Wordless Wednesday - Eleven Months Old!

Where have the past 11 months gone? A month from today is your first birthday.

Click here or here for more Wordless Wednesday participants.

WFMW - Fighting the Crud, with Less Medication

I've been down for the count with the crud this past week. I'll spare the details, but I am feeling better now. Thanks for asking!

As a nursing momma, I've realized that there are few medications that I can take to feel better. So I had to go the almost-all-natural route to have some relief.

First, I took generic tylenol for pain, aches, and to help reduce my fever. I don't usually take tylenol because it does not do a thing for my migraines. So I was very happy that it helped with these symptoms!

Second, I made a hot lemonade concoction to help sooth my sore throat. I microwaved a cup of water for a minute. Then added one teaspoon of lemon concentrate, then two teaspoons of honey. The lemon cuts the mucus while the honey soothes. Aaaaahhhh!

I also drank lots of decaf green tea with honey.

I did lose four pounds in one day, but I wouldn't recommend the "crud diet plan." It's just not a fun way to lose weight. (If you know of a "fun" way to lose weight, please let me know! That would a best-selling book idea!)

This is what Worked For Me this past week to feel better while fighting the crud and taking care of an 11 month old baby. Don't forget to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more great WFMW tips!

Ten on Tuesday - Superstitions, Traditions or Personality Quirks

Since I'm not really a superstitious person, I'll go with quirks. Cuz I'm a little quirky sometimes...

1. When eating a meal, I like to take a taste of everything. Then I'll determine what the best taste is, and make sure that I have that as my last bite. That way, I'll have a good taste in my mouth when the meal is over.

2. I'm a messy neat freak. Does that even make sense? I have piles and piles of my "stuff," which drives Hubby crazy. But I know what is in each pile. If the piles get moved, I'm in trouble!

3. I am OBSESSIVE about checking my e-mail. I leave my e-mail open on my laptop so I can see at a glance if I have anything new.

4. I love breakfast for dinner. Well, I love breakfast at any time of day!

5. I have to brush my teeth first thing when I get up. I can't stand that taste/feel in my mouth.

6. I have my closet coordinated by color. I love looking in and seeing a rainbow!

7. On my bathroom countertop, everything has an assigned place. I'll waste spend 10 minutes making sure everything is where it belongs!

8. I am an obsessive planner when it comes to trips. I'll make lists, and then pack and re-pack several times to make sure I haven't forgotten anything. But of course, I always do forget something!

9. I talk to other drivers while driving. And it's not always nice.

10. And I prefer to drive with the radio off. I like having the quiet time to pray. Sometimes I'm praying for all those crazy drivers that I see!

To see who else is playing along today, click here.

More of Him Monday

Welcome to More of Him Monday! This concept was first introduced to the blogosphere by Diana at Sunshine on my Shoulders as "a place to find encouragement, support, and honesty as we each strive to live in God's grace and love."It's an opportunity to share how we see more of God working in our lives.

Your post can either be Scripture Speaks - a particular Bible passage and what you gained from it - or Him in My Life - a particular event when you felt God speaking to you. Write your own post, sign Mr. Linky, and come encourage others while you are encouraged in your spiritual journey. Feel free to grab the badges on my sidebar.

Please link back here too, so that others can be encouraged by what you share.

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Y'all. I'm sick. Mommies aren't allowed to be sick. I'm lacking inspiration, or even a coherent thought. So I'm relying on you this week.

Please share....

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New Baby = Tired Mommy

This is my entry for the 5 Minutes for Mom Mother's Day Giveaway.

Ladybug was about two weeks old. We often took naps like this together. In fact, sometimes we still do!

Bloggy Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway for the beautiful hand-made earrings from Mrs. Fussypants.

Here are our winners:

International - Jen, from New Zealand

US and Canada - Crystal, fortyb4forty, and Amy

Congratulations! If I don't hear back from someone by April 29th, I will choose alternate winner(s).

Aloha Friday

It's Friday. Time to kick back and take it easy!

Here's how you play: simply answer my question here in the comments. Then check out Kailani's blog to see who else is participating. And you can also post your own question on your blog too!

My question today:

How do you define the following: lunch, dinner, and supper?

And what time of day do you have each?

My answer: Lunch is the noon meal on any day but Sunday. Supper is the evening meal. And dinner is the noon meal on Sunday or the big meal on a holiday.

Don't forget to check out who else is playing!

Thankful Thursday

15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

(Psalm 51:15-17)

In my Tuesday morning Bible study this week, we discussed the fact that we live in a sinful, broken world. We have heartache, illness, and death because of our sinful nature.

