bouillon cubes

Graham and I were baking the other day. Well, I was trying to throw the correct ingredients in the bowl while my 2.5 year old tried to not let me complete my task on time. You get the picture...

I was trying to teach Graham about helping and listening to directions. I might as well have been speaking Klingon. 

Instead of cocoa powder, he brought me bouillon cubes.  I doubt the church's concert goers would like Bouillon cube brownies.  Graham's mind works about 100 miles per minute, which means mine needs to go at least 101. And it's not exactly a fair fight since he gets 11 hours of sleep and I get 5 broken into two 2.5 hour stretches. But, I racked my tired brain and opened my heart to listen for a lesson I was sure to come. And my God is faithful. Teaching through bouillon cubes, and I am thankful. 

The ingredients...the body of Christ...the importance.

I need every ingredient in my pantry to make certain foods. Every spice jar, every powder, every baking supply is useful in baking. We don't leave out a certain spice just because - no, we head to the store for 1/4 teaspoon of the rarest jar of spice we can find. My recipes are like the body of Christ. All   ingredients are useful and helpful. Some are simply in there to draw out and improve the flavor of other ingredients. I think back to the 'we are the salt of the earth' phrase we hear. But salt alone? gross. 1 cup of salt replacing 1 cup sugar and you have a problem. We, as salt, need the other pieces in each recipe of life. We all get thrown into the oven of life after being mixed and beaten together and somehow we are to come out as one piece of great tasting food on the other side! Salt can't just decide to be a delicious soup all by it self - it needs the broth, the meat, the veggies, the bouillon cubes and yes...even then onions we all have to deal with!

So, the next time you are out of an ingredient, pray for your church body of Christ, there might be a few missing ingredients that could bring out your flavor. 

So...more MOMents of baking to come...

Rachel

Mary - The Hostess with the Mostess

I love the Christmas Story. There is something new every time you dive into those timeless words read by so many fathers, pastors, children over the years. Several years ago, as my husband and I struggled to conceive and were constantly praying for children, God spoke to me through His word. This time, he used the characters and their stories to teach me about mine. Two women - pregnant. If you have ‘Hannah’s’ or ‘Elizabeth’s’ in your life - women with a deep longing for a child but struggling to conceive, that can be some of the worst news possible. To hear of another’s pregnancy and feel your own loss ever so much more greater. So as a women praying for a child, I dove into the Word to read about babies leaping in the wombs and the delivery of these little babies. 

So...what did God speak into my heart five Christmases ago? That two women who by all human accounts shouldn’t be pregnant, were in fact pregnant. The simple truth I found? That I was praying to a God who cares about desires and pregnancies and babies! He had shown His might in both Mary and Elizabeth. I serve a God who can absolutely give my husband and I our child in the right time if He so desired. 

Now, flash forward to today as we approach Christmas with two little boys. Our God is so incredibly faithful! And the truth in that statement? That he is still faithful even if He hadn’t answered our childless prayer. 

So...my younger son is now 6 months old. Thinking back to May of this year and June of 2011 when I brought two beautiful baby boys home from the hospital, I have a new respect for Mary this year. I heard a blurb on a radio station this season about Mary and her post partum guests. Well, that got me thinking. After we welcomed out sons, we had company. Grandparents, Great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends all made the trek to visit our little treasures. Granted, they used mapquest, GPS, or iMaps and not a heavenly host or a bright star. 

Setting aside the delivery and post partum recovery in a barn, Mary was a champ. Even delivering the Christ child had to hurt - He was fully human. And then to top it off, she had to host strangers. Dirty strangers. Shepherds who had their animals, wisemen that had traveled many dusty miles. Add to that nursing a newborn, recovering from pregnancy and a many mile donkey ride just a few days before the birth, you can see my respect for Mary. 

How can I apply this to my life today? I need to be a better host. I need to be ready for ‘dirty strangers’. Those that I’m afraid to offend by the hope of Christ. Those that need something but can’t give anything in return this Christmas season. If Mary can host, I can host. 

Looking for a MOMent to host...
Rachel

Plugged In (in a wireless world)

Plugged In

(in a wireless world)

I am not a 'techy' person. Case in point, I have an iPhone 3. It is my first 'smart (-er than me) phone' that I have ever owned. My advanced education and minutes of technology research has taught me one important thing - the power button. Yes, I am a turn-it-off-turn-it-on person. 

