Easter Wreath

I LOVE Easter. What is there not to love? It is a celebration of Jesus death and resurrection in order that we might be able to receive salvation, to be counted righteous based on his perfect life and sacrificial death and resurrection. To celebrate the beauty of grace at the same time we are emerging from winter into spring is a beautiful, beautiful thing! So, in anticipation, my daughter and I worked on putting together or Easter wreath. She helped me design it and pick what would go where and I did the cutting, hot glueing and wire tying. ;) 

We started with a grapevine wreath that j made several years ago when we took down an overgrown grapevine plant at our old house. As we cut down the vines, my mom and I were able to craft 4 wreathed while the vines were still pliable. This is the first time I have used one of them. We also had to prep the sprays of berries. I clipped each individual stem off of the bunch with these pliers with a wire cutter. I used these to cut down the sticks attached to the Easter egg picks. 

Next, I tied the white, glitter tulle strategically to help reinforce the wreath. We laid out where each cluster and egg would like the best. Keep in mind that odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye. 

Once we decided where everything would go it was time to attach it all. The berry stems had wire in them, so I started by wrapping the stems around papers of the vine. 

I also used hot glue to more securely attach the stems to the wreath. With the eggs, I put hot glue at the base of the egg and along the stick so that it would connect with the vines once inserted. I also added more hot glue to the ends that stuck out the back before doing a final trim of the sticks. 

Some of the stems needed a little more reinforcement, so I used some green floral wire to wrap around the stems and vines and more securely.

And this....

...is the final product! 

Simple Throw Pillow DIY

How to make simple pillow covers without spending all of your time measuring and pinning.                                                                                                                                                                                                   I used about 1.5 yards of fabric and two pillow forms from IKEA. (I will link to something similar at the end.) 

I start by leaving the fabric folded in half. I cut my yard and a half in half. You can do this horizontally or vertically. However you cut it, fold it in half again so that the "right sides" are together. That means the side of the fabric that should be facing out when the pillow is made should be touching. I usually iron this cease to make sure it stays well and that there are no big wrinkles.

This is where I cut out a few steps of measuring and pinning. Using the straight crease that I ironed into the fabric, I line up the fold with the edge of the foot on my sewing machine. As I run the fabric through the machine, I keep this fold in line with the edge of the foot giving me a straight stitched line and consistent seam allowance. 

Once this side is sewn, I do the same one of the adjacent sides. I used the anchor in the pattern to make sure that following the cut edge of the fabric kept me stitching a straight line at 90* to the first stitched edge. I also see beyond the corner to help reinforce the corner. This is what your first corner should look like. 

I then put the pillow inside the corner that is sewn and determine where I need to sew the third side. Thankfully, again the anchors helped me keep a straight seam, but here is an illustration that should help. 

  

1. Sew the first 2 seams

2. Place the pillow inside the sewn corners and determine how where your third seam should be.

3. Fold the fabric diagonally so the seams are touching and make sure both seams are marked where the new seams to make a square should be. 

4. Utilize the pattern of the fabric to keep a straight line, mark the seam line or pin it so that your third seam will be straight. Do the same with the fourth side, but be sure to leave an opening to flip the cover and insert the pillow form. 

Before you flip the pillow cover right side our, be sure to snip the corner without cutting either seam. This will allow you to have much sharper corners once you flip the pillow cover. 

The last step is to insert the pillow form and sew the remaining hole.

1-2. I find it easiest to roll the pillow and then gently push it in through the hole. It will naturally unroll once it is inside. 

3. Push the pillow in far enough to fold the seam allowance inside and make sure the seam is straight between the two sewn sections at the bottom of the pillow. Pin it in place.

4. Push the pillow out of the way and put the pinned seam under the foot of your sewing machine. Once the foot is in place, it will help keep the pillow form pushed back so you can see the final portion of the seam. 

*This last step can be done by hand if you are not comfortable sewing with the pillow form inside. 

The finished product! 

