Are we ready girls?

Hello and welcome! I hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for! I am truly thankful for each one of you!

Today we are starting a new series here on the blog.

What Happens When Women Say No.

Those six words have been on mind and heart for months. It is something that God has truly been working out in me and through me. As I type this there is a large amount of ‘things’, ‘issues’, and the such that need to be answered. They need a no or a yes. Now some of these things are simple to take care of, others are much bigger issues.

Do you have a ‘stack’ of some of this stuff? Do you have things that need a yes or no?

It is my hearts desire and prayer that we will link arms together as girlfriends and take this journey together. Where are we going you might ask…well anytime we have done a series on this here blog…it’s always a journey my friends! You see I know where we will end up…standing and maybe even kneeling in awe of our most amazing Creator…its all the details, stops, light bulb moments, heart hugs, and the such that I don’t know…it’s the moments when Jesus is gonna love all over us. I don’t know when and where those will come in…oh but girls I know they will. How? Because He promised His daughters that when we seek Him…we will find Him!

I am excited to share this journey with you. As I know that when we journey on purpose, we always get blessed by our Creator!

As we enter the season to celebrate the birth of our Lord, it is with no coincidence, but rather our purposeful God who will lead us on this journey. A journey that will have each one of us examine what things we need to say no to, so in order to say yes to our Jesus. The very Jesus that God sent to us 2000 years ago in such a humble and quiet presentation.

Girls He is asking us to say no to the ‘stuff’, ‘issues’ and the such so that we can come humbly and quietly before Him and present our yes to Him!

What Happens When Women Say No:

To living in bondage.

To the lies of the enemy.

To trying to earn salvation.

To seeking perfection for ourselves and those around us.

To being comfortable.

To being common.

To chaos.

To over scheduling.

To spot filling.

To uncontrolled thoughts, words and actions.

To good things.

To fear, worry, doubt, bitterness.

To being consumed by stress.

To comparing.

Oh girls we have a lot going on!

Are we ready to see What Happens When Women Say No?

Will you join me?

Hey bring a girlfriend along!

I love you!

P-R-I-D-E

Welcome to the blog!

This is my Thanksgiving post for this year....with such a wacky title you probably are a little scared right? Well to be perfectly honest...so am I! You see I just logged into blogger and here I sit at my keyboard...no 'prepared' post...just a girl who has a whole lot to be thankful for and comes to share it with you all...in hopes that what you get to see is less of me...and more of the Jesus I am SO in love with.

As I lay in bed last night the tears falling into my pillow I was hurt, lonely, mad, angry and upset. That I haven't got it yet! I haven't be able to master this whole insanely frustrating most difficult issue...

PRIDE

As a girl who knows when to grab hands with pride, for me its a comfort thing, I tend to grab on tightly and sometimes so tightly I can literally feel God peeling me away from it!

I wish I could say right now that its just a 'little' issue of PRIDE in one area of my life...but nope...you see its a security blanket that I haul into all areas of my life!

And yesterday I held hands with PRIDE at church.

You see I am a momma who for some silly reason still thinks after 5 years that she can control the very words and actions that come out of her two little guys.

"Nichole your son did not have a good day in class today. He threw the little girls carrots on the floor, he pushed this little boy, and he laughed when the play doh was knocked on the floor"

Friends I carried this the entire day with me...

What are those people thinking of me?

Why in the world can I not get this whole mothering thing right?

Why did he do this? To make me look like a bad mom?

PRIDE and I were still holding hands when I got home from church!

What was my son's bad day at church made for a momma's bad day that I then allowed to effect the rest of the family.

All over my PRIDE.

You see as I type this out and share my heart...it is truly from the depths of my heart that I seek to be free from this.

Free from PRIDE.

You see I believe God could remove it all at once from me...and I know there are certain situations in which I tend to do better...

But if its one thing I just might be tuning into...is that this is a process.

A process of loosening the grip.

A process of peeling away the hand I hold with PRIDE.

A process of walking away.

A process of learning to grab His hand instead.

Dear Jesus thank You for a little boy who prayed this prayer last night, 'Jesus please forgive me for being naughty'. Lord this momma prays that same prayer, please forgive me for being naughty and choosing to hold hands with pride over You!

It was when I allowed Him to peel me away from the PRIDE that I then can see clearly. I can get the focus of myself and all my PRIDE issues...and live life how He intended...being thankful for what I do have!

I am SO Thankful for:
The Engineer
The Boys
Family
Friends
You my Blog Friends

I am SO VERY Thankful for my Jesus who loves me enough to keep working with 'a girl who has issues with PRIDE'.

***Have a GREAT Thanksgiving everyone! I am excited to start a new series on the blog after the holiday. What Happens When Women Say No! Come join me girlfriends!

Date Night with the boys

It's going to be a great night...I am one super excited momma! It's date night with the boys...which means...I get to go out with one of the boys...and the Engineer gets to hang out with the other little guy!

This date night has a theme...its a Scavenger Hunt based off the movie Up which our family has not seen yet.

So I made up these little backpacks that have five different clue cards in them for each boy!

