I'm Tired Of It!

Does this cartoon hit home for you? It does me!
I'm the girl who sits down and watches The Biggest Loser while eating Oreos!

...and I'm tired of it!

I've studied Health and Nutrition, but just can't seem to apply what I've learned!
But now I think I'm finally ready to!

And here's a blog that's going to help me out...

Heavenly Homemakers is one of my go-to blogs.

She's starting a series called...


I'm so excited to begin!


Let's make 2010 the start of a healthy lifestyle!

Powerful.

My cousin, who is a Captain in the Army, and currently serving in Iraq, recently shared his heart about some things he's going through right now. It was so powerful I just had to share. Here's what he had to say...

"...After thinking a while, I'll just share what I think God is trying to not only show me, but get me to do. And I find it to be nearly impossible.

There are some things in my life that I've tried to pray away for a long, long time. And some of those things, God has removed; other things, they remain. And I tried for a good long while to approach God with appeals like I'd read in the Old Testament. "Lord, do this SO THAT, people will see how awesome you are and what you can accomplish in a person's life." But in my heart of hearts, my number one priority in that prayer was, what I saw as broken, I wanted fixed, for me.
And I read Luke 9.23 again, like times before. But it hit me a little different this time And I realized this; God is not primarily intersted in making of me a grand spectacle of His power to change, and revolutionize. He does do those things, but making a spectacle of a life is not the primary aim of what God does for and in man when man meets Jesus.

So I studied Jesus, and Luke 9.23 made more sense. " If any man would come AFTER me, let him deny himself." And then this verse.. Hebrews 4.4 "And God rested on the 7th day from all His works."

All His works. Creation, the Cross. And I understood more what it means to deny myself. Jesus invited men to follow after what He had done, and was about to go do on the Cross. It was settled there in His heart, but it was settled before the world began that He would be hated by men, rejected, beaten, carry a literal cross to a hill, and then die there as the sacrifice for my very real and abundant sins that had stored up the wrath of God against me. And Jesus calls men to follow after that. To die, and to settle in their heart that they WILL die.

And if I don't die, it is because I want what I have in my hand more than I want to follow and obey Jesus. And this is where the rubber meets the road I suppose. I think most things are not that hard to die to. The first things to go, I could say. But then there are those things in my life that cling and that make me rich and miserable. Luke 18.23 And it's a hard thing, but it's the point. It IS the following after.

I read John 6 today, and I think the disciples faced something like this.. And Jesus asked them, "Do you want to go away too?" John 6.67 And many left. But Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." I think maybe Peter thought, God what you've just said is impossible. And I've thought about leaving. But there is just no where else to go."

Between the Rock and some hard place.

And so, I've been praying that Jesus would teach me how to die, to decide that I'll die, and then to stand and die when the moments come.

Because He did it."

The Simple Woman's Day Book

"The Simple Woman's Daybook" originally started at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ . Check it out!

FOR TODAY...
January 4, 2010

Outside my window...the sun is finally shining! Icicles are melting, the snow is slowly slipping away but it's still a cold 23°!

I am thinking... I serve an amazing and faithful God.

I am thankful for...God's mercy.

From the kitchen...I'm going to make homemade applesauce! I've got a lot of new kitchen gadgets to play around with! =)

I am wearing...jeans, white knit sweater

I am going...to put the clothes in the dryer.

I am reading...Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, by Dr. Richard Ferber.
(Thanks for the reference, Alicia!)

I am hoping...that I can stay on track today. Lots to do!

I am hearing...absolutely nothing. And it's wonderful.

Around the house...Christmas stuff to put away =(

One of my favorite things...McAlister's Sweet Tea

A few plans for the rest of the week: Go see my grandma, put out my January decorations, play with my new kitchen gadgets!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

This is ruins from the library of Celsus in Ephesus.

I love ancient history. My dream trip would be to go to Israel and many of the New Testament locations mentioned in the Bible. To walk where Jesus walked. To stand where New Testament apostles may have preached. How incredible that would be!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my mom's Birthday! (She'll tell you she's 39..again..so we'll just leave it at that!)

