Monday, February 23, 2015

Little Miss Ginny


Meet Virginia.

We call her Ginny.

She's the newest member of the Ridgeway family - and as you can see, she's adorable.
She is a (almost) 7 week old black lab. So far, she enjoys chewing on everything, sleeping on (only!) the couch, and stealing Buck's toys and food. 

Buck is still in the process of accepting her into the family. He's not so sure what to do with her, but he mostly ignores her. I'm hopeful that he'll start playing with her soon. The poor guy is used to always being the center of attention. So it'll be an adjustment. 
I'm making sure to give him plenty of extra kisses though.

Adam has high hopes that she'll be his fierce pheasant hunting pup. We've already seen her give a good point at birds in the yard. Both her folks were hunters, so she has a pretty sure future.

As far as puppies go, she's been relatively easy. She sleeps well at night with minimal crying and she's picked up pretty well that I don't like it when she piddles on my carpet. But she's still little. She has plenty of time to fall into her older brother's footsteps and reek tons of puppy havoc. 

I like watching her toddle around and jump off things. She's also got an adorable little bark when she's feeling especially playful. 

Want to see more of Ginny? You can follow me on Instagram or search #littlemissginny
My pups run my feed. So be prepared for an overload of cuteness.

I'm now realizing that Buck has never gotten his own post on here. I'll have to remedy that soon. 

Enjoy your week!



Friday, February 20, 2015

Spiritual Springtime


"Yet whatever else it may be, Lent should never be morose - an annual ordeal during which we begrudgingly forgo a handful of pleasures. Instead, we ought to approach Lent as an opportunity, not a requirement. After all, it is meant to be the church's springtime, a time when, 
out of the darkness of sin's winter, a repentant, empowered people emerges." 

Let's approach this Lenten season as an opportunity to be refreshed. 
Let us humbly approach the throne of our Almighty God, 
repentant of our sin and seeking Him with our whole hearts. 
Let's TAKE JOY in this spiritual springtime as we are made NEW.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 
- 2 Corinthians 5:17

May you be refreshed and renewed today!

This quote above was featured in today's devotional from Lent: Day 2 Springtime at She Reads Truth
I loved it so much I just had to share! If you're looking for a devotional to follow throughout Lent, check it out!

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Weekend Adventures | Winnipeg, Manitoba

I mentioned before that I was anticipating my parents visiting soon. Well, they arrived safely last Thursday night. Since then we've had a good bit of fun.

After service on Sunday, we took a quick jaunt up to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the weekend. Since Sunday is technically a work day for us, we have Mondays off, so my weekend extends a bit into the normal work week...and Adam and I may have played hooky on Tuesday. Well, actually we did have permission. So really we just took a day off.

Anyway, Winnipeg. I loved it. It may be frigid, but they don't care. The cold doesn't stop those Canadians from heading outside and having a good time. On Monday, we bundled up and headed to the The Forks to experience the Red River Mutual Trail.

The Red River freezes in the winter, so the great people of Winnipeg turn it into a skating, walking, sledding, and having fun trail. They plow the snow off and bring out a zamboni to smooth out the ice. There are hockey rinks, and little art exhibits set up along the trail. While we were there, a soccer field had been set up to play ice soccer. The Festival du Voyageur was going on this past week too, so there was also a bit of the river sectioned off with a bar and food truck. There were even little fire pits to sit by to get warm. ALL on ice!

There were people everywhere skating, chatting, walking their dogs, and playing hockey. I thought it was a brilliant way to spend a wintery holiday.

My childhood dream of skating on a frozen river finally came true. I always forget just how much I enjoy ice skating. Then I put those skates on my feet and start gliding down the ice, oh I really do love it. Adam on the other hand, well, let's just say it isn't his favorite winter activity. But he was a good sport and skated along the trail with me. Meanwhile, my mom was browsing the shops at The Forks and my dad was people watching by the fire pits at the bar. I believe we all had just a splendid time.

So if you ever find yourself in Winnipeg in the middle of February, head down to the Red River, grab a pair of skates, and have way too much fun!

What did you do this weekend?

Now enjoy some candid shots brought to you all the way from Canada.














Link up with Oak & Oats

Monday, February 9, 2015

Unhindered

Build your kingdom here.
Let the darkness fear.
Show Your mighty hand.
Heal our streets and land.
Set Your church on fire.
Win this nation back.
Change the atmosphere.
Build Your kingdom here.
We pray.
((Sung with raised hands, shouting voices, and bouncing feet.))

Watching these kindergarden and first graders praise Jesus was beautiful. And so very convicting. 
My first thought was, "What if our churches worshiped so unhindered and with such passion?"

Then. "What if I worshiped like these kiddos." 

Lord, thank you for such magnificent and awe-inspiring reminders. 



Friday, February 6, 2015

Currently // v.1


So I'm realizing that blogging is this whole big community of people. I think I'm a little late to the party with this discovery, but hey, better late than never. As I'm exploring more and reading more blogs, I just get so excited - this kind of giddy, bubbliness - because there are some awesome gals (and guys) who are out there writing out their thoughts and hearts. And I love reading all of it! << In fact, I think I might have to start monitoring the time I spend reading blogs...it might have become a bit of an obsession over the past few weeks.

Back to the community. I really want to become a part, and get to know some of these aforementioned awesome people. So, I'm linking up with Jenna and Anne to participate in Currently.

Hearting | The Influence Network podcast. I started listening a few weeks ago, and I can't get enough of it. This one has been my favorite so far, but I'm still catching up. If you're looking for some fun chats on blogging, faith, creativity, and more, check it out!

Reading | All the blogs. Seriously. And Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy which is excellent. It's a humungous book, so it's taking me awhile, but it is so so good.

Pinning | House ideas and youth group games. We just bought a house last week (more to come on that), so I need some decorating inspiration. Youth games because I always wait until 6pm on Wednesdays to start thinking up a game for that night. That right there might be my least favorite part of youth ministry. I enjoy playing the games, just not picking them out.

Eating | Badly. I've had way too many cookies and not enough veggies the past few days. But hey, I've uped my water intake. That should count for something.

Anticipating | My parents visiting. This time next week, my folks will be here to spend a whole week with us in the frozen "great white north." I can not wait!

What are you up to currently?

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Word of the Year | 2015

So, I'm always a little hesitant to set New Year's Resolutions. I'm pretty sure it's because I have some commitment issues. I don't like starting something I can't complete, and a year is a LONG time to keep a desire going strong - especially if it requires some effort and hard work. I don't want to say that I am going to do _______ (insert typical resolutions here) then have it come to a halting stop sometime in February or March because I've gotten so overwhelmed or frustrated at my inability to keep my commitment. Therefore, I tend to wince whenever the topic of New Year's Resolutions comes up.

An idea I heard about in college and have seen going on a LOT this year is to pick a "Word of the Year." You can check out some great examples here and here. Instead of a checklist of things to accomplish or a series of thou shalt nots, a word for the year allows you to focus on one element and continue forward. Instead of being restrictive, it allows for momentum to build. There is less guilt and more intentionality. It's not so demeaning because it focuses on progressive change rather than an impossible jump. This is why I love the idea.

Again, I struggle with committing, so I was even reluctant to pick one word. But the more I've been thinking about what I want to do and what I want to see happen this year, the more I've been set on one word. It's a little late, what with it already being February and all. But hey, better to be sure, right? Are you ready? Here it is:


I want to dream this year. 

This will be my first whole year out of school. The first year that I don't have any big plans set (getting married, graduating, moving across country, etc.). The first year that I'm not starting something new. The first year that I'm "for sure" settled in, at least for awhile. The first year where I can essentially focus on whatever I want (within reason). This year I'll have more available time than I've had, well, ever. 

Therefore, I want to dream. I want to dream BIG! I want to dream for myself - my relationship with God, goals, learning, writing, picking up a new hobby, the list could go on and on. I want to push and challenge myself in the day to day. I want to dream for my family. I want to dream for my ministry. I want to dream for my home. I want to dream in all areas of life. I want to push the limits of my imagination, say "what if," and then go find out. I don't want these dreams to remain a fantasy, I want them to be worked at and lived out. I want to explore new things and discover new adventures. This is a year for me to dream big ideas and turn them into a reality. 

So, my 2015 word of the year is DREAM.

What do you want to dream up this year?



Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Beautiful Lands

Did you watch the Superbowl on Sunday? 

I don't know about you, but I really only watch it for the commercials. Well, and the food and company of course. But those commercials, I thought this years were fabulous! Kuddos to all the companies that made clean, a bit funny, and overwhelmingly heartwarming clips. Did you notice how many of the ads supported good images of fathers? I was just astounded. I had tears in my eyes at more than one point. They were just so good. 

However, this one stood out as my favorite of the night.


Mmmm. "The world is a gift. Play responsibly." I just love it.

What was your favorite Superbowl commercial this year?