The first card is a picture of little fork, plate, knife...each boy gets to pick where he wants to go for dinner!

The second card is a picture of a balloon...they need to go pick out a balloon and get it filled up with helium!

The third card is a picture clue to take a ride Up an escalator or elevator!

The fourth card is clipart from the movie Up that shows a house being lifted Up by balloons!

The last clue card is a ticket that says "Admit one: This ticket allows Tyler/Tanner to view one movie, eat popcorn, candy, and juice!"

We all end Up meeting back home for the movie Up! Yeah!

I am so stinkin' excited to get going...woo-hoo! We are just waiting for the boys to wake from their nap and the Engineer to come home from work...then all the fun begins!!

Our family would like to wish you all a super fantastic weekend...and remind you to look Up and remember your Creator loves you!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Hormones, Firsts, and still no chocolate!

I am not sure how the 'system' works in your home, but here in our little humble homestead...all 1600 sq feet of it...there are a few days that just seem long. Long days filled with hormones, tears, nerves on edge, loud noises...like some rattle in the car which is just out of reach for me to bang on while I am driving down the street.



I am thinkin' this rattle noise in the car is intensified by the hormones...and the lack of chocolate...which I will get to that in just a minute!



I am headed out in just a little while to visit with Mrs. A...its our first official parent teacher conference...now in this grieving mommas heart its something I am still not truly accepting. You see I am still NOT okay with having a kindergartner...selfish reasons really...like I missing seeing him laugh...I miss seeing him experiencing life...I miss staring at his most adorable face filled with freckles as we eat our lunch together...yeah I am NOT okay with this whole kindergartner thing...and I think the whole kindergartner thing is intensified today because of the hormones and the lack of chocolate!



You see I remember the date very clearly...Wednesday October 14th....God and I talked out this little issue I seem to have...and it all revolves around chocolate...oh and is so conveniently connected to self-control. Well we went on conversing and I lifted up a GREAT big question...'how can You prove to me this whole self-control thing?'...I know what you are thinking my friends...anyway...I truly wanted to see if it worked...but more importantly I wanted self-proof!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 (emphasis mine)

Now hear my heart please, I do not think that eating chocolate is sinful. It just so happens that on that very day, October 14, He attached the two so as to take me on this little 'self-control' journey.

It has been 36 days without chocolate...and to say its been fun, easy, enjoyable, likable would be lying...and I just know that would lead me on a whole other journey...so I tell you the truth!

Its been a HARD journey!

I have encountered more temptations in the past 36 days then I even knew existed. I have had to purposefully 're-direct' myself many of times...

He is proving to me...that it is Him who fills me with the self-control to not sneak into the freezer and snitch a handful of chocolate chips!

Oh and back to the whole 'system' I started speaking about...it makes getting through that much harder my friends...cause I am a girl who so bonds her hormones with her chocolate!

So friends if you are willing and able...can you please go sneak into the chocolate reserve as your house...snitch some...and lift a prayer in honor of a girly who is needing some self-control!

I would SO do it for you!

I love you my friends!

A day for Presents

Welcome to the blog friends...it is from the depth of my heart that I am praying, trusting and knowing God loves all over you today!

This morning in my time with Him I read Acts 27. Paul is traveling to go appeal before Caesar in Rome...he gets caught in a storm that leads to a shipwreck...it a chapter packed full of some chaos, stress, and overwhelming moments...it all felt a little familiar. How about you...have you ever felt like life is a little too much? Too much to handle...too overwhelming? Friends can I share the verse that has stuck with me all day?

Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me. Acts 27:23 (emphasis mine)

Go back and read that verse again, please! I know that its very personal to me right now and today, but I think the gift from our God in that very verse is for all of us. Everyone of us who have doubted, wondered, worried, struggled, for all of us who have felt overwhelmed!

the God whose I am

Friends we are His!

And go there with me on this one...

and whom I serve stood beside me

We must be in a loving and grace filled relationship with Him that's what it means to serve Him...trust me on this one...when in relationship you WILL live it out in the everyday moments of your life.

But its the bolded part- stood beside me- that brings the encouragement which then fuels the strength to stand in courage!

He stands beside us!

He takes care of His own. He won't leave us, forsake us...no He won't. He sees all, knows all, and is taking care of it!

There came a point in my day today where I was educated in the Hebrew language. I learned that the words favor, portions, (or presents) and lots- all tie together.

"No matter what life-or Satan himself-hands us, the favor God has on His children causes that 'lot' to tumble out on the table in such a way that, instead of destruction, the child will discover that her portion turned into destiny one trusting step at a time. When all is said and done, she will see that the portion God assigned her was good. Right. Rich. Full of purpose." (Beth Moore from her Bible study on Esther)

Oh if this doesn't have me dancing...yippee!

Because God!

Because God is who He is, He knows what He knows and it is all right, all good, all full of purpose!

So today my present to you...which was so generously given to me through the grace of my Jesus...is to pass on to you His grace, His love, and to encourage you!

Your life has purpose!

Will you accept His present to you? Will you accept His grace for you?

