Welcome to the Weekend

Helllooo blog readers! So I have felt a challenge in deciding what to write about on my blog, so each time I have come to write I have left posting nothing haha.  But God is showing and teaching me big things. You know how sometimes it is hard to put what you are learning in words until you finally sit down and put it into words! Funny how that goes.  Last night at our last The Truth Project bible study we sat around and just chatted and let our thoughts out. It was needed. To speak out what you havent put to words. To remind yourself what you really belive. What you are really living for.  Quality conversations are so important!

Then I got to hear from Dan last night, late after he got liberty from his week in training. So besides the fact that it is LATE at night and we both had big weeks we know that we need to have that quality for a little while before bed.  I am so THANKFUL for my husband and how he does quality conversations. If you read this babe, thank you so much! When I say quality I mean getting down to the heart of matters, getting to truth, loving and caring, listening and making God the center, even if he is not the "topic" of the talk.

After a week with not talking or writing or anything Dan and I are gifted freedom to call and talk on the weekends, with this gift we need to be good "stewards" of our talks.  I guess this little post is a reminder to myself of that exact thing.

Have a wonderful Saturday friends,
erika hallbeck <3 

Setting My Heart On Eternity

Hello blog readers :) So I have been trying to clean out my computer that is FULL to the brim! Ran across this poem from my senior year furniture design project. It was to go with a shelf I built that had to match the concept of "time" somehow. Enjoy the picture and the poem, HAPPY FRIDAY!

Project explanation:

Setting My Heart

Showing time as an interval inside of eternity. A testimony of my choice to set my heart on eternity rather then the interval of time. Setting my heart on eternity is a metaphor for surrendering my life to God who set eternity in the hearts of all men.

Sorry for all the stuff all over, that's senior studio for you lol, the dark brown piece with the heart missing is the "End of Time" and the heart missing is our choice being made, then you can see that the heart is movable for living for the here and now or living for eternity.

What setting my heart on eternity means to me:

It means placing my life in the hands of

He who stands outside of time

To choose the one who set eternity on my heart

Choosing life over death

Choosing freedom over bondage

Choosing His truth over the worlds lies

Choosing His gift over my works

Wanting His perfect plan that was set before time began rather than the one I can try to make for myself

Setting my hope in His promises

Placing my trust in His strength

Choosing to listen to my heart cry

Choosing to seek Him

Joyfully finding Him

Choosing my spirit over my flesh

Light over dark

Choosing His leadership over my own

Learning to follow

Learning to listen

Dying to myself and living in God

I choose rest over worry

I choose faith over fear

I choose to lay down my life so I can find it

To run and not grow weary

I choose to set my heart on eternity

Not making a choice is your choice

By: Erika

love to you all today,

erika hallbeck :)

I got the Joy! Do you?

At this time last year I found this WONDERFUL song! and now it has been about the only song I listen too haha. I posted it on my fb last week but you all may need to just Check it Out Again!!! stand up get moven, dance dance, my pets may look at me like I'm crazy haha but JOY cant be taken, it is deep inside the children of the LORD! Thank you Jesus for joy!

Joyful Joyful

By Laura Hackett



much love,
erika hallbeck

Coffee in Hand

Good morning,
FRIDAY!
I have coffee and an hour until I head off to work.  I am one smile filled wife today because  I will be talking to Dan tonight :) Last night I was with Madeline and she introduced me to crackle nail polish! I am in love.

Today  I want to share a verse my friend Jillian and I ran into this week. Jeremiah 18:2-4

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.



Some things I want to think about today:
Where is the "potter's shop" that God calls me to? Where is it that he speaks to me? 

Why did the Lord need to speak to Jeremiah about clay and starting over? Here are the next verses:

5 Then the Lord gave me this message: 6 “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. 7 If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, 8 but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. 9 And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.

11 “Therefore, Jeremiah, go and warn all Judah and Jerusalem. Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am planning disaster for you instead of good. So turn from your evil ways, each of you, and do what is right.’”

