Glory.

The women's Pursuit of Wholeness retreat has long been a voice in the distance calling my name. The Holy Spirit was continuously nudging me to go, but I kept ignoring His call.  

Residing deep within me was an immense fear of going.  A fear of not being good enough, a fear of the unknown, and the fear of being found out.  These fears stood in my way for many years.

Excuse after excuse would keep me from the retreat I knew my heart truly longed for. 


When I finally summoned the courage to go, I went hesitantly.


I pledged to let my true self shine through and to be open to hearing God but remained uncertain that my story would be good enough, that I would be good enough.    


With reservation, on the twenty third day of September, I entered into the place I had avoided for so long and simply let go. 

I let go of the preconceived notion that I would be judged. I let go of certainty and control, understanding and fear. I let go of the me I thought I was and opened up the box I had so neatly kept God inside of. 

For the first time, I was fully present and ready to hear what God was trying to tell me.


And, it was in this new, uncharted territory of authenticity that God surprised me in a way I had never expected.



As soon as the doors to restoration and healing swung open, I realized that God had carefully orchestrated this sacred time.  He was at work, and had been at work my entire life to prepare me for this step in my journey, meticulously weaving every detail of my redemption.


I had been around God my whole life, and I had never realized how he works, that He is a worker. He is hard at work at all times, in each and every one of us, in such an intricate way.
 
In awe, I marveled that it was my time to be there, my moment. Even more captivating to me was the fact that it was not just my moment, but the moment of each and every woman on the trip as well .  

Our stories were connected, interwoven and used in ways beyond our comprehension. God had planned our meeting. He was working to redeem all of our stories although we were so vastly different.


He had chosen every single person for this trip, we had been hand-picked specifically by Him. 
God was redeeming us and in order to bring that redemption, he was busy at work in us.

He had ordained it all, he was in every morsel of food and every word of conversation.  He was in a warm cup of tea and the tears rolling down my face.  He was in every breath we took and every story we told.

God did not rest, and He will never stop pursuing us because He loves us. He is the worker I never knew Him to be.

Grace and Peace.

InstaFriday #2

It's InstaFriday again. 

This is what our Party of Four has been up to. 

How about you?  What pictures told the story of your week?

1. A girl can never have too many drink options.

2. Ready to settle in for two hours of soccer, Dad was disappointed to see that he grabbed the umbrella bag, instead of the chair bag.

3. We have one tired first grader!

4. My mom, sister and I saw, The Help, and it was even better than the book!

5. Welcoming Daddy home from his retreat.  It was a long four days!

6. Elliott FINALLY had his first day of Preschool.

7. Cheering Anna on in her softball game.

8. Ah, a chance to sit on the porch and read.

I linked to Life Rearranged.

InstaFriday

It's time to gather all of my Instagram photos for the week for my first InstaFriday post.

I first saw the idea on this inspiring blog, and I was drawn to the idea instantly, snapping instagrams immediately. Then Katie led me to this linky party, and I knew it was it was my chance to join my first ever linky party. 

Year 32 is for trying new things...right? So here you have it, our week in photos. 

1. Gibson finally looses his first tooth.

2. Road trip with the girls, Ikea here we come.

3. HomeGoods, who knew such a fun store existed?

4. The chair I never thought I'd buy.

5. Waking up to the Keurig ready to go, thank you sweets.

6. Katie, dramatically looking into potential new furniture.

7. Fake plants, fake plants and more fake plants...can't leave Ikea without them.

8. Wait, where did we leave the cart?

9. Mmmm...cinnamon rolls!

10. Bethany taking a break during our six hour shopping session.

11. Oh, my.

12. Adding an ice cream cone to our cinnamon roll.  Why not?

13. Tree house fun with Soyboy.

14. Tooth #2 bites the dust.

15. Eating carrots with my Elliott.

16. The first socks of the season, and they feel so good.

17. Homework time.

18. Notes from Daddy.

I linked to Life Rearranged.

Year 32: {32 things in year 32}

Today marks the very first day of Year 32, the year of discovering my true self.

Thirty-two things to accomplish in Year 32

1. Complete a successful flip-turn

2. Be a Dangerous woman

3. Compete in a Sprint Tri-athalon

4. Learn to do a front-flip

5. Submit an essay or article in a contest

6. Meet our baby's foster mother and say thank you in Korean

7. Go for a midnight swim

8. Inspire one person to live their life on purpose  My Aunt Carol has an amazing list.

9. Get Christmas shopping done and wrapped by December 1

10. Read entire Magic Tree House Series with my boys, Currently on #34

11. Sew something. Maybe Curtains? Necktie Necklace

12. Make sushi

13. Read through the Bible, cover to cover

14. Complete a closet overhaul

15. Attend a retreat, September 23-25

16. Pay it forward at a drive through

17. Be intentional about loving my husband

18. Make one Clean meal a month, #1, #2, #3

19. Host a Bunko night

20. Take a nap in a hammock

21. Attend Mars Hill Running Group, January 25

22. Go on a salmon run, kayaked among the running salmon

23. Take a spinning, suspension and zumba class

24. Make a Korean dish

25. Buy brown boots, fall 2011

26. Eat Moomers ice cream, October 1

27. Read one book a month

28. Improve my 5k and 10k times

29. Run a race in a different city, Hot Chocolate Run

30. Join an adoption group

31. Buy a bike

32. Meet our baby

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.

                                               Helen Keller

After months and months of waiting and wiggling, Gibson lost his first tooth!

He tried apples, pulling it and bubble gum,

but all it took was a hot lunch chicken nugget.

Big E Takes to the Soccer Field

For two years now, Elliott has patiently stood on the

soccer sidelines, cheering his brother on.

 In rain, rain and more rain he has taken in each and every soccer practice and game.

He has patiently waited for his turn and has never complained,

knowing that his day would eventually come.

Yesterday, the day he has been waiting for had finally arrived.

It was now his turn to hit the soccer field, his turn to show the world

the soccer skills he has been perfecting in the front yard and his imagination.

It was his turn to shine.

And, shine he did,

smiling the entire time.

He was cool, he was confident,

and he was tickled pink to have his own cheering section.

He was as proud as a peacock and loving life.

"Go Rangers!"

For the first time....

For the first time, Gibson was the only member of this party of four

to get ready for school.

For the first time, I walked my son to the bus stop and proudly

watched him get on the bus.

 

For the first time, hand-in-hand, Elliott and I walked back home to spend the

first of many days alone together.

 

For the first time, the only student I had on my mind at dinner was 

my excited first grader.

For the first time, the first day of school was peaceful, free of anxiety

and filled with joy.

For the first time, I knew without lingering doubt or questioning, that at this time, I am exactly where I need to be.