I made stew tonight from the leftover pot roast from last night. So while the stew was stewing, a sweet-tooth was brewing, as well as some tea. The only thing sweet I had to make were some key lime bars which have to set up in the frig for 8 hours. That would just not work. So what is a girl to do? I figured out that I had all of the ingredients to make brownies from scratch! And so I quickly whipped it up which took about the same amount of time as a box recipe. I must add that the stew was delish as well as the homemade brownies!
This is also a day I received my bridesmaid dress in the mail for a wedding the end of May. It is hard to place orders for these types of things after you have had a baby when your size 7 months later can be so different. However, I cannot have sweet-tooths creeping up on me if I expect to be any smaller. The dress works now, but I would like to be even more comfortable. I would like to be more fit. I was well on my way to getting fit and shedding all of the previous remaining baby pounds when I was surprised by my pregnancy with Kylee. That put it all to a grinding halt. It is time to get back into gear! And dang those brownies.
I really love to work out! I do not like to be hot, but I love to sweat! Is that an oxymoron or what? Let me clarify, I love work-out sweat. I do not like the trying to look cute, but not because of sweat. I am not ready for summer, but now I am digressing. The problem is getting back into routine and not allowing me to talk myself out of it. I have been establishing routines for the rest of my life so now it is time to add this in. Kevin and I purchased Insanity back in August with great intentions. We managed to put it off over and over again because...well I am not sure of all of the excuses. I know part of it was lack of sleep, the newborn baby kind, which is a semi-legitimate excuse in my book. I think a bigger part of it was fear of how bad of shape we both truly were in, and knowing that we were going to have to literally go through some growing pains...err, workout pains. We actually did the first day - fit test - two weeks ago, and we were both gasping. We have justified that we were not really in that bad of shape because both us were flu-like sick the rest of that week. Surely we performed badly because of the illness our body was already trying to fight. However, the truth is that we have not turned it on since. Can you say fear...again?
The other part of this equation is that I have had a gym membership that I have paid for all of these months and not used. The waste of money here just drives me crazy. I love going to the gym, and I have friends that I go with. So why have I not gone? Well, here are even more excuses. Childcare. Yes, there is childcare and it is free, but I really do not like the ratio. I also know that Kylee requires attention. In addition, I am also leary of all of the sickness going around right now. I must be such a responsible Mommy to keep my little ones from getting exposed, right? Wow, this is downright comical and prejudice. I take them to church and Bible Study where they can also get just as exposed to illness.
The moral of the story is that I must stop making excuses, pump myself up for no pain, no gain, and get up and get moving. Not only will I get fit, but I will feel so much better in the process. Exercise makes me happy, feel good, have less headaches, and gives me much more energy. So here's to working out like a mad woman and drinking lots of water in the process.
Only By God's Grace
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A complete 180.
It is absolutely undeniable to me that God is still in the business of performing miracles. We have witnessed several recently that are a true testament that God is alive and active. They may not be the kind of miracles many think of; nevertheless, they were definitely impactful to our family in a most positive way. One that I want to share today is a complete 180 degree change to me personally. It is an amazing feat that only the Lord could have orchestrated.
I have become quite a chef. Okay, so I may not be a 5 star chef, or whatever rating system is used now, but I am becoming quite accomplished. However, the miracle was not that I became a better cook. My husband will tell you that I have always had the ability to cook well. The complete change and awesome miracle is that I have developed a deep desire to cook for my family...not just a desire, but a true love and pure joy in spending time in the kitchen. Sometimes I begin to think: who is this woman? and where did they lock up the old Callie?
You see, even though my job description as the Co-Owner/Co-Founder of The Haas Family (as stated on my facebook info) includes the inherent responsibility to cook for my family, I was quite a failure at this. I did not enjoy it. In fact, I could probably admit that I hated it. There were many a day that it would come down to 5:30pm or later, and I would say, "Okay, what's for dinner? Where do you want to go tonight?" This was part convenience, part laziness because I did not want a mess, and part lack of groceries. As a family living on one income, we definitely have a budget to strictly adhere to. I had become quite crafty because I have an impressive list of options that we as a family of 5 (# 6 does not count yet) could go eat for $15 to $20 and sometimes even less. I justified this in our budget and justified it in my heart. We could spend more time as a family instead of me being holed up, slaving away in the kitchen. I could not have been more wrong.
Why did this miracle occur you ask? Well, I came to the realization that the eating out was still a budget buster. I had to face the cold, hard truth that if I cooked at home we could save even more money. I realized that we have even more meaningful family time by staying home. I prayed that I could at least learn to not hate and dread the task.
Is so happens that most of the time our family is all in and around the kitchen during the preparation and clean-up. This has given me a better opportunity to train the kids in many more things from chores to cooking. The kids are responsible for unloading the dishwasher. Each older child gets to pick a shelf to unload. All of us, except the baby, help to set the table, cook, fix drinks, set out the picnic blanket, clean off each of their own dishes and put them in the dishwasher, put things back into the refrigerator, take out the trash and clean the table. Even Kevin is in there with us cooking up a storm. Funny thing is, we have all come to enjoy this time together and none of us view it as a chore. We have begun to have so many meaningful conversations in the kitchen. I have been told that it is the center and life of the home, and it has truly become this in our home. I use to justify a lot of this on lack of time; however, our time is used more efficiently by eating at home. I have realized that the time it took to go to and from restaurants, ordering, waiting for food, and paying for it all was greater than just eating at home. I also quickly learned that the family conversations are much better at home probably because there are less distractions. Eating out has now become a treat.
I have discovered several things that help in keeping us successful.
* Planning ahead and grocery shopping takes away a lot of the excuses. It is hard to cook if you have not been to the grocery store recently. However, when this happens we get amusement out of digging through the pantry to "create" a meal. This is not exciting for every meal, but it is every now and then.
* I plan out our meals before I shop. I usually have an idea what each night's meal will be; however, I do not set definite nights for each meal because things can change. I always include several quick meals for when things come up because they always do. These are not usually the healthiest of meals, but a few of these will not hurt. I have a list posted on the frig of choices for the week. The kids get to help choose out of the choices, and they love getting to have a say in the decision. We cross them off as we use them.
* I allow for creativity in the kitchen. We don't always stick to recipes. Most of the time we add to them or change them up and it makes for much more fun in the kitchen. We are creating quite a list of our own recipes that we all love as a family! I think I will make a Haas Family cookbook. The kids will probably LOVE this when they go off on their own.
* A clean kitchen makes it much more enjoyable to cook in. Every night the dishes are loaded and the dishwasher is run. The sink is empty and clean when I go to bed. There have been a few times when I was too tired or run out of time with our busy schedules that this may go undone. I try to keep that to a minimum because it is much harder to come back and tackle the next meal when there is work to be done before you even start. It kind of takes away the fun of it all.
* Great conversation or jamming to music can add to the entertainment of preparing a meal!
* We try to do different things to spice up the enjoyment of eating at home. Previously, I mentioned the picnic blanket. There is a designated large blanket that is the picnic blanket. There are certain meals that allow this set-up. We set it out in the middle of the living room floor to eat picnic style and watch a family show while we chow down. The kids love this! We have also been known to eat outside on the trampoline! When we have dinner at the table we usually play the Hi-Lo game. We take turns sharing our highs and lows for the day. We share the low first so that we can end it on a high note. You can learn a lot of things about your children by doing this simple activity.
* This is also the time we learn and review our current Bible memory verse or have short devotionals.
* There are so many other great and fun things to make this daily endeavor successful and enjoyable. We are by no means perfect, but we are learning and making a lot of memories in the process.
Not many in my family would have thought this 180 degree change possible, but remember nothing is impossible with God. And He can do so much more than we can even dream or know to ask for. As I reflect on this post it all seems so silly. Like I said before, this is not a miracle most would think of. Some will find it humorous, others may find it offensive (I hope not), but this miracle truly has changed our family forever.
(A comical side note: I use to think the food network or cooking shows were incredibly boring and could not really understand why people could waste their time watching it (Cake Boss the lone exception). Post-miracle: I love them! Now I'm telling you that is absolutely crazy!)
Only By God's Grace I am no longer slaving away in the kitchen!
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
I have become quite a chef. Okay, so I may not be a 5 star chef, or whatever rating system is used now, but I am becoming quite accomplished. However, the miracle was not that I became a better cook. My husband will tell you that I have always had the ability to cook well. The complete change and awesome miracle is that I have developed a deep desire to cook for my family...not just a desire, but a true love and pure joy in spending time in the kitchen. Sometimes I begin to think: who is this woman? and where did they lock up the old Callie?
