Insomnia, Ulcers and a Side of Worry

"But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41, 42 (NASB)

I feel like this verse should say, "Mary, Mary, you are worried and bothered about so many things..." That's totally me. And it seems like lately this sentence has defined my life. In a previous article I related to this and about my need trust the Lord. But lately I have really realized that the enemy has  been using my areas of worry and anxiety as an all out attack on becoming the woman, wife and mother God has called me to be. There are days when I wonder, "Am I the only person on earth that worries and has anxiety this much?" A lot of days I feel like a failure as a Christian because I worry and fret so much. I have come to terms with the fact that this is something I have to battle in God's strength to overcome.

Maybe you're thinking.... "It's probably not as bad as she is making sound..."
Well, I wish I could say that is true; but it's not. One of the reasons I started this blog is so that I could take the "Mask" off that we so often put on to cover the difficulties that we face, the trials we have to deal with and the daily battles that plague so many of us. So I'm being completely real. I worry about EVERYTHING. I worry about what people are thinking, I worry about what they're NOT thinking, I worry about my toddler constantly, I worry about my husband's health, our future, our finances, my decisions and how they affect me and others, my dog, what I cooked for dinner, the lunch meat sitting in the fridge (is it still good?), whether or not I offended someone, is that girl mad at me because she gave me a weird look, maybe that person doesn't like me because they passed me by without saying hi. And that's just the tip of the crazy, anxiety, iceberg! I could seriously make a list long enough to cover two blogs. :)

In October we went on a beautiful vacation as a family. But before we even left, I was worried. Worried that satan was going to use my worry issues to destroy our vacay. Sounds pitiful right? Well, because I was so worried that the enemy was going to attack, guess what? He did. And from two days before we left until the day we got home I was worried. Worried that every hotel we stayed in had bedbugs, worried that something bad was going to happen to people back at home, worried, worried, worried. And let me tell you; it wasn't as fun as it was meant to be. And I allowed the enemy to, once again, "steal" valuable time with my hubby and toddler.

Can you relate? Has something happened to you recently that  you're losing sleep over? Maybe that person gave you a weird look, maybe someone asked you to meet with them to talk and you're fearing the worst? Are you afraid of your failing finances, weakening health, inability to have a child, lack of friendship, not feeling "up to par"? I'm sure you have a few things on your list right now. Maybe worry and anxiety is something you deal with regularly or maybe it's something that hits you only from time to time.

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

I love that translation of 1 Peter 5:7. God literally wants us to CAST all of our anxiety on Him...

The definition of cast is: throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction.

WOW! I love that... God wants us to throw our anxieties on Him. Not just casually toss them His way.

The definition of care is: feel concern or interest; attach importance to something.

Isn't it amazing to know that God truly cares about every single worry, fret, frustration and anxiety you are facing right now? He thinks it's important and He is concerned about it. I mean, I think sometimes we feel like God is up there too busy to care about the little tiny things we face every day. And sometimes we think that God doesn't care that we're down here getting an ulcer and biting our nails at 2am. But in reality, the Bible says that He really CARES. He wants to help us! And we have a direct command to THROW all of those cares on Him.

Have you ever noticed that most of the things you worry or have worried about never actually turned out the way they would? I could give you about 25 stories right now of times when I was "convinced" that a particular situation was going to turn out a particular way and guess what? It didn't. As soon as I gave it to God; He always worked it out and everything was totally fine. I forget that so easily!

I'll give you an example and you can see if you relate...
My son woke up one morning with three mysterious red bumps on his shoulder and they didn't seem to be going away. We had been planning a short weekend getaway as a family and I just "knew" that these bumps were going to have to cause us to cancel the trip. They just "had" to be chicken pox, mumps or measles. I was convinced. I promptly made a call to the doctors office and we were in the very next morning. Guess what? It wasn't any of the things mentioned above. It was three bug bites. Easily treated and easily gone withing a week or so. And we didn't have to cancel our trip; in fact, we had a wonderful time.

Like I said, I could give you 25 stories like that. But I will save you the drama. :)
To sum it all up: I daily need God's strength, help, encouragement and peace. I believe that worry and anxiety are quite possibly a "thorn in my flesh" that I'm going to daily have to rely upon God to help me with. I'm definitely trying and I haven't thrown in the towel. I know that Jesus commands us not to worry and I realize by continuing to worry; I'm sinning. And I don't want to be in any type of ongoing sin. And I'm sure you don't want to be either.

I love the following verses in Philippians and have committed them to memory so that I can be armed with God's Word every time I get attacked with fear, anxiety and worry. I encourage you to memorize them as well...

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything be worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
Philippians 4:6-8 NASB

Next time you are faced with any type of worry, anxiety or fear remember to throw it straight to God. He cares about whatever it is: big or small. He will help you! And more than likely it won't turn out anything like what you worried it would.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cupcakes! Oh my...

