What My Mustard Seed of Faith Looks Like

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Faith.

It’s not something I thought I struggled with. I’ve seen God move many mountains that were humanly impossible. I’ve seen Him part my own Red Sea. I thought I easily trusted Him, knowing my life is fully in His hands.

I mean we traveled to Kenya this year. All 5 of us. I knew if we were supposed to go, God would provide the money and the time, and He did. My faith felt limitless in the process.

Then we returned home. It was then I began to notice the holes in my faith. Like rinsing blueberries and draining them in a colander, life was being poured into me and the blueberry juice was bleeding all over the counter. My lack of faith left a stain everywhere I went.

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How We Can Act Like the Body

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If you’ve done any running you know there’s a lot of techniques out there. Get the right shoes, have the right form, relax your arms, that sort of thing.

I try to run regularly. Sometimes I pay attention to these things and sometimes I don’t. This particular day I did. I noticed toward the end of my route that I used my arms more than usual. Pumping them back and forth in sync with the rhythm of my body propelled me along faster without tiring out as quickly as in previous days.

I immediately thought of the body of Christ. When the arm swings in unison with the legs running, in time with the heart beating, the breath going in and out of the lungs, the feet pounding the surface at just the right time and angle – the body is working smoothly and effectively.

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Why I Am Thankful Even For Doubts

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It happens every year.

After a long break, school begins. At first I’m excited. The crayons smell new, the pencils prick my finger with their sharpness and the scissors and glue find their home in a plastic shoe box neatly stored away in the cabinet. The kids insert tabs into page dividers, write Science on a label and slap it on the spine of their notebook. Books neatly file themselves on the shelves, waiting to be opened.

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It all looks so nice and organized.

Then we start.

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A Story of Faith: Trusting God Even in the Silence

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Eyes of Faith. They actually see things other eyes don’t.

Imagine you’ve just walked up a flight of stairs and you’re now standing at the doorway of a large guest room. You look around and see a bed, beautifully made-up with red satin sheets overlaid with a plush, rich comforter and topped with 2 throw pillows. Beside the bed is a rustic, hand-crafted nightstand with an antique lamp on top.  An oriental rug covers the floor and fancy curtains adorn the window. In the corner sets a small, round table with two chairs, and a mirror hangs above. It’s a beautiful room.

So beautiful you want your best friend to see it too. You call her upstairs and excitedly show off the room to her. Her expression baffles you. She looks confused and even a touch mad. You ask her if she likes the room. “What do you think of the lamp, the bedspread, the table?” you ask.

“What bed?” she replies. “I see no bed, no lamp, no table!”

“What?” you reply. “Then what do you see?”

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Change Out the Needle

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Our family went to visit my parents in Arkansas for the Labor Day weekend. I expected it to be a time of rest as it often is thanks to my mom cooking and cleaning the dishes for me. And while I did rest from those duties, my mind didn’t.

So my first day back home I needed to do absolutely nothing. My body was tired. My mind was tired. I needed to hit the “reset” button, but couldn’t find it.

Before I left, Mom and I went to Hancock fabrics to look for a pattern that I could make something out of the fabric I purchased while in Kenya. I always make skirts thinking I’ll wear them and then never do. So I needed a pattern of something I will wear! I told my mom when we were checking out that I’m sure there will be a blog post about this afterwards. And I was right!

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This was going to be my project for the week off school. In my day to do nothing, I started a movie, started another one for the kids, and closed the door to my sewing room.

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To My Generation Who Thought Following Jesus was Cool & Flashy

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I grew up in the 90s.

Deena Carter’s “Did I shave my legs for this” often played on my radio.

I loved my bell-bottom jeans.

I didn’t have a cell phone till I was 16 and that was a bag phone.

My parents bought their first computer after I moved out.

I loved my youth group. I attended all the rallies and church camps complete with the campfires and cute guys.

Maybe you did too.

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How to Homeschool Multiple Children in 5 Easy Steps

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  1. Start off the day with a slow, calm morning

2. Eat a healthy breakfast.

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3. Allow plenty of time in the afternoon to put your feet up.

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4. Get plenty of rest.

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5. Have a nightly dinner with children joyfully retelling Dad all they learned today.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Enjoy your days homeschoolers! They aren’t quiet, organized, restful or always healthy, but they are good. You are doing a good work.

What What Would Happen If I Said Yes

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The Five Minute Friday theme this week is the word

YES.

In five minutes this is what Yes spurred in my mind…

My son told me the other day I’m the best negative thinker he knew.

But I can be. So often my first response is “No”.

“Mom, can we….”

“NO!”

Unfortunately, it’s my automatic reaction to my Savior as well.

“Julie, that lady over there…”

“No!”

So to hear the prompt Yes, means to me, challenges me to say Yes.

Say yes to my kids, or at least hear them out before I knee jerk the answer no.

Say yes to my husband when he needs a favor.

And most importantly, say yes to my Lord when He nudges me to do something. Even something I don’t want to, like talk to the lady at the gas pump. Ask her how her day is. Say Yes to get to know people instead of  just brushing by them in my haste to make it home and do the daily chores that are always there and pressing.

Yes, I want to say yes.

What about you? What would it look like for you to say yes, or explore the possibilities of instead of just saying no, I don’t have time. No, I don’t have the money. No I can’t possibly – what would that look like?

Here’s to Yes!

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6 Truths That Will Transform Your Marriage (Part 2)

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If you joined me last week, I shared three out of six truths that have transformed our marriage and I hope the lessons we learned will benefit you as well. If you haven’t read the first part, you can do that HERE.

4. Keep a Manageable Schedule

There’s a hierarchy in marriage and if children ever become the object of worship in the family, then you can very quickly expect of symptoms of disintegration to happen in the marriage. A man and woman married first and have a priority over the kids. The kids will leave one day and it will be one on one with our spouse again.

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4 Ways to Avoid Ashley Madison Temptations

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If the erogenous website Ashley Madison was a hurricane, it would be classified as a category 5 storm. Damaging winds have reportedly spread debris over all but three zip codes in the entire U.S.

For adrenaline pumping storm chasers this might sound like the storm of the year to track. But beware: travelling too close to these 155+ mile an hour winds leaves you liable to be sucked up in the raging vortex yourself. For we weren’t created to withstand that amount of force against us.

Just ask Josh Duggar.

The bottom line to me in this story is one Ashley Madison illustrates beautifully: Your sin will find you out.

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