The McLendon Whereabouts

InstaFRIDAY

2012-01-20T15:51:00.000-05:00

Has it already been a week since I posted last?

I have full intentions of making 2012

a year of taking the blog to the next level!

But I've been lingering in this cold month of January.

I've been trying to be intentional with my son.

When he's awake.

I'm paying attention to him.

Youth Ministry is in full swing.

And did I mention I started P90X?

For real this time.
{I'm on week #2!)

And that's an hour of my day.

And I have a dear friend

holding me accountable

(or I would have quit by now!)

So all that to say..

I do have big plans

big dreams

for this little space

and my little shop.

It's slowly coming,

but will come I promise!

Meanwhile...

here are my men...

contemplating life.

And the basset hound became a horse. No biggie.

She was thrilled...can't you tell?

A little bit of lingering. A hot cup of tea in one of my favorite mugs.

Youth Ministry. I'm in my 9th year (can you believe that) and I am still in love with what the Lord lets me do. This...this right here...seeing our young men surround and pray for one of our Associate Pastors. Yes, this is beautiful.

And then we had boot camp led by Pastor Terry.

Quite possibly my favorite youth group I've ever been too.

And this man. His smile melts my heart.

The lingering time....I've been finishing this book. And. I. Love. It.

Still working on a post to share with you.....and give you a chance to win your own copy!!!

Our dear friends adopted a precious baby girl. Jude was finally healthy this week and able to meet Ava. Love it. {she's beautiful! and a miracle!}

Jude became too cool for school this week. He found his beach toys in his closet and pulled them all out {including the sunglasses!} Looks like baby is yearning for the beach just as much as his mama is!

Mail. I have a slight addiction to it. I love to check the mail every day. And yesterday? It did not disappoint. Southern Living. Check in the mail. Package. Delightful! And the package? My new kindle snuggie I ordered from Rags to Stitches! Go check her out and tell her hello!

My favorite accessory these days? This little man. He's pulling up on everything...and that includes me. You can usually find him going 90 to nothing....or attached to my legs. I am not complaining!

My little man loves to drink from our cups and drink from a straw. He's talented I tell ya.

That's our week in a nut shell. How was yours?
Linking up!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

InstaFRIDAY & an Update!

2012-01-13T14:05:00.001-05:00

I'm still here, I promise!

I've been enjoying a little down time

with my family!

I'm linking up for InstaFriday!

A fun way to share our mobile pictures from the week

(do you have the app? If so, follow me there: kamclendon)

I also thought it'd be a fun way to

catch you up on our little family!

Christmas was spent

in Richmond Hill/Savannah

with my family and went by

way too fast!

Baby's first Christmas was everything I'd dreamed it would be!

Lots of snuggles with Nana and Grand Dad.

Lots of playing with cousin Aniston.

Lots & lots of new toys!

Road trip for the day down to St. Simons Island with Nana and baby Jude!

The ocean air is good for the heart!

Caught up with old friends and

had coffee dates into the wee hours of the night!

Highlights and a hair cut!

Flying (appropriately) with Grand Dad!

Christmas break can be exhausting!

Visit with Granny!

Four generations strong!

Back in Marietta to bring in the new year.

The hubs was playing football, so Jude and I took a stroll in the park!

We quietly welcomed in 2012....

then on January 2nd I headed to the Georgia Dome

for the Passion Conference with my High School Seniors!

45,000 18-25 year olds.....incredible.

{Not to mention I got to see some of my favorite people...

Heidi Ho & the Sheehan Family!}

And did you know that there are currently 27 million people enslaved in the world?

That's more than ever before. This generation took a stand and raised over 3 million dollars during the conference to go towards stopping modern day slavery.

{take a moment and read!}

Here's my baby. He turned 10 months old while I was at the conference. G-Nan spent the week with him and they got lots of snuggles! I drove back and forth each day and got about 15 minutes each morning with my little man (not to mention about 3 hours of sleep each night). I was grateful I was still the first face he saw in the morning...even if it was just for a moment!

We got new couches for Christmas!

Here they are on delivery day (and not a happy baby!)

We LOVE them!

Hubs bought me a Kindle for Christmas. I've spent every little extra moment I could find reading! I'm currently reading "7" by Jen Hatmaker. More on this over the weekend (and a giveaway, so stay tuned!)

Baby got sick (AGAIN) while I was at the conference. Thankfully he's better---but now the hubs is sick! Can. not. win.

Here's our pretty living room. We completely moved things around and I love it! We took out the coffee table and there's LOTS of play room for Master Jude!

So there's our update via Instagrams!I hope to have the shop back up in the next week.Lots of new things coming and I'm excited!
Do you have big plans for the weekend?We're excited to have absolutely nothing planned.We've had snow flurries already this morning,so we are staying in and staying warm!
Happy Friday Friends!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Jude Robert, You Are Ten Months Old!

2012-01-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

Ten Months old already and we're already

discussing your first birthday!

How in the world did that happen

my little man???

So much happened during your tenth month!

For starters you

had your very first Christmas!

So much fun!

