we will worship.

from the chorus of a song off a carlos whittaker album.

Save us from these comforts.
Break us of our need for the familiar
Spare us any joy that’s not of You
And we will worship You

yesterday i was blessed to share my day with some folks with picha global at the killer tribes conference in nashville, tn.

when i was asked to attend the conference as a photographer for picha i had no idea what i was getting myself into.
i looked it up online. briefly.
i knew it was for bloggers.
cool.
i'm a blogger.
i'm in.

i had no expectations.
i just wanted to go and do something i love to do {photography} with some gals i've recently met and call friends {alli worthington, dedra herod, megan jordan, and kass hodge}, and meet some other folks who enjoy blogging.

little did i know i would walk away with a heavy heart.

yesterday i met carlos whittaker of ragamuffinsoul.com.
i had never heard of him before and i had no idea he was going to be one of the speakers in the breakout sessions.

i popped in to a few different sessions to get as many photos as i could of different happenings at the conference.

what carlos was showing on the big screen in his session made me stop.
and think.
and cry.
and praise Him. {the Lord, not carlos.}
it was this video...



i wanted to know more.
i needed to know more.

when i got home i looked up carlos's blog and searched his story, his words about danny, the homeless man in the video.
this is what he said...


If you listen carefully at the end you hear me saying this to Danny.
“Keep trying to make it man.”
He looked me square in the eye…cocked his head sideways with a confused look on his face…and said,
“Trying to make it? No man. I ain’t trying to make it…I’m making it. Jah puts His soldiers everywhere. Jah says, Yea though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death… So He places some of us, in that valley.”

you can read the whole story here.

and here's the 'so what', if you will.

the near future for my family is unknown.
to us. {we know God knows}
in june my hubs will be off of active duty army orders.

so what?
we don't have a civilian job to meet us on the other side.
of course, hubs isn't sitting idle...he's actively applying and looking for a job.
but, you and i both know that the economy isn't at its finest right now.
and june is HELLO fast approaching!

we've asked why it's showing such a challenge to find a job.
we've questioned God's intentions.
we've asked for God to show us His will.

he's given us no answers.
yet.

here's what i do know.

like danny, we're making it.
if we find ourselves in the valley God will see us through.

if we lose everything {Lord willing, that won't happen} we will worship.

WE WILL WORSHIP!

saddle ridge ranch.

jonah and a couple of his buds.


jake (on the end) learning VBS songs with his class.


jett enjoying some swing action on the playground.


VBS is off to a great start!

Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

The Hunky Hubs and I made a decision long ago to bring our kiddos up in a loving, Christian home.
Last Sunday, December 20th, our oldest child, Jake, made us a couple of proud parents!
Jake Austin told us on the way home from church that he "asked Jesus into his heart."
Holy moly, Glory be to GOD!!
Merry Christmas, Mommy and Daddy.
What a wonderful, eternally grateful day it was!

He also told us that he really wanted to be baptized at our church in Florida.
Crunch time!
It's tough getting a baptism planned on such short notice.
Thank you Mrs. Lori and Brother John for pulling some strings for your FAVORITE former members!



Do YOU know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
He loves YOU no matter your past.
He longs to be nearer to you.
He is waiting.
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

I Peter 1:8-9 says, "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Ask him into YOUR heart today.
We are not promised tomorrow.
It's no accident that you stumbled upon my blog today.

Am I perfect?
No.
Is my family perfect?
No.
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...Romans 3:23

Jesus loves YOU always!
As do I...
and I'm not ashamed of Him...
my prayer is that you and I will meet in Heaven, if never on this earth.

Blessings,
Melissa