summer days...

i love beach days!

perspective

as i was getting ready for bed last night, i started looking around at the effect that a sunday has on my house. i am not a neat-freak, but i really do enjoy a picked up house. but for some reason this time, i started looking at everything around me in a different light.

see, this?

normally would bug me. but tonight i thought...this puzzle reminds me of the time that me and ry spent working on it together. and those legos? first of all, got them cheap at a yard sale, secondly reminded me of the little hands that built them up.

and this?

would normally bring a sigh as i picked up the t-shirt (representing the fact that we have more than enough clothes to wear) and the tennis racket and helmet (which represent the fact that my 2 boys are healthy and love playing sports) and the Bible (which reminded me that ry had just spend time that very morning filling his heart with God's Word) but this time, it actually brought a tear.

why would it even matter what was cluttered and what wasn't? it's all about perspective.

so i went into the boys room, and took a picture of them sleeping peacefully. along with the verses that they individually chose to work on this week.

(oh, and by the way..the boys bedroom used to be my sister's, and i can't bring myself to change the light plate cover. :))

so the next time you see clutter and are tempted to grumble, or get frustrated... stop yourself, and think about what it might represent to you. it sure makes you feel a lot better.

we have so much to be thankful for.

a mother's life

i know that Jesus is coming soon.

i think that satan knows it too.
that's why he is working harder than ever to get christians discouraged, which will stop us from reaching other people with the gospel.

i found a poem that i wrote back in 2003. i am not normally a poet. i mean, i do write songs, but this isn't really the kind of thing you would put to music.

i just thought that maybe somebody needed to hear it.

needed to hear that you are not the only person that has felt this way!

needed to hear that you can make it, and that God has never left you and never will.

it was written from a mother's perspective, but i think it can apply to anyone. anyone can get in a place of just feeling hopeless and not even knowing why. (right?)

i hope this encourages you and gives you hope!

please feel free to email me if you need prayer for anything specific, i would love to be able to pray for you!
ajnrileysmommy@hotmail.com

A mother's Life

A young exhausted mother
Stumbles into bed
One long day is over
Yet another lies ahead

Why are these tears streaming down her face?
She has two healthy boys
She has a loving husband
But her heart just can't rejoice

Tiring duties never end
The whining is so intense
She has a happy family
These sad feelings make no sense

She knows God has a reason
For everything in her life
The darkness comes so strong
The pain cuts like a knife

She wants it to be different
She doesn't want to yell
Others don't know how she really feels
They'll never be able to tell

She's mad at how she's feeling
More than anything
She just wants happiness for her kids
For them to see her laugh and sing

One thing she has to remember
The most important thing of all
Jesus loves and cares for her
He'll catch her when she falls

She is precious and honored in His sight
He is gently leading her on
He won't give her more than she can bear
And his love will never be gone

So tomorrow will start another day
His compassion will be new
He'll giver her more strength as she needs it
With his help, she will make it through

Whatever comes into her life
Has been approved by God
He'll carry her through every storm
In this pathway of life she must trod

Lamentations 3:21-23

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD's great love

we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

first wedding...

i have not quite reached bethany chase status, but i feel pretty good for my first wedding ever :)

the loves of my life

i can't even imagine my life without them. i am so grateful that God has blessed my life so much.

thoughts on father's day

i believe that i have been given a lot. let me explain.

when i think about all the father's in the world that i know, i would say that there is a pretty low percentage of them that i would consider strong, godly, faithful leaders. that being said, let me say that i am amazed and grateful that some of these few are related to me.

growing up, there is one thing that i could say about my dad... and that was that he wanted to please God most of all. that included loving his wife, taking care of his children, faithfully attending church, and loving people. he is a man of the Word and believes that everything we do in life should be based on the Word. trust me, he was not always the popular one, but his values never wavered.

i love that. because as i watch my husband faithfully lead his family to be God-honoring, he also believes that everything we do in life should be based on the Word. see...that never changes. our world, traditions, people's moral beliefs - those change. all the time. God's Word is truth, and it stays the same.

my husband is a man of the Word. he is constantly reading his Bible. he grew up watching his dad read his bible, and now our boys get to watch their dad do the same. he loves and takes care of me, and he is a great role-model for his kids.

you know what else is amazing? his dad is the same way. adam grew up watching his dad love his wife, take care of his kids, attend church faithfully and being a man of the Word. don't even think for a second that i take that lightly. i don't.

