I Will Go

Give me ears to hear Your Spirit
Give me feet to follow through
Give me hands to touch the hurting
And the faith to follow You

Give me grace to be a servant
Give me mercy for the lost
Give me passion for Your glory
Give me passion for the cross

And I will go where there are no easy roads
Leave the comforts that I know
I will go and let this journey be my home
I will go
I will go

I’ll let go of my ambition
Cut the roots that run too deep
I will learn to give away
What I cannot really keep
What I cannot really keep

Help me see with eyes of faith
Give me strength to run this race

I will go Lord where Your glory is unknown
I will live for You alone
I will go because my life is not my own
I will go
I will go
I will go

~ Steve Green

As I get ready to take the biggest step of my life, so many people are amazed that a young person would consider going across the world on their own. I get nervous when I think about it too hard, because this is WAY outside my comfort zone. I love my family, my friends who know me the best, and I love being able to eat my favorite food. But just like this song says, I will go where there are no easy roads. I will fly across the world by my lonesome (AH!), live in a country that I will be a foreigner to, and do hard things. I want God to take away my indepence on myself, and teach me to fully rely on Him. Hopefully  “I’ll let go of my ambition, cut the roots that run too deep, I will learn to give away, what I cannot really keep.” I want this journy, this change, this step of faith more than anything else I’ve ever wanted. I will make this journey my home.

Live, Laugh, Love…

“All this and Heaven too.” That quote has come to my mind many times these last few months. The dark nights make the sunshine seem that much more golden. The last few months have been filled with living, laughing, and loving.

 Days that follow a wonderfully simple pattern, filled with everything that makes the little moments beautiful. Laughing at the crazy things my kids say or do. Laughing when that was the only option besides getting frustrated. Laughing silently when my babies tested me or someone else, and then made the cutest, cutest face ever.

 Loving my crazy afterschoolers. Loving my adorable pre-k girls who said they wanted to be (among other things) an elf, a “hawrstywist”, and (my personal favorite), a church-girl. Loving my stubborn four year olds, who say the funniest (and awkward) things. Loving my three year olds who always fight for space on my lap. Would you believe they can fit four of them on at one time?! Loving that they love doing my hair, talking to me instead of taking a nap, and most of all LOVE kissing me. Loving my oh so troublesome two and a half year olds, no matter how very much they try my soul. Love, love, Loving my two year olds, who make my heart so full. Loving the little stubborn girl who gives the best hugs. Loving the cuddly little man who calls me BooBekah. Loving the mischevious little guy who always talks in the deepest voice you can imagine in a two year old. Loving my precious little girl who always shows me her shoes, her lovie, and her bows. Loving her because she finally loves me enough to let me do her hair without fussing Loving doing her beautiful hair. Loving my little man who calls me Betta, and says the craziest things. Loving my sweet little boy with the beach boy haircut who never ever wants to let go of me. Loving my one year olds who have the most energy ever. Loving my babies. Loving my baby boy, even though he NEVER takes a nap. Loving his smile, loving his nose, loving his tiny hands, and loving his baby smell.

Living my days post-kiddos by relaxing. Living and enjoying the sunny Mondays at the river. Forgetting time and sitting simply on the big rock in the middle, talking with my wonderful sisterchicks. Laughing about life, and love. Laughing at ourselves, and life. Loving these sunny days.

He Hides a Smiling FAce

“God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Behind a frowning providence,

He hides a smiling face.”

~William Cowper

For Sale!

I am de-junking, cleaning out my closet, and raising money for Spain all at the same time!

FOR SALE: A size Large WholesomeWear Swimsuit!

I bought this swimsuit a few years ago when they were all the rage. It is made of a swimsuit style material underneath. The swimsuit material is styled in a scuba type outfit, with short sleeves and shorts (it’s all one piece). The outer layer is made of light board short type material, and can be snapped at the bottom to make shorts, or left open for a skirt style. While I don’t care for the style anymore, this swimsuit is amazing. It drys insanely fast! I used to take 5 minute walks after swimming all day and the outer layer would already be dry! It would make a great buy for anyone who hates struggling with the whole modesty issue but loves swimming! No more wearing t-shirts and baggy shorts. I’m selling it for $50, less than half what I paid for it originally. If you have any questions please contact me (onlyonelife4Him@gmail.com)!

(There is a tiny bit of wear at the top of the chest area, shown here)

My Life

*Whew!* This sums up my daily thought as I go to sleep each night. I have less than 2 months until I leave for Spain, and only 3 more weeks until I leave my job. I will miss my kiddos!!! My days until I leave for a much needed vacation in Florida are insanely PACKED. I have a list of photoshoots, dinners, trips across town, and much much more that fills an entire page. And all this in uh…4 weeks? Plus working 50 hours a week. Oh yeah. Life is full, and I love it.

Recent events include…

GETTING MY NEW CAMERA It needs a name though, so any suggestions are more than welcome. My baby’s new shots are up on Pebbles Of Joy.

I took my last few shots with my stupid broken ridiculous old camera.

I am official a rebel girl

I am completely and utterly happy. And Busy.

Because He Lives

He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! 


Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

 And then one day, I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict’ry,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

 

Life is beginning

Now that they have officially announced the news to the world, I can finally scream with delight that Anna and Josh (Duggar) are expecting their first baby! I am incredibly, insanely, superly excited! I am already sure it will be the cutest baby in the world (until I have kids that is). I know Anna is going to be a terrific mother, and I am SO happy for her! To see the video of Anna and Josh talking about it, click here. The Today show got a few facts wrong on their website, so don’t believe anything you hear but what the happy couple themselves say. There’s a bunch of crazy Duggar fans out there Any life is precious, and I am so happy that this particular life is going to be my half neice or nephew! Please feel free to leave them congratulations on their website.

