Long Time...No Blog...and a dash of real honesty.

It's been 28 days since I last blogged.  And I've missed it.  I've missed you guys too...my handful of readers.

Life has been crazy to say the very least.  And with all the busyness and stuff going on, my brain has been left void of things to write about.

Do you ever have seasons like that?  Where you just have nothing to say?

I talked with a friend today and she quoted a book she's been reading...it said, "you know that Christ has overtaken your heart when you can just keep your mouth shut."

I found that to be an interesting observation.  And one that really resonated with me in my life...right now...but also how it really summed up what's been going on with me and this blog for the last few weeks.

Though I haven't had much anything to write about, I've still been thinking about it right often.  There were mornings that I would wake up with full intentions to write about SOMETHING (no matter how trivial), but somehow during the course of that day, I would decide not to.  On those days, I ended up feeling as if I shouldn't write just ANYTHING.

So then I started to pray.

At first my prayers started out that God would give me words.  That He would spark inspiration in my heart.  That He would probe every last inch of my brain and pull from it an exquisite round of prose.

But soon, my prayers became less "my prayers" and more of His direction.

Direction in where HE would have me go (or not go) with this outlet of creative expression.

I've been convicted for sometime about how much time I spend on the computer.  It has been one of those things that has pulled me away from my family more than I care to admit.  And though Facebook and Twitter were somewhere in the mix, the bulk of my time was dedicated to this blog, its ratings, comments, followers, advertising, etc, etc, etc.  It's amazing, looking back, how many countless hours silly stuff like that took away from my days.

And as I would read other women's blog posts about their conviction in computer time/ blog time, I would feel their pain.  Yet I would end up right back where I left off...in front of the screen planning my next witty/ spiritual/ deep/ creative post.

I would see multiple, on the minute (it seemed), twitter postings from other bloggers and I would make myself feel better about "how little" time I spent on the computer in light of their constant updates.

I would sit and tell myself how this is a job for some women...which may very well be what God has called THEM to, but it was just a hobby for me so the time I spent was way less then what it would be were I expecting to bring in an actual income.

And then I would rationalize that I was speaking truth into people's lives so surely posting EVERYDAY was what I was supposed to do.

But let's face it....

None of that is true.  I spent the amount of time I did on this computer and this blog because I wanted to.

I'll even go as far to say...

This blog became MY IDOL.

And please, to those of you who have blogs out there and are reading this thinking I'm judging you...know that I am not.  I can't vouch for where your heart and calling are in your blogs.  I can only do that with and for mine.  And right now, the way I have been operating this whole deal is not what God wants for my life at this moment.  That simply, is the purpose of this post...not to condemn anyone else for the joys and/or successes they have in blogging.

So in these last 28 days God has been showing me what His purpose for me is in terms of this blog...and I've just been taking the time to honestly reflect on it and let it all soak in.

It's been sad.  But it's been empowering as well.

I feel enlightened knowing that God does give me what I'm supposed to write about, but now those words will adhere to His timetable and not mine.

A weight has been lifted in that I don't feel like I absolutely HAVE to post something so I don't lose readers.

And I take joy in the fact that as much as my husband loves reading my blog and my children one day will, my time is better spent with them right now...and they love that even more then what I have to say on this here website.

So what does all this mean?

Well, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop blogging all together.

It simply means my priorities have changed.  And I will post when I feel called.  That might look like twice a week and that might look like twice a month.  It's not up to me anymore =).

You'll also notice there isn't any extra "stuff" on my sidebars.  Nothing to track visitors.  No ads.  As much as I adore my awards and thank you for all of them, they are gone, too.  No more twitter, which honestly, I never really liked anyway.  Basically, nothing to distract me.

I'm giving this blog to Jesus.
And hopefully, I'll know he has invaded this space when I can just keep my mouth shut.

Blessings (and thanks for readings!),

Prayer...

Hubby and I were talking about prayer this morning.

Well, actually, we were talking about leadership and prayer.

Leadership is his thing...prayer is mine.

We both have equal amounts of passion for our desired topic, but I also think we lack understanding in why the other subject is so near to our spouse's heart.  Jon has definite thoughts, opinions and views of Scriptural leadership that I just don't get.  He can find it in ANY verse of the Bible.  I, on the other hand, have an entirely different perspective on prayer (and grace) than Jon does, and I can find THAT in ANY verse in the Bible.

