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Great is His faithfulness
As many of you know, we moved away from our lifelong home six months after we got married--leaving behind us our families, friends, church, and everything we knew. We stepped out in faith to begin a three-year journey through law school in strange town with no friends, no jobs, and little money. We saw God be faithful, our trust in Him was deepened like never before, and our marriage was strengthened so much because all we had was the Lord and each other. It was a lonely time, it was a stretching time, and above all, it was one of the most maturing experiences we've ever been through. After law school, our heart's desire was to move back home; we had a toddler and another baby on the way by then and we were dearly missing our families and community we left behind. But the Lord had other plans. He moved us to Kansas City where we endured a grueling six months that brought so many bizarre circumstances and trials you'd probably think we were making it all up. Only problem was, we weren't. Again, our faith was tested. Again, our marriage was strengthened. And again, we saw God prove Himself faithful through it all. In August of 2007, it appeared the Lord was opening the doors for us to move back home. We were beyond elation and quickly started getting everything in order to move. Only a few weeks before our expected move date, everything fell through and we knew this was not God's timing. We were both crushed. To see our dreams shattering in a hundred pieces before our faces, to come so close only to have it all pulled away was especially hard. I wanted so badly to trust God in the midst of this, but, I'll be very honest and say that my faith wavered a great deal. Yet, God was faithful, in spite of my unbelief, my doubts, and my fears. Little bit by little bit, we started seeing some rainbows through the rain, though: after three months of unemployment, my husband was able to get steady work; the Lord provided friends to help lift us up and encourage us when we were so beaten-down and weary; and God used His Word to rejuvenate our hearts. For months, we waited, prayed, applied for jobs, and prayed some more. Many others joined us in praying. We held onto the hope that if the Lord wanted us to move back home, He would clearly open the door for us. We wanted it to be His timing, not ours. We also learned many of the lessons I shared last week about embracing today. We didn't know what the future held, but that didn't need to stop us from making the most of today. We continued to pursue the possibility of moving back home, but we also asked the Lord to give us patience and contentment for today. Two months ago, the Lord strongly impressed upon both of our hearts that it was time to earnestly begin praying about moving back home. We spent hours on our knees before the Lord praying for direction, for Wisdom, for guidance and clarity. We truly wanted His will, not ours. Out-of-the-blue, a job opportunity presented itself--one we weren't seeking and something we weren't even considering. But after more prayer, we knew this was where God was leading. He continued to open all the doors and keep all the lights green. Last Saturday, we finalized the job details and signed a contract on a beautiful rental house (just another of God's blessings--it was right in our price range, perfectly suited for us, and in the exact location we were hoping for!). After years of hoping, waiting, and praying, the Lord has given us the desire of our hearts and the answer to our prayers. We look back and realize how this past year--hard as it was--was perfectly preparing us for what God had in store. God is good. All the time. Even when I've doubted, even when my faith has wavered. He knew all along and He was absolutely in control at every moment and step of the way. I'm excited to see what the future has in store! Note: Lord-willing, we'll be moving October 18, 2008. It should be an interesting next month--especially since I'm right at the peak of morning sickness--but I know that the Lord will sustain us and carry us through! Labels: Encouragement
Frugal Friday: A life of less
 I stumbled across OwlHaven's 30 Days of Nothing Challenge last week and have been very inspired and motivated by it. We're in a season of life where we are splurging more for survival so I can't join in full-force, but I look forward to when our family can do something similar in the not-too-distant future. Contemplating this challenge, I realized that while we do spend much more money than we absolutely need to, we are quite frugal compared to most who live in the United States. We buy used clothes, used cars, and used furniture. We have basic cell phone plans and no cable service. We eat simple meals on Wal-Mart dishware, we plan our menus based upon what is on sale at the store and what we have on hand in our cupboards, and we have only spent more than $40 on a dinner out a handful of times in our married life. We don't have expensive addictions, we don't go to movies, we use our exercise equipment that we bought off of CraigsList instead of having a gym membership, and we don't pay for any newspaper or magazine subscriptions. We try to keep our furnishings and clothing to a minimum and only have what we love and use. The girls only have a few toys, we borrow books and movies from the library instead of buying them, and we are always on the lookout for ways to have free fun. Most