Let's Chat...

Hi, everyone! I have missed our interactions over the last few months, but truthfully, I've not had the time to do any quality writing or live videos. To say that life is full is an understatement. BUT, I've been convicted of the fact that it doesn't have to be that way, nor should it be.

We've all at one time or another bought into the lie that we should have a full or overflowing schedule. "How are you?", we might be asked. "So busy!", is often my response! We proclaim it as if it were the crucible we are forced to wear or some badge of honor that all moms are expected to wear. We are too tired to cook dinner; too frustrated to read a bedtime story; to exhausted to give our husbands any attention in the evening once babies are in bed; and we are certainly too spent for any meaningful time with God.

Ladies, we've got to stop the madness. Our kids will live if we tell them no football for one season. They won't fail in life if they don't learn how to do a cartwheel. But, they will struggle emotionally if we are always frazzled and frenzied from an overflowing planner. Our house won't crumble to the ground if we leave the dishes alone for some time in the Bible. And our kids will never understand what a real, living relationship with Christ is like if we aren't showing them ourselves. Nothing will benefit your child more than seeing mom (and hopefully dad) in a thriving, authentic, head-over-heels relationship with Jesus.

Don't be guilted into saying "yes" to every opportunity that presents itself. You've got to first give God, your husband, and your kids your BEST. A good rule to follow is of course to always pray about the situation first, then ask a couple of questions (in no particular order):

1. Will this fit into our schedule? (Do I already have something else in this time slot?)
2. Will this be detrimental to our spiritual life as a family? (Does it squeeze out church or church activities? Will it make us too tired to have our family devotion time?)
3. Is this something that can wait another year or two? Sports, dance, music lessons- we are all too eager to put our three-year-olds in tumbling class, but too busy to take them to Sunday School! (And this is a tumbling teacher writing!)

Two books that I recommend on this subject of family scheduling are "Your Best Yes" by Lysa TerKeurst, and "Instructing a Child's Heart" by Ted and Margy Tripp.

But the best advice that you can receive comes of course from God's Word, the Bible. Here are a few scriptures that help me in my decision making:

1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV) says,
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.


I love the KJV of this verse. The word "edifying" is very poignant: if this activity doesn't edify you or your loved ones, then most likely it needs to be a "no."

And then one of my life-verses from 2 Timothy 2:22:
"So flee youthful passions (or useless activities), and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the LORD from a pure heart."

We are instructed here to run away from ("flee") our fleshly passions. This isn't just referencing our sexual desires as this verse is often only used for. This is any desire or choice that is not edifying.

If your initial reaction to a new opportunity or activity is "I just don't know how I will make time for this," then you should probably say no. Run away from anything that will not benefit your family's spiritual/relational or mental health.

And just so know you, this is all just a sermon that I'm writing to myself. ;) 

This would also be a really good segue into the story of how we have decided to for-sure homeschool our kids once this school year ends. But... I'll save that for another day. :)

Pursuit of "Perfect"

I read a book with this title about two years ago. It meant a lot to me then, but it's starting to mean even more to me now. 

I don't know about you, but I feel that the pressure for perfection is greater now than ever. Maybe it's just the phase of life that I'm in- or maybe it's the over-exposure to other people's lives via social media. 

It's such a conundrum. I love social media; I hate social media. I get to see my friends and their families most fun and cute moments on Facebook and Instagram; I get great decorating ideas from crafty friends and bloggers; I see beautiful scripture art that reminds me of my Great God & Father; I save tons of yummy and healthy recipes on Pinterest. On the flip-side I see families who seem perfectly happy and look as if Mommy never yells, and the kids are always perfectly dressed with clean faces and hair and trimmed fingernails; I see homes that are staged for "Fixer Upper" with no piles of misplaced items on the stairs and no dirty dishes or toilets- ever! I see cutesy scripture journals and snapshots of other more Godly women's journaling Bibles with their "doodles" that prove they've just had a perfectly silent and meaningful quiet time with the Lord and that it happens for them every. day. With coffee. 

Do you feel this way ever???

Like I said, I really enjoy all of these things... So why, sometimes, does my mind turn to comparisons and discontentment with my own circumstances when I see it? Obviously, the main reason is because I desire for my family to be happy, healthy, and fulfilled- and if I'm being honest, I desire this for myself as well. But where I am deceiving myself in all this is in the concern for what others perceive about me and my family. And I am also hugely mistaken in believing the lie that I will be content and fulfilled if all of these things are "perfect" in my life. I AM A CHILD OF GOD! I ONLY NEED A PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF HIM TO FEEL "PERFECT!" This has been a struggle for me my entire life! That's probably why my favorite Bible verse is 2 Timothy 2:22 which says, "So flee youthful passions and PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, AND PEACE along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart."

