Week 21 photo 52 week photo project

Tattoo number 2 for me! This was our anniversary gift to each other this year. And again as with all tattoos that I will ever get this one is very important to me. Bonus points if you know what is says, come on bible scholars out there!! Ok, well now since you are out of guesses I will tell you. The blue one is Shawn's and it says "My Joy" in Hebrew (Gili), which is what he calls me. Mine which of course is pink says "My love" in Hebrew (Ahuvi), which is what I call Shawn. They are each on our left wrists, to remind us of one another and what a gift God has given us in each other. I am so blessed and honored to be married to my husband, 4 years and counting! Thank you Lord!!

Week 19-20 52 week photo project

 Our group at the school carnival. I choose this picture, because the friends with us, they have become a part of our extended family. We are so blessed each day by the Treu family! They serve along side us at the Denver campus, both in worship ministry and in children's ministry. Excellent at each! We are blessed by their two little boys, who fit right in with our gang of little men. Thank you Lord for the wonderful friends that you have brought into our lives. We are forever changed because of these great people! We are honored to be called their friends!

Maybe one of my all time favorite photos of this little man. I love Bryce so much, and I have been honored to watch him grow up. Almost 2 years old and I can't believe it, how much he has grown, how funny he is becoming each and everyday, and it just warms my heart how much he loves me! Such a precious little man, I can't wait for the years ahead, and to see the man he will become! Thank you Cathy family for giving me such a wonderful part of your family each week. I am so blessed by all of you, to be included in your family and to get to each day laugh with you, cry with you, and just share a part of this little man with all of you! 

Week 16-18 of 52 photo a week project

Soccer friends! Soccer has started for the spring, and we are so excited! Corban and Jordan are loving their first year playing, and are doing so well. We are also so excited to be able to play with our good friends the Claycamp family (Justin is one of theirs seen in this picture). The older boys (Ximon, James and Zeke), are also doing great, dominating as always! I'm sure you will see more pictures of soccer in the weeks to come! 

James in his first ever choir concert. He has been practicing all winter/spring and he did so great at his performance. He said he was a bit nervous, but you wouldn't know it. We are so proud of him!! 

 Probably my all time favorite picture of me and this wonderful little girl! I am so blessed to have extra kiddos in my life to take care of. This is Quinn and I at the zoo early this week. I love her! What a princess! She is the only one among all of these boys! I love that she will sit with me for hours on end, truly has the voice of an angle, she always wants to hold my hand, and I even get the great joy of her sleeping in my arms. Thank you Lord for bringing this little girl into my life!

Why Lord Why?

I know when we are going through those really rough patches in our life, we are in constant battle with the Lord asking why over and over again, and not hearing an answer.

Right now some very dear friends of ours are going through the hardest thing you can face in our life here on this earth, the battle between death and life. Our pastors son, is in critical condition. He is hanging in the balance, he has a wife and a very young son. They are all hanging on to that hope of life. I'm sure asking why, pleading with our Lord, on why Eddie wasn't saved from this awful thing, why it happened in the first place, why might I face death of someone so dear to me. Why me? I am a follower of God, I am your beloved, why Lord, why?

Through all of this, time and time again, the Lord keeps bringing me back to the story of Him and Lazarus.

Lazarus a man that Jesus loved dearly! We read in John 11, Jesus's groan as he comes near the tomb of his dear friend. His sisters distraught over why Jesus would not come when he first heard of their brothers sickness. Why Lord? You could have saved him, you could have kept him from this, why? Why did you not come?  I know you could have saved him, kept him from this, so why didn't you? I know we feel this way, we believe in the power of our Lord, but why did this thing happen, why are we hurting, why didn't you save me from this? You are my Lord, you love me, you love him, so why?

But the story doesn't end there, with them and us saying "oh he died, you could have stopped it, but didn't, we are so sad, oh Lord why?"

The story continues, the real show of Jesus's great love for us, for Lazarus, for Lazarus's family, for all of those watching, waiting.

You want to know why? An answer to all of those really bad times, because there is HIS Glory to be shown through this, HE will be the victor, HE will triumph, no matter the outcome. It is to show HIS great love for us, HIS awesomeness, nothing else. He tells us, you will see my glory through this, maybe not by any other means, but I am here to show you my greatness. Come look and see, Lazarus come forth!! HIS glory shown through terribleness, through death, through life.

Our God is that Great, Our God is that Good, hold to that, let us see the Glory of Jesus shown through those tough times!

So I know as I ask why so many times in my life, so many times over this past weekend, I have the answer, I have the hope. It's to see Jesus, to see HIS glory, to see HIS promise lived out and fulfilled in our lives. I hold to that, we cling to that, in facing death, our Lord is the victor, he will be glorified even in death!

Please keep praying for Ed (my dear pastor), Marie (his wife). They are parents holding so tightly to their son, praying for a miracle.

Pray for Eddie (the man in critical condition), pray for healing, complete, miraculous healing, pray for Rachael (his dear wife), she is sitting next to her husband, crying out for answers, for hope, for something, just to have the man she loves back, to have more days with him, to share their life together. And for their little boy (Levi). The joy of everyones heart.

I know so many of you have been faithful in these prayers over the past weekend, and I thank you! Our Lord is a God of miracles, he hears us, he comforts us, HIS Glory will be shown through this! Keep praying as we are still in critical times for Eddie. Pray for comfort over all of the Taylor's as they walk this terrible valley.