"While I realize most people keep these things to themselves I believe my life is not a normal life. I believe that my life belongs to God and that every single thing that I go through He wants to use to help someone else, and He wants to use it for his glory."
I am a Wife, Homeschooling Mom to Five , College Student, Daughter, Sister, Friend, and most Importantly Follower of Christ.
"Radical" by David Platt, was a well needed book for our christian society. Most pastors and churches now days like to sugar coat things and make things more sensitive for seekers to hear. But not Platt, he is straight forward, down to earth, nothing but complete biblical truth. It might not be what you want to hear but it is definitely what is needed! We can't grow in our Christian faith without having our toes stepped on once in a while and our faith challenged.
In this book, Platt talks about taking back your faith from the American Dream. How can we live a true biblical life, just sitting comfortably in our own homes. We've become so materialistic in our every day lives we haven't even realized it! We have above and beyond the necessities that we need for every day living, yet we still want more! Platt, talks about how it's a constant battle to resist more things that make life more comfortable. We even have to have these comforts in our Church buildings, padded seats, air conditioning/heat, lights, screens, music. If we took all that away Platt asks, "would just the Word of God be enough to continue meeting together?" He talks about his experiences overseas and how there are so many people daily meeting in underground churches. They are risking their lives for the sake of meeting together to worship God; but here we are in America, in our comfortable houses, comfortable churches, unwilling to step up and take a little risk ourselves. This book is a "Radical" eye opener to the life that we should be living but are not. If you like a challenge, and want something more in life,this book is for you!
~I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.~
As we did our Advent family devotional last night, I decided to put on some Christmas music while we finished up. I popped in "Faith Hill" which I consider to be my favorite Christmas CD,and the girls and I proceeded to sing and dance through the entire CD. At the end we came to the song "A baby changes everything." As I tried calming the girls and getting them ready for bed, I listened to the words of the song quietly knowing that they were piercing my heart more than I had intended. I suddenly realized that I had more in common with Mary, then I had ever imagined.
I started to think back to over 5 years ago to the day when I learned I was going to be a mother. I had gotten pregnant during our honey moon. I was so excited about our baby especially since I had prayed for her for years! I wasn't quite sure I could have babies then, and for it to happen so quickly was such a blessing! I was so consumed with the blessing God had given me that I didn't consider what others would be thinking. I was so overwhelmed with our blessing that I couldn't hold it in but was anxious to tell everyone right away, what God had done for me! Well after a week or so I was shocked to face some of the most hurtful words of my life.
The accusations of people that my child was conceived out of wedlock was horrifying. The way people looked at me, stopped talking to me, and talked about me, stole the joy away from my 1st blessing, not to mention caused lots of problems in our young marriage. What I considered a blessing others thought was a sin. No matter what I did to try and prove to them we did not do anything wrong, and even after having a letter from my doctor stating the date I became pregnant; some people still would not believe us. Then 5 weeks before she was due, my little blessing wanted to come early! As labor started that morning, all I could do was cry that no one would ever believe me now!
Since then we received apologies from some. However there was still a lot unsaid to others who made accusations and did not really know us or know our hearts. I still would not change any of it. Yes it damaged relationships we had with others, and things were never the same afterward, but, I've since been able to move on and use this as a testimony in my life instead of dwelling on that pain.
I feel that I can relate to Mary in a way. She was young, probably excited and scared. Hurt by all the talking, rude comments, and unbelief in what she told them had happened. And yet, was carrying the biggest blessings God could ever give someone! Jesus Christ our savior! Even after all the evidence the miracles, the signs and wonders; people would still not accept the truth, that he was the Son of God, Christ-the Messiah.
It's funny how such a little person can change your life in such a big way. Before my girls, little things in life didn't seem to matter so much. But once I was trusted with this little life to care for, teach, and mold into a grown woman -things got serious! This is a HUGE job! I have four little souls in my hands and what type of Women they become all rests on my shoulders! I'm responsible for each and everything that goes into them, food, cartoons, language, The Word of God, knowledge and wisdom. And what goes in must come out! Everything they see, hear, and experience will effect their life. I wonder if Mary thought that about Jesus or if she felt like she could breath easy since after all he is going to be perfect!
Anyways I'm so thankful that this year my girls are able to talk about Jesus, and realize that this is his birthday and not just another meaningless holiday. I'm thankful that after 5 years of grooming my oldest daughter she has accepted Christ into her heart this year! And I'm so amazed by her love for Christ and boldness about Him already! I'm looking forward to our Celebration of Christ's birth this year and making it as real as we can for the girls.