of all, we only buy things we can pay cash for and we try to carefully evaluate our motives for all purchases made. Compared to most Americans, we are ridiculous for making the decisions we do and living the lifestyle we live. But you know what? We don't care; we long ago gave up worrying about what "the Jones' family" might think of us. Looking back, the first two years of our marriage were literally "Two Years of Nothing." Most of the time, we didn't have any wiggle room in the budget for anything that wasn't a pretty basic necessity and so we went without. I even fondly recall the week we needed to buy more fish food and I couldn't scrape together the extra $2 needed to buy it, so we had to wait until the next pay period. (Somehow the fish survived over a week with no food and went on to live another few years!) Those were difficult years and they were stretching years. We didn't make our needs known to anyone else, but we spent countless hours praying for God's provision. And what a faithful Provider He always was! We learned to rely upon Him for our daily bread and we never went hungry, were never without a roof over our heads, and always had clothes to wear. These "Two Years of Nothing" were some of the best years of our life! Our marriage was strengthened, our faith was tested, and our frugality was stretched. And we wouldn't trade it for anything. Yes, we've given ourselves a lot more wiggle room in the budget now than we ever had back then, but we've also found that there are a lot of things you can live without and still have a wonderful and satisfying life. So while we're not joining in the 30 Day of Nothing Challenge this go -around, we are actively pursuing a life of less. After all, I'd much rather live on less and have more money and time to invest in what's really important--those things which will last for Eternity! **Note: I did want to mention, lest anyone misunderstand, that I don't believe there is anything inherently wrong with buying new things, or going to expensive restaurants on a regular basis, or paying for subscriptions, and so forth. Not everyone needs to make the same choices in their life that we have made! After all, I know that we splurge on some things that other frugal folks would find very extravagant. And sometime in the future, in different circumstances, we might make different spending choices than we're making now. However, we want to always evaluate our motives for everything we do and every dollar we spend. If we don't have a good reason for doing it and we can't afford it, we need to step back and re-consider. -------------------- Have a frugal tip or thought to share? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be motivated and inspired. Please do not post anything related to Halloween (email me if you have questions on that), remember to keep it family-friendly, and post directly to your blog post, not to your blog homepage. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Frugal Friday post will be deleted. Labels: Frugal Friday
Embrace Today: Make the most of where God has you!
 One way I'm seeking to "Embrace Today" during this first trimester is by making the most of today. Instead of focusing on all the things I can't do because I'm feeling sick most of the time, I'm seeking--with God's help--to focus on what I can do: :: I can use the hours spent lying still to help curb the nausea to devote extra time to prayer, reading God's Word, and meditating on Scripture. I've found that even when the nausea is at its worst and I'm incapable of doing nothing else, I can still pray. What sweet times of fellowship I've had with the Lord as a result! : : I can invest much more time than usual into just being with the girls. While we've spent almost all day every day together since the girls' birth, many of those days have seemed to rush by so quickly that we don't take enough time to just sit and talk and read and laugh and play together. I'm seeking to seize this short season of simplicity to spend more time with the girls. When I need to lie down and rest right now (which is often!), I'm encouraging the girls to come pile on the bed or couch with me and just spend quality time with Mom--talking, playing, practicing sign language and words with Kaitlynn and reviewing ABC's and counting with Kathrynne, reading, and most of all, just being together. :: I can be a cheerful wife and mother. Just because I'm feeling poorly doesn't mean I have to be grumpy! I'm trying to look for the positive things, count my blessings, and find humor in anything that might be remotely humorous. And I'm constantly looking to the Lord to keep me cheerful and joyful in Him. When I took the time to think of it in terms of things I can do during this time, it made all the difference in the world for me. Believe it or not, I actually started even getting a little excited about this season! What about you? Where does God have you right now? How can you embrace today and make the most of it--no matter what season of life you are in?Maybe you're a young woman just finishing high school who is searching for direction for the future. Or an unmarried woman in your twenties or thirties giving your life ministering to other families when you would love nothing more than to have a family of your own. Perhaps you're a wife who longs to be a full-time mom and homemaker but God hasn't given you children yet or worked things out so you could come home full-time. Maybe you're the single mom