awe-ful

i really love my husband.

there are a lot of days i wake up and can't believe this awesome guy married me.

almost 11 years of marriage, and he just keeps getting better.

with three littles running around,

it can be hard to get good time together,

and even harder to do ministry alongside each other.

a few weekends back,

jeff was invited to hume lake to speak at their junior high winter retreat.

in the almost-six-years since we've been parents, 

i have been unable to just be a wife when he is speaking at a camp.

i always have the kiddos, which means they are in bed while he is speaking

(and i'm sitting in a dark room with a flashlight trying not to wake anyone!)

since it was supposed to be snowing and we'd be in a one bedroom,

we decided it would be best to not bring the kids for the short weekend.

so we dropped them off in fresno

(thanks jr & mom!)

and headed up the hill. 

just us!

i cannot tell you how wonderful this weekend was.

obviously, just being with jeff was wonderful.

real conversation!

hand holding!

no forcing vegetables on anyone during a meal!

of course we were surrounded by junior high students,

which meant eating meals surrounded by boys

playing jeff's favorite camp game, "apple fork"

(you'll have to ask him.  i'm always afraid of losing an eye)

also a fun surprise,

one of our high school students from davis was there!

she is all grown up, graduated from college, 

and working with junior high students in slo.

it was so sweet to get to catch up with emily.

we are so incredibly proud of her!

(hello bad lighting! but emily is still the cutest!)

but the most wonderful part of the weekend 

was the opportunity to really do some business with the lord.

'quiet' times for me are rarely quiet with kids everywhere.

 i rarely get a good chunk of time to just really focus on what it is he has for me.

i am grateful to be at a church that is really challenging me 

and pushing me in my faith.

i have been learning a lot about myself recently,

and i think god is really working on me.

not always easy, but good.

the theme of the weekend was

'living an awe-ful life'...

a life in awe of the lord.

the verse they studied was romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

over the course of four sermons,

jeff focused on being in awe of god, the need for obedience, god's mercy for us, and living a life of worship.

it always amazes me that god uses my husband to challenge my socks off.

during every session,

i was convicted, encouraged, and motivated in my faith.

(you can listen to all jeff's talks here.  and you should.  they are that good.)

go down to week 5 and then download all the 'jeff bachman' amazingness.

god really did a work on my heart at hume.

january had been rough, and my attitude was bad.

i needed that refreshing reminder of who GOD is, and in that- who i am.

am i living my life as a sacrifice to god?

do i consider how to worship god in my everyday life?

am i acting out of obedience to god- sacrificing my desires to him?

do i remember the mercy he showed me on the cross?

too often,

the answer to those questions are 'no'.  

i am thinking about ME far more than i am thinking about god.

i loved when jeff said,

'having a right view of who god is allows us to have a correct view of the rest of our lives.'

i hate that so often i allow my circumstances to shape my view of god,

rather than the other way around.

the worship over the weekend was incredible,

and so many of the songs spoke directly to my heart.

one song in particular stayed with me throughout the weekend and beyond,

echoing what god had been speaking to my heart.

how i want it to be the lyrics of my life.

i'll stand with arms high & heart abandoned,

in awe of the one who gave it all.

i'll stand, my soul, lord, to you surrendered.

all i have is yours.

being a wife, a mom, a friend, a daughter, a customer, a driver, a co-worker...

every bit of my life is called to be a gift back to my creator.

we are called to life an awe-ful life.

a life of sacrifice.

a life of service.

a life of worship.

i am so grateful for the weekend with my husband at hume lake.

so thankful to be reminded of what is truly important.

and so ready to live an awe-ful life.

hume lake photos when there is no one around to take a picture of you together ;)