Saturday, February 28, 2009

Sometimes I wonder...

Where my brain has gone...

The other night I decided to make one of Bill's favorite meals for dinner. I love to cook things that I know he is going to enjoy (what wife doesn't?). I excitedly prepared my chicken dinner. I have made this meal many times before, and know that a few of my children do not care for it. So, I made an extra dish of plain chicken (without sauce) for the younger kiddos to enjoy. When the timer went off at the half way point in cooking, I noticed that the plain chicken was looking pretty dry and was sticking to the pan. I decided that liquid needed to be added. Well, without even thinking I pulled the pan out and poured COLD tap water into the HOT pan. I'm sure you can guess what happened next.
Yep that's right, it shattered all over the place.Ug! I can't believe I did that. Not only did I bust my Pyrex dish, but I ruined a whole pan of chicken. I had to toss and start over...meaning an extra 40 minutes until dinner time. In the process I burned my fingers on the hot dish and cut my hand on a glass sliver. And to add more drama to it all, I managed to burn the chicken (the first pan that was still in the oven). I wasn't sure whether to laugh of cry. :) Bill was so sweet when he came home and I burst out that I had ruined this special dinner. He ate it anyway, and said it still tasted wonderful and not to worry about it. :) What a good man.

I am waiting for my brain powers for return to me someday because incidents like this happen way too often here. :)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Dear Claire

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My sweet Claire,

Words cannot express the depths of love I feel for you. You were a gift to us and I feel so humbled to have received. I remember so clearly the day I found out you would be joining our family. We were so surprised, but my heart could not have been more full. I knew that God had a plan and that you were a perfect part of that.

I savored every moment I had with you growing inside of me. Every little kick and movement made me all the more excited to see and hold you. I fell head over heals for you the moment I heard your first cry. Your birth was perfect. It was the most amazing, peaceful experience. We praised the Creator for your sweet life. Your middle name "Eliana" was chosen because it means, "My God has answered", and He had. God is good and I pray that you will come to see that over time.

Every time I look into your beautiful blue eyes I see God's grace...and I can't believe you are mine. I see how God has used you already so much in our family. I see how God used you to deepen my love for your daddy. He used you along with other circumstances to draw me closer to the Savior. You fit right in with your older sister and brothers. You love them so much, and they can't get enough of you. The boys always make you laugh, and you adore your big sis. Whenever they enter the room your face lights up. This makes my heart melt. We are so blessed that God chose you to be in our family.

Already I can see God has given you a sensitive heart. You love to snuggle. You are a mama's girl. That of course makes me happy. But even though you always want me, you LOVE your daddy. You always reach your arms to him and give him pats and hugs. You have captured his heart...wrapped him around your finger. Daddy gets excited to see you when he gets home for lunch, he always checks to make sure you are still up so that he can have one last fill of you before heading out again. Your smile is contagious and you make many hearts happy.

Claire I pray that you remember that you are special, you are loved, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Most importantly I pray that you come to know the one who knit you together in the secret place, the One who planned your life from the beginning of time, the One who loves you even more then I do. His love is so deep for you, that He sent his Son to die on the cross just for you. I pray you understand that someday, and that you come to love Jesus as much as I do.

I cannot believe that a year has past. It is bittersweet. I already miss that tiny babe you were, but yet I have loved every minute of watching you grow and learn and will continue to be amazed at all God has created you to be. God has a plan for you my sweet girl. I am excited that I get to watch His plan for you unfold.

Happy 1st birthday!

With all my love,
Mommy

Saturday, February 21, 2009

1 year ago today




Oh I can hardly believe it has been a year already. More thoughts coming soon.

Monday, February 16, 2009

What's for lunch?

I really need to get groceries. Today I had to get creative with lunch. That is often the case for our end of the week groceries (I buy groceries on Monday nights). Today I had some leftover spaghetti sauce, cheese and taco shells in the fridge. I decided to make mini pizzas.
Since I only had enough sauce left to make 3 mini pizzas I decided to see how humus and vegi pizzas would taste.
Humus:
1/4 C. Extra virgin oil
1/4 C. Lemon juice
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
a few garlic cloves
I chopped the cloves up real fine (or you can use a garlic press...so much easier), then blended all ingredients in my Magic Bullet until it was creamy.

