Pregnancy Cravings

So I haven't been this dramatic, but it gave me a laugh....especially since my supper last night consisted of Taco Bell's pintos and a bowl of ice cream....

What weird cravings have you, Mom's or Mommies-to-be, experienced?

Monday Meanderings - 01/24/2011

Bible Study... Proverbs 31

Memory Verse... Proverbs 31:13
"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Take care of him.
♥ Enjoy life together.
♥ Read our Bible and pray together more this week than last week.

Train Them Up...
* Read one chapter of the Bible a day to him.
* Deal with him hitting my ribcage. :p
* Continue reading/studying pregnancy/dilvery books.

Personal Goals...
* Try to continue to eat healthy this week
* Excersise
* Work on book when possible

New Habit of the Month...
* Practice violin every day (did horrible last week!)

MUST Do...
* Clean the WHOLE house
* Wash the floor mats. They are disgusting! (didn't get to this last week)
* Go grocery shopping tomorrow.

Zone...  the whole house

Menu

M - I'm thinking soup....
T - TBD
W - TBD
Th - Dinner w/Grant's family for a birthday
F - ....something fun and yummy!
S - TBD
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Two sisters and two friends coming Friday for the weekend!
* Resting today

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. PILLOWS (I'm tired today, fyi)
2. Health and healing
3. My sweet husband

The Miracle Of Life

Purity of Heart and Mind

So, lately, I have been heavily thinking about mental purity. There have been plenty of books written, songs sung, and websites launched that encourages and promotes physical purity. And bravo! But here is a thought: What about the purity of the mind? What about the purity of the heart?


Of course, I am married and many may think that I am free from the "purity challenge." Quite the contrary. In fact, after marriage, purity of every kind is just as vital and important. Yes, I may be married and, therefore, "free" in my physical relationship with my husband, but discipline must still be practiced and self control is still just as important. I must be on guard against the enemy who would love nothing more than to smear the mud of sin on my marriage, my family, my testimony and my relationship with my King.

You may be wondering what type of tactics Satan can (and will!) use to try to destroy your mental and emotional purity. Here is a small list of things to stay away from:

1. Romance novels. I worked several years at a library in my hometown before I married. I remember so well all the many women - young and old - who would walk in regularly and exchange one stack of romance novels for another. What I came to discover is that most of the women who walked in and began a conversation with us, workers, would never speak positively about their husband. It was not uncommon for them to gush over some celebrity and make jokes as to how they would love to be their wife. I remember picking up a romance novel one day to see what all the fuss was about and was horrified at the explicit, frank, and anti-God language and story lines. What an abomination in the eyes of a holy God! I would encourage every woman - young and old - to abstain from romance novels....even most under the Christian label, as those can (and will) sometimes lure your heart and your emotions to some fictional character instead of toward your husband (even your future one). They will breed resentment and disrespect, both of which are sin. GOD created your husband, your father, and your brothers and though they are far from perfect, God commands us to respect and honor them. Keep your heart pure and reserved for only one.

2. Relationships with boy-crazy friends. If you want to maintain (or build) mental and emotional purity, sometimes it is most wise to keep yourself from being drawn into conversations and close friendships with girls and women who talk constantly of the latest heart throb. It can be so tempting to jump in and agree in their physical appraisal of "this-or-that guy" and then suddenly find yourself talking non-stop about who YOU think is the most handsome hunk on the planet. Now, married ladies, I will say that there is nothing wrong with bragging on your husband. In fact, it is needed in today's society. But do be mindful of how you brag and what words you choose. Be aware of your sisters in Christ who are not married and seeking to keep their focus on Christ. Do not tempt them to be boy crazy or dwell on boyfriends before the Lord's timing.

3. Secular Magazines. Picture this.... you are standing in the check-out line. Your eyes glaze over the magazine rack. What do you see? I'll tell you. You see pictures of women in skin-clad clothes and bikinis, you see headlines that talk of the latest "do's-and-don'ts" of sexual flings, and you see their advice on how to sizzle when you dress, talk, walk, and even sleep! How do you think reading these things affect your mental purity? Where will it lead your mind? If you are single, do you think it would make you dwell on physical relationships and tempt you to be outwardly attractive using their advice? If you are are married, do you think you will find yourself curious to try their techniques and hungry for more info to "spice" up your life? If you are human, then it most certainly will and that is exactly what their agenda is. I would encourage you to keep away from Cosmo, Elle, Glamour, Seventeen, Maxim, Vogue and the like.

