Waiting...

Are you waiting?  Do you feel like you are in limbo?  Do you feel like something awesome is yet to come?

I have often felt like I was waiting for something really awesome to happen.  Like Publishers Clearing House to show up at my door with a multi bazillion dollar check, and my life would be infinitely changed.  Or possibly waiting to be "discovered" (discovered, for what I have no idea).

There are seasons in my life that I feel I have been created for so much more.  I have been made for greatness.  Aren’t we all created for so much more?  Aren’t we all created for God's greatness?  Aren’t we all made in His Holy likeness?  Should we all be waiting?

 Just in my circle, several people are in the waiting room of life.   My mom is currently waiting on a prosthetic leg  because of a recent amputation.  I have some sweet friends who are currently waiting on holding their precious boy from China.  Another friend is waiting on a home to be built.  Another is waiting for a possible move.  My family is currently waiting on answers for an upcoming life change.  Aren’t we all waiting?

Maybe we are waiting for what will happen next.  Maybe the season you are currently in is really rough, and you are waiting for the clouds to clear.  Maybe you are waiting for signs from God about an upcoming decision.  

A lot of times with waiting comes worry.  The unknown is scary.  So we, in our little human brain replay unknown scenarios as to what might happen.  Recently my husband and I toyed with the idea of moving.  I mentally packed, unpacked, painted, decorated, rearranged and lived in three different houses.  Why?  Emotions, planning, eagerness, stupidity.  Whatever you want to call, it was a waste of my time.  I wasted Godly moments to mentally plan an event that did not even happen.  If only I waited for God to fully speak to my heart, I would not have wasted precious God time.  

Waiting is hard, it can be painful, and it is exhausting.  We are creatures of action.  We want to live fast, act fast and be fast.  Who wants to wait around?  After all, look at our culture of fast food, drive thru’s and 30 minutes or less.  We want it hot, fresh and NOW! No matter what it is.  Quick conveniences make up our world.  

Think about when you are driving.  I want you to be honest.  How many of you constantly check your phone at a red light?  Who checks Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email?  You know you do, don’t lie.  We don't know how to wait.  Even in the car!

Waiting makes us uncomfortable.  It makes us think about our decisions.  

Look back in the Bible,

How long did the people of Israel have to wait before they made it to the Promised Land?  How long did Sarah have to wait before she bore a child?  How long did Jesus have to wait before he could proclaim the greatness of the Lord?

Waiting is biblical.  Waiting grows us; it makes us stronger in our faith.  Trusting God to make decisions for us and waiting for Him.  Dependence on our Heavenly Father is grown out of waiting.  

Waiting builds up our spiritual WEIGHT.  When we are forced to wait, God builds our character.  He grows and strengthens us so that we can handle any other waits that come our way.  Our walk with Him grows deeper, and stronger, and stretches us to reach wholeheartedly towards Him.

We should think about our waiting period as a blessing.  A time that we can rely on what God is doing in our lives.  Waiting is a gift that allows us to grow in our relationship with Jesus.  It is still hard, and uncomfortable, and makes life a little stressful.   But the reward is just so Great!

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles: they shall run and not grow weary.

Psalm 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

FIVES on Friday

My handsome hubby recently had Lasik eye surgery.   So it got me thinking, when was the last time you thought about you five senses?

The FIVE senses

1-SIGHT- When was the last time you thanked your eyes for seeing?  How about thanking them for reading this awesome blog?  Have you ever thought what your eyes actually do?  I can't even comprehend how God has made our eyes able to see.  To see the beauty that He has made....

2- HEAR-  Hearing beautiful music, hearing your kiddos scream, hearing advice.  Being a listener to a friend in need, hearing the sounds of a child laughing.  Your ears help you hear happy and sad, pleasant and unpleasant.  You can hear a warning or a concern, or incredible life changing news.

