Mountain Callings: REMODEL

Oh, hey. Talk about a blogging hiatus. I am back and ready to share a really fun project we are working on. We have bought an adorable log cabin and over the next few weeks and months we will be fixing it up and making it our own.

This house is unlike any other we have done before. A bit of a backstory, I grew up with a dad who was a builder and developer. Much of my childhood was spent going around with my mom, picking out paint colors and cabinets, flooring and exterior finishes. At the time, it was something I did not really enjoy, but as I got older and my mom allowed me to be a part of the process, I started to develop a love for all things home design.  By the time I graduated high school, I think I had lived in 20 different houses. Crazy town! The constant process of building and moving and selling was just part of our lifestyle. I think this is what created such an easy transition for me whenever change happens. I am pretty much go with the flow and am VERY unattached to the homes I have lived in.

When I married Kyle, he was also just getting started in the building business. We built and designed our first home together and it was a really fun process for us. Since our first house, we have moved 8 more times (a couple of them "in between" rentals), built 3 more homes (our last one in Tennessee being one we thought would be our "almost" forever home), and remodeled a cute little cottage in the downtown district of our hometown. We are essentially hooked on houses and love creating unique spaces.

A couple of months ago, a great little log cabin popped up on the market. We had been keeping our eye on the newest listings and the price on this place was almost too good to be true in the crazy housing market where we live. We immediately called our realtor and we were the first people to look at it at 9am! Again, knowing the market here, we were prepared to make an offer if the house had the potential we thought it would. After a quick showing, we knew that this was a place we could make our own.

It's been a bit of a crazy ride trying to finalize negotiations and close on the cabin before our lease is up on the place we are currently renting. As of Friday, we own a little slice of this mountain life and we are so excited to transform it to the rustic modern cabin we envision.

Here are the details!

1500 square feet-3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom-open floor plan in kitchen/living/dining-exterior made up of real, solid wood logs-kept in great condition overall, but needs updating-nice sized lot with the possibility of an addition off the back in the near future

I can guarantee this home will warrant some pretty great before and after photos. Here is how it looks now. These were all taken on my iPhone and are unedited...

Kitchen

Really tall cathedral ceilings in the kitchen/living/dining. It makes the smallish space seem a lot larger. 

Looking from the living room into kitchen and dining

Looking from the hallway into kitchen/living/dining. One thing I loved when we first looked at the cabin was the great natural light that came in through the windows. 

Guest bedroom, and the master is essential the same 

Bathroom, which had recently been updated with new toilet, shower, tile, and sink. We are holding off on doing anything to this yet. It isn't my style but it will work for us for now!

The massive wood stove. It takes up so much room so I have some really cool ideas to take it out and put in a more modern one. 

The kids bunk room. Lovely carpet, right?! That little closet already has plumbing for a sink and toilet in the future. We are making it bigger and just using it as a closet for now. 

This room is HUGE. Tons of storage on both sides. The kids have loved playing hide and seek behind the doors. 

Stairs

Wood, wood, and more wood, right?! When looking at homes, one of the most important things to do is look past the finishes on the floor and paint colors, light fixtures and hardware (or lack thereof). Focus instead on the layout of the home and the potential of what is already there. What this house has is the great texture of the wood log walls. In this day in age, many log homes are kits and aren't real wood. It also has a lot of great tongue and groove planks that will be painted. To install these new, they cost quite a bit, so I knew already having them was a bonus. The floor plan gave me a really decent sized kitchen with lots of cabinet space. To me, kitchen size is key. As a mama to 3, I spend ALOT of time in there. Yes the cabinets were (more) stained wood (but paint and modern cabinet hardware works wonders!) and the appliances were brand spankin' new (more money saved). The open floor plan also worked well for us. I loved the idea of putting all the kids upstairs together. Again, this room is huge so they will have plenty of space. They are still young, are all on the same sleeping schedule, and creating an area that is for both genders got me really excited. I will be channeling the look and feel of a 1970's bunk camp in there. As for the other two bedrooms, Kyle and I don't need a huge master. That is something we have realized over the course of our moves. We sleep in there. As long as there is room for our king sized bed and a dresser or two, we are good to go! With this house, we could finally have a designated guest room. Living far away from family and friends, we needed a space for visitors that wasn't just kicking Hannah Cate out of her room so someone could have somewhere to sleep. The one bathroom didn't bother me either. We all usually end up in the same one anyways! 

