Where You serve, I'll serve.

Praise God for opportunities to serve and to reach out to His people with love.

Matthew 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (NIV)

Found out today that I will be going on a trip to Northeast Affrica to the country of Morocco for the first two weeks in June. There I will be working with a team of seven people to provide physical therapy services for the local children who are suffering from physical impairments and to train new staff members for a permanent rehab location. Along with this work, we will also be sharing Jesus with the people of Morocco. This is such an exciting opportunity to share the news of "ULTIMATE LOVE".

I am psyched and can't wait for the "pre trip training" to begin.

I ask you to please pray for our team as we prepare for this. Thank you.

The Man Cooks....

All this time and I thought he didn't cook. He pulled out the cutting board, some steak, marinade and a knife. Yes folks, it's true, he made beef jerky. So talented in the kitchen that man is. A real chef right there ;)

The jerky is very very yummy though, and there is lot's and lot's of it. Beats $8 a or more for a store bought pound. Thank you, Mr.

Resolve to Resolute...

Eat healthier and move more!


That's right, our new year's resolution is to clean up our diet and to be more active, treating our bodies like the temples that they were meant to be. Below are some ways that we are doing just that...

Mason Jar Dinners:

This is a great idea that I found on Pinterest. You spend an hour once a week putting together all of your meals into large jars. When dinner time rolls around, you just empty the contents of one jar and your choice of meat into a frying pan or put it in to bake. Waaaaala! 10 MINUTES TO A HEALTHY HOME COOKED MEAL.

Juicing:

The next part to this health kick is the juicing. I buy lot's of produce, wash it, and leave it in a bucket in the fridge. When you want a healthy meal or snack, you just grab an assortment of the washed produce and pop it in the juicer.

The active part is very different for Jon and I. I love the spin classes at the gym and he likes to workout using his home gym. His way is a lot cheaper but I must really need the motivation of other people sweating it out around me (nasty).

Here is to an increasingly happier and healthier new year. God bless you and yours in 2012.

A month in The Atkin's Home...

Just a few pics from December...

New stray puppy that we found has now made friends with Cujo our "Big Boy"

Baking with our Niece Azrael

I told her that puppy was going "night night" and she decided he needed to cuddle....Don't tell her mom I let her lay on the dog bed long enough to grab the camera.

Jon's new toy. Him and Daniel dueling it out.

Our new little dog who is still looking for his "forever" home.

What Christmas Means In Our Home...

Presents, Baking, Family, Food, Lights, Music.....

These are all wonderful things, however, Christmas is so so much more than this.

The whole reason can be found in The Gospel of Luke. It was about 300 years after the New Testament when God sent an angel, named Gabriel, to tell Mary that she would be bearing the son of God who would save all man kind. What an incredible miracle that a baby, whom was born to a virgin, and from a ghetto town, would be The Son of God, Emmanuel, and King of All Creation. The King of The Universe loves us so much that he would humble himself to come walk with the same kind of footsteps that any common man would have. He did this to show a sacrifice that would save us from our sins and from eternal damnation.

Tonight I made myself a big steamy glass of hot chocolate and sat down to read the Christmas story that is found in the book of Luke. My savior is amazing! He is the head of our household and the leader of our lives. It is in Him that we are able to love each other in the regard that we do. An everlasting and non judgemental love is what we seek, and we seek it daily to be more like our king.

A child like faith and wonder is what Christmas is about. To have the faith that believes that God still is capable of preforming miracles today, such as he did all those years ago in a stable in Bethlehem where that little baby lay asleep in a manger.

It is the belief in the Son of Christ that will save us. It is our prayer for you that you would find that this Christmas season.

May your Christmas be more about Him and less about the transient things of this world.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Jon and Lauren

Snowman we made in Prescott, AZ

The Love Dare

Any married couple looking to strengthen their relationship needs to get this book. It is a 40 day challenge where you read about an issue in marriage, complete a daily challenge, and then journal about it.

We have been doing it for 16 days now and it is great! It gives us that devotional time together every night and really does set the tone for the day as you meditate on what was read. We do everything but the journaling part, I guess neither of us were super excited about that part of it for some reason.

Anyways, pick it up on amazon for $7 and give it a try.

Examples of some of the topics...

Love is kind

Love is unconditional

Love Intercedes

Love is Responsible

Love's Motivation



Giving Thanks To The One Who Gave It All

      I wanted to take a minute and reflect upon all that I am truly grateful for. First and foremost I am thankful for my God who gave everything on the cross to pay for my sins. Without Him my life does not have purpose or hope. I am thankful for my huge family, my friends, our life group, our church, our youth group, our jobs, our house, our health, our relationship as husband and wife, and finally some cool weather! 

       We are in the middle of a three week series in our youth group that is focusing on the events surrounding Christ's birth. It is amazing some of the unexpected things that occurred to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. In Luke 1:5-25 the story of Zachariah and Elisabeth is told. This story depicts two older people whom are past childbearing years but who have not been able to have children. Gabriel comes to Zachariah and tells him that he will have a son whom will be filled with the Holy Spirit and will lead people to Christ. How crazy to think that our God still works in unexpected ways today. I know he works that way in our lives.

Thanks be all to Him for everything, and may we remember that this Christmas season and keep Christ the center of it all. For in Him we find the ability to love unconditionally.



     Thanksgiving this year was spent at our house with Jon's family and with my Dad, his wife, and my brothers. It was a learning experience for me as I did most of the cooking. It was a great day spent with so many loved ones, although I missed my mom and my sister who could not join us.