who is struggling to make ends meet. Some of you are probably in a similar place to me today--you're a young wife and mom with little children in the throes of morning sickness. Or maybe you're a busy homeschooling mother of many feeling stretched very thin. Wherever you are at in your Christian journey, God knows. He sees your struggles; He knows your longings. He hears your cries for help, for grace, for encouragement, for direction. He wants you to find your delight first and foremost in Him. He can give you joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in spite of pain, strength to endure, and enthusiasm for life! Will you join me? Let's choose joy, keep our eyes focused on Christ, and embrace today--no matter the struggles or difficulties! "Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..." (Hebrews 12:1-2) "I delight to do Thy will, O my God..." (Psalm 40:8) Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: Encouragement, Pregnancy and childbirth
Embrace Today: Choose Joy!
 Incessant nausea and exhaustion during the first half of pregnancy is not something I'd ever pick for myself, if given a choice. Make no mistake, I love being a mom and am more than willing to go through this ten times over because the reward at the end is so worth it. However, the last two pregnancies I spent a lot of time wishing I could fast-forward to the end of the nine months--or at least to the end of the first twenty weeks. Wish as I might, though, there is no fast forward button on life. I can either muddle through this difficult season with a grumbling attitude, or I can choose, by God's grace, to embrace today--nausea and all! And so, I've landed upon a new motto for this pregnancy: "Embrace today!"Choosing to cheerfully endure and make the most of this season won't necessarily mean that it goes by any quicker or with less nausea, but a joyful spirit in the midst of it certainly won't hurt anything! Maybe you're not experiencing morning sickness today, but I'm sure every one of you is going through some sort of trial. Perhaps you are struggling with infertility or the recent loss of a child and you would love more than anything to be in my place. Or perhaps you are going through financial difficulties, or family struggles, or misunderstanding, disappointment, heartache, or hurt. Whatever the season and struggle, I want to encourage you to commit to choose joy in the midst of difficulty. Ask the Lord to fill you up with true peace and joy in Him--in spite of trying circumstances. He is faithful to provide exactly what we need, when we need it. Look to Him! "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places..." Habbakkuk 3:17-19a "...The joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: Encouragement, Pregnancy and childbirth
Minimizing Monday: Simplifying the schedule
 I'm a person who likes order, structure, and routine. I don't do well living "by the seat of my pants" or not having a plan. Right before I found out I was pregnant, I'd written up an elaborate schedule for the Fall; I had big plans and high hopes. And then I found out I was expecting! Isn't that just like God to remind me Who is truly in control of my life? Instead of my grandioso schedule, we're opting for a very simplified order of events for our days--at least for the next few months. Jesse was so kind to sit down with me this weekend and help me transform my entirely-too-long list into a few main priorities for each day. We then took this list of priorities and put it in rough order for the day. This list is a framework, not a schedule, or even a routine; it gives me some guidelines to stay focused and make sure I don't forget the things which are really important--like feeding the girls and myself. :) Here's what it looks like:SIMPLIFIED DAILY ROUTINE Get up Read Bible/Nurse Kaitlynn Exercise (20 minutes) Shower/Dress Vitamins/Water Blogging/Computer, if time Girls up Breakfast Set out anything needed for dinner (Jesse has very generously taken over dinner prep right now, but I help out by having a plan and making sure anything that needs to be thawed is taken out of the freezer in the morning.)Girl's baths Start a load of laundry/Fold and put away a load Wash the dishes Rest/Read with the girls Take a walk Lunchtime Vacuum/Bathrooms, if needed Girls' play time Rest time/Quiet time Snack Video/Movie time My main goals for each day are to make sure the girls' needs are met; to read my Bible and take a shower; to try and get some exercise; to take my vitamins and drink lots of water; to eat healthfully and consume at least 100 grams of protein (I'm somewhat following the Bradley Diet, with modifications since I can't stomach a lot of foods right now.); and to be a cheerful wife and mother. If there's time and energy, my next priorities are to: Do a load of laundry every day; wash the dishes once every day; clean the bathrooms and vacuum once per week; read to the girls for at least 30 minutes every day; and that's about it! It has helped me tremendously to break things down into very manageable and simple priorities and eliminate pretty much everything else. There will be a time and season--likely soon!--for more elaborate schedules, but for right now, it's all about keeping it simple! Related: If you'd like to see our Quick and Easy "Survival" Menu for this week, go here. See more posts on the topic of minimizing right over here.Labels: Home Management and Organization, Pregnancy and childbirth
Embrace Today!
