Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.


4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.


8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”


13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,


14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”


15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”


16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

What Is It All About?


Christmas time is my favorite time of the year…but for some reason, I am feeling a bit behind this year. I mean, Christmas day will be here is less than 4 days and I still can’t believe we are in December. How did this happen?
While trying to catch up with time, I have managed to write a few Christmas cards, organized the log candles on the table and placed the wreath on the ground next to the door (it turns out I don’t have a hook to hang it up – so it will just sit on the ground this year).  The Christmas tree in the photo above does not belong to me, as a matter of fact, that is a photo of my mom’s tree from last year.

I guess what I am trying to say is that our home is not looking very Christmassy this year. In reality, 99% of our home is looking exactly how it looks every other day of the year and a part of me is sad about it. I want a real tree with clear lights that do not blink. I want the wreath to be hanging on the door. I want red and green candles. I want stockings over the fireplace…


But as I stop to think about all the things I want during this Christmas season, I realize that none of those things are important. I must also point out that none of the things I mentioned have anything to do with what Christmas is all about.
What is Christmas about anyway? You may be thinking…
This is what Christmas is about:
 “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
When I think about the true meaning of Christmas, my heart is filled with joy and thankfulness that God loves us unconditionally. What more can a person want?
All of the sudden a Christmassy home does not seem important at all.
This Christmas, I am thankful for my Savior and I will not let anything else take that joy away.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Free Session Giveway

Danielly Nobile Photography is giving away two free sessions!

Click HERE to learn more about the details.

Feel free to forward this opportunity to friends and family.


Giving away free sessions makes me so happy I can't stop smiling!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Log Candles

Remember how I mentioned that I joined Pinterest? Well, in about a month I have managed to create a few boards filled with pretty things that make me smiley! While on Pinterest a few weeks ago, I saw this tutorial on Log Candle making and I wished I had the right tools to make a set for everyone I know - after all, I live in the Pacific Northwest and we just happen to have pine logs everywhere.

Unfortunately, I don't have the right tools to make these pretty candle holders, but my brother in law happens to not only be super crafty, but he also has everything needed to make these pretty log candles. I shared the idea with him and he got to work right away. In fifteen minutes he was done with one set.

Aren't these lovely?

I like that they are unique, rustic and elegant.

J. Nobile, thank you for being so willing to make these for me. They are beautiful!





Tuesday, November 29, 2011

My Heart's Song

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

So Thankful!

I wrote here that I was going to share a little bit about how the Lord has been our provider this past year.  Well, the more I think about it, the more thankful I become. Are you ready to be thankful with me?


·         I am thankful for another year of life: 25 happened to come and go really fast…26, here I come in a few weeks!

·         I am thankful for John’s new job which he loves and has lots of opportunities to grow.

·         I am thankful for the friends who housed John for a few months before we moved to a new city.

·         I am thankful for a patient husband who loves me despite my many breakdowns this past year.

·         I am thankful for three years of marriage: this was a hard year full of changes and challenges yet it was wonderful to stand with the one I love in the hard moments.

·         I am thankful for the photography opportunities that have just landed on my lap (or in my inbox).

·         I am thankful for the opportunities to see dear friends get married.

·         I am thankful for friends who were willing to help us pack all our belongings and magically make it all fit in a UHaul.

·         I am thankful for the friends who helped us unpack the UHaul.

·         I am thankful for beautiful waterfalls and many amazing hiking trails in the Pacific Northwest.

·         I am thankful for the opportunity to photograph my first wedding with my lovely husband. We are a great team!

·         I am thankful for the time John and I have had to read together.

·         I am thankful for Gluten-Free recipes.

·         I am thankful for friends who have reached out to us during our lonely days in a new city.

·         I am thankful for skype and the way I can chat with friends who are far away geographically but very close to my heart!

·         I am thankful for the way God has provided financially so that John and I could pay off all our debt. Praise God for a debt free time of life!

·         I am thankful for a husband that spent hours after work helping me create a new photography website.

·         I am thankful for my new photography website. Go check it out and feel free to leave some love: daniellynobile.com

·         I am thankful for family and wish we lived closer to all our relatives.

·         I am thankful for sermons that speak to my heart!


Above all,  I am thankful for a loving and compassionate God who calls me his own! He continues to shower me with gifts and love when I do not deserve it and I will forever be thankful for His faithfulness.

