(This post was written just after the New Year and it never got posted…so here it is now!)
The weather outside is frightful, but my snowsuit is so delightful!
Oh how I love the (vintage) snow suit from my mother-in-law! It’s the ugliest, warmest, softest thing I’ve ever worn and I’m in love. This thing makes playing in the snow with my kids not only bearable…but fun! Ya’ll need to find yourselves one of these!
Pass the Popcorn
I’ve probably been to the movie theater 5 times in the last decade. However, I now have four boys that will all sit through an entire full-length movie!! We’ve celebrated by spending three cold days this fall/winter viewing THREE different movies – Small Foot, The Grinch, and Ralph Wrecks the Internet. All were cute movies but my favorite was Ralph Wrecks the Internet. Our local theater has $5 tickets on Tuesdays – and free popcorn! What should we see next?
17 years and counting
Ted and I celebrated our Golden Anniversary – 17 years on November 17th! Our tradition each year is to try a new restaurant we’ve never visited before. A friend watched our boys and made cookies with them while Ted and I went to dinner (Thank you Corey!)
Our friends Nadia and Kevin
Lake Tahoe
California Dreamin’
Ted and I spent a long weekend in California. We got to rest, relax, read, eat good food, explore new places, connect with old friends and meet new friends. Thanks to my in-laws for watching our boys so we could get away! Early Christmas with Nana and Papa
George reading to Luke
How did Christmas come and go so quickly?
When I was a child, it seemed Christmas would NEVER come. Now that I’m an adult, it comes and goes WAY too quickly. Every Christmas with our boys is magical. I LOVE experiencing the season through their eyes. I was so sad that Christmas day came and went so quickly. However, the sadness ended quickly when my mom, step-dad, sister, brother-in-law, nieces and nephews all came for a visit!
My family visits Minnesota for the first time!
We loved having our Indiana family stay with us for a few days after Christams. We made the most of our time together – ice skating, sledding, cooking, eating, laughing, and playing/shopping at Mall of America. We also got to go on a double date (thanks Mom and Chris) and rang in the new year together!
Happy 2019 everyone! May this be your BEST YEAR YET!
Here are 9 of my favorite books from 2018, if you haven’t read them…add them to your MUST READ list of 2019!
The one book you should read this year!
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp – An incredibly well-written book that reminds the readers of how gratitude can positively change your life.
2. UnSuperMommy by Maggie Combs – This is a must read for moms with young children.
3. What’s God Really Like? by SJ Hill – Each page made me smile as I was reminded of how GOOD our God really is!
4. Conversations with a Billionaire by Ted W Egly – A truly inspirational book filled with tons of great stories. An easy-to-read book that will leave you feeling encouraged and challenged…get a glimpse into the book by clicking here.
5. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver – An awesome book if you like food and are interested in finding out more about what you eat. This book is also inspiring for gardeners (or wannabe gardeners, like me).
6. Love Does by Bob Goff or his next books which was equally Awesome:
7. Everybody Always – I was nervous to read this book because I didn’t know if it would be as good as his first…but it was amazing!
8. Speak Life by Brady Boyd – Our words shape our life. This book contains great examples on how we can improve our communication and challenges us to speak life-giving words.
As a college freshman, my first assignment was to write a paper on any ‘classic’ book. Innocently, I asked my English professor, “Can I write my paper on the Bible?” To me, there was no more classic book than the Bible.
“Yes,” my professor replied, “but the Bible is a long book with many different topics. Choose one topic.”
I chose LOVE—not realizing how deep, complex, and transformative that theme would prove to be.
Though I had experienced God’s love throughout my life, pausing to study it intentionally was a powerful and eye-opening journey. As Ann Voskamp writes in One Thousand Gifts, “The only thing that can change us, the world, is this – all His love.”
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“The only thing that can change us, the world, is this – all His love.” – Ann Voscamp, 1000 gifts
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I’ve hesitated to write this post for two reasons:
First, I can’t find my original college paper—most likely tucked away on a long-forgotten floppy disk buried in a box somewhere in my basement.
Second, trying to capture the fullness of God’s love in a single post feels a bit like trying to explain the ocean with just one drop of water.
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I remember the college assignment forcing me to dig into God’s Word and discover what it says about His love. The more I studied, the more my heart filled with His goodness and awe! While other freshmen sought significance in temporary fixes, I found lasting significance within the pages of my Bible. I grew in my awareness of being unconditionally loved by the Creator of the Universe. I was His beloved daughter.
‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!’ 1 John 3:1
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The Creator of the universe loves you exactly as you are, with all your faults and inadequacies—He thinks you are worthy of love!
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Becoming a mom deepened my understanding of God’s love. Having children opens up a new kind of love: a sacrificial love. I had no idea I could love someone who requires so much of me. This made me see, at a deeper level, how much God loves me. He gave everything for me, even His life.
I can see how He still loves me when I mess up because I love my children that way. I’m disappointed when they make wrong choices because I know it hurts them. When they hurt, I hurt. But my love for them doesn’t change.
Although I understood God’s love more after becoming a mother, my love for my children doesn’t compare to God’s love for us. God’s love transcends human love. It is unconditional—not based on feelings or actions. He doesn’t love us because we’re lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love.
Take a minute and learn from your children. Matthew 11:25 says:
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“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.’”
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Children never turn down a gift. When you give a child something, they receive it immediately, with no questions asked! They don’t wonder if they’ve earned it or if they deserve it. They just take it. We must learn from our children and receive God’s love like that. It’s a gift!
If you’ve never received the GIFT of God’s love, stop now and tell God that you want to know Him and receive His love!
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
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God’s not in love with a future version of you; He is in love with you just as you are.
If you have difficulty accepting or understanding God’s love, pray Ephesians 3:17-19 over yourself right now, and again each morning:
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
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Begin to search the Scriptures for what it says about love. Read each verse and let the truth of God’s Word fill your heart with comfort, confidence, peace, joy and love.
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“I have loved you with an everlasting love;I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
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God desperately wants you to rest in His love. He wants you to live your life knowing you are loved.
Close your eyes and imagine this…
Imagine yourself curled up in your Father’s lap.
Listen to Him tell you that He loves you.
Bask in the safety of His love.
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Now, go about your day knowing you are loved and showing that love to each person you encounter.
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Questions for further study:
How does the Bible describe God’s love, and what are some key scriptures that illustrate its depth and nature?
In what ways can we practically experience and share God’s love in our daily lives?
How does understanding God’s unconditional love change our perspective on self-worth and identity?
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Here are some “next steps” you can take after reading this post to further explore and experience the love of God:
Daily Scripture Reading: Commit to reading a portion of the Bible each day, focusing on passages that speak about God’s love. Consider starting with the Gospel of John, 1 John, and Psalms.
Prayer and Meditation: Spend time in prayer, asking God to help you understand and feel His love more deeply. Meditate on key verses about God’s love, such as Ephesians 3:17-19 and 1 John 4:9-10
Join a Study Group: Find or start a Bible study group focused on exploring the love of God. Discussing with others can provide new insights and deepen your understanding.
Serve Others: Put God’s love into action by serving others in your community. Volunteer at a local charity, help a neighbor in need, or participate in a church outreach program.
Reflect and Journal: Keep a journal to reflect on your journey of understanding God’s love. Write down your thoughts, prayers, and any revelations you receive during your study and meditation.
Practice Gratitude: Make a daily habit of thanking God for His love and the ways you experience it in your life. Gratitude can help reinforce your awareness of His love and presence.
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Have you encountered God’s Great Love for you? If so, leave me a comment and share how that has impacted you? (Leave a comment by clicking on the little comment graphic by the title of this post)
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I had an amazing English College professor in college. I always thought I was more of a math person, but this English professor changed that. She enjoyed her work, and that joy flowed out of her and on to me! (Joy has a way of doing that!)
One simple thing I learned from my English professor is that “alot” is NOT a word. You write it like this: I learned a lot. Two words. I’m not sure why I didn’t learn that until my freshmen year of college, but I thought it would be helpful to share with you. I’ve read your posts on Facebook and there are a LOT of people who think ‘alot’ is a word! It’s not. And your welcome :).
When I was in college, we did research papers without the internet. This meant we had to drive or walk to an actual libraryand check out real-life books. So many HEAVY books and so much reading. There was no google or keyword search. We used something called a Table of Contents and an index section.
Our very first paper was to choose any classic book and write a paper on it.
Click to read what BOOK I chose and how it impacted my life!
Please subscribe so you don’t miss a post. You can subscribe by entering your email on the right.
And do you have a college memory that you want to share? A favorite class? Something you learned? Something that’s totally outdated now!? Leave me a comment!
Though we are the most interconnected generation of all time, we are the loneliest generation as well.