You see, even though my job description as the Co-Owner/Co-Founder of The Haas Family (as stated on my facebook info) includes the inherent responsibility to cook for my family, I was quite a failure at this. I did not enjoy it. In fact, I could probably admit that I hated it. There were many a day that it would come down to 5:30pm or later, and I would say, "Okay, what's for dinner? Where do you want to go tonight?" This was part convenience, part laziness because I did not want a mess, and part lack of groceries. As a family living on one income, we definitely have a budget to strictly adhere to. I had become quite crafty because I have an impressive list of options that we as a family of 5 (# 6 does not count yet) could go eat for $15 to $20 and sometimes even less. I justified this in our budget and justified it in my heart. We could spend more time as a family instead of me being holed up, slaving away in the kitchen. I could not have been more wrong.
Why did this miracle occur you ask? Well, I came to the realization that the eating out was still a budget buster. I had to face the cold, hard truth that if I cooked at home we could save even more money. I realized that we have even more meaningful family time by staying home. I prayed that I could at least learn to not hate and dread the task.
Is so happens that most of the time our family is all in and around the kitchen during the preparation and clean-up. This has given me a better opportunity to train the kids in many more things from chores to cooking. The kids are responsible for unloading the dishwasher. Each older child gets to pick a shelf to unload. All of us, except the baby, help to set the table, cook, fix drinks, set out the picnic blanket, clean off each of their own dishes and put them in the dishwasher, put things back into the refrigerator, take out the trash and clean the table. Even Kevin is in there with us cooking up a storm. Funny thing is, we have all come to enjoy this time together and none of us view it as a chore. We have begun to have so many meaningful conversations in the kitchen. I have been told that it is the center and life of the home, and it has truly become this in our home. I use to justify a lot of this on lack of time; however, our time is used more efficiently by eating at home. I have realized that the time it took to go to and from restaurants, ordering, waiting for food, and paying for it all was greater than just eating at home. I also quickly learned that the family conversations are much better at home probably because there are less distractions. Eating out has now become a treat.
I have discovered several things that help in keeping us successful.
* Planning ahead and grocery shopping takes away a lot of the excuses. It is hard to cook if you have not been to the grocery store recently. However, when this happens we get amusement out of digging through the pantry to "create" a meal. This is not exciting for every meal, but it is every now and then.
* I plan out our meals before I shop. I usually have an idea what each night's meal will be; however, I do not set definite nights for each meal because things can change. I always include several quick meals for when things come up because they always do. These are not usually the healthiest of meals, but a few of these will not hurt. I have a list posted on the frig of choices for the week. The kids get to help choose out of the choices, and they love getting to have a say in the decision. We cross them off as we use them.
* I allow for creativity in the kitchen. We don't always stick to recipes. Most of the time we add to them or change them up and it makes for much more fun in the kitchen. We are creating quite a list of our own recipes that we all love as a family! I think I will make a Haas Family cookbook. The kids will probably LOVE this when they go off on their own.
* A clean kitchen makes it much more enjoyable to cook in. Every night the dishes are loaded and the dishwasher is run. The sink is empty and clean when I go to bed. There have been a few times when I was too tired or run out of time with our busy schedules that this may go undone. I try to keep that to a minimum because it is much harder to come back and tackle the next meal when there is work to be done before you even start. It kind of takes away the fun of it all.
* Great conversation or jamming to music can add to the entertainment of preparing a meal!
* We try to do different things to spice up the enjoyment of eating at home. Previously, I mentioned the picnic blanket. There is a designated large blanket that is the picnic blanket. There are certain meals that allow this set-up. We set it out in the middle of the living room floor to eat picnic style and watch a family show while we chow down. The kids love this! We have also been known to eat outside on the trampoline! When we have dinner at the table we usually play the Hi-Lo game. We take turns sharing our highs and lows for the day. We share the low first so that we can end it on a high note. You can learn a lot of things about your children by doing this simple activity.
* This is also the time we learn and review our current Bible memory verse or have short devotionals.
* There are so many other great and fun things to make this daily endeavor successful and enjoyable. We are by no means perfect, but we are learning and making a lot of memories in the process.
Not many in my family would have thought this 180 degree change possible, but remember nothing is impossible with God. And He can do so much more than we can even dream or know to ask for. As I reflect on this post it all seems so silly. Like I said before, this is not a miracle most would think of. Some will find it humorous, others may find it offensive (I hope not), but this miracle truly has changed our family forever.
(A comical side note: I use to think the food network or cooking shows were incredibly boring and could not really understand why people could waste their time watching it (Cake Boss the lone exception). Post-miracle: I love them! Now I'm telling you that is absolutely crazy!)
Only By God's Grace I am no longer slaving away in the kitchen!
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
Monday, February 21, 2011
If you can dream it, then it's too small for God.
My husband is a dreamer that is only grounded when others give critical feedback and, subsequently, crush the dream. I am a dreamer that is grounded when I begin to doubt the possibilities. I wish I would not become grounded so easily by my own demise. I wish my husband would not allow himself to be so affected by others. The saddest part of this and hardest to admit is I have often been the dream crusher. I am also an eternal optimist; therefore, I have learned that as long as I allow that attitude to prevail I can relinquish doubt and allow our dreams to take flight.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. --Ephesians 3:20-21
Brian Crump, a minister at our church, stated, "If you can dream it, then it's too small for God." This statement was in reference to the scripture noted above. Our Lord is able to do abundantly exceedingly more than we can even know to ask or dream up. And to think that I could ever even doubt the possibilities when I serve a Lord that can go above and beyond what I even think is impossible or highly unlikely. If I am doubting what can be accomplished when I dream it and make requests to my Father, then I am not putting complete trust and faith in His abilities. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37 and referenced in many other scriptures).
Kevin and I stepped out on faith a year and a half ago to start our own company and fulfill a dream. We desire for it to become more of a mission and servant-oriented business that helps people in need. Kevin's heart is to give generously of his time and talents, but our inherent need of survival makes this seem difficult to achieve. We have our ideas and dreams of where this company can go, but we want to follow God's plan because His plan is bigger and better than our own. We must continue to persevere and trust in the Lord, in His provision, His perfect timing, and remember that His dreams for our lives are bigger and better than we can even comprehend. The term "dream big" is an understatement when we give it to the Father for nothing is impossible with Him.
Only By God's Grace
With much Love,
Callie Ann
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Migraines, Typewriters, & Chocolate
I have had a migraine for the past 17 hours. This is the third one this week. I have taken meds. I tried to rest this morning. I have managed to be productive today. I made myself go to an Aggie girls basketball game with the family including my parents. This was Kylee's first Aggie game. I went to a celebration of a friend's son who passed away 2 years ago. I thought I would skip the blog post today especially since it does not feel very good to stare at the computer screen. But I cannot sleep. I am thankful that I have been able to function today. Sometimes they are so destructive that I am not productive and, basically, out of commission. I do not remember having migraines until after I was hit by 72 year old woman drunk driver when I was sixteen, and I really did not pinpoint this until I was older. People that do not have migraines cannot truly understand how debilitating and painful they can be. I am okay with that because I am truly thankful that they do not suffer like me and so many others do. I loved being pregnant because I rarely had migraines, and that was bliss.
Kevlie Ann was at a birthday party and sleepover last night. She came home this afternoon and shared with me that she typed on a typewriter for the first time. She showed me her paper she typed. It brought back lots of memories. We had recently had a discussion about typewriters. I told her about the first one we had that had been my Mom's in college. It did not allow for corrections unless you had a correction tape. Then I told her about the new one we got that allowed you to type a line in memory before it would "type" it onto the page so that mistakes could be corrected. As I type this, I am even remembering my typing class in high school. I really respected Mrs. Kelch. She was an older lady that could seem a little stern at times, but she was really a great woman with a lot of history and great stories. She really did have a great passion in making sure we learned how to type well. Thank you Mrs. Kelch. Because of you I am rather speedy on the keyboard. I can remember reciting and typing: aaa (space) sss (space) on and on for each row all as a class. It was actually quite musical in a typing sort of way, and you could always hear when a mistake was made. I am grateful to report that I do not have a major parenting mistake or fail to report today. I am thankful that the Lord is more like a computer than a typewriter. My mistakes can be erased all because of Jesus.
