{Moving On}

Hi friends,

I wanted to let everybody know that I have started blogging over at my new place:

www.sincerelybritches.blogspot.com

Please come follow me over there and update your Google readers!  It's still a work-in-progress, but hey, most things in life are!

See you there!

Anne

{Productivity}

I was determined to be productive this week.  Five sinks of dishes and a dozen loads of laundry later, I decided that I was.

Many delicious new meals were created in my kitchen during the past 48 hours.  We definitely had some 5-star recipes this weekend...which means there will be exciting new things to share with you in upcoming weeks.   If you want something great to try though, check out Pioneer Woman's Frito Chili Pie.  You can thank me later.  (A couple tweaks: she served it in individual packages of Fritos, and we just served it on top of them in a bowl.  And I only used one pound of meat, not two.  But other than that, it was pretty much identical. )

We pulled out our holiday spirit and went to our city's annual Christmas tree lighting Friday night.  We both agreed that it felt like a very small-town thing to do...which was amusing considering this isn't really a small-town kind of place.  But the lights were aglow, cookies and milk were out for the taking, the choir sang "Silent Night", and the trumpets played "Do you Hear What I Hear."  (Which I found rather amusing, considering it was a brass band and you can't exactly miss it....we all heard what they heard.)

Our Christmas tree is up...all four feet of it.  Because we often let our rabbit run around the house, a full size tree is no longer an option, as he would chew it to pieces.  We now have a table-top version, which is quaint, but I think it suits us just fine.  {Mom bought us the two snowmen in front for our anniversary.  Aren't they just adorable?}

Haven't decided yet if I'm going to send out Christmas cards this year or not.  More specifically, I completely forgot about them until yesterday, so time might make the decision for me.   Do you send store bought cards, or design your own?

I have to go stick the last load of laundry in the dryer and I'm going to call it a day.  After I clean up the water that is mysteriously leaking from the bottom of our refrigerator, that is.  (And by leaking, I mean pouring.) My weekend of productivity just keeps on trucking.

Sincerely, Britches

 

I have finally done it.

After months of planning, I have launched my own Etsy site. It's small starting out, but I hope to grow steadily as I have time to perfect each step of the business.

Please stop by and check it out: www.sincerelybritches.etsy.com

Feel free to pop over and “like” my Facebook page, too!  

http://www.facebook.com/sincerelybritches

I will be transitioning my blog over to a new location, soon but I will keep you updated of those changes as they come.

Starting this business is a huge leap of faith for me, but I am excited to see where it goes and what doors God opens up for me. 

 

More updates soon!

{Birthday Tribute}

I miss my grandmother.  My Nan.  

 

She passed away eight years ago this fall, but today would have been her 97th birthday.

 

Time has not closed the hole in my heart, left from the place she held. 

 

 I catch myself making silent tributes as I go about daily life. 

 

My little sister wears an outfit of purple, and I think about how much Nan would have loved it.   She wore purple whenever she had the opportunity.

 

I shop for flowers at the greenhouse and find myself gravitating to all the ones she used to plant on her back patio.  My garden is now filled with all her favorites.  

 

Lunchtime outside on the picnic table and I smile when I realize how much I love watching the squirrels playing in the yard or running across the top of the fence.  Nan always told stories about the squirrels on her patio and how she tried to tame them, or she would sit in a chair by our back window while I was growing up, watching for them to scurry by.

 

My love for musicals and all things Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, and Gene Kelly are because of her.  My love for black & white TV shows, Barney Fife, great dance scenes, and music from the roaring 20's can all be blamed on her. 

 

She continues to infiltrate my life.  My childhood memories are all filled with her, family vacations, holidays, play time, birthdays, and I find myself wishing often that she was still here, continuing to create memories with me.  

 

There are physical characteristics that I also have of hers.... although I usually complain about them... big knees, short waistedness.... but deep down I'm glad there is a part of me that is like her, other than my love for french fries and cute shoes.

 

I was blessed to have her in my life for as long as I did, but I don't think I'll ever stop missing her. 

 

 

{Wordless Wednesday}

Social Media edition

{Always Winter, Never Spring}

Spring is arriving.   

Early; quickly; brilliantly.  

Just in time for Easter which is right around the corner.

We were blessed with an extremely mild winter here in Michigan, but it doesn’t stop the longing in my heart for spring and the warmth it brings.

