Taking a break to update my blog

Fall Pie Crust Cutouts

This week I am posting a family tradition that I have been enjoying since I was a kid...


Every Thanksgiving we would all travel to Minnesota to see family friends and enjoy the season together. Our friend Carla is a great pie baker, and I will never forget walking through her door, and the wonderful aromas that would welcome us as we stepped in. Roasting turkey, amazing sides, and 3 pie options to choose from every time. We have lots of funny memories from those years, like the time Carla's youngest son scorched his eyebrows from trying to light the fireplace. One thing I looked forward to, and something my Mom and I often made at home on our own, was pie crust pin wheels.


We would roll up the rest of the pie crust that wasn't used and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar all over them. Mmm...they are so yummy served fresh out of the oven. 

This year, I decided to make some using my favorite gluten free crust, as I have had to eat gluten free since those few ;-) years ago. Instead of rolling them out, I used fall themed cookie cutters. It sounds easy enough, but since I used a gluten free crust (which is harder to use) I decided to share how I did it...

Here is my FAVORITE gluten free prepard pie crust. I have not found it at many stores around here, so I am going to have to start ordering it online. It is the only prepared gf crust I have ever seen in the freezer section.

The crust gets sticky when it is room temp (like most gf crust), so I rolled it between two pieces of parchment paper, and then cut it out. I got these shapes at Hobby Lobby earlier this season.

                           

I then had to take the parchment full of cutouts, and flip it upside down on the cookie sheet, and gently peel the paper away. It was too sticky to do it any other way.

I sprinkled cinnamon, and sugar on top, and put them in a 350 degree oven for 10 mins.

And, here is the finished product. They make the whole house smell like fall, while they are baking, and they taste just like I remember when I was a kid. They are a fun, and easy way to celebrate the season! What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate the changing seasons?


This week I am linking up with Life of Faith #MommyMoments ,andHolley Gerth #CoffeeForYourHeart

Seeing Life Through Childlike Eyes

My husband and I took our son to his first zoo experience last week. We went to a local small, zoo, and he loved it. We were not too impressed, but our son's eyes lit up with every animal he saw.

It made us laugh to watch him make animal sounds, and run around all excited over monkeys and zebras. It made me remember my childhood. It made us both appreciate the experiences we had growing up. But most of all it reminded me of the childlike heart that Jesus adores so much. He adores it so much, that He wants us as adults to still come to Him with that heart in us.

It all made me think about what that means to have a childlike heart...not childish, but childlike. A child's eyes, and a child's mind takes in every experience they have like a sponge. Everything is new. Everything is full of wonder. But as we get older, things are not new anymore. Life becomes the same...routine. And yet, our Heavenly Father asks that we don't lose the heart of a child.

I think sometimes I forget what being a child is like. I get overwhelmed in being a Mom, and  a housewife, and it all feels like pressure sometimes because I am always needed, and don't have enough time in a day to do it all. 

But there is something in the heart of the Father that doesn't grow old. He doesn't get tired as we do. His mercies are NEW every morning. And, in His grace He must want to share that heart of His with us, or these words would not be in His Book...

I wonder how my days would change if I woke up in the morning asking the Father for childlike eyes instead of my adult (sometimes "childish" eyes). It gives me joy that Jesus wants us to still experience the newness of life throughout the changing seasons. Maybe it's because it's a little bit of Heaven that He offers us while we are still on this earth.

Today I am linking up with:
#FaithNFriendsLinkUp
#CoffeeForYourHeart

Oh how He loves creating Life!

A new addition to the family was added over the weekend. My brother and sis-in-law had a baby! As I am excited for this new nephew, I can't help but think of how the Lord loves to create life. God loves life, and he loves us...His creation.

A few years ago, I had a miscarriage before I got pregnant with my son. When I think back to that time and the awful bit of grieving I went through, my heart aches, but then I think of the miracle that came from it all. God has His hand on everything. He is so soveriegn. Not only do I have a beautiful child waiting for me in eternity someday, but exactly 9 months after I lost that baby, my son was concieved. I am in awe. At the very time my lost child would have been born, God was creating my son. It wasn't until after my son was born that I put the timeline of that all together!  Everything happens for a reason. Everything has been set in place by a loving, merciful God.  

