Unplugged..

That is what I need to be.. If my presence here is a bit sporadic please bear with me. I feel I need to fight for some things in my life to maintain this new-found victory, so that is where my attention will be focused for this next season, however long or short it may be.. I am excited for it.. New seasons bring new growth, new life, and I want to take hold of all that God has in store for me!

If I come across your mind, say a prayer for me, okay? I am so grateful to share my life with some pretty amazing people..

Be back soon..

Love,
Brandy Jane Mabel

A House Called Defeat..

House for sale..

Large house with many points of entry. As you enter this house you will see that it consists of many rooms all with differing looks designed to lure people in. Although many rooms, the hallways are narrow and confining making it hard to move forward. The house is cold, without proper lighting throughout. At first, the darkness seems somewhat comfortable and easy to settle into, but after a while the ability to maintain proper sight becomes tiring and difficult. The purchase of this house does not require a large sum of money. Payment is taken in the form of hope and vision. Once this home is purchased it is difficult to leave behind. While there are many ways inside there is only One way out, and because of the blinding darkness that fills this house it is not always clear how to get there. No need to call to view. This house is always open. 

A House Called Victory..

I have moved into a new house designed for me by my Father which has only One point of entry. As you enter this home you will see that it is filled with light. The hallways are wide and free of clutter so there is  nothing to hinder your vision. The walls display words that uplift and encourage such as "Do not fear, for I am with you" -Is 41:10 and other reminders of the protection found here. This home also did not require a sum of money for purchase. It was free, requiring only that I receive it. 

Now that I have entered this house, I never want to leave. 

...I have moved out of DEFEAT and into VICTORY...

Scraped knees..

This past Friday I thought I would be a good mom and let Coen ride his new hand-me-down bike to go pick up his sister after school. So, I put shoes on Houston and Coen and ventured out on this sunny day. Coen excitedly grabbed his bike, and while still on the driveway he hopped on. As I watched him starting to pick up speed as he petaled down the sloped driveway I realized that this little inexperienced bike rider was not going to be able to stop at the bottom! I think Coen had the realization at about the same time as me as panic set in for both of us. I dove forward trying to take hold of the bike as Coen frantically attempted to stop it on his own.. Just as I got close enough to reach him the bike tipped, falling out of my grasp along with my sweet boy. He hit the ground hard and started to cry. At about the same time my youngest let out a big scream. I turned back and realized that while I was running toward Coen I was still holding my littlest's hand. His short legs were unable to keep up with my quick strides. At some point he had fallen and I must have been dragging him behing me. So, there we sat, the 3 of us. Both my boys had scraped and bleeding knees. I tried to console them as best as I could, and I tried to console myself as I felt like the worlds worst mother at this point. Thankfully, kids are resilient little creatures. After I kissed their little boo boos better and stuck a bandaid on my pride, we set out with our original plan and ended up enjoying our walk in the end. I don't know why the thought of all this now makes me laugh. The thought of the 3 of us piled up on the driveway tears coming from every eye. My good intentions taking a clumsy turn. I'm so glad my children have grace for me and my imperfect parenting moments!

Dear Getaway..

Thanks for reminding me to stop and smell the flowers, enjoy the sunshine, and let loose a little!

Spoiled..

I am not one for cheesy love stories. Sappy lines make me queasy. I always told my husband to never write me a poem because it would probably cause me to laugh in his face. Harsh? I'm not sure where my ditest for over-the-top romantic tactics came from.

My husband does not use this as an excuse to slack in the 'sweep her off her feet' duties of a husband though. He knows the perfect ways to cause me to feel love and appreciation without being oversweet. He plans dates, organizes babysitters, brings me flowers unexpectedly, lets me take long naps, cleans the house when I'm out. He does the little things which I think hold much more value than anything over the top. I really am a spoiled wife..

Head in the Clouds..

 Seriously, I've been dreaming of living in the middle of nowhere. Every time I drive through the country I feel such peace, and I have this growing desire in me to plant myself there and never leave. I can breath a little deeper in the country. I love the quietness that surrounds me. I love the long grass and open space.
This is, however, just a dream for many reasons. I really am so happy with our new house, and I know that the appeal of country living would not last. The work to maintain a rural homestead is not suitable for our busy lifestyle, and most of all my husband, although he was raised in the country, is a city boy through and through.

A girl can still dream though, right?

My seat for the day..

Away with friends for the long weekend.. Good, good times!

Wedding Photography..

We showed some friends of ours our wedding pictures last night. It made me kind of sad because our pictures are horrible! This is the only one that I like. Please excuse the awful quality, I took a picture of the picture with my iphone. Whenever I talk to any soon-to-be brides I always tell them not to skimp on their photographer. It is the one thing thing that will last beyond the wedding day. I am assisting at 2 weddings this summer, and I feel the pressure because I know what it is like to be unhappy with your wedding photos. I am up for the challenge though, and I am excited to see what it is like on the other side of the camera!!

