Friday, April 30, 2010

5QF with thoughts of Pepsi...

Can't resist. Once again. Here is 5 Question Friday from Mama M!



1. If you could, would you go back to high school? Yes, yes, a million times YES! Oh, the simplicity of life. Who doesn't miss that? And last night I watched a college softball game on ESPN, and I almost felt tears coming on. I miss high school softball far more than college softball, so every now and then I wish I could go back and pitch on the Dutchgirl field again. I also miss marching band probably more than anything. I miss my friends and the daily routine of it all. I miss watching Josh and his studly basketball moves (even though I still watch him play from time to time when the coaches get together). I have fond memories of my high school days.

I would go back for fun. But not at the expense of what I have now.

2. If a genie appeared and granted you two wishes, what would they be? I think everyone has pondered this thought at least a few times in life, knowing that it's not a reality to have wishes granted in this way, but wondering what we really would wish for if given the opportunity. It's actually hard to answer this question, because if you asked me again a month from now or a year from now, it could be a completely different answer! But I'm going to keep this really simple and say I'd wish for enough money to pay off our house and enough to fill up a savings account for my kids to go to college (that's all the same wish...ha!) - my second wish would be a hypnosis session that would cause me to feel physically ill at the thought of McDonald's or any similar fast food restaurant. :o)

Oh. Or world peace.

3. What kids show do you secretly like? Umm...all of them. So sad isn't it? That's probably why it's so easy for me to be lazy and watch shows with the kids and not work around the house like I should. But I think one of my favorites is Super Why! on PBS.

4. What is your beverage of choice? Coke or Pepsi. I used to be a die hard Pepsi girl, but depending on where I get it, I actually like Coke. Being the drive thru expert that I am, I love Sonic Coke even more than Pepsi. But Taco Bell Pepsi is my favorite. (Learn a little something new about me every day, huh?) :o)

5. What is something that you would change about yourself (or are working to change in yourself)? Wow, I love the way the end of this question is worded. When I first started reading it, I thought, "Well, that's easy, I want to change my weight!" But then as I continued to read, I thought, "Hmm...working to change in myself...good one." Because for the last several months I have had to work at being forgiving, even when others don't know how much they have hurt me (or they know...and are glad?) - I've had to work at letting go of anger and "grrr" feelings (as my sister calls it). I've learned that my "gift of discernment" does not fail me, it's just that I sometimes dismiss it, which I will never do again.


Thanks, Mama M.

Baby Proof

Just in case you weren't aware...












Baby locks or latches only work as long as the child hasn't figured out how to maneuver them.












And it appears our days of being baby proof are gone!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Is Chivalry Dead?

Yesterday afternoon, I went to a local place of business here in our small town, and I arrived a few minutes early. The sweet girl at the desk got out my card to check off my appointment, I signed my initials, and then I looked over at the small waiting area to find that there were no empty seats. Among those who were sitting were high school students (or recent grads), and three out of four were young men.

I'm not sure what I expected.

I stood near the entryway for some fresh air - because it was really warm in there - and for some reason this got me to thinking. Have young men not been taught to give up their seat for a lady? It's not that I wanted to sit. I actually would have turned them down if they offered because of how warm it was, and I loved to feel the gentle breeze as I stood by the opened door. But I was standing in clear sight of them, and none of them offered to let me sit.

Is it weird that I even thought of this?

I recall times when we have been at a restaurant - most often Applebee's - and if it's a really busy night, there are not many places to sit as we wait for a table. Josh has often given up his seat - or at least offered - if he sees a woman walk in, and ESPECIALLY if it's an elderly person or couple. I will even offer to give up my seat if I see an older couple walk in.

I just keep thinking about these young men I saw yesterday. Not customers mind you, just waiting around for their girlfriends or chatting with the girl behind the desk. They all knew me because evidently all of them had my husband in a math class. We made small talk. They said that they liked Josh, and one of them even joked with me about McDonald's (because I see him there a lot). I said he couldn't tell anyone that he sees me there! They seemed like nice boys.

But I still am amazed that they didn't offer to give up their seat.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

So I Married a Math Geek

There are some distinct advantages to marrying someone who is good at math. I mean, one can't receive a bachelors and masters degree in mathematics and not bestow their wisdom on others. It's just a given that Josh will make our lives brighter with his vast knowledge.

Like when we were at SBU together and happened to have College Algebra in the same semester, in the same class, with the same professor, at the same time. I actually waited a year for him to get there and put off this class until I knew he could be there with me! He helped me with my homework, he helped me study, he helped me realize that I shouldn't question why there was an e in a certain equation...it just was. Or when I had Business Calculus the same semester he had "regular" Calculus, and I realized that my version was NOT easier than his version. Fortunately, he helped me with that, too!