Our last home was 3,000 square feet. This one is 1,500. Half the size. I honestly don't mind it one bit. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the United States. Wide open national forests and outdoor spaces and things to do are right at our doorstep. On the weekends, we are hiking or biking or skiing, etc. In two years, all 3 kids will be in school during the day. Our time at home will be a lot less than what it has been in the past. Crazy how quickly things can change. A dear friend made me a sign that quotes "Love grows best in little houses." This is what works best for us right now. And I am pretty pumped to have less to clean every week! 

Our demoing started over the weekend and after today, we should be done with that part of the process. Things have got to look really ugly before they start looking good again when it comes to home renovating. Stay tuned for updates along the way. I'm excited to share the process with all of you readers! 

dreamers + doers: Morgan

I have known Morgan since those early high school days. Although she was a few years younger, we ran with the same crowd and from the beginning, I think she would agree when I say we had a unique kind of bond. During crazy high school and college parties, we all too often found ourselves having these deep heart to heart conversations. I have seen her grow into such a beautiful wife and mother. She is an incredibly anointed writer and shares her heart and God's truth on an almost daily basis. Really, Morgan is one amazing warrior for Christ, a true living example of love and grace and mercy and gospel. I am so thankful our friendship has lasted throughout all these years. Don't let this post be the last you read of hers...His Hands, His feet, His heart is a true testimony of God's power. Her blog will bless you BIG. 

“He will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”- Psalm 138:8

When I was around eight years old, I began to develop a dreadful fear of throwing up. I realize most people, if not all, would not claim to like vomit, but this went deeper. Every night, I would make my mom promise that I was not going to get sick. Sometimes, I would come downstairs in fear, claiming that I thought, “it was going to happen”. I am not sure why this plagued me so, and I cannot remember if I truly had stomachaches or if it was the whole “mind over matter” concept; but I can tell you that at the time, it was as real as any struggle I have walked through since.

Fast forward 20 years or so. In August of 2012, we found out we were going to have twins. I spent the first 20 weeks of pregnancy nauseated to the crux, over the toilet about 12 of those weeks. We all laughed about the irony of that eight year old girl and the things she had no idea awaited. The truth is, while it was miserable, it sadly became a way of life, and what used to haunt me became the norm. When I look at verses like Psalm 138:8, I often think back on the things that used to stress me out. I find so much comfort in the fact that God does not limit those things He is going to perfect. He does not say, “I will perfect those things that actually have significance” or, “I will perfect those things that you aren’t being dramatic about and are actual problems”. No. If it concerns you, it concerns Him.

For those of you that do not know the story God is leading our family through, you might want to click here before you move on. As an outside looking in, I can assure you that the details of our family’s life are too much for me. If someone else were walking through the days that we walk through, and I had not been given the wisdom that I have, I would most definitely give a good southern, “Bless your heart” to myself. But God. Our Sovereign Lord, in His perfect wisdom, did choose this lot for me. He chose a life full of doctor’s appointments and therapies, feeding difficulties and troubles in illness, unknowns and uncertainties. There are days that it feels just too much. Moments that I take a step back and truly feel like I cannot handle one more second of our reality. Yet as time has gone on and I have watched God literally carry us through different layers of this journey, I am more and more convinced that these specific details are His kind, loving, gracious, merciful way of, “perfecting that which concerns me”. Many people say that they could not do it. They hear different pieces of this day to day life and it sounds like a foreign world that would be best avoided all together. Yet, I am here to tell you that at the end of the day, I would not trade a bit of this life because I know in the depths of who I am that He is writing these details and that His plans are good. I often tell people, usually with tear-filled eyes, that in giving me twins with special needs, God ultimately gave me a gift that I could never repay Him back for: the gift of constantly having something in my life that makes me long for eternity. Without our girls, I shamefully say that I would have been tempted to live a comfortable, Christian life. Now, I recognize how boring that sounds and how much more fulfilling this adventure He has led us to is! There is so much freedom in living a life in which this truth pulsates through your very being: I am fully, wholly dependent on the God who made me on a second by second basis. Each and every day, I wake up and know to my core that without Him I cannot do this life. What joy that brings! This suffering, my friends, is a privilege. The world might scream otherwise but my soul breathes out this truth as we walk through these moments and experience intimacy with Him like we have never known. Jesus.

And, when I forget this beautiful truth, often in moments where the world’s perception has clouded my vision, I go back to these living, active words:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who fo the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…”- Hebrews 12:1-2a

Friends, the cloud of the world is nothing in light of the brightness and beauty of our God. He has paved this path for us and now, instead of fearing the next “bad” thing, I can know that,

“God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.”-Psalm 46:5

In all things. At all times. In all ways.