Most recipes for humus call for Tahini sauce, but I didn't have any, and honestly I think this tastes just as good. :)
I spread the humus on tortilla shells, topped with chopped (unthawed vegetables), sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Baked at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Oh my! They were yummy! I am wishing I had more cheese to make more. :)

How about you, what sort of things do you prepare when you don't have much left in your cupboard? Do you ever get creative? Have you ever just invented something out of what was left in your fridge. If so did you love it? Did you hate it? Did you find a new favorite?

This is definitely a new favorite here...especially the humus and vegi one. :)

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Adoration

I just love the ever growing bond between my daughters. I can see it in their eyes; they both truly adore one another. I pray that they will become close friends over the years, and that they realize just how blessed they are to have one another.
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Thursday, February 12, 2009

The road traveled

The was sun shining and a cool breeze blowing on my face, I took it all in...Ahh, perfect! Glimpses of newness, of hope, of good things to come. Even though I knew it was only a teaser, I couldn't help but be so thankful for this fleeting time. Spring is still a little ways off in our part of the country. We still have a bit of cold winter left. But being able to soak up a few short days of fresh air was so refreshing.

As enjoyable as the weather has been lately, it also brought with it bittersweet feelings for me. The thought that spring is on the way is very exciting. But as I was driving home yesterday from an appointment I was overcome with a sense that with the change of season, there is going to come a change of life for us. One I totally did not see coming. On one hand it is not surprising because we serve a God who is full of mystery and wonder. But on the other hand I really thought that this change was something of the past. A dream, a "calling" that was long since reconciled. I know that doesn't make sense to some of you. So let me just back up a bit. I think I might just have to go all the way back to the beginning...

I grew up in a Christian home. It was a home that was far from perfect, but my parents did their best I believe. When we were young it seemed that if the church doors were open, our family was walking through them. We were very involved, and I loved it! My parents had a desire to teach us God's Word and expose us to as many godly influences as they could. I remember my parents opening up our home on many many occasion to missionaries that our church or my parents supported. It was through all these influences that I came to know the Lord. I was young when I trusted Christ as my Savior. I remember one afternoon my mom reading me a children's book about the man who had to carry the cross for Jesus. The book covered Jesus death, burial and resurrection. We talked about the reasons why Jesus had to die on the cross. Suddenly my eyes were opened. I knew in that moment that I was a sinner and that there was nothing I could do to save myself from my sin. I needed Jesus blood to cover my sin. My sins had put him on the cross. I placed my faith in His shed blood and trusted His word that I would now be able to spend an eternity with Him.

Even though I was just a small child, I felt this passion, this urge to tell everyone the Good News. I knew that God had called me to spread His Word to a dying world. Not because I was anything special but because I was His and I had been entrusted with this gift. As I grew so did my desire to serve Him. I told the Lord that He could use me. I was willing.

After I graduated High school I decided to go to New Tribes Bible Institute in Jackson MI (how I ended up there is a long story in and of itself...I'll save that one for a rainy day :) ). Bible school was the most amazing experience I ever had. I soon realized that I knew hardly anything about God's word. My mind was blown away by the richness of what His Word contained. After my first year in Bible school, I felt led to go on a Short Term missions Trip To Papua New Guinea with New Tribes. While there the Lord worked in my heart in a way I was not expecting...isn't that usually the case?! :) Something I wrote during that time,

Sunday August 9, 1998

I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to come to PNG this summer. I have learned so much, I feel like I could fill a book with everything. The funny thing is, I didn't learn what I had expected to. I guess God has a way of doing that! :)

I think when I left for PNG I expected to figure out for SURE one way or the other what God wanted me to do with my life. I wanted God to spell it out in black and white. That was a pretty silly expectation to have because God doesn't always work that way. One thing I learned right away was that I don't need to try and figure out God's will for my life. God's sovereign will is sure, and will be accomplished no matter what. We make plans but it's the Lord's purpose that Prevails (Prov 16:9). The important thing is not figuring out His will, it's my relationship with Him and my obedience to His Word. God's will is not something we need to struggle with.

While being here I know that my eyes have been opened to the obvious need around me for the Gospel. My heart hurts for the lost, I want them to have the same joy and promise of eternal life that I have. But as I take my step toward the mission field I must remember that a passion for God and obedience to Him must be my driving force, not the need. I want to have that passion for God that I see in the lives of the missionaries here. I know that must be the only thing that keeps them going.

