Psalm 121

Statistic time. Did you know that compared to people in other developed countries, Americans don't ask for more vacation time, don't take all the vacation time their employers give them and continue to work while they are on vacation? France leads the world with 30 days off a year. Employees in Britain, German, Australia, Spain and Sweden have 20 or more days off a year, and Canada and Japan have 10 days off, about the same as some American corporations allow their workers. The Chinese get three weeks off a year, and this is only the legally mandated vacation time. Many employees in other countries take six or more weeks off a year.

Lately my little family has been in dire need of a little vacation getaway. My husband and I decided that even though it was financially practically impossible, we WERE going to get away. Last year we were able to stay at a friend's cabin in Asheville and loved every minute of the serenity of the mountains and the remoteness of having no cell phones or internet. Asheville is a beautiful little city right off the Blue Ridge Parkway- it has all kinds of little coffee shops and boutiques with the best people watching. Even though Asheville was great and we looked into a return visit, it was out of our budget.

When looking for a new place to vacation, we knew we wanted two things- remoteness and a mountain view. After what seemed like months of researching, we were finally able to find a cabin in Blue Ridge, Ga. And when I say it was remote, I mean I had to grip my chair, close my eyes and pray my way up that mountain every time we went to turn onto the final road that our cabin was perched on. I literally thought our car was going to start sliding back down the dirt road that led us up it. I think it was God who gave my 2 year old, Preson a comical case of the giggles every time we hit the bumpy road to help me lighten up! But that scary little drive about a mile straight up was SOoOoO worth it! (although I think our van's transmission may be slipping as a result of it :-/)

The view was ri.dic.u.lous.

I have been craving some fresh mountain air with crisp, sweatshirt-worthy mornings and evenings. Though the days were blazing hot, we didn't mind it as much since the atmosphere was not as humid. I read. I prayed. I played. I reconnected with everything that was most important to me in my life.

The mornings were spent on the porch swing, taking in the gorgeous sunrises with a steaming cup of coffee and my precious kitten, Penelope. I didn't mind one bit waking up at 6:15 for that. My husband would watch the children and let me have some "me" time.

I was able to just relax and get in the Word of God, read some books I've been wanting to read for a long time and dive yet again into the book I have been infatuated with for the last 6 months- "The Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster. A book I return to again and again that the Lord uses in ways I cannot describe to connect me to Himself. There is something about being in nature that connects me to God in the most meaningful way. I can see why the life of a monk would be appealing at times- just check out, spend all day every day just you and God, living a life surrounded by the most beautiful nature you can take in...but we all know that is not real life. Not to mention I could not imagine my life without the richness of the people in it. Which is why some of us take vacations. :)

The afternoons were spent either tag team napping with my husband, exploring nature around the cabin with my children and taking long drives through the mountains.

A couple of highlights...
Prior to our arrival to Blue Ridge, I researched the area and discovered a passenger train that traveled through the mountains. My little boy is totally addicted to his Thomas the Train book his Mimi Sissy and Poppy gave him for Christmas. So you can imagine the excitement of this book coming to life for him! We had the choice of either riding in a closed or an open car and we decided we would get the most bang for the (very large) buck if we sat in the open car. We traveled through the woods, alongside river rapids and crops, over bridges and into a little mountain town for an afternoon of antiquing and taking in the scents of BBQ. If only we weren't vegetarians. This was our biggest temptation we have had yet since we have been veggies- but we stayed strong! It was an amazing day with memories made.

We also took a day to revisit the town of Helen, Ga. It is a little town replicated to look like the swiss alps. It also happens to be the same area that Tommy and I took our honeymoon. We spent some time in a park located on a hill overlooking the town.

It started raining while we were there, so we retreated to a pavilion that Preson deemed, "CASTLE! CASTLE!"

...where I took a moment to soak in my family...

Once the rain calmed down to a sprinkle, we spent the rest of the afternoon moseying through the shops, picking out russian nesting dolls, sampling fudge and drinking coffee. My kinda day!

One afternoon we got a late start and decided to just drive. As we were coming out of the forest, we started seeing signs for Chattanooga, TN. Turns out we were only 20 minutes away from the city that has been a very big part of Tommy's family's life. So we took the evening and had dinner at Big River, where we last ate with Tommy's brother, Scott and his wife and baby, Jennie and Moses. We drove through the campus of Tennessee Temple University where Tommy's Grandfather was a professor and where his dad grew up. It's always neat to take a spontaneous stroll down memory lane.
This is the house Tommy's dad grew up in and where Tommy has some great childhood memories.

One morning we got up and walked around the Ocoee Whitewater Center, which was host of the 1996 Olympics whitewater rafting games.