You LOVED opening

presents!

Another big milestone for the month

YOU STARTED CRAWLING!!!

The week before Christmas you officially

went from Army Crawl Master

to Speedy Gonzalez on all fours!

It made Christmas even more fun!

We finally had your 9 month well visit when you

turned 10 months old!

You weigh 18 pounds, 11 ounces

(only in the 10th percentile)

And you are 28.5 inches tall

(40th percentile)

(only 1.5 inches away from having to get a new car seat!!!!)

You are super active now,

so we're blaming your low weight on that...

because you sure do love to eat!

You'll eat just about everything we give you.

I'd say you do have favorites though

and that's sweet potatoes and

a banana/pear/apple mixture I make for you!

We continue to introduce you to new things

like zucchini, lentils, and wheat just to name a few!

We've figured out that if we mix

your chicken in with your applesauce,

you will eat it!

You can still fit in some of your 9 month clothes,

but for the most part we've

moved into 12 month clothing.

When in disposables,

you wear a size 3 diaper.

You're still holding on strong with 5 teeth.

No new ones for month number 10!

You started to sway a little from your

normal schedule.

Your morning nap is not always a guarantee.

Mama's not ready for you to give that up completely!

You still take a solid afternoon nap

and sleep 12 hours at night.

You love to pull up on everything.

One of your favorite things to do is crawl over to your walker

stand up, then push your walker around

the kitchen. It is the cutest thing!

We're debating about what your first word is..

as you started saying something to the resemblance of

HEY early on...

but officially on December 10th you said...

MAMA!

(and continue to say it over and over....melt.my.heart.)

Also on this same day you started shaking your head

back and forth.

Not sure what that means that both of these

came on the same day!

You LOVE to read!

We read your favorite book,

Daddy Hugs 123

each night while you are in the bath tub.

You got sick again during this month. BLEH.

Mommy was driving back and forth each

day going to the Passion Conference.

GNan and Daddy took good care of you

while you were sick.

The doctor said it was some type of viral infection

that your body was fighting off.

You had puss on your tonsils,

but thankfully tonsillitis was ruled out!

You are still a breastfed baby!

(One year is our goal!)

You nurse 4 times a day

and eat 3 solid food meals a day.

We had a few milk flow issues,

where you had to be supplemented a little bit

while we worked on things.

Thankfully with help from the doctor

and the lactation specialists we are back on track!

Even had enough milk back in the freezer

for Mama to go to the Passion Conference!

You are a joy in our life.

We thank Jesus everyday for you

and can hardly believe you are already 10 months old!

Thank you for being the sweet, cuddly,

calm natured baby that you are!

2011.

2011-12-31T18:13:00.001-05:00

I've been pondering the last few days

on how to wrap up 2011.

I've considered being a woman of many words....

or pictures....

or both....

to wrap up the year.

Instead, I've decided to stay simple and say....

2011.

You changed me forever.

I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father.

Happy New Year my friend.

May you spend the evening reflecting on the goodness

of the Lord

and walking in eager expectation of

all that He has for you in

twenty twelve!

{leave a comment telling me what you are thankful for!}

Merry Christmas, Love The McLendons

2011-12-25T23:24:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas our dear friends.

How I wish we could send this to

each and every one of you.

Thankful for you

and the way that you love us.

Thank you for living life with us.

Thank you for your sweet encouragement.

We are grateful for each of you

and thank our Jesus for you.

Many blessings from us on this

Christmas Evening.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Merry Christmas Friends!

Since we've spent the whole month reading

the Scriptures together,

I just couldn't let today pass without posting

The Christmas Story.

Enjoy my friends.

May you be blessed today.

Luke 2:1-21

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb."

Advent: Day Twenty Four

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

To read this morning:

Galatians 3:23-4:7

"Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

To read this evening:

Philippians 2:5-11

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Advent: Day Twenty Three

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Galatians 3:15-22

"To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1:67-80

"And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has visited and redeemed his people

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us;

to show the mercy promised to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel."

Advent: Day Twenty Two

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Galatians 3:1-14

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith."

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1:57-66

"Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him."

Advent: Day Twenty One

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Titus 2:11-3:8

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people."

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1:39-56

"In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home."

Advent: Day Twenty

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Epistle Lesson

Titus 2:1-10

"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1:26-38

"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her."

Update on the babe

2011-12-19T13:16:00.001-05:00

If you keep up The McLendon Whereabouts

you know that the babe had been sick :(

Just wanted to update all of you that he

is doing much, much better!

He's off of his antibiotics

and we've been able to take him off

of the breathing treatments

{they were treating him for bronchitis & whooping cough}

We are so thankful to be off the breathing treatments.

For a kid that takes nice morning & afternoon naps--

the treatments wired him & there were no naps to be had!

We felt like we were single parents...

one of us would get home from work,

then the other would leave to go to work.

Not. Fun.

We were suppose to have our

first official family of three

vacation to the beach last week...

but decided to postpone it due to the little one.

We hope to go in January!

But isn't he cute?

I love this picture.

He's totally worth it!

