File this one in “Seriously?”
The other night the disposal got jammed and we ended up having to wash dishes in the bath tub. Yes, I bleached it first.
For the record, yours truly fixed the sink later that night thanks to my good friend, Google.
This made up for my troubles.
Let the little children come…
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Matthew 19:14
Jace has been an old-soul kind of boy since the moment he could talk. Very wise and able to comprehend things many years beyond his age. He’s been in love with Jesus since he was first told that He loves him and his love has grown into a desire to follow Him for the rest of his life. We’ve never coached him about taking certain steps of faith at certain points in his life, but rather just simply answer His questions. His love for learning Scripture taught him very early on about what is means to be saved and a many months ago Jace began talking to us about wanting to really make a commitment to live for Jesus. So we’ve been talking about it and in February he prayed on his own that he wanted to live for Jesus and not himself. This may not sound like something the typical 4 year old would pray, but Jace is anything but typical. 
We told him at that time that the next step would be to publicly profess that commitment by being baptized but we told him it was completely up to him when that would happen. At that time, he told us maybe when he was “9 or 5″. But last Sunday, Jace told us at bedtime that he wanted to be baptized. Not sure what to think about a 4 year old making such a big decision, we prayed about it and felt God telling us to “let the little children come to Him and do not hinder them.” We felt that we could potentially damage his relationship with God by forcing him to wait until WE thought it was appropriate.
So Tuesday night, July 20, 2010, Jace was baptized!
We have prayed big prayers for this boy since before he was born and know that God has mighty plans for him. We rejoice in this celebration of new life and ask for your prayers as he continues his journey with Christ!
Quotes from Jace at bedtime following his baptism:
“It’s like a new day!”
“The story of John the Baptist is my favorite. Every time I read it, it’s like new to me.”
“When I am married to my wife and have a son or 2 daughters or a daughter and a son, I’m going to tell him the story of when I was 4 and got bath-tized and didn’t like the water in my face.”
“I want the world to look different!”
What he said…
It’s too noisy…
I’ve decided having a blog is tough work. (I’ll pause for eye-rolling…lol)
My intentions when I started mine were to really just have an on-line journal of sorts. Primarily because I type faster than I write and I’m running out of room to put all of my stacks of real-life journals. I thought it would be a great place to blend in recipes I want to remember or share with friends, post pictures of my children for out-of-town family, etc.
But now I’m finding myself second guessing every word I write, every post at it’s conception. I’ve avoided writing about healthy eating (until some good friends of mine recently asked me advice) in fear of people thinking I’m trying to be “better” than them or shove my way of living down their throats. I’ve been avoiding writing about home education because I am perfectly aware that some who read my blog are not supportive of our decision. I avoid writing about matters on my heart because I will have a post half-written or completely written but sitting as “un-published”, only to find a similar post on others’ blogs. So then I don’t ever publish it so I don’t look like I “copied” them. Sounds juvenile, I know- but it’s why I’ve pretty much stopped reading all of the blogs I used to. And lately I’ve been avoiding writing updates or posting pictures of my children because we have family members who won’t even call to talk to them but state that online updates aren’t good enough.
I feel like I have the voice of every single potential reader in my head with judgments or concerns about our life all being spoken at once. It’s getting too noisy. Whether or not they are even true, it’s become a lot to listen to in my mind. And it leaves me with little to write about! I’ve always struggled with “what will others will think of me if…” but over the past year or two I’ve been doing so much better. But here I am with this horrible way of thinking creeping back in again.
But this year has been about re-NEWing my mind and getting rid of worldly thinking- which is precisely what this is. It’s about being FREE from such things! I’m finding the key to living the beautiful life that God has planned for us (and by beautiful I don’t mean it’s free from all things ugly- it’s just that things become more beautiful when your way of thinking is re-NEWed), is to live out Philipians 4:8…
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Message)
The more we (I) focus on the best, the beautiful, and the praiseworthy (note- all characteristics of God), the less time we have for thoughts to creep in that are the worst, the ugly, and things to curse. Like most things, this is such a journey but it’s a great one.
I just needed a little reminder. Read this with me if you need a reminder too:
I am me. I am who God created me to be. I’m a work in progress and am proud of the progress. I am conscious of the Spirit within me. I let Him guide me. I have passions that are from Him. I am one of His. I am beautiful. It’s ok if people don’t like me or disagree with me. And it’s ok if people don’t take the time to get to know me. It doesn’t de-value any of the above. I find my value in Him… by focusing on Him!
Super healthy cookies? Yes, please!
These are the greatest cookies I think I’ve ever had AND I didn’t feel guilty one bit for eating about half a dozen of them!
First, mix the following:
3 mashed bananas, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 c. olive oil
Now, mix the following in a separate bowl:
2 c. oats, 2/3 c. almond meal (grind almonds in a food processor for instant almond meal!), 1/3 c. coconut, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking powder (non-aluminum)
Next, mix both bowls together and blend in 6-7 oz. dark chocolate chips (the darker the better- means less sugar!)
