It's the Last day of the Miracle of Adoption Christmas Campaign!!!

Hello all!

I just wanted to share with you an update on the Reece's Rainbow adoption agency's Miracle of Christmas Campaign that I have been sharing throughout the month! The goal for this campaign was to raise $1,000 for each of the little ones on the angel tree, to help their future families in the adoption process, and to raise awareness for their need for a home. You can learn more on Reece's Rainbow's site, but I wanted to share a special little boy with you one last time; Scott.

Scott is the little boy that I have been advocating for this year, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help that you have been to this little one. We have raised over 600 dollars for his account, and that is truly amazing. THANK YOU for all the money, prayers, and shares that you have given for this little man!

Scott is about five years old now, and has many special needs... But the most important special need? He needs a family. 

And for a family to adopt him is going to mean adoption fees and for them to see his page, and we have the ability to help that happen! Scott is still under goal, as are many of the children this year, and he needs just over $360 more to get to goal, by midnight tonight. Would you consider helping one more time? A donation of a dollar, five, fifteen, twenty-seven... Whatever you could spare, it has the potential to change this little boy's life forever. And that is amazing! And every time you share Scott's page, it has the potential to change his life forever. So today, would you please consider doing that? Donate to his account, or tell someone about this campaign, or pray for Scott to get the funds and family he needs. We have less than 13 hours left to make a difference for Scott during this campaign! His account can be found here: https://reecesrainbow.org/104445/scott-2 . And thank you, so much, for your help! I appreciate each and every one of you!

And a happy New Year's Eve to everyone <3! 

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri

Happy Reformation Day and Goodbye Write31!

Happy Reformation day, y'all!

October 31st...
...the end of a busy month.
...Reformation day.
...our "Christmas kick-off" evening.
...the end of the Write31 challenge.

Where has the month gone? 3 weeks ago, I was asking, "why can't it be Christmas right NOW?!" and "how am I going to keep up these posts this month?!" Today I woke up and thought, "How is it already the end of October?! It doesn't feel like it's time yet, the year just started and it was so far away!"

We had a fun, busy day today. After working a short morning shift, I came home, showered, and crashed on the couch for an unplanned short nap while my younger siblings watched a Martin Luther animated documentory... opps, haha. But then I was ready to go for all the other festivities ;)! We made little crafts to go with a bible study, treats, and read through some history books and Luther's 95 theses. And colored some beautifully detailed, reformation themed coloring pages, which always reminds me that I love to color and I never do it, haha.

After our reformation "party"... we celebrated our Christmas kick off with chili and a popcorn night with our first Christmas movie of the year :). (Except, technically not our first this year, because I didn't get to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" last year, so I made everyone watch it with me in early January this year, haha... so, first of the season?) Yes, I was counting down the hours until I would be making hot chocolate and could play some Christmas music. I am telling y'all, I am intent on living this upcoming Christmas season to the utmost. Don't ask me why it feels like such a big deal this year compared to others, but I am so happy it's close, haha :).

And now, as I am looking at wrapping this month up, the only thing left to do is post on my blog one last time! I made it the whole month. It wasn't easy, and there was really no theme or even as much prepration as I had wanted in my posts, but I persevered anyway, and I think that I am happy to have done this challenge one last time, before it closed :). The funny thing is, I still have 3-5 posts lined up in my head right now, even after writing for 32 days straight (I posted September 30th, too!). So, despite being busy, I hope to work on those here and there throughout the week and be able to share regularly here still, though not daily. I really do enjoy blogging, though I prefer to do so without pressure to achieve a goal, haha. I have enjoyed the friendships I have found through it, and I am thankful for each of you taking the time to read my posts on my simple little blog. Thank you for joining me this month!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, and give you peace!

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3

Little Town ✽ Trip to Aiken

I really wanted to visit a small town with cute shops and scenery for my birthday this year, but because the best was an hour away and the day was rainy with the coming hurricane, we decided to postpone it until after our birthday season and make a girl's day out of it <3. So today, Mama, Tori, Bethi and I took a day trip to Aiken! (And little Isaac was a very well behaved little party crasher, of course ;) <3...) It was so much fun <3! Aiken is a gorgeous little town (which was apparently awarded south's best small town of 2018!), and there was so much to enjoy.

First we stopped for coffee, which was a feat to accomplish, because everything was against that coffee... haha. But we persevered and enjoyed our drinks anyway ;), and were on the road! Our first destination was Hopeland gardens, which was a gorgeous small park. It had huge trees and lots of fountains/ponds.

Also, snow. Or the SC equivalent, Christmas lights being prepared for next month ;)...

Isaac was mesmerized by the water fountain!

This right here was some sort of gum tree... I don't remember which, because there were several variations there. But this one is supposed to be known in the south as one of the best for fall foliage, with lots of yellow leaves whrn the season turns... see how "yellow" they are? That's our fall this year, y'all ;P.

Tori said these little wood/tree whatever they ares looked like meercats sitting by the water :).

Our little buddy in the back <3. He did SO good the whole trip!

Yes, my phone camera is bad. Yes, this town is adorable anyway.

Isaac matches the horse in the art store! (And I do not, I know. Ignore me, he couldn't hold himself, hahaha! I wanted to get him "riding" it, but of course there was a sign that said do not touch :P...)

I really liked the clay sculpture art, for some reason! They were unique and fun.

We stopped at a couple of antique shops while we were there, and one of them had a whole wall of shelves... all of them ticking all together, it was such a fun sound <3!

