Eye of the Storm

I love this song, heard it this morning and the beat and message is just, well, wonderful.

Food for Thought

Sometimes I receive something I want to share with all my friends and family. And I want to selfishly keep forever, this is one of those things.

LYSA TERKEURST

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13 (NIV)

I remember sitting in the smelly middle school gym like it was yesterday.

I’d survived the awkward and much-dreaded moments of changing into my PE uniform in the girls’ locker room. And now I sat on the hard bleachers listening to the squeak of tennis shoes, the uneven cadence of bouncing balls, the teacher’s sharp whistle and the girls laughing behind me.

They weren’t laughing with me. That would have meant I was accepted, wanted and invited in to be a part of their group.

No, they were laughing at me.

I was the subject of their gossip. I was the punch line of their jokes.

And it hurt.

I imagine you know that hurt too. Change the scenery and people, and this same hurt can be found in most of our lives:

• When your coworkers all make plans to go to lunch, but you weren’t invited.
• When that other preschool mom says, “Several of us moms are concerned with how aggressive your child seems on the playground.”
• When everyone else’s social media makes marriage look dreamy and uber-romantic as you’re crying yourself to sleep.

Then a friend steps in with a gentle smile and a few simple words of encouragement and suddenly you’re not alone.

I want to be that friend for you today.

In the midst of whatever made your heart feel knocked off-kilter, can I whisper what I believe are the 5 best things one can say to a friend? And then might you give the gift of saying these things to a friend today?

This list is from our key verses, Romans 12:12-13, in a section titled “Love.”

1. “You’re wonderful.”

(Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope …”)

The world is quick to tell us all the ways we fall short. We are hyperaware of our faults and frailties.

So, what a precious gift to remind a friend of specific ways she’s a wonderful friend, a wonderful mom, a wonderful Jesus girl, a wonderful wife, a wonderful co-worker, a wonderful person.

2. “Me too.”

(Romans 12:12, “… patient in affliction …”)

What a blessing to remind a friend we all have afflictions, hurts, faults and tender places. We all get sick both emotionally and physically.

The patient friend freely gives grace because she so desperately needs it herself. “Me too” acknowledges I’m no better than you, but together we are stronger. It’s such a loving and disarming admission that we’re all in this together.

3. “I’ll pray.”

(Romans 12:12, “… faithful in prayer.”)

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to tell a friend you will absolutely be faithful in praying for her? I have someone who prays for me faithfully and even texts me Scriptures she’s praying.

But here’s what I really love about her. She doesn’t just pray about my situations: She prays me through them.

4. “I’ll share.”

(Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need …”)

When we notice a need in a friend’s life, might we be willing to step in and be part of the solution?

I have a friend who lost every possession she owned due to a chemical spill in her home. So, we threw her a “Job Party” (like the man in the Bible). Each of us brought a few things to help her family start over.

We didn’t come close to fully meeting their financial needs. But we helped build a foundation of restoration and gave this family the assurance God was working on their behalf.

5. “Come over.”

(Romans 12:13, “Practice hospitality.”)

Welcoming a friend inside the sacred space of our home is such a needed gesture. There’s just something about relationships that are less pixelated when we get eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice and talk. Really talk.

Over broken bread we share broken hearts. And then we celebrate the parts of us that are still intact. We reach across the table and across our differences to grab hold of the glorious bond of friendship.

Yes, these are 5 great things to say to a friend.

And I’ve found as we purposefully ease the loneliness ache in others, we will see it is beautifully eased in us.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of friendship. Please show me who I can encourage today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 13:16, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (NIV)

Ain't About Easy

Heard this song today and I had to share, it's life, and it's worth all the work.

Day 13 & 14 - Patience & Fly

These are combining today in this post, because well I was busy getting stuff ready for youth hunting that starts tomorrow.  I believe we are ready to go and tackle our second year of youth hunting and I am so thankful it is a family affair.

So patience comes with one year of hunting under their belts, this is daddy and daughters.  Hubby has been hunting for years, however last year was his first with two 12 year olds and let me tell you if that doesn't test your patience I am pretty sure you are unshakable. They did awesome, they listened, they waited, and they learned.  They learned with us, things we do instinctively after years of hunting, they have to be taught.  They have to be taught just like we were taught, only we as adults forget we were taught and now take it as common sense. Funny how that works isn't it. I think I went along to remind all that and there is nothing better than spending time together. Our patience is greater and our memories are forever in our hearts.