What to do first..

I know I promised my Young Hearts post today, but things have been crazy around here and I haven't had time to get it together yet! I am trying to juggle what feels like a billion things all at once! I think I need to make a list of all the things I am needing to get done and put them in order of importance that way I can start checking things off. Otherwise, I think I will keep going in circles! Oh my.. Any of you have great tips on time management and staying organized? I feel like I'm doing and doing but nothing is getting done..

In all of my busyness I have been taking tons of pictures.. which also leaves me with tons of editing. *sigh..

Dear Sky..

STOP!

Stop whatever is you are doing at this very moment (yes, even reading this blog). Just stop. Now go and take a moment your kids. Give them a hug, play a game with them, make them laugh. If they are not with you just take a moment to pray for them. It doesn't have to take long. Just a moment.

I promise that you won't regret it!

My dining room wall..

Remember this color palette?

Well, I feel like a miracle occurred in my household for 2 reasons..

1. I chose a color! I allowed my love for white and my fear of color be thrown out the window and I have painted my dining room wall a lovely Peachy-Pink! (Warming Toes by Para Paints)
2. The second miracle is that my husband actually agreed to this! I figured there was no way he would ever be okay with having such a feminine color on the wall. He agreed though, and he even painted the wall himself. What a great man I have!

I am really loving it!  I promise to get some pictures up in the future (hopefully the not-too-distant future). Now I feel like I may expand my love for color and pick some more vibrant colors for some of my other rooms! Any suggestions? What colors are you loving right now?

Young Hearts

When I became I Christian at 18 one of the first real things I felt the Lord call me to was young people. I wanted to see other young lives transformed just has God had transformed mine. Now, my husband and I are youth pastors and I am so privileged to be able to pour into the lives and hearts of the youth God has given us.

I love this blog because it is a platform I can use to influence and encourage others. Since my passion is for young people I thought it appropriate to include them in this place of mine. I have decided to start a series here called "Young Hearts" in which I will be writing small devotionals and posts geared towards things youth would want to read. I would love for you all to share this with the young lives God has given you to influence! My first series of posts are going to be about following the Call of God for your life, and it will be posted next Tuesday (a week from today)! Here is a button to use if you would like to share this on your blog or just share this posts link on Facebook for all those younger ones who know nothing about this little blog world of ours!!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.janemabel.com/search/label/Young%20Hearts" title="Jane Mabel"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JQrAcmxmjFI/T6kr7Zqsr3I/AAAAAAAACDM/WG5c74NYjtI/s1600/YoungHeartsButton.jpg" alt="Jane Mabel" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Lovely Monday

• The sun is shining and the skies are blue!
• The weekend was great. I had a wonderful time at the ladies conference, and I really enjoyed being able to speak at one of the workshops! I am so thankful that God has opened this door to me!
• Houston is still laying in bed sleeping. He needs this sleep! He was up off and on through the entire night itching and scratching. His eczema has flared up something fierce, and the poor little guy looks like he's been beat up. He is sleeping now though, so that I am glad for!
• My husband is home for the day! He did such a wonderful job with the kids all weekend while I was away. I came home to a clean house, clean kids, and my new light fixture hung! 
• I am going to have a nap this afternoon. Since I was up all night I know its going to be good!

What things are you thankful for this lovely Monday?

Dear Busy..

Dear Weekend. You are going to be great, I just know it. Friday evening and Saturday we have the Women's conference, which I am looking forward to doing a workshop at. Then Sunday I get to go to another photography workshop. Yes, you are going to be busy and great!

Dear Husband. I will pretty much only be around for you to sleep beside this weekend. I hope you and the kids have a great time while I am busy with other things, but don't forget to miss me just a little bit :)

Dear Kids. I will also miss you this weekend. Be sure to be kind and listen to Daddy, especially in the mornings since you know they are hard for him. 

Dear Workshop for the Women's Conference. I feel so privileged to get to share with people this weekend! I pray that whoever comes will be encouraged in some way!

Dear Readers. There is almost 100 of you hanging out here.. That is pretty cool. I love sharing life with others! Hope you all have weekends filled with things and people you love!

Love,

Brandy Jane Mabel

xo

Flowers fade..

Whenever I find discouragement hanging around me I know I haven't been spending enough time in the Word of God. In these times, rather than dwelling in that place of pity that arises, I must dwell on the hope offered to me through His wonderful words..

"This is my comfort in my affliction, Your word has given me life." Psalm 119:50

He is more than enough for me..

Always.

What are you dwelling on today?