This is a hard thing to hear after meeting with the Lord, but how important is it to be put back on the right path. To have God remind us of what we are called to, doing what is right, being planted and built up!
We are called to renounce our evil ways, a picture of grace. We need to turn. And let God work. We are the clay in the potters hand. Where do you hear from God? What is it today that he needs to tell you, and tell me? Is it something about you, a friend, the person in line in front of you, or is it something about a nation?
I pray I keep my ears open today.

much love,
Erika Hallbeck

My Parkour Man

Hello all,
Tomorrow is Friday, this means I get to talk to Dan day! He will start his weekend off some time Friday night. :) Today has been update resume and work on portfolio day. I think shortly after this blog post it needs to be take dog for a walk and read Sacred Marriage afternoon.  Then tonight I am seeing my lovely cousin Madeline :)  Before I know it tomorrow will come.

Dan and  I got the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas for one of our wedding gifts. I am trying to read it kinda quick so I can mail it off to Dan. While he is busy almost every moment he may get a few on his days off he could read this great book. I am enjoying it so far. The theme that seems to be sticking out most is this quote, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?" A verse that has been brought up a lot in the book is 2 Thessalonians 3:5

"May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance."

What a prayer huh?  God's love, that he would send his son, that he would take us back, that he would call us by name, on and on. Christ's perseverance, he would explain things again and again to his disciples, he would go to the cross, he would speak and preach even when discouraged, pray when others had fallen asleep, concur death, come and make himself known, on and on millions and zillions of ways God shows love and Christ shows perseverance. That we could be like that. That God could direct our hearts to live that way to our husbands, family and friends.

So yes I am enjoying that book. Now I am going to leave you with a shot from our mini-moon we had a few weekends ago :) Loved having my Parkour Man back!

with love,

erika

Happy first day of school

I know many of us reading this blog are not going to school today. But lots of joyful kiddos are, and what a wonderful fall air there is today to welcome them! I love how chilly my room was when I woke up this morning. All my windows open, so refreshing! I am off to work soon here but before I go I wanted to share a little encouragement for all of our "first days of school" meaning what ever events you have today.

The church down my street Open Door has been doing a long study on the book of Colossians. I love this book, and last Sunday they talked over chap 3:16.  This morning I want to back up and take a look at 3:12-14.
I feel like I have pointed this out on my blog before but this just means it really hits my heart as a need I have!

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

OK I marked up the verse to bring attention to some Key words! So take a look and in light of the first day of school, study up :)


First, who we are:  God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved (wow speak this out today!, in Christ this is who we are!
Second, what WE need to do:  Clothe ourselves (an action that we need to act on, something we need to do)
Third, the clothing:  compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, and some fun accessories bearing with and forgiving, and the coat to top this look off, love

Finally, one of the Lords favorite things: perfect unity.

I pray our hearts and minds think on this today, that we take action and CLOTHE OURSELVES! and if something falls of during the day, we clue in and put it back on before we get cold :)

much love,
Erika Hallbeck <3 

Hallbeck Happenings

I am up too late messing around with the blog look :) But having some fun. In the middle of Dan being home, wedding, and Dan heading back to training this blog has been lacking in posts.
Tonight I just want to say PRAISE the Lord. He is so faithful. The 10 days with Dan home were just perfect. All of that goodness came right from our Father who loves with such a love.  Our wedding day was filled with joy, love and much support from family and friends. Glory to God that he has called Dan and I into one, walking our lives out together, before him ALL our days.  Such a blessing and such a calling.
Four days after our wedding, bright and early (actually still kinda dark) I brought my Hubby to the airport. He is now in SOI for the next two months. God takes good care of us in many ways but one way that we are just thrilled about during this training compared to this past summer is that WE CAN TALK ON THE PHONE. That is right people, each weekend Dan is able to use his phone and computer.  This is such a wonderful wedding gift from the Lord. I must go to bed haha as the time gets later and later but will leave you with a few pics!

Love you,
Mrs. Erika Hallbeck :)
p.s. the following pics were not taken by me, but rather my kind friends who captured some of the most wonderful moments.  When I get my photos from the wonderful Mrs. Ria I will be sharing too!!