Love Through Me

I know that I haven't had an update in quite some time! Promise to give you the latest with the North's soon...but until then here's a song that has kept me up thinking about the poor & what Jesus commanded us to do.  Lately my heart has been doing somersaults in my chest for the broken & the poor.  The truth is we are so very very rich, yet we say things like "I'm so broke"...Broke? According to who? Did you know about 1.4 billion people live off of less than $1.25 a day & spend nearly 75% of that on food alone. Did you know that a child dies every 15 seconds of hunger-related problems?  These facts are available to us.  We shake our heads, maybe even shed a tear...but that is where it ends.  "Compassion without action is only pity." God, will you cut the strings of wealth wrapped around our hearts so that we can reach the needs of others & tell them about your son....Love through me.

Love Through Me by Jenny & Tyler
Music and Lyrics: Copyright 2009 Tyler Somers (BMI), Jennifer Somers (BMI), One Eyed Cat Music (BMI)

there is plenty on this earth to suit our needs
but there will never ever be enough to satisfy our greed
weigh this heavy on me now until i can hardly breathe
love through me
i've never gone a day without a meal because i couldn't afford it
stood on a corner and begged for pennies, holding out a sign
call me blessed, but it sure does feel pathetic,
children ‘round the world are hungry now

so would i give up:
pillows and cable, clothing and candy,
if a boy could rest his tired bones?
would i lay down:
making all this money, just to have my milk and honey,
if my fellow man could get the chance to watch his children grow?

there is plenty on this earth to suit our needs
but there will never ever be enough to satisfy our greed
weigh this heavy on me now until i can hardly breathe
love through me

i feel in the right, self-justified giving coins away
but what about the time i consider mine not tomorrow but right now today?
clothe the naked; feed the hungry; welcome strangers
come on, get up and open your eyes

so would i give up:
pillows and cable, clothing and candy,
if a girl could have some more to eat?
would i lay down:
making all this money, just to have my milk and honey,
if my fellow man could get the chance to hear about the King?

there is plenty on this earth to suit our needs
but there will never ever be enough to satisfy our greed
weigh this heavy on me now until i can hardly breathe
love through me

help us see, our eyes are weak, help us please
love through me

~Selah~

You can find Jenny & Tyler here or follow them on facebook.

let the good times roll

I have been in California for over a week & boy have I been having a blast! So glad I get to have another week here! Here's a look at what's been going down.

Melody & I took a trip up to beautiful Hume Lake on Saturday.  What great times with this girl. Can you tell we are cold?

Spent Sunday afternoon with Uncle James & Aunt Michelle & their adorable rugrats!

My dear friend Lisa & I had dinner at Cheesecake Factory

Then I stayed with her & her amazing roomies. Slumber parties just aren't the same without a late night photobooth sesh.

I missed my bestie

I had the joy of spending time with family that I haven't seen in almost 20 years!

Rehearsal dinner was last night at Elbow Room in Fresno. We took the opportunity for a photo shoot

Now its off to the wedding I go. What are your Saturday plans?

leavin' on a jet plane

Thats right, I'm heading to California tomorrow afternoon to see this lovely lady get married on November 12th!

Emily & I met about 3 years ago in a bible study group & have been friends ever since.  I am so thankful for our friendship & the hope & joy we share in Christ.  Emily was in our wedding on May 7th of this year & I am so thankful that I am able to go home to be in her wedding & watch her tie the knot with Jock! She is one of the sweetest friends a gal could ask for.  I know that she will be an absolutely stunning bride!

My hope for Emily & Jock & their children & generations to come:

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." ~Ephesians 3:14-19

Aren't they the cutest couple you ever did see??

I'll be home for 17 days!! It seems like such a long time, but I know that I'll be begging for time to slow down by the 2nd week.  I wish Mr. North was able to come along, but I'll have enough fun for the both of us 

Can't wait to see all of my friends & family & soak up that California sun!

Stay tuned for the lovely adventures ahead!

best. concert. ever.

Wow! I really have not been good with keeping up on my blog posts.  I promise, I'm trying to do much better with that! Fortunately I have a good excuse.  My husband has been getting 3 & 4 day weekends all month since they will be working really hard come next month.  I'm thankful I've been able to see more of him but lets get real: the blog is sucking.  So here's to more updates!

Two Saturdays ago Josh & I decided to make the most of the 4-day weekend & take a trip to Dallas to see Taylor Swift & Needtobreathe in concert.  The word I would use to sum up this experience is INCREDIBLE! Seriously, I have never been so impressed with a show in my life....& I've seen a lot of shows.

First off, we decided to park a continent away since parking for the Cowboys Stadium is $60...that's right SIXTY DOLLARS!! Yikes!  So we paid $20 bucks & enjoyed our walk...well we enjoyed the walk there...the walk back a whole different story.  I, being the genius that I am, decided to wear my extremely adorable boots.  What's the downfall? They aren't made for 3 miles of walking.  On the walk back to the car Josh gave me a piggy back ride & let me wear his shoes the rest of the way back.  What a guy I have right? Such a gentleman.

