The Beginning of Something Beautiful

I went home on my lunch break today and on my way back to work, I saw a dad taking his son’s “first day of school” picture. His son appeared to be no older than Nora.  Instant tears.  My emotions have been a little high as of late as we draw ever closer to my first-born’s very first day of school.  Nora’s life has been full of so many firsts already, even more than most kids her age.  Her first hospital stay at 7 months old, her first bath after being in a body cast for 13 weeks, her first time walking after being in her body cast for 6 weeks, wearing her “long jeans” for the first time after being in her full body cast.  She isn't the only one to experience these other firsts.  Along with Nora, I also got to experience the first (and second…and third!!!!) time leaving my baby asleep on a surgical table in the hands of complete strangers to “fix” her.  Jed and I got to experience our first (and second!) hospital stay, watching Nora recover from major surgery.  To say we've been through a lot with our baby girl is an understatement.  But in reality, we haven’t known any different and are beyond blessed to have a daughter with a treatable condition – some children aren’t treatable.  We were able to watch our child recover.  Some parents never get that opportunity.  Some parents have to recover from the loss of their child instead.  In the past when people have expressed their sympathy for everything we have been through with Nora, my first response isn't “thank you” – it is “we are blessed that she is treatable…things could be so much worse for her and for that, she has been blessed by the hand of God.”  Which brings me to the thought that in just 4 days, I will be leaving my baby girl in the hands of complete strangers yet again, praying for safety as she forges her own way in this messed up world.  I always thought I would be the overprotective parent who kept her kids in a neat, safe, sheltered little bubble.  And I used to be.  But the more I am enveloped by my faith, I realize that I can only control so much of what happens to my kids, and the more I am able to let go of that control and to let them make their own mistakes and learn from them.  I won’t always be around, and I want to make sure that they can stand firm on their own two feet.  Sometimes I feel as though I’m being too harsh and can hardly stand to let them learn life’s lessons the hard way, but I know it's for the best.  My feelings are just so different.  My mother’s instinct is that I want to protect them and hold them and prevent anything bad from happening to them.  But I know that reality paints a completely different picture.  Reality is that bad things are going to happen to them and I can’t prevent them and I probably won’t be able to “fix” them.  BUT, I can raise them up to know how to handle the bad things so that the bad things aren't quite so bad.  I guess my point is that I want to raise them to have perspective.  Most times, if we would just push our pride and ego out of the way and look at things in a completely different light, we would be in awe of just how prideful and selfish we really are as human beings and that our way isn't always the right way.  And the situation would have a completely different life of its own.  And I know that in my sin, I do that same thing.  I am not willing to budge….not willing to let go of my pride.  And it not only hurts those around me, but hurts me.  I cannot spiritually grow if pride is in the way.  I now understand why pride is one of the seven deadly sins.  And in my opinion, the worst.  And it's what I struggle with the most.  I want my kids to learn to look at things from all angles and to know that they can be flexible when dealing with life's issues.

(Wow….how did the thought of my baby girl’s first day of school morph into THAT?!)

Another thought came to me today.  I’ve noticed that since I’ve invited Christ into my life, my view of myself has changed.  My insecurities have taken a back seat to more important things.  Things like doing God's work even if I'm not comfortable putting myself out there and being vulnerable.  I think the root of all insecurity is the feeling that we will never be good enough, we will never rise up to meet the expectations that others have of us, we will be thought of as incompetent.  But here is the root of all security: The love that Jesus has for us in immovable.  When you realize just how loved and cared for you are by Him, it doesn’t matter what expectations others have of you – you only care about what expectations HE has for you and you strive to meet those expectations..  I will never have the words to express my gratitude for His love for me.  He has answered my prayers with more than I ever could have imagined.  Maybe not the way I thought He would answer, but in HIS way.  And His way is always so much better than ours.  And I fall so short of his grace and mercy every single day, yet every single day He grants them anyway.  (“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23) I am so undeserving of His comforting love, yet He freely gives it to me.  I just can’t even wrap my brain around that.  (“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8.) 

His promises, His plans….they all come to fruition – if you’re willing to change your perspective.  Maybe not in the way you thought, but in the way He knows is best.