Baby found himself in an antique mirror ;). He was adorable talking to his reflection. (A lady who passed us just could not handle how cute it was, haha, she had to tell him!)

Sadly, those books were not real, hahaha! But I thought this was gorgeous!

We stopped by a little sweet shop, and we had to pick up some taffy and other candies ;). We enjoyed some chocolate covered caramels on the way home, they were delicious! I overheard another lady in the shop saying that no small town was complete without a candy shop, and I whispered to Mama, "truth", haha. This particular candy shop sold popcorn - on the cob! I had never seen that before!

That window display <3. Decorating with candy - and so beautifully! I loved it!

I loved these flowers!

We stayed pretty much until the the shops we wanted to window shop through closed - and we didn't even make it to a couple, because they weren't open on Mondays! The town has a thing for horses (hence the horse Isaac matched ;)...), and it was cute to see the "yield to horses" signs with the traffic signals. (There were also signs to "please do not park for the health of our trees" around what looked like a dirt parking lot?) There was so much beautiful architecture, and cute items in all the local/handcraft/art areas, it was definitely everything I was hoping it would be!

As everything closed, we stopped to grab some snacks and head home, bringing home a pizza party so the rest of the family could help us finish up our amazing day!

Do you like small towns? What is your favorite thing about them/to do while you are there :)?!

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3

"Snap Shots" from My First Week at Work

Okay, before I get into my post, can some one please explain stick chickens to me? I genuinely do not understand. But I laughed, lol! (And, no, these aren't found at Chick-fil-a. I ducked into Tractor Supply to get out of the rain after work, haha.) I have so many questions. But Tractor Supply has cute layering shirts for somewhere that I didn't even realize sold clothes, hahaha. (And I promise my hand is as cold as it looks in that picture... lol.)

As of last week, I am officially a part-time cashier at Chick-fil-a, and while the transition felt rather intense (especially the first morning I was on my own), I also feel like after just one week I already have a good understanding of the rhythm and am already settled in a good bit - I was ready for this. (And learned much faster than I expected, which has been such a relief to my perfectionistic self... haha!) I know several of you have shown interest in what I am doing, and so I thought you'd enjoy hearing a little bit about the highlights of my first week :).

• First off, major thanks to my Mama, who rescued me the first morning as I tried to iron my uniform and 1. it wouldn't iron and 2. instead the iron was leaking water all over it. I had about 12 minutes to get out the door and was already past the anxious crying stage and at the resigned despair stage when I called on her, but she turned things around so fast and so well. It was honestly amazing.
• Soooo, I briefly considered a job at a coffee shop before applying to Chick-fil-a, but decided against it for several reasons. But get this, the first thing I was trained on at Chick-fil-A... was making iced coffees. Y'all do not know how funny I find this.
• My trainer also showed me how to make shakes quite early on, and she was in shock at how well she thought I did. And the very first strawberry shake I made went to a sweet older lady who popped up at my elbow thirty minutes later just to tell me that it was the best shake she'd ever had (I then admitted to her that it was my first strawberry one, haha!). Coffee, ice cream, and people. If this job description doesn't fit me, I don't know what does. Haha!
• I work with some really great people! I feel like I've already made a few friends. Especially one of the girls who took me "under her wing" if you will, during my first solo day, just to encourage me and fill in some of the gaps, she was so sweet.
• The highlight of my morning shift was when an elderly gentleman heard about the discount for his senior coffee and he was so excited and touched like I had just made his morning with a gift. It definitely paid me back for the panic I felt not knowing how to do the discount the first time it had been ordered, haha!
• The little kids that come up for refills and trading in their toys for ice cream cones are definitely some of my favorite customers, I love all the smiles!
• Yesterday, I had to stay at work just a few minutes late. After I gathered up my belongings to leave, I was heading back to the front of the store when I saw a familiar face. "Mr Robert?!?!" I asked, as I came out the door. My uniform threw him off for about ten seconds, and then his face just totally made my day as he recognized me! Mr Robert was our fill in choir director in Virginia (yes, I said Virginia!), and it had been years since I had seen him! He's moved here to be near his brother, so I shouldn't have been surprised to see him... but I was excited!

It's definitely been a change that we're all getting adjusted to, I think. While my hours aren't long, I was gone last week four days in a row, and the 3rd day, Joey looked at my uniform and asked me, "Why do you always leave?" His little voice made me so sad <3. But now this week he wants me to work as soon as possible, because Mama told him that one morning when I work, she'll take him shopping, sooo, I believe I may have a fair weather friend on my hands, haha ;).

On the whole, I am enjoying it. I definitely feel like it was the right decision and that the Lord is going to use this chapter of my life to grow me and bless me, even though it's one I didn't see when I "skimmed the pages" before. And so I am grateful :)!

Rejoicing in Hope,

Bri <3

A Journey of Rest, and a Task Unexpected

"There is no end to the choices we must make daily, nor a limit to how weighty these decisions can seem at times. Even small decisions sometimes have large implications - and we fear we lack the ability to choose wisely... but today's crossroads aren't meant to highlight our own wisdom or ability to stay on course, but rather to reveal where we place our confidence." - "GraceLaced"

"And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." -Psalm 9:10

"God assures His people, promising, 'I am with you.' He doesn't promise victory on their terms, safety according to their ideas of comfort, or a timeline that makes sense, but the Lord is faithful to tell His children that He is near, ever present, and carrying them." - "GraceLaced"

I've talked many times this year about how the Lord has been taking me through a journey of learning to rest, and what that has meant. How it didn't mean working less, but trusting more - working less through myself and more to follow Christ, even if where He led me didn't make "sense" or appear to be my first choice of where to be.

