I went outside, and lived to blog about it.

If you know me even a little, you probably know that I'm an indoors girl. If I'm outside, it's for a reason (e.g., walking to and from the car, taking a walk, taking photos, going to a BBQ or because I locked myself out of the house [again]). I can't remember ever liking outside. I've been swarmed and stung by an entire nest of yellow jackets; I've had more tick bites and random bee stings than I can count; I've fallen out of a tree onto my back; I've leaned up against a trashcan only to have my skin covered in fiberglass particles; I've busted up my face on a patch of ice; a big snake snuck into our bunks at girl scout camp; birds have crapped on my clothing; a bicyclist ran me off the bike path while I was roller-blading; I've been tossed from seat to floor while going over rough waters on a boat and I can't stand amusement parks. That's a whole other story. I also don't care for weather too hot or too cold, I'm a 72 and sunny kind of girl. You see, in addition to my serious environmental allergies (all trees and grass and basically anything that blooms), there's really no reason for me to be outside. It's just an accident waiting to happen.

Alas, I have four little darlings that want to go out. And, as much as I would love to just read books, cook food, and play house all day turning them into little hermits like myself - I have to put my selfish desires aside and go...out there. It's uncomfortable for me to be outside; and, I'm awkward (at best) pretending to navigate the great outdoors well, but I do it anyway. You know, for them. For those little people who are clawing at the door - ready to go play - as soon as the sun comes up.

Yesterday, we took a hike with my mother-in-law, Willing Cook and her crew. As we treked through the wilderness, I couldn't help but think how (to me, anyway) hiking through the unsteady terrain, hopping muddy waters (and occasionally getting my foot stuck) and carefully darting around throrn bushes can also be like our walk as followers of Christ.

You see, friends, when we follow Christ, we aren't guaranteed a bed of roses. Sometimes we walk a thorny path of challenges and struggles. Sometimes we do have opposition, persecution, and uncertainty smacking us in the face. We often find ourselves stepping over barbed wire, pushing branches out of the way, and dirt out of our mouths. Much like my quest outdoors, though, we have to step aside our innate desire to seek self-fulfillment. We have to trust in Jesus, and Jesus alone, when those times happen. One of my biggest daily challenges, in my walk with Christ, is forcing myself to step aside and know that He has it all figured out. Maybe that's yours, too?

I can't help but think that He's using my children to help separate me, from myself. I can't help but think that He uses the little mundane details of life, like wearing my baby through some muddy trails while chasing after another, to humble me; to separate me from myself; to make me more like Him.

Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Having challenges and struggles? Please let me know how I can pray for you.

PS. This post is linked up with Ruth and all the wonderful bloggers at GraceLaced.com. Please go visit each of their blogs to read more AND be sure to congratulate Ruth on her new baby - her 6th boy!!

I'm gonna sue you, norovirus!

Ok, so we're not the suing type. One day last week, in a state of total grossed outness and frustration, I actually told my husband that I'd like to sue the stupid stomach virus that leached on to our family, if I could. Of course, I can't. So, let's blog about it instead, shall we?

Yes, let's.

So, we know all sorts of people who've had this dag gone thing. My friend Jenny's family had it for A MONTH! It's accounted for about a dozen canceled play-dates and it needs to go on and get lost already! I somehow thought we got a get-out-of-noro-free pass with all the other crud that ran through here this winter; alas, it started with the three-year-old, who had never thrown up before.

That's always fun.

She started in the middle of the night and was fine seconds later, of course. The next child - our baby - was also in the middle of the night almost on cue every couple hours. In all seriousness, having a sick infant is really traumatic on a mama. After that, it was the oldest who got sick (without warning, mind you) moments after we walked into the grocery. Blue light special, right over here. Next, our poor boy. He had a a mild case and kept it all contained for us. He's sweet like that.

Then, mama got a vicious case of it.

I was sick for several days; it was horrible. That is all.

Then, the hubs got it.

He's been a total trooper.

