Lessons from Corrie // Praying for your enemies

Together we said it aloud:"War." 

It was five hours after the Prime Minister's speech. How long we clung together, listening, I do not know. The bombing seemed mostly to be coming from the direction of the airport. At last we tiptoed uncertainly out of Tante Jans's front room. The glowing sky lit the room with a strange brilliance. The chairs, the mahogany bookcase, the old upright piano, all pulsed with an eerie light. 

Betsie and I knelt down by the piano bench. For what seemed hours we prayed for our country, for the dead and injured tonight, for the Queen. And then, incredibly, Betsie began to pray for the Germans, up there in the planes, caught in the fist of the giant evil loose in Germany. I looked at my sister kneeling beside me in the light of burning Holland. "Oh Lord," I whispered, "listen to Betsie, not me, because I cannot pray for those men at all." 

Welcome to the family, Baby Graham!

Today I had an in-home photo session of my new nephew, Graham. He is ten days old today and growing like a little weed! It was so much fun (although a bit challenging) capturing all the love for this little guy! Graham's big sister, Phoebe, loves to give him passionate hugs and kisses and sings to him,"It's ok, Gwam" when he begins to cry. 

Welcome to the family, Graham! Oh how we love you so! 

Lessons from Corrie // Just in Time

I recently picked up my old copy of The Hiding Place and am re-reading it before our trip to The Netherlands in May. One of the places that we are wanting to visit while in Amsterdam is the ten Boom house in Haarlem. I wanted to refresh myself on the story and introduce Josh (who had never heard of Corrie ten Boom until recently) to the movie.

Being that  it has been several years since I have read the book or seen the movie, the story drew me in right away and it's been difficult to put it down. I love Corrie's descriptions of her family, home, the crazy aunts (how in the world did they ever agree to let them live there??), and especially the dear love she had for her father. It's quite apparent that her father, Casper, taught Corrie many valuable life lessons by simple, everyday illustrations.

Ten

Ten things that I am loving right now...

1. The plant selection at Home Depot . Anyone who has been to my home knows that I adore indoor plants. I scored the little guy above at Home Depot not too long ago and a beautiful succulent arrangement that was in my previous post. This time of year is a great time to buy some indoor plants because they are very decently priced considering the season and you can often find them on sale!

Live Life Beautifully

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in 

the flowers and clouds and stars." ~ Martin Luther 

A Girl's Best Friend

"You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye. And I got that red lip, 

classic thing that you like." ~ Taylor Swift 

Ok....so maybe their diamonds but nobody got money for that so lipstick is the next best thing. I love my lipstick. I can throw on a striped shirt, pair of jeans and a red lip and instantly feel fabulous. Often on my Target runs I find myself in the makeup aisle and before I know it I am snagging another 

tube of the glorious stuff. Since I always love hearing from my girlfriends what their favorite
shades/brands are I thought I would share a few of mine.

Simply Style Your Space

I do love a beautiful, clean space! It keeps my mind, home, and focus clutter-free and inspires me to be creative. About a year ago I painted our tiny living room white and since then have painted two bedrooms, a bathroom, and our hall way white as well! I love the clean and bright vibe it gives a space! It instantly made our living room appear larger and I was able to work with colors that before had appeared chaotic.