How are you this Monday?

Christmas is coming.

You ready?

Advent: Day Nineteen

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Titus 1:1-16

"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work."

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1:1-25

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."

And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

Advent: Day Eighteen

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Gospel Lesson

Revelation 12:1-10

"And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God."

Gospel Lesson

John 3:16-21

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

Shopping Local?

2011-12-17T10:37:00.001-05:00

Hi friends!

Are you still Christmas shopping?

Don't worry...we are too.

We're 95% done!

Just a few more little things to pick up!

{What do you buy for a 9 month olds stocking???}

Just wanted to check in with you and make sure

we weren't the only one's still shopping!

And if we aren't....I want to tell you of a great local place to go!

Robert and I have tried to do a portion of

our shopping supporting the handmade community...

and we'd love for you to do the same!

If you're in Atlanta....

we have the perfect opportunity for you!

Come on over and visit the Pop-Up Shop

located inside Criminal Records

{@ Little Five Points}

We're so excited to be a part of this shop this year!!!

I received some exciting photo's from a friend

last week that happened to be inside Criminal Records!

How fun is that!

And you can shop too--

now through Christmas Eve!

Take a look at the details below

and/or

VISIT ONLINE

{be sure to click on "our artists" to see everyone!}

***

Not local?

No worries! There is still time to get those

lovelies in time for Christmas!

Earlier this week the

Mommy & Baby Teething Necklaces

sold out....

but we've whipped some up and

listed them in the shop just for this weekend!

Be sure to order by midnight Sunday night {the 18th}

to guarantee Christmas delivery!

**Surprise! When checking out enter the code:

CHRISTMAS15

to receive 15% off your order**

**SHOP ONLINE**

Happy Shopping friends!

Advent: Day Seventeen

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 6:1-17

" Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!"

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

InstaFRIDAY!

2011-12-16T23:59:00.000-05:00

Linking up for InstaFRIDAY!

A beautiful way of sharing our cell phone pics from the week!

And I have 2 weeks to share with you!

Reading our Advent Scripture:

Setting up the advent calendar that I bought from Jessi. Once I did this, I took them all down and we now put a new one up each day. Love it!

My little/big man!

Opening presents/pajama grams that show up in the mail! We love packages!

Game night with the Craigs. Jude was highly amused....and so were we!

Picking out our Christmas tree!

Jude did this to himself. I promise!

Jude was sick last week--which meant lots of extra snuggles!

Jude likes Jingle Bells!

Playing in the park for our 4th anniversary. It was beautiful.

RiverStone Staff Christmas Party tonight! The theme was Feliz Navidad....and surprise! A mariachi band! It. Was. Awesome.

I'm linking up!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Advent: Day Sixteen

2011-12-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 5:6-14

"And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

"Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth."

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 25:14-30

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Advent: Day Fifteen

2011-12-15T23:07:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi@ NaptimeDiaries

Hubs and I curled up next to the Christmas tree

and read the Scriptures together tonight.

Both of these are favorites of mine!

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 4:9-5:5

"And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created."

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 25:1-13

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

4 years.

2011-12-15T21:04:00.001-05:00

There was the beginning...

Summer 2006

Fall 2006

Spring 2007

Morning after getting engaged
on May 19, 2007

Mission Trips
&
Near death experiences
Summer 2007

Fall 2007

Wedding Showers

Rehearsal Dinner
December 14, 2007

Then to say I do...

December 15, 2007

Mr. & Mrs. Robert McLendon
December 15, 2007

Honeymoon in Italy

Three glorious years
living in the outskirts
of Atlanta

Big accomplishments
& celebrating life!

Continuing to do our
finest work in Youth Ministry

Year number four we prepared to
become a family of three

Winter 2011

March 5, 2011
Our first picture as a family of three

And today.
December 15, 2011
Today we celebrate four
beautiful years.
A breakfast brunch.
To playing in the park.
To staying in for the evening,
renting a movie & ordering a pizza.
Perfection.

Our life.It's beautiful.Thank you Jesus for thebeautiful adventurethat you have us on!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-12-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday!

It's the day each week that we hold each other accountable

to putting effort into what we wear!

The accountability works for me!

How bout you?

It was a week of staying home with a sick baby!

Bleh.

But I did manage to dress up for a wedding

(and failed to take pictures!)

And dress up for a Woman's Tea

at our church.

For this outfit, I shopped my closet.

The purple skirt

was my Eater dress a few years back.

Black cardigan I've had for years.

Along with the black beaded necklace.

Tights-target or was it walmart or my mom's closet?

Gray shirt over dress-Marshalls

Fluffy socks-Stocking stuffer favorite

Boots-only thing new-my Black Friday find at Charlotte Russe!

How'd you do this week?

I'm linking up!

500.

2011-12-14T20:20:00.002-05:00

Photo Credit

500. That's what number post this is. No pressure right? To ponder this post is to think back to where it all began......

