Desperately Seeking Blogger

I decided the best way to let everyone about this change was to post it on each blog! Attention, faithful followers, please don't leave me!!! After reading the following, go over to Celebrating Everyday Life and party with me!

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Ever since I started this blog, I've been having a blog identity crisis. Well, no more. I'm deciding (kind of with a heavy heart) to combine my two blogs. Eeeekkk. I know, I need therapy.

I've been posting over at A Resting Place for several years, now, and part of me feels like I'm quitting on her. But, really, I just want the two to become one. Now, I sound like I'm coaching one of my newly engaged couples.

This morning, as I was trying to sit and write a post that would be meaningful and encouraging, I kept being interrupted. The three year olds kept needing something, the kitchen was a disaster, and I had a meeting in an hour. After about 10 interruptions, I frustratingly hit the quit button. It made me realize that trying to keep up 2 blogs just isn't possible right now.

As is my custom, I can't incur a transition without celebrating it. So, I'm going to throw my first party over here. I'm giving away one of my super cute and BRAND NEW mini market totes. See and drool...

If you haven't noticed these amazing market totes, they are the best things ever. I use my big ones all the time, and this new size is just so cute. Perfect for picnics, graduation gifts, bridesmaids gifts, or just leaving in your car to bring all your junk to and from your house. Not only that, but I'm gonna throw in a funky charm bracelet just to make it a little more enticing.

Now, to make this transition fun for me (because you know it has to be fun for me, too!) I'm asking that you "follow" this blog and then leave a comment letting me know which mini market you would want! If you're super competitive and want an extra entry, link back to this post from your blog, and then comment to let me know you did the "extra credit". (And if you are already a follower, just leave a comment, and I'll still enter you!) You have til' midnight on Thursday the 20th to link up. I'll announce the winner on Friday!

Change isn't always easy, but I know that with your help, even this little change in my life could be a really great way to celebrate everyday life.

Oh, and I can't wait to tell you about the graduation party I designed last weekend!!

The Gift of a Girl

Recently, I've been going on dates with my daughter on Friday mornings. It didn't start as a "planned" event, as you might think. No, the Lord has actually been very kind to give us this time together, and it has all been His idea.

A few weeks ago, we were going to be going separate ways for the weekend, and so I thought a morning date would be a fun thing for us to do before school started. So, we woke up early, and grabbed her God's Little Princess Devotional Bible, and had a fun time of eating ChickFilA for breakfast and talking about the Lord together. After having such a sweet time that morning, I thought how much we needed that time together, and how it really could be a weekly thing. So, for the past few weeks, we have continued the tradition, and have been going through the women of the Bible. And, it has been such a blessing.

I have always felt that the relationship between a daughter and mother is one of the most complicated relationships there is. Not only is it a challenging one, it is most crucial to remain vigilant about the enemy's schemes to divide. My daughter is the sweetest of girls, however, even the sweetest of girls have the sinful nature that women tend to have.

I guess it really started about the time she turned two. It was as if I could all of a sudden see flesh patterns really beginning to come out. Since then, I have struggled with having my feelings hurt, feeling manipulated, or holding grudges because of being intentionally mistreated. I have felt rejected and controlled, and unable to understand why she would have such strife with me. Of course, Daddy is her hero, and can do no wrong, and she could snuggle with all day, but the second I try to hug her, she's off. I have seen first hand her manipulation, control, and defiance.

I remember when she was only 3, having a dispute with her about something, and then her stomping down the hall as loud as she could and slamming the door behind her. As much as I wanted to storm in after her, yelling that she "WOULD NOT EVER DO THAT AGAIN!", I quickly felt the Holy Spirit, grab the back of my shirt to hold me back, and then very gently say,

"Don't do this. Don't start this. Don't allow this type of fighting even have a foothold in your relationship."

It was as if, I saw her at 16, and me at 40something and screaming at the tops of our lungs at each other and having wounds that ran too deep to know how to have healing. And I knew, I did not want to start it.

I am the only one to teach my daughter what a woman of God looks like. I am the one that will really be her teacher. Sure, she'll have lots of role models, and mentors, but her real live, first hand, in person example, is...big ol' me. And boy, do I feel small.

I have known for a while that I would have to be relentlessly pursuitful of my sweet girl. Otherwise, it won't just happen in our crazy life. I will have to choose to pursue her. Even when she is rude. Even when she doesn't treat me well. Even in the face of rejection and disdain. I will have to be the one to be the leader in loving her with Christ's love. To not allow the enemy use my insecurities and fears to play out against each other.

More than anything I want to show her how much the Lord loves her. How to trust in Him when all else fails. Because all else will fail. And how much I long for her to fully believe Him. Because only in Him is truth found. But first, I need to know how much He loves me. I need to believe Him. I need to trust Him. Only then, will I have the strength to know how to listen and how to talk. How to train and how to love. How to be a mom to this precious gift of a girl.

Good Things in April

Apr 1 - River had a friend come over and I had a blast with taking the kids all over tarnation... downtown, Chick-Fil-A, Artquest, library, then scored some awesome clearance deals at TJ Max.

Apr 2 - Went to a friend's house for an awesome playdate/improptu Easter party

Apr 3 - YARD SALES!!! oh, wow, did i have fun this month at yard sales.

Apr 4 - Easter was glorious.

Apr 5 - so had a great night at dance, then had fun watching 24 with Randy, and then around 11pm started reorganizing my closet...and didn't stop until i was done.

Apr 6 - Mother Goose came to the Glenwood Library and she rocked.

Apr 7 - taught a bunch of K-2nd graders some poems and talked about National Poetry Month a lot...whether or not they wanted to hear about it. ;)

Apr 8 - had a great Bible study, and was challenged to trust more deeply.

Apr 9 - had a really good sit with the Lord.

Apr 10 - had fun grilling out with friends.

Apr 11 - Started the day by hanging out having coffee with my big sis. And then got to have Juice Shop and play at the park. Very fun.

Apr 12 - usually this day is a really hard day for our family, and this was the first year that we actually all really were giddy and happy and looking forward to things to come.

Apr 13 - started this blog. which was a really good thing, but is now causing me to have a little bit of a blog identity crisis, but oh well.

Apr 14 - read lots of nursery rhymes to the kids and made fun crafts to go along with them.

Apr 15 - designed this event

Apr 16 - talked too long at a sweet friend's house and enjoyed every minute of it

Apr 17 - had fun at yard sales and got an awesome booth for our breakfast nook for next to nothing! and got to dress like a pirate and say arrgghhh a lot at the Hoot's pirate party.

Apr 18 - went out to the country and came in second in a hollarin' contest. can you believe i didn't win?

Apr 19 - stayed home all day and let the kids just play play play.

Apr 20 - got to aerobics for the first time in about 2 weeks.

Apr 21 - went to Wholesale sale and went a little crazy...and got to see my tutoring kids learn from a llama. always fun.

Apr 22 - went BACK to the sale, and went a little more crazy.

Apr 23 - had an early morning date with river. later, went to park with Asher, Maddie, and Taylor and hung out with some other moms and kids. And went out with some friends for dessert.

Apr 24 - went to breakfast with my sweet friend and then headed to the Beth Moore simulcast.

Apr 25 - enjoyed coffee, baked cookies, went grocery shopping, and then headed to pick up our kids. felt like we couldn't get to them fast enough!!!

Apr 26 - loved watching my daughter dance.

Apr 27 - researched some really fun things for events, and met with a newly engaged couple.

Apr 28 - this day was NON-STOP...i mean, literally, the WHOLE day. it was filled with lots of good things, but i was really happy when the day was done, and i laid down my head. that was the best thing.

Apr 29 - watched my talented little sister do a benefit concert for her senior project. she's amazing...in so many ways.

Apr 30 - all i had on my calendar was to meet a friend at the park for a playdate...it was wonderful. and had a lot of fun with my sweet little boy.

Kari's having the link up over at her place, so get your good things together and go party!

Coming to a Close

This month has been really fun to celebrate poems and songs. I've even tailored my preschool lessons to teach each of the kids poems that they could remember. Down to the sweet little 8 month old baby I keep...her favorite by far is patty cake. And dance little baby. Asher and Maddie love Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Little Miss Muffett the best. Of course we did crafts to correspond with each. And then River's new favorite song is I Will Sing of My Redeemer. It's really sweet to hear her sing the words as loud as she can. It was on an Easter CD that I made this year, and I love how it's come to be a favorite. However, I try to get away from my old standby's, my favorite by far is still this old hymn.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,

Mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;

Hither by thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here's my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for thy courts above.

Go see what other poems have been in cherished at Kari's. And even though we may only put a poem in our pocket once a year, remember to keep them close always.

Heritage from the Lord

My little ones are away at the beach this weekend with their grandparents. I came home from dropping them off, and I immediately begin to think, "How can I make the MOST of my time? Should I clean the whole house, and do all the laundry, and reorganize my closet, and then go out for a little while?" You think I'm crazy...and I kind of am.

My hubs had to work last night, and as silly as it seems, as I was fixing my own dinner, in the silence of my house, I felt a twinge of loneliness. Sure, the quiet was really relaxing at first, but then, it was almost too quiet. To alone.

It's wild how these little creations, that you never even knew would be there, come into your lives, homes, and families, and begin to be a part of your heart. And then they begin to move into all of your heart. And when you're not with them, as one of my dear friends used to say, "you feel like you're walking around with your heart outside of your body". A very true statement indeed.

"Children are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

Finding His Grace

Yesterday at church, a friend of mine gave a message about knowing God's grace in the midst of trial. And, last week, the message at Bible Study was about knowing joy in the midst of struggle. It feels like this message has been one of the main things that the Lord has been speaking to me lately, which makes me starts to think, "Lord, what's coming?!" And, of course, the enemy would love nothing better than to make me sit in fear and worry about what struggle might be waiting around the corner. As one who has struggled with fearing what hardships my future may hold, this can be pretty tempting.

I love how in 2 Cor. Paul tells how tempted he is to trust in his own strength. I think if we were really honest, most of us would say that it is much easier to trust in our own strength, and to know that we can handle the things of this world on our own shoulders. That when trials or suffering comes, to just believe in our selves and our own strength. To remind ourselves that we're strong, and capable, and able to make it. But the truth is, that He doesn't want us to do it alone. That he said to Paul, the most capable, talented, and knowledgeable man of God,

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9)

He doesn't want us to handle life on our own, or try to muster up the strength to make it through. He wants us to become weak, and in our place of desperation and need, to see how sufficient His grace is for us. How His power is made perfect in our weakness. He did not shed His blood and lay down His life so that we could walk this life alone, but that in all things, ALL THINGS, we would know...

"the secret of being content in any and EVERY situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who GIVES ME STRENGTH." (Philippians 4:12)

It frees me from worrying about the future. What trials or hardships I or those I love might face. Or from hoping and praying to not have struggles or pain. The secret is not to avoid pain and suffering. Nor is the secret learning that we can do everything on our own. The secret is to allow ourselves to be made weak, and to surrender to His strength, His power, and His love. I pray that whatever you're in the midst of, that you would know His strength, and that you would allow His power to be made perfect in your weakness. Only then, are we truly strong.

Trading Spaces...

So, I'm not officially "trading". I just feel a little guilty hitting publish over there, without having something new over here! I've always wondered how those of you do it...you know have more than one blog to keep up? But the two are so separate in some ways, that I don't really feel like I can keep them together. I'll continue to post things about our personal life, or random things I might be thinking of over here, but the more practical tips and ideas that will help you celebrate everyday life, will be going over there.

It's all lonely over there, though, so come visit me! I'm not always the best about change, and you guys are so fun to have around!!!