Friday...

When we got home from our fun morning adventure on Friday I got on my computer and saw the news. My hearts sank. I cried a lot. 

After Friday's horrific events I couldn't help but soak up my kiddos this weekend. I couldn't help but think that everything they did was precious, and wonderful, and perfect.

Being a mom to these three is one of the absolute greatest joys and blessings of my life. I cannot begin to imagine what the parents in Connecticut who lost their children are feeling.

It is such a struggle when horrific things happen to understand "why". And while I have no answers and can not wrap my mind around it at all, I find comfort in the fact that God was the same God on Friday that he was the day before. And that he is good and works all things out for good... even when we can't see it right now.

I thought of this song this weekend and it was a good reminder for me of what Jesus has done for those who have put our hope and faith in Him.



My hope is that we don't quickly forget. I saw a lot of people online sharing the same sentiment of appreciating their own children so much more and hugging them much tighter. Let's not go back to taking them for granted. The urgency we felt on Friday is the urgency that exists daily. None of us knows the number of our own days or those of our children. And while we should not live in fear we should live making each day with our children count. Everyday we should be asking ourselves if we have prayed with our children today, shared the gospel with them today, hugged them today, told them "I love you" today....

Tomorrow is a blogger day of silence for the victims at Sandy Hook so I won't be on here tomorrow. Visit here for all of the details if you are interested in participating. It will be a wonderful reminder to use tomorrow to pray for those parents (and grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc) that our hearts are so broken for.



I hope you all have a good Monday today and enjoy this week leading up to Christmas!

Linking up today at The Better Mom and The Modest Mom!

Stick to the {plan}

Last year I did it. I read through the entire Bible. After probably 20+ attempts of trying to do this I finally did it. And it really was awesome. Everyday (or just about) I would pull out my little reading guide and read a little from the Old Testament and a little from the New Testaments and then I got to make that one gratifying check mark next to what I read!

In August I finished my reading plan. I was so glad to be done but after finishing I really found myself struggling to read the Bible everyday. I felt like I didn't know what to read. I would read the different chapters and portions I was using in my Bible study or Discipleship but I didn't really know what to read during my "just for me" quiet time. More often than not I found myself flipping aimlessely through Psalms or Proverbs.

So, I realized that I am just a girl who needs a plan. And that is okay! And I want to encourage you if getting into the Word everyday is a challenge to use a Bible reading plan. There are literally hundreds of them online you can choose from. You can read based on different topics, read through the Bible in a  year, or two years, or 90 days! Read through the Bible chronologically, read through just the Old Testament, Read through the New Testament... seriously, there are so many awesome options out there.

I have decided to do a plan where I read through the New Testament in a year. I knew that this year I would still be doing discipleship and I will probably do a ladies Bible study again this winter so I wanted to make sure I picked a plan I could stick with. I am using this one right here.

I also thought I would pass on a few tips that really helped me to get through my reading plan last time...

• Don't worry about the dates on the plan! I started my Bible in a year plan in August of 2011 and read through the next August. Start whenever you want... you don't need to wait until January 1st!
• Don't stress about missing a day. Don't give up... who cares if it takes you 14 months instead of 12 months to read through the Bible? It is still an accomplishment!
• Don't be a slave to your plan. It is to help you, but you are the boss. If you need to keep reading, keep reading! 

At the end of the day it doesn't matter if you use a reading plan or not! My husband has never used one and he has read through the Bible probably almost a dozen times. For him it works to just start at the beginning and read all the way through and then repeat. All that matters is that you are in God's word daily and that you are reading all of God's word. 

Here is a short 25 day reading plan I found online if you are looking for something to get you started! This plan focuses on preparing your heart for Christmas. Love it.

our {hearts} on Thanksgiving

"Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once, and he volunteered" -R.C. Sproul Jr.

{source}

I saw this quote today posted on Facebook and my mind immediately jumped to the next question that you have to ask, "why do good things happen to bad people?" and in reality we know that we are all bad people.. no matter how much good we try to do. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." 

The answer is God's amazing grace. It is the only answer. I love James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." It changes our entire perspective. We need to stop asking why the bad in our life is happening and instead look at why there is any good in our lives at all. 