Oh that I may look at social media posts with a pure heart! And may my pursuit in life be ONLY that of righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Then will my life be picture perfect when I reach the end. 

I Haven't Been Hiding

January. 

That was when I last wrote. 

It's been a whirlwind of a first quarter of a year. 

I got the flu on January 8, developed bronchitis two weeks after onset of the flu, somehow planned and pulled off our third annual Couple's Night dinner at church on February 12, then left for New York City the next day with my Valentine, Ben. 

I turned 30 during an ice storm on February 18. 

We got an offer on our house in early March and put in an offer on a house a week later. 

We had a church conference on March 13-14, then another PEP Moms meeting on March 20. We made the adorable succulent mason jars: 

Ben and I have also been taking ballroom dancing on Thursday nights for the last six weeks. It has been so much fun!

I was able to go out on a Mom's Day Out with my sister and friend, Sarah to see Cinderella and get coffee. It was so much fun!

This month, I started getting sick again, and the day before Easter, my eardrum ruptured! I'm on the mend now, and still managed to have an enjoyable Easter Sunday despite being in pain. There is not a more joyous day in my Christian life than the Sunday that we celebrate Jesus's resurrection!

This week, we got to go to the aquarium with friends and a playday with Nana. 

And now the packing has begun. My house is full of boxes- some already packed, but most are empty at the moment. I have realized something about myself that I did not know before: I do not like the smell of cardboard! 

Here's my living room:

It's been a fun first quarter of 2015, but I hope to be more intentional about personal reflection and spiritual introspection in the rest of the year. I need a good book to read that will help me grow. I'm thinking about re-reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. 

I may not write again until we get settled in the new house, but I'd like to share a new recipe that I've been working on.

Vegan Peanut Butter (PB2) Banana Walnut Muffins

2-3 ripe bananas

1/2 unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup agave nectar

2 cups flour (I prefer whole wheat pastry flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp PB2

1/4-1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°. 

Grease a six muffin tin.

Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Dump dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients, and combine gently without over-stirring. 

Fill each tin almost full. (These are BIG muffins!)

Bake 15-20 minutes.  

Thanks for stopping by and checking in. I promise to try and be more regular in posting. 

A Hug From God

As a stay-at-home-mom, I am sometimes prone to feeling isolated, lonely, separated from the "real world." When Ben and I decided that I would not work full-time once children came along, I had no idea how emotionally exhausting it would be hanging out with little ones all day. There are so many moments when I could just use a hug, and hear "It's going to be okay."

If you are a parent, you know what I'm talking about. So many different situations arise at every level of your child's development that affect the parents emotionally. I won't even try to make a list of scenarios that I've experienced  personally that have left me feeling helpless, alone, and like I'm the only one going through it. But what I do want to share with you is how God has made himself even more real to me as a result of being a parent and stay-at-home-mom, and how over and over again He wraps His arms around me in a great big hug!

The Bible,which I believe is 100% true and without error, promises us that we can give all of our cares to God because he cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) Before I became a mom, I was aware of this truth in scripture, but it has come to mean so much more to me. When my children are testing me with their behavior, and not showing progress; when my son is struggling emotionally; when the two of them seem like they will never get along, and I just want someone to talk to, God is there. He cares. He loves me. Some translations call cares "anxieties." And I don't care who you are or what your lot in life is, I'm sure you have anxieties.  

I can pause anywhere at any time, and tell Him about my worries and troubles. Isn't that just like a big hug from God?!

Do you have any favorite verses that bring you comfort? (There are so many throughout the Bible!)

Goal-Setting for 2015

I have mentioned a few times how I need to write things in order to remember them. Things like appointments & meetings, social commitments, grocery lists and meal plans, marathon training plans, and etc. would dissolve in my brain never to be remembered if I did not write them down! So when I recently read a blog about writing down goals for the new year as a family, I was inspired to do just that. 

The categories that we came up with are "personal," "family," "household," and "travel." I will not be disclosing our entire list to you, in case you had started drooling over an opportunity to get a bit of "dirt" on us! 😜 However I do want to share a few things on our want-to-accomplish in 2015 list. 

