Your Preppy Name Is...

Willoughby Lochridge Pyne the Fourth

But most people know you as Missy

What's your preppy name?

"Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope"
Psalm 119:49

Whatever your especial need may be, you may readily find some promise in the Bible suited to it. Are you faint and feeble because your way is rough and you are weary? Here is the promise - 'He giveth power to the faint'. When you read such a promise, take it back to the great Promiser, and ask Him to fulfil His own word. Are you seeking after Christ, and thirsting for closer communion with Him? This promise shines like a star upon you - 'Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled'. Take that promise to the throne continually; do not plead anything else, but go to God over and over again with this - 'Lord, Thou hast said it; do as Thou hast said'. Are you distressed because of sin, and burdened with the heavy load of your iniquities? Listen to these words - 'I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions, and will no more remember thy sins'. You have no merit of your own to plead why He should pardon you, but plead His written engagements and He will perform them. Are you afraid lest you should not be able to hold on to the end, lest, after having thought yourself a child of God, you should prove a castaway? If that is your state, take this word of grace to the throne and plead it: 'The mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, but the covenant of My love shall not depart from thee'. If you have lost the sweet sense of the Savior's presence, and are seeking Him with a sorrowful heart, remember the promises: 'Return unto Me, and I will return unto you'; 'For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.' Banquet your faith upon God's own word, and whatever your fears or wants, repair to the Bank of Faith with your Father's note of hand, saying, 'Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope'.

- Charles Spurgeon

This little piece of blogworld turned three this month!

In that time:

-we sold our house, moved in with in-laws and built our current home
-Avery was a mere 16 months at the onset, she's now 4
-We got pregnant, then lost that child
-We got pregnant very quickly after that
-Asher arrived in June of 06
-Exchanged the quirky english SUV for the rockin' minivan
-Good friends moved back to the area
-Good friends left the area
-My sisters in law had babies
-My dad had bypass surgery
-My parents moved to Mckinney
-Shawn's parents got remarried
-We began our Neighborhood Life ministry and served for 3 years before it ended this past December
-I've connected with lots of old friends and new through the blog phenomenon

...and that just scratches the surface.

It's been awhile since I've uploaded/erased the pictures on my camera. There were photos from the snow days, easter and random stuff. I thought I'd post some up here for the heck of it.

Last week, around dinner time, Asher was roaming around in a bit of a daze. He climbed up on the couch for a bit then got back down. He just seemed out of it. A little bit later I found him on the back porch asleep. It was a gorgeous day and the breeze probably felt great for the little guy. When Shawn got home, he went out back to wake our little sleeping prince. On a side note, I can't believe this little guy is going to be 2 in June.
Avery and Asher like to pretend that they are puppies. I don't find the game all that cute b/c they want to lick me and scratch me and be as authentic as possible... There is a reason we don't have dogs right now! This day I embraced the doggie theme and helped her go the extra mile. Asher followed suit to some degree. He ripped his collar and wouldn't keep his ears on but he did like the mascara whiskers (I don't use eyeliner so that was the best I could do). If he sees me putting on make up (which I try not to do in front of either one - they want to share in the experience), he points to his cheeks.
Our Easter Lamb cake. It was fun to make but didn't get fully consumed. I think a cake covered in marshmallows is a bit overkill. Still, the making of it was the joy for both of us.

Jesus, how amazing You are!

You need to take some time and read this letter. It has got to be one of the most beautiful things I have EVER read.

I have just today finished a book by Francine Rivers called "And the Shofar Blew". It felt a bit cheesy at first and I set it aside to read a Nelson DeMille novel. After finishing that book, I went back to the Rivers book. It's a good book...enjoyable and sad and moving and pretty much what you want a piece of fiction to be.

Anyway, it's Tuesday and so I have more time to be pensive. With Avery at school and Asher napping, I drink in the quiet and indulge in uninterrupted thought. Most of the time I fritter away these precious few hours. They could definitely be used in a better form. And it's funny because that's the last thing I want to do...most of the time.

A few minutes ago I was struck with how hard it is for me to "rest". I am by nature a lazy person, so it's quite ironic and comical to think about how I spend my days dashing about the house straightening up the endless messes. It's got to be an outward display of something going on inside, right? And it's so sad that I prefer to tidy up over playing with our kids.

I'm not even sure why I'm writing this. It's not going to make much sense.

I think I have a lot of idols in my life. I think I live in a distinct place called denial. I think I'm terribly self-centered and prideful. I think I've said this all before and that goes to show what a heel I am.

Whether I put all of my efforts into straightening a house, obsessing over diet and exercise or escaping in to a book, it's all the same. I'm running and I can't seem to sit still. It sucks but yet it's so a part of me that it is too painful (or maybe just too hard) to effect true change.

