voices lifted.

Last night, John and I opened our hearts and lifted our voices in worship with Chris Tomlin and We The Kingdom. It was a beautiful night praising God for the miraculous birth of our Savior. Several things happened before and after the concert that reassured my heart that He sees us. He is a witness to EVERY detail.

Lucky for us, Mark Peeples, who gave us our tickets, is friends with Chris Tomlin, so we got to go backstage afterwards for a special meet-and-greet with him. 

It was definitely a night to remember and I hope that we can make this a yearly tradition!

boys bible club.

Myself and three other moms rallied together to launch our precious first grade boys' Bible Club. Every Thursday morning before school we will come together and study God's Word.

Our first morning was a success! We had 15 boys join us for fun and fellowship!

I cannot wait to see these boy's hearts grow for God and each other! 

storytellers.

I can't even describe how good last night was for my soul. I made a quick trip to Auburn to support and encourage my beautiful friend, Ashley, as she shared her redeeming testimony at StoryTellers Live. Bonus that I got to spend the evening with my very bests.

Laughter, and these girls, are the very best medicine. Love them with my whole heart!

mama.

This past Sunday was Mother's Day, so my girlfriends and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch and drinks on Friday afternoon while the kids were in school. It was the perfect start to the weekend!

When Brooks and Ann Bennett came home from school they gave me their "All About My Mommy" questionnaires. My heart could explode! 

On Sunday we went to church then had lunch at the Bryants. 

It really was the best day and ended with me feeling so thankful for my mama, my calling as a mama and the grace that God gives me that carries me through my days. What a privilege it is to love my children (although imperfectly) and be loved perfectly by my Savior! 

resurrection.

It was the most beautiful day celebrating our risen Savior! We started the morning with a visit from the Easter Bunny. 

Then, we headed to church for the most amazing message from Pastor Chris. One of my biggest takeaways was, "Resurrection isn't an event, it's a person. His name is Jesus, and He can bring all dead things back to life." YES!!!

After church we went to the Bryant's for lunch and an egg hunt. It was the perfect afternoon!

HE IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

TP.

This week was, what I like to call, TP—tearful and prayerful. I was pushed and I was tested and as I laid in bed last night I was feeling very broken. John was out of town for four days, Ann Bennett regressed in her potty training (if you can even call it that—she is trained!), and Camp was sick, running a fever for five days straight…with life thrown on top of that. As hard as weeks like this are, they always show me my need for our Savior and for that I am thankful. It's when I'm empty, that I am able to be filled with His grace and love, restored and redeemed. I honestly learned a lot about where my heart was these past few days. And I am ashamed to admit it wasn't pretty. Today, I start year 33, and I am grateful to be starting it with a fresh perspective and a healed heart. God, let's do this. || And to the three little loves who left me undone this week, you're always worth it. This life with you and your daddy is everything I could have ever dreamed of and more.

the star.

When Daddy got back into town yesterday afternoon, he watched Camp while I took Brooks and Ann Bennett to see The Star at the movie theater.

It was such a cute film to prepare our hearts for Jesus!

On a side note: Ann Bennett ate an entire bag of popcorn. My girl.

freedom.

This picture is really awful, but I wanted to post it any way because I adore these sweet couples, some of whom we had the honor of getting to know and love over the past year. This is our Freedom small group (missing a few) celebrating our last get together at the Wood's house.

John and I are so thankful for the curriculum this semester and the freedom we received alongside these wonderful people. All the glory to God! Can't wait to see some of them again in a few short weeks for our "Grillin' and Chillin'" summer small group. A big thank you to our fearless leaders, the McKenzies and the Deans who poured into and prayed over us for 14 weeks!

growing up.

My boy is growing up right before my very eyes. Some days I look at him and cannot believe how old he looks. What happened to my baby?! 

I am so thankful for the big boy he is becoming—kind, respectful, witty, full of love and life. He truly loves Jesus and accepted Him into his heart on April 22nd, while lying in bed with John before bedtime. We pray that he continues to know and love God fiercely. We are so proud of you, Brooks Bryant!

easter sunday.

"Resurrecting"

The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now
The Savior knelt to wash our feet
Now at his feet we bow

The one who wore our sin and shame
Now robed in majesty
The radiance of perfect love
Now shines for all to see

Your name
Your name
Is victory
All praise
Will rise
To Christ our king

The fear that held us now gives way
To him who is our peace
His final breath upon the cross
Is now alive in me

Your name
Your name
Is victory
All praise
Will rise
To Christ our king

By Your spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare your victory
The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me

The tomb where soldiers watched in vain
Was borrowed for three days
His body there would not remain
Our God has robbed the grave
Our God has robbed the grave

Your name
Your name
Is victory
All praise
Will rise
To Christ our king

By Your spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me

In your name I come alive
To declare Your victory
The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me
The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me.

It was a beautiful day celebrating our risen Savior. We started the morning off with a visit from the Easter bunny, attended an amazing church service, and ended it hosting John's family for lunch. We are so grateful for this day and what it means for us. 

Happy Easter!

christmas eve.

We were on our own as a family of four on Christmas Eve. We started the morning off baking cookies for Santa Claus and ended it at church for Highlands Christmas. Well, technically John ended it at the Emergency Vet with Sybie and I ended it playing Santa by my lonesome and watching "It's a Wonderful Life."

While our night didn't play out like we had envisioned, one thing is for certain:

Jesus is our Constant. He is our Hope. He is our Light. He is the Reason.

Merry Christmas Eve.