this is our happily ever after

memory verse monday (week 9)

I've just returned from a very inspiring Christian Mom's convention in Dallas.  It truly impacted my life and I've heard God loud and clear on a few things pertaining to my life as a Mom, Wife, and Woman of God.  Know that I'm pressing on towards what He's revealed to me and I will share it when I'm ready. 

Until then I can assure you I will be studying His Book continually, meditating on it day and night, obeying everything written in it, so that He can do an amazing work in my life.  I'm excited and terrified, but that's what faith is all about.  Priscilla Shirer, our final speaker on Saturday, said

"If we always steer clear of the challenge we'll never see God move."

Be blessed this week and if you feel God telling you to take on a specific challenge know that if He sends you to it....He'll see you through it.

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the zoo

Last Saturday Brian and I took Karsten to the Houston Zoo.  He is so interested in animals and it was the perfect day 60 degree day. 

First up were some fish..."ish" as Karsten excitedly refers to them.  Once face to face with these gilled friends he wasn't quite sure...I think he was still warming up to the Zoo as a whole. 

then it was more fish in a coral reef...I cracked up as kid's shouted "there's Nemo...and Nemo's Dad...and Dorie"  The poor clown fish will always and forever be referred to as Nemo!  Which by the way is one of K's favorite movies....he really does LOVE fish!

next up were the Meerkats...cute little critters

and then the elephants "elaphs" as K refers to them. 

Next up were the chimps. The window was crowded with people, but Karsten scooted himself right up to the glass and within seconds the disinterested chimp walked right up to the glass and looked at him.  I kid you not...even apes recognize a cute little boy when they see one...or maybe he wanted his sippy cup!

Though we did have the stroller it served more as a place to put the backpack than anything else.  Karsten spent most of his day being carried by Brian or running between us.  He was so happy to be outdoors (his favorite place) with animals (his greatest fascination)

Next up...giraffes...my personal favorite!  There were a lot of them...even a baby!

After a snack break we headed into the petting zoo...where there were some very docile goats.  I remember growing up and the goats would try to eat your clothing.  K refursed to look at my camera, but walked over to another goat where a Dad was trying to get his girls to look at his camera and K looked right into his camera and was grinning...silly boy!

The last thing we looked at was the red panda...so adorable...I'd never seen one before.

Then after a little trip into the gift shop where K chose an "elaph" we headed home.  He was sound asleep before we even got out of our parking space!

Days like this remind me to take advantage of the beautiful months in Houston....which we do have many...well at least half the year is nice to be outdoors.

ten on tuesday

1. We're almost a week into our Lenten fast and I've already messed up a time or two.  In a few weeks when I begin the 7 study with some girls from church I've decided to give up gluten for a week instead of just eating 7 different foods over and over.  Not having bread, crackers, etc may do me in...but I'm up for the challenge and this doesn't mean I'm going to go buy a bunch of gluten free pasta and snack food...nope just giving it up for a week. 

2. The hardest thing so far has been no sugar in the form of candy, cake, cookies, etc.  We did break our fast Saturday night for our Valentine's Day dinner at the cheesecake factory where I completely indulged in a piece of coconut cheesecake that I can't stop thinking about.  On Sunday we were back on the fast and have held tight ever since.

3. Brian's losing weight...I'm not...yet...but I do feel better so that counts for something! 

4. I'm beginning to plan for K's 2nd birthday party.  I'm thinking it's going to be fish themed since he's all about fish right now.  Everyday he notices something else with a fish on it...today it was in his coloring book.  He was beside himself and kept saying "ish" "ish". 

5. We'll be having our big family birthday party Easter weekend a week before his birthday because it just works better for everyone. 

6. I kind of want to do the little kid party, but I think we'll wait until he's 3 to enter that realm of parenthood.  We'll spend the money on a day at Moody Gardens instead. 

7. We've been doing Dave Ramsey's cash in envelopes system for a few months now and it's working well.  Today I came across this stinkin cute idea to make envelopes with patterned paper.  You can bet I'll be do this tomorrow or Thursday! 

photo and directions found here

8. I'm headed out of town with my friend Jessica this weekend to attend the dotMom convention in Dallas.  Looking forward to some girl time, inspiration and encouragment in my role as a Momma, and hopefully I'll get to meet Priscilla Shirer, one of the speakers. 

9. I posted this on facebook, but not here until now.  Karsten now points up and says "my Ga" meaning "my God" and when you ask Him where God is he points upwards.  Seriously, so precious!!!!

10. If you're a mom and looking for an uplifiting devotional I highly recommend Jen Hatmaker's book Out of the Spin Cycle.  It's full of her wit, Scripturally sound, and will leave you chuckling and contemplating at the same time. 

memory verse monday (week 8)

It's simple....I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing with this season of life.  Yes, I'm a SAHM, but I'm seeing the need to give K some time away from me while using my gifts and talents to add financially to our family.   I applied for a work at home job a few weeks ago and haven't heard anything...and that is maddening and frustrating to this impatient girl. 

