faith, Gathered thoughts, history

Holy Week Wednesday ~ Spy Wednesday

Holy Week Wednesday

Holy Week Wednesday .. did you know it’s also known as Spy Wednesday? It is a solemn day in the Christian liturgical calendar, as it marks the beginning of the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus, which is commemorated on Good Friday.

As I read the scriptures this am,I couldn’t help but think of the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Judas saw the miracles and had an encounter with Jesus like no other. We see the whole story as it played out in scripture but in those moments and the moments leading up what was Judas thinking? Was he wrestling within, did he almost run and confess it all to Jesus or was he always plotting ? And the whole time Jesus knew.. he knew it all .. how it was going to happen,who would be the one to betray him and yet he still loved him❤️I can only imagine the heartbreak in knowing this and how Jesus felt as he washed Judas’ feet .

And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present” (Luke 22:2-6).

“He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.””

Matthew 26:23-25 ESV

Holy Week

Holy Wednesday is often marked with a service of Tenebrae (Latin for ‘darkness’ or ‘shadows’).With the reading of psalms while candles on a candelabrum are gradually extinguished, creating the sense of growing darkness.This symbolizes the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples.

To learn more about Holy Week check out these other post ⬇️

Holy Week

Good Friday & Easter ~ Why Both Are Important

coffee, Gathered thoughts

Be Still ❤️

I am still learning how to be still .. good reminder to pause and soak in some time at Gods feet ❤️Happy Friday friends!

faith, Gathered thoughts

Stillness in God

Do you find it hard to be still in the presence of God? I sure do! My mind is often running through list or already planning the next few hours .
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As I get older , stillness I think is more of an offering of my time. Sitting without distractions even if for only a few minutes and saying God I’m here and then waiting. I am finding that the more I practice being still the more at peace I feel ✨

Gathered thoughts

Galentines Party Planning ❤️

Galentines is a fun way to celebrate Valentines Day with your very best girlfriends❤️

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Here is a fun checklist to help you plan a great party. I also created a fun Galentines Bingo to add some fun to your gettogether that’s perfect for all ages!

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To get your free printable, like this post ,follow us and comment Galentines ❤️

Gathered thoughts, Marriage

Valentines Day Bucket List

Here’s a fun Valentines Bucketlist for you and your ❤️
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What are you most looking forward to this Valentine’s Day?

Family activity, Gathered thoughts

Valentines Day Traditions

I originally posted this back in 2021 and we still love these little mailboxes ❤️
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They are one of our favorite Valentine’s traditions. We put little treats or notes leading up to Valentine’s in them . They create excitement in sharing and showing love to each other .
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We are also still loving how these wool balls from @strandcreativeco they add a whimsical touch to our fireplace mantle and look great with our mailboxes💜They are still in great shape and definitely a favorite .
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Do you have any Valentines traditions? Share them below. I’d love to hear!

coffee, Gathered thoughts, travel

Waking up to Beauty

I could wake up to this beauty every day ❤️ Even though you can’t see it , there was snow on the ground and the air was so crisp. I literally had to step carefully to not slip on ice on the deck.
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So thankful to get to be in this moment .. hot coffee in hand at a beautiful home with the Columbia George in full view and laughter and chatting all around me.
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Here’s to a year of many more memories like this❤️

Gathered thoughts

Gathered Thoughts

This is a good reminder for me today . I often want to hurry and get through moments or schedules but I am realizing that every moment is part of my story .The in between schedules , the late nights or the days when everything comes undone. These are the moments that build or tear down and my prayer this 2025 new year , is there will be more building then tearing down. That my story will be one that shows grace, forgiveness,kindness,humbleness and fun .
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What about you? Have you ever looked at your life as a story? Not just the Instagram moments but all the moments? What do you want your story to show ? Share below ⬇️ .. I would love to hear and cheer you on ❤️

Family activity, Gathered thoughts, Goals, New Years

Hello 2025 🎆

Happy New Year!! I can hardly believe today is the first day of a brand New Year, can you? With it comes fresh new opportunities to do things differently then we have done, make goals and take chances , dream big and try again .

We love New Years Resolutions and getting to create new ones while we also reflect on the ones from the past year . Our family loves to take the time on New Years Eve or New Years Day to review our resolutions from the previous year and mark through what we accomplished or completed. We also love to make our resolutions for the New Year . We take time to think through trips we want to take , character traits we are working on , adventures , a new skill we want to learn or projects we want to complete.

We always do the following categories when we make resolutions ⬇️

Each Family Member has their own space for resolutions

Home

Family

Marriage

Now that we have been doing this since our kids were little, they look forward to it each year . It’s fun to see the resolutions they come up with for themselves and a fun opportunity to cheer when they mark through them .

Here is a breakdown of each of the categories ⬇️

The family ones are things we would like to do as a family this coming year . They include serving together , trips we want to take and family adventures or connection times .

The marriage one is good to put yearly goals we want to do for our marriage. For example, an intentional study together or getaways for the year ahead. Putting those goals on the calender has been such a blessing the past few years in us actually doing them.

The Home one is great for projects that we are planning on for the next year. We put things like completing our yard, selling a car or new windows.

Your turn❤️ Do you make resolutions for the New Years? If so , what are some of yours? Do you have a special way of doing them ? I would love to hear all about what works for you and your family .