by Kimberly | Oct 29, 2014 | Books, mothering, parenting, Uncategorized
I’ve already reviewed this book for Crossway and I stand behind everything I say. But, in this post I want to encourage (mostly Moms) yall from some of the highlights that I read. I’m grateful for Gloria’s writing, examples, and Christ-centered encouragement to other moms in the world. Many things I could relate to – and no matter what stage of mothering you are in, I’m sure you can to.
“It’s tempting to view everyday life merely as a monotonous cycle of making the beds on to be in them again.” (63)
Don’t let life be mundane to you. I know we have to clean and cook dinner and change diapers and run car pool. But, don’t be ok with that. That is when life gets boring and we get discouraged. Make fun things happen, change your attitude – don’t live there.
“Controlling my circumstances wouldn’t fill the void in my soul. You can’t organize your way into communion with God.” (78)
I see this in myself a lot today. My littler toddler is sick. I can’t take them anywhere I normally go because he would be around children and I don’t want him to get others sick. So we are at home. In a small townhome, all day. Well, I can’t control that. Now I can either apply the gospel or live in a bad mood the rest of the day until they go to bed? It is choice!
“God is greater, more powerful, and more mysterious than we could ever dream, and it will take an eternity for him to reveal to us his magnificence.” (92)
God is our reward – not the perfection of heaven. He is infinite and no matter how much we seek to know him on this side of his presence – we will never know him fully – because He is inexhaustible.
“Our craving for admiration is diluted and the praise of others is muffled as we serve with the strength God supplies. Why would we take credit for the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives?” (105)
This is an area of biggest struggle for me. God is the one who does the work and needs to get all the praise for it.
“I need God’s grace and something baked with peanut butter and chocolate.” (138)
Perhaps my favorite line in the book!
“I forget that homemaking is not primarily about my personality; it is primarily to adorn the gospel because the grace of God has appeared.” (155)
Another one of those needed statements that I will need to think through.
This book is highly marked up and I’m shipping it out today to a friend who will also love this book. There are many other things I highlighted that I’ve talked about with friends or my husband because they bring up too much hurt from past relationships.
Mom – keep pursuing the gospel in your parenting! God has got this! Be encouraged!
by Kimberly | Oct 27, 2014 | Uncategorized
I feel like my life as a SAHM of two little toddler boys is always crazy. Whether we are sliding down slides, playing in mall play yards, eating junior frosties, donuts, or mandarin oranges, or anxiously awaiting Daddy’s arrival from work each day – every day holds smiles, tears (of course), and hand holding.
The Fall, being that it is my favorite season, holds more planned activities for my littles. So, I’ve wanted to come up with a bucket list. Some of which we have already done, some which we will save for when Oma and Granddad arrive around Thanksgiving, and some which we might not get to get this year.
Savor every moment.
Bake Pumpkin Cookies or muffins or cake – just bake with pumpkin!
Pick apples (and eat them). This year we won’t get to an apple orchard, but it is a fun activity and I’m sure the boys will love it in years to come. They do love to eat the apples we get from Trader Joes.
Paint pumpkins (or other fall vegetables)
Play in piles of raked leaves (we don’t really have a yard, so this may have to wait until another year or two as well)
Take Pumpkin photos
Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. A must! (Which first aired today in 1966, shortly after my Mom graduated high school)
Make Thanksgiving garland (we started this last year – adding a leaf a day in November)
Send TY notes to the pastors of your church (October is Pastor Appreciation month)
Watch Luther (ok, this may not happen for a while, but they need to learn about this great man of God and what he did for all of Christianity in the 1500s.
Go on a hayride. We did this with Elijah during his first fall and missed our opportunity by mere minutes this year, but will certainly aim to do it again in later years.
Boo at the Zoo. This was incredibly packed but also fun. Our family doesn’t really participate in Halloween, but it was fun to go see all the cute costumes and get their first Halloween candy this year. No costume needed and completely safe. And this is held at most zoos.
