Maple sweets and Cannoli a-plenty

New England is a unique place, and we made some great discoveries while there for 9 days. The cannoli (right) is one of them. It's an amazing dessert that I tried for the first time. It was a gift from the volunteers at You & Your Girl in Syracuse!

Then upon arriving at the Vermont State Fair we were showered with maple gifts, which was amazing since I had said every day before then that I wanted to take home some maple syrup! I got my wish, times 3! We had to pack the syrup in our merchandise boxes, since the airlines wouldn't give us any more weight in our bags... don't you love flying?

This trip was sooo girl time, and it was great. We found the coolest spots to eat, visited quaint old towns on the coast of Maine, oh, and we did work as well. We had concerts in between all that!

What I loved most about the You and Your Girl conference (our 5th one with LifeWay!) in Syracuse, NY was the open hearts of the women and girls that came. God's presence was powerful during worship, and our heart-to-hearts during the breakouts encouraged me so much. These are girls that are hungry for God! We were all at different places in our journey to know God better, some of us have been on that journey longer than others, but we all share in the common desire to know Him. Nothing else compares!

As I write this, I'm feeling quite stuffed after my mom made this amazing dinner (I helped too people!) and now I'm thinking ice cream would top it off perfectly. My iTunes shuffle just turned to Josh Groban Christmas. I think I'll change it before I start wishing for snow!

~Becca

What a weekend!

We made our way down a narrow dirt road to find ourselves at a stage overlooking an amazing view where many rivers meet. This was yesterday, at Swiftwaters Music Festival at Chop Point Camp in Woolwich, Maine! We got to know Building 429 (see left, pictured with some of the band), Laura Story and Mark Harris. All of us came on stage for a worship song at the end, and then we enjoyed a lobster dinner! Both Elissa and I have never had lobster before, so it was probably very funny for people to watch us. We were frightened of the creature that landed on our plates, complete with eyes and a hard shell that had to be cracked. It's messy business, people. But the meat inside is well worth the crackin! Thanks to Mark Harris for showing us how it's done.

Even though Laura Story (pictured with us on the left) had a flat tire on her way, we were so glad she made it. The entire festival was awesome and we hope next year we can come back.

Friday we flew into Portland, Maine after a long day of traveling through Denver and New York's airports, and we're loving the calm weather (glad the hurricane missed us) and seeing familiar faces. We were here in December, and though the temperate was much different, the folks were very warm and welcoming.

Maine is one of the states everyone must visit. My mom, Elissa and I just spent time at the Coastal Botanical Gardens and they are gorgeous! So many types of flowers and plants I'd never seen before. I'm figuring some of them won't be popping up in Colorado's rocky soil and high altitude, so its nice to see a variety of plants blossoming together.

We ate lunch today at Sarah's Cafe in Wiscasset. (Learned how to pronouce that one the hard way) Across the street I was so amused to see this huge long line leading up to a small dinky shack they call "Red's". It apparentely makes the best lobster rolls, and tons of TV shows and newspapers rave about it. I definitely wanted to try one, but we timed it to see how long it took one couple to get to the front of the line. 45 minutes went by and they were still waiting!

We have a few days off and then a busy set of dates ahead of us.

Happy Labor day!

The Best Dressed

When He walked the earth, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, forgiveness, compassion, what to do with our money, and our time. He also talked about clothes. Yes, what we wear matters to God.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ~Matthew 6:25

Girls spend a lot of time worrying about what they will wear. We shop, but we’re hardly satisfied with what we have.

Defining Modesty: freedom from vanity

Will you ever regret dressing too modestly? I have yet to meet a person who regrets wearing the types of clothes that promote purity, modesty and a devotion to God. But I have met women who regret dressing immodestly and the impact that it had on their daughters.

Dresses these days look like shirts to me! (My tip: Wear with leggings or jeans to go with!) If you wear a “dress” that hardly covers you, then the result is the entire world will quickly look past your face, past your heart, your character, and simply see what isn’t covered up! When I saw Christina Aguilera on American Idol, I wondered if she was in such a hurry getting ready back stage that she forgot half of her outfit. Poor girl!

