A Corner Pillar

Featured on Raising Homemakers...

2012-01-26T09:20:00.001-05:00

Today I have been featured on Raising Homemakers!

Click here to head on over and check it out!

An Exciting Announcement!

2012-01-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

Today, I have something exciting to share!

Over the past weeks, I have been been getting up before the sun. While the world is still dark, I silently slip out of bed, trying not to wake my snoring little dog. I tip-toe across the house and over the creaking wood floor. I reach our workroom, where my computer rests, and quietly shut the door behind me. And then I write.

I write, I edit, and I rewrite... and then I write some more. I have been diligently working on a project that has become very dear to me. I have poured many hours into it and have become more and more excited about it as time has gone on! Though it is not finished quite yet, it gets closer to being completed with each passing day.

In three short weeks, I will release my first eBook, A Beginner's Guide to Portrait Photography!

Over the years, I have received an abundance of questions and emails about photography. The topics range from the practical to the technical, but there is a common thread that runs through them all: each individual has expressed a desire to improve their photography. Sometimes this desire is stated, and sometimes it is merely implied, but it is expressed nonetheless.

I have incorporated the chapters with plenty of images to help illustrate the subjects I am writing about. This morning, for instance, Joseph and I traveled over to the beach together to watch the sunrise and to collect a couple of photos for the chapter on silhouettes.

It has been a joy to watch each page come together. All in all, I am incredibly excited with how well it is turning out! I cannot wait to share it with you all. The Lord has been very gracious to give me the opportunity to write this. I am so thankful for His everlasting mercy and His sustaining grace. All glory goes to God for any ability I have been blessed with.

Today I launched the preliminary website: www.portraitphotographyebook.com

I just have a short synopsis about the eBook for now, so the site will be far more complete when the release date is nearer.

And now, I have a question for you, my readers! What topics would you most like to see addressed in A Beginner's Guide to Portrait Photography? I still have time to add in some of your more pressing questions, so please leave me a comment below, or send me an email at: portraitphotographyebook@gmail.com

I can't wait to hear from you!

"O give thanks unto the LORD;

for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever."

-Psalm 118:1

Beautiful Modesty

2012-01-23T13:14:00.001-05:00

I'm guest posting today over at Blessings Every Minute of My Life!

Be sure to head on over and check it out! I'd love to hear any thoughts you'd care to add...

Thoughts for this Lord's Day [ten]

2012-01-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

As every man hath received the gift,

even so minister the same one to another,

as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

-1 Peter 4:9-10

Our feasting table on Christmas Eve

Today I would like to share an excerpt with you from a book I began reading this morning, Building Her House, by Nancy Wilson. I am already about halfway through the book and have been blessed by Mrs. Wilson's insight and desire to uphold Biblical truth. The excerpt quoted below is from the chapter "Loving Labor." It was a lot to type up, but I think you will be blessed by the wisdom she shares. :)

"In the last chapter of Romans, Paul mentions all the people he wants to greet, and he commends some of those by name who have been of particular help to him. Early in this list, Paul mentions Mary: 'Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us' (Rom. 16:6).

This woman apparently ministered to Paul and his coworkers in a wonderful way. We can only imagine the sort of needs Paul and his entourage had as they traveled. The obvious of course would be food and a place to sleep. But Paul would also probably attract crowds of people who would want to listen to him teach. So Mary's hospitality may have extended beyond just Paul and those traveling with him. Whatever the case, it is obvious that Paul took special not of Mary's hospitality, for it was a blessing to him.

Notice that Mary bestowed her labor. What a lovely word. It suggests the image of a gift. This means her hospitality was not given grudgingly or sparingly. It is as though all her labor was wrapped up, tied with a ribbon, and given with the anticipation of delighting and pleasing. Hospitality that is bestowed is the sort the Scripture exhorts us to practice: 'Use hospitality one to another without grudging' (1 Peter 4:9). Grudging hospitality is not a joy to receive.

Mary bestowed much labor, not a little labor. And it was labor- real labor. Anyone who doesn't think hospitality is work has much to learn about giving. Mary's work probably included anticipating and preparing, organizing and directing, as well as spending hours in the kitchen and cleaning up. Though hospitality is a joy, it is labor-intensive. Paul was wise enough to know that Mary was working hard to provide for his needs. Hospitality is a precious gift, for it is the sacrifice of someone's time and energy.

So what can we learn from Mary's example? First, we must learn to bestow our gifts and services on our fellow saints. When God in his kindness establishes a loving, healthy Christian community, much hard work of serving one another is required among the saints. This may include putting people up, feeding them, loaning them cars, driving them to the airport, visiting them when they are sick, taking them meals, babysitting their children, buying them shower gifts, or shoveling their walks. Not only is a thriving church community dependent upon the labors of the saints to maintain it, but its very existence speaks of years of labor and self-sacrifice that have gone into merely establishing it. Communities do not just spring up out of thin air; they are always the result of hard work over many years. Great blessings always require careful stewardship, and this necessarily mandates much labor- a good deal of which may be completed behind the scenes.

Scripture teaches that it is more blessed to give than receive. If you have ever been on the receiving end, as Paul was, you know how much of a blessing the labors of others can be."

The chapter goes on to give more rich wisdom, but I will stop there for fear of copyright infringement. ;)

(You can find the book here if you'd like a copy of your own.)

I pray that your Sabbath day is blessed of God.

Baby News and The Settlers of Catan

2012-01-21T16:58:00.001-05:00

Last night, we had some friends over to play The Settlers of Catan. Among them were Ben and Emily who surprised us with some absolutely, positively wonderful news!

Emily is expecting her first baby!

We have been filled with joy for them ever since they walked into the kitchen last night, adorned with those cute little numbers. I'll never forget Jean's reaction as she looked at them, laughing heartily, and then gasped mid-laugh when she realized what the numbers were for! It was priceless. We asked Emily a hundred and one questions over the course of the night, all of which she answered graciously and excitedly. ;)

Their news gave the evening an extra measure of glee.

Ben and Emily gave us six coasters for when we play Catan. Aren't they neat?

We played two games that evening (after a few rounds of Dutch Blitz while we waited for Ben and Emily). Jean won the first, and I won the second! It was my very first time winning The Settlers of Catan. If you've never played, you should definitely give it a try! Once you learn the rules, the game is a blast! :)

I love the varied expressions!

