The Johnson Family

Aspirations

2012-01-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have loved goals for about as long as I can remember. I remember, 3rd grade, my company "Beads for Babes". Ya, obviously, it was cool. Courtney, Emily, and I had a jewelry making company. i remember setting goals for us. In 4th grade, I learned the principle of setting our goals high and declared I would become the first women in the NBA. In 5th grade, I learned the concept of setting various goals for different areas of life: professionally--still the NBA. Physically--hold off puberty. Socially--don't make any friends, maybe then we will move back to Texas.

I'm being for real.

Then through high school, I would spend almost all day on January 1st praying and reflecting on the past year and setting my goals for the next year. Those days are some of my favorite memories with the Lord as a teenager.

Aaaaand, these were my goals for today:

1. Get the urine smell out of Micah's room.

2. Wipe down the bathrooms.

3. Be a gracious host for the play date.

4. Pray for Matt.

5. Don't forget to feed the children dinner before youth group.

6. Don't yell at the children for pooping a lot.

7. Finish my lecture for the women's Bible Study tomorrow.

8. Do push ups or something resembling exercise.

That's life right now. A little bit of everything. A bit of homemaking, a bit of wife-ing, a bit of youth group, a bit of mommy-ing, another bit of ministry, and a bit of taking care of myself.

And I love it.

But now, a bit bigger picture, my 2012 goals!

1. Get up at 6 consistently. Either spend the time with Jesus or get my run for the day in.

2. Be a generous wife. Overlook offenses, give Matt the benefit of a doubt. Become irresistible to him with good deeds that stem from a sincere heart.

3. Be a joyful mom. Never let a day pass without making both boys belly laugh, singing to them, and playing with them. All 3, every day.

4. Increase my organization at home even more. I'm not referring to scrubbing the floor more or organizing my junk drawer. (That's just a shame when people do that...) We have our daily schedules that are incredibly helpful, but I have added a weekly schedule that seems to be increasing peace and productivity, 2 things that I desire in my home.

Sunday: Church, lots of church :)

Monday: Stay home, focus on housework

Tuesday: Errands

Wednesday: Play date and youth group

Thursday: Bible Study

Friday: Micah goes to PDO, morning with Matt

Saturday: Family day!

In addition, I have the housework divided up.

Monday: Kitchen

Tuesday: Bedrooms

Wednesday: Bathrooms

Thursday: Deep clean something

Friday: Vacuum and Dust

5. Pay off the Denver Seminary Loan. We made our goal last March to get rid of the $8,000 in one year. Lord willing, we are on track. $2,500 left. Some days that feels MASSIVE, and other days it feels doable. My secondary financial goal is to finish #2/3 school debts, which is $5,000. However, Matt isn't set on that yet. Supposedly his car makes 'scary' noises, our 80 year old water heater is 'too old' , and he would like to 'eat'. So, I'm holding myself back from setting this goal, and submitting like I should. (But don't you think we could do it?! Huh?!)

6.No french fries for an entire year. (My favorite indulgence!) And run enough to earn back the title 'runner.'

7. Focus. Determine each and every day, actually 1/2 day, what the Lord called me to that day, and focus on it. Is it Monday? Then focus on enjoying my home and my boys and keeping our home in good shape. (good, not perfect) Focus on teaching my boys about Jesus, about being patient, or about not eating dog poop. Is it Thursday? Then I need to get up early so I can prepare my heart to lead Bible Study and get the three of us out the door on time.

8. Blog every month.

9. Be sincere. Don't tell someone I want to get together if I don't plan on following through. Don't tell a 6th grade girl that I love them, if I don't mean it. Don't call someone a best friend if I'm not going to treat them like it.

10. Last, and most definitely not least, I want to have margins in life. My mentor, Kristin Stanley, encouraged me to think about this. So...I'm going to. I like the idea...sounds like something I need to learn about..so...more to come.

Oh wait! One more:

11. Ensure that markers and petroleum jelly are removed from the room prior to "room time."

Remember me?

2011-11-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Bloggers,
Whoa dang. That was quite the sabbatical. I haven't blogged in months, so sorry! So, as is fitting, this entire post is going to be about my excuses:

1. Mathias.

Sweet, chubby, loud, sweet Mathias. Or "Thius" as his older brother has deemed him. Since all you know is his birth story, I should probably catch you up on him. Mathias is 5 months old and such a good baby. He spends most of his awake time laughing, smiling (with not only his mouth but his eyes as well), drooling, and happily yelling. He has pretty much been happy from 5 weeks on. He is a great sleeper, 7-7 most nights, a 2 hour morning nap, 2 hour afternoon nap, and an evening cat nap. He nurses well, every 4 hours, and just started rice cereal. His favorite past times are watching DeWayne and Micah and wrestling with Daddy. I love Mathias' joy, it's a constant encouragement to me. And he has Matt twisted and tied tightly around his chubby sausage-like fingers like I could never have imagined. Love it. I pray that he will continue being full of joy and have the gift of encouragement, like his dad.

2. Micah.

Sweet, talkative, feisty, active, social Micah. I am loving spending time with Micah this Fall. He LOVES animals and soccer and Buzz and Woody. Most days I would say that Micah's strong willed tendencies have improved, or that he at least is responding to discipline better. He loves his big boy bed, his books, and seeing friends. I am pretty convinced that Micah thinks he is in middle school, as his closest friends are all teenagers or older. He is never at a loss for words, always updating me on his plan for the day. As I walk out of his room for nap time he tells me our plans for the remainder of the day. He loves going to church, cooking with me, and making Mathias laugh. I am thankful that he is also a good sleeper, 7-8ish nights and a 3 hour nap in the afternoon. My prayers lately for my number one son is that he will continue to be a lover of people and that God will use him in huge ways in the lives of many. I pray that he will naturally and lovingly point people to their Creator.

3. DeWayne

He is no longer a dog. He is a horsey. Just ask Micah. I pray for his back and hips.

4. Matthew

Sweet, hot, loving Matt. Matt has had such a busy Fall. He is pretty much 'kicking butt and taking names' at work and at home. His Fall has consisted of a very successful retreat called "Man Up" for 7th and 8th grade boys. They slept out in the woods, ate with their hands, played with paint ball guns, real guns (!), built a catapult, play pick-up football, and learned how God wants them to 'man up.' He also flew to Michigan for a national junior high youth pastor's conference and took our family back to Iowa to see family. (Tired yet?!) Also, he planned an incredible outreach night at youth group called "Extreme Apps" where he brought 5 popular apps to life size, like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, etc. It was incredible, 225 pubescent teenagers got to come complete and hear the life changing news about Jesus. And then 2 weeks ago he put on "Matt's Bunch Brunch" where his youth and their families came to breakfast where they got to meet the small group leaders of their students. And lastly, we flew to Chicago last weekend to spend time with our best friends from our college days, the Millers.

And in between those things, he was wrestling with his boys. This Fall, I have been praying for Matt that God will continue to use him in big ways, but that Matt will know of His love for him in the secret moments too. I pray for vision and wisdom, motivation, and energy. And I pray that the Hawks will win more.

5. Me

.
Well, I have mostly been staying busy with #1-4. And loving it. As I reflect on this last season, I would say that having Mathias seemed to catapult me into a really good place. My post partum crazies were almost non-existent. ( I said almost. Almost.) Adjusting to two kids have not just been good, it's been great. I love being a mom now more than ever. We all seem happier, actually. I am loving my days, full of poopy diapers, legos, time outs, sippy cups and spit up. I think I sing about 37 songs a day-1/2 'Jesus Loves Me' and 1/2 'Hakuna Matata', talk about Noah's ark a dozen times, and sweep twice a day. (That was a lie. I don't sweep twice a day. I should, but I don't. Life is too short) I am only working once a week, which is such a blessing. We just felt that while I am breast feeding Mathias and while Matt is this busy, it would be best for our family to adjust our budget so that I could cut back. I treasure my early mornings of runs, coffee, and time with the Lord, before the testosterones awake. I am also leading a group of 6th grade girls twice a week, attending a women's Bible Study, play dates with friends, and even dabbling in crafts with a few friends.
Also, I am loving planning Adored 2012 with my steering team! God has been excessively gracious and generous in allowing me to put on another Adored next Fall. I am blown away that He has given me such a privilege. He has helped me build a rock star team of 12 women to help me plan it, which is way more fun than I could have imagined. We meet monthly and I just kinda sit there with my jaw reaching for my feet as I listen to them share their incredible ideas and their passion for teenage girls. It's beyond encouraging. Check out our website: www.adoredconference.com. And you are all invited! That is, if you are a girl, and between 6th and 12th grade.

Today I bought hazelnuts. Which, we all know, means it's officially the holidays. It's, by far, the most wonderful time of the year. I am so excited to begin Johnson family traditions, teach Micah about Jesus, host parties, shop, wrap, burn candles, put up the nativity set, and sing "All I Want for Christmas is You." We have a ridiculously busy winter ahead of us. But I'm refusing to gripe about it and instead be thankful for all of the friends we have to fill our calendars, all of the family we have to visit, and all of the opportunities God is giving us to minister.

What a joy it is to be loved by God. What a gift it is to experience his daily strength, energy, and purpose. His has blessed abundantly, in material ways and not. I have much to give thanks for.

The Story of Mathias James

2011-07-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Story of Mathias James

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

11:00 I called my chiropractor and friend, Jamie Graham, to see if I could get in for an adjustment. I remember feeling like my body and the baby were just about ready to go into labor, and I wanted to set my body up for success to have a quick and smooth labor.

3:00 I went in for my 39 week appointment, where my OB guessed it would be another 7-10 days before I would meet my baby. I glared at him and chose not to believe him and stayed in a

hopeful, anticipatory mood.

5:00 Micah and I went to youth group. While at youth group I have a handful of pretty painful contractions. Freaked a couple of youth out. Kinda funny.

7:00-1:00am I layed on the couch and timed these contractions. They were painful, but bearable. I was such a mess of emotions; they were 10 minutes apart and not progressing, so I was trying to talk myself out of early labor.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

1:00am Finally went to sleep. Mad. Surrendering to the belief that I was indeed NOT in labor.

5:00 I awoke to a painful contraction. As the contraction passed my mind took off as if racing a 400 meter. "Am I really in labor?! Could God really be answering our specific prayer request to have our child one week early?!" My heart swelled in quiet worship and gratitude. ....and then, sadly, passed, as I remembered my desire to do this naturally. :) "Stupid idea" I thought to myself. But two phone calls to my superwomen sisters talked me back into it.

5:00-8:00 Matt and I labored at home. Matt began his role of operator, making phone calls to sisters, moms, and Heidi. I had asked Heidi (our great friend from church) to be present during labor to help Matt coach and support. During this time the contractions were so sporadic, from 8-3 minutes apart. Micah was shipped off the the Lopez house, excited to play with Molly all day.

9:00 Matt, Heidi, and I left for St. Joe's Hospital. God answered some huge requests in this area as well. I was dreading driving all the way to down town Denver while in labor. And I was quite tempted to kinda rig the system and just go through the ER at a closer hospital. For months I was wrestling with this decision. And I was also stressed because I was hoping to labor at home for a long time, like I did with Micah. However, during the early hours of that morning, God seemed to whisper to my heart, "Honor me by being honest and driving to St. Joes, and I will indeed bless your labor." And like a switch being turned, the temptation to go to another hospital was gone. And the dreaded drive? It was so easy. My contractions slowed and lessoned for the 45 minute drive (almost so much that I thought I was not in labor anymore!)

10:00-12:00 We labored in the Labor and Delivery triage of St. Joe's. Matt and I had not even visited the hospital prior to labor because my attitude was so bad. ( I know, I'm immature) So it was a wonderful surprise to love the hospital! The first thing my first nurse said to me was, "So, would you like to do this naturally?" I couldn't believe it! "Yes!" I replied with a huge smile on my face. "Will you please help me do that?" I begged her. She was immediately my advocate. I , again, couldn't help but sing silent praises to the Lord as he remained so close during this process. During this time I leaned on a labor ball that was on a chair and swayed. I swayed. and swayed. and swayed. And I stared at Matt and Heidi while they counted backwards. (Kinda random but it was so effective) At noon, my nurse checked me again. I had only progressed from a 3 to a 4. My second wave of doubt came rushing in. I looked ahead at the day and a natural labor was dubious.

12:00-2:00 We went upstairs to our labor room and Matt likes to remind me of my first bout of feisty-ness. I guess I saw a male doc in the hall way and started venting about how men shouldn't be OBs because they have NO IDEA how painful it is. Whatever...it's true.

