When I was single, I spent a lot of time thinking about being single. I thought about what I wanted my life as a single person waiting to get married to look like. I often wondered what my husband would be like and what our marriage would be like.
Now that I'm married, I spend a lot of time thinking about my marriage. Things like areas where Husby and I are crushing it, areas where I need to step it up, things I need to work on, what I can do to speak Husby's love language, my favorite things about being a wife. Stuff like that.
We've been married three years. So I am by no means any sort of expert in marriage. I realize we are just at the beginning of our long lives together. In fact, we're pretty much still in the honeymoon phase. But over the last several months I've come to realize that there is a favorite part of our marriage that I never anticipated. It's an attitude of thankfulness.
This past Sunday our pastor spoke on marriage. I'd like to think that I've been paying attention to sermon subjects the past three years and I'm pretty sure that this is the first sermon I've heard on marriage since we got married. Perhaps our pastor has spoken on marriage before, but I'm not there every Sunday, due to going back to my parents' house on the occasional weekend and attending my home church. Or traveling out of state for a vacation. But I'm pretty sure this is the first sermon I've heard on marriage in three years. So, I'm finally sitting on the other side of the subject...one of the "included" on the subject. Not listening as a single person like I did for years. Listening to a sermon on marriage and actually getting to immediately apply something from it to my life was pretty cool. It was also really cool to sit and listen to someone talk about marriage who was standing in the very spot where we said our vows to one another. AND, it was also cool to hear a sermon on marriage as the timing intersected with the start of November.
November is a great time to reflect on what you are thankful for. Several of my friends take the "Thankfulness Challenge" on Facebook and post one thing every day that month that they are thankful for. It all culminates, of course, with the Thanksgiving holiday.
So getting back to this attitude of thankfulness I mentioned. I think thankfulness is one area that Husby and I really excel. My husband comes from a very thankful and encouraging family. They come by it quite naturally and I don't even know if they realize they are like that. They are quick to compliment one another, give a pat on the back, and generally lift one another up with their words. So, this is how my husband is. He doesn't give a second thought to thanking someone for something they did. I have always been an encourager. It comes quite easily to me, as I believe it is one of my spiritual gifts from God. But saying "thank you" wasn't something that I just did naturally. This saying "thanks" was something I caught onto this quite early in our marriage and started to make it a habit. But I had to make an effort to communicate my thankfulness. I found that soon sincere "thank you's" were flowing effortlessly between us. It's one of my favorite things about our marriage. Even the smallest things are appreciated in our house. If you were a fly on our wall you would hear, "Thanks for mowing the lawn." "Thanks for getting the baby dressed." "Thanks for making the bed." "Thanks for making dinner." "Thanks for cleaning up the kitchen." "Thanks for balancing the checkbook." We clearly communicate when we are appreciative of the acts of service we do for one another. And the funny thing is, the more you hear "thank you" from someone, the more likely you are to say it back. It just kind of snowballs! It's such a good way to let someone know you appreciate them. That's what most people crave - appreciation. Just knowing that someone sees what you are doing and acknowledges the effort.
Our marriage isn't perfect. No one's marriage is perfect because there's no such thing. There are no perfect wives, no perfect husbands, no perfect kids, no perfect homes. We always have things to work on. But in this area of thankfulness, I think we are doing better than okay.
Here is the link to the audio of the sermon I heard on Sunday. None of it really has to do with "thankfulness" specifically, but it's the catalyst for the subject of this blog post and really got me thinking about writing about this aspect of our marriage. You will probably have to copy and paste the link in your browser.
http://www.fcchudson.com/audio/jesus-and-marriage/
What about you? Does saying "thank you" to those you love the most come naturally? Or is it something that you will need to make an effort to do? Has it occurred to you before to thank those who love you most for the mundane things they do?
Monday, November 3, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Elizabeth's baby dedication
A few weeks ago Chip and I dedicated Elizabeth to the Lord during one of our church's Sunday services. I grew up in a church where child dedications happened quite often, but it occurred to me that several people may not know what it is or what it's all about.
Basically when a child is dedicated to the Lord, it's simply the parents standing up in front of the church congregation, publicly declaring that they will raise that child as best as they can with the help of God, stating that they acknowledge they are stewards of their child, and affirming that they have no clue what they are doing and will fully rely on God to guide them. I'm kidding on the "no clue" part, but not really. I mean, no one makes any parents stand up and say, "We have no idea what we're doing," but I think most parents think that one or two (hundred) times during their kids' childhoods. Am I right, parents?
We went up front and our pastor asked us questions which we answered with, "We will." When we dedicated Elizabeth at Faith Community, here's what we affirmed in front of our church family:
- We recognize her as a gift from God and give thanks for her.
