Oh. You know, just another day in paradise. ⁣
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Three years ago, I informed my crew that we would be taking a picture EVERY Sunday morning on our way out to church. They were thrilled. ⁣
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We still going strong. ⁣
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#elrodssundaybest

My man, everyday rocking my world and giving life to my dreams.
Me, sporting the high tops and well… unashamed.
My little man, making my heart burst at the seams. I about can’t handle his big arms and tender heart.
My baby girl, growing into this brilliant beauty soon to be my very best friend.
My Josie, like my coffee… good to the last drop.
I share my life in these squares not to boast of my own doings but only that of which Christ has done and is doing through me.
Me and my God know the cost of these frames. I give Him all the praise and glory. Amen?! Amen.

There’s a song… before you flip on through, read over if you will. It stirs my heart every time. Maybe you can relate.
…the cost of our praise.

“The room grew still as she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
“There’s no place here for her kind”
Still on she came through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before His feet
And though she spoke no words, everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master from her box of alabaster
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And I’ve come to pour my praise on Him like oil
From Mary’s alabaster box
Don’t be angry if I wash His feet with my tears and dry them with my hair
You weren’t there the night that he found me
You did not feel what I felt when He wrapped His love around me
And you don’t know the cost of the oil in my alabaster box
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I can’t forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sins that had me bound
I spent all my days
And poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box, I thought I found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul with the wonder of His touch
So now I’m giving back to Him all the praise He’s worthy of
I’ve been forgiven and that’s why I love Him so much!!”

Tell me! Do you sing the song of the redeemed?

TOGETHER

From day one this has been our standard. Even during the really, really tough seasons, weirdly, this togetherness has never changed. Our faith, our traditions, our childhood, our parents, our struggles, our anchors, our disappointments, our celebrations, our desires… they all played a role and made this priority. Our together has come easy and it also hasn’t come without a fight. It’s been a while, but this is my #elrodssundaybest ♡

FREEDOM | Freedom represents the extreme opposite of being enslaved but can hold significant differences to the individual. So many opportunities on this road trip to teach my kiddos about freedom. Such a powerful word. From The Flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to the birthplace of Booker T Washington… the stories and history of freedom are powerful. I have loved every moment of our trip. Sunday, I herded my crew up for our #elrodssundaybest at the foot of Lincoln. Pretty amazing spot. As we walked away and looked out from the same perspective as Martin Luther King, Jr, I whispered and reminded my kiddos about the reality of our freedom and what it means to us in the temporal and eternal. I do have a dream, one that is never far from my thoughts and always weighing heavy on my heart… for ALL to KNOW Him and ALL to receive and experience true freedom in Christ. Talk about a powerful Word.

Raising warriors and chickens can be crazee! You know that saying one step forward and two steps back?  Ever feel like you have a grip on things, on life?  Only to realize you are way off!  Well, that was me today…
The enemy makes it super hard to keep the world out of our lives, our homes, and our families.  There have been days I have felt defeated.  You moms might can relate… just the thought of this world at the tip of our children’s fingers can be terribly frightening.  Today, I was faced with the reality of this and given an opportunity to make a decision.  In the chaos and anger of the situation, it would have been so easy to give in and allow what I knew in my heart was wrong.  I know, I considered it. But, in that moment God brought a story I had once read and studied several years prior to my mind… almost instant in the moment.

During the time Isaiah received his prophetic calling, King Uzziah had really messed up… after serving God and doing great things, he became proud and arrogant which led to his fall.  His son Jotham would choose to serve differently, learning from his father’s mistakes.  Although he was a good King who served faithfully, we learn that the people continued to live corruptly.  How does this happen?  Good and faithful man?! And, THIS, is where I heard from the Lord… a thought, a verse I remembered, which took a little digging to find… tucked over in 2 Kings 15… “He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his father Uzziah had done.  Yet the high places were not taken away…” Now, my kids weren’t building altars but I was indeed allowing something for them that I would not have for myself. This is where things get tough for us… Parenting is hard. Most rewarding, but tough. If you find yourself in the throes of parenthood, let me encourage you to not only trust that God will direct your paths if you seek Him and allow Him to lead but He will also reveal His truths and His desires for you and your children.  Don’t get caught up in the struggle of the temporal and lose sight of the eternal.  It is not worth it, stand firm. Thankful He is molding us to be our #elrodssundaybest ♡

We are passionate about cultivating Christian living in our home. We don’t always get it right, but our heart is to train up our family God’s Way. I pray our kiddos learn from both of us, the different spiritual disciplines that will help them grow in their faith. I rally loud and he quietly leads. I’m thankful for that and the way Andy begins #elrodssundaybest on Saturday night. We tend to talk a lot but ultimately put importance on that which matters most. They know and see this. ♡ My crew plus a couple of our faves.