And who takes a picture of something like this at the Magic House?












Or enjoys the exhibits MORE than the kids...
















Or when he posts deep thoughts on his facebook status like...

Which is the better buy: 4 two liter bottles of soda for a buck each or a single 24 pack of 12 oz cans for 5 bucks?


And when one of his friends responds...

24 12 oz cans is 288 oz. this is about 8.5 liters or 1.7 L per dollar. obviously a 2 L is 2 L per dollar in this case. which means you get about 17 % more for your money going with the 2L bottles.

Just to "get people thinking"...not because he really didn't know the answer.

But I think my favorite has been when he becomes irritated at Dora the Explorer (or any children's program) when she asks, "What is this shape?"












And the children are supposed to respond, "A diamond!"

"It's a rhombus; a diamond isn't a geometric shape," Josh responds to Dora. Every. Time.

It's ok, honey. I'm sure Dora is just reading her script and doesn't give much thought to geometry terms when she's talking to the camera. Or maybe she's just going by Webster's definition, even if Webster doesn't agree with math teachers.

And after reading my blog, he decided to send me an email with a scanned image from a text book or something. Just for reference I suppose. Because originally I called it a "kite" and not a "rhombus" and he wanted to make sure I knew the difference. His attempt at making sure I knew the difference made me smile.









I'm so glad we balance each other. It's great that you like math and numbers and I prefer writing and correct grammar. You can figure out which is the better buy at the store, and I'll make sure you say it correctly!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Shutter Love {Water}

Today I'm joining Trendy Treehouse for Shutter Love Tuesday.

The Trendy Treehouse

Their them is "Water" today, and as I was looking through my pictures, these gave me a smile and brought back a fun memory.

















Josh and I decided that before buying our next house, we will drive by the neighborhood when it has rained REALLY HARD and see what the back yard looks like. But then again, what fun would it be if you couldn't play in the water in your back yard when it rains?! :o)

Monday, April 26, 2010

My Move Monday {My Cinderella}

Thanks for giving me the weekend off. Even though I was supposed to try and not think about kids and daily life, for some reason Sarah stood out in my mind during the days I was gone. Probably because we were at a women's conference, and I know that someday she will go with me, too!

And would you believe...I actually knew what I would post today after hearing Steven Curtis Chapman on Saturday night.

My Movie Monday



Remember the song Cinderella that I mentioned on my last post? Well, he sang it, just like I thought he would. As I looked down my row, I saw tears in the eyes of each woman, no matter what their age of stage of life. And of course, I had tears, too.

It got me to thinking about my Cinderella.

She can be so silly, which is usually the most common video I have of her. Sometimes she's just being a cute three-year-old, and on occasion, she can be difficult (gasp!) and I have recorded that, too!

Here she is showing me her drawing of a map. She loves Dora the Explorer, so she was trying to do something similar!



Need interpretation? "Umm...the maps says go to the dog doggy, then the map says go to the dinosaur factory, then we can go to the mountain, and find map!"


And here she is telling me a knock knock joke. We're raising a comedic genius I tell you!



Knock, knock. Who's there? Corn. Corn who? A unicorn!

That's my Cinderella.


What have you recorded this week? Link up and share it with us!


Friday, April 23, 2010

Women of Joy

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! Because at 1:00 pm today, my mom will be picking me up, and we will head to Springfield. There we will pick my my sister, Sonja, and then we will proceed to Branson to spend the weekend together at the Women of Joy Conference! {Insert a giddy, childlike squeal!}













The reason for my excitement consists of a few things.

First, I will get the chance to see some of my favorite musicians. We will hear Big Daddy Weave (who sing Audience of One) along with Chris and Conrad (who sing Lead Me To The Cross) on Friday night and Sunday morning. I am even MORE thrilled to hear Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith on Saturday...I will probably cry! How could I even pick just one song to share along side of their names? Michael W. Smith is often credited with shaping the entire Contemporary Christian music genre - but I think my favorite is Above All - you know, if I have to pick one! And Steven Curtis Chapman was also formative early in the industry. Josh and I had a friend sing one of his songs at our wedding, I Will Be Here. I would bawl at that one, and quite possibly bawl if he sings Cinderella. Shoot, I'm bawling just looking them up to post on this entry. If you've never heard Cinderella or seen the video, you will want to click on it.