I am also in awe of the way in which God creates life. I remember right after my miscarriage, the doctor telling me that because it was such an early loss, "the baby would have been nothing more than a blob anyway." Not only was that very careless on her part to say, this goes against everything I believe. Psalm 139 completely disagrees with this, and in fact says the complete opposite. My Mom was with me the day the doctor told me that, and she and I decided to look deeper into the matter. What we found astounded us. 

Did you know, that before an embryo even begins to take shape  that little "blob" is a tiny ball of cells, with DNA hardwired into it already? Our skin color, eye color, sex, and personality are already predetermined at conception. All we are to become is right there in that so-called "blob." Life begins instantly. Our God, and creator does not take life lightly! 

No matter who you are, or what you have been through, you are so vitally important to God, that before you even existed, He knew you. The Psalms declare it, therefore God Himself declares it! Be blessed today my friends. 

I know not everyone believes as I do, and that's okay. I am glad however, that I have this faith. I am glad that more than just this faith, I truly believe this with all my heart. There is hope in God, and the life He creates. I pray that you too, whoever you are, discover that same hope. I imagine you today reader, having a cup of coffee, or tea, or sitting at your desk at work, and I pray that you are blessed and overwhelmed with life, and Heavenly surprises today. 

Today I am linking up with Life Of Faith #MommyMoments and Holley Gerth #CoffeeForYourHeart

We carry His heart

Have you ever had a moment where the Lord just comes over you with joy and love when you least expect it? It takes you off guard, and you know it was an appointed time by Him alone...This happened to me yesterday and my mind is still in awe, and my heart is still pondering.

I wanted to take my son for a morning treat. Our morning had gone a little "wonky" as I like to say. My son had managed to pull off his poopy diaper and spread it around his room while I was getting myself ready for the day. I was less than thrilled when I came into his room and saw this. At the same time my dog had pooped overnight in her crate, and so I spent the start to my day cleaning up poop. To top it off, we had friends from out of town coming in later, and I hoped that I got all the stink out before they came, but my nose was still plugged up from a cold, and I could not smell a thing! After all of this I ran out of the house, buckled my son into his carseat, and headed to the nearest Starbucks first, and then to Mcdonalds. I was tired. I was slightly crabby. I was stressed about getting my house in order before our guests arrived, but God still broke into my chaotic emotions to bless my heart with His heart.

As I drove up to Mcdonalds with my flat white coffee from Starbucks, I was feeling a bit more at ease. The caffiene, was beginning to kick in, and the warmth of the coffee was like the warm hug I so needed right then. I pulled up to find that this particular Mcdonald's was under construction, and they had their workers outside taking payments, and handing out orders, as the windows were blocked by ladders and huge equipment. I made my payment, and then headed up to recieve my order, and within the 1 minute it took for me to recieve it, the Lord flooded my mind with these thoughts for that person giving me my food. "I made this person!" As I heard the Lord say this, I felt His pride and I just smiled and couldn't stop smiling. I then felt graditude for this random person's life, though I had never met them before. Everything inside me wanted to say something of God's love for them, but the words wouldn't come. As I was handed my food I was still smiling, and prayed a blessing over that person as I drove off. My eyes filled with tears as I felt the compassion of Jesus for that one soul I knew nothing about...but Jesus knew very well.

I still don't know why I did not get to say anything in words. Sometimes that's the way it goes. Sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to be the only One speaking. Either way, I was honored that God would let me feel that as a reminder that I am always His hands and His feet. As a housewife, as a stay-at-home Mom it is so easy to feel isolated, and insignificant to the rest of the world. Am I right Mom's and housewives? It's easy to forget that God values us so incredibly much! Everytime we leave the house, whether to take a walk, and see a neighbor, or go to a grocery store, or wherever we go, we carry the heart of Jesus with us. God is not held back by our limitations, or what we think our limitations are. He is always speaking, always moving, in spite of us.