My husband's grandpa made this table. We absolutely love it and I love that these pillows will help bring together the nautical theme in our family room

• Sewing machine: http://amzn.to/2l4BTn7 This is similar to the style of Brother sewing machine I have. For a craft hobbyist, this is a great choice. It has great reviews and enough options to be versatile, but all the extras you don't need. 
• 12x12 Pillow Forms: http://amzn.to/2m2SG9P
• 18x18 Pillow Form: http://amzn.to/2lMuTdB
• Anchor fabric (similar to what I used) but be sure to check JoAnn's for coupons and sales. http://amzn.to/2m2EoWG

Must Have Bible Study Tools!

Here is a round up of my favorites! 

This is a list of the resources that I utilize as well as links to quality study bibles and a few of my other favorite tools. 

NASB Life Application Study Bible - http://amzn.to/2mhDfv8

ESV Study Bible - http://amzn.to/2momECs

HCS Bible - http://amzn.to/2mooRhm

Bible Study - http://amzn.to/2lUMyR8

Micron Pens (no bleed through on Bible pages) - http://amzn.to/2mwdtiU

Resources: 

Biblegateway.com - This is where I copy and paste into Word from so that I can change the format for in depth study. 

Blueletterbible.org and Bible.org - Fantastic resources for study. 

The Charles Simeon Trust is the training seminar that many teachers from my church have attended and have brought back with them the concepts and techniques and taught them to many of us that cannot attend the conferences in person. There are audio, video and written resources on the website. 

http://www.desiringgod.org/labs - This is John Piper's resource where he walks you through a verse or two, phrase by phrase and sometimes word by word to help you learn how to understand a verse without having to go to commentaries right away.

I will be continuing with a series of posts, hopefully at least every other week on Bible study tools and techniques. 

Crock Pot Balsamic Pork

This is a family favorite in my house! 

Serve it with your favorite steamed veggies and rice or quinoa OR serve it taco style with corn tortillas! YUM!

Ingredients: 

- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (sirloin roast)*

- Sea salt & black pepper to taste

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/3 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water

- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

- 1 tablespoon honey

- 2-3 garlic cloves

- Optional - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Season pork with salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes (if desired) and place into the slow cooker.
2.  Cut small slices into roast and push garlic cloves into the meat.
3. Mix together the broth (or water) and vinegar and pour over the pork.
4.  Drizzle honey over the top of the pork.
5. Cook 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low
6. Once the pork is cooked and tender, remove from the slow cooker with tongs and into a serving dish. It should shred easily. Pour juice over top for delicious flavor.

*Same dish can be made with chicken. 

Farsighted Kiddos

In October we began to notice that one of our son's eyes was drifting more and more often into the center corner of his eye. At his sister's 5 year check up at the beginning of November, their doctor noticed and recommended we see a pediatric ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

It was the beginning of an on-going journey. It took a while for us to get an appointment set up for our son because there are not many pediatric ophthalmologists. We made two appointments. The first with a doctor that could get him in quickly and the second with a specialist at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. All of our kids' specialists have been through Mott (U of M), so this was our preference, but it would take 2 months longer in order to get in to see this doctor.

Our first appointment was in early December with a very nice, but very near retirement doctor. He was able to diagnose our son as significantly far sighted and gave us a Rx for glasses. He really didn't give us much more info than that. We headed to the eye glass store and were able to find some glasses. We found the cutest pair of kid's glasses that they could adjust to fit our little guy's big noggin. 😋 The problem occurred when the doctor's prescription was so ancient that they couldn't understand it. It took several calls to get the updated version of the prescription. At that point, we decided to have the follow up appointment with the U of M pediatric ophthalmologist instead and I am so glad we did!

For 2 months we struggled to get our little guy to wear his glasses. We didn't know if he would need bifocals, patching or it was just a struggle because he is so young. Thankfully, all of our questions and the ones we didn't even know to ask were answered by the new doctor. She is AMAZING! His prescription was right, but kids that are farsighted have a much bigger and harder adjustment to glasses than those that are nearsighted. When you are nearsighted, glasses immediately improve your vision. When you are farsighted, your eyes have worked so hard to compensate, that it takes time for the muscles to relax and allow the glasses to actually work. The doctor also recognized that at barely 2, this concept was more than we could expect to be able to explain to our son. To assist with the transition to glasses, she gave us drops that we used 1 drop, 1 time. It dilated his eyes, essentially forcing the eyes to relax allowing him to experience the vision improvement almost immediately upon putting on his glasses. Within the week that the drops lasted, he completely acclimate to his glasses and now loves wearing them.



