If you have yet to notice, my world is surrounded with a sound track. Milestones and memories are strung together with song after song, each in its own spot, ingrained in me.

On our road trip, we had hours of time to fill and naturally, music had to be the majority. Before leaving, we headed to our local library for some new tunes, specially for the kiddos. We ended up coming across a few new CDs of bible verses put to music, which was perfect for our family since this is how we are wired and has been an awesome way to memorize scripture.

If you have a hard time memorizing scripture, even if you do not have children. music is a great help. So I thought I would share a few fun + catchy bands with verses put to song to add to your summer soundtracks for your family as you enjoy extra time with long days and travels.

The Rizers: We came across the Rizers a few years ago and started listening to them with our then eighteen month. The songs are fun, rock beats put to scripture. They currently have two CDs available.  

Seeds Family Worship: This was our main road trip CD, per our three year old's request but I really enjoyed it, too. There are a wide variety of beats and singers involved and with eight CDs to choose + learn from, you will probably find one you like. We listened to the Seeds of Courage, which is my favorite. And a fun bonus, when you purchase the actual CD, you get one to keep and one to give.

Here is one of my favorite tracks, Do Not Fear (Isaiah 41:10). Have a listen. 

26 Alphabet Bible Verse Chorus Songs by Thingamakid: This was not our favorite pick but was great to have so many verses on one short CD. It is was more for memorizing, than really enjoying but a fabulous tool none the less. They have other CDs but I have not had a chance to listen to them.

Praying you find something to fit your fancy and that encourages your family to memorize scripture. Praying that as your children grow, they would be surrounded by God's Word and it would be written on their hearts as they go. Praying that God would continue to provide you with resources to learn and grow and shape their faith and relationship with Jesus. Praying that you would strengthened as you teach and share and learn alongside them.

Here's to music and verses and learning.

And if you know of any other great bible verses put to music, I'd love to hear them. 

Penny loves to help me in the kitchen and is naturally my baking side kick. Her three year old self has mastered pouring and scooping and stirring and tasting. Depending on what we are concocting, she will stay glued to the chair for the entire duration of the product without a second thought of her toys in the living room. Especially if she knows she is going to get to lick the spoon, which only happens when frosting is being made, since all other batters have some sort of raw egg. After all of her efforts of mixing and measuring, she is rewarded with her spoon full of frosting and the world is good.

The bible says that we have rewards and treasures and are promised them in to the next life. When we believe in Jesus, we are promised eternal life. We have done nothing to earn this. The reward for believing. The reward for our faith.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

When life gets hard and the future seems hazy and you do not know what the outcome is going to be, it is easy to fall away. It is easy to make your own path to fix the problem. To go off and play with your own toys, away from God, instead of sticking around through the hard parts - through the work.

That is when you have to ask yourself: is Jesus and the promise of eternal life enough for you? Are you okay with a reward you cannot touch or see or fully grasp? Is your dedication worth it? Is the pain of an illness or the loss of a loved one or the financial instability or the ridicule from friends and family or the pressures at work worth it?

If we know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more so does God know how to good give gifts? (Matthew 7:11) Can you imagine what it means to have rewards in heaven? What it really means to have eternal life and rewards. Jesus comes and saves us; we simply believe in him and we have eternal life, (John 3:16) not because of anything we have done. We are faithful and store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:1-4). It is truly amazing the love that God has for us and the gifts he graciously gives us now and promises to come.

Praying that your eyes would be focus on Jesus and the work that he did on the cross for you. Praying that you would embrace the rewards God has for you in this life and the next. That you would enjoy the work he has put you here to accomplish and that you would be obedient to do it, despite the impending trials.

Praying that your perspective would be one of eternity. That you would see how God is using you for his eternal purposes and that you would be okay with that, no matter the cost because you know your rewards on earth are temporary and eternity is ever coming.

Here's to your promised rewards and eternity and an ever changing perspective of trials.

There is something about the way the words dash across the screen and the cursor dances with each pause and the pencil scrapes the page that makes writing so intriguing. Half the fun is not knowing exactly what will come out. And when the letters form words they become subject to the readers themselves. The writer paints a picture but it is the reader who openly interprets it and imagination and emotions spring to life. What was the color and shape of the pencil scraping the page? Perhaps similar to my favorite grey mechanical who lost his eraser years ago but keeps on trucking along. And the paper. Yes. The paper. Is it typical three whole punched binder paper? Or is it bound in a fancy notebook brimming with colors and quotes and doodles in its margins? Those are the juices that are allowed to run wild as the reader is taken through the words so carefully selected and pieced together.

More or less. Vague or scattered with details. Oh the choices and possibilities on the page are endless. Stories unfold and pictures are painted, without acrylics or canvas. Just pure imagination and life experience. Yes. We must not forget life experience. It weaves in emotions and memories that correlate to the words we read on the page and allows us to sympathize. To smile. To cry. To love. All because of some black type. Oh, the beauty of the written word.

