Pictures from Recent Adventures

Hello Everyone! Makenna invited me (Ariana, her sister) to post my pictures from our family's recent adventures! So, here they are.

                                           We recently visited the Woodland Park Zoo!

 Our family at Megarama Day! It's a huge farm where families who have Down Syndrome children can come and ride horses, go to the beach, and meet one another! It was a lot of fun.

                                                        Enjoying a few moments at the beach!

Conner Dressing up at Megarama Day!

                                                         Makenna- a cowgirl at heart! =)                                       
                

  Camera Man

Enjoying her coffee

                                                                 Our family Kayaking

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Have a glorious day! =)
~Ari

Sneak Peek~ Recent Adventures

I know it's been several weeks (or has it been months?) since I've posted family pictures up on my blog. And because I've had several requests to post more pictures, I believe it's about time.

I was hoping to post those pictures today, but since I didn't have time, here's a sneak peek of the blogpost that will be coming in the next couple days.

I hope you're all enjoying this beautiful Monday, rejoicing in the goodness of our great God!

Megarama Day on Whidbey Island

Kayaking in Bellingham

Our Precious Gifts~ Pictures of the Kiddos

Over the past couple weeks, Ariana has taken the kiddos out on several occasions to capture some pictures of the two of them. They turned out really cute! I hope you enjoy them....

 Oh, he sure loves bubbles!!! :)

 That smile just melts my heart!

 Even though Charity's one year older than Conner, they're the same height and it seems that he is more intelligent in his basic comprehension. And yet, she can talk, whereas he can't yet. As they grow up together, it'll be interesting to see who takes on the "older sibling" role.

Conner's already really protective of Charity and will help, comfort, and even scold her at times, when he knows that she's doing something that she shouldn't. But, she does the same thing to him as well. This morning, Ari was playing with Conner and Charity in their room. They were both looking at books, when Ari called them over to her, to play a game. Charity obeyed, but Conner didn't. Charity knew right away that he was being disobedient. So, she took on a deeper voice and said in a grown-up way, "Conner Matthew, come here!" He listened. :)

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brothers (or brothers and sisters) to dwell together in unity!"

Psalm 133:1

 :)

 ♥

Our little lady.

Our little man.

Falling in Love...

Tis' true. I am falling in love...

No my friends, it is not an earthly love that I speak of, but a Heavenly one.

My Love is Jesus Christ and He is altogether beautiful, altogether sufficient for me! His grace carries me through days of weariness, confusion, and sorrow. His love is more faithful than the morning!

Oh, it has been a confusing, difficult past couple weeks, but my Beloved is leading me once again to His arms, holding me ever so close to His heart.

Tonight, I am overwhelmed by His love for me...and I just had to let it out by writing. :)

Isn't He incredible, my friend? Doesn't His endless grace amaze your soul? Again I am reminded (why do I ever forget?) that my Beloved is outstanding among ten thousand, my All in All, the greatest Treasure in all the world! Oh, to love Him more, to follow Him wherever He might lead! How could obedience be a sacrifice when His love for us is so great?!

Yes, I am rambling....but oh, I don't care. He is altogether lovely and my soul is overtaken with its Husband. Thank you for bearing with my randomness.  :)

I stumbled across this song tonight and had to share it with you. It is such a simple song, yet beautifully puts to words the swelling joy of my heart. As you watch this video, look at the beauty of the creation that your Beloved has made! Look at what He has created for you to enjoy! Gaze at the cross of Christ and be overwhelmed by His great love for you; look at His nail-scarred hands outstretched to you, desiring you.

Reflect on your Beloved tonight, my friend....and fall in love with Him!

A Song and a Quote

Words fail me right now. I simply don't know what to say; my mind cannot put to paper the thoughts contained in my heart. And, as usually happens when I have no words, a song comes to mind and expresses what I don't know how to say myself.

Right now, that song is called Only Jesus by Sovereign Grace. It is so beautiful and has both challenged and encouraged me over the past couple weeks. I hope you enjoy it as well! May it be the prayer of our hearts!



