The Little Things

Do you ever feel like God gives you the little things just to show you how much He loves you and cares about the details of your life? 

I remember once when I was in college; I had just flown back to Southern California from a trip and a friend picked me up from the airport and took me straight to school so I could make my morning class.  It was a long day of classes for me and the afternoon held my lifeguard training course.  As I ran from class to class I realized that my friend had all my luggage in his car and I needed my contacts to put in before getting into the pool.  On such an early morning flight, I opted to wear my glasses on the plane and would change later.  As I was walking down to the pool I figured that I’d have to tell the coach I couldn’t swim because I didn’t have my contacts (mind you, this was before cell phones, so I couldn’t just call my friend and ask him to bring me my contacts). 

As I walked down the hill my friend drove up next to me, rolled down his window and said that God must love me a lot to care about the little details of my life because as he sat at home, he felt that God told him to bring me my contacts!  I don’t know what shocked me more – that he actually found me on our college campus at the perfect time, or that God spoke to him about my contacts! 

I’ll never forget that.  It was a huge reminder that God knows me intimately.  He knows all my needs from the big ones to the little, seemingly insignificant ones.  I am known and I am loved.

This story came flooding back to me yesterday on my girls’ 6^th birthday.  Although the party is coming this Saturday, I wanted to get photos of them on their birthday wearing something special and I really wanted rainbow balloons in the pictures.  Why?  I don’t know!  I get these crazy ideas and they eat me up!  The afternoon was wearing on and I knew I wasn’t going to get to do the photos of the girls and it just wouldn’t be the same if I took them the day after because it wouldn’t be their birthday anymore (I fixate on these little details which is another reason why I struggle with anxiety – great!).  At about 4:45pm, my girls started opening a package shipped to us from some dear friends in Tennessee.  As they tore into the gifts, our doorbell rang.  The neighbors brought the girls a bouquet of rainbow balloons!  I think I was more excited than they were!  And the gifts they were opening… none other than these amazing shirts that their sweet Auntie Gretchie made them. 

Could this be more perfect? 

I just chuckled and gave God a little wink, “You know me so well and love me more that I can even understand.  Thank you.”

6

On our way to church yesterday my daughter asked me,

“Do Jewish people go to church?” 

“No,” I said. 

My other daughter said to her, “They don’t believe in God.”

 “Yes they do,” I said.  “In fact, they believe in the same God that we do.” 

“Then why don’t they go to church?” she asked. 

“Because they don’t believe in Jesus as the messiah,” I fumbled. 

“Oh, I’m going to ask our Jewish friends why they don’t think Jesus is the messiah.”

Part of me wanted to say, “no, don’t do that.”  I get kind of nervous about their innocent questions and what they might say to other children at school.  We go to a public school with a lot of Jewish families and I keep waiting for a parent to talk to me about my evangelistic daughters!  They are so excited about their little faiths right now and love going to Sunday school.  They love the worship songs, Bible lessons and they love memorizing verses.  They just don’t understand why everyone doesn’t go to church and love Jesus like they do.  I love that they haven’t a clue how hostile the world is toward Jesus and those who follow Him.  I love that they are unashamed, for why wouldn’t they be?, about loving Jesus and wanting everyone to love Him too.

Last night as I was putting them to bed, my daughter asked, “Why don’t Jewish people believe that Jesus is the Messiah?  I mean if Jesus made them, why don’t they believe in Him?”  I told her that God gives us the freedom to believe in Him or not, He doesn’t force us, and some people choose not to believe.  Once again she said, “I’m going to ask our friends why they don’t believe in Jesus.”

Those little Jesus Lovers turn 6 today! 

Lord I pray that the faith of these little girls would continue to grow and deepen throughout their lives.  I pray that they always burn with a passion to tell others about your freedom, forgiveness and the abundant life that you offer everyone.  I pray that they continue to ask questions and turn to you and your word for the answers.  I pray that they always love going to worship you with a community of believers who know you are the true Messiah.  Holy God, protect them for the lies of the world that laugh at you and quiet our voice to speak your truth.  Make them bold to proclaim your truth fearlessly.  Bless them in this new year of life and may they know what it means to be completely loved by the God that made them with unique gifts and purpose.

Happy Birthday Emmie & Georgie! 

You continue to be the best gift I’ve ever been given!

*photos by the fabulous Joy Young

My Snarky Girls

This year I’ve had the blessing of meeting with a group of Pepperdine Freshmen to walk along side them and perhaps mentor them here and there.  I’ve learned so much from these women as they’ve shared their journey of their first year of college with me.