believe me, it can be a scary thought to raise boys in this world today. but i know that this heritage of godly men can continue.
the message today was encouraging to me because it reminded me of how my father, father-in-law and husband are doing all of these things:

deuteronomy 6

1. I must take the initiative in life. (it's a personal decision)
2. I must make a life decision. (it's a choice - forever)
3. I must be passionate. (the minimum God expects is total love)

4. I must be intentional in leading. (strong connection between living the word of God and teaching it)

5. I must be on guard and seek to finish well. (there is always a tendency to turn away from God)

6. I must choose my heritage. (no one else can make that choice)

so thank you. thank you to my dad for raising me the way God wanted you to, even when it wasn't the popular choice.

thank you to my father-in-law for raising adam the way God wanted you to, even when it wasn't easy.

and thank you adam for already making hard, unpopular, wise choices to do everything you can to raise godly young men who can change the world for Christ.

and also thank you to grampa vigue, grampy townsend (who is now in heaven) and bic for being yet another generation of godly men who have made the way easier for us.

"the generation of the righteous will be blessed"

yesterday, adam was asking one of our teenagers if they have been tithing. she said

"i've been trying"

to which he quickly replied

"oh good, God will try to bless you"

it was funny, but so true. obedience brings blessings.

do you want your children to be blessed? love God. serve Him. keep Him first. He promises to bless if you do.

the choice is up to you. what are you gonna do?

a few thoughts...

i have not written much lately. i feel like i haven't had a minute to stop and even THINK about how i might be feeling about things...much less write something profound about any of those thoughts!

with that being said, in one week's time, i have flown to baltimore, driven to virginia, shot my first wedding, driven back to baltimore, flown home, packed in one hour's time - right after church, driven to pennsylvania, shot lilla's pictures, driven home, done a shoot of the boys, and that doesn't even include any of the other million things that i have done for the porch, for church, or just for life in general.

i literally have almost no space left on my computer for anymore pictures and i don't even know where to start when it comes to editing and proofing everything. so i will just give you a couple of the things that obviously make me the most happy - my family.

adam came to the wedding as my 2nd photographer, and he did an amazing job. i had so much fun with him, and even though it was a super fast weekend, we did manage to hit up cold stone creamery (um...paid almost the same for our ice creams as we did for the rental car, and that's no lie!!) and i got a super cute pair of sandals :)

here he is helping me out. it just makes me smile to see this picture. i love him. so much.

it's funny with all the picture editing i'm doing, i keep realizing that i am smiling when i edit the pictures of my boys. just seeing their faces, knowing them so well and thinking about everything that they are to me makes me happy. it's a crazy realization...how strange it is that these little boys are supposed to be the ones that need their mommy so much, and yet i feel like I am the one that needs them so much. weird how that happens, huh? i love being a mom.

my little aj is suddenly looking so old!!


and my little ry...



there i go smiling again!
you know you are too.

i have a ton more, but i have to go to bed for now.

i will leave you with something that i really needed this week. it's from Isaiah - one of my favorite books.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…. - BELIEVE IT!

a few of my beautiful niece lilla

baby lilla

for the fam...

so the boys had a track meet last week. although i say that nonchalantly, it was actually the first one ever. they were so excited!!!

3 things about it.

1. i brought the wrong lens
2. shooting sports is wicked hard
3. my boys did amazing.

ok. so. here is riley getting ready for his first long jump

and here he goes


now it's aj's turn


then it was aj's turn to run...
getting in the mode.




coming around the corner and finishing just behind his friend.



riley getting ready for his run



riley coming around the corner.

then...wait for it...riley turning to wave to zach. ok, i guess we need to be a little more clear about when it is time to be friendly! ha!



the boys had a great time, and it was so much fun to watch them compete!

oh....and i have a new niece!



thank you for bearing with my poor quality shots, and thank you for reading :)

10 Lessons I learned While Running. Part 1

Let me describe who I am. I am a daughter, sister, child of God, wife, mother, aunt, singer and runner. Now, before you google my name to find all my awards, let me save you the time and effort. Although I would describe myself in part as a runner, I've never won a big race to make a name for myself. I have, however, run thousands of miles, including 2 marathons and 3 half marathons, and did come in 2nd in my age division of a 10k...to which I won a gift card to Panera Bread and greaty enjoyed! ha!

I am probably a lot like you. I have had days of feeling like I have done a great job as a mom and wife, have put in 20 miles of running, got caught up on all the laundry and had an amazing time of devotions with my God.

