Furnishing A Home...

We have a new (and more longterm) place - and we are stoked about it!  So mom's coming up from Portland with all our wedding gifts (woohoo!!!) and we're on the mad hunt for furniture and things to make it homey.  Thing is, Kelowna's not the place to buy anything, let alone already expensive furniture.  So, I think we should make our own coffee table and end tables... Mark's not so keen on the idea... we'll see :-)

Check out this fab bookshelf from Pottery Barn!  Doesn't it look great?!  

And easy to make?! (Maybe???)

And picture this as a coffee table... looks good, right?  Thing is, wood's expensive.

But we can't find any inexpensive furniture or stuff we like! Yikes!  

So here's to getting creative I suppose :-)

(Pictures of the new place to follow...)

February 24 Last Year :-)

Isn't this fabulous? :-)  Four dozen roses, who knows how many candles, a fabulous dinner, a wooden bridge, a gorgeous frozen river setting where we started dating, a ring, a question... and we were engaged. =)

Can't believe it's already been one year since he asked me.  It's been delightful.  I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the wedding planning and excitement... I loved (mostly) every minute of it!  Ah.  :)  What a crazy and wonderful year it's been since we started planning our life together...  Thanks, Mark for a perfect and gorgeous proposal... 

and a grand adventure so far :-)

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy"

Fear vs. Wandering..

Today I remember a reverent fear of God. My eyes look out my window over the stretch of lake and onto the mountain placed here before me by the very hands of God and my heart quivers in a mix of joy, awe and fear. God was here. God is here now. 

Today I also remember how quickly I forget the fear of God. Even though I’ve had (what I would consider) extreme reminders of his power, I look into my life and see that my fear of God is quickly fleeting. God has been with me in the literal heights and depths. I have both hung off the face of a rock bare handed on the top of a mountain with no ropes and no footholds, and I’ve been caught in the powerful undertow of the Pacific as my limbs were being wrestled and torn from side to side. And while I learned to trust when I had no other choice… I have not learned to fully trust in God when the ‘extreme’ fades away. 

I want to gain wisdom, but wisdom can simply not build itself on a missing foundation. The Fear of the Lord. 

Lord continue to be patient with me. Lord I depend on you, forgive me when I do not stop to recognize it. Help me to be a man who puts your word in my heart. Teach me Holy Spirit. 

“Prone to wander” Lord, today I feel it! But “Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it…” 

~Mark

Leaving the Desert (not the dessert!)

Dear Friends and Family,


Wanted to give you a little bit of an update of where we're at...

~Mark started his job this week - he is officially TLC for Kids newest After School Educator (sounds official, doesn't it?) :) ...he's planning games, crafts, themes, everything!  so proud of him!

~I (Amy) was offered a full-time job at a great bakery in town - I said we'd have to wait until next week to respond because two days ago I got the option of Full Time Supervisor at my current job! :)

~We found a church - PRAISE JESUS!!!  Seriously, what a long and gruelling process, but we have found a home and we are absolutely stoked!!!  We met with the Pastor yesterday and it. was. PHENOMENAL!  We are very excited about the current and upcoming possibilities with this church ;-)

~We have a small group!  And the leaders are a fairly newly married 24 year old couple who are running Young Life here in Kelowna, what a group to be a part of!  We are excited to dive in.

~Mark will get to join the men of our church in once a week hockey/basketball/soccer - for which he is absolutely stoked :)

~And look at this, isn't this a beautiful image of peace... this is what I came home to the other day.  A clean house (thanks, Love!), peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and the sun lightly shining on our happy, orange begonia.  :)  Peace... :)

We love you guys.  And we are SO very thankful for your prayers during this time!