Modern day Delilah

Judges 16: 17 
' So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” '


What a traumatic evening last night.  My 13 year old got his hair cut!  I'm pretty sure it may just kill him.  It definitely took away his sense of reasoning and certainly sapped my strength.  Poor guy (poor me!).  However, like Samson, his hair will grow back and he will regain his God given strength. And like my son, after the stressful week we've all had since my grandfather's passing, I will regain my strength.  I know that it won't return all at once, like when Superman gets away from Kryptonite, but like hair growing back on my head I'll gain a little more each day.  I'm not saying that I'll get over the death of my loved one completely, but I have a promise from God that I will have a new morning, a new beginning, and another day to "grow". 

My handsome boy after a similar haircut last summer. Personally, I like it!

This is the outfit I had on last Friday, I'm continuing to wear red on Fridays through the month of February, to bring awareness to Heart Disease in women #goredforwomen. I'm wearing red again today, but you'll just have to take my word for it!

Spring, please spring already!

Song of Solomon 2: 11-12
" See! The winter has past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. "


I don't know about the rains to be over and gone, but I'd like the snow to be over and gone.  Enough already! The kids are home from school again today because of the weather, after missing two days of school due to my grandfather's funeral...and I'm out of groceries.  Oh well, because of my "Manic Monday", I do have some chili and home baked cookies, I had a lot of nervous energy.  However, I did eat all of the Fritos, and if the kids don't get up soon, I may eat all of the cookies.  Even though I may not be coping as well as I'd like with the death of my grandfather (I really would  prefer to be channeling that energy into running or something more physically positive), I find comfort in scripture and in prayer and in the kind words and gestures of those around me. Thank you Lord, not only for my immediate family, but my family of fellow believers who are truly my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Here are those pesky Fritos...all gone!

Here's a really cute sweater that I saw yesterday in my new Talbots catalog...so I won't give up hope just yet. Come on Spring, spring already!

"Spring Has Sprung" sweater- Talbots 

Manic Monday

John 20:19

" On the evening on that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ' Peace be with you!' "

Now, I know Jesus was not with the disciples on Monday in this verse (it happens to be Easter in this particular passage), but I like the fact that the first word out of his mouth is "peace".  It's been a bit hectic around here since my grandfather's passing on Friday.  So peace sounds wonderful! I'll take it, and the wonderful thing about it is, He gives it to me, too! As things around me are seemingly out of control, at least I have the knowledge, that I'm given a peace that passes all understanding, from my Lord and Savior. Lord, thank You for peace, and peace be with all of you today too. Amen.

So, let's just say I look a lot like this today...

No blonde hair, but a similar outfit.
Pic from Pinterest- Fashion Turkey

I probably look more like this...

Again, no blonde hair (or hat or pipe) but similar!
Pic from Pinterest- Sailors on Behance

Gone

2 Corinthians 5: 17
" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! "


I write today with a heavy heart.  My beloved grandfather of 92 years, passed away this morning.  Even though his health has been declining these last few years, and we were aware earlier in the week that it probably would not be much longer, I am still heart-broken.  I am, however, encouraged by the words of  my God. I can find comfort many places in His word, but this morning my comfort is in knowing that we are a new creation and that when the old has gone, the new has come. So, even though I am sad now, and will miss my grandfather, my hope is in the fact that we will be reunited again.  2 Corinthians 5: 1 " For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. " Lord, thank you, that I will see my grandfather again, in Your eternal house.  Amen.

"De- da" and Frankie

Cold paws, warm heart

Revelation 3: 16
" So , because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. "


I don't ever want to be accused of this...being lukewarm for Christ.  There were definitely times in my walk where this was probably true; unfortunately.  I want my faith to be on fire!  And while certainly some days are hotter than others, I want my faith to be uncomfortably warm to those around me.  So if you see me around town...watch out, you just might get burned!!

This morning was so cold that my 13 year old didn't wear shorts to school and the dog didn't even want to put her paws down in the snow! That's cold, my friends. And, it's supposed to get colder! What?!  I'm moving south, and not just for the winter. I am longing for the "dog days" of summer. I thought if I dressed more  spring-like today that I'd feel more hopeful, but it's too cold.  I'm in my flannel shirt layered over a long-sleeved black t-shirt, jeans, warm fuzzy socks and boots. I'll be springy another day when it isn't so cold.