Alas, God is good, right?? Most of spring break may have been consumed by vomit and clorox, but
we're making it through! Every time I began to get fussy about our situation, I tried to turn it around to a praise instead. I have to remind myself about 500 times on any given day not to be negative. I'm working on it. Here are some things I came up with. Hopefully you'll see that even the worst situations are for God's good. Maybe we got down with the noro because we really needed some humbling to happen? Who knows. But, here's what I do know:

Praise God for...

1. Our working washer and dryer. This past week would have been incredibly difficult without it!
2. The new water heater we got a week or two before. Hot water is a necessity for all those clean-ups!
3. The strength to fold and put away all that laundry!
4. Healing! Norovirus is horrible, but we're pulling through!
5. The fact that we weren't vacationing in Florida, where we originally planned to be. Wouldn't THAT be something fierce. We had too much going on and canceled our trip a few weeks beforehand.
6. A lesson in humility. If holding you child's hair as she vomits repeatedly on the grocery store floor as folks pass by isn't a lesson in humility...I'm not sure what is.
7. Extra clean kids! Lots of baths and showers last week!
8. Our oldest being home on break (not having to miss school) and being able to help occupy the non-sicklings when she wasn't sick and others were.
9. Grandparents that occupied the older children when mommy was getting sick and hallucinating about tornados, cheddar bay biscuits and double rainbows. I told you this virus is wack! 
10. My husband's flexible schedule. He was able to help so much.
11. A surge in nesting power. Nothing makes you want to clean the house and push all the laundry through like a week of sickness. Our house is (almost entirely) super clean! Still finishing a few rooms and laundry. :)
12. Nice weather at the end of the week! It wasn't a total loss. We got to a museum, park, and family get together.
13. Support and prayers from other friends who have been in this situation.
14. The opportunity to spend extra time with the kids - reading, snuggling up, and relaxing (as much as possible) instead of running a million different directions.
15. A break from social media. I just couldn't stomach the food pics.
16. Most importantly, assurance from our Lord that all things are good - even when they may seem not so good at the moment.

That's all, guys! Hope you're staying healthy. :)

PS. Today I'm linking up with Ruth at GraceLaced.com. Go check out her beautifully written blog as well as the others who are linking up with more Grace Laced posts. :)

Fail to plan, plan to...

PS. I didn't make the the dinner above, my mom did.
It's not health food, but It's too pretty not to show.

...drive yourself nuts at dinner time. I know, it's not how the saying usually goes; but, it's the truth, isn't it? Monday comes around every week, there's no getting around it. If I don't have our weekly dinners planned out by the time I go to the grocery on Sunday or Monday, I'm hosed. Here's the deal. When you take three or four small children to the supermarket with you, you lose all ability to think and comprehend information. There's a whole lot of, "mommy, can we get this?" from the kids and plenty of, "what are we here for again?" from me. I end up leaving with enough good food to make one dinner, bananas, and eleventybillion dollars worth of cookies and juice boxes. It never fails. Never. The problems don't stop at the checkout, though. Once dinner time hits on those six nights that I'm now unprepared for, we usually end up eating something quickly with whatever is in the house or we go out. This failure to plan usually also means I'm going to blow my diet (because by the time we all agree on where we're going I'm STARVING). It's kind of like buying something and unnecessarily spending a bunch of money because you haven't done your research to find the best deal.

One way to combat grocery store grief is to make a meal plan ahead of your shopping trip. Now, I'm not the most organized mama on the block, and sometimes I put things away in super unconventional spots, but I know where everything is (except my oldest child's class shirt that went missing the day she needed it, less than a week after we had it; but, that's another blog post all together), but I can make a meal plan! I know some mamas have best-loved recipes that they rotate in throughout the month and then there are some that make something different all the time. I do a little of both. I like to pick a few good standby recipes and then hang out on Pinterest to gather up the rest. I love culinary experiments. Since I get a lot of recipe requests from folks looking to update their menu options, I thought I'd start sharing our weekly meal plan each week like some other bloggers do. If you like it, let me know! I'll keep posting it. It will give me accountability to get this plan done in a timely manner and will hopefully give you some new dinner ideas as well.

