Who Do You Trust?

July 29, 2015July 28, 2015 / morgancreynolds / Leave a comment

I can remember sitting on the edge of the bed with each of my children. Or sometimes it was sitting with them curled up next to me on the sofa. We were having one of our many heart to heart talks. To me, those are some of my most treasured moments. As they poured out their concerns or dreams from their tender hearts, I intently listened. Sometimes, I didn’t have an answer; lots of times I did. The one thing I remember teaching them is this,

“If it matters to you then it matters to God.”

Sometimes, their concern was over a lost toy or an unfortunate situation. Other times, their concern was the bigger-than-life dreams they were dreaming. Either way, I often brought them back to this one thought.

If it matters to you then it matters to God.

In this life we need hope. Not a misguided and misplaced hope, but a hope rooted in the strength and care of God. This isn’t a false hope. It was never promised that God was our genie in a bottle looking to grant every wish. They understood that. We might not get the response we want, but God gives the very best He knows we need.

God looks at our hearts with care. He sees all the things in future days we can not see. He sees where our choices lead. He knows what we need. But, the really cool thing is God cares about the things we care about. He created us and knows us.

This is a great comfort for my soul. Our desires are not petty or insignificant. In fact, if He knew us before we were ever in our mother’s womb, wouldn’t that include what our desires and interests would be? We are not created out of chance.

This thought always seemed to comfort my children. And, in the the process, I was aiming for a deep heart connection with the One who created them. I know they take this thought with them even now. Now, they are older. The stakes are quite a bit higher. Just the other day my oldest needed a reminder. I think we all need to be reminded at points along the journey. When the cost is higher or the dream is bigger and when we aren’t talking about lost childhood trinkets, we need to remember. Now, we are talking about which paths to walk, which choices to make, which dreams to dream. Or, maybe it is about provision in the real world—having real needs in this real world. But, perhaps, it is something you think is small and insignificant, and doesn’t even warrant an audience with God.

If it matters to you then it matters to God.

Fear need not rule the day. Our Father hears and knows. He’s got us. Who do you trust? I mean, REALLY trust. Are you trusting in yourself to get things done and to make it happen? Do you have dreams and desires and believe you are the only one to get it done? Maybe that is your life track record–“If it is to be then it’s up to me!” No one ever sat with you and really listened to what was burdening your soul. Well, I’m here today to tell you it matters. It all matters.

Does it matter to you? Then it matters to God.

He’s not a magic genie looking to grant you three wishes. But, He does care about what keeps you up at night and aches in your heart. Trusting only in ourselves leads to a weary and worn soul.

Things haven’t turned out quite how you wanted? Things don’t really look like what you dreamed of in your heart? He cares. And, what’s even best, He sees the right answer for every situation. Scripture teaches us to cast our burden on Him because He cares for us. I’m amazed at all of the times God has revealed Himself to my children. Children. He has proven Himself over and over to them. And, even though they are children, they have experienced some tough stuff. And so, they are learning He can be trusted.

You may not be a child anymore, but He is waiting to listen. If He will reveal Himself to a child, He will reveal Himself to you. What is it that matters to you? What is aching in your soul?

If it matters to you then it matters to Him!

Where Is Your Life?

July 22, 2015July 21, 2015 / morgancreynolds / 2 Comments

It’s been a really great summer. Sleeping in (my favorite!), road tripping around the area, reconnecting with friends, reading, watching my boy play ball, and playing taxi. Pretty much loving life and feeling grateful. We enjoyed a great day for our anniversary. We kept it simple and relaxing. And I am so thankful. My kids are pursuing their passions, living life and having a good time doing it. God is blessing their lives and you can see His love for us.

In the last few years, I haven’t always been able to say that. Maybe that’s you, too. We’ve experienced financial reversal, faced rejection, suffered at the hands of people and felt like we were going through hell. I realize that isn’t the warm and fuzzy thing to say. Suffering depression, anxiety and PTSD was never on the order list we sent up. When 4 out of 5 in your family have to be medicated just to handle daily life, I’m telling you, that’s not what you order up. Who does?

But, it happens. Life happens. I remember a couple of years ago, living life with a teenager and just being thankful we were dealing with normal teenager stuff. We had come a long way. Moving from constant crisis mode to dealing with everyday issues was such a relief. I even found some much needed humor in that.

A few years ago, I was walking the neighborhood, thinking life would never get back to normal. I just wanted it to so desperately. Whatever that was supposed to be. What I thought was normal life, happened to be a private hell for someone most dear to me. That was an eye opening thought. A paradigm shift.

Life changes—often on a dime. We had more stuff going wrong and our lives turned upside than I had ever thought possible. But, following dreams and doing big things, often stirs up the waters. We weren’t living the status quo; life threw not-status-quo stuff back at us.

But, here we are a few years out and life has smoothed out just fine. In the heat of it, when your neck is being scorched by the fire and heat, life looks pretty much like it is never again going to smooth out. That seems like a very distant memory. I got you on that one. We are looking eyeball to eyeball, and I say, I know it. It hurts. It really hurts.