One bravely left school in the middle of the semester to escape an abusive situation.  I marveled at her strength and courage to walk out and go home.  One has freely shared how her relationship with Jesus has become so real this past year, so much more than it ever was in high school.  She has a passion for Jesus that she doesn’t want to die!  Praise God!  Another boldly made the decision not to return to Pepperdine next year, but to transfer to another university.  In this past year she has examined herself and realized that Pepperdine is not the best choice for her and although she leaves behind some wonderful friends, she’s obeying God’s leading elsewhere.  And my last little love has blessed me with her honest struggles of separating the secular from the sacred, of being consumed by what others think of her, and her intense appetite for striving to be the best and achieve success.  She said that she’s realized that these things don’t really matter to God!  I was blessed by how God has worked in their lives to transform them more into His image over this past year.  I can only imagine what the next 3 years hold for them!

Blessings to you, my Snarky Freshmen girls – I’ve loved our time together and send you off to the next adventure with a blessing.

And thank you for teaching me a wonderful new word: SNARKY  Meaning sassy and slightly catty.

And now girls, our year is complete - you've officially "made the blog"!! xoxox

Embrace 6

I can't believe she and her sissy will be 6 on Monday.

I'm embracing every moment.

They grow too quickly.


Birthday Parties - God's Gift To Me

April is a very special month in our family - it is the major BIRTHDAY month!  Grandmas, Aunts, Uncles, Daddy, Sissys... it seems that most babies in our family were born in April!  We've been in full party planning mode for the little ladies' 6th birthday and we just can't wait.  I have to say, birthday planning is one of my favorite things because it is a season when I have a project to work on and I get to do all the things I love - create, craft, cook, decorate and play.  As much work as it is, it really is one of the stand out times as a mom when I really get to be "me." 

We've all felt it and said it - sometimes we totally loose ourselves when we become a mom.  We are last on the list.  Our every moment is so much about our children and very little time is spent on us (at least not on a daily basis).  We quickly forget who we are and what makes me me.  Emily over at The Anderson Crew mentioned this yesterday.  I myself have written about it several times on this little blog - like here.  It's easy to feel like we've lost our identities when we become moms.  Sometimes we want to scream, "WHAT ABOUT ME?"

I feel like my children's birthdays are a huge gift to me!  Of course it's all about them and we celebrate them and give them gifts... but I feel like it's God's faithful, 2 times a year, gift to me when I get to be reminded of the many things I love to do and the things that make me me.  Birthday party planning is my excuse to do all the things I love that I truly don't have time for during the rest of the year (or the energy - let's be honest!).

There is a lot of crazy talk surrounding children's birthday parties these days - the over the top, super expensive fetes where everyone is flow in by helicopter, given a new wardrobe to wear and goes home with a party favor pony after selecting their diamond tiara.  I've heard moms say that it's all a big competition between women.  I've heard moms dig and dish about money spent.  But for me, it is so much more about living into who God created me to be and giving me the green light to dream and create.  I'm so grateful that God loves me enough that He would use something crazy like a birthday party for my children to remind me that I am not forgotten - He knows me, He knows what I love and although my life is mostly spent on others, I get to really do the things that I love to do when I get to throw a birthday party!

Crazy.  I know. 

So get ready for the Rainbow Tea Party reveal in a few weeks.  It will be very girlie (our first birthday party only for girls) and very colorful!

A New Life - Don't Forget In The Light What You Heard In The Dark

Have you heard this phrase, “Don’t forget in the dark what you heard in the light?”  It’s a beautiful reminder to hold fast to what God has spoken to us when our doubts creep in and things get tough.  Lately I’ve adopted the opposite phrase, “Don’t forget in the light what God spoke in the dark.”  During the most sever points of my struggle with anxiety I feel like God spoke the loudest.  In the midst of physical pain and mental agony, I felt very close to God and knew His Spirit was at work within me.  I’m grateful to say that the past few months have been much better.  Although I’ve held off the anxiety at arms length, I can see some serious growth.  But already my intense pursuit of God and His purpose has started to slightly fade.  I don’t want the depth of relationship with my God to lessen now that I’m feeling better.  Now that I’m in the light, I don’t want to forget the powerful things he spoke to me in the darkness.

 It’s easy to turn to God in the midst of a crisis.  And it is easy to distance ourselves when life is going along rather well.  What must that make God feel like?

 I’m know that a panic attack can hit me at any given moment without warning.  In the same way, I know that the Enemy is alive and crafty and seeks my demise and can strike at any given moment and blindside me.  I must be alert and awake.  I must keep my eyes focused on Jesus when life is tough and when it is not.  My relationship with God is much more than desperation when I am in great need.  It is a deep love and passion to bring glory to Him with my life.

 I am grateful that God is teaching me to live life in a new way.  I am grateful that He has helped me let go of a lot of control.  I am grateful that I have been feeling much better.  I am grateful that He is my hope.  I don’t want to forget in the light what He spoke to me in the darkness.

