Shake It Up...

Jadin and I were working on his homework this morning which was to create a pattern. While he was working on his pattern, he stopped and said, "You know Mommy... life is kind of like a pattern. We get up, eat breakfast, go to school, come home, play outside, eat dinner, take a bath and go to bed. And then the next day, we do the same thing all over, like a pattern."

Needless to say, I was blown away by his deep insight into the monotony of life. So, I said, "Yeah, life is like a pattern. And you get to do it over and over again for the next 60 years!!!" Haha. I then went on to explain that taking time to shake things up in life makes it a lot of fun. I can honestly say that when I look back on my 28 years, it has been far from boring! So, since this is the 'love' month... I was thinking about sneaking in one last blog dedicated to shaking things up.

Believe it or not... Jeremy and I are a lot alike. We were both math majors, both outgoing, both optimists, both organized, both conscientious, both dramatic and the list goes on. We took personality tests in college and our results had a striking resemblance. Usually, people marry someone quite different then them and their differences complement each other. But, we tend to lean the same way on most issues. I wouldn't say we disagree on much, but when we do... lookout! Because we both passionately fight for our cause, that can create some major head bumpage. (Yes, bumpage is a word... my word :) I think we had the same argument for the first three years we were married. It was a HOT topic, and it took forever to get settled.

But we do have a few differences... Jeremy is non-confrontational... I on the other hand... well, let's just say I don't mind hashing things out when needed. This is one of the reasons why we had an unresolved issue for 3 years. I brought it up, he swept it under the rug... I pulled it out from under the rug... and we went round and round. But, I must say, we have BOTH grown leaps and bounds in the years we have been together... he's not afraid to set me straight, (which I appreciate in a guy) and I have improved at letting things go.

One of our other differences and the reason behind this blog, is I like variety in almost every facet of life and Jeremy is an 'eat the same cereal' kind of guy. And there is SOOOO much good to say about Jeremy. His desire for steadiness makes for a secure home life, budget, marriage and so on. I on the other hand, try not to make the same dinner unless it has been months since we had it last. I'm big on surprises, making birthdays SUPER special, and just creating variety in general. This is not to say that I do not appreciate the pattern in our life. In fact, we both agree that our kids are well behaved simply because we are BIG on routine and consistency.

But, variety is a necessary part of life. Otherwise, there would be a grim outlook on our future. So, I encourage you today, if you feel like the grind of life has gotten into a really boring pattern... shake it up! It may be out of your comfort zone to add a little spice to life but your spouse deserves it, your kids need it and people in general LOVE when you do something out of the ordinary to bless them. Start by thinking of one person you can shake it up for today. And follow through! It will shake things up for them and for you! It's good medicine for the patterns of life!

Brody's Barnyard Birthday Bash!!!

Whew.... what a great day. Brody's wanted a barnyard birthday party and we managed to deliver. A day filled with farm animals, hayrides, barnyard food and all of his favorite people.

A huge thanks to all of our neighbors who let us come visit their animals on a hayride! And it wouldn't have been possible without the rootin-tootin hayride driver- the one and only- PopPop! Thanks, Dad. I also want to thank all of our friends for jumping in and helping out wherever we needed you! We appreciate you guys!

And to Brody... my sweet 3 year old... You have been the one to make me laugh till I cried- your sense of humor is one of the many things I love about you. I can hardly believe 3 years have already passed, but they have been more joyful with you around. Happy Birthday to my handsome cowboy.

YeeHaw... ;)

Do You Love Me?

I heard a good word last night on Valentine's eve from the youth pastor at our church and I wanted to share what I gleaned from it...

The message centered around when Jesus asked Peter in John 21, 'do you love me?'

It took me back to all the crazy antics we go through to try and express our love (or really 'like') for one another when we're first figuring out about love. I have some embarrassing stories of my own where I put myself out there, only to be totally rejected. I pretty much stayed away from boys in high school mainly because I really didn't think anyone would like me back. I was scared. I tended to lean towards having crushes that were more in my head then anything resembling reality. There was a guy who I liked yet never could figure out where I stood with him. It seemed like he liked me but I was never really sure. He struggled to express anything remotely clear to me so... eventually, I let the idea go.

And then along came Jeremy!!! My first real boyfriend and he was in hot pursuit of me. I didn't lift a finger when it came to figuring things out. I didn't have to. He made it abundantly clear how he felt about me and left nothing for me to question.