May 25, 2008

Our first attempt at a blog...
The first time I created a blog name for Robert and I, I entitled it mclendonsinthehill.blogspot.com. The very next day the Lord began opening the door for us and told us we were going into a transition. Lesson learned...you get too comfortable when you title the blog with where you live. I learned my lesson. So our new blog title is this one...The McLendon Whereabouts. Our prayer is that this blog will be a tool to keep those who love us up to date with what's going on in our lives. We pray it will be an encouragement, a place for discussion, a place for sharing life, a place to pray for one another...no matter where the Lord has these McLendons!

Since our first attempt at titling a blog...we have had a time of being on our faces before the Lord. It's been a time where there were very painful migraines, but a level of desperation of wanting to hear His voice that we wouldn't trade for anything.

We now find our 5 years of ministry in Richmond Hill coming to a close. The word "bittersweet" has been what I have been using as of late. It is sad to leave the ones I love...the kids I have fallen head over heels for and have taken a permanent place in my heart...but the Lord wants to bring them a new voice...so I will step aside. I will lead our two mission trips, New Orleans, June 1-7 and Costa Rica, July 7-15....and then my final day as Youth Minister of RHUMC will be July 20th.

Robert and I will remain in RH till after August 2nd when my baby sister gets married and then we will begin our transition to the Marietta/Kennesaw area as I will join the staff of RiverStone Church (www.riverstonewf.org). We are very excited for this opprotunity the Lord has laid before us and can't wait to see His total plan unfold!

We ask for your prayers during this time! Please pray for the Youth Ministry of RHUMC...pray that the Lord would bring who He wants here to take these kids to the next level in their relationship with Him. Please pray that Robert would be able to find a job and we would be able to find affordable housing! :-)

Thank you for loving us!!!

--
December 14, 2011
What a journey it has been hasn't it? I am overwhelmed by how good the Lord is. His plan is perfect and it is sweet. Tomorrow we celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary. We have a sweet 9 month old baby boy. We have a basset hound named Maddie. We still have our darling kitty, Abigail. We live in the Marietta/Kennesaw area and we thank Jesus everyday for our RiverStone community. This is home now. This is where we have become a family....and you've been walking along side us (either physically or through reading this blog!) and we are truly thankful.

My prayer is that as you have followed us for the last 499 posts, you have been encouraged. Encouraged in your walk with the Lord. Encouraged in your family life. Encouraged in your day to day.

Thank you for being along for the ride! Here's to another 500!

Advent: Day Fourteen

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi@Naptimediaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 4:1-8

"After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 24:45-51

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Advent, Day Thirteen

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 3:14-22

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

"'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 24:32-44

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Advent, Day Twelve

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 3:7-13

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

"'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 24:15-31

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Advent, Day Eleven

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come,unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,"

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

"But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."

Gospel Lesson

John 5:30-47

"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Advent: Day Ten

2011-12-10T23:49:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 3:1-6

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:

'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

"'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 24:1-14

"Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Advent: Day Nine

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 2:18-29

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

"'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 23:27-39

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Advent: Day Eight

2011-12-08T23:41:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi@ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 2:8-17

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

"'I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

"'I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.'"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 23:13-26

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean."

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-12-07T21:25:00.001-05:00

Welcome to What I Wore Wednesday!

A fun way to hold each other accountable

to get out of the rut of

just tshirt and jeans!

It's been quite rainy these past few days

so please excuse the inside pics

{and the wavy hair}

Flower Pin Pretty

can be found here

and yay for finding

the perfect socks in the hubs drawer!

I'm linking up!

Advent: Day Seven

2011-12-07T20:47:00.001-05:00

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 1:17-2:7

"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'"

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 23:1-12

"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you— but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Advent, Day Six

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 1:9-16

"I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 22:34-46

"But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

"'The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet'?

If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions."

Advent, Day Five

2011-12-05T23:44:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Continuing with our Daily Advent Reading...

how is everyone doing?

Epistle Lesson

Revelation 1:1-8

"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 22:23-33

"The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her."

But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching."

Jude Robert, You Are Nine Months Old

2011-12-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

My baby Jude!

You are 9 months old!!

You must forgive me for this photo shoot-

you did not feel well at all,

yet, I still was determined to get your sweet picture!

We went to the doctor on your 9 month birthday!

You weighed in at 18 pounds, 8 ounces.

You also started treatment

for bronchitis and whooping cough.

bleh.

Your 9th month was super sweet

and full of sugar.

You are still my snuggly little one.

Melts my heart every time you get in your mama's arms,

put your thumb in your mouth,

and lay your head down on my shoulder.

Will you always like to snuggle?

During your 9th month we officially introduced

dairy (since we are not counting what your Geezer has slipped you).

You started eating yogurt (the whole milk, plain kind)!

Your favorite breakfast treat is yogurt and bananas!

You eat a whole banana almost every morning!

We also introduced meat to you.

And this face above....

Yep, that's what you look like when

we give you chicken.

We're not giving up on it just yet though!

(We've also added things like plums, white potatoes,

and spinach to your diet! Sweet potatoes are still your #1 choice!)

You celebrated your first Thanksgiving!

You were the cutest little turkey!

