From My Kitchen Friday (and some outside fun)

What is the best way to use up a whole loaf of bread so fresh that it was still steaming when I sliced it? Turn it into french toast for Wednesday "Brinner Night!" Of course!

We have been getting several hours of warm and sunny weather (in between the cold mornings and evenings), and we are taking full advantage. Remi even had her first face-plant on the sidewalk today. 

And the kids asked for hop-scotch, so I made one up for them. I know it's not technically how it's supposed to be, but it worked for them!

Perfect Peace

(By the way, all photos I use on my blog are my own, and most appear on my Flickr stream)

Who doesn't want a little more peace in their lives? I sure could use more peace (is there ever enough?) when it comes to the stress I feel daily in the ins and outs of life, putting the necessary effort into my marriage, raising our three beautiful (but at times SO exhausting!) children, homemaking, and finding enough time in there to put adequate energy into homeschooling. On top of that, I am a sinner, saved by grace, who struggles at times to leave behind the selfishness, neediness, and grumpiness of my former self.

Isaiah chapter 26 has just the answer for those needing peace. The truth is that we cannot find true and lasting peace in anything of this world, not in eating right, or exercising, or saving the earth, or saving the whales, or "going green." I'm not saying that those things are wrong, but sometimes they can take the incorrect place in our lives. True and lasting peace can ONLY come from the One who created us, and who is the Author of Peace.

   Isaiah 26:3  "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

My best friend has an 8 year old daughter who loves to read. Most anywhere you find her there will be a good chance that she will have her nose in a book. When she is really into a story, it takes nothing less than an atomic bomb to get her attention. "Bella, Bella, BELLA!" her mama sometimes has to say just to get her to look at her. This is what comes to mind to me when I read this verse. I want my focus to be so fully on Christ, that nothing (not selfishness, or anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed, or tired, or cranky) can change it.  

Lord, please help me to remember to keep my mind focused on You, no matter what else is going on in my life.    

Stickers

This sweet boy has had us laughing from the very beginning.

This past Sunday, our pastor was talking about the treasure that is found between the covers of the Bible. It is a gift for us to grow on and also for us to share with others. As a demonstration, he asked if anyone wanted a Snickers. They were small-sized Snickers that came with two in a pack (get it, one for you, one to share!). After handing a few out, he went on with his sermon. Hudson, who was sitting with my mom a few feet away from me, looked up at her and said, "Where are MY stickers?" Confused, my mom asked him what he was talking about. He said, "He asked if anyone wanted stickers, and I raised my hand but I didn't get any!"

That which is in our minds

I came across a verse this morning that made me think in a completely different way than it has on all the other million times I have read or heard it. 

 Philippians 4:8
   "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."
 This morning, instead of looking at this verse as a list of things we should have in our lives, it hit me that Paul chose the words "think about such things" instead of just "do such things" or "fill your life with such things." Normally you hear that the heart is the root of all actions, but where do things originate before they make it to your heart? In your mind. Everything that we do or say or fill our life with is a result of the things that we believe about ourselves or our situation or the people around us. If you think that you are unlovable, you will believe it in your heart and will act in a way that is unlovable. If you think that a situation is too big for you to handle, you will focus on that and will begin to feel anxious.  

Think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. If you want to change a certain behavior or the way you feel about yourself or a situation or a person, change the way you think. Make a decision that you will believe the truth (that God paid a price for you and you are incredibly lovely to Him; that even situations that are too big for you are not too big for God; that no matter what is going on around you, you can only control yourself and you can act in a way that is loving even if others aren't), and then when thoughts begin to invade that do not line up with what you want to believe, take them captive (*2 Cor. 10:5) and offer them to God. Ask Him to take the lies you believe and replace them with His truth, and He will. What you think affects what you feel, and what you feel determines what you do. So make sure what you are thinking lines up with what you want your life to look like. 

 2 Cor 10:5 - "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make is obedient to Christ." 

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Rejuvenation

I had a most wonderful, relaxing, refreshing weekend with my Sweety. My mom and step-dad kept our three children, and he and I ran away for a day. First, we went and watched The Hunger Games, and then went on to an adorable little inn in Amish country where we stayed the night. The last time we took a trip for just the two of us was 7 years ago, when it was still just the two of us and we had only been married a year. We laughed as we realized that this trip was a little different than that trip, because then we were in our early twenties and newly married, and now we are 30 and have three children. We rested, we ate yummy food, and we just enjoyed having uninterrupted time together. It was wonderful. I highly recommend that if you haven't been able to take some time away with just your spouse, do it! Even one night away (though two would have been fantastic!) will do so much for you and your relationship.
Now it's back to the normal ins and outs of our homemaking, homeschooling life. But, I feel much more relaxed and focused than I did this time last week.
Thank you, babe, for making our trip happen! I love you so much!

My Philippians prayer

(My babies from two years ago, they have all grown so much!)

I recently came across a few verses in Philippians (I love the books of letters!) that have since become my prayer for myself, my husband, and my children. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the people of Philippi, and this originated as a prayer from him for them. I have taken it, written it down in several places, and daily pray it over my family.

Philippians 1: 9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what it best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.

These verses are packed with so many things that I desire desire for my family. I have prayed for so long for discernment to know what is truth and what is not, that our love would continue to grow more and more and would have Christ in the center, and that we would seek to know God more. Interestingly enough, when I read over the chapters in Philippians a few weeks ago it was other verses that stuck out to me. This time God opened my eyes to these and I loved them immediately! It is wonderful how God can take the same verses and speak to you differently at different times depending on what you need.

Have a wonderful day!

My sweet sweet boy

 I was blessed with an enormously sweet boy.

He is tender hearted, gentle (for the most part, he is a boy after-all), sweet, and loving. He tells me multiple times a day that he loves me. He loves to cuddle, and his heart gets broken very easily.

And his face melts my heart. Even when there's pizza all over it.