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It seems like just the other day I was emailing Danielle nervously agreeing to speak at Hope Spoken. As I sent that email the conference was over a year away…it seemed so far off. And now it’s only five months away…and the tickets are sold out!

The Hope Spoken girls are hosting a link up today so that we all can get to know each other. Such a fun idea! Here are the questions:

– post your picture so that we can recognize you!
– introduce yourself!
– something that you are little timid or nervous about for the weekend
– something that you are hoping to take away from HopeSpoken
– share something fun/random about yourself

Post on social media somewhere and then link up on Emily, Danielle, or Casey’s blog (they will give you all the instructions on how to do that). I have managed to hold out on Facebook for this long…so you get to see all my answers here. 🙂

1. post your picture

Most of you have “met” me, but just in case you are new here…this is me. 🙂 The cuter one in the picture is my youngest, Griffin. He is a major mama’s boy and is usually close by my side. His older brother Levi was taking our picture…photographer in the making for sure.

2. introduce yourself

I have two rambunctious boys here on earth (Levi & Griffin) and one precious girl in heaven (Cora). The other day Levi looked at me and said we have three boys and two girls in our family, right mama? Yep, that’s our family. I am married to Joel and we live on a farm in Kansas. I am so thankful we get to walk through life together…he’s a pretty great husband and daddy! I spend my days at home with my boys and while some days I get tired of cleaning up their muddy messes, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I also love writing on this little blog and hope to authentically share my journey through grief, my life wrangling two boys, and my desire to live abundantly in all circumstances. I like to do crafty things every once in awhile too. And that’s me.

3. something you are a little timid or nervous about for the weekend

Ummmm, maybe the speaking in front of people part! My hands get sweaty and I can feel my knees start to shake when I think about standing up in front of people AND forming coherent thoughts. I was pretty certain my speaking career would be over after my speech class in college. It was pretty awful. But God had other plans. I’ve had the privilege of sharing my story a few times and what is so amazing is that somehow God uses my shaky voice and jumbled thoughts to speak truth to others. As I start thinking about my weakness as a speaker I cling to this truth,

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 2:9

So although I am crazy nervous, I am trusting God to use me and my story…which is really His story…for His glory!

4. something you are hoping to take away from HopeSpoken

Seriously, the women we are going to have the privilege to hear at this event are AMAZING! I can’t wait to meet and hear from each one them. But this conference is about so much more than our stories. I am looking forward to spending time in God’s Word, hearing Him speak to me personally, and growing in community as we encourage each other.

5. something fun/random about yourself

I always laugh when I have to answer these type of questions because my husband calls me the “fun hater”. But here are a few fun facts…I was born in Japan. I am the oldest of four (one sister, two brothers) and moved around every few years growing up. My last move with my family was to a rural farm community and after moving there I vowed that I would never marry a farmer. Well, of course I ended up marrying a farmer (ha,ha!) and it turns out that being a farmer’s wife is pretty great after all. 😉

If you are going to Hope Spoken, don’t forget to link up with us today. And leave a comment here too…I would love to “meet” you. I am getting really excited for this event as we anticipate what God is going to do in and through us. Can’t wait to meet you all!

Posted in: hope spoken
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  • Heather - Hey, girl, hey! Looking forward to hearing your talk even though it’s probably going to make me cry.ReplyCancel

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  • kimberly oyler - i’ve been lurking around your blog for almost 2 years now (how creepy does that sound?) and i’m SO excited to meet you in march! 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Sarah D. - Fun haters unite! That sounds just like something Peter would say to me. 🙂 You’ll do great– what an amazing way to share your story! As your groupie, I really should have signed up. Haha.ReplyCancel