3- SMELL- Smelling...OK, so I am a mom of boys.  I smell lots of different smells throughout the day.  Most of them are not pleasant.  Most of the smells are usually followed with some sort of token of accomplishment.  For example, "it" is always announced, "that was a stinky one" is usually said afterwards.  I do not have alot of sweet smells that come my way.  Bath nights are nice, soap and shampoo smell good... then the BOY smell lingers in.  My car permanently smells like feet!

4- TASTE- This is one of my favorites...I mean come on, tis the season to bake, and eat, and consume sweets.  I am a self admitted sugaraholic.  I love sweets.  The taste buds amaze me,  how each little bump can detect  a completely different taste.  Sweet, salty, sour, bitter.  One of the best things about having kids is giving a little one a lemon.  Don't you love to watch their little faces shrink up and pucker after eating something sour?

5-TOUCH- Feeling something smooth or rough.  Feeling the soft skin of a new born.  Feeling something wet, cold, hot or sticky.  Holding your spouses hand and feeling the warmth from their hand.  Giving a hug to a friend can let them know you care.  Greeting someone with a handshake, patting someone on the back, or giving a high five.

Pretty cool when you think about the amazing things your body can detect and react to.  Thank you Jesus for not making me understand how all of this works and just simply being able to enjoy it.

Just another Random Fives on Friday!

I have one last present for you

Y'all...It has been a long time since I have blogged.  I admit it.  It's not because I have been lazy, or too busy (because I can always make time).  It’s not because of not having anything to say, (if you know me, then you know I always have something to say). It's because I cannot get my feelings out.  I cannot figure out what has been bothering me.  Until now....

Christmas.  

I have been reflecting on where my heart was over the season.  Or where my heart wasn’t.  I feel that I have cheated on Christmas.  I cheated, fell short, and didn’t live up to Christmas.  Sure, I participated.  I went to Christmas parties, baked goodies, gave back…But I still feel like something was lacking.

The lacking part was not the new clothes, or the I pad.  We did not lack in an abundance of presents.  The boys got way more than they could have ever wanted.  The presents, the wrapping, the boxes the bows, all of it.  All of it is disposable.  All of the pretty is now in a trash heap, buried under the dirt.  My boys have already broken a handful of toys.  Disposable.  Trashed.

That’s where I am left.  Feeling like I have been dumped in the trash. Trash.  Yup!  That’s right.  Did I truly celebrate the season in the way that God would have wanted?   I prayed, I worshiped, I did good for others, I celebrated the Birth.  But yet, I still feel left with a need for a do over.  

Aren’t we always trying to do more?  Or at least feeling like we should.  We could never do enough for God, and we don't have to.   If you truly think about it, God’s grace for us is way more than we could ever earn.  That is a true blessing. We CAN’T do enough.  EVER.  Jesus did all that we need.  We don’t deserve it, but we get it anyway.  We can never fill the chasm because it is way too big.  Jesus is the only bridge of the gap.  He is the only one! We don't have to fill it...

We have Grace, Grace that rains down and refreshes us.  It has refreshed me over the last few weeks as I have been figuring out my emotions.  

Thank you Jesus for your Grace.  We do not deserve such love.

So what does all this mean?  Well, it means that I want to continue to bring God's love to all.  I want to continue to celebrate HIM.   Everyday is a gift from him and we should open each day as if we are opening a precious Christmas gift. 

Which way are you going to open your day?  Carefully peeling back the wrapping so tenderly as to not tear the paper.  OR, excitedly ripping the paper and tearing into the gift.  Live in complete abandonment to Jesus.  Allowing Him to guide you through your day.  That is the most precious gift of the season that we get to be with Jesus on a daily basis!

Enjoy the Christmas season throughout the year.  I am going to stop yearning for a do over and simple pray for a “do now”!

Fives on Friday- FIVE places to shop that give back

This Christmas season I have tried really hard to shop locally and to shop at non profits and organizations that give back to others.  Here are just FIVE of the many that are available.