Joseph grilled bratwurst to go in hoagie rolls and I caramelized onions to go with them and also made big bowls of coleslaw and potato salad. Jean brought Lemon Bars (which I begged her for) and Chocolate Chess Pie (which is chocolate to the max) for dessert and Gabe brought some soda (which none of us needed, but most of us drank ;)! All in all, it was a lovely evening.

Molly's favorite place during the winter months... She watched us (dozing and snoring occasionally) from the big comfy chair.

The grill-master himself.

This is what the game board looked like after I won. My pieces were the orange-ish ones to the left.

What a night! We played into the morning hours and all enjoyed ourselves immensely. How good God is to give us friends! :)

A Homemaker is Worth How Much?!

2012-01-18T18:11:00.000-05:00

Have you ever paused and wondered how much homemakers would be worth if all of their work was equated to a dollar value? I came across an interesting read on two of my sweet friends' blogs today (you can visit their blogs here and here). I have added some thoughts of my own at the end. :)

How Much is a Homemaker Worth?

"The life of a homemaker is one that includes an endless amount of demands and to-dos. Depending on the size of the home and family, the position of homemaker can go well beyond the usual nine to five. We examined some of the tasks that a homemaker might do to find out how much his or her services would net as individual professional careers. We only take into consideration tasks which have monetary values and use the lowest value for each calculation.

Private Chef - Meal preparation is one of the major tasks of most homemakers. From breakfast to dinner, there is plenty of meal planning and cooking to be done. The American Personal Chef Association reports that its personal chefs make $200 to $500 a day. Grocery shopping is another chore that needs to be factored in. A homemaker must drive to the supermarket, purchase the food and deliver it to the home. Grocery delivery services charge a delivery fee of $5 to $10.

Total cost for services: $1,005 per five day work week x 52 weeks = $52,260 per year.

House Cleaner - A clean and tidy home is the foundation of an efficient household. Typical cleaning duties include vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, scrubbing sinks as well as loading the dishwasher and making beds. Professional maids or house cleaning service providers will charge by the hour, number of rooms or square footage of the home. For example, bi-weekly cleaning of a 900-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment with five rooms, costs $59-$124 . A 1,300 square-foot, single-story home with seven rooms runs $79-$150 . A 2,200 two-story, three-bedroom home with nine rooms averages $104-$180 . Additional tasks such as oven or refrigerator cleaning and dusting mini blinds can run an extra $20-$25.

Total cost for services: $118 per week X 52 Weeks = $6,136 per year.

Child Care - Homemakers provide full-time, live-in child care. This type of service from a professional provider would usually come with a host of perks including health insurance, paid vacation and sick days, federal holidays off, dental and vision coverage, and bonuses. The International Nanny Association's 2011 survey found that nannies make $600 to $950 per week in gross wages, on average.

Total cost for services: $600 a week plus perks/benefits x 52 Weeks = $31,200 per year.

Driver - A private car service might seem like a high-end luxury to most, but the beneficiaries of a homemaker get this service on a daily basis. Companies like Red Cap, which provides personal drivers that use the client's own car as the means of transportation, offer a glimpse into the cost of this homemaker task. An elite membership which includes 365 days of unlimited, round-trip service is $1,000 a year plus 33 cents - $2.03 per minute.

Total cost for services: $1,000 per year + [(estimated miles driven 8000 miles / 50 MPH) x 60 min/hr x $0.33 per minute] = $4,168 total per year.

Laundry Service - Clean clothes come at a cost when you have to pay for the service that most homemakers do for free. Professional laundry services charge by the pound. For instance, Susie's Suds Home Laundry Service, Inc. in Texas charges 90 cents to $1.00 a pound to wash, dry, fold, hang and steam your clothes. Items that take longer to dry such as comforters, blankets, rugs and winter clothes are assessed at a price of $12-$15 each.

Total cost for services: $0.90 per pound x 4 pounds of clothes per day x 5 days per weeks x 52 weeks = $936 total per year.

Lawn Maintenance - Basic maintenance of the exterior property is a less common, but possible duty of a homemaker.This could include things such as mowing, debris removal, edging and trimming the lawn. These services cost about $30 a week on average.

Total cost for services: $30 per week x 52 weeks = $1,560 total per year.

The Bottom Line - Total for a year of all services is: $52,260 + $6,137 + $31,200 + $4,168 + $936 + $1,560 = $96,261 per year.

The daily work of a homemaker can sometimes be taken for granted by his or her family members. However, these services could earn a homemaker a considerable wage if he or she took those skills to the marketplace. Homemakers in general contribute a lot more to the home in addition to these tasks, and no amount of money can fill those needs."

(The article's source is found here.)

I found that article to be a very interesting read. Though a little flawed for some (my mother never drove 8,000 miles herself in the course of a year) and politically correct (referring to homemakers as both men and women), the ideas communicated are worth noting. The industrious homemaking woman is of great value to her household.

In addition, a mother who educates her own children would be worth either a tutor or a teacher's salary. One who grows her own produce, raises animals, and sews clothing also adds to the family income. As you can see, the article really just scratches the surface!

Stepping away from the monetary aspect of it reminds us of a homemaker's greatest contributions, namely the tender love, Godly wisdom, and careful nurture she imparts to her husband and children (if the Lord has blessed her thus). This is worth far more to the Kingdom of God than we could ever put a dollar amount on. It makes one think, when considering the value of what we do. What am I pouring my energy into? What is really important? What will last eternally?

Being a chef is of little value if we do not demonstrate hospitality and nourish souls.

Taxiing across town is a worthless effort if we do not drive others to Christ.

Washing clothes only helps to clean up the outward appearance; we must be about washing with the Word.

The bottom line is this: Only God can place a real value on homemaking. Proverbs 31 makes that infinitely clear. A Christ-honoring homemaker who is industrious and is about the business of serving her King is worth far more than money can buy. Her worth is far above rubies. She is working to build Christ's Kingdom! When done unto the Lord, wiping noses, cleaning up spilled milk, and speaking wisdom into the lives of children is the kind of work that lasts forever and ever. That is one thing the world will never understand, try as they might; you just can't place a dollar value on something as noble and beautiful as homemaking.

