Adoration

This morning at Gateway they played a song that is very dear to me. At our wedding we wanted to have worship. People gave us the good advice of making sure you put whatever you value most in your wedding. Night and day worship of God was and is a high value to us, so we made sure to implement it in our big day. The song that we picked was Glory Will Cover the Earth by Justin Rizzo. Jake was at the International House of Prayer when he first felt strongly that he wanted that song in his wedding. It's such a simple statement of our faith. It also was a powerful prophetic declaration to be sung in the middle of a public park, surrounded by people who may not see things the same way. Also, in the midst of the hype of our wedding, it was wonderful reminder to keep things in perspective. Really, our union is just a picture of that Day and we live with our hope anchored in it.

Here are the lyrics:

I will tell of Your mercy 

And Your unfailing love

I will be, to the glory of Your name

Like a banner they will see You 

Lifted high above 

They will speak, of the One upon the throne

And Your glory, will cover the earth 

Like the waters, cover the seas 

And the earth, will sing Your praises 

Forevermore, Your kingdom shall be

Sing aloud Your song Give praise to the One

The deliverer has come It's the bridegroom come

I believe heaven’s coming down 

Jesus will reign, on the earth 

The two, shall become one 

Forever united in the Son

This is reality, He is coming to reign on the earth 

And the increase, of His government, will know no end!

Also, while we're on the topic of music, there is a band that everyone should check out. They're called SisterBrother and they're a local Christian band that combines beautiful voices, powerful lyrics, and funky tunes. If you're looking for some fresh new worship music, you should definitely hit them up. You can find them on itunes, or look them up on their website. The song "Risen King" is a personal favorite of mine, so you should at the very least, check that one out. 

Lawn Chairs and Djembes

If you've never been to 10,000 villages you should probably go sometime. Growing up I used to love going there with my mom to look at all the neat handmade things from all over the world. I was especially fond of their jewelry and I think at one point all of the necklaces I owned were from there. This store has an interesting history, with the founder being a mennonite woman who decided to help the artisans that she met in other countries make a bigger profit from their crafts. Anyways, this weekend Jake had the opportunity to play djembe with some friends at a small concert in the cafe at 10,000 villages. It was fun to mingle with people, listen to good music, and watch my husband do something he loves.

making a ruckus in the musical instrument section

In other news, we had some more sunny weather this weekend. Sometimes it can be frustrating living in an apartment where there's no real yard or area to call your own. Well, we decided, after my parents so kindly gave us two of my Grandpa's old lawn chairs, to make our parking spot an outdoor retreat.

We set up in our quaint little nook, Jake with his sketch book, and me reading the Hobbit out loud to him. We even had music and snacks on our 'table' (skateboard). Tolkien books have been a big part of our relationship, all the way back to our first month of dating. I had read the Hobbit the summer Jake asked me out and loved it. I was determined to read all of the Lord of the Rings books after that. During one of our visits while we were dating, Jake and I read quite a bit of the first LOTR out loud while enjoying the beach. We read all 3 separately and enjoyed talking about how Tolkien was a genius and how his writing made the story come alive. After seeing the trailer for the Hobbit movie coming out in December, I knew that Jake needed to read the book first. So, now we have another fun and free way to spend quality time together. Letting our imaginations roam all over middle earth with a crazy band of dwarves and a buried treasure to discover. Now, if only I could get Jake to pronounce all the names the way I picture they should be said instead of his way. :)

Garden

My dear friend Noelle inspired me to do an update on our soon to be garden. Ok, so it's not that exciting, but we have accomplished a few things.

• Convince my dad into letting us have a garden in their yard
• Decide on all of the veggies and herbs that will be planted
• Remove the top layer of grass on one sunny Saturday

Growing up we always had a garden and I used to love watching the process. I was known for being daddy's little helper, so I eagerly helped with the tasks of planting, watering, and especially harvesting! It was the only time in my younger years that I was actually willing to eat vegetables. There was something so exciting about running out back and plundering all the stuffings for a delicious pita pocket. 

Dragons

This morning is a Jon Thurlow kind of morning. They're singing about how no other gods satisfy and I feel like I'm hearing it in a new light today. Of course I know that Hindu gods don't satisfy, and obviously I don't think some kind of god of the sun or the moon or the wind is going to do anything for me. It's the god's that I establish in my life that I need to sing that about. The god of popularity will never satisfy. The god of beauty will always leave me wanting. The god of comfort will never quench my thirst. These are idols that in little ways I serve day in and day out. But today, I'm singing with Jon Thurlow that they do not and will never satisfy and that I have an amazing inheritance with Jesus. Hallelujah!

