I’ve seen this picture in several stores and a couple of my friends have it. I love it! I was excited to find a free download of it online at Keep Home Simple, a fabulous blog! Lots of good stuff over there.
I don’t know about you but I could be reminded of this about….oh several hundred times a day!
Mason made an elaborate battle scene today on the coffee table. Looking at it I was reminded of the battle that we endure every day. The battle for our minds, our hearts, our time, our energy. This battle can wear you down quickly, especially if you go about it alone. There are days I chose to trust in myself and do it alone. I usually don’t get past the first 5 minutes without failing. But when I choose to step into the battle of the day with the Great One by my side and the Holy Spirit empowering me the battle is there but I am able to fight with a confidence and a peace that is indescribable.
What battles are you facing? Are you tired and worn out from fighting alone or experiencing victory?
the battle is on
who will you choose?
1. I made sweet potato apple muffins this week and they were very good! Healthy and tasty. I made a couple of changes which I added at the end of the recipe. Whole family loved them:)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
***I didn’t have oat bran so I did 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1/4 of flax seed. Also I did 2 full eggs instead of egg whites and used vanilla yogurt instead of plain and used a 15 oz, can of sweet potatoes drained and mashed.
2. I have new obsession…fabric rosettes! I’ve been making all kinds this week…barrettes for the girls and I, pins, necklaces. They are easy, fast and and you can do so much with them. love love LOVE them. If you want to know how to make your own check this out. http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/2010/10/diy-fabric-flower-necklace.html
3. I’ve started a new bible study this week. The bible study I belonged to on Tuesday mornings in Chico is doing this same one. One of my dear friends surprised me and bought the book and sent it to me. We’ve been talking about it together as we go through it. Does she know how to make a girl feel loved and cared for or what?!? I really like the author Priscilla Shirer. The book is titled One in a Million.
4. It’s getting cold here. Cold like there is frost on the grass in the morning. You have to scrape your windows in the morning. I haven’t worn flip flops in a couple. I am not running in shorts any more. And running out the door with no shoes and coat is not an option. One that the kids are not grasping. Teaching them how to function in cold weather is something we are are working on over here. And yes it is work. I’m trying to decide if its worth the effort of putting on 3 big coats, 3 hats, tying 6 six shoes, buckling seat belts around big bulky coats and whining kids “because it’s TOO TIGHT!” all to go to the library for a 30 minute story time where I am then carrying around 3 coats and 3 hats, plus my coat and a bag of books to take home? Is it worth it? And then we have to put all that stuff back on, to buckle up again for the drive home when we are crying because its TOO TIGHT and TOO HOT! oh. my. goodness. And it’s only just begun. And it will get much colder. But yes it is worth it, I think. We will learn and adapt…and maybe stay home a bit more than we would like because sometimes it just may not be worth it!
5. I’m leaving on a jet plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again. Well that is not entirely true. I am leaving. With my husband. But not a jet plane. Just a car. And I do know when we will be back again. Sunday. We are going to Indy for the weekend for a our ministry’s fundraiser and to hopefully find a house for us to live in! Woot woot! The excitement is off the charts. So ready to get away for a bit. So ready to find us a new home! The time has come. Yes, the time has come.
8:47 am
time to go to the gym this morning
jesus’ grace he so willingly dispenses to me
a bible study I did not expect to be a part of for this long but has been a blessing
friends who pray for me and my family
people who blog about their crafty inspirations that i can then copy
i am able to be home with my kids every day
a weekend away with my husband to look at potential houses in indy
parents who willingly watch our kids for the weekend
the stage the kids are in right now, playing NICELY, TOGETHER, BY THEMSELVES!
have you thought about what you are thankful for today?
I heard this song by Addison Road recently and I immediately was drawn to it because of how much I could relate to it. I could have written it myself. That is if I had any sort of musical talent, which I don’t. Anyways, I digress. I like this song because it makes me feel normal that I’m not perfect, that I don’t have it all together and that I’m in process. I’m under construction, I’m being chipped away, torn down, molded and bended into something new by the Great Construction Manager. My pride is being broken and my prayer is that every day I’m closer to who He wants me to be. He sees the big picture. He’s the only one who sees what the final project will be. My job is to let it happen. But don’t we all know that is easier said than done. I’m thankful for the grace that I find in my own redemption story each and every day. By His grace alone I can go forward to then next day of construction.
This is redemption’s story
With every step that I’m taking
Every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
I’m a change in the making
Wish I could live more patiently
Wish I could give a little more of me
Without stopping to think twice
Wish I had faith like a little child
Wish I could walk a single mile
Without tripping on my own feet
But you’re not through with me yet
And this is redemption’s story
With every step that I’m taking
And every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
Every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
From the dawn of history
You make new and you redeem
From a broken world to a broken heart
You finish what you start in everything
Like a river rolls into the sea
We’re not who we’re going to be
But things are going to change
I’m living redemption’s story
With every step that I’m taking
And every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
And this is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
I’m a change in the making
I’m not who I’m gonna be
Moving closer to your glory
Once there was a Clone Trooper and 2 princesses who were on a mission to fill their buckets with as much candy as they could hold by using The Force and their magic princess powers…
and because they were unbelievably cute they had 2 bodyguards dressed up as their mom and dad to protect them along the way.
On Halloween day their first stop was to meet up with a bunch of their cousin buddies to collect candy from the Auntie Nice Witch.
Then they went down to the village to charm more people with their cuteness, even the fireman! They collected bucket loads of candy. Their mission was a success! They went home tired and happy and full of sugar. The bodyguards were payed in candy as well.
The End.
I’ve had fun crafting this week. Here’s what I’ve done and what is to come!
1. I saw these headbands on my friend Danee’s blog. I liked them so much I made them the next day. They were super easy and I really like the way they look. Great for those “no wash your hair days”! I made these both in 30 minutes.
2.I bought a couple crates last weekend as a mentioned here. I asked for some ideas and Danee (from above) introduced me to Retropolitan! Awesome blog. It’s basically a whole bunch of amazingness. Here I found a tutorial on making a bookshelf out of crates. I quickly fell in love with it and finding new crates were my obsession for the week. I succeeded and now the proud owner of 15+ old crates that will soon be a masterpiece of a bookshelf. I have some repairing to do of the crates to make them more sturdy but other than that I think the construction of the bookshelf should be minimal. I will keep you updated!
3. I made these lovely little birdie pictures for the girls new room using a tutorial from Ashley Ann’s blog. She has an awesome blog that gives me lots of great ideas. I just love the way the pictures turned out. It reminds me of the girls because like birds they are constantly “chirping” back and forth to one another. Here’s how to do it if you are interested. I made mine a little different to add more color to their room. http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/01/13/diy-paper-bird-painting/
4. Today I got these 2 frames from the Good Will for $7.95 to make the following 2 projects. I like this letter framing project I found on Retropolitan. I already have a couple “B’s” around the house so I think this will fit in nicely.
5. Here’s another fun project from using one of the above frames from Ashley Ann. Can you tell I like her blog? I would like one for the kitchen to hold odds and end things but then eventually one for the each of the kids would be fun to put up their own treasures. Here’s the link to do it yourself.
What are you thankful for today?
11:33 am at the park
~best friends hold on to each other~