My New Advent Read!!

Each Advent I re-read certain books... "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens...."The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson...and now I'm going to add another...

"God is in the Manger" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer... 

Here's one of my favorites from a letter he wrote from prison to his fiance Maria von Wedemeyer in 1943...

"Be brave for my sake, dearest Maria, even if this letter is your only token of my love this Christmas-tide. We shall both experience a few dark hours - why should we disguise that from each other? We shall ponder the incomprehensibility of our lot and be assailed by the question of why, over and above the darkness already enshrouding humanity, we should be subjected to the bitter anguish of a separation whose purpose we fail to understand...

And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger; wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever man can do to us, they cannot but serve God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives."

Powerful stuff, eh?  And that was only part of one day!!

Baby Jack!!

I had the MOST wonderful morning. My super special neighbor came over to watch my coughing kiddo...so that I could be free to jet out for an hour to hold...Mr. Scrumptious. Little Jack came home just yesterday. He is SO tiny and perfect!

I held him almost the entire time I was there!  *SQUEALLLL OF JOY*  I even changed a poopy diaper!  Tee hee!!  God is so amazing!  That's what I think every time I see a newborn...and a preemie is just a whole other level of God's awesomeness!!

Oh, Jack...you are a delight!  We prayed so hard for you...and will keep praying!!

Marriage Monday: Got Time?!

 

 

I am spending quite an elongated period of TIME solo.  It's one of the "burdens" of marrying a brilliant man; I share him with the company sometimes!  I need to stay proud and supportive and remember that he's missing me just as much as I'm missing him.

As I swallow the fact that this holiday will be...lonely without him different...I am still thankful for so many things.  One of those things is TIME!  First off, I've been most comforted by the realization that God holds and controls all my TIME...til death!  He knows...He cares...none of this is a surprise to Him.

I'm thankful...because my sweet Loverbrains is willing to work so hard and so well, I am able to stay home and focus my full attention on the love and care of my children.  I have the TIME to slow down and play games, watch cartoons, snuggle on weekends.  While I'm at it I also have TIME for myself...sewing, reading...blogging.

I'm thankful for the things that occupy my TIME during the days and nights...activities, friends, gym memberships, bible studies, playdates, ministries...When sad and upset I generally tend towards being an isolationist.  I want to pull back and away, hole up and have a grand pity party for myself.  BUT...that's just what Satan would like me to do...so, I'm not.  I'm going to get out and do things and be THANKFUL...cuz He's worthy of my praise!!

I'm thankful for the TIME I live in...where technology is full of helps...Where would we be without phone calls and SKYPE!?  I try to makes those TIMES of connection special.  We gather things throughout the day that we want to show DadE!  How special...I've never really considered the blessings of technology in my marriage til now!   

A comforting thought came to me only recently...I realized that this stressful TIME is just a drip in the bucket of our marriage.  We will look back at it...and barely remember it.  Even if it feels HUGE right now...It'll be but a snippet in our future.  We're gonna grow old together...I'm not old...yet...so, we've got TIME ahead!

Grow old along with me
The best is yet to be
When our time has come
We will be as one

God bless our love
God bless our love

Grow old along with me
Two branches of one tree
Face the setting sun
When the day is done
God bless our love
God bless our love

Spending our lives together
Man and wife together
World without end
World without end

Grow old along with me
Whatever [God] decrees
We will see it through
For our love is true

God bless our love
God bless our love 

by John Lennon and Robert Browning

(I changed the word fate to God...cuz it bugs me.  Why would I be saying God bless our love...if I don't also acknowledge that God puts any and all decrees on my life.  Duh!)

Fuax Cookie Dough?!

To begin with, I should say that I'm not usually one of those chiccas that eats raw cookie dough. I've been taught that you can get salmonella from the raw eggs and I don't even let my kids lick the beaters.

BUT...this low GI diet and my sweet tooth don't always go together.  So, I was seriously craving something sweet...anything sweet and gooey goodness and then I saw IT while cruising Pinterest...I HAD to try it!  Chocolate-Covered Katie really has something good going!  It's eerie....