So…my phone and what can it show me about our Great Big God. 

As smart as a phone can be, it needs to be connected to power. Watch the battery indicator fade to red and the most genius of phones will no longer work. 

Now…me. I am not brilliant. I am thankful for the knowledge and gift of wisdom God has entrusted to me, but I do not have an IQ to be envious of or intimidated by. But, like my phone if I am no longer plugged in to my power source, my battery will fade. If I remain apart from Him, I will no longer be of any use. 

"Remain" - take anyone else back to Sunday School lessons? If you aren't familiar with church and the Bible…let me show you the verse coming to my mind!

John 15:4 - Remain in me, as I also remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 

So…like a branch or a smart phone, I know I must remain connected to the source of life and power. I faithfully charge my phone ever night (and throughout the day when I see my battery needs some refreshment!). But do I faithfully pull out my Bible every night? Am I in the word like I plug my phone in?

Ouch. 

Plugging in for a MOMent…

Rachel

Shadows and Light

Shadows and Light

My 2 and (almost) a 1/2 year old is now both interested and terrified of shadows.  He will both look for shadows and tell me they scare him. 

Shadows can scare me too baby!  As I'm trying to explain this to him with both very shallow and yet a somehow deeper explanation, God spoke to me. (See my previous post, He speaks grandly through the simple!). I'm racking my brain to remember the Scripture about darkness fleeing in the presence of light.  I can't remember even old or new testament, but I know it's there! 

James 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

This point was illustrated multiple times in our house, much to the pleasure of our power company and not so much to my bill-paying husband.  :) People outside must have wondered what was going on with our lights as they flicked on and off multiple times. Little did they know, I was imparting wisdom on my child. You see, I had to show that in darkness, there are shadows and yet as soon as the light comes on, the darkness immediately is gone. Darkness doesn't have a choice, it can't dilly-dally it's way away when the lights come on. The reaction is immediate and my child's fear was gone! So, in the true presence of our Light (Christ Jesus), darkness (evil, death, sin, sadness) immediately is gone! (AMEN!)

Another hope I learned is that with scary shadows, there is the promise of light, somewhere. You see, to create a shadow, light must be close. Yes, darkness is closer, but light is near. With complete darkness, there are no shadows, yet with even a sliver of light, shadows are created! 

So…to quote one of my favorite versus (so much so, we named our second son after this very scripture!) ---- James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Light, who does not change like the shifting shadows. 

Looking for light in the MOMent of shadows…
Rachel

This Little Light of Mine

God speaks…quietly at times and usually in very simple words. But He knows how to get through to me. Use simple words, simple illustrations in my every day life. Give meaning to the mundane and routine. Make extraordinary out of ordinary and I'll bend my ear. 

We had a Yankee candle glowing away in our dark kitchen the other night. Being a super responsible adult, I put out the candle before we headed up to bed for the night. I have always enjoyed putting the lid on a candle like this and watching the light quickly burn through the remaining oxygen and go out. This way also eliminates that dreadful post-candle smell that I do not enjoy. 

Mundane and ordinary…right? 

Well, all of a sudden, I realized I better pay attention. 

Life is like the lid of a candle. We are living for Jesus, just shining or flickering away, but hanging on to our ability to shine! When all of a sudden, life comes along and we burn through our 'spiritual reserves'. We are relying on quickly fading prayers and last Sunday's sermon. We have lost our source of ongoing oxygen - the giver of life, the one who breathed man into existence. 

Sometimes I feel like can be suffocating…the every day can drag us down. I need my every day to consist of a refueling of oxygen, a constant check in with my Creator and my source of Life! 

Like a Yankee candle flame, I'll yearn for that oxygen, the Words that come from above and speak directly to my soul. 

Taking a MOMent to fan the flame…

Rachel

Rest

Rest.

Try telling a toddler he needs a nap. As the adult, you can see the signs, pink, watery eyes, chubby little fingers rubbing those pink watery eyes, the near melt-down status you know is imminent if said nap isn't taken.  Yet, with a 2 year old's logic, we hear, "i not tired".