I was reading some Scripture today and wanted to share it with you. My heart skipped a beat when I read it. Yes! I felt it! I knew it! Psalm 16 is a great chapter. Take a look at it with me.

Keep me safe, my God,

for in you I take refuge.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing.”

I say of the holy people who are in the land,

“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods

or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;

you make my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Verses 5 and 6 really lit up for me. Go ahead! Check those out again! Many of the first years of living in Virginia were beyond hard. It has been a challenge testing everything we were made of and then some! But, we’ve come out on the other side. We’ve fought hard and won! We trusted in Him and depended on Him to get us through. We took refuge in Christ. We kept our eyes on Christ. I really don’t know where we would have ended up if we hadn’t had Christ. People will disappoint you; people will betray and reject you. Christ is forever the one where our hearts find peace.

So, back to the present. Life is good. Life is beautiful. When you taste the bitter, the sweet is so much sweeter! When you walk through the darkness, the light is that much brighter! When you lose things precious, the blessings are that much more treasured. You have to experience the sad to appreciate the joy.

Such is life. My life boundaries are falling in pleasant places. That makes me happy. We are doing life. It’s not perfect, but what is? But, it sure is beautiful!

A Letter To My Loves

July 15, 2015July 14, 2015 / morgancreynolds / 2 Comments

To Our Loves,

As your Dad and I celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary, I hope you have witnessed a growing, deep love. It’s hard to believe we are at 24…..next year is 25 and we will be celebrating in fine style! But until then….

Your Dad and I met in 1988. I know it seems so very long ago. We married in 1991 while we were young and full of dreams. I suggest you marry when your heart is full of love and bright with dreams. Young love can be challenging, and I often say older is probably better. But, here’s what I know, your dreams grow together and you figure out life with someone close by your side when you start out younger. Life is good in pairs. That may not work out for you exactly like that, but if your heart is open, your head is solidly on your shoulders and feet are firmly planted on the ground, run through this life together. You won’t have all the money you need (and money is really good!), but God will provide if you listen closely to Him.

You will never find the “perfect” Mr. or Mrs. Right. Everyone has flaws. You have to decide what you can live with and what is non-negotiable. Nobody you love will be perfect. Absolutely nobody. So, if you find love and depth of character, decide whether you can live this life without them. Some flaws are obviously worse than others. Run! Run, like the wind! But, you know I have taught you, they need to love Jesus, serve Him and love their family. Of course, each of you have things you love and desire and things that won’t fly. Listen to your heart! My sweet girl, if you can find someone like your Daddy, you will be a woman most blessed. My strong men, I hope in some way I have shown you what a Jesus-loving wife should represent.

Love hits bumps and gets bruises. The real beauty comes from walking out whatever life has to throw at you. Not running away. It’s the living out grace and faith through the rough patches. It isn’t always pretty or easy, but marriage isn’t just about you. The other person doesn’t complete you—you are whole just as you are. One goal of marriage is to help your Love fulfill their dreams. And together, if you both do that, you will achieve more than you ever could on your own.

As you journey together, you will change and grow. So will the Love of your life. That is good. When you are Jesus followers, He will change you and grow you. So, encourage them to grow. Life is a journey; and, no, you will not know what you or your Love will look like 24 years from the day you walk down the aisle. But, if you open your hearts and journey together, you come out on the other side even better than when you started out.

Our journey has been filled with so much fun! Trips to Walt Disney World, the Rocky Mountains and the Grand Canyon. Trips to the ocean and visits to opposite coasts. Trips to other countries and close to home. So many fabulous memories! Life is what you make it. Marriage is too. Don’t wait for the golden years or someday to live life. Do what you can, when you can. You aren’t promised those yonder days. Make the most of now. It may mean you have to do it with some financial finesse, but do it nonetheless.

Remember, the children don’t run the corner office! Teach them there is something out there bigger than them. They can’t survive without that! And, that, my dears, starts at home. Your marriage is first. Your Love is first. Yes, there are seasons in which the children’s activities will dominate the schedule. But, remember your love comes first. Do what you can, when you can! Date nights and time and moments have to be taken. Learn your Love’s love language and do what you can to meet it. It may be a stretch for you to think outside the box of your own idea of love, but do it. Try hard! Give it all you’ve got! Children need to see their parents in love. That is when they are most secure. Oh, they will complain and be grossed out—gross them out anyway!

Many times, you will be called upon to sacrifice. That is life. Sometimes you will have to give more than you think you have to give. Many times you will have to set yourself aside for the moment and give out of yourself so your Love can have what they need. And they will have to do the same. I know this flies against the current culture. Often times you will find a godly marriage will. Many times, a godly marriage will have to go counter-culture to survive and grow. In fact, I will say, most of the time you will find yourself needing to live counter-culture to protect your family. Do it! Make the sacrifice! Your home, your family and all that is to come will depend on it.

