"Where the pickin's good"

That's what the sign at Beechwood Farm said. :)

I took my friend Kristin's advice and Jake and I went and picked strawberries this past Friday. It was a very windy day, but we had a wonderful time. :)

(Jake's facial expression is only because of the wind - not because of who is taking the picture. My dear friend, Alaina went with us.

He actually picked one strawberry himself, and immediately wanted to eat it. . . he has enjoyed several since then and also made a beautiful fingerpainting of strawberry juice on my refrigerator when I allowed him to sit on the kitchen floor and eat some strawberries. :) (didn't get a picture - sorry)

Nana's visit

Jake's Nana came for a visit last weekend. We had a wonderful time. . . just too short. :)

On Saturday evening we had a picnic dinner at Furman by their lake. After dinner we noticed several turtles swimming close to shore and the only thing we had to feed them were doritos. They didn't seem to mind. . . so Jake got to feed some turtles. He loved it.

Here are some picture from our picnic.

(The sad thing is we don't have any pictures with Nana :()

Reasonable realization

For those of you who frequent my blog, I need to ask you to forgive me. I was very convinced and convicted last week about my complaining spirit. I like to think of myself as pleasant and joyful, but friends dearest and nearest to me as well as my sweet hubby can tell me otherwise. Phil 2 talks about believers NOT GRIPING and complaining.

In light of my condition outside of Christ, as Ephesians says "dead in trespasses and sins" and now my acceptance as a child of God as Romans says "received adoption as sons whereby we cry 'Abba Father'" and made alive by the Spirit in order that I may please God and not myself "the Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies by His Spirit who lives in you, so then we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh" I really have NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.

I deserve God's wrath and judgment and instead I am dressed in the righteousness of Christ, I am a fellow heir with Him, and daily receive the benefits of being a child of God.

The only thing reasonable for me is to give thanks in everything.

The best. . .

Does anyone else think Jake has the best Daddy?

This is a frequent after dinner male bonding ritual between father and son that I finally caught on tape. :)

The Jakesters journal

I have tried numerous times to get the best video of Jake to load, but it is 18MB too large and I am having trouble chopping part of it.

Here are some recent photos in the meantime.

A charmer at heart - this is going to make correction very difficult in the future - well it actually already does. He flashes that grin and it's hard to be firm.

Jake is getting into everything. He scared the daylights out of me the other day when he took a toy apart and I found him chewing on one piece with the tiny nickel-sized battery on the floor beside him. I praise God for watching over my child! (And I've been accused of being over protective! I'm wondering if I'm not protective enough. I'm thinking I should not let him out of my sight.)

My growling Goliath! Jake is almost 30 inches long. (They measured him wrong at his 9 month check-up as only 28 1/2 inches) and weighs 19 lbs and 4 oz. He is crawling over me here and growling with glee. I thought I was having a baby, not a monster! :)

And one more:

Here he is with his beloved and beautiful, Aunt Emily. He adores her and she him, I dare say. :) She and Aunt Clare came for a visit and homemade pizzas yesterday. We had a fun time.

Me and my little man!

As Long. . .

How long does it take before you begin to doubt God's goodness and love in His dealings with you? I have already shared in the past that my trust in God lasts about as long as things are going the way I think they should, the way I have planned they should.

Sadly I must admist that I frequently find myself questioning God's love when my plans fall apart, when things don't happen on my timetable, or when I am faced with an unforeseen difficulty. I fail to realize that all of these are opportunities for me to display the power of the gospel in my life - to respond with supernatural power, to live radically differently because of Christ and His supreme sufficiency not only for our salvation but for every day, for eternity.

"What I am going to inherit in eternity is so superior that it makes any sacrifice in this life insignificant. I must be so heavenly minded that I am free from this world and it's stuff."- John Piper

How long can I trust God?As long as He is!

"For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." - Psalm 100:5

As Long as You are Glorified
Mark Altrogge

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Single Mom . . .

for a few days

My hubby is out of town for a few days and I am realizing a lot:

1) Single Moms are AMAZING! I have no earthly idea how they do it.
2) I had no idea how much my hubby actually DID help me out.
3) I had no idea how many sounds this house made at night.
4) Television does have the ability to bore one rather than entertain (I usually only have 10 minutes to glance at the news so I never have time to be bored with it)
5) I am a social bug.
6) Having a sick baby and no one to vent to is hard.
7) How great the grace of God is
8) How true the saying: "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is.
9) How long a night can be
10) How cold a queen size bed is with only one body in it.
11) The LENGTH of our house (walking the distance between our bedroom and Jake's at night)
12) I cook for my husband. (I've been living off of cereal, granola, yogurt, carrots, celery and popcorn)
13) I am very attached to my husband (I surprised myself and cried after he left)
14) I do like things neat just for me (I've still done dishes, made the bed, vacuumed, etc.)
15) God is my shelter, strong tower, listening ear, Protector and Provider!

Seven things. . .

Answer the questions with 7 responses. . .then tag 7 people.

What I was doing 10 years ago
Well I grew up in South Africa, so the seasons were flipped and our school year was January through December so it would have been the fall of my junior year.
1. debating like crazy with my partner for a chance to make nationals (we did!)
2. practicing piano and flute like crazy for my UNISA (University of South Africa) exams
3. cutting bangs (big mistake)
4. riding the train back and forth to school each day
5. editing the school newspaper
6. directing the choir in our small church
7. trying to grow as a very new Christian (I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior in December of 1997 after an entire lifetime of living a complete lie)

WOW! I was a REAL nerd!

Snacks I enjoy:
1. popcorn
2. apples and peanut butter
3. cheese
4. cheese and grapes/pineapple
5. granola bars
6. yogurt
7. anything crunchy other than potato chips (celery, carrots, corn chips, pretzels, crackers)

Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. Personally support some of the missionaries we know.
2. Pay off all our debt (car, house, medical bills)
3. Buy a second car.
4. Fix up the house how we want it to be "one day".
5. Get Jake (and me) a chocolate lab.
6. Go on a few trips to see my folks in South Africa.
7. Set up some savings accounts for Jake's college and any future Garland gang members college fund; our retirement (that sounds like the biggest joke) and maybe a vacation fund.

