Baking Day!

I have been a busy beaver this week as I've caught the baking bug. We are HUGE fans of Hummingbird Bakery's "Oat and Raisin" cookies, so I made a huge batch at the weekend... far too many for Dave and I to munch through (I'm sure we could manage it - it just wouldn't be too good for our waistlines!!!) So I decided to pack them up pretty and give them out to friends and family!

 x-x-x

Resolution 5: Carpe Diem

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

I've never learned latin.... I was a German and Spanish gal at school, so the number of latin phrases I know I can literally count on one hand... but of the few I do know, there's one that stands out... "Carpe Diem"; it means "Seize the day".

I first heard this phrase a few years back (probably more than I'd like to admit) on a fantastic, brilliant youth camp called Contagious. It was the last talk of a week long bible camp and the speaker was sending us out after all we'd learnt, and he finished with these two words... Carpe Diem.

"Seize the day"... literally - take it captive, live it with all your might, make the most of every moment. There are countless ways to verbalize the message behind these two little latin words, but I think "Seize the day" is probably the best translation. In this resolution, Edwards is calling us to live every moment purposefully.

I am a big faffer, and if there is anyone who would naturally fail at "seizing the day" it would have to be me. I am all about to-do-lists. Not because I'm hyper-organised, but because without them, I achieve nothing... literally nothing... so I have lists for everything - projects I would like to undertake if I ever get round to it, things I need to buy, monthly food plans, weekly cleaning schedules and my daily to-do-list. These aids are fantastic, and I'm gonna spend some time later this week talking through how I organize my life (ideas which I have COMPLETELY stolen from some VERY organised people - but if you find something good, you should share it, right?!) but ultimately they are purposeless if I'm not seizing the day for the glory of the God who made me - the one who created order, and that sense of satisfaction when you look back on your work and say "it is good".

God has set each one of us up in the life he has given us - the place, the people, the time... all perfectly orchestrated by him... and he's given us a life... one life... to make count. Not so that we become some super-immortalized celebrity, but so that in the hum-drum of our normal lives, we give glory to the one who made us to be in relationship with him.

Our society tells us that to make life count, we have to achieve a great name for ourselves... whether that be in job success, family legacy or fame... God says that to make life count, we have to achieve a great name for Him. Only then will we know true peace, satisfaction and joy as we "seize the day"

Something to laugh about...

Saw this, this week, on a friends facebook and thought it might brighten your weekend!

It made me chuckle!!!

Pin of the week...

On Monday morning, while I was cleaning out our guest room, I decided that a "cleaning caddy" would make my life much easier (I'm a big fan of all things that will organise my life for me!) Lo and behold, I come across this lovely Pottery Barn Cleaning caddy on Pinterest... now to attempt one of my own!

LOVE it!

Happy weekend

xxx

REAL Christianity...

Yesterday morning, as I sat in bible study, we were learning about Jesus death, what he went through, and what it achieved for us. This video has been doing the rounds recently, but I think this guy captures the real meaning of the Gospel perfectly... its not about following a set of rules, its not about living a pious life, its not about what I can do to earn my way to heaven, its not even about being a good person...

This guy has it nailed, and tells it in a really creative poetic way. Thankyou, Spoken Word, for this powerful, challenging and moving explanation of what christianity is REALLY all about...

Highlight of my week!

Wednesday mornings are quickly becoming one of the highlights of my week. On Wednesday mornings I have the privilege of meeting up with a bunch of women, packing our kids (8 of them in total - all 2 or under!) into the side rooms with a couple of wonderful helpers and heading, with cups of tea, jaffa cakes and bibles, into the comfort of the lounge for Bible Study. We're an interesting mix... some of us are christians, some of us aren't, some are working mums, some are housewives, some are enjoying maternity leave, some have babies, some have toddlers, some have school-aged kids and some have teenagers! What do we have in common? We meet up every Wednesday to read the Bible together, ask some big life questions and try and understand what God has to say to us!

WHAT a privilege... every week I leave excited, thrilled and honoured to be able to meet up with these women... to have the privilege of explaining the good news of Jesus and watch as the penny drops. It's wonderful and I leave so grateful to God for these women who are really seeking, thankful for what I learn there and amazed (though I shouldn't be!) that God's Word is so powerful as to change lives. I have seen it time and time again, and yet it never ceases to amaze and thrill me.

