the last thing we want could be the first thing we need

need.
four letters
two consonants
two vowels
one great big definition

i wake up most days prayerful of God's desires for my day. days like this give my soul a sense of peace, contentment, and deep joy. filling God's need instead of my own is a passion.

some days aren't like that though.
some days are a fight. some days stop you dead in your tracks.
lies are told first thing in the morning. some days i believe them.

today was a God morning and a good morning too. i woke up hopeful.
i visited a favorite blog http://www.chattingathesky.com Emily Freeman. This post on her blog was written by Jeff Goins, author of Wrecked the Book.

Just be still and read part of  this and then click on the link above to read the entire blog.  It is peacefully powerful and a little uncomfortable. Let the discomfort bring you comfort.

Life for us is too comfortable, too predictable. When things get easy, we get bored. So we chase addictions and comforts and stuff to revive our sullen hearts.

We search and strive for more and ultimately end up disappointed, because we’re searching in all the wrong places.

So how do we find the fullness of life and all it has to offer? How do we really live and not merely exist? We’ve got to get out of the bubble. We have to have our world turned upside-down.

Click to read more http://www.chattingatthesky.com/

Half the Sky

Hi friends.....
Lately, I have more time than ever to explore new opportunities in my life. From baby bottles to biographies to a possible new business venture....God surely has been good to me.
Today I started thinking about all the great women who have come in and out of my life and have helped shaped me into who I am today. Because of their strength I am a better wife and mother.
I did not think that my path would lead me to being a stay at home mom, but I can most definitely verify, home is where I belong right now!

Today as I was ketching up on my favorite blogs--- I found a new movement called halfthesky. It is about women's oppression. This is a serious issue, but mainly because women have either created it or bought into it due to horrible circumstances. We all carry around hurt. From the past and the present. Letting that go can be hard, but when you do the blessings are endless.

Take a moment to watch the halfthesky movement video and see what you think. I loved it!

Be Blessed with Grace Today and Tomorrow.

Andrea

http://youtu.be/6JbWA-6GDn4

Advice

We receive advice every day. Some good and some bad.
Today I read a bit of advice from John Wesley.

He advises, "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, and with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.

WOW!

BIG ADVICE.
Hard to follow through with (at least for the 30 year old girl)

Try this out today and see if you feel a bit better, inside and out.

Love and Grace,

Andrea

Holly Gerth Blog

Who loves Ice Cream?

What flavor is your favorite?

Mine is Neopolitan ( I highlighted it in brown because chocolate will always be number one) 

Why? 

I can have all three flavors at once or in three separate bites. Three is a great number anyway.

What about you? While you are dreaming about your favorite ice cream.... head on over to http://holleygerth.com/ to read about her ice cream analogy.

Have a blessed weekend!

~Love and Grace~

Andrea

What did you notice today?

    One of my favorite books is The Noticer, by Andy Andrews.

   I love this book for many reasons, but mainly because it is a reminder to all that there is usually another perspective to any given situation. Many of us (including me, at times) walk around thinking we have things "figured-out."

    We make decisions for people, think we know how they feel, and like to give opinions based on what we think. Sometimes we are right. Sometimes we aren't. It is just what we do. But do we have to?
     Today I had an appointment. I had to drive through Charlotte traffic (which I am not used to in the morning) but hey, I made it!

    I walked slowly into the office (on purpose) in my attempts to slow down in this fast pace world. As I made my way closer to the door, I noticed the windows had freshly sprayed cleaner sliding down the glass. I saw the cleaning lady bent over grabbing a rag to wipe the window clean.

   I paused to wait on her and suddenly, a doctor (who was moving about a mile a minute) cut right in front of my and muttered, "you can go on in." I gently pointed to the cleaning lady and he sped on through the door. He turned back and said, "whoops, I just pushed on through and didn't even see her."

    When we slow down, we can notice. When we pause, we can show gratitude. When we breathe, we can be free.

What did you notice today?

Tonight I pray for the wisdom to continue to slow down and move through life more intentionally! Your day really will slow down if you do. Just try it and see.

~Grace and Love~

Andrea

Who's in Control Anyway

     "You are learning to control your body, aren't you?" I whispered these words to my 5 week old son last night as I layed him on his changing table.

     He loves time to kick and move and he has discovered that his changing table is the perfect place to do just that. It's funny to watch him try to keep his balance as his body moves erratically from side to side. He wants that control so badly. As I rocked him back to sleep, I couldn't help but think about how the word "control" carries many meanings in certain parts of my life

What does control mean to you?

