Juicing for Baby

The other day, I had some apples and oranges that were about to go bad. To my shock, I realized that it had been quite a while since I had juiced any fruits or vegetables. So I pulled out my juicer to make me some fresh juice. While I poured my glass, I thought, "My goodness, my baby boy is a big boy...and I bet he will LOVE this." So I poured some into his sippy-cup and handed it to him. OH MY GOODNESS. You'd have thought I'd handed him the moon. He loved it. He drank it all quicker than he has ever drank anything. And boy, was I proud! Of course, I called my husband and my Mom to tell them all about it! Every time he does something new, my momma-heart swells up and I want to go brag on how awesome and smart my kid is. :) I'm sure you mommies understand exactly what I mean. :)

The next day, I pulled my juicer out again. For two months I have been trying to get carrots into Nathan...to no avail. He does not....like....carrots. Of course, I don't blame him. I have never liked them either. However, I love carrot juice, especially mixed with apple. So, I pulled out an apple, a bag of baby carrots, and made me and him some carrot-apple juice. Again, I poured the juice into his sippy-cup, handed it to him....and held my breath (and prayed!).

And he drank.....and drank.....and drank.....with a smile.

VICTORY!!!!

Juicing fruits and vegetables is SO easy, surprisingly delicious, and unbelievably healthy. I owe my health to juicing. I used to be sick almost constantly. Every cold or sickness that came around, I caught. I was sluggish and lacked energy. Then my family began juicing and now? I rarely get sick! My sisters began injesting vegetables that were avoided at all costs before! :) It became a game to create concoctions, trying to come up with the tastiest and healthiest juice (or smoothie!). So I HIGHLY recommend going out and getting yourself a good juicer. You will reap the benefits, I assure you!

Below is a small list of juices that I have made. Happy Juicing!!

• Carrot/Apple juice
          
• Strawberry/Spinach (use baby leaf spinach)
        
• Apple/Celery/Carrot
      
• Carrot/Blueberry
            
• Strawberry/Blueberry/Blackberry
     
• Apple/Orange
          
• Orange/Spinach/Peach/Carrot

Singing Scripture

A few months ago, I shared a chart that I made for me and Nathan as a way of helping me teach him Scripture. I called it my "Saturate chart." Children are like sponges and they learn so much, so fast, so early in their lives. It has been a challenge for me to remember to incorporate the Word into everyday life happenings, but we are getting there! We take it one day at a time. :)

When I was younger and in the AWANA program at our Church, I remember my mom taking the Bible verses we needed to remember and putting a tune to them. We were all singers and singing Bible somehow made it easier to remember those tough verses. There was a time when one of my little sisters, instead of reciting the verse to her AWANA leader, sang the verse....and had a few body motions to go with it! -- for effect, I guess? :)

     

Months ago, I began taking Nathan's bath time to recite to him Psalm 51:10. Not long after, I began to sing Keith Green's song that he wrote from that passage, "Create in Me a Clean Heart." Following suit, and being a singer, I took his mealtime verse of Psalm 34:8 and put a tune to it myself. -- Below is a video of my version.
  

The other day, with all of this on my mind, I thought to myself, "I bet there are Scripture songs out there!" So I pulled up Google and searched for KJV Scripture Songs for Kids. What I found made my heart happy! After looking at various CDs out there, I ended up at iTunes and downloaded fourteen Scripture songs that will make it a lot easier to instill many verses into my son's little heart.

I downloaded songs from the ABC Memory Verse CD, and several songs from the Bible Songs for Kids collection. I am LOVING them! It is a lot easier for me to "soak" him in Jesus and flood his mind and his heart with God's Word through song. And it's easier for me to memorize Scripture more too! (I'm no easy sponge anymore!)

So if any of you mommies love singing around the house and also want to teach your children Scripture, I highly recommend using Scripture songs. Find some you love....or put a tune to verses yourself! Whatever method you choose, I just encourage you to saturate your kids.

 

This is my tune to Psalm 34:8. I have found that there are many versions out there,
so if you don't like mine, you can find another. :) Though Nathan always gives me a
tiny smile, he is still more interested in his food. However, I am sure that if I stay
consistent, he will have those verses rooted in his heart forever.

