{do you recognize him?}

i doubt. i doubt a lot.
i ask questions. and i'm often confused about god's involvement in my life....in any life.

growing up i always heard that god was very involved. i believed (or repeated) that he was in control of everything. ev-er-y-thing. to say god is in control of everything means -those 14,000 young US girls that are solicited and sold to perverted men for sex on the regular- god is in control of that?

or to that beautiful young woman that has been trying to conceive for years and finally gets pregnant- shares excitement with her family and then miscarries- god is in control of that?

or to that young mother of two that was raped in front of her small children - god is in control of that?

these are the things that flog my mind.

this week i heard someone say something very wise...
marcus borg:: "jesus journeys with us whether we recognize it or not." he was referring to the emmaus road story.

so i went back and read this passage and found great comfort for this heart full of questions. he is with me-even when the world is full of hurt and tragedy. even when i don't recognize him. even when i can't see him. he is here.

even now...he is here.

yesterday i talked with a friend that shared how god is working in their lives. an amazing story that is not mine to share so i will leave the details for them. but god is at work. he is with us on this journey. we  i simply need to recognize him.


i welcome your thoughts!

::the art of play::

"you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation"

-plato

yesterday the little one and i spent some time playing and it was heaven!

we held hands and giggled.

we found a birds nest and climbed a tree.

we picked flowers....weeds really....but flowers to her!

she rode her scooter while sporting daddy's sunglasses.

and as neighbors passed by she would yell out:

 "hey! my name is eisley and i'm riding my scooter!" 

i took pictures.

we drew with sidwalk chalk and we watched the sunset.

we played.

and it was just what i needed.

have you played today?



::10 ways to enhance creativity::

take time to be creative.

you may like to write or sew or scrapbook or take photographs. you can be creative in a lot of different ways. you just have to take time for it. be creative with your kiddos' lunch today. make happy pancakes or a sandwich face. look for ways to be creative and teach your children to do the same. read this post :10 ways to make art in less than an hour.

try something new.

back in the day i spent many many hours scrapbooking. i have numerous scrapbooks from my college days and early days of marriage. none of the children....geez...isn't that normally why people scrapbook? ahem. anyway, i now love to sew and recently fell in love with the whole hoop art/embroidery craft. i hope to learn to knit someday....someday. so try something new today. bust out your kiddos' paint and do your best van gogh impression.

read

read. read. and read some more. read everything you can get your hands on - books, magazines, blogs, even childrens books can inspire a new piece of art. look for the latest trends and this season colors to inspire your creativity.


make a new friend

the internet has provided a lovely avenue for building relationships- especially in the creative world. there are tons of people out there that love to create. their creations are different than yours. inspire and be inspired. ask questions. put yourself out there. approach and be approachable.

carry your camera

you never know when you will find inspiration so carry your camera everywhere....everywhere! always be ready to capture whatever catches your eye. just a snapshot of something lovely that you can reference. a landmark. a restaurant. a garden. it doesn't matter if you are a novice or a pro - just take  pictures.

take advantage of social media

pinterest is amazing! it allows you to bookmark and categorize inspirational sites, photographs, projects, etc. i love pinterest. there are other sites such as tumblr and stumble upon as well as facebook and twitter that may inspire you. so go crazy! see what's out there.

write

i keep a little notebook or my iphone with me at all times to write down inspirations as they come to me. so be prepared to jot down ideas that come to mind at a moments notice.  if you don't already have one- start a blog to chronicle your creative side.

 create an inspiration book

load it full of colors and pictures and pages from magazines and books. fill it with quotes that inspire. make one that is expandable so you can continue to add as your taste and style changes. make it you.

take an online course

i took the indie business 3.0 course hosted by leigh-ann and it was super inpirational. just reading others stories and the things that worked for them as well as all the lovely photos on flickr gave me tons of ideas!

have fun

do what you love and love what you do.


what are some ways encourage your creativity to take shape?

