New Blog By The End Of The Week!

I AM GETTING SOOOOO EXCITED! BY THE END OF THIS WEEK I WILL BE SHARING THE LINK TO MY NEW BLOG!  IN THE MEANWHILE, WE HAVE BEATEN THE FLU AS WELL AS THE PROGRESSION OF THE 2 YEAR MOLARS COMING THROUGH AND AT OVER 7 MONTHS PREGO, THIS MOMMA IS KINDA FEELING LIKE SUPER WOMAN! :) HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A BLESSED SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER! BLESSING EVERYONE!

 

Just Checking In

Because I am still waiting for the update of all things, 'Minutes Matter' I thought I should stop in briefly and shed some light on what the Lord has put on my heart over the last month or so.  I was asked to do some writing on 'Back to School Topics' for mommas, and so I thought I would include the links here for anyone's viewing pleasure :)  In the meanwhile, my intent is to have my new blog up and running no later than mid September.  My heart feels such joy and excitement in even the thought of what is to come, and I truly cannot wait to share, learn and grow with you in this crazy fast pace world.  Until then, please check out this 'Simple Series' on back to school ideas/recipes/tips that are relevant for any momma! 

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

 

May you find your week blessed, intentional and filled with the Joy of Jesus! 

 

-Back Soon, Josie

First Time Visitors!

 

 

Hi! I'm SO happy you stopped by.  This may be your first time over here, and I just want to let you know that this blog truly is in its infancy.  Up until this point I have used this blog to be more of a personal journal.  Recently, I have learned to not let my fear stop me from sharing with you what it is I feel the Lord has put on my heart to say.  Can you please show me some grace as I am just learning how to navigate through this crazy world of technology? 

 

I would love for you to pour some coffee, stay, and read through some of my heart on here.  In the meanwhile, I will be posting a few times a week and look forward to growing with you!  Today, I wrote about my disability.  See what the Lord showed me about myself here...  

 

 

Eyes On Your Own Paper! 5 P's to Kick Envy's Butt For Good!

Recently, I have had the opportunity of writing/sharing over at a blog called The Mom Squad.  My first post was to publish on July 2nd.  Truthfully, I did not know what the Lord would have me share.  However, about two months prior to that, He started revealing to me a part of my heart that had slowly grown sour... 

For some time I denied that I was an envious person, but when He reveals something about you that He wants to change, He does not stop the process until you hop on board and join in on the repairing. 

 

Here is what He shared with me as a defense against such an ugly issue:



 KICKING ENVY'S BUTT FOR GOOD!

 

With Baby Two On The Way, I Guess I'm a Little Emotional...

Originally posted in 2013.

Introducing...

 

I know that it has been quite some time since these ten digits have pressed the keyboard, but I am grateful to be writing again, and even more excited to share with you what has been keeping my hands busy and my heart filled over the last few months…

It was about this time last year that I stood in the mirror jaw dropped and teary eyed.  It would take two more weeks, five more pregnancy tests, and a trip to the doctor before I believed that I was actually pregnant.  However, toes I could no longer see, covered by ankles as wide as my knees, would soon replace any doubt!  Finally, after nine months of anticipation, October 4th 2012 little Noah Valley placed his precious tiny hand in mine for the very first time.  A dark eyed, brown haired babe filled my arms, and instantly, love unexplainable filled my heart…

The first night home he cried until 9 am the following morning.  I thought for sure that I had signed up for something much bigger than I was capable of handling.  After losing the endless battle of ‘get the diaper on before I pee/poo on you game’ and surrendering to the ‘you-will- never-sleep-again bandit,’ I more than welcomed his beautifully dimpled and intentional first smile at 7 weeks.  At 9 weeks we laughed at ourselves as the landlord came and unlocked the spare room that we accidentally locked our newborn in.  He was ok, but I again was questioning my parenting skills!

Lately, I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of this.  I often catch myself just staring at him most days, and then, while he’s sleeping at night, I look at pictures of him.  He is simply amazing.  His curious gaze has become more of an intentional stare.  I tell myself these days, that when he looks at me now and smiles, that he knows I am Mommy and loves me back.  It is that tender little smile that makes all the poopy diapers and near sleepless nights worthwhile!  We recorded him rolling for the first time at 3 ½ months and I can’t help but wish we could just freeze time; I blink and he changes. 

In Noah’s short four months of life, he’s done more for me than I could probably ever do for him in his lifetime.  Nothing could prepare me for the change motherhood would have on my heart.  Only the Lord could design something so wonderful, so supernatural.  A love words will never explain, yet I could not wait to write words and share with you the blessing he has been to us thus far.  If you don’t mind, I wanted to share with you my prayer for our sweet Noah.

Noah’s Prayer

I pray that you will know-

That God is real… loving, good, accessible, and intentional.

He thought of you Noah and His plan for your life at the beginning of time and He loves you relentlessly.

I pray that you will be confident in whom it is God made you to be and that you will believe-

That being an individual may mean a loss of popularity- but a gain in self-respect.

That what you do when no one is looking will say far more about your character than anything done that can be visible to others.

