Fight for your time with Him

This past week was a total nightmare for me. For those that know me personally, know I don't usually complain about much. I guess you could say, I sort of complained a lot last week. I was on the verge of {let's be honest} cutting someone. I was all sorts of frustrated and hostile. Anyone and EVERYONE and EVERYTHING was on my nerves. Anything sent me over the edge, screaming kids, fighting kids, demanding husbands, house chores. I was a wretch to be around.

This weekend we had the opportunity to get out of town. A last minute trip. I don't know how all the plans worked out as smoothly as they did (especially after my week) but we were able to enjoy a two day get-a-way to Pismo Beach, Ca. I can only believe it was a God thing. He made all those prior plans and commitments just fall off our schedule. I spent the majority of my days sitting in the sand...breathing. I needed that weekend and God knew it!

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A few months back I purchased this book to start with my kids. During our coastal vacation we were a little behind on devotions. When we returned July 1st really spoke to me.

"Fight for your time with me"

God, we come into your Temple. There we think about your love. Psalm 48:9

 

Drat! I had did it again. Allowed myself to get sucked into worrying about everyone else.

Taking care of everyone else's needs.

 

"Soak in MY presence as you would soak in a warm bathtub. Let My Love surround you and seep into your soul-giving you new energy. And let all your worries swirl away."

 

Soak in a bath tub, ain't nobody got time for that. The kids are screaming and fighting.

 

"You need to spend time alone with me-so I can get the tangles our of your thoughts and smooth out the day for you."

 

Spend time alone...the kids are killing each other. If I blink one will try to kill the other.

 

"Sometimes you will have to fight your own wish to stay in bed...You'll have to say "not right now" to friends"

 

My face right now is indescribable.

 

Fight for your time with me.

 

That is what I hadn't been doing the whole week. I honestly don't think I really got into the word...at all. Other then bible study. Nothing on my own time and leisure reading. I hadn't been taking the time to pray each morning, like I should. I wish I could say the "Super Moon" and heat made me irritable. But the fact is, it was my own doing. I allowed myself to let people and everyday life get to me. I became weak. I was not a fighter.

 

My point of today's post. I am NOT perfect. But I do recognize when things go wrong, I realize I can not correct the people who irritate me but I can correct my reactions. It all starts with a bended knee.

I am always amazed at how God speaks to your heart. Today it was through my children's devotional. 

 

Fight for your time with him and know that he will give you the victory.

Victory of the mind, heart and soul.

 

 

Deuteronomy 33:12 New International Version (NIV)

¹² About Benjamin he said:

 

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.”

 

 

 

 

Image Building

"Image building is the attempt to make impressions that are bigger then we are"..Beth Moore

 

Wow, that quote hits pretty deep. I can relate. Can you? I am insecure. There I said it.

When I take photos, I filter the filters I use to edit the way I look.

 I wear makeup to cover up imperfections.

I wear roll sucking under garments to hide the fact that I have 3 kids

 over 8 pounds and my body ain't what it used to be.

I dye my hair to cover the grey strands of hair that seem to pop up monthly.

I buy the "good" bras from my girlfriend Victoria...but its no secret that the girls will never look like that at bed time. Hello real life.

I occasionally buy take out and put it on nice dinnerware to fake out guest. Ooooo is that a no no?

I want to be extraordinary, not ordinary!

What was/am I doing?

Image building. Trying to make something bigger and better then it really is.

 

2 Timothy 3:2-5 (NIV) ² People will be lovers of themselves..

This is a type of love that is very different from the self-giving love God wants us to have.

It is self-selling.

 

"we are so thoroughly indoctrinated in image building that I'm not sure we easily recognize the difference between excelling and self-selling..." Beth Moore, Daniel

 

Can you think of some ways that would be Excelling and Self-Selling for your image?

If we are trying to become something we are not, we are image building.

There are signs of image building all around us a women.

Magazines, social media and entertainment.

 

In a recent bible study discussion, us ladies were discussing the effect of living in another woman's shadow. That is not what this is about, but it has its similarities. For instance, it was mentioned...

How we sometimes desire to look like a specific celebrity...but in reality, we don't have the entourage that they have to build their "image" that we see and want.

We are constantly sizing each other up.

 

These things do not build true beauty.

The more we focus on Gods love and mercy, the more we will be able to understand how much he loves us. Then we wont have to focus on building our image for others to love us. We will love ourselves as Christ loves US.

 

Your real, new self (which is Christ’s and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. Does that sound strange? The same principle holds, you know, for more everyday matters. Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it. The principle runs through all life from top to bottom, Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

~Mere Christianity

 

 

 

 

{DIY} Floral Headband..on the cheap!

Lately I have really been into floral print. Floral print everything...bedsheets, jewelry...leggings (which my husband calls my granny pants) I just can not get enough. It makes me feel really girly in this tomboy body. I have worn silk flowers in my hair for years. Recently I have REALLY been seeing lots of people wearing floral headbands. Headdresses, Head wraps...what ever the "proper" name is for them. I want one! I need one! Many...

