From the stump of Jesse

Isaiah 11:1-2 ¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ²The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD

This is our Jesse tree. Our remembrance of the gift we were given. I am so excited for this holiday season. I hope to keep my family focused on Christ this year, as much as I can, instead of buying things for others, or what we want bought for us.

Our reading tonight talked of how we were cut down, dead and dying, with no hope to survive on our own, but He was sent for us. A shoot, a rebirth, an offering.

Please come with us on our journey this year. Our Jesse tree. We look forward to seeing you and hearing what you might have to say.

Love, B

The King is Coming!

Tomorrow starts the season of Advent, an act of anticipating the coming of Christ. I am SO excited! My Christmas season is typically pretty stressful with two sets of parents and our own little family to fit in, so last year we tried to do a Jesse tree. This year, I already have it set up. Each day, we will do a little reading and devotional, and anticipate the coming birth of our Lord and Savior.

I hope you, too, remember the reason for the season and try to hold on to that. It really isn't about the gifts we give each other. It's about the gift that was given to us.

Love, B

P.S. Our advent calendar can be found on www.aholyexperience.com. You may have to sign up via email to receive it, but her blog and this calendar is TOTALLY worth it.

May God bless each one of you today.

Frugal

I am so frugal, and I LOVE it!!! It is some weird gift/obsession God gave me to like to find new ways to spend less money.

This economy has hit my family, and I am sure yours, too. Things that I make that are WORTH THE TIME for me to make are:

• baby wipes ($0.01 a piece)
• laundry detergent ($0.20 cents a gallon)
• fabric softener ($1.40 a gallon)
• dryer sheets (too cheap to tell)
• body wash ($1.45 for 66 ounces)
• febreeze (too cheap to tell)

I am also working on a face scrub and leave-in detangler.

AND the products I use to make these wonderful cost saving household needs also CLEAN MY HOUSE, so I don't have to buy cleaning products (chemicals for my daughter to get into) saving me even MORE money!!!

I would LOVE to share with you how to do this yourself for pennies-on-the-dollar and seconds-on-the-minute!!! Just email, comment, or message me. I'm on facebook.

God is so good. Take time to praise Him today.

Love, B

Thanksgiving

I have been blessed by God. My cousin and her family are staying with me for the holidays, and last night she made us all dinner. We had Mom and Dad come down (all three houses down the street :)), and it was beautiful. I have had birthdays parties and such, but never a house guest like this.

I looked out the kitchen door at everyone in the living room talking and laughing and sharing stories, holding babies, the generations of sons and daughters. The family of it all. The uniting force. The ribbon of love that holds us together. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And it was in my home. I have seen it many times in my mother's home, and it is always so beautiful. I thought one day I might get a piece of it. God gives us our desires, large and small.

It is very humbling to be loved by a living God.

To God be the praise and the glory.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you each have a blessed day.

Love, B

Balm of Gilead

1 Peter 4:1-13, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be reavealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

I asked for it. I prayed over and over again for an EXTRAORDINARY life in Christ. I want EVERYTHING I have and am to bring Him glory. I do rejoice that God, my God, would tend to me. That He would mold me, and make me, and hear me. I do rejoice in my sorrows for I am certain that He is making me something beautiful. I rejoice that He would, and that He is. I rejoice that others may see His power and glory. It isn't for me. It's for Him. We do tend to get caught up and think it is for us, for our ease and comfort, but it is for HIM. It is our chance to point to Him in front of a world of others and say, "See what my Daddy can do. See the glory and power of God Almighty."

He is awesome and wonderful and beautiful. I long to see His face. And He is showing me, but His majesty is so much, that the frailness of my human being couldn't take it all in right now, so He shows me a little bit at a time. He reveals Himself to me. And I am amazed and excited to see Him. He does answer our prayers. He does hear us, face down, heart broken. He hears us arms raised, face to Him, smiling and laughing through the tears. Oh the cleansing. Oh the salve that He would apply to us, to the broken, to all the cracks and crevices, dings and dents that we carry with us, some so deep, so dark, so hidden only He can soothe them. Oh, balm of Gilead, oh Promise to me. Oh Savior divine.

What He is doing for me, He wants to do for you. Pray, faith believing. Hear Him. Answer Him. Step out of this world and into His world.

I want more. More and more of my God. More and more.

