Our Stick Family

Okay, something fun that I found on Elizabeth's blog. You can go to this website to design your own, and even order the sticker.

A quick explanation of characters - Hubby, football fan and musician; Me, wanna-be-diva; Susie, our 1st daughter who is with the Lord; Ladybug, our 4 month old daughter; and the Feline, who is a whiny, self-absorbed Siamese. Click here to read about Susie.

Have a great weekend!!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for:

1: Our happy, healthy, sleeps-thru-the-night, 4 month old Ladybug.
2: My godly, patient Hubby.
3: The privilege and joy of staying home to raise our daughter.
4: Awesome Christian friends who keep me encouraged.
5: An at-home business that lets me keep my priorities in the proper order: God first, family second, career third.

For more Thankful Thursdays, visit Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

Cool Moms Rule!

Viv, at Cool Moms Rule! is having a give-away for a pedometer! Check out her site for give-aways all week long!

Prayer Time

Yesterday, I met with a good friend for prayer. It's not something I've been doing on a regular basis and felt that I needed a prayer "punch." I love to pray and love the idea of praying without ceasing, however, sometimes I just need that "punch." At times, prayer seems more powerful, more sincere, when with another believer.

We didn't take much time for chit-chat, we shared, then we prayed. It was awesome! Tears of joy streamed down my face as we prayed. What a privilege to enter the throne room of heaven and talk to our heavenly Father. And it was made more joyous with the presence of my friend.

"Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for that is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Time for Football

Fall is my favorite season - changing weather, my birthday, and FOOTBALL! This is one of the many things that my Hubby and I share - a love for football. My earliest memories of football are watching games on TV with my dad and asking him to explain the game to me (I think I was 4 at the time).

Sundays in our house consist of two activities - church and football. We have splurged the last two years to get the NFL Ticket so that we can watch our favorite teams. Pre-baby, Sundays also included a nap while watching football. But since Ladybug doesn't take long naps as a general rule, only one of us gets to nap (whoever is not holding her at the time).

Football Sundays are a ritual for us. Whether the temps are in the the 20s or the 80s (like today), it "feels" like fall because we have football. Just like Sunday isn't Sunday without a worship service, fall Sundays are special and help us mark the time.

There are other rituals that help us mark the time. Rituals help us remember. God wants us to remember the miraculous as well as the frivolous, because He is in the midst of those events. He commanded the the Israelites to remember when He made a way for them to cross the Jordan River. They set up a memorial at the site that they crossed. Why? So when their children saw the memorial, they would ask "What does that mean?" And their parents could explain more about the loving God that provides for their needs. (Joshua 4:19-24)

What is God asking you to remember? What is God asking you to pass on to the next generation? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Guilt

Guilt is an emotion too often felt by women, especially women who are mothers. For some reason, we feel the overwhelming need to "measure up." Whether it's from a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality, or from low self-esteem, women compare themselves way too much. And when we don't measure up, we feel guilty.

I am happy to say that today was a guilt-free day for me. I accomplished the things that I set out to do, felt good about doing them, and didn't pressure myself to do more. I was up early (I'm a morning person), had time with Our Ladybug, met with a new customer (learn about my business here) while Hubby spent time with Ladybug, ran some errands, came home and spent more time with Ladybug, watched the Nieces after school, ate a somewhat balanced dinner, then put Ladybug to bed. (I'll post more about her sleeping habits later.) It felt great to work my business, knowing that Ladybug was with her Daddy. And I felt great coming home (I was only gone for 2 1/2 hours).

What makes us want to be Superwoman? Who says we have to measure up to a standard? Well, God does. But His standard is much different than what the world expects. So don't be so hard on yourself today. Know that you are a daughter of the King, and and heir to His throne. Whether you had a guilt-free day or not.

something fun

You Are a Red Crayon

Your world is colored with bright, vivid, wild colors. You have a deep, complex personality - and you are always expressing something about yourself. Bold and dominant, you are a natural leader. You have an energy that is intense... and sometimes overwhelming. Your reaction to everything tends to be strong. You are the master of love-hate relationships. Your color wheel opposite is green. Green people are way too mellow to understand what drives your energy.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Long Distance Bible Study?

I am currently doing a study with some long-distance girlfriends using Joyce Meyer's Battlefield of the Mind. I started thinking about "community" and how the definition has changed. Thanks to modern technology, our "community" can be anywhere, or in multiple places at one time. But are we lacking something because we are not sitting down face-to-face? Can your heart be truly transparent to someone across the phone or internet? I think it can and cannot at the same time. The voice conveys emotion, and we can TYPE BOLDLY TO CONVEY EMOTION, but it is not the same as looking a sister in Christ in the eyes and truly understanding what is being left unsaid.

I am thankful for my many, many friends around the country. And I am thankful for the richness that they bring to my life. I am also thankful for my friends who are local to me, with whom I can talk, and pray, and cry, and share.

Tell me what you think about long distance community....

What's in a name?

In America today, we are inundated with information to "Do It Yourself." There are DIY books, a DIY channel, DIY clubs, etc, etc. However, as followers of Christ, we cannot treat life as a DIY project. Ephesians 2:21 tells us that we are "carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord." No matter how much we think that we do not need other people, we do. As easy as it is to remain anonymous, we cannot. Life, especially the Christian life, is meant to be lived in community. We have a need to know and be known. Known by our Creator (which is a given), and known by other people. We have to work at the latter. So I want to encourage you to let others know you. Share a story, a laugh, and a cup of coffee (or other beverage of choice).