This Is Only the Beginning! Connection Church 1 Year Celebration

Connection Church is 1 year old!!! 

We are so excited about all that God has done, and all that God is doing in us and through us. 

Connection Church is a beautiful, diverse community. And to be honest, they have become  family to us. 

Lee was responsible for editing 100 minutes of video interviews to show at the end of our 1 year celebration service. He trimmed it down to 7 minutes.

Thanks to our AppleTV, I was able to help him make selections of what should be included without both of us having to focus on the computer screen (we were able to stream it to our tv). It was hard to decide!! There was so much good footage...so many good things said!! Such beautiful stories of how people became a part of Connection Church and what God has done!!

Lee and I decided to move to Colorado ourselves after reading a book called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Don Miller. Shawn and Amy had already asked us to move here to be a part of the church plant...but reading this book together pushed us over the edge. 

It was all about living a story worth telling. If our life is a book, would someone want to keep reading, or would the book be put down after the first page? Would fiction have to be added to it to make it a movie that people would want to watch?

And through editing this video...we wanted to tell the story of Connection Church. 

This video really is just a short glimpse...I wish you could hear all of the stories...maybe someday you will!  It was awesome to know that each person didn't have a clue what the others said, and yet they all shared the same feelings: home, community, family, a place to belong... Lee and I just sat together crying as we listened to the stories and feelings each person shared!!

We are actually excited about next year's video as well...we know that there will be more stories, new faces, and even more reason to celebrate!!! :) 

Thank you for watching and celebrating with us!!! 

Connection Church Denver: 1 Year Celebration--This is only the beginning. from Lee Blakney on Vimeo.

Brennan is 3!

I can't believe that my little Bear is turning 3 years old today. 

It really doesn't seem like it has been 3 years since I delivered him!!

I love that little boy so much. 

He's so full of life and energy!!! 

He is all boy... I mean all boy. 

He hits, spits, kicks, karate chops just about anything and everything...and everyone. 

Yet, he can be so sweet and tender...






One of my favorite things is hearing him laugh with Bella...they are so silly together. And in true sibling fashion, they can be hitting and screaming at each other one minute and then giggling and hugging each other the next. 

It really is a special relationship that I love to watch develop more each day. 

It definitely falls into the category of, "I can hit my sister, but you better not lay a finger on her..." We have have already heard him defend her before...which was awesome! 







He also has a wonderful relationship with his little sister. 

He can also make Breelee laugh with just about anything that he does. 

He also can be soooo tough with her...but I love when he starts singing to her to calm her down. 

It really is precious to see how much they care about each other and are concerned for each other.






I love that my kids love each other. 


After hearing a sermon by Brad Bullock in Louisiana a while back, Lee & I decided to come up with a few things that we want our kids to have deep in their hearts...

For Brennan, we have these statements for him - and he finishes them for us::  

We say, "You are my..." he finishes with - "Bear"

We say, "You are so..." he finishes with - "strong" 

We say, "And you say..." he finishes with - "I can do all things through Jesus!" 

We feel honored that we have been entrusted to raise a strong, mighty man of God. 

My prayer for him is that he grows up desiring to have a relationship with God for himself...not because he feels like he has to...not because he knows that we want him to...but because he wants to himself. 

(And I know that will come from how Lee & I show him our relationship with God now.)

I pray that Brennan is covered by God's hand of protection and provision. 

I pray that Brennan will continue to love to learn. 

I pray that Brennan will enjoy life - and help everyone around him enjoy life as well...just like his daddy...


Loving God and loving others...that is what I want for him. 

My heart is full today as we celebrate the first 3 years of his little life!! 

The best is yet to come!!!

Here are just a few highlights of my baby boy! 

 I'll have more pictures of the superhero birthday party that we are having this weekend!! 

How I Love Lee

I feel so blessed. I love being married to Lee. 

We've been together for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health...definitely for better or for worse. 

And I absolutely love him. I love being with him. I love hearing his voice. I love being on the same page as him. 

I just feel blessed. 

I choose to love him every day. 

I know that there are days when we get frustrated with each other...we disagree on things...but I still choose to love him, and he chooses to love me. 

Love is a choice. Not a feeling. I think my feelings can change with the wind. But I don't have to make my choices based on feelings. 

I really like looking at 1 Corinthians 13 when it comes to thinking about "true love." I mean, it's known as the love chapter. It's often read at weddings...inscribed somewhere for marital celebrations. 

In verse 4 it begins giving a list of what love is and what love is not...

Love is patient.
Love is kind. 
It does not envy, 
It does not boast, 
It is not proud.
It is not rude, 
It is not self-seeking, 
It is not easily angered, 
It keeps no record of wrongs. 
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Those are strong images of what love is and what love is not. 