**On a side note, we also learned that modern pediatric ophthalmology requires a specific residency, but it used to be that ophthalmologists could do a little work with pediatrics and call themselves a pediatric ophthalmologist. Our first doc actually specialized in cataract surgery, but was willing to take pediatric patients. 

Diaper Dilema

What do you do when you have a just-turned-two-year-old that is NOT ready to potty train, but regular diapers are too small? 

We have had to transition to Pull-Ups in the 4T-5T size. The problem is that making it through the night without having to wash sheets because of leaks was rapidly becoming a distant memory. Not that there is anything wrong with Pull-Ups, but this kid at night? So we needed a new solution. They were the ONLY thing that fit him!

Enter diaper booster pads. 

When it comes to bedtime or long car rides, these are a mom's best friend. Even if your little one is in regular diapers, if you are planning a trip, pick up a pack of these from Amazon! 

You may be wondering how do they work? 

Here's a picture of the actual booster.

I usually fold it in half and slide it in the front of the Pull-Up for my son seeing as that is the part of the Pull-Up that is most essential for my little boy. 😉

If you have been having diaper troubles, I hope this helps!! 

Are you tired?!

It never ceases to amaze me how GOOD God is. The way He provides exactly what we need (not more or less) when we need it. My next rotation in teaching in my church's women's bible study will be focused on Matthew 11. Without fail, God continually brings the topic/verses I will be teaching in front of me over and over and over again before I teach. This verse from Matthew 11, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" is one of those verses He brings to me over, and over, and over again. In a season of life that is hectic and when I am often tired and weary of body, He reminds me that my soul can find rest, the living water, restoration when I am seeking Him. It is so easy to use the very reasons why I need to dig into the word (tired, stressed, anxious, etc...) as my reasons why I just don't have time to. But God, in his perfect grace and mercy, his lovingkindness, reminds me that he is the source for all I need. He is my rock and my salvation. He is my refuge, my fortress. He must be my priority to make all the others line up. Without Him as the foundation, my life is built on shifting sand. When the rains and storms come, and they will, what I have built on my own will wash away, but what Christ has build will be sure and steady and lasting. I named this blog "walking in His lovingkindness" as a reminder that that is where I should be. It is how I should live. It is the example I want to set for my children. It is how I find rest for my weary soul. Are you tired? Are you weary, soul-deep exhausted? There is a hope. Not many, but one sure truth. Jesus Christ through his birth, death and resurrection is our only hope for rest, true eternal rest. Being a "church person" or even claiming the title of "Christian" is not enough. Narrow is the path that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:14).

If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will find rest for your weary soul.

Rest Day Strikes Again!

I am starting to notice a trend. When I set aside a day specifically for rest, Satan attacks. He attacks in ways I never imagined! God in His lovingkindness is always there when we turn to Him

Let me set the stage. My husband, whom I love and cherish and rely on as a partner in all things, has been working CRAZY hours! We really are a team and balance each other in the home and parenting. The past two weeks have been super busy for him at work meaning that he has worked less than a 12 hour day twice in the last two weeks. It also means he is home for less than an hour of our children's awake time pretty much every weekday. God has been so good in reminding me that His power is made perfect in my weakness and His grace is sufficient to carry me through each day (see previous post). Yesterday, apparently, I decided to let that fly out the window. By about 3 in the afternoon, when my daughter wanted  to play outside again and my son took what get like the shortest nap ever, my anxiety hit an all time high. Nothing happened during the day that should have sent it skyrocketing this way and it hasn't been like this in YEARS! In high school I dealt with depression and anxiety. Nothing that required a diagnosis or treatment, but that caused me to miss a lot of school with unexplained stomach aches until we discovered what the problem was and that those were a symptom of adolescent depression and anxiety. As I matured in my relationship with the Lord, recognized my perfectionist tendencies and got out of high school, my struggles with anxiety and depression have started to seem like a distant memory. Yesterday though, man did it hit hard. All I wanted was to take a nap and hide in my kids' tent the rest of the day. I forgot yesterday afternoon, despite all of the reminders God has given me over the last week, that His grace is sufficient. 

