I have felt the need for organization these past couple of days. Is 'Spring Cleaning' a feeling that comes with the onset of spring? So, I went for it and organized my pantry. I even took before and after pictures....
BEFORE
AFTER
Phew! Feels good. Really, I took the pictures in hopes of motivating me to continue on to other closets. We'll see how that goes....
Of course, I couldn't pass up posting some pictures of this little cutie. Couldn't you just squeeze him? I do. Often.
Happy Spring Cleaning everyone. Just don't let it get in the way of squeezing your 'squeezeables'!
A couple of weeks ago we had a 'relationship event'. It was for our Senior High guys and girls. Basically, it was an event to talk more deeply about our relationship with God and each other (specifically the 'guy/girl' thing). We had SUCH a great time with all the students. Honestly, they are such a GREAT group. I really enjoy hanging out with them. They even like to play my really fun games. :) Anyways, at one point in the weekend, I gave the girls a challenge. I thought I would include it here...just in case you would like to join our challenge. Prizes will be awarded!
SERVING SINGLES
oReach out to a mom in our church. Offer to watch her kids so she can go grocery shopping, go on a date with her husband, go to a coffee shop for a couple of hours, go shopping or whatever she wants to do. Do this FREE of charge. This may be a fun thing to do with a friend (or two- depending on how many children they have:) Who did you do this for:
oBuild into your girlfriends! Pick three friends and write them a letter of encouragement AND MAIL it to them. What friends did you encourage?
oMake a meal for your entire family. Make sure it is a sit down meal in which you can get the conversation going. Come up with a list (about 5) of questions to encourage more than surface conversation (i.e. Who’s your role model/who do you look up to and why?, What is the nicest thing someone had done for you?, etc.) Please share how your family responded to you doing this and how the conversation went.
oLearn a new skill. Take a cooking class (or spend time with someone that is a good cook), learn how to knit, crochet, sew, make some jewelry, etc. Use this new found skill to bless someone. What skill do you learn:
oRead a biography of a woman that loves/loved Jesus and made a difference in the lives she touched (I can help you find one if needed). Write the book title here:
oInterview 3 wives and mothers in our church. Ask them the following questions:
·What is the most difficult aspect of being a wife and a mother?
·What is the most rewarding?
·What surprised you the most about being a wife and a mother?
·What is something you really enjoyed in your single life that you think every single girl should do? OR What do you wish you would have done when you were single?
Please include the interviews when you hand this in.
oMemorize Revelation 19:7
When this is complete, hand it in to Angie and I will give you a prize!!
Okay, so I just googled 'images of warts' and almost barfed! I was going to add a picture in this post, but I'll save you all the feelings that I'm having right now and just get to my point. The point is a personal one, but here it goes... Growing up, I had a constant battle with a cluster of warts on the bottom of my foot. I know, cluster is a gross word, but it could be worse, I could have added the images. Anyways, as you can imagine, I was so embarrassed of these nasty things that I would do whatever it took to hide them. Always wearing socks, making sure my feet were flat on the ground, bandaids, you name it, I tried it. I went to the doctor to see what he could do and he began the 'freezing process'. Well, that kind of worked...for a bit. But then those pesky things found their way back to the surface of my skin. UGH! And so the process began again. That said doctor told me in order to get rid of them, I needed to make them bleed! Okay, so I am about to confess here (even more than I have) I started to begin my own 'dewarting' procedure. I would pick at that thing, hoping to expose and kill all the roots I could. BUT, this was a painful process. I could only handle so much and so I would need to stop. It hurt more than I could bear! So, I carried my fungus to college. It's there I met a dear friend, a true 'wart hater'. She wanted to do her part in getting them out of my life and she began to 'dig' with me. That's right, she got down and dirty and helped me to get to the roots, no matter how painful. Even when it hurt, she just kept digging! Who does that? Katie does. Everyone needs a Katie in their life! Anyways, back to the wart. So on it went, until finally I went to a wart specialist and after a few bi-weekly visits, I became wart FREE! Did I hear some Amens?! To no surprise I'm sure, I HATED those warts! They stole some beauty from me, but they have taught me MANY lessons. You see, I have another gross problem and have encountered many others finding themselves in the same ugly boat . These warts have taught me this problem can be dealt with too. This other 'wart' is a desire in of myself to sin, to 'behave' in a certain way that I hope to never behave in again. I've discovered that this 'wart' often has VERY deep roots and unless you get to the bottom, that behaviour just shows its ugly head again! I was talking to a dear sister of mine just the other day and she was sharing her constant struggle with her own 'wart' and I remembered my wart, and the need to expose the roots and friends like Katie. Tears filled my eyes because I believe this 'wart' was stealing some beauty from her. I wanted to help her get rid of her 'warts', just like I have SO often been helped to get rid of mine (warts and 'warts'). I am no doctor, but I know Someone that is. So, I'm ready! I'm ready to 'dewart'. I'm ready to be a 'Katie' and get dirty...only by God's Grace! I want to live 'wart' free and desire others to live 'wart' free as well. I might even make t-shirts. I would wear one!
Romans 5:6-7
"knowing this, that our old self was crucified wiht Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin."
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away;
So, one of my favourite times of the day is BATH time! I love to hear how daddy and baby communicate. I think they are each others biggest fan (next to 'wife' and 'mommy' of course).
I hear belly laughs and baby squealing at the awesomeness of his daddy, his very own superhero!
It's kind of weird that in these times I realize that my husband is not just a husband, but this wonderful, amazing, involved, loving, hilarious daddy. I love the way he loves our baby and I love the way baby lights up when he sees his daddy and lovingly refers to him as "DAA DEE". I pretend that I am sad that he hasn't said 'mommy' first (or at all yet) but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's amazing how quickly this bond has been created and how much our little bean can already look up to someone. I have a feeling that 'DAA DEE' just may always be baby's superhero! Personally, I think he is the best superhero to choose!
AFTER
