Recommendations
Song: “Give You Peace” by Echoing Angels
The phrase that caught my attention in this song was “I will give you peace”. I cannot count the number of times in my life when it feels like I have more on my plate than I can handle. Part of the reason I am overwhelmed is because I haven’t given my concerns over to the One who can give me peace. There are days when I think I can manage life on my own but thankfully He gently gets my attention and draws me back to His side. He hears my prayers and gives me peace!
I see you lying their whispering prayers
I hear you breathing out hollowed be thy name
Holding out my hand catching every tear
Oh my child I’ll never leave your sideI will give you peace when the walls come crashing down
I will give you peace through the night
When you’ve had all you can take can’t face another day
I’ll give you peace, I’ll give you peaceFor such a time as this I have you here
Chosen for the lost to show I’m near
Through your brokenness my glory shines
And through your frailty my strength will riseYou’re beautiful, you’re beautiful
Perfect in my sight
Righteousness adorns you my bride
You’re beautiful, so beautifulSong: “None But Jesus” by Hillsong
Life has a way of getting cluttered…….and many times with great activities. How many times this week have I spent “in the quiet” and “in the stillness” with God? He has given so much for me, how can I refuse to spend time with Him. I never regret the times when I make the choice to spend time in His word and prayer. May He restore my heart and direct my path this week.
In the quiet
In the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of Your presence
I know there I am restored
When You call i won’t refuse
Each new day again I’ll chooseThere is no one else for me
None but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praiseIn the chaos in confusion
I know You’re sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do Your will
When You call I won’t delay
This my song through all my daysAll my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope
All of my strength
All my delight is in You Lord
Forever moreSong: “I Lift My Hands” by Chris Tomlin
I am thankful that there is a healer whose love and mercy is unfailing. No matter what trials you face this week I hope you are encouraged by the one who can give you the strength you need every day. May my eyes be open, my faith be strong, and my prayers be lifted up to the one whose love is deeper than the sea.
Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weakLet faith arise
Let faith ariseI lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, foreverBe still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary’s tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over meLet faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyesGame: “Carcassonne” by Rio Grande Games
Our family loves playing games! Whether it is a card, board or video game we always look forward to having a chance to sit down with family and friends. Carcassonne by Rio Grande Games is a fun board game that we enjoy playing. We found this board game after spending a lot of time playing Settlers of Catan, it looked similar so we decided to try it out.
Carcassonne is based on the famous French city of Carcassonne that is well known for its roman and medieval fortifications. The game is for between 2 to 5 players ages 8 and up. Each player gets a tile on his turn and can lay it down to build roads, cities, and more. The tiles are chosen at random, however, the player can choose where to place the tile and what to play on it. The game is fascinating for younger kids to watch too because it starts with 1 piece and grows bigger as people build the cities and surrounding areas until everything is linked together like one big interactive puzzle.
If you are a fan of Settlers of Catan or another similar game I highly recommend that you check out Carcassonne for your next game night or get it as a gift for the game lover on your list.
Song: “How He Loves Us” by David Crowder
Isn’t it great to know that we are loved by our heavenly Father! I am thankful for His never ending love, grace, and redemptive work in my life. It seems like I mess up more often than necessary yet He extends mercy to me every day.
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us allAnd we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…Oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
How He lovesTravel & Vacation: Orange County Kabini, India
We made it to Orange County Kabini, India!
While we were in India we had the opportunity to spend some time with Jake’s cousin and his family who are currently living in Bangalore, India. The week we came to visit them was during an Indian Holiday so Matt had a few days off work and the kids didn’t have to go to school the last half of the week so we decided to make a last minute “road trip”. One of our FAVORITE adventures while in India was when we went to Orange County Kabini. Thanks Matt & Jen for showing us around India!
We took a road trip through the countryside of India you can see pictures of that adventure in my posts Traveling through MySore, India (and a Couple Small Villages) and Traveling to Orange County Kabini, India. It was an awesome place to visit, such great memories. I can see why Trip Advisor has Orange County Kabini listed as Travelers’ Choice® 2012 Winner with a 5 star rating.
As we tumbled out of our Scooby Doo van and went to check into the resort we were serenaded with music. These two musicians were at the front door playing music we each received our bindi blessing. The bindi blessing consisted of a dot placed on our foreheads made out of a red paste (wikipedia definition). What a great welcome for visitors!
Fresh flower design on the floor in the entry way. Every day they had a different floral design. It was always bright, colorful and beautiful.
Michael checking out the map of resort…….what should we do first Mikey?!
The plaque hanging next to the check-in desk. “WE WANT TO GIVE YOU AN EXPERIENCE WHICH MONEY CANNOT BUY” It was an amazing experience. If you are ever in India and have a chance to visit this place it is beautiful, the staff is awesome, the “huts” are wonderful and the food is delicious. It is a great place to relax or go on various adventures (stay tuned for a glimpse at some of the adventures in upcoming posts).
The fun crew we went to Orange County Kabini with Jen, Matt, Rachel, Michael, David, and Erica! This is right after we had our refreshing sugar cane drink brought to us by the staff. Now its time to plan our activities while at the resort.
