Mod Memento: The Blog

A New Blog... please come and visit?

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:26:00 +0000

Hey friends - I'm excited to let you know that after much consideration, I have decided to start a whole new blog! I have loved this space so much but felt the need to start a new season in a new little corner of the web. With a new name!

I call the new space, "Woven."

I am completely rebranding my blog and Etsy shop. Please head over to my new blog, www.SheIsWoven.com to check it out and read more about why I decided to make the change.

And I would be honored if you would take the time to update your follow links, bookmarks and social media links with my new info as I will no longer be posting here at Mod Memento. You can find all my new contact info at the new blog.

And later this spring, I will be introducing my new Etsy Shop called Woven // Digital Media. I will have a brand new collection of prints as well as some other digital art products that I've never offered before!

Thanks so much for reading and encouraging me along my five year journey with Mod Memento!

www.SheIsWoven.com
SheIsWoven [at] gmail [dot] com
www.facebook.com/sheiswoven

------

Ready to thaw

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:48:00 +0000

I hope you all enjoyed Easter!

Despite it still being in the 30's this morning as I write this, I do feel a sense of newness and refreshment at the start of Spring. All things new. Praise God. I went on a jog yesterday and noticed a few little buds starting to open up all over our neighborhood. I am literally counting the days until I can break out the sandals and put away our heavy coats. I am SO ready to thaw out!

In the spirit of a new season, I'm excited to start a new one with this blog as well. I'm almost ready to tell you about it. Just another day or two. :)

----

Sneak peek

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Just popping in to say that I've been working on something the past couple weeks that I'm excited to share with you soon! I am planning to post all the details next week. But until then, here's a little sneak peek that I shared on instagram recently.

Afterwards I had a lot of cute emails and comments from some very observant friends asking if it was baby news. Sorry to disappoint.... but it's not that. :)

Happy Easter everyone!

----

Break

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:47:00 +0000

I am going to take a bit of a blog break between now and Easter so I can truly take some time to reflect during this most precious time of Lent.

Now I wonder, Do you know Him?

I so want you to know Him. And Easter is the perfect time to approach Him just as you are.

No need to get your life in order first,
or brush up on your bible story knowledge.
No need do a few good deeds first.
You don't have to be free from that addiction or hangup before you talk to Him.

You don't have to know how to pray like a pastor, you just have to start talking.
You don't have to have a spotless reputation, just a willing and humble heart.
You don't have to know all the answers, just have a bit of faith.

Just come as you are. He already knows you... and still wants you.

I'll be back soon with an announcement!

----

Reading & Listening 3.8.13

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:38:00 +0000

This week, I'm R E A D I N G "Treasures of the Darkness" written by Nathalie Wisnant for Naptime Diaries.

And I'm L I S T E N I N G to the below song from Hillsong United called "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail). Every lyric is such extravagant worship.

----

Snapshots of a Life Unfolding

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 02:52:00 +0000

Photographs are crazy amazing things aren't they? They show you a piece of who you were at a specific point in time. But snapshots certainly aren't the full story. They are only a tiny piece of a chapter. And that chapter is only a tiny piece to the whole story. The story of life that God is writing.

My high school graduation day, 1997.

See that girl up there? Boy was she naive.

My childhood chapters were beautiful, and full of love and security. And when I look at this photo, I see such a naive little girl....and I'm thankful for that chapter. She was a good girl, full of life and full of potential.

But she was oh so blind to the real world. Blind to the suffering and loss and lack that so many experience. Not a care in the world, she was only beginning to build the foundations of her faith. It was a shallow, untested faith. Free from the scars that help to open your eyes and your heart. Working to understand what it meant to follow Christ. It was a lot of head knowledge, but certainly no heart knowledge. But brick by brick, she was laying each truth she learned down onto the walls of what would become a mighty foundation. This would all become the cornerstone of a greater understanding on which to build her life.

This was just a snapshot of a special chapter.

My Wedding Day, 2005.

Fast forward a few years and a new chapter began. Marriage. And this happy, hopeful bride at age 26 had no idea how selfish and prideful she really was. Marriage is crash course in showing you your true colors. And thankfully, my husband was willing to love me despite my long list of shortcomings and self-centeredness.

And again, this was just a snapshot of a special chapter. A chapter that has refined my character and sanctified me in ways I never knew I needed. And it's difficult. And it's so so good.