::have you joined the hoop art craze?::

cause i certainly have.
i have spent many many many minutes hours on pinterest gazing at the simple and extravagant hoop art created by some super creative people. so needless to say i'm hooked. i started a little collage for my daughters room and thought i would share my latest piece. this idea is not my own. the first place i saw it was over at take heart by danielle.


supplies:
fabric scraps in coordinating colors
mustard colored yarn
hot glue
wooden hoop

i started by glueing the strips all around the hoop. just a little dab of hot glue here and there to hold it all in place. when finished i glued the strips of yarn across the back and voila' a lovely place to display pictures or art work or love notes to the little ones (just add clips to the pieces of yarn to hold them in place- i don't have mine yet).

every time i hang a new piece on the wall eisley admires it and makes over it in the biggest way. it is a sweet moment to have something so simple be loved so much.

hope you have a fabulous week! start your monday off with a little gift::

take 15% off your purchase from {the pleated polka dot} using code: happymonday

::instafriday::

i'm linking up with jeanette today for {instafriday} which is a fun way to share your

photos taken and filtered through instagram.

i actually didn't take many pictures this week so these are from the weekend.
clockwise from the left:

--> that's the darling girl hanging on my legs resting from demonstrating her mad swimming skills.
--> watermelon? yes please. all summer. thank you very much!
--> yes that's my boy floating over the slide. he's quite the dare devil. he jumps from the top of the slide into the pool. goes under water. gater rolls. no sweat.
--> squash from our garden. she's a little excited....only a little.

--> i had an engagement shoot and needed a little prop. so i whipped up that cute little {love} banner. super duper easy and it only took about 20 minutes.

--> and that's the lovely couple. so young. so in love. with the cute little banner.

--> sunday night i got to hear this guy (the hubs) speak on the good samaritan. it was a great lesson and a wonderful time of fellowship.

--> oh and on the way to hear him speak we grabbed a single grande caramel frappacino....yummmmmm.

so that was our weekend.

what do you have planned for the weekend??

::the {hot} topic::

:photo:

"some chrisitans are more offended by the idea of everyone going to heaven than by the idea of everyone going to hell."

-rachel held evans

i've heard more than once the statement "if there is no hell then why follow jesus?"

to which i come to a stand still. mouth on floor. dismayed.
i am no theologian. i do not have all the answers. but i will say this as i heard it said by a man i truly respect in that old baptist church...

"if i found out today that there was no heaven and that there was no hell...i would still follow jesus because i believe it is the absolute best way to live."

amen.
that resonated with me as a young twenty-something sunday school teacher. i didn't know then that i would begin a journey of discovery and these words would prove true and wise.

jesus loved others everyone.
he loved the prostitute. the theif also know as the tax collector.
he loved the full of knowledge and the uneducated.
he loved the rich and the poor.
he loved the ungrateful and the thankful.
he loved the one that didn't have time for him because she was getting things done (thank god for this one). and the one who sat at his feet ready to be filled.

jesus stood up for injustices.
like when they brought the adulteress woman to him. the law was to stone. jesus saw more. he saw the culture that created this lifestyle. he saw the limitations on women. he recognized the crappy hand she had been delt. he gave her value. in my minds eye jesus said "hey you are loved. you are beautiful. and you can be more than this. follow me." he went against the grain. did the unexpected. he did it backwards.

jesus met needs.
he healed the sick.
he provided drink to the thirsty. food to the hungry.
he encouraged.
he made others feel valued.
he was patient.
he forgave. and forgave some more.

so i will follow jesus. not because i fear hell or long for heaven. but because he lived an amazing life that, if mimicked, will lead to life abundant.

[a-bun-dant] :: present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient.

your thoughts?

::the one where we were not afraid of snakes::

::photo::

we navigated the woods like survivor man.
snakes? psht. spiders? whatever.
no fear.
only wander and enjoyment.
trees to climb.
clubhouses to build.
creeks to explore. mud between toes.

we hopped rock to bankside using trees as balance beams across the water.
we walked from dawn to dusk with no cell phones or survival packs.
we carried only our imagination and our mothers' voice to call us home.

we picked strawberries from their garden.
sneaking bites behind their mothers' back.
smoothies...fresh fruit, ice, milk and sugar. oh for the love of yum!

we jumped on the bed. the big fluffy feather bed - high and loud - until he came.
their dad. unhappy with our adventure and ruckus during his nap (he worked nights).
i went home early that day.

checkerboard countertops.
apple trees.
bicycle rides down the hill with one on the handlebars. that is until bike met hole. tire bent....hidden for years without discovery in the barn.

sweetness lies in those memories.
memories of play.
wide open play.
this was my childhood.

tell me about yours?