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

-Proverbs 31:10

Do you have anything to add?

52 Weeks | 52 Verses Challenge

2012-01-16T17:31:00.002-05:00

Toward the end of last year, I began thinking about how I had been lax in my memorization of Scripture. It began eating away at me. How could I have let something of such importance get pushed to the back burner? The Lord was working in my heart and convicting me about my priorities.

No sooner had I resolved to amend the problem than I discovered a timely email invitation in my inbox. A group of young women were getting together via the blog-world to hold each other accountable. They would be committing to memorize 52 verses in 52 weeks. I immediately knew that I wanted to join them. Accountability is such a blessing!

It wasn't until I sat down to select those few verses that I realized how difficult the task was going to be. As I turned the pages of my Bible, the richness of Scripture seemed to hit me in a new way. Only 52? How could I choose only 52 verses? I glanced at my list and decided to double it.

Maybe that's breaking the rules a bit, but I've been feeling very convicted about neglecting something so important. God's Word is precious and I need to be hiding His wisdom in my heart. I'm sure I'll be able to at least manage two verses each week.

Here are the passages I've chosen to commit to memory this year, probably in this order:

Psalm 1
Proverbs 4
James 1:2-7
Ephesians 5:10-19
1 Corinthians 13:1-6
Psalm 100
Deuteronomy 5:6-21
Matthew 5:3-20
Philippians 4:4-13

Will you join me and many others this year as we place a priority on memorizing God's Word? You couldn't make a better investment.

Visit the 52 Weeks | 52 Verses blog to learn more.

Thoughts for this Lord's Day [nine]

2012-01-15T17:25:00.000-05:00

This glorious afternoon, I am sharing a few excellent paragraphs from Thomas Brooks (1669). I found his words to be an immensely edifying, and I pray that they will encourage and challenge you in your walk...

"The laurel keeps its freshness and greenness in the winter season; a gracious soul is semper idem—'always the same'. Let the wind, and the world, and the times turn which way they will, a gracious soul for the main will still be the same; he is "like mount Zion, which cannot be moved," Psalm 125:1.

Job 27:5-6, "Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." A gracious heart is, in some measure, like the heart of God— without variableness or shadow of changing. That Christian that is not for substance the same that once he was— was never what he ought to be (James 1:17).

A gracious heart is firm and fixed for God and godliness, both in prosperity and in adversity. Take him among the godly or among the wicked; take him in storms or calms; in winter nights or in summer days; take him among friends or foes; take him at bed or board; take him in health or sickness; take him in an ordinance or out of an ordinance; take him in his work or take him at his recreations; take him in his commerce or in his converse; take him living or take him dying— and you shall still find that the bias of his soul is still God-wards, Christ-wards, holiness-wards, and heaven-wards.

A gracious man will stand his ground, and hold his own in all changes— his heart being fixed upon an unchangeable God."

"For I am the LORD, I change not..."

-Malachi 3:6

Thriving Thriftily [Thai-Inspired Sweet Pea Chicken Soup]

2012-01-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

Good evening!

This is the first blog post in a new series I'll be writing about frugal living. I've decided to call it Thriving Thriftily because, contrary to what many believe, it is possible to live superbly well on less! There will be many posts to follow, Lord willing, but I created a recipe today to get us started. I will be aiming to keep the meal costs under $1.50 per serving, when possible. (A big thank you to those of you who were kind enough to leave me comments with your targeted meal costs!)

We try to use a lot of organic foods when possible, so my cost will probably reflect that. I wrote in which items were organic to give you a better idea of why certain foods cost what they did. Cost totals will vary from person to person, depending on your ingredients, if you shop sales, if you grow or raise certain foods, etc.

This fresh-tasting soup has both sweet and spicy flavors, inspired by Thai cuisine. So, without further ado....

Thai-Inspired Sweet Pea Chicken Soup

$0.79 per serving | Serves 14-16

We also added 2 small Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls per person for $0.11

That comes to $0.90 per person.

Ingredients:

3 ½ quarts Homemade Chicken Stock
4 T. organic Butter
3 cloves fresh Garlic, minced
1 lb. frozen Peas
5 medium organic Carrots, chopped
4 organic med/large Potatoes, diced into small pieces
1 large Purple Onion, diced
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 ½ tsp. Redmond's Real Salt
½ tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. dried Basil
1 tsp. dried Parsley
1 T. raw Honey
1 lb. organic Chicken Breast, diced
1 can Coconut Milk
12 T. Sour Cream

To start out, I made my own chicken stock. It's better tasting than store bought broth, and also much more nourishing. Plus, it's super easy and doesn't take much of your time to put together.

[As a side note, the carcass I used was from a baked chicken we had just eaten. You could also use a raw chicken instead and use some of its meat in place of the chicken breast. That's even better for you! I recommend Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions for more information about nourishing broths.]

Homemade Chicken Stock

Makes 3½ Quarts

Organic Chicken Carcass
4 quarts cold, Filtered Water
2 T. raw organic Apple Cider Vinegar
½ cup organic Alfalfa Sprouts
2-3 organic Carrots
3 ribs organic Celery
1 organic Jalapeño Pepper
(use ½ if your family does not have an affinity for spicy food)

Place all ingredients in a big pot and cover with cold water. Stir in vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes, and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain broth and throw away vegetable and chicken remains.

[I recommend starting the broth in the morning so that it will be ready by dinnertime. Broth can also be cooled and refrigerated for a later use.]

Instructions:

1. When broth is finished (or heated), heat a saute pan and melt 3 T. butter until it begins to bubble. Add garlic, potatoes, carrots, and onions and saute until halfway cooked. Add peas and finish cooking.

2. While vegetables are cooking, stir ginger, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and honey into the chicken broth.

3. Ladle 3 cups chicken broth into the blender along with half of the vegetable mixture and puree with the coconut milk until smooth. Pour back into soup.

4. Spoon the rest of the vegetable mixture into the soup and heat 1 T. butter in the emptied pan. Saute diced chicken breast until cooked and add to soup. Heat through.

5. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Bon Appetit!

Click here to see more frugal recipes at The Pennywise Platter!