I'm so thankful that neither of these snapshots truly defines who I am now, or the full story of my life. They are simply moments, taken from chapters, taken from a life still unfolding. And any one photo taken out of context, does not represent the whole story. I am no longer a naive teenager or a selfish newlywed. Those were only chapters.

I hope by the time I am in my 80's or 90's, I will have an album full of snapshots and moments that represent my years of struggles, victories, mistakes, maturity, bad decisions, and life-altering sanctification.

----

A Meetup of Influential Women

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:28:00 +0000

Hello to anyone new stopping by my little space this morning! I'm Bri! And today I am joining in with my fellow Influence Network bloggers to introduce myself and take part in a special link-up we're doing today.

If you still haven't heard about The Influence Network, you simply must head over the website and check out all the amazing resources and encouragement for bloggers and handmade artists. What I've learned from being a part of the Network so far is that I can successfully blend both the "heart and life stuff" and the "strategy stuff" into the same blog. I don't have to pick one or the other. They're both equally important to the success of my personal brand.

We are a group of women who want to make our online life mean something.
We are intelligent, inspiring, intentional and influential women.
We are artists, mothers, entrepreneurs, missionaries, writers and so much more.
We are pursuing personal and spiritual growth with intention.
We feel called to speak truth and encouragement and inspiration on our online spaces, and not just add to the noise.

If you're looking for a place to find encouragement as you pursue a more meaningful purpose through blogging or a handmade business online, please come and join us at the Influence Network. You'll find forums and classes and resources and like-minded women in community. This network has been such an answered prayer for me. Join us!

And for all my fellow Influence Women reading today, here are 3 quick things about me:

1. I have been blogging since 2007 but it wasn't until 2011 that I felt God calling me to use my blog for something more.

This blog is my heart and my ministry and my art.

2. I live just outside of Philadelphia where we get to enjoy the beauty of all four seasons in all their glory.

I would love to hear where you're from, please leave a comment!

3. Music is a daily part of my life and an essential component of my blog writing. Music often helps inspire my words and helps me to express what's on my heart.

I love everything from Praise & Worship to Motown to Hip Hop.

For your information...

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:15:00 +0000

I am short on insightful words this week but thought I would share another one of my favorite kinds of photography - side by side comparisons that show the passage of time.

One year ago, I took AF to see Beauty & the Beast in the movie theater when it was re-released in 3D. And this weekend, I took her to see a local high school production of the show. I love seeing how much taller she's gotten and has since lost two teeth.

I do these comparison photos a lot, you can find more here, here, and here.

In other news, I had the opportunity to guest post over at one of my favorite blogs, Afterbelly, as part of Nathalie's beautiful ongoing series called "The Mamahood". Head over there to read about my struggle to love sacrificially.

And have you seen fashionABLE's new Spring Collection of scarves?! I'm in LOVE. Check them out here and consider buying one for someone you love. Your purchase saves the lives and livlihoods of so many women in Africa who, through their work with fashionABLE, are able to sustain life, dignity and purpose for themselves and their families. Go shopping!

----

A Playlist for all Occasions {Volume 3}

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:50:00 +0000

I felt like doing Volume 3 today.

Here are my current fave songs, for any occasion you might find yourself in.

Dance to this.
Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z - Suit and Tie

Sing out loud to this.
Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love

Slow dance to t his.
Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran - Everything Has Changed

Raise your hands in worship to this.
Rend Collective Experiement - Keep Me Near

Decide You Want to Try out for a Musical to this. (Oh wait, is that just me?)
The Cast of Les Miserables - One Day More

Get Inspired by this.
All Sons and Daughters - All the Poor and Powerless

Chill out to this.
Jon Forecman - Behind Your Eyes

Workout to this.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop

Get a little country with t his.
Kip Moore - Hey Pretty Girl

Road Trip to this.
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (from 500 Days of Summer)

Fall In Love to this.
Chris and Conrad - I'm at Home

---

Homemade Bread {a recipe}

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:01:00 +0000

So I don't consider myself a baker. At all.

I am not good at it and I don't enjoy it to be honest. But when my friend Jamye invited me over one day last week and insisted that even I (the timid baker) could make homemade bread using a recipe she recently found, I was intrigued. Skeptical for sure. But given my love of homemade bread, I was indeed intrigued. The thought of making bread every Sunday and having a fresh loaf to get us through the week sounded so tempting. And it sounded so domestic! I was even having thoughts of buying a cute apron just so I could wear it while making bread.

