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Save Your Memories

January 10, 2012

Recently my mother in law lost two months worth of photos. Including her daughters wedding and a once in a life time trip to Maine. So this has prompted me to make sure that all of my photos are backed up. We use hard drives, a service called BackBlaze and I also upload thousands of photos to Flickr. I currently have over 62,000 photos stored there. For only $25/year that’s pretty hard to beat. Now there’s no guarantee that something won’t go wrong and I’ll lose all my photos. So I’m also in the process of printing hard copies and getting back into scrapbooking. Always wanting to save and pass down these precious memories.

All of this got me thinking. How do you store you memories? In photographs? Through a journal? In a blog? Can I encourage you to begin writing if you’re not already? I write this blog to encourage others and yet, most every time I write, the Lord ministers to me. I write with an open heart and an open mind and I always feel the Spirit lead me in a different direction. Writing has opened up doors within that I didn’t know I had shut.

I have hand written journals from years ago that I love to look through. I began when I was a fresh believer. I had faith back then that could move mountains. It’s funny how the years have gone by how my strength has wained. No. It’s sad. So going back and reading those entries is so incredibly encouraging. Knowing that it’s not impossible to turn away from the world and choose a completely different life.

I began blogging back in 2002. Not this site, mind you. Just personal blogs for the most part. Then it happened. I lost six months of writings. From the birth of my second daughter on. I cried. And cried. And cried. My memories were gone. I had photos, thankfully, but there’s something about the written word that really draws you back to the moment.

And that’s one way the Lord communicates with us. The co-authors of the Bible did not write for any audience other than God. They didn’t have a blog that they anxiously watched the stats for. They didn’t desire to hear comments from others on what they wrote. Their communication was with God. And how thankful we should be that they obeyed the Lord when the Spirit encouraged them to write! Look at all the wonderful books and letters in the Bible we can read from because of a small act of obedience!

So maybe now is the time to begin saving your memories? Pass the lessons you’re learning down to the next generations. Through photographs, letters and maybe even video? There are not too many blogs out there. If you’re nervous make yours password protected and only for your eyes. Use an alias. Do something! Personally I love a *real* book. Something that contains your very own handwriting and is tangible. I’m planning on making blog books of all my posts to pass on to my children.

Let the Spirit lead you and teach you as you pick up a pen/keyboard/camera and begin writing your story.

Blessings!

In Change the World, Encouragement

Forever Grace

January 9, 2012

There are times in life when you’re going to feel like a little rabbit surrounded by hungry wolves. When pride takes over the hearts of those around you leaving you as open prey. It’s not pretty and it leaves you scarred. Grace seemingly a passing fad. That feeling of being alone is heavy and a burden to carry.

Stand up.

Allow grace to drip like honey from your lips. Put pride to death and wear Jesus for all to see.

We all have times in our lives when we are breathtakingly beautiful and when we are disgustingly ugly. Remember that the next time somebody wrongs you.

We all are in deep need of grace. And these are the opportunities given to us to show grace to others. When we desire it is the same time we should be showing it.

There are times when I can tell you why somebody is showing grace. Maybe from guilt? From somebody telling them to? Because they are planning on using that as ammo during the next conflict? And then there’s God’s grace. There are no answers to why He excuses our sinful actions except that he loves us. That’s it. Plain and simple. He. Loves. Us.

Why is it so difficult for us to do the same? We love our family and our friends but all it takes is one misstep and they fall out of our graces.

Take note today if there is someone who needs your grace. Someone who needs to know that they are worthwhile. And then allow your words and your actions to point them back to the one who has dressed us in such angelic undeserved grace. When put into that perspective we need not seek anyone’s grace but God’s. He is our all.

Blessings!

In Encouragement

Fresh Almond Milk

January 7, 2012

Here is another very friendly Daniel Fast recipe. I apologize for all the recipe posts I’ll be putting up the next few weeks but I really want to encourage those who may be struggling with the fast. And one of the things you’re not allowed to have is dairy. You’re also not allowed to drink anything other than water. However, you’re allowed to use almond milk in recipes {just as long as it’s not being used as a beverage}

“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.”
{Daniel 1:12 ESV}

For example, I have used almond milk in Bob’s Red Mill Granola to soak.

All you will need is: 1 cup of raw almonds and 4 cups of filtered water.

