Temporarily Closed

Inadvertently this has been one of the worst weeks of my life. All because I wrote something that hurt a lot of people's feelings. I already expressed that I was misunderstood. My blog was not written with the intent to hurt, but a second attempt at words was to no avail. I have failed and my words have failed. For that reason I will be taking a blogging break and a facebook break. I hope to return one day because writing my heart is something I am passionate about, but the portions of writing from my thoughts on here will now temporarily be closed. My goal was to encourage, and until I can be encouraging, I will no longer be writing. You may still find picture updates on here about my children, but for a while, that may be it.

Addendum to Fear

I really stirred up something (not sure what) when I published my post on Fear. I am so not sure what to say about it, as I have posted on this more than a few times. I get lonely - I want more from relationships. I am in various stages with various friends, none of which yet have that comfortability that presents calling one another on a regular basis or calling when I am crying because I am hormonal. Folks, I am a hormonal pregnant woman whose emotions are hard to control. I really am somewhat crazy when I am pregnant as far as emotions go. I feel my emotions a lot more passionately than I do when not pregnant. And I am trying to keep it real on this blog. So yesterday, I had a relationship problem, a problem that I have had for a long time now, that deeply hurts. My emotions ran wild, and I went with it. I called my hubby, who was on his way to a basketball game, and I was longing for a second person I could call and cry to. I talked to my sister, but I was just wishing I had someone to hug me in that emotional moment. Later that night, bible study was simply women consoling another woman about fear. I was contemplating a simple statement made about me in relation to fear. I wrote the fear post early this morning with little editing, and I said "gripped by fear." I guess that sounds a lot stronger than I would have originally intended it to sound. I'm not sure how to respond, because I don't know where the controversy lies. All I know is that my post must not have come across in the way that I intended it.

Blog 340

I think I may have lead you astray when I said I was at 300 posts, whenever that was, because I did happen to have a few random drafts in my folder, but this time I looked at the actual post count on my dashboard, and if I post this one you are reading, well then I've made it to 340.

I don't have a clean home. I think I have established that more than a few times. But I wish I did. I am reading, "The House that Cleans Itself" by Mindy Starns Clark, and it feels like I've been decluttering all my life now, since I was doing it before I started reading the book. When I first started the book, I tried to clean everything all at once despite the book's advice, but that just left me in failure and in tears.

Anyhow, if I had unlimited monies or when my kids are in school and I am still staying at home (not sure this will happen), I would love to give all pregnant moms a gift, and this is what it would be. My cleaning services or the hiring of a maid. Why? Because when you are in the first trimester, you are so tired, nauseated, or throwing up, you are unable to get a house very clean. Add in x number of family members that you pick up after and the mess only gets worse. By the time you are in your second trimester, you feel fine, but the whole time you are cleaning up the mess left in the wake of the first trimester and you are trying to make room for the baby. Then the third trimester comes along, and your body feels tired and big and it is really hard to get down on the floor and clean the tub or try with all your darndest to reach all of the hidden toys under the kid's beds. So even though you have a "nesting" period, your home is still not a clean as you would like it to be.

And then if you are me, you have a baby, and babies come with a lot of clutter in and of themselves. It takes you about 2 years to finally get over the clutter of the new baby, and if you are me, by this point, you are pregnant with another child, and the battle is beginning all over again, not to mention that this time around you have little hands to help undo the work you've so diligently slaved over. This could be one of many reasons to stop having babies. hmm, we'll see.

Fear

Fear was the theme of our group last night. We were supposed to have bible study, but life happened instead, which is fine.

Fear gripes us, it paralyzes us. Sometimes it causes us to run. Sometimes, God uses it to motivate us to do what we should do to put us on the right path. More often, Satan uses it to keep us hidden and tucked away. Fear is innately a part of all us. That's why the bible commands over 365 times in the bible, "Fear not."