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Psalm 16:5

May you know today He is with you, right there where you are. You don't need to go looking for Him, just whisper heart to Him, acknowledges His presence, and enjoy His love and grace for you!

Which way to go

Hello friends! Thank you so much for visiting the blog, and for helping a girl out last week!

Let me tell you...there are just some things I should keep my hands out of...and 'technical' stuff is SO one of them!

How was your weekend?

We had a busy family weekend! We did some yard work on Saturday...first we had to find the yard that was buried under serious amounts of leaves! Then Saturday night we had some pizza...and can I just say that the Greek Vegetarian Pizza I was privileged to eat could become a 'regular' item on my list. Wow-we...yummness! Seriously..even the Engineer who gets excited over pepperoni...was applauding the creation! Thin crust...light sauce...red onions, olives, red peppers, feta cheese, artichokes, spinach and roasted garlic. And to think that its been available in this city the whole time we have lived here...and I just found it....

I am truly a simple girl...shoes, de-caf Oregon Chai tea, a good book, my dog, my boys, the Engineer...and now I will officially add the Greek Vegetarian Pizza to the list!

Well I have spent quite a bit of time on the Saturday evening portion of the weekend...can you tell what has left its mark on me!

Yesterday was another truly amazing day. A day where God proved to be 100% real...real in all the details! He has surrounded us with some most amazing people. He has loved on us through them...and reminded us not to worry, to breath, and to focus on Him in all things!

I am stopping in today...to ask you my friends...which way to go?

I have a few ideas for another series here on the blog...and I want to know which way we should travel?

So because I believe that He always leads, directs, orchestrates, and answers perfectly. I am asking for you to share your prayer requests, ideas, concerns, burdens, thoughts, questions in the comments section...and please feel free to do so anonymously. I will be praying with you, and know He will make it obvious...

Which way to go?

I love you...more importantly...He thinks you are amazing!

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Under Construction

Update: Hey thanks everyone for extending this girly some grace! Can I just share one more little thing that might just shove the Engineer over the edge...I totally spaced my Federal Court Jury Summons...oops...he's just trying to keep me out of the jail cell...Oh Jesus the Engineer sure is earning the jewels that will go in his crown!


Hello and welcome to the blog and the life of a girl who is under construction. Can I just say I have officially got myself in a great big huge situation!!!

Oh friends please allow for some grace on this one...I have made a huge mess of this here blog...I was trying to do some updates you know...'freshin' it up a tad?!?!

Well I need your help friends...one thing I have gone and done is lost the blog list...which means I need you to leave a comment so I can add you back on!!!

Oh and anyone else have a few spare minutes to bring some sanity to me...well mainly the Engineer who has to live with me...who knows from daily life experiences that I tend to 'design' big (new header, adding some tabs, linking it to my website, updating colors) and then I can't figure out how to use the hammer to build what I have designed. Anyone feeling his pain...or mine?

That's my life...under construction...and today I am thankful for a Jesus who holds the plans and the design in His very hands!

Does anyone have any 'blogger' design expertise they would like to share...you will be MORE than appreciated...by this 'under construction girly' and her Engineer!

Love to you friends!

On Purpose,
Nichole

Today was different

Yesterday disturbed me.

Yesterday asked me to look at things differently.

Yesterday voiced an opinion.

Yesterday needed me to slow down.

Yesterday wanted me to reconsider.

Yesterday longed for me to re-prioritize.

Yesterday begged me to live it out.

Yesterday paused me.

Yesterday changed me.

And because of that...

Today was different.

Thank You Jesus!

See Beyond

I have so enjoyed a new little something in my life lately...Facebook! Yep thats right...but for some most amazing reasons...for connecting with some friends that I haven't seen in years...friends I made in my childhood, went to school with , and even friends that I don't get to live next door to!

Recently I had the huge privilege of connecting with a friend who takes the most amazing pictures. I have the honor of showcasing them here today...please enjoy!

Now for some these will be just pictures. And for some Facebook is just a 'new trendy' way to spend time on the computer.

Can I ask a huge favor of you today?

Will you join me for a few minutes and See Beyond?

As I read this morning from the most amazing Book that was ever published I found myself in Hebrews 11.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Hebrews 11:1

That verse right there is where this whole See Beyond thing started!

I know you are starting to wonder 'how in the world does this all relate?'

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

Today I have been encouraged to See Beyond

To see beyond myself.

To see beyond a 'new trendy' Facebook thing.

To see beyond issues, stresses, circumstances.

To see beyond the temporary.

To see beyond this world.

I am encouraged to See Beyond what sits right in front of me and praise Him and know there is a bigger picture, there is MORE, there is purpose!

And when I choose to See Beyond

I get to see others around me.

I get to meet up with some really great friends on Facebook and enjoy their art work of taking pictures of this most amazing Hand Crafted world.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"Genesis 1:1

I get to practice living life on purpose in the midst of issues, stresses and circumstances.

"For 'she' was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" Hebrews 11:10 (emphasis mine)

I get to see Him!

Thank You Jesus for filling us with the desire to see beyond. For there is something there, something worth seeing!

May we truly not look at anything the same again, but rather, See beyond!

***Photographer: John Anderson