So, last night Kid #2 was in bed by the time my hubby got home and he got #1 to bed after they visited while he had dinner. He could see my stress and anxiety and sent me to take a bath and go to bed. I was so exhausted that I don't even remember falling asleep at least an hour and a half before I normally do. I was praying that God would help me remember to turn to Him tomorrow

In God's grace my son only woke up once last night (as opposed to the normal 3-4 times) and my daughter slept in her bed all night with no bad dreams. This morning when my son woke up and was cuddling and taking his bottle I opened to Matthew (what I am studying this semester at church) to read, not study, just read. In God's ever present goodness He didn't make me go far. 4 verses into the chapter I was reading  about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness (man, does that feel like where I have been this week) He replies to Satan about FOOD (my eating was way off yesterday throughout the afternoon and evening when my anxiety hit) that "Man does not live by bread alone but by the word of God". This is nothing new! I know this! I memorized this verse over and over again growing up. But, yesterday in the midst of trial, I didn't turn to the Bread of Life, I tried to do t on my own and fell flat on my face. This morning I started where I need to, in the Word, and am posting this verse on my fridge front and center so that when every temptation hits (food, anxiety, and everything else that will get thrown in with the day, I will turn to the Word of the Lord, hidden in my heart and written on the pages to do battle. This is the Lord's day, not mine.

Sufficient Grace

Today is the rest day in this program. I will most likely adjust in the coming weeks for Sunday to be my rest day, but I knew after yesterday that my body desperately needed the rest TODAY! God used today to remind me of the importance of rest.

I can get so caught up in the busyness of life that I feel like I can't rest and know I don't often get enough rest. But isn't that simply the fate of being mommy, especially to a little one that likes to wake up multiple times a night? I don't think so. Have you ever met someone that just oozes PEACE? I know I have. Even when everything is hectic, they have an aura of calm around them. One thing I do know about those people I have come across that exhibit that characteristic is that they are grounded in Christ. I know that there have been times in my life that I have been more like that and it is when I am fully relying on God, not myself. We so often have to fall to our knees and say, "I can't do it anymore" in order to find that complete reliance on God. Too often we think we can do it all, we don't need (read WANT) any help. I know I can know I need help, but I don't want to ask for it or appear to be weak, so I push on in my own power.

Today was one of those days where that smacked me in the face. This week I have been getting up earlier in order to get my workout and some Bible study time in before the kids really get going in the day. If I don't, everything happens in 5 or 10 minute increments and I feel I actually accomplished anything. So my goal was to get up early today and get some things done this morning in the time I usually workout since it is the scheduled rest day for my program.  I woke up with a crazy sore throat, a little girl that had to go to preschool with a big hangout with a bounce house (her FAVORITE) afterward and a little man that has been determined to push every boundary (and open EVERY cabinet). So, I decided to sleep a little longer. Man, did I need it. But more importantly when I recognized and acknowledged that I just couldn't do it all today I became more focused on the grace that God was giving me throughout the day.

I really hate the concept that God won't give you more than you can handle. I think He absolutely will. But, He will never give you something more than He can handle. He wants us to rely fully on Him. It is in our weakness that His strength and grace are more visible. I saw His grace through my weakness today and I hope that I can shine a light on Him and His strength and grace through my weakness. Today, I recognized and acknowledged the gift of rest, both in my kids and in myself. My son napped well, TWICE today. My daughter, who hasn't really napped more than a handful of times in over a year and half, too a nap. My grandparents invited us to dinner and came over before hand to hang with the kids and I. This was huge many times over. Before dinner is the hardest time for my son, I didn't have to make dinner, and my husband ended up being almost 2 hours late coming home from work. Had I been on my own at home, I would have been pulling my hair out by the time he got home. My mom called and wants to take my daughter on some errands and to lunch tomorrow. My trip to UPS went smoothly. Both of my kids went to bed well. I was able to soak in the bath. I had a super encouraging meeting with my Beachbody sisters. A friend is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in a tough situation and we were able to praise God for orchestrating it all. That slight shift in perspective was exactly what I needed today. I needed to remember and meditate on the Word.

