Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Gratituesday: Christmas Time is Here!

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Here’s what I’m learning:  It doesn’t matter that they’re all growing up. It doesn’t matter that they are all boys who are no longer interested in making cute Christmas crafts. It doesn’t matter that there won’t be shiny new blocks or tricycles under the Christmas tree anymore. Even without little ones, there’s still something magical about the Christmas season.

I love Christmas with my family during this fun new season we’re in that involves voices changing, acquiring drivers licenses, and growing taller than the Christmas tree. But hah! I figured out how to beat the system:  I got a taller tree this year. Seven feet five inches, so there. :)

christmas tree 20132

Having teens and pre-teens simply means that our Christmas season can be even more meaningful. It means that we can play games around the fireplace that all six of us now enjoy. It means that the boys themselves are coming up with ways to serve others that involve little or no help from me. It means there won’t be many more years of Christmases like these at our house before boys start leaving home but I refuse to think of that (if I can help it).

I’m so excited that Christmas time is here and that my family is enjoying celebrating it together. Let the family traditions and time of making memories begin!

Now your turn. Share what you’re thankful for!  Leave a comment on this post letting us know how God is working in your life. If you’ve written a blog post about what you’re thankful for, leave the link in the comments so we can visit your blog to read about it. We love sharing and reading about God’s blessings!

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Gratituesday: Several Generations of Basketball

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Just a note:  Because so many of the blog posts linked with us here on Gratituesday have not followed the guidelines, I have decided to refrain from adding a link-up option at this time. Playing Gratituesday Police and deleting irrelevant posts keeps me from spending my time in a productive way. If you’re a blogger and wrote a Gratituesday post to share, and if your post talks about how God is working and doing good in your life, please do leave the link in the comments section of this post. We’d love to come read about it!

I’ve been looking forward to our boys’ basketball season starting (why yes we do play other sports besides soccer!), but I had no idea their first games would be so much fun. We headed to Kansas this weekend for a triangular. Since we were heading south, and my dad and his wife live just a couple hours away from where our games were being played, they blessed us by coming up to watch their grandsons play. Little did we know that my dad (the boys’ “Papa”) would be joining the boys on the court.

See, my dad was a basketball referee for over 20 years “back in the day.” He hung up his whistle over ten years ago, but continues to love the game of basketball. As the varsity boys were warming up to begin their first game Saturday, we could see a referee making a phone call and looking at his watch. It would appear that the second official had failed to show up.

So what did my dad do? He borrowed a black and white striped shirt and a whistle, and out onto the court he went. Well now, that’s one way to watch your oldest grandson play – up close and personal.

In this picture, you can see Asa (#23) – and that referee over to the right? Asa’s Papa. It was awesome.

asa_bball

I have to say, my dad’s still got it. He didn’t miss a beat (although I dare say he was quite sore after the game). He even had the nerve to call a foul on Asa. “Clean your glasses, Ref!” I yelled. Totally kidding.  It was actually a fair call, but I did giggle at the whole idea of yelling at him out on the court.

The “regular referee” showed up as the game was ending, so my dad was able to watch the rest of the day’s games from a seated position. This is Justus’ first year to play. As an 8th grader, he played in the JV games and did great like Asa had done. It’s so much fun to watch them learning and playing hard!

Justus is pictured below, number 32, over on the far left.

justus_bball

Both boys scored some buckets, both had fun, both were completely worn out on the way home. The weekend was a blast! God is good to allow so many fun activities in life, with the bonus blessing of fun with grandparents.

Now your turn. Share what you’re thankful for!  Leave a comment on this post letting us know how God is working in your life. If you’ve written a blog post about what you’re thankful for, leave the link in the comments so we can visit your blog to read about it. We love sharing and reading about God’s blessings!

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Gratituesday: Small Group Fellowship

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For the past two years, Matt and I have been a part of helping host High School Huddle on Sunday nights. We loved filling our home with teenagers, cooking for them, and studying the Bible with them.

This year though, we decided to take a break. We’ll definitely pick it back up again – and will have plenty of opportunities since we’ll have kids in the youth group for another ten years. :)  Other parents are doing a great job with Huddle, and we decided instead to host a small group of adults on Sunday nights.

