Daughters of Vision

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Psalm 116:15

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:13:03 PST

My grandfather, my dad's father (our Pepaw) left this world on the 5th of this month

to be with our Lord and Savior in heaven.

My family and I just returned home from California where my grandfather was honored with a beautiful memorial service on Saturday and a military burial on Monday. He served his country as a pilot in the United States Air Force for 22 yrs.

Looking at my grandfather in the casket was one of the hardest times in my life. It reminded me once again about the frailty of life and the shortness of time that each of us are given to serve our Lord on this earth.

May we flee from rebellion, foolishness, bitterness and squandering the opportunities given to us by our precious Lord and Savior. May we use these years for the honor and glory that is due to the One who gives us our breath.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

His love for Christ was evident and I am so glad that we know where he is dwelling right now. Psalm 73:25-26

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

I love you so very much Grandma and pray for God to heal your broken heart.

He will heal all of our hearts...it will just take time.

As I heard on the movie Courageous,

"losing a loved one is like learning to live with an amputation, you do heal, but you are never the same."

Psalm 30:5

" Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

I was privileged to sing a tribute in song for my grandfather.

I thank the Lord for the strength, peace and grace that He gave me to hold my emotions together as I sang. .

My dad delivered a moving speech, honoring his father and delivering my grandfather's dying words to us all.

I had the pleasure about a month ago of flying out to California with my dad

to help my grandparents move into a new retirement community. My Grandfather was recovering from pneumonia and was on a steady uphill climb. He had decided to move out of his big house and scale down to a more manageable one. I was in charge of doing the interior decorating for their new house.

As we were wrapping up the details and our trip was coming to an end, Pepaw came down with a fever and was admitted to the E.R. with a staph infection and trouble breathing.

I went into his room and told him all about the new place that my uncle and aunt, dad and I had prepared for him and Grandma. I asked if I could pray with him and he said that he would love it if I would.

I did so and thanked the Lord for giving me such a precious grandfather .After doing so, with a look in his eyes as if he knew he might never see me again, he said, I love you, so so much.

Even being as weak as he was lying there in that hospital bed he mustered all his strength, pulled my hand to his mouth and kissed it. Little did I know that it would be the last time that I would see him.

It was a total and complete privilege being his granddaughter.

I will never forget my name that Pepaw would always call me...

"Kelly Girl"

My prayers and heart go out to my dad who is in the middle of dealing with all of the emotions that a son experiences in saying goodbye to a father. I'm afraid no matter where you are in life or whether you are expecting it or not, the void, pain and heartache will just be there.

I am in prayer also for my uncle Clark (above left) and aunts Carolyn and Tracy who are feeling the loss and separation from their dad as well as our many relatives and friends.

Let this be a lesson, to fully appreciate, value and cherish each and every moment that God so graciously gives us with our loved ones. Just like I did not know and was unaware of the short time that I had left with my grandfather, so each of us is unaware of just how many days we have with our earthly companions.

Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

The night of my grandfather's passing I didn't sleep much but God's peace was there all the way.

Laying in the dark on my bed, I had a beautiful picture of Pepaw being lifted by our Lord from his sick and dying body and suddenly being overwhelmed by the beautiful and glorious face of our Savior. Picturing my grandfather kneeling and thanking the Lord for His nail scarred hands, enveloped in perfect peace and comfort as he rests in the arms of Jesus who loved him so much, was a great comfort.

My Pepaw was always a pleasure and a joy to be with and had a very personable way of relating to his grandchildren. He always had an encouraging word to say, a cheerful spirit to add to any day, a servant's heart towards others. My mother testifies that in 40 years of knowing him, he was always loving and supportive and he never said an unkind word to her, even once. He was truly a man of remarkable character.

I know that all of this was Christ’s work in him as he allowed God to conform and

mold him into the image of His Son.

He was such an inspiration to me, being the man of faith that he was.

(Pepaw) your life was full of loving deeds,
Forever thoughtful of our special needs,
Today and tomorrow, my whole life through,
We will always love and cherish you

-Anon

"God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

A Blessed Christmas Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:05:08 PST

We had a wonderful and sacred service at our church on Christmas Eve. Since we took pictures of our family, it appears we were the only ones there! Actually there were many families.
Elizabeth and her sweet friend sang a medley of Joy to the World and How Great Our Joy.

