Just Journaling...

Guest Blogger: Annette Hertzler- Spend Time With Your Treasure

2012-01-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

A&L- Christmas 2011

And here it is, friends! The much anticipated blog post from my dearest Annette. Most people who know me, know about her....if not know her personally. I wish the entire world could spend the time sitting at her farmhouse kitchen table as I have....but then there wouldn't have been time for me! She and I started our friendship because I was given an assignment to find a mentor in my life- someone to help me along in the process of becoming a Godly woman and wife. We became kindred spirits quickly and our families knit themselves together closer than I ever thought possible. Her mentorship and guidance also taught me to the mom I am today. Friends often ask how it all happened, but that's so hard to answer... it was two lives intentionally lived together...a complete God-thing. We are real and honest with each other. She knows more about me than anyone. She's the one when I call when I win and fail at life. She's cried with me, rejoiced with me, straightened me out, and allowed me to sleep when it seemed no one else would.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gifts To Enjoy

God enjoys us. I believe He created us for His enjoyment. I read recently that there are three things children need. They need security, significance, and purpose. Adults need these things too. Being enjoyed and loved by God gives us security, significance, and purpose.

God gives us children for our enjoyment. In 1 Timothy 6:17, the writer exhorts us to "trust in the living God...who has given us richly all things to enjoy." If you enjoy each stage of your child's development, you will most likely enjoy each stage of your child's development. Yes, I said that twice. You may even be asked if the little girl in your grocery cart is your grand-child because you are enjoying her so much.

We worry too much about doing it right and God says, "Just enjoy the gift I've given you." When you enjoy your child you will most likely be in good relationship with your child. Healthy discipline stems from that good relationship which is rooted in love and love never fails. Love never fails.

When my first child, Freeman, was two, I wrote a little poem called "Treasures." I share it with you here.

My house is in a shambles,

The garden's full of weeds,

The trashcan smells suspicious

and the toilet bowl has needs.

But I am with my baby

and he's showing me the sky,

an ant who's on a journey,

and a flitting butterfly.

My housework never will leave home

But one day all too soon,

Our son will walk out of our door-

Whistling freedom's tune.

So spend time with your treasure-

Don't fuss about the dust.

Your baby is eternal,

Your gold that will not rust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God enjoys you, His treasure.

Enjoy your treasure, too.

Annette Hertzler

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several years after our friendship began, I was taking a class about women's ministry and was given another assignment to serve as a reverse-mentor for someone. Naturally, I wanted to help Annette learn something new! She and I had spend some time talking about how important writing was to her- she wanted to write things down for her kids to have later in life. I offered to teach her to blog and within a few posts, she was hooked! You can find hundreds of wise treasures like you've just read on her blog, www.anniesgleanings.blogspot.com Please jump over to her site and grab a nice cup of tea and soak in her words. She's a keeper!

Thanks, Annette, for sharing on my blog! I LOVE it....let's do it again!

Another Guest Blogger!

2012-01-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

On Monday, I will host my second guest blogger! I can not wait to share with you what she has written!!!

To my Farmville friends, you are going to love this.....prepare yourself.

To my new Connecticut friends, you are going to love this....prepare yourself.

I love my guest blogger and I know you will be blessed by what she has written. Check back on Monday!!!

Here's a horrible reach-out-your-arm shot of us on a date. Where did we end up? Trying on bomber hats at L.L.Bean. We're dorks, but we are learning our way around true winter weather gear. These even have little ear flaps you can raise to allow hearing while the larger side flaps are lowered and tied around your chin. We've love to get some (despite the unattractiveness), but with a $50+ price tag, I think we'll wait! Enjoy your wintery weather this weekend~

help is on the way...

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

I asked her to go upstairs and pick up the Angelina toy set she was playing with earlier. I would be right behind her to start the bath water. She’s about to turn 4 and I knew she could do the task. I few minutes later, she was back in the kitchen and I asked her if the toys were picked up.

“It’s too many for me.”

A little file folder in the back of my mental “mothering” drawer began jumping around and reminded me of a snippet of time when my first was a toddler. She had scattered all of the offering envelopes and welcome cards found in the pew rack in church. From the other end of the row, I told her to pick them up before giving anyone hugs. Gigantic tears flowed. Someone near and dear simply asked her older daughter to help mine and said, “sometimes the task just looks too big to start.”

This flashback caused me to think wisely, so I asked my brown-eyed beauty to head back upstairs and just pick up Angelina’s table and chairs. I told her I would help with the rest.

“Just her table and chairs? I can do that!” and up she went.

I have a huge task ahead and I’ve been avoiding it because it just feels too big for me. Not only do I feel this way about my big assignment looming nearby, but I feel similarly about my inability to live righteously.

“It’s just too big for me.”

But I have to start somewhere. I can take it a piece at a time and work my way through until it’s done. However, it isn’t so easy with living like Jesus. With his help, I can take it a little at the time and work on areas that need adjusting. I don’t always have a good attitude or put others first. I’m not always respectful of the people who need it most in my life and I get hung up on superficial things. But I trust that he who began a good work in me will faithfully complete it. I can rest knowing that I can’t and won’t get it all perfect overnight and that my Help is on the way.

My rock and redeemer. My help and high tower. My strength and security. My healer and hope.

I finished up the dishes that night and went upstairs a few minutes later to find that almost everything was already picked up. I helped with two pieces. Literally, two pieces out of dozens. She had completed the job by breaking it up into smaller tasks and with the encouraging knowledge that help was on the way.

Guess Blogger: Chris Conrad

2012-01-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

I am super excited to host my first guest blogger today! Chris, one of my friends from college (she and I led a small group together one year....good times!), is a great mom and blogger in Alabama. She and her husband, Mike, are wonderful parents to their sweet daughter. I am happy to share with you a recent post she wrote about being a mom. Here she is......

I'm a better Mom than you!

The other night I was waiting for my favorite weeknight show to come on: Modern Family. It truly is one of the highlights of my week. So while I waited, I flipped through the numerous channels, all of which had nothing really on that I would watch. Before I knew it I found myself watching Up All Night. I had seen this show before, but never really got into it. That night's episode proved to be much funnier than the previous ones. As I continued to watch, I learned more about the show itself.

Reagan Brinkley (Christina Applegate) is a working mom while her husband, Chris Brinkley (Will Arnett) stays at home with their baby girl. The show is about their lives as parents and how they have changed since they were newly married and without a child.

In this particular episode, Reagan was trying to juggle her schedule so she could attend baby classes with her husband and little girl. Things were pretty funny.......... until...............

In the baby class, there was a stay at home mom with her baby. The show immediately turned this character into some wacko! She started telling Reagan how her baby is crawling because she stays at home and works with her. She then lifts her baby in the air and talks about how her baby is her entire world. Basically she was making Reagan feel like a terrible mother for having a job.

This just infuriated me! Why did they have to make the stay-at-home-mom out to be some nut! Why I kept watching I have no earthly idea. But by the end of the show, the two women somehow made up and talked about getting a drink sometime.

As I went to bed that night, I kept mulling what happened over and over in my mind. As much as I loathe what the show portrayed, it is very true to life when it comes to mothers. I picture a boxing ring with the two fighters. Except instead of physical punches, they spew criticism. And it's truly sad.

Through observation, I have found the following:

With the working mother there is guilt - they feel guilty for not being able to stay at home with their child. They want to be able to spend more time doing things with them and for them.

The stay-at-home-moms feel stuck. They miss dressing up and having some place to be, deadlines to meet, and adult conversation.

Because women have these feelings, they try to cope with them by reassuring themselves that they are doing what's best. But instead of seeking reassurance from Christ, they put themselves in the boxing ring. And who is orchestrating the fight? The Enemy. The one who thrives in division. The one created those feelings of inadequacy to being with.

Well she just works so much she never has time for her kids.
I would have a clean house too if I stayed at home all day.
She has all those kids and works? How do they get any attention?
She stays at home, she should be able to volunteer.

I would be lying if I told you I have never had these thoughts. When I was working before Madeline and now staying at home with Madeline. They creep into our minds without warning. And these thoughts soon turn into judgements. Before we know it, we've gone into separate camps.

BOTTOM LINE: As women, we need to be the kind of mother Christ has called us to be.

Some women are called to a career. That doesn't mean they choose that career over their family.

Some women are called to work at home. That doesn't mean they are any better of a mother.

The key word is CALLED.

If God has called you to a particular career or job, then He has made a way for you to work and take care of your family. It may seem hard to juggle everything and you may look at the stay-at-home-mom and wish you had her life - DON'T! You are right where you need to be! Don't feel guilty! Instead ask yourself What is God calling me to with my career and family? How can I glorify God with what He's called me to do? I know so many gifted librarians, teachers, doctors, NASA education specialists, interior designers, graphic designers, secretaries...the list goes on and on. What you do is important. Your children will see that, too!

Some of you may be working and HATE your job. And want to be home. You feel called to be at home. You feel like you're in limbo. Your job is important. You are on mission. You are helping to provide for your family.

If God has called you to stay at home with your children, then He has made a way for you physically be with your child/ren during the day. Your job is important. It may seem hard to catch the crawling child, watch Disney all day, and have little adult communication. You may wish you could head off to a job. DON'T! You are right where you need to be! Don't feel trapped! Instead ask yourself What is God calling me to while staying at home? How am I glorifying God with what He's called me to do?

The Enemy doesn't want us to ask ourselves these questions. He doesn't want us to be on mission. He wants us to be so distracted with the grass being greener on the other side, that we forget to tend to our own lawn.

Don't do what you feel you should do; do what you have been called to do. As seasons in your life change, so may your calling. If you're working, God may call you to stay at home for a period. If you are staying at home, He may call you to go back to work for a time. Don't shut yourself off from what God may be saying to you.

I think once we have more confidence in what God has called us to do and what He's called us to be, then we will be less likely to judge others and instead work together for what we're all called to do: live out the gospel together in community.

See, isn't she great! Her honesty is why I love her. If you want to follow her, head on over to her blog....http://thisismomlife.blogspot.com

Have a great night friends! Thanks, Chris, for sharing your heart.

Guess what?

2012-01-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

Early next week, I will host my first guest blogger! I hope you are as excited as I am....I always love reading her posts. As a young mom, she is real and raw about what she is learning about herself, life and God. Get ready!

Magical Morning Moments

2012-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

The best part of my day happens before I open my eye lids. It starts like this:

Dog huffs repeatedly, in an attempt to beg to be let outside. Being gentlemanly, he refrains from barking. I love him for that.
Gil *encourages* him to quiet down a few times.
Gil begins to huff repeatedly, as he layers on the clothes to escort Judah out. I love him for that.
All is quiet while the boys are outside.
Somewhere in dreamland, a coffee grinder is switched on and the time warp begins.

Time stops.

Some days, the time warp feels like it lasts for hours. It's amazing, heavenly and totally my love language. I know, thanks to my husband's vast coffee knowledge, that the ground coffee will only sit in the french press for 4 minutes. But the moments just don't add up.

Here's what I know:

coffee grind time + water boil time+ 4 minutes to do whatever it does in the press+perfect cup prep= not that long (in real life)

But, if you account for the time warp, the moments stretch.

Here's what else I know:

Sleep during the time warp is deep and sweet, it's powerful and concentrated. It's like a nap in the sun, which is so much better than normal sleep.

After the elongated minutes, I feel someone standing nearby. I have a 6th sense- I can tell coffee is close.

Time begins.

I *gracefully* sit up, eyeliner smudged and hair going in ever direction possible. He loves me for that.
He places the cup of goodness in my hands and walks away. I love him for that.
I drink most of the powerful goodness, then begin to move.
Somewhere in real life, I hear kid chatter and the day begins.

I know I am loved during these magical morning moments.

Leap Blogging

2012-01-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

I would like to invite you to leap over to my other blog to read my latest post about our transitions in Connecticut! You can find it by clicking here! Enjoy!

And for your visual enjoyment, here is a little snapshot of my husband under a snowy tree! Can you spot him?

-Lindsay

Book Review: STUCK- a keeper....definitely.

2012-01-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

On a superficial level, I love this study.

On a leadership level, I love this study.

On a personal level, I love this study.

On a spiritual level, I love this study.

Jennie Allen nailed it when she wrote her 8 week group study entitled Stuck. The series comes with an 8 session DVD, a leaders guide, a participants guide, and a deck of cards.

The deck of cards were my favorite.

Allen gives group guidelines for her study. One of her rules for group discussion is to not counsel one another. If you’ve ever been in a group discussion with more than 2 women, you should know why she wants to limit playing counselor for the others. Everyone always has an idea to solve your problem, a solution to your worries and instructions on how to live the perfect life. But why the deck of cards?

As a task oriented person, the cards make my heart soar. Each week has 10 cards which correspond to the week’s topic. Each card is different and ranges in activities from reading a scripture to the group, asking a discussion question for the group, answering a thought provoking question or some other task. The cards give the group participants some authority as to how much she shares with others and the level of participation. Having a card in your hand is much like having a table in front of you....it’s a little piece of safety from the invasive feelings some experience when sharing personal information. Cards also give the quiet ones a chance to speak if they wish and prevents trampling from too-well-known Chatty Cathy.

Allen’s DVD is enjoyable and she is easy to listen to. The settings are different each week and she positions herself as if she is talking directly to you- across the table, in the grocery isle, etc. Each clip is about 8 minutes long. While watching, I became so interested in what she was saying, I lost track of time and always wanted her to keep going. Her sweet spirit shines through and I wish I knew her personally- she would be a deep and valuable friend.

As for the topics covered in the study, Allen writes/talks about places we get STUCK in our relationship with God- broken, mad, discontent, scared, overwhelmed, sad, unstuck. For some of these topics, I felt it didn’t apply to me BEFORE I listened and read.....but each time, I found that I saw myself in the discussions. Her questions, her personal stories, the scriptures she used.....they all pulled something out in me that resonated so clearly in my own heart. Ouch.

