the RIGHT way

I'm pretty good at coming up with the RIGHT way to do things...I mean, isn't it obvious to everyone that there is a right way and a wrong way?  For instance...

In the shower, do you have a routine?  I definitely do...because there is only one right way to take a shower.  (Didn't know if you knew that or not...but I'm giving you that tidbit for free)
Steps to CORRECTLY take a shower:

1. You should always shampoo your hair first, rinse, then put conditioner on your hair. 
2. Conditioner needs to sit for a little while, so you let it sit while you wash the rest of your body (except your back)
3. After washing, you can rinse out your conditioner...but that greasy conditioner is going to run down your back.
4. So...of course, you wash your back last to get the conditioner off of it.

And that, my friends, is how you correctly take a shower.  Man, don't you feel enlightened?

SADLY, I feel like this a lot...like I know exactly how things should be done and how they shouldn't.  Our culture says this is a great thing, especially if you're a woman...you know, Beyonce's "independent women" and all that jazz.  Turns out it's NOT a great thing - thinking you have all the answers.

I was reading in 1 Chronicles 13, and was shocked to see that in the early parts of David's reign as king, he got a man killed.  (Wasn't he supposed to be an awesome king?!?)  See, David got the idea to move the Ark of the Lord, and set about the task enthusiastically.  Unfortunately, in the process of carrying it, the ark looked a little shaky and a man named Uzzah tried to help out.  Uzzah thought he was doing the right thing - steadying the ark so it wouldn't fall or be hurt in any way.  Sadly that one move cost him his life.  So, you're probably asking how that's David's fault?  Well...David was the one in charge...he was the leader.  God put him in charge of the people, and when you're in charge (like it or not) people will usually do what you tell them to do and will act just like you act.  Before moving the ark, David talked to his officials and lots of other people, but he forgot to talk to God about it.  Since he didn't talk to God about it, he didn't give God the chance to tell him that there was a very specific way to move the Ark... that if these ways were neglected, lives could be at risk.

David learned though.  The next time he was going to do something big, he asked God about it first.  He was thinking of going into battle....but...he remembered his mistake last time, and did better this time.  He asked God whether this was something he should do or not.  God said he should do it, and gave him victory in the process.  In fact, most of the time after that, David remembered to consult God first.  (That's probably one of the greatest contributing factors to him being a great king.)

We get so puffed up on ourselves...and even get ticked when someone tells us the way we're doing something is wrong.  Truthfully, I know sometimes I don't want to ask God how to do it.  (...and in those times I'm being a stupid girl!)  God always wants us to talk to him about what we're doing.  He wants us to remember that we're human...that he's almighty, all-powerful God...that we can screw this thing up BIG time...but that he will graciously and lovingly guide us through the landmines of life.  I'm not talking of a prosperity gospel philosophy here - there will still be difficult times in life.  However, when you're doing things God's way, to say things go so much better is a pretty huge understatement.  The best thing about talking to him constantly is the relationship that develops between you and him.  You begin to know him, and realize how intimately he knows and loves you.

So, I'm challenging myself and you for the next 2 weeks to ask God....

....what to do with your day
....whether you should buy that new____ or not
....how you can bless someone today
....how to confront that person you're upset with
....what to do about the ever increasing problems in your marriage
...how you should vote (gasp!)
...what you should wear (really)
...what to do with your kids that are driving you nuts (God understands frustrating kids :)
and the list could go on and on....

