touching Jesus

My wish for you today is that you would touch Jesus.

Touching is an intimate thing, an act that requires close contact.

It requires that you be in near vicinity as the other person.

It means that you are actively reaching for something or someone.

That you are desiring for your sense of touch to be activated...

to feel something.

To feel how it moves, it's texture, it's depth.

To feel the closeness of it to you.

I pray today that you would touch and feel the closeness of Jesus.

He is why I am here.

He is why we are here.

He is why we have love.

He is why we are forgiven.

He is why we can live in freedom.

He is perfection personified, so that we don't have to be perfect.

He is REAL.

And He feels real when you touch Him.

He feels soft and gentle and intimately involved with you.

He feels so loving and powerful all at once.

I have felt this grace, this love, this power.

And will not ever forget that feeling.

These things are not just talk,

they are power.

They are beautifully true and real.

Touching Jesus doesn't have anything to do with duty or performance or religion.

It flows simply out of your heart's desire to be close to someone.

So I pray today that you would realize that there is someone who desires to touch you.

To feel close to you.

To know you intimately.

That's why He came...

To love YOU.

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Merry Christmas friends,

Blessings to you and yours today!

three!

Abigail Joy.

You are three today, which takes my breath away.

YOU take my breath away, sweet girl.

I can't believe it's been three years since that snowy Christmas Eve, 

when we got to welcome you into this world. 

That was my favorite day ever.

All 6 pounds and 13 ounces of you was already just full of life.

Full of compassion, of creativity, of sass, of sweetness, of spunkiness, of drama, and of love.

You changed my life that day when you made me a Mama.

I can't believe that the tiny baby who it seems I was just swaddling and nursing constantly,

I am now having conversations with (funny ones sometimes), 

and am watching you grow daily into a beautiful little girl.

While you consider yourself such a "big girl", and you are my dear, 

You will always be my baby.

My precious Bug.

I delight in you, Abigail. You bring me so much joy. 

Your name is so perfect for you, as it means "the Father's Joy"...which you truly ARE.

and YOU are full of joy.

What a gift that is to witness.

I am honored to be your Mama.

I am SO excited you are THREE today!

what a big day.

Happy Birthday Bug!!!!

nails did

this morning,

we got our nails did.

well, mama did our nails.

I love spending girly time with this one, while the baby sleeps.

I am seriously in love with being a girl mommy!

Hope y'all have a fantastic Friday and weekend before Christmas!

Remember to try and take deep breaths this weekend amidst the last minute hustle and bustle.

Maybe just stop and get your nails did...it'll do you good I promise. :)

purple party!

Though she isn't 3 until Christmas Eve,

(insert mini heart attack just now. when did my girl get so big?)...

We celebrated Abigail's birthday last weekend with a few close friends and family.
We tried to keep it a little smaller this year to not be so overwhelming to her,
and it was just a few close girl friends/family friends, which ended up being perfect for her.

At her request (for like the last 6 months)...

We had a Purple Party!!

btw, I think I may just ask her every year what her favorite color is.

A color theme was SO easy and fun. :)

so I present.

Purple Party!!!

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I had a little photo shoot with her (just with my own camera) in her purple outfit and a balloon,

then added words to it and just printed the invites at Walgreens for cheap.

I thought they turned out so fun and cute, and different than just a paper invite. 

Abigail and her little besties.

SO cute.

and they all wore purple!

opening a fun gift from her Memaw.

We were blessed that the grandparents got to come in town for the party!

opening another gift with her bff Anna.

as they wear Princess clothes, of course.

Bethany had a blast, but pretty much looked like this the whole time.

Just in awe of all these people in her house! haha

She wore the same purple skirt as Abigail, and a purple headband, but a pink shirt...

so as not to steal her sister's thunder. :)

We told everyone to wear purple if they could, and I was SO impressed...

even all our friends (guys included) busted out their purple!!

Even the christmas tree wore purple!

Abigail helped decorate this with her Daddy.

Being a little bit sassy waiting for her friends before the party.

(i mean, she IS about to be 3. yikes)

best part of the next picture is the baby pic of the day Abigail was born.

I just had to put that out somewhere!

(wasn't she beautiful minutes after birth?)

Surrounding the pic are some cute water bottles with crazy straws that I found at Dollar Tree!

Each kid went home with one as a party favor.

Each kid also got to pick a candy cane off the tree!

purple up to my eyeballs.

(PS the lighting in my kitchen is terrible for pics, so excuse these!)

I tried to keep with the Purple theme even for the food.

a few purple things we had:

crockpot meatballs in grape jelly (yummy AND purple-y) :)

purple fruit snacks,

purple skittles,

cream cheese with crackers and rasberry sauce,

and purple juice boxes for the kiddos.

yep, more purple.

(true story, on Thursday night before the party, i literally DREAMT in purple, no joke.)

For drinks,

(i forgot to take pics)

I made some homemade crockpot hot chocolate, and set out marshmallows.

We also had some cran-grape juice,

and for the adults,

Parker made us some fabulous Sangria Wine.

He even put a sign next to the pitcher that said "Adult Purple Juice". :)

I didn't do anything too fancy for the cake part bc Abigail had requested cupcakes,

so I just made some and decorated them for her.

pretty simple, but SO so yummy.

(I used confetti cake mix, and cream cheese frosting)

used my mason jars to put the (purple) silverware in!

We had a great purpleicious spread! :)

(arent these girlies so sweet all together?)

blowing out her candle!!!

She had practiced all week. funny girl!

Enjoying her cupcakes with her friends.

(dont worry my floors were clean. well, before this.)

It was so fun and I cannot believe that my girl is turning three soon.

How in the world is that possible.

She is the most amazing little girl.

Here's to Abigail.

oh, and here's to the color Purple!!

Storming Through Heaven's Gate - {grab a kleenex. or a box of them}

"Storming Through Heaven's Gate"

twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate

their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.

they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."

when what to their wondering eyes did appear,

but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring

those children all flew into the arms of their King

and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.

and as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe

then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"

"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"

"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

then He and the children stood up without a sound.

"come now my children, let me show you around."

excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA 

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(thanks to my friend Kristine for sharing this poem)

We WILL press on in this war against evil in our land.

HE will overcome.