The Christmas Cross

It was late as we drove home last Saturday evening, Chase and I tired from a full day spent with our sweet friends who live out of town. We were nearly to our street, when we both spotted it. I mean how could we possibly miss it? High up in what must be the neighborhoods tallest tree, were white christmas lights strung to perfection in the shape of a cross.

I can't seem to let go of that simple, yet profound image.

 A Christmas Cross. 

A paradox of sorts, representing Christ's birth and death, but going beyond that, believing that He overcame the cross, glorifying the Father and creating a rebirth of life within those who choose to receive it. Life, death, death defeated, life everlasting. 

One simple image, yet beyond the depth of understanding.

Isn't the Christmas cross the very crux of how we live? Isn't this not only what the season of Advent is all about, but also what our very lives are to proclaim? Shouldn't we always be living with anticipation of what is to come? I don't mean the anticipation of later on today, or tomorrow or even next year, I mean the longing and excitement for eternity. 

 Christmas is a celebration, a remembering, a thanksgiving of Jesus, who came to us as a baby. A gift that can NOT be compared to anything else. A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger; who was and is and will continue to be the greatest sacrifice of all time, who laid down His life on a cross, but then overcame the grave! Through His death on the cross, He provided the means for new life, a gift to all mankind! The greatest gift of all!

Would you do me a favor and re read the previous paragraph at least once more? As believers it is all too easy to speed read over the truths, but this post would be useless if it weren't for the very truths that lay in the sentences above. Read it slowly and let it sink deep into your core, you won't regret it, I'm certain. 

 This truly is a wonderful time of year! I'm grateful for extra time to spend with family and the opportunity to make new memories. But while the bustling world around me continues to scurry in a hurry; I'm here, asking my sweet Savior to reorient my focus moment by moment. This year I have been no less busy in terms of commitments, projects, and relationship building, but I am trying to take moments like this to refocus and remember who my heart is truly celebrating this season. Every season. Join me?

When I intentionally slow down in my heart, it is amazing to see the joy that comes out of it.

Jesus.

 There is power in that name!

"So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."
(Philippians 2:10) ESV

Would you join with me today, and bow before our Savior and surrender your moments to Him? So that we might live with the Christmas cross in visible sight. Life is a gift and true everlasting life is the real deal. We are living for so much more than our wish lists and agendas. We are living for the One true King who came to us as a baby.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:1-3) ESV

Before and Afters- The Kitchen

Welcome to Friday my friends. I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that December is nearly a week over already! Trying even harder to find the quiet, while the world around me is in a flurry of hurry. Savoring my Saviors birth story as much as possible and working towards less crazy and more calm. You know, because sometimes less truly is MORE.

Which leads me to the next room on our Before and After tour. 

Our Kitchen. 

As you will soon see the before pictures of our kitchen are a tad on the outdated side. We introduced a little bit of color into the finished space, but for the most part, I wanted clean lines, and a fresh welcoming feel. Like I said before, less is more, at least in my opinion as far as the cupboards go...

ENJOY!

BEFORE:

Notice the scary flooring. 

He couldn't wait to start pulling the floor up! This was taken the night we closed on the house! Lots of work to be done. BUT After a couple months of renovations including: new counters, painted cupboards ( new hardware),  new lighting,  more paint, refinished wood floors (which were under layers of who knows what), new ceiling and many many hours spent mostly by our family and friends. (THANK YOU, you know who you are!)  we had our new kitchen!

 AFTER:

The island is one of our many Ikea purchases, and its center piece is ever changing

                      

                     

       

Before and Afters: Upstairs Hallway

Welcome!

We are moving upstairs this week to look at the transformation in our hallway. The before pictures were taken about 2 years ago, while we were still finishing up trim paint and such. hopefully you will notice a a few small changes...

BEFORE:

AFTER:

It always amazes me what a little paint and a few pictures can accomplish! Don't ever believe the lie that you have to spend a ton of money to make a space beautiful, we are an abundantly blessed people take a look around you, there might just be something you could repurpose to make your space more inviting or lovely. 

Have a blessed Saturday Friends, thanks for stopping by!

Living Room: Before and After

Hello Friends! 

It is OH SO good to see the sun shining today, I hope it is shining by you too! 