The speakers are incredible individuals who have been uplifting and insightful to women of the Christian faith for many years. Candace Cameron Bure will share her testimony Friday evening - DJ from Full House! Saturday morning, we will hear from Anita Renfroe and Bible teacher Kay Arthur will share from the Word. Sunday morning will feature the first Women of Joy appearance for Donna Gaines, wife of Dr. Steve Gaines who is the Senior Pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

Besides all that good stuff, I am in desperate need of some down time - away from my house, away from my husband, away from my children. To some, this may sound horrible. To others, it sounds familiar. I need a recharge. I need rest. But most of all...above all...I need to be in a place with other Christian women and seek the Lord. I want to worship Him, shutting out everything else, and figure out what on earth I need to be doing to glorify Him in my everyday life.

And I couldn't write about this weekend without mentioning how much I'm looking forward to spending time with my mom and sis. I honestly can't wait until Sarah is old enough to do something like this with us, too. That gives me tears just thinking about it.

Thank you, Josh, for your willingness to stay home for TWO ENTIRE DAYS without me. I know our kiddos are very safe in your care, even if there's no telling what they'll look like at church on Sunday!

One more thing. Will you pray for me? I know that God can speak to us at any time, any place, and in any circumstance. But I have actually felt very distant from Him lately, something I haven't really shared on here. And I am praying that being removed from my daily routine and daily distractions will give me the opportunity to hear Him more clearly. Something I need more than anything right now.

While I'm waiting, I will serve You.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Must Be My Lucky Day Week

I'm on a roll. This morning I was pleasantly surprised to receive the following email:

Hi Chrissy,
I've finally gotten around to choosing my UBP winner and you won it! You are number 11 in the comments. If you go here https://merickson.scentsy.us/Buy/ProductDetails/MP-PS13 you can choose which plug in warmer and three scents you want. Congrats again!

Erin
http://www.amundsenhouseofchaos.com

Holy cow! I love Scentsy! Thanks, Erin. And some of you know my feelings about the number eleven. It couldn't be a coincidence that I was the winner with the eleventh comment, right? :o)

So I picked out this plug in warmer:















Oh, my gosh. How cute is that?

And I selected Mayflower and Pretty in Pink as the scents I'd like to try (I know she said three, but I'm getting two of the Mayflower). Just yesterday I received an order from a party Ashley had, and I would HIGHLY recommend Satin Sheets. I love that one.

So three cheers to this week in April. Lord knows I needed a pick-me-up, and those often come in unexpected ways.

Live In Harmony

From Lauren at Living by Faith


















"Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble... Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But, even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed...in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."
1 Peter 3:8, 13-16

When we are faced with difficult people it can be really hard to do as the passage above says. When we have someone attacking us, it's our nature to go on the defensive and fight back. But, Christ calls us to a higher path:

When people are gossiping about us we are called to live in harmony with them.
When they purposely say things to cause us pain we are called to be sympathetic.
When others hate us we are called to love as brothers.
When we're speared with a sarcastic joke, we are called to be compassionate.
When we're criticized we are called to be humble.
When we're being insulted we are called to be gentle.
When we are mocked we are called to be respectful.

... and always, we are called to have the gospel on the tip of our tongue... ready to share the hope that lies within us.

Seem impossible? It is only possible because we have set Christ in our hearts... and with Him ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I FINALLY Won Something!

On Saturday morning, I received this comment on my Ultimate Blog Party entry:

Hey Winner! #493
You need these numbers to complete the prize form on the prize page - http://www.5minutesformom.com/ultimate-blog-party-2010-prizes/


I was so excited! Finally, I won a giveaway after blogging for a a year and three months!

At that point, though, I did not know what I won. So I followed the link she provided, and began to scroll through all of the hundreds of winners. Then Josh reminded me that I could "search" for my name. Whew, that made it easier!

When I finally found my name, I saw that I won a $20 Visa gift card from Grocery Shop for FREE.






"So, blogging has turned out to be profitable. All those posts for $20." Josh's attempt at being funny. I had to laugh, though. All these months of wanting to be famous, to be accepted by BlogHer and begin running ads on my page have not come to fruition. Until then, I must be content with making $20 in 15 months...ha!

Just wanted to share my good news with you. I'll try not to spend it all in one place (who am I kidding, I know it will go directly to Wal-Mart)!

Monday, April 19, 2010

My Movie Monday

This week's My Movie Monday is brought to you by the letters S and G and the number 3.

My Movie Monday



Because my sweet Sarah and adorable Gabriel were up to no good again in the kitchen. And if you saw this post and this post, you now know that it's the third time they've done this, and evidently I am a very slow learner.



The video really captured my first reaction. I was in my room - folding clothes, making my bed, I don't know what - and I heard this unbelievably cute giggling. I wondered what Sarah must have been doing to cause such joy in the life of a toddler. So as I tried to be sneaky, I slowly walked towards the kitchen, having no idea what I would find.

