Heart Reflections: You Think You’re Safe
Birds Nest Safely hidden away
One day as our family was spending time outside cleaning up the yard and gardens something caught my eye. In one of our small holly trees was a little birds nest. It was nestled snugly into the trees branches with a road only a couple feet away, across the street from a cat, and on our side of the yard where a dog and kids were running around. The nest was so low to the ground that the girls were able to look into it. For weeks they kept checking to see if the bird was coming back.
It must have been a quiet day on our street for a bird to think that the location she had chosen was a good one especially with it being next to a road, cat, dog, kids, and close to the ground. The bird must have felt safe in the shelter of the tree despite all the danger around her. As I thought more about the little bird who lived in that nest it made me think about my life. How often do I go through life thinking my heart, life, and soul is safe?
I believe the bird felt protection and safety from the tiny leaves surrounding the nest, however, danger was all around it. As we go through life we will encounter hills and valleys. Sometimes we have a false sense of security in things (money in the bank, our health, family unity, etc…) much like the false sense of security the leaves provided the bird.
Yes, bad things happen to good people, but there are ways to help protect us from falling and that teach us how to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, and Friend.
- Personal Relationship with Him – a heart focused above
- Reading the Scriptures – not only does this bring you knowledge but it gives you hope, wisdom, and encouragement.
- Prayer – an on-going dialogue
Someone recently asked the question in our church Community Group – how much time did you spend reading God’s word this week? Honestly, my answer some weeks is pretty embarrassing. I often fill my days with good activities but somehow neglect the most important activity. Taking time to read God’s word, pray, and having a personal relationship with Him is the best way to not only find contentment but to truly be safe and protected.
The birds nest is easily seen from up above much like God sees me. He sees my heart, accepts me for who I am, and challenges me to grow. Where is your safety found?
A beautifully crafted bird nest exposed to the world.
Love seeing the handiwork of God’s creatures, simply amazing!
Song: “I’m Gonna Sing” by Chris August
I am not a “singer” but I love music. Chris August has some great songs and the chorus “I’m gonna sing, I’m gonna dance, I’m gonna praise You…..” stood out to me because even though I cannot carry a tune God is still honored and pleased by my worship to Him. He knows your heart and loves it when you sing his praises even if that is only during your quiet time alone with Him. Go ahead I give you permission to sing.
Heart Reflections: Stretching Towards the Sun
Our family has recently planted a garden. Since it had been getting cool at night we started the seedlings inside. Every day I have watched and nurtured those little plants. Some of the seeds popped up quickly while others never came up. As I watched the plants growing each one stretched out their leaves towards the light. Once they were big enough we transplanted them outside in our garden. Shortly after planting them we had a night of heavy wind, rain, and even hail followed by a frost on the ground a few days later. Even though it was “safe” for us to plant the garden outside there are still risks and dangers. Many of the seedlings survived the tough few weeks of new growth, however, some did not make it. Although, our hope was that every plant would thrive we know that nature will do some natural pruning especially in the weaker plants. For whatever reason some plants didn’t make it (something caused the undesirable side effect…maybe the roots were too shallow or wet / dry or too much shade / sunny or bugs or a number of other factors) . On the other hand some plants thrived despite all the challenges they faced.While I was thinking about the plants it occurred to me that the analogy can be applied in some ways to our own lives. We should be looking towards the Son at all times, the one who created us. We all grow at our own pace, some of us may have sprouted quickly while others are delayed but have a more solid root structure. Even though life may not be perfect and we may experience seasons of drought, hail, or disease we still have a choice of where to focus our attention. Once we decide where we will focus our energy we will experience a variety of ripple effects (sometimes the effects are positive and other times they can can be less desirable). When we are in stressful situations do we continue to grow or do we wither under the pressure of life? We all want to continue growing, thriving and producing a beautiful fruit. The big step is making sure our root structure is strong and secure. We do this through continually cultivating a relationship with our Savior. Yes, this will take our time, energy and nurturing, but in the end it is worth it. We all want to feel loved, appreciated and valued yet so often we look towards our earthly relationships to provide that fulfillment whether it is through our spouse, children, serving at church or whatever fills that void. Instead we should look to our creator who made us, never fails, and loves us unconditionally. As we notice flowers and plants stretching towards the sun, let that remind us of the importance of reaching towards the Son in our own lives as well.
“Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart. Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives. This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own. We can trust that our prayers are being heard. He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.