These typewriter memories do not seem like that long ago. Have I really been out of high school for 15 years this May? I always remember adults telling me how fast time flew. I did not believe them because all I remember is how long each school year felt. I remember wanting to be another year older starting around 12 years old. I wanted to be a teenager. Next, I wanted to be in high school. I always wanted the next best thing. Time needed to speed up so I could get my license, graduate high school, go to college, get married, and have kids. However, once I had kids I learned how true the statement "time flies" really is. Each year goes by faster than the last. I must really learn to slow down and enjoy each season of my life especially while all of my children are at home. Before I know it they will be out of the house, and it will never be the same. Sometimes I complain about discipline or wishing a child would grow out of a phase, but I am going to start enjoying the good, the bad, and the ugly before they are all grown up. I do not want to live in regret or wish our lives away.
I remember when the twins were born that I was in survival mode. I did not truly enjoy them as babies. I was always looking for the next best accomplishment that would make life a little easier. I figured this out when Colton came along, and I allowed myself to enjoy each milestone instead of rushing it. Now that Kylee is here, I am cherishing it even more because unless God performs more miracles, I know this will be my last. I actually want everything to slow down, but it only feels like it is going faster. I think it is because we are involved in so many things and constantly on the go.
I am getting older, but I do not want to dwell on that. I believe life can become more fun and rewarding with each year. I would rather live life to the fullest and be joyful as I am called to do rather than the alternative. In order to accomplish a life of joy, I must not worry about tomorrow, and I must cherish the bad times as much as the good times. I know that sounds crazy and may not make much sense to most, but then again, please remember I am suffering from a migraine right now. Forrest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." Many people over the years have used this quote, and it is quite true. You never know what you are going to get. I think helps to explain my theory of living in joy and truly enjoying each step of the journey. The chocolate on the outside is always sweet and tastes great, but sometimes I do not always get my favorite flavor on the inside. I usually go ahead and eat it and the good stuff on the outside makes it okay. Other ones taste great inside and out. For me nothing is better than biting into the coconut ones. Life will not ever be perfect this side of heaven, but I can choose to do my best to not let the imperfect times get me down. Even when I have a migraine.
Only By God's Grace...
With much love and joy,
Callie Ann
Kevlie Ann was at a birthday party and sleepover last night. She came home this afternoon and shared with me that she typed on a typewriter for the first time. She showed me her paper she typed. It brought back lots of memories. We had recently had a discussion about typewriters. I told her about the first one we had that had been my Mom's in college. It did not allow for corrections unless you had a correction tape. Then I told her about the new one we got that allowed you to type a line in memory before it would "type" it onto the page so that mistakes could be corrected. As I type this, I am even remembering my typing class in high school. I really respected Mrs. Kelch. She was an older lady that could seem a little stern at times, but she was really a great woman with a lot of history and great stories. She really did have a great passion in making sure we learned how to type well. Thank you Mrs. Kelch. Because of you I am rather speedy on the keyboard. I can remember reciting and typing: aaa (space) sss (space) on and on for each row all as a class. It was actually quite musical in a typing sort of way, and you could always hear when a mistake was made. I am grateful to report that I do not have a major parenting mistake or fail to report today. I am thankful that the Lord is more like a computer than a typewriter. My mistakes can be erased all because of Jesus.
These typewriter memories do not seem like that long ago. Have I really been out of high school for 15 years this May? I always remember adults telling me how fast time flew. I did not believe them because all I remember is how long each school year felt. I remember wanting to be another year older starting around 12 years old. I wanted to be a teenager. Next, I wanted to be in high school. I always wanted the next best thing. Time needed to speed up so I could get my license, graduate high school, go to college, get married, and have kids. However, once I had kids I learned how true the statement "time flies" really is. Each year goes by faster than the last. I must really learn to slow down and enjoy each season of my life especially while all of my children are at home. Before I know it they will be out of the house, and it will never be the same. Sometimes I complain about discipline or wishing a child would grow out of a phase, but I am going to start enjoying the good, the bad, and the ugly before they are all grown up. I do not want to live in regret or wish our lives away.
I remember when the twins were born that I was in survival mode. I did not truly enjoy them as babies. I was always looking for the next best accomplishment that would make life a little easier. I figured this out when Colton came along, and I allowed myself to enjoy each milestone instead of rushing it. Now that Kylee is here, I am cherishing it even more because unless God performs more miracles, I know this will be my last. I actually want everything to slow down, but it only feels like it is going faster. I think it is because we are involved in so many things and constantly on the go.
I am getting older, but I do not want to dwell on that. I believe life can become more fun and rewarding with each year. I would rather live life to the fullest and be joyful as I am called to do rather than the alternative. In order to accomplish a life of joy, I must not worry about tomorrow, and I must cherish the bad times as much as the good times. I know that sounds crazy and may not make much sense to most, but then again, please remember I am suffering from a migraine right now. Forrest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." Many people over the years have used this quote, and it is quite true. You never know what you are going to get. I think helps to explain my theory of living in joy and truly enjoying each step of the journey. The chocolate on the outside is always sweet and tastes great, but sometimes I do not always get my favorite flavor on the inside. I usually go ahead and eat it and the good stuff on the outside makes it okay. Other ones taste great inside and out. For me nothing is better than biting into the coconut ones. Life will not ever be perfect this side of heaven, but I can choose to do my best to not let the imperfect times get me down. Even when I have a migraine.
Only By God's Grace...
With much love and joy,
Callie Ann
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A bunch of hodgepodge.
My husband yanked his tooth out tonight. No kidding. I laughed and he did too. Although, I think he was laughing because he was finally pain free. You see last week when we were both under the weather and feeling quite flu-ish, he bit into something hard at dinner. It immediately brought immense pain. So much so that I had to rush to the store in my "I've been sick all day and don't feel very pretty" clothes to pick up some Orajel. I think that was the quickest I ever been in and out of a store. A dab of the Orajel brought instant relief, albiet temporary relief. Tooth pain is horrible. It had been bothering him off and on all week and was not going to go away. Once the tooth was out we noticed this tooth was rotting away on the inside, but was still quite beautiful on the outside. This reminded me what happens when bitterness takes root in your soul. You slowly start to rot from the inside. On the outside you may seem all put together and say all of the right things, but in reality you are slowly decaying. I know because I have harbored bitterness. The decay starts off slow, and you live in denial for a long time. I have justified my bitterness claiming a victim status. It is just not fair. I have been deceived and flat out lied to. They do not practice what they preach. This victim status turns into a judgemental status. Am I the judge? Do I preside and decide justice? The answer is no. I serve a righteous God who will make sure justice prevails. However, I am called to forgive. I am to forgive even when not asked and further commanded to love my enemies. Forgiveness frees my heart of bitterness, brings a stop to the decay, and brings about restoration and relationship with the Father. Without forgiveness true relationship cannot be had with the Father.
I also must report that I had another failure tonight. Boo. I really did not want to have to share another flaw after my fail yesterday. However, Kevin so graciously reminded me that this blog is giving transparency to our lives in order to humble ourselves before Him, bring Him Glory and learn life lessons in the process. Needless to say, Kevin had to remind me of our current family memory verse.
I also must report that I had another failure tonight. Boo. I really did not want to have to share another flaw after my fail yesterday. However, Kevin so graciously reminded me that this blog is giving transparency to our lives in order to humble ourselves before Him, bring Him Glory and learn life lessons in the process. Needless to say, Kevin had to remind me of our current family memory verse.
Kind (gracious/pleasant) words are like a honeycomb; sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24
You see I was self-consumed in watching a story on the 700 Club (of all shows), and Colton was in the process of opening the back door. I asked him not to (and I had good reasons), but he proceeded. This is where it all went wrong. As he opened the door I jumped up to remind him that I told him not to open the door. He raised his voice and said, "I can open it if I want to." I replied with a raised voice, "No you cannot open it if you want to." I then proceeded to give one soft spank on the bum and sat him in time out right in front of the back door. This was a horrible discipline moment. I crushed his spirit, and the tears loudly followed. All because I wanted to see this segment, which I ended up totally missing anyway. Kevin kindly rebuked me and ever so calmly began to recite our memory verse. I was caught and stunned like a deer in the headlights. Only By God's Grace and mercy did He end up turning this ugly moment into a beautiful and tenderhearted teaching moment. I apologized to Colton, asked him a series of questions, and basically re-enacted what should have taken place. This was all because we are holding each other accountable, and, more importantly, the Holy Spirit has increased his vocabulary. A little later my sweet boy (that does not get in trouble very often) was sitting with me in the recliner, and he randomly said, "Hey, Mommy, I love you." How precious is that! Thank you Jesus that children are so quick to forgive and forget! Children set a great example of true forgiveness and love. My heart just melted.
