I thought it was a good idea, but I didn’t know I would take to it. 

Not this fast anyway. 

i tried the oil cleansing method.

(more…)

4 Sundays ago, PC3 Leland, the Leland branch of my church launched! Here is a brief recap video:

I’ve taken pictures each Sunday, just to chronicle the experience and this chapter in my church’s life.

I’ve been amazed at the hard work this team of people has put in to pull off such a technology stunt, all the way to live-streaming, last Sunday! I know that so many have played a huge role in the success of this being a reality, and I have gotten to experience a lot of that first hand through my hubs.

So, this next portion is going to be dedicated outrightly to bragging, on Jeremy. I am so proud of him.

Today, in the hallways of PC3 Leland many came up to me to brag on Jeremy because of a few technology type things that happened in the early hours of Sunday, saying things like, “We love Jeremy,” and “Jeremy is a rock star” and “What would we do without Jeremy?”

and I agree, and know all of these things to be true,

every. single. day.

Jeremy does so many things well, and with ease. He is patient, loving, understanding. In public, at work, and at home. Always. I see many sides of his character, and I can vouch, he is a rock star, a rock star daddy to L, a rock-star husand to me, and a rock-star client helper (if I had a dime for every time I heard, click start, go to open, etc, etc, etc). And I, too, love him. And often wonder, what would I do without him. He is a true gift! I am so thankful for him.

Thanks PC3 Leland, for loving on Jeremy and in turn, loving on our family.

Here is my couple’s small group leader’s video, Scott Smith. I am often so inspired by him and his wife, Pat. They are amazing leaders. I can only hope to be as fit spiritually and physically as they are!

Last night, my friend Brad sent me this link to this blog…

with this homemade sign…

maybe I will attempt my own. We’ll see.

I love her words on that blog, too. This is the gift, that is sharing your word. Immediate accountability.

Check out Brad’s facebook page for some awesome furniture, too. Like this dresser he painted, love that blue!

Once there was a coffee table….

well there have been several in this sweet little life of mine.

But, once there was one coffee table, that was from Ikea, in Budapest, simple little table.

Not fancy. But, a coffee table nonetheless. And in Europe, at least in Slovakia – 2nd hand furniture stores are non-existant.

Tonight I ran across this picture on pinterest… and it brought back a story of that Hungarian (Swedish) coffee table.

via Apartment Therapy

The amazing thing is, I found the post I wrote about that little coffee table, almost 4 years ago exactly to the day! 

Here was what I wrote that day in January in Slovakia,

Upon returning to Budapest from Tihany, most of my team stayed the day and went shopping. While we were in Budapest I decided to buy a coffee table at Ikea. No big deal, right. Wrong. This is one of those things that you have to carry. And I don’t mean out of the store and put it in your trunk. No, I mean out of Ikea, to the Metro, on the Metro, to the train station, on the train, off the train, to the tram, on the tram, up five flights of stairs, and then it still needs to be assembled. But, in almost no time I had it assembled and ready to use as a functional coffee table. Last night we played phase 10 on it, and I’m sure much more to come.

Life overseas reminds me a lot of life with a baby. Funny how one thing prepares you for the next. Oh so thankful.

Thanks for reading my coffee table story, it remains one of my favorite overseas memories.

I’ve read a few posts lately about not using shampoo & about using a homemade face wash, which is a part of my 18 things to make in 2012 goals, but then I started discovering that she applied the same principle to many other areas.

Which got me thinking….

Maybe the only reason why we are dependent on so many of these things is because we’re so used to them, hooked, a self-created dependence. Or rather, marketed dependence.

we’re hooked…

I am so interested to try a lot of these money saving, simple, & green solutions to everyday hygiene. If they work, I estimate I’ll be saving our family upwords of $200 or more a year. With the potential to save a lot more, if the whole family embraces it.

So, take a look at one of my new favorite blogs, simplemom.net, she posts about a lot of great everyday and green solutions, sort of like Real Simple, but without the $5 price tag, per issue!

A few months ago we switched to Shaklee for our cleaning products, and got rid of a slu of other products (pictured below), and applying this same idea to other areas, may just be the makeover, or makeunder (as it were) this little life of mine needs.

goodbye unneccesary cleaning products

To de-commercialize, and break the dependences on so many of the products that I use.