And then I saw it.

The camera was rolling, and part of me wanted to just stop recording while the other part of me wanted to keep filming. So how would I do that without you, the viewer, seeing how frustrated I was?!

Well. I did my best!


What have you captured recently? I hope you'll link up! Be sure to use the url from the entry, not the url of your blog. For example, I would not use http://chrissyrenee79.blogspot.com - instead, I would use http://chrissyrenee79.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-movie-monday_12.html

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Accept Blessings

I like to give. It could be my time, my abilities, my resources. Whatever it may be, I really do try to exhibit a giving spirit. There are many of my friends and family who are the same way. I know people who volunteer countless hours at the Caring Center here in our town. There is a man from my church back home who has donated thousands and thousands of dollars to community needs in his area. And if you ever watched The Least of These video on Ashley's page or on Greentree's website, that is a great example of a large group of people pulling their resources together and doing something wonderful.



But what if someone wants to bless me? Even in the smallest ways? There have been times when I've been at dinner with someone, and when the bill comes and the waiter asks, "How should I split the bill?" The person with me has said, "I'll take it." What a sweet, giving gesture (especially if it's my entire family). Should I appose and say, "Oh, no...you don't need to do that," and then explain to the waiter how to divide it? I know people do that, and then enter into an awkward exchange of words. Why can't we just be grateful that someone wants to buy us dinner?

Or what about the times when I have received bags and bags of clothing for my kids from friends? They could be selling all of that on yard sales, and you know how much money a person can make on kids clothes on yard sales! Should I say to them, "No, thanks. I'd rather not receive this from you. You'd be better off making some money with these."

No. Because that's robbing them of blessing me. And God may have put it upon their heart to give in that way.

There have been times when I've felt joy in offering to buy someone lunch or pick something up at the store for them. When they deny me this opportunity to give, it denies me the chance to bless them.

"It's so hard to let others help us and to give us stuff - maybe because we feel we don't deserve it? We don't deserve His blessings either, but we have to acknowledge His desire to give to us. Our relationship with Him is strengthened when we allow Him to bless us. And relationships with others are strengthened when we allow others to break through our walls. It's like we're humbled that someone would deem us worthy of his/her time or energy or money? I know when someone reaches out to me, I find it embarrassing to a degree that I'm worth the trouble? But to let someone know that I deem them worthy of my trouble, that makes me feel good - blessed. Why should I deny someone that feeling because of my pride?" A quote from a friend who said I could use it but not her name. I love her! :o)

So if someone offers to give you something, or give their time, or pick up something at the store without asking for the amount that the item cost, or when the bill comes at lunch and they want to get it...LET THEM. As much as you want to bless others, realize that there will be times when someone wants to bless you, too.


Make me a blessing, make me a blessing;
Out of my life may Jesus shine.
Make me a blessing, O Savior I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Relaxation...

Looks like this...












May your weekend be full of relaxation.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Too good to pass up...

Shoot, these questions are just too good to keep from participating this week.



1. What words do you use on your blog/online that you don't use in real life? I remember one man - who knows me in real life - who told me that he enjoyed reading my blog because it sounded like a conversation I would have with him. He thought it was interesting that I could write just the way I would talk. I think I do tend to use words and phrases that I would just use in normal conversation. I do not, however, use the term "ahem" in conversation. That isn't really a conversational term! :o)

2. Do you still write checks? Rarely. All of our bills are either automatically withdrawn or I pay it online through our bank. The only bill that I still write a check for is utilities. I also write a check to church. If both of these places would offer an online option, I'd do it!

3. Who was your favorite President and why? In honor of my Grandpa (dad's dad) I will say Harry S. Truman. I remember at Grandpa's funeral, there was a large painting of Truman at the funeral home. My Uncle Clay reminisced that this was Grandpa's favorite president because, "None of you [meaning his children and grandchildren] would be here if it wasn't for Truman." Grandpa was a WWII veteran, and he strongly believed he would have never made it home if it wasn't for him. "Truman made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truman then organized the end of World War II."

4. Are you a yeller? I rarely if ever yell at my husband (I'm guilty of nit picking and nagging - shocking, I know - but I don't literally yell at him). I have once (I think) gotten into a yelling fight with my sister, and I remember having a yelling phase with my mom in my teen years. I fight the urge (strongly fight it...only with God's help and grace) to not yell at my kids when they push every button. So it's a yes and no answer!