A lot of people are sick and dying. I know that life could stretch for many years before I die. But I also know that my parents are getting older and while they wrestle with their mortality, I briefly ponder mine. We all hear endless stories of sickness and death: cancer rearing its ugly head and killing in short order, senseless tragic accidents. It's out there and waiting for its appointed time.

And that made me think on my brief way home from Target the other day after speaking to a neighbor about his wife's sick brother who has been estranged for many years but now has reached out because he is wasting away from terminal cancer. I don't want to chase after the wind. I don't want to be remembered by my kids as "the mom who stayed home with us...but was always busy puttering around trying to clean up". I don't want to waste hours involving myself in the affairs of others that have no bearing on my life (read: celebrities). I've got enough before me that needs work in the way of relationships of the family kind.

Please pray for me. I am sincere in this request. I need help recognizing the idols in my life. And after that, the strength to crush them into fine powder so they are useless and irreparable. Pray that I would love out of obedience to Christ and that others would know that love. Pray that I would put blinders on when I start longing too much for the things of this world. Pray that I would be brought low when I am lifting myself up. Pray that my world would cease to exist only for me.

The Wind

Yesterday I laid myself out (literally) before the Lord and asked for Him to meet with me. I have been in such a numb place spiritually. A humanistic view point, really. I had "lost" my spiritual eyes and that makes for very superficial living. I am using the past tense as though it is over and I'm now in a deeply spiritual place. Not so. I'm just being proactive in seeking relationship with God.

I thank the Lord that He stands waiting to meet with us when we call. I called, He responded and that lit a flame of desire.

I pushed through the anxiety that comes so often when I've avoided prayer and stumbled through my jumbled thoughts just hoping the Spirit was interceding on my behalf. I really cling to that truth because more often than not I do not formulate prayers well. My cursed brain runs amok and really has quite the time settling down. Many times I find that writing them out is the only way I can coherently "voice" my prayers.

Anyway, the Lord sweetly brought to mind John 3:8: "Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going."

Ah! It struck a deep chord within me and I'm still meditating on that verse today.

I so often am trying to pluck pieces of God to pull into my world at my convenience and put them in their proper place. In trying to do that I am left frustrated and unsatisfied. Whether it's being interrupted by my kids during a particularly "holy" moment (laughable) or God not speaking to me when I've set aside my few minutes to be fed for the day, I am left angry, not refreshed. My best laid plans would crumble before I could even put them into action. And so a cycle would emerge. I'd try, something would inevitable screw it up so I'd retreat.

There's only so much retreating before the heart hardens and shrugs off things spiritual.

So when God brought me the truth and reminder that His Spirit is like the wind, my spirit leapt within me. Liberating! is the first word that came to mind. His Spirit is active; in me, in the world, in others. He cannot be "grabbed". He won't be plucked only to be put in a box. Neither home, nor kids, nor work will hinder Him. He will move about in complete freedom and we only need to embrace that reckless beauty and stand in the midst of it.

And that looks different, everyday, every moment and for every situation. Praise God for that freedom! We're off the hook to make it work, to conjure up spirituality.

"Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again." Galatians 5:1

Oops, my bad...

If you happened to click on "daily sips" in the previous post, you were probably a bit confused. I have corrected the link so you should be taken to the right place.

A little each day

This is gonna be quick:

I am in a dry, dry place...

I need a drink of water.

I know where to find the water, we all do.

I am going to force myself to take daily sips.

I pray this does not quench my thirst, but makes it thrive.

If you are thirsty, come drink with me.

Fashion Show Fun

So last Saturday Avery had a taste of the glamorous life. She was able to take part in a kid's fashion show at Nordstrom with her cousin Olivia and friend Rory. Big surprise - she loved it!!


Earlier in the week we headed down there and she was able to pick out her outfit. She kept calling this her "Belle" dress. Not sure what about it makes her think that but there you have it.


We got to Nordstrom at Northpark around 7:30 AM and were directed to the dressing room. After donning the chosen garb, we headed to the refreshments so Avery could eat powdered donuts (what???) and I could worry about her getting the dress we were not buying dirty. I also began obsessing about her scuffed up dress shoes and stringy hair. Guess what I realized...I'm not cut out to be a stage mom (and I'm incredibly petty). Yeah, that smacked me right between the eyes as I backed up, told myself to shut up and watched my cutie glow at the chance to be "fancy".


She did great. She smiled and made it down the runway and even gave daddy a big hug to a chorus of "ahhhh"'s. She's ready for the fall show.


Angie and I thought it would be great fun if the girls did this every year and we could capture the changes in pictures. It was a hoot to watch the older (10/11 yr olds) girls strike poses with their accessorized selves.