For the Love of Snow...

For the love of snow...  I may be one of the few adults in North Carolina who truly loves the snow.  Maybe it's my childhood resurfacing, the fact that we had snow from October to April.  But today we were disappointed, waking to slushy snow/ice when they predicted 7-10 inches of snow.  No sledding or snowman making around here. Instead, I've enjoyed looking back over last week's ice/snow while enjoying my second cup of coffee.  Today will be a good day!

I'm so thankful that my girls love the snow as much as I do, but gloves do get wet and toes eventually get cold, so here are few links to help with the boredom that sets in from being stuck in the house.  
 - Ongoing education:  12 tools I really dig @ art of simple
 - Read-Aloud Revival podcasts - inspiring us moms to read more to our kids.  Helpful for enduring laundry folding too...
 - Snowflake quesadillas for lunch - thanks to Martha!
 - Winter tree silhouette craft - we'll see how this goes...

Enjoy your day whether you have a foot of snow or two inches of slush!  Enjoy the children that God has given you even if it's just snuggling up on the couch and watching Frozen for the 26th time. This is the day that He has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

The Stained Index Cards...

Ten years ago, one of my sisters gave me a small index card book, full of verses of scripture.  It had a hand sewn cover to soften the generic outside, and to protect the corners from getting bent.  I remember this little book of God's words lodged carefully beside the cup holder on my baby's stroller as we would take daily walks, partly for the fresh air and exercise and the other part for the sake of my sanity.  I committed several pages to heart, but now three babies later, daily walks are rare and when they do occur, they are filled with sweet girly chatter.

Now, there are stains on every page, yet I can't let it go.  My girls are no longer babies, and can all sleep through the night.  Mornings can be intentional again.  Scripture memory may not happen on daily walks, but it can happen in the dark hours of the morning, in the bathroom while fixing hair, or at a stoplight.  I have lacked greatly in this area.  

I was challenged this week by this story concerning a debate between a university professor and a coal miner in South Wales. The debate concerned the subject of the reliability of the Bible. The professor presented his arguments against the Bible clearly and in such a way that there seemed no hope for the miner.  Yet the miner began his reply with prayer, "Lord, I have not had much education, but You know that I love Your Word and have spent my life searching its pages.  Help me now to say something that will convince my friends here that Your Word is true."  He then continued over the next hour to quote the appropriate scriptures denouncing the professors arguments without making a single comment.  By scripture alone...

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105

"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130

"Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth." John 17:17

"For the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12-13

"Christians who do not accept the authority of the Scriptures have no effective weapon with which to overcome Satan.  If we are to conquer Satan in the same way that Jesus conquered him, then we must know the Bible in its entirety.  It is no good saying to the devil:  'The verse I want to use against you is somewhere in the Bible.'  You must quote it to him and quote it precisely." - Selwyn Hughes

May we cry out as Hughes so beautiful wrote:

"O Father, the more I hear, the more I want to hear.  For I was created by Your Word, designed according to Your Word, and I can never remain content until I am indwelt with Your Word. Teach me even more."

    

Aspirations for April...

Can I just start by saying that God is amazing?!  This may seem like nothing to most, but to me, it was kind of cool so I had to share. The other day, on my morning crawl (which has still not reached 4 miles again), I glanced down at this lonely dandelion.  I couldn't help myself in capturing this little weed, front and center on such a gorgeous morning.  When I got home, the verse in II Corinthians came to mind, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  This weed will be gone tomorrow and so will my to-do lists and my monthly aspirations, but God's word will remain, the souls of my family and those around me will remain, and that is where my focus is to be.  Those are the things that will last forever. Then, the very next day when I woke up this verse came to mind again (which is rare for me, considering my horrible memory these days.) But then... (this is the amazing part to me) what was one of the verses in my devotions?  II Corinthians 4:18!  Coincidence?  I don't think so.  That was a God thing.

Reviewing my Musings for March:
1. Teach at least one essential oils class.  Nervous, oh my!
2. Plan (with my older girls) a ballerina/pirate party for my youngest (who is turning 4!!!)
3. Focus on discipling my girls (with an emphasis on Bible memory).
4. Let go of some things of the past... (more may be shared in the future.)
5. Spend as much time outdoors as possible (more bike rides, park visits, picnics, and maybe getting back to running 4 miles again... maybe.)

- Teaching my first essential oils class was terrifying to me.  I'm still learning and researching, so my inadequacies overwhelmed me. Yet God is so good and anything good that came from the class was only from Him.  The time with old and new friends shared over Peppermint Patties and lemon water made it worth it all.

- Sophie's party was a blast!  As usual, I eliminated half of the ideas and expectations I had for the party, but the time spent watching her dance with her sisters, cousins, & friends made the party a success.  Naomi was my planning partner, helping me sew the little tutu's for the garland (which then became doll tutu's), bake the cupcakes, make the frosting, and browse Pinterest for party ideas.  Special times with my little middle!  Chloe took the role of ballet teacher, choosing songs for both ballet and tap, planning steps for each song, and fully embracing the role with great maturity on the day of the party.  I couldn't be more proud of my girls!

- Discipling my girls has been heavy on my heart for a while.  They have worked hard on their verses for Wednesday nights at church (not quite completing all the verses, but we'll keep trying).  But through studying these important scriptures (with the use of the Evangecube), something greater has occurred that Marty and I have been praying for. 

- Little by little, I'm letting go.  

- With our crazy North Carolina weather, we did the best we could getting outside.  It would feel like spring one day, then forecasting snow the next.  I'm looking forward to more walks and trips to the park this month.

Aspirations for April...
1.  Plan a new spring menu (less grains, more veggies & protein).
2.  Point my girls to the real meaning of Easter.
3.  Start every day with a clean kitchen table.
4.  Finish two of the books I'm reading:  Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman & Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma.
5.  Truly rest on our little family spring break.

Click & print one of these great Easter reminders

It's all God...

It's been a God week.  Honestly, this month has been a roller coaster of emotions and stress, yet each morning, as I open my devotional and Bible, it is exactly what I need to hear.  Some mornings, it may be a specific scripture that, as I rewrite it in my journal, comes alive to where I am in that moment.  The word "trust" has appeared day after day reminding me of His promise to me this year.  Even the prayer calendar for my husband has been so specific to his needs this week, that sometimes I'm left dumbfounded.  

On Tuesday, when my emotions left me nothing left to give, I made a last minute decision to go through the drive-thru at Starbucks. But as I drove up to the window to scan my card, the lady in black and green informed me that my coffee had been paid for by someone else. My quivering voice said thank you, I grasped my precious coffee, and let the tears flows under my sunglasses.  It was a God moment. 

If you have a few minutes, listen to this song by Jen Stanbro - God Day - Amazing way to start the day!

Click here for the two prayer calendars I use as well, thanks to Kat Lee at Inspired to Action.