2011 Comes to an End

I remember 1999 to 2000 being a big year; wondering if Y2K was going to ruin my life and my love for computers and connecting with friends and family via the internet.  The roll over from 1999 to 2000 happened with ease just like any other year. We never went without power and the computers never crashed, but I still remember that year like it was yesterday. (Not really sure why that year is so stuck in my memory...)  12 years later I am wondering how my life will change in the new year; my computer probably won't crash on New Year's Day (please don't crash) and we'll most likely still have power (unless we have an insane blizzard or we trip a breaker) but most of all I pray that my heart will continue to seek God and welcome the change that He brings to my life.
I have never been one to set new year resolutions, because I know by week 5 I will fall flat on my face, but I do pray that my heart would be open to change and that I would strive to live more by faith... to let go and really, really let God move in my life.

Counting all His blessings in 2011: 3 beautiful miracles, my precious gift from God: Jeremiah, a new home, our 3 wonderful families, old friends and new friends, our Bible study group...and so many more blessings.

(Sorry, I still do not have any updated pictures of our house...maybe this Summer)

Jer and His Dad, Jerry

The Pojar Family: Maddie,  Grandpa "Oatmeal" & Grandma Rose

The Culver Family: Paula, Molly, David, Jesse, Ana, Jansen (MIA: Alesha & Gabe and their families)

Representing The McMahan Family: Grandma Fran

Our Friend Amanda Zell

Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas!

     We hope this finds you enjoying this season, even with all it's busyness.  We pray that you find time to settle down and enjoy your family and reminisce together about Christmas past, but most of all, we pray that you will find yourself thinking about the birth of our King Jesus and all that has been given for you and me.

Our lives have been a bit of a blur this past year; back in May we bought our first home (newly built house with a huge dirt yard) located here in Spearfish.  Jeremiah spent countless hours this Summer putting in an underground sprinkler system and preparing the dirt yard to become a real grass yard.  Along with all the house work and yard work, Jeremiah has been working full-time as a Respiratory Therapist at the Spearfish Hospital.  He loves his job, even with the early mornings and long days.   He is an incredible handy-man, hard-worker, a loving husband, and a fantastic father.

Our kids are growing like olives trees around our table; Joshua and Saray turned 3 in August and Grayson turned one in May.  Josh is laid back, soft-spoken, has a giving heart, and has a infectious, contagious laugh.  He can entertain himself for extended amounts of time, which is simply wonderful.  He generally has his Lightning McQueen car and his one favorite Fisher Price People in tow, even at bedtime. 

Saray is a little fire-cracker, full of energy; this girl runs at 110% from the moment she rises to the time she climbs into bed.  Saray can talk a blue streak most of the day and holds a conversation very well.  She is super personal, loves meeting new people and enjoys getting to know them better.  She loves miniature toys and objects.

Grayson is our dare-devil; he has more bumps and bruises from trying to jump off the couch, walk up our flight of stairs, or climb into the bathroom sink.  He strives to be just like Josh and Saray; he will try anything that they do.  He loves to dance and has fantastic rhythm, is full of laughter, and he loves to make others laugh.   He adores balls, and exclaims over our Christmas ornaments that are shaped like balls.

God truly has blessed us and we stand in awe of his amazing gift: family.  We are busy, but we can't imagine life any other way.  Our God still is in the business of working supernatural miracles, I know this, because we have three miracles that are changing and challenging us every day.  I get the privilege of staying at home with them and teaching them how to live for God, love, share, and treasure family and friends.  What a big job, but it's such an honor. 

Outside of taking care of my family and home, I have been squeezing in some photo shoots.  I stand in awe that God would give me His eyes to see and capture the precious life around me. 

Treasure your families and the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus. 

Love to all of you from all of us.

Ponder This...

I have a thought for you to ponder (from the book "One Incredible Moment" by Max Lucado):
If God is able to place the stars in their sockets and suspend the sky like a curtain, do you think it is remotely possible that God is able to guide your life?  If your God is mighty enough to ignite the sun, could it be that he is mighty enough to light your path?  If he cares enough about the planet Saturn to give it rings or Venus to make it sparkle, is there an outside chance that he cares enough about you to meet your needs?  Or, as Jesus says, "Look at the birds in the air.  They don't plant or harvest or store into barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them.  And you know you are worth much more than the birds...Why do you worry about clothes?  Look at how the lilies in the field grow.  They don't work or make clothes for themselves.  But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.  God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire.  So you can even be sure that God will clothe you.  Don't have so little faith!  (Matthew 6:25-30)

Why did he do it?  Did he have to give the birds a song and the mountains a peak?  Was he required to put stripes on the zebra and the hump on the camel?  Would we have known the difference had he made the sunsets gray instead of orange and purple?  Why do stars have twinkles and the waves snowy crests?  Why dash the cardinal in red and drape the beluga whale in white?  Why wrap creation in such splendor?  Why go to such trouble to give such gifts?  He did it for you.  

