Created to be HIS

When He's Not Superman

2012-02-22T09:38:00.002-06:00

When Imarried my husband, I married a sinner. I married a human who battles against theflesh, same as me.

I rememberthe first marital spat that Grant and I had. Naive as I was, I found myself utterly stunned. THIS man was perfect!THIS man had selflessly fought for me, won my heart, and patiently waited for14 months to marry me. This man was superman! But in the moment of a heated battle, my head screamed: How can he be so AWFUL rightnow?!!

Any of you married ladies relate?

Though myhusband is wonderful and amazing, he is an unfinished work-in-progress. God isstill working on him….and on me. But let’sget real. Sometimes we, wives, grow irritable when our “super” husband is not super. So what doI do when he’s NOT an extraordinary superman? Below is a list I made for myself when my sinful nature rises up. It helps me and I hope it can help you as well.

First, own up to the fact that your husband married a sinner. That's you. Yes, you are a sinner. So is he. Get your perspective right and remember that two imperfect people said "I do." When we remember this truth, our pride will start to fade and our humility will begin to grow.
Next, PRAY. Pick up your Bible. Get alone. Go to the LORD and present the situation to Him. You are hurt. Maybe you're offended. Maybe you are just plain mad - and want to be! Go to Him and tell Him about it. Then be quiet and let Him speak to you and calm your heart. Be still so you can know, and remember, that He is God and He can take care of any issue - big or small. He is the marriage counselor and the author of Love, so let Him speak to you and teach you. Let Him do His job. :)
Make a list of his good traits and qualities. It may take a little time when you are upset, but force yourself to write down all the things you love and admire about him. As you do that, you will more than likely feel a bit more tender and kind towards him than before.
Forgive him. Remember that Jesus loves us and forgives us, even when we spit in His face and willfully sin. And His blood covers all our sins. Jesus is the goal. Jesus is the example. Focus on Him, remember what HE did for YOU, then do the same for your husband.
Here comes the hard part. Apologize. Go to him and humbly ask his forgiveness. Even if you didn't "start it," take the initiative to be the peacemaker. Keep in mind that no matter what your husband does or says, YOU are responsible for your actions. You cannot justify your lashing out in anger just because he did. YOU do what's right, no matter what anyone else does or says.

Marriage is an incredible relationship that teaches us so much about the Lord and His grace. Sometimes, marriage is hard. But it is blissfully wonderful!! Nah, some days he isn't superman. But hey! You aren't superwoman all the time, right?

I'm running this race with you, ladies! Let's run well....

Juicing for Baby

2012-02-20T10:46:00.000-06:00

The other day, I had some apples and oranges that were about to go bad. To my shock, I realized that it had been quite a while since I had juiced any fruits or vegetables. So I pulled out my juicer to make me some fresh juice. While I poured my glass, I thought, "My goodness, my baby boy is a big boy...and I bet he will LOVE this." So I poured some into his sippy-cup and handed it to him. OH MY GOODNESS. You'd have thought I'd handed him the moon. He loved it. He drank it all quicker than he has ever drank anything. And boy, was I proud! Of course, I called my husband and my Mom to tell them all about it! Every time he does something new, my momma-heart swells up and I want to go brag on how awesome and smart my kid is. :) I'm sure you mommies understand exactly what I mean. :)

The next day, I pulled my juicer out again. For two months I have been trying to get carrots into Nathan...to no avail. He does not....like....carrots. Of course, I don't blame him. I have never liked them either. However, I love carrot juice, especially mixed with apple. So, I pulled out an apple, a bag of baby carrots, and made me and him some carrot-apple juice. Again, I poured the juice into his sippy-cup, handed it to him....and held my breath (and prayed!).

And he drank.....and drank.....and drank.....with a smile.

VICTORY!!!!

Juicing fruits and vegetables is SO easy, surprisingly delicious, and unbelievably healthy. I owe my health to juicing. I used to be sick almost constantly. Every cold or sickness that came around, I caught. I was sluggish and lacked energy. Then my family began juicing and now? I rarely get sick! My sisters began injesting vegetables that were avoided at all costs before! :) It became a game to create concoctions, trying to come up with the tastiest and healthiest juice (or smoothie!). So I HIGHLY recommend going out and getting yourself a good juicer. You will reap the benefits, I assure you!

Below is a small list of juices that I have made. Happy Juicing!!

Carrot/Apple juice
Strawberry/Spinach (use baby leaf spinach)
Apple/Celery/Carrot
Carrot/Blueberry
Strawberry/Blueberry/Blackberry
Apple/Orange
Orange/Spinach/Peach/Carrot

Singing Scripture

2012-02-15T12:23:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, I shared a chart that I made for me and Nathan as a way of helping me teach him Scripture. I call it my "Saturate chart." Children are like sponges and they learn so much, so fast, so early in their lives. It has been a challenge for me to remember to incorporate the Word into everyday life happenings, but we are getting there! We take it one day at a time. :)

When I was younger and in the AWANA program at our Church, I remember my mom taking the Bible verses we needed to remember and putting a tune to them. We were all singers and singing Bible somehow made it easier to remember those tough verses. There was a time when one of my little sisters, instead of reciting the verse to her AWANA leader, sang the verse....and had a few body motions to go with it! -- for effect, I guess? :)

Months ago, I began taking Nathan's bath time to recite to him Psalm 51:10. Not long after, I began to sing Keith Green's song that he wrote from that passage, "Create in Me a Clean Heart." Following suit, and being a singer, I took his mealtime verse of Psalm 34:8 and put a tune to it myself. -- Below is a video of my version.

The other day, with all of this on my mind, I thought to myself, "I bet there are Scripture songs out there!" So I pulled up Google and searched for KJV Scripture Songs for Kids. What I found made my heart happy! After looking at various CDs out there, I ended up at iTunes and downloaded fourteen Scripture songs that will make it a lot easier to instill many verses into my son's little heart.

I downloaded songs from the ABC Memory Verse CD, and several songs from the Bible Songs for Kids collection. I am LOVING them! It is a lot easier for me to "soak" him in Jesus and flood his mind and his heart with God's Word through song. And it's easier for me to memorize Scripture more too! (I'm no easy sponge anymore!)

So if any of you mommies love singing around the house and also want to teach your children Scripture, I highly recommend using Scripture songs. Find some you love....or put a tune to verses yourself! Whatever method you choose, I just encourage you to saturate your kids.

This is my tune to Psalm 34:8. I have found that there are many versions out there,
so if you don't like mine, you can find another. :) Though Nathan always gives me a
tiny smile, he is still more interested in his food. However, I am sure that if I stay
consistent, he will have those verses rooted in his heart forever.

My "Love Dare" For You

2012-02-14T09:28:00.001-06:00

Those of you who have seen the movie, Fireproof, may have recognized the title. In that movie, Caleb, on the brink of divorce, is given a "dare" by his father. The dare shows Caleb what marriage is and, ultimately, leads him to the Cross on the way.

Well today is Valentine's Day and, as I type this, I am watching the Tweets and the Facebook posts from people all over. They are posting about flowers, candy, date nights, love letters, their significant others...or their "woes" about being single on this "lover's holiday." As I blogged the other day, Valentine's Day has a pretty rotten origin. And as a Christian, sometimes it's not so simple to know exactly how you ought to respond. My husband and I talked about it again this morning. We don't want to be legalistic but we do want to live righteously. With that being said, I have my own little "Love Dare" for you today. Actually....I have two. :)

If you are single...

I dare you to draw nigh unto God...(James 4:8)

I dare you to trust in Him, with ALL your heart...(Proverbs 3:5)

I dare you to let Him show you how to love...(1 Corinthians 13:4-8; John 13:5)

I dare you to see HOW MUCH in love He is with you!....(Jeremiah 31:3; Hosea 2:19-20; Romans 8:38-39)

I dare you to walk in wisdom, in love, and in purity....(Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:2; Matthew 5:8)

I dare you to let Him lead you in everything...(Proverbs 3:6)

If you are married...

I dare you to love each other as Christ loves you...(1 John 4:7)

I dare you to put one another above yourself....(Philippians 2:3)

I dare you (wives) to be your husband's help meet....(Genesis 2:18, Titus 2:3-5, Proverbs 31:10-30)

I dare you (husbands) to be your wife's protector and leader...(Ephesians 5:23-29)

I dare you to be kind, patient, and servant hearted with one another...(Galatians 5:13; Galatians 5:22-25)

I dare you to let God build your life, your marriage, and your family...(Psalm 127:1-5)


On this "day for lovers," I challenge you to fall more in love with our Lord and Savior. Because if HE is the all-complete lover of our souls, then all else will fall into place and into perspective.

Ten Months Old

2012-02-13T10:55:00.003-06:00

When Nathan woke up this morning, I picked him up out of his bed and sat him on our bed next to Grant. I went and made him a bottle and, when I handed it to him, I watched him as he took it and, while sitting up like such a big boy, he began to drink. I sat there staring at him thinking, "He is so grown....he's doing this all by himself while sitting up.....he looks like a big boy now....my boy is ten months old." Good golly....

Well, here is the latest. :)

He still has two teeth. More are on the way, but I must say that those two teeth are SO stinkin' cute.
He has always been a smiler, but now he has this WAY cute smile where he wrinkles his nose. *melt momma's heart*
He has this thing where he will deliberately take something and drop it (or throw it), then look at you and say, "Uh oh." It's funny.....and cute....and annoying when he won't stop throwing or dropping stuff.
When I say, "hey," I have a certain flow in my tone when I say it. I am noticing that Nathan will sometimes make the same sound and I am positive he is saying, "heeeey." :) The same goes with "thank you." Sometimes when I hand him something, he says, "ga-ga." It sounds like "thank you".....kinda. --- I know my kid and I believe that's what he is saying, so there! :-p
He says, "Dadda" and he CAN say "Momma"....but he won't say "Momma" unless he's upset. *sigh*
Saturday (February 11), we were doing a concert. A sweet lady was holding Nathan in the crowd and, near the end when he saw us, he gave us this BIG grin. Then he saw his Daddy and wrinkled his nose and said, "Dadda!" Then...he wouldn't hush. He wanted to tell everyone how excited he was to see us. Without knowing it, Grant and I both put our fingers to our lips and mouthed, "Shhh." Suddenly, Nathan, puckered up and blinked his eyes, and pouted. ARE YOU SERIOUS?? He definitely knows how to utilize his cute factor. *shakes head*
If he's in the mood (yes, I have a stubborn kid), you can say, "Kisses!" and he will give you a good 'ole smack. Way cute. Although when he is hurting from teething, he may take the kissing opportunity to bite....which is something we are teaching him not to do.
He is clapping and it....is....PRECIOUS!!!! I love it.
He loves avocados, yogurt, green beans and pinto beans, some peas, and such. BUT his two, all-time favorite things to eat is scrambled eggs and Gerber's Cheetos. That kid can put them away! Fast.
He is a climber. 'Nuff said.

CHEESE!

He sleeps so weird.

KISSES!

Trying to catch Daddy's tongue. lol

My big boy, playing.

trying the yummy stick

EGGS! lol

Pouting. *rolls eyes*

Playing in his room :)

I'm TEN months old!

Valentine's Day Traditions

2012-02-09T13:00:00.001-06:00

I am a wife. I am my husband's sweetheart....and he is mine. :)

But I am also a Christian. And as such, I should be known by my discernment and should be asking questions regarding everything that comes into (or out of) my life and my home. Having said that, it brings me to next weeks' holiday. Valentine’s Day.

What IS Valentine's Day, anyway? It is so easy to fall into step with the rest of mankind and follow their customs and traditions without ever pausing a moment and asking ourself, "Why AM I doing these things?" It's so easy! So because I want to be intelligent and "in the know" about everything I participate in, I did some studying. And below is what I have discovered. I hope, just as they answered my questions, I pray they can answer the questions you may have -- and, indeed, I hope you DO ask questions about the customs you practice as well.

* What is the origin of Valentine's Day? Like most holidays, Valentine's Day goes WAY back. In the days of the Roman Empire, the month of February was the last and shortest month of the year. February originally had 30 days, but when Julius Caesar named the month of July after himself, he decided to make that month longer and shortened February to 29 days while making July a month of 31 days. Later, when Octavius Caesar (also known as Augustus) came to power, he named the month of August after himself and, not be outdone, he also subtracted a day from February and gave the month of August 31 days. We can see that it's still that way today. The ancient Romans believed that every month had a spirit that gained in strength and reached its peak of power in the middle of the month. This was usually the 15th day, and it was a day when witches and soothsayers worked their magic. Since February had been robbed by the Caesars and had only 28 days, it became a very important pagan holiday in the Empire of Rome. The sacred day of February 14th was called "Lupercalia" and on that day, they worshipped the goddess Juno, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and known as the goddess of love and fertility. On February 15, the Romans celebrated Luperaclia, honoring Faunus, their god of fertility. Men would go to a grotto and would sacrifice a goat, don its skin, and run around, hitting women with small whips....an act which was supposed to ensure their fertility.

Then the Catholic church stepped in and, as is their custom, "Christianized" the holiday. Today, the Catholic church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. And, oddly enough, they are recognized on February 14. In an effort to conform, compromise, and put a "Christian" stamp of approval on the pagan Lupercalia festival, they glazed over the celebration of lust and fertility and chose to celebrate on that day as well, using the excuse of their martyrs. Make no mistake. It was done intentionally.

Where did Cupid come from? The little baby in a diaper that shoots people with arrows, dipped in a love potion, and makes them fall in love. Sounds like made-up, harmless fun. But it isn't. In Roman mythology, Cupid is a Roman god of passionate love. He is the son of Venus who is the goddess of love and beauty. Again, it is no mistake that he is a primary symbol that dons our Valentine's Day cards and candy.

What is the origin of Valentine cards? I remember, as a little girl, exchanging Valentine's Day cards with friends. We would count them up and, hopefully, have more than everyone else. I remember receiving plenty of "be mine" notes. But....where did that custom come from? Now I know. Remember the above, when on February 15, men would go to a grotto, sacrifice a goat, wear its skin and whip women to ensure their fertility? Well AFTER that, the young women would gather in the city and their names were put into boxes. This was called a "lottery" and these “love notes” were called “billets.” The men of Rome would draw a billet, and the woman whose name was on it became his sexual partner with whom he would play erotic games and fornicate until the next "Lupercalia"....or February 14th. And it was all done in honor of Juno, the goddess of "love"....though "lust" is more what it looks like.

Sadly, THAT is the origin of the, seemingly harmless, "Be my Valentine" tradition.

Obviously, it wasn't about fidelity and true, agape love that 1 Corinthians 13 speaks of. It wasn't even about marriage. The whole thing was to honor pagan gods of fertility and the "love" of the flesh. February 14th - and 15th - became a time of unbridled sexual lust.

So there is some information concerning Valentine's Day and its origins and traditions. I pray that you will take this information and pray and ask the Lord how you should respond. Then obey.

Household Management Notebook -- updated!

2012-02-07T13:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I spent about two hours or more working on my household notebook. Before, I had Nathan's schedule, natural remedies, Bible verse memorization and things like that. Yesterday, I told myself, "This HAS to be more organized and added to. Pronto!" So I worked hard and I am so happy with the results. Here is a peek at what I have:

When I first open the binder, I have our calendar on the left, inside the
pocket pouch. On the right, I have my daily/weekly/monthly schedule.

The next page is all about perspective. On the left, I have a print out
from Confessions of a Homeschooler that I love, called "Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom."
This is a great encouragement to me, as a mommy, to have the right
perspective going about my day. On the right is what I call my "saturate" chart
with the verses of Scripture I am working to recite to Nathan at various parts of the day.

After that, I have Nathan's info sheet and our daily routine that we some-what try
to stick to. It's just our general guideline. Routine is goooooood.

Below is my edited, fit-for-blogging version, but the real one has
his picture, his SSN, his place of birth, insurance info, etc. But, as you can see,

it also has his current favorites, routine, likes and dislikes, etc.

Next. On the left, I have a handy freezer "cheat sheet" that reminds me
what lasts in the freezer for certain lengths of time. On the right, you can see a few of my
coupons. I noticed that I kept forgetting them when I went out, then they would expire.

SO, my new method is to have the ones that will be expiring within one month IN my purse.
The rest are kept in this pocket. :)

Then comes "the family area." I have a page of phone numbers.
One side has all of our family's home and cell numbers. The other side
has my doctor, the family doctor, Nathan's pediatrician, and emergency numbers.
And at the bottom are a few extra numbers we use from time to time.
After that section comes our bill info, last month's income, our home info,
all of our car info (make, model, year, etc.), and then all of our account

numbers for....everything. lol. :) That way, it's all in one place for me to grab and look up.

Then I have our "address" area. On the left is a print-out of addresses, stapled
together and slid inside the page protector. The ones highlighted are the ones
we use often. Then on the right is an area where I can write down new addresses to be added
to the master list later.

