Embracing a Year of Rest

2015 is our year of rest.  Why? Because the number 15 means "Rest".  I embrace this year and can't wait to see what God has in store for us and to learn more about His Rest!

So how do you rest with an elementary aged child, a toddler that is turning 2, and a newbie coming in April?! My only answer to that is this...

What does "rest" mean Biblically? Let's go to the greek definition... "to cease, to be refreshed, to settle down, to abide".  I don't know about you, but I could use a little bit of ALL those in that definition!  I just know there will be things God will cease this year, refresh this year, settle down this year and He's going to teach us to abide in Him more than we ever have before.

How do you rest? I would love to think of it as being able to curl up on my couch with a cup of hot chocolate and a warm blanket and do nothing! But, I don't believe that is God's definition of rest at all.  It doesn't mean being a couch potato.  In fact, God is showing me it has much to do with "trust". How much do you trust God with EVERY thing? That was a tough question for me because at first I could say, everything, but when I truly thought about it and started really looking at things, I didn't trust Him with everything.  In fact, many things I still have control over and turn to Him when I need Him to intervene.  God has been teaching me that isn't what He wants.  He wants more, in fact, He wants all my trust, even in the things I have control over or think I have control over, so that He can turn it into much MORE.  Because His thoughts are higher than mine and His ways are higher than mine.

This year is about full surrender to Him in every aspect of my life! I want to be able to abide so fully in Him, that the "me" side that wants to take control decides to just step back and wait.  God started showing me that full surrender, full abiding, full rest comes when I let go and let God.  It reminds me of the verse in Psalm that says to wait patiently on the Lord to act.  When we act, God waits, but when we wait, God acts! There is more God wants to bestow on us... but are you acting or waiting?! I choose to wait this year, because I want more, I need more, and I need a refreshing!

What about you? What does 2015 hold for you?

~Bekah

Ringing in 2015: Our Family Celebration

An evening full of festivities and neither kid could make it to midnight... but they had fun celebrating until they passed out.

The first festivity was painting a New Year place mat.  I put painter's tape on black construction paper to make 2015 on it.  Then gave the kids paint and sponge brush to paint.  My youngest loves to paint so the entire time he kept saying "dot, dot, dot, dot!!!" My oldest is very particular, so he had to analyze the paper and figure out what colors to put where and how he was going to paint it.  You'd think it would of took longer for the oldest, but actually, the youngest kept painting and painting... I eventually had to take it away before the paper got too wet and tore.

Since my youngest was super upset that he couldn't keep painting I did another craft just on the whim! Pulled out two more sheets of black construction paper, bottle of glue, tubes of glitter and a cookie sheet (to contain the mess).  They had fun making their own fireworks... but since it was over too quick, my youngest was very disappointed... but that all changed with our next activity!

Fill some cups with marshmallows, pass one out to each person and watch what happens! A mini snowball fight, of course!!!

Then we mellowed out with some dinner and the kids started to get anxious, so into the bath they went, only to discover...

A glowing water tub filled with water balloons and a balloon drop overhead!

After finding all the water balloons and popping those on each other, they got all washed up and my oldest counted down from 10.  When he said 1, the balloons came down!

Oh the smiles and laughter was priceless!!!

Then they helped me dry off all the balloons and we moved them to the living room for a balloon fight with daddy!!!

The rubbing of eyes, the big yawns, and the attempts to stay awake was the signal to pull out the comforters and have a little snack in front of the TV.

Neither one finished their snack...

Neither one made it to midnight... by 10pm both were tucked into their beds!

What did you do to make your New Year's Eve special as a family?


Happy New Year!!!
~Bekah

Goodbye 2014

As 2014 comes to a close I am reminded just how blessed we are.  God has given my husband and I two amazing little boys with very different personalities that bring so much joy, laughter, love, and craziness to our lives.  This past year has been full of smiles, laughter, and even moments of tears and frustration.  Adding a second little one in our lives has been an adventure all on it's own.  But watching these 2 boys grow up with each other even through the trials and the joy has been absolutely amazing and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Some of the BEST memories of this year have been the simple ones, (1) Jordan making his castle for Princess Peach to come and stay with us and take adventures in the state of Michigan, (2) Cadence digging into his birthday cake and covering himself from head to toe in it, (3) The boys' bath times with our homemade foamies, (4) Daddy's surprise celebration for Dad's Day, (5) Jordan's giving heart that passes out items to homeless people on the streets, and sooooo much more!!!

My babies are growing up and it has been fascinating to see them grow spiritually, physically and emotionally.  Seeing my oldest grow in confidence and that nothing sways him from his beliefs, not even other kids, his faith is so deep and so strong, I pray it continues that way.  My youngest is so bold, courageous and has no fear - which at times freaks me out because I can find him in some crazy predicaments! But his heart for music is just like "wow".  God has blessed my two boys with amazing gifts and I can't wait to see them grow, flourish, and bud!

I made a slideshow of all our favorite memories from 2014, check it out here (it may take a second to load).

Make your own free photo slideshow

I can't wait to see what all 2015 has in store for us!!! I'll be posting up our New Year's celebration and our goals for this year soon.  God is taking us on a new journey this year and I'm excited!!!

Have Fun and Be a Blessing!

~Bekah

New Year Journal

I love parties and celebrations, pretty much gives me a reason to decorate, have fun and act like a little kid again... and so with the New Year, I decided to research out what the Bible says about this and how it was celebrated...


The New Year in the Bible is the Feast of Trumpets - how cool is that?!?! The purpose of the Feast of Trumpets is to blow the shofars, offer sacrifices to God, ask forgiveness, and then pray for a blessing for the new beginning.  Made me realize how much God likes to party too - I mean He wants LOUD noises - easily done on New Years.  He wants me to remember about the past year and look back at mistakes made, give those to Him and seek His forgiveness AND then tell Him about His promises for a blessing... and of course MORE LOUD NOISES!!! Yes, pull out that loud horn of yours (party horns work great!) and BLOW!!! (I don't know about your house last night, but we were LOUD and we celebrated with the angels in heaven.)


To help my little one understand the Feast of Trumpets we blew party horns (as I don't have a shofar and even if I did, I can't make noise on it - takes an art form for that).  Then I made a New Year Journal for my son to complete.  He wrote his name on the front, then I helped him complete the pages to follow.  One page listed his favorites for 2011 (this was his remembering of the year), another page had him tell me what he wanted God to forgive him about and the last page was for him to complete a prayer to God thanking Him and asking Him for a blessing.

I'm providing this New Year Journal as a DOWNLOAD for you! If you'd like to use it or save it for another year or pin it as an idea to make your own... Be a Blessing this New Year and Have Fun!!!


~Bekah