I don't succeed at truly loving Lee every day according to these verses. 

I'm getting ready to teach a Bible Study Methods class for our Deeper small group at Connection Church. I am soooooooo excited about this. 

And one of the things that is consistent with every method of studying the Bible is application. 

It's one thing to learn about it...but I am missing the point if I don't apply what I have learned to my life. 

So...my personal goal is to memorize these verses again (I memorized them when I was a teenager)...and whenever I don't "feel" like loving Lee (or anyone else for that matter), I will meditate on these verses...I will make sure that I am applying them to my life. 

I want to love my husband even more than I do now. 

Marriages don't just get better over time...It's not like a fine wine that can be put on the shelf and get better by itself. 

A good marriage takes work...and a great marriage takes a lot of work!

But every investment in my marriage is worth it...and every effort to love like 1 Corinthians 13 talks about makes my marriage more delightful than it was the day before!

And that is worth it to me!!

A Few Things in Life that I'm Enjoying...

I'm enjoying the weather right now...the days may be a little hot, but the evenings are absolutely perfect. Sometimes I even need a sweater as we sit on the swing...it's beautiful. 

I'm enjoy Lee's work schedule. It's wonderful getting to spend time with him when we do. 

I'm enjoying my Nike Fuelband. Lee & I both have one...we got them for our birthdays. We each have our own "fuel points" goals, and we are working towards meeting those every day. My goal stretches me...I have to do something extra to hit it...It's a great common interest for us...we are able to keep each other motivated as we work towards meeting our fitness goals. I am working towards having a 3 day streak!!


I'm enjoying my new Pampered Chef products. I am happy to be a new Pampered Chef Independent Consultant...and I am having a blast setting up shows on Facebook and in homes. 

I hosted my first party at my house last night. We had a salsa making contest using my new products. It was sooooo fun!!! I am looking forward to getting more comfortable with the process. Next week, I have a "Date Night" cooking show scheduled with a friend from college who lives here in Colorado...and we'll have the salsa making contest again!!! So fun!


I'm enjoying my kids. It is a demanding season, but our home is full of noise (sometimes good...sometimes not so good...), love, and laughter. Yes, there are many messes...and sometimes I feel trapped in the monotony of day to day things...but I know I will look back, and life will never be like it was when I had 3 little ones at home. 
(From when I began writing this post, Breelee pulled up on the couch...and not long after I picked her up, she fell asleep on me. These are sweet moments that don't last forever!)

I'm enjoying my church. Connection Church is a wonderful place that connects people with God and with each other. Megan, a young lady who has been coming to our church recently told me, "I've found nothing that can compare to the genuineness of what's happening in that auditorium." That's so awesome! And I get to be a part of that!! It really is a beautiful thing. 

What are some things that you are enjoying right now?

The Days Are Long but the Years Are Short

So...it's been a different season of life for me. 


I have been here in this season before, but it looks different with 3 kids. 

Somedays I feel like I haven't had 5 minutes pass without the little people touching me!

Breelee doesn't want me to be out of her sight. Sometimes I have to be within her reach for her to be happy. 

Lee & I went on a date while his parents were here for a visit. She didn't last too long with them...they said she was even saying "Mama" while we were gone. They said she knew who she wanted. 

And I know that this won't last forever...but it does make the days seem extra long. 

Either I'm holding her and not accomplishing anything else in my messy house...or I'm switching laundry over or loading the dishwasher with a crying baby who has crawled to find me and is pulling at my legs. 

The days are long but the years are short...

It wasn't too long ago that Bella and Brennan went through that stage. Sometimes it is even hard to remember it. 

Lee & I watched a video of Bella at about 2 years old...where Brennan is now... and it is crazy to hear her talk...her sweet little voice...and before I know it...Brennan will be talking even clearer than he is now. 

Just a few months ago, he kept asking for what we thought was "Hungry Hippos..." only to find out that it was actually "Super Heroes" which he can say very clearly now. 





The days are long but the years are short...

I've said it before, and I mean it...I don't want to rush to the next stage of life. I know it will have its own set of challenges and demands...

But I want to enjoy this one. And I believe God has given me grace to do so. 

I'm not a perfectionist when it comes to my house...some days I wish I was...but I've been told by my OCD friends that I should be happy that I'm not. I can enjoy time with my kids in my messy house. And really, before I know it...I will have all the time in the world to clean it. But I won't have these days with my babies again...3 kids under the age of 5...

I have heard too many moms of older kids say that they miss the days when their kiddos were little. I've heard women who have complications having kids say that they would trade my noisy, messy house for their quiet, clean house any day...



So I choose to embrace this season, no matter what the days may bring...because afterall...

The days are long but the years are short...

