tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691Sat, 28 Sep 2024 23:01:58 +0000vigilant wives clubGod-thoughtsmommynessAbundance of Godrandom thoughtsmission of motherhoodprayingdevotionsgrowing upoutsidewritingfriendshipChristmasbig movewhat to doGardeningParismoneyquotablesbecause Jesus gives more and more and then some morehttp://andthensomore.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (brianna)Blogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-4989325229623888539Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:21:00 +00002010-10-16T12:21:29.096-04:00big moveTo andthensomemore dot net . . .   See you over there . . .http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-moved.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-4414816715189107134Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:33:00 +00002010-10-11T09:33:57.526-04:00vigilant wives clubI was never one of those girls who dreamed of her wedding day all of her life.  I mean, I dreamed of being married, but the wedding day in my mind didn't really make the radar screen.  I don't think I was like a lot of little girls who dream of big fantasy, fairytale weddings where millions of dollars are spent on ensuring her perfect day.  The kind of http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/10/unexpected-expectations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-7166554298888891119Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:58:00 +00002010-10-06T17:58:25.922-04:00Abundance of GodGod-thoughtsIt's been three weeks since the mercy storm blew through. I still cry when I see its destruction everytime I drive through the treeless void it left behind. Yesterday as I drove through, the song “Mercy Seat” played loudly in my car, bellowing God’s mercy to the innermost parts of my soul. I was already crying for the truth of the song . . . I know where there’s a place Of mercy for you Hehttp://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/10/untamed-mercy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-8856429553961087580Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:15:00 +00002010-10-06T11:15:28.662-04:00big moveWhen I was twelve years old, my family moved from Huntington Beach, California to the booming metropolis of Stow, Ohio.  In a very strange twist of grace, I actually thrived because of the move and found my life to be quite an adventure because of it.  While the geographical changes were drastic, the life changes were monumental.  It was my first real face-to-face with http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/10/big-news-and-then-some-more.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-8348550159083780971Mon, 04 Oct 2010 13:35:00 +00002010-10-04T09:35:01.409-04:00mission of motherhoodvigilant wives clubIt happens more than I'd like to admit.  Everything will be going along just fine.  And then it hits.  It's usually something relatively inconsequential like choosing the wrong color socks.  This morning, it was about the clean pants she put in with the dirty laundry.  She'd only worn them for about an hour, and I was trying to make a point.  But Monday morning http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/10/wisdom-building.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-5494293651206211713Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:12:00 +00002010-09-29T12:26:34.545-04:00Abundance of GodGod-thoughtsThe fog settles on the hills, over the trees in my front yard.  I glimpse Fall and breathe in deep.  The misty morning air settles nicely on my face as we kiss and hug and they run to the bus waiting at the end of the driveway.  I step back inside, close the door and thank God for this morning. Thank You for the calm. It's not usually this peaceful inside.&http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/magnetic-mess.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-8984170691391961105Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:05:00 +00002010-09-27T09:22:49.961-04:00vigilant wives clubTomorrow begins a new adventure for me and for my marriage. It involves a weekly commitment, several other women who want to seek God as the center of their marriages, and a book called Finding the Hero in Your Husband by Dr. Julianna Slattery.  I read it a few years ago, and now I am honored to pair up with one of my friends and lead a group through it.  I was http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-adventures.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-6194761263302062916Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:00:00 +00002011-03-06T15:58:24.241-05:00Abundance of GodThank God for battery-operated alarm-clocks. That's what wakes us up. Going on 14 hours with no electricity. No water.  Last time this happened we wondered if there might be some merit to our Amish neighbors' way of life.  They were probably unaffected by the storm.  We should've been Amish, we joke. We lay there listening to the steady breathing ofhttp://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/mercy-storm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-6410187088549430575Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +00002010-09-20T07:34:57.786-04:00vigilant wives clubWhen I got married, I had dreams of life as a wife.  You probably had dreams of your own.  Here's what some of mine looked like : -Happy mornings waking up next to the love of my life, cuddling in the pre-dawn before sending each other off into the day ahead.  -Nightly passion that would roll into the wee hours, neither one of us caring about the early-morning meeting http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-i-want-for-my-marriage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-4523553216992518088Mon, 13 Sep 2010 10:03:00 +00002010-09-13T06:03:00.848-04:00vigilant wives clubI need a fresh perspective.  New.  Because I've let some things get stale.  Things like searching for ways to serve my husband.  Like what to write on Mondays about being a vigilant wife.  Like my daily motivations for why I'm doing what I do.    I was thinking about this stale state and remembered this Scriptural gem that has always amazed me.http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/faithfully-fresh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-6407222560641912435Sun, 12 Sep 2010 19:37:00 +00002010-09-12T15:37:42.506-04:00friendshipwritingI have this long-standing love affair with mail.  E-mail.  Snail mail.  I love it all.  I remember going out to get the mail when I was a child and finding what seemed to be endless amounts addressed to my parents. Nearly every.single.day.  It didn't matter that the majority of it was either bills or circulars.  From http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-im-doing-about-my-obsession-with.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-5439020328082155779Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:18:00 +00002010-09-08T15:18:36.263-04:00God-thoughtswritingI'm studying today.  Psalm 40.  It's thick and heavy on my heart lately.  The kind of thick and heavy that can only be processed with the One Who inspired both the Psalm as well as the thick and heavy. As I study, my heart weighs the truth of my down-and-dirty against His Word.   The only real and true Standard for living.  Himself http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/deliverance-ponderings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-8613327686514986493Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:07:00 +00002010-09-07T07:07:00.578-04:00Abundance of GodGod-thoughtsI looked out the front door to catch a glimpse of my daughters playing outside -- the one thing I made them do on their day off.  That's when I saw it.  