God's Design in Our Hearts

"Ideals and the desire for beauty are simply the echoes of God's design in our hearts. He was the one who designed the world to be a masterpiece of wonder and life. The yearning for peace, health, and comfort is natural to our souls and comes from the depths of our hearts where we can still feel and imagine what God created life to be before the fall."    The Mom Walk p. 58

As women and as mothers, we long to follow this design and make masterpieces out of the everyday things in our lives. We sometimes forget that masterpieces are the work of a lifetime. When the real world comes crashing in on us, we can quickly become overwhelmed. And yet it is important for us to persevere and create beauty in our world. When we give up, we are submitting to the darkness that surrounds us. Even lighting a candle will influence our surroundings and bring soothing comfort to our souls. The dancing flicker of light gives hope that we are making a difference in this dark world. A couple of passages that remind us of God's design in our hearts are the first chapter of Genesis and I Corinthians 6:20. I find that these Scriptures offer great encouragement when I need the strength to continue putting one foot in front of the other.

In reading Genesis 1, what words did God use at the end of days 1-5? What did he create on day 6? How did he summarize all of creation? How can making the effort to bring beauty into your home be a fulfillment of the command to subdue the earth? What is one thing you can do today to make your home more beautiful? More peaceful? It can be as simple as picking a few dandelions (or flowers, if you do not have deer eating your precious garden) and putting them in a vase. Let your children gather a bouquet for you. They will love picking flowers for Mommy.

Although I Corinthians 6:20 does not specifically use the word beauty, how does making your home beautiful and peaceful glorify God? How can you glorify God as a mom today? God sees your spirit as beautiful, of great worth. Knowing you are beautiful in his eyes, how does that make you feel? How does that influence your idea of beauty?

As you look into the eyes of each of your children, pray that the Lord will help you see the masterpiece he is creating in them. I pray God's beauty will permeate your life today!

The Reading Never Ends!

Hey Everyone, some of you already know me, but my name is Marissa and I am doing a 50 book challenge this summer. I have gotten a good reference of books from Sarah Clarksons book Read for the Heart and I have also gotten a good start for this spring and summer! 

Have any of you finished a book or two lately? Well, I have! I just finished Tuck Everlasting By Natalie Babbitt. It was a very good book and there actually is a movie out based on the book. Winnie Foster is the main character besides the Tuck family, and she goes through a bit of what the Tuck family goes through when they tell her that they will live forever. What if you could live forever? What would you do? Do the Tuck's enjoy being able to never die and always live? "Tuck Everlasting" is a great fantasy book that is great for children and parents alike. I recommend this book for everyone who will pick up a book and read, because this is a book that you won't want to miss out on reading!

Keep up the good work with your reading! I am currently working on the book titled 100 Cupboards By: N.D. Wilson. I will probably finish it in about 5 or 6 days! I am looking forward to reading about the books you recommend! Maybe your recommendation will end up on my book list! I have 4 more book slots open! Click HERE to order Sarah Clarkson's Read for the Heart.

 

Just a little something from Europe!

Seek first the kingdom of God,..... My kingdom is not of this world.

Loud, noisy cars rushed through the changing lights, threatening our very lives. Honking, chattering, yelling, boats whistling, pubs, billboards, cafes, bikes, hundreds of pedestrians listening to ipods, the underground/above ground train swooshing through the bridge over to our side, and Joy and I thought we must be in the wrong place.

Looking for a small grave yard-where Susanna Wesley, John Bunyon and Isaac Watts were buried. Suddenly, we saw a gate. There in front of us, with a pathway through the grave yard--for walkways to and from the busyness of life, and between modern apartments--were the grave stones--some hundreds of years old-and we sought and found the very inconspicuous tombstone of the three we sought. Just a grave, small grave stone, with the years they were alive and when they died. John Bunyon had a little larger commemoration--but no mention of Pilgrim's Progress--just his name. There were no lines or tickets to see these and to remember the greatness of what they had accomplished. 

These three spiritual giants, had faithfully lived their lives, influenced thousands--millions--Wesleys--to love God, start spiritual movements, (Isaac Watts--"When I survey the wondrous cross and hundreds more) to worship Him in music, (John Bunyon--15 years in prison--writing Pilgrim's progress)to stay faithful on the obstacle course of life--to build children into godly leaders--yet the evidence of their influential lives and ways they were used by God's spirit to literally change the course of their world was in no way marked or recognized--at least not in this world.  So important to the world of faith, hope, love and kingdom work. 

In contrast to this, Joy and I had spent two prior days in long lines spending too much money to pass by the crown jewels and marvel at the amount of gold used, diamonds, rubies, emeralds displayed in all their glory. We had seen castles from afar, clothes that royalty wore and marveled at the distance between the rich and the poor. The cathedrals we saw in England and especially in Paris, were built on the backs of the poor, who had not much food or ways to live well, but were built all glorious for the wealthy leaders who desired such places of glory. 

