A Trade Worth Making

February 16, 2015 by

I am not a fan of negotiation. It stresses me out, especially when it comes to exchanging money or goods. Sure, I can negotiate with my husband about our schedules of kid-watching so we can be grown-ups/eatwithtwohands/gotothebathroomalone with the best of ’em. And sometimes I get my Mama negotiation skills out with our tiny human, who, for someone so small, seems to be very well versed in this department.

But most of the time, trying to make a trade just makes me twitch. I either feel like a jerk for demanding too much or like I am about to get the short end of the stick because I will do almost anything to avoid major confrontation. [Read more…]

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Practicing what we Preach: Serve

November 17, 2014 by

I like to stay busy.

I don’t just like it… I am programmed that way. I dig the feeling of motivation, doing, going, changing the world and am pretty terrible at resting. (Rest is something I am working on… but that is a post for another time.)

Motivation, especially for Jesus can be a great tool. It helps us to love, forgo judging others, and act in obedience.  It can also help us to serve.

Which is what today’s blog post is all about. Welcome to our latest entry in practicing what we preach through service. [Read more…]

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10 Ways to Show Love to Someone who Loves a Veteran

November 11, 2014 by

Ah, Veterans.

Veterans are amazing. Dedicated. Courageous. Focused. Determined. They are willing to lay it all on the line to serve our country.

Just that thought alone makes me want to stand in the middle of my street wearing a pearl-snap American flag shirt singing “The Star Spangled Banner” at the top of my lungs. (If only I had that shirt…)

#AMERICA

And yes, I am extra-biased because I just happen to be married to a veteran. One that has been rocking the army-infantry blue for over a decade, deployed three times for 45+ months in the Iraqi sandbox. (I can brag on him if I want to, right? OK, good.)

Each Veteran’s Day, we make efforts to show those who have served how much appreciate them. Which is awesome. I wish everyday were Veteran’s Day.

But here is a new way to honor veterans. Maybe one we haven’t thought much about before.

Honor veteran’s by showing love to someone who loves them. [Read more…]

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Practicing what we Preach: Grace

November 10, 2014 by

It was a typical night.

Baby girl and I had completed the day, successfully avoiding major tear-filled meltdowns (from either one of us.)

Hubs came home after his normal 12+ hours of doing army-ish things. Supper was consumed. And then the debate began.

We were both tired from the day (ok, life in general) and we started negotiating on who would give Tiny Human a bath. She was sticky all over and had somehow managed to get smashed blueberry in her hair– and stuck on her forehead.

We recently changed her nightly routine from supper, play, bath, bedtime to supper, bath, play, bedtime. It seemed to be working and I am a huge proponent of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

But Brandon agreed to give her a bath *if* he could do it right before bedtime.

Exhausted, I agreed. Anything to keep the peace, right?

Well. [Read more…]

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Practicing What we Preach: Love

October 27, 2014 by

Love is crazy.

And not just the heart-beating-face-flushing-he-is-so-dreamy kind of love.

Jesus love. Yeah. It’s crazy.

Crazy Awesome. 

Think about it. God loves us in spite of ourselves. He loves us through our sins, our failures, when we see something shiny and lose focus on Him.

Considering how much I sin (uh, daily) that is pretty dang crazy.

But yet, He continues to love. And he calls us to do the same.  [Read more…]

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The Missing Love Link (#EverydayJesus Linkup)

September 18, 2014 by

Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day! 

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Missing Love LinkI thought I was doing everything right.

The fridge had plenty of food.

The socks were picked up off the living room floor.

The laundry was caught up.

Dishes were done.

Supper was cooked.

Blogs written.

Baby nurtured.

Floor vacuumed.

Workout completed.

Prayers said.

So what was I missing? Why did I still feel so… blah? 

Suddenly, it came to me.

My life is like a long chain, everything connected. And I was missing a very important link. [Read more…]

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From Question Marks to Fulfilled Hearts

September 9, 2014 by

Why, God?!? WHY?!?

I can’t even imagine how many times a day this question is uttered to God from his Beloved followers throughout the world each day.

When our world is full of sorrow, sadness and trial… Suicide, homicide, genocide, crime, treachery, abuse, you name it… We barely know what to do other than to ask God questions.

I don’t know the answer to our lives that are full of question marks. But I am certain that God hears our pleas.

He has the power to take our question marks and transform them into fulfilled hearts that follow Christ. [Read more…]

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A Walk Through the Parables: The Samaritan

September 8, 2014 by

As an army family, being “neighborly” can be something of an awkward situation.

It is no secret when a family moves in or out of the neighborhood. The massive amounts of flying cardboard and huge semi trucks loading up thousands of pounds of personal belongings kind of give it away.

Being neighborly on post is not an easy task. Most of the time, folks keep pretty much to themselves. I am sure it is because they (ok we) are all busy and the effort it takes to build a relationship when they are probably moving to a new duty station in the next 12 seconds is, well, a lot of work.

But we try to be good neighbors. We really do. Sometimes it is well received, other times they just eat our “Welcome to the neighborhood” chicken dinner and we never hear from them again. (And they may or may not keep the Tupperware containers we served it in.)

Here’s the deal: We don’t have to be in the army to be neighborly. Heck, we don’t even have to be neighborly to only those in our neighborhood.  [Read more…]

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In the See-You-Later Moments (Three-Word Wednesday)

July 30, 2014 by

See You Later moments

As an army wife, I have had my fair share of “see-you-later” moments.

I call those challenging farewell experiences “see-you-later” moments because I despise the word goodbye. “Goodbye” seems so… final.

And if you are a Jesus lover like me, there is no finality to the separation with our fellow Jesus-lovers.

This truth alone gives me strength/courage/hope to get out of bed each day and face whatever challenges God has divinely placed in my path.

Although I sound all macho-rock-star-confident about the see-you-later moments in my life, I wasn’t always like that.

I remember my first “see-you-later” moment with my then-boyfriend-yet-soon-to-be-husband Brandon.

[Read more…]

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Loved Before Creation (#EverydayJesus)

July 17, 2014 by

Welcome to another week of our Everyday Jesus link-up. Be sure to link-up below this post, comment on your neighbor’s blog and share with your friends… Because Jesus is everywhere, every day! 

***

Have you ever thought about what God did before he created the world?

Maybe He has some cool hobbies we have never heard about. Perhaps He spent lots of time day dreaming. Maybe He played some kind of sport in heaven.

OR… Perhaps He was dreaming and planning and LOVING us before creation. [Read more…]

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