If you are a believer, I hope that this is an encouragement to you to see how God is giving you grace, peace and rest. If you don't believe, I hope this will encourage you to learn more about the true giver of rest.

Returning Home

Have you ever had that moment where you hear a quote or a verse and wonder what the context is? One of my favorite verses and the verse that we dedicated our daughter with is one of those verses that is great on its own, but takes on a whole new meaning when you read it in context. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "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 a hope and a future." 

Wow! It is just so powerful! The problem I have is that people use it to mean that they will get rich and have a great future. We use the word prosper in our materialistic terms and forget that God's view of prosperous is quite different than ours. 

If you continue reading the next few verses, it gives a much better perspective of what that verse means. 

Jeremiah 29:12-14 "Then you will call on 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. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

In verse 14, the Lord says He would bring back the His people from where he had banished them. He sent them to the places they wanted to return from. These verses are referring to the captivity of the Israelites after they had lost sight of following the Lord and been caught up in the world. They were distracted by the things around them and the Lord would allow them to be conquered and taken into captivity. They then repented and the Lord restored them to their lands. 

We can experience the same thing as followers of Christ. We can be caught up with the world and lose sight of Christ. When we run into hard times it is the opportunity to refocus on seeking Christ with our whole heart. We don't like to think that God may have brought us to a point of exile or allowed us to temporarily fall captive to the world. He promises that if we seek Him with everything, we will find Him and He will bring us back.

I know that it can take the hardest moments of our lives when we feel the farthest from God to help us realize that we need to seek Him with fervor and passion. That search will lead to Him and the hope and future He has planned specifically for us. 

Family? Family!

Psalm 63:3-4

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 

Isn't it amazing how tragedy can both bring a family together and highlight our own weaknesses as we deal with it? No family is perfect and will never live up to our expectations in every way. We are created with a longing for family and belonging that only Christ can fill when we accept it. He can heal relationships and bring peace to chaotic situations. His lovingkindness truly is better than life. We can rest assured of His love. When we surrender and let ourselves be embraced by His lovingkindness, we will want to lift our hands in praise of the only one that can truly provide that love. 

I have been reading a great book by Jack Frost (not the poet) called "Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship". It is the basis for the church-wide Bible Study my church will be doing starting on February 10th called Journey Home. So often we hold onto the hurts of our childhood and allow bitterness to dominate our relationships. We need to focus on allowing Christ in and accepting our position in His family. 

End of a journey, but beginning of Eternity

Wow... I am on my way to see my grandpa for the last time. His hospice nurse has said he won't make it to Monday. After receiving the diagnosis that his cancer was terminal, the uncertainty about the state of his heart and the pain that it causes my dad have been at the forefront of my mind. As we prepared for this trip, I was struggling to find people to cover my position at church on Sunday and put out a blanket ask to the nursery volunteers. God provided people to cover all of the needed positions. Our departure time (via car) was pushed up after a call from my uncle informed us that he had taken a turn for the worst. However, with that also came the news that when praying with my uncle (a pastor) my grandpa acknowledged Christ and accepted His forgiveness. Wow! Such an answer to prayer. :) God has also orchestrated the timing so that my dad and his siblings will all be together at my grandparents house this weekend.

The verses of Romans 8, specifically 26-39, offer so much hope! In verse 26, it says that we don't know how to pray as we should, "but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words". We have someone asking for what we need even if we don't know ourselves. Not only that, but God has chosen us,justified us and has a plan for us (v. 28-30). Not only that, but "If God is for us, who is against us?" (v 31) Then, in verse 35, Paul asks, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" Finally, in verses 37-39 he says, "but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of god, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." It is just so powerful! It doesn't matter when or where, but when we have accepted the love of Christ and allowed ourselves to be justified through His love, nothing, NOTHING, can separate us from the love of Christ and His good and perfect plan.