Check out this week's!

Monday - Taco Bake
Tuesday - Dinner Out with Family
Wednesday - Chicken Cacciatore
Thursday - Pasta with Meat Sauce
Friday - Dinner Out
Saturday - Crockpot BBQ Chicken and Carrot Chips
Sunday - Dinner Out with Family

Hope this post gave you some grocery run relief this week! :)

Even better than wearing PJs in public...wearing the baby!

So, way back in the day when Baby #1 was born, I didn't know a dern (yeah, I said dern) thing about this baby-wearing phenomenon. I picked up the cheapest front carrier on the market and tried to put my darling little baby in it. Said darling little baby screamed her darling little head off...for the whole thirty seconds it lasted. That was our first and last carrier experience. As a result, she spent a lot of time traveling around in her baby car seat or in the swing or bouncy seat. These things aren't bad, but it would have been nice to hold and snuggle her a little more while still moving about the day.

When we had our second little bundle, I picked up a popular structured front carrier for big bucks. It was better than the cheapo and our little guy was alright with it, but the thing was so bulky that it wasn't really for "bonding" more for the convenience of carrying in public. AND, it kinda hurt my back (that's already pretty hosed from gymnastics, having babies, and chronic typewriter's kink - random, I know) though I wasn't willing to admit that because it was so stinkin' expensive. SO, with my third baby I became a slightly crunchier mom and picked up a ring sling and stretchy wrap. The ring sling was ok, though I never felt like it was on quite right. I used it when my daughter was very small and it was nice to carry her close without killing my back (or being unable to get anything else done). The stretchy wrap... I removed it from the package, saw the yards and yards of fabric included and proceded to ball it up and sent it to my sister-in-law (who loved it).

Now, I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or what, but this time I took a different approach to these things. I took time to learn how to use them best. I absolutely LOVE my ring sling (and would like to get another one). I can throw it on quickly and saddle baby right up. She snuggles in and not only am I being more productive because I can carry baby hands-free, we get some extra bonding time in. And, yeah, it also prevents her from being mauled accidentally by the other kids who think she's a toy. She's hardly been in her swing! And they say 4th babies don't get as much attention! Pfffft. I got my stretchy wrap back from my SIL, too. After YouTubing a couple videos, I have that down! I love the softness of the wrap, but it's not always as convenient as the RS. It takes more room in the diaper bag and the extra fabric is cumbersome when you're trying to wrap in a parking lot or some other gross dirty place (it tends to brush parking lot pavement, ew). I love wearing it around the house and when we're out visiting others, though. There are ways to pre-wrap yourself before arriving at your destination, I just haven't done it yet. There's a time and place for all carriers.

I've heard a lot of other mamas vent in frustration about wraps and carriers, too. I will tell you ladies, there's hope!! You just have to be patient, know that your baby is learning as well as you (and he or she may not like a particular carry at first, but keep trying). You should also lean on other baby-wearing mamas for support! Check out The Baby Wearer for forums and tons of reviews and other info. You can also YouTube tons of helpful videos. This video was super helpful when learning how to wrap my Moby. You can also search for videos that compare and contrast different carriers - and there's a TON of them. Finnnnallly, check online for swaps! You can feed your new baby-wearing addiction with nice used items from local or online product swaps.

This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, and Better Mom Mondays Hop on over to to those awesome sites to see who else is sharing.

Back from the blog hiatus...

Aren't you thankful the Lord goes before us, always? I am. A week ago I heard a sermon about being tired and weary. I wasn't worn down just then, though I sure could relate to the feeling! As the week went on, I realized that the context of that sermon was SO for me. It's was just another example of how the Lord goes before us and prepares our hearts, priming us for what's to come.