You loved spending good, quality time

with your Perry Family.

(And you ate turkey too!)

At 8 months and 1 day,

you popped tooth #5.

And you've been holding steady with

those 5 little teeth.

You wear mainly 9 & 12 month clothing.

You can still fit into some 6-9 month clothes.

You are still on the second notch on

your cloth diapers.

And if you have to wear disposables,

you are in a size 3.

You are still my sleeping little machine.

You do great on your schedule

and we're proud of you for it!

You are the master army crawler!

You will get up on your knees, rock some,

get a little forward progress going,

then decide it's much quicker to do

the army crawl!

You are quick!

You get everywhere you want to be!

You pull up on EVERYTHING.

You like to stand

and now greet me in your crib

each morning standing up!

We are now into the Christmas season.

You've had your picture taken with Santa

and you loved him!

You love looking at the tree and playing

with the ornaments that we say are okay to play with!

We love making memories with you.

You are precious my child.

Thank you for 9 beautiful months!

Advent, Day Four

2011-12-04T21:29:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Epistle Lesson

2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

"This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1:57-68

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

"Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

for he has visited and redeemed his people"

Advent, Day Three

2011-12-03T20:55:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Continuing our Advent Reading

Day Three

{The last verse of the Epistle Lesson is dear to my heart :)}

Epistle Lesson

Jude 17-25

"But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 22:15-22

"Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar’s." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away."

Advent, Day Two

2011-12-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Jessi @ Naptime Diaries

Each day during the month of December, leading up to Christmas,

I will be posting the daily Scripture readings of Advent.

This is a way to hold myself accountable to being in the Word

and I pray it does the same for you!

Today we are in the book of Jude & Matthew

Epistle Lesson

Jude 1-16

"Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Judgment on False Teachers

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage."

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 22:1-14

"And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests."

InstaFRIDAY! {and 2 giveaways!}

2011-12-02T08:58:00.001-05:00

It's Friday! Woohoo!

Linking up with Jeannett for a fun way to share our cell phone pictures

from throughout the week!

On our way home from our Thanksgiving Vacationwe stopped in Macon to visit Robert's best friend Luke.Luke & Drew just welcomed their first baby, Lennox Sinclair.She is precious! Hard to remember that Jude was ever thatlittle!
This picture does not give the situation justice.It was on our way home from church.Must have been an exhausting day in the nursery--or just continued exhaustion from our Turkey Vacation!{Mouth was wide open, sound asleep!}
Worked on a custom order for a very special lady.
Custom order complete-and hand deliveredby another special lady on a layover in New York!

It was really cold this week!

Homemade Advent Wreaths

Made with our Cell Group

{love that group & are very thankful for them!}

Senior Dinner!We meet with our High School Seniors the lastWednesday of each month.Love this special time with them!
Hello December 1st!!!Brrrrrrr!
We took Jude to the Marietta Squarefor the big arrival of Santa Clausand the lighting of the Christmas Tree.We met up with some friends for the event& had dinner afterwards.It was a lovely evening!And one in which I think we started a new yearly tradition!
Santa arrived on a fire truckand Jude was fascinated with this man!So sweet!

And we're FINALLY going to decorate for Christmas

this weekend.

First step,

take down Fall!

What are you up to this weekend?

Linking up!
**
And have you seen them?I have two giveaways going on at the moment!Mandy over at My Charmed Life is giving awaya onesie or shirt of your choice.CLICK HERE!
Secondly,Kristin's Kreations is giving away an Infinity Scarfover on Good Times Never Seem Sew Good!CLICK HERE!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Advent....wreath or calendar? Or both?

2011-12-01T22:22:00.001-05:00

Hello December 1st!

Hello 28 degrees when I woke up this morning!

Chilly!!!!

With today being December 1st, the Advent Calendar begins.

For the church, Advent started this past Sunday, November 28th.

So my question is to you..

what are your family traditions when it comes to Advent?

We are starting a couple of new traditions this year.

The first one being...

The Advent Wreath

We made one with our cell group this week!

First step, pick up greenery at Pike's!

{Or cut things out of your yard!}

Then it was a round styrofoam disk

It took me awhile to get this just right-

but the key is to put them in at a

"laying down" angle.

Thanks Lindsey for that tip!

Then I added holly berrys

and magnolia leaves

Each family wreath turned out different,

yet beautiful!

{Mine had a hard time holding up the candles....}

So....

I came home and filled in the center with burlap,

hot glued those candles in

and glued on a burlap border.

Love that little glue gun!

We found these readings and will be doing them each Sunday

of Advent: http://www.squidoo.com/advent99

I also found a daily advent reading which started this past Sunday:

http://www.crivoice.org/advent2.html

We are incorporating the traditional Advent Calendar

which starts December 1st

with the daily Scripture readings.

And using this cutie patottie advent calendar from Naptime Diaries.

I've taken each day and written the daily Scriptures on them.

{the goal will be to have these hanging from our fireplace by this weekend--

we are so far behind on decorating. I still have pumpkins on my front porch.