The Tardy Arrival of Our Autumn

2012-01-13T18:18:00.001-05:00

Our autumn splendor has finally begun to arrive! Granted, we're ~~a bit~~ several months behind the rest of the country here in the sunshine state, but I'm not complaining.

The leaves on one of the trees up the street recently began turning this incredibly rich shade of gold. (Forgive my ignorance, but I haven't the slightest idea what kind of tree it is.) The vibrance of the yellow contrasted with the darkness of the blackish-brown give it such a neat look.

While I was walking the other day, I didn't even notice the tree until I was directly under it! I spontaneously looked up and couldn't help but smile at the beauty of the canopy above my head.

Clusters of Spanish moss hang from the branches and were fiercely blowing in the breeze that day.

This is one of the last Camellia flowers on our many Camellia bushes; they're my favorite flowers in our yard. The softness of the papery, scalloped petals is just lovely.

Bloom Beautifully.

"He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper."

-Psalm 1:3

By the way, the first post in my frugal living series will hopefully be up by tomorrow night! Check back then to see the first installment. :)

The Sound of Smacking

2012-01-09T22:33:00.001-05:00

If you were a guest in our house today, you would have heard a lot of smacking. and banging. and thudding. The laundry room rang with the sound of our hands whacking the walls as we sent dozens of mosquitoes whirling to their doom. Because of our warm winter, these pests have been multiplying like crazy outside of our house, and more than a few have maneuvered their way inside. I was really hoping for a lot of cold days, but we've only had one frost thus far, so I've been trying to be content with our mild winter. I can remember some winters here when you didn't even need to pull a sweater out of your closet! Winter isn't over yet, though, so maybe God will send us a cold snap after all to kill off a good portion of those pesky bugs.

We all had a good laugh at the dinner table- right after we had talked about mosquitoes, and right before we gave thanks for our meal. Out of the quiet burst the loud whirring of the mosquito truck as it drove down our street. I'm not one for chemicals, but I confess we all cheered and laughed at the timing. Hopefully there will be a few less mosquitoes beating against our doors tomorrow.

One positive thing about this warmer weather is that my garden has been able to grow more quickly. Speaking of which, I think it's past time for a winter garden update! (You can see the garden's layout here.) These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago, but not too much has changed since then.

Here are some of the last peppers from the summer garden. Yesterday, Dad went out into the garden and clipped off the last of them. I'll probably pull out what's left of the plants in the coming days. Jalapeño peppers are one thing we've been able to grow a nice little crop of. I assume they're a bit spicy for most bugs' liking. ;)

The baby greens sprang up quickly, as they usually do, though some of them didn't survive a heavy rain we had. I don't think their roots ran deep enough.

Cabbage! We bought these as seedlings, so they had a bit of a head start on some of the plants we started from seed. The plant on the top left is not doing so well... It looks much worse now. I'm hoping for at least two heads of cabbage from these, but we shall see. I've never actually managed to grow a head of cabbage before.

Tender leaves and water droplets... I love the look of cabbage plants. The contrasting veins are so intricately beautiful.

Purple cabbage! These are not quite as far along as the regular variety, but were also purchased as seedlings.

Little carrot shoots that were started from seed. Right before this picture was taken, I went and thinned them out in hopes that the remaining plants would grow bigger and stronger.

And lastly, we have the Sugar Snap Peas. Aren't they darling with their tiny vines? They've grown a lot since this photo, and some of them have begun to climb the fence. The ones that have something to climb on seem to grow even faster than the ones that don't. Dad said he even saw a few blossoms yesterday!

The yellow and evergreen bunching onions are coming along slowly... Only one broccoli plant survived the squirrels, and it's terribly lanky... A single okra seed sprouted (and promptly wilted), so I'm guessing the months listed on the seed packet were ~~somewhat~~ completely off.

I'll try to update you again soon. If you have been blessed with some cold weather, enjoy it for me! :)

Thoughts for this Lord's Day [eight]

2012-01-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

I have missed doing these Lord's Day posts! I am planning to do them more regularly now that the new year has come.

The subject of contentment has been on my heart lately. How grateful I am for the daily bread that the Lord so faithfully provides for us. He is good to sustain us; He is all we really need.

the richness of golden daily bread

I would like to encourage you to take a few minutes to read this excellent piece by Thomas Watson. God gifted him with an incredible mind, and I'm sure these words of his will bless and encourage you...

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11

To make us content with "daily bread," though God
straitens us in our allowance, think seriously of the
danger there is in a high, prosperous condition.

Some are not content with "daily bread," but desire
to have their barns filled, and heap up silver as dust;
which proves a snare to them. "Those who will be rich
fall into a snare." 1 Tim 6:9. Pride, idleness, and lust—
are three worms which often breed in prosperity.

Prosperity often deafens the ear against God. "I spoke
unto you in your prosperity, but you said—I will not hear."
Jeremiah 22:21. Soft pleasures harden the heart. In the body,
the more fat—the less vitality. Just so, the more outward
plenty—often the less piety.

Prosperity has its honey—and also its sting! Anxious care
is the evil spirit which haunts the rich man—and will not
let him rest. When his chests are full of money—his heart
is full of care, either how to manage or how to increase,
or how to secure what he has gotten.

Should this not make us content with that allowance which
God gives us—if we have daily bread, though not dainties?
Think of the danger of prosperity! The spreading of a full
table may be the spreading of a snare! Many have been
sunk to hell, with golden weights!

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and
a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction!" 1 Timothy 6:9.

The world's golden sands are quicksands, which should
make us take our daily bread, though it be but coarse,
contentedly. If we have less prosperity—we have less
snare. As we lack the rich provisions of the world—so
we lack their temptations. "If we have food and clothing,
we will be content with that." 1 Timothy 6:8.

If God keeps us to a spare diet—if He gives us less of
temporal things—He has made it up in spiritual things.
He has given us the Pearl of great price—the Lord Jesus,
who is the quintessence of all good things. To give us
Christ, is more than if God had given us all the world.
He can make more worlds—but He has no more Christs
to bestow. Christ is such a golden mine, that the angels
cannot dig to the bottom! His riches are unsearchable!
Ephesians 3:8. From Christ we have justification, adoption
and glorification!