5. Have you ever dumpster dived? Can't say that I have. I think if I saw something sitting at the curb, waiting to be taken by the trash guys, and I thought I could use it, I might take it. But I would never literally go through a dumpster.

Sweet Auburn Locks

The other night I was sitting on the couch, watching TV, and as I looked down at Sarah who was laying on the floor, I couldn't help but notice her pretty hair.
















I'm not sure if it's the color, the length, or what. But it's just sweet. It's even pretty when it's blowing in the wind as she plays...or swings.

















I probably adore her hair because, for the longest time, she didn't have any. I still remember her being basically bald until she was almost two!

















On the left, Sarah's 1st birthday. On the right, Sarah 2nd birthday photo shoot.

When I started putting her hair in pigtails sometime before she turned three (and FINALLY had enough to put into full pig tails) it took a while to get her to cooperate. Eventually, pigtails became her signature style!













So now I love to blow dry it, straighten it, pull it to the side or leave it down. It's just fun. And I'm trying to absorb this mommy/Sarah time as much as I can - the time when I get to help her fix her hair. Soon enough, she will want to do it on her own.













Until then, I'll just enjoy our morning hair ritual!


I love you, Sarah.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

More Than We Can Bear?

"I won't softsoap it for you. Your child has very severe problems and they are never going to go away. This is the best she will ever be--it's all downhill from here." Exam after exam and test after test would reveal more and more congenital defects. For the next five years, I endured countless occasions of being told, "God won't put more on you than you can bear."

At her funeral, many "well-meaning" friends patted our hands and told us, "Remember, God won't put more on you than you can bear". And as the pretty little pink velvet-covered casket was lowered into the vault that cold November day, the preacher put his arm around my husband and me and tried to console us with, "God won't put more on you than you can bear."

In later years, a mother and dad came to the hospital where I worked to identify the remains of their teenage daughter who had been killed in a traffic accident. My heart ached for them as I heard their outpouring of grief. While I went about my duties, other family members and friends came in to be of comfort to them. Again I heard that term, "God won't put more on you than you can bear."

A son, reeling from drug use, too intoxicated to fully understand what was going on around him, sat by the side of his mother's bed as she lay dying. He spewed vile profanities at God and other family members. His aunt tried to quiet him with, "God won't put more on you than you can bear."

Five members of a family were killed in a traffic accident--the only surviving member was horribly burned and died several weeks later. During my visits in their home as the grandparents tried to put their lives back together in some semblance of tolerable reality, I heard that term repeatedly used: "God won't put more on you than you can bear."

Those are just a few among the countless times I have heard that term used. I have long been amazed by the folks who inanely spout that foolishness. Where do they get that? It's not in the Bible. The phrase, "God won't put more on you than you can bear" is a direct mis-quote, thus making it false and empty. It's of no comfort. I have heard it preached from pulpits, taught by Sunday School teachers and prattled to one and all, including the unsaved, at times of bereavement.

I repeat, it is NOT in the Bible. Yet people go about, foolishly parroting a scripture they don't even know correctly, and all it does is cause confusion. "Confusion?" you ask. Yes! A lot of confusion.

The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 14:33 that God is NOT the author of confusion.

So where does the confusion begin? What is the truth of the matter? Let's look at the actual scripture that is so widely misquoted and misapplied: So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-14.

Now let me back that up with another Biblical FACT: God does NOT tempt mankind. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone James 1:13.

As you can see for yourself, the Bible plainly says "temptation". God will not allow us to be "tempted" more than we are able to bear: He will make a way of escape. We are then told to flee from the worship and participation in worship of idols. Get away from. Separate ourselves from. But do we? No. Matter of fact, most of the time, we succumb to temptation and don't even bother trying to remove ourselves from it. So not only do we distort and misquote the scripture, we don't even follow the actual scripture, either!

Simple, rational logic defies the concept of "God will not put more on you than you can bear". If God never allowed us to have more on us than we can bear, why would we ever need God? We could do all things for and by and in and of ourselves. Think about it! We would never need to pray, never need to stand on His promises, never need to have faith in Him--we wouldn't even need Him!

We are going to be confronted with problems/situations that we don't know how to cope with. It may be in the form of physical sickness, financial failures, emotional turmoil or devastating loss. There may be those times during which you feel that God is further away than the most distant star. You may have a desert experience, barren and dry, or you may go through a deep dark, lonesome valley.

I want you to understand one thing: you are in this place for a reason. God wants you to learn something from it. And if you will cling to your faith in Him, you will emerge stronger than ever before!

What then? Should we despair? Now that that ever-handy phrase, "God won't put more on you than you can bear", has been brought into the light and shown for what it truly is, a perversion of scripture, do we have any comfort?

