Lessons Learned in Moving

Packing, unpacking and caring for my family made it impossible to visit my home on the web. Moving into a house taught me many interesting lessons, some involving humorous results. I hope you'll enjoy listening to my latest discoveries.

1)  When you want convenient food on the cheap, think casseroles. You can always freeze half for later to avoid paying for take-out.

2) Moving is a tiring process which can result in creative time saving tactics. The first night here I didn't want to unpack some of my personal items. Rather then using my herbal essence shampoo and Avon body wash, I opted to use my daughter's body wash and shampoo in one. Up until a couple weeks ago,it's safe to say it's been at least 24 years since I used anything with Big Bird on it.

3) If you want the new neighbors to welcome you, a small lap dog will do the trick. Some little girls on our block spotted Skeeter,(our full grown 3.5 pound miniature pinscher). They instantly fell in love with our dog, and ring the door bell at least 3 times a week to visit and pet our miniature pinscher.Skeeter is enjoying her new fan club.

4) Julianna won't need to look far to experience other cultures. Our street is filled with Ukrainians, African Americans and Hispanics. My hope is that she'll grow up learning to embrace diversity, and realize we are all God's children.

5) Weeding is a dreadful, time consuming task but it also means we have a yard. Whenever I see the neighborhood kids playing in their yards, I know it's worth it. Someday my daughter is going to enjoy kiddie pools, swing sets and the other essential parts of childhood.

6) Some of the neighbors have 3 car garages while others live in shacks and trailers. The economic diversity should give Julianna a great advantage. She'll learn at a young age how to interact with people of different backgrounds.

7) One neighbor has Avon advertised on her van and another neighbor drives a taco truck. I joked with my family that I'm hoping they'll befriend me. How can I pass up deals on beauty products or authentic Mexican food?

8) When you're in a new home and don't have a washer or dyer, have no fear. If a baby spits up on all of your pants and skirts you can easily pull on those old maternity jeans. A big thanks to the clothing designers for inventing fashionable maternity jeans!

9) Jesse enjoys coming home from work and telling me how he can park the truck in his garage. Every time he touches the garage door opener he looks like a small child inside Toys-R-Us.

10) Moving into a bigger place means different things for a husband and wife. I don't fully understand the excitement behind having a man cave decorated with Star Wars characters. Jesse doesn't understand my obsession with couponing for cheepies and freebies. I think my idea of creating larger stock piles scares him. Maybe men and women do come from different planets.

Beauty According to the Bible's Standards

I felt good putting on my medium size Gap sweater and size 10 pre-pregnancy jeans before heading out to run an errand. Much to my surprise the jeans were actually lose fitting, indicating that I shrunk down to a smaller size after having a baby. While inside the store another shopper found herself drawn to my 6 month old daughter's charming behavior. I gladly welcomed the comments on how cute Julianna is, but my jaw dropped when she asked when my next baby was due. After I explained that I wasn't expecting a baby she remarked that I must still be carrying around baby fat. I was upset to see how this woman made false assumptions, and even more angered by our culture's beauty standards.

I thought about what my life would be like if I fit into a size 6, only to realize how miserable I would be. A small size would mean counting every calorie, never being able to splurge on desserts and still feeling hungry after each meal. It also occurred to me that being a size 10 isn't an indicator that you've neglected your body. I don't make purchases from the junk food aisle on a regular basis. I avoid processed foods, load up on fresh veggies for snacks and go for walks on a daily basis. Sure I enjoy an occasional pilgrimage to the golden arch but it's only as a monthly treat.

Tonight the Holy Spirit reminded me that I am no longer a slave to our culture's unrealistic expectations."It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery" (Gal 5:1 NIV). I'm free from comparing myself to the models in women's magazines. Free from carrying around an obsession about being thin. Free to be content as the medium sized princess God created me to be.

As I clothe myself in Holiness, it's important to see what a princess is supposed to look like. According to the king of kings my outward appearance must show fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, patience, faith and gentleness are only some of the traits others must see in me. Before I put on my make-up each morning, I must also remember to give myself a spiritual makeover. The Bible is here to show me how to wear the fruits of the spirit while untangling my own sinful nature. Only then will I experience true freedom in Christ.

A Quick Family Gathering

My parents and 2 youngest sisters popped in for a brief visit while traveling to Boston for a vacation. Getting to see family was a special treat made even sweeter, by my sister Brianna bringing over my adorable nephew and chocolate pie from Shari's. Our short visit was filled with laughs, hugs and of course pizza. Here are some pictures of how we spent the evening.

Julianna showing everyone how big she's gotten with her practice crawling.

My little girl is happy to see her aunt Alexis.

Julianna sitting on her aunt Natalie's lap.

Visiting with Nana at Vancouver Pizza.

Grandpa is happy that he gets to hold both of his grandchildren.

Nana and Grandpa cuddling with the little cuties.

I decided to surprise everyone with homemade peanut butter cookies.

Everyone Can Make A Difference in the World.

