Mi Casa: Written on my doorpost

"Do what is right and good in the LORD’s sight, so that it may go well with you."

Deuteronomy 6:18a

I am simply loving this!

There is so much wealth in the simplicity of these words.

Who among us hasn't needed second chances, grace, hugs, apologies, real, family, and love?  We've been through a lot together.  We've blessed one another and been blessed by these words/attitudes/actions.  Jeremy blows me away with the type of grace and love he has for people.  He really leads us well in that!

So, these words are now on my doorpost.

Like a declaration.

It's a reminder of who we are as a family.

And it's my hope and prayer that all who enter our home and our lives will be blessed.  

And as it always seems to happen in real-life fashion, I got a phone call from Jeremy in the middle of writing this post where I have the opportunity to put these words and attitudes into practice.  Dear God, Thanks for making me keep it real. ~Me

Weeds of the Heart (Re-post from April 17 with Audio Link)

This morning I wanted to find this Sunday's message to replay it and came across the link I had promised you a couple of weeks ago.  It is interesting how the timing was simply perfect for me to be reminded of what I know.  I've had some difficult relationships on my mind over the last four days.  I see the sprouts of bitterness popping up.  That's not who I am because of Jesus or who I want to be.  Maybe this re-post is for you, too, this morning, but it's definitely for me.

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I have a confession. I am very prone to bitterness.

God has been at work in my life to dig it out.

It's painful. It's humbling. It's taken a lot more work than I'd like to admit.

I know there have been days where I've examined my soul and it has looked like a barren wasteland. A vast emptiness of nothing but dug up bitterness. I wondered if it would always look like that.

Regardless, it felt good to have those roots of bitterness removed. I discovered that there was joy in a simple, raw faith... even when I didn't feel there was much fruit to show for it. It felt good to have the soil unclogged.

I'm not saying there aren't any seeds or roots remaining to deal with still. Like I said, I'm prone. This will likely be a lifelong work!

I'm enjoying the joy and the sweetness of life in a way that I simply couldn't before.

This morning, the sermon we heard gave some structure and clear thoughts to some of the things I've experienced. I wanted to share it with you. {Audio Link: Call Me Bitter}

 

"Call Me Bitter"

from Ronnie Norman's Graced Message series

Bitterness is a poison

• Bitterness = longstanding resentment
• Bitterness occurs when we perceive that God or other people have let us down
• Bitterness is a heart infection with deep roots.
• Bitterness can infect anyone and it's easy to go there.
• The great lie of bitterness is that someone else made you bitter.
• The truth is that I'm responsible for my own bitterness. 
• "If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted." ~Amy Carmichael 
• So, if you have two cups, one full of sweet water and one full of bitter putrid water. When each is bumped and spill its contents, does the bump cause the water to be sweet or bitter or does it simply allow what is inside to spill out?

Tell-tale signs of Bitterness

• You are passive-agressive and deal with perceived hurts indirectly.
• Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body ~Ephesians 4:25 (Passive-aggressive people do not deal directly with the hurt, they beat around the bush.)
• You are obsessed by a perceived injustice and you want revenge.
• “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. ~Ephesians 4:26,27
• You recruit allies to take up your offense.
• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ~Ephesians 4:29

What's the antidote to the poison of bitterness?

• Know that bitterness sabotages the way of the Spirit in your life.
• And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ~Ephesians 4:30 (When we're stuck on sour, the Holy Spirit can't use us for good the way He wants to be able to because we're not allowing it.)  
• Own your bitterness and take aggressive action.
• Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ~Ephesians 4:31 (Bitterness is an on-ramp to all of these.)
• Send the shovel of grace deeper than the roots of bitterness.
• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:32

“To do him a hurt was to beget a kindness from him. His heart was made of such fine soil that if you planted in it the seeds of hate they blossomed love.” ~Alfred Lord Tennyson on Archbishop Cranmer

Wouldn't it be awesome to be characterized by such love?

More little Easter bits from my peeps!

I ordered the cutest Easter outfits for Lexi from Zulily.com.  First order I've ever placed there... somehow I missed the line that says they take 10-14 BUSINESS days to arrive.  They still aren't at my house yet!

So, I got a little creative.

I picked up this little ruffled top with shorts for Lexi at TJ Maxx, but I thought it needed a little more to "finish" the outfit.

 So, I embellished it with some springy flowers.

I think, technically, this is called up-cycling.  This is more material from {my old T-shirts}...

Close up of the top.

Flower detail on the shorts.  Both types of ribbon were leftovers from her cribskirt.

  She wore this to the biggest, most amazing Easter Egg Hunt I've ever seen!

We're talking....

Personalized custom save the date and invitation cards

Multiple inflatable bounce houses, race tracks, and games

Staffed carnival-type vending carts for cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks

Tables, chairs, linen rentals

Costumed Easter Bunny

Unbelievable Easter Egg Hunt

(I guess the professional corporate meeting and event planner in me can't help but catch the details.)

My precious girl was lovin' every minute of it.

Note the matching headband.



 I know you've seen sweet things in your lifetime, but look at this!

That's Lexi and {Payton} sitting with their Easter baskets.  Payton's grandfather, Chip, is dressed in pink and engaging the girls in conversation.  They have the funniest conversation everytime they are together regarding Lexi and Payton's "twin" status.  The fact that Chip brought two friends along to sit down with the girls just to chit chat was pretty much melt-your-heart priceless.

I love this kid!  He brings so much joy into our lives!



I linked up...

Christ the Lord is Risen Today! (Still applies, even though we celebrated a week ago...)

From {this recipe}.  The term "Easy Cake Pops" was misleading, but so delicious!

Time out for a quick Mommy and Me pic before church.

The whole family was decked out in shades of pink.  I was pretty bummed when we got to the end of the day without a family photo,but sometimes Sundays can be so hectic!  Jeremy heads in to work with Justus pretty early, so it's usually just us girls on Sunday mornings.

Lexi with classmate and friend, Haley, and her little sister, Holly.  Cutie girls!

Haley and Lexi

 Brother and sister and best friends forever!

Our tradition for the past several years has been to join the Guikemas for Easter lunch and an egg hunt for the kiddos.  Justus and Lexi were super-stoked about seeing their friends!  That's also where the cake pops were headed for dessert.

It's amazing how much they've all grown in a year!