Consider that it is not having an abundance, which makes
us content. It is not a fancy cage which will make the bird
sing. Having an abundance may make one less content.
One staff may help the traveler—but a bundle of staffs
will be a burden to him. A great estate may be like a
long trailing garment—more burdensome than useful.

He who can say, "My God," has enough to rock his
heart quiet in the lowest condition. What can he lack
—who has the all-sufficient God for his portion!

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be
content with what you have, because God has said,
Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Hebrews 13:5.

A photo of Dad's amazing bread creation. Daily bread comes in all shapes and sizes, doesn't it? :)

Blueberry World ["the little things" photo challenge]

2012-01-05T23:20:00.002-05:00

Blueberries are one of those things I dream about in the winter months. The juicy melt-in-your-mouth sweetness with the occasional tang... I love going blueberry picking in May, even if it means getting sticky and mosquito-bitten in the process. It's so satisfying coming home with buckets of sweet and tangy berries to munch on for days. We enjoy making blueberry pies and lots of jars of blueberry jam, too, not surprisingly. :)

My mini, vintage-inspired tea set from Williamsburg was the perfect little showcase for a small handful of roly-poly blueberries. The little things in life are some of my favorite things in life. yum.

"The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. "

-Psalm 24:1

Dollars and Cents... I Need Your Help!

2012-01-02T20:09:00.001-05:00

I have been doing some planning for the new series I'll be starting soon about frugality and saving money. However, I've come to a point where I need your help! Would you help me? Pretty please? :) Here's the question I have for you...

At what cost, per serving, does your family consider a meal to be economical?

Leave me a comment with a dollar and cents amount (down to the last penny ;) and let me know!

If you're not sure, ask your mom or the person who does the food budgeting in your family. Knowing what other families are shooting for will help me to determine the price per serving in the meals I present, so the more comments I get the better. You can even leave it anonymously if you'd like! ;)

I'm looking forward to hearing your responses!

The New Year is Coming!

2011-12-30T17:18:00.007-05:00

Can you believe that 2011 is coming to a close? It was a wonderful year in many ways, replete with its own joys, challenges, sorrows, and (numerous) blessings. I am humbly grateful to the Lord for giving me another year to serve Him. I am also incredibly thankful for the guidance and instruction the Lord bestowed on me as He patiently grew and stretched me.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the things I would like to do in the year 2012, if the Lord wills. I've been wondering what the year will look like. What will change? What will stay the same? How will I change? The beginning of a new year is an especially good time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Setting goals and writing them down helps me to accomplish far more than I otherwise would. There's something about writing things down that makes them much more likely to be accomplished; if I write down a task that needs to be taken care of, it almost always gets done. The new year is also a good time to reevaluate habits and priorities; it can be easy to lose focus or fall into a rut- especially when we take our eyes off of the Lord and off of what really matters. We also like setting goals as a family so that we're all working toward a common end. Teamwork is exponentially powerful! :)

I have also been thinking about blogging. I've had different requests for a range of subjects, but one thing I definitely would like to blog about (paritally due to many requests) is a series on frugal living. I will mainly be covering topics such as cleaning and meals, but I might occasionally branch out into other areas as well. I have also been working on a couple of projects that I hope to share with you all before long.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

-Jeremiah 29:11

Do you remember the other day when I showed you the family photo I was hoping to use for this year's pictre? Well, in the end, everyone else decided that it was much too nice (joyful/fun/insert your adjective of choice) to pass up- so we picked it! :)

This is the other picture we were heavily considering... ^

...and this is the one we chose. ^

I'm looking forward to spending this weekend with friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord. What better way to begin a new year, than by celebrating, encouraging, and praying with people you love! I am grateful for friends who take the things of God seriously. What are your plans for this weekend? I'd love to hear them...

See you in 2012! :D

Good Christian Men, Rejoice!

2011-12-25T15:32:00.000-05:00

I love the words to this hymn and also the music that was written for it. Both are so joyous and triumphant. What a merciful God we serve! Rejoice today (and every day) in our Savior's precious blood and in His glorious resurrection!

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

-1 Peter 1:18-19

Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed day!

Good Christian Men Rejoice

Good Christian men rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Give ye heed to what we say

News! News!

Jesus Christ is born today!

Ox and ass before Him bow

And He is in the manger now

Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Now ye hear of endless bliss

Joy! Joy!

Jesus Christ was born for this

He hath ope'd the heav'nly door

And man is blessed evermore

Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice

With heart and soul and voice!

Now ye need not fear the grave:

Peace! Peace!

Jesus Christ was born to save

Calls you one and calls you all

To gain His everlasting hall

Christ was born to save!

Of Twinkling Lights and Truffles

2011-12-23T12:05:00.016-05:00

Due to being out of town and other varying circumstances, we were were a bit late in decorating this year. However, the lights have been strung, the greenery cut, and the finishing touches have been made to the house.

I sometimes wish that we could leave the lights up all year long. They make the house feel even more bright and cozy in the evenings...

Plus, they always make for some lovely bokeh...

Dad and Joseph strung lights all the way up our columns.

Wrapping them in the dark makes it extra nice, don't you think? ;)

Round and round they go...

Until they untangle all the lights and reach the ceiling!

I've always loved having real Christmas trees inside the house; they smell so fresh and wintery. But then, I just love real trees and plants inside to begin with- so maybe that's it. This year, we didn't get a tree, but we did find a nice Christmas tree lot that was giving away their extra branches.

They had some gorgeous (read expensive) trees for sale, and the lady running the lot had already made up her wreaths. We had checked two other places, but both stores only had pieces that were way past their prime. God was gracious in letting us find such fresh greenery!

I love being able to decorate the house with "real" flowers, berries, greenery, etc. There's nothing as beautiful as God's creation. Silk is nice too, but just not quite the same. ;)

Pinecones.
<3

Part of the decorating crew... Somebody got worn out early. ;)

I can smell it from here!

Earlier this week I received a beautiful package in the mail from one of my blogging friends that I sent some sugar scrubs to. (You can find her here.) She is starting a business selling truffles, decorating cakes, etc. and wanted to know how well her products would ship. I gladly said I would let her know, so she sent me a lovely box (that arrived in great shape) of the most amazing truffles I've ever had!