Spring Break

My children are on Spring Break, so I'm taking a blogging break all week!

 Resurrection Rolls...

It's an Empty Tomb!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter! 
See you back on April 16th

Passover

A few weeks ago I was looking through my favorite magazine  -Everyday Food – and they had some yummy recipes for Passover.  I’ve always loved the story of Passover in the Bible and, to be honest, because I loved the recipes so much, I decided that this year I was going to do a Passover dinner the night before Easter.  The Old Testament story is such a powerful lead in to Jesus dying on the cross and His resurrection and I thought Easter would become much more meaningful to our family if we truly understood the significance of the sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.  So a new tradition will start this year with a Passover dinner on Saturday night.

From Exodus 12

¹ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ² “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. ³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a] for his family, one for each household.

⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. ⁷ Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.

¹² “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

¹⁴ “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. ²³ When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

²⁴ “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. ²⁵ When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. ²⁶ And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ ²⁷ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. ²⁸ The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.

Here is a little peek at what I’m cooking up!  Click on the picture to go to the recipes.

 

Braised Brisket

Matzo Toffee

Coconut Macaroon

He Is Risen!

He Is Risen Indeed!

Embrace Easter

We've been having a lot of fun getting ready for Easter around here! 

Although the egg hunts, Easter Bunny, parties and candy have all been lots of fun,

we know the best is yet to come...

a risen Savior!

Happy Easter

Small Steps Take You In A New Direction

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut?  There are things you want for your life, and you know how to make them happen, but you just can’t seem to move forward?  I feel like this a lot.  At my Monday class, our teacher often says, “small steps take you in a new direction.”  Isn’t that great?  I get stuck in an all or nothing mentality and it usually leaves me in the “nothing” camp.  I am adjusting to the fact that in this season of life, not much of me can be “all in.” 

I’ve stopped going to the gym because the classes I love just aren’t at times I can go.  A week ago I was convicted that I need to let go of my ideals and rigid plans and open my mind to new possibilities.  If I can’t go to the gym classes that I love, perhaps I can go and do something different.  Last night I went to the gym and got on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes.  That’s all.  And you know what I kept thinking, “small steps take you in a new direction.”  It’s wasn’t a hard core 1 hour workout, but it was what I can do now and although it was small, it moved me out of my rut!  Do you need to take a small step today?

 *I’m a little late, but check out the new recipe on the right – it’s SO good!

Make Out Monday - A Night On The Town

I'm a firm believer in marriage.  A few months ago I did a series on my blog called Intentional Marriage.  (You can check out those posts here)  Marriage can be the most difficult relationship we will ever have, and also the most rewarding.  It doesn't come easy.  It takes a lot of work.  Finding taking time to get alone together is essential for a thriving marriage.  Time away from children and sometimes time away from home can do wonders for our relationship.  The Make Out Monday challenge is to go on a date at least once a month with your spouse for some intentional time together.  Your date can be at home after the kids are in bed, get a babysitter for a night out, or ask a friend or neighbor to swap sitting with you to save a little money - however you do it doesn't matter - just do it!  If you need a little inspiration, I'm offering a theme each month to kick start some ideas!

For the month of April, the Make Out Monday challenge is

A Night On The Town.

Every once in a while it is a lot of fun for us to head into the city, wait a ridiculously long time for a table at a restaurant where there is not a child to be seen, spend a little more money than we're used to, eat some fabulous food and really feel like adults!  For us that usually means heading out of our sleepy little suburb.  Luckily we don't have to drive far to engage in a little night life and perhaps spot a celebrity or two!

We booked a sitter and headed out to Santa Monica for a fabulous dinner at a little place called

Milo & Olive  Nothing too fancy, but casual, homey, divine culinary creations!  We had their famous Garlic Knot which we decided parted the clouds and descended upon us from heaven. We also ordered the House made Sausage & Grits, Hazelnut Beet Salad, and Burrata Pizza - all of which were gifts from God!

The mere energy in the room was invigorating.  We didn't get seated until about 8:30pm (when is the last time I ate dinner that late?!) and enjoyed people watching and catching up with some old friends.

After dinner, we headed to another little quaint place for dessert - truly making this

A Night On The Town!  (Shouldn't we be in bed by 9pm?) 

Sweet Lady Jane offers sweet treats that promise a night of sweet dreams!

Although we could barely keep our eyes open on the drive home! it was well worth it.  We had a marvelous time being "grown-ups" and enjoying something different from our normal evenings.

Now it's your turn!  Plan a fun Night On The Town date for you and your loved one - you've got the whole month to make it happen.

If you want to share the details of your fun date, leave a comment here.