In the time between that sermon and now - two of the kids and I had a week-long stomach bug. The neighborhood yard sale I'd been organizing started off on the hottest day of the year (close to 100 degrees) during which, the stomach bug continued and my ankles swelled to an unrecognizable state; I wish I were joking. We sweated through it and had a successful sale, but we were quite relieved to be finished. As soon as the sale was over, I got my terribly off-schedule children down for a rest. I thought to myself, "a break...finally." Um, wrong again.

About an hour-and-a-half into our "break" we heard the wind kick up a little. I didn't think much of it until the house started getting dark and the the power suddenly went out. No flicker, no warning, no idea a storm was coming - just sudden and total darkness. The kids and I scurried downstairs to find dark green, fast-moving clouds rolling through and big trees swaying from side as if they were feathers in the wind. The storm came and went and forty-some hours later after two nights of indoor "camping," enduring very hot temperatures with not so much as a breeze in the atmosphere, and a fridge and freezer full of spoiled food, our power came back on.

Though I was physically tired, and miserable, and weary, I knew my only relief would be to make a conscious effort to focus on Christ. I was thankful to be spiritually sound knowing He'd pull us through in His time.

How many times do we face storms like this amidst just when we're feeling great? Much like the storm that rolled through our community, sometimes in life's storms, there's no flicker, no warning, just sudden and prolonged darkness around us. We may feel like the trees at times, being tossed in every direction at the mercy of something much larger. If we're faithful, though, we focus on Christ. We look to Him in our struggles and realize that it's for His glory no matter how tired we grow. We can find rest in His plan no matter what's happening around us. For that, I am so thankful.

This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, and Better Mom Mondays Hop on over to to those awesome sites to see who else is sharing.

A haircut, followed by a spiritual lesson.

Okay. So, previously, I posted about cutting my own hair. I cut several inches off a month or so ago and it turned out well. Then, on Friday night, I got a little overly-confident with my new skill. I decided to cut some more off. Somewhere halfway through the process, I knew I was losing it (random chunks of hair, that is). I knew what was going to happen when I looked in the mirror. When I made the last snip, I let my hair down in looked in the mirror. "okay, okay, not that bad...the front is two inches longer than the back and that's fixable," I thought to myself. I went ahead and snipped the front to match the back. The problem was...I wasn't really equipped to make that fix on my own; I made some crazy maneuver that left the front about an inch and a half shorter than the back. It was starting to look like something from SNL. There, in my bathroom, at 10:30pm or so, I proceded to style my hair (cover my mess-up) in an effort to convince myself that it wasn't that bad. Once I was okay with it, I went to bed.

The next morning. 

I woke up with hair that very closely resembled my two-year-old's bedhead and uneven locks (not nearly as cute, of course). I looked at it, curled it, and immediately called my stylist friend (the one that I said may have to eventually come and save me). I explained my predicament. She responded with, "just call me when you need a haircut" and came right over to rescue my tortured locks.

The result? 

My hair is really short. It looks good because my stylist friend is super talented; she could put a lampshade on my head and make it look like the latest trend in hair artistry. However, it is shorter than I'm used to (which is totally my fault, btw, for getting scissor-happy).

So, what now? 

I learn a spiritual lesson of sorts. I'm not saying that haircutting is a spiritual lesson in itself, but it made me think about all of the times we (as Christians) try to fix things ourselves instead of calling out for help. I could rattle many, many accounts in my own life when I tried to be the solution instead of seeking God; We try to do things ourselves. We realize we're not doing the right thing, yet we do it anyway. When things don't work, we try to patch it all up ourselves. When that doesn't work, we (hopefully) call to Jesus for a fix. He may not fix it in the way we hoped (like how my stylist couldn't add 4 inches back to my hair) or as quickly as we'd hope, but everything is for His glory and is perfectly orchestrated by Him. 

Like my hair stylist friend who said, "Just call me when you need a haircut." Christ also commands that we call on Him. Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 

Speaking of issues more significant than my crooked hair, I have tried to be the solution. I have tried to solve a problem that was deeply rooted and obviously only fit for God to deal with. I've been refined and groomed by Christ, fixing me however he wishes.

