be back soon...

it has been over a month since my last post, i think that is the longest time between posts. ever.

i have often thought of quitting this whole blog thing, since i have not been very good at it lately.

but i found after taking about a month off that i am really missing it. really i do.

i realized as i began writing this today that i celebrate three years of blogging this month. wow.

hopefully as i begin my fourth year of blogging i will be able to come back from this break refreshed and with lots of things to say.

i am sorry for an unannounced break and appreciate those of you who continue to read and continue to follow my blog!

so stay tuned as i plan to begin writing once again.  soon.

**** and excuse the way my blog is looking! it is under construction as i am working on a new look!***

read this instead...

today is one of those days where i just am at a loss for words, i have been for a few days. no worries, nothing is going on. everything is good! i just don't feel like "talking" that much. my twitter and facebook updates have been lacking too, not just my blog. i am busy this week planning and getting ready for jesiah's birthday. he will be five on saturday. i also have some other things i am working on for church.

while i was catching up on my blog reading, i read this and wanted to share it with you. ephesians 3:20 is the theme for my blog and one of my favorite verses ever. it is one of my pastor's too. so, since i don't have much to say today, read this! i promise it will give you such a great perspective and leave you very encouraged!

what's your story, morning glory*...

after writing this last week, it really got me to thinking about something that is missing on my blog. something that i look for when i visit new blogs. i want to know the blogger's story, their background. who they are. and i realized that i don't even have what i am looking for on my own blog.

when i end up on a new blog, sometimes i have no idea how i got there but when i do, before i read their most recent post, i like to know a little bit about them. it just helps identify with who they are. it's like reading a novel, you have to identify with the character to really get into their story and what they are sharing. and i like to be able to read their story easily, like by just clicking a link, and then i get a good review of who they are!

i have started working on this for my blog. a link that will share my story. i want new readers, or those of you who don't know my whole story, to know a little bit more about me. for those of you that know me pretty well, it may be a bit boring for you, because you know my story. it will be like one huge testimony to God and to how He has worked in my life and it will share about the trials and triumphs i have gone through.

my story, is a piece of writing that is in the working stages! i am excited about sharing it with you. i will let you know when it is done - no promises on a date! but soon!

so, how about you, do you share "your story" on your blog?



*i couldn't help but using lyrics from a song to entitle this post and so funny that i would use this title, seeing as how i am not at all a morning person!!

share your ministry...

no matter what your story, no matter where you are in life, i believe that each of us has our own ministry. we have people in our lives even if for a short season who we have touched by something we have said or something we have done. your ministry it is the purpose and the calling that God has placed on your life.

God uses each of us to minister to someone else. whether you have lived through a tragedy, gone through a trial, pastor a church, experienced a miracle, lead an organization, or are just a plain "old ordinary girl" who thinks you have nothing to share...

you have a story. therefore you have a ministry.

and for many of us we share our stories on our blogs. some bloggers have a huge following and some do not. it doesn't really matter the number. the point is you are sharing your ministry. you are doing what God asks of us.

this week over at kelly's korner she is highlighing "show us your ministry". if you have a blog and it tells your story, that is your ministry. God uses each of us and our blogs in a different way and to minister to different people.

here on my blog, i share a lot stories and pictures of our large family. i hope you will take a few minutes to check out my blog and learn a little bit about us! i also share in more meaningful posts how God is teaching me and using me. i share from my heart and believe in being transparent and real. but i also realize there is a line between being yourself and being "too personal". i always write my posts with the goal of leaving my readers encouraged! sometimes that is why i won't publish certain things, if i haven't figured out how to post it in a encouraging way, a lot of times i will wait until God shows me what that is. and if i still don't have an answer, i know if i just look to my bible, He will give me a scripture to share and then i can hit that "publish post" button!!


while i don't have a story that shares a journey of something really huge whether it be a trial or a triumph, i still have a story (and with four kids there are lots of them!). i believe that God will use my stories to minister to those that He intends for it too. i may not have a large number of readers and followers, but i believe that if what i write just touches one person than the goal of that writing was accomplished.

