A blog discussing how "HOME" has become so sweet in my life, and ways to make it even sweeter.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Mommyhood
Motherhood is exhilarating. By far the most incredible miracle I've ever experienced, through pregnancy, labor and delivery and now nurturing and caring for a real human being. I'm sure about one thing, this is by far the best job I've ever had and that I ever will have. While at times I feel very inadequate, I know this little guy is counting on me, and I was made to be his mom. Some might feel it's unfulfilling to say that having children is the very reason for their creation, but I look at it as empowering. I feel as though the past 25 years God has just been preparing me for this moment in life. This moment of raising a Godly man after His heart. A man with life, passion, sincerity, generosity, humbleness, patience and a heart to fully and completely love others, his future wife and most importantly our Creator. This is a huge job, that I'm not sure I'm prepared for, but with our Lord's help will be able to face head on. This sweet baby boy I know has got big plans in God's kingdom here on earth, and it is my number one job to make sure he's prepared for that. Big job, I'm very fulfilled with this calling, and beyond excited to be on this journey with Ty Nathaniel.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friends for a lifetime
I recently got the pleasure of spending my 26th birthday in Springfield, Missouri. Which happens to be the place that I called HOME with my husband for almost 2 years. It was such a treat to go back there and eat at all the restaurants that we crave and desparately wish we had near us again. And more imporantly, it was amazing getting together with dear friends. It really got me thinking:
It's quite amazing how God places people in your life, that are essential in your spiritual, physical and emotional development, they become the best of friends to you, you live and experience life together, to a point where you forgot what life was like before you even knew those friends. And then as years go by, and people move away and circumstances change and life stages change, you somehow learn to live life without those people right next to you. Does that mean that you grow apart? Does that mean you aren't friends? Of course not. I've learned that God so graciously places certain people in your life at the perfect time to be just what you need at that time. It makes me sad to think of the friends I had at the various places we've lived that I barely keep in touch with anymore because I get so busy with my life as it has changed. It doesn't mean I'm not appreciative for the friendship I had with them for that time. A true friendship is shown when you can still get together with those friends or call them up and you can pick up where you left off.
At the same time, there are some people who hold on so tightly to those past friendships, it's hard for them to accept the fact that they've changed, and their friends have changed, and that that is ok or even good. You know those people? Always hold on to the past, and what you did and who you did it with, it's hard for them to accept that they and their friends have changed....even if the change was good. Don't get me wrong, it's great to reminise on the good memories, but dwelling in the past is where people go wrong. Here's a test for you: When you're with your old friends, do you find yourself only talking about the past? Or is your connection with them, so much deeper that despite the changes, you can still connect in the present moment?
My favorite, is when I can catch up with friends and the connection we made in the past is so deep, that it's easy to pick up where we left off, despite changes and differences in life circumstances.
Although I'm sad to know that my close friendships are not guaranteed to be close forever, I'm so thankful for those close friendships for that time and for the spiritual connection I have with those friends that keep us sisters in Christ forever.
It's quite amazing how God places people in your life, that are essential in your spiritual, physical and emotional development, they become the best of friends to you, you live and experience life together, to a point where you forgot what life was like before you even knew those friends. And then as years go by, and people move away and circumstances change and life stages change, you somehow learn to live life without those people right next to you. Does that mean that you grow apart? Does that mean you aren't friends? Of course not. I've learned that God so graciously places certain people in your life at the perfect time to be just what you need at that time. It makes me sad to think of the friends I had at the various places we've lived that I barely keep in touch with anymore because I get so busy with my life as it has changed. It doesn't mean I'm not appreciative for the friendship I had with them for that time. A true friendship is shown when you can still get together with those friends or call them up and you can pick up where you left off.
At the same time, there are some people who hold on so tightly to those past friendships, it's hard for them to accept the fact that they've changed, and their friends have changed, and that that is ok or even good. You know those people? Always hold on to the past, and what you did and who you did it with, it's hard for them to accept that they and their friends have changed....even if the change was good. Don't get me wrong, it's great to reminise on the good memories, but dwelling in the past is where people go wrong. Here's a test for you: When you're with your old friends, do you find yourself only talking about the past? Or is your connection with them, so much deeper that despite the changes, you can still connect in the present moment?
