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Well, friends, this year is off to an interesting start. Some of you may know that I wrapped up my job as a Marketing Director at the end of last year. Here I am on my last day!  Now I'm fully embracing life as a #sahm <3 I celebrated with a month-long trip to South Africa (that you can check out here). The kids love it, of course, since they get to see me all day. I love it since I can FINALLY tackle things in my home that have been driving me crazy! My first big project was getting our dining room in order, and for me that meant replacing our bland-as-can-be brushed stainless "chandelier" with a lovely new statement piece that I was SO fortunate to find.  Let's just say I'm happier than this snowman with how it turned out!!  We've had a TON of snow... And don't judge me for not having enough of those little light bulbs... none of our other lights take those! I also redid our chairs. I love the long, dressy new look!  Of course, this was the only one the store had in stock, so I had to get it taken down by the experts. It was kinda interesting trying to fit it in my car. Speaking of which, I have exciting news! My new car has officially been completed and is being shipped to our local Cadillac dealership. I'm SO excited, and I will definitely be sharing more about that when it arrives. 
It's *almost* the most wonderful time of the year! Ever since the first of November, my IG feed has been blowing up with Christmas trees, tinsel and halls decked with an assortment of boughs! I love Christmas, and I think it is so much fun to decorate for the holidays!
This year was challenging because I was hosting Thanksgiving, but wanted to start my Christmas decor a little earlier so I could get the full benefit before heading out of town. Our Thanksgiving ended up with a mix of pumpkins and Christmas ornaments... oh well! Download your gift by completing the form below.
I hope you enjoy dressing up some of your frames for the Christmas season!
Here is some inspiration from our seasons past. 
The times have certainly changed. In the four years since we last sold a property and purchased a home, things have gone very high-tech. I found the agent's folder that my parents received when they purchased their home in 1999 the other day. It contained four photos... FOUR! Can you imagine getting interested in a home with only four photos. I feel cheated if it has under 20!
Fortunately for me, the times have changed! Between apps like Zillow, ShowTimes, Google Earth and who knows what else, shoppers are now able to get full access to a complete 360 of the house before they ever set foot in the door.
SO WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
1. Pricing is done by the square foot based on home sales in your immediate vicinity. If you price under the standard, your house will sell SUPER FAST. If you price at the normal or a little above, it may take a bit longer. 2. Get a great listing agent. If you want your home to sell fast, you need a proactive listing agent who takes care of all the digital marketing needs. That should include Facebook ads, Zillow updates, etc. 3. You'll need to have your home professionally photographed. Our agent took care of organizing that and covering all the costs associated with that as part of the service he renders. 4. Go ahead and host a garage sale. Having less stuff in the house will make it easier to show. No need to wait until you've already sold to have a moving sale. It helps to empty out whatever you can so your home looks spacious and open. You may even want to do that before you list. 5. You get to set the showing times. You don't have to be at the beck & call of people who may or may not be interested. You can ask for down time whenever you need it. Don't let the process stress you out! 
CREATE THIS PLACE SETTING
I hope this helps you know how to sell your home with ease!
If you have learned other lessons not listed here, please feel free to share those! I'd love to keep learning about how to sell a house.
Every year, a local group of builders in our town joins forces to put together the most incredible show neighborhood. When we recently visited, I spotted some adorable trends for home decor that are really unique. I also got a lot of good ideas for our new build.
Built in bunk beds are definitely trending. Several designers opted for turquoise and pink in girls' rooms and navy/khaki in boys rooms.
Shiplap continues to be a trend, however, if you are not ready to commit to the work of installing it, you can try a wallpaper or other faux wood solution to try it out. Although it is really popular at the moment, it does look a little less polished, so it may not remain for much longer.
