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Friday, February 28, 2014

Five Minute Friday: Choose

Today's word for 5 minute Friday is Choose...so here goes my five minutes of unedited writing!

When I think of the word Choose, I am reminded that it is in almost every moment that I make a choice. We choose how we spend our moments. We choose each thing we say to our children. We choose every food we put in our mouths. We choose what attitude we will have about the circumstances before us. We choose how we will see other people. 

On the days that I am consumed with things like a clean house, perfect children, a good attitude, what I eat, self-pity, and the like, I fail over and over again. Because we simply cannot accomplish it all. 

What we need to do is wake up every morning and choose Jesus. 

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Yes, all of those other things are all good and not bad things at all to do  in our lives, but as mommy's, I think we tend to become consumed in them....and then, we are really doing no one, including ourselves, our husbands or our children, any favors. 

So join me, in trying harder to wake up and choose Jesus each day. On the days that I consciously do this, I find that I am a more content person and all of that other stuff falls into place. 

Linked up here with Five Minute Friday


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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Worship Wednesday: Every Good Thing

I have heard this song on the radio many many times but it wasn't until recently that I really listened to the words and what the song was about. It was one of those moments that it just hit me in the face.  Although the song isn't necessarily my "style", the lyrics are so true...especially to me. Please take a minute to read them and the truth that God is the reason for EVERY GOOD THING!!

"Every Good Thing"--The Afters

I tend to be busier than I should be
And I tend to think that time is gonna wait for me
Sometimes I forget and take for granted
That it's a beautiful life we live
I don't wanna miss the moments like this
This is a beautiful life You give

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You're the reason for every good thing, every heartbeat
Every day we get to breathe
You're the reason for anything that lasts, every second chance
Every laugh, life is so sweet
You're the reason for every good thing, every good thing
Every good thing, every good thing...

There will be days that give me more than I can take
But I know that You always make beauty from my heartache
Don't wanna forget or take for granted
That it's a beautiful life we live
I'm not gonna miss the moments like this
This is a beautiful life You give

It's our family, it's our friends
It's the feeling that I get when I see my children smile
You're the reason for this life, everything we love
It's  You alive in us
You're alive in us


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Thursday, February 20, 2014

Out of Sync

Do you ever feel completely out of sync with normal life? That is me this week. Nothing bad, just different. With two sick little ones, I guess my normal routine just goes out the window. I am exhausted from lack of sleep. My two youngest are not feeling so great and the two older ones are feeling a bit shut in. 

This is also why there wasn't a "Worship Wednesday" post this week. I was getting pretty down on myself about it until I realized that it completely didn't matter. My number one is taking care of my kiddos and that is what I was doing. 

Our usual activities were cancelled this week due to it being a week off of school and I had already planned to take the week off from homeschooling (though I am rethinking that for future school breaks...we need the routine of it). We probably wouldn't have been able to attend anything with the babies being sick anyways so I guess it is for the best!

So...we have had a different from usual week but here is what it has looked like.


It was in the 40's yesterday which seemed like summer compared to this cold Winter so Keira and Libby went out to play in the driveway..one would have thought they went to Disney World!
Janessa has been resting...or crying...a lot of this week. She has bronchitis and is on the mend but definitely has needed some extra snuggles this week. I feel terrible for her but have also enjoyed the lack of destruction in our home the past couple of days. (though if you saw my house right now, you would think that we were hit by a tornado for sure!)


I simply cannot believe that Levi is 6 months old today...and had his first sick visit to the Doctor. He is wheezing a bit so we have to keep an eye on him and make sure it doesn't get worse. I always worry since Libby had RSV at 6 weeks old and was hospitalized for a week but I don't think he's on that path thankfully! (Click Here for a post about when Libby had RSV)

I rarely include anything that we do but Tom and I are both on praise team this week plus we had choir practice beforehand. We have an awesome sitter/friend who can actually handle our children, even at bedtime. It was like a little praise vacation. And Levi actually slept the whole time we were gone:) So even though I missed the Worship Wednesday post, Tom and I did go to Worship practice!
Being flexible is good...but I cannot wait until things are back to "normal".


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Friday, February 14, 2014

Garden (Five Minute Friday)

Well, it's Friday and the word to write about today is Garden...so here goes.

When I think of the word "Garden" it literally makes me think of the kind of garden that you would grow in your yard. This is probably because for the last 5 years I have talked about starting a garden. I still want to. However, we have been renting and it seems like a lot of work and/or money to start a garden that we move away from and have to start all over again so for now we wait.

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On that note, it is probably good because Gardens do take a lot of work to keep up. Right now, time is something that does not come to me in plentiful supply. I do feel that in a year or two, more of my kids will be able to take on or at least be helpful in the care of a garden.

It is something that I believe we will have someday but right now, the word "Garden" represents the things in my life that I need to wait on right now....and that is ok.

We are blessed to live in a time when I can run to the store or the Farmers market and get wonderful produce for our family so that will just have to suffice for this family right now.

I could have written about the beautiful day, almost 7 years ago now that Tom proposed to me at the Botanical Gardens in D.C. when we were visiting one of my besties and her husband with some of our friends....but I guess that will wait for another time :)


This blog is liked up with Five Minute Friday!

