A Note From My Mother

It seems lately I have heard several times how blessed I am how to have the parents I do.  I will admit that I took them for granted for many years, particularly my mother.  It took having babies myself for me to appreciate the pain, joy, and sacrifices she had experienced being my mother.  

As we were packing up our stuff to head to Northwest Arkansas to stay with my parents until we go to Houston later this month, I found this note she sent me before I had Drew.  

You are ready to pack your bag for the trip to the hospital.  One of the things I remember  about the day you were born involves a flat, glass marble your brother gave me on our trip to the hospital in Fayetteville.  He knew I was hurting and he leaned over the seat and gave me a blue marble to hold on to so it wouldn’t hurt so much.  I don’t have a blue marble to stick in your bag, but I do have this cross I wish you to take.  After all, all we say and do is about the cross and the one who suffered pain for us so we could be blessed.  He is with you in a way I can’t be. Hold tight to him. 

Love and Prayers, Mom

As a soon to be first time mother, I was naive to what was ahead and thought that I was big enough to handle having a baby on my own.  We lived in Florida and had pretty much told our parents that they could just come after Drew was born.  

In her wisdom as a mother, she came anyway.  I went into labor early and ended up having a c-section.  She flew to Florida the day we came home from the hospital. I have never been so happy to see my mother.  Since that day, our relationship has changed in a way that I never imagined.  Each night that I am up at 2 am with a sick little boy, each day that I am privileged to hear little boy giggles, and each afternoon that I feel like I am losing my temper, our relationship gets a little stronger because I get it.  I see the sacrifice and the hardship that comes with being a mother but I also see the extreme joy and happiness as well.

Mom holding Drew for the first time

Thanks Mom.  For loving me through the little years and then the years when I thought I could do it without you.  For pointing me to Jesus as a child and now as a mother of children. You are simply the best and I am grateful God gave you to me.

Love, Lindsay

Seeds Family Worship

I am always looking for ways to fill our lives with scripture.  A few months ago, I ran across Seeds Family Worship. They take scripture and put it to music.  We have been listening to it in the car and during meals and I LOVE it!  Scripture memorization is something that I know that I need to do personally, but I am not always that great on following through with it!  Listening to these verses through song has been a wonderful way for me to learn!


How do you memorize scripture?  How do you make scripture apart of your home?

A Return to Blog Land and Other Exciting Updates

Ahhh ... it feels so good to be typing a blog post again!  The last few months have been a roller coaster ride for our family and I have had a hard time blogging.  I know that some out there in blog land say that you shouldn’t ever use your blog as your personal journal, but for me so much of what I write about is an extension of the journey that God has me on and the lessons He is currently teaching me.  The last several months have been full of lessons of patience and trusting that God’s plans for our life is the only plan.  I have been challenged and pushed in regards to loving and encouraging my husband through a difficult time.  In the midst of all of this, I have battled through some thyroid issues that have caused me to trust the Lord for strength in a way I never had before.

So, I can FINALLY tell you that Hal has accepted a job in Houston. He will be returning to the company, Cooper Industries,  he worked with for over 10 years before we moved to Mississippi two years ago when his dad was battling cancer.  It is a bittersweet move for us.  We have felt so loved by our church family at Riverwood Bible Church and have grown so much since we starting attending there last year.  We also have several other dear friends here who have been family to us not to mention that we will be moving away from Hal’s family who are just about an hour away from us now.  Even though we will miss these relationships, this is the best move for our family of four in terms of Hal's work situation.  

He starts on April 30th.  The boys and I will be spending the month of May in Arkansas with my parents and joining Hal in Houston after Memorial Day. Hal will initially be doing some travel so he will fly in and out of Arkansas, so we will at least see him on the weekends!  Our house is on the market and we are praying for patience and wisdom as we navigate the housing market! 

3:07 PM

How Deep the Father's Love

Yesterday I ran to get groceries by myself while the boys were napping.  I found myself weeping as I listened to this song.  It was so timely to hear it right before Easter. Do you know the Father in this way?  Do you feel the depth of what He sacrificed for you?

Easter Fun

In the midst of the craziness that has been our life lately, I have been praying about and searching for ideas to focus our Easter celebration on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  I haven't been able to invest near the amount of time that I did during Advent, so I am praying for meaningful, clear ways to share the Easter story.  Here are a few of the things I have planned for this week!