I think Thanksgiving takes on a whole new meaning when we view every blessing we have in this light. We do not deserve a single good thing and yet we are blessed with lives full of goodness. Most of us will spend Thursday with our families and friends. I hope we will be counting every blessing and remembering that each and every one is more than we could ever deserve.

Let this be us this Thanksgiving, "They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness." Psalm 145:7 (NIV)

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

"C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity makes a brilliant observation about gospel-humility at the very end of his chapter on pride. If we were to meet a truly humble person, Lewis says, we would never come away from meeting them thinking they were humble.They would not be always telling us they were a nobody (because a person who keeps saying they are a nobody is actually a self-obsessed person). The thing we would remember from meeting a truly gospel-humble person is how much they seemed to be totally interested in us. Because the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less." - From the Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller.

My pastor suggested reading this little booklet (available on your Kindle for $.99!) after his sermon on Sunday. The combination of the sermon (listen here) and this book (buy here) have left me a total mess.. in the best possible way.

I have been awakened to my self-obsessed ways. And it is ugly.

This little booklet takes less than an hour to read and I am not putting it lightly when I say this is possibly the most life changing thing I have ever read. If you struggle with worrying about what other people think of you, if you get your feelings hurt easily (you consider yourself "sensitive"), if you are easily embarrassed, or if you struggle with unforgiveness, I highly suggest listening to the sermon and reading this little book.



And then come over to my house and drink coffee with me and let's CHAT!

Linking up at Growing Home today!

{Circumstances}

Lately we have had a lot of sickness in our house. And it came exactly at the time I got over the constant morning sickness (who named it that anyway? I find 24 hour a day sickness much more accurate). Life has been busy as always with church, friends, family, and various other obligations. And I am not going to lie... I have had an "in tears melt-down" pretty much every single day... two yesterday, which were both directed at my dear husband. Thankfully, he gets me and came home in the evening with a big Diet Coke...

But, it is funny, because in the midst of the crazy... In the midst of feeling completely overwhelmed most days... I have never loved motherhood more. Every single day I find myself driving in my car and looking back at my kiddos, or reading a book about firetrucks for the 20th time, or making peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and this huge smile comes across my face and I think to myself, "oh my goodness, being a mom is the best thing in the whole world." Because my daily circumstances don't change the truth.

And it reminded me of our relationship with God. Our daily circumstances don't change the truth of who He is. And it reminded me of the attitude we should have every day. In the middle of empty bank accounts, illness, and messed up marriages we can still smile and say, "God, YOU are the best thing in the whole world." We should still be praising Him.

And, I am not saying all of this because it is something I do. In fact, when things go wrong, I have to admit God is usually the last thing on my mind and I quickly try to figure out what I can do in the situation. But, God has used this truth in my life (the fact that motherhood is an amazing blessing no matter what) and reminded me of an even bigger truth... that He REALLY is THE blessing.

Our circumstances change constantly. A good day can quickly turn bad. And the other way around. But, if we can stay focused on the One who is always good. Who is always right, and true, and noble... We will know that we are always okay.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.- Psalm 73:26

The lady at the grocery store...

You are at the grocery store with your three children all under the age of 5... what was supposed to be a trip for milk and eggs turned into a cartful of random groceries and crabby kids. Every 5 minutes someone is asking to buy something with cartoon characters on the front, the baby grabs the loaf of bread and is smashing it up, your 2 year old has to go to the bathroom twice in the 20 minutes you are at the store and you finally get to the checkout line... sweet light at the end of the tunnel. You start unloading your groceries and a little older lady behind you says something to the effect of, "oh, I remember those days! Enjoy them because before you know it they are gone and your kids are all grown-up like mine"... and if you are feeling friendly you will smile and nod but deep down you are annoyed. This lady doesn't remember how hard it is with little kids. Enjoy it? I am just trying to survive it!

I am not sure if this scenario has ever happened to you... or anything similar. But, I have seen some similar articles online about things like this and I can totally relate personally.But, I think the reality is... the lady at the store isn't saying that to belittle what you are doing. She isn't saying it because she doesn't know how hard it is to raise little ones. In fact, she probably did it with more kids and without the advantages of Disney Jr. and microwave chicken nuggets at her disposal. She knows how hard it is... But, she is trying to point you to the bigger picture... And the bigger picture is that we really will miss these days. The bigger picture is that our children really are only little for a short window of time. And the bigger picture is that children aren't given to us to burden us and weigh us down.

