Grip of Grace

12 for 2012

2012-01-11T14:54:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize until just yesterday that I hadn't blogged since Christmas - the time just flew by - I actually do have a few things on my blog idea list, but I also wanted to take a little break from the computer. Lately at church we have been talking about giving things up so we can better serve, whether it would be time wise, money wise or stuff wise.

I am feeling like I spend a lot of time on the computer and wanted to have family time over Christmas break with no distractions. Before I knew it January was here and to be honest with our trip to St. Louis I didn't really have a lot of time to reflect on my goals (aka Resolutions) for the new year. In fact - I still have come up with my list..... however - I do know that I want 12 goals for 2012. Over the new two weeks I will be blogging about those 12 goals in hopes to encourage you and to be accountable.

Several years ago I did 31 Resolutions and as I look back I kept at least 15 - so let's see how I do this year - if I have 12 and keep 6 I will be thrilled!! How are you doing with your goals for the New Year?

Advent Adventure #24 & 25

2011-12-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today's adventure will be easy to follow - all you have to do is STOP reading, turn off your computer, and leave it off until Monday morning - enjoy a bit of a Computer fast as you celebrate Christmas with family and friends. And since I will also be doing that - I am going to let you in on tomorrow's adventure - read the Christmas story found in Luke 2. Enjoy some time together as you celebrate the Christ child's birth by attending a worship service together!

Merry Christmas!!!

Advent Adventure Day 22 & 23

2011-12-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

Well I made my best effort to blog from my phone yesterday on my way to my parent's house - however, sometimes my best efforts don't lead to a successful ending...so needless to say - today's advent is a "twofer" as my husband would call it.

Today's adventure is to sit back and enjoy a little holiday cheer right here on your computer - over the month of December Joel has a tradition of posting a new holiday video each day. There are so many different ones to choose from, so today head over to his blog http://www.joelsnyder.net/ and enjoy a little holiday cheer as you are surfing the web, wrapping presents, or just killing some time as you relax and enjoy the evening!

Have a great Friday!

Advent Adventure Day #21

2011-12-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

Can you believe there is only five days until Christmas! Wow - how the time flies! Thankfully I think I am finished with my Christmas and birthday shopping (my hubby is a New Year's Baby). As I laid in bed last night I was thinking about there only being five days and thought today I would have a theme of 5!

For our advent adventure today I am encouraging you to take a moment or two and come up with a list of five things that you are thankful for about each family member.

I am thankful for Joel....
1. I am thankful he is a Godly man
2. I am thankful he is like Mary (I am like Martha) - he chooses relationships over tasks.
3. I am thankful he is compassion and forgiving
4. I am thankful he is an awesome daddy!!!
5. I am thankful he is a man of integrity

I am thankful for Ella....
1. I am thankful that she is fearfully and wonderfully made by God
2. I am thankful she is a happy and content baby
3. I am thankful for the times that I can just sit and watch her smile and chatter
4. I am thankful she sleeps through the night
5. I am thankful she is so loved and prayed for by so many others

and yes I am also thankful for our furry friend - Tucker
1. I am thankful he is good with Ella
2. I am thankful that he listens (most of the time)
3. I am thankful he is a good traveller
4. I am thankful he is likes the dog food that I get on sale with my coupons
5. I am thankful he likes to cuddle (aka he thinks he is a lap dog!)

Advent Adventure Day #20

2011-12-20T10:06:00.000-05:00

I hope you are enjoying the Advent Season as much as we are. It has been so fun to be creating memories and traditions with each other and with our little girl. This past week at our women's bible study we talked about Christmas traditions and we each shared different traditions. One of the traditions that I would really like to start this year is to have a book each Christmas that Ella can open on Christmas eve and we will read it together before she goes to bed. I have yet to pick her book out for this year, but I do already own one of my favorites of the Christmas season - The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

Whether you are a family with little kids or big kids - I believe we never grow too old to have a story read to us.... in fact most of the books in Ella's collection are my favorites that I collect when I was in my Twentys. So tonight grab a Christmas book - or any Children's book and sit down together and read. Maybe even consider starting a Christmas book tradition.

Advent Adventure Day 18 & 19

2011-12-19T09:10:00.000-05:00

I do have another good excuse for not posting yesterday.... it was Sunday! I was resting.... I wish - it was a busy day of ministry concerts and fellowships..... and it is quite funny that yesterday's advent adventure was going to be about attending a concert.

One of the best ways to bring in Christmas is with music - and I especially love listening to Christmas music. If you haven't attended a concert this Christmas season - check out a church or a school near you - I am sure you will find one.

And if you haven't found one but live in our area - our church is hosting a Cantata on Wednesday night at 7:30pm we would love to have you join us.

Now for today's advent adventure..... today I want to challenge you to look at a passage in scripture. Just yesterday we got a Christmas letter and this was on the bottom and I thought it was a great passage for us to read and reflect on as we think about the purpose of Jesus life.

John 1:9-14

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those how believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Advent Adventure Day #17

2011-12-17T11:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Saturday Everyone! Today is family day!! I want to encourage you to spend time today with your family! God has blessed us abundantly with a little girl who brings us joy and today we celebrate his coming as a baby with our baby.

Maybe you don't have a family to spend time with today or over the holidays - remember your church family is your family - call someone up today and ask them to spend time with you... or you can go and join them on a family outing.

Last night we got together as a family and made cookies - not only was the end result and the product wonderful it was a blessing to have those memories and traditions to share. Make a tradition today with your family - maybe it is getting a tree together for those late folks or making cookies together. Maybe it is a road trip, or my favorite going to look at lights.

But whatever you do today - do it as a family!!!

Advent Adventure Day #15 & 16

2011-12-16T09:35:00.000-05:00

Today is a double adventure! I apologize for note getting my blog in yesterday - it was one of those days that I had a bunch of things on my to do list and only got through a couple and by the time I got to my computer it was already 11pm.

So your double adventure today starts with a call to a friend. I have so many friends that live long distance and we don't often get a chance to chat and catch up, so I encourage you today to call a friend that you haven't talked to in a little while and catch up.

Your second adventure also involves a friend - send a message to a couple friends and schedule a time in the next couple days to get together for a meal or a night of games. One thing I have realized over the years is the importance of friendship within my church family. Scripture talks about friendship - "a friend sticks closer than a brother","a friend loves at all times","greater love has no man than this that he would lay down his life for a friend".

Have a friend filled day!!!

Advent Adventure Day #14

2011-12-14T18:06:00.000-05:00

I love getting mail! I will be so disappointed if the post office closes. Our mail isn't delivered to our house so each day I make a trip down to get the mail... if I miss the office hours I literally get frustrated and disappointed thinking I may have missed out on a personal piece of mail (bills don't count).

Just this week we went away for a couple days and the first thing I wanted to do when I got back was to get the mail in hopes of seeing a box filled with Christmas Cards.

This year since our kitchen addition is complete I am hanging the cards from a clothes line that is strung between two doors - I love how it looks.

Today's Advent Adventure activity is to select 3 cards from your pile. You can select them randomly or pick your favorites - either way once you have picked three take some time this evening as a family and pray for that person or family. It is such a joy to know that you are being prayed for.... then after you do that - drop them a message on facebook just so they know you lifted them up in prayer.

Advent Adventure Day #13

2011-12-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

Just the other day I finally got out my Christmas nativity. Despite the dog knocking off the shepherd and breaking his arm (which my mother in law fixed) it finally found a new home instead of being scattered all over my living room.

There is something majestic about the Christmas nativity.... it is so peaceful to look at. Joel's mom collects them and she has close to 200 different renditions of the nativity. But there is another part of me that each year when I put of my nativity I realize that this is not anything close to what it looked like that day Jesus was born.

So for our Advent Adventure today - check out this video we showing at CRUX a couple weeks ago - I think they did a great job revealing the myths behind the nativity. Hope you enjoy it and though I know my nativity is a bit commercialized and does not show the exact picture of his birth - I still love to look at it and display it as a reminder of His coming to the earth as a baby.

Advent Adventure Day #12

2011-12-12T09:03:00.000-05:00

As we have mentioned before Advent is a time of preparation....we look forward to remembering Christ's birth as a baby and we anticipate his return to take us all home. As we look back and remember the story of Christ's birth I want you to take some time to look back and remember your journey to this point. Beth Moore said in one of her studies - you can't have your destiny without your history - we each have been on a journey to this point and that journey has shaped us into who we are.

Today I want to encourage you to get out some old photo albums, maybe an old year book and remember! This journey we have been on up to this point is shaping us into who God wants us to be. Not all the memories will be good ones, but it is often those ones that do the most shaping!

Advent Adventure Day #11

2011-12-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

This past Wednesday we did an Advent activity with our youth group. We had 11 prayer stations set up throughout our sanctuary. It turned out so well! One of the stations that we did was a Shepherd station. Throughout scripture there are many references to us being the lambs and Jesus being the good Shepherd, He teaches us and leads us.

At the station we had several little lambs for the students to pick and reflect on their spiritual journey as lambs - they were asked to then write down who were the people in their life that shepherded them in their spiritual journey as they wrote their names down they were to pray and thank God for them and how they have invested in them spiritually.

Who are your shepherds - the people who have helped to mold and shape you as a Christian - it can be friends, parents, pastors..... take a moment today and drop them a note to say thanks!

Advent Adventure Day #10

2011-12-10T14:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry I am a little later in the day posting this advent adventure, but it has been a busy morning of working and decorating our youth room at church. I hope some of you were able to go out on a light tour last night. My family enjoyed our drive - we saw many beautiful houses and some very unique houses. My favorite house was very unique - I tried to take a picture but it didn't turn out. Their entire from lawn was covered with lighted Christmas gifts of all shapes and sizes - it was really cool! And speaking of gifts.... that is today's adventure.

Many of you today will be shopping, some in our area will be out hunting - either way you can give a gift. One of the best gifts we get each year from a family in our church is meat for our freezer - a couple steaks, some hamburger and other assorted pieces. It saves us lots of money and is very practical. Today I want to encourage you to give a gift of food... maybe to a food bank, maybe to a family in your church or a shelter that is near your home. For those hunters out there - you can share some of your meat with a neighbor or a co-worker - what a practical way to give! It has been a blessing to us so I hope that we can in turn give that same blessing to others!

Advent Adventure Day #9

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

The weekend is upon us and it is time for a big adventure.... but before I start with todays adventure - let me remind you that you have until noon EST to send me a picture of you with your Christmas socks to be entered to win another pair of socks.

Now for today's adventure. Pile in your car with your friends or your family and go on a Christmas light tour. If you evening schedule has you running to pick up the kids - take a different route home to take in some new house lights. As a family take a vote for your favorite house! And if you think of it - take a picture of your favorite and pass it along to me.

I just can't wait for tonight as we take our little girl for her very first Christmas light tour! And if all else fails and you aren't able to get out on a house light tour then check out this video

Advent Adventure Day #8

2011-12-08T07:00:00.011-05:00

I loved Christmas time when I was in school - especially elementary school. As soon as I got my homework done I was given permission to sit at my desk and create a one of a kind masterpiece - a snowflake - or my hope many snowflakes.

There is something so beautiful and creative about a snowflake - maybe it is because no two snowflakes are the same. They so pure and clean and a great reminder of what scripture promises - "though your sins are like scarlet they will be washed white as snow"

Take some time today to create some snowflakes to hang at your home or in your office or maybe the youth room at your church. For those with little kids - just fold the paper and begin creating. For those that would like a little more of a decorative elegant snowflake - I have just the pattern for you. The directions are found here 3D Snowflake Pattern. If you want more snowflake ideas go to a site called Curbly.com for more ideas

Advent Adventure Day #7

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year..... is the song playing in your head yet? I love Christmas Carols - I do usually hold off until Thanksgiving to listen to the publicly however they go through my head as soon as I see the first sign of Christmas and/or winter (whichever comes first).