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  • Danielle - Hey! I’ve been reading your blog awhile now in anticipation of Hope Spoken and I love what you have to say and want to say that your message of living abundantly in all circumstances is an amazing one! God’s really used this conference already (through you all speakers/group leaders/bloggers who are going to be a part of it) to take me on a journey of finding my joy in him not in the world around me or my circumstances. Thanks for being willing to conquer your nerves and come and speak to us! Also, I live in Olathe. Didn’t realize you were a Kansas girl!ReplyCancel

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  • creole wisdom - Jess, I love this 🙂 I posted my introduction the other day. One of the big reasons why I’m even going to Hope Spoken is because of you. I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to say and I know God is going to share something lovely through you. You’re wonderful and I’m glad we know each other through this blog world!ReplyCancel

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The last few weeks as everyone in my family took turns being sick and Joel got diagnosed with Bell’s palsy (amongst other things that were going on in our family) I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. You know those moments when you tell God you aren’t sure how much more you can handle and if anything else goes wrong you might just crawl into a hole and cry. That was me. When the boys were sick we went on several long walks to get some fresh air and to help keep my sanity. On several of those walks we found ourselves at Cora’s stone. The boys love walking there and it was a good reality check for me. Some fresh air and a reminder to keep an eternal perspective. My babies were sick, but it would pass and they are healthy boys. It seemed like Griffin cried for three days straight, but I had the privilege of holding him and comforting him and watching Bob the Builder and Thomas the Train 500 times with him. Joel being diagnosed with Bell’s palsy was scary and has definitely been a trial for him, but he’s here and it doesn’t change who he is even if his face looks a little funny…and it’s temporary. We have seen some small improvements which we are so grateful for. The crazy thing is the boys haven’t even seemed to notice…even the first week when it was so bad and very obvious. I can learn a lot from them. The past four weeks have been a reminder of a lesson God began teaching us after Cora died. One that I still often forget when life starts getting hard. We don’t want to allow our circumstances to define us, we want Christ to define us.

In the midst of all this that was going on I read this one morning…

God…made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6, ESV

There was a time when your separation from me because of your sin made you what you were. But I have united you to Jesus Christ so that you have been transformed from what you were to what he is. Now everything that belongs to Christ belongs to you.

Why does this matter? Because these realities change everything about your life. No matter what you’ve been through and who you’ve been, there are now three events that define who you are. When you trusted in Christ, you died with Christ, you were raised from the dead with Christ, and you ascended with Christ and are seated with him in the heavenly places. His story has become the story of your life. His blessings have become your blessings. I have relocated your worth and destiny in Christ. Whatever else may happen to you, nothing can alter this deep connectedness. (Nancy Guthrie, Abundant Life)

I think it is so easy for me to get caught up in my personal circumstances and allow those circumstances…good or bad…to define my story. But because I belong to Christ, His story has become my story. His story has become my story. I love that. My circumstances don’t define me. And the fact that I am connected to Christ allows me to experience joy in the midst of heartache, peace in the midst of chaos, rest in the midst of exhaustion and so much more.

We all have hard things in our lives. I’m sure some of you are going through some really hard things right now. And if you are like me you might be tempted to allow those things to define you and your story. But we have a sure hope and an anchor to hold onto. Because of what Christ has done for us and the destiny we have in Him we have a new story. He has redefined us. And that changes everything.

Posted in: family
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  • babykatesmom - what a wonderful reminder for us all. thank you. i love the silly faces.ReplyCancel

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  • Briony - My brother had bells palsy about two weeks ago. It has cleared up now and went away fairly quickly! We decided not to put him on steroids so we looked into alternative treatment. Basically, he had to do specific facial exercises three times daily in front of a mirror. It worked really well and there is no permanent damage at all! Hope Joel gets well soon. 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Lisa - My husband had Bell’s Palsy several years ago and it was really scary. It cleared up completely within a couple of weeks though. Sometimes it is hard being a Mom. It can feel overwhelming. In those moments it’s hard to stop and count your blessings, but it sure helps!ReplyCancel