Tara was right at home where she is most comfortable, at the piano!

Reuben had some very touching thoughts to share about the Christ child.

The children were precious as they sang "Away in a Manger".

Stephen also had many thoughts to share at this blessed time.

Our song leader (dad) led many beautiful carols.

Our family group sang " Oh Come All ye Children", with a children's solo at the beginning.

This shot should have come first! While we were getting everything ready, dad was watching over the grandsons and adoptive grandson! What a wonderful evening it was!
We thank and praise our God for His gift to us.

Next time, we will unveil the Christmas desserts and find out how we placed in the contest!!

Christmas Catch-up

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:36:11 PST

I know Christmas has come and gone but we were way too busy living it to post at the time, so I hope all of you friends and relatives don't mind a few catch-up posts. Our family has grown since the old days when the six of us fit around the table just perfectly. We are very thankful for all the additions!

Here is the overflow table right in the next room. I heard it was a great time for the oldest and youngest sisters to catch up. By the way, Elizabeth made the little girl's skirts for their Christmas gifts.

Our Christmas dinner! Kristen made the stockings which held the silverware by cutting up an old sweater!

We were blessed to have our cousin Lindsay join us for the weekend.

Also, joining us was Stephen's sister, husband and son. Also,you might notice she was looking forward to their newest son who was born less than 3 weeks later!

Tara, very happy in her new role as wife and mother!

Me, enjoying holding my youngest nephew!
We enjoyed a wonderful time celebrating Christ with all the family in.
We celebrated an especially worshipful Christmas Eve service.
Also, this year we had a baking contest to see which of the sisters could create the best gluten-free, dairy-free dessert! Who do you think won? :) I hope to show you pictures of these activities soon!
Hope all of you had a memorable and Christ-centered Christmas.

Journey to the Nineteenth Century!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:00:49 PST

We woke up one warm, sunny morning recently and thought something felt quite different. Sure enough, something was different! We had been transported to 19th century England, in the time of Charles Dickens.

We dressed as well as we could so we would fit in with the local people and headed off to the town square!

First, we posed with Lexi by our Christmas tree. Our father and his friend chopped it down in our attic and moved it to the family room.

When we arrived, we began mingling with the townspeople. We enjoyed quite a few conversations.

We admired some of the other well dressed townspeople!

Even thought we tried our hardest to stay out of trouble, it appeared that the police were keeping a close eye on us, just in case!

We met some fine ladies and gentlemen, one with a newborn babe.

We decided to board the beautiful ship Elissa, which has just been built in 1877.

Here we are trying to determine if we should set sail.

After visiting the inside of the ship, we decided that we were not dressed appropriately for a long voyage, so we chose to move on.

Some small instrumentalists playing beautiful Christmas melodies.

Afterward, we stopped to see the gorgeous Christmas decor at a local hotel on the beach.

We enjoyed the warm, balmy ocean breeze before it was time to re-enter the modern day.
May the Lord draw each of you ever closer to Himself this blessed Christmas season.

Almost 6 Months!!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:27:40 PST

Dear Daughters of Vision,

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) I have missed you all a lot! The Lord continues to do "exceedingly, abundantly more than I can ask or think!" My life has been really busy. God is so amazing and Carson is one of the amazing things God has given to Stephen and I this year! Thought you might like to see some pictures of how our little guy is growing. Carson will be 6 months in just a couple of days. I can hardly believe it!

Well, I need to go fix dinner for Stephen before he comes home! What are you fixing for your family tonight? I LOVE finding new recipes to serve to Stephen! :-) If you have a minute, please leave one of your favorite recipes in the comment box!

God bless you dear daughters...

Tara

Carson's 1st Day of Life!

Carson's 2nd Day of Life...