It was a blast! We walked alongside the rapids and watched all the whitewater rafters and kayakers passing through. I cant wait for the kiddo's to get old enough to do it one day- many moons from now. They had these massive bridges that made me feel like I was entering Sherwood Forest or something.

It was breathtaking views in every direction. I had been craving some Waterfalls, so I asked the guide in the Center if there were any nearby off the highway. She told me where we could find some that were a short, kid-friendly hike off the main road. So we drove and drove to find ourselves at the top of a mountain, where we landed in this JAM PACKED campground of mountain folks. It was really strange. Anyways...
We started on our trek, which was the furthest thing from a short hike OR kid friendly. It ended up being 2 miles of up-and-down-hill hiking. Here is the picture: Tommy and I in our flip flops- my ankles buckling every 5 minutes from the rough road. Preson on Tommy's shoulders, while I had a sleeping Penelope in the sling. We rotated carrying a massive beach bag which God knows why I insisted on bringing. Preson melting down every 10 minutes. We are drenched in sweat and keep expecting the fruits of our labor any minute- for about an hour. We walked and walked and walked finally to discover this beautiful- almost mystical waterfall that stood about 65 feet over us. Worth it.

It was a lovely destination that few had taken the time to discover. Tommy walked Preson over to show him the falls. Preson was a little nervous at first, but soon warmed up to it. He played in the icy water and discovered throwing little pebbles into the water over and over again.

meanwhile back at the blanket...Penelope. She is pure bliss.

So much symbolism in our little unexpected journey. Provided some meaningful conversation on the drive back to the cabin.

So those were our days.

The evenings were spent cooking dinner together and sipping hot tea out on the Adirondack chairs while taking in the views. We talked for hours in those chairs about life, God, ministry and countless other things.

Needless to say it was a great time of recharging and a great kickstart to many of the eye-opening life changes I have recently been making.

So I guess I write this ridiculously long blog not only to document the memories of our family's 2nd vacation, but also to urge anyone reading this to take the time to stop and be still and refresh your body mind and spirit. Don't feel guilty about doing something for yourself every now and then. Trust the Lord with your position at your workplace and know he is taking care of it while you are away. Refocus those things in life that will always be there. The things that are most important.


PS- Pardon the standstill on porch updates- we are on hold for the moment due to going on vacation and are presently broke. Check back next month! :)

The art of saying, "no".

Lately I have been making some inner life-changes. I have had some major eye-opening moments. The combination of being in ministry with 2 children, ages 2 and under, has overflown my life. When I say, "overflown" I mean- in the most wonderful way, my life is- well, is there such a thing as a life that is "too full"?

I have always heard that when a family is in ministry together, your family MUST come first and ministry second or it will destroy both your ministry and your family in the end.

For as long as I can remember, I have made it a point to try to say yes to everyone and do most everything that is presented to me. After all, that is ministry right? ... I would have slapped anyone's paw who really claimed to think this way! What I didn't realize until very recently is that this has been my take on life as a pastor's family without ever realizing it. To be at everything. To volunteer for everything. To say yes to every invitation. To be available to people 24-7. I have been a whirlwind at home with trying to stay on top of my house, raise my children, serve my husband and find balance with friendships and my ministry.

Recently I had a good cry over a cup of tea to my husband... this is where it all came to a head. After pouring my heart out to him and sharing my frustrations with feeling so out of control of my life- he in his simple wisdom, replied- "Sarah, just live ONE day how you want live your life everyday." I have not been able to stop thinking about that. What do I want my life to look like each day? What are my priorities? What is important to me?

I vision my life to be one of balance- thriving with a combination of routine and spontaneity. Putting my family first, but also taking time for myself. Pouring into the Word and taking time to meditate on Him. Taking time to exercise and eat a wholesome diet- and not look at it as a chore. NOT spreading myself so thin that the quality of my friendships to others is diluted.

It took some major battling of my mind, but now that I have submitted to the Lord in this prompting of the Spirit, I am at a more serene and peaceful place. I am learning the very difficult task of saying, "no".

pardon me if lately you havent gotten your usual facebook comments and "like"'s from me. these days im takin a lil ol facebook break.

singin' in the distance

Our porch is moving right along. And let me tell ya- we are getting SO excited as we watch the progress move along each day.
So here is where we are since my last blog post...

The first day, the contractor pulled out the windows and carved out the openings back to where the original archways once were. Already that was such a major difference! They also pulled up the floor that was laid down over the original wood floor. There are definitely some patches of dry rot, but they are manageable and we will be replacing those boards to preserve it.

The next days were slow moving visually, but we saw progress with continuing the demo. They opened the center external doorway and just mainly put their focus on making sure there were plenty of supports so the house didn't collapse.