Next is our lists of birthdays. We both have big families, so it took me quite a
while, but I have two calendar-lists of birthdays. One list is of all the birthdays
and anniversaries in our family. The next list is of the birthdays and anniversaries
of our friends that we need/want to remember. :)

Next are my lists. Grocery list. Household needs list.
Nathan's needs list. And my "To Do" list.

Then the last section is for natural remedies, natural cleaning
supplies, anti-inflammatory foods, and a list of the best (aka - healthiest)
foods to ingest in our body vs. the worst possible foods you can eat.

And there you go! This is, by far, the best (and most useful!) my household notebook has ever been! This website has lots of free printables you can use, should you find yourself in need of a household management notebook yourself. :)

What's On My Bookshelf? - 02/06/12

2012-02-06T13:50:00.000-06:00

I haven't blogged about what I have been reading in quite a while, so here is my latest "book love" info!

I read this book a few months back and I highly recommend it for wives and/or mothers. Ephesians 5:22-33, Titus 2 – 3, and Proverbs 31 are the main passages of Scripture that this book uses in presenting us with a beautiful picture of Godly womanhood. I was greatly impacted and will be re-reading this book again soon. It is a great read but, because of her chapter on marriage and purity within marriage, I highly suggest that ONLY married women read. Those who are unmarried should wait in order to keep their hearts and minds pure. Just trust me on that. :)

I love hymns. I always have. So one of my favorite gifts I got for Christmas were these two books. They contain some of the best hymns of all time....and the stories behind them! BLISS. What I have read so far has blessed my heart and has made me fall in love with some of my favorite hymns all over again. Some hymns that I never thought much of before, have suddenly meant something to my life now that I know the happenings behind the music. I definitely recommend these two books...and I just found book #3! Good thing my birthday is coming up! :)

I got this book for Christmas and I am LOVING it!! Every mother needs to read this, in my opinion. The subtitle of this book is: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children and that is my heart's desire as a mother. I don't want to be simply a GOOD example in reaching the heart of my child(ren). I want to follow CHRIST'S example. I really admire Sally Clarkson and her way of discipling her children. Being in the ministry my whole life, this book opened a new area of motherhood for me and I have been powerfully challenged! Two thumbs up. :)

I purchased this book for myself right after Christmas and it is a wonderful collection of poems, quotes, and essays, on true, Biblical womanhood. This book is solid and very well put together. The feminists and humanists hate the notion of being "enslaved" to homemaking, but God holds the position of keeper of the home as a high calling and we should be honored to have that responsibility. This book is an encouraging read that echoes Scripture AND gives a beautiful picture of being a "queen" of the home.

What's on YOUR bookshelf?

That's What Grace Can Do

2012-02-01T13:53:00.005-06:00

I used to think I didn't have a testimony.

I know it sounds strange, but I really did used to believe that my testimony wasn't a "real" one. You know what I mean...the "real" ones are epic and dramatic, right? I used to sit in awe as great men and women would stand up and tell about all the things that they had been delivered from through the grace of God.

I was in prison for 15 years for killing someone....

I would smoke anything you would set on fire....

I was a hit man....

I had sold my soul to alcohol....

I was a prostitute and ran a topless bar.....

I would sit and listen and think, "Wow. What a great testimony! I wish I had one like that...." Little did I know that my thinking was very much off.

I was raised in Church. I was born into a Christian home, with Christian parents, around Christian people. I was taught the Bible from day one. I literally grew up in buses, in Churches, and in the homes of preachers and pastors and Church people. I constantly heard preaching about Jesus, singing about Jesus, stories about Jesus, and testimonies about what Jesus had done. As I often joke, I was born on a pew. When I was five years old, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I spent my life trying to make choices based upon solid, Biblical principles, doing my best to allow the Lord to, daily, transform me and make me peculiar and set-apart. I never tasted alcohol. I never tried any drugs. To this day, I've never held a cigarette. I never fooled around with guys. I never even kissed anyone until I kissed Grant on our wedding day. I never cussed and used foul language. I didn't tell crude or sick jokes. I never snuck out of my house. I never watched an R-rated movie! I was a good girl!.....by the world's standards anyway.

Though I had never noticed it before, I realized one day that I had allowed quite a chunk of pride to take up residence in my life. Though I could quote "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), I didn't truly feel the impact of that truth until I met my husband.

Grant grew up on the other side of the tracks. He was raised in an environment of divorce, alcohol, and drugs. He had seen the inside of a jail cell. He was well acquainted with the atmosphere that drinking would produce. He knew the Church routine but, instead of seeing sold-out people abandoned to Christ, he saw hypocritical Christians who would walk into Church, Bible in tow, but could be found on the bar stool beside him that next Friday night. He saw first-hand what I had only heard about growing up.

When we met, I did not know about his past, but neither did I entertain the thought that we would ever be together. I had assumed I would marry someone just like me..... A guy with a family on the road, homeschooled, a singer, a past that held no bad baggage. But the Lord's ways are always higher than ours. I remember a certain night in October of 2008. Grant and I had become very good friends over the summer. We had spent a lot of time together witnessing with our group. We were both attracted to one another and, though I wouldn't admit it at the time, I was falling for him. Hard. On this particular night in October, Grant had asked me if I would consider pursuing a relationship with him. He had spoken with my Dad and I had told him that I needed to think and pray about it. On this night, we were talking and Grant began to tell me a bit about his past and how he had grown up. Though I had heard a few bits and pieces, it was the first time I heard his whole story. And my pride quickly rose up. As he was confiding in me his "dirty laundry," I found myself thinking, "Oh no....no, God. I CAN'T. No way. There is no way I can EVER be with him now. I mean, I praise God for his salvation and deliverance from sin, but that most certainly does not mean I should have to live with it. No. The guy I marry is going to have a clean past... like me."

Immediately, God placed a firm hand over my spirit's mouth. Even though I hadn't spoken those words out loud, they were said very loud and clear in God's ears. And like a swift, spiritual spanking, the Lord reprimanded me and I felt Him say, "Kristen! What makes you think that you are any better? YOUR sin is just as sickening in My sight."

To say I felt ashamed that my thinking had been so prideful is an understatement. And I began to cry as Grant finished his story. I felt sorrow for everything he had had to see and experience. I felt broken for him. But more than that, I felt utterly disgusted with my own sin - the biggest of which I found was my arrogance and pride. As he ended his testimony, he said, "Kristen, I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me of everything I did that was ungodly."

Suddenly I became aware of what grace really was. For the first time, I was put in a position I had never been in before. I began to think of Jesus and how He looked upon all my sin - all the wretched, foul, and despicable thoughts, desires, actions, and attitudes - and chose to forgive and accept me in spite of it all. He gave me a full pardon. He wiped my slate clean. And here was this man asking ME to forgive him??? With LOTS of tears, I said to my husband-to-be, "If God forgives you....then who am I to refuse to forgive you too??"

That night was a pivotal moment in my life when I suddenly understood grace like I never had before.

Far too many take grace for granted. Far too many do ungodly things in the name of grace. Many choose to lovingly welcome and justify sin and call it grace. Many view grace as the acceptance, without rebuke, of everything that is unholy.

But let me tell you what grace really is.

Grace is the God of all that is just and righteous looking down on a pathetic, despicable, broken sinner and, showing mercy and love, chooses to forgive and cleanse and restore that sinner. Grace is God clothing that sinner in the blood of His Son and sitting them down at His right hand. And grace is that sinner, with thankfulness and praise and humility, showcasing that incredible event to others.

Grace is my husband seeing all my of all my flaws and imperfections and yet remain faithful.

Grace is my husband forgiving my emotional outbursts of hatefulness and disrespect.

Grace is my husband knowing my sins and struggles - past and present - and choosing to love me in spite of them.

....and grace is me doing the same.

Don't frustrate the grace of God. Don't make excuses for sin in the name of grace. If we do that, we miss all that grace TRULY is!

If we - as that broken and shameful sinner - humble ourselves in the sight of God and one another, we will be raised up. We will be healed. We will be strong. We will see the glory of redemption. We will be filled with joy. We will have a bigger impact upon those still in Satan's clutches. And we will have a better understanding of all that was done at Calvary.

That's what grace can do.

Grace! Grace! God's grace!
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace! Grace! God's grace!
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

A Little Room Revamping

2012-01-31T12:59:00.003-06:00

So yesterday, I attacked two rooms in my house. Nathan's room. And the guest bathroom.

The stuff I did in Nathan's room wasn't THAT noticeable but it was huge to me. It was mainly his changing table area. It was growing cRaZy-cluttered and there were a few things within his reach that would have thrown me into "freak-out-mode" if he had gotten ahold of it. Though he doesn't usually play in his room (he keeps to the living room or wherever I am at) I wanted his room to be, well, HIS room! I wanted it to be safe for him. So, I covered the plug-ins in the wall. I moved his swing to the other side of the room (That is, until it gets stored in the garage. Waiting on the hubs for that). And then I reorganized his changing table area.

I moved all his burp cloths and bibs into a drawer in his dresser. I removed all the pins and q-tips and such from his reach and put them in a basket under the sink in the bathroom. Then I rearranged and organized his diapers and wipes. I'm pleased. Here are the pics:

Before:

After:

much better

Where his swing was, I made into a little play area.

P.S. That little piano was mine as a baby. :)

His dresser area

THEN I did something I've been wanting to do for MONTHS. When Grant and I married, we had painted the guest bathroom a dark grey/charcoal color. We were given a light purple shower curtain, so we just made everything light purple. It was pretty but, not something I absolutely loved. So I have spent the last two months debating on what to do. Should I paint the bathroom? Should I just change the decor? And then I tried to think of a way to make it kid-friendly and neutral for both boys and girls, AND have it "grown up" enough for our guests. The bathroom is right across the hall from Nathan's room, so I wanted it semi-fun and bright for him. But it's also the bathroom that friends and family use, so I didn't want it screaming "KID DOMAIN" either. I wanted to be frugal and wise and practical. So yesterday, after two months of thinking, I went to Wal-Mart and started browsing around. I was about to leave when a shower curtain caught my eye and I thought, "This would go well with the charcoal color of the wall. I wouldn't have to spend extra money on paint. AND it would compliment the general colors of our house, too." One savvy move, and $30 later - TA DA! I am very happy with how it turned out.

Before

After!

Nathan's toy bath basket

the sink area

A little here, a little there, and the whole look of the room is different. I love it. <---- happy mom.

The Proverbs 31 Quest || pt 6

2012-01-31T12:19:00.003-06:00

Proverbs 31:15
"She rises also while it is yet night,
and giveth meat to her household,
and a portion to her maids."

Today, I cleaned the kitchen, I finished the laundry, I cleaned out our guest room, I cleaned the study (finally!), I cleaned our bedroom and bathroom, I dusted, I swept, I mopped, and I vacuumed! Nathan was through with his bottle and his breakfast by 8 a.m. I have beans boiling on the stove and jello in the fridge. My emails are caught up and I have everything ready for dinner tonight - all before noon! Can we say, productive?! I feel like grabbing pom-poms and cheering, "Two-four-six-eight! Who do we appreciate? THIS GIRL! THIS WIFE! THIS MOM!"

----thank you for letting me pat myself on the back today----

Though I enjoy getting up early and accomplishing a lot, I have to make one thing crystal clear: I am not, nor have I ever been, a morning person. Or, let me rephrase... I am not a HAPPY morning person. Don't get me wrong, I'm no grouch, but I'm also not one to pop up at daybreak, throw back the curtains, and sing "GOOD MORNING, world!!" with a big smile on my face.

It's just not me...

If I have to get up early, I prefer to get up and get ready for the day quietly. I don't usually want to talk. I don't want to hear loud banging or what-not. Each morning, I think to myself, "Ugh...I'd rather not have to get up at ALL....ever." But I have been convicted in this area of my life, and here's why:

"She rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household...."

In the last posts, we learned that Miss 31 works willingly with her hands and goes to great lengths to prepare healthy meals to feed her family. In this verse, we see that Miss 31 wakes before the first streaks of sunshine light the sky. She doesn't get out of bed at daybreak, she gets out of bed BEFORE daybreak.

Oh no...

For me, this is a big task. It takes a lot for me to wake up at 6:30 a.m. Somedays, it's all I can do to climb out of bed at 7:30! But Miss 31 has a job to do. She has a goal in mind. She has a To-Do list and she wants it done! One thing I have learned in getting up earlier and earlier is that I usually have more free time in the afternoon. The household chores are complete and I can settle on the couch and read a book, or play with Nathan, or tell him a story, or watch a movie, or write letters....or blog. :) I love that. But the thought of getting up before daybreak is still difficult for me to swallow....and I know why that is. Galatians 5:17 tells us that our flesh is at war with our spirit. They are against one another and that makes it hard to do the things that we should....like getting up early, for example. But I should not succumb to laziness. I should make it my priority and my privilege to willingly and joyfully greet the morning, and eagerly rise early - long before my family - and prepare for the day.

Now, one portion of this verse had me puzzled:

"...and a portion to her maids."

So, Miss 31 gets up early before daybreak. Got it. But what's this about her maids? I don't have a maid! Boy, wouldn't that be nice... I brought this verse to my husband and, after presenting my case that I need a maid in order to be like Miss 31 (fail), he gave me a new take on this phrase. He said, "I think this part tells us that she cares for everyone, not just her own family. She treats her help as family."

Mmmm.... so she's kind to her help. She's giving and servant-hearted to her guests. Wow.

As my little boy grows, I need to have a couple of hours under my belt before he wakes. I need to have breakfast prepared for my family and my child(ren). I need to have our home presentable. I need to utilize the hours God has given to us in the day to accomplish as much as I can because, let's face it, a woman's work is never done! We have our house to clean and maintain; we have laundry that must be washed, dried, ironed/folded; we have children to care for, disciple and teach; we have a family to nurture and feed; and we have our own personal goals and needs as well (such as studying and exercising). WE NEED every precious hour we can get!

As our quest for Proverbs 31-ability continues, keep ME in your prayers, for this is an area I want to cultivate in my life. I want to rise early and be a productive "Miss 31" myself. :)

Proverbs 31:15
"She rises also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maids."

Monday Meanderings - 01/30/2012

2012-01-30T11:49:00.000-06:00

My sister is doing so much better! Praise the Lord! As it happened, her fall last week had nothing to do with this problem. Turns out, she has an infection in her hip in the back side, close to the tailbone in the joint. After many, many, many tests, blood work, X-rays, an MRI, and lots of sleepless nights, my parents were told that she will NOT have to have surgery to remove the infection (praise the Lord!!) which also means there is no culture to know what type of bacteria we are fighting. The course of action will be to treat this with antibiotics, then check her blood levels. If her levels improve, then they chose the right antibiotic. If not, then they will try another one. What has been going on in the last three/four days has been a literal "God thing!" Before the doctors did the MRI, they were convinced that they would know exactly what the problem was and how to fix it, etc. etc. etc. Nearly 24 hours later, my Dad was getting antsy, wondering WHEN they would know something. Finally a doctor came and told them that Noel's case had them all baffled. Children's Hospital doctors baffled?? Hmmm.... My Dad told me that he got a peace right then. God was doing something! From what the doctors could tell, the infection was not where it would normally be. They diagnosed her with some long name that NOBODY can pronounce or remember, but it is a type of infection that isn't common, but also isn't uncommon in children. The doctors began IV antibiotics and told my parents that she would be there at Children's anywhere from two to six weeks. Saturday night, however, she somehow rolled onto her stomach in her sleep - something she absolutely had NOT been able to do. Yesterday the doctors said that since she obviously felt better and her levels were dropping fast, they were going to go ahead and switch to oral antibiotics and see how she does. So they did that around 10 p.m. last night. If she handles it well, she will come home today or tomorrow. That is a HUGE improvement from less than 48 hours earlier when they were certain she would be there at least two weeks! :) Thank you all for your prayers. Keep praying!

Well, today is Monday and I have been working around the house. I cleaned Nathan's room and organized some areas that were, in my opinion, areas that I would FREAK OUT if Nathan got anywhere near. I covered all the plug-in sockets in the wall in his room. I reorganized his changing table area (it was horrendous). I bought a little toy basket for his toys and I moved his swing to the other side of the room (which will, sadly, have to be taken down and stored in the garage once my husband can help). I'm washing all the weekend laundry and constantly picking up after Nathan. :) Life is sweet!

Now, on to the meandering....

Bible Study... the Gospel of John

Memory Verse... John 1:14
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Iron his shirts.
♥ Do all I can around the house so he will have less to do when he gets home.
♥ Pray for him.

Train Them Up...
* Focus on discipline (he is getting to be a bit rebellious)
* Play with him
* Teach him, love him, pray for/with him
* Read to him more

Personal Goals...
* Spend quality time with Jesus each morning. Wake up to Him, first and foremost.
* Stay dedicated to diet and exercise
* Make time for myself. Sit down for 10 minutes a day with a book.
* Clean out closets and problem areas in the house.