One more thing, my Colton is so funny. God really gifted him with a great sense of humor. He came out of mine and Kevin's shower this evening still dripping from not drying off very well. He walked up to me and asked me if he smelled of Cranberries & Blue. I did not quite understand at first, but then he said, "You know, handsome." I replied with a strong yes and bear hug. You see he was using Kevin's Old Spice body wash. The bottle is a cranberry-red and blue color, and he knows Mommy thinks it makes Daddy smell handsome. (I think Kevlie Ann had told him it was cranberry in color.)
This blog entry was titled A Bunch of Hodgepodge because I thought that I was going to be sharing several different stories that did not tie in very well and some other funny stuff that happened today. It is ironic that after typing it up, the tooth story and my failure at discipline and resulting forgiveness ended up relating. I also had some other lessons learned from Calvin today, but I have now decided that would make this post too long. I will say that I am extremely proud of Calvin today for how hard he worked at checking all of the items off of his list when he got home from school. He completed the jobs in record time, and he learned a lot in the process. It brings me great joy to see him maturing into a young man.
Kevin has been reading my blogs. I asked him if they were any good. He replied, "Yes, but I feel like I am living them." We laughed and I was glad that was his response because it means I am being truly transparent.
In case any of you were wondering, Kevin will be putting his tooth under his pillow. Kevlie Ann is quite hopeful that he will receive a visit even though he is an adult. I think Kevin is quite hopeful as well.
Only By God's Grace
With much love,
Callie Ann
Friday, February 18, 2011
Confession: I am a night owl.
After being up with Kylee several nights ago, I still have my days and nights mixed up. Even though this is the way I prefer it, I still had to learn a tough lesson on responsibility.
My post for yesterday, that did not actually get posted until early this morning, included the following:
And when my flesh fails and falls short, I will humbly approach the Lord thankful that He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.
Only mere hours after this post, I failed and fell way short. There are no excuses. I was not dependable and downright irresponsible. I know it is because of the choice I made in not getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
First of all, the alarm to wake the kids for school was set, but I neglected to set the alarm for Bible Study. My wonderful husband woke the kids and got them to school like he does every morning. Colton and Kylee were still asleep so I decided to stay snuggled up in bed. I awoke around 8:45am thanking the Lord that he had been my alarm so that I could at least throw myself together and make it to CBS. I struggled for the strength to actually get up out of bed. Why did I not immediately ask for that strength? I do not know why, but I did not. Another lesson I will have to learn the hard way. I have done this before, and I obviously I still struggle with this at times. Is this not similar to situations that I fuss at my eldest son for...repetitive disobedience for rather simple things? Yes, it is. I guess that makes me a hypocrite. I do not like that word. I definitely do not like when I have to confess it. I will have to be sure to tell Calvin of my failures and hope that helps him too. I will also have to try and be more merciful. Thankfully, my Lord is merciful and loves me despite my failures.
Evidently, I dozed off, but then suddenly jumped out of my bed thinking it must have only been a few minutes. I hurried to my bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put on my contacts. On my way to wake up Colton, I passed the clock. I noticed it said 10:15. WHAT?!? How did that happen? You mean I dozed off for over an hour. Well, actually, closer to an hour and a half. Crazy. Crazier is that Colton and Kylee were still asleep. Needless to say, I did not make it to Bible Study, and I am supposed to be a leader. This year I am teaching the baby class. Honestly, it is more like I love on the babies for several hours. I do not really do a lesson with them, but we do sing to them. I was so embarassed to have to notify my children's director what had happened. I admitted my failure with no excuses.
When I have a responsibility and people are depending on me, staying up too late cannot be an excuse. I do believe there are some acceptable excuses, but this is not one of them. I must admit I am nocturnal; I am a night owl to the fullest. I am so much more productive at night maybe because it is just me and it is peaceful. I have tried the going to bed early and morning thing, but it just does not work for me. I have prayed my whole life to be changed and become a morning person. I know the Lord can change this, but it has not happened yet even with my attempts to valiantly try. However, He is in the process of changing some other things right now that are nothing short of a miracle and amazing, but I will save that to share another day. Maybe this is on His list, but we just are not there yet. Probably because these other changes are a higher priority. I must admit that I am really finding joy in these changes!
I did receive some night owl vinidication in one of the several books I am reading right now. Dr. Richard Swenson in his book More Than Meets the Eye states that he is also a night person. He says that he does his best writing from 10pm-7am, and something to the effect that we would not want to read anything that he does not write during those hours. (By the way, this is a great read about God's power and design!) I do not know that I am ready to jump on the bandwagon that I was created to be a night person; probably because I would like to work my way to becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. Nevertheless, it was still nice to read this and be okay with it for now. I will say that I still try to limit how late I stay up because it is really hard to be an effective Mommy without a lot of sleep, and I am not one that does well on too little sleep. Hmmm... Staying up late, but my body needs lots of sleep...that is a double whammy! Ouch.
I will be more disciplined tonight...Hoot.Hoot.
Much Love and Goodnight,
Callie Ann
I thought I was done, but I went to grab Dr. Swenson's book to make sure I had the right title and decided to post the early bird/night owl excerpt:
This leads to the somewhat related and often misunderstood issue of night owls versus early birds. It is important to understand that there are legitimate physiologic differences between the two. Without a gracious understanding of these differences we tend to unnecessarily criticize one another. The early bird thinks the night owl is lazy for not rising to meet the dawn, while the night owl thinks the early bird has no stamina for late night work. Personally, my productivity is greatly enhanced in the evening and even late night. Ninety percent of my writing occurs between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00A.M. If I were to switch styles and get up early to write, it would be a complete waste of time.
The above was taken from the brain/sleep section of his book. (I even feel more reassured about being a night owl after re-reading and typing out this excerpt. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.) He also states that God could have created us without the need for sleep, but He didn't and for purposes and reasons only He fully knows. Did you know that fish do not sleep (they do not even have eyelids)? that Giraffes only sleep about 10 minutes per day? that dolphins sleep with just half of their brain at a time so the other half can keep them swimming? that cows get three hours of sleep every twenty-four hours? Fascinating! Okay, I will stop now. Goodnight for real this time.
My post for yesterday, that did not actually get posted until early this morning, included the following:
And when my flesh fails and falls short, I will humbly approach the Lord thankful that He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.
Only mere hours after this post, I failed and fell way short. There are no excuses. I was not dependable and downright irresponsible. I know it is because of the choice I made in not getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
First of all, the alarm to wake the kids for school was set, but I neglected to set the alarm for Bible Study. My wonderful husband woke the kids and got them to school like he does every morning. Colton and Kylee were still asleep so I decided to stay snuggled up in bed. I awoke around 8:45am thanking the Lord that he had been my alarm so that I could at least throw myself together and make it to CBS. I struggled for the strength to actually get up out of bed. Why did I not immediately ask for that strength? I do not know why, but I did not. Another lesson I will have to learn the hard way. I have done this before, and I obviously I still struggle with this at times. Is this not similar to situations that I fuss at my eldest son for...repetitive disobedience for rather simple things? Yes, it is. I guess that makes me a hypocrite. I do not like that word. I definitely do not like when I have to confess it. I will have to be sure to tell Calvin of my failures and hope that helps him too. I will also have to try and be more merciful. Thankfully, my Lord is merciful and loves me despite my failures.
Evidently, I dozed off, but then suddenly jumped out of my bed thinking it must have only been a few minutes. I hurried to my bathroom, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and put on my contacts. On my way to wake up Colton, I passed the clock. I noticed it said 10:15. WHAT?!? How did that happen? You mean I dozed off for over an hour. Well, actually, closer to an hour and a half. Crazy. Crazier is that Colton and Kylee were still asleep. Needless to say, I did not make it to Bible Study, and I am supposed to be a leader. This year I am teaching the baby class. Honestly, it is more like I love on the babies for several hours. I do not really do a lesson with them, but we do sing to them. I was so embarassed to have to notify my children's director what had happened. I admitted my failure with no excuses.
When I have a responsibility and people are depending on me, staying up too late cannot be an excuse. I do believe there are some acceptable excuses, but this is not one of them. I must admit I am nocturnal; I am a night owl to the fullest. I am so much more productive at night maybe because it is just me and it is peaceful. I have tried the going to bed early and morning thing, but it just does not work for me. I have prayed my whole life to be changed and become a morning person. I know the Lord can change this, but it has not happened yet even with my attempts to valiantly try. However, He is in the process of changing some other things right now that are nothing short of a miracle and amazing, but I will save that to share another day. Maybe this is on His list, but we just are not there yet. Probably because these other changes are a higher priority. I must admit that I am really finding joy in these changes!