One person questioned why God allowed us to have free will if He knew at creation that we would rebel and sin against Him. My usual answer is because it is more glorifying to God when we CHOOSE to worship Him.

Psalm 51 also tells us that it is honoring to God when we humble ourselves. When we CHOOSE to honor God with our broken spirit.

I know that a broken spirit is not easy to achieve or maintain. Our ugly sinful self rears its head. It's a daily process, a habit of submitting ourselves to God, so that we can give Him praise and He can be glorified by a humble, willing heart.

This week, I am thankful for:

1. The ability to CHOOSE to worship God. And the freedom to choose that we have in the USA.

2. When we CHOOSE to honor God, He honors us with His protection and guidance.

3. And although I don't always make the right choices, God offers forgiveness and open arms when I submit myself to Him. What a gracious God He is!

4. And although we don't always get to choose our lot in life, I am thankful for the lessons learned from the tough times and the blessings that have been the result! (of course I am referring to my wonderful Hubby and our beautiful Ladybug!)

Thank you for visiting this week! For more thankful hearts, please visit Iris.

Confession of a Distracted Mom

Y'all, I have a confession to make. Ya know how I love to cook and bake? Well, I made two pretty major blunders in the kitchen this week. So I'm telling on myself today.

Blunder #1 - I was making brownies for an event on Monday. My only excuse for this blunder is that Ladybug was trying to make an escape from the kitchen, so I was a bit distracted. I mixed the brownies up according to the box instructions, or so I thought.

I put the pan in the oven, and started to clean up the counter and put dishes in the sink. That's when I noticed the liquid measuring cup still had the oil in it that was supposed to be in the brownies, which were now in the oven.

I quickly pulled the pan out of the oven, poured the oil over the mix and tried to mix it in. It worked. Sort of. The oil collected a bit around the edges of the pan. So when the brownies were done, the edges were a little crispy. But the rest of it tasted fine. Whew!

Blunder #2 - Tuesday for lunch, I was making rice in my microwave rice cooker. Again, my only excuse was being distracted. I cooked the rice according to the package instructions, even overcoming my usual impatience and letting it sit for 5 minutes before opening the lid and fluffing.

When I opened the rice cooker, the rice looked... well... a little uncooked. It wasn't burnt, just not fluffy like I was expecting. I tasted it, and it was a bit chewy.

While I was feeding Ladybug her lunch, I was puzzling over this mystery. What did I do wrong? Oh! I put in one cup of rice, and was supposed to put in two cups of water. Oops. I only put in one cup of water! Didn't stop me from drowning the rice in butter and eating it anyway!

So, there you have it. My confessions for this week. Stay tuned. There might be more just around the corner!

Ten on Tuesday - What I Love About My Life

Today's prompt for Ten on Tuesday is What I Love About My Life. What a great topic to blog about!!

1. My Savior Jesus - He gives me the strength and peace to face each day, no matter what may be planned (or not planned!). He is my Light and Salvation!

2. My wonderful Hubby - He's such a wonderful partner. We work well together, we enjoy doing things together, he's intelligent, funny, and the list goes on!

3. Our beautiful daughter Ladybug - At 10 1/2 months old, she is a delight! I love watching her learn new things. She laughs easily and is such a happy girl!

4. My business - God is opening doors for me, while asking me to step out of my comfort zone.

5. Being able to be home with Ladybug - I can't imagine having to drop her off at daycare or a babysitter's.

6. Where we live - the beach! Yes, tourist season is starting and traffic is getting worse, but I love the weather and of course, the beach! (If it's called "tourist season," does that mean we get to shoot them? hee hee)

7. Our friends - So much fun to be with!

8. Cooking/baking - being home allows me to actually cook meals. When I worked full-time, meals where never planned, always last minute, and sometimes not very nutritious.

9. Family - although family always has it's quirks, both Hubby and I have good family. They are supportive, loving, and always there for us!

10. Blogging - of course I had to include this. I love blogging! Getting to meet new people, share my thoughts, read the thoughts of others, maybe win some giveaways! (By the way, click here for my giveaways going on this week!)

Click here to see who else is playing along! If you don't have your own Ten on Tuesday post, please share something that you love about your life!

Bloggy Giveaway - International!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Welcome to my little corner of the Spring Bloggy Giveaway! I'm so glad you stopped by!

This post is for my international giveaway. If you are a resident of the US or Canada, please click here for that giveaway. DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS POST IF YOU ARE FROM THE US OR CANADA. Your comment will be thrown out.