New Habit of the Month...
* Cultivate joy

MUST Do...
* ~~Work in Nathan's room~~* Go to post office
* Get gas in car
* Stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a small basket for bathroom

Zone... the study

Menu
M - Lasagna at Mrs. Janet's house
T - Salad and roasted mushrooms and broccoli
W - Salad and sauted' green beans
Th - Salmon Bell Peppers
F - Chicken Fajita Salad
S - TBD
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Celebrating my brother-in-law's birthday tonight
* Organizing and cleaning (yeah, I know...)
* Playing with my boy

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. The Lord's healing Hand!
2. Family!
3. Water!

Time for a Pop Quiz!

2012-01-27T10:47:00.001-06:00

I was homeschooled but I still had my fair share of tests. I always hated taking a test. My hands would get clammy, my throat would tighten, and I KNOW my blood pressure would spike. I hated it. I still do. But even more horrific was when my Mom would surprise me with those two dreaded words - pop quiz!

oh no...not today!!

PANIC.

Though now I am years out of school, yesterday I felt that same panicky-pop-quiz-feeling. A few days ago, while in revival, my sisters were running and playing and my youngest sister tripped and fell. Like all kids do, she said "Ow!" and got up and continued to play. The following day, however, she began to complain about her left leg hurting. She started having pain when she walked. Then she started crying when she had to move her leg. Yesterday, my parents brought her to the doctor. After lab work, tests, and Xrays, he sent her to Children's Hospital.

NOBODY likes hearing that their little girl (or in my case, little sister) has to be sent to professionals because of some unknown problem. It is scary. It is heart wrenching. It is the panicky-pop-quiz-feeling, times ten. I was out running errands, grocery shopping, and taking Nathan to his nine-month check up when I got the call that my baby sister was headed to Children's. When I got off the phone, as I drove home, I tried to stay calm and swallow the lump in my throat. All the common "what if's" were going through my mind:

What if it's something really bad?

What if she has to have surgery?

What if it's a disease?

What if it's cancer?

What if God takes her home??

As he usually does, Satan will take any chance he can get to flood our minds with the worse possible scenarios. He WANTS us to live in fear. He WANTS us to be in tormented while facing the unknown. He wants us to be kept down. And as I'm sure he did with my parents, he did a number on me.

I started praying and then, as ashamed as I am to admit it, I found myself doubting if God would even answer my prayers. But I love that no matter how many times I question the faithfulness of the Lord, and how many times I fail this test or that test, He continues to teach me that YES, He IS listening. YES, He is in control. YES, all things will work together for good.

By the time I got home, I had a peace. I asked the Lord to help me stay calm through this test. I asked Him to dry my clammy hands so I can hold on to the pencil. I asked Him to bring peace to my parents and my family. Through this "pop quiz" (and, indeed, it is a definite out-of-nowhere pop quiz), I want to have faith. In life, it is certain that we WILL be surprised with a sudden test that will challenge our faith. Sometimes, like the Lord did with Abraham, He simply wants to know if we are willing to obey Him. Sometimes, He wants to teach us more about Him and His sovereignty. Sometimes, He wants our attention. Sometimes, He wants to show us that He is truly all we need.

I don't want to fail those tests. I don't want be so afraid that I miss out on what He wants me to learn.

As of now, we still don't have any answers. My little sis had a long night, full of poking and prodding. IVs, Xrays, blood work, scans. She is scheduled to have an MRI done today. We have no idea what this afternoon holds....or what tomorrow holds....we don't know when another "pop quiz" will be pulled out and placed in front of us. BUT we do know that our Great Teacher has only the best in store. We know that He only wants to mature us, strengthen us, grow us up in the faith, and fill us with more knowledge of Himself.

Please be praying for my family. And I hope you will join me in praying that when God says, "It's time for another pop quiz," we will all say, in faith and with blind trust, "BRING IT!"

Psalm 9:9-10
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Psalm 91:2-6
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Isaiah 26:3-4
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.

Cloth Diaper Purchases

2012-01-19T10:59:00.005-06:00

Okay, so I am nearly a month into 85% cloth diapering. I say 85% because when we go out, I still use disposable most of the time and Nathan wears a disposable to bed. But I am slowly on my way to becoming "cloth exclusive." So today I decided to share what I have bought and the products that I have come to love, thus far (there are so many!).

Nearly a month ago, I spent a grand total of $92.82 for cloth diapers and accessories. You may be thinking, "$92.82?? For diapers? That's quite expensive...." Well, it was a chunk of money that I didn't fully enjoy spending (I'm very frugal), but I am SO SO SO SO pleased with my purchases. AKA - it was money WELL spent! :) When you calculate the cost of disposable diapers vs. cloth, cloth diapers come out on top every time. :) Here is an awesome chart to better understand the amount of money you save when you use cloth diapers instead of disposable. Oh and for the record, I am NOT against disposable! I have several packages in my house. My reasons for using cloth are 1) because it's cheaper (and who doesn't love that?!), 2) because it's more natural and free of chemicals, and 3) because they are the ultimate in recycling. Here is a very interesting article with facts on cloth vs. disposable. Beware, some of it will make you go - EW!

So with all that said, moving on....

Having only one, very small diaper cover, I knew I needed to buy at least three more in the next size for Nathan. So after browsing around for what seemed like hours (....and it might have been), looking at the various functions and styles, I ended up getting one, Bummis Super Lite diaper cover, one Blueberry Coverall One Size, and two Imagine One Size diaper covers. I'm very practical, so of the four diaper covers I bought, three were solid-colored and could be used for a boy or a girl. But I did spend a few extra dollars on the fourth one because I just couldn't resist the oh-so-cute pattern....monkeys.

After purchasing the covers, I knew I needed more cloth diapers. I wanted to have enough to last two, maybe even three days should something prevent me from being able to wash every day. So I purchased two dozen Imagine Indian Prefold diapers. Love them. They are very soft and are thicker than the Wal-Mart brand cloth diapers and they look so much more comfortable. If I were a baby, I would much rather have them on my bottom than disposable. I am very glad that I purchased two dozen as well, as that makes it where I wash one load of cloth diapers - with covers - every other day. If I had to, and I haven't had to yet, I am sure I could make it every two days, but I don't like having soiled diapers in the pail for that amount of time. Ew....

To top it off, I bought one wet bag. There were - and are - so many to choose from, but I ended up getting the Bumpkins Zippered wet bag which I am VERY pleased with. I used it for the first time last weekend when I spent the night with my family while my husband was out hunting with friends and I am officially happy with it (I was nervous at first!). In fact, I will most likely be buying a bigger one in the future. The wet bag is for storing the soiled diapers (and clothes if need be). It is leak-proof and smell-proof (glory be!) and very easy to manage. I had it hooked to my diaper bag and never had a problem with it.

I have found it to be incredibly easy to use cloth diapers. There are many websites you can go to in order to buy various cloth diaper products, but MY personal favorite is NickisDiapers.com. Do your own research. You may find a place that better serves you, but I was incredibly impressed with Nicki's Diapers and will be using it more in the future. :)

So there's the cloth update! I'm loving it and....judging by the boy's face....I think he loves it too.

Beauty Crowns and Bloody Crowns

2012-01-17T15:12:00.001-06:00

When I was a little girl, I remember various people telling my parents that they should put me and my sisters in local beauty pageants. Though I know those sweet people meant well, my parents always politely refused. They did not want to get caught up in the praise of physical beauty. They did not want me or my sisters to grow up believing that our value or sense of beauty is found in how many crowns we win or how many trophies that fill our shelves. Of course, that isn't to say that you will grow up believing that way should you chose to be in a pageant, but they wanted to steer clear of such functions to protect us from the temptation. I so treasure their teaching!

A few days ago, the 2012 Miss America Pageant came on TV. Having watched the pageant years ago, I decided to go back do some studying on the history of the pageant. Then I decided to sit down and observe. I was deeply burdened - though, sadly, not surprised - at how far the organization had "evolved" since 1921. The women competing for the crown each year are very lovely and very accomplished women in today's society. They are very smart; some aspiring to be doctors, lawyers, and teachers. They have wonderful platforms such as homelessness, HIV/AIDS prevention, domestic violence, diabetes awareness, and literacy that should be encouraged. But as I sat and carefully observed every contestant, I found myself wondering "Just what part of this pageant is about providing "personal and professional opportunities for young women" or promoting "their voices in culture, politics, and the community"? The Miss America website states that the program provides "a forum for today's young women to express their viewpoints, talents and accomplishments to audiences during the telecast and to the public-at-large during the ensuing year....The Miss America Organization is one of the nation's leading achievement programs and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance." While I believe that is wonderful, I do not see that "statement of belief" displayed on the TV. What I see is beautiful women showcasing their physical beauty, some doing so in a very provocative way.

Now, there is nothing wrong with beauty, or admiring beauty. Miss America, though, takes it a step further and, while I am not throwing stones at the organization as a whole, I have to rightly call out a grave flaw.

This blog post isn't about the world's fixation with external beauty. It isn't about how difficult it is for girls and women to see themselves as beautiful in today's society when they are smacked in the face with the Miss America's that are a representative of "today's woman." It isn't about how the very organization that promotes a woman's intellect places the interview score barely above talent, evening wear, and swimsuit.

This post isn't about how many preliminary pageants have been held on Baptist campuses. ---leaving that one alone for now---

And while I believe that no Christian woman of God should "strut their stuff" in fashionable underwear in front of dozens, hundreds, thousands, and nevertheless millions, this blog post isn't even about that. I have posted so much on modesty, that it is - and should be - VERY obvious how I feel about the swimsuit competition that is masked as "physical fitness." If you know me or have spent time browsing this blog, than it is very clear how I feel about both. So I will let past posts speak for themselves on those subjects for now. This post is about something else.

Crowns.

Fifty-three girls competed for Miss America's crown last Saturday; each of whom already own at least one other crown from their state's preliminary competition. Many others all over the world compete for the title crown of Miss World, Miss Universe, etc. I remember when I was a little girl, I wanted to be a princess. Golly, I'm 25 years old and I STILL want to be a princess! What girl doesn't want a crown? There is something so royal and dignified about wearing one. I'm sure each of those fifty-three girls - and all the other "Miss" winners in the past - thoroughly enjoyed wearing their crown. I know that if I had one, I would likely be wearing it while folding laundry or grocery shopping!

But there are other crowns....

There is a crown of rejoicing - (1 Thessalonians 2:19 - "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?")

There is a crown of righteousness - (2 Timothy 4:8 - "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.")

There is a crown of life - (James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.")

There is a crown of glory - (1 Peter 5:4 - "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.")

And then there is a crown that nobody would EVER want to wear. Yet, it was worn by our Savior. There is a crown of thorns that was once violently placed upon the Lord's head 2,000 years ago. Though He was King of all, that crown was put upon Him as a cruel mockery. His royalty was laughed to scorn. His crown was not one of shimmering gold, but of painful thorns that dug into His head and caused blood to pour down His face.

I am guilty of desiring a pretty crown of jewels over my Lord's crown.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 tells us that so many in this life are running the race for their own praise. They are going about their Christian life trying to attain physical crowns; be it beauty crowns, crowns of prominence, crowns of prestige, crowns of popularity, crowns of wealth, or the like. But we should run the race for the incorruptible crowns, because, at the end, all the crowns go to at the feet of Christ. He does not need the crowns of wealth, or fame, or prominence. He is GOD! He does not need beauty crowns either. What He needs are the bloody crowns - the crowns we have won through tears and sweat and blood; crowns we have attained in working for Him, serving our fellow man, loving much, giving all, and proclaiming to the world that He is the Savior. Those crowns may not be made of gold and gems and they aren't placed on our head before we walk forward and wave to millions. Once God Himself places them on our head, we will immediately take them and cast them down at His feet as we give glory to Him because in light of the REAL significance to life, crowns mean nothing.

Revelation 4:10-11
"The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

Gullabagoo

2012-01-17T11:40:00.001-06:00

Today, I have been thinking back to my childhood. And I am willing to bet that many of you grown girls will relate to this post.

Next month, I will be 26 years old. I am married. I have a little boy. I am grown.

...but sometimes I still feel like a little girl.

When I'm hurt, I cry.

When I'm upset, I sometimes throw a fit.

When I want something, I often don't have much patience to wait for it.

....you'd think I'd be more mature by now.

Sometimes I wear my feelings on my sleeve. Sometimes I just want to go run through a field or play on a swing set. Sometimes I want to go grab up my favorite teddy bear. Sometimes I want to lay my head on my Mom's lap. Sometimes I want to curl up and listen to a story from my Dad.

Which brings me to right now.

Growing up, my Dad told THE BEST stories. If you are an avid Andy Griffith-watcher (like me!), then you can remember the many times Andy Taylor would tell his son, Opie, the perfect thing in the perfect way. When Opie struggled with history, Andy made it interesting. My Dad has always reminded me of him! The coolest thing is when he would make up his own stories. Since I am remembering my childhood (and missing it in a way), I thought I would share with you one of the first stories my Dad ever told me as a little girl. It became a regular tale and, in 2006, Dad wrote it down and made it into a little booklet for me! Today, I pulled it out and read over it again and, I have to say, I got teary-eyed. So for all you women who sometimes feel like a little girl and for all you mommies who may want to tell this story to YOUR children, I thought I would share it...in my Dad's words. :)

It was a stormy night in Arkansas and a little girl named Kristen Elizabeth was awakened by the storm. There was lots of wind blowing, lightning flashing, thunder roaring and rain falling down hard to the ground. The water was rising fast towards Kristen's house. During the storm, Kristen began to cry and then she started to pray, "Dear Jesus, please help me tonight in this storm. Lord please stop the loud thunder. And, Lord, please stop the bright lightning and the strong wind from blowing hard. And Lord, stop the flood waters from getting into my house. Help me, Lord Jesus, not to cry or be afraid. Amen."

Well, way up in Heaven, the Lord called all of His special angels to His throne and said, "I've got a special job for a special angel to go help calm the heart of Kristen, one of my little children, who is scared tonight." Then the Lord said, "Which one of you angels would like to volunteer for the job?"

Just about that time, a little angel shouted for joy, and said, "Lord Jesus...please let me go and help Kristen. I don't want her to be afraid of anything, please Lord, let me go! Pleeeeeeeease!"

I never knew the name of that special angel, so I'll just call him "Gullabagoo."

Then the Lord said to that little angel, "You're just the one I was thinking of for this job!" The Lord said, "Gullabagoo, you will go and help Kristen and I will tell you what you must do."

Gullabagoo was so happy to be chosen, and he smiled and grinned from ear to ear and said, "Thank you, Lord." Then he was off and on his way to help Kristen.

When Gullabagoo saw the horrible storm, and heart Kristen crying and praying, it broke his little heart. Gullabagoo saw the lightning flashing and streaking across the sky. He saw the rain falling hard and fast to the ground. He heard the wind blowing and howling through the trees, and he heard the loud thunder roaring and banging on the clouds.

And then, Gullabagoo saw that old mean devil trying to scare the children. So Gullabagoo spoke and said, "In Jesus' Name: RAIN...you stop that right now!" And all of the sudden the rain stopped, and the flood waters began to go down.

"Lightning...stop flashing right this minute!" And as quick as a flash all the lightning just stopped.

"Thunder...you are way too loud tonight, so you just hush right now!" And all the loud thunder just stopped.

"Okay Wind...you quit blowing so hard against Kristen's house!" And all at once the wind stopped.

Gullabagoo then turned to that old mean devil and said, "The Lord Jesus sent me to tell you to get outta here right now, and leave Kristen alone!!"

Well, that old devil started running through the briar patches, and through the bushes, through the swamps, through places that even a rabbit couldn't go! He ran and he ran. He ran so fast that even the hounds couldn't catch him!

Well, Kristen began to smile, and said, "Thank you, Lord." Then she laid her head on her pillow, and softly went to sleep.

So when the storms come in your life,
and you don't know what to do,
just call on the Lord
and He will help you.

He may send an angel,
who will know what to do.
And who knows? His name just might
be Gullabagoo!

Thanks, Dad! :)

Shutterfly Photo Books

2012-01-14T14:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I received a lovely little "gift" in my email inbox. What was it? $20 from Shutterfly! To be used on any Shutterfly project. Eeeeeeeeeee!! Can you tell I like Shutterfly? :)

Back before Christmas, I attempted to make my first "photo book" and I did it for my Mom. With the sneaky help of my sisters, I collected various pictures of us growing up, threw in some of my favorite quotes on motherhood, and created a book of memories for my Mom for Christmas and....she.....LOVED.... it. Actually, when it finally arrived in the mail, I was tempted to just keep it for myself. hehe. While I was busy putting it together, I began making a few for myself and Grant, but I hadn't ordered any....until yesterday. Thank you, again, Shutterfly!

