a random post for y’all :)||plenteous redemption

“Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.”
Psalm 130:7

Plenteous redemption! :) I have thought often on how there is no such thing as one’s “cup” being half-full. As a child of the King we have been freely given plenteous redemption, what more could we ever ask for?! Even when there are “mundane” or hard times{which there are} and things seem “messy”, life is beautiful. When the cup seems half empty or even dry, it truly is overflowing with blessings{2 Cor 4:17}! I am reminded of the 23rd Psalm where it says “my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.“ Then I go to Psalm 145 and am overjoyed in the promise that “Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” What a promise! His greatness truly is unsearchable{Ps 145:3}, His mercy abundant{1 Pet 1:3}, redemption plenteous{Ps 130:7}, and way perfect{Ps 18:30}! “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart”. He is faithful! :)

Well, how are y’all? Posting has been really random lately! Still alive, just busy. :)  God has graciously blessed us with a large influx of orders to fill which is keeping everyone extremely busy here! My sisters{ even my Dad and brothers} have been busy preparing inventory for wholesale orders, keeping seamstresses in line, ordering materials, etc.. It is always so fun to see how the Lord has given each of my siblings unique talents that helps out in the business! Quite a site. :) And today is{*looks up at the clock* or was ;)} Thursday!! My favorite day of the entire week. Today consisted of grocery shopping, dinner making, and a random stop at a new bakery which had CUPCAKES {yes, I really and truly enjoy cupcakes… too much, perhaps?!} ;) To end off a perfect day I thought, “how about a random post?!” So, here I am. :) I, Lord willing, will be a bit more regular in blogging if the Lord gives me inspiration and time to do so but until then I will leave you all with a  bundle of photos from the last week. So many little blessings all bound up in a week, all we have to do is stop and count them! Until we meet again! (:


GMAY by SP Behind the scene 8

Lydia packaging orders! :)

 

Grace :) :)

GMAY by SP Behind the scene 5

GMAY by SP Behind the scene 6

School time for the little people. :)

Gotta love those PJs! :)

Morning meditation! ” Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable”

My cup runneth over :) {graphic courtesy of someone else}

truth! ;) {graphic courtesy of someone else}

CUPCAKES!

:) :)

Sunday afternoon latte!

Crazy kid :)

Cluttered Craftiness :)

Lydia’s Frappa:)

All things new…

Kung FU Rooster ;)

 “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.”
Psalm 145:5

Before-bed Story Time with Dad :) || I ❤ the Little People

“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.”
Proverbs 20:7

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them…”
Psalm 127:3-5

 

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SP 2.21.14.5

“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth Me.”
Matthew 18:5

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.”
Psalm 130:5-6

 “Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.
I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.”
Psalm 119:57-58

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Herein is love || A Post-Valentine’s Day Post ;)

 

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
1 John 4:10

Herin is love! :) Pause, reflect, rejoice. “Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.” What an awesome God we serve! I have been reflecting on the word love the last month or so. I am constantly going back to 1 Cor 13 and reciting what exactly love is and what it really isn’t. “LOVE suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  {a favorite>>}LOVE NEVER FAILS”! :) Then I am reminded of Colossians 3:14 where we are commanded to “above ALL THESE THINGS put on LOVE, which is the bond of perfectness.”  The bond of perfection…. :) Quite a title, isn’t it?! Love is not a fleeting feeling, it’s not conditional, love is an action and it does not fail. God’s love is faithful, steadfast, unfailing, rich, pure, unmeasurable, and strong. Jesus Christ set the perfect example of greatest love by laying down His own life for you and me. Herin is love! We have so much to celebrated ever single day, don’t we?!

I have been asked by half a dozen little people where my Valentine’s Day post is. So, here I am! :) I just happen to have a thing for “hallmark holidays” especially Valentine’s Day. (;   And with so many younger siblings, it tends to be an extremely festive day at my house filled with lots of chocolates, varying shades of pink or red, and all things hearts! The little people{and older siblings/parents} blessed me way beyond what I could ever deserve today{as they always do}. I was showered with cute little valentines all day long receiving 3 delicious heart suckers{thank you Bekah }, 3 reeces hearts & smarties{thanks Ruth}, a paper snake{thanks Abel!;)}, & lots of hugs{thanks to Emmi & Bekah}. Micah made mini donuts for breakfast, Lydia made her special “Texas turtle” chocolates, and my Dad & Mom took all the ladies out on our annual Valentine’s Day Dinner. It was delicious! I truly am blessed! The kids had their yearly Valentine’s Day school Pizza party with my Mom and, though I was working, I was able to take a break for a few pictures of their fun…. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words so how about I stop talking and give y’all a million and ten words via pictures? ;)  Happy Valentine’s Day y’all ❥

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”
1 Cor 13:1

And a song requested by Ruth. :) Just for you, Ruthie! Enjoy ;) ♥

Shiloh Photography Valentines day 3

Donuts

Sprinkles! ❥

Little fingers :) :)

Big smiles ❥

Crazy Girl! :)

Pink! Micah, Workin’ hard. :)

Micah’s Valentine’s treats: Minion Twinkies :D

too cute! ❥

Mid afternoon coffee break. ;)

Can I just say I have one of the most sensative dads?! :)My Dad & Mom = world’s cutest couple ;) ❥

Baking with Mom! :)

Shiloh Photography Valentines day 19Shiloh Photography Valentines day 20

Homeschool pizza Parties are the best! ;)

Shiloh Photography Valentines day 23

My new pet snake. ;)

:) ♥ :)

Lydia’s Texas Turtles! ♥

:)

This girl and her dog! :)

Micah & Grace

Lydia & me out to dinner :)

Pizza making! :)

Valentine’s

From Ruth :)

Bekah helping in the office!