Archer & Nora a few days before Nora's first day of school

Raegan & Noah (my niece & nephew) on their first day of school

"Life's like an hourglass glued to the table."

A Mother's Fragile Heart

As I type this, I am looking at the stack of registration forms for Nora for preschool.  And realize that they are filled out.  And that my BABY is headed to school for the first time in just a few short months.  How is that possible?  Doesn’t she still need her diapers changed and her crib to be baby-proofed?  Doesn’t she need help walking and to be spoon-fed?  My heart literally aches thinking about how quickly time is passing and that my babies are no longer babies.  There are days when I complain and whine about how clingy they are (we even penned the term “Klingons”), but sooner than a flash in the pan, they won’t need me anymore.  They won’t need mama to help them brush their teeth.  They won’t need mama to cuddle with them.  They won’t need mama to get their milk poured.  They won’t need mama to get them out of the bathtub.  Don’t get me wrong, most kids will always need their parents, in some form or another, but it’s a different kind of need.  “Mom, I need money”.  “Mom, I need to borrow the car”. “Mom, I need you to talk to Dad and get him calmed down so he doesn’t kill me.”  Those kinds of needs.

When I was in the hospital recovering from just having Nora, I will NEVER, as long as I live, forget what my Grandma Gaul told me.  She said, “Becky, make sure to stop and just enjoy these days because they are over before you can even blink.  And they really are the best years of your life. You might think you’re going to go mad from all of the chaos, but you’ll miss the noise when they’re gone.”  And I know there is a reason for God putting it on Grandma’s heart to tell me that.  Because ever since then, I have taken that to heart so deeply, that sometimes I wonder if this ache will ever go away.  The ache of watching my babies grow up and become independent.  The ache of knowing that things can change so incredibly quickly and life as we know it can change forever.  A dear friend of mine lost her daughter in a tragic accident a little over a year ago.  She would have turned 5 on June 5^th – her golden birthday.  “V” was the same age as Nora.  And my heart is crushed knowing that Rhonda would give anything – ANYTHING – to live amidst the chaos of raising a 4-year old that I sometimes get overwhelmed with and complain about.  And it makes me just stop right where I am, and praise God in that moment, that He has given me this beautiful gift of a little girl but also makes me remember that He can take her back anytime He wishes.  I don’t worry about what the future holds (much!) I guess I just get a little heartsick when I think of how fast life is going and how quickly it changes.  I just want a “pause” button for life, right at this very moment, to relish the sweet chubby arms that put themselves around my neck to give me big hugs, to bottle the scent of my kids lying in their beds at night after a busy day of playing to open later in the years when I’m missing their presence, to record the still, small voice that says, “I love you more mama” just before I close his bedroom door at night to be played back someday when all I hear is the quietness of an empty home.  It’s in those little moments, when I feel God and know that His promises are true.  Nothing can bring me to my knees like those little glimpses of Heaven brought to me through my children.

And with all of this, I cling, ever so tightly, to the hope of spending eternity with my babies, where “He will wipe every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more.” Where “There will no longer be any mourning, crying, or pain.” (Revelation 21:4).   Where we can spend eternity with each other without that cloud of sadness of time passing too quickly over our heads.  Where happiness and joy and dancing and smiles and “little moments” reign forever.  When you hear people say, “It’s not the big moments in life that you remember the most – it’s the little ones.” BELIEVE THEM.  Because there is more truth to that statement than I can comprehend.  The moments I remember most are those quiet moments, with my kids snuggled up against me, the sweet smell of their shampooed hair hanging heavy in the air.  The delightful sound of their giggles and squeals as I push them higher or give them underdogs on the swings.  The feel of them leaning back heavily against my body as they sit on my lap as we swing together.  The glint in their eyes when they look at me as they say their bedtime prayers.  Precious, fleeting time.  It truly is a gift and if you’ve been given the gift of time with your loved ones, savor it – relish it – live in it.  Because at any moment your gift of time could be taken away from you and you will miss the opportunity.

With four final words, “I’m gonna miss this.”