I pray everyone else has an amazing loving Christmas as well!
Merry Christmas!
So I was watching cartoons with the mini's this morning and this commercial came on. I found it quite humorous! I realize it's just a commercial and shot on a set that they created. I realize it isn't a real family, but isn't that the point? When I used to sell Cell Phones at Radio Shack, they taught us that the best sales tactic is getting the customer to pick up the phone and hold it to their ear, put it in their pocket, and touch it; this way they will be able to visualize how the item will be incorporated into their every day life.
As I watched this commercial I realized these blocks would never fit into my every day life. First of all...EVERYTHING is white! The little Boy in his WHITE bed, under his WHITE covers, with his WHITE walls, and WHITE carpet. There is like three kids playing NICELY on the WHITE floor, THE white rug, in the WHITE room, with WHITE furniture, OFF WHITE Dog, and mom sitting behind them smiling holding out her multi- colored birthday cupcakes which everyone is ignoring. The boy playing nicely in his WHITE ROOM, with his WHITE toy box in the background. Then the boy playing nicely on the front porch (on the WHITE rug) while mom reads her book. And finally the nice tidy WHITE room with every little piece of legos put in the WHITE toy box!
This is NOT a picture of what life is really like with Legos!! Especially in our house! Let me lay it out for you! Especially those new mom's who haven't taken the plunge into Lego buying yet. If it was our family in this commercial it would look more like this...
Picture it...Scene 1: Three girls, on the floor with Legos EVERYWHERE, screaming and hitting each other over the last red Lego! Mom behind them looking frazzled, frantically trying to scrub up the multi-colored stains from the cupcakes they knocked off the plate onto the floor then proceeded to stomped in squishing the icing between their toes! As the stain only gets worse with scrubbing, she hears a shriek as one of the girls chucks the last red Lego across the room into her sisters head, causing blood to splatter all over the carpet! The Off White dog, also stained with cupcakes, running frantically away from sister #3, knowing if he is caught he will be swung around by his legs and pulled by his tale until the frazzled mom is able to come to his rescue.
Scene 2: Three girls playing in their room, screaming jumping on beds, chucking toys at the walls, at each other, and not a Lego in site since they all got thrown behind the bed at some point in the chucking contest.
Scene 3: Outside on the porch with Legos, they go flying into the yard along with the children, screaming running around playing, eating dirt, grass, and whatever they can find between. Mom running around trying to keep them from going out of the yard and fighting with each other, unable to read ANYTHING, finally gives up and drags them all inside, leaving behind the precious Legos to get ran over by dad when he gets home from work.
Scene 4: A messy room with a White toy box colored on with crayons and markers, there are toys everywhere but not in the toy box. The Legos are scattered about the entire house, it will take at least an entire day to find them all! Most of them will be found not by opening the toy box but by stepping on them when you put your kids to bed, are walking down the hallway, across the living room, into the kitchen, pulling down the covers on your bed, and driving across them in the driveway.
So that is how they would fit into my life! I hope you see why the commercial made me chuckle! I almost want to go buy some for the girls just because of the effort they put into the commercial trying to convince me that my life will be clean, beautiful, and joyful with Legos. However as you see above the conclusion I came to is they will be used for nothing but clutter and weapons in our house. But I tell ya, if it really would make my house nice and white and peaceful like the commercial...I'd be the first in line!! haha!
So I'm so extremely excited about Christmas this year! I want to do everything this year, from decorations, to gifts, to homemade cookies right down to my Christmas cards! The last few years email and Facebook has made it so easy to forgo the old-time tradition of a physical card, and I'll be the first to say I've taken advantage! But not this year!!
As I was looking at Shutterfly.com, I noticed the cutest Christmas cards! In my opinion these photo cards are so much better then the old traditional cards. Most of the time when I get those, I have to be honest, they end up in the trash after Christmas is over. But when I get the photo cards, I make a point to keep them!
It took me a while to pick one out because there were so many cute ones but I think I finally made my selection! This one! Cute right! I loved how it looks so much like a scrapbook page! When I'm ready to put it in my scrapbook all I have to do is glue it in! How easy is that! And the styles of cards to pick from are unlimited, you have definitely got to check them all out for yourselves!