Seek the professional problem-solver, call on Christ.

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This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, Better Mom Mondays and Just for Fun Fridays

Hop on over to to those awesome sites to see who else is sharing.

Never Ending Grace

Isn't it awesome how God's grace truly never ends? He is truly AMAZING in all things - on the good days, and the bad days. We took at look at John 14 during this Sunday's sermon. Though I didn't know it when I took a seat in the sanctuary, I have to say, I really needed to hear those promises of growing grace illustrated in John 14. 

The third trimester of pregnancy caught up with me last week, as it has a way of doing about this time in pregnancy. I was pouting, mostly to myself, about how hot it is outside; how my bones hurt; how everything I do seems like a chore because it's hard to move, bend, and breathe more or less; also, I was inwardly fussing about how much longer is still left in this 40 week tour - I checked my calendar a several times during the week like the number of remaining weeks was going to be suddenly lowered or something. The days pass quickly, but it seems like the countdown of weeks that remain is dragging on and on. Instead of being driven to persevere, I allowed myself to use these things as an excuse to be a little lazy and grouchy, too. Yesterday's sermon, though, was a gentle reminder that God's grace is there in full abundance and increasing, even when we're hurting. This goes for any kind of hurt - physical, emotional, or otherwise. This is a fine reminder that we must endure to glorify Him even through difficulties because HIS GRACE ALWAYS ENDURES. His grace is truly enough and, in direct alignment with the mission of this blog, I'll tell you - it's found in every second of everyday whether we want to see it or not. Grace is in the aches and pains; Grace is in the success and the happiest of hearts. Aren't you glad it is? I sure am.


John 14:1-14

Jesus Comforts His Disciples 

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God^[a]; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”  

Jesus the Way to the Father 

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well.From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 

⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

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This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, Better Mom Mondays and Just for Fun Fridays

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'Nuggle Me, Mommy.

This is a daily request from my sweet two-year-old. She loves to snuggle up at nap-time and bed-time with her baby, blankie, paci, and mommy. Honoring her simple repeated requests probably means more to me than to her.

To her, 'nuggling means comfort, safety, and love as she burrows in a warm nest of blankets and pillows next to her mom. To me, it's become a holy experience. And, I don't mean holy in the sense that my child is soundly sleeping and mommy gets a break. What I mean is this...watching this small child sleep peacefully provokes a lot of prayers, devotions and praises. During this time,

• I'm reminded that her life is a beautiful blessing and gift from God. 
• I'm reminded to pray for her and my other children. I pray that they become beacons of grace and that they soon learn to love and obey the Lord all the days of their lives. 
• I'm reminded to keep basking in the Word. I often use nap time as my quiet time to do devotions and study.
• I'm reminded of what a blessing it is to be able to stay home with her and her siblings - praising God for this opportunity to serve joyfully at home (even when my baskets overfloweth with laundry)! In the past, I worked from home and nap-time was carefully orchestrated with no built-in buffer for anything unexpected. The kids went to bed and I tuned into my computer for the next three to four hours. Emails, task lists, reports and phone messages just couldn't wait. I'm SO thankful to be able to serve my children for as long as they need me these days instead of rushing them off to bed so I can work.

So, next time your child asks you to do something that you don't have time to do, instead of immediately replying that, "there's no time," ask yourself a simple question instead -"do I have time not to?" These small requests from our kids could often mean big teaching and learning moments for us. Besides, once these days pass, they are gone forever. Use them wisely and all for the glory of God.

Blessings, my friends! Happy Monday!

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This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, Better Mom Mondays and Just for Fun Fridays

Hop on over to to those awesome sites to see who else is sharing.

What to Expect When You're Expecting

In the downhill slide of my fourth forty-week tour, I can tell you exactly what to expect. Expect the unexpected. As warm, fuzzy, and sometimes downright frightening as those pregnancy books are, I think they neglect a few details. At my current state, I'm experiencing things that I can't remember reading about in books. Want to hear my top symptoms right now? Okay, I thought you did...