 As you probably already know... I love cupcakes. I'm always on the search for the perfect recipe or on the hunt for a cupcake bakery. Well...a while back I decided I wanted a peanut butter, snickers cupcake. It was one of those days where chocolate and peanut butter were the craving. 

The perfect way to combine all the flavors wasn't difficult at all! First you pick your favorite white cupcake recipe: (My favorite one is listed below...it is from this link: http://www.food.com/recipe/magnolia-bakerys-vanilla-birthday-cake-and-frosting-139518 )

*Here is the recipe with my added additions of peanut butter and snickers...(The link to the original recipe without any additions is listed above)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla 

*1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth...my addition to the recipe)

*1 Cup of chopped Snickers (my other addition to the original recipe)

Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 350°.
2
Grease and lightly flour three 9 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper. ( I used cupcake liners and a muffin pan instead of cake pans)
3
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.
4
Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6
Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.

7

*Add peanut butter and snickers and mix until combined. (my addition)

 

 

If you're making cupcakes, line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
  Spoon the batter into the cups about three-quarters full.
  Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 to 22 minutes.

 (or a toothpick comes out clean)
  Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on a rack before icing.

What  you will end up with is a delicious peanut butter, snickers cupcake! They are pretty rich on their own but you can frost them with chocolate buttercream frosting! That's what I did! 

I posted a delicious chocolate buttercream frosting earlier in the blog!

It's Time to Declare War!

"...and he (satan) went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Revelation 12:17

Don't you love a good war movie? I mean, I love comedies, romances etc. What girl doesn't? But every once in a while my husband and I like to see an all-out war movie where good triumphs over evil! Isn't that why most of us love superhero movies as well? Everybody wants to see the "good" side win. It's always a huge depressive when the "bad" side wins. Whenever a movie ends with the "bad" guy or group of people winning; I'm totally bummed out. 

Lately, at church, our Pastor (Pastor Greg Laurie) has been in the book of Revelation. It's been awesome! I love the book of Revelation because it reminds me of what's ahead...this life we are living right now, in this moment, is just the beginning of what's in store.

Today in my devotions (Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon) the writer was talking about the battle between satan, the demons and us as believers. And he took his scripture from Revelation chapter 12. And it got me thinking; really thinking! There are so many days were I feel defeated, I feel tempted, I feel depressed and it seems like around every turn of my day is another "attack". An attack of anxiety, an attack of depression, an attack on my marriage and my ministry. It never seems to end. And sometimes I lose focus of the fact that I'm in a battle; a real war for that matter! 

But I find myself totally unaware of the fact that I'm just sitting on the sideline nursing my "boo boo's" half the time and not out there fighting like the woman I know God has made me to be. It's so easy for me to slooowwwllly start looking like the world, acting like the world and forgetting that I'm on the war torn path to eternity. When's the last time you read...

"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." 

Matthew 24:24 (NASB)

"Even the elect"... That's us folks. (if you have asked Jesus in your heart as your Savior). Does that scare you a little bit? That maybe even the most Godly person you know could be mislead? It scares me because I know I'm not some "holier than thou" and "could never fall away" believer. I have to rely on Jesus Christ DAILY for strength to fight. 

I feel like I have seen so many believers get drawn away from Christ lately; falling into serious sin and even leaving the faith. And, I have to take a step back and realize that if I'm not fighting, if I'm not aware, if I just ignore that there is a battle going on for my literal soul; I'm could be in big trouble. And you are too.

I don't know about you but there is a serious darkness that I can feel lately. Not just over our nation but it's trying to creep into our lives as believers. The lines are getting blurry, wrong isn't as "wrong" as it used to be. Compromises are becoming more and more popular. You know what I'm talking about. What are we watching on t.v., what are we wearing when we're not at church, what are we doing when no one is around or watching, what are we thinking, what are we dabbling into? And trust me, I'm not sitting on a soapbox preaching. I struggle too, I sin and I realize how much I really need to WAKE UP and start taking action.

Brothers! Sisters! There is a huge war for our souls going on right now! I believe that we are heading into a very dark time. And when I say dark; I mean DARK! We need to rise up, take out our weapons (Spiritual weapons) and start fighting. We need to stop sitting on the sidelines of eternity. If we sit on the sidelines, satan is going to have the perfect chance to take us down. I don't want to fall, I don't want to be mislead, I don't want to give up my faith. I want to be victorious. But it's not going to happen without a FIGHT. It's not going to be easy friends; there will be days when it just seems too hard or the temptations seem too strong...but what promise do we have? "I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 Wake up and get to work; fight on! Don't give up! One day we are going to be face to face with Jesus. All the temptations, all the trials, everything that was such a burden is going to melt away and it will so totally BE WORTH IT ALL! 

We can give up the fight because we're too tired, enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin, and have hell to pay. (Literally) Or we can battle in Jesus' strength, overcoming our fears and sins day by day, and spend eternity with Jesus in everlasting joy and peace. It's up to you.

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of god, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." 

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NASB)

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God... And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." 

