Redeeming Love: Part 3

"Many the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21
We have ideals and plans about how we want our lives to go. God also gives us the free will to decide what to do with our lives. But when we put our trust in Him and include Him in our lives in every aspect, He will always be present. Whenever I submit everything I do to the Lord everything always turns out much better than if I were to tackle it all on my own. Does anyone else notice that?

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard on another as more important than himself." Philippians 2:3
ME, ME, ME! Some call our generation today the entitled generation where everything is about us. What we want, what we need, and wanting it right now. Sometimes when life gets busy I tend to forget humility and selflessness. It is not my brightest moment but it happens. Lord, forgive me. Help me to be more selfless and look at those around me and their needs. Lead me to where I can serve You and think less of me and more of You! AMEN!

"But now, thus says the LORD , your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1
We are the Lord's! We are His children. He saved us and redeemed us, is there anything sweeter? I feel like I need this as a constant reminder because there are times when my struggles get to me and I forget how good God's mercy and grace is.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child, when I became a man, I gave up childish ways." 1 Corinthians 13:11
Do you ever feel like even though you're an adult, you're not sure if you've actually grown up yet? It sounds silly but sometimes, even though I have a child and am married I think to myself, "I need to grow up!". Sometimes I let petty, little things get to me. Sometimes I get irate at the person who cut me off while I am driving and nag at them like they can hear me. But of course, they can't! Or if my husband makes me upset I will pout and complain, like a child. These are things I see as childish. I know the Lord would not want me to waste my time being pouty or complaining. This is where I wan't God to transform my heart, into a mature one that serves Him. Instead of nagging at the person who cut me off, maybe automatically giving them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they are late to work at a job they desperately need or need to rush and pick up their child from day care. And then, maybe instead of pouting when my husband makes me upset, talking to him straight away. In this I feel that I can grow and mature in Christ and be an example to those who need Him.

We've finally come to our favorite part of the story! All of the pieces are finally coming together for Angel. There's still so much pain and heartache for her to work through, but she's finally realized that she doesn't have to do it alone. She's beginning to trust the people God has placed in her life. They help her to see the woman God intended her to be, who she never thought she could be. In the beginning of her healing process, she began to worship her husband. We've all been there. We've pinned our hopes and dreams on a human and, sometimes through no fault of their own, they can let us down. But God is the one we need to turn to. Angel needed to learn that God was not some "spy in the sky" ready to point and laugh at her when she stumbled. He's a loving, patient Father who gave His life so that she could live her life for Him.

So which character did you find yourself relating to most? Were you Angel, hungry for a love you didn't know you needed & rescued out of despair? How about Miriam, light-hearted and wiser beyond her years? Unfortunately I think a lot of us can be like Paul at times. Anger has just a hard grip on our lives that the good we think we're doing for others is actually hurting them more. Hopefully we all strive to be more like Michael, a faithful servant after God's own heart.

We're taking the next couple of weeks off for some quality family time but we'll be back next year! Have a very Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year! Be safe and cherish every moment you spend with family and friends!
We'll be back in 2015 with so many fun things to share with you so be sure to come back in a couple weeks! THANK YOU for all the support and friendship!

God Bless,

 &

Joyful Week: Prayer Calendar

One of our goals is to be stronger prayer warriors. Having a prayer calendar has really helped us achieve this. We keep a copy visible on the fridge or counter and fill in what we'd like to pray for each day. Some days it's personal and close to home and other days we fill led to pray for matters that don't affect us directly.

Christmas is a great reminder of all that we have to be grateful for. Feel free to use the free calendar printable to help your family become prayer warriors! We encourage you to fill in a praise each day as well.

Below are also some suggestions for prayer. When you're at a loss for something or someone to pray for, these people and situations can always use God's Hand.

- Spouse
- Pastor
- Your children
- President
- Someone you know who doesn't know Christ
- Courage to speak to an unbeliever about God
- Strength to be a light in the darkness
- Families going through a miscarriage/loss of a child
- Families of deployed service members
- Deployed service members
- Local first responders
- Homeless
- Incarcerated men & women
- Orphans and foster children
- To have a positive attitude at work
- Families struggling with infertility
- Divorced families
- Those searching for a job
- To have a cheerful spirit
- To have an ongoing conversation with God

We'd love to add to this list so please let us know what you'd like us to be praying about!

We hope you've enjoyed Joyful Week. Christmas is one of our favorite times of year and we're so glad we get to share it with you! Merry Christmas!

God Bless,

 &

Joyful Week: Decorate Your Fridge

Hopefully by now all of your winter decorations are up at your house. But if you're like us, you're still finding things to cover in Christmas cheer! Well here are some simple ideas for an area of your kitchen that may be without decor: the refrigerator!

I like to keep family photos and announcements on the fridge year-round and didn't feel like taking everything down to decorate. So I spent a few dollars and got some construction paper and poster board. It only took a few minutes to whip up a cute snowman fridge!