Below are my projects thus far. To be honest, if your friend or loved one simply LOVES pictures, this is THE gift to give. :)

The cover of my Mom's photo book

the first page

one of my favorite "sister" pages...

I also made individual pages for each of us.
This is Noel's page

Jamie's page

Brooklyn's page

Mercy's page

Melody's page

Melody's graduation and my first page

My page

The rest of the book were various Christmases, snow fun, birthdays, and random craziness throughout the years. I loved it and my Mom REALLY LOVED it.

For myself, I decided to go back and collect pictures and various journal entries and blog posts and make a photo book documenting my pregnancy with Nathan. This is what I ordered yesterday. (Excuse the "warning" icons. They were being annoying and difficult. :p)

The cover of my pregnancy photo book

The first page

"bump" pictures :)

I CANNOT WAIT until this book is in my hands. I am SO excited!! I will definitely be making one of these for every child I have if the Lord chooses to bless us with more one day. I am already beginning to put one together documenting Nathan's first year, month by month. SO FUN! :) I would love to have a collection of each year for him, documenting his firsts, his adventures, his likes and dislikes, and how he grows. What a treasure that will be!

I currently have two left to finish and order. One is from our wedding. On that one, I added pictures from the photographer, along with various photos that friends and family took on our wedding day. To make it different than just a photo album (which I already have) I also included our wedding invitation, our wedding program, the lyrics to the songs sang during the ceremony, our vows, and various other things that meant a lot to us on that day. I'm excited about ordering it soon. ;) Here is a tiny preview:

*sigh* Happy day.... :)

The last project is a photo book that isn't quite ready to be ordered. I still have some work to do on it, but it WILL eventually be Grant's and my story. I'm going to tell the story - in his words and mine, which we wrote down before we married - and compliment it with pictures leading up to our wedding day. If I can ever get it completed, it will be wonderful. :) When it is finally ready, I will post about it. Until then, go find some pictures, create a Shutterfly account, and have fun!!

Nine Months Old

2012-01-13T17:36:00.004-06:00

I am so proud of my little guy. :) Nine months old! Wooo! Time sure is flying and he sure is growing. The last month was a month of major changes, so....here is the latest!

On Christmas Eve, he began crawling. What a great Christmas present! :) We were beginning to wonder if he would EVER crawl! But now, he is most definitely not inch-worming anymore, but is officially crawling....everywhere. :)
A few days after Christmas, he pulled up for the first time. Now, you can't keep him on the ground for long. He crawls to the coffee table, then pops up. He crawls to the couch, and pulls himself up to say "blah-da-da-tha-blah-da." He crawls to the TV and pulls himself up so he can take everything off the shelf. :-o Uh oh....
He loves to eat. He loves the Gerber "crawling snacks" and loves apple juice and water too. As for "big people food," he loves avocados, black-eyed peas, purple hull peas, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, sweet tea (though I'M not the one giving him that), ice cream (uh oh) and just about everything else that is put in his mouth. He isn't fond of carrots or asparagus, but I force-feed them to him anyway. He has tried scrambled eggs and green beans, but can't seem to make up his mind if he likes them or not. :)
On January 5, I felt his first tooth pop through. Then on January 11, the SECOND tooth came through. Ahhh!!!! C.U.T.E.
A few days ago, I was trying to get him to say "Momma" but all he would say is "Da-da." Then I whispered - in desperation - "Nathan, say Momma!" And he WHISPERED "Da-da." LOL. Crazy nut.
Okay, so he knows what the word, "No" means. You can say "No!" and he will either 1) pucker up and give you puppydog eyes, 2) begin crying like he just lost everything he loves, or 3) look disappointed and crawl off. When he's being mischievous and gives me those big, sad, pleading eyes, it is HARD not to crumble into hysterical laughter. He knows how to take full advantage of his cuteness. I have a feeling he is going to be QUITE the handful very, very, very soon.

Now, for the pictures....

Playing while Momma cooks

Almost up!

Christmas Day!

Baby's first Christmas :)

With Momma, Daddy, Marmee, and Poppie

Watching Veggie Tales in his "club house" hehehe

Eating Pop's mashed potatoes

Road trip!

First time in a hotel!

In a big-boy highchair at Denny's

He's up!!

TWO teeth!!!

I'm nine months old!!

I Want to be Pretty Like That!

2012-01-11T17:20:00.000-06:00

"A pretty woman, with lovely soft features, kind eyes and dark hair. She was never angry, never impatient, never resentful, she patiently wore away prejudices and hatred by her gentle, gracious presence and her blameless life. She had all the firmness of a man, and yet a more gentle and womanly woman it would be hard to find."

Said of Lottie Moon, young single missionary to China

"She seemed endowed with a peculiar magnetism when you were in her presence so that you could not help thinking yourself in the presence of a being much higher than the ordinary run of humanity. I have heard her pray, and she could offer up the finest petition to the Throne of Grace of any person I ever heard in my life. She was always gentle and kind to the Indians, as she was to everyone else. She took an interest in every one at the mission, especially the children. Everyone loved her, because to see her was to love her."

Said of Narcissa Whitman, young married missionary to Native American Indians

“They say there is a young lady in New Haven who is loved of that Great Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this Great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight; and she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on him… she has a strange sweetness in her mind, and singular purity in their affection… you could not persuade her to do anything wrong or sinful…. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind…. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly; and seems to be always full of joy and pleasure; and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, walking in the fields and groves, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her.”

Said of Sarah Edwards by her husband, Jonathan Edwards

The Proverbs 31 Quest || pt 5

2012-01-09T13:16:00.003-06:00

Proverbs 31:14
"She is like the merchants' ships;
she bringeth her food from afar."

Obviously, they did not have Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, or Kroger in Biblical times. Unfortunately, there was no Pizza Hut or Crackle Barrel either. :) As the woman of the home, Miss 31 did what all the other women did in those days - she grew her own food and she shopped at the market of her day.

Now, I will take a brief moment and say that I do not have a green thumb. At all. However, I still would love to have a garden. I am taking my sweet time in that endeavor, but it IS a goal I hope to achieve before I die. Until I master the art of keeping a plant alive longer than a week, I am perfecting my grocery-shopping skills. :)

In studying this verse, we see that Miss 31 travels about obtaining food for her family (and most likely their livestock as well). I'm sure she was frugal and wise, shopping for the best "deal" of the day. The last few words of this verse stumped me a little: She bringeth her food from afar?? How on earth did she do that? And how am I supposed to do that? Should I order a shipment of fish from Norway?

It's so easy for me to think like the above. But if I take a minute and be practical, I can usually understand things a little easier. :) In those days, people walked just about everywhere. Maybe she had to walk into the village which was two miles away. Or maybe she planned a trip once a month to the city market and rode her donkey. In a time when there were **ahem** no automobiles, I'm sure 2-5 miles was "afar." Who knows? But maybe our "afar" can be the grocery store 10 miles away. And - get this - we don't even have to walk! We can make it there in a few minutes as long as we know where we placed our car keys. :) We don't have it so bad.

One thing I did learn was that merchants' ships are used for transporting goods, especially perishables (aka - food). They are not fast like airplanes. They are rather slow. However, they can carry a much larger load than one, or even two airplanes, can. Interesting. So Miss 31 is like a merchant's ship. Okay. Now, how can we tie this together?

Have you ever stopped and looked at the amount of "instant everything" we have? When I first married, cooking for two was a totally new experience! I came from a family of eight and so there was always lots to prepare at every meal in order to feed - and fill! - everyone in our family. In the first month of my marriage, I cannot tell you how many times I made twenty biscuits for two people or found myself cracking 10-15 eggs to feed just me and my husband. After a short while, I thought to myself, Why do this? I can easily pick up a couple of frozen meals at the grocery store. That will be quicker, easier, and I won't find myself with too much food. In short, this was lazy of me. Later, I looked back and realized that I spent more money on various single dinners than I would have, had I chosen to learn to cook for two. So I began to put extra time and effort in learning how to 1) find good deals, 2) buy in bulk, 3) freeze leftovers, 4) reduce waste, and 5) cook healthy. Most all frozen meals are either overpriced or completely unhealthy (or both!). Would Miss 31 resort to that? I don't think so.

A merchants' ship may be slower, but it gets the job done and it carries more than any other mode of transportation. Making healthy, home-cooked meals make take more time out of my day, but it is time well-spent. And as the keeper of my home, it is time that should be of utmost importance. In being like a merchants' ship, the food I serve my family should not be whatever is most convenient for me. It should be what is best for my family. Miss 31 takes time to plan nutritious meals that bless her family. She grows and purchases volumes of groceries that are cost effective, healthy, and go further than any "instant" meal found at the supermarket! I want to be like her. I want to manage my time well and make a point to wisely create well-balanced and home-cooked meals for my children and my husband. Kind of an odd thing to aspire to, but I'll say it anyway: I want to be a merchants' ship! Don't you? :)

Proverbs 31:14
"She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar."

Monday Meanderings - 01/09/2012

2012-01-09T08:50:00.001-06:00

Bible Study... "Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent" - Psalm 120-134

Memory Verse... Galatians 5:22-23
" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Be gentle.
♥ Praise him.
♥ Pray for him.

Train Them Up...
* Play with him more. He loves when I play with him.
* Stay consistent on "No"
* Introduce new foods to him this week (starting with scrambled eggs this morning!)

Personal Goals...
* For heaven's sake, JOURNAL this week.
* Stay dedicated to diet and exercises
* Make time for myself. Sit down for 10 minutes a day with a book.
* Spend quality time with Jesus each morning. Wake up to Him, first and foremost.

New Habit of the Month...
* Cultivate gentleness

MUST Do...
* ~~Finish laundry~~
* Give Nathan a bath
* Get mail
* Clean my car
* ~~Clean kitchen~~

Zone... the guest room

Menu
M - Salad and veggies
T - Salad
W - Salad and veggies (yes, we are on a strict diet)
Th - ?? eating with my family
F - TBD
S - Grilled chicken salad with feta
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Spending the night with my sisters, Thursday
* Having a "me" evening on Friday
* Reading all my awesome new books

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. A clean house
2. A forgiving husband
3. Cold weather (it reminds me that spring is coming next!)

The Proverbs 31 Quest || pt 4

2012-01-04T10:05:00.002-06:00

It has been a while since I have posted about my quest to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. I will admit that I have not done so well at being like Miss 31. But that is what grace is for, right? :) When we are weak, then we are strong because we realize that it isn't US achieving great things in our own strength, it's God working IN us. One step at a time. So let's plunge into part four!

Proverbs 31:13
"She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands."

"She seeketh wool, and flax...."

Pretty much everyone knows what wool is. It is obtained from sheep and other animals and is a soft material that does a very good job at keeping one warm! It is elastic, and it holds in moisture. Flax is something I had never heard of prior to Proverbs 31. After looking it up, I discovered that Flax is an annual plant native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India. Flax is grown both for its seeds and for its fiber. Various parts of the plant have been used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets, hair gels, and soap! It is also used as an edible oil, as a nutritional supplement.

Hmmm.... That is interesting.

So Miss 31 seeks after wool and flax. What does that mean to us? Well, to me, I see Miss 31 out in the yard shearing sheep, then taking the wool and making coats, blankets, and soft, warm mats for their cold floors. I can see her working to make sure her home and family are clothed and cozy. Then I see her out in the garden gathering up the flax and using it make fabric and medicines and also using its nutrition to feed her family in a healthy way.

I know as a mommy, I want my home and family clothed and warm. I want to make sure my son has a coat when we go out into the winter weather. Every night before I climb in bed, I check on him and make sure he is covered up in his crib. Though we have no sheep to shear and live in a different time, we can still do as Miss 31 and seek after "wool." We can tirelessly work to clothe our children, our husbands, and ourselves.

Also as a wife and mother, I want my son healthy. I want my husband healthy. I want myself to be healthy! Several years ago, before I married, my family and I ate rather unhealthy. It was no big deal to have chips and sodas and candy in the house. As a result, though I'm sure none of us put two and two together at the time, several of us were prone to catching every little illness that came around. I was one of them. It didn't take much for me to get sick. I had several colds a year. I would feel sluggish easily. I was tired all the time and was a victim of any passing stomach virus that came through our community. Then my parents began heavily researching health and nutrition. After that, they bought a juicer and began juicing fruits and vegetables. Before, I would turn my nose at pretty much any veggie. I hated them! Fruits were great, but I would usually pursue chocolate over an apple any day. But we began to juice vegetables and fruits and I began to feel better. Then I started craving veggie-fruit concoctions. I would throw a banana, a strawberry, spinach, carrots, and kale into a juicer and blender and drink to my hearts' content. I would research healthy herbs and foods and find a way to ingest them into my body. As a result, I began to feel better. Now, I rarely get sick and when I eat the amount of junk food or candy that I used to, I feel ill! As the keeper of my home, I want to pursue healthy habits and, I believe, that is one of the many things Proverbs 31:13 is referring to.

"...and worketh willingly with her hands."

Oh dear. Must I? :)

* Worketh - maintain; accomplish

* Willingly - joy; earnest

If you will be completely honest with yourself and the Lord, you will most likely admit to having plenty of days when you just want to be lazy. Especially any of you women who have been pregnant and who have small children. You just want a day when you can to sprawl out on the couch and not do a thing. Miss 31 doesn't do that. (Isn't that intimidating?) Though I'm sure she wouldn't object to sitting down with a nice cup of coffee and a book from time to time, she is not idle with her time. She is productive. She is a hard worker. She prioritizes. She accomplishes things. She gets her "To Do" list done. She doesn't dilly-dally or dawdle. And she does those things WILLINGLY. She works earnestly and with joy. She doesn't complain or whine about her work, she enjoys serving her home and family. How inspiring! I'm sure she does what Snow White sang about, and "whistles" as she works!

MY prayer as I continue to study the attributes of Miss 31, is that I won't think so much about perfection (which is what I tend to lean toward when reading Proverbs 31), but that I will dwell on Miss 31 as a whole. I don't need to consume myself with every little detail of Miss 31 (i.e. She seeketh wool? Okay, I need go buy some sheep, right now! Where's the checkbook? Dear husband, can you put a fense in the backyard?). Rather, I need to dwell on her goals and her character and do my best to accomplish the same things in MY life (i.e. She seeketh flax? Okay, I'm tossing that bag of Doritos in the pantry and I should probably go buy some carrots...). Think how YOU can best apply her traits to YOUR life. And above all, work willingly. Don't bemoan your wonderful calling as a wife and mother. Rejoice as you scrub that pile of dishes. Hum a hymn or praise song as you fold the mountain of laundry. Smile at your baby as you change that smelly diaper and wipe the snot from their nose. Be kind to your husband as you pick up his dirty socks....again....and clean his facial hairs from the sink. Rest assured, I'm in training along with you. But, through His grace, we can do the impossible. :)

Proverbs 31:13
"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."

2011 in Review

2012-01-01T21:58:00.006-06:00

Today marks the first day of a new year. Has it really been a whole year? Wow. A dear friend of mine reflected back upon all the significant happenings of 2011 and, having been reflecting back myself on all that transpired in my life in 2011, I thought I would do the same in a blog post. So here is my review of 2011....a very monumental year in my life. :)

January 2011
January 1, 2011 was the day Grant and I registered for our little boy. It was significant to us, having registered for our wedding exactly one year before on January 1, 2010. January put me at six months pregnant with our first child and I was going through zillions of emotions: excitement, trepidation, crippling fear, impatience, and joy. That month was spent slowly making plans for the baby along with a few bookings, a visit from my cousin, Dj, a light snow, and a weekend "girls night" with two of my sisters and some friends.

February 2011
February was a hectic month. There were many concerts and revivals, along with doctor's visits, Valentine's day, my Dad's birthday, my 25th birthday, and a business trip that I was able to accompany Grant on to Pennsylvania. I was also given my first baby shower and I saw an uncle come to know Christ - a prayer that was finally answered after many, many years. February was a blessed month where Grant and I grew more in love and were blessed in meeting new friends which are, now, some of our most dearest.

March 2011
March brought "March Madness" that had nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with baby. I was one month away from giving birth and, to put it honestly, I was terrified. I was scared of becoming a Mom and I was horrified at the thought of actually GIVING birth. Many days and nights in March were spent with me in prayer. Late at night when Grant was sound asleep, I would lay awake feeling Nathan move in me and I would pray and tell God everything I was afraid of and everything I longed to be as a woman, a wife, and a mother. I had to go back over and over and repent before God, telling Him that I would trust Him....always a difficult thing to do. March also brought a couple more revivals, the last for me before a maternity leave, and my second baby shower.

