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all about purity.

Published by Aubrey

As I have mentioned before some of our favorite music to listen to are the Seeds Family Worship CD’s. We have several of them and listen to them regularly. In fact, Mason listens to one of them each night at bedtime. And you know what the coolest part is? When I hear the kids singing the songs on their own because each song is scripture set to music. Yes, it is nice to hear your kids singing scripture. It beats the arguing, complaining and drama that comes in between the songs of worship!

Seeds Family Worship has just released a new album out all about Purity. You can check it out here as well as purchase a CD of your own. Along with the CD there is a pledge for parents to take. The pledge helps us all take a look at how purity in our children starts with purity throughout our homes. Every person who takes the pledge receives a free song from Purity and a free devotional download from the Passport2Purity curriculum by FamilyLife.

Take the pledge!

This is something we are going to do in our home and I would encourage you and your family to do the same! Click on the link above on for more info about the purity pledge and how to get your free download from the new album.

Love your neighbor. One year looking back.

Published by Aubrey

It was a year ago tomorrow that we moved to Indiana and into our home. Today we celebrated Valentines Day with 4 families in our neighborhood and we had a wonderful time. There were 20 kids ages 1-15, some big families in attendance! We played silly games, made crafts and filled up on lots of sugar. Yep, good times had by all.

I am so thankful for where God has brought us in one year. He has poured out his love for us in countless ways looking back. Today was the perfect way to celebrate our one year housing anniversary. He has helped us make a new home, make friends and share his love with others. Last night we celebrated Brian’s birthday. We sat around a table with two other couples who we didn’t know last year at this time but now have become great friends. They are a part of our lives and we do life with them. Once again, his love is lavished upon us. He has answered prayers through and through. He has met us every step of the way. We are loved.

Happy Valentines Day to you. May you feel His love for you today and always and share it with others!

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

things i’m loving right now.

Published by Aubrey

photo credit

my new running shoes-Nike Lunar Swift 3
Blue Bottle coffee that my husband makes for us each morning. So amazing.
abnormal warm weather
planning for a neighborhood Valentines Day party with a new neighbor friend
seeing God work in huge ways through my friend Jenni and Scarf with a Heart
3 close friends who are to deliver babies anyday!
2 special girls who have become close friends and daily encouragers and prayer warriors for me and my family all because of Twitter and Hellomornings
These really cool Star Wars Valentines I found here for Mase. So easy print off, cut, back with cute paper and insert a glow stick for a light saber. I found the glow sticks in the Dollor Bins at Target.
Lots of visitors coming and going starting this weekend through the end of the month! Yay! I love having people visit and sharing our home and life with others.

And that will be it for the week. I am off to a Keynote women’s retreat, the ministry we are on staff with. Have a great rest of the week!

5 on friday.

Published by Aubrey

1. So first and foremost the weather has pretty much been amazing this week. Yesterday the kids played outside for 3 hours, most of the time with no coats! I think this weather is probably going to wreak havoc on all of our springtime flowers and bushes but I’m not complaining. Here is a pic of the kids and their friends in a line up for one of the MANY bike races I was the judge for.

2. My mother-in-law sent us a little care package this week. I just love when she does this! She is an amazing finder at thrift stores. Always finding little treasures and I often benefit. One of her latest finds was a bundle of super cute fabric scraps for $1! Yep, $1! Oh, she knows me so well. I don’t know what I am going to do yet, but I am motivated to start a new project quick with some of these amazing fabrics! So here is a shout out to the best mother-in-law…thanks for thinking of me and sending me some love!

3. We had one of our new faves for dinner last night. It’s rather healthy, makes a lot and is super easy to make. And oh yeah, it is gooood! Just dump a can of black beans, can of Rotel, can of corn, a whole thing of cream cheese and then a bag of frozen chicken tenderloins on top (or several chicken breast). And I add some taco seasoning to it as well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours in your crockpot. We’ve had it served over rice, in burritos or just dip chips in it. You’ll have plenty for leftovers so you can try it several ways. Here’s the link for more details. Creamy chicken goodness in a crockpot (I came up with that name myself. Pretty clever, huh?)

