Be Still

So many times when you are seeking God’s will for your life, there are so many directions that seem to be right.  But you just don’t want to step out in front of Him or his timing.

Serving God wholeheartedly has been on our hearts for some time, and there are just so many shapes in which it can be manifested.  I have so many thoughts and wants, and ways in which I think it should be.  But all of my own personal opinions just seem to cloud what is He really wants from me.

There is no doubt I am a busy woman.  Too busy for my own good.  I have been convicted and my heart has been heavy.  There are just so many great things going on in my life, and I want to be neck-deep in all of them.

But that sometimes comes at a cost.  The important people in my life sometimes suffer at the hand of my ambitions to be the best at everything I do.

God has opened HUGE doors with my book, and we are working so hard on getting it done.  We are looking at having the manuscript complete by the end of October.  He has blessed me with a wonderful woman who is helping me put it all together.  I am so thankful for her, and the joy that I have had the past few weeks.  To physically see something that God has put into motion come to fruition is one of the most fulfilling things I have ever been a part of.  He is taking my deepest pain and allowing it to become one of my greatest joys!!!  It is totally unexplainable, except for the fact that He is God and I am not.

So my quest to find my niche in which the Lord has called me has lead me to a quiet voice that is whispering, “Be still and know that  I am God.”  I need to quit trying to be Wonder Woman in everything I do, and just do what He’s set before me with my whole heart.  So I have committed to work on this book with the same effort that I have been chasing everything else that comes my way.  That may mean that other trivial things will have to temporarily take a back seat, but that is okay too.

I cannot wait for you to be able to share in this project with us.  It truly is a testament to the HOPE we have in Jesus Christ!

When it Rains, It Pours

It has rained this week in our lives.  And I mean FLOODED!!!  But in an AWESOME way.  God has poured out so many blessings on our family this week, I am on such a high.

Some of this will be vague, and I am sorry for that, but we are still praying through some of these details.

The first thing that happened this week, was that we got to see awesome details being worked out in students’ lives.  The Lord literally orchestrated some things that were undeniably Him.  He’s so awesome!!!

Secondly, we are praying about some opportunities for Rob.  His heart is in ministry to students, and God has opened a small door.  We have a lot of praying to do!!!

Lastly, but the best!!!, is my book.  Y’all, I have been burdened by my disobedience in this area.  I have a hard time managing my time (I’m busy.  I’m a wife, a mom, a Sunday School teacher, a youth worker, a jewelry lady, a contractor, and this list goes on and on.)  However, NOTHING should get in the way of being obedient to God’s calling on your life, and I have been so guilty of that.  So here is what went down….

We were at a youth leadership team meeting discussing an upcoming event.  I just happened to ask for prayer in regards to the book situation.  My heart has been so heavy to get it done.  One of my sweet friends mentioned that her long-time friend had just published her second book, and it was a number one pick on Amazon this past week.  I asked if she thought the lady may be interested in helping me finish my book. 

The next morning, I asked for the contact information.  I facebooked the sweet lady, and she messaged me back almost instantly.  She couldn’t help me at this time because she is so busy.  But she happens to be a member of a Christian authors group, so she put my request out to them.  Within minutes, I had a sweet woman interested in helping me.  I facebooked her and a partnership was born.  A door was FLUNG open by the Almighty God. 

I am now working with the sweetest lady who is going to help me finish Faith’s book, and she is going to edit it as well.  I was waiting for the door to be slammed closed whenever I asked her fees.  But me and my faithless self were proven wrong again.  It is something we can work with.

  The weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.  Rob and I are going to work diligently this weekend to get the rest of our story done and get it to her.  She said she shouldn’t take too long to finish it. 

I cannot begin to tell you how it feels to personally see God working miracles in my life!!!  I know God is good, all the time.  But He has POURED out blessings this week to us.

