Spiritual
What If…Every Mom/Grandma Had a Support Community?
How would your life change as a mom or grandma if you had a community of women with whom you could share your life-your hopes and dreams, your joys and sorrows, your struggles and triumphs? These women could provide encouragement and support as well as accountability. They could be your hands and feet when you grow weary, your shoulder to cry on when you are sad, your boost of encouragement when you are down, your compass when you stray off course. Think of all the times you feel alone as you go about your day to day life. How wonderful would it be to have a small group of women who truly cared about your heart and soul? Women who actually wanted to listen, yearned to know about the latest activities you have been involved in, how you have hung in there through a hard trial…..All of these desires for community can be accomplished when we are willing to commit to a small group of some sort with women who have common interests or common goals. It takes authenticity and surrender and vulnerability and TIME!!!! But the benefits are worth the risk! So my encouragement to each one of you is find a group of women where you feel safe and can share your heart and make your commitment to that group a priority! It will change your life!
Here is a list of ideas of things you might want to try (some of them are exclusive to our area but might give you some ideas of groups to look for where you live…..
Mom’s in Prayer
MOPS (Mother’s of Preschool)
Mother’s Together
If Gathering (If Table)
Hiking group
Fun Day Field trip buddies
Adventure Club
Gogo Grandmothers
Any organization where you can serve together-soup kitchen, prison ministry, women’s shelter..…
20 Things I have Learned as a Mom/Gammie
In honor of Mother’s Day I sat down and brainstormed some of the important things I have learned as a mom-to 4 beautiful daughters and 4 awesome SIL and aka Gammie to 9 incredibly awesome grandkids…….the list could go on and on but I decided to just let my heart lead and share some of what popped into my mind…..
1. Find your significance in God alone, not in how your children behave, how your husband treats you or how clean and tidy your house stays day to day.
2. Have a servant’s heart and model servant leadership in your family.
3. Be approachable and full of lovingkindness.
4. Know your purpose and help your kids learn theirs.
5. Be an active listener and DO NOT solve all your kids problems for them.
6. Teach them to use their minds and hearts to solve problems.
7. Model the fruits of the spirit-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
8. Set goals that are always growing and changing.
9. Have dreams and strive for them.
10. Be a forever learner and READ, READ, READ to them, with them and together as a family.
11. Be a balcony person-stand in the balcony of each one of your children’s lives and cheer-encourage your kids to be the best they can be.
12. Pursue your passions and challenge your kids to figure out what they are passionate about.
13. Find some time each day to take care of your own physical, emotional and spiritual needs-get some exercise, have a quiet time, talk to a friend.
14. Serve together-find a soup kitchen, an orphanage or a local women’s shelter and go as a family to serve there-the opportunities to help the poor and needy in our backyards as well as overseas …
Your Essential Self
I am currently reading a book by Shauna Niequest, her newest book Present over Perfect. In the chapter titled “Baptism” she talks about your essential self. She says “I thought midlife season would be about pushing into a new future… and it is. I thought it would be about leaving behind the expectations and encumbrances of the past. It is. What I didn’t know is that it would feel so much like recovering an essential self, not like discovering a new one. Hold close to your essential self.” This has really been resonating with me lately because becoming a mom, I feel like I am supposed to be this completely different person, have it all put together, and have everything figured out. I feel like I am supposed to be this super mom, discover a new person, and come into this new persona.
But what I am really called to be is me. I feel like I have been recovering the person God created me to be through motherhood. It doesn’t have to look like all the other moms I see. It doesn’t have to look like the book I read about parenting. It just has to be me. As I take hold of this role, I want to recover the free, spirited, positive, loving, and open minded person I have always been. I don’t want to be tainted or wrecked by the world around me. I don’t want to get stuck in perfectionism or comparison. I just want to be me. So as I read this chapter, I realize growing up is about becoming more self aware. It is about embracing even more who God created me to be. Not discovering a new self. I am who I am and God created me as I am for a …
Read MoreRefresh Your Next Easter Celebration with a Passover Seder
When I was growing up, my family celebrated Passover-led by my wonderful Jewish grandfather. I did not realize the incredible richness and depth of importance in the details of the Seder service until I was in my teens, after I had become a follower of Jesus. Although the Passover celebration is a Jewish festival, it holds deep significance and meaning for believers who call themselves Christians. So this Easter season, our life group from our church decided to have a Seder dinner, and the next night we attended a Seder dinner held at the Messianic Jewish Congregation gathering in a nearby town. Adding the Passover Seder dinner as part of our Easter festivities has enhanced my appreciation of the significance of all the events surrounding the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Every detail is a fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures as I truly believe that Jesus is the true Passover Lamb that came to redeem all people.