4. We are going over to our friends house for the Superbowl and I am waaaay excited. Definitely more excited about making and eating fun food than the game itself but whatever. I’ll catch bits of the game as I am sampling all the yumminess. Here is one thing I think I am going to bring. Peanutbutter cheese ball. You had me at the name. You had me at the name. Can’t wait to try this!

Source: bunsinmyoven.com via Aubrey on Pinterest

5. My friend and I are co-hosting a neighborhood Valentine’s Day party. I’m really excited to get to know our neighbors more and enjoy some games and fun treats together. I think I will be making these and playing this game!

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Kimberlee on Pinterest

Source: stacyjulian.com via Aubrey on Pinterest

Choose love.

Published by Aubrey

We are keeping the family monthly memory verses going and in the spirit of Valentines Day we chose a verse about love. Because really His love is the best to share with others.

Isn’t it?

We love because he loved us first! 1 John 4:19

I’m a runner. So I run.

Published by Aubrey

If you know me at all or have been reading my blog for awhile then you know I am a runner. (If you are new to my blog, then welcome! and yes I am a runner.) Nothing stellar, no records being broke but it’s “my thing”. It’s what I do to keep in shape, to eat what I want, to relieve stress and to keep discipline in my life. I have a competitive side in me that comes out when I run. I’ve been known to throw an elbow or two to edge out that one girl I’ve been keeping my eye on the whole race right at the finish line. Oh yes, true. So I’m a runner. And it’s a good thing.

I often find myself running through life though. Rushing here and there, sometimes for no reason at all. Just to get done I guess. To then move on to the next thing…and rush some more. I have a tendency to push things along faster than they should go. Whether it be people, relationships, decisions. I’m often thinking “we should be here not way back here. So let’s speed things up and start running to get to where we should be.” Notice the use of the word “should”. It’s a word that can cause a lot of guilt, heart felt tension and trouble. A wise friend once told me “Don’t ‘should’ yourself”! Yes, it’s not a good thing. I often find myself running to talk to someone else about a difficult situation or a frustration before I take time to talk to Him about it. I don’t wait on Him to listen or instill wisdom in me. I don’t know why I am running, rushing. Maybe it’s the lie I’m believing if I get there first then I’ll know how to handle it, what to do, I’ll be in control. Maybe it’s the fear of slowing down and waiting. Will it all fall apart if I slow down, if I stop? Will I fall apart? Maybe.

And then I read this…

Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

What I love about this verse is that it states it twice, just in case we didn’t get it the first time…WAIT! Wait on who? The Lord. Not on someone or something else. But wait on Him. Secondly, I love that it says be strong and take heart. Because gosh friends, it’s hard to wait! It takes strength and heart to wait when we don’t want to, when we don’t know how long we will be waiting or even what we are waiting for. He knows that, He gets it and so He reminds us to be strong and take heart…and wait for Him.

I’m thankful He has shown me this but it is hard to swallow. Because like I said I am runner and I just want to think through it quickly, figure it out what this means, run with it and be done. Race over. Oh, I am a runner but I can be a slow learner.

I want to wait on Him. I want to walk humbly before Him. Show me. Show me what this means in my everyday “running around like a crazy girl” world. My confidence is in Him. Yes, He has gone before me. But I find more comfort in knowing He is walking with me and will wait with me even when I need to stop.

a little valentines inspiration for you.

Published by Aubrey

So you know all those craft projects you have laying around that your kids do? The ones they are so proud of but you can only have so many of them hanging up and you just can’t bring yourself to throw them away (at least not right away). Well I have an idea for you that can transpire into some Valentines Day decor for your home. And make your kiddos proud that you used their artwork.