What is a part of your Fall Bucket List for your little ones?
by Kimberly | Oct 13, 2014 | Bible, creatives, Uncategorized
When I first met my husband, I knew immediately of his love for integrity and his love for the Word. It was clearly evidenced in his life and speech and faithfulness to the ministry that God had called him to. It still is. He pursues integrity and fights the sin that so easily entangles.
Before we got married, on my first tour of the entire house which we would share, I walked in to his master bathroom and saw a printout of Ephesians 6: the Armor of God section. What? Single men don’t have Scripture on their walls that they are memorizing. He said he read it every morning to help engage his mind and prepare his mind and body for the battle against sin that would face him that day. I didn’t know any single men that did this – that took Scripture this seriously – that was just an added confirmation that I was right when I said “yes”!
Our first three years of marriage have been exciting, ever-changing, and hard at times too. One of the verses that have been such a comfort to me has been this one:
I love the truth that I hear and know to be a fact in this verses. That doesn’t mean that no harm will ever come to me or my family, because the Bible indeed says that we will face hardships in this life. But, God has promised He will protect me. I am safe in his hands. And my family is too.
As I head out of town this week, with our boys, I know I need to pray a shield of protect around this house, my husband’s car, his work place, our church where he will be some while I’m away, his mind, and his heart. I don’t only need to pray this while I’m away, but I need to pray for him daily that he would remember this truth and the truth found in Ephesians 6 – that God is his armor.
Gracewear Collection contacted me a few weeks back about their products. Their simple jewelry line whose primary purpose is to remind folks that God has given us an armor. We are shielded by faith! Their jewelry is simple and artistic. I love the shielded charm that I picked out. I love pearls and I loved the fact that I could wear it or hook it on something that I with me at all times. What woman doesn’t love jewelry. And this jewelry doesn’t scream hey – look at me. No. It is simple and pretty – creatively designed to not draw attention (1 Peter 3) but to remind of the truth it proclaims and to look pretty.
Christmas is coming up. And if you’ve already completed your Christmas shopping – then what about birthday, a housewarming gift, a wedding gift, a baby shower gift (because don’t we mommas worry about our babies?). There is always a reason for jewelry. You can use my referral link to shop and I get credit. How great is that?
Ladies – our trust isn’t in jewelry, but in the God who created all things for his glory – and we hope in Him to be our shield.
(This post is sponsored by Gracewear Collection, but all thoughts and comments are my own.)
by Kimberly | Oct 13, 2014 | Uncategorized
This little boy is so darn cute!
I love him. I love his little laughs. I love his crazy faces. I love how much he reminds me of his daddy. I love how he looks up to his big brother. I love how he does The Twist when Daniel Tiger comes on. I love how he is finally (mostly) sleeping through the night. I love how he speed walks. I love how how he has persevered and can finally drink his milk on his own, if we use the right sippy cup, and he’s in the mood to not be lazy.
So thankful that this boy is in our lives. He is Bubba to most everyone – BabyBach to some – and Sebastian and bubses to me.
I love you much little boy.
I pray that you will grow to look more like your Father in the next coming years, listen to our teaching, and grow in the knowledge of the Gospel. And stay just as cute as you are now!
Happiest of birthdays to you baby.
Love – Your Mommy
by Kimberly | Oct 11, 2014 | mothering, parenting, Shepherding Children, Uncategorized
I will be the first to admit of multitasking while my boys are awake. If they are playing, I am on my phone, cooking dinner, cleaning, reading a book, etc. And I’m not hear to lay blame on anyone else who does that. Rest in grace, friend. Walk in grace. Live in grace. That’s what my husband tells me.
Here’s what I am learning: let there be kisses. and tickling. and book reading.