My favorite, is when I can catch up with friends and the connection we made in the past is so deep, that it's easy to pick up where we left off, despite changes and differences in life circumstances.
Although I'm sad to know that my close friendships are not guaranteed to be close forever, I'm so thankful for those close friendships for that time and for the spiritual connection I have with those friends that keep us sisters in Christ forever.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sleep
Ok, here we are, 5 1/2 months after the amazing day that my baby boy was born. There have been many struggles along the way, through nursing, sleeping, eating solid foods, teething, colds, hormones going crazy, hair falling out, the list goes on. But I can honestly say that what we are going through right now tops the list for me. The decision to make him "cry it out" or not. It's a decision that is really weighing on me. I want to do what's best for him and for me, as I know how important a good night's sleep is. But I also don't want to risk not being there to meet his needs....
We will continue to pray.
We will continue to pray.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Gift-giving!
Tis the season for giving...gift-giving! To some; buying presents is shallow, a hassle, an inconvenience, and they feel as though they are giving in to the "consumerism" and "wordly" part of Christmas (let's not forget, the wisemen showed their love for Jesus by bringing him precious gifts!). Don't get me wrong, some people spend money they don't have, and they give for the wrong reasons, and get caught up in money and presents and forget about Jesus' birth all together, but those aren't the people I'm talking about. I'm talking about the people like me, the people who LOVE gift-giving (and receiving), the people who LOVE going to the mall this time of year to shop for those they love in an atmosphere of Christmas decorations and music, and the people who go to the Christmas gatherings...with impatient anticiaption for the time when everyone gets to "opens the presents"!!! I mean let's be honest, what says I LOVE YOU more than a gift that someone picked out specifically for you, and thought about how much you would love it and use it and think of them when you did.
Josh and I went through Gary Chapman's book "5 Love Languages" http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resources/books/ while we were engaged. It was through that book that I really discovered how much of an emphasis I put on gift-giving to show and feel love. There are definitely other "lanuages" I use to feel loved, but this one really rang out loud to me.
After having a baby, there are certain love lanuages that are extremely hard to use, such as quality time together....that never happens. But it used to happen all the time, you know when you would just sit on the couch and cuddle and focus completely on each other. Before we had Ty, gift-giving wasn't as necessary because we could show love in other "languages". Last night Josh came home from work with a gift just for me! 2 Williams Sonoma cookbooks! One that I'd specifically asked for for Christmas (Essentials of Baking) and another that he just saw and thought I would love it (Cooking for Baby). WOW, I'm still overwhelmed with the love I feel by him getting me such a thoughtful gift. One that he knew I wanted and one that he specifically was thinking about what I might like, picking it out just for me with love. Both, he could have easily kept 2 weeks and given to me when we celebrate our family Christmas, but he didn't! He wanted me to feel loved today. And loved I feel. Completely and totally loved. I have such an amazing husband.
This fall my mother in law dropped off a fall basket of goodies! What a completely thoughtful gift to make me feel so loved! A basket full of peanuts, apples, carmels, apple cider, a tea towel that use to be her mom's and Halloween candy.
My dad is one of the best gift-givers that I know. I remember growing up he had a gift for every Christmas, birthday, valentines day, mother's day....and this year I felt so loved when one afternoon this October he stopped by my house and dropped off a Jack-o-lantern soap dispenser. No reason, just cause he loved me. So Loved!!!
And the beautiful bright red poinsetta that my mom dropped by to help decorate my home for Christmas this year! These spontaneous gifts make me feel completely and totally loved.
And the most AMAZING gift that God gave us this year.... a baby. Ty Nathaniel Turner. We middled named Ty, Nathaniel because it means "Gift from God". Ty is God's way of showering us with His love, and he gave us such an incredible gift to remind us of His love for us. Completely and totally, overwhelming loved is exactly what we feel. What a gift.
So yes, while some think of gift-giving as shallow and irresponsible and an inconvenience. I'm so thankful for the gifts I can give and recieve at Christmas and year round and for the LOVE that I can show and feel! I can't wait for the gift giving and recieving coming in the next few weeks...and for all the love that will be shown as we give and recieve gifts!!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
LOVE is patient
Love is patient.