I think it’s worth the experiment at least. Here’s to my attempt! I’ll update you on how it goes.

i think i say this every month, but the time… is passing… so quickly. i put those elipses there just to extend time for a smidge of a second. because time with you, is priceless to me.

every day is a gift. i am learning so much about you, and i think you about me. i am amazed, often, at how you know who i am, this humbling responsibility wakes me up to the reality of my legacy in you. you are a reflection, an extension of me, and i pray sweet liam that one day you’ll know the Creator that made you in my womb, and that you will worship him with us, freely, by your choice.

five months of absolute delight is what you’ve given us. don’t get me wrong sweet liam, there have been days where we wondered if we would make it out alive. especially about two weeks ago when you refused, REFUSED to nap, so instead of staying home for you to nap, i would go on errands, and you would fall asleep in the car, and i would sit, in a parking lot, somewhere in this town just so you could nap for longer than 30 minutes. it was a trying time, one that i don’t care to relive anytime in the near future. i think they call this wonder week 19, unfortunately, we have another wonder week around the corner, oh 26, i dread you!

that whole rolling over thing at month four really revved you up in your sleep, too, so much so that we didn’t know how to get you to go to sleep… we tried… everything. but now, you’ve settled into yourself a bit, you seem like you’ve got the sleeping on your belly or on your back thing down. and now that you’re consistently sleeping through the night (hip hip hooray!) i wish i could too.

you’ve been HUNGRY like the wolf! at one point i wasn’t enough for you, which made me really, really sad, but you’ve taken back to me now that you started eating rice cereal. learning to feed you from a spoon has been fun for me, and also really messy as opposed to our previous feeding times.

you are also slightly a drool monster, we couldn’t own enough bibs! you soak through three or more a day. it’s quite impressive. niagra falls should be jealous.

our friend laura beth, let us borrow their exersaucer which you just love! a few other things that you really love are the baby bjorn, especially with daddy, road trips, pulling hair, tummy time, milk!, and grabbing mommy’s mouth, nose, or whatever you can get to.

i suspect you are only days away from starting to crawl, you’ve already been in position too many times to count.

you love the sound of my voice and crane your neck to look at me wherever i am in the room, and i just love the affirmation of love that is inside that gesture.

i love hearing the beginning of your learning of language, those little sounds you are making, i love repeating them back to you, and you back to me, i love our conversations.

we’re amazed by you little L, and how you change, grow. we love your little personality, and how you enjoy us. it’s so heart-warming.

i can’t wait for you to read these… one day.

i love you. 

love,

your momma

I have a confession.

I am not a baker. No, not even a little bit.

I don’t like measuring out ingredients, scraping off the top of the cup of flour, no, not me, I’m a dump- it- all- in-and-see-how-it-turns -out type of cook (I think that’s why my chicken chili recipe is so successful.)

Nonetheless, I wanted to try to tackle this recipe because my friend Sarah, and talented cook has made them before and they were to die for. Just delicious.

Besides, to me, it’s an exercise in saving money. At $2 or more a piece in the Starbucks’ case, they aren’t necessarily budget friendly. But, make them at home, and they are both delicious and inexpensive.

watch out Starbucks, I'm about to steal your thunder. and you're about to stop stealing $2 from me!

So without further adieu,

Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bars (in your own kitchen!)
(slightly adapted from Sarah’ Beakes recipe)

Cut into fun shapes, like hearts! Great for Valentines day! Or anytime of the year really!

…is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

Can I get an Amen?

We’re studying the book of James in my couples small group. I’m so in love with this book, with the man James, that God wholly inspired to write what may have been the first book of the new testament (chronologically).

The truth that resonates from these pages. Don’t be deceived! Consider it joy! Truth gives life! (and we’re not even done with the first chapter yet).

In today’s study this was an excerpt from Beth Moore… that I just loved and had to share…

James gives loud caution to his readers never to be duped into believing that the flesh gives and heaven takes away. Deep inside the marrow of our belief system, we are prone to think of God as the gigantic minus in a life full of pluses. Only by the integrated revelation of the Holy Spirit do we comprehend the great reversal: God gives and the flesh takes away. God bestows. The flesh bereaves.

God’s gifts are given with goals. They’re perfect because they’re perfecting. They don’t just give today. They give toward every tomorrow.

After taking a moment to reflect on the good gifts of God from our past in quarters, Beth states this…

If it was good, then it was God. If it was perfect, then its goal was precise.

I’m hiding this truth in my heart, good ammo for a rainy day!

just don’t.

don’t let it.

i almost did, just this morning. how ridiculous.

truth invade my heart.

via elembee.