Carson 11 Days Old

1 Month...

3 Months...

3 1/2 Months

4 Months...

5 Months

A Tribute to Sisters!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:58:30 PDT

Autumn Greetings dear friends! We have been away from home for a few weeks, enjoying a refreshing time up north, relishing the cooler weather and the autumn beauty.
As we traveled back home, a cool front was blowing in, which made for the bumpiest flight we've ever taken but also kept the change in temperature from being quite such a shock!
I had a few things I'd like to share with you today. First, the picture above. It was taken shortly before Tara married by our sweet friend and excellent photographer, Sara Quinnett. Sara is not only very gifted in photography but also has exceptionally lovely curly hair! You can find her at sarajanephotography.blogspot.com/
If only Kristen had been with us that day....:(

Also, if you would like some uplifting reading material, go to www.kingsbloomingrose.com/
The current issue is all about sister relationships! I was blessed to be given the opportunity to answer some interview questions about how we can invest in our sisters. Upon receiving the magazine, I was so encouraged to read all the other articles. As a younger girl, you may not fully realize that you will know your sisters your entire life! God has given you that sister or sisters for a reason. I wish I had found this magazine sooner and I believe you will be very encouraged in the Lord by reading it. The great news is that the issues are only $2
and a year's subscription (four issues) is only $7.

While on this topic, I can't fail to mention the inspiring publication, Virtuous Daughters, written by our dear friends, Tiffany and Brittany Schlichter. In fact, they are authors of an excellent article in the sisters issue of The King's Blooming Rose, about how the Lord has made them the best of friends (as Mary and Martha) despite their many differences. Virtuous Daughters is published each month for $7 per year payable to Virtuous Daughters 18842 Walding Road Montgomery, TX 77356

Pray for and encourage your sisters this evening, while it is still today!

Happy Birthday Stephen and Tara!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 11:46:05 PDT

I decided to practice my drawing the other day. Thinking about what I should draw, I came across a picture of my adorable new nephew Carson. Being the cutie that he is made it really fun to study his little face and draw his adorable features.

I decided to post this as a birthday surprise for Stephen and Tara as both of their birthdays are in September!

I'm guessing they will like it, since it is a picture of their handsome little guy! :-)
I love you both and am grateful for your consistant example of living a life that is pleasing to our Lord. I am so gratfeful to the Lord for both of you and all of the special memories that we've made and have yet to make.
Happy Birthday to you both!!!
Love your sister,
Kelly

Final Approach Seminar In The Woodlands, Texas October 28-29, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:23:35 PDT

Hello Daughters of Vision;

After a year-long process of prayer, planning, and preparation, Final Approach is ready to launch its first ever Seminar at The Woods Edge Church in The Woodlands, Texas on October 28-29th, 2011.

Dr. Joseph Norvell and our dad, Steve Riddell, will be speaking to families on the subject of "How to help children land safely into adulthood". As we have observed many times, too many teens and young adults are running into problems as they approach adulthood and many are leaving their "beliefs" behind.

In the homes of many Christian families there is a battle being fought for the hearts and souls of the younger generation. Everywhere around us we see young people whose love for the world and themselves has pushed aside their relationship with the Lord. The reality is that many parents struggle to know how to pilot their families through this turbulent time when their teens ask, “Do I believe what I believe because I believe it, or because it is what I’ve always been taught?”

Sure, these same parents guided their children well through their pre-teen years. However, once their children are in flight and headed for adulthood, dad and mom often stall. It is as if they, the parents, are flying blind. How do you guide them through their FINAL APPROACH into successful adulthood where responsibility, maturity and honor meet wisdom and a strong personal relationship with the Lord? Final Approach is a weekend conference designed to help parents learn the skills for discipling their teens, while encouraging young people to make their faith their own.

To register, click here! Please join us for two days of eye-opening and encouraging instruction, challenge and discipleship as we unfold the secrets of raising children who can land safely in adulthood.

Blessings to All!
Tara, Kelly and Elizabeth

60 Years!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:46:58 PDT

Our family was blessed this summer to take a drive (that would be a very long drive) out to Nevada to join in the celebration of our grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. When they were a little younger :), they were blessed with 2 sons and 2 daughters. Little did they know at the time what the blessing of children would bring. Today they are enjoying the company of all their children and their spouses plus 9 grandchildren and 4 spouses and nine greatgrandchildren. Not everyone could attend, of course, but it was a large crowd. We all met at my aunt and uncle's beautiful ranch in Nevada.

I have lots of things I'd like to show you about the trip but first things first! We don't have the opportunity to travel to Nevada very often. In fact, they have been developing this gorgeous ranch for about 10 years and we had never been there before. We were so delighted to finally meet their 6 horses!!