Last week the girls did some paintings. You know like five paintings each within 10 minutes. Well after they dried and sat on our kitchen counter for a couple of days I cut all different size shapes of hearts out of the paintings. Then I taped the hearts on some twigs I collected from our backyard. Do these look familiar? These are the same twigs I collected back in September for Fall decor, painted them silver for Christmas and we are still using them! Long live the twigs! Don’t be surprised if you see shamrocks taped on them in March. Anywho… tape those little puppies on your twigs, stick them in a jar, glass bottle or whatever you fancy and call it done! You have decorated for Valentines Day, your kids are happy because they have provided the original materials and you don’t have a stack of craft projects on your counter. Win. Win. Win.

I’m out.

Today I linked up with Skip to my Lou.

Fun Times With Friends

Published by Brian Barela

5 on friday.

Published by Aubrey

1. This week I had the opportunity to go into Mason’s classroom twice. Once, with Brian for a parent teacher conference and the second time to volunteer during “center time”. Both times I left the school with a big smile on my face and feeling very proud of our boy. It is so fun to hear about or see Mason’s personality in a different setting other than at home with us. It’s encouraging to hear that he is putting into practice the things we are teaching at home like kindness, respect and responsibility. Yes, I am bragging at bit but you know as a parent sometimes you just wonder “Am I really do anything right here?” And then you get some affirmation and it just feels good. The end.

2. Every now and then the girls will ask about getting their ears pierced. It kind of comes and goes quickly and I haven’t pushed it much because I don’t really want to deal it. But lately it has become a daily ~~hourly~~ request. A couple of their friends have them done so they see the prettiness that could be on their ears. This has led to conversations about acting like a “big girls” because only “big girls” get to have their ears pierced. And wouldn’t you know it, this little reminder has curbed the drama in the house a bit. We haven’t decided when/if we will be piercing any ears for sure but for now I’m going to enjoy the lack drama throughout the day.

3. This week I did a little decorating for Valentines Day. I don’t normally do anything but I could not pass up some cute ideas I saw on Pinterest. Here is something simple for a our mantel. Love the red and aqua together. I’m thinking of adding some heart garland. Maybe a weekend project?

4. So we live in Indy and there is this big event that is coming up next week that is in our city. You may have heard of it? The Superbowl. So I have heard from a reliable source (the husband) people start arriving this weekend for a week of festivities leading up to the big game next weekend. The city has been preparing for a while as you can imagine. A whole “village” has been built downtown, tons of free concerts and many more activities. We haven’t quite decided if we are going to brave it and venture downtown to check it out but it is a once in a lifetime thing so maybe. I have also heard that Indianapolis Colts fans DO NOT like the Patriots and are NOT happy about all these New Englanders invading our city. So I’m just gonna go with it. Go Giants!

5. Last night Mase prayed the sweetest, most honest prayer:

Jesus I pray that my sisters would ask you into their hearts before you come back. And I pray you don’t come back any time soon because I want my sisters to be in heaven with me and they have to pray to you first. Thank Jesus for my two sisters. It is a lot of hard work. But it is worth it. Amen.

So sweet. So honest.

On that note, happy Friday!

filled up to overflowing.

Published by Aubrey

photo credit

Have you ever had that feeling of overwhelming thankfulness for something that you get to have and be a part of everyday? Like your family? Sure, I’m always thankful for these people that God has given me to do life with. But it’s not everyday that I am filled up and over flowing with thankfulness for them. There are days that go by that thankfulness is not the first thing off the top of my head when I am experiencing them.

But today I woke up with an overwhelming sense of thankfulness for my family. We are not perfect by any means. But we are a well oil machined in our own way. We have figured out what works for us. We laugh a lot, we cry some, we hug and wrestle, we listen and encourage one another. We mess up and hurt each others feelings. We forgive each other. We are free to be ourselves around each other.

I love these 4 people that God has chosen to be my family. Today I am filled up and over flowing with thankfulness. It’s a real good feeling.