I should probably remove those eh?}

Next year, when Jude is a little older,

I'd like to add activities to the Advent Calendar

like the ones The Simple Mom did.

For now, we'll concentrate on our little

family being in the Word together.

And here is Day....

Photo Credit: Naptime Diaries

{The daily readings started this past Sunday, as it

follows the Christian Calendar. If you want to do some catch up reading, click here.}

The Epistle Lesson

2 Peter 3:11-18

"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

The Gospel Lesson

Matt 21:33-46

"Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:

"'The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him,they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet."

So my question to you is, how do you prepare

during this season of Advent?

{My mother-in-law has written some amazing posts already this week. And my Senior Pastor from Richmond Hill has written an amazing series. I encourage you take the time and visit both of their blogs!}

Meet Mandy {and a giveaway!}

2011-12-01T21:25:00.001-05:00

Day three of Sponsor Week!

{and there's a fun giveaway at the end of this one!}

Meet Mandy!

My husband and I have been married for 16 years! 15 of those years I was an Army wife! I have always enjoyed creating special things for everyone, especially the littlest ones in our lives. Since finally settling down in our hometown after retirement, we are ready to start our little family! All proceeds from each sale go into our adoption fund!

How cool is that?

And she makes the cutest things!

Mandy is giving one of my lucky readers

a tie onesie or tshirt in a size and fabric of their choice.

Pictured are her latest holiday ones, but the possibilties are endless!

The winner can choose any holiday such as Valentine's day, Easter, St.Patrick's day or something non holiday related!

So wish I could enter this giveaway!

And in the meantime--

grab one for that special little in your life!

Mandy is graciously offering

FREE SHIPPING

on all orders placed before Christmas.

Just use the coupon code:

hohoho

at check out!!

To enter the giveaway go take a look at her cute little shop

and come back here and leave me a comment telling me

your favorite thing!

Want an extra entry?

Become a follower of this blog

via Google Friend Connect!

Winner will be selected randomly!

Hasn't this week been fun?

Now go on over and visit

My Charmed Life!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-11-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! I'm snuggled up in front of the fire! It's been quite chilly this week in the ATL!

{We even had a chance of snow yesterday---

it ended up being a wintery mix! Wasn't quite ready for that one!}

I'm excited to have a couple of outfits to share for What I Wore Wednesday! If you are new around here, it's a way of us holding each other accountable to putting effort in what we wear each day.

Accountability works!

That is why I'm linking up with

The Pleated Poppy!!

I decided to spend some more birthday

wardrobe money on some Black Friday Deals

(no worries-we are not crazy...we ventured out during the afternoon on this day!)

I was quite excited with my finds!

Following the Black Friday Sales,

Once baby was asleep at the Grandparents house,

Hubs and I had an impromptu date!

It was so much fun

spending good quality time together!

And I wore some of my Black Friday Finds!

New boots, jeans, and puffy vest.

Love this vest.

I've worn it at least 3 times since Friday!

And here's a funny picture I just had to share!

Next up!

Loving my scores from the Gap, can you tell???

What about you? Did you score any great deals on Black Friday?

I'm linking up!

Meet Danielle {and her really amazing quilts!}

2011-11-30T22:03:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! So excited to continue with Sponsor Week by introducing Danielle to you!

Here's a little bit about my new friend:

Hello. I’m Danielle and I created the Wedding Photo Signature QuiltTM, a Savvy update Beyond the traditional quilt. I started making baby quilts in 2008 for most of my friends since I had entered the “baby shower” phase. During this time, I was planning my wedding & wanted to incorporate my love for quilting into my wedding and that’s how the Wedding Photo Signature QuiltTM was born. The Quilt shows the signatures of the wedding guest along with photos from the couple’s wedding day. We offer 45 Quilt designs and over 500 fabrics. The Quilt can be coordinated with the theme and/or colors of the day. The possibility for creativity is endless. Since I created a unique idea for my day, I wanted to share it with all the brides looking to add some creative flair to their day as well. Orange Panda DesignsTM is a web based company that allows brides to shop, order, and create 24/7.

How cool is that?!?

And here are a few pictures of her quilts in action!

And here's a close up of just one of LOTS of options!

{Pictures will be added to quilt below!}

And for you my friends, Danielle is offering a great deal!

Through 12/31/11, receive a special discount of 25% off your Wedding Photo Signature Quilt by entering the following code at checkout: KMLB25%1231 – Discount may not be used with any other Quilt discount if available at the time.

Go on over and tell Danielle hello!

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Meet Molly {and a great photo shoot deal!}

2011-11-29T16:44:00.001-05:00

Hi friends! So excited to introduce my friend Molly to you! Molly is Kristin's Kreations very first sponsor! I personally have benefited from Molly's fantastic photography skills...

and I am excited to introduce my friend to you!

Hi I'm Molly. I have been a photographer for five years now, but more recently started focusing on my photography business. I currently work as a newborn photographer with Bella Baby Photography. In my personal business, I specialize in portrait and event photography. What I love most in photography, is the photojournalistic style- telling a story with an image. I have a very down to earth personality and I want my photography to reflect that. Please stop by my site to take a look, and let me know if you'd be interested in scheduling a photo session.