4. Immodest dress. Modesty vs. fashion has always been a struggle. When we have curves, there is a desire in us that wants to flaunt them in tight, revealing clothes. But what are our motives for doing this? It could be to attract attention from males but, in so doing, we often lead them into lust, which makes us a stumbling block and the object of their sin. Another reason could be so we can feel attractive and desirable, selfishly thinking of our own beauty instead of considering the needs of our brothers and the enormous amount of spiritual discipline it takes for them to remain pure. Ladies, choose your clothes wisely. Many of the every-day clothes that girls now wear to school and church were the same type of outfits worn by prostitutes in the 80's. Statistics have proved that immodest clothing is one of the top 5 reasons girls become sexually active at an early age; many of them going on to becoming unwed teen mothers. Honor God with your dress. Cover yourself. Adorn yourself in grace and holiness.

5. Movies and Music. Okay, this one is a tough one. I am a girly girl who LOVES a good love story. But lately, I have been challenged in this area. What kind of movies do we watch? In terms of purity, do we own movies that have sexual scenes in them? Do we enjoy movies that promote the sin of fornication and/or adultery? Do we find ourself drooling over the actors or wishing that our husband "was like that"? Those are some questions to ask and tell-tell signs that what we're watching is not of God. And what about the music we listen to? Where does it lead your heart and your mind? What do the lyrics speak of? Is it glorifying God? Or is it glorifying a sinful relationship? Ask yourself these questions and prayerfully consider what God would have you to do. I would reccomend cleaning out your movie and CD shelf and your iTunes library.

Those are just five areas that Satan is using to destroy the purity of heart and mind in today's world. There are so many more! I have to be on guard against them. For the sake of my intimacy with Christ, for the sake of my marriage, for the sake of my family and future family, and for the sake of my testimony as a Christian, I must be careful to remain pure, not just in body, but in mind and heart as well.

Ladies, be watchful. Be vigilant. Be aware of the movies you watch, the music you listen to, the clothes you wear, the friendships you have, and what you read and put into your mind and heart.

As a wise girl once wrote, "If we can take every thought captive in obedience to Christ (easier said than done; it takes lots of prayer and diversion) than we're on our way to emotional purity." Amen and amen.

Proverbs 4:23
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."


Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


Romans 12:2
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."


2 Corinthians 10:5
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

Nursery Work!

Whew! I am beat! But I feel accomplished and proud......because......the nursery is done!!!!

...Or well, almost.

We painted the walls. We set up my old crib; the crib my parents bought when my mom was expecting me. We moved a recliner in the room and a lamp. We painted a bookshelf which now holds some of the baby items we have acquired thus far. We have done all we can do for now! I am VERY excited.

So, want to see our hard work? Look below!

So boyish. So cute! I love how it looks! It is definitely different than it was.

The following pictures are from before, when the room was bright green. When we moved in after our wedding, we decided to leave the walls alone and made it into a kid room for when my sisters/cousins visited. It was used and enjoyed. A very fun room!

A part of me will miss the crazy-cute room it was, but I am ready to move on to phase #2! There was quite a change. From bright lime green, to a tan color. From bold, fun colors, to neutral, relaxing, country colors. I am so pleased with the look. NOW, it's time to FILL it with more baby gear....and the baby!

Monday Meanderings - 01/17/2011

Bible Study... Proverbs 31

Memory Verse... Proverbs 31:12
"She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Respect and honor him more.
♥ Laugh with him!
♥ For heaven's sake, try to understand him. :p

Train Them Up...
* Continue to read to baby Nathan. (This has been fun!)
* Continue scheduling when he moves and when he does not.
* Finish painting walls in nursery!
* Set up crib and begin making the nursery INTO a nursery!

Personal Goals...
* Try to continue to eat healthy this week
* Excersise
* Work on book when possible

New Habit of the Month...
* Practice violin every day (gettin' there)

MUST Do...
* Keep the house clean
* Wash the floor mats. They are disgusting!
* Catch up on some letter writing

Zone...  the nursery!