As I’ve been studying James these last two weeks, I have been convicted about having faith without action.  It’s easy to say I believe in Jesus, and I trust Him, but do my actions say so?  Sometimes we have to just step out on faith.  And that is what we are doing.

Please pray for us as we continue to seek and follow God’s will for our lives.

Liquid Gold

We love us some creamed corn around these parts.  It is probably my most FAVORITE food of all.  It is a lot of work, but so worth it.  For a while, we just settled for “tube corn” cooked in the microwave.  It was okay, but not nearly as good.

Since we all love to eat corn, we had a family gathering  to put some up in the freezer.

The girls started out with the shucking and silking process.  Because we were so busy, I do not have any pictures of us doing that work.  But I do have some pictures of the cows enjoying the fruits of our labor.

 

Remember Lulabelle?  She is growing….a little.

Mom & Dad got some new contraption to do all the work for us.

Once the corn was creamed, it was time to vacuum pack it. It was definitely a family affair.  Cade was away at at Children’s Camp, and SaraGrace was in charge of all of the littles (Lord Help Us!!!).  

It was a job keeping them all entertained.

Sometimes she left her post because she got bored herself.

Emmy had a great time, and was sooooo good!!! 

Now all we need are some of the O’Steen’s famous CORN FRITTERS!!!

Things I Learned on My Very First Run

I never thought I’d be blogging anything about running.  I am not a runner.  I am not a motivated person when it comes to exercise.  However, after doing some stalking of some facebook running pictures, I thought it would be a good idea to do the Couch 2 5K training regimen.

You see, Disney has several runs throughout the year, and I can be easily motivated by Disney.  So I set out to get started.

I did go to a local running store to get fitted for some shoes.  That’s the only smart thing I did leading up to this. 

I did (barely) finish day one of C25K.  But not without learning a few things.

So here is a list of things I learned about running in the 30 minute training session. 

***Please Note:  This is just me being honest. Do not hold this against me:)***

• Watch what you eat before you run.  We thought that eating pizza and drinking a gallon of diet coke would be no problem if we waited long enough before running.  SOOOO not the case!!!  I thought we would be experiencing dinner for a second time on the second lap.
• $50 is NOT too much to spend on a good sports bra.  I am a tightwad.  I do not spend lots of money on clothes and such, and my shoes were over $100.  There was no way I was going to buy a bra for $50…until now.  After layering THREE bras, I finally felt comfortable enough to run.  But OHMYGOODNESS it was HOT.  I will definitely be making the investment next week!
• Compressions shorts are important.  We went to Orlando a couple of weekends ago and ended up in the Under Armor Store (hence the $50 bra).  I do love a good deal and found some running shorts on clearance for $10 so I bought them.  But they also had some compression shorts on the rack.  I couldn’t imagine wearing those things in the heat of Florida, so I skimmed by them.  They are like Spanx, but only tighter.  And thicker.  But after making a few rounds on the rack, I thought I would try them for $14.  I.AM.SO.GLAD.I.DID!  The purpose of those bad boys is to keep my thunder thighs, and the chaffing,  in check.  SOOOOO worth the $14.
• Dry-Fit Socks.  I did not spend $10 a pair on dry fit socks because one would be missing after just one wash.  However, there are no bathrooms at the track that are open, so I was so wishing I had them after I had to pop a squat behind the car (remember the gallon of diet coke?)
• I should invest in one of those tight-fitting running tops, even if my six pack of jelly rolls is completely visible to those within a 100 yard radius.  Between my three bras and a tshirt, I liketa died of a heat stroke.

I guess it’s good to learn by trial and error, huh?  I knew running wouldn’t be easy, but we all enjoyed it as a family last night.  I did push Emmy in a non-jogging stroller half way last night, so I think I should  get a little extra kudos in the workout department.

On the way home from the track, we started talking about coming up with a family team and supporting a cause in Faith’s honor. 

Cade came up with the idea to support a cause that “helps women to not have abortions.”  So if anyone knows how that works, we would love to hear from you!!!