Let's look at the 3 categories of who to love with patience:
1. God. I need more patience with God when waiting for a response with prayer. Sometimes I find it's so hard to be patient to wait for God to answer our prayers. Patience that God's Will will be done and that He is in control of all. It's all to easy to question God and his Will at times, but loving Him fully and completely means having patience that His plan and purpose will come to pass even when it doesn't make sense and we question why things happen.
2. Those I "love". Why is it, those that we say we love the most, sometimes we have the least patience for. We have no problem showing our true colors to those we love. Sometimes the complete strangers bring out the most patient side of us. I learned this working retail, where customer service was of upmost importance. It's all too easy to smile and say "oh no problem" and if that was someone in our life we loved, we would yell at them, with zero patience and tell them they are crazy. It's just how we operate. Our fuse is much shorter with those we "love". It's like we feel like they should know better. They shouldn't ask so many questions, and don't ask stupid questions, right? If I really love them, I should have patience to let them ask me 100 times and each time give them a calm, loving response.
3. Those we don't love. As stated above, sometimes it's easier to show these people patience (to their faces!). Because we are tolerating them, and because we are really good at putting on a front. But then once they are gone, what do we do? Talk about them behind their back. I have no patience for enemies in my life. And yet, it's the 2nd greatest commandment, to LOVE them with patience. How do I do that? How do you have patience for someone you can't stand? And, I'm suppose to love them too!?! oh boy. This category is the hardest for me. It's almost as if these people in my life, before they even open their mouth to talk, I've already lost patience for them and what they are saying.
Lord change my heart. Lord, you love these people just as much as you love me! Help me love like you love. Give me patience to hear what they are saying, give me patience to take to you any struggle I have with them and their character instead of talking bad about them behind their back and in turn becoming a bitter, hateful person.
How to apply patience into my character this week:
Write the word patience on pieces of paper and put them in the bathroom, fridge, car, wallet...this way I'm constantly reminded to be patient in all circumstances. My goal is to be perceptive and take note of how I'm treating God, loved ones and enemies this week and if I'm treating them with patience. If I'm not treating these people with patience, then I'm not loving them. If I'm not loving them, then I'm not doing the #1 and #2 commandment of God's. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing I can do in my spiritual walk with the Lord. If I call myself a Chrsitian, I need to love.
Let me know how your week goes. Were there situations where you realized your lack of patience? How did you respond? How did you help remind yourself to be patient? Any good tips for me or ideas?
Lord give me patience for you and for every person in my life. Open my eyes to where I'm lacking patience.
Let's look at the 3 categories of who to love with patience:
1. God. I need more patience with God when waiting for a response with prayer. Sometimes I find it's so hard to be patient to wait for God to answer our prayers. Patience that God's Will will be done and that He is in control of all. It's all to easy to question God and his Will at times, but loving Him fully and completely means having patience that His plan and purpose will come to pass even when it doesn't make sense and we question why things happen.
2. Those I "love". Why is it, those that we say we love the most, sometimes we have the least patience for. We have no problem showing our true colors to those we love. Sometimes the complete strangers bring out the most patient side of us. I learned this working retail, where customer service was of upmost importance. It's all too easy to smile and say "oh no problem" and if that was someone in our life we loved, we would yell at them, with zero patience and tell them they are crazy. It's just how we operate. Our fuse is much shorter with those we "love". It's like we feel like they should know better. They shouldn't ask so many questions, and don't ask stupid questions, right? If I really love them, I should have patience to let them ask me 100 times and each time give them a calm, loving response.
3. Those we don't love. As stated above, sometimes it's easier to show these people patience (to their faces!). Because we are tolerating them, and because we are really good at putting on a front. But then once they are gone, what do we do? Talk about them behind their back. I have no patience for enemies in my life. And yet, it's the 2nd greatest commandment, to LOVE them with patience. How do I do that? How do you have patience for someone you can't stand? And, I'm suppose to love them too!?! oh boy. This category is the hardest for me. It's almost as if these people in my life, before they even open their mouth to talk, I've already lost patience for them and what they are saying.
Lord change my heart. Lord, you love these people just as much as you love me! Help me love like you love. Give me patience to hear what they are saying, give me patience to take to you any struggle I have with them and their character instead of talking bad about them behind their back and in turn becoming a bitter, hateful person.
