Sum-Sum-Summertime!!

It's mid-July and feels like summer has flown by and I don't have a great tan to show for it!! I started out with a decent one back in May, but then June hit and we had to move and I've had no free time to soak up the sun! However, this Friday, my mother, sisters and our sweet children are heading to the beach for a few days of relaxation and sun-soaking! I am looking forward to a peaceful, relaxing visit. Then a week later, my husband and I are taking our children and going back to the beach for a full week of more relaxation and sun. We have been going non-stop since the kids got out of school in June and are about 95% settled into our new house.
We have loved the transition of life to taking care of 28 acres, however, my body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on! My arms are so sore from trimming tree limbs, re-doing flower beds, sweeping porches, not to mention all the boxes that have been opened, unpacked and broken down. Clearly, subdivision living did not provide the proper exercise level through daily chores for my poor limbs! All that said, we are very ready for guests at the new house, even have a sweet guesthouse for visitors to stay in:

We also have a new addition to the family, a bloodhound and Great Dane mix named Rebel. This picture was taken yesterday..he is 15 weeks old and huge all ready! He is a great dog and the kids love him tons.

Look at those feet!!

I'm praying that this last month of summer before the kids start back to school have some slow paced relaxation in there somewhere. Brian starts back to school August 13th and Rachel on the 20th. I'll be sure to post about the beach adventures coming up!



a morning ramble...

8 months into my "no clothes shopping"** and still feel like I need to downsize my closet some more. The house we have moved into has one closet in the master bedroom, and my husband only has his shoes and uniforms in there, the rest of his clothes are upstairs in our son's (big) closet because my clothes take up more than the rest of the space.

I guess moving makes me more aware of the quantity of our belongings, and the number of things we take for granted that we have. Things that I forget we own because we don't use them on a regular basis and sometimes only see when transitioning from one home to another, but can't seem to get bring ourselves to dispose of.

We've been blessed beyond measure (and I don't mean we have ridiculous amounts of belongings, just that we have above what our NEEDS are... I suppose it depends on who you are comparing us to), and I struggle with what we are doing to give back and return that blessing. I constantly feel like there is more that can be done....Beyond that, I also feel a call to minimize, to decrease the number of things that I have come to believe are necessity. While refraining from shopping has helped to not increase the number of things, I haven't done enough to bring that number down. Sometimes I know I feel God telling me to do something, but I'm not always great at hearing the details...I need prayers for clarity and discernment. I do know I don't want to be defined for the earthly possessions I have, but rather, what I do with what God has blessed me. I want to break this cycle of learned behavior that creates a sense of entitlement.."I have worked hard for this money, I deserve to buy ________" and create more a behavior of "God has blessed me with this money or means, how can I use it for His glory, and to further His Kingdom?" Living in a society that is constantly focused on what the next best thing is and how to get it, makes it very hard to stay focused on what God's purpose is for our life. I am pretty sure that God's purpose for me does not require a vast wardrobe full of trendy items and cute shoes. But it does require a heart of a servant and the willingness to act on what He leads me to do.



**I have to make a disclaimer/confession on the "no clothes shopping". My goal was to not purchase anything for myself that was not an absolute necessity. Here are some examples of what I have deemed necessity over the last 8 months:

1) dress for my husband's work Christmas party because I didn't have an appropriate one to fit my current "physique"
2) dress for my nephew's wedding...for similar reasons.
3) new t-shirts (I bought 4 for $10 each at Target last week) to replace the ones that were too small and had ant holes in them from the ants that invaded our closet a year ago.
4) new bathing suits that are modest and fit right for this summer. I bought 4 tankinis (we have a beach trip coming up and will be there for a week.)

Perhaps some of these things could have been eliminated as not being a necessity, but I am not claiming to be perfect, only making an attempt to stick to this pledge and conviction. Before and after most of those purchases, I was hesitant and sought reassurance (read "permission") from a few of the women in my life (my mom, my sister Michelle, and my friend Amy) whose opinions I trust and who understand the commitment I'm trying to fulfill, and who I know will help hold me accountable.

Comfort Food

"Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly."~M. F. K. Fisher

One of the many things I love about being in the South is the hospitality. One of the main ingredients of hospitality? Food!! In the South, we eat for every occasion.

Death in the family? We take a meal.
Someone sick? We take a meal.
Neighbor moved in next door? We take a meal.
Someone had a baby? We take a meal!

