Change

Change, it sounds like such a simple word.  Change sounds like fun, it sounds simple.  We went to the  store a month ago and bought some new tile to change our flooring in our dining room and kitchen.  Whew!  It has not been easy!

We had to cut the carpet out and the pad out of the dining room, roll it up and dispose of it.  (sounds much simpler than the muscle required to do that).  We then had to purchase a 10 pound sledge hammer that my husband would swing and break up the tile that we had in the kitchen.  A lot of work!  Then we would sweep up the broken pieces of tile and throw them away.  After that, we had to get a blade and scrape the glue off the floor (that had adhered the tile to the floor).  Whew!  It has taken about 3 weekends to do all this.  Of course, we are now in our 40's and we are trying to do this project and keep up with our life and schedules.  Kind of crazy.  Nothing about change is ever simple.

The simplest of change might end up involving things that you had never counted on it even effecting.  However, change can be a great thing.  It can move you forward, it can make things different, it can stretch you, it can give you the best stories to tell later on, make you laugh at the things that happen and solidify you as a couple and family.  Change it's not simple but it can be an unexpected gift.

Hope your life is full of changes.  I hope that you have a story to tell.  Without changes a story would be a pretty boring tale.

July Favorites!

Things that I am loving in July!

1.  Essie nail polish for my toesies in the color: Watermelon

2.  Happy Hour at Sonic, and their new slush: Lemon Berry (yum!)

3.  Fruit infused water in my fridge.

4.  I just read the book "War Brides" by Helen Bryan

5.  my favorite Instagram users this month:
      of course, Shereadstruth, Honey Holden, kristen Schumucker
(If you are looking for someone new to follow on IG check them out)

6.  listening to Ellie Holcomb, loving the songs: "The broken beautiful" and "As sure as the sun"

Hope that y'all have had a wonderful July! I can't wait to see what August brings!

My Favorite Podcast

What do you listen to?  I often listen to music, however Sometimes I just get tired of listening to music, it seems that all I hear is the same set of songs.  Other times, I feel that I need to be encouraged, or challenged by the word of God.  One of my favorite things to do is to listen to podcast.  If you have an apple product you can download podcast for free, through their podcast app, or if you have an android phone  you can download the app "podcast republic" and then download podcast through that app.

My favorite podcast are:

1.  Lifechurchtv (this is my church, however if I miss a service on the weekend I can listen to it sometime through out the week at my convince)

2.  Elevation Church, with pastor Steven Furtick (out of North Carolina)

3.  The City Church with Judah Smith (out of Seattle, WA)

I enjoy all three of the pastors listed above.  Podcast make it easy, and free to listen to other christian preachers teach about God's word.  Check them out, if you have not done so already!

Progress

I see quotes all the time on line,  that read things like
"Choose Progress over Perfection"

What does that Even mean?  What does that mean to you?  What does that mean to me?  

I am a woman who has been raised with Martha Stewart on TV telling me that I should assemble, cook, decorate, and entertain to such a high level that she can only accomplish with a staff.  Last I looked I looked I do not have a staff.  We have celebrities and models on the cover of magazines that have been airbrushed to perfection.  Real life is not airbrushed.  

Real life is messy!! It consists: of oversleeping, having cranky kids some days, multiple texts and phone calls, job expectations, the school wanting you to sign EVERY paperwork your kids has done for a school day, on time for practices, dinner made, and lunch made with "whole food" not full of yucky ingredients, while trying to stay calm, polite, looking good, working on your marriage, staying sexy for your spouse, raising responsible kids, focus on their heart trying to share your values and beliefs, the dog running out of the back yard,  the gas meter in your car running almost empty on the day that you are running late, and of course it's raining to!  In real life you get tired, you get sleepy, their are not enough minutes in the day for us to accomplish all the things that the media is busy trying to tell us that we should accomplish or be.  

SO I reject perfection.  It's not attainable.  It's not reality.  I choose to strive to simple progress.  The dictionary defines progress: as a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage.
So that is my focus, to move forward.  It sounds simple to all the bumps in the road happen, until something unexpected blindsides you, knocks you off your feet.  How do we accomplish perfection?  We don't.  WE CAN'T!  It is not realistic.  However, we can move forward, trusting God that He will use our best efforts to accomplish His will.  That our best efforts will be enough, because He is in control.  

So today, just make the effort of moving forward with me today.  Not striving for perfect, but moving forward.  Being better than you were yesterday.  Maybe letting the car in front of you in,  maybe taking a deep breath and being more kind to the person that really gets under your skin, taking time to pause and read the Bible, or focusing on just one bible verse today.  Then turning it all over to our God who is control and just keep moving.  

I hope that you find this encouraging!  You are not alone!  Being a women can be hard,  we are not perfect so please do not buy into the lie that anyone is but God.  Let's just strive to keep moving forward and being changed by His word and doing better than we did the day before. 

"Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God"
                                                      -John Piper


What reminds you that you are not God?

   I find looking at the sky, seeing all those tiny stars at night, or during the day time watching all those fluffy, billow clouds float by reminds me, that I am not God.  I am not the creator of the world.  I could never just "speak" the world into being.  (some days I can not even "speak" my kids into action).

When I look at the sky it reminds me that I am small, and that there is a God who did just "speak" the world into being.  That He is in control, so I need not to panic, freak out, or try so hard to be in control.  God has got this.  I am in His hands.  I find that, is such a comforting thought.  I drink another drink of my coffee and set back, and take in the view and admire all that God has made.

I hope that something reminds you daily that you are not God!           

A new way to do biblestudy

I have not blogged in Forever.  I think Instagram may have killed my blog, or at least tried.  I wanted to write about a blog that has changed my life.   Have you heard of the website: "shereadstruth.com"  It is a website that offers different biblestudies for free.  It's unique that it allows several online communities to form.  One group follows them exclusively on-line and leave comments under each post, the other community follows along on Facebook, and the community that I belong to connects through Instagram.  We post pictures of our screen shot, or of our bible/notebook/coffee. We try to post everyday, it allows us to follow one another, pray for one another, and encourage one another.  I have found this such a supportive community especially with entering the work force again after being home for about 16 years.  I no longer had the time during the day to attend bible study and my kids were older and involved in school activities that were in the evening that I wanted to attend.

However, I needed the accountability that comes with doing a bible study with others.  This online community "Shereadstruth" met this need.  If you are on Instagram or on twitter look for the hashtag #shereadstruth.  They have also released this week an app in the Apple store for an app that would allow you to download the biblestudies and have access to it on your phone.

This site has kept me involved in reading and studying God's word, also with the ability to not have to buy a $20 biblestudy book each time.  If you have not checked it out, I would encourage you to do so.  Also, one of the things I enjoy about the online community is that it brings together women of all ages, in all stages of life: college girls, career oriented young woman, new moms, moms with their hands full, older moms, grandmothers.  It's a great way to connect with other believers.