- We recognize she belongs completely to God and surrendered all worldly claims on her life. A couple of years ago our pastor introduced us to the concept of a "ten second prayer." Whenever you tell someone you will pray for them, you stop right there and do it. Even if it's just for ten seconds. Or, if you are in a discussion with someone about something, you pause, and say, "Ten second prayer," and pray right then. Or, if someone or some situation comes across your mind, you say a ten second prayer. It's so quick, but you can say a lot in ten seconds! Chip and I have become big fans of the ten second prayer. We do it often during our every day conversations. One of us will say, "ten second prayer," and then just one of us says one or two sentences in prayer. Sometimes we're in the same room when we do this, sometimes we are far apart and on the phone. For whatever reason, often we are in the kitchen. When I was pregnant with Elizabeth we were talking about something related to her well-being and we decided to do a ten second prayer. In that moment God revealed to me that this little life growing inside of me belonged completely to Him and we were guaranteed no set amount time with her. He had called us to do the best as her parents for however long He has decided to give her to us. So I did a ten second prayer recognizing that we are stewards of her life and our job is to be her parents to the best of our ability but that she is not ours to keep. We hold her in our hands, not in a tight grip, but with open hands. Because when you have a tight grip on something or someone, your hand is clenched, and not available to receive more from God. So, this point of Elizabeth's dedication really resonated with me. She does not belong to us. She belongs to God and He has given her to us and it's our job to do the best that we can with what He has given us.
- We pledged to raise her in discipline and instruction of the Lord; making all effort to teach her the Word of God and the character of Christ in order to bring the joy of the Lord into her life.
-We promised to provide physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs for her while looking to God for wisdom, love, and strength in order to serve her.
-We promised to regularly pray that she will come to trust Jesus and follow Him. And for extra measure, I often tack on that she will love others with the love of Christ and that her light for Jesus will shine brightly, becoming a beacon to those who need love or encouragement.
After we affirmed ALL of that in front of the congregation, it was our church family's turn! Knowing that it takes many people who love Jesus to help us cultivate Elizabeth's faith as she discovers who she is in Christ, we turn to the church family for help. The church then affirmed that they also recognize her as a gift, they promised to pray for her and lastly promised to nurture her faith by being the people who teach her throughout her childhood. The people who will teach her on Sunday mornings, who will be her AWANA leaders, who will volunteer during Vacation Bible School were sitting in church that day and we willingly accept their talents and gifts to help develop her faith! When I look back at all of the people who taught me in church during my childhood, the list gets very long very fast! We want Elizabeth to have the same experience of Godly people who are so willing to give of their time for her.
Our pastor then put his hand on Elizabeth and told her that she was being dedicated to Lord and that we surrendered all worldly claims upon her life because she belongs wholly and completely to God.
Lastly we had family and elders of the church come up to the front of the church and gather around the three of us as our pastor prayed for Elizabeth and for us as parents.
Last week a friend posted this saying on his FaceBook page and I thought it was so appropriate for this blog post I was working on. So, I include it here and say, "Amen!" in agreement. We will continually pray throughout Elizabeth's life that we recognize she belongs to God and then we'll thank Him for putting her in our care.
We are so excited to see what God has in store for Elizabeth and how He will use her in furthering the greatest story of history...the story of God's love for mankind and how He sent His son to save a lost and dying world.
Basically when a child is dedicated to the Lord, it's simply the parents standing up in front of the church congregation, publicly declaring that they will raise that child as best as they can with the help of God, stating that they acknowledge they are stewards of their child, and affirming that they have no clue what they are doing and will fully rely on God to guide them. I'm kidding on the "no clue" part, but not really. I mean, no one makes any parents stand up and say, "We have no idea what we're doing," but I think most parents think that one or two (hundred) times during their kids' childhoods. Am I right, parents?
We went up front and our pastor asked us questions which we answered with, "We will." When we dedicated Elizabeth at Faith Community, here's what we affirmed in front of our church family:
- We recognize her as a gift from God and give thanks for her.
- We recognize she belongs completely to God and surrendered all worldly claims on her life. A couple of years ago our pastor introduced us to the concept of a "ten second prayer." Whenever you tell someone you will pray for them, you stop right there and do it. Even if it's just for ten seconds. Or, if you are in a discussion with someone about something, you pause, and say, "Ten second prayer," and pray right then. Or, if someone or some situation comes across your mind, you say a ten second prayer. It's so quick, but you can say a lot in ten seconds! Chip and I have become big fans of the ten second prayer. We do it often during our every day conversations. One of us will say, "ten second prayer," and then just one of us says one or two sentences in prayer. Sometimes we're in the same room when we do this, sometimes we are far apart and on the phone. For whatever reason, often we are in the kitchen. When I was pregnant with Elizabeth we were talking about something related to her well-being and we decided to do a ten second prayer. In that moment God revealed to me that this little life growing inside of me belonged completely to Him and we were guaranteed no set amount time with her. He had called us to do the best as her parents for however long He has decided to give her to us. So I did a ten second prayer recognizing that we are stewards of her life and our job is to be her parents to the best of our ability but that she is not ours to keep. We hold her in our hands, not in a tight grip, but with open hands. Because when you have a tight grip on something or someone, your hand is clenched, and not available to receive more from God. So, this point of Elizabeth's dedication really resonated with me. She does not belong to us. She belongs to God and He has given her to us and it's our job to do the best that we can with what He has given us.
- We pledged to raise her in discipline and instruction of the Lord; making all effort to teach her the Word of God and the character of Christ in order to bring the joy of the Lord into her life.
-We promised to provide physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs for her while looking to God for wisdom, love, and strength in order to serve her.
-We promised to regularly pray that she will come to trust Jesus and follow Him. And for extra measure, I often tack on that she will love others with the love of Christ and that her light for Jesus will shine brightly, becoming a beacon to those who need love or encouragement.
Our pastor then put his hand on Elizabeth and told her that she was being dedicated to Lord and that we surrendered all worldly claims upon her life because she belongs wholly and completely to God.