April 2011
And then it was April. April was a big month. Our one-year anniversary was on the 17th and Nathan was due on the 15th. I was miserable that last month with swelling and discomfort. Although I enjoyed being pregnant, I was R.E.A.D.Y. to not be pregnant anymore. The first 12 days of April brought my last baby shower, one more doctor's appointment, packing, and trying to rest and relax. Then on April 12 at around 5:20-5:30 p.m. my water broke. Unsure at the time, Grant and I headed for a nearby revival service but left before it was over. Why? Because my water HAD, indeed, broken. We grabbed our bags, headed to the hospital and 24 hours later, on April 13, 2011 at 5:18 p.m. we welcomed our little boy into the world and into our arms. Two days later, we came home from the hospital. Two days after that, Grant and I celebrated our first anniversary. It was far different than what I had always expected, but our sweet mothers made it special for us. The rest of April was spent recovering and learning to adapt to sleepless nights and mommyhood. :)

May 2011
May was fairly quiet. I was still recovering and Grant and I were learning how to be parents. The first few weeks after Nathan's birth were difficult for me. My Mom was a God-send as she helped me in the first several days of motherhood. After she returned home, I was left baffled. Grant was at work during the day which left me at home...alone...with a newborn. I cried a lot for a few days, with so many changes happening in my life and in my body, post-partum. Then I did what I should have done immediately - hit my knees - and the Lord gave me such peace and joy, I can't explain. May brought preaching engagements for Grant, doctor checkups for me and Nathan, two revivals, and lots and lots of rest. It was a huge blessing learning to become a Mommy and learning more and more about the Lord's unconditional and immeasurable love for His children.

June 2011
June was fun for me, even though one week brought a severe urinary infection that left me in bed with high temperature fevers. Other than that, it was a wonderful month! It brought our annual youth camp which was exciting and always an anticipated time for me. I had been nervous about the week-long retreat with a two month old in my arms, but Nathan proved to be more of a joy than ever before. He adjusted well from the beginning and easily adapted to his surroundings. He is still the same way. It was in June that he began sleeping longer than 2-4 hours. Also in June, some friends visited for the weekend and, at the end of the month, Grant and I were able to have a night to ourselves where we went out to dinner and a movie. It was such a blessing to be able to have some alone time for just the two of us - the first in two months.

July 2011
July was another fun, yet semi-quiet, month for us. It began with a birthday party for my uncle Ricky where we went bowling with friends and my family. We had several concerts and a weekend Gospel Jam at our camp. It was another month of sweet fellowship and another month of enjoying Nathan.

August 2011
August was a full month. The first week was spent at Camp again, doing a Back to School Boot Camp retreat. Again, Nathan proved to be easily adjustable to long days and crazy schedules. Grant and I visited friends in south Louisiana and had a wonderful time being with them and, also, seeing my grandma again. She loved being able to see Nathan - for the first time since he was two days old.

September 2011
The first weekend in September brought us to Texas for a small trip with Grant's family. It had been years since I had been to Texas and I enjoyed it immensely! We went to Canton and shopped and I enjoyed seeing such beautiful "country land." Later that month, we did a singing near my hometown and then ended the month with a wonderful revival in south Louisiana, where we also celebrated my sister, Brooklyn's 13 birthday! We spent most of the middle of September gearing up for the fall and the hectic season to come! :)

October 2011
October....was....insane. October of 2010 was the busiest month of that year and October of 2011 proved to be the same, once again. We had four revivals and two concerts! We were gone pretty much every Sunday through Wednesday of the month. Nathan amazed me by his stamina and laid back demeanor. There were plenty of moments when he would grow tired and fussy, but all in all, he was incredible and he made me so proud. He loved meeting all the new people at each Church. October brought along his first-ever sickness when he acquired a left ear infection, but with momma love and a little antibiotics, he pulled through just fine. God lifted us up so much in putting various people in front of us to bless us. When, during a revival service, Nathan began to run a fever, a man in the Church who was a doctor came to check on him and gave me advice on what to do. When Grant and I were worried about a health issue of mine, God placed various men and women in our way who prayed for us and encouraged us. October was a physically hard month that left us tired, but spiritually, I was renewed and strengthened.

November 2011
November was also busy, though nowhere near as hectic as October. The first weekend of November, Grant and I flew to New York, NY for a getaway, then onto Pennsylvania where he met with customers for his business. We LOVED seeing the sights of the city and I was able to check off another thing on my bucket list - go to a Broadway play in New York city. Another highlight of the trip was seeing the sights of Pennsylvania's Amish community. It was beautiful. Upon returning, we celebrated Grant's 31st birthday where I made him several red velvet cake treats! A few days later, I drove to south Louisiana to surprise my grandma for her 77th birthday. Nathan and I spent three days visiting with my family there and soaking up one-on-one time with my grandma. After that, we began gearing up for the holidays. I had cooking to do for Thanksgiving where we celebrated with Grant's family. Then I hit the stores on Black Friday with my Mom, two of my sisters, my mother-in-law, and Mammie-in-law and we had such fun buying various gifts for Christmas! Thanksgiving weekend was fun and full with food, shopping, then fellowshipping with friends who came to visit from south Louisiana.

December 2011
Then came December. Nathan turned 8 months old and I realized that in four short months, I would have a one year old little boy. Grant and I decorated our home for Christmas and I began baking and wrapping presents. We had two Christmas concerts that were incredibly fun and beautiful! We celebrated Grant's Dad's birthday, celebrated Christmas with his grandmother, went to a Christmas symphony with my family, celebrated Christmas with my grandma, visited our south Louisiana friends again, sang and ministered at the prison, had my grandmother's annual Christmas party, had a blast at Grant's office's tacky Christmas sweater party, celebrated with my family on Christmas Eve, then celebrated with Grant's family on Christmas Day! Needless to say, it was a full and festive Christmas!

On Friday, December 30, we left for Dallas, TX for a wedding and rang in the New Year there. Of course, having been out late, we were watching the clock TRYING to keep our eyes open until midnight. We did make it and watched the clock strike 12 a.m. .....then we fell asleep. :) It was an enjoyable weekend but I am very glad to be home. 2011 was a full, eventful year. Among all the happenings, the biggest event was, of course, Nathan's birth. 2010 brought marriage and a pregnancy and there were many, many new things the Lord taught me. In 2011, those lessons doubled in size. I have learned more about selfless love. I have learned more about dying to self and how hard it is to actually do that. I have learned more about the unspeakable grace of my God and have been brought to my knees in conviction. I have learned more about having the heart of a child and needing nothing more than my Father. The Potter is still shaping me and sometimes I feel the pressure and the pain of His molding. He is still refining me and the fire is hardly something I enjoy going through. But come what may, in 2012, my prayer is that I will be willing to go wherever, do whatever, and be whomever my Savior desires. Thank You, Lord for a blessed 2011. Now as 2012 dawns, as the old song goes, "Take my hand, precious Lord....lead me on."

A Lot of Different Annes

2011-12-29T08:39:00.000-06:00

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable but then it wouldn't be half so interesting." - Anne in Anne of the Island

'Twas the Tuesday After Christmas

2011-12-27T20:23:00.000-06:00

'Twas the Tuesday after Christmas, and all through my house,
It looked so horrendous, it was unfit for a mouse!

Okay, maybe that's a little extreme, but most of you wives and mothers know exactly what I'm talking about. Whew! Boy, am I beat. I spent today trying to get my house back in shape. It's quite a job. I have been going through Nathan's clothes, boxing up the ones that he has outgrown, and adding all his new clothes to his closet and dresser. I have been unboxing MORE toys for the little man and finding a place for his older toys. Bedsheets were washed. Dirty dishes are finally all washed. The laundry is almost complete. The candy is put away. The boxes have been burned. The books I received are stacked neatly and I restrained myself from stopping my work today and spending the whole day on the couch with one. Restraint. Restraint. Restraint. :) Tomorrow looks like a good "book day."

Was it a good Christmas? Yes, indeed. It was a busy, but enjoyable and blessed week. I got to spend time with all of my family and there were plenty of fun times. On Christmas Day, after both Nathan and Grant were sound asleep, I was thinking back to all the happenings of the week and, for the second year in a row, I began to cry. Last year, everything was new. It was my first Christmas away from my childhood home and with my husband. It was my first Christmas with a completely new routine. I was five months pregnant. And I was amazed at how welcomed I was into Grant's family. What a blessing. I didn't think I could feel more blessed....but I was wrong! This year, as I slipped into bed, my mind went through the year again. Since last Christmas, I brought a baby boy into the world. I celebrated my first anniversary. I traveled and sang. I wrote more songs. I was able to go to New York and Pennsylvania with my husband. This Christmas, we visited my grandma in Louisiana. We celebrated with Grant's grandmother. We had a wonderful time at my grandmother's annual Christmas party and saw some of our dearest friends. We spent Christmas Eve with my whole family and I savoured the priceless moments there. We spent Christmas Day with all of Grant's family and made more memories. And then for the first time, we had our first Christmas gift exchange...as a family. Last year, we were a couple. This year, we were a family, and I loved being able to experience my own little family Christmas. My favorite thing this Christmas was watching Nathan opening his gifts. At first, he was hesitant (due to all the "No's" and slaps on the hand for a month). He would reach out, then pull back and look at me. :) It didn't take long though, after the okay from Momma and Daddy, until he was "all in!" I loved watching him pull the paper, try to eat the bows, and touch his toys for the first time. When I was alone on Christmas night, I cried again and thanked God for not just another year, but a year that was "exceeding abundantly above" anything I could have dreamed. I felt like quoting Mary who said to Elizabeth, "For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name."

Below are some of my favorite pictures and highlights from this wonderful Christmas. I hope each of you had a marvelous celebration of our Lord Jesus' birth! :)

Our tree :)

My cute little Christmas slippers

Nathan opening his first Christmas gift at my grandma's

(as you can tell, he was a little hesitant)

Trying to figure it all out

My family in front of a beautiful poinsettia Christmas tree

at a Church's Christmas program

Sweet friendship <3
I love these girls! :)

My sister, Mercy, and I at our Grandmother's Christmas party

Nathan "riding the horsey" with Poppie

My parents, my husband, and my son. :) So blessed.

Me and the hubs

The tacky Christmas sweater party at G's office party

We had fun!

My family's annual Christmas Eve breakfast!
(sorry, the pic wouldn't rotate... :/)

Opening his gift from "aunt Deedee"

Helping Poppie open his gifts

Opening his presents

YAY! Toys!

My mom opening her gift from me -- a photo book
with years of memories of me and my sisters

She LOVED it

Christmas Eve night!

Us holding the picture we took last Christmas Eve

Our stocking area at my folks'

CHRISTMAS DAY!!

The bright and cheery tree at Grant's folks

Presents!

He looked like such a big boy, opening up his gifts

<3 love this picture

Oh, did I forget to mention that he is pulling himself up now?
Ahhh!!! :)

All the stockings

Digging in aunt Kristin's stocking candy box

Leaving Grant's Dad's house, we saw all the geese.... BEAUTIFUL!

I loved these shoes

Pure bliss!

Grant picked me out these boots and I LOVE them!!!

I want more!

Christmas at Grant's Mom's house

Hooray!!

Grandmommy reading the Christmas story

Christmas with Momma and Daddy

He loved all his gifts....well, except the clothes. But Mommy

loved all the clothes! hehehe

My favorite gift each year. The Christmas before Grant and I got
married, he gave me a beautiful jewelry box. Inside the box was
this stack of letters - one letter for the next TEN Christmases! I was
instructed to read one letter each Christmas for the next ten years. <3

**cue romantic swoon**

And, in closing, our Christmas card (courtesy of Shutterfly)

May God have the glory!

Monday Meanderings - 12/19/2011

2011-12-19T12:28:00.001-06:00

Bible Study... "Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent" - Psalm 120-134

Memory Verse... Psalm 130:4
"But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Have fun. Be lighthearted.
♥ Show him I love him and tell him I love him.
♥ Savour our second Christmas together, and our first as a family. :)

Train Them Up...
* Cuddle more. He's growing up fast
* Stay consistent on "No"
* Introduce new foods to him this week

Personal Goals...
* Journal
* EXERCISE this week
* Have fun and cherish every moment
* Spend quality time with Jesus each morning

New Habit of the Month...
* Season my words with grace

MUST Do...
* ~~Get supper going~~
* Clean the whole house (almost done!)
* Do more baking
* ~~Practice violin and piano for Tuesday~~
* ~~Wash clothes~~* Finish wrapping all the gifts
* Iron

Zone... the whole house

Menu
M - Italian crock pot pork chops
T - Eating at Mrs. J's on our way to the prison
W - Leftovers
Th - Christmas party food
F - Eating with my family
S - Eating with my family
Su - Eating with G's family

FUN THINGS!
* Singing and preaching at the prison tomorrow!
* Christmas baking!
* My grandmother's annual Christmas party Thursday!
* Being with all the Lisemby cousins again!
* Tacky Christmas Sweater party at G's office Friday!
* Spending the night with my family Friday!
* Christmas Eve with my family!
* Christmas Day with Grant's family! (a fun week, right?! :)

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Family (I have the greatest!)
2. Christmas movies
3. The greatest Gift of all - Jesus Christ, God with us.

Eight Months Old

2011-12-13T13:57:00.001-06:00

Today marks eight months of enjoying my little "baby Nathan." In just four short months, my baby will be a whole year old. Has the year really flown by that fast? Amazing.

Well my boy continue to get more adorable and entertaining every day. Here's the latest. :)

The little stinker is FAST! He is scooting all over and getting anywhere he wants to go in record time. Now that our Christmas tree is up, he loves to look at it and, shockingly, he hasn't been that interested in destroying it. He will scoot up under it and kick the branches of the tree with his foot. Now, the presents he likes....the bows on the presents, especially. But above all, he makes a beeline for the guitar and the VCR on the shelf. No matter how many "No's" we say, how many pops on the hand he receives, or how many times he will cry from the pops on his hand, he still wants the guitar and the VCR. Stubborn little thing....
The other day he climbed on top of the bottom of the coffee table. We have a lower "shelf" a couple of inches off the ground and he loves to scoot over to it and pat it. The other day, however, he wanted ON it...and by golly, he got himself on top of it. :) He was quite proud of himself too.
Last week, I also introduced him to real, "grown up" food. I handed him a carrot stick to gnaw on, and a cheese stick. Later, he tried asparagus. He loves mashed potatoes and I believe his Daddy gave him a bite of a cookie (naughty!). So far, he is very interested and enjoys the fact that he can eat something mama and daddy are eating.
Along with offering him a bite of a cookie, Grant let him have a sip of sweet tea (another naughty). Nathan LOVES it. Once the grandparents joined in, there was no stopping it. The baby loves tea. I have to put a minimum to the amount of sips he takes, and so mama is not the favorite at those times. :)
His sleeping is still fantastic. He goes to bed in between 7:30 and 8:15 p.m. and wakes in between 6:30 and 7:15 a.m. Perfect. He takes two naps a day, sometimes three if he's worn himself out. I can't ask for better.
He is still talking gibberish and laughing like a little man. I'm working on "Momma" but....so far, no luck.
The other day, he was scooting along the floor and sat him by himself. Up until that point, he would sit up just fine as long as YOU put him in that position. Now, he can put himself in that position. :)

Now, for the pictures...

Enjoying the tree

Having fun with his buddy, Sutton

Playing on the Johnny Jumper

Food time!!

"Check out my hair!....stylin'"

Playing with daddy

Playing with his toy truck

Eating a carrot

"Want some cheese?"

Bath time!

His first snow. :)

Climbing onto the bottom of the coffee table

Eating finger foods

"Sleep in heavenly peace...."

I'm EIGHT months old!

Monday Meanderings - 12/12/2011

2011-12-12T10:04:00.000-06:00

Bible Study... "Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent" - Psalm 120-134

Memory Verse... Psalm 128:1
"Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Be friends
♥ Put him above myself
♥ Pray for him
♥ Make him laugh

Train Them Up...
* Cuddle more. He's growing up fast
* Begin getting ideas for birthday party (I don't care if it's early)

Personal Goals...
* Pray first, not last
* Journal
* EXERCISE!!!!

New Habit of the Month...
* Season my words with grace

MUST Do...
* ~~Wash bed sheets~~
* Address and mail Christmas cards (I will do this, this week. lol)
* Clean the whole house
* Begin Christmas baking! :)

Zone... bedroom

Menu
M - Honey Barbecued Pork Chops (didn't get to this last week)
T - Eating out on our way to the Christmas play
W - Leftovers
Th - Soup
F - Grandma's
S - Grandma's
Su - Eating w/friends

FUN THINGS!
* Going to a Christmas play Tuesday
* Going to my grandma's this weekend!
* Listening to Christmas music
* Watching Christmas movies

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Sweat pants (yeah, I'm serious)
2. My husband's love
3. My boy's infectious giggle!

Emmanuel, You Have Come

2011-12-10T10:16:00.000-06:00

Many of our Christmas songs exalt Mary. Ave Maria, the Latin form of the Catholic "Hail Mary" is one of them. A beautiful song, yes. A God-honoring song, it is not, however.

