tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708Fri, 17 May 2013 16:37:00 +0000perfectionismfinancesanxietiesbooksprovisionDIYgracefreeweddingencouragementstuffshoppingin the kitchenfontstime managementshampooeasterrelaxpersonal lifeloving Godguest bedroommamaBiblethoughtsonline resourcessinglehoodangerthoughts on faithshopping guideneighborsMichaelricesponsorsrepurposehealingrecyclereadingGod's lovepeaceChristmasgrowthgoing greenwasting timefaithjoyideasarchivesdried beanspraising Godwebsiteschurchtrusting Goddessertsacrificechoiceschickenbloggingordinarypregnancymemoircookingmovingsavannahlatelywalking through scriptureeco-friendlyholy spiritplantingsweet potatoOld Testamentquoteeventcrock potGod's characterdecoratinghopecreativitydecision makingarguinggreenswagbuckstypographybetter blogging seriesclothinginconveniencebreadsavingproductivityapartment tourplaylistholiday decoratingworryartworkbaby showerlooking backtestimonyprayersthanksmusickitchenfashiontipeveryday miraclesrecipeGod's provisiongiveawaytwitterlentvegetarianour homehouse shoppingcoffeesocial mediabeing vulnerablefearwritinghealthreusemotherhoodchanging seasonshomemakingGod in my lifeprayer requestOne Thousand Giftsmaterialismmy homea few of my favorite thingsgardenstoragenegativityhairbagelbakinghumilityadventures in foodanswered prayersjudgmentsJesusselflessnessreviewcooking from scratchlove and respectthe futurecontainer gardenfuturewaitingmorningsto-do listsdistractionpower of wordsquestions and answerswomen of faithpopcorngratitudethinking about othersGod's faithfulnessGod's timingmonthly updatescookbooksGod's willmoviehummuspatiencehusbandwin a gift cardconfessionfunflowersmy faithsimplicitymedialessonsorganizationhomemadefavorite postssaladour love storysimplictychangegoal updatesmarriagephotosfood storagerepentingblessingsdownloadresourcefulthrift store findsclothes2011 reading listyogurtSecrets of a Newlywedquiet timebeauty2012 reading listsewingprayercarfriendsbedroomseasons of lifeofficebirthdayvacationtraditionsguest postsslowing downgoalsgamescommunicationblogSabbathhospitalitycraftstimeconflictFeaturedjobsredemptionaudiobooksentertainmentmake the most of your wardrobeHaitiliving roomlove lessonsblog updatemoneyThese are the stories about my life: as a Christ follower, a new bride aspiring to set up our home sweet home, a girl growing into a woman, learning each step along the way. Enjoy musings and deep thoughts on faith, marriage and living as well as decorating tips, crafts, frugal finds, and a friendly online face!http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)Blogger633125http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/LifeBlessonshttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-4916945653858125635Fri, 17 May 2013 16:37:00 +00002013-05-17T12:37:00.589-04:00love lessons<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/20799175/tumblr_lxhwul2SBU1ql40fgo1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> While I've been on maternity leave, I've been sharing a bunch of guest posts from some lovely readers and contributors. (Many thanks again to all of you who have volunteered your stories!)<br /> <br /> I'll be back to regular posting next week!<br /> <br /> But until then, I thought it was a fitting time to share a guest post of my own that I recently did on the blog <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/">Ever After Blueprint</a>. <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2013/02/18/becoming-one-life-blessons/">Andrea interviewed me about my marriage</a> (which you all know I've detailed in-depth in my <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Secrets%20of%20a%20Newlywed">Secrets of a Newlywed</a> series, which provides a look at some of the most important lessons I've learned through my first years as a wife, as well as my <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/search/label/our%20love%20story">Our Love Story</a> series, which details how my husband and I met).<br /> <br /> Here's a sneak peek at that a couple of questions I answered in <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2013/02/18/becoming-one-life-blessons/" target="_blank">that interview</a>:<br /> <br /> <i><b>What was one of your biggest challenges the first few months of marriage?</b></i><br /> While there were quite a few challenges, I would say that for me, personally, many of them boiled down to having to let go of my selfishness as well as learning to truly trust my husband and his love for me. In that last regard, it took me awhile to realize how sincerely he did love me and how he really was willing to put me before himself. I knew the Bible called for that, but I don't think I actually expected that. What a pleasant surprise! When I finally let down my guard and trusted that, even if he does hurt my feelings, it always was from a place of love, our marriage became much easier, richer and lovelier.<br /> <br /> <i><b>What have you learned since you’ve been married? </b></i><br /> I've learned a lot! So much so that I wrote an entire series about some of the lessons I've learned, titled <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Secrets%20of%20a%20Newlywed">Secrets of a Newlywed</a>. But if I had to pick just one of those lessons, it would be <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2011/09/secrets-of-newlywed-get-used-to-saying.html">Get Used to Saying I'm Sorry</a>. As I wrote in that post: "Apologizing is one of those things that none of us at any age enjoys to do. It takes humility to say, I was wrong. It takes us being willing to think of another to say, I was wrong. It takes courage to admit, I was wrong. And yet, with that courage, humility and selflessness comes restoration…" I think that goes back to the previous question where I said one of the first things I had to learn in marriage was selflessness, and part of that was embracing the humility to apologize. <br /> <br /> <i><b>What's your secret to a happy marriage?</b></i><br /> Listen to the Holy Spirit. Period. And invite him to convict and trust Him enough to act on those convictions. I sincerely believe that the reason my husband and I enjoy a wonderful marriage is because we trust the Lord enough to follow Him, even when it means apologizing or choosing not to complain or whatever the situation might call for. The Lord wants the best for our marriage even more than we do–so we must trust Him with it!<br /> <br /> Pop over and <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2013/02/18/becoming-one-life-blessons/">read the complete interview</a> (including what I consider to be the best part of being married and what I wish I would have known before tying the knot). Thanks so much for the interview, Andrea!<br /> <br /> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/search/label/our%20love%20story">Our Love Story: How My Husband and I Met, Fell in Love, and Lived Happily Ever After</a><br /> <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/search/label/Secrets%20of%20a%20Newlywed">Secrets of a Newlywed</a></b><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/20799175/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=rpVz2KM-8ys:XfnuMkR9lis:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=rpVz2KM-8ys:XfnuMkR9lis:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=rpVz2KM-8ys:XfnuMkR9lis:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=rpVz2KM-8ys:XfnuMkR9lis:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=rpVz2KM-8ys:XfnuMkR9lis:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/rpVz2KM-8ys" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/rpVz2KM-8ys/my-secret-to-happy-marriage-and-more.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)0http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-secret-to-happy-marriage-and-more.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-8828404082875416268Wed, 15 May 2013 12:43:00 +00002013-05-15T08:43:00.577-04:00<img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/.element/img/1.0/sections/mag/fortune/bestcompanies/2010/snapshots/publix_1149.jpg" width="0%" /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://click.infospace.com/ClickHandler.ashx?du=http%3a%2f%2fmyfrugaladventures.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2010%2f09%2fpublix-logo.jpg&amp;ru=http%3a%2f%2fmyfrugaladventures.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2010%2f09%2fpublix-logo.jpg&amp;ld=20130224&amp;ap=13&amp;app=1&amp;c=prodegemeta3.org&amp;s=prodegemeta3&amp;coi=372380&amp;cop=main-title&amp;euip=71.204.100.214&amp;npp=13&amp;p=0&amp;pp=0&amp;pvaid=fb65a9d1ae884144b6630b737ee3e781&amp;ep=13&amp;mid=9&amp;hash=5BBB1B913ABE323C23EFFF385DBB6542" /></div><br /> As you well know, there's always some sale going on at Publix, and right now they're hosting one of my favorites: their "<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.runningoutrunin.com">Running Out? Run In</a>" sales event. Which of course, is exactly what my life feels like right now: No time to spare!<br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6YZRURnRFY/UXM0zM1k7OI/AAAAAAAABPU/YQea67ldm9o/s640/PBX_MayRORI_KV.jpg" width=98% /></div>Now through May 22nd, you can pop into Publix to take advantage of great savings on some of your favorite brands from General Mills and Procter &amp; Gamble, like Cascadian Farm, Charmin, Crest—a variety of products for all your household needs to stock up on! Plus, if you buy $30 of participating items, you can mail in to receive a $10 Publix® gift card to use on your next shopping trip! (For more details on this rebate, please visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.runningoutrunin.com">www.runningoutrunin.com</a>.)<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mm4zuaf35FU/UXM0y3n66EI/AAAAAAAABPM/ZaXRqOmy-CU/s640/YoplaitGreek100_group.jpg" width="640" /></div>And, while you're there, you can also pick up a new product from Yoplait that's on sale: Greek 100 Yogurt. It has 100 calories (a great, slim-down option as we approach summertime and swimsuit season!) and comes in flavors including Black Cherry, Lemon, Mixed Berry, Peach, Tropical, as well as my favorite standbys, Vanilla and Strawberry. Through the end of the month, Yoplait's Greek 100 Yogurt is only $1 each at Publix, so you can add that to your shopping list as well!<br /> <br /> <i>The information and a gift card to sample the sales were provided by General Mills and Publix® through MyBlogSpark.</i><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HkQlFUv9Gqs:CsWw6Uo8-p4:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HkQlFUv9Gqs:CsWw6Uo8-p4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HkQlFUv9Gqs:CsWw6Uo8-p4:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HkQlFUv9Gqs:CsWw6Uo8-p4:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HkQlFUv9Gqs:CsWw6Uo8-p4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/HkQlFUv9Gqs" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/HkQlFUv9Gqs/sponsored-post-latest-from-your-publix.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)0http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/sponsored-post-latest-from-your-publix.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-2137015709472783588Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00:00 +00002013-05-14T12:00:07.270-04:00<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2525/3838158206_52c5fc52dd_o.jpg" width="85%" /><br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY MELISSA OF <a href="http://gracefullyfallingdown.blogspot.ca/">GRACEFULLY FALLING DOWN</a></b></span><br /> <br /> Chris and I have been watching Lost on Netflix recently. The other night one of us made a comment about how living on a deserted island has a way of flushing out all your flaws.<br /> <br /> Well, if that's the case, then I think marriage is like living on a deserted island.<br /> <br /> Can I get an Amen??<br /> <br /> I'm sure I've said this before, but I feel like marriage is like having someone hold up a mirror to you, revealing all your flaws and imperfections. Some days it feels like one of those fun house mirrors where everything looks distorted and crazy, and some days the lighting is just a little more flattering.<br /> <br /> Before we were married, I felt like I was a pretty good girlfriend (and then a good fiance) A catch really. And then my pride was horribly trampled on by the truth of my selfishness. Oooohhh. My selfishness.<br /> <br /> Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to claim that I'm a horrible person, or a horrible wife. Thankfully I have a very encouraging husband who tells me the opposite everyday. What I am saying is that once my focus changed from self serving, to serving my husband and our relationship as well, I realized just how self serving I was in the first place. And to be completely honest? I'm running out of patience with myself.<br /> <br /> I can't even count the amount of times that I've been confronted by my own selfishness in the past year. The amount of times that I have thought only of myself when making plans with friends, or have offered up the use of our home without asking Chris if he's ok with it. On a smaller scale, little things like he complains of a sore back and I don't offer to rub it, or he talks about how tired he is, and I don't offer to make dinner. These might be things that sound a little extreme, but they are things he does for me on a constant basis. Why on earth can't I reciprocate?? Even just the thoughts in my head that I quickly try to silence are getting on my nerves. "Why don't YOU do it?" "Can't you figure that out on your own? I don't feel like it."<br /> <br /> I feel like I am constantly being stretched, challenged and asked to do more. Not by my husband. Oh no, this challenge comes from a much more important place. See, I believe that marriage is one of the biggest ways that God sanctifies us.<br /> <br /> * "Christianese" alert! * <i>Sanctification is a big old fancy word that describes how God makes us more holy. This process is never ending as He leads us and calls us to act more Christ-like in everything we do. This brings us closer to Him, and allows us to have a deeper relationship with Him.</i><br /> <br /> So what I am attempting to explore then, is how God is using my husband to reveal my flaws to me; not in an attempt to condemn me or make me feel guilty, but instead in an attempt to draw me closer to Him. The reason why this is so possible in marriage is because it is a relationship that is unique and unlike any other we will have. Not only am I close to him in proximity (living together) but we are closer emotionally and spiritually than any other relationship I could possibly have. The key in this relationship is vulnerability.<br /> <br /> I have let him in to the parts of me closed off to everyone else. He knows me, but more importantly knows why I am me; what has shaped my character, and why my personality is what it is. To know someone so intimately is a gift that is given from pure trust in the other person. It is this vulnerability that causes me to show all that I am to my husband. I don't hold anything back for fear of him not accepting me. I know he does- I am not scared that he will be unsatisfied with what I offer.<br /> <br /> Now to pause: This type of relationship, while unique in a person to person sense, is not unique at all when you discover it's roots. This type of relationship- something that we all long for and search for, is something that God offers us freely. I would argue that the reason why we all long for such intimacy is because the Lord created us with that very desire. He asks that we seek Him in this way. Marriage is just a mirror of how this greater relationship already exists.<br /> <br /> And so He is able to use the way that we offer ourselves to our spouse as a way to have us offer even more to Him. Each time we fight our selfishness, pride, and many other flaws in an attempt to serve our spouse better, we are rewarded by moving closer to our Holy Father's desire for our lives.<br /> <br /> So as much as the growing pains can get on my nerves because I hate having my flaws thrown in my face, I am blessed by the experience. So very blessed that each time I am reminded how unperfect I am, I am also reminded how accepting my husband, and more importantly my Lord and Savior are of me. I am literally brought to my knees by the thought that these moments bring me closer to God than any other because it is this tough work of sanctification that mold me into a better daughter of the King.<br /> <i><br /> Melissa is a twentysomethin recently married gal that among other things enjoys the chilly air and gorgeous leaves of autumn, delicious food, tattoos, and the satisfaction of cleaning something really dirty. (A bit of a nut!) She has a heart for women to know their worth in Christ, and a passion for all marriages to not only succeed, but be exceptional. She blogs at <a href="http://gracefullyfallingdown.blogspot.ca/">Gracefully Falling Down</a>.