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  • Kristin - You are very much an inspiration. My favorite line in your post…”…the fact that I am connected to Christ allows me to experience joy in the midst of heartahce, peace in the midst of chaos, rest in the midst of exhaustion…” Very moving.ReplyCancel

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  • Julie - Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for sharing!ReplyCancel

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  • Trish - life is hard. your testimony is one that i will always remember! thank you for taking the time to write it down and above all else share it with the world! i am very thankful for that! it is hard when our husbands don’t feel 100%. my guy suffers from extreme vertigo and it can come on at any time. so we are careful to do anything crazy in case we are stuck somewhere when it happens. can’t wait til heaven! xoxoReplyCancel

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  • Lacie Hutchins - It has been a long hard week. I lost the my second good friend and mentor in less than a year this week suddenly to cancer. She was taken before she could feel pain, but she was taken so suddenly it has been very difficult for my colleagues and I. It also leaves a degree of uncertainty in my teaching position. All of this is to say, this post hits close to home for me and I thank you so much for sharing it!ReplyCancel

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  • Carla R. - Jessica,

    I found your post on my friend’s FB wall. I saw your pictures and said that’s Joel & Jessica from Christian Challenge! What a small world!!! Your story is a great one. Sorry to hear about Joel, but I love the one reason we are able to give praise in situations like these. He’s the only reason we are able to look forward to something better.ReplyCancel

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  • Elizabeth - What awesome reflections. My twins and I have been sick on and off for the last 3 weeks, one thing right after another. It’s so hard. It’s so hard when all they want is to be held, or they cry because they aren’t really sure what they want. This was an encouraging post to read today. 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • Cari Chastain - Jess. It’s so easy to get weighted gown by circumstances. I have struggled with my attitude lately as Andy has been feeling so poorly.
    I know a big lesson you learned after Cora died was to define yourself by Christ and not your circumstances. I remember the first time I heard that. After losing Caden, I needed to remind myself of that… And I still do. So thankful for a gracious and merciful Father who forgives my forgetfulness and backsliding. Good post!ReplyCancel

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  • Debby Graber - Jess, our son, Josh also had that! It’s been a couple of years ago I think. This morning I read about Christ’s compassion. The word compassion comes from 2 Latin words meaning “to suffer with”. What a thought that He suffers with us. What loving compassion He has for us! Then I also read 1 Kings 19 where Elijah gets so discouraged. And you know what? God is with him the whole time. He comes alongside him to encourage him. Love that! We’ll be praying for you all!!ReplyCancel

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  • Kimberly - Life is hard! Thank you so much for the reminders about keeping an eternal perspective. I appreciate you so much, Jess! Praying for you and your family, too.ReplyCancel

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  • Beki - TheRustedChain - Jess, I had Bell’s a few years ago.
    It’s freaky and scary and annoying and showed me just how vain I actually am…

    Hoping his clears up completely!ReplyCancel

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  • chrissi - Thanks for this wonderful post. Your words are just what I needed to hear today ♥ReplyCancel

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  • ranee - i needed this post this week!ReplyCancel

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  • My Story | Small Town Nebraska - […] have been catching myself thinking about how I want others to think about me lately, and Jess’s post about being defined by Christ was just what I needed to read. Follow that link and read it for […]ReplyCancel

  • creole wisdom - Talk about having victory in Christ, Jess! Your beautiful perspective is so inspiring. Life on this earth is so messy and filled with trials. This post made me think of when Jesus said, “in this world you will have many trials, but I have overcome the world.” Amen! Hang in there, I’m so glad that Joel is recovering and you’re all feeling a little healthier at the Mac household.ReplyCancel

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  • Mary Ann - Thanks for sharing….it is so easy to get up in “the thick of thin things.” In other words to get caught up in the day to day things of life and get discouraged when things don’t go perfectly. But you always find a way to put things back into perspective and you invite Christ into your life knowing He can provide strength and wisdom when you need it the most. He truly can become our anchor, our Light, our hope, and our strength when we are left without strength of our own. I’m glad Joel is making progess with the Bell’s Palsy and hope he is completely healed and good as new very soon. Your pictures are priceless!! You have a beautiful family.ReplyCancel

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  • Cutella - This is very inspiring!ReplyCancel

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I wanted to take pictures of the boys every few weeks next to the corn as it grew this year. Well…it didn’t happen every few weeks because I kept forgetting, but I did manage to take a few. The first one was taken in May and the last one was taken in September.

