On a Personal Note: ADD Reading 10th ed.

Summer class reading :/.  Basically I'm just procrastinating reading this one.

Wow.  This book is not for the faint of heart.  I am going to need to read it again to fully process it.  I don't agree with all of it but have definitely been challenged to look at training my kids for the sake of them being able to say "yes" to God and "no" to themselves.

I love to cook and host and this book puts words to why what happens around the table when we eat together is so significant.  Full of fun new recipes to try too.

Reading this because Romans is full of the Gospel, the good news that I add nothing to the equation of right relationship with God.  Jesus did it all.  I need to be reminded daily.

Music Segment: Shane and Shane

Been in need of some music full of truth and encouragement and a friend recommended this album.  Haven't listened to Shane and Shane in years but the lyrics to their new album are so life-giving.  Here's a preview of the album.

Behind the Scenes: summer loving

An excerpt from a John Piper article on a whole new way to look at summer.

Don’t let summer make your soul shrivel. God made summer as a foretaste of heaven, not a substitute. If the mailman brings you a love letter from your fiancé, don’t fall in love with the mailman. That’s what summer is: God’s messenger with a sun-soaked, tree-green, flower-blooming, lake-glistening letter of love to show us what he is planning for us in the age to come—“things which the eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Don’t fall in love with the video preview, and find yourself unable to love the coming reality.

Jesus Christ is the refreshing center of summer. He is pre-eminent in all things (Colossians 1:18), including vacations and picnics and softball and long walks and cookouts. He invites us this summer: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). This is serious summer refreshment.

Do we want it? That is the question. Christ gives himself to us in proportion to how much we want his refreshment. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). 

Read the rest Here

Momstyle: post-baby wardrobe part 1

  

(Dress: $10 from Ross; Denim shirt: JCrew (already owned); Wedges: $25 from Target)

It's never the most fun to dress yourself post-baby.  I refuse to wear my maternity clothes that I've been stuck in for months but I don't want to buy an entire wardrobe for these next few months so I took $75 and bought a few summer "uniforms" that will be able to still be worn when the baby weight is gone.
Maxi dresses are ideal right now because they are comfortable for my days around the house but can be dressed up for a day or evening out.  Pairing this maxi with a shirt that ties in a place to give me a waist again makes it the perfect transitional piece.

Purchase of the Week: photo books

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Just a quick gift idea for those grandparents who are constantly requesting more pictures of their grandkids.
Here's what our moms received for Mother's Day this year.
**Watch for Groupon deals and search for shutterfly coupons online**

On a Personal Note: Heroes

These are our friends.  I can't tell you their names or even where they live because it could impact their safety.  But I do want to tell you about them because they are heroes to me.  And they would probably laugh and hate that I call them that but they are.

We met them years ago in California, before any of us were married.

We were all in a small group at our church together.  Then they got married and so did we.

We felt like God was continuing to lead us into college ministry and they felt that he was leading them overseas...to a people group who have never heard about Jesus...in the middle of a desert...where the risks they face are numerous.

So, fast forward a few years and we live in Raleigh/Durham now, in a beautiful area with a lovely home.  I get to be home with our two kids.  We own two cars.  We eat out at least once a week and adjust our thermostat without a thought.  We are working with college students (just as we planned) and they speak our language and help us with our kids.

This picture was a taken a few nights before our friends moved.  To a desert far away. And, yes, they have a baby girl who was not even a year old when they left.  They left their families, their car, their thermostat and their culture.  They went to form relationships with people who don't know who Jesus is or what he has done for them.

And we sat with them, this night before they left.  And we asked if they were scared.

And they almost looked a little puzzled at the question.

They acknowledged that they knew the first days and weeks there would be hard but where you would expect fear and sadness, there was peace and joy and anticipation in their faces and voices.

All of their language study and culture study, all of their prayer and preparation was about to be put to use with a people that they love deeply without even knowing them.

Every time I receive their email updates I cry.

I cry because they really understand that life isn't just about the here and now.  

Jesus really is coming back and he has really asked us to tell others about him.

I cry because I'm still trying to preserve my own comfort and "american dream" in so many ways and they left it all, happily.

I cry because their example pushes me away from pursuing things that don't ultimately matter very much.

I think they really believe God's word when it says that if you try to save your life, you will lose it but if you lose your life for His sake, you will find it.

Wordless Wednesday....and... he's potty trained!!!

With a special thanks to super hero underwear, our ipad and mr. froggy potty