Ahem…join me

here.

In being completely vulnerable to those that don’t know me.

Blessings!

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.~Amanda Soule

(I know I posted this photo already this week, but I just love it!)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Ready

Ready…

to play, pick up the icy goodness, feel it in her sweaty palms, dripping water through her fingers

Ready…

to laugh, squint into the sun, sink deeper into the snow

Ready…

to pelt her brother with a slushy handful of snow, the first snowball fight of the season, the first snowball fight ever!

with Him Wednesdays: The Practice of Love

Walk with Him Wednesdays

“Every Wednesday, we Walk with Him, posting a spiritual practice that draws us nearer to His heart.

(For the Next 3 Weeks: The Practice of Love How do we love in difficult places? Our husbands? Our children? How do we live out the greatest of commandments? We look forward to your thoughts, stories, ideas….)”–Ann Voskamp

Forgiveness…

something that has always been hard for me to do. I guess it doesn’t hold water under my bridge of hurt. The words hang heavy in the air with promise but fall to the ground with a thud when the same wounds are exposed again and again. It’s hard for me to ask for as well, fearful that I’ll disappoint again, not wanting to admit I was wrong. Why is it so easy for some people? For me, it might take a lifetime to learn.

Jesus forgave our sins by dying on the cross for us. We hurt far more than I have ever been hurt by any one person…and He forgave us!

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” ”

Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)

I’m working on it. It’s easier for me to forgive silently, in my mind, than it is to forgive “publicly”. I find more love is released from my heart when I forgive, naturally. And now that I’m a mama, this act of mercy is far more important than ever. My children need to know that they are forgiven. They need to know that they have the capacity for forgiveness, even if it’s just for one of their siblings taking a toy. Forgive.

Most importantly for me in this season, I need to make an effort to ask for my husband’s forgiveness and forgive him when it’s warranted. Forgive me for taking things out on you. Forgive me for shutting down. Forgive me for the stupid things I say. Forgive me.

Related articles

• Jesus Forgave the Unforgivable (gracefullwomen.com)
• A Heart To Forgive (beingrebekah.com)

Joy Dare: February 7

I have only just found Ann Voskamp’s, A Holy Experience but I am taken by it already. Her ideas and writing are amazing! So, I am taking on the Joy Dare…counting 1000 gifts in 2012. She posts dares for everyday of the month…3 per day. Here is February’s.

3 Gifts Red

#3: Being reminded of the many facets of love, on a coffee cup (even better with a hot vanilla latte inside).

#4: God reminding me to “stop,” breathe and slow down.

#5: Artwork from by my eldest daughter. I love that she loves to create!

Related articles

• February’s Joy Dare … Three gifts found … One stitched, one hammered, one woven … (blackwidow12.wordpress.com)
• February’s Joy Dare … Three Things Written … (blackwidow12.wordpress.com)
• February’s Joy Dare … Three gifts found when bent down … (blackwidow12.wordpress.com)
• The Joy Dare: Days 36 & 37 (denimdevotion.wordpress.com)

Multitudes on Mondays

Gift #2

These feet. They have taken me many places, both good and bad. They have led me away from God more than once; and they have led me back to Him. They have taken me to places of beauty, places of sorrow, places of anger, places of love. They led me to God’s gifts to me…my salvation, my husband, my children, my family and friends. Where will they take me today, tomorrow, the next day? Only God knows and I am willing to trust Him.

Related articles

• Rejoice everyday in the God of our salvation! (19ya71.wordpress.com)

Yearning to dig

in the dirt, that is!

This cold, snowy, icy weather has left me dreaming of warm spring days. Days when I can slip outside and plunge my hands into fresh soil. Gardening has become my escape from the craziness that has become our lives. Now that my little ones are getting a little more independent I’m looking forward to getting them more involved in gardening.

Enter Pinterest! I’ve found some lovely ideas and beautiful gardens. Take a look!

How clever is this wheelbarrow fairy garden? You can make it as complicated as you want or you can choose to use things you have around the house. Since I have little ones around we have a plethora of little toy figurines that I’m sure they would love to incorporate and make their wheelbarrow garden their own.

Ann egg garden! What a cute way to start seedlings! The best part? When transplanting all you need to do is drop the whole thing in the ground, because of course the egg-shell just decomposes while adding nutrients to the soil. I love how the author of the link above tied the egg-theme gardening to Lent too!

Yet another way to start your seedlings…in a citrus peel!

Love herbs but not so big on traipsing out to the garden in the middle of dinner time to cut a bunch? Here ya go, a back door herb garden in galvanized buckets. Genius! I love the tiers! Thinking I’ll probably do a theme herb garden…Italian herbs for bruschetta, caprese salad, spaghetti sauce…YUM!

Edible landscaping! Not only is it pleasing to the eye but it’s your own little produce section, right in your backyard! Plant lettuces, chard, carrots, kale…you name it!

And for the non-edible variety…

A beautiful array of succulents. I can’t wait to try succulents…I’m feeling optimistic since we live in succulent friendly zone.

Oh spring, you can’t come too soon!

Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

James 5: 18

Snow Day…be gone!

Idyllic right? Schools are closed. Snow is steadily falling. The house is warm. Hot chocolate, cozy blankets, knitting while the kids nap. Yes, all those things have been included in our day. So how is it that I am probably one of the only people in my circle of friends that is less than thrilled with this snow day?

I’m feeling cooped up, restless, exhausted and let me be brutally honest…my kids are not my favorite people right now. Hard to imagine, right? These adorable little people, with pure hearts, laughter that is contagious…how could I not want to be around them on this cozy day?

I think we’re all a bit stir crazy. They are getting toys out, just to get them out. ‘Sharing’ is not in their vocabulary today, even if one is merely looking at their coveted toy he/she goes berserk! The demands are high and the supply is low. I’m operating off very little sleep and not just because a certain 10-month-old is miserably constipated and unable to sleep but also because…(no, I’m not constipated! sorry, couldn’t help but throw that in there!) my mind is racing.

Laundry is piling up. I can’t stop eating sugar. Are we going to have enough money this week to fill up the gas tanks and buy groceries? Ugh, we need a new mattress pad; this one is ripping and it’s about 10 years old! I want to workout but I can’t seem to get myself going. Oh crap, I need to help Gracie with her homework…she’s only in kindergarten, why the hell does she have homework?

And on, and on, and on.

But then…

Sugar on snow! (Insert the sugar and all is okay!) A tradition that my husband’s family took part in while he was growing up and now it’s quickly becoming a favorite with our family.

All of this craziness with the three younger babes.

To get these moments.

And then they went to bed!! And the day was finally over!

Him or me?

This battered little piece of paper is what I see in the bathroom mirror every morning. After a particularly hellish day battling my fourth bout of postpartum depression my husband typed this up and placed it on our bathroom mirror. At first I thought it was a bit silly for him to do this, but I never found myself taking it down.

I know I’m not alone when I say that quite frequently I want to take things into my own hands. I want to feel like I can control my destiny. In truth, I don’t…I can’t…I won’t and really, I’m relieved! The Lord used His own hands to create this world, to create me. He knows what I need, He knows my desires and He knows what I can handle. I am not bigger than Him, I cannot do this alone!

So, every morning when I go into the bathroom and I see this reminder it lifts a bit of weight off my shoulders. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Related articles

• Who’s at Risk for Postpartum Depression? (everydayhealth.com)
• The Perils of Postpartum Depression (drewstarr.wordpress.com)