In the personal category for me, I listed:

• find my joy and contentment in Christ (see yesterday's post)
• Write (blog and journal) more
• Read more
• Less phone; more face

In the family category:

• Read the Bible with the kids more
• Pray with Ben more
• Lottie's letter recognition
• Rush's handwriting and reading

For the household list:

• Replace carpet in main living area 
• De-clutter several cabinets and closets
• Organize the garage
• Paint the master bedroom

Travel:

• Go back to NYC (to celebrate my 30th birthday in February!)
• Start saving for a 2016 Disney trip

Writing down year-long goals is definitely new for our family. But I can already tell that I feel more ready to tackle, prepare, and plan the carrying out of these things, simply because I wrote them down and discussed them with Ben. 

I'm excited about 2015! I pray that you are too. 

Do you write down goals?

Friday Favorites

Hey y'all! I have not done a Friday favorites post in a while. I thought I would catch you up on what's been going on lately. 

Last Friday, Ben took me out for our anniversary to a really nice local restaurant called Foothills Milling Company, then we went to the drive-in for a double feature. We saw How to Train Your Dragon II and The Fault in Our Stars. I do not know how we stayed awake, but somehow we managed to. I have not stayed up that late in years… It was nearly 3 AM by the time we got home and got to bed! It was definitely one of my most favorite dates ever! We tried to take a picture in the back of our minivan while we were watching the movie, but it was just too dark. But we did get some pictures of our awesome food! We shared the fried green tomatoes appetizer, and for entrées I had a smoked trout stuffed ravioli which was actually an appetizer, and Ben had the pulled pork and grits, which was a version of shrimp and grits served over polenta. For dessert, we had the buttermilk pie, and oh my goodness, it was so so good!

Our small group Bible study on Sunday mornings has been going really well. Ben has been teaching about the fruit that we produce in our lives when we are living in daily repentance. There is only one more week left of this particular study, and then we are going to move onto a marriage enrichment study. I am really looking forward to that!

Ben shared his testimony with the college students on Thursday night. He did such a great job telling about how God called him to salvation at college night at our church 12 years ago. Then he shared about how God has been working in his life more recently, teaching him about daily relying on Christ to shape and grow his heart and faith. He shared two passages: Psalm 139 which says "search my heart oh God…"; and in Matthew 22:37 Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Ben's main point was that being saved is not the end of loving Jesus. We are incapable of loving the Lord with all our heart with all our soul and with all our strength all the time. We are supposed to ask God to reveal to us when we are not obeying that great command. But we have to ask Him often to reveal it. When we are just going through the motions of Christianity, e.g., going to church "most of the time," randomly reading the Bible and praying, without doing it out of a true and pure heart for spiritual growth, God knows. By His grace, he convicts us, but it is up to confess and repent (Psalm 139); then He will lead us in the way everlasting. 

It's Vacation Bible School week at our church. I've been on the worship team and have been teaching music to the Pre-K class. It has been a blast! We are having our celebration on Sunday afternoon when the kids will get to sing for the parents/families. We've had about 500 kids in attendance!

We don't have any firm plans for the weekend other than church activities on Sunday, and I'm glad. I am looking forward to resting up when the kids will let me. ;) That is, after my 10-mile run on Saturday morning.

Do you have VBS at your church? Do you volunteer for anything?

What are your plans for July 4th???

Trading in My Mama Bear Claws for...

Source

Well... it finally happened. 

I watched my child being mistreated by other kids, and I let my emotions get the better of me. It was certainly not the first time that we had been in a situation like this, but for some reason this time, I became so upset with the other children. I never did anything too regretful in the situation, but inside I was so enraged. I was thinking about all the faults of the other kids, and never took the opportunity to teach all of the kids involved. 

Later (after I had time to cool off), I did have several good conversations with Rush about not returning evil for evil (Romans 12:17), turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-39)= saying "I have other toys that I can play with, you can have it", and doing to others as we would have them do to us (Luke 6:31). 

I recounted the whole situation to Ben (my husband) that night. He had some great words of wisdom, as always. [Ben's spiritual gift is wisdom!]  He reminded me that I don't have to let my emotions get the better of me. God gave us emotions, but Christ living in me is what should be controlling my reactions to life. During our conversation, I realized that I have fears about how our son will mesh socially as he grows. It is one of those weird tactics that Satan uses on me sometimes; it comes and goes, but when it creeps in, it's very strong. My fear (aka lack of faith) is what caused my poor reaction. How many times have you reacted sinfully as a result of suppressed fears? 