i am passionate about other women, especially expecting mothers and mothers of young children. i know God has placed that passion on my heart and i know my ministry is primarily to that group of women. that doesn't mean what i have to say won't apply to someone in a different category, because God will use us it lots of different ways that we don't expect! He knows no limits when it comes to sharing His power and glory!

i will continue in another post more specifics and an overall "about me" kind of post, so you will have to come back and check out part two of this post. that is where i will share a little more of "my story"

so, what is your ministry and what do you share on your blog!
link up to kelly's blog and share who you are and why you keep a blog!

thanks for stopping by, leave a comment and let me know you were here and pleaes come back again soon!

five hundred (plus one)...

happy, happy five hundred posts to me and my little blog!!

to celebrate the occasion, i am going to post a few little facts and some thoughts i have on my blog and on blogging...

a few quick facts...

...i have posted five hundred posts (plus one) on my blog as of this past weekend. blog posts 500 & 501 were posts closing out 2009 with christmas pictures. what fabulous timing. i could not have planned that better myself. oh and i didn't, that was completely unplanned. but oh how fun!!

...i do have 50 (yes i typed 50 "5-0") posts in draft form that i need to polish and post. they are full of random ideas that i have started but never completed. i will have to work on those, i am sure that they will not all make it to published form, but what a good start for a new year of blogging!!

...i started my blog in june 2007. i officially wrote and published my first post on blogger on june 28, 2007. in may 2007, i actually started keeping a blog on my space, (remember when that was "cool"?) i wrote a few posts there and liked it so much i started my very own blog! a few months ago, i went back to my space and copied and pasted those blog posts and created posts here, they are still in my draft box. i will have to publish those soon!

...when i first started blogging, my blog was called "my j crew" which is our family nickname. last year i changed it to its current title "more than we can imagine". also, i have changed my background and layouts more times than i can keep up with!

...i love reading blogs too! i have 75 blogs that i follow/subscribe to on google reader. i have some blogs listed on my side bars. i am continually adding new ones to my reader and they don't always make it to the side bar. if you don't see yours there and would like me to read yours, leave me a comment and let me know! i would love to come and visit your blog. that is how i have found a lot of the blogs that i read, by bloggers who leave me comments! i have met lots of people through the bloggy world. i think it is so much fun meeting and learning about other women and how they are living out their lives as wives, moms and daughters of Christ.

...i decided to start a blog for a few reasons. i actually think i have a post in a draft form that expresses the reasons why i blog, but until i get that posted... i enjoy writing. i enjoy sharing what i have learned in hopes that it will help my reader in whatever way. i love showing off pictures of my kiddos and tell stories about my family and everyday life. i use my blog as a way to "scrapbook & journal". i also do some creative writing. i truly enjoy sharing God's word. i seek to praise Him in all that i write. i also love to share how He is at work in and around me. i can't imagine not having a relationship with Him, i don't know how i would survive each and every day without Him. especially when it comes to mothering my children. i know that God is using and will continue to use my blog to bless another woman. i see my blog as a ministry and am constantly seeking how He would use me through my blog.

so that was a little bit about my blog...

ok, here is where you come in, i need your help... please do me a favor if you have never left me a comment, but read my blog, please leave me one. i'd love to know you were here! and if you have left a comment before, feel free to leave me another one. i love reading your comments. i also love to leave comments and do so regularly!

one thing that i am all about is being transparent and real, and i do that the best way i can, but i am wondering, is there something i haven't shared on my blog that you would like to know about leave me a comment and ask me, i will try my best to answer it!!

thank you so much for reading my blog! i do hope that you will come back again!

an awesome giveaway...

one of my very favorite bloggers, kelly at kelly's korner is giving away a brand new hp computer(touch smar!) to enter the giveaway, go here

what an awesome christmas giveaway, how fun would that be to win a new computer! i would love love it!! how about you!???!!!???