I want to be the person that is aware of that daily. I want to be the person that is open to the Holy Spirit at all times, so that I am always ready to share Him in whatever way He wants...even if it is just to say a private prayer for a random person. When we are open to Jesus, I believe He takes the little we offer, and turns it into gold in the Heavenly realms.

Remember how valuable you are today to the Father. He sees you. He knows you. He sees you as worthy to bear His Name.
Today I am linking up with Life of Faith #MommyMoments and #TeaAndWordTuesday

My Fall Home Decor

As promised I am putting up pictures of the fall decor I have set out around my home. I am definitely not a pinterest worthy decorator, so don't expect extravagance! Heehee. I am just an honest decorator at heart that makes do with what I already have, and with the few fun items I have collected. I grew up with my Mom making a big deal about the changing seasons, and decorating for them. She made it fun for us kids, and I hope to be doing that for my son as well. I really enjoy watching youtube, or seeing other blogs, and seeing what others have done to decorate their places. I hope you enjoy mine! Have a good week and be blessed. Welcome to my Fall home!

Our living room: The picture quality is not the best, and I apologize for that. I find my living room to be very relaxing with the large picture windows on both sides of the house. This one is looking out to our backyard. I just added a small fall pillow that I found at a local CVS.

Here is where I hung the cute sign I bought at Dollar Tree back in August. On the shelves I have some pumpkins I had from years ago, and a cute light up acorn from Big Lots last year. I also found a cute apple sign from an apple orchard we went to a couple weeks ago. I really am loving the window pane that I found on Amazon this year. Please excuse the few holes in the wall left from the previous owners. We still have not decided how we want to paint this new house of ours ;)!

This little desk sitting in our dining room came from my Grandma years ago, and I try to decorate it according to the seasons to remember her by. She wrote many letters to her loved ones at that desk. The adorable towel I have draped over the basket is a gift, and then I had to put some pumpkins inside because, well, pumpkins are the best :)!

 This is more of the dining room, and no we are not keeping this wall color. Ha! Eventually we plan to paint this whole room as well, but for now, I am just having fun with it! My favorite part of the dining room is the mirror with the cute wreath draped over it. I found both at Big Lots, and I am in love.

 Here is a glimpse of the kitchen. I know it might be a bit much, but I love leaves, and so I had to adorn the other love of my life (this coffee and tea bar), with them. I saw someone else put out cute drinking straws at their kitchen coffee bar. I am now on the hunt for some myself :)!

 This is the other side of our bright and sunny living room. I had to show it, because I am proud of this chair! I found it at an estate sale over the summer for $10 people!! It was a steal. I cleaned it up and put this slip cover from WalMart over it. This is where I spend lots of my devo time, and blog writing moments! I am so thankful for the way God blesses His people! He is so present in even the smallest details of our lives!

 Another corner of my kitchen counter. I love candy corn, and it is always on my counter as soon as Fall shows up! The adorable candle holder is from my Mom, and the cute fall plaque that says "bless our family" is from Hobby Lobby.

 This is in our kitchen as well. I found this desk at a garage sale over the summer for $20, and I enjoy it as extra work space, and of course extra decor space ;)! The adorable pumpkin wall art is a gift from my brother and sis-in-law, and the candle holder pumkin also had belonged to them years ago. I freaking love chalkboards! I would put them all over my house if I could find a place! This one is usually used for my weekly menu, but not this time! Ha.

 I found this beautiful little shelf at Goodwill for $2.50. I don't shop there often, but when I remember too, I usually find something cute like this. Goodwill has lots of hidden gems worth hunting for!

 Lastly, this is my mantle. I found the cute owl, and pumpkins at the Dollar Tree, as well as the floral pieces, and the sign behind the candle. My son enjoys playing with the pumpkins. I hide them, and he goes around finding them and putting them in a little basket.

Like I said, nothing extravagant...just simple easy touches here and there. Most of my decor is put up high out of reach these days, and I am finding that shelves are a must! I think it only fair to add one more picture to the mix, since I am a Mommy, and I gotta be honest. Messes are a part of everyday. Here is what my house really looks like in every room of the house ;D...