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Friends were talking about houses being broken into and what sorts of things they do when they are alone at night without their hubbies there. As usual, I was mostly quiet rather than vocal. I had a stinky day myself, yet I was still trying to be supportive. I have no idea if this came across or not. At any rate, at the end, I mentioned I had been alone yesterday, and that my hubby would be coming home late. One of the ladies mentioned that she did not see me as the fraidy-cat type.

This may be true to the extent that she meant it. Only because life has placed me in a lot of situations (work included) where I had to be a "strong single woman" and take care of things on my own. From driving a stick shift for the first time in the hood in Niagara Falls, NY, where of course I was alone and stalled and had to figure it out by myself while gang members walked by or to working in FL and MS overseeing drill crews and going to dinner and the hotel alone at night to being a lonely single woman who was expected to find my way in the great big world alone after graduating college. (Notice reoccurring theme of being alone.) God was with me at every step. Had I not known this, fear would have paralyzed me, instead it motivated me and spurred me on.

It was the latter one, especially, when I found that I was truly ALONE in this world that God's strength and power and relationship became so much more to me, and I realized that I was not alone. But I had no single person to run to at the time - no mother, no father, no friend. Sure I had a mother, a father, and friends, but for various reasons, no one who I could turn to when the going got tough. God was it. That was a painful time, but as I look back I do treasure it because I can see how much He and I grew together.

Fear? I am gripped by fear everyday, but not from fear of my house being broken into or being attacked. I still fear being alone just like I did when I realized how lonely this world can be. What is it that makes a woman like me post on her facebook page, "pregnant hormones - sad, frustrated, disappointed." It's because after I talk to my hubby and he has prior commitments, I still feel alone and in need and in want of someone to relate to, to hug me when I am bawling, to love me, to cry with me or tell me that it's okay. Tired of not having someone I can call when life feels crappy, and I don't want to be alone, feeling like facebook is sometimes the only outlet I have to scream those emotions, hoping someone will notice, care, and want to give me a hug.

God is still there holding me and loving me, and I am still waiting on the day when I feel it from the arms of a person (other than my sweet hubby). So yes, fear? I am most definitely a fraidy-cat, only not in the same terms as she meant it. Fear of being alone. Fear of writing this post and alienating what little I already have, but knowing that I should write it anyway. Fear of relationships that are backwards never being turned forward. At least, at the end of the day, my facebook status was this instead, "Jamie knows from studying Esther last year that what seems hopeless, God can turn around to hopefulness. I just have to patiently wait upon His time. Lord, give me your spirit in regard to that which seems hopeless to me. Let me set my eyes on things above and be in the light, not hindered by the darkness."

Here's the lyrics to "Save Me" by J J Heller.
It perfectly describes how I feel on most days if I stop to think about it.
You can listen to the song on my playlist to the right (it's the first song).

Living
Am I really living
Or am I just existing
Hiding away

Danger
The world is full of danger
But if I never try to go outside
My heart will waste away

Come and save me
You’re the only source of all the peace I need
Come and save me

You tell me life will not be pain free
What will be will always be in your control
Darkness is light to you
And all you ask me to do
Is trust what you say is true

You are stronger
Than any terrible possible scenario today
Come and save me
You’re the only source of all the peace I need
Come and save me
Come and save me

Save me …

Lap Room?

Here, Nana is reading to the kids in baby sister's room. She tells me that she has no room in her lap for another grandchild, and space on her lap was limited as you may can tell from the pics.

We've been reading "Baby on the Way" by Sears, Sears, and Watts, which says that even though mommy's lap is getting smaller and smaller, "there's always room for you on your mommy's lap." For now, I have room for all three of my babies, and I hope to always have room for them.

And depending on the type of mommy you have, this could be true for a short time or for a lifetime. Some moms parent differently. Whatever the case may be, whether there is room for you in your mom's lap even in adulthood, there is always, without fail, without question, room for you in the Heavenly Father's lap. It is the safest place you can possibly be. He holds you, he loves you, and no matter who else He is holding and loving, He always has room for you on His lap.