</i><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3838158206/sizes/o/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=g-S_hMBqLvw:z3WIVvlFQzg:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=g-S_hMBqLvw:z3WIVvlFQzg:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=g-S_hMBqLvw:z3WIVvlFQzg:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=g-S_hMBqLvw:z3WIVvlFQzg:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=g-S_hMBqLvw:z3WIVvlFQzg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/g-S_hMBqLvw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/g-S_hMBqLvw/deserted-islands-and-sanctification-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)0http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/deserted-islands-and-sanctification-in.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-3063752085586336788Sat, 11 May 2013 18:36:00 +00002013-05-11T14:36:00.107-04:00<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2756/4164759025_da547a9341_b.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY JORDY OF <a href="http://www.jordylizblogs.com/" target="_blank">JORDY LIZ BLOGS</a></b></span><br /> <br /> I think that when we look back on our first year of marriage from here on out, we're going to think to ourselves, "Thanks be to God, we made it."<br /> <br /> Yes, there were a lot of great, romantic, lovely, wonderful moments. But yes, there were also a lot of uncomfortable, serious, mean, relationship-altering moments.<br /> <br /> We have taken in a lot this first year of marriage. We were still getting to know each other and finding things out about the other person that sometimes we really didn't like. We were still trying to learn one another's heart and what makes them tick and then in the low times, using those things against one another. We had only known each other for nine months when we began our married journey and if I can be candid, we questioned if those nine months were enough. If maybe we should have waited longer or if this was even the right decision in the first place.<br /> <br /> The first few months were good. We were settling in and making his home our home. We were unpacking boxes and gifts and getting settled into a routine that worked for both of us. We were in the clouds of newlywededness and married bliss and romance and the surreal life.<br /> <br /> And then, months seven through ten came along. Months seven through ten were rough. I think they were more rough on me than him, because he is just plain more go-with-the-flow than I am. I feel everything. Physically and mentally, I feel every little feeling of pain, hurt, betrayal, you name it. I struggled big time in those four months and looking back, I don't ever want to go back to that.<br /> <br /> I struggled with doubts. Was this where my life was supposed to be? Was this the man I was supposed to marry? Was this what God wanted for me, us?<br /> <br /> I struggled with not being in the single circle anymore. Almost all of my friends here are single and I felt like I didn't fit in. At all. I didn't know how to relate anymore and I so desperately wanted to relate. I didn't know how to blend my married life with their single life, so I just stopped trying.<br /> <br /> I struggled with loneliness. Big time loneliness. I felt isolated from friends and felt like I wasn't included in anything anymore. I leaned on Chris to make me feel not lonely and then when he failed, I turned against him. I started getting very homesick and there were nights where I just wanted to pack up and leave town to get to a familiar place.<br /> <br /> I struggled with the picture I thought marriage was supposed to be. I wanted to be wooed and pursued and talked to with the sweetest selection of words. Instead, there were bills to be paid and dinners to be cooked and our lives still had to continue to be lived with our jobs and commitments. There was little time for the rest of it and I was desperate for all of it.<br /> <br /> There were fights. Slammed doors (my bad habit as my parents can attest to). Stomps up and down the stairs. Yelling. Choice words. Tears. Lots of tears. Questions. Doubts.<br /> <br /> But.<br /> <br /> <b><i>But.</i></b><br /> <br /> The fights led to us stopping and quieting ourselves and our hearts to dig down deep to the root of why were fighting in the first place. We learned the ins and outs of the other's heart so that we could learn to tread more carefully the next time.<br /> <br /> The slammed doors opened up new doors of communication and how we could better tell the other person how we were really feeling. Truth is, the slammed door is how I sometimes felt - like a door was being slammed in my face.<br /> <br /> The yelling and choice words were deemed unnecessary when we learned how to talk to one another the way the other person needed to be talked to. I need lots of affirmation. He needs lots of affirmation as well, but with a tone of respect.<br /> <br /> The tears (95% mine) were cleansing. It's amazing that as tears come out, so do words. Words that have been wedged so deep in the crevices of our hearts because we don't know how to make sense of them. Tears seem to piece them all together sometimes.<br /> <br /> The questions were slowly answered.<br /> <br /> The doubts were slowly turned into reassurances.<br /> <br /> Months eleven and twelve saw a new beginning with new communication and new ways of showing the other person that we are in this for-e-ver. We were committed from day one, and we never intended to end what we started. But in those dark moments, doubts and lies and questions would creep up and try to steal it away from us.<br /> <br /> I don't wish that we would have had to get all the way down to nothing for us to experience what we were meant to all along. I don't wish for the fights and nights of tears. But, they happened and I can't erase those ugly moments.<br /> <br /> I can, however, look back and see how God has swept us off of our shaking feet and lifted us into something wonderful. Something that has been wonderful from the very beginning; we just haven't had the clear eyes to notice. I can now look back on this past year and see how God has taught our desperate hearts to see what He created marriage to be. A union, a servanthood, a vision of His love for us.<br /> <br /> It truly can only go up from here, and I can't wait. <br /> <br /> <i>Jordy says, "I blog about life, faith and marriage over at </i><i><a href="http://www.jordylizblogs.com/" target="_blank">Jordy Liz Blogs</a>. I was born and raised in Texas, but now live in the deserts of Arizona with my husband, dog, and soon-to-be baby. By day, I work in an office, and by night, I'm a blogger and freelance editor. Come visit!"</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandoncwarren/4164759025/sizes/l/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=gPKAbOmGgo4:zLqmZ7KOjD0:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=gPKAbOmGgo4:zLqmZ7KOjD0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=gPKAbOmGgo4:zLqmZ7KOjD0:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=gPKAbOmGgo4:zLqmZ7KOjD0:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=gPKAbOmGgo4:zLqmZ7KOjD0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/gPKAbOmGgo4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/gPKAbOmGgo4/an-honest-look-back-at-first-year-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)0http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/an-honest-look-back-at-first-year-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-2171754602813027Wed, 08 May 2013 13:47:00 +00002013-05-08T09:47:55.270-04:00<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/15632015/1312497630341_f_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b><br /> </b></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY STEPHANIE OF <a href="http://uncoveringhope.blogspot.com/">UNCOVERING HOPE</a></b></span><br /> <br /> People have had a lot of opinions about me getting married in my early twenties. They don’t seem to understand… they say we rushed or just give me a look like I was crazy to marry someone within a year and a half. Without God, it isn’t going to make sense; I don’t expect it to.<br /> <br /> <b>God is the only reason why we got married.</b><br /> <br /> It is all by Him and for Him and made possible through Him. Marriage is a symbol. A symbol of the deep, meaningful relationship of Christ and His Church. The church (not the building, but the actual members of the body of Christ which makes up THE church of Jesus Christ) loves Jesus and we submit to Jesus and do what He would have us to do with our lives. It is the same for wives and husbands. Wives submit to a loving husband who would give up his life for her. Christ died for us, and our husbands should love us in the same way. Sacrifice on both sides is necessary… putting others before yourself is vital. This is God’s will for us. Age in and of itself is not a determining factor of marital success.<br /> <br /> I read an article on RelevantMagazine.com (a popular Christian-view on relevant things in culture right now) and there was an article that was talking about age and marital success. It gave examples of studies that have been done on couples who married at very different ages and it concluded that the age was not a major factor in marital success. Success has to do more with levels of commitment and personal maturity. Now I’m sure you know of those older folks who act like they are 12 and then there are some young adults who have wisdom that far exceeds some older adults. This is personal maturity. The Relevant article quotes: “There's certainly something to be said for going through those challenges with the person you love by your side. Having the mindset that everything in life has to be in order before getting married can mean missing out on the fact that marriage is often crucial in helping people mature.”<br /> <br /> <b>If God is in the center, your marriage will not be shaken.</b><br /> <br /> On a personal note, I have had very different responses from people when they hear I am married. Today, I am younger than the average person to get married, yet back in the day couples would get married much younger. Age is such a huge factor today and I think it is focused in on too much and people raise their eyebrows at young married couples (with no legitimate reasons to back them up as to why they are judging others by their standards). The reason I got married was that I found a man who loves the Lord and he helps me with my faith and vice versa and to give glory to God through our marriage.<br /> <br /> I’ve seen my parent’s marriage fail and his parent’s marriage succeed. My parents were older when they were married, his were younger. Age obviously, in this case, wasn’t the issue. God was the determining factor that his parent’s marriage has lasted. My parents did not have God in their marriage. And no, I don’t think there are any solid guarantees to any decision we make because we are human. We all make mistakes. We all fail. But God is our rock and our center. Leaning on Him in all we do can heal anything—even a marriage.<br /> <br /> Stephanie says: <i>"I’m 23 and married to biggest blessing in my life—Peter. We both work full time and stay busy with his band, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anewawakeningmd">A New Awakening</a>. My passion is to spread God’s truth and love to those around me. In my (barely there) free time, I love to experiment with new recipes and to soak up good books. I’m an outgoing introvert (yes, there is such a thing!) and I am fascinated by psychology. I’m still trying to understand what God has in store for my future, but I’m holding on to the fact that He is faithful and there’s a wonderful plan for my life. You can read more about this little life journey of mine at <a href="http://uncoveringhope.blogspot.com/">Uncovering Hope</a>."</i><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/15632015/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=72uOxi67P7I:00JQ6oZl1I8:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=72uOxi67P7I:00JQ6oZl1I8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=72uOxi67P7I:00JQ6oZl1I8:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=72uOxi67P7I:00JQ6oZl1I8:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=72uOxi67P7I:00JQ6oZl1I8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/72uOxi67P7I" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/72uOxi67P7I/god-is-reason-we-got-married-guest-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)5http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/god-is-reason-we-got-married-guest-post.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-6899417384038224244Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:36:00 +00002013-04-29T07:36:00.748-04:00<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/3803485/tumblr_l8gx8qI5rj1qb1njwo1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY CHADWICK OF <a href="http://www.differentparent.com/">DIFFERENTPARENT.COM</a></b></span><br /> <br /> Here's hoping that not long from now, people may stumble upon the words of this post's title and ask themselves, "What is he even talking about?" A world with less of the YouTube madness that started back in February this year, would be a healthier one. But I couldn't let the moment come and go, without asking how such a thing could help us in our awareness of God.<br /> <br /> The current <a href="http://www.theroot.com/buzz/harlem-shake-videos-have-you-seen-these?wpisrc=root_more_news">"Harlem Shake" movement</a> seems accidentally based on a very simplistic idea: 1. make it easy to do, 2. about getting positive attention, and 3. make it look fun, and you'll get a lot of other people wanting to do the same thing. The guys responsible for "starting" the movement, "Filthy Frank" and his friends never intended for millions of people to get caught up in it becoming a "thing"...and by February 12th was even saying he was ready for it to move on. They'd simply made a silly video, and 10 days later it was being copied by people all around the world.<br /> <br /> I remember being in East Harlem back around 2001, and having kids try to teach me how to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_cO0Y6jJoA">Harlem Shake</a><u><b><span style="color: #0000ee;">.</span></b></u>" I'm definitely not qualified for such a thing...but it was fun nevertheless. I can't imagine they're excited about this phony movement making people think they know how to "Harlem Shake" simply by thrashing around in costumes/loud music.<br /> <br /> But I'm not really worried about the people of Harlem getting all upset that the youtube fixation (that's hopefully dead by the time you read this) has usurped their role as shakers. What I'm more concerned about, is the same elements that sky-rocketed this little video/performance by Filthy Frank, are what we often depend on to sell the gospel message:<br /> <br /> <b>1. Make it easy to do/simple.</b> We hear phrases all the time: "Invite Jesus into your heart, and you're done!", "It's as simple as that!", "now you're ready for Heaven!" or boil down an entire Word of God into a distilled phrase of truth that you can fit into your pocket, a prayer that you memorize, and a box you check at the altar. But any Christian parent would agree: we don't want our children to remember the moment they "checked a box", we want them to remember how Jesus has transformed their lives. That's not easy, and takes much longer than a single moment with a #2 pencil. So we make our homes places where we are daily opening the Word of God. We wrap our lives around the Truths of His Word, and living as families of Kingdom citizens here and now. We confess to each other when we're struggling, and depend on God's Spirit to be our helper - because we NEED one.<br /> <br /> <b>2. Make it about getting positive attention/feedback. </b> In a world of Hallmark endings and prosperity gospels, it doesn't take long to find followers of Jesus who will tell you - if you're following Jesus right, everything will work out for you. You'll be blessed, your family will all be healthy and in love with Jesus, and whenever you have a need - it'll be awesome to see how God will always come through to fill it. We love these promises, but the hard truth is - if we're following Jesus for these reasons, the object of our worship is actually "Self". As parents, we need to share not only the highs of following Jesus together as a family, but the struggles as well. To be appropriately honest with them, and have faith that even though it may NOT look like it in our world/lifetime, we know that Jesus IS still Lord. We look up from our tears with them, and together gaze into the future promises of God to complete what He began in Christ, and make all things New.