Last Christmas, I was five months pregnant with my son; my first-born son. As Christmas began to draw near, I found myself thinking of Mary quite a lot. Millions hold her up as God, but she was just an ordinary girl. She was, in every way, human. God chose her, not because she was divine, but because she was a willing and empty vessel that He could use. Last year, as I carried a baby boy in my womb, I thought back to Mary and I wondered, "What DID she really feel like when Jesus moved in her womb?" Each time I would feel Nathan kick or have the hiccups, I would smile and wait for another movement. I was overjoyed. I was overwhelmed. I was moved to tears. I was ecstatic. "Is this how Mary felt? No...to know that this baby was not just hers, but God-in-flesh...how much more did she feel?" Every feeling I had as a mommy-to-be must have been amplified for her.

One of my favorite prayers in the Bible is Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2. In Luke chapter 1, when Mary visits Elisabeth, Mary quotes a portion of Hannah's prayer. I studied it quite a bit last year as I held in my body MY first-born son. As Elisabeth praised God for the miracle of Mary's conception, Mary burst into, in my opinion, one of the most powerful prayers of praise I have ever read. As I read that prayer over and over, I penned the following song. Imagining myself in Mary's shoes and anticipating the day when I would hold my baby boy, I wrote "Emmanuel, You Have Come."

As Christmas grows closer and closer, let us have the same anthem of praise that Mary had. She never exalted herself. She never boasted that the Lord chose her to bear the Savior. Instead, she said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord!"

The night is cold, the road is weary
We've traveled long, underneath the stars
Inside my womb moves our Messiah
The holy One of Israel, Lamb of God
Lord, I'm just an ordinary girl
Yet I'm to bear the Savior of the world!

Oh my soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in my God
The King of kings, the Great I Am
Who led us here to Bethlehem
I will praise You for the mighty things You've done
Emmanuel, You have come

The wind blows, the time is nearing
Angels sing the news up in the sky
Let the nations now rejoice in the Savior
For our Deliver will be born this night
May the whole world praise Your holy name
From now until forever I'll proclaim

Oh, my soul magnifies the Lord
My spirit rejoices in my God
The King of kings, the Great I Am
Who led us here to Bethlehem
I will praise You for the mighty things You've done
Emmanuel, You have come
You have come....
You have come....

Family Christmas Traditions

2011-12-08T13:24:00.001-06:00

Most families have strong traditions at Christmastime. Mine is one of them. Christmas is HUGE for us.

The biggest tradition in my family is our Christmas Eve breakfast and our Christmas Eve night gift exchange. On Christmas Eve morning, we always gather together (not an easy task with 25 people, most all of them children.) and eat a very big breakfast. We have my grandmother's homemade buttermilk biscuits. We have ham, bacon, sausage and, sometimes, fried chicken! We have eggs. We have grits. We have gravy and red-eye gravy. True to our Irish heritage, we have salmon and fried cheese. We have coffee, hot chocolate, and juice. Yes, it's big. :) We open one, small gift at the table and then dig in! After the kitchen is cleaned, all the grandchildren open a basket of small gifts from my grandparents.

That night, we get decked out and come together again. We take a bunch of pictures. We laugh. We eat a little. We sing a lot. Then we exchange gifts and empty our stockings.

So it has been my entire life.

Last year was my first Christmas as a wife and I was introduced to my husband's family Christmas traditions, complete with a breakfast, a lunch, and a dinner! I loved it and I'm excited for this year now that I know the swing the things. :)

This year I am a mommy and I have been dwelling on Christmas traditions for weeks. Christmas Eve is with my family. Christmas Day is with Grant's family. Somewhere in between in "our time." :) My thoughts?

What are some Christmas traditions that I can begin for my children?

Here are some of my ideas:

• Open new PJs on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

• Buy one new ornament each year with the year's highlight (i.e. Last year, a "couple" ornament for our marriage. This year, a "baby" ornament for Nathan.)

• Help Mommy bake Christmas cookies.

• Go see the Christmas lights in our area.

• Pick out one possession that you choose to give to someone else (i.e. For Nathan: a toy for another child; for Mommy: donate to Goodwill or the like)

• Make apple cider with cinnamon sticks.

• Buy one new outfit for Christmas Eve.

• Watch Christmas movies; The Nativity Story, being the most important.

• Decorate the tree together.

• Read the Christmas story on Christmas Day.

• Go to a Christmas symphony/production every year.

• Make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. --- Don't know when I'll begin this, but I hope to soon. Maaaaaybe this year.

• Sing Happy Birthday, Jesus every year.

Got any more ideas? What are YOUR Christmas traditions?

Great Christmas Movies

2011-12-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

It's Christmas time! And I looooove watching Christmas movies! So I thought I would share some of my recommendations. :)

One of my favorite movies of all time. It's a Wonderful Life goes way back with my family and is a favorite that makes me cry every single stinkin' time! :) For those of you who have not yet seen this classic, it is about a man named George Bailey. George has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls and to the business his father began. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his father. Fighting to honor his father's beloved Building and Loan and to prevent Mr. Potter, the richest and most evil man around, from taking over the entire town, George grows increasingly discontent with his life. But on Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy loses the business's $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George.... I'll leave it at that. Simply put, I cannot praise this movie enough.

You know the song, White Christmas that we sing every year? Well, that song debuted on this movie. The world heard that song for the first time when Bing Crosby sat down at his piano one night and sang it while the fire crackled in the background. This is a funny, romantic movie starring Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds. Simply put, Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds) has crooner Jim (Bing Crosby) head over heels in love, but suave Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire, of course!) wants her for his new dance partner. Jim has left the stage to open up a supper club, Holiday Inn, which is the setting for the big chase. This movie is funny and sweet with tons of amazing songs.

Another Bing Crosby classic that has, in my opinion, some of the greatest songs of any musical! My family and I still sing "Snow" and I remember Melody and I used to prance around singing "Sisters, Sisters." This movie is about two men, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis who, after leaving the Army after WW2, team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters (Betty and Judy) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, is the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General. This is, by far, my favorite Christmas musical of all time.

This is a bit more modern and a good watch. It is definitely a movie that will cite some serious laughter. The "elf" is Buddy. Buddy was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole. Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs. Hobbs, on Santa's naughty list for being a heartless jerk, had no idea that Buddy was even born. Buddy, meanwhile, experiences the delights of New York City (and human culture) as only an elf can. When Walter's relationship with Buddy interferes with his job, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities. This is a funny watch, but keep in mind that it IS modern and there are certain aspects I don't agree with. Overall, though, it is harmless. (Note: For you parents, there is some crude humor in this movie and the innocence of Buddy is played upon.)

I remember hearing Newsong's Christmas classic, "The Christmas Shoes" years ago for the first time. I never dreamed a movie would be made from it, but I'm glad it was. This is a great film. Two separate stories mesh - in the first, a young music teacher, Maggie Andrews, begins dying of a heart condition and her son Nathan tries to get a pair of Christmas shoes for her before she dies. In the second, lawyer Robert Layton and his wife Kate are slowly drifting apart and the matter comes to a head during Christmas when Kate takes over for Maggie for the school choir and declines a job in Robert's firm. When Robert's mother passes away, he begins to reconsider things and his and Nathan's paths cross on Christmas Eve as Nathan tries to raise the money for the shoes and Robert tries to get a present for his daughter. I LOVE this story and how real it is. We all need to remember the important things in life. We all need to be reminded that life is fragile and that family is the most important thing we have.

I bought this movie for Nathan about a month ago and it instantly became a favorite. I have sat down and watched it with him several times and it is just precious. Junior Asparagus has become obsessed with the drums, playing them all the time. While his parents go out Christmas shopping, he is supposed to go caroling with his friends, but a mix up leaves him home with Grandpa (Pa Grape). Mad at his friends, Junior intends to sulk, but Grandpa decides to tell him the story of the little drummer boy. Aaron (Junior Asparagus, again) stars as The Little Drummer Boy, a little boy who is determined to live alone and isolated because of past hurt. In his journey, he meets colorful characters that only make him more bitter towards people....until he encounters the birth of Jesus. This was a really precious story that I don't mind watching over and over again.

And of course.... the very best. The Christmas story. In my opinion, The Nativity Story is the best movie thus far in portraying the story of Christmas. Beginning with Mary, newly engaged to Joseph, and praying for peace for her people, she is visted by the angel, Gabrielle. Upon the encounter she learns that she has been chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. The story goes on until the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. I cannot put into words how well this movie was made. It showed the human heart of Mary - her doubts, her faith, her willingness, her fears, her strength, her innocence. It gave a bigger picture of King Herod. It portrayed Joseph in a phenomenal way. Etc. etc. etc. Though the Bible does not give us every specific detail, this movie captures how I have always viewed the story. It is unspeakably wonderful and a must-have for every home.

What are some of your favorite Christmas movies??

Monday Meanderings - 12/05/2011

2011-12-05T09:29:00.000-06:00

What a fun, fun week we have ahead! I am cleaning the whole house today and getting all the weekend laundry washed, dried, ironed/folded and put away. I am planning my Christmas baking. I am picking out Nathan's Christmas outfit. I am wrapping more gifts. I am sending out Christmas cards. We will be doing TWO Christmas concerts (yay!) this week and also going to the symphony with my whole family. AND we will be celebrating Christmas early with Grant's grandmother who is home from cancer treatments for another week. It's going to be a full but sweet week. I hope each of you have a wonderful warm-and-dry week as well!

Bible Study... "Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent" - Psalm 120-134

Memory Verse... Psalm 123:1
"Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Patience, patience, patience
♥ Put him above myself
♥ Pray for him
♥ Love without expecting anything in return

Train Them Up...
* Stay consistent on "No" (it is working, people!)
* Order more cloth diapers
* Puree' and freeze more meals

Personal Goals...
* Pray first, not last
* Journal
* Be still and quiet
* Expect God to keep all His promises (aka - have faith!)

New Habit of the Month...
* Season my words with grace

MUST Do...
* Practice violin
* ~~Wash laundry~~
* ~~Get mail~~
* Address and mail Christmas cards
* Clean the whole house

Zone... everywhere

Menu
M - Bird's Nest Pie
T - Leftovers
W - Church food
Th - Honey Barbecued Pork Chops
F - Soup
S - TBD
Su - Church food

FUN THINGS!
* Reading
* Gift wrapping
* Enjoying the cold, rainy day
* Christmas concert on Wednesday!
* Celebrating Christmas w/Grant's grandmother Saturday!
* Going to the Christmas symphony with my whole family Saturday night!
* Another Christmas concert Sunday!

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Christmas music
2. Fuzzy socks
3. This cold, rainy day

Making Your Own Baby Food || Carrots and Apples

2011-12-03T10:05:00.002-06:00

I realized that I haven't made any posts on making your own baby food, so I thought I would share with you what I did yesterday. The cost of baby food is ridiculous. I mean, really. Nathan can eat up to five or six jars of baby food a day. I have always wanted to puree my own baby food and I have a done a little, just not a lot. I'm slowly working up to feeding him homemade food exclusively. It saves money and I believe it is healthier. Plus, it provides a fantastic sense of satisfaction! :)

I have pureed apples, avocados, and sweet potatoes for Nathan, but I have always made a small portion that lasted a day or two. Fresh, pureed homemade baby food should be stored no longer than 48 hours (many food safety authorities say that 72 hours is fine.) in the refrigerator. This applies for veggies, fruits, meats etc. So because of that, I only did a small portion to be stored in the fridge that Nathan ate through quickly. Yesterday was my first time to FREEZE the food I made. I made a slightly larger amount than my first time, although I would hardly call it a lot. It is less than a week's worth, but it was good for the first batch. With that said, here is how I did it:

I chose to do carrots, then apples.

1. Start by cooking the vegetable/fruit either by steaming, baking, microwaving or boiling.

Steaming maintains the most nutrients. Steaming, baking and boiling all allow for big batches of foods to be made at one time.

2. Take the cooked vegetable or fruit and remove them into the machine you have decided to use for pureeing.

3. Set aside the liquid that the vegetable/fruits were cooked in. This will be the liquid you add to make the puree. Adding this liquid also helps to preserve any nutrients that may have leached into the water during cooking. (Do not use reserved water from carrots or other high nitrate veggies for a baby under 7 months old.) You may also thin with Formula, Breast Milk or Plain Water. I used our Alkaline machine with purified water and also a little of his formula milk.

4. Set your machine to puree or grind and begin to mash the vegetables or fruits.

5. As you are pureeing or blending, add the liquid or plain water. These liquids give a little nutritional boost and add a familiar taste for baby.

6. Once you have a nice liquid baby food puree you will then transfer the puree into ice cube trays for freezing/storage. Never freeze homemade baby food in glass that is not specifically labeled as "safe to freeze." For example, old baby food jars are not meant for freezing.

7. Fill each cube with the puree, as though you were filling the tray with water to make ice cubes.

8. Cover the tray with plastic wrap (foil may be used however is not

recommended as shards of the foil may be left on/in the food cubes) and put it in the freezer. Repeat this process until you have filled all the trays and no puree remains. Each cube is equal to approximately 1 ounce of food.

9. Once the cubes of puree have set and are frozen, take the trays out of the freezer and transfer the cubes into freezer bags.

10. Be sure to label the bag with the date of preparation as well as the type of food. The baby food cubes should be used within a month of freezing.

11. When it is time to feed baby, simply take out the number of food cubes needed and thaw and then reheat.

There you have it! I am anxious to make more. :)

Crock Pot Fried Chicken

2011-12-03T09:09:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of the Skinny Crock Pot? If not, now you have! (you're welcome) Let me tell you, after last night I am sold on these recipes. I encourage you to check out the site and like their Facebook page (where more recipes can be found). *** Note: some of the recipes call for alcohol, so please be aware and be mindful that I do not recommend that ingredient.

Yesterday, I decided to try out the Crock Pot fried chicken recipe.

Chicken? Fried? In a crock pot? And... it's healthier? No way!

Yes way. It was so easy and a definite success! My husband loved it and I was thrilled that it tasted great and was practically effortless. Soooo, here is the recipe if you want to try it out.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 t seasoned salt
1 T Italian seasoning
1 t onion powder
1 t paprika
1/2 t black pepper

The Directions:
Combine all the spices and the flour in a freezer bag or in a shallow dish. Dredge each chicken piece well, and place into your crock pot.

When all the chicken is in the crock, pour the Olive Oil over it.

Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8-10.

** I sprayed my CP w/Veg Spray to prevent the meat from sticking. Had a crunch to it, and juicy in the middle.

As For Me and My House

2011-12-02T10:03:00.003-06:00

Joshua 24:14-15
"Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. "

Thankful || Week Four

2011-11-30T21:05:00.005-06:00

22. Compassion. I am so grateful for compassion. Our God is compassionate and longsuffering, not willing that any should perish. And boy am I thankful for that. When I was naked and dirty and soaked in sin, He had compassion on me. He even left His glory in Heaven and came down to the earth and put on flesh - the same flesh that smells and sweats and sins. He had that much compassion for me. I pray that I will always be singing a song of thanksgiving for what He has done. And I pray that I can show that same compassion to others.

23. Truth. Truth is being avoided these days. Of course, it goes back to the fall of Adam, but it seems as though, as the end draws closer and closer, that truth is shunned more and more.....and more. Absolute truth? HA! They say, "Hey, if it's true for you, that's fine. But this is me and this is my truth." Seriously? What a flawed theology. I am thankful that I was given truth - at an early age. I am thankful that the Lord made truth available to me and that I accepted it. Yeah, it hurts sometimes but, from experience, truth WILL ALWAYS set you free.

24. Health. We take our health for granted. Or well, I do, anyway. In the past couple of months, I have been more diligent in thanking God every day for my health. Grant's grandmother is fighting cancer as I type this. Its reminded me of my grandfather's battle with cancer four years ago. Life is fragile. I have been so blessed with good health and, even more so, my family has been blessed with good health. My husband is well. My little boy is well. My parents are well. My sisters are well. I am thankful for that. Even when I am sick, I am grateful to not be in ICU or in physical rehab learning to walk again. Those of us who woke up today in our own bed in our own home need to be thankful, and remember that there are thousands who woke up today in a hospital room or on the streets in the freezing cold. Those of us who woke up today and saw our husband and children need to be thankful, and remember that some woke up today without either. Those of us who woke up today with good health need to thank the Lord, and remember that so many who are battling cancer and debilitating diseases. I am thankful for the health God has blessed me and my family with....and I pray I won't ever take it for granted again.
25. Hugs. I love hugs. You know on those days when you really feel rotten and somebody gives you a big 'ole hug? Doesn't it make you feel lots better? It does me. I have those kind of friends who, when we see other, we hug. I treasure that. When I visit my family, there are hugs all around! When we say goodbye, there are many, many more hugs! I hug my son all....the.....time. He better get used to it, too. :) I love my husband's hugs. When I'm hurt or frustrated and he hugs me, nothing seems that bad anymore. When I'm almost asleep and I feel him hug me in HIS sleep, there's no better feeling. When I'm goofing off and he hugs me for the heck of it, it's awesome. I'm thankful for the hugs of my family and friends. And I'm also thankful for the BIG hug Christ gave me when He saved me too. :)

26. Wisdom. I am thankful that I have "the only wise God" (Jude 1:25) and that he gave me wise parents. When Solomon was told by God that He would give him whatever he asked for, Solomon asked for wisdom. Wow. Who would chose wisdom over wealth and fame and prestige?? Solomon did. And boy did he get it! He was the wisest man to ever live. Proverbs emphasises the need for wisdom and understanding and truth. I want that too. I would rather be wise than rich or good looking. I am thankful that the Lord offers wisdom to those who ask for it. He will give wisdom liberally to those who lack, if, as James 1:6 says, we "ask in faith, nothing wavering."