Because of the way her study is organized, I feel this would fit any level of intimacy a group currently experiences- a newly established group would benefit from the use of the cards and the optional input exercises, while a group that deeply knows one another can press farther with the hard questions and personal stories.

Thanks Thomas Nelson for a chance to read and review this study in exchange for a free copy! If you want to snag your own copy, click here.

You can check out Jennie’s site @ http://jennieallen.com/projects/stuck or catch a glimpe of one her videos, right here:

Book Review: The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012- a keeper

2012-01-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Imagine being a writer and needing to know who to call for editors, publishers, contests and not knowing where to look. Your searches on Google end up with the crafty business person’s eye-catching website and writing classes for the local middle school age homeschool co-op. Frustration oozes from your fingertips. This amazing article hibernates on your hard drive while potential periodical editors hunt for something great to publish. How can the two become one? Is it possible for the perfect match to be found? Unlikely....Possible....Maybe?

*Cue end of drama.*

This heavenly made match can be completed with the help of Jerry Jenkin’s 2012 Christian Writers Market Guide. Jerry B. Jenkin’s Christian Writers Guild compiled information from hundreds of publishers, agents, contests, writers’ groups, conference locations and dates and topics of interests. This book is like the White Pages of the writing world. I bought my first copy in 2009 and used it as a guide to navigate new territory. By flipping through the pages, I was able find useful information for publishing....but I also found encouragement to write. This tool is 552 pages of potential outlets for writing. Even though the publishing world seems to be caving in right now, there are still writers landing jobs! It’s motivating to skim through the Guide and see the areas on interest still available for writers.

If your amazing article or book is still hibernating on your hard drive and you’d like to wake it, grab yourself a copy of The 2012 Christian Writers Market Guide. It’s somewhat pricey ($24.99), but if you look at it as an investment in your yearly writing career, then it isn’t so bad.

Thanks Tyndale for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Because you asked....

2011-11-15T12:41:00.001-08:00

A few people have asked for my granola and protein bar/balls recipes, so I am posting them here! Some of my recipes aren't "mine" at all, I simply found them online and won't take credit for it. I'll give you the link to go grab it from the original source.

I used Alton Brown's recipe for both granola and crunchy granola bars. You can get the recipe for his granola by clicking HERE and his bar recipe HERE. Head's up though....be sure to take those bars out of the oven at the appropriate time. If you leave them in there just a tad too long, your bars become too crunchy to bite comfortably. As with all my recipes, I substitute a lot and often just use what I have on hand. Alton calls for a large quantity of dried fruit, which I just swap for raisins, craisins, coconut flakes....or whatever I have.

Here's my chewy granola bar recipe:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 1/2 cup extras (peanuts, chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit, coconut, etc.)
Mix first 5 ingredients well. Add remaining ingredients until completely mixed. Press
hard and evenly into a 9x13 greased pan. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Cool. Flip out
onto cutting board. Cut into bars. Wrap individually. Will keep in pantry for 2 weeks.

Here's my Energy/Protein Ball recipe:

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

**When I made these most recently, I didn't have mini chocolate chips or flaxseed, so I substituted sunflower seeds and crunched up M&M's. The pops of color brought into the mix made it quite cute. I toted these around with us the day we did our home inspection, which kept my family from wilting during the 2 hour process. ;-)

Can you think of other recipes you'd like to check out? Let me know. If I don't have one already, I'll experiment and report back to you!

*************POST UPDATE************

I wanted to share an example of my substitution habits with you. A few days ago, I needed to make a double batch of the Energy Ball mentioned above....but as usual, I did not have all the ingredients listed. So I swapped things out for other things. Here is what I ended up using instead:

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup agave

2 cup coconut flakes

1 cup chopped baked almonds

1 cup chopped white chocolate flavored candy (AKA almond bark)

2 tsp vanilla

For recipe swaps to work, the key is to keep the ratio of dry goods to sticky goods the same....and it will probably work out! I didn't mind the taste of the original recipe, the rest of the family thought they were good. However, we all LOVED this combination.

Banton food budget secrets revealed!

2011-11-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

So, a few people have asked me to share my coupon techniques. The sad part is that in light of the recent extreme couponing tv shows, I run from advertising my strong satisfaction of couponing. I have watched one episode and felt torn. On one hand, I am amazed at the time, calculator punching, and down-to-the-dollar shopping they do. On the other hand, I am saddened by their need to get so much for free.

But this post isn’t about the show. It’s about how I make our food budget work.

My numbers will reflect Virginia prices, since I haven’t fully stocked a pantry, fridge and freezer in Connecticut yet. I also haven’t been cooking like I normally do because of our temporary living situation. I hope to kick this back into high gear once we get settled into our own place. Eventually, I will update on the changes CT has brought our grocery strategy.

My family of four (plus one dog and whomever walks through my front door any given month) currently eat on $275/month. I used to clip and clip coupons. Eventually, I found that I only used a few of them because they expired or the generic item was cheaper than the other brand even with the savings. I will admit to creating and using a coupon notebook to keep things organized, but even that is much slimmer than anything you see on tv.

My shopping needed to change from a reaction to prices to proactive planning and cooking. I can’t make the stores sell things for what I need them to, but I can do what I can and adjust accordingly.

Here’s a rundown on my rules for grocery shopping:

Prepare to shop once for the month, plus one or two other small trips for more milk, fruit, etc. I know ahead of time what I will make for the month, so I purchase the necessary ingredients for those meals. This shopping trip usually takes about 1 hour of walking fast through a familiar store, selecting almost exactly the same items each month.
I pray before I go. We live off of money that churches and individuals have given, so I filter my purchases through this self-imposed accountability system. Before I leave my car, I pray that God will extend my dollars and make it stretch for the month. He hasn’t left me hangin’ so far.
I don’t browse- except clearance/dent&ding racks. I know what I need in the store, so I go in and get it. I do leave a few things open ended. For instance, I will purchase whatever fresh fruit and vegetables are the cheapest- this typically means apples and grapes, but sometimes I can find others that are similarly priced. For the clearance racks, if I find something that I normally use, don’t normally use but can think of use for it, or have wanted to try, I will grab that too. Sometimes this puts me over budget by a few dollars, but over the course of several months, I think it evens out.
I buy generic almost all the time. Most stores offer a 100% money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with their version of the product. In most cases, I find that the generic works just as well. Once, I found a small piece of metal in Walmart’s Great Value macaroni noodles. I called the number on the box to report it and was sent a check for the number of boxes I purchased that day and a load of coupons for free macaroni from another brand. For the few items I really enjoy having another brand, I do search for coupons- such a Yoplait yogurt, Breyers ice cream, the brand of agave I like, Pillsbury cake mixes and Betty Crocker brownie mix. I also buy the cereal in the bags, but will clip a coupon for the mainline brands then watch for a sale.
I hate to pay full price for anything, so I wait for sales if I can.
If I can make it, I do. Almost every time, I have found that homemade goods are cheaper and SO MUCH HEALTHIER than the store bought versions. Example: granola and granola bars. For under $2.00, I can make 24 granola bars! At the store, the nice brand of bars are more than $2.00 for 8 bars. Can’t beat that and my husband and kids prefer the homemade ones, hands down. I make my own cake icing (most of the time), corn bread, scalloped potatoes, cookie dough, yogurt, cold pasta salads, desserts, and most of our snacks. I have never purchased chicken or vegetable stock from a store, since I make it from home. I love knowing what’s in my food and getting it cheaper! This means that a bulk of my dry goods money is spent on things like a variety of flours, sugars, yeast, corn meal, dried beans, rice, oats, dried fruits and nuts, etc. Another way this “if I can make it, I do” theory applies is to vegetables- I don’t buy anything already prepared, so I peel and slice my own carrot sticks (imagine that!) and chop my own celery. The savings is huge. If there is something I don’t know how to make, I figure it out. It took me a solid month of daily biscuit making to figure out how to turn my hockey pucks into something edible. Youtube is an amazing cooking coach....as well as having some pretty rockin’ mennonites nearby to teach me the old tricks of the trade.
I cook strategically. When I plan out my meals (which are pretty much the same every month now), I try to think about what could have or was made 100 years ago. Most likely, the meals were healthier (no preservatives, chemicals, etc.) and the ingredients are almost always cheaper. (I know many people are strapped for time after a long workday, so they need quick meals. However, I think, with some creativity, it can be done. This is how we’ve figured it out to work for us.) In addition to the better quality meals and savings, the older recipes seem to be easier to beef up for more mouths to feed. For instance, it easy to add more of a few raw vegetables to the sides of the big pot of roasted chicken before you throw it in the oven and an extra cup of rice to the bowl when you find out unexpected guests are on their way.
I cook strategically, part 2. We don’t eat expensive foods. I have a hard time cooking a meal that costs me more than $2/person to prepare. My goal is to keep dinners to under $10, with leftovers for lunch the next day for (at least) my husband. On special occasions, such as birthday dinners or holidays, I will splurge a little more and enjoy the fancier things...think Little House on the Prairie style. Let me give you a real-life scenario that I do every month. With the whole chicken I purchased, I will get 3 meals+ by using it well. Meal #1 is roasted chicken with veg&rice. In the roasting pan with the whole chicken, I will fill the sides with carrots, celery, potatoes and onions. The four of us will eat about 2/3 of the meat and almost all of the veggies for that meal. After the chicken cools, I pick the remaining meat from the bones and use it for a casserole, chicken salad, tacos, soup, or something similar that leaves leftovers again. Lastly, I will either use the juices (AKA stock) from around the roasted chicken for a meal or freeze it in a ziplock for a later soup, delicious rice, etc. Out of a $4 chicken, plus some other ingredients, I served a family a four at least 3 times. Pretty good, eh?
I cook strategically, part 3. I find many recipes call for arm loads of expensive ingredients that I’m not willing to part with for that meal or pay for to begin with. I will either replace it with something cheaper, but similar or ignore it altogether. One example of this is a taco casserole (sometimes called a Chuckwagon Casserole). This might sound obsessively cheap to some, but I can’t handle using an entire pound of ground beef for a chuckwagon casserole. If I’m going to use a whole pound of beef, it better be for something I can sink my teeth into- like an awesome hamburger! So, for the chuckwagon, I use a half pound of ground beef and add extra beans + a beef bouillon for filler. There is one place in which I will not use the cheaper version- BUTTER. I will never substitute margarine when the recipe calls for butter. #1, margarine is gross and fake. #2, it probably won’t work in the recipe anyway. I would rather not make the cookies than cheat there.
Buy in bulk.....but only if it’s cheaper. I found stores like Sam’s sometimes hope we aren’t looking and hike the price on an item that Walmart sells cheaper. Personally, the things I buy in bulk are: dog food, laundry soap, dishwasher soap, apple juice, boneless/skinless chicken breasts, 2 pound blocks of cheese, rice, milk, eggs, printer paper (I like their quality!), whole/fresh chickens, and (sometimes) their cheapest fruit.
I became a student of the stores. I pay attention to how stores price their items. However, most of the time, I just grab the store flyers and head to Walmart to price match. In my town in VA, we only had 2 grocery stores other than wally-world, but if I found a Target ad....or ANY store that had an ad with something cheaper, I saved it and brought it to Walmart with me. If it was still “good” or within the dates written on the ad, Walmart honored it (except on buy one, get one free sales).
When it's gone, it's gone. When we run out of something before the pay period ends, most of the time we just wait. Since I have usually spent our entire food budget by that point, there is nothing left in the "envelope" and I fight the urge to go get more. This is when it gets really tough to tell my girls that we will just have to wait for more ______ and that we'll be ok with it. Heading back to the store to get more of something slowly increases the food spending. If I notice that we are lacking that item at the end of the month for a few months, I will make space in the food budget to buy more and accommodate. It may not be a big deal in the long run, but this is a discipleship issue and (I feel) it teaches my girls to get over their human need to satisfy their want immediately. This rule gets hard when I have unexpected guests coming and I want to prepare a huge meal with all the fancy sides or desserts. My internal battle becomes a pride issue and I usually end up asking myself a few questions...."before I knew I was having guests, I was willing to serve my family our planned meal. And if I'm ok with them eating this, why wouldn't I be ok with serving it to someone else?" Then I realized that the people coming over are usually in one of two catagories: Either they are coming over because they like us despite what we are eating, or they are coming over to eat (our college students) and don't care what it is other than it being safely consumable.
I have a Master Shopping List and Monthly Meal Plan tailored to us. There are several examples online.
Lastly, I don’t typically buy cleaners like windex, specialty floor cleaners or bathroom cleaners. Armed with bleach, baking soda and vinegar, I can clean almost any surface in my house. Google the uses of baking soda and you’ll be amazed at the savings your 75 cent box of baking soda can provide. One of my splurges is for the dish washing liquid that is easier on my hands! I do buy disposable things like ziplock bags, but not too frequently. I try to save those for freezing messy foods (like chicken stock or meats) and use my good supply of tupperware bowls for food storage and transport.

Disregard the appearance, please!

2011-10-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

If anyone is actually reading this, please ignore the weird look of the blog. I am testing out a few design skillz. (z is intentional) What do you think?

Book Review- Thank You, God, for blessing me (ebook)

2011-10-07T15:02:00.001-07:00

I recently snagged a copy a copy of the ebook Thank You God, For Blessing Me by Max Lucado, part of the Hermie series.

I like the little poem about different things to be thankful for. That’s it. Perhaps it was due to glitches in the ebook world, but the book turned out to be only 3 pages and had very tiny pictures. It seemed that several regular pages had been smashed into one with shrunken pictures. Despite the pictures being small, they were cute. My kids liked them.

The poem was short and my kids (3 & 5) could have sat longer for a more in-depth story. So, this book would best be for much younger kids...maybe even in a chewable format for the littlest babies to teethe on!