One way that this journey has taken me around a previously unexpected bend, was my decision to apply for a job. I have never been opposed to having a job - I believe we can serve God wherever we are, as long as we do it with a heart grounded in his word and eager for His glory. I have run my own small business, and done several volunteer "jobs" outside of the home, and I have been seeking out an opportunity to become a caregiver for the disabled for several years now.

It wasn't applying to a job that caused me to have to really trust that God had a plan for my life, but the fact that it wasn't the job I had in mind. I have hoped, for years, to have that very certain job of respite care giving. Over the past couple of years, as I dig further into the requirements for this field, I find more and more that it's not something I can just begin. I need experience working with the disabled in a professional setting, I need RNA certification, I possibly need to have worked with children professionally, as well, among other things. The problem is, I couldn't just jump into those things, either. They will require money and prepration. And, though I fought for a long time - at first, subconsciously, and then, as I realized what was really going on in my mind, back and forth with myself - because, in a way, I think I felt like taking any other job was giving up on my dreams, failing my calling.

But slowly I began to realize that it wasn't at all. If I took this step, I wouldn't be giving up. I would be preparing. Investing. Moving closer and growing into who I am meant to be.

And so, with a lot of wise encouragement from my Mama, and a lot of wise counsel from my Daddy, I prayed that I was taking the right step. I looked at my options. I weighed the pros and cons. I made a decision. And I applied. And then I prayed even harder - prayed that I had made the right choice, that God would close the door if I hadn't, and prayed that I would serve Him well by serving others, even if it was not where I wanted to serve long-term.

And after two long days of wondering if I had done the right thing, not because I thought I was wrong, but because it was the biggest, most life-changing decision I had ever made, the ball started rolling - and fast. It was so neat to watch God at work, showing me again and again that He just wanted me to be willing to follow where He was leading, even if it wasn't easy, wasn't where I expected to be. All He asked of me was a willing heart, and He would provide all that was needed to do the work.

In ways that I would never have designed on my own, but which have already blessed me in so many ways!

Rejoicing in Christ,
Bri

Marshmallow Roast ✽ Sunday Evening

Daddy comes in from chopping wood with some nuts he found in the back, and starts cracking them.
Bethi and me: "What kind are they?"
Daddy: "I don't know." *nut isn't cracking*
Me: "Whatever kind it is, it's not worth it if they are that hard to open." (Can you imagine the time it would take to shell enough for all of us?!)
*the nut cracks*
And then this little red-faced grub just pokes up his head to look at Daddy, like, "Excuse me, there had better be a good reason that you took the roof off?"
Apparently there were two others inside as well, but I ran, so I'm just taking Daddy's word for it, haha...

-----

His marshmallow nose, haha <3.

Daddy set up a marshmallow roast this evening, and we had a delightful time <3. We meant to do it all summer, haha, but it never happened. But today was so nice out! And there were far less bugs! So I think it worked out for the best ;). Mama got Daddy a metal fire pit a couple years ago for Christmas, and it's been so nice to have for things like this! And Andrew has been getting quite capable of use it (and the grill!) himself. Tori asked tonight when Peter would start grilling hamburgers, and Mama asked what Andrew would do when Peter started grilling. Andrew replied that he'd just do the gross parts Peter wouldn't like, and Josiah pipes up, "And *I'll* eat the hamburgers!" Haha!

It's always interesting to see the variety of marshmallows called "toasted". Peter literally wanted his warmed, NOT browned (which is hilarious, given the fact that he's actually eating a burnt one in the picture, haha - it was an extra ;)...). Josiah, when asked how done he wanted his done, answered, "For one minute." Tori said she was trying to toast her's done until it had "warts"... lol! Isaac just slept through the whole thing ;).

It was a nice way to end up our Sunday! Now another week is ahead of us to make use of and to live to the fullest... what are your plans for the week :)?!

Rejoicing in the Hope of Salvation,
Bri <3

A Drop of Ink May Make a Million Think

This summer I asked some of you why you thought that people write (I love giving out tag questions, because you can tell a lot about a person by asking a question like this ;)!). Of course, the obvious reason that pops into your head may simply be "they enjoy it?" Which is true... but I love to think about the possibilities for writing. I love quotes about writing. I love writing ;).

One of my very favorite quotes about writing says that "we write to taste life twice". I really think that this is the reason I write. While I love to connect through words, and I do hope that the Lord can use some of the lessons He teaches me to bless others, the truth is, my blog has never had a real theme; it is just my way of sharing where I am in life.  And my journal has always been a thought process, not a history piece.

Because it's true, writing is how I process. Events, moments, ideas, dreams, plans, lessons, they all run through my head in a never ending loop until I sit down and write them out - usually in my journal, but also in letters and, to a lesser degree on my blog. (Often, for big events, I sit down and journal it to think through it myself, and then once it's sorted out in my own mind, I share it here, where I feel like I can share it in the best way possible... so often they look very much alike in what they deal with, haha, and I feel like it's a waste of time to do it twice... but that's just how it works for me. Each has a special place to me for different purposes!)

And when I think of writing, I think of the fact that we have God's Word given to us in written form. The God of the universe could have chosen any way He wanted to give us His truth, but He chose to give it to us in writing. In a book that we can hold and see and smell and feel and read through, and "taste", not just twice, but over and over and over again.