Temperatures have been in the upper 70’s and low 80’s for the past week, and we are already spoiled by the warmth.  Averages this time of year are 30’s and low 40’s.   But I’m not delusional, having lived in Michigan long enough to know that we very well could have some massive snow storms between now and the middle of May.  So we’re soaking it up while we can, knowing it might only be a tease before the warmth is here to stay.  

Tulips and crocus are blooming, trees are budding, and every morning I wake up to birds singing their beautiful melodies through our open windows.  

 But with all the robins singing in the trees, and the squirrels eating the heads off my daffodils, the arrival of new life draws my mind to Christ, and the new life He brings us.   I think of Narnia, where it was “always winter, but never Christmas”, and how they longed for something more.  They longed for the hope that came with the arrival of Aslan.  

And when Aslan was on the move, spring came.  Snow melted, rivers flowed, and the trees began to bud.  Aslan brought hope to Narnia, and the world came alive with the anticipation of his arrival.

 

Good Friday was our winter, and God knew it would be.  But He also knew that Sunday was coming, and with that brought the melting away of the darkness and the hope of new life found in the risen Jesus. 

Resurrection (Easter) Sunday should be overflowing with the greatest joy we can find within us.   It is because of that day that we don’t live where it is always winter, never spring.  

 Hallelujah!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; 
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASV)

Are you doing anything special during the next couple of weeks to prepare your hearts for this season of new life and the celebration of our Risen Savior?

Linking up with:

{Ode to the Shoe}

I live in flip-flops.

Summer.  Fall.  Winter.  Spring.

There is always an extra pair in my car, several pairs in my closet, by the back door, or stashed in my gym bag.   I must have a pair accessible at all times.

Some are average pairs, but then there are others that are favorite pairs. 

Like these:

They traveled with me on many adventures, through years of wanderings. 

Both single, and married. 

They traveled on my honeymoon and explored northern Michigan.

They flew across the ocean to Hawaii where they whale-watched, and walked the monuments at Pearl Harbor. 

They walked the beaches of Lake Michigan, and streets of Chicago, Illinois.

They rummaged garage sales in local neighborhoods, and grocery shopped hundreds of times.

But they have finally wore out.  Done.  Kaput. 

They have walked their last and were replaced this week. 

Replaced by a snazzy pair of cushioned-sole Nike sandals. 

 I have high hopes, but I doubt they’ll be as good as my $7 pair of rubber Walmart flip-flops. 

Do you have a favorite pair of footwear that gets you everywhere?

{Timeless}

I slid into a pew at church, next to the old man in the polyester suit.  He smiled welcomingly at me, and smelled of peppermints as he greeted me hello.  His aging wife sat on his other side, balancing heavily on her cane for support.  

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The music started, contemporary as always, although louder than usual.  The gentleman next to me tried his best to keep up with the songs, and honestly seemed to do a better job than I did.   I found my mind wandering a bit, wondering about this couple next to me.  They seemed familiar with the church, although I hadn’t seen them before.  It is a large place, but there are few older couples there so I thought I would have noticed.  It was a pleasant sight just the same.  

They sat at rapt attention during the whole message.  Then the prayer, and onto the closing song.  Usually it is another chorus, or a repeat of one we have sung earlier.  Today it was a hymn, written in 1872, and just as poignant as ever.  

And the man in the polyester suit?  

The voice I heard next to me came as a surprise.  This tune might have been a bit faster than when he had first learned it years ago, perhaps as a young boy, but the lyrics were just as timeless.  As I heard his voice, I imagined him in a plaid vest and alongside a Barber Shop Quartet.  His pitch was dead-on, and his vibrato was lovely.   He sang, and slowly swayed, his voice reaching above the sounds of the keyboard, violin, and guitar.   I had to wonder if this song had seen him through many trials in his long life, yet in that moment I was glad to just sit back and listen.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain; 

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

It was as if that song was played just for him that morning.   

Or maybe it was for both of us.

But whoever it was for….it was timeless.

Linking up with:

{Organized.....Or Not}

I want to be more organized yet I get frustrated & overwhelmed when I dwell on my disorganization for too long.  I know that if the clutter around me disappears so will some of the clutter in my head, but unfortunately it just doesn’t seem to be that easy.

We have probably all heard the saying “A place for everything and everything in its place!”   Well, that’s great in theory… but what if you don’t have the “place for everything” to start with?  (Yes, I hear all you super organized woman out there chanting “Purge, purge, purge!”)  

