Home stretch

 Layla is on the home stretch.  in less than a month she'll be boarding a plane and taking with her all the parts and pieces that she'll forever hold in her heart from the past five and a half months with YWAM.  both Hawaii and Tanzania have been amazing times for her.  she'll certainly leave a part of her heart behind, i expect.  she's had so many meaningful connections with staff and new friends and the sweetest children.  her blog has beautifully articulated her journey so far, so feel free to catch up with her there... 

In the Lay of Things

i know i would have absolutely thrived with such an opportunity at that age.  it would have sunk in deep and shaped me forever.  we will always be grateful for the opportunity she's had to go.  to learn and grow and serve and become.  so many supported her in so many different ways to help facilitate this journey.  thank-you if that has been you.  God has been sooo good.

i'm soo looking forward to having her under the same roof again! 

finish well, Lay!  shine on...❤

it's just a number

 apparently age really is just a number.  here's my dad.  on the ice with Cree.

by his own description~ he felt rusty.  but then, so did i this year.  not at all like the four year old whippersnapper seen above.  or his 17 and 19 year old brothers.  they really make it look so easy.  effortless even.

still, dad wins the award for getting out there and giving it a go.  in a decade of his own.  

he's inspiring. ❤

this rings true

sometimes you read things that are countercultural, but refreshing and actually true.  something that jumps off a page or screen and stops you short.  it's often different than the popular message, the trendy philosophy of the day or the catchy narrative used to dress up deceptive lies that society adopts as truth.  

this happened to me the other day on Instagram, of all places.  (sooo, i held out on joining Instagram for a good long while, but when Layla mentioned her Tanzania team would be posting news there, i caved and opened my own account).  well, you know how smart that social media algorithm is, right?!  just linger over a quote or a reel for a second longer than normal and your feed is forever bombarded with similar posts.  it can be good, and it can be maddening.  for example, i watched one reel about a rescue of a dog living in horrible conditions and horrendous suffering and the IG or Facebook platform assumes i want to see such videos each and every day.  but i don't.  just cute puppies and babies~ more of those ones please...

recently, however, i did read these words.  i like the truth they contain.

five things Jesus did not say...

"Follow your heart"

Jesus said, "Pick up your cross and follow ME"

"Be true to yourself"

Jesus said, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself"

"Believe in yourself"

Jesus said, "Believe in me"

"Live your truth"

Jesus said, "I am the truth"

"As long as you are happy"

Jesus said, "What will it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul"

i don't know who to credit for this, but to me it's really good.  truth i know to be real and evident in my own life experiences.  always a good reminder for me too.  God's word doesn't change.  culture and societal trends certainly do, at a blurring speed sometimes.   

but the words of Jesus are good and true and you can take them to the bank.  His heart for you is good, and His desire is for you to know Him.  so thankful i do.  

have burning questions?  a great starting point is a book by Rick Warren called The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?  it's a literal gem. 

Christmas 2024

 Christmas season 2024 already feels like a bit of a distant memory, even though it's only been a month.  so i'm throwing down the pictures today, because once i'm out of January there's really no going back.  i want to remember~ the sweet and fun parts, the memorable "together" parts, the traditional and the sacred parts.  

(we missed Layla, that was hard.  but we made the best of it and connected with her during quiet moments too.  those are times when technology is amazing!  her journey to Africa over Christmas proved to be another gift! more on that soon!)

as for photos~ here goes...

Joelle came home!  a huge gift of Christmas!  then Jeff pointed out the strong resemblance between Joelle and the dog...we all laughed.  he isn't wrong.

she was showing off her craftiness all week.  i remain in awe. Cree clearly was mesmerized as well.  how did that even happen?!

cousin dinner conversations.  

when my nativity scene people appear in Cree's truck cab, then you know it's Christmas.

Joelle~ the winner of Mom's amazing Christmas quilt!

Cree helped keep our "gift game" running smoothly.

Joelle and Jessie...picked up right where they left off.

Cree managed to hold his own lit candle during the Christmas Eve service.  this made him really happy.  no larger fires were set, which made me really happy.

spoons with water chugging for the loser.  

the baby in the manger...He came!

Terrell admiring Cree's new wheels.

Joelle gifted Cree the coolest and comfiest sweats.

Jeff's mom always nails Christmas dinner.

Cree prefers having a passenger...

Jessie~ maybe not so impressed to model Joelle's beautiful balaclava creation... 

somehow Jessie made it in more photos than Hudson and myself this year.  that was purely an accident.  hopefully that gets fixed next year.  both Hudson and I were present for all these gatherings and i know he'd agree that a great time was had! actually, if it wasn't for Jeff and the girls, i'd have less than three Christmas pictures total...so i'm obviously living in the moment, it could be worse i guess...

thanks family, you keep snapping pics and i'll be sure to deliver them here.  that much i can do! :)  

Layla update

 catching up on a few photos for those that might be wondering about Layla.  she is in the heart of Tanzania currently, and all is well.  rewinding a bit, here are a few photos of her and her friends and team members prior to leaving Hawaii.  

the Tanzania team, minus one valuable member.

dear friends to her, hopefully for life.

all packed up and ready to head out...

she is brave, compassionate, and freely living in the peace and joy and presence of Christ.  exactly how she was made to live.  so grateful to see her content and excited about all that is ahead.

keep shining Layla! you are loved and missed. ❤

Africa pictures to follow!

Sloan's

 another beauty tree...and a really nice time choosing it too.  Sloan's Village isn't cheap, but wow, it's still really special.  the sounds, the smells, the spirit of the company.  it's a nice tradition.  

here are a few pictures to remember the tree cutting of 2024...

grateful it happened!