Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life
A year ago, I was running to the grocery store nearly every day. I panicked about dinner every afternoon. I’d run to the grocery store last minute, if I could even think of something to make. Many nights, we’d head for take-out.
Now, I’m grocery shopping once a week, making homemade meals nearly every night and saving hundreds of dollars.
Follow me over to my guest post on MoneySavingMom.com to see 5 steps I took to make it happen!
Write on “Cherished” for 5 minutes…no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
She used her math to calculate the costs. “$5.50 and shipping is $2.00. That is $7.50 and I will have…$4 left.” I clicked the Buy It Now button on the black strapless sequined Barbie number and we waited.
I got home late last evening from a blustery evening out and checked the mail on the way in. A squishy envelope told me it had arrived and I hoped she hadn’t fallen asleep yet so I could see her wide eyes and smile.
She wasn’t and I got to see the celebration and anticipation of a little black dress.
As we woke this morning, disappointed at the black ice instead of white snow, she surprised her Barbie with a new dress. But disappointment brought her sagging into my office complaining because it was too big.
“Hang on, we’ll fix it. Sometimes in fashion you just have to make-do. You never know what you’ll have to use. I think this bobby pin will work just fine.”
I slipped the bobby pin over the folds of the back of the little black number, turned her around and we both beemed when it stayed.
Little girl mom moments. Cherished.
Today’s the day I share my outfits from the week with The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday. I pair my outfits with inspirational photos. Read more about that here.
Source: flickr.com via Amy on Pinterest
Cool story –> I copied this outfit from Pinterest but they had a white layering tank. I really felt impressed to wear a red one instead. I kept saying, “Really God, are you sure that’s going to look right?” I went on with it, trusting.
When I opened my board to write this post and saw the photo below I’ve had on my inspiration board for weeks, I knew He had remembered the photo even when I hadn’t. How perfect is the red in the photo? Even the shape of the red in my picture mimics the shape of the red boats.
Source: baenk.com via Amy on Pinterest
Source: dontcallmebetty.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest
I wish I got a better picture of this outfit. The color is wonky but I just loved the orange, blue and gray combo.
Source: telegraph.co.uk via Amy on Pinterest
Source: adamschallau.photoshelter.com via Amy on Pinterest
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If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that any couple–any person–is susceptible to having an affair. I know you’re shaking your head and saying no way, not me but I’ve lived through the slippery slope from fairytale to a crowded marriage. While I didn’t have a full-on physical affair, I can say with assurance that I do understand now how it happens—to anyone.
While it may be unforgettable, it is forgivable. And that’s just what Justin and Trisha Davis proved several years ago after he lost his church and nearly his family because of an affair.
What I found out, though, is the affair is just a sliver of Justin and Trisha’s story.
In Beyond Ordinary, Justin and Trisha take turns sharing their story, showing just how their marriage began to crumble and how God ultimately redeemed it.
Beyond Ordinary reads both like a novel and non-fiction book. The first half of each chapter is spent telling another part of their story while the second half is spent on the applicable lessons from that part of their story.
I loved the layout of the book. In so many non-fiction books, I find that the author tells their story up front and then spends the rest of the book teaching. Slowly telling the story throughout the book kept Beyond Ordinary a page-turner.
It’s not just their story that shines. The counsel they share on marriage is unequal to any I’ve read—anywhere. They covered everything from expectations to forgiveness to withholding truth to porn with a candor I appreciated. I felt like I had my own marriage counseling couple in a book.
I know I was challenged—and still am challenged—by so much from Beyond Ordinary. It truly is a handbook for showing you what to do when a good marriage just isn’t enough.
I can’t recommend Beyond Ordinary enough.
To Justin and Trisha—thank you for showing God’s grace and forgiveness and sharing your story.
Last year I “attended” (in)courage’s first (in)RL conference. I have attended in quotes because it was all online. Or, at least it was for me.
The idea is everyone watches from home on Friday and then on Saturday, small groups around the country world meet and watch the rest of the content together.
I signed up at the last minute last year—actually 20 minutes after it started! I couldn’t make it to a get-together Saturday but watched all the content from home and it was such a blessing.
Registration for this year’s conference on April 26th and 27th starts TODAY!
The best part of (in)RL is that it’s FREE.
AND if you register today, you get a copy of (in)courage 365 Daybrightener while supplies last (US residents only).
AND everyone gets a copy of the eBook: “Best of the Beach House 2012.”
This year they’re taking a closer look at what it takes to stay rooted in community when sometimes just walking away would be so much easier and tons more convenient. Women share stories of how they’ve chosen to stay through hard marriages, challenging parenting, worthwhile friendships. How choosing to stay has freed them more fully and unexpectedly than if they’d cut and run.
I will definitely be registering today and hoping to make it to a meetup on Saturday. Scott is working that weekend so I don’t think I can host but I’m eyeing the Cornelius meetup so I can finally meet Tracie—check out her blog if you don’t read it already, love her!