Photo by Stig Nygaard
Heart Reflections: It’s Not About Us
As Moms, wives, and friends we get involved in so many activities. It is easy for our lives and schedules to quickly fill up to the point of bursting. When our lives, hearts, and schedules get packed full we don’t have the flexibility to spontaneously help and encourage others.A month ago I had the blessing of taking a quick road trip with friends. It was encouraging to spend time with a friend, another Mom. We have been richly blessed with amazing people in our lives. Also, we have a lot to be grateful for yet we often get too busy and don’t take enough time to focus about what’s really important. We forget that other Mom’s are going through many of the same struggles that we go through. We are not alone.
As Moms we want to allow our children the freedom to grow while at the same time protect them from danger and harm. There are many mistakes we make as Moms which can often lead to the feeling of guilt. Even though we make many mistakes in our lives and as parents God is much bigger than us. The focus really isn’t on or about us at all. Not only that but we are not called to raise “perfect” kids, the goal is to raise godly kids with the help of our spouse, extended family, church leaders, friends, and most importantly Christ. No one is perfect and to expecting our children to be that way is setting everyone up for disappointment.
- The first step is reflecting his love, grace and mercy through our lives in our words and actions starting first in our homes. We will continue to make a mess of some situations, but He forgives and helps point us back to what really is important. God has the power to work in our lives and family despite our failures. He is not surprised by those bumps in the road nor do they slow Him down. When we are relying on him for strength we will have more energy to focus on helping our children each step of the way.
Having the opportunity to raise and watch my girls grow has been a truly amazing adventure. As Moms we need to pray for our children, families and those our lives touch. We don’t know the path before us so we need to trust in His faithfulness and promises for today. While I was on bedrest for weeks the phrase that I repeated continually was “Day by Day”. Getting through the tasks and plans that are to be accomplish today, not tomorrow or yesterday, just today!
- Therefore the second step is praying for our kids. One of my prayers for our girls is that they will grow up to know Him and have a soft heart willing to soak in His teachings as well as listen to His guidance. I hope that my girls will be able to see past their Moms shortcomings and have a direct relationship with a heavenly Father who loves them even more than their Mom and Dad. No person or family is perfect. I am thankful for a husband who plays an active role in the lives of our children and for a God who loves, heals, and protects our family. It’s okay to loosen my grip a little regarding my children because I know I can hand my concerns about my children and their lives over to Him knowing He has their best interest at heart.
We often get wrap up in what we need to get done that we miss some of the beautiful moments we have with our children. Our girls are growing up quickly and I have to constantly remind myself that it’s not about us. Our calling is so much bigger and better than just our schedule and agenda. We have to continually remind ourselves of what truly matters and to purposely take the extra few minutes each day this week to really spend quality time with our families.
“Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart. Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives. This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves. We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own. We can trust that our prayers are being heard. He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.
Photo by Seattle Municipal Archives
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!!!
Today is my little ones birthday! It seems like it was yesterday we were in the hospital and NICU with them. Even though their due date was in April they decided to come 7 weeks early. They have brought so much joy and laughter to our life! It has been wonderful watching them learn and grow. We pray daily that God will continue to develop them into beautiful young women with a heart for Him.
Happy 6th Birthday Brina & Karlie!!!
Our sweet girls - Karlie and Brina! This picture was taken a couple months ago. Now both girls have glasses!
Family Celebrations: Valentine’s Day
We had a blast celebrating Valentine’s Day together as a family. The day was so packed full of fun that I didn’t have time yesterday to post what we were up to so I am doing it today! Here are little snip-its of our family celebrations!
Brina and Karlie's Valentine Breakfast Goodies While Brina and Karlie were getting dressed for school we set out a little box of sweethearts and heart necklaces for them to enjoy. They ate heart shape blueberry pancakes and saved their candy until after school. Although they did wear their heart necklaces ALL day!
Special Valentine's Surprise on my Steering Wheel! Jake went with the girls to pick out something special for me. They left these little goodies on my steering wheel. When I got into the van to drive Brina and Karlie to school I noticed my Valentine’s surprise. They picked out a flower, kitten candy and a Valentine’s Day card. They each wrote their names and drew me a picture. In my card I had a heart family of four, so cute!