Click here to see my thanksgiving list from last year!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Danielly Nobile Photography

I mentioned here that I was embarking on a new adventure, and I am happy to announce that my photography website is now public!!!

John and I have been working on daniellynobile.com for the past few weeks and I am so happy with the "final" result! Well, I say "final," because I still have a lot of work to do: create more galleries, publish posts from the past year, figure out how to add LinkWithin to the posts, etc.

Every hour spent trying to learn how to create a site that reflects who I am was very much worth it!
I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Also, I want to thank everyone who have encouraged me in this adventure!

Again: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

I have felt very blessed to have had the support of friends and family throughout the past two years.


P.S. Feel free to share my website with all your family and friends!



Thursday, November 10, 2011

A New Adventure

Friends,

I am working on a new photography website! I have been spending ridiculous number of hours in front of my computer creating galleries, posts, tabs...

I fee like I am in Disneyland :)

I can't wait to show it to you all soon. Stay tuned!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Gluten Free Cooking

John and I made yummy gluten-free ginger cookies this weekend!


Find recipe here.

We also made gluten-free cinnamon/raisin bread that tastes wonderful!
Yup, we had a very productive weekend in the kitchen.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Be There for Each Other!

Savannah Robinson - Beautiful

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Technology, Family and Friends

It turns out that living in a new city far from family and friends can lead to a bit of loneliness. I am not talking about the downcast kind of loneliness that makes the heart ache. I am talking about the feeling you get when you wish you could easily go spend time with the people you love- but they happen to be far away from you. I am talking about the longing for community; the desire to be with those who know you.

In these lonely days, I am thankful for family and friends who have intentionally kept in touch. I am thankful for the internet, the phone and skype!

I love that I can chat with a friend in California and another in New York. I love that I can call my mom whenever. I love that Abbie and Joel ‘hang’ out with us on Tuesday nights (via skype)!


Friday, October 28, 2011

Pinterest and I

So, I joined Pinterest!

I am still not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing...we'll see.
So far, I am still trying to figure out how it works, but I managed to crate a few boards and started pinning away.

Also, I created a 'Pin It' button for my blog posts - just in case you find something inspiring here!
My photography blog posts are also pinable.


Let me know if you are on Pinterest. I would love to collect new ideas!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Making Dinner Together


This is what John and I made to celebrate our 5th dating anniversary!
(Salad, Scalloped Potatoes, Steak)

Monday, October 24, 2011

Five Years on an Amazing Rollercoaster Ride!

Five years ago John asked me to be his girlfriend – a decision that forever changed our lives!

As you may have guessed, I said “yes”…we dated for a while…he proposed to me, I said “yes” again…and we have been married for a bit over three years.

I love John more today than I could have imagined five years ago, and every life experience we have faced together has brought us closer to each other.

Our relationship is far from perfect; by the grace of God we continue to learn to love, forgive, admit our faults and strive to grow as a result of new challenges.

We presently face the challenge of living in a city without the community we were used to. Our day to day routine is simple and we miss seeing friends on a regular basis, game nights, dinners and church. For the past few months, we have been a community of two – and at times, our frustrations have led to humbling moments in our marriage.

This morning John sent me a blog post that pretty much summarizes the story of our relationship. The post comes from the blog: The Generous Husband.


“Marriage is like this: You are so excited, you get married, and when you open the box that contains your new marriage, you find a thousand pieces and a note that says “Some assembly required”. Even worse, the instructions are not in a language you even recognize, and the pictures are so poor you are not sure they show parts in your box. Okay, go out there and live happily ever after!

If your parents have a great marriage, her parents have a great marriage, and you are in a church full of supportive folks with great marriages, you can probably figure out how to assemble the parts. For the other 99% of us, that box of marriage parts is more scary than exciting.

Unfortunately, most couples are too shy or too embarrassed to seek help, figuring they can muddle through and put together a reasonable marriage on their own. The longer they do it on their own, the less willing they are to admit they need help. They build mistakes on mistakes, creating a marriage that cannot work right, and that becomes more and more difficult to manage.

There is no shame in not having a clue, especially given the fact we live in a society that is generally clueless about marriage. If your problems are small, get help now before they become big. If the problems are already big, get help before they destroy the marriage. If things are not too bad, spending time with a couple with a good sound marriage may be all you need. If you need more help than that, PLEASE find a way. I hear repeatedly from couples who say they can’t afford counseling. Here’s the real truth – it won’t cost as much as a divorce, and it won’t mess your kids up. If your marriage is worth it, you will find a way.