If I wasn't so shy (I know hard to believe but true) I would just go to random houses and go caroling by myself since it does seem to be a challenge to get people together. So last year I came up with an idea called Phone Caroling - I got a few of my girls from Crux together and we called a dear friend of mine who is also in Youth Ministry - Stephanie Caro. The answering machine picked up and after the tone we sang our rendition of Silent Night.

Well just last week - that same group of girls quickly reminded me that it was time again for our phone caroling call to my friend Stephanie - so the only quiet place to make the call was the bathroom at the church so off we went and as people came in they joined in the singing of Joy to the World. The girls were thrilled and Stephanie was blessed!

Who can you bless today by doing a little phone caroling? It is so easy all you need is a phone and a joyful noise!

Advent Adventure Day #6

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's game day on our advent adventure. Our little girl is too young to understand the importance of family time now, but I know that if we don't get into the habit of doing that now - it will be much harder as she gets older. So tonight I want to encourage you to have family time (if it doesn't fit tonight please schedule a time during this upcoming week!) During your family time - play a Christmas game together. Maybe it is name that tune with Christmas Carols, or Merry Christmas Jumble Words (try to come up with as many words as possible made from the words Merry Christmas) Maybe is a game that you found online.

If you are really bold and want to do a fun messy game you can play one of my favorites - Santa Beard - put shaving cream on someone's face and throw cheese balls at them to see how many you can get to stick! Such a mess but what a laugh you will have. Christmas Tree Dress up - have a volunteer be the tree and dress them up with tinsel, lights and ornaments. If you don't have family of your own - this is your chance to branch out and invite a family over or do this with your youth group!

Have a great time celebrating with your family!

Advent Adventure Day #5

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday Advent Adventurers - during the Christmas season you will find that many people will be sporting Christmas T-shirts, jewelry, and even the imfamous Christmas sweaters, but to me the most important piece of Christmas attire is the socks! I love crazy fun socks and that love is multiplied during the holidays. In fact when I was a Phys. Ed teacher back in the day once a month I would have crazy sock day and my students would get extra credit for wearing their crazy socks to class.

So today - let's pull out a fun pair of Christmas socks and if you dare - wear them with sandals so you can get the full affect. If you want participate in this, take a picture of your feet (with your socks on, of course) and mail it to me for a chance to win another pair of Christmas socks. Just send your picture with your full name and email address to janalynn8@gmail.com Pass this blog along to your friends so they can also have a chance to win. You have until Friday at noon (EST) to send your picture. Help to pass the word by liking my blog or leaving a comment. Let's see if we can get 100 people to participate.

A winner will randomly be chosen on Friday! Can't wait to see your Christmas socks!

Advent Adventure Day #4

2011-12-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the day the Lord has made - let us rejoice and be glad! Today is a very special day in the life of our family... Ella's being dedicated in church today and we couldn't be more excited. While I was pregnant and having some complications in the early pregnancy we felt God's peace knowing everything would be okay and that he had a special plan for our little one. We had countless friends (especially our group of Youth Pastor IT team members) who committed to praying for our little girl! We were overwhelmed to know how much she was loved and prayed for before she was even born.

Today we present her before the Lord and the congregation trusting he will do great things through her - I just know He is going to use her in a mighty way.

As part of our advent adventure today I want you to pray specifically for your children - ask for wisdom in raising them. If you don't have children yet - pray for the ones that God may provide in the future. If children are not on your radar then choose a child in your church and spend time praying for them.

As a special gift to the child - write out your prayer and give it to them - if they are too little to understand read it out loud and save it in a special place for them to look at later. As we think about Jesus coming as a baby what a perfect time to look for a child or an infant around you to lift up to the Lord.

Happy Sabbath Day my friends!!!

Advent Adventure Day #3

2011-12-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday everyone! I know many of you will be heading out to shop today so our adventure for the day includes a little shopping.

One thing I have learned as a new mom is how expensive it is to clothe and diaper a child and thank goodness for breast feeding or I would have that expense as well. This time of year can be hard a new mom especially one who is just trying to make ends meet, so you have an opportunity to help them out just by getting a pack of diapers, a sleeper, a bottle or a container of formula.

Find a Pregnancy Care Center near you and drop off your donation as a family or as a group so they can see the ministry that occurs right in your own neighborhood. I had a great opportunity to work for a center for a year - I had no idea how many expectant mothers came through the center for counseling, support and for baby items that they needed.

As we celebrate the birth of the Christ child this year - think about all those other children that God has blessed our world with and take time to love on them by making a donation!

Happy Shopping!!!

Advent Adventure Day #2

2011-12-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you but there is nothing quite like snuggling up with a blanket, some hot chocolate, some popcorn and the ones you love and watching your favorite Christmas movie. It would be hard to pick a favorite - but I do love How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the old cartoon one).

It is amazing that up until last year I had never seen the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" where had I been all those years that I missed out on that classic? I am sure it will make an appearance this year as well.

Just two days ago I was having a Tastefully Simple party and one of the guests (an Adult) had to leave the party early so she could go home and watch Rudolph. It is just something that we never grow out of I guess.

So call up some friends, some youth group kids, or your family and pick a favorite Christmas movie to enjoy as you sit back relax and enjoy the evening.

Advent Adventure Day #1

2011-12-01T17:44:00.000-05:00

The Advent Adventure Begins today.... for the first day of our adventure I want to encourage you to do some kind of Advent Calendar or Jesse Tree or something that you can do a daily something for Advent. If you don't have anything available maybe that is something that you can make each day so that next year you will have an Advent Calendar to use.

Here are a couple ideas - one of the Sunday School teachers at my other church would do calendars each your made out of felt and match boxes and each of the 25 days before Christmas were filled with tiny gifts or symbols of Christmas that would fit in a match box.

Another idea is to make a Jesse Tree - if you have never heard of a Jesse Tree - you can take a branch or dowel rods and make a tree out of it. Then you will use different items that you hang on string to tell the story of Christmas. Check out the picture above for an example.

Our French class in high school used to sell advent calendars that were filled with Chocolate - that was a fun treat to have each morning during school!

If you have a great advent calendar idea - please share it with us! Happy Adventing!!!

The Advent Adventure is about to begin!

2011-11-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

The Advent Adventure is about to begin.... so please join me and celebrate the season of Advent through creative ways that you, your family, your friends, and your Youth Group can do together to fellowship, to create memories, and most importantly and renew and refresh your relationship with the God of the Universe that came as a baby to save us from our sins. Wow - what a reason to celebrate.

Colossians 3:17 says, whatever you say or do - do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ - so this year whether you are shopping, fellowshiping at friends house, attending or participating in a program we are to be an example of Christ.

So now I invite you to join me in the Advent Adventure Journey - it begins tomorrow and will appear daily until Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child Collection Week

2011-11-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe how the time flies but it is National Collection week once again for Operation Christmas Child - this is a project that we have been involved with for over 15 years..... and this year we are even more excited to introduce the project to our little girl. Though she isn't old enough to know what is going on - she loves to participate even if she ends up just being a cute little baby sitting on the large pile of boxes that were packed yesterday at our packing party.

The party was to go from 2-8 so we arrived around 4:15 to help do some boxes, maybe do some wrapping, but as we walked in the door they were packing the last box - 360 boxes were completed in a little over two hours. How awesome!!! Thank you to Vonna Knouse, Teresa Shaffer, and Rachel Mingle for all your hard work! (and any one else that was in charge that I am forgetting!)

Check out our little video!

Mommy/Ella Time

2011-11-12T16:30:00.000-05:00

I had my first overnight away from my little girl. It was a great get away for me to spend with some girlfriends doing some scrapbooking. So when I returned today all I wanted to do was have Ella time so after feeding her I decided to try on her new snow suit and this is what she looked like..... I know I am biased but she is too cute! And seems to be a little immobile in her new suit!

Thankful November

2011-11-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

Last year my sister in law Michele came up with a great idea. She decided that for each day in the month of November she was going to post something that she is thankful for. I love the idea!!! Not only do I want to steal it - but wouldn't it be great if for the next four weeks we turned our focus towards that positive! You don't have to just say something you are thankful for on facebook - the sky is the limit! You could send a note of thanks to someone by email or snail mail each day of the week. You could also take this idea to your children. Each night at dinner time you could share something you are thankful for.

As I mentioned before - I just love this idea! And when my little girl is old enough I want to be sure I have some special tradition we do in November to remind her how important it is to be thankful. Just last night I was looking at a catalog that had a large tree made of fabric and 30 leaves on it that were numbered and were pockets (very similar to an advent calendar) and each day you put a note or something special that you are thankful for. What a great idea - I would love to make one of those by next year!!

So let me start my month of thanks today - Joel's Sisters

I am thankful for Michele (Joel's sister) not only was she my favorite for the first year of our marriage (that was manditory since she helped me do a bunch of wedding stuff for me) But I am thankful for her friendship to me but also to Joel (they were both single for a while and were best of friends!) Thank you for loving Joel as a best friend, thank you for welcoming me to the family and thank you for using your shopping skills to find me great deals!

I am thankful for Andrea - she loves to love! She gives the best hugs and loves to jump on the bed when at retreats! (long story) Thank you for planting seeds in my mind about how wonderful your brother was, though I was resistant at the time, it was the best gift you could ever give to me!

I am thankful for Melanie - I am thankful for your kind spirit. You are caring and compassionate and you have an amazing gift for decorating! I will always remember the day we were sitting by the pool at the outer banks and you were wondering about Joel and I and if we were going to get married.... oh how fun it is to look back to that time.

Marriage and Ministry

2011-11-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Assuming the Worst

Why is it that I always assume the worst? What do I mean by that? Let me explain…. In the past several years of marriage and in my decade of serving in ministry I find that my mind often goes directly to the negative. For example, if I ask my husband to help me take out the trash and he neglects to do so (or do it in the time frame that I have allotted in my mind) I assume he doesn't care about me and the things I need help with. In ministry I may plan a huge event only to have 5 students show up, then I automatically assume – the kids don’t like me, they don’t like the activity, other commitments are much more important.

Both of these scenerios though drastically different are completely related – they both have to do with my mindset – my negative mindset – and that negativity can easily creep into my marriage or my ministry if I don’t make a conscious change! Assuming the worst is a common plague in our “half empty” that feels that constant need to compare ourselves to those around us. This plague can ruin your marriage and your ministry if you don’t make an effort to make a change.

Here are a few things that I have learned over the years in ministry, marriage and counseling that have helped me pursue truth and not assume the worst.

1. First you need to evaluate the value of what you are dealing with. The value of the relationship or the value of the task. For example, it seems to be rather pointless to spend hours worrying about what someone said about you, your spouse, or your ministry if you do not value that person’s opinions or actions. The same is true about tasks, if I look at the garbage example – in the large scheme of daily life, how much do I really value the fact that my husband may forget to take it out 1 out of 5 times. It sounds crazy but maybe it is not garbage taking out that is your issue but insert your situation and ask yourself that question – how much do I value that task or that person’s opinion in the large scheme of life?

2. Next you must evaluate the action. Did my husband really leave the garbage on the porch and not the curb because he wanted to make a point that he doesn’t like taking out the trash. No – he forgot! There was no vicious action planned to ruin my evening, he just forgot since he is still in his church counsel meeting waffle! How about those youth group kids that never showed up for your big event? Well with a little research I found out there was a big event going on at the school that was planned last minute even though I had checked months in advance to be sure there was no conflict.

3. Give your spouse, your students, and the church the benefit of the doubt. Next time a situation arises take a moment to think before you react (sometimes easier said than done). Find out the facts before you jump to conclusions. Talk to those involved before formulating an opinion.

Assume the best! Just a simple change of mindset can change your marriage and your ministry in minutes!

A Grand Return!

2011-10-31T15:51:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned..... tomorrow I will make my grand return to blogging!!! The two months off for maternity leave has been amazing! I am excited about what I have in store for all my faithful readers! Check back tomorrow for the first official blog! Also my other blog which focuses on MS, Babies, and motherhood will also make its comeback tomorrow you can check that out at www.msbabyandme.com

Have a great day!!!

