Live & Love Like Jesus

The motto of our church is:

Live & Love Like Jesus

Throughout the week, our church reaches out to so many hurting parts of our community through feeding the homeless, having a food pantry open to less fortunate families, sorting clothes for those in need, making blankets for people...  And one day a year they coordinate Serve Day.  A few thousand people come to serve in over 400 projects in our greater community and this was the first year we participated as a family.

My husband and I both agree that we want our kids to grow up knowing how other people live, serving those in need, and having a heart for the poor, widowed and orphaned, like Jesus.

We've been waiting until they were old enough to participate, be somewhat helpful, and understand what we were doing and we felt this was the year!

I was very excited when we were told that our project was to a retirement home where we would love on some elderly folks for the morning, doing a raffle, sharing some baked goods, and hearing their stories.

I was excited because as my children's first service project, I wanted it to be about people and not just a task.  I wanted them to see the faces of those they were serving and maybe get a little uncomfortable with what they might see.  Yes, it might have been a bit easier to be painting a building all day or pulling weeds, but seeing the faces of people in their sunset years of life, some rarely having visitors, some happy to be there, some not, and taking the time to tell them they are important and valued was a powerful experience.

I had a funny flash back at the retirement home - when I was little, perhaps 5 years old, my mom was in a singing group that would travel to convalescent homes to sing for the elderly.  As a little girl, I would tag along.  I remember one particular time that I wore a corduroy jumper with little green frogs on it that my mom made and the people in the home all wanted to hold my hand and touch me.  They loved to stroke the soft skin of my young hands.  Remembering this, I told my children not to be afraid if the people wanted to hold their hands and touch their young skin.  It was really sweet to see my children be a little timid and uncomfortable at first, but then warm up to these people who just loved seeing children!

Hearing the stories of their lives was amazing and fascinating.  Some of them grew up overseas and somehow ended up in California.  Some told stories of being farmers in Minnesota, living their whole life in a tiny town in New York state, graduating from UCLA and running the blood bank... however diverse the stories of their lives, they now shared the same patio and ended up in Southern California

 to finish out their lives.

We are all called to live and love like Jesus.  

Take the time to let people know that they matter, they are important, they are valued, they are loved.

Sometimes we do this by cleaning up some one's home or yard.

And sometimes we get the privilege to tell them face to face.

Next week I'll have to tell you about Kay and Marie.   They really taught me something that day.

Stay tuned!

Little Girls

These little girls are my greatest source of 

fond memories and joy!

And conviction!

I'm sure I've said this before, but having twins was one of the best gifts I've ever been given.

And twin girls at that! - the greatest!

2 little girls.

These little girls daily give me flash backs to when I was a little girl.

They are like me in so many ways!

When they play with their baby dolls, I remember changing my baby dolls into jammies before I went to bed, tucking them into their blanket and putting them to sleep with a kiss.

My little girls still do the same!

From swimming, ballet, writing books, drawing, dolls, dressing up, watching me put on my make-up or cook - they remind me daily of the little girl I once was and all those fun things I too once did.

It's like a magic time machine when you have kids!  They blast you back all the time.

But these little girls also bring conviction into my life daily.

They are so much like me - not just in the fun little girl ways, but also in my ugly ways.

Seeing them daily, the things that are less than kind, constantly leave me reeling in the fact that they've learned a lot of that from me.

I know that my example to them speaks louder than any words and as I dream for the women I pray they become, I am convicted that I must first be that woman.

I'm impatient.

I'm task focused which means sometimes I forget about the people involved in the task.

I scowl.

I yell.

I'm ungrateful.

Oh I know this is nothing new - as mothers and parents we see 

the good and bad of ourselves in our children.

But I do think there is something unique about a mother daughter relationship.

I don't see my junk as much in my son.  

(He gets his stuff from his daddy!  Let's just be honest!)

Children are a gift from God - a beautiful refining tool that cuts us to the deepest parts and eradicates our ugly sin so that God can be glorified and we can become more like Him as they become more like us!

Yummy Summer: Ping Pong Balls

Welcome to my second Yummy Summer post!

I hope you'll join me each Monday for some fun Summer ideas about activities to do with your children, recipes to try, ways to relax...  and I hope you'll share your ideas too of how you're going to make this Summer extra Yummy!

 Ping Pong Balls

Something we love to do in the summer is swim!

I'm so grateful for a pool and for 3 children to love to swim! 

 Being in the pool can wipe a kid out like no other activity!

When I was planning my daughters' Splish Splash Swim Party, I was looking for new pool games and came across Ping Pong Balls as an alternative to dive toys!  How brilliant!

Throw a bunch of Ping Pong Balls in the pool and let kids swim after them!