::we have it backwards::

these are the people that need love the most. the ones hurting. the ones helpless. the ones that have made mistakes that cannot be hidden. the ones that are one step away from the edge. from giving up. from throwing in the towel.

there's judgement.
there's denial of a baby shower for the girl pregnant and unmarried.
there's denial of a marriage by their pastor because they have been divorced.
there's denial of friendship because he has an addiction.
there's denial of love because they do not fit the mold.

we all look away in discomfort.
but we go along because this is the body right? he is our shepherd right?
we have it backwards.
love the pregnant teenager first.
rejoice in a marriage new first.
love the drug addict first.
love first and always.





related post: love wins over the bible

::intentional summer::

::photo::

i love warm weather, pools, sprinklers, lemonade, watermelon and homemade ice cream. all of these things scream summer to me. and i am a summer girl. give me sunshine and i am a happy camper! this summer my kiddos are four and two years old. just old enough to really enjoy all the lovely things that come with summertime. so i want to make sure we have an {intentional summer}.

{intentional summer} just means that we plan for things. we make fun happen. we make our moments special. so i have found tons of summer fun in which to indulge. and thank god for the wisdom of others mothers because i couldn't come up with all this summer goodness on my own.  so...here are some links to super fun summer activities! if you know of more links please let me know!

The Motherload by Amy Clark
Impress Your Kids by Amanda the awesome
Tip Junkie (this one says memorial day but could totally be used for July 4th

those should get your started!
have a wonderfully {intentional summer}!!

::what do crayons and good behavior have in common?::

for a small window in time my four year old decided to go through her "terrible two's" stage.  in the midst of this season we realized two things. one she needed more one on one time with both mommy and daddy. two we needed to implement a rewards system in hopes of redirecting her focus.

so hmmm....what do we have in the house to use for her rewards jar?
ah yes... a mason jar and crayons. we have TONS of crayons!

and so the reward system began. she gets crayons for things like first time obedience, manners, kindness, making her bed, cleaning up her toys, etc.

when she reaches 10 crayons she gets to pick a treat from the "treat bowl."

the treat bowl has candy, suckers, and fun little treats. we do not do sweets on the regular around here so this is a BIG DEAL to my little one. you should see her savor her treats.  it's precious.

so for us....positive reinforcement has been just that...positive.

what are some ways you encourage good behavior in your children?
do you have a rewards system in place?

::jesus and monkeys::

"if i've learned anything over the past five years it's that doubt is the mechanism by which faith evolves. it helps us cast off false fundamentals so that we can recover what has been lost or embrace what is new. it is a refining fire, a hot flame that keeps our faith alive and moving and bubbling about, where certainty would only freeze it on the spot."

-Rachel Held Evans :: Monkey Town

just finished reading Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans. her journey is unbelievably close to mine. so many of her words hit home and speak volumes to me. i highly recommend this book to anyone on a journey of faith and discovery. to read more of rachel's work stop by her blog.

::every day::

every day.
every day starts at 5am...or 5:30 depending on how many times i hit snooze.
not long after i find myself nuzzled in my favorite corner of the couch. coffee next to me.
bible and journal open ready to be filled.
soon i hear wiggles and giggles from the boy.
often pitter-patter of four year old feet coming to snuggle.
she melts into my arms and tells me her dreams, eyes wide.
every day.
i get to be their mom every day.
i look for magic....and so do they.

::growing our girls....with audrey hepburn::

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."

— Audrey Hepburn

can i just step on my soap box for a minute?
our girls are growing up too fast. they are exposed to much more at an earlier age. i was talking with a friend the other day who shared that she saw her five year old daughter looking in the mirror doing the "hiney glance." you know what i'm talking about...the one where you look in the mirror and then turn sideways and give an over-the-shoulder glance at your rear to make sure it looks okay. yeh...we all do it.

audrey hepburn speaks volumes. i hope to direct my kiddos to focus on the beauty that can be found in everyone and everything. i hope to help them focus on helping others instead of wanting everything they see for themselves. i hope they will know that beauty comes from within. i hope for a positive self-image that does not stem from make-up and fancy clothes and hair that is just right.

but in order for her to learn these things...she must see it in me.

whatcha think mama's?

::just because you can, doesn't mean you should::

have you ever had one of those moments where you say..."why didn't i think of that?"
i had one of those this past weekend.
i spent some time with a cherished friend. a wise-beyond-her-years kind of friend. and she breathed wisdom and encouragement into me in a simple statement.
"just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

she said this in response to all the things i have been committing myself to lately.

i am type A personality.
i do things. a lot of things. all the time.
my husband says to me regularly..."just come sit down."
this weekend i realized i am doing too many things.

so i will choose to slow down.
i will choose to live out what i believe.
i will choose to take more time to love my neighbor and teach my children to do the same.
i will choose to nurture friendships and teach my children to do the same.
i will choose to joke and play and grow in my love for jacob so they know what love looks like.
i will choose...

what will you choose today?