Romans 12:1a, 2 (NASB)

 

Dog Hair, Poopy Diapers and the Family Wagon...I'm Loving It!

"... I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

Psalm 84:10(b)

NKJV

Have you ever wished you were someone else, somewhere else doing something else? I think one of the most difficult words in our dictionary today is: content. 

Content (adj.): In a state of peaceful happiness

Are you content? I wish I was, but honestly, content isn't my middle name. I'm a mom of a toddler, the owner of a dog that sheds like nothing I've ever seen and the majority of my days consists of sweeping dog hair, changing diapers, cleaning and cooking.. It's not necessarily glamorous in this day in age. I wish I had the skills to sing like Whitney, be a top "pinner" on Pinterest, a world-wide blogger with 6,000 followers, or the owner of a cupcake bakery that puts Sprinkles to shame but alas, I'm not. I have 3 followers on Pinterest, I sing lullaby's to my toddler and I bake solely for my family's stomachs. :) I'll never be an Etsy maven or a Paula Deen; that's for sure. So why do I get so discontent? Because the enemy constantly tells me that I need to "make something of myself"; that I'm nothing unless I can hold down a full-time job, have a Masters Degree, be a mom and drive a BMW all at the same time. Somehow it's not "fashionable" or "popular" to be a good mother or a great wife. So, I start thinking I need to be something or do something to make my name known to this world. And then, my mind stops and I realize, "wait a minute, what does God say?" 

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." 

Colossians 3:23

Who am I trying to please here? God, or men? Am I trying to accomplish something for eternity or for some fame and fortune here and now. And then the question arises... "What has God called me to be?" Well, truthfully, I know exactly what God has called me to be: His child, a wife and a mom. But not just a wife and mom; a great wife and an amazing mother who seeks His heart above all else. And it's so very, vitally important. No one else can be my toddlers' mother, no one else can be my husbands wife. It is my God given gift. I might not ever have a clothing line at Target with my name on it but hopefully, and more importantly, I'll have fruit in heaven with my name on it. And guess what... I LOVE being a wife and a mother. I have the cutest toddler around and the most amazing husband alive. What could be more awesome than serving them, loving them and helping them be all God desires them to be? Nothing, is more awesome than that. So I want to do it with all my heart!

The other night my husband and I went on a last minute date. We both got dressed up and wore something other than sweats and tennis shoes and went and saw "The Dark Knight Rises". We love superhero movies and couldn't wait to get away to see it. It was a blast and at the end of the night we walked out to our car. And there she was in all her glory, our old, almost 100k mileage, WAGON. Yes, we drive a family wagon. All of a sudden it hit me, and I burst out laughing. "Hun, we drive a wagon!! We're old!" hahaha. We used to hop into the Mustang or his truck, but now, its a family wagon with a few dents. And guess what?! I love it!! I'm so glad I'm not zipping around in a fancy car that my child can't spill milk in or lose a french fry (or two or ten) in the middle seat. Both my husband and I looked at each other and knew we wouldn't trade our life for the world. 

So who are you? Who or what has God called you to be? A great mom and wife, a volunteer at church, a grocery checker, a retail clerk, food server ... ? Instead of wishing you were someone else, somewhere else; be all that God wants you to be exactly where you are at. I love Psalm 84:10(b) "... I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." 

Wouldn't you much rather be exactly who God has called you to be, right where you're at, than to be everything the world says you should be and end up with nothing in the end?

I'll take dog hair, poopy diapers and the family wagon over anything this world has to offer. My name may never be in a magazine or emblazoned on a purse. But my name will be written in the Book of Life.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies...Cookie Monster Moments

Some days are cupcake days and some days are chocolate chip cookie days!!!  My son loves Sesame Street and whenever Cookie Monster arrives on the scene I always laugh. His constant phrase is, "Me want cookie!". There are a lot of days I say the same thing! :) 

Chocolate chip cookies are the perfect little dessert to have during the week...I have made countless chocolate chip cookies over the years; searching for the perfect recipe. I love to experiment with Jesus and make-up our own recipes! We recently made some chocolate chip cookies and they were awesome! I substituted applesauce for the eggs and they turned out amazing! I didn't have any fresh eggs so I needed a substitute and it turned out great.

Here is the basic recipe...

2 1/2 - 3 cups flour (I used a little less than 3 cups)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup applesauce (or two eggs)

1 tsp vanilla (or two :) I love vanilla)

1 bag chocolate chips

A splash or two of milk (if your dough consistency seems to floury) 

Now since I made my cookies without eggs I was free to eat the cookie dough without fear of any bacteria! Whoop Whoop! I could have ate the whole bowl BUT I didn't. :)

Preheat oven to 375. 

Sift together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and set aside. Blend together butter, sugars, applesauce and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour to the mixture and blend it in. This recipe calls for a lot of flour. If your dough seems a bit too floury, add a couple dashes or splashes of milk. :) Lastly, mix in your chocolate chips with a spoon. 