Fuax Cookie Dough

1 1/2 c. chickpeas ( 1 can. garbanzo beans)

1/8 + t. salt

1/8 + t. bkg soda

2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. nut butter (I used almond butter)

2/3 c. brown sugar (I used 2/3 c. Splenda and 1 T molasses)

2-3 T. oats

Blend in food processor while slowly adding up to 1/4 c. milk or until dough like consistancy.

Hand mix 1/3 c. chocolate chips

REMEMBER...all things in moderation.  Eating the whole thing of faux cookie dough still wouldn't be good for you. 

BUT...a few spoonfuls when you really need it is pretty awesome!!

Soli Deo Gloria: REAL love!

I've mentioned before (HERE...and HERE...and HERE)...the gap I see among Christians between forgiveness and reconciliation.    Often, we only say we forgive someone...and nothing in our attitude proves that it was a fact.  If our only form of proof is that we don't yell at them in the church hallways or say nasty things about them to others...well, that's pretty lame.

Seriously, the church is a BODY...it has to work together.  I was recently very much convicted by this fact.  A family I'm not particularly close to...and have been hurt by in the past...extended love to me very unexpectedly.  As I accepted their love to me and my children, I realized that I had been holding back from them.  I hadn't been rude...not even close...but neither had I treated them like someone I called my brother and sister in Christ.  I'd kept distant and silent...aloof from my family.

I read a blurb from my Real Simple magazine...that I thought would be a good idea for those of us struggling.  In the life lessons section a Dr. recommends focusing on something good about your criticizer.  Her research showed that if you are anticipating hurtful comments you relay fear or dread with your eyes and/or body language---which generally led to more negative things happening.  Finding something positive about that person...even as simple as their pretty fingernails or nice laughter...changes you.  It changes the warmth and demeanor you give off.  If that criticizer feels respected...odds are they will reciprocate.  And honestly, what have you got to lose?

Well, WAIT...I know the answer to that question...after my experience I'll tell you what there is to lose...UNITY!  I realize that I've been missing out on closeness and fellowship.  I've missed out by not knowing them well enough to give ultimate, detailed prayer support!  I hope to learn from this mistake...I want to work out my faith...Talk the talk and walk the walk alongside of my friends.

I'd stop here but the truth is...my heart feels most broken about this in connection to dealing with those outside of church.  John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  They are to know us by our LOVE...our love should be a reflection of GOD'S love...and His is PERFECT LOVE!  No grudges, no holding back...praying for blessings on our enemies.  If I'm not showing that...what kind of testimony do I really have??  I need to be pointing to GOD...all the time...in every way...

‘But what is the ultimate good in the good news? It all ends in one thing: God himself. All the words of the gospel lead to him, or they are not gospel. 

For example, salvation is not good news if it only saves from hell and not for God. 

Forgiveness is not good news if it only gives relief from guilt and doesn’t open the way to God. 

Justification is not good news if it only makes us legally acceptable to God but doesn’t bring fellowship with God. 

Redemption is not good news if it only liberates us from bondage but doesn’t bring us to God.

Adoption is not good news if it only puts us in the Father’s family but not in his arms.’

I tried to site this quote...but had a hard time.  I think it might be John Piper's from his book "50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die"...but I'm not sure.

Faux Friday

I've been on a low glycemic diet for several weeks now.  I decided to make something new and interesting yesterday. 

Sidenote:  I love cooking...in my opinion if you're going to prep food it should go into pretty dishes...makes me just a little bit happier!

So, I tried this Spanish Rice recipe.  Of course, white rice is NOT a low GI food...so...

...a little lean burger...onions and peppers...tomato/chilies...garlic...cumin...Worcestershire sauce...

...THEN, I added FUAX RICE...otherwise known as shredded cauliflower. 

It was awesome!  SOOOO delicious!

YUMMO!!

Okay, maybe not everyone thought so...but they ate it anyway.  Such is life. 

Our family motto:  Where HE leads me I will follow...What HE feeds me I will swallow!

I Heart Library Booksales!!

What Is A Book? 

A book is pages, pictures, and words; 

A book is animals, people, and birds.

A book is stories of queens and kings, 

Poems and songs - so many things!

Curled in a corner where I can hide, 

With a book I can journey far and wide.

Though it's only paper from end to end, 

A book is a very special friend. 

by Lora Dunetz