Ready or Not!

After one post in the last couple of months I've officially re-committed to blogging! There are many things to write about and to avoid one MAMMOTH post I'll post one event/happening at a time. Ok, here goes...

The biggest news in our life right now is that Chad is candidating at South Liberty Baptist Church in South Liberty, ME. The Lord has orchestrated the events of our lives and the direction of the church to cross our paths at this point. Chad preached all the services yesterday, will preach Wednesday and next Sunday. On August 12 the church will have a shadow poll which is basically an unofficial vote then will officially vote on the 19th. We are so thankful for the opportunity and have really enjoyed getting to know the members! We are completely surrendered to the Lord's will whether it be to take the pastorate at South Liberty or continue to pursue a church-plant in Rockland. PLEASE pray for His will to be done and for direction in the next few weeks for all involved. 

A little information about the church...

South Liberty Baptist Church (SLBC) has several ministries that the Lord has richly blessed! They have 3 cabins that are available to vacationing pastors at no cost. This ministry has been a great blessing to many pastors and their families over the years, even enabling some to take a restful vacation when they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford one. 

South Liberty Baptist Academy is another ministry. The school has been around since 1985 (I believe) with many graduates throughout the years. 

The former pastor passed away suddenly at the end of May/beginning of June (not sure of the exact date) after being the senior pastor for over 30 years! We are so thankful for the testimony and legacy he left. The church family has been grieving through the summer, but the Lord has brought incredible comfort through His Word.

Chad's ordination council and service is scheduled for September 9, whether he is voted in at SLBC or not. If you are in the area we'd love to have you at Church Hill Baptist for his ordination service that Sunday night!

That's all for now and we'll keep you all updated as new information becomes available.

Have a wonderful day!

For Now...

Where to start?! We've had quite an adventurous couple of months and I hope to fill you in on all (or most) of it soon. For now, though, I will just tell what's going on this week. Today Chad filled in for Pastor Lovelace over at Truth Baptist in Jefferson. We had very good services and really enjoyed visiting with the members. Tonight also started revival services at our home church, Church Hill Baptist, and continue through Wednesday. We are excited to hear Pastor Stoeber! Tomorrow will be filled with shopping and prepping for the revival dinners. Never a dull moment serving the Lord. Have a wonderful week everyone!

The Next Chapter

I do apologize for the lack of posts the last few weeks. We have been preparing for a move!! It has been very busy around here as everyday life continues and moving preparations have started. We are very excited for what the Lord had for us in the upcoming months and years.

It all started a few months ago when we were having a really hard time with Chad being away so much for work. He currently works 40ish hours a week, but has 2 1/2 hour commute one way. We thankful for sweet friends that house him 2 nights a week to ease the cost of gas and give him more rest. He usually leaves at 4:30 am and gets home at 6:30 pm... leaving only time for supper, playing with the kids for awhile, then getting ready for the next day. It really left little time for ministry or working at the church. While he loves his job, he knew in his heart that he couldn't keep working a job that took so much away from our family and ministry.

So we started praying for wisdom, either for a new job or a move. I was absolutely amazed to see how the Lord brought piece after piece to our puzzle. It became clearer and clearer that He was moving us. We will be moving to Warren, Maine on March 1. We will attend Church Hill Baptist Church under the mentoring of Pastor and Mrs. Wiley. Our prayer, and the prayer of Church Hill and Lee Baptist, is that the Lord will allow us to start a church in Rockland within the next 2-3 years. Chad has known for years that starting a church in Rockland is God's calling for his life. It was one of the first things we talked about in our dating relationship! I married him knowing that someday we would be going down this very path. We just never dreamed it would be so soon!

During this time I heard a message by Pastor Jim Schettler on Faith... he said that faith always precedes understanding. So true! If we understood everything that was going to happen then we wouldn't need faith. I have replayed this truth over and over in my mind during the past 2 months! It truly is a comfort to know that God knows the future and He will work everything out for good.