 And of course, here is the reality of my adorable chair. My adorable son and dog love jumping on it very much as you can see ;) ;)! Mommy-hood is about enjoying life! I am embracing the messes, because the laughter usually is a part of the mess. I mean really, this last picture melts my heart. This is a true typical day for me, and I am thankful for every moment of it! Be blessed and happy Fall ya'll!!!

This week I am linking up with #IntentionalTuesdayLinkup

He is Still Good

I have had to take a bit of a break for the last week and a half from blogging. My heart is still here in it, but life happens sometimes. My husband threw his back out at work a week ago, and I had to step up and take care of him for a coulpe of days. Then, it was my turn. I have been dealing with some health issues for the last couple of weeks, and now we are just waiting on blood test results. I have been very ill, and weak feeling, and my anxiety has started to creep up on me again. I find it so interesting how God keeps shifting my blogging around to focus more on this subject. I know I still have to take pics of my fall decor in my home, and I have more "mommy related," fun topics to share. I wish I could just share those things instead of this topic, but once again God is changing my topics around. Soon enough I will share the fun things, but for today, I feel God is wringing out these words from my heart.

During the last couple of weeks as I have been battling whatever this health issue is, I have felt like such a hypocrite! I wrote the last two posts about anixiety, and how I deal with it, but let me tell you my friends, I failed miserably to follow through with these techniques this week, or so I feel. God in His grace, and compassion, has helped me see yet another perspective of the trial of anxiety. 

There are times where our health is the cause of our anxiety. It's in these times when making a choice to "think on these things" (Philippians 4:8), is next to impossible seeming. How can I just choose to think on better things when my anxiety is a side affect of my health issue, and comes out of nowhere?! How can I focus on God's Word when I can't focus on anything, because I am so ill and weak? As I was contemplating all of these thoughts this week, I felt so much more compassion on the true warriors of our faith who struggle daily with disease or other forms of suffering, and yet somehow learn to rest in God's peace. It was my heart's desire to find that for myself, and honestly still is. 

As a child I grew up in the Assemblies of God, during the movement of "revival" that was huge in Brownsville, and just about every church near me was hungry for this revival in their own walls. I remember witnessing different people getting healed as people would pray over them, and I also witnessed many who did not. It was the ones who did not get healed that brought frustration, and confusion into my little heart, as I heard pastor after pastor pray, "Lord if it is your will, heal this person." How is it not God's will to heal? Does that mean that He Himself wants this sickness for this person? As I grew up that mentality stuck with me without my even knowing it. 

Last evening, I felt so ill, and not knowing the results of my blood test yet, sent my mind reeling, and my anxiety rushing. I was gone in another anxiety attack, and I didn't know how to get back to "reality." My sweet husband came beside me, and in the midst of my anxiety attack that had me on the floor feeling faint, he put his hand on my head and prayed for me. As He prayed, my mind began to clear, and I felt as though God Himself lifted blinders from my eyes that had been there for years. I saw Him for who He is. I didn't see the finger of God pressing this sickness into me, I saw Him kneeling beside me as my husband was and ministering to me. I felt loved. I felt peace, even though I did not feel good. I began to breath normal, my heart started to calm, and I knew that once again, I had been believing a lie for too long, and Jesus wanted to take the lie away. 

God is not the author of sickness, or death, or pain. Because of this, He does not will upon any of us the trials we face. Instead, God in His mercy promises to be with us, and to help us manage our weaknesses the way only His Spirit can. God Himself has compassion on us, because He understands what we face in this sinful, fallen world. Maybe in some ways, I have been ignorant to this obvious truth, or maybe I just needed to understand this feeling, so I could have compassion on others who deal with sickness. 

It is easy to blame God for our problems, because He is in fact the One in control over all things is he not? But God is not the problem. Sin is. God uses our trials to bring redemption, to bring life, and to bring beauty from ashes. When God does not heal us, He is still on the throne. When we don't have answers, He is still loving us, and ministering to us, and giving us what we need to get through the moment. Why He chooses to heal some, and not others is not for me to know or to answer. But whether we are healthy and free of ill feelings, or if we struggle daily in sickness, and pain, Jesus promises to never leave or forsake us. We will always have something to worry about on this earth, whether sickness or not. We are not in Heaven yet. But the mercy of God is Himself...every day, for the rest of our lives, whenever we need Him. We face none of this alone. He is always here waiting for us to come climb in His lap and lay our head on his chest, and rest. 