So, do we cover ourselves so much because we fear attention or praise? Should we shun beauty, and toss out our makeup and accessories? Keep your shiny belts, girls, because that is not the goal at all! Modesty is not about fearing beauty or hiding ourselves completely. It’s about promoting purity. It’s a matter of the heart first. If our ambition is to attract attention from guys or to look better than everyone else, it’s a selfish desire. It will only come back to hurt us. The results will give us what we don’t want.

Defining purity: freedom from guilt or evil. Innocence.

We must choose to dwell on the truth of who we are. We are more than a new pair of shoes! We are worth more than a passing glance from a guy. Our value isn’t in what we wear. And thank goodness for that! It takes the pressure off. Who you are is priceless, and no new outfit can express that. In both definitions of modesty and purity, one word is consistent: freedom. When we choose to live the way Christ calls us to live, there is freedom! His love brings freedom from the lies of the world.

The next time you put an outfit on in the morning, consider your motives. Are you wearing that so you can be the center of attention? If so, there’s a longing inside that won’t be filled until you let your heart receive God’s unconditional love. Consider your brothers in Christ, and encourage them to live godly lives. You can do that by how you dress, how you treat them, and how you set an example for the girls around you.

I often hear from guys how tough it is to stay pure. And girls, I’m sorry to say we aren’t doing a very good job of helping them out. In the end, we are all responsible for our own actions. For me, being on stage has made me really think twice about what I wear.

I can point people to Jesus, or distract them from Him.

Are you up for the challenge? It will take some tenacity and courage to go against the flow. It won’t be easy when you are shopping with friends and tempted to buy something that you know won’t promote purity. But every act of obedience to God will be rewarded, though your friends may not reward you. The choice is in front of us every day, and my prayer is that you will choose the path of no regrets.

~Becca

Double Wedding, Take Two!

You may have heard on Facebook that Becca and I are both engaged. If you saw us on tour last year, you may have seen my fiancé, Chad, playing electric guitar. Chad and I met at our home church many years ago. Becca’s fiancé, Bryan, is a talented percussionist and can be seen on the road with us as well. Our engagements were just 12 days apart, so we decided to join forces for the second double wedding in our family history!

In 1908, our great-grandmother was married in England on the same day as her sister! We discovered this bit of family history when rummaging through a pile of old papers. My mom was excited to find an invitation to the wedding of the two couples.

Our mom had always wanted to visit the church were her grandmother got married. Last June we got the chance while on our UK tour and had some days off to sightsee. The guys were on the road with us too and all of us piled into a mini-van, practically sitting on our luggage! It was so crazy driving through the narrow country roads to this small town.

It was just like a scene out of Pride and Prejudice. The church was very quaint and it seemed nothing had changed much for 100 years. We walked around and talked with some of the locals. None of us knew a double wedding was in our future. But that day, God planted the thought in our hearts.


Our Dad will finally have sons in the family. Mom is having a blast planning the details of the wedding with us. Becca and I are still scratching our heads, wondering how things fell into place so perfectly. Bryan and Chad have been supportive of our ministry for many years. It will be so great having them on the road with us when their schedules allow! (To the Right, Here is Becca at the church, holding her favorite British drink: Ribena)

I recently came across this passage of Scripture, and it perfectly describes how God has led the four of us, individually and as a ministry.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 15:5

Truly, God is more involved in the details of our lives than we will ever know. We want to share this exciting news with you and thank you for your continued support and prayers. We are beginning an exciting journey and a new season of ministry!

-Elissa

The Ultimate Wedding

So much of our busy lives create layers of stress and anxiety. To-do lists, worries and concerns about money, relationships, family, school, employment all take their tolls on our capacity to thrive, and live with true joy. These little burdens try to weigh us down, and together they can become a heavy load! I'm in the midst of wedding planning, and although it's an awesome adventure to be enjoyed, there are moments of stress and concern for things to work out well. I hear from wise friends that everything will fall into place. Even if it seems like scattered puzzle peices.