Check out the trailer for (in)RL below
Write on “Dive” for 5 minutes…no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
One of my dreams for you, my dear daughters, is that you dive–dive with abandon and joy and courage from whatever platform you may be standing on. Not with baby steps to the end and a falling off, hoping that the jump doesn’t fail but a running from the start, no-second-guessing, free-falling dive.
I asked you to fly with me. Literally, to take a little trip.
You started with your baby steps. “Do we really have to go?” “It’s not like riding in a car! It’s in the air"!” “What if the plane falls from the sky, mother?” My heart fell. Run, child, run! No need to fear! If you’d only let go, you would laugh with abandon and fly without fear.
But baby steps and more baby steps. Weeks and weeks of baby steps on the diving board and still no sign of that diving I dream for you.
I finally ask myself why I dive. Why is it that I’m able to run from the back of the board and dive without fear?
Aha, the answer is always the same.
I assumed that she has learned that it’s always the same, but no, I need to remind her, no teach her, the answer—the key to learning to dive, or fly, as it were without fear.
“You do know, dear daughter, that the very worst case scenario is that we go get to meet Jesus? That is the worst that can happen.”
She giggles because how funny that sounds.
“Yes, daughter, that’s what I mean. If the worse case scenario is actually the best case scenario after all, you have no need to fear.”
And she gets it. I can see it in her eyes she’s backing up from the baby steps, starting over at the beginning of the board and planning her run to the dive at the end.
It’s the same answer for all of us when we’re too afraid to dive isn’t it?
Jesus is waiting at the end of our worse-case scenario. No matter what we’re asked to do, no matter how badly we fail or fall or hurt or even die, Jesus will be there waiting to meet us.
I’m feeling a little spoiled this week. Not even the fact that our 3 year old washing machine decided to die Monday night has deterred me from celebrating a small random act of kindness. You’d like to hear about it and celebrate too, yes? {Oh, and there’s a giveaway at the bottom}
Last week I got a direct message on Twitter asking for my address. Immediately, I thought it was spam but after a quick conversation realized it was not. One of my long-time Twitter friends Joshua had seen something I’d posted online and wanted to send our family a gift.
I couldn’t for the life of me remember saying we needed or wanted anything in particular so I waited to see what might be coming.
I was all smiles when I opened the package Tuesday night to find two books–The Valley of Vision and Godspeed.
I don’t even remember where I heard about the book The Valley of Vision anymore. Somewhere in the social media world is all I recall. The collection of Puritan prayers has been on my Amazon wish list longer than any of the others.
Upon opening, I did an ohhhhh… I immediately remembered someone recently posting a picture of The Valley of Vision on Instagram as one of four books they had purchased for the new year. I had commented saying it was on my wish list and I needed to bite the bullet and get it.
Joshua hadn’t commented and I didn’t even know he had read it. Actually, I’m still assuming that’s where he saw that I wanted it. He had a copy sitting in his office and decided to pass it on as a family gift. He also sent Godspeed, a book his pastor (and boss) had written.
Scott and I were so blessed to be recipients of this random act of kindness. We agreed we wanted to read them together. It was such a small gesture, but huge in my eyes. Please don’t doubt the impact a small gesture can make on someone.
I cried the first three prayers I read. All of these were written hundreds of years ago by Puritans—Christians that were very devoted to prayer and meditation.
I don’t know how much I can reprint here but I wanted to share snippets of a prayer I read this morning.
It’s entitled “Morning Dedication”
Let those around me see me living by the Spirit,
trampling the world underfoot,
unconformed to lying vanities,
transformed by a renewed mind,
clad in the entire armour of God,
shining as a never-dimmed light,
showing holiness in all my doings.Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands.
May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain.May I speak each word as if my last word,
and walk each step as my final one.
If my life should end today, let this be my best day.
Whew. That last line is a doozy.
I don’t know if you can get the full effect of the prayer but there’s something about it that centers me.
I’m all for talking with God in conversation and just putting my concerns and worries out there as they are. But, I admit, having these as a guided prayer, reminding me of the basics, if you will, and knowing they were written hundreds of years ago by Christians following the hard and narrow path has been quite a blessing.
Not only are they a gift in and of themselves, knowing they were given as a gift has made them all the more powerful.
So two things today—do that random act of kindness and consider buying The Valley of Vision.
And finally, in the spirit of passing on the random act of kindness, I’d like to pass on a copy of a book on my bookshelf that meant much to me—The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg. Just leave a comment and I’ll randomly (ha) pick a recipient.
Today’s the day I share my outfits from the week with The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday. I pair my outfits with inspirational photos. Read more about that here.
Source: geeknaut.com via Amy on Pinterest
I’m loving this mustard color so much this season, I decided to go all out and do a monotone look. I liked it.
Source: jjones186.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest
T-shirt from the concert. I wonder if this little Cockatoo is a Jesus Freak too. His hair says definitely possible.
Source: thisispaper.com via Amy on Pinterest