All I could think was "Those kids are so unfriendly and have no manners whatsoever! They are just provoking my son to the point that his social "quirks" come out.  All they can think about is themselves!"

Deep down in my spirit, I know that there is no reason to worry about my son. If I am living the kind of life in Christ that I should be living, those worries won't even seem valid; I will be able to dismiss them the moment they pop into my head. And my response to conflict will be peace-making, life-giving, Godly instruction. 

"We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God's grace; not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you." 2 Corinthians 1:12

If I can keep this verse and others like it stored in my heart, then my mama bear claws will not come out at the wrong time. My main weapon of defense should always be the full armor of God, because really I am not just protecting my child from other people; I am defending his heart (and mine) from invisible evil powers. 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." Ephesians 6:11-18a ESV

Lord, please give me the strength and wisdom to show my children how to respond to conflict. Help me to be sincere, gracious; to control my tongue and my feelings; and to use Your Word as my main line of defense and instruction. I cannot do it on my own. Only you can help me trade in my mama bear claws for Your Armor.

I remember 7th grade... and why it scares me.

Do you remember those awkward middle school years?

Most of what I remember is embarrassing moments, confusing moments, and wishing I were older... 

When I was asked to talk to the 7th grade girls at our church it took me back to that time. Back to my little classroom at my little K-8 school; back to cheer camp, basketball games, sleepovers, long phone conversations about nothing, huge sibling spats, learning how to put on make-up, and "liking" boys. 

I have to admit something here. When Ben and I were expecting a baby the first time around, I was fearful of having a girl. My fear stemmed from all the bad memories surrounding those middle school (and high school) years that were mainly a result of my being a girl. Those fears still crept up when we were expecting the second time. But around 18 weeks, we found out that God was giving us a daughter. I am not at all saying that I was happy; I was elated! But Satan has a sly way of turning our joy into fear sometimes. I expressed my fears to Ben and a couple of wise friends, and they all had wonderful words of Godly wisdom for me. This is still something I sometimes struggle with. {More on this in a bit.}

The 7th grade Sunday school teacher asked me and two others ladies (all in different stages of life) to talk to the girls about a female from the Bible that we relate to. I really struggled at first on who to parallel my life with. And I also really struggled with feeling confident that the girls would "get" what I wanted to say. 

So, I decided on Mary, mother of Jesus. Funny decision for many reasons, but hopefully you'll see where I was going with it (and hopefully the girls did too). Here's what I shared with them:

I talked about how Mary was asked to do some heavy stuff: become pregnant (by the Holy Spirit) while un-married yet engaged, and then raise the Child as the Son of God. Luke 1 tells us that Mary was initially "confused and disturbed" by what the angel said. But it did not take her long to accept the calling that God had placed on her. 

A few years ago, God asked me to do something that initially disturbed and confused and intimidated me. He brought before me the opportunity to be director of our moms ministry, PEP Moms. Obviously, the task does not compare to the one that Mary was confronted with, but nonetheless, God was asking me to do something that was out of my comfort zone. Luke doesn't tell us exactly how long it took Mary to tell the angel that she was willing to take on the task, but it appears it wasn't very long. I admitted to the 7th grade girls that it took me several days to finally say yes, but I truly believed what the angel told Mary: that with God, all things are possible. 

Less than a year ago, Ben and I were asked to do something that was out of our comfort zone: lead the newlyweds Bible study at our church. In a similar fashion, we were "confused and disturbed" and initially resistant to the prospect. As we prayed and sought advice, again, we came to the conclusion that with God's guidance, we could do it, and that He was asking us to say yes. 

We have learned so much about what it means to be obedient to God through both of these situations. He has entrusted us with these tasks in order to bring Himself glory and to grow us closer to Him. Thinking about how He has guided us thus far and blessed our efforts, ideas, and attempts of new things makes me feel so joyful. It is not always easy or even fun, but I know that God is pleased with my willingness as long as I am doing it for Him. 

Mary's cousin, Elizabeth, praised her for her willingness to be the mother of the Savior of the world. I believe that Elizabeth's encouragement and recognition of God's blessing on Mary's life lifted Mary's spirit and affirmed her. When people give me encouragement and positive feedback, it furthers my belief that I am right where God wants me. Mary responded with a beautiful "song" of praise to God. She said, 

"My soul magnifies the Lord, 

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 

for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name..."

