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New Project

Thursday, May 31, 2012

I'm so excited about this project that one of my friends & I have been working on for over the past couple of months.  Both of us mothers of toddlers & were wanting a little more structured play time for our little girls.  We found a mommy & me book club on Pinterest & our juices began flowing.  What started out as planning a weekly book club for our girls & some friends soon became more than we could imagine.  With Mustard Seed Moments, we wanted to end the hours of online searching & create a one stop shop for structured learning & themed activities for our children & other mom's to use. Go check it out for yourself!  We are currently having 6 Days of Giveaways & you could be a winner!!  

Fredericksburg Weekend

Friday, May 25, 2012

We spent last weekend with some wonderful friends in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.  The weather was incredible, no mosquitos, no humidity, stunning views---just a good ole time had by all.  We are blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives to relax & hang out with.

Here is a recap in pictures. I apologize in advance for my lack of photo documentation....


We woke up to elk in the pasture in front of our cabin....



Our java.....

 The girls at the brewery

 Faren & I shopping

We had a wonderful weekend & are ready to go back.  Emma spent the weekend with Bubby & I think she enjoyed herself as well.  Here is a picture that we got from Bubby on Saturday....I don't think she missed us that much. 




Birthday Week

We have been in full birthday mode here this week-the Mr. is turning 28 on Sunday!!  Emma has loved making gifts for daddy, playing with balloons, hanging up his baby pictures all over the house, and of course, making his birthday cake.









She is in a full on "dada" phase.  It's her new favorite word.  

Happy Birthday, Matt.  We are so thankful that God made you 28 years ago & that he brought you into my life.  I have loved watching you grow into a wonderful husband & father over the last 3 years.  You are my rock, the love of my life. God could not have picked a better man for me to marry.  You are an incredible father. Emma & I are so very lucky that you are ours.  We look forward to celebrating many more years with you.  
We love you!!!


Trust.

Thursday, May 24, 2012


"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who TRUSTS in the Lord." -Proverbs 16:20

"A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who TRUSTS in the Lord will prosper." -Proverbs 28:25

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever TRUSTS in the Lord is kept safe." -Proverbs 29:25

Trust, here it is again. This time it isn't about our husbands trusting us, but rather us trusting in the Lord. I have always said, "Yes, I have faith in God. I trust the Lord do to His will", and it's easy to when things are going great, but when my world is falling apart around me, do I really trust Him? When I was 15, I lost my grandfather to cancer. And I can honestly say that I truly trusted in God's plan & His will. Did it make it easier? No, but I knew it was in His plan. Last year, I lost a dear high school friend in a sudden accident. We hadn't seen each other or spoken in the last couple of years before his death, but he was a huge part of my life--we were best friends for 4 years. This shook me to the core. Maybe it's because my relationship with God over the years hadn't been as strong as before; maybe it was because this young man was my age, but I was mad at God...really mad. I didn't understand & I didn't trust Him. Then as I sat at his memorial service & saw the thousands of high school students that he taught & the lives he had impact I knew God had a greater plan. As those students sat in their grief, wondering the same questions I did, they also heard the Gospel. They heard about a young man who loved everyone, brought good to everyone he met, had the greatest smile & funniest sense of humor & a man who loved God. Some of these kids may have never seen anyone like this or heard of God, but because of this young man's death they did. I heard that it was okay to be mad at God, it was okay to wonder why, but I also heard, "Trust. Trust me that he filled his purpose. Trust that I've had a plan all along. Trust me, Ashley." There are still some days when I ask why, but I'm reminded of Psalms 139:13-16.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the ear, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Our days were numbered before we were even born. God is in control & His plan is far greater than anything that I could ever imagine. Trust in Him, Ashley. Trust in His plan, His Word, trust in His timing.

He Trusts Me

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

This morning in our GMG Proverbs 31 Bible study we focused 3 verses....


"Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." -Proverbs 31:11

"Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."-Proverbs 11:28

"He who trusts in himself is a food, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe." - Proverbs 28:26

"Her husband has full confidence in her...", as women, isn't that one of our deepest desires, for our husbands to look at us & know that they can trust us with their hearts, raise our children, make decisions to run our home, and to support him. Matt & I had a converstation yesterday about a decision that needed to be made about our home, nothing too major, but I went to him to get his opinion & here was his response, "Thanks for asking my opinion, but you run the house so you decide. I know you'll make the right decision." (sigh.) He trusts me. He has full confidence in me. He trusts me. Sometimes I doubt my own decision making, sometimes I want to heed his advice (Wives, submit to your husbands...Colossians 3:18), but what he needs from me is to make the decisions (most of them, but he'd rather we decided together on major ones) & he trusts me to make the right one. 

I think that the other verses are reminding us that the only way we can run our homes, children, & be a supportive wife, etc. is by giving everything up to God. We have to continue to develop our relationship with Him & be in His Word daily. And he will give us guidance with anything that is put in front of us. I also think that they are to remind us that it's so important to teach our children to not put so much value on worldly things, because they too will fade away. We need to show them by example & through The Word that God is the life-giver. And we need a deep relationship with Him to be able to face anything that this world brings to our plate.  


My prayer is that God will help me to focus on The Word, and to trust that He will show me the paths to take to be a virtuous woman, wife, and mother. That He will give me the wisdom & let me lead by example to teach my children the importance of seeking God in every aspect of their lives.

Proverbs 31 Woman-Bible Study

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

I cannot even begin to tell you how blessed I have been in the past 3 days by our Bible study. When I first became interested in this study I knew I wanted to be able to do it with other Christian ladies.  I created a group inviting about 7 or 8 friends & family to be apart of it.  The response was so great that I decided to invite more ladies to join us and now our group is up to 23.  In just these 3 days, the Lord has used all of the women in our group to open my eyes up to things that I wouldn't have seen without each of them.  They have humbled me, prayed for me, and encouraged me by their words.  I'm honored to be the group leader.


Thus far in our study we have read Proverbs 31:1-6.  Proverbs 31 are the words from King Lemuel's mother advising him on how to be a good king & giving him the characteristics of a godly wife.  Verses 1-9 focus on warning Lemuel of the many temptations & sins he will face as a king--loose women & alcohol. And then it goes into what he should do to be a man & king of honor.  Lemuel's mother is preparing him to be a husband suitable for the Proverbs 31 woman and a godly man.  These first 6 verses have really spoken to me about the type of wife, mother & woman I should be-diligently praying for my daughter & husband.  Offering godly advice & being an example to Emma & our future children, and preparing them to be wife/husband & mother/father one day.

Next week we will dive in to the characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman, and I cannot wait to see what God reveals to me in these scriptures.  Please pray for me as I lead this wonderful group of women in our study, and that God changes hearts & lives throughout it, mine included.


GMG Summer Bible Study

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

I've decided to start a group for the Good Morning Girls Summer Bible Study, and I'm in need of some women who want to read the Word, hold each other accountable, and learn more about living out this life that God has given us His way.  This summer the book we will be reading is "The Proverbs 31 Woman: One Virtue at at Time"  Learn more about the Bible study here.  I don't know about you, but I'm always struggling to be the wife, mother, and woman that God has called me to be.  I think this will be an amazing study & I look forward to see what God will do in my life this summer through His Word, our group, and this Bible study.

If you want to sign up, please comment below with your email address & I will get more information to you.  The study begins on May 14th!  I'm praying that God will do amazing things in all of us!

Quitter/Slacker

So I'm getting ready for a blog makeover & today I went through old posts to read & see what all I need to work on in my blogging life.  First thing I noticed is that I'm a quitter...I start things and either a) don't follow up or b) quit all together & then I don't follow up.  Then I'm not consistent at all & then my blog is all over the place.  I need to focus.

So, to my readers (the very few that I have) I promise to follow through & stop being a slacker.  I will be more consistent with my writing, and I will try to focus these posts a little more-crafting, cooking, Bible study, and our crazy life. I'm sorry for being the slacker blog of the year!

 
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