Love, B

Twister

For those of you who know me, you know that I have been in a series of valleys. As soon as one trial is over I am already on my way down into another. It has been a struggle, to say the least. I know, though, that I don't go through this alone. I know, too, that I need to share the prayer below. This is a prayer that my best friend sent me several years ago. It has been praying on my mind for days. So for me, for you, and for the glory of God, my father, here it is. Please hear my heart and hers in this:

Remember that 80's or 90's movie Twister with Helen Hunt? I was up late the other night and it came on some channel. I got to that one part where they are in the middle of the tornado, "literally". They had tied themselves to some immovable pipe of some sort in some building that was torn to pieces and for just a few minutes or seconds they were exactly in the middle of the tornado looking up in the center of it. You probably know where I am going with this, but it was beautiful just the same. I remember the first time I saw this that I marveled at what a picture of our christian life this is. If we stay in the absolute center of God's will, then the storms really can't touch us. They can rage all around us, but can't harm us. Our eyes and our focus play a huge role in how we will weather the storm. If we open our eyes and look out around us, we will see nothing but chaos and destruction, and it will breed fear in us. However, if we stay on our knees in prayer, we can't see all of that. The other option is to look straight up and keep our eyes on Jesus. In the movie, the picture of the sky through the middle of the tornado was breath taking. The thing that struck me hardest this time was the way they were anchored down. The force of the storm swirling around them was so strong that it lifted them up, but they were not pulled away. They had taken the time to not only hold on but to tie themselves to those pipes. If they had anchored to anything else; house, car, other person...they would have been carried off into the storm with that item. I also thought about how they had to anchor themselves before the storm got there. So, really, it is our day to day walk with Jesus that holds us when the storms come. So, here is my prayer for us today; that we would "come out from amongst" the storm of this world and be a peculiar people. We will seem a bit strange day by day but, when the storm gets here and we are not carried away, we won't look so strange; that in the midst of our storm we would "love not the world, neither the things of it" in such a way that it would not pull us from a posture of prayer or take our eyes from heavenly things; and that we would be anchored only to that which will hold us. This is my prayer for each us today as well. I also pray that we prepare ourselves in advance for our trials. That we not only hold to Him, but we tie ourselves to Him with His own rope that will never break. That we realize the battle is on our knees. That we realize we are an army, and none of us stand alone. May God bless you and keep you. Love, B

Evening

I don't have anything on my heart tonight. I just wanted to say hi. My heart is lighter than it has been in some time. It is sweet relief.

I'm watching Madea, laying with my sweet Kalli Anne, and remembering her sweet laughter throughout the evening. Good dinner, done facebooking, and getting ready to make some babywipes.

I do miss my cousin, Stephanie, but nothing will be perfect until I reach the other side.

Sleep well, and praise God for all His blessings.

Love, B

Let my lifesong sing to You

How does my lifesong sing to my Father? I have wondered this over and over again in my life. When I fail. When I question. When I don't know what to do. When I think I have done something to make Him smile. When I'm face down on the floor desperate to be heard and soothed and strengthened for the battle.

My life song is a mess. A wonderful glorious mess that my Creator will use for His glory.

A horrible ugly mess that I can't see straight of.

The mess is not the point. My Father is.

I will not let go until You bless me.

I will not let go until my lifesong sings.

And in that day she will sing as when I first brought her out of the wilderness. Hosea 2.

Love, B

The First Commandment

I've missed you guys. I don't have a lot to say, but let me just say that God has me on an incredible journey right now. A quiet walk. A time of growing and restoration. It was a painful start, and I feel a bit unsteady still, but when that comes upon me, I try to quiet my spirit and wait for Him to lead. That is a lesson I never learned, but am learning now. He has taken me off-road. We like to be on a path, but He likes us to trust in Him, and sometimes, I guess for me right now, He likes me still. Not moving, but actively waiting and searching Him out. This is not a time of sit and do nothing, but sit and wait on the glory of the Lord. Wait to be led. It's exciting. I can't wait to see what's on the other side. I am sorry for what I did that made Him yank me back into line like a small child being taught a lesson. I am sorry that I didn't listen. Didn't obey.

I feel like He's shining me up like a rock. You know those skipping stones, smooth, not too fat, round, and shiny. A treasure among the dirt and mud. To be used for pleasure. To watch it's beauty glide across the top of the water. What a simple joy. But not everyone can skip a stone. And not anyone on this earth or in all the Heavens except my Father, can make me a beautiful, useful, joy.

What I have learned so far is that our idols are not always easy to spot. They may be things that make us feel close to God. That we think are preparing us for war even, but even those things can not come before our Father. We must stay attuned to what He has for us, and obey Him and ALWAYS put Him first.

Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.

Love, B

Worship Wednesday

When my oldest's step-sons heart was broken, I tried to ease his pain by relating life to one of his favorite things... roller coasters. I told him that God chose everything in his life, good or bad, just for him. And how special that was, that God the Creator of all would pick out peeks and valleys especially for us even though our life is but a vapor, a fleeting vapor. He still took the time to mold us, and love us, in the good and the bad. I later used it as a description for this blog because I am blessed by the roller coaster God has chosen for me.