So I'm off to Bible study now - to learn, to grow and to be challenged, and I thank God for the opportunity to do that!

Shop til you drop...

Yesterday I did something very brave... I went shopping. That may sound ridiculous, but when you have a 5 month old daughter, shopping turns from a nice past-time on a Saturday afternoon to a manic juggling act involving going up and down in lifts, races across town to find the nearest feeding room, planning your route across town so that you achieve what you need to do in the quickest possible time, and buying clothes without trying them on because changing rooms are not designed to accommodate prams... in a nutshell... NIGHTMARE!

However, yesterdays trip was a complete success.... all thanks to my Mum and Aunt who took Ava off my hands for an hour and a half, enabling me to spend my christmas money with leisure (I spent over an hour of that time in H and M alone) and I've bought myself some lovely new clothes. I'm admitting this because I find it hard to do. I seem to have some weird abnormal gene which makes me unlike pretty much every girl on the planet when I say I hate clothes shopping. Somewhere in my past, I have developed this guilt complex which makes me feel guilty buying any item of clothing for myself. Ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, being frugal is great, I think its right to think through what you buy and we in the west often go way overboard with decking ourselves out in the latest fashions when many in the world would be grateful for a simple jumper to keep them warm. However, my guilt complex has led me to wearing a combination of clothes with holes in, hand-me-downs from my sister/friends/mum and clothes which I have owned for coming up a decade... it was time to invest in some basic non-holey items of clothing...

Last week, I sorted through my clothes and bagged up everything I never wear/had holes in/was too big/small for me and sent them off to the charity shop/recycling. I'm not joking when I say my wardrobe was literally cut down by about 3/4s. I was left with one pair of jeans (my other four pairs all had huge rips in them or bits of denim hanging off the back) so they were top of my agenda today. I also realised I needed some "basic" tops... you know, the standard black/white/grey/navy long-sleeved tees that you can wear under everything and are timeless.

I came home today armed with...
- black, white, grey basic tees
- nice long-sleeved pink/grey top
- stripy jumper
- pair of NON-HOLEY jeans

I feel like a new woman!!!!

So, I've had to overcome my guilt complex and spend a little bit of money so that I am no longer walking around in clothes that should've been chucked 5 years ago... meanwhile, they're all being recycled, so I don't even need to feel bad about that!

Resolution 4: Avoidance tactics

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

Sometimes I'm pretty good at avoiding... avoiding the washing up, avoiding awkward conversations, avoiding clearing out that drawer or making that phone call, or writing that email. I seem to be very good at avoiding the things I SHOULD be doing, and not very good at avoiding the things I shouldn't...


Jonathan Edwards wrote these "Resolutions" in his late teens... a time of life, perhaps, where its more difficult than ever to "flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim 2:22) and yet here he is, resolved to avoid/flee anything which will take away from the glory of God...


A pretty tough shout for a 17 year old! 


So, as the Bible calls us to pursure righteousness, faith, love and peace and avoid ANYTHING which takes away from God's glory, here's what I'm fleeing today...

• The temptation to be lazy and leave clearing up etc for my husband to do when he gets home, because that's not glorifying to God...
• The temptation to spend time blogging/working on a project/hanging out with family/doing ANYTHING before spending some good quality time with my Saviour, because that's not glorifying to God...
• The temptation to boast in myself - whether by making myself look better than I know I am, or by putting others down so that I look better, because that's not glorifying to God.
• The temptation to feel frustrated and judge others, because that's not glorifying to God
• The temptation to organise my life to such a degree, that I don't allow God to be the master of my time and energy, because that's not glorifying to God...

The list could go on... seriously... on and on and on...


So, rather than feel depressed and like I can't possibly flee EVERYTHING that I need to, because I am sinful and my natural instinct is to glorify myself, my family, my home... I'm going to pray for the Spirit's help today to avoid self-glorification, in whatever shape or form it might take, and glory, instead, in God...