While we are excited for this new chapter, we are also sad to leave those here in Lee. Our church family has been nothing short of supportive and encouraging. We will miss them dearly It's definitely a bitter-sweet time.

All that being said, the next few weeks may be a little dry on the blog, but I will try to post snippets as they happen.

We would covet your prayers during this time of transition. It's so exciting to serve the Lord and trust His will.

Baby Steps to Preservation

So for several weeks now, we have really been considering what we eat. It all started with a little documentary called "Food Matters" that I just happened to sit down and watch one day. (It's instant play on Netflix, if you're interested!) It really changed the way I look at food and got me thinking about our lifestyle. I wouldn't say that we eat unhealthy... I try to feed my family nutritious and unprocessed food, but we've started looking for ways to improve our overall health.

First, we have started taking several vitamin supplements. In addition to food it's important to take a good multivitamin, a vitamin C supplement, a probiotic, and an oil supplement (flax seed or fish oil). I've noticed a big change. I did a lot of research looking for a good vitamin and a reasonable price and settled on www.vitabase.com. They really seem to do a good job for the money!

Second, we did a detox. Not fun, but necessary. If you immediately stop eating processed foods and jump right into an entire organic diet it can shock your body! When a toxin enters the body through food, beauty products or the environment our bodies take that toxin, wrap it in mucus and store it kind of like fat. A detox is necessary to rid the bodies of toxins then allowing the cells to absorb the rich nutrients of organic foods. We used a cleansing system from Vitabase and it worked for us!

We, as a society, pour so much money into material things but feed our bodies junk that will shorten our lives or at least reduce the quality of life. We kind of have things backwards. The best solution is to use organic ingredients and make as much of your own food as possible. While this is ideal... it is also very expensive and time consuming. I am all about making our food from scratch, but organic is expensive and the bills must be paid. :) So right now our family is taking baby steps. I've started making all of our own breads and tortillas and we've switched to some organic products. It's a very gratifying experience!

One thing that has been tugging at my mind has been the microwave. Can it really be good for your to use a machine that heats your food in 30-45 seconds?!?! I knew that it reduced the nutritional value of food but when I read this post on microwaves, we knew it was time to take the "great unplugging". We rarely used our microwave anyway, just for the occasional leftover warm-up or when I forget to finish my morning tea. :) So it really wasn't a huge step, but we sure feel good about taking it! And my, oh my the counter space it freed up! Here she is on her way to Goodwill...

After all, we are the temple of the Holy Ghost and our bodies are a gift from God. We need to take care of them.

Playtime with Daddy!

Here is a video of Trent playing with daddy.

I have a cute video of Caylyn and daddy boxing, but it wouldn't upload. :( Maybe we'll try again later!

Last night I kept Trent home because he is so miserable with a fever and cold symptoms. While I was snuggling him on the couch, Caylyn waltzed in with a lint roller and child's devotion book and said...

"Look mommy, a statue."

Verse Recitation by Caylyn

It is so neat to watch a toddler, any toddler, recite a memory verse. But oh the joy when it's your own child! I remember a time when I was about 10 years old and a missionary family came to visit our church. After the service the missionaries' 2 or 3 year old girl was reciting verses to the pastor in the foyer. At that moment, I knew that someday I wanted my children to know verses like that little girl.

Today I FINALLY caught Caylyn saying one of her verses on video. In case you don't catch all the words, she's reciting...

Ephesians 6:1

Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.

Token for Good

Profitable time in my Bible this morning means the rest of the day was supposed to be great, right? Not so... I had a headache, the kids were fighting more than usual, the house was a mess, winter is bleh, blah, blah, blah.