Going Green

The past few months I have been changing out my cleaning and beauty products (full of chemicals) for naturally made products.  In other words – we've gone green.  I've replaced our laundry & dishwasher detergents with homemade detergent which costs just pennies.  I've replaced our fabric softener with plain white vinegar.  I use Bare Minerals makeup instead of the chemical-laden junk from the store.  I've replaced our toothpaste with a baking soda, peroxide, and tea tree oil paste.  I've replaced our underarm deodorant with my own homemade stick made from baking soda, coconut oil, and essential oils.  I've replaced my shampoo with my own homemade shampoo made with castile soap, coconut milk, water, and essential oils. (Really works for Jed!!)  I've traded in bleach and Comet for vinegar, water, and tea tree oil.  I've even traded in our air fresheners for naturally made baking soda and essential oils. (Tea tree oil – a jack of all trades!!  I love it!)  I even was looking at the “ingredients” in baby wipes and started making our own wipes after seeing all of the chemicals that are added.  And although I've been struggling with some health issues, I am feeling better as the days go on.  I've traded in my Sweet & Low for stevia or real sugar and can tell a difference in how I’m feeling already.  We're purchasing more organic foods and try to steer clear of processed foods/artificial flavors.

I started acupuncture back at the end of March and was one of the lucky ones that it worked for.  Unfortunately my body has been in this unwell mode for so long that it’s going to take quite some time to “undo” the damage.  That being said, if you go into any kind of alternative medicine expecting a “get well quick” mentality, it won’t work.  It takes time for our bodies to become unwell, it takes even longer to get them back to optimal health.  It’s frustrating, it’s irritating, and it tests my patience and endurance.  But I know that I am on the road to better living by eliminating so many of the toxins that are present in our daily lives.  The one toxin I’m not able to completely eliminate is STRESS and it’s probably the biggest toxin in my life.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 90% of all illness and disease is due to stress – and I can testify to that!  BUT, I also am able to realize that in this season of my life, stress is inevitable and unavoidable.  Having two small, sometimes challenging, children to raise in today’s society is stressful!  There is a noticeable difference in my composure when my children are around versus when they aren't.  I’m not going to sugar-coat it:  My kids can drive me nuts!  It’s difficult to be “stress-free” and calm when you are being pulled in a thousand different directions.  But I reiterate, I realize that is just the season of life that I am in right now.  And soon, sooner than I like to think, I will be wishing for this season of life to be back instead of the “empty nest” season. 

Alot of you have been asking me for the recipes I use, so consider yourselves very lucky….I’m giving away all of my beauty secrets here!

Homemade Recipes:

Deodorant: http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/03/quick-stick-deodorant.html

Facial Toner: http://shwinandshwin.blogspot.com/2010/10/skin-brightening-toner.html

Shampoo:  http://moneysavingqueen.com/March-2012/Frugal-Living-How-to-Make-Your-Own-Shampoo/

Sugar Body Scrub: http://www.thefrugalstyle.com/wordpress/fashion-beauty/sugar-pie-honey-bunch-diy-body-scrubs/

Salt Glow: http://www.kristanlynn.com/2011/06/diy-citrus-salt-scrub.html

Toothpaste: http://tinygreenmom.com/2011/01/make-your-own-organic-toothpaste/

Dishwasher Detergent: http://beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com/2011/01/dishwasher-detergent.html

Laundry Detergent:  http://duggarfamily.com/content/duggar_recipes/30456/powdered_laundry_detergent_top_load_machine

Baby Wipes: (and I used castile soap instead of baby wash – because of all the chemicals in baby wash even!) http://www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com/homemade-baby-wipes-recipes.html

Air Freshener : (I made one for the back of the toilet and one for in the refrigerator) http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2012/03/easy-baking-soda-air-freshener-tutorial.html

Coffee Creamer: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/homemade-coffee-creamer/

Reclaimed 5:17

Awhile back, in November as Jed and I were walking out of our friends’ house, I noticed in their “burn pile” that they had a whole slew of twigs.  The “thrifter” in me thought, “You should do something neat with those twigs.  Grab some and take them home.”  Hector the Collector I am.  At any rate, I put the twigs down in our basement in a corner where I figured they would lie until we moved or our house burned down.  Moving forward, it’s now December.  One night, I was laying next to Jed trying to fall asleep to no avail.  I was crying and praying and talking to God about healing and restoring my friend Laurie’s marriage.  I felt so incredibly helpless to help her and my heart was broken for her.  I was asking God to give her strength and to help me to help her.  I was praying that He would hold her close to Him and comfort her.  Like a bolt of lightning, I suddenly had a moment of pure clarity…unexplainable.  God told me what to do with those twigs!  For weeks I had been listening to “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by the David Crowder Band and one of the lines just kept hammering in my head:

