.Loved Relentlessly.

Married musicians + a small house = a room of wall-to-wall instruments, music literature, binders full of lyrics. There will probably come a day when we move from our lovely little Jefferson Avenue abode and have more room to spread out our musical paraphernalia , but for now it makes me happy to stack the binders, and move the guitars to get to the bookshelves. The house where music dwells is a glad one. The Lord has been pouring out music in our house lately like never before. My soul leaps at the thought of singing with Dan in our living room or our little office, because I know the Lord is going to meet us there. Songs He brings, revelation He gives...worship in the home with whoever happens to be there is a powerful thing. And it should be the rule, not the exception. It's so very easy to be distracted by the mundane and forget that there is a Lover who longs for our attention, Who longs to spend time with us. In the rush of schedules and traffic and lunch dates and meetin

I know we've only been married for one year...and 3 hours... but already we have learned so many lessons - honestly, more lessons that we ever saw coming. Many people have told us, "The first year is the hardest! After that it just gets better." We are trusting that every day with the Lord going before us will only be better than the day before. I am by no means claiming to have perfected the technique of marriage - because there is no technique. I do, however, want to offer some thoughts on lessons we've learned in these first 12 months to others who may be brand-newly married, engaged to be married, or looking forward to marriage someday in the future. Praise God for His new mercies every morning, and for His grace daily poured out. Dan does not complete me. Before you gasp, let me clarify. Marriage is not the prescription for a completed life. Your spouse cannot and does not fulfill every deepest longing of your heart. I promise, after a couple months of living

Pre -serve: to keep alive or in existence; make lasting. One of the most rewarding experiences I've had this summer is learning to can. Thanks to the advice of my Mom and numerous Internet articles, we have different kinds of jam, salsa made from our garden-grown tomatoes, canned peaches, and soon to be spaghetti sauce in our pantry. It's a simultaneously simple yet lengthy process to preserve food. There are steps to be taken to ensure the safety of things, and steps to ensure the taste. My list-making, task-oriented personality loves it. But after peeling and coring a certain amount of tomatoes, your feet do hurt and your hands do get tired. As cliche as it may sound, the Lord started speaking to me in my kitchen today about how our lives here, in this habitat that is not Home, resemble a preserving process. We are grown, we are matured, we are seen by the King and brought into the Kingdom with intention and with tenderness. We are prepared. We are d

This song speaks to what marriage...family...deep friendship...what these relationships truly are. Our first year of marriage has had its share of ups and downs. We have experienced a myriad of emotions in the last twelve months, and I trust there are only more to come. But God is faithful, He is trustworthy... And when the shadows roll in and the enemy throws doubt and anxiety and worry and fear our way, I am so thankful for a husband who does not throw in the towel and run, but instead says to me... I want to live through this with you. What a precious gift is unconditional love. -HK

Happiness is...mastering the mocha at home. For some...this is a small thing. For me (an admitting coffee-house junkie) it is a long-sought destination. I like *strong* candy coffee - girly coffee with a kick - that has bold espresso flavor, with a good amount of the sweet stuff, too. So for my taste buds, this victory today was cause for much celebration. Here's the recipe I used, for anyone interested. I tweaked a few different recipes I found online, and what I ended up with tastes comparable to Starbucks - better, actually, considering that I still have an extra $4 in my pocket... - Prepare strong coffee (preferably espresso shots in an espresso machine or french pressed...but you can also do a small pot of STRONG espresso roast, drip style. The stronger, the better...) - While coffee is brewing, in a saucepan, combine 1 tsp cocoa, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir together - do NOT heat, yet. - Microwave 1/4 cup water until boiling (about 1 minute). Pour