*daddy-o*

today's friend friday happens to land on the same day as my dad's birthday!  i just can't pass up on this opportunity.  :o)

my dad is amazing.  his work ethic and persistence was and is such an example that i try to live by.  his heart for God inspires me and challenges me to step faithfully through thick and thin.  i attribute most of my adventurous behaviors to the Gleason genes that he has passed down to me.   

dad,
thank you for all of the support and love that you have given to me for all these years.  i love you more i could ever express with words.  happy birthday!
                                         love,
                                              frog

*daddy-o*

today's friend friday happens to land on the same day as my dad's birthday!  i just can't pass up on this opportunity.  :o)

my dad is amazing.  his work ethic and persistence was and is such an example that i try to live by.  his heart for God inspires me and challenges me to step faithfully through thick and thin.  i attribute most of my adventurous behaviors to the Gleason genes that he has passed down to me.   

dad,
thank you for all of the support and love that you have given to me for all these years.  i love you more i could ever express with words.  happy birthday!
                                         love,
                                              frog

the dress of my dreams.

{photo by kelsey}

sometimes i feel like my wedding day will never arrive.

very rarely will the thoughts of the future leave the constant dialogue buzzing around my brain.  i have dreamt of my wedding day for as long as i can remember and the event details have been in the works for years.

the majority of the important details are not clear.  the dress, location, guest list, the date and many other things are non-existent.  i may have my ideas but as time progresses, things change.

God's plan for my life is one big adventure.  the twists and turns He has authored have sometimes thrown me for a loop and have kept me on my toes.  i want to catch you up on the biggest adventure yet.

over a year and a half ago, God revealed something incredible to me...my future husband was sitting across the room.  unfortunately, the exhilaration and freedom behind those words of certainty were cut short by doubts and concerns.  as time has continued, bigger walls and impossibilities have mounted as most days i struggle between the logic of what i see and the faith that can move mountains.

as the complications and drama of this situation have unfurled, God has been teaching me.  can i trust God to design and orchestrate the details of my life?  will i let go of my idea of the ideal situation?

i yearn for the day when my husband and i are together, but there is a day that God wants me to desire above any other.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.   

Revelation 19:7

i need to prepare myself for a celebration beyond all that i can imagine.  invitations that outnumber the stars and a joyful party that lasts forever.

i desire to seek God with every step i take along my journey.  only then will my life be on the right path towards what He has planned for me.

the dress of my dreams.

{photo by kelsey}

sometimes i feel like my wedding day will never arrive.

very rarely will the thoughts of the future leave the constant dialogue buzzing around my brain.  i have dreamt of my wedding day for as long as i can remember and the event details have been in the works for years.

the majority of the important details are not clear.  the dress, location, guest list, the date and many other things are non-existent.  i may have my ideas but as time progresses, things change.

God's plan for my life is one big adventure.  the twists and turns He has authored have sometimes thrown me for a loop and have kept me on my toes.  i want to catch you up on the biggest adventure yet.

over a year and a half ago, God revealed something incredible to me...my future husband was sitting across the room.  unfortunately, the exhilaration and freedom behind those words of certainty were cut short by doubts and concerns.  as time has continued, bigger walls and impossibilities have mounted as most days i struggle between the logic of what i see and the faith that can move mountains.

as the complications and drama of this situation have unfurled, God has been teaching me.  can i trust God to design and orchestrate the details of my life?  will i let go of my idea of the ideal situation?

i yearn for the day when my husband and i are together, but there is a day that God wants me to desire above any other.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.   

Revelation 19:7

i need to prepare myself for a celebration beyond all that i can imagine.  invitations that outnumber the stars and a joyful party that lasts forever.

i desire to seek God with every step i take along my journey.  only then will my life be on the right path towards what He has planned for me.

pajamas and a picnic!

the dreariness of the rainy season has arrived bringing the hope of pajama days and indoor picnics.  i LOVE that meshach requests pajama days, and gets ecstatic if i wear my pajamas too.  my desire is to pass on a legacy of making every opportunity a fun adventure.  the gloomy days that i miss mr. sun will be great times to make forts out of blankets and play with glow sticks in the dark.  i WILL get through this winter.  :o)

pajamas and a picnic!

the dreariness of the rainy season has arrived bringing the hope of pajama days and indoor picnics.  i LOVE that meshach requests pajama days, and gets ecstatic if i wear my pajamas too.  my desire is to pass on a legacy of making every opportunity a fun adventure.  the gloomy days that i miss mr. sun will be great times to make forts out of blankets and play with glow sticks in the dark.  i WILL get through this winter.  :o)

october powder...