Of course! The Word of God is full of comfort for us, to us. We do have to get between the covers of that Grand Old Book, The Holy Bible, to find them though. And a good place to start is in the 12th chapter of 2 Corinthians. Paul, a great man of God, very clearly explains, by his own personal example, that God's Grace is sufficient. In this chapter we read:

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:6-10.

Did you see it in there? The Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you." Paul said to us, "...for when I am weak, then am I strong." What?

Therein lies the entire problem. We want to be strong in and of ourselves. But if our strength does not come from God, it will not sustain us, for it will not be sufficient to meet our need.

And just how do "we" do all things? Through JESUS CHRIST. Why? Because His Grace is sufficient. And we can further back that up with: For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20.

When we get so elevated within ourselves, when our SELF-esteem becomes so great that we forget to factor God into our equation, when we forget to esteem Jesus Christ above ALL things (including ourselves), we are in trouble and we will not be able to make it. By, through, in and of ourselves, we will fall short. However, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" I can make it, with Him, through Him, by Him and of Him, because HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT.

I strongly urge you to go to another page, Promises Of God for When It's More Than We Can Bear. There you will find fantastic, awe-inspiring, never-changing, eternally-faithful promises of Our God, Who is not slack concerning His promises!

He is an ever-present help in time of need and you can stand on the direct promises He has given to mankind through His Word. He will never fail you. These scriptures are clear and direct promises that you can depend on.

And if you want to be truly encouraging to someone? Offer the strength of God's promises to them. Then, the next time you feel as if God is not close to you, or you see someone who needs a lift, you can stand on...

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Psalm 90:1&2


Excerpts from "More Than We Can Bear?" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wordless Wednesday




























Caleb finally lost that tooth! April 12, 2010.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

When You're Gone

Within the course of 5 days, I learned that two young men - in completely different parts of the state - passed away. One was in his late twenties, lived in our community, and died in a car accident. The other was 31 and Josh's cousin - he was having chest pains the day before, and the next morning when his wife went to wake him up, he was gone.

Gone.

These two young men did not know each other. And truth be told, I didn't even know them. I never met either of them, but I know people who were close to them, and I can feel their indescribable grief.

So many thoughts come to mind when I think about these two young lives that are now gone. But for some reason, as odd as this might sound, the one thing that stands out to me most is this (I really don't know why this is what stands out):

Neither of them had life insurance. Not even a small amount to cover a funeral. Nothing.

Both of them were married. I'm not sure about Josh's cousin, but I know the young man in our community had two young girls. The community came together to raise some money, and of course I don't know what the amount was, but I'm guessing it may have covered part of the funeral.

But what about after the funeral? What about their incomes that played a part in the daily lives of their families? Sometimes I think about what I would do if Josh passed away...what on earth would I do if I didn't have our financial plan in order BEFOREHAND.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not trying to (in any way) speak poorly of the families who are going through such pain. I guess I just want to encourage you who are reading to call your insurance agent today and ask about a term life policy (we do term because that's what we believe makes the most sense...um...and because it's what we learned through FPU - I can explain further if need be). Both Josh and I have a policy. Yes, even me...a stay-at-home mom. Each of us have an amount that is 10 times Josh's gross yearly salary (actually, I think his is more than mine, but they're close).

And guess what. It's about $16/month apiece.

I remember getting these policies when money was really tight for us. But we knew it wasn't an option. We had to do it. I think it was not long after we had Caleb (we should have done it sooner, but having children makes a person think more about that kind of thing I guess). Perhaps it came from a bit of prodding from our insurance agent after we had our first baby, but we've known Tom (our agent) for YEARS (he coached Josh in 4th grade!), and while I know it's a business to him, I also think he had our best interest at heart.

I'm glad.

And believe me, you will want to hear this phone call...click here. It's an example of a man who had things in order before a terminal diagnosis. Warning: it might give you tears. He is only 27.

So this is one of those things I've been wanting to say and not sure how to go about saying it. My heart breaks for families who lose young husbands, sons, daughters, sisters, etc. If the day comes and it happens to you, are you prepared ahead of time financially?


"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children..." Proverbs 13:22

Talk About it Tuesday

Monday, April 12, 2010

My Movie Monday

What a beautiful week it has been in mid-Missouri! I hope it's been the same for you where ever you are! How was the time you spent at the park? Did you capture a clip of your little girl swinging on the swing set? Or maybe you recorded your son sliding down the slide? What about your husband? Did he do something fun at the park, too? :o) Share it on your blog today - or whatever it is that you captured - and link up! It's another edition of...

