Help!

 Oh my dear goodness, I love design and pretties, but I just need some help getting this blog some love.

Since I love cool designs, I would also love to say that I could design a blog by myself...

Let's be honest, I love the idea of crafts, too...

But I'm much better at appreciating other people's crafts.

Maybe I'm going to have to save up my pennies and ask someone to make this place a cozy spot. until then, it's nice being real.

Confession: I'm not an artsy, crafty, sewing, blog, designer, photographer woman. No offense to those of you that are. Ya know, I love y'alls creativity and pretties, but I'm sure good at spending my time appreciating yours rather than working on my own.

To all my girls out there that have the fabulous ideas in their minds, but can't seem to get them out in real time. I'm here for you.

Exceedingly & Abundantly, Jo

You do not go unnoticed.

The front row. Church on Sunday. A middle school boy with his mom. I watch as he walks in, sits

 down, and proceeds to rock himself back and forth while we worship. I wonder what he's thinking. He seems captured in his own thoughts...I wonder if he's thinking about the music or Jesus or all the different stage design, or maybe something totally different. I know he knows something I don't know. I can just tell. While some may look at him with questions, all I can question is what he knows that I don't know. I believe that God gives special gifts or understanding to children or people that we may see with what we call “disabilities.” If we can't understand the minds of these children, what things must they know that we don't. So, I watch this little boy. And I know, I know if he is in the kingdom of heaven that he will walk before me, that he will describe details to me in heaven of things I never understood. Things that I overlook, missing details, traits of God...he must know things that I don't know, that my mind can't fathom. The bible says that God has made the wisdom of this world foolishness...so what the world considers foolishness, God has called His own. So we who think we know something, must really be so far behind.

Sweet boy, I hope someday I can see Jesus through your eyes. You know things that I don't. You are so calm and precious. I watch you, as you truly are, not nervous or agitated, but calm and intelligent, detail-oriented, and fearless. I wish you knew that someone wishes they could understand you. Your life is noticed.



Understanding...

Do we understand?

 Do we ask?

 Do we really want to know?

 I was thinking the other day about what I most want to instill
 in my future children. Obviously a love for Jesus,
 but what after that?
 Kindness? Honesty? Compassion? Service?
 patience?...there are so many things.
 And then I saw it. God opened up my eyes and showed me..how
 much we choose to not "understand" each other. How often we
 choose to not really look and see people, to ask them questions.
 Instead, our pride tells us we already know.
 The best way God has taught me this is by shaking up my world
 with people that love Him and are redeemed..and they have very
 different stories.
 What do you think of a divorced man?
 What about a young mother?
 That girl that everyone sees as cute, but has no substance?
 What about the mean girl?
 The young woman that's been engaged twice already?
 What about the prideful, all-american 21-year-old man?
 Type A church leaders?
 A woman that goes to church without her husband?
 That crazy-faith woman that has cancer and "thinks" God is
 going to heal her?

 For all of them, I want my children to look deeper, to watch
 with Jesus' eyes, and really see the world around them.