They were really that good.

She has flavors like Blackberry, Raspberry, Almond, Mint (my favorite so far), Peanut Butter, Mocha, and Irish Cream....

Aren't they just beautiful? Trust me, they taste even better than they look. wow.

Today we will be cleaning up the house, dipping pretzels, almonds, and pecans in chocolate, wrapping a few gifts, and preparing food for tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to a peaceful and productive Friday...

What have you been up to these past few days? What are your plans for this weekend?

"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever:
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations."

-Psalm 89:1

My Pick for Our 2011 Family Photo

2011-12-20T19:16:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again!

Today we spent some time picking out the family picture we'll be sending with our end-of-the-year letter.

Unfortunately, the picture I wanted to send out didn't make the cut. I suppose I like it so much because it's very "us" (if that makes any sense at all). What do you think? :)

[At the Kendall/Morton/Allen weddings... Thanks again for taking those, Abbi!]

Don't worry... I'll post the "real" one next week sometime. ;)

My First Winter Garden Plan

2011-12-17T22:57:00.003-05:00

Good evening! Before I dive into tonight's post, I wanted to remind any of you who were interested in ordering some Sugar Scrubs that there is still time to do so before Christmas! (Priority Mail only takes 2-3 days.)

I had a wonderful response from many of you, so I am beginning to run low on my inventory. I updated the remaining quantities on my previous post to give you an idea of how many are left (only a couple dozen total). Don't wait too long, or I might sell out! You can click here to read the details if you're not sure what I'm referring to. ;)

Now.....

Since I recently spent a good deal of time planning my first winter garden, picking out seeds and seedlings, tilling and preparing our garden's soil, planting, weeding, watering, and weeding some more- I thought it would be a good idea to share my garden plan with you!

I'm not sure how well some of these plant types are going to grow during these colder months, but I decided to try a variety of things to see how different plants would do in this weather and climate. If nothing else, I got some good exercise. :) This weather of ours has been a dream to work in.

Our Jalapeno Pepper plants are leftover from this summer, and we're still getting peppers from them! The Sugar Snap Peas, Baby Greens, Purple Cabbage, and Early Cabbage seem to be doing the best thus far. Our pesky little squirrels keep digging holes in the garden and uprooting my seedlings! They're fortunate I've never caught them in the act. They'd better watch out, because one of these days.....

There is a fence completely surrounding the garden to keep the deer and other large critters away. The opening would be on the bottom right corner if you were looking at our garden. We just unhook the fence from the corner metal post and re-hook it when we're finished. Between the Early Cabbage and the Carrots and Herbs, there are a couple of stepping stones we put down so that we don't squish any little plants while trying to reach the other side of the garden. ;)

If you were looking to the left of our garden, you would find our compost pile. I recently spent several days reworking it, which was no easy task. We had the pile spread out over a very large area, due to lots of raked leaves, huge plants growing in it from the summer months, etc. (Keep in mind, our summer ends around mid-October.) I spent quite a bit of time in the company of rakes and shovels, flattening out the earth, digging out tons of roots, and turning the pile into a far more manageable size. I daresay that my back is the better for it!

Now that I think about it, before and after pictures would have been a good idea. Oh well. Next year! One day soon I will post pictures of the little garden's progress.

Am I the only one who is trying a winter garden? :)

Sugar Scrub Closeout... Winter Clearance!

2011-12-14T19:52:00.023-05:00

"One kind word can warm three winter months."

Are you enjoying this time of year?! I certainly am! Our weather is in the mid-sixties, which is very pleasant weather to be outside in. Maybe one of these days we'll get some snow. :) There's nothing like being warm and cozy on a cold day...

Since Christmas is fast approaching, I thought it was about time to write up this post. As many of you know, I have operated my own little skincare business over the past few years. My endeavors have taught me quite a lot about a variety of subjects, and I am grateful that the Lord provided so many wonderful experiences through it.

However, as time has gone by, my focus has shifted to other projects and ventures. While I have loved creating and offering my products to others, the time has come for me to close up shop, as it were. It's rather sad in some respects, but I know that the Lord will provide (and has provided) me with ample projects to take its place.

I know that many of you have supported me by purchasing my scrubs and other products in the past, so I would just like to take a quick moment to say thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am grateful to the Lord for each one of you.

That said, I have a wonderful offer for you, my readers! I recently made up my very last batches of sugar scrubs, and I am having a huge Winter Clearance Closeout! I have very limited quantities of my scrubs left, so if you're interested in purchasing some of them, let me know soon! Once they're gone, they're gone for good.

Sugar scrubs exfoliate and moisturize in one simple step and they make really wonderful gifts, especially at this time of year when skin is prone to dryness. All jars are sealed. My scrubs are all natural and are made with a tested blend of Coconut, Avocado, and Sweet Almond Oils. Each ingredient contains wonderful properties that will keep your skin moisturized from morning til night! The sugar scrubs are also whipped with nourishing Shea Butter and scented with high-quality Essential Oil blends.

I am offering each of my scrubs at 50% off their original $10.00 price. That means you can buy as many 8 oz. scrubs as you'd like for only $5 each! (Well, until they're gone anyway ;)

Plus, on any purchase of $10 or more I will send you a facial mask and floral water kit free of charge! Each kit will make around six masks. These masks are wonderful for helping to keep your complexion bright and clear. I only have a few of these left as well, so first come, first served.

On any order of $15 or more, I will also add in two *Purely Peppermint* lip scrubs for wonderfully smooth lips. These are also perfect during the winter months because they help to keep your lips from chapping.

Sugar scrub scents to choose from...

-Cinnamon Stick
    (Only 7 (8 oz.) jars left! I also have 3 jars available in a 16 oz size for $8. Warm, firey, and homey... a truly vibrant cinnamon! This one might be my favorite. ;)

-Key Lime
    (Only 5 (8 oz.) jars left! I also have 2 jars available in a 16 oz size for $8. Sweet and tangy- smells even better than the pie!)

-Woodland Themes
   (Only 1 jar left! Has wonderful pine overtones.)

-Himalayan Cedarwood
   (Only 2 jars left! Subtle cedarwood and forest scents with cinnamon undertones.)