Drop rounded amounts of cookie dough on cookie sheet (mine are probably about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth of dough for each cookie) and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Let set on pan for a minute and then move cookies to cooling rack. Every oven is different so the times may vary slightly. Keep a constant eye on your cookies for the first batch and see how much time they need and then adjust for every subsequent sheet. I usually take my cookies out when they are a nice light golden color.

FYI (The pictures I used above of cookies were from a previous batch I made with a different recipe...I didn't get a snap shot of this posts' particular recipe. They will turn out smaller and more rounded! They are so pretty! I like this particular recipe better)

Enjoy! God bless your weekend!

I'm Not Happy...Searching for Happiness

Are you happy? I don't just mean having a temporary "happiness" that only lasts for a few minutes or a couple hours or a day. But a true, lasting, not-fading joy. Most people would say, "I'm not truly happy". And why? I believe it is because a lot of people don't have Jesus! 

I love having a blog because I know that there are people reading it that I may or may not know, that I've never met and I have no idea what is going on in their lives. Maybe you are searching for happiness. I grew up in a Christian atmosphere but I had some seasons in my life where I was really searching for joy and for peace. I tried things other than Jesus to see if any of them would bring me that joy I was looking for. None of those things worked. In my early teens I realized that I needed more than what the T.V., the music and the magazines were telling me I needed. I needed something drastically different and it was Jesus Himself. 

There is a true story in the Bible about a woman that was thirsty. Not thirsty for water, but thirsty for something more. Her story is told in John chapter 4. I'm going to paraphrase the story and make it a little shorter but in essence she was a woman looking for joy; looking for peace. She had been married numerous times and was now living with a man that wasn't her husband. She had tried to find fulfillment and peace in relationships. But it didn't work and she kept having to try another and another until she came up empty. Jesus knew what she needed; she needed Him. He met her one day as she was going out to get water from the well in her city. He sat and talked with her and said...

"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

John 4:13 (NKJV)

As you can imagine she wanted this water! She didn't want to be thirsty inside any longer. Jesus talked with her a while longer and after some time she believed Him and her life was changed. 

Are you thirsty for something? Maybe you've tried relationships, sex, money, popularity, drugs, approval from others etc. And yet, you're still thirsty. 

Only a real relationship with Jesus will quench that thirst. God loves you and it says in the Bible that...

"...God so loved the  world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16 (NKJV)

God loves YOU. And He loves you SO much that He sent His only Son to die in your place. All of the sins and bad things that you have done, no matter how bad or awful, can be forgiven because of Jesus' death on that cross. You can have forgiveness, peace and true joy. It doesn't mean that every day of your life is going to be perfect and that you're never going to go through bad or painful things. But God promises us again in the Bible...

"...I will never leave you nor forsake you." 

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) 

He will stay by your side when times are good and when times are bad. He will help you, He will guide you and He will love you. 

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 5:8

How many people do you know that would die for you? Probably not that many, if any, realistically. But God loved you SO MUCH that He sent His Son to die for you. AMAZING! If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life; do it today! Don't wait! God loves you and has a truly wonderful plan for your life! :) 

"...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." 

Romans 10:9

 

Jesus is alive and wants to save your life! He isn't in that grave any longer...He rose from the dead! You don't have to be thirsty any longer...

 

If you have never prayed to ask Jesus to forgive you or to come into your life you can pray a simple prayer just like this:

 

Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I know that I need forgiveness. I believe that you died on the cross, and that you rose again. Please forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Change me and make me all that you want me to be. 

In Jesus' name 

Amen.

 

Make it your own. God is listening to YOU; not to some written down words!

 

If you would like to talk to someone about your decision you can comment on this post! Jesus loves you!   

Does God Really Love Me???

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)

Do you ever have those days when the harsh reality of not being "perfect" hits you? I do, almost every day. Today I looked in the mirror and saw flaws; but not just physical flaws. I saw spiritual flaws and character flaws. Last week I lost my temper at my toddler because he threw his dinner on the floor, the other day I had overwhelming anger over my defiant, crazy 9 month old puppy, because she wouldn't listen and this morning, I had a feeling of guilt. Guilt over mistakes, sins and failures in my life. I'm not perfect. I've made lots of mistakes; some bigger and some smaller. Maybe you can relate. Sometimes as Christians I feel like we ask, "How are you?" and the response is always "Good, how are you?". We plaster on a mask and a constant smile but inside we're not smiling. We give the impression that life is perfect, we are perfect and that's that. But how many of us are actually honest enough to admit that we have some really big burdens, guilts and hurts going on inside? That just maybe, we actually lost our temper yesterday or said something we shouldn't have, or did something that might shock someone else. And now we're feeling so guilty, so imperfect.

One thing I've struggled with all my life is really, truly believing that God loves me. I mean, we hear it all the time, sing it all the time and tell other people all the time. But I can't always get it through to my heart that God really loves me. I feel like I constantly fail whether it's in my attitude, actions or decisions. I try so hard to do "all the right things" but then I come up miserably short. I'm not a perfect mother, I'm not a perfect wife, I'm not a perfect child of God. I try to be but it's only by God's grace that I ever "get it right". 