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:4

"He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms
and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11

The Heathens Strike Again

If you remember this post, you will know that my children were using the dresser as a jungle gym. Speed Racer had actually broken the drawer he had climbed in, and so that left an empty hole in the dresser, which also left easy access to the clothes and easy access to climb on in. This is how I found him one morning.


For a whole week I battled the children and the dresser. Please know that it was not without discipline, but discipline that seemed to go no where fast. So finally Daniel got the drawer fixed, and we installed childproof safety locks on the drawers, which helped to solve the problem. I say helped because they can still, if they want, pull the drawer slightly open, and stick their grubby little hands in and pull clothes out onto the floor to make a mess. Thankfully, it seems to have lost its appeal.

A few days later, this is what I found them doing instead. They had moved into the bathroom and had taken every washcloth they could find, placed each one in the sink, soaked each one, and then sloshed them into the bathtub. Thankfully, that only lasted a day, and I actually got up before them on that day. It still did not help. Now, I am left to wonder, "What will they dream up next?" Obviously they are somewhat smarter than me....

As Cute As It'll Get

I have not posted much about my pregnancy on here, but recently the general public seems to think the belly is cute, so I thought I would post some pics. I do not feel cute, and seeing as how I am only 28 1/2 weeks, I don't think I will be getting any cuter, since I am big enough as it is, but in case you wanted to know, here you go...

Enough

Today has service at church ended, I was struck by the song posted below, "Enough" by Chris Tomlin.

If tomorrow, the world fell apart underneath me, You would be enough.

If everything I had was gone, including my husband and/or my children, You would be enough.

If I no longer had any clothing or food or did not know where the next paycheck was going to come from, You would be enough.

In fact, You would be more than enough.

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2

Tragedies always occur. And the truth is most of us will experience one in one way or another. Will He be enough for you?

The Rest of Thursday

I think it would be entirely wrong to let you assume that my life is full of worship and perkiness kinda like Princess Gizelle from the movie Enchanted, who upon singing has rodents and birds at her every whim and has the most positive outlook all of the time. So after the last post, I feel I must tell you about the rest of my Thursday. That morning was a worship filled morning from washing the table to listening to some awesome new worship tunes on my iPod, but it quickly went sour. I think the enemy was totally out to rob the praise and worship I had in my heart, and I let him.

The week had been very challenging with the children. Princess had been having potty accidents, and Speed Racer had been climbing in and out of the dresser, and for whatever reason, it all started to add up. I let these simple things rob me of the joy I had received earlier in the morning. After checking on Speed Racer for the fourth time during naptime and finding all of the clothes in the dresser on the floor yet again, I lost it. I just lost my cool, and all of the energy I had for the day was zapped after I lost it. I guess you could say that in my pregnant state, I really wanted naptime to be a time of rest. Sure, if you've been pregnant, you can relate, but nevertheless, it was simply selfish. This mom of two, despite what naptime luxuries other mommies have in taking rests during the day, simply does not get to take a nap or much of a break during the day. There are always demands and needs to be met, even with naptime for Speed Racer and quiet time for Princess, and even though I selfishly want a break, I am learning that sometimes, this is a luxury.

That evening I was anticipating going to have a nice night out with the girls from church - a night I had even helped to arranged, but after the events of the day, I had no energy left for spending time with the girls. This is mostly due to the fact that I am an introvert, and I needed my own getaway to recover my energy.

It just so happens that on that particular day my husband had to work out of town and was coming home late. I do not dwell on things like this, but in the back of my mind, I was praying over him and his safety, and I also thought about what life would be like without him. I just had this sense of prayer over him and whether you would call it worry or not - I had thoughts of life as a widow. He came home safely, and even though I wasn't going to meet with the girls, he still insisted I get away from the house for a break that evening. He sent me on my merry way, so I went to dinner with my bible and bible study book in hand and had a great time of recuperation with the Lord over dinner. Then I made a trip to the baby store and came home, feeling much better because God had filled me up again with Himself. At dinner against my better judgment, I drank a caffeinated beverage. I am notoriously bad about staying awake after drinking caffeine.