Sofia "the First"-  cold paws, warm heart

I made myself a "mocha cocoa" this morning. Nothing warms the heart like chocolate and coffee all in the same mug.
Just put a packet of hot cocoa mix in your coffee mug, and add coffee.
 I added my favorite flavored creamer too, for extra goodness!

Reflection

1 Corinthians 13: 12
" For now we see only a reflection in the mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. "


Lord, what do I see in the mirror? What is my reflection?  Some days are better than others, that's for sure. Today, I'm reflecting not on the outside ( I certainly did pull out the make-up this morning though!) but on the inside.  I am in awe that you think that I am worthy of your unconditional love and mercy.  What I see, a lot of days, doesn't even come close. Thankfully you don't see me like that. You see see me washed "whiter than snow."  And the amazing part of that is, I was washed in the blood of the Lamb! I pray that someday I may see what you see, I pray that someday I may see my reflection is you staring back at me.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and this is a time of reflection, prayer and fasting.  I've never been much of a "faster".  I do, however, enjoy my morning coffee with Jesus, and I do try to modify my eating habits during the season of Lent (see yesterday's post). The best part of celebrating the different liturgical church seasons, for me, are the traditions and lessons that it brings to mind for me and my family.  My husband and I both have liturgical backgrounds in our faith, and I like order and themes, so it's a great way for me to remember and think about different parts of the Bible and the history of our faith that I might not normally think of.  Last night we had our "Pancake Supper".  It was a wonderful opportunity to talk with the children about why we were having it, and what the Lenten season was all about. Here's a pic of my table centerpiece last night. We had fun collecting things around the house to add to it.

I added beads and a mask to an old flower vase and voila! Mardi Gras!!

This time of year also brings to mind that spring is drawing near as well... although you'd never know it given the weather report!  I am particularly missing the warm weather as I had a taste of it in January when we went to Disney World for a week.  I took a few minutes yesterday to peruse the spring fashion forecast (much better than the forecast around here for the rest of the week).  One of the cutest trends that I saw was that gingham has made a comeback.  I love it, and can't wait to incorporate it into my wardrobe. Here's a great way to start wearing a hint of gingham right now. 

Found image on Pinterest by- Stylish Petite

                 
                 As we reflect today, we also need to look forward...............come on spring, I'm ready!

Fat Tuesday!

Matthew 4: 2
" After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."


Throw me some beads!... Lent begins tomorrow with the solemn Christian observance of Ash Wednesday which is the first day of the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, Christians around the world will begin to fast and reflect on Jesus' life, death, suffering and sacrifice on the cross, for 40 days until Easter Sunday.  But tonight, we feast!  And growing up in the Lutheran church, we feasted on pancakes.  It's a tradition that I have kept with my family all of these years. Tonight, I will pull out the bacon and pancake mix. Yummy! However, beginning tomorrow and throughout the Lenten season, we will try not to eat meat on Friday's (my husband grew up in the Catholic church so we try to keep this observance as well) .  Also, as a family we agree to give up something else, so that as we miss it throughout the Lenten season, we stop and think of our Lord. The process isn't about giving up, it's about looking up! However you choose to celebrate this season, I pray that your thoughts are always on Him. Amen.

So, it's been particularly cold here, and there doesn't seem to be a warm day in sight! After a long President's Day weekend, the children are off yet another day because of the snow and cold.  We are having pancakes for dinner tonight, so it's not appropriate for me to make a big breakfast for the kiddos today. I made a great recipe I came across on Pinterest the other day. These are called Trailside Treat Baked Oatmeal .  I did have to modify the recipe for my 2 year old as she is allergic to peanut butter.  I used a smashed up banana to replace the peanut butter in the recipe and it was delicious!

One more thing... for every special occasion or holiday, I try to decorate my table accordingly. This is a picture that I borrowed from Pinterest on CatchMyParty (these are not my children!). I'm not going to tell you my table will look exactly like this, but pictures like this give me inspiration to find the things in my own home to make a special day more special. The traditional colors for Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, are purple, green, and gold. Also, traditional decorations would be masks, gold coins and of course beads. I'm sure if I get my children involved, we can come up with all of these things and have a fun, festive evening!

Have fun, keep warm and get "Fat"!

She had red shoes, I couldn't believe it...