This is where the enemy loves to come in and ruin my day, my week and my life. One word I've become all too familiar with is condemnation. It's an ugly word isn't it? I'm not talking about good ol' fashioned guilt when you do something you know is wrong. I'm talking about that feeling that tells you that you're hopeless, worthless and that God doesn't love you. Have you ever felt that? The enemy loves to take every failure that I have during the day or in my life and turn it into a massive condemnation road trip; even after I've asked for forgiveness from the Lord.

"Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?"

Romans 8:33, 34a (NKJV)

Hallelujah for scripture!!! I love how God's Word comes in and smashes satan's lies! Don't you? You can be in the depths of despair and then read a scripture like that and BAM the fight is over! 

Or how about this one...

"I even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins."

Isaiah 43:25 (NKJV)

Whoa! Back the condemnation truck up friends! God just said, "I will not remember your sins". I don't know about you but I remember my sins. I remember the bad attitude I gave my mom when I was 14 and just about every other sin I've ever committed. But God is saying He does NOT remember! If I've repented of those sins and turned from them, then I can be confident that God isn't the one reminding me of my failures; it's the enemy. 

I love the song, "Jesus Loves Me". I've sang it to my son just about every night from the time he was growing in my tummy until now. I love the words...

Jesus loves me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so

Isn't that amazing....it's so simple, yet so true! How do we know Jesus loves us? Because the Word of God shows us over and over. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16 (NKJV)

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV)

So when is the last time that somebody told you God loves you.... 

GOD LOVES YOU! GOD LOVES YOU! GOD LOVES YOU!!! :)

No matter what your past failures or sins; if you have turned from those sins and have asked Jesus for forgiveness, you can be confident that you are forgiven and you are loved. Loved by an amazing Father, Savior and Friend!

Fashion Steals and Deals

  I love to find deals on clothes! Most people who know me will tell you that I'm a bargain shopper. When I say bargain, I mean bargain! My idea of a good deal is buying jeans for under $20.00 and shirts for less than $15. :) I wanted to share some recent finds that I got for great prices, where I got them, and how much I paid for them. Part of become a Proverbs 31 Woman is finding deals and being wise with the money God has given us! 

I love, love, LOVE Target! Who knew that they'd have such cute clothes too? haha. But I have discovered something crucial about buying their clothes... I usually don't buy them until they go on clearance. There have been a few times I have seen something there, loved it, bought it, and regretted it. Only because the item I bought went on clearance just a few weeks later for almost half the price. So now, I refuse to buy any clothing at Target unless it's on clearance. Of course, sometimes that clothing item you want doesn't go on clearance or they won't have your size when it does, but a lot of times it pays off to be patient and wait. 

Just recently I really, really wanted a particular maxi dress I saw. It was put out at a staggering $29.99... (to me $30 is a lot to spend on a dress at Target) so...I prayed and decided to wait to see if it would go on clearance. I checked every time I went. First, they marked it down to like $20.98 (still too much) So...I kept waiting! Lo and behold I went back a couple weeks later and guess what was on the clearance rack??? That dress... for.... drumroll please.... $8.98. And no, I'm not joking! :) Praise the Lord! I got my dress for $8.98 instead of $29.99. 

Here's some pics...

 Another place I love to check is Ross. They don't always have the best selection but sometimes you can really get good deals! I recently wanted another dress so I decided to check the clearance section at Ross. I found this dress (pictured below) for $5.99! 

Another awesome place to shop for nicer brands is Marshalls! They really have nice, quality clothing for great prices. I found two shirts there recently that I absolutely love! One was $12.99 (mustard color) and the other was $14.99 (blue color)...

Lastly...I also love to buy vintage clothes. I find that the best places to buy vintage clothes are Estate Sales. Buying them on Ebay or in Antique stores is a lot pricier. I found this beautiful dress from the 40's/50's at a yard sale for $7.00! I would have paid at least $40-$50 on Ebay for a vintage dress in this great of condition...

I wear it with a pair of cream wedges from Forever 21 to modernize it...

Here is another outfit from the 1940's that I found at an estate sale for $12.00 (jacket and pencil skirt). I paired it with a tank top and cute belt to modernize..

I hope these tips help you to find some clothing deals in your area! Remember to pray! I prayed for that maxi dress to go on clearance and it did, for an amazing price!

Feeding the Birds and Clothing the Lilies

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet our heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 5:25, 26 (NKJV)

 I love to hear birds sing and I love to watch them as they flutter around my backyard. The other night my husband and I were watching two little hummingbirds that have recently made our backyard hibiscus tree their home. They were so adorable! I just wanted to hold one in my hand! :) 

There have been so many times in my life that God has used birds to remind me of His love, His providence and His concern and care in my life. I absolutely love Matthew chapter 5 and starting in verse 25 Jesus begins telling us about birds, lilies and not worrying about where our next meal or set of clothes is going to come from. I recently heard a message on this at a Woman's Bible Study and it was awesome!