There are also those days when I have woken up late and not exercised at all. Said something inappropriate to my husband, yelled at my boys, put one load of laundry in and left it wet too long so I had to run it through again, and not even opened my Bible. I will assume, to ease my conscience, that you have been in the same place as me!

Whoever you are, man or woman, single or married, runner or not, there is something you can learn from what I am about to share.

What I love about God's Word is that it has no category it must belong in. God's Word is for anyone, no matter where you are in life. If you need help trying to get out of an adulterous relationship, or if you need to learn how to keep your big mouth shut when everything in you is telling you to scream, God's Word is for YOU!

In all the miles I have run, God has shown me allegories of ways I need to trust and love him more. So, here they are.

1. Two are better than One.

This is so true in so many ways. I have always run with a partner. It has always been with my dad, except for in college when I ran with Adam. Having a partner is helpful in so many ways. The mornings when it was still black outside, and pouring down rain, I could have easily justified sleeping in. But, I didn't have that option, knowing that my dad would be waiting. It is also great to be able to run with someone just for the encouragement along the way. Being able to talk to get your mind off the next hill is so helpful. You can read an article I wrote about running with my dad here.

These things are true in the christian life as well. Getting up to go to church is so much easier when you have a husband who is going too! Me and Adam decided early on, even before we had kids, that church would be a priority for us. We just know right off the bat, that Sunday mornings and evenings are designated for church attendance. It is no different than how Adam is with working his job. Monday morning comes, and he would get up and go to work. No matter what the weather was, or what other event was going on. I love that we are in this together, and it makes things so much easier! It also helps to have another person (husband, friend, whatever) to talk to, to help you get up life's hills. 2 are definitely better than 1!

2.Look down while going up hill

This is true for me in running. Sometimes it actually makes it worse to see the hill you are about to climb. Looking down, the road just looks like, well...the road!

Same thing in life. I have heard it said that the reference in Psalms that explains God's Word as a lamp unto our feet, is described that way to remind us that a lamp allows us to just see enough light in front of us for one more step. Sometimes seeing too far ahead could get us worried. God gives grace and strength exactly when we need it. Looking ahead at what trials we think we see coming only causes more stress anyways! Just look at the road that is right in front of you...trusting for each and every step.

Part 2 comes later...aren't you just on the edge of your seat???

the weather.

i was thinking today. thinking about how amazing it is that God controls the weather. i mean, really amazing. living in a day and age that man has learned how to control or prevent so many things, this is one thing that man can not control. if a person is injured, there are many surgeries that can save that life. we can control our health, to some degree. we can change some parts of nature. but we can NOT control the sunrise or sunset. we can not control the rain or the snow. Matthew 8:27 says the the wind and the waves OBEY Him. yes. OBEY Him. does that not amaze you?? and does it not amaze you that some people still say there is no God, and think that they are in control of their own lives?!? wild.

God is in complete control. of everything. i feel so incredibly privileged to serve a God that is that powerful, and that amazing.
above that, He loves me. i mean, really loves me. that amazes me too. i hope it always does.

i was sitting on the beach last month watching the sun set with my mother-in-law. i so appreciate that i have a mother-in-law wants to please God the way i do. because, see...i talk about God. a lot. it's my life! either i am talking about my Bible reading, or a ministry i'm in, or just marveling about the way God works. it is so important to be surrounded by those same kinds of people. we both (along with my 2 sister-in-laws) just enjoyed the breeze of the ocean and the beautiful view. it was amazing.

so the next time you are tempted to feel like you just don't know how you're going to pay that bill. the next time you are tempted to feel like a relationship you are struggling with will never be restored. remember.

God is in complete control. we can't even imagine the things God has planned for us if we trust in Him. He can handle even our biggest problems.

life...

do you ever feel like you are living your life, and people just have no idea who you really are or what you are really going through? before i continue, i would like to say that i am not at all complaining. where i am in my life right now, i am extremely happy. content. satisfied. there are just times when i look around and feel like...all these people i see so often have no idea what is going on in my life. obviously, there are some that do.
being in ministry, you pour your life into people constantly. there are pros and cons to that. there is the verse in 2 corinthians that says "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly i love you, the less i be loved."
it seems like the more time you put into certain people, the less you get in return. i only mean that the people that have hurt me the most are the ones that i put the most time into. BUT i have to "VERY GLADLY spend and be spent!"

