Falalalala Friday

F

a

la

la

la

la         Friday

is just that, every Friday I'll be posting some of my 

fav's old and new. I pray you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Thorns Or Roses

"Some people complain that God

 put thorns on roses, 

while others praise Him

for putting roses on thorns."

Anonymous

A miserable heart means a miserable life;

 a cheerful heart fills the day with song. 

 Proverbs 15:15 MSG

Falalalala Friday

F

a

la

la

la

la         Friday

is just that, every Friday I'll be posting some of my 

fav's old and new. I pray you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Does anybody hear her?  Can anybody see?

Or does anybody even know she's going down today?

Under the shadow of our steeple

With all the lost and lonely people

Searching for the hope that's tucked away inside of you and me

Does anybody hear her?  Can anybody see?

Does Anybody Hear Her? By Casting Crowns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEhRucEVzH8

Focusing On The Process

We are chatting you and I and as I'm listening,

 I hear your heart my friend. 

 I know because we are much more alike than you know. 

Of course you and I are talking about our marriages.....but the conversation could really be about any number of things going on in our lives right now.  Couldn't they???


I want to remind us both of a few things.I say remind because I believe you already know this stuff it's just gotten lost in translation so to speak.  

You say your overwhelmed, 

that you don't know which stone to start with.

You and I can't start with the whole stone, if we do then the stone often becomes a huge boulder? Now I'm already tired and I haven't even begun.  Why would I intentionally set myself up for defeat by trying to do something crazy, like rebuilding the whole coliseum.  But what if I start with one pebble, that's right I said one pebble.  God has already given me the strong foundation and an amazing man to journey with.  But sometimes I need to go in and do a little spring cleaning, sweeping out some those pesky pebbles and really good deep dusting of my own heart, right.

Instead of always focusing on the ultimate goal of being an amazing wife, having an amazing husband (or my version of one), perfect kids, a clean house, ETC. which of course always equals an amazing marriage right?  The reality is I have just set that boulder into motion, and that boulder has a name (Am I the only one who names her boulders??)  and that name is defeat, crushed, conquered, failure (again and again)

But I can't go there, I refuse to go there!!

Rather than me being mad because the ultimate goal of.... (again fill-in-the-blank)  isn't happening quickly enough for me.  What if I were to focus on the process...you know what I mean?  I tend to lose sight of the little moments.  Like unloading the dishwasher together. It's not about the dishwasher right, its about those stolen moments with your man that only you and God know about.  Hearing your kids laugh over silliness (don't kids have the best laugh!!), because they haven't yet been taught otherwise.

I can't be worried about my man's heart per say, but just mine.  I am learning to trust that as God is working on my heart, he is working on my man's as well and when the time is right God will do his own big reveal and it will be much sweeter than anything me or Hollywood could dream up.  We can't give up, if God doesn't give up, how can I?  Amen!!

7 Experiment: Food - Week 1 In Review

Day 1)  What to eat, what not to eat?  My prayer continues to be that this experiment does not become legalistic.  I want my heart and mind be opened to the excess in my life and it has been.  Just today alone, I've found myself wandering into the kitchen opening the pantry, on the verge of mindlessly shoving a handful of something, anything into my mouth.


Day 2) My head is POUNDING!!  I'm guessing it's from going cold turkey on the coffee and sugar, but really only two days.  I had to go into Walmart to get some fruit for a fruit salad I was taking to a birthday dinner.  (Remember, I am saying "no" to sugary sweets)  OH MY GOODNESS!  It's Easter time which is just another way to tempt me with savory, sugary sweets.  They were EVERYWHERE, heaven help me I had to get out of there pronto!!  Explained the 7 premise to my friend, she didn't think I was crazy, in fact she was was very encouraging and said she was going to be doing her own experiment with food.


Day 3) Not too bad, the headache seems to have subsided ('THANK YOU, JESUS!).  I enjoyed great meeting at Starbucks with my friend, who was so sweet and bought me a black iced tea, no water, unsweetened, thank you very much.  She also didn't think I was out of my mind when I told about the 7 premise, gotta keep friends like that!!