For the next 2 hours I labored in the tub. It was incredible. My pain went from like a 9/10 to a 6/10. Which was great because in 2 hours I went from a 4 to a 8 1/2. We had the water as hot as they would allow and then Matt and Heidi put ice cold towels on my face and shoulders. These 2 hours were so interesting. I was almost relaxed. I only had 45 second in between contractions, but I almost fell asleep during that time! I felt like it was just me and the Lord in that room. I felt his presence and strength in a new way.

Let me attempt to explain the sweet way I experienced that Lord on that day. To be very very honest, as I approached Micah's labor and delivery, I wanted to do it naturally. But in a very competitive, almost athletic, approach. In a prideful way. It was a challenge that I wanted to overcome. And big surprise, I kinda failed. I received IV medication and felt totally stoned during labor and delivery. (while still feeling ALL the pain). It was kinda crappy.

As my third trimester began this past Spring, the Lord began working on my heart in this area. I felt a desire to approach a natural labor in hopes of finding a place of brokenness and dependence on God that could not be found in other day to day experiences. I listened as my two sisters shared that this occurred for both of them in the previous months. So I prayed. and prayed. and prayed. I prayed that I would be changed and humbled. And if possible, that labor would include worship of my baby's creator.

Oh friends, God answered. What a sweet, loving, intimate God we have.

2:00ish My water broke in the tub. Which ticked me off because they made me get out. Grr.....

Then a resident came in and wanted to check me. She asked me to lay in the bed. I guess this was round 2 of feisty-ness. I told her no. Several times. I had no plans of doing anything but standing on the side of the bed and swaying. Ah wonderful swaying. And then I felt the urge to push. Which I guess makes everyone a bit nervous. And everyone was yelling at me to get into the bed. I was the only calm one in the room, simply telling them "no." :)

But when I was good and ready I got in the bed (stuck out my tongue at everyone and glaring at the resident :) ) . And pretty much 15 minutes later and 3 terrifying horrible painful pushes later I got to meet Mathias James Johnson.

It was so wonderful. My wonderful, strong husband cried tears of joy as we realized that God had given us another perfectly healthy son. He leaned down and kissed me. It was the most intense day of my life, where everything I felt and experienced was heightened.

As with all aspects of motherhood, labor is so unbelievably challenging. However, with the innumerable challenges arises the sweetest opportunities to experience our creator. To be reminded that He knows us, loves us, and will always be with us as we fumble through this job.

To Be or......

2011-04-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

For my readers who have the joy of being a wife:

Twice in the past week I have undercooked brownies.

Now, I like gooey brownies as much as any girl, but on Sunday I made them for some youth group kids and in the middle of the pan they would have almost succeeded with a straw. :)

(Don't tell their parents but they still ate them)

And this post may be a bit more raw than most people share in blogworld. So grab a straw, and listen to my goo.

I am on the tail end of an awesome learning curve. All linked to my marriage. Matt and I have been married for almost 5 years, and I am beyond thankful for the man God has made Matt. He is loving, gracious, joyful, kind, energetic, and beautiful.

But we have recently been on a bit of an uphill battle. Let me explain:

For a few months I have really turned my focus to become an excellent, efficient, and joyful wife and mother. I have been reading blog after blog after blog. Gal dang, there are a lot out there. From how to have a system with laundry, how to save money on groceries, a cleaning schedule, coupon clipping, and morning routines. I became a consumer of these ideas. As a lot of you know, I love goals, I love to feel motivation move through my veins, I love the art of perfecting whatever it is I'm working at. And a lot of these blogs had entries about joyfully serving as a wife. Hmmm.....sounds innocent right? I thought so too. One supermom/superwife/superblogger even (sternly) suggested that not only should dinner be ready when the hubs gets home, but the dinner pots and pans should be cleaned AND put away, and you should greet him with a kiss. Naked.

Just kidding on the naked part.

But I totally got your attention, huh?! ;)

So I began applying these ideas to my daily routine. Assured that these habits would thrust our marriage to another level of wonder-ful-ness....

But, Matt didn't always notice that I wiped all the baseboards. I know, the nerve! He would sometimes forget to mention how great it was that I emptied the dishwasher. And then I would find myself so hurt/frustrated/angry. So if household chores wasn't going to get me attention, I would just open up a big ol' can of 'pick a fight with him and 10:00 when our heads hit the pillow.'

Now hindsight is 20/20. At the time, I had no understanding what Matt and I were struggling with, all I knew is that I felt invisible, unappreciated, unpursued, and oh yeah, fat and swollen. So why wouldn't I pour it all out to him with tears and strong rhetoric? :)

Where was my knight in shining armor? And why was his white horse not fast enough to keep up with my mood swings?!

Ladies, I could go on and on about the struggles and hurts we have both had the past few months. But there is no need. Because God is graciously teaching me some amazing truths!

To be or not to be. That's what I had to ask myself.

Here's a section from my prayer journal recently:

"Jesus, how can I change my focus from 'doing' to 'being' with Matt? Do I approach you in the same way Lord? Do I subconsciously think that I can earn your love?... Lord, I'm done trying to earn Matt's favor with a mopped floor or folded laundry. May I instead woo him, hey even seduce him, with patience, grace, joy, energy, flexibility, and attention. Please renew my mind in this way."

What good is a mopped floor if it comes with a side of critical spirit? Or clean sheets if it is accompanied with a mopey wife? I am learning that Matt does not necessarily want to enter a house smelling of pine sol and dinner ( and definitely not a dinner of pine sol), but a house FILLED with grace, understanding, joy, and patience!

How thankful I am that God has given me his Holy Spirit who enables me to bear these traits, by his grace.

How thankful I am that GOD also desires me to just 'be' before him, rather than attempting to earn his favor.

Does anyone else struggle with this? Let's get out there and woo our husbands with dirty dishes and gracious spirits :)

A "New Years" Update

2011-02-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! I am loving this month, anyone else?

See, for the Johnsons, this February is our January. My hot husband, in his bountiful wisdom, decided that we push back our January one month. He knows me so well. He knows that January is one of my favorite months--I love the newness of it, the resolutions, the refreshing routine after the holidays, etc. But this January, got swallowed whole by Adored. So we just pushed it back one month.

And now I can hyper-schedule my family, write excessive amounts of New Year's Resolutions, and play with our budget for 2011 hours upon hours upon hours. :) I'm. in. heaven.

But really, despite my psycho mood swings that have accompanied this pregnancy, I am loving these past few weeks. And I thought I would share with you what life looks like right now.

Our growing family of 3 is in a wonderfully blessed season of life. Matt is very happy at work, and doing quite well at it, if I can say that. And I can. His junior high youth group is about 110+ strong. (That's a lot of puberty in one room.) He just returned from a 4 day golfing trip with the big dawgs of Mission Hills, where he held his own hitting the ball with the sticks into the holes. (I'm so not into golf.)

Micah is 22 months old and is ADORABLE. I'm not just saying it, it's a fact.

He has these huge blue/gray eyes and this curly blonde hair, and this huge bubble butt and kinda arched back, and then, in the cuttest way, he opens his mouth, and yells

"NO!"

"No Mommy!"

"Ssssnnaack Mommy!"

"NO Dee!" (to our dog, DeWayne)

And then, it's so cute, he'll throw his food across the dining room, and then, oh man, it's so cute, he'll run and hide when you say it's nap time.

Isn't that funny? I mean, not really funny, like hahahaha, but more like.....funny where I cry and get on my knees and beg the Lord for every single ounce of wisdom he can shunt my way. More like that kind of funny.

My parents have no sympathy for me either. I called my dad after a traumatizing meal with Micah, seeking his paternal comfort, and he LAUGHED. And then he continues by telling me how many rods they broke on my hiney. Sometimes when Micah's precious strong will comes out, and I look at Matt in desperation, and all he does is tug on my hair. My red hair. And that's all he needs to 'say.' Micah is MY son. He has my personality. Matt and Dad are so sweet to remind me.

But despite our strong personalities, I have never loved being a mom as much as recently. And the real picture I should paint of my son, is that he is adorable, and hilarious, with gobs and gobs of personality, and a little...gob, of strong-will. And although he has my feisty personality, he has the sweetest heart and absolutely loves people.

Here's a look at our days together:

7:00 I get up alone and have my time with coffee and Jesus.

8:00 The 3 boys get up. It's quite the process for them. I, on the other hand, kinda pop out of bed like a toaster.

I "make breakfast" for everyone. I'll be honest, today was Frosted Flakes.

Matt leaves for work. Micah says about 15 times "Daddy at ccherch?"

8:45ish Micah and I play/learn together. Really, it's hardly 'learning' time. I just always wanna make sure he gets my undivided attention for at least a little bit of each day. We read Bible stories, work on his puzzles, and read books. I love this time more than I can describe.

9:00 Micah plays in his room for about an hour. I finish my bible study, plan out my day, and clean up the house.

10:00 Micah watches 30 minutes of Sesame Street while I email/facebook/blog or continue house work.

10:30-12:30 We run errands together or have a play date. I love being out and about with Micah, it seems like he's always in a vocab test, saying every word he knows. Included but not limited to:

"french fries" (when we pass Chic fil A)

"cherrch"

"truck"

"wool" (when we pass the pool)

and "chick" (when we pass Chic fil A again)

Neither of us like to stay home all day, we get moody and then Matt gets scared to come home. :)

1:00-4:00 Nap Time. Sometimes I'll nap too , depending on my work schedule.

4:00 Micah roams the house and discovers things, sometimes we go for a walk, sometimes me, him, and Dewayne just sit at the front door and wait for Matt to come home. I'm serious.

Our evenings consist of me working 2 nights a week, youth group on Wednesdays, hanging with friends, of skyping grand parents.

7:00 Micah's bedtime.

And that's our life right now.

As much as I love Adored, and love the busyness of the 'Adored Season,' there is no greater joy than the daily job of mom, wife, and homemaker. There is also nothing more challenging for me. I have been realizing that heading up a 400 girl conference is cake compared to the challenge of serving my boys faithfully and sincerely. I think I'm kinda backwards like that. My faith isn't tested as much in speaking in front of hundreds, as much as it is in the learning curves of a marriage or the struggles of daily parenting.

My sister's blog reminded me of this last week. (Check her out: http://www.ruthannslifeproject.blogspot.com/) God has this beautiful way of calling us to purpose and passion, in the midst of the mundane.

He is beckoning me to greater intimacy with Himself, while I'm folding laundry and applying butt paste.

He is asking me to honor him with my attitude as I pay bills and pick up dog vomit.

And he is calling me to a life of blessing, as I continue to endure the learning curve of my full time job.

We finally took an official pregnancy picture. More than 1/2 way there!

:)

2011-01-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

This picture sums it up.

Last week, my mom sent my baby and I on a post-Adored date. Oh my, it was wonderful. I don't know if it was because we hadn't sat and looked at each other in months, or eaten all weekend, but either way, it was wonderful. Thanks Mom.

Can I pal-eeze just tell you about Adored?! It was the most challenging, yet rewarding! weekend of my life. And more than anything, God was present, in charge, and at work.

Let me first remind you how Adored 2.o started:

Matt: "Rebekah, I think you need to do Adored again, but bigger."

Rebekah: "Yeah, ok."

Matt: "No, I'm serious---you are supposed to bring in Britt Nicole."

Rebekah: "Hahahahahahahahaha"

Matt: "Rebekah, I'm serious. "

And now, here I am, 3 months, a weekend with Britt Nicole, and 375 girls later.

It's funny, right? How some people (Matt) can have no problem believing what they hear from God. And even less problem doing what they hear.

So, last weekend was it. We were originally planning on 150 girls coming, and by the time registration was over on Friday night, we had 375 girls from 6th-12th grade. Plus leaders. No big deal.

Here's the summary of the weekend:

Friday night.

Chaotic registration with over 15 churches present.

Pizza party where the pizza was seriously like the fish and loaves.

Every single room in the new church building packed full of hormonal, yet wonderful, teenage girls.

The session on Friday night included yours truly speaking on "Eve: A Missed Call." But I'm no big deal--not when Britt Nicole is on the stage with her band.

And, of course, ending the night with a 80s dance party. What's wrong with hundreds of girls doing 'Thriller' in a baptist church basement? It. Was. AWESOME.

Saturday.

Chaotic breakfast because every single girl thought they needed a frap from our coffee shop. It's funny....now.

Session 2 with me speaking and Elizabeth Hunnicutt leading worship.

Incredible break out sessions on things like modesty, inner beauty, dealing with pain and hurt,etc...

A psycho afternoon of pampering. Services offered, but not limited to: massages from real massage therapists, manicures, hand waxing, facials, make up, hair cuts, up-dos, and brow shaping. Yes I'm serious. Brow shaping.

A wonderful third session by Kim Porter and Liz.

