Shattering the Illusion of Perfection

Who said anyone of us needs to be perfect?

We are all SO FAR from perfection!

So...

Why do we spend so much time

preparing

cleaning

organizing

decorating

worrying

comparing

planning

hiding

...and did I say, worrying?

I've been convicted over and over again these last several weeks.  It all started when the (in)courage Bloom Book Club launched their Summer reading discussion on Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes

  

OH MY GOODNESS... 

What a great read!  Whether you're a foodie or not, this is definitely one you NEED to get your hands on!  It's a beautiful book filled with stories, memories, recipes (yes! recipes) and challenging thoughts around the idea of opening your home and loving on people around our tables.  Whether it's our families around the dinner table, or good friends around the coffee table, or just random visitors scattered around our homes eating frozen pizza.  What counts are the MOMENTS we share with one another.  

The laughter, tears, and LIFE we get to experience together.  

That's when we meet and experience Jesus' unconditional love.  Isn't it?

Besides... by letting others see me in my imperfection, it invites them to shatter the illusion of perfection for themselves, too.  If I can be free to serve frozen pizza to someone, wouldn't that same person feel completely free to set aside their china and gourmet menu when I come over... 

What a gift of freedom we can give each other!

(okay... let me stop here and give you a little disclaimer.  I am NOT opposed to cleaning, prepping, organizing, planning, or pretty dishes.  I LOVE me some pretty dishes, believe me!  But the worry behind the illusion of perfection is what bothers me.)

Hospitality is a word I always ran away from. 

Definitely not a strong "gift" in my book.  

It does not come easy for me, and it takes me a while to feel comfortable doing it.

BUT, like I said... I've been convicted over and over again about this...

Our church ladies Bible Study (again... another book-related "tool" being used by God) is going through Lysa Terkeurst's What Happens When Women Say Yes to God: Experiencing Life in Extraordinary Ways, 

 and... boy, did I hear God's voice here again!  

Life with Jesus is not about being comfortable.  

It's about being comfort-able.  

Being able to use my story to comfort someone else.  It's about being willing and open.  It's about hospitality.  

Yes, I said it.  

It's about opening my home, my heart, my life... 

And if that wasn't enough...

For those who know me, you're aware that I became a Blessings Unlimited Independent Consultant in May 2012.  After months and months of LOVING the mission of Blessings Unlimited, I was informed that, after much prayer, the leadership had decided on a more focused mission for BU.  So...  

IS NOW

You can view the reasons for the changes and transitions on this video.  

But basically, Blessings Unlimited mission to "pursue the heart of God and bring blessings to others" became a rich and more focused mission with Mary & Martha... 

"Meaningful Entertaining.... Made Simple".  

The mission with flesh on!  

Bringing blessings to others BY meaningfully and simply loving on others.  

Once again... 

It's about opening our home, letting people into our lives, loving God and loving people in the process.  

The story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42 tells us about 2 sisters whose house was open to receive Jesus and his friends.  Mary AND Martha represent us, they represent ME.  

On one hand I want to sit at Jesus' feet... on the other hand, I often find myself being Martha... worrying, prepping, cleaning, running around worrying about every detail of my imperfect home and life.  But her heart for hospitality is what I lack.  So, yes, I AM MARY AND MARTHA!

So... I've been convicted.  

I need to shatter the illusion of perfection.

It's not about perfection.

It's about the people.

It's about loving God and loving people.

I've been challenged.  

How about you?

Where is that one area in your life you've been fighting this illusion that you NEED to be perfect?

Shauna Niequist said that the 2 areas in women's lives where we struggle with this illusion the most are our BODIES and our HOMES.  

True?

24

I've heard it said that we're all given the same amount of hours each day...

24 hours.

And 24 hours seem to pass me by so quickly these days.  I've been going through a challenging season of "choosing joy", partially because of the nature of my daily routine.  

Children, chores, church, family, Summer heat (yes, not a big fan of high temps), and... just noise in general.

We're carrying such a busy schedule these last few months and I know that I need to rest. Lack of rest and recreation can really take a toll on anyone, specially if you're always playing catch up and running around making sure the ones who are depending on you are well taken care of.  

So... all that to say... 24 hours can turn into 24 hours of exhaustion if I'm not careful.

Also, have you ever experienced one of those moments when God totally knocks you upside the head to get your attention?  

This morning as I am between laundry and dishes, He asked me to take a breather, take in the sounds of my children whining and crying and playing and laughing and whining again, to stop, and again... take a deep breath.  What a short season this is!  But it FEELS neverending!  Are you with me here?  

So I stopped...

And remembered that today also marks 24 weeks...

Yes, I'm 24 weeks along with my 3rd pregnancy, awaiting the arrival of another life the Lord is bringing into this world.  24 weeks I've been carrying the extra physical weight and reminder that I am physically responsible to take deep breaths, to rest, and to be blessed.

Despite a fast paced lifestyle with busy schedules and numerous demands, I need to take those deep breaths.  To use the 24 hours in my day purposefully, creatively, and thankfully.  

My life is made of 24 hours a day.  And these last 24 weeks have been a reminder of what should be priority.  Choose to take a deep breath today!

Easy Red Velvet Cookies

I was craving something sweet...

But the house is completely out of sugar! (That's right, OUT of sugar!  What???)

Then I remembered that I had a couple of Red Velvet cake mix boxes, and my mother-in-law's "Cake Mix Cookies" came to mind.

