talia time.

oh man, i was in desperate need of talia time. france is just too stinkin' far away. anywho, tal and i got to spend some time hanging out in the beautiful gorge. we hiked up angel's rest...my favorite hiking spot right now and of course we brought my trusty hiking buddy, kobe. i couldn't believe how many wild flowers were along the path. gorgeous gorge! the next day, she had the privilege of hanging out with me and the munchkins. another beautiful day, so we headed off to the park. the kids LOVE talia and we all had a blast. it was an awesome time to catch up a bit...and prepare for a summer jam-packed with more adventures!

talia time.

oh man, i was in desperate need of talia time. france is just too stinkin' far away. anywho, tal and i got to spend some time hanging out in the beautiful gorge. we hiked up angel's rest...my favorite hiking spot right now and of course we brought my trusty hiking buddy, kobe. i couldn't believe how many wild flowers were along the path. gorgeous gorge! the next day, she had the privilege of hanging out with me and the munchkins. another beautiful day, so we headed off to the park. the kids LOVE talia and we all had a blast. it was an awesome time to catch up a bit...and prepare for a summer jam-packed with more adventures!

me and the kids

words cannot express how much these little ones mean to me. i am blessed to be able to spend so much time with them. we all love the sunshine and hanging out at parks. meshach is becoming a little monkey. his gymnastic skills are being tested on playgrounds, couches, beds and anything else around. he learns so quickly and is so full of energy. mari is quite the mischievous little girl. the twinkle in her eyes dance when she starts scheming. hopefully she will outgrow her love for eating paper. :o) azariah isn't a baby anymore...how the time flies. he is such a little boy now. he loves copying big brother and running around the house. nothing is safe now that he can push a stool around the house and climb up to reach things. he understands SO much and will shake his head "no" appropriately when asked questions. i can't imagine life without these three.

me and the kids

words cannot express how much these little ones mean to me. i am blessed to be able to spend so much time with them. we all love the sunshine and hanging out at parks. meshach is becoming a little monkey. his gymnastic skills are being tested on playgrounds, couches, beds and anything else around. he learns so quickly and is so full of energy. mari is quite the mischievous little girl. the twinkle in her eyes dance when she starts scheming. hopefully she will outgrow her love for eating paper. :o) azariah isn't a baby anymore...how the time flies. he is such a little boy now. he loves copying big brother and running around the house. nothing is safe now that he can push a stool around the house and climb up to reach things. he understands SO much and will shake his head "no" appropriately when asked questions. i can't imagine life without these three.

audition: take 2

brutal. that would be the word to describe listening to my first studio recording. no joke.

i have been battling quite a bit of fear regarding these auditions. i made a list of best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios to help prepare me for anything. well, throughout yesterday as i prepared myself and practiced, i prayed for God's strength.

fast forward to the audition...here is the scoop. nerves were getting to me, but i was trying my hardest to push them aside and worship. my voice was wavering and i forgot the words to the second verse. by the second song, i felt a little more comfortable. we then listened to my recordings. like i said before, brutal.

the grace offered to me was astounding. i was blown away by God's strength in that time to not break down or shut down my emotions. i felt validated and valued while my voice was being critiqued.

the bottom line: my biggest fear of my worst-case scenario had come true. BUT i felt victorious. i knew that God wanted me to take a step towards being on worship team. in some regards i could have felt devastated by my attempt, but rather i was reminded that this is a process. i felt peace through the fact that my biggest fear wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.

lately my life consists of being stretched and pulled out of my comfort zone in most regards. while i know that He is refining me and helping me grow, it isn't very comfortable or always fun. yesterday i learned a valuable lesson that i pray that i will never forget.

the picture i see is this: a baby learning how to walk who is excited and focused on her proud parent waiting with open arms. the expectation of perfection or getting it right the first time DOESN'T exist. i hear giggles and loud praise for the attempts. i see hugs and reassurance when she falls.

i want to continue to live life this way. the freedom i experienced through my failure yesterday overwhelms me and gives me strength to face my hectic looming summer. i will continue to pursue this dream.

audition: take 2

brutal. that would be the word to describe listening to my first studio recording. no joke.

i have been battling quite a bit of fear regarding these auditions. i made a list of best-case scenarios and worst-case scenarios to help prepare me for anything. well, throughout yesterday as i prepared myself and practiced, i prayed for God's strength.