The bible says that God's word is truth (Psalm 119:160). That it is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). It is amazing how reading words can change your life. How each time you read a passage something sweet and new is revealed. Like unwrapping a piece of fine chocolate and anticipating its taste. Sometimes it does not taste like you had imagined and the aroma seems a little off but you keep unwrapping and take another bite because it is chocolate after all. And God's word is like that. It is not always sweet and pretty but it has substance and depth that nothing else can compare to. How God uses the word to breathe life and hope and love is remarkable. My own words cannot do it justice but I am okay with that.

After all, does the clay say to the potter, 'what are you making?' (Romans 9:21)

I pray that if you have never taken the time to read the bible, to open up its pages and let the word speak life in to your life, that you would do so. Reading books about the bible or bible commentaries or blogs or other articles are all great resources but you are missing the meat of it all. What God has to say to you through words that span centuries and millenniums is nothing like you can get through other means. And just in case you need a little help in your own study, this method might come in handy.

Here's to more truth and less noise. More of God's word and less of everyone else's. 

While debriefing about the day with the hubby one night, I opened a bowl of cookie dough I had made earlier. If there is something I really enjoy eating, it is cookie dough. The point of making cookies is to eat the dough, naturally; although recently, pazookies are getting pretty close. As we talked and laughed and joked, I noticed myself taking bite after bite and hardly acknowledging the taste. Or even enjoying the taste. The thought was great. Yum cookie dough. But I was not enjoying it, simply aquiring more calories with each bite, so I stopped. I think that is how some moments are. They sound great and we whip out the camera, only to attempt to catch the moment and not savor or really enjoy what is in front of us. We miss the moment entirely.

With all of our technology and ability to capture the moments, it seems that I squander away some of the greatest ones attempting to catch something that never wanted to be caught in the first place. Sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to capture the moment that I miss it entirely all together. I scramble to find my phone and open the app. Is it on video or camera? Then I accidentally hit the power button and have to start all over. A black screen does not get me anywhere. By the time I am done fumbling, the moment has passed. The cute expression left and settled in to a more comfy one. My toddler has run away and disassembled her silly attire.

Solomon writes "there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." (Ecclesiastes 3:1). He knows a thing or two about time. Not to mention he was the wisest man to live. There is a time for pictures. I am a huge photo person, if you have ever stepped foot in my house, you might have guessed. That being said, it is sooo easy to capture so many. Too many! Since my first digital camera, I have taken thousands of pictures. I have tons of Polaroids but digital made it easy to take thousands! More than anyone ever needs. The mystery was taken out of the picture with it. Are my eyes going to be open? Did I actually look at the camera? Now you are left with more expressions of the same moment than you will ever need, all in an instant.

I pray that you would take a moment and look around you. Look at what is next to you. Who is next to you. What God has strategically placed in your life at this very second. Take it all in. Because in a moment it will soon be gone and you may just realize that you did not appreciate it enough when you had it. Life may get repetitive and may take away your enjoyment all together if you let it. But choose to enjoy it. Enjoy time as it ticks away. Breathe it in, so when it is no more, you will have tasted it to the fullest. I challenge you to put down your phone. Put away your camera and take in your surroundings a little more. Perhaps less pictures will allow you to appreciate the ones you already have and take more meaningful ones when you do.

Here's to savoring the moment. Enjoying each bite on your taste buds. Truly enjoying the little things. Here's a little 8x10 of the verse to remind you to enjoy the moments. Click image to download.

In our modern culture we rush around with phrases like "I am so busy" and "I don't have time," as if we actually are in charge of our short existence on this planet. Everything starts getting complicated from there. Which school to send your child to. Which car will work for your family. Which neighborhood will suit your life style. Which church will meet your needs. The list goes on and on and time is invested in each situation and each decision.

Do not get me wrong, it is wise to consider different factors and weigh out the odds but at the end of the day, if you are truly loving God with all you have, these things fall into place. The decisions unfold and God makes away, even when it seems like it is not possible. If you have spent your time worrying about which house to purchase or focusing on the minute details of the car in question to purchase, you are losing precious time that could have been spent elsewhere. Playing with your toddler. Hanging out with a friend who needs encouragement. Calling your mama. Studying your bible. Maybe even memorizing a verse to help you defer the thoughts.


I recently saw a horrible car crash on the way home. A car flipped and the driver was stuck inside with a police officer standing in front, possibly talking to him. I have no idea if he was okay or not.The ambulance had not yet arrived on the scene. It was at an intersection I frequent almost daily. A crash has never bothered me so much. Prayers are always said in the passing but this time it seemed heavier as we drove past the cars and police and people. Perhaps it was the location. Maybe just a reminder. He could have been on his way home from the store grabbing groceries for dinner or on his way to visit a friend and then crash. I pray he is okay. In a moment everything can change. 

It's funny how simple life really is, yet so sad how much we complicate it. The bible says to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). And there it is. The essence of life summed up in two sentences. Sounds so simple. Our days are numbered and our days are so short! Focusing on God allows us to use our time wisely and not worry about the unknown. It keeps our eyes focused on His purpose and His plans. More of Him and less of us and suddenly the things of this world will grow strangely dim and perhaps your busyness will subside, too.