We have hundreds, maybe thousands of ‘friends’ on social media, but rarely spend time with people one-on-one, eye-to-eye, really getting to KNOW each other.
This pandemic’s made it worse! We are currently asked to STAY HOME and STAY APART.
We may text and comment on pictures, but rarely have a heartfelt, deep, face-to-face conversation. And when was the last time you HUGGED someone (besides your children)?
After moving to Minnesota, I’d been feeling lonely. My loneliness was causing me to be on social media MORE, but that pseudo-connection left me feeling emptier and lonelier.
We now live in a world that makes it possible to live void of human contact. We can live a virtual life. VIRTUAL connections are not a SOUL connection.
The same technology that promises to help us be more connected than ever is – in some ways – making people more disconnected that ever.
My loneliness caused me to spend the day in tears. I had left all my friends 3 years ago when we moved from the Chicago area to Colorado. Then I left all my new Colorado friends to pursue an adventure in Minnesota. (Click here to read about it)
My husband saw me and listened to my sadness … then encouraged me to do a few things that he thought might help. (Husbands love to FIX things.) At first, I didn’t want him to FIX it…I just wanted to FEEL it. Then, I slowly acted on his suggestions and it really DID help! If you find yourself feeling lonely, these ideas might help you too:
Reach out to old friends.
I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to catch up with people who know you and love you. Do it. Call an old friend today.
It’s important to choose a handful of friends that are “lifers” … friends that you want to stay connected with for life. Those are the friends you need to continue to check-in on and reach out to.
Call one (or five) old friends and tell them you are LONELY! Letting someone know how you feel invites them to encourage you, pray for you, check in on you, and spend time with you.
I was feeling sad that very few friends had reached out to me, then I began to realize I had not reached out to anyone either. I have one friend who lost her father, another friend just went through a divorce, another friend moved across the country. I had not reached out to ANY of them!!!!
Wow, I was throwing myself a pity party, then realized I was not doing what I wanted others to do for me!
2. Reach out to new friends.
I had very few people in this new state that even knew my name. But the few that knew me, I contacted. One was my neighbor…we just sat on each other’s porches and talked while our kids played. I invited the one other lady I knew out to dinner. It was refreshing to chat with other ladies and begin to build friendships.
When we sow genuine seeds of friendship – love, encouragement, time, and affirmation – we WILL reap a harvest of good friends.
3. Get outside
Get OUT of your house!
Take a walk, soak in the fresh air.
BONUS:PEOPLE are outside!
This might sound silly, but I intentionally went on walks and bike rides with my kids around my new neighborhood JUST to meet our neighbors and find potential friends.
My first good friend in Colorado was someone I met at the playground when our kids were playing together.
So…get outside!
Since it’s winter in Minnesota and harder to be outside…I’ve found places to go INSIDE! The library, classes at the gym, my church, and a Bible study.
I was actually writing this post from the cafe inside my local gym. As I’m typing, a lady from my church recognizes me and says hello. We talk for a few minutes and she asks me what I’m writing about. I was so embarrassed to answer honestly, but took a deep breath and said: Loneliness. She then INVITES me to her house. This is exactly what I needed and would not have had happened if I’d stayed inside – wallowing in loneliness.
Movement creates opportunity!
Get out of your house. Smile. Be friendly. Stop and chat with people.
4. Start a Gratitude List
Start writing a list of things you are grateful for. I’m currently writing a list of 1000 things for which I’m thankful based on the book One Thousand Gifts gifts.
If you look for the good, you WILL find it!
When I began to focus on the things I DO have rather than what I don’t, my attitude began to change. My shift in perspective caused my heart to mend.
5. Connect with your Heavenly Father.
We are never really alone. Our Heavenly Father is always ready and willing to spend time with us, comfort us and heal our wounded hearts. It’s easy to forget that God is with us all day long…ready to listen and connect. He’s the one Friend that will never leave or disappoint us.
…But I am always with you. You have held my hand. Psalm 73:23
…You can be sure that I will be with you always… Matthew 28:20
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18
So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you. I will support you with my right hand…Isaiah 41:10
The closer we get to God, the fuller our hearts will be and the less lonely we will feel. However, it’s okay to ask Him to provide us with strong friendships! He’s the one who said:
“It’s not good for man to be alone!” (Genesis 2:18)
If you’ve moved recently, I wrote a post called “LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE” with some similar but additional ideas and encouragement. You can click here to read it.
If you are feeling lonely, call me or send me an email! I’d be happy to chat with you!
