Friday, December 28, 2012
Year in Review
In February, our little man turned a year old! Time flies so much, and he is growing up to be such a fun little guy! He is so loving and sweet, and we are finding out more and more every day that he is seriously smart!
Another highlight this year was how well Caleb has done in his job! He has moved up so quickly and is now a Jr. Loan Officer! I am so proud of him. He works so hard and he loves (I think) what he does! We praise God every day for giving him this job!
August was a big moment for me, as I started a new job...stay at home mom! I was VERY nervous about leaving my library job, but God has provided for our family so much more than I could ever have dreamed! I have really enjoyed being with my kids and seeing them grow and change each day!
September was a very exciting month in our family as our big girl Brianna started school! She loves it so much, and I cannot believe how much that girl is learning! She can read some three letter words, and recognizes all of her letters. She can count pretty high (she has at least made it to 40!) and knows so many facts about the most random things!
With me staying at home, I have been trying to build my jewelry business as much as possible. We have had a few craft shows, and we are slowly getting our name out! (Shameless plug for Emerald Coast Boutique inserted here) We recently had a HUGE blessing when we were asked to put a product in a local Antique Shop!
We also expanded our little family this year and adopted a sweet little miniature dachshund named Chloe. She is a sweet dog, and great with the kids!
In November, our sweet girl turned 4! I seriously feel like she was born yesterday! She is the spark plug in our family, and is rarely quiet! She is gone right now with her grandparents on a trip up north, and let me tell you it has been so QUIET this week! I miss her so much! We are so proud of the young lady she is becoming.
Probably the biggest event this year was the news that our family would be growing again! This one is sure to be a fireball (like the other two aren't, lol). We feel so blessed that the Lord has given us another child to love and raise. Pray for us as we have to find room for this little one in the house and the car! We know God will provide, and we are excited to see how He is going to do it!
There have been MANY more exciting things happen this year, but honestly, the year has flown by so fast I can't remember it all!
I hope that anyone reading this will have a wonderful and prosperous 2013!
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Fearfully and wonderfully made
This one scares me, because in all of the first ultrasounds I have seen of my kids, none of them have moved as much so early as this one has! He/she (I think it's a she) was waving his/her arms like crazy and moving from side to side the whole time, the doctor barely could find the heartbeat! But find it she did, and Baby Bowman is healthy and strong! Praise the Lord!
It always amazes me to see new life. I was in tears as I saw that tiny little person moving around...this is the third baby I have seen via ultrasound, and let me tell you, it never gets old! So amazing, and such a miracle!
We have decided to name her (if it is a her) Makenna Ruth. I'm always interested in the meanings of the names, and Makenna means "ascend", and Ruth means "friend". I hope that she will live up to her name and be one who is always a friend to others.
Now, if this little one is a boy.....well, let's just say we are open to suggestions. Caleb wants to name him Espn (pronounced Espin), and I flatly refused. He also suggested Thomas Gunner (nickname Tommy Gun). So yes, we need suggestions. But I really think it's a girl...and I have yet to be wrong, so we shall see!
I leave you with this verse, that flashes through my mind every time I feel a flutter, or feel like running to the porcelain throne...
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
You are what you...play with?
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A Message to President Obama
I am not one of your supporters. I did not vote for you. I am not happy you won.
BUT...
You are the President. While I may not agree with you, I will honor your position. I will pray for you daily.
A verse that the Lord has put in my mind all day today is from Proverbs. "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." I pray that you will find the Lord. I pray that you will turn from the ways that are against Scriptures.
God blesses those who bless His name. Please seek God as you lead MY country for the next four years. Please stop allowing innocent lives to be taken by the millions. Please do not allow the sin of homosexuality to be commonplace in our country. Please do not allow terrorists to bring fear into our lives.
While I know that my hopes and prayers are probably not going to happen, I will not cease to pray for you and for our country.
I close with this quote by Alexis de Tocqueville: "I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers - and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce - and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution - and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."
Please help our country to become great again. Seek God. Turn from your ways.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Did I Do the Right Thing?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Food For Thought
50 Shades of Magic Mike (In Which I Am VERY UNCOOL)
Explanation
“Mommy Porn”
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-9
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23
Put Yourself in His Shoes
Make Good Decisions
If you’re a Christian woman, and you’re reading this, know that I am not judging you. (I own 50 Shades myself. I bought it before I knew what it was, on the recommendation of a friend, and after reading some pages and discovering that it’s pornography, I cast it aside.) We all have poor judgement sometimes, and leave ourselves open to temptation.But we can also use our agency to make good decisions. Like throwing 50 Shades away (don’t re-gift it!), and not going to see Magic Mike. (Or if you’ve already seen it, stop encouraging all of your friends to go see it.)