And I love that ability. I love to read of Jairus and how Jesus healed his daughter, and hear in my mind again one of our pastors teaching through this passage, and the vivid emotion he was able to breath into the passage because he was a father of an only daughter, just about Jairus' daugher's age, and he could clearly imagine the emotions that he would feel in this situation. I love to go through Hebrews and remember that it's said to be detailed sermon notes, and see the verses I have underlined that point to God being the only source of our rest. I love to read Leviticus and realize just how much Christ has paid for on the cross. I love to read these words that were meant to teach and train and remind and exhort and encourage and bring about worship.

There is something special about having the ability to dwell on the words over again, to see them, to go at your own pace, to have them available not once through hearing them, but as often as you will.

A drop of ink may make a millon think... and God chose this form of giving us hope. And the Lord has gone a step further, and given His children this written word, yes, but also the comprehension, the ability to learn and not just see. And for His word and His blessing on it's reading, I am so very grateful <3.

How have you been tasting the words of the Lord lately :)?

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri

Friendship Blessings

We had such a wonderful, happy visit with friends today! Some of our dear friends from our church in Virginia spend almost every October at Myrtle Beach, and since they are "only" 3 hours away from us, they make that time sacrifice to come and see us. Today they even brought lunch with them, so all we had to do was enjoy their visit... they are such sweet, kind people! 

It was so nice to catch up on what is going on at Friendship, to hear how some of our friends that we haven't talked to for a while are doing, and to share some memories and friendship once again <3. As a testimony to how much we love them and they make us feel loved, I was telling Josiah, who was only 3 when we last saw them, that we would be having some friends over, who he "might not remember, but they..." and I as I started describing them, Josiah says, "I remember them." And then follows it up with something about how nice they are to us. I mean, they made an impression on a 3 year old that lasted a whole year (well, minus 8 days according to Tori). Friends like this are definitely one of God's blessings to us in life <3!

After lunch (and a fun ice cream cake, because Miss Karen wanted to celebrate all the birthdays she missed <3), everyone had lots of fun playing games and talking. Josiah soundly won the "Find it Fast" game that Peter pulled out... I am 99% convinced he has just memorized the cards, but, you never know, maybe his eyes really do work that fast ;)... Miss Karen and I also spent a short amount of time discussing a project we are working on, while Noah especially had fun with their little dog, following her around the house, laughing, 'It's walking! It's walking!"... haha! It is hilarious to us that Noah's hair practically looks identical to the puppy's fur. It was also their first time meeting little Isaac - and Miss Karen and Mr. Jim were his first out of state visitors!

It felt like we picked up right where we left off... but the time went by so fast! We are hopeful that they may make it back down once more before they go home, with Miss Karen's sister who is planning to come to the beach for a few days as well, but we are also very thankful that this visit worked out! It's easy to take the normality of seeing people every week for granted when it's a regular part of your life... it makes you stop and realize what a precious thing it was, when you no longer have that ability! And while it is a wonderful thing to be able keep up with people long distance through technology and letters... there is nothing like being able to sit beside someone and just spend some time with them! The Lord is kind to give us these additional earthly gifts on top of His unmerited gift of eternal life <3.

Friends in the Gospel

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." -Proverbs 17:17

Friendships are something to be cherished - whether between family members or those outside of your immediate family, each person that you have a friendly relationship with has the potential to be one of the ways that the Lord enriches your life and prepares you for the work that He has for you. I don't know about you, but I find simple acts of friendship, not only from friends, but from family, and, even, at times, strangers, to be the moments that I most appreciate in life.

But what makes a friend? 

Friends usually have common ground between them. The more similarities that you have with someone, the more likely you are to get to know them more and have a mutual sympathy that builds up that relationship. Maybe it's your love of an underrated book or errily similar life goals, but you probably first talked about something that made you think, "wow, this is neat, I'd like to get to know them more!" before you actually became friends with this person. Sometimes the common ground may simply be your age, and that you feel like you can relate to the stage of life that the other is in. There are also many similarities, in tastes or situations, that can be shared between different age groups as well, and there is a lot to be gained in that difference in perspective that you each will be able to bring! But as a Christian, we have a common ground that "glues" us to other believers that others do not have. 

One of my favorite parts of the letters of Paul is the wonderful greetings he includes in each letter... greetings like, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." -Philippians 1:3-5

"Because of your partnership in the gospel". I love the story of how God used Paul. I love the personality we get from his writings, inspired by God, but also very much a part of who he was himself. Paul was eager for the truth, was not afraid of holding unpopular opinions, was firm to hold all believers to the path of righteousness... but Paul had an abiding love for people. He preached to the unsaved because he cared for them; he shepherded the church because he loved them. He literally wrote letters to people he had never met before that demonstrated a deep love and concern for them. And in the age before the ability to converse together freely and get to know each other through texts and emails, what was it that made Paul love these people deeply? They were partners in the gospel. They were heirs to the kingdom together. They were all bonded with a common thread, a life changed by God through no work of their own. That was who they were - and it bonded them together whether they had met or not, because it bonded them together for eternity. 

And because they were living in, but not of, this world together, it gave them a unique sympathy and love for each other. It was the driving force behind their friendship, and it created a desire to "bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). By prayer. By exhortation. By example, rejoicing, weeping. By working together, serving together, serving each other, serving Christ. 

As Christians, we are not just privileged to uphold one another; we are commanded by scripture - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25) God did not make mankind to be alone; He planned from the very beginning that we would work together and serve together, love each other and sympathize with each other. And even though, in our sinful nature, we may have friendships that are not in that perfect order of using our gifts to serve God together, we have never stopped needing each other to exceed in many areas of our lives. But when God brings our heart back to it's intended state of friendship with Him, it also brings to our earthly friendships a greater purpose and meaning, one unique and joyful, by our partnership in this gospel.