<br /> <br /> <b>3. Make it look fun.</b> In the "actual" Harlem Shake, there's a set way of doing things. 5 people standing side by side, all doing the dance will look very similar. In the current "movement", the only requirement seems to be chaos. But everyone's got a giant smile slapped on their goofy looking faces, even if it's covered by a mask. The goal is not to accomplish anything, or even look a certain way...the goal is simply to have fun, and get hits on youtube. Unfortunately, it's also a theme picked up by genuine-hearted followers of Jesus as they try to get the next generations connected to what God is doing. I'm not against VBS craziness, or playing silly youth group games at times. But what I am against, is when the "fun" becomes central, and "knowing/following Jesus" becomes a side-issue. To pull a giant "bait &amp; switch" with our kids/teens will end up with young adults who wonder why youth group stopped after 12th grade, and decide to leave a church that doesn't "offer anything for me". We want to raise our children with an appreciation for an abundant life, deeply rich and satisfying in relationship with Jesus, others, and creation; and contributing to His "making all things New". Not simply to be an "a-mused" (not-think), and consuming force.<br /> <br /> It may not win any awards for trending...but it will transform lives and the cosmos...:)<br /> <br /> <i>Chadwick Anderson is a husband, father of 4 girls, youth pastor, and freelance writer/speaker/etc. in Illinois. He loves God, and attempts to live in response to that in new ways every day. Currently, he and his family are working to bring home their 4th daughter from the DRC in Africa. To learn more, check out <a href="http://www.differentparent.com/">http://www.differentparent.com</a> today!</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/3803485/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Pz7vtyzyU6Y:NX7pMw5C15I:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Pz7vtyzyU6Y:NX7pMw5C15I:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Pz7vtyzyU6Y:NX7pMw5C15I:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Pz7vtyzyU6Y:NX7pMw5C15I:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Pz7vtyzyU6Y:NX7pMw5C15I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/Pz7vtyzyU6Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/Pz7vtyzyU6Y/beyond-harlem-shake-christianity-guest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)1http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/beyond-harlem-shake-christianity-guest.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-2079434626464770585Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:31:00 +00002013-04-25T18:31:04.130-04:00<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/5316882/tumblr_lcqt986IRE1qb0j8no1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY KARRIE OF <a href="http://www.mostlycrunch.wordpress.com/">MOSTLY CRUNCH</a></b></span><br /> <br /> <i>Karrie wanted to have a natural birth when she found out she was pregnant with her second child. Late in the pregnancy, they discovered that her son was breech, and they patiently waited for him to turn so that Karrie could have the natural birth she desired. She tried everything she could think of (from going to the chiropractor to placing cold peas on the top of her stomach!) to try to help him to turn, but none of them worked. <br /> <br /> The last option was to try to turn him manually, a technique known as “external cephalic version” or ECV. Karrie wrestled with this decision:</i><br /> <br /> I wondered if the ECV would be my only shot for a natural delivery. But I had a red flag about it. Here’s the thing about red flags…you just don’t ignore them. There’s a reason they are flailing around in your subconscious face. <br /> <br /> There was only a 58% chance the ECV would even work, and he could turn back even if it did. I finally let go and decided I would be declining this invasive procedure. (There is the first set of weights off my shoulder!) I just kept thinking if he doesn’t turn with all these things I am trying (especially the chiropractor and acupuncture/moxibustion, which have super high success rates), then I felt in my gut he just isn’t turning for a reason. <br /> <br /> It was at this point that I realized that all of this was a lesson in faith for me. And just because you realize that doesn’t mean you are suddenly squared away and good to go apparently either. I went to my personal library and asked God to show me what I needed. I grabbed two books, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400278171/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1400278171" target="_blank">Amazing Freedom: Devotions to Free Your Spirit and Fill Your Heart</a> </i>by those lovely Women of Faith ladies and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005T0YJBC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B005T0YJBC" target="_blank">The Remarkable Prayers of the Bible: Transforming Power for Your Life Today</a></i> by Jim George.<br /> <br /> The first message He sends me from the first book, “In a strange but marvelous way, her belief gives her a sense of freedom because she knows she doesn’t have to figure out the big picture by herself. She doesn’t have to see how each piece of her life fits into God’s big, glorious picture. She just keeps believing. Keeps praying. Keeps trusting. And she knows that in the end, God’s plan will be revealed to her, and she’ll be able to see her life as God sees it.” <br /> <br /> The second message from the second book is from the chapter on Abraham “a man of remarkable faith.” Here’s what jumped right off the page and all but slapped me in the face: “Fear is a good indicator that we have strayed away from God’s will, for when we have fear, we are not trusting God.” And then there was a reminder that, like through Abraham’s prayers, that we should be motivated by a desire to see God glorified. <br /> <br /> I had been praying, though not fervently. I kept in mind that prayers aren’t always answered immediately, and sometimes they never are. I kept in mind that it really is His Will Be Done, and I was ok with that….or was I? If I could just know what’s going on here, why he is breech, why hasn’t he turned, will he turn in time? I felt so much closer to peace, but just wasn’t quite there. Lessons can be such a pain. And I picture God doing the 9172981273 things a minute that He does and peeking in on me to see how my progress is going and thinking to Himself, “She’s almost there….”<br /> <br /> So my prayers changed to focus on whatever the outcome, I would be glorifying God. If he turns head down, then God did that by His own hands. I mean He is knitting him in my womb (Psalm 139:13) so He will certainly turn him if He wants. If he doesn’t turn, then God left him in place for reasons I may not get to know this side of Heaven, but glory to Him for bringing me this child, His child on loan to me, however He planned to bring Him to me.<br /> <br /> And then the last set of weights were lifted off my shoulders by my Father….and not because He turned the baby. I woke up from a nap and was sitting there in the quiet, gazing out the window at the greenery and listening to the birds. My mind wandered to this baby boy as it often does, but not him in my belly in the “wrong” position and wondering when will he turn or will he turn or why hasn’t he turned, but of him on my chest making those heavenly baby noises and within kissing distance of my lips. And that was it. Oh sweet peace. It just didn’t matter anymore how he arrives, God has that covered. Free at last! And oh look at that, this IS true! “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36.<br /> <br /> Update: Here is Karrie’s son’s <a href="http://mostlycrunch.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/a-gentle-cesarean-birth-story/" target="_blank">birth story</a> and how everything worked out in the end!<br /> <br /> <i>Karrie is a stay at home mom to two boys, 2.5 years old and 8 months. She started <a href="http://www.mostlycrunch.wordpress.com/">Mostly Crunch</a> to share what she has learned about natural health and occasionally, life in general. She also started <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/381615768521252/">the "Natural Living" group</a> on Facebook to provide a place for anyone to ask questions and share information on their natural living journey. </i><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/5316882/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9AVSxfMRQyw:wy_64DlK5_M:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9AVSxfMRQyw:wy_64DlK5_M:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9AVSxfMRQyw:wy_64DlK5_M:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9AVSxfMRQyw:wy_64DlK5_M:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9AVSxfMRQyw:wy_64DlK5_M:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/9AVSxfMRQyw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/9AVSxfMRQyw/a-faith-lesson-learned-in-pregnancy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)2http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-faith-lesson-learned-in-pregnancy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-8482142194997490682Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:29:00 +00002013-04-22T07:29:00.264-04:00mama<img src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4089/5087360655_e1fefe9d65_b.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> One of the things I have to remember as a mother is that my daughter is constantly growing. And not just in stature—as she's already outgrown all her newborn clothes by six weeks (not to mention that she graduated from her newborn diapers by the time she was five days old!). At seven weeks, she's now smiling and grinning more and more frequently. She's alert and loves looking around, wanting to be held less and less (until nap- and bed-time come, that is!) so that she can gaze at this world around her. <br /> <br /> But she is growing and changing in so many other ways, as well.<br /> <br /> While last week she could have cared less about her musical floor-gym, this week, she’s taken notice of the dangling toys and started (unintentionally) swatting at them. While the Happiest Baby on the Block technique might have worked to soothe her yesterday, it might fail miserably today. While she might have been content to fall asleep in a sling this morning, this afternoon she might have nothing of it.<br /> <br /> These kinds of changes in her preferences can happen overnight it seems, which has become a challenge for me because I have to remember to keep trying and re-trying to expose her to new things, whether it’s an activity, an object, a soothing technique or something else. It’s all too easy for me to think that because she didn’t like <i>fill-in-the-blank</i> yesterday, she still won’t today, when that isn’t always the case.<br /> <br /> It’s baffling to see how quickly these changes are coming at us, proof that she really is growing up, faster than I ever imagined.<br /> <b><br /></b> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/introducing-my-daughter.html" target="_blank">Introducing My Daughter!</a></b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/waiting-on-god-and-praying-for-child.html" target="_blank">Waiting on God and Praying for a Child</a></b> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholasjon/5087360655/sizes/l/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=kl3QPPv43wI:ZZUPhMTGlNo:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=kl3QPPv43wI:ZZUPhMTGlNo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=kl3QPPv43wI:ZZUPhMTGlNo:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=kl3QPPv43wI:ZZUPhMTGlNo:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=kl3QPPv43wI:ZZUPhMTGlNo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/kl3QPPv43wI" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/kl3QPPv43wI/growing-up-before-my-eyes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)4http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/growing-up-before-my-eyes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-4324054653129120571Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:56:00 +00002013-04-18T14:56:00.092-04:00<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/11062901/tumblr_lmpw6hO0h01qbgo5so1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY STEPHANIE OF <a href="http://uncoveringhope.blogspot.com/">UNCOVERING HOPE</a></b></span><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i>We are to be holy. (1 Peter 1:16)</i></div> <br /> I don't know about you, but I am not perfect... let alone holy.<br /> <br /> There are a lot of people who ridicule Christians for claiming they are perfect. Yet, in reality, the majority of Christians I know, including myself, don't claim themselves as, nor are they anywhere near, being holy.<br /> <br /> There are people I used to be friends with or people who knew me a few years ago and I can honestly say that I am not that same person. People might look at my past and see someone insecure, rebellious, depressed, cold-hearted, and some other words I am too embarrassed to even mention. Then they ask, "You? Holy? Yea right."<br /> <br /> I'm not saying I'm perfect. Nor am I saying that I don't strive to be. Because perfect and holy is what God has called me to be, but I am SO far from that. I strive for it every day though. And not for my self, but for God. The God who has changed me completely from the person I used to be. God says that the old has gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). I truly believe this 100%. I couldn't be more thankful for that.<br /> <br /> I hate when I see Christians claiming they are better than a non-Christian; like they have some sort of right to put themselves on a pedestal above another human being. Although, I have been accused of this more than once, and my heart breaks when someone sees that in me, I hate that my old self can portray such selfishness.<br /> <br /> We are all made in the likeness of Christ, and we are all fallen and that means we are all sinful. The only difference, if we have accepted Jesus into our lives and are in a relationship with Him, is that we are saved from the consequences of sin. Ultimately—hell. This is called salvation. Salvation from hell and we are granted eternity with the God who loves us more than anyone could ever love us.<br /> <br /> God has loved me more than anyone ever has and ever will. He knows how horrible of a person I used to be and how horrible of a person I can still be at times.<br /> <br /> I struggle with this holiness thing.<br /> <br /> I still grieve and mourn over the stupid mistakes I make and how I can be so harsh with people when I am called to be a reflection of the loving Christ that I serve. I hate that... I hate how my old self (also known as the "flesh") can take root in me and wreck havoc in my life. I hate how I can give God a bad reputation...and my heart breaks.<br /> <br /> This holiness thing has been getting to me lately. I've been realizing that I am called to be holy, because my God is holy. I am to be a reflection of Him and I am to let go of my past. Because that is gone. New has come. Today is the day to decide to live a holy life. To sacrificially give up the desires that do not line up with what God has in store for me.<br /> <br /> Strive to be holy, because HE is holy.<br /> <br /> Stephanie says: <i>"I’m 23 and married to biggest blessing in my life—Peter. We both work full time and stay busy with his band, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anewawakeningmd">A New Awakening</a>. My passion is to spread God’s truth and love to those around me. In my (barely there) free time, I love to experiment with new recipes and to soak up good books. I’m an outgoing introvert (yes, there is such a thing!) and I am fascinated by psychology. I’m still trying to understand what God has in store for my future, but I’m holding on to the fact that He is faithful and there’s a wonderful plan for my life. You can read more about this little life journey of mine at <a href="http://uncoveringhope.blogspot.com/">Uncovering Hope</a>."</i><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/11062901/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Z_EN6MvaCOI:N8JHGcjPW_E:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Z_EN6MvaCOI:N8JHGcjPW_E:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Z_EN6MvaCOI:N8JHGcjPW_E:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Z_EN6MvaCOI:N8JHGcjPW_E:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=Z_EN6MvaCOI:N8JHGcjPW_E:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/Z_EN6MvaCOI" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/Z_EN6MvaCOI/a-call-to-holiness-guest-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)9http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-call-to-holiness-guest-post.