Now Elizabeth and I just happen to LOVE horses and we almost never get to ride them.

Imagine our delight when we were invited to stay 2 extra weeks to learn all about horses and spend a lot of time riding.

(My horse's name is Ramara. Elizabeth's horse is Charlie.)
For years now, I have had a dream of what a joy it would be to ride a horse on the beach.

The weather appears to be really hot but it was actually very mild, especially compared to our home.

What a wonderful feeling galloping free on the beach around the lake with our uncle and cousin to keep us from any (well, at least too much) disaster! (due to our inexperience!) Thank the Lord for His bounteous blessings!!!

It's All About Me!!?!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:26:51 PDT

Recently, Tara was able to come for a visit!
God was so good. I was preparing to speak to a group of young ladies at a conference and I asked if she would be willing to join me. She said she would be thrilled to! (Just what I hoped to hear!) :)

A few weeks in advance, I was given a choice of several topics. When I saw the topic of selfishness, I knew this was the topic for us, because we would have plenty of real life experience to draw from! (Can you believe we used to argue over who got the favored seat in the van? Or the biggest slice of cake? Yikes!)
During the talk I said "Why didn't I ever think to say to my sisters 'Why don't you take the best seat today?'
or 'Here, you enjoy the largest slice of cake.'" Tara said "Right, that would have worked! :)" Hmmmm...
I don't think that was in our notes.

Elizabeth joined us for the opening skit.

The illustration was of me meeting my friends and talking so much about myself, they couldn't get a word in. Then when I got a phone call, I said "It's been great catching up with you!!"

And by the way, we found a great new tee shirt that says "I may not be much but I'm all I think about!" :(
Or would you prefer "It's all about me, only me, just me, all me" (2 Timothy 3:15 "People will be lovers of themselves...rather than lovers of God.)
Have you ever seen a shirt that reads "I put others before myself!" (I Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own but each the other's well-being.)

Let's get our eyes off ourselves and onto being a blessing to others. (Philippians 2:3-4 But look also to the interests of others)
We need to: l.Admit that selfishness is sin.
2. Do not rationalize it, play it down or blame others.
3. We must rely by faith on God to help us live beyond our own self-interest.

4. We must turn from serving self to serving others.
5. We should make apologies, repair damage and accept forgiveness from others whom we have hurt.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

Baby Carson enjoyed meeting quite a few friends of his mother for the very first time! And then they were gone... :( But at least they came and we had a glorious time. :)

His Reward

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:06:01 PDT

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:08:36 PDT

Our Precious Little Carson!

(More pictures soon!)

Happy Birthday Kelly Anne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:15:16 PDT

Kelly came out for 6 weeks to visit Kristen and me and to help with the birth of our son Carson!

Kelly is such a sweet, tender sister...

who enjoys the beauty around her...

who listens closely to what others have to say...

and who's ready to serve!

Kelly overflows with love...

has a heart for children...

and radiates a cheerful spirit that comes from her relationship with the Lord!

Kelly, Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for your wonderful example of what a godly young lady should look like! I love you so much and am so grateful that YOU are MY sister!

Your Sister and Friend,

Tara

These 3 pictures were taken a few minutes after the birth!

Carson Stephen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:07:10 PDT

Stephen and I (Tara) would like to announce the birth of our first born son...Carson Stephen! Born on Friday, May13th at 2:04 in the morning, weighing in at 7 lbs. 6 oz.

We are overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord for giving us such a precious, precious gift!

More to come! :-)

Summer Cut!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:34:23 PDT

I know that I have given you lots of advice in the past concerning how to take care of curly hair.

I hope though that you will understand that I just finally grew tired of taking care of mine.

In a weak moment, I reached for the scissors.

I decided to give it a little "trim."

I figured I could always get mom to even it up later.

Oh dear, once you've done it, you can't go back. (There's a lesson there, don't you think?)

The good news is (as they say), it will always grow back.

Maybe it will grow back very quickly, even possibly by the next blog post!!

Hope all of you have a terrific evening and may God bless you on this wonderful

APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Fix-It Fixed It

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:55:00 PST

Well, Mr. Fix-it, my terrific father, fixed the problem, so I can actually post pictures.

Tara came for a visit and we were able to do some sightseeing together.