My bad habits:
1. leaving the dishes to do at the very end of the day
2. drying clothes but not getting around to folding them for a few days
3. telling people I am going to call or e-mail them, but not doing it
4. not plucking my eye brows often enough
5. pulling my hair back into a pony tail because I'm too lazy to style it
6. clicking through the tv channel guide like 3 times in a row even though it's already been established that nothing worth watching is on or will be on in the next hour. (as if they're going to change it)
7. telling instead of asking Rob what to do (I don't mean it in a bossy way, but it sure comes across that way)

Places I have lived:
1. Greenville, SC
2. Durbanville, South Africa
3. Kuilsrivier, South Africa
4. Burlington, NC
5. Brevard, NC
6. Tampa, FL
7. Taylors, SC

Jobs I've had:
1. Teacher's aide (during college)
2. Camp counselor (college summers)
3. Art Building Hostess (during college)
4. Learning Resource Center Tutor & Supervisor (during college)
5. Registration Secretary (first post-graduate job)
6. Tutor for Sylvan Learning Center (first job as a Mrs.)
7. Preschool Teacher & then 2nd & 3rd grade Learning Disabilities Self-contained classroom teacher
Places I would rather be:
1. in heaven
2. in a beach hotel room with a jacuzzi, a gorgeous view, a sunset and Rob. :)
3. home - Cape Town, South Africa
4. having a pedicure/manicure
5. tanning bed
6. sitting outside soaking in sunshine by the pool (that I don't have)
7. hanging with good friends or family over a good cup of coffee

Plans I have for 2008:
1. celebrate Jake's first birthday
2. take Rob and Jake to South Africa at Christmas time
3. paint our new house (the interior)
4. start a MOMS (Mom on Mom support) group for first time moms
5. train for a 10 mile run at Furman next February
6. finish the "dream bedroom" I've been putting off since we got married
7. take guitar lessons regularly rather than sporadically. :)

People who E-mail me regularly:
1. My mom
2. Erin
3. Facebook (to let me know someone sent me something or commented on something
4. Bonuspoints and Inbox dollars
5. Rob (sometimes to forward me something from work)
6. Clare (to forward me something)
7. Mom W. (to forward me something)

Things I think about often:
1. how much time I waste
2. how much I need to grow in selflessness and humility
3. how much I love Jake and Rob
4. how amazing it is that God loved me enough to provide for my salvation, and continues to love me as I continue to sin and fall short of His glory
5. what we will be doing in the future
6. what Jake is going to be like when he's grown
7. what to plan for next week's meals and how to get the groceries I need at the cheapest rates possible

Slow down . . . PLEASE!

I have been realizing this last week that what "they" say is TRUE! (do you ever wonder who "they" is - I do!)

MY SON IS GROWING UP TOO FAST!!!!

I wish I could watch him in slow motion, but lately everything he does seems so fast and he seems to be changing every minute. . . literally. (And I really don't mean figuratively)

*He is CRAWLING EVERYWHERE! (Thank the Lord our new home is childproofed for the most part and I shut doors to the rooms that aren't. He has not had any serious injuries YET! :))

*He understands so much and is trying to talk all the time. He imitates us, and babbles constantly. The other day I thought he was done eating and I said: "All done", just like I always do and he started to wail. Then I asked him if he wanted "more" and he immediately calmed down and reached for more. He understands "no" and "obey". Yesterday he started to crawl to the fireplace and I told him "no, obey Jake" and he looked at me, then back at the fireplace, then back at me. I told him: "come to Mommy." He looked back at the fireplace, and then crawled straight to me. I rewarded him by taking him to the see the fireplace WITH MOMMY.

* He has dropped another nursing, which means now he only nurses 4 times a day. And he dropped it on his own! The past 3 mornings, he has not wanted to nurse right when he wakes up. Do you know what he has wanted? HIS TOYS!

* He loves his new room and this new independence brought on by mobility. He will play for an hour or more sometimes just cheerfully exploring his room and his toys. I MISS HIM NEEDING ME!

* He now naps for two hours in the morning and again for two hours in the afternoon.

* He'll let me read to him without getting fidgety for almost 15 minutes at a time now too!

* He has arrived at the "I want Mommy only" stage, but only early in the morning, when he first wakes up, and then at night when it's time for bed.

AND ALL OF THIS WITHIN THE LAST WEEK!
Like I said, he is changing and growing too fast! I want to cherish every second with him. I know the day will come when I long for the moments when I can hold him. A few nights I have done just that. I've held him and rocked him a little longer, just to savor those moments.
He is the sweetest little boy and truly a reward from God. I love him more and more each day. Not only does he teach me something new every day, he makes me smile, even laugh, several times each day - and I thought I was supposed to be doing that for him. . . .

Settling in

Our move is completed.
On Friday we came and cleaned our new home and a friend helped me unpack most of the kitchen.
Saturday was the main moving day. Rob had scheduled to pick up the U-Haul at 9:30 a.m. and several guys were meeting us at our apt. around 10:00 a.m. After business hours on Friday evening some man from the U-Haul place called Rob and told him that his other business came first and he would only be able to have a truck available for Rob at 10:30. a.m. So Rob called all the guys and told them to come at 11:00 a.m. He called me at 11:00 when all, but one guy, had already showed up at our apt. and said that he was in line at the U-Haul place and still did not have a truck.
Around 11:45 a.m. he called me again to say that he had a truck, but that he had to drive to another U-Haul store to fill out the paperwork. (umm. . . . excuse me? What was stopping him from just driving the truck to our apt., using it for the move and then returning it without EVER paying or filling out ANYTHING? ) So, finally at 12:30ish p.m. he gets back to apartment and the poor hungry guys can start loading the truck. (Meanwhile my girlfriend and I drove to the new house, picking up pizza and ice for drinks along the way. We'd had all my stuff from the freezer and the fridge in the car since 11:00)
Needless to say IT WAS A VERY LONG DAY!
Poor Jake! He was so confused and frustrated! His crib wouldn't fit through the doorways at our new home and Rob was only able to take it apart after 7p.m. on Saturday night. We were finally able to make his little bed around 9p.m. When I put him in his crib, he started to laugh and squeal and crawled all around it. It was like: "YEAH! Something familiar! OK! This is going to be ok!" Poor baby only got to bed after 9:30p.m. on Saturday night. He woke 3 times in the night, but settled back to sleep fairly quickly.
On Monday we had to go back to the apt. and clean it. There were also a few things Rob had left there because they wouldn't fit in the truck.
Except for the study at our new place everything is unpacked and in it's new place. We don't have pictures up and we only have blinds up, no curtains, and the blinds are only up in our bedroom and the nursery, but it's definitely livable! We are going to add the others as we can.
Rob and I were talking on Sunday evening. God did not give us this home merely so we can enjoy the home. (And if that becomes my focus I will want everything and want it NOW) God gave us this house for the same reason He does everything He does - it is for His glory. It is all because of Him and it is to Him. We desire for this home to be used to bring Him the glory and honor He deserves. We are in this neighborhood for a way bigger reason, than just to enjoy a beautiful home. We are here because of God, for God.

My hope and dream and prayer is that God would use us in this neighborhood to display the transforming power of the gospel by the grace of God; that our lifestyle, our actions, and interactions with our neighbors would pave the way for us to be able to openly share the gospel with them.

Romans 10:1 " Brethren my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation."

Just for fun. . .

I'm packing and cleaning today but here is a video of Jake taking a bath. Enjoy!
Sorry that it's sideways. That's my fault for videoing it that way and you can't turn a avi file. Sorry!
It's still fun!

Yumminess!

Here are some easy, quick, (economical) and delicious meals that are a big hit in our family:

Stir fry (serves 4)
1 chicken breast
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables of your choice (you can always use fresh too)
half onion sliced
olive oil
soy sauce
sugar
vinegar
salt
pepper
prepared rice

Saute the onion in some olive oil over medium low heat. Cut the chicken in strips and add to the pan. Season with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and sprinkle with pepper. Once the chiken is white. Add 1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste), 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and stir till sugar is dissolved. (You want this to have a slight sweet and sour taste, so taste the sauce. You may need to add more sugar) Add the bag of frozen vegies and turn heat to high. Cook till the vegetables are "squeaky". (Stir fry vegetables are best when they are still crisp - don't cook till they are tender)
Immediately serve over rice.