One other warning – you may have to change much of what you have already done. If you had worked on an “assembly required” project and made a mistake early on, the only way to assemble it correctly would be to undo back to the mistake; marriage is much the same. Don’t cut corners, do what it takes to have a great marriage.”


Like many people, John and I made promises we didn’t understand when we got married. In some ways we are still learning what those promises meant. We have been gifted with parents that honor their marriage and for the past five years we were surrounded with a community of individuals that poured love and wisdom into our lives.

The past five years have been an amazing rollercoaster ride and it would not have been as great without those who have invested in our lives.
I pray that God will once again bless us with the community we need to face the challenges that shall come in the next five years!

John Nobile, thank you for asking me to be your girlfriend five years ago! I would say “yes” all over again in a heartbeat.  


Friday, October 21, 2011

n•a•p® Massaging Bed Rest

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I introduce you to the n•a•p® Massaging Bed Rest!

Yesterday John told me he found the coolest bed seat ever and it totally made him think of me.
So, I asked him to show it to me...and this is what he showed me.

Image from Brookstone
My Response?

Really?!?! This bed seat made you think of me? But why?

He said I am always complaining that our bed pillows are not good 'leaning pillows' - and he is right. I do often complain about our bed pillows. However, since yesterday I decided that our bed pillows work great and I never want the n•a•p® Massaging Bed Rest unless I have some kind of surgery and have to stay in bed 24/7.

John, I love that you always think of me!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Today I...

  • Drove John to work because we only have one car, and gave him a good kiss before I left.
  • Got a flu shot - and my arm hurts.
  • Did a lot of research on starting/running a business and got discouraged with the amount of work and time it all takes...I have a lot to learn. Does anyone want to help me?
  • Went outside, which doesn't happen everyday.
  • Wrote a long email to a friend about everything that is in my head. I hope she still likes me even after vomiting all my thoughts in an email.
  • Wore a wool sweater that made me itch all the time.
  • Thought about straightening my hair - but I don't have a straightener.
  • Wished the sun wouldn't set so early.
  • Wanted to make this chocolate cake.
  • Enjoyed the Autumn colors on the trees.
  • Wanted to go to a pumpkin patch.
  • Really wished we had a home church.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Is Christianity Hard or Easy?

I recently wrote about how I have failed at spending time with God on a daily basis - and as a result, my heart has not been filled with joy.

John and I committed to doing a devotional together. We are going through the Devotional Classics, Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups. This devotional is made of chapters written by different authors such as C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, Jonathan Edwards, Francis de Sales, etc.

Yesterday, we read about Giving All to Jesus.

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis says this about the question: How much of Myself Must I Give?

"If you are really going to try to meet all the demands made on the natural self, it will not have enough let over to live on. The more you obey your conscience, the more your conscience will demand of you. And your natural self, which is thus being starved and hampered and worried at every turn, will get angrier and angrier.

In the end, you will either give up trying to be good, or else become one of those people who, as they say, "live for others" but always in a discontented, grumbling way - always wondering why the others do not  notice it more and always making a martyr of yourself. And once you have become that you will be a far greater pest to anyone who has to live with you than you would have been if you had remained frankly selfish."

The pursuit of personal happiness by being morally good, says Lewis, ends in frustration.

This is such a great reminder that I cannot give part of myself to Christ and expect life to go on smoothly. Christ says, "Give me all" - and when I obey I can do all things through Him. If I try to live on my own, being morally good, I will only end up frustrated.

Once again I will say: I need more of Jesus!

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Joy Giver

For the past few weeks, maybe months, I have struggled in my commitment to spend time with God on a daily basis.  As a daughter to the King, I believe that there is nothing more soothing than spending time with the Lord…yet, I am so bad at setting time aside to be with my Father. I get busy with laundry, dishes, phone calls, editing photos, cleaning the bathroom and before I know it the day is over and I never even acknowledged God’s presence in my life. I act as if a friend had come to visit, but I am too busy to spend time with the friend and do my own thing as if I were alone.

Just confessing this makes my heart sad.
My spirit misses His words, His love, His joy.