My "Love Dare" For You

Those of you who have seen the movie, Fireproof, may have recognized the title. In that movie, Caleb, on the brink of divorce, is given a "dare" by his father. The dare shows Caleb what marriage is and, ultimately, leads him to the Cross on the way.
 

Well today is Valentine's Day and, as I type this, I am watching the Tweets and the Facebook posts from people all over. They are posting about flowers, candy, date nights, love letters, their significant others...or their "woes" about being single on this "lover's holiday." As I blogged the other day, Valentine's Day has a pretty rotten origin. And as a Christian, sometimes it's not so simple to know exactly how you ought to respond. My husband and I talked about it again this morning. We don't want to be legalistic but we do want to live righteously. With that being said, I have my own little "Love Dare" for you today. Actually....I have two. :)
 

If you are single...
 
I dare you to draw nigh unto God...(James 4:8)
  
I dare you to trust in Him, with ALL your heart...(Proverbs 3:5)
   
I dare you to let Him show you how to love...(1 Corinthians 13:4-8; John 13:5)
   
I dare you to see HOW MUCH in love He is with you!....(Jeremiah 31:3; Hosea 2:19-20; Romans 8:38-39)
  
I dare you to walk in wisdom, in love, and in purity....(Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:2; Matthew 5:8)
   
I dare you to let Him lead you in everything...(Proverbs 3:6)
 

If you are married...
   
I dare you to love each other as Christ loves you...(1 John 4:7)
  
I dare you to put one another above yourself....(Philippians 2:3)
  
I dare you (wives) to be your husband's help meet....(Genesis 2:18, Titus 2:3-5, Proverbs 31:10-30)
  
I dare you (husbands) to be your wife's protector and leader...(Ephesians 5:23-29)
  
I dare you to be kind, patient, and servant hearted with one another...(Galatians 5:13; Galatians 5:22-25)
  
I dare you to let God build your life, your marriage, and your family...(Psalm 127:1-5)
   

On this "day for lovers," I challenge you to fall more in love with our Lord and Savior. Because if HE is the all-complete lover of our souls, then all else will fall into place and into perspective.

Ten Months Old

When Nathan woke up this morning, I picked him up out of his bed and sat him on our bed next to Grant. I went and made him a bottle and, when I handed it to him, I watched him as he took it and, while sitting up like such a big boy, he began to drink. I sat there staring at him thinking, "He is so grown....he's doing this all by himself while sitting up.....he looks like a big boy now....my boy is ten months old." Good golly....

Well, here is the latest. :)

• He still has two teeth. More are on the way, but I must say that those two teeth are SO stinkin' cute.
• He has always been a smiler, but now he has this WAY cute smile where he wrinkles his nose. *melt momma's heart*
• He has this thing where he will deliberately take something and drop it (or throw it), then look at you and say, "Uh oh." It's funny.....and cute....and annoying when he won't stop throwing or dropping stuff.
• When I say, "hey," I have a certain flow in my tone when I say it. I am noticing that Nathan will sometimes make the same sound and I am positive he is saying, "heeeey." :) The same goes with "thank you." Sometimes when I hand him something, he says, "ga-ga."  It sounds like "thank you".....kinda. --- I know my kid and I believe that's what he is saying, so there! :-p
• He says, "Dadda" and he CAN say "Momma"....but he won't say "Momma" unless he's upset. *sigh*
• Saturday (February 11), we were doing a concert. A sweet lady was holding Nathan in the crowd and, near the end when he saw us, he gave us this BIG grin. Then he saw his Daddy and wrinkled his nose and said, "Dadda!" Then...he wouldn't hush. He wanted to tell everyone how excited he was to see us. Without knowing it, Grant and I both put our fingers to our lips and mouthed, "Shhh." Suddenly, Nathan, puckered up and blinked his eyes, and pouted. ARE YOU SERIOUS?? He definitely knows how to utilize his cute factor. *shakes head*
• If he's in the mood (yes, I have a stubborn kid), you can say, "Kisses!" and he will give you a good 'ole smack. Way cute. Although when he is hurting from teething, he may take the kissing opportunity to bite....which is something we are teaching him not to do.
• He is clapping and it....is....PRECIOUS!!!! I love it.
• He loves avocados, yogurt, green beans and pinto beans, some peas, and such. BUT his two, all-time favorite things to eat is scrambled eggs and Gerber's Cheetos. That kid can put them away! Fast.
• He is a climber. 'Nuff said.