Rather than causing each other to stumble by putting our sisters in the path of temptation, what if we decided to use our voices to celebrate our marriages? Or the marriages of your friends and family? What if we championed healthy relationships?
Taking Things Up a Notch
What if we invested our time and energy into spicing things up in our bedrooms? Rather than spending $12 on that movie, or the book, why not save the money, and instead, wear something sexy to bed, just because? And what if all the time that you would have spent reading 50 Shades, you instead spent making love to your husband? (Though probably not all in one day…unless you’re, like, training for a marathon.) We can definitely kick things up a notch without resorting to reading pornography, or lusting after celebrity-strippers.
Non-Christian Perspective
If your faith is tied up in people-pleasing, and following rules in order to be accepted by people, your faith is in trouble. I used to resent Christians, because I didn’t feel like I needed to live a certain way in order for God to love me. And that’s the truth. God loves you, no matter what. But here’s the thing: if you believe that God, your Father, loves you, and only wants the best for you, it follows that you would, out of respect and love for Him, do your best to live in a way that honors Him, and brings glory to his name. It is IMPOSSIBLE to be happy living that life if you are looking to others for validation. So many of us have tried doing just that, and failed miserably.
Over time your body becomes conditioned to self-stimulation and gratification. It’s not just a preference. It’s physiological. The lust cuts a literal pathway in your brain tissue that’s kinda like a rut. A rut you better be prepared to get stuck in. While at first a little bit of erotica might give you a taste for your spouse, overtime that rut reminds you how great you are at self-stimulation and how powerful your imagination can be.
The landscape is cluttered with shiny things masquerading as pathways to authentic intimacy, and I’m fairly certain that Fifty Shades of Grey is merely finding its place in the mix.
The problem is that reading erotic novels is like eating Twinkies to stop your hunger. It’s sweet. It’s gives you a sugar high. It makes good food taste bland. It doesn’t give your body the nutrition it needs and all you do is crave more sugar, more Twinkies.
I will be the first person to tell you that we, as men, are called to a much higher standard and have to do our best to protect our ears, our eyes, and our mind from the gutters of junk that surround us on a daily basis and we also have a responsibility to, by doing that, protect the hearts and image of the women in our lives.
Praise God (for own my broken self and for every other broken person out there) that GRACE ABOUNDS and repentance is just a prayer away. Let’s all aim to be quicker to recognize danger zones and flee from them, and let’s turn to God and do our best to filter all of our decisions through His Word. Will we do it perfectly? Heck, no! But, I think if we ask, the Holy Spirit will file the junk far away before we come close to damaging our hearts or our husbands.
Related articles
- Stop Grey From Becoming The New Black And White(theromanticvineyard.com)
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
She's growing up so fast!
So about 2 months ago, we started "paying" Brianna when she would help around the house. I don't really believe in an "allowance" (for our family!), if you just hand the kid the money, they won't feel the satisfaction on earning it, and they will probably come to expect it! So when she helps with the dishes (yes, our 3 year old helps with the dishes and loves it!), helps clean the house, or any other chores we ask her to do, she gets a dime. She has a little container in her closet where she keeps her money.
When we started this, we also taught her a very important principle that it great to start at an early age. We told her that everything we have comes from Jesus, and we need to say thank you to Him. One way we can do that is to give him back some of what He gave us. So we told her that when her container was full, we would count the money, and set aside Jesus' money first, then she could go to the store and buy whatever she wanted!
This morning, she put another dime in, and I asked her if she wanted to go pick out something today. She was SO EXCITED! She had been working very hard to save her coins. We dumped the money out, and although it wasn't very much, she was so proud! I asked her what do we do first with the money. She told me, "Put some coins in the plate at church". I asked her why we did that...she said "To give the money to Jesus to say Thank You!" SHE GETS IT!! My heart was so proud and happy. But that was nothing. What was going to happen next would just blow me away.