Lastly we had family and elders of the church come up to the front of the church and gather around the three of us as our pastor prayed for Elizabeth and for us as parents.
Last week a friend posted this saying on his FaceBook page and I thought it was so appropriate for this blog post I was working on. So, I include it here and say, "Amen!" in agreement. We will continually pray throughout Elizabeth's life that we recognize she belongs to God and then we'll thank Him for putting her in our care.
We are so excited to see what God has in store for Elizabeth and how He will use her in furthering the greatest story of history...the story of God's love for mankind and how He sent His son to save a lost and dying world.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Random Acts of Kindness
Thirty-three days ago I turned the big four-oh. In the days leading up to this birthday, I thought about what I could do to mark the occasion. After kicking around on Pinterest for a while, I saw a couple of posts of people who did random acts of kindness on their birthday as a way to spread a little cheer while celebrating their day. They did one random act of kindness for every year of their life. In both cases, the do-gooders where MUCH younger than 40 and were able to all of their random acts of kindness in one day. I knew there was no way I was going get 40 random acts done in one day. So I gave myself the entire month since my birthday was on the first. Then I added the component of asking friends on Facebook to do one random act of kindness on my birthday. About ten people told me they did a random act of kindness on my birthday! How cool is that? And they happened through out the country and even one in Canada. :) Spreading the kindness.
So, did I get all 40 done in May? Nope. I fell short. I have about 10 left to do, so I'm going to keep going into June to get all 40 checked off the list. I didn't do 40 different acts, but rather did several, and often times I did the same thing more than once. But here's some of what I did do in May:
1. In a store parking lot I ended up parking next to a car that had a firefighter designated license plate. So I put a pack of licorice on their windshield with a note that it was a random act of kindness. I kept extra candy in my car and did this two other times as well.
2. While shopping in the diaper aisle of a store, there was a woman buying a specific brand. I had two coupons for the brand she was buying so I gave the coupons to her, saving her a few bucks. One was a manufacturer coupon and one was a store coupon so I told her she could use both that same time. She was grateful.
3. When our baby had a check up at our local clinic I brought small baskets of Starburst candy along. I gave one to the girls at the check-in station, one to the crew at the lab, and then I ran one down to the nurses in the birth suite of the hospital where we had our baby. Each time I explained that I was doing it in honor of turning 40. I gave to the lab and the check-in crews because I figured they probably don't get a lot of treats or gifts from patients.
4. I taped a dollar with a note to the back of a toy in the dollar store. Some child will eventually find it and get a free toy! I taped it so the dollar was sticking out a little bit so it wouldn't get missed. I'm going to do this one again, I just need to get some more dollar bills. I like thinking about some kid finding it and getting a free toy! It's only a dollar, but if you were a kid and found it, wouldn't you remember that for a long time?
5. I bought a box of microwave popcorn, taped a random acts of kindness note to each one and wrote with a marker "Enjoy free popcorn with your movie!" Then I drove to five separate RedBox locations near my work and home and taped popcorn to the boxes. I still have one left to give away.
6. I put four quarters in a baggie with a note and taped it to a pop machine so someone could get a free pop. I'll probably do this one again as well.
7. I had a bunch of coupons that were expiring in a few days and knew I wouldn't use them. So I spent an extra 20 minutes in the store, walking around and putting the coupons on the products so that when people were shopping, they would find a little savings!
8. I gathered stray carts in a parking lot. I'll probably do this one again too...doesn't cost me anything!
9. I left a gift bag filled with taffy for our mail carrier. I put a note on it and the next day I got a post-it note as a thank-you from our mail carrier. And now I know her name.
10. I donated food to the local food shelf.
Most of my random acts included candy. Because who doesn't like candy? Hopefully I didn't give any to any diabetics! Is some licorice stuck under a windshield wiper going to change the world? Nope. But there is just so much DARKNESS in this world. So many people are hurting. Or making really bad choices. It's so easy to spread some LIGHT. It does the heart so much good to take the focus off yourself and simply be kind or encourage. Our society would be so much HAPPIER if people would just take the focus off themselves once in a while. There's so much entitlement and so many who have not been taught that the world is not all about them. There are so many miserable people because they care only about themselves. The thing they have not discovered is the irony of when you think of others is that it brings you happiness. I am so thankful for all of the people who DO spread cheer and encouragement and light and love. Not in some hippy-dippy way, but in practical ways. People who encourage the discouraged, people who give their time and efforts to volunteer and make someone else's life a little better, people who treat the helpless decently, people who respect authority, people who go the extra mile to bring a little happiness to someone else. All without expecting anything in return. I am SURROUNDED by people like this. And I'm so thankful for it.
I really like the song "Do Something" by Matthew West. The message is so true - so many people ask God, "Why don't you fix these problems?" And His answer is, "I did. I created YOU. DO SOMETHING." Don't wait for someone else to tackle the troubles of this world. You ARE someone. And God gave you talents and abilities to help others. It doesn't matter your age, your education, or economic standing. Everyone can do something to make the world a better place. It's like the song says, "We're never going to change the world by standing still." Go out and encourage, spread kindness, serve, SHINE.
So, did I get all 40 done in May? Nope. I fell short. I have about 10 left to do, so I'm going to keep going into June to get all 40 checked off the list. I didn't do 40 different acts, but rather did several, and often times I did the same thing more than once. But here's some of what I did do in May:
1. In a store parking lot I ended up parking next to a car that had a firefighter designated license plate. So I put a pack of licorice on their windshield with a note that it was a random act of kindness. I kept extra candy in my car and did this two other times as well.