I haven't written in a while because I was too hopeful and fearful at the same time,and life often does just get away from us. Really, just the roller coaster. God gives us ups, and He gives us downs. The downs often leave their mark. The pit of mystomach has been lifted up into the bottom of my throat, and all I can do is scrunch down and hold on. And Dear Lord, I am scrunched down and holding on to You.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us. Loved us. Cried for us. Our hearts are broken, but our love for our Father is not. I prayed for God's will and He willed our losses. I prayed God's will because His will is perfect, even in my pain, His will is perfect, and He will use this for His Glory. I don't know why we have had to suffer such large heartaches and small disappointments, or why we have had to suffer them all in such a short amount of time. But I will not let go of my Father's hand. I may not know what to say to Him right now, but Praise God I have an intercessor. I am washed in the blood, and the Son sits at the right hand seeking intercession for me, even when I can't find the words for my sorrow.

Please continue to pray for us. I'm not a big fan of roller coasters.

In loving memory of James Owens and our little angel.

Love, B

To Work with Your Hands

It's good to have a craft, something to keep you busy, something to create. I started looming late last year, I made Kalli a hat and scarf, the Crowe girls a hat each, and my Momma a scarf. Then I started crocheting, and after an initial instruction from Melissa Langford over at The Langford Life and a lot of internet searches, I got the hang of it. I can't put it down. Proverbs 32:13 says, "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." I think this is why I always feel so close to God when I crochet. I pray, and listen to the Bible if I can find it on the radio, and for a while am still. Here is a picture of the blanket I am making for Brian and will post pics of some of my other projects later.

Feel free to post some of your projects too!

Have a great weekend!

Love, B

His Hands

I missed you yesterday. I plan for Wednesdays to be Worship Wednesdays. I got the idea from my bestie, Melissa Langford (follow her at her blog, The Langford Life) who plans to do the same. Here's what I had.

My blog is titled My Life on the Wheel which got me to thinking about actually being in the wheel and the ebbs and flows of it. And I got this great mental picture of God, the Creator of all things, actually putting His hands on me. And not just putting them there, but molding me. Let me paint it for you.

I see these masculine hands wrapped around this dark, grey clay. The clay is wet and shiny; the hands are wet. The clay is in between His fingers, on the fronts and backs of them, curving it's way through and down and up and over while the wheel spins. The clay is on the wheel, spinning, spinning, spinning. He adds water. He is molding me into something beautiful. From a hard, cold, grey lump of nothing. He is making me beautiful. Useful. Into something purposeful. The spinning is delightful and beautiful. And then I, the clay, bend in the wrong way, trying to do it myself, and I go haywire. The spinning becomes eradict, lopsided and ugly. Almost out of control, slinging the water, but He doesn't retract Himself from me. He fixes me. He bends me down onto myself. Pushing me down. Pushing me down. And He starts again. He adds water, always the water. Making sure I don't dry out and crack. He starts again. The spinning, the creation. The love. He molds me again, and again, and again, and each time I spin out of control, He pushes me back down, so He can mold me as He sees me. Loves me as He tends to me.

What am amazing, humbling thought, that God, the Creator, God the Almighty, the God of Isaac, and David, and Jacob, the God of all, ... would tend to me. Little old, messy me. Oh how He loves us.

I will forever be amazed by Him and His mercy.

Love, B

Getting Started

I never did say exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I have a few (hopefully) interesting changes going on that I think you can either relate to, or will be interested in thinking about.

To get to that, let me just say what makes me interesting. I like to be a little left of normal. I don't even try for perfection or the look thereof. I try to be an adorable mess, but most days only the mess sticks. I am open and real in my heart, my opinions, and in what I can afford and am willing or not willing to sacrifice. I strive for happiness, and laughter, and God help me, efficiency. I want to provide for my family in the most cost and time effective way as possible. I, unfortunately, am still a working mom, and I have to make every dollar and minute count.

To that end, I am a joyful Once a Month Cooker. I LOVE to crochet. I am planning a garden for next year, and I have NEVER gardened. I enjoy a Christ-centered mostly hand-made Christmas. I am slowly trying to update my home from boxes to an actual home. I am trying to get a solid grasp on that couponing thing. And let us NEVER forget that sweet uneven walk with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that's a lot to have going on, but I will setup a schedule so you will know what days to peek in to get the goods you are most interested in!

Please forgive me while my site is under construction.I will get the kinks worked out and pics up and music on just as soon as I figure out how... and find a picture of myself I can tolerate :)

I hope to see you tomorrow.

Good night and God Bless.

Love, B

Here I am

So here I am. All open and scared. Worried what the world will think when I let them in. But I trust in God, and it is He who has oorchestrated all of this. The wonderment of it all is amazing. The small and delightful ways He chooses to paint the pictures of our lives.

I have wanted to blog for a few years now, but I don't really do anything until the craze is gone. I like to show up late. That's when the real shows up. I never really thought I had anything to say that anyone would want to hear. I guess we'll see if that's true or not.

I have a few ideas, though, on this crazy world we live in and how to slow it down, how to be a better steward of the abundant grace we are shown, how to reach for a better life, the life we are Called for.

This is my life on the Potter's wheel. I hope to meet you there.