As some of you may have read, our house is going through a little reno do to last winters ice damage. We are nearing the end of the renovations ( just painting and decorating left to do!) so in honor of the current fixing up going on,  I thought some of you might like to see some before and after's of our house, since we moved in 2 years ago, until the present. 

At the end of this series of before and After's I will reveal the dining room and guest bedroom transformations. that are currently underway. I am getting excited just thinking about it, which is why this post series is pretty much just a glorified motivation speech for myself! 

Hope you Enjoy!

BEFORE...

 This picture was taken just after the hole was cut into the living room/ dining room wall, you are looking into the dining room from the living room in this picture.

 This was post- paint and a few pieces of furniture, pretty much everything you see here was given to us, I have to smile at this picture, because my color choices and style has changed so much, but I also smile, because it is such a practical example of how blessed we were and are.

 Before our entertainment center was installed, I LOVED reading here...

 Front entry...

                  

 Ok, now for some after shots...or present day shots....Christmas is just around the corner, so soon there will be a tree involved...

AFTER...

Again, so many things in this picture, given or repurposed. Trust me when I say you can do A LOT of change on a little budget! 

 

 New and improved reading nook...

Remember that hole in the wall??

 The entertainment center (still needs door knobs, will post when I find the ones I am envisioning)

Hope you enjoyed the little tour of our living room, stay tuned for the next room on the tour, 

coming soon!

Have a blessed day!

Finding the Quiet

I'm thankful for the snow. 

I'm in awe of how it forces me to slow down. Gone are the days of summer and fall where I can drive some where, anywhere without giving it a second thought. Here I sit today, cozy warm in my house, no where to go, all commitments canceled. Thankful for the snow. Thankful for its powerful ability to re orient my whole day, my day I had planned out before the snow arrived in a flurry. God had this day my day all planned out too.

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

This idea of slowing down, has been something that continues to surface itself in my heart these days. I think it has something to do with that wall, the one that is my heart, which was stripped bare. In my brokenness God is pulling out all sorts of things, and in the process He is revealing areas of quiet that have always existed, but rarely noticed.

Hear me, oh please hear me when I say, that I have plenty of "quiet" moments in this little white house with a green door. When I am home in the evenings, I come home to quiet. Chase and I don't create a lot of noisy chaos. Sure our little Marley likes to voice his opinions at times (isn't that what dogs are supposed to do?) but for the majority of the time, our house is quiet, as far as the noise level goes.

So here is where I struggle. I wrestle with being quiet. Quiet on the inside. When I have the time to sit still, I rarely take it. I like to get things done, busy myself with unnecessary tasks, (such as search every online store known to man for the warmest most durable winter boots out there. NO JOKE) I am distracted on so many levels, my mind being pulled in so many rabbit trial directions, I forget that being quiet, the holy kind of quiet, is the most productive thing I can do.

This brings me back to winter. As the snow blew in late last week, and has continued to fall, my initial reaction was less than pleasant. I was grumbly. Then, as if God positioned me right back in front of the barren wall, my grumbly spirit was hushed, and broken I stood again.

Eucharisteo! Euchariseto! Eucahristeo! Cries my heart.

This fluffy white snow and the black icy roads are my euchairsteo for today. They are a physical reminder of the change God is doing within. For today, I have been given the gift of true quiet time, which might not be so tomorrow or the next day as I, along with many of you, adventure to vocations, meetings, gatherings and so much more.

To be completely open with you, today I was scared to be gifted so much time. I know myself well enough to know that I struggle to use my time in an un- busy, un-hurried way. "Help me Lord!" was my plea,  "Give me the grace and strength to be quiet today, I desire to be a good steward of the time you have given, but I so easily wander. Guide me Lord, lead me back to the cross all day long. Put your Holy Words before me, the life breathing, better than anything on this earth words!"

The fact that you are reading these very post, shows that the LORD is answering my cries for a quiet spirit today. Typically I can't sit still until late evening to write. My presence here on this blog, is a practice in quiet. It is here that I wrestle, grow and submit to HIS WAYS. Written words help me to see what I feel in my heart. Writing it down, solidifies for me what it is that Lord is doing in me.

In my quiet, the Lord is leading me, showing up in the still places of my heart and beckoning me to come. To Be Still. And so today, I'm praying on your behalf for safety on the roads, clarity of mind and the humility to find and relish in the quiet with me.

To GOD be the Glory!

Stripped Bare

This picture is me.