Menu

M - Snack/Whatever we want out of the fridge
T - Dinner in Little Rock
W - Chili?
Th - Sub sandwhiches
F - Deer steak....biscuts....green beans
S - TBD
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Lunch with a friend Saturday!
* Working in the nursery!
* Relaxing

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Music
2. Friendship
3. Prayer

Monday Meanderings - 01/10/2011

Well, here it is....Monday again! This is a different kind of Monday for me. Why? Because so many things are different and/or "up in the air" (aka - yet to be decided). To begin, we were supposed to start a revival last evening in north Louisiana but, due to snow and ice, we have been delayed. So, today, snow is on the ground, my cousin Dj is spending a week with us, and we are sitting with our bags packed waiting for a phone call to tell us to head south. What will happen?? Who knows! All I DO know is that 1) God is in control, 2) I am warm, and 3) the snow is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! So I will enjoy the day no matter what.

Bible Study... Proverbs 31

Memory Verse... Proverbs 31:10
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Love him.
♥ Laugh with him!
♥ For heaven's sake, try to understand him. :p

Train Them Up...
* Continue to read to baby Nathan. (This has been fun!)
* Continue scheduling when he moves and when he does not.
* Pray for him and with him
* Paint walls in nursery!

Personal Goals...
* Eat healthy this week
* Get some rest
* Work on book when possible

New Habit of the Month...
* Practice violin every day

MUST Do...
* Keep the house clean
* Wash, dry, and put away all laundry on Thursday after revival
* Make lists of meals to freeze

Zone...  the nursery!

Menu

M - TBD
T - TBD. Church food?
W - TBD. Church food?
Th - Tentative...possibly eating out in Little Rock
F - Deer steak, cajun fries, green beans
S - Mexican casserole
Su - TBD

FUN THINGS!
* Enjoying/Playing in the snow!
* Painting the nursery!
* Hanging out with my cousin, Dj
* Revival this week, hopfully!

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. A warm, warm, warm, cozy house!
2. Hot chocolate
3. Seeing Nathan move in my tummy!

Hello, Snow!

IT SNOWED!!!!!

And I must say, it is beautiful! It began yesterday afternoon and stopped sometime last night. Let me tell you, living in the south, snow that falls, sticks, and stays is rare! And we love it!

Romantic Snow Globes by WiddlyTinks.com

Scripture for the Week -- 01/09/11

1 Chronicles 16:10
"Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD."

5 Things About Shopping for Clothes While Pregnant

Hooray! My closet is rejoicing and my body is overwhelmed with emotion. I finally got some blouses today!

....I know, a minor thing, right? Trust me... if you are pregnant or have ever been pregnant, you understand.

I will say, there are a few that things I have learned about shopping for clothes while pregnant. I will share them with you. They are:

1. Maternity clothes rarely cost the same as normal clothes. For some reason, they ("they" being the Powers That Be) decided that we, pregnant ladies, need to spend more money to wear their precious "maternity" clothing. As if we need to shell out more, what with all the diapers, wipes, clothes, furniture, hospital bills and the sheer amount that it takes to raise a child.

2. That being said, you don't necessarily have to buy "maternity clothes." You CAN just buy certain articles of clothing in a bigger size. (i.e.  if you are a size Small, try upping to a Medium or Large.)

3. When you take your husband with you, don't expect him to be enthusiastic about watching you scan every rack of clothes in the store and spending 30 minutes in the dressing room trying things on.

4. If you are fortunate enough to have a caring husband (like me!), do not take for granted the times when he consoles you after you realize just how big you are getting.

And, finally....

5. DO NOT take a skinny person with you!

Created to be His...Help Meet | pt 6

Wow, it has been months since I have posted another part of Debi Pearl's, Created To Be His Help Meet. I am drastically behind! However, we're not through yet. Read on for part 6....

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said,
It is not good that the man should be alone;

I will make him an help meet for him.

Reactions Define You
A wise woman does not dream of what "could have been." She does not see herself as "God's gift to men;" therefore, she is joyful and content in her present circumstances.