But, even better than that... Jesus love for us does not beat around the bush. There's no 'check yes or no,' no mixed signals, no mind games. He is blunt and lays it out on the line for you... "Do You Love Me?" In fact, he lays it on the line so much, he died on a cross just for you to make it abundantly clear that His love is for you. He's straightforward... and I like that. My kinda man!

Happy Valentine's Day!

***To hear the video without the music, scroll down to the bottom and pause the playlist player.

If You've Carried A Watermelon...

When I think about insecurity, I can't help but be reminded of Jennifer Grey's character, 'Baby,' from Dirty Dancing. You can see it all over her face that she desperately wants to say something impressive. However, what comes out is... "I carried a watermelon."

I wish I could say that I've never been in Baby's shoes... but just yesterday I let insecurity get the best of me and said something brilliant like "I carried a watermelon." I was left pondering how easily I let myself be tossed by the wave of insecurity. I think it comes down to who is determining our worth. If, even for a moment, we take the job of determining our worth and value out of the hands of God- we immediately feel insecure. When we start looking to someone else for security- something they ultimately cannot provide, we feel shaken. Since the opinions of others are fickle, our worth found in people is on unstable ground.

There is someone that can make you feel secure. In fact, He embodies the definition of secure: safe, dependable, trustworthy, guaranteed and certain. When we put our security in God, we can stand on His secure foundation and know that He determines our worth. So, so what if you've 'carried a watermelon' lately... God's love for you is so deep and so wide that it cannot be grasped. In Psalm 16 David writes, 'Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.' His opinion of you pales in comparison to your greatest admirer.

I am not sure if this blog was for anyone else or not. It could just be me working something out through a blog. But, if nothing else... I can cross off another item from my bucket list- to use my FAVORITE movie of all time as an illustration for a biblical principle... Hahaha... Just kidding... sort of.

Just remember, if God is for you, then NOBODY puts baby in the corner!

Sorry, I couldn't help it. I will quit while I'm ahead. ;)

Wake-Up-Call

A few years back, Jeremy and I implemented a plan to reinstate weekend sleep- we take turns on who gets up with the kids and switch off on who gets Saturday as well. When it's your day to sleep in, you can feel an excitement that starts the night before!!! This morning, it was my turn to get up with the kids. We put them to bed late and I hoped they would sleep late but I had a little anxiety- fearing they would wake before the rooster crowed. Sure enough... I heard loud and louder exit their room before 7 am.

I kept my eyes closed to try and pretend like it wasn't happening. Much to my dismay, I opened my eyes and Brody was standing before me waiting for my eyes to open. As soon as they did, he said, "I berry love you, Mommy." He said it as if he had waited all night to tell me. I scooped him up and reciprocated his 'berry' love. I bounced right out of the bedroom to make homemade sweet potato pancakes- all for 5 little words.

The bible says that the tongue has the power of life and death. We choose whether to build someone up or tear them down. Proverbs 12:25 reads, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." A simple, kind word costs you nothing, and yet you can use it to make a person's day. The power of words is always on the tip of your tongue.

Overflow

The start to 2011 has been tumultuous for us. My disclaimer in saying this is that I was voted "Most Spirited" when I was a cheerleader and have the plaque to prove it! I tend to be an optimist- the glass is just half full for me- you get the idea. Anyway, the first 14 days of this year have proved to be the most challenging days of my lifetime thus far. I will not attempt to even go in to all the happenings of this year, but I will say we have felt kicked while we were already down... and this is all while feeling closer to God than ever. It's almost as though we can feel the painful growth we are experiencing during these trials.

The other night, I had a dream that one of the toilets in our house overflowed. In my dream, I could not contain the water that was flowing out. Now, while a toilet overflowing is usually not a pleasant thought, the word I kept hearing in my head the next day was: overflow.

As I studied the word the next day I found a verse in Psalm 65:11:

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

I believe God is going to crown this year with His bounty and there will be an overflow of blessings. Later that day, I came upon the song that is playing and was encouraged to know that God can Turn it Around! If 2011 has shaken you in someway, remember that there is a God who can turn it around and crown the year with His bounty!

A Jolly-Good Time...

A great visit to see Santa today. No tears. No screams of terror. No refusals to see Santa. Brody was doing great until Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas- his body language says it all!!!!

Ho Ho Ho!!!!!