I feel like when I get that burst of energy and ambition to start organizing, it usually ends up meaning the mess was simply shuffled to a different area of the house.  Don’t get me wrong, I do purge quite a bit – there are always substantial trash & Goodwill piles, but it never seems like enough.  

Maybe I’m simply lacking some serious organizational-knowhow.  

Take decorative baskets for example.  Keep, or toss?   I was going to get rid of them, but there have been several times over the past couple years that I have gone to my stash to claim one and have been so glad they’re there.  So I keep them…and use them.  But where in the world should I store them?  

My solution has been a large Rubbermaid tub and it is getting tossed into the basement.  

We ripped our CD collection into iTunes but now where do we put all the CD’s?  Keep, sell?  Oh I know, how about stacking them in a Rubbermaid tub and putting them in the basement!  

I scour Pinterest and blogs for ideas on practical organizing (“practical”, meaning for REAL people, who actually LIVE in their house), and I usually come away uninspired.  There are times when I literally feel like I could spend a few days on each room of the house before it was cleaned/purged/organized to perfection….but who has that kind of time?  Not me. 

 One step at a time, I know…but where do I begin?

Anybody have secrets to share? 
What’s the first thing to do when you tackle full-on room organization?  

{Changing Seasons}

Source: borntomakeanimpact.tumblr.com via Anne on Pinterest

The house is quiet. A bowl of Chinese take-out is hot and steamy next to me on the desk.   Words have been writing themselves in my head for weeks but I just now have the time to put them into order and get them on paper.

The last several weeks have been a journey.  And here I am.  Happy.  Alive.  Excited.  The light at the end of the tunnel has finally come, and God has brought my safely to the other side.  I know why I had to go through the things that I have, but my thankfulness is overflowing as that season passes and He brings me to a new one.  

It has been over a month since my last blog post.  The absence wasn’t intentional, but so much has happened and my time to spend on the Internet has greatly decreased.  I check my email daily and that is about it these days.  

On December 12, I posted about discouragement.  You can read it here.  God knew my heart, the aching of my soul, and that I felt I couldn’t take the strain of my current situation any longer.  I was wearing out…emotionally, physically, mentally.   

Without airing loads of dirty laundry, let me just say that my work environment for the past several years wasn’t exactly ideal.  We were thankful for the job, don’t get me wrong, but the atmosphere that surrounded that job was hostile, to put it mildly.   The years I was there brought me extreme anxiety, stress beyond anything I have ever experienced, and the continuous threat of office “explosions” left an ever-present knot in my stomach.  

During the first couple of years, my self-esteem and confidence in my abilities took quite a beating, as well as my personal worth.  The best way to describe it is to say I felt like a piece of gum that had been chewed up, spit out, and was now stuck to the bottom of somebody’s shoe to be continually walked on.  My husband was a constant encouragement, always praying with and for me. He helped me fight the negativity I was continually surrounded with, always pointing me towards Christ.  I read, prayed, and cried out to God.  I learned to start each day praying as I walked into the office, pleading that no matter what happened I would find my strength and self-worth in Him.

This place had become my personal battleground.  Every victory belonged to the Lord, but every day, and often every moment, was a fight.  Through it all, I can honestly say that I saw His grace poured out constantly.  Big ways, little ways, it was His droplets of grace that brought me through.  Over and over I would recite in my head “if God is for me, who can be against me?”  He was always enough, but I was wearing thin.  There were days that I would come home and cry for hours, truly not knowing if I would have the strength to make it back in the next day.

But God had a plan, and it wasn’t until the end of December that He was finished with having me there.  I knew when the time had come, and the right door was opened for me to walk through.  He made it clear.   But things happened while I was there.

God made me stronger. 

God taught me to see the good side of people, no matter who they were.  

God helped me to care about the very people that were the cause of my agony.  He gave me the strength to pray for them…..when in my own flesh, I certainly wasn’t thinking thoughts of great kindness towards them (yes, this took a while to overcome!!).

God kept me on my knees….trusting…praying…waiting…

God changed me while I was there.  

And when He was done with those lessons, He moved me on.  

Through circumstances that only God himself could ordain, I was made aware of a local company looking to hire for a position that I was more than qualified for.  A friend submitted my resume, and a couple days later an interview was scheduled.

Within five days, I was offered the job, and late that afternoon I turned in my resignation, giving the standard two-week notice.  It was a moment I had dreamed of for over two years.   It was finally here.  The light I had been searching for.   