Worrying about money, finances and paying the bills has been something that concerns me and all of us at one time or another. There have been a few specific times in my life that I remember being in desperate need of God's provision. Once was right before my husband and I got married and the second time was when I quit my job to become a stay-at-home mommy. Both times were huge stretches of faith and worry always, ALWAYS seemed to get the best of me. Somehow I can trust that God created the world in 6 days, can keep my heart beating and my lungs breathing and yet, I can't trust that we'll be able to pay the electric bill or buy diapers. Pathetic, but true. 

Time and time again, in every financial crisis situation, God would lead me to the birds. I would look out my window and see them fluttering away and I would hear God's voice say to my heart,

 "I will provide for you."

In all of our financial stresses and leaps of faith God has always told me to put the calculator away. Seems like the first thing I always do when I need to figure out a financial need is pull out the calculator to make sure we'll "have enough" or that the "ends will meet". And yet, God always tells me to put it away! Any time I've had to trust God financially it never, ever adds up on the calculator. I get stressed out and think... "There is no way we are going to survive!!". So, God has told me to put it away... And, in HIS providence everything always works out. We always have just enough. The bills are paid, and we have food in our fridge. :) Truly, God is a GOOD heavenly Father who loves us and who will really provide ALL that we need. 

We have a part in this too as far a finances go. Sometimes we can be guilty of not honoring God with what we have; and that might be why things are so tight and difficult financially. We know in scripture that we are told to give a portion of our income, first and foremost, to the Lord. If we are not being faithful to do this then we can't expect God to bless us. My dad always used to say, "You can't afford not to tithe". Tithing is so important! Sometimes it might seem like we don't even have enough to tithe but we must be faithful to obey God in this and to trust Him. He tells us in His Word...

"Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."
Malachi 3:10 (NKJV) 

WOW! If we are tithing and honoring God with our finances, then we know we have the promise that He will provide all of our needs! Can you imagine God pouring out blessings that you can't contain?!

What financial burdens or fears are you facing today? Remember...

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

 I challenge you to watch the birds for a minute or two and meditate on Matthew chapter 5:25-34. God loves you so much and He knows what you need!

Waiting in the Cave

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall renew your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

What are you waiting for? What have you been praying about for what seems like an eternity? All of us have waited anxiously for a prayer to be answered or fulfilled. On some rare occasions the answer or fulfillment might come instantaneously but for most of us we have to WAIT. Do you like that word? I don't, to be honest.

Waiting isn't fun but time and time again in scripture we hear the word wait. Psalm 27:13, 14 carried me through some of the most difficult waiting seasons in my life. Seasons in which I was forced to wait. Forced to wait for fulfillment of promises, hopes and dreams.

One of those less dramatic waiting seasons was when we were waiting for a house. My husband and I lived in a one bedroom apartment for 5 years. I lovingly referred to it as "the cave". Why? Because there was NO direct sunlight in the apartment. There were windows but no direct sun. Everything was covered by the third floor. I lived in a constant state of artificial light. Not to mention, we were sandwiched between the bottom floor and the top floor. Almost every night I swore there was a stampede going on upstairs by the way our neighbor would run, jump and pound on the floor at 2, 3 and 4 in the morning. I'll never forget when I was pregnant and a wild party was taking place upstairs. I was already having hot flashes, night sweats and temper tantrums. I didn't need pounding music and loud obnoxious voices waking me up at 2am. The straw that broke the pregnant camel's back was when two of the partiers decided to carry their conversation down to the edge of my patio. I had definitely had it. I jumped out of bed, flipped back the blinds and started pounding my fist on the sliding glass door. My poor husband jumped out of a sound sleep yelling, "GET DOWN"! He thought my pounding on the door was gun shots. Yes... it's true. :)

Fast forward and now we have a baby sleeping in the one bedroom apartment. There was no "baby room" so he slept in the living room with the couches and fireplace. It was definitely a difficult season. We were very tight on finances and I had no choice but to trust God and continue to wait. It seemed like everyone around us was decorating their baby's own room, or moving into a new house. And here we were waiting like bats in "the cave". Don't get me totally wrong...despite all the funny stories and lack of space, we were blessed; we had a roof over our heads and it was exactly all that we NEEDED at the time. Memories in that apartment are going to be treasured for a lifetime by me and my hubby. The Lord is truly faithful!

But I have to admit that I wasn't a gold medal winner in the marathon of waiting. I didn't even come close to bronze. If there was a tin foil medal...I might have gotten that, for partial effort. :) And yet, God was so patient and loving with me and carried me through every moment of that waiting season. And just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore; God did what only He can do. He answered my prayer. I had half given up but He hadn't. He knew exactly what He wanted to do; when He wanted to do it and He brought us just the right house.