So, as we look forward to our day of worship on the morrow, let's also look forward to our ability to edify other members of the body of Christ who join us in this worship. We are partners, friends, in the gospel, and we can serve Christ far better together than we can apart. 

Rejoicing in Hope,

Bri ❤

Thoughts at Midnight

Here it is at 11:47, and  I am just now starting my blog post - again. This seems to happen each time I do this blogging challenge. I start the month really good, but by the 10th, it's getting just a little hard to keep up with. For a couple of weeks, I ask myself, about every other day, why did I sign up for this? It's harder to fit in than you may think. But about the 25th, I am going to be so close to the end, that I will realize that I can really do this, and I'll finish well... it's just that a lot of times the things that you feel are important or worthwhile are hard, too, you know? This carries over into all areas of life... and that's okay. In fact, it's wonderful! It shows us what is really important. It shows us where we might be holding on too much. It allows us to truly appreciate the end result. Often, these things remind us just how much our Heavenly Father cares about ever single little detail of our lives.

My day has been full, busy, insane and yet at the same time, very meaningful. Did I mention it was full? Just last Wednesday morning, I had absolutely no plans whatsoever for Friday. But today "has been another epoch in my life", and it was so neat to see how a lot of things worked together. Personally, I had a lot that happened - some of it quite unplanned by me, and some of it somewhat unexpected. But all of it so obviously planned by Someone down to the very last detail. The Someone who made the universe plans my life by every detail; why is that so hard to realize sometimes? Why do we need reminders at times? And yet, on the other hand - how gracious of the Lord to send us those reminders. Aren't you glad that He repeatedly draws us to Himself in so many ways?

So yes, my day was full (and was, apparently, the 21st anniversary of my first road trip, according to my Gramma, who drove my Granny and Aunt Donna down to meet Isaac <3). And a lot of the upcoming days may be full. I really, really wanted to write every.single.day. this month, because it's going to be the last Write31 challenge, and I wanted to know I had "finished well". Am I still going to aim to finish well? Of course. But my life is in a season of change right now, and that's okay. If I miss a day, I'm not going to stress about it. God has given me things to do, and I want to do my best. Sometimes, that best can take twists and turns - the journey takes stops along the way that you didn't plan on your road map. And sometimes, the unplanned adventure is just as useful or enjoyable as the one you started out on. So while I always want to do my best, I also need to learn that sometimes it's best to be "best" at a few things instead of "stretched" between a lot. So if I have to drop good things to make room for better things, that's not just okay, that's wonderful.

But don't think you'll get rid of me completely if that happens... because, remember, rest, don't quit ;).

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3

Thankful Thursday ✽ 10/11/18

It feels like it's been a long, long time since I've done a Thankful Thursday. Truthfully, it's been less than a year and I have put together some lists in my journal... but, considering they were a weekly thing when I first opened Forget Not His Benefits, it's still quite a long time! I am hopeful that I'll be able to do Thankful Thursdays weekly again in November, but I really wanted to put one together today... so why not?! You can never thank the Lord enough for the many blessings that He has given you, and I think that sitting down to write out some of the things He has given is wonderful to help you do that.

This week, I am especially thankful for...

-Hope. And endurance. And the promise that in Christ, we have everything we need.
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe." -Proverbs 18:10

-Beauty. Beautiful words, beauty for our eyes to see, beauty for us to feel.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

 -Smiles. Isn't it amazing how just seeing a smiley person can make you feel like smiling :)?
"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face." -Proverbs 15:13

-Daily encouragement to dig into God's word. Accountability is great!
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." -1 Thessalonians 5:11

-These videos by The Bible Project (this one is for Matthew). Mama recently found these and we are going through them as we reach a new book in the bible in our read through, and they are amazing - I love them!
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." -2 Timothy 3:16

-Kindness. It takes so little for your whole day to be made brighter by a word or an action from others. God has given us the duty of being His representatives, and this is one way we can build relationships with others that allow us to share His truth more meaningfully!
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." -Ephesians 4:32

-Water. Have you ever thought about the fact that every time you find yourself thirsting for water, it is a physical, tangible reminder of how desperately we need Christ, the Living Water?
"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,"'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."'" -John 7:37-39

What about you? What are just a few things that you are thankful for this week? Sitting down and remembering your blessings doesn't have to be a long chore or something you put on your to-do list. Even just making the decision to look for one or two blessings you have been given, randomly, can help you cultivate a heart of gratitude, and give you an extra chance to worship our worthy King above all kings!

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3

Ever Singing, March We Onward

"Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day!"

Today, in VA, a memorial service is being held for a dear friend, who invested so much into so many, a man with a passion for Christ and a passion for music - our former choir director.

Mr. Walter Pendleton was gentle and kind to everyone he spoke to, but he had a firmness that won respect, as well. Even now, 4 years later, I find myself hearing my head repeat, almost every Sunday, "Remember - we WILL be observing the commas. I know it doesn't sound like much, but if you will listen, you will see what a difference that makes in our singing." This is usually followed in my mind by a fellow choir member's question - "How are we going to pronounce this word so that we are all on the same page?" There are just certain things that you have to think about a little harder when you have varying degrees of southerners all singing the same song. (My favorite answer to that question was the time that we were told, "we will pronounce THIS 'the' as 'the', and THIS 'the' as 'thuh'" - in the same song).

