Our Sunday Peace

The Freemans ventured out seeking Shalom again today. Our second Sunday and what a beautiful, peaceful day it was!! We were all a bit tired from being late night party animals Saturday which meant that our day came with it’s fair share of whining and water breaks. We still had a good time and definitely came home to partake in wonderful naps =)  …..after Cracker Barrel of course….

Fort Yargo was our destination today. They have an awesome historical cabin where they have folks come in and teach about how people cooked in the olden days, made fires, shelters, gardens, and even archery. Cute place…and great place to take photos!

  

Searching for roly-polies…

How to build a shelter…

Super cool, and beautiful, hike!!!

   

Noah chased this butterfly around for a few minutes and then stuck his finger out and the butterfly just sat there and let Noah ‘pet’ him. So cute…Noah was so excited!

Stayed up toooooooo late….my little party animal was pooped!

Talking about Lazarus….

Not quite sure (yet) what our destination will be for next Sunday but the boys are already excited and can’t wait!!

Shalom…

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!  ~Albert Einstein

Seeking Shalom on Sunday…The Freemans are off…every Sunday that is.

We have started ‘our church’ I guess you could say.

And here is my confession!!! =) 

Connecting with my spirituality in a structured environment has always been a problem for me. I know it is completely different for everyone - but for me, I never enjoyed traditional church and never felt as though I was spiritually comfortable.  I never got the act of singing hymns from a hymnal where everyone sounded so monotone and awful, I hated reading as a congregation where no one even understood or listened to what they were really reading,  and did I ever really listen and take to heart any of the service??….honestly, not really.

Then, once kids were thrown into the mix – WOW! The stress of getting everyone ready Sunday morning, getting to church, and then worrying about leaving them while crying, germs, what-have-you – where was the enjoyment?? Sooooo not worth it for me. I got nothing out of it but stress and then half my Sunday was gone. I see where the community aspect comes into play. It is a great way to meet new friends, but still, not worth it if it is a stressful community. We’ve tried contemporary…which we somewhat enjoyed, but the stresses where still there.

I have found in the past few years that I feel the most connected with my spirituality in my every day environment, Caglewood, alone time, in nature, and with my amazing family. I feel moved through music and freedom and LOVE the guitar strums over a campfire in my most favorite church, nature. Nature is where I feel closest to God, I feel enlightened and whole and most of all, I feel at peace.

So here it is – our church! We have decided that every Sunday from here on out, weather permitting, we will be hopping in the car in our most comfortable clothes, throwing in some awesome music, driving to an outdoor hiking destination, taking in all we can from God’s amazing creation, playing, and enjoying our lives together. No structure, no monotone reading as a group – just complete FREEDOM and peaceful focus. This past Sunday we took in the beauty of Elachee…

At the end of our hike, Paul will give a little devotion. My amazing husband is such a good realist when it comes to Christianity (or any religion) and portrays events that seem unbelievable in such a realistic way. He has taught me not to always look at things the way they are written and that questioning is ok and completely normal and is most definitely needed!! The biblical stories are not meant to always be taken literally. The boys think of any questions they have (nothing is off limits) and they discuss. Nobody is wrong or right – it is just a discussion. Crafts may be thrown in the mix some mornings by ‘yours truly’ =)

 

Afterwards….we head to Cracker Barrel for an awesome Sunday meal!! Oh yeah!! Some days…maybe a picnic.

 

The most perfect church service for our little family… and that is just it, our family! We get to stay together, worship together, explore together, all in peace and as a family. No rules…no judgment.

   

Friends and family are always welcome!!! And hopefully in the future we can have a group of guitars and amazing folks out searching for peace together =)

A new tree growing out an old tree stump….awesome….

 

A lot of exploring and playing…

      

  

     

Fort Yargo this upcoming weekend…can’t wait!!! =)

SIX weekend!!!!

I have a SIX year old boy!!!! I can’t believe it…These six years have been a blast, crazy, interesting, emotional, stressful, loving, and amazing. I love you big boy! You keep me on my toes and you have taught me so many things over the past 6 years… including the first 5 elements on the periodic table =)

Super NINJA fun this past weekend! What an awesome party – I think everyone had a blast!

Eli recieved special treatment and was able to teach all of his buddies some smooth moves…

Check out these awesome jumps!!!!!….

Serious concentration….

 

Board Breaking….

 

Awesome Dodge ball..

 

And of course some lady lovin’ time for little munchkin…

 

Lovin’ his presents!! Hasn’t stopped Lego building since the party. Thank you to all of you that were able to attend!!! We love you all and you made his birthday so incredibly special, he will never forget it!!!