Chicken Fresca and Pasta (serves 4 and sometimes more)
1 chicken breast
1 can mushrooms
half bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 tomato (or 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halfed) chopped
half onion sliced (optional)
parmesan cheese
1/2 box cooked angel hair pasta
sa;t
pepper
basil/parsley (I always use both)
garlic (minced or powdered)
olive oil

Saute onion and garlic (equivalent to one clove) in olive oil over medium heat. Add diced chicken, about 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook till the chicken is white. Add the broccoli and cook for about 3 minutes - just till steamed. Then add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2 minutes just until heated through. Toss through prepared pasta and garnish with parmesan cheese and basil/parsley.

Variation:
Sometimes to make this meal a little more gourmet, I prepare a white sauce using butter, flour and skim milk. I add the cheese to the white sauce and toss the pasta in the white sauce before adding the meat mixture. It's amazing!

We usually serve with a salad.

Homemade Pizza
Pizza crust (This is the best recipe I've ever tried. And I did it without stuffing the crust)
Pizza sauce (See below for my own homemade recipe)
Toppings of your choice

We've found that prebaking the crust for about 5 minutes helps it not be soggy in the middle from the sauce and toppings.

Pizza Sauce (for 2 10-12" pizza's)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of salt
dash of pepper
sugar (to taste)
3/4 teaspoon oregano
2/4 teaspoon basil
ketchup (if desired)

Mix together and taste. I like my sauce to have a slight sweet taste to contrast the cheesy topping. That is why I add a little ketchup. You may prefer a more tart taste.

1) Prebake the crust at 400F for 5 minutes
2) Allow to cool slightly.
3) Top with the sauce and toppings of your choice.
4) Bake for about 10-15 minutes. (sometimes more)
5) If you are using a metal or glass baking pan, remove the pizza from the pan and allow to bake right on the oven rack for the last 5 minutes. This helps the crust to firm up.

Cut and serve. (The recipe I included for the crust says to spread butter on the crust. This is delicious and I highly recommend it for this crust.)

Hope that inspires you to make some yummy meals for your family. :)

Moving

This is the week of our move, so after today I probably won't post again the rest of the week. Lord willing, we will close on Thursday afternoon.
We went by the house yesterday and just made notes about things we need to get right away. We measured windows and the space for the washer and dryer just to make sure what we have is going to work.
I'm planning to get a roman shade for Jake's room to help block out sunlight and also since he's crawling now, it's time to buy a gate. :) Neither bathroom has a shower curtain, so obviously that is a must.
We've planned how and where and what we want to paint, but we will probably do that on weekends as we have time. Trying to get that done along with packing, cleaning and moving in this weekend is just TOO MUCH!
We just praise the Lord for our new home.
I will post pictures as soon as we are in. :)

Growing

Recently the Lord has been teaching me many things. With a little baby being added into my life I have come to see sides of myself I never thought were there. God has taught me so much about Himself, and has revealed much to me about myself. I could write a book (well maybe a short story) on what he has taught me, but for now, I want to share the greatest and most liberating lesson He has been teaching me.

I have always prided myself in looking good, in being organized and neat and clean, in keeping my home and any other area I am in (classroom, office) the same way. I always wanted to do it in a way that didn't come across as obsessive, even though I really was. I didn't want to come across as a priss even though I spent WAY too much time getting myself ready. Basically, a priority for me in life is to present an image to the world of a girl who has it all together ALL the time. I did all of this convinced that because I did all these things I was godly.

With the addition of my son Jake into my life things went topsy turvy for a few weeks. I had expected that and rolled with the punches. However, after 5 weeks when things still weren't getting back to the way they had been and I was still struggling to get ready each day, cook dinner, clean the house and exercise, I began to FREAK out. No, literally, I did. I felt so out of control and disorganized. I am a creature of habit and funtion best when I am in a RIGID routine. In honest language: I AM A CONTROL FREAK!

And that is what God wanted to show me about myself. In wanting things to be a certain way (my way) and being discontent and frustrated when they weren't I was making myself god in my life. My idealistic expectations of my life had become my idol. Instead of seeking to serve God each day and worship Him in every action, I became a slave to my own desires and felt guilty and frustrated when I did not measure up. God was so patient with me and graciously showed me my stupidity. (I call it that - God didn't)

If you are skimming this because I have trouble keeping things short, READ THIS! God has given me a completely new perspective on life. It's not about how spiritual I seem, or how good I look. It's not about how neat and clean my house is, or how great dinner tastes. It's not about how good my baby is, or how great of a parent and wife I am. The focus is not supposed to be on me. God is not pressurizing me match up to external standards of godliness. Godliness begins in the heart. It begins when a heart is consumed with loving and worshipping God in every action. God is not concerned with how neat my home is, whether the laundry is done or not. He does not care if I made a gourmet meal, or slapped PB and J sandwiches on the table. God is not concerned with whether or not I exercised or have a great hair day. God cares about my heart. He looks at my heart. All those other things only reveal what is in my heart.

The reality is this: My focus is off when I am consumed with making sure everything is perfect externally when my heart is cold, and far from God. Why the facade? Why am I whiting my sepulchre? I need to be real! (And by real, I don't mean that I can sin all I want) God's word and His truth should be my only pressure. The world, even other Christians, and especially my own idealisms and expectations of what is godly need to be discarded. I must get rid of the dead men's bones inside my sepulchre and let God make it white from the inside out.

The difference is this: Instead of looking from the outside in, I'm looking from the inside out. The angle is different, and way more revealing. :) It is also the most liberating way to live. There is pressure to grow and change, but it is motivated by love for God who accepts me in His Son. Before I came to God standing on my own pitiful little acts of righteousness and they were never sufficient. Now, I can come to Him on the basis of His Son's work on my behalf, and I can worship and serve Him out of thankfulness for what He has done. My life is a testimony of His grace. I must live a life worthy of His redemption!

This requires a moment by moment consecration of every thought and action. It is easy to check things off of a list, to come up with my personal standards for every area of life and then set myself on "cruise control" convinced that I am pleasing to God and looking good to others. However, that kind of "good" is all mustered up in the arm of the flesh. "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God" - Romans 8:8

A life that testifies of God's grace at work is one that is moment by moment walking in the Spirit and consecrating every thought and action to Him. It is a life that seeks to moment by moment do all to His glory. It requires a continual analyzing of one's life in light of God's word. It demands humility that God's grace may abound.

If you're like me, you've heard and sung about "grace" your whole life. But do you really know what it is to live by that grace day by day?

Romans 6:14- "Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."

Complete in Thee, no work of mine may take dear Lord the place of Thine.
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me and I am now complete in Thee.

Yes justified, O blessed thought and sanctified, salvation wrought.
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me and glorified I too shall be.