2. While shopping in the diaper aisle of a store, there was a woman buying a specific brand. I had two coupons for the brand she was buying so I gave the coupons to her, saving her a few bucks. One was a manufacturer coupon and one was a store coupon so I told her she could use both that same time. She was grateful.
3. When our baby had a check up at our local clinic I brought small baskets of Starburst candy along. I gave one to the girls at the check-in station, one to the crew at the lab, and then I ran one down to the nurses in the birth suite of the hospital where we had our baby. Each time I explained that I was doing it in honor of turning 40. I gave to the lab and the check-in crews because I figured they probably don't get a lot of treats or gifts from patients.
4. I taped a dollar with a note to the back of a toy in the dollar store. Some child will eventually find it and get a free toy! I taped it so the dollar was sticking out a little bit so it wouldn't get missed. I'm going to do this one again, I just need to get some more dollar bills. I like thinking about some kid finding it and getting a free toy! It's only a dollar, but if you were a kid and found it, wouldn't you remember that for a long time?
5. I bought a box of microwave popcorn, taped a random acts of kindness note to each one and wrote with a marker "Enjoy free popcorn with your movie!" Then I drove to five separate RedBox locations near my work and home and taped popcorn to the boxes. I still have one left to give away.
6. I put four quarters in a baggie with a note and taped it to a pop machine so someone could get a free pop. I'll probably do this one again as well.
7. I had a bunch of coupons that were expiring in a few days and knew I wouldn't use them. So I spent an extra 20 minutes in the store, walking around and putting the coupons on the products so that when people were shopping, they would find a little savings!
8. I gathered stray carts in a parking lot. I'll probably do this one again too...doesn't cost me anything!
9. I left a gift bag filled with taffy for our mail carrier. I put a note on it and the next day I got a post-it note as a thank-you from our mail carrier. And now I know her name.
10. I donated food to the local food shelf.
Most of my random acts included candy. Because who doesn't like candy? Hopefully I didn't give any to any diabetics! Is some licorice stuck under a windshield wiper going to change the world? Nope. But there is just so much DARKNESS in this world. So many people are hurting. Or making really bad choices. It's so easy to spread some LIGHT. It does the heart so much good to take the focus off yourself and simply be kind or encourage. Our society would be so much HAPPIER if people would just take the focus off themselves once in a while. There's so much entitlement and so many who have not been taught that the world is not all about them. There are so many miserable people because they care only about themselves. The thing they have not discovered is the irony of when you think of others is that it brings you happiness. I am so thankful for all of the people who DO spread cheer and encouragement and light and love. Not in some hippy-dippy way, but in practical ways. People who encourage the discouraged, people who give their time and efforts to volunteer and make someone else's life a little better, people who treat the helpless decently, people who respect authority, people who go the extra mile to bring a little happiness to someone else. All without expecting anything in return. I am SURROUNDED by people like this. And I'm so thankful for it.
I really like the song "Do Something" by Matthew West. The message is so true - so many people ask God, "Why don't you fix these problems?" And His answer is, "I did. I created YOU. DO SOMETHING." Don't wait for someone else to tackle the troubles of this world. You ARE someone. And God gave you talents and abilities to help others. It doesn't matter your age, your education, or economic standing. Everyone can do something to make the world a better place. It's like the song says, "We're never going to change the world by standing still." Go out and encourage, spread kindness, serve, SHINE.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
A magical Christmas
It is very early on Christmas morning and I can't sleep. Not because it's Christmas day, a day of high child-like anticipation for many, or because I have things to get done. All of my Christmas preparations have been done for quite some time. It's because I am in my ninth month of pregnancy and have finally hit the "uncomfortable" stage that many women can relate to. My night-times now consist of incessant trips to the bathroom, being too hot, being too cold, persistent heartburn, and a constant stiffness of my body. Any time I get out of bed, there's a heaviness in my lower abdomen as the baby weighs me down. As the baby gets stronger its movements are becoming more hurtful. It can really pack a wallop to my innards...thankfully for only a moment. But oh boy, does it feel like someone is punching me in the guts. I'm regulated to three sleeping positions...on my left side, on my right side, and sitting up when I get really desperate. I obviously can't sleep on my stomach because it squishes the baby and it pretty much physically impossible. I can't sleep on my back because the weight of the baby pushing down on my internal organs is too heavy. So I flop back and forth, from side to side like a fish. My hips, arms, and even ears, often get sore. My hands fall asleep within 2.2 seconds and tingle most of the night. Being nine months pregnant just isn't conducive to a good night's sleep. It's all in preparation for the sleepless nights ahead for the next several months. But I wouldn't trade it for anything because the reward when all is said and done is so precious...a child who will call me Mom. And if having that means losing sleep, I will gladly be dog tired for a short time in my life.
There is one thing in this pregnancy that I did not anticipate. And that has been the magical wonder of being nine months pregnant during the Christmas season. This has been a Christmas like none other for me. It puts the story of Christ's birth in a new light for me. I have heard the story of Christ's birth over and over and over and over again since I was a baby myself. Most people in America who celebrate Christmas know the "supporting cast" of characters surrounding the birth of Jesus. We see it acted out in church programs, we read about them in the book of Matthew and Luke, we sing about them in Christmas carols. We have Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph. And we have angles, King Herod, an inn keeper, shepherds, and a few wise man (sometimes referred to as Magi). But before all of that - before Joseph and Mary started making their way from Nazareth to Galilee, there were a couple of other people who are part of Jesus' story that have made an impact on me this Christmas; Elizabeth and Zechariah.