So I am happy to say that yesterday I took the plunge. And it was a huge success! This recipe really is easy. Only 4 ingredients! It was a lot less scary than I thought. So I just had to share this recipe with you all. It originally came from the book called 200 Fast & Easy Artisan Breads (No-Knead, One Bowl) by Judith Fertig. But has since been tweaked a bit by friends.

INGREDIENTS:

6.5 cups bread flour
1.5 T yeast (I used a Rapid Rise kind)
1.5 T kosher salt
3 cups lukewarm water

DIRECTIONS:

-Mix everything in large bowl with wooden spoon.
-Cover well with plastic wrap and let sit and rise for 2 hours in a warm spot. I ran my dryer, then
turned it off and put the bowl in there! Jamye puts hers on the radiator.
-After 2 hours it will be about doubled in size.
-Punch down and somewhat knead into a ball on a floured countertop.
-Wash out the bowl, and oil bowl with olive oil and put ball of dough in and turn to coat with oil. -Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for an hour.
-When the hour is almost up, preheat oven to 450 degrees with your dutch oven (or cast iron round pot) without lid in the oven.
-When dough is ready dump into hot pot that has been sprinkled with flour then sprinkle the dough with kosher salt.
-Put lid on bake 1/2 hour with lid then 15 min without lid.
-Serve with olive oil and bread spices or butter.

Note: dough will be very sticky!

Please let me know if you try it!

-----

A Place To Dwell

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Hey friends! Today I am excited to be sharing 3 Things that are Inspiring my Creative Process over at Katie's beautiful blog, A Place To Dwell. It's a part of her ongoing series called Staying Creative. Be sure to add her to your Google Reader, she's a constant source of inspiration!

Trinkets & Treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:39:00 +0000

When I first found out I was pregnant with AF, I remember anxiously picking out each item in her nursery. From the bedding and furniture to the artwork on the walls, each item was lovingly chosen and put in its place before I ever met my tiny little lady who would someday bring life into that room.

Fast forward five years and that spunky lady brings such beauty and uniqueness to her now "big girl room". I snuck in there this morning to take a few photos of the little details that she herself has chosen to display in there. Because I think it will be fun to show her someday.

The room is just totally.... HER. And I love it.

For the most part, I've stepped down as decorator and now I adore watching her make those decisions in her own special way. I try not to interfere with her design choices. I want her to have a space all her own. Even if all the knick knacks make my eyes hurt. She loves random trinkets and treasures, and it's fun to spy what items she places where. And she just told me yesterday that she wants to paint her desk purple.

I remember when I was a little girl absolutely loving my bedroom. I took great pride in decorating and personalizing that space, especially the Luke Perry poster I had up during my 90210 phase (wow). I also recall pestering my parents for a specific white bedroom furniture set, insisting that everything match!

I just hope AF grows up loving her room just as much as I did and feeling like that space is truly a haven.

Now keeping that haven clean is quite another story....

-----

To be truly known, and still loved.

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:31:00 +0000

A friend recently asked me how I feel loved by God. I thought it was such an interesting question. Because despite not being able to physically see Him or receive love from him the way I would from normal a loved one, I still feel lavishly loved by my God.

Here are just a few ways that I feel it...

// I can take off the Masks.
I can be my real self in His presence and there's nothing that he doesn't already know about me. I feel loved because He is truly my hiding place when I'm tired of all the masks. Psalms 32:7

// He offers endless Mercy.
When I have a horrid day of mistake after mistake and sin after sin, I know He promises his gift of abundant mercy. To me, it translates as the very definition of unconditional love. Hebrews 4:16

// He created me and chose me.
I feel loved when I read that God knit me together in my mother's womb and that every cell in my body was designed by His hand with a purpose. Knowing that I have a purpose on this Earth makes me feel loved. Psalms 139:13-16

// I am included in his greater plan.
My story matters to Him. And He loves me enough to include me in His plan for the world. I was chosen for this time and this place in history. I may never know what my footprints will ultimately do for his greater plan during my time here on Earth, but I feel loved by his desire to include me in it. Romans 8:28

Becoming a mother has given me such a concrete glimpse into how God loves me. It's the perfect illustration to help me grasp even the tiniest picture of the affection He has for us. Just as I offer my own children a hiding place to be themselves, mercy, purpose and inclusion, so He does the same tenfold for me.