The palaces, art museums, cafes, gardens were attended by thousands, (lots and lots of googling Americans) to observe the splendor of people whose glory was a thing of the past--yet these had had a kingdom in this world, and now they were all dead. 

Whose kingdom am I building? Where am I looking for rewards? Whose glory will people look into my life to see--the things I collected or the people I influenced and the kingdom messages I left--food for thought as we have been traveling. 

I so love having these days, alone with Joy, to talk to her about these great ideas, the Lord, life, messages, love and enjoying it all alone without disruption of telephone, computer, email or cooking and washing dishes. A real gift to us, planned for for years, and reaping the deep rewards of making time for our relationship--I am so blessed. Grace and peace from Austria--my seconds on the internet are now up!

Oh how I love thee crockpot, but spring is in the air!

I must admit how I truly adore my crockpot!  It has carried me through fall and winter meals galore!  But, alas!  Spring is here and I am truly ready to put it away for a while and taste all that spring and summer have to offer!  If you are ready for a lighter fare for spring, here is a recipe that won't disappoint!  Even if you are not a curry fan, give this a try.  Some of my friends were raving over this salad at a luncheon I had in my home last summer, and when I told them there was curry in it, they couldn't believe they liked it!  My family loves this on a warm afternoon or even as a light dinner after a long day.  It also makes for a great filling in tea sandwiches. Let me know what your family thinks!

  Curried Chicken Salad with Pita or Pan-Grilled Flat Bread 

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can substitute with a whole rotisserie chicken, pull meat)

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2 medium stalks celery, diced

1/4 cup green onion, minced

1 cup grapes (purple or green or both!) sliced in half

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

2 teaspoons curry powder of choice (add more if needed when tasting at end)

1-2 tablespoons honey

salt & pepper to taste   Directions:  Place chicken in saucepan and cover with water by one inch. Bring to a simmer and adjust heat to maintain a very low simmer. Cook 15 - 20 minutes, until cooked through. Drain well, or you will have watery salad! Shred chicken into small bite size pieces. Mix thoroughly with remaining ingredients, starting with mayo. Add more mayo if using for sandwiches.  * I love serving with warm pita bread or flour tortillas. (You can heat on grill or in microwave for 20 seconds in damp paper towel.) Cut up or tear the bread or tortilla into small triangles and pick up salad with bread for bite size portions.  Great as an appetizer, a filler for pita, or a sandwich! 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back... But The Dance Continues!

Thoughts shared from a friend: This morning as I took my first sip of strong coffee, I sat down in my cozy chair, pulled a blanket over my legs, and met with my Lord.  This is a time that I have carved out special just to read the Word, read several devotions or books that encourage me, as well as pray, question, thank, plead, and yield to my Lord  before I start my more than hectic day!  We had quite the week and I was feeling entirely drained.  I couldn't grasp why it was that, although I pour into my children daily, I continually seek advice from God's Word, from my husband, and from wise Christian women in my life, I still take two steps forward and one step back by the end of any given day, in one area of life or another! 

As I play this tug-o-war with my flesh, I try to remember the words of the apostle James: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).  I am so thankful for God's unfailing and wonderful truth, because I know that Satan works day and night to take my thoughts captive to his lies and deceit. I refuse to let him be the end all of my thoughts!

With this thought on my mind and God's Word tapping on my heart, I picked up Dancing with My Father instead of the current devotional I had been visiting every morning.  As I thumbed through the chapters, I came to one titled "Dancing Through the Twists and Turns of Life."  That definitely caught my eye, and as I revisited this chapter, God met me in my "one step back" moment.  I was encouraged and my heart lifted as I read one passage after another. "...We make a commitment in our heart to love Jesus and to follow him, but there come contests, so to speak, in our lives in which we have the opportunity to show and to prove the reality of our faith by our actions and our behavior."  As I read on I came to this nugget: "I realized that God is not so much concerned with my immediate gratification as he is with the development of my soul."  Followed by, "Our integrity as people of God will come by walking the path that he has given to us. We will not have this fulfillment, satisfaction, or joy if we compromise our ideals and resist the tests that God puts in our pathway." Finally, "Joy comes in following where he leads me, choosing to believe that his way is good and that he works according to his will...To grow in this joy, I have to move where he leads. When dancers attempt to turn in different directions, there is no beauty, no synchronizing of movement. But when they learn to read each others movements and move as one body, there is a beauty, a grace, and a skill of step that grants the joy of unity and elegance to the dance." 

