Things I Love Thursday ♥

I feel like I'm traveling back in time. A couple of years ago, I randomly started doing Things I Love Thursday, and for exactly one year, I never missed a Thursday. I wish I still had those old lists, because I know I'd still be repeating many of the same things. Happiness comes with change, but some of the deepest joy can be found in things that stay the same. Here is my list for this week. There won't be a Seven Smiles on Saturday...I'm sorry I haven't been doing that as regularly as I promised. Life gets in the way some times, and I wanted to take the time, right now before I go to bed, to share with you the Things I Love Thursday.

My friends.

At Our Generation Summit

They're the best!

My family.

You've seen my immediate family in plenty of pictures, but here's an extended version of my mom's side (Grandparents, grandkids, and great-grandkids):

 Other things include:

cream soda from a glass bottle • old fashioned preaching, singing, worshiping • that moment when your eyes are opened to the vast expanse of your blessings • meeting strangers, and having one common burden and desire: win people to our great God • organization • washing your face at the end of a long day • waking up and still having 2 hours of sleep left • goals for an amazing 2013 • those moments in a car, by myself, just soaking up the words to a song • my nephews, they will never know quite how they brighten up a day • quotes • missions • my church family, I love my church family so very, very much • these lyrics:

"Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross."

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

...these are a few of my favorite things!

 brown paper packages

matching Christmas pj's

the boy's excitement

calling Steedee and Tara to wish them Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours.

Love,

Ron, Rhonda, Kelley and Amie

Stephen and Tara

Jacob, Christine, Jace, Jackson and Tanner

Christmas Shenanigans

White Elephant party

Ugly sweater party

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

A Sad Day

My heart is hurting right now.

At 9:00 this morning, in Newtown, Connecticut, 28 families lives were changed in a traumatic, terrifying way.

I don't know a single one of them personally, I don't know their names and I don't know anything about their lives. But I can hurt with them, I can pray for them, and in this united country, I believe we should all feel the same way.

From ages 5 to 10, 20 little children lost their lives today. They won't graduate, get married, or have children of their own. And with barely two weeks until Christmas, their parents and siblings are going to have to try to cope with this, plan funerals, and get through losing that tiny soul.

I hope that you'll join me in praying for them. I hope you'll appreciate the loved ones you have still alive. I hope that in this painful world, we can pray in some comfort for these hurting people.

"Great and mighty things..."

 "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;  for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” - Luke  21:1-4 (God looks at the cost, not the price.)


Have you ever been sitting in a church service, watching a missionary presentation, and felt a tug at your heart? Have you ever watched a missionary cry over the people in his field and felt tears running down your own cheeks? Have you ever wanted to empty your pockets, wallet, and bank account into an offering plate?

If the answer is no, then you are missing out on something very special.

This week is the most anticipated week of the year for me. Above youth camp, music school, and all of our other meetings, I look forward to this one the most. Missions Conference. It just tops them all. It's the icing to my cupcake, the sprinkles on my ice cream. It's just the best.

In my 19 years, I've been "called" to every country in the world. Because growing up, I was taught that missionaries are our heroes. And for 4 days straight, I get to be around them. Their burden becomes my burden, and their stories touch my heart.

It's why we can stay at church until midnight and still get up early the next morning. It's why we don't mind sitting on a pew for 2 hours or more every night. It's why we talk to people we don't know, hold babies that aren't ours, and do everything we can for these people. They are heroes, and we are privileged to get to help them.

Tonight was the first night of the meeting, and it was a wonderful one. I am SO excited for the rest of it! I don't want Wednesday night to get here, and I want time to crawl by. I'm excited to see what our Faith Promise will be for 2013, and I'm excited to get to know the missionaries better. 

Our church will step out on faith, we will give of our abundance and pledge an amount of money to give to help the missionaries get to their fields. China, Japan, Indonesia, England, New England, Papua New Guinea. People will be saved because these missionaries went, and we get to help. How wonderful is that? 

Great and mighty things will happen, and I'm so glad I get to be involved.

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, 
and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." 

-Jeremiah 33:3

Seven Smiles on Saturday (12.01.12)

I'm posting this on Friday night because tomorrow is going to be quite busy.

1. Getting most of my Christmas shopping done.

Thank you, Cyber Monday! :)

2. Decorating the outside of our house for Christmas.

3. Getting ready for our Missions Conference that starts on Sunday.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year...." means Missions Conference!! :)

4. Decorating the church with poinsettias and red bows.

So, so pretty, if I do say so myself. :)

5. Trying on my dress for Hannah's wedding today.

Yay! Weddings are just so glorious! :)

6. Homemade cheesy broccoli soup.

With lots of sour cream.

7. This quote: 

“I have one desire now - to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.” –Elisabeth Elliot