We begin our evening by sharing a meal. Our group is blessed with lots of little ones – all boys and one brave girl. This picture was taken when we noticed one of the little guys had fallen asleep on his plate. :)

small group

Our group is full of great cooks, so the food is always plentiful and delicious! Then the real nourishment begins. We head to the living room for Bible study (while the kids play upstairs or watch a Veggie Tale). This year, our goal is to Look at Jesus, Love Jesus, and Live Jesus.

I am loving our small group! It was wonderful to be with the teens for the past two years, but I’m really enjoying fellowshipping and being sharpened by adults.

I’m curious if you participate in any small group fellowship opportunities with your church family? It is a rich time for us – fun and enriching at the same time!

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Gratituesday: Quick Trip

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When my dad called last week and told me that he had some shocking news, my heart skipped a beat. No one likes to receive a phone call like that. :(

As it turns out, my 30 year old cousin, had passed away the day before. He was a delightful Christian young man who had fought physical ailments, including severe seizures, for years. As sad as I was to hear that he was gone, I couldn’t help but be thankful that he is now free. The memories flooded back as I thought back to the days I had spent with him growing up. I babysat many, many days for him and his siblings. Back when I was a teenager, I had loved caring for those kids!

And now Garrett was gone. His funeral was to be Friday. I felt a huge tug to be there – to see his siblings that I love so much. To see his mom and his dad. His grandpa. Yes, I wanted to be there.

By some miracle, we had a free weekend. Matt was out of town with the college soccer team, but the four boys and I headed south to spend time with family and to celebrate Garrett’s life. Asa, our 16 year old, drove most of the way. That is another Gratituesday post in and of itself. I have a kid old enough to drive me to Kansas and back.  Wowza.

I am so thankful we were able to go. It was worth the trip just for the hugs. I loved hearing from Garrett’s sister as she told her new husband, “Laura babysat us all the time. She’s the one that made us awesome monkey bread.” Aw, how sweet that she remembered. :)

It’s amazing, isn’t it, that funerals become wonderful reunions with loved ones? In addition, while we were in Kansas, my younger boys got to have a great time with their cousins, my older boys got to work at my Dad’s Saturday auction (he’s a realtor/auctioneer), we got to go to my nephew’s birthday party, and I got to have a talk a mile a minute because we only have one hour together visit with my great friend Amy from The Finer Things in Life. We arrived home just in time to set our clocks back, hit the bed, and welcome Matt home from his trip.

God is so good to give us the energy and ability to make this trip happen. While we will all miss Garrett, I am so thankful that as we celebrated his life together with family and friends, then have some bonus time with others we love!

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Gratituesday: Baking

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I know it sounds silly, but this week I’m very thankful for the gift of baking.

This is such a fun time of year to stir together yummy baked goods and casseroles. I spent hours today in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes to share and I loved every minute of it! I know not everyone enjoys baking as much as I do, but wow is it a fun activity for me.

I’m thankful for my houseful of men who love to eat. I’m thankful for the blessing of a pantry full of delicious ingredients. I’m thankful for cooler weather, cinnamon, comfort, and well…butter. What can I say? :)

raspberry_bars_8
Just wait till I share this Oatmeal Raspberry Bar recipe I tried today!

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

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Gratituesday: Sunrise

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This week, our church has brought in Jerry and Lynn Jones to present their Relationships Matter seminar. Sunday through Wednesday of this week, we are blessed to go to hear them speak. I love that what they have to say is relevant in so many areas of life.

I loved this statement shared last night regarding walking through trying times in life:

The best way to find the sun is to head east into the darkness so that you can catch the sun coming up.

What I hear in that is exactly what I feel God doing with me on my journey to let go of self. I can avoid doing battle, shrug off my struggles, put up my guard, and carry on as I have been. In many ways, it seems so much easier. Taking the hard path? Doing what is difficult? Seeking a whole heart that is fully God’s, while letting go of the control I so desperately want to hold onto? Why would I willingly go down a road so dark and difficult when I could just take the short-cut and avoid digging into the root of my sin?

If I really want to see the glory of the sunrise, if I want true healing and wholeness that can only come by way of full surrender to our creator – I will walk the harder road. I’ll journey down the path that seems dark because of all the unknowns through new territory. I’ll even walk it confidently because I am guided by the One who sees the way clearly.