While I am sad that we will loose my grandpa, nothing can take away the joy that he has accepted Christ and I will see him on the other side of eternity. That offer is available to all of us regardless of how hurt, broken or damaged we are. Through the grace of Christ we can experience joy for eternity!

Labor of Love

I realized in my last post I reference my stubborn daughter's arrival into this world. Whenever I think about Jeremiah 29:11, I think of our sweet Abby. This is the verse that my husband and I chose for her at her dedication. It gives me the confidence that God has greater plan for her than I could ever imagine. It won't be without strife or pain, but it will also be full of hope and joy. Without that confidence, I don't know how well I would handle parenthood. I am sure I would be a mess of worry and anxiety.

As for the stubborn part, my dear, sweet daughter took her sweet time in joining us. I went into the doctor for my 39 week check up and started what would become a very long week. Throughout my pregnancy, my blood pressure was slightly high but would go down with just a few minutes of sitting in the room. I was also experiencing some swelling in my feet and ankles, which they were watching, but attributed to the fact that I was teaching and coaching. For this appointment at 8am on a Thursday morning, I saw a different doctor in the practice than those that I had been seeing. She was immediately concerned with my blood pressure and swelling and sent me to labor and delivery for testing to determine if I had preeclampsia. I called into work and let them know that I wouldn't be in that day or the next as some of the test required 24 hours at home. They got the test results at some point that evening, but the doctor didn't come back in until Monday morning. So, I was told to take it easy and that if I experienced any of a list of symptoms to come in immediately. If not call the doctor at 8am on Monday. I made the call and was told to come in to be induced right away. After a final meeting to find out the details of my maternity leave, a long story by itself, I went in for my induction.

Apparently October is a busy month for babies and Josh and I spent about 5 hours waiting for me to get into a room. At that point the doctors were changing shifts and I had to wait for a new doctor to come up with a plan of action. Beginning that evening, I began the ever so long process of being induced. The first night was medication for dilation. Tuesday was 8 hours of Pitocin followed by a procedure to further assist in dilation. Wednesday arrived with more Pitocin. Wednesday evening my doctor came on shift (thank God!) and decided that I was far enough along to break my water. Starting at about 5pm I went into real, hard labor and at 6am, October 27th my sweet little girl finally made her appearance.

As soon as we told my grandparents that I was pregnant and due Oct 30th, my grandpa was sure that I would have the baby on his birthday, Oct 27. As my pregnancy progressed, we decided that we didn't want to know the gender of the baby. However, my grandpa was sure that I would have a little girl on his birthday. He even had a countdown going based on his birthday. When I went in on that Monday to be induced, we didn't think it would be possible for my grandpa to get his wish. Little did we know that God and our little girl were in cahoots and gave him a great birthday present. This year, he turned 70 as she turned 1 and having her around gave him more joy that reaching his 70th despite several health crises in which we could have lost him.

Throughout it all, God again reinforced that He has a perfect plan that is so much more than we could ever imagine!

Where am I going?

Jeremiah 29:11-14 - "'For I know the plans that I have for you' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 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 search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nation sand from all the places where I have driven you,' declares the LORD, 'and I will bring you back to the place form where I sent you into exile.'"

Lately, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the will of God and what that means. These verses in Jeremiah are so powerful to me. I feel like I have a new understanding of the peace and joy that come out of following Christ with your whole heart and soul and being in the place that He wants for you. I love teaching, but I know that isn't where I am supposed to be right now. The turmoil I felt prior to leaving my teaching position made it clear to me that God wanted something more from me. For the last few months that I was teaching (after returning to maternity leave) I continued to give my heart to my students, but there was an unsettled feeling and I didn't know exactly where God was leading. (See my "Second Try" post for more about that time.) Little did I know what God had in store. 