My kids also wished the book read out loud to them, as some other ebooks do. Maybe Tommy Nelson can add that feature to their children’s ebooks?

If you get the book, get an actual copy of it- not an ebook version!

Thanks Booksneeze for this free download. I gave my honest opinion in exchange for this review.

2 things

2011-10-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

1. If you'd like, jump over to my other blog and check out my Top 10 Reasons I Enjoy Itinerating!

2. I have a free copy of Faith & Culture to give away. Zondervan sent me a second copy by mistake and now I can give it to YOU! If you'd like to have it, leave a comment and I will pick a winner later this week! You can read my review of it here.

10 things...

2011-09-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

I appreciate about sports:
(in no particular order)
1. The attention to detail given to tracking stats. I mean, where else do you find out how many yards the top 4 running backs covered in any 3 year span.
2. Someone's ( I say someone because I do not know the hero of which I speak) amazing ability to get stains out of clothes.
3. Uniforms. I'm all for uniforms.
4. I little cheat-sheet thing some football players wear on their forearms. I could use one of those on days I need to be on my A-game.
5. The camaraderie an athletic event demands. In what other moment can you gather people from so many races, financial brackets, education, height & weight?
6. The small, yet very precise and clear, little camera that zooms atop the football (and soccer too, maybe?) field.
7. That writing about sports fields makes me practice the elementary grammar rule: i before e except after c. I will always need to practice that rule. I do not like the word "field" for some reason.
8. The level of commitment that teammates have to one another and their coach, typically. I like that. It's not seen in many other areas of life.
9. The commercials.
10. The headsets. Headsets that tell you what to do, when to do, who to have help you....all at the very second you need it. I could use a headset like that. Please?

Book Review: Night, Night Blessings (ebook version) good story

2011-09-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

This was my first e-book download....and to my surprise, I really liked it. Last week, I downloaded a copy of Night, Night Blessings by Amy Parker onto my IPad. I was a little hesitant. I have maintained my membership in the real-paper&ink-book-in-hand club, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Parker did a great job with her poetic, thankful blessings to be read before bed. My girls loved it and loved swiping through the pages on my IPad. Additionally, her pictures were sweet and gentle. (Can a picture be gentle? I think so. Anyway....)

Great story. Get it digitally. Read it to your kids.

Thanks BookSneeze for a free book download in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Faith & Culture: buy 2 copies- one for yourself and one for someone else

2011-09-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Faith & Culture (by Kelly Kullburg) is another great resource to add to your booklist and bookshelf. This book was a collection of 15 weeks worth of devotional readings which cover weekly themes in the areas of literature, art, history, science, pop culture, etc. The writing was tight and thought provoking. At the end of the page or two for each reading, questions were provided for further thought.

I feel this text would best be accepted by younger adults and college students...or anyone with heart for or similar to them.

I loved that within weeks of reading the book, I found myself coming in contact with people or topics mentioned in the readings. This isn’t some dusty relic hoping to be rediscovered. This is fresh, current, and real stuff.

Grab a copy for yourself and another young person you know.

Zondervan provided a free copy for me in exchange for an honest and real review. Thanks Zondervan. You can pick up your own copy here.

By the way, I also love the old and dusty relics!

Book Review: Surprised By Oxford....a keeper

2011-09-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

She belonged to the group before she believed anything they said. He lived a life worthy of noticing, in front of anyone wanting to watch. Wonderful and amazing things happened because of it all. Carolynn’s story is normal and exciting, typical and captivating all at the same time. In her memoir Surprised by Oxford, Carolynn tells her own story of the year she spent studying at one of the oldest universities in the world. She shares about the friends she meets, the culture she comes to love, the professors that challenge her and her family back home in the states that are puzzled by what she finds in a far away place.

I found myself feeling like I was Carolynn’s friend too, sitting right next to her, experiencing all she was experiencing along with her. I quickly read the 440 pages in just a few days.

Carolynn writes on page 138, “I began to worry that perhaps I was getting in over my head here. It was occurring to me that believing in the Bible was an all-or-nothing affair. Either you believe it is the revealed Word of God, or you don’t. It’s like being pregnant. Impossible. Either you are in or you are out. Having eliminated lunatic, given the unavoidable seriousness warranted of my attention, was it now liar or Lord? I was still not sure. Yet why did reading this text give me goose bumps- literal goose bumps- more consistently than anything else I had ever read? Why did my life and how it related to the lives of others hitherto now make more sense, and yet more than ever, in and of itself, not seem enough?”

Grab a copy. Here!

I would recommend this book to any student or adult. I would also recommend this book to anyone interested in getting into the mind of someone who grew up “around” Christianity, but really has no idea what this whole Bible-thing is all about. This puts words to something that I feel is really confusing to many trusting people.

Thomas Nelson provided a free copy of Surprised by Oxford, by Carolynn Weber in exchange for an honest review. Thanks TNP!

Giveaway & Book Review: Nobody's Child- Pass it along rating

2011-08-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

This was a first for me. A bioethics suspense novel. I just finished reading Nobody’s Child by Austin Boyd. Set in a small town in West Virginia, Laura Ann fights to save her family’s farm with everything she’s got- literally. As her father is dying, his medical bills mount and the mortgage on the farm needs continual attention to remain their own. The 20 year old heroine (my new favorite word, thanks Jess F.!) works hard to keep it all afloat. The town sends rumors around about her business practices. However, Laura Ann holds fast to her convictions, beliefs, and farm.

Boyd did a great job at holding my attention well enough to unfold each tidbit of his suspense novel. I seldom read fiction, but I found this to be an enjoyable story about a strong girl. I nice addition to my summer reading.

As far as my own rating scale, I’d give Nobody’s Child a “pass it along” rating. I think someone else would enjoy it, but it’s not worth the space on my shelf to keep around.

Thanks Zondervan for a free copy to review on my blog!

Now for the giveaway. Would anyone like a free copy of this book? I'll happily send along my own copy. All you need to do is leave a comment about your favorite book you've read this summer! I'll randomly pick a winner later in the week!

Book Review: The Blessing: Buying more copies for other people!

2011-08-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine the feeling of being accepted fully, forever, no matter the circumstances? Can you imagine knowing that who you are makes someone else happy?

I recently read The Blessing with a handful of other moms in my community. We met twice a month and discussed our thoughts and reactions to the section of the book we read. I found myself thinking more about my own childhood than for my kids and you’ll see why if you read the book.

The Blessing begins with explaining the biblical origins of giving someone a blessing. Trent and Smalley use the Old Testament narrative of Jacob and Essau as a scriptural background for this idea of blessing our children.

The idea is that speaking a blessing over our children was modeled by God and others in the Bible as a way to speak life into particular areas for that child. General and specific details of that blessing are unique to that child and can be spoken over him or her during times of prayer- such as bedtime- or other precious times.

Trent and Smalley write to say that we, as humans, are born with a desire to be wanted, to grow and to make those that love us proud. What happens when someone is raised in a family where their blessing is never given or the idea of blessing another is unknown? What happens if you are a part of a family that receiving that blessing- the knowledge that you were wanted and loved no matter who you turned out to be- was not an option when you were a child, or even now? Is it possible to be “blessed” as an adult?

Lastly, Trent and Smalley provide a skeleton with which one can build a blessing for their child, friend, spouse or family member. This is super helpful, especially for those that have not had personal experience with hearing a blessing spoken over them or someone else before. I was glad this section was included in the book. A several page list is included in the back of the book that describes what many people consider a blessing handed down by their parents- again, very helpful.

I mentioned before that when I read this book, I found myself thinking more of my own childhood than my kids. Parts of this book stirred emotions in me that were surprising. I found myself wanting something, then I felt God opening my eyes to show me how he had so beautifully provided what I lacked. Over and over again I have heard statements of blessing spoken over me- by people I couldn’t have brought into my life on my own. God provides where there is insufficiency- time and time again.

You can read more about The Blessing at theblessing.com

I was provided a free digital copy of this book by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Get a copy ASAP and read it. Read it if you have kids. Read it if you have grandkids. Read it if you don’t have kids. Read if it you are married. Read it if you aren’t married. Read it if you have heartbeat.

Women of Faith's REJOICE cd Review: A keeper

2011-05-31T14:04:00.001-07:00

After my trip to the gym today, I came home to a surprise in my mailbox! I received a copy of Women of Faith’s REJOICE CD to review! Sweet. I popped it into my laptop on the kitchen counter and my girls and I listened to it while we ate lunch.

Women of Faith did a good job compiling a collection of worship songs that touch the hearts of listeners from all generations. I also love adding a few set of worship songs to my playlist. According to my own rating scale, I give the REJOICE CD “keeper” status.

Thanks BookSneeze for sending me this free copy in exchange for an honest review!

2011-05-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Violinist

A little known fact about violinists: in order to hear themselves stand distinct from their orchestra colleagues, they unintentionally tend to tune their instruments slightly sharp or flat in comparison to the other violinists nearby.

Let me explain. As an orchestra warms up and tunes before a performance begins. The best violinist, known as the first chair or concertmaster, plays her open A string once. The rest of orchestra hears this pitch and adjusts their instruments to match. Concertmaster plays her A again and orchestra joins her forming the sound of one note and one giant instrument. Finally, the concertmaster hands the perfectly tuned orchestra over to the conductor and the show begins. This is the ideal situation.

However, inexperienced violinists have a hard time making this happen sometimes. The same musicians that can tune any violin in a matter of seconds, struggle. Additionally, the instrumentalist that can hear a short sound stroked from a violin and judge the pitch correct or incorrect every time, has a hard time adjusting her own sounds to blend perfectly with a group. This is not the ideal situation.

Unintentional out-of-tune violins can be found in orchestras because, as a violinist, you are trained to hear a clear sound with your left ear- the side of your head that the instrument is held on. The left ear hears a very loud and distinct sound during practices, lessons, and small group rehearsals. Each violin has it own sound, much like vocalists singing the same note but with distinction. But, when playing with the orchestra, the sounds of all other instruments make it hard to hear the same violin, even though it is just inches from the ear. So without meaning to, often these violinists alter their pitch so slightly it probably isn’t even noticed by the untrained ear. However, someone that has heard an open A string played for years can tell when one- even among a dozen or more- is out of tune. Out of sync with the rest.

Thinking about this today made me wince a little because I see it now in light of spiritual things. Without meaning to, this inexperienced violinist must adjust my step, ways, practices just slightly so I can hear myself. Since I can’t hear myself clearly it must mean I am perfectly in tune with my colleagues, right? Jesus said that his ways were not our ways and his thoughts were not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9) I observe two things here.

I struggle to trust that I am in sync with God when I can’t hear/see/feel Him close.
I am not naturally drawn to doing things someone else’s way, adjusting my step/speed/direction in order to align myself with another.

You know what this sounds like? Pride. (The reoccurring issue in my life!) “God, I can’t hear myself because of all the chaos around me. So, I think I’ll adjust something. Yes! There we go, I can hear myself again. Everything’s ok now” Or try this one on for size: “God, I just want to hear what I sound like alongside everyone else. I just have to make sure I have that rhythm right. As long as I can hear myself and I can control it all, I’ll get it done right.” Sound familiar?

Jesus asks us to walk with him and to stay in stride and instep with him. We aren’t to run ahead, lag behind or wander off. Our feet are to hit the ground so in-sync with his, that only one step is heard. It’s hard to do though. It’s hard to remember that his speed and direction is the best when everything is shifting around us. It’s tough to slow to his desired pace when our eyes catch glimpses of the lengthy to-do list. And it’s challenging to head in the direction he is going, when someone in need is down the road the other way. But, thankfully, Jesus doesn’t ask us to set the pace, chose the stride length, or navigate the course. He simply wants us to obey, to align ourselves with his purposes and plans, to “gel” with his will.

As long as our violins are tuned to his perfect A-or our spirit is in line with His spirt; then we can rest in perfect peace that we are “in-tune” with what he has asked us to do. We don’t have to use our limited wisdom to adjust our pitch just enough to double check. We can work as unit of one with him.

Book Review: What Are You Waiting For? By Dannah Gresh: Keeper/Pass-Along

2011-05-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dannah Gresh seemed to catch the heart of young women perfectly in her candid work, What Are You Waiting For?- The one thing no one ever tells you about sex. She gracefully answers questions I hear being asked over and over again by young women. Gresh so clearly grabs the issues and targets the pinnings of the female heart; it’s as if she is sitting across the cafe table and offers to share her best kept secrets. She captured the issues and questions perfectly. Gresh didn’t back down from the hard or popular questions; nor did she shy away from telling her own story of confusion.

From the perspective of a college campus missionary, this book is handy go-to book for the women I spend time with. It is an easy read, so it won’t take much time to consume. On certain pages, small boxes of extra information were popped in, which gave the book almost a magazine feel. Gresh kept the life changing information from getting heavy and burdensome by sticking to the point and keeping it simple. She wasn’t wordy.

I found two memorable and noteworthy things in this book. First, I LOVED her explanation of yada and shokab. Very good and meaty information. Second, I connected with her story of Lauren (on page 151) so easily- because it is my story, or better yet- mine and my husbands story. I’ll give you a summary: Lauren met Kevin in college and he told her that he wanted to wait to kiss his bride for the first time on his wedding day. Lauren laughed. Kevin explained that he had fallen before and knew his limitations. He wanted to be the guy that protected girls, especially the girl he most loved. That meant he had to take kissing off the table because it was too much for him. So, his rule was no kissing until I do. Of course, the girl he married was Lauren. The author was present at their wedding and she witnessed, along with a fe hundred others, Kevin and Lauren’s first kiss. “What power was in that kiss. It was ecstasy and forgiveness. Knowing and discovering. It was sexy and holy. It was a faithful beginning.” (pg. 152)

From my own rating scale, I’d give this book “Keeper” AND “Pass Along” status. I give it a keeper grade because I want to keep the title around to refer women back to it, but I also give it a Pass-Along, because I know other leaders that work with women that I feel should also read it so they can refer young ladies to Gresh.