Easter Egg Hunts: We will be hunting ALOT of eggs this week!  I love looking back at the origin of traditions and the origin of the Easter egg had nothing to do with a bunny (that never made sense to me anyway)!  They were meant to be a symbol of new life.  So we will hunt lots of eggs and talk about the new life we have as believers in Jesus Christ.  For our egg hunt on Easter Sunday, I am going to print and stuff the eggs with these cards and candy from Desiring Virtue.


Resurrection Eggs: I have seen these for several years and I love the idea of them, but I am not in love with all the little pieces inside!  I found this great printable on Pinterest.  It gives you the story without the pieces and the expense. :)

Hot Cross Buns: I am going to attempt making Hot Cross Buns on Saturday morning.  I love the idea of this being a Saturday morning before Easter tradition for years to come!

Empty Tomb: I also saw this on Pinterest and loved that it was so similar to what we did with the Nativity at Christmas.

Resurrection Cookies: We will be spending most of Easter weekend at my in-laws house.  I am excited to make these resurrection cookies at their house on Saturday night/Sunday morning since my mother-in-law is the one who first told me about them!


Since celebrating Advent this year, I have been more excited than ever for this Easter season.  I love the renewed excitement I feel about my Savior.  I love focusing on the truth that we serve a Savior that is ALIVE!  I am praying that each of you grasp the importance of that this week as you serve your families!

Sweet Words

I love how scripture can wash over a believer and peace, strength, and encouragement is left where turmoil, weakness, and fear once where.  These words were sweet to me this morning.

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21 (emphasis mine)

The last few weeks have been a little different than I had planned.  I had a little visit from pneumonia and also discovered issues with my thyroid(I will share more about those things and the lessons learned).  I have missed long, consistent time in God's word. but this morning God pulled me out of bed early and this scripture reminded me that when you are "rooted" and  "established" in the love of Christ, something wonderful occurs.  Just like a tree draws up water when it doesn't rain, the power of God has strengthened me in a tiring, dry time.  THAT is how "wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

Easter Cookies

Easter is around the corner!  As we celebrated Advent this year, I began to get so excited about celebrating Easter.  I gathering some ideas and will be sharing them with you in the next couple of weeks.


My mother-in-law, Nan, gave me this recipe a few years ago and I am looking forward to making them this year with the boys!

Easter Story Cookies

To be made the evening before Easter

1 c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 c sugar
1 zip lock bag
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Place pecans in zip lock bag and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 10:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat the egg whites and other ingredients on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonsful onto a waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matt.27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven. Close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20-22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt.28:1-9

3:30 PM

Just because they sounded good. :)

Fighting The Battle of Fear

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I am not the only woman who battles fear.  I am guessing that I am not the only one who can take one simple thought and have it blown WAY out of proportion in less than two seconds.  I am pretty sure that I am not the only one who has suffered from panic attacks when I allow my mind to wander and dream up scenarios.  

Fear and worry have been a huge area of sin in my life and I am confident that it has hindered my spiritual growth along the way.  Fear and worry are hallmarks of a heart that refuses to trust who God is and what He has promised His children.  When I am in this battle, I often go to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.  The second half of verse 6 is often quoted and used when talking about fear, but you shouldn’t miss what comes before.

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

-Verse 3: As a believer in Christ, I don’t fight battles the same way that a non-Christian does. 

-Verse 4: As a believer in Christ, I have the DIVINE power to demolish strongholds.

-Verse 5: As a believer in Christ, I must DEMOLISH arguments and every PRETENSION that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.  The ESV version says “we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.”  What does it mean to “destroy” and “demolish” arguments, pretensions, and lofty opinions?  It means that believers in Christ must use the weapon of God’s word and through the power of the Holy Spirit demolish and destroy any fears, worries, or doubts that we know are contrary to the character of who God is and what He has promised to his Children.  

It is impossible to take captive every thought to Christ, if we don’t replace the lie with the truth of Scripture.  What does it look like in practice? 

Lie: I can not continue to walk in this difficult situation without seeing some sort of answer.

Truth: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 

This week, I was tempted to be filled with worry and doubt about a situation, but I was reminded of this passage and quickly went to it and repeated it over and over in my mind.  I also listened to this great podcast by Martha Peace on “How to Think Biblically.”

As women, we are prone to have worrying and fearful hearts, but as women who are daughters of the King, we must learn to replace our fear and worry with trust.  We must train ourselves to replace the sinful thoughts with the truth of scripture and the truth of God’s character. 

How are you growing in your knowledge of who God is so that you can replace lies with the truth?

What are you currently worrying and fretting over? Will you take the thought "captive"?

