The Hope for Paris, the Hope for us all.

As I worked through my evening routine last evening my mind raced through several thoughts. This world is getting darker day by day, sense act after senseless act. What was once good and lovely is turning into death and destruction. None of this is a surprise, especially to those believers of Christ, and none of this caught Him off guard, yet it still hurts and our hearts absolutely grieve the evil that is running rampant, not just in Paris, but throughout this world. With my heart feeling overwhelmed and even afraid with the most recent news, I was reminded by the most beautiful sunset out my window at dinner as I looked over my husbands shoulder, that though the world is crumbling before our eyes, God is still the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is still on the throne. He is still so very good, perfect in ALL of HIS ways with love so undeniable and He is COMING BACK. There is such a burning in my heart over this, eternity is forever, please, please. If there was ever a time or event in your life to turn to Him let it be now. He is the only hope under the sun.

My first and last quilt experience.

Wayyyy back in August for our second, cotton, anniversary David took me to Hobby Lobby and bought me so fabric to make my own quilt. It was one of those things you see on Pinterest and think "I can do that!" or "I have to have that." Now it wasn't quite one of those "pinterest fails" that you see and are ever so hilarious.

The Materials you need for this quilt are:

1/2 yard each of 6 different  cotton fabrics

1 1/2 yards fabric for back

1 1/2 yards batting

binging tape

Triangle Quilt Template I drew mine out the top is 5 3/4 and the two sides are 8"

Extra helpful tidbits:

~use 1/4 seam allowances

~finished quilt is approx. 42"x48"

~ I used black, teal, a multicolored triangle pattern, that I based all the other colors off of, a very pale pink, white, and a small black and white polka dot pattern, just because I have a soft spot for polka dots. 

You can replace any colors you want and pink whatever patterns you want as well, thats what makes it fun and let me tell you picking out the fabric was the most fun I had during the whole process.

6 prints/colors and my backing which I used as the polka dot pattern as well.

After cutting out 19 triangles in each color/pattern and cutting one of each color down the middle for the ends I arranged them on the floor like so.

The pattern I used was:

1. Black

2. Teal

3. Triangles

4. Pink

5. White

6. Polka dots

template

I couldn't leave them like this for long because as you will see my dogs love blankets and even though it wasn't a blanket yet, they still just know.

Once I sewed the strips of triangles together in strips left to right I pressed all the seam allowances open to lay flat.

I then sewed the rows together and again pressed the seam allowances to look like so, starting to look like a quilt.

After I played my polka dot back down and then my batting, and then placed my quilt squares on the top. Using a rotary cutter it helps if you trim the edges. Once you do this you are ready to bind!

My Ronin also made this process very difficult as well.

Once it was all said and done, I had a decent quilt, but the  process was very tiresome and lengthy that is why it is now three months since I started this process, but granted I didn't work on it every day and sometimes weeks went by because I just needed a break from the darn sewing machine.

Someone said to me once it was all said and done. "That's great, I've never made a quilt." My response was "trust me, it's not worth the aggravation."

Maybe in 100 years when I forget what the process was like and they come out with some cool, fancy, high tech sewing machine that I can actually afford I will try my hand at another quilt until then, NOBODY touches this one!

Ten Facts about the Pastor's Wife

1. I live in fear of being the fault of the ministry we were called to. You won't always like the decisions we make and that's ok. Pray for us and trust God has a plan. We are continually learning and growing.

2. Being the pastor's wife is the loneliest thing I have ever done. It is a feeling unlike any other that is even hard to explain. We continually feel like an outsider in our own ministry. This makes us sometimes dread church activities.

3. I've thought about attending another church. That was a tough confession but it goes with #2. I wouldn't, but that fleshly thought has entered my mind where I have thought about attending another church where I wasn't the pastor's wife and I could just serve in my own way. Woah! The devil can be wicked sometimes but don't get me wrong the Lord will put you back in your place.