A beautiful, sit down, fancy smancy Italian dinner for all the girls (again, about 400).

AND concluding with a KILLER sold out concert by Britt Nicole.

There ya go. Adored. In brief.

But I'm not brief. So stop here if you are. :)

My highlights.

1. My husband. Matt was so wonderful. Supportive doesn't do it justice. He was INVOLVED. He was invested. From surprising me with a dozen roses right before the concert, to emcee'ing the concert, to rolling a million tables, you name it--Matt did it. Oh yea--his best move: on Thursday, realizing/worrying that we might have close to 350 girls (we were wrong) Matt had the brilliant idea to add an option during the free time/pampering: inflatable sumo wrestling/jousting/jumping castle. And he was right on! The girls loved it! You get boys out of the picture and girls just...wanna have...fun. :)

2. Speaking. I love speaking. Teaching. Talking about this God who has changed my life and the promises he has for us. I felt God's power and help when I was on the stage. There are few things I love more. The nicest surprise was that I had zero nerves. I felt like I was speaking to like 20 girls.

3. The concert. SOLD OUT. That wasn't even on my radar! God is so above and beyond good. We had over 1,000 people at the concert. (I think, for what I remember, at that point I think I was kinda walking around like a zombie.)

4. Britt Nicole. Wow--she is awesome. Matt and I went to the airport on Friday morning to pick her and the band up. Five minutes after meeting her, she starts asking questions about Adored, the heart of it, my vision for it, etc, so that she could partner with me the best. We were just amazing at how normal she was! And laid back! And she just oozed Jesus. She puts on a great show, but she is all about ministry and jumping into the lives of her listeners. No joke, during her concert, she got off the stage and started praying with girls in the crowd.

5. But the bestest part of Adored was Saturday morning. I have never ever ever experienced the power of God like I did then. I spoke on "The Samaritan Woman:Called to More." Man it is a incredible story. About a trashy, hurting woman who was pursued by Jesus. About a scarred lady who met the God of multiple chances. A woman who was offered the healing, life giving water of Jesus.

At the conclusion of the talk, with Liz Hunnicutt playing in the background, I invited the girls to come up to our baptismal (which looks just like a well) and experience Jesus. Maybe for the first time, maybe to start over, maybe to find forgiveness, maybe to promise a life of purity, and for a lot of them, to find healing.

Oh friends, I cannot tell you the gentle, yet powerful work of God in that room. Girls that were saying, "I don't want to go to the well of the world anymore, I don't want to live with this chronic thirst." Girls that were saying "I believe that the 'more' that God has for me, is what I want." And they came up front, girl after girl after girl, some smiling like they were gonna pop with joy, but most of them tear stained. Tears from guilt that was turning into conviction, tears of brokenness, and so many tears of pain that was on it's way to healing.

Leaders were lined up along the side of the room and along the alter to pray with the girls. I lost track of how many girls felt God tug at their heart for the first time and gave their heart and life to him.

I could go on and on and on...and on.

BUT to those of you who have listened, brainstormed, or prayed with me over Adored, I want to thank you. Thank you for partnering with us in getting God's promises to the girls of this generation. And please don't stop. They need Him. So bad.

(I'm having difficulties posting photos, sorry. There are some on facebook though.)

Seeing More Clearly Than Ever Before...

2010-12-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

To the girls in this fallen world.

To the 6th graders just starting to hear the lies.

To the 16 year old who hates herself.

To the recently heart broken high schooler.

Oh how I wish I had each of your attention, right now. How I wish I could cup your face, look you in the eye and tell you the truth, and that you would get it.

I had a patient this weekend that broke my heart. I have had patients that make me sad for a shift, for an evening. But not this girl. It's been two days. I'm still broken, still crying.

See, this girl, brought me back to the core of why I 'do' ministry.

I'm pretty sure this girl had no hope.

No idea that she no idea that was loved.

I can make a pretty strong guess that she wasn't a fan of herself. That she felt alone. That she felt misunderstood.

As she was wheeled into the room, I forgot everything that had to do with nursing. I was all but paralyzed. I wasn't thinking about the cardiac monitor, about medications, about lab work. I couldn't. Everyone was bustling around me, doing their job. I just kinda moved against the wall and stayed there.

All I could think about was that this girl had no idea that she was adored by the God of the universe.

And then it was like a slide show played in my mind's eye:

The Adored Conference.

My to-do list for the weekend.

The Adored Icon.

Britt Nicole's face.

The Adored decorations.

My budget for the conference

My bright pink folder to keep me organized.

The registration forms.

The pretty black and pink Christmas boxes to give away Adored.

My contract with the radio station.

The outline to my talks.

The flower pens we spend hours making for the girls.

The centerpieces.

The waxing supplies for manicures.

And then it's like God gave me the clearest vision of why I'm doing Adored. Why I lead 7th grade girls on Sunday mornings. And 8th graders on Wednesday night.

We need to know that we are loved.

Adored.

Treasured.

Made for a purpose.

But not in a 'give you butterflies', 'feel good for a week' way. But in a LIFE SHAKING way.

Girls, ladies, friends, from my 5 year old neighbor to my grandma, please know that the God of the universe made you, and loves you. He has a purpose for you. He understands you. He knows your pain. You can have victory in this world.

I can't imagine feeling more passionate about anything. I can't imagine longing for anything more than what I am right now. That the teenage girls of this generation will come to know the God that I serve, and come to know themselves in the process.

"The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

A Full Plate

2010-10-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

Question: what would be the BEST plate someone could set before you? Like what would be on it? Italian? Mexican? Maybe a breakfast feast? A plate brimming with decadent desserts? (That would be Matt's...)

Well I have a full plate right now. And it's one of the best plates I've ever been....served.

First, I'm lo-oving my full time roll as mama and wife right now. With Matt being done with school and having opening stuff done at church, we are getting a lot more time together, which makes me a much happier girl. (Side note, this time, right now, does not count as time together. The Hawks are on TV. Matt is not blinking, smiling, talking, moving....hold on....is he?....oh, ok, he IS breathing. ) Also, Micah is at the funnest age ever. 18 months is a blast! We dropped the morning nap, and I love having more time together!

Secondly, Matt and I are going to Guatemala this week! We joined a team from our church and are headed to a village outside of HueHueTenango. I will be doing medical missions and Matt will be doing construction and vacation bible schools. We are SO excited to travel together, minister together, and hopefully, be changed forever. And the biggest blessing is that Matt's mom is flying out here to hang with Micah man!

Third, youth group is going awesome! We are settled in the new building, and it is really starting to feel like home (which is important to me, I'm kinda a traditionalist). But this year is bringing lots of growth. A year ago, Matt would have had about 30 in Sunday School. Last Sunday, he had 94. For real. We praise God for that, but in the same breath we are begging him for wisdom as we adjust to a bigger ministry and for His power to be evident.

Fourth, and most exciting is........dududah!!!!: ADORED! Remember that crazy little idea God planted in my noggin last winter? Well, after The Adored Conference last May, I felt called to 100% surrender it. I assessed it for about a week, gave it a 'B' that became an 'A' because God showed up. But then I just chose to cast it before the Lord and trust that his plans with Adored would be best, so I wasn't going to think or plan or wonder if I would ever get to do it again. And about a 6 weeks ago, I feel like God gave it back to me.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 says Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

Not only are we putting on the Adored Conference again, BUT

1. BRITT NICOLE is coming to lead worship! She's about as big as it gets right now for Christian female artists. Here's my favorite! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO2prEoATH8 God has BLOW ME AWAY with this. The conference is going to end with a Britt Nicole concert open to the public.

2. We are inviting churches from all over the Denver area.

3. I have a wonderful facililty to work with in our new building.

4. This year I have a ton more help to put this thing together!

(if you want more info, check out http://www.missionhills.org/ministries/junior-high. )

It's kinda like I cast it away as a slice of sandwich bread, and it came back a.....croissant. :)

So squeeze in a bit of ER shifts and some morning runs and that's my plate right now. Not too busy, but enough going on that I'm not bored during nap time. :)

But here's the goodest part. :) All that stuff is public. Audible. Visible.

What I'm loving right now is the secret stuff. The fact that my heart is longing for intimacy with God like never before. The fact that I'm crazy dependent on God right now, understanding that apart from Him I can do nothing. And because of His grace, deep deep inside of me, I feel this craving to please God more than ever. The truth that the tough summer full of tears, frustration, and loneliness is now reaping the fruit of a renewed relationship with my Savior.

Those who sow in tears, will reap in joy. Psalm 126:5 Thank goodness.

Sincerley....

2010-08-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, Good Morning, Good Morning....

Guess why I'm in a good mood?!

BECAUSE this morning I had to put on a long sleeve and my slippers while I made breakfast and cleaned up the house! Yay Fall! Nevermind that now my feet are slightly sweaty and my sleeves are rolled up, I still deem it a Fall day.

And now QUICK! Micah's morning nap is quickly diminishing so I only have one hour to babble about who knows what to who knows who (besides my mom, Hi Mom......)

But with all sincerity, what has been heavy on my heart is... sincerity.

Does anyone have it down? If so I would lu-uve to sit and have a Skinny Chai Tea Latte....Grande, with you and learn your ways. Because sincere is something I long to be.

Conversely, one of the last things I ever want to be described as is insincere.

Sincere, by definition, means "Free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings."

It's from the Latin, sincerus which means whole, or pure.

The most important place to be sincere?

Before God.

I have long struggled with straightening my tie, if you will, before I come to God. Or tucking in my shirt tail. Often I like to clean up and fix my sin before I begin to pray. THEN God will be so impressed with my godliness and my heart for him....

But I am finding much blessing in whole, genuine, messy presentations before Him. The times where I can say to Him,

"God, I'm not feeling it."

"God, I'm ticked off."

"God, I hurt so much I don't even want to pray."

"God, I'm so distracted by this falsely satisfying world that I don't feel like giving you this time."

Because sincerity before Him is like a highway to refinement.

It cuts through a bunch of steps, a bunch of half hearted prayers and attitudes, and allows His loving heart to get through to mine.

Pronto.

It seems to open my eyes to my stubborn independent efforts to hold of God from really working in my heart. It opens to ears to hear His promises to me, his desires for me.

For those who feel far away from God, I encourage you to give up. Quit trying to pull yourself together. Leave the shirt tail out. And come to the God who loves you as you are. Jump on this highway of sincerity and you will quickly find yourself nearing a place of healing, restoration, and purpose.

Only If You Are Bored....

2010-08-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

50 Things about Me.

Because my big sister did this and sometimes I copy her, just like when we were little....

Warning: If you are reading this, you are bored. Go find a hobby friends. :)

1. I'm left handed.

2. I prefer my hair be called 'strawberry blonde.' It is far more appealing than 'RED HEAD.'

3. I'm an ER nurse, which is my dream job #1.

4. My other job I wanna be when I grow up is a school nurse/health teacher/coach.

5. I'm married to the funniest man on the planet.

6. I have an unusually long torso. Like my dad. Thanks Dad.

7. I love mornings, I love getting as much as possible done before ten.

8. Besides Matt, my siblings are my best friends. I have 2 sisters, Rachel and Ruthann, and one brother, Ryan.

9. I love goals. I'm kinda obsessed with goals. I set yearly goals, monthly goals, weekly, etc....I set physical, spiritual, domestic, and even 'social' goals. :)

10. I'm horrible at keeping in touch with friends from the past, even if they still mean a lot to me.

11. Sundays are my favorite day of the week and always have been. When I was in high school I would pop out of bed and put on Keith Green's Greatest Hits CD. My sisters hated that.

12. I had no idea Matt's proposal was coming...I have never been more surprised in my life! But he knew I needed to be unplanned for once...:)

13. I still consider myself the middle child, even though Ryan came along.

14. I was Iowa's Junior Miss. For more information, contact Shari Hamby.

15. I loved high school.

16. I loved playing sports competitively. I would go back to that part of high school in a second.

17. I'm cheap. I can talk myself out of buying anything.

18. I love to cook, bake, and host.

19. I am introspective.

20. I don't have a lot of confidence at work. Some shifts I still feel like a new grad because there is so much to learn.

21. I knew I wanted to be a youth pastor's wife from the time I was 14. Boo-yah.

22. I don't like to sit still.

23. I talk to my mom and sisters almost every single day.

24. I'm way too emotional. And have to process about lots of things out loud. Luckily I have a very gracious husband.

25. When I was in 4th and 5th grade, I was determined to be the first female in the NBA. And I was mad at my dad for not 'trying out.'

26. I don't wear accessories. I don't know what to do with them.

27. I pretty much just wear my sister's hand-me-downs.

28. I used to think that hand-me-downs where called "Hamby-downs." (my maiden name) And by 'used to' I mean until I was 17 years old. Whateva...