Upon coming home, I vegged out on the couch with my laptop and heard about my son cutting his finger by breaking a porcelain figure in the bedroom. Right before I was to go to sleep, I got an email telling the news of a man from our church who had died. I did not know him, except for by sight, though I had worked with his wife in our church office. You see, he was a young man, being only 44 or 45 years of age, and his wife was now a widow left with a 5 year old son and some teenage daughters. I don't know the details of his death, only knowing that it was a tragic and untimely death. And the irony that I had been thinking of widowhood all day was not wasted on me. Tragedy, you see, has a way of putting things in the proper perspective. Things like children who don't obey and can't get to the bathroom on time suddenly seem very small and minor in comparison to someone who has lost her husband. But the very good thing was that after hearing the bad news, I could not sleep - that combined with caffeine made a poor combination for sleeping, but I prayed. I prayed for that family, and I feel blessed that I could do so. The man was a church staff member, and I knew upon hearing and seeing the outcry on facebook that God was going to be up to something BIG after his death.

And this morning, I saw on facebook a post from a friend similar to my thoughts. And then at church, God was there. His presence was felt. Revive our hearts, O Lord. Come and meet with us at Valleydale Church.

Washing Feet

Yesterday, while the kids were watching Sesame Street, I wiped down the kitchen table. Wiping the kitchen table just happens to be one of those things that Mommy does better than Daddy, and when he is left in charge, he will wipe it down, call it clean, but it will still be dirty. But apart from that, neither one of us does it like we should immediately after we eat. And I don't know how it works in your family, but when you are generally taking care of things like this a LOT of the time, some of the extra details don't get taken care of like they should. So I really needed to wipe down the table legs and feet.

For some reason or another, as I was cleaning the really dirty table feet, I began to think how moms really put up with a lot for children. I guess I was thinking this because I'm not sure how table feet could get quite so dirty without having children in the house. Then it became a bit of a worship experience because I felt like I was really washing the feet of my husband and children by washing the table feet.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

Of course, I thought about Jesus washing the disciples feet. As I wiped and rotated the table and wiped some more, I thought about how Jesus washes me and my feet on a regular basis making sure that all my sins are blotted away and that I am clean and always becoming more and more like Him.

Funny how God can be found in the midst of washing a table. I love you, Lord!

Proof that I Have Heathens

Generally, this is how my day goes. My hubby gets up first, showers, and goes to work, and I am still in bed when he leaves. He kisses me goodbye, and I get up when I hear my kids begin making noise on the baby monitor. Today I did not hear them on the monitor. BAD! BAD! There was destruction going on that I did NOT know about. So I got up and took a shower. When I got out of the shower, I heard the kids singing, "Go tell it on the mountain." This made me smile, and as I was getting dressed, I heard them playing "Jonah and the whale." Princess was telling Speed Racer that the boat was going to crash. Again, I smiled, and I didn't think much of it. Then I went to get the kiddos ready for the day. This is what I saw:

only before I took the picture my son was nested inside of the top drawer that is open, pretending to be Jonah in a boat. And yes, every stitch of clothing that was in that dresser was now on the floor.

Only a few weeks ago, during the holiday break, we had put Speed Racer in his bed for naptime. And then, a little while later, we heard a great big kaboom. We can only guess that the following happened: 1. He climbed onto the dresser. 2. He fell behind it. 3. He pushed said dresser over. Yes, you read it right; he pushed the dresser over. Daniel spent the rest of the evening securing the dresser to the wall so that there would be no next time and that he would not kill himself with the dresser.

