Monday, March 24, 2014

Let us be women...

Let us be women who Love.

Let us be women willing to lay down our sword words, our sharp looks, our ignorant silence and towering stance and fill the earth now with extravagant Love.

Let us be women who Love.

Let us be women who make room.

Let us be women who open our arms and invite others into an honest, spacious, glorious embrace.



Let us be women who carry each other.

Let us be women who give from what we have.

Let us be women who leap to do the difficult things, the unexpected things and the necessary things.

Let us be women who live for Peace.

Let us be women who breathe Hope.

Let us be women who create beauty.

Let us be women who Love.



Let us be a sanctuary where God may dwell.

Let us be a garden for tender souls.

Let us be a table where others may feast on the goodness of God.

Let us be a womb for Life to grow.

Let us be women who Love.



Let us rise to the questions of our time.

Let us speak to the injustices in our world.

Let us move the mountains of fear and intimidation.

Let us shout down the walls that separate and divide.

Let us fill the earth with the fragrance of Love.

Let us be women who Love.



Let us listen for those who have been silenced.

Let us honour those who have been devalued.

Let us say, Enough! with abuse, abandonment, diminishing and hiding.

Let us not rest until every person is free and equal.

Let us be women who Love.



Let us be women who are savvy, smart and wise.

Let us be women who shine with the light of God in us.

Let us be women who take courage and sing the song in our hearts.

Let us be women who say, Yes to the beautiful, unique purpose seeded in our souls.

Let us be women who call out the song in another’s heart.

Let us be women who teach our children to do the same.

Let us be women who Love.



Let us be women who Love, in spite of fear.

Let us be women who Love, in spite of our stories.

Let us be women who Love loudly, beautifully, Divinely.

Let us be women who Love.


Today's quiet time brought to you by Idelette McVicker, spoke straight to my heart! I thought I would share in case it does the same for you:)
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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Lent

The past few years I have tried to give something up for Lent. I have pretty much not done a good job of following my commitment. This year I have tried something different. I have given something up, and added something into its place. Watching TV takes up a pretty significant part of our day most days. It has become easy for me, and my kids, to wake up and drink coffee (for me) and juice (kids) while watching cartoons to start our day. We end up watching several shows before we start our day. Aaron knows what time shows come on and what show comes after the previous show during the day. Just to be honest folks, it's just easier. Having 3 kids and dealing with big stresses in my life right now has made it easier to justify watching TV on my 'mommy breaks' or for my kids while I am cleaning or just frankly am tired and it is easier. I enjoy TV. I have always watched too much TV since I was little, so I can't really even use having kids as an excuse. I have noticed more and more that both my older kids ask non stop for 'their show' and for 'just one more show after this show.' If the answer is no, whining/fit throwing starts immediately. Aaron has been showing some disrespectful behavior lately too. He is picking up phrases from certain shows, arguing with us constantly, and talking back a lot more lately. Is all this due to TV? No, but it is certainly not helping. So, I decided to drastically modify the amount of TV we are watching. Both boys can watch one movie or 2 short shows during the entire day from wake up to bed. Aaron bucked this new idea pretty hard the first few days, which just proved to me even more how bad it is needed. We have been doing it for a little over a week now and I noticed he has stopped asking to watch TV so much. I was reading what Rachel Held Evans said on her blog when Lent started about how to include your family in giving something up for Lent AND adding something to your routine in its place. I sat the boys down and talked to them about Lent and told them we were giving up watching a lot of TV but that we were also going to add some things to our day to think about Jesus...how he lived, what he taught leading up to the days of his death and anticipating his resurrection. We are doing simple things like singing more songs together and talking about their meaning, praying together and reading stories from the Bible about Jesus. Aaron, in particular, is eating. this. up. For me personally, I have committed 30min a day by myself praying, studying, and/or meditating. I am reading through the story of Jesus just for myself. I have studied the book of Mark for the past several months on and off with people and for the class I taught. I loved the study, but this time I am doing it for me. Not to prepare for a class or an evangelistic study...but for my growth and spiritual feeding.