There are days when it’s still hard to believe it’s really true.  I’m really somewhere else.   No more feeling physically ill on Sunday night, knowing that Monday is only a few hours away.  No more coming home in tears, being sleep deprived due to work stress, or constantly having to question the ethics behind what I was being asked to do.  No more being surrounded with yelling, cussing, and accusatory people who were shameless trying to climb their way to the top, not caring who they kicked, tripped, or knocked over on their way.  It’s over.  

I’m free.

I took a week off to rejuvenate myself.  I needed to sleep….time to unwind.  Detox from where I’d been for so long.  Nine days of reprogramming myself.  Telling myself that it was all over and I didn’t have to dread tomorrow anymore.  No more fighting the desire to simply wish away Monday thru Friday and live for Saturday.   Now I could enjoy each day for what it was, what it brought, and what God had in store.

Friday will end the third week at my new job.  I thank God every day for this gift.  I have yet to find words that accurately describe the extent of my relief, joy, and thankfulness for this new season of life.  God’s timing is perfect, and it was a wonderful way to begin a new year.  

One Sunday at church we recently sang the song "Never Once” by Matt Redman.  My guess is that if we did a raise of hands, several of you would probably know it.

As we were singing, I was struck by these lyrics.  They were telling my story…my journey.  They were articulating so many of the feelings that I hadn’t quite been able to put into words.  There have been scars and struggles on the way, but I’ve been carried by His constant grace and my heart can say that He has been faithful every step of the way.  I have never walked alone….He has never left me on my own. 

By Grace Alone I stand,

Linking up with:

{Discouraged Soul}

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To you, LORD, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 28:1-2

There is a feeling of anticipation that swells up in me and I wait for news on a pending decision. 

Yes?  No?

Will I be chosen?  Or not?

My mind can hardly concentrate for days, thinking of the excitement that might be around the corner.  This could be it!  Finally, what I’ve been waiting for! 

Every time I hear my email *ding* on my phone, I grab it to scroll anxiously through the messages to see if there is an answer. 

And then the day comes.

I read with excitement, until I realize…the answer is no.

Not me.  Not this time.  Will I ever be chosen? 

Suddenly, instead of feeling my breath quicken with excitement, I feel crushed.  I feel a hole in the pit of my stomach.   I feel like there is a knot there, like I’ve been punched.  Perhaps irrationally so, but I feel dejected. 

I’m not devastated, but it’s definitely more than simple disappointment. I’m discouraged. 

Not many options available right now.  No lights at the end of the tunnel.  It’s tough.  I know my faith is being tested, but this testing has been going on for a long time.  

Years.   

I know God has a plan.  I know He sees me here.  He sees my tears; He knows my pain and frustration.  But it doesn’t change the fact that the situation remains the same…yet I must remain strong.  Faithful.  Committed. 

So here I am, clinging strongly to words like Faith. 

Sovereignty.  Grace.  Sufficiency. 

Praying I can be a faithful servant in the midst of trial.

Trusting that my Lord will see me through to the other side, all in His perfect timing.  Even though my eyes are blinded to His plan… 

My flesh is discouraged, but His truth and promises are etched on my heart. 

I keep believing that some day I will have a different story to tell, and a new journey will have begun.  But until then, I keep on trudging, sometimes slowly, but ever moving forward.  The climb is steep at times, but I know who is helping me, and He will never let go of my hand.

I will wait patiently for the Lord.  He will hear by cry, and lift me up from the miry clay.  He will set my feet on a solid rock.  He will put a new song in my mouth, which will be a hymn of praise to my God.

PS: You can check out Flower Mama's fun giveaway right HERE

A Day That Will Live in Infamy

I leaned over the balcony of the USS Arizona Memorial, watching the tears of the Arizona glisten in the water, as oil continues to leak out of the ship sunken below.  She is called "the ship that weeps for her dead", and fittingly so.

I stood in front of the wall that is etched with the 1,177 names of our heros who lost their lives that day. 

There were tears in my eyes and chills on my skin as I tried to take it all in.  Tried to understand the magnitude of where I was. 

I was standing in a moment that has been written about in text books...I was in a place that shaped our country...our families...our history.  

Today, we remember those people.

70 years ago our country was forever changed.

The next time you see a soldier, please go say Thank You.  

You might feel strange, awkward, or a little uncomfortable.  

Do it anyway.

These people are willing to die for us, yet we often forget about them. 

Their ship could sink in a moment and it could be their name etched on the wall....

Let them know you're grateful.