29. I'm living vicariously through my little brother's sports. He is such a stud. Let's just say I'm glad my athletic career was before his or I wouldn't have been considered an athlete.

30. I love hymns.

31. I was an all-state euphonium player in high school. I still think that was a mistake....

32. I tan farely well for a red head, er...I mean strawberry blonde...head.

33. I love, love, love quiet times with my Lord. They are my high light of each day.

34. I love being involved at church. I love junior high and high school girls.

35. My parents have an incredible marriage that I desire to emulate.

36. I'm so very proud of my husband for getting his Masters.

37. I pray my brains out for my little guy to come to Jesus and to love and serve Him passionately.

38. My best friend growing up was my cat, Mittens. He was trained like a dog and was absolutely perfect.

39. Now I have a wonderful dog, DeWayne. DeWayne is named after D-Wade of the Heat, but Matt wanted to spell it appropriately for his....skin tone. DeWayne.

40. I work really hard at being sincere, and always want to improve on that.

41. I love to watch movies with Matt. I can't wait till his school is over so we can do more of that.

42. Sometimes I accidently kinda make goals for Matt too. That doesn't go very well.

43. Someday, I would love to speak/teach a conferences for girls/women. Lord willing...

44. I wasn't a fan of natural labor. But I'll do it again.

45. I married a mascot.

46. I'm kinda really into BabyWise.

47. I prefer salty over sweet any day.

48. I love my church, Mission Hills. I have been blessed to go to so many focused, godly churches.

49. I want so much for my husband to come home to home that is comforting, welcoming, joyful, and restful.

50. It's ten and I still have things to do. :)

Broken into Beautiful

2010-07-29T10:39:00.001-07:00

There.
Done.

The page is turned.

Time for a new chapter!

I now pronounce that summer is over. Well, our summer at least. Matt and I have just made this exciting decision.

We're kinda over it. The summer kinda......stunk. Totally stunk. So we decided to just make it over.

Ah...fall! :) We welcome you!

And, of course:

Can you hear the marching band?! I can...especially the baritones. :)

You may have noticed quite the break in my blogging. My apologies for all of you just sitting there hungering for an entry. ;) ha.ha.ha.

But I haven't been to a point where I could really blog about this summer. And I don't really feel led to write about the details even now, but here is a brief.

This summer my sister, Ruthann, and her fam moved to Pennsylvania. Yea, the Pennsylvania on the other side of America.
The Lings, some of our closests friends out here, moved back to Iowa for med school.
And, we had a miscarriage at 9 weeks of pregnancy.

But through the tears, and in the midst of depression, I heard the voice of my Savior:

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,"
Isaiah 30:15

This verse is how the Lord asked me to endure the summer 'heat.' In rest. And quietness. And trust. I don't really haven't had a lot to say about those things, and I'm ok with that. I haven't had much to say all summer, which is not like me, at all. I'm so fashioned to talk talk talk and process process process about life's highs and lows. But God led me to quietness for the summer. And, as always, his Word proved to be true.

Because as I have sat in the quietness, the sometimes eery quietness, off in the distance I started seeing hope. As I rested in the Lord, and mourned before HIM, I slowly felt a sense of hope grow inside of my heart. At the beginning the hope was little more than quoting over-spiritual cliches, and now it is a consuming belief that God is good beyond understanding.

Lightening up the situation seems to be quite the medication as well. Matt even bought me a new calendar to signify that we are 'so over' the summer. :)

Take a look at our fall!

No more of this: And a whole lotta this!

Our new church building! Matt is moving into his new office today! And he has 3.5 weeks of school left! Then he will have his masters! I know, a lot of exclamation points! I have so much hope for this new campus and the plans God has for it!

So that's the update.
Maybe later I will revisit the storms of this summer, but for now I want to look ahead in hope.

"Remind me that you take broken things and turn them into beautiful." Britt Nicole

Momma Mia

2010-06-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Good morning!
Today is a good day to comment on my role as a mom, the joys of it, and the sacrifices of it. Why today? To prevent me from pouting. Because right now Matt is hiking with the youth group. And I'm at home. (I'll give you a moment to pity me...)

Ok. Done? But really, this is the first junior high hike I have EVER missed. But Micah and I are going on the 7 day mission trip with the youth group this weekend, so I decided I should protect Micah's naps and stimulation level for the days leading up to it. And the hike today would zap away both of his naps. So, I am home. With a good attitude. :) And it is a perfect opportunity to consider my goals, my aspirations, my passions, my convictions about motherhood.

I have just finished my rookie year as a mom. Like any rookie year, it was full of ups and downs, triumphs and failures, learning curves and more learning curves. There were some times of confidence and joy, but even more times of insecurity and brokenness as I cried out "What the HECK am I doing?!"

Here's some mothering snap shots :)

My brain is overflowing with ideas on this topic. I can write paragraphs about my desires to have well mannered children with clean faces and fingernails, how I want them to be kind and joyful, and how I want them to master the left handed lay-up. But yesterday, during a wonderful time of worship at church, my #1 goal became beautifully apparent to me.

I want to be a mother that glorifies God.

I want my job as a mom to bring Him glory. I want the way I mother to point others to Him. I want my focus to be on THAT, not on schedules or organized plastic bins full of toys or signing please and thank you.

So "how do I do that?" I ask myself. I think the recipe includes prayer and dependence on God. Just like one of my greatest jobs as a wife is to pray for Matt, I need to pray for Micah. I pray that he will fall in love with Jesus. I pray that he would be full of joy and compassion (like his Daddy), I pray that he will be a man of conviction in an ever 'gray-ing' society.

I must be dependent on God. As often as I forget this, a little guy that naps and sleeps well and knows how to play independently does not ensure that he will walk the straight and narrow right through adulthood. :) GOD is the author and perfecter of Micah's faith. I will never be able to force righteousness on my kids, and that is TERR-I-FYING. So I must cling to the God who is actually in control. I must hand over my children to the good Lord that I serve.

My desire to glorify God with the 'hat' of mothering takes up like #1-5 on my mental list. Here are some other thoughts further down the list.

I want to be my kids biggest fan.
See the lady on the far left?

She taught me that. She taught all of us girls in that picture that. She is our #1 fan. I don't remember craft time with her. I don't remember her every knitting me a blanket. Or even having 'the talk.' :) But I do remember that she never ever missed a cross country meet. I remember that she even cared about band. I remember that even after grandsons were born, I was still important to her--Micah didn't replace me. I remember a couple months ago calling her every 3 hours to discuss something with Adored, because SHE was confident in me.

Thanks Marmie. :)

And sorry about using all your cell minutes the month of Adored.

And further down the list are these thoughts.
I want to be a mom of order, encouraging structure and organization and self control.

I want to be an active mom, encouraging playing at the park rather than watching the weird shows on TV about dragons and fairies and a interesting little Hispanic girl and her map.....

I want to be gracious and yet firm. This is a very hard balance to learn. After this year I fully believe even babies can be taught. Micah knows that phones and remotes are 'no's.' He knows he must lay still when he is on the changing table. And he sorta knows that we don't blow raspberries when we are eating. But I also let him explore the house and eat dirt and sometimes rocks. :) I let him tackle DeWayne. My parents mastered this principle. We never had curfews, or rules about dating, and we never even were grounded. But they were ALWAYS teaching us values, and principles. And they did that so well, that it prevented the need for the aforementioned.

To sum up, I thought I would give you an update on what a day on mothering looks like.

6:30ish I go for a run, let's be honest-it's a jog. I handed my speedy days off to my bro. Getting up before Micah starts off my day on the right foot. Exercising and getting outside and praying are much needed if I'm going to be a nice mommy. :)
7:00 I don my Mother Hat. Get Micah up and together we work hard at waking up Dad. It's not an easy or quick process. :)
7:15 I make breakfast for everyone.
7:45-8:30 Micah goes to his room to play alone
I clean up the house, start a load of laundry, check email and facebook and blogs....
8:30-9:00 Micah and I usually go for a walk or to the park with DeWayne
9:00-11:00 Micah naps
I read my Bible, write in my prayer journal, talk to my sisters, and try to finish up the load of laundry or another house project
11:00-1:ish We usually run errands together, go meet a friend for lunch, read books, talk about "doooogs", or sometimes go to the park AGAIN
1:00-3:00 Micah naps again
I sometimes garden, read, watch some Food Network, pay bills, clean something, and depending on my work schedule, this is when I nap :)
3:00-5:00 Micah gets up, we sometimes go hang out with youth group kids, play outside, run errands, go to the pool, whatever. It's different everyday.
5:00-6:00 Prep and eat dinner as a family
6:00-7:00 Guess what we do? Park. :) I'm serious. We have THREE parks within 1/2 mile so we are making the most of it.
*I go into work on average 2 times a week. Sometimes I go in at 3, sometimes 5, sometimes 7. I'm so thankful for a flexible job.
7:00 Get Micah in the tub because he is a nasty dirty little boy by that time. Then put him to bed.
7:30 If I'm not at work, I try to 'clock out' for the day--no more chores or boring stuff. Matt and I watch a movie, or a game, or play a game.
10:00 Again, if I'm not at work, it's bedtime, and I'm asleep by 10:03.

SO, I would LOVE to hear from moms our there---what are your goals? Your principles? Your desires as a mom? What keeps you motivated to wear the hat of a mom with excellence? Please share!

Hats

2010-05-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember Amy Grant's song about hats? (Besides my 2 sisters...).The only line I remember is "one day I'm a mother, one day I'm a lover, what am I supposed to do? Hats....." And yes, my sisters and I DID have a dance to this, as well as all of Carol King's Tapestry record.

Anywho. Lately I have been contemplative of the different hats I wear in life. And often when people use that phrase, I pick up on a underlying tone of negativity.

But I love my hats, most days. I'm thankful that I don't just have one hat. My life is pretty varied right now, which I enjoy. I wear the wife hat, the mommy hat, the ER RN hat, the friend hat, and the ministry hat. To name a few.

Lately, I have been prompted to pray regularly how to embrace each role in my life, how to enjoy each, and how to excel in each. And as has become my habit, I believe I will blog a series of entries as I process how to do this.

My first conclusion is that the key to fulfilling each role and wearing each hat wonderfully is prioritizing. My relationship with my God and my creator MUST be number one in my life. In thought, emotion, and deed. My first though in the morning must not be of my to do list, but of my God. Setting aside time to pray and study the Bible must win out over laundry and facebook. :) And blogging.....Nurturing my relationship with God must be my priority over my relationship with Matt, Micah, the new 6th graders at youth group, or my friend....Erin. (just picked a random friend, nobody get jealous...)

But that was a given right? I mean, every good pastor's daughter and wife knows you are supposed to do that. Ordering the remaining hats was more of a challenge, but here is what I came up with:

Wife

Mother

Pastor's Wife

Friend

Nurse

Sorry E.R., you lose. Don't take it personally, I am thankful for the paychecks, and all the gory images that get glued into my head, and the 3 hour nights of sleep that you provide, but you just don't compare right now.

I am convinced that how I live out my role as a wife is HUGE. I believe it affects every subsequent role, especially being a mom. I have been learning that above all, my responsibility as Matt's wife is to pray for him. Yes, it also includes folding his laundry and making INCREDIBLE peanut butter toast, but despite my natural instinct to DO, my highest calling as a wife is to pray for him. To pray that he daily experiences God. To pray for his protection physically, emotionally, and spiritually. To pray for needs that he doesn't know he has. To pray for energy, wisdom, and passion to fill his days. It is a chronically long term process, but I am learning that all the "nagging mis-titled as encouraging/reminding" does nothing for him, but wresting for Matt before God moves mountains.

My other goals for this splendid hat of "wifery" is to be a source of joy for Matt. This is a need specific for my husband. He responds so much better to me when I have a little jump in my step, when I'm quick to make jokes, laugh at myself, or flirt with him. Even when I have 5 kids and spend all my time at soccer practice (please God, please?!) I want to send jokes to Matt over text and always greet him with a sincere smile.

As a wife, I also want to strive to create a home that blesses him. I want to make breakfast a few times a week, I want to DELIGHT to clean up his 'cute' 'little' trail that he leaves for me so that we never get separated and lost from one another. :) I want to tidy up the house at 4:45, rather that watch 30 minute meals. And even when life changes and the forementioned is impossible, I want to attempt to apply the same principle.

And lastly, I want to learn to golf for Matt. I hate golf. I am HORRIBLE at it. And I know how bad Matt wants me to learn. So I'll .....work on....it....or something.

In a Nutshell....

2010-05-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends! With the calming hum of 6 bajillion loads of laundry in the background, I believe I am finally ready to blog about Adored.