And can I share something with you? I'm so glad I had to wait for our house. I'm so glad I was in that apartment, baby and all, for 5 years. If I had been given a house any sooner than God had ordained I don't think I would have been as thankful for it, as blessed by it or as joyful. I wouldn't have a testimony of God answering my prayer or of God providing for us day by day in that little apartment. I can say that about everything I have had to wait for!

Waiting isn't fun when you're in it but the rewards are way better than you can imagine.Waiting is so much better in the long run than rushing ahead, making things happen or taking things out of God's hands.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."
Lamentations 3:25 (NKJV)

There have been much more emotional, dramatic things, I have had to wait for namely, a child. And I will definitely share on that in the near future. What you are waiting for could be much more emotional or heart wrenching than a different place to live.

What are you waiting for?

Marriage

Children

Financial Help

A House

Car

Job 

Healing

Don't lose heart; don't give up. God hasn't forgotten you! He loves you and is going to do something in His time. Even when it seems like everyone else is moving forward or getting the very things you are praying for...don't lose hope! God loves you and is working everything out. So while you're waiting, don't be miserable and dishonoring to God; look for the joy, look for the ways God is providing for you and helping you exactly where you are at. One day you will look back and see memories and thankfulness for this season of waiting.

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

DIY Necklace

I love DIY projects! Recently a friend of mine had a super cute necklace on and I thought to myself... "I bet there's a way to make something like that!". So I decided to pray, and see if I could make a cute homemade DIY necklace similar to the one I saw!

I started by getting one of my old chains from a necklace I used to wear..

Then I picked some fabrics from a pile that I had left over from another DIY project. I picked lace and some light turquoise fabric. They were sections about 2 inches wide...

 I then cut the fabric in about a 5 inch piece and fan-folded it...

 

I then sewed it through the middle and top ends to hold it together...

After that I sewed it directly to the chain...

 First Addition Complete!

Then I repeated the first and second steps and added the turquoise!

Lastly, I added another lace section...and...TADAA! :)

This was super easy and I'm sure you could add your own special designs or elements!

I'm going to also use a hot glue gun to secure some edges together to keep the fan fold fabric sections from getting moved in different directions!

I love that the Lord has given us imaginations and creativity! It's so easy to ask the Lord to help you come up with your own cute fashions! Soon I will post about taking old clothes and making them into something new! :)  
I encourage you all to pray, be creative and have fun with fashion!

Snippy, Snappy and Definitely Unhappy...

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 

Matthew 11:28

What does a typical morning in your house, in your life, in your day look like? Does it consist of the smell of Starbucks wafting through the house and sunlight glittering through the windows while you listen to the sound of bird's singing their hearts out, as you read your Bible? If it does, don't tell me, I might be jealous. :) A typical morning for me usually consists of the smell of a dirty diaper that needs changing on my toddler, feeding the dog with my eyes half shut, making my coffee then forgetting about it until it's lukewarm and fixing my husbands hair as he rushes out the door. Pretty soon, I'm running errands, wiping up a spilled sippy cup and folding a load of laundry. Before I know it, it's time to make lunch and put the baby down for a nap. What happened to my morning? Well it packed it's bags and decided to come back tomorrow. 

Most of you might relate but with a few modifications. Maybe there's not a toddler, but there's a job to get to, work to be done, bills to be paid. Maybe there is a class at school that you can't miss or a job that you better not be late too and you'd be willing to drive like "you just don't care" to get there on time. Cutting people off, tailgating and breaking all traffic laws while you're at it.

How do you feel most mornings? Snippy? Snappy? Unhappy? I have to admit that a lot of mornings have looked like that for me lately and I know exactly why. 

I failed to spend time with Jesus before I started my day.

I was at a Bible Study a couple weeks ago and the guest speaker gave a message that dealt a lot with the importance of doing DAILY devotions with Jesus. And the importance of doing them in the morning. It was amazing! And God totally used it to help me start getting back on track with my devotions. I used to be so strict about doing my devotions every single morning before I went to work. It was awesome and so many mornings God would speak something to my heart. But then somewhere along the way, I had a baby and I started getting slack on doing them EVERY day. It didn't take long for me to start noticing changes in my attitude and behavior. You know the phrase, "if momma ain't happy, nobody's happy". Well, it's very true! :) When I don't spend time with Jesus first thing in the morning I'm not happy, therefore nobody's happy. I get snippy with my toddler, snappy with my husband and just plain unhappy everywhere I go. My attitude and face starts to resemble someone who's been eating way too many Warheads. My husband will sometimes ask me, "What did you read in your Bible today?"....I'm convinced that this is his sweet way of telling me that my attitude is not going the right direction. :)

Jesus knows us; He knows how we as women run around and do so many various things all day. I love what He said to Martha in Luke 10...

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV)

Jesus knows how busy we are, He knows that we have responsibilities, jobs, families etc. But what was most important? Sitting at His feet; that was the "good part". When is the last time you really sat at Jesus' feet? Not just read a chapter of the Bible, said a 30 second prayer and ran off to do something else; but really SAT at His feet?