I'm a make it happen kind of girl...especially when I get my mind set on something.  It might take me a long while to get on board, but when I'm ready to go...let's go....so this time of waiting to hear something has been tough for me.  In my mind this particular job would be perfect for me, our family, my desire to work from home, to use my gift of teaching and communicating with parents and students.  But then I wonder, does God have something else in mind...hmmm...He can be hard to figure out sometimes!  I will continue to seek His will and see where He leads.

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digital card from Amber Edition of Project Life

Lenten Fast

Brian has done a Lenten fast the past few years. He loosely bases his fast on the Orthodox fast and has fasted desserts, alcohol, junk food, and a lot of meat over the past few years.  Because I'm the cook, and he's a great hubby, he always eats what I make for dinner.  So, while he was fasting if I made something with meat for dinner, he ate it. 

This year will be a bit different because I'm fasting as well.  This is my first fast ever and to be perfectly honest I'm a little stressed about it, but I know it will help me to abide in Him.  In a traditional fast, Sundays are exempt, but instead of not fasting on Sunday's we've decided to mark out a few days on the calendar where we can break the fast.   Our anniversary and Brian's birthday will be two of these days.

We're not doing a specific fast, like the Daniel Fast, for many reasons....one of which is that we'll be fasting for 40 days, not 21 days.  During our fast we'll be cutting out

• excess sugar (this will be the hardest for me) in things like cookies, candy, sweets, and treats. 
• meat (though I may make fish a couple of times a week to make sure we're getting enough protein)
• alcohol (beer, wine, liquor)

I will be cutting down on caffeine and the rest of the time I'll be drinking water.  We've also decided that we're not going to be so rigid that it inconviences other people.  Brian has a lot of work lunches coming up in the next weeks and if bbq is served he'll eat it, just not as much.  We are not going to be legalistic about it...this is more of a time to place more discipline in our lives and cut out excess in our lives so that we can draw more closely to God...not to make sure that we're following a bunch of rules. 

One of my reasons for doing this fast is my health.  I've noticed the pounds adding up, I'm feeling frumpy, and I'm addicted to sugar.  So, along with closely monitoring my diet I will also be walking everyday for a minimum of 20 minutes.  **If I tell myself it's only 20 minutes I get myself outside and then inevitably walk for at least 30-45 minutes** 

Fasting isn't just about depriving ourselves of things it's about replacing bad things with good things and good things with better things. 

Another goal of mine during this fast is to carve out a minimum of 30 minutes everyday to write and pray.  Basically, I'll replace time playing on pinterest, blogs, etc with time where I'm writing and talking to God.  The writing will be done in my journal and much of it will be reflecting on what I'm reading and studying. I hope to be able to share some with you.

This fast will take abiding in Christ to a whole new level and for that I'm excited...I would love to know if you plan on fasting anything during this Lenten season.  Please let me know I'm not alone!  Leave me a comment...I could use the encouragment.  I also plan on putting our weekly menus here so you can see what we're eating.  Maybe I'll even get some new favorite recipes out of it!

memory verse monday (week 7)

Over the next couple of weeks I will finally be finishing up Beth Moore's Breaking Free Bible study that I've been working through for what seems like...forever!  It's been a tough, challenging, dig deep study which has really done a work in my life.  It was through this study I realized my desperate need for Scripture memorization in order to abide in Him each and every day...especially in the moments where it would be so easy to fall back into my old self serving patterns. 

In Day one of week 9 (there are 10 weeks total) Beth writes, "Only a trusting heart will approach God honestly with the secret struggles of the mind.  When we offer a trusting heart and an honest, open mind to God, renewal is on its way."

I desperately need my mind to be steadfast on Him and have chosen this verse to memorize this week.  Because God is pruning away some old habits and patterns from my life I'm left feeling a bit raw and vulnerable in my spiritual life.  I've found myself spending more time reading Christian blogs, articles, devotionals, etc (which is great), but instead of being encouraged and challenged I've been feeling condemed, like I'll never get it together!  There's such a battlefield of the mind everyday for believers...and the closer I get to breaking free of some strongholds the more Satan is after me in my vulnerable places. 

That's why I love this verse so much....He will keep me in PERFECT PEACE as long as my mind is steadfast on Him.

Not steadfast on my shortcomings

Not steadfast on my patterns

Not steadfast on the quality of my quiet times. 

Not steadfast on the appearance of another believer's walk with Him

STEADFAST ON HIM....HIS WORD....HIS TRUTH....HIS PROMISES!

Will you join me in Scripture memorization this week? 