I wonder if God looks at us like this. He sees us (figuratively) rubbing our pink eyes while trying to hang on to every last bit of energy we have and not start World War III with our dear family. He sees us shaking our little heads saying, 'I not tired'. But He replies kindly with, "Oh yes, my child, you are very tired. I have created rest, worked it into the history of creation for you. Rest, my child."

If only we would listen to Him and heed His perfect example. We follow the Old Testament rule of a 10% tithe of our money, but do we rest 1/7 of the week??

I know…seems impossible. But maybe in this culture, rest looks different that in did in Jesus-time! He didn't have to update all his social media outlets, check his app statues, and check Pinterest for his next meal.  So, maybe it's time for a social-media sabbath. A time to sign off e-mail, let those facebook notifications go one more day, and just rest. Rest and be refreshed with family, friends, and a sweet time with your Savior.  Or maybe it's just rest from a spirit of unrest, rest in the form of contentment, rest from wanting what we don't have, rest to enjoy what we do have.

Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Genesis 2:2-3 - And on the seventh day, God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed it and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

I don't have this 'rest' thing down either…I'm too busy to rest sometimes…but if the One who never sleeps (Psalm 121:4) takes a Sabbath, guess my measly to-do list can wait another day!

Off to have a MOMent of rest…Rachel

Good Hurt, Bad Hurt - it all hurts

That hurts.

Physical, emotional, spiritual, mental…all can be hurt.

We use these phrases to comfort ourselves and others:

But it's a good hurt
It only hurts for a little while
This will only hurt a little bit
The hurt was worth it
God can heal the hurt

Truth? Hurt hurts when you're going through it. Period.

I don't care if it is a 'good hurt' that 'only lasts a short time' and was 'worth it in the end'. Hurt hurts. I don't need to shower this post with examples of how life hurts us. You all have your own stories, trials, and situations that are either personal hurt or something with a loved one that makes you hurt for them. The only common point - hurt hurts when you're in the middle of it.

The pain of fear, rejection, unworthiness, feeling unloved, punishment, betrayal, harsh words, harm, actions, poor choices, our past……….

But Christ. A turning point, our salvation, our refuge.

I hurt because of betrayal, but Christ says 'vengeance is mine'. (Romans 12:19)

I hurt because of the fighting, but Christ says 'The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.' (Exodus 14:14)

I hurt because of harsh words spoken against me, but Christ says 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' (Matthew 5:44)

I just hurt Lord, but Christ says 'come to me, all who labor and are heavy lade, and I will give you rest…For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' (Matthew 11:28,30)

I hurt alone, but Christ says 'when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me'. (Micah 7:8)

Hold fast to the promises Christ makes to us through His word. He is a God of justice and of love. He will hold those who hurt us accountable (and hold us accountable in how we react and respond).

Praising even in hurtful MOMents…
Rachel

Tuesdays at 10 am

I'm guessing most people know what happens at 10 am on the first Tuesday of each month. Especially those of us living in "tornado alley". Yep…since kindergarden, we are raised ready to assume the dreaded position in the school hallways. Looking back, I'm mortified that I put my head so close to the vomit and saw-dust laden linoleum floor and incredibly thankful I do not have some awful communicable disease. At the same time, I was required to put my hands behind my neck. As if a first grader's little hands can ward off flying debris from a category 5 tornado…but that's another post for a different day! 

So…the point. I'm heading to church this past Sunday (obviously not a Tuesday and not 10 am) and I see a tornado siren just standing there at attention, ready to warn. It's the only purpose that siren has, to be tested routinely and to fulfill his calling when the time is right! So many lessons…so little time. But let's unpack a couple I feel God is speaking. 

We must be ready. Must. 

Ready for what though? Well, let's dive into my favorite well-worn (but still sharp!) Sword of the Spirit and find the answers!

Ready for….

Jesus Christ to come back

• Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. -Matthew 24:44
• Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. -Matthew 25:13
• Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. -1 Corinthians 16:13

a Harvest or Giving a Reason for your Faith

• Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. -Proverbs 6:6-8
• (Pretty humbling to be told to act like an ant…guess I'll go marching one by one hoorah hoorah…)
• But in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.  -1 Peter 3:15

So…I guess my prayer should be that of a tornado siren. Being confident in where I am placed, that I can do the most good. That my location is strategic and well-planned by someone who knows much more than me. I can stand up against and weather storms. I can absolutely count on being tested routinely. And I want to be ready to act when needed, ready to share with others about what's to come. 

