"fwingy" with joy

Remember that amazing feeling of swinging as a kid?
Abigail has fully embraced it
...and it makes my heart so full.

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Her smile says it all.
And to be "fwingy" (Abigail's word for "swinging") with her Daddy?!?
It just can't get better than that.

Abigail teaches me daily to embrace the JOY.
(it IS her middle name...
we had no idea how prophetic it would be of her personality)
When I am tired from lack of sleep,
physically exhausted from breastfeeding 24-7,
upset because of toddler tantrums that seem to be getting more frequent,
or just having a day full of spiritual battle...
she teaches me about Joy.

"Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
They exult in your righteousness,
You are their glorious strength."
Psalm 89: 15

Lord, help me embrace the joy that is awaiting me each day, each moment.
It is because of You that I can live in joy and have life abundantly.


somebody needs to read this today . . .

Don't worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they will soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust Him and He will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage,
do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Soon the wicked will disappear.
Though you look for them, they will be gone.
The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.
the wicked plot against the godly, they snarl at them in defiance.
But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgement coming.
The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed, to slaughter those who do right.
But their swords will stab their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

It is better to be godly and have little that to be evil and be rich.
For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly.
Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
They will not be disgraced in hard times,
even in famine they will have more than enough.
But the wicked will die.
The Lord's enemies are like flowers in the field - they will disappear like smoke.
The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.

Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,
but those he curses will die.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Once I was young, now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.
the godly always give generously to others, and their children are a blessing.

Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice, and he will abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die.
The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.

The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
They have made God's law their own, so they will never slip from His path.
The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.
But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.

Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along His path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed.
I have seen wicked and ruthless people flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
But when I looked again, they were gone.
Though I searched for them, I could not find them.
Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
But the rebellious will be destroyed; they have no future.

The Lord rescues the godly; He is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them, and they find shelter in Him.
Psalm 37

Elizabeth Ann's leg of the race . . .

Hebrews 12:1 is the heart of my blog.
It talks about this race we are running and the joy that is before us.
We are each in a different leg of the race, and I think it's amazing and encouraging to see and hear testimonies from others who run this race with us.

It may be the same leg you are in, one you have already completed,
or one that you will face in the future.
If you've ever run, biked, or whatever in a race,
you know the power there is in seeing the masses of people surrounding you,
all running towards the same goal, no matter how fast, how slow, or how you trained for it.
Let's do this thing together, as He desires it to be done.

Today,
I want you to meet Elizabeth Ann...she has become a sweet sweet friend and I know you will love her heart...and her recipes! :)
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Hi! I am Elizabeth Ann of Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box!


I love spending time in the kitchen, cooking and baking for others, and I ADORE home-cooked meals with lots of friends and family around the table!

I am so honored that Sarah asked me to share my heart with y'all today! She has been such a "blogging" blessing in my life this past year! :-)

My husband, Nate, and I got married a year and a half ago.


We are at a special "leg in the journey of life". .
A season of newlywed bliss!
I love to cater to Nate, whether that means breakfast in bed
or a large glass of sweet tea when he walks in the door!
He leaves our house each day knowing that he is loved, he is respected, and that no matter what happens during his day,
he is coming home to someone who absolutely adores him!

I want to cherish this sweet time together and not take it for granted!
Obviously, we look forward to parenthood at some point. . . but during this season . . . God has given us a special time in life just to enjoy each other!

I wanted to share a quick and easy snack I made Nate this week that will be a healthy hit with husbands and kids alike! :-)
Enjoy!


Energy Bites
recipe by: Smashed Peas and Carrots

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
(or I use almond butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
(I omit the choc chips and add a little extra almond butter)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything until thoroughly incorporated.
let chill in refrigerator for half an hour.
once chilled, roll into balls and Enjoy!
(store in airtight container for up to 1 week!)

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Thanks girl, love you!! :)

Jen's leg of the race: a guest post

Hebrews 12:1 is the heart of my blog.
(its over there on the left sidebar for you to read!)
It talks about this race we are running and the joy that is before us.
(hence, "Racing Towards Joy") :)
We are each in a different leg of the race, and I think it's amazing and encouraging to see and hear testimonies from others who run this race with us.

so starting today,
I am so excited to share some of the hearts I love with you...
I've asked several ladies to share
about the part of their RACE that God has them in right now.