This past week John mentioned that I have been very negative, moody and easily irritable lately. He said I am not full of joy the way I normally am. John’s remarks made me so sad…and yet he was right. I realized I am not full of joy because I have not been spending time with the joy giver.

Friends, I want the Lord’s joy back in my heart!
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.


Psalm 51:10-12


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Jehovah Jireh...


…The Lord will provide.

What a blessing it is to know that the Lord is my provider. He has provided for all my needs throughout life and He continues to amaze me.

John and I spent some time looking through our finances this past weekend and as we talked about our goals and dreams I felt so thankful for the ways God has orchestrated our lives!

Like a three year old, I began to sing:

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing my God cannot do.
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty
There's nothing my God cannot do.”


It is true! There is nothing My God cannot do, and He has done great things for me.

***A few weeks from now I will be sharing a little bit about how the Lord has been our provider. Stay tuned!

Monday, October 10, 2011

A Spontaneous Date up North

John and I had a very wonderful weekend in our new hometown. We went for a walk late at night and discovered what the night life is like (nothing too exciting), slept in, hiked with friends, visited a brewery, played games, visited a church, drove around and saw new neighborhoods, went on another walk (during the day), snuggled and felt inspired to go out on a date!

At about 8:30pm last night John and I were going to make smoothies – which sounded like a good idea until I said: “I really want to eat a juicy piece of steak right now.”

John got excited and told me to get dressed for a date (which means get dressed in cute clothes).
I told him it was late and everything would be closing by now (a sad reality when you live in a small town). He proceeded to get dressed as well and before we knew it we wore driving toward town. It turned out that all the restaurants were either closed or closing.

I told John we could go back home and make the smoothies we were going to make. John replied: “But I REALLY want steak too!”
So, we stopped at the grocery store – looking cute for our date night – and bought steaks.

We ate the yummy steak with red wine (surrounded by candles) at 10:00pm! It was wonderful.
Also, I must mention that we couldn’t go to sleep for a long time because we were too full. We were too full to sleep but we were absolutely glad we ate the steak late at night and all.


Mr. John Nobile, I love being married to you and having spontaneous late night dates that include steak, wine and candles!!!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Stream of Consciousness

  • I love sleeping with the window open, but I always wake up cold.
  • I have had no inspiration to cook...nothing seems exciting.
  • Once upon a time, I could not go to sleep if there were dirty dishes in the sink. Now days I hardly do the dishes before going to bed. I am not sure this is a good or bad thing.
  • Sometimes I spend all day sitting in front of the computer (editing photos) and I forget to eat.
  • I want to eat lava cake so BAD! I need a gluten-free recipe.
  • Speaking of gluten-free...I really wanted to eat pasta yesterday. I have not eaten normal pasta (the gluten-full kind) in more than 5 months and for some reason it was all I wanted yesterday.
  • I already miss the sun and its warmth.
  • I have a very long "To Do" list.
  • I can't believe October is here. Wasn't it just June last week?
...I have a lot more things to say, but I think this is a good list for now!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Soon to be Mrs. Wilson

Friend, I am so excited for you and Dan to get married!











Thursday, September 29, 2011

Happy Birthday to my John

Dear John,
I am so glad I get to celebrate every day of life with you!


I look forward to celebrating many more days together.

"There's a place I go
where it is safe to be myself...

There's a place I go where laughter and tears,
hopes and fears
flow freely...

There's a place I go
where truth is spoken
and dreams are shared...

It's a place
of acceptance and understanding,
honesty and love...

It's a place called friendship
and whenever I'm with you,
I'm there."

Happy Birthday



(The poem is from the birthday card I got John from Carlton Cards)




Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The Real and the Phony

Ever since I started editing photos (back in the day I used Picasa) I have asked myself how much is too much.

Have you ever asked that question while editing your photos?

Software like Photoshop makes it so easy for us to create a person we wish we could be. Example: shiny eyes, flawless skin, white teeth…the list goes on. As a photographer I think about these details as I edit photos. I know that I could make a person look like a model on a magazine – but the truth is that instead of capturing the real person, I would be creating a phony version of that person.

I stumbled upon this website – and I wanted to share these before and after (Photoshop) images with you. My desire is to show you that sometimes what we wish we looked like is completely unattainable. It is computer created. It is not real.

We all have pores, scars and birth marks. These details make us unique.