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-789305577554184912Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:55:00 +00002013-04-15T07:55:00.245-04:00love lessonsmama<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8250454757_aa30d0bce7_c.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY ANDREA OF <a href="http://everafterblueprint.com/">EverAfterBlueprint.com</a></b></span><br /> <br /> I have been following Carmen’s pregnancy from the sidelines, rejoicing with her as she found out she was having a girl, oohing and aahing over the cute projects she’s working on, and praying for a smooth delivery and healthy baby. Today I’m so excited to be able to talk about welcoming a baby into your marriage while she’s loving on her new little lady. My husband Adam and I just had our first baby (a boy named Emerson) at the end of October, so the memories of those first few weeks of being parents are fresh in my mind. Well, I guess they’re as fresh as they can be since I still feel a little sleep deprived! <br /> <br /> Adam and I were married for 7 years before we welcomed a baby into our marriage. We loved our years just the two of us, but we always knew we wanted a family. &nbsp;People say you’re never ready to have a baby (and they’re partially right) but we did everything we could to prepare ourselves for this little person to invade our home, hearts, and routines. We prayed, we took a class on childbirth, we asked for advice from friends with kids, and we talked to our parents about raising us. <br /> <br /> I’ll be honest, there was nothing that could have fully prepared us for the change that comes with having a baby, but all the reading and talking is worth it! When you’re up for the fourth time in the middle of the night, trying to figure out why the baby won’t sleep, you need every ounce of patience to not lose your cool. <br /> <br /> One of the most important things we did before Emerson was born was going through <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2012/05/24/the-art-of-marriage/" target="_blank">a study called The Art of Marriage</a>. We knew having a baby would be a stressful, a life-altering experience, and we wanted our marriage to be solid before so many things changed. When the study talked about how we resolve conflict, how we communicate, and how we express our love to each other, we considered them in the context of our marriage but in regards to kids. Ultimately we want our marriage to set an example of Christ’s love to our kids. <br /> <br /> Before we had a baby we had regular date nights. We didn’t have a specific night of the week set aside for us, but any night could be date night. We could catch a movie on a whim, go out for dinner after a long day at work, or head to a coffee shop whenever we wanted. That all changes when you have a baby. Three months in, we’ve been out on a few dates (which has been amazing) but a healthy marriage needs more than the occasional night out to survive! <br /> <br /> Our solution is to get creative with date nights. Who says you have to go out to have a date? These days baby boy goes to bed by 7 so that means we have a few quiet hours to ourselves to play a game, cuddle on the couch and watch a movie or a favorite show, or just hang out! Our goal is to do this once a week. <br /> <br /> To make the in-home dates a little more special, we take turns planning them. One week I got stuff to make root beer floats (something we don’t usually have) and picked a game to play. Even though the baby monitor was still on, we set aside an hour free from our to-do list to spend together. <br /> <br /> At-home dates are great, but getting out of the house is even better! We’re still working on finding some go-to babysitters, but we’re not afraid to take our friends up on their offers to watch the baby. Some of them have kids of their own and know how hard it is to get out and some of them don’t have kids but don’t mind loving on ours for a few hours. The best part about these sitters is usually they’re free (we usually pay them in baked goods or a bottle of wine). <br /> <br /> Our marriage will continue to grow and change along with our baby boy. The important thing is that we make it a priority! When we love each other well and make time for us we are better parents. It’s a win, win!<br /> <br /> <i>Andrea blogs about marriage, decorating, and life at <a href="http://everafterblueprint.com/">EverAfterBlueprint.com</a>. Read about how she <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2011/09/30/high-school-romance/" target="_blank">fell in love with her high school prom date</a>, one of her favorite things about <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2010/11/01/front-doors-adam-andrea/" target="_blank">living in an old house</a>, and why she loves <a href="http://www.everafterblueprint.com/2013/01/08/mantel-refresh-2/" target="_blank">decorating her mantel</a>. </i><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wicker-furniture/8250454757/sizes/c/in/photostream/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=UKNehy9Pqyo:K6pgwEhks_Q:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=UKNehy9Pqyo:K6pgwEhks_Q:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=UKNehy9Pqyo:K6pgwEhks_Q:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=UKNehy9Pqyo:K6pgwEhks_Q:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=UKNehy9Pqyo:K6pgwEhks_Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/UKNehy9Pqyo" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/UKNehy9Pqyo/welcoming-baby-into-your-marriage-guest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)1http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/welcoming-baby-into-your-marriage-guest.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-3559362260602032127Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:05:00 +00002013-04-11T14:05:00.440-04:00reading<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/49659545/tumblr_mgvb1txyZY1r1tv3no1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414374755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1414374755&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/images--covers/175_w/978-1-4143-7475-8.jpg" /></a><br /> Life has certainly changed since my daughter was born just over a month ago! It feels like most of my life is spent on the couch, nursing or holding or snuggling with Claire. Because there's only so much multitasking you can do with a baby in your arms, I've been doing quite a bit of one-handed reading, the most recent of which is a timely devotional I received from Tyndale to review:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414374755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1414374755&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20"> <i>Mommy Time: 90 Devotions for New Moms</i></a> by Sarah Arthur.<br /> <br /> The focus of the book's devotionals is on learning to see God at work in all aspects of motherhood. She writes about how delivering her son three weeks early reminds her of God’s timing, how her trip home from the hospital with her newborn son tucked away in his car seat points to God being in control even when she is fearful, and how a mom’s concern over friendly strangers touching her young child in the grocery store also reminds her that people are sent to help. (You can check out this PDF that gives you <a href="http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4143-7475-8.pdf">a sneak peek into the book, including a sample devotional,</a> which you can check out <a href="http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/FirstChapters/978-1-4143-7475-8.pdf">here</a>.)<br /> <br /> And, for some more behind-the-scenes of the book, here's a brief Q&amp;A with the author, Sarah Arthur:<br /> <b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i>What is your hope for this book, Mommy Time?</i></b><br /> One of the best ways I’ve found to stay balanced during the crazy transition of motherhood has been to talk with other moms. And that’s what I hope this book is: a conversation, a story, one new mom sharing with other new moms what God is doing in her life. In that sense it’s less a devotional book than a memoir, or maybe a devotional memoir, tracking my spiritual reflections during the first three months of my son’s life. <br /> <i><b><br /></b></i> <i><b>In your book, you say that “motherhood is itself a spiritual discipline.” What do you mean by this?</b></i><br /> Christians often talk about certain spiritual actions or practices that bring us into the presence of God, that deepen our relationship with Jesus. We talk about Bible study, prayer, worship, serving others, etc. But through motherhood, I’ve realized that we can also seek God in the everyday ordinariness of caregiving. The working class, the poor, the enslaved, and illiterate Christians have been doing this for centuries without ten minutes each morning to pray or read Scripture. It is not beneath us to pray while folding laundry. In fact, there is a sense in which having such focus requires more discipline. If we let God in, motherhood can help us grow stronger spiritual muscles and become more like Jesus.<br /> <i><b><br /></b></i> <i><b>You endeavor to help moms cultivate “awareness of God’s presence in the small things, in the daily tasks of caring for infants.” Can you provide an example of this?</b></i><br /> It was my husband who began praying for my son’s body while giving him a bottle—since there isn’t much else to do besides sit there. He prays for Micah’s little feet, that he will stand strong in the Lord; for his legs, that he will walk with Jesus all his days; for his stomach, that he will “feed” on God’s Word; etc.—all the way up. Rather than texting or talking on the phone or checking Facebook, we can take those moments and turn our thoughts toward God.<br /> <br /> <i><b>God is in control. Why is this truth so important for new moms?</b></i><br /> We live in a culture of fear: fear for our kids’ safety, fear that we won’t measure up as parents, fear that our children will flunk life, etc. And retailers prey on that fear. So we are surrounded by magazines and books and websites that try to sell us things to give us a false feeling of control. But the truth is, every day I have to unclench my fist and release Micah into the care of the One who made him in the first place. And that’s hard. But if I can practice it now, I can do it when Micah walks out the door with the car keys. Hopefully.<br /> <br /> <i><b>How do you carve out time to spend in God’s Word in your busy life?</b></i><br /> I’ll be honest, whatever pattern of “quiet time” many Christians idealize was not invented by new moms. There have been seasons in my life when I deeply, intensely studied Scripture—through Bible classes in college, getting a master’s degree in theology, reading certain books, and attending certain small groups. But during this new season, I have had to draw from the well of those experiences rather than carve out new ones. I have had to tell myself, “Holding this child is what God has for me right now.” If I can free up one arm so that I can read a good devotional book, even better. <br /> <br /> <i><b>What encouragement would you provide to the new mom who is overwhelmed and feeling lost?</b></i><br /> You are not alone. Lots of moms, including me, fall into the trap of presenting ourselves as totally together—which just perpetuates that feeling of isolation, like you’re the only one flunking motherhood. But we are all there, sister. I’m sitting here at my laptop unshowered with no idea what to make for dinner tonight, checking my phone fifty-seven times a minute to make sure Micah’s day care isn’t texting me about some crisis. So we’re in this together. And meanwhile, we have a God who holds us and our children in the palm of his hand, who isn’t particularly concerned that the same load of laundry has been in the washer for three days. We rest in grace.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1414374755/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1414374755&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20">Find <i>Mommy Time: 90 Devotions for New Moms</i> on Amazon.</a><br /> <b><br /> </b> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/on-my-reading-list-books-about.html" target="_blank">On My Reading List: Books About Motherhood and Godly Parenting</a></b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/02/building-library-for-our-daughter.html" target="_blank">Building a Library for Our Daughter</a></b> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/49659545/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=eWE76FadqaQ:ccXrzmOeuxk:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=eWE76FadqaQ:ccXrzmOeuxk:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=eWE76FadqaQ:ccXrzmOeuxk:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=eWE76FadqaQ:ccXrzmOeuxk:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=eWE76FadqaQ:ccXrzmOeuxk:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/eWE76FadqaQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/eWE76FadqaQ/what-im-reading-right-now-devotional.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)2http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-im-reading-right-now-devotional.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-955606902410731694Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:52:00 +00002013-04-08T18:52:00.109-04:00<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3141/2661029670_cc05abfb39_b.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b><br /> </b></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY RACHEL OF <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/">DIARY OF A CHOCOHOLIC</a></b></span><br /> <br /> For almost as long as I can remember I’ve carried around an overwhelming sense of fear. I’m not sure exactly what triggered it—I can remember only a few truly "scary" moments. I don’t know where it came from but I do know that it was very much there. I remember, as a kid, being afraid of supernatural bad guys. Instead of diminishing as I grew older, the fear grew with me, morphing into paranoia of rapists, murders, torturers and fake policeman out to get me.<br /> <br /> Once the sunset, I always felt as if someone was behind me, following me or just around the corner waiting to grab me. As a child, my only comforts seemed to be in the arms of a parent or the voice of my younger sister, whom upon hearing me awaken with a start would say "It’s okay Rachel. It’s not real." Eventually, I learned that singing "Jesus Loves Me" would stave off the fear and allow me to return to sleep. <br /> <br /> As I grew into an adult, I struggled to find a way to stop the fear before it took hold. The fear was damaging my marriage and wrecking havoc on my sleep. <br /> <br /> I began to search the Bible and turned to the Lord in prayer. The Lord led me to several scriptures that stopped my fear in its tracks. The first Scripture was one that I’d heard many years ago but never bothered to memorize (in fact a few of the verses that I turned to at first were on a handout about over coming fear/anxiety that the mother of an ex-boyfriend gave me out of the blue during my freshman year of high school, that I’d managed to hand onto. Doesn’t that speak to you about the magnitude of God’s awesome plan?). <br /> <br /> <i>For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.</i> 2 Timothy 1:7.<br /> <br /> <i>For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear but you received the spirit of adoption.</i> Romans 8:15 <br /> <br /> These two verses were key in my struggle to overcome fear. These verses state outright that God has given me and sound mind. This combated the overreaction of my mind to sounds and shadows. I am not crazy. There is a rational explanation for that shadow (it’s the full length mirror or the shadow created from the light of my phone reflecting through a lampshade). The second verse showed me that when God made me his daughter he broke the bonds of fear and I have no reason to let them take hold over me. They don’t own me. He does. <br /> <br /> The next verse I memorized, and call on frequently is Isaiah 12:1-2: "I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation." <br /> <br /> I cherish this verse for many reasons and I recite it when I feel fear creeping in. When I need help remaining calm, I turn to Romans 15:13, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. It reminds me to turn to the Lord and that he will fill me with the peace that I need.<br /> <br /> There is always a lesson within a lesson (sometimes several) and in this case using Scripture to fight fear taught me the importance of having Scripture committed to memory. It’s a powerful weapon. As a child I had been told that it was important to know Scripture but it never clicked until recently.