CHEESE!

He sleeps so weird.

KISSES!

Trying to catch Daddy's tongue. lol

My big boy, playing.

trying the yummy stick

EGGS! lol

Pouting. *rolls eyes*

Playing in his room :)

I'm TEN months old!

Valentine's Day Traditions

I am a wife. I am my husband's sweetheart....and he is mine. :)

But I am also a Christian. And as such, I should be known by my discernment and should be asking questions regarding everything that comes into (or out of) my life and my home. Having said that, it brings me to next weeks' holiday. Valentine’s Day.

What IS Valentine's Day, anyway? It is so easy to fall into step with the rest of mankind and follow their customs and traditions without ever pausing a moment and asking ourself, "Why AM I doing these things?" It's so easy! So because I want to be intelligent and "in the know" about everything I participate in, I did some studying. And below is what I have discovered. I hope, just as they answered my questions, I pray they can answer the questions you may have -- and, indeed, I hope you DO ask questions about the customs you practice as well.

    
* What is the origin of Valentine's Day? Like most holidays, Valentine's Day goes WAY back. In the days of the Roman Empire, the month of February was the last and shortest month of the year. February originally had 30 days, but when Julius Caesar named the month of July after himself, he decided to make that month longer and shortened February to 29 days while making July a month of 31 days. Later, when Octavius Caesar (also known as Augustus) came to power, he named the month of August after himself and, not be outdone, he also subtracted a day from February and gave the month of August 31 days. We can see that it's still that way today. The ancient Romans believed that every month had a spirit that gained in strength and reached its peak of power in the middle of the month. This was usually the 15th day, and it was a day when witches and soothsayers worked their magic. Since February had been robbed by the Caesars and had only 28 days, it became a very important pagan holiday in the Empire of Rome. The sacred day of February 14th was called "Lupercalia" and on that day, they worshipped the goddess Juno, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses and known as the goddess of love and fertility. On February 15, the Romans celebrated Luperaclia, honoring Faunus, their god of fertility. Men would go to a grotto and would sacrifice a goat, don its skin, and run around, hitting women with small whips....an act which was supposed to ensure their fertility.

Then the Catholic church stepped in and, as is their custom, "Christianized" the holiday. Today, the Catholic church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. And, oddly enough, they are recognized on February 14. In an effort to conform, compromise, and put a "Christian" stamp of approval on the pagan Lupercalia festival, they glazed over the celebration of lust and fertility and chose to celebrate on that day as well, using the excuse of their martyrs. Make no mistake. It was done intentionally.
 
Where did Cupid come from? The little baby in a diaper that shoots people with arrows, dipped in a love potion, and makes them fall in love. Sounds like made-up, harmless fun. But it isn't. In Roman mythology, Cupid is a Roman god of passionate love. He is the son of Venus who is the goddess of love and beauty. Again, it is no mistake that he is a primary symbol that dons our Valentine's Day cards and candy.

What is the origin of Valentine cards? I remember, as a little girl, exchanging Valentine's Day cards with friends. We would count them up and, hopefully, have more than everyone else. I remember receiving plenty of "be mine" notes. But....where did that custom come from? Now I know. Remember the above, when on February 15, men would go to a grotto, sacrifice a goat, wear its skin and whip women to ensure their fertility? Well AFTER that, the young women would gather in the city and their names were put into boxes. This was called a "lottery" and these “love notes” were called “billets.” The men of Rome would draw a billet, and the woman whose name was on it became his sexual partner with whom he would play erotic games and fornicate until the next "Lupercalia"....or February 14th. And it was all done in honor of Juno, the goddess of "love"....though "lust" is more what it looks like.

Sadly, THAT is the origin of the, seemingly harmless, "Be my Valentine" tradition.

Obviously, it wasn't about fidelity and true, agape love that 1 Corinthians 13 speaks of. It wasn't even about marriage. The whole thing was to honor pagan gods of fertility and the "love" of the flesh. February 14th - and 15th - became a time of unbridled sexual lust.
  
So there is some information concerning Valentine's Day and its origins and traditions. I pray that you will take this information and pray and ask the Lord how you should respond. Then obey.