brandon came home tonight restless to do SOMETHING.  neither of us had ever been up to the top of larch mountain, so we took off on an adventure!  the air was crisp and the snowballs went flying.  azariah giggled as he tasted the snow.  mari wasn't too thrilled about the cold feeling when she tried to pick it up.  meshach said that he didn't like our little field trip...because it was too short.  :o)

october powder...

brandon came home tonight restless to do SOMETHING.  neither of us had ever been up to the top of larch mountain, so we took off on an adventure!  the air was crisp and the snowballs went flying.  azariah giggled as he tasted the snow.  mari wasn't too thrilled about the cold feeling when she tried to pick it up.  meshach said that he didn't like our little field trip...because it was too short.  :o)

christmas is coming!

unfortunately my budget is SUPER tight this year.  this year i've really realized a new resource...blog giveaways!  it's always fun to get amazing things for great deals and you can't beat free.  check this out!  SO many decorating ideas are buzzing around my head.  can't wait until i have my own place to decorate again.

christmas is coming!

unfortunately my budget is SUPER tight this year.  this year i've really realized a new resource...blog giveaways!  it's always fun to get amazing things for great deals and you can't beat free.  check this out!  SO many decorating ideas are buzzing around my head.  can't wait until i have my own place to decorate again.

free necklace!

i know this is incredibly random, but i came across a giveaway for cool teething necklaces.  such an amazing idea and it would make an amazing baby shower gift.  go here to check it out!

free necklace!

i know this is incredibly random, but i came across a giveaway for cool teething necklaces.  such an amazing idea and it would make an amazing baby shower gift.  go here to check it out!

what i'm wearing today.

a new season = a new wardrobe = change 

i've been meaning to write this for a while.  my story isn't over.
sometimes i like change and other times i don't.  profound, i know.

sharing my story was tough.  letting go of it was freeing.  God 's healing was beyond what i imagined and some of my fears were eviscerated.  unfortunately i realized that sometime during this process i became prideful about the fact that i did it.

needless to say, God and i still have a lot of work to do.  i am learning to be more humble and open.  i yearn for passion and addiction for God since our relationship sometimes seems stale.  a daily battle is waging for my heart and i struggle to consistently stay in His word.

as i go to put on my clothes each and every morning for the entire month of september, i am going to read these verses:

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

Ephesians 6:13-17

i promise to keep you {posted} with the latest news from the front lines.

what i'm wearing today.

a new season = a new wardrobe = change 

i've been meaning to write this for a while.  my story isn't over.
sometimes i like change and other times i don't.  profound, i know.

sharing my story was tough.  letting go of it was freeing.  God 's healing was beyond what i imagined and some of my fears were eviscerated.  unfortunately i realized that sometime during this process i became prideful about the fact that i did it.

needless to say, God and i still have a lot of work to do.  i am learning to be more humble and open.  i yearn for passion and addiction for God since our relationship sometimes seems stale.  a daily battle is waging for my heart and i struggle to consistently stay in His word.

as i go to put on my clothes each and every morning for the entire month of september, i am going to read these verses:

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

Ephesians 6:13-17

i promise to keep you {posted} with the latest news from the front lines.

my ♥ melts...

a smile erupts on my face as i notice AGAIN that the babies fell asleep leaning towards each other.  meshach loves to pretend to fall asleep too...the giggles always give him away. 

my ♥ melts...

a smile erupts on my face as i notice AGAIN that the babies fell asleep leaning towards each other.  meshach loves to pretend to fall asleep too...the giggles always give him away. 

these boys have stolen my ♥

these boys have stolen my ♥

gotta live like we’re dying

so excited to listen to kris allen's new cd coming in november.  i heard this song the other day and looked up the lyrics today.  seems to fit my life and thought pattern the last couple of days.

 Sometimes we fall down and can’t get back up

We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough

How come we don’t say I love you enough

Till it’s to late, it’s not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won’t come

We could make a feast from these crumbs

And we’re all staring down the barrel of a gun

So if your life flashed before you

What would you wish you would’ve done

Yeah… gotta start

Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here

This is all we got and we gotta start pickin it

Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’

Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got

86 400 seconds in a day to

Turn it all around or throw it all away

We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em

While we got the chance to say

Gotta live like we’re dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies

Who would you call with your last goodbyes

Should be so careful who we live out our lives

So when we long for absolution

There’ll no one on the line

We never know a good thing till it’s gone

You never see a crash until it’s head on

All those people right when we’re dead wrong

You never know a good thing till it’s gone

gotta live like we’re dying

so excited to listen to kris allen's new cd coming in november.  i heard this song the other day and looked up the lyrics today.  seems to fit my life and thought pattern the last couple of days.