And here are a couple of my favorite shots

that she captured of my little family!

She's offering you, my friends a special deal!

The first three that book her for a photo shoot will get 50% off

The next five will get 25% off

Perfect timing for those Christmas cards we're all

currently working on!

Take a moment to go tell my friend Molly hello!

(Contact and pricing are on her blog!)

Twitter * Blog * Facebook

Happy Tuesday Friends!

Surprise! It's Cyber Monday!

2011-11-28T00:22:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! So happy to surprise you with....

Thank you to those that supported me during Black Friday!

I wanted to continue the sale to say thank you...

and for those of you that were traveling over the weekend

and missed the Black Friday Sale!

For today and today only

you'll receive 25% off your order

PLUS

a free gift!

**And for my friends that supported me
during Black Friday--I stuck a free gift in with your
packages too! Just to say thanks!**

Have you had your eye on one of these?
Have a new mom in your life?

Or maybe a matching set?

Tis the season of scarves....
how bout a sweet little accessory for those
scarves!

Last but not least...

maybe a headband for that special friend in your life?

Head on over to the shop!

Upon checkout, click the "Add Coupon Code"

Then enter:

CYBERMONDAY

to receive 25% off your order

PLUS

a free gift!!!

Code ends at midnight!

I'm linking up!

And....it's sponsor week!Come back tomorrow to meet some lovely ladies!!!!

Jude Robert, You Are 38 Weeks Old

2011-11-26T20:12:00.001-05:00

And that's exactly how long you were in my tummy. As of today at 1:45am, you've been on the "outside" longer than you've been on the "inside." You are every bit of wonderment to your daddy and I. I can hardly believe that you are soon to be 9 months old....before I know it, we'll be celebrating your 1st birthday...

and then sending you off to college.

Here we are:

38 weeks pregnant--just a few hours before we met you...

Our very first picture as a family of three--

within minutes of you coming into our lives

Click here for your Happy Birthday Post!

And here we are now--at 38 weeks old

Well technically 37 weeks, 5 days

on your First Thanksgiving!

And just for old times sake:

According to thebump:

your baby is 38 weeks old!

Baby's understanding of what's going on around him is improving every day. Start making simple requests like, "Give me the ball," and help him out by showing him what you mean and how to do it. Before you know it, he'll be following your directions on his own. Even without your prompting, he may start trying to give you things like his toys or food. Accept his offer and give him praise -- these are his first attempts at sharing! His awareness of cause and effect is also improving, which makes toys that allow him to grab, push, or manipulate things for an effect (piano keys, doorknobs, etc.) great options.

I love you Goose. So grateful you are in my life.

InstaFRIDAY

2011-11-25T20:00:00.000-05:00

It's Friday friends!

And Black Friday at that!

Did y'all survive???

With it being Friday....

It's time to link up again!

InstaFRIDAY is a great way

to share instagram and cell phone

pics from throughout the week!

Look at my little snowman.

Couldn't you just eat him up?

On Saturday we had ourDreamers Gathering.First up was Outreach-Being Jesus to the City.I was so proud of my kids!

My group went into a local community

and hosted a cookout

and fun event for the families

It was a great afternoon!

And we may have grilled 200 hotdogs :)

Sunday was Global Missions Sunday.

I'm co-leading a Youth trip to Costa Rica this Summer.

My heart is ecstatic!

I feel like I'm going back to my homeland.

We may have lured people to our table with

chips & salsa.

Maybe.

Sunday afternoon it was crunch time for the ICE POP UP SHOP.This was the sweatshop....thankful for my peeps.

At one point Aunt Mia took over Jude duty....

Once the sweatshop was over,

the fam headed downtown ATL to drop off

the pop up shop inventory and

to do some Christmas shopping at

ICE

I was so excited to meet

Ellen of Handmade Recess.

She's my first bloggy friend I've met in

"real" life!

She speaks Truth.

Deeply encouraged by her!

I've been on the hunt for a stocking for Jude.Found the perfect one at ICE.Love it.Love that it's handmade.

This is my man

that now pulls up on everything

and likes to stand....

I like mail.So does Jude.We check the mail together every afternoon.He's getting good at opening up the mailbox!Thanks Nana for the cardsand packages this week!You make checking the mail fun!

I made homemade soup this week!

Kale & potatoes (from our Farmers Market Basket)

cheese and sausage (so the hubs would eat it!)

It turned out quite delightful if I do say so myself.

Recipe definitely worth keeping!

We're at G-Nan & Geezer's house this week

for Thanksgiving.

Jude has enjoyed being pushed around

on this:

Jude's first Thanksgiving!Isn't he handsome?!?!?

First taste of turkey...

appropriately on Thanksgiving!

All the children. That's all I have to say about this picture.

All the cousins.

There must have been something in my turkey.

Do you see me?

Love the rainbow!

The fam went bowling on Thanksgiving night....

Was grateful I was wearing one of my teething necklaces!