Reading this morning, I felt encouraged and ready to try dance steps with my Father once more.  It's amazing how when we are depleted and drained, we can "feel" defeated and completely out of step with the direction we started in!  It is so very important for us to come and kneel before the Father and commune with him.  He cares about our days, our needs, our dreams, our goals, our steps.  As we come to him in worship and praise, let us remember that we were designed by the Almighty to be more than conquerers through him! This morning I have a fresh perspective that sometimes you must step back while dancing, but it doesn't mean you don't get to twirl at the end of the dance!

 

Please click here to purchase Dancing with my Father.

And the winners are ...

Thank you to everyone who helped us spread the great call of motherhood! Your comments and sweet words were such a blessing! The first prize winner is Kimberly Sanchez from Round Rock, TX. Kimberly won a complete set of mom books.

The second prize winner is Lisa Parnell of Charlotte, NC. Lisa will receive a copy of Sarah's book Read for the Heart.

Congratulations, ladies!

I pray the Lord blesses your Mother's Day weekend with His grace and love!

Adventurous Summer Reading

My name is Marissa and I have been given the opportunity to write some book reviews for Mrs. Sally Clarkson's blog.  This spring and summer I have challenged myself to read 50 books. While looking for interesting books, I used Sarah Clarkson's Read for the Heart as a reference.  I found about 40 of the books I am going to read for my challenge in her reference book, it was a great help!

One of the books I read that Sarah recommends in her book was "My Side of the Mountain"  by Jean Craighead George. This book is adventurous from front cover to back cover and is a great read for children and parents alike. This book tells of the adventures of a boy named Sam Gribley, who runs away from home and lives off the land in the Catskill Mountains. This book was such a great read!  I found out it was part of a trilogy, so I read all three books and they were equally entertaining!  

Another book that Sarah recommends in her reference book was The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book was so engaging, that it only took me a week to read.  Between myself, my mom, and my dad, we were all in a competition to see who would finish first! In this novel, from  "An Unexpected Party" to "The Last Stage," this book was packed with adventure as well as lessons learned by Bilbo Baggins. I recommend this book for Jr. High or High School age kids, just because of the goblins, dragons, and other things that may be frightening to younger children. The adventure all starts when a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins is asked to be the burglar of a group of dwarfs who are trying to recapture the kingdom that was stolen from them by the dragon Smaug. The party of dwarfs and Bilbo set out on a quest to regain the dwarfs kingdom, but encounter many troubles along the way. 

I have also just finished an audio of The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. I must say, it was a good book, but I didn't enjoy listening to the narrator sing the songs throughout the book. It just wasn't my cup of tea!  Everyone has their favorites, this just wasn't one of mine.

Maybe this could be a challenge you would want to join me in? Let me know some of your favorite books or not so favorite!  I have just started my challenge a little over one week ago.  So I have 2 books down and 48 to go!  My next selection from Sarah's reference book is Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.  

These books are all great reads and there are many more listed in Sarah's Read for the Heart that can be enjoyed. Sarah's book was a tremendous help in finding books that would appeal to me for my 50 book challenge.  To purchase Read for the Heart click HERE.

   

so much fun ......

Sweet ones, So great to see the comments. We are having a grand time. Crown jewels, tower of London, Phantom--amazing! British Museum, National Gallery, high tea at Fortnum and Masons, and walking, walking! But most of all--lots and lots of precious time with my baby--never alone this much and oh so precious. I so appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers and send my love today. Many blessings to you all!

Sally the one with the scarf and hoodie!

Here's a creative way to get your kids to eat veggies!

This one dish dinner is an easy way to get your children to eat their veggies. It’s one of our favorite family dishes!

Ingredients

1 pound of your choice of pasta (pene, shells, angel hair, spirals, spaghetti etc.)

1 bunch of asparagus ( or broccoli)  

about 25-30 cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup olive oil

garlic salt to taste

8-12 oz cooked bacon ( I used turkey bacon)

Directions

Boil water according to the directions on the pasta package. Meanwhile, wash the asparagus, cut off the ends and cut them into bite sized pieces.  Steam the asparagus until tender.  Once the water boils add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain off the excess water and put the pot back on the stove. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pot and heat on low until butter is melted. Add cherry tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are warm. Add back in the cooked pasta and asparagus and mix to coat everything with the butter and oil. Add garlic salt to taste. Sprinkle the top with the bacon pieces and serve. Enjoy!

thanks so much and peace to you all

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you precious ones for wishing me well and praying for us. Your comments have meant a lot to me personally.  I am getting ready to close our suitcases, close my friend's computer, and off! I have not felt the butterflies lilike this in my tummy and anticipation for many years. Like Christmas as a little child. God be with you all. And Happy Birthday, my wonderful Clay. You are my blessing of all

blessings! God be with you today.

Off to adventure with the youngest princess who has waited so faithfully for her time.

Grace and peace.