Here's us getting excited to see Needtobreathe

Best picture of the stage I could muster with my iphone

Needtobreathe is one of my favorite bands.  Their musical talents & style speak straight to my soul.  They're a Christian rock band without the dorkiness.  Lets be honest, unfortunately a lot of mainstream Christian music is cookie cutter & leaves something to be desired.  Needtobreathe brings an eclectic style & lyrics that leave you thinking long past the song is over.  They were absolutely amazing live & I think Josh & I were about the only ones in our section who even knew who they were. They played only about 6 songs, so I'm definitely hoping to see them as a headliner in the future.  Bear's voice was incredible & the band did a great job of getting the crowd ready to see Taylor....as if the crowd needed any help!

Needtobreathe's new album The Reckoning is now out & highly recommend it. Here's a taste

The stadium was primarily filled with girls ages 4-20.  All of them attempting to look like Taylor in some way. Either they curled their hair in Taylor-esk spirals or dressed in an adorable dress & cowboy boots.  They were excited at just the site of a cardboard cut-out of her.

When the lights went back off after Needtobreathe, the stadium roared with excitement.  Fifty five thousand people jumping up & down & shouting for Taylor to come out. It was soooo crazy! Sparks Fly began playing & Taylor was vaulted onto the stage from underneath the set.  Fireworks went off & the set was revealed.  It looked like it came straight from a fairy tale storybook.  A huge staircase was centered in the middle of the stage surrounded by trees covered in twinkling lights.  The band shared the stage with about 6 dancers giving a theatrical interpretation of each song.

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The show was fast moving and you never knew what was going to happen next.  With confetti resembling snow floating through the air during Back to December, dancers suspended in the air on bungee cords, Taylor changing dresses & guitars with nearly each song & the theatrical experience happening on stage, I was on the edge of my seat & enjoying the visual & audio feast of the event.  Unfortunately, my phone died during the concert but I have found some amazing pictures from the Dallas concert.

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The set for Speak Now

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and another

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At every show Taylor does a cover of an artist from the city/state that she's in that night.  She notoriously writes some of the lyrics down her left arm. Josh & I read her arm at the beginning of the show; is says "A little voice inside my head says don't look back. You can never look back."  We knew she was going to do Don Henley's song Boys of Summer.  She did such a good job.

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See for yourself here

Special guests have been showing up on the Speak Now Tour & I was super excited to find out who we were going to get.  Airplanes started playing & B.O.B came up from under the stage.  I even have a video for this one too!

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When the lights came on & the curtain was dropped the stadium roared for more Taylor.  After a couple minutes the lights were out again the curtain opened to Taylor & her band sitting on a couch in Cowboys jerseys

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Taylor ended the night with Love Story while suspended in the air on a princess balcony

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We loved every second of that concert & I hope to see them both again in the future.  All I know, is Taylor sure set the bar with this tour.  It'll be interested to see what she comes up with next.

best kept secret in leesville, la

Last Saturday night Josh decided that we needed a "fancy date night".  We got dressed up in some of our nicest attire & went out on a very romantic date.  We started the night by going to a free dueling pianos show put on by the MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation).  These guys were hilarious & great at what they do.  We were super impressed by their wit & talent.  

Then we went to wine & dine at the cutest little place here!  Josh started doing some research online to find the nicest place for a dinner date & ran across Booker-Lewis Bed & Breakfast.  He almost dismissed it, but then saw that they're also a restaurant.  So glad we went.  The restaurant is in a cute two-story house with an envied wrap-around porch.  The food was so good I cried a little.  Seriously the best food I've had since we've been here!  Check out the gorgeous Booker-Lewis Restaurant.

Source: Booker-Lewis House

We sat at the table in the bottom right corner.  No one else was dining inside, which allowed us to be as goofy as we wanted

Source: Booker-Lewis House

If we get snow on the ground this year, I will be so excited!  Isn't it just lovely?

Source: Booker-Lewis House

Next door is this adorable house that is home to more hotel rooms as well as John Beck's Pub.  We enjoyed a drink & chatted with another military couple that has been here for 2 years. They let us in on some great travel spots in the area.  The porch at John Beck's Pub is absolutely gorgeous & I cannot wait until they open it up!

Source: Booker-Lewis House

The waitstaff blew us away.  They were fun & accommodating.  We were trying to take a picture of ourselves (you know the "Miley Cyrus pose" as Josh likes to call it)  We failed miserably.  One of the waitress' witnessed this & she offered to take this picture of us in front of the fireplace. She was so very sweet.

He's so handsome

We really need to get a good camera.  As you can see by those last pictures, iphones don't always take the greatest of pictures.  Sure, some come out beautiful, but only in the perfect lighting.  

Needless to say we loved it & will be returning soon & often!