With a little one all over the place, all the things we put on our fridge is up high so the bottom is just a black void. I am also constantly thinking of things to keep my little dude occupied while I make a meal. Some scrapbook paper and poster board are all you need for this. I made a little Christmas tree with decorations to pull off and put back on and used fridge magnets we already have to place ornaments. So now my son can have fun in the kitchen while I cook!

Do you decorate your kitchen? What are some creative ways your like to spruce up your home for Christmas?

God Bless, 

 &

Joyful Week: Traditions

Here are some of our favorite Christmas traditions, old and new:

Growing up, Christmas Eve was always spent with my dad's side of the family. But after they all decided to go party in heaven with Jesus, we needed a new tradition. We decided to go see a movie on Christmas Eve one year and after loving it so much, we made it our new tradition! We like to see lighthearted, family movies. Its so much fun to laugh together! 

One year my parents got me a Christmas ornament that was a lamb holding a cake that said "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" on it. What better way to celebrate than to sing to the most miraculous birthday boy ever! It's a fun reminder of what Christmas is all about.

Who doesn't love looking at Christmas lights? I prefer the simple white outlined houses while pretty much everyone else in my family is more impressed by the multicolored light shows set to music. What's your style?

Now that we have a little one, I'd like to start a new tradition with our little family! Every Christmas Eve, our children will get one gift to open. It'll have new Christmas pajamas, a new movie, and some yummy winter treats like hot chocolate and popcorn. Then we can all sit down as a family in our new PJs and watch a funny movie. Movie theaters can be a little crazy with kiddos so this will be a nice relaxing evening at home. 

Operation Christmas child has been something my husband and I started doing together since before we were married.  I love being being able to make a special box for a child, and to add to that hear the message of Christ. Now that we have our son, we definitely want to have him join in on this tradition. Even though he is still a baby, I want to instill in him a heart of giving from the very beginning. I also enjoy making spritz cookies. They are so simple and easy and just get me in the Christmas spirit. Since the recipe I have makes so many, it is nice to give as gifts too. We also love to drive around our neighborhood and look at everyone's Christmas lights. I love how a decorated house gives off a such a warm feeling in the middle of winter. Lastly, we like to open one present each on Christmas Eve. It is something I always did with my family growing up and it kind of just stuck around when we got married.

What kind of Christmas traditions do you an your family have?
Any new traditions you plan on starting?

God Bless,

and

 

Joyful Week: Giving Of Yourself

It is the season of giving. What comes to mind is making lists on what to give to family and friends, making lists and shopping to find the perfect gift. Don't get me wrong, I love giving to the special people in my life. Although there is so much more we can give whether it  be our time, a monetary gift, or with gifts and talents. If you have kiddos, it is always great to get them involved in giving and instilling what a servant's heart is.

 If you feel led to give of yourself this holiday season, here are some ways to do so. This is in no way to make you feel pressured to give, just give what you can and what you feel led to give. Anything will be a blessing to someone!

(All mentioned organizations are linked for more information.)

Giving Locally
Every community has it's needs. During this season, it is common to find a lot of food drives and giving trees. Seek out local giving trees in the area. Churches have them, grocery stores, and small businesses. These same stores sometimes have a collection for food banks or toys for local children. Some common charities you might find are Toys for Tots or Forgotten Children's Fund. Both of these organizations could always use volunteers if you would like to give of your time as well.

Giving Nationally
Christmas is a time to spend time with family and most of the time eat yummy food. Although, hunger is an issue in our nation with 1 in 6 people struggling with hunger. Feeding America is a network of national food banks. They have multiple ways to give and find food banks near you. No Kid Hungry is also and organization that fights hunger and makes sure kids get enough to eat.

Giving Globally
On of my favorite ways to give is through Operation Christmas Child. Through this, a child across the world has the opportunity to learn about Christ while getting a shoe box full of fun items and necessities. You can build a shoe box on their website or check out the guidelines and build your own by buying items at a store. This is a fun one to get kiddos involved in. Priority One invests in leadership organizations around the world. They do this by helping build facilities, financing clean water wells, providing transportation for ministers, and providing e-readers for curriculum. There is always individuals who can benefit from these things as they have an eagerness to follow the Lord.

How will you be giving of yourself this Christmas season? Please share!

Blessings,

 and

Be Thankful!

We're taking this week off to celebrate with our loved ones, but we just wanted to stop by and wish you a very Happy and Festive Thanksgiving! We hope you have a safe holiday filled with time spent with family and friends.

God Bless, 

 &

Harvest Week: Recipe Cards

Chances are you've already received or found plenty of recipes to whip up for upcoming dinners and parties. What better way to stay organized than to have recipe cards ready to write them down? Or feel free to write your favorite dish on them and hand it out to friends and family! Print them out and make them your own!

And here's an example card with a bonus recipe on it! You're going to LOVE these crackers. Not too spicy and just addicting enough to snack on while you cook your Thanksgiving feast!

How do you keep your recipes organized?

