::is it as simple as a prayer?::

i was on my way in.
she was on her way out.
she was looking for someone. but that someone was nowhere to be found.
frantically she approached me. there was urgency in her expression. she needed to know and she needed to know right now.

we had a guest evangelist speaking that week.
he was emphatic that you must know the time and place you came to know jesus, prayed the sinners prayer, changed your life or you most likely did not know him at all.

she couldn't remember.
she was scared.
i didn't have words for her.
i didn't know the answers.
so we simply prayed together and never spoke of the incident again.

is it that simple?

was i saved when i waited in line at five years old to say a prayer behind ten other five year olds with my sunday school teacher?

or was it when i had a huge fight with my mom and was terrified that we would die in a car crash on the way to the beach so she lead me in the sinners prayer?

or was it when i was a freshman in college at a conference, emotions high, when i realized i wanted to truly know god?

or was it yesterday when nothing seemed to go my way that i cried out to god?

i'm not sure exactly when it happened. i just know that i have a relationship with god through jesus.
time and place?
it's irrelevant.
god wants an on-going, ever-growing, loving relationship with me...with us.

::missionary or maybe just an awesome teacher::

photo

there it is...

moving in the soul.
healing.
change.
redemption.
rescue.

so great that you feel you must do something great in return...

go overseas as a missionary.
go to seminary and be a pastor.
join a monastary.
sell everything you have.
start a charitable organization.

it must be something equally radical to the miracle that has just taken place in your life....or so we think.

but maybe that isn't the plan at all.
maybe grandiosity isn't the way to go.

what if you were just the best YOU you could be in the place you are now?

a teacher that loves each of her students with a compassionate, unending love.
a mother that shows grace and mercy and patience to her children each day.
a writer that writes with passion and purpose.
a bus driver that shares a smile and a good word with every person they encounter.
a student that studies with diligence and encourages those around them.
a supervisor that brings joy to the job in the midst of great demands.
a cashier that greets everyone with a smile and sends them off with a thank-you.

as jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. jesus did not let him but said, "go home to your own people and tell them how much the lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you."

(mark 5: 18-19)

"we cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

-mother teresa

happy friday friends.

::i broke up with the bible::

i broke up with my bible for a while.
yes i did.
i know {GASP!}
for Lent i decided to pick it up anew.
i will start fresh.
i am beginning in mark.

for two days i read chapter one. underlining. highlighting. making notes in the margin.

i feel it already. that welling up in my soul.
belief.
faith.
i thought it had left. it didn't.

as i read the words jumped off the pages straight to my heart.
baptism.
temptation.
community.
morning prayer.
healing.
and more healing.
compassion.
and solitude....loneliness.

this is the life of jesus.
but these words.....they describe my life too.


what are you finding fresh in your reading?

{are you the hare or the tortoise?}

while out doing a little consignment shopping for the kiddos i came across the book

::the hare and the tortoise::

i couldn't resist it as it is one of the few stories i remember from childhood. eisley was super excited to receive it. she loves books just like her mama.

at bed time we snuggled up close and began reading. once we finished, my four year old, in typical fashion, began asking questions.

eisley: why did the tortoise win the race?
me: well the hare got distracted.
eisley: why did the hare get distracted?
me: because there were lots of things along his path that caught his eye and he forgot what he was supposed to be doing.
eisley: what were his distractions?

she asks a lot of questions. and i LOVE it.
what were his distractions?

then my mind began to drift away to all the things that distract me from my ultimate goal....bringing heaven to earth and teaching my children to do the same. that is my finish line. but too many times i am called away from that purpose by my wandering eyes.

i take the path that gets my belly full on things that hold no weight in this life. those things get heavy and cause me to slow down and even sleep when i should be racing toward the finish line.

so today. i refocus.

Lord, may our prayers be found in our actions today as much as they are found in these words. Amen. (the book of common prayer)

::a little {day} for your wednes{day}::

{photo}

"What we would like to do is change the world--make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute--the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor, in other words--we can, to a certain extent, change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend."

— Dorothy Day

::and we have a WINNER::

{photo}

i happy to announce the winner of the dayspring $20 gift certificate is...

::hanna::

My absolute favorite way of showing love is in my 2 yr old class on Sunday nights and to the 2 precious girls that I get to babysit. I get to hug, and love, and squeeze, and tickle, and giggle all over those sweet babies. Every Sunday night [or when I get to watch the girls] God reminds me of the love of a child. I try my hardest to show them how much they are loved, but I am always out-loved by them. I strive to love people and God like a child loves, but I fail miserably everyday! I have so much to learn from such tiny hearts!

By Hanna on ::happy saturday & a giveaway:: on 3/12/11


send me your email address hanna and i'll get your prize to you:)

my new motto...

this is my new motto.

okay stop laughing.

i know i am that chicken running around with her head cut off type.

i know i'm a little...okay, a lot, OCD.

i know i don't know how to sit still.

i know i have a to-do this daily and nothing will do until it is complete.

i know all of these things about myself.

and i know it is often an ugly sight. but ann voskamp's inspiring words have put things into perspective. words like:

"life is not an emergency. life is eucharisteo."

or

"give thanks...slow time down with all your attention- and your basket of not-enough-time multiplies into more than enough time."

or

"wherever you are, be all there."

it will change a girls heart.

i want "to savor long whatever time holds."

so today i will play. i will give thanks. i will slow down.

because "haste makes waste" and the last thing i want to do is waste time.