What used to be just a storage area for clothes has now become some sort of jungle gym since we put twin beds in the bedroom. I placed Speed Racer as the ultimate culprit, but when I began investigating, Princess said that it was her idea to take all the clothes out.

The culprits:

So my mission for the day: to get the kids out of the house we've been cooped up in to run wild and free somewhere. My mission for the rest my life: to get up before the kids.

Praying for their Footsteps

So, it has been awhile since I've posted "Praying for their Footsteps," but I wanted to get back into the habit of doing so. Please join me if you like. I still believe that praying Scripture over our children is the best way of reaching them because God is the ultimate parent and guide and His word is truth over me as parent and over them as the children He has entrusted me with.

Dear Lord,
I thank you for my children, who are my precious gifts given by You. Help me to be patient and kind to them, loving them always, and allowing them to be free to be who You've created them to be within the confines of the boundaries You've set up for them.

Lord, help Speed Racer and Princess to "not forget to do good and to share with others, even with one another, for with these things You are pleased." Hebrews 13:16
Help them to "live in harmony with one another; being sympathetic, loving one another with compassion and humility." 1 Peter 3:8

I pray that Speed Racer would grow in self control and be slow to anger.
I pray that You would increase Princess in kindness and compassion.

Amen

Not Me Monday

I stumbled upon Not Me Monday, and thought I would make my own list of things I did not do today or this week:

I did NOT watch my son get out of bed numerous times last night. Not me, my son always goes right to sleep.

I did NOT at any point wonder why God had given me a son that is as wild as wild could be. Not me, I would never have such thoughts cross my mind. Nor did I worry that he would always be a wild tornado destroying everything in its path.

I did NOT pick up clothes that had been tossed out of their drawer for the 18th time, nor did I pick up all the toys strewn all over the kid's bedroom for the millionth time because my son could not contain his busy little energy while I took a shower.

I did NOT get frustrated when my son's attention span was too short to finish even a puzzle. I did NOT search the internet in hopes of finding ways to lengthen my son's attention span and teach him preschool concepts better.

I did NOT change my son's diapers 4 times from the same poop that he refuses to do all at once. I NEVER find him hiding under the table when he's trying to poop. I NEVER have any problems getting him to place said feared poop in the potty. I have NEVER wondered why my children have poop problems.

I did NOT watch my son pretend that his Handy Manny tools were actually Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story. I did NOT find any joy and wonderment at his doing so.

I did NOT tire of having to go into the kitchen to find a "nack" every 45 minutes. I did NOT give into my son's whining because he is the cutest thing in the whole entire world with the sweetest kisses and warmest hugs that melt my weary heart.

I did NOT weep after reading Katie's blog post from Dec 15.

Your Favorite Verse?

So after reading Suzanne's story about her granddaddy Vernon, I got curious about my family's favorite verses or the things in the bible that spoke to them most. It is no mystery to me what my granny's favorite verse was: Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will set your paths straight." I was able to memorize it simply from hearing it so many times from her. Of all my family members, she is the one who continually talked about her faith in God and reminded us of Him and His ways at all times.

I have no idea what verses my PaPa likes. Now that he is disabled, I don't even know if he has continued to read his bible or even if anyone reads it to him from time to time.

And my grandmother and pa both served in the church and love God, but rarely have I heard them speak of His relationship in their lives, so I know little about each of their favorite verses either. I'm curious as to whether I would find out more in their bible as Suzanne mentioned she had discerned about her granddaddy from his well-worn bible.

So I am determined to find out people's favorite bible verses and why? I am on a mission to find this out.

I guess I don't have one favorite, but I have a few that I have clung to or have been known for sharing over and over again:

1 Timothy 1:7 - For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self control.

Matthew 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whatever you do, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Matthew 22:37,29 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and will bring you back from captivity.

To me, each one of these verses say the say thing in a different way: God is a good God and there is no other, and our lives are supposed to be lived in a such a way that the world sees Him in us.