It may be the same leg you are in, one you have already completed,
or one that you will face in the future.
If you've ever run, biked, or whatever in a race,
you know the power there is in seeing the masses of people surrounding you,
all running towards the same goal, no matter how fast, how slow, or how you trained for it.
Let's do this thing together, as He desires it to be done.

So let me introduce an amazing woman and mama to you...
Go bless her, check out her blog, and learn from her wisdom. :)

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Hi lovely readers! My name is Jen and I blog over at Just Like Heaven I was so excited when Sarah asked me to be a guest poster on her amazing blog!

I am a wife to a wonderful man and a mommy to six awesome little ones
and two fabulous weiner dogs. :)
My kids are: Ethan - 14 years, Kylie - 9 years, Blake - 8 years, Derek - 5 years, Jett - 3 years, and Lily Pearl - 2 years.

Oh my gosh, just typing that seems insane! Thats a lot of little ones!!!


I LOVE being a mom!
I had my first at nineteen years old and have either been pregnant or nursing ever since. I never imagined that I would have six kids, three sounded like a good number.
But here we are and I wouldn't change a thing.
My children make me happier than anything else on earth.
It is so hard sometimes and sometimes I feel like I need to be commited to a mental hospital. :)
But, then one of them gives me a sweet picture or a big hug and I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father trusted me to take care of them and love them.


After our last was born, I really struggled.
She was a really hard baby and we knew our family was definitely complete.
Balancing all of the demands of each individual child and making sure they get what they need is hard work and exausting.

When Lily was about eighteen months old, I started to feel a little bit sad that I was never going to have another baby.
I LOVED the baby stage! I realized that I would never give birth again or nurse a newborn.
At the same time, I was happy to not have to be up all night and to have a little more freedom because our Ethan babysits.

This is just another season of my life.
I get to watch all of these precious gifts from God grow up.
I get to cheer them on at their dance competitions and soccer games.
We can do more now that they are getting older.
Vacations are more fun, going to the pool is not as nuts, and I am finally getting to go back to the gym and take care of myself a little.
It is nice.

I am so blessed to have such a big crazy family and I pray everyday that I can be a great mom and that I will survive. :)

xoxoxo Jen

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Thanks Jen - love you and your heart.
What a beautiful family God has blessed you with,
I sincerely look forward to learning from you as my little family grows.
**check out Jen's blog here, and check her precious shop here**


some Love Day stats about us . . .

Happy Love Day...
Hope it's filled with blessings, and maybe some chocolates too!

Thought I'd share a few random pics with you,
of me and Parker over the last 9 years.
you know, some looooove pics. :)
{disclaimer: people in these pictures may be older than they appear}

and a few little facts about our love story too...

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September 21st, 2002:
we met at a friend's house, he got my digits.
(we had "met" a year before, at a friend's wedding)
He was currently in law school in Norman, and I was in college in Waco.

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October 12th, 2002:
our first date,
the A&M vs. Baylor game in Waco
(he drove down 4 1/2 hours to take me on our first date!)
this is also when he met my parents for the first time...wowzers!

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November 2002:
I drove home to Dallas some random Wednesday night
and told my parents I was in love.

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April 11th, 2003:
he asked, and I said yes!

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August 9th, 2003:
we got hitched. :)
(yep, we were only engaged for almost 4 months!)

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2003-present:
we have been on the ride of our lives,
enjoying as well as enduring
the crazy (good and bad) seasons the Lord has taken us through.

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December 24th, 2009:
Abigail Joy was born!

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January 4th, 2012:
Bethany Len was born!

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February 14th, 2012 (today):
we are living in what we feel is a season of restoration
in our life, our marriage, our health, everything.

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...and I'm so glad to be doing it with HIM.
He is my teacher, my best friend, my love, my better half.

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We've been through a lot in our short 9 years together.
If you know us or know our story, you would agree.
But we wouldn't change what God has done in us.
He has shown His goodness in every season.

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well, that's us. :)

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Happy Valentine's baby,
I love you!