Shipping costs will be minimal, and I will be able to give you an exact quote once you email me with your desired order, but shipping shouldn't exceed $5-8 on most orders. If you live nearby, you are more than welcome to come and pick the order up at any time.

I accept PayPal, personal checks, and money orders. Whichever option is the most convenient for you is fine with me. Personal checks have to clear the bank before I am able to send out your order, though, so I do recommend the other two options if time is a concern.

Email me at faraboverubies31@gmail.com with any questions you have or with any orders you would like to place and I will get back to you very shortly!

"Blessed be the Lord,

who daily loadeth us with benefits,

even the God of our salvation.

Selah."

-Psalm 28:19

Emily's Afternoon Tea Bridal Shower

2011-12-07T12:28:00.003-05:00

Back in October, before Ben and Emily were wed, Mrs. Case, Mrs. Fambrough and Jean Marie, and Mom and I planned a special bridal shower for Emily. In the few weeks preceding the shower, we had a wonderful time planning, coordinating, and setting up for the afternoon tea shower. (Thank you so much to all of you who helped!)

My mom has such an amazing eye for detail. If you ever need someone to design an elegant tea, my mother would be the one to call. :)

Also, if you make it to the end of this post, you will figure out why it took me so long to get it up! I tried to give you a full picture of the details and events of the day, so be prepared for an abundance of photos.

Cream and Soft Pink Roses.

The centerpieces we designed for the tables...

You can click here to view the tutorial I did on how to make these!

Lovely shades of green and cream to complement Emily's wedding colors.

We had so much tea food prepared, as you can see!

There were dainty sweet and savory things of all kinds.

Raspberry Cheesecake

...or was it strawberry?

Melt-in-your-mouth lemon squares

Tapioca Pudding, in case you were wondering.

Jean Marie makes the best tapioca you have ever had, hands down.

Tapioca, Strawberry Tarts, Almond Scones, and Miniature Cheesecake Squares

Little Cream Puffs, Chocolate Eclairs, and Assorted Quiches

[emphasis on 'sweet' for that batch!]

Tea Cookies

We set up a table by the door where ladies could come and write encouraging words of wisdom and advice to Emily. We had bought a photo-book and then just slipped the 4x6 cards into the slots so that Emily would be able to go back and easily read through them. There was enough room in the back of the book for her to put in pictures from the shower.

The lovely lady of the hour.

My mom gave a special devotion before we ate, giving Emily Biblical wisdom and encouragement.

Emily with her mother-in-law, little sister-in-law, and mother surrounding her.

[I apologize for the quality... This is a still image from the video I had recorded.]

Waiting for some of that delicious food!

The tea table, complete with three different kinds of tea and many gorgeous tea sets and cups.

What tea would be complete without sugar cubes?

;)

Cutting the chocolate chip cheesecake.

Yes, there was plenty of cheesecake to go around!

Evidence of the wonderful time we were having!

Three sweet mothers, serving.

Sweet friends trying to decide which dainties to choose from...

Smoosh.

Oh, Berakah, you're cute.

My raspberry tea, if I'm not mistaken.

The gift table that expanded onto the floor.

Becky keeping track of which gifts were from who.

Beautiful wrappings, don't you think?

Mesmerized...

The little girls positively loved getting to watch and help her open her gifts.

Love the varied expressions!

Becca <3

and her tea!

Ben came to join us toward the end.

The little girls had fun getting to help bring over the gifts.

We had each family represented address an envelope when they first arrived. [Emily later used those envelopes to send her thank-you notes in.] At the end of the shower, mom placed each of the envelopes into a tin and drew seven names [with the help of some ladies and little girls]. Those seven guests each got to take home a centerpiece!

Laughter...

...and more laughter!

The happy couple... now married!

Hope you enjoyed the photos from the day... Any thoughts? :)

By the way... You can now click here to view a teaser of Ben and Emily's wedding on Jonathan Hedrick's blog.

"But the mercy of the LORD is from

everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,

and his righteousness unto children's children;

To such as keep his covenant,

and to those that remember

his commandments to do them."

-Paslm 103:17-18

Good for What Ails You

2011-12-01T22:06:00.007-05:00

Pictures from Emily's bridal shower are coming shortly, I promise. I had hoped to have them posted before now since they are mostly finished, but they should be up early next week.

I have been reminded all week long that God's plans are sometimes different than my own, and also that it's always a good thing when they are!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

-Isaiah 55:8-9

It's always rather annoying to get sick, but it's especially frustrating when you have lots of projects that need to be worked on. When colds strike, I always seem to be reminded of how helpless I am, and how great God is. Thankfully, it is He who is in control of all. I have naught to fret about, for He is the One who guides my steps and leads me by His mighty hand. "Nevertheless I am continually with You; you hold me by my right hand" (Psalm 73:23). Everything that needs to be accomplished will be done in His time, and not in mine. Truly believing those words brings much comfort and peace to a restless soul. ;) "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

Lately, we've been enjoying tea from "Traditional Medicinals" and have

been quite pleased with the quality. The varieties we've tried are

pleasant-tasting and also seem to be beneficial all around.

The Lord has been pressing the words of Philippians 4:11 on my heart these past days "...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." A little cold seems silly to be concerned about when you have friends who are battling debilitating diseases. Taking the focus off of myself helps to put things into perspective. Though I may feel uncomfortable and sick at times, knowing that there are others who are going though far worse drives me to my knees to thank God for the overall good health He has graciously bestowed on me. It also brings my ailing friends to mind even more than usual and continually reminds me to pray for them.

Having to rest and recover always gives me the desire to be twice as productive as I was before! I feel as though I don't want to waste any time at all... Thankfully, I have all but recovered from last week's unwellness (is that even a word?). I feel ready to jump back into life with renewed perspective. May we ever be reminded- in whatsoever state we are in- to be content in Christ.

See you next week, Lord willing! :)

The Gospel-Centered Marriages Conference [day three]

2011-11-28T20:15:00.007-05:00

The last day of the conference seemed to come all too quickly. It was somewhat bittersweet, knowing that the conference was coming to a close, but the day was still immensely enjoyable in every way. Time spent with God's people is always sweet.

The crowded foyer outside

the auditorium early in the morning.

