I LOVE CHRISTMAS !!! I love to decorate, drink hot cocoa, watch Christmas movies, and spend time with the family; all while picking out Christmas gifts for loved ones and planning our Christmas Day meal. The hustle and bustle of a hectic schedule for a few weeks doesn’t bother me. As I’ve gotten older, I realize that all my frenzied juggling is done with an effort to spend time with everyone. More importantly, I love Christmas because it’s a season of reflection. After Christ’s birth, Scripture tells us, ‘Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19).’ We too, must use this season to reflect upon…
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What Are We REALLY Thankful for THIS Thanksgiving?
Before the hustle and bustle of all our family events ensue, it’s important to sit back and think a minute; What are we REALLY thankful for THIS Thanksgiving? God, food, family, and friends? That’s my first response, but what else? A member of my Bible Study class told us about a friend of hers who kept a gratitude journal. So far, the journal contained a list of 1,000 things she was grateful for with NO duplications! A wave of shame crashed upon me! I am super grateful for everything, but I don’t take a lot of time to acknowledge all the small things. I praise the Lord multiple times throughout…
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The New Kid in Town
Today, I’d like to introduce you to the new kid in town. He’s short, fluffy, and quite a feisty little spaz. He likes to sit in the sun all day and practice jumping from one piece of furniture to another. He finds amusement in swatting my face at 4 AM and this little guy has the audacity to continue his swatting game throughout the day with the hubby, kiddos, and our big ole’ German Shepherd. Here’s how a little kitten named Bo came into our lives. One Saturday evening, a friend called to tell me she saw a kitten run from our house and into the ditch across the road.…
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Real Life is Scary
Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way. Psalm 46:1-2 My husband and I purchased our first home in the summer of 2009. It was such a beautiful little neighborhood, and we eagerly awaited the fall. When October arrived, we pulled out the decorations, fog machines, and all things Halloween. We consistently went ‘all-out’ for the few trick-or-treaters in our old neighborhood but were completely caught off guard when we ended up with almost 80!!!! Unfortunately, my husband’s Predator costume was a bit too lifelike for the little ones, and he had to change quickly.…
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A Short Coffee Break
Well Hello There! I’m happy to be returning from what was supposed to be a VERY short coffee break. I planned on pausing the blog during July to focus on church camp, family vacation, and all the back-to-school rituals, but life had other plans that included Covid, a new job, and a kitten!! Church camp was wonderful! I haven’t been in years and found it incredible to experience the nostalgia with my children. They had a blast swimming, fishing, and meeting new friends as they learned more about their Lord and Savior. Vacation was a bust! Our vacation turned into a stay-cation as Covid rampaged the house, but I’m not…
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‘I ‘drownded’ just a little’
This summer has been relaxing and busy all at the same time. It’s been nice to chill out at the house, but today I found myself reminiscing about our family vacation last year. We spent the week at Dollywood and it was absolutely amazing! My favorite activity was at the water park! I like to swim in clean water I can see through, and the lazy river is my jam. We rode every slide, swam in every pool, and enjoyed each moment together! Towards the end of the day, we found a resting spot over at one of the kiddie pools. It was a wave pool that started off with…
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I’m Blessed because I’m Broken
It’s difficult to say, “I’m blessed because I’m broken,” considering the heartache it took to say it. People generally do not like broken things. We put damaged products back on the shelf in exchange for something with sturdier packaging. We shy away from broken furniture and flee quickly at the thought of a messy rehab. ‘Things’ don’t seem to have the same appeal or value when they don’t function properly. Think about it. While it’s possible to glue a shattered piece of antique pottery back together, the crumbled masterpiece can’t regain its value in the marketplace. We all agree that those little material things don’t matter much, but what happens…
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Strengthen the Weak Hands
Isaiah 35 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Isiah 35:3-4 Have you heard the phrase, “God willing and the creek don’t rise?” In a recent Bible Study, my precious leader discussed the background of this particular saying. I thought these words just meant you can travel anywhere as long as the creek doesn’t rise and flood the road. However, it’s possible this saying began a little differently. In the late 1800s, the President wrote a letter…
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Encourage Yourself When You become Overwhelmed