My mom has been a lot of things to her family over the years. Creative, Loving, Comforting, Sharing, Silly, Giving...the list could go on. But last night, as I was thinking about mine and my siblings childhood, one word that came to mind more than anything was "Strength".

My mom is one of the strongest women I've ever known. She may not have bulging muscles (b/c that would just be gross) but she has an inner strength about her that I admire greatly.

Proverbs 31:25
"Strength and honor are her clothing..."

I'm so thankful my mom was able to stay home with us kids. She taught us a lot of things. She wasn't perfect, and she'll be the 1st to admit that, but she did A LOT of things right. She's one awesome mommy(and Grammy!)
I have some big shoes to fill!

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you very much!!!

Merry Christmas!!

Oh, Christmas Tree

Growing up, mine and Bob's parents made sure we had a new ornament each year.
I'm so glad that they did. It's always a fun trip down memory lane when we decorate our tree. Now, Bob and I enjoy swapping stories about why we received an ornament, or why a certain one is extra special. This year was no different! And to celebrate our first year as parents, I just had to order this cutie!

Bob and I are so excited for our 1st Christmas with Ethan!

This was actually a McDonald's toy.
My mom turned some of my favorite ones into ornaments!

Every time I hang this ornament, I get a massive craving for chocolate
(and an overwhelming urge to bite into this chocolatey Santa!)

Bob is a great golfer, so his parents made sure he had a golfing Santa!

Growing up, Bob loved magic tricks.
It looks like this Santa has a few tricks in his hat!

One year, a friend and I went around to several houses and sang Christmas Carols. I think we were about 10. We came to one house, and for some reason we got so tickled. We tried to sing Silent Night, but couldn't stop laughing!! I remember the mom and daughter staring at us, with a confused look on their face.
I ended up running off and leaving my friend to fend for herself!
I was humiliated!!!

I grew up playing basketball, so any basketball ornament I have (and I have several) is very special!

For some reason, this is my all-time favorite ornament. There's really nothing extra special about it. I guess this one just reminds me the most of my childhood..and I had a great one.
I believe it's from 1993.

Bob and I have many more ornaments. I wish I could show you all of them, but it probably wouldn't be as fun for you as it would be for me! haha.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*~The Reason for the Season~*

"And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Luke 2:12

Our tree ~ 2009

I love how when Bob gets home, he's excited that the lights are on around the house. It's almost a childlike excitement. There's nothing like relaxing together after a long and hectic day, under the glow of a cozy Christmas home!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~Burton Hillis~

Lord, we have so much to be thankful for!
Our home, our health, our family, our friends.
But most importantly, we have You:
Our Savior, Redeemer, the Greatest of Friends;
Our gracious, loving, merciful, all-powerful, risen Heavenly Father.
We praise You!!

Dr. Bob

I found out today, that the doctor who delivered Ethan passed away.
He had been fighting cancer for quite some time.

Dr. Robert Aikman was his name, but we all called him "Dr. Bob"

Dr. Bob always had a smile on his face at each appointment, and had to duck just to get into the room! He was 7 ft. tall!

While pregnant, me and my paranoid self would constantly search the internet for an answer to a little question I had, or to see if a certain pain I was feeling was normal. Usually, I'd end up diagnosing myself with something weird, or worrying that Ethan was going to come early. I'd relay my fears at each appointment, and every time, Dr. Bob would say, "You've gotta stop searching the internet!" Haha.

Delivering Ethan.
He's holding one of Ethan's little feet.

Dr. Bob was caring, gentle, funny, compassionate, and very good at what he did.

I'm so thankful that he was the Dr. who delivered Ethan.

Dr. Bob is survived by his wonderful wife, 7 children, and 6 grandchildren.
Your prayers for the family would certainly be appreciated.

"I believe in the innate, created wisdom of a woman's body to maintain itself in health, and to restore itself in disease; my role is to assist my patients in achieving that wisdom in every aspect of her life-physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually."
-Dr. Robert "Bob" Aikman
1940-2009