God has been so faithful to me in these tasks that He has put before me. Mary mentions the "generations" calling her blessed. For me, those "generations" are my children, grandchildren, and so on. I pray that as a result of my faithful willingness to say yes when led to do so, they will call me blessed, Godly, wise, obedient, faithful, and loving. 

I think the girls understood most of what I was saying and they seemed to pay attention for the most part. 

Back to my fear that I shared earlier...

Raising a daughter in a world so full of perversion really does scare me. The task ahead makes me feel "confused and disturbed." Ben and I are  incapable of raising our daughter (and our son) in a way that pleases God. But just as Mary never questioned her own abilities and fully relied on God to give her the wisdom and guidance necessary to perform her task well, I pray for that kind of faith. A faith that never even considers my own abilities to be an asset. My only tools come from my relationship with my Savior and Lord. He will guide me; he will protect my daughter. I only need to believe that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)

How do you handle fears?

What are your memories of middle school like- good or bad?

Weekend Re-cap and Meal Plan Monday

Hey y'all! I hope you had a great weekend. Ours was busy, busy! Ben was out of town Thursday-Saturday, which makes things seem crazy no matter what. I had choir rehearsal Thursday night for our Palm Sunday/ Easter Cantata which we presented yesterday (Sunday) morning in both services. Friday morning, we had the PEP Moms spring luncheon, which was super-fun! Our speaker was a master gardener, and she helped us make some one-pot herb gardens. She even gave us some recipes to use our fresh herbs in! It was lots of fun, and the food was great too.

I tried to do my 20-mile training run on Saturday morning, but my start time kept getting delayed! I finally started a little after 11:30, and it was brutal! The high temperature was somewhere in the low 80's, and I am not used to that! I basically walked the last 5 miles, but at least I covered the distance. :( The marathon is only 19 days away!!! I also got just a little sunburn...

We had a huge family cook-out at my mom and dad's on Saturday evening, and it was lots of fun. My kids love playing at my parents' house; they have lots of property and lots of toys. I enjoy it too because I can let them have lots of freedom compared to being in our subdivision. Rush also got to go with my dad and my grandfather ("Papaw") to their garden while I was running. He helped them plant yellow squash and zucchini, and he rode the tractor and played in the dirt. It makes me so happy when my kids get to experience things like that with their grandparents. I hope that Rush has a love for home-grown foods like my dad and papaw. It would be awesome if one day he was running the garden!

Ben got home around midnight on Saturday, and I had to get up for early service on Sunday morning. I was almost late to church, which would have been a disaster since my solo was the opening song! But I made it just in time. Whew! The service was so sweet and spirit-filled. [The link will not be up on the church website yet, but if you're interested in watching it, check in about a week.] It was a great Sunday all around! We even got to take dinner over to my sister's house before the evening service! If you like salmon, you MUST try this recipe. It was the perfect spring meal: strawberry feta salmon wraps!

On to last week's meal plan. Like I said, it was an odd week, so the plan probably would not fill a four-person family's normal weekly meal plan. But life is life. You've gotta roll with it. 

Shrimp tacos with Mexican fried brown rice and hominy (recipe for the rice coming soon)

Southwest stuffed sweet potatoes with shredded slow-cooker salsa chicken

Tortellini 

We even had take-out one night. Very rare for a week night. It was a nice break from the norm, and I was so excited to eat it that I did not take a picture. I had crab cakes with snap peas and mashed potatoes, and Ben had petite pork chops with spinach maria. 

I also made morning glory muffins. The recipe made 6 regular sized muffins and 24 mini muffins. I sent the regular-sized ones with Ben on his trip. 

This week should be a bit more normal. I am so excited to celebrate my Savior this Sunday! Happy a happy holy week!

Friday Favorites (3/14)

It has been a short week this week since we drove back from DC all day on Monday. {Here's a re-cap of the trip.} Ben used a vacation day on Tuesday so that we could have some family time with our kids since they stayed back in Tennessee with their grandparents. It was a fun day, and we ended it with a meeting with our realtor. We have our house now listed with an agent again. The prospect of selling seems a bit more promising this time around than it did before, just based on the market. Wednesday I had BSF in the morning, and choir in the evening. I made a new recipe for veggie enchiladas for dinner. They were amazing!

Definitely my favorite meal from the week.