Mom's Are the Best

2011-08-19T21:21:00.000-04:00

As I prepare to become a mom in less than three weeks I am reminded how greatful I am that I have an amazing mom! Last week I was so blessed that my mom was able to come for five days and help me get things ready for our little one.

There was no job that was too big or small for her - she was worker bee!! She helped me clean, organize, paint, do laundry, and pick out some things for the nursery. She even helped us move our bookshelf and she dusted and cleaned the whole shelf.

She had great ideas and she was willing to help me figure out some things I just had no idea what to do with - the office for instance!

It seems as though becoming a mom has drawn me closer to my mom - that I am so thankful for. She is an amazing woman and I hope that I will be able to raise my little girl in the same way my mom raised her five children.

It was hard to see my mom go home - but I think she will be excited next time she visits to see how great the nursery looks - especially with her little granddaughter in it.

Thanks again Mom you are the best!!!

A birthday Party!

2011-08-17T20:11:00.000-04:00

So today the coolest thing happened. I was sitting in the parking lot at CVS and I got a phone call from a family at our church. She was calling because she wanted to invite us to her youngest daughter's birthday party, but truth be told.... the only reason we were invited to attend was because our "son" was on the guest list.

Can you believe it - Tucker was invited to a four year old's birthday party! I hope she doesn't think he is a pony and try to have all her ride him....hahaha! She just loves Tucker so we are planning to attend with him.

I will hopefully have a few pictures from the party to share later so check back on Monday!

It only took 3 years!!!

2011-08-02T15:55:00.000-04:00

Today marked a momentous occasion for me! After three years, I finally finished reading through the Old Testament of the Bible. There is a part of me that is a little embarrassed that it took me three years to complete this, and it took me this long in my Christian walk to make reading through the Bible a goal of mine.... but then there is the other side - I finally did it!

God's word is so full of instruction for us, and as a young Christian I often avoided reading the Old Testament because I just didn't understand it. Don't get me wrong there is so much that I still don't understand but there is so much in the Old Testament that needs to be read and understood so you can better understand how important Jesus' sacrifice is in the New Testament.

Tomorrow I will start the chronological journey through the New Testament and I am looking forward to seeing how the Gospels flow with one another.

If you have never read through the Bible - I really encourage you to do so! Here are a couple tips that I found useful and maybe they will help you also!

1. During your first time reading through the Bible - choose a chronological Bible that has daily readings - although I often didn't finish a whole days reading at a time, it was great to see it in the order that it happened to better understand the content.

2. If you start to get behind, don't get frustrated and start over. I can't tell you how many times I started over in Genesis, but you have to just keep on keeping on - don't worry that the dates on the top of the page don't match the actual date you are reading - just keep reading.

3. The first time you read through - don't try to study or understand everything. I just tried to read a section and be able to summarize it - My goal is to go back through many more times, but the more I read the more I study. This time of reading was for getting familiar with the content.

Hope these tips are helpful for you as you journey through reading God's word!

Coupon Excitements and Woes

2011-07-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

With the upcoming arrival of a new little baby in our family, with me not working much over the past 9 months, and with remodeling costs that went over budget.... we are recognizing our need to cut costs! So over the past week I have been collecting coupons, looking at flyers, going online and printing off more coupons. I even signed up for several emails that give you couponing tips.

Let me set this up by saying, my goal is not to be an extreme couponer.... my goal is to be a good steward of my time and our finances and save some money. With that being said - after a long morning of organizing all my coupons - I headed out to the stores to get my bargains.

I have mixed feelings about my experience today.... but I know that I am just learning and it will take time to collect coupons, to come up with a system, and to master the tricks of the trade. Anyway - with that being said - here are a few things that I learned today and in the past about couponing!

1. Couponing takes time! It takes several hours to collect and organize, but it took all afternoon to go to all the places that I needed to to get my deals. I had to plan out my route so that I wouldn't have cold items sitting in the hot car. I may be a little over sensitive to being on my feet since I am great with child, but I was exhausted when I got home, so much so that some of my groceries are still sitting on the table.

2. Sometimes you need to spend money to save money....today I saved a lot of money - in fact it was in the hundreds! I saved 1/3 of my costs today - to that I am very excited, but I spent a ton of money! And when you spend a moderate amount at five different stores it doesn't seem like as much - until you come home and add up your receipts - then you kinda get sick to your stomach.

3. Shopping more than once a month can possibly relieve some of that overspending. We haven't been home much so we haven't shopped for food - let's just say we were low! So not only did we have to go out and get the staples, we needed to stock our pantry!

4. Diapers are expensive! Even with coupons! We didn't get many diapers for our shower - in fact I only had one small bag of size one - so we needed to stock up - we spend 100.00 on diapers alone. I did find out that if we sign up for Amazon mom we can get discounted diapers with free shipping but we had some coupons and needed to stock up so we spent the money today - and we did get a lot of diapers - the cost was only 19 cents a diaper when we figured it out.

5. Don't cut coupons for things you don't normally use..... coupons make you feel like you are saving, however many coupons you have to buy three of the product just to get 50 cents off - it is not worth it - especially if you don't have the storage space, or you aren't sure you will like the product.

6. CVS - I saved a ton there today but since we are just starting the couponing journey I realized that I was going to have to spend a little to start collecting my extra care bucks - but now that I have a stash of that - it should be much less expensive.

Well - there you have it! Will I continue to coupon shop? Yes! I will just continue to work towards spending less and saving more. I do feel better now that we are stocked up a bit so I can be making some food and such to freeze for when the little one arrives.

Birthday Blessings

2011-07-08T15:45:00.002-04:00

On this rainy July 8th day - I am finally sitting down to relax for a few minutes before the wedding rehearsal. It has been a busy day of working on camp things and doing a big mailing, not a lot of time to just relax and enjoy. Joel isn't feeling great so he is laying down - and as he did he was very apologetic that this birthday is not very exciting.... but I was quick to respond that my life is filled with blessings, despite the day's schedule. So this year I thought I would start a new tradition - Birthday Blessings. I will come up with a blessing for each year that I am old.... so here goes 36 Blessings!

1. I am blessed that I have a heavenly Father that loves me, forgives me, and cares for me.
2. I have an amazing Godly husband - Joel
3. I have a little girl growing inside of me - to which I am in awe of how God has and will continue to knit her together in my womb.
4. I am thankful for my parents, who took me and loved me as their own.
5. I am thankful for my siblings, and my sibling in laws who make life much more exciting.
6. I am thankful to be an Aunt to 13 awesome "kids" ranging from age 2 - 23 years old.
7. I am blessed to attend a church that loves the Lord, each other, and those around us.
8. I am thankful that I have been able to serve the in 3 foreign countries. (Hope to go back one day)
9. I am blessed to have been a part of so many teenagers lives over the last 15 years - I just pray that I have made an impact for the kingdom.
10. I am blessed to have a house with a beautiful addition - trusting that one day it will get done.
11. I am blessed that we will soon have a nursery (I am thinking positively! Since currently we have no walls)
12. I am thankful for great friends! Friends who despite the miles, you can pick up the phone and it seems like just yesterday.
13. I am thankful for Mission Meadows, Lakeside Christian Camp, and Krislund Camp - these camps were huge parts of growth in my life! I love camp!
14. I am thankful for Mini Vinnie - my car - it keeps chugging along - hoping to get at least 3 more years out of him - if I can still get in and out of him - my next car will need to be a little higher off the ground.
15. I am blessed to have a great dog - who loves people, gets a little excited, but is gentle and protective, can't wait to see how he cares for his little sister.
16. I am blessed that I live in the USA - despite the current economic and political situation we still have more than most and we need to be thankful for what we have.
17. I am thankful for music - it has been my escape at many points in my life, it allows me to enter into worship, it let's me relieve stress, and it brings me great joy!
18. I am thankful for Raspberry Ice Tea - it just makes me happy - I haven't had much during my pregnancy - less than glasses of it - but when I have it - it makes me happy!!!
19. Orange Blossom ice cream has been a blessing during the last 8 months! Can't wait until Cruiser's Cafe has it again!!! (hint hint!!!)
20. I am blessed to have talents - the ability to stand up in front of people and talk without getting nervous, the ability to listen and ask questions to help people find emotional healing.
21. I am blessed to have birth parents who chose life! And were willing to bless others when they knew they were unable to care for me.
22. I am blessed to have hope that despite having MS - God has used it and will continue to use it as part of my testimony of how he changed my life.
23. I am blessed that God continues to provide for us financially even when I am unable to work full time. Why do I worry or ever doubt?
24. I am blessed to have time to sit and reflect on my blessings today as I celebrate 36 years of life.
25. I am thankful for the beauty around me - especially the tiger lillies on the side of the road during the summer months!
26. I am blessed by my In Laws - they are so giving of their time and talents and always willing to help us out.
27. I am thankful for swimming pools and air conditioning on the hot days of summer.
28. I am thankful for our new LED flat screen TV that we got for free from our credit card points because it takes up much less room on our dresser.
29. Thankful that I have a brother who is an excavator so he can come and fix our back yard.
30. Thankful I have a sister who is a landscape architect so she can help me make that yard look nice, and maybe score me a discount!
31. I am blessed because I know that I will spend eternity with Jesus
32. I am blessed because I have a husband who makes me laugh!
33. I am blessed because I have a dishwasher - no joke it really is a blessing to me!
34. I am blessed because I have a beautiful kitchen now that is bigger than a closet - thanks Brian we love it!
35. I am blessed because I no longer have to climb my steep stairs to get a shower!
36. I am blessed because I have life! Abundant joy filled life!

Have you counted your blessings today? You should try this your next birthday!!!

Birthday Blessings

2011-07-08T15:45:00.000-04:00

A humbling experience

2011-06-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

This week I am speaking at the RMC Soccer camp. Most of my speaking is usually with middle school, high school and older.... however I do branch out every once in a while and speak to the elementary level students.

Well this week we are looking at different Bible people that were Champions of faith. As much as I try to have all my information accurate and straight from the word of God, I do make some errors from time to time. Last night was one of those times.

Let me set the scene by saying, I was tired (super tired) and hot and not fully with it - in fact I fell asleep as soon as I got home I was so tired! Anyway - I also have prego brain - you hear stories about women and they forget things while pregnant - I think that is also me!

Anyway - I was talking about Esther - a book of the bible that I feel that I am pretty up to speed on - now don't get me wrong I am not a biblical scholar, but I do my best to bring truth in my presentations. Well as I was sharing I mentioned that Mordecai was Esther's Uncle, and one of the students yelled out - he was her cousin - but I was sure that I had my info correct and insisted that he was her uncle, and told him to look it up.....well needless to say - I was wrong and he was right - after the talk I went to the car and there it was - Mordecai was Esther's uncle. I felt badly - for two reasons - number one - I gave incorrect facts to the students (which by the way I will correct tonight) but I also made it a point that I was correct and the student needed to check their facts. It is very humbling when you have to be corrected by an elementary student!

At least either way you look at it - we know that they were related, it was a harmless miss spoken fact for which I will make right tonight. Oh the joys of speaking! Hoping to get a nap today so I have a bit more energy tonight as well as have my brain a bit more alert so I can keep my facts straight.

Paper Towel Cake

2011-06-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

I was just at a bridal shower this weekend, and I saw the coolest thing - a paper towel cake. As you can see in the picture - they put ribbons around the paper towels and attached some small kitchen utensils as well as some dish towels and to top it off - the centerpiece at was a floor mop - how clever!!! I just had to share this!

Barn Quilts

2011-06-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

I think I am turning into my mother..... but in this case it is truly an honor. My mom is a quilter and she has such a gift with fabric, but recently she has taken that gift and used it with wood and has created this beautiful barn quilt for their barn.