I have one pair of earrings to give away to an international reader! My good friend Mrs. Fussypants makes beautiful jewelry, and I have a pair of her earrings to give away to one international reader!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post, let me know which earrings you like, and make sure I have either a blog url or an e-mail address so that I can contact you when you win! Also please tell what country you are from, just because I'm curious.

The rules: one only comment per person please; make sure I have a way to contact you; and this giveaway closes at 8:00 am EDT (US) on Saturday, April 26, 2008. I'll randomly choose a winner on Saturday.

Click here to see what other fabulous jewelry Mrs. Fussypants makes.

Bloggy Giveaways -

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Welcome to my little corner of the Spring Bloggy Giveaways Carnival! I'm so glad you decided to stop by!

I have a special treat for my giveaway. My bloggy friend, Mrs. Fussypants, makes beautiful jewelry, and since I lack creative talent time to be crafty, I am giving away 4 pair of her earrings!

I am giving away 3 pair of earrings for US and Canada residents, and 1 pair for other international residents. (To keep everything straight, I have a separate post for the international giveaway.)

The rules are simple: only one entry per person; make sure I have either your blog url or an e-mail address so that I can contact you when you win; and this giveaway closes at 8 am EDT on Saturday, April 26, 2008. I will randomly choose the winners on Saturday.

So leave a comment on this post, and tell me which earrings are your favorite. Also tell me something fun about yourself! I'd like to get to know you better!

If this is your first visit, here's a little more info about me and my blog. This is a Christian mommy blog. I share inspirational posts, as well as posts about parenting, occasional beauty advice, and sometimes some mommy humor thrown in for good measure! And I also have a recipe blog!

I also host a mini-carnival called More of Him Monday. Click here for my most recent post. Everyone is welcome to participate in More of Him, as long as your post is along the two topics outlined in the instructions.

I hope you'll come back and visit again! Also, click here to see what other jewelry Mrs. Fussypants makes - it's all beautiful!

Irritated Nerves - More of Him Monday

Welcome to More of Him Monday! This concept was first introduced to the blogosphere by Diana at Sunshine on my Shoulders as "a place to find encouragement, support, and honesty as we each strive to live in God's grace and love."


It's an opportunity to share how we see more of God working in our lives. Your post can either be Scripture Speaks - a particular Bible passage and what you gained from it - or Him in My Life - a particular event when you felt God speaking to you. Write your own post, sign Mr. Linky, and come encourage others while you are encouraged in your spiritual journey. Feel free to grab the badges on my sidebar.


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A week or so ago, my Sister called on her way to work as she sometimes does. She usually calls to hear Ladybug babble; it's a good way for her to start the day, as she adores Ladybug (as well she should!).

Anyway, she called to share that she had a new excuse for calling in sick. She had heard on her local radio that a major league baseball player was on injured reserve due to an "irritated nerve." She said that her nerves were always irritated, can she call in sick too?


This week, I had an irritated nerve. For five days straight, I had absolutely NO alone time. I'm an extrovert and do not require large amounts of alone time, but I need that time for prayer, quietness, and Bible study.

And while my extorverted self may not think this is necessary, I KNOW that my spiritual, child-of-God self does. And my logical self knows that when I do not have quiet time, I get irritated nerves. Seriously bad irritated nerves.


By Saturday night, I was blowing a fuse at the smallest little thing. It was a little scary (for Hubby too!).

So last night, Hubby worked late, I put Ladybug to bed around 8:00, and I got ready for bed too. I read in the Psalms, which is my favorite place to read when I'm at my wit's end. I did a crossword puzzle, then turned off the lights. It was only 9:00. But I needed physical rest as well as spiritual rest.

Unfortunately, Ladybug started crying about 2 minutes after I turned off my lights, so I didn't get to sleep right then. She's been teething pretty hard this past week, so we're up many times in the night. But last night she was only up three times, which was an improvement. (Seriuosly, how LONG does this teething thing last? I feel like that's all I blog about anymore!)

But I had the quiet time my soul needed, and the physical rest (sort of) that my body needed. I had the time to recharge so that my irritated nerves could calm down.

Psalm 23
A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

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200th Post! Ladybug's Birth Story

It's roundabout my 200th post. So for something special, now that Ladybug is 10 1/2 months old, I wanted to share her birth story

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We had a scheduled c-section, so there isn’t any real drama with this story. But I want to write it out so I can always remember and cherish the day our Ladybug made her “official” entrance into the world.

I’m very glad that we had the scheduled c-section, as I was 39 weeks and not showing any signs of going into labor. I was not dilated at all at my check up that week. I know that my anxiety would have been unbearable if we had to wait for “nature to take its course.”