Favorite blog reads:

Parenting/SAHM: 
Gospel Homemaking: Creating Calm in the Chaos
Delights and Delectables: Adoption Finalized!

Fitness:
Miles and Blessings: Run for Jaime

Favorite Workout:
Running outside this morning. My marathon plans have changed: I am now planning to run the New River Marathon on May 3 in North Carolina. More in this later...

Favorite God-Moment:
Doing the spiritual surveys in D.C., and seeing the students be inspired to share their faith.

Favorite Kid-Moment:

Playing with Lottie on Tuesday while Rush was at school. We played doctor, tea, party, dress-up... all fun stuff! 

Rush is such a big kid now! He retold the story of Jesus miraculously feeding the crowd of 5,000 perfectly! 

We are looking forward to a fun weekend! The weather is going to be nice, so hopefully we'll get to play outside. Hope you have a great weekend too!

What are your plans?

What was your favorite meal this week?

In case you missed it:

My post on what I never expected as an engaged girl.

Friday Favorites (2/21)

Hey, hey! It's Friday! I love weekends, don't you? Since Ben works fairly long hours Monday through Friday, we relish our time together from the time he walks in the door on Friday evening until he leaves Monday morning. 

Here are some of my favorite happenings from this week:

Favorite moment: 

Going out to dinner at El Paso for my birthday with Ben and the kids. I had the tacos de carne asada. Sooo yummy!

Favorite read:

Teachings of Jesus in Matthew on marriage and divorce. 

Favorite Workout:

I've been kinda lazy this week, but I did get 3 miles in at the gym yesterday and felt great. 

Kid-favorite:

Playing outside ALL afternoon on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! The weather has been incredible! Rush is in heaven- he's been going shirtless! 

Favorite meal:

Ham and Swiss croissant casserole (NOT healthy) with orange poppyseed spinach salad. 

Favorite blog reads:

Healthy Living: 

Brittany's post on shopping at Trader Joe's. 

Running: 

Jen's post on deciding to run a marathon 6 months post-partum. 

Parenting: 

The MOB Society's post on How Not to Raise a Godly Man (can't wait to read the free e-book). 

Faith:

Becky's post on God's provision. 

I shared earlier this week that we are going for a family hike tomorrow, and I am super excited! Hiking is possibly my favorite thing to do with Ben.

Photo from 2011- same trail that we're hiking tomorrow

Because of our plans tomorrow, I am planning to do my long run late this afternoon into this evening. I do not typically have good results when I run late in the day, but this is really my only opportunity to get it in. The marathon is just 5 weeks away!

Ben is teaching on the importance of community within the church this Sunday. I'm so proud of how is he growing as a leader/teacher. I'm learning that our spiritual gifts may not be what we would expect based on our natural personalities (post on this coming soon).

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Do you get excited for weekends?

What's your favorite family activity?

Sweet Somethings

The last few days have been really fun. We've been celebrating Valentine's Day since Friday, and started my birthday celebrations yesterday. Here's a quick re-cap:

Friday night dinner at home with my three favorite valentines. We had quiche, and I pulled out the homemade cheesecake after the kids went to bed.

Ben and I watched Pride and Prejudice. 

Saturday morning we went to the gym, and I did not do my 16 miles. I only did 8. Oh well! 

We had our close friends, Chris and Buck and their kids over for dinner and I made my mom's spinach lasagna recipe and a new recipe for cauliflower soup. It was good! Chris (my best friend and running partner) made a chocolate cake covered in strawberries for dessert. It was yummy! I made some of my brother-in-law's decaf to go with it. Yay for fresh-roasted coffee!

Sunday afternoon was when Ben had made his secret plans for our Valentine's Day. After church, his parents took our kids and we went to the Melting Pot with my sister and her husband and their newborn baby girl. We had a great time. The conversations were goofy, serious, Biblical, and fulfilling. After evening church, we put the kids to bed and I turned on the TV to watch the Olympics. I wasn't into what was on, so I flipped it over to PBS because I knew Downton Abbey was on. We have been HUGE fans of the show in the past three seasons, but we missed the first episode this season (no, we don't have DVR, nor do we have cable or satellite), so we haven't been watching it. I had just changed the channel to PBS and Ben walked in to the room. I said, "I can't take it anymore! I have to watch it even though we haven't seen any other episodes!" Ben said, let's go in the bedroom to watch it. I reminded him that we do not have any TV watching capabilities in our room except DVDs. But he persisted, and I started to get the hint. I suddenly heard the theme song playing in the bedroom, and then I knew- he had bought season 4! Yay for husbands who like Downton!!! He also gave me a sweet card and an amazing Lindt dark chocolate-cranberry-almond bar. Such a great ending to a sweet day! I love that Ben Mills so much!

