skype with steph.. (Sat.8.29)

finally downloaded skype... finally got to 'chat' with steph!!

..I think it's time to get this mac a camera so I can video back... ♥

datenight.. always a favorite.. (Fri.8.28)

..so many things I could have 'captured' tonight..

not that the leftovers weren't a highlight.. I'm just sayin..

(we ate, we played pool.. fun times..
and a little different than the norm..♥)

Sophia before sewing..(Thurs.8.27)

"c'mon misses kim"

..lovely.. love her.. love those goffs!

(love sew-night!)

lovely moments..(wed.8.26)

random wednesday hang-time.. love it!

probably wouldn't have taken this pic if kellianne hadn't texted me the pic of her and rosey's room and the map I gave them... wanted to send them some picture-love back.. ;)

♥

praise & rescue go together..

Praise is response. Praise happens when there is revelation, and there is revelation waiting for us around every bend, in places we would not suspect.

Our task is to live with eyes wide open to God's greatness because when we see the imprint of the Creator, our insides will swell with devotion, our hearts will erupt with thankfulness. You will live, breathe, and radiate praise.

The habit isn't in learning how to praise; it is in reminding yourself who to praise. It is a remembering of who you are. It is a remembering of your identity.

Praise is redeemed and redefined with rescue. When you have been found by grace, your identity is swallowed in Christ. You are enveloped by Him, clothed with His merciful sacrifice.

To live in this remembrance is to bring awareness of Christ into your every encounter. In this awareness you bring His embrace to the things you embrace....

(whoa those are good words!)
-Praise Habit, David Crowder (conclusion, p.154)

Psalm 116:7

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you...

TMC..(Mon.8.24)

lunchtime spot overlooking the market common... I think I was missing the girls and our play-full week... ♥

new book.. new ideas..(Sun.8.23) #2

instead of spending our Sunday dollars on lunch with the church crowd, we splurged on a few discounted books at Tanger.. :)

tears without emotion (cutting onions) = invigorating..(Sun.8.23)

(the title says it all..)

not a big onion eater... however, I love to cut them!

..enjoyed Hotel Goff for the night...and in the morning, I got to help Meggan with the omelets! :)

Abbey Road, MB..(Sat.8.22)

Freestyle Park adventure with the Goff's... good good times! ♥

(old)movie night..(Fri.8.21)

great film... really great... somehow I hadn't seen the whole thing before..

(glad I missed the turn to the new wal-mart afterall! ..whatever red box might have had for us, we'll never know; this was surely better! ;)

last {best} day..(Thurs.8.20)

appetizers for supper at The Market Common..

Ended up getting to spend the whole last day with the girls!


we did the State Park.. and then they got pedicures...


The Market Common was a good one to save for last.. the Thursday Lawn Party (& corn hole) was fun.. then Barnes and a walk around the shops.. had to hug the palm trees! ♥

Broadway {at the beach}.. (Wed.8.19)

true staycationing must involve some good ole MB attractions...


dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, putt-putt at the Dragon's Lair.... (where mom and jeremy put all of us to shame!)


then more tattoos.. henna this time.. and of course we couldn't resist the Tiki Jim's photo spot!! :)

girls' {project} night.. (Tues.8.18)

duct tape purses in the making..


somehow failed to get an aftershot... I'll have to grab kelli's from fb.. ♥

Myranda and Sam came too which certainly added to the fun!

low-key {movie} night..(Mon.8.17)

Anna's kitty had kittens...

..nice low-key night tonight after working all day (the girls had a busy one at Freestyle Music Park.. so glad they loved it there! -airbrush tattoos and all- :)

..decided instead of venturing to Broadway we'd do a 10:00 movie instead.. The Time-Traveler's Wife for Rosey since she read it & was dieing to see it... crazy story. didn't love it. loved going with K & R though.. and was happily surprised at the $7 movie price.. (thought it was going to be $9:).. made for a late night, but again, more than worth it! ♥

huntington {gator watching}.. (Sun.8.16)

pretty sure he was opening wide just for us! :)

full, fun day today: church, empire fire (my favorite place ever!) for lunch, home for a short rest, and then huntington beach state park and some good gator-time!!

(we were pretty excited considering last time kellianne was here we took her there and there were no gators to be found!)

fun {beach} day 1.. (Sat.8.15)

the epitome of sweet vacationess!!

yes they were burned, but I'm pretty sure it was worth it...

(fun day at the beach with these two and mom & kayla!!)


....and the night was great too:



..a little dressing up for a fancy dinner where we learned to fancy-fold our napkins... and 'the best sunset spot' on the beach!

the staycation begins.. (Fri.8.14)

KelliAnne and Rosey's visit started off nicely with two nights at a hotel in MB!!