Household Management Notebook -- updated!

Yesterday I spent about two hours or more working on my household notebook. Before, I had Nathan's schedule, natural remedies, Bible verse memorization and things like that. Yesterday, I told myself, "This HAS to be more organized and added to. Pronto!" So I worked hard and I am so happy with the results. Here is a peek at what I have:

When I first open the binder, I have our calendar on the left, inside the

pocket pouch. On the right, I have my daily/weekly/monthly schedule.

The next page is all about perspective. On the left, I have a print out

from Confessions of a Homeschooler that I love, called "Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom."
This is a great encouragement to me, as a mommy, to have the right
perspective going about my day. On the right is what I call my "saturate" chart
with the verses of Scripture I am working to recite to Nathan at various parts of the day.

After that, I have Nathan's info sheet and our daily routine that we some-what try
to stick to. It's just our general guideline. Routine is goooooood.

Below is my edited, fit-for-blogging version, but the real one has

his picture, his SSN, his place of birth, insurance info, etc. But, as you can see,

it also has his current favorites, routine, likes and dislikes, etc.

Next. On the left, I have a handy freezer "cheat sheet" that reminds me
what lasts in the freezer for certain lengths of time. On the right, you can see a few of my
coupons. I noticed that I kept forgetting them when I went out, then they would expire.

SO, my new method is to have the ones that will be expiring within one month IN my purse.

The rest are kept in this pocket. :)

Then comes "the family area." I have a page of phone numbers.

One side has all of our family's home and cell numbers. The other side
has my doctor, the family doctor, Nathan's pediatrician, and emergency numbers.
And at the bottom are a few extra numbers we use from time to time.
After that section comes our bill info, last month's income, our home info,
all of our car info (make, model, year, etc.), and then all of our account

numbers for....everything. lol. :) That way, it's all in one place for me to grab and look up.

Then I have our "address" area. On the left is a print-out of addresses, stapled
together and slid inside the page protector. The ones highlighted are the ones
we use often. Then on the right is an area where I can write down new addresses to be added
to the master list later.

Next is our lists of birthdays. We both have big families, so it took me quite a
while, but I have two calendar-lists of birthdays. One list is of all the birthdays
and anniversaries in our family. The next list is of the birthdays and anniversaries
of our friends that we need/want to remember. :)

Next are my lists. Grocery list. Household needs list.
Nathan's needs list. And my "To Do" list.

Then the last section is for natural remedies, natural cleaning
supplies, anti-inflammatory foods, and a list of the best (aka - healthiest)
foods to ingest in our body vs. the worst possible foods you can eat.

And there you go! This is, by far, the best (and most useful!) my household notebook has ever been! This website has lots of free printables you can use, should you find yourself in need of a household management notebook yourself. :)

That's What Grace Can Do

I used to think I didn't have a testimony.

I know it sounds strange, but I really did used to believe that my testimony wasn't a "real" one. You know what I mean...the "real" ones are epic and dramatic, right? I used to sit in awe as great men and women would stand up and tell about all the things that they had been delivered from through the grace of God.

I was in prison for 15 years for killing someone....

I would smoke anything you would set on fire....

I was a hit man....

I had sold my soul to alcohol....

I was a prostitute and ran a topless bar.....
 
I would sit and listen and think, "Wow. What a great testimony! I wish I had one like that...." Little did I know that my thinking was very much off.

I was raised in Church. I was born into a Christian home, with Christian parents, around Christian people. I was taught the Bible from day one. I literally grew up in buses, in Churches, and in the homes of preachers and pastors and Church people. I constantly heard preaching about Jesus, singing about Jesus, stories about Jesus, and testimonies about what Jesus had done. As I often joke, I was born on a pew. When I was five years old, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I spent my life trying to make choices based upon solid, Biblical principles, doing my best to allow the Lord to, daily, transform me and make me peculiar and set-apart. I never tasted alcohol. I never tried any drugs. To this day, I've never held a cigarette. I never fooled around with guys. I never even kissed anyone until I kissed Grant on our wedding day. I never cussed and used foul language. I didn't tell crude or sick jokes. I never snuck out of my house. I never watched an R-rated movie! I was a good girl!.....by the world's standards anyway.