It's better to leave the unkowns to Him. We were never meant to worry about them. It is better to let Him go before us. We were never meant to go without Him. It is better to trust Him, because He is in control, and He will never leave us. It's better to trust Him, because in the middle of an anxiety attack that comes from nowhere, He is our only peace, and He is still Good.

This week I am linking up with #IntentionalTuesdayLinkup

What Hope Really Means

Ever since I shared a small portion of my journey with anxiety/depression last week, God has not let up on my heart regarding my story. I felt inclined to share more of my personal story from 3 years ago, and personal it really is. 

The level of depression that my anxiety had caused me to go in, was about as high as it could have reached. I could barely get out of bed most days, and sleeping at night was also a struggle. I felt as though I had reached rock bottom. I truly believe I did. And yet, the Spirit of God was still very present with me, and when I had "moments of clarity" where I could finally relax, the Lord spoke powerful things to me. Each of the promises, and words He gave to me are so precious, but one specific time stands above the rest! It is so powerful, I feel it needs to be shared. 

I remember beginning to wake up one morning as my husband was getting ready for work, to an audible voice whispering, "tikvah." I woke up fully and heard it once more, and this time louder...each time in my right ear. When I say it was audible, I mean I asked my husband if he heard it, but he didn't. Being a believer, I knew that what I was hearing was probably the Holy Spirit, and so after my hubby left for work, I pulled out my phone and began looking up this word and searching its meaning. Having no idea what it meant, or how to spell it, it took me a while before I finally came across it. 

Tikvah is a Hebrew word, and this is what it means: hope. It is pronounced (teek-VAH). 

Strongs dictionary describes it as a cord, expectation, hope. 

What is hope to us? It is an expectation of things not yet seen, but believed. But, in the Hebrew language, tikvah (hope) takes it a step beyond just expectation to...a cord. Believe it or not, but this is very true. I remember my Mom sharing with me that in the Hebrew language hope is portrayed as a cord, but I never knew the Hebrew word until that morning 3 years ago in my darkest season. 

God gave me an audible word to hold onto that day...in His mind it was a literal cry out to me to grab hold of hope, (tikvah) an unbreakable cord that would in time lift me to the healing Jesus was waiting to give me, and in many ways, He still is giving me.

I will never forget that morning. I will never forget the beautiful sound of the Lord's voice whispering that amazing word, or the power it holds. Today it is my desire to offer that same truth to others out there who are struggling. God offers each of us that same cord. Hope is more than just an imagination, or a blind desire. Hope in its purest, and truest form is an actual cord, woven by the very hands of a loving God who wants to reach you. I encourage you to grab onto this cord and never let go. The hope that comes from God is faithful in delivering the very promises He makes, for He is indeed Jehova- Jireh (our provider) (Genesis 22:14)). He is our ever present help in time of need.

Hosea 11:4
"I led them with CORDS of human kindness, with ties of love..."

Now check out Hebrews 6:19 and lets put tikvah in the place of the word hope, and watch what happens. This verse comes alive in a new way!
"We have this TIKVAH (cord) as an anchor for the soul firm, and secure..."

And again...
Psalm 146:5
"Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose TIKVAH (hope, cord) is in the LORD their God."

I am linking up today with Holley Gerth #CoffeeForYourHeart
http://holleygerth.com/
I am also linking with hollybarrett.org
#TestimonyTuesday

The Lie of Anxiety

It has been almost 3 years since one of the most stormy seasons in my life when I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. It took me all of my life to finally give in and get help for this "demon" that terrorized me so often. I pushed it off for a long time and called it other things (health problems, a way to "protect myself," a defense mechanism). However none of the things I called it were anywhere near the truth. 

I grew up knowing what Jesus said in His word. "Do not be anxious about anything. But, in everything by prayer, and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING make your requests known to God." Philippians 4:6. The thing is I thought I was doing this. Every time I had an anxiety attack I prayed. I made my requests known to God (sometimes very loudly too). I even thanked Him when He took it all away and I felt better. Ha! How little I knew that I was doing the polar opposite of what Jesus was saying to do. 