Well around lunch-time I was standing at the kitchen sink and I just happened to glance out the window as I do whenever I stand at the sink. Usually I peer through the trees to catch a glance of the ice shacks on the frozen lake, or see if anybody is driving out on the ice. Not this time... God let me see an eagle fly right towards our house and land in a nearby tree. I watched it for a moment. It squawked (or whatever eagles do) and a second eagle came flying to the tree and landed. Now this may not seem like a huge deal to you, but to this Texas gal it was! We don't exactly have a surplus population of eagles in the Lone Star state so I love seeing them! And think about the odds... what are the odds that of the 3 or so times I look out that window each day, I would see an eagle at just that instant. Chance? I think not.

This may seem like such a small thing, but it's really not. God is not a God of chances. He took the time to give me that little blessing because he knew I needed it. I just stopped for a moment in the business of the day and thanked the Lord for this token for good that He gave to me.

I'll never forget a sermon I heard in college on Psalm 86:17 about a token for good. It has stuck with me all these years and holds a special place in my heart.

Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

The word token has the idea of a signal, a flag or a beacon that appears miraculously or suddenly. In this Psalm, as with many of the Psalms, David is crying to God for help against his enemies. In the very last verse he asks God for this token for good so his enemies will see evidence that God is with him. I believe the Lord gave it to him!

Our God is a personal God and even though we don't have throngs of enemies like David, we do have an adversary in Satan. His powers are constantly fighting us and trying to bring us down, discouraging us from faithfulness. God knows our hearts and he knows we are human! So he will give us a little something to brighten our day... that little flag or signal that miraculously shows up and says "God loves you, be of good cheer". Guess what else? You can pray for that token! I believe God wants us to pray for a token so he can give it to us... because he loves us. Just two Psalms earlier He gives this promise...

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

I wonder how often I've missed a token because I'm caught up in my own little world. Sad to think about, but I'm sure it's happened. May we all see the Lord in the little things and thank him for showing us a token for good.

Home Notebook

Over the past few weeks, I've been decluttering and organizing our home... using the sheer motivation that a new year brings! I don't make resolutions, but I do step back and take a look at my life and our family. Searching for ways to improve. There's always room for improvement, right?

Right after Christmas I sorted out toys, clothes, etc. and sent them away. Don't you just LOVE getting rid of stuff?!

After this mass exodus of "stuff" I just pondered for awhile. I love all things neat and orderly and clean. Sometimes to a fault. God wants us to have a home pleasing to Him, a haven for our families, a place for children to make memories. However, He doesn't want us to spend every waking moment cleaning and organizing our homes! Two things have really helped my thinking in this area:

1) Flylady.net- this website is fantastic for every woman... stay-at-home mom, working mom, wife, or single lady. You start with baby steps, getting into a routing, decluttering a little at a time, setting timers, etc. I'll admit that I've started before then stopped, thinking it wasn't applicable to my lifestyle. I've smartened up a little since then. (Maybe.) Just do a little at a time, and don't worry about the rest. It will be there tomorrow.

2) My home notebook- Were you wondering if I was ever going to get to that? Having everything in one centralized location saves tons of time! Time that can be spent playing with little ones, reading a book or chatting with a friend.

I've had my home notebook for several months now, but it was in dire need of reconstruction. That has been my major project this week. If you are looking for ideas on the organization of a home notebook this is a great resource. I've used her basic breakdown and adapted it to our family. This book is my brain and I'm so happy to have it cutesy and ready to think! Here's a peak at mine...

Cover

First Section: Household

Daily Routine- My "Baby Steps" from FLYlady plus my childrens' routines

Menu Planning- Monthly Calendar ready to be filled in (tomorrow's project!)

Housework- FLYlady Zone Lists

Home Improvements- A place where I can jot down new ideas and projects

Second Section: Planner

Birthday and Anniversary Tickler

Gift Log- to keep track of gifts given to family and friends

Thank-You Note Log- to keep track of thank-you notes to write

Entertaining- Event planning and hostessing

Calendars

Third Section: Family (I love this section!)

Church Directory

Phone Numbers- Important numbers all in one place

Emergency Info- Contact info, doctor info, etc.