Try it.  Take your decisions to God for the next 2 weeks.  Big or little issue...it doesn't matter.  Try it out and see how things change.  (Of course I'd love to hear your stories of what God does as a result!!)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Phillipians 4:6

The return

It's the moment you've been waiting for....that moment when you see that I've returned to my blog writing to entertain and encourage you.  ............No?  Well, a girl can dream, right?  :)

Truthfully, it's actually the moment that I have been waiting for...for a while.  For about 4 weeks I've been MIA from the blogging world.  In fact I've been MIA from the real world too.  I found out I was pregnant with baby #3 in late April.  After I got over the shock of realizing I really was going to have another baby...then the pregnancy nausea set in.  Now, with the first two pregnancies, I had some nausea, but I now realize that was pansy nausea.  I'm not sure what's different about this child, but dang...something is.  (I'm trying to convince myself it has nothing to do with being the big 3-0 in this third pregnancy. Yikes!)  This nausea hit me like a wall when I woke up and was my constant buddy ALL....DAY...LONG.  And let me tell you I was one happy camper.  (you got that sarcasm, didn't you?)  Not only did I feel sick to my stomach, but I also felt like I had the flu (what the....??)  PLUS, (yes, there's more) I was starving all day long but my stomach didn't understand that.  Everything I tried to eat only lasted about 3 bites before my stomach realized I was trying to put something in it and quickly rejected it.  I was one miserable girl.  (Translation:  my poor family was miserable too.)

Now,  I realize that some of you have to endure so much worse during your pregnancy(s) and I am fully in support of petitioning the capitol to create a national holiday in honor of mothers that have to deal with this kind of insanity....wait.  Crud, I think there already is one of those.  Heck, we should have TWO days.  Anyone with me?

Seriously though, you're my heroes.

So in the 4 weeks that I've been gone, here's what I did:

• Went to the beach, felt sick most of the time, drank lots of Ginger Ale (can't look at Ginger Ale now)
• Came home, got worse
• Slept a lot...my kids watched a lot of tv
• Slept some more...my kids watched A LOT of tv
• Slept...(Well, you get the idea)
• In the midst of all this fun, Noah, my 2 yr old decided this would be a good time to potty train.  All I could do was laugh!  I was glad he found the motivation himself, but not so glad at his amazing timing.  (You know the only thing worse than feeling nauseous is feeling nauseous and having to clean out poop out of the little potty training potties.  Oh.  my.)  More to come on this later...
• Our neighbor mowed our grass (it was about 2 ft high - is that bad? :) because he figured our mower was broken.  In actuality, my sweet husband was working his tail off trying to stay afloat at work, while coming home to take care of me and the kids.  I love that man.  We were both grateful to our neighbor...even if it is somewhat embarrassing that your neighbor had to mow your grass.

But...I can say there was a rainbow at the end of this storm.  I came out of this with one nasty house...but my kids were alive and my husband still loved me.  My husband helped me resurrect the house this Saturday, and I can honestly say I feel so thankful for all that God gives.  In the midst of my complaining to God, or asking him for this or that...I too often forget to be thankful.  And oh, once you've lost a grateful attitude, it all goes down the crapper.  One of my sisters is going through a rough period with her health, and the other is WAY pregnant with no AC in the house she's staying at.  Even though they've had so much going on, they've called to see how I am.  Many of my friends that don't even know my sister with the health issues have sent food, prayers, and sweet emails.  If that's not enough to make you thankful, you might be dead.  So...I decided that although the past 4 weeks sucked, I'm thankful.  I'm thankful for the energy to write this, for a God who loves me no matter what I or my house looks like, for loving and understanding family and friends...and I could go on and on.  If we're honest with ourselves most of us should be able to go on and on (regardless of our circumstances)...if you can't, you may need to do a heart check.   

Thanks for being patient with me and my blogging - I'm returning to normalcy, (whatever that is) so you'll hear more soon...

'

Why Didn't You Tell Me?

You know, when I was pregnant with our first child, Ella, I thought I pretty much knew what to expect.  I was thinking along the lines of some crying, lots of changing diapers, discipline as she got older, making messes, etc.  However, there are just some things no one told me kids would do...and I have to say I've been pretty appalled to discover them along the way.  If your kids are older than mine (4 and 2) then this will come as no surprise to you!  BUT, if you aren't a parent or your children are still very little...then prepare yourself.