• Give glory to God for nature - for its beauty, tranquility, creativity
• Give glory to God for family - for the creation of relationships, of a good catch-up, of laughing and living together
• Give glory to God for His provision - a beautiful home, food on our plates, shelter, friendship, family, church...
• ULTIMATELY give glory to God for Himself - for his generous nature, his sustaining power, his constant presence with me, his love and his blood, shed on the cross, which wiped out my sin once and for all...

Hallelujah!

Ava's shadow box...

After my "Pin of the week" yesterday, I got all inspired and had a go at making a shadow box myself. Its not AS pretty, but I'm very chuffed with it. The box has been hanging empty in Ava's room since she was born, so I've filled it up with her first little pair of leggings, her name letters, her little arm bracelet from the hospital and a photo of her a day old. CUTENESS!

Have been fiddling around with my new camera today, trying to get some nice shots of Ava... at first she performed beautifully...

 Then she got sick of posing...!

Pin of the week...

I have a shadow box for Ava... just need to fill it and transform it into something like this!!!

Have a fun-filled weekend!

First food...

So this past week, we've made an exciting new development in our home... Ava has started eating REAL FOOD! She's been trying out the exotic flavours of baby rice and carrot this week... we're going to hit the sweet potato and maybe some pear next week. I'll keep you posted!

Ready for some grub... for the first time!

Ooohh... not too sure about this...

Now I'm getting excited... this stuff is GOOD!

Yummy baby rice!

That's Entertainment!

The past few weeks, in my quiet times, I've been working my way through a book called "Life Issues" by Wendy Virgo... it was a gift from a good friend when Ava was born and has been a real blessing, challenging my thinking about being a wife and mother in many, many ways and making me evaluate myself, my motivations and whether I am being purposeful as a mother, wife and woman of God...

This past week, I've been looking at the topic of Hospitality. I like to think of myself as a pretty hospitable person... Dave and I love having company... we're both "people people" and I enjoy having a good old catch-up over a meal. But I was challenged, this week, by a question Wendy Virgo asked, which I'd not really thought about before...

What is the difference between entertaining and hospitality?

Hmmm... suddenly my "I'm very hospitable" attitude became... "or do I like entertaining??" Entertaining is no modern phenomena... inviting good friends round for a nice meal and the opportunity to impress with your culinary skills, beautifully decorated home and good conversation goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years (just watch one episode of "Downton Abbey" and you'll soon see it was the norm!) Was THAT what I was? A mere entertainer? I don't remember "the gift of entertaining" being spoken about in the Bible, although there are plenty of mentions of hospitality... so what's the difference?

Wendy Virgo describes hospitality in the early church; "The people did not cling possessively to their homes; they were open-hearted and gladly shared their homes and possessions with one-another" Hospitality is not about putting on a good show; inviting your good friends, laying out your best china and whipping up that Jamie Oliver speciality... no, its about opening your home up as it is... to the vulnerable... to people who are in need in some way... perhaps they don't have family nearby... perhaps they are struggling financially... perhaps they are new to the area and don't know that many people yet... perhaps they just need a listening ear... perhaps they have never experienced a loving home... perhaps they are still getting to grips with the english language, so conversation is awkward and so no-one invites them... there are lots of people who are in need... all of us hit that point at some point in our lives, and having an open home where people can come and off-load over a cup of tea to a listening ear... that's hospitality. Somewhere where people can come armed with their three children and shovel down spaghetti bolognese and not worry if they spill a bit on the floor - that's hospitality! Somewhere where people know they can show up on the doorstep and they'll always be welcome... that's hospitality!

So I've had to stop and realise that perhaps I haven't been showing hospitality recently, and its about time I start practicing it!

Jesus says, in Matthew 25:40 "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". When we show kindness and offer hospitality, we are honouring Jesus... whether its inviting someone into your home, cooking for someone whose just had a baby, popping round to an elderly neighbour for a cup of tea or spending time with an international student.

So why don't you join me in attempting to offer some hospitality this week!

