Tough stuff from Beth Moore

Being a minister's wife isn't always easy. Don't get me wrong, it's such a blessing to be in this role. It's humbling, yet overwhelming. I think the hardest thing for me is dealing with people criticising my husband. Well, Beth (really more God than Beth!) had something to say about that today. I think we can all apply these things to our lives.

She quoted Francis Frangipane who said:

To inoculate me from the praise of man,
He baptized me in the criticism of man,
until I died to the control of man.

Such a nice reminder that we're not here to please man, but to please God. This changed my whole perpective. Rather than look at criticism as an attack on my family, I will look at it as a lesson from God. And everytime it hits me wrong, it will be a reminder that I've got a long way to go in this area.

Halle Walks

Halle decided to start walking about a week and half ago. She's so much more pleasant now because she feels so independent...which makes life so much better!

The kids are always there to make me laugh about something. The other day I was sitting on the front porch with Brylee. Our neighbors had some kids playing in their yard who appeared to be fighting. Brylee talks about how it's not nice to fight and somehow we started talking about her and her best friend/cousin Eli.

I say: You and Eli never fight like that, do you *(yeah, right!)
Brylee says: Nope, we just cuddle....and hug.....and sometimes we hug so hard that we fall down!
How cute!

Now, It's time to sleep. It's been a long, tiring week that started off with raw sewage shooting 5 feet in the air in my basement. I think (fingers crossed) that we've found the problem. A mystery rag made its way into a pipe. No one knows how it got there.

I can't wait until tomorrow....my husband is presenting Compassion International to our church. I pray God will touch people's hearts to BE Missional and change lives for God. We got to see first-hand what Compassion is able to accomplish in Honduras and are excited to tell the church.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

I have been keeping my camera handy lately for all the cute things the girls do. I have captured some cool moments. Today I will post a video of Halle. Tomorrow (or whatever day I get to it) is Brylee's big day. Halle finally decided she would walk with this toy. She decided it's pretty cool.

Living in the Moment

This week has been a brutal reminder that I take too much for granted. I get too hung up in keeping the house clean and tasks done to relish the moments. I am so blessed with an awesome family. May I never get so busy that I let time flash by without truly enjoying my time with them.

Wednesday was the funeral for Zac McDowell. It was one of the hardest funerals I have ever sat through. Zac was 26 and he left behind his wife and 2 year old son, Tucker. And as I sat there having a hard time singing praises in this time, I was amazed at the faith of his family. Namely, his wife Renee. They played a song by Jeremy Camp. Here are the lyrics.

Will I believe you when you say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day

Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Help me to RID my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With the one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

well i will walk by faith
even when i cannot see
because this broken road
prepares your will for me

Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace

Despite all she has been through in the last year, Renee was singing that song with everything the had. She was praising God on one of the worst days of her life. That is what a true relationship with Christ looks like. To trust Him even when the whole world is falling apart.

Then, I got the pleasure of praying for Tori Gray today. Despite all the trying times Tori has been through, she maintains such a strong faith in God. She's going in for a double mastectomy on Tuesday and acts like it aint nothin' but a thang.

If you could, please remember to pray for these two families. Tori has 4 children, 1 with special needs. I'm sure both families would really appreciate your prayers.

Potty Party

This is a little late, but about a month ago we had a Potty Party for Brylee. It was out of sheer desperation that I promised her this one. She was just not into the whole idea of being potty trained. I tried every idea that anyone gave me and nothing was working. So, knowing how much she loves birthday parties, I promised her a potty party upon successful completion. Lo and behold, it worked! The party was fun, and it gave us an excuse to eat chocolate cake.

Isn't it sad?

It's not often this happens. And its very bittersweet. Do you ever put away all your laundry and realize that you don't really have enough hangers for all the clothes? Tonight, I put away the last load of clean laundry. And...I'm one hanger short in our closet. Bummer....The good news is...that I can wait to laundry for at least a few days! Happy Valentine's Day!

Recipe: Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini

For all you people who have asked, here it is (thanks Rachael Ray):

1-10 ounce box frozen spinach
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino romano cheese
salt and black pepper
1 pound cheese tortellini


Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Microwave the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a buble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.

Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini according to package directions, about 3-5 minutes. Drain it well and toss with the spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

DI-VINE!

I'm a Big Girl Now!!

This is Brylee on her First day of pre-school. We left early in case she needed extra time to get used to the school. But, much to my surprise, as soon as we walked in she took of her coat and went to play. I had to call her back to say bye and give me a hug. When Ben picked her up that day, he asked her how it was. The

most important thing she felt she needed to share was: "Those little kids don't flush the toilet when they poop." The next thing she talked about was snack time. Go figure.

Its official...I'm a blogger. (Be kind, please!)

Today's the first day of my blogging endeavor. I guess I'll introduce the two people I spend most of my time with:

Brylee is showing off her stick-on finger nails in this picture. I don't think they were all together for five minutes. Then, for the next two hours she followed me all over the house trying to get me to put different ones back on. Halle is 8 months old now and is very busy. Here's a picture of her in her high chair (her favorite place to be). She loves to eat, especially when she can feed herself.

Brylee has had many exciting events in the past few weeks. She started preschool and got her hair cut. She kept asking for a "short" haircut....and she got it! Then, last night she attempted to cut it even shorter. She cut a chunk of her hair out with her giraffe scissors.

Since Brylee started pre-school, Halle has been getting some Mommy time to herself. She seems to like this quite a bit, and honestly...the quiet is quite heavenly twice a week!