$10 at the Dollar Story got me 2 baskets with holes and 8 packages of Ping Pong Balls

and that just might be the best $10 I'll spend this Summer!

Now that the birthday party is long over, the fun has not stopped with the Ping Pong Balls.

The children pretend that they are mermaids and the balls are 

pearls scattered in the sea that they must retrieve.

Or they all act like baby seals in the water and one child throws out balls as a "treat" when they do tricks!

They are endless fun.

I highly recommend buying some Ping Pong Balls to add to your pool fun this summer - totally Yummy!

And if you don't have a pool, wouldn't a basket of Ping Pong Balls be a fun gift to take a friend when you go to their pool?  Perfect hostess gift that will thrill the kids!

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What are you doing to make this a Yummy Summer?

Plan B

I had the pleasure of taking photos of a little dancer the other day.

We arranged to take the photos at a beautiful garden where I've taken photos several times.

I arrived early to sign the form I've signed before in which I agree to abide by the rules of the garden.

Well, they quickly told me I couldn't take photographs if I didn't have a reservation and fill out all the proper paper work and get approval which usually takes about a week!

What?

The little girl was arriving in 10 minutes and I was sweating!  I did my best to beg and plead with them, saying I've taking photos here several times before and never had a problem, but they told me their policies had changed and there was no way I could take photos that day.  

They suggested we go to a nearby park.

Just then the little dancer arrived and I ran out to meet them before a staff member grabbed them.

Too late!  A staff member was already telling them we couldn't do any photographs today.

Feeling horrible, knowing I should have called ahead, I smiled and said,

 "I know where the park is, let's head over there."  

In my car on the way to the Plan B location, I was feeling so horrible and irresponsible.  I really should have called ahead.  My mind quickly went to blaming the staff and I began crafting my speech to the Mom of the little dancer why it was their fault that we couldn't take photos at the garden.

I knew I needed to own the mistake and realized that my attitude would dictate the next hour.

Was I going to complain and regret that we weren't at the garden?

Then I heard the words of my friend who once told me, "Sometimes our Plan B is really God's Plan A."

"Lord, please bless this time and let these photos be glorifying to you."

What if the park is a better location?

It was!

I'm so reluctant to be redirected in my plans.

Plan A is always best in my mind.

But what if my Plan B is really God's Plan A?

Happy Weekend!

See you Monday for a Yummy Summer post!

Yummy Summer: Summer Supper Club

Yummy Summer is a series where every Monday I'll share something to make your Summer extra Yummy!  An adventure for your children, a new recipe to try, a craft project, a suggestion for date night, Moma time, all sorts of delicious ideas for this Summer!

I hope you'll share your ideas too using the comments box.  Tell us your great ideas to make this a Yummy Summer!

Kickin' off Yummy Summer with a little suggestion for the grown ups!

Summer Supper Club

Several months ago I invited 6 women to join me for a study of Ann Voskamp's book, 1000 Gifts.  

God brought each woman there for a specific reason and I have to say, it was a magical group of women.  Everyone is so different, yet we have a lot in common.  Everyone has great wisdom to offer and life experience to share.

Needless to say, we were all sad when the study ended.

Since Summer is often busy with vacations, we knew meeting weekly wouldn't work, but once a month would be totally doable!  So we grabbed Shauna Niequist's book, Bread & Wine, and started our 

Summer Supper Club!

"A love letter to life around the table with recipes," is Shauna's caption!

The book is filled with stories, life's gifts, heartbreaks, celebrations and how they are all experienced best with dear friends around the table.  She offers discussion questions and menu suggestions. 

Each woman brought something and used the recipes Shauna offers.

Everything was incredible!

Here are 2 little fun tips I have for serving cheese:

1.  Use fig leaves to place the cheese upon

2.  Crackers, bread sticks, bread... they look so much more pretty displayed in a glass!

And because the title of the book is Bread & Wine,

I made homemade baguettes!

AH-MAZING!

The salad was to die for, and the homemade vinaigrette.... probably won't buy dressing ever again!

Of course there was lots of wine!

Another fun aspect was getting to cook together!

The main dish was steaks au poivre and risotto.

My girlfriend went to a real butcher shop and got beautiful filets.

 Did I mention lots of wine?!!

I didn't capture a picture of the dessert, but it was blueberry crisp with homemade vanilla ice cream!

The whole evening was just right.  

Wonderful women, incredible food, great conversation, laughter, perfect weather, and remnants of a night well spent all over the kitchen that I get to clean up today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Summer, get a few girlfriends together for a special dinner.

Have everyone bring something and make it extra special with flowers and candles and splurge a little on the best ingredients - you'll be glad you did!

How are you making this a Yummy Summer?

Masterpiece

Yesterday we had our last God's Girls gathering before Summer break.

I've really had a wonderful time with these precious little ladies for the past 4 month.