I also ordered some from shutterfly.com last year and they turned out really great! I was thrilled with them! I can easily find a great layout that matches the photos I want to use every time, and can also search for them by how many photos I decide I want to use on the card. With these adorable designs this year, how could I not send out cards!
Also another thing I'm planning to do this year, is make some homemade gifts! Only problem is, I have such trouble finding cute things for people who are close to me, especially extended family (grandparents, cousins, in-laws etc.) Again as I searched the shutterfly.com site, I came across their calendars! and they were PERFECT! Just load up your photos pick your designs and voila! No one can resist an entire book with pictures of cute little girls on it that just happens to be a calendar! Totally a gift you can't go wrong with!
So last night I was sitting with my 4 year old cuddling before bed and she just looked up into my eyes and said, "Mommy am I God's little Princess?" Without a second thought I immediately replied "Of course you are baby!"
As I sat there watching her in my arms, I thought about her question. I wondered what must it be like for my children growing up KNOWING that they are in fact "God's little Princess?" My family didn't become believers until I was in middle school, so the thought of my children knowing they are a Princess of the King, from the time they were conceived is mind blowing to me! I wonder how different their lives will be from mine. I wonder if they will embrace this gift all their lives or will they rebel and push it as far away from them as they can get it. In reality I know that, that may end up being the case; but I also find comfort in knowing that if you "raise a child in the way they should go, they will not part from it." I realize there may be some straying but at least I know they will always come back.
In my own life, it took me a long time to realize my identity in Christ. I know so many others who struggle with that as well. But imagine if we lived our entire life with the standards that I'm "God's little Princess" I wonder what in our lives would be different. If I lived my entire life knowing I was a Princess of God, my standards would have been a lot higher; and I would have saved myself a lot of heartache!
Living that phrase out is life changing! I pray that as my girls grow up knowing they are "God's little Princess" instead of having to learn it later, it will save them from some of the heartache that I had to go through.
This week has been a very BLA, week for me. I've been very unmotivated, and very tired. I think it's a combination of the weather and living in this messy cave our home has turned into the last few weeks. I'm a summer person through and through! I hate the cold, anything below 70 degrees is not my cup of tea. I'd love to move further south and eliminate winter all together! There is just something about gloomy cold days that make me want to hibernate until the spring flowers start to bud!
In the summer I can wake up to a half-messy home and feel good about going outside, swimming, play-dates, and having fun. But something about the cold that makes that impossible for me. I wake up FREEZING, unable to move from under a blanket! I feed the kids anything that I can grab that doesn't require me to go into the cold kitchen for more than 3 minutes, and in the recliner I stay with a great book and slippers until one of the kids starts hollering for more milk. It is then that I realize that this is my last moment of tranquility I will have the rest of the day! Once my leopard print slipper hits that floor it will never return till the next morning!
Then I'm in full force: changing diapers, baths, burping, changing clothes, filling cups, breaking up fights, getting snacks, wiping mouths and hands, picking up crumbs, feeding babies, changing bed sheets, homeschooling and then fighting them all to take a nap!
Two whole hours of quiet in this house is like the cherry on top of a HUGE banana split! It's amazing if you get to eat it, but if it rolls off onto the dirty floor, it's not good for anyone! Complete silence during the day is very rare. During that nap time I clean, vacuum, do laundry and try my best to clean up the mess that blew-up all over the house that morning. If I'm lucky I might be able to get in the shower; then just when I'm ready to sit back in the recliner and prop up my leopard print slippers, the chair creaks and one by one they emerge. By bedtime I find myself standing in the middle of the living room, surrounded by toys and chaos, trying to remember if I had actually cleaned that afternoon or if I imagined it!
During the summer, it just doesn't seem this way. Everyone is happy, the house stays clean, and it takes less time to get things done! In the winter it takes so much more effort! Maybe because in the winter the only way things feel relaxing is sitting in a candle lit clean house, with a hot cup of tea watching a movie or reading a book. In the winter everyone plays inside all day long, and that relaxing setting is non-existent some days!
This can be so frustrating to me at times! But this morning as my leopard print slippers and I sat in the recliner feeding the baby, I looked up to see my 17 month old climbing up my legs to sit with me. Then to my right came my 3 year old kissing on my 17 month old and settling under my right arm. Then to my left came my 4 year old, talking to the baby laying in my lap and sitting on my left side with her arm around me. It's moments like this that make me want to work so hard around the house for them that I don't get a moment to myself! They are my sunshine on a cloudy day!