3 years ago, my anxiety reached a new level and took me down a road of utter depression. No matter what I prayed, or how often I studied God's Word, I was stuck, and I didn't see a way out. Thankfully God in His absolute faithfulness, and purely "wonderfulness," and goodness, stepped in and gave me a counselor who I am so blessed to have had. She told me that I had a choice. I never realized that. She told me that in order to move on in my life I had to change my way of thinking to rewire my brain, and the mess that anxiety caused. She told me that I could because I had a choice. She told me that Jesus in His mercy did not tell us not to be anxious to condemn us. He did not even tell us not to do it, and then just leave it at that. People with anxiety know it isn't that easy to just stop being anxious. 2 verses down in Philippians 4:8, the answer is made clear. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent, or praiseworthy-think on these things." Jesus knew what anxiety can do to us. It takes our eyes off of Him and onto lies. It takes our eyes off of Him and makes us think of what if's, and problems that are not even there. It makes us vulnerable to attacks of the devil that God never meant for us to bear. 

I still struggle with anxiety and I now know I always will. But I also know, it does not define me, and it does not rule me. Last night I had an anxiety attack. In that moment, the same lie that I always believed came back. "I have to worry about this, and think of the worst possible scenario, so that I can protect myself. I don't want to be stupid. What if there is a problem? I have to acknowledge it." Notice the keywords..."I have to worry." "What if." Someone without anxiety would have been able to pick that up right away. It takes me longer. Suddenly it was as if the atmosphere in the entire room shifted, as I shifted towards the lies. My son began crying loudly, and reacting off of my nerves, as I was yelling out my worries to my husband. I knew I needed to take a step back, but I had "jumped the gun" again. I finally took my son to get ready for bed, and as I lay there putting him to sleep, I began to cry and soften to the voice of my Saviour. "Notice the shift in the atmosphere? You don't have to run down this path. Remember you can choose. Is this how you want to spend the rest of tonight? Your son needs you to be peaceful. You need to be peaceful. Turn that atmosphere around again." Tears poured down my face as I let it go to my God. My heart was filled with abounding peace, and the atmosphere around me, and inside of me changed in an instant. 

Anxiety will always seem like the right path to choose. That is its trap. I am thankful that I now know what I never would have in the past. I am thankful now that I know I have a choice, and can choose a different path, before anxiety chooses me. I am thankful for the victory over every sin that Jesus gives us in His Word. I am thankful that He commands us not to worry because He loves us so much, and He would rather see us in His perfect peace. I leave you with this verse, and the song that played as I put my son to sleep last night. If you struggle with anxiety, please be blessed in knowing you have a God who loves you, and who is on your side. He has given you all you need to succeed and recieve His victory. The choice is yours. 

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You." Isaiah 26:3.

I am linking this week with Meg Weyerbacher #TeaAndWordTuesday

Countdown to Fall

Countdown to Fall week 2

This week I tried a new recipe that my Mom told me about. Crockpot spaghetti sauce sounded weird, but oh my gosh it was wonderful! I think I am hooked on this new method. 

It cooks all day for 6-8 hours and all the yumminess just melds together as it cooks down.  I will post the recipe below:

Crockpot spaghetti sauce:

4-8 large slicer tomatoes (depending on how many you are cooking for)

1 large chopped Onion

3-4 Minced garlic cloves

Salt 

Pepper

Basil

1 Tbsp honey

1-2 cans tomato paste (for thickening)

Fresh basil leaves at the last half hour

So basically you just throw all of this into the crockpot. I quarted my tomatoes first. Next time I think I will remove the skins as well. I put it on high for 3 hours and then turned it down to low the last 3 hours. The last 3 hours is when you will want to add a can or two of tomato paste. At the last half hour I added fresh basil, and it just made the sauce that much more delicious. You can use an immersion blender at the end if you have one to make the sauce all come together. I don't have one, so I used a potato masher, and it worked great because the tomatoes were already so cooked down. When it's all said and done...enjoy!! Mmm...