 Yes, you heard that right, I am this picture. Ok, technically I am in the reflection of the window, you got me there, but I am claiming that the stripped down, emptied out, vulnerable room you see, is in fact a very raw look into my life. 

The Room. 

Before I go off, spilling out my heart and what I am learning during this season in life, let me quickly catch you up to speed on the demo situation going on above. You may recall a certain harsh winter we Michiganders experienced survived last year. Well, our lovely home decided enough was enough and began to cave, quite literally! Now, fast-forward to this week, our trusty fix-it man is here repairing the under-the-surface damages done by the ice and snow. (Just in time for it to hit again, but rest assured we are prepared this time around!) 

My Heart. 

When I walked into our guest bedroom last night and saw this, I had to take a snap shot. Yes, because it's only right to document change, moments in the life of your house; but if I'm honest I needed  to take this picture because of what it reveals about me, my heart and soul in this season. 

God is breaking me, and it is beautiful. He is emptying the rotting parts of my heart and filling me with Himself, fresh and anew. He is building me up to display His beauty, as only He can. 

Change is never very easy at first, but I am learning that it is a beautiful experience when God is the one making the changes. He is stripping me down in small ways, like the fact that my house is in total disarray right now, everything out of place, yet I am ok with it. Yes, I am really looking forward to putting the pieces of my home back into working order, but the fact that I can sit in this space and not go crazy is an act of God. 

He is also working on revealing my discomforts and securities in bigger ways. Last month I attended a conference in Greenville, South Carolina where I knew exactly one person going into the multitude of faces. I don't necessarily enjoy being put into situations where I know basically no one, but let me just tell you that sacred things happen when we go where He calls. The beauty of stepping out in faith is that God never pushes you some place, without already being present there Himself. 

You see, there have been times in my life when I have walked through an entire season of questioning God, while wearing weak lenses that are out of focus. In those times it is impossible to see the big picture. God's picture. 

This season isn't like that though. By God's grace alone, I am wearing lenses custom fit by my Abba. My heart is in sync with His, and I can see clearly. By faith I am walking like Abraham, unsure of the final destination, but willing to follow and trust Him to lead me the entire way. The more I lean into Him, the clearer my vision becomes. This season is absolutely still a journey. I fail daily. He picks me up, sets me back on track, and reminds me again and again that I am HIS. 

I am overwhelmed by all the ways he is moving me, and can't wait to share more! For now I want to encourage you to stay tuned! Changes are on the way with the bedroom above included. You may even see some of those changes taking place right here on my blog, and I can hardly wait!

You are cherished my friend, You were created by the King of Kings! Won't you please let that truth  sink deep into your soul for a moment?

Wherever He has you right now, He knows what He is doing. Our days are filled-to-the-brim with unknowns and uncertainties. We are all being stripped down in one way or another. For today though, won't you choose to rest in His embrace with me? Let's lay down our fears again this morning and face today with arms open wide, ready to receive His blessing for today; even if that means being our guest bedroom wall, broken wide open and vulnerable. 

Race Day: An Inside Look

Chase and I ran the Park2park 1/2 marathon last Saturday and it was a gorgeous day to say the least! I am still in awe of how lovely it was, especially for the end of September! This was our second year participating in this race and I speak for myself, but I hope to run it again next year and the year after that, because by then it's practically a tradition right!?!

Running roughly 200 miles while training for this race, adds up to several hours of alone-in-my-head- time. To be honest with you, those hours have been some of the most Spirit moving hours I've experienced in the last several weeks. Something happens when you get quiet, with no spoken words or vocal conversations. The Spirit moves. This is something I've touched on before and I could go more in-depth still, but there will be plenty of posts like that to come!

Tonight I thought it would be fun to give you a quick little snapshot of what was going on inside my head, mile by mile through the 1/2 marathon. I have always been rather curious what goes on inside the mind of a runner, and gets them from the races start all the way to its finish line. Hopefully You've been equally as curious, because ready or not here my thoughts come!

Mile 1: Horn blasts, everyone cheers, runners EVERYWHERE. (I have always loved the adrenaline that comes with the start of a race, but NEVER the congestion.) Turning up my Toby Mac radio, sending Chase a swift "good luck" with my eyes and we are off. Now, literally 10 seconds past the start and as I look to my back right someone has already fallen down. Immediately I feel for her, my heart says make sure she gets up but my runner legs and mind say, "keep going and watch your step otherwise you're next!" And so here we go!