So, what is your favorite verse and why?

Pressing On

Starting from now on, when I'm discouraged, instead of telling you all the details of it, you may see a random verse posted here. It will be a verse or verses that I believe I need to chew on to pass through the discouragement.

Here are some such verses:

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

"Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand; I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you." Joel 2:1, 25-26

Great Christian Women's Resources

I recently ran across some great online resources, which I thought I would share.

First of all, there is a great new toolbar to stay connected to women's ministry blogs and devotionals as well as bible study links and christian radio. Here's the link. I've downloaded it, and I love it already, just being able to have quick access to women's daily devotionals.

Second, I was listening to Midday Connection and Revive Our Hearts, and Revive Our Hearts is working on bible memorization all year long. If you need help or accountability in memorizing, you can go here for more information. One of my goals is to stay more on track in this area and doing it with some other women online holds me accountable, even if I opt not to memorize the same verses.

Third, using my new toolbar today, I went to the Proverbs 31 Ministries site, and I noticed an article titled, "The Friendship Project." This struck my fancy seeing as how I crave more intimate friendships with others. There were tons of comments from women who felt a lot like I do and who had experienced a lot of friendship pain as I have. Through this devotional I found both a facebook page on this, and Whitney Capp's blog, which is currently devoted to becoming a better friend to the women we have in our lives already. Go check out her blog.

Oh yeah, a fourth, if you are trying to read through the bible this year, here's two more resources: One Year Bible by Church of the Highlands and Wendy Pope's Chronological One Year Readings.

Sacrifice

If you are tired of me writing about sacrifice and giving and selfishness, you are not alone, I am tired of it too, but I cannot ignore the work that God continues to do in me in these areas, if only to transform my thoughts into more Godly thoughts.  So I continue to write about such things as sacrifice.

I am not easily content within the confines of my home.  I really really like to get out of the house at least once a day, but there are some days in which staying in is fine.  When I worked, I always liked to get out and go to lunch during the lunch hour, because I just like to get out and move and see a different scenery.  I didn’t like being confined to my cube or even my building, and so it goes in being a stay at home mom.  The problem with this, is that I do not live in an area where getting out is free, without some creativity, and I am not very creative when it comes to my get out of the house time.  Usually, it involves such things as eating out or running an errand, although now, I do get out to take Princess to preschool, and I still try to take Speed Racer to the library, though we’ve slacked off lately.

A couple of days ago, I really wanted to DO something out of the house.  It was New Year’s Day, but we tried to take the kids to get haircuts.  Nothing was open.  In the back of my mind, I also wanted to get a small bite to eat.  Having looked at our money, I knew that I should not eat out.  It got me to thinking about sacrifice.

I wonder how many of us know much about it.  I’m not sure I know a whole lot about it personally.  As Americans, generally, we work and work and make sacrifices for the day when we can one day retire.  We live for the hope that one day we won’t have to work anymore, as if it is something we deserve because of the hard work we have done throughout the years.  Some people probably even wait to spend time with their children or spouse until the retirement years.  And while I totally respect this system and retirees, I hardly think this is the sacrifice that God requires.  I don’t think God is pleased that we have worked so many years to one day stop and rest.  Our whole entire life and being should be devoted to Him – our work and our rest and our retirement.  And while we can change our hope to the hope of heaven, many verses allude to the fact that we will also work in heaven, for work is pleasing to God.

As a wife and mommy, sometimes there are things I have to do that I don’t want to do – like picking up dirty clothes or every day picking up toys that I know will just be thrown out again in a few hours or at least by the next morning.  To simply do these activities is NOT sacrifice.  Working in and of itself is not the sacrifice, although that may be how most people define sacrifice.  Sacrifice is an attitude of the heart.  The sacrifice that God requires is that I learn to enjoy doing these activities instead of treating them as chores.  That I do them as if I was picking up Jesus’s clothes off the floor or putting away Jesus’s toys in direct service to Him and also to my husband and children. 

