Busy month!

July was one busy month around here...baby boy turned 1, couple of beach trips, roofing the house, and out of town family visiting.

From Drop Box

Brent also is now a teacher! We are so excited to change up things around here...
we also go for the ultrasound this week to find out the gender of baby#4.
that's all for now folks!

Abbs*

Sweet Harper Kate

For those of you who have been keeping up with HK's story over here at my Blog, I really want to encourage you to check out my sister- n-laws blog. The thoughts and verses are so powerful. They are so real, and everybody loves realness right?? I WISH!
Life should be this real, we should have to pull the mask off and show who we really are when life gets tough. After all isn't that how God grows us, when we keep our real thoughts and feelings inside we are missing out on an opportunity for God to use our story.

Jarod and Court have realized that their story is way bigger than themselves. It's part of a way bigger story, and God is still in the business of redemption and love. It's not over, in fact it might be a long road, but they are learning to trust Him everyday with the life of their little girl.

Please read today's post by my brother, he talks about having God on the stand to prove who He really is. Go here to read it.

The months that followed the original diagnosis was painful. Sometimes I Don't know what hurts more, to go through something yourself or to have to stand by why someone you love so much goes through something.
there were days I just laid in bed crying and praying that God would take the pain away from my older brother. Court seemed to carry this hidden strength somewhere (I'm assuming it was only from God.) I am very close to my older Brother and understand him and his hurt over some things that have happened in his life. I kept saying, "God, why him??" why that Brother whose faith seemed to be SO fragile at times??? now reading the post today from him was clarity that that is exactly why it was Him, God needed to take him to his "Moriah" as he put it. God needed to whisper to Jarod that He had this, just trust. I think it is hard for me to remember that God sacrificed his son for us, why do we want to think that is too much for God to ask of us? Courtney and Jarod are having to learn what that looks like daily...the pain is real for them. I love that little girl as if she were my own, and have even had some battles between wanting this baby growing inside of me to be a girl and wanting Harper Kate to be the only little Princess in the Pardue family.
After all God is in control.

this verse came to mind today as I was reading my Brother's post.

1 Peter 1:7
"These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

From Drop Box

Abbs*

Beach!

Well we spent the 4th of July at the beach.....VERY relaxing. The first half started off rough, because I didn't have a voice and my whole family will tell you I LOVE to talk. while there we got some pictures of the cousins on our side, it was CRAZY trying to get 4 kids to sit still and not cry.

first off let me say that my sister-n-law has started blogging her story of Harper Kate, if you have a heart please help promote the blog....their desire is to give other parents of special needs babies hope and truths that are getting them through this difficult time. Follow them here!
here is the sweet princess

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

That is all for today....I hope you guys have a great day. I'm planning a 1st Birthday party! I don't even know where 1 year went with G....I would cry if I wasn't going to have another baby to hold in Jan

Abbs*

Thrift Store Snag!

First off I want to share some random thoughts with you and then I will share my AMAZING thrift store snag!

I was in church Sunday and one of the songs we normally sing refers to Jesus as a friend...I Hate when people refer to Him as a friend. My family even thinks I'm weird, but I'm apparently the only one who is anal about a Jesus friend. I know that probably sounds awful, but I think i understand now why i don't like it.
I don't think I've had a good taste left in my mouth from past friendships. I don't associate friends as "someone who sticks closer than a brother" I've had most bail when things aren't going right or I'm being too real or honest. I like to think of Jesus not as a friend, but more like a loving father who will have my back when it feels like the world has disowned me. Now i get that everybody is going to relate to Jesus by their past especially if they have 3 0r maybe even 15 best friends, but a dad who abandoned them... but that is what makes us "us" i guess. what is your view of Jesus? do you feel like I do about him being called a friend? or am i the only one?? haha I probably am. I'm very aware that the Bible refers to Him as that too, but just letting you know where I'm at.

now...

I was in Anthropologie the other day and came across this cute, but expensive cookie jar...there were three of them ranging from $68, $98, to $128?!? are people crazy?? who has that kind of money to spend on a freakin cookie jar?

From Drop Box

I was walking through my fav thrift store with my hands full of stuff, when I saw it....
It was BEAUTIFUL I immediately ditched everything I had in my hands (I hate carts when I'm not carrying kids and diaper bags) and grabbed her! $6.99!! came home and discovered this little jewel is on craigslist and Etsy for over $40.
If i had a happy dance I would have done it right there in the store!

From Drop Box

True Freedom

I grew up in church, I don't know what a Lazy Sunday Morning is like...If the doors were open we were there.
I think that it is not always a blessing for kids. I know that sounds awful, but I think we can have TOO much church in us that we forget what it is really about.
I grew up thinking that the 10 commandments was something I was supposed to try to keep and if the ones I kept outweighed the ones I didn't I was good. I am just now at 27 years old realizing that the whole reason the law was put there was to show me my need for a Savior, God KNEW I couldn't keep them!
We have been studying Romans the last few weeks at church and God's Grace. I'm realizing it is ALL about Grace. I'm currently reading this book

From Drop Box

It is all about how teaching our kids to "be good" can be the worst thing for the growing of their faith. It shows us where to draw the line between teaching them to obey for their safety and respect, and where we need to teach them that they need to ask God to help them love their siblings and to break the cycle of entitlement (I'm being good, therefore God loves me).