Adored was awesome. Tough. Fun. Stressful. Incredible. Humbling. Powerful. Terrifying. A blast. Encouraging. Overwhelming.

There ya go, in a nutshell.

By the way, WHENEVER I use the word 'nutshell' (which is probably once a quarter) I want to sing the old theme song to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....anyone else?

Details! Details! you say? Ok, well, you asked for it. Here comes my processing from the queen of public processing:

(For first time readers, Adored is a conference for girls that I taught at 2 weeks ago. )

Adored was FUN. So much fun. Way more fun that I thought it would be. First of all--we had almost 80 girls! That is a lot of girls. :) Here was the best part--Friday night after the session and small groups we had planned a slumber party. I brought movies and games and kinda pictured the girls all in their corners talking about boys, etc. BUT the King of Fun, aka Matt, put together a song list a few days prior, something my little boring mind didn't think of. :) And the slumber party was transformed into a 2 hour dance party! It was so much fun. My favorite part was the juniors and seniors grabbing the junior highers and dancing! It's amazing the fun that can be had when boys are MIA. :)

On Saturday afternoon we put together a pampering time for the girls. It also went so much better than I could have imagined. We had parafin waxing for their hands, manicures, massages, and scrapbooking. And we even had a girl from church come do make up consultations. The girls loved it! I am so thankful for all the volunteers that helped that part run so smoothly.

But Adored was also terrifying and humbling. First of all, I was sick. And very hoarse. With the mother of all coughs. That's enough right there to put you on your knees. But Friday night, I got up on the stage to teach on Esther. And guys, it was close to miserable. I wasn't myself at all. I was glued to my paper. I sped through it just so it would be over. They didn't laugh at my jokes. The leaders didn't even seem to be tracking! :) It was so humbling. And I could NOT be more thankful for that kind of start.

Because it is when we get the poo scared out of us that we learn anew what it means to depend on a mighty God. I got off that stage and wanted to run away. I wanted to cancel the rest of the weekend. And Saturday a.m. came, and I approached the session trembling. Begging God to show up. To take over. To fill in where I was lacking. To be strong in my weakness. And this was supposed to be THE session. Ya know, every conference has one. The tear jerker talk. I had prepared a talk on Rahab, it was called "All Things New." And as I got up there and prayed aloud, I felt God's presence. And that's all I needed. I felt what I wanted to feel--that I was out of the way and God was doing his thing. Halle-stinkin-lujiah.

There is always a new level of humility to be reach, right? I mean, I am SO far from the humility of Jesus, that I will require numerous more situations like this in my attempts to become a humble vessels for His purposes. There is always new levels of brokenness to obtain and more desperate dependence to learn. I am excited and hesitant to ask God to continue to teach me these things!

And even in my reflecting I feel God humbling me. I feel hesitant to conclude anything big and bold about Adored. Instead, I feel myself drawn to the 'closet' to seek the LORD'S thoughts about the conference, as well as his plans for it. I feel myself drawn to quietness rather than evaluating it with everyone involved. And even in that there is a lesson. The sweet desire to mull over life with God primarily, rather than our husbands, best friends, and coworkers. Because hashing it out with God, babbling to our creator, and kneeling before him in silence leads to understanding, and accurate conclusions. Whether it be about an event, our self image, or our future.

And I also sense a huge need for wisdom as I move ahead. I have NO idea what the Lord would have me do next. Did I love teaching? Yes. But do I have a LOT to learn? Heck yes. Can I do Adored again? Can I continue to work on teaching? How do I go about these things?

But right now isn't the time for specific answers, but rather a time for refinement in my inner most being. And once I can develop what He desires, maybe it will be time for answers and planning.

Here are a few pictures of the weekend:

Thank you to all of you who prayed for Adored. Please continue to pray that teenage girls would catch a glimpse of the God who adores them and that they would realize that how God wants them to live as teenagers is far better than how the world would have them live.

2010-05-07T09:07:00.001-07:00

TODAY IS ADORED!!!!! PLEASE PRAY FOR IT! I CAN'T WAIT TO BLOG ABOUT IT SOON! THANKS!

My Boys

2010-04-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

There is nothing else, besides the Lord and Outback cheese fries, that bring me more joy than my boys.

Ain't they sweet?

Matt. Micah. DeWayne. The apples of my eye. Amidst the CRAZINESS of life right now with work, youth group, the house, my sister and dear dear friend moving, and Adored, I think some sentimental blogging would do me some good.

Let's start with DeWayne. D. Previously 'Baby D.' Check out this pic.

Awwww.....so cute. (Except he wasn't potty trained when that picture was taken. Not so cute....) DeWayne is the best dog in the world. He is perfectly behaved. Or close enough. He is wonderfully gentle. And ALWAYS excited to see us. He has never chewed anything up. AND he is the cheapest babysitter on my list. If I need to get something done around the house I lock him and Micah in a room (kinda not joking) and they entertain each other. Micah inserts his fingers into D's eye sockets and D just lays there. The sweetest thing is when Micah wakes up from one of his naps the FIRST thing 'we' do is say 'Dwa Dwa Dwa' until we find DeWayne and then he gets really excited. I think Dwa, I mean Dewayne, has come to enjoy that attention. My favorite time with this beloved canine is in the morning, when Micah naps, D sits at my side with one paw on my leg while I journal and read.

Next: Micah T.

Look at this ball of fun:

Our baby boy is almost ONE YEAR. What the heck? How did that happen?! What is so great about Micah is his joy. (From his dad) It only take 2 bars of any song, played, sung, hummed, or whistled and he is shaking his thang. (Again, gets it from Matt) He loves to be around people, and he does well by himself too. He is a great napper, a great night time sleeper and a pretty good eater. He loves to explore around the house and practice walking (my posture has worsened considerably since I spend multiple hours a day holding his hands while he walks around the house). I love to watch him read books, play in the dirt, and wrestle with his dad or his dog. I LOVE to run errands with him. I am convinced it is his daily goal to brighten every one's day. He stars down strangers till he gets the eye contact he craves, and then he laughs or dances or shakes his head till he gets a laugh. Oh my, I have quite the entertainer on my hands.

And now. The best for last. The love of my life.

Check out this hunk of burning love:

Matthew T.

The biggest miracle in my life. The man who squashed and surpassed what I always thought I would get in a husband. I am about to make a big claim. Everyone ready? I have THE. BEST. HUSBAND. EVER.

Prove it? Ok. Fine. Watch me.

Matt is so patient. So slow to anger. So understanding. So joyful. So fun.

And I am convinced it is his daily goal to brighten every one's day. He stars down strangers till he gets the eye contact he craves, and then he laughs or dances or shakes his head till he gets a laugh. Oh my, I have quite the entertainer on my hands. ........;)

Matt is good at calling at random times during the day just to be sweet. He is good at helping around the house. He is great at thanking me for working outside the home.

But the greatest thing about Matt is how he loves his God. Matt didn't come to know Jesus personally until college. A lot of pain from his childhood led him to God. And he has allowed God to heal that pain and change him. He understands God's love for him, and because of that, he is a wonderful lover to everyone he knows. He shows Christ's love in the most natural ways. How I long to be more like that. I want Matt's energy for people. I want Matt's rawness before God. Matt remembers all that God has saved him from. He can remember how hard and empty life was before God, and how peaceful and abundant it is now--I want that.

So, sorry, to brag today. But it's hard not to. I have been so blessed, exceedingly more than I deserve. I'm just sayin.

Ok, because you persist. Look at it again.....aw........

Thank you God, for the blessing of the boys in my life. Thank you that they point me to You.

Well the humans at least.

Adored

2010-03-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning! One of my dearest friends suggested I blog about Adored and ask for prayer for it. Good idea Katie, and thanks. So for the 8 of you that read this blog ;) , I would be delighted if you would lift up this conference with me.

Adored is a conference for teenage girls that I am putting together at our church. I believe God planted this very specific vision in my heart several months ago, and I'm excited that he has guided and provided for it. It's May 7-8 at my church, for 6th-12th grade. My desire for this is that God would reveal himself to the girls, that they would learn that they are adored by a holy God, and that they would live transformed because of that realization. We will be focusing on Inner Beauty/Self Esteem (Esther), Purity/Redemption (Rahab), and Friendship (Ruth). I have a band coming, The Sonflowerz (www. sonflowerz.com), my little sister has written 2 dramas for it, and I am giving the talks. It will also include a slumber party, chic flics, karaoke, chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate, manicures, free massages ( a real massage therapist!), scrapbooking, and a make up tutorial. I am so excited! Anyone (girl) reading this is invited!

I would covet your prayers in these areas:

*Please pray that girls will come!

*Please pray that I will communicate effectively, and that these girls will catch God's heart for them, his love for them, and his desire for them to live in purity.

*Please pray for a new normal for these girls! I'm praying that they will let God write their love story, that they will respect themselves enough to keep themselves pure, and that they will fall in love with their Maker.

*And lastly, Friends, please pray against spiritual warfare. Without sharing details there is an area of dissension in my life lately that is consuming me. I'm losing sleep, I'm broken, and I'm so hurt. Selfishly I ask for prayers for me, that I would find wisdom and strength and healing from the Lord. Please pray that I would go to the LORD with this consuming issue and shun lies from the enemy and walk in integrity (and no, it's not Matt, we're just fighting over who has a better bracket :) )

But if I could just expand on what God is doing lately. Yesterday we were on a 'family run' and I was in another world because of a heavy heart and busy mind. In addition to the previously mentioned issue, on Sunday I hurt one of my best friends feelings. I spoke without thought and without wisdom and hurt her feelings. And ever since I have realized it, I have been sick with regret and guilt. What I wouldn't do to take back that conversation! And although we will be fine, I couldn't get over it. I swear I walked around with bad posture because of the weight of it. Poor Matt was trying to balance listening, encouraging, instructing, and distracting me. :) But he spoke such wonderful words of truth to me:

God is humbling me. Like never before (besides labor, uhhh.) I am so desperate for him right now, for his truth and his strength. If I stop clinging to him and his word for even a moment, I begin to drown in lies and discouragement. But in him, there is strength. "But they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31. Isaiah didn't say "they get to sit down and not grow weary, they will nap and not be faint." No, he says run and walk. God's strength allows me to keep moving. God's desire is that I keep moving, keep striving for him and his plans for me. No matter the circumstances. And his promise? Sufficiency. His strength will be enough for me.

Humbled is the best place to be, if you want to experience God, if you want to be used by God. Realizing that he is the vine and that I am a dependent branch, apart from him I can do no good thing.

Well, this is blog entry #2 that is pretty raw and unrefined. Which, in itself is humbling. Since I'm being so honest with you, I'll confess I prefer to blog on godly and creative days. :) Days when I think about sentence structure and how to communicate effectively. But not today, today is more about honesty. Please pray for me, please pray for Adored. Please pray that God will rise up a new generation of young women who are passionate about Him and confident in who they are.

Thanks, so much.

Caution: Under Construction

2010-03-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Today is just gorgeous, a high of 65 in Denver. The sun is blazing through the windows, my house smells of baby food (ah...butternut squash, green beans, and sweet potatoes. How you make me...dry heave.), Micah is 'napping' (actually, he is still talking to Mr. Owl about the latest gossip). And now, mattandrebekahjohnson.blogspot.com, I need some help. I am going to spill some ideas, and by the end of the journaling, you will transform my potpourri of thoughts into a lesson.

Uh, please, I mean.

In a few weeks I am teaching the lecture at our women's bible study. For the 2 of you from Bible Study who read my blog don't read this unless you want to be bored when I teach. :) I have known this for almost 2 months now, and have been working on it somewhat regularly. And I love teaching. And I definitely don't mind being in front of people. BUT I'M TERRIFIED.

And I'm thrilled to be so.

My assigned Scripture to teach on is Exodus 23-31. The majority of that Scripture is on the tabernacle. Really?! My first time in front of non-pubescents and I'm given the Tabernacle? Can't I just teach on....like not gossiping?

Ah but my God is so wonderfully sovereign, he knows what he is doing, and his plans blow mine out of the water. And there are times when nothing is more comforting than knowing that God is behind the scenes, plotting for His glory and my good.

I have found this terror, this feeling of desperation is wonderfully healthy. I am so much more aware of my need for the Lord's guidance and insight. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have that awareness in all areas of life?!

The tabernacle.

First, some context. The Jews have just come out of Egyptian slavery. Four hundred years to be exact. God used Moses and Aaron to deliver them from Pharoah, and now they are on their way, Prince of Egypt style. :) They are caravaning in the barren desert of the middle east. They have already had doubts, and God has already shown them miracles. They have already had their first battle as a nation, and God has already given them victory. I would say it's been an eventful first season of their new life.

