Do I truly believe?

If I truly believe that God is as big as He is and as great as He is and as powerful as He is and as lovely as He is and as truly delightful as He is, then why doesn't my life reflect...pronounce...radiate that truth?

How is it that I can go minutes, hours, days without meditating on Him and proclaiming how His very existence gives me joy and purpose instead of sorrow?

But when I allow myself to get caught up in the beauty and joy of the very character and existence of God, then the missing closet doors and kitchen in desperate need of remodeling and savings account that is shrinking become so small and minute compared to the utter greatness and vastness of God!  He is my joy...and my contentment is found in Him and not in this earthly home and the chaos of this season of life.

He truly is all I need.

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."  - Psalm 34:8

Fighting for Joy

"For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'"  -Isaiah 41:13

It's been a very long last 6 months, and an even longer last 2 weeks.

Even though in my mind I've been grieving the end of our service at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church and our life in Brainerd for almost 2 years now, actually moving into our new home and neighborhood in Brooklyn Center is another thing.

It's like I'm going through the grieving process all over again, except this time with more tears.

The battle for joy and contentment over grief and sadness has been thoroughly waged in my mind these last several days.

And I have been clinging, literally clinging to God's promises...as I continue to greatly miss my dear friends and familiar places.

Yet today, as I sat in a quiet spot at our new, local library for Sabbath, life giving words watered my saddened soul.

Even though I have been so grateful for all God has done and provided for us as we began this journey of seminary last spring, I have been so focused on the amazing things He has done that I've lost the delight in Christ Himself.  As I've longed to give Him glory for the truly wonderful gifts He has bestowed, I haven't found my true contentment in Him.

My heart has been distracted by the clutter and boxes around me, the never ending house projects, and Brad's school and study schedule that I had allowed my circumstances to cloud my Savior's face.

Because of that, my heart has been sad and my joy has been gone.

John Piper, in his small book called, The Dangerous Duty of Delight wrote, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

I haven't been most satisfied in Him.  I haven't been satisfied in anything these last 14 days.

The Lord, in His kindness, led me to several places in Scripture today which renewed my spirit.

In Deuteronomy 31, as Moses prepared the Israelites for his departure and for their new leader, Joshua and new journey into the Promised Land, he said, "The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you," (v 3).  How comforting those words must have been!  And truly God himself has gone ahead of us preparing this way to Bethlehem Seminary!

Just a few lines down in verse 8, Moses says to Joshua, who was probably grieving the soon to be loss of his mentor and dear friend, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

And in Isaiah, where we see God's loving heart for His nation, I was in awe of these precious verses:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10

And what will God do for his servant, then and today?  "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." -Isaiah 42:16

"But now, this is what the LORD says - he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel; 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." -Isaiah 43:1-3

My eyes then fell upon some dear verses that I had held onto in desperation over a year and a half ago.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." 

 -Isaiah 43:18-19

I am so grateful for God's life-giving Word today!  And in my delight of my LORD and His Word, I do feel that I can have that joy and satisfaction.  He truly is sweeter than any of His generous gifts or anything else this world has to offer.

June 2012 Update Letter

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:18-19

Dear friends and family,

For months I have wanted to sit down and write an update letter on the many GOOD, but crazy changes that our family has had since our last Christmas letter in December of 2010.  Now I find myself in June 2012 and still in the midst of a long transition, but eagerly wanting to update friends and family about all that God has done, especially in the last 4 months.  

For the last 1 and 1/2 to 2 years, God has been gently and slowly guiding and now moving us from our church, youth ministry and home in Brainerd to a different city and ministry focus...which begins with seminary this fall.  Today, looking back on many difficult, yet pivotal moments since the summer of 2010, it is easy to see God leading through circumstances, His Word, and the wise and godly council of others.  We are grateful for God’s faithfulness to us through trying times as well as His clear direction concerning our future.      