In reality, most of us chose (and were given that opportunity by the grace of God) to be mom's. Motherhood is not a prison sentence that someone put on us. It is a blessing and an opportunity to love hard and serve well.

I am not saying it is always easy. I am right there in the trenches with all of you and I know that there can be hard moments. Really hard moments. But, if we can make the effort to keep our eyes on the bigger picture and keep our focus there I know that we will all have the opportunity to truly enjoy these years. And instead of being annoyed with the lady in the super market we should be thanking her for pointing us back to the right place...

I am linking up at Growing Home and Women Living Well!

Sheparding a Child's Heart

I am reading "Sheparding a Child's Heart" by Ted Tripp and gleaning so much from it already. Which is basically hilarious because the first time I read it I thought it was absolutely awful and was the worst parenting book I had ever read. But, I was in a very different place spiritually then. A place where I was reading a lot of worldly wisdom and desiring for my children to fit in well in the world. 


I have been thinking a lot about how busy we are already. Our 5 year old is playing soccer this Spring and our 3 year old is in ballet. Then add to that small group every week, other church commitments, getting together with family and friends, and you have a schedule that is pretty crazy. And my kids are still little!


This passage from the book totally knocked me over the head this week. Mr. Tripp is talking about the worldview that we give to our children based on the business of our/their lives:


"If your objectives are anything other than "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever," you teach your children to function in the culture on its terms. How do we do this? We pander to their desires and wishes.We teach them to find their soul's delight in going places and doing things. We attempt to satisfy our lust for excitement. We fill their young lives with distractions from God. We give them material things and take delight in possessions. Then we hope that somewhere down the line they will see that a life worth living is found only in knowing and serving God." 


I am linking up today at Raising Mighty Arrows!

Loving when people don't love back

I just wanted to drop in today and offer some encouragement to any of you that are struggling in relationships with family or friends. I am an oldest child which tends to equal perpetual people pleaser. I love to have people like me and I have a desire to be friends with everyone. But, over the last several years I am learning that not everyone is going to like me or want to be friends with me and honestly, this still kind of kills me. I love people and long to be accepted! And there was a time (and are still moments) when I would do or say just about anything to make that happen.

I went through a period of really struggling in this area because I was struggling in a few relationships I had.  Christians in my life who were putting enormous pressure on me to "love my enemies" and it would fix everything. The thing was that I WAS "loving my enemies" they just weren't loving back! I was believing that if I did everything God's way that everyone would like me. But, God never promises us that everyone will like us. In fact, he kind of promises us the opposite. And in the past year or so I am realizing that loving our enemies is not something we necessarily do FOR our enemies. And it is not a formula to get people to like us. But, it is a way we can be obedient to God.

It is hard when people don't accept me or desire to be friends with me. But, I just want to offer encouragement that if you are in a difficult relationship the only one you need to worry about pleasing is God. If you are showing someone in your life lots of love and encouragement and they don't respond or if they respond negatively, remember the one who you are really doing it for.


I am linking up at Women Living Well!

Family Worship 101

When we started attending our new church a few months back I learned about a concept that was totally new to me: Family Worship. Family Worship is just that- worshiping God together as a family. At the time we were reading the Bible to our kids every night (which was a huge step up for us from where we started) but we hadn't really taken time to worship together just as a family. We were encouraged to take some time every night to have a family worship time where we read the Bible, sing songs together, pray together, and anything else the Lord lays on our hearts. 

Family Worship is now something we all look forward to in the evenings. But, I have to give all the credit to the hubs. I tend to let routine things fall by the wayside but he makes sure we spend this time together as a family every evening that we can. 

I thought I would share a few of our favorite resources for family worship! Our kids are 5, 3, and 1 so these resources are geared towards younger kids. Do you have any favorite resources you like to use to help you disciple your young kiddos? 