I am working on accepting the real me.  I want to look at myself in the mirror and see the things that make me unique. I want to cherish the things about me that are real! It is time for me to stop wishing I looked like this or that – and start appreciating the things about me that make me who I am. I will never be perfect, but I want to be me!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Flourless Chocolate Cake

As I write this I am enjoying a very yummy chocolate cake! It is almost as good as my favorite dessert ever: the lava cake

Since I stopped eating products that have gluten back in May (have I mentioned that I have become gluten intolerant?) I have had to stay away from some of my favorite things like bread, pasta, lava cake, bread, oats, soy sauce, bread. Can you tell that I miss bread?

Back to the cake...

Over the past three years, John has been the baker in our household. I cook yummy meals and he bakes yummy desserts. However, we both have very little experience baking gluten-free desserts.

When we were invited to a dinner/game night at some friend's home, I started looking at different gluten-free desserts that we could take with us.  I stumbled upon this great recipe ... showed it to John who totally wanted to give it a try and we still cannot believe how yummy it turned out to be!

Folks, this is NOT a fat-free dessert! It includes 18 ounces of chocolate. Can you believe it?

We cooked it a day ahead and let it cool in the fridge over night. Our home smelled so good John and I kept going back to the kitchen to 'take a look' at the cake. We had to control ourselves to not eat the cake in the middle of the night, but the wait was worth it!

The next day, we served it cold with frozen raspberries, raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. It was wonderful and all my gluten-friendly friends loved it too!

If you are ever craving a ridiculously dense and yummy chocolate cake, make sure to check out this recipe! By the way, allrecipes.com is one of my favorites websites. I would probably not know how to cook if it wasn't for the great recipes and reviews I find here.

***I don't have a photo of the cake because I was too excited about eating it and totally forgot to take a photo of the final result. Maybe next time!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Has Someone Seen My Brain?

I am not sure what is going on with me, but I have been so forgetful lately. My mind feels foggy and I can’t seem to remember the simplest things. I am becoming less efficient as the minutes go by. Here are some examples:

-          I put butter on a pan to make scrambled eggs and a few minutes later was wondering why the butter had not yet melted. It turned out that I had forgotten to turn on the stove burner.
-          I created a grocery list and left it on the counter. Walked back to get it and then forgot why I had come back inside. Walked back to the car and remembered that I was supposed to get the grocery list.
-          I had to print the same CD label six times because I kept forgetting to make the changes I needed to make after reviewing the first label.
-          I left my keys on the kitchen counter and quit looking for them a few minutes later because I had no idea where I had put them.

What is going on?

I am going to start walking around with a notepad, writing things down so I don’t forget them.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Reading Together

John and I really enjoy reading together.

The first book we ever read together was The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I believe we started reading this book shortly after we started dating. Since then, we have read quite a few books together. These are a few of them:

·         The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis
·         Now You Are Speaking My Language by Gary Chapman
·         Preparing for Marriage by David Boehi, Brent Nelson, Jeff Schulte, Lloyd Shadrach and Dennis Rainey
·         The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
·         The Pursuit of Holiness by Terry Bridges
·         Brain Rules by John Medina
The list goes on…and yesterday we finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia!
John’s favorite book is The Last Battle, while my favorite is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It is so fun to read together, talk about what stands out to us and share what we are learning from the books we are reading! If you have never read The Chronicles of Narnia make sure to get to it at some point in life. While this series was written for children, I thoroughly enjoyed the different stories and many adventures.
I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but I will tell you that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite because of the story of Eustace as a dragon and his experience with Aslan as he once again becomes a boy. So profound and unforgettable! (P.S. The movie does not show this story…so go read the book).
We will begin reading The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan next. Can’t wait to share with you the lessons I learn along the way!

Friday, September 2, 2011

I Have Been Working On These Lovely Photos

Go to Danielly Nobile Photography to see more of my work!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Lake 22

Yay for birthday hikes!
My family finally got a chance to get away and enjoy God's beautiful creation.

 Happy Birthday dear sister!










Monday, August 29, 2011

Hearing God's Voice

Here are five key questions to help you determine if what you are hearing is from God or not:
(These questions come from the book What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst.)

1.      Does what I’m hearing line up with Scripture?

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

2.      Is it consistent with God’s character?

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Romans 8:5

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

3.      Is it being confirmed through messages I’m hearing at church or studying in my quiet times?

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:3-4

4.      Is it beyond me?

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

5.      Would it please God?

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” Philippians 1:9

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A City of Many Buildings

This past weekend I got to explore Vancouver B.C. - the city of many buildings!


