Time Flies!!

Wow!  It has been quite some time since my last post, but we have had so much going on!

We have had a wonderful (albeit very busy) year, so I hope you will understand the great gap between posts.  Our sweet girl got married in October, and for months beforehand our lives were full of wedding plans and all of the details associated with them.

We are truly blessed.  She married an incredible young man that loves the Lord (and completely adores her :D).  I have also been busy working on a blog to encourage wives in their role as a helpmate to their husbands.  I hope to have more posts here very soon, so please keep checking back!

Praying you and your family have had a blessed 2012.


Now...bring on 2013!

Counting My Blessings

It's hard to believe that the holiday season is already fully underway.  Yesterday, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving, complete with lots of yummy food and sweet fellowship with family and friends.  I have to say that I have really been blessed to see how so many people on the social networking sites have made a point of daily sharing the things that they are thankful for.

The list is endless...everything from their friends and families, to their favorite pair of shoes!  Isn't it interesting how this particular holiday causes introspection, and the desire to share with others how the Lord has blessed our lives?  I, personally, think that it's fantastic.  Mainly because I needed the reminder.  Too often I find myself getting caught up in the busyness (and occasional frustrations) in my life. My mind goes from one task to the next, rarely slowing down to appreciate the glimpses of sunshine that the Lord has infused in my day.  It shouldn't take a national holiday to remind me to give thanks!

I love how God loves me enough to prod my heart back toward the narrow path that He has set before me, to allow me to go through the growing pains that will cause me to more closely reflect His character.  So, starting now, I am purposing to take time each day to give thanks...to replace the grumbling with gratefulness.  I know that it won't be easy.  Honestly, for me, change rarely is. But I know that it is something that I need to do.  Not because it will make the Lord love me more, or because it will make me better than anyone else.  (Neither of which are even possible!)  I'm just praying that it will help me be a better version of myself.  That it will make me see more clearly how truly blessed I am.  And that, little by little, it will help conform me into the image of Christ.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; 

His love endures forever."  

Psalm 107:1

And for this journey, no matter how easy or difficult, I am truly thankful.

Coupon Crazy Momma

Well, I've really done it.  I have finally joined the throngs of happy homemakers who coupon.  I don't know why it has taken me so long to get into it.  I think it just seemed too overwhelming.  Trying to figure out how to juggle the sales with the coupons available in the paper, and then arranging it all for the best prices...WHEW!!  Who knew that saving money was so much work?! 

I'm still trying to decide how to keep all of those coupons organized and orderly.  I keep wondering "How should they be arranged...by date or insert?  By the month you get them in the paper, or by the expiration date?  Or how about by the type of item?"  Yep.  You guessed it.  I am one of those annoying people that is more than just a little bit OCD.  I know.  It's a sickness.  But my Prince Charming calls it a beautiful illness...so I am pretty sure I won't be getting any psychological help anytime soon!  

I'll be honest...I'm still a bit overwhelmed by it all.  But I made the decision that I needed to push through the frustrations (and frequent feelings of inadequacy...probably brought on by those "get $1000 worth of goods for $4.27" homemakers), so I can be a good steward of the means the Lord provides our family.  I know I'll make mistakes.  I probably already have, and I just got started today!  I haven't figured it all out yet, and I know that I'll never be the perfect shopper, but saving some cash does feel pretty good.  :)

So, what's the verdict?  Well, on our first day shopping with coupons, we saved over $200!  It isn't as much as I hope to save in the future, but I'm still on the upward slope of that coupon shopping learning curve.  But I have to say I think that amount is well worth the frustration of wading through all of those inserts, don't you? 

What about you?  Do you use coupons when you shop?  What other frugal ideas do you like to use to bless your family (and others)?

Unfailing Love

As I sit on my sofa, blissfully surfing my favorite blogs on my laptop, I am bombarded with images of love.  Of course, Valentine's Day is upon us, so as you can imagine...romantic images abound.  Whether it is the depiction of an adoring glance across a crowded room, a romantic table for two, or a velvet box with a diamond studded halo inside, all of these things cause me to pause...to focus on what love really is.

I could try to come up with lines of beautiful words to express my findings, but I have no need when the perfect poetic expression already exists.  It's in the Bible...the greatest love letter ever written.

"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.  Love never fails."  
1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 8

It may be difficult to imagine, but this love is not only a possibility, but it is a reality.  The truest embodiment of this love is in the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  You may have heard of this Bible verse:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3: 16

This verse in itself is the clearest sign of what real love is!  But I hope you won't stop there.  I hope you will continue reading:


"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.  Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
John 3: 17-21

What an amazing love!  It is the most beautiful kind of love...a love that seeks, a love that saves. Tonight, as I am overwhelmed by His love for us all, I leave you with this final verse:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  John 15: 13

And so He did.

The Scene Changes

Have you ever watched a movie, and upon the completion of a pivotal sequence of events, the scene suddenly changes...and you see the primary character further along in his life, maybe even years later?  Well, tonight I feel like I have just watched that movie again.  But instead of some Hollywood actress playing the lead, this time it was our little girl in the title role. 