The blessed irony of walking the difficult road is that letting go of control and grabbing the hand of the One who holds me while I stumble along is actually much easier than trying to navigate the road on my own cleverly constructed map. My own map has become a series of unsolvable mazes and dead-ends. It may seem well lit, but the roads lead to nowhere. Been there, done that. Now which way should I turn?

I’m choosing to head east. You’re walking me through this, Lord? You know where the potholes and branches are that I need to avoid? You see the dangers ahead and protect me from them? You know exactly where I’m supposed to turn and what I am supposed to do along the way? I give you the control then. Lead me, Lord.

I’ll joyfully keep taking steps toward the east, knowing that what awaits me on the other side is a beauty so radiant it can only been seen after looking through the black.

A glorious sunrise!

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Gratituesday: Hot Drinks

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I feel like this is a silly thing to be grateful for, but hey, it’s the little things, right?

I am typically cold from September until May. Slippers, long johns, wool socks, and sweaters are my best friends during these months. Beyond those, I love my hot drinks. Hot tea, Hot Cocoa, and Crio Bru really hit the spot, and yes, it even appears that I can now add coffee to that list. (Who starts liking coffee at the age of 40? This girl, apparently.)

What I really love about hot drinks is that now I associate them with my Bible reading time. There is something so comforting about enjoying my favorite mug filled with a warm drink while I spend time in the Word each morning. Then later in the day, even if I’m not able to sit down again to read, fixing a hot drink triggers memories of Truths I read earlier in the day and reminds me to keep my focus on the One I’m learning to completely surrender my life to.

legos_with_breakfast

Yep, sometimes I also share my Bible time with a Lego army.

So hot drinks remind me of Jesus? Well no wonder I am so grateful for them. :)  Are you a fan of hot drinks?

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Stop

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And by stop, I mean literally – stop. Right where you are. Breathe deeply. Sit still. Listen.

Don’t tell me that you can’t. That you don’t have time. That you don’t know how. I am was the queen of can’t, don’t have time, and don’t know how to stop. I am have been the GO!GO!GO! girl. I’m not saying that I don’t empathize with your busy life and your long to-do list. Oh how I understand. I’m just saying that we don’t get to use those excuses anymore. Those excuses keep us stuck on the path of pain and frustration. It’s the path led by self, and its road takes us on a journey to emptiness.

The opposite of GO! is stop. This is what I have to do several times each day as I retrain my thought patterns and turn my heart away from self and toward God’s leading. The truth is that I must make time to stop because I don’t have time in my day to waste thinking anxious thoughts. I don’t have time in my day to worry. I don’t have time in my day to be frustrated over issues I have no control over.

But there are people to care for, jobs to do, meals to cook, bills to pay, and the never-ending to-do list to accomplish! Go! Get it done! We must plow through and work and keep saying yes to people and worrying about how to make it all happen!

NO.  Stop.

We cannot do this without Jesus. Stop. Breathe. Pray. Every time you feel anxious. Every time you are afraid. Every time you feel inferior. Every time you feel like you’re not doing enough. Every time you have to make a decision. Every time. Stop.  Breathe Jesus in. Ask the Spirit to guide you. Relax in His presence. Walk with Him. Accept His gift of peace.

Do you remember my post several months ago called Pull Up a Chair? Can I encourage you to go read it again? God has so much to teach us. His words are so rich. His voice is so powerful. His works sustain us. Nothing we do apart from Him accomplishes anything (John 15:5). We need Jesus for our daily survival and so that we can thrive while we serve.

While God continues to teach me and while I am recognizing that I still have so much to learn – I can not tell you how grateful I am that I am learning to stop frequently during the day to re-focus. I still work hard. I still accomplish everything God needs me to each day. In fact, I do believe I am more productive now than I have ever been before.

I stop so that I can seek Him. I stop so that I can learn. I stop so that I can hear truth. I stop so that I can go.  Only now I am going in the direction God points – the road that leads to peace.

Continue reading: Pride

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Gratituesday: A Switchfoot Surprise

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We’ve been to a Newsboys concert, and we’ve been to see TobyMac. The boys loved them both. (As did the parents.)  Next on the “really want to see” list was Switchfoot. But their concerts were nowhere close to us, so there wasn’t really an opportunity. After a little bit of research, the boys sort of forgot about it for a while.

