Real heart change for this Real Ray Wednesday...

The Lord has done some huge work on this ugly heart of mine over the last several months.  You try reading both Follow Me AND Future Grace in the same summer and NOT be impacted to your core and let me know how that goes.

Let's see if you were paying attention to yesterday's update... remember the book we went through this summer with Tuesday Girls?  So proud of you - you're right!  Follow Me by David Platt was the book of choice this summer.

I have been challenged regarding my hearts desire to make disciples and what it really means to BE a disciple of Christ.  Let me tell you, DPlatt {as we often call him} brought it.

He doesn't get caught up in the 'must make every reader feel good' movement, which I so appreciate.  The purpose of his writing is to share truth. {period}

Here are a few of my favorite moments in the book:

So important to be committed to a local church, especially during college.  I know how hard it is to find quality preaching at school when your heart is back at your home church.  But that doesn't take away from the necessity to invest in a local body - even in seasons that it must be different than your home church.

At the end of the book he goes through a series of questions/challenges which provided some wonderful discussion with our Tuesday Girls.  One challenge he emphasized is the importance of daily intaking the Word.  He encourages a reading plan to help guide us, which we started at the beginning of the summer.  My hope and prayer is that the ladies (and myself) will take time each day to read these sections of scripture and spend time with the Lord asking Him to reveal more of Himself to us through His word.  Sure... we might take the 2 year approach rather than the 1 year structure of the plan I found - but the point is intentionally spending time in His word and with Him daily.

A phrase you'll hear me say quite often these days is 'be intentional'.  This phrase came from our study through Follow Me.  It is essential to be intentional in our time spent with the Lord; to be intentional in the conversations with our friends (believers or not); to be intentional about our investment into a local church body; to be intentional about those we let impact our lives and hearts through our community.  I could go on and on and on... but you get the point.  It is essential to be. intentional.

Stay tuned... I'll be sure to update on Future Grace as well... don't you worry :)

What book(s) have you been impacted by lately and how have they impacted you personally?

Update on life as I know it...

Dear Internet, it is amazing how often I thought about how badly I wanted to update you on life... and yet how little time I found to do so.

Here is an attempt to bring you up to speed {Insta-style} on life since May 14th (my last post).  

This precious baby girl was born.  Her name is Olivia Grace and she is absolutely beautiful.  Want to learn more about this beauty and her adorable family?  Check out her momma's blog: Candace's Calling.

Tuesday Girls happened again this summer.  It. was. amazing.  I enjoyed every single Tuesday of this past summer.  We spent our time discussing Follow Me by David Platt, feel free to read a great review of the book here:  Challie's Blog (A great resource I am sure to use before reading most any book I considering spending time to dig into) 

Got some pool time with this lady.  Unfortunately a few moments after this picture was taken, thunder clouds rolled in and started making all kinds of ruckus.  Fortunately, we made it back to my house literally seconds before the downpour.  Call it stubborn {we REALLY wanted pool time} I call it grace.

Oh my goodness... Whitney came into town and we went to dinner one day.  It was so amazing because we were talking about her desire to grow her family.. and a few weeks later we find out... SHE'S PREGGERS!  Can't wait to meet this new little one in 2014!

I have to tell you what a blessing it has been to spend some major time with this group of humans.  {Please excuse the KU swag in the middle... we love him regardless of his sport affiliations... THAT is true community} :)   Oh... Jen started her doctorate this summer... I feel so sophisticated to say one of my best friends is going to be a doc soon!  So proud of her... she will make an amazing administrator for our educational system.

Mom and I went on a flea market day trip to Springfield and back.  Of course we had a couple of stops along the way.  I realize it isn't pictured here... but we DID actually stop and find some goodies at some of my favorite flea markets on the way there and back.

These are the faces we get during Insomnia {youth lock in}.  I love these ladies.  I'd love any commentary on what you think the faces are saying to me.... :)  

So excited to watch the Lord challenge them to grow closer to Himself.  Asking the Lord to use me however He sees fit to encourage their spiritual growth.    

I got to see my brother over Memorial Day weekend.  It was so good to see him.  He was growing out the beard since a few days later he'd begin basic.  So. proud. of. him.

ROAD TRIP with Jamie and Greg to Branson.  To say we shopped until we dropped is an under statement.  This girl knows how to shop.  Seriously!  Had such a blast getting to have a girls car on the way there... and of course stopping for some required BRAUMS on the way.  YUM!  

Just a Tuesday night spent crafting chatting with these lovely ladies.  Have I mentioned that I love my church body.... and the community the Lord continues to place around me?!  

Weekend to Springfield with a couple of my favorites! Got to watch Jen do what she does best... teach. She brought the word to a group of ladies who will lead at her alma mater.  Enjoyed my favorite tacos on this planet as well as my favorite improve comedy show downtown.  I still think we could have swam in the pool... #shouldhavejumpedin

Little sister reunion!  Ok... so I don't have a biological sister.  But in HS the senior guys and girls were paired up with freshman guys and girls and we were encouraged to be their big sister/brother and help them get acquainted with HS.  I couldn't have been paired with anyone better.  Katie and I don't keep in touch like we should... but when we get to reunite it is an instant comfortable connection.  I'm so encouraged to hear how the Lord is using her in her community in northeast MO!  