Through God's call, I interviewed for a job at my church running the nursery. After taking on the position, so many areas of my life fell into place. First, I had been struggling with finding ways to advance the kingdom in a position where I had to be very delicate in bringing up Christ. Working in ministry gives me the opportunity to interact with others and openly share my faith and what God has done in my life. Second, I have a great forever friend. She was at the hospital for about the last 20 hours of my labor and entertained my family that was very tiredly awaiting the birth of our stubborn little girl. However, we don't live close to one another and our schedule are often conflicting making it hard to see each other. Since finishing college and getting married, I have desperately needed more strong women of faith in my life. I have been blessed with some along the way, but have found so many more in my coworkers and those that I interact with on a regular basis now. We are living life together. It is amazing what a blessing that can be. Additionally, I have found that despite regularly reading my Bible, I have grown rusty on my theology as compared to when I was attending a Christian school and using it regularly. I am brushing off the dust and rust because I am using all of that knowledge more regularly and beyond just my own study. And the added bonus, I dropped all my baby weight plus some with the removal of stress and being able to fully embrace and find peace in where Christ has placed me. 

These verses struck me so significantly because as I wrestled through these tough decisions and made some choices that meant I get funny looks because I chose God's plan, my faith and family, over my career, I always knew that God had a plan and was with me through it all. I can't even imagine the despair of going through a tough time without that peace and comfort. In Jeremiah, God told those that were in exile that He sent them their and would bring them back. If they called on Him and sought Him out with heart and soul, they would find Him and He will listen. We may not always know the plans, but when Christ calls and we follow, with the confidence that He has a plan for us, we are never without HOPE. 

Guilty as charged...

Uh oh...

Each and every one of us has a past. I know I sure do. There are parts of my life that make me so glad that we have a God of forgiveness  If we are honest with ourselves and God we can admit our sins and be granted forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

For most of us, however, the story doesn't end there. We are often plagued by guilt and just waiting to be sentenced and punished. We limit God and deny the forgiveness He has offered us. It can't be more clear than in Psalm 103. David says, "He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (v 9-12). Jesus paid the ultimate price in sacrificing His life for us. We are undermining what He has done when we don't accept the forgiveness that God is offering us. By His sacrifice we are redeemed and it is as if our sins never happened. 

I know that way too often I allow Satan to use guilt and deprive me of the peace that comes from the forgiveness that Christ has provided for me. However, I am committed not to let the evil one succeed. I will not allow guilt to keep me from pursuing the full life that Christ has in store for me. He will not limit my efforts to further the kingdom of God. 

Peace in the Chaos

So, this is the first post in my renewed effort to keep a blog. Here it goes...

Sunday morning I got up expecting a semi-busy day at church. I run the nursery at my church and we were expecting some large numbers as January is typically a high attendance month. As we were prepping for a large number of kids, sickness meant that our team of seven was taken down by two. Ever aware of Satan's attempts to derail our efforts to expand the kingdom, I went into defense mode. Using the armor of God (Eph 6:10-18), I found a verse in which to claim as my own for the day.

Romans 16:20 "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." 

I have found that when we acknowledge the fact that Satan has a plan of attack and commit to following Christ regardless of what may be thrown at us we can take peace in the fact that our God is strong and mighty. He will defend us and give us peace. Now, that doesn't mean there wasn't any chaos or busyness during the day. We didn't have a huge influx of kids, but we did have a lot of new families. God in His great wisdom also gave us new volunteers or volunteers going the extra mile to impact the lives of others. However, in what could have otherwise been chaos, God granted us peace and we were able to crush Satan under our feet as we impacted the world for Christ. But, it came down to the choice to trust in Christ and follow Him.

Skip forward to this morning and the verse of the day in my You Version app...

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hears, since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful.

I am so thankful for the awesome body of Christ that I am a part of. When they heard that Sunday would be hectic, many lifted up our crew of staff and volunteers in prayer. So, I want to thank all of those that held us up in prayer and those that stepped in to help us out.  I also want to thank our Lord for being faithful to us and granting us His peace that transcends understanding (Phil 4:7)

Second Try...