Reason for the scheduled c-section: our first daughter was stillborn at 36 weeks less than 2 ½ years before, so we opted for the repeat c-section rather than the “risk” of normal labor and delivery. My anxiety level was so high during most of the pregnancy with Ladybug because of the fear of losing this baby too. Having a scheduled c-section gave me some sense of control.

We didn’t sleep much the night before. My mom had come into town to be here for Ladybug’s birth, so she made a good healthy dinner. I know we tried to sleep. But at that point I wasn’t sleeping much anyway. Between having to pee every few hours and the anxiety and nervousness, I would guess I slept about 4 hours that night.

I was up around 4:30 am to get myself “ready.” We had to be at the hospital at 6 am. We left the house around 5:40. Mom came with us. She didn’t want to sit around the house the extra few hours while we waited. Hubby’s parents would meet my mom in the waiting room at the scheduled delivery time.

We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am and checked in. We were escorted to the surgery check in and only Hubby was able to go in there with me. So Mom waited in the surgery waiting room.

I got undressed, put on the not-so-modest hospital gown, and waited. Hubby and I took silly pictures of each other while we waited. One last belly shot. Hubby looking all freaked out. Me looking horrid in my glasses. (I wasn’t allowed to wear my contacts.)

Once all the preliminaries were finished, my bed was wheeled into the “queue.” While in there, one of our friends from church who is a nurse at that hospital came by to say hello. Then one of our lay ministers also stopped by to pray with us. The nurse brought a wheelchair for Hubby, as he wasn’t allowed to be on his feet in the OR, just in case he fainted.

We were wheeled to the OR around 7:30. Actually, I was wheeled there; Hubby was allowed to push his own wheelchair. He had already donned his scrubs and looked silly with no pants showing underneath. He was wearing shorts with sneakers!

Hubby had to wait outside the OR door as they gave me the spinal. What was supposed to take 10 minutes took 45 minutes, and they had to try four different places because Ladybug was so big and putting pressure on my spine. Not fun. I hate needles, and I get back spasms when someone touches my lower back. I had some nice bruises when it was all said and done.

Finally, with the spinal done, Hubby was allowed to come in, and they paged my doctor. She didn’t respond to the page immediately, so they paged the back up doc. The back up doc arrived and was ready to begin, when the scheduled doc arrived.

I don’t remember much of the details at this point. The spinal was working well, and Hubby was by my side, so I was strangely calm.

I remember the doc saying that she was making the incision, and within a few minutes say that she was pulling the baby out. As soon as she emerged, we heard a delighted newborn squall – music to our ears!! Both Hubby and I started crying. She was delivered at 8:28 am. The doc guessed that Ladybug was about 9 lbs – she officially weighed 8 lbs 9.6 oz and was 21 inches long. Big girl!

The doc held her up over the drape so that we could see her, then they finished cutting the cord and wrapping her up. They cleaned her up quickly, and within a few minutes were ready to take her upstairs to the nursery.

The nurse brought her to me so I could touch her and kiss her, with tears streaming down my face. Hubby took her in his arms as well, then he was able to accompany her with the nurse to the nursery and let the family and friends in the waiting room know that she was alright.

The doc finished up with me, and I was in recovery around 9:00. I stayed there for about an hour.

Finally, they were able to wheel me up to my room, which happened to be the closest to the nursery. Most of the family stayed out in the hall to ooh and aah over Ladybug.

This particular hospital had the policy that newborns stay in the nursery until they can maintain their body temperature, usually about 4 hours. So I knew that I wouldn’t get to hold Ladybug until about 12:30 or so. A few family members went to get some lunch. My in-laws were hanging around because my mom-in-law wanted to hold Ladybug before they left. Finally, right before they were getting ready to leave, the nurse wheeled Ladybug in! I got to hold her and we took family pictures. Then Grandma was able to hold her too.

The rest of that day is a blur, between the pain meds and the myriad visitors. I think we had about 20 visitors that first day! (I’m serious – it was crazy!)

We were so exhausted that night. We opted for Ladybug to stay in the nursery at night, and have the nurse bring her to me when she awoke and needed to nurse. That first night she slept 4 hours at one stretch. I actually called the nursery at one point and they said she was still sleeping.

The few days in the hospital were filled with many, many visitors. And my mom stayed in the room with me and Ladybug most of the time too. Hubby slept there at night. We soon discovered two things about Ladybug: 1) she wanted to be held ALL the time and would cry if we laid her in the bassinet, and 2) she loved to suck! We gave in and let her have a pacifier. It was either that or let her suck on someone’s finger or my nipples! (She gave up the pacifier after about 2 weeks, thankfully! I didn't want to have to rely on that.)