If you have never seen a barn quilt before - they are beautiful! Some places you are even able to take a whole "Barn Quilt tour" I personally have never been on one however, my mom has lots of pictures. It is my hope that by next year (or two) we will have our very own barn quilt attached to the back of our little house as a backdrop for our garden.... but until then I will just enjoy being able to go home and visit my family and see my mom's beautiful creation! And lucky for them - they have another barn which means she is now working on her second barn quilt.

RMC Service at the River

2011-06-06T09:09:00.001-04:00

We didn't have a camera to take pictures but my camera on my phone worked pretty well. This post, these pics, and everything was done on my phone. No computer needed! Check out this video I made on my phone with Animoto

River Service

2011-06-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that it has been two years that I have been attending RMC. How time flies! Today is one of my favorite days of the year on the church calendar.... the River Service. Despite all the rain and storms last night we were able to have our yearly service at the Hoffman lot on the Susquehanna river. It was a beautiful morning - just warm enough with the sun finally peaking through the clouds.

It is a come as you are picnic type service - though I like dressing up on Sundays as a sign of honoring God, I also love and respect that God wants us to come just as we are - and that we did - toting our lawn chairs and our picnic food we gathered at the river.

One of the reasons I love this service is - worshipping the Creator in his creation. I think too often in our busy lives we miss out on what God has for us because we are so busy running from place to place. God talks about "if we don't cry out the rocks will" today we had a chance to proclaim God without the confines of the church walls. Don't get me wrong I love our building and I am blessed that we have it however, I long to be in God's creation and to me it is there that I can fully worship!

Another reason I love this service is the fellowship.... our church members are talkers and this just allows everyone to mingle even longer. We didn't leave until close to 3pm and there were still many families playing games, talking and just celebrating down time with one another. I love it that we provide many opportunities for people from both services to get together!

I can't even begin to guess the numbers in attendance but it seemed like a lot - at least when it came to the length of the food line of which I didn't get in soon enough and was too tired to wait in, but there was at least a little mac and cheese by the end when everything else was gone.

Thank you Lord for your sunshine after the storm! Just as Paul spoke about in his sermon this morning you showed us that with your mighty hands this morning. We are blessed to be called your Children!!

Babymoon....to Williamsport!

2011-06-03T10:03:00.000-04:00

I never heard of a babymoon until recently - basically it is like a honeymoon before the baby comes and you start your new life as parents. To be honest I thought there was no way we would be able to afford to go anywhere this summer due to me not being able to work very much and all the projects (such as the nursery) that we have going on at home.

Also due to the high risk factors in my pregnancy it has been suggested that we don't wonder too far from home. So last week Joel informed me that we would be taking a little trip (a babymoon) to Williamsport. Three nights away! I was shocked and to be honest a little surprised that he chose Williamsport, but thrilled.

We are having a great time! It has been so nice to relax and enjoy some time together. We have enjoyed lunch with the Sweetings at Haywoods on the River - talk about big sandwiches - I wish I would have taken a photo. Then we relaxed in the hotel pool which was nice and warm (but don't worry - wasn't too warm) Then off to Wing Night on the Hiawatha Paddleboat. Oh and not to forget - I also convinced my hubby to take me for ice cream at Bruester's.

What a great time we are having! Today we are off to Alabaster Coffee Company (which a friend owns) and then to shop for an outfit for our little girl to come home in from the hospital! To finish off the day we will to to First Friday which is a downtown late night shoppers and arts festival type thing. Oh and not to forget dinner at Franco's Lounge!

This little get away was just what I needed!! So thankful for a husband that loves me and cares for me - he is going to be an awesome dad!!!

Taraja Ministries Update

2011-05-18T14:08:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that it has been almost two years since the idea for Taraja Ministries came about. I am so honored and blessed that God would chose to use me to share joy and encouragement with countless people over the past 2 years. I have been able to speak at one day events, conferences, retreats and camps.

Another aspect of ministry is the counseling portion. I have really enjoyed getting to know a variety of people through this avenue over the last two years. I am blessed to have an office that I am able to use to see clients. I would have to say that one of my favorite counseling times are those that Joel and I can do together for Pre-Marriage counseling. It is so fun to talk to with couples and help them become aware of some of the things they may face as they begin their life together.

Although I have had to change my ministry schedule quite a bit over the last couple months and the summer months to come because of the pregnancy I am so grateful that I can still do some of these smaller events and still see clients. I have also been able to do some writing for YouthMinistry.com which is a ministry of Group Publishing.

If you would like to hear more about Taraja Ministries or receive my monthly e-newsletter, go to tarajaministries.com I would covet your prayers and support over the next few months as I plan my schedule for the fall and spring as well as begin my new journey as a mother.

Our bundle of Joy!

2011-05-06T23:15:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to give my faithful blog readers a head's up - if you were not aware I have a special blog called www.msbabyandme.blogspot.com - It contains postings and updates on my pregnancy journey. Saturday morning at 9am EST a post will be published revealing what we are having. If you are interested in following our journey or checking out what we are having be sure to go there tomorrow.

We have some friends and family that want it to be a surprise, so we are not posting it directly to facebook. Thanks for understanding and we hope you will check out my other blog!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #40

2011-04-24T05:00:00.001-04:00

It is Day 40 - Which means it is Easter - a day to Celebrate!!! The tomb is empty and Jesus has conquered death. This day should be the greatest day of the year!!!! My the Lord of all Creation and the Lord that Resurrected from the Dead transform your heart and your mind this year to come!

Luke 24:1-12 (New International Version, ©2011)

Jesus Has Risen

¹ On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words. ⁹ When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. ¹¹ But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. ¹² Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #39

2011-04-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that Easter is tomorrow... but that is the truth! I hope you are able to spend some time with your family this holiday weekend, but more importantly I hope you are able to spend some time with your Savior this weekend as we celebrate His victory over the grave!

The scripture today comes from Isaiah 53:5

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed"

Forty Days of Lent - Day #38

2011-04-22T18:30:00.000-04:00

It is Good Friday and this morning I had the priviledge of reading stories to kids during our churches Eggstravaganza - in the process of telling the stories - I was able to share about the greatest true story that happened 2000 years ago. I was first told it was Earth Day to which I said - no - but then was quickly corrected because today is in fact Earth Day - I am not smarter than a second grader after all. We did go on to talk about Good Friday and what that meant - it was a very meaningful time for the kids and for myself.

Luke 23:44-56 (New International Version, ©2011)

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁴ It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵ for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”^[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸ When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. ⁴⁹ But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴ It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. ⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #37

2011-04-22T18:23:00.000-04:00

Instead of my typical scripture today I am posting the words to my favorite Easter Hymn - there is just something about this song that grips my heart - as you think about Jesus sacrifice this Good Friday - let your heart be filled with gratitude for his amazing gift to us - the only thing about that day that made it good, was what happened on Easter Sunday!

What Wondrous Love Is This
By: American Folk Hymn

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #36

2011-04-19T22:10:00.000-04:00

It seemed that I should have picked this scripture on Sunday but alas I am a few days behind in my mind I guess. So consider this palm Sunday scripture even though it is Tuesday.

Luke 19:28-38 (New International Version, ©2011)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” ³² Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. ³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”
³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[a]
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

His entry into Jerusalem though it was triumphant was the start of what would change all of our lives forever. Take some time this holy week to reflect on this thought.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #35

2011-04-17T11:12:00.000-04:00

This is the day that the Lord has made - I will rejoice and be glad in it. The sun is shining after a long hard rain, it is a reminder of God's faithfulness. We are headed to see my family today and we can't can't wait! My first long trip (okay not really too long - 3 hours) in four months.

The scripture this morning comes from:

Luke 4:1-13 (New International Version, ©2011)

Luke 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.”
⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:
   “‘He will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
¹² Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Jesus spent forty days in the desert and fasted the whole time. At the end of his time there the bible says he was hungry - I would be starving! At the point of his physical weakness - he is tempted by Satan. Isn't that how it usually always works for us - when we are at our weakest that is when we are the most vulnerable. But Jesus through scripture was able to overcome the temptations. A powerful example to us as believers to know God's word so we will be ready to defend ourselves at our our point of greatest weakness.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #34

2011-04-16T09:10:00.002-04:00

It another Psalm Saturday. Enjoy the words of celebration as we consider Jesus victory over the grave!

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
² Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #33

2011-04-15T20:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! It's the weekend and today was a beautiful day! Thankful for the sunshine and a little time to go for a walk with the dog and just enjoy the beauty of God's creation!

The scripture for today come from

Romans 13:6-7 (New International Version, ©2011)

⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

This was the verse of the day from biblegateway.com - which is a great resource for looking up scripture. Anyway I think it is an appropriate verse for today which is typically tax day - although this year they moved it to Monday. But so often I complain about having to pay taxes and bills and such. But the reality is that we are called as Christians to honor and respect the government and its taxes. Though I am not a fan I know there is a purpose and I have to pay them so I might as well pay them without complaining!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #32

2011-04-13T09:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Rainy Wednesday everyone! Joel keeps reminding me that April showers bring May flowers - well I am ready for those flowers for sure!

Our scripture this morning comes from Lamentations.... maybe not a book you spend a lot of time reading but this scripture stuck out to me.

Lamentations 3:55-58

"I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: Do not close your ears to my cry for relief. You came near when I called you and you said, "Do not fear. O Lord you took up my case; you redeemed my life."

Isn't it encouraging to know that when we are down and out (let's just say we are lamenting) that God hears our cries. But not only does he hear them, he does something about them, and redeems us in the process. I know there have been times where I felt as though I was crying out but God was not hearing my cry. Then I am reminded that he hears my cry, and cares for me - but it may not always be how I think he should - therefore it feels as though I am alone or he has abandoned me. He promises never to leave me nor forsake me! And my God is a God who fulfills his promises!!!!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #31

2011-04-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

I tried to blog yesterday but my computer locked up! Urgghhhh so now I am a little behind but that's okay because I have some extra days built into my 40 days of Lent.

The scripture for today is from Revelation 22:17

"The Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

I can't read this passage without getting chills - I love the invitation that Jesus gives to us! Come and drink of this water - it's free and life giving. It reminds me of the time when Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman at the well. It is one of my favorite accounts in scripture. Jesus is asking you here to Come! Come to him - come into His presence! Have you stepped away from God - here is your invitation to return - COME!!!!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #30

2011-04-09T09:40:00.000-04:00

It is once again a Psalm Saturday! So here is a Psalm to start out your day! I hope you will be encouraged as you earnestly seek Him!!

Psalm 63

    A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. ¹ You, God, are my God,
   earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
   my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
   where there is no water.
² I have seen you in the sanctuary
   and beheld your power and your glory.
³ Because your love is better than life,
   my lips will glorify you.
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
   and in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
   with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
⁶ On my bed I remember you;
   I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help,
   I sing in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you;
   your right hand upholds me.
⁹ Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
   they will go down to the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will be given over to the sword
   and become food for jackals.
¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God;
   all who swear by God will glory in him,
   while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #29

2011-04-07T09:51:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone. I hope you are able to enjoy a little time in God's word today as we approach the Easter holiday. I was skimming through my facebook this morning and found these verses as someone's status and thought it was a great scripture for the day.

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:25-26

I wish I could say that this is true for my life - that I don't desire anything but God. I find myself all too often getting caught up in what I want and not getting caught up in God himself. Or sometimes I do get caught up wondering what it is that God wants....which sounds like a good thing but at the same time I miss out on knowing God. There is a difference between wanting to know God's will for your life and wanting to know God himself. I pray today that you will long to know God himself!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #28

2011-04-06T20:45:00.000-04:00

Still hoping to feel better by tomorrow.... but I have a scripture for you tonight. 2 Chronicles 20:17

¹⁷ You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

It is not our job to fight the battles - that is God's job, it is our job to stand firm in Him so that his power becomes perfect through him. We aren't to fear tomorrow - we are to trust! God will be with us! It is part of his promise and one thing I am sure of.... God never breaks his promises!!!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #27

2011-04-05T19:00:00.000-04:00

Today has been a rough day - sick again! Fever, cough, and congestion - let's just say I am not feeling well. So tonight instead of you getting a scripture from me. I want to hear from you about a favorite passage of scripture that has stuck out to you in the past few months. Let me know why it is meanful and don't forget to include where it is found. Who knows maybe it will make an appearance on one of the next 13 days!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #26

2011-04-04T19:18:00.000-04:00

It's Monday - It's April and it's a beautiful day!!! I hope you were able to take time today to enjoy the spring weather.