Much of winter/early spring of 2011 was filled with game nights, visits with family and friends, soccer (for Brad) and scrapbooking (for me).  I also continued to be at home full time with Sammy, Caleb, and Hannah and was involved in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and Tapestry (a women’s mentoring ministry).  Brad continued working with our youth group as the interim youth pastor at Lakewood Evangelical Free Church.  Over the course of those months, however, we were wrestling with knowing what God wanted us to do concerning vocational ministry.  Lakewood was currently looking for another full time youth pastor, and due to budgetary reasons, Brad’s youth director position was going to be cut.  We were committed to serving at Lakewood until a new youth pastor was hired, but were unsure of what to do next.  Brad applied to several churches that spring, but we seemed to keep running into dead ends.  In early May our senior pastor and elder chairman proposed a pastoral internship for Brad which would run from August-December 2011.  At that point we had no other leads on jobs, and were both very interested in this position, since Brad would be working directly with our senior pastor with pastoral responsibilities that he had never yet been exposed.  

The summer months were full of graduation parties, gymnastics (for Sammy), swim lessons (for Caleb and Sammy), a trip to River Falls, WI to see Brad’s brother, Brian and his family, a 2 week visit from Brad’s mom, trips to the library, and my first garage sale (those are SO much work!).  Brad finished up his youth ministry responsibilities in July and passed the baton to our new youth pastor and moved into a different position at Lakewood August 1st.  

After a very long year of adjusting to 3 children, keeping up with (too many) commitments, and a very busy ministry schedule, Brad and I dropped our kids with my parents in mid-August and made the long trek from Bismarck, ND to Banff, British Columbia for a much needed vacation.  We had been there once before with Brian and Sarah in 2003, and had been wanting to go back. It was an extremely restful time, hiking and being in God’s beautiful creation.  Shortly after we returned, Sammy, our sweet 5 year old, spent 2 days at Kinder-camp preparing for kindergarten.  How did she grow up so fast? It is true what they say...”the days are long, but the years fly by.”  

Just a few short days into September, we learned that our senior pastor was resigning and leaving in October.  This was a shock to us and many in our congregation, yet we all agreed that this was a part of God’s greater plan for Pastor Dan and his family.  Our hearts were heavy, wondering what God had planned for Lakewood and also wondering how this would affect Brad’s internship, which was directly under Dan.  It was at that point Brad’s internship changed slightly.  Instead of preaching once or twice, he would be in the pulpit much more than that.  Over a period of about 7 months, from June until December 2011, Brad preached 10 times at Lakewood and Lakewood’s church plant in Crosby, MN.  During those months, we were (well, mostly I was) overwhelmed at Brad’s increased work load and the time and study it took to prep a weekly sermon.  Yet back in May, when this internship was first spoken of, we were curious to see if adult ministries was the direction God was leading us.  We had LOVED, loved, LOVED doing youth ministry the last 12 years or so, but several people, whom we trusted and who knew us well, began asking if Brad had considered going to seminary.  Seminary?  It had never really crossed our mind!  And how could we do it with 3 young children?  But as Brad continued to work with Pastor Dan and as he became more comfortable prepping and preaching through a book of the Bible, we began to consider it more and more.  We began researching seminaries all over the country and weighing the pros and cons of each.  We decided to visit Bethlehem Seminary, which is located in downtown Minneapolis and is connected to Pastor John Piper’s church, Bethlehem Baptist, in mid-October.  After visiting, we were much more confident that this was the direction God was leading.  We had NO IDEA how we were going to do it, but we began trusting in God to provide all we would need.  Brad spent most of November completing a long application and paper for seminary.  Bethlehem Seminary only accepted 15 students per year, so as we emailed the last of Brad’s application documents, we prayed that God would make it clear if we were to proceed in this direction.  And then began the wait.  

Brad finished his internship at Lakewood the end of December.  We had gone to ND for Thanksgiving, so after a long December of dance recitals and music programs (for Sammy) and countless hours of Brad being under our house replacing 90% of our outgoing plumbing (I didn’t have a working kitchen sink for over 8 weeks...not that I was counting or anything!), we headed to River Falls, WI to spend a week with Brad’s family.  Even though several of the 15 of us got a 24 hour bug, we had a wonderful time!  