Are you having trouble thinking of ways to encourage yourself when you become overwhelmed? I know I am! It’s difficult to stay afloat when the waves of life are crashing down upon us. Sometimes our work life interferes with our home life which becomes intertwined with family time or social plans. Balancing multiple schedules at once gets extremely overwhelming extremely fast! We’ve got to figure out how to keep our heads above the water. Take a look at these four easy-breezy ways to encourage yourself when you become overwhelmed. Remind yourself to slow down and take a deep breath ‘Slow down and take a deep breath’ How many times have…
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Nothing You do for the Lord is Ever Wasted
1 Corinthians 15 So, my dear brothers, since future victory is sure, be strong and steady, always abounding in the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted as it would be if there were no resurrection. Last week, my oldest decided to tryout for volleyball. She’s extremely artistic and has never been involved in sports, so I was excited about this new interest………. until we got to the school gym! I was blown away by the intensity of the her competition; the other girls were fierce and had obviously been playing for years. I wasn’t expecting that and knew we didn’t stand…
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My Work From Home Mom Routine is a Total Failure!
Stay at home and work from home moms have a lot to juggle. It’s important to have an efficient routine, and it takes daily encouragement to keep it going. There are many ways to lay everything out using planners, lists, or timers. We all have a unique routine to get us through the day. I fail every single day. Instead of sharing a nice, neat post about how to keep it all together, I’m going to let you in on how my work from home mom routine is a total failure! I’m a Failure Due to Daily Interruptions One thing is for sure, I am consistent with my morning coffee…
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Find Joy In Your Hardships
James 1 Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). Our local state park is incredible, and I’m always in awe of its beauty as we drive through the winding roads or hike off the beaten path. The forest is breathtaking, filled with bright green foliage that bends slightly to form a rainbow overhead. God’s creation is astounding! This past weekend, the park offered it’s roadway to marathon runners, an I was exhausted watching them climb…
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Here’s Why I Make Up My Bed Every Day
Life is hectic, and each moment of my day is already filled with things to do, so why do I bother making up my bed? Seems like there is always too much to do with too little time, so dedicating a few more minutes to make up a bed should be an unnecessary waste of time. Not for me. “Go make up your bed'” It’s safe to say I shout these cringe-worthy words an average of twenty times each morning before school! The kiddos make countless complaints about the ridiculous number of pillows on their bed, adding that the blankets are too difficult to fold. It has been brought to…
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The Human Smile is Powerful
Romans 15 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13) Our faces have been covered in masks for quite some time now, and for me personally, it’s been 100% miserable. I have no problem wearing a mask to reduce exposure to COVID; I simply missed seeing faces. I didn’t realize how talkative I was at the grocery store or gas station until we needed to mask up. I missed casual conversations and simply seeing people smile. Smiles are so powerful! As Christians, we live by faith, and faith…
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Try This Easy Way to Plan Family Movie Night
Our weekdays fill up quickly, and we overlook the need for quality rest and family time. Scheduling a family movie night is a great way to spend time together, and I have an easy way to plan the evening! Our movie nights can be extravagant or extremely simple, depending on my time for the week and I tend to keep the details EXTREMELY simple! Set The Date For Family Movie Night Set the date! Family movie night works great for a quarterly, monthly, or weekly activity; make sure to pick your date and put it on the schedule immediately. Share it with everyone on the family calendar, jot it down…
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Three Dangers of Being a People Pleaser
The art of being a people pleaser sounds friendly, but there there are many dangers involved !!! People pleasing becomes harmful when we allow it to control us. It causes our personality to change in an unhealthy manner as we hide our feelings and change our natural behavior with little white lies. There is a huge difference between being kind and allowing the feeling to please people to control you. People pleasing leads to poor mental health By constantly trying to please others, we hold our true feelings back when they say something that hurts or causes anger. Perhaps we are put in social settings we aren’t comfortable in and…
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Stress Feels Like A Miry Pit
Psalm 69 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold.I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God (Psalm 69:1-3) David lived under great stress because he was surrounded by many who despised him. He continually cried to the Lord claiming that he had become stuck in a miry pit. He felt he was drowned by the disapproval of others. David continues looking for the Lord. Why? Because he knows God is present and…
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God’s Love is in the Air!