If you’ve found something that has helped you overcome loneliness… leave me a comment!
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp was truly a GIFT to me. It was the most beautifully written book I’ve ever read – and so full of truth and light. The book made me cry, laugh, think, and smile.
When I read a book, I underline all my favorite parts. If it’s a book that has stuff I that I don’t want to forget, I enter everything I’ve underlined into my computer. For this book, I had SIX TYPED pages of notes and quotes from the book! Six pages of words from the book that I didn’t want to forget. That’s a record!
This is a book I’ll come back to over and over. I’m also going to read the study guide that goes with this book:
The premise of One Thousand Gifts is about how to find gratitude in the mundane days of life. Finding gratitude leads to a full, joy-filled life.
Here are some quotes from the book:
It’s easy to speak the language of discontentment, self-condemnation, and dissatisfaction…but it’s worth learning how to speak a new language.
Why not let ALL life be penetrated by JOY and gratitude!?
Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK!
Have you read One Thousand Gifts? If so…leave me a comment. Also, if you have a book I MUST read this year, let me know!
Have you read One Thousand Gifts? If so…leave me a comment. Also, if you have a book I MUST read this year, let me know!
Have you read One Thousand Gifts? If so…leave me a comment. Also, if you have a book I MUST read this year, let me know!
If you’d like to read reviews of all 40 books I read last year, click here.
Update: I’ve written 2-3 articles for Homefront and will continue when needed.
Write new drafts for my next children’s book
Update: on hold until I get to know Minnesota better.
Explore new places
Update: Though I thought 2018 would be full of Colorado explorations…it turned out to be a year of Minnesota adventures.
Keep learning – podcasts, classes, books, etc
Update: Regularly listening to podcasts, reading books and taking online classes.
2. Marriage Goals
Go on a monthly date with my husband
Update: We’ve been on a date each month this year.
Go on an overnight with just the two of us
Update: Ted and I set a getaway RECORD this year. We took long weekends to Minneapolis to go house-hunting in May and June, then went to California in December for an actual GETAWAY! Thanks to my in-laws for keeping the boys!
3. Motherhood Goals
Stay ENGAGED, present with my sons – enjoying each moment (It’s going by so quickly!)
Update: This is always a work-in-progress!
Spend one-on-one time with each one
Update: Went on “dates” with each one of them throughout the year.
4. Ministry Goals
Build relationships with kids and volunteers
Update: LOVED the people I served at New Life. The people there were like family and I cried my eyes out when we moved.
Invest in current volunteers
Update: I was doing this with conversations, cards, and time together.
Personally invite 50 more people to serve
Update: I did not keep track but I did invite at least one person to serve every week until we moved.
That’s my update! It really helps to WRITE your goals down and review them throughout the year.
If there are things that you want to do but haven’t yet accomplished, let me encourage you to WRITE those things DOWN, ask someone to keep you accountable…and pray for strength and favor to accomplish your goals. YOU CAN DO IT!
Why does it seem like Christmas comes SO slowly when you are a child and as an adult, it comes WAY to quickly. I wish the Christmas season could last twice as long. I love the lights, the songs, the decorations, celebrations, traditions, extra time with friends and family, …and the anticipation and excitement in our children!
Our day started early … 3 AM early! Paul and Clark woke up, went into George’s room and woke him up and exclaimed: “It’s Christmas! Wake up!” Thankfully, George looked at the clock. He then came in, woke me up to let me know that his brothers were up and ready for Christmas and he thought it was too early.
Me: You are right, it’s too early! Go back to bed!
I went downstairs to bring the bad news to Paul and Clark that Christmas wouldn’t begin for 4 more hours.
CLARK: What will we do for FOUR hours?
ME: SLEEP!
CLARK AND PAUL: We are too excited to sleep!
ME: I’m sorry. (not sorry)
Thankfully, somehow, they did go back to sleep and so did I…and Christmas morning began around 7 AM.
Here are some fun and inexpensive stocking stuffer ideas:
First: Place a small notepad inside each stocking with these pre-written questions:
What is one happy memory from this year?
What’s your favorite gift(s)?
What is something you learned this year?
What has God done in your life this year?
What are you looking forward to next year?
It will be fun to look back through the notebook and reflect on memories from Christmas past, while capturing memories of Christmas present.
After each person is done answering their questions, the notepads go back in the stockings and stay there until NEXT Christmas.