27. Movie nights. Growing up, my family had tons of movie nights. We would eat supper than cram into the living room and watch a movie together, complete with popcorn and, sometimes, cookies. I miss "cramming" into that room watching movies but now my husband and I have our own movie nights. Every so often, we'll sit Nathan on the couch with us and curl up together and watch a good movie. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but those of you who cherish the little things (and those of you who come from big families) probably relate. I love those memories. Laughing. Looking at each other with a "what's-going-to-happen-next?" look on our faces. Trying to figure out the plot. It's special to me....and I'm thankful for it.

28. Cards, letters, and e-mails. I'm thankful for mail in my mailbox! NOT junk mail. NOT spam. NOT bills. None of that stuff. I'm talking about the "I was just thinking about you" cards. The letters that fill you in on your friend or family's life. E-mails that say, "Hey! How you doing?" Those are special. Now, when time is something people try to rush through, knowing that someone stopped and thought of you long enough to write (or type) a note down....that's priceless. And I'm thankful for it.

29. Prayer. Prayer changes things. So often we make prayer the last resort. You know, "If all else fails, then we'll pray and hope for the best." That isn't how it ought to be. Prayer should always be the FIRST thing we do. It's a mighty weapon that God has given to us. It's approaching the throne of Heaven and speaking to the Lord of all creation. .....and THAT'S our last resort?? So silly. I have to be reminded often that prayer should be my default. I have seen the power of prayer. I have seen people miraculously healed. I have seen marriages on the brink of divorce (and after a divorce) be restored. I have seen amazing things but the key to it all was prayer. I am thankful that we can come before God with our petitions - great and small. I'm thankful that we can praise Him. I'm thankful that we can thank Him. I am thankful for prayer and the power it holds.

30. Thankfulness. Can you be thankful for thankfulness? I think so. I'm THANKFUL that we CAN be thankful. Does that make sense? ** Doesn't matter, I'm gonna do it anyway. :p *** I am thankful for so many things.... more than I can count. I have breath in my body. I have a home and family. I have friends. I have a work and a ministry. I have passions. I have the promise of Heaven. I have so.... much. And I'm thankful to be thankful. :)

The Arena of Cloth Diapering

2011-11-30T14:36:00.002-06:00

I was really gung-ho about cloth diapering.....until I actually HAD my baby. After quite an, um, interesting labor and delivery, I was completely out of it the first week we were home. Then I became busy trying to learn how to be a mommy; meaning how to function on very little sleep and being alone with the constant demands of a small person. Apart from that, I was enormously blessed by cases (I will repeat - cases!) of diapers. I had so many that I ended up giving three packages of newborn diapers away! When Nathan finally reached size 1 in diapers, I still had newborns left over that I had never even opened. Talk about a blessing!! Anyway, several months ago, Hannah sent me some prefolds and a Bummie. They have been sitting on the shelf of my changing table and I have been summoning up the courage to go for it. Today was the day. After spending an hour reading on cloth diapering and EC (elimination communication), I have made it a goal to switch to cloth diapers. Of course, that doesn't mean I will refuse disposable. When we are on the road or something, I will more than likely be using disposable much - if not all - the time. But, for now, I am officially stepping into the cloth diapering arena. I have the older cloth diapers that you put on with the pins as well as the plastic cover but Hannah introduced me to Bummies, All in Ones, and the latest, more modern approach to cloth diapering. Up front, they are expensive. But in my reading, I see that they are well worth the bucks if you stick to it. You wash and reuse them and they will last and last....for more than just your one kiddo. That totally beats $20+ a pack for disposable which will be gone in a week. After Christmas, I am planning on buying one of the All in One diapers to see if I like them, as well as another diaper cover. I also would like a diaper tote which will make it easier (and less stinky!) while on the road.

Speaking of stink, my diaper pail REEKS!! Baking soda just doesn't cut it. So... I just found a very good "stink-master." What is it? So genius. Essential oils. Make sure it's ESSENTIAL oil. I used lavender which is my current favorite on my shelf. I drip a few drops in the pail before I place the bag in. Then, I may put a drop IN the bag. I just started it and it helps a lot. If any of you mommies have more suggestions, let me hear them. :)

So anyway, back to cloth diapering. This afternoon, I gave Nathan a bath, then placed the prefold and the Bummie diaper cover on him. Can I say C.U.T.E! Apparently, he didn't notice the change. He was quite happy and I instantly felt that wonderful feeling a woman gets when she realizes that she CAN do something utterly intimidating. I still don't know what the big deal was. I'm no stranger to cloth diapers. My Mom used cloth diapers a lot with my sisters. Regardless of the WHY, I am a happy momma right now. This also makes me feel like tackling a big mountain soon: EC. As I mentioned above, EC stands for Elimination Communication. A few months ago, I bought the book, The Diaper Free Baby. Intriguing, isn't it? After hearing about a couple who had their 3 month old baby potty trained, I was like, "Whaaa?" and decided to look into it. Obviously, Nathan is not potty trained, but I have been reading up on the idea and it is very fascinating. Basically, infants are born with the ability to communicate their need to "go," just as they communicate hunger or sleepiness. The author is a mother of two children who were diaper-free at eighteen and fifteen months! The book is all about teaching parents how to identify and respond to their baby or toddler's natural cues. It is another facet of "Attachment Parenting" which includes baby wearing, co-sleeping, and breastfeeding. So, come the new year, I just may attempt the impossible and see if that actually works.

FOR NOW, though, hooray for cloth diapering! Puh-lease pray for me as I go at it with full force! :)

Deer, Salmon, Sausage, Chicken, and a Reese cake

2011-11-30T11:28:00.002-06:00

I have been working on my recipe box. I have a lot of recipes saved on my computer and on my phone, so I have been working to get them in my actually BOX sitting on the counter. Upon doing that, I realized that I have not posted recipes in a while, so....here I am. :) Below are a few of my original recipes and a couple of favorites I have tried. Happy cooking!

Kristen's Fried Deer Steak

6 pieces of Deer meat
2 c. Self-rising flour
1 tsp. Black pepper
1 Tbsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Garlic

Mix all ingredients together. Depending on your taste, add or decrease measurements. After tenderizing your deer meat, drop in mixture, coating well. Place in skillet on medium-low heat. Cook both sides until brown. Enjoy! Feeds 2.

Kristen's Butter-Broiled Salmon

6 Salmon fillets
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of Itallian dressing
black pepper, salt, garlic (to taste)

Put 1 stick of butter in a bowl and heat in microwave or on stove until melted. Once metled, remove and add Itallian dressing, garlic, and black pepper.

Place salmon fillets in a glass pan and sprinkle with salt. Pour half of mixture over the salmon and place in oven. Let broil until tops of salmon begin to turn. Remove from oven and turn salmon fillets over. Pour remaining mixture over the salmon and place back in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! Feeds 3.

Kristen's Sausage Egg Dish

1/2 lb sausage
4 egss
dash of black pepper
1/4 and 1 Tbsp milk
3 thin slices American cheese

Cook sausage and drain.

In a mixing bowl, mix ingredients together. Pour into skillet with sausage and cook until eggs are done. Feeds 2.

Kristen's Reese Cake

2 boxes of Yellow Butter Cake mix
ingredients for cake mixes
5 Tbsp. peanut butter
8-10 Reese cups
1 container of Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Make one cake mix with ingraidents called for(usually butter, oil, egg) and bake as directed in a round pan. While the first cake is baking, unwrap Reese cups and put in blender with 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter. Blend until mixture is gooey. Take the first cake out of the oven and cut the edges from around the cake off. Place second cake in oven. When cake #1 is completely cooled, spread the Reese mixture over top of cake liberally. Use all the mixture. Next, take the Chocolate Buttercream icing and mixture together with 3 Tbsp. of peanut butter. Stir thoroughly until well blended. Remove second cake from oven and cut the edges around cake as the first. Let cool. Once cooled, gently place second cake on top of the first cake. Begin icing with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Once iced, place in fridge for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Bruschetta Chicken

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup egg substitute
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in flour, then in eggs; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Combine the cheese, bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over chicken.

Loosely cover baking dish with foil. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over the chicken. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until tomato mixture is heated through. Feeds 4.

BARBECUED DEER STEAKS

2 lbs. deer steak
Milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Flour
3 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, minced
1 bottle barbecue sauce

Cover steaks with milk; let stand 30 minutes. Remove from milk; add salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, coat in barbecue sauce, then dip back into flour. Brown in butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add onions. Enjoy!

Thankful || Week Three

2011-11-28T13:13:00.001-06:00

15. Forgiveness. I am thankful that the Lord God of all forgives me. He forgave me long ago for all my sins and He saved me. But that wasn't a one-time thing. He kept forgiving. Every fall, every fail, every doubt, every sin....He still forgives. I am thankful to have a husband who forgives me when I am a selfish person. I am thankful that he can look past my flaws and still love me....and forgive me when I think I'm unforgivable. I am thankful for my parents who, when raising me, would always forgive my disobedience and who showed me the love and forgiveness of God before I ever came to know Him. All in all, forgiveness is a beautiful, humbling thing...and I'm thankful for it.

16. Music. On a down day, a song can lift my spirits. On a day when I'm thinking about myself, a song can remind me that this life isn't about me. A song can make me dance around the room or burst into tears (literally). A song can convict me. A song can encourage me. A song can inspire me and make me push myself to be a better servant of the Lord. I love music. Always have. I'm thankful the Lord gave us voices as well as the harps, guitars, pianos, trumpets, drums and all the countless other instruments that we can use to make a joyful noise unto Him.

17. My quiet time. When I am weak in my faith, it means I haven't spent quality alone time with Jesus. When I am doubtful, skeptical of His promises, and worrisome, it's proof that I have not spent time at His feet. I have noticed that I am the most irrational and quick-tempered person when I haven't made time for the Lord. On days when I am still and quiet and open my heart to Him and what He has to teach me and show me, I have found that the day goes by more joyfully, more peacefully, and I am more graceful and kind to my family. I am SO thankful that I have a God who will speak to me - His creation. I am thankful that He listens and cares about the most minute' details of my life and that He desires to lead me, teach me, mature me, and work in and through me.

18. The holiday season. I love Thanksgiving. I simply adore Christmastime. I love it when the air is a little colder and the leaves begin to fall. I love seeing the pumpkins, tasting sweet potato pie, walking on the crunchy leaves, breaking out my jackets and gloves, eating turkey and stuffing, and listening to Christmas music. I love buying and making gifts. I love wrapping them and putting them under the tree. I love decorating the house. I love baking Christmas cookies. I love it all. I am thankful for the feeling that comes with this time of year. I'm thankful that the Lord led our ancestors here, to America, and blessed our nation with freedom. I am thankful that He sent His Son to this earth to save us. I am thankful for every year that He gives us and blesses us with.

19. Laughter. What would life look like without laughter? I simply LOVE to laugh. I love fellowshipping with family and friends and, with many of them, we could spend hours just laughing! The Christian life is not an easy road. There are choices to be made that go against our flesh. There are paths that must be taken that will be opposite of the paths taken by friends and, at times, even family. The Christian life is all about dying to self...and that's just painful. It's uncomfortable. Many times, it's hurtful. But there is such joy and freedom in Christ and in the daily crucifixion of self. There is joy on the lonely road, there is joy in the peace that comes with following in the footsteps of Jesus. It's a hard life, but it's a fun life! It's an exciting life! I am thankful that I have "the joy of my salvation!"

20. My past. Yes, I have a past too....and I'm thankful for it. No matter how we were raised or how much good we have done, we ALL still have baggage. We ALL have things in our past that are shameful. I am not thankful for the sins in my past. I am not thankful for the choices I made that went against the Lord. I am not thankful for my disobedience at any time. However, I AM thankful that through the bad, the Lord made good. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Though the Lord despises and hates sin, He is such a longsuffering God in that He will make something good come out the bad for those who have a broken and contrite heart (a repentative heart). I am thankful for that.

21. My future. I'm the type that likes to plan. Coping with change is difficult for me. It's a struggle to trust my future in the Lord's hands and I'm ashamed of my faithlessness. Yet however my emotions feel about the issue, I'm thankful that my HEAD knows the truth. I am thankful that even when my feelings are full of worry, my head knows that all is well as long as it's in the Lord's grasp. I have no idea what is ahead of me. I don't know what our future looks like. I don't know if my husband and I will stay here forever or if the Lord will call us away overseas. I don't know if we will be blessed with more children or if Nathan will be the only arrow in our quiver. I don't know if we will all live to see the rapture or if I will have to say goodbye to members of my family. I don't know how bumpy the road will become. I don't know how harsh the wind will get. BUT I do know that no matter how bad the storm gets or how beautiful the rainbow is, the Lord is in control. He is with me today...and He will be with me tomorrow. And I am so very thankful for that.

Monday Meanderings - 11/28/2011

2011-11-28T09:17:00.000-06:00

Gracious, I haven't done a Monday Meandering in a long time! Before I share what's on the agenda, I'll recap the last week.

What fun!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my husband's family. I missed my parents and sisters but I was very blessed to be able to meet more of Grant's family and to be welcomed so well. Wednesday, we celebrated with his Mom's side. Thursday, we celebrated with his Dad's side. Friday, I got up in the middle of the night and joined in with the Black Friday shopping spree with my Mom, two of my sisters, my mom-in-law, and my Mammie-in-law. :) SUCH fun! I finished our Christmas shopping for the year and returned home with an armload of bags that I cannot wait to wrap and stick under our tree! Upon arriving home, I was greeted by some dear friends from south Louisiana. So we settled down, in our team apparel, and rooted for our states as we watched the Arkansas vs LSU game. Needless to say, it was a blow for us, Arkansans. :( But it was fun, anyhow. We had company all weekend and enjoyed visiting and fellowshipping. The boys played with each other and I believe Nathan will be crawling by Christmas now that he saw another baby in action. :)

Now it's on to another week! Here's what it looks like as of now...

Bible Study... "Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent" - Psalm 120-134

Memory Verse... Psalm 121:5-8
"The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Think of him more than myself
♥ Be an encourager
♥ Keep all snacks and goodies out of sight
♥ Pray for him more

Train Them Up...
* Stay consistent on "No"
* Get back to a routine of "Bible Story Time"

Personal Goals...
* Journal
* Work on photo albums
* Study early before Nathan wakes up
* Be still

New Habit of the Month...
* Season my words with grace

MUST Do...
* ~~Wash laundry~~
* Get mail
* Practice violin
* Finish Christmas newsletter
* Clean house

Zone... the living room

Menu
M - Salad
T - Deer steak, steamed carrots, sweet potato fries?
W - Chili
Th - TBD
F - TBD
S - TBD
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Gift wrapping
* Enjoying the cold weather (and possibly some snow flurries tonight)

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Christmassy feeling!
2. Slippers
3. Quiet time

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:40:00.000-06:00

As we cook the turkey and visit with family and friends, let us remember what this day truly means. And let us be thankful for all that God has done!...not just this day.... but every day.

Nathan's Introduction to Christmas

2011-11-21T09:46:00.002-06:00

I poured myself a cup of coffee (with coco mix and marshmallows added) and I came into this study. I pulled up Blogger (for the first time in a week....sorry!) and logged in. Then I walked into the living room to check on Nathan.......and pulled him out from under the Christmas tree. Again.

How that child scoots from one side of the living room to the other in a matter of seconds amazes me! Yesterday, Grant and I began decorating for Christmas (even though it was 73 degrees outside. Bleh.) and I have gotten a kick out of Nathan's reaction. He was taking a nap when we set up the Christmas tree and when he woke up and I brought him in the living room, his face was priceless! I wish we would have had the foresight to video it. It was a mixture of confusion, curiosity, and shock which, on a seven month old, is a hilarious combination. Every time he looks at the tree, awe is all over his face. So adorable. We are currently having to teach him the word "no." Yes....we have reached the age and, believe you me, HE KNOWS. I have told him "No, Nathan. No-no touch. No." two or three times so far this morning and every time those words come out of my mouth, he stops and looks down like he is heartbroken and ashamed. Little stinker.