Scoop by the spoonful onto your baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (keep an eye on the bottoms so they don’t burn).
AH-MAZING!
How He loves us…
It will take your breath away.
I first heard this story several years ago and it tore me up. The song continues to speak to me each time I listen to it and I just thought I’d share the story behind it in case you didn’t know it.
Deep breath…
…for a new week.
“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.”
Luke 6:26 Message
Evidence of a day well-played…
So much on my mind…
So maybe it’s because my husband is out of town for a week on a mission trip with the youth or maybe it’s the fact that a leader of his ministry at our last church posted an amazing montage video to Facebook tonight, but I’m finding my heart to be very heavy tonight. Maybe I shouldn’t write in this state, but I just need some way to get my thoughts sorted.
I feel like I have never been a very good Youth Pastor’s wife.
(I don’t write this for sympathy or for anything really- it’s just something on my mind.)
It’s not because of a lack of example- I had the GREATEST example in my College Ministry’s Pastor’s wife. She was… still is… an amazing woman.
Yet, I’ve found the five years of my marriage to Dan have been anything but accommodating to the lifestyle I envisioned when I became a “Youth Pastor’s wife”. Right off the bat, I had a major reaction to birth control pills I had started which sent me in a downward spiral for several months. I did nothing. I spoke to no one. I was angry. I was drained. I hated everything. The instant I got through that, I became pregnant. My body didn’t find being pregnant a very favorable experience. While it was a healthy one for both myself and baby J, it was exhausting to say the least. When he was born, it was harder than ever to be involved in the ministry very much. Being committed to nursing, I couldn’t leave him overnight for trips and taking him would have been too much for either of us. And before we knew it, baby E was on the way. Same story repeated itself with a long and hard pregnancy, nursing, and now 2 children that were my main responsibility. While I LOVED (and still love… even more in fact) being a mom, I found myself at times jealous of the Youth Pastor’s wives who didn’t have children, whose children were grown, or who had family to help out for late night events/overnight trips. I feel like I missed out on SO much of our students lives and I wondered if I even had an impact on them. I wish I could have gone on week-long mission trips, overnight retreats, late-night bonfires, etc., etc., etc.
My love for our students (past and present) is insurmountable. My prayer is that they knew/know that. I hope that if nothing else, I have at least set an example to them about family life- that you will have to sacrifice for the needs of your children. That is what true love is.
If any of them are reading- especially the students in Ohio that I spent my first 4 years of my marriage to Dan with…as well as the year we dated… I love you guys. My heart breaks that I didn’t get to go on every trip with you, stay up late chatting with you, and be more of an influence in your lives. But I really hope you can see my heart and know why.
Healthy eating
Recently some friends of mine have asked me to share some helpful hints regarding healthy eating- especially for children. I’m quite humbled by this because I definitely don’t have it all figured out! But I have learned quite a bit on my healthy-living quest over the past 5 years or so.
Really, I suppose my journey goes back about 12 years to when an aunt of mine introduced to me to some concepts that were foreign to me at the time- such as not needing to drink milk. Then 5 years ago, upon getting married, I began a deeper dive into the more natural world. The kick-start for me was really due to some health concerns caused by a prescription birth-control pill I was on. It ruined my world (temporarily, thank the Lord!) and had me seeking all kinds of alternatives to drugs (including otc), looking at what was in the foods I was eating ,etc. Starting off, my cupboards were full of your typical white breads, pastas, rice, packaged and processed foods, and my fridge and freezer were loaded with sugared-up yogurts, sodium-laden frozen meals, and foods with ingredients I couldn’t even pronounce. Carbs were a staple of every meal and my “fancy” meals almost always involved a can of soup mixed with chicken and either rice or pasta.
I’m at a point now where I’m comfortable with what my family eats, although I’m continuing my constant journey of learning more and more about healthier ways to prepare grains (and limiting the intake of them altogether), learning how to make my own bread, finding local suppliers for my meat, etc. I’ve had wonderful influences in my life who have taught me so much about the subject at hand that I’m SO grateful.
So now that you know a little bit about my journey, I’d love to share some helpful hints and resources that I’ve come to rely on. When I share them, I’m going to give varying levels of “intensity” so that if you’re just getting started in making little changes, you can easily adapt and then dive in deeper down the road.
Let’s get started!
Deep breath…
…for a new week.