1- The Jesus Storybook Bible- by far my favorite children's Bible. We use this one most of the time to keep things short and sweet but I love the way that the Jesus Storybook Bible points every story in the Bible to Jesus.
2- Our 24 Family Ways- one of my biggest goals as a mom is to help my children develop Christ-like character. I don't think kids learn these things naturally and I think it is important to be intentional. This book is one I am going to start using with my kids and also hope to tie into our homeschool curriculum next year.
3- Questions With Answers- this little C.D. takes the Westminster Catechisms for kids and puts them to music. The first time I listened to this C.D. I thought the songs were a little dorky but as I found my kids (and MYSELF!) memorizing the truths of our faith I was sold.

Another resource not pictured that we love at our house are the Seeds Family Worship c.d.s. They have Bible verses set to music (and not cheesy music... really good music that you actually won't mind listening to) to help memorize scripture! I wish I could get these for every verse I need to memorize.

I am linking up today at Growing Home, Raising Homemakers and Women Living Well!

Does modesty really matter?

I love the show The Big Bang Theory. Maybe because I am married to a nerd really smart guy that I just feel like I can relate sometimes! Lately my absolute favorite character is Amy Farrah Fowler played by Mayim Bialik (you know, from Blossom?). She is just hilarious on that show.

I recently found out Mayim is Jewish and because of that chooses to adhere to certain standards of modesty. One of those being that she always wears skirts that come down to her knees. I had never noticed that before but now in every episode of The Big Bang Theory I noticed Amy Farrah Fowler is always wearing a skirt. The first thing that popped into my mind was... "oh wow! She must REALLY be Jewish." At the risk of sounding like "Judgy-Judgerson" lots of celebrities profess a certain religion but one look at how they live their lives leaves me with a big feeling of "yeah, right..." I am not saying that it is just about clothes. But, the fact that she is adhering to the standards of the faith she professes really stood out to me.

And then I look at someone like Michelle Duggar and her beliefs are obvious just by looking at her. (Ahh... but I won't go into all that I love about Michelle Duggar... I think we all already know I am team Michelle all the way)

Now, I am not saying that just because someone shows their faith on the outside means they have it all together or really even do believe what they say. BUT... if we really DO believe what we say, shouldn't it show on the outside?

I think dressing modestly has gotten a bad rap because we look at it as being legalistic. And let's be honest, the Bible seems a touch vague on the subject to me. I mean, I kind of wish Jesus had just laid it out in black and white what we should wear, you know? But, I will say that when I see a woman who is dressed very modestly it does stand out to me and my first thought is that I can tell visibly that they are probably a Christian.

A good friend and I have been talking about modesty a lot lately. I think it had been on both our hearts a lot lately and when we finally admitted it to one another it was like the floodgates opened and we have been talking a lot, sharing a lot of articles, and I think both really taking a closer look at modesty.

When I used to think about modesty I used to think about this:

Photo Source

You know what I mean. Modesty = denim jumper. I am not saying we all need to start wearing denim jumpers (although by all means... and if you look like this model you can totally pull it off well!)

 But, I do think what we might need to consider what we are wearing because the Bible brings it up.

"I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works."  1 Timothy 2:8-10 

And I think that when people look at us it should be obvious that we believe in the book that we claim is absolute truth and that we are trying to do what it says. And this obviously goes way beyond what we are wearing... the end of the verse above points out what people should see in us first- GOOD WORKS.

So, does modesty really matter? I think it does because God's word says it does. But, what does that look like? Anyone care to share their thoughts?

I am linking up at Growing Home, Raising Mighty Arrows and Women Living Well.

Worry

I am a little bit of a worrier. I tend to stress about things. This has been especially true as I have been looking into homeschool curriculum. I feel such a huge weight as I take on my children's education into my own hands. I want to make sure I am not short changing them in any way. I have been stressing a lot.

I am reading "The Duties of Parents" By J.C. Ryle right now. When I came upon this section it totally stuck with me and made me realize a lot about my worrying. Ryle writes:

"But, I also know that God says expressly, "train up a child in the way he should go," and that He never laid a command on man which He would not give man grace to perform. And I know, too, that our duty is not to stand still and dispute, but to go forward that God will meet us. The path of obedience is the way in which He gives the blessing. We have only to do as the servants were commanded at the marriage feast in Cana, to fill the water-pots with water, and we may safely leave it to the Lord to turn that water into wine."