As Paul W. spoke in church today I was again challenged with all these things that God has been showing me these past 6 weeks. One thing I realized was that this whole time I have been living to see my desires accomplished. Every time I struggle with going on the mission field it's because I am afraid to let go of the things that I want. It is impossible to do God's will when we are focused on our own desires. When I think about the fact that Jesus died, He gave up His will, everything for the sake of seeing His Father's will accomplished, I should be willing to say, "After what you did for me, there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for you."

Luke 9:23-24 ..."If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."

Die to self and my desires, and follow Him. Even if it means going on the foreign mission field [alone], I will go.
~Elizabeth at age 19


One thing that I was struggling with (that I didn't spell out in the journal) was my desire to be married and raise a family. I wanted so much to find a godly man and to serve with him. But over the course of time, the Lord revealed to me that He wanted me to give up those desires, to lay them at His feet. And so I did. Those 6 weeks, the Lord whispered to the depths of my soul to follow Him, stop worrying about the future. I had never pictured myself serving overseas while single, but I knew that if that was what God wanted, I would do it.

I just love how God works. After my trip to PNG I went back for my last year at Bible school. This is when I met and fell in love with Bill (who came in as a freshmen that year). We formed a friendship which eventually (2 years later) lead to marriage. As we stood before God and many witnesses to pledge our love and commitment to one another, we proclaimed our desire to go to the ends of the earth to peach the Gospel. Things seemed to finally come full circle for me. I stood amazed at God's goodness. He had blessed me with a husband, and now it seemed that we would be serving the Lord together on the mission field, where both of our hearts were burdened for.

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Well, as most of you know we didn't go, as I sit here typing this in my little house in the big woods...not from the ends of the earth. :) So what happened? And what does this have to do with the change that is coming soon? You are just going to have to stick around for the rest of the story. :)

To be continued...

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Please vote for my picture

*Update: Just wanted to say thanks to 5 Minutes for mom for hosting this contest. And thanks to all of you who voted for me. You guys are great! I did win, coming in first place! How fun is that?! Thanks again! :)

I am so excited! Remember this picture? The one I submitted for the 5 minutes for Mom photo contest? Well, it made it into the finalists. Yea! Would you mind heading over there and voting for my picture...please?! :) My picture is #10. There are so many cute pictures on there, so we may not stand a chance...but how fun to be in the top 20!! :)

Go here to vote! If you want that is! :)

Thanks so much!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Nasty Bug

I have been absent from here, there and everywhere this week because our family was hit with some strand of stomach bug. It started out with James on Monday night. I was up until about 3 with him. Poor little guy didn't understand what was going on. He screamed every time I held the bucket under his chin...like he thought the bucket was causing his sickness. Tuesday evening Bill came down with it (although he at least wasn't throwing up like James). Thankfully that night I got a good nights sleep. Anna got sick Wednesday afternoon. She was hit the hardest. She couldn't keep anything down for 10 hours, so of course I was up with her all night as well. Thursday evening I got hit hard with this nasty bug...I'll spare the details, but let's just say I haven't been that sick in probably 10 years.

We decided to lay low the rest of the weekend. Bill was able to stay home from work on Friday to take care of me and the kids....that was a blessing! We were hoping and praying that Ryan and Claire would not catch what the rest of us had. Unfortunately Claire woke up at 2:30 this morning throwing up in her crib. Ugh! My poor baby. So I was up again until about 4:30 with her. Claire's sickness didn't last as long, which is so good because I was worried about her getting dehydrated. Aside from being fussy and not having her normal appetite she is doing pretty good. We are still waiting to see if Ryan will actually get sick or not.

I have to say we have been very blessed. Would you believe that this is the FIRST time our family has had a stomach bug? Anna is almost 8 and has never thrown up like that. In fact she was so scared when it happened that she started yelling, "call an ambulance". She really thought she was going to die. Bless her little heart! It was sad and funny at the same time.! We are slowly all on the mend. I am hoping to get things back in order this week. It's crazy how far behind you get when you get sick for a few days. Moms just aren't supposed to get sick, ya know?

Praying you all can avoid this nasty nasty bug that invaded our home this past week. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. I am SO looking forward to spring! I think I've had enough of this cold and flu season!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Horsing around photo contest

This is my entry for the 5 Minutes for Mom Photo contest. Sponsored by A Rocking Horse to Love

The picture is of Anna riding a horse for the first time. She was a little nervous, but loved it at the same time. She has always had a love for horses, so this was very exciting for her.




Babywearing