Spiritually- it reminds me of my creator and the faith I carry around daily because He is truly in control.
Physically- it means putting down the bag of chips and walking another mile ( I can control that, right) ???
Mentally- it means renewing my mind, by controlling what I read, watch, and listen to.
Emotionally- it means not letting my "feelings" during circumstances dictate my "joy" (can be tough sometimes).

And in terms of teaching-- it means a peaceful classroom, free of wildness and chaos.  ha!

    So as my son continues to wiggle and worm and discover his ability to control his body, I pray that I rely more on the Lord to be me guide as my husband and I parent our son. May our days be filled with "His" will instead of ours and a peace and faith that fills in that need to "control" what is going on.

 Today let's remember that Jesus was in control of His own life, even his own resurrection.
 He is also in control of ours.


Take time with our creator today.
 He deserves it.


Holy is His Name and His Will be Done.

It's Splendiferous....

     Great moms let their kids lick the bowl. Always. My mom was always whipping up something yummy in the kitchen and she always made sure my brother and I finished off the bowl before washing it. I think brownie batter was always my favorite. What was yours?
    While Pinteresting last night, I found a recipe for JELLO pudding pops. The memories flooded back when I saw the picture. I remember mom buying these when I was little. It was all Bill Cosby's fault. He made them look so Splendiferous!!! Do you remember?


     So as I was making the pudding pops today, of course I licked the bowl clean and thought, "I can't wait to make these for my Weston!" Bill Cosby commercials may be long gone, but there is no reason that pudding pops had to disappear in the 90's. This mom is bringing them back starting today. As I wait for them to freeze, I solemnly swear to keep the pudding pop alive this year and all the years to follow. Who's with me?    

                                     Make something splendiferous today!


                                          

Waiting to land

Landing. 

Does it scare you? Isn't that what matters most to passengers anyway? Don't we all just want to arrive safe and snug at our destination? I started thinking about this in relation to life and began wondering.... what is involved in landing an aircraft? After reading about it, I learned that A LOT goes into bringing down an airplane. Come to find out, there are four major factors that affect an aircraft's landing. I had no idea.


THRUST: This is your engine power.
LIFT: The "force" that opposes gravity (weight). It is produced by air flowing in an undisturbed manner over and under the wing. Available lift at slower speeds can be increased by the use of flaps.
DRAG: The opposite, naturally, of thrust. It is the resistance of the body of the aircraft and its surfaces as it moves through the air.
WEIGHT: The greater the weight, the more lift required to maintain flight.

Hmmm.... this is only a little portion of everything else that has to work in order to make a smooth transition from air to ground.

Another important factor: The whole idea of landing an airplane is to place it where you want it on the runway. In order to do this, you as the pilot must have control over those factors!!!

So, how does this relate to life. 

Here's what I'm thinking.

1.  Thrust--- Where do we find power to make it through our days? God? Food? Jobs? Kids? What moves us?

2. Lift- What forces are working in our lives? Are they positive and healthy?

3. Drag- What inner struggles do we fight daily? What factors do we feel like are working against us?

4. Weight- Do we carry around more happiness or burdens?

We know as people, we have the ability to control many portions of our lives. We can control what we eat, where we go, and who we associate with. We can control the time we go to bed, the movies we watch, and the books we read. However, we can not control many things in life like--- traffic, diseases, and WHEN BABIES ARE BORN! HA! But.... we can rest in God's peace knowing that he is the pilot of our lives, placing all the little moments leading up to great big things in his hands.

Tonight I truly feel blessed knowing that I have a creator who cares and orchestrates our lives to be lived out and His will always ends up giving us that smooth landing we are looking for.

Believing in his timing.
andrea

Pinterest Finds...

Raise your hand if you love Pinterest? I do! I do! What I love most about it, is that when you need an idea, you can get it immediately. If your feeling uninspired, you can quickly get inspired. Each week I am going to start sharing a few of my favorite pins for the week! So here ya go....

Great Mirror

Great Quote

HomeMade Icepacks using Dawn

Becoming......

Becoming a mom---- This is my first blog post regarding this topic and (oh-wow) where shall I even begin. In an attempt to read as many "parenting" books as possible throughout my pregnancy, I have come to the conclusion that regardless of what I read, I just won't know until I experience it all! However, I do believe that the best thing I can do now is to prepare my heart for motherhood by strengthening my daily walk with God and pray for wisdom as I do become a mom. This weekend I thought I would jot down, what I believe to be, important aspects of motherhood. Here is my list: Availability, Involvement, Teaching, Training, Discipline,Nurture, Modeling Integrity, and Memory Making. These are just a few as the list is never-ending! Each week I am going to focus on a different aspect and do my best to zone in on the details of each. So this week is Availability. The key verse I attached to this was Deuteronomy 6:6-7--- These commandments that I give you today are to be on your heart. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

This verse teaches me that I have the responsibility of impressing the Word each and every day into my children's hearts. All I can do now though is get my heart in shape, so I can help shape another. One book that my mom recently got for me is called Checklist for Life: For Moms. It is packed with little bits of wisdom to share with your kids. I love it and can't wait to use it one day (once I get all the diapering, eating, and sleeping down). Be Blessed!