Joshua 2: 21
"  'Agreed,' she replied, 'Let it be as you say.'  So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. "


Valentine's week day 5. Today is the day before Valentine's Day and it is Friday. I have pledged to wear red on Fridays in the month of February to bring awareness to heart disease in women #GORED (bonus that it fits right in with the Valentine theme).  Red is an important color in the Bible. In Joshua the red cord tied in Rahab's window saves her family and shows her faith.  Red blood around the doors of the Israelites in Egypt identified them in the first Passover, and most importantly, it signifies the blood shed for us, by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on the cross. Pretty important this color red.  Be bold, my friends, show me your red!

I love the color red, I was once told that, in decorating, putting just a touch of the color red in a room is like putting on lipstick. It just adds an extra pop of color and finishes the room. I'm wearing a lot of red today, but you don't have to have to be wearing a lot of red to add that extra "pop" of red.

I love this outfit from the striped top to the red shoes!

Here's my outfit today. I'm wearing my striped Talbots turtleneck (it's cold!) and a red "wrap" sweater that I purchased years ago, classics don't go out of style... you update them. There were no photographers around this morning, but I am wearing my black jeans and my "go-to" leopard slip-on tennis shoes from Target. A little splash of red nail polish and some red earrings, and voila, #GORED.                  

(even my nose is red today! like I said "it's cold")
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!!

Forget me not

Isaiah 43: 18
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."


I am so forgetful.  I forget to schedule appointments, sometimes I forget to go to appointments.  I forget to give Rx medicine (especially after I or the other person is feeling better).  I forget to return calls, to mail things, to pay bills, where I put things, what I'm looking for when I go into another room.....you get the picture.  Unfortunately, what I often remember are hurts or betrayals of the past.  Don't do me wrong, or you better watch out!  As this is Day 4 of  Valentine's week, I would like to focus a bit on forgiveness.  Now, of course, the ultimate forgiveness is from God our Father, he forgives us all of our sins.  Guess what though? We are called to His standard of forgiveness.  That doesn't mean we are to be doormats.  But,  we are called  to let go of the sins of our former selves and of the sins of others just as, in Christ, God did! Forgive and forget....not necessarily. Forgive and learn and move on, yes.

I almost forgot, last week I said I would style my chevron dress differently.  I remembered! Here's a pic my 8 yr old snapped of me this morning.

Chevron dress, elephant scarf and navy fleece-lined leggings- "The Pink Silhouette". Today, I bloused up the dress and belted it (it looks more like a tunic then a dress when belted).   I also wore my brown boots.

Chocolate!

Psalm 119: 103
" How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! "


OK. You caught me, this verse has absolutely nothing to do with chocolate, but a girl can try, right?  It's Valentine's week Day 3 and I can't help myself, I've got chocolate on my mind.  I'm a self-confessed chocoholic. Is there a 12 step program for this? I hope not. There's nothing wrong with a little chocolate, especially for your Valentine.  Homemade Valentine's are the best, especially if they are made out of chocolate.  My first Valentine (my dad) is a chocolate chip cookie kind of guy.  He is a purest though, I won't be able to add any cute little red and pink sprinkles or M&M's to his cookies. My go-to recipe is the Nestle Toll House recipe.

Dad's Valentine's gift, birthday gift, Father's day gift, Christmas gift.....

I am fortunate that all of my children favor dark chocolate.  Why fortunate?  Most importantly because it's  my favorite. Lol! But also because it's better for you and my youngest has a peanut allergy and dark chocolate seems to be processed separately from equipment that they process peanut products on (not in all cases, I still have to be careful).  A great treat this time of year for everyone are chocolate-covered strawberries.  I love the fact that I'm incorporating fruit in their treat and, that it's so easy to do.  And... you can't get much more romantic than a chocolate covered strawberry for your Valentine! Here's a link to a simple recipe for Nestle Chocolate-Covered Strawberries .  These certainly are sweeter than honey to my mouth!

So simple to make and soooo delicious. We never have leftovers!

Be Mine

Malachi 3: 17
" 'They shall be Mine', says the Lord of hosts, 'On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.' "


Day 2 of Valentine's week.  The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, tells us that "For those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name", we will be His , we will be made His jewels.  I find comfort in these words, and to be honest, a little discomfort too.  I find comfort because my faith tells me in John 3: 16 "whoever believes in Him should not perish , but have everlasting life".  What makes me a little uncomfortable is that I'm still human here!  I mess up every day! What if my faith wavers, I'm not good enough, I'm not prayerful enough or, I do something else unforgivable???  I only have to go back to my Bible to find out in Romans 8, starting at verse 31, that nothing...vs.39 "nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Whew.... I'm feeling much better now! Be Mine? Yes, Lord, I am yours!