No matter the reason, the act of sharing a meal with others is often times the best form of comfort or support we can think of, and many times is the most appreciated! Last fall, a couple in our small group at church lost their son, Owen, at birth, very unexpectedly. One of the first things we thought of to do as a small group was organize meals to take to feed their family. From that experience, Owen's parents, Nathan and Wendy, created an organization called HALO (Honoring Angels Like Owen) that helps support families that go through the loss of a child as they did. This past Sunday, Mother's Day, a family in their neighborhood delivered a baby that later in the day took an unexpected turn and passed away suddenly. Nathan and Wendy went in support in their capacity as HALO. Wendy emailed our small group a few days later to ask if we could help provide meals for this family. Together, our group came together and is providing 6 days worth of meals (3 meals a day) for this family that most of us don't know.

Recently, our church handed out bags to fill with food to deliver to local residents in need. They had a list included with the items to buy and they included things like spaghetti sauce, pasta, tuna fish, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, crackers, cereal...and at the end of the list it suggested a special treat such as Oreos or some other sweet item. My husband and 2 children were able to participate on the morning of deliveries, together with our friend Nathan (Owen's dad) and his two other sons, Jackson and Jeffrey. They delivered bags of food to four different homes and visited with each of the recipients, mostly elderly people that were unable to get out on their own. A couple of Sunday's after the deliveries were made, one of the many recipients from that morning called the church to express her gratitude. She stated that she only has $16 a month to purchase groceries with, in addition to her food stamps, and that buying things like the package of Oreos that was in her bag just didn't happen. The joy she had over recieving such a special, unexpected treat was abundant.  

Just today, I had someone offer to bring a meal to us because my husband has been out of town. It's just part of who we are as Southerners, and I really believe, as Christians. Servants of God helping those in need. This small act of love, kindness, charity, honor...can have such a huge impact.

If you have the means, find someone close to you or in your community for whom you can provide a meal, or a couple bags of groceries. You never know what kind of blessing it might be to them or their family. Just a simple act that reminds them that they are not alone, and that someone cares.

P.S. What's your favorite meal to deliver to someone?

50 Shades of Grey

I find this woman's perspective on the book "50 Shades of Grey" to be refreshing. I also have several friends who have read it, but I have held off because it just didn't seem like something I would be interested in..this lady's thoughts kind of explain why I feel that way.
http://www.purefreedom.org/blog/?p=320

A Tale of Two Bridges---the Science Project...

My 5th grade son had a science project, as I blogged about recently. He came up with the idea of testing two different materials and building the same design of bridge and seeing which one would be stronger.

One held up 25 pounds....

The other didn't!!!

 Here's some pictures of his project board...

Here's hoping he gets a good grade on it!!

This song really spoke to me tonight...maybe you can get a message from it, too.

I am a new creature in Christ...

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

I recently blogged about my fast from Facebook for Lent, and the revelations I had for myself during that time. As I have continued to ponder that experience, one other thing that has been prominent in my mind is the number of Facebook friends I have that only knew me in person before I came to know Christ. Since the time period that they were a part of my life, our paths have changed and perhaps they didn't know that I became a Christian.
Disclaimer-I was baptized in a Baptist church when I was 7 years old. I have always believed in God, and Jesus, but I did not develop a personal relationship with Him until I was 18 years old, almost 19.

I often make posts on my Facebook that reflect my love for Christ, or Scriptures.. and I make plenty of posts that are not about faith as well. I can see how many that only knew me when I was in a self-destructive phase of my life might be confused, or put off by the life that I now lead. I won't bore you with the details of my past, but will sum it up to say that I was incredibly lost and seeking to fill a void and find love in so many different ways that were never sufficient, and the best way I can describe it is that I was on a path of self destruction. Satan had his hands all over my life. During that time, I know now that my mother was praying for me constantly, as well as others, I'm sure. Her prayers were answered when I met someone (my future husband) that gently steered me back to reality and helped me to see the forgiveness and love that Christ had to offer me. Love that compares to no other kind of earthly love. That said, I know I have a dirty past. A past that I am not proud of owning, but a past that I am so grateful for being saved from. I don't believe that I am better than anyone, other than the person that I used to be. I am not perfect, I am still a sinner, but I gave up choosing a daily life of sin, to choosing a daily life of seeking Christ and trying to walk like Him. I am by no means sinless or perfect. But I am a new creature in Christ, and I can't imagine not having a life without His love ever again. That said, if you only knew me before my relationship with Christ, I can see how you might think I am a hypocrite. I'm not a hypocrite, I was just once lost, and now I am found. I don't deny my past, but I have claimed my future with Christ.