Nourishing Traditions

If I were the name-calling type (and probably I am), I would have many unfortunate names to call Sally Fallon.  I skimmed her book, "Nourishing Traditions" and was so overwhelmed!

This book was full of really amazing and true information.  But to make the changes it called for...I threw in the towel.  Like my kids would ever eat lacto-fermented anything!  And raw milk? No way.

Plus, to make the recipes in this book would take a lot of planning ahead.  To quote a famous cartoon dad, "If something is hard to do, then it is not worth doing." Embraced!

Sadly, Homer Simpson is an idiot.  And now my husband has a fatty liver. 

And I started making kefir. Baby steps, right? (and am I not cute as a blonde?)

I have loads more changes to make!  For now, I forsake chicken nuggets and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.  We'll see how it goes from there!

Making Home

My House:
(This is a photo from when we moved in November of 2009)

My Home:
(another old photo, but a good shot of my messy kitchen, coated with Ainsley's Art)

So, if you looked around my house, you'd never guess I was an Interior Design major.  I guess that's because I preferred the design side of my major and loathed the "decorating" side.

If I had unlimited funds, I would spend most of it here or here or this fabulous store where I used to work.  But I don't have unlimited funds, so most of the furniture we have is from the poor man's DWR.

Since I have priorities much higher than this one, for now, I just do my best to make my home a place that is fun for my children, a place that welcomes visitors and a place that makes me smile.

That One Kid

You know who I mean.  If you have a minivan full of children, there is always that one.  Or maybe it's just that age and stage.

I have four little ones.  These ones I can write so fondly of on a blog.  They are so precious, so beautiful, little blessings.

Until they're not.  I'll bet all of my children have gone through this kind of stage.  But right now, it's Gordon.  The baby.

He is completely incapable of doing the simplest tasks.  He is absolutely disagreeable.  Me: "Gordon, here is your toast."  G: "I don't want any toast." Me: "Ok, that's what is for breakfast." I take the toast away.  In a desperate, demanding, whining voice, "THAT'S MY TOAST.  DON'T TAKE MY TOAST."

Rinse and repeat in regards to clothing, shoes, snacks, meals, toys, games, and so on.

All day.  Every day.

Sometimes, reverse psychology gets a task accomplished.  But not often.  And I know this teaches him nothing.

It's enough to make a Mama Mad.  Like that Hatter in Alice in Wonderland Mad.

Tell me this stage will pass.  Please Lord Jesus, tell me this will pass.

This Moment in August

reading: "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst

 
watching:  "Arrested Development" with Hubbs and "Wallace and Gromit" with the Kids

 
teaching:  The Westminster Shorter Catechism


listening:   To Robyn O'Brien talk about food allergies.


praying:  For my Muslim friend, Noha. That she saw Jesus during Ramadan.


 
dreaming:  Of my backyard chickens!!


savoring:  The first tomato from my garden. Finally.

praising:  God that His love endures forever!

Ramadan 2011

Did you know the month of August 2011 brings about Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam?  What is Ramadan?  You can read a simple explanation of it here.

The brilliant Pastor Wally says that ISLAM means to him: I  Sincerely Love All Muslims.  After 11 years in Saudi Arabia, the last part spent in prison on death row, he can still say he loves Muslims.

Well, I love them too.  I remember in college ministry, I had a few friends who were passionate about taking the Gospel of Jesus to Muslims.  I thought they were nuts.

Now I am the one who is nuts.  Over the past two years, God has drawn my heart to Muslims.  It began with a powerful presentation from Josh McDowell.  Then continued with crossing paths with Muslim women, lots of them.  Then a class in world missions, followed by coming alongside an immigrant family from Kazakhstan (Muslim background Believers).  All of these amazingly God orchestrated events confirm Scripture (most profoundly John 17:3).

So, join me in praying this month of Fasting and Prayer. Pray for Jesus to reveal Himself in dreams and visions to the Muslims in your life and to the Muslims the world over.  Pray! And fast!

Feeding the Family Wholly

Wholly?  Is this a word?  I think it might be, the David Crowder Band seemed to use a word like this in a song of theirs...
http://youtu.be/bmJA8nvkR0o

This is a really great tune, I wish I could find the official video...wait, wait, FOCUS, Myers!

So for the past 8 years, I have been properly educated on feeding my family "whole" foods.  No, really, I have so much information and so many recipes.  I have watched many documentaries, read loads of books and blogs.  I know a lot about it.

Confession:  I don't practice this stuff much.  Sure I have made small changes to our diet, some lasting, some not.  I LOVE food, love food.  I love good food.  Be sure to read that as "tasty" food, not "good for you" food.

In my laziness, I have taught my children to love junk.  My poor babies!

But don't worry, as I continue to blog, we will be detoxing. Unless mutiny ensues, which could very well happen.  To be continued...

The Joy of Being Wifely and the Honor of Motherhood

This is decidedly NOT how I planned to begin talking about the Joy of Being Wifely and the Honor of Motherhood.  But this is fresh on my heart. 

"I can't stand to be around your children."  These words were spoken to me on a recent trip to visit family.  Those words burned me to the core of my being and left a festering wound of discouragement on my spirit.