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Worship Wednesday: Find You On My Knees

Maybe I should really call "Worship Wednesday", "Song of the Week". It seems like most weeks of my life a new song pops on that God uses to speak life into me. Of course, singing and music are part of worship, but worship is so much more than that. Anyways...that is a topic for another time.

Lately, I have been struggling with the mundane. The every day life. I KNOW in my head that what I am doing every day is so important. God is using me to mold these little people that He has entrusted me with for some reason. But my heart...oh my heart....has not been in the right place. When the kids are especially disrespectful or when the house is a disaster because they spend the day taking things out but not putting things away...I feel like a failure. In my head, it becomes my fault. I must not be disciplining them enough or teaching them responsibility enough. 

It is a real struggle with me because we really want our kids to have time being kids. That is one of the main reasons that we are home schooling. I don't want them to spend their days picking up and besides, isn't it so much faster and easier to do it myself! haha.

Just like any other job I have had (or that anyone else I know has had) I go through valleys. I feel weary and broken and thirsting for God. I need to be on my knees.


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I have been feeling mundane. I looked up the definition of Mundane just for fun and here it is:

mun·dane
ˌmənˈdān/
adjective
  1. 1.
    lacking interest or excitement; dull.
    "seeking a way out of his mundane, humdrum existence"
  2. 2.
    of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one.
    "the boundaries of the mundane world"

Wow...Both definitions fit what I have been feeling and you know what...it is NOT Godly. I think they go together and it could make someone spiral downhill really fast. 

But I heard this song the other day and it really just woke me up a bit. When I get down (and I will) or feel like the World is caving in around me, the reality is that I am looking and longing for God. He lifts us up, He doesn't leave us thirsty.




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Friday, February 7, 2014

Write (Five Minute Friday)

Since I have successfully posted my Worship Wednesday Posts for four weeks, I thought I'd add something else on to my posting "schedule". I will be linking up on Fridays with "Five Minute Friday". The deal is that you write for five minutes on the given topic and then post...no real editing or anything. So Here goes...today's word is "write".

I like today's word because I have been thinking a lot about why I have been blogging. I think it has taken me a long time to really find my "niche" so to speak because there are so many things flying around in my head. Lately, I have actually started to get organized, WRITE down my ideas, and then have focusing on WRITING!

I have really found that I express myself best through writing. I am [almost] fearless when I write. Though sometimes I do delete entire blog posts before they post because I know that I was writing with the wrong attitude or I might really offend someone (which is NOT my intention ever). My entire goal with this blog is really to be real. Share what is REALLY going on in my life. I am someone who needs time to process before I share my opinion on a  subject and this is a great way for me to do it.

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I love to write. I don't have a lot of time to commit to it, but when I do, I absolutely love it. It really is my perfect outlet. I can write and edit (um...except on Five Minute Friday) and it makes me think more and more about the topics I choose to write.

One little secret is that I barely ever edit anything. You will probably notice that with missing words sometimes or bad punctuation or grammar but when I have time to sit down and write, I usually just spew out words in the same way that I would talk. Maybe that is bad...but that is me.

If you find yourself  overflowing with things to say but just don't have the confidence to say them or know exactly how to make your words be understood by others...I strongly encourage you to try writing them down.

I love to WRITE!

Linking up with Lisa Jo Baker


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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Worship Wednesday: Your Great Name


This has been a song that is comforting to me, especially as I have truly seen how evil can penetrate into our lives so easily. This is kind of the other side of my post The Deceiver


At His GREAT NAME, nothing else matters. Lost are saved. 

Condemned feel no shame. 

Fear has No place.

The enemy HAS to leave.

The weak find their strength.

Hungry souls receive grace.

Fatherless find rest

Sick are healed.

Dead are raised.


Simply Amazing. All the world WILL praise His name. I can't wait!



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Saturday, February 1, 2014

The Deceiver

In a recent bible study that I was working on, it referenced the verse Revelation 12:9-10 which talks about "...Satan, the deceiver of the whole world..."

It really just struck me when I read it. I have probably read it many times before but this particular day, it really resonated with me. You see, some of my loved ones have been going through some awful things. [Insert prayers here]. There are details and different sides of the story, and lies and deception, and so much hurt that it is just....well....for lack of a better term....awful. [Insert prayers here too]

The thing is, when someone is not a believer, they do not realize what is actually happening to them. Satan really is the deceiver the of the WHOLE WORLD! He makes sin seem like it comes without consequence and turns people against each other. He makes people feel empty and deceives them into feeling like they need to fill the void with anything and everything but Jesus.

Satan makes people feel like they have gone so far that they can never come back. He makes them think that Jesus could never love them.

It simply isn't true.

Last week, our pastor said this in his sermon and it stuck with me.

"God doesn't deal with perfection, He deals with Redemption"

Friends, our Faithful God wants to redeem you. He wants to redeem your loved ones. He wants to redeem your enemies.

I'm not perfect and neither are you. He knows us full well and knows that perfection is not something that we can attain. No matter where you have gone, what you have done, who you have hurt....

...You...

...Can...

...Be...

...Redeemed!!!!

Isn't that wonderful. Don't be deceived by the one that only wants to see you fail. Come to the loving arms of Christ and change your life!


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