So, today, we had another unanticipated day off from school...and my husband has the day off. Curses, spoiled again!  No problem, a great time to practice love, right?! Right. We'll just have to get a jump start on our Valentine's for school, and for our family and friends. I find some really clever ideas on Pinterest.

Such a cute idea for preschoolers!

Or, maybe today would be a good day for Valentine mani-pedi's for me and my girls. Again, a lot of cute ideas on Pinterest.  This is just one of many ideas. What I like about this one is the tutorial that goes along with it. Whatever we decide to do today, I'm sure we'll do it with LOVE! (wish me luck!)

Hope

1 Corinthians 13: 13
" And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love. "


Well, it's the week before Valentine's day and everyone's got love on their minds.  That's a good thing.  We are told that love is the greatest!  But what kind of love is the greatest?  Is it the kind of mushy,gushy love that we feel when we first meet someone?  The kind where we get butterflies in our stomachs?  I'll say, "no".  Although this kind of love is wonderful and probably helped when you were choosing your spouse, it's fleeting. The greatest love of all is not found in another person or ,contrary to Whitney Houston's hit, found inside of you. It's sent from Heaven above from our loving God and Father, who sent His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, to die for our sins. It's the self sacrificing love of our Savior who went to the cross to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  That's true love.  My hope for you today is that you experience this great love.

Now for the butterflies... I still get them when I'm with my husband (he'll be reading this later...LOL). He's the only man here on earth that still makes me feel that way. And that's how God intended it. Do I always feel that way? Um...I'll say it again, "no". But that's OK. God has planned for our love to change and grow and to resemble His love. Will we ever be perfect and achieve that kind of love? Probably not or we wouldn't need God.  But, don't lose hope, if we consistently go to God with our failings and our shortcomings then we are growing in love everyday and that's good too.

2 of my favorite Valentine's!

Anchors symbolize hope, so I'm in luck this year that the nautical look is back (quite frankly, not a summer goes by for me that they're not). Anchors are found everywhere in  the stores, on purses, shoes, t-shirts, dresses and of course jewelry.
I'm wearing my new  "Anchor Tee"- from "Talbots" and my great "Navy Anchor Necklace" from the "The Pink Silhouette".  

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Titus 2: 7
" In everything set an example by doing what is good.  In your teaching show integrity, seriousness."


I really enjoy beautiful clothes. I find a lot of my inspiration these days on-line.  I have an entire Pinterest board called "My dream closet".  That doesn't mean I run out and buy everything I see.  I try to imitate what I see, using the pieces I already have in my wardrobe and sometimes spruce them up with a new accessory, a new top or some new shoes.  All it really takes is to see what you already have with a pair of fresh eyes. If you are trying to imitate an outfit from someone else, remember to modify it to suit your lifestyle, your age, and your body type. Something that looks great on a 20 something, super slender model, doesn't always translate properly to my 48 yr old, we'll say "athletic" build... just say it, humor me, please! I also chase a 2 year old around all day so 4 inch heals probably won't work for me everyday either.  Most importantly, be mindful of what you choose, who is your audience (mine is a lot of kids!) ?  In everything we are to set an example of what is good.

Here is a cute outfit I found on this blog,  Jessica McLain

Here's a similar one from another blog,  Southern Curls & Pearls

And here's my version....

I love the leopard heals in the photo above, but of course substituted my leopard slip-on tennis shoes. I love the over-sized scarf, but opted for my turquoise scarf and gloves. My purse is from my favorite local store, "The Pink Silhouette"   

Run, run as fast as you can!

1 Corinthians 9: 24
" Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize."


I did it! I ran a little over 2 miles yesterday and I did it in under 21 minutes.  Not bad for a 48 year old woman with 7 children, huh?  No one was waiting for me at my parents house with an award, though. Actually, they didn't even realize I was finished. There was some serious "duplo" block building going on in the living room when I walked in.  I wasn't even missed.  But that's fine, my reward is knowing that I  was able to finish my running course, that I completed the goal I had set out to accomplish, and that there were no sad faces when I returned from my run. My greater reward is knowing that the real finish line for my race is not even here on earth. It'll be when I run through the gates of heaven into the arms of my loving God. Now, off to my bible for some more training!