Another HS friend that came in town from OK and I got to meet her beautiful family.  So thankful to get the few quality moments I had while she was in town.  #missingher

You can bet that I've gotten a few cuddles with these two babies since we last talked.  Of course most of the cuddles came before and after our cousin {below} came to visit for a week.

Dog sitting for my brother/sister-in-law was so much fun.  I love Shylah, she is such a great dog.  She was a great sport as the cats didn't enjoy her company as much as I did.  We DID survive... and we'd gladly do it again!

After 10+ weeks of being a part with just a few minutes of phone time ever few weeks and a letter here and there... my brother and his beautiful bride were reunited!  I didn't get to go to his graduation from basic.. but I'm so thankful for this moment.  I'm excited to watch the Lord take them on their next adventure.

My mantle these days.  Enjoying my instagram prints from PostalPix.  They are adorable and work perfectly for my decor!

Went to the MU game this past weekend with Scott's family.  Had such a great time with them.  The girls went shopping while the guys went to the stadium (we had some time to kill).  Pretty sure I lost 10 pounds just from the walking and sweating.... it was blistering hot and humid.  YUCK.  But we are so thankful because by game time we had overcast which helped cool us down a little.  MU winning always makes it a great time as well.

So this happened... I was cracking up with the photo-bomber behind me after the picture was taken.  lol

PS: Isn't he so handsome?!

                         

The twins are SENIORS?!?!  Can this seriously be so?!

 

Bowling night with the youth!  I can't believe how fast these ladies are growing up.

Visiting one of our youth students hard at work during a very long 9 hour shift on a Saturday. Oh... and convincing Scott to let me take advantage of the perfect photo opportunity in the lobby.  Love him so much for bearing with my quirks.  :)  {I think he kind of enjoyed this one}

Jen and I are sure to spend some time at Starbucks... doing one or all of the following:

1. solving all of the world's problems

2. evaluating potential mates for Jen

3. evaluating potential mates for our other friends

4. playing detective - we have witnessed a few first dates, a pyramid scheme meeting, and a guy asking a dad for his daughter's hand in marriage - to name a few.

My sister-in-law came through KC on her way back home and I SO enjoyed getting to spend some time with her.  Wishing I had more opportunities for some quality time with this lady.

Starbucks date with Renee! So enjoy discussing life past, present, and future with you.  

Yesterday was Labor Day and Jen and I decided to do a sneak attack on Laina at work.  Worked like a charm - except the fact she saw us coming down the isle.  There was jumping in the isles of Old Navy... you can bet on that one.

What is new in your world?  I've missed you.

A few recent sassy moments...

What are some of your sassy moments from the last week or two?!

Wow, it's been a while - Insta-update!

Wowza!  I've had these pics ready to go for a while... so it's time to get this blog-sphere up to date!

This goes all the way back to our last snow day.  Oh wait... I'm NOT talking about the snow day on May 2nd (yeah that is a real thing!)

you'll need Milk, snow, vanilla and sugar!

put your 1/2 cup of milk (or half and half) in a bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 tsp of vanilla and stir well.

Then gather 4 cups of fresh (white) snow in another bowl and pour the mixture over the snow.

Mix until you can't feel your arm and you'll almost be there... keep going and you'll hit perfection!

My favorite thing about winter is BOARD GAMES!  Apparently snow, sugar and monopoly doesn't do Jonathan well :) #newsideofhim

Oh... we introduced Molly to the snow (Charlie was scared of being eaten by the snow, I'm pretty sure).  Where you see her above... that's as far as she got! It was adorable to hear her talking and screaming... she wanted to make it further so bad - so. cute.

pretty snow pictures.... sometimes I pretend to be pro photographer :)

snow days also mean homemade donuts.  I grew up having homemade donuts on saturday mornings when I had a friend over for a sleepover, or on snow days!  

Ok... so my friends are cray-cray.  I'm NOT, obviously.  But they decided {read: I convinced them} that we needed to do a 'work tour'... so we first started at OK Joes.  No, internet... no one we know works there.. just seemed like the perfect place to start!

So we went to my work, Jonathan's work, and Jen's!  It was a BLAST! It is amazing how much fun we have doing simple things like seeing one another's desk that we work at day in and day out!  

So I'm driving and all of the sudden, at a stop light Jen goes, 'Hey look, it's cousin It!' #speechless

This was such a fun craft day!  My sister-in-law picked her wedding colors and found paint samples that were perfect matches and sent them to us when she first started planning the wedding.  So for her personal shower gift (honeymoon survival kit - my signature gift) I went to home depot and got several more of the paint samples she had sent us and made tags for each item in her survival kit!  It was SO much fun!!

OK... I'm slowly but surely getting you caught up on my life... more to come soon!