1- Beautiful and beloved- http://www.beautifulandbeloved.com- 
Every purchase you make will help empower a survivor of slavery. They have amazing necklaces, bracelets, scarfs, purses and other amazing pieces.  They also have men's wallets.  Each piece tells a story of someones life and what they are trying to do to overcome injustice in their lives.

2- Mercy Ink- http://mercy.storenvy.com- 
Each gift helps support adoption.  They create beautifully designed prints, and necklaces.  They have prints specifically designed for adoption as well.


3- Amazima Ministry- http://www.amazimastore.org- 
OK, So I totally want to be Katie Davis when I grow up.  She runs a huge ministry in Uganda Africa. Her ministry employs Ugandan woman and feed hungry children.  They have beautiful paper bead necklaces.

4- Punjammies - http://shop.intlprincess.org- 
This is a great place to get awesome pajamas! The international Princess Program supports women who have been freed from sex trafficking and help them achieve lives of hope and dignity.

5- Sole Hope- http://www.solehope.com- 
This is a pretty awesome place too!  You can buy T-shirts, shoes, and bags, but the really neat thing is that you can host a shoe cutting party.  Sole Hope cleans and heals the feet of those infected with jiggers in Africa by creating closed toed shoes. Shoes heal and protect feet from further infection.  Sole Hope also employs the men and women in Uganda and surrounding areas to actually sew the shoes together.  

 These are only FIVE of the thousands of organizations available. Research and find the perfect gifts for your loved ones this season.  This season purchase to change a life! 

Where did Christmas Go? And Why didn't I see it leave?

The kids and I just watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  Its one of my favorite movies.  Jim Carrey does a great job being Grinchy.  He's mean, vile, stinky, and lacks the Christmas spirit completely.  I mean he eats glass and his dirty socks run away from him.  He steals presents, trees, and even the last can Who Hash.

  During this season we all can get  mean, vile and stinky.  Some of us can even lack Christmas spirit. I know that we each can have our own Grinch moments. Maybe we get a little annoyed waiting in the incredibly long line just to buy a shirt that we are sure they will return.  Maybe its trying to find a parking spot at the mall that does you in.  (I mean really, can anyone drive this time of year?)  Maybe its looking for the only thing your child asked for, only to find out the store is completely out.  Christmas can be hard.  Christmas can be crazy. Christmas can be grinchy.  But it's something else...There is something that lingers in some of our hearts.  Something that you can't put your finger on, or you just don't want to admit it.

There is another  little character in this story that has a big presence in our hearts.  A small Who, or What that needs to be talked about.
Cindy Lou Who...  Cindy Lou is the littlest Who. That's the Who that has all of the what's that makes all of us think...Where did Christmas go?

She doesn't get all of the stuff that we call Christmas.  The hustle bustle, maxing out credit cards, buying ridiculous gifts.  Feeling pressure to make ornaments, throw a party, bake cookies, make unquie wholesome family memories.

The pressure!  For some of us the pressure is just under the surface waiting to explode.  For others, we are still trying to figure out where to even start.  Thanks to Pinterest we are all completely inadequate.

Cindy Lou Who- Where are you Christmas


I find myself searching to find Christmas...
Where did it go?  What happened?  When did it disappear, and where was I when it left?  How could Christmas up and leave right under my nose?

Last year and the year before I remember it.  I participated.   I remember the presents and wrapping paper.  I remember decorating,  and mall searching.  I remember countless trips to Target searching for THAT toy.  I even remember a year when my husband was out on Christmas Eve looking for something, anything, that we could wrap and give as a gift.

I remember the panic of thinking we "forgot" someone on our list.  I remember stressing out about 'how many' gifts family  members had, and how we could make it even.  Searching through the piles of presents and making sure that everything was fair.


I remember the MORE.  I remember the WHAT.  I remember the HOW MUCH.  The EXCESSIVE.  

That's what Christmas is all about, Right?