So I decided to make these EASY Red Velvet Cookies!

red velvet cookies... yum!

EASY Red Velvet Cookies

1 package of Red Velvet cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 bag chocolate chips ( I used a mix of craisins and white chocolate chips)

Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil.  Add any chips you choose.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes.  Don't overbake them!  

Enjoy!

Spring 2013 - The Beginnings...

Hello there!

Today is the first day of Spring (right?) and I've decided to sit down and soak in all of God's glory and blessings in my life.

Well, at least that was my intention. 

I woke up early this morning.  

Well, I was WOKEN UP this morning by two very energetic children.

They were so energetic and ready for the day that they decided it would be a good idea to dump out an entire bucket of legos AND hot wheels (ALL OF THEM!) in order to get to their bucket of train tracks!  

WHAT???

So, I found myself screaming and yelling in the very early hours of this "glorious" first day of Spring...

*sigh*

What happened?  

Sometimes I wish my best intentions would drive the reality of the day-to-day moments we call life.  It sure would be nice to have a peaceful morning.  And then I realized how selfish I can be as a mother, to desire a peaceful morning, when all the while my children just wanted to PLAY.  They were ready for God's glory and blessings in their life.  

They enjoy their toys.  

They enjoy each other.  

Freedom.  

It's in moments like these that I return to my Savior and Creator.  He is so quick to forgive, especially when I don't deserve it.  My prayer today is for me... and for YOU out there who struggle to bast and soak in God's glory and blessings in your (my) life.  May my life reflect God's unconditional love for me.  And may moments like these remind me that it's never too late to hope for new beginnings... it's what He calls REDEMPTION.  

Happy Spring!

"He made everything beautiful in its time."  Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV)

Blessings Unlimited Coasters Set 

What "The Briarpatch Gospel" Did To My Reading

There is great power in the Gospel.  The Good News!  Jesus crucified and risen again!  For my sin and ours.  Good news, right?  Reading "The Briarpatch Gospel" by Shayne Wheeler these past few weeks have opened my eyes to an extraordinary reality.  

To be completely honest, I was less than EXCITED to finish this book.  I enjoyed reading Wheeler's experience with his new neighbors and his new geographic neighborhood.  I enjoyed the organic way that he started to view the power of the Gospel at work in his church and the ones around him, especially his new neighbors!  I could relate to the importance of opening our lives in order for those who wouldn't otherwise step into the walls of a structural church to see and experience Jesus.  

So I came away from this book challenged.  

On the other hand, as a woman and a pastor's wife, I realized how much I enjoy reading books written from a female point of view instead.  It felt heavy on leadership and how men relate.  And at the time I was reading this book, I was "hungry" to hear more from others, more specifically women, doing the same kind of organic gospel living ministry.  

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will recommend to my brothers... those who are on the trenches living out the Gospel of Jesus to those around their neighborhood and beyond.

As always, thank you Tyndale House for providing this complimentary copy for my honest review.  I count it a privilege to be able to read books and tell you, friends, my thoughts and reactions.  

Grief

I know Grief.

Or, I THOUGHT I knew it.

If you're a parent, a teacher, a friend, a neighbor, or simply... 

and most importantly... a human being,

Your heart is breaking for the people in Newtown, Connecticut.

There is NO justification for such horrific actions,

But I believe that at the root of every crime, lies EVIL.

A few days ago I ended the 40-Day Prayer Challenge with another challenge.

The challenge to continue pursuing God with all of my heart, mind and soul.

During the 40-Day Prayer Challenge, I was able to memorize Ephesians 6:10-18, 

the known "The Armor of God" passage.

And OH HOW IT RINGS TRUTH right now!

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."  Ephesians 6:10-18

Yes, as a parent, I hugged my children a bit tighter today.  

But as a follower of Christ, my calling is to "put on the FULL armor of God",

not only for me and my children, but for my neighbors as well.

That means putting on Truth, and Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit, "which is the Word of God."

The more I see and experience God in my life, the more I am convinced that the Evil one is real, and frantically attempting to steal every soul toward destruction.

Evil is real, y'all!  

And that is exactly WHY we are called to "put on the full armor of God."

And as a parent... I am challenged to stand in the gap for my children.

I pray, intercede, and weep for them.

I love them with all my being... and then surrender them to the Lord.

HE is in control.

Today I grieve with the parents of the victims in Newtown.

I can't even get close to the full understanding and how they must be feeling.

So my heart breaks for them.

This Christmas won't be the same for them... 

... and I hope the birth of Christ brings a new meaning to all of us.

"Today in the town of David a SAVIOR has been born to you, he is CHRIST the LORD." Luke 2:11

HUGE Blessings Unlimited SALE!!!

Ok, yesterday I gave a quick shout out to DaySpring...

And today it's time to promote Blessings Unlimited.

I'm humbled by its mission: "To pursue the heart of God and bring blessings to others."

That's is EXACTLY what I wanna do, and especially during this season, where we CELEBRATE the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!  

So, whether you're beginning to shop for Christmas gifts, or you're just needing to encourage a loved one during this Christmas season, here is your chance to get Blessings Unlimited products at RIDICULOUS prices!!!  

50-83% off!  

WHAT???

There are 3 ways to take advantage of this Sale:

1.  You can place your orders directly through my website.

2.  Contact me with your order and payment information.

3.  Host a Gathering (in house, open house, or 'catalog' party), and get hostess credit.

But HURRY!  Sale runs December 1-31, but items may sell out FAST!  

So, share away!  

Peace!