We went to Dollar Tree, because she ended up only having about $2, so she really could only spend $1. Which to a 3 year old, is ALOT! So we went in the store, and we went to the two aisles where I told her she could look. We went to the books first, because she loves to be read to. On one of the shelves was a stack of white books. She asked what the books were, and I told her that they were Bibles. They weren't pretty little kid's Bibles, with pictures and colorful pages. They were just simple, tiny worded Bibles with pretty white covers. She said, "Ok Mom, what else is there?" So we went to the other aisles with all of the bubbles, toys, puzzles, and dolls. She took her time, looked at EVERYTHING, then I asked her what she wanted. She looked up at me, turned her head, and said, "Mom, I want that white Bible back there." I was shocked. I asked her if she was sure, and she said, "Yes Mom, I want the Bible to take to church. Can I take it to church?" I said yes, and then she took the Bible to the register. She handed it to the lady, gave her the coins, and told her "I'm buying this with my money. I'm going to take it to church with me when I give Jesus the thank you coins." The cashier looked at me like "Are you serious?" I mean, what 3 year old does that? I just nodded, couldn't say a word, and then watched as the cashier wrapped the Bible up, handed it to Bri, and said "Thank you sweetie."
I will never know what kind of an impact that might have made on that lady, but I know what kind of an impact it made on me. My kids do listen! And this made me realize even more how important it is to teach them the things of Christ. Only eternity will tell what that one white Bible will have in the years to come.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Lemon Pepper Asparagus
1. Cut the tough ends of the asparagus
2. Drizzle with olive oil
3. Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning (sprinkle being the key word...I used a little too much)
4. Broil for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Yummy!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
And he walks!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Dr. Hallbauer
That was one of the coolest things ever...well, the IDEA was good...the weather was H-O-T HOT! I can only imaging how hot all of the 1,200 some-odd graduates felt! Whew! Here is a picture of the lady of the hour...isn't she so pretty? I know God has great things in store for her!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
God Will Take Care of You
Here is just one example of how God took care of us this past week. Last Wednesday, I got a message on FB from my dad that Caleb had been in an accident (my phone was in the car :/ uh oh). He was ok, but the car was pretty messed up. And the horrifying part (in my eyes) was that he hit our neighbor! Lol! The next day, the insurance adjuster totaled the car. We prayed that we would get a good amount to get a replacement, and boy, did God deliver! We paid $3,20 for the car, and we ended up getting $4,300 for it! Wow God!
Saturday, we went car shopping. Caleb had found a car on Craigslist, and we were going to look at it. Well, we drive up, and I immediately had a peace about it! It is the same car he had before, only a year newer, and it is automatic (which means I can drive it!) Another blessing from God: it was only $2,500!
Believe me, every bad thought was running through my mind that Wednesday--we are going to have another car payment...there goes our emergency fund (which is what it is for, but still!)...our insurance is going to go through the roof...and on and on it went in my mind. I had to force myself to stop, and just trust God. And what did He do? Provide above and beyond what I expected! Praise His name! Lesson learned, Lord!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Remembering...
A few weeks later, we got some pretty bad news...Caleb had been laid off at work. I instantly had a ball of fear land in the middle of my stomach. No job? I only worked part time, and we had a baby on the way! The tears ran down my face most of that week, as I though "What are we going to do?" I knew the standard lines "God will take care of you", "Trust God", and everything else that people who are not in a bad situation (seem) to say to you...and I knew all of that. I knew to trust God, and I knew He would take care of us. I'm going to blame it on hormones (ha!) and say that it was VERY VERY hard for me to actually put actions to my faith. But we got through that hard time, and God decided to put something else into our lives that would REALLY shake my faith and cause me to lean on Him.
March 21, 2010, our dear sweet baby went to be with Jesus early in the morning. I cannot even begin to tell the pain and emptiness I felt. As we sat in that hospital room, I didn't even know where to start to begin healing. My heart felt torn in two! But then, years of growing up in church and knowing the Lord came back to me in just 4 words, "My grace is sufficient". That became my lifeline. As soon as I was released, I had so many emotions run through my heart, but the one thing that really was in the front was I wanted to hold my baby girl (who had just turned a year old in November). I knew how I would go on: I still had her. I also realized in the car on the way to get her, that I still had my baby boy too...I knew I would see him again in Heaven (I didn't know for sure it was a boy, but my heart told me it was). Somehow, I made it through those first few days.
A few days later, I was talking with Caleb, and we decided that we wanted to name our little blessing in Heaven. We thought and thought, and finally came up with the name Malachi. It means "Our Angel". How precious to know that we have our own angel in Heaven, waiting for us! After we named him, I had a dream that night of a little boy with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes running around golden streets and climbing trees. I have taken that and it has brought me so much joy!