<br /> <br /> I want to quickly mention a few more things I’m learning while in the process of trusting Jesus to remove my fear:<br /> <br /> <b>1. Fear is not just a focus on the bad guys. </b>It can be a fear of inadequacy, humiliation or social stigma. But there is no reason to be afraid. If the disciples could stand and authoritatively address a crowd (and religious leaders) in Jesus’ name then so can you and I. The Holy Spirit will show up and empower us. That is promised in Luke 12:11, When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.<br /> <br /> <b>2. Worry is also a type of fear. </b>My favorite verse to combat worry is Luke 12:22&amp;29: "....Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life…Do not set your hear on what you will eat or drink. Don not worry about it for the pagan world runs after such things and your Father knows you need them, but seek first His Kingdom and these things will be given to you as well." There is no need to be afraid that our needs will go unmet. God created us, he knows what we require and he will be there to provide it. It may not come in the form we expect but it WILL come. <br /> <br /> <b>3. If you can trust God with the things that scare you the most, you teach yourself that you can trust him with anything.</b> I am learning that nothing can harm me. They may harm my body, but nothing can touch me…FOR I BELONG TO THE LORD!<br /> <br /> P.S. I recently heard <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOkImV2cJDg">this song</a> and highly recommend you give it a listen.<br /> <br /> <i>Rachel says, "Hey ya’ll! I’m very thankful for the opportunity to guest blog for you today. I'm a writer and legal assistant, the latter of which as cut down the amount of time and energy I can put towards my own blog, <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/">Diary of a Chocoholic</a>, but I try to keep it up as much as possible. I’m a Southern girl at heart, although I’ve currently <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/culture">transplanted</a> to PA (and miss the beach terribly!). I love to <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/books">read</a>, write, <a href="http://hotgluebaking.blogspot.com/">bake</a> and <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/changwon">travel</a> and am learning to cook. I’m a <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/wedding%20planning">newlywed</a> of two years, and <a href="http://achocoholicsdiary.blogspot.com/search/label/wedding%20planning">my husband and I</a> are trying our best to live as disciples of Jesus." </i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnackgnackgnack/2661029670/sizes/l/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=csMaGmuDxoI:ASsRzQishdA:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=csMaGmuDxoI:ASsRzQishdA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=csMaGmuDxoI:ASsRzQishdA:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=csMaGmuDxoI:ASsRzQishdA:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=csMaGmuDxoI:ASsRzQishdA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/csMaGmuDxoI" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/csMaGmuDxoI/conquering-fear-through-cross-guest-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)2http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/conquering-fear-through-cross-guest-post.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-8486876142799540158Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:25:00 +00002013-04-04T16:25:00.370-04:00mama<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8579498657_f6c7871259_o.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> Even though my daughter is only a couple weeks old and we’re still getting the hang of nursing, I know that like everything else with parenthood, time will fly by and soon enough, she’ll be guzzling down solid foods and growing up before we know it.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z6E9I2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B006Z6E9I2&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KClQY4V_JRM/UUzzyabVwtI/AAAAAAAABO4/96edAZ7tXfs/s320/freshfoodsbabyfoodmaker.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>So that is why when I got the chance to receive the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z6E9I2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B006Z6E9I2&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20">Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker</a> from <a href="http://www.nukfreshfoods.com/">NUK</a> through the <a href="http://greenmomsmeet.com/">Moms Meet blogger program</a>, I was excited to add this to her arsenal in preparation for those days ahead of us.<br /> <br /> The Freshfoods Baby Food Maker is an all-in-one steamer, blender and food processor so that you can make your own, homemade baby food from scratch in one convenient appliance with minimal effort. Since I’ve always been one to make as much of my own household items from scratch as it is, making my own baby food was always something I’d intended anyway. But this food maker simplifies it so that even the most novice of mommas can whip up good-for-you meals for their babes, lickity split.<br /> <br /> With the food maker, you can make up to four meals at a time and select whether you want smooth or chunky texture. The machine itself is pretty small so that it’s quite manageable (as compared to my regular food processor). You steam (if necessary) and blend in the same container so it’s not very messy at all, and clean-up is simplified. Plus, if you want to steam two different foods at once, there’s a separate steam compartment so that you can multitask without hassle. Once you set the choices, it only takes about fifteen minutes or so to steam the veggies and then a couple more minutes to puree them and you have fresh, whole-foods dinner ready for baby.<br /> <br /> I’m so excited about incorporating this time- and space- and sanity-saving device into our routine. In the meantime, I’ve already tested it out for steaming some sweet potatoes for me and my husband one night for dinner and could not be more pleased with how easy it was to use; it only took 17 minutes to steam two tubers and then about five more minutes to puree them into mashed sweet potatoes. It's super efficient, so there's no need to only relegate it to baby tasks. I intend on using it in the future whenever I want to steam veggies, since it does the task a lot faster than I can on the stove-top and with less clean-up involved.<br /> <br /> If you're interested in trying it yourself, you can download a <a href="http://www.nuk-usa.com/%20promos/nuk-fresh-foods/blogger">$20 coupon for the Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker</a> as well as print a <a href="http://www.nuk-usa.com/%20promos/nuk-fresh-foods/blogger">coupon for any Freshfoods accessory</a>. Find out more about the Freshfoods Baby Food Maker and other Freshfoods products for baby (including freezer trays, a food mill or popsicle molds) on the <a href="http://www.nukfreshfoods.com/">NUK website</a> or by following <a href="http://facebook.com/nukUSA">NUK on Facebook</a>.<br /> <br /> Find the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z6E9I2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B006Z6E9I2&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20">Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker</a> on Amazon.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006Z6E9I2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B006Z6E9I2&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=lifeblesthebl-20" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tAv5aYaTkl4/UUzzyWxvdlI/AAAAAAAABO0/mZVrA-Ru3oY/s320/freshfoodlogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinions on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/safari_vacation/8579498657/sizes/o/in/photostream/">photo source</a> }</span><i> </i></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=j85Pt4pRzT8:83RfSgSPQps:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=j85Pt4pRzT8:83RfSgSPQps:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=j85Pt4pRzT8:83RfSgSPQps:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=j85Pt4pRzT8:83RfSgSPQps:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=j85Pt4pRzT8:83RfSgSPQps:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/j85Pt4pRzT8" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/j85Pt4pRzT8/the-super-easy-way-to-make-your-own.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)0http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-super-easy-way-to-make-your-own.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-5755290880518111821Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +00002013-04-01T16:31:00.175-04:00<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5057/5406459295_9a5de0284c_b.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b><br /> </b></span> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY MELISSA OF <a href="http://gracefullyfallingdown.blogspot.ca/">GRACEFULLY FALLING DOWN</a></b></span><br /> <br /> Dear Me,<br /> <br /> This blinking cursor is staring me down something fierce. I wanted to begin with something heartfelt and touching, but it looks like instead we'll have to start with some honesty.<br /> <br /> I haven't loved you very well. If I had made vows to you as I did my husband, I would certainly feel as though I was not honoring them.<br /> <br /> Ok, fine, let's just spell it out. I haven't honored you.<br /> <br /> I have believed lies about you. Some lies were told to me by others, but most were whispered into my ear in the moments I am most vulnerable. The moments we are most vulnerable. When our familiar guest Condemnation brings his good friend Shame, and they both bring so much luggage that it simply overwhelms the tiny space we're in. No windows are open, and the air is hot and thick with their words. It's hard to take a deep breath let alone speak aloud disagreement with what they are saying:<br /> <br /> <i>You're not thin enough.<br /> <br /> Not pretty enough.<br /> <br /> Your hair is boring.<br /> <br /> Your thighs are large.<br /> <br /> You're not good enough. <br /> <br /> You fail at being a good friend, daughter, sister, wife. <br /> <br /> You don't call enough, do enough, pray for them enough.<br /> <br /> You screw up all the time.<br /> <br /> If everyone isn't 100% happy all the time, it is probably your fault.<br /> <br /> You let people down all the time. </i><br /> <center> * * *</center> <br /> Oh, how sorry I am that I have not only believed these lies, but repeated them to you over and over.<br /> <br /> Please don't give up on me. I am learning now what it means to love and be loved, and that the One who created us is able to open all the windows in the room and let the fresh air in. I am learning how to tell our unwanted guests to take a hike, and how to rebuke the lies they tell.<br /> <br /> I'm so sorry for the damage I have done.<br /> <br /> For cursing you instead of seeing the gift you are<br /> <br /> For wishing you looked and acted differently<br /> <br /> For making you feel so defensive and on guard, unable to believe the beautiful truths about yourself. <br /> <br /> I'm sorry I compared you to so many others instead of seeing who's image you were made in.<br /> <br /> <center> * * *</center> <br /> I hope you can forgive me, because I really truly do love you. And I'm so proud of the progress you have made:<br /> <br /> You wore shorts this summer, for the first time in ten years!<br /> <br /> You went back to your natural hair color (and love it).<br /> <br /> You've made real strides in not measuring and weighing your food, and not counting calories at every meal.<br /> <br /> You believe your husband when he tells you that you are beautiful.<br /> <br /> Because you are. <br /> <br /> There are no songs as beautiful as the music that fills my soul when I hear your voice, especially when it is comforting and counseling others.<br /> <br /> Your hands, which are calloused from the work of days gone by, are still so soft to the touch. They hold other hands, lay on shoulders in prayer, and make gifts and food for those in need of blessing.<br /> <br /> Your eyes are indeed a beautiful color, and they sparkle with tears of both joy and sorrow. Your emotion is what makes you you, and it is beautiful.<br /> <br /> Your body is exactly what your Creator had in mind. Honor it, yes, but do not spend your life wishing it was something different.<br /> <br /> Your heart is bright even in a dark room. And even when you do nothing for anyone else, you shine. All on your own. You don't have to do anything for me to love you—I just do.<br /> <br /> I'm sorry I haven't been very good at loving you, but thanks for sticking out the harder times. I can't promise there won't be more to come, but I can promise you that we are better protected now.<br /> <br /> I love you so much.<br /> <br /> <i>Melissa is a twentysomethin recently married gal that among other things enjoys the chilly air and gorgeous leaves of autumn, delicious food, tattoos, and the satisfaction of cleaning something really dirty. (A bit of a nut!) She has a heart for women to know their worth in Christ, and a passion for all marriages to not only succeed, but be exceptional. She blogs at <a href="http://gracefullyfallingdown.blogspot.ca/">Gracefully Falling Down</a>.</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinkohlenbergphoto/5406459295/sizes/l/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=lkywdiVIdwk:UcsfIPPPcCY:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=lkywdiVIdwk:UcsfIPPPcCY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=lkywdiVIdwk:UcsfIPPPcCY:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=lkywdiVIdwk:UcsfIPPPcCY:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=lkywdiVIdwk:UcsfIPPPcCY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/lkywdiVIdwk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/lkywdiVIdwk/a-letter-to-myself-guest-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)1http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-letter-to-myself-guest-post.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-7768642296589297018Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:33:00 +00002013-03-29T14:33:01.040-04:00my faithmama<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/49854268/tumblr_mdn9s29A4U1r6q6m1o1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> When <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/introducing-my-daughter.html">I announced the birth of my daughter</a> last week, I mentioned that being a mother is a lot harder than I'd anticipated. I knew it would involve less sleep and lots of diaper changes. Those were the practical things that I knew came with the territory. But what I didn't expect was to feel so unprepared and lost at how to mother this daughter of mine. I'd read so many books and listened to so many other moms share their stories and tips and tricks, that I felt really confident going into this motherhood thing.<br /> <br /> Then, my daughter was born and all those tips and tricks and instructions proved useless. Obviously, my daughter hadn't heard about them and how they're supposed to get her sleeping and eating like clockwork, settled down in seconds, and contentedly cooing in her crib. <br /> <br /> For the first couple of weeks, I fought to follow all those rules. I fought to try to get her to fall asleep on her own, to stay asleep without a "prop," to nurse full meals, and to have "awake" time. I fought because that's what every professional said to do if you want your baby to develop healthy sleep habits and fit into a nice routine.<br /> <br /> It sounds so lovely, to have a baby sleeping through the night and who can fall asleep on her own. Wouldn't that be so nice, so convenient? Absolutely, which is why I fought for it.<br /> <br /> But with the fighting came frustrations and feeling like a failure. Because it wasn't working for my baby. They made it sound so easy, but for us, it wasn't. Already I can tell she is a sensitive soul with a tender heart. She craves being held and kissed and fawned over. She craves to know she is loved; don't we all? And so as I fought to get her to follow the rules, she fought back against them with buckets and buckets of tears.<br /> <br /> At some point, when too many tears were shed on both our accounts, my husband reminded me that all those professionals might have good ideas but their ideas are <i>not </i>gospel. The Bible does not tell us to put our babies down drowsy and shush them to sleep or else. It does not instruct us about when to wake the babes up and when to make them eat. It doesn't tell us that we should make them sleep here or there or let them cry for a certain amount of time.