If I Can Craft . . . So Can You!

You guys . . . I totally MADE this wreath. With my hands. And no help.

Well . . . let's be honest. Me and Pinterest are like this (crosses fingers). It had every potential to turn into a Pinterest fail, but turned out pretty cute, right?!

I am certainly not a crafter—but when I saw how simple this wreath was to make, I thought I'd give it a shot. If you like it, and want to make one of your own, you'll find some very helpful tutorials here and here and also here from people who officially kick ass at crafts. If I can do it, you can, too!

Happy crafting!

Note: I'm thinking about making these for a Russia Mission fundraiser. Let me know if you'd be interested in one and we can work out price/colors, etc. I'll even let you take credit for the "craftiness"!

Elegy for Bennett's Baby Fat: A Poem

I was holding Bennett's little hands in mine the other day, and the realization that his pudgy wrists and fingers are thinning hit me. Hard. It won't be long until his deliciously fat little thighs officially grow into long, lanky legs. Months maybe.

The revelation made me want to bottle up this last piece of baby-ness in him and capture it in a way that later, I'll still be able to feel how his plump baby cheeks feel against my lips when I kiss him. For me, the only way to do that is in a poem:

Elegy for Bennett’s Baby Fat

The fat sausage feet I’ve snacked on

for months help you flee from my nibbles.

You say, Don’t get me and run circles

around our ottoman, dripping

baby fat from your thighs and giggles

from your mouth.  I fattened that face

with milk from my breasts, and now

it’s been swallowed up by a boy

I don’t recognize.  I scoop you up

and chomp on thinning forearms

that used to double over like rubber

bands encircled your wrists.

You say, Eat food, Mama,

and wriggle from my grasp

the same way the boy sneaks out

from the baby you used to be.

Bennettisms

Telling stories before bed:
Bennett: "Once upon a time der were two budderfwies and they names were Mommy and Daddy and    
              Bennett and Bubby. Once upon a time they were friends. Dee end."


Using his manners:
Bennett: "Excuse me."
Me: "Did you toot?"
Bennett: "I just toot from my mouth."


On Daddy's baking skills:
Ryan: "I made a green swirl cake for St. Patrick's Day!"
Bennett: "I no like squirrel cake."

One Word, Five Voices: Breath

Take a deep breath.

Feel better?

Sometimes that's all it takes to slow down and realize the busy we've subscribed to is just that—busyness that we've added to our lives ourselves; busyness that threatens to drown what truly matters most in life.

So today . . . take a breath. Pause. Pray. Listen.

What does God have on your schedule for today?

Pausing at the top of Monte Tamaro, Switzerland in 2007.

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 Check out what my friends think of today's word on their blogs: Shawn, Heather, Steph and Brian.

One Word, Five Voices: Peace

I'm not sure I've ever considered Jimi Hendrix to be a great theologian, but his quote about peace has always stood out to me:

Photo credit to Pinterest.

There is something about the big ideas of PEACE and POWER and LOVE being so intertwined that it seems illogical why we haven't figured it out yet. It seems so simple, doesn't it—the idea of peace?

Warring nations, disgruntled employees, hurting marriages, broken children . . . isn't love the missing piece in all of these injustices? Not enough love, forgotten love, too much self-love—that's what's breaking things, that's what's preventing the broken from being redeemed.

Friends, can we all just take a moment today to intentionally love on someone? Can't we just love without getting caught up in all the technicalities? Who cares if the other person has wronged us, or has different principles than we do, or that we want to be right, or that we just plain don't like them?

Today, let's just love each other and let the peace of that choice fall over us in waves.
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 Check out what my friends think of today's word on their blogs: Shawn, Heather, Steph and Brian.

One Word, Five Voice: Live

This moment you're sitting in right now will never ever happen again, and frankly, I feel blessed that you chose it to read this blog entry. This moment you're living in is precious—we only get so many in this one beautiful life we're living.

I started today with that thought in mind, and already, so many moments have blessed my day: the soft, warm snuggle of a sleepy toddler, the giggle of a friend, shared prayers for my Monday night crew, the generous act of a co-worker, the taste of perfectly steeped tea . . . and this is only the beginning of the day!

There will be so many more moments to live in fully today—to be blessed by. Let's live in our blessings today instead of all the other crap that drags us down.

Look around and live as if you're blessed—you are.

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 Check out what my friends think of today's word on their blogs: Shawn, Heather, Steph and Brian.

One Word, Five Voices: Seek

Image credit from this Etsy shop.

 I'm so bad at this you guys. Seriously, THE WORST. Here's the story of my life:

     Me: "La di da . . . life is good. Yay for me."
     Problem: "I'm comin' at cha!"
     Me: "I've totally got this. I've mapped out the perfect plan to handle you measly little thing.
             Problem shmoblem."
     [Proceeds with "perfect" plan and fails miserably.]
     Problem: "Ha! You thought I was big then? Now you really better watch out!"
     Me: "Oh shit. What the hell am I supposed to do? My plan did not work. My plan was an epic
             fail. Hmmm . . . maybe I should pray about this?"

Aaaand scene.

Alright . . . clearly I'm being a little cavalier here, but sometimes when I look back on things, it's kind of amazing to me how easily my problem could've been handled had I just sought after what God's plan was first.

Because his plan for me is always good. It may not be what I want, it may not be easy, it may not come in the timing I'd prefer—but it is always good.
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 Check out what my friends think of today's word on their blogs: Shawn, Heather, Steph and Brian.