Things I didn't know kids would do:

1. Try to put things in my nose.  I was prepared for things going up their nose...but was pretty shocked when the first thing went up mine!  Take my word for it, this is NOT a pleasant experience.
2. WANT to touch every dirty thing imaginable.  I knew they would probably accidentally touch dirty stuff, because, hey...they're kids....but they STRIVE to touch dirty things.  Ugh!  This ranges from public potties, to the grocery store parking lot, to that chewed up, smashed gum stuck in the parking lot.  (I think I could throw up thinking about it...moving on...)
3. Not go to bed.  I'm not talking about when they're a baby.  I had that one pegged.  I'm talking about my 4 yr old who still wakes up some nights and wants some random thing like a stuffed animal before she'll go back to sleep...or my 2 yr old who will lay in his bed jabbering for HOURS on end, refusing to go to sleep.
4. Hurt me.  Repeatedly.  You'd think this was mainly my son's doing, but they actually share the blame for this one.  Noah frequently head butts me with that hard little noggin of his, while Ella (unlike her name, Ella Grace) hasn't yet mastered being graceful and frequently runs into me, drops things on me, steps on my toes. etc.  For a while I was convinced I must be invisible because of the amount of times they walked on me or into me.
5. Melt my heart.  Yeah, I had to throw a sappy one in there...I AM a hormonal pregnant woman, after all.  Truly though, I knew I'd love my children.  Of course.  But I had no idea how a hug or smile could make me melt.  Just tonight I was laying on the couch looking pretty green, and nursing the bloody nose Ella had just given me when Noah came up and said, "Poor mommy!"  Ella was standing nearby, looking at me intently, and told me how sorry she was.  I don't love getting hurt, but man...they know how to make it all worth it. :o)  

What about you?  What has shocked you about your kids?

What Happened Wednesday

There's always that question you get at the beginning of the week..."How was your weekend?"  ...and it's a good question as long you have a good answer for it.  BUT, if your true answer for that question is, "It was terrible, horrible, rotten, and pretty much no good, "  or some other answer that is just as socially awkward, then we usually give the standard answer, "Fine."  Three weekends ago my answer to the weekend question would've been "fine."  Translation - It was pretty shocking, but I really don't want to talk about it right now.  That shock has been the reason I've been MIA to the blog world for a few days...so I figured I'd let you in on that weekend.

You probably know what's coming....but I'm going to pretend you don't :)  So...the weekend started off normal, but this weekend I was supposed to get the dreaded period on Saturday.  Saturday came and went...no period.  My period is usually like clockwork, so I thought about it,... but chalked it up to the new eating  habits along with being super active the past couple of weeks.  Sunday morning I was spending some time with God, talking through some things with Him.  One of things that crossed my mind (obviously), was this period issue.  So, I told God that if I was pregnant, He was really going to have to help me through this...and I had one of those Holy Spirit moments.  Ever had one of those?  They're pretty crazy...but for me it's like I get this overwhelming feeling that I KNOW something is true...usually accompanied by goose bumps.  (I know, if you're not a Christ follower this may sound hokey, but I'm just telling it like it is.  If you check out some stories in the Bible you'll see God has actually been talking to His followers since He created us.  What's changed is our society - if we can't explain it with facts, figures, and research, then we deem it non-existent.)  Well, the thing that the Holy Spirit allowed me to KNOW was that I WAS in fact preggo.  Wow.  I just sat there.  For a while.

I went to church and tried to act like everything was normal.  It wasn't.  I went to buy a test after church, and tried to calmly take it.  I wasn't so calm.  Once it was positive, I tried to keep it to myself for a little bit to let the news sink in.  I didn't.  I told my husband through sobs. (Anybody else been there?)  It wasn't that I wasn't happy to have a new little addition to our family...it was ALL THE DETAILS.  Would we have to get a new car? (Which is always accompanied by another car payment)  Would we have the finances to pay for all of this? (We both LOVE our jobs, but we both work in ministry, remember? :)  And on and on and on....  I have to say my husband gets mad props.  He assured me, calmed me down, and reminded me God would provide.  God has been doing the same thing, continually reminding me that he provides.  (The passage he keeps telling me is included at the bottom.)