“…you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that and God,… who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”
Philippians 4:8-9 Message
What if…
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time reading the Bible than reading the Twilight series?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time speaking love and light into one another than speaking and spreading gossip?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time watching sunsets with our families than watching Grey’s Anatomy?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time writing encouraging notes to friends or acquaintances than writing status updates on Facebook?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time teaching our children Scripture than teaching them ABC’s?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time getting excited about the missions of Jesus than the latest episode of Glee?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time serving others than serving ourselves?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time impressing Truth onto our hearts than impressing our friends with our new clothes?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time worshipping our Father in Heaven than worshipping sports?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time guarding our hearts and minds than guarding our possessions?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time learning about what Jesus did during His time on earth than learning about what LeBron James is doing?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time saving souls than saving money for our own future?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time worrying about those dying due to having no clean water than worrying about the weather for our trip to Disney?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time following Jesus’ example than following Angelina Jolie’s?
What if we, as Christ-followers, spent more time caring for the 1 BILLION people on this earth who have never heard the name Jesus Christ than caring what our friends will think of our not-so-nice cars?
What would happen to our families, our nation, and thus all nations and all souls?
Forgotten God
I’ve got another MUST-READ!
It’s called Forgotten God by Francis Chan.
Watch this video to learn a little more about the book:
Our Christmas mission!
God is doing something huge in our family. We’re not exactly sure what it is yet, but we can’t wait to see what it is. Over the past several years He has taken us on a journey of faith and has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginations. Specifically, over the past 6 months He’s been doing a big work in us both. He’s put people in our lives who have changed us for the better of His Kingdom, placed books in our hands that confirm stirrings in our hearts, and continually meets our needs and even some wants- all the while reminding us of His providential care in our lives. A true testament to some on the many reasons we were called here.
And now He’s calling us to something more. Something bigger than what we could both plan on our own. Something we aren’t even aware of! It could be a mission trip to spread the gospel, an adoption, or something that’s not even on our radar screen yet! But we do know that it requires sacrifice and giving of ourselves and our resources. We long to spend our money on things that will grow the Kingdom and save lives and souls. We pray for a day when we can not just give a remnant to those who are lost and hurting, but rather all they need and deserve.
While trying to figure out what exactly we are going to do with all of this new-found understanding of Scripture, we keep coming back to one thing that stands in our way.
Our debt.
We’ve been married 5 years now and have been in debt since day one. We’ve made a few un-wise and un-Biblical choices (unknowingly at the time) such as paying for a wedding we couldn’t afford, buying a house without thinking it through, etc. We’ve also accumulated more debt through some unfortunate circumstances in this broken world such as car problems and J’s hospital stay a couple of years ago. Then, last year we took on a little more to take a step of faith towards a calling God had made clear to us. So our debt covers the whole gamut. Un-wise, unfortunate, and a step of faith. Some would argue that God would never call us to something that would put us into further debt, but we wholeheartedly disagree.
Regardless of how we’ve incurred this debt, it’s there. Always. Ever-present for 5 years now. While tremendous strides have been taken, there is still a good amount that remains. But each day we get one step closer to our goal. We have eliminated excess in our lives in terms of spending, material possessions, and longings. And boy, does it feel good. But we’ve still got a good chunk left.
Now, do we think God is bigger than our debt? Absolutely. Do we think that He can’t overcome it? Absolutely not. But we also know that God uses people to do great things for His purposes and He is asking us to share our vision with you- our family and community of believers so that you may be able to join us in our attack against what enslaves us.
We are asking that this year, as we approach the holiday season, that our family and friends not purchase us a single material item as a present. We ask, instead, that you would help us move closer to this goal by giving what you would normally spend on gifts to our mission to become FREE from our debt so that greater things might be done for His glory. Better yet, we’d love for you to purchase something from Amber’s shop that she’s currently moved over to her Facebook page (since we’ll be in Ohio at the end of the month, let us know what you’d like and we can bring it up with us!) so that your money is going toward that very goal but you’re also taking care of some Christmas shopping for someone else.
We know our request for doing the holidays differently this year may sound radical but that’s what we’re becoming- radical for the causes of Jesus. And we hope you’ll join us! If not, then we simply ask for your prayers that God’s will would be done through us while on this journey. This is not an expectation of others’ to fulfill our debts. It’s simply asking you to join us for a common goal- serving Christ with all we have. And swapping presents for debt relief in order to get closer to that goal would be an amazing gift in and of itself.
IF you’ve stumbled on this and are not a family member or close friend who typically shares in Christmas with us by buying gifts but feel called to do something for His purposes, WOW. We are humbled by your heart to help. You may click HERE and use the email address: weddplan @ hotmail.com (eliminating spaces).
With great love and respect for each of you as you prayerfully consider this,
Dan and Amber
Radical
Dan and I have recently read a book while we were both sick (God does amazing things when we’re forced to rest) that is changing us to our core. Next to the Bible, it’s probably the most life-altering book I’ve read.
It’s called Radical by David Platt. I really think all Christ-followers need to read it. It will change you.
In addition to that, check out this sermon by Francis Chan- another wise man whom God is speaking through. Very eye-opening as well!
Praises to God for showing us our “blindspots”!