Nice work Dannah Gresh, nice work.

You can get your own copy Here.

Moltnomah provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best biscuit recipes ever.

2011-05-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Baking Powder Biscuits

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2/3 cup shortening (I’ve used spreadable butter, crisco, butter)

1 1/3 cup milk

(you might need a little more milk to make it cohesive enough to shape)

Heat oven to 425˚. If you have cast iron skillets, put about a tablespoon of shortening each in 3 10-inch skillets and place in the oven to heat while preparing the dough. I use a 10 1/2-inch, an 8 1/2-inch, and a 6-inch skillet because that's what I have. If you don't have any cast iron skillets, grease a large cookie sheet and set aside. Or, use the cast iron skillet and a cookie sheet if you haven't enough skillets.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Cut in shortening until mixture is like coarse corn meal (if some pea-size chunks remain, that's okay). Add milk, stirring it in quickly with a fork, to form a soft dough. (If a large portion of the dough is still crumbly and not dough-like, add a tablespoon or so more of milk.)
Turn dough out onto lightly-floured surface; knead about 1/2 minute. Roll 1/2 inch thick, or slightly taller; cut with 2-inch cutter dipped in flour (I use both a 2-inch and a 1 1/2-inch cutter). Place fairly close together in the skillets or on the cookie sheet (not right next to each other, maybe between 1/4 and 1/2 inch; (ou can also brush the tops with melted butter if you like) bake about 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Book Review: Thin Places by Mary DeMuth

2011-05-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

I recently got myself a copy of Mary DeMuth’s Thin Places. I stumbled on her site last fall sometime while doing research for my own writings. She has written a book about parenting for people who were not raised as Christians, but want to raise their kids with a godly heritage. I found that topic intriguing. But I was even more fascinated with the idea of reading her memoir. The cover of the book is what caught my attention. A small little girl- maybe 5 or 6 years old- covering her face, wearing well-worn clothes and dirty knees. My heart connected with this little girl for some reason and I needed to know why.

Within a few paragraphs, I knew that I needed to finish the book as soon as possible. As a reader, I was now a part of her story and I needed/wanted/had to see it end with God getting glory for what had been done to this little child. My heart broke for Mary....but I knew the image I saw of her as an adult on the website and her facebook page....I knew she made it out ok. I just needed/wanted/had to know the how’s-when’s-if’s as fast as possible.

I quickly absorbed her story and kept thinking the same thoughts throughout....”wow, I bet if ****** could verbalize her story in a succinct way, it might sound like this”.....”I wonder what **** would think of this story, is this what she felt as a child”...”If I could only get my hands on their necks, justice.....”..... “how many other kids-RIGHT NOW, THIS MOMENT- are dealing with this same thing-does God see them? Will he heal them too? Will the kid-hurters receive the judgement their due?”

I wanted to throw the book across the room and nail the kid-hurters in the eye. I wanted to scream and cry for little Mary- and grown up Mary.

As far as writing technique- fabulous. When thinking about adding depth to my understanding of the wideness of God’s mercy- done. This book is a keeper for me. I will recommend this story to many, many people. But, with caution. I have a short list in mind of those that I think would benefit from seeing/reading a story of success, but I have encouraged them to set aside a time to read it from cover to cover. The story has the potential to scare, hurt or anger some that are super close to Mary’s because of her vivid portrayal of moments in her life.

The title- Thin Places- was perfectly chosen for the book. DeMuth sees moments in her life where she knew Jesus was really close as thin places. The veil between the spiritual world and our world gets thinner than normal when one of God’s kids needs Him.

From my own book rating scale:

*Buying another copy for a friend

*Keeper

*Pass it along to someone else

*Waste of money/shelf space

I give DeMuth’s This Places “Buying another copy for a friend” rating!

Book Review: The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons: a keeper

2011-04-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have taken my time reading Gabe Lyons book entitled The Next Christian because I wanted to absorb the information and really process what he shared. I don’t think I can do justice for this resource. All I can say is GET YOUR STICKY FINGERS ON A COPY AND READ IT! Lyons puts all the churchy traditions on the table and identifies them for what they are- tradition. He asks that true followers of Christ start acting like followers of Christ and fix broken places when they see them. He shares story and after story about people who are actually using their positions in the job market, money, ideas, passions and other areas of influence to bless the people around them. He meets with world- changers that I haven’t heard about from any pulpit.

Lyons reminds me- the girl who grew up in church- that the lingo, the practices, and the sunday school attendance record are all creations of other people and are not working to bring new believers to saving knowledge of Christ. The simple and life changing concept that people need to feel like they belong somewhere 100% before they will believe anything that’s said is so true. Belonging- Believing- Becoming. We don’t have to copy what the world is doing in order to be relevant to our community. Lyons specifically points out youth group rooms that look like the basement of the guy down the street- with all the video games, tv screens, and screaming loud music. These things are entertainment and our kids are bored with that- they can get that anywhere. What they can’t get anywhere is the truths found in the Bible, the life-shifting hope, the stories of real people who are actually “living” life together.

The part of his book that has impacted me the most was his description of the three major groups of Christians separated based on how they interact with the current culture; the Separatists (the insiders, culture warriors, and evangelizers), the Culturalists (blenders and philanthropists) and the Restorers (which use the positive strengths of the two former groups, but without the negatives brought about from them).

This is somewhat of a second book in a series, with the first being UnChristian by David Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons. This book gets "keeper" status because it deserves room on my shelf. I need to re-read it and remember to encourage others to read it.

Check out more at www.nextchristians.com

Moltnomah sent me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book review: Sara Sue Learns to Yell & Tell: an arsenal addition

2011-04-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

The necessity of covering issues like this with my young girls saddens me. However, the point remains true that there are people in our world that are lurking and waiting to hurt a child. Recently, due to an innocent moment I observed between my daughter and a family acquaintance, I felt the need to arm my girls with the information that might protect them from other people with indecent motives. This book was recommended to me and I purchased it for our own book collection.

The author, Debi Pearl does a great job informing kids on “clues” that will keep them safe. Through vivid pictures and short rhymes, she clearly explains to kids (in my case- girls since we purchased the book Sara Sue Learns to Yell & Tell....the boy version is Samuel Learns to Yell & Tell) what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior for other people- and what to do if something happens. She warns that simply knowing someone might not mean they are safe and to always tell someone when something scary has happened to you.

In Sara Sue Learns to Yell & Tell, the girl teaches her doll these concepts in a non-threatening way that doesn’t cause fear in a child reading the story.

The website also offers coloring sheets: http://www.yellandtellbooks.com Additionally, there are sources offered at www.yellandtell.com This site does not seem to be affiliated with the Pearl's ministry, but it offers helpful information on the matter.

I have not yet read the book to my girls. I am waiting for a day when I know they are paying attention and will remember what we talk about. It angers me that this is a part of our society, but anger won’t equip my child with the knowledge of how to keep herself safe. I am thankful someone wrote a book like this- not to cause fear to grow, but to inform.

Debi Pearl also offers other parenting advice and resources through her ministry website: www.nogreaterjoy.org. The Pearls have no idea who I am. I just bought her book and wanted to share my thoughts with the world. I did, however, like that my receipt had a prayer handwritten on it when my book came in the mail!

Sorry, once I uploaded the picture to the right, I could not rotate it.... You may do some neck stretches while observing the cute illustrations!

Book Review- Reggie: Pass-It-Along

2011-03-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

It probably won’t become a classic, but Reggie Dabbs’ story is a classic God-story. In his book (co-written by John Driver), Reggie shared his life story by intertwining with stories found in “his favorite book”. Reggie’s story is one of victory, protection, and encouragement to anyone who reads this book. His purpose is writing the book was to get his message across- “you aren’t alone” and “ you can’t change the past, but you can change the future”. He effectively communicated those messages.

As I have said about other books, I think Dabbs provides a good launching pad for someone who is investigating this whole “God” thing. He breaks the honest questions down and answers them with his own personal story. This was an easy read- he even included pictures!

I gave this book a pass-it-along status because I think it has merit and worth. I think someone will get a great dose of encouragement from this conversation with Reggie. His story is powerful! I won’t relinquish permanent space on my bookshelf for it, but maybe someone else will.

Thomas Nelson provided me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reggie doesn’t know me, although I think he’d be cool to hang out with! =)

Book Giveaway #2 Winner!

2011-03-21T19:01:00.001-07:00

And my second book giveaway winner is TRACY, from the herman family! Thanks for playing guys!

Tracy, I'll drop your book in the mail!

Journal Entry

2011-03-17T13:08:00.001-07:00

January 10, 2011

Hannah

At church yesterday, Pastor Frank preached on Hannah and the story of her determined strength to pray earnestly for something, faithfully wait for God to answer, then sacrificially give it back to God. Although my situation is not related to bearing a child, I feel like I understand a little of what Hannah went through. Gil and I have prayed earnestly about something, waited on God to answer in his timing, and now we are preparing to sacrifice something.

A long season of prayer began for us when God dropped something into our hearts- a small seed of an idea to pioneer ministry at the University of Connecticut. At different times, God spoke to each of us about relocating our family, handing off our ministry, and starting over in another small, northern town. We talked together about it and began praying about all it entailed. We allowed it to just sit in our hearts and grow. This tiny seed of an idea began to develop a small and fledgeling sprout. Over the course of many months, we waiting on God to direct us to the next step in the process.

Eventually, we began to feel the urge to speak with those in our life that would help us make this happen.Waiting, lots of waiting. But our waiting wasn’t static, it was kinetic. We stayed busy while we waited. We busied ourselves with ministry right where we were. We put a cap on the little seed growing and waited for permission to take the lid off and give it more sunshine. Then one day, we got a phone call.

We were asked if we still felt called to go pioneer at the University of Connecticut. A quick affirmative answer sent our minds racing forward. Lots of conversing and brainstorming happened. Interviews, assessments, assignments given. Trips made. Timeline established. We were going.

Now, the sacrificing part. It’s exciting to start a new adventure. It’s invigorating to scan the horizon and see all new opportunities. But it’s scary leaving all things familiar. It’s hard walking away from all of the wonderful people God has brought into our lives, all of the support and encouragement surrounding us. Fear of potential loneliness approaches. Moving away from the home “God built” for our family- the place where I brought my girls home from the hospital after their births, the place we’ve packed with more students than the fire department would deem safe, the place that I have spoken with, cried to, yelled at, and sat with God. Am I really doing this? The place that I can clean entirely during the length of a good afternoon nap. Yep- that’s the place I am packing all my family’s stuff up and moving away from.

Asking all these questions- and finding answers for a few of them- has caused me to realize the breadth of the sacrifice I am making- or better yet- the smallness of the sacrifice I am making. When it compares to the sacrifices Jesus has made for me- or the sacrifices that countless followers of Christ throughout history has made for the purpose of furthering the gospel- or the sacrifice my friends make daily as they choose to live in communities we, Americans, would say is substandard and hazardous to one’s health- my sacrifice is miniscule. Untangling the entrapping strings of this world gives a lightness to one’s step- kind of like the purging a family does as they pack to move. A purging, filtering, straining that I am anticipating with hopefulness.

Realizing that we are leaving behind so many wonderful things is hard, but when you sit that sadness next to the bigness of God, it doesn’t seem so huge anymore. I can be ok- even is for just a moment at a time- with walking away from the beauty of a home I always hoped for.

Hannah, thanks for being brave and tough as you prayed for a child. Thanks for committing that child to God and sacrificing him back to the Lord. Thank you for realizing that you have a great, big God who is capable of so much. Thank you for waiting and wanting- and not giving up on that desire of your heart! ~Me.

Book Giveaway #2

2011-03-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

I think there are two ways to measure the usefulness of a book. Ask yourself these two questions: would you give a copy to someone else in your life and would you keep a copy in your bathroom to read "when you have a moment". Agree?

Well, this little toolbox is one of those books. 20 Rules and Tools for a Great Family is another easy read that gives practical tips on making your family great. Endorsed by Focus on the Family, Steve Stephens (what a name, eh?) gives lists, ideas, and thoughts for parents.

You can win your own copy of this book by leaving a comment under the post. In your comment answer this question: What is your favorite conversation starter with preschoolers or elementary age kids? What is something you'd ask a child while sharing a meal, taking a walk, or driving in the car? What question could get a kid talking?

Bonus entry- refer a friend and make sure they leave a comment. You can just leave a second comment telling me they are your guest and left a comment.

Contest is open until next sunday!

Steve Stephens, Tyndale House Pub., and Focus on the Family have no idea I am giving away this book. I just want to spread the love with good resources.

Book Giveaway Winner!

2011-03-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Since I only had a few entries, accepted both facebook links and directly on my blog, my girls helped with my "random drawing" for my first book giveaway!

(Disregard the crazy eyes from the smallest Banton!)

Drum roll please.......

Ashley, from OurAdoptionJourney won the free copy of The Missional Mom!

Congratulations Ashley! Your book will arrive in the mail soon! Enjoy!

Book Review- Extra Special- A Keeper!

2011-03-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

Having author-friends has perks! I just finished reading my friend’s first children’s book, entitled Extra Special. Ashley Clement Frey tells a story of a little kangaroo boy, Boomer who has trouble fitting in due to being different than other kids and how his mom shares her wisdom to help him learn through it.

The illustrations in Extra Special are beautiful. I felt as though I was holding a piece of fine art in my hands as I read the story to my daughters. It’s obvious that exceptional time was taken to make each picture detailed and unique.

As far as the heart of the story, I think this book is a keeper in my household. My daughters are approaching the age where they are noticing the differences about themselves and their peers. Hair styles and clothing are already growing in importance to my 4 year old! Most kids- and adults- struggle to fit into their surroundings, but God meant our differences and uniquenesses to be a blessing for others around us. We need to model a healthy confidence to our kids, showing them that sticking out- for the right reasons- is good and part of God’s design. If we were to all look, act, think, feel, love the same as everyone else, life would be boring and we would be like a cabinet full of tupperware bowls.