After pricing them...I was a little thrown off. $77 for one artificial flowered headband. GASP! Being the DIY-er that I am...I made my own. If you are not familiar with the floral headband trend...Flash back a few decades to the 60s. Yep those are the ones!

 

Hey it's cool if "Ke-dollar sign-ha" is doing it, right? 

 

Keep on scrolling if you want to learn how I made my own "tamed down" version for $1! All I purchased were the flowers from Walmart. Everything else I had on hand.

 

Supplies you will need

 

Step 1: I started with the ribbon. I measured from one ear to the other and cut. This will be the portion that is used for the flowers.

 

Step 2: I measured out some elastic to attach to the end of my ribbon to form the headband. I didn't want it to be exact length because I wanted it to stretch some.

Step 3: I hot glued the ends together. You can opt to sew them...up to you.

 

Step 4: Taking a couple small portions of the ribbon I wrapped them around the exposed ends to give it a cleaner look AND added security.

 

Step 5: Remove all the flower buds from the bushel.

 

 Step 6: Using scissors or wire cutters, snip the remaining plastic stem. This will make it easier for your flower to lay smoothly on the ribbon.

Step 7: Most flowers are put together is layers. (pictured above) if you glue the flower without removing the layers...your flower will eventually fall apart.

Step 8: Glue each layer on the headband. Just a small amount of hot glue is needed in the center of each layer.

Continue this process until you reach the desired amount of flowers you want on your headband.

 

 Finished product!

 

 

 

Go my pretties and be creative. Go crazy like Ke$ha or keep it mellow like myself.

Have fun. Mommas...this would be a fun DIY project with your tween this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scripture Memorization

In a recent Bible study that I have completed, I was asked to write down a few scriptures. I am going to be honest and say, I have always wrote down scriptures. But I have never really worked on memorizing them.

I don't know why I have a hard time memorizing scripture, but I do. I can memorize a song, lines from a movie, but struggle at remember the Word of God. Conviction fell over me. I wrote down the scripture on my neon yellow index card. After that, I made it my JOB to learn these scriptures. These three scriptures on Thoughts, Words and Actions. How to live a life pleasing to God.

I placed them in a spot where I always have a few moments of nothing to do....
While I am waiting for the conditioner to set in my hair...
Or searching for a quiet 5 minutes away from fighting kids...
You know that place...

Often I find myself reading the shampoo bottles. Ingredients and all. Why not read scripture. Plus this was a good way to get scripture into my whole family. My boys are beginner readers and my daughter is at the age to understand the word.

That is how I have started keeping some of my scripture cards. Visible. Having them tucked inside my Bible did nothing for me. They were often in the way during church or became scratch paper for the kids. Here I can see them daily.

How do you memorize scripture?

When is it too much?

During the last 8 weeks my life has taken a U-turn. I needed to get back in the right direction. My schedule life was starting to pull me down. I found myself extremely overbooked and my thoughts and mouth were out of control. Running the kids to multiple sporting practices 7 days a week, trying to keep up with two bible studies, read the word, blog two blogs, cook dinner, wash the clothes, clean the house, work at the kids school, babysit, listen to peoples problems and occasionally wash my hair and update my Facebook status. I was a worn out, haggard, grumpy, and a self conscious mess!

I began flaking on things I had committed to. I was letting people down. I was letting myself down. I was letting God down. How was I to witness to people around me if I was a hot mess. How was I supposed to get anything out of Sunday Service if I was grumbling about having to run my daughter to her next soccer practice in...4 hours, because I was that awesome mom who supports her kids.

Bible studies, psh...those were supposed to be a daily reflective study. I was waiting till the last minute and cramming 5 hours of study time into 2.5. I can almost put money on it that I missed so much of what God was trying to tell me in those lessons, because I was rushing through, Instagraming, tweeting and mentally making my grocery list at the same time. Why, because I had to stay on top of everything. If something fell through the cracks in my day...I failed. I would beat myself up about it, snap at the Mister and choke the kids with my harsh remarks.

I had to really reflect about what I was doing to myself. What was I doing to the relationships around me?  I don't own a cape. I have no super powers, so why would I try and do the impossible...I was trying to be Super Mom/Blogger/Team Mom/5 Star wife  {Well, it's possible, just you probably wont be sane} When is it too much? Friends I was at that point. It.Was.Too.Much! I broke down one Monday Morning. I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. I felt like a huge weight was on my chest. I fell under conviction because here I was proclaiming I am a Jesus Freak, but the fact is, I hadn't had time to even really pray. When was the last time I said, "GOD YOU ROCK! Thank you for my breath, my family and the ability to move in the morning." The kids were still in bed, so I just laid there and cried my heart out to God. I mean I really cried. Possibly in the beginning it was a poor me cry, but during the release of all that self pity, I began to really seek Gods face. Begging him to help me stop this madness. Begging with him, what did I need to do to get my sanity back? I needed to be in that sweet spot with him again that I had slipped away from. I needed that so bad. It was as clear as I am writing you now. He said "let go of Blogging. You need to dig more into the word." Out of EVERYTHING I was doing in my day...he wanted me to stop my personal blog? But WHY? Why can't I pull the kids from ONE of their sports I have to take them to, they are in 3!? Why can't I go on a cleaning, laundry and cooking break? Why...WAHHHHY!?! Because he wanted me to pull away from something that had me so wrapped up in myself and the statistics and less of him. *boom* I felt like such a schmuck. I fell for Satan's schemes. So I said my goodbyes to my blog. I pouted for a little bit. But....