Though I had never noticed it before, I realized one day that I had allowed quite a chunk of pride to take up residence in my life. Though I could quote "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), I didn't truly feel the impact of that truth until I met my husband.

Grant grew up on the other side of the tracks. He was raised in an environment of divorce, alcohol, and drugs. He had seen the inside of a jail cell. He was well acquainted with the atmosphere that drinking would produce. He knew the Church routine but, instead of seeing sold-out people abandoned to Christ, he saw hypocritical Christians who would walk into Church, Bible in tow, but could be found on the bar stool beside him that next Friday night. He saw first-hand what I had only heard about growing up.

When we met, I did not know about his past, but neither did I entertain the thought that we would ever be together. I had assumed I would marry someone just like me..... A guy with a family on the road, homeschooled, a singer, a past that held no bad baggage. But the Lord's ways are always higher than ours. I remember a certain night in October of 2008. Grant and I had become very good friends over the summer. We had spent a lot of time together witnessing with our group. We were both attracted to one another and, though I wouldn't admit it at the time, I was falling for him. Hard. On this particular night in October, Grant had asked me if I would consider pursuing a relationship with him. He had spoken with my Dad and I had told him that I needed to think and pray about it. On this night, we were talking and Grant began to tell me a bit about his past and how he had grown up. Though I had heard a few bits and pieces, it was the first time I heard his whole story. And my pride quickly rose up. As he was confiding in me his "dirty laundry," I found myself thinking, "Oh no....no, God. I CAN'T. No way. There is no way I can EVER be with him now. I mean, I praise God for his salvation and deliverance from sin, but that most certainly does not mean I should have to live with it. No. The guy I marry is going to have a clean past... like me."

Immediately, God placed a firm hand over my spirit's mouth. Even though I hadn't spoken those words out loud, they were said very loud and clear in God's ears. And like a swift, spiritual spanking, the Lord reprimanded me and I felt Him say, "Kristen! What makes you think that you are any better? YOUR sin is just as sickening in My sight."

To say I felt ashamed that my thinking had been so prideful is an understatement. And I began to cry as Grant finished his story. I felt sorrow for everything he had had to see and experience. I felt broken for him. But more than that, I felt utterly disgusted with my own sin - the biggest of which I found was my arrogance and pride. As he ended his testimony, he said, "Kristen, I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me of everything I did that was ungodly."
    
Suddenly I became aware of what grace really was. For the first time, I was put in a position I had never been in before. I began to think of Jesus and how He looked upon all my sin - all the wretched, foul, and despicable thoughts, desires, actions, and attitudes - and chose to forgive and accept me in spite of it all. He gave me a full pardon. He wiped my slate clean. And here was this man asking ME to forgive him???  With LOTS of tears, I said to my husband-to-be, "If God forgives you....then who am I to refuse to forgive you too??"

That night was a pivotal moment in my life when I suddenly understood grace like I never had before.

Far too many take grace for granted. Far too many do ungodly things in the name of grace. Many choose to lovingly welcome and justify sin and call it grace. Many view grace as the acceptance, without rebuke, of everything that is unholy.

But let me tell you what grace really is.

Grace is the God of all that is just and righteous looking down on a pathetic, despicable, broken sinner and, showing mercy and love, chooses to forgive and cleanse and restore that sinner. Grace is God clothing that sinner in the blood of His Son and sitting them down at His right hand. And grace is that sinner, with thankfulness and praise and humility, showcasing that incredible event to others.
  
Grace is my husband seeing all my of all my flaws and imperfections and yet remain faithful.
   
Grace is my husband forgiving my emotional outbursts of hatefulness and disrespect.
 
Grace is my husband knowing my sins and struggles - past and present - and choosing to love me in spite of them.
   
....and grace is me doing the same.
        
Don't frustrate the grace of God. Don't make excuses for sin in the name of grace. If we do that, we miss all that grace TRULY is!
        
If we - as that broken and shameful sinner - humble ourselves in the sight of God and one another, we will be raised up. We will be healed. We will be strong. We will see the glory of redemption. We will be filled with joy. We will have a bigger impact upon those still in Satan's clutches. And we will have a better understanding of all that was done at Calvary.

That's what grace can do.

Grace! Grace! God's grace!
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace! Grace! God's grace!
Grace that is greater than all our sin.