Complete in Thee! no more shall sin,Thy grace hath conquered, reign within;
Thy voice shall bid the tempter flee,And I shall stand complete in Thee.

Complete in Thee— each want supplied,And no good thing to me denied;
Since Thou my portion, Lord, wilt be,I ask no more, complete in Thee.

Dear Saviour! when before Thy bar all tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among Thy chosen will I be at Thy right hand, complete in Thee.

Words by Aaron Wolfe
Music by Ben Nyce
Arr: Kristin Campbell

To listen to a clip click on the link below:
http://www.spea.org/files/audio/Completeinthee/completeinthee.mp4

Endless Praises

(My meditation for today)

Endless Praises
by Stephen Altrogge

Look upon this fearful scene
The King of Love nailed to a tree
The Prince of Glory made to bleed
Hear the pardon that He speaks
"Forgive them" is His plea
Where has love like this been seen?

Look upon this wondrous sight
Foul sinners clothed in white
With the righteousness of Christ
All our guilt is washed away
Every debt we owed is paid
How astounding is this grace

***************************
Let us lift up endless praises
Let us give Him endless song
Let us lift up endless praises
Let us sing of all He's done
Let us sing of all our God has done.

A thousand ages is not long enough
To tell the glories of the Son
Forever we will sing Redemption's song
And of the victory You've won!

Link to listen:
http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/albums/category/sovereign_grace_music/worshipgod
Click on Track # 2 Endless Praises

Why is it "Good" Friday?

I always wondered why it is "good" if it's the day we remember thatJesus died?
I watched The Passion a few years ago and sobbed through half of it. I don't think reading through Scripture had ever depicted it so graphically for me - maybe I just don't have a good enough of an imagination. I gross out at the sight of blood, I can't even watch them drawing my own blood, and I am very sensitive and aggressive about any kind of abuse.
So why call it "good" friday?
What about it is good?

Jesus told his disciples to remember his death. He told them to "eat the bread and drink the cup" to remember his death. BUT WHY?

We make such a big deal out of his birth and even his ressurrection, but today is the one day in the year, that Jesus actually told us to remember.

If he had not died, our eternal salvation from God's wrath on us for our sin, would NOT be possible.

So although his death was horrible and even gruesome, it was necessary for my salvation, for yours. . . and therefore it is a good day. . . not just a day to remember, or even to mourn. Jesus wants us to rejoice and to celebrate - His Sacrifice was on our behalf - our sin debt is paid for.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1

It is a "Good" Friday because of God's good grace demonstrated to us "in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us" - Romans 5:8

Our eternity will be spent singing the glories of Calvary. Why not start now? TODAY? This VERY GOOD FRIDAY?

Clarification

Just wanted to let you know that even though I am dissapointed and was even annoyed when I couldn't find anything on Walmart's website - I WILL STILL BE SHOPPING THERE!

And MORE IMPORTANTLY, my eternal and even temporal happiness is NOT dependent on Walmart's website or their associates - just in case anyone was worried!

:)

Am I alone?

Ok, this is just a little bitty venting from me - which I NEVER do - OK lie, but I never post a venting - my poor hubby gets them all the time! I'm mostly wondering if anyone else has experienced this, or if I am just totally missing it somewhere or perhaps even everywhere - trust me - I already know I'm losing it in some areas. (In the last week I have totally lost my favorite black clutch-the only one I used for church, so now I have to take this HUGE one, AND apparently I threw away two of Jake's little gerber baby bowls - we looked high and low and can't find them ANYWHERE! - IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF ALHEIMERS?)

So on to my little venting:
We are getting ready to close on a house next Thursday, and so I have been shopping via the internet pricing things at different stores. Target has been awesome, so easy to manipulate their website and find what they have online or in your local store. Same was true for Bed Bath and Beyond (with the exception of whether it was at your local store or not, although the Bed Bath and Beyond nearest me I would hardly call "local") And of course I priced things out at JC Penny, Sears and other stores like that, but they weren't really in the competition. I was trying to price everything against Walmart's prices since they're supposed to be the best, right?

Well, I go to their website and anything I type in to search for I can't find. ALTHOUGH, I know I've seen it in their store. I WAS LOOKING FOR KITCHEN TOWELS! You know they have towels at walmart. I searched under towels, textiles, linens and kitchen. NOTHING!
I even tried looking at bath towels! I still have no idea what they have there based on their website! So, needless to say I was a little peeved! I was trying to find all the best deals and have everything mapped out for dear hubby.

And if that were my only bad experience with Walmart, it wouldn't be so bad, but I'm just wondering why they wear those little smiley face buttons and vests that say:"How can I help you?" BECAUSE THEY NEVER WANT TO HELP YOU! With rare exceptions, Walmart associates are rude and impatient when I do happen to ask them for help. I just don't get it.
Am I alone?

"It is finished!"

Those were Jesus' last words before He sovereignly and purposefully yielded his life to death on the cross.
Everyone tends to regard someone's last words as fairly significant, so why did Jesus choose the words He did? The Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus is God in flesh ("and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, God with us" -Matt. 1:23), so as God Almighty, Jesus chose the perfect words to be his last ones before death. What is the significance of His last words?

"IT IS FINISHED!"

What is finished?

(Let me encourage you to read through Matthew 27:27-55; Mark 15:16-41; Luke 23:18-49 and John 19:1-37. For sake of space on this post, I will not quote all those verses here.)

Is Jesus referring to His own earthly life and the fact that it is over now? Is He speaking of the pain and suffering He has endured on the cross and the fact that it is finally going to end?
I think Scripture clearly indicates over and over again what Jesus is declaring complete and accomplished!

He is speaking of much much more than His own life or pain and suffering. As one reads through the gospels Jesus constantly tells His mother, disciples, and even the Pharisees that He is there to do the work of His Father. But what is this work? What was the purpose of God taking on flesh and living without ever sinning among sinful men for 33 years only to die the most awful, humiliating death there is?

"But He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord has layed on Him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:5-6

Think about it. God took on flesh, came to earth, lived a sinless life, was executed as if he were a murderer and thief and rose the third day all to accomplish what? The salvation of "all who believe".

"For as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." - John 1:12

What do you need to be saved from?

sin?
hell?
trials, suffering?

The Jews hailed Jesus as Messiah and an entire city shook with their excitement on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. These Jews were overjoyed because finally their Savior had come. They believed that He was the one they had been waiting for. (See Luke 19:28-39) But, just a week later they are the same ones shouting for Him to be crucified. Why?

They misunderstood what He had come to save them from. They wanted a Savior from Rome, from their oppressors. They wanted political freedom. They wanted King Jesus to be their earthly king and have a perfect nation and government. They misunderstood why God took on flesh.

I wonder if we don't do the same.
You see, God did not take on flesh primarily to save us from our difficulties, to save us from hell, and even from our sin.
He took on flesh and came to die to save us from His wrath. Christ died to save us from the wrath of God.

John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
If God's wrath remains on the unbelieving, that means it is already there. It is not that God shows wrath when we choose not to believe. NO! He chooses not to show us wrath when we DO BELIEVE!

Romans 5:8-10 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life."

As one poet puts it:
"the punishment of God on God has brought me peace."

