ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

i opened up one of those "group discount" email promotions today, and this was the first line: Nothing embodies the holiday season like Santa —and nothing gets kids more excited than a personalized letter from Mr. Claus himself. i wasn't ready for my reaction, but my heart literally sank . maybe it's because i'm listening to "Mary did you know" on repeat in preparation for singing it next week at our Bible study? i don't know why it hit me so hard, but the notion that "Nothing embodies the holiday season like Santa"  sickened me. i'm not going to tell you that incorporating santa into your Christmas tradition is bad or evil or terribly misleading for your kids. i've heard all the arguments and i know everyone has their own convictions on the issue, some stronger than others. i've always been sort of indifferent. we don't make a great big deal out of him, but we also don't act like he's an instrument of satan, ...

you have one more day to be my baby... tomorrow morning we'll wake up, we'll get in the car and we'll drive to the hospital, and you'll become a big sister. technically, you won't be my baby anymore. you'll be my big girl... God has equipped you in so many ways to be a big sister. you are kind and thoughtful and compassionate, always looking after others and making sure they're happy and comfortable. you love to help me around the house, and you love little babies. your family is so important to you. i believe you will be Tessa's favorite and best friend, almost by default, and i hope that each day you choose her to be yours too i pray that you grow to be the kind of girl, teenager, woman that she can look up to. you love to do right, and you love positive reinforcement. i pray i can nurture that desire into a love for goodness and mercy and mostly just Jesus. Tessa will need you. you will identify...

i never thought i would be someone who wrote a blog [that people actually read]. i never thought i would go to a conference [about blogging] and force myself to meet perfect strangers. i never thought i would "put myself out there" like this. i never thought i'd pursue friendship with people just because i liked their blog or something that they wrote inspired me. it just didn't seem like something i'd ever do. completely opposite of me, actually. the first friend that i ever "met" through the blog-world was leslie . totally out of character for me, i actually emailed her in response to a beautiful post she'd written that had ministered to me big time . i don't know why i was shocked when she emailed me back with a long and thorough response, completely speaking into my life. it was as if God had given her the very words. in fact, i'm sure He did. we've kept in touch throughout the year. even had coffee a few weeks ago. [sou...

being a parent is a heavy responsibility.  and that's the biggest understatement of the century, right?  it requires all of you: your heart, your mind, your physical body.  it evokes every emotion: heartache, frustration, intense love, desperation, sheer joy.  it takes planning, creativity, wisdom, supernatural strength, and mostly a lot of prayer.  sometimes i feel like i can't give my daughter everything she needs. and i can't. but the beautiful thing is that i was never meant to. that's not how any of us were designed. Jesus is the only one who can give us everything we need. over and over again. if He's the answer for me, then He's the answer for my daughter even though it may look differently at her age. as she's getting older, i'm realizing that i can't protect her from every little thing like i could when she was a baby. she's interacting with other kids, other adults, she's away from me frequently. i can...

** reposted from last christmas when none of you were actually reading :) i imagine the shepherds sitting there. they had just finished their head-count of the sheep tired and cold, they sat on a nearby cluster of rocks and hoped maybe tonight would bring an adventure of some kind something to break up the monotony of the night i wonder if the air whispered strangely i wonder if the sky looked different or if the leaves were rattling in the wind like they do just before a storm i wonder if they had a feeling that for some reason  this  night was significant. somehow. on the timeline of history i wonder what they were talking about that evening i can't help but wonder if they were devout Jewish boys did they, deep down, believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did they know about the promised Messiah that Isaiah prophesied? after 400 years of silence, did they  truly  believe in the God of their forefathers? i c...

if you're new around here, you might not know that i used to write a lot more. there weren't as many craft/decor posts, there were a lot less photos. i mostly just used to write. i happened to be scrolling through some old posts and found this one. i wanted to post it again today in case any of my new friends never got to read it: every time i buy something from the thrift store [which is very often] and repurpose or spray paint it, i can't help but think that Jesus would have been a thrifter/repurposer. he was a carpenter, yes, but i think he would've enjoyed finding old stuff, fixing it up, painting it, and giving it new life and a new home just as much as he enjoyed creating something from scratch. He wouldn't walk into Pottery Barn to buy the brand new, expensive sofa table. no, i think He would set out on a mission, searching from thrift store to thrift store, until He found  just  the piece He was looking for. and very likely, it would be the piece t...

** don't forget to check out yesterday's post  & then go buy your  tutorials and printables for a great cause ** * and please take a look at this really important organization that you need to know about * after blog sugar, i was reminded of this post i wrote a few months ago. it made me want to post it again and share it with you all in case you missed it back in april. your blog is important. your voice is important. and God wants to use you and your blog [that message was repeated several times at blog sugar, which i loved]. photo credit a little encouragement for my fellow bloggers: 1 Timothy 4: 8-16 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance  (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of tho...