{Hope in the Midst}

The alarm went off at 5:00 AM. Snooze was hit a few times before my husband gently tugged the covers and pushed me off my pillow.

"Come on honey, boots on the ground!" he said.  (I had known I would need his help getting up.  I am sooo not a morning person.)

For reasons that will remain yet unwritten, I got up, and stumbled down the hall to start getting ready.

There was a meeting to attend before I headed to the office.

Was it worth getting up so early for?

I hoped that it would be, but still wasn't sure.

It was pitch black when I pulled out of the driveway.

The neighbor's dogs weren't even out yet to bark at me, as they usually are every other morning.

I stop for coffee on the way, hoping that some smooth brewed java will help to jolt my brain awake.

A little further, and I pull into the parking lot.   I see a familiar car, so I know I've found the right entrance.

Into the office I go, and further still, I step into a conference room.

Men were filing in, some in dress shirts and ties, other in jeans or sweater vests.

A blend of men, but all with a couple of very distinct in similarities.

High-level executives. Christian. Trying to make their businesses better.

Men with strong desires for Integrity. Honesty. Commitment. Perseverance.

I sat in the middle of a one hour round-table discussion and was shocked.  My preconceived notions were shattered.... in a good way.

These were business leaders, trying to gain encouragement from other people in similar situations. They love God, and want to spend an hour every week away from the corporate rat-race in a place where they can lay their cards-on-the-table and be truthful, honest, and real about the difficulties they face in business, and as Christians in a stressful environment.   

It was their haven.

For an hour I was able to join them in conversation. Business issue resolution, employee conflict, encouraging positive attitudes, giving the business hope and an optimistic outlook when the "world" thinks everything is bleak. These men were passionate, hopeful, driven, and in love with God.

The most profound point I walked away with?

 

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The world looks at people as either optimists or pessimists -- they are categorized as being either "glass half full" or "glass half empty" kind of people. But as one man pointed out, that is still "the world's thinking." As Christians, we should be showing the world that your glass can be 100% full.

We need to focus on looking Up, more than looking around. When the economy is tanking and businesses are struggling, our glass is still completely full, because we know who fills it. We have Christ.  We have abundant hope.

Sometimes this is hard for me to remember.

I work in the business world, and there are days when it is brutal beyond words.  But this gave me hope. Hope for my city. Hope for the hearts of people in business leadership. This was a reminder that God is bigger than the problems I see around me. Bigger than the struggling companies and declining job market.

I left renewed.

I went to work and felt like at least for this moment....for today.... my glass was 100% full.

What about your glass? Where is your fill line?

(So was it worth getting up so early? I might be on my third mug of coffee, but it was completely worth it.)

Linking up with:

{Reflect}

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

-Matthew 5:14-16-

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Jesus did not come to earth and offer His life so we could be like everybody else.  He was (is) willing to link His reputation to ours, so why are we willing to be like the rest of the world? 

Have we been seduced by the world’s ideas?

Have we become lovers of money and gossip? 

Forgotten the sacredness of marriage?

Are we allowing our sin nature to be fed through grudges and anger?

Do we spend our life showing mercy, caring about those around us, and striving for honesty and integrity, or are we living a life of self-gratification? 

The command to reflect Christ spread across the world and into all cultures and various churches throughout the New Testament, even into the book of Revelation.  

Despite the temples to false gods, shrines, orgies, and laws to worship the Caesar, they were still called to be set apart.  To live a life without compromise.  To reflect God in a world and culture where very few did.

I want my Lord to be able to say to me that "I know our deeds, your love, your faithfulness, and your perseverance..." (Revelation 2:19)

As believers in Jesus Christ, I am called.

Chosen. 

Part of a royal Priesthood.

   A counter-culture.  

 This means that my actions should set me apart. 

Jesus died on that cross and shed His blood to save me. 

He chose me.  

Why?

To be a reflection of Him. 

{Streams of Water}

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Where can I go and meet with Him?

Psalm 42: 1-2

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Over the last few years I have become increasingly thankful for the Internet.  I have found a community that is a place for encouragement among godly women, with those who take time to share their hearts with the rest of us and reach out to bless us with their words.  

I am hoping to start sharing some of my "finds" on a weekly basis, and maybe they will bless your heart as well.  God has helped use these words to be shade in my desert during long days in a secular work environment, where everything goes against what He desires for me to be.  

Find yourself a quiet corner and a mug of steaming coffee...