So what is finished? What is accomplished?

Our peace with God!

"Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." - Romans 5:1

Our peace with God is by faith in Christ alone!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

God saves us because He is gracious, not because we do or don't do certain things. It is a gift! He does not want us to boastin ourselves!

"He (God) is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, 'let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord'". - I Cor. 1:30-31

Only in the Cross
by Mark Altrogge

"When I look upon the cross
In that spectacle of suffering
I see the power of God
There the Son of God was crushed
And lifted up to die for me
And conquered death forever

So I will glory only in the cross
Yes, I will glory only in the cross
And I will make my boast
In the Lord Jesus Christ
Crucified to ransom us

When I look upon the cross
In what might seem a senseless death
I see the wisdom of God
For there the sinless Holy One
Was made to be sin for me
Then He declared me righteous

To listen to this song, click on this link, then select the song "Only in the Cross": http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/albums/category/sovereign_grace_music/songs_for_the_cross_centered_life

IT IS FINISHED! Glory in it!

Caught crawling. . .

Well, I need to go and buy some more track shoes. . .

JAKE IS CRAWLING!

Yesterday he was having a bout with colic and was crying pretty hard, so we put him down on the floor on his tummy with some toys thinking that would help him feel a little better, and the next thing we knew he was up and rocking and actually started moving forward a little bit. Rob and I almost cried with excitement! :) Then we moved to different places in the room and asked him to crawl to us and he did.

So my friend came over last night and I tried to get Jake to crawl to me then, and would he? NO!

Fortunately I had videoed it the first time, so I had to show her the video of course! : )

Well then, this morning I tried to get him to crawl to different toys and to me and he would move one hand and one leg and the PLOP back on his tummy and fuss.

I figured he would just do it when he felt like it. . .

And he did. What he felt like crawling to is the one thing OFF LIMITS to him - the couch where our computer and tv chords are hidden. He knows they are there and he loves them. He has been told no millions of times already and has even had his hand smacked several times. . .

Well, after his second nursing this morning, I put him down on the floor to play and what does he do??? He crawls about 5 feet to the couch and chords.

I marveled! and wondered? What could I get him to crawl to like that? He didn't get that excited or enthused to crawl to me or Rob or any of his toys, but to the one forbidden object. Kind of made me think about the garden of Eden. We truly are born in sin.

And in some ways that attitude never leaves us. I see it in myself the way I get so excited about temporal trinkets - something as minor as my favorite dessert or a good book, or song, or movie, or a big win, and yet I am not that excited about God and what He has done for me; I do not express as much disspoinment in myself when I sin and choose to serve myself rather than others as I do when my favorite team loses ( sorry to the Clemson fans, but at least they made it to the ACC. ) It's kind of like crawling to the one forbidden object when you have a floor full of toys. . . kind of like taking the one forbidden fruit, when you have all of Eden to enjoy. . .

Are you enjoying God and excited and passionate about what He is excited and passionate about? Are you crawling to Him (enjoying Eden) or crawling to the couch and chords (eating the one forbidden fruit)?

Just some thoughts. . .

German Chocolate Cookies

I promised more recipes.
Here's one of the new favorites and VERY EASY!

German Chocolate Cookies

1 box german chocolate cake mix (I'm sure a regular box of any chocolate cake would work)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans, or walnuts
2 eggs
1/2 oil

Mix together and drop by teaspoons about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes. Let cool about 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet.

THAT'S IT! ENJOY warm or cooled with a glass of milk or some coffee! (or grab two for breakfast - I know it's bad, but sometimes you gotta do what works for you.)

"Righteous requirements"

A friend and I are working on memorizing Romans 8 and I have been pretty convicted and encouraged as I seek to hide God's word in my heart and meditate on truth during the day.

Here are some things I have been thinking about based on the first four verses:
Verse 1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
So, is there a judgment of believers in Christ? The verse says "NO CONDEMNATION" If we are in Christ, God sees Christ when he looks at us. What is there to condemn? Talk about mercy! WOW!

Verse 2 - "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death"
There are two laws, two kinds of lives being compared here: 1) the law of the Spirit and 2) the law of sin and death 1) life in Christ and 2) life without Christ. If we are in Christ, there is freedom from sin and death. So, do we need to fear death? Do we need to fear judgment? Have we not been set free? If I fear, I am calling God a liar, Or I am just still not in Christ and therefore I am not free!

Verse 3 - "God has done what the law (weakened by the flesh) COULD NOT DO"
The law is incapable of saving us. Only God can do it. How?

Verse 4 - "By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh"
So, Christ came as a man and took our sin. God could then condemn sin as Christ took it on Him. (This is why there is no condemnation for those in Christ because Christ already has been condemned for us) But why did Christ have to be condemned?
"That the righteous requirement might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"
If God requires righteousness, can I ever measure up? God does not intend for me to meet the righteous requirements of His law. They have already been met in Christ's living a perfect life. In fact, for me to attempt to meet any righteous requirements in order to gain God's love, approval, acceptance is a direct insult to God and disbelief in His word. Christ has met the requirement. God wants me to accept His provision, not seek to make my own.

In Christ's righteous life my requirement for righteousness is met.
In Christ's taking on of the sin of the world and death on the cross the condemnation for my sin is fulfilled.
It is no longer my requirement to meet or my condemnation to bear.

Have you forgotten that your requirement has already been met? Why are you serving today? Why are you obeying a command of God? Is it to meet a requirement?

There is no requirement!

I Cor 10:31 says to "do all to the glory of God". It does not say to "do all to meet the requirments of God."
There is great liberty and joy in living for His glory rather than His approval. Don't mock at His grace by seeking to add to it. Magnify His grace by remaining dependent and grateful for what He has already done!

Jakesters Journal

So, I thought I should give everyone a little update.

Jake has cut/is cutting his first two teeth. The past few evenings have been the most obviously painful for him and we have struggled to get him to settle once we put him down for the night. On Monday, I could see a little teeny slit on one side of his gum. Yesterday I could feel a tooth on that side and saw a slit on the other side. Today, I can feel two little teeth. Pretty exciting. You can see them from the top of his gum, but they aren't actually poking out above the gum YET! Since I'm nursing, I'm honestly thankful that they're not poking out yet. Hopefully he won't think I'm a teething toy. :)

One of the biggest recent accomplishments has been a change (for the WAY better) in his daily routine.
It used to be something like this:

He would wake between 5:30 and 6:00 and nurse.
Then he would nurse for the rest of day just about every 3 hours until the evening where we would manage to squeeze in two cluster feeds around 7 and 9 p.m. He nursed a total of 6 times a day.
In addition to that he ate 3 solid meals as well.
He was only going to bed at night around 8p.m. on a good night and his daytime naps would only last about 45 minutes to 1 hour. He took 3 -4 naps during the day, but they were short and did not result in a pleasant awakening. I became concerned that he was not getting enough rest and knew something needed to change.
I read an article at iVillage about babies and sleep and realized that for Jake's age (he's 7 months) he was probably not getting enough sleep. (They recommended 16 hours till 9 months of age, at which they need 13 hours. I knew it wouldn't just suddenly drop off to 13 hours at 9 months, so I decided that for Jake's age I wanted to shoot for him getting at least 14 hours of sleep.)