This was a week or two before corn harvest started. And now harvest is over and it is getting to be that time of year when things start slowing down a little on the farm. We will miss the fun of summer but a slower schedule sounds pretty good right now.

Some outtakes from our corn pics…

He got a sticker in his foot. Ouch!

Cheese face.

And a few more just because they are cute.

I’m ready for slower days but I am sure going to miss the warm summer days and playing outside in our jammies.

Posted in: family , farming
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  • Mary Ann - Darling pictures…..good idea to take them in front of the growing corn. We used to grow lots of corn back in my younger days…I told my son (who is grown up now) that he needed to go to sleep because that is when he grew, just like the corn. I told him corn only grew at night and so did little boys. Funny, the things we remember!! I really believe it thought!! I swear my grandson grown nightly. He is 3 years old and just a silly funny loving little guy. Your two boys are so cute!!ReplyCancel

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  • Breenah - They are just flat out adorable.ReplyCancel

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  • Elizabeth - Love these!! so adorable!ReplyCancel

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  • Elizabeth - So precious. I am so thankful our house is surrounded by cornfields. This is such a good idea for next year!ReplyCancel

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  • creole wisdom - What wonderful photos! I especially love that second to last one… awesome perspective 🙂 You have such an eye for photography, Jess!ReplyCancel

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We didn’t get out of the house much last week because of my sick babies…we didn’t do much of anything for that matter. But we did our best to embrace the camera along with Ashley and Emily and try to enjoy our moments together at home and get in front of the camera. A lot of our moments last week were full of sickness, tears, exhaustion and stress…but I know very well that even those moments with my babies are a blessing.

Day 1 :: smiles

The beginning of the week did not include many smiles from these boys…so this was the best we could do that day. One sick boy did more crying than smiling…and one uncooperative three year old wanted to see how close he could get to the camera.

Day 2 :: making memories

I am thankful for a house full of tractors, semi-trucks and cows. Sometimes I get so tired of setting up cattle pens and hooking up trailers to tractors…but these are precious days I know I am going to miss.

Day 3 :: everyday moments

If we are riding in the car Levi is probably belting out his favorite songs while playing his air guitar. He does the best air guitar. I like to join in even though his voice is way cuter. One of my prayers for him as he grows is that he will always worship Jesus with all of his heart like he does as a three year old.

Day 4 :: creative

We had to be super creative last week to pass the time. It was crazy windy on this day so we decided to get out the tent and roast some marshmallows. I think it kept them busy for about five minutes. 😉

Day #5 :: faces

Today we were all well and Joel is seeing small signs of improvement to his face. We should be all smiles…but Joel can’t really smile because of his Bell’s palsy…and apparently Griffin can’t smile today either…so this is the best we could do. I’ve been reminded these past few weeks to thank God for the little things that I so often take for granted…like being able to swallow your food without crying and the ability to smile. Thank you for praying for Joel and our family…I’m so looking forward to seeing his smile again!

Hope you all have a great week!

These pics were all from the #embracethecamera challenge on Instagram…

I am @jessmcclenahan if you want to follow!

Posted in: family , instagram
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  • creole wisdom - How cute are you!? I know these past few weeks haven’t been the easiest. Your sweet family has been in my prayers. You are wonderful Jess, as is your perspective!ReplyCancel

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  • leiah - That tent/fire idea is SO cute!ReplyCancel

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Origrami sent me some Instagram prints to review…I couldn’t wait to get them.

