Hello February & Other Random Chitter Chatter

I've been 42 for 6 days.

I think I'll toast to that.

|| That & it's already February.

Are you even kidding me?! ||

Ever had bananas sliced up in a drink?

Me either.

Must be a 42-year-old thing to do ;)

I love my sugar-free drinks & this one is a fave.

I usually top off a glass with fresh or frozen berries, but today for some odd reason, 

I thought of using a banana instead.

WOW -- I love it!

Feels all tropical ... all coco-cabana.

Seems like my spring fever officially starts in February.

I'm sure the drink is a clear indication.

{I don't decorate much for Valentine's Day ... I'd like to, but I don't.}

About mid-month, I get down my totes that are filled with spring decor & I get started.

I generally use tulips, birds, moss, greens, & yellows.

My green curtains in the living room really pop when the spring items are all out.

Lastly & a bit random, I started something at the end of last year 

expressly to be a blessing to my sweet husband.

Every week, I iron 10-15 of his shirts.

I hang them in his closet, all ready for him to wear.

To keep them separate from the shirts that haven't been ironed,

I use 2 clothes pins.

I clip one to the clothes rack on either side of the ironed shirts.

You know what's great?

What I'm doing to be a blessing to him

is really a blessing to me!

He is so grateful for all the ironed shirts & he tells me quite often.

I know that this act of service, that takes only a little time & effort on my part,

makes his day easier.

What {good} wife doesn't want to be a help to her husband?

Mine works hard, puts in long hours, deals with lots of clients, customers,

employees & on top of all that, he pastors our church.

In addition, he's a wonderful, attentive husband & the best dad from here to Texas.

Anything that I can do to make his load lighter, I'm very glad to do it.

I read once that oftentimes, a husband just wants a wife that's nice.

That's pretty simple & straightforward.  

They just want a wife that's nice.

Since it's February, the month of love, I challenge you to just be nice.

That can be expressed in a variety of ways.

Pick a few & put them into practice.

Today til February 14 {til forever, really}, ROCK THEIR WORLD!

Are you with me?!

taken in Gatlinburg, TN  \\   January 2015

taken in Gatlinburg, TN  \\   January 2014

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 18:22

...let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:18

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.  

Ephesians 4:32

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           C.R.A.F.T    Amaze Me Monday  The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life   A Bowl Full of Lemons    Titus Tuesday      A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style         Adorned From Above
                    The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch   Serving Joyfully     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Best of the Nest
               French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things  Sew Many Ways

Flowers & Yogurt

I have the sweetest husband.
I really do.

Today, he brought me home prizeys.
He said he was thinking, 'How can I make my baby smile today?'
And he answered that question with flowers & yogurt!

And as if this beautiful bouquet isn't enough, he brought me my first hanging basket of the season!

And now to the funnest & CUTEST part of the gifts:  the yogurt!

He's heard me carrying on about how much I am loving this certain coconut yogurt.
So being the sweetie he is, he thought he bring me some home!
Only thing is ... the one I'm raving about lately is the Liberte brand.
{It is to die for, people, just sayin'.}

I would've never told him, but he asked if he got the right one.
It's totally ok though ... these will be delicious too ... cause they were bought with love!
;)


How incredibly cute is all this?!
I tell ya, I felt pretty loved today.

That Kind of Woman

It's Almost Valentine's Day

We are in the final stretch leading up to the day of hugs & kisses, flirting & smooches,
winks & embraces, chocolates & roses ... yes folks, it's almost Valentine's Day <3

Do you have big plans ... or any plans at all?

For us, we don't do anything overly extravagant ... never have.
We don't have a set routine, per say.
Sometimes we celebrate early, not the day of.
It all just depends on what's going on, work schedules, etc.
I try to do little things throughout the month 
{sending sweet texts, leaving unexpected notes}.
I mix it up a little ... whatever strikes me.

James is quite funny in February.
Anything that he does or buys for me is suddenly for Valentines Day.
If we run through the drive-thru ... at McDonald's ...  for an ice cream ... on February 1st ...
he will say that it's part of my Valentine's Day.
Ahhh ... he makes me giggle.

I do, however, have one special tradition.

I always give James & the boys a Valentine's card & make them a little goody bag.
Always in each bag is their favorite candy, favorite salty snack, & an energy drink.
Those are standard goodies.
I usually add in a shirt, a wallet ... something they need or have been wanting.
{This time of year, there are some great end-of-the-season markdowns 
as stores are making way for spring merchandise.}

The other thing I do is choose an evening sometime during Valentine week 
to prepare a meal of favorites.
There are a few dishes that everyone especially loves, 
so I pick & choose & make a meal that everyone loves to eat.
The meal is complete with a nicely-set table, 
& although I don't have much Valentine decor, I put whatever I have on the table.
{Since the boys are little guys anymore, I just don't do much decorating for Vtines...
ok, I put out red candles & a little towel with hearts on it in the bathroom.  That's it.}
I have a couple of heart-shaped candle holders that I use each year ...
& you know, those previously mentioned red candles.
Course, the final touches are playing some 'lovely' music &  drinking sparkling cider
from the long-stem goblets.