They are each special and unique.

They are sweet and kind and innocent.

I wanted to send them off for the Summer with the knowledge that they are God's Masterpiece.

Each one of them is a work of art!

I got some little wooden frames and when they arrived, they painted their frames.

They didn't know what they were for.

Their only guideline was that there had to be gold on their frame.

Then we gathered at the table with our tea cups and princess plates for mini pizzas, 

tiny cupcakes and a discussion.

I found the most amazing museum collection books at the Goodwill Bookstore and couldn't pass them up!

For this occasion, I chose the Vatican Museum art to start our conversation about Masterpieces.

We looked at works of art by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael.

I asked them questions about the paintings and why they are considered Masterpieces.

Their responses were perfect!

"They took a long time to paint. 

They are some one's best work.

They are perfected.

They are unique.

They took a lot of hard work."

Then we talked about another artist and creator - God.

We looked in the Bible to find verses that described God's works of art and found that his most precious work of art, his Masterpiece, is us!

I looked at each girl in the eyes, called them by name, 

and told them individually that they are God's Masterpiece.

I had a stack of photos that I had taken of the group over the past 4 months

 and asked them each to choose one for their frame.

On the back of their frame I put Psalm 8 which talks about God's amazing creation and art work, the heavens, the moons and stars, and with all of that, he still has us in the forefront of his mind at all times.

Out of all the incredible things God has made, we are his most valued Masterpiece.

Every Masterpiece is framed in gold in beautiful museums,

that is why I made sure they all added gold to their frames!

Do you know that you are God's Masterpiece?

You are!

Yummy Summer

It's so close I can taste it!

Summer is coming up and I just can't wait.

We have one more week of school and then let the fun begin!

A couple of years back I did a series on my blog called Yummy Summer.

Each week I shared some fun ideas for kids, crafts and recipes to try in the Summer. 

I have to say, that was one of my favorite Summers as a mom thus far.

What I loved so much was that the blog series forced me to be intentional with our Summer and actually do the things I dreamed of doing, not just posting them on our family chalk board.

So... this Summer, I'm bringing back the Yummy Summer series and I hope you'll join me in sharing ideas of things to do with our littles and girlfriends to make this an amazing, intentional Summer!

Yummy Summer will begin Monday, June 2nd.

You can search my blog for "Yummy Summer" to see the posts from a few years back.

Or you can click here

A Little Time Away

Remember that Chicago song,

"everybody needs a little time away.."

I know it was written about a couple needing time away from each other, but I reinterpret it to mean everybody needs a little time away... from their kids!

A few weeks ago we met my parents down in Mexico for a little time away.

It started out great when I was selected as a TSA Pre check - meaning I didn't have to strip down in security.  I didn't have to risk foot fungus and remove my shoes to walk barefooted where thousands walk barefooted each hour.  I didn't need to empty my pockets or do a funky dance in the x-ray machine!  

It was awesome!

We met up for a little fiesta with my folks and enjoyed these incredible Mexican Twinkies - a true gift from the Lord!

 

My daughter drew me this picture and made sure it was in my suitcase for the trip!

Each morning we walked to the "office" to get some work done, aka eat breakfast!

And then we resumed the position - lounging at the pool, gazing at the ocean!

When we got chilly at dinner, they gave us little blankets to put on our shoulders!  Brilliant!

We made it home with 6 to use on our back porch this summer.

Ahhhhh,

What I wouldn't give to close my eyes and be right back there right now.

Chicago was right.

Everybody needs a little time away.

Do you have a get away on your calendar for this year?

Make it happen!

Soccer Mom

Something totally new is happening in our family.

For some of you, you've known no different.

For some of you, this has been your way of life from the start.

For me, it's all new!

SOCCER!!!

Yep, we've got a little player in the house!

We're doing a Spring soccer camp, which means weekly practice and Saturday games.

Can I be totally honest?.... I never played soccer as a kid because I was afraid of the ball!

I didn't like soccer at all.

I hear of all these kids playing soccer and the parents sitting the heat, watching games on the weekends, and it all sounds horrible to me! (just being honest).

I never wanted my kids to do soccer.  

I didn't want to give up my weekends.

Well, what do you do when one of your kids, your daughter!, wants to play?

I guess the good parent thing to do would be to let her!

And what do you do when she smiles the whole time she plays?

I guess you smile too!

I don't know why I gravitate towards the activities I did as a kid and sort of steer my kids away from the stuff I didn't like too much as a kid, but I'm realizing that some things I didn't like as a kid are kinda cool now (well, cool when I'm not the one playing!)!

And you know what?  I actually look forward to going to her games on Saturday mornings!

We committed to the real deal in the Fall - 

I guess I'm going to be a Soccer Mom.

Yikes.

No mini-van yet though!!!