Even though it is Mary who is the pregnant woman we know the most about, it is Elizabeth's part in this wondrous story that has spoken to my heart over and over during my entire pregnancy. Elizabeth was a relative to Mary. Cousin? Aunt? Other relation? We don't know. But we know that the two women are related because the angel, Gabriel, says so. Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was going to have a child in her old age (Luke 1:36). So Mary hustled on over to Elizabeth's house to see her. And the first words from Elizabeth are to Mary and they are loud! "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" (Luke 1:42-45)
Why can I relate to Elizabeth so much? I'm not sure, but I have loved her part in the story this year. She was about six months pregnant with her child, John the Baptist, when Mary came to see her. And she had nothing but enthusiasm when she saw Mary. She was anticipating not only her first child which caused her great joy, but she was also excited for Mary. Lots of excitement coming from this woman. I guess I'm kind of like that much of the time. I easily get excited over things - big and small. I often have great joy when other people have wonderful, life-changing news. My heart delights in the triumphs and successes of those I care about.
She was also carrying her own little miracle. We don't know how old Elizabeth was, but we know she had been barren and was "well along in years." I'm not exactly past my "child bearing years" but I was looking at the majority of them in the rear-view mirror. In fact, the day after I found out I was pregnant I had a doctor's appointment to begin the discussion of infertility treatments. Instead, we got to use that appointment to confirm that I was indeed pregnant. It was our own little miraculous slice of timing from God that we didn't know we would get to experience but that we treasure so much.
And finally, part of Elizabeth's story that speaks to me this year is when she says, "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." I have thought of that scripture many times throughout my entire pregnancy, once I could feel the baby move. Most of the baby's movements feel like it's "leaping" for joy. I've jokingly thought, "This baby must be privy to a lot of good news, because it often feels like it is leaping for joy!" I just love that feeling of my baby moving around. And I always imagine it is moving out of joy - not because it needs more wiggle room or its body is involuntarily moving because of reflexes. I know I have a joyous baby brewing inside of me! I just know it!
This is our last Christmas as a "twosome." Next year we'll have a child perhaps on the verge of walking...definitely a mobile child! One who will experience Christmas for the first time and not understand what is going on. So, I treasure these last few days of just me and my husband. We are bursting with excitement to be parents and get thrown into chaos, frustration, joy, and intense love...all of the the things that come with parenthood. We recognize these days are the calm before the storm and we are relishing them. It truly has been a magical Christmas for us this year!
There is one thing in this pregnancy that I did not anticipate. And that has been the magical wonder of being nine months pregnant during the Christmas season. This has been a Christmas like none other for me. It puts the story of Christ's birth in a new light for me. I have heard the story of Christ's birth over and over and over and over again since I was a baby myself. Most people in America who celebrate Christmas know the "supporting cast" of characters surrounding the birth of Jesus. We see it acted out in church programs, we read about them in the book of Matthew and Luke, we sing about them in Christmas carols. We have Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph. And we have angles, King Herod, an inn keeper, shepherds, and a few wise man (sometimes referred to as Magi). But before all of that - before Joseph and Mary started making their way from Nazareth to Galilee, there were a couple of other people who are part of Jesus' story that have made an impact on me this Christmas; Elizabeth and Zechariah.
Even though it is Mary who is the pregnant woman we know the most about, it is Elizabeth's part in this wondrous story that has spoken to my heart over and over during my entire pregnancy. Elizabeth was a relative to Mary. Cousin? Aunt? Other relation? We don't know. But we know that the two women are related because the angel, Gabriel, says so. Gabriel told Mary that Elizabeth was going to have a child in her old age (Luke 1:36). So Mary hustled on over to Elizabeth's house to see her. And the first words from Elizabeth are to Mary and they are loud! "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" (Luke 1:42-45)
Why can I relate to Elizabeth so much? I'm not sure, but I have loved her part in the story this year. She was about six months pregnant with her child, John the Baptist, when Mary came to see her. And she had nothing but enthusiasm when she saw Mary. She was anticipating not only her first child which caused her great joy, but she was also excited for Mary. Lots of excitement coming from this woman. I guess I'm kind of like that much of the time. I easily get excited over things - big and small. I often have great joy when other people have wonderful, life-changing news. My heart delights in the triumphs and successes of those I care about.
She was also carrying her own little miracle. We don't know how old Elizabeth was, but we know she had been barren and was "well along in years." I'm not exactly past my "child bearing years" but I was looking at the majority of them in the rear-view mirror. In fact, the day after I found out I was pregnant I had a doctor's appointment to begin the discussion of infertility treatments. Instead, we got to use that appointment to confirm that I was indeed pregnant. It was our own little miraculous slice of timing from God that we didn't know we would get to experience but that we treasure so much.
And finally, part of Elizabeth's story that speaks to me this year is when she says, "As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." I have thought of that scripture many times throughout my entire pregnancy, once I could feel the baby move. Most of the baby's movements feel like it's "leaping" for joy. I've jokingly thought, "This baby must be privy to a lot of good news, because it often feels like it is leaping for joy!" I just love that feeling of my baby moving around. And I always imagine it is moving out of joy - not because it needs more wiggle room or its body is involuntarily moving because of reflexes. I know I have a joyous baby brewing inside of me! I just know it!