I knew exactly where I wanted to hang the prints. I had recently found these shallow wire baskets at The Barn and thought they would be fun to hang on the wall with some pictures.

The Origrami prints are awesome. They come in the cutest box too. I chose the retro prints…36 polaroid-style prints on 4″x5″ matte cards. They are great quality!

And even the back of the print is cute! Such great colors and it records the date, caption and even how many likes you had. So fun! There are other options for the back too.

So I finally hung up the wire baskets and I love them. I maybe had my husband make three or four holes in the wall before they were just right. He loves when I am indecisive like that. I promised him I would patch the holes myself. 🙂

The boys love looking at these Instagram prints. I need to be better about actually printing these pictures because they record such precious everyday moments that I often forget. Every time Griffin walks by this wall he points at the picture of he and Levi in the jeep and says, “Jeep!” and smiles.

I think this is my favorite picture of us. I might need to blow it up someday.

Such an easy little project and now I can change out the photos anytime I want. I’m still not sure if I need to hang something above the baskets so if you have great ideas let me know.

The people at Origrami are letting me give a box away to one of you too! This is an Instagram giveaway, so to enter you need to leave a comment on the Origrami giveaway post on my Instagram feed. DO NOT LEAVE A COMMENT HERE TO ENTER…but you can leave a comment just to say hi if you want! 🙂 You can follow me on Instagram @jessmcclenahan and get all the giveaway details there!

I love the change of seasons. And it is always fun to change up the things on my walls a little too. Thanks so much for the fun prints Origrami!

Happy Friday! Don’t forget to find me on Instagram to enter the giveaway!

Posted in: giveaways , instagram , my home
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  • kristin bradner - Love your home!ReplyCancel

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  • Jenni Atkins - Love it! This is so perfect! You have the greatest ideas…so creative but still kid friendly!ReplyCancel

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  • babykatesmom - I commented on Instagram but wanted to say hi here lol. That pic of you & Griffin is so cute, his face looks like such a little stinker though! That guy must keep you on your toes!

    My first thought for the space above is an old fashioned polaroid camera or even a retro clock or calendar 🙂 Your house is just adorable!ReplyCancel

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  • Kimberly - Love your house and your decorating ideas! Most of all the love the pics of your beautiful family! 🙂 You know just how to capture the little moments– those really are the best memories!ReplyCancel

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  • Kate Martin - I love your style!! Your house is adorable, very inviting and cozy! I think you need something round up there, maybe a clock or another shallow basket, maybe wicker.ReplyCancel

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  • Emily - Love the ideas! Your house is such a great balance of style and cozy. Wish you could come to my house and decorate 🙂ReplyCancel

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  • nyree - I love this idea as I too have had prints done via origrami but no idea how to display them!!! I am guessing you are in the USA and not Australia as I have not heard of the shop your purchased the wire baskets from. Do you know if they have a website address?
    I look forward to hearing from you.

    cheers
    NyreeReplyCancel

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  • Mary Ann - What a darling idea….the only thing I could think of is to thread some pretty ribbon in and out of the baskets to give them a “pop” of color. I love love love the pictures, especially like babykates mom said….he has that look that says “I’m going to give my mom, dad and brother a run for their money!!” LOL Your boys are both so cute. What a joy they must be to have them in your home and forever in your heart!!ReplyCancel

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  • Deanna - What a great, great idea. I love it! And the Origrami site = awesome. The first thing that came to mind with the space above the baskets was lettering – a word or words that hold meaning for you and your family. Thanks for sharing with us.ReplyCancel

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  • Kim - Love that idea! Your house is so cute…but maybe could you post pics of Griffin’s room..would love to see the finished look with the red lockers ;:-)ReplyCancel

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  • Michelle - Love love LOVE this gorgeous idea! Love being able to showcase my many captured moments AND being able to easily update them.

    Am loving the wire basket frame. Did hubby make them for you??ReplyCancel

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