 Sometimes we fall down and can’t get back up

We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough

How come we don’t say I love you enough

Till it’s to late, it’s not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won’t come

We could make a feast from these crumbs

And we’re all staring down the barrel of a gun

So if your life flashed before you

What would you wish you would’ve done

Yeah… gotta start

Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here

This is all we got and we gotta start pickin it

Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’

Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got

86 400 seconds in a day to

Turn it all around or throw it all away

We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em

While we got the chance to say

Gotta live like we’re dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies

Who would you call with your last goodbyes

Should be so careful who we live out our lives

So when we long for absolution

There’ll no one on the line

We never know a good thing till it’s gone

You never see a crash until it’s head on

All those people right when we’re dead wrong

You never know a good thing till it’s gone

i feel responsible.

one of the focuses of the bible study i'm attending is about our personal ministries and missions.  inside the church walls and beyond, we are all called to reach out and share our hope.  one question left me speechless today: "how have you seen the Holy Spirit overflow in your ministry?"

i don't know.  time flies by faster than i realize, i get caught up in insignificant things, opportunities are put off, and lives are affected by my oblivious and neglectful behavior.

pondering these things as i was leaving the church, i returned a phone call that i had missed during the bible study.  my dad asked if i remembered a supervisor that i worked with years ago during my costco days.  he went on to say that he committed suicide this morning.

tears are cascading down my cheeks.  my heart breaks for this young man's life.  thoughts of the deep pain and hopelessness that caused this tragedy overwhelm me.

as i'm trying to process this, questions begin flying at me at a terrifying speed.  what could i have done to change this?  how could i have shown him hope through my life?  did he even know that i was a Christian?

i feel responsible. 

so often i get so absorbed doing what i want to do and i don't listen to the Holy Spirit's guiding voice.  i didn't know that he was struggling, but would i have heard if God was trying to tell me?

i am responsible for my actions and interactions with every person God has placed in my life.  what i do or don't do affects eternity.  i tend to let fear of rejection filter my words depending on who i am speaking to.  i judge people's receptivity according to the masks they wear.  i'm intimidated by the masks of {everything's peachy}, {tough guy}, {i don't care} or even {every hair in place} among many others.

God, please give me a passionate heart to see people the way that you do.  help me to slow down so i can hear your voice above the hustle and bustle of my life.  push me to action when action is needed.  give me hope that overflows into the lives around me.  i can't do anything without you. 

i desire the Holy Spirit to gush out of my pores as i brush shoulders with the hurting people of this world.

i feel responsible.

one of the focuses of the bible study i'm attending is about our personal ministries and missions.  inside the church walls and beyond, we are all called to reach out and share our hope.  one question left me speechless today: "how have you seen the Holy Spirit overflow in your ministry?"

i don't know.  time flies by faster than i realize, i get caught up in insignificant things, opportunities are put off, and lives are affected by my oblivious and neglectful behavior.

pondering these things as i was leaving the church, i returned a phone call that i had missed during the bible study.  my dad asked if i remembered a supervisor that i worked with years ago during my costco days.  he went on to say that he committed suicide this morning.

tears are cascading down my cheeks.  my heart breaks for this young man's life.  thoughts of the deep pain and hopelessness that caused this tragedy overwhelm me.

as i'm trying to process this, questions begin flying at me at a terrifying speed.  what could i have done to change this?  how could i have shown him hope through my life?  did he even know that i was a Christian?

i feel responsible. 

so often i get so absorbed doing what i want to do and i don't listen to the Holy Spirit's guiding voice.  i didn't know that he was struggling, but would i have heard if God was trying to tell me?

i am responsible for my actions and interactions with every person God has placed in my life.  what i do or don't do affects eternity.  i tend to let fear of rejection filter my words depending on who i am speaking to.  i judge people's receptivity according to the masks they wear.  i'm intimidated by the masks of {everything's peachy}, {tough guy}, {i don't care} or even {every hair in place} among many others.