Christmas Pressie Crafting: Journals

Upstairs, on our landing, is a bookshelf which is home to a number of thick notebooks which reach back to 2003 when I first began journalling. I have found it to be such a blessing over the years; recording what God is teaching me, memories, things I'm learning and thinking about and what I'm up to. Sometimes I sit myself down and have a read through my old journals - they're records of wonderful memories, hard times and funny situations. They tell of my experiences through university, what life was like abroad, mine and Dave's courtship and my pregnancy with Ava... cherished memories.

This christmas, I decided to make journals for my mother- and sister-in-law so that they too have the opportunity to record all the things they are learning and have something to look back on in the years to come. My mother-in-law is already a steady diary-keeper and can tell you exactly what she was doing this time 3 years ago (and she can often tell me what I was doing too!) so I thought it might be nice for them to have a homemade journal to keep this coming year!

I bought in blank notebooks, again from Panduro, to do up... and had lots of fun sticking in little bits for them to use, little date labels, quotes that I have found useful, pockets for keepsakes and memories. Here's some photos - perhaps they'll inspire you to have a go! I stupidly forgot to take photos before I wrapped them up and sent them off, but my mother-in-law has very kindly taken some photos of hers, now in use, for you to peruse!

Resolution 3: Real repentance...

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

I'm a big fan of to-do lists... in fact, I kinda live off them. Every morning, after I've done my quiet time, I sit down and plan out my day to the minutest detail. It's how I keep track of what I've done, what I need to do, and it stops my brain from overheating, knotting and exploding. I no longer have to store everything up there if I have it written down. In essence - it stops my life from floating along and stops my brain from feeling overwhelmed.

I'm good at floating... without my to-do lists, I float from one activity to the next, never actually achieving all that I need to, and definitely not redeeming my time effectively. It's easy to float in my walk with God as well... one day, for one reason or another, I might not be able to sit down and spend proper time with the Lord (e.g. baby is crying, some emergency arises etc etc), the next day, I don't think to... and suddenly, a whole week has gone by without me really even thinking about my Saviour. It's not a purposeful decision... its somehow just happened... its what Edwards' refers to as "falling" and "growing dull"...

Often I think of repentance as something I need to do when I've willfully done wrong... perhaps I've gossiped about someone, made a sarky comment to my husband, got annoyed with my daughter. But repentance is also required when we find ourselves in sin that wasn't necessarily wilful, but is not the best that God has planned for us...

I have to admit that OFTEN God's glory is not the motivation behind my actions... too often MY glory is the motivation behind them... and for that, I need to repent. That doesn't just mean whip up a little prayer and say a quick "sorry"... it doesn't mean "I'm sorry" because I feel bad and want to relieve my guilt, it doesn't mean "I'm sorry" so that I escape the consequences which will follow my actions... it means being sorry for the sin itself. Recognising the ugliness of my forgetfulness and apathy towards God and praying earnestly for the filling of the Spirit, a hunger for his Word and desire for his glory...

And when we do that, God promises us "grateful, restful joy" Tim Keller: All of life is repentance

Pin of the Week...

This week, my pin of the week is this gorgeous hobby horse! For the full tutorial, check out www.chickabug.com. She has loads of really cute ideas, but I definitely want to make one of these for Ava!

Books I'm reading...

Now and then, I like to give a little update on what I'm reading at the mo... I LOVE books, and probably eat my way through a couple of books a week. Someone said the other week they were reading "The Help" as a result of my blog, so I figured, if its helping someone pick a good book and wade through all the rubbish out there, then perhaps I can be of help! Anyway... here's the latest!



Wives and Daughters: Elizabeth Gaskell
I always like to have one classic on the go, and this is one of my faves. Brilliantly written, you can't help loving Molly's frankness and Mrs Gibson's silliness and Lord Hamley's grumpiness! A fantastic storyline with some nice unexpected twists and turns! I loved the book, and quickly followed it up by watching the recent BBC adaptation of it by Andrew Davies (the same guy who wrote the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle!) I have one more episode to watch before its finished!

Songbird Under A German Moon: Tricia Goyer
This was my late night feed book on my Kindle... the book I've been reading to while away that late night feed and stop myself falling asleep. It was a free Kindle book, so I have to admit, I didn't have very high expectations, but I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised! The story is about a young girl singing to the GIs in post-war occupied Germany and combines romance, thriller and history all-in-one! I really enjoyed it, and would definitely read more books by Goyer in the future!