Yesterday my son enjoyed the new fall window clings I found at the dollar store. It didn't hold his attention for too long, but c'mon! Nothing holds a 1 1/2 year old's attention for more than a couple minutes at a time anyways. He had fun sticking and un-

sticking the pieces, and I had fun explaining what each picture was. Here is a shot of his hand at work ;)

I hope you are all enjoying the end of this summer season! Blessings! 

Blessings

Well, this week I put out a little bit more of my fall decor. Just a little at a time. As I put up my new fall banner that says blessings my heart stirred and I got choked up.

Immediately my mind went to the song by Laura Story called Blessings. A few years ago, my family lost a dear friend to an unfortunate disease. The disease came over her suddenly and took us all by surprise. She was a prayer warrior, and had the sweetest heart. I never met anyone quite like her. She would make it a priority to pray for you and anyone important to you even if she did not know them, and she always had words of encouragement, or scriptures to share. In the last moments of her life, she began to lose ability to talk, but right before her words left her, she shared something with another friend of ours. The song Blessings had just been recently released, and she told our friend that the song deeply touched her and she felt like the song was written for her trial that she had to walk through. How amazing that those were some of the last words we heard her speak. Even at the end, she knew that in order to go on another day, she had to look up and gain strength from our Lord. As I put up the banner, and the words of that song flooded my memory, I began to cry. I put that song on and listened. It was as if from Heaven she was cheering me on and reminding me to look up and count my full blessings--to remember that all we have comes from Jesus. At the end of the day, I want to remember this. Even on my worst days, all that I have, can be offered back up to the Father. He will keep safe what He has entrusted to us here. I will never forget Bev, and the legacy that she left behind that still lives on today. I feel blessed that everytime I look at my blessings banner, I will remember her, remember the song, and remember to give it all back to Jesus..."the author and perfector of our faith."

Countdown to fall

Countdown to Fall!

Welcome to a new series I want to start for the month ahead. I love Fall so much that every year at about this time I get all antsy and feel the need to prepare my home for the coming season. Here is where I will share things I have found, and ways I plan to use them in my home. I hope to take you on a fall home tour when it all comes together at the beginning of next month. So here goes week one of counting down to fall!

I'll start with a small haul of items I have picked up. Dollar Tree is a huge favorite of mine for the fall and winter seasons. They have cute little decor pieces, and cute items for young kids as well...

They have super cute wall decor right now. I love the Farm Fresh sign I found in one of their boxes of wall art. I had to dig a little before I found what I liked. I picked up a cute pumpkin welcome sign for my front door. I am not sure how well it will hold up in colder weather, but it is only a dollar so I am not too worried. I picked up some cute stuffed owls to set around the house. My son will have fun with those. I also found 2 packets of colorful leaves that I can place around my dining table. I saw on pinterest a cute idea for using those to have your young child learn to rake them up with a play rake. I think my son would love something like that. It sounded like a good rainy day idea. Then I found some fun fridge magnets and window clings for "Bubba" and I to play around with. If you have not checked out dollar tree, now is the time! 

Here is my very small Hobby Lobby haul...

I was so thrilled to find the burlap banner to go over my fireplace mantle! I have always wanted one. It says Blessings and I thought it would be perfect for fall! Everything here cost me a measly $12! I have been told, when shopping at Hobby Lobby never pay full price for anything. If you see something you like, chances are it will go on sale soon anyways! That is what I love about Hobby Lobby...sales, sales, and more sales!

That's all for now. Come back as I post more next time! Blessings!

I Am Enough

I am a dreamer. In lots of ways this is a good thing. Dreamers are creators. Dreamers are always coming up with new ideas, and new plans. The thing about me though, is I am always planning two steps ahead. If I see a mess in my home, I immediately see the work I will have to do later to clean it up when I am tired, or wanting to do something else, and so I don't wait to pick it up...I do it "now." When I am doing an activity with my son (a puzzle, coloring, dancing to his favorite songs), I am planning out new activities to do in the months ahead. If I am cooking a meal, I am planning the rest of the week's meals in my mind like a list. 