Let all that you do be done in love’ 1 Corinthians 16:14 The thought of Valentine’s Day has the tendency to warm our hearts on cold winter days as we cuddle next to the fire with a book and a hot cup of cocoa. There’s no better time to think about the warmth of God’s love and the numerous ways we put it to action at home, at church and all over the world! In Action at Home God’s love is in action when we interact with our circle of friends, our family and pretty much anyone we come into contact with on a daily basis! We listen to our…
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Because the Lord Sustains Me
Psalm 3 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side (Psalm 3:5-6). The best rides at amusement parks are the scariest ones. Have you ever been brave enough to ride one of those drop towers? Parks across the world create unique names for them, but they are basically the same concept. You are taken up about three stories and then dropped !!! It takes your breath away as you free fall to the ground(they lightly catch you along the way of course). Not sure what’s is more scary, the actual drop or…
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We Are Perfectly Designed to Fulfill A Specific Purpose
Ephesians 2:1-10 For we are all His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). I love listening to my kiddo’s conversations on the car ride home from school. They tell stories about their friends, describe how recess went or teach one another something interesting. Last week, the subject of bees came up! Bee’s pollinate plants by transporting seeds and pollen. This is the only method many plant species use to blossom and grow. We’d be in a world of hurt if we didn’t have bees. Not only would we lose those specific plants that rely on bees…
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Light in the Midst of Darkness
John 1: 1-5 The light sines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5). A few weeks back, we had a terrible storm. A tornado passed through during the night and caused quite a ruckus just past our backyard. Our house shook a little and pressure slightly filled our ears. We jumped into closets before the power went out as the storm snapped electric poles like toothpicks. It became strangely quiet in the darkness. I pulled out a few of my Great grandmother’s oil lamps, and slowly lit them to produce a simple glow. My seven year old had never seen anything like that before. Memorized…
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3 Reasons I don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions
I’m jealous of people who stick to their guns and maintain their New Year’s Resolutions for a whopping 365 days! I stopped wasting my time dreaming up resolutions because they are usually unrealistic, completely dreadful and destined for failure. Check out these three perfectly good reasons I chose NOT to make New Year’s resolutions! My New Year’s Resolutions Were Unrealistic First of all, I always set extremely unrealistic goals for the new year. Working out every day is a perfect example. I can make it to the gym MOST days, but not EVERY day due to my Stay at Home Mom Routine and Work from Home Schedule. Others may be…
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Christmas Blessings 2021
YES!!!!! It’s FINALLY Christmas Day !!!! It’s the day I wait for all year long. I actually start preparing for this exact moment as soon as we finish Trick-or-Treating on October 31st. No, I don’t put up the tree right away. I don’t start shopping. I simply prepare my heart for the most precious day of all, the day I celebrate my precious Lord and Savior’s birth. It’s humbling to know that the Mighty God who created the very ground you and I stand on, allowed His son to die for us. What’s more is that He did not bring Him about in a big parade or a massive world…
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The Church Bulletin Board is Empty This Christmas
At first, it was a scary site to see that the church bulletin board is empty this Christmas. Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 Verse: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). I passed by the bulletin board at church last week and it made me sad to see it so bare and empty. There was one newspaper article and a graduation announcement. That was it! The church bulletin board used to look much different. You could expect to see stacks of paper scattered all over the place; sign-up sheets for Sunday school teachers, a list of food items…
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Mary Didn’t Need to Know
Luke 2:1-21 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:6-7). I’ve had the opportunity to be a member of many church families throughout my days as a Pastor’s child. Each church has a unique tradition regarding its Christmas Eve program and it’s been such a blessing to attend each one. Some churches have their children’s pageant while others participate in a traditional worship service complete with a sermon and a few hymns. My home…