When Tori and I joined the choir at Friendship, we were "bribed" by a couple of the members of our church - one of our friends even told us that she would join choir, at least when she could (she was also the fill-in pianist and frequently the page-turner), if it would get us there - which she did, helping us settle in, that first time. We were welcomed with open arms and hearts, and our first introduction to public singing could not have been more pleasant. We were about 30 years younger than the next youngest singer, and so we quickly became known to the choir members as "our two little girls", and it was truly a second home to me, with lots of adopted grandparents to look after us while we were so far from our family.

It wasn't long after we joined that Mr. Walter started facing terrible health issues, often being hospitalized for weeks at a time - but he always supervised us from his hospital bed, picking the songs to go with Pastor Todd's notes, asking how everyone was doing, coming right back to choir as soon as he would be discharged, always eager to lead worship to the Lord he loved. His dedication was astounding, and when he finally truly could not physically make it anymore, we were all saddened over the very big hole it left in our choir. But even at that point, he still took an interest in the church, encouraged us by making an effort to show up to any special service or music ministry, no matter how much help he needed. And frequently he would send word to Tori and I via Miss Mary Lou, our pianist - "Mr Walter asked me if our two little girls were still coming to choir, and I told him, yes. He wanted you to know he was thinking of you, he loves that some young people joined our choir."

He was compassionate, he was gentle, he was firm, he knew what he was doing, and knew how to impress on us that our work was not about our talent, but about serving our heavenly Father in one of the areas he had directly commanded in scripture. But he also knew how to remind us that we needed to do the best we could with our talents, because the One we were using them for was worthy of our best. He never did tell me whether I was alto or soprano... but it didn't matter. He taught me that music could be an act of service and an act of love, and that was enough.

We left VA about a year after he had to leave his position, and we haven't had much contact since then, but this last week, I got the news that Mr. Walter had moved on to a better choir - directly at the feet of our Savior, to worship Him forever. It wasn't unexpected, but it did take me aback a bit. I shed a few tears, because no matter the fact that, given the distance, we aren't directly touching each others lives now, the truth is, he will always touch mine, because of who he was and the example he set for all of us in his choir. He did not ask us to do anything that he was not willing to do himself, and he showed that over and over and over again. And while his time in my life was comparatively short in light of the many full years he lived, he made a wonderful impact on my life, one for which I am grateful. 

"Mortals, join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
love divine is reigning o'er us,
binding all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward,
in the triumph song of life." 

P.S.... read this, too. Written by our Pastor in VA, this perfectly sums up Mr. Walter. Both of these men worked together so well to bring God's truth to our church, and it has blessed so many <3. 

Grateful Hearts ✽ Joyful Laughter

Issac Charles Lee

August 10th, 2018

9 lbs. 6 oz.

22.75 inches long

Precious gift from God <3

Our little Issac arrived mid-morning last Friday <3. Mama and Baby are doing well, and we are all so thrilled for this new little brother! He is such a content little guy... and he snuggles so well! Mama says he has a very definite pattern; over the past couple months, she has noticed that he is always most active in the morning and in the first little bit after we children go to bed; and that hasn't changed a bit since he's been born!

 He is such an alert little guy. Look at those eyes <3. I love him so much. He just looks all around with those big eyes whenever he is awake - he is sleeping or observing, there seems to be no in between. If ever a baby were intentionally taking the world in, it's this little (big) guy!

And yes, Baby Bear stuck <3. Noah was so confused the first time Baby was called Issac... then he must have just assumed that Issac was a totally different baby, because then the next time we called him Baby Bear, THAT confused Noah... oops, haha. Noah has been so gentle and protective and accepting of him, it has been adorable!

We think Issac looks the most like Josiah, but he has such dark, dark blue eyes that look like Peter's when he was a baby, that we won't be surprised if his eyes end up brown. Mama also says she's seen Andrew in him at times, but for the most part, he looks like Siah... in fact, Mama called Josiah Winnie-the-Pooh SO often when he was a baby, because she felt like he looked like him... she had forgotten about this when I heard her tell Issac last night, "You look like Winnie-the-Pooh right now." Too funny.

We are so grateful for the Lord's protection over Mama and Issac, for the prayers of all our dear friends, and for the joy little Issac has given us. Issac has already met most of our extended family, and had two photo shoots, so lots more pictures will be shared in the future ;). But for now, I just wanted to share our little gift with all of you, and our family rejoices in the kindness of the Lord <3.

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri

P.S.... go check out this post :D!

On My Book Shelf ✽ Girl Defined + Little Life Moments

Good afternoon everyone! I hope your day has been wonderful and that your week has been blessed! It's hard for me to believe it's already Wednesday for some reason. But I am here to talk about lots of little things of varying importance, for anybody who would like to discuss them with me ;)!

You may have heard of this book before... it was actually really big in the circle of blogs I read for several months, but I was late to the trend, as usual ;). (My tbr list is so long... Mama bought this book like a year ago and I just finished it, hahaha...) It has a gorgeous cover (and interior, actually - the design is so pretty!) When I finally got around to reading it, I had heard enough people mention it that I knew that it was either really, really good, or I was going to be disappointed to find that it was way under the standard I had been told it hit ;). But having finished it, I can say: it was really, really good.