• We're experiencing 4th of July temperatures in May. Who could have called that? As a result, I want to do nothing other than sit in the A/C with a fan on high-speed blowing directly in my face.
• Most of my pants  are too small and uncomfortable. I may wear yoga pants every day for the duration of the pregnancy unless I absolutely have to appear "presentable" somewhere. 
• Every morning when I wake up, I feel like someone twisted my spine while I was sleeping. It stays that way for a good while afterward.
• Those yoga pants I mentioned, it's really hard to get them on when you can't bend over. Tying shoes is also out.
• I'm very thankful to somehow be able to still trim my toenails....somehow. 
• I've learned that my heartburn is caused by eating ____________ (insert any food or drink item) or nothing at all. We're talking fire-breathing, people.
• My hand falls asleep every time I talk on the phone. 
• I can smell roadkill and raw sewage facilities about five miles from wherever I sit. 
• I am exhausted, but my legs are restless. That's fun.
• I saved the most unexpected for last; it's all worth it. 

The throes of pregnancy are just temporary. They are truly minor afflictions in the grand-scheme of life; and, besides, most of the 40 weeks isn't so bad! It's just the last few that are most challenging. Even still, it's my goal to maintain a pretty placid demeanor whenever possible as not offend my husband, family and friends by my current state of uncomfortableness. Instead of lashing out in hormonal rage, I've been praying and praising God instead and, it's working. Here are some things I've been practicing:

• When I feel like complaining, I try to remember to pray instead.
• When I start to dwell on my pain, I remember Christ at the cross.
• When I want sit down and zone out for the duration of the pregnancy, I remember the many undeserved blessings I've been given that need my attention even though I feel weak. I praise God for those!
• I praise God regularly for this blessing of a new baby! I can't wait to meet her and get to know her. I know that the challenges of pregnancy are worth this awesome gift!!
• Every time I check to see how far along I am (and think it feels like I should be closer to 40wks than I am), I'm thankful for the virtue of patience that is being refined in my heart.

Verses to apply: 

• Phil 2:14 - ¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
• Romans 5:3 - ³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
• Peter 3:14 - ¹⁴ But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
• Romans 8:18 - ¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

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This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, Better Mom Mondays and Just for Fun Fridays

Hop on over to to those awesome sites to see who else is sharing.

Taming the Tongue

Shortly after I got married, at age 22, I picked up a copy of Becoming A Titus 2 Woman by Martha Peace. I flipped through, skimming some of the text, and put it down to rest on my bookshelf for many years, unread and collecting dust. I can't remember what prompted me to get the book because I had no idea what a Titus 2 woman even was and, I'm not sure I cared enough to find out. Recently, though, I've been able to spend a little more time with the fruits (I suppose they're fruits) of my former paperback-hoarding habit. I'm digging up some titles that I didn't know I had and wondering why I hadn't read them sooner. This book is one of those. Much like The Good Wife's Guide by Darlene Schacht, I find myself reading pieces and parts of it it whenever I have a second. Friends. I'm learning some great stuff from this book!

I want to tell you what's on page 123 of Martha's book. She shares an important attribute that I definitely need to work on - using a kind voice. She states that becoming a Titus 2 woman means speaking in a voice that's gentle and, therefore, kind. This is in accordance with Proverbs 31:26 (The Proverbs 31 woman can be recognized, in part, by the "teaching of kindness on her tongue"). There are SO many occasions when I raise my voice louder and louder to reach my children, to get their attention quickly. On these occasions, I just want them to stop whatever offense they're committing and behave. I'm not instructing their hearts by doing this, just trying to quiet their actions. And, that's a bad habit to have.

