The long awaited Easter recap

In true Lindsay fashion, I'm bringing you the Johnson Easter recap almost a week late. I know you've all been on the edge of your seats!

I love Easter! I love the fresh swelling feeling of excitement as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior as a church family. It's so easy to lose that in the every day. It's nice to have an opportunity to join together in special focus and celebration of our resurrected Lord!

So after a FANTASTIC church service, we rushed home to put the finishing touches on the house and food before all the family came! We got to host Easter dinner! I feel so grown up.

Wait... I'm not sure I like feeling grown up.

Moving on.

Marie loves having people over. First stop was her room, of course.

Then we had an Easter egg hunt. First Marie sprinted over to the neighbor's house to see if Lucas could join us...

But poor Lucas had the stomach bug. So off hunting we went without him.

Like the bow?? I made it at MOPS! I love MOPS.

I love watching the kids run everywhere and find nothing. It's hilariously cute! 

I don't have any good pics of the whole clan (we had 4 hunters) because our yard is so big, everyone was all spread out! 

I love having a big yard.

All Marie wanted to do after finding her very first egg was sit down and eat what she knew was inside it. It took some effort to keep her hunting. Finally, she had her 12 eggs (well 13, but who's counting?) and as soon as I wasn't watching, she plopped down right in the grass and started chowing down.

Needless to say, she didn't eat a whole lot of the delicious dinner the rest of us enjoyed after the hunt!


It was like, the ideal day.


Church (Thank You, Father, for bringing us to FBC!)
Family (May nothing ever come between us!)
Fun (Thank You, Father, for blessing us with the gift of enjoyment!)
Food (What family gathering is complete without it??)
Celebration (Thank You, Father, that Sunday came!)


I've never really listened to the lyrics of this song until a couple nights ago. Powerful.

Micro Soccer Academy

Since Marie was 18 months old she's been going to Micro Soccer Academy. First at Riverfront...

Her very first class - Jan. 2010

Her very last class at Riverfront - July 2010

It was something that left our Saturday mornings seriously lacking once we moved here to Elkhart. Great exercise, great interaction with other kids, great opportunity to learn structure and listening to other authority. Great, great, great! We wanted it back.

So we decided to start our own class!

1-2-3 Blastoff!

Stretches

Being lions. Roar!

It's so fun! And we love getting to know other families in the area with kiddos just like ours.

I'm so proud of my girl and how much she's grown and improved. I'm so excited for Jack to start!

Our class is Saturday mornings from 9-10 for 2-5yr olds. Eventually we would like to separate the twos and threes from the fours and fives. The twos and threes get to play with a huge parachute!

Derek loves teaching the kids. He's turned into a mushy Dadda. I adore him.

Come play with us! Micro Soccer Academy.

Dainty Rings

My birthday month is almost over *sad face*. But as I always like to extend my birthday for as long as humanly possible (all year long??) I'm going to continue giving these dainty rings away with every purchase until I'm tired of making them. That could be a long time! Or not. I'll let ya know when I know.

So head over to my website and purchase anything your little heart desires and get a happy birthday gift.

(You choose the color - blue, green, silver, copper - and the size)

Do you ever wonder why we celebrate birthdays the way we do? Why do we block out one day every year to honor ourselves for something we had absolutely nothing to do with?

I don't remember jumping up and down and saying, "Pick me! Pick me!" and God finally picking me to be born into this sin-soaked world. Do you?

I am very glad that we celebrate birthdays, don't get me wrong. I just wonder if it makes Jesus a little sad that we play up our own birthdays so much, but often forget all about Him on His "birthday." Just a thought.

{Oh and just so you know, become a fan over on facebook and you'll be entered into the 300 fans giveaway!}

He is not here...

Just as He said!

(Matthew 28:6)

Praise the Lord, Sunday has come!

Happy Easter!

The Jacobs

((Print by Red Letter Words))

The Great Debate

You know the great debate I'm talking about, right?

Did Jesus die on Friday or was it really Wednesday?


Okay, maybe it's not THE great debate, but it's a fairly common one. I think Derek is on the Wednesday side. What do all you theologians out there think?

Me? I say...

WHO CARES?!?

Don't get me wrong. I have all sorts of respect for a good theological debate. But when it comes down to it, it does not matter the exact date and time that Jesus died. What matters is that He did! And that we set aside time to remember and worship Him for it.