The last few days have been spent pulling down the drywall to reveal novelty heart of pine siding from 1926. There are a couple of spots that need to be patched with imitation novelty tongue and groove planks since the heart of pine is now extinct. I love how at this point the porch is making our little fixer upper come back to life.

We cant wait to be able to kick back a cold one on some of these upcoming hot summer nights, or sit and read a book while a rainstorm passes through, or have some house church porch parties...ahhh, a girl can day dream right?
Over the next few days, our contractor is going to be building 4 tapered columns for each support across the front, and will be adding windows back into the wall where they once were.
More updates to come!
Now Im off to juggle babies while flipping through old discontinued issues of Cottage Living to seek inspiration on color schemes. (any ideas?)

“What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.”- Wolfgang von Goethe

Some of the primary reasons you buy a home in a historic district, are
1) the gorgeous architecture of the historic bungalow.
2) the hardwood floors.
3) the charming curb appeal that comes with matured oak trees and white picket fences and
4) the front porch.

Well we had none of the above at the time that we purchased our home in the historic district of Seminole Heights. My dad always said to buy the worst house in the best neighborhood. Im not saying we live in the best part of Tampa by any means but with the exception of our hip-hop DJ neighbor to the right of us- which who by the way, we actually really like despite our vibrating living room from 6-8 every night and all day on weekend afternoons- every home surrounding us is quite charming and well kept. We are the eye sore of the neighborhood.

For some reason, the previous owner (who was a slum lord) thought it would be a great idea to remove the pillars of the front porch, add a bunch of crappy aluminum single pane windows, remove the front windows on the existing exterior wall, add drywall and close in that beautiful front porch to gain some extra square footage. The whole neighborhood groaned in unison as they watched it happen at some point in the 80's (so I've been told). Did I mention they painted it neon marigold?

Despite the condition of the house when we first bought it, we feel extremely blessed to have found a home that we have been able to gradually restore back to it's historic charm over time. We have been focused on renovating the interior for the last year and a half and are finally (thanks to our tax return!) able to start moving toward refining the exterior a bit.

So I say all that to say this : Today marks a very special day that we have been anticipating for the last year and a half. Today marks the day we begin our front porch renovation.

I will be documenting the progress of this renovation every couple of days, so stay tuned!

roly poly Penelope!

Im not exactly sure why time flies so much faster as we get older, but alas I truly feel like it was the blink of an eye ago that I was holding Penelope for the first time. I cannot believe she is FIVE MONTHS. That is one month shy of 6 months- which is half of a whole year old!

My little girl is growing so fast. She is the master of rolling over. She has been doing this for the last month or so, and without fail, every time I lay her down, she defaults to her position of choice- the belly. I can already see her starting to do these swim-like motions in place- so rapidly in fact that I swear her knees are going to catch the floor in mid stroke and she is going to be up and off on her first crawl.

Penelope is about the smiliest little thing I have ever seen! I mean to tell you, all you have to do is blink in her direction and she is one big gummy grin. Now there were a few weeks there where we had some separation anxiety, but she seems to be a happy camper as long as mommy, daddy or her big brother are around. She has quite the sense of humor already- she just laughs and laughs any time you have a silly face or some peek-a-boos for her.

Preson is also learning to really love and play with his baby sister. I will catch him sneaking her a kiss or laying on her playmat with her showing her all of his stuffed animals.
Penelope is following in her brothers footsteps in so many ways. One of them being that she is a lightweight. She has been exclusively breastfed and at our last visit to the pediatrician, she was recommended to supplement a bottle of formula to ensure she was getting enough calories. Well of course she decides to be stubborn about it and refuses any kind of formula (can you blame her? gross.). So we just try to supplement a bottle of breast milk instead. Note- she has taken many a bottle on the occasion that mama is not around...until now. She decides that she will NOT take a bottle of any kind. Its like she KNOWS. So after much prayer and fear of having a repeat of what we went through with Preson, we have decided to simply continue to exclusively breastfeed since we at least have that down. I am just increasing the frequency of her feedings. I have learned to be ok with my little ones being little.

We are waiting to present solids to her until she is sitting up like a champ (still working on those back muscles!) and very interested in food. I am very prayerful of this first feeding- which I am guessing will happen sometime within this month or next. I am giving my fears of any feeding adversions to the Lord daily. She has followed in Preson's patterns of feedings almost to the T, so of course the thought of it being a possiblility is there. Please pray for Penelope to be interested in eating- and to eat well. Please pray that she will thrive. And please pray that her mommy would give her fears to her Lord and trust him to take care of her baby.

All in all, Penelope has been a dream baby- Happy except for when she is tired or hungry. Sleeps through the night- from 730pm-8am! I love how she will just curl up and snuggle with me or lay on my shoulder and fall asleep. There is something so special about having a baby girl. She is perfect in my eyes and I cant wait to make new memories each day with her.