I only have to obey. I don't need to worry and fret about the outcome. I need to seek God daily and walk in obedience. Then God will do the miracle...

On being a mom...

Being a mom really changes a person... or more than that, Jesus really changes a person. I have wanted to be a mom my entire life. Being a mom and wife has always been my big career goal. I went to college to get my MRS (I went ahead and got a Bachelors of Science while I was there... ) But, my vision of motherhood now compared to my vision of motherhood as a little girl has changed drastically.

When I was young I thought of motherhood in terms of caring for my future children's physical needs. I thought about feeding them and bathing them. I thought about dressing them up in cute, matching outfits. I thought of throwing them birthday parties and decorating their bedrooms. And I carried on with this as my mindset even when I was pregnant with my first child. I was consumed with decorating the nursery, buying clothes, picking out just the right bouncy seat and swing. These were the important things.

But, now that I am a few years into motherhood I feel like I was so shallow back then. I totally didn't have any grasp of what being a mom is actually about. Sure, I do have to meet the physical needs of my children. And this is certainly the most time consuming part of my "job". And let's be honest, putting a flowery headband on a little girl or a sweet sweater vest on your little guy is one of the perks of the job.

But, I find that the most important part of my job and the most mentally consuming part of my job is caring for the hearts and minds. Encouraging, teaching, talking with, listening, training and disciplining... the inside stuff. That is what being a mom is about down at the core. Giving love and affirmation to our children, giving them a vision for eternity- what else could matter more?

Anyone can care for our children's needs. And a lot of people do it well. I am not the only one that can dress my child or feed them breakfast. And, in reality, I am not the only one that can teach them about God or touch their hearts in some way. But, since I am their mom, I do know them better than anyone else. And I believe as my children's mom God has given me a heart for my children that no one else has. I can't imagine any one else loving my children more than I do, having the same vision for their lives, caring for their hearts quite like I do (except for Jesus of course).

I am not saying it is wrong to decorate our kiddos rooms or put them in cute outfits (I like to do these things to). But, those things can't be the priority. Because, to put it plainly, if our children had adorable bedrooms, perfect outfits, and the most outrageous birthday parties in the neighborhood but we did not take the time everyday to speak to their hearts and pour into their souls that I believe we have failed. Being a mother is not about helping our children keep up with the Jones's... it is about touching their hearts for eternity.

I want to encourage all of us as moms to take a step back and take a hard look at where we are focusing our energy. Have we prayed with our children today? Have we prayed for them? Have we read them a good book and asked what they thought about it? Have we snuggled and tickled and laughed and chased? Today, let's do the job that only we as their moms can do for them. I don't think we will regret it.

My new word

I am at a new season in life where God is teaching me to use a new word. It is a word that I really don't like to say and I avoid it at all costs. It is "no". Specifically, it is saying "no" to a lot of really fun things. 

I am a social butterfly by nature. I love to be with people. I love having friends and getting together. I love community. But, at this time in my life with three young kiddos, my husband's work schedule, church stuff, and homeschooling on the horizon I just don't have the free time I used to have. I need to be at home most days in order for things to run smoothly in our home and in order to get done everything I need to get done. 

It has been REALLY hard for me to say "no" lately. The hardest one just today was having to say "no" to being in a morning Bible study with some ladies at church. It is a group of really neat ladies! And come on, it is a Bible study! Surely God approves of studying the Bible! And He does! But, I just knew He was saying "no" to this one... at least right now. I knew if I said yes I would become too busy and I would be inconsistent in my attendance and inconsistent in getting things done at home. But, man, it was so hard to say "no" to such a great opportunity!

I also had to say "no" to getting together with some girls and an amazing older woman who is willing to help mentor us in homeschooling. It was a great opportunity. But, I know I can't do it all.

But, I also realize that as hard as it is to say "no". And if you know me you know that it is really, really hard... Everytime I say "no" I also get to say "yes". "Yes" to these sweet little faces who will only be little for a very short time...

I am linking up at The Better Mom, These 5 of Mine, Plus Two, The Modest Mom, Women Living Well and The Straightened Path.