i love being around people-lovers. growing up, my dad was my pastor...still is...so i watched how he treated people, and honestly just assumed that the way he acted was how all pastors acted. when i went to college and had to try and find a church to attend, i was very surprised. it seemed like in reality, the majority of pastors are NOT people lovers! my dad genuinely loves, spends and is spent for people. all the time. my husband is the same way. adam loves taking care of people, finding out their joys, their hurts and their needs. he is the happiest when he is ministering to other people. i am so glad that we are a team. we both are involved in the lives of so many people, and i really enjoy that.
i feel like there is a lot going on in my life right now...


that picture describes some of it. i feel like there are very few people who know about most of it. but you know what i love? i have a husband who knows it all. and is a part of most of it! i know that i am blessed in that way. i don't feel like i NEED to have a friend that knows everything about my needs and my wants. i enjoy feeling needed, not needy. i want to continue pouring my life into other people. yes, you do take the risk of being hurt. greatly. but you also have the chance of finding a life-long friend. it's worth the risk.

where are you right now? are you the needy friend? or the needed friend. living in a world that is constantly telling you to take time for yourself, give yourself a break, you need some "me-time", you owe it to yourself...aaahhhhh. enough!! how did Jesus spend his time? yes, he took "me-time" to pray with his Father, but he spent his time giving to the needs of others. i want to do the same. how should we get refreshment, fulfillment, renewal? spending time at the feet of Jesus. that gives us the strength we need to give more to more people. it takes the focus off of ME and puts the focus on Jesus, where it belongs. when you start loving like He does, caring like He does, and giving like He does, you'll find more joy than you could imagine.

so forget about your problems and annoyances. forget about your stress and your worries.

let's be spent today...for others.

cup o joe

perfect. just perfect.

mel's photo shoot

my beautiful sister...

cousins

ever since i had kids, i always thought that my boys would grow up with their cousins. my siblings are all very close, and so i just thought that's how it would always be. my older sister has 6 kids, and the cousins all love each other so much. when they lived in NH, we spent a lot of time together. me and erika would have coffee and the kids would all play together. could life get any better? well, it's been one year and one day since my sister and her family moved to virginia. we recently got to spend a few days with them, but i am really looking forward to heaven when we can be together all the time!! (with no guilt over the food we're eating! ha!)

caleb and riley have always been close, and it is unreal how alike they look! don't you think they could pass as brothers??

even though we don't live close anymore, i am so thankful for the relationship we still have with each other. i do not go for more than a couple days without talking to all of them. i know that my parents really instilled in us the importance of keeping our relationships strong...i am so glad they did!

beach boys

prayer

i have been thinking a lot about prayer lately.
first of all, i never pray as much as i want to. i envision myself up at 5:00 on my knees praying for an hour or two, before i get ready for the day. the reality of it is, sometimes i don't get up when my alarm goes off, and then in the middle of my prayer, i realize that i am planning dinner. ugh. i hate that! another thing, is although i have my list of people to pray for, i have found myself praying for the ones that are struggling the most, hurting physically or financially or spiritually. now, obviously that is a good thing to do, but i have been wondering lately why that is.
my pastor (aka "dad") has been doing a sermon series on traps of satan. "see the snare and don't go there." many of his points have been how most of the enemy's traps are subtle. also, it would be more beneficial to trip up someone who is really on-fire for God. someone who is serving, and reaching the lives of many people. so it makes logical sense that satan would be more active in trying to trap a strong christian than he would a weak one. that got me thinking. i need to be spending more of my time praying for the strong christians, who have no "major" needs or problems right now.
do you believe the verse "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (james 5:16) and if you do, what are you doing about it? are you fervently praying. i hope that people are praying for me and adam. sometimes life can get so discouraging. i mean, we don't have any major health issues, major financial burdens, or any sin that we have fallen into. does that mean we need less prayer? i don't think so.
our church family came together last week to fast and pray for a certain family in our church. it was another reminder of how seriously we need to take prayer. the fact that we have DIRECT ACCESS to God is amazing in and of itself! how casually we enter before the King, don't you agree? this is a privilege, and i need to be thinking of it in that way.
my challenge for myself this week, is to spend serious time in prayer for the lives of God's faithful servants. that they won't become weary in well doing. that they would be steadfast and unmovable, and remember that their labor is not in vain! i hope you will do the same. remember, too. the ones you think are doing great...may not be. sometimes people just know how to hide it real well. (i AM a pator's kid after all - we know what that means haha... but that is for another post another time :))but instead of dropping the ones who are hurting, just add to your prayer time some others. i think it is well worth the investment of time.

oh...and just a couple pictures for you of my babies :)