fast forward to the audition...here is the scoop. nerves were getting to me, but i was trying my hardest to push them aside and worship. my voice was wavering and i forgot the words to the second verse. by the second song, i felt a little more comfortable. we then listened to my recordings. like i said before, brutal.

the grace offered to me was astounding. i was blown away by God's strength in that time to not break down or shut down my emotions. i felt validated and valued while my voice was being critiqued.

the bottom line: my biggest fear of my worst-case scenario had come true. BUT i felt victorious. i knew that God wanted me to take a step towards being on worship team. in some regards i could have felt devastated by my attempt, but rather i was reminded that this is a process. i felt peace through the fact that my biggest fear wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.

lately my life consists of being stretched and pulled out of my comfort zone in most regards. while i know that He is refining me and helping me grow, it isn't very comfortable or always fun. yesterday i learned a valuable lesson that i pray that i will never forget.

the picture i see is this: a baby learning how to walk who is excited and focused on her proud parent waiting with open arms. the expectation of perfection or getting it right the first time DOESN'T exist. i hear giggles and loud praise for the attempts. i see hugs and reassurance when she falls.

i want to continue to live life this way. the freedom i experienced through my failure yesterday overwhelms me and gives me strength to face my hectic looming summer. i will continue to pursue this dream.

courage.

taking courageous steps while feeling like the cowardly lion...that has been my life. i usually don't think of myself as brave, but most of the time i choose to take action when God calls me to. i was reading The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson today and a certain quote really stood out to me.

"courage is not the absence of fear...rather, it's choosing to act in spite of the fear."

God has called me to live an extraordinary life. i don't want to be mediocre. if i take steps of faith and through the world's eyes i fail, all is not lost. taking a risk by being obedient to God will only have a good outcome. it may not always look like it, feel like it or it may take a lot longer than expected but blessings will come.

courage.

taking courageous steps while feeling like the cowardly lion...that has been my life. i usually don't think of myself as brave, but most of the time i choose to take action when God calls me to. i was reading The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson today and a certain quote really stood out to me.

"courage is not the absence of fear...rather, it's choosing to act in spite of the fear."

God has called me to live an extraordinary life. i don't want to be mediocre. if i take steps of faith and through the world's eyes i fail, all is not lost. taking a risk by being obedient to God will only have a good outcome. it may not always look like it, feel like it or it may take a lot longer than expected but blessings will come.

father's day card

okay, i found this online and thought that they were SO cool. dad, don't look...you'll see it on father's day. anyways, they are easy to make but look amazing. click here for instructions!

father's day card

okay, i found this online and thought that they were SO cool. dad, don't look...you'll see it on father's day. anyways, they are easy to make but look amazing. click here for instructions!

portland adventures!

one of my good friends from my cannon beach life was in town for business and had time to hang out. it had been WAY too long.

first stop was the oregon zoo. we were thoroughly entertained by the sea otters, penguins and orangutans. BUT the baby elephant definitely stole the spot light. she was kinda testing out the waters when the momma elephant

decided to push her in. i've never seen elephants swim before...or try and climb on top of each other. the baby was so persistent! after bathing came the dirt shower. it was hilarious to watch the baby's feeble attempts of getting dirt

on her back. not quite accurate...so she decided

to lay down in the dirt.

for lunch we headed downtown. after a yummy slice of pizza while reminiscing about all of our memories in cannon beach, we decided to wander. needless to say, we were unaware that june 13th was also known as world naked bike day. yeah...as soon as we realized what was going on, we took a little detour to avoid the sights. then we mosied on down to the saturday market. such an interesting place to people watch.

the day was filled with laughter and fun amidst the memories of years ago and the kookiness of downtown portland and baby animals. i loved hanging out with you kerri!

portland adventures!

one of my good friends from my cannon beach life was in town for business and had time to hang out. it had been WAY too long.

first stop was the oregon zoo. we were thoroughly entertained by the sea otters, penguins and orangutans. BUT the baby elephant definitely stole the spot light. she was kinda testing out the waters when the momma elephant

decided to push her in. i've never seen elephants swim before...or try and climb on top of each other. the baby was so persistent! after bathing came the dirt shower. it was hilarious to watch the baby's feeble attempts of getting dirt

on her back. not quite accurate...so she decided

to lay down in the dirt.

for lunch we headed downtown. after a yummy slice of pizza while reminiscing about all of our memories in cannon beach, we decided to wander. needless to say, we were unaware that june 13th was also known as world naked bike day. yeah...as soon as we realized what was going on, we took a little detour to avoid the sights. then we mosied on down to the saturday market. such an interesting place to people watch.