Here is something to think about: If you were the only person on earth, the earth would look exactly the same.  The Himalayas would still have their drama and the Caribbean would still have its charm.  The sun would still nestle behind the Rockies in the evenings and spray light on the desert in the mornings.  If you were the sole pilgrim on this globe, God would not diminish its beauty one degree.  

Because he did it all for you...

Find such love hard to believe?  That's okay.  Just because we can't imagine God giving us sunsets, don't think God doesn't do it.  God's thoughts are higher than ours.  God's ways are greater than ours.  And sometimes, out of his great wisdom, our Father in heaven gives us a piece of heaven just to show he cares.  

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 Think on these things, this season, and everyone season.  May your hearts begin to grasp the incredible gift that has been given just for you.  May you stand in awe and silence of all that He has made and given, just for you.  

Merry Christmas!

 

Random Family Photo shoot + Happy kids & spouse = Success!

Just a few hours before the sunset today, I decided it was a perfect day for a fun & quick photo shoot of my own family (including me).  20 minutes and 187 pictures later, we had success, we scored some great pictures!  Thank God for an imagination, tripod, a remote, silly laughs, supportive spouse and happy kids, oh and don't forget the fantastic 55 degree weather at 4pm on Nov 10th.   Just a little of what I am thankful for...
  

 

Hunting & Shooting the Christmas Tree

This video is from a few years ago...

I can't wait to tree hunting again. Christmas is almost here!

An old post from Jan 4th 2008

I was going over some of my old blog posts from "My Book of Remembrance" blog.  I am amazed at how God works and how He fulfills His/our desires in our lives.  He truly does use ALL things for good in our lives.  I want to put a word of encouragement out there for those of you who are going through the fire and your desires and self are being refined and purified - hang in there, God is not finished with you yet.  Continue to press into Him.  He does have good things in store for you.

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Friday, January 4, 2008  
God's Desires vs. My Desires

I was listening to a message a few weeks ago, while listening, something struck me... "God wanted a family. He plants his desires within his children.  God desires for us to have families too."

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to be a mommy, even when I was a very small child.  I always had a dolls (or 4) glued to me 24/7 and babies were constantly an attraction to me. The desire to be a mommy was strong then, and it's even stronger now. This desire is not a fleeting one. I realize there is a huge difference between God's desires and my own desires. My own generally come and go very quickly. But the desires that are placed there by God, always stick around, even when faced with trials and fires I still come out the other side with those desires (God's desires) intact.
Sometimes I hear people say things like, "Maybe you're not meant to be a mother.  Maybe you should pursue a career instead." You know, for a moment I thought that all these people were right. But then again, after the revelation of God's desires for me to have a family, I realize that that advice (or whatever it is) isn't for me, in fact I would say it was a fire dart aimed straight for my heart in order to knock me off my feet, or off my faith.
Who will I believe...men or God? Where is my faith? Is it in what men say or what God says? Men didn't fashion me, God did. So how can men fully know all that God has put within me? I have made up my mind...I must listen to what God says vs. what men have to say.  I know He put this desire, this desire to be a mother, right in the center of my heart.
I also realized that when I go through fires my desires are refined. Just like silver in refined and purified by fire so are my desires. My own desires generally get burned up, and the desires that are placed there by God remain, they become more refined and purified. The desire to be a mother is not my own desire. If it was, I would have lost interest long ago. But through this last 2 years, the desire to be a mother has been put through the fire. Yet now I realize more and more how I long for the WILL/DESIRES of God to be fulfilled in my life.  How blessed I am to have a Father that desires the best for me. "Lord, more of You and Your desires, and less of me and my fleeting desires. Refine me and my dreams..."
Isaiah 55:8-9 - "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
1 Corinthians 2:9  -"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.
Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Hebrews 11:1  Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Working on Christmas Cards

Yes, yes...I know it's still October, but I have finished my Christmas cards and have even ordered my first stack.  I found a few pictures that I loved and I decided not to waste my time on putting my cards together. 
Here is a sneak peak

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.