Ready and waiting for my MOMent…

Rachel

To Be Content

Contentment - achievable in this ever-changing world? A form of laziness? An excuse?

Take your pick…but I believe it's a high calling from our God. In my planned one-year Bible read-through (and yes…I'm behind, but still going!), I am currently in Philippians. As I read chapter 4, verse I found this:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 

~Philippians 4:11-13

Beautiful, inspiring words written by one of my favorites, Paul.  He had grand faith and little faith. He was strong and weak. He struggled…just like me. I just didn't do it in a Roman prison, he did. If he can be 'content' in chains, I can be content whatever my circumstance! 

Watch a toddler play…you'll learn about contentment. Buy him expensive toys that takes hours of labor to figure out which screw goes into "part A" and where the heck did "part B" go…and he'll play in the box it came in. Buy him the latest trendy shoes and name-brand fashion…and he'll remove the shoes and be content to run barefoot and roll around in the grass. (Maybe toddler girls are different?!? :) ).  Search Pinterest for the latest and greatest toddler activity until your mouse batteries run dead…but he'll still be content to watch a piece of round chalk roll down the driveway and disappear into a day lily. He's fine just being around the ones he loves…content. 

I recently heard as parents, we are given (God-willing) about 938 weeks until they turn 18 and leave home. That's not a lot of time to be worried about stuff that won't matter in 939 weeks. Instead, today, I choose to focus on the stuff that matters now and to be content with what I do have to offer and what I get to do with my kids. After all, I've already lost 113 of those with my Graham and 9 of those with my Emmett.  I'll find contentment in chalk drawings with purple leaves thanks to the help of a two year old or in tracing little feet praying they always walk in His way or reminding my son (for the 230974th time) that we use our two God-given ears to listen. 

Whether you turn to the right of to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, 

saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

~Isaiah 30:21

Contentment is now seen as a high calling that I can press on towards while claiming his promises:

I have His help to settle the unsettled places in my heart (Isaiah 26:3-4)
I am lead to and can rest besides quiet waters (Psalm 23)
I owe it all to Him (1 Timothy 6:6-7)

In a world of constant status updates, pinterest posts, and an overwhelming struggle to compare to others…I choose to be content in my MOMents I'm given….

Rachel

PS - I do love me a good Pinterest post!! :)

Bears & Diapers

Our family was just in the hills of Tennessee for some vacation. I use 'vacation' loosely since we were traveling with a 2 year old and a 6 week old, but our boys were troopers! We stayed in the mountains of Gatlinburg - meaning hairpin turns, steep grade slopes and driveways and bears! Yes, bears! One morning we looked outside the cabin to find a mama bear and her four cubs tearing into the garbage from last nights dinner. (and by looked outside - I mean this was taken from the front porch and back patio without a zoom lens!). 

After this, during my quiet time, I realized that this can be a picture of our faith walk. These bears are born knowing how to hunt for food, being focused on food, and fighting for their food. But, somewhere along the ways of modern civilization, these bears have settled for this. They have escaped the hunt, the fresh food and have settled for left overs. To completely illustrate this point, one unsuspecting bear cub proudly toted off one of my 2 year old's diapers (I doubt he was the most popular back in the den). 

I was hit squarely in the face with conviction after realizing this. God calls us to SEEK, to ASK, to KNOCK, PRESS ON, RUN, PERSEVERE - action words! Not just sit back and let faith come to you. 

"Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, 

knock and the door will be opened to you. 

Matthew 7:7"

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the 

upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Phil 3:14"

Like these bears settling for leftovers, taking chances on the quality of food, have I settled for other's leftover faith? Am I guilty of just letting others do their faith walk and then I take the remains of that walk? Don't get me wrong, one of these bears struck gold with left over steaks and bacon. And so, some others teaching is helpful and useful, but it shouldn't be the sole source of my relationship with God. I want my own steak - the steak off the table of the Lord, chosen by Him for me! His unique Word spoken from the mouth of God sent to develop and grow me! I don't want left overs…and I certainly don't want to tote off a diaper thinking I've hit spiritual pay-dirt (think of all the garbage 'spiritual' teachings out there that equate to a fully soaked and soiled Pampers size 5 diaper). 

