Friends

Cupcakes

Newborn Lambs

Almost-Springness

Fun Things: We picked our first ever pumpkin!  We have a flower box with burnt orange mums in front of our window.
And now, for the ever-epic annual fall top 10 Songs:

1. Strawberry Swing/ Coldplay/ Viva La Vida
2. Carbon Ribs/ John Mark McMillan/ The Medicine
3. Timshel/ Mumford & Sons/ Sigh No More
4. Sinking Friendships/ Jonsi/ Go Do
5. Where I Belong/ Cory Asbury/ Let Me See Your Eyes
6. Too Bright To See Too Loud To Hear/ Underoath
7. That Lucky Old Sun/ Louis Armstrong
8. I Surrender All/ Newsboys/ Love Liberty Disco
9. Ode To A Butterfly/ Nickel Creek
10. Us/ Regina Spektor/

This past weekend we went to a music festival in South Dakota and got to see Kari Jobe-LIVE!  I’m not really one to freak out about seeing big names… But I was more excited about being able to be able to worship with her.  God has used her songs to speak truths to my heart, over and over and over again…  And it happened again… we were singing, ‘Hosanna’ by Brooke Fraser:

“Break my heart for what breaks yours…“

Bam.  My heart feels like I got pulled by a riptide into the middle of the ocean…  Because it’s me, it’s me breaking the heart of God.  My sin, my selfishness, and my anger.

Then I found this quote last night, written just for me by A.W. Tozer:

“Why do we consent to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter at all to look upon God?  We hear the Bridegroom say, ‘Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely’ (S. of S. 2:14).  We sense that the call is for us, but still we fail to draw near, and the years pass and we grow old and tired in the outer courts of the tabernacle.”  (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for The Divine, p.41)

Here’s the Recap:

The Wedding

The Honeymoon

Third Floor Living

The New House

A Trip to Tennessee

Blessed to be together for One Year.

Hopefully in this year we can get internet and I will be able to update this more! : )  Being married one year has been such an incredible experience, and we can’t wait to live through the next one together.  God has truly blessed us beyond measure.

Thanks for reading!  We love you guys!

Then Gabe’s side in Northern Iowa!

How blessed we are to have such beautiful God-fearing families who we love so much!

The corn is growing, too quickly.  Soon it will be over our heads. It seems that when we realize summer has started, it is already half-way through.  Weekends fill up so quickly and I am left longing for the days when I could just lay on a lake dock for a whole day and be sun-soaked and content.  At the same time, some days are so slow I could honestly watch the corn grow.

I’ve been thinking about distractions lately, mostly since Jesus has been stripping me of them.  Internet,  friends, people…  It hasn’t been the smoothest ride being here, but God’s been faithful to fulfill His will in me–sanctification. (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

And that, is that.

Gabe had his Installation Sunday two days ago, it was so meaningful!  And on top of that we were showered with Groceries…
So here’s the count:

18 boxes of cake/brownie mixes
15 spaghetti sauce cans
8 Hamburger Helpers
30+ canned goods

There’s so much more!  We were so blessed and are continuing to be blessed!  Praise Jesus!

For some reason I couldn’t fall asleep last night, so I was so grateful to hear birds chirping and see a little light in the sky.  I sat out on the deck and watched the sunrise marveling on how FAITHFUL He is, and how He loves us… This will be my fourth move in life, and every time I re-think about how we don’t belong here…  Then I happened upon this little gem:

A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. –Jeremiah 17:12

Can’t imagine what that will finally feel like standing before the throne of God, finally home.

iowans. : )