A Teachable Moment:: How to Deal with Disappointment

I have found my newest role in motherhood is teaching Bella how to deal with disappointment.

There are going to be times in life when things don't go the way she wants them to.

Disappointment is a natural part of life. Even the Bible refers to it.

Proverbs 13:12

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

I know that I don't always deal with disappointment appropriately...

And I know that she's watching me.

Yesterday we went to our church's playdate group. It was at a swimming pool...the sun was shining, the water felt great...

this is from our first Connection Church playdate

We played for an hour and a half.

Brennan had eaten all of our snacks and was tired...Breelee was tired...but Bella wasn't ready to go.

We were the first family to leave.

And that was devastating for Bella. Absolutely devastating.

She cried. A real, genuine cry.

I tried to empathize with her...I told her that I understood that she was disappointed. I understood that it was ok to cry.

But her loud ceaseless crying in the car was waking up her baby sister...and to have 2 crying girls in the car would have been too much for me in that moment.

We got home...ate lunch...and she mostly recovered.

Later, she apologized for crying about leaving the pool.

Her tender heart amazes me.

I told her that I appreciated it...I understood she was disappointed...but it was important for her to listen to me when I say it is time to go.

Honestly, I could have given in to her...I could have let her have her way and let her stay...I could have turned the stroller around and said, "Ok, Bella, since you are crying and so thoroughly disappointed, we will stay the extra 5 minutes until everyone else leaves."

But that wouldn't have taught her an accurate way to deal with disappointment. It would have just showed her that if she cries enough...if she shows enough disappointment...if she throws a fit...she can get her way.

But that's not how I want her to grow up. I want her to learn how to move on when it is time to...

I am the one who sets the boundaries...not her...It is my role as her mom.

Today, she has recovered. She's playing. She's learning. She's growing.

She is learning that it is ok to cry...but she's also learning that she cannot get her way all of the time. It is not fun...but she will be a better person because of it.

Blakney Family Update June 2013

Life is moving very quickly! This weekend makes 1 year since we've moved to Colorado!!!!

So much has happened!

Breelee is now 7 months old. Can't believe it. She's grown so much...she's sitting up on her own. She's eating big girl food. She's still sleeping great. Just unbelievable how fast it's gone by!

Breelee loves loves loves her brother and sister...they can make her laugh like no one else! And she loves her daddy too...she gets soooo excited when he gets home from work!

It is delightful to see her personality develop. And I cannot tell you how many compliments we get about her being a happy baby...yet again...an answer to prayer!

Brennan is potty-trained! He decided almost 2 weeks ago that he was done with diapers...he came home from church on Sunday and used the little potty and hasn't wanted to wear a diaper since. Yes, we've dealt with accidents, but he's getting better. And he's only had a couple of accidents during the night - he wears his big boy drawers to bed and keeps them dry! It is crazy to think that I haven't had to change his diaper in almost 2 weeks...

I mean, I've had to clean up his accidents, but before I know it...I won't have to clean those up either.



He is so funny...definitely all boy...rough and tough...but loves his momma! :) He has an amazing vocabulary and regularly asks to go back to Meme's house in Louisiana!



Bella is doing awesome. She is growing taller by the day! She finished prek at her amazing school...and we are debating on keeping her there next year (our other option is homeschooling...which if it doesn't begin this fall, we will begin the next one!!)

I've been working with her to learn to read...she's excited about it, and she can already read some short books! She has such a love for reading, which is an answer to prayers!

She still loves to sing and dance, which we hear and see all the time. She is sweet and sassy...and so much like me it is unreal. She is a helpful big sister...and I am so proud of the developing little lady she is becoming.

Her faith is growing in God...and that is beautiful to be a part of!


Our family is doing well. Lee is still working part-time with Apple. He doesn't have a "regular" schedule since he is part-time...and he doesn't always get a lot of hours, but we are praying that he will get to go "full-time" soon! That would be HUGE for our family!

We are so thankful for our support team members who continue to help us with their prayers and financial support. God is using you to provide for us...and we are blessed. A lot of times money is tight, but God takes such good care of meeting our needs!!

The church is doing great! I'm about to lead a women's online Bible study for our ladies, which I am sooooo excited about!! Plus I'm getting to plan some fun activities for the summer! I'm still helping teach kids church, running media occasionally, and singing on the worship team...but I'm also about to help more in the nursery...which I'm looking forward to loving on those babies!

Lee is doing great with the music and media. He doesn't have a ton of time to devote to meeting and finding new musicians to relieve those who are playing...but our team is dedicated to leading worship on Sunday mornings! We are so blessed to have them at Connection Church!

For those of you reading this, thank you for loving on our family. Thanks for praying for us and believing in us and with us. Thank you for encouraging us...even if you didn't know we even needed it! :)