A Life of Gratitude

Do you ever think of life as a race?   Hebrews 2:1b-2 says, " And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,   fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."  This is so important. We need to run the race marked out for us. God has prepared a “race” or path for each one of us. The race before you is different than the race before your friend or co-worker. Each and every person has a race designed specifically for them that leads to the plans God has for them. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 Over the past month and a half my race has taken some twists and turns. God has revealed some new plans He has for me. I'll be honest, sometimes it can be hard and scary to drop the things you've spent so much time and energy on. But, I will say, it has been so worth it. I know othe...

As you probably know, since 2011 Tori has been writing a blog highlighting things she is thankful for in everyday life. She’s written nearly 1400 posts, and amassed nearly 200,000 views spanning 5 continents. I thought it was time to take a moment and turn the thanks towards her. In June of 1996 my life changed forever when I met a cute 13-year-old brunette who had lived right down the street my entire life! I don’t believe in love at first sight, but for us it was. Tori and I started “dating” from that day forward and other than a few small breaks, have spent the rest of our lives together. Times weren’t always great. Putting up with a teenage boy with raging hormones makes for some very tense, often hurtful times. But despite everything Tori stuck with me. Here we are 23 years later (what!!!!), happily married with 4 amazing children! I’ve had the immense privilege of spending all of these years with the most amazing woman I know and experiencing first hand, all the things ...

Easter is one of my favorite holidays! I always have so much fun planning crafts and activities to do with my kids to help them celebrate our Risen Savior! For the past week, we have been painting and decorating and having lots of fun preparing for Easter. Yesterday we dyed Easter eggs and today we enjoyed an egg hunt at church. The kids loved the balloons and the interactive prayer stations. Our family devotions this week have been all about the last supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection! It's always beautiful to watch the kids connect with the most important story ever told Today I am grateful that we have so much to celebrate this weekend! Bryan and I have the privilege of telling our sons and daughter about Jesus. We get to tell them how much He loves them---so much that He died for them so that they could spend eternity with Him. We get to celebrate our Risen King and make sure they know that Jesus wins every. single...

I firmly believe that if we, as parents, don't teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach not to. That's something I've believed for years! More recently though, I've noticed the need for more than that. We must be intentional about teaching our children who God is but also in teaching them who God says they are! It has taken me years and years to actually believe what God says about me. I often wonder how different my high school years and early adulthood would have been if I had been taught as a child what God says about me. Finding my identity in Him could have changed so much! Learning to choose to believe what God says would have been life-altering. So, I've decided to do everything I can to make sure my kids know how God sees them and what He says about them. I wholeheartedly desire for them have this truth as a foundation.  I can't even imagine how valuable it will be for my sweet kiddos as they grow up. Over the past coupl...

My family returned home today from a week-long vacation in Williamsburg, VA. It was cloudy and rainy for a lot of our trip but we had a wonderful time together.  We visited historical sites, played putt-putt, spent 2 days at Busch Gardens, ate so much yummy food, did a lot of shopping, went swimming, and enjoyed time together as a family.  Our umbrellas got a lot of use on our trip but it didn't stop our fun! These three boys had so much fun together! Bryan and I enjoyed watching them! Dylan is a Historian at heart. He teaches me so much, all the time! This trip was a good one for him! He enjoyed visiting so many historical spots. Tyson is working on a special candle in this photo. He really enjoyed himself on our trip. These three spent a lot of time with me while we waited on Bryan and Dylan to ride the big roller coasters. This is the only family photo we got.... On the train at Busch Gardens! This was Allison's very first ride! She...