A List

I always enjoy reading these from others, so I thought I would post one.

Favorite Time of Day:  Morning

Highlight of Each Day:  Getting home from work and hearing, “Mommmmyyyyy!”

Favorite Color:  Purple

Coke or Pepsi:  Definitely Coke

Gold or Silver:  Silver

Siblings:  Bill, Maureen, Maggie and Corey

Pets:  I am not an animal person

Favorite Season:  Spring (it used to be fall, but spring is definitely my favorite)

Favorite Sport to Play:  Basketball

Favorite Sport to Watch:  Basketball

Breakfast, lunch or dinner:  Dinner

Favorite Meal:  Pizza or Nachos

Favorite School Subject:  Math

Favorite Movie:  Sleepless in Seattle

Favorite TV Show:  The Office

Favorite TV Show as a Kid:  Full House

Snacks or Meals:  Meals

Last Movie You Watched in the Theatre:  Something Borrowed

Worst Household Chore:  Doing the dishes

Favorite Day of the Week:  Sunday

Favorite Restaurant:  The Melting Pot

Favorite Fast Food:  Chick-Fil-A

Best Vacation:  Hawaii (we went there on our honeymoon)

Worst Vacation:  Stanton family trip to a lake in Northern MN (I think we left a few days early)

Most Beautiful Place You’ve Visited:  Southern France

Books or Movies:  Books

Coolest Thing You’ve Done in the Last 6 Months:  Gave birth to a baby girl

Coffee or Tea:  Tea (only a few kinds)

Favorite Month:  March

Items in your Pocket:  No pockets today, normally just lint

Brands You are Partial To:  Pampers for diapers, Huggies for wipes, Welch’s grape jelly, Oreos (no knock offs please), Vaseline Intensive Care lotion, Cascade dishwasher detergent 

Money, Money, Money…..MONEY!

Are you seeing Donald Trump in your mind right now like I am?  I used to love that show.  Ok, so the point of this blog post is not to talk about The Apprentice or Donald Trump’s net worth.  It is to talk about my view of the green stuff.  Like everything in my life, I hope that my view resembles God’s view and I don’t just sound like a class of 5^th graders learning to play the recorder. 

It seems that Marcel and I have been surrounded lately by the message of money.  Our church recently did a series on our economy and how our view and use of money is completely backwards as a nation (our economy is based on usury and debt…a man made system bound to fail).  The message of money has also been in a lot of my conversations lately, when I turn on the radio, when I pick up something to read, etc.  It seems to be everywhere.  More often than not, God is speaking in these reoccurring messages and wanting me to get something!  So now it’s taking the time to listen and figure out what that is.

I think the message that’s been spoken to me is not just a personal message, but a global one (thus my blog post).  It really is very simple and something we all know, but don’t often practice.  It is this, DO NOT WORRY.  Our security is in God and not money.  We must repent of the lack mentality and realize that God is the God of abundance.  There is not only one pie that we each need to fight for in order to get our share.  The pies are limitless and they come in all flavors!  Does this mean everyone will be rich and using dollar bills as napkins?  No!  Does it mean God will provide for our needs, just as he does the birds in the air?  Yes!  Money in itself is not evil.  It is just a tool used to provide for our families and bless others.  Evilness happens when we begin to love money. 

Loving money comes in all different disguises (the devil is tricky like that).  In our American culture, it is easy to think that loving money is something only the wealthy do as they are buying their third house, new Benz and vacationing in an exotic location.  The truth is, a person’s wealth has no correlation to loving money.  Loving money is a matter of the heart and where we place our security.  All walks of life can love money; poor, just making ends meet, middle class, wealthy, ultra wealthy…

In my experience, here is what loving money could look like:

o        Hoarding all of our money and not using it to bless others (stemming from the lack mentality…there is only enough to take care of my needs, I cannot think about the needs of others)

o        Not tithing on a regular basis (God asks us to tithe…He even challenges us and says to give 10% and see how much I will bless you!)

o        Spending an enormous amount of energy to get the best deal.  This is a fine line.  I am very frugal and want to steward my money wisely.  However, I don’t think God wants me obsessing about saving $5 on my grocery bill.  I know a lot of people that pour TONS of time into saving.  It’s almost as if their security is in the amount saved and not God’s provision.

o        Feeling entitled to the finer things in life.  Entitlement can signal a love of money.  God wants to bless us, but we are not entitled to go on nice vacations every year, have the latest gadgets, always wear the best clothes, etc.  We are ESPECIALLY not entitled to these things if it means going into debt to get them.  This leads to my next point…  

o        Having a large amount of consumer debt.  God says that the debtor is a slave to the lender.  God has called us to freedom, not bondage.  On the flip side of this, being debt free is not your security either.  God is always the source no matter how much debt you have.