Yesterday was my birthday. Ben and the kids and I went out for Mexican food last night so I had the night off from cooking and cleaning! When we got home Ben handed me a small package and some papers. I opened the papers first, and I saw that they were downloads of the soundtracks to Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music. The package was the DVD of the original TV airing of Mary Martin's Peter Pan!!! It was my childhood favorite, and Ben has been wanting to get it for me for years! I can't believe I finally own it! So sweet of him!

We are going out for breakfast with all of family to celebrate my birthday on Saturday morning, then going for a family hike. The weather is supposed to be perfect! I am really excited about being in the mountains!

Speaking of our families, I have been reflecting on how blessed Ben and I are to both have parents with marriages still in tact. I'm so grateful for this heritage. 

So much in my Bible studying lately has been about marriage. I definitely believe that when coincidences happen, they are not just that- it is something God is trying to get my attention on!

In BSF, we are in Matthew 19; and I shared that Ben's lesson last week in Sunday morning Bible study was on our marriage to Christ and how earthly marriage is meant to be a reflection of it. A couple of things have really struck a chord with me:

• How serious God is about how much he hates divorce.
• How our union with Christ is so much more important than anything else, even our earthly marriages. 
• How marriage is not just something you do once. It's something you choose to do every day. 

I would love for any of you to share any insight or Biblical/spiritual knowledge that you have on these points. 

I hope you're all having a great week!

I want to know:

What's your favorite musical?

What was your favorite childhood movie?

The Cookie Jar of Grace

Happy Monday, everyone!

Just when you think everything is running smoothly, you make a quick run to the grocery store (which is literally 30 seconds away from your child's preschool) right before drop-off time. 

Heading to check-out things were still going well; I had only gotten three items...

My little guy is always mesmerized by the candy display right next to the checkout line (I strongly dislike the person who decided to put that junk right at munchkin-eye-level!), and he loves to stand and stare at all the different types of gum; he picks them up and sniffs them and crinkles the plastic around the gum box. Sometimes I let him pick a pack if I know that his stash is low at home. (He LOVES gum!) 

Right after I signed my name on the credit card box, I look over to him to say, "OK, time to go!"--- and he enthusiastically rips open a packet of gum after I had repeatedly told him that we were not buying any on this day. So I say, "Now that you have ripped open the packet, we have to pay for it. But you are not going to be allowed to have any of the gum and you will not have any for the rest of the day." I instruct him to walk around and hand it to the cashier so that I can pay money for the gum. (At this point, I'm thinking that he is understanding the seriousness of what he has done...) But then he walks back around to me and completely changes the subject, asking about something totally different, but still trying to fulfill some desire of his. I'm also trying to have a conversation with another cashier now, who I know personally, and he is interrupting over and over. I say a quick goodbye to my friend, and hurry the little guy to jump onto the cart so that we can go back to the car to get to school which we are now three minutes late for. 

Feeling negative about the way that I handled the whole situation, (Why do I question my mom skills so much?!) I get in the car after getting the kids buckled and handing them a snack, and the feeling of defeat just washes over me. (It did not help that I somehow caused the panic alarm to go off on my van, and I could not figure out how to get it to stop. There's nothing like feeling defeated and then drawing attention to yourself in the grocery store parking lot with your blaring car alarm to work you up to tears.) Ah, motherhood...

There is a point to this story, and it's not that Rush is a typical four-year-old boy, or that I am a typical mommy. It is that we are all gluttons of grace. 

You know... we decide to go forward with something that we know in our hearts God has not given us "the go" on. We do it---> it doesn't go well---> God smooths it over for us---> and we immediately start asking him for the next thing without really asking for forgiveness and repenting of our indiscretion. 

"God help me to find the right new car." You find one just slightly over your price range and somehow justify that you can make it work. All the while there's a twinge in your stomach reminding you that it was not the best decision. But you quickly move on to the next thing: maybe asking for success in a new deal at work, but using a slight un-truth to entice the potential customer. And we continue this pattern of asking for God's help, knowing what's right, but straying a bit from totally obeying, and then pretending that all is OK (remember, there's no pretending with God). All the while, God is trying to get our attention with his "panic alarm" (conviction). We may regret our choice to "slightly" disobey or even feel embarrassed if others see the result of our mistake. But we do not get serious about repentance. We are over-indulgent partakers of God's grace. We've been caught up in what God can do for us (get us gum), but rarely admit our mess-ups. We continually go to Him with our problems and requests with unconfessed sins. 