5:25 PM

Homemaking 101: Fab Product Finds

Last week, I mentioned on the R&R Facebook page that I was totally feeling old because I was getting overly excited about coupons and minivans.  Well, this post only adds to that aging feeling!  Perhaps instead of seeing it as a sign of aging, I should see it as a Growth Moment and rejoice that the LORD is growing my passion for homemaking.


I am all about finding products that can make life a little easier and this little gem is one of those products!  I had a smaller, less powerful sweeper that just wasn't getting the job done, so we headed to Bed, Bath, & Beyond and found this Electrolux sweeper.  It is cordless and light AND it has the built in hand vac that you can remove and use.

In addition to the sweeper, I found this Bath Stone by the checkout.  Since we moved in, I have had horrible trouble keeping hard water stains out of our toilets.  Well ... not any more!  This little bath stone is AMAZING.  It totally cleaned up the stains and the potty is now sparkly!  At a play-date this week, I mentioned my love for the Bath Stone to a friend and she said she had used a pumice stone and got similar results.  

And my last find at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, were storage bins on clearance for $3.99!  These days I can't get enough baskets, bins, etc. 

I totally wiped out my stash of 20% off coupons with this Bed, Bath, & Beyond trip, but I bet I know where I can get some more. :)

Random Friday

1) Have you missed me?  :)  I have SO missed blogging, but life has been NUTS lately.  My transition to two has been pretty easy up until the last few weeks and then real fun has begun!  My sweet Brooksie has just been cranky.  He is working on a mouth full of teeth and he wants to get up and move so bad!  He has managed to develop an army crawl that gets him where he wants to go and he is making progress on getting his belly of the floor.  He is also pulling up on everything but isn't stable on anything yet, so he has just needed some extra mommy attention.  I remind myself often that this to shall pass!  In the meantime, my time is spent playing with boys during awake times and working on the house, laundry, etc. during nap times.  It actually has been a good reminder of where my time and energy needs to be focused.

Look what I found when I went in to get him from his nap this week!

2) How was your Valentine's Day?  We do V-Day a little low key around her, but it was still a great day!  Drew had a fun party at his Mother's Morning Out and Hal picked up dinner on the way home. We had cooked steaks together on Sunday night and are hoping to get a Date Night this weekend.

The best pic I could do on V-Day!

3) I put a new verse on my chalkboard in the kitchen this week.  I need this reminder daily if not hourly. Whether it is in regards to disciplining my toddler or getting myself out of bed in the morning to be in God's word, I need to remind myself that I will reap what I sow.

^"8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

LOVE

In the Bible, all Christians are given a general command to love others.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35"

The Greek noun for love is agape, the verb is agapao. Agape love is an attitude of God towards His Son and the human race in general ... it is sacrificial love, giving. Agape is God's will for believer's concerning their attitude towards one another as well as an attitude toward all men.  In other words, it is a love that gives to others even if nothing is given back in return. The noun form (agape) is primarily an attitude.  The verb form (agapao) is primarily a practical action.  Either way, it is a choice and we are held responsible.*

Wives ... how can  you show love to your husband today even if it goes unnoticed? Mothers ... in what ways can show love to your children today by meeting their needs even when you know that there will be no thank you given?  Christian ... how you can show love today by meeting the needs of someone you don't even know?


 *Martha Peace's The Excellent Wife p.82http://celestial-maiden.blogspot.com/2011/02/happy-hearts-day.html

12:30 PM

This Week's Menu Plan: 2/5-2/11

I thought I would post my menu plan again this week.  I don't plan on doing it every week, but it is good accountability for me and I hope to encourage you to give it a try!  If you haven't jumped on the menu planning bandwagon yet, give it a try.  Not only does it save $$$ on my groceries, but it also saves my sanity at the end of the day when I know what I am preparing and in many cases, I have already prepared it!  Tonight we had an enchilada casserole that I prepared during nap time and put in the fridge.  To make it even easier, I used pulled pork from a recipe I made last week.  Thinking ahead and having a plan is making my evenings go MUCH more smoothly.


Sunday
Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins
Lunch: Lunch in Laurel w/ Hal's parents
Dinner: Hamburgers & Chips for Super Bowl

Monday

Breakfast: English Muffins & Kefir Smoothie w/ Strawberries, Bananas, and Blueberries

Lunch: Leftover hamburgers and Veggies

Dinner:  Enchilada Casserole & Homemade Salsa (casserole made w/ leftovers from last week)

Tuesday

Breakfast:  Toast & Eggs

Lunch: Leftover Casserole (L&H)/ MMO (D)

Dinner: Zucchini Tomato Frittata & Salad

Wednesday

Breakfast: Cliff Bar/Luna Bar

Lunch: Cafeteria (H) Salad (L)/ Chicken & Veggies (D)

Dinner: Veggie Turkey Chili (Pulled from the freezer from a few weeks ago)

Thursday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Muffins

Lunch:Cafeteria (H)/ MMO (D)

Dinner: Oven Baked Fried Chicken, green beans, & yellow squash

Friday

Breakfast: Eggs w/ Toast & Kefir Smoothie

Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly, veggies, and fruit

Dinner: Hamburger & Veggie homemade pizza

Saturday

Breakfast: Daddy and Drew donut date

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Chicken Quesadillas & homemade salsa

What is your family eating this week?