It looks like the happy couple is still happy and enjoying married life!

My precious nephew bought a shirt to tell me his feelings, since he can't talk yet!

Lexi is doing great and becoming part of the family.

God's blessings to all of you. Be sure to see the last post since

it was just posted today but with no pictures. :(

See you again soon!

Howdy, y'all!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:36:35 PST

Hello to everyone. I just spent quite some time trying to add pictures here and the computer just won't cooperate :( , so until I get my wonderful dad's help this evening, we'll just say "Hello!"

Yes, I know. I haven't been blogging too well lately. I guess Tara and I just weren't meant to be apart! :)

For now though, we can catch up at another blog. I can highly recommend this blog as I have read many uplifting, challenging posts there. I was especially touched by the post on 11-2-11 Jane Doe,

Meet Your Sin Nature. The blog is www.onebrightcorner.blogspot.com

I hope you enjoy your reading. The only part I can't figure out is the part about the southern accent. I guess where they live everywhere is to be thought of as south, just like where I live we always look north!!

Well, hope all of y'all enjoy and let me know what ya'll think. I was just fixin to go start some supper, so I'll be seeing y'all real soon! :) Kelly

Another New Baby?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:19:13 PST

Together again! We always have such rich fellowship when we are together as sisters! Treasure each moment that you have with your siblings. They won't be there with you every day forever.

As we grow older, our fellowship just gets sweeter and sweeter! I love you sisters!

I am SO grateful for my husband! God is teaching us daily, so many lessons.

It has been amazing to serve my husband and co-labor with him!

And now...Big News! God has blessed us with a baby! Baby Craig is due May 28th! 6 days after our 1st wedding anniversary! We are praising the Lord for this wonderful, precious gift!

A New Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:27:18 PST

Greetings to all! Well, blogging hasn't been quite so much fun as when you share it with your sister, so hope you'll forgive the delay.
We thought you would want to know that we do have some exciting news at our house--a new puppy!!! She is a bundle of joy!! (continue below)

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:32:27 PST

Elizabeth has never had a doggy or at least one that liked her.
When Elizabeth was born, our Cocker spaniel, Peanut, whom we loved dearly, just never could adjust to the intrusion. She died of old age (or stress :) ) shortly afterward.

What's this? Another new puppy? Would you believe Kristen made this costume for me to wear?
(Kelly) Thank you Kristen, it was much enjoyed!!

Her name is Lexi. When she takes a bath, you can see there is not much to her!!

She has made herself right at home, in our house and in our hearts!!

By the way, I just have to tell you it is 86 degrees today and the air conditioner is humming steadily!

Yes, there is a little more than just this going on, but we must pause for Thanksgiving.
Tara has made a promise that she will update us on married life soon.
Would you believe she and Stephen celebrated their 6 month anniversary yesterday?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Remember to give thanks. At church Sunday, we were reminded to give special thanks that our name is written in the Lamb's book of life!
(Revelation 21:27)

A Moment in Time

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:56:33 PDT

Such a precious moment!!

Recently our dad bought a new piece of computer equipment which allowed us to access an old computer that we hadn't been able to get to for years. Of course, the pictures were a lot of fun to look through. Without their consent :) , I thought you might be interested in a few photos from Kristen and Reuben's courtship and engagement.

This was the evening that Reuben asked Kristen to marry him.

In short, she said "Yes!"

Kristen, that long hair was beautiful.

Now we move on to their church shower.

I do believe they really enjoyed it!

As happy then as they are now.

Elizabeth and I look a little younger.

Tara, long before Stephen arrived, with our terrific friend, Melanie.

Emily, could that be you?

Some of the ladies.

Do you recognize these little girls? How swiftly the time flies by.

Kristen, we hope you enjoy the reminiscing as much as we did.

God bless all of you.

At the End of Summer ...

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:13:35 PDT

(I had a few more pictures from my trip)

The beautiful bride and her handsome Texan on the day of their wedding.

The fall semester has begun! Elizabeth started back on her academics shortly after the wedding, however now we have restarted our piano and violin studies.

Elizabeth was also unbelievably excited to be able to begin orchestra last week.

As many of you know, it is a real joy to be able to play your instrument with others as she is just finding out.