All of this is fine, but the thing that happens to me is, if things don't go according to how I had hoped, I can become very hard on myself. I can become anxious even at times. This is where God has been changing my perspective just a little bit. 

Since becoming a parent, I have had to learn (just as every new parent has), that everything changes in an instant. Life revolves around that child (or children), and hardly ever if ever, do things go according to plan...or to the "dream."  As a parent, you find that your capacity to love is boundless. As a parent you see in reality, how quickly days pass by. As a parent, you discover that life is about moments, snapshots. The little blessings become the big blessings. 

Unless I take time to conciously slow down for even 5 minutes to soak in the look on my son's face as he figures out something new, or the smell of the food I am preparing and the ways it makes me feel, or the times I watch my husband play with my son, I miss the moments, the snapshots. I miss what Jesus is saying to me in that very moment. 

Once in a while, the Lord will catch me off gaurd. Yesterday He did. Yesterday was Monday, and my little Bubba and I were tired from a big enjoyable weekend with family. I had only grocery shopping on my list of "to-do's" for the day. As I was dressing "Bubba" I began to go through my dreams as I always do...I began to run 2 steps ahead...and I began to panic. "I am too tired today to do much more than grocery shop. "

"What if I am too tired to get out the door with 'Bubba' and there is no dinner on the table tonight?" 

"I have to plan some kind of fun activity. Grocery shopping is not enough for my son's growing brain."

"I am not a good Mom today."

And then came the still small voice. The ever present help in time of need. He whispered..."I Am Enough. Let me be your "today." At the time I thought it meant that I should read Bible stories with my son, and I did, and we both enjoyed it. It wasn't until later at night, as I drifted off to sleep , that I understood what He meant. 

Jesus wanted me to slow down. Slow down the anxious thoughts. Slow down the critical words over myself. Slow down. Just be. He wanted me to take in the moments of the day I was given and recieve Him. He wanted to be enough for me. 

Do you struggle with thinking too far ahead? When was the last time you took a step back to thank Him, for all He has given, and just drink in the moment? When we truely do this, our perspective does change. Somehow, in the stillness of that inward moment, Jesus is enough, and we can better recieve the snapshots, and blessings of the day!! I pray you find all the blessings He has for you today! 

Housewife life confessionals

Well, my son is napping, so I decided to get up a little blog here. I am starting to hear a little stirring, so just like everything in life as a Mom, I have to work quickly. Today was bathroom cleaning day. Just like every housewife out there knows, some days are just not any fun to look forward to. Some people hate doing laundry, some women hate cooking, or mopping. I HATE bathroom cleaning day. In my opinion, why would anyone enjoy it? Yuck. Just yuck. But that is okay. I have set up a little system for myself. I get down on my knees and I pray, I mean war pray over those bathrooms! Heehee. Not really. I do reward myself however. Most days I try to accomodate my husbands tastes and cook what he likes. Even if it is not extravagant (and trust me, it very rarely is. Momma don't got time for that!), I try to please him. However, on bathroom cleaning day...I cook what I like :). So, today I put lemon pepper pork chops in the crock pot, and when he comes home, I will just look at him as helpless as I can and declare, "I had to clean the bathrooms. I needed a pick me up." Ha. I also try to plan a fun outing. Today I plan on going out to explore decor, and get some ideas for fall. I also want to go look at some fun craft ideas that my son and I can do for the end of summer, and early fall. I wish I could post pics, like a little haul of everything I find, but I am still learning how to use blogger, so it will be some time before I get all fancy. Don't give up on me just yet. I'll get there someday! Have a blessed day and remember to look up! May the God hope fill you with all sorts of blessings today!

Blog day one

Hi and thanks for visiting my space here in blogger's world. This is a new arena for me. When my hubby and I got married a few years ago, I had a little blog, but that soon dwindled. I believe God was preparing me for this journey, but it wasn't quite time. My hubby and I and our toddler son just recently moved into a new house and tonight as I sit outside enjoying the sun set on our new deck, I know I am where God wants me. New seasons, new growth, and new depths of God's heart to explore. I'm exited to share this journey with you. Hopefully we can encourage eachother along the way as we experience moments to breathe in grace from God.