Meditate.

One day this week I ran across a quote, and I'm sorry if it's your quote and I'm not giving credit. I don't remember who said it, or where I saw it, but it has been resounding with me every since. It was something like:

You can read the Bible, but unless you meditate on it, it's void.

Bim. Bam. Thank you, ma'am.

I've felt convicted over the past few days because there have been a lot of times when I just read over the Word, but didn't meditate on it. I didn't take time to ask God to speak to me, and I didn't take time to listen if He did speak. 

Joshua 1:8 says Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

I want the Word of the Lord to reveal itself to me like never before. I want everyone around me to know that my love for the Lord is greater than the love I have for my husband and my children. I want them to know that He is my number One. My intimate One. My everything. But I know that the only way this is going to happen is if I stop merely reading the Word and instead meditate on it. I want it written on my heart. 

I praise God for his grace that is new everyday! I praise God that though I've failed thousands of times, he loves me still the same: 

"Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the alter of the Cross, we're a free people - free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making." Ephesians 1: 7-9 The Message

Five on Friday.

I love how these posts can be extremely random or very structured. 

Today I choose random. 

1. The aftermaths of a six year old boy, his "shaving cream" and a bottle of shampoo.

You know what I'm about to do today.

2. This doll. 

This doll was given to me by my  husband at our daughters babyshower. She has LOOOVED it from day one. She takes it anywhere that involves spending the night. It has been express shipped back to us on more than one occasion because she has left it on vacations. Well, this nighttime baby is falling apart. I've had to attempt to mend her foot, her arm, and her head. My daughter is not happy and reminds me everyday of her baby's mends. 

Eight years of friendship and counting.

3. Jergens Natural Glow lotion. 

I'm a Southern girl and if it's summer you can bet I'll be in the sun soaking up the rays. (I know it's horrible, but save the lecture) Well, my legs are extremely white, and I've decided that before I pull out the shorts my legs need some color. So I've decided to give this stuff a try. It has a great smell and in just three days I can tell a difference. It's gradual so it doesn't turn you orange. Not only is it giving my pasty legs a natural glow, it also says it reduces the appearance of cellulite. I haven't see that happen yet, but if it does I'll be doing a happy dance! 

4. Wednesday and Thursday I pulled out these gems. 

Both days temperatures were in the mid 70's.

I thought I was in heaven.

Today we woke up and it was 32. 

5. I've signed up for the #HelloMornings challenge to start on Monday. It's a free Bible study on the book of Ruth and I've joined an accountability group on Twitter. We will check-in each morning and discuss the study together. I'm stoked. I've got everything in order and I'm ready to go! 

Thankful Thursday.

Today I am thankful for God's blessing of two amazing kiddos. I'm thankful that He has entrusted me with their sweet spirits while we are here on Earth. They remind me time and time again that my faith should be that of a child. They trust easily. They pray sincerely. They love unconditionally.

You know, the first bath wasn't enough.

4 year old kindergarten. 

Melt my heart.

Princess. 

He's a character. 

Stoked to read.

Last night I made the leap and bought the book, Wife After God, I've heard such good reviews from many people and I can not wait to dig in!! I'm super stoked!!! I'm all about things that lead to me toward God while enhancing my marriage. Two for one! 

Anyone currently reading it? Thoughts?

The World and Discipleship.

The Bible tells us that being a disciple of Jesus requires a lot. It requires us to:

1. Deny ourselves

2. Take up our cross, DAILY

3. Follow Him. 

But somewhere along the way we have sugar-coated discipleship. 

Discipleship in the world is following Jesus when it's convenient.

It's keeping our mouth shut because who wants to offend anyone?

Discipleship in the world is following Jesus as long and "I" am still the center.

But according to Jesus:
It's surrender.

It's suffering.

It's sacrifice. 

And Jesus is our ultimate role model for discipleship. "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised on the third day." (Luke 9:22)

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) 

It's time we take on discipleship from the view of Jesus.

It's time we stand in the gap for those who can't stand for themselves.

It's time we offend others with the Gospel.

It's time we surrender our whole being, take on suffering, and sacrifice for the Kingdom of God.

Winter Storm #123456.

Here we are almost mid-February in Mississippi and we are under our third winter storm warning. (In just two weeks) It is 32 degrees and sleeting as we speak. (Which will last the next 24 hours) It's nonsense.

 Today I decided to shave my legs (who does that in the winter?? just kidding), but that was dumb because it all grew back while I was pumping gas and writing my name with my breath. 

I'm not made for cold. I'm over the temperatures that are under 40 degrees, cold rain, snow, sleet, and ice. Yes, I'm rambling. Yes, I'm complaining, but this is real y'all! It's like the tenth coldest winter on record here and those 10 years were all before my birth in 1985. 

I love you ...

source

This JUST made my day!! ;) 

I've been doped up on cough syrup, surround by used tissues, and tucked away on my "spot" on the couch for the past week. (Probably due to the fact that it was 70 degrees one day and snowing two days later) I could give you a snapshot, but it hasn't been a pretty sight. I decided to get on pinterest this morning because I'm feeling a little better and this cuteness exploded in my face, much like the sneezes that have been exploding out of my nose. It's the little things that make you happy in the fogginess of cough syrup! ;) (Okay, I'd probably still be a little happy even if cough syrup wasn't involved.) 

My husband may or may not be getting this cuteness for that day of love, because that's how I roll. 

Happy Friday! 

Helpful Hint - Straining Hot Broth

Over the past few weeks I've mentioned on more than one occasion about the frigid temperatures here in the South that need to go.

Which means I've been cooking a lot of soups, chili, and stews. It's been food that makes you "cozy" according to a handsome 6 year-old. 

One day last week I made homemade chicken noodle soup. I normally use chicken breast, but I found legs and thighs on sale so that's what I used to make my broth. That means that once the chicken was all boiled there was a lot of "brown yuckiness" from where the chicken had boiled around the bones, y'all know what I'm talking about, right?!?

Well, I needed a way to get that stuff out or I knew that handsome 6 year-old would have something to say about it. I don't have very many kitchen savvy utensils that make things easy. So cheesecloth wasn't an option. A strainer with exxxxtra small holes wasn't an option. Basically, I have nothing. Ha. So thanks to Google I came across this: Straining grease from hot liquid. and IT WORKED!!! (I had to change the coffee filter twice, but I had a huge pot of broth. It also wasn't as time consuming as I thought it was going to be.) 

1. Mason jar and lid ring.

2. Coffee Filter.

3. Place coffee filter on top of jar and add ring to hold in place.

4. Ladle broth in slowly and watch the filter catch all the junk.

5. Discard filter.

6. Strained broth.

Pretty simple a mason jar and a coffee filter! Yay!! I had both. I love drinking my sweet tea out of mason jars and I love coffee, so it was a match made in heaven. 

We had wonderfully delicious chicken noodle soup and not one complaint! ;)