I know there are many other symptoms that signal a heart that loves money, but these are just the few that God has been speaking to me over the last few weeks and years quite truthfully.  For us personally, we have worked really hard to pay down our student loan and automobile debt.  God has really blessed this area of our lives with faithful provision and the conviction to work REALLY hard for this freedom.  However, along the way I’ve been caught putting my security in the lack of debt and not in God.  I would find myself saying, “if we could just get rid of this student loan, then I would feel more secure.”  That, my friend, is putting my security in my net worth and ultimately loving money.  Fortunately God is so merciful and is assisting me on this journey to put ALL of my trust in Him.

Weddings

It seems that we have received a ton of wedding invitations over the last year.  I absolutely love weddings!  It is so exciting to see two people come together as one and the limitless possibilities for their life together.  I have wonderful memories of my own wedding, but I would change a few things if I was currently planning my wedding at the age 31 instead of 23.  I was never the type that had reoccurring visions of my perfect wedding as a little girl.  When Marcel and I went about planning our wedding, I really had nothing in mind of how I wanted the day to look.  I just kind of went with the flow and really wasn’t all that picky with my choices (a friend picked my bridesmaid dresses, my mom picked the flowers, etc).  Here is what I would keep the same and what I would do change.

Same:

o        Of course I would keep the same groom J

o        I would definitely still have lavender as my main color.  It is my absolute favorite. 

o        I would keep my dress the same.  I really loved my dress.

o        I would keep the same flowers.  I thought my flowers were really simple, yet so beautiful.

o        I would get fake nails again.  I bite/tear my nails and they are ugly (terrible habit…grandma Enid is probably in heaven asking God how she can get the $10 back that she gave me when I was 12 for temporarily ceasing the habit).

Change:

o        I would get married on the beach.  I think this would be so fun and beautiful!

o        I would definitely change my hair style into something more flowy and natural (to go with the beach theme).  I didn’t really like my hairdo on my actual wedding day.

o        I would get a new photographer and have candid photos of the day.  We had a horrible wedding photographer.  I usually cringe when I look at our wedding photos.  They are terrible.

o        I would write my own vows.

o        I would mention my parents on my wedding invite.  I picked out my wedding invites because we got a discount from the shop that sold me my dress.  I had no idea I was supposed to make mention of parents L  I still feel really bad about that.

Maybe a beach vacation to renew our wedding vows is in order one of these years!!!

Why Did God Do That?

We teach our kids that God is in control of everything.  He can be trusted.  He protects us.  He provides for us.  He loves us without fail.  He knows every hair on our head and He is concerned with our daily lives.  So it is only natural that Jadon would ask the other night, “Daddy, why did God hit the hospital with the tornado?” (speaking of the Joplin, MO tornado that devastated not only the local hospital, but the entire town).  Wow!  Good question, buddy.  I love how he is getting old enough to have such thoughts and question the circumstances around him.

So you probably want to know how Marcel answered him, right?  How do you explain to a 5 year old mind that God is in control of everything, but His will is not always displayed in everything??  I firmly believe God is good all of the time.  He is the same God yesterday, today and forever.  Bad things happen.  Bad things do not discriminate between “good” people and “bad” people.  They simply happen and no where in the bible does it promise the Christian life as one without hardship.  The truth is we live in a fallen world where the devil has many chances to steal, kill and destroy.  It is his mission.  So when hardship hits, he salivates at the chance to weaken someone’s faith or destroy it all together.  Let me be clear that I don’t think questioning things is a sign of weak faith.  God can handle our questions and doubt.  If He couldn’t, then He wouldn’t have made us with the capacity to think.  We would simply be robots serving a master (He does not call us servants, but friends).        

I too have many questions when bad things like tornados happen.  It’s devastating to see loss, destruction and intense heartache.  I’m not going to pretend that I have every question answered, but I have resolved to want God more than I want answers.  It is in those moments that the peace that surpasses all understanding creeps in and soothes the soul.

As an answer to Jadon’s question, Marcel simply said, “Buddy, God did not want that tornado to hit the hospital.  He cares very much for those people and now He wants us to pray for them.”  That simple answer was enough to satisfy the curiosity and show that God’s will can always be boiled down to two things; love God and love people.  He who is in us is so much greater than he who is in the world.  Even in the midst of destruction.  I’ll leave you with a favorite quote of mine:

Peace is not the absence of trouble.  Peace is the presence of God. - Anonymous

Do You Hear Me?