We stayed in the hospital until the 4th day due to my c-section. When we brought her into the house, we took her out of the infant carrier, and laid her, all swaddled in her crib. We (me, Hubby, and my mom) just stood there and looked at her. I know we were all thinking, “Now what?” We really didn’t know what to do! However, I quickly decided that I needed a nap!

Ladybug was a bit jaundiced so Grammy (my mom) took it upon herself to make sure that Ladybug got in the sun a little bit every day that first week. The jaundice cleared up before her 2 week check up.

The incision staples were removed on day 5 and thankfully the incision healed nicely. There were no complications from the surgery either. I’m sure that my recovery was much faster this time since I had a baby to love, and snuggle, and nurse.

(I’ll be posting our nursing story soon too.)

Fight the Frump - Mood Boosters

Time to Fight the Frump again!

I was lacking inspiration today, and then a wonderful e-mail from Hungry Girl was in my inbox this morning. All about using natural foods as mood boosters! I can tell you, I'd rather not have to take a pill to stabilize my moods. This is food for what ails you!

1. Feeling foggy? Eat protein-rich foods to help lift the haze. Cheese, soy products, and lean meats will get your brain firing on all cylinders again.

2. Need a mood lifter? Ladies, you know it and love it, CHOCOLATE! It actually increases serotonin levels. Woohoo! Like I need any more justification to eat chocolate.

3. Stabilize mood swings? Eight to ten glasses of water a day. So simple, yet so difficult right? If you're not up that amount, work your way up slowly.

4. Feeling sluggish? Eggs or egg substitutes are the answer! They help regulate your blood sugar and keep your energy levels on an even keel.

5. Stressed? Nervous? Anxious? Soothe your nerves with some skim milk or a handful of almonds. Both foods are rich in calcium, and calcium is great for reducing anxiety and making you feel calm and relaxed.

6. Salmon and strawberries may be nature's equivalent of Prozac and Zoloft. That's because folate-rich foods cause a boost in serotonin levels in the brain, much like antidepressants do.

7. Feeling angry? Reach for a grapefruit, some grapes, an apple or some carrots! All four of these great-tasting foods are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers blood cholesterol.

And if you have not discovered Hungry Girl yet, you need to check her out! You can even subscribe to get a daily newsletter in your inbox, just like I did, to get all kinds of hints on curbing your hungry without packing on pounds. She offers great swap out recipe for things like Frappucinos, fave restaurant entrees, and so much more.

And of course, don't forget to check out the Fabulous Mrs. Fussypants, the originator of all things Frumpless! She's 35 weeks pregnant and on bed-rest, so she needs some encouragement today. Love ya Fussy!

Thankful Thursday

The weeks seem to be speeding by! Is that because with Ladybug crawling, I'm staying busier? Or is because spring is here? Or is it just the way life is?

Today, I am thankful for:

1. God's grace and mercy. He forgives us even though we don't deserve it, and He offers us a place in His family even though we haven't earned it!


2. God continues to stretch me and grow me. Sometimes growing pains are painful, but the end result is worth it!


3. My wonderful Hubby. I love being his help-meet! (most days, anyway ;-)


4. Our beautiful, happy, healthy daughter, Ladybug. She continues to amaze me in all these is doing and learning. She says "mommy" and "hi." She is learning the names of objects, and she has 5 signs (more, eat, milk, cereal, change) that she uses regularly. And of course, she loves music! She's learning to pound on a "drum" and her xylophone!

Thank you for visiting this week! For more thankful hearts, please visit Iris.

WFMW - Passing Faith on to Our Children

It's been a while since I've participated in WFMW. I sometimes feel that I don't have any good tips to share!!

For all parents, how do you teach your children about what you believe? Sure, we can expect that our kiddos will pick up a lot just by observation. But, I know the Bible tells us to be intentional about how we teach our children things of faith. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

My hubby and I are musicians, and are currently serving as co-worship leaders at our church. Music is very much part of our daily lives. We love to make up little songs with our Ladybug (now 10 1/2 months old). There was the "Milk Let Down" song in the early days of nursing. Then the "Calm Down" song when she was fussy and we didn't know why.

But "regular" songs, i.e. songs that other people know, are also a part of our world. Because of all the music surrounding her, I really think that Ladybug is developing musicianship already, but that's another post!

Back to the works for me point of this post... Ladybug loves it when we sing to her, and singing calms her and distracts her if she is being cantankerous. So I have found songs that we sing along with parts of our daily routine. Songs that also pass along our faith.