I enjoyed visiting with a special friend at the wedding. Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Elizabeth loves to learn which makes it a lot of fun to teach her!

I am excited to be her science teacher for the year. We are using the young explorer series put out by Apologia. This year we chose Botany. This study is very detailed and also very interesting. At this moment we have a bean growing in the sunlight, another in a rarely used kitchen cupboard (with a sign warning everyone to keep the door shut!) and another in the refrigerator. Why not put one in the freezer? Although I imagine we can all guess how well it will grow! :)

Ahhh, A beautiful horse to admire and enjoy.

I find that I am learning about as much as my little sister is. (In science that is but now that I think about it, in other areas too!) I don't believe I delved into Botany quite this deeply when I was younger. We found a huge seed pod hanging from a trumpet vine in our yard for a dissection project. Always, new possibilities. :)

Sweet little nieces in the garden.

Tara has plans to teach history from afar this year. That should be a lot of fun and will give Elizabeth a great incentive to keep learning.

I thought these pansies were just beautiful.

We will have pansies in the winter but definitely not in August!

Quite a quaint little gift shop. I wouldn't mind if a room in our house looked like this.

(Guess it's time to get back to decorating!)

What a pretty garden.

I continue with my Bible reading.

I just finished I Chronicles this morning and continue in John and Zechariah.

Here's what my sunflowers might have looked like if the deer hadn't enjoyed such a tasty dinner!

Maybe next year?

My happy, chubby little nephew.

A good dad spends time talking with his children and this dad certainly does!

Bye for now!

It was brought to my attention that there are some beautiful wedding photos on our sweet friends site. (And why didn't anyone let me know sooner? :) ) Keilah is a very gifted photographer

and you can view her pictures here. photosbykeilah.blogspot.com/2010/06/tara-and-stephens-wedding.html

Is There Life After the Wedding?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:17:33 PDT

How are all of you? I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful summer. We are in the height of heat as I assume everyone is. Almost every day has had a "feels like" temperature of over 100. Most of my plants have croaked and we spend all of our time indoors. August is almost over and we can hope for a little change in September.

I was blessed to be able to take a trip to visit both of my wonderful sisters. One week with one and one week with the other!

What a joy it was to see Tara in her new married life and of course

how fun it was to cook with Tara's new ocean blue pots!

Well, what do you know? Those sewing skills are useful after all!

We were able to put together a gorgeous bed skirt using an old sheet

and some beautiful new fabric.

Of course we cooked up some good food together. (This time it was to surprise Stephen)

Sadly, the dough was not gluten free so we were not able to taste it!

But it sure was soft and fun to work with. (Back to our play-dough days. :)

We used to create great looking things and couldn't eat them either.)

The dough was sliced it into perfect pieces.

(Tara says she loves married life but misses all the sisters who clean up the kitchen!! :)

Ready to pop in the oven!

(We have lost most of our photography skills and did not take a single picture of the finished cinnamon rolls!)

We did have some fun. We played a little tennis.

It appears certain that they enjoy each other.

In fact, it's really hard to get them apart!

Tara said she finds a lot of joy in serving Stephen and I know he enjoys serving her also.

It was so good to be with one of my very best friends again!

I DO miss Tara so, so much. But when I see how happy she is with Stephen and how perfectly God made them for each other, well, what can I say? Now I love Stephen so much also!

Here the men decided to sail a boat down the river. We sat nearby and gave them instruction. :)

Hmmm, speaking of the river, it seems things really are bigger in Texas!! :)

This boat may have needed a little help.

Notice the very dry ground. It seems the rain may be a lot bigger down south too!

Blessings to Tara and Stephen on their early married life.

Maybe soon we'll talk her into sharing with us some lessons she has learned. (I know there are many!) For now, God bless each and every one of you.

Ezra 8:22b "The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. " Let's seek Him!

The Lord is Faithful

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:38:00 PDT

(A few pictures taken after the wedding)

Hello dear Daughters of Vision! I can't believe that Stephen and I are coming up on our 2 month anniversary! Oh dear sisters...the Lord has been teaching me so much.

After a WONDERFUL honeymoon, we finished packing up my things, put them on a truck and boarded a plane that would take me to my new home.
I remember so well the emotions that flooded my heart that first morning home. Joy...excitement and..sobriety.