Clarification: When you see the word "we" from here on out,  I'm not even sure who I am referring too, occasionally it's Chase and I, other times all runners are included and then in some moments it's just me and myself. Try not to judge, remember this is a completely raw and unedited version of what took place in my head as I went! Ok back to the race...

Mile 2: We are really doing this, we have less than 13.1 miles to go, woohoo! I am thankful the beginning chaos has lessened some, but we are all still running a little close for comfort. I can still hear and see many people cheering us on.

Mile 3: I feel like we found our pace, and I have a my personal bubble back. I hear the runners around me talking, Chase is smiling and we are right with the 8:00 Minute pacers. The sun is starting to peak through the clouds.

Mile 4: Rolling up my sleeves, we are now in Waukazoo woods ( my old stomping grounds) and I feel right at home. ~Mile 4 is the first time I spoke during the race, and all I had to say was, "My parents are right up this dirt road, I mean their house is, not them right now." Literally that is what I said word after confusing word.

Mile 5: WOW mile 5 already? starting to feel that I am running. We are over 1/3rd of the way done. Sun in full force, still behind us at this point. Now headed towards the State Park, we see Kellen (our FAST friend!) coming OUT of the State Park on our way IN. We yell to him like crazy people with fists in the air, he sees us, I'm satisfied.

Mile 6: Water, beautiful fresh lake water. I LOVE running on/near the beach, I'm in awe. Must keep running, taking several mental snapshots and hiding them away. The sun is blinding, now exiting the beach and back to reality. I see my strong friend Lisa cheering us on. ( she was a serious shot of encouragement to me several times on the race course. LOVE you friend!!)

Mile 7: Well, the 8 minute pacers left me in the dust but my tracker says I'm still averaging under an 8 minute mile, so I am confused. Ah, shade! back into the woods on Lakeshore and extremely happy! Over half way through! You can do this Lindsey! come on, keep your next mile under 8 minutes, breathe in, and out. Keep a steady pace.

Mile 8: Ok, the shade was great for the first 5 minutes, but now my soul needs the sun. Where is everyone? Running by myself for the first time, I'm hitting my wall, need to break through. It's dark, I'm tired and I NEED some serious motivation. "Pray." Who Lord? Who do you want me to pray for this mile? I'M THE ONE WHO NEEDS PRAYER! " Listen Daughter, quiet your thoughts." Ok Lord....Silence..... Oh,yes she is going through a dark lonely (at times) road of life right now, kinda like me out here on mile 8. Ok Lord, I'll pray!

Mile 9: Approaching Tunnel Park, I think? yes, I hear and see people, I'm almost there. The question is to stop at the bathrooms or not? I did last year, but I really don't have to go....but this is my last chance before the finish. Ugh...make up your mind Lindsey! Pull yourself together. No. I'm not stopping. DEEP BREATH. Please Don't fail me now bladder!

Mile 10: Oh these neighborhoods again?!? Last year I wanted to walk here, Oh I needed to so bad. STOP stop that silly talk, You got this, that was then, this is now. FOCUS! Oh good, new song, yes! I love this one! awe look at all the people at the end of their driveways.....if they only knew....yep, yep smile and nod, smile and nod.

Mile 11: I'm really doing this. less than a 5k left. Time to focus, really focus. Here come the tummy crummies, fight through it! One step at a time. Oh is that Lisa again? yes I think so, YES it is! She has her phone out, oh boy! better look happy, smile. wave. thumbs up. What did she just say? " You got this, you're doing awesome!" I needed to hear that, right this second. How did she know? Thanks Lisa, I'll find you when I can breathe again and give you a hug!

Mile 12: Back to the woods I go, no stopping now. Oh a water station, wonderful! These people look really happy AND wet. Thank you water people, you all get  a A+++ in my book!

Mile 13: LESS than a mile! Oh I sure hope I run through the finish line, my legs are really feeling it LORD HELP me sprint to the end, praising you! Here is the gate, oh man, everyone can see me, open field, running on the grass...grass? why is the finish in this grass and gravel?? Oh well, I am ALMOST done! bananas here I come! closer, closer, ok sprint Lindsey, sprint with everything in you! It's here! the FINISH! Raising my fist, pointing to heaven, THANK YOU LORD FOR CARRYING ME THROUGH!!