For instance, when wiping hands and face after a meal, which usually causes a lot of fussing, I sing "Give Us Clean Hands," a contemporary worship song that we sing at church. Instant calm and her attention is diverted away from the bothersome thing that Mommy is doing. When changing a diaper, I sing "Change My Heart, O God."

It doesn't matter if you think that you can sing or not, this is an activity that distracts a fussy soon-to-be-toddler and also teaches her about the God that we love and serve. Pick songs that use an action word that you are currently doing (such as "clean hands" or "change"). It can be a hymn or a praise song, it doesn't matter.

Music is a great way to teach our children about our faith! Pass it on!

To see other great WFMW posts, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

Wordless Wednesday - Babywearing at the Beach

Ignore the funny look on my face. It was very bright and very windy!

Click here or here for more Wordless Wednesday.

Ten on Tuesday - Favorite Comedies

Today's topic is Favorite Comedies. Since they are all so quotable, I had to add a great quote!

1. Rat Race - "Look! Over there! A drifter! Let's kill him!"


2. Office Space - "What about paying your bills?" "Yeah, I didn't like paying them anyway."


3. Young Frankenstein - "Taffeta, darling."


4. Monty Phython and the Holy Grail - "We are the knights who say Ni!"


5. Airplane - "Surely you can't be serious." "I am serious. And stop calling me Shirley."


6. Blues Brothers - "We're on a mission from God."


7. Caddyshack - "Pond. A pond would be good for you. Natural spring water."


8. Three Amigos - "Perhaps a little later you can kiss me on the veranda." "On the lips would be fine."


9. The Jerk - "I was born a poor black child..."


10. O, Brother, Where Art Thou? - "Vernon here's got a job. Vernon's got prospects. He's bona fide. What are you?"

Click here to see who else is playing along.

More of Him Monday

Welcome to More of Him Monday! This concept was first introduced to the blogosphere by Diana at Sunshine on my Shoulders as "a place to find encouragement, support, and honesty as we each strive to live in God's grace and love."

It's an opportunity to share how we see more of God working in our lives. Your post can either be Scripture Speaks - a particular Bible passage and what you gained from it - or Him in My Life - a particular event when you felt God speaking to you. Write your own post, sign Mr. Linky, and come encourage others while you are encouraged in your spiritual journey. Feel free to grab the badges on my sidebar.

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Sorry I'm late getting this post up - Ladybug has another tooth coming in. So she did not want to sleep alone last night. Usually I have time to get my post up before I go to bed, but she wanted me with her. But talking about parenting actually fits with the Scripture that I wanted share today.

Long before Ladybug came along, I often wondered what kind of parents we would be. Would I be a good mommy? Would Hubby be a daddy who takes an active role in child rearing? Whenever we asked Christian friends their best parenting advice, it was always two things. First of all, pray - a lot! And second, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 was quoted.

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

I think that verses 7-9 give us a wonderful example of how to pass our faith on to our children. We cannot expect our children to grow in faith unless we are intentional about it. Sure, they will learn a lot by observation, but we must also share verbally about what we believe and why we believe it.

We are to repeat our values constantly. Talk about what we believe as we go about our daily lives. Memorize Scripture and teach our children to memorize as well.

There are many parenting styles out there. And I have learned to rely more on my instinct than books when making parenting decisions. And there are a lot of people who want to give you advice on how to parent as well. I take all of that with a grain of salt. I make parenting decisions based on what my gut is telling me is right.

Except when it comes to passing our faith on to Ladybug. For that, we are learning to lean on Holy Scripture - God's Word. We pray with Ladybug every day. We sing songs with her that teach about Bible stories or that give praise to God. (I have a neat tip that I'll be sharing on Wednesday for Works for Me Wednesday - please stop by.)

Raising our children up to know God shouldn't be accidental. As the saying goes, "There are no grandchildren in heaven." Meaning, our children cannot get to heaven based on our faith, only on the faith that they express in Jesus Christ. I know that we are being intentional in teaching our daughter about the God whom we love and serve.

If you are a parent, I'd love to hear about the ways that you pass on your faith to your children.

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Aloha Friday

I'm taking it easy today, so it's a perfect excuse to participate in Aloha Friday!

My question for you:

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

I would be a lioness, because she is powerful and has a strong sense of family. She also knows how to work as part of a team, yet knows her boundaries too.

Your turn! To play along, answer this question in the comments. Then click on over to Kailani's blog to see who else is playing along.

Thankful Thursday

Time for sharing my thankfulness!

This week, I am VERY thankful for my friends, both IRL (in real life) and in the blogosphere. Friends who love me and care for me. Who pray for me and encourage me. Friends who help me "keep it real." As Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." I have many such friends, and I am blessed.