The exploring happened with friends and bikes.
Although I had not ridden a bike since middle school, I had a great time as I biked around on a very sunny day.



Check out these stacked rocks!
I can't believe they were balancing on each other even with a bit or wind.
Also, I secretly wanted to knock one over to make sure they were not glued together.

Can you tell I had fun?
Now, take a look at my crooked helmet. I look a little bit like a 10 year old here.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I Have a Computer...and Internet!

I never thought of myself as a ‘computer person’. I had the worse experiences with computers in high school and there were days all I wanted to do was to pick up our family desktop and throw in outside on the cement driveway. (I know this sounds a little violent, but I had written a beautiful paper for my English class and as I edited the conclusion paragraph the computer randomly shut down and I had to rewrite my paper – I may never forget this day).
Since my high school days, I have had better luck with computers – or maybe I am a little more tech savvy and actually know how to use a computer.
Anyways, what I really wanted to say was I have missed my computer and I am so happy to be typing this blog post right now!
The computer was well packed for the move up North…and then we proceeded to live without internet for what felt like an eternity.  I walked toward the computer multiple times a day as I planned to look something up – only to remember that I couldn’t look anything up. To tell you the truth, I was surprised by how much I depend on computers…and how much my brain is incapable of remembering what is on my Google calendar.
Now, I must get going because I have an unbelievably long list of emails to go through.
P.S. I have a whole lot of things to share with you all, so stay tuned for future blog posts!

Monday, August 1, 2011

I am Trying to Ignore the Mess


Yesterday, John and I brought home about 30 boxes, packing paper and tape. We have created box labels, wrapped candle holders, packed books and looked into renting an UHall truck for the big move. I still can’t believe we are moving. I didn’t think denial would be so stubborn, but some days I seriously think that this is all a dream. But then I remember that we have signed a lease to an apartment up North, we are looking for wonderful renters and our current home is completely upside down.

Folks, my home is such a mess! Everything is out of order and I keep wanting to put things back in their correct places instead of packing them into boxes. Seeing everything on the floors, counter tops, and couches makes me feel like my brain is disorganized.

But in my heart, I am thankful for God’s faithfulness and I trust that this move in part of His great plan for us!


Monday, July 25, 2011

Let the Packing Begin!

John and I have not moved since we got married three years ago. We like our home and most things in it represent who we are. We have a fridge door full of save-the-dates along with a baby announcement, recycling guidelines and a few recipes. We have three bookshelves full of books, a closet with camping gear and hiking photos spread throughout our home. We don't like to accumulate stuff and most of our furniture were purchased on Craigslist (yay for saving money!).


To tell you the truth, we had planned on staying exactly where we are for a really long time. I had even spent a lot of brain cells trying to figure out how we could one day rearrange our furniture in order to fit at lease two children in our current home.


But since it is not unusual for life to take a different route than what we had planned, we are now in the process of packing our belongings in order to move up North.


Have I told you that I hate really dislike packing?


The more I pack the more I am determined to live a simple life without things we don't need. Yet, here I am wanting to take all the things we own to the nearest Goodwill. It turns out I have a lot of candles. I also have a whole lot of vases. Where did all these things come from?


P.S. The walls look so naked with nothing on them.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Three Years Later

So much is going on in my life right now that I am sure I could write a book on it. But I won’t. At least not right now…stay tuned for future posts.


I do want to say that in the middle of so many changes I am very thankful for a God who remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. How great is that? He is my Rock and my foundation!


I am also very thankful for a husband who does not give up on me. Over the past couple of months I have been on an emotional roller coaster that has brought me to tears and laughter (depending on the day). This coming weekend John and I get to celebrate our third anniversary! I can hardly believe three years have gone by. Sometimes it feels like we got married a few months ago and other times it feels like it has been a lifetime. It is hard for me to remember what life was like without John.  He is a devoted friend, loving companion, passionate husband and encouraging partner. I love sharing my life, heart and dreams with him!


I can’t wait to find out what the next year has in store for us. Whatever happens, I pray that God would continue to give us a heart of love.


“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
I Corinthians 13:1-8

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Steve and Anna

There is nothing quite like witnessing friends become husband and wife!















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