I found this poem one day, and it has also helped me with coping, as I still struggle (I'm only human!)
God needed and angel in Heaven,
To stand at the Savior's feet,
His choice must be the rarest,
A lily pure and sweet.
He gazed upon the mighty throng,
Then stopped and picked the best,
Our child was His chosen one,
With Jesus he's now at rest.
Mommy misses you Malachi, and I cannot wait until I get to hold you one day in Heaven.
God continues to bless our family, and not 2 months after we lost Malachi, we learned another little bundle of joy was going to be joining us. That same month, Caleb got the best job he has ever had! Fast forward to February 2011, and enter Carter Alan! He is our miracle baby, our special gift from God. The Lord has truly blessed our family, and each and every child He has given us is our special gift from Heaven. I proudly tell people we have THREE children, three gifts from God. I am blessed with a wonderful husband and a supportive, loving family. What more could I ask for!
Thank you God, for my many blessings!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
This little light of mine...
January 11, 2012
Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
God gave us a light to shine to point others to His saving love. We need to let that light shine, and not hide it. There is no sense in lighting a and le, if you are not going to let it be seen. Shine on!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
My shield
Psalm 3:3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
A shield is used to protect someone in the heat of battle. In the battle we are in every day against the wiles of the devil, how awesine is it to have the God of all the universe as our shield, our protector!
O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E
January 8, 2012
Genesis 20:6-7 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
Obedience to God is so important. Abimelech obeyed God when Abraham and Sarah deceived him, and God rewarded him for that obedience by not destroying him. God has a reason for telling us to do things, and we should not question that, but instead obey Him right away.
Gifts
January 6, 2012
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
How simple can it be? Give, and it will be given to you! What is your motivation for giving? How neat is it to give to something, and in the end, it KS you that is getting the blessing instead? Be a giver!
Faith
January 9, 2012
Today I read Genesis 24 and Luke 9. It was neat to see how there was one thing in common with both passages-faith. Rebecca had faith to leave her family and go marry someone she didn't even know. His scary must that have been! In the Luke passage, all they had was 12 loaves and 2 fishes, but the people had faith that God would provide them something to eat, even if the disciples didn't.
If there is anything that I need to learn, it is ti have faith. I am such a doubting person! How much easier would my life be if I only just believed that God will work things out in His time.
Just pray
January 10, 2012
Psalm 6:9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
God is always there for you, to hear your prayers. But sometimes, when things aren't going our way, we just sit there and complain about it, instead of taking it to God. He is there, waiting to listen to your prayers, no matter how small you think it is. He cares about every aspect of your life, so talk with Him about it!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Faithfulness
January 5, 2012
Luke 5:20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
I love this verse, because the men who brought the crippled man to Jesus had so much faith. What an awesome promise, that God will reward our faith! It really makes me want to try harder in my everyday life to have that faith that God wants from me. Be faithful, and God will bless!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Angels
January 4, 2012
Luke 4:10 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
I love how in this verse, Satan is quoting Scripture to Jesus...even Satan knows Jesus is God! But the thing I love about this verse is the promise that we will have angels watching over us, to keep us...kept us safe, or even kept us out of trouble (that's for me). What a great comfort!
All will see God
January 3, 2012
Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
I liked this verse because it shows that no matter what, God will manifest Himself to all. It may be through creation, or it may be through a person, or it may be in some other way that we have no idea...but I want my goal to be for Him to use me...how about you?
Monday, January 2, 2012
Call upon the name of the Lord...
January 2, 2011
Genesis 4:26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.
I think this stood out to me, because we as Christians need to be an example of actually calling out to the Lord, so that all men will see that, and also call out to the Lord. I know in my life, I claim to be a Christian, but I don't call out to the Lord when I should. That is one thing that I think can be a great way to point to God...call on Him, and He will answer you and show you great and mighty things...the world will see that, and it may bring them to Christ as well.
Promise a day...
One of my goals this new year is to strive to pull one promise each day from my daily Bible readings...hopefully I can keep it up on here as well and share what I find...so, here goes!
January 1, 2012
Luke 1:37 For with God, all things are possible.
At the beginning of a new year, there are so many goals that I have...lose weight, be more organized, grow my business...his appropriate that this verse would stick out to me today! I just need to trust my Lord to help me do these things! It is so hard for me to trust, so my prayer for this new year would be to learn to trust in all aspects of my life.