He knows my ugly. He knows my dark. He knows my struggles and the places where I painfully lack. He watches me turn away. He watches me try to replace Him daily. He watches me strive and control and run in the wrong direction at every turn.

And still....

LOVE.

It's a crazy beautiful thing to be intimately known and loved by the creator of the Earth.

----

pure & simple

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:16:00 +0000

I am excited to be guest posting today at one of my favorite blogs, Pure & Simple. The four lovely women who co-author the blog share my love of encouraging and pursuing personal growth. So I am thrilled to be featured this month as they focus on the word "Cherish" . Click here to read about how Love Languages have helped me love and cherish my family better.

A favorite photo from Hilton Head, SC. A favorite photo from Sonoma, California.

----

Redesign in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:03:00 +0000

Excuse the mess as I work to redesign the blog a bit!

Spontaneity

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 02:29:00 +0000

You know those special days when you make really amazing memories? And your heart wants so badly to burn every single moment into your brain forever and keep those memories as fresh as they are today?

Yeah, that's what today was.

M surprised us and took the day off work. It was a gorgeous 50-degree-day with a sky full of sunshine. We went ice skating in the City and then out to our favorite wood-fired pizza place for dinner. I watched my children try something for the first time. And I could have cried watching them beam with joy as they scooted around on that ice. They fell down a thousand times but never quit. They held my hand so tightly. So full of trust.

To anyone out there contemplating a spontaneous day off from the daily grind to spend with the ones you love - do it! Go do something you've never done before. LIVE. Each day is a gift.

-----

Enclosed

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:19:00 +0000

Follow me on Instagram @modmemento.

Today I just wanted to share a beautiful passage from one of my favorite books, Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman.

".... it helps to remember that God has enclosed me behind. That means everything in my past - every situation, circumstance, pain, fear, and longing I've ever had - he has been a barrier between those things and me. The Hebrew word translated as "behind" is also used in scripture to mean "west". And he has also enclosed me before, meaning forward, front, or everlasting. It can also mean "east." East and west are opposites forever. They have no beginning, no ending, and they never meet one another. He covers my yesterday and he holds my tomorrow. Still, this present moment is where I live." .... "He has enclosed me forever in the past and forever in the future. And then he lays his hand upon me in the great right now."

I love the word 'enclosed'. It feels so safe and cared for. It's difficult to wrap my brain around the fact that God encloses my past, present and future. But I believe it with all my heart. I love knowing that all the moments I capture with my camera or phone, such as the ones above, are never a surprise to Him. They are little glimpses into the story He's writing for me. This includes the tough stuff (especially the tough stuff). It's all in the plan. And He lovingly encloses it.

----

Checking in

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:46:00 +0000

DR recently got a play shaving kit and has absolutely loved getting to do something he sees his daddy doing. He's my little man alright.

I am short on words this week. And I'm short on photos too actually which is rare. We've been passing around some sort of bug in my house for the first time this season. Shame on me for recently boasting that we had escaped the winter sickies.

I'm hoping to get back to blogging and photography this week but we'll see. At this point I would just settle for being able to walk out to the mailbox without feeling all my energy drain right out of my body.

Stay healthy everyone.

----

The Art of Surrender

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:16:00 +0000

I love that our kitchen table is covered in art supplies all day, every day.

I've talked a lot on this blog about pursuing my passion. And I'm finding myself in a season that requires much patience in that regard. I'm the kind of person who craves change every few years. And although raising little ones inherently means things constantly change, it's also a time when I have to constantly push my own endeavors aside, or at least put them on pause. And that's okay. This is what I signed up for. But I guess I'm growing a bit tired of the start and stop that is my etsy shop, Mod Memento. My pattern typically looks like this....I have a creative surge, get excited about using my gifts, go full force ahead, quickly lose sight of my priorities, burn out, and close the shop. I take a break, regroup, and then subsequently repeat the cycle again. I am very much a "hurry up and get it now kind of person". When I get something on the brain, it's hard for me to slow down the momentum.