Friends, what season are you walking through that feels like too much? What areas of your life are you looking to God to in bitterness instead of trusting that He is perfecting that which concerns you? Beyond that, what is concerning you that you are not laying at His feet? My prayer for each of you today is that you would find joy in the journey, with full assurance that your disabilities are nothing in light of His abilities. My heart’s desire for you- yes, you!- is that the eyes of your heart would be opened to the adventure in the details, sometimes most especially the hard ones. He is working in all things, and He is worthy. Let’s raise open hands up in praise today, joyfully trusting the works of His hands and the intentions of His heart.

Taking stock

These images are so cozy and gorgeous, I just had to share. Our home has all wooden walls like these pictures show and a great black wood stove. I'm probably in the minority here, but I love winter days and I am not looking to spring quite yet. 

couldn't find original source for this.

via architectural digest

Drinking: water and water and water. Boring, I know.

Making: these super adorable Minecraft Valentine's with my 2 favorite boys 

Reading: unfortunately, nothing right now. Have any good book suggestions?! 

Wanting: To go camping. 

Watching: Chef. Who doesn't love a food truck?! The language is not good, but seeing Carl Casper overcome his failure and run with his dream, so inspiring. And it made me hungry. For beignets, and cuban sandwiches. 

Listening: Stop whatever you are doing and go get the Serial podcasts. I'm serious. It's that good. I listened to while I cleaned, while I cooked, while I got ready, for 4 days straight. It had me hooked from the first episode. Something about Sarah Koenig's voice as the narrator and each of the characters and the twists and turns and mystery of the case...so addicting. Then go google the SNL skit about it. Hilarious. But apparently Sarah Koenig didn't think so. 

Eating: eggs and Aidell's chicken and apple sausage. YUM. 

Smelling: K.mac's delicious smelling candles. Every single one I have gotten has been amazing. 

Enjoying: This crazy warm weather we are having. It got up to 50 yesterday! Felt like spring!  

Loving: My Thursdays. All 3 kids are in school. They have fun, I catch a breather. A win-win for everyone. 

Hoping: To keep on getting my body in shape. I know you are ready for me to stop talking about whole30, but seriously, it has changed my life. It's just nice to take care of myself and get myself healthy, for Kyle and my kids. Such a great feeling. 

Needing: Some wardrobe updates. All I wear is black and grey. I need color! 

Feeling: Thankful. To live where we do. And for new relationships. It's just so good. 

Wearing: These leggings from White House Black Market. They surpass all other leggings on the market. Thick, slimming, wear with everything.The black doesn't fade, like at all. I just purchased my second black pair and got the gray pair at buy one, get one 50% off. 

Bookmarking: I LOVE tests that tell me a little more about my personality. I just have thing for trying to "figure myself out" all the weird, odd things about me. This is a good one! I'm a type 7...The Enthusiast. It is SO me. 

dreamers + doers: Anna

I am so excited to welcome Anna to Mountain Callings today. Fun fact: her Mama and I went to Ethiopia for the first time together back in 2011. I have loved watching her and Ryan grow their nonprofit, One Heart Africa, into what it is today. Her passion for Africa is contagious and I just know that super HUGE things are on the horizon for her. I'll let Anna take it from here!

"So, when are you coming here?" 

I was sitting in my very exciting Western Civ class at Lee University when this Facebook message from an old friend I hadn't talked to since our high school graduation popped up on my laptop. Obviously, I was way too committed to learning about Gothic vs. Renaissance Architecture to reply (hahahaha jk). The truth is, this random message was a very welcome distraction from the inward search for meaning that was happening inside of my brain at that moment. It was the spring semester of my second year in college, I still hadn't even come close to declaring a major, and my life revolved around whatever guy I was dating at the time and the fact that I was a vain little 19-year-old girl that could play guitar. Livin big, y'all. Up until this point in my life, I had always been the overachiever. But, college was different. It was hard. I actually had to study. Making friends was more difficult than I thought it would be, AND they expect me to choose what I was going to do with my life. Say what?! No, thanks. I'll just talk to people on Facebook all day. Which brings us back to Mr. Randompants' message up there.

"Come where? Lol," I replied. Because everything makes you "lol" when you're chatting with a cute boy online, right?

"Africa! I remember you telling me before we graduated that you had always wanted to come here."