<br /> <br /> No, the Bible's instruction on raising children is sweet in its simplicity. It tells us to love our children, to sacrifice for them, to teach them about the Lord, to model the ways of Jesus to them, to discipline them as they grow, to instruct them in the way they should go. <i>Those </i>are the priorities we ought to strive for in our parenting.<br /> <br /> And then one night, as I stayed up with my baby, lulling her to sleep the only way I knew how—by nursing—I felt the Lord whisper to me: <b><i>Surrender</i></b>. Surrender these rules and instructions to Him, to her. Look at her and who she is. She is a real person with real emotions and real needs. She isn't simply a piece of wood to be whittled into submission. <br /> <br /> She has a heart to care for and tend to. A heart that God has entrusted to me and my husband to love and guide and protect. I cannot afford to neglect that, because that heart can someday change the world and surely will bring glory to God. In the end, isn't that all that really, truly matters?<br /> <br /> With that—with a single word and a single reminder to surrender—I felt a new sense of peace take hold in my parenting. I free to mother her as I like: To listen to her rather than to a stranger. To listen to God rather than to a man. <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this.&nbsp;</i></span></span></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>We must not just please ourselves.</i></span></span></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>Romans 15:1</i></span></span></div> <b><br /> </b> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/introducing-my-daughter.html" target="_blank">Introducing My Daughter!</a></b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/waiting-on-god-and-praying-for-child.html" target="_blank">Waiting on God and Praying for a Child</a></b> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/49854268/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=QYYEm9rMlWE:GDBVHgmCrks:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=QYYEm9rMlWE:GDBVHgmCrks:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=QYYEm9rMlWE:GDBVHgmCrks:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=QYYEm9rMlWE:GDBVHgmCrks:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=QYYEm9rMlWE:GDBVHgmCrks:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/QYYEm9rMlWE" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/QYYEm9rMlWE/discovering-peace-and-freedom-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)10http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/discovering-peace-and-freedom-in.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-4505392331242934329Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:34:00 +00002013-03-26T12:34:00.530-04:00<div style="text-align: center;"> <img src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1364/877547288_fc8db11ebc_b.jpg" width="80%" /></div> <br /> <b><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;">A GUEST POST BY ELIZABETH OF <a href="http://elizabethteresestanko.blogspot.com/">THE JOURNEY OF LIFE</a></span></b><br /> <br /> When you hear the word "kids," what thoughts come to mind? Another mouth to feed? The end to life as you’ve known it? A disruption to your peace and quiet? The cause of your gray hair? Unfortunately, this is a tragic attitude of many.<br /> <br /> The Bible tells us that children are an inheritance from the Lord; a reward from HIM! They are a gift to be handled far more delicately than silver or gold. An inheritance that will not perish; a living, breathing soul to be nurtured and directed back to the One who entrusted them to our care. Children are to be accounted as blessings, not burdens. (Psalm 127:3, James 1:17)<br /> <br /> “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” we have all heard sung at some point in our lives. It’s not just a cutesy song to fill a time slot in Sunday school class. Jesus DOES love the children. He once rebuked the disciples when they forbade the children to “take up His time.” The Bible actually states that Jesus was greatly DISPLEASED! And in another text He strictly warns those who cause a little one to stumble. (Mark 10:13-14, Mark 9:42)<br /> <br /> There are many ways to cause these precious ones to stumble. I won’t touch on the more obvious things, but how about when we withhold kindness from them “to show them who's boss?” What about when we rudely say things like, “Get out. I’m tired of hearing you?” Or when they get hurt, “Just shake it off and get over it?” As a mature adult, we would never speak like that to our spouses, close friends, or a complete stranger for that matter. Why do we think children deserve any less?<br /> <br /> The Bible says that true love does not behave rudely (1 Cor. 13). Children need unconditional love and nurturing in order to become healthy adults. Without it, they will struggle in their relationships and it will be much harder for them to understand and accept the perfect love of God for themselves. If they can’t trust the ones who are supposed to protect them, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually, accepting that an “unseen” God truly loves them is much harder to grasp. May we never cause such a stumbling.<br /> <br /> What an honor and yet, what a responsibility to take very seriously. The Maker of Heaven and Earth depends on us to raise our children in such a way that they will serve Him and one day be reunited with Him for eternity. For anyone who has lost a child to death, to substance abuse, to a communication breakdown ~ you know, how devastating that loss feels. The pain of that broken union. God loves our children on a much deeper level than we ever could. What a tragedy to not raise them to return to Him.<br /> <br /> "And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deut 6:5-9)<br /> <br /> Prayer: <br /> Father, help us to be ever mindful of the way we treat our children. We make the decision now to not be controlled by our fleshly desires to lash out in moments of frustration. May we never carry the responsibility for scarring them emotionally through silent treatment, rudeness, unattentiveness, or belittling. Help us to love them like You do: keeping 1 Corinthians 13 before our eyes as the model of how love is to behave. We want our children to experience Your love through us.<br /> <br /> Thank You for the gift of our children. We commit to seeing them as an investment to the world, a seed for Your Kingdom. We accept the responsibility to create an environment for them in which they can blossom into who You created them to be. We ask for Your forgiveness where we have stunted their growth through our selfish or lazy actions. From this day forward, Father, use us to properly tend these beautiful seeds You've given to us.<br /> <br /> Amen.<br /> <i><br /> Elizabeth Stanko has a burning passion to see everyone come to KNOW the depth of God’s love for them and to discover the purpose that is planted inside of them just waiting to blossom. To see but one person recognize their worth and to watch God make beauty out of their "ugly"—is what keeps a smile on her face in this journey called life. :) She blogs at <a href="http://elizabethteresestanko.blogspot.com/">The Journey of Life</a>.</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kdlc/877547288/sizes/l/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ES2cCGlM3NA:tZ2TAXRTYXM:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ES2cCGlM3NA:tZ2TAXRTYXM:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ES2cCGlM3NA:tZ2TAXRTYXM:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ES2cCGlM3NA:tZ2TAXRTYXM:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ES2cCGlM3NA:tZ2TAXRTYXM:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/ES2cCGlM3NA" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/ES2cCGlM3NA/children-are-our-inheritance-guest-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)1http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/children-are-our-inheritance-guest-post.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-68705180562794479Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:33:00 +00002013-03-22T13:33:00.567-04:00<img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6181/6088059547_f927b9db32_b.jpg" width="90%" /><br /> <b><span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;">A GUEST POST BY <a href="http://www.blogger.com/rachelannpierce.wordpress.com">RACHEL</a></span></b><br /> <br /> Film and television are often the last place we look to try and find God. Outside of 7th Heaven and The Blind Side, and some would say even within them, religion in the media tends to be the butt of a joke, rather than being the truth that Christians the world over know it to be. If you take another look, though, you might be surprised at the religious themes you find in all sorts of media.<br /> <br /> What we as Christians see as a religious theme can also be seen from a secular point of view. Things like the love and strength of family and the vice of lying, are traits we read about in the Bible, as well as being traits experienced by the rest of humanity. The idea I'd like to look at is that of redemption.<br /> <br /> In the church we see redemption as salvation from sin. We know that we live in a broken world. Looking at the Bible it’s clear that salvation—what the characters of the media are in constant search of—is right there. It’s not something we can earn, but something we must accept. The only thing that our salvation is contingent on is our belief in that salvation. How awesome is that?<br /> <br /> We see everywhere that the world needs rescuing and nowhere is that more obvious than in media and pop culture. We see characters—in real life or in fiction—go through all sorts of troubles. Upon realizing the mess they’ve gotten themselves into, they will recognize the need to change, their need for salvation. They will try to earn their salvation, but just as in the real world these quests never go quite as planned. Many characters realize that they cannot earn salvation. They stop just short of recognizing a higher power.<br /> <br /> For example, the story of RENT is riddled with immorality: A stripper and a heroin addict are far from the type of role models we would want ourselves or our loved ones to follow in the example of. But if you look beneath the surface story, you can see that Roger and Mimi just want to be loved. Mark wants to be recognized for his work. Collins wants to take care of his friends. In the end they simply want to understand the world they live in, which is what everyone wants in some way. <br /> <br /> Reading between the lines of a movie or television show's story to see what the message behind it is can be difficult at times. There are some stories that no matter how hard I try, I just can't figure out. But when you see beneath the plot, you are seeing into the ideals and beliefs of the media's creators, and it's usually not as devastating as we had thought it would be from the onset.<br /> <br /> <i>Rachel Pierce (<a href="http://rachelannpierce.wordpress.com/">rachelannpierce.wordpress.com</a>) is a writer and adventurer studying Television Writing and Producing. She enjoys singing to anyone who will listen, taking pictures of the sunrise, and drinking lots of tea. Despite studying television, watching far too much TV in one go will never get old for her, but it should be tempered with lots of times spent outside.</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/potrzebie/6088059547/sizes/l/in/photostream/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=U-SEDEXRUgo:HmKVu8QdvEs:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=U-SEDEXRUgo:HmKVu8QdvEs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=U-SEDEXRUgo:HmKVu8QdvEs:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=U-SEDEXRUgo:HmKVu8QdvEs:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=U-SEDEXRUgo:HmKVu8QdvEs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/U-SEDEXRUgo" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/U-SEDEXRUgo/redemption-is-everywhere-even-in-media.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)1http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/redemption-is-everywhere-even-in-media.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-6699945013571807789Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:33:00 +00002013-03-19T11:33:00.156-04:00<img src="http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss111/lifeblessons/ourbabygirlnewborndaughter.jpg" /><br /> <br /> Wow. It's been almost two weeks since I gave birth to my daughter, Claire, and the time sure has flown ever since! Almost immediately, it felt like she'd always been here. She was born on March 5 at 2:22pm, weighing 8 lbs. 10 oz., 20 inches long and a head full of hair! <br /> <br /> We've spent the past week on a steep learning curve, figuring out nursing and experimenting with ways to get her to fall asleep (and stay asleep!) as well as just getting to know her and watch her grow, even in just these few days. Honestly, it has definitely been harder than I'd expected and more trying (lots of tears on both our accounts), but also more gratifying.<br /> <br /> We're still finding our stride with parenthood, and fortunately my husband has been able to take off a couple of weeks to spend at home with me as we adjust to life with our little, leading lady. Which is why I hope that you've been enjoying all the great guest posts I've been sharing since <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/baby-is-on-way.html">I went into labor earlier this month</a>. There are still a bunch more that I'm thrilled to get to share, and hopefully sometime in the next couple of weeks, things will be more settled around here so that I can get back to blogging on my own.<br /> <br /> In the meantime, I really appreciate all the support and love you've shown through this whole pregnancy and now during this adjustment period. It means a ton!<br /> <b><br /> </b> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-practical-preparations-for-bringing.html" target="_blank">The Practical Preparations for Bringing Home A Baby</a>&nbsp;</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2012/11/letters-to-my-baby.html" target="_blank">Letters to My Baby</a></b><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ctvp3fjK9n0:BaLxcW1iLz0:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ctvp3fjK9n0:BaLxcW1iLz0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ctvp3fjK9n0:BaLxcW1iLz0:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ctvp3fjK9n0:BaLxcW1iLz0:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ctvp3fjK9n0:BaLxcW1iLz0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/ctvp3fjK9n0" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/ctvp3fjK9n0/introducing-my-daughter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)19http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/introducing-my-daughter.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-1133804020990871347Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:25:00 +00002013-03-16T16:25:00.983-04:00singlehood<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/10789720/tumblr_lms1dgZV0i1qcsrbao1_500_large.png" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY LEEANN AT <a href="http://leeleewrites.com/">LEELEEWRITES.COM</a></b></span><br /> <br /> Two summers ago, I poured out my heart into a little blog post about trust. Because of that post, Carmen invited me to join <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2011/07/women-praying-boldly-initiative-will.html" target="_blank">an online prayer group she was starting</a>. Immediately I was drawn into the idea of <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2011/07/women-praying-boldly-initiative-will.html" target="_blank">Women Praying Boldly</a>. I also thought Carmen was a dear for agreeing to host this initiative for her single sisters, even though she herself is happily married.<br /> <br /> It was a simple concept. We would pray for each other and our futures, specifically our collective desire to find our future husbands. We would also be seeking answers for where we are supposed to be now, in the waiting time.<br /> <br /> It was simple in theory, but so much more complex in real life. My prayer life has become richer and more deliberate as a direct result of this activity. So much has been revealed and learned in this year and half.