How to apply patience into my character this week:
Write the word patience on pieces of paper and put them in the bathroom, fridge, car, wallet...this way I'm constantly reminded to be patient in all circumstances. My goal is to be perceptive and take note of how I'm treating God, loved ones and enemies this week and if I'm treating them with patience. If I'm not treating these people with patience, then I'm not loving them. If I'm not loving them, then I'm not doing the #1 and #2 commandment of God's. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing I can do in my spiritual walk with the Lord. If I call myself a Chrsitian, I need to love.
Let me know how your week goes. Were there situations where you realized your lack of patience? How did you respond? How did you help remind yourself to be patient? Any good tips for me or ideas?
Lord give me patience for you and for every person in my life. Open my eyes to where I'm lacking patience.
LOVE Challenge
Matthew 22:36-39
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself"
Wow, what a reminder. LOVE. That little four letter word is full of power. Tis the season to love, right? The most imporant thing we could do in the life on earth is to Love God with everything we are. The challenge we are all faced with is giving every ounce of our devotion to God, something that I'm not sure any of us do well enough. How many times have a said to Josh, "I love you with all my heart" --- ok wait a second, if I'm loving Josh with all my heart, then what's left for God? I think it's something we all need to evaluate.
But what I can't believe, is the second MOST IMPORTANT thing we need to do as Christians on this earth....LOVE people. I think we can all agree, it's super easy to love certain people in our lives. For me, Josh is super easy to love, so is Ty, my parents, brothers, friends, etc. but what about everyone else? Those people that are just so unloveable?
Over the last couple weeks God has really laid on my heart a desire to revaluate how I love. One reason being, this crazy little thing called love, is just too huge to God to not take a good look at in my own life. And another reason being, I don't love like I should. So anyone out there who's reading this and relating to every word I'm saying, take this challenge with me! Let's seek out what God has to say about LOVE and start doing it in our own lives.
What I've felt God nudging me to do is to take a look at how God defines love, and not just read them, but to dive into the definition and make it a reality in my own life.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."
I'm going to pick apart these verses and take a look at my own life and take another look at how I'm loving the following:
1. God
2. Those people I say I "love"
3. My enemies
I'm going to take these verses part by part and let each portion marinate in my mind for a week, so that it's not just in one ear and out the other. But something I think about for a whole week, forcing myself to Love how Christ commands I love. Again, I'd love for others to take this journey with me and share your weekly struggles and successes, so we can encourage one another! Anyone on board?
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself"
Wow, what a reminder. LOVE. That little four letter word is full of power. Tis the season to love, right? The most imporant thing we could do in the life on earth is to Love God with everything we are. The challenge we are all faced with is giving every ounce of our devotion to God, something that I'm not sure any of us do well enough. How many times have a said to Josh, "I love you with all my heart" --- ok wait a second, if I'm loving Josh with all my heart, then what's left for God? I think it's something we all need to evaluate.
But what I can't believe, is the second MOST IMPORTANT thing we need to do as Christians on this earth....LOVE people. I think we can all agree, it's super easy to love certain people in our lives. For me, Josh is super easy to love, so is Ty, my parents, brothers, friends, etc. but what about everyone else? Those people that are just so unloveable?
Over the last couple weeks God has really laid on my heart a desire to revaluate how I love. One reason being, this crazy little thing called love, is just too huge to God to not take a good look at in my own life. And another reason being, I don't love like I should. So anyone out there who's reading this and relating to every word I'm saying, take this challenge with me! Let's seek out what God has to say about LOVE and start doing it in our own lives.
What I've felt God nudging me to do is to take a look at how God defines love, and not just read them, but to dive into the definition and make it a reality in my own life.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..."
I'm going to pick apart these verses and take a look at my own life and take another look at how I'm loving the following:
1. God
2. Those people I say I "love"
3. My enemies
I'm going to take these verses part by part and let each portion marinate in my mind for a week, so that it's not just in one ear and out the other. But something I think about for a whole week, forcing myself to Love how Christ commands I love. Again, I'd love for others to take this journey with me and share your weekly struggles and successes, so we can encourage one another! Anyone on board?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Trick-or-treat memories
I have the best memories as a child dressing up with my brothers and trick-or-treating! It's moments like these that make HOME so sweet to me.
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
I love starting Trick-or Treating memories with Ty! Can't wait for him to look back at these pictures and when he gets old enough, to think back on these fun times and smile and get that warm fuzzy HOME feeling. :)
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