a month of thanks & giving...

my sweet bloggy friend jeanette posted today with an awesome experiment called "30 days of thanks and giving"! jeanette is challenging herself as well as others to participate in reflecting on the things we are thankful for and demonstrating a spirit of giving! it goes like this, each day throughout the month you should write down one thing that you are thankful for and demonstrate one act of giving.

jeanette is encouraging us to share the idea and get involved! what a fun idea that we can all do across the blogosphere!

you can go here to read her post with a full explanation. if you decide to join in on the fun, let me know!!

a few links to see...

our complete photo shoot is done!! to see all of our family pictures you can go here if you'd like to see the slideshow you can go here. we are absolutely thrilled with the beautiful shots candice and daniel took of our family!! they are amazing!!



i wanted to give you an update on my blog friend, jeannette. jeanette makes most of my girl's bows, i have posted about her on here before. all of the proceeds from her bows go towards the adoption of their sweet daughter, sara beth. the last time i posted about her bows, she was still waiting on a referral and since then God has blessed their family and they will soon be traveling to bring their sweet baby girl home. jeannette is doing a raffle and a sale on her blog, if you need some bows, please consider sarabeth bows you can go here. she is absolutely a joy to work with!


tomorrow, i will post another link to jaelyn's blog, i wrote an update on her there, but i am having trouble loading photos to blogger tonight. i realized that i hadn't written anything for her 10 month old post. so i wrote it, i just want to include some recent pictures.

and the winner is...

melanie
@ imperfect living

melanie is the winner of my first blog giveaway!
she is going to receive a copy of elevation's newest cd, god with us!

congratulations melanie!!

check out melanie's blog when you have a chance.
i "met" her through a friend's blog! and i am so glad that i did!
she is so sweet and encouraging. she has four beautiful kids.

first, second, third...

just a few things to share, in no particular order...

first, if you didn't know, i am doing my first ever blog giveaway, it is for a copy of elevation's worship team's new cd called god with us. you can check it out here. to enter just leave me a comment and tell me your favorite song of all time, it doesn't have to be from the cd, chances are if you have a favorite song from the cd, you wouldn't enter the contest bc you would have a copy! i was going to close the contest tonight but i will close it on sunday night and announce the winner on monday night. so go here and enter ~ i can't wait to bless some lucky winner with this awesome cd!!!


second, it has been a really rough week around here, i have felt very overwhelmed. my kids are a little out of control, i am a little stressed out and i am just very short on patience. whew! now that i got that off my shoulders... the lack of blogging this week represents the lack of anything positive to say. so i am going with my motto, if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.

third, despite my rough week, God is working; molding and shaping me for so many things right now. it is a little scary. it is a good kind of scary. he has been showing me how He wants to use me and that is a little overwhelming too. a wonderful friend of mine said this to me once, "you are right, dawn, you can't do it but He can do it through you" and i am holding tightly to that!

elevation's kind of new cd & give away...

so, i know it has been a month ago, but i just wanted to share a few pictures and tell you about our {elevation's} worship team's newest cd!

plus at the end i will tell you about my first ever blog giveaway!!! fun stuff!!

in july, our extraordinarily talented worship team at elevation released their brand new cd, called god with us. during the week of the release there was lots of celebrating. jamil and i felt honored to attend the cd release party which was held uptown {charlotte} at suite at epicenter! yes, our church rented out a nightclub in the heart of the city to praise God for how He has blessed our church and to celebrate Him as He worked through our worship pastor and leaders! we had such a great time! it was so much fun to hang out with a small group of staff, staff wives and key volunteers!!

jamil & me with our friends jill & billy

i just love this cd! i have been playing it nonstop in my van and on my ipod! i personally have no musical talent, although i love to listen to music. i can tell you this is good stuff! the music is awesome and the words are so full of worship and praise! you have to check it out! oh and it is on itunes!!!

ok, i just happen to have an extra copy of the cd...

so i am having my first ever blog give away!!

so if you would like to win this awesome cd here is what you need to do...