And then Moses tells them that God wants them to build a tabernacle. That 'He may dwell among them.'

Can you imagine how that rocked them? This was a whole new side of God being revealed. He wanted to be intimate with them, he wanted them to experience communion with him. He wanted relationship. My guess is that most of the Hebrews didn't feel much of that during slavery. I'm sure a lot of them probably felt the opposite, that God had abandoned them. I'm sure most lost faith, giving up on the hopes of a deliverer.

And if it was anything like today's society, I bet those feelings and fears led to compromise. I bet they started blending in with some of the Egyptians, that they became products of their culture.

You could say that they 'walked like an Egyptian.'

Ha. Ha.

But now their proven deliverer wants a tabernacle. A place where he will come down and meet with the Hebrews. This tabernacle would move with them through the desert (the temple would be built much later by King Solomon). I always thought this part of scripture was so boring! I would skim through it, assuming their was no importance to the cubits, acacia, linen mumble jumble. But it is so rich with meaning!

The tabernacle points to Jesus! The tabernacle is a type of Christ! It points to salvation!

The tabernacle is part of a bigger story. The story of a holy God restoring his presence among the imperfect people that He loves.

Big picture: The tabernacle's purpose was to allow/facilitate relationship with a holy God. Just like Jesus. When you come to know and accept Jesus as your Savior from your sins, you find access to a loving and powerful God.

And the details and even cooler! I won't give you all of them, but look at some of the details of the tabernacle:

The first piece of furniture you would find as you enter the tabernacle was the alter where they would sacrifice animals. The only way to approach a holy God is through sacrifice, is through blood shed. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, and it's through his blood that he can have a relationship with God.

Next there was a laver. The laver was a large basin of water that the priests would wash in after the sacrifice. I love that because of Jesus's sacrifice, we are purified from our sins, we are washed, we are justified. God sees us as clean.

In the holy place was the candlestick. It was to burn constantly and give light to the tent. In John, ,Jesus is called the light of the world. As the candlestick shed light on how to get to "God" in the tent, just as Jesus revealed the way to God.

I could go into the details for a good hour, but I have other thoughts that need to be processed by Bloggy McBloggerson. (I fully understand that that wasn't funny, but it came out and it was funny in high school, so I'm leaving it. )

Also, I was thinking about the actual task of building the temple. Exodus has incredible detail about the building of the tabernacle and God wanted only top rate work. Kinda like how Matt only wants me to buy the really really nice toilet paper. Boys.....

Oh wait, that's not where I was going with that. This generation knew how to labor, they knew construction, they had skills, and they had them because of the years in Egypt. And now they would use those abilities to build the tabernacle. God is all about taking his children out of slavery, he is all about removing our chains. But he isn't about wasting time. He used that aspect of slavery! He has purposes even in the darkest of times. And although he can remove fear and guilt, he doesn't necessarily want to erase those experiences from our memory. Every day the Hebrews worked on the tabernacle, they probably thought about projects with the same skills back in Egypt. What a great way to remember what God had done!

Another thing I have learned and love is that the instructions for the building of the temple were given to Moses alongside the ten commandments. The ten commandments and all other laws were given because God is holy and just. The tabernacle was given because God is loving and personal. He is completely both, at the same time! And although he longs to have relationship with us, and he is gracious with us, he isn't about willy nilly obedience. He isn't a fan of excuses. He wanted his people to have pure hearts, to walk with justice and integrity before him. He asks for holiness and he provides for relationship in the same conversation.

On a personal note, it is in that truth that I find motivation and guidance on a daily basis. I make my moral and spiritual decisions based on the fact that God loves me and has saved me. I want to be holy because of who He is and what he has done for me.

Think of how quickly the Hebrews view of God was evolving! (I'm not saying that God was changing) In Egypt he seemed distant and possibly impersonal. Then he reveals himself as powerful and mighty and as their deliverer through the Exodus. Then he reveals that he is holy and requires holiness from his people through the law. And now, through the tabernacle, he reveals his love. The HUGE cherry on top. :)

Ok, last unrefined thought that I have learned. I love that God did this when he did. He didn't wait for the Hebrews to prove that they could obey the law. (Good thing, cuz they couldn't) He didn't wait till they were in the promised land, doing great things for Him. No, he provides/offers relationship with his beloved people right away. When they are dirty, stinky nomads (literally.) When they are likely still tainted by the Egyptian culture and way of thinking.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Thank you, God, that you saved me when I was still dusty, dirty, sinful, and weak. Thank you for pursing me before I had it all figured out. Thank for you being in relationship with me, a sinner.

My Kitchen Floor

2010-02-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Nasty! Nasty! Nasty! My kitchen floor is painful to look at. And not because of DeWayne’s hair, Micah’s leftover squash, or Matt’s footprints. Even after hours of scrubbing, sweeping, and bleaching, it is repulsive. The people who lived here before us didn’t spend much time on domestic hygiene. The tile is coming up in the corner, to reveal a blackish surface saturated with permanent dirt. There are scuff marks, dents, holes, you name it.

I know, silly blog topic. I promise I have a point here.

God is teaching me so much through my wonderful kitchen floor.

This necrotic tile is my object lesson for contentment.

I Timothy 6:6 says “But godliness with contentment is of much gain.” I find contentment to be such a tough character trait to master. And it seems like it is especially difficult for women. I often find myself looking back on previous seasons in life with a desire to return (gotta be honest, I just want to go back to high school and compete in sports again). Or sometimes I catch myself day dreaming about the future when I get to tote 3 kids to soccer practice every night and master the occupation of ‘taxi driver.’ (I know, I’m weird.)

But, oh to be content! To be able to say “I am satisfied—thanks be to God.”

How I long to have an attitude of stillness instead of chasing after the next thing. How wonderful to be overflowing with gratitude, rather than possessions.

Our pastor, Mike Romberger, said “The key to contentment is not more possessions, but fewer desires.” AWESOME! I love that. To hone in my desires to line up with my Lords, that is what I long for! Instead of craving more clothes, bedrooms, fun kitchen tools, trips, what if my desires were simply to please my Savior? How much more content I would be!

So I will continue to clean my kitchen floor, with the help of my dog of course ( he takes care of the area under the high chair). And as I do that will be my plea—to minimize my desires.

Rahab

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Run=check. Cleaned up=check. Micah down=check. Coffee and Dewayne here with me=check. Now, finally, I can blog again! How I love ideal mornings...

A lot of you have heard this, but this Spring I am putting together a conference for girls, junior high and high school. It's called "Adored" and I am just beyond excited for it. So many women have stepped up to help me and God has been gradually revealing to me what he wants the conference to look like.

Right away I knew what topics I wanted to cover. You know, the classics: boys (giggle giggle), modesty, friendship, etc. But I felt God asking me to speak from Scripture, exogetically. ( How in the world do you spell that?!) So I have been doing that and really praying and trusting that God will show me those topics within His word.

So I'm thinking one talk on Esther, ah godly, pretty Esther. And one on Ruth. Devoted, faithful Ruth. And one on.....Rahab. Sweet....skanky Rahab.

I luv Rahab! I told the director of our women's ministries who I wanted to speak on, and she responded in her southern draw, "Rebekah, hun, did you know Rahab was a prostitute?" I had to laugh. ha. ha. ha. Yes, in fact, I did know that.

So Rahab's story is told in Joshua, starting in chapter 2. But she is mentioned in 2 other books as well. She comes onto the scene at a very climactic time for God's people. They are just days away from entering into the promised land, with only one more battle to fight. That battle--Jericho. Rahab was a hooker, sent to live in the walls of the city. Likely because the king was 'done' with her. How rejected she must have felt, like an outcast. And all she had come to believe she was was a body, a tool for men's pleasure. Did she have any hopes for a husband? Not likely. Did she have any hopes of changing her lifestyle? Probably not. She was well known, but not in a good way. She got plenty of attention, but not the kind that warms your heart.

And here she is, dressed in satin, well accessorized, staring out the window of her room. Contemplating what she has heard about this God of the Israelites. The hub around town was a nervous chatter about them and their God. The rumor is that they had a promised land from their God, and that her city was in the foyer of this land. Maybe it was the 'bad girl' in her, but Rahab found herself drawn to these people, and to their God. Something deep within her longed for this God, a God who split the waters and destroyed enemies. Could this God split her chains and destroy her darkness? Could he lead her out of her prison and into victory?

A quick rap on the door startles her from her day dreaming. She rolls her eyes, expecting to find a soldier hoping to enjoy her...company. Instead, it's two foreigners, travelers. Before she knew what she was doing she shooed them into her room and secured the door behind her. They explained to her that they were spies, sent from the leader of the Israelites. They claimed that Jericho was to be attacked, and their God would completely conquer this city, they claimed.

Another knock. And the sounds of soldiers at her door. Perhaps prompted by her dreams, she swiftly rushes the spies into hiding. She then answers the door to paranoid soldiers, demanding she bring out the spies. Rahab, without understanding, again, acts in faith. "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, and the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them."

Maybe it was her dark eyes, or her perfectly olive toned skin, but the soldiers believed her, and left in pursuit of them.

And the story goes on where Rahab tells the spies that she had heard of their powerful God, and that she believes he is the Lord God, the God of heaven and earth. And as boldly as she could flirt, she asked the Israelite men for salvation. She asks that her and her family be spared when they attack Jericho. They give her their word, and they keep it.

LOVE IT. Here is a story of a women who refused to be shackled to her past. She had the courage of Ruth. The beauty of Esther. The reputation of a Playboy. Yet she is a main character in a main story in the Bible. SHE is in the lineage of Christ.

Little did she know. When she got moved to the wall, did she have any idea it would be her gate to salvation? Although it was isolating, it allowed for the spies to come to her house. Although the labels the world gave her hurt beyond description, the God of the Hebrews used that pain to give her an appetite for Him. And that appetite prompted an active faith. One that many of us still crave to live out. Little did she know a man named James would talk about her in the same paragraph as Abraham. Yea, Abraham the Patriarch of my faith, he shared a paragraph with a gentile prostitute.

She had no idea what hung in the balance of her faith jump. No idea that she would be recorded in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews.

What a story of redemption. Forgiveness. Simple faith. New starts.

Our God makes all things new.

How I'm praying that these teenage girls will find new starts prompted by faith. That they will believe in the restoration and redemption of a big God. That they will understand that they are Adored. Who knows what hangs in the balance of us believing in what God thinks of us, rather than the world....

Oh Baby

2010-01-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

So how about a healthy serving of Micah? I thought some of you (relatives) would like an update of Micah! So he is pretty much awesome. I could just sum it up with that. :)

Micah is now 8 1/2 months old. (Really?!) He is funny, joyful, and independent.

Our Routine

7:00 Wake up and takes a bottle in bed with us

Climbing practice, jungle gym: Mom, Dad, DeWayne :) (I LOVE this time, he has so much to tell us, and he touches our faces like he had forgotten what we looked like)

7:30-8:15 Plays in his room, while rocking out to Keith Green Kids Worship

*He LOVES playing alone in his room, all we have to do is walk towards the CD player and he kinda freaks out (meanwhile Mom and Dad shower and get ready for the day)

8:30 Breakfast: Usually a few slices of cucumber (LOVES them), 3 T vegetable, 3 T fruit

9:00-11:00 Morning nap (He reaches for his crib and giggles as we put him down)

This is when I get to have my time in God's Word, emailing, blogging, cleaning the house

11:00 Bottle and lunch (3 T vegetable and 2 T fruit)

11:00-1:00 We usually either run errands, go see Daddy (his office is 1 mile away-wootwoot!), or go for a run with DeWayne

1:00-3:30ish Afternoon nap

3:30 bottle

4:00 Room time again, play with Mommy, sometimes go with mommy to hang out with a youth group girl

6:00 Family dinner, usually the same as breakfast

6:30 WRESTLE TIME WITH DADDY :) (I firmly believe he LIVES for this time of day)

Bath time

7:00

Bible stories

He now loves to actually sit and listen to me read to him! For the longest time he would just try and eat every page...

Bottle

Pray with Mommy and Daddy (not DeWayne)

7:30 Bedtime

Usually 3 times a week I leave for work at either 5 or 7 and work till 1 or 2, so the 3 boys get the evenings together. I purposely don't ask what they do, it probably involves farting contests, eating ice cream, and making bets on the game....

Milestones:

*He can crawl backwards and rotate 360 degrees

*He is days, maybe moments, from pulling himself up to a standing position

*No teeth yet

*He is up to like 4 consonants, dada, gaga, nana, and baba.

Likes:

*Room time

*Balloons

*Target and Chic fil A (or is that me?)