<br /> <br /> As soon as I joined the prayer initiative, I bluntly and boldly told God every desire of my heart and how soon I wanted to see those desires fulfilled. Yet even as I prayed those words, I wrote:<br /> <blockquote> <b>Jesus won’t fit into any box I make, including time. Knowing all this, I believe<br /> such prayers are not out of line. If God’s answer is different from what I want, it<br /> just means that he has something better in store. Long gone are the days when the<br /> disappointment devastated me. I lose nothing off my worth or identity by not seeing<br /> my desires for marriage fulfilled as soon as I would like.</b></blockquote> When fears took over and I felt unworthy, I would confess my shortcomings:<br /> <blockquote> <b>I am lonely. I am also scared of the unknown. I have made several mistakes before<br /> and sometimes I worry that I will make the same mistakes again in the future. It is<br /> only a mistake the first time. The second time must surely imply some inherent flaw<br /> in your character. Who wants to let their guard down and admit that they are an<br /> imperfect person?<br /> <br /> I am scared of the unknown. Once I take that giant, daunting first step, most likely<br /> I will find that everything is perfectly fine. Sure, there is a slight chance that I fall flat on my face. There is also the chance that I finally get far more than I ever dared to dream. I am not sure which extreme is more frightening.</b></blockquote> God did not respond by giving me what I wanted, but something better. I longed for human affection, but he showed me over and over how He thought I was worthy. I was created for a purpose and that alone made me beautiful. His answers to my prayers had become cherished treasures. Even when it seemed like He was not responding, He most certainly was.<br /> <br /> At some point in this particular prayer journey, I started to notice a shift. I was no longer just affirming that God was good. I was no longer only asking for my prayers to be answered one way. I was praying for others as often as myself. I was thankful for this community. I started asking for my heart to be changed and for it to find roots.<br /> <br /> Oh how much my heart has been transformed! God is gracious and patient. He has slowly introduced my heart to new and exciting possibilities. He shows me over and over how his plans for me are truly good. He reminds me that He is my anchor. He has placed me right where I belong. With that gift also came freedom.<br /> <br /> Freedom is a wonderful and precious gift. I could do wonderful things or I could fail. Failure scares me. I have the freedom to give the fear control of my heart or to fight back with truth. Even if I fall on my face, God will still be there. He will not abandon or forget me.<br /> <br /> With that lesson in mind, I find we have come full circle back to trust. My mended heart knows He is worthy of my trust. I am taking the scary risks involved in starting a brand new relationship that has grown out of a beautiful friendship. If there ever was a time when I needed to trust God, it is now.<br /> <br /> (If you are interested in learning more about <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2011/07/women-praying-boldly-initiative-will.html" target="_blank">the Women Praying Boldly community</a> or signing up for our monthly emails,&nbsp; you can find out more <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2011/07/women-praying-boldly-initiative-will.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br /> <br /> <i>Leeann, or Leelee as she prefers, spends her days with preschoolers and her nights writing stories. She enjoys seeking out beauty in the midst of chaos, peace in the midst of turmoil, and faith in spite of herself. While these passions fill her heart with joy, her first love is her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She also likes the color pink and sparkles. You can keep in touch with her by checking out her website, <a href="http://leeleewrites.com/">leeleewrites.com</a> (and find <a href="http://leeleewrites.com/category/women-praying-boldly-2/">all her previous posts about Women Praying Boldly here</a>), following her on Twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/leeleegirl4">@leeleegirl4</a>) or following her Facebook page, <a href="http://facebook.com/LeeleeWrites">Facebook.com/LeeleeWrites</a>.</i><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/10789720/via/lifeblessons" target="_blank">photo source</a> }</span><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></i></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=vppsMCImPQ0:gQ1wPcFfhgs:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=vppsMCImPQ0:gQ1wPcFfhgs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=vppsMCImPQ0:gQ1wPcFfhgs:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=vppsMCImPQ0:gQ1wPcFfhgs:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=vppsMCImPQ0:gQ1wPcFfhgs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/vppsMCImPQ0" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/vppsMCImPQ0/reflections-on-waiting-on-god-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)2http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/reflections-on-waiting-on-god-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-9213195466941105587Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:48:00 +00002013-03-14T07:48:00.725-04:00<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/39605129/healthy-body2_large.jpg" width="0" /><br /> <img src="http://click.infospace.com/ClickHandler.ashx?du=http%3a%2f%2fmyfrugaladventures.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2010%2f09%2fpublix-logo.jpg&amp;ru=http%3a%2f%2fmyfrugaladventures.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2010%2f09%2fpublix-logo.jpg&amp;ld=20130224&amp;ap=13&amp;app=1&amp;c=prodegemeta3.org&amp;s=prodegemeta3&amp;coi=372380&amp;cop=main-title&amp;euip=71.204.100.214&amp;npp=13&amp;p=0&amp;pp=0&amp;pvaid=fb65a9d1ae884144b6630b737ee3e781&amp;ep=13&amp;mid=9&amp;hash=5BBB1B913ABE323C23EFFF385DBB6542" /><br /> <img height="290" src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/39605129/healthy-body2_large.jpg" width="400" />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="http://www.myblogspark.com/images/template_2011/brands_2012/Publix_RORI_1523A/Publix_RORI_logo.jpg" /><br /> <br /> It seems like the sales for stocking up on grocery essentials are never ending! Last month, Publix was running its Italian-themed sales event; and now they're hosting a "<a href="http://www.runningoutrunin.com/">Running Out? Run In.</a>" sale. Which of course, is exactly what my life feels like right now: No time to spare!<br /> <br /> This sales event runs now through March 20th and features a variety of brands from General Mills and Procter &amp; Gamble, like Cheerios, Totino´s Pizza, Charmin and Crest. Plus, if you buy $25 of participating items, you can receive a $5 Publix gift card to use on your next shopping trip! (For more details on this rebate, please visit <a href="http://www.runningoutrunin.com/">www.runningoutrunin.com</a>.) <br /> <br /> Find out more about the sale (and all the everyday essentials you can stock up on!) at <a href="http://www.runningoutrunin.com/">www.runningoutrunin.com</a>.<br /> <br /> <i>Information and review opportunity provided by General Mills and Publix® through MyBlogSpark.</i><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=AzhyHsBnbWM:ltsphGtBvec:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=AzhyHsBnbWM:ltsphGtBvec:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=AzhyHsBnbWM:ltsphGtBvec:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=AzhyHsBnbWM:ltsphGtBvec:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=AzhyHsBnbWM:ltsphGtBvec:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/AzhyHsBnbWM" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/AzhyHsBnbWM/sponsored-post-stock-up-on-grocery.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)0http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/sponsored-post-stock-up-on-grocery.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-300380429361345987Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:19:00 +00002013-03-12T08:19:00.042-04:00<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3548/3787079586_cd071f416c_b.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY MELISSA OF <a href="http://on-bruised-knees.blogspot.com/">ON BRUISED KNEES</a></b></span><br /> <br /> I was reminded today that scared and sacred are almost the same word…and often the same experience. I asked my genius-girl, “Did you hate today?”<br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> “Was today hard?”<br /> <br /> “Yes.”<br /> <br /> She makes eye contact. We see glass-clear reflections of ourselves. <br /> <br /> I’m so glad she didn’t hate this scared, sacred day. We broke it down today. The elements of speaking, communicating, why God gave us words and voices. And specific circumstances where talking is necessary. We both have much going on in our brains. And we both only let out a fraction of it. <br /> <br /> I told my brilliant, beautiful girl I had some hidden years. I call them junior high. Who knew all those hidden days would be so relevant? Who knew I would draw from them often and reference that time again, again. A sort of testimony. Bulbs under snow. The frozen ground, the not wanting to become…was part of the becoming. Those hidden years? They weren’t about me. They were bigger than me.<br /> <br /> Through the years, students have told me that their goal of fill-in-the-blank was too hard. Too hard? So I hold out my sweat-drenched shaky icicle hands for them to see. I show them stains of sweat. I line up the pill bottles in a neat little row. <br /> <br /> “Even you?” They ask. “Why?”<br /> <br /> “Because speaking to you and teaching you is a worthwhile, purposeful thing. And it makes me nervous.” <br /> <br /> I made the confidence of so many girls my mission. Now they write me to say they are studying abroad, they are running marathons, they are working for dream companies, they are making new friends, they are stepping outside their own boxes. They are doing a hundred things I’m still too afraid to do.<br /> <br /> So when I hear a girl make noises in that squeaky, <i>I’m-too-afraid-to-breathe-because-I-don’t-know-if-I-deserve-air</i> kind of way…that voice scrapes my heart. I will fight for you against that hesitation and inferiority. I will push. But I will not push in a way that breaks you and makes you want to crumple to the floor in a heap. I’m proof of plenty of tactics that didn’t quite work.<br /> <br /> In college, an education professor made me yell as loud as I could and told me to practice my teacher voice while I was driving in my car. I hope I busted his dear little eardrum. After class, I rolled my eyes. I guess he didn’t know I led basketball cheers, sang solos, performed on stages, blared, resounded, boomed. You know, in the name of theatre.<br /> <br /> But he did know, he must have known that some deep part of me still did not believe I had any merit. I did not believe in everyday, daily-life me. “You apologize too much,” he said. “Why are you always apologizing?”<br /> <br /> I caught myself apologizing a few days ago. I was positively peer-pressured into posing for the flower shop’s sister company clothing store photo shoot.<br /> <br /> “But I’m pasty winter-white! My hair will be messy unless it’s professionally smoothed and straightened! I have an underbite and don’t smile right! My cheeks still have babyfat! My triceps are flabby! I have no boobs and a rear that is too bootylicious for pattered skinny jeans! My sister’s an actual model…let’s wait until next month when she visits over spring break and she will rock these outfits! I’m out of the habit of wearing foundation!”<br /> <br /> (Side note: Life feels more about survival than sparkle and gloss here in the tundra, more functional than feminine. The husband prefers au natural and I have zero people to compete with/compare myself to because the tundra is not located in Edwards County. So that’s what I mean when I say Girl is plumb out of the habit).<br /> <br /> I mentally continued on my self-destructive rampage, “I never learned proper eye shadow application! My nail polish is always chipped! I’m bad at being a girl! I’m only 5’4”! Out of a hundred senior picture poses, I only have one photo that wasn’t awkward! I’m like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights who doesn’t know what to do with his hands!”<br /> <br /> Then I realized it’s not about me. It was about letting the customers see how the clothes fit. And about helping the company. And that’s bigger than my hang-ups and hitches. And why was I apologizing for natural in the first place?<br /> <br /> Let’s stop apologizing, shall we?<br /> <br /> For who we are, for what we do, for what we look like when we don't try or we do try, for being women, for having voices, for having thoughts, for having opinions.<br /> <br /> Stop being scared little birds.<br /> <br /> I think God wants us to get over ourselves.<br /> <br /> Because the scared experiences are also the sacred ones. <br /> <br /> <i>Melissa Knackmuhs Kiefer attended the University of Evansville and taught at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville, IN. She currently lives in northwestern IL with her husband, Josh--the man who's been by her side for eleven years, and her sweet black Labrador named Jovie. Melissa is enjoying her new jobs as a florist, bridal consultant, and English tutor and is looking forward to starting her MFA in creative nonfiction writing this summer. She blogs about life's grit and grace at <a href="http://on-bruised-knees.blogspot.com/">On Bruised Knees</a>. </i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/3787079586/sizes/l/in/faves-44157735@N04/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ZpFAU0ngogo:kctRxOmcWV8:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ZpFAU0ngogo:kctRxOmcWV8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ZpFAU0ngogo:kctRxOmcWV8:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ZpFAU0ngogo:kctRxOmcWV8:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=ZpFAU0ngogo:kctRxOmcWV8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/ZpFAU0ngogo" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/ZpFAU0ngogo/scared-and-sacred-and-getting-over.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)4http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/scared-and-sacred-and-getting-over.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-5373674315213682087Sat, 09 Mar 2013 15:16:00 +00002013-03-09T10:16:00.322-05:00<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6510934443_8bd2942b79_z.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY JORDY OF <a href="http://www.jordylizblogs.com/" target="_blank">JORDY LIZ BLOGS</a></b></span><br /> <br /> Last Christmas, I had my heart set on diamond stud earrings. I rarely even wear earrings but I thought if they were special, nice studs, I would get a lot of use out of them. So, I made sure Chris knew these were on my list. I typically don't tell him what I want outright because I like to be truly surprised and see what he will find. I had made it easy for him this time.<br /> <br /> Several days before Christmas, he came home with a small box. He hid in the back room and wrapped it up, and then came back down the hallway and placed it strategically under the tree. It was right there: a small, gift-wrapped box. I was certain, absolutely certain, they were diamond earrings. What else could they be? I hadn't hinted at anything else.<br /> <br /> We opened our presents on Christmas Eve. I handed him presents I had spent weeks selecting, and he handed me the small box, giddy and excited. As I was opening it, I was envisioning the earrings, so excited he had come through with an incredible gift. I carefully opened the paper and the box underneath told me everything.<br /> <br /> It wasn't jewelry. It was perfume.<br /> <br /> My face said it all, and as much as I tried to hide my disappointment, I couldn't. He read it like a book and sunk back into the couch.<br /> <br /> "Perfume," I said, doing my best to force my lips into a smile. I was embarrassed at my own reaction.<br /> <br /> "You don't like it," he said, obviously hurt.<br /> <br /> "I do. I just, I thought..."<br /> <br /> "You thought it was something else."<br /> <br /> "Yeah, I did." And that ended the most awkward gift exchange I've ever participated in. In my head, I had told him exactly what I wanted. I already had at least five bottles of perfume, so why would he think I needed another one?<br /> <br /> Later, when I came to my senses and apologized, he explained why he had bought the perfume. It was Taylor Swift's brand and I, we, love Taylor Swift. It had a bird on it and I love birds. The smell reminded him of me. And I hadn't even thought about why he was so excited to give it to me, nor did I ask. He knew what I had really wanted, but he also knew we weren't able to afford it.<br /> <br /> I had doomed him to fail from the get-go.