I did receive some night owl vinidication in one of the several books I am reading right now. Dr. Richard Swenson in his book More Than Meets the Eye states that he is also a night person. He says that he does his best writing from 10pm-7am, and something to the effect that we would not want to read anything that he does not write during those hours. (By the way, this is a great read about God's power and design!) I do not know that I am ready to jump on the bandwagon that I was created to be a night person; probably because I would like to work my way to becoming a Proverbs 31 woman. Nevertheless, it was still nice to read this and be okay with it for now. I will say that I still try to limit how late I stay up because it is really hard to be an effective Mommy without a lot of sleep, and I am not one that does well on too little sleep. Hmmm... Staying up late, but my body needs lots of sleep...that is a double whammy! Ouch.
I will be more disciplined tonight...Hoot.Hoot.
Much Love and Goodnight,
Callie Ann
I thought I was done, but I went to grab Dr. Swenson's book to make sure I had the right title and decided to post the early bird/night owl excerpt:
This leads to the somewhat related and often misunderstood issue of night owls versus early birds. It is important to understand that there are legitimate physiologic differences between the two. Without a gracious understanding of these differences we tend to unnecessarily criticize one another. The early bird thinks the night owl is lazy for not rising to meet the dawn, while the night owl thinks the early bird has no stamina for late night work. Personally, my productivity is greatly enhanced in the evening and even late night. Ninety percent of my writing occurs between 10:00 P.M. and 7:00A.M. If I were to switch styles and get up early to write, it would be a complete waste of time.
The above was taken from the brain/sleep section of his book. (I even feel more reassured about being a night owl after re-reading and typing out this excerpt. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing.) He also states that God could have created us without the need for sleep, but He didn't and for purposes and reasons only He fully knows. Did you know that fish do not sleep (they do not even have eyelids)? that Giraffes only sleep about 10 minutes per day? that dolphins sleep with just half of their brain at a time so the other half can keep them swimming? that cows get three hours of sleep every twenty-four hours? Fascinating! Okay, I will stop now. Goodnight for real this time.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Grief can turn into Joy.
I should not be up right now. I sat down to start my blog posting at 10:30pm, but I am almost embarassed that the time this will be posted...don't look. I usually catch up on my facebook, read others blogs, and pray before I start my blog. After the day I had today, I thought I was certain of my blogpost for the evening until a facebook post rocked my world. This friend had originally shared the story of The Sullivans just days before Sara's passing seeking prayer requests. Even though I do not know them, I prayed, celebrated and grieved with them by following their blog. For some reason...maybe just the excuse of life and my own pregnancy...I had stopped reading the blog. Well, I missed out on a lot of blessings. However, the great thing is that I was able to spend several hours tonight catching up by reading the blog, watching videos and reading articles. The new chapters to their story brought even more tears...happy ones this time. I was so thankful and blessed that my friend had reposted this update to their lives. It was fun to read and see how God answers prayer and how He alone can turn grief into joy. He is in control. It will take me days to truly reflect, appreciate, and learn what God wants to teach me through their situation, but there are several things that already stand out to me.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts that your thoughts."
--Isaiah 55:8-9
There are things this side of heaven that we will just not understand. I must remember that God is sovereign. I am learning the meaning of this more and more. God is in control, and I am so thankful that I can rest in that daily. It is interesting that in the same thought that I can think that I do not understand, I can also reflect and see a bigger picture of how the Lord works and uses these misunderstandings to bring so many others to Him and, more importantly, bring Him Glory. I am increasingly thankful and grateful that the Lord allows us to reflect on the past and at times see glimpes of His purposes and workings in our lives. When times are tough that is sometimes one of the things I hold on to; the ability that down the road I can look back and say okay Lord I know that you were doing much bigger things than I could see or understand at the time.
Behold, children are a gift from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. --Psalm 127:3
Just a reminder what incredible blessings and gifts children are. I love how Jesus loved the children and wanted them to come to Him. I love that children are each born with the incredible gift of bringing laughter, joy, and even healing to us without even knowing the profound impact they are having. They are so dependent on us for survival, yet at the same time they are selfless, humble servants in their own special way.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. --Psalm 139:16
Our days are numbered. In Psalm 39 David asks for the Lord to show him his life's end and the number of days to let him know how fleeting his life is. He continues that his days are a mere handbreath and the span of his years is as nothing before the Lord. Further into the same Psalm, David proclaims that his hope is in the Lord. James further reminds me that we are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. I am thankful that I do not know the number of my days or my family's days. I guess if I did know, then it would make each day more important or pressing. Why do I not already live this way? Life is short and precious here on earth, and I am privileged to be able to enjoy it even though I know the beauty of heaven is unfathomable. I will live life to the fullest. I will not worry about tomorrow because I am not even promised tomorrow. I will follow the dreams the Lord has placed on my heart. I will choose to be joyful and thankful in all circumstances. I will trust in the provision of the Lord and obey His law. I will give forgiveness even if I am not asked for it. I will love the Lord with all of my heart, soul and mind. I will model and pass these things on as a legacy to my children. And when my flesh fails and falls short, I will humbly approach the Lord thankful that He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.
A brief, but extremely inspirational, video about Sullivan's Journey is below. The Sullivan family blog can be viewed at http://www.bandssullivan.blogspot.com/. I encourage you to check it out. Sara's life is still impacting so many almost a year and half after her passing. Her husband, Brady, shares with a sincere and honest transparency that is also extremely inspirational. I did not know Sara, but I think if our paths had ever crossed we could have been good friends. I am also so encouraged with the way the Lord has given comfort and healing through the encouragement of His body of believers and a new love and growing family.
(Okay so that last paragraph kind of sounded like what would be written on the back cover of a dramatic/romantic/inspirational novel. That was so unintentional, but can you not tell that I have been touched? I think I need to go to bed...)
Only By God's Grace will I feel rested in the morning :-)
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts that your thoughts."
--Isaiah 55:8-9
There are things this side of heaven that we will just not understand. I must remember that God is sovereign. I am learning the meaning of this more and more. God is in control, and I am so thankful that I can rest in that daily. It is interesting that in the same thought that I can think that I do not understand, I can also reflect and see a bigger picture of how the Lord works and uses these misunderstandings to bring so many others to Him and, more importantly, bring Him Glory. I am increasingly thankful and grateful that the Lord allows us to reflect on the past and at times see glimpes of His purposes and workings in our lives. When times are tough that is sometimes one of the things I hold on to; the ability that down the road I can look back and say okay Lord I know that you were doing much bigger things than I could see or understand at the time.
Behold, children are a gift from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. --Psalm 127:3
Just a reminder what incredible blessings and gifts children are. I love how Jesus loved the children and wanted them to come to Him. I love that children are each born with the incredible gift of bringing laughter, joy, and even healing to us without even knowing the profound impact they are having. They are so dependent on us for survival, yet at the same time they are selfless, humble servants in their own special way.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. --Psalm 139:16
Our days are numbered. In Psalm 39 David asks for the Lord to show him his life's end and the number of days to let him know how fleeting his life is. He continues that his days are a mere handbreath and the span of his years is as nothing before the Lord. Further into the same Psalm, David proclaims that his hope is in the Lord. James further reminds me that we are but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. I am thankful that I do not know the number of my days or my family's days. I guess if I did know, then it would make each day more important or pressing. Why do I not already live this way? Life is short and precious here on earth, and I am privileged to be able to enjoy it even though I know the beauty of heaven is unfathomable. I will live life to the fullest. I will not worry about tomorrow because I am not even promised tomorrow. I will follow the dreams the Lord has placed on my heart. I will choose to be joyful and thankful in all circumstances. I will trust in the provision of the Lord and obey His law. I will give forgiveness even if I am not asked for it. I will love the Lord with all of my heart, soul and mind. I will model and pass these things on as a legacy to my children. And when my flesh fails and falls short, I will humbly approach the Lord thankful that He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning.
A brief, but extremely inspirational, video about Sullivan's Journey is below. The Sullivan family blog can be viewed at http://www.bandssullivan.blogspot.com/. I encourage you to check it out. Sara's life is still impacting so many almost a year and half after her passing. Her husband, Brady, shares with a sincere and honest transparency that is also extremely inspirational. I did not know Sara, but I think if our paths had ever crossed we could have been good friends. I am also so encouraged with the way the Lord has given comfort and healing through the encouragement of His body of believers and a new love and growing family.
(Okay so that last paragraph kind of sounded like what would be written on the back cover of a dramatic/romantic/inspirational novel. That was so unintentional, but can you not tell that I have been touched? I think I need to go to bed...)