Our sweet Sienna turned 3 a few weeks ago.  Since this milestone she has gone and lost her ears.  I am sure they are in a very hard to reach place – like shoved under the fridge or in between the couch cushions.  Until they return, I’m afraid I have no choice but to continue to strengthen my patience.  I don’t consider myself extremely impatient but I also don’t consider myself extremely patient either!  Sienna is kindly strengthening my character and increasing my capacity for this virtue.  I know she is just simply thinking of me in her constant state of defiance J

Our sweetie seems to respond to life these days in such a way that makes me believe she feels under attack.  And in her 3 year old world, I’m sure she does!  She is learning her boundaries as well as getting used to a new baby sister.  That is a lot to process.  I once heard an analogy that compared a husband bringing home a second wife to toddler parents bringing home a new baby.  I’m sure there are feelings of “why am I not good enough?” that her 3 year old mind is trying to express. 

So the last few weeks have been all about consistent discipline.  This is HARD!  I am certainly no master, but I do know that the times we set clear boundaries and are consistent with enforcing them are the times that the behavior improves.  The trick is to not get too caught up in training behavior but training the heart.  I think when you simply train for pleasing behavior, you walk a fine line of creating a people pleaser.  People pleasers tend to lose their God given personality along the way.  On the other hand, obedient hearts do the right thing even if it doesn’t please everyone.  I want to teach Sienna obedience for her well being, not because I want to show off how well my kid behaves in front of others.

This is all fine and dandy to say, but the reality of it is very challenging.  Discipline in our house is used to correct disobedient behavior – again, trying to train the heart and not just the symptom (bad behavior).  I am fortunate in that I have a husband who is trained in children.  He is truly a master at disciplining them.  He has taught me that love is the only emotion that enters into the discipline equation.  Everything remains very factual.  You made this poor choice?  Here is the consequence.  There is no raising of voices, no angry faces, no shock over bad behavior (after all, they are toddlers!) and absolutely no belittling of the person (it is the behavior that is sour, not the person).  Of course we are human so we don’t follow this perfectly every time.  I have had plenty of occasions where I am angry, made a face of absolute disgust, am completely shocked that they would act in such a way and have wondered from time to time if I am raising a monster!  It is a process.  Hopefully Sienna realizes in the end that the time outs and spankings are us saying, “We love you too much to let you think that throwing a fit when we asked you to get dressed is ok!”  Too bad her pretty brown eyes even further complicate the disciplining process J         

Books I’m Reading

I’m almost finished with two books that I’ve been reading over the past few months.  The first is more of a devotional put together by the pastors/leaders of Bethel Church in Redding, CA (check out their website for great resources to strengthen your Christian walk).  The book is called Spiritual Java.  It is a very good 40 day devotional if you are interested.  I’ve also been reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.  Brother Lawrence lived during the 1600s and was a cook in a monastery.  The book is about how he cultivated such a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit that everything in his life became an act of worship.  His posture towards God was the same whether he was cooking in the kitchen, spending time in prayer or going to church. 

Here are a few of the quotes that really spoke to me from these two books.  Perhaps they’ll speak to your heart as well.

“Many do not advance in Christian progress because they stick in penances and particular exercises while neglecting the love of God, which must be the end purpose of ALL actions.” – Brother Lawrence

“Do not move faster than grace.  People do not become holy all at once.” – Brother Lawrence

“You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you – so why must God be neglected?” – Brother Lawrence

“People don’t need to be convinced of our insights, our gifts, or our ability to convey truth.  What people need is God.”  - Bill Johnson

“We miss God when we live as though we have Him figured out.  In fact, if we think we understand Him, we have probably conformed Him into our own image.  To endeavor to know Him is to embark on an adventure in which questions increase rather than disappear.”  - Bill Johnson

Good Blogs

I hope these friends don’t mind me sharing their blogs.  For those of you that like to read a variety of blogs, here are a few that I follow that are really terrific.

o        This is my friend Sarah’s blog…perfect for those of you raising young children and want Godly information on being an awesome wife and mother!  http://imraisingworldchangers.blogspot.com/  

o        Mandy is a high school friend of Marcel’s and takes AMAZING pictures.  Her girls are beautiful so she has good subjects to work with.  I can’t wait for her to photograph our family this summer.  http://www.guthsrule.blogspot.com/

o        Sylvia used to go to our church.  She designs amazing jewelry and is starting a fashion consulting business.  I wish I had half her style.  http://www.sylvia-c.com/

o        I met Maggie through our church as well.  She is an incredible writer.  She is a deep thinker and blogs a lot about gardening and living a healthy lifestyle.  http://characterwelcome.blogspot.com/

o        Suz is another amazing writer (as is her husband OJ who contributes to the blog as well!).  She WILL publish a book someday.  She is full of spiritual wisdom.  http://ojandsuz.com/