And yes…watching His mighty creation without the boundaries of a zoo…awe inspiring! 

Longing for my own quiet MOMent with my Lord…

Rachel

No Sharing in the Kingdom

Do we ever really learn to 'share'? Or do we just learn to deal with the frustration that sharing is a part of life. If you ask my two year old about sharing, his response? "no like this". Well little buddy, truth be told, I doubt anyone really loves sharing if we are gut-level honest with ourselves. 

Teaching a child to share…one of life's biggest lessons dealt at an early age. Add a sibling into the equation and the lesson gets real very quickly. My two boys have to share mom and dad and eventually will share their toys (Ha!) and will someday share friends, a bathroom, a car, space in our home. 

With this in mind, I'm thankful I serve a God who is enough for all. There is never not enough of God to go around, He is always our 'enough'. We don't have to wait for God to finish up with someone else, He's already working on us - constantly! 

Ephesians 3:20 - Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us (English Standard Version). 

*Abundantly More* - I love it. When I am less, He is more. Abundantly more. I'd love to be abundantly more for my sons, but since I can't be, I'll lead them to the One who is! I don't have to share my God (yes, share what He has done in and through me…but not my time with Him). There's no 'custody arrangement' with God…He is always ours and always ready, willing and available to meet us right where we are. 

Praising Him in every MOMent…
Rachel

Graham, 2 years

Emmett, 2 days here

Waterproof mascara, Water shoes & Wailing

Well...guess it's official. I've entered the blog world. I'm looking forward to allowing gigabytes to save my thoughts for me, rather than notebooks. :)

Today's initial post came after my sweet husband encouraged me to do so, my mother liking what I have written in the past, and the final inspiration came from my sister-in-law posting a blog! So, here goes...

I woke up this morning with my only plan consisting of staying home on a rainy day, nursing and snuggling my 4 week old, playing with my 2 year old, and attempting to put a small dent in the serious lack of sleep from the last month (last several months really...well lets be honest...YEARS!).  But like any solid plan, a curve ball came. Nothing to taxing on paper...we were down to only enough dog food for two meals for our chocolate lab. And for a dog that loves her food, this would end in a serious crisis.

So without a shower, a quick application of mascara and light bronzer (because even the petstore deserves mascara), my two sons and I headed out. I got both boys in the car, strapped on my moby wrap and headed out. When I had to turn on the wipers by the first stop light and happened to glance at the gas tank needle, I started to regret my decision to go. But we journeyed on... At the next stoplight I removed my moby wrap ( a very difficult task seated and strapped in by a seatbelt!) thinking I'd just take the carseat in with the rain.

We arrived at the pet store with full on central-Illinois-thunderstorm now (God bless the inventor of waterproof mascara!). I jumped out of the car and opened the door where my oldest sat in his carseat. I then realized I had not grabbed shoes for my independent toddler!! My heart sank, I felt like a major mommy-failure at that point. He had adorable shoes at home that matched his plaid shorts and coordinating top. At this point, I remembered I still had his water shoes in the car from the pool the day before. Found them and put them on, feeling a bit disappointed that now his shoes were a screaming neon blue and black with his red/light blue shorts and shirt. Ok…so we headed in.

Now take the second child…anyone who has been blessed with children knows that the first few months of life are spent in increments between feedings. I thought I had enough time from the last feed to get to the pet store and back home. I was wrong. Now my second child is wailing from what sounds like severe hunger pains and the pet owners are looking at me and my parade walking through.

We make it through the pet store…yes I brought the wrong bag of dog food up to the counter and had to go all the way back through the store to get the right stuff. But we made it. From complete embarrassment, I politely declined the offer of help to my car (I doubt she really wanted to help me anyways and was probably praying I declined).  So…off we went…back home. One with waterproof mascara, one with water shoes, and one wailing.

With all that said…that's how I'll approach this blog and much of life. I'll try to be prepared (buying waterproof mascara), be thankful for yesterday's water shoes (remembering some in the world don't have any shoes), remember it's okay to cry sometimes, and of course wait for the promise of a rainbow after a thunderstorm. I'll blog what I can…but won't panic if my words aren't great and don't mean much to anyone but me. I can laugh at myself :)

Until the next MOMent….
Rachel