My dreams had come true...but this was only the beginning. I realized that I was in charge of overseeing the domestic affairs of this new establishment. I, Tara was the sole person in charge of seeing that our home was a place of hospitality. (one second, I think I smell something burning in the oven) :-) (Yep, it sure was!) :-)
I was going to be the one responsible if our home wasn't clean and organized. It would be MY fault if the home had a gloominess about it every day.

I prayed to the Lord, crying out for His grace and mercy to be a godly wife and then rose up, rolled up my sleeves and said out loud..."It's show time!" :-)

The Lord began working right away...continuing to conform me to His image.
Let's just say, my 2nd day as a brand new wife, I broke my husbands beloved blender. Yes, that's right! Cracked it almost all the way down one side. Don't worry though, we're still using it!
(Blended glass makes a nice addition to our green drinks every morning) :-)

We have enjoyed setting up our new home and are reminded daily (by the beautiful things around us) of the loving generosity of so many people. Stephen is amazing and seems to know how to do anything and everything! He has hung light fixtures, installed a dimmer switch, hung curtains and curtain rods, replaced old mirrors and towel rods, put in extra shelves for more storage, etc, etc, etc...

The Lord is answering our prayers and blessing our marriage. No, everything hasn't gone perfectly, (yes, I burned the nuts for that special meal I planned to fix my prince), but all of the circumstances we find ourselves in are all part of the sanctification process! In everything we are called to REJOICE and to GIVE THANKS!

Phil. 4:4 says:
"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."

1 Thess. 5:18
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

I am so grateful for my wonderful husband Stephen, my new home and our new life together! We are having so much fun together and are grateful to the Lord for allowing us to walk this life hand in hand.

Girls, today rejoice and give thanks in everything!

Well, I'm off to get that bread out of the oven! :-)

Tara

Special Words from Reuben

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:53:47 PDT

How exciting! Our wonderful brother Reuben agreed to write a post for us! Thank you Reuben!
(And there he is, holding his precious but skinny little son.)

Reuben ~"This past week I had the privilege of witnessing one of the most precious weddings ever. It is difficult to describe but I will try. Words like majestic come to mind. I also think of the words glorious, God-honoring and beautiful. The marriage of a godly man and a godly woman is an encouragement and an inspiration and truly, truly a delight.
When I was single, I would hear from others just how wonderful marriage was. I knew this was true in my heart and mind but I could not understand it fully until I had experienced it personally. Now, seven years down the road, my testimony is this; marriage is still sweeter, still more wonderful, still glorious.

The Lord is good, all the time and in every way. He has worked and is working through my imperfections and faults, maturing me into a better man and making my wife into a better woman. He has indeed used our marriage as a means of molding us into His image. My expectation is that 10, 20, 30 or more years from now or as long as God gives us life, our marriage will still be that sweet and glorious refrain giving praise to the almighty God.

"Dear reader, marriage is so wonderfully good. It is a heaven - inspired institution.

Is it any wonder then why God chose this relationship to represent the still greater, higher relationship of Christ to His church? Christ, our bridegroom is coming again! He has gone
away to prepare a place for us that where He is, we may be also. (John 14:2-3)

But what of His bride? She is in a time of preparation for her heavenly bridegroom.
I know in my heart and mind that this union will be glorious and I look forward to experiencing it personally in all of its fullness! (I Thess. 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.)

Now here are some questions for the bride-in-waiting.

Am I using my years of singleness for the glory of God? (Ecc. 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.)

Am I keeping myself pure in body and mind for my future husband and ultimately for the Lord Jesus Christ?

Are the friends I choose encouraging my walk with God or are they a hindrance to it?

Do the books I read and the movies I watch encourage pureness in my heart?

Am I known as a flirt or as a modest and sober person?

Am I actively looking for ways to serve my family?

When others look at my life, do they see joy or discontentment?

What skills and talents am I developing that will be beneficial to my future husband and home?

Is my relationship with God vibrant? Do I spend time worshipping the Lord and seeking His face?

How is my relationship with my earthly father?

Do I have a tendency to see/make myself a victim of my circumstances or do I allow God to sharpen my focus upon Him that I might triumph in faith?

He is faithful! The Lord's blessing be upon you! ~Reuben~