Financial Planning- to keep track of what comes in and goes out each month

Celebrations- to plan special family occasions and holidays

Ministry Ideas

Goals- Lists of goals for our family and children

Fourth Section: Personal

Bible Study- where I can track my Bible reading, memorization, and develop lessons/devotionals

Cakes and Crafts- Where I can jot down ideas, tips, and earnings

Blog Ideas- Where I can jot down, well, blog ideas!

Like anything else, this is a work in progress. While I'm thrilled to have it re-vamped, I know that I'll be adding to it. I hope this encourages you to make one for yourself! If you'd like any of my templates, just shoot me an e-mail and I'll be glad to share.

Happy organizing!

Playing Catch-Up

It's been quite awhile since I posted pictures of our family, so here are a few of my favorites from the past few weeks.

** They were all on my phone so the quality is sub-par on a few. :)

Homemade Coffee Creamer

My new go-to place for all things crafty and frugal is Pinterest. A little while back I came across a recipe for homemade coffee creamer and fell in love. Immediately I knew it was the prefect gift for my sweet, coffee-fanatic friend, Emily.








This is the blog where the recipe originated, but I'll re-type it here for your convenience. :)

14 oz milk
14 oz sweetened condensed milk (the large can)
2 tsp vanilla
1 quart mason jar

Combine all the ingredients in the mason jar and shake vigorously. You're done!

Here are a few benefits of this recipe:

-You know EXACTLY what's in it! No artificial chemicals or ingredients you can't pronounce.

-It's convenient to pour straight from the mason jar-- no mess!

-It's cheaper!

-Even if you are not a coffee drinker, this recipe is perfect if you have company that does drink coffee. When the leave, just send the jar home with them!

-You can make different flavors! I plan to try hazelnut and peppermint. :)

Enjoy!

Christmas: Day 9

Merry Christmas!! Today, I am thankful for a wonderful Savior who came to earth to die for the sins of men. Without Him there would be absolutely no hope in this world, but what a comfort to know that He loves so much that He was willing to live a lowly life so that I can live victoriously. What a Savior!

Christmas: Day 8

Today I am thankful for Amazing Grace. The grace that is given at the time of salvation continues every day of our Christian life. The Lord is so faithful to give us what we don't deserve. This week, especially, I am so humbled by the generosity shown our family. The Lord had used so many people to be a blessing and we are so grateful for the Grace He has shown.

This year (and every other time, too) I can give the Lord my attitude... and boy, do I need to!! No matter the situation, I want to have an attitude pleasing to the Lord. It sure is hard sometimes. Often we feel justified to have a bad attitude... that we have a ugly to be upset or angry at the circumstances. We war against our flesh constantly, and a consistently good attitude is a struggle for me. BUT His Amazing Grace is sufficient for me, and His strength is made perfect in my weakness so He can be glorified.

Christmas: Day 7

Today (actually yesterday) I am thankful for the Mother that the Lord has given me. I love to reminisce of childhood Christmases, especially all of the traditions we established growing up. My most favorite of all is the tradition of making treats and delivering them to friends and family on Christmas Eve and looking at Christmas lights on the way. We've made this tradition our own with our children and I hope it will be a dear part of their Christmases, too. My mom was so patient with all four of us... homeschooling us, raising us, refereeing us, and all of those "mom" duties. I constantly refer to her example as I strive to raise my children for the Lord.

This Christmas I am focusing on giving the Lord my Mind. Thinking of a gift the Lord has given me and then something I can give to him has really focused my Mind during this busy time. Even if I don't get it posted here each day, I am constantly thinking of it throughout the day. I pray that this will continue throughout the year, as well.

The last two days have been filled with baking for our Christmas goodie boxes. This year's contents are:

Martha Washingtons (if you're family, you'll understand completely).
Pumpkin cookies (Mamaw's recipe)
Chocolate Chip Cookies ( Mom's award-winning recipe)
Divinity
Peppermint Bark
Peanut Butter Fudge (Mom's recipe, but can anyone really make it like mom?)