Within 24 hours, I had gone through the first 4 chapters (considering I wasn't skipping the study section and bible studies always seem to take me a while to go through, this is definitely saying something for this book!) Reading through the first chapter I kind of felt like it was going to fall short... until I was hit with a bombshell that I hadn't expected, and then I instantly became excited to go through the rest! I had heard a lot about this book in the context of biblical self image and modesty, and really didn't expect much more from it through most of the first chapter, but then there was just one little sentence that jumped out at me (I think it might have even been in the study questions, not the actual chapter!) about finding our identity in Christ or in... well, literally anything other than Christ, and I got a glimpse of just how deep this book was going to delve, and it truly made me stop and think, and then I couldn't wait to get into the rest of it! This book covered so much... loving the Lord with your whole heart, using your time wisely, finding your identity not in what other's think of you but it who God has called you to be, living bravely for Christ, the jobs a girl could take on (do you think they were able to give an answer that would work for everyone without knowing their circumstances? It was the best way to answer that question I have seen!), how we have been placed here "for such a time as this", and yes, modesty and self-image... directly and indirectly, it dealt with SO much, and I loved it.

Kristen and Bethany write like they are right there, with plenty of stories of their own shortcomings to encourage you that they've been here and they know; but they have also been blessed to see the truth, and they want to share it with all the other woman out there. I truly loved going through this book... it was such an encouraging read, but more than that, it was refreshing. I am going to say that 95% of everything in this book is something that I have thought through in the past. But looked at from a new perspective, it wasn't redundant at all. And it's sisterly advice "spurs on to good works"; whether this is new to you or you are well versed in these matters, whether you are working steadily or are feeling discouraged. It was easy to read, but deep to think through, and I honestly look forward to reading it again! It's definitely going to be one of the top books I recommend after this :)!

(For those of you who wanted to know when I shared the Undivided study, yes, this book (as Undivided did) uses more bible translations than the KJV when sharing verses. I read the ESV and HCSB along with the KJV habitually, so this wasn't a problem for me, but for those of you who's conscience would be hurt by this, I didn't want to accidentally deceive you by not bringing it up. When a translation that I don't feel is the best is shared in a book, I know I can always look it up in my own bible to "rightly divide the word" for myself; if you think that you can do that, I still wholeheartedly recommend this book, because it is such a blessing!)

-----

In other little news from today...
Noah this afternoon woke up from his nap and yelled for me. I came to lay down with him, and he gave me the tightest squeeze, gave a sleepy smile, and told me, "Oh, so comfortable. It's not 4 o'clocks yet." And went back to sleep <3.
For the curious, "4 o'clocks" means nap time is over. He may get up at 4 o'clock... sometimes he tried to test us by telling us it is 4 o'clocks ahead of time ;). Unfortunately, unlike him, we can read a clock ;). But this is the first time he has voluntarily said it was NOT 4 o'clock just to get to stay at nap time, I found it adorable.

I'm working on a new "thing" for the shop today :D! Daddy suggested this one, and I have to say, I love it. As soon as he suggested it I knew 1. It needed artwork. 2. I wanted it to be a chalkboard (although, now that I have finished the design, I also really want to make a happy, colorful canvas one, so, we'll have to see about that!). So last night, I sat down and freehanded a sketch of an ice cream cone, and today I dug out a chalkboard! I had some issues with my photoshop which was frustrating, but once it cooperated, I loved how the design turned out :D! This was actually my first time using the graphite transfer method on a chalkboard, and it IS possible, soooooo... lots more ideas just opened up where chalkboards are concerned. *wheels turning* And what does everyone else think? Should I add hearts around the ice cream cone, or not? Here's the original sketch...

And I am ridiculously pleased with how that fast draft turned out. I am no artist, y'all, so forgive me my excitement. But I pulled up a pinterest sheet of ice cream doodles and combined about three to make that ^. Peter was sitting beside me, pointing out all the mistakes I was making ("THAT ice cream cone doesn't have a cherry!!!" - he told me I must not know what I was doing, hahaha), but when I finished my pencil sketch and started tracing over it with a permanent marker so it would show up well in photoshop, he goes, "Woahhhhhh, you are a good tracer though!!!" We all have our skills ;).

Speaking of the shop... Under The Tapestry is celebrating 3 years on Friday, and I am holding a contest on my FB page and running sales all week long to celebrate :)! So you'll want to check those out here and here.

How is your week going? Have you read "Girl Defined"? If so, what was your favorite thing about this book? Would you add hearts around the ice cream cone? And are you going to join in Under The Tapestry's contest :D?!

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri <3

Looking Back at July ✽ Little Moments

Happy August, everyone! I hope your July was wonderful and that this new month will hold lots of blessings for each of you! Life was busy and full in July, and now we are all just wondering when Baby Bear will choose to grace us with his presence ;). Here's a little look at our month...

One night while Mama and Daddy went on a date, I had the little ones make personalized pizzas for supper. It made quite the impression on them. Abbi especially talks about it constantly, and I would say it was definitely a memory maker for them, haha!

Abbi made her pizza shaped like a stocking on accident, lol!

I wuv him <3. He woke up early and came to snuggle me in bed while I did my bible reading, but by the time I was ready to get up he was fast asleep again :).

We were gifted these chairs by a kind couple at church who are moving, so sweet!

Peter drew the kissy-face emoji from memory after seeing it once as I scrolled through instagram. Too cute!

Mama and I have been crafting half the month; she took up fabric stamping (so awesome!), and I have been working on a baby blanket for 3 weeks... hopefully just two more days worth of work to do there! I kind of had a goal to finish in less than 40 days, which is, I think, my current record for how diligent I was on getting one from start to finish. I'm not a very competitive person except against myself, then I am ruthless, haha! But I'm not going to share any pictures, we'll get some with baby eventually ;).