That’s it.

Place the almonds in the water and allow them to soak for up to six hours.

Next place the water and almonds in a blender and blend. Keep a towel nearby as I had a little bit of spill to clean up. Or split it into two batches.

When there is foam on top is when you’re done blending.

Next pour out the mixture into a cheesecloth that is covering a large bowl or measuring cup. This will separate the almond meal from the milk. Press down on the meal with the back of a spoon to encourage the milk to drain. Every so often it’s good to scrape out the meal from the cheesecloth. I’ve read that you can keep the meal and use it in other recipes if you want.

{I used a cheesecloth but since I love this recipe so much I ended up buying a nut milk bag to make it easier. I was able to get one for $7 so they’re not that expensive, but definitely only if you plan on making this often.}

And that’s it. The almond milk will keep in the fridge from four to five days. If so desired you can add honey and a teaspoon of vanilla during the blending process to sweeten the taste. I hope this helps you as you fast or if you’re choosing to eat healthier.

Blessings!

In Daniel Fast Recipes

So Long Social Media

January 6, 2012

After reading my daughters letter I knew my next step of action was to wean myself off of social media. Not completely, mind you. Otherwise this site would be gone. But Facebook has got to go. Twitter has got to go. I’ve realized that I’m giving most of my precious time to acquaintances, who if we’re honest, don’t have a real investment in me. For the close friends on social media, I will find ways to interact in real life. This is not a selfish post, I don’t want to make this all about me. This is about how I’ve fallen and I need to find that narrow path again. The path that leads to a real investment in God. A path most of us need to find again.

I reluctantly joined Facebook in the winter of 2009. We had moved away and had no family or friends nearby. This seemed to be the best way to stay connected. Little did I know how addicting social media would be for me. Some people, I realize, can go on once a month and be content. That’s not me. I became a slave to the desire of recognition. I wanted to know that I wasn’t alone. And for some reason, God wasn’t enough for me. I wanted human attention. I wanted ‘likes’ as much as I had wanted ‘favorites’ when I had been addicted to Flickr. As a stay at home mom I wanted nothing more than companionship. I loved being a mother but with a husband who worked and coached and went to school I was forgetting who I was. I was lost in motherhood. Social media became my escape.

And I’ve wasted hours upon hours in front of this small screen. Snipping at my children when they dare interrupt my ‘alone’ time. Leaving my Bible asleep on the counter covered with the days mail. Disregarding household chores that could bless my family. All this time I chose ME. And isn’t that what the world screams to mothers? “Take time for yourself! You deserve it! Get pampered!”

Listen, our time is flying away. We can no longer bend a knee to this world. We have to choose to live for Christ or live for ourselves. Living the Christian life was never meant to be easy. We are not meant to be comfortable. I know, I know I’m going to struggle with wanting to go numb in front of the computer. But ever time I say no that’s one less victory for the devil. Just need to take small steps each and every day.

So I’m saying goodbye to social media {which is incredibly difficult as that is my husbands profession}. But I’m ready to take that extra time and spend it with my children. With my husband. With my Lord. Those early morning moments that I checked e-mail {more spam?} and facebook {farmville, anyone?} will be spent on my knees before a God who deserves so much more that just a quick thanks before dinner. When all is said and done I don’t want to have wasted it all. I want to have run the race as best as I possibly could.

Join me?

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

{James 4:4-8 ESV}

Blessings!

In Change the World, Encouragement, Marriage, Parenting

Raw Apple Crisp

January 4, 2012

Having been on the Daniel Fast for three days {and I’m loving it!} I’ve noticed how difficult it can be finding good recipes. Not that the focus of the fast is to enjoy the foods you’re allowed to eat, but in the hope of helping others focus more on God during this time I want to offer some recipes over the next few weeks that are especially tasty.

Raw Apple Crisp

This recipe comes from Whole Foods. A favorite of my kids. You can mix it up by choosing your own favorite apples or nuts.

Ingredients

4 Honeycrisp apples, cored and chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup hazelnuts
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Put apples in an 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart casserole dish. Drizzle with orange juice, toss until the fruit is coated and smooth the top. In a food processor, combine pecans, hazelnuts, raisins, ginger and cinnamon and pulse just until chopped. Spoon the nut mixture over the apple mixture and serve.

Blessings!

In Daniel Fast Recipes