But 2012 was a year of God teaching me about rest & rhythm. And it was wonderful. I finally found comfort in knowing that I'm enough - exactly the way I am. I don't need any accolades of any earthly kind as long as I know my identity in Christ. I'm not gonna lie - this was tough for me. But it was such a fruitful year for me in terms of slowing down enough to let God tell me something important. I stopped a lot of that chasing and striving and just decided to listen. I'm still practicing this. Because the discipline of surrendering to God's sovereignty is a tough one.

And once again I find myself having a creative surge. I find myself wanting to rebrand and restart and do something I love. I wish I had unlimited hours to sit at my computer and create and design and dream and write. But I just don't right now.

So I'm treading lightly. I'm working on healthy surrender. And open hands. And embracing the lack of change. There truly can be beauty in the monotony of raising children! And perhaps, it's simply a season for hiding some of those other dreams in my heart until the right time. Because ultimately, I want whatever I do in this world to be about glorifying God and not about seeking the approval of man. I don't want the monster of comparison to steal my creative joy. And I don't want to find myself caring more about commendation and confirmation than I do about my creator.

Oh and by the way, Motherhood is the most creative endeavor I've ever taken on. It's an art form in itself, don't you agree?

---

Reading & Listening 2.1.13

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:45:00 +0000

I sorta melt over those cute little feet.

This week I'm Reading The Starving Blogger from Allume.com

And I'm Listening to Everything has Changed by Taylor Swift & Ed Sheeran

---

Get Up and Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:05:00 +0000

I'm always so frustrated by my default tendency to forget the God I love. Prone to Wander, as one of my favorite hymns says. That in my humanity, I will more often choose to turn away from God and his goodness rather than embrace all that I know of Him and studied of Him since the age of 13. Why hasn't 20 years of feeling his pursuit of me been enough to "get it"? I still gravitate toward the things that offend him. And sure enough, the truth gets clouded. And discontentment takes root. And I stumble and trip and strive and "try harder" in my own strength.

But yet... he still chooses me daily. He still wants me in my desheveled state. I don't have to slink back to him unsure of his response. I can fall lovingly into his presence and be sure of my acceptance just as I am. And with that, he breaks through my deafness. He opens my blind eyes. He shows me once again how to use my feet. Not of my own strength, but of His.

I've mentioned before that song lyrics are often a way that God speaks to me. I'll be wrestling with something and suddenly a song will pop up on my Pandora that speaks wisdom and truth to me in the moment I need it. And this is what happened with a particular song a few weeks ago. And the lyrics have been marinating in my mind ever since. The song is called "Get Up and Walk" and it's by one of my favorite artists, Bethany Dillon.

She says,

You break through my deafness
Swing open the curtain
And I find the courage to get up and walk
I forget my weakness
For You've answered my loneliness
And through the mud on my eyes
I can see my Hope has come

And so..... may I get up and walk this week.

----

Family Silhouette Art

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:08:00 +0000

Last year, my talented friend Jessica from Kairos Photography took our family portraits. One of my absolute faves from that session was one where the four of us were walking along the sidewalk holding hands.

So with the magic of Photoshop (and a blessing from the photographer), I was able to create a silhouette of us and turn it into a fun modern piece of art for our bedroom! I won't get into a whole tutorial here but if you have Photoshop and would like to try it yourself, check out these instructions for creating a silhouette.

I created my image at 16x20 inches, then ordered an oversized print from mpix.com. I then framed it with my favorite Ikea RIBBA frame.

It's a piece I will enjoy for years to come!

---

A Celebration

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:43:00 +0000

We celebrated AF with a belated 5th birthday party this past weekend. Our style is to keep it small and intimate, so we had a small group of her girlfriends to our local pottery painting shop and had had a blast!

We had pizza and soft pretzels. And because AF is not a fan of birthday cake, I commissioned my talented friend Kristin to create monogrammed sugar cookies for each of the guests instead. They were a hit!

When AF was first born I remember thinking that 5-year-olds were so big. That the years when reading and writing would be part of our day were so far away. Surely it would be forever until I got to see the personality traits that God would hand-pick for her. Boy was I wrong. It's been the most beautiful, refining and fast years of my life.

It's a funny thing to have a daughter who is literally like you in every way. She's truly a miniature version of me. It's both hilarious and sanctifying at the same time. She's like a mirror that walks around all day and shows me little pieces of myself (both good and bad pieces). I consider it a gift though. When I was pregnant with her I used to lay in bed each night and dream about who she was. What would she look like? What would she love? What would her voice sound like? What experiences would God have her walk through? Would she enjoy the same things as me or be completely different?