Valentine's Day Gifts Daddy and the girls each received a package of “Nerf Darts” for Valentine’s Day. Now when we have our little nerf wars we won’t be knocking each other over to get a dart, hopefully. Karlie was so excited she hugged the package, spun around, and ran out of the room (to get her nerf gun, of course). Brina had her nerf gun loaded first and Mom was the primary target since I was cooking and couldn’t defend myself, don’t worry I got them back!
Expression of "love"! I had a package of Starbursts so I spelled the word “Love” on the table. The girls thought this was so neat. They were excited that they could read the word and could barely wait for Daddy to come home so they could eat the word!
"I Love You" Balloon I picked up an “I Love You” balloon at Dollar Tree for $1. The girls thought this “ape” was so adorable and managed to drag it almost everywhere they went for the rest of the night!
Brina celebrating Valentine's Day with her class! I was able to help with the girls Valentine’s Day party. The kids had a lot of yummy treats to celebrate the day. Brina was so excited to have me come spend time with her in the classroom.
Karlie enjoying chips during thier Valentine Party! Karlie ate all the non-sweet goodies first, including a yogurt and Doritos, as you can see from her orange mouth she really enjoyed the chips. She was telling all her classmates that I was her Mom and that they should wish me “Happy Valentine’s Day”!
Homemade heart shape Valentine's Day white pie pizza! I made homemade heart shape white pie pizza with mushrooms and olives on top for supper! The girls thought it was funny the pizza was a heart and the slices were different shapes from “normal” pizza. It was a fun and easy way to spread the Valentine cheer!
Minor casualty, nerf dart was shot into the oven! I was pulling the pizza out of the oven in the middle of a nerf dart storm and this little guy didn’t survive. It managed to hit the hot oven, when I went to pull it off the dart tore. The girls were sad that a dart was broken but it gave me an opportunity to demonstrate why they shouldn’t be aiming in my direction while cooking!
It was a super fun day with the family. Having children have makes the Holidays even more of a special treat, they get excited about celebrating. I am thankful everyday for my family and the memories we create together.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Celebrate love and cherish the memories on this special day!
Wishing you a sweet day full of fun with the ones you love!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!
Photo by Ellie
Be My Valentine: Scrapbook Highlights
Do you like to scrapbook? You don’t need to be current with your scrapbooking to do this Valentine’s Day gift (I am way behind on my scrapbooking too). Show your spouse and family you love them on Valentine’s Day by doing a Scrapbook highlighting the big events over the past year. You can do scrapbook at home with your materials or one online at Snapfish or any other great photo place. Think back over this past year and pick one or two big events for each month or two. Here is some ideas of what to include to get you started, even if you do the Holidays you’ll have plenty of special memories.- January – Happy New Year
- February – Happy Valentine’s Day
- March – Springing into Spring
- April – Easter
- May – Mother’s Day
- June – Father’s Day
- July – Independence Day
- August – Back to School
- September – First Day of Fall
- October – Halloween
- November – Thanksgiving
- December – Christmas
- Birthdays
- Fresh Start
- Weddings
- Anniversaries
- Special Trips
- Vacations
- And so much more!!!
Create you book of highlights with the scrapbook material you have or do it online. It will be a fun gift as you reflect back on the memories you made together!
Photo by shimelle
Song: “From The Inside Out” by Hillsong
Even though I fail many times every day He is always faithful. The first verse of this song hits home for me every time I hear it:
“A thousand times I’ve failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I’m caught in Your grace.”
I am thankful to have a Savior who chooses to extend grace, mercy, and love to me even though I don’t deserve it.
Gift Giving: Allowing Kids to Give from the Heart
My husband took the girls out recently to pick out gifts for my birthday. They had a certain amount of money and found the presents with a little Daddy supervision. They came up with practical and fun gifts which made my day. It was sweet hearing about their adventure shopping to find the perfect gifts.
Here is what they gave me:
- 2 Christmas Hand Towels – practical and pretty (love them)
- 2 Jar Candles – Vanilla Cookie and Spiced Apple (they smell awesome)
- 2 Adorable Bars of Soap – Ice Cream Cone & Gingerbread Man (pictured above)
- Set of Colored Pens – so I can write notes
I think the girls were more excited than I was to celebrate my birthday and they had a lot of fun going shopping with Daddy. It is a great opportunity to teach them about money and giving. If you haven’t done this with your kids, even if they are little, try it! Explain to them how much money they have (you will probably have to remind them at the store) and guide them in the choices but allow their creativity to shine through. We typically stick to one store to make it more manageable for the girls. They truly give from the heart and love it.