Not only am I blessed with many close friends, but my best friend is my Hubby. He is working full-time, plus taking graduate courses, plus church responsibilities, and that makes for a lot of days when we don't have quantity time together. So we are learning to make it quality time. We had Ecclesiastes 4:12 read at our wedding, and we find it to be so true! "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

So, it's a short list today. Please visit Iris to see who else is thankful today!

Wordless Wednesday - Splish Splash

Click here or here for more Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday - Favorite Actors

Oh, I love this one!!

My ten favorite actors/actresses:

1. Sean Connery - does this choice really need any explanation?
2. Matthew Fox - my favorite Lostie
3. Matthew McConaghey - his mom went to church with the mom of one of my grad school classmates - how's that for six degrees of separation?
4. Christian Bale - my favorite Batman
5. Jane Seymour - she's a classy lady
6. Jodie Foster - one child actor who didn't go crazy with the fame, and I love her in Nell
7. Liam Neeson - love the accent!
8. James Earl Jones - love that voice!
9. Dennis Quaid - the voice, the looks, the talent
10. Hugh Jackman - since I'm on a roll with hotties with great accents

Okay, so those are some yummy choices, but they are all tremendously talented. And did I mention how much I love a great accent?

Click here to see who else is playing along.

More of Him Monday

Welcome to More of Him Monday! This concept was first introduced to the blogosphere by Diana at Sunshine on my Shoulders as "a place to find encouragement, support, and honesty as we each strive to live in God's grace and love."

It's an opportunity to share how we see more of God working in our lives. Your post can either be Scripture Speaks - a particular Bible passage and what you gained from it - or Him in My Life - a particular event when you felt God speaking to you. Write your own post, sign Mr. Linky, and come encourage others while you are encouraged in your spiritual journey. Feel free to grab the badges on my sidebar.

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Do you believe in coincidences? I don't. I don't believe that events happen by chance.

I was thinking about what I would write for this post, and I had what I like to call a "God-incidence." We've been working on my blog design, including the new header designed by my friend Kaylea. I asked her to include Acts 2:42 somehow in the design. I love that verse and feels that it captures the purpose of this blog.

I wasn't sure how that would fit into the More of Him theme. Then Sunday's sermon was based on Acts 2:42. Hmmm. I felt that I should go ahead with what I had planned to share.

This verse took on special meaning for me when I was a student. Living away from home, not only missing my family, but also missing the Christian friends that I had made my senior year as I became more active in church and youth activities. Even though I was attending a Christian college, I still missed the closeness of Christian friendships.

Acts 2:42 came to be for me what true Christian community should be. These four things should occur on a regular basis.

1 - Teaching. Bible study; solid Biblical preaching.

2 - Fellowship. Gathering together. This speaks to my extroverted, social side. I love fellowship!

3 - Sharing meals. Well, I love to eat, but this also talks about sharing (often) the Lord's Supper (also known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion). I feel that sharing the Lord's Supper often is important for Christians.

4 - Prayer. Communication with our heavenly Father. So important and necessary to abide with the Father.

Yes, there are other things that are important in our Christian life too. But I love how this verse encapsulates these vital aspects of the Christian life.

While we can't have actual fellowship via the internet, and sharing the Lord's Supper might also be difficult via the world wide web, sharing God's teaching and even praying for one another are goals of this blog. And sharing is also what More of Him Monday is all about too.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2: 42

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Makeover!

If you're reading this in a reader, please click on over! I've been made-over!

Whaddya think? My awesome IRL friend, Kaylea, is helping me out with my blog design and layout. (Can you believe that we've been friends for 13 years?!?!)

So pardon the construction dust. We'll be back to regularly scheduled blogging soon!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I want to focus my thankfulness on the gift, the privilege, of prayer.

A few weeks ago, Robyn had a great post about talking to God out loud in her car. That really inspired me! I rarely get time by myself (as with most mommies!), but I have two times per week that I get to go someplace alone. As I was coming home from Bible study on Tuesday morning, alone in the car, I remembered what Robyn wrote about her prayer time. So I started praying. Out loud! Wow! It was AWESOME time with the Lord!

Then yesterday, I posted about praying for my husband. I think, as wives, prayer is the greatest gift we can give our husbands. (And for my single readers, you can still pray for your future husband! I did through SEVEN years of singleness!)

What a gift prayer is! Not only for those who are being lifted up, but for you who is praying. You are having a conversation with the Most High God! Don't you just love it that the God who created the universe takes time to listen to our prayers, no matter how small or trivial they may seem? No prayer is small or trivial to Him!!