My Movie Monday



This week's My Movie Monday must first be introduced with a clip from a show my kids watch so you can fully appreciate what Gabriel does - just in case you are not familiar with Peppa Pig, I wanted to show you why he does this...and why I sing for him...you have to see the ending credits at 4:45 to hear the little song.



So then the other day while we were watching the show, I asked him...




And while we were on the changing table later that morning, I sang for him...





Might I add...this was his first animal noise! Finally!


Hope you have a great week!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Expectations

I have come to realize...














...that I must not be so particular...














...and that I need to cast aside all expectations...















...of what the "perfect" picture of my three kids is supposed to look like...















...and be thankful for one that's even remotely close...















...to what I'm hoping for!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

About Me

Here's a little about me and a little about my blog, Simply Chrissy!

First...this is me...

















...that's me and my husband on August 5, 2011.

I'm Chrissy, and I love being a mother of four sweet kiddos: a 10-year-old named Caleb, an 8-year-old named Sarah, an almost 6-year-old named Gabriel, and a 2-year-old named Leah.





From left to right, Leah, Sarah, Caleb, and Gabriel in March of 2014.


I graduated from Owensville High School in 1998, and graduated from Southwest Baptist University in 2002 with a bachelors degree in business administration/public relations.

I've been married to my husband, Josh, for 13 years. He is a high school math teacher and also an adjunct college professor at a local junior college.

I love the Lord and strive to raise my children to honor and love Him as well. I currently attend First Church of God, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for me and where He will have me serve in the ministries there.

As for my blog, Simply Chrissy (formerly Traveling Light) - I began writing as a way to journal my daily happenings. It then turned into a way for me to feel like I was utilizing my abilities for something bigger. I do feel like there are times when God speaks to me, and through conveying those thoughts and convictions, others can be uplifted to. And I think that's a great thing.



Sometimes I'm serious. Sometimes I'm lighthearted. Sometimes I cover a spiritual issue. Sometimes it's about weight loss. I like to talk about my kids and family, but other times I like to just talk about the St. Louis Cardinals! :)

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll come back often!

By the way...I failed.

Remember the competition that I joined with my best friend? Remember the cute t-shirt?
















Yesterday I read this on facebook from a girl on a different team:





Even though I knew the weeks were going by and I was not keeping on track. Even though I knew there were days when I couldn't resist temptation. I guess seeing this yesterday - April 9th - the final weigh in day - made me realize that I had wasted another three months when I should have and could have been on track, just like Shelley.

I was genuinely happy for Shelley. Really, I was. Her status, however, made me realize how upset I was with myself.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22&23

Seriously...I cannot tell you how much I struggle with self-control. It's ridiculous actually. I remember one morning during a Sunday school lesson, our sweet teacher Peggy asked us what was the one thing that kept us in bondage (I can't remember the specifics of the lesson or the scripture with it). How sad is it that the FIRST thing that came to mind was food related? I feel in bondage to the thought of such things.

Why, oh why is that??

Others struggle with addictions to drugs or alcohol. Or maybe they feel in bondage to an unhealthy relationship, the wrong friends, too much time at work.

And here I am. Struggling with food.

I can't remember a time in my life when this wasn't the case. Fortunately for me, I was involved in sports my entire life. But guess what happens to a college athlete when she stops playing softball? She used to look like this...



















And now she doesn't.

So here is where I am today. I wonder how I can overcome this. And I wonder how I can keep from passing it on to my children.

Friday, April 9, 2010

My First 5QF

I still find myself feeling unbloggy (that word - along with bloggy - will surely make it into the dictionary someday and not come up on spell check every time I use it), so I need a writing prompt. Therefore, it is with great joy that I join my friends who currently play along with Mama M. over at My Little Life during her 5 Question Friday each week.

So here goes.



1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Probably Sandra Bullock because I've been told several times that I look like her. I also wouldn't mind if Kate Winslet played me because evidently she isn't the "size zero" kind of actress (which I don't understand because she looks tiny to me...but I suppose compared to others in Hollywood, she is more "normal")...and I think she could pass for me, too! ;o)

2. Did you ever go to summer camp? Oh, my goodness...YES! I went to athletic camps, band camps, and church camps. But the one that was the most important to me was Super Summer at William Jewel College every year in June. It was a Christian youth camp, but it was so much deeper than the typical "church camp". I remember being closer to God in those times than probably any other time of my life. That one week in June every year was so important to me. I attended from June of 1993 to June of 2003 (six years as a student and then five years as a small group leader). I miss it.

3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction? Bugs, spiders, etc. I'm so not an outdoors kind of girl.