This is our last Christmas as a "twosome." Next year we'll have a child perhaps on the verge of walking...definitely a mobile child! One who will experience Christmas for the first time and not understand what is going on. So, I treasure these last few days of just me and my husband. We are bursting with excitement to be parents and get thrown into chaos, frustration, joy, and intense love...all of the the things that come with parenthood. We recognize these days are the calm before the storm and we are relishing them. It truly has been a magical Christmas for us this year!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
I don't like fear (Part 1)
Remember when I used to blog? Yeah, I barely can remember either. But I have a story to tell! Now that it's fixed, and a few days behind me, I can blog about my mishap over a week ago.
A couple of weeks ago we moved into a new house. We moved less than a mile from our old place, so we are QUITE familiar with the area. We live in a safe and quiet area, but even still...it was a new place to us.
My husband travels a lot for his job. But we went two months with no work on the road for him. It was nice to have him home that long. Once he left again for road, I hit a bit of a rough patch while adjusting to a new home without him. Before we were married, I lived all alone for five years. So when we got married and he moved in, it was no big deal when he was gone. I was totally used to being home all alone. But in our new house, once I was all alone, I was thrown for a bit of a loop. We had talked about putting new locks on the door and reprogramming the key pad to get into the garage before my husband left. But we ran out of time to get that done before he had to fly out. I was a little nervous because we didn't know who had the code to the garage or any spare keys that could have been floating out there. But I tried to convince myself it was fine and I would get by.
On a Thursday morning, I brought Husby to the airport before going to the office. I was the last one to leave the house. My car was parked in the garage and he was loading up his luggage. I had my hands full with my work laptop I had brought home (I really need to get a bag for that thing), and my lunch was sliding around on the laptop. I had forgotten my lunch bag at work the day before so I had to carry in individual containers of leftovers. That night, I got home from work. When I pulled into the garage, it was very noticeable that the door that went from the garage to the house was open about 7 or 8 inches. Right away my mind went to, "Did someone use the garage code (that we didn't even know) to get in and was in the house? What am I walking into on the first night of Chip being gone?" Then I thought, "I'm sure I didn't get the door closed all the way this morning and it just popped open." I walked through the house with phone in hand, checking every closet. The coast was clear! No one was in the house. But I was a little creeped out. So I locked the knob on the door that went from the house to the garage. Just to feel a little safer since it was my first night in the new house all alone.
Let's fast forward to the next morning. I was in the shower and could hear a rumbling sound, like a big truck idling outside. Shoot! It was garbage day! And normally I would think, "Who cares...I'll put the garbage out next week." But I had called the garbage company a few days previously to switch out the container we had at the new place for a different sized container. So I had to get the garbage out on the street because it had to get emptied before they switched it out. So, I hustled to get out of the shower, threw on some clothes, slipped on some shoes and ran out the garage door with no glasses on and a wet head. I got the garbage out to the street on time, walked back to the house, closed the garage door and turned the knob to go back in the house. Locked. Apparently, in our new house, the knob can be locked and still opened from the inside, staying locked as you close the door. And I had forgotten that I locked it the night before. PANIC. I freaked out. I started praying out loud right away, pacing around like a mad woman, crying and saying, "No, no, no, no," over and over again. I had no way in the house. The front door was locked with a deadbolt. The patio door was locked. The windows were locked. Everything was shut up tight, as I had barricaded myself in the night before. We had two keys, both on our sets of keys in the house. We had not made any spares for family yet, as we knew that we would be changing the locks. And besides, I had no phone on me. It was...in the house. The only thing I could think of was to go to the one neighbor I had met, hope she was home (or even UP), ask to use her phone, and call my sister (the only local family member whose phone number I have memorized). I would then have to ask my sister to come and get me, take me to her house, and call a locksmith. But all of this would take time. I couldn't see a thing as I ran out without my glasses. And how much would it cost? I was very much in a panic mode. Out of desperation I started banging on the door, even though I knew it would do me zero good. Then I just threw all my pregnant weight into the door with my shoulder, reared back and hit the door again. Surprisingly, it flew open, breaking wood, ripping the latch plate off, and causing sheet rock to explode in my face as I burst through. What a relief. I was back in the house. I had to sit down to calm myself down and assess my shoulder. I was fine. But I kind of destroyed the door jam. The knob would no longer latch, but luckily the door was heavy enough to stay shut. Today my father-in-law and brother-in-law came over to fix it and put on a new door knob that we bought for both the front door and the garage door last Friday night when Husby was back home. And we added a deadbolt to the garage door. My favorite thing about our new door knobs? When they are locked, the handle won't move, so you have to unlock it, even to get out. No more turning a knob, leaving the door locked, and shutting it behind me.
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| The damage I did to the door frame. |
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| At least the trim was still intact. But the plate for the latch is somewhere on the floor. |
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| The piece of door jam I broke off as the door flew open and the plate for the latch. |
So, that's how I sabotaged myself. The whole thing was my fault from beginning to end. I was the one who didn't get the door shut all the way so it was open when I got home. I was the one who locked the knob from the inside. I was the one who forgot about the garbage pick up. I was the one who shut the locked door behind me. I was the one who rammed the door open with my shoulder. I don't like fear. It causes too must stress.