My husband is great about picking up where I leave off.  Most of the time his attitude is good about doing so, but occasionally I can tell that he really wants to be doing something different.  (It’s very easy to see this when you are frustrated with children.)  It’s in that moment, that he’s not really making a sacrifice.  It is a duty he performs, but not from a glad heart.  The same could be said of my mom taking care of her elderly father – if all she ever did was complain, it could be said that her service was for naught – therefore making it a meaningless act because it was a joyless duty.  If we continually notice what we are doing for our family and what our husbands are  not doing for us, chances are we are not serving out of a sacrificial loving heart.

In the midst of all things, we should be able to praise Him at all times for all things, simply because He is God and He is good – in our duties, in our struggles, and even, in our difficulties.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  Hebrews 13:15-16

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  1 Corinthians 10:31

I am learning that without sacrifice, there can be no love.  Sacrifice is doing with an attitude of joy and thus honors God and shows Him love.  I am convinced this is what Paul means when he writes the following in 1 Corinthians:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”  1 Corinthians 13:1-7

God requires a sacrifice of praise, of worship – these are the fragrant offerings that are pleasing to Him, and without it, everything is meaningless.

Funny thing

People have been leaving comments and I totally did NOT know it, because I was not getting my comment moderation emails!  Today when I went to change the pictures on the sidebars – I noticed that I had comments to moderate.  Funny how God allows these things to happen to increase my faith.  Thanks for your encouragements!  I love all of you!

Mommy Skills

I think there is a unwritten rule that if you are a stay at home mommy, you are supposed to have superior mommy skills of some sort. Up until recently, I did not have any such skills. Some mommies are super chefs, some are thrifty shoppers, some are spiffy cleaners, some are exquisite seamstresses, some are supreme teachers, some are top-notch organizers, and some are profound photographers. While I can cook, shop and save, clean, teach, organize, and take a photo, I am hardly an expert of any of those things. (Notice I did NOT say that I could sew.) The only mommy skill I think I could possibly claim is that of an excellent reader of books. Otherwise, although I have all these other responsibilities too – my skills are just so-so or average. For example, I clean and do laundry, but my house will never win a prize for those lackluster skills. Recently, I decided that I would try to become an expert in the areas of knitting, crocheting, and baking.

For Christmas, I knitted and crocheted many things to give as gifts. I’ve been knitting since I was in 3rd grade, but I just learned to crochet this past November. It is much easier than knitting and a whole lot faster too. I started off with a scarf and a hat for myself, then an alligator for Speed Racer, then a teddy bear (knitted) for my nephew, a monkey for another nephew, and three additional scarves (one of which was knitted) for my mom, sister, and mother-in-law. I was extremely proud of the blue, crème, and brown one because I came up with the pattern for it all on my own. I also made a seal for Princess, but it is still under construction, meaning since Christmas I have taken a break from my new hobby. Here are some pics of my completed projects.

Speed Racer’s alligator

My first attempt to crochet – my hat and scarf

Knitted teddy bear

Crocheted monkey

Crocheted scarf – same design as mine

My favorite scarf – my own crocheted design

I think she loves it!

Knitted scarf – takes a lot longer to make,

but easier to do with this kind of yarn

Also, I have always loved to bake, so I baked many cookies for Christmas goodies. I also made caramel-chocolate covered apples as gifts. Today, I decided that in order to become a baking extraordinaire, I needed to learn to bake bread and rolls, so I made cinnamon rolls from scratch using yeast and all of that fun stuff. I think they turned out really well, especially for my first try. Here are some pics of the Christmas goodies and cinnamon rolls that I made.

Chocolate covered cherry cookies

Sugar cookies

Sugar cookies and peanut butter brownie cookies

Peanut butter brownie cookies

My apples – I think these may have been the favorite treat

Cinnamon rolls – before baking

Cinnamon rolls – after baking with icing