Letting Go

I'm learning to let go. I'm letting go of my preconceived notions of beauty. I used to think a beautiful house meant everything in its place, everything clean, a pleasant smell when you walk in the door, and perfectly decorated rooms. Today, my definition of a beautiful house is quite different. My house is covered with toys, dust builds up on bookshelves, and I'm pretty sure my house smells like poop. But I think it's beautiful. Scattered building blocks and dust covered picture frames mean that my children have a Mommy who plays with them and doesn't ignore them to get the house clean. And as far as a perfectly decorated house? Today, beautiful interior decoration is a paper chain. There is great beauty in colored construction paper stapled together. There is beauty because when I look at it, I see little hands covered in marker scribbles, crooked circles which turn into "bapples", and marker tips getting smushed with each pounding. I hear two little girls singing "Winnie the Pooh" with me at the top of their lungs, giggles after making funny faces, and shouting over our marker-sword fight. My paper chain is beautiful. My house is a home.

 

 

Pizza Bites

Here's another family friendly recipe that I'm pretty sure will be a favorite with everyone!
Ingredients:
Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits
jar pizza sauce
package of pepperonis (1 per each pizza bite)
block of Colby cheese
egg
grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder
Italian seasoning

I know I didn't put quantities for the ingredients, but I've made these a few different times, always changing something and they always turn out just fine. (Also, if you don't want a ton of bites, just use one tube of biscuits, which has 10 biscuits in it.) As far as the sauce, cheese, and seasonings, I think it's really a matter of taste. But here's what I do: Cut the block of cheese into cubes - mine are about 1 cm cubes. Take one biscuit and flatten it into a circle. Place a pepperoni in the middle, put a little sauce on the pepperoni, then add a cube of cheese. Bring up the edges of the biscuit, pinching it shut. Place into a greased 9 x 13 pan (with the smooth part of the biscuit on top). Once biscuits are completed, beat egg and brush over biscuits. Then sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and Italian seasoning over the biscuits to taste. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.

Front Door Makeover

We moved into our wonderful little house almost four years ago. This awful wreath was on the door when we moved in and it was still hanging there until last week. I always think of wreaths as being seasonal decoration and because of lack of both money and storage space, I didn't touch it. I mean, let's face it. I have much, much more important things to think about and spend money on. But then I saw a picture. A beautiful, simple picture on Pinterest. (I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.) The link takes you to a photography site, so I have no clue who to give the credit to. Now, on Pinterest, I pin two types of things: Things I see because they're nice to dream about and I think "Maybe one day . . . " and things I think are worth the cost and effort (recipes to try, money saving tips, organization advice, etc.) to give a try. As soon as I saw this picture, I knew I was going to try it. When you shop sales and use coupons, you can find these materials for a very reasonable price. So here's the after picture. It's amazing what a new wreath and a quick cleaning can do for a door!

Here's the inspiration and my 'comparison' photo. I do not know how they got a heavy wooden letter to stay perfectly in place on a lightweight wreath, but more power to them. I painted floral wire to match my letter and secured that bad boy!

 

Loving Instruction

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - I Thessalonians 5:16 - 18

If you've spent any time on this blog, you know that a big part of our life right now is waiting for God to show us His will regarding job/s, seminary, housing, living location, ministry, children, etc. We are in daily prayer over these matters and sometimes feel we are stuck. Some days, I just want God to write His will for us and the answers to our questions in the sky or an e-mail so I really won't miss it. "What do You want us to do, Lord? What is Your will?" Then I stumbled across this passage. I think it's one of those verses that my brain knows, but my heart needs to know as well. In fact, my heart needs to be reminded daily. He has written down His will for us. Not in an e-mail, but a book. He tells me that His will for me is to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances". So today I will rejoice, pray, and give thanks!

Lord, thank you for the place you have put me today. Help me to rejoice in caring for my husband, children, and housework. Please continue to direct our path and lead us in Your will. Thank you for all You have provided and given us. Thank you for these difficult times - they are drawing us closer to You. Thank you for proving Your love and promises to us every day.

Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints for Life (as heard in the Bowman household recently):

Get your head out of the plastic bag!
Do not lick the stove.
Don't hit your sister in the head with a bear.
Do not play with toilet water.
Don't you dare put that toilet-water-covered hand in your mouth!
If you put a toilet seat on your head, it's going to get stuck.