It's where our differences bring us together and hopefully grow us in our faith with one another.

So....

this post is for Jon, my beloved.

Honey, prayer to me is...

An act of love.  

One that brings you closer to not only your Heavenly Father, but to those around you.  It is something that strengthens marriages.  It bonds family ties.

It mends indiscretions.

It heals wounds and it pieces together broken hearts.

It creates in us an ability to be vulnerable and let our guards come down.

It is a time when we can pray on someone's behalf, but also when we can humble ourselves to God's mighty grace and love so we can experience intercession in our lives from others as well.

It's about communication...but even more so it's about surrender.

It's a matter of the heart.

It's personal, yet it's communal.  It can be enjoyed by one and by the masses...separately and at the same

time.

Prayer is God's gift to us.  To show us He is there and active in our lives.

Prayer is our gift to God.  To show Him that we are listening.

No one prayer is of more or less importance then another.  For they are all honest petitions placed at Christ's feet, for Him to meet in His will and His way.

Prayers are heard.

They are felt.

They are experienced.

And they are answered...

though not necessarily on our terms, but always with our best interest in mind.

And Jon, I'm blessed to call you my partner in prayer.  It is my honor to pray with and for you and our family.

I love you.

 I'm sharing this as part of the Mom's 30-minute Blog Challenge over at SteadyMom
&
Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.

Check it out!

And while I'm at it...

Would you leave me a comment to let me know how I can be praying for you today?

Blessings friends,

Girly Things....

Since I didn't have an actual planned post today...

I'm going to share some things that make me smile~ extreme Girly Girl style.

May they add a little ray of sunshine to your Friday as well!!

It's true, I {heart} you Tiffany blue!

Some Anthropologie wardrobe inspiration.

A vintage Vanity Table for getting all dolled up!

Holly Golightly and Carrie Bradshaw~ the ULTIMATE Girly Girls.

An English Settee anyone?  You know for kicking off your heels...or photoshoots!

A batch of flower brooches~ for your bags, your shoes, or your hair!

&

A shade of pink that works with every skintone!!

Happy Friday to all you girly girls out there!!

BrainQuest...

I've been on the lookout for quite sometime for something I can do/play with Emma to implement a learning time during the day.

Since we are considering homeschooling, I need to get a schedule in place early and although Emma is only two, I don't think children are ever too young to learn.  Not to mention, for me, it's never too early to start a habit of it for her!

There are a ton of books on the market for the toddler age range that incorporate learning into games and/or crafts.  In fact, I love the Dollar Trees selection of pre-K workbooks that teach colors, shapes, numbers, letters.  We have a ton of those.

But one thing that I just recently came across is BrainQuest.  I happened upon them at a children's consignment shop and they are so fun!  We got the 2-3 age range, but they go on up to age 13.

Basically, for our particular set, it's about vocabulary development.  Max the Monkey is the star of the show and through a series of familiar places and activities (like getting up, lunch time, nap time, etc) he encourages conversation with your toddler, thus widening their vocabulary.

For example:

On the getting up card, you might see Max sitting up in his bed in his room and the following questions.

1) Who just woke up?

2) What is Max wearing?

3) What do you see in his room?

Simple to us, but oh so stimulating to your child.  And in my opinion, not only is it teaching words, it also teaches what to do during specific times of day or how to act in certain situations as it walks them through a variety of events.

Emma loves it, too!  This is a special time that she gets to sit down with mommy and "talk"!  What a great way to coincide learning with a time of bonding as well!

So check it out at brainquest.com for more details and their entire product line.

By the way...

BrainQuest has no idea who I am.  Nor was I reimbursed in anyway for this post.  I simply found a product that I love and wanted to pass it along!

For more head over to

Works for Me Wednesdays at We are that Family

&

Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries

Blessings,

Our children...

(Illustration by Cyd Moore)

My girl.

I could get lost in her hugs.

Her eyes and her dimples and her smell bring me peace.

My heart revolves around her little hand held in mine.

And I don't look forward to the day she stops clinging to my side.