The hustle, bustle, presents.   Crowded malls, long lines, sale items and maxed out credit cards.  Consumerism at it's finest.  

We want to live up to all of the imaginary expectations.  We want to participate.  After all, that's what we have always done, each year it gets bigger and bigger.  We try so hard to create a manger scene out of toilet paper rolls, or wrap a wreath in burlap, only to fail and add to the stress of the season.  

Y'all it's hard to see past the stuff and see the stable.  Its hard to FEEL the season and not just be a participant in it.  Christmas is not about a checklist of duties and gifts.  It is about THE gift.  The only gift that has ever mattered...EVER!

Take some time this season and just be like Cindy Lou Who.   Think of the WHY and the WHO.  Try to FEEL the season and FEEL the presence of Jesus.  He is there, He is always there.  Take time in the hustle and bustle to celebrate the true reason.  Celebrate the birth of our savior that was born for us and died for us.  Perfectly human and perfectly God.

Cindy Lou Who got it right in my opinion.  She sought after the "least of these".  She looked after the homeless, the hungry, the naked, sick,  and thirsty. (Matthew 25: 31-46).  She went after the one whose heart was two sizes to small.  The one that no one had hope for, I mean he didn't even receive Christmas cards.  

I pray that you can go after this season with a new attitude.  Not an attitude of more, but an attitude of less.  The least...

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (God with us)

Matthew1:23

Read about the true meaning of Christmas...

Matthew 1:18-2:1-12

Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-21

Christmas Advent (better late than never)

For the past few years my family and I have celebrated the Christmas season with a countdown to Jesus birthday.  Each day of the countdown the boys open a bag.  In the bag is a bible verse for the day representing the birth of our Savior.  Each bag also has a random act of kindness, or a special treat, craft or family activity.  

I have made my own bags in the past and used paper bags. Never really pleased with the outcome.    This year I finally found affordable burlap bags at Micheal's!  I love them and they were $1.00 for two.

We hang the bags on the garland going up our stairs, that way we do not forget to open the bag for the day.

I printed and laminated the bible verses. I could not find my original list, but I did find another one you could use. 

http://www.thethingsilovemost.blogspot.com/2011/11/our-other-traditions.html

Every year I add to our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.  I try really hard to meet the needs of our local community.  I encourage you to look in your own community and and make an impact.  Call your church, the homeless shelter, the local hospital or nursing home.  Ask what needs your family can meet.  Remember that you do not have to give money.  Your time and your gifts are truly valuable as well. 

Below is the list that I add and change to every year.

Advent- Countdown to Christmas

-      Take a box of toys, puzzles, balls, crayons, coloring books to local Children’s hospital.

-      Place one dollar bills throughout the dollar store.

-      Drop off laundry detergent and dryer sheets at Laundromat.

-Bake cookies and goodies to give away to the fire dept.

-Bake cookies and goodies to give to neighbors.

-Buy toys for needy kids.

-Pick up buggy's from the parking lots.

-Go Christmas caroling.

-Make ornaments to give to local nursing home.

-Place post it notes with encouragement throughout Target.

-Offer to babysit for free.

-Give out gift cards to strangers.

-Drive through neighborhoods and look at Christmas lights with hot chocolate.

-Make star twig ornaments to give away

-Cook a meal for a friend, just because.

-Leave a note of encouragement on a car windshield.

-Tie balloons to random cars

 -

-Collect canned goods from neighbors and donate to local food pantry.

-Pay for the next person in takeout line.

-Donate books to a preschool, school or library.

-Take gently used toys to preschool.

-Write cards to grandparents and mail them.

-Give sweet treats to our mailman, dry cleaners, garbage men.

-Collect old clothes and donate to shelter.

-Do something nice for a family member, siblings.

-Take a giant can of coffee to homeless shelter.

- Use sidewalk chalk and go to a friends house and draw pictures and write words of encouragement on their driveway.

Please comment below for other fun family ideas, I am always looking to add to my list.

Happy Advent!