Best Upholstery Cleaner Ever

When we moved to Maine last year my in-laws gave us their tan suede couch. Since then, my children have been less than friendly to it. I've cleaned it multiple times with variable success. Finally it got to the point that no matter how much I scrubbed, it would not come clean. So out came the couch cover.

Then a few weeks ago, my son somehow came across a red Sharpie marker and drew all over the arm of the couch while I was on the phone. I was mortified and immediately turned to my best friend in these situations: Google. The best suggestion seemed to be rubbing alcohol and a wet cloth. By the time I finished scrubbing the arm looked brand-new!

So I finally took the time to do the whole couch yesterday, and it looks 100% better! (It works best if you put it in a spray bottle.) Forget all those expensive upholstery cleaners with all the chemicals... just grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol for $1 and start scrubbing!

Christmas: Day 6

Today I am thank the Lord for giving Truth. In a day when there is so much evil and corruptness in the world, what a reassurance to know that there is a right and true way to live. God's Word is the only source of absolute Truth available. The more we study it, the more we understand Truth.

This Christmas, I can give the Lord my Trust. Honestly, this can sometimes be the hardest to give especially when we can't understand what His plan entails. As women, we need security on our lives and that makes it even harder for us to trust without seeing. Thankfully, we know that all things will work together for good if we love the Lord and desire to serve Him. (Romans 8:28)

Christmas: Day 5

Today, plain and simply, I'm thankful that the Lord gave us Snow this week. For years growing up in Texas, I would pray for a White Christmas... the closest we got was a white Easter! So moving to Maine I assumed we'd always have a White Christmas. Last week it rained and melted all the snow! Therefore, I am thankful that the Lord gave us a little snow right before Christmas.

The past few weeks, the Lord has really opened my eyes anew to Study. It's often hard to find time to really dig deep into God's Word, but there are some really amazing truths just waiting to be discovered. This Christmas I am excited to really Study the Bible and see for myself what God has to say.

Christmas: Day 4

So technically it's Tuesday. We just got home from a nice weekend in Augusta visiting family and friends. It was a wonderful weekend of fellowship! So even though I didn't get this post written on Monday, I was still thinking about it and pondering it which is the whole point anyway!

I drove home tonight because my dear husband has to go to work in about 3 hours. I must admit, it was nice to just drive and think for 3 hours while everyone was sleeping. But even with ALL that thinking I still could not come up with a good "I" word for this post.... so I'm going to take a little liberty to describe exactly what's in my heart.

Today I am thankful for the Indescribable joy that only comes from trusting the Lord. He fills our hearts with a joy that can't be explained! I am so thankful for the joy, peace, happiness that He has put in my heart. When we have doubts and fears that plague us we need to remember that it's not from the Lord because He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7). It does not come naturally. It take faith and knowing that He will take care of us, but when you do trust your heart will spill over with the Indescribable joy of the Lord.

Along the same lines, I can share that Indescribable joy with others so they can know it, too! That is a gift that would be well-pleasing to the Lord this Christmas.

Now, since I had such a hard time coming up with a good "I" word, can you think of any??

Christmas: Day 3

Today I am thankful for the Riches waiting in heaven. All the gold, silver and precious gems in the world pale in comparison with the riches in heaven. God's Word says to lay up treasures in heaven. We do this by serving the Lord and doing good works out of a pure heart. The Lord knows every thought and intention of the heart and He judges our motives. When we perform an action out of a pure heart, we are laying up treasures in heaven.

One day, maybe in the near future, I will get to take all of those Riches that are stored up in heaven and lay them at the Savior's feet. What a sobering, and at the same time, thrilling thought. Sobering because I want to have many Riches to give; thrilling because I will have the chance to give something back to my Savior! May the Lord help us this Christmas, and all year long, to serve him with a pure heart and self-less intentions.