Cherish These Days, Little One

Cherish These Days, Little One

By Hannah Pettett

 

An old man sits in a rocking chair with a bundle in his arms,

The fire crackles in the background as the old man rocks the bundle back and forth;

It is the old man’s newborn grandson,

The only light comes from the warm glow of the fireplace and the candles on the mantle,

The grandfather gently strokes the baby’s head,

He starts to whisper, ever so softly, in the baby’s ear:

 

“Sleep, little one, sleep,

Sleep while you can,

Close your eyes and rest in the peacefulness of quietness,

Drift sweetly off to dreamland, for you have no cares,

Dream peacefully while you have no worries,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your legs and feet have yet to walk,

Your hands have not yet toiled,

Your mind is not yet aware of all the trouble in this world,

And your heart has not yet been broken,

Sleep, little one, sleep while you can,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“You will soon grow into a child,

Your days will be happy and carefree,

Your mornings will consist of making mud pies,

Your afternoons playing in the sun and picking flowers,

And your evenings watching the sun set,

You will be loved, fed, clothed, and well taken care of,

You won’t have to worry about paying the bills, raising children, or making ends meet,

Your only worry will be the monsters underneath your bed,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your days as a youth will be mostly blissful,

Your friendships will blossom,

You’ll discover talents and passions that you never realized you had,

And you’ll grow from a child into a man,

Some days will be very hard,

Your heart will become broken and bruised,

Oh, how I wish I could protect you from this, my little one!

But I cannot, you must trust Someone else,

While you are a youth, you will learn about how you were made and Who made you,

You will learn about the Maker of the universe,

Little one, the best thing you could ever do is to choose to have a relationship with Him,

He will help you through every hard situation,

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“You will then grow into an adult,

You will grow into a man,

Many challenges you will face,

And many challenges will you fail,

But do not give up,

When you fall, you must stand up and try again,

Some of the greatest things you’ll ever experience will be when you’re a man,

You fall in love,

You will start a family,

Your wife will be your jewel, and your children the apple of your eye,

Your family will be one of the most important things you’ll ever have, so treat them as a priceless treasure,

Your family will fill your days with love and laughter,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your life on this earth is but a mist,

You are but a wilting flower, who is here today but gone tomorrow,

Your life is short, so live it well,

Do not waste your time on things that will not matter once you are old or dead,

Love as many people as you can while you are alive,

Live each day as if it were the last day of your life,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your skin is still soft and smooth,

You don’t even have teeth yet,

Your back is without a pain,

But someday soon,

Your skin will be wrinkled,

Your teeth will be yellowed,

And your back will ache,

And someday soon,

You will sit down in a rocking chair with your grandchild in your arms,

And you will gently stroke its head and softly whisper in the baby’s ear:

‘Sleep little one, sleep,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long.’”

Hope Again

• “When we are trapped in a tunnel of misery, hope points to the light at the end.
• When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy.
• When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits
• When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going.
• When we lose our way and confusion blurs the destination, hope dulls the edge of panic.
• When we struggle with a crippling disease or a lingering illness, hope helps us persevere beyond the pain.
• When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still in control.
• When we must endure the consequences of bad decisions, hope fuels our recovery.
• When we find ourselves unemployed, hope tells us we still have a future.
• When we are forced to sit back and wait, hope gives us the patience to trust.
• When we feel rejected and abandoned, hope reminds us we’re not alone…we’ll make it.
• When we say our final farewell to someone we love, hope in the life beyond gets us through our grief. “

Introduction to my favorite book, “Hope Again” by Chuck Swindoll

One People

A friend and I sat in a quiet little corner of a very busy coffee shop. We had finally come up with a good evening to just be together. We wanted to talk about what God was doing in our lives. As we sat there talking and sharing our hearts, a young lady walked into the coffee shop. Wearing a leopard print skirt and leather jacket, she quickly ordered coffee and then sat near us. Honestly the first thought that crossed my mind was not whether or not she knew Jesus, but that she wasn’t dressed like us. A short time later she made a phone call and then began to talk to someone about their plans for their Bible study later that day. It suddenly dawned on me that so often we have no idea that others around us are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Two weeks later I walked up to a home and rang the doorbell. I was welcomed inside and greeted with a kiss. It was shortly followed by another kiss on the left cheek, as is the custom when greeting someone in an Arabic nation. I wasn’t there for a visit, but rather for an Arabic church service. Arabic Christians from two states were coming together to fellowship, worship, and learn about our Lord. Although I don’t understand the language, I had something in common with these people. They were from all different countries, some including Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, to name a few. All live in the United States, and some have been here for quite some time, and have raised families. One man shared how they had been forced to leave Syria, but that God had greatly used that event in his life to bring him to this point.

As they lifted their voices in their own unique style of worship, I found tears in my eyes. I could not understand the words that they were singing, but I knew from the looks on their faces, and the joy in their song, that they were worshipping the same Jesus that I love. As the message was quietly translated for us in the corner, my heart was stirred. I looked around the room, listened to the quiet exclamations of “ah-meen” (amen), and found myself marveling at the body of Christ. How is it that we can’t even communicate in the same language, look nothing alike, but we are all servants of the same Lord? I began to really do some thinking about the body of Christ. It truly is something amazing.

In my devotions I came to 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, which says “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” We were all made to worship one Lord, one Savior, one Jesus.

The things of this world; our culture, our home, our country, seperate us from each other. But one day in Heaven we will all be one people, praising a holy God forever.