Up until two weeks ago, it had been way too long since I had really sat, listened and prayed. I usually am so much like Martha and not Mary. Running, running, running and not resting at Jesus' feet. But lately, the Lord has been helping me every day to start setting my alarm and get out of bed to spend time with Him. Before the rush, before the day begins. And I have to tell you, it's been so wonderful! God has been showing me so many things that my weary soul has been dying for. Encouragement, peace, hope and joy have started to flood my heart again. Not every day has been a lightening bolt of revelation but every day has been a blessing. A blessing because I'm finally putting the most important thing in my day, first. God's Word!

I have to give a word of caution though...
The enemy HATES when we decide to spend more time with Jesus. Don't expect it to be as "easy as pie" to start doing your devotions every morning. It will take the Holy Spirit's determination through you! Just be prepared... You'll be more tired than you've ever been when that alarm goes off and you'll be so tempted to hit the snooze once, twice or maybe even 20 times. :) And that's just the beginning. You will begin to pray and before you know it you'll be reminded of the lunch date you can't miss, the shirt you forgot to wash last night, the dirty dishes that need washing in the sink, the fact that you have to run to Target later, the realization that you really need to get a good grade on that next test, what color shoes match with the shirt you're wearing and the list goes on and on and on and.....
You get the idea. :) And let's not forget that number one distraction in all of our lives...our cellphones. I'm just going to say something right now... HIDE IT! Put it away when you do your devotions. The whole world isn't going to come to an end if you don't text that person back right away. I literally have to keep my phone in another room so I won't be distracted and it has really helped me!!

I even find that during the times I'm most faithful to spend time with Jesus; the enemy steps up his attacks and temptations. He seems to throw those fiery darts the second I leave my place of devotions.
So be prepared for attack! But most importantly...be prepared to be BLESSED, to be changed and to be spoken to from the Lord! It is so worth it to spend time with Jesus every, single day. You won't regret it; ever! And the more you spend time with Him, the more you will become everything He wants you to be.

 If you're not quite sure how to begin doing devotions, let me share with you what I usually do for mine!

#1. Read a daily devotional reading...my favorites are: Morning and Evening (Charles Spurgeon), Streams in the Desert (L.B. Cowman) and My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers)
These daily readings are fairly short but they include a topic verse to read and some wonderful thoughts, poems, scriptures and quotes. There are 365 days worth of devotions in each one.
#2. I read my Bible. I will usually read the whole chapter of the verse discussed in the devotion or I will pick a book in the Bible and read it one or two chapters at a time, every day, until I'm finished with that book. 
#3. I spend time in prayer.

I hope we can all stay committed to spending time with our Lord so that we will all be the women He desires us to be!  

Let me know how the Lord speaks to you as you begin this awesome journey with Him!

Pom Pom Decorations - Tutorial / Directions

Recently I made Pom Pom decorations for my best friend's baby shower! (Pictured above) They turned out so pretty and I loved the way they hung them in the trees! 

Pom Poms are such a great decoration piece for so many different occasions. I did a post earlier this Summer about Pom Poms. You can use them for Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Birthday Parties, Weddings and even Baby Nursery Rooms. 

I thought I would go ahead and do a tutorial for anyone who wants to make them! They are very easy but they do take time. I  learned how to make them at Martha Stewart's website and various others places online. 

Here are the basic directions...

You will begin by purchasing packages of tissue paper. 10 sheets or more per pack is perfect. Any less will not produce a nice full Pom Pom. You can buy packs of tissue at party supply stores for about $0 .99 cents a pack! It takes one whole pack to make a large size Pom Pom. You can get two small ones out of one pack if you cut the tissue pack in half.

Step #1: Begin by unfolding the tissue and laying it will the folded crease lines going horizontally. 

Step #2: Keep all the tissue sheets together and start "Fan-folding" the tissue pack until you have folded the whole stack together.

Step #3: Once you are finished folding, find the center and securely tie it with a wire or pipe cleaner. I use pipe cleaner that I cut in half. It's about $1.00 for a whole pack of them!

Step #4: Once you have secured the middle, cut the ends of the tissue in a rounded pattern (for a scalloped edge) or pointed (for a pointed edge). I'm using a rounded edge for this tutorial. I think it is prettier! :) 

 

Step #5: Now that you have rounded or pointed the edges it is time to start the fun! Carefully start pulling every piece of layered tissue away from the stack. Since there are 10 layers you can pull 5 layers upward and 5 layers downward on each side.

 

 First side complete! Yaay! (below)

Step #6: Once you have pulled all of the tissue pieces apart you can fluff them and place them exactly how you want in order to create a nice rounded look. 

 

 Whaalaah!!! And here is a beautiful Pom Pom! :)

When you are all finished you can use fishing line, twine, ribbon or string to hang these beautiful decorations. You can anchor the hanging material to the middle, inside the Pom Pom!

Have fun making Pom Poms!!! 

(If you prefer not to make them yourself, I can make them for various occasions for you...contact me via comment or email for more information)