Thursday, November 22, 2012

Giving Thanks

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1




I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving praising God for all that He has done!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Top 10 Reasons I'm Thankful To Be a Mommy

Alright, I must confess. My Top 10 quickly became a list of 15. I just simply could not narrow it down!

Top 15 Reasons I'm Thankful To Be a Mommy

15) always having an excuse to shop in the baby section
14) experiencing with my children things that I loved to do as a kid 
      (swimming in the pool, getting ice cream, playing chutes-and-ladders)
13) hair bows and sweater vests
12) that unparalleled, delicious baby smell is always at my disposal
11) watching my wonderful husband transform into "The World's Greatest Daddy"
10) little arms around my neck in a fierce hug
  9) kissing chubby cheeks
  8) laughing with my husband as we witness the hilarious, unexpected antics of our 2 mini comedians
  7) reading books together
  6) seeing my children grow and learn new things
  5) being called "mommy" by a voice that couldn't get any sweeter
  4) the unconditional love of my two little people
  3) loving those same little people so much, my heart could burst
  2) praying over my children as I tuck them into bed for the night
  1) the sobering privilege of sharing the gospel to the greatest mission field I could ever be given...
      the hearts of my little boy and baby girl

Monday, November 19, 2012

My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness

Here are the lyrics to my favorite Thanksgiving hymn. It praises God for the most important thing that I am thankful for: my salvation through Jesus Christ.

My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness
Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain;
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again;

Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me in His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With pow'r upon my heart.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who walks beside;
Who floods my weaknesses with strength
And causes fears to fly;

Whose ev’ry promise is enough
For ev’ry step I take,
Sustaining me with arms of love
And crowning me with grace.

My heart is filled with thankfulness
To him who reigns above,
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace,
Whose ev’ry thought is love.

For ev’ry day I have on earth
Is given by the King;
So I will give my life, my all
To love and follow Him.


Saturday, November 17, 2012

A Week of Thanksgiving

As hard as it is to believe, Thanksgiving week is here! I have been thinking a lot about thankfulness in regards to being a mom, and I hope to share some of those thoughts with you in the days leading up to Thursday. The following is a quote by Carolyn Mahaney that has been a great encouragement to me on those days that I am tempted to not be so thankful.

"Thankfulness drives away the clouds of weariness, self-pity, and impatience that overshadow the joys of motherhood. If we find that we have lost our joy of mothering, it may be because we have neglected to consistently thank God for our children."

What a challenge! Even in the mommy moments that are the most difficult, it is important to remember that thankfulness will always be the more joy-filled option.



Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Tortellini Soup

Soup is on the menu for this chilly November day. Served with a side of cornbread, this simple and delicious meal will please even the pickiest of little boys! Anyone want to join us?

You will need...

~ 1 lb sausage or chicken                                           ~ 6 or 7 carrots, chopped
~ 32 oz chicken broth                                                ~ 1 bag tortellini
~ 1 can tomatoes                                                       ~ a pinch of pepper and garlic powder
~ 1 can green beans

Brown the sausage or chicken. Mix meat with broth, tomatoes, green beans, carrots, and spices in a pot (I like to use my Dutch Oven). Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add tortellini during the final 5 minutes. This recipe also works great in a crock pot on low heat.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Just Like Daddy

"...Be imitators of God, as beloved children." ~Ephesians 5:1 

For almost 3 years Fletcher has been watching and getting to know his mommy and daddy. He knows how we talk, act, and what our interests are. Now that he knows us, he tries to imitate us every chance he gets. It is not uncommon to see him talking on the phone like me and walking around the house wearing my shoes (please don't tell him I told you!). He loves to tinker around with his tools and work on "projects" like Daddy. And he is forever making us laugh by saying phrases that we use all the time. Because Fletcher love us, he wants to be just like us.

I believe that Christ has paid the price of my sins through His death on the cross. He bore the wrath that should have been mine, making it possible for a holy God to forgive me. Because of this, I have the privilege of being God's child. He is my Father and loves me with an everlasting love.  Just like Fletcher wants to be just like Daddy,  I too should love my heavenly Daddy enough to want to be be like Him. I must imitate His character by showing love, kindness, compassion, grace, holiness. I need to grow closer to Him and allow the Spirit to transform my heart, making me more like my Savior.

May God give me the grace to know and be just like my own Abba Father.