Card making!

Emmi & me! :)

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
1 Cor 13:13

{Saved?}

Swiss Miss Cupcakes || Recipe

Yes, there will be 2 posts posted within 1 hour’s time. :) I will try not to make this a habit! ;) My sweet Washington friend was married today but due to distance and work we sadly couldn’t attend the wedding. So, we celebrated here with cupcakes! I have often day-dreamed about opening a coffee & cupcake shop but until then I will just have fun filling my Saturday afternoons with cupcake baking. (;

Swiss Miss Cupcakes on the cooking blog. :)

Swiss Miss Cupcake GranolaGirlBakes 15

Swiss Miss Cupcake GranolaGirlBakes 16

“How sweet Your word is to my taste– sweeter than honey in my mouth. “

Psalm 119:103

Saturdays…|| Video

In the land where cacti grow wild, winter weather is about as predictable as life. :) Frigidly cold Fridays blow through only to be followed by wildly warm Saturdays! Windows are opened to let in the fresh springy air, and after a morning of chores the little people turn their jeans into capris and the remainder of day is spent outside skipping rocks, climbing trees, and picnicking. Mid afternoon naps are a necessity for a particular little girl and cupcake baking with the warm breeze floating through the window adds the perfect touch to an already splendid day. :) The little people invite you to take a look at how they spend a warm Texas Saturday afternoon and you can do it from the comfort & warmth of your own home! Rejoicing in this day and the goodness of the Lord. His handiwork is constantly before me, all creation testifies His glory, and He truly does all things well! :)

 “Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth.The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.”
Psalm 104:30-31

Saturdays are for from Shiloh Photography on Vimeo.

World’s Greatest Invention…

Just happens to be big & brown, works wonderfully for shipping, storing…. and{according to Emmi} playing in. ;) You could give her the option of a rather pricey toy or a big box and she would instantly choose the big box! :)

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

SP Emmi 2.1.14.3

SP Emmi 2.1.14.1

SP Emmi 2.1.14.2

“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:12-13

True Love Warns || Thought

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Cor 6:9-10

“True love warns” <–I have had this thought on my mind quite a bit lately! We so casually throw around the word “love” and don’t really take time to understand the depth it holds. I recently read  a somewhat disheartening article from the Christian post where a  professor at a Christian College stated:

“homosexuality is not an issue to be wrestled with but a people to love…There’s so many complexities that the conservative church absolutely has to wake up to and learn how to dialogue. We’ve taken the ‘Duck Dynasty’ approach far too long. We need to be much more thought out and nuanced and compassionate”.

I believe we do need to be deeply compassionate and love but my thought of the evening is true compassion & true love warns of the destruction that lies ahead.  If we love the sinner we will warn him/her of eternal separation from God, of hell, and of the need to repent and turn from his/her sins{Acts 3:19}. I believe we, “conservative Christians”, need to dialogue with the lost and dying world through the infallible inerrant Word of God{Heb 4:12}! God’s Word is powerful and, yes, it is sharp piercing the heart and convicting man of his sin. I am a Christian and I believe homosexuality is a sin{Rom 1:25-32}. But there is hope for the sinner because Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief{saved?}! Warning or proclaiming truth isn’t always the “easiest” or most popular thing to do nor is it the most welcome form of  love for the world {we are warned that the world will most likely hate us for it John 15:18-19} but tonight I want to encourage y’all{and more so myself} to continue to all the more boldly proclaim the truth in love & stand for righteousness. To be a light in the dark world{Matt 5:14-16}! :) I am reminded of James 5:20:

“Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”
James 5:20

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Saturdays are for… || a Random Post! :)

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2-3

Isaiah 12:2-3 have been my verses of the week! :) It’s true! The Lord Jehovah is my strength & my song and He has become my salvation! I am reminded in Ephesians 2:12 that when we were without Christ we were without hope {“Having no hope”} BUT He does not leave us hopeless! Ephesians 2:14 is one of my favorites, “For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” :) What joy we have in Christ and what abundant mercies He pours upon us! “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 55:12 quickly comes to mind “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace“. He is our source of joy & peace and each new day is a day to bless His holy name! (: “Glory ye in His holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.” Psalm 105:33

Housecleaning, rock skipping, picnicking, & cupcake baking. That’s what Saturdays are for! ;) Saturday mornings at our house are spent mopping floors, cleaning out the refrigerator, and whatever else finds its way into the cleaning realm. :) I put an apron on first thing this morning and didn’t take it off until dinner…. Not a bad way to spend a day if you ask me!! ;) The afternoon came along and the little people talked me into taking them on a walk to the river. We just happened to arrive in time for rather large group of people who were slowly making their way to San Antonio on horseback! :) It was really a lovely day and here I am! The house is quiet{perhaps too quiet?!}, I have yet to feel tired{I’m a night-owl}, and I have too many pictures from today that need to be edited and posted!  So, how about a random post with a few too many pictures?  :) As busy as this last week has been, God has demonstrated{once again!} His abundant mercy and grace, giving strength for each new day, and faithfully leading us every step of the way!