When I compare the occasions I've raised my voice to a disobedient child as opposed to the times I've  sat down with an offending child to have a conversation about changing his or her heart instead of just behavior, the later has been far more effective. When we speak to children shrewdly, quickly, loudly, etc in an effort to cut-corners in parenting we aren't speaking to their hearts and, what's more, we're not teaching them how to use their tongues for kindness either. If all they hear is STOP. DON'T. I MEAN IT. RIGHT NOW, with no further heart-work, what do we really expect from them at this point? We must be obedient to refine our tongues along with our hearts so we can train them to do the same. I certainly don't want a child that yells and screams to get his way, but essentially...isn't that what we do when we instruct them this way? We try to be authoritative with our voices, not our hearts. This is one Titus 2 truth I plan to work on more diligently from now on. 

I know other moms struggle in this area as well; maybe you're one of them? It's my fervent prayer today that we will be able to tame our tongues so that Christ's love that lives within us and may be made known through our hearts and words. I pray that we will take the time to implement righteous discipline in the hearts of our children, instead of cutting-corners to get the message across as quick as possible. We cannot afford to be too busy to properly care for our blessings and I pray that each one of us has the strength, wisdom, and Holy guidance to instruct the hearts of our children AND others with kindness, instead of harsh and sharp words.

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This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, Better Mom Mondays and Just for Fun Fridays

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Going on missions, from right where you are...

I realize that most of our lives are non-stop chaos and rare moments are those that we have just five minutes to ourselves. Let us not forget, though, that amidst our responsibilities as a wife and/or mom, we have an additional responsibility on the mission field as well. I know what you just thought, "Um, excuse me. I have no time to dart off to XYZ Country for a mission trip. I just don't." I don't either at the moment. But, I do have time to engage in mission work on a regular basis right from where I sit (or stand or drive or type...do you see where this is going?) and I bet you do, too. 

We have a responsibility as believers to work with our sisters-in-Christ as they grow in faith and come to know the Lord and to witness to unbelievers as well. It should be our mission, as stated in Titus 2:3-5, to train the younger women and to help them as they go, and to be Godly examples to them. I bet God has placed mature Christian women in your lives at some point; these women often use God's word to help us understand how to be more like Him in terms of our role of woman, wife, and mother in Christ. Sometimes our mission field is no further than a phone call, email, or visit away.

• Maybe you know a lady who's suffering in her walk and needs counsel. 
• Maybe you know a lady who's never know the beauty of Christ and needs to hear about it for the first time.
• Maybe you meet a lady in line at the grocery who's struggling with young children and could use your help getting out of the store in once piece and some prayer as well.
• Maybe you see a tired waitress who is having a rough day and could use some encouraging verses left on a napkin with her tip. 
• Maybe you have a Facebook friend who posts nothing but negativity and could use some encouraging verses and prayer in her inbox from you.
• Maybe you have a friend who struggles with depression, anxiety, a sleep disorder, an eating disorder, or any number of things and would be blessed to know you're praying for her.

The opportunities for this sort of mission are endless, ladies. There are so many ways to use our time unproductively and it's so easy to miss opportunities to serve one another because we're too busy, tired, shy, or insecure. I have been there and it's easy to go back there. I pray that we all have hearts to encourage one another. After-all, it's what we're called to do.

1 Chronicles 16:23-24
23 “Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.”

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This post is linked up to Grace Laced Mondays, Better Mom Mondays and Just for Fun Fridays

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Ever want to smack someone around?

I'm a pretty laid back/go with the flow girl, but I know when I'm being difficult. I bet you know when you're being difficult, too. Sometimes we just feel like being difficult for the sake of it. We do it because we're exhausted, not getting our way, selfish, angry, discontent, holding a grudge, someone else is being difficult to us, we feel like picking a fight, we feel like we must uphold a difficult demeanor because we've been wronged and that's our right, and for countless other reasons. Many times, it's others who are being difficult to us. Adults and children alike do this. 