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weekend at the beach (bay) house

I am blessed beyond measure to have wonderful friends.  I've always had wonderful friends.  Since I was 3 years old and I claimed my first Best Friend (hi, Tiffany!)  who later was my maid of honor.  Yes, I've always had wonderful friends. 

My Funco girls are no different.  We all have our own lives, families, interests, frustrations, and issues, but once a month we come together to laugh, talk, share, and catch up on the dailiness of life.  Within a group of 12 women of course there are some I'm closer to than others, but I count every one of them as friends. 

I arrived at the beach/bay house around 5:30 on Friday night...just in time to unload and enjoy the sunset on the deck while talking with one of my dearest friends, Jessica!  I LOVE SUNSETS OVER WATER!!! 

The remainder of the evening we ate, talked, and watched Pitch Perfect.  I was up the next morning in time to enjoy coffee on the deck and work on  my Bible study.

After breakfast it was time for a walk on the beach...perfect temps were enjoyed by all.

And then a few chose to play Dance party or something of the sort on the Wii

while others couldn't refuse the comfort of the comfy couches

and others worked on our lunch

Then it was time for a few of us to take a siesta while others got their crafty on making button rings and other cute button related things.

and before the sun went down we took a group photo

and watched the sun go down before enjoying the rest of our time together

ten on tuesday

1. I had a fantastically relaxing weekend at a beach house with  my Funco Girlfriends.  If you're wondering what Funco is it's basically a group of girl's that used to play Bunco together once a month and then decided that they were tired of Bunco, but still wanted to get together once a month for a fun girl's night...hence, Bunco became Funco. 

2. I am full of graditude that I have a hubby who understands that I need weekends away with my friends and is more than happy to play with K all weekend.  I came home to a clean house and happy child...I'm a blessed wife!

3. I recently subscribed to the Proverbs 31 Ministry daily devotional email which is sent to my inbox each morning.  I hesitate to subscribe to things via email because it's so easy to just delete it, but I've made a point to sit down and read each one during K's naptime and  have been encouraged and blessed by the words I read.  Click here to subscribe

4. I have a to do list with over 30 things on it...everything from painting an old frame for my office to calling to cancel Directv.  I think Just Do It needs to become my motto on the top of my to do list.  I can get so easily distracted.  Don't worry, this post is on that to do list :)  Granted I just wrote it on there so I could check it off!  Yep, I'm that person!

5. I'm planning a Favorite Things giveaway for the end of this month.  Make sure you subscribe (to the right of this post) so you don't miss out.  There will be several ways to get your name entered each day. 

6. I still haven't heard back about the possible work opportunity I've applied for...I'm not worried...just ready to get this new chapter started if it's God's Will. 

7. Spring seems to have arrived here in Houston.  Brian and I were remarking last night that we each wore our "winter" coats less than a dozen times this winter.  I feel compelled to write a note in my planner on Oct of 2013 to not buy a single "winter" coat because it's a waste of money.  It's time for me to begin looking for some cute, inexpensive t-shirts because for 9 months out of the year that's what I live in and frankly the ones I have from last summer are full of holes and worn out. 

8. Can someone please explain to me how all of my shirt get holes in them near my waistband on the front?  It's maddening!  I think it has to do with the "burn out" fabric that's so popular now and the button on my jeans.  I've gotten accustomed to wearing a tank underneath my t-shirts in hopes that they will be protected.  I've also become accustomed to wearing shirts with small holes in them because seriously 50% of my cotton t-shirts have holes in them.  SO.COMPLETELY.MADDENING!

9. I'm back to selling some scrapbook stuff on ebay...if you're interested in what I have leave me a comment. 

10. Does anyone have a great energy vitamin they take?  My energy levels dip around 1:00 every afternoon and I'm needing something to keep me going. 

memory verse monday (week 6)

I had another verse selected for this week and then came across this one in a devotional and felt compelled to make it a part of my week.  I actually have memorized it before, but needed the refresher!  I plan on putting it several places in my house...so that throughout the day I can abide in His Word.

It's humbling (and terrifying) to know that God knows my heart.  He knows why I do what I do.  He sees where I mess up on an hourly basis. He knows what stresses me out and what's troubling my heart right now.  He knows if I'm frustrated about something and can gently help me to see my role in the issue.

I don't want to offend God, but I know I fail every day and I am ever thankful for His GRACE...because without that I'd be hopeless.   God does not desire for us to live in hopeless condemnation, but rather make a pattern of returning to Him, confessing to Him, and being restored by Him in order to be lead further along the path of everlasting life. 

So, this week I will make a point to come before the Lord and allow Him to do some poking and prodding in the tender and hidden places.  As offensive areas are brought to light I will allow Him to refine those places with His holiness.  Just like plants, Christians must have areas pruned away in order to become stronger and more bountiful. 

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