Truth for Today

Discouraging Thought: I am under-qualified for this job.

Encouraging Truth: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

Loving Instruction: "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, . . . if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures . . . " - Proverbs 2:1, 3, 4

Our Reward: "then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom . . . Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you." - Proverbs 2:5, 6a, 9-11

So many days I am overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising three little souls for Christ. Overwhelmed that while most parents are shaping their child's behavior, I am (Lord willing) shaping my children's hearts. I worry that I discipline too much or not enough. I worry that I am not the example of Christ's love I should be. I worry my children will be just as impatient, selfish, and prideful as I am. Really, at the end of the day, I'm pretty sure I'm completely ruining my children forever. Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of step-by-step instructions for specific child-rearing situations in the Bible (what to say, when to show mercy, etc.) But fortunately for us, we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows the solution to every problem: look to Jesus. In Philippians, God has promised to "supply every need". I have a need for wisdom to raise my children. Therefore, He will supply it. How? Ask for it. "Seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures."

Happiness Is . . .

Pink and Purple Toes

 

Dirty Little Shoes

Oddly enough, lots of pink things make me happy these days. My sweet baby boy is adding lots of blue to the house, and that makes me happy, too!





Truth for Today

"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Isarel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. . .  that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it." - Isaiah 41:17, 18, 20

God does not promise to provide what we need. He promises to meet our needs and much more. It is so humbling to serve a God who loves me this much even though I fail repeatedly.

Perspective

This passage puts our lives into perspective, and  shows the importance of sharing God's love with our children. My prayer as a mom is that God's love will shine through me, in spite of me.

"As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." - Psalm 103:15 - 19

Funfetti Cake Batter Cookies

Looking for something to cure your sweet tooth cravings? Try these cookies! I found the recipe here. This is like a sugar cookie meets a piece of cake. They are light and fluffy, yet rich at the same time. So good! (Also, baking these cookies makes your house smell like a bakery - amazing!) This is her recipe:

Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix (18.25 oz. box)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix and baking powder. Separately, mix eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to cake mixture. Stir in sprinkles and drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack to completely cool.

My notes: Cut the sprinkles a little bit! 1 cup made the dough crumbly and very hard to scoop - it was also just SO much sugar. The second batch I made only had 3/4 c. sprinkles and it worked perfectly, tasting just as delicious. Make sure to not bake longer than 10 minutes. The cookies don't change color (brown) as they cook, so they don't look "done" even when they are. Lastly, make sure the cookies are completely cooled before digging in. Since they're cake-cookies, they're really soft and crumbly right out of the oven. Then pour yourself an ice cold glass of milk and enjoy!

Truth for Today

Discouraging Thought: The communication between myself and my husband has been
          strained lately.

Encouraging Truth: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
          - Proverbs 15:1

Loving Instruction: "Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a
          word before God." - Ecclesiastes 5:2a

Our Reward: "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health
          to the body." - Proverbs 16:24

I don't know if we're both just exhausted or on completely different pages thanks to third shift schedule, but it's been really hard not to get irritated with one another lately. While I was researching this topic, I have to admit, I was taken back by the multiple, yes multiple, references there are in the Bible to a "quarrelsome wife". Now, I try not to nag, irritate, or start arguments with my husband, and I really don't think I am a "quarrelsome wife". However, I need to remember that "It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman." (Proverbs 21:19) And I definitely need to remember to screw tighter the valve to the faucet that is my mouth, slowing down and taking time to think before I speak, making sure my words are gentle and gracious.

Today's Prayer

"O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble." 

- Isaiah 33:2

Truth for Today

"The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance in salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure."

- Isaiah 33:5, 6

Truth for Today

Did you know God says He gently leads us moms? He does. It's right here in Isaiah 40. Once again, I am brought to tears by the love of our God. This God, who can call each star by name and hold oceans in his hand, loves me personally, holding and gently leading me. God is all-knowing, and included in that is the knowledge that being a mom is hard work. But He hasn't left us alone. He's leading us, gently. I know this verse could also be referring to pastors and others in positions of leadership, but today, I'm claiming this promise for myself as a mom.

"He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." - Isaiah 40:11