Day 4) Not much to report, that can't be a bad thing.......thank you Jesus :)

Day 5)  Went to Costco and Sprouts...I found both to be dangerous places for me.  I went into Sprouts with the  sole purpose of finding bread and tortillas that had less than 5 ingredients in them.  And being a total newbie (and a bread lover) this proved to be a little more of a challenge than I anticipated.  I found the 2 items on my list and forced myself to walk past the yummy treats calling me from the bulk food aisles.   Next was Costco... Costco at lunchtime....not well thought out on my end.  I felt I was doing pretty well, staying focused trying not to inhale to deeply as I went by the samples.  I swear they were at the end of EVERY aisle today.  Stayed to my list was heading around the corner to check-out and what would make this

caramel loving

girl in her tracks and drool:

Trying to hold fast my resolve and kept repeating my standby Lord get me through this scripture - Philippians 4:13 "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me."  Mission accomplished, thank you JESUS!!!


Day 6)  What am I desiring the most to eat or drink?  The answer would be everything and yet nothing....Isn't that pathetic!!!  I don't know if it's denying myself so much as it is becoming more keenly aware of the EXCESSive amount of choices I am afforded everyday.  Stop and think about it for a few minutes, it is  insanity to max....do I want my coffee hot or iced?  with or without and endless array of flavors, boosts and any assortment of goodness I can create.  How do I want my eggs....fried (easy, over easy, sunny-side up), scrambled, hard-boiled, poached?  And that my friends, is just in my own kitchen and it's not even 7:00 A.M.!!!


Day 7)  Not much to report today.......thank you Jesus :)

7 Experiment: Food - Day 1

"No man knows how bad he is until he tries very hard to be good.....Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is."  ~ C.S. Lewis


It all started last year when God really began opening my eyes and cleaning out the darkness my heart as he readied me to experience more of him and less of me.  But  He is so sweet to me and sent me a friend, Chrissy,  who is willing to say "yes" more than she says "no".  Yep, together I think we might just be certifiable, and that's is just what I needed!

God said very clearly to me that had so much he wanted to share with me, with all of us actually.  I had to Stop.....

STOP putting God in my box                              STOP looking inward
STOP limiting him                                              STOP seeking & trusting in this world
STOP living like I don't have (fill in the blank)

           STOP for the love of all things just STOP

Whether you believe in God and have accepted or rejected who Jesus says he is, I would find it very hard to believe that for the majority of us that we would not, could not find some area of excess in our lives.  I know that for me even narrowing down my 7 foods was very much a challenge because I so wanted to circumvent AKA manipulate the challenge so that I wouldn't be without.  Shocking........nope, pathetic slap me hard upside the head with this realization a resounding YEP!


You don't have to read the book 7: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker or even participate in your own experiment, but I do want to encourage to take a good long look at your lifestyle and see if any excess jumps out at you.  I wonder how this experiment is going to change me, I pray for the better.


 My had a dear friend, Mandy, asked me a great question regarding writing a blog, "Are you sure you want to open yourself like that?"  Hmmm, I hadn't thought of it like that before, but I knew that if I didn't put myself out there 'like that' then really what is the point.  So here I go, I am putting my 7 challenge out there on the World Wide Web for the whole world to read.

7 Experiment (Food) 30 day challenge

1. No coffee (for me it's ALL about the creamers, coffee is honestly an excuse to drink yummy creamers).
2. No 2nd helpings and again so I can't cheat no excessive 1st helpings either.
3. No sweets, no candy or desserts. Fresh fruit (not canned) is allowed, I gotta stay sane somehow. :)
4. No processed white breads or pastas.  Basically nothing with over 5 ingredients.
5. Two days a week I am only eating egg whites, grilled chicken, black beans, veggies & drinking only water.
6. No pop.
7. No creamy sauces or gravies.

Check back in on me from time to time and click on the 7 Experiment label on the right.  And if you are doing own experiment I would love to hear about that too! It will help keep me certifiably sane :)

Seeds Of Faith

"Seeds of faith are always within us;

 sometimes it takes a crisis 

to nourish and encourage 

their 

g

r

o

w

t

   h." 

Susan Taylor