There is so much more to say that comes from 24 years of marriage. But, I’m sure that will come in time. I wouldn’t change it for the world! Yes, I wish I had done some things differently. I wish I had loved better and understood more. But life and love is a journey. Your Dad is a great example of loving—many times I feel he has done it better than I. But, we are in it for the distance! We’ve been through a lot, but we’ve also experienced so much laughter, joy and love. I wouldn’t do this journey with anybody else.

Choose wisely, my Loves! But don’t be afraid! Love and marriage aren’t perfect, but definitely worth the effort!

Oh! Say Can You See?

July 7, 2015 / morgancreynolds / 2 Comments

I think I have gypsy blood.

I always love a good road trip. I have to admit, living in Virginia makes it possible to have some grand road trips! What better time to head out than the Fourth of July. So much history and beauty surrounds us, right here in America. Living near the historical triangle and all points north and up the east coast, we have more opportunities to see and do epically cool stuff than we have time for.

My kids have “done” the DC tourist thing for the last 7 years quite faithfully. So, they are a little tired of the museums. Monuments and the White House are always cool. But, in a quest to find more chill sights, we relaxed and explored our way through this weekend.

Our first stop was our favorite local DC restaurant—Tortilla Coast. It is situated near-ish to the Capital. We usually stop there for lunch when we first hit town. Such amazing Tex-Mex. Nothing really beats it for two thumbs up! We couldn’t help ourselves and stopped by The Supreme Court and The Library of Congress buildings. Thought we would just say hello! They are just up the street from Tortilla Coast.

Tortilla Coast – June 13, 2014 in Washington, D.C. (M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO)

The US Supreme Court building

The Library of Congress building

This time around we opted to stay outside DC and at the National Harbor. This was a great choice for us. Being we aren’t the “rough it” type, and I have never met a tent I liked, the hotel had the requisite pool and jacuzzi and plenty of room to roam and relax. We had a great view of the Potomac and plenty of restaurants and shops to choose from. We even stopped for ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s.

National Harbor

It was nice to sleep in and move at a leisurely pace. We did some swimming and reading and chilling in the jacuzzi. We rented bikes in Georgetown and road the Crescent Trail. We are finally at the age with the kids where we can all ride safely and at the same pace. This was a definite do-again for us! We would like to take advantage of some trails closer to home—where we don’t have to rent bikes, but use our own. It is always fun to experience something together as a family and realize we all would like to do it again. The trail gave us opportunity to take some fun photos and enjoy the natural beauty of the Potomac. We biked six miles and returned just in time to avoid the downpour that held off for us!

Crescent Trail, DC

Crescent Trail rest stop

Sunday morning, after sleeping in, we had our Starbucks and loaded up. We saved Annapolis for the end of the trip….some of the best for last! What a beautiful old city! Historic Annapolis is a gem. I am in love with historic towns and their uneven, imperfect streets and houses. This was a first for us and we loved this place. And, what greater time to visit such a place than the Fourth of July weekend. Flags and bunting waved proudly from front porches and street lights. We experienced First Sunday, which is a local arts festival held on the first Sunday of each month during the summer and into the fall—live music and artisans lined the old brick paved street. Note to self: it isn’t a Farmers Market. I was kindly disabused of that notion by one artsy artist.

Anyway, we ate lunch….the children dined on hamburgers from each restaurant this weekend, except for the italian meal…they had pizza! For a local feel, we ate at the Rams Head Tavern. Very nice people; great food!

Lunch stop in Annapolis (TripAdvisor, photo cred)

Stroll through Annapolis

I’m a sucker for historic homes, so my Honey found one for us to tour. Apparently, several signers of the Declaration of Independence called Annapolis home. We visited The William Paca House and Gardens and enjoyed the walk around the neighborhoods. The stories these old brick paved streets and generations-old trees have witnessed and could tell! The families and their stories fill these homes. I am in love with Annapolis; it deserves another trip. I think I will!

Photo cred: Joshua McKerrow, The Capital Gazette

The William Paca House and Gardens

Some natural beauty, The William Paca House and Gardens

Governor’s Mansion, Annapolis

Life is made up of moments. We live far from family and so we make moments with our little family. I looked on Facebook and Instagram and saw the family get-togethers and the fun memories being made. Make the memories and have the experiences! And, they don’t have to be Pinterest worthy to be amazing!! People seem to be happier with experiences more than stuff. Take time to create that timeless bond with those you love. One of our favorite ways is through road-tripping. And honestly, you don’t have to go far or blow wads of money to make it happen. Find what works for your family.

My two youngest kiddos have discovered a love for photography. That was a fun addition to this trip. These pictures (except for the pics of the restaurants and William Paca house) were taken by them. It made for a fun, new way of discovering the world (aside from the squabbling over the camera!!).

We were missing our oldest this time around. I guess those days are coming. I’m not feeling like I’m very good at sharing, but I will keep working on it. Thank goodness for Face Time, because Mommas don’t like having any of their loves out of pocket! But, I know, the memories we have made over the years will hold him tight. Here’s to the next road trip and gypsy blood–I’m already plotting one!

Amberly reynolds

sweet sage lane

Month: July 2015

Who Do You Trust?

Where Is Your Life?

A Letter To My Loves

Oh! Say Can You See?