Because of Brad’s heavy load at church and the countless chores around the house that had been put on the back burner because of his preaching schedule and seminary application, he was only able to line up a few interviews for a short-term job in Brainerd for early January.  We hoped that one of the prospective jobs would pan out, but as mid-January and then February approached, we realized how hard it was to find a job, especially since Brainerd had the highest unemployment rate in MN in towns with more than 10,000 people.  He spent hours searching for jobs and applying and interviewing with 3 different temp agencies.  Near the end of February, he began working evenings at a local manufacturing plant.  Then just 4 weeks later, he began working a 3 month temp job at a local company called Ascensus and has been there since March.  

Looking back now, it’s so much easier to see God’s goodness.  We began to be very grateful for the time Brad had at home with our family and began to see his unemployment as an “unpaid sabbatical.”  We spent a great deal of time as a family finishing projects that we just never seemed to have time for.  We also saw God’s provision in the midst of those hard months.  Even though we had no means of income (Brad couldn’t collect unemployment since he previously worked for a non-profit organization.) for almost 2 months, we learned so much as a couple about what it meant to truly trust God for our daily bread.  God provided for us in ways that often brought us to tears and made us very humble.  It was so difficult, but we really started to put our full dependence on God instead of on ourselves.  

On February 21, just before Brad began at the manufacturing plant, we received a phone call from Bethlehem Seminary.  Brad had been accepted!  We praised God for His leading and confirmation!  We then began the crazy task of getting our house ready to sell.  In early March, Brad’s brother Brian and his family came up for several days.  They were SO HELPFUL in helping us de-clutter and stage our house.  After finishing some final projects and meeting with a few realtors, we officially got our house on the market March 27.  After just 4 days and 3 showings, we had 2 really great offers!  We officially accepted an offer on April 2 with a May 7 closing day.  All of a sudden, everything began happening very quickly!  We spent the next months packing, cleaning, and enjoying our sweet home.  My parents were able to visit twice, and that was a blessing to have them share in Hannah’s 2 year birthday party as well as take back a trailer load of our stuff to be moved at a later date.  We had a packing party on May 5, and slept for the last time in our house in sleeping bags on May 6.  It was very bittersweet, saying good-bye to our home of almost 8 years, but we were so thankful for a quick sale.  

We are currently living with some friends on their farm just south of Brainerd.  Our kids have been SO BLESSED by farm life!  They feed the chickens, collect eggs, help Mr. Paul bring in the cows, paint silos (for REAL), ride their bikes down long gravel roads, ride on the tire swing, and play in the river just behind their house.  We are so grateful for the kindness of our friends!  

We have been so thankful for Brad’s current job, its hours, and flexibility.  He’s been able to attend end of the year programs for Sammy and take longer lunch breaks for our home closing and other appointments.  He will finish his 3 month position the end of this month.  

Since we sold our house and moved out to the farm, we spent many hours looking for a good school district for Sammy.  (She was accepted into Brainerd’s Gifted and Talented AGATE Academy for the fall, so we have been looking for a similar program for her in the Twin Cities.)  We’ve also been looking at housing and considering the pros and cons to renting versus buying and also in living closer to downtown or further out in the northern suburbs where several of our friends currently live.  Even though I am overwhelmed with all that needs to happen in the next 2 months, we are trusting that God will provide just the right housing for our family over the next 4 years.  

Even as I have written this letter, I am again struck by the goodness of God.  Even though there were many days and nights that we were discouraged or heartbroken by our circumstances, we see that God worked so much of it for our good and His glory.  

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28

We know that not one hardship was wasted as each trial and event taught us to trust our Lord more and more and have provided experiences that we hope to use someday to minister to others.  