I do not love my little boy any less when he messes up. But I do want him to realize and talk about the mistake when he makes one. God does not love us any less when we sin. But he asks us to confess our sins to Him so that we can grow. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I do not want to be guilty of regretting a sin but never confessing and taking action against that sin (repentance). I certainly do not want to be guilty of gluttony. God's grace is a free gift, but I cannot expect to continue to receive it if I continually overindulge. 

Obviously, a four-year-old cannot be expected to understand the gravity of these things, but I can be setting an example by talking through these types of situations. It's only with God's help that I (alongside my husband) will be able to have the wisdom to instruct my children in these principles. But in the meantime, I am amazed at how much God is using mommy-hood to teach me, mold me, and grow me. His grace really is amazing, and I don't want to take advantage of it. 

"The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty." Numbers 14:18

And for a little comic relief:

Marvelous in my Monday!

Happy Monday, y'all!

It was a great weekend here at the Mills house! 

Friday night, I made homemade pizza, and my sister and her family (our best friends) came over. She is due to deliver baby #3 any day, so we are all excited about that! I forgot to take a pic of the pizzas, but I will have to share the crust recipe because it turned out to be the best that I have ever made! Don't you love homemade pizza?!

Saturday was birthday party day! Lottie had so much fun at her cowgirl party. We have so many wonderful, loving family and friends that came to celebrate with us. I will share some pics later this week. 

When we got the kids to bed on Saturday night, Ben and I stood in the kitchen (because I fall asleep if it's after 8:00 pm and I sit down) and went through the final draft of his lesson for our class. While he was talking, I was listening and giving my input, I might have made this:

Brownie in a mug. 😍 

I am still full of joy after a great day at church yesterday. All three teachings that I heard (Bible study taught by Ben and two sermons) were powerful and convicting and inspiring. God really opened my heart to reveal some tough stuff to me about my motivation behind what I do. I'm so glad that I have the Holy Spirit through Christ in me to help me in my weaknesses. 

Today I am meal planning, grocery shopping, and taking Rush to have his teeth cleaned. Just a typical day-in-the-life Monday!  

Thanks, Katie for hosting!

What was your favorite moment this weekend?

Marvelous Monday! And My Non-Perfect Life Disclaimer...

Sometimes I worry that this blog can come off as my "highlight reel." So before I spout off all the great stuff that I experienced this weekend, I want to be clear that my life is not all rainbows and roses. I yell at my kids; I feel depressed and lonely sometimes; Ben and I have marital conflict; I stray from my relationship with The Lord. Thankfully, the God that I seek to serve is gracious, and He forgives my shortcomings when I ask; He comforts me when I feel down. <---- This tidbit of info is "marvelous" enough to never write another blog post again! But, since the title of this post is Marvelous Monday, I'll go ahead and share a few things from our weekend...

Friday night triple date to Cheesecake Factory:

Ben and me

Me, my sis, and future sis-in-law (Sorry for the bad photo. Lighting inside CF is bad for pics.)

I  had the Chicken Madeira, which was good. But my favorite was the cheesecake: Kahlua Cocoa Coffee, and it was AMAZING!

Saturday morning trip to the Rainforest Zoo. 

We have a season pass but have not been since the summer. They had some new animals, so we had an extra-fun time learning about them!

Saturday afternoon outside playtime.

The rain cleared, so we got to get some fresh air. :)

Awesome Lord's day!

Ben did an amazing job teaching on Jeremiah 17:5-10. Our pastor's sermon on the importance of being dedicated to your local church was bold and convicting. 

I made a new soup/stew in my Crock-pot using Bob's Red Mills Vegi Soup Mix. (Recipe soon!) 

The evening sermon from Titus was spot-on for me as well. After church, Ben said, "Pastor Dan has perfected the art of humble boldness," and I could not agree more. We are blessed with a great church and pastor. 

Sunday afternoon run.

It was a beautiful afternoon. I rarely see this route in daylight, so I had a special appreciation for the view along the way. 

Hope you have a marvelous Monday!

Thanks to Katie at Healthy Diva Eats for hosting this link-up!