From Paul’s book in 2017, age 6
Second idea:
Go to the Dollar Store with your family and allow each person to pick out one thing for every person in the family. In my house, each person gets $7 – one dollar to spend on each of the 6 people, plus an extra dollar for tax.
Your kids will love getting to pick out a gift for each person in the family (as well as one item for themselves). This idea came from the Money Saving Mom
Do you have a good stocking stuffer idea? Leave me a comment by clicking on the little ‘comment’ box by the title of this post.
Scroll to the bottom to read what I think are the BEST BOOKS of 2018!
40 books I’ve read in 2018:
1. Money-making mom – (4/5) This book had some different ideas about how a mom can earn some extra money while raising kids. Written by Crystal Paine who created MoneySavingMom.com.
8. Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud (5/5) – Loved this book and HIGHLY recommend it if you are going through any transitions. Read my full review here.
9. Breathing In, Breathing out by Ralph Fletcher (4/5) – Read my review here.
10. Love Does by Bob Goff (5/5) – I read this a couple years ago, and downloaded the audiobook to hear the author read it! This is one of my favorite books ever.
26. Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott – (4/5) Anne is an entertaining writer – good book!
27. Encountering our Wild God by Kim Meeder – (5/5) This book is full of fascinating stories of what God has done in and through people. Loved it!
28. Fully Alive by Ken Davis (4/5) – Funny and interesting. Feels like it’s written for an older age group, but overall enjoyable.
29. The Path between Us by Suzanne Stabile – (3/5) Enneagram book. How to have a relationship with people of different personalities. I listened to the audiobook and think it was too much info to ‘listen to.’ I’d probably give it a higher rating if I’d read the book.
30. 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman (5/5) I’ve read this a long time ago but this is one you could keep coming back to. The book discusses different ways our children receive love and how to provide that love.
31. What’s God Really Like? by SJ Hill (5/5) Outstanding book on our amazing God and his incredible love for YOU! This book reminded me of all the ways God SHOWS his love for me! Wow, so so good. READ THIS BOOK!
32. Of Mess & Moxie – 4/5 Entertaining and FUN to read with lots of truth nuggets.
33. Love Does for Kids -(5/5) I LOVED the grown-up version of this book, so I was really excited to get this and read it to my kids. It’s a great book, but I may have enjoyed it more than the kids. I’m still trying to figure out how to get four boys to sit and listen. The book is FULL of great stories, and each connects with a lesson from the Bible.
34. Strong mothers, strong sons by Dr. Meg Meeker (5/5) A book that every single mother of sons should read. Absolutely fantastic. So many scenarios with recommendations of what is normal and how to respond, what to do, etc. Really good for me in a house full of boys! I’ll be reading this again in two years when I have a teenager. This would make a great gift for the mother of pre-teens or teens.
35. The Middle Place (3/5) – This book came recommended so I had high expectations. I usually enjoy memoirs, but this book did not deliver. I felt like it was more of a letter to her own family and too personal. The book’s title: “The Middle Place” refers to being in that place of raising children and still being someone’s child. I skipped through a few parts and kept hoping it would get better. It didn’t.
36. Speak Life by Brady Boyd- (5/5) An amazing book about the power in our words. My review here.
37. The Remarkable Ordinary – (3/5) I downloaded this audiobook because of the interesting title. There were some enjoyable parts to the book, but overall, I wasn’t crazy about it.
38. Unsupermommy by Maggie Combs (5/5) – A book every single mom should read. She speaks truth. LOVED IT and plan to give a few as gifts!
39. Cultivate by Lara Casey (3/5) – About “cultivating” the life you want. Decent book but the book was a little flat for me. However, I was “listening” to this book and may have been distracted. It has great reviews on Amazon.
40. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp – 5/5 This is one of my TOP FIVE books of the year! Ann is probably one of the most gifted writers I’ve ever read. This is a book on the power of gratitude. This would be a PHENOMENAL gift for any person you know.
Of the 40 books listed above, here are my Top 8 Favorite Books of 2018:
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp – An incredibly well-written book that reminds the readers of how gratitude can positively change your life.
UnSuperMommy by Maggie Combs – This would make a great gift for any new moms or moms with young children.
What’s God Really Like? by SJ Hill – LOVED this book. It would make a good gift for anyone wanting to be reminded of how GOOD our God really is!
Conversations with a Billionaire by Ted W Egly – I LOVED this book and think it would be a great gift for anyone needing a little inspiration.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver – So interesting. A great gift for any gardener or foodie!