Sundays Devotion

This weekend I have been reading a great deal about Mary (as in Jesus' mom). She fascinates me. What a woman she must have been. I took some time to write down words that came to mind when thinking of her character... words like-- holy, humble, simple, servant, trusting, and faithful came to mind. However, I think the word "sacrifice" should be attached to Mary's name. Her whole life seemed to be one of sacrifice. Mary's character shines as she accepted the responsibility of a virgin birth and being an eye witness during His death. In Luke 1:49, she proclaims that The Mighty One has done great things for me; and Holy is His name. These powerful words struck me! What if I woke up daily and said these words. What if my attitude throughout the day reflected these words. What if? Isn't this what God desires most? Mary may have been meek and mild, but she sure did have a lot of courage. Hoping to find a bit of her sacrifice and courage this week. Be blessed.

Vanessa Carlton-- Album Review

Hello blogworld. I decided to today it was time to jump back on my blog and start posting again! Sooooo..... This afternoon I spent a little time on I-Tunes looking for new albums that are coming out soon. I stumbled across Vanessa Carlton's new album Rabbits on the Run. I previewed each song and loved every song on the album (This rarely happens). I really liked the songs, Carousel, Hear the Bells, and Get Good. I have her first album and still listen to it, even if it is nearly 8 years old. This album seems so different in comparison to her others. I love it when artists try new things and don't stay stuck in a music box. She talks a lot about how nature inspired her throughout the making of this album. She spent time traveling to places she has never been and broke free from her own label so she could create the album she believed in. If you're interested listen to the youtube videos below to hear her story about the making of this album and the four elements that make up Rabbits on the Run. Below that is her song Carousel. A children's choir sings along with her and it is gorgeous! Enjoy Friends!

Philippians 4:8

The house is quiet now. My husband is sleeping. The fan blows cool air. Storms have passed for now. Everything is quiet... except my mind and my heart.

I began my quiet evening by browsing on Ann Voskamp's website, A Holy Experience. Her words stir me. Her word are unique and always reach parts of me that have been tamped down from day to day life.I started reading one of her blogs about teaching children to be grateful. At dinner, her kids write down things they are thankful for on sticky notes. She posts them on the window in their house and they stay up as a reminder of God's goodness. She went on to discuss that being grateful is more important than math and history. This is what she quoted....

"Because what will the math really matter if they are bitter? If the house is immaculate — but my attitude a mess? If they can count — but they don’t know how to count all things as joy? If we get the lists done, but have lost happiness in Him? How can any grammar skill outweigh the fact they don’t know the language of grace and thanks? What good will it be if they can recite all the major British battles — but they don’t know to see beauty? What am I teaching our children if I’m not living simply, quietly this: “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” (Phil. 4:8). Focusing on what is beautiful, good, true –isn’t this the truest education?"

As a teacher, I would have to agree with Mrs. Voskamp.

Finding Inspiration

I have been a bad blogger. May 9th was my last post and I must admit that I have truly missed my daily blogging. The end of the school year is to blame. I decided today that enough was enough and that I needed to stop using that as my excuse. So, here's my unofficial comeback to my blog!

I thought I would tell you all about my NEW FAVORITE website that my friend Ginni told me about. It is called Craft Gawker. The URL is http://craftgawker.com. This site is a pool of inspiration, and gives you that "kid in a candy shop" feeling--- if you like DIY projects! Here are a few projects I think look desirable.

Crocheted Rocks

Repurposing old materials to make a key holder

Doily Envelopes

Overalls (Now I can't sew, but I may need to learn to make these)

and I saved my favorite find for last..... Bird Nest Necklaces. This WILL be made!

Now it's your turn! You got search and find inspiration. Please let me know what you find!

Have Fun!

The Voice Within

I read an incredible quote tonight from one of THE best books on Leadership, The Leadership Challenge, by Kouzes and Posner. I read that when we make statements with our lives that are consistent with our heart, that gives voice to what we really feel is important. How true this is. To me this means: Words Matter! All this began to remind me of all the roads I've traveled throughout life (especially in my later twenties) and how those roads have brought new words to my life. I pray I can continue to stay true to what my heart believes and listen to wise voices along the way-- Voices of truth and Reason.

Thought I would attach a song by Christina Aguilera, The Voice Within! Enjoy!

Tonight's blog was short and sweet! More to come this week.