Hospitality is something I grew up with. When I was an infant, my mother ran a bakery, and I went with her. She would nurse me and I would sleep soundly in my bassinet while she helped customers prep and plan for their special events. Eventually, she sold the Caramel Bakery and dedicated her time to her family, and especially her children. She would throw us fantastic parties and bake the most elaborate cakes! Someday I can share some of those family photos with you, because she did an incredible job creating experiences for us. That's what hospitality is about: creating experiences and memories for the ones you love most. After all, what can you keep but memories? As my own children have grown into toddlers and preschoolers, I find it all the more fun and fulfilling to throw parties to celebrate them. With my son's second birthday party around the corner, I will be sharing that event as one of my first recent events. In the meantime, I will share some past events that we've hosted: baby showers, girls' birthday parties, patriotic parties, Thanksgiving parties and maybe even our wedding! Today, I'll share Thanksgiving ideas from a farm Thanksgiving we had a few years ago.  Our Thanksgiving party was a pot luck for nearly 100 people. We hosted at my parents' farm and we had an absolute blast! Above are the most adorable table decorations that we set all throughout the barn. Tables were bedecked with burlap and felt and we used pumpkins and other harvest-themed vegetables to decorate.  There are certain foods that just lend themselves to being presented in a precarious, but elegant way. Baskets can be used to serve rolls, fruit and even chips & dip.  Sometimes it's easy to forget the little details like salad dressing or salt & pepper, but they can make or break the meal for some of our guests. Something to add to the Evernote list!  And of course, we can't forget the turkey! There are various types of kale that make a perfect garnish (and your health-conscious friends may think it's a special superfood salad to enjoy with their beets.
So there you have it! We had a wonderful time. It was simple, but elegant. What's your favorite Thanksgiving tradition to share wiith your loved ones?? The heat steams up from the sidewalks and the patio. One more day without a cloud in the sky, with an early sunrise and a late sunset. It allows you to put away the business of the fall and the winter and spring. It allows you to forget. Forget the schedules and the school day rush. Forget the cold and having to put on shoes before you step outside.  We have a lovely garden this year. Normally we are overrun with strawberries, but the strange weather kept our plants from bearing much fruit this year. What we had, we enjoyed early in the morning, just me and the two little ones.  We picked them in our pajamas and ate them before our morning Bible story. We marveled at how our Maker could bring such sweetness out of the ground. And such vibrant red!  Now our peppers are starting to ripen. The cucumber plant and pumpkin vine that the neighbor brought over are both flourishing. We will be ready come October. Once the tomatoes start to redden on the vine, we will have enough for a lovely salad.  Living close to the earth in this way illuminates the creativity of our Creator. He inspires, He infuses our lives with vibrancy... and intrigue... and mystery. He delights us with sweetness and the satisfaction of nurturing something as it grows out of the dirt beneath our feet. What a miracle.     Dress the little ones up, but let them get their knees covered in grass stains.   WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President & CEO Catherine Glenn Foster of the leading pro-life advocacy group Americans United for Life (AUL) has issued the following statement:
"Americans United for Life congratulates Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Based on his strong, twelve-year record on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, we believe that Judge Kavanaugh will be an originalist Justice, committed to the text of the Constitution and to the rule of law, including legal protections for human life. This is a seminal moment for America. It’s a crucial chance to shift the Court back to a majority that does not look to Roe and Casey – two of the worst examples of judicial activism – as their legacy. We urge the Senate to confirm Judge Kavanaugh swiftly so that he can begin serving our nation by the start of the Supreme Court’s next term in October." AUL, the nation’s premier pro-life legal team, works through the law and legislative process to one end: achieving comprehensive legal protection for human life from conception to natural death. As women of faith, we have to stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Just because a person is dependent on someone else does not mean that person's life has to be at the mercy of the other. ** Addendum July 11, 2018** In additional research, I have also found that Judge Kavanaugh may have a history of assuming the government should/does have a compelling interest in cases when the defendant's only claim to be heard is that they were offended. Although frivolous lawsuits and Supreme Court over-reach is absolutely a concern, I believe our number one concern should be to stand blameless before our Maker. To that end, we have to consider the following: 1. Will this man stand up for biblical values? 2. Will this candidate serve the people, but more importantly serve a higher moral authority? As someone who has made a multitude of hires over the years, I know that you can't always find your dream candidate for the role. Of course, the more due diligence you do, the better off you will be, but the fact remains that no one is perfect. Additionally, there is always more to consider than a single issue. "refugees around the world. Read this special series from Global Sisters Report. Don't forget that building a culture of life isn't only about one issue. "John Gehring, Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life, a national network of justice-focused clergy and religious leaders, tweeted Tuesday, the morning after President Trump announced Kavanaugh as his nominee to the high court. Gehring said he hopes Kavanaugh, a Catholic, would also support the sanctity of life around issues of poverty, inequality, climate change, racism, guns and treatment of immigrant families in detention." 