Firstly, I prayed for God to give me wisdom and to help me know how to help Jake. I thought that if he went to bed earlier he might actually sleep longer in the morning. I cautiously and carefully watched him for a few days to get an idea of when he was typically acting hungry or tired. The first change I made was in his evening cluster feeds and bedtime. I decided to nurse him at 6:30 p.m. and then put him down for the night at 7 p.m. His next nursing would be at 8:30 p.m. in his sleep and then not again till morning. (if we made it that far) We tried it on Thursday night. He slept till 6:35 the next morning. On Friday, I played around with feedings and naps and kept praying for wisdom. So far, it seem to be working. This is what he's been doing since Friday (although Sunday was a little bit different because of the time change and church)

6:30 Wakes and nurses
Plays
7:30 - 8:00 Breakfast (depends on when Rob gets out the door)
Reads with Mommy
8:30 - Nap
10:00 - 10:30 Wakes and nurses
Plays
Goes on a walk (weather permitting) with Mommy
12:00 eats lunch with Mommy
Reads with Mommy
1:00 Nap
2:00 - 2:30 Wakes and nurses
Plays
Bath time
4:30 Nap
5:30 Supper with family
Plays with Daddy
6:30 Nurses
7:00 Put down for the night
8:30 Fed in his sleep

NEW ROUTINE:
ONLY 5 nursings
3 square meals
sleep total = 11 + hours/ night + 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours in naps
= 14 1/2 to 15 1/2 hours
A VERY HAPPY CHILD!!
AND AN OVERJOYED MOMMY!!!!

Pictures will follow in a future post.

Redeeming recipes

Ok, so I need to place a disclaimer on yesterday's post:
I am a stay at home mom, and that definitely affects the planning I can do for meals. Also, because I stay at home we are living off of the income of only one person and therefore my contribution to the family budget is to try and be frugal when it comes to grocery buying.

The biggest and most helpful frugal change is to shop at several different stores. For convenience sake many people tend to only shop at one store and the store may "lead" you in with one or two super deals, and everything else is priced regularly or overpriced. Just shop the specials and GET OUT! :)

Anyways, I wanted to take a few posts to share some recipes with you (especially for you Kristi) that will hopefully save your wallet and your time for way more important things (like spending time with your family and spending money on some new clothes, or a family vacation, or dare I say, college savings.)

Mushroom Crockpot Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 4 oz. can mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded mozarella, parmesan, asiago mix
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot. Sprinkle with tarragon, salt and pepper. Pour broth over top and allow to cook on low for 7-8 hours. (i.e. all day while you are doing other things.)

About 10 minutes before time to serve dinner, melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir till smooth. (Keep the heat low or you will have MAJOR ISSUES. I speak from experience. :)) Add the milk slowly to make a thick white sauce. Add cheese and stir till melted. Remove from heat.

Remove the chicken breasts from the crockpot. Add the cheese sauce to the juice and mushrooms remaining in the pot and stir until mixed well. Return the chicken to the crockpot and coat with the cheesy, mushroom sauce.

Yummy!

I usually serve with egg noodles, or angel hair and some steamed broccoli, asparagus, or green beans. A salad is yummy too!

MORE RECIPES TO COME IN THE FUTURE!

Money Saving Menu

In a previous post, I mentioned that we have been working to cut back on our grocery budget and have made several simple changes.
One of the most difficult, simple changes for me, was planning a two week menu. It is difficult for me to plan a menu for a week, so the thought of trying to plan for two weeks was a little overwhelming, but with a little practice I am learning and getting better and better at it.
Here is a two-week overview for you to give you an idea:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and toast
Cereal and milk
Bagels
Muffins (on Sunday morning - I mix these up the night before so we can bake them fresh on Sunday morning)
Waffles/Pancakes/Eggs (on Saturday morning)

Lunches:
Rob takes a packed lunch to work which usually consists of a sandwich (PB/J or tuna salad), fruit, and some homemade cookies. Occasionally we have a significant amount of leftovers and he gets to have leftovers for lunch. The vast majority of the time I also have a sandwich and some fruit and try to forego on the cookies.

Suppers:
Mushroom Chicken in the crockpot with pasta, steamed broccoli, and butternut squash (two meals)
Homemade Pizza (two meals)
Homemade Spaghetti sauce with pasta, Salad, and Homemade rolls (two meals)
Breakfast for supper (eggs, pancakes) (one meal)
Chili, Rice, Applesauce, Cheese and Sour cream (two meals)
Mustgo Soup (leftovers with a tomato soup base and ground beef), homemade rolls (two meals)
Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Rice, Peas (two meals)
Tuna Casserole, Salad, fruit (one meal)

The "one meal" meals I usually make on Thursdays or Saturdays. Our Sunday lunch is also our meal for Monday dinner. Then Tuesday I make a meal and we eat leftovers on Wednesday (which works great for Wednesday nights since we have a prayer service at church) Thursdays, I make a meal and we may have leftovers Friday, or we may save the leftovers for Saturday and make a meal on Friday if we have company for dinner. Sometimes we make a "one meal" meal on Thursday, and then make a "two meal" meal Friday that will have leftovers for Saturday dinner. It all depends on the week. :)

I shopped this past Saturday for milk, eggs, cheese, butternut squash (to make for Jake) and diapers as well as a box of cereal we had a coupon for. Our total spent on groceries (not toiletries or cleaning supplies) for two weeks was: $88.36, which means one week's worth of groceries cost us about: $44.18. It takes a lot of planning, but considering that we used to spend close to $100 a week on groceries, it is worth the time and effort and is an amazing improvement. :) We praise the Lord! It is only because of Him that we have been able to plan and save in this way.

The house hunt

Part of the reason I have been so bad about posting lately is that we have been house hunting. I posted awhile ago and mentioned that we had redone our entire budget and the main reason for that was to look into buying a house, but also because we're planning a trip to South Africa at Christmas and Rob is hoping to start back to school. Anyways, all that to say that we have been amazed at how much money we were wasting before. We have stopped eating fast food almost entirely and never do Starbucks anymore. We just make it at home. We do our main grocery shop every 2 weeks and just pick up milk, bread, fruit, etc. on the other weeks as we run out. Those simple changes have cut our grocery bill in half.

Anyways, we looked for several weeks at several homes. Those of you who have done this before know what it's like. The more we looked the more we learned about ourselves and what was really important to us in a home and what we could live with. We started out thinking we wanted homes in a certain area, but all the homes in that area in our price range were in need of so much work. We debated on getting a super fixer upper and I just really hesitated on the whole thing, mainly because of Jake. I felt like if it was just me and Rob camping out in one room and working on the house little by little it would be one thing, but Jake is about ready to crawl and soon he'll be learning to walk and I just didn't want to move into a home that needed so much work done when I would need to have a safe place and my attention on my son. Rob agreed with me so we started looking in other areas.