As you think of us, would you pray for housing for our family, for a part time job for Brad (and probably me) and for a smooth transition to the Twin Cities?  We covet your prayers as we, again, do not know how everything will fall into place financially for us over the course of these next 4 years.  But we do serve a Mighty God, and His arm is not too short to provide all we need.

We think and pray often for you all, our dear friends and family!  Many of you have been a sweet encouragement to us over the last 2 years, and we are so grateful!  We are praying for God to personally meet with each of you as you look to Him to provide all that you and your families needs.  

With much love, Brad, Jenny, Samantha, Caleb and Hannah Aust

Flashback on the 15th - Fire Dept Open House

Almost. Two. Months.

How did that happen?

I long to take a few minutes with my notebook and just stare at this screen and let my thoughts flow.

But there has been very little time to sit in the quiet.

Quiet...that would not be the first word I would use to describe my life since February 21.

It's funny how a simple phone call can change you life.

So much to write about what God has done in the last 2 months. Yet it feels like it would take a year to put it all together into words.

I am confident there will be a day for all the thoughts swirling in my heart and mind to fall onto paper.

But until then, something simple and fun...another flash from the past!

Last September our local Firehouse hosted an open house one evening. It was packed with great family adventures such as a medical helicopter...that landed AND took off before our eyes!

Wow, and that's the best picture I got of Caleb.

Nice facial expression son, very nice!

Sammy smiled so sweetly with her "2 missing teeth" grin!

The kids jumped around in the bouncy house and took pictures with Spot, the fire dog.

One of the things I really liked was all the fire safety drills they did. Each child carried a small piece of paper with 6 different stations listed on it. When they completed each skill, they got it checked off. The stations were really great. At one in particular, they had the kids lay on a bed, then a fireman sounded a fire alarm and walked them through crawling on the floor, touching the door to see if it was hot and finally exiting a window. They also told the kids to remind their parents to practice family fire drills regularly and have a set location outside to meet in case there was a fire.

Umm...that reminds me....

But my favorite part was watching the kids handle a fire hose.

Caleb couldn't have been prouder!

Hannah spent most of the time in her stroller, but we let her out at the end to practice her driving skills.

Oh, and one more thing I forgot to mention. At the end of the evening, Sammy was very determined to finish the 6 skills and toss her sheet into a large bowl. I remember she whispered to me, "Mommy, I think they give prizes!"

And so, about a week later, the fire chief called my phone and told me that Samantha had won the grand prize. A remote controlled, water shooting, so large it takes up most of my kids' bedroom "FIRE ENGINE!"

That picture really doesn't do it justice. It's a mammoth thing.

So our great fire chief pulled up into our driveway one afternoon in his fire chief SUV...with his lights on, mind you...and handed the engine to Sammy.

It was a pretty sweet thing, I have to say!

Now if we could just find an extra room in the house to store it in!

Thinking Biblically about Children

It seems that every one of my friends are either pregnant or have just given birth. But since I have the gift of exaggeration, it's probably not every one of them...but many!

But as I've been watching many of them share their exciting news with other friends and family members, the reactions have been much different from when they announced their 1st or 2nd or 3rd little "addition" to their family.

Instead of the typical excited squeals and hugs of congratulations like with their previous pregnancies, it seems that with every "new" announcement my friends give, they are not congratulated but are rather confronted with comments and questions such as,

"You know what causes this, don't you?"

"Was this pregnancy planned or an accident?"

"Don't you think that you already have your hands full with the children you have?"

"You guys are done after this one, aren't you?

"My, you are going to be busy!"

And the one that especially saddens are those "well wishers" who in one breath say, "Children are a blessing from the Lord," and the next, "You are done after this one, aren't you?"

Even with my own life, when I have tossed out the idea to various people that we may not be done having children, I have received similar comments/questions...this one being the most recent:

"That's probably not a wise idea at this time for you guys, is it?"

Now I admit I have had some of those same thoughts about other newly expecting mamas and have even chatted a few times with Brad or another friend or two about it.