Sweet babies weren't too difficult to spot in a large crowd like that...

Some dear friends...

...and their adorable little guy who is loads of fun to photograph!

Kevin Swanson giving another of my favorite messages of the conference, The Dominion Mandate and Marriage. At the time, I was only able to hear the last half of it, but I've since heard it in its entirety and can tell you that it's really wonderful. If your family is able to get the conference MP3's, I would highly recommend them.

I always enjoy hearing Mr. Swanson speak in person,

and I'm always surprised when his lecture is ended!

His passion for the Lord really shows when he preaches.

More dear friends...

...and sisters.

It was such a treat to get to see y'all!

I am so grateful for the many sisters and friends

our gracious Lord has blessed me with.

They always encourage me onward and upward by

their words and by the examples they set.

Their steadfast spirits and fervent desire to glorify God

are sources of much encouragement.

Those are some gorgeous eyes!

Isn't she beautiful?

"Iron sharpeneth iron;

so a man sharpeneth

the countenance

of his friend."

-Proverbs:27:17

The day was crisp and clear,

and the sun was twice as bright to

make up for the day before!

A few glimpses of the Vendor Hall...

The panel had some interesting discussions at the very end of conference.

I am incredibly thankful that the Lord allowed my family and I

the opportunity to attend the Gospel Centered Marriages conference.

We came away encouraged, bolstered, and refreshed.

The Lord is very, very good.

"He taught me also, and said unto me,
'Let thine heart retain my words:

Keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not;

Neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee:
Love her, and she shall keep thee.

Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom:
And with all thy getting
Get understanding.'"

-Proverbs 4:4-7

The Gospel-Centered Marriages Conference [day two]

2011-11-26T13:48:00.008-05:00

The second day of the conference began early in the morning and ended late in the evening. The day was blessed in so many ways. Here are a few photos from my perspective...

Dr. Joel Beeke, one of my favorite speakers, sharing some terrific materials with the audience...

Isn't she super cute?
The lighting in the auditorium was really difficult to shoot under,
so sometimes it was easier and more compelling to work with it instead of
against it, hence the purplish hues....

Taylor Tsantles and Scott Brown

Dan Horn

It rained for a while on Friday.
Mountain rain is quite different than Florida rain!
The raindrops are much smaller and softer, and their scent is much fresher...

A glimpse of our lunch that day...
Bringing meals from home was a huge blessing!
It greatly cut down on the cost, and eating healthy food helped keep
us energized and awake... Well, most of the time.
;)

Lunch break!

Jason Dohm

Doug Phillips [another of my favorites] giving one of
my favorite messages of the conference....

So.Cute.
<3

Browsing the NCFIC book table.

After all of the messages were over for the evening, a large group gathered in the lower level of Johnson Spring to fellowship and sing hymns.

haha... I love them!

Mom enjoying a conversation with some of our sweet friends.
I wish there had been more time to have long conversations with
friends we only get to see once or twice a year!

Bethany was very kind to let me practice my
external flash skills [more like lack thereof] on her.
She is a very patient friend!
;)

Praising the Lord with song...

"O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name:
make known his deeds among the people.

Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him:
talk ye of all his wondrous works.

Glory ye in his holy name:
let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Seek the LORD, and his strength:
seek his face evermore."

-Psalm 105:1-4

The Gospel-Centered Marriages Conference [day one]

2011-11-25T10:51:00.009-05:00

Last month, my family and I had the privilege of attending the Gospel-Centered Marriages conference. It was such an encouraging event filled to the brim with solid Biblical teaching and edifying fellowship. Even the weather was wonderful. We were surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountains dotted with bright autumn color.

There were over 2,200 people from all over the country in attendance. I spoke with a couple of families who had driven over 40 hours in order to be able to attend. That alone speaks volumes as to how much of a blessing these events can be! I so appreciate ministries like the NCFIC who are committed to teaching the truth of God's Word to those who desire to grow and learn and change the culture for the glory of Almighty God.

Our world so desperately needs the light of Christ, and we have been commissioned to bring it to them (Matthew 28:19-20). If we are followers of Jesus, then every aspect of our lives should point to Him, including our words, our deeds, our families, and our marriages. The speakers at the conference did a wonderful job of conveying important truths about courtship, marriage, and the family that have been lost or forgotten somewhere along the way. Through the years, we have lost sight of how beautiful God's plan for marriage and the family really is when it is lived out in a Biblical way. Praise be to God for opening the eyes of His people to these blessed truths.

I was honored to be asked again this year to be one of the photographers, so I was able to photograph a broad spectrum of the conference. The first day consisted largely of settling in, registration, and the opening sessions in the evening...

People filled the foyer area of Pritchell Hall, greeting one another, checking into their rooms,
and picking up their conference packets at the registration table.

These young women did such a great job of working the registration table all afternoon. As you can see, they had their hands full.

Three of my sweet (and very lovely) friends that I thank God for!
They are such an encouragement to me.

That brother o' mine.
:)

The room gets even more full!

The Event Schedule

Sweet moments of fellowship...

Color abounded... I love these little berries!

There were large vans and minivans everywhere you looked!
Pretty neat, if you ask me.
(Genesis 1:28)

The thick cloud coverage intensified the colors on the mountain.
We had a beautiful view from the room we stayed in.

When evening came, everyone began to migrate over to the Spilman Auditorium. In a short amount of time, the huge room was packed. Last minute preparations were being made while families found seats and settled in.

Scott Brown was the first to speak, and he introduced some of the speakers that would be sharing later on.

[This picture makes me smile!]

From the upper level...

Introducing Paul Washer...

...Kevin Swanson...

...and Joel Beeke.

This little babe was so adorable, smiling while sleeping!

The sound of uplifting hymns being played on the grand piano
filled the room before and after the evening messages.

One of the things I love seeing at conferences... manly friendships being forged and strengthened. Too often, friendships today are based on things like music and movies instead of a love for God and a desire to further His kingdom. Friendships such as these will stand the test of time and will bear much fruit through the years.

Well, that pretty much wraps up the first day of the conference. I will be posting the other days as soon as I am able.

"Therefore shall a man leave

his father and his mother,

and shall cleave unto his wife:

and they shall be one flesh."

-Genesis 2:24