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Thanksgiving Blessings 2021
Just a quick note to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. The past decade has been pretty tough for me personally. For a while there, holidays felt almost unbearable and I dreaded them because I wasn’t able to see the people I wanted to see or be where I thought I needed to be. When I think back to all I have lost or failed to accomplish, I only see the blessing of ever having any ‘one’ or any ‘thing’ meaningful in my life to begin with. Let’s all make sure we are praising God for all the re-routes He’s placed on this roadway of life. He certainly knows how…
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We Appreciate Our Shepherd
Thanksgiving is a week to think is a great time to think about how much we appreciate our shepherd. Hebrews 13:1-8 Remember your leaders who have taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and try to trust the Lord as they do (Hebrews 13:7). The good shepherd anoints the head of his sheep with oil to prevent parasites from biting and causing diseases that can lead to death. Oil fills the creases around their eyes, nose, and cute little ears. This makes it impossible for nasty critters to bite them. I imagine some of the sheep fuss about the procedure…
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The cost of surrendering your WHOLE heart to the Lord
As a stay at home Momma, I consistently find myself addressing the cost of absolutely everything. Groceries, vacations, entertainment, utilities; the list goes on and on. Everything MUST balance in the family budget or the answer is no! I really hate the answer no because I’m a shopaholic…….. with an intense shoe addiction. When I thought about surrendering my heart to the Lord, I never thought it would actually cost me anything. My egotistical, high and mighty self even THOUGHT I surrendered my whole heart to God years ago. Then a six year old little boy, a gallon of paint and a rambunctious German Shepherd taught me otherwise. That’s a…
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How I learned to pour from an empty cup
Lately, I feel like I’m pouring from an empty cup. You’ve been there. Whether its your job, your home life or everything else happening around you, sometimes it feels like you simply have nothing left to give. This is when we are most vulnerable. It’s when the devil creeps in, sits on our shoulder and uses our weakness to whisper words of negativity in our ear. He tells us that we are not good enough, strong enough and certainly not walking faithfully in our relationship with God. He tells us our mistakes are never ending and there is no way to start over. More importantly, he convinces us that we…
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3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Feel Like You Aren’t Good Enough !
There is no reason for you to feel like you are not good enough when things aren’t going your way. You can’t always be in control of every outcome and there is no reason for you to put yourself down. Some days we just don’t feel good enough for much of anything. It hurts when we struggle with feelings that we are not sufficient, we are incompetent or just generally worthless. This past year has certainly left me feeling a bit low on the totem pole. I know you are with me. We all have experienced a not so successful review at work or a failed personal project. Every now…
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Starving for consistency in my daily schedule !
My life has become so inconsistent here lately. I blame it on the pandemic, the toilet paper shortage and all those the random remote school learning days. Just when I feel like I have the week planned out down to the very minute, everything blows up in my face! It cramps my style and makes me extremely cranky! EEEK!! I need consistency! I miss being able to adhere to my simple little daily schedule. I like to make plans and stick to them. I like to make a schedule and adhere to it. I’m probably annoying to most people for that reason but it’s just the way I’m made. Today…
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New Year! New Heart!
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners will be converted unto thee. Psalm 51:10-13 Thank heavens its a new year!!!! I’m certain many of us are starting it with new heart after all the turmoil and confusion 2020 threw our way. What does having a new heart mean? All our requests to the Lord for restoration is quite wonderful! He lovingly keeps us…
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Don’t let the devil steal your happy day when you wake up on the RIGHT side of the bed!