Passover (Hebrew word is pesach) occurs in the Spring. The Passover Haggadah (haggadah literally means “the telling”) contains the complete liturgy and instructions for the ceremonial Seder (order of service). Historically, Haggadahs have been written and revised numerous times, but the basic theme of God’s redemption of the nation of Israel from bondage to Egypt remains constant. Most of the ceremonial practices of the modern Seder have been in place since the late Second Temple period (second temple period was 530 BCE to 70 AD).
For thousands of years, even up to the present, the Jewish people have believed that God would again send redemption on Passover. Redemption did arrive on the very day they were looking for it, but it took a surprising shape. For God had engineered a far greater liberation than they had imagined–freedom not just …
Read MoreFreekeh Salad-A New Taste in an Easter Picnic or Brunch side dish
Easter Brunch or Picnic Fun—-Freekah Salad
Easter is a fun day to gather with friends and family. There are many traditions that make that day extra special. Being outdoors and celebrating resurrection Sunday with a picnic and time together is part of the way we like to remember the true meaning of Easter. New life, new beginnings and the opportunity to experience God in a fresh new way was made possible when Jesus died on the cross and came to life again on resurrection day!
Here is a new recipe that I tried last week and will make for our Resurrection Sunday/Easter picnic. It is made out of a grain called Freekeh. Freekeh (or farik) is ancient food made from green durum wheat that has been harvested early, while the grains are still tender and green. The kernels are then parched, roasted, dried and rubbed to create its unique flavor. It is a healthy whole grain food, much like bulgur wheat and often mentioned right alongside other superfood heroes like quinoa, spelt, amaranth and farro. 
Technically, the term freekeh is actually the name of a process used to prepare grains, and not the name of a specific grain variety. According to food lore, freekeh’s fiery story dates back thousands of years, possibly as far back as 2,300 BC. Allegedly, a Middle Eastern village came under enemy attack and their crops of young, green wheat caught fire during the siege. The villagers ingeniously found they were able to salvage their food supply by rubbing away the burned chaff to reveal the roasted wheat kernels inside. This is what we know today as freekeh, which means “to rub” or “the rubbed one. However, it typically refers to wheat, and generally to durum wheat. So, although the freekeh process can be applied …
Donut Forget Jesus on Easter — The Empty Tomb
This year has gone by so fast and Easter will be here before we know it! My hubby is on vacation so I found a fun Easter idea that he would appreciate- which would be anything with DONUTS 🙂 I love this idea that was adapted from CatholicIcing.com because it is SIMPLE and a fun reminder of the real meaning of Easter!!
What You Need:
Glazed donuts
Donut Holes
Paper Plates (small or large)
Sharpie
Optional: Graham Crackers, Peanut Butter, Toothpicks, Tape, Paper, Pen
WHAT TO DO:
- Write an Easter Bible verse or phrase on the paper plate – I used Luke 24:2, “And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.” Other options: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Romans 6:9, Romans 6:4, Isaiah 53:5, or phrases like “He is Risen” or “My Redeemer Lives”…Be creative!
- Cut the bottom 1/3 off of the glazed donut so that it will stand on its own. Prop it up on the paper plate and place the donut hole to the side to look like the stone rolled away from the tomb.
- Read the Easter story while eating the empty tombs.
Optional to get a little more fancy…
- Coat a graham cracker with peanut butter. Continue with Step 2 above putting the donuts on top of the graham cracker.
2. Do Step 1 on a small piece of paper and tape to a toothpick. Place the Bible verse or Easter message toothpick into the donut tomb.