This song by Francesca Battistelli sums it up perfectly. Have a listen. 

Perhaps this 8x10 printable of a few of the lyrics will help you keep life in perspective.Click picture to download. 

On the fourth, I officially hit the quarter of a century mark. God has blessed me more than I can even fathom and I am thankful for each moment he has given me thus far. I must admit though, this birthday left me feeling extremely spoiled. I am not really one for gifts but this year it was really fun opening them. Maybe it was due to the fact Ricardo actually kept it a surprise (he is the worst at surprises). Or maybe it was the beautiful weather getting to my head. Who knows, anywho, I relished each moment of my day. It started with Ricardo surprising me by taking the day off from work for an impromptu beach day in Santa Cruz. Did I mention I LOVE the beach? I was unsure of how our little one would fair the 2.5 hour drive but she did amazing! We walked along the shore, browsed some thrift stores and enjoyed downtown. 

yes, he did the 90s jacket 

We had a blast, as you can tell and I am grateful for another year. I had to wait until the next day to open the rest of of my gifts from him and my mom but it was well worth the wait. 

To say thanks to all those who showered me with presents, (Ricardo also planned a birthday dinner with friends the Saturday prior) I designed this little post card. It measures 5.5" long by  4" high. Doesn't everyone like getting more than junk mail in their mailbox and more personal than a Facebook message? 

Show your gratitude to some one today. To download the thank you postcards, click here

Each year our church does a People Hunt, in lieu of an East Egg Hunt, which entails children going in search of church members, all of whom are armed with some sort of gift or candy. This is will be my first year, so I am not sure exactly what to expect but it sounds like fun and children are always entertaining. The trickiest part so far has been trying to figure out what to arm myself with, besides the usual chocolate bunny. While rummaging through Google in search of the perfect Easter treat that does not account for too much sugar, yet still meaningful, I stumbled on the family online website. If you are looking for a way to teach your children about Easter, I would definitely check out it out.

The site boasts a recipe for cookies that takes you through the resurrection of Christ, with the intentions of making them with children the night before Easter. How cool is that? Obviously, I cannot take random children to my house and bake with them but I still wanted to incorporate this idea of telling the resurrection through cookies, which lead me to designing this little printable. Like the site suggests, it states the ingredients of the cookies with its correlation to Easter, all in a pretty little to go package.

Here is my abridged version of the ingredient meanings:

Nuts, Beaten like Jesus by the Roman soldiers, John 19:1-3

Vinegar, Jesus’ final drink, John 19:28-30

Egg whites, Pure like Jesus without sin, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Salt: Tears shed by Jesus’ followers, Luke 23:27

Sugar: Sweetest part of the story: Jesus DIED because he LOVES us! John 3:16

Go ahead, take a bite. Missing something? (The cookie has a hollow center, so fun!) Surprise! Jesus’ followers were, too! The tomb was empty! Jesus is alive! Matthew 28:1-9

To find the recipe and complete instructions, click here. I have not yet made these cookies, as I do still have a FEW days before Easter, so hopefully they will turn out yummy.

To download packaging, click here. There is 1/4" on each side to cut and 1/2" from the top. They measure 4" X 2" once folded in half. To get an idea of using the packaging, click here. 

HAPPY EASTER!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Relationships. Everyone has them, whether it be with your co-workers, brothers, sisters, spouse, parents, – I think you get the picture – there is no hiding from one. The beginning of last year I decided to be more intentional in my relationships. I am not one for New Year’s resolutions but I knew some change was to be in order and it just so happened to collide with the calendar. Relationships are not easy but they are oh-so-worth the effort it takes to keep them alive and well; not to mention how God will use them for His good.

I have realized the past few years how much I actually like being alone. Do not get me wrong, I do like people but time by myself is extremely valuable. Yes, I am an introvert. What I have come to realize is how selfish I am can get with my time. I constantly have ideas oozing all over the place that are just waiting to come to life if I can just get a few moments. Taking care of our little one (practically a single mom during the week until May), helping an amazing family, keeping up with house work and just life makes my time a lot more valuable these days and relationships take time and work. Often times, more than I would like to invest.

This year I felt the need to keep the ball rolling with the intentional relationship focus but stepping it up a notch, only with God’s help and grace that is. I have been trying to figure out what that will look like in my day. Adding a coffee date with a friend. Sending a card. A phone call. I have been praying fervently that God will use my days to make a small difference and I know that he has been at work. After all, he instilled this in me.

Sunday our Pastor spoke of obedience and doing what God wants us to do in faith and action. Then, Ricardo and I went to see Gungor (if you have ever have the chance to see them I highly recommend doing so, amazing!) and he went on to say nearly the same thing. Coincidence, I know better. Yes, God I heard you. There is nothing like affirmation from God. Relationships require action and stepping out in faith. They call me to give up something from myself. To put the needs of others before my own. To serve. They call me to become like Jesus. This is what living is all about.



Our view at Gungor (my camera did not want to focus)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. – James 2:14-19 (NIV)