It was so fun to dream and pray and thank God for her, long before I knew a single thing about the life that was growing inside me. And now, five years later... I know so many beautiful things about her. Her loves and fears and strengths and challenges and quirks and habits. And she's everything and more that I could have ever dreamed of. And I still lay in bed each night and think about the many things I don't know about her life and her future. And about the woman she will become some day. I think about all the things that are not in my control but thankfully still in God's sovereign hands. But my influence on her at this precious stage of life is critical. May that little mirror keep me in check dear Lord!

So today, I humbly reflect on the five sweet years I've had with this child. Thanking the Lord for each and every day I get to be her Mom.

---

Two things that predict the outcome of my day

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:04:00 +0000

I am in a "jumpstart" kind of season where I often find that if I don't get up before the kids in the morning, I feel really behind the rest of the day. Because if they do wake up before me, I have to jumpstart myself. And then all the sudden their urgent needs and requests are met with resentment and tension. I hate feeling that way.

I'm not exactly a morning person though. But after many days of frustration with the outcome of my day, I figured out that there are two practices that almost always ensure that we'll have a more positive, productive day:

1. Getting up well before the kids. I try for 5:30am whenever I can. And I'm not a coffee drinker so this is early for me. I shower and get fully dressed for the day. The key is that I'm able to be alone with my thoughts for a bit. I'm the kind of person who desperately needs some alone time every day. It's my recharge. And since the kids no longer take naps, this is often the only time of day I get it.

2. Remember God's presence and invite Him into my day, asking for moment by moment mercy. If I am able to recognize His presence at the very start of my day, he is so faithful to meet me there and set the tone for my day. I forget this one far too often. But it's truly my key to tapping into the best version of myself.

If (and it's never a given)... But IF I accomplish both of those things, I am pretty confident my day will go smoothly. Or, at least smoother than it would otherwise.

But on both good days and bad, I often cling to this:

What is your strategy for ensuring a good start to the day? I would love to hear them!

---

Little boys & Superheroes

noreply@blogger.com (Bri Carlisle) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:57:00 +0000

Well we have officially reached the Superhero phase in this house. Despite never reading or seeing a thing about Spiderman, that's what he chose to be for Halloween. And most recently, his obsession with Superman has reached a pinnacle. That shirt you see above... he has worn for approximately 8 days in a row, only allowing me to wash it at night when he's sleeping (in his Superman pajamas of course).

The fun thing about Superman though, is that his father loves him too and even introduced DR to the classic 1980's Christopher Reeve version. He's now seen all the rescue scenes from all four of those movies. And I must admit, even I've become a fan. Superman is humble, brave, honest, and selfless. And unlike most of the modern day superhero movies, these are not overly complicated or scandalous or violent.

But I've been thinking about the whole concept of little boys and superheroes. I'm learning that a little boy's desire to be a superhero is the same as mine was (and still is) to be a princess. It's innate. Before ever seeing any mythical superhero on TV or in books, he already knew he wanted to be a rescuer, and a brave leader. He wants to "fight the bad guys" before he even really comprehends who or what those bad guys really are. I can only pray that he will continue to use those powers for good in the world. Because right now, I am loving his innocent little heart.

There are so many violent superhero movies and media out there and I'm glad my husband and I can navigate that stuff together as he gets older. In the meantime, I'm happy to point out to DR that his aspirations for nobility and bravery and perseverance are God-given and God-designed. That a man who shows compassion and a desire to face difficult challenges, is a hero. And that striving for a life of self-sacrifice, courage, honesty and integrity is a worthy pursuit.

And I loved how writer Bob Smithouser from Thriving Family wrote about Jesus being the original Superhero.

"Like the Man of Steel, Jesus walked the earth as a human being, but with superhuman abilities. At the appointed time, He shed His secret identity — a carpenter whose time had "not yet come" — and began working miracles, displaying amazing spiritual strength and, yes, even seeing through things. Jesus came to rescue humanity. Not by soaring through town in a flashy red cape, but by heroically laying down His life."

May this be his model for true hero status.

Linking up today with Lauren over at Mercy Ink Blog!

---