Our scripture for today is from Luke 2:52

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men"

This is a scripture I use almost yearly at the beginning of the new year and I am challenged to see if I am living like Jesus in these four areas. Wisdom - am I learning more about God and his word. Stature - am I taking time to care for the physical body body that is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Am I growing in my relationship with God and am I seeking out building relationships with others as well. That is my prayer for you to live out those four areas of your life!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #25

2011-04-02T14:37:00.000-04:00

It's a Psalm Saturday - This week is Psalm 40 - if you get a chance take a listen to the song 40 by U2 and redone by Starfield - you will be blessed!

Psalm 40

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.

⁴ Blessed is the one
   who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.^[b]
⁵ Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
   but my ears you have opened^[c]—
   burnt offerings and sin offerings^[d] you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
   it is written about me in the scroll.^[e]
⁸ I desire to do your will, my God;
   your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
   I do not seal my lips, LORD,
   as you know.
¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
   I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
   from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
   may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles without number surround me;
   my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, LORD;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.

¹⁴ May all who want to take my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #24

2011-04-02T14:15:00.000-04:00

Again I am one day late on my daily blog, but yesterday was a long day!!! Very long - but good. If you want to read more about it check out my other blog at msbabyandme.blogspot.com

This is my verse for Friday - April 1st

James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

This verse has been so meaningful to me as I have gone through life's ups and downs and as I look back over the past several years, I can see a plan for beauty in the midst of my pain. I am so thankful for a God that walks with me through the hard times and brings me joy!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #23

2011-03-31T21:50:00.000-04:00

Today our scripture will be short and sweet yet profound....

Phillipians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"

I love the simplicity of this verse, but more importantly I love the meaning... in order to know what it means, let's look at what it doesn't mean.... I doesn't mean that we will have super powers, it doesn't mean that we will get everything we want, it doesn't mean we won't have problems. What it means is that Christ walks through life with us and promises never to leave us - our strength comes from him.

I used to write this verse on the hand of one of my basketball players before every game. It is just such a good reminder - not only is God my strength but I need to remember that I am representing Him when I step out on that court.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #22

2011-03-30T08:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! I hope you are feeling encouraged as you look to the Lord today for your strength and your guidance.

Our scripture this morning comes from Phillipians

Philippians 2:12-18

Do Everything Without Grumbling

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.¹⁷ But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸ So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

This is another in your face passage of which I need to be reminded of on a daily basis. "Do everything without grumbling or complaining" - sounds simple but yet it is so hard. Our sinful nature wants to complain - wants to be selfish - and sometimes the place that we complain about the most is the church! When you are married to a pastor you see and hear how much complaining really happens. What if for this week - we only said positives - that we focused on building up instead of tearing down. Don't get me wrong I am not saying that constructive critisism doesn't have it's place, but I am saying that if we don't have a solution for the problem that we are complaining about - then we should keep it to ourselves!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #21

2011-03-29T16:04:00.000-04:00

So today I learned something new about different traditions during lent. I was told that today is the 18th day of lent and not the 21st.... I learned that Sundays are not included in the 40 days the lead up to Easter. Each Sunday then in Lent is a celebration of Easter.... so interesting - I never knew that. So my apologies for those that may be reading and have noticed that my lent count does not match yours. My focus is to do 40 days in a row of scripture, because of Jesus forty days of sacrifice in the desert. So you will find that when Easter week (Holy Week) comes around I will still be counting and if I counted correctly we will be up to 47 days when we reach Easter Sunday. I hope my count doesn't mess you up and you will all show me grace as you now understand the method of my scripture madness (kinda like March Madness, but no one loses in this one).

Our scripture for today comes from ....

Luke 10:38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This passage is so convicting to me - I am a Martha! I am reminded of that daily as I so often value tasks over people. My husband - is so much more a Mary - he always values people over tasks and though it often frustrates me - I know he is choosing what is better. I am afraid that if Jesus were to come to my house I would be so busy making sure he was fed, and was comfortable that I would miss sitting at his feet. I need to focus on that this week. Who are you more like? I would love to hear you thoughts on this one.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #20

2011-03-28T09:55:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe we are already half way through Lent - So happy hump day everyone. This weekend we were blessed to have Sue Thomas - former secret weapon of the FBI come to our church and share, Joel and I even had the priviledge of taking her and her assistant to Cruisers for lunch - she loved our fries and bison burgers! Anyway - she shared how God spoke to her through Hosea 14 - so I thought today I would share that with you.

Hosea 14

Repentance to Bring Blessing

¹ ^[a]Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.
   Your sins have been your downfall!
² Take words with you
   and return to the LORD.
Say to him:
   “Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously,
   that we may offer the fruit of our lips.^[b]
³ Assyria cannot save us;
   we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
   to what our own hands have made,
   for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

⁴ “I will heal their waywardness
   and love them freely,
   for my anger has turned away from them.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
   he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon
   he will send down his roots;
⁶ his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
   his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
⁷ People will dwell again in his shade;
   they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like the vine—
   Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
⁸ Ephraim, what more have I^[c] to do with idols?
   I will answer him and care for him.
I am like a flourishing juniper;
   your fruitfulness comes from me.”

⁹ Who is wise? Let them realize these things.
   Who is discerning? Let them understand.
The ways of the LORD are right;
   the righteous walk in them,
   but the rebellious stumble in them.

The subtitle is Repentance to Bring blessing - how true is that - I love this passage because you see God's goodness and blessing for his people because they have turned away from their sin and turned to God. How would our lives look different today if we took the time to take to God our unconfessed sin? I want to live a blessed life, but in order to do that I know I must wade through my mess of mistakes and sin and take them to the cross!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #19

2011-03-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Is that how we started the day today? I must say when the alarm was going off I was just thinking how my head hurt - how long my day would be, and what I needed to get done before heading to church, which didn't go as planned since the keys to my car were already at the church in Joel's pocket....thankfully for my friend Bonnie - she came and took me to church.

The scripture for today is

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

This is my prayer for all of us this week as we soon close up our weekend and head into the craziness of the week ahead. I pray that we will find our strength in God and that at the mention or thought of His name - our heart would leap for joy! And our face will shine the joy of Jesus!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #18

2011-03-26T10:07:00.000-04:00

It is a Psalm Saturday!!! To me one of the best places to turn for encouragement is the book of Psalms - there seems to be at least one for every feeling or emotion.

Today is one of my favorites.....

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The words speak for itself - take some time to be still today!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #17

2011-03-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! I hope and pray that this scripture this morning will encourage you in your journey with the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans you have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This verse brings back a great memory of my time in Africa. While in Kenya for a month we worked with a group of street boys that were taken off the streets and given a home in the bush called the Taraja Home. These boys had seen and experienced more in their short live than I could ever have imagined. They had very little material possessions, many only had one shoe - but for them it was great because they could kick better in "football" aka soccer. Upon meeting these boys they would introduce themselves and say my name is Steven Embogo and I love Jesus! These boys lived out faith in a way that I had never experienced.

This verse that I am using today is a verse that many of the boys had memorized and during their chapel times they would stand together and recite it - believing and trusting that God trully did have an amazing plan for their lives. They had nothing but in Christ they had everything - we have everything but in the midst of that I think we forget Christ.... where are your priorities today?

Forty Days of Lent - Day #16

2011-03-25T09:44:00.000-04:00

Good morning friends! This is the scripture verse for yesterday, it is just appearing today. As I was opening up my Bible this morning this verse popped out to me. Hope you find a challenge and encouragement from it today.

Psalm 86:17

"Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me"

Do you believe that God is good? Do you believe that God still shows Himself to us and to others? How often to we pray for God to show himself not just to us but to others, maybe others that critise us and God. We need to pray that God would show his goodness to the world around us. I struggle doing this at times because I feel there can be a fine line between asking God to show himself and testing God. Ask God to show himself to someone today - but then don't be amazed when He does it - I end with this quote by Louie Giglio - "We, so often, expect the usual, while claiming our God is supernatural!"

Forty Days of Lent - Day #15

2011-03-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

Rain and Snow - it is March in Central PA - I did hear someone say today that in like a lion out like a lamb and lambs are white and fluffy just like snow.... anyway on to our scripture of the day.

1 Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

This was our theme verse one year for our tennis team at Messiah College. We liked the idea of serving having ties to our sport :) Anyway - this verse is a great verse to memorize. If we are going to speak - we need to speak truth! If we are going to serve - we must serve as Jesus did - without selfish motives. Our lives are to point to Christ, so he gets the glory and not us. That was our goal when we stepped onto the court in college - we wanted people to know that we were going to be honest, do our best, and reflect God in all that we did so when others played us they would see that we were different. Do people see that you are different when you step onto the court, into the playing field, when you walk through the door. Today is a day to get that in check!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #14

2011-03-22T14:36:00.000-04:00

It is Tuesday and the sun is shining through the windows, but I am stuck in bed with Strep Throat - yuck - despite being sick it has been a good productive day of writing! Now for our scripture for today....

Colossians 1:15-20

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

God became flesh! He wrapped himself in flesh and came to dwell among us. Have you taken time to think about how big of a deal that is....Jesus is God! Jesus walked on this earth, he was tempted, he experienced emotions...he was God! As I read this scripture I am blown away by the "Rare" Jesus (as Doug Fields calls him) This man was fully God but fully human! Only God could do that. This same Jesus mentioned in this scripture is the Jesus that loves you, that died so that you could have life, and have it abundantly! Do you know that Jesus? Are you living your life for that Jesus? If not, why not start today!!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #13

2011-03-21T09:09:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday - This is the day that the Lord has made - we will rejoice in be glad in it - is that your prayer to God this morning - despite the rain and despite feeling sick? Our scripture this morning comes from Phillipians.

Philippians 4:4-9

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This passage is so full of direction for us as followers of Christ - simple yet profound instructions. Rejoice in God despite your circumstances.... be gentle to all (that is a tough one for me). Don't be anxious (is it possible to be a woman and not struggle with that), but instead PRAY! Simple - yet so hard to do at times. Paul then goes on and gives us a list of what is good and what we should be thinking about - let's think about those things today and put them into practice!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #12

2011-03-21T09:01:00.000-04:00

Once again playing catch-up - Sundays are busy days at the church and by the time I got home I just crashed. Needless to say I didn't get to post yesterday like I had hoped.

Our scripture for the day is from Ecc. 4:8-12

⁸ There was a man all alone;
   he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
   yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
   “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
   a miserable business!

⁹ Two are better than one,
   because they have a good return for their labor: ¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
   one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
   and has no one to help them up. ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
   But how can one keep warm alone? ¹² Though one may be overpowered,
   two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

This was the passage of scripture that we used at our wedding. I love this scripture because it shows the importance of relationships. The cord of three strands mentioned at the end of the image of Christ woven into your relationship. Relationships are hard - but when Christ is your focus as a couple you have a foundation that can not be shaken!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #11

2011-03-19T11:25:00.000-04:00

I was up early this morning - and I will be honest - I wasn't too happy about it - I had a bad attitude and I felt crappy, and I had to go to the church to lead worship - let's just say I didn't have the right mindset and my heart was not in the right place. As I was sitting there I asked God to give me a soft heart and prepare me to lead. Then a pastor got up and shared this classic verse.

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it"

I was immediately convicted! I didn't start my day off giving it to God, and you could tell! How often do we wake up and grumble about the days activities that lie ahead of us - instead we need to start the day reciting this verse and giving the day to God, because after all - it is his day!