At the beginning of our search we had wanted a big yard. (We want to plant a garden.) Then as we looked we decided that that wasn't something that needed to determine whether it was the home we made an offer on or not. (We don't even have any yard equipment yet and the bigger the yard and more work it requires, the more money we'll be spending there.) There were several other things we realized as we went along.

Then we went and looked at this foreclosure home about 1 mile from Furman. It looked like somone had only lived in it for like 2 weeks. It was only a year and a half old and the only obvious signs of people having lived there was dents in the carpet where furniture had been, one black mark on one wall, and hooks where picture and curtain rods had hung. But, Rob felt like it was too far out from where we live now. So we didn't think a thing of it again. We looked at 5 or 6 more homes and we just weren't hitting our treasure chest, if you know what I mean.

Then, one Saturday I asked if we could go look at that foreclosure again. I asked our agent to find out everything he could about it. He hadn't really looked into it before because we didn't act interested. He e-mailed us Friday night and told us it was a really good price compared to the homes in the neighborhood. We went and looked at it again as critically as we could. And, we decided to make an offer. Our offer was significantly lower than the price the bank was asking and we also asked them to pay closing costs and to install a stove (since there wasn't one in the house.) Our hopes were that they would accept the offer and ask us to pay their listed price. They did.

We had a home inspection done yesterday and all the recommendations by the inspector are minor details (things like cleaning out the dryer vent and fixing the hinge on the screen door.) We are amazed at how God has directed and provided. If all goes well, we will close, Lord willing, on March 27.

We are excited to move closer to our church and to be in a neighborhood safe for me to go running and walking with Jake in. We are also thrilled to have a home with three bedrooms and hope we can host people there from time to time. We praise God for his provision for us in this way as we seek to be good stewards of what He has given us and to make wise investments.

Here is a picture of the home we will Lord willing be moving to at the end of the month. :)

Catching up. . .

I know I have been MIA lately, but here is what I have been doing. :)

And also spending the last few weeks with Grandmommy and Grandaddy before they go back to South Africa.

And planning a surprise birthday party for Daddy (although he had a sneaky suspicion - think he expects too much???) Sorry there weren't any good pictures from the party.

And enjoying a picnic in the park.

And getting to meet Jake's new buddy, Aiden.


Not to mention teething, a growth spurt, house hunting, and completely redoing our grocery budget. (look for a future post on how much food I bought using coupons and shopping sales.)

Calling for Help

"I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth."

Today I listened and read through a message by John Piper on Prayer. His sermon was titled: Practical Help for Praying for Help. I urge you to follow the link and read or listen to this sermon. It was a tremendous challenge and encouragement to me to have victory in my desire to please God and live controlled by the Spirit.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1988/620_Practical_Help

The school of hard knocks. . . and learning to save

So my husband and I have been redoing our budget recently. I set out to cut way back on our weekly grocery budget and a friend posted on her blog the joys and nitty gritty of CVS shopping. (See handprintsonthewall.wordpress.com) So I spent about 3 hours studying out how I was going to go and make major savings at CVS this past Saturday. I printed off CVS coupons, cut manufacturers coupons, and then plotted out my game plan. (I am not the greatest on my feet mathematician, so I had to work everything out ahead of time) Anyways, I got there on Saturday afternoon, filled my cart up with just over $50 worth of products and had it worked out that I would only need to spend about $8 and I would earn $8 in CVS ECB's (extra care bucks). When I got to the counter, I was informed that a new policy had been instituted and that they could only accept 5 of my CVS coupons. I had everything so carefully mapped out that I didn't know which coupons to tell the lady to use, so I asked her if she could void my items and let me refigure out what I wanted to purchase. So I figured everything out again and then returned to the counter (about 30 minutes later - told you I wasn't quick on my feet). This time, I had figured a total of just over $30. When the lady rang up my items it came to $55. I wondered if some of my buy 2 for $3 deals were not factored in so I asked the cashier. She assured me they were. So I went ahead and paid. I was still hoping to pay only $8 and and earn $8 in ECB's. My receipt only printed $3 in ECB's and I ended up having to pay $18. I was so confused. I loaded up my purchases and went back to the shelves and rechecked all my prices. The two packs of diapers I had picked up had been on the wrong place on the shelf and had totalled $16 instead of $8. AAGHH!
To make a long story short I still saved, just not as much as I had hoped for. I got 120 diapers, 3 packs of wipes, 3 jars of mayonaisse and a pack of tea for $18. My husband was impressed.
WARNING TO EVERYONE THOUGH: the school of hard knocks is still accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment year round policy. :)

Just for fun. . .

I thought I would share some recent pics of Jake with you. He is growing and learning so much every day. I am already dreading college. . . I'm beginning to realize how quickly the years will go by. . . I must constantly ask God to help me remember he has been loaned to me; he is not mine.

Jake checking out the letter J - I guess he liked it. . . he looks pretty happy.

Jake in his tunnel. . . he loves watching it come down on top of him; he just grins and grins.

Your Name

The chorus of this song is an incredibly accurate portral of our God. May it encourage you like it has me.

YOUR NAME
As morning dawns and evening fades
You inspire songs of praise
That rise from earth to touch Your heart
And glorify Your name

Your name
Is a strong and mighty tower
Your name
Is a shelter like no other
Your name
Let the nations sing it louder
‘Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your name

Jesus in Your name we pray
Come and fill our hearts today
Lord give us strength to live for You
And glorify Your name

Words and music by Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam© 2006 Integrity's Hosanna! Music/ASCAP and Vertical Worship Songs/ASCAP

Friday favorites

1. Hugging my best friend and lingering in the embrace, drinking in the reality that I am loved.

2. Peeking into Jake's crib in the morning to find him awake and playing and then watching his face light up as he sees me.

3. Baking on a rainy day so that the house has warm, delicious, welcoming aromas.

4. Laughing loudly, purely, unashamedly at something good and clean and truly funny.

5. Quiet times to think, read, pray. . . and drink some good coffee.

6. Playing a good song as loud as I want to and singing along with all of my heart.

7. Talking about things that really matter with people that really care.

Snow, Surprises and Shots. . .

It has been a very busy week in the Garland home.

Jake enjoyed his first snow last Wednesday and we had a wonderful time as a family.

On Saturday we hosted a surprise party for my mom and that was absolutely insane, but hey, she was surprised so that's all that matters, right?

Then yesterday, Jake got his six month immunizations and I'm not sure who cried more, me or him. It was terrible. Anyways, all that to say this:

Jake has been doing much better with naps and sleeping at night and I am thrilled. I decided about a week ago to skip Jake's last feeding of the night and just see how long he would sleep. So now, his last feeding is at 9p.m. and he wakes up around 6:30 a.m. It is a wonderful schedule because I am in bed close to 10 p.m. each night and it does wonders for me.

There is more I wanted to post about today regarding political campaigns, and an amazing song about the Name of God, but it will have to wait till another day. My son has called. . . .

Going with the flow makes the flow actually go!