Our little girl.  I have this picture in my mind of my sweet child of two, hugging her baby brother while leaning over his infant car seat.  I see her at six dancing across the stage during her ballet recital, dressed up like a dalmatian puppy (wearing a headband with floppy, spotted ears).  I see her drinking her milkshake the day she got braces, her eleven year old mouth full of shiny wires and rubber bands.  I see her at fourteen deciding that she wanted to be baptized, because she wanted everyone to know how much she loved Jesus.  I see her at our church at  seventeen, when she got her first class of three year-old darlings to teach on her own.  And I can see her at eighteen, an accomplished graduate from our little home school.

Well, tonight I have had a new vision of my sweet girl the way she is today...a beautiful young woman, with a heart completely in love with her Savior, willing to step out of her comfort zone to be the leader the Lord is calling her to be.  For over two years now, she has felt the leading of the Holy Spirit, lovingly urging her to lead a ladies' Bible study in our home.  Tonight, after much preparation and prayer, the group met for the first time.  It was truly a milestone.  The child that I loved and nurtured when she was so small, has grown up into the young woman I love and admire today.  She wants to be like Jesus, and more and more I see His face reflected in her own.


I want to be just like her when I grow up...

God and Cinnamon Rolls

There's something you should know.  I love to bake!  I mean I really...really...really love to bake!

There are few things I enjoy more (as my ever expanding waistline will attest).  And it doesn't really matter what recipe I'm putting together.  For me, the best thing about baking, other than sampling all of the goodies, is sharing what I make with my family and friends.  Just knowing that I might be able to make their day a little brighter with something sweet brings me joy.  I love how the smell of spices hangs in the air, especially around this time of year.  It is one of the things that makes my house feel like HOME.   

  

I also find that, for me, baking is therapeutic.  Whether working the dough for cinnamon rolls, or cooking the fudge icing for a sheet cake, the act of creating something pleasing gives me a sense of calm, clears my mind, and gives me a perfect opportunity to talk to my Father.  I love that I don't have to wait for a more "appropriate time" to have those conversations.  He loves me right where I am, no matter where that is.  I don't have to get all dressed up, or have it all together (which is great, because I definitely don't!)  He knows me better than anyone, and loves me still, even with all of my quirks (and believe me, there are quite a few of those).

I guess we are all a whole lot like these cinnamon rolls you see here.  The Lord takes all of the ingredients of our lives...our hopes, our dreams, our experiences, our gifts, our faults...everything that has made up our lives until this moment, and He mixes them all together.  He kneads the dough (you and me), stretching and pulling...forcefully when necessary.  Then He allows us to feel the heat, so that we can become more.  So that we can grow.  Don't get me wrong...I am certainly not claiming that we are perfect.  Or something finished.  Or something complete.  Not yet.  But the day that we see Him face to face, the timer will go off, and if we know Him, we will be in the sweetest place imaginable.



"How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!"  Psalm 119:103
   

Life On Purpose

How do you go about your daily schedule of activities?  Do you go through your day taking everything as it comes, or do you begin your day with a plan and modify your plan as the day necessitates?  I was reminded recently, through an email from my Daddy (yes, grown women can still call their fathers "Daddy" :D), how important it is to live each day with purpose.  Now, this may seem like common knowledge to you, and usually it is to me, too, but for the last couple of days, I have felt a little disconnected from the usual order of things.

I'm not really sure why.  Maybe it is because I have been distracted wondering when my brother will finally begin his chemo.  (He was supposed to start it this week, but for some reason the medicine still hasn't arrived at the pharmacy.)  Maybe it is because I haven't been feeling up to par physically...but doesn't everybody get "the crud" this time of year?  Maybe it is because I found out that my mother-in-love had to put her dog down on Thursday.  Or maybe it's just because I need more chocolate.  Whatever it is, I have definitely been out of sorts, and sadly, I know that it has affected my attitude.

Thankfully, I got the email from my Daddy.  He has been sharing pages of a book he is reading that discusses having hope in the midst of dealing with cancer, in order to help us keep a good attitude so that we can help my brother stay optimistic.  (I know...ironic, right?)  After reading the selection he had shared, my focus seemed to sharpen quite a bit.  It made me think about how I live my life on a daily basis.  Do I get up ready to tackle the day, or do I wake up nursing a pitiful attitude because I have too much to do?  Do I go about my day with purpose, or do I just do what is needed to get by?  As you can see, it gave me a lot to think about.

It lead me to the Word, where I was reminded once again of the wonderful plan the Lord has for my life (and for yours).

I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were 

born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.

Jeremiah 1:5 

Isn't that amazing?!!  The One who spoke the entire universe into existence had a plan for your life before you were even conceived.  If the Lord loves us enough to have an amazing plan for us before we even exist, our lives must have an awesome purpose! 

I want my life to count, not for my own fame or recognition, but for the glory of God.  I want to use each moment that I have to serve Him.  I want to grow in my walk with Him, learning more about His character, and becoming more like Him with each passing day.  I want to live life on purpose, and not take one second for granted.  The time we have on this earth is a gift from our Heavenly Father, and I want to look upon this gift with all of the joy and wonder it deserves.

Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 (NLT)

Funny how often the view changes along with our perspective.