Ashley Clement Frey has added another volume to our family bookshelf because of the reality of her topic. Nice work, Ashley, nice work!

If you’d like to purchase this book, go here and here order one for your family and a friend. This would be a great addition to any Easter basket! (Hint!, Hint!)

Also, if you'd like to help a first-time author out, go to your local bookseller (such as Barnes & Noble) and ask them to order a copy for you to purchase in the store. This helps the author out because the bookseller will purchase more than one copy to put on their store shelves! Plus, it is just so super fun to walk into a store, buy a book, and walk out with it.

Don't forget about the book giveaway! The contest is open until next wednesday! Scroll down to see the information~

GIVEAWAY & Book Review- The Missional Mom

2011-03-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Helen Lee’s The Missional Mom- Living with purpose in home & in the world and happily consider it an excellent resource for hurried, scurried moms that want to truly impact the world around them for Jesus!

Helen shares her own story of fighting the status quo, rethinking through what our culture says is normal, rejecting the assumption that we all just have to fall into ranks and do things the way everyone else does them. Helen (whom I feel I know personally since we’ve emailed a bunch....super sweet and authentic, by the way) is honest about her own struggles as a mom. She and her husband made hard choices for the benefit of their kids and positioned themselves to be used by God whenever and where ever God wanted to use them.

The Missional Mom shares the stories of other real-life ladies who are also choosing to live life differently than the norm and from the way they’ve done it in the past. These ladies deal with dirty laundry, time-outs, and homework just like the rest of us...but they are proof that being missional and being real are possible.

Helen did a great job at making this book read-able for the busy, tired mom. Her chapters are short and quick to read through. She generously offered a free copy as a give-away to my blog readers. All you need to do is a leave a comment after this post. The give-away will end Wednesday, March 9th at midnight. I'll contact the winner and get the book to you!

Pass the word along to your other “mom” friends.

You can check our Helen's website at www.themissionalmom.com and you can purchase her book here!

Not Worth My Time~

2011-02-17T12:41:00.001-08:00

Lioness Arising seemed like it was going to be an empowering book for women, encouraging us to rise up and take our place in the world as God created us to do. I think Bevere had good intentions.

Using the image of a lioness, Lisa Bevere clearly describes what she has observed and learned about lionesses in her studies; then compares it to what we, as women, can and should be doing. She had a good idea- but maybe more for a shorter devotional reading or encouraging article- definitely not enough to fill an entire book. Her image of a lioness was stretched too thin and she repeated the same points more than necessary. If you read the back of the book and the introduction, you’ve got it.

My expectations for a book may be high, but I feel that any time spent reading needs to be valued, any space taken up on my bookshelf needs to be worth it, and any dollar spent needs to be wise. If you think similarly, this book isn’t for you. This book put me to sleep.

Thankfully, Multnomah provided a copy of this book for me in exchange for an honest review.

A good one...

2011-01-30T18:07:00.000-08:00

The Ultimate DVD Read and Share Bible (Volume 2) y Gwen Ellis and Steve Smallman is a good resource to add to your family’s collection. The book comes with two DVD’s that correspond with the stories from the book- each story being told in 3-4 minutes on DVD and a “full-spread” picture to follow along in the book. Twenty-six Bible stories are told in this volume.

I popped the DVD in for my kids (ages 4&3) and was very surprised that they sat through the entire first DVD which included 13 short Bible stories. The back cover of the book says that the DVD’s feature “engaging 3-D animation”. If I hadn’t seen my kids become “engaged” in the animation, I wouldn’t have believed it had the capability of keeping their attention- but ti did! The animation isn’t horrible, but it isn’t terrific either. I did enjoy the quiet music in the background.

Each story is just that, a story. It is not the exact words taken from scripture; however, the references are included. Additionally, a simple statement at the bottom of the story is included that summarizes the story and (sometimes) asks a question to spur a little more thinking.

I am picky when it comes to purchasing a Bible for kids. I don’t appreciate the cheesy books available and I avoid the high-pitched music. This resource was not either of those- I will happily place my “stamp of approval” on this book. A great addition to a child’s library of Bible resources.

A side note- this volume, being #2, doesn’t include basic stories from the Bible such as Creation, Noah’s Ark, the birth of Christ, etc. Those stories are all found in Volume One. If you can swing purchasing both, I would do that!

Thomas Nelson gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks TNP!

Ice Cream Cupcakes!

2011-01-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

I’m about to demystify the secrets I have stumbled upon about ice cream cupcakes. Part of me wants to keep the illusiveness about these small miracles to myself. They are just so simple- they are perfect for any and every occasion. Like, say, the bills are paid and stubs organized for another month..... someone has a birthday.....you did all your chores.....you brushed and flossed today....you woke up on time two days in a row....any reason for a celebration....I mean really, can’t you think of a million reasons to celebrate with an ice cream cupcake. And think! Once you have made a batch, you can hide a few in the freezer and take them out on a rainy day just because God loves you. So, prepare yourself to be amazed. Prepare to kick yourself for not making these sooner. Prepare to hit the gym an extra hour this week. Are you ready?

Get your supplies:

Yields 24 small miracles also known as ice cream cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix (yes, I use cake mix- always pillsbury)

2 or 3 eggs (whichever your cake mix calls for)

veg. oil

water

ice cream/sorbet/sherbet of your choice

homemade cake icing (you could use store bought, again stick with the pillsbury, it just tastes better... but homemade works better and freezes better and it’s cheaper...I’ll post my recipe for that too.)

Other supplies:

serrated knife (that’s the one that cuts bread easily)

baker’s joy pan spray

cupcake pans

jumbo cupcake papers (Wilton makes a jumbo size that still fits in regular cupcake pans, they are just taller than normal)

Instructions:

Mix cake mix according to package instructions.

Spray cupcake pan with Baker’s Joy Pan Spray very liberally.

Bake for 18-24 minutes, or until the little babies are done. Allow them to cool WITHOUT eating any! (You’ll thank me later!)

Wash out cupcake pan, you’re going to need it for assembly time.

When you are ready for the next step, remove ice cream from freezer and set on counter to soften while you work.

Fill cleaned cupcake pans with jumbo cupcake papers.

Slice cupcakes in half, just as you would a biscuit- horizontally.

Place bottom half in the bottom of your jumbo cupcake papers. Do this 24 times. Reserve the tops for later. (Don’t eat any. Trust me on this!)

You’re ice cream should be soft enough to work with now. Place one good size scoop of the frozen confection on top of the cupcake bottoms. With the back of a spoon, spread out the ice cream. Work quickly.

Put the tops of the cupcakes on top of your ice cream. Pop the cupcake pans, filled with deliciousness back in the freezer for a few hours or over night. Put a lock on the freezer so you aren’t tempted to sneak in there when you wake in the middle of the night to let the dogs out.

Once completely frozen again, ice however you wish. I suggest filling a decorator’s bag with your icing. You’ll be able to ice the small miracles faster and get them back in the icebox. Eat one. Hide the others. Eat another just to be sure they are safe for others to consume.

Can you imagine chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream, or strawberry ice cream, or coffee ice cream....or a pumpkin bread type cake with cranberry ice cream...or the possibilities are ENDLESS! Let me know if you think of other combinations~

I mentioned I would share the homemade icing recipe. Super Easy. 1 cup crisco, 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, dash of salt, 1 tbsp water or cream. Whip in stand mixer until smooth and creamy- usually about 5 or 6 minutes of high speed mixing. Beware of the mess this will make...the greasy, horrible mess.

Quinoa

2011-01-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

Recently, we added a new food to our favorite family meals. It’s small. It’s cute. It’s healthy. (It’s kinda pricey around here....) It’s quinoa! (Which is pronounced “keen-wah” not “qui-noah”!) I found it locally for $4.99/pound, but I bet it can be purchased for a better deal in a bigger city. I’ll find out the next time I leave town.

I look forward to experimenting with more recipes, but until then, here is the one I made for my family this past week. It’s super simple after you hunt down the main ingredient. GIve it a try and let me know how you like it!

Quinoa with Black Beans and Lime

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked)

3 cup water

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed of all canning juices)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup corn

1 cup chopped yellow pepper ( I didn’t have this, but it was still delicious without it)

5 tbsp lime juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic (ground, or 1 clove fresh garlic chopped finely)

1/2 tsp basil

salt

pepper

In microwave safe bowl, combine quinoa and water. Microwave for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed. (Yes, I mean 20 minutes. That wasn’t a typo.)

In another larger bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, onion, corn, yellow pepper and cooked-then cooled quinoa.

In a small mixing bowl (or, since I hate making more dirty dishes than necessary, the same bowl you used to cook the quinoa) mix the last 6 ingredients, whisking energetically. Pour sauce over the other ingredients in the larger bowl.

Serve cool. Flavors combine and taste stronger after a night in the fridge. (I modified this recipe from one I found at www.pioneerwoman.com.)

Another note about cooking quinoa. I found loads of information online about how to cook these little jewels. Everyone has their opinion. Since I have ever only eaten this time, I enjoyed it just this way, but I’m open to trying other ways. This is the same way I cook rice; a ratio of 1 part rice to 2 parts water, then microwave accordingly. I grew up cooking rice this way and have no idea how to cook it on the stove!

(Please excuse the bad photo, it was taken with my phone!)

Another Small Step

2011-01-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

Today, I received a copy of the Chi Alpha Connection, the national newsletter to all Chi Alpha Missionaries....an what's on the front page??? My first real article published in a real newsletter! Can you believe that?!?! You can check it out by clicking here! Let me know what you think!

Have a great day!

Book Review: Sabbath ( Part of The Ancient Practice Series)

2011-01-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why God included “honoring the Sabbath” in the 10 Commandments? Have you wanted to know what exactly it means to have a Sabbath and what it looks like for you? Is it really, actually necessary and possible in today’s hurried society?

I’m the type of person that works hard, plays hard and sleeps hard (as my husband would say...). I’m also the type of person to watch another hard worker enjoy their rest and not feel bothered to just “be”. I want to relax, but I also know that relaxation means my to-do list isn’t getting shorter- if fact, it is probably getting longer while I relax. So, I find myself wanting to share in a day of rest as I see some around me doing, but I have a hard time making it happen.

Dan Allender’s book entitled Sabbath is part of The Ancient Practices Series. Allender defines the Sabbath as “a full day of delight and joy” (5) and bases this on his interpretation of what God did on the seventh day after he finished creating- he found delight in His creation. Allender states that the “Sabbath is not break in routine...a minivacation...or a diversion; it is meant to be an encounter with God’s delight”. (12) He forms his definition by using the Jew commentator, Abraham Herschel’s translation of the word “rest” found in Genesis 2:1-3. Herschel and Allender write than the Hebrew word for “rest” is “menuha” which means joyous repose, tranquility and delight. Allender adds, “ God didn’t rest in the sense of taking a nap or chilling out; instead, God celebrated and delighted in his creation. God entered the joy of his creation and set it free to be connected by separate from the artist.” (28)

After a fairly strong definition of what Allender feels best describes the ancient practice in Sabbath Pillars, he continues on with his sections entitled Sabbath Purpose and Sabbath Performance.

I really enjoyed reading this book and will refer back to it many times in the future. I also look forward to reading more works in The Ancient Practices Series!

Thomas Nelson provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review- SoulPrint by Mark Batterson

2011-01-11T12:22:00.001-08:00

Mark Batterson’s SoulPrint needs to be on everyone’s “To-Read” List. He quickly and clearly captured my attention with one of his opening statements; “There has never been and never will be anyone else like you. But that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to God”. (P.2) SoulPrint uses the image of fingerprints to remind us that we are more than just people walking a planet, but that we were each made individually to worship God in a way that no one else can.

In Scene III: The Crags of the Wild Goats, Batterson challenged me to keep things in proper priority when he wrote; “If you aren’t careful, your God-given dream can become more important to you than the Dream-Giver Himself”. (P.88) To connect this statement, he shared personal experiences of when he became “disrobed”- when dreams plummeted, attempts failed, or when he just messed up. I enjoy how honest Batterson is with his writing.

I recommend this book to the new believer in Jesus, the experienced believer, and all that fall in the middle. He reminds us of who’s we are and where we came from. On a personal note, I don’t usually jot down notes and quotes from a book as a read it. But knowing that Mark Batterson wrote this, I prepared myself and grabbed my notebook and pen. I am very glad I did! I’ll pass this book on to someone else to read and still keep the points with me. I encourage you to pick up a copy, read it, underline in it, write things down from it, and pass it on to someone else that needs to spend some time being “loved-on”. Better yet, just go buy a bunch and start handing them out instead of Valentine’s Day cards!

You can buy it here

Release date: January 18, 2011, soooooooooooooo mark it on your calendar and go buy it! Go buy it now! That's right, leave the blog and go get it! Hurry!

A little something the girls and I came up with today....

2010-12-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

My Family Right Now

That’s my Adi Marie

With a very cute little tushie.

And a smile as big as the sea.

That’s my Adi Marie.

That’s my Emma Colleen

She’s as sweet as a jelly bean.

Her heart is so naturally keen.

That’s my Emma Colleen.

That’s my Judah dog.

He’s smart and eats like a hog.

He sheds fur as thick as ocean fog.

That’s my Judah dog.

That’s my Gilbert Benjamin.

He a great daddy for our two little women.

He is fast like the wind and very genuine.

That’s my Gilbert Benjamin.

That’s my Lyzza Jane.

She just about needs a cane.

She’s old and sweet and doesn’t like rain.

That’s my Lyzza Jane.

That’s my family right now.

I love them more than I know how.

I feel in a constant state of wow,

Because I can’t believe this is my family right now.

I Took His Hand and Followed

2010-12-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.

