drew me further from Him. I would go on approval binges, seriously.

For me this is what it looked like: Calling the friends I knew would tell me what I wanted to hear. Getting on social media and blowing it up with "please, please look at me!" phrases and such. Oh, yeah.  Let's just let it all hang out, shall we?

The fix would come. I would be on a high. Then guess what? I would crash and burn. Every single time.

Maybe you don't have an approval addiction. Maybe it's something else that you fill that hole with.  {Oh, and trust me I have many more things I've tried to stick in that hole, we will just stick to this one today.}

Friend, let me tell you from personal experience, there is NOTHING in this world that can fill you up, and satisfy that void, like Jesus Christ. NOTHING.

When the Lord showed me, after much misery over my crashing and burning, that I was looking in all the wrong places--I then had a choice.

I could believe Him, and start filling that gaping hole with Him. OR, I could believe Him, but not really trust Him with that hole.

Not trusting Him with that hole for me looked like this: Continuing to go to the places I knew I could still get my fix. Just in case, He didn't show up for me.

Oh, I'm cringing now. The truth hurts.

I've learned {after many failed attempts of not trusting Him} to trust Him. Believe Him.

Instead of devouring the world and the many things luring me to get my fix, I started to allow my heart and my mind to be lured by Him.

Girls, there's nothing else more satiating.

There is a verse that keeps popping up everywhere I go. I love when He does this. It's His reminder to me that I desperately need Him. No matter how far I think I've come, I'm just a "fix" away from being back in that empty place.


"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him."
2 Chronicles 16:9

Do me a favor and read that verse again. Let it sink in.

Friends, where are your hearts?

Are you hungry for Him?

What is the first thing you crave each morning? Is it Him? Or is it everything but Him.

Do you just go to Him when you have tried everything else and realize it's not filling you up?

Or, are you maintaining your heart by a daily dose of filling that empty space with His Word, and His Truth.

Did you know that physiologically speaking we often mistake thirst for hunger? Yes! Often times, we are feeling the craving for water, but instead go straight to food. Meanwhile, we are dehydrated and don't even realize it.

It's the same way with these "fixes" we get ourselves into. We choose the wrong thing to fill that hole--and end up dry as a desert.

Let me just shoot real straight.....

We often go to others for this filling or this fix. We go to Pinterest, to Twitter, to Facebook, just looking for that cozy scripture, or that perfect inspirational quote from someone we admire. We long to find someone who can give us just the "spring" we need to get us feeling good. To get us back on track. To get our "fix."

The enemy will use any tool, even seemingly innocent ones, to draw us away from seeking The Father. When we start to use these tools as a "replacement" for our time spent with Him and His Word--the enemy wins. We lose. Every time.

Can I just be real?

Let's quit looking to be inspired, and let's start looking to get infused.

Infused with His Word.

Infused by Him.

Oh mercy me! I think we will stop here. I think I've given us enough to chew on today.
{i may choke!}


stepping on my very own toes,

jill

Bragging Rights...

This school year has been exciting!

Presley's art work was on exhibit at the Morgan Cultural Center! :) 

We are so proud of our little budding artist! Those creative genes did NOT come from her maternal side, I am here to tell ya. ;)

Presley's art work!

a doggie :)

Now, we celebrate Joseph! He was inducted into the National Junior Honors Society tonight. He wore his finest little attire, and took the NJHS oath for all to see. So very cute.

Nana Terri, Danny and Presley cheer Joseph on

Nana, Papa, Danny & Joseph

Maw Maw and Paw Paw and Presley Jane

Joseph gets inducted!

His candle blew out too early...so funny!

Shaking Mrs. Norburg's {the principal's} hand.

Signing his name in the NJHS book

Celebrating Joseph!

The whole crew

Thought this was so cute...Lem, Joseph, Danny

So proud of all three of these kids!
Thank you, Father, for sending these angels our way.