TO DO

My laundry room is in much need of new paint and a makeover. So today is the day. I am sure I will not finish today but it is a start. Come back in a few weeks to see the finished job. Wish me happy painting. If you have any cool laundry room tips I would love to hear them.

A Gentle Touch and A Soft Voice

Some days it seems to take all I have to keep my head above water. Not all days are like this but I do have my days. Well the other day I was having one of " those days". As I sat with my head down saying a silent prayer my two year old come behind me. What happened next was the best gift that a two year old could give. She gentle started rubbing my back and with a soft voice she started to sing " Jesus Loves Me"

Whatever you are going through today know that Jesus loves you.

Thoughts On Prayer

" See to it, night and day, that you pray for your children. Then you will leave them a great legacy of answers to prayers, which will follow them all the days of their life. Then you may calmly and with good conscience depart from them, even though you may not leave them a great deal of material wealth." Ole Hallesby


" Every time we pray our horizon is altered, our attitude to thing is altered, not sometimes but every time, and the amazing thing is that we don't pray more." Oswald Chambers

Good Cooking

This has been the best cooking week I have ever had. I thank Rachel Ann from Home Sanctuary for this wonderful recipe.

Sausage and Vegetable Medley

Start by sauteeing up some onions and some veggies in some EVOO. I used broccoli and carrots. Add sliced smoked sausage at the very end. Cook a pot of rice. Serve veggies and sausage over the rice.

My husband loved it.

You may notice this dish is served on a paper plate. Easy to cook, easy to clean up. In the end more time for the family!!!

See That the Lord is Good

It has been raining off and on here for a couple of days. The rain is welcomed but when you need new windshield wipers it becomes a slight problem. It is just like God to use a rainy day and some windshield wipers to teach me a lesson on faith. So here is how the story goes...

I was on my merry way to the church with my attitude on. The kids are fighting in the back seat and the windshield wipers are making this sound that is about to make me stop the car and pull them off! I thought, "Before I take drastic measures I should just turn them down a notch and see what happens." So instead of the wipers being on super-warp-speed they were on the speed where they swoosh across then they stop for a minute and then do it again. It was raining hard and I thought the darned old windshield wiper was NEVER going to swoosh across again. In that moment God spoke this to my heart...

"There are times in life when it is hard to see what I (God) am doing. There are times that things seem to be too much for you, but even when you can't see, I AM here."

God has always come through for me but just like I thought the wipers were taking too long to clear the windshield, sometimes I think, "God, are you going to help me out here?" Just before things get to the point that I can't see any hope, God comes in and clears things up. He never puts too much on us and He is always present. So when your windshield is covered in rain just hold on and trust... God is going to show up!

CONTROL

So I had a small meltdown yesterday. I have become passionate about getting my home organized and clean. I am reading blogs and studying up on what works for other families. I am loving it. The small problem is I am making it an idol. Cleaning was becoming something I could boast in, something I could control. So day by day my passion was turning into a burden. I would work so hard all day to only be over-tired and feeling like I did not accomplish much. So after a few days of hitting my head on a brick wall I decided to be still and see just what was behind my frustrations.

I want to be a good mother, homemaker, teacher and wife. It is my job and I want to do it well. Nothing is wrong with that. The question is whether or not am I putting more passion in these thing than I am in my relationship with my God. I work so hard to keep order in my home but how hard do I work to keep order in my heart? Having control on my housework helps me feel like I have control on something, but the fact is I don't have control of anything. God is the controller of all things, even my housework.

I have sought after good ideas but not ideas powered by the living God in me. Yes, He cares about me being a good mother, homemaker, teacher and wife. He wants to help me be excellent at those things, but He is not going to let me be great at these things on my own.

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

I want to bear fruit in the things I do at home. I want to remain in Jesus. I want to seek Him about my meal plan. I want Him to give me wisdom on how to keep the mound of laundry down. I want to feel His peace when thing in the home seem out of control. God wants to help me with this and I am so glad He does. I am honored that He has called me to be a stay at home mom. I want to do the very best job to bring glory to His name. My job is not some flashy conference that reaches thousands of people but it is a job that impacts my husband and children. God is so pleased with a woman that can see her importance in ministering to her family but He does not want us to think we can do it on our own. If we try to work in our on strength we will just keep hitting our heads against a brick wall. So get your home in order by letting God show you how!

Then take off to those awesome blogs and lay their ideas before God and ask Him, "Will this work for me and my family?" If so go for it, if not it is ok. What works for one may not work for another. That is why we are here to share what works for us in hopes that it may help another person out.

(Thank you to all the blogs that have helped me with their great ideas!)

A Hard Thought

I am reading a book called Unchristian by David Kinnaman. This book is really challenging me to view how the world see me. Here is a thought to think about this week.

"Young outsiders and Christians alike do not want a cheap, ordinary, or insignificant life, but their vision of present-day Christianity is just that- superficial, antagonistic, depressing." p40

How do those around you view your life. Lets live this week in the joy of the Lord because nothing about a relationship with Jesus is superficial or depressing. SO LIVE... Don't let things make you down cast. Let those around you see the joy of the Lord not a defeated christian. God never intended for us to live in defeat.