Shared from this site:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/articles/child_poem.html

Book Review: Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

2010-12-19T12:19:00.001-08:00

Karen Kingsbury’s, Unlocked was a great read! I am not usually a reader of fiction, but after several months of heavy, serious reading, I went looking for something light and enjoyable. Unlocked is about two families, both struggling to deal with the weight of life and all of it’s entanglements. One family deals with money and time issues- placing their priorities completely off balance, while the other family deals with a disorder in a child- placing their world off balance too.

Having studied and worked with families living with the same disorder that Kingsbury’s character’s have, I found her descriptions of the coping mechanisms, therapies offered, and unique behaviors to be fairly accurate. The author did her homework when it came to writing correctly about this diagnosis.

I also learned that Kingsbury often takes parts of “real-life” and uses it in her novels. For instance, in this particular book, she used the name of an actual person for the main character of this book. I like that!

From the perspective of an avid non-fiction reader, this was refreshing, quick and heart-tugging.

A copy of the book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thanks Zondervan!

Book Review: START! The Bible for New Believers

2010-12-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

I recently finished reviewing START! The Bible for New Believers, NKJV by Greg Laurie. This seems to be a good resource for a new believer because of the large amount of “extras” found throughout the scriptures. The reader frequently stumbles upon explanations, thought-provoking questions, discussion guides, application points and the like. Each extra point, quote, or question is highlighted to make it obvious that it is not actual biblical text.

One aspect of the START! Bible that I don’t care for is that portions of scriptures have been made bold and much larger in text size. The verses, or portions of verses, that are selected for this special treatment seem to be the most popular ones that Bible readers jump to or quickly memorize. This causes the pages of the Bible to look much like a magazine clipping. Some might like this because it takes the “highness” out of looking at the page of scriptures, but I feel that it causes the reader to assume some verses are more important than others. Perhaps it is no different that underlining or highlighting a verse in my own Bible, but it still does not appeal to me.

I do like the bright, unthreatening cover of the START! Bible. The cover even grabbed the attention of someone I know who does not currently read the Bible!

Overall, I like this Bible. I just wish it combined the easy reading of a different translation of the Bible with the great additions to the text.

I was given a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing things happen when I wear the white nightgown

2010-12-01T20:47:00.000-08:00

(Photo from www.super70s.com)

Got your attention, didn’t I? It’s absolutely true- amazing things happen when I wear the white nightgown. Now, before your mind goes somewhere it shouldn’t, allow me to describe to your my white nightgown. Picture Little House on the Prairie- minus the ridiculous turtleneck collar and super long sleeves. Combine that with the softest cotton ever touched and you’ve got my nightgown. It’s not what twenty-something married ladies wear to bed. However, as you know already, amazing things happen when I wear this nightgown. My superhero side comes out. Perhaps I even channel the bravery of Laura when she rescued the horses from the flaming barn.

Just this morning, I woke up to cries of Emma (4). She is now strong and tall enough to open the backdoor and let the dogs in or out whenever they bark. Today, instead of her usual pitstop at my bedside, she went straight to releasing the dogs. That’s when the cries started. It’s ok, take a deep breath- she wasn’t trampled or anything. Somehow, the most precious Mother Goose toy was launched over the rails of the back porch and Judah assumed it was a game of fetch. He launched his agile body down the steps, grabbed the stuffed toy and sprinted to the backyard. Meanwhile the house was filled with the kind of screams that causes any sleepy slowness to flee and makes all moms tap into their inner olympic athlete. I arrived, in my white nightgown, at the back door, stepped onto the back porch in the frosty cold and could not see Mother Goose anywhere. Emergency action was necessary. I ran back inside, slipped on some shoes, grabbed the husband’s coat and rescued the goose from the jaws of Judah. Mother Goose survived another day with just a bit of mud on her back. Shew.

This is the stuff major motion pictures are made of.

The white nightgown was a participant in another fabulous night 6 years ago. A few weeks prior to this memorable night, we had acquired a chocolate lab that was forced to sleep in a kennel in the backyard temporarily. She usually complained about her accommodations for a few minutes, but would settle and sleep quietly through the night. This particular night though, she woke up with the most ferocious bark I have ever heard a lab produce. In my sleepy state, I thought it a good idea to go out and check on her. While opening the lock, I heard what sounded like hundreds of hooves running nearby. Since I live in Virginia, I assume the hooves belonged to deer rather than moose or gazelle. All the nighttime brilliance I could muster caused me to let the dog chase the hooves. In the dark, I was unable to see where they coming from or where they were going, so I made my first heroic move in the white nightgown. I got in the dog kennel and shut the gate. I placed my security from the thundering hooves in the hands-or paws- of my overweight and ADHD dog. While standing there in the moonlight of Franklin Avenue, I realized the whole world could now have the opportunity to check out of my white, cotton nightgown if they so wished. I had to wait for the dog to return so I could put her back in the kennel before I could go back inside. Never have I been so thankful for her overweightness before- she didn’t run far- just far enough to chase away the hundreds of hooves. Within a minute or two, she was back and ready to recover in her safe kennel. I quickly locked her up and sprinted back inside. A quick catch of my breath and I was back in bed. While in my white, cotton nightgown, I had avoided a stampede by the hooves running through my backyard that night.

There is no spiritual significance to this story, it's just funny.

The nightgown hasn’t failed me. It’s seen all sorts of action- puke, house cleaning, potential stampede, and recognizance from Judah. It’s possible the most accommodating and motivating outfit I own. You should get one too! They are for sale in the old lady section of your local department store. Get ready to fall in love with the softest cotton you’ve ever touched and to be amazed at the moments of strength you experience that night.

2010-11-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been praying through parts of prayer written by St.Patrick. I love that with such simple and concise words, one can be drawn into the presence of the King. It’s been wonderful starting my day with just a sentence of of the prayer and reminding myself of those pleadings and promises through the day. I’d like to share it with you too.

As I arise today,

may the strength of God pilot me,

the power of God uphold me,

the wisdom of God guide me.

May the eye of God look before me,

the ear of God hear me,

the word of God speak for me.

May the hand of God protect me,

the way of God lie before me,

the shield of God defend me,

the host of God save me.

May Christ shield me today.

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ n my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit,

Christ when I stand,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Amen

Book Review: Seeds of Turmoil

2010-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Bryant Wright’s book entitled Seeds of Turmoil, The biblical roots of the inevitable crisis in the Middle East provided a detailed perspective on the history of the unrest in the Middle East. I found this book very helpful in understanding the historic culture of the areas we see labeled on maps as Israel, Palestine, etc. Wright also goes into clear detail of what cultural impacts many readers of the Bible may not know.

One of the refreshing parts of this book is when the author gives a current day example of a point he is referencing in biblical times. This helps to recapture the mind and attention span during the weight of heavy details.

This book would be an excellent resource for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of the history of the Middle East. It reads quicker and easier than historical textbooks and offers an understanding brought to us through the history written about in the Bible. Good job Wright!

The publisher provided a free copy of this book for me in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Boy Who Changed the World

2010-10-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Andy Andrew’s book entitled The Boy Who Changed the World was a fun and encouraging read! This is a great, heart warming story for all ages to enjoy- especially elementary ages. I loved the illustrations- they were vibrant and beautiful.

The Boy Who Changed the World is actually three different little boys and how they lived their childhood dreams out into adulthood. Each of the little boys needed the others to make their dream come true. I enjoyed the fictional-look to a real-life story! A great addition to an American history lesson!

Andrew’s other popular book, The Butterfly Effect is paraphrased at the end of The Boy Who Changed the World- so for the cost of one book, you get two lessons!

The publisher provided a free copy of this book for me in exchange for an honest review.

Pumpkin Recipes!!!!

2010-10-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 1/5 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

Combine in mixing bowl.

4 eggs

2/3 cup apple juice

1 cup oil

15 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)

Add to dry ingredients.

3 cups flour

Add to mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape sides of mixing bowl to ensure everything is mixed well.

Spray 3 coffee cans ( or 2 loaf pans) with Bakers Joy (an oil & flour blend spray) or oil and flour your cans or pans by hand. Equally divide batter into cans or pans. Place cans on sheet pan to catch any dripping during baking. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

When removing from oven, allow to rest in cans/pans for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Wonderfully enjoyed with cream cheese spread on top!

__________________________________________________

Pumpkin Butter

1 15 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp maple syrup

Mix all ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Stir continuously. Butter will burn and spatter quickly (due to the sugar content) so be cautious. When butter thickens and everything is combined to a smooth texture (about 10 minutes), remove from heat and pour into heat safe jars. Refrigerate.

(I did not have maple syrup when I made it last and found it tasted just fine...so don't head to the store just for that ingredient!)

Butter is great on everything- waffles, pancakes, toast, salty crackers, pretzels, vanilla ice cream, etc. Be prepared for amazement!

____________________________________________

I am about to try making Baked Stuffed Pumpkins for dinner sometime in the next few weeks. I'll let you know how that goes!

Happy pumpkin eating!

Our Newest Journey

2010-09-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here’s a few shots of our first month of homeschooling.

(Thanks LC for our sign!)

Lots of people ask why homeschool?

The answer: So I can play with school supplies.

We start each day with a family devo time.

Then it’s calendar board time. Here we talk about the days of the week, colors, our Bible verse, weather. As much fun as I had creating this board, I still have to change/add things to it soon.

Handwriting

I started AB tracing and copying capitol A. She did great, but tired quickly. So, I backed up and worked on connecting the dots and drawing lines. Much more her speed...

EB did great with her early handwriting assignments, but also wanted to connect the dots!

We use some workbooks. However, I am not overly excited about the ones we have currently. We’ll use them while we have them, but won’t be replacing them with the same brand.

By far, my favorite resource I’m using right now is this book!

Here’s what she looks like on the inside, somewhere around Lesson 5.

Learning patterns of three consecutive items: apples, pencils, letter (A or E).

Thanks for following along with our homeschooling show & tell.

-Lindsay

PS- Just kidding about the school supplies addiction! Not really.

Book Review: One Hand, Two Hands

2010-09-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

One Hand, Two Hands by Max Lucado is a wonderful and beautiful book. With great illustrations and catchy poetry, Lucado quickly grabs and keeps the attention of kids and adults alike. I love the message found in this book- to use your hands to help others, to love, to serve, to pray and to encourage.

This book is the perfect size and length for a bedtime story or could be used in the sunday school room, classroom, or other family times. I plan on adding this to my homeschool reading collection.

Because I have two daughters, I love the fact that the child in most of the pictures is a little girl. However, if I had boys, I wouldn’t hesitate to read it to him. Good book! Excellent gift or addition to a family collection!

The publishers provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: 100 Prayers God Loves to Hear

2010-08-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

100 Prayers God Loves to Hear by Stephen Elkins is a great resource to have around for kids to browse through, learn scripture, and keep nearby for daily devotions and nighttime prayers. This book comes with two CD’s containing 100 songs of prayer and praise that connect with each of the 100 prayers inside the book. This is a good book for youngsters ages 2-6.

The messages in the book are presented in a clear way with great illustrations, quotes from historic people, and simple poems. Each page includes a short explanation about the topic of prayer, a short saying or poem, an example of a prayer, a cute illustration, and a prayer reminder. You are also told which song will accompany that reading.

The only downside to this book is the cd’s that come with it. I love that the book is laid out clearly enough to know which song to use for each topic of prayer, but the music is sung at such a high pitch. After playing through the cd, I turned the music off because it was a bit overstimulating and annoying. I wish the same songs were sung a bit lower in pitch and slower in speed. Learning the lyrics to the songs might be difficult for some because of these factors.

We are definitely keeping and using the book! I might even add it to our homeschool devotion curriculum! Perhaps I’ll play the cd’s when my kids are playing in another room without me!

Thomas Nelson provided the book for free as compensation for an unbiased and honest review.

Book Review: Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

2010-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

John Eldredge’s book, Wild At Heart, Discovering the secret of a man’s soul is a collection of answers for the questions I’ve always had about my husband! Eldredge quickly welcomed readers from all perspectives into his heart. Wild At Heart explains why my husband yearns to be challenged with climbing huge rocks and surviving nights in the woods with nothing but the essentials in his backpack. Through his discussions about wounds, our wild creator, the battles men face, the beauty all men want to rescue, and strategies for surviving the adventure, I am more aware of how complex and important treasuring my husband’s heart is.

My favorite passage of Wild At Heart is when Eldredge exquisitely described the role of women in men’s lives. The term given to Eve was “ezer kengdo” which has been translated to “help mate”, more specifically “life saver”(p 53). From a woman’s perspective, it is so satisfying knowing that my role has been so beautifully defined to more than a helper- but to that of a lifesaver. My heart soars knowing God designed my husband to really need me- and that I need him.

Eldredge, thank you for captivating my attention in a wonderfully, unstoppable conversation about my man. My recommendation is that everyone -men and women, married and single- should read this book. The impact Wild At Heart has made in my own life is immediately tremendous. My perspective on my husband has been altered and my friends have also began reading, or re-reading, their own copies of Wild At Heart.

(Thomas Nelson Publishing provided me a complimentary copy of Wild At Heart in return for an honest review.)

The Broken Cracker

2010-06-04T13:49:00.001-07:00

Our smallest was crying in her car seat. Hearing that my offer of a cheese cracker seemed to settle her fears of starvation, I dug to the bottom of our snack sack and found the last package of peanut butter and cheese crackers, ripped open the wrapper, and tried to dislocated my shoulder by reaching directly behind my seat to complete the offer. The screamer refused my suggested peace offering muttering the words “it’s broken” between her manufactured sniffles. I knew trying to explain the fact that the cracker still maintained most of its value despite the flaw wasn’t going to be eagerly accepted. So as to not wake the snoozing sister, I quickly handed her the next cracker in the package after a complete inspection making sure it was perfect, complete, and whole. Enjoying the moment of silence, I muttered to myself, “just because it isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it has lost its value”.

