Hallbeck Happenings

Hello beautiful bloggy readers,

Welcome to Friday night! I'm at home relaxing, putting on Pandora oldies mix and working on my new crafty craze of embroidery :)  When I was little my grandma would teach my sister and I how to do different embroidery stitches and we would work on little projects at her house like dish towels.  It is a great memory and I have been looking for a mindless but fun activity I can do when Dans way.  I ran across a really fun blog via Pinterest last week, perfect timing! It is called  Wild Olive.  So I was inspired and have now started getting back to my childhood roots :)   I will show you my two projects I have done and my first attempt to remember stitches.  So look back for that next!

Ok so the Hallbeck Happenings up date:

I found the rug I have been looking for! it is as big as I wanted, it is the weight I wanted and had a great price tag at Marshals! I was too pumped when I found it, just ask the hubby.

perfect colors for our kitchen

keeps our feet warm as we wash all our dishes by hand and wait for coffee to be made :)

The NC Hallbecks own a dresser! What a big step. And many hours of putting it together, but thank you Target for having something a little less bulky so it would do the job and fit in our room :)

James 1: 16 &17 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Don't be deceived tonight.  If there is a good gift, you know where it comes from!  Don't give that credit to chance or circumstance or any other thing. But give thanks to the Father of the heavenly lights! My favorite part of these verses, "Who does not change like shifting shadows"  THANK YOU JESUS.  He is going to be the same no mater what comes or what goes.  No matter what kind of day I have. He is not a shifting shadow by my ever present Father. 
Make a little list of good gifts.

My little list today:
my grandma and her teaching me little things that i still remember
my fun childhood memories
new crafts embroidery
text messages from Dan <3 

From my living room to yours,
Erika Hallbeck

When You Least Expect it

Hello lovely blog readers,

I am typing with one hand while I prop a hot wash cloth to my cheek with the other!  My wise teeth were removed on Monday.  While I still have some annoying discomfort I'm much better now than the past few days.  Now I have taken a picture of my current state for you all!

Yep here I am, typing away to you all! Hot cloth in a plastic bag, helping this swelling go down :)

So I have a few things I want to blog about, but today came something that wasn't on my list.  A while back Dan and I were at a store on base, it is kinda like a mini department store.  I saw these really cute bags.  Out of our budget and not something I needed, but boy did I think they were great!  I went home and looked them up online,  and do what most do when they find something they need to save for, put it on Pinterest ! So I pinned a few of my favs and let the bag go.  Little did I know there was a surprise in store! 

So today, weeks later one of my old neighbors from MN sent me a package in the mail.  I have not spoken or seen her for many years.  But God used pinterest and her sweet kind thoughtful heart to really bring a smile to my face. She saw my pin and Hadaki is a brand she represents so she sent me a bag! I least expected it today. But God knew it was coming.  Some may see this story as small and not a big deal but it hit my heart today.  It reminded me that God notices the little, he loves to give good gifts, in this case even handbags.  

 This good gift would have never made it if it were not for a heart that said yes to him! Kim, if you read this: THANK YOU again and again! What an unexpected nock at my door and bag in the box :) And what a fun idea to send someone something they have pinned on pinterest out of the blue!

This is one of the color combos that I had pinned!

Cant wait to fill it up!

Thank you Jesus, and thank you Kim.

Hope you all have some fun planned up for this weekend.  Dan leaves for a few weeks of training this coming Monday so I know we are going to be soaking up good time with eachother this weekend! Blessings.

From my livingroom to yours,
Erika Hallbeck

Dream a Little Dream with Jesus

Hello to you lovely blog readers. I hope this post finds you all well on your way to the weekend!

Whats been going on this week:

random pic of the hub bub, :) he got to be home every night this week!

Cutie birds for Vday from the mumzy

love love and hearts and pink and red combos and the fun that is v day!

made some strawbaby cupcakes

yum! and pink

and on to season II (thanks mom for sending it to us!)

We have made it to Friday! Today I have found myself doing a little day dreaming. Do you ever dream a little dream with Jesus?  A plan for the future, what you will do when you get older, what it will be like being a parent a grandparent, to visit a new country, to work in a specific job. Let Jesus in on your dreaming today, he has big plans and when we follow the King, when we surrender and trust in him with our lives and dreams, we are in the family, we are children of the King, no telling what dreams are coming true, what surprises are in store for you, what blessing is coming next.  Today lets dream a little dream with Jesus.

much love,

-erika hallbeck

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!