So...I'm feeling much better about things, I'm starting to trust God and feel the joy that comes with knowing a new life is growing.  Unfortunately, I'm also feeling much worse physically.  The nauseau has hit, and unlike my other two pregnancies, this nauseau likes to hang around aaaallllllll   ddddaaaaayyyyy.  Ugh!  In fact, as I talk to you I'm wearing my oh-so-fashionable sea bands and sipping on some Ginger Ale.  So I'll have to ask you to forgive me if my blogging suffers for the next few weeks...I'm sure you don't want to read about my puking :)

Slightly Green,
    Lindsey


Here's the passage that's been super encouraging to me:

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.  Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing?  Look at the birds.  They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And why worry about your clothing?  Look at the lilies of the field and hot they grow.  They don't work or make their clothing yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.  Why do you have so little faith?"  Matthew 6:25-30

This is a page from my childrens' bible.  When I read this story to them
called, "The Singer," it hit home so much I cried.  This is an amazing
bible.  If you need one for your kids I highly recommend it.  It's called The
Jesus Storybook Bible and is available on Amazon.

(how lucky we are to have a God that loves us THAT much.  :)

Fast Fix Friday

Yeah...it's been a while, and it's been one crazy week.  You never have those though, do you?  Anywho - this Fast Fix Friday project was a great one for someone just starting to dip their toes into the DIY world.  It was really super quick, didn't require much technical skill, and (my favorite) was CHEAP!

The first thing I did was go thrifting at a local second-hand store.  My friend Allison, who has a magnificent blog at http://budgetmaven.wordpress.com, has been writing a lot about thrifting and I was totally inspired!  Check out this post (http://budgetmaven.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/adventures-in-thrifting/) she did on thrifting to catch some of the motivation.  I found several fabulous things on this adventure, but I'll just tell you my favorite two:  a super cute metal sign to put in my 4 yr old's room & this old chalkboard.

Pretty scraggly, huh?

You probably can't read the stickers on there, but they say $1.50.  Pretty amazing, huh?  That's another great thing about thrifting - you don't have much in the project, so if it doesn't turn out the way you want you don't feel too bad scrapping it.  Here's what I did to transform this little beauty:

• Wiped off the wooden frame, then cleaned the chalkboard part
• Lined my work space with newspaper - I'm a mommy...I have enough messes to clean up, I don't want to make another one, especially on my counter top!
• Using painter's tape, I put tape on the perimeter of the chalkboard so I didn't accidentally paint it.
• Painted on some "crackle" paint, and let it partially dry.  If you let it dry fully you won't get the crackly look...which, if you're using crackle paint, is probably what you're going for.  I know - I'm a genius.
• Painted white paint on top of the crackle.  You need to do this quickly because the crackle dries quickly.  Don't worry too much if the paint looks bad when you first paint it on - the crackle will fix that.  Just try to get an even coat on the frame.  Let dry.
• Using a staple gun, I stapled ribbon to the back of the frame in two places, then I tied a knot in the other end of the ribbon.  

....and, the resulting chalkboard was much cuter than the one I started out with.   As you can see, I'm going to use mine to write scripture on.  My hopes are that we can use it for the whole family (kids included) to begin to memorize some scripture - all for $1.50  (ok...plus crackle paint and ribbon...maybe $4.00)

  

I'd love to see your latest craft projects, DIY projects, or your fast fixes when you're in a bind...share away!  Happy Friday :)

the hardest ever

Unlike Will.i.am's song, "The Hardest Ever," doing the hard stuff of life isn't too pleasant.