I have realized something that has absolutely revolutionized my life. It's called flexibility!
Actually, to be totally honest with myself it is submission to God's good and sovereign control of my life.
The past several weeks, I have struggled every day with figuring out what Jake is up to. He had been sleeping through the night and taking very predictable naps, and then, he started napping very haphazardly. (I can hear some of you now - if you are in charge then you can determine how and when he naps) But see, I disagree. This is not a little boy that is demanding his way - he will just lay in there and talk, or whine, but not necessarily wail or scream. He just simply isn't tired. He also seems hungrier. So we tried the cereal thing. I tried keeping him up longer, waiting till I thought he was really tired. I tried every approach and method I could think of to help Jake nap.
Then, late last week, I gave up. I decided to just watch him and try to read him and follow his cues for when he was tired. And you know what? He is very happy and very content and very healthy and he just doesn't need as much sleep as he used to. He is still sleeping through the night (other than when he was sick) and he is not fussy.
(I remember praying when he was younger and not sleeping through the night that it would be ok if he was awake during the day if God would just please help him sleep through the night - it seems that prayer has been answered)
In my giving up I decided to just go with the flow and the beautiful thing is that life is flowing along so much more smoothly because I am NOT trying to make everything happen on my terms and my way. God is giving grace because I am humbly accepting what He is bringing.
(I Peter 5:5-7) I am learning submission and it allows me to be flexible. It is truly a gift I do not deserve!

Laughter is the best medicine!

This made me laugh, so I wanted to share it! = >

20 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don 't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write 'For Smuggling Diamonds'
7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.

8. Don t use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10.. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'

12. Sing Along At The Opera

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don 't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance , Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In Mood.

16. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!' (I think I'm going to do this! I love it!)

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......Send This E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile.

"Fathomless love"

Two of my most constant reminders that I am loved by God.

Recently I have wrestled frequently with questioning God about situations, circumstances and His overall Sovereign orchestration of my life and even the lives of others. It may partly be a by-product of my life circumstances and experiences right now, but regardless of why I have struggled to believe that God is good and loves me, I have struggled. There have been nights where I have cried out to God in anger, in frustration, and then other times in pure desperation that He would prove to me that He is good and that He does love me. The problem was that many times the condition for belief was that He answer my prayers on my terms.

I struggled with commands like: "Rejoice always" and "In everything give thanks". I knew there had to be a way to do that, but I could not comprehend how I could thank God for a friend's pain caused by someone's sin. How did I rejoice when another friend miscarried for the third time in a row? How could I give thanks for the offense a spiritual authority caused to a teenager trying to do the right thing? For the first time in my life I was wrestling with issues that made me understand why people struggle with believing that God is good. I was there.

Then, I was confronted with Psalm 136. The Psalm portrays God's Sovereign ochestration of every event in Israel's history and each verse concludes with the phrase: "For his steadfast love endures forever". Each action of God is based on His love, is a demonstration of His love.
The first thing I realized was that even though I didn't understand it I had to believe ( and many times beg God to help me believe) that every thing He did was a demonstration of His love.

Psalm 136 concludes with the verse: " Give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever." That was the conlusion my heart longed for. How do I give thanks in everything? How do I rejoice always? I thank God for his love; for the truth that His love is the basis of every thing He ordains.

So, last night as I thought about these truths I began to make a mental list of the ways God has shown me His love.
I want to share a few of those with you.
1) My husband and the story of how God brought our lives together is an amazing testimony of God's love and goodness to me.
2) The birth and gift of my son, Jake, is a constant reminder of the greatness of God in our smallness; of the grace that He gives in every circumstance.
3) The undeserved friends and family God has blessed me with.
4) My health, mental ability (I know some of you may be laughing at this one - I'm not claiming brilliance, just realizing that I clould have brain damage, dementia (think I may have a little already), or some other mentally disabling condition, and I don't.) , and resources are all a direct result of God's provision for me.
5) Finally, and really foremost is the gift of my salvation. How great the love of God, how completely uncomprehendable that he would love a sinner!

The point is this: The next time you find yourself wanting to question God, or even questioning God and His love and goodness to You, remember Calvary. See Christ leaving Heaven's glory in exchange for this world FOR YOU! See Christ living a sinless life FOR YOU. See Him hanging on a cross FOR YOU! See Him taking YOUR SIN. See Him being raised to life again FOR YOU!
This love of God is greater than any circumstance. It is the very foundation upon which our lives are designed. This love of God is the ink in the pen with which God writes the story of our lives.
It is indescribable and truly amazing!

The words of this song express it so accurately.

Fathomless Love
by Steve and Vickie Cook


"Lord, what moved your heart to love lowly man before any star could herald your praise and why did you come abasing yourself veiled in a robe of frail human clay?
Why would You, the pure, give your life for the vile; the Innocent seeking the guilty to be reconciled?

I can't comprehend this fathomless love; I'm gripped and amazed at what You have done.
Why would the Adored become the despised to bear all the furious wrath that was mine?
How awesome this mystery of your fathomless love for me!

Why would you adopt and take as your own those who would crush your one precious Son?
Why mercy and grace towards your enemies? Your name they had cursed and Your throne they had scorned.
Lord, how could you choose to show kindness to these, the ones who would mock you and hate you - the ones just like me?

I can't comprehend this fathomless love; I'm gripped and amazed at what You have done.
Why would the Adored become the despised to bear all the furious wrath that was mine?
How awesome this mystery of your fathomless love for me!"

Learning the ropes. . . or learning the love. . .

Learning the ropes as a mom is sometimes so frustrating because honestly I don't think it ever gets easier even though everyone says that it does. Maybe I would say that it gets a little more enjoyable, but definitely not ANY easier. The ropes continually change.
Just when you begin to kind of figure something out, like say a feeding schedule or a sleep routine, your baby goes through a growth spurt, or starts teething or gets sick or has gas. . . or something.
Today is one of those days in my home and I am in here blogging to keep from killing my child or myself. :) Kind of a joke, but not totally. I am very frustrated to say the least. :)
Jake has not taken a nap all day. He'll act tired so I put him down just like I always do and he fusses and screams and cries. I wait and wait and then I go in and check on him, pick him up and comfort him. He'll stop so I lay him back down and the whole cycle starts over. He'll do that until its time to eat again. Then he falls asleep while he's eating. I wake him up and get him to play thinking that he'll be tired and take a nap later (because you're not supposed to let them nap right after eating, right?)
Well, we have been doing this for the 3rd time today since 2:30 p.m. It is crazy!

I share all of this only because I am not going to be a fake on this blog and only share the good days and make it look like I am wonder woman and like my child is a cherub. We have problems. We are sinners and I want to portray who and what we really are. Sinners saved by grace and seeking to grow in that grace.
One thing I know for sure is that God is using my son to cause me to seek Him and His strength more than I ever have before in my life. I am so aware that any good thing I do is because of God. I see my natural tendency to respond wrongly and to think wickedly. If Jake grows up to love and serve God it will only be because God has drawn Him, not because of me.
Oh how I pray that God would work in his heart despite the mother he has.

I praise the Lord that He loves me as I have portrayed myself today, not because He accepts my sin, but because He is God and He is love and I am accepted in His Son Jesus who paid for my sin.

Praise God who brings Himself glory by loving me and working in my life. The basis of everything He brings into my life is love. (Psalm 136)
Amen to a God who consistently and unconditionally loves.