1. leave me a comment telling me you want it and tell me what your all time favorite song is.
that will give you 1 entry)

2. if you share about the give away on your blog, let me know that too ~ that will give you a second entry!

3. i will close the giveaway friday night 8/14/09 @ 11:59 pm and announce the winner by monday 8/17/09.

thanks for joining in on the fun!!! and good luck!!

just jill & me!

click here
to see lots more pictures taken by
our talented photographers at elevation!!
you will get a taste for what the event was like and
see a few pics of me, my hubby and our friends!

two years and counting..

today, is my two year blog anniversary! i have been blogging for two years now. a few weeks ago when i realized that that this day was coming soon, i thought of doing something fun on my blog to celebrate. but i just didn't get that creative. so, for now it is just a simple post stating that i have been blogging for two years.

if you have been reading my blog for any length of time and have never left a comment, please do so today! i would love to know who you are!!

make me over...

so, in just a few days, my blog will be two years old! how fun! i've been doing the blogging thing for two years! in celebration of my blog's birthday, i thought it would be fun to get a blog makeover. but i am lost. i don't know where to begin. i am thinking of "hiring" out the job to someone else. i have done some research and found a few people here and there that do this. but before i go with anyone, i would love to have some recommendations. so, can you you help make over my blog with some suggestions or recommendations???? please...

dear blog...

i am so sorry that it has been days since i have written a post on you, i seem to have forgotten all about you lately. with the kids' last week of school, {oooppsss. just remembered i never told their school about my big decision to homeschool.} and with the safe journey graduation tomorrow, my mind has been completely engulfed in those things.

one day, i will get back to you and publish some posts. i promis. but i can guarantee it won't be in the next few days. i hope you will entertain my faithful readers {all three of them :)}, by letting them read my twitter updates on the left hand side {just linked to my phone!}. and maybe check out a few of my bloggy friends who haven't forgotten about their blogs {links, also located on the left side}.

until i return, i apologize for being so absent! please take care of yourself and don't seek revenge by deleting my posts, it is the only record of my family's photos and stories right now.

i shall return to you soon.

can't leave home without a....

HAIR BOW!!!!

it is just part of my nature, part of who i am as a mommy of two girls. yesterday, i felt like i was forgetting something as i was driving to visit a friend. and then i realized, i forgot to put a bow in jaelyn's hair. oh no.

i just love putting hair bows in my girls' hair. unfortunately, jordyn is getting to the age {almost 6} where she sometimes wants a bow and sometimes not. she has a bad habit of taking them out of her hair and misplacing them. at school. we have even lost a few of our favorite hairbows this way {aarrgghhh}

both of my girls have worn bows in their hair as newborns and ever since. i love bows on little girls!!!

a few months ago, my friend stephanie referred me to this bow making momma!!

and she is doing another giveaway!!

so much fun!!

i am going to enter the giveaway and if you like bows you should do it too, make sure you told her i sent you, please!!!

i had a fabulous experience with sara beth bows!!! what i love about her business is that she is using the proceeds from her bows to put towards adopting a baby girl!! she is so helpful and so easy and fun to work with!!! she will mail the bows to you or if you live in the area, you can pick them up!! her bows are awesome!! go check out her site!!!

her giveaway is through may 31st and there are detailed instructions on her blog!!!

distractions...

ok, first let me say, thank you thank you to those who left a comment on my last post giving me some ideas of what to write about! i am not posting the comments, so that i can save the ideas for some fun new posts!!!

next, even though i have over 10 posts in draft form, i am taking a little blog break. {sigh} {sob}

it isn't for my lack of words or ideas, in fact i have lots of them now. i am taking a break from blogging and reading blogs for awhile and this is why. it has come to my attention that my time on the computer has become a little much. hmmm... perhaps obsessive.