“Let thy goodness like a fetter; bind my wandering heart to thee.  Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.  Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”

That was it!  I was asking God to bind her heart to Him!  My mind was racing, I sat up and woke Jed up asking him if he was awake because I HAD to share this vision!  He mumbled something and rolled over and I was left in astonishment.  God had told me to take those twigs and make a cross, get a glass heart (I was picturing a big fat, red, shiny heart), bind it to the cross with twine, and somehow have “Bind Thy Wandering Heart to Thee” on there somewhere and then BREAK that heart!  In essence, I was bringing that song to fruition. 

The next day, with a determined purpose, I got to work on that cross.  I stopped at Hobby Lobby and found the most perfect, couldn’t have been any better heart.  It was a “seashell” jagged heart pendant.  Best part?  ON SALE! ;-)  I got the pendant, some copper wire and some twine.  I had found an awesome font for “Bind My Wandering Heart to Thee” on Pinterest which…seriously?...It. Could. Not. Have. Been. More. Suitable. 

I went home and made the cross.  Want to know the kicker here?  Laurie collects crosses and has a cross wall in her dining room!  How’s that for divine vision?  I wrapped the cross up and delivered it to Laurie one night before Christmas when we got together for some “girl time”.  The best gift I ever gave.

The cross on Kelli's "Redeemed" paper

And as the old saying goes, “the rest is history”.  Eeeeeerrrrk!  Stop the train.  Not in this case.  My vision was so much more than I could ever imagine.  An acquaintance of mine, Kelli, saw the cross I gave to Laurie.  She approached me later and asked where I came up with the idea for the cross and I told her the story.  An instant bond was made.  Kelli was in the process of writing her testimony for our women’s Christian Retreat Weekend and before I even had the cross made, she had made the underlying theme of her talk to be….you guessed it…”Bind My Wandering Heart To Thee”.  Seriously?  God was telling us that we needed to become fast friends!!!  In comes Kelli’s vision:  Kelli had the vision to make 80 of these crosses for all of the women who were attending the Christian Retreat Weekend.  BIG project.  Not only did our friends step up to the plate to pitch in and help us, but we ended up making 120 crosses for attendees and leaders!  AND THEN…yes, there’s more…she made another 80 or so for the men’s Christian Retreat Weekend for each attendees and leaders as well!  Unbelievable.  We have also asked another “crafty” friend, Kate, to join us on our newest adventure.  I am just astonished at how one tiny vision has snowballed into something like this.  Only God could have engineered something like this. For sure!

And no, the story does not end there.  After the men’s CRW, Kelli approached me about making these crosses and selling them.  All the profits would go to a women’s shelter.  From there God got a hold of both of us and her idea morphed into something a little bit bigger than we had anticipated.  We decided we would take “old” things and make them “new” and sell them at Farmer’s Market, along with making the crosses. All of the earnings will go to a few select LOCAL charities.  People like to see with their own eyes that their donations are being put to good use.  We were both finding all kinds of things in nature that we wanted to “repurpose” and “recycle” for our newest adventure.  For me, this whole idea of recycling “junk” is very appealing.  I am a thrifter at heart and am just amazed at the finds I’ve gotten at Goodwill, St. Vinny’s, consignment stores, etc.  Not only that, but being environmentally responsible has recently caught my attention when I realized that my body is in so much pain because of my environmental factors!  When Kelli & I were discussing the name, we had originally decided on “Reclaimed 21:5” because during our pastor’s sermon two weeks ago, he visited Revelation 21:5 which states, “And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true."  Really?  Why not just stamp “Revelation 21:5” on our foreheads to get our attention God!!  Well, after some discussion, we both decided part of our mission is to spread the Word that Jesus takes the old and makes it new.  Just as we are new creations in Christ, so will our “nature inspired creations” be.  And so then it just stuck…”Reclaimed 5:17” Reference 2 Corinthians 5:17 which states, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  And both Kelli and I can attest to that!  We were both broken and beat when Jesus found each of us, and like a mother nursing her child back to health, restored us.  He made us new.