 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 It is so easy to pine away precious hours of our lives looking ahead to tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. We dream of when our husband gets that raise or promotion or new job, when we get that new house or new car. Or when we get married, or have that baby, or find a good church, or meet some like-minded friends. And on and on it goes. Often, while we are so wrapped up in looking ahead and longing, dreaming, and wishing we miss out on today. This is the day that the Lord has made. This is the moment we are living in. Let's live it to the fullest! "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." -Jim Elliot The next few days, we'll be talking about "embracing today", and I'll be sharing more of how God is teaching me this in my own life right now. I hope and pray that these lessons might be an encouragement to many of you--no matter what season of life you are in. Graphic from AllPosters.comLabels: Encouragement
Frugal Friday: A time to be frugal and a time to be practical
 As most of you know, my life has dramatically changed for a short season. Instead of cooking, cleaning, playing hide-n-seek with my girls, grocery shopping, and the myriad of other things I usually busy myself with, I'm spending most of my time in as-near-of-a-lying-down position as possible to attempt to keep my meals down. Yes, morning sickness has a way of causing one to step back and simplify. It's a hard season, but it's a good season. And the end result is something worth every single moment of nausea. However, I have to make it to the end of these nine months first, so that means shifting into survival mode. My usual frugal nature gets partially chucked out the window while I do what it takes to make it through each day. The hardest struggle for me when dealing with the first and second trimester sickness is meal preparation as I usually want to stay as far away from the kitchen as I possibly can. There's only one problem: we have to eat. I don't have a live-in chef or live-in maid and my husband is gone at work much of the day, so it's up to me to feed myself and my girlies. My husband and I decided that instead of getting carryout food multiple times per week, we'd substantially raise our grocery budget as a temporary solution. This extra wiggle room allows us to buy more "fast foods" that are also pretty healthful, too--things like Annie's Homegrown macaroni and cheese, beef hot dogs, and lots of finger foods for the girls. Raising our grocery budget by $30 or so per week is a big jump for our small family, but if it allows us a little bit more smooth sailing through these uncharted waters, it's every bit worth it to me. And in the long-run, I think it will also save us more money (not to mention being more heathful) since the default would likely be picking up dinner from a local restaurant three nights per week--and that adds up fast! It's only a season and it will pass. Hopefully in a few months from now I'll be all motivated to jump back into baking, bargain shopping, and cooking from scratch. In the mean time, I want to survive intact, and maybe with a smile, too! What about you? Are there seasons of life when you've had to let go of some of your frugal ways in favor of doing what was practical? And any great and extremely quick and easy meal ideas for me? I'm making a master list to work from over the next few months and would love your input.
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Have a frugal tip or thought to share? Post about it on your blog and then come back here and leave your link below so we can all be motivated and inspired. Remember to keep it family-friendly and to post directly to your blog post, not to your blog homepage. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Frugal Friday post will be deleted.
If you don't have a blog, you are welcome to leave your tips in the comments section. Thanks so much for participating!Labels: Frugal Friday, Pregnancy and childbirth
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