the day was filled with laughter and fun amidst the memories of years ago and the kookiness of downtown portland and baby animals. i loved hanging out with you kerri!

cannon beach

so, since my dad is a pastor and cannon beach conference center has a "pastor's get-away"... i had the privilege of chillin' at my favorite beach for four days with my parents!

being the oregon coast, the weather can be temperamental but monday was simply stunning! blessed with clear deep blue skies with a fresh salty aroma, we laughed as our kite pulled us along the warm sand.

while searching for the elusive treasures in the sand, the frigid water tickled my toes and welcomed me back. there is something therapeutic about letting the waves crash over my feet. i just wish that i had more time to frolic in the waves...

tragically, my time at the beach was not always sunny. the clouds blanketed the sky and touched the ground with a soft mist. i felt unsettled and restless among the calm. yearning for things to come threatened the restful atmosphere around me. the contentedness i strive for

alluded me. i failed to meet God in those times and felt alone. i was in a mood.

perplexed by the intensity of my raw emotions, i desire a vacation from my vacation. don't get me wrong...the time with my parents was treasured and good times were had. the storm raged on internally. surrounded now with the comforts of home, i'm processing the week and preparing for an insanely busy summer. the only way i'll manage is by the power of God!

Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,

the Lord on high is mighty!

Psalm 93:4

cannon beach

so, since my dad is a pastor and cannon beach conference center has a "pastor's get-away"... i had the privilege of chillin' at my favorite beach for four days with my parents!

being the oregon coast, the weather can be temperamental but monday was simply stunning! blessed with clear deep blue skies with a fresh salty aroma, we laughed as our kite pulled us along the warm sand.

while searching for the elusive treasures in the sand, the frigid water tickled my toes and welcomed me back. there is something therapeutic about letting the waves crash over my feet. i just wish that i had more time to frolic in the waves...

tragically, my time at the beach was not always sunny. the clouds blanketed the sky and touched the ground with a soft mist. i felt unsettled and restless among the calm. yearning for things to come threatened the restful atmosphere around me. the contentedness i strive for

alluded me. i failed to meet God in those times and felt alone. i was in a mood.

perplexed by the intensity of my raw emotions, i desire a vacation from my vacation. don't get me wrong...the time with my parents was treasured and good times were had. the storm raged on internally. surrounded now with the comforts of home, i'm processing the week and preparing for an insanely busy summer. the only way i'll manage is by the power of God!

Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,

the Lord on high is mighty!

Psalm 93:4

today's craziness...

if only i had this kind of energy...

today's craziness...

if only i had this kind of energy...

arby's

we ate arby's today for lunch. this is what happens when you hand azariah a whole sandwich. this kid loves his food!

arby's

we ate arby's today for lunch. this is what happens when you hand azariah a whole sandwich. this kid loves his food!

amazing race ~ team purple!

ready....GO! ha ha ha! that's just for you brandon. :0) this year's amazing race was fun!

• first off was the six mile walk through gresham. we had to find and take pictures of about 20 different varieties of trees. fun, but it started pouring down rain during the middle of it. guess who didn't have umbrellas?
• we then made a quick winco run for groceries for the weekend.
• next was a trip to a naturopathic doctor's office. a friend of the pastor...he writes poems and we each read one and then he handed us a stack of pictures for our next clue.
• the pictures were of approx. 25-30 statues/sculptures in the portland area that we needed to find and take pictures of...so many! we didn't end up finding them all...
• we headed to milwalkie city hall to pick up our next clue. when we arrived, we discovered that the person who was to give us the clue just went on lunch. since we had 45 min. to kill, we decided to go get pizza for lunch. :o)
• on to photograph a miniature statue of liberty and a bomber plane. random picture opportunities...
• we then went to a shop called the broken arrow, and bought a bow and four arrows. you should've seen the guys in there when they asked the four of us girls if we had ever shot one. ha ha ha! nope. we were all excited though.
• next was a frustrating stop. we had to go to the goodwill outlet. i had never been there before...basically it is a goodwill without ANY organization. everything is in big bins that have wheels on them. you have to dig...apparently they left us clues in several places but the bins get rotated out frequently...we searched for about 30 min. before calling it quits. we called our pastor and he gave us the next clue.
• next was a stop in downtown portland to pick up a clue from a friend who works in a skyscraper.
• we had to find a specific shop and buy a trinket that our pastor would like...
• next we had to take a picture of a specific tree in washington park.
• then the fun began...in washington park there is a place to shoot bow and arrows. (i really don't know the correct terminology...) anyways. it was so fun! all three teams were there at the same time, which caused some competitive sparing, but i loved the challenge of it all. we were supposed to hit paper targets twice from a certain distance. definitely harder than i thought, but i started to get the hang of it. i would love to go back and try for an afternoon.
• oh, then we headed to the beaverton malibu raceway to race go-karts. THAT WAS AMAZING! we only got to do three laps each, but it was so fun!
• next we went to a place called Ceramic Cafe where we painted on tiles. i love being creative, but not always with a time constraint. at this point, we were really starting to get exhausted.
  