Ordinary

I follow author Lysa TerKeurst on Facebook. She is always posting fabulous things. But, I was especially touched by her post this morning because it spoke right to my own heart and what I was feeling. Lysa says,

Oh how I thank God for the very common and ordinary spots of my life.
Standing at the sink watching the kids do their homework at the sticky farm table.
Sitting on the front steps to welcome home my husband.
Cutting flowers from the bush that just bloomed in my front yard.
Oh what the world calls ordinary, I call the best.

Photo Credit

I love that. It is the "very common and ordinary spots in my life" that I am most thankful for this morning.

I am thankful for getting to wake up to my 4 favorite faces in the world every morning. I am thankful that I get to stay home and raise my children. That I get to be the one to train them and teach them and kiss boo boos and read books for the 100th time. I am thankful for my hilarious husband doing dances in the kitchen... for the sole purpose of making me laugh. I am thankful that he makes me my breakfast every morning. I am spoiled. I am thankful for my coffee in the morning. I am thankful for all the people I get to sit around the dinner table with. I am thankful for my fluffy bed that I fall into at night... earlier and earlier these days. I am thankful for friends who pray for me and with me. And all of these things are ordinary but like Lysa says, "Oh what the world calls ordinary, I call the best."

On heaviness and not going back...

My blog posts have been a little heavy lately. Mostly because, I feel a little heavy lately. I finished reading Radical this afternoon. It was probably one of the most challenging books I have ever read. Challenging, awesome, terrifying- I can't decide which word fits best. I told some girlfriends this morning after reading the book... "it kind of makes me want to just pick up a People magazine". I mean, you can't read a book like that and not want to do something... well... radical. So, a part of me, can't handle it and just wants to shut down. Go back to the way things were and forget about what Jesus is calling us to and go back to living the me-centered life I have always felt so comfortable with. I kind of liked buying what American Christianity has been selling me. I liked believing that my faith was all about me. But, it is like when you are little and learn that Santa isn't real. You close your eyes that next Christmas Eve and want to believe that you will hear Santa on the roof, but you know you won't. I want to look around at everything I own and think about how happy God must be with me because he has blessed me so much with material possessions. But I can't. You can't go back...

My biggest take away so far

Yesterday I shared the books I have been reading lately. My heart has been busy working overtime with what I think is the biggest take away I have had so far from reading these three books...

God does not bless us for our own glory... but for His.

This has been huge for me. For a long time I have been so thankful for the abundant blessings God has given to me and my family. We have three beautiful and healthy children, Nick has a well paying, stable job. We have 2 payed for cars, and a house that is much bigger than what we need. We are blessed. And I have always been so thankful for that. But, I am realizing that I have been so thankful that God has been blessing me and it ends there. But, although God loves me, he doesn't bless me just for me. He blesses me so that I can be a blessing to others and so that I can bring Him glory.

And I have been failing at this miserably. I have been feeling pretty good about myself for giving tithes and offerings. I have patted myself on the back as I wrote out a check for that 10%... or given a little extra to a good cause. But, I have not been striving to be a blessing with all that I have and to bring God glory in everything that I do.

I have compartmentalized my life into two seperate boxes. I have the life I live for God in one neat little box where I take someone a meal, write a check to a good cause, serve at church, write an encouraging letter to a friend... And then I have another box (and a much bigger one) where I want to save money to buy a really nice minivan, where I dream about fancy vacations, where I try really hard to fit in and be just like everyone else around me, and where I worry about what I want above all else. And I live a double life.

I am not okay with living this way. I don't think it is wrong for me to save to replace our vehicles... but am I considering how I can bring most glory to God in this area? Have I really considered how I can use my home that is so much more than we really need to bless others (aside from having my Christian friends over that I really enjoy over for parties and get togethers)?

I want to seek to glorify God in every area of my life. And I want to use every blessing that God has given me to bless others. I have no idea what this looks like or what forms this can take. I do know that it starts with a lot of prayer and asking God to reveal a whole lot of selfishness that is inside of me. I am nervous, but knowing what I know, I can't keep living the way that I am.

In Kisses from Katie, Katie Davis says often that God "wrecked her life" and I am starting to see what she means by that. Once we learn Truth we can't even enjoy living for ourselves anymore. We feel uncomfortable living a comfortable faith.