::happy saturday & a giveaway::

***
today i am off to a lovely saturday date with the man of my dreams!

have you met him?

it's this guy...

we are taking a lovely morning drive.

having a leisurely lunch.

then hitting a craft show.

no, you can't have him...he's mine:)

on the pleated polka dot we have spent the past week talking about
::loving god & loving others:
one way that i LOVE to show :love: to others is sending :love notes:
don't you just love going to the mail box and finding something special with your name on it?
no? just me? okay.
moving on!

sending a card is one of the simplest yet most endearing ways of sharing encouragement. that is why i totally fell in love with the
:hope & encouragement: pack of cards from dayspring.

and today i get to offer you a $20 coupon code to spend on whatever your little heart desires. all you have to do is leave a comment telling me one way that you
:love god & love others:
easy peasy.


p.s. a winner will be announced Tuesday March 15th
p.s.s. this giveaway is open to anyone & everyone just be sure and leave your email so i know how to find you.

::happy saturday::

::loving god & loving others::take #4

***

this week we've talked about

::loving god and loving others::

 and how that looks different from one person to the next.

i was super encouraged by krystina, rachel and arielle as they shared their takes on the topic.

now for the living it out.

god doesn't want to change the world without us.

grace and peace sweet friends!

::loving god & loving others:: take #3

***

monday i wrote a post entitled ::you might NOT be a christian if::

i touched on the topic of relationship with god.

how one doesn't look like anothers.

it is your individual, unique, special {relationship}

so i have asked arielle of a beautiful journey to give us her take on

 

::loving god & loving others::

 

{photo}

 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…..As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."' john 15

These have to be some of my favorite verses on love. How can we truly love others if we are not abiding in Christ? When we love the Lord with all our heart, the fruit of our relationship with Him will be seen. However, when we try to love others in our own strength we will easily become weary. When we abide in Christ, we are going to be satisfied. We will desire and want others to know the love that He has for us. Loving others is an overflow of our heart when we love Jesus. Spending time in His presence and in prayer will be seen by the way we live in our day-to-day lives. The joy and love of Christ will be seen in the way we live our lives.


Having a busy schedule can sometimes hinder us from truly spending time in His presence, I know this to be true in my own life. But if I want to really show others the love of Christ- my husband, my son, my family, and those I don't even know- I must get away for a bit and spend some time in the Word. There is a joy like no other when we love God first, and abide in Him- and from that overflow, love others.


- arielle

**
abide in Him and from that overflow, love others.
awesome thoughts arielle! thanks for sharing.

how are you loving god & loving others today?

::loving god & loving others:: take #2

***
monday i wrote a post entitled ::you might NOT be a christian if::

i touched on the topic of relationship with god.

how one doesn't look like anothers.

it is your individual, unique, special {relationship}

 

so i have asked rachel of No.17 cherry tree lane to give us her take on

::loving god & loving others::

Love God translates into Love Others.

The idea of loving God is so much more than just a one-on-one relationship. When I think about loving God, instantly thoughts of "morning devotions, worship CD's, Bible studying" jump into my mind. I think about cultivating my personal relationship with the Lord and weaving it into my daily life. Living "in love" with Christ.
That is what "Loving God" can look like to me.
But, when I REALLY think about it....Loving God IS loving others.


Loving ALL of the person.
Loving the good, the bad the ugly.
Loving the unlovely.
Loving the non-Christian.
Loving the angry and bitter.
Loving someone who doesn't love you.
Loving people who are difficult.


When Jesus was walking the earth, He didn't cherry-pick who He would love. He loved freely and without reservation. Because that is what God IS. He IS love. He loves all. In spite of them
So...if I call myself a Christian. If I claim to love the one that is love Himself....I must love others.


No picking.
No choosing.
No holding back.


Just love.
All love.

***
he did't cherry pick who he would love.
i love that statement. loved just flowed out of jesus. he genuinely loved people. all of them.

how are you loving god and loving others today?

::loving god & loving others:: take #1

monday i wrote a post entitled ::you might NOT be a christian if::

i touched on the topic of relationship with god.

how one doesn't look like anothers.

it is your individual, unique, special {relationship}

so i have asked krystina of lollipops to give us her take on

::loving god & loving others::

When I think of loving God and loving others, I immediately think of

 "the fruits of the Spirit"...

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:19-26 NAS

It is hard to not live by the flesh but instead walk in Jesus with the "fruits of the Spirit". These are the ways to love others - and when we do, we in turn are loving God. These fruits are important to me as a parent. I want to model these everyday so my children will see proof that the fruit is good. I love the fruits of the Spirit, it is such a profound, clear picture of how to love one another.

***

{these are the ways to love others and in turn we are loving god}

i love this and whole heartedly agree.

how are you loving others today?