The hard stuff is...

well, it's HARD.  of course.  I'm not talking about the chair you always stump your toe on or your childs head that must be hard because nothing ever makes in there.... no, I'm talking about that thing that you know you should do, but you just really, really...really, really don't want to.  I'd think some things that qualify as "hard stuff" would be:  standing up for your convictions no matter the results, sticking to your budget, getting healthy and therefore being thankful of the body God has given you, asking someone to forgive you, lovingly confronting someone, talking to your child about sex, disciplining your child ...and this list could probably go on and on.  I doubt it needs to though because if you're like me you probably thought of the thing(s) that is your "hard stuff" right away.  It's hard because of sin (aka stuff we do that isn't right according to God)...and sin pretty much sucks.  (Oh, it might be fun in the middle of it, but when those consequences from the sin roll around....and they always do...then it sucks.)  The sin usually drives us not wanting to tackle that hard thing....like laziness, selfishness, or even fear of failure.

but, the hard stuff is....

GOOD.  I know you're thinking..."what? SMH (I kinda don't know what SMH means, but all the cool people on FB use it, so I thought I'd be cool, even if just for a minute) Seriously Lindsey...I wouldn't call it good."  It really is.  This stuff is hard because it goes against our human nature, and requires to do things God's way.  God's way is always good.  God says lovingly telling the truth in any situation is always good.  God says he made your body, and if you're a Christ-follower, it's where he dwells...so you need to keep it in shape (this "hard thing" frequently kicks my tail)  God also says you need to discipline your kids (God disciplines us and he is the ultimate father) and you need to talk to your kids about sex by 5th grade.  (Ok, I made up the 5th grade part...but seriously, kids talk and kids surf the internet...wouldn't you rather be the one to tell them and they know you will tell them the truth about things even if you turn ten shades of red while you're doing it?)

I had to do a hard stuff ...er, thing, recently...and it was difficult.  It was uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure my pits turned into swimming pools by the time I was done, but I'm so thankful.  I'm thankful God doesn't tell us we have to be super humans.  All he asks us is to trust him (that he's got this) and to obey him (do what he says do) and he does the rest.  I'm also thankful God forgives...and man, does he forgive.  Can you imagine all the crap he has to forgive??? You think you have forgiven something big - yeeeaaaahhhh, it doesn't even touch the pile of crap God has, is having to, and will have to forgive until Jesus comes back.  He's that good.

What's your "hard stuff"?  What's holding you back?  Need some motivation to "just do it" (someone from Nike, feel free to send me a check for that), check these out:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand."  Isaiah 41:10

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  his peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."  Phillipians 4:6-7

Happy Hard Stuff-ing :)

Fast Friday {in review}

Today was another Fast Friday...which means I've got a great fast fix to share with you lucky people.  Aren't you excited? I am!

I probably should've taken the day to clean my very messy house (my sisters and their kiddos came to play yesterday.  It was an awesome day...but my house took the brunt of the tornado of fun) but I decided it would be way more fun to give our front porch a makeover.  You can see why it needed one:

I hear the Debbie Downer sound when I look at this: "wah wah"

So...off me and the kids went to get the supplies we needed.  Luckily, we live close enough to the crafts store that we can just take a quick walk (stroller ride) to the store, so we got to take advantage of the beautiful weather. (score!)  We got a can of white spray paint and a can of red.  (I find Rustoleum brand works best for me.)  I also decided that you couldn't have a spring makeover without some flowers, so I sprung for those as well.  Total I think this makeover cost about $16 - not too shabby.  When we got back all three of us got busy....I got busy painting while the kids got busy being artists on the sidewalk.

It took less than an hour to get the table and chair painted and flowers potted.  Here is the finished product...

I was very happy with the results and love the pop of color the table now brings to the front porch.  Now if I can only find a teal/blueish pot for this flower the next time I go thrifting it would be ah-mazing!

I'd love to hear your creative ideas or see your fast fix products linked in the comments section.