That having a compassionate heart for and investing in the homeless, abandoned, widowed, and poor- will indefinitely make you richer than any Wall Street tycoon.

That your thoughts truly do reveal what it is you most closely treasure; guard and take inventory of your thoughts my son.

That simple joys; laughter, fall leaves, a family of deer, the ocean breeze, the smell of raindrops, a good book, a good friend, and the taste of warm chocolate chip cookies- are things that should not be taken for granted but recognized as intentional gifts from God reminding you that He loves and sees you- This is where you find JOY.

Know my son that success is measured not by what you have gathered but what you have given- there is ALWAYS joy in giving.

I pray Noah that you will be a man who is quick to forgive, both yourself and others.  And that you will be a man motivated by thanksgiving because you understand that true joy comes in being thankful for everything, good and bad, because even our next breath is a gift from God and an example of His grace.

Finally, your name means peaceful, comforter, and long-lived.  My sweet Noah, I pray that you always have the Peace of our Lord in abundance.  May His comfort accompany you all of your long-lived days and may you share all you have with all who know you- for that is a life well lived.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

The Ultimate Gift

I learned a special lesson recently, one I won’t quickly forget and one I have promised myself to frequently share.  I hope this true little story touches your heart the way it did mine. 

            When I am on the road for work, I often have to back my car up to delivery docks that are invariably located next to the most heinous smelling dumpsters.  I recently had the misfortune of parking next to one that produced a smell I am convinced could burn nose hairs!  Additionally, this dumpster was leaking horrendously foul water teeming with wiggling maggots and frantic fruit flies.  Disgusting would have been an understatement.  Surprisingly, out of this scene, I caught a glimpse of something beautiful.  

            From behind the dumpster I heard the faint meowing of a cat.  Soon a young, silver and white speckled cutie emerged, filthy, and hungry.  Saddened, I knew that all I had in my car was a box of crackers and a chocolate granola bar.  For some reason I remember hearing that it was not good for animals to have chocolate, so I opted for breaking the crackers into small pieces and put them on the ground for him.  When I came back outside, I noticed he had eaten all of my crackers and was now washing them down with the nasty maggot water.  I felt terrible, so I went back into the store and bought him his very own jug of cold milk!

            I put the milk in a bowl from my car and tried to give it to him, but he ran back to the dumpster water.  I thought that since we already became friends through crackers that he would definitely want my milk.  Strangely, I would put the bowl down and whistle him near, only to have him inch close and then run back to that sickening dumpster water.  This went on for some time.  Finally, I put the bowl down and walked away far enough to make him comfortable, but close enough to be in his sight so I could see what he would choose.  From a distance, I saw him stick his little head into the bowl and take a taste of the fresh milk.  He was caught off guard at first and taken aback by its cold goodness.  Quickly, he was face planted and indulging in what was probably his best meal in days.  This time he did not go back to the maggot water!

            This incident taught me a valuable lesson.  For a long time I was like that cat; I knew that there is something better in this life, a healthier way to live. However, I was often more comfortable swimming around in my own form of maggot water- hurtful habits, bad relationships, terrible attitudes, and an overall lifestyle of dissatisfaction, rather than truly trusting and believing in my heart that there is something better.

             Then I started thinking about how I offered this cat a free gift, something healthy and beneficial, yet he didn’t want it.  When faced with the risk of coming to me and chance drinking what I put in the bowl, he would get frightened and run away.  He did not trust that what I offered was good for him.  When he finally surrendered and gulped down the milk, he learned that nourishment I offered far exceeded the putrid alternative the dumpster provided.  I never forced him to drink that milk.  He chose to and he had all he needed. 

            This is how God offers us the ultimate gift through His Son Jesus.  We know God is there and we know how to reach Him, yet when it means that we have to make a choice or change a lifestyle to fully experience what He offers, we retreat back to the maggot water or old hurtful behaviors and remain miserably comfortable.

That cat did not wish the milk into existence.  He had to believe that it was there in the bowl, have faith to try it, and then trust that it was good for him. 

            This Christmas my heart is heavy.  I know the pain that the Holidays often bring.  I once cringed at the thought of Christmastime because it reminded me of how empty, lonely, and sad my life had become.  No gift that I could have unwrapped during that time would have made my heart feel any better.

            With the economy struggling and with the daily news not making things any brighter, my guess is that this Christmas may be a tough one for most both emotionally and financially.  Yet, the gift that most people really want cannot be bought with money. Wouldn’t we all like to have real Peace, Joy, and LOVE this Christmas? When I finally received God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, my feelings and attitudes started to change.  

            The Baby in the manger is not just some cute Christmastime story character.  He is a real documented historical figure: One that performed miracles, One that crowds saw crucified, and One that eye-witnesses saw resurrected from the dead and historically documented.  Truth is, He did all of this to offer us a free gift.   

            Like the free gift I offered the cat which would make him healthy, happy, and satisfied, he could not receive it until he believed and trusted- God offered us His Son Jesus, if we would just believe and truly trust in Him.  “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand,” (John 10:27-28).  I did not force the cat to accept my gift.  He had to choose to trust me.  Jesus will not force us to trust Him; He gives us the choice because love cannot be forced.  Just believe and unwrap His splendor this Christmas!  