Father of grace, You’ve sacrificed
Your only Son for us, the crucified Jesus
Enlarge our hearts to love Your Son
O grant to us the grace to walk with Him always
To make Him our great delight
Bringing worship with our lives

Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
Give us Jesus, we cry
Only Jesus! Only Jesus!
The Pearl of greatest price

Spirit of grace, You’ve shed Your light
Upon our darkened eyes, unveiling Jesus Christ
Come change our hearts, conform our ways
To honor Jesus’ Name, His glory our refrain
Let His love compel our own
As we worship at His throne

Jesus, our great Savior,
Lord of heaven, Son of God


Also, I read a quote the other day that I wanted to share. Take time to ponder over it...

"We should live each day as if Christ had died yesterday, rose again this morning, and is coming again tomorrow."
~Dr. Maclaren

Stepping Out

(This picture was taken before the meeting. Can you sense my hesitation?)

Tonight, I did something that was completely outside of my comfort zone, something I would never have dreamed of doing. I attended an Indian church group.

A little over a month ago, I was online, searching the web for a Christian group of Indians, who would welcome an Indian wanna-be. :) Ever since the Lord began burdening my heart for India, I have longed to be there, meeting the people and learning about the culture firsthand. But after praying for clear direction, the Lord showed me that it was His will for me to be at home, enjoying the family He has blessed me with and receiving important homemaking training for the future.

It was about that time that the Lord began opening my eyes to the incredible amount of Indians living all around me. Even though He didn't have me living in India, my Lord had blessed me with living in a state filled with people from the country I love. Aren't His ways so incredible!

So, back to looking online. By the Lord's grace, He led me to the website of a group of people who love India and its culture. Many have recently immigrated from India. I was so excited and began corresponding with them, asking questions about the details. Since they only meet once a month, I put the date on my calendar and waited. I had previously found a shalwar kameez (an Indian outfit) at a store near our house, and looked forward to wearing that to the meeting. I had no nervousness whatsoever.

Then, the day of the meeting came.....and I finally hit the wall of "reality". What was I thinking? Me. Introverted, inhibited, reserved little me?! And now I had committed to attending a meeting with a group of Indians I didn't know, at a church I didn't know, AND I was planning on wearing an authentic Indian outfit to match with a culture I didn't know?!

As we were driving to the meeting, I voiced my nervousness. "Well," my mom answered, "when I saw you getting so excited about this group and fearlessly moving ahead with things that were so against your nature, I figured that it had to be from the Lord. You would have never done this on your own."

And it's true. I can't explain the overwhelming wave of anxiety and fear that washed over me as we pulled up to the church, observing Indians walking in, and knowing that I was about to enter in, not only to a new situation, but a whole new culture....by myself. This fear was my old self, the old anxieties and selfishness crowding my thoughts. Only with the Lord's help had I ever come to this point, and only with the Lord's help would I make it through the night. :)

So with the Lord's strength and the prayers of my family, I exited the car and plunged into a night I will never forget.

Oh, how to describe it? Being surrounded by an accent you love, with people you love (who were so warm and welcoming), and a simple and beautiful love for the Lord. It felt like I was transported to India for a night....and it was incredible! Yes, there were still slightly uncomfortable situations, but there was such an overwhelming joy and contentment that flooded my soul in the midst of this multi-cultural band of believers.

The Lord has definitely placed in my heart a passion and desire for missions. I don't know what that looks like regarding my future, but I am praying and beseeching the Lord to bless this unworthy tool by sending me wherever He desires. Oh, how I need His direction, but I know that He is faithful and will lead in His perfect timing!

When I got back in the car, Dad asked, "So, has the flame been fanned?"

"Yes," I beamed, "it most certainly has."

The Calvary Road Quote

I am in the process of reading The Calvary Road by Roy Hession (a must-read for all believers, I think) and while reading, found a passage that is very near to my heart.

"He humbled Himself to the manger,
And even to Calvary's tree;
But I am so proud and unwilling
His humble disciple to be.

He yielded His will to the Father,
And chose to abide in the Light;
But I prefer wrestling to resting,
And try by myself to do right.

Lord, break me, then cleanse me and fill me
And keep me abiding in Thee;
That fellowship may be unbroken,
And They Name be hallowed in me."

Enjoy the rest of your day, my friends, and have a very merry Christmas, rejoicing in the birth of our Savior!