It was blue.  And very, very large.  A rare creature indeed.  Stopping my girls in their bicycle-laden tracks, it fluttered to a marigold.  The one I planted last spring that is now a bush.  Wanting tohttp://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/beauty-in-rare-and-mundane.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-313721219447919054Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:38:00 +00002010-09-05T21:38:31.431-04:00vigilant wives clubIt's a day off here at our house.  Labor Day.  Sadly, I've never really been entirely sure what that exactly means. I do know, however, what it means for me.  It means my hubby doesn't have to go to work, my kids are home from school, and we get to have a family day at home!  In honor of that, and of my vigilant commitment to my husband and my marriage, I am http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/labor-day-vigilance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-6573331932464518849Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:24:00 +00002010-09-01T20:24:45.285-04:00random thoughtsAs it turns out, I didn’t screw up God’s plan 20 years ago in high school when I made so many poor choices. (Because, as it turns out, His plan always prevails.) As it turns out, my husband was right. Again. As it turns out, playing Smash Brothers with my kids is actually really fun. As it turns out, I can still be a pretty good mom even when my kids are in school all day. As it turns out, http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/09/as-it-turns-out.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-4841700914343292046Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:47:00 +00002010-08-29T21:47:43.698-04:00prayingvigilant wives clubI've been thinking lately about the word vigilant. It means taking matters into your own hands. I guess that doesn't really fit.  Because the truth of the matter is, the only way my marriage can not only survive but flourish is by the very grace of God. That's why I write about prayer so much on Mondays. And it's why I'm praying for you.  And for your marriages. This week, I would http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/true-vigilants.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-7306380223751393998Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:18:00 +00002010-08-24T06:18:39.668-04:00Abundance of GodGod-thoughtsgrowing upIt's been slimy here the past several weeks.  The pit, I mean.  So slimy that I can't get my footing to lift myself out.  Like the spin cycle on Wipeout.  I fell in. But I found the way out.  God's strong hands.  He grabbed me by the armpits and pulled me out with His superGod arms.  He did it a few days ago as I mourned thehttp://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-songs-and-slimy-pits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-466406803212638830Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +00002010-08-23T05:00:02.958-04:00vigilant wives clubAnytime I see something beautiful even if it's just a glimpse of real beauty I praise the Creator. The One Who thought it all up. I'm pretty sure that's what the Apostle Peter was talking about when he wrote to wives . . . "There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty." (1 Peter 3:1-2 msg) That's the kind of http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/beauty-that-inspires-praise.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-2872468453224544273Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:57:00 +00002010-08-19T11:57:10.120-04:00mommyness"Is it long enough yet, Mommy?" I measure her hair, and I think it is. So I make the appointment and we go. When the hairstylist looks at me from behind the hair, where she's measuring again for accuracy, she shoots me a look of warning. Wanting to preserve as much of my beautiful daughter's lovely long hair as I can, I jump out of my seat and choke out a long diatribe of how I measured at home http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-like-jesus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-6333173180444184499Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:00:00 +00002010-08-17T08:08:50.141-04:00random thoughtsYou might know me as the mom.  Or maybe you remember me from way back when my sister and I used to argue over you.  Remember that awesomely huge Barbie house one of our friends had? Yeah, I totally wanted to get that for you.  Sorry it never happened. Anyway, I guess you probably get a lot of hate mail seeing as you so dutifully represent the world's view of http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/dear-barbie_17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-1308226876118473863Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:26:00 +00002010-08-15T19:28:43.494-04:00vigilant wives clubQuiet does not come naturally for me.  And, although at times I can be rather loud, I am not talking about volume.  I'm talking about spirit-quiet.  The kind of quiet that takes whatever it's given and chooses to react with the strength that only Creator God can initiate.  It's the quiet that Peter defined as unfading beauty when he http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/spirit-quiet-and-great-remodel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-6728189805553927403Sun, 15 Aug 2010 02:10:00 +00002010-08-14T22:10:13.227-04:00God-thoughtsIf there is anything in life that I can not stand, it is feeling left out.  Don't like it.  Never have.  I could probably safely say that most people don't.  The only difference might be a person's level of tolerance for it.  I'm guessing there are some people for whom little is required in order for them to feel left out, while others would think nothing http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/included.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-3829822364404631537Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:16:00 +00002010-08-10T16:23:26.895-04:00writingIt was among the most sacrificial birthday gifts my husband has ever given me.  A registration to the She Speaks! conference in Charlotte, NC the last weekend of July.  It's a conference for women who want to pursue Christian ministry in the areas of leading, writing, and/or speaking. My husband and I had never even heard of the conference until this past February when I was http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/he-speaks-she-speaks-i-speak.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-9105526615361046630Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:09:00 +00002010-08-09T07:00:58.193-04:00vigilant wives club I was working as the high ropes course instructor at Camp Carl, sharing Jesus' love and grace with the campers in whatever way I could find.  It was the summer I surrendered the area of dating to the One Who is Three in One.  The One Who gave me the desire for intimate relationship in the first place.  As a result of that surrender, I broke up with myhttp://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/unfaded-attraction.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6680938666829241691.post-4242887415985406192Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:31:00 +00002010-08-01T22:31:49.074-04:00vigilant wives clubHe gets me. We've been married for almost 14 years, but there is still stuff in the deep down me that I am somehow afraid to show him.  It comes out anyway because, um, I am not one who can easily hide what's inside for long.  And that's when his very nature lives out the unconditional faithfulness.  The vow he made on that day when I got all pretty and kissed him http://andthensomore.blogspot.com/2010/08/he-gets-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (brianna)2