But after learning that several of our friends have had their vasectomies reversed and a growing number of our closest friends are having larger families (more than 2 or 3 children), my thinking (and that of husband's) has been challenged. Brad and I are becoming more and more convicted that we have had a wrong and unbiblical view of children and that these thoughts have been shaped more by the world and its sometimes subtle views on children than the Bible's view.

Think about it...what does the world say about children?

They are a burden.

They will inconvenience your life.

They are work.

They are exhausting.

You should DEFINITELY stop after your 2nd or 3rd.

Start counting down the days until they are 18 and out of your home.

How are you going to afford another child?

The negative comments only escalate as the number of children in your home grows. Just think about all the critical words the world has for large families today.

But yet there are over 400 references to "children" in the Bible. And the only time children are looked down upon are by those who tried to keep them from Jesus.

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

I find it interesting that this exact story is in three of the four Gospels.

So as I've been wrestling through what the world and what the Bible says about children, I've come to a few conclusions:

• Children are a blessing from the Lord...whether the pregnancy was planned or if the parents were entirely ready for his or her arrival...every single child is a blessing. And they are a blessing because they are created in the image of God and are knit together by Him in the womb.

• They are also a blessing because they cause us to become less selfish, more patient, and more giving. My days of sleeping in (as a whole) are over! I have to care for my children, feed them, read to them the same book over and over again. Much of my own refining and sanctification happens as a result of having them live with me every day in my home.

• They are a blessing because of their sheer enjoyment! Many days in my parenting I have taken such delight in watching one of my children take their first step or say a new word for the first time. Some days they still drive me crazy, but the joy they bring me and my husband far outweigh the rough days.

So should everyone, therefore go out and have as many children as they can? That's not the point I'm trying to make. The issue is not the number of children that we have, but it's our attitude towards them and the value we place on them.

With all this in mind, I have been reminded again and challenged even more to continue look through the lens of Scripture as I process what the world is saying. Especially when it comes to children.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Guest post: Thinking Biblically About Children

Check out my guest post on my friend, Gianna's blog!

Flashback on the 15th - Strawberry Picking with Grandma

Last July when Brad's mom was here for a visit, I wanted to make the most of her time with us...but I ended up cramming way too much into her 2 1/2 week stay.

I know that's hard for some of you to believe...

Daily swim lessons for the kids, my first ever garage sale, play dates, etc...

Poor Betty had to go home to get some rest!

Anyway, one of the super fun activities we did with her was go strawberry picking. I met 2 other girlfriends and their kids at a local, family run, strawberry patch, meat processing, sweet little farm called Nelson Shine.

We had a GREAT time!

Sammy loved strawberry picking. She is such a perfectionist and was very picky about her choices.

Grandma stayed with Caleb quite a bit, but after a short lesson in "proper strawberry choosing and picking" he was right up there with Sammy.

Sammy and Caleb picked for 30-45 minutes, which I thought was great for their first time, but the farm had other great places to explore and the goats and horses were just too tempting.

For most of this time, Hannah had been confined to her stroller.

Poor, poor 3rd child!

But after Sammy and Caleb ran off with their friends to explore the nooks and crannies of the farm, Grandma Aust was able to share some pure sweetness with her.

And share she did!

As I was just finishing up picking my last bit of strawberries, Caleb found a gold mine.

A sand box...

with a bazillion John Deere tractors.

He. Was. In. Heaven.

While Caleb was lost in tractors and trailers, Sammy found her own slice of heaven.

We could have seriously stayed their all day!

But there were strawberries to wash, mouths to feed and a sleepy baby to put down for a nap.

And one tired Mommy and Grandma who needed to put their feet up!

Rub-a-dub, dub...3 kids in a tub!

For the record.

This was the first and last time I will ever put all 3 of my kids in the same bath tub.

After literally 23 seconds of laughter and cute smiles and sweet, innocent fun...