Neither the goody bags or the dinner is anything too costly or over-the-top.
It's just a few little extra things to show them I care ... and they love it!
Our conversation & time spent together around that is the real value.
But, anytime you can do a little extra to celebrate LOVE 
with the people you love the most, never pass that up!

Now, if you are feeling a bit out of the mood, or you just need quick last-minute ideas,
I wanted to share a link to Women Living Well.
Courtney has shared 1 entry each week in her 'Be My Valentine Marriage Challenge'
& let me tell you, they are worth reading & putting in action!
{I forwarded the kissing one on to James, & he enjoyed it, as well...wink, wink!}
You will be blessed by reading these, I'm sure of it.
They are short ... won't take more than 10 minutes out of your day, 
but if you can be inspired or encouraged to do something sweet for your spouse, 
then it's been worth it entirely!

Here they are:

Week 1:  Take the Initiative

Week 2: 10 Creative Ways to Say I LOVE YOU

Week 3: Kiss Your Way to a Better Marriage 

Week 4: Passion is NOT Just for the Movies 


I do hope you take a sec to read these ... all of them.

And for my closing thought, just a piece of advice.
Instead of thinking & wondering about what your husband is going to do for YOU 
for Valentine's Day {or just hoping he remembers that there is such a day 
& maybe gives you an extra hug or a kiss},
you plan what you can do for HIM!
If you don't get one single thing ... if he totally forgets or just doesn't get into the 'commercialism' of the whole deal, you find a way to make him feel special.
Leave him a love note, make his favorite food, play a special song, or give him a back rub.
Respect him, love him ... tell him how much you need him ... & are proud of him.
Those things are worth their weight in gold.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  
~1 Peter 4:8

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 
She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.  ~Proverbs 31:11

And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 
to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, 
and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 
~Titus 2:4-5

A Husband's Sacrificial Love to His Wife & Family

On the first Sunday in October, James began a teaching series on the family at our church.
This subject is James' heart, through & through ... & is the heartbeat of our church.
These teachings have been encouraging to us as individuals ... & strengthening to us as families.

The first sermon was on "The Family Picture."
My favorite part of this was the analogy about a camera.

No matter how expensive a camera is, if it isn't focused properly, this picture will not turn out.

As a family, as a man & a wife, we must be focused & committed to God.

We should work on our commitment to Him above anything else.

If we aren't focused on & committed to Him, we will be miserable ...

And miserable people make miserable families.

We must make Him our focus so our family picture turns out just right.

This was my favorite quote from the sermon:  

"We need to become a master swordsman, using the Word of God that is sharper than a two-edged sword!"

The second sermon was on the origin of the family ... "Where Did the Family Come From?"

These are the things that jumped out from this message:

The family is theological ... a replica & likeness of Christ.

All animals & Adam were made from dirt ... only woman {Eve} was fashioned from a man.

She's extra-special ... a little more refined.

I especially loved this quote from James:
"A husband fails if he only brings home the bacon.
He needs to bring home the bacon AND the BOOK.
He should work hard & he should worship hard!"

The third sermon was on "The Husband's Role in the Home."
This one was excellent too.

Ephesians 5:25 ~ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word...

The main theme was this:  A husband's love is measured by his sacrifice to his wife ...

not about how much the wife does for the husband.

This quote is sooo good:  "We get what we need {fulfillment} by giving others what they need."

Wow...that's revolutionary!

At the end of sermon, James passed out little slips of paper & asked each woman/girl
to write down 3 things that she wanted her husband/dad to do for her that week.
This activity was to help the husbands to mimick Christ ...to act as a servant to his wife & family.

I wrote down "Be sweet, be thoughtful, & take me on a date night!"
The sweet & thoughtful thing, well, he's got that down pat ;)
And date night, he promptly took me to O'Charley's & I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Now, the extra-special part of the activity is that James & the boys had the opportunity
to be an extra blessing to our dear friend, Aleisa,
She attends our church, & having just relocated here recently from Virginia, has no family living close.
She's also a single sweetie, waiting on Mr. Right, so James asked her to write down a list
that he & our 3 sons could do for her.
She only had only one request...she wanted to learn how to change a tire.
Very practical & something everyone should know how to do.
Since our boys & I didn't know how to change a tire either, we all got in on the lesson!