Now that I have left my personal blog, I have started two new Bible studies AND I am actually focusing on what is flowing from those pages. I tell you what....Daniel by Beth Moore, is speaking to my heart. God is showing me how wrapped up in myself and things of this world I was becoming. I can slowly see some women that mean a lot to me headed in that same path. It scares me. I am still praying God will show me the right way to address that, but for now...I write here.

So I ask you beloved. When is it too much to handle? Do we let it get to the breaking point I was at...trying to please everyone, take care of everyone and everything, concerned about how my blog was doing, consuming myself with anger and frustration because I was failing at what I treasured the most. My relationship with the Lord.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, on the verge of a break down. Trust me you are not alone. So many women are dealing with the same situation. Something has to give right? Why not give it to God?

Mothers Prayer {Dealing with Seperation}

Prayer for the Sports Mom

Mothers Prayer {Friendships}

Mothers Day Prayer {Enemies}

Mothers Prayer {Romance}

  

Mothers Prayer {Educators}

 

 

 

Giveaway & a month of PRAYERS!

Welcome to May ladies!!! We are so so excited to be starting something new this month.


FIRST - There is a GIVEAWAY for all you Mothers (or anyone) out there!! We value all those who read our blog so we figured, since we are all mom's & we love getting gifts for Mother's Day, we'd spoil you too! Below is a photo of everything ONE winner will win!! It'll close on Mother's Day.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is what we have special for you this month. Prayers each & every day praying over your children (we apologize if you do not have children, so bare with us this month). 
 

Fruits of the Spirit {Series} Gentleness

(source)

 

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Welcome to week 6 of the Fruits of the Spirit series. In case you missed the last few weeks you can go back and get caught up.

 

Faithfulness

Kindness

Goodness

Self Control

Peace

 

Gentleness in the spirit of Christ does not mean being meek and timid. (although KJV specifically states Meekness) Being Gentle in the spirit means to humble ourselves. To be humble enough to place ourselves in specific types of situations so we can behave as Christ would want us to. A Pastor from Singapore visited my church a few months back and he talked about placing ourselves in the Market Place (to you and I that is anywhere and everywhere that needs Jesus). I believe that is what having a gentle spirit includes. Being humble enough to be out of our comfort zone. Humble to offer correction out of LOVE and not condemnation. Humble to FORGIVE. Humble to take in that

sinner...

 

A Gentle Spirit is NOT: bitter, unstable, troubled, obnoxious, quick to get angry, careless, impatient, doubtful, foolish, irritable, proud, insensitive, self-absorbed, self-seeking, over confident.

 

It all ultimately falls into winning people to Christ.

 

Can we win people to Christ with the above qualities?

 

1 Cor 4:21 NIV

21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

 

Just as a child stands to be corrected. What are your chances of them learning their lesson if we come at them angry vs...out of love? Just as any sinner to be won to Christ...condemnation and harsh judgment will not win any souls. I want to be a soul winner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Let it Rain

I think in height of what has happened with Boston. We would take a moment from our Fruits of the Spirit Series and say a prayer for all of those who were affected by the tragedy.

Heavenly Father, In this time of pain and sorrow we ask that you rain over us with your spirit. Open the Flood Gates of Heaven and drench us in your merciful healing. Smother those affected by this disaster, with your love and mend their broken hearts. I pray that those once dry specs of hopelessness be drenched in your spirit, lifting them higher and giving them hope. Let it Rain Lord. Let it Rain. ~Amen

Yesterday while I was getting ready for my day, I heard a song by Jesus Culture. Brought me to tears. All I could think about was those were were lost during the Boston tragedy. Let it Rain, God... Let it Rain.

{DIY} Decorative Topiary

Supplies

Styrofoam Ball (size up to you)

Styrofoam Cube

Spanish Moss

Glue Gun/Sticks

Newspaper for easy clean up

Stand for Topiary (mine is from Ross)

Rope or jute

Round Dowels

Green thread (optional)

Place the Styrofoam cube inside of your container. my cube was slightly larger then the container and I just shoved in inside. Nice firm fit.

Insert dowel inside sphere and cube (centered) Use hot glue to secured hold.

The rope I had on hand was larger then I needed. I unraveled the strands to form smaller stripes.

Jute would also be a good item to use here.

I wrapped the rope strand around the dowel for a "wood" effect. Gluing as I wrapped.

This is a must...you must watch Duck Dynasty while you craft. Otherwise, your whole project will be incomplete. (*wink) Add hot glue to any area on your sphere and attach moss. I started with the top of the sphere on my first topiary, but I would recommend the bottom by the dowel as the area to start with. I did this for my second topiary and it was much easier.

This project WILL be messy! To secure all the loose pieces I used green thread, wrapped it all over my topiary. You can only see the thread if you look really close.

Consider it a "hair net" for your topiary.