Only By God's Grace will I feel rested in the morning :-)
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
We will hide Your Word in our hearts.
I will admit that I was inspired and encouraged by a friend from college, who happens to be an amazing children's author and blogger, to start memorizing verses throughout the year. Erica does not realize it, but she has been holding me accountable. She has been great to post the verses she is memorizing each 1st and 15th of the month. I will try to do the same. It is tough to choose only one verse or section of verses at a time. As I was trying to decide the first one for the year, it was impressed upon my heart that I would choose them based upon the stage or season our family was in. I was also going to have to be aware of choosing verses that my children can understand, memorize, and use in their daily lives.
First, to play a little catch up.
Our initial verse was:
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
Kevin chose this verse because he thought it would serve to set the initial impact on the children that we would be focusing on memorizing scripture throughout the year to hide in our heart. The lesson was that if we commit these scriptures to memory, then we are able to use them. This morning I heard a quote at Bible Study: "When you memorize scripture, it increases the Holy Spirit's vocabulary." I do not know where the quote originated, but I love the practicality and truth it speaks. It was a great day to hear this to reaffirm our family scripture memory, especially on the 15th when a new scripture is introduced.
Our second verse for January was:
Be joyful always,
Pray continually,
Give thanks in everything;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I cannot begin to tell you how impactful this verse has been. It has been used on multiple occasions especially when break downs are occuring. I have used it myself numerous times to change my attitude. It really is a great reminder when sometimes I am just down in the dumps (or when sickness seems to take up permanent residence). That is not how Christ wants me to live. Our entire family has been blessed by this, and one of my friends even shared last week how she was reminded to be joyful after reading one of my facebook posts the day before. I was so thankful and blessed by the fact that she shared that with me because it reminds me that joyfulness is contagious! This was a rather long verse for Colton to memorize so he was only encouraged to remember, "Be joyful, pray, and give thanks."
Our first verse for February was:
Let us love one another for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7
I will admit that I cheated a little with this one because we all already had this one memorized. This is a CBS (Community Bible Study) verse that is set to a tune. I must say music helps all ages to remember verses! I decided to use it partly because the previous verse had been so long and more challenging for the kids to remember. However, I also chose it because of the Valentine season it would encompass.
Those now bring us to today; the 1st and 15th are the days we introduce new scripture. For the past few days I have come upon so many great scriptures and was really having a tough time narrowing it down. But one stood out above the rest last night as I was reflecting over my blogs the past couple of days.
Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24
There are so many great verses about our words, but I chose this one because I can use creative ways to help us remember it. I must admit that we did not get to introduce this tonight because it was a rushed evening, but we will tomorrow at our family dinner. I plan to have honey for them to taste to help cement a memory and start the discussion on our words that we speak. I anticipate that this will be one the Holy Spirit pulls out of the vocabulary to use on a regular basis.
I also thought I would share my friend's blog mentioned earlier because it brings me such great encouragement. You can be encouraged by Erica Stidham at Amazing Adventures Await. From there you can check out her new series for children, Those Silly Sisters.
Only By God's Grace
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
First, to play a little catch up.
Our initial verse was:
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11
Kevin chose this verse because he thought it would serve to set the initial impact on the children that we would be focusing on memorizing scripture throughout the year to hide in our heart. The lesson was that if we commit these scriptures to memory, then we are able to use them. This morning I heard a quote at Bible Study: "When you memorize scripture, it increases the Holy Spirit's vocabulary." I do not know where the quote originated, but I love the practicality and truth it speaks. It was a great day to hear this to reaffirm our family scripture memory, especially on the 15th when a new scripture is introduced.
Our second verse for January was:
Be joyful always,
Pray continually,
Give thanks in everything;
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I cannot begin to tell you how impactful this verse has been. It has been used on multiple occasions especially when break downs are occuring. I have used it myself numerous times to change my attitude. It really is a great reminder when sometimes I am just down in the dumps (or when sickness seems to take up permanent residence). That is not how Christ wants me to live. Our entire family has been blessed by this, and one of my friends even shared last week how she was reminded to be joyful after reading one of my facebook posts the day before. I was so thankful and blessed by the fact that she shared that with me because it reminds me that joyfulness is contagious! This was a rather long verse for Colton to memorize so he was only encouraged to remember, "Be joyful, pray, and give thanks."
Our first verse for February was:
Let us love one another for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7
I will admit that I cheated a little with this one because we all already had this one memorized. This is a CBS (Community Bible Study) verse that is set to a tune. I must say music helps all ages to remember verses! I decided to use it partly because the previous verse had been so long and more challenging for the kids to remember. However, I also chose it because of the Valentine season it would encompass.
Those now bring us to today; the 1st and 15th are the days we introduce new scripture. For the past few days I have come upon so many great scriptures and was really having a tough time narrowing it down. But one stood out above the rest last night as I was reflecting over my blogs the past couple of days.
Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24
There are so many great verses about our words, but I chose this one because I can use creative ways to help us remember it. I must admit that we did not get to introduce this tonight because it was a rushed evening, but we will tomorrow at our family dinner. I plan to have honey for them to taste to help cement a memory and start the discussion on our words that we speak. I anticipate that this will be one the Holy Spirit pulls out of the vocabulary to use on a regular basis.
I also thought I would share my friend's blog mentioned earlier because it brings me such great encouragement. You can be encouraged by Erica Stidham at Amazing Adventures Await. From there you can check out her new series for children, Those Silly Sisters.
Only By God's Grace
With Much Love,
Callie Ann
I will be a faithful prayer warrior.
Last week I felt pretty crummy, and the past two days I have still been sluggish. However, on this Valentine morning I was singing love songs to the Lord and also to Colton and Kylee. Colton said, "Mom are you feeling better or something?" I told him that I was, but it spoke even more to my heart that the little ones can really read how you are feeling by the smallest things you say or do. This was just a further confirmation of the things I shared yesterday. The Lord just has a way of making sure you get the point!
I originally thought that my focus today would be on LOVE, but He had other plans. Prayer was on my mind all day today. I was thinking about how many times in the last couple of days that I told or posted on their facebook that I'll be praying for you or praying for the family. I think even just from last night to now I have stated this at least half a dozen times. I have told a friend who lost his father, a 2nd cousin who lost his daughter, a close friend who lost her son 2 years ago, an older man who lost his daughter 27 years ago and still feeling the sting, a friend overwhelmed by preparing for a wedding, a friend whose family is full of sickness and in need of healing, a 4 month old girl I don't personally know going through chemotherapy that I would be praying for them and their families just within the past 24 hours or so. I know there have been many times where I have said this with great intentions but not followed through or ashamedly forgotten until something happens and lightning strikes my memory. I'm sure many others suffer from this same condition. It is so easy to say that you will pray for someone, and sometimes I feel like it is the only thing I know to say in certain circumstances.
This Prayer LOFT (lack of follow-thru) condition (as I have termed it...make note there are a lot of LOFT conditions) is something that has been on mind a lot in the past few years. I know it is a good thing for it to be on the front of my mind and uncomfortable on my heart because it has helped me to remember to keep my prayer commitments and not fall into LOFT. I have made an intentional effort to not even say or type it if I am not going to genuinely follow-thru with it. I desire to be a trustworthy prayer warrior that people know and can feel encouraged that when I say I am going to praying for them that I genuinely will be interceding for them with the Father whether it is for comfort from grief, finding joy, celebrating praises, asking for healing...the list goes on and on. I don't always have an opportunity to write it down, but I have made it a practice to immediately lift up whatever I have promised to the Father even if it is ever so brief. This is a positive example of the way reciting just once can do for you from my post yesterday. Even just lifting it up quickly right away puts a heartstamp on my soul and mind that makes it hard to forget. I am more likely to bathe it in prayer later once I have made the initial connection and request of the Father.
There are so many prayers to be made on a daily basis. Besides all of the prayers for others, I also have so many prayers for my own family. This has turned into a practice of praying throughout the day while driving, doing laundry, resting, or cooking. Basically, it requires me to pray during times of my regular daily activity which makes these times much more joyful, enjoyable, and more significant. In reality, I could not cover everything in prayer that I would like to cover on a daily basis even if I truly prayed every waking minute. This brings me to the lesson I so often forget. The Lord says to come to Him and pray continually, to ask and you shall receive. I believe our Lord is still in the business of healing and performing miracles. Nevertheless, I believe being truly thankful to the Lord is often forgotten. I also believe that the true Worship quality of prayer is often skimmed over or left out entirely. I know I have been guilty of this many times. Lately, the Lord has shown me that what is truly honoring to Him is to worship Him. The intercession is also important, but I am reminded that He knows what is on my mind even before I speak it. He knows what is on my heart. He knows who I am hurting for, aching with, or celebrating. My desire is to discover true worship that will bring me into an even deeper relationship with my Father. My prayer time is actually becoming my relationship time with my Father which is the way it is meant to be and is so much sweeter and such a blessing to me.