Hannah was crying after being climbed over to get to the bath toys, Sammy was trying to convince her siblings to "just move over" so she could do the back float, and Caleb was spraying water everywhere except inside the tub.

These things always seem to go so much better in my mind...

But this pictures is such a sweet reminder of God's goodness.

I still think the half dozen soaking towels were worth it.

How to know the will of God

Over the course of our 12+ years of marriage, Brad and I have had to make some very difficult decisions. With every choice or crossroad, we have often sought God's will for our lives concerning most everything. Job changes, moves, children, extra responsibilities, our budget, family issues...the list goes on and on. We yearn and desire to do what He wants us to. And as we've prayed and wrestled with our own personal longings to do God's will over the years, intermixed with that have been many long discussions with students who are wrestling with the same thing.

It seems for believers in Jesus Christ, that knowing His will for their lives is crucial to daily living and decision making.

Yet, for myself personally and for those I've ministered to, knowing God's will doesn't always come easy.

Why is that?

I think sometimes we aren't really open to God's will. We may have our plans made already and not have even considered other alternatives. We quickly glance over Scripture passages that would offer us warning or brush aside some Godly council. We talk about wanting to do God's will, but do we really?

Sometimes I wonder if we think God is being elusive or teasing us about His will for our lives. It's as if He wants to make us guess or work really hard to figure it out. We think if we just prayed harder or make dozens of lists of pros and cons, just maybe we'll be able to put our finger on it.

In many cases, we don't consider fully the way that God communicates His will. He does it through a variety of ways. Through His Word...through Godly council...through open and closes doors...through our own passions and desires...through circumstances. Not one painful experience or a late night conversation with a friend is overlooked in God's economy. He is not shy in communicating to us.

Our former senior pastor and Brad began a preaching series on I Thessalonians in September and this year I am studying several of Paul's Epistles in Bible Study Fellowship...currently I and II Thessalonians. And as I've been studying this past week, several verses literally popped off the pages.

Want to know what God's will is for you?

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified..." I Thess. 4:3

and...

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thess. 5:16-18

Please hear me friends. I know that there are important decisions to make. What college to attend, who to marry, which car to buy, what college major to have, how to spend your money, where to move, when to start having children... I get that, I really do. Brad and I have had some super huge decisions of late. But, as we are sitting in a "waiting room" of sorts...waiting until the last week of February until knowing if Brad has been accepted into Bethlehem Seminary or not...I've realized there's a lot that God has spoken already about His will and my obedience to it.

Here are just a few of the things we all should be doing...which is God's will for believers:

* avoid sexual immorality (4:3)

* learn to control own body in a way that is holy and honorable (4:7)

* love each other...and continue to do so more and more (4:10)

* lead a quiet life...mind your own business...work with your hands and not be dependent on anyone (4:11-12)

* respect those who work hard around us...who are over us in the Lord and who admonish you (5:12)

* live at peace with each other (5:13)

* warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone (5:14)

* do not pay back wrong for wrong (5:15)

* be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (5:16-18)

* do not put out the Spirit's fire (5:19)

* test everything and hold onto the good (5:21)

* avoid every kind of evil (5:22)

God has given us plenty of things that we can already be doing as He continually shows us His general and specific will for each of our lives.

I think I could spent the next year alone working on having patience with everyone and giving thanks in all circumstances.

And for those of you feeling overwhelmed by this list of "duties," listen to I Thess. 5:24:

"The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

Can we each know the will of God for our lives? Yes, we can!

Is it impossible to do the will of God, once we've become aware of it? No, but it can be done in God's mighty power!

Be encouraged! Whatever it is that God is calling you to do and wherever you are today...in the waiting room or beginning a scary, new adventure...you can know God's will and He will empower you to do it.

"...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

Name that picture!

This picture is begging for a caption.

Do I have any takers?

And yes, Boy Wonder here is at least wearing his undies. I think he was in between a "costume change" when he decided to jump in his tool box.

Never a dull moment...

Advent 2011

I LOVE Christmas! I love planning for it...I love decorating...I love making cookies...I really love every little detail about it!