4. What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts? Um...blog? :o) That's probably not far from the truth. I'm not sure if he likes how much I like my blog. I promise, honey, that I don't like it more than you!

5. What is currently your favorite song? That's a tough one. I listen primarily to Contemporary Christian music, and I'm really starting to love Meredith Andrews. And while "Revelation Song" isn't necessarily my favorite right now, her version of it is my favorite. I could listen to her all day long...I even get chills listening to it on YouTube.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

This day in Chrissy history...

This day every year I will remember what I found out on April 8, 2008. I wrote about it last year, and I wanted to share it again...

Original post date: April 8, 2009.

April 8th was on a Tuesday last year. I was all excited about traveling to Dayton, OH with my mom so I could watch the WGI Championships with her. It was my sister's last year with the Missouri State winterguard before her age-out, so I just knew it would be a great experience to share with her.

But...I wasn't feeling that great on Monday. And to be blunt...I knew I had missed my period. I thought to myself, "Really, God? Now? Could it be?"

It was.

I took a home pregnancy test, and it came back positive. So on April 8th, I found out we would be having baby number 3! I wish I could say I was excited, but honestly, I was just dumbfounded. I remember crying. We had finally gotten all our finances in order after being introduced to Dave Ramsey. We were cutting back. We were paying off debt. We were on our way to financial peace! :o) Would another child veer us off track? And I feel a bit guilty saying it, but I had actually come to a place where I was very content with two kids. It took me this long to FINALLY adjust to being a stay-at-home mom. I finally had my act in order. My heart felt like it was maxed out in the "love for children" department.

But you know what...God knows what He's doing.

I fell in love with this baby boy when I first saw him. We didn't know if we were having a boy or girl. We kept the name a secret. I was so excited when I first got to call him Gabriel! I remember Dr. Cunningham asking me, "So, what's his name?" and I got to say it out loud to someone other than Josh for the first time!

And while there are still days when I think, "Wow, having two was sure easy!" Josh reminded me that I probably wouldn't know that if I still just had two! :o)

So I'm remembering this day. A day when I was worried about the future, but God has shown me so much about His timing through it all.

And I am blessed.

"Behold, children are a gift from the LORD..." Psalm 127:3

Oh...and by the way...the rest of the story about my trip to Dayton: I was sick and miserable the entire time, and tried to just play it off as some bug I must have had. I didn't want to take away from my sister's big week, so I just tried my best to pretend like I was ok and didn't reveal what I had just found out! We went to Starbucks several times on that trip, and I still can't smell coffee now without feeling a bit ill as I remember how I felt back then! ;o)


Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Shoot Your Dogs

Shoot Your Dogs by Mark Driscoll

I was raised in the mountains. If you weren't, let me inform you that this is very different than being raised in the city. NASCAR. Pork rinds. Different.

Life was hard there. Most of the men mined coal underground. People had to be tough to survive. For example, if you had a dog and it got old and sick, you may have had to shoot it to put it out of its misery. You heard me. Shoot it.

Put It Out Of Its Misery

This didn’t happen because the people were angry, mean, or against the ethical treatment of animals. In fact, quite the opposite was true. People shot their dogs because it was the most humane thing they could do when their beloved pet was old and sick and the owners couldn't afford to have a vet put him down. When this point came, they simply went out to the woods, did what they had to do, cried, and came home.


Ministry Dogs

Even though most of us reading this would not want to admit it, I can almost guarantee you that there is at least one "dog" wandering around in each of our ministries that needs to be shot.

These include a program or system that has outlived its effectiveness; a set of ideas or terminology that is no longer relevant; or a leader that is no longer leading and needs to be lovingly transitioned. In other words, a dog that needs to be shot. And as long as you allow it to wander around, it is going to drain your momentum and hurt the mission.

You don't need to act rashly about it, but you know the mission is too important to not act prayerfully and soon.

Do you have the courage to shoot the dog?

Check out Pastor Mark’s book Confessions of a Reformission Rev for a further discussion of this idea.


Thoughts?

Wordless Wednesday












Caleb cuddling with me, Easter 2006.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Scattered

So much running through my mind...and yet...I am not feeling bloggy. Why is that? I can't seem to focus my thoughts into a handful of posts. I feel very random, scattered.

I'll try to regroup and get back to my normal self.

As soon as I can.

Until then...

Monday, April 5, 2010

My Movie Monday

Did you capture something fun, interesting, or lovely on your cell phone recording feature this week? Or maybe it's in your archives (like many of mine will be)? Share it with us! And link up! To see the original My Movie Monday post, click here.

My Movie Monday



My video comes from a few months ago. And I must say, it takes a very confident man to allow me to post him singing like Elmo! :o)