• we all agreed and headed for the very last stop in forest grove at the college campus. we found the last clue and headed off to stub stewart state park. we were the first ones to the camp because we skipped a few things, but it was still about 830ish. so we raced for pretty much 14.5 hours. long day!!! the last team came in around midnight.

amazing race ~ team purple!

ready....GO! ha ha ha! that's just for you brandon. :0) this year's amazing race was fun!

• first off was the six mile walk through gresham. we had to find and take pictures of about 20 different varieties of trees. fun, but it started pouring down rain during the middle of it. guess who didn't have umbrellas?
• we then made a quick winco run for groceries for the weekend.
• next was a trip to a naturopathic doctor's office. a friend of the pastor...he writes poems and we each read one and then he handed us a stack of pictures for our next clue.
• the pictures were of approx. 25-30 statues/sculptures in the portland area that we needed to find and take pictures of...so many! we didn't end up finding them all...
• we headed to milwalkie city hall to pick up our next clue. when we arrived, we discovered that the person who was to give us the clue just went on lunch. since we had 45 min. to kill, we decided to go get pizza for lunch. :o)
• on to photograph a miniature statue of liberty and a bomber plane. random picture opportunities...
• we then went to a shop called the broken arrow, and bought a bow and four arrows. you should've seen the guys in there when they asked the four of us girls if we had ever shot one. ha ha ha! nope. we were all excited though.
• next was a frustrating stop. we had to go to the goodwill outlet. i had never been there before...basically it is a goodwill without ANY organization. everything is in big bins that have wheels on them. you have to dig...apparently they left us clues in several places but the bins get rotated out frequently...we searched for about 30 min. before calling it quits. we called our pastor and he gave us the next clue.
• next was a stop in downtown portland to pick up a clue from a friend who works in a skyscraper.
• we had to find a specific shop and buy a trinket that our pastor would like...
• next we had to take a picture of a specific tree in washington park.
• then the fun began...in washington park there is a place to shoot bow and arrows. (i really don't know the correct terminology...) anyways. it was so fun! all three teams were there at the same time, which caused some competitive sparing, but i loved the challenge of it all. we were supposed to hit paper targets twice from a certain distance. definitely harder than i thought, but i started to get the hang of it. i would love to go back and try for an afternoon.
• oh, then we headed to the beaverton malibu raceway to race go-karts. THAT WAS AMAZING! we only got to do three laps each, but it was so fun!
• next we went to a place called Ceramic Cafe where we painted on tiles. i love being creative, but not always with a time constraint. at this point, we were really starting to get exhausted.
  

• we all agreed and headed for the very last stop in forest grove at the college campus. we found the last clue and headed off to stub stewart state park. we were the first ones to the camp because we skipped a few things, but it was still about 830ish. so we raced for pretty much 14.5 hours. long day!!! the last team came in around midnight.

guess who?

this just makes me laugh. our art project on saturday after the amazing race was to basically paper mache our faces. we needed to cover as much of the nose as possible, and that is why we had to breathe through straws. oh, man. so funny! the hardest part was keeping your face totally still until it dried. it would've been much simpler if people didn't try to make us laugh... good times!

guess who?

this just makes me laugh. our art project on saturday after the amazing race was to basically paper mache our faces. we needed to cover as much of the nose as possible, and that is why we had to breathe through straws. oh, man. so funny! the hardest part was keeping your face totally still until it dried. it would've been much simpler if people didn't try to make us laugh... good times!

transparency is vital.

as i was listening to the radio today, i heard this song.