One other thing I want to share on this Valentine's Day. I posted this on facebook, but it was so cute that I wanted to share it here as well. Kevin and I
Only By God's Grace
With much Love,
Callie Ann
I originally thought that my focus today would be on LOVE, but He had other plans. Prayer was on my mind all day today. I was thinking about how many times in the last couple of days that I told or posted on their facebook that I'll be praying for you or praying for the family. I think even just from last night to now I have stated this at least half a dozen times. I have told a friend who lost his father, a 2nd cousin who lost his daughter, a close friend who lost her son 2 years ago, an older man who lost his daughter 27 years ago and still feeling the sting, a friend overwhelmed by preparing for a wedding, a friend whose family is full of sickness and in need of healing, a 4 month old girl I don't personally know going through chemotherapy that I would be praying for them and their families just within the past 24 hours or so. I know there have been many times where I have said this with great intentions but not followed through or ashamedly forgotten until something happens and lightning strikes my memory. I'm sure many others suffer from this same condition. It is so easy to say that you will pray for someone, and sometimes I feel like it is the only thing I know to say in certain circumstances.
This Prayer LOFT (lack of follow-thru) condition (as I have termed it...make note there are a lot of LOFT conditions) is something that has been on mind a lot in the past few years. I know it is a good thing for it to be on the front of my mind and uncomfortable on my heart because it has helped me to remember to keep my prayer commitments and not fall into LOFT. I have made an intentional effort to not even say or type it if I am not going to genuinely follow-thru with it. I desire to be a trustworthy prayer warrior that people know and can feel encouraged that when I say I am going to praying for them that I genuinely will be interceding for them with the Father whether it is for comfort from grief, finding joy, celebrating praises, asking for healing...the list goes on and on. I don't always have an opportunity to write it down, but I have made it a practice to immediately lift up whatever I have promised to the Father even if it is ever so brief. This is a positive example of the way reciting just once can do for you from my post yesterday. Even just lifting it up quickly right away puts a heartstamp on my soul and mind that makes it hard to forget. I am more likely to bathe it in prayer later once I have made the initial connection and request of the Father.
There are so many prayers to be made on a daily basis. Besides all of the prayers for others, I also have so many prayers for my own family. This has turned into a practice of praying throughout the day while driving, doing laundry, resting, or cooking. Basically, it requires me to pray during times of my regular daily activity which makes these times much more joyful, enjoyable, and more significant. In reality, I could not cover everything in prayer that I would like to cover on a daily basis even if I truly prayed every waking minute. This brings me to the lesson I so often forget. The Lord says to come to Him and pray continually, to ask and you shall receive. I believe our Lord is still in the business of healing and performing miracles. Nevertheless, I believe being truly thankful to the Lord is often forgotten. I also believe that the true Worship quality of prayer is often skimmed over or left out entirely. I know I have been guilty of this many times. Lately, the Lord has shown me that what is truly honoring to Him is to worship Him. The intercession is also important, but I am reminded that He knows what is on my mind even before I speak it. He knows what is on my heart. He knows who I am hurting for, aching with, or celebrating. My desire is to discover true worship that will bring me into an even deeper relationship with my Father. My prayer time is actually becoming my relationship time with my Father which is the way it is meant to be and is so much sweeter and such a blessing to me.
One other thing I want to share on this Valentine's Day. I posted this on facebook, but it was so cute that I wanted to share it here as well. Kevin and I
Only By God's Grace
With much Love,
Callie Ann
Monday, February 14, 2011
I have many choices to make.
Last night as I wrapped up my first evening of blogging, I basked in my accomplishment of completing something that has been on my heart for a long time. (I looked back on my profile and noticed I set up my account back in Dec 2008!) I snuggled into bed and just as I was drifting into a good sleep I was awoken by my precious Kylee's crying a little after 2 a.m. I waited just a moment before the sound of it made me realize this was not just a shift in her sleep cycles. She was in pain. She loves to snuggle with me, she loves for me to sing to her, and she loves for me to pat her. None of these things worked for long, and then memories from her first 5 months of her life came rushing back.
I often jokingly say that she did not get the 4th child memo because in the beginning she was by far the most difficult. All three of the others were sleeping 12 hours a night at 2 to 3 months old, and they rarely fussed. My miracle baby (a story to share another day), Kylee, became extremely irritable at about 6 weeks and rarely happy. It was so sad to know she was in pain, but also frustrating at times. We tried different reflux medicines before finding out she had a milk allergy. This meant I had to remove all dairy from my diet. This did not totally soothe her, and not long after we realized she was even more allergic to soy. After eliminating dairy and soy from my diet she became a much happier and fun baby. This is a difficult change to make because many products purchased or ordered from restaurants include these ingredients. I have learned through trial that she can tolerate small amounts of dairy if it has been baked or cooked into a meal, but I cannot have a direct source like cheese, milk, ice-cream, etc. Well, I grated a small amount of parmesan on top of the dinner I had fixed last night. It looked so good, and I caved. I thought surely a couple of thin grated pieces of parmesan will not hurt anything. Obviously, this was bad judgement, a wrong choice made, and there were consequences to follow. I was up with Kylee until 7 a.m. Just as my alarm was going off to get ready for church, I was crawling into my bed.
As I sat up with her trying to give her comfort, singing and praying, I was able to think about a lot of things. (Although I am not sure how I was able to think with the crying.) I felt so guilty that something I chose to put in my body could have such a negative and painful impact on my precious baby girl. I even felt more guilty that in this instance I had knowingly put something in my body that could possibly bring her discomfort. As I struggled through these 5 hours with Kylee and my Father, I realized that things we subject our body to can have profound impacts on those around us. Most will not start cramping and crying in pain, but they are affected nonetheless. These "things" that come to mind include our senses and our attitudes. When I have a bad or down attitude, the rancid aroma seeps out for others to inhale or be clouded by. My eyes and ears can watch and hear things that are permanently etched into the files of my mind. Sometimes I can recite these things that I have heard or seen with my tongue that can bring pain to others through gossip, poor choice of language, or a multitude of other things. These things do not bring Glory to my Father, which is my purpose on this earth.
Now that I have children, I am even more aware of these things and I am so sensitive to what they are exposed to. For example, many do not understand why I do not let them watch Spongebob, but as a parent even though some things were funny as an adult I knew I did not want them repeating it. Their growing minds could not handle or understand all that was said or even sometimes how they treated each other in the show. As they have gotten older it has become even harder to watch t.v. because so much is inappropriate for them to see or hear. I understand that they cannot necessarily be kept in a bubble their whole lives, but at the same time His Word is clear to not imitate what is evil but what is good. Kevlie Ann & Calvin, my 3rd grade twins, see & hear things on a daily basis including school, t.v., Mommy or Daddy's attitude, and, sometimes, even church, that they so innocently and unknowingly repeat and question Kevin and me about. Almost daily I ask the question, "Do you know what that means?" The answer is usually a no or I forgot. I respond that if you do not know what you are speaking about then it should not be spoken. This almost always results in a deeper conversation to help them understand. There is in fact a list of things they are currently deeply questioning that I am praying through and studying the best way to talk about these more challenging issues. All of my children are in training, and it is a daily battle to teach right and wrong and why some things should not be watched or spoken. I believe that when something is only spoken once that it is so easy to become a habit or slave to sin. This applies to actions too. I am also constantly reminding them that they also set an example for their siblings, and (almost) 4 year old Colton wants to copy everything the big kids say and do. In Proverbs it states that "the tongue has the power of life and death." Why not speak life?
This reminds me of when my twins were younger, and we would be around other children their age. When I was shocked at something that was said or done, I use to laughingly say, "oh they must have older siblings at home". Most of the time these things were quite funny and entertaining from the mouths of innocent children. Now with Colton running around wanting to be big, we are that family where new moms and dads must be thinking, "oh they must have older siblings at home". I am sure we will face the same thing with Kylee.
Tonight was a blog night where I had many "insightful" things to share running through my mind. I wish I burned calories for all the miles my mind runs! I thought that I should just start a list to refer to for when the day comes that I do not have anything to say, but then I realized that would be Callie Ann hijacking the blog. I did not start a list. Many of you that know me well are probably laughing right now and thinking to yourself, "that girl will never run out of things to say or share what is on her mind." I hope I did bring a laugh. Laughter is medicine for the soul and can almost immediately change your attitude and also give a positive impact on those around us!