<br /> <br /> By expecting the diamonds, I had determined anything else would be inadequate. I knew they were over our allotted price range for gifts, but I thought maybe he would surprise me with them anyway. Because I was being selfish. And inconsiderate. I had set up unrealistic expectations he couldn't afford to reach.<br /> <br /> How often do we do this in our marriages or relationships? Christmas gifts aren't the only culprit.<br /> <br /> I expect flowers on my birthday, so the hand-written letter within the sentimental card is all of a sudden not good enough. After spending an hour cooking, I expect him to do the dishes at least before we go to bed, so when they are still there in the morning, we start out the day on a rough note. I expect him to say something when I dress up particularly nice, and when he doesn't, I take that to mean I don't look as good as I thought I did.<br /> <br /> And you know what? He has very few, if any, expectations of me aside from those we made in our vows over two years ago.<br /> <br /> My expectations of him come from selfishness within me, and we're never going to win at this marriage gig if I keep setting us up to fail. He's not meeting my expectations, because I'm the one setting them. And when I set them, I don't tell him. I expect him to know, but he can't read my mind, and we repeat the cycle over and over and over again.<br /> <br /> I can't stuff my expectations into a small gift-wrapped box.<br /> <br /> I have to make realistic expectations and I have to communicate what I need.<br /> <br /> I have to do each of these with love and fairness.<br /> <br /> And by the way, I love the perfume.<br /> <br /> <i>Jordy says, "I blog about life, faith and marriage over at </i><i><a href="http://www.jordylizblogs.com/" target="_blank">Jordy Liz Blogs</a>. I was born and raised in Texas, but now live in the deserts of Arizona with my husband, dog, and soon-to-be baby. By day, I work in an office, and by night, I'm a blogger and freelance editor. Come visit!"</i><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/72153088@N08/6510934443/sizes/z/in/photostream/">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=fLPeB8yfhGQ:mHZwq5Tx_z8:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=fLPeB8yfhGQ:mHZwq5Tx_z8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=fLPeB8yfhGQ:mHZwq5Tx_z8:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=fLPeB8yfhGQ:mHZwq5Tx_z8:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=fLPeB8yfhGQ:mHZwq5Tx_z8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/fLPeB8yfhGQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/fLPeB8yfhGQ/selfish-expectations-in-marriage-guest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)5http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/selfish-expectations-in-marriage-guest.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-5761895236336763311Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:15:00 +00002013-03-06T16:15:00.072-05:00<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/16488629/tumblr_lth4elXUgt1qfhtnu_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;,sans-serif;"><b>A GUEST POST BY IRADIS FROM <a href="http://livefaithfully.blogspot.com/">LIVE FAITHFULLY</a></b></span><br /> <br /> <i>First, a huge congratulations to Carmen &amp; her husband on the birth of their daughter. It makes me so excited for meeting our baby in May. My name is Iradis (but I'm known as Urban Wife on the 'webs) and I’m married to a man who makes me laugh, known as Red Beard. We’re slowly making our new home in Texas and enjoying the adventure. We love Jesus, coffee (him) &amp; tea (me) and being active. My little piece of the internet can be found at <a href="http://livefaithfully.blogspot.com/">http://livefaithfully.blogspot.com</a> and also on Instagram <b>@urbanwife</b>. I love meeting new readers so please stop by and say hi! Thanks for having me here today, Carmen.</i><br /> <br /> Have you ever wanted something so badly that you thought you just couldn’t live another day without it? I’m sure if you think about it long enough, the answer is a resounding ‘yes!’, in spite of what your life journey has been up to this point.<br /> <br /> My lesson in waiting starts a little over two years ago although if I really think about it, it begins many years prior. All I wanted was to become a mom and I had all my little checkboxes as to exactly how this ultimate goal of motherhood would happen. First, I would find a Godly man. <i>Check</i>. Then I would get married to this man. <i>Check</i>. We would enjoy a few years as a couple. <i>Check</i>. Finally, the month we would decide to have a child, it would happen that month. <i>Not exactly.</i><br /> <br /> What I didn’t count on was God’s plan in fulfilling my desire of motherhood and how He would go about doing it. I didn’t count on waiting but God knew all along, that I would need to go through this season of life. It strengthened my faith and patience.<br /> <br /> Just because I wanted a child so badly and prayed about it all the time, didn’t mean that God wasn’t listening to my pleas. Those first months were not much of a letdown. However, those months slowly turned into years and still no child. As time went by, I found myself questioning more and more. Was God even listening anymore? <i>Yes, yes He was. </i>Was this my punishment for having once thought I didn’t want kids? <i>No, no it wasn’t. </i>Weren’t my plans good enough and logical? <i>Yes...or so I thought.</i><br /> <br /> It was right there in my face all along. God’s plan was so much bigger than mine! <br /> <br /> There are 3 big-picture realizations I came to during my lesson in waiting:<br /> <blockquote> 1. <b>God’s plan &amp; timing is perfect.</b> This is one of the hardest truths to come to grips with but when I did, it brought me more freedom than I could have imagined. From all the different reading I was doing during this time, if I had to pick one quote that served as a daily reminder about this truth, it is the following: </blockquote> “<i>Lie passive in God’s hands, and know no will but His.</i>” - Charles H. Spurgeon<br /> <br /> When I read that quote, I think it perfectly sums up what it took for me to realize that waiting was all part of God’s plan and I didn’t have to do any planning; He already had this planned out.<br /> <br /> Also, there were a few Bible verses that I committed to memory. Like a muscle that gains strength when you work it out, these verses were my daily workout, so that I could gain strength to let go of my plans and hang on to God’s plans.<br /> <br /> “<i>Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.</i>” Proverbs 3:5-6<br /> <br /> “<i>Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!</i>” Psalms 46:10<br /> <br /> “<i>Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!</i>” Psalms 27:14<br /> <blockquote> 2. <b>Keep living my life. </b> As much as I felt like it would, life didn’t come to a sudden stop just because I didn’t get what I wanted, when I wanted it. What I realized was that I couldn’t keep living my life on a month-to-month basis. Instead, I had to live my life in spite of my circumstance and not because of my circumstance. We made plans to travel (and even went to Israel!), drank plenty of wine, ate lots of sushi, trained hardcore, competed in triathlons, rode roller-coasters, and the list goes on. In other words, I intentionally chose to focus on enjoying our time as a couple. It is amazing how when I would focus on what I actually had in front of me and was a present wife, I quickly forgot about wanting a child so desperately. It was so freeing, once I let go of my self-imposed prison. <br /> <br /> 3. <b> Waiting makes it all the sweeter and more precious.</b> Remember my question at the beginning about wanting something badly? Now try and recall a time when that desire was finally fulfilled, maybe even in an unexpected way. Take that moment, savor it and then bottle it up for later. God knew just how long I would be waiting for the arrival of our child. He knew the precise moment when I would finally conceive this child. He knew! We are currently expecting our first child in May. To say that this has been a much anticipated event is an understatement. When you wait on something for a long, long time, then when it actually happens it is like the sweetest fruit or dessert you have ever tasted. All the prayers, the waiting and the tears were worth every second of every day and now that fulfilled desire is much sweeter, much more precious than if my plan would have unfolded instead of God’s plan.</blockquote> We are at the beginning of an amazing, roller coaster called parenthood. I realize just how blessed we are to have been given the gift of a child, along with the great responsibility we will have to be Godly parents to this child. <br /> <br /> I don’t see this as a happily-ever-after ending. I see it as a lesson learned. I see it as my faith deepened. I see it as the continuation of many more lessons in waiting that await my life.<br /> <br /> No matter how much you think you want something, remember that God’s plan is much bigger and infinitely better than yours.<br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/16488629/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9j427XYWtns:2iXfpbk7Soo:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9j427XYWtns:2iXfpbk7Soo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9j427XYWtns:2iXfpbk7Soo:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9j427XYWtns:2iXfpbk7Soo:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=9j427XYWtns:2iXfpbk7Soo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/9j427XYWtns" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/9j427XYWtns/a-lesson-on-waiting-guest-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)2http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-lesson-on-waiting-guest-post.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-6333225440275523941Tue, 05 Mar 2013 01:19:00 +00002013-03-04T20:19:00.168-05:00pregnancymama<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/50238419/tumblr_mh4y9dA2F01rift4xo1_500_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> So it appears <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/and-still-we-wait.html" target="_blank">I might have spoken too soon</a>, as I am officially now in labor! I am so excited to be able to type that: Our baby is coming! I can barely believe it myself.<br /> <br /> Now that I'm officially in labor, I just wanted to pop in here to pass the word along and to humbly ask you all to be praying with us over the next hours as we wait to finally meet our little girl!<br /> <br /> (FYI, I typed most of this post in advance and set it to post a few hours later, lest you think I'm absolutely crazy or anything!)<br /> <br /> I do hope to post an update once she's here, but I can't make any promises on when exactly that will be, as I'm sure you all understand! In the meantime, I have scheduled a bunch of wonderful guest posts to publish while I'm tending to and getting to know her.<br /> <br /> Thank you so much for all the support, encouragement and love you've sent my way over these past few months as we've made this journey. It means so much to me. And I can really hardly believe it's almost over. (Or, really, just beginning!)<br /> <b><br /></b> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2012/11/letters-to-my-baby.html" target="_blank">Letters to My Baby</a></b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2012/11/anticipating-unknown.html" target="_blank">Anticipating the Unknown</a></b><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/50238419/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=06hvEUdOHTY:v_bePqSxyEg:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=06hvEUdOHTY:v_bePqSxyEg:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=06hvEUdOHTY:v_bePqSxyEg:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=06hvEUdOHTY:v_bePqSxyEg:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=06hvEUdOHTY:v_bePqSxyEg:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/06hvEUdOHTY" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/06hvEUdOHTY/baby-is-on-way.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)10http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/baby-is-on-way.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4807180913108287708.post-7584038169828160514Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:42:00 +00002013-03-03T19:42:22.752-05:00pregnancymy faith<img src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/16488629/tumblr_lth4elXUgt1qfhtnu_large.jpg" width="98%" /><br /> <br /> It’s now eight days past my due date, and we’re still waiting to meet this little girl, snug and squirmy in my womb, who has stolen our hearts and affection for months now. But still, we wait.<br /> <br /> It’s actually taken me by surprise that we’re still waiting. I had expected that she would come early, maybe even be a Valentine’s Day baby. But that holiday went by. Then President’s Day. Then a full moon. Her cousin’s birthday, her uncle’s birthday, her aunt’s birthday. All these extra special days inched by and still she has stayed put. <br /> <br /> I try not to personify the waiting, like thinking that, “She wants a special day of her own!” or, “She knows that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’” Because of course, that isn’t the case at all. I can’t read too much into the waiting, except that she or my body aren’t quite ready yet. <br /> <br /> Just as <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/waiting-on-god-and-praying-for-child.html" target="_blank">we had to wait to conceive her</a>, I now find myself back at that same place, trusting God to finish what he’s started. To bring this lady out into the world—and into my arms—healthy and well. <br /> <br /> It seems this is <a href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/waiting-on-god-reflecting-on-some-of.html" target="_blank">a lesson God keeps wanting—<i>needing</i>—to teach me</a>, time and time again. It seems that even though I’ve been through it a million times over now (just try searching for the word “waiting” on my blog!), I still don’t have this thing down. My heart still has to fight to believe and trust and have joy in the waiting. <br /> <br /> One of the verses that has really spoken to me in these last months of pregnancy is James 1:2-4: “Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow—so let it grow! For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”<br /> <br /> Time and again I’ve found inspiration and solace in this verse. And now as I wait, I came back to this verse again and realized that the trouble I am currently facing (waiting on the baby to come, in great hopes of avoiding a medical induction), I can choose to have joy <i>now</i>: <br /> <br /> <b>I do not have to wait until that which I’m praying for has come. There is joy to be found even now, in the waiting.</b><br /> <br /> And so, tonight, while I continue to pray and wait and fend off my tendency to worry, I whisper to my heart to have joy, to rejoice in what the Lord is doing even now. Because, as I have seen time and time again, he is always doing something. It usually just takes awhile for us to actually see it.<br /> <br /> <b>Related Posts</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/waiting-on-god-and-praying-for-child.html" target="_blank">Waiting on God and Praying for a Child</a>&nbsp;</b><br /> <b><a class="gs-title" href="http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/01/waiting-on-god-reflecting-on-some-of.html" target="_blank">Waiting on God: Reflecting on Some of the Seasons in My Life</a></b> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">{ <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/16488629/via/lifeblessons">photo source</a> }</span></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HOFOWFc5Brg:hjZuFDige4s:2nqncYFp4_M"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=2nqncYFp4_M" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HOFOWFc5Brg:hjZuFDige4s:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HOFOWFc5Brg:hjZuFDige4s:I97M6haO00k"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=I97M6haO00k" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HOFOWFc5Brg:hjZuFDige4s:bcOpcFrp8Mo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=bcOpcFrp8Mo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?a=HOFOWFc5Brg:hjZuFDige4s:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LifeBlessons?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~4/HOFOWFc5Brg" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifeBlessons/~3/HOFOWFc5Brg/and-still-we-wait.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (carmen @ life blessons)7http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2013/03/and-still-we-wait.html