Worship Matters: Bob Kauflin
I love this book... I know I say that a lot, but let it be testament to this book that I am now reading it for the third time! I don't think there's a better book out there on the theme of worship - what it is, what its about... I am challenged and humbled by this book every time I read it and I think its one of those books I'm just gonna keep reading as long as I'm involved in leading worship in any shape or form!

I'll Be There: Deborah Grace Staley
I'm not usually one for a thriller/action book, and Staley's not usually one to write them, which is perhaps why I picked this one up (another Kindle freebie!) It took a couple of chapters to get into, but once I did, I was hooked! Its all about a girl who finds herself in trouble and is taken into hiding by the American witness protection program until she can testify. Its part of the Angel Ridge Series, but stands alone as well. A good read if you need something not too intense, but still with a bit of grit to it!

The Gathering Review

Wow... I promised a review of Sovereign Grace's newest album, and I can honestly say it didn't disappoint! Packed full of brilliant lyrics, excellent melodies and some pretty awesome riffs, this live album has been on repeat in our household for the past week!

The album's intention is to take the listener on a journey. It begins by calling us to worship, shows us the might and glory of God which leads us to recognise the depths of our own sin. When we're in the pit, it leads us to the Gospel which offers grace and mercy and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. We are led then to be thankful as we prepare to hear God's word opened up, and are then called to respond to the Gospel with thanksgiving, praise and a desire to got out and share the Good News.

This is definitely my favourite SG album since they released Worship God Live in 2005... its really well recorded and, as always, is extremely well thought-through and lyrically excellent.

One of my faves for your enjoyment...

Happy listening!

Christmas Pressie Crafting: Birthday Book

As I said before, this year I got all creative and made a lot of our christmas presents! Normally I enjoy making decorative little things, but this year, my sister set me a bit of a challenge. She is a big fan of all things Hoi Polloi, Touch of Dutch etc, but her room is full to the brim of little trinkets; the plan? To create something beautiful, but also USEful!!!

I found these lovely little treasure booklets from Panduro (my favourite swedish craft resources provider!) and decided they could surely come in useful for something. Panduro suggested creating recipe cards or something fun like that, but instead, I came up with the idea of a birthday book. A timeless book in which you record peoples birthdays with their year of birth so it can be used year after year after year. I figured the little pockets could also be used to store her supply of birthday cards so she's always ready and organised in advance! (Not that organisation is a problem for my sister... she's always organised... unlike moi!)

I got out my scrapbooking materials, and decided to decorate the outside of each pocket with the month represented... I had a lot of fun with glue, funky papers, ribbon, crinkly scissors and letter stickers! I tried to think creatively about what would represent that month effectively (e.g. snow theme for January, travel theme for July, ice-cream for August, pumpkin for October and fireworks for November!) Making each page different was a challenge, but I think it turned out pretty well in the end!

Once I'd done the OUTSIDE of the pockets, I got on my faithful Mac as always and printed off a grid with the dates down the side, and stuck it on the insert that goes inside the pockets. That way, Kristin can record the birthdays of her friends and fam inside!

She seemed pretty pleased with it (I think) and I'm quite tempted now to make one for myself (although after I've made something once, I generally lack the patience to make it again!) Anyway... in case you're after a creative little project, or looking for a gift idea for someone, I thought I'd share. I know I'm ALWAYS magpie-ing off other people!

Resolution 2: Open up the Bible

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things. (Aforementioned things being the desire to seek God's glory by being happy in Him)

Someone once said to me you can't sit still on a rollercoaster... you're either going up the climb, or your flying down the big dip! Sometimes I think our relationship with God is like that. We can't sit still. Like in any relationship, you're either making progress, enjoying each others company, spending time together and growing in your knowledge of one another, or your going backwards. 

Edwards recognised this, and so his desire was to do whatever possible to ensure he was promoting his relationship with God, and not allowing it to slide backwards. Our relationship with God is NOT dependant on what we can do... we don't bring anything to it - our standing before God is completely determined by Jesus and his blood which paid the price for all the sin that stood between us and God. Because of what Jesus has done, and only because of what he's done, can we have any kind of relationship. No "new invention or contrivance" will make us right with God.