Traditionally, today (Good Friday) is the day we remember the torture and death of our Savior. Also today (Aprill 22) is my birthday.

I am humbled.

What else can I say but Thank You, Jesus.

(by TheArtPartOfMe)

I'm forgiven because You were forsaken.
I'm accepted. You were condemned.
I'm alive and well, Your spirit lives within me
Because You died and rose again.


Amazing love, how can it be
That You my King should die for me?
Amazing love, I know it's true.
It's my joy to honor You.
In all I do. I honor You.

Our Blessings Jar

Way back in December I told you about the blessings jar. I promised that I'd show you a pic of ours once I finally got it prettied. I must say, I'm very happy with my work even if it took 4 months and 7 minutes to complete :)

I mean really, have you ever seen such a pretty pickle jar?

This really has been helpful for me. Sometimes when I'm determined to pity myself for whatever silly situation I'm in, jotting down "Mom painted Jack's room. 4/6" is all I need to remember how blessed I really am.

Last night I wrote, "MOPS. I love MOPS." Because I do! And it's been a huge blessing. ((So PLEASE, First Baptist, bring it back next fall!!!))

How have you been blessed recently? Our Father deserves the recognition!

iPad, Internet, Netflix, and more!

So I know all of you have been craving an update on the wonderful life of the Jacobs. Well wait no longer! Lots has been going on around these parts.

Let's start with our "simple life" turning into technology central. We sold our iMac and bought an iPad. We dropped our Verizon account and joined my parents AT&T account which cut our phone bill in less than half AND we get iPhones :) As a result, we were able to get internet (which is packaged with basic cable).

Here I am, lounging on the couch next to Derek, watching The Office on Netflix and typing this up on the internet. Back to the real world... an actually much less productive world.

Next, our babiest is 9 months!

It's getting a lot harder to take these monthly pics as Mr. Active has to grab everything. He's not crawling yet but he finds his way around. He's still so wonderfully happy, and I can't get enough of his squishy little self.

Also, we finally got some decor stuff done around the house. My mom did most of it, of course. But I watched and learned! :) We put some pictures up in the living room that makes it look so much cozier even with minimal furniture. Also we painted Jack's room!

Navy and tan. Notice the little sign on his door with his name on it. Awesome right? Yeah my bestest made it and one for Marie, too. I LOVE THEM.

We've also been working on our very first garden. One of Derek's clients from Reta loves everything about gardening. He says he feels closer to God while he works the land. He was a HUGE help.

Now to plant and pray that it grows!

Tomorrow Derek goes back to school after a wonderful 3 week spring break. Bummer.

Am I really saved?

A few weeks ago Pastor was preaching out of John 15 and talking about fruit-bearing. (Seriously consider listening to the messages on John 15 as he deals with difficult and confusing topics and explains eternal security as it's laid out in Scripture).

photo credit

This hasn't happened since I was a teenager, but I began to wonder if I really was bearing fruit in my life. And suddenly I couldn't remember a single time that God had disciplined me. All through the message I wondered if it was possible that I have been living a lie all this time and never truly accepted Christ.

On the way home from church I started to talk to Derek about this, and no sooner did I open my mouth than I realized how ridiculous it was that I was thinking all of that. I definitely have some serious growing to do, don't get me wrong. But God brought to my mind something that had happened only a couple days before where I literally stopped and thanked God for the confirmation of my salvation. I can't remember the situation at all now, but it was as though God brought it about for the very purpose of bringing it to mind when Satan attacked with these lies of my not being saved.

Since that day, God dumps on extra (times a million!) grace and continually opens my eyes to proof of my salvation. Specific answers to prayer. Seemingly hopeless situations turning miraculous (i.e. our new iPad spending the night in the middle of cr 17, finding it and getting it replaced on the very last day of its warranty). That sense of peace that only God can give.

That brings me to the other night. It was a rough night. But God gave me peace. He heaped on the grace (He seems to enjoy that!) and when I couldn't find the words to pray, He brought me to Ephesians 3...

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

Add an exclamation point and it's like Paul just cried out for me. Later it says...

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

God's response to my falling to my knees. Trust, My child, I know what I'm doing. And it's way better than anything you could do! So rest in My peace.

It's an indescribable place to be.