He was absolutely right. I could specifically remember that conversation. We had about ten minutes left in choir, so our teacher gave us a little bit of free time before the bell rang. Since high school graduation was only a few weeks away, I was talking with all of my fellow altos about their plans when one of them mentioned that Ryan Carmichael was going to be heading to South Africa and Swaziland for a nine-month missionary training program instead of going the traditional college route. I was SO jealous. I had always been obsessed with Africa. I watched documentaries on tribes when I was in elementary school just for fun, LOVED when missionaries from Africa came and talked to my GA class, and The Lion King was totes obvi my favorite movie/soundtrack of all time. So, I marched up to Ryan, confessed my jealousy, and informed him that I would be hardcore Facebook stalking him while he was there--a promise I totally kept.

My reply to his question consisted of a lot of junk about how I wanted to be done with college and married before I spent more than two weeks overseas. Really, what I was saying was, "Hey, Ryan. I'd really like to go to Africa, but I am far too terrified to do what I feel like God has been telling me to do from a very young age because it doesn't make sense as far as 'my plan' goes and my parents would get mad and I would have to break up with my boyfriend and it costs money and stuff." Sidenote: I'm serious about that "young age" thing, too. Check it out:

 Ryan (thankfully) didn't buy it. He encouraged me to look up trips with Adventures in Missions (AIM), the organization that he had originally gone to South Africa and Swaziland with in 2008-2009. Now, it was 2010 and he was back in South Africa and Swaziland by himself to continue the work that had been established during his previous trip. Whatta hunk. Five minutes after our conversation, I was signed up for a three-month trip to Kenya in the fall. (Quick note to all college students out there: I do not support or endorse signing up for trips to Africa on impulse.)

Kenya was a major turning point in my life. First of all, it was just downright awesome. We spent our first week living in tents in the middle of "the bush" with the Maasai tribe. Hello, National Geographic dream world. I would literally wake up every morning with "Circle of Life" playing in my head. If it wasn't playing in my head, I would plug my iPod into external speakers and play it really loudly so that everyone could hear. We saw zebras and giraffes on the side of the road and got to name brand new babies while huddled inside mud huts. This was the Africa I had dreamed about.

I'm pretty sure we might have named every baby in that village Esther. 

Our view from tentville. 

We spent the following week with the Turkana tribe (which was VERY different from the Maasai) and then returned to our home base in Kijabe for the remainder of our time. For the most part, we spent our days teaching at local preschools, working at the missionary hospital in town, or handing out food at the nearby IDP camp (refugees in their own country). Seeing the poverty and hearing each person's story was heartbreaking. I met a 14-year-old girl who had quit school to take care of her four younger brothers because their parents had either died or left. I locked eyes with sick babies who were in their final days as I held them and prayed over them and their mommas. I talked to women who had been raped and beaten and were forced to be silent. Their stories changed me. But, the wisdom and encouragement of my amazing team and the way God spoke to my heart during that time changed me more.

Here's what I learned in Kenya: Without God's voice in our lives, guilt overpowers conviction, opportunity seems more like obligation, and we worry about what I can do instead of what He wants to do through us. We compare the junk of each other's lives instead of celebrating each other's unique giftings. Comparing my life and junk with others is exactly what I had been doing. My intense passion for Africa and education and job creation was a gift. Maybe not what I felt was a useful gift at the time, but it was still a gift. The dreams I had about spending my life on this continent were not stupid, they were on purpose. Now, all I had to do was walk in that. I chose to return to Lee and pursue this awesome opportunity I had of earning a college degree. I had no idea what was going to happen after that, but I simply asked God to use me. That's it.

The day I returned to Cleveland from Kenya was so weird. I felt like a stranger in my own hometown and remember thinking, "Wow, there's a lot of white people here." To celebrate my homecoming, my family had arranged to go out to dinner that night at a place of my choosing. For some reason I chose Chili's. Now, let's get something straight... I do not even remotely like Chili's and I'm not sorry for saying that. But, alas, I chose Chili's and off we went to that fine dining establishment. Guess who was there? None other than the person who encouraged me to go to Africa in the first place, Ryan Carmichael. I. Was. PUMPED! Another human being who could relate with me! We were seated by a window when I saw him leaving. Naturally, I knocked on the window and showed him my new keychain in the shape of Africa and mouthed very dramatically, "I'm back!" Nailed it. He did a "hang loose" sign with his hand while saying "cool" and walked away. Not quite the reaction I had expected, but I still told my family that night that I was going to marry him.