So far, he has been a very good boy concerning the Christmas tree. It's expected behavior for a seven month old boy to want to touch (and possibly eat) the Christmas tree. It really is cute. He scoots over and stares with big eyes. It's then that he reaches out his little hand....which gives me the green light to say "No, Nathan. No-no touch." Consistency is key...and it's best to start early, yes? :)

Today I am deep cleaning the house. DEEP CLEANING, I say. The living room is done. The kitchen is done. Our bedroom is alllllmost done. And it's only 9:30 a.m. Not bad, at all! :) We have a busy week ahead of us but I am SO EXCITED!! Today I am cleaning and decorating and getting ALL the laundry washed, dried, folded, ironed, and put away. Tomorrow I am doing some grocery shopping and finishing up on a certain someone's Christmas gift. Wednesday is the Thanksgiving lunch at Grant's office (which I am to make mashed potatoes, mac 'n cheese, and a dessert) THEN the Thanksgiving dinner at Grant's mom's house. Thursday is - of course - THANKSGIVING which means that I will be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade as I cook another dessert and make a salad for Thanksgiving dinner at Grant's grandmother's house (Whew...can we say diet?). Then Friday, I will be getting up and hitting the Black Friday sales with my Mom, Melody, Mercy, my mother-in-law, and my grandmother-in-law. That is going to be crazy-fun! Friday is also Mercy's 15 birthday, so it will be awesome to spend the day with her on her birthday. Then there is the long-awaited and every-year-anticipated Arkansas vs LSU game that afternoon. And if that wasn't enough excitement, some good friends of ours are coming in that afternoon from Louisiana to spend the weekend with us! They have a little boy a few months older than Nathan and I know that this visit will be extra fun for them now that Nathan is scooting around. Woooooo! Can we say awesomely-fun-and-hectically-exciting week? Yes, we can. :)

SO, guess I'd better get back to getting things ready.....and pull Nathan out from the Christmas tree again. :p

Thankful || Week Two

2011-11-14T10:07:00.001-06:00

On to week #2 of my Thankful list. It's good to remember all the blessings the Lord has rained down on us. AND it's good to proclaim it, as well!

8. My friends. There was a period in my life when I was a teenager when I had no friends. It lasted quite a long time. Then, out of nowhere, God began dropping amazing people into my life! Now, I am so blessed to say that I have many friends who are seeking the Lord. I have many friends who love Jesus and are passionate about purity. I won't attempt to name them all, but they know who they are and I am blessed and thankful to be able to call them my friends.

9. My ministry. I grew up in an Evangelist home. Buses, Churches, people's homes....I grew up in those places. I grew up with music and Bible studies. I grew up in a ministry that is still going strong, even after 42 years! I am thankful that I was raised in it. I am thankful I am still a part of it! And as Paul said, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."

10. My Church. I love Church. Like I said, I was raised in Churches. And I am thankful for our home Church and the family it has. I love each member. I love the spirit there. And I am thankful that I know that truth will always be preached and taught there!

11. My country. I have been overseas. I have been to several countries... but none compare to mine. I am thankful to be born and raised in the good 'ole USA. I am thankful for the foundation our country was founded upon. Though our country is far from where we first began, I consider it an honor to be a U.S. citizen and I will gladly defend our nation because, whether the pledge of allegiance tosses it or not, we are and always will be One Nation Under God. I am thankful for my freedom that millions do not have. I am thankful for those who have served and have given their lives for my right to have this blog and speak truth. I am thankful for America.

12. My gifts and talents. The Lord gave each person gifts and talents. Everyone is unique and everyone was created for a specific and special purpose. And, like a body, each member has its own use. I am thankful that the Lord gave me the gifts and talents that I have. I love to sing. I love to write. And I am so grateful and thankful that He not only gave me the gifts and talents I posses, but He has also given me the honor of USING them for His glory.

13. My pets. I love animals. I have had kittens and puppies and ponies and cows and pigs (yes, I had a pig) and I am thankful that I have been able to enjoy the fun of having pets! Currently, I have a horse down at my folks' house which I am anxious to move up here once we get a place. I have a cat who roams around outside and keeps mice out of our house. :) And my husband and I have *ahem* several dogs outside, most of which are his huntin' dogs. But I am thankful for them too! I love watching them play and chase Grant around the yard and I can't wait until Nathan is chasing THEM around the backyard.

14. Hardships and Trials. It sounds strange but I am actually thankful for the hard times. I am learning that it is in the most difficult moments that we draw closer to the Lord. We learn to trust Him more. We learn to let go. We learn that He is truly our comforter. We learn that He will sustain us and uphold us. We may be terrified, but then we learn that He is our Peace. We may be broken, but then we learn that He is our Healer. We may be weak and tired, but then we learn that His grace is sufficient. I have had my share of horrible storms that I did not think I would live through. But I am THANKFUL for those times! One of my favorite songs includes the line, "What if my greatest disappointments and aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?" I am thankful that His blessings and His mercies and His love are sometimes born from hardships. If that's what it takes to learn more about my Savior and to draw ever closer to Him, then I'll embrace it.

Seven Months Old

2011-11-13T19:47:00.003-06:00

So today, we celebrated Grant's 31st birthday and it was a doubly-special day because it was also Nathan's 7 month birthday. :) How exciting! Tomorrow I will post more on Grant but, for now, here is the latest on our little man cub.

Nathan experienced his first ear infection this past month. We have been SO blessed by a healthy little boy and this was our first health episode and I am thankful for that. His temperature went up pretty high so after a trip to the doctor, we found out our poor baby had a left ear infection. Praise God, after ONE DAY on the medication, no one could tell he had ever been sick.
Nathan is scooting EVERYWHERE. It's hilarious how he will find a way to get himself to the area he wants to get to. In the last couple of days, he has been getting on his hands and knees, which is way cute! He hasn't figured out that he should move his hands and knees in order to go, but he will.....soon.
Nathan is finally gaining some good weight! He is eating like crazy, which is super. He loves bananas, apples, green beans, sweet potatoes.... pretty much everything. I have pureed apples and avocados so far, which he enjoyed. I hope to do sweet potatoes next.
He is still sleeping excellent. He goes down in between 7:00-8:15 p.m. each night. Every few nights he will wake around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. and I will usually change his diaper and offer him a bottle, then put him down again. I am trying to take every opportunity to feed him in order to build up his weight and, if this is a growth spurt, I'm all for it!
Nathan is talking up a storm! Or.....gabbing, anyway. :) He said "Dadda" about two weeks ago. Grant is CONVINCED he knows exactly what he is saying... I'm not so sure, but it's darling anyway! I love hearing him "talk."
He is NOW sitting up! Precious. He is quite proud of himself too. :)

"Mmmmm....I love food!!"

Goofing off with Momma

Sound asleep

He is on the move!

And sitting up!

Crazy hair... hehehe

"Hi ya'll!"

I'm SEVEN months old!

Happy Birthday, Grant!

2011-11-13T07:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Grant!

Sorry ladies, this fella is MINE! :)

To Love Their Children

2011-11-11T19:06:00.002-06:00

The other day, I learned that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar announced that they are now expecting their 20th child!! ohmygoodness!

I am a big fan of their TV show on TLC and watch it as often as I am able on Tuesday nights and early on weekday mornings. I enjoyed watching the budding romance, engagement, and the wedding of their oldest son, Joshua, to Anna, along with the birth of their two children. I have loved reading their first book (the second is on my Christmas list) and prayed along with thousands as their 19th child, Josie, came into the world four months premature. So, yes, I am a fan. :) A lot of people have had derogatory and....well, let's just be honest....hateful comments about the Duggars and their way of life. I have to say, "Gracious, let them alone!" I, for one, am inspired at their obedience in letting the Lord have full control of every area of their lives, especially in the issue of children. That is when you can truly sing, "I surrender ALL." I'm amazed at how they run their home smoothly and with order with so many kids when I know of countless parents who cannot control the one or two kids they have. Grant and I are praying for Michelle as she sacrifices her body, once more, for the giving of life and for trusting the Lord to do all things well. :) God bless them.

With the Duggar family fresh on the brain, I have been thinking of motherhood.

John Wesley said, "I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England."

The impact of that statement is huge. What a powerful remark! Through his mother's diligence in teaching him about Christ and what it means to be a Christian, he learned what no professor could ever teach. He saw Christianity in action in his home; in the life of his own mom. I have read about his mother, Susannah Wesley. Susannah was the youngest of twenty-five children! (you're not quite there, Duggar family! :) She, herself, bore nineteen children with her husband, Samule Wesley. Many Godly women in history had the honor of bearing many children. Elizabeth Fry, a sweet Quaker woman who reformed prisons in England, bore eleven children. Sarah Edwards, the godly wife of Jonathan Edwards, was also the mother of eleven. Catherine Booth, the wife of the founder of The Salvation Army, William Booth, gave birth to eight children.

Psalm 127 verses three and four says, "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them...."

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full. For some, the Lord may say that one or two is a "quiver full." For others, a quiver full may be twenty or twenty-five! However many children we are blessed with, the Bible gives us, mothers, a great responsibility; mainly to LOVE our children.

Recently, I read a book that convicted me and inspired me to become a more godly wife and mother. It was a study of Titus 2 and, in reading and studying, I was constantly reminded of how I should be as a Christian woman....

Titus 2:3-5
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

It seems like such a no-brainer to love our children, doesn't it? But it doesn't always come so easily. In studying, I learned that the word, love, found in Titus 2 was the Greek word, Phileo, which is where we get the word Philadelphia (the city of brotherly love). This word isn't Agape love (unconditional love; sacrificing love; God-like love). Phileo is an affectionate love; a friendship love; a tender love.

Though Nathan hasn't yet reached the toddler years or the age where he challenges authority, I am working to display phileo love and to make it a lifestyle. Sometimes it's so easy to show sacrificial love and even unconditional love. We, wives and mothers, will clean up milk and kool-aid spills. We will wash dirty underwear and stinky socks. We will labor and sweat over meals. We will work and work and work....from sun up to sun down.... but will we show phileo love? Are we tender? Are we compassionate? Are we affectionate? In studying this word, I have seen my reflection in love's mirror and.... I'm afraid that I am guilty of not showing phileo as often as I ought to. To my husband, I am often quick-tempered and too "busy" to stop and gently kiss his cheek and ask him how his day was. Suffice it to say, I've been convicted. But I pray, with all my heart, that I will learn to make phileo as normal as breathing in and out. I hope the Lord will bless me and Grant with more children, but no matter how many arrows He places in our quiver, my heart's desire as a mommy is to be full of phileo love. When I am tempted to yell in anger or to let my emotions take over when I am irritated, I want to be reminded to LOVE my children. When they have me ready to pull my hair out, I want to remember that God instructs me to phileo my kiddos, even when their hands are covered in peanut butter and they smear chocolate on my purse.

With our world news full of stories of mothers who want to rid themselves of their children, I pray that we, Christian mothers, will resolve to rejoice over ours and to LOVE them....and show it.

Thankful || Week One

2011-11-09T16:40:00.003-06:00

On Facebook, many of my friends are posting something that they are thankful for each day. Grant and I have been away for several days and so I am behind. Therefore, I plan to do my Thanksgiving list weekly, instead of daily. So here is week one of some of the things I am most thankful for:

1. My Savior. I am thankful to have a God who forgives, who saves, who heals, who loves, and who is everything I need. My whole life, I was raised with Jesus in front of me, but....He is more than my Sunday School story. He is so much more than the songs my family and I sing. He is more than the words written in my Bible. He is more than my "Blesser" and "Leader." To me He is becoming, more and more each day, my everything. And I am so thankful that when I trip and fall flat on my face in the mud of a hog pen, He still wants me and He still loves me. I am thankful that He chose to save me and give me eternal life; that He redeemed "an old sinner like me."

2. My husband. I am thankful to have a man who is loyal and faithful. We fell in love, we had a beautiful wedding, and we made a precious little boy... He is my dearest friend and my earthly rock. We have had some trying moments. The first year of marriage is always hard, learning to adjust to each other. Add to that a pregnancy and the birth of a baby - all before the one-year mark and.... it's trying. It's emotional. It's overwhelming. But I am so thankful that God gave me a man who loves me when I'm unlovable; who provides and cares for us; and who is an amazing example of strength and grace. God knew exactly what He was doing when He brought us together. He knew that we would compliment one another and that - together - we would be stronger. I am so thankful for the honor of being Grant's wifey! :)......and for the immense delight in calling him mine. ;)

3. My little boy. I am thankful to hold in my arms the cutest, sweetest, most adorable little boy on the planet. I was overjoyed to learn I was pregnant last year, but I was also terrified to my core! I was afraid that I wouldn't be a good enough mom. I was afraid that something may happen to him while I carried him in my womb. I was even selfishly afraid that once a baby came into the picture, I would have no more freedom to have fun. How ridiculous! Nathan is heaven in my arms. I am humbled that God chose me to be his mommy and I am, and forever will be, thankful that I am.

4. My parents. I am thankful to have been given Godly parents. True, Godly fathers and mothers are a rarity these days but, by the grace of God, I was given two of the very best. I am thankful that they taught me to stand firm upon the Word of God, even though I may stand alone. I am thankful that they brought me up in Church, and also lived it at home. I am thankful for the legacy that they have and will leave behind. They have endured much over the years but, through everything, they have remained fully committed to Jesus Christ and for their great example of Godliness, I am thankful.

5. My sisters. I am thankful to have five beautiful, sweet, hilarious, and completely entertaining sisters! When I was five years old, I prayed and prayed (on a nightly basis, I'm told) for a little sister. I wanted a little sister more than anything and...well, I suppose God has a sense of humor because He gave me FIVE of them! But I wouldn't have it any other way. Melody is so witty, and she is gorgeous both inside and out. She has a firm resolve but is so gentle and kind. Mercy simply captivates me with her humor that often leaves me aching from laughing so hard. I love her personality and her ability to make everyone feel like they are at home. Brooklyn amazes me with her creativity and her knowledge of everything. She has a hungry to learn and she is my book-buddy! Jamie has rendered me speechless over and over again by her boldness. She can easily walk up to someone and tell them about Jesus - and she's 11 years old! And Noel.... she is truly a gift that I'm sure we all didn't know we needed. I have found myself looking up to them and viewing them as some of my biggest role models. I am so thankful God answered that five-year old girl's prayers.

6. My family and extended family. I am thankful for my blood-kin and for my in-laws; My grandparents, my uncles and aunts, my cousins, and my husband's family who have taken me in as their own. Each one is special. Each one is dear to me. I love sitting in their company and making memories. I am so thankful for all the fun, laughter, stories, history, and just plain 'ole good times that have been shared.

7. My home. I am thankful for the home I had as a child and, now, for the home I have made with my little family. It's cozy. It's homey. It's clean (most of the time). It's relaxing. It's special. It's perfect. I'm thankful that God has given me a beautiful little place that is a million times more than what countless millions of others have. I am so blessed and am thankful for the roof over my head, food in the pantry, clothes in our closets, and for the little luxuries I often take for granted.

November Recipes

2011-11-03T11:53:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin Muffins
You can buy this kit at the store and add eggs, oil, and water and make some yummy muffins or a cake loaf with the mix. I made muffins this morning and, in one batch, added some chocolate chips. Delish!

** If you would, rather, make them from scratch, here is a recipe that I will try next time:

Ingredients

* 1 cup All-purpose Flour
* 1/2 cup Sugar (or substitute honey)
* 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
* 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon Salt
* 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
* 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
* 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
* 1 whole Egg
* 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!)

Topping

* 2 Tablespoons Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.

Homemade Apple Pancakes

The other day, I was hungry for pancakes and stumbled upon this recipe a friend sent me a while ago in my recipe box. It was very simple, very tasty, and healthy too! You should definitely try it out.

Ingredients

* 1 small Apple

* 1 cup Oats

* 1 1/2 cup Milk

* 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

* 2 tsp. Baking Powder

* 1/2 tsp. Salt

* 2 Tbs. Honey

* 2 Eggs
* 1 Tbs. Oil

Combine oats and milk. Let stand five minutes to one hour. Peel, core, and finely shop apple and mix with eggs, honey, and oil in another bowl. Mix dry ingredients, then add everything together and cook on griddle.

Pumpkin Pie Latte

Okay, so I tried this today and......EEEEEEE!!!! ---loved it---

This is not MY picture, however, because mine was void of the whipped cream (which I would have indulged in but I had none and didn't really need it anyway). This was much tastier than I anticipated and I will most definitely be making it again. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

* 2 cups milk

* 2 tablespoons Canned Pumpkin

* 2 tablespoons Sugar

* 2 tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract

* 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

* 1/2 cup hot brewed Easy Espresso

* Whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg, optional

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pie spice. Transfer to a blender; cover and process for 15 seconds or until foamy. Pour into two mugs; add espresso. Garnish with whipped cream and spices if desired. Yield: 2 servings.

HOORAY for yummy, autumn recipes!