And sadly, the people whose lives seem radical to many of us Christians biblically are not radical at all. They are just doing what the Bible says. So, I can't help but wonder if the Christians who I most look up to who are living a "radical" life are not really that radical, what does that make my very comfortable, mainstream life?

My reading list lately

I have been a little reading machine lately. In the last week I have read two books and am now in the middle of one. It all started when a few Bible verses, all with similar themes started coming up in my quiet times and in other ways. Verses like Matthew 34-46, and Ephesians 2:10, and James 2:14-26. These verses and ones like them just kept coming up and I felt God really speaking to me about my faith. 
A few books had been recommeded to me and they all seemed to be close to the issues God was working on in my heart so I started reading, hungry to hear about how other people were living out their faith in Jesus. All while knowing verses like Romans 11:6 are true, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace."
I read

this book and

and this one. And I am currently in the middle of

this one.
It has been awesome. I have been so challenged in my faith and have had to really take a hard look at why I believe what I believe. There were several times (in each book) where I have found myself disagreeing with a point and what comes to mind is something a pastor or religious leader has said and then actually going to the Bible to see what is says about the issue and finding that I have been believing some things that just aren't Biblical. It has been eye opening and overwhelming all at the same time.
Have you guys read any of these books? What did you think? I think I have a lot more thinking to do!

Mommy

"Mommy." She said it and I knew. She was mine. I was captivated. Because Mommy is forever.


It's such a powerful name. Mommy means "I trust you." Mommy means "You will protect me." Mommy is for shouting when you need someone dependable and for laughing with when you are excited; Mommy is for crying on and cuddling with when you are sad or giggling and hiding behind when you are embarassed. Mommy is the fixer of boo-boos and the mender of broken hearts. Mommy is a comfort place, a safe place. Mommy means you are mine and I am yours and we are family.


excerpt from Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.

Thanking God for His amazing grace today in allowing me to be mommy to three amazing kids and praying that I  stop taking the blessing of my children for granted.

Children

Sometimes I want to write a post and I just can't get the words out. And then sometimes I realize that someone else has already done it for me! This post totally touched my heart and said so many of the things I had been wrestling with lately... Motherhood is Calling (and Where your Children Rank) by Rachel Jankovic. 

It was an amazing read as I have been wrestling with the fact that definitely as a culture... and even as a Christian culture we do not truly believe that children are a blessing and that motherhood is a high calling. And I have realized that while I love my children intensely I have been believing that children are not a blessing but a job. That motherhood is good... after you have done other things... 

I found this post so affirming because I constantly get comments in the grocery store about "having my hands full" and while people rarely mean anything by it, it does get in your head and make you start to believe it. Everyone has this idea that the perfect family is 2 children. When we had our third I got more negative comments than positive ones. It was so disheartening. And I am almost positive that if we had more a lot of people would be less than supportive. Which, honestly, I think boils down to people not believing what God says about children.

I do not think you have to have 20 children to believe that children are a blessing. But, I do think we need to look at our hearts and motives and search our hearts as Christians and mothers and determine if our beliefs are lined up with what God says.

Psalm 127:3-5 "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

Prayer Cards

My friend Jenn posted this idea on Facebook awhile back and I loved it so much I just had to steal borrow it. You take your Christmas cards and put them on a ring and use them to pray for a different family every night.

Nick has been pretty great about reading the Bible and praying with the kids every night (thank goodness... because I am horrible at routines!). But, recently, he was challenged to start doing family worship every night so we read the Bible, have discussions with the kids, sing a few praise songs, and pray together as a family every night. I thought the prayer card idea would be a great addition to our family worship time so last night I grabbed all the cards off the Christmas wreath (yep... the one Christmas decoration I still have up) and we tried it out. I loved it. It was awesome to hear my kids praying for another family. Their little hearts are so sweet... and Sophie added her trademark... "thank you God for princesses"...

Today while I was at Wal-Mart I grabbed the ring and a package of reinforcement labels (I figured the kids wouldn't be quite as gentle when flipping the cards).

 And TA-DA! I love the ring because then it is easy to hang up and keep track of the cards.

So if you sent us a Christmas card know that the little R's will be praying for you! 

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