It's a wonderful thing to experience Easter. I often wonder if people recognize the gravity of the holiday. Sure, it's fun to celebrate the coming of Spring with bunnies and chicks and pastels, but this holy day has nothing to do with painted eggs and lovely "Sunday-best" dresses. This is a celebration of freedom from the grave.
When Jesus was sent to Earth, He came to set captives free. He came to set you free... and me. We have been set free to experience joy instead of sorrow, laughter instead of tears and righteousness instead of the gut-wrenching sin to which we are naturally inclined. With two children under six in the home, I am often confronted with discussions about truth. What is true, and what does it mean? Why did Jesus have to die for our sins? He died because when God the Father gave people the freedom to do absolutely everything except one tiny thing, we humans were unable to obey. We got as close to the forbidden thing as we possibly could, resting beneath the branches of the one tree instead of finding joy in all the other thousands of trees that we were permitted to enjoy fully. If God the Father had not said no to that one thing, we never would have had the ability to choose whether we want to obey or not. We would not have had free will. So He said yes to EVERYTHING in the entire world. Everything. And He said no to only one thing. And we were curious. And we indulged our curiosity. And we chose to sever our relationship with God the Father, the direct and honest relationship where we could see Him and hear Him and touch Him. Then He had to pull away, for His sake and for ours. He had to put space between us so He could be fair in giving us grace. The less we knew, the less would be counted against us. He spoke through prophets and through clouds and He gave clear instructions about what was right and what was wrong. He left nothing to chance this time, but He still left a choice. And we chose poorly. He had to find a way to allow us back into His presence without betraying His just character. Someone had to bear the punishment. Someone perfect. Someone willing to pay the ultimate price. Jesus. And that is why Jesus had to die. He died so God could allow us to be friends with Him again. Now God doesn't even look at us directly. He looks at us through Jesus. And we look GOOD. Blessings for your Easter celebration. May you share a table with those you love. May you be filled with joy at the absolutely incredible mercy of our God. 
If you are interested in any of the table setting items, please take a look at the links below.
Author: Taylor Abigail  I went to Israel in May and I'm still untangling how it changed me. When we landed back in the States, one of our group members said, "It's like we just time traveled." Our flight from Newark, NJ to Tel Aviv, Israel was ten hours and we were met with a seven-hour time difference. For ten days we were at least one day ahead of the Western world, but centuries behind in history. I went into this trip expecting a spiritual whirlwind experience. However, the trip itself was much more like a crash course in Israeli and Jewish history. I adjusted my mindset in a few days and found that coming home would be the start of the spiritual renewal in me. When you learn things like the name "Mary" doesn't exist in Hebrew and so it's in fact "Miriam" mother of Christ - and that Jesus' Miriam is reminiscent of Aaron's sister Miriam - the Bible becomes a beautiful mystery all over again. And when your eyes see the same sights as Jesus' eyes, this disruptive religion of Christianity takes on new life. Little realizations like Mary's undercover name have the potential to scare us: are there any core doctrines we are translating incorrectly? Is my Bible translation leading me astray? Can I even know God if I don't know Hebrew and haven't seen the landscape?