But Matt and I didn’t. We checked their website every few months, just to see if taking the boys would be a possibility sometime before Asa graduated. (He’s already a junior. It’s stuff like this that we have on our “do while all the kids are still home” list. Especially since our family really enjoys music.)

Persistence pays off. While there wasn’t anything super close by, and while of course the dates of the closest Switchfoot concert hit smack in the middle of soccer season – we knew we had to make it happen.

The hardest part was keeping the plans a secret from the boys. We decided not to tell them until last minute. It was perfect!

The night before we were planning to leave, we went up to the boys’ room for prayer time. I was carrying their four lunch bags (which each included some special treats for the road and a concert ticket). We handed them their bags, and told them that before bed they needed to make sandwiches and add them to their lunch bags for a trip we were taking tomorrow. We were met with looks of confusion from all four of them – just what we were going for. :)

They started looking through their bags, excited about the food. Then one by one, they figured out what was on the piece of paper stuck inside their bags. “SWITCHFOOT!???! Are you serious??!” Yep. Tomorrow.

For the record, it’s not a great idea to spring a huge surprise on your kids if you anticipate them going to sleep anytime soon. Oh well, they could sleep on the road.

It was a great and much needed getaway. Matt was even able to visit a high school along the way to do some soccer recruiting. It’s always good to make our trips multi-purpose, right? Plus we met some friends for dinner before the show.

The concert was awesome!

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Check out Malachi in the pic below. He decided that nothing less than a tie and suit coat would be good enough for Switchfoot. Yep, he traveled in formal attire all day long. :)

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In case you’re wondering, Elias really does put ketchup on his ketchup. The kid loves the stuff.

It was a perfect family outing and day off from (most) responsibilities. We told the boys to enjoy their bonus day off from school – and to remember this day later in the year when they are inside doing Geometry while public school has a snow day. ;)

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Raw

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It’s not like I’ve tried to hide anything. I’m pretty sure you all know I’m as real as they come.

I post about the times I burn dinner, shoot ketchup into the living room, overflow the bathtub, don’t get around to sweeping my kitchen floor for two and a half weeks, and yell at my kids for not going to the van when I’ve asked them three or seven times. I’ve made it clear that I haven’t a clue how to fix my hair, how to decorate my living room walls, or how to layer shirts fashionably (unless we’re talking about putting a t-shirt under a hoodie, because I have mastered that one). My front closet smells worse than a boy’s locker room and looks like a used sporting goods store threw up inside.

But being real and being raw are two different things. Being real means that I admit that I’m not perfect and that I make mistakes. Being raw means that I get on my knees, expose my weaknesses, and recognize my absolute need for a Savior.

I didn’t know how much I needed to work on “self” until slowly (or quickly, depending on how it has felt on any given day), God began breaking down walls of pride, peeling away layers of selfish sin, and teaching me how to be more fully His.

I remember asking Him to help me understand His power at work in my life. I naively assumed that meant He would reveal a couple of scriptures to me, and give me some “wow God you’re so neat and powerful” moments. Right? Because God’s lessons do usually come to us come in fluffy, bright packages that are bursting with bubbles, confetti, and goose feathers. Right. 

In many ways, the past year has been very difficult for me. While I’ve mostly been able to carry on with life as normal – caring for my family, writing and sharing with you here on this site, and participating in various ministries – I’ve also been in the midst of some hard core spiritual and emotional battles. I am weary. I am worn. But because of Jesus, I am victorious.

There is great beauty in becoming broken for Christ. His healing and fulfillment can only come when we absolutely surrender ourselves and become open to what He wants us to learn. As He prunes away at the pieces of my heart and life that are unfruitful, I find myself relearning what it is to be a godly wife, mother, friend, and servant. How to love as Christ loves. How to walk my days with the Spirit as a guide.

And through it all, I find that my areas of weakness truly are glorious, because that is where Jesus can shine through me best. That is where pride dissolves and humility reigns.

While God’s lessons aren’t without pain, He has provided me a soft place to fall. I would not trade what I am experiencing to become my old self again. He is faithful to walk this journey with me and to provide who and what I need during every painful and victorious moment.

Today, I’m thankful to be broken.  To become broken is the only way to become whole.

Continued here:  Guilt

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