My challenge to you today is for the next week - say this verse first thing when you get up in the morning - see how it changes your attitude towards that day ahead!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #10

2011-03-18T10:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! Today our scripture comes from I Thessalonians 2:8

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well"

This was our theme verse when I was a Young Life leader. One of the things that I have found to be true in life is that people are more willing to listen to you and the Gospel when you have shared life with them. The idea of earning the right to be heard. We can't just go around preaching at people without investing in them. Taking care of their physical and emotional needs as well as the spiritual needs. Jesus did that in every encounter that he has with people. He loved people and cared about their needs and asks us to do the same.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #9

2011-03-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

Totally forgot to do my post yesterday! My goal for the rest of lent is to be daily with my posts! Hope you are encouraged by God's word.

Today's scripture is a from II Corinthians and is one of my life verses. II Cor. 12:9,10

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

There is something so attractive about God's grace! It is undeserved loved! We can't earn it, it is given to us as a gift. Some of us chose to accept that gift and live our lives forgiven, however so many deny the gift and live a life that is seeking something other than God.... have you accepted the gift of God's grace

Forty Days of Lent - Day #8

2011-03-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

Today the scripture chosen focuses on prayer... it is a section of scripture that Paul is encouraging the people of Colosse on how to pray and also to pray for him.

Colossians 4:2-6 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

There are so many great biblical truths and encouragement in this passage of scripture, however I want to focus just on one in particular. Paul is preaching the word and he has asked the people of this church to be praying for him because it is hard. I think this scripture is a good reminder that we need to be praying for our pastors. That they would "proclaim it clearly". It is a hard job being a pastor - I have worked for a church and I am now married to one. Criticism runs rampant in the church, but the sad truth is that pray doesn't. We would much rather criticize that pray, or step up to help. Today I want to encourage you to do some searching of your heart...are you praying for your pastor? or are you criticizing and complaining?

Forty Days of Lent - Day #7

2011-03-15T10:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday friends! Our verses for today are from a very familiar passage.

Matt. 5: 13 - 16 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put in on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Though this is a familiar passage - too often we read and we never change anything about out lives. This whole idea of salt was very different in bible times than it is today. We salt our food to give it flavor, so it does have a purpose, but it is not a necessity. In bible times - without salt they would starve. Salt was used to preserve the food. And it is our job as Christians to help preserve those around us! Jesus you ARE the salt of the earth - it is not optionally - you don't get to chose if you want to be it or not - you are to do it! Are you being obedient to God's call to be salt?

Forty Days of Lent - Day #6

2011-03-14T09:31:00.000-04:00

It is Monday - a new day and a new week! For me I can't think of a better way to start the week than with a Psalm to get our hearts focused on the Joy of the Lord. I hope this scripture encourages you this morning.....

Psalm 96

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song;
   sing to the LORD, all the earth.
² Sing to the LORD, praise his name;
   proclaim his salvation day after day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
   his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
   he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
   but the LORD made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
   strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   bring an offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;
   tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
   The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
   he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
   let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
   let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes,
   he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
   and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #5

2011-03-14T09:27:00.000-04:00

Oops I forgot to post this yesterday... with all the craziness in my life - sorry! Anyway here is yesterday's verse - just think of today as a two for one scripture deal.

Isaiah 6:1-3

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

This my friends is our call as Christians!!! This is how we are to serve others and share Christ - with our actions - we can't just talk about Jesus - we need to be Jesus!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #4

2011-03-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

Today's scripture is one of the first verses that I memorized... it is a classic (if you can call a scripture that) Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight"

Such a great verse.... with a simple straight forward message - yet in all honesty - it can be one of the hardest verses to follow and live out. As selfish controlling people it is really hard for us to trust - we say we trust, but when push comes to shove we rarely fully trust God - we trust ourselves. Today - transfer your trust to the rightful owner. Relinquish control - and let him give your life direction.

Forty Days of Lent - Day #3

2011-03-11T12:15:00.000-05:00

Our verse for today is Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

This is the verse that I will be using this weekend as we head to Wesley Forest for the first ever Taraja Ministries Crafting retreat. I am so excited about what God has in store for this weekend get away. Since we will be crafting I thought that this verse was a great reminder that we are also crafted! By the creator of the Universe. How awesome is it to think that the One who created the heavens also created you.

Today I want to encourage you to stand in awe of the One who created you! And he created you to do good works!!!

I will be showing this video while we are there - it is a bit long - but worth every minute!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #2

2011-03-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Our verse for today comes from Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

I love the Psalms because they are just honest, heartfelt cries out to God, mostly from David but some others as well.

This verse is a longing to know God's path for your life. Have you thought about that - do you long to know where he wants you? It can be a scary thing to long for and pray for - because I think as Christians we have a fear that he might send us somewhere uncomfortable. I know that from experience - it is hard to trust God and leave a place that is safe and familiar for a new place - but God is so faithful we need to trust him in that.

It also talks about being guided in truth - the truth is in God's word - if we aren't in his word how can we know truth and how can we know his will. When was the last time you studied God's word? I am guilty of not doing that enough!

So today I challenge you to get into the Word of God - long for truth and knowledge!

Forty Days of Lent - Day #1

2011-03-09T08:56:00.002-05:00

After a month hiatus I have returned to the blogging world, just in time for my Lenten Series. The last month has been a bit crazy here, but it is nice to return.

Lent is the time of year when you hear about a lot of people giving up things for 40 days. This is a tradition for many churches - however there are many churches that do not formally celebrate lent. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter, it represents the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert. People are then encouraged to fast from something to draw them closer to God.

Though our church does not formally celebrate Lent - I have over the years given up something or tried to add something to my daily schedule that would draw me closer to Jesus. I have given up some crazy things - one year I gave up going to Walmart, another year I gave up dating. On the other side of adding a spiritual discipline - one year I did a prayer journal each day of lent, read a chapter of the bible each day.

This year I am going to do a scripture meditation. Each day during Lent I will have a different scripture posted and a few thoughts about that scripture and maybe a question or two to think about. I hope and pray that you will join me as we venture through scripture this lenten season.....not just going through the motions but allowing God to draw us closer to Jesus each day.

Our scripture for today is....Galations 5:13 - "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedoms to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."

That has been our theme verse at church over the past two months - this idea of service is to be a part of who we are and how we live our lives. People will not always listen to what you have to say as a Christian - however, there is a guarantee that they will be watching what you do! Joel and I have experience the receiving part of service so much over the past two months much of which has been spent on bedrest. We are so thankful for people reaching out to us and loving on us - it is humbling!

As you reflect on this scripture today, ask yourself - when was the last time I served someone? Would you consider doing something for someone today?

Joy in Simplicity - #29

2011-01-31T18:47:00.002-05:00

Simply Love - how do we live out the trait that Jesus said is the greatest of these: Love.... in a world that doesn't value loving others above yourself, how do we go against the flow and show love to others.

Several years ago I read a book that was life changing for me. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman... it helped me to see giving and recieving love in a whole new way. I learned that not everyone needs words of affirmation like I do (that is my love language). Each person has a primary and a secondary love language. Loving a person in their love language helps us to fill their love tank.

I use this book and concept with all the couples that I do marriage counseling for. It can be revolutionary for a marriage. In fact I have not only used it in pre-marriage counseling but with couples who are having problems and it has changed their marriage.

But it is not just a romantic love, it works for everyone - children have love languages....ask anyone who has several children - they will tell you how different they are. One may be very much a cuddler, the next may need to know you think they are doing a great job. When we fill others love tanks they are better able to in turn love others.

The love languages include Words of Affirmation, Gift Giving, Quality Time, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Which is your love language? Which one is your spouse, your kids? Take a little time and find a love language test online to help you figure it out, or better yet - read the book - it is awesome!

This changed how I taught my students, and how I did ministry, and it makes a huge difference in my marriage to understand Joel's love language is not mine, it takes a little more effort but the more we feel loved the more connected we are as a couple.

Joy in Simplicity - #28

2011-01-31T18:30:00.002-05:00

When I was in college I spent a lot of time studying and talking about exercise and physical fitness. Since I was a health and PE major that makes total sense. However one of my favorite things to talk about in the midst of all the Kinesology and Physiology was PLAY! The basic premise of the importance of playing.

Playing is a simple yet essential part of our life as humans. We need play to help us develop motor skills, to help us develop relationships. Play is not sports, play is not competition - though both of those things can be a part of play - they do not define play.

Today I want to encourage you to allow play to be part of you life. Play is not something that is limited to children, it is something that as adults that are so filled with deadlines and responsibilites - we need play all the more!

Tomorrow we are expected to get a big snow storm....my solution for the snow - PLAY - go outside and build a snowman - have a snow ball fight with your family - make snow angels. But take time to play! It is essential for our health and our well being!

Joy in Simplicity - #27

2011-01-28T16:52:00.002-05:00

Today I want to talk about a must have. Which is kinda funny when so much of this blog series is about simplifying your life and getting rid of things. Today I want to encourage you to have something.... an "Encouragement Box."

What is it? For me it is an old cardboard box that I wrote on with a marker that says Encouragement Box - kinda crazy if you knew how much I love baskets and containers. But it is what it is. For other people it may be a pretty decorated basket with a lid, or a modgepodged box. It is filled with letters, cards, and special notes of encouragement.

Why is it a must have???? Because we all have bad days. We all have those moments in life when we feel like we just aren't making a difference in anyone's life. It is those days that I pull out my box and just pick out a couple letters from people I love that have poured out their love for me through a letter or card.

I cherish that box! Well, I actually cherish the words in the box. Those words help me get through those days!

If you are more of a computer person, you may want to have a special folder on your computer for those special emails of encouragement. Two of my youth ministry friends have two very different names for those files. The one girl calls it her "Smile File" and the guy calls it his "I Suck" File - so opposite but yet for each of them it works - he calls it that because when he is feeling like he sucks he reads that and feel better about himself.

So what are you waiting for - start a box today!

Joy in Simplicity - #26

2011-01-28T11:58:00.002-05:00

Have you looked in your medicine cabinet or bathroom closet lately.... I have (just in passing) and oh the stuff that I never use! I have facial scrubs, and lotions, and samples, and dried up nail polish, you name it I probably have it. I can't tell you when was the last time I purged those products.

I don't know why I always feel the need to save things just because someone gave it to me. I have lotions - from when I was a teacher at Clearfield - I hardly ever even use lotion except maybe during the winter time. I have great intentions it just never happens, they just sit there.

I will feel guilty no longer! If it is over five years old - I need to get rid of it! If I haven't used it I probably won't. Next time I get a smell that I am not fond of - instead of letting it sit on my shelf I just need to give it to someone who will enjoy it.

With my job I do a lot of traveling, so hotel samples have become something that I have collected. I figure I am paying for them I might as well use them. But I have established some rules.

Here are a couple ideas for your samples:

1. Put them all in one bottle, so you don't have 100 little bottles laying around.

2. Donate them to a local shelter - they are always in need of beauty supplies.

3. Soaps - I always collect my soaps and use them for my OCC shoeboxes! I take my own soap with me so I can collect all my samples while I am there then I just put them in my OCC tub.

4. As far as the other stuff in the closet - if I am not using it - I need to get rid of it!

5. While you are at it - check the expiration dates on your meds - if they are outdated - pitch them too!

Hope this will help you de-clutter your space! As soon as I am allow out of bed - I am all over this task!

Joy in Simplicity - #25

2011-01-28T11:15:00.002-05:00

Today I thought I would do a nutritional simplicity blog..... as most people know by now. I am expecting! We are so excited! However due to a few minor complications I am on bed rest. But it will be so worth it. Tomorrow will be 8 weeks! I am hoping to start up my MS, baby, and me blog again soon. Maybe today - stay tuned for that.

Anyway - one of the things that tell you to do when you are pregnant is to drink lots of fluids - in fact - they want you to drink 64 oz. at day! Wow that is a lot! I must admit that for the first couple weeks I totally failed at that one. But I have turned over a new leaf and it makes a difference for sure.