I now think of my life in the following terms:  B.C an A.C.  Before Christ and After Christ.  Before Christ I was a lost and wandering soul, just surviving the days.  And now since Christ has found me (yes…He found me, not the other way around!) and I accepted Him into my life, He has given me LIFE and PURPOSE and HOPE.  I am no longer just surviving.  I am living.

My Mind Is Racing

I don’t even know how to start this post because I have so many things running through my little head.  Every day I am having more and more “encounters” with God and am really, really finding it hard to suppress my excitement.  I guess I’m not sure if I want to say “encounters”.  More or less I am FEELING His love in a tangible way.  I am bursting with things I want to say and share with everyone I meet.  I am astounded at the provisions and blessings He has given to me and my family and am so incredibly humbled. 

I had the privilege of serving as a table leader at our church’s women’s Christian Retreat Weekend (CRW) a few weeks ago and can honestly say that I got more out of serving that weekend than I did the year before as just an attendee.  Not only that, but last weekend the men had their CRW and I had the privilege of serving in a small capacity that weekend as well.  And still, I got more out of serving during THAT weekend than I did at my own CRW! I just can’t explain it.  Being in a serving role is definitely my thing.  I have always liked to serve people – since I was young.  The only difference now is that I serve to glorify Him and His love for mankind – not for my own benefit or to “get anything out of it”.  It is a freeing feeling.  I want to model after Jesus.  When He washed the feet of His disciples?  Mind.  Blowing.  Jesus, the ultimate authority, THE KING, lowered and bent Himself to. the. ground. to serve some of those who would betray him! And He KNEW they would betray Him!  Seriously, I have no words to describe my complete awe.  I think that the act of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples is symbolic in so many ways.  It is symbolic of the cleansing and washing of our sins.  Only through Jesus can we be cleansed of our sin, and He prompts us to wash the feet of one another, to bring others to Christ by showing them love, compassion, kindness, and love and forgiving their sins (even for those who have betrayed us). He washes their feet so they would be cleansed of their sin and so they could know Him.  Sounds a bit like a baptism, don’t you think?  Basically to “carry on” His teaching and His love. If you want to read up on this, read John 13.  I don’t even know how to say all of this without confusing anyone or to state clearly exactly what I want to say because I have so many ideas running through my head.  I am just so thankful to be able to hear Him and see Him in my life because for far too long I was in darkness.

I love Easter.  I always have.  Maybe because daffodils are my favorite flower and they bloom around Easter.  Maybe it's because we used to get chocolate bunnies with the crunchy eyes (we always liked the hollow bunnies WAY better than the solid bunnies!).  Easter has a whole new meaning for me now that I walk with Christ.  And I plan to carry on His word and truth, His light and His teachings, to our kids.  It's not about the bunnies or the cute little chicks and lambs.  However, have you made the connection between symbolic Easter lambs and "The Lamb of God" who is JESUS??! Society may try to push God out of our schools and buildings, but most don't know that He is still permeating our culture!!! Ha!  Take that world!  The other night we made “Jesus’ tomb” with dirt, a small planter, grass seed, some rock, and some twigs.  I got the idea off Pinterest (if you don’t know what Pinterest is, I advise you not to check it out unless you want to be sucked into a time-sucking black hole).  Here is a picture of what it should look like when it starts to grow.

If you are like me and need something concrete to show concepts, watch this video.  I never understood exactly what it is God did for us by sending His one and only son, THE LAMB OF GOD, to earth.  This video is indescribable at explaining that concept.  (disclaimer: tissues not included). 

If you do not have a church to call home and are curious about a relationship with Jesus, give me a call, send me an email, get in touch with me somehow!  I love talking about Jesus and His unending love for us.  If you have questions that I don’t have the answer to, I know of A LOT of people who do!  :-)  Some days I wonder what took me so long to finally cement my relationship with Jesus, but then I realize that everything happens in His time, when He knows we are ready.