In the beginning God Created. He created the sun, the stars, the oceans, the flowers, the amebas, the sea turtles, the foxes- and then- He created us. He created us passionately, artfully and purposefully with each breath He spoke into our lungs. This belief, rather this truth- is what our family chooses to stand on and the journey we invite you into as we learn how to live and walk as purposefully and artfully created children of this most beautiful, mysterious and loving God.
We have been asked periodically to write, to blog, to share. Truthfully I was intimidated. Why would anyone else want to read our journey and what could possibly be gained from spending time writing out where we have walked? What do we have to share? Yesterday as I woke up and journaled (my 7 month old took a rare late morning nap) I realized I could finally answer that question. I suppose at the end of the day it doesn’t matter who reads this, but rather that my heart is willing to give our story to the rightful owner, because it is in fact- His story. This year has been the most stretching, challenging, faith building and yet breathtaking year possible and I realized that if even one person experiences a taste of Jesus through walking with us- its worth every word written. So to God be the glory and may everything shared- both raw and refined- be used to make His name famous. So here we go:
Who are we?
We had this conversation a while ago but decided that if we were pioneers, our roles wouldn’t be that much different than now. So I give you the Rogers family if we were pioneers:
Taylor- The passionate but grace-giving preacher that builds barns and knows how to fix everything in town. He has several shirts he switches between because his wife tells him they match. He comes home at night and wrestles his son in front of the fire until someone hurts themselves. His favorite food is biscuits and homemade gravy and he loves to sing and play music with the family or hike in our woods. He hand grinds his coffee, smokes his own brisket and bow hunts in the winter (and occasionally shares a little moonshine with a friend). His daughters make his eyes light up and his wife thinks he is the most wonderful and intriguing man alive. And if you insert (community minister) instead of preacher, every word of this is true.
Ashley (written by Taylor 😉 )- The heart of our family. She wishes she could churn butter, grind flour, and be friends with Laura Ingalls Wilder and Anne of Green Gables. She cooks meals with art and grace, and mothers our children likewise. She demonstrates unwavering devotion to her sweet Lord Jesus and to her husband. You know how everyone in Israel went to sit with Deborah under the tree to gain wisdom for their situation, that’s kind of like Ashley – except she’s also the proverbs 31 woman. It’s like, she’s as busy and servant hearted as Martha, yet as attentive and present as Mary. At all times she remains talented, tender-hearted, and tenacious. Though a foot shorter than her husband, she stands tall with dignity. The only thing as fiery as her personality is her fire-copper hair, which announces her entry into any room with instant recognition and respect. God has instilled her with a love that fills our home, spills into our neighborhood, and diffuses fragrant love to all the nations.
*Ashley’s note- while I do not feel worthy of this description, Taylor told me to post it.