God, please give me a passionate heart to see people the way that you do.  help me to slow down so i can hear your voice above the hustle and bustle of my life.  push me to action when action is needed.  give me hope that overflows into the lives around me.  i can't do anything without you. 

i desire the Holy Spirit to gush out of my pores as i brush shoulders with the hurting people of this world.

need to clean the kitchen?

a group of us decided to try out another new recipe.  i tried it for the first time on saturday and have made it again since then.  each time i've made it, i've taken advantage of the time baking to clean around the kitchen...i think it's an awesome incentive!  this caramel corn is beyond amazing.  YUM!

check out alexis, savannah, caroleana, melissa and amy's blog to hear their reviews!

be careful taking it out of the oven to avoid burns.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 quarts popped popcorn

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popped popcorn in oven to keep warm.
2.	In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
3.	Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

need to clean the kitchen?

a group of us decided to try out another new recipe.  i tried it for the first time on saturday and have made it again since then.  each time i've made it, i've taken advantage of the time baking to clean around the kitchen...i think it's an awesome incentive!  this caramel corn is beyond amazing.  YUM!

check out alexis, savannah, caroleana, melissa and amy's blog to hear their reviews!

be careful taking it out of the oven to avoid burns.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 quarts popped popcorn

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popped popcorn in oven to keep warm.
2.	In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
3.	Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

autumn is in the air.

crispy leaves.  colorful trees.  brisk mornings.  liquid sunshine and soggy leaves too.  after all, this is oregon.

i had an {aha!} moment this week.

the mood where i feel i have nothing to wear had hit me hard, so off i went to find a few good deals (more about that in a later post).  after a successful shopping expedition, it occurred to me that for the majority of my life i had gone shopping for new clothes for school around this time.  i can officially blame the weather, society and my parents for my sudden compulsion.  :o)  just kidding.  really though, it's amazing that i have no clothes to wear yet i have to put away three loads of laundry...

autumn is in the air.

crispy leaves.  colorful trees.  brisk mornings.  liquid sunshine and soggy leaves too.  after all, this is oregon.

i had an {aha!} moment this week.

the mood where i feel i have nothing to wear had hit me hard, so off i went to find a few good deals (more about that in a later post).  after a successful shopping expedition, it occurred to me that for the majority of my life i had gone shopping for new clothes for school around this time.  i can officially blame the weather, society and my parents for my sudden compulsion.  :o)  just kidding.  really though, it's amazing that i have no clothes to wear yet i have to put away three loads of laundry...

*amanda*

i have been a friend friday failure for the past two weeks.  :-(

in the past i've highlighted friends that i have had for years and years, so i thought this week i would share about a new friend.  i met amanda earlier this summer through my church.  the opportunities that i have had to hang out with her, i have been blessed by her openness and willing to step out into the uncomfortable.  i feel honored by her acceptance and trust that she has put in me.

amanda, thank you for your heart and love for God.

*amanda*

i have been a friend friday failure for the past two weeks.  :-(

in the past i've highlighted friends that i have had for years and years, so i thought this week i would share about a new friend.  i met amanda earlier this summer through my church.  the opportunities that i have had to hang out with her, i have been blessed by her openness and willing to step out into the uncomfortable.  i feel honored by her acceptance and trust that she has put in me.

amanda, thank you for your heart and love for God.

in between showers

now that the rainy season has arrived, i'm not sure where i'll take all of my snapshots of the kiddos every month.  outside scenery just looks better in my opinion.  :o)  oh, summer i miss your bright sunny days!

in between showers

now that the rainy season has arrived, i'm not sure where i'll take all of my snapshots of the kiddos every month.  outside scenery just looks better in my opinion.  :o)  oh, summer i miss your bright sunny days!

quelf

last thursday after the college group met, we headed over to alexis' house to play quelf!  if you have never played it...well, let's just say that it is a challenging game that creates gut-wrenching laughter.  challenging only if you are afraid of what other's might think or say and have no imagination.

we had four new people come to the college group that night and they ALL came and participated in the crazy game.  i LOVE how they were willing to be goofy in front of people they just met...i don't think i could do that.

i am so blessed with friends who are so much fun!

quelf

last thursday after the college group met, we headed over to alexis' house to play quelf!  if you have never played it...well, let's just say that it is a challenging game that creates gut-wrenching laughter.  challenging only if you are afraid of what other's might think or say and have no imagination.

we had four new people come to the college group that night and they ALL came and participated in the crazy game.  i LOVE how they were willing to be goofy in front of people they just met...i don't think i could do that.

i am so blessed with friends who are so much fun!

faith.

faith.