I especially love thinking through Advent Activities for our children every year.

The only trouble with my great obsession and contemplation and preparation about this time of the year was our very busy family schedule...right around the 1st of December this past year.

Brad preached a lot this past fall and in addition to his preaching schedule, he taught a weekly men's leadership class, took part in a twice a month preaching class, attended countless elder meetings, prepared for his first "wedding," and filled out a MOUNTAIN of paperwork (and one 12 page paper) for his seminary application.

Ugh. I get dizzy just thinking about the last couple of months...

Anyway, our Advent Activities started a bit late, but we had a great time doing them each day. But as I was going through pictures, I realized I took only a few pictures of a handful of projects. And our newest activity, a "Jesse Tree" which I loved was completely undocumented in digital form.

Ugh. Let it go...it's okay...

"Hi. My name is Jenny, and I suffer from 'mommy guilt'."

A little confession is good for the soul. I feel much better!

Now where was I? Oh, right!

Here are a couple of the activities we did this past December.

Decorating the tree...

Caleb really is a cutie...when he's not trying to drive one of his trucks over his sister or trying to climb up bookcases...

And what was Hannah's obsession this past Christmas? Keeping a close eye on Baby Jesus from the nativity scene. She made it her job to always know where he was!

We also made a bunch of Christmas cards to hand out when we went Christmas caroling. I love how Caleb sticks his tongue out when he's concentrating really hard. Just like daddy!

Pretty, pretty!

Thank God for color wonder! (Hannah was desperate to join in on the fun.)

Then I attached ribbon and a little card with the words, "Merry Christmas" for the residents of the nursing home we visited.

We also made a "countdown to Christmas" for each child. Sammy and Caleb helped Hannah make her Christmas tree one.

Did you notice Caleb's tongue again?

Sammy and Caleb each made links for their individual countdown.

I know this picture is not the greatest one of Sammy, but take a look out my front window. This picture was taken on December 20. Notice anything missing from my Minnesota yard? Crazy, isn't it!

Overall, we had a great time with Advent. Some of our other activities included:

* reading Christmas themed books

* playing Christmas bingo

* making Christmas cookies

* wrapping presents

* reading about the Legend of the Candy Cane

* doing Christmas mazes and coloring sheets

* making a Jesus in a manger craft

* reading from Scripture and hanging our Jesse Tree ornaments every evening

* have a birthday party for Jesus

* a bunch of other things that I can't remember!

As the kids get older, it has become a privilege and a joy to help them focus on the true meaning of Christmas: the coming of our Savior to reconcile us back to our loving and holy Creator.

And that is truly amazing!

Flashback on the 15th

Problem: What do you do when you read your blog from the previous year and realize it contains various large, gaping holes in your family's life story?

Solution: Make up something completely random to give yourself an excuse to talk about events from the previous year!

Ahem...

As Brad and I are whittling away at our massively long to-do list (comprising of "all the things we should have been doing the last 5 months that we never really got around to doing and that have been driving us crazy" list), we are slowly (and I mean slowly) working our way through a big one: going through, organizing, and editing the hundreds of pictures we took last year.

If any of you know my husband, you realize I'm not kidding. It might actually be up in the thousands.

Gulp.

Anyway, I am glad to report that we are through the first 7 months of 2011 and are just beginning the month of August!

Yippee!

*waits for shouts of encouragement from dedicated blog readers*

cricket, cricket

Come on people, this is a big deal!

Okay, moving along...

As we edit and sort pictures, I'm going to, on the 15th of each month, talk about an event and post some pics from it. You know, so I can get rid of some of that "mommy guilt" I've been carrying around.

Just kidding!

Anyway, these pictures were taken last June. We LOVE the free kid's workshops at Home Depot. We don't always make it every month, but we try to hit several of them a year. Sammy and Caleb love making the projects, and the popcorn can't be beat!

Caleb sticks his tongue out of his mouth when he's concentrating really hard...just like his daddy!