My older son who just turned two is just now loving to bring me a book (usually the Wheels on the Bus) and pat my legs which is asking me to put him on my lap so I can read to him. I first told him no, then immediately was so convicted by the Spirit that I’ve not told him no since. It devastated my heart that I would tell my sons no to something as fun as reading a book to them just because I wanted to do something else. So, even today, as he finished lunch, he ran and got a book, and we read and sang and played with cars at the table while his little brother tried to hold his sippy cup and ended up getting more milk on him than in his tummy. That’s life.
Much of this denial that I give my sons is based on two things:
1. I think what I have my schedule is more important. Blogging. Writing. Cleaning. Being entertained with social media. It all comes down to pride. I don’t want our family’s schedule to be dominated by the boys – but I do want there to be much more book reading, hand holding, tickle fests than instagram feed reading. What do I want to communicate: verbally and non-verbally to my boys? That they are important and time with them is something I cherish – or that things and strangers are more important? What you communicate in your actions also gives you the door to speak the Gospel into their lives every day.
2. I try to fill our days with too many things. We love to be out and about during the days that Daddy is working. We’ll either go to the park, the mall, the zoo, Bible study at church, the gym, the river, etc. Atlanta is full of fun activities for families – so we take advantage of many of them. But, then when we are home I have so much to get done. I’m not thinking about stopping going so much – I just will have to limit what I think has to be done. I’m reading Challies’ series on getting things done and it helps me to realize that I’m not God and won’t accomplish everything. And everything doesn’t have to be accomplished. Energy is a commodity too.
My boys won’t be little long. The days are sometimes long and I look forward to having breaks with friends or solo times for being in the word or just running errands. But, I love their laughs and hand-holding. My Mister said last night that we better relish the times that they are excited to see us when we pick them up – because that always won’t be the case. I know it won’t be forever and my boys will stop wanting to sit on my lap for reading sessions, or stop laughing when I tickle them, or they won’t want me to kiss them goodnight.
Until then, let there be kisses. Everything else will wait!
by Kimberly | Oct 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
This weekend I’ll be spending 36 hours kid-free with my Mister exploring our town and just hanging out with each other. I’m thrilled at the chance to do this. We’ve not done an away trip since last Christmas. Way too long – but so much has happened since then. While we absolutely adore our two littles, we know there is much value in getting significant alone time with each other – more than the occasional date night (which I love too).
For our relationship, we thrive when we have quality time together. With his new job and our season of life, this is not always possible. So, we value those free evenings and don’t try to fill our lives with too much “other” stuff. But, we know that we need to communicate well for our marriage to thrive.
He is my husband after all. We’ve now spent three years being married, and 8 months before that getting to know each other, building that relationship, building trust, building intimacy, having arguments and figuring out how to bounce back, seeking forgiveness and seeing what new way we can apply the gospel to our marriage. He is most definitely my best friend. If I have any news to tell – he is the first one. There is no one I would rather travel with. I so miss him when he’s gone or I’m gone.
That is how I’m beginning to realize that God is with us. Yes, I’ve been a Christian for 32 years now. Wow – that’s a long time – but oh, sanctification is a continual process and Jesus keeps getting sweeter.
I’ve read some Scriptures today that talk mostly about suffering – and we’ve definitely had our share of that in our marriage – but to me, the personal pronouns stood out to me. And lately, those little grammar wonders have been leaping off the page at me in my reading of the Word.
*God Himself will be with us as our God (Revelation 21)
*The surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3)
*That I may know the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3)
*The Spirit Himself intercedes for us (Romans 8)
*His ears are open to our prayers (1 Peter 3)
*That he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3)
Do you hear the personal relationship that is intended and required for the Gospel? We can’t be second-hand Christians. WE have to cultivate a personal relationship with the God who created everything. And you know what – He makes that possible. He sent Jesus. He gave us the Holy Spirit. He will be forever with us – so we can forever know and worship Him. He’s not going to send His assistant. He himself will be our God!
And that my friends, is good news.
