one week of thirty-two left.

I'm turning 33 next week.  I've loved my thirties so much.  I think it's been that I've been different.  Life is life.  Things happen, good and bad.  It's really my attitude and my heart that's changed.

In the last three years, so much has changed in my life:

Two more babies.
Moved to WA for four months and then came back.
Planting a church.
New job.
NO job. :)

Life.

Right now I'm at a place where there are no plans, no expectations, no limits.  At first, it scared me to be in this place.  Now, I'm just relishing it.  "Excited" doesn't begin to describe how I feel.

I'll randomly hear in my thoughts, "You know who's doing it? Yo, who's doing it? God is doing a nu thang." So cheesy, but so my anthem right now.  That's right.  90's DC Talk is my anthem.

God is doing a new thing in our lives right now.  This is what it feels like to walk the wilderness.  It's unknown and all we can do is trust. Trust. Trust. Trust.  That's all.  The thing is we didn't know what was going to happen a year ago.  Yet, we thought we knew the plans.  

It is a nu thang.  It's unknown and it's exciting.  

ara & aria.

 I shall call her Squishy and she shall be mine and she shall be my Squishy.

how moms party.

...at least this mom.

There are some days when bedtime is a nice little goal in the day.  

elijah sams

Time management

Hey. I really miss blogging. It's one of those things I feel like I've totally neglected. Bah. Forgive me? Going to try and write daily. We will see.

Hi.

It's been ages.  It really has been.  Every night I intend to write and blog because I really have so much to blog about, but life just gets in the way.  By "life" I mean baby, chores, hanging with my hubby, etc.  It just takes up my time.  I'm sure you understand.

Jake has officially gotten a job with Man in the Mirror.  It's a ministry directed towards building up the men in our community.  This video has some info about it if you want to know more.  We are really excited about it, and looking forward to starting it.  Jake is officially appointed this month with training to follow next month.  Then we literally begin ministry.  We are "in ministry."  Crazy.....

This has been one of the most intense, most trying time in my life...ever.  It's not that it's necessarily difficult or painful, it's just been this ongoing walk with God that has required every bit of faith and trust from me.  I've never been a person to be a pessimist or think negatively about the future, but I feel like if something crazy is going to happen, it's going to happen.  I don't want to even write a list of the things that have happened in the last four months.  Let's just say in the last three weeks, only ONE of our six children has not gone to the doctor for something.

Elijah--sinus & ear infection, iron deficiency
Isaiah--fell on playground, soft tissue injury
Aria--fell down stairs
Layla--fell down stairs, asthma attack, admitted to ICU, now has daily asthma regimen
Noah--fell, was stepped on and cracked his front tooth.  Front tooth removed.
Micah--knock on wood.

I've said this to many people, but I know it and have lived it.  Ever since we said "yes" to The Church at Antioch, our lives have been turned upside-down.  That's not just for us, but for many families in our church plant.  We haven't even officially opened yet.  I've never been in spiritual battle like I have in these last few months.  Many people say we must be doing something right for so much crazy to happen to us.  I believe that. It's just hard to live it.

I've been asked over and over again in these last few months to trust God, to have faith.  I feel like it's this phrase that repeats inside me daily....Trust Me. Trust Me.  Trust Me.  At this point, we are.  We've given up work, status, friends, Christmas, electronics, comfort, normalcy, teeth, health...All we can do now is trust.  We trust You, God.

This Sunday The Church at Antioch officially opens.  January 1st, 2012.  A new year, a new start, a new hope.  

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.


Romans 5:3-5




You know He's doing it.  Yo!  Who's doing it?  God is doing a nu thang.

Merry Christmas!!!!

We love you and thank you for being a part of our lives.

baby jake

our bugaboo.

rudolph

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has a special place in my heart.  Not because of the movie or anything.  I've probably seen that twice.  It's the song.

I remember the first time I sang on a mic and loved it.  It was at a Filipino-American Association Christmas party and they invited all the kids to come up and sing that song.  I just remember being a total mic-hog.  I sang my heart out and I got the singing bug.

I remember the grown-ups complimenting me and probably giggling at the fact that I just hammed it up on stage. Spotlight!

I'll never be a famous singer or even want to be one.  Living in the land of "musicians" makes it even more difficult to feel like a "good singing voice" matters.  They seem like a dime a dozen out here.

But I'm so grateful for my musical past.  I grew up singing at church, at home, in school and with my family.  It wouldn't be a complete family function unless we got behind the piano and sang something together.  It wouldn't be a complete day without singing with my friends.

I miss that.

If I feel frustrated or joyful, I sing.  I love singing with some old school Crystal Lewis whenever I feel especially distraught.  It's as if I'm just belting my heart out to Jesus.

So, I'm grateful for Rudolph and the moment I learned that I love to sing.