However, there are things that will help us to know our Saviour more intimately. Prayer, for example... you can't grow in a relationship with someone you never communicate with. Talking with God is how we show him our dependence upon him... its the key to growth as a christian, and yet we spend so little time doing it!!


And what about getting to know him better? When Dave and I started going out, we asked questions of each other, observed each other in different settings - with friends, with family, watched how each other coped with stress, grief and joy. Its how you get to know each other. In the same way, if we want to know God, we need to spend time in his word. 


The Good Book Company are running a campaign at the moment called "Open up the Bible" They are providing free resources to help you do just that.


So why not, at the start of this year, resolve to spend time getting to know God by opening up your Bible. If you've never done it before, and you don't know where to start, why not check out The Good Book Company for some excellent free resources. You won't regret it!

Pin of the Week...

I think I've mentioned before, but I'm a BIG Pinterest fan... I am a total creative Magpie! I love stealing good ideas and making them my own. I thought it would be fun to Pin something once a week that has caught my fancy... something I'd like to have a go at creating/adapting for myself...

I love the idea of putting together a guest basket for any overnight visitors to the house... some nice nibbles, towels, soaps, little shower gels - everything you love to get in a hotel and beautifully labelled for your own home!

Operation Christmas Clear-Up

Operation Christmas Clear-up is now completed in our household! On Tuesday, I took a deep breath, braved the gale-force winds, hailstones and black clouds and headed down to the craft room to bring the packing boxes up to the house. Tree down, baubles away, advent candles cleared and stockings boxed for another year. In the midst of the clear-up, the house always looks like a bomb-site, but once its done, hoovered and dusted, I feel better again! There's nothing like a good old spring(/winter) clean! All we need now is a bit of snow, a frothy hot choc with marshmallows and I'll feel all cosy and wintry again!

Ava's contribution to the process was to sleep while Mama packed everything away! What a good girl she is!

Its kinda sad, but I have to admit, I love the opportunity to redecorate... post-christmas winter theme here we come! I'm going beige, silver and blue this year... nice neutral, icy colours to match the season!

Nothing like a bit of candlelight to set the mood!

I left my snowflakes up, but exchanged my baubles for metal stars and hearts

I love Willow Tree figurines... this one was a pressie from my lovely friend Chez!

We wish you lots of cosy, winter evenings

xxx

Craving the simple life...

I've been loving the Channel 4 documentary "Living with the Amish"... I've always found it fascinating that there is a group of people who live without electricity, without cars, without all the conveniences of modern day living... running water, indoor bathrooms, modern technology... and yet, weirdly, I find it all quite attractive. I'm a BIG Beverly Lewis fan, love any documentaries on them, and was raised by a woman whose favourite film is "The Witness" (perhaps it runs in my blood!)

Seven years ago, I was privileged enough to travel to Pennsylvania Dutch Country, home to over half a million Amish. We steam-trained through Amish farmland... through cornfield, after cornfield, after cornfield, without a telegraph pole in sight. White barns surrounded by orchards and horsedrawn buggies lining the streets... it was like stepping back in time! We tried out Amish food at Smoketown's Good n'Plenty restaurant, we stepped into an Amish home at Bird-in-Hand's (yes, that's the name of the town!) Amish Experience and we even had a buggy ride with a real Amish man called Chris (unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photographs of him - but we got the horse!!)

Despite all the things I'd miss (i.e. telephone, laptop, camera, car, electricity, hot shower, running water etc etc) I find something strangely attractive about the simplicity of life these people have. Family and community is at the heart of everything they do and watching the documentary, and reading the books, has only cemented that opinion. We get so caught up in all the luxuries of modern technology, that I think at times we lose sight of what really matters... is all this technology killing the art of communication? Is the motor responsible for the break-up of large wider family units? Is the ease and speed of life stopping us from having time to stop and think and simply be??


I think we definitely have something to learn from our Amish friends, and if you haven't seen it, you should def watch Channel 4s "Living with the Amish" on Catch up (and check out some Beverly Lewis novels if you like a good bit of fiction!!)