Offering my time to help the needy used to be one of my weekly rituals. On Wednesdays I could be found using donated fabric to create quilts for the poor. Fridays meant I'd go behind the scenes of preparation for dinner at the soup kitchen. On other occasions I helped raise money for Toys for Tots, performed data-entry for an organization helping teens make healthy choices and gave my time to help a local grade school. Now that I'm a mommy and in the process of moving into a house, time is something I cannot donate. I'd love to donate my money to various charitable causes, but my checking account keeps reminding me about bills that need to be paid. Thankfully time and money aren't the only ways to reach the hurting and the hungry.

While packing to move into a new home I noticed that many unused items are collecting dust in my apartment. Some might wonder why I didn't sell them on Craigslist, have a yard sale or take unwanted clothes to a consignment shop. It's all because God has even greater plans for my junk.

A nearby church is sending people on a short-term mission trip to Haiti so the hopeless can know hope. I couldn't stop thinking about the new opportunities that the missions’ team plans to create, or how Julianna has luxuries that I take for granted. My daughter went to the hospital two times for reflux and sees a specialist monthly so she can continue gaining weight. These children have no access to doctors and often go to bed hungry. My daughter will learn to read and write in school and has endless possibilities of career choices when she becomes an adult. The missions’ team in Haiti built schools, a business institute and provides vocational training so kids and adults can have a future. A few cookbooks, unwanted clothes and nick nacks might not solve world hunger, but they can be donated items to a rummage sale that is working to alleviate poverty.

Black Bean Burritos

My schedule for this week is pretty packed. I'm in the process of moving into a new home, which involves packing and deciding what items to toss. Family will be coming in from out of town for a short visit on Friday. My mother is recovering from surgery and to top it all off my dryer just broke. In order to save money, I've hung wet clothes on lamps, shower rods, chairs and other creative locations. What can I say desperate times call for thinking outside the box. Now throw in the fact that we use cloth diapers and there goes more valuable time. I thought I'd prepare black bean burgers tonight since they are nutritious and easy to make.

The meal requires cooking a can of low sodium black beans over the stove with 1 tsp of chili powder and 1 tsp of cumin. Place the beans on the tortillas when they are done cooking. Once that step is complete, place sliced onions and bell peppers on the tortilla. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro and enjoy.

My recipe involves making burritos for 2 people, so double the ingredients to fit your family size.

This Week's Challenge

Long conversations with the king of kings used to be one of my daily morning rituals. I spoke of my dreams, asked for help with my weaknesses and requested that the Lord would bless those around me. I even kept a prayer journal with written requests of trials family members and friends wished to be delivered from. Every day I would faithfully lift up the requests to God believing they would be answered. If God created the universe, why wouldn't I trust that he could heal someone, intervene in the finances or solve everyday problems?

By accessing the heavens, God's blessings poured out into the lives of my family members and friends. A family facing financial difficulties saw new doors open to them in the area of employment. Physical healings manifested for those facing illnesses. I even saw answers to prayer concerning trivial everyday matters in my own life.

While I'd like to say that I remained faithful with this practice, daily conversations with God took the back burner. I still talk to God, but usually it's at the end of the day when I'm exhausted and they tend to be briefer. I used the busy season of being a new mommy as an excuse when in fact it was a choice. I manage to spend 30 minutes on facebook everyday catching up with family and friends but not my savior.

Tonight the Holy Spirit led me to 2 different Bible passages. Both verses informed me about how seriously God values our time and our first fruits. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35 NIV). "In the morning, O Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3 NIV). It became very obvious that prayer in the morning is what the creator desires, not simply someone spending all of their energy serving others throughout the day. By seeking God first I am inviting the Lord to take over my thought processes, priorities and intervene in any challenges each new day presents.

The Lord also brought it to my attention that it is still POSSIBLE to have an active walk with him during a season of busyness. I looked back to my college days and how I still maintained an active walk with the Lord. I managed to take on a full course load at the college, (one of the classes being an accelerated history class), work the evening shift at a nearby restaurant Monday-Friday, plan a wedding and spend at least 30 minutes praying each day. My days started at 5:30 am and often didn't end until 1:00 am. Yet I still managed to have the energy and help from the Lord to maintain a demanding schedule.

Here I am at another stage in my life enjoying the full-time job of motherhood. My husband and I are moving into a new house, I'm helping my mother recover from surgery and to top it off my dryer just broke. With everything going on in my life, I simply can't afford not to invite the Lord into my circumstances 1st thing in the morning.

So for this week I will pick up my Bible and go before the throne of God with my prayers and petitions after I wake up. Why not put myself in the position to activate the angels?

Grocery Store Bargains for the Week

                                                                 Fred Meyers
                                             4 coffee mate creamers at $3.39 a piece
                                            Store catilina for $1.50 off 4 creamers =$3.01 each

                                             4 cans of tuna fish regularly 89 cents.
                                 I used a store coupon to purchase them for 59 cents a piece.

                                                                  Target

                              Herbal Essence shampoo was on sale this week for $2.50.
                               I used a manufactor's coupon for $2.00 off = 50 cents

                                                                   Winco

                        Beechnut baby rice cereal is $1.50- a rebate for $1.50 = free

                    2 packs of Speariment Stride gum $2.00 - $1.00 off manufactor coupn = 50 cents each.