Reactions are not premeditated actions springing from our best motives, carefully thought out, planned, and weighed. They are emotional responses, breaking loose like wild horses when we feel hurt, cheated, used, or misunderstood. They are often retaliatory, sometimes condemning, confrontational, or adversarial, and eventually vengeful and punishing. Your reactions break you loose from your social inhibitions and manifest who you really are inside and what you really believe at your core level. We lose our carefully preserved "front" when we are pressed beyond calculated thinking. Then, who we really are is made manifest. You can control your future reactions considerably by changing the way you think before you are pressed into a response. The way you think every day determines the way you feel, and it will determine how you will react in stressful situations.

Researchers have determined that the average person thinks over 40,000 thoughts each day. The heart is filled with thoughts, and it is out of that reservoir of thoughts that the mouth speaks words of praise or bitterness. When the pressure is on, and the dam of reservation breaks loose, you cannot control what you say, because you will speak from the abundance of your heart - from the 40,000 thoughts you had that day, and all the days before. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Luke 6:45). If you, as a wife, are going to change the way you have been speaking, it is not a matter of willpower; it is a matter of thought power. "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Proverbs 23:7). You must bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5). "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts..." (Matthew 15:19). As Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). You will be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2), not by the strength of your will to hold your tongue. God tells you how to think about your role as wife and help meet. If you believe Him, you will think differently.

If I were in an airport baggage pick-up area waiting for my red suitcase, and I saw a young man snatch it and run, I would be very upset until I learned that my husband sent him to get it for me. When my thinking changed, my feelings changed.

You are what you think, and God tells you how to think: Think the truth. This is not the power of positive thinking; this is the power of the truth as God defines it. You are created to be your husband's helper, not his conscience, not his vocation director, and certainly not his critic. No woman will ever have peace and joy until her mind is filled with goodwill toward her husband, and she is committed to becoming a good help meet for him.

Time to Consider

* We have learned that our created nature is to be a help meet to our husbands.

* We have learned that a help meet is someone who helps her husband in any and all of his life's projects.

* We have learned that the joy of the Lord is our strength and that a merry heart is a real asset in becoming a godly help meet. A smile keeps our man looking our way. Our desire is to become a jolly "playmate" to our husband.

* All of us have decided that we do not want to grow old and become crazy old, religious fanatics who think that they are obeying God while disregarding His written Word. We have learned that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and we shudder to think we might have ended up being like some of the old reprobates we know who dishonor their husbands.

* We have learned that wisdom is a gift that God promises to anyone who asks. Through wisdom, we have discovered that each of our husbands are made in the image of God, either as a Command Man, a Visionary Man, a Steady Man, or some mixture of the three, with one dominant.

* We know that it is our job as a help meet to always be looking for ways to better meet our husband's needs and desires.


Traits of a Good Help Meet
 
* She asks God for wisdom
* She learns to understand and appreciate her man for who he is.
* She learns to be flexible.


Getting Serious With God
 
Now that you have thought more about your role as a help meet, it is time to go back and add to the list of things you could be doing that will free your husband to be the man God created him to be.

    Running With You,

Monday Meanderings - 01/03/2011

Happy New Year! Wow, I can't believe it is 2011. What a year 2010 was!

Today, I am feeling "blah" but trying to get some things accomplished. Here is what my week looks like!



Bible Study... Proverbs 31

Memory Verse... Proverbs 31:10
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

Husband Encouragement...
♥ Have a healthy meal for him when he comes home.
♥ Laugh!
♥ Be easy going and try not to wear my feelings on my sleeve

Train Them Up...
* Continue to read to baby Nathan every day.
* Continue scheduling when he moves and when he does not.
* Pray for him and with him
* Buy paint for nursery!

Personal Goals...
* EXERCISE this week
* TRY to write in journals
* Get some rest

New Habit of the Month...
* Practice violin every day

MUST Do...
* Keep the house clean
* Finish laundry
* Pack for revival next week
* Begin working on nursery!

Zone...  the nursery

Menu

M - Something light and healthy
T - Deer steak, cajun fries, green beans
W - TBD
Th - TBD
F - TBD
S - TBD
Su - Church food

FUN THINGS!
* Resting
* Catching up on email
* Planning Nathan's nursery!

3 things I'm thankful for today...
1. Pillows
2. My husband
3. Feeling (and seeing) Nathan move in my tummy!

Resolutions

"Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.......Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it." - Jonathan Edwards

Scripture for the Week -- 01/02/11

Isaiah 43:19
"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."