You can even use this craft treat to start new traditions! My hubby and daughter went on their first Daddy-Daughter date to grab the donuts – and I wouldn’t be surprised if it became an annual thing 🙂 It is so important to teach our kids early about what Easter is all about when we …
Read MoreEaster Craft to Share Love
Only two weeks before Easter Sunday and I am thinking of how I can bless others and at the same time expose them to new and exciting ways to add deeper meaning to their Easter celebration. I am always looking for how to creatively combine the fun aspects of Easter with the real reason that we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. I saw this website and really liked this free printable the blogger offered. So I downloaded it and made a basket full of Easter M&M treat bags to share with friends. I am hoping to invite them to our church for our Easter celebration if they don’t have a place to worship on Easter Sunday. I have found that in my community there are many women who want to feel like they belong. They do not want to be alone. They may be entering a new season of life and they feel unprepared. They may be facing some emotional hardship in their life. They may just need a friend to talk to and get advice from. Maybe when I am willing to take a risk and give a small gift of love and friendship to my neighbors or new acquaintances I might meet, it may open a door of communication. I serve and love a God of grace who brings peace, love, security and purpose. I want to share this love and grace with others. In the gospel of John 14:27, John quotes Jesus who says, “I give you peace, I do not give you what the world gives you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid.” So this Easter season, I am going to make a basket of these little M&M treat bags and share them with others. I will be hoping and praying that this …
Read MoreLoving Your Kids for Who They Are
I love parenting wisdom from Christian experts, authors, and speakers. However, in this first year as a new mom, picking up a big book to read at the end of a long day has seemed overwhelming and exhausting. That is why podcasts and daily broadcasts, specifically from Focus on the Family and FamilyLife, have been such a lifesaver. They usually are 30 minutes or less and I can find different topics to listen to right on the apps on my phone when I have a pocket of time throughout my day!
This week, I listened to the interview of the authors of No More Perfect Kids, Jill Savage and Kathy Koch, on Focus on the Family. They discussed different points about the high expectations parents have for their children and more in this 3-part interview that I would love to share with you!
In a culture that is so perfection oriented, where parents feel like the behavior of their children is a direct reflection of themselves (Yes, me included even in these first 11 1/2 months…), it was such an encouragement to hear how important it is for us as parents to create an environment that is safe for our children to fail.
1. Excellence vs. Perfection
Excellence is attainable, perfection is not. We have these high expectations for our children and we often focus on what they are not doing well enough. Even if we are saying a lot of positive things, we need to remember that negativity is LOUD. Every child is dying to hear that they are LOVED and they are GOOD ENOUGH!
2. “Raise the children you were given, not the children you wish you had”
There is a two step process when your child is different than your expectations and dreams for them — GRIEVE …
Read MoreValentine’s Day
Love is in the air…it’s Valentine’s day!!!
This Valentine is sent to each one of us from God!!! Read it and believe it..it will change your life!!
Here are my Favorite Valentines…
My little Valentines are irresistible, full of JOY and make me praise God for His blessings of family, EVERY DAY!
What brings you joy and puts a song in your heart?
…
Celebrate YOU!
Celebrate yourself! Love yourself! Be excited with who you are! In a month where so much focus is on loving others, I wanted to take some time to remind you to love yourself too. Now don’t take this to the extreme and think I am telling you to be self consumed, take it to help you discover who you are. But you will be so much better to others if you first love the person God created you to be. You will be such a better wife if you are confident in who you are. You will be a better mom if you aren’t comparing yourself to all the other moms. You will be your best self if you love who you are.
Rachel said it pretty well the other day on her social media post
❤Loving yourself is a necessary, DAILY process.
❤Loving yourself means taking care of YOU so you can show up and put your best foot forward.
❤Loving yourself means putting your oxygen mask on first BEFORE helping others.
❤Love your body. Fuel it right. Feed it right. Move it in a way that bring you JOY.
So as she is reminding us all to love ourselves and take care of yourselves, I want to take it the next step to actually celebrate yourself. Think about your favorite three qualities that you enjoy about yourself. Think about your strengths. Live proud of those because that is who God created you to be.
Do you feel beautiful? Are you living fearfully and wonderfully made? You are beautiful. You are unique. YOU are YOU and that is the most exciting part. Celebrate who you are. You are created with love, purpose, and wonder. You are God’s masterpiece. Psalm 139:14 “I