Catch Up Post that is WAY OVERDUE!!!

Oh my goodness!!!  I have neglected my blog in a huge way, but we have been so busy making memories so it’s been lots of fun!  There is so much to catch up on, so I’ll start with this post, and continue throughout the rest of the week.

As I mentioned before, we didn’t get to do anything the weekend of Faith’s birthday as a family.  Per Cade’s request, we had made a pact that we would celebrate her every year, so we had to make good on that promise.

We headed to the most magical place on earth over Memorial Weekend.

I do not ever tire of Disney World.  It’s a good thing, because we should be added to the payroll since we’ve been there so much in the last couple of weeks:)

We stayed at Coronado Springs again, and loved it.   Our dear friends, the Collins, met us over there to swim and hang out.  The first order of business was to slide into their amazing pool and have a great time.

 

These two oldest children of mine are something else!  They love each other so much, then fight like cats and dogs.  They crack us up!!

  

The kids loved playing on the steps in the waterfall.

Emmy loved the water, but she got so comfy, she slept in her raft as I pulled her around the pool for 45 minutes.  She’s spoiled I tell you!

After all of the swimming we could handle for one day, we went to  the Pepper Market Restaurant at the hotel.

Kristen (Kicken) is expecting a baby girl in August and we are over the moon excited!  We worked on Casey all weekend about Baby Girl’s name.  They keep telling us they will agree soon!

I love this girl!  One of the greatest blessings of friendship in my life:)

I love this picture of our family.

 

After dinner, we turned in early.  Our kids were excited to just lay in bed and watch tv.  Since we don’t have tv at home, that is vacation to them.

We got up early the next morning for breakfast and did some more swimming.  Then it was time to check out.  We had a gift card to Chili’s so we left out and headed there.

Once lunch was over, it was on like Donkey Kong.  Rob surprised me and Cade with the thrill of a lifetime….a ride in a NASCAR!!! 

   Somebody was really excited!

I was excited, but nervous as a pole cat.

SaraGrace wanted to ride so bad, but she isn’t quite 6 years old.  Although she tried really hard to convince them that she should get to since she would be 6 on July 30th.  But they let her sit in the car and get her picture taken.

Cade absolutely LOVED his ride.  Sean, our driver, took him to 120 mph and Cade is still talking about it.

I got to go 140 mph and I prayed the entire 3 laps.  I told Sean that if you ever wanted to see a praying parent, take them in a NASCAR at 140 mph while their 3 children are watching on the sideline:) 

We were so sad to see the weekend come to an end.  We all had the best time making memories and honoring Faith and her birthday.  I love my family and I thank God every day for the blessings they are in my life.  Although we were sad to leave, we were excited because we knew the Volpes were coming and we were coming back in a few days. 

Stay tuned for the pictures from the Vaughn/Volpe Voyage to the Mouse.  Never a dull moment with all of us!!!

Faith’s Second Birthday

This past weekend, we not only celebrated Emmy turning 6 months old, but we also celebrated Faith’s second birthday.  It was a tough week, but a good week.

Saturday morning started out with a few tears.  I got a text, then saw a facebook message from my best friend, Amy.

She had put the butterflies and angels at Faith’s Garden Saturday morning.  One of the hardest things about losing a child is fear they will be forgotten.  The best way to encourage that parent is to remember that child.  Nothing does my heart good like someone remembering Faith.    Amy never lets me down!!!

That evening, my sweet friend, Kristi had invited me to speak  at her church.  I had the honor of sharing Faith’s story at their ladies event.  

I had worried all day long about being so emotional, but the Lord is faithful and gave me peace.  I met so many wonderful ladies, and I left with the assurance that God is still using Faith’s life to minister to others.

Sunday was her birthday.  I woke up fully expecting to be an emotional wreck.  And I was a little emotional.  But I had such a thankful heart knowing that Faith was singing with Jesus.  It’s what gives me hope.  We had flowers in the church to honor her and her day.