4. Some days I love this position, others I question God as to why He chose me. There was not a "How to be a Pastor's Wife" or "Pastor's Wife for dummies" book handed to me at the beginning of our ministry, no rules, no guidelines. He equips us right where we are, we are all different but perfect in His sight.

5. It's hard to control my flesh to not lash out at church members. As pastor and pastor's wife we are very aware of the purpose of the local church and the calling that every follower of Jesus is called too and it's frustrating when we see believers neglecting the call.

6. I get frustrated when church goers treat church like a social club...enough said. 

7. I'm not perfect and sometimes I don't have all the answers. I don't have the bible memorized, I don't play piano and sometimes I hate being social. Just because I'm serving in one area doesn't mean it's my particular gift.

8. We are called to help the Bride get ready for the wedding. This is an honor and so very humbling but also so very heavy. That is why we want to hold each of you accountable, especially leaders within our church.

9. We are huge targets to the enemy. Pray for us.

10.You make the pastor's wife's day when you tell her husband what a good job he is doing.

After speaking with several pastor's wives I have developed this list of unspoken struggles.

If your a pastor's wife I pray you find comfort in knowing you are not alone in this calling.

If you are not I pray you find it in your heart to lift your pastor's and their wives in prayer! 

TWO, Second Birthday Photo Dump

Happy Birthday Ronin, we love you!

"Babe, can I write on your blog?" His birthday tribute.

Before Jess and I, got married; I lived in the missions apartment, in the downstairs, of the parsonage. I slept in a sleeping bag, on my mattress. That's a guy, for ya. When I moved out of my mom's; I had a backpack with clothes, a box of some sentimental stuff, and my sleeping bag. That's it. I could move myself in/out in around 10 minutes. I lived downstairs, for just about a year and a half, and the only thing I really changed was my clothes. Didn't decorate, just microwaved meals, and ate with plastic ware. After we got married, EVERYTHING changed. Of course we moved upstairs, but then painted the walls, re-did the flooring, re-decorated everything, fixed up the landscape out front, put a deck on the back, and adopted two yellow labs. Everything changed. Not all overnight of course, but it continues to change, almost every other week lol. Now all of a sudden, there is just stuff everywhere. Some of which, is very confusing to me, I must say. Like, there's two of us, but we probably have enough coffee mugs to give out one to every member of both our extended families. What I'm getting at is this; Up until we got married, I was just living there. It was just a house, to me. Now, since we have been living together there, and doing life together there...That house, has become a home. It is now full of very rich, sweet, and precious memories. It's never easy when two sinners live together under the same roof, but it is beautiful to see the manifold grace of God in each other every day. I believe this is why we are told "Two, are better than one." Ecclesiastes 4:9 

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Marvel Man Room

Sometimes you just need to brag on your husband and this is one of those times. Last winter he set out to totally redo our basement. He told me I decorate everything else and that he wanted to decorate the basement-fair enough since I only go down there to do laundry. Last summer while we were at the beach in August, there was a small flood in our town and our basement didn't flood but it got wet and we couldn't get the smell out of the carpet so we set out to rip that up first. I say we but it was really HIM. I honestly could count on one hand that amount of things I did in this room.

Let me start with a before picture...

Yucky carpet and terrible walls. If your reading this post and you by chance were the one that decorated this room-forgive me!

Now on to the coolness of this Marvel/Music Room and everything that makes my husband happy-Reminds me that I must add a picture of myself. ;)

Yoda Floor Mat

Notice we ripped up the yucky brown carpet and painted the concrete BROWN.

Where else do super hero keep their clothes?

Still trying to convince him to put my American Girl dolls on the bottom shelves.

The first edition of all of his favorite comic books.

Here Definition

PEZ people

Bat Light and Batmobile

His craft self even made this.

Comic Book Rack, made by David too

Thor's Hammer

Can'f forget a spot for his sidekicks, Ronin and Fitz

On to the music corner of the room...

So happy that he created a space all of his own and all on his own! Now to turn it into a playroom/family room in a few years may result in a few shed tears, but we are enjoying it for now!