i can get overly obesessed with blog reading and writing, facebook and twitter, plus "screen shopping" and researching everything under the sun. we live in such a high tech world that everything is at our fingertips, which is awesome. but when it is consuming too much time, it isn't so awesome. it is becoming a distraction from the things that matter more!

i am taking a break so that i can establish some priorities back in my life.

my life is also full of other distractions right now too:

like looking for my daughter's school shoes this morning for almost an hour. we still have not found them.

and uh, yeah, having a dead cell phone battery last night when i really, really needed my phone.
.....and this is the second time that has happened within a week. (btw, i got a new phone after the first one died - long story for another post!)

not to mention it seems as if something has invaded my house and taken over my big kids, they are out of sorts and really off their routine. they are tired of homework and tired of school right now. they argue a lot and like to resist authority.

speaking of house invasion, it looks like a tornado has gone through my house, everything is out of place and the laundry has taken over. there are projects started and not completed.

seriously, these are just a few of the things that have me so distracted. throughout most every day lately, something little will cause an unforeseen distraction.

i don't deal well with this and you know what....

satan knows that! God is moving big time in our family right now. we are making big decisions and taking huge steps toward Him in so many areas. satan knows that and he is trying to throw us off course. he will not win. God will reign over all.

in order for me to focus on God's will, i am removing the distractions from my life and ignoring the ones i can not control.

so for right now, i am taking a little break from my blog. i will miss it and miss reading yours, but i will be back soon. i just need a few days to reprioritize my life for Him!

in the meantime, please be in prayer for our family and for all the things that God has been revealing to us. please pray that satan will remove his grip from us, and allow us to keep in the forefront of our minds that God's grip is tighter. and that we will carry out His will. thank you so much for your prayers!



But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

what can i say..

sometimes i feel like i have lots to say and lots to write about and then other times, i just feel wordless. i have lots of ideas but i am have a hard time putting them into words. there is a lot going on around our house these days, but i just can't seem to narrow down my ideas into easy reading! all that to say... it may be a little quiet around here for a few days.

unless of course, you would like to ask me a question or give me an idea of something you'd like to read about... go ahead, don't be shy, ask away...

announcing my new job...

never in a million years, would i have thought this is what God would have me to do!

and there is such an amazing story behind what He has called me to do.

i am going to bring my kids home to do school!

yup, i am going to homeschool my kids starting next school year.

isn't that so fitting with all the clues that i gave you in my previous post ?

oh, how fun! so much fun, to have you all guessing at what my new job is going to be. it was so fun and encouraging to read your comments. for those of you who read blogs through google reader or bloglines, you were not able to see the "clue" i left on my post; one of my labels gave it away to those who read straight from the blog itself - oopppss!! anyway... it was still a fun post! thank you for your comments (and phone calls!) - i love getting them!!!

six months, spring break, sleepy girl ,some reflection & specific answered prayers - blog challenge...

six months old!!

i say it every month, but i seriously can not believe how fast time is going by! jaelyn is six months old today!!! my goodness she is getting so big! she is not a newborn baby girl. craziness.

if you click here, you can see the post i wrote all about her and what she is doing at six months old, oh and there are a few more cute pics there too!

spring break...

the older kids started their spring break last thursday with a half day of school. they will be off of school through the monday after easter. we plan to just do some fun things around the house and around town. we will have some play dates and park days. also, we are starting to have our date days with the kids this week. we are also going to work on some spring cleaning!! i will be doing most of it but giving the kids little chores to help out!!! the key to keeping my sanity this week is keeping them busy!!!

happy spring break basket!!