Soon I'll post part two of my run in with fear last week. The way I dealt with fear the second time was a different approach.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Michelle's "Friends" themed bridal shower
A couple of Saturday's ago my sister, Laurie, and I threw a personal bridal shower for our younger sister, Michelle. Michelle LOVES the TV show "Friends." That may be an understatement. She has seen every episode in the 10 season run dozens of times. Before she was even engaged, I knew that I wanted to throw her a "Friends" themed personal shower with her girlfriends.
Here are the details!
I sent out the invatations a few weeks before the party. The front had a picture of a lobster and said, "Michelle has found her lobster! And she needs her FRIENDS to help her celebrate!" The inside had details about the shower and bachelorette party. Then on the back there was a picture of the cast of Friends that appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" in their second season.
Michelle knew there was a theme, but we kept it a secret. When she got there, she was excited to find out it was all about her favorite TV show!
The menu was all based on food that was featured on the show. I made labels for all the food (except I forgot the sign for the trifle!)
Here are the details!
I sent out the invatations a few weeks before the party. The front had a picture of a lobster and said, "Michelle has found her lobster! And she needs her FRIENDS to help her celebrate!" The inside had details about the shower and bachelorette party. Then on the back there was a picture of the cast of Friends that appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" in their second season.
Michelle knew there was a theme, but we kept it a secret. When she got there, she was excited to find out it was all about her favorite TV show!
The menu was all based on food that was featured on the show. I made labels for all the food (except I forgot the sign for the trifle!)
Monica's Amuse Bouche (cucumber stuffed with crab salad)
Phoebe's veggie plate with hummus ("Hummus! I got the hummus!")
Monica's tartlets ("Tartlets? Tartlets? Tartlets? The word has lost all meaning." These were small pie crusts with a cream cheese almond flavored frosting, with fruit on top. Laurie piped the frosting on there in a really cute way!)
Joey's hot ham and cheese sandwiches (sandwiches...Joey's favorite food)
Phoebe's Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies (It's her family's secret recipe)
Laurie made these yummy cookies!
Ross's salt water taffy (a gift from his girlfriend, Mona)
Rachel and Chandler's cheesecake (good enough to eat off the floor!)
This turtle cheesecake was graciously made by Jamie
Rachel's trifle (beef sauteed with peas and onions not included)
Strawberry trifle made by Laurie
Lemon water and Central Perk's mocha punch (the punch was basically coffee flavored melted ice cream with extra sugar added)
The decor was also "Friends" themed.
Laurie drew this great sign for the food table. She drew the frame that hung on Rachel and Monica's apartment door. Every name of each "Friends" episode started with "The one..."
Coffee beans with candles. Coffee was just SLIGHTLY a part of "Friends." :)
A candle in coffee beans, stacked on seasons of "Friends" on DVD. And of course, no "Friends" party would be complete without some reference to "Pivot!" We paid tribute by framing a couch with Ross's famous instruction.
The food table. We used tissue poms and balloons. The centerpiece was the "Friends" poster above the table.
Guitar standing next to the beverage cart.
The lyrics to that great American classic "Smelly Cat" were taped to the top of the guitar.
There was an episode of "Friends" where Monica and Rachel bet Joey and Chandler the apartment and they played a trivia game where Ross asked questions about them. The categories were; Fears & Pet Peeves, It's All Relative, Ancient History, and Literature. I asked the shower guests questions about Michelle in all of these categories and we had some good laughs.
In the course of 10 years, all of the "Friends" dated a lot of people. I gave the guests of 40 names and they had to write in the name of the "Friend" who dated them. Bonus points for identifying who made it down the aisle, bonus points for naming both "Friends" if more than one dated that person. Some of the names on the list were: Fun Bobby, Julio, Larry, Kristen, Janice, Mike, Joshua, Danny, and Ginger.
The prizes for the games were a coffee mug, salt water taffy, a Toblerone bar, and a pound of coffee.
Final touches were that we had episodes of "Friends" going on the TV (with the sound down) and we had the soundtrack on as background music.
Laurie and I are so grateful that we could gather Michelle's closest friends and honor her!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Coupon week 3 (and 4!)
I am a week behind in blogging my weekly savings! I could not find any time last week to document my savings the previous week. So, I'm lumping both weeks together in this post.
Week 3 was my best week of savings so far. I made one trip to Target and one quick trip to the Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree started accepting coupons a few months ago. But it can be a bit tricky because most coupons have a size restriction (usually only works on bigger sizes) and a lot of what Dollar Tree carries are smaller sizes of items. But, I had read on a facebook post that there was a new kind of peanut butter from Planters that a coupon worked for, so I ran to the local Dollar Tree to pick up a jar. I found the same size jar at Target for $3.59. At the Dollar Tree it's...a dollar! And I had a 75 cents off coupon. So I got a $3.59 jar of peanut butter for $.25. That's a 93% savings! Score.
My trip to Target saved me 46%! I bought 14 items. I got seven of those items both on sale and with a coupon. Highlight: Recently I discovered a Kraft product of a bread crumb and cheese mix to use on chicken. There are a few varieties and we really like them. The are $3.74 full price. They were on sale for $2.09 and I had a $1.00 off coupon. I got two packets for $1.09 each! That's a $2.65 savings per mix.