Fly, to be who you are whether that is great or small, everyone has a place in this world.  We are always telling the girls we want you to go to college. Hubby and I have not finished college I am working on it but it is slow and that is ok, I have to admit I know plenty of people that did not complete college that have good jobs and do what they enjoy.  I have a job I enjoy, it is not my dream job of teaching but I can't complain I have a great boss and fabulous coworkers.  The thing is that every job has a place in this world, you might think he is just the garbage truck driver, but to someone else he is a dad, a brother, a husband, and without him you would be doing it yourself so just because it isn't your place in this world don't knock someone else's place. Fly to where you want to be, take chances keep stepping out on that limb and take flight.  You might be surprised where you land.

Land of Stories

There is no secret I love books, and since our girls were infants we try really hard to read a book before bed.  Yes, they can read themselves but they both still like it when I read a book to them, and since they are older we can ready chapter books, 1 or 2 chapters a night. We have definitely read some great books, we have also started a couple of books and not finished because as a family we were BORED!! However the week before school got out we finished the book "The Land of Stories; The Wishing Spell" by Chris Colfer. You may recognize this name from Glee however as I have never watched the show I had no clue who he was.  His acting may be good but his story telling skills are phenomenal, you have to read this book.

Sanuks

Yep had no clue what these were or how you pronounced them until this summer but I can tell you there will be more pairs of them in my closet in the future. Apparently these are a little expensive however I really don’t like spending money on shoes, clothes and the like so I got mine at Ross for well dirt cheap. These shoes are known for their comfort, their soles are made out of yoga mats. And I can tell you I wish they made running shoes and just about every other shoe I own with yoga mat soles. LOVE THEM!! This pair I bought simply because they were brown and red not a color combo you find in shoes very often and I love the stripes on them one of my favorite things for sure. If you see a pair of these shoes I recommend you buy them you won’t regret it I promise. 

Silly Putty

Had no idea what I was going to write about as I was sitting here playing with my daughters silly putty contemplating some of my favorite things. Then the plastic playdoh in my hand starting to get really hot, and I found myself purposefully making bubbles in it so I could get a popping noise. Duh, I love silly putty. The texture of it, the smell of it, the way it feels in my hands. I love that I can make it smooth or rough feeling that is stretches out, that I can take a newspaper and copy the funnies on to it. Yep one of my favorite things is silly putty for sure. You should try playing with some it is extremely stress relieving and so much fun.

Blog Plan

Back to blogging, I have been trying to figure out a way to get in more of a groove with my blogging but I keep struggling, sometimes it is because I go with the saying that if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. Sometimes it is out of pure laziness, sometimes it is because I am so busy living my life and spending time with my family I don't have time to blog about it.  Not that life isn't worth blogging about in fact quite the opposite I have lots of moments that I am like "Oh, I should write about this."  However not all my great ideas or wonderful stories make it to print.  So to help my good intentions and maybe keep some sanity and save some of these wonderful memories for my girls my blog needs a routine a series or two, maybe! I am not promising anything more than to try so here we go...

Mondays - Random Word of the Week

Tuesday - Recipe Randomness

Wednesday - Few of My Favorite Thing

Thursday - Throwback Thursday

Friday - Five Minute Friday

Saturday/Sunday - Weekend or Week Recap

P.S. I am looking for a couple of guest posts if any of my readers would like to share their blog on my blog please send me an message!!

FMF - Zulu

My favorite water bottle well for the office anyway, not sure how it will work this summer when we are out about in the mountains at races, the metal one definitely has a ton of scratches and dings in it from being dropped, dragged, and who knows what else. For now though I love this glass water bottle, its flip open top, and its rubber sleeve.

FMF - Vitabath

So I have done some reviews for Influenster and in the last box the best thing came. It is Grapefruit Vanilla hydrating lotion by Vitabath and I LOVE IT!!!

 

I really can't say enough about this product, it is thick and creamy, and smells absolutely divine. You have to try it and I promise you won't be disappointed.

LOVE!!!