Jake & I at Kabini!
Our hut for the next few days, it was AMAZING!
The kitchen & eating area in our hut. The ceiling was handmade out of a neat weave material.
A cute porch complete with cushy chairs to relax in after a busy day of sightseeing!
Very comfy bed…..we slept so well at Kabini!
Even our own private jacuzzi for our hut! This view is from our bedroom. The kids loved the private “pool” and were able to squeeze in a few more minutes of swim time each day! Rachel and Erica stayed in our cabin, it was fun spending some extra time hanging out with girls swapping stories and giggles.
Fresh tray of fruit on the table everyday. They also restocked our cookie bowl, drinks, chocolates and other snacks every day!
Aw……what a life it was for those days. We had a blast staying at the Orange County Kabini resort! THANKS Matt & Jen for showing us another awesome part of India. We were super excited to spend the extra time with family and create a lot of great memories along the way. Next time maybe I will remember my passport before making a 7 hour road trip! If you want to check out some more amazing adventures and get a glimpse into the culture in India check out Jen’s blog at Jenny from the Bangalore Block.
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Song: “Great I Am” by New Life Worship
This song came to my mind recently while Jake was traveling for work. I was getting worked up because our little road was busy with a lot of extra traffic one night (which is very unusual unless our family or one of the retired neighbors were hosting a get together), Skipper was barking a lot, and our old house was making a lot of creaks and noises. Shortly after going to the door for what felt like the 50th time that night to see what Skipper barking about I decided to remind myself who was in control. I had the Great I Am, protector, and all knowing God looking out for me. Little creaks, noises, and a barking dog shouldn’t have me edge I need to trust in Him to keep me safe. Awesome song with a wonderful reminder that we serve a powerful Savior.
I wanna be close, close to Your side
So Heaven is real and death is a lie
I want to hear voices of angels above
Singing as oneHallelujah, holy, holy
God Almighty, the Great I am
Who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the Great I amI wanna be near, near to Your heart
Loving the world and hating the dark
I want to see dry bones living again
Singing as oneHallelujah, holy, holy
God Almighty, the Great I am
Who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the Great I amSong: “Hiding Place” by Steven Curtis Chapman
With all of the technology outreaches these days (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc…) we have a lot of “pieces of ourselves” out on display for people to see and “critique.” Sometimes people make painful comments whether directly or indirectly pointed towards you that hurt.
- Am I perfect….oh no far from it.
- Do I try to do what’s my best for my family……most days.
It is painfully obvious of how far I fall short in so many areas in my life yet:
- Will everyone like you all the time….no.
- Will you make mistakes and say or do stuff that you wish you could take back…..absolutely.
The other day I was digesting some comments made pretty blatantly in my direction. My first emotion was disappointment and before long I was discouraged, but in the middle of my frustration I came across this song “Hiding Place” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Only God knows the true intent of my heart. I believe Satan allows those comments to hit with a hard sting to make us more distracted.
I need to learn to trust in God’s promises for my life. When I mess up He knows and when I do something right He knows that too. That should be all that matters to me. I need to place the value of my worth on Him not on some comment that only brings heartache. Once again He reminds me of the blessing it is to have people who do love, appreciate me, pray alongside me, and are there to pick me up when I fall. Hopefully the next time when I encounter a harsh word and the storm clouds come my way I will run to Him first.
Book: “The Grasshopper Trap” by Patrick McManus
The girls love it when we have a few extra minutes in the evening to read to them. This past year we started reading more “chapter” books to them, however, sometimes Jake reads to them and other nights I am the one reading to them. We each picked out the book that we are currently reading to the girls. I am reading a horse book but Jake picked out The Grasshopper Trap by Patrick McManus. The nice part about Patrick McManus’s books is each chapter is a short story and they are hilarious. Many times all four of us are laughing at the silliness. It is a great way to wind down, laugh a little, and relax together after a busy day.
This book is also perfect to read on camping trips. A few of the stories the girls really enjoyed were “The Skunk Ladder”, “The Grasshopper Trap”, “The Human Fuel Pump”, and “Mean Tents”. The book we have is the older version with the red cover but the contents are still the same. If you like outdoor adventures and funny short stories this is a great book to check out.
Song: “Rest in the Hope” by Karyn Williams
Recently I heard another one of Karyn’s songs but when I went to look it up I came across this one. It was perfect the one for me to listen to at the time. These last few months have been a whirlwind. So many specific situations and people have been on my heart and mind. I have so many things to be grateful for in my life yet when a stressful situation arises often I find myself trying to fix and manipulate the circumstances rather than resting in the Lord. He put me on this earth with these specific challenges for a reason and I pray that I will bring glory to Him through each situation because when I rely on my knowledge and strength I end up making everything a bigger mess. I am thankful that He is the “truth that never changes”.
You are the truth that never changes
You are the love that came to save us I am Yours
Even through all my fear and sorrow
Facing a new unknown tomorrow I am sure
That I’m gonna rest in the hope that I’m YoursI’ve spent so much time looking for You
When You were here all along
Reaching for me to carry me through
Even when I would fall
You were waiting patiently
For me to find the faith to just believe
