Jesus Calling-Just What I Need

I had heard great things about the daily devotional, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young (available here) around the blogosphere for a while so I ordered it from a local book store for my mother-in-law for Christmas. The bookstore brought in two copies because they didn't know which style I wanted and on a whim I bought them both, one for me and one for her.
Sometimes it is the small things that make all the difference in the world. I can't even begin to tell you how the words on the pages seemingly jump out at me when I need them the most. It was as if they were put there at exactly the right time just for me.
This morning I read "Come to me for rest and refreshment. The journey has been too much for you, and you are bone-weary. Do not be ashamed of your exhaustion. Instead, see it as an opportunity for Me [God] to take charge of your life." Hallelujah we are not in this uphill battle on our own. We have a Savior who is here to carry us the rest of the way.

project life mini album

In November Jordy and I went on a trip to Florida and 4 night cruise to the Bahamas. I knew I wanted to scrapbook our trip somehow but wasn't in the mood to do a traditional 12x12 album, so it was project life mini album to the rescue!

This album came together SO quickly, I couldn't believe it! I used Becky Higgins mini album in Rain and the travel themed pocket page cards by Me and My Big Ideas. I also bought the Mambi Card Pad in Designer Colors (also by Me and My Big Ideas) and cut some of it down to fit the pockets.

Even though I devoted an entire album to this trip I still wanted to document it in some way in my 2013 project life album. I had seen this idea pop up in various places and wanted to try it out myself of using a 12x12 picture and cutting it up to fit the project life pages. I sent my mom two high resolution photos that I wanted to use and she did her magic in Photoshop and then sent me back 6 pieces of the picture for me to print out.

Accompanying the large 12 x 12 picture I used I cut up some maps from Universal Studios, Magic Kingdom, and a brochure from the Kennedy Space Centre that I wanted to show.

We had such a great time away together and are already dreaming up our next cruise!

favorite photos from 2013

I just wanted to pop in before we get to far into 2014 to share some of my favorite photos I took in 2013. This year was my first year with a DSLR and I think I grew a lot as a photographer. I would love to take some more classes in it and learn as much as I can about it!
Enjoy the photos!

berenstain bear quilt

So even though I have not been posting lately, life has still been very full. Full of living, full of growing, and full of crafting! I wanted to pop in quick and show you a baby quilt I made. It's stereotypically boy so now I need to make a girl one, you know, just so I have a pair ;P

I used the 'Welcome to Bear Country' fabric line by moda and did a disappearing nine patch pattern. The red and white polka dots is from a different line, not sure which one though, and the white is a kona solid.

It's cute, right?

Ephesians 1 - A verse for our child

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

currently

wearing... long sleeves and fuzzy sweaters

drinking... earl grey tea and pumpkin spice lattes

dreaming... about laying on the beach in the Bahamas

praying... for patience

watching... all new season premiers (grey's anatomy, parenthood, big bang theory, the mentalist)

reading... committed by Eizabeth Gilbert and articles on attachment

planning... holiday projects

making... a Bernstain bear quilt

the cat's out of the bag - we're adopting!

The cat's out of the bag so to speak, and Jordy and I are planning an adoption! It's one long and scary process that's for sure, so although I am excited I'm also really working on trying to keep my emotions in check. Adoption is not like being pregnant, although both involve waiting and anticipation, our 'paper pregnancy' will take a whole lot longer than 9 months (I'm not saying that physically bearing a child is easier than this, I'm just trying to say that I am restraining myself from decorating the baby's room this weekend!). We are in the stage of finalizing everything we will accept in a child which is incredibly stressful. How do you say yes or no to an illness a child may have? It's heartbreaking.
So after this is finalized than we will wait to be released by the ministry for our home study and PRIDE training and then we go on the wait list again for a referral. It could be 2 years or it could be 10 years we have no idea. We could really use and would appreciate your prayers at this time; pray that we would be patient as we wait for a child and will use our time wisely before we become parents, pray for our future child that their transition would be smooth and we will form a secure attachment to one another, pray for the birth family, for peace and healing no matter what their situation is.