Sammy is a veteran at sanding. I think Brad started taking her when she was just 3.

Don't be deceived by that first pictures of Caleb, though. We have more of these types of pictures than of him actually working!

And what do we do with sweet Hannah? Feed her popcorn and let her play on the lawn mowers...just like good, respectable parents!

Stay tuned to the next exciting Flashback on the 15th!

A Tuesday afternoon adventure

The weather earlier this week was amazing for January in Minnesota.

Amazing, I tell you!

In fact, it felt downright balmy!

So Brad decided to take us on a family hike through the woods after Sammy was done at school. He had come across some paths near the Mississippi River that he had never explored before and was itching to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.

You know, before winter decides to show up...

because no matter what it felt like yesterday, cold weather WILL show its ugly face soon.

We drove a couple of miles and headed down a dirt road that had several paths through the woods.

My kids are magnetically charged to large rocks...

climbing on them...make silly faces while on them...

striking a pose.

Yah, no idea where they got that from.

The path took us to the Mississippi's edge. There we stopped, enjoyed the beautiful view, and tried to keep our children from falling in.

Which was quite a feat, I might add. If you know my children, you completely understand.

Brad wanted to loop back and come the way we came, but the kids wanted to follow the path up a hill.

I LOVE this picture!

We had such a sweet time talking and laughing and exploring together. We picked up rocks and sticks and kicked our feet through leaf piles and chatted about our day.

As I was taking pictures, I was overwhelmed by God's incredible blessings in my life: my husband, our children, the time to enjoy a warm day, and the faith to keep us going in the midst of uncertainty.

And, my sweet baby girl who loved holding mama's hand and walking on the crunching snow.

I am truly blessed indeed!

Holding on...

For the past several months, it's taken the timeless Word of God and some incredible friends to help me "hold on" as my family's circumstances and Brad's job have been changing around me.

On Sunday evening, I was able to get away for a few hours to Caribou to spend some extended time with God. As I was leafing through my Sabbath journal, I stopped at an entry from August 13, 2010. I remember going through a hard time then, and near the end of the entry, I asked God "to provide a way for me". I also wrote out a verse from Isaiah...a verse that a little over a year later would become the life giving source and solid foundation I would need to withstand some additional difficult times.

Isn't God cool like that? Giving me what I need even before I realize how desperately I needed it!

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." - Isaiah 43:18-19

Each day I find myself making a choice. A choice to either give in to the fear and anxiety of the uncertain future ahead of me and my family...OR to choose to cling to the hope that I have in Christ. The hope that He will provide a way. That He does care deeply for us. And that He does have something better in mind for Brad, me, and our children.

And as much as I am "holding on" each day to my Savior, I know that He is holding onto me as well and has promised to never let me go.

Baby in a bag

Someone is 21 months old today.

You'll never guess who...

Happy 21 months baby girl!

What is...

currently taking up most of my living room floor.

What is...

currently on my night stand...some love notes from Sammy and a pile of Christmas cards yet to be read.

What is...

currently organized in 1 of 3 stockpiles I've accumulated since I started couponing.

What is...

currently outside on my driveway. Caleb began with mowing through the snow, next moved to riding his bike, and then finally loaded his wagon full of snow.

2011 Christmas pictures...with bloopers!

Have you ever wondered how many pictures it takes to get just one semi-reasonable family Christmas picture?

Come on...just play along!

Got your number? Good!

Now, add 87...if that family happens to have a very squirmy, highly active 20 month old.

Apparently I was the only one who received the memo describing how we should all be LOOKING at the camera!

Still got that number in your head? Good. Now add another 36 for good measure.

And THAT should be your total number of tries until you have arrived at your "pretty good, most kids are looking, Hannah's not running away, we're such a cute family" Christmas picture.

Oh, and don't forget to get a picture or two of you and your hubby!

And maybe, just maybe, you'll be blessed enough to get that one picture that will melt your heart for years to come!