About Us

Not too much to say (at least not yet)... no long list of credentials... just a story that's worth sharing. I'm Adam Vaughan. My wife, Kelly, will also be sharing. We have 6 children. Our two sons, Lincoln and Tucker, have gone to be with the Lord. The remaining four with us are Emmiline, Eloise, Elliott and Charli. Charli is a triplet. Her brothers Lincoln and Tucker are identical twins. They're dancing with Jesus right now, and they're not sad about it at all!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

signs of goodness

The birds have been singing loudly over Ridgegate today...
The melodies of blessing and release have been music to our ears.

Chirps and whistles!
Sounds we have longed for...
Repeatedly asked for...
Filled these walls today.
We accompanied the singing...
With the clicks and scribbles of signing.
Ahhh.... what joy!
With the home inspection behind us...
We press deeper into...
We leave soon to find Faith's house.
With our closing just a few short weeks away...
We have much to prepare for...
Much to HOPE for...
Much to be THANKFUL for.

And... though...
I am so very thankful for favorable signs...
Especially ones written in red...
Bearing GOOD NEWS.
I am mostly thankful that my sweet mama made it through major back surgery today.
Thank you, God!
Proclaiming and declaring total healing for her sweet, serving body.
God is so good...
All the time.
His signs And songs of goodness are everywhere.








Monday, July 30, 2012

zeal

Pastor and I were discussing just last night...
The cost of being the best.
How much it takes...
Literally...
To feed those who are set apart for gold.
Of course the olympics prompts desire and story in us all.
Amazed as we recalled...
One of the best, male swimmers in the world consumes 12, 000 calories a day.
His breakfast alone...
Would feed me for 2 days or more.

Zeal...
It's a game changer.
It redirects our day... our moments... our entire lives...
Even... our hunger.
Requiring us to reach in desire for that which fuels...
Growth and excellence.
I am no athlete.
I am not an exceptionally athlete...
But I am learning zeal.

As I read this morning...
My heart burned.
The disciples were remembering together...
Papa's heart for His bride...
"Zeal for your house will consume me."
Wow!
My immediate utterance...
"Make my heart like yours.
May my heart be zealous for your church...
For your people."

In order to be in the running for the gold...
In order to be like The Master...
I must...
Sacrifice...
Train...
Hope...
Expect...
Suffer...
And set myself up for success...
Keeping my eyes on the finish line.
When the goal seems impossibly out of reach...
I will declare His promises over my life.
I will do as the "baton-passers" before me...
I will remember...
Waiting for Him to shift things nearer.
He loves it when I look to Him for help.
Especially in the exercise of growing.
I delight as I eat in satisfaction.
Always refueling for the race set before me.
In alert position...
For the trigger to be pulled...
This runner is "taking your mark."
Running to get the prize.
The gold!
His likeness!
To stand before The throne with His anthem being sung over me.
Praying for more zeal.











Sunday, July 29, 2012

sabbath

Sabbath...
A day to remember our position...
Our status change as royals...
A day for trading in our working boots...
For special slippers...
Never forgetting we have been given...
His supernatural abilities for our journeys.
A day to delight in imputed treasures...
Playing in the safety of providence
Not letting the focus of The Throne out of our reach...
Loving the small...
Tender...
Needy babes...
Of the world.
6 days full of motion...
The seventh... 
Set apart...
To show the watchers in the world...
We are royals of another Kingdom...
SO...
Today...
We worship...
Rest...
Serve...
and Play.

Blessings on your set apart.
Love,
The Hopefuls






Saturday, July 28, 2012

not much to look at...

Faith...
True faith...
Often times...
It's not much to look at.
Lackluster in appearance...
Far from flashy...
Usually requiring its followers to be be visionaries.