(I didn't stay Friday due to a little Sat. morning work, but gladly joined them as soon as it was over!:)

playing catch-up..

I have some back-tracking to do... and I actually really want to do it.... not sure how I'll manage just one photo per day, but we'll see... :)

wilderness.. (Sun.8.9)

soakin it up...... ♥

trees [do their job so well]..

Lots of contemplation happening this weekend.. one big thought I was having (while asking the Lord "how 'bout me?? what'd you want me to do?") came as I drank up the view of the trees... there's so many of them.. esp. at granny's.. they're so different and wonderful.. and I thought what a piece of work.. all they do is stand there and honor God with their standing, with their limbs pointing heaven-ward and their roots going down deep and even their fruit-bearing.. that could be a topic all its own.. what a joy they are just doing what they're created to do!

then I thought about the greatest commandment(s)... Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. -Matthew 22:38

((wanted to refine this and give it some closure before 'publishing' it, but I have none in particular even now- three months later)) .....but, I will say this: every once in a while -since this day at Granny's- when I see a particularly lovely tree I think, man, what a nice tree and I relish in the fact that when God made each bit of the universe He said it was Good -even when He made us! -and I'm reminded not to make things so complex, but to be like the trees and point to Him, worship Him with my life and my stance (love Him & others) and then to leave the rest up to Him...

missin out? (Sat.8.8)

my biggest hang-up for going out of town is always what I'm missing back home...

this weekend's road trip to visit the grandparents left behind a lot of things to be missed.. (sophia's bday party, J.singing at church Sunday, and a lot of little menial things I could pretend are too good to pass up)..

but the weekend was good, just right even... some time well-spent with my family and Bible and the beloved outdoors..

dreaded habit..

A frightening aspect of habit attached to our spiritual formation is that inherent in the idea of habit is the possibility for meaningless ritual. -David Crowder, p.27

C.S. Lewis says..

Praise is the culmination of our enjoyment of anything. -Praise Habit, p.20

David Crowder says..

Habitual praise- a perpetually sacred acknowledgement of the Giver of every good thing.

A relentless embracing of good and a discarding of bad with an awareness of the one who in the beginning spoke those life-affirming words.

-Praise Habit, p.13

leadership highlights, day 2..

*Failure is success... your failure is your platform to connect with this culture for Him." -Dave Gibbons, Newsong Church, Irvine, CA

*Obedience is more important than passion. -Dave Gibbons,

*The best kindness you can demonstrate is by helping people help themselves." -Andrew Rugasira, founder & CEO, Good African Coffee

*What is it that moves you passionately?? -Wes Stafford, President & CEO of Compassion International

*Maturity is about coming to grips with our flaws. -David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power

*Look for 'bright spots' -study what is working and work to duplicate it. -Chip & Dan Heath, Made to Stick and Switch

*We have stopped being a place that exists for ourselves. -church impacted by aiding AIDS/HIV cause in Africa inspired by Bono

*Leadership is a blessing and a gift to help others.... your duty if you can do it. -Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister, UK

leadership highlights, day 1...

Looking over my notes trying to somehow summarize what I'm taking away from these great sessions....

*The best thing you bring to the table everyday is a filled-up bucket. -Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church founder and senior pastor

*Start somewhere and make a difference in one life. -Gary Hamel, The Future of Management

*Religion says, "I obey, therefore God accepts me." ...The Gospel says, "God accepts me because of Christ; therefore, I obey." -Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian, NYC

*Preacher and teachers: make sure that all of your teaching is not moralistic but Christ-centered. -Tim Keller, The Prodigal God

*Don't be afraid to start small; just get started. -Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva.org

*Leaders' primary goal is to equip the body... -Harvey Carey, pastor, Detroit, MI

*God has called us to not be people that just huddle, but those that break and play the game! -Harvey Carey

Prodigal: recklessly spendthrift.. to spend until you have nothing left -Tim Keller, Prodigal God

Intro to Willowcreek..(thurs.8.6)

I really knew nothing about willowcreek churches or association before getting into this conference yesterday...... there's a lot to process.......

I'll probably break it down per message and do my usual bullet-point list... think I might need to start with paper/pencil.. more soon.. ♥

Leadership Summit time..

looking forward to two full days of learning!!

author MAM... (Sun.8.2)

great fun working (bookselling) for Mary Alice Monroe's booksigning Sunday..

even better that I got to sit at the author's table for lunch and treats!!

(she's certainly as sweet as she looks and a very eloquent speaker... motivating even!)

sweet fitte..(Sat.8.1)

so glad to get to take Kayla and babysit the Fitte kiddos for a little bit this weekend! ♥