Jesus thinks the same about us. Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesian church and reminded them that they were “dead in their transgressions and sins” – their imperfections. Our sin keeps us from being perfect. But, if you keep reading, you see that Paul brings a message of hope to a bunch of imperfect people. He says that “because of his great love for us (yep, the ones with the corners broken off- that’s us) and his deep mercy, [God] made us alive in Christ even when we were already dead in our sins.” Knowing his readers need repetition, Paul reiterates the phrase, “for it is by his grace you have been saved” a number of times. We need to hear that too.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that our imperfections don’t cause us to loose our value in God’s eyes. He sees beyond the broken corner and still deems us the perfect choice for his purposes.

Dust Bunnies

2010-01-29T04:01:00.000-08:00

If you sweep my floor more than once with any attention to detail, you will notice that my larger than life dust bunnies accumulate in the same spaces continually. I know the secret spots they use to hide from my broom waiting to introduce themselves to any visitors that stop in for a minute. A quick sweep will get the most noticeable fur and the random clumps of play dough under the table. But a much deeper cleaning reveals these dust bunnies…no, more like dust monsters. Four years of sweeping the same house has offered me the chance to notice how they seem to tuck away under end tables and behind doorways repeatedly.

Once, a few weeks ago, I shared my observations about these dust monsters. He looked up from his iphone and said, “Thanks for telling me. Now I know where to look when I sweep next”. Back to the iphone he went.

His remarks got me thinking. Now, each time I defend my home against the attack of the dust demons, I think about how we tend to have things tucked away in our hearts and minds that require frequent removal too. In Hebrews, the writer says we should have a “sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed pure as snow”. (10:22) Similar to the corner behind my couch, sometimes we have sins that are easily hidden unless deep cleaning comes our way. During prayer, a quick rundown of our struggles gets rid of the careless remarks we made to the husband or the moments of irritation we had with the kids.

Ideally, frequent maintenance of our dust bunny collection, both in our homes and our hearts, is the best. However, sometimes we need more. Sometimes, we need to drag out the 12-vortex-power-with-no-loss-of-suction vacuum cleaner to find the bigger, meaner, dust monsters that a simple sweep won’t collect. For me, that overwhelming feeling I get is the signal for me to hang up the broom and take advantage of the afternoon nap hours in a more “eternal way”. When the dust bunnies in my heart grow to monstrous size, all has to stop in order for my defense to be accurate and complete. Usually, it requires some alone time with God and confession to a trusted friend.

My husband now knows where to look to find the toughest dust monsters in our house. To me, that’s powerful knowledge. It’s also powerful knowledge to know where the dust collects in our hearts and minds. Right now, my dust monsters hide behind the large couch called “pride” and inside the closet door called “too busy.” A rotten attitude and impatience with everyone are signs that my corners need a thorough cleaning. Sometimes our dust monsters get so big and serious, we need to allow time for deep cleaning

Where do the dust bunnies collect in your home? Where do they try to linger in your heart? What signs that reveal it’s time for a deep cleaning in your heart?

A Promise of a Return

2010-01-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

**This is an article from last spring. Forgot to post it.

Last fall, my husband brought home a sack full of bulbs to add to the tagless bunch someone else left on my front porch. Knowing that my gardening skills are definitely below par, I obediently hid my little onion looking treasures barely beneath the surface of the soil on either side of my porch- just as my instincts told me. I wasn’t sure how deep or far apart to dive my stout bulbs, so I guessed and hoped. (Don’t forget, I’m just following the guts of a gardening failure since my unidentifiable bulbs arrived without so much as a picture!)

During the last few weeks of a wet and mushy winter, I could tell spring was coming and my anticipation of my science experiment working began to build. I was forced to endure a bit longer to greet my little unknowns and learn if I had hidden this summer’s onion crop or a lovely bunch of colorful flowers of some sort. My daily check-in turned into a weekly glance and my excitement turned into boredom. I began to question my belief that such a ruddy looking thing could turn into something so brilliant.

Then one day, I saw it. I located the tiniest little bud of my still unidentifiable plant life breaking through the surface of the soil and pushing past the mulch. It was actually working! I couldn’t believe it.

Each spring reveals the hidden growth that occurred during the cold of winter. The warm and hydrating days allow concealed strengths to become apparent. I love anticipating the promise of a return of spring and little bulbs each year. I get excited when I see my annuals doubling in size while they dormantly slept veiled by winter. They sprout up stronger and broader each time they are allowed to rest and renew.

Just like my unidentifiable bulbs, we too can trust that God will reveal himself in us in due time. We can cling to the promise that he will protect and allow growth to occur during times of hiding or hardships. We can believe that a renewal is coming because we know what lies beneath the surface of our hearts. And since we are familiar with the good gardener, we can anticipate growth and beauty in ways we can’t imagine.

Renewal can be seen so clearly all across the Bible. In the Old Testament, David prayed for a heart renewal when he said, “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10) and then thanked God when he wrote, “You send forth your Spirit…and renew the face of the earth.” (Ps.104:30) Isaiah recognized God’s make-over abilities when he wrote, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength” (Is.40:31) And finally, my favorite renewing promise, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away...Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev.21:3-5)

So can that ruddy looking thing turn into something so brilliant and beautiful in us as well as my front flowerbed? Yes, with faith and in time, our “good gardener” is trustworthy and able. He has promised to renew us make all things new! Keep waiting. Keep resting and growing in your winter season. Keep clinging to the promise of renewal and replenishment. Soon, the time is coming when God will pull your buds through too and he will make all things new!

Rest is good.
Replenishment is good.
Renewal is good.
And a promise of a return is more than good.

God hugged me today.

2009-10-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

His watched stopped and he gave me his time today.

God is willing.

His arms and feet dug a trench today.

God is strong.

His servant with the knowledge to fix my problem came over today.

God is knowledgeable.

His tools were made available today.

God has the resources.

His supplier delivered what we needed today.

God is the provider.

His giver made it possible today.

God is generous.

Knowledge from a 3 year old

2009-08-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner, both girls (3ys & 18 mo) were talking to one another from across the table very loudly. After a few minutes of this craziness, this conversation occurred:
G- "Girls, this house will be quiet. Talk quietly."
E-"Daddy, this is Emma's house!"
G-"This is your house? Do you pay rent here?"
E-"Daddy, Jesus gave me this house."
G- (to me) "I just got schooled by a 3 year old"

Half-Jacks

2009-07-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jess, and I just went to the Silver Sneakers Water Aerobics class at our gym. I laughed harder during this one hour of hopping, stretching, pushing and pulling water than I have laughed in a long time. I think my workout was more productive because of such laughter.

My chuckles began as we entered the water just as all of the “silver” individuals were- the gently sloping incline. Then the instructor glanced at us a few times before she got the hint that we were a part of her class and not casually swimming passers-by. Next she sent us to the back of the group (thankfully! I was worried I was about to be embarrassed by the participants double my age.). More laughter. Soon I realized that Jess and I were the only ones wearing a bathing suit of any color than black. We stood out for our age, our limited water aerobics experience, our height at which our exercises were above the others, our bright bathing suits, our laughter, and my (inconsistent) splashes. I could not contain myself during the exercise the instructor called “half-jacks”. This movement included bringing your knees (extended to the sides of your body) up halfway and bringing your bent elbows (also extended to the sides of your body in the “put your hands in the air” type posture) down to touch your knees. Then we were supposed to bring our knees down while pushing hands back into the air. Repeat. Repeat faster. Repeat your fastest. During these few minutes of half-jacks, all I could conjure up in my head were the silly Christmas ornaments I have packed away in the attic that have a short string hanging from beneath them. When you pull the string, all four limbs do something funny and repetitive. Then you repeat faster. Then you push the Christmas ornament to its limits and repeat it’s fastest. Laughter ensues. What a great morning!

Photo found @ www.nationalphotoawards.com/i//Water_Aerobics

Timeout Tag-a-long

2009-04-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

Timeout Tag-a-long /[tahym-out tag-uh-long]/noun. Meaning- /a. to assist in the service and duration of discipline given to an older sibling for the purpose of not parting or preventing the potential boredom that might occur while older sibling is serving timeout sentence./ b. must place gluteus maximus as closely beside older sibling’s as possible. /Origin- mom moment in my kitchen.

Our youngest has created a new self-designated post during her sister’s timeouts- right by her side. Adi willingly serves the punishment with her sister because she either (a) sees it necessary share the load and help carry the weighty punishment of a two minute timeout, (b) would not want to miss out on anything exciting happening at eye level of the coat closet door frame in the kitchen, or (c) just wants to be with her favorite person- no matter the circumstances.

I’m gathering that my first option for Adi’s reasoning for this assignment is slightly incorrect. This deduction is made simply because she does not seem to enjoy sharing other forms of discipline such as taking away a toy causing fights or just coming indoors from an hour of coloring on the sidewalk with chalk. Wrong.

So on to the second option for Adi’s MO (term originally used in the military, short for military operation…I think!). I am sure there are handfuls of stimulating events that occur lower than 16 or so inches from the floor in my kitchen. Maybe the coat closet door is just a good seat to see the dog scramble to grab each crumb that falls from the counter as meals are prepared. Perhaps the dust bunnies that trail the heels of taller people walking through the kitchen are more entrancing than I imagine. Or even better, just possibly Adi is hoping with all her might that the closet door will fling open and the coveted bucket of markers will come falling into her little hands. This could very well be the right reason she has succumbed to the assignment of the Timeout Tag-a-long. Hmm.

But before we decide, let’s examine the third reason of this self-designation. Could it really be that our Adi just wants to be with her sister- no matter the circumstances? Might she simply desire her sister’s company despite the task? Is it a slight possibility that Adi adores her more distinguished sister so much that she wants to be at her side as much as possible?

Given the surrounding evidence of the interactions between our girls, I think we might have to choose option c. You see, the first three things either daughter asks for every morning are mom, sister, and cereal. And if you knew the esteemed value cereal holds in our home, you could very well understand the magnitude of coming higher in rank than such a luxurious bowl of carbs. (Don’t worry, dad is #4!) It seems that Adi loves her sister with such a purity of heart that she just wants to be at her side, serving.

And here it is- another heart-pounding moment of theology learned in the throws of parenting. This lesson can be examined two ways. From one side, we see Adi’s adoration of her sister and her desire to be with her all the time. She wants to climb with her, play in her room, eat the same foods, run as fast, talk as clearly, and color as passionately. She doesn’t seem to care what Em is doing, just as long as she can be with her. The other side of this can be seen by looking at the willingness to serve a sentence she didn’t earn. Does this sound like someone else you know?

We should want to be at Jesus’ side, no matter the activity.
Jesus wants us near him so bad that he was willing to serve a sentence he didn’t earn.

So, I am sure my little Timeout Tag-a-long will shed her desire to share timeouts in the near future. But for now, it’s a great reminder that Jesus served a sentence he didn’t earn!

Twenty-one Sleepy Shuffles

2009-02-23T19:21:00.000-08:00

My determined march is only 23 feet, 5 inches long. My sacrificial stroll is the same difference from my computer to the fridge.

So why is this walk so hard to happily hike?

Not to be over dramatic, but these 21 shuffles often require more from me than my 45 minute cardio workout. Perhaps it’s because this nightly jaunt is not completed per my own request, but rather by the needy cries of another. As any young mom knows, midnight feedings, 3am feedings, or 5am feedings are probably the hardest part of serving a small being weighing in only slightly more than a bag a potatoes. It’s a constant reminder that my nights (and days, for that matter) aren’t my own. My eating habits, to-do lists, shopping trips, and priorities have shifted greater than any other time in life…and all for the purpose of one.

My brain has now been trained to filter every detail of our family’s life around the needs of our half-pint. Do we have a diaper bag packed? Have the warm pajamas been washed yet? Will the restaurant have a high chair? Are baby noises accepted at this gathering? Did I remember to change my shirt covered in kid-ooze? Yadda, yadda.

So why is this march so tough to complete without complaint?

All theatrics aside, it’s hard because my will is not my own. My time is not my own. My sleep is not even my own anymore. (Geez, this sounds so self-centered…) As a mom, you give up your right to be #1. You are now serving another. Ephesians 6:7 says to “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.” Truthfully though, this is not something I wanted to be reminded of at 3:37 in the morning when abruptly awakened and summoned crib-side. I remember many nightly walks pausing only momentarily to take a deep breath and whisper a quick, life-sustaining prayer as my feet hit the floor, when turning down the roaring baby monitor so my husband could keep sleeping or as I opened my bedroom door to cross the hall.

During these nights, I am obviously thankfully that Jesus knows my name (John 10:3). But I always find more comfort in the fact that my God is so tuned into the details of my life that he thought to remind us that “he gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11). Did you catch that? In the middle of our sacred scriptures, is a short, powerful, loving, tender passage reminding us that he fuels the fueler. He resources the source. He guides the guide. He nurtures the nurturers. He leads the leader. He tends to each one of his flock. Even me, as I make the sleepy shuffle only 23 ½ feet from my bed. Even me, as I pick up my tiny one and hold my breath when my sit down in the cold rocking chair knowing the chill will only last a short moment. Even me, as I fight not to fall asleep while feeding the baby in hopes that I won’t get a permanently crooked neck. Even me, as I gently lay my bundle of joy back in bed in deep slumber and silently cheer that I might get a few more hours of precious sleep. Yes, God cares about me and my slow surrender to another. God cares about me as I learn to submit myself to the needs of someone else. Absolutely, God cares that I am tired and must continue to plod on. I’m just so glad God cares.