I rest in the fact that God isn't confined to one language. He speaks in dreams, pictures, visions, through music...etc. I have a Malaysian friend who is fluent in both Malay and English. I asked her if God spoke to her in both or one language. She said both depending on which language got across the idea best. What a sweet avenue into God's heart. I'm learning Sign Language in college...praying for the day that God speaks to me through it. What's been dancing around in my head the most since I've returned has been the wonder of what it means that believers are now God's temple. I can't relate to temples. I'm not even sure that America has anything remotely close to what the temple was for the Jews. The temples and synagogues were the epicenter of Jewish life because that's where God's presence was (quite literally at some points in history) and that's where the people had to go to connect with God. In Israel, we visited the Wailing Wall. This wall is considered to be part of an old temple. Jews still congregate there today to pray and cry out before the Lord because that's where God's presence is for them. There's security when you walk in. A wide and sunbleached courtyard stretches far out from the actual wall with dividers standing between the men's side and the women's side. The wall itself is not all that large. But long enough for scores of Jews to press themselves against the massive stones in prayer. All along the wall, there are prayer papers snuggled into the cracks. A little more unromantic was the hundreds of white plastic lawn chairs and women backing away from the wall (it's disrespectful to turn your back on a holy place) and running into the chairs, and little kids romping around. Here was a startling mix of reverence, normality, and bondage. Eerie music hovered over the atmosphere and I wondered about its meaning. I picked up a prayer paper off of the ground in hopes I could read it and pray for someone. We sat and watched and I prayed. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would make Himself known to each of the women and that God would reveal to them His son, Jesus, as the Messiah. Many think of the Wailing Wall as sacred and holy unlike any other thing. Maybe I'm missing something, but I walked away thankful that when I don't know how to cry out, the Spirit in me does, and that no matter where my back is facing, God is still before me, beside me, behind me, and within me. If I believed God's presence was only in some holy places, I would pitch a tent and never leave. His presence is the craving of my life. 1 Corinthians 3:16, "Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" Sometimes we feel distant from God. Could it be because of a weak hold on our identities as temples? I lose words when I think about what it means that we - our bodies and spirits - are God's home. We are the temple He constructed from the beginning. He is only home and we are only home when we are together. He couldn't be in us for thousands of years after we sinned and the cross cleared the path for the Holy Spirit to come to a joyous homecoming and reunion. God has never been confined by space and time, but He clothed Himself with skin to blow away the sin that kept us from being his home. Still, we are not at our final and eternal home of Heaven. But our souls are eternal and are even now communing with God's Spirit within us. The miracle of the Cross cannot be thought on enough. Jesus' sacrifice was the gateway for the Holy Spirit to enter us. The shock of the resurrection; the joy of the Father as He sent His Spirit to journey home to our souls are things that I cannot turn my face from. Believers today have never had to experience life without God's Spirit in us. We know little to nothing about the radical and timeless changes that Jesus instated. To be so brash, to be so bold, to be so generous with peace and freedom to dismember religion entirely and to name us His dwelling place probably sounded too good to be true at the time. We can get angry when good things are given to us that we don't really believe we deserve. I wonder if that was part of the problem with the Pharisees' hearts. 2 Peter 2:4 calls believers "living stones." A living stone is any stone that serves a purpose; that has a specific function and job for a building. Stones that aren't used for buildings and that remain part of the landscape are called "dead stones." 2 Peter 2:4 says, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him--you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." The thing about living stones is that they all were at one time dead. Choice and chiseling is what made them into living stones. Every stone had to be chiseled perfectly to serve its function well. The more specific the position of the stone, the more the chiseling. Because we are named living stones, we can expect to be chiseled so that we can fit our specific function and purpose for every season of our lives. Our tour guide made this comment as he taught us about living and dead stones, "That pain is bad is unbiblical." Suffering - chiseling - is the crucible that transforms us from dead stones into living stones. Our guide also said, "There's always meaning in the pain. But meaning doesn't lessen the pain. It's just a guide to handle the pain well and with