God Bless,

 &

Harvest Week: Turkey Craft

We love to get crafty here at James & June and we're hoping to instill this into our kids' hearts early as well. Everyone loves a good hand/footprint craft so why not get festive...and maybe a little messy! We created our own Pinterest inspired turkey craft to do with little ones as well as older kiddos.

We've attached some printables for you to customize your turkey! Below you'll find a printable turkey, turkey outline (in case you're older ones feel like coloring), and several backgrounds to choose from. Get creative! Just "feather out" Little Ones' painted hand or footprints, then cut and paste the turkey cut out over it! So simple and so cute!

Here is everything you'll need:
-Printable Turkey (find below)
-Background (find below)
-Construction Paper for mounting (optional)
-Paint
-Glue
-Scissors

Here are some pictures of our playgroup getting in on the fun:

Painting with baby feet is HARD! Our turkeys came out different but equally cute! What a great way to remember how tiny our babies' feet once were. 

How did your's turn out? We want to see!
Do you have any other turkey crafts you like to create with your kids?

God Bless,

 &

Harvest Week: Decorations

Changing up decor for every season or holiday is a great and easy way to liven up your living space and make things a lot more cozy and warm during as the cold comes. Here are the things we put up in each of owns to capture the fall spirit!

Jillianne's Home

1,2,3: These are all decor on our fireplace mantle. Our mantle is big enough to have all three scenes of decor without clashing. I love filling a space like this since large and can feel very empty. My favorite pieces are the chalkboard and owls. Writing on chalkboards can be easily changed from time to time and the owls just fit into the fall season!

4,5: When I was little, pumpkins came in one form and it is the ones that you typically carve. Although now being older and going to a local pumpkin patch, pumpkins are so diverse. I grabbed some unique, little pumpkins to spice up the dinner table and used pumpkins that Kacie gave me to add a little something to our TV stand.

Kacie's Home

It's been a crazy, hectic, madhouse around here. We moved this past weekend so our fall decorations are slowly but surely making their way out of the storage bins. So here are a few of my favorites!

1) I found these super cute leaf plates at a grocery store in Texas. They're great little platters for treats. Aren't owls cute in every season?! And the scarecrow figurine was a gift that reminds me to give thanks for all the gifts in my life. 

2) Pumpkins everywhere! Starbucks pumpkin bear, pumpkin carving, and a mason jar full of pumpkin potpourri. Have I mentioned I'm addicted to pumpkins? :)

I wish I could show you all of my decorations, but alas we still have some unpacking to do! 

Do you get new decorations each year or do you stick with the classics?

We want to see your Fall homes! Post pictures in the comments. 

God Bless,

 and

Harvest Week: Recipes

Ahhh cooking in the Fall...is there anything better? The smell of warm meals and treats coming from the kitchen just makes a house feel like a home. Our Thanksgiving celebrations may be small this year, but we still plan on whipping up something yummy for our families! Here are some of the dishes and desserts we love to make (and devour!):

What are you cooking for Thanksgiving? We'd love to hear about your family's favorite dishes!

God Bless, 

&

Harvest Week: Traditions

Welcome to Harvest Week! By now I'm sure you've busted out your favorite Thanksgiving decorations and started making those delicious Fall treats. We thought we'd devote a whole week to sharing our favorite traditions (old & new), recipes, decorations, and crafts for this festive season. So sit back and enjoy!

I sure do miss the UT vs. A&M games. Luckily there's still plenty of football to be enjoyed after a hearty meal!
We were able to travel back home for Thanksgiving a few years in a row and thoroughly enjoyed the time by camping! It's one of our favorite activities and Hubby's family really knows how to do it up! One year we decided to cook a Mexican themed meal (tamales) instead of the traditional Thanksgiving fare. We loved exploring new recipes so much that we spent the next few years creating new menu themes like Italian (lasagna), Asian (egg rolls & noodle dishes), and back to turkey & dressing.
This year we plan on starting a new tradition: writing down what we're thankful for. Sine we're a new family of three, this will be a fun way to see how we've grown in the coming years.

A lot of Thanksgiving traditions involve football and our family is no different. We always watch the Apple Cup, a rivalry between our alma mater, WSU, and their rival, UW. It is usually the day after Thanksgiving so we look at it as wrapping up our Thanksgiving festivities. While watching the game, we usually put up Christmas lights and decor around the house to bring in the spirit of Christmas. This is something my husband and I started when we first got married and still continue it every year. With my husband's job, sometimes the decorations don't go up right after Thanksgiving but it still gets done eventually and being able to do it together is what makes our traditions special.

Now that we have started a family and have a little one, I wanted to start a new tradition: The Thankful Jar. Starting after Thanksgiving, we will have a designated jar to put things we are thankful for in. It will bein the same place all year round with a pen and paper near by. When we think of something we are thankful for, we'll write it down, stick it in the jar, and come Thanksgiving we'll read everything thing we have to be thankful for each year, then start all over. We have so much to have gratitude for and Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to celebrate it.

What are some of your family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions?
Do you plan on starting any new traditions this year?

God Bless,

 &