Oh!! Exciting news of the week is Micah learned how to use the espresso machine. :D She makes a superb Caramel Latte! Bravo Micah ;) As always, hover for description.


Early morning playtime with Emmi :) “Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.”

Patiently waiting to take a walk. :)

Nathanael rock skipping :)

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Ruth has quite an impressive throw! ;)

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SP Random 2.1.14.6

Bekah & Emmi had a picnic :)

 

A little landscaping before dinner with mom!

Mopping! :)

Emmi & me

Tags!

Micah making espresso!!!!!!

She made me a caramel latte <3 :)

Snugars

Packaging!!

Cards shipping off! :)

Bekah modeling! <3

“and this is His name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Jeremiah 23:6

Happy Birthday Lydia ❥

It’s hard to believe! :) Still remember the day my parents brought her home from the hospital… She was a little butterball of cuteness! Lydia is officially the middle child, the only one of us with beautiful hazel eyes, she has the loveliest smile, and classiest style{she can pull off sparkles like no other}!  She is well know for her happy disposition, exquisitely  handcrafted jewelry, tiny origamis, muddy-buddies, enthusiasm for lattes, and love for all things purple. :) AND today is this lovely lady’s 18th BIRTHDAY!!

Future plans for Lydia? :) As always, I am so glad you asked. ;) Well, she enjoys the moment instead of waiting for the future to happen buuuutt one day she hopes to perfectly whistle Carol of the Bells which I believe she will accomplish quite grandly sooner than later….. annnddd my brothers have announced that she is now old enough to get married! :D So, I am pretty sure some extremely lucky blessed fellow will find her{if my brothers don’t find him first} and sweep Lydia off her feet! As always, I am taking applications  for Lydia’s future husband{only stipulation is you don’t mind eating muddy buddies for dinner and a house that is painted purple. ;)} Whatever may be, I am extremely excited to see what the Lord has in store for Lydia’s future and so blessed to have her for a sister! Happy Birthday Lydia. May the Lord bless you this next year and all those to come!! :)

“May He grant thee according to thine heart’s desire, and fulfill all thy purposes.”
Psalm 20:4

SHILOHPHOTOGRPAPHY Lydias bday 1.3 SHILOHPHOTOGRPAPHY Lydias bday 4

SHILOHPHOTOGRPAPHY Lydias bday 3

SHILOHPHOTOGRPAPHY Lydias bday 2.1

SHILOHPHOTOGRPAPHY Lydias bday 5

SHILOHPHOTOGRPAPHY Lydias bday 6

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30

Yes, I can scream ;) || Blessed by Kindness

I wasn’t planning on blogging tonight but I couldn’t help myself, sleep can wait. ;) Came home after a long day in town, looked on the table, and practically screamed! A package for me{yes, I love receiving mail} but from who? Noticed the name in the return address and then really did scream! A thousand and ten thoughts went through my mind as I opened the envelope. Then I saw the packaging and gasped! “she used persimmon lace!” {If you know me you know I LOVE persimmon:)} I soaked up the beautiful packaging for 6.245 seconds{I lack patience ;)} and then carefully yet quickly opened the parcel. Yes, another scream came out of my mouth as I looked at the contents of that lovely parcel! :) It was the pouch I had so much admired on moriahmade.etsy.com. What a huge surprise and beautiful act of kindness! It has truly blessed me.  I love seeing people around my age who have started or are starting their own business and was excited to see Amanda’s store open. So, everyone hop over to moriahmade.etsy.com and take a look! Her quality is superb and creations are beautiful. :) I’m excited to see how The Lord prospers the works of her hands in 2014 and beyond!

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”
Psalm 90:17

I always thank the Lord for those daily random acts of kindness, whether it be the words of encouragement/exhortation I get from my parents/siblings or a “hello” via email or a blog comment or notes in the mailbox from friends{many friends who I have yet to meet}! Thank you all for being a blessing. :)

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you”
Philippians 1:31

 

MoriahMade Pouch 3

for He comes to judge the earth || freelensing

“Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth.”
1 Chron 16:33

“ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.”
Jer 23:5-6

Playing around with freelesning today. :)

freelens

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.”
1 Chronicles 16:31

Whatever you do…

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23-24

1.16.14

1.16.14.1

1.16.14.6

1.16.14.7

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”
Hosea 10:12