She pulled her car into the garage & they got started.
Here they are looking for the tire & all the accessories needed to change it out.

James demonstrated first, as everyone paid close attention.

Aleisa made quick work of it ... she's a fast learner!
She did the whole thing, start to finish with no trouble at all.

Next, the boys each took their turns taking it off & putting it back on.
Gunnar was determined he would change it in the fastest time.
Somehow, all the pics of Riley were very blurry, but he changed the tire too.

Now, the interesting part to this story:  Aleisa wrote on her paper that she wanted to learn
to change a tire on Sunday.
On Monday, she discovered she had a nail in it!
So, not only did she learn how to change a tire, she learned how to patch one too!
God's timing is impeccable!

God is soo involved in the details of our lives ... each & every one of us.
When I really get to thinking of it, it literally takes my breath away.
The God who created the heaven & earth, the galaxy, the stars, the human race, the animals, the trees,
knows me, sees me, cares about me.

He's not a burden ... I'm compelled to serve Him.

"There is nothing under heaven that can constrain a soul like a sense of redeeming love" 
- Charles Simeon (1759-1836) 

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve God in the capacity & with the people He's placed us with.
What a wonderful family of God!
I have grown in spiritual strength & wisdom as a direct result of the direction & the burden 
that God has placed on my husband, James.
He's just a man ... just a messenger being used by God to share Biblical truths that are ever so
relevant {& often overlooked} in today's time.
It's a very humbling & serious responsibility. 
We are strengthened for the task & reminded of the resolve by these verses:

Malachi 4:6 
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers ...

Luke 1:17 
...and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 
to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

John 13:35
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

And tomorrow we celebrate 21 years!

I wish we had a better pic than this, but alas ...
Pictures weren't such a high priority in 1991, like they are now in the age of social media.

I also wish my hair wasn't sooo tall ... but again, product of the 80s-90s big hair era!

My third wish is that my face wasn't soo white

 The over-exposure makes me look like a ghost.

{giggling}

All that said, I adore this picture.

For one reason, this is the only picture I have taken at our wedding rehearsal.

The only one.

I love it because I remember how happy I was ... so intensely excited that the next day,

I would walk down the aisle to marry my best friend.

We had been sweethearts since we were 15 ... & waiting any longer than 3 years 

seemed impossible.

{I'm definitely not an advocate to getting married so young, 

but we managed to make it, with God's help ...we kind of finished growing up together.}

And the main reason I am so crazy about this pic is that James is hotter than hot!

{In the words of our little cousins, he's hot like Mexico!}

Ha ... can't even believe I'm being so blunt on this blog, but that's sure how I felt then ...

& exactly how I feel now.

After 21 years of marriage, he still does it for me.
He's the image of everything I wanted ... & God certainly knew he is what I needed.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate our 21st anniversary.
I thank the Lord everyday for leading us to each other & His continued guidance
through the years of our marriage.
He's given us each other ... & 3 wonderful sons that sweetened the deal.

Whatever the years ahead may bring, we'll face it together.
 

Wanted: A Man to Lead

photo credit

 Wanted:  A Man to Lead

There isn't a boy but wants to grow manly & true at heart,

& every lad would like to know the secrets we can impart.

He doesn't want to slack or shirk -- Oh, haven't you heard him plead?

He'll follow a man at play or work... if only the man will lead.

Where are the men to lead today, sparing an hour or two?

Teaching the boy the game to play just as a man should do?

Village & slums are calling ---"Come, Here are the boys!" Indeed,

Who can tell what they might become ... if only the man would lead.

Where are the men to lend a hand? Echo it far & wide --

Men who will rise in every land, bridging the "Great Divide."

Nation & flag & tongue unite joining each class & creed.

Here are the boys would would do right ---

But where are the men to lead?

~Wesleyan Methodist

Taken from: Poems For Patriarchs, compiled & edited by Douglas W. Phillips
*This is one of my very favorite books in my husband's library.

My prayer of gratefulness:

Thank you, Lord, for my husband who when faced with the fork in the road, 

decided to take the road less followed.

When you dealt with his heart, he listened & stepped up to the plate.

He realized the time already lost, grieved, & apologized with a sincere heart.

Not only did you burden him with gravity of the responsibility of leading his own family,

you lit a passion within him to lead others to embrace the ministry of fatherhood.

I clearly realize how different my life would be without his strong leadership, loyalty, & love.

You have blessed our sons & me beyond measure & for that, I thank you.

And thank you for my dad who started following You a long time ago.
Because of his steadfast love for You, & Yours for him, Dad has set a Godly example
for his children to follow.
Dad showed us how to work hard, serve in the ministry, have compassion for friends
& family, & to trust in the power of prayer.
What a heritage.