hope." We can choose to remain dead stones. We can choose to not live out our identity as God's temple and living stones in His Church. We can choose to see pain as a thing to be avoided and feared. But we grievously cheat ourselves. We leave our souls dirty and unfit for the throne of King Jesus and continue wailing at a wall from which He set us free. I listened to a sermon this morning by Matt Chandler about work and rest. He talked about the Sabbath and how it is actually a thing that God instated that denies us a spirit of self-reliance and grows in us a spirit of dependence on Him. Ezekiel 20:20, "Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” It's a sign to remind us who is God and who is definitely not God. The Sabbath is about identity. Chandler said over and over again, "Step into the privilege of your identity. God's not upset with you for falling short. He doesn't think that way: you do." A temple isn't a place anymore, it's an identity. The Sabbath is not a practice anymore, it's an identity. A living stone is not just an analogy anymore, it's an identity. Admonitions to take chiseling well, to wonder in amazement and be humbled that we are temples, and to step into our identities as living and not dead stones are not shame-filled requirements. These are privileges that we can take or leave. These are gifts that God gives us to remain under His wing. These are identities that protect us and motivate us. We don't have to become the temple, we already are. Author: Taylor Abigail  The name of the place we stayed was Yad Hashmona. A beautiful mix between a retreat center, neighborhood, and a theological study hub, Yad stands as a unique gem of Israel. This place was a gift from the Finns. Yad Hashmona means "In memory of the eight." During the Holocaust, Finland gave over eight Jews to the Nazis. Yad Hashmona is a sincere apology, a gift, and a sign of peace. It stands on an Israeli mountain and has a beautiful garden wrapping around the north side.  Arie Bar-David, owner of Yad Hashmona and Tirosh Expeditions (a touring company), was personally chosen to lead the Yad community. Years ago, Arie stumbled upon a small community of Finns living on the site of Yad Hashmona. As they got to know one another, the Finns saw Arie's amazing leadership abilities and wanted him to grow and lead their community. Arie accepted and Yad has since become a powerful tool in the Lord's hand to bring Jews and Gentiles alike to Himself in the land of Israel - through Arie's tours, the Bible translators onsite, and an ever growing community of Messianic Jews. Arie's family is the first Messianic Jewish family in Israel for decades. During my visit, God's deep devotion to the Jews and Israel became more and more apparent. God's provision and faithfulness to the Jews and Israel was made especially real to me at Yad.  As we walked Jerusalem, we watched the Arabs, Armenians, Christians, Jews, and Muslims mix and mingle. Yet, in the city, there are specific "quarters" where each people group tends to gather. Their ethnicities are a dividing wall, yet, Jerusalem serves as an epicenter for many of their faiths. I've heard it said that in the Western world, our question is, "Is there a god?" and in the Eastern world, the question is, "Which god do you serve?" Walking the Israeli soil gave the sharpest proof of this polarization. The very nation of Israel was born out of God's covenant with Abraham. Throughout history, the Israeli land has been the coveted possession of empires for its blessed and fertile soil. The Jewish people's entire lives have revolved around God the Father and their search for the Messiah. I am certain that had I approached any person there and said, "There is no god," I would've been in the minority. This entire civilization centers around the spiritual; meanwhile, back in the States, some of us wonder if God hears our prayers and if His power is as active today as it was in Bible times.  And this is where it comes closer to home. The Bible stories about how God helped Israel win wars, and how He rescued them from exiles, can easily feel far away and irrelevant. But standing in the country that has a history which is inseparable from God's grace and power, I couldn't continue to believe that God was inactive or uncaring in my own life. The God of Israel is the same God of my heart and in my heart. While it is "ok" to have doubts, it is not ok to stay in them. Doubt is first and foremost out to destroy our faith and it is up to us to find the truth behind the doubt. It is possible to live doubtless. Doubtless that God is good and that He is for our good, doubtless that He is sovereign and trustworthy, and doubtless that He is able to perform the same miracles in my life as He did for the Jews'. There is no condemnation for those who are in doubt, but, there is always more life to be had. For me, Israel was a final seal of assurance and an incredible inspiration to live for the God who lives in me.  |
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AUTHORSCornel Warren, Managing Editor of Live with Heart & Soul, shares her heart as she reaches Christian women with timeless, beautiful content to encourage and inspire their walks with God, themselves and those around them. |
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