Adrianne kidnapped my phone....

and for that, it makes the blog! :)

You're welcome.

We went shopping today-

nothing too crazy,

just good quality time together....

And we welcomed in Jude's first Christmas season!

Jude liked the fishies at BassPro!

And can drink out of a straw.I know. My kids got skills.

How was your week?

Have you linked up yet?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HANDMADE BLACK FRIDAY SALE-OVER A DOZEN SHOPS!!

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

You can click on any picture to visit the shop.Please be sure to read ALL of the sale information below each ad before making a purchase.Happy shopping! Use code BLACKFRIDAY25 for 25% off.EXPIRES: 12/3Plus, get a free gift with purchase for orders over $30.SHOP Along for the Ride NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY20 for 20% off.EXPIRES: 11/27SHOP Apearantly Sew NOW! Use code HOLIDAY for free shipping and a free gift (yoyo pin) with purchase.EXPIRES: 12/17SHOP Folding Chair Designs NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY for 30% off.EXPIRES: 11/30SHOP Han Made Things NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY for 25% off.EXPIRES: 11/27SHOP Kristin's Kreations NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY15 for 15% off.Or get 30% off a purchase of $70 or more! (additional discount refunded via paypal after purchase)EXPIRES: 11/28SHOP Mandipidy NOW! Use code HOLIDAYWISHES for 20% off Moonbeam Wishes (stationary shop)Use code SEASONSGREETINGS for free shipping at Dear Moonbeams (embroidery shop)EXPIRES: 12/3SHOP Moonbeam Wishes NOW!SHOP Dear Moonbeams NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY for free shipping.EXPIRES: 11/29SHOP Moxie Mandie NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY for 20% off.EXPIRES: 11/27SHOP Petunia Blooms NOW! Use code HOLIDAY40 for 40% off.EXPIRES: 11/28SHOP Pink Lemonade NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY for 20% off.SHOP Pretties By Meg NOW! Use code HOLIDAY15 for 15% off.Every purchase $45 and over gets a free 5x7 print of choice! (a $14 value! please see rules and regulations below to see if you qualify)EXPIRES: 11/28RULES and REGULATIONS: To qualify for free 5x7 print of choice the items in your cart must total $45 before shipping fees. If you apply your 15% off coupon code to your purchase then your order must total $45 before shipping fees AND after you apply the 15% off. If purchase is less than $45 after you apply your 15% off then you are not eligible for 5x7 print. Please leave a note in the "notes to the seller" box at check out letting me know which print you would like made into a 5x7. Offer excludes all customizable work (including blog design, logo design and customizable prints) SHOP Yellow Heart Art NOW! Use code BLACKFRIDAY30 for 30% off.EXPIRES: 11/26SHOP Yes Teacher NOW!
HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY FRIENDS!

Before Fall Completely Passes Us By, Part Three

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

So....today is Wednesday...and sadly I have

no What I Wore Wednesday Post for you.

I know. Sad.

I did get dressed, I promise.

We had A LOT going on this week and pictures

just did not take priority.

I promise to be better next week.

Today is my final Fall blog wrap up.

Thanks for being along for the ride!

This fall I turned 32. eekk.

The hubs treated me extra special!

He brought me breakfast in bed

from my favorite breakfast place---

that is no where near here.

A good thirty minute drive

without morning traffic.

He is incredible.

Who else gets Flying Biscuit in bed?

My first birthday

as a Mommy was extra special.

Jude bought me the perfect present

And hubs bought me what I asked for...

This was a nice surprise from my parents!

Money for new/post baby wardrobe.

Thank you!

That afternoon we loaded up the car

and headed to Richmond Hill for the evening.

This little one helped me celebrate!

Time with the parents, sister, & niece

is always extra special.

The next morning Robert and I headed to St. Simons Island...

WITHOUT THE BABY!

Yep! We left him overnight for the first time!

First on the agenda was a Bridal Luncheon for a dear friend....

Then

we enjoyed good quality time together.

It was marvelous.

A walk on the beach was perfect

for this birthday girl!

That evening we headed to the rehearsal dinner.

This picture doesn't do it justice.

It was at a marina that was absolutely gorgeous.

The beautiful bride

and the SOS

(Song of Solomon) girls!

Mrs. Wood!

Robert with the groom!

We rented a house with our dear friends for the weekend

and this was our mode of transportation for the weekend!

And my hubby. Have I mentioned that he is absolutely amazing.After the luncheon on Friday, we went by the houseand this was in the fridge:

Which I of course that was amazing,

but then later found out that he even ordered it earlier

in the week before we even got there!

Katie & I have the same birthday

and it was true joy to share it together

on St. Simons!

The weekend was so good for us.

It was beautiful celebrating the wedding of a precious friend.

It was great fellowship with friends.

Lots of yummy seafood!

It was incredible quality time with my

husband and good for our marriage!!!

Thanks for living life with us through the fall!Now that we are caught up, we're ready to have Thanksgiving and then get out the Christmas decorations out this weekend!So excited!!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone