Hallbeck Happenings

Hello blog readers, Happy Monday to you all.  Quick updates for you! This week I start working for PPM again. This time part time, short term job from my home in North Carolina showed up last week. This was a great blessing, a fast answer to prayer, that Dan and I didn't see coming.  So thank you Jesus, for hearing and answering quickly.

Next on the Hallbeck news, we are LOVING our church FBC Jacksonville! They just started a women's Bible study that I am going to.  Last week I got to meet some women! It is weird living some where for weeks and only knowing one person, Dan.  Now we are meeting people.  It is nice to walk into a room and be able to say hi to some one you "know."  I am excited for this study of James.  And for Dan and I to continue to grown at our church and our small group. 

 Dan and I have very much enjoyed season one of Modern Family as well.  It has been our little date night flick.  Very funny. Many a laugh from our house!

After Dan being gone 3 days last week, our dinner plan, Pizza.  nice to know that we can get delivery to our house, even in a small town.

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday, here is too another week.

Take a listen, its my song on repeat this morning! My prayer this morning:

"My cup it overflows, your goodness chases after me. Your mercy and your grace will be my dwelling place"



Looking Pretty

After that clean shine, time to put things in there place. We moved in 4 weeks ago, and there are lots of things that are NOT in their place.  But it sure feels good to tackle what we can with what we have.  We moved in with no furniture starting out.  Now we have invested in some good pieces for the public spaces of our home (the info is for another post) So we have some things that are in their place. And it looks and feels good. 

When I need a spoon, I know right where to go to get it. The drawer is lined with a piece of drawer cover and has a great organizer in it. Our wedding gift of silverware is looking pretty out of the box!

Our rental has its fare share of quirks and crazy (like our brown kitchen cabinets that I would have not chosen) but when I open them up and see our stuff lined up nice and neat it makes any rental quirk livable and lovable. Today lets find ways to make what we have look pretty by setting it up in an organized way. You will love what you have and what you have to put it in that much better.

An idea you can do today, passed down from my grandma, my mom, me to you pictures on the inside of your doors.  Putting dishes away just got more enjoyable.

<3

Welcome to my brown cupboards

Balance out the shelves, not all books, and not too packed, this one is starting to push the limit... but its our only spot for them right now.

Give your books a face lift, in order by color rather then title

 Find a closet, find a cupboard and get organized pretty, I bet you have one that just came to mind! Go for it, happy weekend.
From my rental  to yours,

Mrs. Erika Hallbeck

Trust and Trust Again

When I look back at my life, how far God has brought me, how he has worked in me and through me I can hold to his hand with even more confidence.   Do you feel that way today?  Lets take a moment today to look back.  Have you ever trusted God with something? What were the things you gave to God with complete trust?  What is your story of those things? 

I remember at Stout I was trusting God with something big.  It was taking up so much of my mind and my thinking that I knew  I was not TRULY letting it be in Gods hands.  I said that with my mouth, but with my actions my thinking my questions I was really just putting it right back into my imperfect hands and imperfect plan.

One day I got a revelation from Jesus about this.  He whispered to my heart,  Erika every time you worry, every time you fuss you are taking what you have given to me and my plan back into your hands where I can't work on it.  It gave me a great picture in my mind.  When it was surrendered and under the trust and care of the Lord it was in his hands, I saw it there.  But when I started worry and wonder and doubt I took it out of His hands into mine.  This picture really helped me be in check, was  I holding it or letting God work on it.  It was a great way for me to picture my worry as a true action, that really had an effect.  And when I let it stay in his hand  I could tell, I could see the faithfulness of the Lord.  I CAN TRUST the one who MADE ALL THINGS, KNOWS ALL THINGS,  can you? do you?

Once you have made your list of the things you have trusted God with in your past and what he did do or is still doing, I pray that even your own testimony will speak to your heart today. May you hold to his hand with even more confidence. 

Maybe you say today, "Erika it is not that easy, it sounds easy but is is NOT easy."  and I say you are right! Bring that right to God, talk to him about how it is hard and how you are STILL going  to trust him.  May your heart say YES, even in the hard and what seems impossible!  God will listen, bring your thoughts and feelings right to his feet today.  He listens!  

In all things, God is worthy of my trust.

~ Erika Hallbeck

First Things First

Welcome to the very first post of Rental Rendezvous.  My husband and I are renting our first place here in good ol Hubert, NC.  If you are a young renter great! If you are a young home owner Great! I am going to be sharing tips and ideas about making our spaces our home!

First things first!  When Dan and I moved into our town house the first thing I wanted to do before any thing went any where was to clean. There were lots of things that were clean and a few things I saw that could use  a fresh cleaning.  I think doing your own cleaning when you first move in starts your slate off right. 

Wash the floors,clean the windows, wipe down all the cupboards, inside and out, counters and drawers.  Dust, Vac, Total bathroom clean, even if the space seems clean going through it your way gives a better welcome.  When I wanted to do all this cleaning when we first moved in Dan got a glimps that his new bride of 4 months maybe more of a germ freak than he had known. lol. But really people this isn't being a germ freak this is just good common renters sense.

Maybe you are not a brand new renter, rather you have your space and it has been lived in and loved for a long time. This advice is still good for you.  Want to fall back in love with your home, give it a GOOD cleaning. Everything, I know it is not spring cleaning yet, but there is even something to be said to "winter" cleaning.  Get out the grubby clothes all the supplies and a pot of coffee. Even if you can/t recruit any helpers do it alone. It will feel good.

From my rental to yours,

Erika Hallbeck

Happy cleaning!

Completing The Grace

Hi everyone!

I know I have posted this poem before but I was reminded of it this morning. I am up early, seeing Dan off to work each morning this week.  Once I am up, I'm up; I am a morning person!  So this is a very early morning post. I have been reading a book about the grace of God and Christs Finished Work!
Then I saw a post one of Dans friends had on Facebook this morning: My confidence, my joy, and my peace come from what God has done for me in the finished work of Christ. - Paul Washer


This Quote made me think once again that because of what Christ has done we have CONFIDENCE, JOY, PEACE! the real kind, the God created kind, NOT the human effort kind!
 
Enjoy the poem, may you remember your moment with Jesus, the moment you truly surrendered.  May the Love Jesus has for his creation hit all of our hearts today. He loves you, and he completed such a work to fill the gap standing between you and the Holy God! He is FOR us, he calls to us. He listens, he answers, his is near. He will hear you today, even wispers, even screams.
Hebrews 4:7 and 14-16
 


Completing the Grace

Break it!
Take it!
My life can not hold it.
It weighs me down, lying on the ground.
My back will break.
My heart will melt.
My head will burst with pain!


The things I’ve done, you know everyone.
How I shiver at the thought of God knowing what I’ve got!
It’s and illness, it’s a plague, covering, corroding what He has made!
How I HATE IT, how I SCREAM!
…
As I lay there on the floor, my heart doesn’t hurt anymore.
My back feels light.
My head is clear and my eyes drift to who is near.


In His tomb he laid by me, and that is when he arose.
He leans to me with a mighty hand and whispers in a loving voice:

“It was finished 3 days ago. I took it on that day.
Stand up my child for I have taken the blame,
all the guilt, and all the shame.
You have found me here and I have been waiting for the day that I could say:
“YOU’RE FREE”
“YOU’RE FREE”
Take my hand child of mine.
Here in this place, let’s complete the grace.
Burying all your sin,
Let it ALL out, and we will win.
Hand in hand we will live.”


So I reached out and took his hand, it was a perfect fit.
We walked away from the tomb.
I felt so light.


We both turned and looked the tomb was empty,
My sins had been taken.
My lips and hands shaken.
I knew as he turned me back around they never again would be found!
So, God and I walked hand in hand,
And that’s the day my true life began.


By Jesus and Erika



From my living room to yours,
Erika Hallbeck

A 2012 Kinda Tuesday

Hello lovely blog readers, thanks for stopping by. I am currently on my second cup of coffee, enjoying some Hillsong while Dan is at work. We have been very blessed with a long weekend that ended today at 5pm. My last few posts have been mostly pictures, the best kinda posts most of the time have some pictures, don't you agree?

I wanted to take some time to give you some great updates of life here. After 2 weeks of having a lot of forms to be filled out lines to sit through, angry birds to be played by the hubby while in those lines, details to be figured out, insurance, car stuff, ids, a new North Carolina license plate and many other things I think we have reached the end, we even have trash pick up woot! The thing I am most excited about is finding a great church. first Baptist church of Jacksonville is where we have gone the past weekends. We could tell the heart of the church and pastor after a very short time of being there, we are excited.
Can't wait to join our first small group this Sunday. Also turn in our volunteer apps for the children's program :)
I sure miss being a 3 year old Sunday school teacher at edinbrook, and running around in the game room at awana!

This long weekend and start to 2012, in a new place with my husband has been wonderful and an answer to many prayers. Yesterday we saw a bumper sicker that read: live each day like he's deploying tomorrow. It reminded my heart once again how blessed I am to be here with Dan. Being a married couple in the same state, same house, is a great place to be. These past weeks I have seen the favor and joy of the lord! Breakthroughs with things outside our control, only God can get the Glory.

Happy start to 2012 everyone!

p.s. this weekend something very special is happening in minnesota, a woman's conference very near to my heart, Empower: treasured. Last year I went to this and heard big things from God, was refreshed and left giving praise to God. I recommend it big time! http://www.empowerladiesconference.com/

From my living room to yours,

Erika Hallbeck