I think in general we just don't drink enough water every day. I am going to be honest I would much rather a raspberry Ice Tea any day than water, but I have gone almost a whole month with not one Rasp. Ice Tea (because of the caffeine) I think I may have been a bit addicted - I love the stuff. But water is better.

How are your water drinking habits? A regular person (meaning non a pregnant person) needs to also drink 64 oz. of fluids a day...gosh where have I been - I have rarely ever done that, but to be honest I think it is making a difference and I am losing weight - just a few pounds which is healthy don't worry.

Consider the water challenge - try to see if you can for one week drink 64 oz. of water a day. I am guessing you will feel better, and save money all at once. Simple yes - life changing you better believe it!

Joy in Simplicity - #24

2011-01-26T15:23:00.002-05:00

One of the things that I was never really good at was reading. I always did so poorly on those reading comprehension tests. In college I read my first Novel....I had to ask for an extension, which went against every part of my being, but since then I have grown to appreciate books. I don't spend a lot of time reading books for fun, I read for information, and to gain knowledge on different topics. Since I have begun to do retreats, my reading has definately increased and for that I am grateful.

So today I want to encourage you to find a good book and take some time over the next couple weeks to read it. Reading helps us practice the art of being still. In a world that is always rushing around like a chicken with your head cut off.

A couple simple tips...find a good reading spot, a chair in the corner, near the fireplace snuggled up on the couch. Pick a book you already have on your shelf that you just never got to read yet. Because let's be honest we all have a stack of those books. If there is a book you are dying to read - ask a friend if they have it before borrowing it. If you are an electronic book reader - they now have programs where you can trade books with friends for free.

What book will you read next?

Joy in Simplicity - #23

2011-01-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

Working on catching up with my blog series. I am committed to finishing this series! And hope that I can do some catching up today!

Today I want to challenge you to live your life with a signature of significance! But before I go on I want to give credit where credit is due. I didn't come up with that title or this idea, it is straight from the mouth of Louie Giglio, but more importantly straight from the heart of God.

On Sunday when I was skipping church once again (bedrest) I decided to check out a sermon by Louie and found this one. It was so awesome - I even took notes as I was laying in bed. It's main theme from scripture was the passage in Col. 3 that says - whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord! (that is a bit of a paraphrase)

The premise of the whole talk was that whatever you do - you should be excellent at it, whether you are a plumber, a dancer, a pastor, a housekeeper, a housewife.... be awesome at it! Because at the end of the day our lives are to point to Jesus Christ. And to quote Louie "excellence always builds a platform for us to share Jesus Christ with the whole world"

Your platform may be cameras and a microphone, it may be a conversation with a client asking you why you choose to integrity over dishonesty, in a world that rarely values the first.

So my challenge to you is to simply be excellent at what God has called you to be! Remember excellence is not an act, it is a habit! Live it!!! Find Joy in it!!

Joy in Simplicity - #22

2011-01-24T16:17:00.002-05:00

This blog will focus on the importance of dates! Even for you married folks! And if you aren't married friend dates are important too!

I was finally working on my Wedding Shower scrapbook and one of the cool things that my friends did for me was to have everyone fill out a card with words of encouragement and marriage advise. There was some great wisdom on those cards! But one of my favorites from my friend Shoots was to continue to go on dates!

The danger in marriage is that we become too comfortable going through life co-existing. We forget the romance and the fun of when we were dating, because now we see the person everyday and we know almost everything about them (though it often doesn't make sense) and we become complacent in our relationship.

I can't for a second imagine that that is how God created relationships to be. Our marriage is to be a picture of Christ and the church. Though it is awfully weird thinking of Jesus taking the church on a date; Jesus invested in the church and gave up his life for us! That is beyond a date.

All this to say, that if we are to have a thriving marriage, we need to have dates. Dates don't even have to cost money! Some of my favorite dates with Joel were ones that we just spent time together.

Here are some ideas of some of my favorite date nights/days

1. Christmas light tours - I can think of a better way to spend time together than at Christmas time enjoying the lights - sorry you will have to wait until next year to try this one.

2. Games Night - lay in bed together and play games....okay before you get the wrong idea - I have been on bedrest for the last couple weeks, so Joel grabbed a desk of cards and we just layed in bed and played cards together.

3. Picnik - inside or outside - Last year for my birthday - Joel and I grabbed some subs and headed up the top of the mountain at the Alter and had a picnik - it was so fun and cost us little.

4. Other's Choice - Growing up I never was really into theater - I mean really I grew up in Galeton we didn't even have a movie theater at the time. So it was never something I got into, but my husband on the other hand - he loves the theater - so one night while on vacation I called up a dinner theater and made reservations for us. He loved it - they even called him up on stage. I had a great time because I knew he loved it.

5. Matthew Beish Questions - a date night can be as simple as sitting on the couch together spending time without the TV on. You might be wondering what this one is all about - well I had a dear friend from Clearfield named Matthew Beish and he asked the best questions! They were deep and thought out and there was no way you could just answer them with a yes or no. So take some time with your spouse and ask some deep questions that require thinking and talking - it will be well worth your time.

I hope that you are able to take some time in the next couple weeks to have a date night - if you aren't having at least one monthly you need to make that a priority - and if you have children - make sure they see the importance of a date night for you even as married people. Your kids are watching - be a great example setter!

Joy in Simplicity - #21

2011-01-24T16:03:00.002-05:00

Well as you can see I am a little behind - but hopefully I will catch up today. It was one of those weekends. But you know - I talked about the importance of rest - so I took myself up on that. Anyway - this was to be Friday's blog so here goes.....

Family Night - when was that last time you had a family night - that means - not leaving the house to taxi your kids to a game, or to a social event. It is not everyone being home but in their own rooms doing their own thing. It is quality time together. You don't even have to leave the house (which saves on money too!)

I have always admired the Stewart family - friends of mine from Clearfield. They would have Stewart Family fun night and they would all stay home and play games and laugh together.... there was always a part of me that wished I was in the Stewart family because it sounded so fun. In fact they still have Family Fun night even though there children are grown! I love the concept and I want that for my family.

When I was in Youth Ministry I would cancel Youth Group once every semester for the soul purpose of Family Night - I encouraged the families to do something together, to build memories.... I am not sure if any of the families actually did that but I sure hope they did. It is of utmost importance!

Here are some fun ideas!

1. Fondue Night - A great tradition of the Dittmar Family - loved that they did that together.

2. Game Night - pick some games that will get you talking and laughing together!

3. Outdoor Adventure - find a place outdoors (this is a summer activity) to go as a family, create memories together.

4. Dinner and a movie - Have each member of the family pick their favorite food and have all of them that night - even if they don't go together.

What are some things you have done as a family - would love to hear you share your ideas!

Joy in Simplicity - #20

2011-01-20T21:13:00.002-05:00

Today I want to share with you a simple, yet one of the most life changing verses in the bible. Now some of you may read this verse and disagree with my statement about life changing, however I will explain myself and hopefully you will understand. This is a verse to memorize - put it on your dashboard of your car, put it on your mirror in dry erase marker, and save it in your heart, you will never know how handy it will come in.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer" Rom. 12:12

How simple these words but how profound of an impact they have had in my life. Three simple commands on how to respond to situations in life. First "be joyful in hope" - when Christ is in our life we have the greatest hope, we have something amazing to look forward to. Hope is trusting that something better is to come - even when we can't see that in our immediate future.

"patient in affliction" - there is no way we can escape hard times - they will happen to use, but this verse calms me down, it helps me put things into perspective. I am not alone in my affliction - Christ walks with me through it all.

Finally - we are to be "faithful in prayer" that part has always been my kick in the butt. I am always faithful to complain, faithful to be upset, faithful to do everything but pray - so I am thankful for this simple reminder that whatever the situation - I need to bath it in prayer!

It is my prayer that today you will find joy in the simple yet profound words from Romans 12:12.

Joy in Simplicity - #19

2011-01-19T17:53:00.004-05:00

As I promised today's blog will focus on some simple tips to help make your pet happy and well trained. Most of these tips come from our (Tucker and Mine) experience with Fred the Dog trainer. We have taken several classes from him, and as a whole I would say that Tucker is a very well behaved dog for the most part - he has a few things that we still need to work on, but it is mostly our fault for not keeping at him with with training.

I believe that the more well trained your dog is, the more your life will be filled with joy and peace, because seriously - who likes to constantly be yelling at their dog for doing something wrong.....not me.

Here are some tips!

1. You are the owner! Always be sure that you are calling the shots. You should always be leading, keep your dog to the inside when you are walking.

2. Tell them once! This was the hardest part for me - if you want him to sit - you tell him once, and if he doesn't do it - you do it for him. If you tell him to come - he should come - if not you give a nice swift pull to the leash, practice this over and over again.

3. Dogs are smart - they can learn over 200 commands - but keep them simple. Off means get off the furniture, or off the person - down means lay down on the ground - be sure you are clear and don't mix these two commands. The word NO is vague and meaningless to dogs - it must be specific - I only use no along with a command - NO Bite! Then I grab his mouth and hold it until he settles (that was a puppy thing).

4. Crate Train them - I always felt badly leaving Tucker in his crate because he couldn't run around the house when I was gone, so I thought I will let him try to be out on his own at 6 months - big mistake if you have a Lab - he ate two couches and two pairs of glasses - not all at the same time, but at different times. He is great now and hasn't used his crate since he was one, but it took some training and hard work. Some dogs actually love their crates - it is their home.

5. Training tools - be sure to have a prong collar (it doesn't hurt them, but it will make walking a joy), a can of cheese wiz (a little squirt will be a great training tool when they do something correctly, then as they master things just give them a "good boy".

6. If your dog seems to be a little aggressive with his food put your hand in the bowl as he is eating it - it will help him be broken of that habit. If he spazzes out when you are working on commands with him you can lay on him (if he is big like Tucker) or hold them down until they relax and submit - you will feel it in their posture.

7. Spray Bottle with water and a little dish soap - don't worry - it will not hurt them - but this will be your best friend - if they jump on someone or something they are supposed to - spray them in the face. If they are barking or whining - spray them in the face. If they are chewing on something they aren't supposed to - spray them! You get the point - we don't even have to spray Tucker anymore we just get the bottle out and he stops.

8. Dog Food - so many people feed their dogs people food - our trainer says no way - first it then encourages them to beg for food when people are eating. It is also not good for their systems. The only people food that our trainer allows is carrots, peanut butter, and an occasional ice cream treat! (Good thing we own a ice cream diner) Also Fred says - Rawhide is not good - not sure why but that's what he said, so we stay away from them. I guess I could google it, I just figured he knew what he was talking about!

Hopefully these tips will help you simplify the stress of owning a dog! I am so thankful now that we did all the hard work to train Tucker. Good luck with your dogs!

Joy in Simplicity - #18

2011-01-18T15:37:00.000-05:00

Today I want to talk about the joy of pets! Some of you out there are not pet lovers and that is okay but there are others that would say their pet is part of their family, and others that land somewhere in the middle.

For me pets are part of the family....when I got sick a few years ago I was single and my pets were my companions, Tucker was there when I went through my first steroid treatment, he was only 13 pounds at the time, so he easily snuggled up with me on the couch. He is now 90 pounds and still snuggles up with me when I am not feeling well, or just when I need a good foot warmer.

My kitty Boo was the same way - she was a cuddler, the last couple months have been a hard since she was 17 years old and failing in health. She passed away last week after a long life! I miss her, because she was also a cuddler. She would lay by my side with Tucker at my feet.

I think God gives us pets to bring us comfort, because no matter what happens, they are faithful, they are constant, you can correct them one minute and the next they are right back by your side ready to love you again.

Pets have theraputic value as well, if they didn't hospitals and nursing homes would not allow them to come through their doors. Have you ever thought about training your pet to be a therapy pet? Tucker is trained - he just has to take his test!

Today I encourage you to be thankful for your pets! I know for me - my pets bring me great joy! (Lots of hard work too - but well worth it) Join me tomorrow for some tips to help you have a well behaved pet, tips directly from Tucker's Obedience classes!