*Byron Johns (one of our pastors, sorry to all other readers, but Mr. Byron is by far his favorite person)

*Runs in his stroller

*Dancing

Dislikes:

*Sunday mornings

*Getting dressed (he is passionate about nakedness) (I'm resisting making a comment about where he gets this from ) (his dad)

*Pumpkin

*Off brand formula. :(

What I am learning:

Is there room on this blog for this category?! I am learning so much, from organization and how to suction a snotty nose, to deep tough lessons in selflessness. I am learning how crucial moral training is, even at 8 months. (Micah now knows the word "no", and usually quickly obeys, I am amazed. I am learning the importance of prioritizing. If I choose to be lazy during his naps and not have my devotional time or clean up, it often doesn't happen. I am also learning how important my marriage is. The moment Matt and I put each other 2nd to Micah our family suffers. But when we treasure one another, set each other up for success, and communicate excessively, our family thrives. I am also learning the monumental importance of grace. I have to be gracious with myself as I fumble as a mother and a wife; and I must be gracious with Micah as he learns any number of things. Lastly, I am learning about joy. My first round of joy training was when I married Herky. :) And I am continuing to learn about it. It is so contagious! Betweeen my 3 boys I should just laugh all day, which I must add, would be quite healthy.

Oh yeah, I'm learning a flat stomach is way over rated........ hahahaha....eh.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading!

BIG

2010-01-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm giddy. I am at Panera---alone. Matt is home with Micah during his morning nap and I was sent to my happy place with my Bible, journal, and Mac. *Sigh. I hardly know what to do with myself, on the way here I turned around to talk to the empty car seat, then remembering I was ALONE. :)

So I just quickly wanted to blog about a cool thing God did this week.

While sparing you the majority of the details Matt and I have had a rough week. Finances are really tough right now, maybe tougher than ever. And in addition, I have been saturated in my pride and not wanted to share that with anybody. But, like most struggles, when handed over to the Lord it can be transformed into a beautiful opportunity for growth. Matt and I have existed on our knees for the past week. It has been scary at times, yet we know that we stand on the Rock (Colt McCoy).

But here is the sweet God story:

I have felt consumed with fear at times this past week. Then yesterday I got a text from a girl from our youth group that she needed to talk. She became a Christian about 2 years ago and we have gotten very close. But the past semester has been hard, the world has wooed her.
But my God is in the work of restoration. I love to see God bring the lost to him, but just as much I love love love to see him go after the wanderers. And he is going after this girl! I was able to listen to her as she realized that she is being pursued! God is coming after her! He is jealous for her! I got to listen to her as she realized that the world has nothing for her, as she realized that she is loved by a God that has been on the back burner of her heart for a semester. I saw it in her teary eyes that she felt pursued! Ah-I'm making a scene at Panera. Our God is so big! If He can save the lost, if he can drawn back the wanderer to himself with his love, then he can pay bills! Who cares about money?! As C.S. Lewis said "Aslan is on the move!"

So that's my rant. What felt like such a consuming struggle for most of the week now seems minimal. The mountain of finances is a molehill in light of the power of God.

As I sit here inhaling the addicting scent of Cinnamon Crunch bagels I am praying that you can experience our BIG God today. I'm praying that whatever feels insurmountable today will be conquered by the truth that our God moves mountains.
Zephaniah 3:17 claims that "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness;he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

I wish I knew had to better finagle this fancy smancy blog thing so I could have you listen to this song, but until I learn I'll just give you the lyrics. My all time song of encouragement: He's Always Been Faithful To Me by Sara Groves.

Morning by morning I wake up to find
the power and comfort of God's hand in mine.
Season by season I watch him amazed, in
awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

CHORUS:
All I have need of his hand will provide.
He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain he did
not recycle to bring me gain. I can't
remember one single regret in serving
God only and trusting his hand

This is my anthem, this is my song, the
theme of the stories I've heard for so long.
God has been faithful, he will be again.
His loving compassion, it knows no end.

So, sit back and rest in the big loving arms of God. Look at your situation and say in my semi-gangster husbands words "It ain't no thang." ;)

2K10

2010-01-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, I'm not a few weeks behind. I have decided that I love New Years more than Christmas. And that is saying something because the Hamby kids were raised LOVING Christmas. We have countless traditions that our wonderful husbands willingly inherited, and we reek of nostalgia from Halloween through Christmas morning. Yet, this year I have officially decided to switch my favorite holiday to New Years.
I get overloaded with motivation around the New Year. Also, there is no other time that I feel so refreshed by the Lord. I'm so thankful for his forgiveness and his refreshment. I feel full of energy, ideas, and goals. Ah wonderful goals. But more on that in a minute.
When I was in high school I would spend 4-5 hours every New Years day journaling and praying about the previous year and dedicating the upcoming year. Although I couldn't talk Micah into taking a 4 hour nap on New Years this year, I have enjoyed some time reflecting.
2009 made a run for one of the best years of my life. It was packed full of 'firsts.' I was pregnant for the first time. I had back pain for the first time in my life. I experienced 10/10 pain for the first time in my life (labor, obviously.) I had a baby. I brought someone back with CPR. Matt started his first official youth pastor job in May. We bought our first home. I cooked with prosciutto for the first time. I found a workout video that actually works. I hiked a mountain while nursing a newborn.
The year was also packed with refinement. The refinement was so deep, so intimate. It was about learning who I was "post-Micah" as a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a mentor. It was about realizing that nothing will make me a good mom more than further understanding and grasping God's grace and understanding with me. Refinement came in super size through some tough relationship issues as well.
And just like every year, God has been so beautifully faithful. And wonderfully gentle. This past year could have been brutal! I could have had post partum depression ( although I was crazy for about 3 weeks!), I could have been disappointed or unmotivated as a new mom, Matt and I could have had a tough year through the changes. But God's blessing poured down. And the refinement I have experienced have been accompanied with God's gentle leading hand and the whisper of his promises.
So, now, 2010! Here are my resolutions/goals. Bear with me, I know some of them are silly. ( By the way, silly has become a predominant word in my daily vocabulary, thank you Micah T)
*No pop all year
*No candy bars all year
*Memorize Scripture with my brother
*Meet with one girl from Matt's youth group every week. Matt and I want to increase the interpersonal aspect of ministry, hoping that more kids will know that they are loved and that they can begin to see life through a 'God lens.'
*Write one note every week
*Put energy into my spiritual gifts, primarily teaching. It's only a dream and prayer right now but I would love to lead a retreat for the girls at our church about purity, beauty, and relationships.
Ok, I'm being long winded. Happy New Year fellow bloggers!

Pics of our First Home!

2009-12-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

I Wish I Knew What I Used To Know....

2009-12-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Wow, again, it has been a while since I have blogged. We have packed, moved, painted, unpacked, packed for a trip to Iowa, returned from Iowa, unpacked, decorated for Christmas and made our first batch of Christmas cookies. Alas, I have a quiet evening to journal!
So lately I have been thinking how I wish I knew what I used to know. Kinda reminds me of that inappropriate, yet funny, country song "I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good now, as I ever was..." Not that those lyrics have anything moving or convicting in them but still....
There are lots of areas I'm referring to. Like I wish I still knew how to hit a three pointer like I did my senior year, or run a 5:30 mile. I wish I actually remembered all the bones and muscles that I had to memorize in college. But even more, I wish I knew how to be passionate like I used to be. Lately, the Lord has been prompting me to be more passionate about those that do not know Him. I breathed evangelism in high school. What changed? Although I can confidently say that I have matured socially and have learned some tact, I fear there is more to it. I used to wake up and the FIRST thing I thought about was the Lord and how I would CRAVE to experience him and see him work! I used to pray too. I breathed intercession. If you talked to me I was praying for you. :) And more than anything, I was so completely convinced of the power of God, praying a small prayer was beyond my comprehension. My pleas to the Lord were for revival! awakenings! His return!
By no means am I trying to paint an angelic image of me as a high schooler. Nor do I want to return to who I was then, completely. I trust the Lord as the author of my faith, not myself. However, there is much to be learned in reflection. There is much to be viewed by looking back every now and then. To see where our God has taken us.
You know how frustrating it can be when you look down at your shirt and realize that you rubbed up against something and now there is a big stain? (ESPECIALLY when you are pregnant :) ) How much more frustrating when you realize that the world rubbed off on you when you weren't paying attention. Be it ever so subtely, but the world is good at that. Rubbing a little doubt here, a little bit of earthly comfort there. Thankfully our God is a Refiner. He specializes in purifying my heart, my attitudes, my habits. And He does it over and over again.I want to know how to crave God's glory like I used to. I want to know how to love people like I used to. Oh man I want to pray more.....I want to sit back and watch God do his thing! My prayer tonight is for an awakening of my child like faith. And that I would experience my God because of it.

2009-10-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Micah can sit up! We found a toy store in Ft. Collins that he loved!

Here's some new photos! Micah isn't smiling in pictures as much because he seems to be curious about the camera :)

The Elusive Heart of Mary....

2009-10-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

So it has been a crazy couple of weeks, and the forecast for the next 2 are just as busy. We have been busy preparing to move--we close next week! It's been so fun. I normally HATE to shop but I have been giddy about things like shelf liners and knobs for my cabinets. :) I have also had several rounds of company as well as working quite a bit. I am so thankful for a job (ER RN) that has flexible hours.
Busyness. There is nothing more deadly to my walk with God. And not necessarily a busy day guided by a lengthy to-do list. But a busy mind. My antagonist to a soft heart to the Lord. My enemy to knowing God better. For the past two or three weeks I have had such a busy mind. I hate to admit it, but I have been taking melatonin to get me to sleep most nights. If not I lie awake arranging furniture in my mind or contemplating colors for my accent walls. (Funny thought--Matt couldn't sleep the other night because he couldn't decide where the TV was going to go...it's contagious) I know this isn't wrong in itself, and I'm thankful God gave us the emotion of 'excitement.' But my mind hasn't just sat on God for a while. And I am feeling the effects of that. I can tell that my ear isn't as in tune to his leading, his comfort, his encouragement. My responses to Matt and Micah aren't as gentle or understanding. What a reminder of my desperate need for a Savior! It just doesn't work as well when I put God on my to-do list and then cross him off after a 30 minute bible study. I get nothing more than a false satisfaction that I"m still doing 'OK' spiritually. On the other hand, is there anything sweeter than feeling God piece you back together from a state of brokenness? Is there anything sweeter than a day with a still mind, focused on the faithfulness of God? I think not....
Looking back (all the way back to this morning :) ) I have pinpointed some red flags that I have a busy mind:
*Lack of prayer
*Not starting my times with God in prayer
*Decreased stress tolerance
*Emotional liability
*I avoid times of stillness, which begins a downward spiral
*I think less of others, more of myself

Oh to have a "Mary heart in a Martha world..." I love that story. Look it up in Luke 10. Picture it. Jesus comes to visit the sister's house. Martha immediately begins pouring chips into a serving dish and the salsa into a matching fiesta style bowl. She quickly lights a candle (the scent was no doubt appropriate for the season, for example a 'pumpkin spice' for late October). And as she rushes into the living room to offer Jesus a glass of wine she finds her sister. Sitting on her butt. Mesmerised by Jesus. Listening to his Word. Is she really unaware that there is work to be done?! And yet....Jesus is pleased. In fact, he calls Martha out. He says "Mary has chosen that which is better." In my Bible it says "Martha Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only ONE THING is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part..." (vs 41-42) That illusive one thing. A still mind. A focused mind. A mind and heart of worship. Do you know that every time I read this story I fight the temptation to defend Martha?! Hmm....I wonder why....:)

So I have to share my new favorite Micah moment. We just got our first professional family picture taken and Micah was HILARIOUS. Micah loves when we sing to him, but about a week ago we noticed a unique excitement to the Iowa fight song. So today during the photo shoot Matt and I would sing the song and Micah would start dancing and laughing! And he did it like 10 times. It was hilarious, what a sweet happy baby.
Well, we are off to our church's fall festival. And no, Micah doesn't have a costume. We are horrible parents, but I just couldn't justify $30 to make Micah more adorable. It's superfluous. :)

Thanks for letting me process. I'm gonna go sit on my butt. :)

"You Hem Me In"

2009-10-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last night at youth group Matt and I separated the boys and girls to give them 'THE TALK.' Relationships and dating are two things that Matt and I are very passionate about, and we are committed to talking about it at youth group, and in fact, talking about it a lot.
So I had a panel of ladies to answer questions from the girls. Let's face it, by junior high most of these kids already know more than I do! (And I have been pregnant!) But what I do know about is the sweet gift of saving myself for my husband and the downpour of blessings that comes with that. It was fun to reminisce on junior high romance. I got some laughs when I confessed to them that when I was in junior high I "dated" one boy. For one day. And he only had one arm. :) It's a true story. (He is an awesome guy, by the way) Then in high school I pretty much only dated one guy and was able to walk out of that relationship with no regrets. And then came my prince charming....in a Herky costume. God has been so faithful in this area of my life. Wow, what an understatement.
As I reflect on last night I am reminded of the promise that my God protects me. I love that verse in Psalm 139 that "You hem me in." I feel God's gentle hands so often, and I picture them. Like His gentle hands are cupped, one in front of me, and one behind.
One to keep me from returning to a lifestyle of sin, or a sin He has already defeated for me. Like Lot's wife I often find myself tempted to look backwards. Beth Moore says it best "Few things are more dangerous than looking back to that from which God has delivered us." I feel myself drawn to the same sins over and over again. In high school it was often flirting with eating disorders, now it is often the sin of a critical spirit and a desire for control. How quickly do conquered sins begin to look attractive again, and how quickly do I forget the burn of the consequences.
And the other is often there to slow me down. Ah, slowing down. I hate slowing down. Just ask that cop that pulled me over going 74 in a 55. (No worries--I got out of it) Or ask my high school cross country team when I would run preseason practices like it was the state meet. But God is so good to keep that loving hand there to serve as a bumper. Whenever I move too fast His hand is there to gently bump me back. It saves me from many a broken heart. Whenever I make hasty decisions it is there to prevent me from carrying out that decision. Often my ideas and plans are bad in themselves, it's just my pace that isn't right. I fully believe I would have zoomed past many lessons and revelations of my Lord if I was going the pace I was choosing.
The Lord's protection amazes me. I can sense it easiest only when I am spending time with Him, pouring out my heart to Him, and searching for His ways in Scripture.