The Roar of the Lion

A couple weeks ago, I listened to Mr. Eric Ludy's sermon entitled "The Voice of the Lion". Between listening to that and feeling burdened to see the men and women in our generation rise up for Jesus Christ, I was inspired to write this today.

"Men, passionate for Jesus Christ, should possess a lion-like growl, a deep roar of the soul. This growl is aroused when the glory of His King is at stake, quickening the jealous heartbeat of this warrior and calling him to action. It is evident and ever-present in the way he speaks with friends, serves the broken, and intercedes for the lost and dying. We, as women, have been given the great privilege to encourage the men in our lives (our husbands, brothers, and fathers). We are called, not to brag about the fervor of our own growl, but to challenge them to rise up out of the mire of complacency and accept the call of their King; that they would reject the soft-spoken timidity of their culture and embrace the roar of the Lion."

Today's Struggles

Right now, I'm struggling.

The past few nights, I've been going to bed pretty late...which has left me feeling very tired today.

Because of this, I have been much more easily annoyed and irritated and have been struggling with thoughts of bitterness and self-pity. (But really, what do I have to feel sorry for myself about? Nothing.)

Oh, I have been trying to do this in my own strength today, struggling against my sinful flesh.

But, I cannot do it on my own. I can do nothing good, apart from Him working in me.

Lord Jesus, I am fighting for joy, but I am not strong enough to fight alone. Please take my emotions, my attitudes, my desires, and mold them into Yours. For the rest of this night, please grant me the joy, Your joy that I need to be victorious. My Jesus, I look to You now as the great Author and Perfecter of my faith. Work in me according to Your will, to the praise of Your glorious Name!

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

A beautiful quote....

I came across a beautiful quote the other night while reading Authentic Beauty (Leslie Ludy), and it brought me to tears. Although the quote was found in Leslie Ludy's book, it is actually written by Amy Carmichael.

"Trust Me, my child," He says. "Trust Me with a fuller abandon than you ever have before. Trust Me, as minute succeeds minute, every day of your life, for as long as you live. And if you become conscious of anything hindering our relationship, do not hurt Me by turning away from Me. Draw all the closer to Me, come, run to Me. Allow Me to hide you, to protect you, even from yourself. Tell Me your deepest cares, your every trouble. Trust Me to keep My hand upon you. I will never leave you. I will shape you, mold you, and perfect you. Do not fear, O child of My love, do not fear. I love you."

-- Amy Carmichael

Oh, why do I forget these truths so quickly? Why do I run away from Him, instead of to Him, when my heart is struggling to obey? Oh, He is merciful, so merciful! May I draw ever closer to my Love and learn to trust Him with a fuller abandon than I ever have before!

O dear reader, run to Him...He is waiting.

Random Thoughts

Yes, I had to begin this post by showing off some pictures of my beautiful little sister! Ariana took these pictures at our new house and I thought she did a fabulous job.

Oh, how I love that little girl! She has brought such joy to our lives; more than we could ever imagine! It's little things she does, like randomly walking over and plopping herself in my lap or belly-laughing while I spin her around the room, that steal my heart away.

I am just starting to be reminded of this truth again: how precious she is to me. There are times when I allow my schedule or the busyness of life to push away my desire to play with her, dance with her, and laugh with her. Father, forgive me for losing sight of the more important things of life!

As I sit here typing away in the new bedroom Ariana and I share, I can't help but be amazed at the Lord's goodness!

Yes, he provided a perfect rental for my family, in His perfect timing...just like He always does. :) The house sits on the edge of gorgeous woods, complete with several trails and a rope swing! Oh, He is good! And oh, how I love Him! :)

How I love fall!!! The brightly-colored leaves gliding to the ground. The pumpkin pie. The hot cider. The sound of leaves crunching under my feet, as I walk the trails in our backyard. Wearing scarves again. The crisp, refreshing air that just smells like fall. I am so blessed to live in an area where I can enjoy this special season!

Well, this has definitely turned out to be one random blog post!

Ah yes, one more thing. I've been reading some good books lately, challenging and thought-provoking. I'm learning a lot! :) But that will have to wait for my next post....