My oh my... It has been a while since I have posted anything on this blog. I began it while on my maternity leaving last year. I felt a strong pull that I needed to leave my teaching career and that God was leading me to some unknown destination that would include taking a more active role in advancing His kingdom through ministry. At the time, I had no idea what that meant. I simply took each step as I felt He was calling me to. Without any promise of income other than substitute teaching, my husband and I decided that I would leave my teaching job. This wasn't without discussion and much contemplation. I mean, I love teaching and having an impact on the lives of students. BUT, I love my family more and felt the need to be more available to them than my job was allowing me to be. During this time of decision making God kept planting a verse in front of me. It comes from Ester 4. It is part of a discussion between Ester and Mordecai. Ester is reluctant to ask the king to save her people. Mordecai points out in the second half of verse 14, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Ester 4:14b NIV). While I wasn't in a "royal" position, I was in a position to impact kids lives. It made me realize that if I continued to chase after Christ, He would be putting me in positions in which I could make an impact for Him. Although I dreaded returning from my maternity leave and leaving my baby girl each day, I quickly found that God put me in my position for the essential purpose of impacting kids. I had some students struggling with some major life issues that I was able to support in ways I never imagined.

While teaching and coaching, finding time to write a blog was not one of my priorities. Then, the changes and adjustments to being a mom first, grad student and starting a new job (running the nursery at my church) left little time to do anything else. As this new year has begun, I have decided to renew my efforts in blogging. I have a goal of posting about once a week, but who knows what God has in store. All I know is that I want to continue walking in His loving kindness because there is no better place to be!

Fullness of Life

As I continue to seek God's direction in my life through this time of transition, another verse that provides great comfort is John 10:10.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Sometimes we confuse the meaning of this verse. We start to believe that it means God will give us everything we want and bless us beyond our imagination. While this is possible, it isn't a guarantee. God doesn't say he will give us a happy life, but a full life. I have found that we have a greater appreciation for all of the good in our life when we have also experienced the bad. When we trust God and follow His lead, He will use us in ways that we couldn't have imagined possible. Through that faithfulness to His lead, we can find fulfillment we never imagined possible.

Today's Musings...

"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 a hope and a future." ~ Jeremiah 29:11

As we walk through rough times or times of uncertainty, it is important to always remember that there is a plan. We may not be privy to that plan as of yet, but God has a plan for us that is often so much bigger than we can even imagine. If we trust that plan, take a step out in faith, God can use us to do amazing things. But... it all comes down to that step of faith. Do we really take to heart that God has a plan? Or, as I so often do, do we try to make it work on our own and end up completely off track?

I am working on writing a letter to my daughter for her upcoming dedication. I have to trust this for her as well. God has an amazing plan for her life. I am committed to doing everything I can to help her know and trust him. I want to raise a daughter that is a Christ-follower, not a fan of Christ. The best way I can do this is to be an example of living by faith.

Called to Write?

Some of you may wonder why I decided to start a blog. ME TOO!!
If you know me, you also know that I have never seen myself as a writer. As a teen I would often try to start journaling only to forget about it within two weeks. I procrastinated on every paper I ever wrote. I caused my mom so much stress before those final due dates because I would be working until the wee hours of the morning. I also dreaded being compared to my best friend, the gold standard according to our English teachers. So, I thought I would start by explaining how God worked to get me started in this wonderful world of blogs…

First, I have been reading the book "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns as part of a church-wide challenge. One of the daily challenges we were issued in our study of this book was to take a spiritual gifts survey. I have taken many in the past, and one gift seems to always stick out for me... teaching. Considering the fact that my chosen career is in teaching, this is a great thing. I have always enjoyed teaching and have found it to be very fulfilling. However, this most recent survey I took indicated that I also have gifts as a pastor/shepherd and showing mercy. As a result I started praying about new ways to implement those gifts.

Second, while reading this book, one of the verses Stearn quotes stood out to me. 1 Corinthians 20:27-28 reads:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are. (NIV)

God put this verse in front of me over and over again in the two weeks leading up to the creation of this blog. From Facebook posts by old friends, to devotional studies and then again in this book; it became abundantly clear that while I always felt I had nothing to offer in the world or writing, God has a plan for me. He has orchestrated my life to give me this opportunity if I was willing to step out in faith and follow his lead.

So this, my friends, is my leap of faith…