The devil is a sneaky snake! Simple as that! He takes much joy in stealing your happiness when you wake up on the RIGHT side of the bed! Especially when you are taking steps to mature in your relationship with Christ. Every single time I turn a new leaf and grow more mature in my walk , mischief strikes!!!! I used to let little things destroy my good days until I began to understand it was the devil trying to steal my happiness. Now, I fight !! Here’s how the devil steals your happiness when you wake up on the right side of the bed! Your first sip of coffee…
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Make your thoughts, actions and words pleasing to the Lord
The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is pleased with you.” Luke 1:30 Each day during Advent, my children are chomping at the bit to open the newest box on the advent calendar. Each box holds two pieces of candy and a Bible verse for us to study together. They are very young so I know in my heart they are just excited to get that candy in their little mouths but it won’t be long until they find out how much sweeter it is to fill their mouths with the word of the Lord. Early this week, we read about Mary and one little word…
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This far you may come and no further.
Scripture Reading: Job 38 Key Verse: ‘This far you may come and no farther, here is where your proud waves halt’ (Job 38:11)NIV. ‘Unstable,’ is the word that best describes 2020. We are frightened as we face a pandemic that cripples our health and takes our loved ones away. We are angry as we experience or witness racial injustice across the country. Conversations regarding the economy or politics feel strained and disturbing. What’s going to happen next? Our friend Job understands what uncertainty feels like after extreme catastrophe and he pours his heart out to God after a rough conversation with a few friends. God asks Job if he was…
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Black Friday Attitude Check
Odd title, right? Shouldn’t I be telling you what store to head to or which Amazon link to click for the best deal of the season? Shouldn’t I tell you about phenomenal discount codes or perhaps share my secret ‘Mommy Ninja’ moves that enable you to hold coffee and phone in one hand while you sift through cashmere sweaters and push a baby stroller with the other? Well, that would be an awesome idea and I’ll definitely save that info for another year. Today, lets focus on getting our attitudes in the right place before stepping foot into the shopping arena. Black Friday has an odd effect on human nature.…
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God’s love enables us to ‘grin and bear it’
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 When we are forced to endure something, it simply means we must ‘grin and bear it’ Hmmmmmmm…. You and I are selfish. We tend to become overwhelmed and sometimes paralyzed by catastrophic seasons of life. We whine, complain and throw temper tantrums as we struggle to find our footing in an unstable world. We give thanks with the knowledge our Lord and Savior’s love endures forever!!! God continually meets us where we are. His love abides with us on our good days, our bad days and all the ridiculous ones in between. He finds…
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Allow God to Direct Your Path
Lets Read About It : ‘A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his path.’ Proverbs 16:9 Lets Think About It: There once was a Farmer who carried a heavy load of hay across the back of his wooden wagon. As he approached the old country bridge, he took a look down the long narrow tunnel and thought to himself, ” I can get in it, but I can’t squeeze through the other side. ‘ We like to make plans. Some of us jot itineraries down in a daily planner wile others have a ‘five year plan’ when it comes to getting married, starting a family, owning a…
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Meal Planning Made Easy
Meal planning is a task you absolutely LOVE or totally HATE. There truly is no in-between. When my husband and I were first married, I rarely planned much of anything and was a bit scared to cook. Now with a family of four, I LOVE to cook and planning out a menu for the week helps this Momma Bear keep her life in order! I’ve told my best friend about my master plan and she said I should share so here it is! My simple weekly meal plan. For each dinner, I start by choosing a main dish then add sides to make sure I’m including all food groups. Here…
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Homemade Pico de Gallo
We put Pico de Gallo on everything ! Tuesday nights are reserved for Mexican entrees so thats when I usually mix up a batch or two of fresh Pico de Gallo for the week……… well maybe just for the next day or two. There are lots of ways to make Pico de Gallo and I am by no means a chef! This is the mixture that works for us! All you need is a jalapeno, roma tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, red onion and a lime ………garlic not pictured because I’m perfectly imperfect like that! Chop everything up as chunky or dicey as you like…… garlic pictured this time. Throw everything in…