Ann Voskamp: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/10/when-its-hard/

Excerpt:  Psalm 107  Read it because it’s manna and and you’ve got nothing to give if you haven’t gathered, and you have to gather it at daybreak if you are going to gain from it the daylong.

It is a better thing to have a trouble, and know how to get grace enough to bear it. And we get grace enough to bear it — when we run into the arms of Grace who bore it all, into Him Who is more than enough.


Angie Smith  http://angiesmithonline.com/2011/10/higher/

Excerpt: I went through something terrible that many people go through, and I loved the Lord through it. Because of circumstances I didn’t create or ask for, He chose to use me.

And if that doesn’t humble me, I don’t know what will.

I used to cry after I spoke because I felt like I messed up.

Now I cry because I know He loves me in spite of it, and it’s too much.

It’s grace at work, and I get to report to duty every day.


Stacey: http://www.29lincolnavenue.com/2011/10/31-days-day-2-your-legacy-is-worth-it/

Excerpt:  The life of faith is not for the faint of heart, and He wants to give you a promise for today. The hard day.

SarahMae: http://www.likeawarmcupofcoffee.com/home/2011/09/pushing-into-hope-on-never-being-beyond-his-amazing-grace/

Excerpt: I am a mess, and my heart is so ugly sometimes, but God makes me beautiful because of Jesus’ sake. He loves me and redeems my heart. I will not listen to the lies of condemnation that come from the enemy, because in Him, I have been forgiven and set free. 

His grace is enough,

{Home Lover}

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Do you love your home?

Is it your haven; your happy place?

Is it a place you can run to, shut the door, and know you're safe? 

Is it filled with love, harmony, and peace?

This is what I want for our home, and pray often that God will continue to make these things true within our four walls.  I feel so blessed that it is a haven, because I know there are many people who don't have that luxury within their walls. 

Part of having that haven at home is the time & effort we put into it, and the praying done on it's behalf.  These are the things that I pray for in our home:

• That God's peace will reign in our home, and in our hearts. 
• That we can create a joyful atmosphere, and remember to praise God no matter our circumstances.
• That we love each other despite our faults, as Christ has loved us. 
• That we surround ourselves with beautiful things as a reminder to appreciate the beauty that our Creator God has surrounded us with.

I only have three years under my belt as a homemaker, but I am so thankful for the example that was set for me all the years growing up by my mother.  She made our home a haven, and that is my desire now.  

I never really liked the word "homemaker," so I had to laugh when I read this quote below, by Elizabeth George.

I don't know about you, but I had an aversion to the word "homemakers" -- until I discovered what God had in mind.

Before that, it sounded like dull labor and mundane chores.

But...I learned that...I am simply to be a "home lover."

Any woman who carries in her mind and heart the thoughts "home, sweet home!" qualifies as a home lover.

Can any of you relate to that?  Now home lover, I can handle! 

How I enjoy learning to be a home lover!  As the months slip by, there are always more things I am learning to do, and always edges to be refined.  But there is great joy in this process, and I feel blessed that God has called me to be wife and a keeper at home. 

If home is supposed to be a wonderful place, there has to be character built within its walls.  

Truth. Purity. Loveliness.   

Sounds familiar?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  (Philippians 4:8)

{Shushing the Creator}

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"Focus on the journey, not the destination.
Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

- Greg Anderson

 My husband reminded me of this a few days ago, as I was wishing away time until my project would be completed.  A project I have been excited about, prepping for, and spending hours on.

Don't wish it away, honey; it's about the journey.

What else in life do I do that with?

Maybe not so much wishing time away, as much as thinking everything will fall into place once a goal is complete.

Once our saving account is big enough...

Once I lose that extra ten pounds...

Once we live in a bigger house...

Once we...

Am I wishing time away?

Not intentionally, but I fear that is the end result.

In the midst of that, am I ignoring promptings from God in my life?  

I'll have more people over after we get a bigger house.

We'll help this person out financially once our savings account is built up more.

Are we shushing the God who created us?  Are we tuning out that still small voice because we don't have everything all neat & tidy in our lives yet? 

Are we wishing away this season of our lives because we think the next one will be better?  Or bigger.  Or just plain different. 

Are we missing out on some things that God might have in store for us because we're too busy feeling inadequate about where we are in life right now? 

I read this blog post and was blessed by her honesty on this matter:  http://www.allthingsheartandhome.com/2011/10/05/always-waiting/

It made me think about listening now, obeying now, reaching out now.

Enjoying this season, now.

Remembering to enjoy the journey.