It's really been interesting....The absurdity of Grace is something I'm just recently wrapping my mind around and I'm prob not even making sense now because I'm so blown away by it:)

The craziness that a God could love me when I was at my worst and pay the price for me. Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It is so freeing to realize that God loved me and still loves me at my worst. I can't do anything to make Him love me more and nothing to make Him love me less.
When I can really understand that, I hope I will be able to teach my boys that Christianity isn't a "to do" list, but more like a love affair.

I grew up thinking that Jonah was about how if you don't obey God, he will send a whale to swallow you.....Isn't that what we get from Children bible stories? I remember thinking if you don't do what God wants he will punish you and "watch out for whales"

the truth that should have been driven home when I was that age was that God is such a merciful God....He is the God of second chances not a God that is ready to send a whale to swallow you.

I love this video by Carlos Whittaker. He is singing the song in ATL and a homeless man comes in and starts adding some of his own stuff....It is incredible!
(PAUSE the music, because you will want to hear it)


I hope you guys have a great Tuesday.....and remember that you NEVER look into the face of someone who isn't Loved by God.

Abbs*

Sidewalk chalk

Stages of sharing

From Drop Box

I got my camera out again, aren't you proud? excuse the diapers and nakedness, my boys HATE to wear clothes...

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

Depth of Vision

Do you ever get those revealing thoughts that help you understand the way you tick?
I have them every now and then, they are "ah ha" moments. Like when you have spent years wondering why you do something the way you do it, and it takes a few seconds of brain wave for you to see?

I had one of those today...

I have always had insecurities when it comes to my creativity, who doesn't right?
I went to a prominent Christian College majoring in Graphic Design along with some big name people now...Some working for Relevant magazine and others producing films. I mean what's to be insecure about right, lol! I'm a mom of 3 (soon to be 4) kids. I went to class that last semester with a baby due two days after my last exam. (Every time I raised my hand in class, everybody would first respond with "are you in labor?!") I walked across the platform to receive my diploma with a 5 month old baby in the crowd....okay so my career didn't turn out like I originally thought, but my passion is still art and design. I wouldn't trade being a mother for the world, but I still have my days when I wander, "would I have been good enough?" and even more recently, "am i good enough". I pick and choose through projects that people need when I have time, but find myself not taking a lot of risks. I have never really been a risk taker, but in this particular area I always ask myself what was it that defined me about this? what opinions or situation made me feel this way about my talent?

I AM however very analytical, so I do love to trace things back, most the times over thinking them until I can pin point the exact time I was put down or "failed"

This is what I came up with:

when I was in College I had to accumulate intern hours,so I found a local production company and asked if they would allow me to work for them for the semester.
I did design this logo, they loved it.
They sent me another logo to work on, and we emailed back and forth about trying to get it just right. I was getting tired of all the "petty" (I felt they were) changes and I know they were getting tired of not being able to communicate exactly what they wanted, but he finally just said, "HEY, I"LL JUST SIGN OFF ON ALL YOU HOURS"
wow, I'm realizing that hurt.....It translated to me, "your not good enough, and we don't have the time to teach you".

Now I do believe every artist is very insecure and I think so because the ideas are so vast, there is no way to pin point what it is exactly. Everybody sees beauty as different, but there will always feel like there is someone better or that you can ALWAYS do better.
One of my favorite professors always reminded that the Bible tells us that we were created in the image of God, and either we believe it or we don't. God is the ULTIMATE creator, nobody knows color like he does. So wouldn't that mean there is a desire to create and admire our creation that comes only from Him?
That craving I get to come up with an idea, create it, and then admire it is completely natural.
Many times on this road of "insecurities", I have asked myself "Do you just want to be an artist because you need to be good at SOMETHING?", "Are you trying to force a talent that is not there?", and I have told myself to quite trying, find something else that your good at....but I ALWAYS come back to this desire.

I feel a sense of accomplishment when I can pinpoint how I came to these, "truths about myself" because when I can call it out of the darkness into the light I am able to blow it out so to speak:)

I will take this thought and ask myself, Does God think I'm good enough? and does He have the power to give me creative ideas? and I believe YES is the right answer so I have to ask Him to tell my heart that I'm enough, just as I am.

This might seem like a stupid post to you, but I needed to share and to be vulnerable, because God gives Grace to the Humble...and who doesn't need grace.
My heart for this blog was to be real.

I do not believe my career ends here.
I have been designing all of my dad's sermon series development (logo, intro video, and stage set up) for about 4 years. They have been some of the best 4 years in my creative growth....My dad has not pressured me or tried to put my ideas in a box. He has let me take over using my expertise to learn how to be multi-dimensional, sometimes he does push because he knows I can do it.
I always thought this was a great career choice I was getting because I could do it from home, I did not know how much that would benefit me.

I am an artist, everyone is....I just need to have the confidence to understand that what I do may not be like anybody else, but it's me.

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”- Helen Keller


gnight,
Abbs*