Even as an adult, I am constantly in training to make better choices about what I put into my body to have a positive impact on others and bring Glory to my Father...
Only By God's Grace.
With much love,
Callie Ann
I often jokingly say that she did not get the 4th child memo because in the beginning she was by far the most difficult. All three of the others were sleeping 12 hours a night at 2 to 3 months old, and they rarely fussed. My miracle baby (a story to share another day), Kylee, became extremely irritable at about 6 weeks and rarely happy. It was so sad to know she was in pain, but also frustrating at times. We tried different reflux medicines before finding out she had a milk allergy. This meant I had to remove all dairy from my diet. This did not totally soothe her, and not long after we realized she was even more allergic to soy. After eliminating dairy and soy from my diet she became a much happier and fun baby. This is a difficult change to make because many products purchased or ordered from restaurants include these ingredients. I have learned through trial that she can tolerate small amounts of dairy if it has been baked or cooked into a meal, but I cannot have a direct source like cheese, milk, ice-cream, etc. Well, I grated a small amount of parmesan on top of the dinner I had fixed last night. It looked so good, and I caved. I thought surely a couple of thin grated pieces of parmesan will not hurt anything. Obviously, this was bad judgement, a wrong choice made, and there were consequences to follow. I was up with Kylee until 7 a.m. Just as my alarm was going off to get ready for church, I was crawling into my bed.
As I sat up with her trying to give her comfort, singing and praying, I was able to think about a lot of things. (Although I am not sure how I was able to think with the crying.) I felt so guilty that something I chose to put in my body could have such a negative and painful impact on my precious baby girl. I even felt more guilty that in this instance I had knowingly put something in my body that could possibly bring her discomfort. As I struggled through these 5 hours with Kylee and my Father, I realized that things we subject our body to can have profound impacts on those around us. Most will not start cramping and crying in pain, but they are affected nonetheless. These "things" that come to mind include our senses and our attitudes. When I have a bad or down attitude, the rancid aroma seeps out for others to inhale or be clouded by. My eyes and ears can watch and hear things that are permanently etched into the files of my mind. Sometimes I can recite these things that I have heard or seen with my tongue that can bring pain to others through gossip, poor choice of language, or a multitude of other things. These things do not bring Glory to my Father, which is my purpose on this earth.
Now that I have children, I am even more aware of these things and I am so sensitive to what they are exposed to. For example, many do not understand why I do not let them watch Spongebob, but as a parent even though some things were funny as an adult I knew I did not want them repeating it. Their growing minds could not handle or understand all that was said or even sometimes how they treated each other in the show. As they have gotten older it has become even harder to watch t.v. because so much is inappropriate for them to see or hear. I understand that they cannot necessarily be kept in a bubble their whole lives, but at the same time His Word is clear to not imitate what is evil but what is good. Kevlie Ann & Calvin, my 3rd grade twins, see & hear things on a daily basis including school, t.v., Mommy or Daddy's attitude, and, sometimes, even church, that they so innocently and unknowingly repeat and question Kevin and me about. Almost daily I ask the question, "Do you know what that means?" The answer is usually a no or I forgot. I respond that if you do not know what you are speaking about then it should not be spoken. This almost always results in a deeper conversation to help them understand. There is in fact a list of things they are currently deeply questioning that I am praying through and studying the best way to talk about these more challenging issues. All of my children are in training, and it is a daily battle to teach right and wrong and why some things should not be watched or spoken. I believe that when something is only spoken once that it is so easy to become a habit or slave to sin. This applies to actions too. I am also constantly reminding them that they also set an example for their siblings, and (almost) 4 year old Colton wants to copy everything the big kids say and do. In Proverbs it states that "the tongue has the power of life and death." Why not speak life?
This reminds me of when my twins were younger, and we would be around other children their age. When I was shocked at something that was said or done, I use to laughingly say, "oh they must have older siblings at home". Most of the time these things were quite funny and entertaining from the mouths of innocent children. Now with Colton running around wanting to be big, we are that family where new moms and dads must be thinking, "oh they must have older siblings at home". I am sure we will face the same thing with Kylee.
Tonight was a blog night where I had many "insightful" things to share running through my mind. I wish I burned calories for all the miles my mind runs! I thought that I should just start a list to refer to for when the day comes that I do not have anything to say, but then I realized that would be Callie Ann hijacking the blog. I did not start a list. Many of you that know me well are probably laughing right now and thinking to yourself, "that girl will never run out of things to say or share what is on her mind." I hope I did bring a laugh. Laughter is medicine for the soul and can almost immediately change your attitude and also give a positive impact on those around us!
Even as an adult, I am constantly in training to make better choices about what I put into my body to have a positive impact on others and bring Glory to my Father...
Only By God's Grace.
With much love,
Callie Ann
Sunday, February 13, 2011
I am answering the call.
I am answering the call to blog. What do you mean you might say? Well, I have wanted to blog for a long time, but I felt actually "called" to blog about 9 months ago. The Lord even gave me the title of my blog during a prayer session. Can you believe that a simple title would be one of my excuses (aka perfectionism) to not starting my blog. I did not obey. So, Only By God's Grace I am answering the call and learning a lesson in obedience in the process.
I am great at making excuses. I mean I am a Momma to four beautiful children including an infant so I do not have time. I am a stay at home mom so I should have time, right? But I have to love my husband, my children, cook, clean, taxi, doctor, eat, sleep, church, baseball, soccer...need I go on? I am full of excuses. Oh, and Lord I must talk to you daily and read your Word and Worship because those are things I need and thrive on. I must admit I am not the best at fulfilling all of my needs, and I confess this on a regular basis. However, at the end of the day I know my life is fuller, I am happier, and I am better able to bless my family & friends, and minister to others when I am in His Word and in relationship with Him. However, I know it is Only By God's Grace that I am forgiven for my disobedience, excuse-making, and perfectionism.
This is a new frontier, and I am rather excited about this journey as I sit here and actually type out my first blog. I am not sure where this will go, but, of course, I have ideas in my own mind. I am thankful that since this is faster than journaling that I will have a great legacy for me and my children to reflect upon. The older I get the more I forget things, and this will be a great way to remember those great memories that are often forgotten. However, I will obey and allow the Lord to lead the way and I will follow, but I am sure that I will hijack it along the way. I am humbled and blessed by so many beautiful blogs by beautiful people, but this is another struggle on pride and perfectionism that must be conquered. I will constantly pray that my pride and perfectionism will not stand in the way. I know there is no right or wrong, no rule on how much I have to type each day, and no need to worry if there are some days where I do not have anything insightful to say. I will also pray that each person who takes the time to read my family's triumphs & failures as I give transparency to our lives that they will each be blessed. I will pray that when the Spirit tugs at your heartstrings that you obey.
Only By God's Grace
With much love,
Callie Ann
I am great at making excuses. I mean I am a Momma to four beautiful children including an infant so I do not have time. I am a stay at home mom so I should have time, right? But I have to love my husband, my children, cook, clean, taxi, doctor, eat, sleep, church, baseball, soccer...need I go on? I am full of excuses. Oh, and Lord I must talk to you daily and read your Word and Worship because those are things I need and thrive on. I must admit I am not the best at fulfilling all of my needs, and I confess this on a regular basis. However, at the end of the day I know my life is fuller, I am happier, and I am better able to bless my family & friends, and minister to others when I am in His Word and in relationship with Him. However, I know it is Only By God's Grace that I am forgiven for my disobedience, excuse-making, and perfectionism.
This is a new frontier, and I am rather excited about this journey as I sit here and actually type out my first blog. I am not sure where this will go, but, of course, I have ideas in my own mind. I am thankful that since this is faster than journaling that I will have a great legacy for me and my children to reflect upon. The older I get the more I forget things, and this will be a great way to remember those great memories that are often forgotten. However, I will obey and allow the Lord to lead the way and I will follow, but I am sure that I will hijack it along the way. I am humbled and blessed by so many beautiful blogs by beautiful people, but this is another struggle on pride and perfectionism that must be conquered. I will constantly pray that my pride and perfectionism will not stand in the way. I know there is no right or wrong, no rule on how much I have to type each day, and no need to worry if there are some days where I do not have anything insightful to say. I will also pray that each person who takes the time to read my family's triumphs & failures as I give transparency to our lives that they will each be blessed. I will pray that when the Spirit tugs at your heartstrings that you obey.
Only By God's Grace
With much love,
Callie Ann
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