I'd like to share some of my favorite verses about prayer.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.(Matthew 6:6)

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.(Romans 8:26)

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.(Colossians 4:2)

Never stop praying.(1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Have a blessed day! Thanks for stopping by! And please visit Iris to see who else is thankful today!

Praying for Hubby

I have the most wonderful Hubby. Really, I do. When he gets stressed out, I am usually at a loss as to how to help him.

This morning as he was getting ready to leave for work, I could tell he was already stressed. It's a busy week with lots going on. Plus work. Plus he's taking two classes right now for a master's in counseling. I don't know how to help alleviate a busy schedule.

So I offered to pray for him. Nothing lengthy or eloquent. Just lifting him up to the Father.

I thought I would share with y'all some of my favorite prayers for husbands from Stormie Omartian's "The Power of a Praying Wife."

1. Lord, bless the work of my husband's hands. May his labor bring not only favor, success, and prosperity, but great fulfillment as well.
2. Lord, strengthen my husband to resist any temptation that comes his way. Establish a wall of protection around him. Fill him with Your Spirit, and flush out all that is not of You.
3. Lord, enable each of us to lay aside self-consciousness or apathy and be effusive in our display of love. Help us to demonstrate how much we care for and value each other.
4. Lord, give him wisdom for every decision he makes. Help him to make godly choices and keep him from doing anything foolish.
5. Lord, make every part of his body function the way You designed it to. Heal him of any disease, illness, injury, infirmity, or weakness. Strengthen his body.
6. Lord, make my husband a man of integrity, according to Your standards, and give him strength to say "yes" when he should say "yes" and courage to say "no" when he should say "no."
7. Lord, speak to him about making Your Word, prayer, and praise a priority. Enable him to place me and our children in greater prominence in his heart than career, friends, and activities.
8. Lord, give him a spirit of joy and keep him from growing into a grumpy old man. Help him to be anxious about nothing, but give thanks in all things so he can know the peace that passes all understanding.
9. Lord, enlarge his ability to believe in You, Your Word, Your promises, Your ways, and Your power. May he seek You, rely totally upon You, and acknowledge You in everything he does.
10. Lord, give him a vision for his future. Help him to understand that Your plans for him are good. Help him to mature and grow in You daily.

Let Them Eat Cake! Or Not...

Today over at Fussy's, she has a great video about all things cake. I left her a comment about my very favorite cake, and it reminded me of an incident with cake and one of my BILs.

I don't know about you, but I think there are a few rules of etiquette when it comes to birthday cakes. If the birthday person is an adult, I strongly believe that said birthday person should get the last piece of cake. Either as left-overs, or right there during the party (yes, the first piece AND the last piece!).

Hubby and I were married in December 2002, and my next birthday was October of 2003. So, I had been around his family for almost 2 years before the "red velvet cake incident" occurred. Either my expectations were too high, or my BIL should have known better than to do what he did.

I LOVE red velvet cake. I mean, seriously, LOVE. Don't get between me and my red velvet cake. And most southerners don't make it correctly. If you want a great recipe for red velvet cake, go here. Or an equally good, yet not quite as decadent, recipe, go here.

Most birthdays, I make or request a red velvet cake. For my birthday in '03, my mom was able to be there (we lived in WVa at the time as Hubby was finishing his first masters degree). My in-laws still lived there as well, so we had my birthday dinner over at their house.

I don't remember what we had for dinner (always the birthday person's request too). But I do know that my mom made a red velvet cake for me. Just like she would make when I was growing up. Mmmmm.... I'm salivating just thinking about it.

After dinner, we were still sitting around the dinner table enjoying cake. There was a sizable piece left. I thought, "Oh great! I'll have leftover cake for lunch tomorrow!" Nope, didn't happen.

As we sat there, my BIL cut off an extra piece for himself. No biggee. There was still enough left for me. We continue talking. He cuts off another piece. Okay, I'm starting to get worried.

Finally, over the course of an hour or so, he polishes off the whole darn thing. That which started out as about 2 large pieces worth of red velvet cake - gone. Down his gluttonous gullet. And he had already had a good sized piece earlier. So he ate 3 large pieces of MY red velvet cake, and NOW there were NO leftovers!

Oh, I was steaming! Did he not understand proper birthday cake etiquette? Did he not KNOW how much I LOVE red velvet cake?

Since that time, I have learned to not keep the cake on the table. I serve from the kitchen counter, so the temptation to just "cut off another piece" is not there. And usually, after cake and coffee, we retire to the living room.

So, I have learned my lesson about keeping my red velvet cake leftovers to myself.