She calls me Mommy.

A Princess.

and pretty.

I am her protection, her strength and her friend.

 I call her baby.

Doodlebug.

and monkey.

She is my faith, my teacher and my everything.

God so blesses us with children, for they are most often wise beyond their years.  They hold an incomprehensible about of love and trust in their little hearts and though they might not share well and may sometimes require timeouts, oh how they can teach us about the complete character of Jesus. 

My prayer is that I heed this wisdom ordained to me in the responsibility of parenting.  That with this highest call and duty, I would extend nothing but grace and love and patience and perseverance in all that I do pertaining to my children.  That through me they will learn even further what the Love of Jesus is and what it means.  But more importantly that through Christ in them, the world can know it, too.

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for my Emma.

And any other children I might be so privileged to care for this side of heaven.

Amen.

(I'm sharing this as part of the Mom's 30-minute Blog Challenge over at Steady Mom.  Check it out!)

Peace be with you, 

The Grass is Always Greener...

It never fails, when I get to a spot in my life where I don't think anything is going my way...

Where I feel like I'm being punished....

Like things could be better if only....

Like God isn't hearing my prayers....

He speaks into my life and He show's me that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Today was one of those days.

Satan had me in a tizzy this morning!  

He did!  

My brain was just a swirling with doubt and self-pity and anger.

"No one has a clue what it is I'm going through!" I mumbled to myself several times.

Problems...

Then I talked with a friend.  Not about my issues.  

But of a little girl she knows who, at the tender age of 13, is facing insurmountable obstacles in her life.

A child that is about to have a child.

A baby, carrying a baby under circumstances so devastating they are unmentionable...

Problems?

What problems?

And I'll be honest, for a brief moment in that discussion, my hard heart actually thought...

"Yes, but despite the severity of her situation, she's young...she has her whole life to experience the redeeming love of Jesus!  And I have, but I don't feel Him right here and right now!"

I looked up pictures of grass and this one was first...

It so accurately portrays my skewed vision in my earlier thought process.

Yes, the grass is greener on the one side, as if I'm standing in the barren pasture, but if I look closely even on the pristine side there is a storm brewing.

God's been telling me to trust Him lately.  More so than He has ever before.

And I'm finding in these coming days, trust won't come easy, but He is there, even when I least expect it.

My woes seem a many, until compared to the plight of someone truly in need.

And again, God is there, giving me wisdom and direction through what I think I can't handle.

I envision Him walking in front of me.

Holding my hand.

Looking back every so often to reassure me He won't lead me astray.

We're in the wilderness and He is clearing my path.

I get glimpses of light through the brush and that's when a branch swings back in my direction.

Only to be caught by my Savior's scarred hand and again He looks back at me and smiles.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday. 

~Psalm 37: 3-6 

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“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

~ Psalm 91

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The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

~Proverbs 29:25

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

You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. 

~Isaiah 26:3-4

Dear Jesus,

Oh Lord, so often I beg of a different life.  I wallow in what seem like struggles and I dream of that greener grass.  I'm so forgetful to the fact that you are the Author and Creator of my life, Dear God, and I own you nothing less than thanksgiving and praise for all that I have.  Forgive me for extending instead my complaints and resentment, Lord.  Please correct my heart so that it is aligned to Yours in all things.  

Bless me with confidence and strength to be thankful for even the things my human heart considers weighty and trying.  And please, Lord, teach me to understand that You do have my best at heart.

Precious Jesus, I trust you. 

And I love you.

Amen.

What are you facing today that seems too big?

Is it too big for God?

I encourage you to know that it is not.  

What may seem life altering to us...

The things that rock our faith the most...

Are tiny in the hands of Jesus.

So join me in placing our issues there.

Where He can handle them accordingly.

Trust.

(I'm sharing this at Motivate Me Monday over at Fifth Street Palace!)

Blessings,

A little under the weather...

Hey all...

Just wanted to say sorry for being a little MIA for the last couple days.

I've been fighting off a nasty cold and I just haven't been in a blogging mood.

But, I'm on the upswing I believe and I'll be back to my regularly scheduled program next week!!

I pray you have blessed weekends!!

See you Monday!!

Blessings,