His gift will never disappoint.

 
Yummy Chocolate Bark Recipe.  Makes a Great Gift!

Ingredients:

25 Oreo cookies

3 cups white chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips (can do half of both)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use with semisweet chips only)

To Make:

Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with waxed paper. Coat the paper with nonstick spray; set it aside. Pour the cookies into a large bowl and break them into small pieces.  Melt the chips in a large microwave-safe bowl according to the package directions. After chips have melted add extract. Remove from the microwave and quickly fold in the cookie pieces with a spatula. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread to about a 1/2-inch thickness. Refrigerate until solid, about 1 hour.

Remove the bark from the pan and carefully peel off the waxed paper. Set the bark on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the bark into 12 bars for wrapping or 24 triangles for boxing.  Store in an airtight container.

ALL…

A Gift Worthy of Thanks.

            What happens when those ads and those commercials stop touching our hearts?  What happens when we don’t feel the hunger that the famished little boy with the Santa belly feels? What forms when we grow annoyed at the media attempts to raise money for those in Haiti, Africa, and Japan? We forget.  We forget where we live, what we have, and Who is distributing it all. We forget to be thankful.

            The following data from Poverty Facts and Stats, and Trak-In, will help you remember:

·         Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.

·         Close to half of all people in developing countries suffer at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits.

·         For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are:

            640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3)

            400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5)

            270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7)

·         In developing countries some 2.5 billion people are forced to rely on biomass—fuelwood, charcoal and animal dung—to meet their energy needs for cooking. In sub-Saharan Africa, over 80 percent of the population depends on traditional biomass for cooking, as do over half of the populations of India and China

·         Millions of women spend several hours a day collecting water.

·         Having access to a bathroom means a person is more fortunate than 2.5 billion people in Asia Pacific and Africa who lack sanitation facilities.

·         Having electricity makes a person more fortunate than 1.6 billion people who do not have access to electricity.”

(Anup Shah -http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats)

(Arun Prabhudesai-http://trak.in/tags/business/2007/12/20/indian-people-fortunate-futurescope-quiz/) 

            With these facts, are we pushed toward gratitude?  We have all we need in the United States.  Yet, so often we are stuck in attitudes of dissatisfaction.  If we focus on what we are without or what we must attain, we will never know the joyful blessing that comes from being thankful for what we actually have.  What is it like to be the famished child in Ethiopia?  Living here in this country, to be alive at all, is a privilege and a blessing from God. 

 Every moment of our lives truly is a gift.

            My eyelids open to light peeking in; I am awake.  My hair gets stuck in the brush and I feel the tug; I can brush my own hair with my own hand, the tug hurts and I feel the pain.  He made the coffee strong. I smell its bold aroma and I can taste its needed jolt.  I pull supper out of the freezer, finish last minute cleaning, miss my workout and am two minutes late to work again.  Children laugh at the bus stop; I can hear their joy and breathe in the nostalgia.  The leaves have turned, the colors mesmerize me; I get to see and experience the seasons change.  Dinner is served, the warmth of the shower relaxes, and my head hitting the pillow brings peace… 

I must give thanks because I understand that:

Waking up to experience a new day is a gift because tomorrow is not promised.

Brushing my hair is a gift; some have lost theirs.

Smelling bold coffee and tasting its goodness is a gift; some can’t afford coffee or even open their mouths to taste it.

Having supper to pull out of the freezer, a home to clean, the ability to exercise and a job to arrive at are all gifts worthy of thanks; I’m sure that’s what the famished boy would tell us too.  We need hearts of gratitude.  What needs to change is not the amount of things we have in our possession or the successes we have accumulated, but rather the amount of thanks we store in our hearts and the perspective from which choose to look.

Being constantly thankful is not easy but it will always change our perspective.

A Blind Perspective.

“I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch.

I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.

I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough shaggy bark of a pine….

I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions; and something of the miracle… is revealed to me.

Occasionally, if I am very fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song….

At times my heart cries out with longing to see these things. If I can get so much pleasure from mere touch, how much more beauty must be revealed by sight.

Yet, those who have eyes apparently see little.

The panorama of color and action which fills the world is taken for granted…

It is a great pity that, in the world of light, the gift of sight is used only as a mere convenience rather than as a means of — adding fullness to life.”

~Helen Keller (www.aholyexperience.com)

Make this Thanksgiving more than a holiday.

            If we could see like Helen Keller or talk to the little boy with the bulging belly, we would understand that Thanksgiving is not just a holiday but a lifestyle.  In a season that has us anticipating Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Black Friday Sales, can we dig a bit deeper, slow down a bit longer, and spend concentrated time looking at what we have, being truly thankful for it?  Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us; making today, and all that is in it worthy of great thanks! 

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:11-13 KJV.

“It’s when all fails that His love never fails —

and this is why we are a people who can always give thanks.”  Ann Voskamp