Apparently, I wasn't too much of a dummy at Chili's because he messaged me that night on Facebook (Facebook clearly rules my generation) and asked for my number so that we could talk about "re-entry" and our experiences in Africa. I gladly obliged. Over the next few months we shared our dreams with each other--dreams that consisted of free education, job creation, and throwing a wrench in the poverty cycle all while sharing the Gospel. And guess what happened? Our dreams aligned. It was on purpose and it was beautiful.

Ryan also shared with me that he and a good friend in Swaziland, Mancoba, were in the beginning stages of building a preschool in Mozambique. Mancoba was a boy Ryan met while teaching at his high school in 2009. At that time, Mancoba was living in a closet at his church because his family had kicked him out due to his Christian faith. This boy was different from the others. Instead of wanting to go to America or Europe and get rich like many of his peers, he told Ryan that he felt called to the neighboring country of Mozambique. Through a series of really crazy events, they acquired a piece of land in a small, rural village called Licilo and started a feeding program while building a preschool with $200ish a month.

Um... yes. All day, yes. Sign me up right now.

In December 2011/January 2012, a year after we started dating, we decided to visit Mancoba and the school that had been under construction for over a year in Mozambique. We arrived in Licilo to find this beautiful thing.

Let's be honest... It looked more like a storage shed than a school. But, we were still excited to see the progress being made. As soon as we got to Licilo, we knew there was something different about this village than the other villages we had visited in years past. There were kids playing at the school, but none of them seemed interested in us. In fact, they were terrified of us. I had to whip out the old digital camera trick for them to even approach me. In addition, there were hardly any men around. After asking a bunch of questions, we found out that the majority of men in this village go to South Africa to work in the mines. Many of them don't come back because they either get sick and pass away, or start a new family in South Africa. If the men do come back, many times they bring tuberculosis and HIV with them. We also found out on this trip that there were many orphans in Licilo, the malaria rate in was astronomical, there was no access to clean water, and little access to healthcare. Whoa, talk about some huge problems. When we all returned to our host family's house that night, it happened again--we started to dream. Ryan, Mancoba, and myself dreamed about the school, fresh water, men not having to leave to find jobs, malaria being eradicated, and, most of all, bringing hope back to this village. Our hearts were on fire when we got back out of excitement for the future, and also because Ryan asked me to marry him in Africa. Not too shabby, Carmichael.

When we got back to America, I felt really overwhelmed. I was thrown back into school and work, had to start planning a wedding, and felt this really heavy burden for Licilo every single day of my life. We started asking different people, churches, and organizations for help, but doors just kept getting shut. So, here we are, a 21 and 22-year old couple having no idea what to do next. All we had was a blog and our own social media outlets. We named our project "One Heart Africa" and started talking about it to other people, and then those people started talking, too. People started asking us how they could donate to helping finish the school and dig wells for Licilo. It was incredible.

That was the only the beginning of God's plans for One Heart Africa. Since finishing the first classroom in the fall of 2012, we have seen three fresh water wells dug (two in Licilo, one in Siteki, Swaziland) with another one on the way and bought a 25-acre farm in Swaziland where we grow nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables for families affected by HIV and employ two full-time farmers. Sharing Hope Preschool in Licilo has grown from 18 to 100 students in just two years and trains and employs four local mommas. The feeding program at the school continues to this day and has served over 15,000 meals for the children of Licilo (who we lovingly refer to as our Mozambabies). Because of how OHA has grown, we are planning to move to Africa in Spring 2016. Guys, God is good!

Mancoba, Ryan, and me with our Mozambabies at Sharing Hope Preschool

Clean water for Licilo!

Our head farmer, Khosini, water spinach plants in one of our greenhouses in Swaziland

Sharing Hope Preschool today!

I'm not gonna lie, y'all - working across two continents can be super hard and stressful. It took an huge amount of research and work to establish this organization, and it takes a lot of work to run it. I feel way under qualified and not ready. Sometimes, I want to quit so bad. There are days where I doubt that this is what I'm supposed to be doing and even doubt my faith all together. Most of the time I'm consumed with paperwork and emails and newsletter content and blocking out haters and dishes and laundry. But, then I take time to look back and thank God for using someone whose life is so messy and ugly. It is in those moments, where we sit at the feet of Jesus and allow ourselves to rest, that we are restored. His grace surrounds us, and we can emerge feeling strong and renewed. His grace is sufficient over and over and over again.

As I wind up, I just want to share a few simple things to remember about yourself as you head out into the world and pursue your dreams:

1. You are purposefully gifted.

It may not be in what some would consider to be the "traditional" sense. Who cares? God did that on purpose. Work what you got, girl (or boy)!  

2. Dreams take time and hard work.

Like... a lot of time and hard work. And failure. And starting from scratch. Surround yourself with a team of wise people and keep pressing on.

3. Your dreams don't have to be dramatic.

A lot of the times we think that we have to dream to be an actress or a crazy successful entrepreneur to be living our dreams. No way, Jose. Find your gifting, commit it to the Lord, refine it, and live it.

4. Haters gonna hate.

There will always be people who discourage and disagree with you. That's okay. Just blare some TSwift and dance around a little bit. It will help, I promise.

So, that's my [very long] story. Thanks so much for reading! If you want to hear more about One Heart Africa or keep up with all of the Mozambique and Swaziland happenings, visit our website, "like" us on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram.

Now, go change the world! :)

Anna Carmichael
Co-Founder, One Heart Africa

Wanderings: Slide Lake

Saturday was BEAUTIFUL, not a cloud in the sky and fairly warm. We were itching to get outside with the kids for a fun family day. The outdoor possibilities of places to go and be adventurous and active here are seriously endless. After several recommendations from friends, we decided to rent some snowshoes and go to Slide Lake. Seeing that there has been very little snowfall here in the past couple of weeks, we probably could have saved the 40 bucks and not rented the snowshoes and just hiked in our boots. You live and learn. Just a little info for those interested...Slide Lake is located in the Bridger-Teton National forest. This is a natural lake created by a landslide in 1925 which dammed the Gros Ventre river. This area is so different than the Teton views we are used to seeing, but still just as awesome. It has a great backroad to get to it (goodness knows I love me a good backroad). We had a blast and made some really great memories. Kyle thinks it was probably a 2 mile hike, roundtrip. The kids were troopers and we only heard minor complaints and requests to be carried on the trek back. :)

We didn't obey the signs and went off the trail to find a spot to sit for a bit and let the kids play. They had so much fun sliding down the hills on their bellies like penguins. We got some great video coverage of that to send to the grandparents. We also brought stuff to make hot chocolate so that was a big hit. All 3 kid are becoming quite the outdoor enthusiasts. 

I still pinch myself sometimes, that hey, we ACTUALLY live here. The things our kids are experiencing are unlike any other. To us, it is truly one of the best gifts we could give them.

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Looking ahead to Thursday, I can't wait to share the first dreamers and doers guest blogger! She is a girl after my own heart, with a crazy love for Africa. I can't wait to introduce her to you. The lineup of ladies throughout the month of February is incredible, each with a unique dream, passion, and purpose. Show them some love and cheers in the comments section here and on social media outlets. 

Also, if you haven't already, head over to Facebook and "like" the Mountain Callings page. I would SO appreciate it if you did and maybe even hit that sweet little share button. :) I also decided to change my instagram handle to Mountain Callings to streamline things a bit. I'll still be posting the same, maybe even a bit more often over there on the IG (my favorite form of social media). One of my goals in 2015 is to grow this space on the internet. I struggled for a bit, praying for God to reveal what He wanted this to look like, not that I want to be known, but that I want to make HIM known. I believe with all my heart that my journey He writes for me (and your journey He writes for you) is meant to be shared. I know that this is the outlet for me, for now anyways, to share His truth. All that to say, thank you for supporting me so far. xoxo

Mountain Callings: Our God Story

Parksville Lake, photo creds: Julia Lowe

The mountains have been calling for as long as I can remember. Generationally it was born in my bones. My first summer alive I spent there on those waters, mountains surrounding all sides, growing up learning the names of them all...Big Frog, Sugarloaf, Chilhowee. Teenage years brought rides in cars with best friends and boys, windows down, music blaring, up to those mountains. In college, I spent the summer in North Carolina as a camp counselor. Waking up on top of the Blue Ridge mountains, seeing that fog from above, that soul slow. Soon after, I saw the Tetons for the very first time. They sucked me in, sucked us in. And we couldn't not go back. So he and I took that ten day trip. It was there that he asked me to be his wife, in front of those Tetons, right by Jackson lake. It was then that our dreams really started to take root and we could see ourselves there for the long haul. 

Engagement, Chape of the Sacred Heart, Grand Teton National Park

Engagement spot, C was 6 months old

So we dreamed and kept right on dreaming that dream of moving to that last true mountain town...as we joined in marriage, fought cancer, after baby boy #1 and baby boy #2, through adoption and building Tennessee homes and new jobs and experiences. We grew our family, along with our dream. 

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"When you hold your dreams with open hands, you let them breathe, grow, and have life. This can be scary because living things move, change, and take shapes we can’t predict or control. But what good is a dream if it doesn’t grow along with us?"-Emily Freeman
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SO many times we tried to do this whole chasing our dream on our own accord, on our own time line. Each time, we failed. I am pretty sure our parents and closest friends got tired of hearing about it. Bless 'em. For a while, this shocked me, that all the mechanisms of a move across the country didn't add up. For a while, I threw some pity parties and temper tantrums, crying out to God, questioning Him. How naive and immature of me. Truthfully, how sinful. So after our last attempt to hitch our wagon and move west failed, we began to come to peace that Tennessee was where we were suppose to be (for the time being) and we started to settle down after a year of uncertainty.  We found land. We built our dream home. We plugged into new schools for the kids and new community and friendships. Things started falling into place and feeling ever so comfortable.  And then God...

Kyle got a call from the company he had interviewed with TWO YEARS prior. They were basically wanting him to come out to meet one more time, discuss details of this job. The timeline of it all is a blur, but it went something like this...we put the house up for sale. It sold. Within a month. All God. We took the trip. He had the job. A dream job for him. All God. We found a house. All God. That community and those dear friendships rallied around us, cheered us on (although many times with teary eyes). They helped us pack and load the Uhaul. They kept our kiddos. They prayed over us, for us. All God. 

And before we knew it, we were rolling down the highway, headed for those mountains. Across states we had never been, towns we had never seen. The five of us. Watching our dream unfold as the hundreds of miles passed us by. This was really happening. 

There is something about those mountains that say anything is possible. I love this quote from Emily Freeman "...we want to be a couple brave enough to move toward what makes us come alive..." Oh how true that is for us and oh how He he has made us brave. We are called to greatness. We are called to live a life of feeling ALIVE. We are called to live these crazy awesome dreams God has called us to. For our tribe, that plan was to move across the country, away from family and all we've ever known.

So now what? What is life like for us here? It is simply put, messily perfect. Messily perfect only because He made it so. Because that is what He has called us to. We have found a church. So different from what we had before and it's good, so good. We have found friends, slowly but surely. A body of believers that have put themselves out there for us, to help us feel more at home here. We have found ourselves surrounded by a mission field of lost souls that He is calling us to love big. Our time outdoors has been multiplied. Our kids are experiencing things they never could have experienced elsewhere. They are happy. Kids are wildly resilient. Life is much slower, much more simple and much less materialistic. People come as they are, no frills or facades, and accept you that way as well. We have found much freedom here, more than I ever thought possible. 

Through all of this, the Lord has been speaking softly to me. He has been persistent with me in this whole biblical concept of seeking and finding Him and being obedient to His dreams for our lives. When we are walking in complete faith and obedience, when we are at peace with His timing and His plan, when we are seeking Him with our whole heart (not just part of it), that's when real freedom comes. 

So I don't know what it may be that He is calling you to do. My prayer though, is that you can read our story and see His ultimate hand on it all and that it will encourage you and move you toward Him. Toward what He has for you. That dream that you have deep within your soul, let Him make it come true. Be brave to take the first step. Listen to the calling, whatever it may be. For us, it was and is and will continue to be these mountains. 

Taking Stock

When in doubt, take the back roads. 

Making: Stuffed Pepper soup, whole30 compliant. A little of this, a little of that. So good and easy and warm to the belly on these cold winter nights. Here is my concocted recipe:

1 onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

package of ground turkey

-Brown all of this together in a pot with coconut oil. 

4 potatoes, cubed up pretty small

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

1-2 red (or green or yellow) bell pepper, chopped

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes (I like the fire roasted kind)

Salt and peppa and any other spices you have on hand and want to try out. 

-Throw all this in with the turkey/onion/garlic and coat well with the tomato paste. And allow all the flavas to "mesh"

Cover with chicken broth.

Add in 1/2 cup coconut milk (this made it a little creamier and sweeter! loved this addition to soups!)

Let it simmer away until potatoes are done. The husband and I topped ours withs some Frank's hot sauce to kick it up a notch. 

Every single member of our tribe gobbled this goodness up and there are plenty of leftovers for lunch today. 

Drinking: La Croix coconut...new fave. 

Reading: It Starts with Food.  

Wanting: Nachos. The craving is real. I think about them all the time and in my dreams. This will be my first cheat meal off Whole30, FOR SURE. 
Watching: Once Upon a Time. Started out good, but the Anna and Elsa story line is a bit much to me. 
Listening: Kidz Bopp on XM radio. The kids and I jam to this.
Eating: more veggies than I ever have in all my life. 
Smelling: Went HERE and spent a good 30 minutes smelling all the goodness in their apothecary shop. Came home with THIS. It was time for a new scent in my life and great packaging to boot. 
Enjoying: Watching my boys ice skate and get better and better each week of practice. Such a fun new sport for them. 

Loving: Our new church here. The Lord has really been working on my heart in regards to church and how I view it. 
Hoping: For new relationships as we start leading a community group here next month. God has been so gracious in going before us and bringing people into our lives.  Forming friendships in a new town is a total 'put yourself out there' kind of thing. Probably the hardest aspect of being the new folks in town. 
Needing: A hair cut and color. Desperately. I have gray hairs. It scares me a little. 
Feeling: A little sickly. Not able to shake off a nasty cough that keeps me up at night. The combo of cough suppressant meds, essential oils, and homemade elixirs just barely touch it. 
Wearing: If you know me well, you know my love for jewelry. Since moving here, I'm lucky if I have on any earrings at all. If I do, its my Nickel and Suede earrings in signature gold. Lightweight and soooo pretty. I have my eye on those cognac cut outs next.  
Bookmarking: Mark's Daily Apple. Not normally a site I would spend much time on, but after reading one of his articles on oils and cooking and using them in food, I want to spend some time here learning more. 

Head Cheerleader for the dreamers and doers

I want to be head cheerleader of the dreamers and doers.

I want to cheer and encourage that high school senior, the homeschool mom, that empty nester, the retired grandmother. I want to tell them to chase after those dreams. Those BIG, crazy, scary dreams.

We live in a selfish and fast 'I want it and I can get it right now' technological world.  Because of this, I think it is harder for us to wait, to trust, to have faith, that the same Jesus that healed the sick and walked on water can indeed perform miracles in our lives today. It makes us want to put a BIG God in a tiny box. Our dreams we once had as young children simply stop because we get too busy and impatient to simply see God work in mighty ways and have our dreams come to fruition. I am so guilty of this. I want things done in "Amy-time."

We also let fear grab hold of us so tightly and get so consumed with the 'what-ifs' and the 'what will so and so think' and the big one... 'WHAT IF I FAIL.'

I have found that it is a combination of those things that leave people stuck, unfulfilled, and downright comfortable in a tidy, well packaged life. This is not God's plan for our lives, friends. He wants us to live a life of full surrender and abandon. He wants us to be a bright light in a dark world. He wants us to get uncomfortable and messy. He wants us to live a life of PURPOSE, for Him.

I have been alive for 31 years. I have had a roller coaster of life experiences. It is through those things that I know these things to be true...

Be brave enough to dream.    
Don't base your life on other people's expectations.    
Be intentional, be intentional, be intentional.
Believe that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. -Luke 1:45
God will confirm, restore, strengthen, and establish you. -1 Peter 5:10
There is so much going on behind the scenes. God is ALWAYS at work, even when it seems He is silent.
{And never, ever underestimate the power of driving down the road with windows down and music blaring to clear your head and slow your soul.}

Yes there will be naysayers and negative Nelly's and people who call you crazy and want you to know that what you are doing is a terrible mistake. Don't listen to them. Instead, find "your people."

My TN people! I've got some beautiful friends! 

It will be those people who will pray you through. It will be those people that rally with you in your dreams. They aren't perfect, but guess what, neither are you! Grab your megaphone and pompoms and cheer for people. There is room for you. I think this world needs a few more head cheerleaders.

****The Lord has laid it upon my heart to share the stories of women I know that are living their dreams and giving Him the glory. I want to allow them to use this space at Mountain Callings to share their hearts, in the hope that one of their stories may touch you in a way that moves you. That maybe you will see a flicker of one of your dreams in them and it will prompt you to chase it like crazy. As I thought through this idea, He one by one brought these women to my mind. They are all incredible. Some have started non-profits, others small business, some are stay at home mama's. They are all lovers of Christ. They are all living such beautiful lives, for Him.

As these next weeks unfold, I can't wait to introduce them all to you. And if you have a story that He is wanting you to tell, I would love more than anything for you to write your heart here. Shoot me an email if you feel led. In the meantime, grab your people. Cheer them on. Let them cheer YOU on. Dream and do and dream and do again. For Him. All for Him.

Be blessed!