Ms. Dianne at Lady Bug Flowers and Plants did an amazing job and the arrangement was fit for a princess!!!

After church, we got an extended nap ( a much needed 2 hours, thank you!!!) and then headed to Faith’s Garden.

Although the Garden always stirs some emotion, I always find hope in this:

We had cleaned everything out a few weeks ago to repurpose it and freshen it up. Rob repainted the sign, and one of our high school students, Lane, repaired our  girl statue.  Then Gamma stopped by with the balloons.  I am so proud of the way it turned out. 

Once we got home, SG wanted to bake something, so we made some pink birthday cookies in honor of Baby Faith.  We had to use the Easy Bake Oven, of course.

SG was the master pastry chef! She must have really liked them because she ate them all by herself:)

I would be telling a story if I tried to act like my heart isn’t broken.  Sunday was a hard day.  But I was reminded that He is ever close to us and never leaves us, even in our darkest days. 

Psalm 34:18

¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

I am overwhelmed by the loving and encouraging words and notes from our friends and loved ones, both old and new.  God has used you to bless our family this past week.  Thank you for being a part of our lives, and for sharing in the life of our sweet daughter.

Our family had made a pact to do something fun each year to celebrate Faith’s birthday.  We will be celebrating this weekend with a fun surprise trip to a Disney resort with the kids.  I am sure there will be plenty to post when I get back.  There is never a dull moment with our bunch!!!

Almost Two Years…

I feel like I have been absent from my blog for way too long.  My life has gotten even more crazy than before, but I love every minute of it:)  As we are approaching Faith’s second birthday on Sunday, I feel compelled to share what God is doing in our lives at this time.

We are loving being involved with our youth at church.  God is teaching us so much through these teenagers, and they are such a blessing to us.  I love that they all love my children, and it does my heart good to see them post pictures of my babies on their instagrams and facebook pages.  God is using them to keep us accountable as teachers, parents and most of all, His children.  He is growing us in ministry, and we are so excited to see where He will lead in that area.

My book is coming along slowly.  Trying to find uninterrupted time to write is a challenge, but the conviction to finish is getting stronger by the day.  I know that God has called me to far more than sitting behind this computer on a daily basis.  He has given us such a testimony and it needs to be shared with all who will hear.  But I have to be a good steward of the task He has set before me so He can show us what to do next.

I’m finding that He is granting me with more and more opportunities to share our Faith and our faith with others.  I had mentioned that Rob and I had gone to DreamNow weekend a few weeks back, and we were challenged to find God’s dream for our life.  One of the exercises we did was to write down our passions and our talents.  It was said that where your talents and passions collide is where you can often find God’s dream for you.  After much prayer, I realized that my passion is truly sharing with people all that God has done in our lives.  It is what brings me joy.  When asked what I would do for free, the answer was simply “Share and Sing.”  That’s what I need to be doing with my life.  I am just praying about the “HOW”. 

Two years seems like just yesterday in so many ways.  I can remember every last detail from the day Faith was born.  But it also seems like an eternity since I held her in my arms.  I am sometimes ashamed that I have held out for so long on being obedient about God’s calling in my life.  I have had two years to finish this book, yet I have found every excuse in the book not to do it.  It’s hard; I’m a perfectionist; I want her story to be so perfect for her.  As her mom, I couldn’t do anything for her here on this earth…except share her story.  The devil is playing on that guilt in a big way.

I told Bryan and Christina that whatever God’s plans were, they must be something good because the devil is all over it trying to be a discouragement.  As I was praying about this, the Lord laid these verses on my heart:

Hebrews 12: 1-3 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I am fixing my eyes on Jesus, the perfecter of faith.  I am running with perseverence the race He has set before me.  I am so thankful that He has already marked it out for me.  I am excited about the things God has for our future!