Date Box Valentine's Day Idea

Thanks to Rubies and Rewards, Hal was able to open his Valentine's Day present a little early!  While I was in DC, Sarah and I put together a fun surprise for our husbands.  We originally saw the idea on Desiring Virtue.  Jessalyn did an AMAZING job on her box for husband.  We took her basic idea and put together something similar. Over coffee and brownies, we spent time brainstorming.  We each came up with 11 fun and unique dates (since we are starting in February).  We also included a marriage challenge for each month.  

 Our Basket of date. A separate envelope for each month.

 We went to Michael's and picked up some scrapbook paper to fancy up the envelopes.

 Each envelope contained a marriage challenge and date night idea.  While we were shopping in Georgetown, we found a fun paper store that had a lot of card making supplies 1/2 off to use in our envelopes.

 For February, Hal and I watched Courageous.  I tried to come up with a good mix of at home dates and dates where we would get a babysitter.

 Our February marriage challenge is to pray together everyday.

 Each envelope also includes two prayer cards.  We can write prayer requests for the month on them and they are small enough to fit in a wallet or place beside the sink.

 I put his basket on his bedside table!  I can't wait for him to open the envelope for March!  It is something we have both wanted to do for awhile!

I looking forward to having something planned each month that is focused on just the two of us!  Jessalyn included some other great items in her box and I am totally jelous of her wax seals! :)  Maybe I will make this an annual tradition and invest more time preparing next year!

Learning to Crawl

It has been a long week around here.  I told a friend on the phone this morning that I am pretty sure this has been the most difficult week I have experienced since Brooks was born.

Getting ready to go

It was our first week back in our routine after a few weeks of craziness which definitely had something to do with it, but my sweet Brooks just had a rough week.  The little man is working on 4 teeth, but most of all he is trying so hard to crawl.  

 

I have seen him push up from his belly a few times and he has mastered going from sitting to all fours, but just can’t get going from there.  

He has figured out how to get both legs under himself but...

He falls to his belly :(

And this is how he usually ends up ... sweet baby!

He wants to pull up on EVERYTHING but isn’t quite stable when he gets up.  He is frustrated and ready to move on his own.  

Doesn't he look proud??

With both of my boys, I have noticed that right before they reach big milestones like sitting up, crawling, or walking, they experience times of frustration.  I can relate to their frustration.  It seems that I experience similar emotions as I face milestones in the process of sanctification.  Whether it is conviction of sin that I must rid my life of or learning and understanding a spiritual truth on a deeper level, the learning times are hard.  Often we can see a glimpse of what is ahead, yet we just can’t get there.  But the Lord is a gracious father who is patient with us and walks us through these times.  Just as Brooks will learn to crawl, if I preserve in the times of learning, I too will learn and overcome the sin or grasp the truth.

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me ... the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24

Mom's Memory Book

I have mentioned that I might have done just a little shopping in DC! :)  I found a great deal on new black boots and I was also able to pick up a jean skirt and black pants that I had been wanting, but my favorite find was this precious little book: "Mom's One Line a Day, A Five Year Memory Book."

Before I started on R&R, I was much better about keeping up with milestones on my personal blog, but working on this blog combined with adding another child to the mix, I just haven't recorded as much as I would have liked.  I found this book in a neat store in Old Town Alexandria. It gives you just enough space to record one or two things you want to remember for the day.

I am looking forward to remembering the funny things they say and they days they reach big milestones like crawling or walking but I am also going to record the days we face challenges!  Lately, I have read more than one blog post that almost sound negative about what we face as mothers and want to tell you that it is okay to complain.  Yes, there are LONG days that I am grateful when I put them to bed and have quiet time with Hal, but I am convinced that scripture tells us to find joy in ALL circumstances.  Even the hard days ... we can experience joy. The Lord gives us the grace to experience joy even when we are still stuck in the circumstance. So, I am looking forward to recording the hard days filled with discipline and correction and the days filled with laughter!

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18