::you might NOT be a christian if::

***

I had an encounter with a man last year that has kind of rocked my world. He witnessed to me. He was pushy and aggressive and was not content with any of my answers to his ridiculous questions that were supposed to prove that I was indeed heaven bound.



No good came from the conversation. I left frustrated for having been cornered by a man that seemed to have no concern for my spiritual well-being. I left feeling like I was a conquest. A notch on his belt.


However, this encounter started the following thought process.


My relationship with my awesome husband, Jacob, is special and unique. We have a relationship that is unlike any other. No one else has a relationship with Jacob that looks like my relationship with Jacob. He is mine. I love him. I cherish him. I appreciate things about him that no one else can appreciate. We have inside jokes. He knows what I am going to say before I say it. We have special memories that only we share. For instance, there is this one song that makes me smile when it comes on because it takes me to a happy place...a moment of silliness that we shared. {I bet he could tell you what song I'm referring to if you asked him}.


If someone came along and told me that my relationship was not real or genuine or in depth because my relationship with Jacob doesn't look like their relationship with Jacob, I would be very upset. Livid even. Because I know how much I love Jacob. How I long to know him more every day. How I go out of my way to make him happy; to spend time with him.


But no one would do that, would they? That would be...


Over-the-top.
Out-of-line.
Obnoxious.
Intrusive.
Obsurd.


So why would our relationship with Jesus be any different? Why does one persons relationship with Jesus have to look like another? Peter's relationship with Jesus did not look like Mary's relationship…you know, with the denial and all, yet they both loved Jesus very much and Jesus loved them in return.


It makes me think of Jeff Foxworthy {i know, i know...where am i going with this right? Jesus....Jeff Foxworthy???}


But he did that whole stand-up routine:
"You might be a redneck if..."


In this respect it would be:
"You might NOT be a christian if..."


you don't read your bible every single day
you don't pray on your knees for at least an hour
you don't attend church every time the doors are open
you read certain versions of the bible
you watch certain shows
you read certain books
you listen to certain music
you dance
you drink certain beverages
you vote a certain way
you ask questions about faith
you doubt
you go certain places
you are friends with certain people


One person's relationship may not look like everyone else’s.
and that's okay.


[Relationship :: connection, association, involvement]


One persons’ connection, association and involvement with Jesus is not going to look like another persons connection, association and involvement with Jesus…


and that is okay.

{books and a brand new attitude}

no man can be called friendless that has god and the companionship of a good book.

-elizabeth barrett browning

my children have always been on a schedule. i am a super structured person and for my sanity a schedule works best for our family. some people are really laid back about stuff like that and that is totally cool. i admire them actually.

one way we encourage a love for books (and independant play) is their {rest time}. durgin has one every day from 9am-10am. he goes to his crib with tons of books and totally loves it. see look...he doesn't even notice me taking pictures because he's so into it!

eisley is older so i use his {rest time} for {craft time} with her. however, she still gets book time. for instance yesterday, she was having a total meltdown and needed some serious redirection. i have some {special books} put away that she gets to look at when durgin isn't around because we don't want them torn or tattered. so we dug those out and badda-bing...a new and improved attitude evolved within moments.

we read books at bed every night...she gets to pick and love love loves that privilege. the one we have read every night for the past week is

{the silly family by kathrine pebley o'neal}.

how do you encourage your children's love of books?

{tiny tissues in tiny nostrils & god}

{photo}

lying in bed last night i felt this urge to check on the little one. she lost a couple privileges at bed time (which, fyi, is more punishment for mommy than for her even though she doesn't see that yet) and i was fighting that whole mommy guilt thing.

i hopped up to go listen at her door and make sure every thing was copacetic. i heard her running around crying. i immediately went in and she was crying and pointing into her nose speaking broken sentences: "tissue in nose!!" tissue in nose!!"

she has a nasty virus that has caused a horrible runny nose. ya know the kind that leave that red raw place over their little lips. yeh..that kind. so i've been leaving tissue with her at night so she can wipe her nose without getting up.

side note: the hubs has terrible allergies and sometimes stuffs large pieces of tissue up his nose for a bit to bring relief. gross i know but the poor guy suffers.

anyway...eisley has obviously seen her daddy try this trick and was obviously over this running nose (that she has had for five days now). so she takes teenie tiny pieces of tissue and sticks them up her nose. then she freaks out when she cannot get them out. that's why she was running around her room crying.

the part that cuts me to the core is that she didn't come running to me. i was right there...not even 100ft away. she could have come to me. she should have come to me. i knew what to do. i handled it. then i snuggled her like crazy and reminded her of how much i love her and how she can always come to mommy with anything.

{insert large, bright lightbulb here}
don't we do the same thing to god?
run around trying to handle our own situations and circumstances.
taking matters into our own hands.
but he's there.
right there.
just waiting for us to run to him for help. for direction. for comfort. for encouragement. for love.
he's there.
always there.

p.s. we did safely remove the tissues from her tiny little nose with tweezers. all is well.

{her creativity puts mine to shame}

the creativity of the coopster...

::eisley the writer::

::eisley the artist::

::eisley the teacher::

::eisley the photographer::

this girl puts my artistic side to shame!