Pre-run photo. It was warmer yesterday (51 degree high), so I was able to run with a light-weight sport jacket layered over an "under armor" long sleeve shirt. 

Photo taken last summer with my running girls!  My 11 year old can beat me already!

This is the day.

1 Timothy 4: 8
" For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."


Well, this is the day. I'm going to do it, really I am...I hope. I really need to start training for my 5K and today I promised myself that I would start. Wouldn't you know it, I need to take my daughter to the doctor this morning, my husband goes into work earlier than usual, and even though I get up between 5 and 5:30 in the morning, it's just to dark and cold to start running and be back in time to shower and get the kids on the bus. I'm done with my excuses now.  My parents live 5 miles down the road, they would be happy to watch my 2 yr old for me, and they are running the 5K with me. Yup, my 70 and 71 yr old parents! Pretty impressive, huh?  At least I started my day with training my heart and mind for the Lord. I do make time (almost) every morning to have my morning coffee with my God. And that kind of training holds much more value.

While running my errands this morning, I chose this cute tunic top from "The Pink Silhouette",. I'm also wearing my favorite "Target" boyfriend jeans and tan booties.
( Sorry for the renovations in background. I need to find a prettier spot for pictures! I did move the shoes this time.)

The cutest 8 yr old photographer I know! Thanks for the pic, Babydoll!

Get fit, starting tomorrow

Ephesians 5: 16
"making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil"

This verse in Ephesians is about walking in wisdom. Something I try to do from time to time. I have some good days, sometimes, not so much. But that's just part of the process, as long as we continue to lift up to God the areas where we most need Him, the more we truly rely on Him, the more we see Him working in our lives. I highly recommend journaling. It's a helpful tool to see what areas we have put before our Father and where He has taken us. I know personally, I don't often forget my problems, but I sometimes forget my blessings.

Today, I was going to start training for a 5K ( I really haven't run a lot since last fall ). But, it's just too cold outside! Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 40's so I'll try again. No, I'll do it tomorrow! There have been so many days that we have been unable to get outside because of weather and  illnesses, that it's easy just to stay inside and finish up that dip you made for the Super Bowl, those last few Christmas cookies, bake some other wonderful thing "for the children" and then finish it up for them while they are in school...I am afraid to step on the scale! So, I won't.  I'll make the most of today's opportunities; to keep my babies warm inside, to try and stay away from the last few Rice Krispie Treats, and think about what I'll be wearing tomorrow when I finally go for that run!

I had an opportunity this morning to play around with a logo for my blog...not quite there yet.
What are your thoughts?  Please comment and let me know.

Seahawks...that's all.

Matthew 19: 26
"Jesus looked at him and said,  ' With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' "


First, let me just say, " I am a Ravens fan". The Ravens, however were not in the Super Bowl, so yesterday I was rooting for the Seahawks. Why?  Well, the Patriots beat my Ravens in the play-offs (bummer). Also, there is that little incident with the air pressure in the footballs...and, one of my favorite Christian artist, Natalie Grant,  is a big Seahawks fan so it seemed like a no-brainer.  Somehow, I feel somewhat responsible for the Seahawks defeat...crazy! I am not an NFL consultant, I am in no way supernatural and have no super powers to somehow manipulate the outcome of sporting events, life events, etc.  So why do I feel responsible? I'm not exactly sure. I feel the same way when the Ravens lose or when things don't wind up the way I think they should. If only I'd worn a different shirt or if only I'd have painted my nails a different color or prayed harder or been better or nicer or... It doesn't work that way, people. We are not in charge. We can not control everything around us. After all, we are only human.

All of that is OK though. In our weakness, He is made strong. We need to remember who ultimately is in control. So in any circumstance, most not as trivial as the outcome of  the Super Bowl, we need to fully rely on God. It might not be the outcome we are hoping for,  but knowing He is with us through our many trials in life is all we really need....Go Orioles (a girls got to move on!)

The nails that "jinxed" the Seahawks! Super cute color though. I love to have fun with different nail colors, this one is "Green With Envy"- Sally Hanson Extreme Wear

This is the outfit I had picked out to wear today, however, I didn't want anyone to think I was happy about the Patriots victory (mature, right!).  The dress and leggings are from my favorite local store, "The Pink Silhouette", the tan booties are from "Target". I was actually going to wear this dress belted today with some boots...see future blog post.