Joy in Simplicity - #17

2011-01-17T10:57:00.002-05:00

Today I will conclude the three day series within a series of the 30 healthiest foods. I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas for recipes with these items, and your feedback. Without further waiting - here are the final 10 items on the top 30.

Avocados -Funny story about these - a few years ago when I was down at Liberty taking a class someone was sharing pieces of their avocado - first of all I didn't know what it was then I mentioned I had never tried - they were appalled (we don't have avocados in Potter County - give me a break) Anyway they are high in fiber and lower your cholesterol. Cut one in half and drizzle with soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame seeds for a great side dish

Black Beans - magnesium and helps protect your nerves and muscles (sounds like they would be a good fit for MS patients - too bad I can't eat beans) Toss with olive oil, cumin and salt and spread out on a sheet - bake 450 for ten minutes - makes a great snack!

Sweet Potatoes - the dark the color the better - filled with beta carotene. Steam cut up sweet potatoes with cut up apples for a great side dish.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - you had to know that this one was coming especially since most of their recipe ideas include it. Sometimes my hubby will just eat spoons full of this because it is so good for you. It reduces your risk of heart disease. Idea - slowly heat the oil, mix in some herbs and add to pastas, breads, or vegetables.

Edamame - (never heard this word in my life) This is a baby soybean filled with fiber and protein. Puree these with some olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice for a quick hummus recipe.

Chard - green leafy vegetable. Filled with fiber, calcium, vitamin B, and beta carotene. Sautee it with garlic and add to your favorite whole grain pasta.

Kidney Beans - (I see a bean theme happening - I wish I could stomach them, especially since they are so good for you) One of the richest antioxidant foods! Make a quick salad with beans, olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro.

Oranges - finally one I can stomach! (My friends tell me I have a middle school palette, I just say that I am a super taster so foods are more intense to me) Great source of Vitamin C - can help the body burn fat. Roast some oranges with your salmon for a little change.

Spinach - I have grown to like this over the past several years. Filled with Iron and folate. The magazine suggests putting a handful into your smoothies - but I am going to suggest Spinach Totellini soup - it is awesome - let me know if you would like the recipe!

Pumpkin - what a great one to end on! I love pumpkin! Helps keep your skin healthy and the potassium helps lower your blood pressure. I love to make pumpkin butter - make it almost the same ways as apple butter. Check online for some easy recipes.

Hope you enjoyed the list! Now let's simplify our diet by choosing to eat healthier! Have a great day!

Joy in Simplicity - #16

2011-01-16T22:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I started to share with you the list of the top 30 most healthy foods - today we will do the second ten on the list.

Almonds - keeps your blood vessels healthy and it lowers your cholesterol - chop them up and add them to a salad or to a grain side dish - also my sisters like to eat them raw - try it out!

Eggs - The whites are filled with protein and the yolks are filled with vitamins B12 & A - you can't go wrong with ways to use eggs - don't be afraid to experiment! I love making Jana's cheesy egg surprise (scrambled eggs with a twist)

Nonfat Greek Yogurt - Filled with probiotics and 8 grams of protein! Mix with some cilantro, cumin, and cucumbers and serve with grilled chicken

Chicken Breasts - Low in fat - high in protein! The recipes are endless for Chicken! We enjoyed some really good stuff today - ask Michele for the recipe!

Wild Salmon - Filled with Omega 3 - wild because it has less toxins - I am not a big fish person but I have had salmon on the grill and it was a hit with all that dined that evening!

Sardines - (I just can't eat these but maybe you can!) Rich in protein, Omega 3, Vitamins B12 & D - chop them up with some cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley - Yuck but maybe it will work for you!

Kale - Another item on the list I have never used or eaten. Leafy green filled with Vitamin C. Try making Kale chips tear leaved apart toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper - lay on a cookie sheet and 20 - 30 minutes at 300 degrees and there you go!

Kiwi - Can you believe that I have never tried these - I just can't get past the furry outside - I am going to try them this month though - I promise. More Vit C than oranges and more Potassium than bananas - Slice thin and drizzle with honey and toasted coconut.

Blueberries - packed with fiber and anti-oxidants. A great treat along with some frozen yogurt and sprinkled with cardamon.

Broccoli - Vitamin C power house - 80% of your RDA in one serving. Toss with olive oil, garlic, and pepper - roast at 375 until tender and sprinkle with parmesan cheese!

Come back tomorrow to hear the final ten healthiest foods!

Joy in Simplicity - #15

2011-01-15T17:01:00.002-05:00

"When you don't use it - you lose it"....What I am referring to is that I used to be a health teacher, and I spent a lot of time educating my students on healthy choices for their health - one of those areas was nutrition. I saw it as a very valuable topic that needed to be shared. To be honest we simply are not a healthy society..... I think we have good intentions - we desire to be healthy but we get a lot of mixed messages as far as our health goes. I am going to try to avoid giving you a lot mixed messages, I simply want to give you a list of some healthy foods that if you incorporated into your diet on a daily basis could make a lasting difference in your heath and that as we all know will bring us great joy!

Over the next three days I will be bringing you 10 of the top 30 healthiest foods. I will tell you why they are healthy and give you an idea of how to use them. I am going to be honest - there are a couple of these items I have never heard of or used in my life, so this is an education for me as well. The information from these three days will be taken from Real Simply Magazine.

1. Skim Milk - contains 9 essential vitamins - take a break from your morning coffee and warm a glass of skim milk with a dash of cinnamon.

2. Mushrooms - I love these!! I was thrilled to see them on the list - if only Joel felt the same way. Helps to regulate estrogen levels for women, and when substituted for meat can slash 400 calories. A favorite recipe would be Chicken Marsala

3. Whole Grain Pasta - note that is not multi grain - just because there are several different kinds of grain does not mean they are whole grains! Toss with some pesto and lemon juice!

4. Walnuts - a great source of Omega 3s - they actually highly recommend these for pregnant women. Great on salads and with your morning cereal or just put a few in your lunch box to munch on.

5. Peanut Butter - All Natural - I am going to be honest - I am a Jif person and I have tried the natural and just can't do the texture but if you can - go for it! Great when mixed with soy sauce and brown sugar to make an Asian stir fry

6. Oatmeal - Helps keep your cholesteral down. Try to mix in some olive oil and parmesan cheese for a change to your normal breakfast routine

7. Barley - To me this sounds like a boring grain but it is great for you. It is high in fiber! Sautee with Mushrooms and Sherry vinegar for a great side dish

8. Quinoa - another one that would not come to mind - ever - great plant based protein for vegetarians. Sauteed with dill and lemon juice

9. Lentils - I will be honest (once again) not a bean person - a protein powerhouse as the article states. Great in soups or salads if you are bean person.

10. Bulgur - that sounds like a stomach problem - made from steamed wheat. Filled with potassium, calcium, and vitamin B. Cook it like oatmeal and add some honey and chopped nuts!

There you have the first ten of the top 30 healthiest foods I would love to hear how you use these superfoods for your family.

Joy in Simplicity - #14

2011-01-14T21:49:00.004-05:00

Today I thought I would give you a break from my daily writings and recruit an expert to tell you how to get the deals and save money. A dear friend of mine Christiana Maurer is the queen of saving in fact last year alone she saved $1600 on grocery shopping. Now you might think, that is crazy I can never do that - it may be crazy but if you can take just one of her tips and save $100 isn't it worth it. So I asked her if she would share some tips with you. And this is what she had to say.....

1. See the Big Picture

One of the easiest ways to save is to be aware of how much you are spending. A gallon of milk here and a loaf of bread there can really add up. Keep track of your purchases for a month to see how much of your money is actually being spent at the store. Then you can set a realistic goal for saving.

2. Planning

If you don’t purchase the Sunday newspaper, you will want to start. While it may seem that you are spending money to save money, it is a valuable tool to help you be an informed shopper.

Spend some quality time each week with the store circulars, coupon inserts, and your recipe collection. Plan your eating and shopping around what is on sale. If there is a coupon available to match with the sale – even better!

3. Tracking

If you are just getting started with your savings journey, keep track of the date and sale price for items you use often. If you do this long enough you will begin to see patterns develop for how often items are put on sale. You will also be able to differentiate between mediocre and rock-bottom sale prices.

What am I talking about? Maybe this will help! A current mediocre sale on cereal is 2 for $5 (or $2.50 a box). However, every few months, cereal goes on sale 3 for $5 (or $1.67 a box). Combine that with a coupon and you are on your way to some super savings.

When an item (that you know you will use AND that has a long shelf life) goes to its rock-bottom price – STOCK UP!!!

4. Highway Robbery

Just kidding – but that is what my husband calls playing the drugstore game.

I could explain how this works in detail, but that would make this tip r-e-a-l-l-y long! If you want to know how it works, check out moneysavingmom.com. She breaks it down for each of the major drug stores under her Store Deals section.

Just to illustrate how effective this can be, I haven’t paid more than $1 each for toothpaste, razors, shaving gel, or most hair care products in a very long time.

5. Bravery

Bent-n-dent stores – You can find some great deals here. (If you are in the central PA area think Surplus Outlet, Wengers, Whispering Pines, L&L) But… be careful! Watch those dates, and don’t assume that just because the product is in a store like this that it is cheaper that anywhere else. If you have been keeping track of those sale prices, you’ll be in great shape.

Store-Brands – If your family is brand-loyal then use those coupons and sale price combinations. But if you are willing to branch out, the store brand is often cheaper than the brand name, even with the sale and coupon. My husband and I have been very presently surprised by Aldi products. Most times their things are just as good, if not better, than the name brand grocery store products but at a fraction of the cost. (Let me give a shout out to their 5-Cheese Texas Toast – best I’ve ever had.) Also, they have some great prices on fruits and veggies!

Joy in Simplicity - #13

2011-01-13T16:46:00.002-05:00

Do you ever feel like there is not enough time to make homemade meals every night of the week. Many of you are juggling a full time job, being a mom, a wife and also a taxi service. It can be overwhelming when you think - what should I make for dinner.... will I have enough time to get it all done.

One of the things that I have realized is that if I plan ahead - even if it doesn't work out as planned I feel much calmer. So here are a few tips that have helped me.

1. I cook some staples ahead of time. Since Joel is on a special diet he is eating a lot of hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, chicken salad and bacon. So sometimes I take one of my slow nights and just do a mass cooking - I make my bacon on a stone in the oven - 1/2 hour and woallla - crispy bacon without the major mess. Then I have lunch supplies for the whole week.

2. Plan a menu - even if you don't stick to it exactly at least you have a starting point - it will also help for those indecisive people (you know who you are) and it can save lots of money while shopping.

3. Get rid of your stash - look in your cupboards while planning your menu and check out out what staples you have tons of - try to incorporate them into your meals.

4. There are tons of great recipes on line or in your cookbook cabinet that you have never tried - take an evening that you are watching TV and look through a cookbook to come up with some ideas for new meals that your family will love - put a sticky note on the page or copy it onto a note card.

5. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.tarajaministries.com to get a new recipe each month. There is a lot of variety from cookies, to marinades, to meats - all favorites at the Snyder house!

I hope this gives you some good ideas of ways to simplify the stresses of meal planning! Happy Cooking everyone.

Joy in Simplicity - #12

2011-01-12T19:24:00.002-05:00

Today will be short and sweet - including just a few ideas to help save a little fun money for you and your family.

1. Collect your change - it is amazing how quickly your change can add up - in about 18 months Joel and I were able to collect over $600 in change (we did throw some pills in the change jar as well when they were just laying around, but it was a great vacation fund.

2. When you go out to eat - order water instead of a drink and put $1.00 in a canister for each water you drink when you are out - you are saving money as you eat out but you are also saving money in a jar or other location that can be used for one of your home improvement projects.

3. Simply save - have designated accounts for different things you are saving for - such as a car, furniture, or a computer. Just putting a few dollars away each month will make a world of difference.

There you have it - three simple financial tips to help you simplify your life!