Highlight 2: I got three yogurts. Full price they were $1.29 each, but they were on sale and I had a coupon so I got three for $.68 a piece. That's almost 50% savings. Highlight 3: Pepperoni (which I love to put on salads) was $2.99 full price. It was on sale for $2.84 and I had a $1.00 off per package. I got two packages for only $1.84 a piece.
A little couponing tip to make the process as smooth as possible: I organize my coupons. I lump my coupons together in 3 categories; food, health, and beauty products. I bet you that you know the layout of the stores you frequently shop fairly well. Put your coupons in order of the layout of your store. That will make it faster to look through them as you shop. When I go to Target, I know that the health section is first, followed by grocery, and I do beauty products last.
Week 4 had only one shopping trip all week and it was back to Target! My savings were close to week 3. As I shop with coupons more, I'm refining my system and my savings are increasing. Highlight 1: I use a lot of Lubiderm lotion in the winter. Man can that Wisconsin winter air dry me out! Full price the lotion was $6.29. It was on sale for $5.66. I also had a coupon for $2.00 off so I got the bottle of my favorite lotion for just $3.66. Happy day!
Highlight 2: There was a coupon in the paper for buy two Digiornio pizzas, get one free. Target also had a sale AND a special. The pizzas were on sale for $4.50 a piece (regularly $5.49 each). Plus, if you bought two pizzas you got a free 2 liter of pop. So I got 3 pizzas and a 2 liter for just $8.50...full price would've been $16.47. So I saved $9.76! Whoop!
Highlight 3: I had a coupon that was expiring the same day of buy one, get one free on razors. They were on sale for $4.99, instead of full price of $5.74. The coupon took off the "maximum" allowed price, which was $7.99. So I got 2 packs of razors for a total of $3.49. And I am set on razors for a loooooong time. (I had a stash going already so now I have plenty stored up.)
Part of my savings on this shopping trip were from a $15 rebate I got in the form of a "credit card" when I ordered my contacts last spring. I forgot for a long time that it was in my wallet, but remembered it on this shopping trip. So that shaved $15 off the top of my total.
Savings of week three: $24.67
Savings of week four: $38.41
Total 2013 savings: $186.99
Week 3 was my best week of savings so far. I made one trip to Target and one quick trip to the Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree started accepting coupons a few months ago. But it can be a bit tricky because most coupons have a size restriction (usually only works on bigger sizes) and a lot of what Dollar Tree carries are smaller sizes of items. But, I had read on a facebook post that there was a new kind of peanut butter from Planters that a coupon worked for, so I ran to the local Dollar Tree to pick up a jar. I found the same size jar at Target for $3.59. At the Dollar Tree it's...a dollar! And I had a 75 cents off coupon. So I got a $3.59 jar of peanut butter for $.25. That's a 93% savings! Score.
My trip to Target saved me 46%! I bought 14 items. I got seven of those items both on sale and with a coupon. Highlight: Recently I discovered a Kraft product of a bread crumb and cheese mix to use on chicken. There are a few varieties and we really like them. The are $3.74 full price. They were on sale for $2.09 and I had a $1.00 off coupon. I got two packets for $1.09 each! That's a $2.65 savings per mix.
Highlight 2: I got three yogurts. Full price they were $1.29 each, but they were on sale and I had a coupon so I got three for $.68 a piece. That's almost 50% savings. Highlight 3: Pepperoni (which I love to put on salads) was $2.99 full price. It was on sale for $2.84 and I had a $1.00 off per package. I got two packages for only $1.84 a piece.
A little couponing tip to make the process as smooth as possible: I organize my coupons. I lump my coupons together in 3 categories; food, health, and beauty products. I bet you that you know the layout of the stores you frequently shop fairly well. Put your coupons in order of the layout of your store. That will make it faster to look through them as you shop. When I go to Target, I know that the health section is first, followed by grocery, and I do beauty products last.
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| This is what 44% savings looks like. My week 4 shopping trip to Target. I got all of this for $47.99. I saved $38.14. |
Week 4 had only one shopping trip all week and it was back to Target! My savings were close to week 3. As I shop with coupons more, I'm refining my system and my savings are increasing. Highlight 1: I use a lot of Lubiderm lotion in the winter. Man can that Wisconsin winter air dry me out! Full price the lotion was $6.29. It was on sale for $5.66. I also had a coupon for $2.00 off so I got the bottle of my favorite lotion for just $3.66. Happy day!
Highlight 2: There was a coupon in the paper for buy two Digiornio pizzas, get one free. Target also had a sale AND a special. The pizzas were on sale for $4.50 a piece (regularly $5.49 each). Plus, if you bought two pizzas you got a free 2 liter of pop. So I got 3 pizzas and a 2 liter for just $8.50...full price would've been $16.47. So I saved $9.76! Whoop!
Highlight 3: I had a coupon that was expiring the same day of buy one, get one free on razors. They were on sale for $4.99, instead of full price of $5.74. The coupon took off the "maximum" allowed price, which was $7.99. So I got 2 packs of razors for a total of $3.49. And I am set on razors for a loooooong time. (I had a stash going already so now I have plenty stored up.)
Part of my savings on this shopping trip were from a $15 rebate I got in the form of a "credit card" when I ordered my contacts last spring. I forgot for a long time that it was in my wallet, but remembered it on this shopping trip. So that shaved $15 off the top of my total.
Savings of week three: $24.67
Savings of week four: $38.41
Total 2013 savings: $186.99
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