I hope that my kids will not see this as me just trying to keep them from watching TV. Of course I am doing that, but I hope that by taking these actions, we will not see just something being taken away but what are trying to do to focus more on glorifying God holistically. I hope I will becoming more patient with my kids and husband. I want to become more peaceful, slower to anger. I want to show my kids that our relationships with each other are more important than the shows we watch. We will build more block towers and knock them over, we will make forts and have picnics outside. We will read the story of Jesus and talk about God's reign on earth. We we will be eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the table instead of in front of the TV. We are going to do puzzles, sing songs, do crafts, and cook together. Or maybe two sweet brothers can just play with toys by themselves....but we aren't going to watch TV. We just aren't.

May God be glorified in our daily life as a family. This family will start that by turning off the TV.

May God be glorified in our daily life as a family. This family will be more intentional about reflecting Jesus every day in the way we talk and act toward each other and others. I hope we will continue this even after Lent is over. It's showing some great results so far:)

We anticipate Easter Sunday when we will rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Sis is 3 months!



Yep, that's right...Eden is 3 months old today!!! Spring is here (except for a few cold waves here and there) and we are so excited for this new season of life! Here is what I want to remember about you right now...

-You have such a sweet smile. Your whole mouth opens wide and your tongue comes straight out. I love it!
-You 'talk' to us all the time, are starting to reach for toys now, sitting in the bumbo, and can roll onto your side really well.
-Bala says you look just like my baby pictures. I love it!
-You love to watch your brothers play....until they land on you...then it's not so fun.
-You take a pacifier pretty well and are still taking a bottle perfectly. You have officially impressed your mama in these areas. Neither of your brothers would take either. I give you a bottle every morning when you wake up. You take 4 ounces.
-You sleep very well at night. Bedtime starts at 8pm and you wake up about 3 or 4am, eat and then go back to sleep til about 7 or 8am. Right now, you still sleep in the pack-n-play next to our bed.
-Naps are still not on a set routine. You are starting to take a long nap in the mornings pretty regularly. Other than that, you can stay up about 2 hours before needing another nap. To go to sleep I give you your pacifier and nuzzy and lay you in the bed and cover you with a blanket. You usually just go right to sleep.
-You are wearing 3 month clothes.
-last month you weighed almost 11 pounds...we will go for your 2 month shots soon and have you weighed again.
-I put you in the ergo the other day while we played outside. You did great and I am hopeful I can use it more and more!
-both boys call you 'sister.' If we ask Corban to say your name he says 'Ed-nen.' It's too cute!

Eden we are so glad you are here and have completed our family perfectly! Most importantly you are HEALTHY and for our family that is a huge blessing! Keep on growing sis!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Just what I need...

I have been feeling a little down in the dumps recently. Between sick kids and lack of sleep I have been pretty much a homebody. Folks, I am NOT a homebody! I enjoy getting out and being social. When you have a new baby and sick kids all at the same time, that is pretty much not possible for a while and that time was extended for us. This week I have finally been able to get out and be social. So after taking Aaron to school yesterday, I was able to spend the morning studying the bible with a friend. Our time together was so much needed...for both of us. Whenever I am able to spend time with God by myself or with a friend, I feel a renewed sense of energy and passion for life. And let me tell you, I need that right now in my life. Revealing God's story to someone who has never really heard it before is absolutely amazing! There is no place I would have rather been yesterday than sitting at the table as my sweet friend's eyes fill with tears of joy as we read together about a God of redemption and love. I am so excited about where she is in her life. She has come so far from where she was last year at this time. Our conversation about light and darkness and God's presence led to her being able to tell me about her journey with the Lord. I think testimonies are so powerful and hearing her testimony was proof of that. She has had to overcome a lot of obstacles in her life that frankly I have never had to face. Hearing her excitement about what God has done in her life was truly moving. She and I definitely have different back grounds and came to know God much differently from one another. It is because of that difference that I am glad that God has put this sweet girl in my life. I see the Spirit working in her and pray that she chooses to continue on this path. Yesterday was just what I needed! Yay for good friends and a good day!