I guess that's why they call it faith.
It's choosing to believe.
Believe in something that looks like nothing.
Wild that Our Papa gave me the name Faith...
As the name of the next tent He has for us.
The home that is out there and yet to be found.
He has been getting Pastor and I ready.
We've been considering some real dives... code for...
"Dumps..." according to the Joneses.
Seems fitting that we would have to choose FAITH...
In order to find it.
Calling out that which doesn't exist in our mind's eye...
Believing in its beauty before it is.
Being hands that partner...
Putting Faith into action...
Drawing out hidden loveliness.
Made me remember Sweet Jesus this morning.
Isaiah teaches us...
He wasn't much to look at.
Ordinary...
Plain...
To some...
Unsightly.
Oh... how I learn from this.
The Savior of the world.
Our King...
Access to all riches of the superficial and more...
Coming to the world.
Born into ugly flesh...
In an ugly manger...
Dwelling in an ugly world...
So He could dye an ugly death.
All so we might participate...
In the all time tangible picture of Faith.
His story sure puts mine in perspective.
I may have to believe in ugly dwelling places...
But... He is my fortress.
In Him...
I have never known such beauty.
What amazing love.
It teaches me so much about seeing...
And continuing to enlarge my view of art.
His art.
Never discounting the scribbles.
For it is by faith...
We restore...
The everyday ugly...
Calling forth beauty from...
Things that aren't much to look out.

Friday, July 27, 2012

sarah

Been thinking a lot about Sarah...
Brother Abraham's wife.
Her faith story is an amazing one.
It blesses me over an over again...
Not only confined to the old testament...
Her life of hope and obedience is laced through the new as well.
Like post-its to remind.
I am student of Sarah.
Especially as 1 Peter speaks of her unique beauty.
Encouraging my mind and heart to seek loveliness of the same caliber.
Not outward pearls of adornment...
But the imperishable.
A gentle and quiet spirit...
A submissive and obedient heart unto my husband...
Not fearing anything that is frightening...
This rare beauty...
Precious in God's sight.
She accepted her invitation... to live by wild faith...
One I also want to RSVP a giant YES to.
To live from the end... not the beginning that her eyes beheld.
She stood firm...
Believing similar promises spoken in Isaiah...
"Behold, I am doing a new thing...
That they might declare my praise."

Scripture teaches...
I am a daughter of Sarah...
If I follow in her footsteps.

Choosing arms wide open...
Living in expectation...
That His promises will fill...
Just like He did with Sarah...
Outnumbering grains of sand on the shore.


Thursday, July 26, 2012

girl growing

Growing pains.
Pruning.
In the moment it all feels the same...
Exposing.

These last few days I have felt the aches and pains of such growth.
Branches being lopped off left and right...
LOTS of communication between me and Papa.
Many waterings of the soul.

Living in the midst of so many unknowns...
It's stretching for someone with my makeup.
As I press in deeper...
My struggle is not with receiving answers...
But... a deep hunger to know I am hearing His voice correctly.
Wondering...
Is my heart properly set up...
To hear the song He is singing over me...

Many moments I question...
False evidences appearing real stirs doubt.
It makes me want to pacify....
The constant dreaming within...
To turn away from desire that pumps through my veins.

I am a growing girl...
Faith eyes coming to life...
Too big for all the baby lies...
Attempting to cork the truth welling up inside.

Oh... how I've grown comfortable with the familiarity of such bad habits.
What started out as a crazy fixation...
Initially awkward and sideways...
Somehow became a necessity.
Thankful for our Papa...
For Good Pastor...
The body
For truth...
Helping me unplug the lies...
Shifting my focus back to what edifies.

Trading what curbs hunger...
For the wholesome that feeds...
He offers by the bowl-full...
To all us little, growing ones.
Today...
It's an invitation to dig in...
Seek His song in the midst of the waves...
All the buried treasure to be found.
Not wanting to miss a trace of goodness.
For all of it...
Was meant to be enjoyed in fullness...
Both hands filled to the overflow.
So I say...
"YES!"  
Cause this princess is just a growing girl...
She needs all of HIM she can get.

Tasting and seeing is so much better...
Than chewing on plastic...
Still learning to spit the lies out.