But we all have another wedding day on the horizon. Every one of us who have given our hearts to Jesus Christ will be invited to celebrate the wedding feast of the Lamb. And while I'm planning my 6-hour extravaganza and getting caught up on the color of ribbon for the vases, my Savior is planning too. Planning to return for His people, a Bride who will be spotless. As a church, are we planning this too? In our hearts, are we making room for His arrival? Have we cluttered up our lives that we have no thoughts of God? I'm convicted as I write this, to lay all else aside so that the primary mission is to know Jesus and bring Him glory. I want to be found serving, loving and giving my all to Him when He returns.

That will be the ultimate wedding!

We Are Adored

I just got back from a fun and packed weekend at the Adored girls conference at Mission Hills church in Denver. What a weekend! I just love girls events, for many reasons...I can wear as much pink as I want, say goofy things that only girls understand, and laugh about boys, to name a few. As girls we all share in a common need to be loved. Guys need to be loved too, but there's just something unique about the need for us girls to be loved by our Heavenly Father. It defines us. Without it, are are left to search for love elsewhere only to find it out of reach. In John 15:9 Jesus says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." Truly accepting and knowing the love of the Father, demonstrated through Christ, is life-changing. For me, it came at a time when I needed to know my worth and my value.

When I was a pre-teen, at youth event, I chose to surrender my heart to God. My personal walk with Him began. But there still came a time a few years later that I realized I had not fully understood His love. I struggled with comparing myself. I thought other girls had better hair, clearer complexions, and more contagious personalities. I slightly cringed when pictures of me were taken up close, sure that they would expose my acne and blemishes. I kept this insecurity hidden, and tried to seem confident. I still pursued God in my quiet times, and poured out my heart to Him. I knew I needed to give Him these things. It wasn't until I reacted badly to my parents one day in front of a friend that my deep insecurities came out. My friend asked me later what was wrong. I actually didn't know, but was embarrassed by it. I had just been feeling down about my appearance, and took it out on those around me. What was in my heart began to surface. It was kind of a wake-up call from God, saying to me, you're worth more than you think right now. I wanted to be the godly Christian, the Christ-example, but with that insecurity in my heart, I was hindered.

From that point on, I walked more confidently in Christ's love, and less dependent on measuring up to the world's standard of beauty. I actually chose not to buy fashion magazines because I new they could create new insecurities to tempt me to compare and compete. I sought out friends who shared this desire. Of course, some of my teen friends were caught in the cycle of comparing. It came out in the conversations we had. I just want to be more tan. I'm so fat right now. I wished they could have the kind of revelation I had, of how God sees them. Because truly, we are adored. We are adored by our Heavenly dad, who created us in His image and loves us with an everlasting love. It won't fade over time, not when more wrinkles come and we grow older. It's the kind of love we crave as girls, and it's only found in Jesus.

Thoughts on a Windy Day

In these last few days I have seen so many leaves flying around like fireworks just set off. Powerful gusts of wind come rushing toward our house set on a bluff in Colorado Springs. Whatever is not anchored will be blown around until the wind dies down. This includes garbage cans! I just hope those cans aren't full!

I'm noticing that the trees that surround my house are so anchored into the soil that they are the only things not carried away. Their roots go deep while leaves and litter take flight. The trees battle the wind and are pushed and pulled. But tomorrow they will still be there.

This depth of a root system keeps them grounded. One of the greatest things we can ever strive for is to be like these trees.

We must be grounded! Yet, we must set our hearts on things above! How does that work?

Setting my heart on things above takes courage. The strong winds of the lower things push and pull for my heart. There are days that my heart wanders. Our hearts contain our deepest dreams, hopes and affections. What we are drawn to. What we long for. If we set our hearts on the lower things of life (temporary happiness, relationships outside of Christ, material ownership) we will be carried away by the winds.

We are called to a courageous journey. To setting our hearts on things above. What is above? Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God. In Him are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Setting my heart on Christ is a choice. The winds come (distractions, disappointments) and try to blow me over. But if my roots are deep enough, clinging to the soil of my relationship with Christ and knowing Him intimately, I will be victorious.