I love Windex Antibacterial Spray....

2009-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I love to clean. I love to pick up, scrub, disinfect, and fold. But I haven't always been this way. In fact I remember fighting regularly with Rachel because I left my clothes on the floor of our bedroom and it drove her nuts. But for the past few years this has been a growing love of mine. It actually started in college when I had a 'less clean' roommate and I was really stressed from nursing school and being engaged and my stress reliever was to pick up after her. :) I'm not a clean freak, I don't mind if people wear shoes in my house and I can leave a dirty dish or two out on the counter. But I definitely love having things in order and germ free.
Anyway, I'm in the pre-packing time right now. I'm not packing up boxes but I'm gutting and organizing our house, in preparation for packing, which is in preparation for moving. :) As I was doing that today I felt a bit convicted. And it definitely wasn't because I don't use eco-friendly cleaners. I felt the Lord tug at my heart a bit because of my motives. When people help us move (oh please someone, help us move....) I want them to think "Wow, Rebekah is really clean." Now if that is as deep as this sin was I doubt I would be blogging about it. But God showed me, again, that I do the same thing with him. I love to tuck in my shirt tail and straighten my tie before I come to Jesus. I often want to clean up before I let HIM move me. And as I clean out closests and drawers, I like to clean up the different corners of my heart, in hopes of impressing Him. Yet he longs that I come as I am. Messy even.
Psalm 51:17 says "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
I don't have to impress my Lord, that's what grace is for. And even more so, his unconditional love makes it so I don't have to. It hurts a lot less if I just hand over my messiness rather than deny that it's there. The Lord does such a better job of cleaning up my heart than I could ever do. HE is the author and perfector of my faith, I must remember that and stop trying to write my own autobiography on my faith. How I long to replace my pride with brokenness and my busy d0-it-yourself mentality with a quiet stillness before God.

AT THE SAME TIME, I had another thought today on cleanliness, or more accurately, orderliness. I go to our women's bible study and we are studying Genesis. Today we studied creation and Karen Palin gave an awesome talk on the universe. I could not ignore the order that our world was created in! Karen made the point that God is a God of order and that perhaps part of being made in his image includes desiring order. I thought it was such a good point....something to think about.

That's all for now. Maybe I'll go make a mess of something....:)Here is a photo of Micah, just to make the post worth it. :)

Homeowners!

2009-09-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

We are buying a house! God is so good! We started looking for homes in August and just put an offer in this past Monday. I am so excited--I wish we could fast forward past all this paperwork and packing and just be in our new home! Here are some pictures!

It's a tri level, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 living areas and a great back yard! DeWayne is pretty pumped. It has acoustic ceilings, which I love. The previous tenants were smokers, so we have to do new carpet and paint before we move in. Now for the God story: when we got approved for a loan back in August I felt God leading us to pray for a house for $180.000. Then we started looking at homes and there was nothing, literally, nothing, in our area for that price. We were about ready to resign our lease for our town home when we found this house. Our offer :$180,000. And it was accepted!
I'm so thankful for a God who gives good gifts--lavish gifts! I'm so thankful for a God that provides. And he provides so much more than just finances! He is so faithful to provide strength, wisdom, energy, guidance, and love right when I need it. I'm excited to take this next big step with Matt!
And I'm excited to dig our roots a bit deeper out here in the west, hopefully that will allow us to bear more fruit...

Micah's schedule

2009-09-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am 'one of those moms.' I put my child on a schedule. Doesn't it sound so much better to say " I try to stick to a routine." :) To pass the blame, or the credit, it wasn't my idea. But the best behaved children I have seen are all on routines. My step sister in law (that's a mouthful) was the first one I saw, and her kids are amazing. I read the book Babywise, and ask questions like crazy to moms around me. If it weren't for those things I would be so lost. Anyway, this is Micah's routine right now, at 4 months.
7:15ish wake up and nurse
7:45-7:55 Tummy Time
7:55-8:15 "Room time"
8:15-8:45 Time with Mommy, play in Bumbo or Exersaucer
8:45-11:00 Nap
Then we repeat those things and lots of times go for a walk or run an errand
12:30-3:00 Nap
3:00-4:30 Nurse, Tummy Time, play with Daddy when he gets home
4:30-5:30 or 6 "Cat Nap"
6-7 Family Time (usually a walk)
7:00 Nurse
7:30 Bedtime

Room time is something I just started. A couple of friends at church told me about it, and it's in an older book called "Prep for Parenting." I keep Micah's playpen set up in our spare bedroom (because his room is too small) and put him in there on his back (he loves his back) with a few toys. And he loves it. He talks to himself, play with his feet, talks to his toys. My friends said that is helps them to help how to play independently and how to focus. I thought he would hate it but I was wrong! And then once he is mobile he will just play in his room without the playpen. It allows me to shower or clean up, but lots of times I just sit outside the room and watch him! :) Today I went in there and his book was lying on his face. I was tempted to help him, but instead wanted to see him problem solve. He was kinda giggling at the book, rather than being upset. And he kept trying to roll over to no avail. After several minutes of trying to lift the book off of his face he got it! And he looked thrilled! It was the highlight of my morning.
This routine is great, he and I both know what to expect every day, and I can plan social events around his schedule. However, Sundays are out the window because of church and sunday school and youth group. They have been pretty rough for him lately, he pretty much cries in nursery the entire time. ( I would appreciate prayers for this) I'm trying to stay calm about this because it's not going to change. He's a pastors son so Sundays will always be like that. He just glares at me when I tell him that now. ;)

The Greater Work

2009-09-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend Matt asked me to share my testimony at youth group. There's a daunting task. Entertain 70 junior high students with a story that involves no good drama. :) But Matt wanted me to share my story because it was in junior high that God stole my heart. It was 8th grade where I got a taste of the abundant life and then couldn't get enough. I used one of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis about how we are half-hearted creatures that are content playing in a muddy slum when God has offered us a vacation at the beach. To bring this down to their level, I simplified it and said we are content in a sandbox when God has offered us the beach. The main idea (stolen from Lewis) "We are far too easily pleased." I worked on my talk all week. God challenged me with it, I was excited about it, I worked with Matt on it to make it junior high suitable. Sunday night came, I presented my testimony with every ounce of fervor and passion I could muster.
...Then I went to lead my small group.
They didn't get it.
As we went through the prewritten questions, I was depressed at each answer. No one was crying from conviction. No one was jumping out of their seat screaming "I'm ready for the abundant life!!" No one seemed the least bit motivated. Internally I rummaged through every tactic I have learned for youth ministry of how to relate to these girls, how to communicate that Jesus is worth it, that popularity and name brand clothes isn't the end all!
But then I get it.
It's not about me. Or my tactics. Or my skills in relating. I can't take them by the shoulders,(lovingly) shake 'em twice, and say "Get it?!". It is the HOLY SPIRIT. It's Jesus, not me, who is the author and perfectors of faith. I cannot work my magic and then Matt's youth group will transform into a group of sincere, passionate evangelists. They will still be a big group of sweet, funny, sometimes smelly, junior highers. But our God can work with smelly junior highers.
Oswald Chambers has a quote that says "Prayer does not prepare us for the greater work. It IS the greater work." Isn't that so true? My work for this youth group is not primarily Starbucks dates with 8th grade girls, or leading dating talks for the girls, or even cheering them on at a volleyball game. My work, as a pastor's wife, is at home. Monday through Saturday, on my knees. Begging the Holy Spirit to move in power. Praying that the Lord will entice them away, into a dessert as Hosea says, that they would see how fulfilling He is.
And the great news is that the Holy Spirit will do a lot better job than I ever could.

2009-09-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

Today was the first Iowa Hawkeye game of the fall. We had the Einwalters over for brunch and then went to Buffalo Wild Wings for the 2nd half of the game. Micah showed his support, of course. He is obviously excited that the Hawks won, but equally exstatic that he found his feet this week. He passes a lot of time grabbing his feet and giggling at them.

The Prevention of Gratitude

2009-09-05T13:21:00.001-07:00

This week God has been prompting me to be more thankful. I have learned that gratitude is preventative of a lot of sin. When I make it a practice to be thankful, and to express it (whether to the Lord or those around me) I find that it helps my attitude, I feel more content, I even struggle less with selfishness. I have so much to be thankful for. But not just the 'big things' like health, jobs, and a loving husband and healthy baby. But I'm learning to be thankful for the little things. Here's some of the little things that I thought of this week:
I'm thankful that Matt is a youth pastor--it was always my dream :)
I'm thankful that my baby LOVES to smile and laugh.
I'm thankful that our dog, DeWayne, doesn't bark.
I'm thankful that we live in Colorado.
I'm so thankful that Micah has hair, it's so cute. :)
I'm thankful for facebook! I have loved reconnecting with high school friends and other friends I wouldn't normally keep up with.
I'm so thankful that Ruthann moved out to Colorado. God answered my prayers about loneliness with her.
I'm thankful that Matt's job gave him a Mac.
I'm thankful that our landlord painted our townhome sage green--I love sage green. (for example, my wedding)
I'm thankful that Ryan, my bro, runs cross country--and that he is AWESOME at it.
I'm thankful that Rach had a baby the same time as me.
I'm thankful that Matt understands and practices grace more than anyone I know.
I'm so thankful for a job where I practically make my own schedule.
I'm thankful for our church where the gospel is preached, God is honored, and the people are real.
I'm thankful for Food Network. I LOVE Food Network.
I'm thankful for the new ped mall across the street.

That's just a start. Those are just the things on the top of my mind today.
Micah, Matt, and DeWayne are begging to go on a walk now. I love walks so I better not miss this opportunity.
Isn't God good? Praying that we can all experience the goodness of God today.....

2009-08-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

2009-08-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

New Hobby : Blogging

2009-08-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is my first. I am officially losing my blogging virginity. I feel like I am just now settling into a routine for this new season of my life. Life consists of a new baby, church, youth ministry, and working a few evenings at the Littleton Adventist ER. So I'm trying to find some hobbies to fill my mornings that will be at least on of the following: productive, challenging, and/or encouraging. :)
For those of you I haven't talk to in a while here's a bit of an update on the Johnson family. We moved from Iowa to Denver, CO a little over 2 years ago. Matt is attending Denver Seminary to get his M.A. in Youth Ministry. About 1 1/2 years ago God brought us to an awesome church, Mission Hills, and now Matt is the youth pastor for junior high. We had Micah on May5 and have been blown away by the fun of parenting! Micah is so much fun! He is a good eater, sleeper, and (like daddy) is quite the charmer! Life is sweet right now. It's challenging in every aspect: vocationally, socially, financially, and emotionally. Yet it's the kind of challenges that reap the sweet fruit of refinement. I have experienced the Lord in new ways, I have fallen more in love with Matt that ever before, and I have the JOY of watching a little guy grow up right in front of me! OK, I don't want to look too eager with this new hobby :) Now let's see if I can figure out how to work this thing.....