Thankfully, my little spud sack is sleeping longer these days…

Baby Jee-su

2008-12-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our girls received a nativity set just for them. The stable, Mary, Joseph (AKA-Jojo), a bale of hay, the donkey and cart (I'm not sure of the biblical accuracy of the cart...), the angel who sings “Away in the Manger” some shepherds, two sheep, and baby Jesus are all there to be strewn across the room and hidden in the couch cushions by the hands of a two-year old and a 9 month old…
To use the toy for purpose we intended, we sat down with our girls and shared the story of Jesus’ birth with them and did our best to focus Emma’s attention on the Baby Jesus. I am certain she got the point.
This morning, as any smart two year old would do, Emma immediately headed for the neatly arranged Nativity set and grabbed the Baby Jesus since she learned of his significance last night. And, as any smart younger sibling would do, Adi immediately knew she needed whatever Emma had in her hand. So, the race around the kitchen table began. A squealing baby wobblingly toddled behind Emma as she screamed, “Emma’s Baby Jee-su, Emma’s Baby Jee-su”. (FYI- Jee-su is pronounced ‘jee-’ as in “Jeep” and ‘-su’ as in “supper”)
Seeing as this all began happening within minutes of my feet hitting the floor, I wasn’t fully awake and ready to proactively parent appropriately. So, the repetitions began…
“Emma, that is not YOUR Jee-su, I mean Jesus!”
“You must share the Baby Jesus.”
“Emma, you must share the toys!”
“Adi, watch where you are running…wait, stop running with the plastic spoon…”
“Emma, I said you must share Jesus.”
By this point, I was getting really frustrated because it felt as if the natives were beginning to take over…and so early in the morning. So, out of a moment of parental exasperation, the punishment was handed down.
“Emma, you are in time-out for not sharing Jee-su.”
Tears began flowing when Emma had to give up rights to her new found favorite possession, her cup and her paci for the duration of her time-out sentence. And, since my brain was slowly waking up in the midst of this chaos, I remembered the importance of repeating to the child why she was put in time out. In my pj’s, I got down to her eye level and repeated her offense.
“Emma, you are in time-out for not sharing Jesus.”
And then it hit me. I was punishing my child for not sharing the baby Jesus toy with her little sister. It rattled around in my head again like a big echo. I was punishing my child for not sharing Jesus…

Two minutes later, time-out was over. After a quick reminder to share the baby Jesus with her sister, Emma received her cup and paci back and was allowed to return to playing with the nativity. And, as if it was rehearsed, Gil and I looked up at each other and said, “I wonder what would happen if everyone had to sit in time-out for not sharing Jesus.”

There you go. Another theology lesson learned in a moment of parenting. A reminder to share Baby Jee-su, I mean Jesus, with others…even before breakfast!

What would happen if Jesus was so important to us that he was the first thing we grabbed when we jumped out of bed each morning? What would happen if he was so dear to us that we would risk punishment just so we could love him tenderly? What would happen if we learned from a young age that we must share Jesus?

A Wedding Clipping

2008-11-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

Last sunday, just like every other sunday, I read through the wedding announcements in the newspaper. One caught my eye. This particular bride had graduated from UVA with her masters degree in communications disorders and had taken a job as the speech-language pathologist for a public school system in Virginia. This statement about her life caught my attention because, according to my plan, this was going to be the path I was going to take after I graduated with my bachelors degree. I was really bothered by the fact that this girl is living the life I chose to walk away from to do fulltime ministry. I was also bothered that I was bothered...

Anyway, I have just been sitting on this and waiting for God to show me something about this. I know I have settled this in my heart and often fight down feelings of missing out of things "I could be doing". I love speech pathology and wonder why God would place such feelings and interests in my life if there was never anything for me to do about it. I also think about the money I could be giving away to others in ministry if I was earning it (by the boatloads) as a speech pathologist. But today God reminded me of something...

Mary worshipped Jesus with something valuable when she poured the perfume all over his feet. She baffled everyone around her because she was so willing to give up an entire lifes wages to Him. She gave up something that was so valuable to her. I am sure it was hard for her to give that up. I am also sure that she questioned, as I often do, why she had given that up to him....not that he didn't deserve that - and more- but because she was human and probably had to fight off the feelings of doubt afterwards. Perhaps it's horrible theology to think about her questions regarding her sacrifice, but I tend to wonder about the humanity and weaknesses of the people from the Bible we hold so high in our eyes. I am pretty sure she dealt with stinging feelings when she needed a little extra cash months and years after that powerful night with Jesus. I am confident that she got tired of explaining to people why she chose to do what she did that night. I bet she found herself shaking her head to erase thoughts of doubt knowing the entire time she had done the right thing for her King. But I am also pretty sure that at the end of the day, she was proud of the move she had made. Each time her needs were met financially or she smelled a frangrance similar to the perfume she spilled out for Jesus, she was absolutely confident she had done the right thing. Mary considered her gift an honor and was pleased to give it away to someone so worthy.

In another moment of poor theological practices, I am pretty sure the stinging feelings I get when my mind wanders to what I could own or give away with a different income could be similar to what Mary felt days and weeks after she worshipped Jesus that night. I am confident that the times I get almost annoyed with people who ask if I will ever use my degree in speech pathology are similar to the times Mary had she was asked to explain why she did what she did to honor Jesus that night. And I know that when I shake loose the selfish thoughts in my head about what I missing out on, I am in the same class of women -even just for a moment- as Mary. Good company I'd say.

So, to the newly engaged couple I read about last week, congrads on the next step in your life! And for the bride-to-be, thanks for filling in for me. Since you took that job, the kids in your county will have a great speech pathologist to help them learn what they need to know. And because you are there, I can be here- doing what God needs me to do. I can sincerely be happy for this new bride and her great life knowing that I am not the only one who has questioned big sacrifices for God. I bet each time Mary passed by a woman wearing a perfume even slightly similar to the one that filled that jar she poured out on Jesus' feet, she soaked up the fragrance deeply. Not so much because she loved the scent, but because it reminded her of her love for Jesus and how much more valuable he is compared to the worth of such desired possessions.

My Face

2008-09-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

My little Adi is learning to pull up these days. She is even standing alone for a few seconds right now. For the past few weeks now, she has become entranced with my face. Or anyone’s face for that matter. She wants to touch every nook, cranny, wrinkle, and corner of my face. She pulls open my mouth to discover what’s inside. She is curious about it all right now. My little sponge even has learned to turn my cheek so she can get a better view of which ever part she is investigating at the moment. She will work all her might to crawl across the room, over my legs, and into my lap just to look at my face. I often wonder why my hands or feet don’t offer such excitement to her. But again, this makes me think…

How hard must my little one have worked to get to me. I doubt she took into account the obstacles she would face as her little legs and arms quickly squirmed back and forth.
The toys.
The dog.
The big sister.
And the miniature recliner.

What would be our equivalent to her trek across the large living room? What would make us want something so bad that we aren’t even distracted by what’s around us?
The fun things.
The odd & furry things.
The noisy things.
And the comfortable things.

Oh, that my heart would want to work my hardest to get to Jesus and just explore his face. That I would dismiss the distractions around me just to turn his cheek so I can really look into his eyes and discover what he truly looks like. That I would take the time to learn about the wrinkles around his eyes. And that I would continually squirm to keep requesting more of his attention.

Hear O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says, “Your face Lord, I do seek.”
Hide not your face from me.
Psalm 27:7-9a (ESV)

My Voice

2008-09-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

I observed a great little moment recently. I went to pick up my baby daughter from the childcare room at our gym. Above the chaotic hum of a room full of other kids playing, my little 7 month old heard me calling her name. Her back was to me, but she quickly turned her petite little body to face me, and with a smile bigger than her pacifier, she started her mad-dash to crawl to me as fast as she could. All of this happened in just a few short seconds, but this moment will be permanently secured in the file cabinet of my brain.
As a mom, this makes my heart soar. As a Christian, it reminds me of the importance of our ability to hear God’s voice.
Adi was busy playing in the midst of a full room of kids running around. She had so much to keep her attention. But the minute she heard me calling her name, she dropped what she was doing and came running…well crawling actually…to me. She recognized my voice. She heard me call her name. And she responded.
Jesus said that the sheep know his voice and come when he calls. (John 10:26)
How did my little girl become familiar to my voice? She hears me all the time. Ever since her little ears could hear, my voice was there. I bet you can see where I am going with this…
We have the wonderful opportunity to know and hear God’s voice so well we can distinguish it from a crowded, chaotic world. We have the chance to be so familiar to his voice, that our attention can be grabbed despite the distractions that surround us. So, how do we become familiar to God’s voice, just as my little one knows my voice?
We spend time listening to him.
We spend time learning about him.
And we spend time loving him.
Once we can recognize God’s voice above the chaotic hum of our world, let’s take off running...or crawling…to him with a great big, double-dimple smile. Let’s get so used to God calling our names that the fancy games, fun people, and loud noises don’t drown out his voice.

Journals of a Chi Alpha Student

2008-08-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

When I look back through the journals I kept as a college student, I find a few reoccurring themes…I’m thankful for school…I’m frustrated with the girls on my hall in my dorm…I wish my campus really knew Christ…I wish I knew what to do with the guy from my church back home or the guy that works in the dining hall with me…and the list goes on and on. But the one statement I find over and over again in my journal from college is “I have learned something new today…”

My college years were a time of learning like I have never experienced before. I learned the difference between dirt and soil in my geology class, someone’s hierarchy of needs in psychology, and how to transcribe just about any language on earth in my phonetics classes. I learned how to balance a checkbook, and then get my miniscule paychecks directly deposited into my checking account so I could find the greatest sales online (then I got packages in my mailbox!). I learned how to write an 8 page paper in a matter of a few hours. And I learned how to fill my calendar with meaningful and meaningless activities. But I think the greatest thing I learned in college- despite all the other priceless lessons- was how to depend on God.

I learned how to depend on God to get me through the next 90 minute class, to walk with me through the upcoming week full of exams, papers, presentations, work schedules, gossiping friends, and invitations to wild weekend parties. My days as a college student were packed with classes, work, Chi Alpha events, meals in the dining hall, favorite TV shows, random road trips, and an occasional couple of hours of homework- and God got me through it all.

The summer before I began college, God showed me that I wasn’t going to school to simply earn a degree- I was going there to be a missionary for four years- my degree was only an added bonus. I was handed the opportunity to live in the same building- side by side- with other women that were dealing with life issues and needed God. The quiet high-schooler that only wanted to be invisible began to burn with a fire inside that could not be quenched. I wanted to let other people know who this God I loved truly was. I felt like an undercover agent with a secret weapon nobody expected me to have.

I never imagined that I would learn so much about this God I thought I knew. I learned that he loved each student on my campus and wanted them to know him. I learned that he hurt when his kids hurt and that he offered healing to those that needed it. And I learned that no matter how much it seemed that I had my life together, I still needed to depend on God for everything. I needed renewal each day (2 Corinthians 4:16) so that I could face the hardships of being a Christian on a secular university campus.

Thankfully, Chi Alpha was there for me. My campus pastors encouraged and taught me how to truly be an ambassador for Christ just as written in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…”.

Butter

2008-07-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

I just made butter. Real butter.

The Cold Shoulder

2008-07-20T18:56:00.001-07:00

Today, the term “cold shoulder” has been redefined for me…

You know you’ve become a mom when you’re ok wearing a t-shirt that’s been used as a snot rag and you’re not squirming your way out of it as soon as possible!

My little girl has had a runny nose today and now the left shoulder of my t-shirt is all gross. It gets even more disgusting…I grabbed a t-shirt out of my closet to lounge in the other evening. I threw it on and walked passed the mirror in my bedroom and noticed I had received the “cold shoulder” the last time I wore that shirt too. My only conclusion as to why it was not already in the laundry is because I was too tired to remember I had been used as a tissue that day as well! The joys of being a mom. ( I can’t believe this makes me smile!)

But you know, the more I think about this whole “cold shoulder” thing, the more I realize that God allows us to give him the “cold shoulder” too. Yes, we all give God the original definition of the “cold shoulder”. But have you ever felt so close to Jesus that you’ve made the shoulder of his t-shirt all gross and snotty? I’ve had hard days that ended with moments with God that were so real I am sure I left his shoulder pretty messy. Times that draw us so near to God that we are able to give him the snotty cold shoulder are tough, but what better place to find yourself than in the arms of Christ. He just lets you cry really hard when you need to.

An old journal entry

2008-07-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2008
I know that life sure has gotten complicated even in it’s simplicity of diapers, meals, laundry, and dishes. I am neither settled nor restless. I am neither content with where I am nor longing for something different. My only emotional constant is that there isn’t a constant. Each day is something new and different. I find that I am mostly very happy with my daily routines and are very scattered if a change is thrown into the mix. However, I had weeks or days like I’ve had in the last month or so when nothing feels right. I want so badly to be a good wife and mom, but it feels like so much is hindering my success. Then I kick myself as I realize that my success isn’t dependant on great meals, folded laundry or squeaky clean kids. My success rate isn’t even dependant on perfectly clear communication with my husband. My success rate is only reliant on my heart- which seems is the most difficult thing to keep in check. If my heart is right, then my motives are right. And if my motives are right, then no matter the outcome of the day, all will end ok. I can't give up. I can't allow myself that way out because it isn’t an option. I can just lean down and dig my heels in deeper than I had been and let God do the rest. I can work to be more patient. I can work to not express complaints. I can find places to relieve tensions and stress, finding new solutions to old problems.

I still remain amazed that God continues to use us knowing our failures and weaknesses.

Baking Bread

2008-07-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Today I've learned how to make bread!

Push Ups

2008-07-12T19:55:00.001-07:00

My husband is doing push-ups in the other room.

A new blog

2008-07-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Taking the first step on a new path is sometimes pretty scary, but here goes! I am jumping into this whole world of blogging a bit later than most, only because I'm forcing myself to. I have felt safe that my journals have been locked away in a password protected file. But now, finally, I am brave enough to write for the whole world to see. Here, perhaps, you will soon find random thoughts, goals, dreams, and prayers that have been rattling around in my head. Let's hope it's cool!