I'm a natural peacemaker, but I'm also a sinful, imperfect human being; given that, sometimes I'd love nothing more than just to smack a difficult person around and tell to him or her to snap out of it. That's the honest truth. Don't tell me you haven't wanted to do the same at some point. And, when those thoughts cross my mind, that's when I know that I need a good backhand as much as the person who's being difficult. As a Christian saved by grace, I know abhorring another imperfect person in that way is wrong. It most certainly doesn't glorify God. I know there's a better solution, but sometimes amidst my frustration with the difficult person or situation, I just can't wrap my mind around a response that would be God-glorifying. Sometimes I react with a poor response or none at all. Lately, though, I've been seeking that truly Christlike response.

During my quiet time one day last week, I read a piece of scripture that I should probably print and hang in every room of our house as well as carry in my purse. Romans 12:9-21 tells it like it is when it comes to what to do with difficult people:

Marks of the True Christian

⁹  Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,^[a] serve the Lord. ¹²  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

¹⁴  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.^[b] Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it^[c] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Of course, this selection's title is: Marks of the True Christian, not "How to Fix a Difficult Person." However, when it comes to dealing with people or any number of situations, I think it would be hard to go wrong with this catch-all piece of scripture. I've visited these verses several times in the past few days and look forward to referring back again next time I have the urge to smack someone around ~ or need a good smack-around myself. 

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He stirs up the seas, and quiets the storms! A look at Isaiah 51.

Before I started writing this post, I grabbed my Bible and began praying. I really had nothing on my heart that was begging to be made into a blog post and because of this uncertainty, I prayed.  I asked God to lead me to a verse from which I could develop a post that would glorify Him and be something that you readers and I really needed to hear. I flipped my Bible open, landing on Isaiah 51:9-17, a verse that I can't remember studying before.

Now, I hesitate to use the word "ironic" because God is sovereign and He knows exactly what He's doing, therefore, nothing is truly "ironic." As I read through Isaiah 51:9-17, though, irony was the only term I could think of.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I've written about the Lord delivering me from anxiety issues that had been harbored in my heart nearly my entire life. I know many of you struggle with this as well. It's incredibly easy for us to build an altar for our fears - no matter how rational or irrational they are. It's easy to give them all power over our lives, never begging God to intervene because we can "handle it" ourselves. How many times to we fear the world and all it entails only to push God, maker of the world and ruler of our lives, out of the way so we can engage in self-soothing round of worry. (Self-soothing and worry may sound like an oxymoron, but for those of us who panic incessantly, we know that worry is what makes us feel better - as well as worse - and that's why we do it). I think Isaiah 51:12-17 speaks to this. Read verses 51:12-14, below, and see if you agree,

"I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the opressor when he sets himself to destroy." 

When I sought the Lord for deliverance from the darkness of anxiety and the shadows cast by worries of this world, I was able to see the above illustration quite clearly. He allowed me to see. I was looking inward, as many of you may be today. The world constantly tells us to "look for the power within yourself," "aim to be the best you, you can be," "work on your image," "love yourself," etc. Looking inward, focusing on ourselves, only magnifies our altar of worry and discontent; and, the bigger and bigger we build our altars, the smaller and smaller we see God. Once we repent, however, and accept that God is the only one who can lift the darkness of anxiety or any other stronghold that's keeping us, we can enjoy His full majesty once again - or for the first time, perhaps. He frees us! The following verse (v. 14) sketches out the very result of faithfulness and repentance I've described:

"He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
he shall not die and go down to the pit, 
neither shall his bread be lacking."

What a beautiful and comforting truth.

I realize that I've posted similar write-ups on this blog, but there's really no limit on illustrating His glory through posts such as these, is there? It's also important to remember that we can be right back in the darkness if we allow our focus on Him to fallow. He is the one who comforts us. It is written, and it is true. If you have anxiety or any other stronghold, remember that He is the one who stirs the seas (v. 15) and He will calm the storms of your life; just seek Him.

If you feel that you've been sucked into the pits of this world, I would love to pray for you to receive deliverance today. Feel free to email me: tess [@] tapestryofthemundane [.] com (brackets and spaces removed) or leave a note in the comments box below so other readers can pray for you, too.

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