I'm holding on to Your divine love

I'm holding on and I'm not letting go

It's not my zeal, but that Your love is strong

It's not my strength, it's that You're faithful.

Friday night Jake and I ventured to the Green Dragon. 

This was Jake's first time at this outdoor market that only happens on Fridays. He loved it! It was fun to go there with him because it made me appreciate it more. I get to see this area with new eyes having him around to get excited about all the things that I would find boring or normal. 

Picking out another sign for my collection

Jake buying some homemade root beer from an Amish lad.

Corncob jelly??

All our treasures we found. Pumpkin butter, vintage book for a friend, root beer, and hex sign. Not to mention the delicious whoopie pies we ate and our tasty/slightly unhealthy supper. Nothing like the dragon.

Fractured Prune

Here's another weekend recap. It's not that my weekdays are boring and uneventful, it's just that I don't tend to take a lot of pictures during the week and I have a hard time making posts without pictures.

Friday night we went over to our friends Keith and Nicole's house for dinner. Their 4 year old daughter, Bella, was quick to give us a tour of her room and show us all her toys. The evening ended with a music performance where Bella stole the show as she played her purple guitar as a standing bass.

Saturday was a full one for Jake and I. Thankfully, we started it off with my first ever donut at the Fractured Prune. I've heard so much about this spot in Lancaster and how incredible their hot and fresh donuts are. We were definitely pleased.

Jake had a meeting with a potential client for a mural, I ventured around Central Market and then we headed to my parents house to work on a big painting for my nephew's 8th birthday. 

Jake squeezed his way into my parents tiny little shed to work on the painting. Definitely not an ideal situation, but at least the canvas wasn't blowing around in the wind. We've been praying and searching for a 'studio space' for Jake to work on art projects. Using spray paint makes it tricky sometimes to find a place for him to be creative and not fear making a mess. There are some barns nearby that offer storage space and we've been dreaming about turning one into a studio if the owner would allow us. If you think of it, please pray for God to provide in this. We both feel like God is going to make a way for Jake to have more opportunities to do art, maybe even for a profit, and he needs a place to do it!

And here's the birthday boy in all his Phillies gear (hat, sunglasses, necklace, t-shirt, 2 bracelets, and a watch). Thataboy!! We're very supportive of his latest love of the Phillies. A few years ago he tried to tell us he was a Cowboys fan. We were a little nervous that his taste for sports teams was a bit off. Obviously now he's doing much better!

It was a good weekend. Today started off a little odd as Jake got picked up for work by a colleague and accidentally left his keys with me. He just called me as he was breaking into our apartment through the window. Not the most reassuring thing that it's so easy to break in, but I'm glad he didn't have to hang out for 3 hours till I got home. Now I'm going to spend some time listening to a sermon by Allen Hood about pruning. Ouch. Not a topic that I love, but one that is very real to me in this season. If it brings greater fruit and intimacy with the Father, I'll gladly offer up my dead branches, even if it means loss, change, and pain. Have a marvelous Monday!

PS Check out my friend Laurel's sweet giveaway on her blog! She's so talented!

Weekend

What does one do when their husband is gone camping for the weekend and it's your first time alone without him?

Well, first, you can go out with some lady friends on Friday night while wearing his shirt.

Next, spend some time on Saturday learning all about your new sewing machine that you got for Christmas from your dear mother who is a seamstress by profession.

Then, on Sunday spend some time crafting with dear friends while Jadah makes some home made granola that we get to share. Check out her blog to see the recipe! Oh, and watch your daffodils that your hubby got for you open up over night!

Jake had a fun time camping too. It was good for him to get out in nature and chill with some guys. Other than having to sleep in a car the first night because it was raining so hard, they had a great weekend.

He's so cute!

Sweet Sunny Sundays

Every week I look forward to Sunday. On Sundays Jake and I schedule into our day a few hours of arts and crafts time. Jake usually ends up drawing or painting, and I usually end up knitting or sewing or making some other crafty thing. We have a lot of fun when we invite people over to join us.

With Jadah here, she decided that her creative outlet would be making some tasty treats on Sundays. We were very quick to encourage her in that endeavor.

And my dear friend Debbie visited and did some knitting.

In other news, on Tuesday night at the Equipping service at Gateway, the message, as usual, was right on point with what God's been talking to me about. They were talking about living a disciplined lifestyle, mostly in the area of time spent with God in the secret place. The Lord has been pointing out in my own life lately that I can no longer justify spending my time on so many things that may not be sin, but are a distraction and are hindering my growth in Him. He's worthy of it all, and that means my most prized possession; time. This has been a journey and sometimes I fail miserably, but I realize that at the end of the day, I'm only living for the approval of one man and He sees my heart's intent. Praise God for His mercy and grace!