Granted, these words were spoken to me in the heat of frustration, during a tense discussion of frustrations.  5 adults and 10 children (under the age of 9) had been sharing a home for the past 5 days.  No one had slept well and my youngest  had spent the first three days of our visit with a fever.

I do not want to dwell on this conversation, but I do want to focus on a few super important lessons I learned from this conversation. (This is me, speaking to myself, in inner monologue...)

1. You cannot, no matter how much you want to, you cannot judge your own family against another family.  If you want:  observe, take notes, make a mental list of "what not to do" or "things to try".  But don't judge.  If we lived in a vacuum and were without fault, then judge away.  If another family asks for your observations, then share them as God leads.  Otherwise, keep your thoughts to yourself.  If the children of another family make you crazy, love on them, because it's the right thing to do.

2.  If someone criticizes your family or children, take it in stride.  Most people are not with your family 24/7.  So they only get a glimpse into your daily life.  Perhaps the criticism is unfounded, shrug it off.  Perhaps there is a nugget of truth in the criticism.  We all have blind spots, so check your mirrors and blind spots.  Then make changes if need be.

3.  Definitions are relative.  Although my siblings, peers and I have read a similar spectrum of books on marriage and family, our application of philosophy is vastly varied.  On many levels, this is really hard for me to remember. 

4.  If you are not walking deeply with the Lord and not praying fervently for your family, then this inner monologue is pointless.  I am speaking to me, here.

p.s. I LOVE my family <3

Efficacy of God's Word

Recently, my sister-in-law, sent me a Bible reading plan.  It's officially called Professor Horner's Bible-Reading System.  Check it out on this random Jesus-lover's bog I just found.

Right now, I am certainly NOT keeping up with the 10 chapters a day.  Some days, I get it all in and then some. Other days, I get going only to be interrupted.

In the end, I have been so blessed to read the Bible this way.  I am seeing things, a unity of the Word, I never noticed before.

Sometimes, when I read, I have no idea what I just read.  I am learning to be ok with this.  I have to trust that God's Word does not return void and I trust that the Holy Spirit is teaching my heart.

So then, I am off to read...

Loving to Read

I love to read. I love, love, love to read. This love for reading was undoubtedly cultivated by my sweet parents.  They are avid readers and for as long as I can remember, they encouraged me to read.

Each summer, I participated in our local library's summer reading program, reading my way to free Cincinnati Red's tickets.  Granted my seats were always in the nosebleed section, but it was a thrill to know I had earned those tickets.

 

Now, I am trying to instill this same love for reading into my children. It's not going so well. I have some very stiff competition in the form of technology. But I will persevere!

For now, I will continue to read and read to my little ones. What have you been reading?

Serving Others

Two years ago, this summer, our little family traveled to Colorado State University for the biennial all staff training with Campus Crusade for Christ.  Yes, we were commissioned missionaries!  We were so ready to hit the field as full time Christian workers.

Awe! Aren't we the cutest missionaries you've ever seen?

Sadly, this did not last.  To make a long story short, God actually used our time at CSU to reveal to us His heart for the Gospel, His last frontier (if you will), and that our role in that missions was not via Campus Crusade for Christ.  After several months, we yielded to God's leading and left staff with Crusade.  Phew.

This has left both Ian and I a bit jaded.  Raising the funds for missions was really challenging. As in, it did not go well at all.  A pastor once told us that Christians in the U.S. spend more money on their pets then on giving to missions.  (Frowny face).  So we did what any jaded former missionaries would do.  Gave more to missions.  Yay, us!  Aren't we awesome?

Um, no. GOD is awesome.  We took an amazing class on the state of global missions called Perspectives.  This completely confirmed all that God was already teaching us. Bonus! And we were exposed to so many other people and organizations fulfilling the Great Commission.

So now, we are waiting in NorCal.  Waiting for God to call us elsewhere or to keep us here.  Waiting for any opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And wouldn't you know it, God has kept us here so far and is daily giving us the opportunity to be His hands and feet.  Yay, God is awesome!

This Moment

Life is moving at lightening speed. Today, I take a time to treasure this moment.

reading: "Secret Believers" Al Janssen and Brother Andrew

watching:  "Myth Busters" with the Hubbs

teaching:  Peacemaking, "A gentle answer turns away wrath. But a harsh word, stirs up anger" Proverbs 15:1


listening:  Pomplamoose.


praying:  For documentation for my dear friends from Kazakstan.


dreaming:  Of living closer to family.


savoring:  Honey ham and brie on ciabatta.


praising:  Give thanks to GOD for his healing hand on my daddy.

Welcome!

For goodness sakes, I am Type A.  Or at least I was.  Soon after becoming a wife and mother of four, all ability to plan seemed to disappear.   This blog is part reigning in my lack of discipline.

These are my 7 values that I hope to represent here:

1. The Efficacy of God's Word

2. The Joy of Being Wifely and Honor of Mothering

3. Feeding the Family Wholly

4. Serving others

5. Making Home

6. Loving to Read

7. Savoring the Moments

Sit back, relax, enjoy.