perfect people by natalie grant

Never let 'em see you when you're breaking

Never let 'em see you when you fall

That's how we live and that's how we try

Tell the world you've got it all together

Never let them see what's underneath

Cover it up with a crooked smile

But it only lasts for a little while

There's no such thing as perfect people

There's no such thing as a perfect life

So come as you are, broken and scared

Lift up your heart and be amazed

And be changed by a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted

When you hear the words that you are loved

He knows where you are and where you've been

And you never have to go there again

Who lived and died to give new life

To heal our imperfections

So look up and see out let grace be enough

By a perfect God [5x]

Be changed by a perfect God

Be changed

as these lyrics rolled around my head, God spoke so clearly to me. as i'm trying to portray that i'm perfect, people who may desire a relationship with God can get discouraged. they feel disqualified because they know they will mess up. if i choose instead to be transparent, they will see that there is only one difference between us...God's grace.

transparency is vital.

as i was listening to the radio today, i heard this song.

perfect people by natalie grant

Never let 'em see you when you're breaking

Never let 'em see you when you fall

That's how we live and that's how we try

Tell the world you've got it all together

Never let them see what's underneath

Cover it up with a crooked smile

But it only lasts for a little while

There's no such thing as perfect people

There's no such thing as a perfect life

So come as you are, broken and scared

Lift up your heart and be amazed

And be changed by a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted

When you hear the words that you are loved

He knows where you are and where you've been

And you never have to go there again

Who lived and died to give new life

To heal our imperfections

So look up and see out let grace be enough

By a perfect God [5x]

Be changed by a perfect God

Be changed

as these lyrics rolled around my head, God spoke so clearly to me. as i'm trying to portray that i'm perfect, people who may desire a relationship with God can get discouraged. they feel disqualified because they know they will mess up. if i choose instead to be transparent, they will see that there is only one difference between us...God's grace.

move it!

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.

Genesis 17:23

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

Genesis 22:3

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Romans 4:18-21

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Hebrews 11:11

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Hebrews 11:17-19

abraham is my role model. seriously. the verses from genesis blow my mind. God asked abraham to do some VERY UNCOMFORTABLE things! does he procrastinate? NO!
dear God: give me a heart like abraham's. give me the courage to act immediately when you speak. grant me wisdom in timing. Lord, you are sovereign. challenge my faith. i want to expect your miracles in my life. AMEN!

move it!

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.

Genesis 17:23

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.

Genesis 22:3

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Romans 4:18-21

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Hebrews 11:11

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Hebrews 11:17-19

abraham is my role model. seriously. the verses from genesis blow my mind. God asked abraham to do some VERY UNCOMFORTABLE things! does he procrastinate? NO!
dear God: give me a heart like abraham's. give me the courage to act immediately when you speak. grant me wisdom in timing. Lord, you are sovereign. challenge my faith. i want to expect your miracles in my life. AMEN!

memorial day camping trip!

i was blessed with a spontaneous decision to go camping with suburban christian church (my church down in corvallis). it was so fun to catch up with old friends and make a TON of new ones. janey-rae and shannon are pretty amazing.

on a short hike, we saw SO many wild flowers. pictures really just don't do them justice.

the group. this picture just makes me smile. lots of energy and love!

my beautiful sister! i dragged her along with me, and it was such a cool time to share with her. i'm so glad that she came!

to be entirely truthful, i didn't want the weekend to end, and as it was ending i really thought about why i don't live down in corvallis. the group's accepting atmosphere was an example of how much God loves and accepts me. the joy that permeated every meal, game of ultimate frisbee and the baptisms was overwhelming. God has encouraged me to help be a part of creating such a community up here. i am thrilled to see what that will look like!

i took this picture just for you alexis. :o)

memorial day camping trip!

i was blessed with a spontaneous decision to go camping with suburban christian church (my church down in corvallis). it was so fun to catch up with old friends and make a TON of new ones. janey-rae and shannon are pretty amazing.

on a short hike, we saw SO many wild flowers. pictures really just don't do them justice.

the group. this picture just makes me smile. lots of energy and love!

my beautiful sister! i dragged her along with me, and it was such a cool time to share with her. i'm so glad that she came!

to be entirely truthful, i didn't want the weekend to end, and as it was ending i really thought about why i don't live down in corvallis. the group's accepting atmosphere was an example of how much God loves and accepts me. the joy that permeated every meal, game of ultimate frisbee and the baptisms was overwhelming. God has encouraged me to help be a part of creating such a community up here. i am thrilled to see what that will look like!

i took this picture just for you alexis. :o)