we gave the kid's their "easter baskets" early this year. i decided that we didn't need to spend a ton of money on a bunch of junk. so i filled a large basket with a bunch of art supplies. our kids love to draw and paint and do crafts. our supplies were running low. after i bought all the stuff, i realized if we wait to give it to them next sunday "for easter", they wouldn't get to use the new stuff as much as if i gave it to them early then they could use it during quiet time when jaelyn is napping during spring break!! perfect solution. also with jamil's schedule at church, we won't get to do a traditional easter basket in the morning b/c he will be gone early in the morning. of course on easter day, we will still do a easter egg hunt and get a basket full of candy. yesterday they enjoyed painting with watercolors. a perfect solution

sleepy little girl...

yes, with her shades on!! jordyn is such a little diva!! she is always wearing dress up jewelry, sunglasses, lipstick, bows and barrettes in her hair. even to sleep!! yesterday after we got back from church, the kids painted and then played outside. they were fighting a lot and annoying each other, so i brought them in to do a little quiet time and jordyn fell asleep on my bed!!! she is so sweet!! aren't they are little angels when they are asleep?

some reflection...

here is a picture of me and my girls... i feel so blessed to have two sweet girls. i have so much fun doing all the girly girl stuff with them. i love to dress them up. i love to match and coordinate their outfits. i love to do their hair with pretty bows and things. i love playing with girly things (barbies!!!) there is something so special to me about having girls. i love my boys, do not get me wrong, and i don't love my girls any more, it is just so different.

as i was looking at this picture i did some reflecting and the joy that flooded my heart was overwhelming. i praise God every day for my kids!! when we were trying to get pregnant for baby #2, i prayed for a girl. our first was a boy and i really wanted a girl. my sweet little niece, hannah, was about 6 months old (jaelyn's age) at the time (july 2002) when i prayed this prayer. i remember specifically holding her at my mother in law's wedding, she was all dressed up with a pink dress, lacy socks and ribbons in her hair. i knew i had to have a baby girl!! i prayed that i would be blessed with a baby girl after holding my sweet little niece!! wow!! exactly one year later God blessed us with baby jordyn. wow, until writing this, i didn't realize the timing on that!! and then five years later God blessed us with jaelyn. God knew my heart's desire when i was pregnant with jaelyn, i wanted another girl and He filled that desire. now i have not one but two baby girls!!

specific answer to prayers blog challenge...

my two girls are specific answers to my prayers!!! what prayers has God answered for you that maybe you didn't realize at the time was a specific answer to a prayer? think about it!!! there are so many prayers God has answered for me that i have forgotten about.

writing this post today has inspired me to do some more reflecting on prayers that God has answered. i am going to dig through some journals and do some more thinking!!! to celebrate easter week, i am going to do several posts, maybe even one a day, sharing the amazing power of prayer and how God is so big in our life!! i encourage you to reflect and think about how you have seen God at work in your life. if you are a blogger, i encourage you to blog about this too, how awesome to fill the blog world with posts like this!!! if you do it... please leave a comment and let me know. if you don't blog, feel free to leave me a comment about a specific answer to your prayers!!

just to clarify...

my last post was an april fool's day joke! i think some readers did not click on the link to go over to my other blog and see that it said april fool's day! so just to clarify, i am not expecting another baby. we are not adding another baby to our family this year.

of course that generated some buzz as to will there ever be a fifth massey in my j crew? right now, jamil and i think that four is a great number of kiddos, unless God tells us otherwise. we feel at this time our family is complete.

that is really hard for me to admit. really hard. i absolutely love being pregnant, love the delivery, love teeny tiny newborns and love babies! love it all. of course, the adjustment is hard, it isn't all perfect for me. but overall we have been blessed with four wonderful pregnancies, births and babies.

i have quickly realized that those little babies grow up into active kids who require a. lot. of. attention. time. and. money. we have been blessed with three big kids who have big huge personalities. they love being busy. they love to have the attention on them. they love to be dramatic. and i have come to believe that our fourth sweetie pie will be just like the other three.

so for now, i am enjoying every one of my children in the stage that they are in. i am loving on my sweet baby extra long and hard. i feel so blessed to have been chosen to be their mom. and as most moms know, our children are the reason we get out of bed each morning (literally!!)