Our garden... haha. Well, the bell peppers and tomato plants started flowering. But it's so late now, I doubt that it really does much good. But, as Bethi says, we did better than last year! We've got three cucumbers that are quite big, and we harvested a whole basil plant (which is currently drying in the dehydrator, and it smells delicious, but it's taking so loooonnnnnng, haha!). Last year we got three basil leaves. And Bethi lost them. This year is, sadly, an improvement. We had such a great garden before we moved to VA, it's sad!

-----

Josiah: "I am hiding the dice from Noah. He can't see it way up there!"
Yeah, well neither can you, buddy... haha!

Noah, sitting in the van, about to go into church...
"Get pizza!"
After church:
"Get pizza now!"
*babbles about pizza*
Mama: "What if we don't get pizza?"
Noah, little lips quivering: "Because [translated "but"]. It be tasty."
*pizza for lunch*

Noah, with a caution cone on his head: "I'm a birthday!"
*Mama gives him a real birthday hat for fun*
Noah: "Where's a mirror? I sooooooo cute!"

Abbi: "Noah! It's raining!!!"
Noah: "More whipped cream!"
He typically loves rain, but apparently :whipped cream > rain:.

Also, obviously Noah is the family comedian of the year. You can't beat two year olds. (Sorry, Tori.)

Can we all just agree that if you clean the play kitchen set at church and there AREN'T toy cars in the oven, the question begs to be asked, did they even use the nursery last week?

Tori: "Noah calls cardinal birds, caramel birds."
Peter: "...Cardinal birds?...
"...I think I know why...
"...I call them caramel birds, too."

*Me, talking to myself, obviously*
Andrew: "WOULD YOU JUST BE QUIET."
I thought that that habit had died down for some reason, but nope, it's totally still buried in there, and it's resurfacing full force. Honestly it annoys me too when I notice, but it's just so involuntary, lol.

Also, does anyone else find themselves making a conscientious decision to Stop. Singing. In. Their. Head. and breath a sigh of relief when everything is quiet for two minutes before you start again...accidentally? Or no? Is that just me?

Noah, pointing to a cucumber; "Cucomoe!"

Abbi: "We've loved each other all our lives."
"Except you were MISSING for eleven years of my life, and it was sad."
Abbi: "But we have always loved each other in our hearts, even when we didn't know it..."

Abbi and Emmi, pretending to be indian princesses, walk past our organization station:
Emmi: "Ooo! You have a morning schedule! Not many tribes have those."

Josiah, when Tori asked if he liked salsa chicken: "No, but I just keep on eatin' it. And when it spices me, I have to take a big drink."

Andrew: "I didn't want to take my belt to bed with me! I might swallow it while I slept." (???)
Tori: "And then every time you would open your mouth to sing, you would start... BELTING."

Josiah explaining "Duck, duck goose": "You sit, and we'll goose you."

Bethi: "You don't get points for doing nothing."
I mean, she was being sarcastic, but that's a great life lesson right there. Thanks, Bethi.

While mourning the fact that the first baby cucumber I found was eaten by bugs, two much bigger cucumbers were growing and I never even knew it, I was so surprised when I found them, haha.

Noah is only too young for coffee when he wears this shirt....

...If he is wearing literally any other shirt, he says he is big enough. It's hilarious. I will tell him, "You're too young for coffee!!!" and he looks down at his shirt to see whether he is too young today, or not.

I'm turning on the dehydrator for basil...
?!?!?!?!?!
"It won't turn on."
*checks plug*
"Ohhhhhh, good."
*plugs it in* *turns it on*
"It still won't start. Where is the manual? Maybe I forgot something.... nope. Oh dear. Wait a minute... I bet..."
...
"Yep. Y'all, I plugged in the coffee pot."

I take a video of Noah telling me what his "Dino-mite Dude" shirt says, because it's cute, and he asks to see it.
After it's over, he tells me, giggling, "That was Noah. Noah talking like a baby." Like he doesn't talk all day long like a baby for obvious reasons... like, um, being a baby ;).

Abbi and Emmi celebrated Christmas in July... with an umbrella tree, a precious moments figurine, and air cocoa with candy canes in a Christmas cup, hahaha!

Tori, while I edit this post... ""Are you laughing at your own blog?"
Me: "Cardinal Birds?... I think I know why..."

-----

These knitted washcloths are available in Under the Tapestry :)! I was asked to sell these by a knit-washcloth-fan, and I have several sets available! And Under the Tapestry celebrates it's 3 year opening anniversary on August 10th! How would y'all like to see that celebrated :)? I have some ideas, but I am still finalizing things, so I am open to suggestions!

I also impulse free-handed this little mouse for Noah one night. He had been carrying around a baby's first laptop just to play with the little "computer mouse" on it. So I thought, I bet he'd like one without the laptop attached, and that evening I crocheted it up on the fly in a little over an hour. I finished it after he went to sleep, which made me sad, because I had told him I was making something for him... but then he woke up being carried to bed, and I was like, "Hey Noah..."... and when he saw it, he gasped and grinned from ear to ear, and it was just precious! I told Bethi, "That was worth it!!!", to which Noah replied, "Yeah, Merphett," and shoved the mouse in her face, so now this little guy is called Merphett the Mouse, and the pattern for him is going to be up on Under The Tapestry Handcrafts soon!

And here are the posts I shared on Forget Not His Benefits this month, in case you missed them :).

Life Lately

Undivided: A Study in 1st Samuel 

Whereas it was in Your Heart

-----

How was your month :)?! Any ideas for Under The Tapestry's 3rd "birthday"? What are you looking forward to in August :)? Many blessings to each of you in our precious Lord and Savior!

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri :)