Fishers of Men

This post is months overdue as the pictures were taken back in February after my blogging break began. I thought they were worth pulling out of the archives though.

While teaching the 2's and 3's class at church, I tried to incorporate some fun activities to keep them engaged and to help them make a connection to our lesson at hand. Our lesson this day was on being fishers of men.

Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 
Matthew 4:18-20

Afterward, I gave them each a plate with goldfish and pretzel sticks (fishing rods) and cream cheese (a.k.a. bait). I saw this idea a couple years ago in my Parents magazine. The kids had so much fun dipping their fishing poles into the bait and then catching fish. Ellie was more than excited to eat her goldfish so I couldn't get a great picture of any of the fish she "caught." This would make a great activity for your Family Bible Time too.

If you do this for a Bible class, I would suggest portioning out the cream cheese beforehand to save time. I brought a plate with dollops of cream cheese ready to be placed on each child's plate. If I did this again, I would look for some blue paper plates to look more like water. Either way, the kids will enjoy it. To keep the parents involved, I snapped a picture of each child showing the fish they caught and texted/emailed it to their mom. I know I love pictures that give me a glimpse of what my child has been doing in class and it helps us discuss their Bible lesson more when we get home.

My Journal Accomplishment

I really enjoy journaling but I am really bad at it. By that I mean I never actually write in it. For instance, my January 1, 2011 entry is immediately followed by my January 1, 2012 entry (new year's resolutions and goals). But when I do write,  I enjoy it in a therapeutic kind of way. There is something so special about the written word. Unfortunately, my perfectionist tendencies have always kept me from writing anything on the first few pages of a journal. A first entry always feels cheesy to me and I just can't bear "messing up" my journal on the first page. Today, I combatted my fears and wrote on that first journal page and I'm okay with my handwriting being less than perfect and my spelling error too ;-)

Maybe you will be encouraged to write down your thoughts today. Recently,  Lil Blue Boo posted a journaling series on her blog. I haven't been taking part in it but it sure looks like a lot of fun if you are more consistent with your journaling ;-)

Bathroom Reveal

Since we moved into our new house, I haven't shared any pictures with you! Why not start with the bathroom! Exciting, right? Here are a few pics of the girls' bathroom.

The beaded board sink base, mirror/medicine cabinet, and wall shelf were purchased from Lowes.

I love this shower curtain. I found it at Target about five years ago and I have never seen another shower curtain I loved as much.

I found this sweet little silver tray at the DOLLAR TREE!

Since this is primarily the girls' bathroom, I write Ellie's memory verses in chalk so we can practice them daily.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NASB

Sharing this with...

A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations 

French Country Cottage *Home Stories A to Z * House of Hepworths 

I can teach my child *I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy  

Positively Splendid *Ruby Jean  *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello  

The Delectable Home * The Girl Creative *The Grant Life 

The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

The Birthday Blessing

Last year, I shared how I used the principles of Gary Smalley's book The Blessing to honor my husband on our anniversary {click here for a recap}. Smalley also stresses the value and importance of blessing our children. This basic idea is that the child experiences elements of a blessing from the parents. It may happen any number of times a year. With my girls still being young, I haven't implemented this concept as much as I hope to in the future. 

At Ellie's recent Whimsical Fairy Party, I invited individuals that have played an important role in her life. Most of these fall into the step-in grandparent role since our family is so far away. These are the people near and dear to our hearts who have made room in their own hearts for our sweet girl. Therefore, my favorite party of Ellie's birthday is the personal blessings we video record from each of our honored guests. Some of our guests recorded their third video birthday blessing for Ellie this year! We enjoy watching these after the party with Ellie and hope she will appreciate them for years to come.

Here is an example program including some of the ways I have shared with my daughter Ellie the love and value I have for her and others I plan to use:

• Praying together for her future
• Count down the days to the party - half the fun for a child is in the anticipation
• Ask her what food she would like for her special day
• Make her a homemade gift
• Bless her with a spoken message using various elements
• Putting together a slideshow including pictures for each year of her life
• List several specific things that each parent appreciated about her over the past year
• Explain how certain character traits will help her become a godly or loving person in the future. {Basically, give her the blessing of hope for the future. For example: "You are such a good helper with baby sister. Someday you are going to be a great mommy.")
• Write out her birth story starting with the nine months before birth, trip to the hospital and the joy experienced when holding her for the first time.

I hope this gives you some ideas for blessing your children. Would you share your ideas too?

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations 
French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * I can teach my child
I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy * Positively Splendid 
Ruby Jean  *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello  *The Delectable Home
 The Girl Creative *The Grant Life *The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Twelve Months of the Gift of Romance: January

I can't believe today is the last day of January! I just barely squeezed in the first installment of Cindy Colley's Twelve Months of the Gift of Romance. I shared this idea  last month on my Facebook page. Are any of you committing to this idea for your spouse? I can be such a slacker as a wife and I hope this will help me remember to do something extra special each month for my sweetie.

If you'd like the recipe for this delicious white chocolate mocha, you can find it here. Enjoy :)

If you plan to commit to this 12 month challenge, message me and let me know. I'd love to hear your stories and ideas. If you take any pictures, please let me know so we can share them with our little blog community.








Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations 
French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * I can teach my child
I {heart} naptime *It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy * Positively Splendid 
Ruby Jean  *Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello  *The Girl Creative *
The Grant Life *The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

Penguin Hat

During our family Bible time, Ellie decided that we needed to make a penguin hat. What?! To appeal to her penguin interest, we talked about how God makes penguins and what penguins eat and so on. Recently, I posted about the different hats Ellie and I have made, including the most recent being an elephant hat. We have still been a little under the weather (I know, enough already!) but I asked Chase to bring me a glue stick, scissors and some construction paper. I was able to throw this together in just a couple minutes.

Sharing this with...
A little inspiration * bear rabbit bear *Bubbly Nature Creations 
French Country Cottage * House of Hepworths * I can teach my child
It's Overflowing * Oopsey Daisy * Ruby Jean * Six Sisters Stuff * Tatertots and Jello  
The Girl Creative * The Grant Life * The Southern Institute * Whipperberry

The Meaning Of Christmas

Merry Christmas eve to all you lovely bloggy friends! I absolutely love the holidays and all the traditions that accompany them. Having special family time and building memories with our children is wonderful. This time of year it is common to see so many different attitudes about Christmas. This has really been on mind so I prayerfully decided to share my thoughts with you.

Christmas, like Thanksgiving, Father's Day and birthday celebrations, is a day that we devote to family time. We create special traditions in hopes of making memories and passing them along to our children. Christmas is no different in that aspect. However, it is also a holiday with great religious significance, especially in the United States. Many families celebrate the birth of Christ and may even celebrate the day as Jesus' birthday. I'm sure most everyone realizes Christmas is not the actual birthday of Jesus. No where in the Bible are we told the precise day that He was born, nor are we commanded to celebrate Christmas. In fact, it is believed that Christmas began as a pagan holiday full of indulgent sin. Regardless of its origin, isn't it wonderful to see so many focus on our Lord if only this one time a year?

 Certainly we should teach our children about Jesus all year long and remember the greatest gift we have been given. I'm thankful for the teachable moments this time of year provides. I enjoy seeing the  many nativity scenes on display this time of year and use them to recount the birth of Jesus with my two year old daughter. However, since there is no command to celebrate Christ's birth, no one should be condemned for choosing not to celebrate Christmas or associate it with the birth of Christ. I think the most important thing is to remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it." (New American Standard)

There are some who may be offended by the Christian holiday because of its pagan origin. Others may be offended if we do not take time to think of blessings we have in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  In all that we do, may be always be mindful of our ability to influence souls, teach them and encourage them to dwell on the blessings we have in Christ. The birth of Christ is just the beginning of a beautiful story that we can share. Let us continue to share the life of Jesus and the ultimate gift we can have through clothing ourselves in Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). I promise it will be better than anything we unwrap under the Christmas tree ;-)  Merry Christmas!

Soul Knitting

Many of you are probably familiar with the command in Hebrews 10:24 that we "stimulate one another to love and good deeds." I think we all recognize the importance of encouraging one another and the value in it but are we actually doing it?

A few months back I heard a devotional related to the life of David. The text came from 1 Samuel 18 and and verse one really stood out to me because it reads that "the soul of Jonathon was knit to the soul of David and Jonathon loved him as himself." If we want to encourage one another, we have to genuinely care and love each other. We have to remember to "think souls." If we start viewing those we come in contact with each day as souls and not merely people, maybe we will learn to encourage them, care for them and share the gospel with them. Perhaps we will care enough to share the most valuable substance in this world with them - the blood of Christ. And for our brothers and sisters who are in Christ, maybe we will begin fulfilling Hebrews 10:24 because we love their souls and long to grow in unity and strength of our Savior.

Today I pray that I will see souls and not just people; that I will take a good hard look at myself and honestly answer if my soul is knit to yours. I hope you will do the same. Is your soul knit to mine? Let's work on some soul knitting!

And the winner is...

Congrats to Stephannie Berry, the Digging Deep giveaway winner. Thank you all for participating in my first giveaway :) I know we will be blessed through this study.

I have more exciting news...we are all settled in to the new house! I will share pictures later but it has been pretty hectic around here unpacking boxes. Amongst all the craziness, Ellie is still having her "school" time. I found pipe cleaners and colorful beads for a dollar at the Dollar Tree so we have been putting those to use practicing fine motor skills. Ellie has gotten pretty good at stringing the beads on the pipe cleaners so now we are working on identifying color patterns. Did you notice I found another use for parmesan cheese containers? The little holes are perfect for Ellie to pour out a few beads at a time and Mommy likes that :)

Digging Deep in God's Word Giveaway

In lieu of the Cindy Colley "Digging Deep" study I mentioned here, I thought it would be fun to give away the corresponding 3 book series to one lucky reader ;-) These books are great for both individual and group study for women with great real-life application.

Here is a description of each of the three books:

Women of the Genesis by Cindy Colley 

"There is nothing new under the sun! Timely lessons about your marriage, your morality, and your mission taken from ancient women in the Old Testament book of Genesis. You will be surprised at how often you see yourself in the lives of women like Sarah, Rachel, and maybe even Potiphar’s wife. This book gets practical and to the point for Christian women today."

Women of Deliverance by Cindy Colley

"The popular sequel to Women of the Genesis. Women of Deliverance finds the thread of redemption even in the lives of Old Testament women. See life changing experiences in the lives of Rahab and Zipporah and learn to avoid the mistakes of Miriam and Potiphar’s wife when godly men got in the way of their ambitions. Find encouragement, inspiration, and motivation to be the woman God wants you to be. "

Women of Troubled Times by Cindy Colley

"Women of Troubled Times makes even the most obscure women of the Judges come alive at a time when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” How does this relate to our times? How can these lessons be powerful motivators throughout the week when the devil is doing his best to get us off track?" 

Here are the rules:

• Up to 3 entries per person.
• Leave one comment below committing to the year-long Digging Deep challenge that you can find here
• Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook. Then, come back and leave me a comment letting me know you did!
• *Like* this page on Facebook. If you already do, just leave another comment letting me know. 
• The giveaway will run through the end of this month and the winner will be announced October 1st!

Click here to order a set of the 3 book series.

How to Dig Deep for the Meat of the Word

I've been meaning to get this posted for weeks but the whole house building process has preoccupied a lot of time. Speaking of the house, it is really starting to get exciting. The walls are painted and the floors are done. Ellie has already selected which room she wants and then pointed to another room and said Mommy, Daddy and Hannah Rose could have it ;-) We have been so blessed through this whole process and continue to pray that it goes smoothly. It certainly has had its stressful moments and it has tested Chase and I in our relationship with one another and the girls because patience is running a little low. But in the end I just have to keep it in perspective. It is just a house. In the end, it won't matter if I lived in a cardboard box or a perfect house. It is just a house!

Here are some quick pics to update you on the progress. (Sorry for all the shadows but I took them with my phone and the trees seem to shade the house most of the day...which is a good thing except for picture taking!)

Now that I have that out of the way, let me get back to what I have been meaning to share. I've mentioned Cindy Colley in past posts because she is an inspiration to me and the Titus 2:3-5 example that I want to be. Recently, she shared a year long guide for digging deep into the meat of the word of God. Click here and check it out! Really. I'll wait for you.

Assuming you did go check out her site and aren't being naughty and reading ahead, you know that there are assignments for each month that are meant to help us grow spiritually and really dig deep into the Word. I am committing to this year long program and I encourage you to do the same. There are three study books that are included in the program. You can purchase them at a discounted price here. I've read all three in the past and they would be great books for a ladies' Bible study too. I'm looking forward to re-reading them in the coming months. Comment below or message me on Facebook if you have any questions and please let me know if you are committing to this so that we can hold each other accountable. There is a Facebook group for the challenge and it is a great place to ask questions and discuss what we learn along the way. Please join me!

Meditating on the word of God

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

Over the summer, Chase and I memorized 100 scriptures verses - one for each day of the summer. Prior to this challenge, I had not really done any memory work (except a few verses at church camp as a child!).

Let me just say that it was a HUGE blessing to meditate on these scriptures each day. Having God's Word - His Spirit inside my heart has been awesome. I've learned that memory work is not just for children but even more important as we desire to grow. I have also learned that I don't have to posses super memory power - I am horrible at remembering anything. For me, the key has been to continually meditate on these scriptures throughout the week. I wrote all the verses out on index cards and keep them in my diaper bag so that I can flip through them as I wait at the doctor's office or practice them as a family as we drive to town. I hope that you will take the time, if you are not already, to memorize and really meditate on God's word. I plan on adding more verses this fall and look forward to doing memory work with the girls as they grow.

Here are some resources that might help you get started:

• 100 Scripture verses (these are the verses we did over the summer)
• Scripture memory system (another option if you prefer not to keep your verses on a binder ring like I did)
• Memory verses divided by grade level (starting with 1st grade all the way through 12th grade)
• Scripture memorization program for children 5 and under

The Blessing

Last year I read The Blessing by Gary Smalley. This book has helped me to recognize the importance of blessing my husband and my children. Smalley provides tips for doing this daily but also suggests having a celebration each year to bless the individual. Since Chase and I just celebrated our five year anniversary, I decided to use it as an opportunity to bless him. The basic idea is to plan an evening for your spouse that will be memorable as he experiences the love and value you have for him. Here are some ideas that Smalley gives:

• If money is available, consider hiring a sitter and getting away even if "away" is just across town at a hotel
• Plan a special meal based on what your spouse requests
• Communicate your love by expressing your commitment to your marriage and by pointing out several of your spouse's endearing qualities
• Write a story of your marriage recapturing some of the drama and excitement of courtship and each season of marriage
• Include photographs of special times together that bring back memories
• Select everyday objects to communicate things about your spouse through word pictures
• Picture a special future for your spouse by repeating your marriage vows or write new vows to express your love and commitment
• List 10 reasons why you would choose your spouse again as your life partner
• Take extended time to pray together, thanking God for each other and asking Him to keep your love fresh

Considering we are in the whirlwind process of building a house, I wasn't sure how much of this would be feasible - for one day! Chase had to work, oversee construction at the lot, and we had to go shopping at Lowe's (taking advantage of the tax-free weekend!). However, I was able to plan a sitter for the girls so that we could go out for a special dinner date. At dinner, I gave Chase an album of some of our wedding pictures that I edited and had bound into a book.

When we returned home, I presented him with a basket of ordinary household objects that represented Chase. For example, a flashlight because he always guides are family in the right direction, coffee creamer because he makes the ordinary extraordinary, a book because being married to him is like re-reading a favorite book and continuing to learn new things, and....I think you get the idea :)

I then shared my top 10 list of reasons I would marry him again (five years and two children later means the reasons have evolved a little). I also re-read the personal wedding vows that I had shared with Chase on our wedding day and how I see our future together. It was such a fun day and I enjoyed planning every bit of it! 

God sightings

"...we as mothers cannot fathom the mighty works God may accomplish through the tiny babies in our wombs, then in our laps and always in our prayers." -Women of Deliverance by Cindy Colley

In a previous post, I mentioned our family Bible Time. Something else we are working on is "God sightings." When Chase goes to Honduras through Torch Missions, all the volunteers get together in the evenings for a devotional and singing. They also share with each other how they saw Jesus that day. We want Ellie (and ourselves!) to always be mindful of God in the little details of life - from a flower in the yard to the food on our table.

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Whatever...

When it comes to television and movies, does "whatever" go in your household - whatever show, whatever movie, whatever the language, whatever the subject matter? 

When we turn to God's scripture for guidance in our television and movie viewing, we can apply the concept of "whatever" but it is what comes after the word "whatever" that we need to remember:

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8). 

As mothers, we need to be sure that we are filtering all that is being watched in our household. I'd like to share two sources that may help you and your family enjoy more wholesome television and movies. In our home, we use TV Guardian which filters television shows and mutes out any sentences that include inappropriate language. For movies, I'd recommend ClearPlay. Chase and I haven't purchased one because we don't rent very many movies. (Since we use Pay-Per-View, our TV Guardian filters the language of the few movies we do watch.) The great thing about ClearPlay is that it not only filters language, but it also filters sexual content and violence.

Both of these resources are great but just because we remove the "bad" from a television show or movie, doesn't necessarily mean that it honorable or worthy of praise. We need to ensure that we are focusing on activities and entertainment at home that are in line with Philippians 4:8.

"...For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." Matthew 12:34

"Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Tea Time

Those of you who know me very well, know that I love tea parties! For my ninth birthday, my mom planned a Victorian tea party complete with every detail from sugar cubes to tea sandwiches and scones. From there, my love for all things tea-related blossomed.  In college, I frequented the Swan House tea room in Findlay, Ohio (one of my favorite places!). And now, thanks to a friend, I discovered another tea room here in the South.

Devonshire cream, lemon curd
& strawberry jam

Chase accompanying me
to the Swanhouse :)

Glenwood Tearoom
(4 days before Hannah Rose was born!)

I've often had friends over for tea parties at my house but now I've discovered a great ministry idea thanks to Bear Valley Bible Institute. BVBI is a preaching school that also includes a women's program with courses specifically tailored to the role of a preacher's wife.  I would absolutely love to have the opportunity to attend this program. You can view a list of the women's courses offered here. 

I heard about a tea ministry that was discussed in both The Art of Hospitality and Evangelistic Women classes. The woman who does this ministry, takes her tea basket to someone's home and shares tea with them. Their only responsibility is boiling a pot of water! Obviously, it wouldn't have to be tea - you could also bring coffee, pastries, lunch, etc. My preference will always be tea and scones though ;-)

I was inspired by this ministry idea to get my tea ministry "fixings" together. I found an old basket and spray painted it to use for my tea basket. For now, it is mainly used when I'm taking food to someone's house but I hope to someday have my own tea ministry :) Thank you also to my dear friend Helen who just gave me these beautiful hydrangeas! Don't they look perfect in my basket?

Bible Time

One of Ellie's favorite things is our family "Bible Time." As Chase and I set goals for this year, we decided it was time to incorporate family time each day where we pray, sing and read the Bible. Ellie is old enough now that she enjoys hearing Bible stories and will ask for "Bible Time" several times a day! I love her enthusiasm. Shouldn't we all be that excited to pray to our Creator and study His Word?!
 Since she has been learning about Daniel in her Sunday Bible Class, she requests we read about Daniel and the lions all.the.time. I'm trying to expand our Bible stories and was so thankful to find this blog for teaching children. I just finished making the visuals for telling the story of Jonah. All the directions are at their website. I laminated mine so that they will last longer (sorry for the blurry picture!). They even have a song that goes with it that Ellie likes to sing. I love using different visuals for our story time and this is a great addition. Obviously as the girls grow, our "Bible Time" will transition to topics relevant to their age and spiritual growth. As for now, I'm on the lookout for more visual aids for Bible stories :)