The Chain of Unforgiveness

I've totally forgiven him.

I really have. But, I'm just so angry. Why did I have to endure that pain for so many years? 

She continued looking me right in the eye, insisting that she had forgiven her husband (who had humbly asked for forgiveness) while recounting his many infractions.

It goes both ways. Husbands may not be as vocal, but years can pass after we've told ourselves and everyone else that we have forgiven, while keeping the situation - whatever it was - as fresh in our minds as the day it happened, even years later.

We're really good at deceiving ourselves, aren't we? Sure, we've forgiven but, when it comes to remembering grievances, elephants have nothing on husbands and wives. Our memories aren't just good, they're more secure than a maximum security prison. If there's a safe, secure place where grievances will never be lost or tarnished, it's in the memory prison of a wounded, unforgiving heart where they are kept for instant display.

And that's just how Satan likes it - wives and husbands forever keeping in easy reach past grievances that, when brought up yet again, destroy closeness, openness, and joy in marriage.

When we've sinned against our spouse we must seek forgiveness - it's not optional. But neither is it optional to withhold forgiveness when it is sought.

How did holding on to grievances become more important than walking in fellowship with the person we love? It's as if we've turned our list of grievances into our new best friend.

But those hurts are not your friend. They're a chain that will keep your spirit bound in the prison of bitterness while securing a barrier between you and your spouse. Are you living this reality, right now?

Just let it go. Release your grasp on those things that "prove" you are right and he/she is wrong. The irony is that you think you "have" these grievances, but the fact is that they have you. Let go. You won't lose your leverage. You'll gain your freedom.

Forgiveness is serious business - it's just not optional for the believer. Jesus said that if you won't forgive, you won't be forgiven - Matthew 6:15. This is the very heart of the matter: We need forgiveness, but we can forget this.

Sometimes we've spent so much energy on the wrongs others have done (to us) that we discount the wrongs we, ourselves, have done. When we reflect on our own deep need of God's mercy, it's easier to stop standing as the judge over our spouse. And, remember that warning from Matthew? Is the chain of unforgiveness worth the price you will pay?

The call for every husband and wife is to be quick - just as quick as God - to forgive. Genuine forgiveness leaves the past in the past, never referencing it again.

How grateful we should be that God extends that mercy to us. How quick we should be to extend it to our spouse. 


Thank you Matthew Jacobson for this amazing article...

You can read more from Matthew and his wife, Lisa, at The Time-Warp Wife.

All He's Ever Wanted

Saw this floating around on Facebook and it made me smile. 

So often we feel we have to change ourselves into something God deems "acceptable" or "worthy" before we can give ourselves to Him.

We think we have to "fix" ourselves before God would even consider touching us. 

Maybe you think you're just too far gone. A lost cause. So worthless even God wouldn't want you.

I've got news for you, my friend.

He created you and calls you His Child! 

Don't underestimate His love. Don't give up on Him. He loves you for who you are and He's never given up on you!

You and everything you are is all He's ever wanted!

1 John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God..."

The Heart of the Home

As J. R. Miller put it, "home happiness depends on the wife.

Her spirit gives the home its atmosphere.

Her hands fashion its beauty.

Her heart makes its love."


As a wife and mother, the joy of my husband and children relies heavily on me. Their hearts are in my hands.

I find myself caught up in the picking-up, cleaning-up aspect of my "job" and, at times, think so is this really it? This is the beauty of motherhood ... a sparkling clean toilet and mopped floors?" 

It's hard sometimes to find fulfillment and joy in a long day of cleaning up messes and wiping sticky bottoms!

But as a mother, my "job" is far more intricate, far more precious, and far more beautiful than I could ever imagine.

As a mother, I have the privilege of comforting, loving and guiding my children through the up's and down's of life; helping and watching them learn and grow; leading them in their walk with the Lord...

As a mother, I have the beautiful role of making a house a sanctuary -- a safe-haven for the ones God has placed in my care.

This is no small task! But I'm claiming Phil. 3:14 and trust that God will give more patience when mine falls short, more strength when I feel I have none left to give, and more love than I feel my heart can hold.

We're Like Pumpkins

So you've probably already seen the picture of this on Facebook, but it's encouraged my heart every time I've read it. I had to share it for the few who haven't and give people a chance to read it again!

Why is being a Christian like being a Pumpkin?

God picks you from the patch, brings you in, 

and washes all the dirt off of you.

Cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.

He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc...

And then He carves you a new smiling face 

and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the World to see. 

How true is that?! Now every time you see a pumpkin you can think of God's love and handiwork in your life!

I love it.

Keep on shining!!

Cheeseburger Soup

There's nothing like soup on a cold, rainy day! Had to share this awesome recipe I made yesterday. It was so yummy!

INGREDIENTS:

-1/2 lb. ground beef
-3/4 c. chopped onion
-3/4 c. shredded carrots
-3/4 c. diced celery
-1 tsp. dried basil
-1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
-4 Tbsp. butter, divided
-3 c. chicken broth
-4 c. peeled, diced potatoes
-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
-2 c. (approx.16oz.) velveeta cubed
-1 1/2 c. milk
-3/4 tsp. salt
-1/4 - 1/2 tsp. pepper
-1/4 c. sour cream

1. Brown ground beef in 3-qaurt sauce pan. Drain and set aside.
2. In same sauce pan, add 1T butter, onion, carrot, parsley, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add broth, potatoes and beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes (until potatoes are tender).
4. In small skillet, melt remaining 3T butter and add flour. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup and bring to a boil. Cook/stir for 2 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese, milk, S&P. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

Enjoy! 

You can find this recipe and much, much more at The Recipe Critic!

Facials & Pumpkin Muffins

I had a Girls Night for our Teens last weekend. We spent the evening experimenting with DIY facials and, like every girl loves to do {but would never admit to, being the self-disciplined, genteel Ladies that we are}, we STUFFED OUR FACES!

I made these Pumpkin Muffins. So yummy! And only 2 ingredients! No, I'm not kidding. Just two!

COMBINE-

- 1 box spice cake mix

- 1 can pumpkin

1. Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin tins.
2. Bake at 350 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
3. In theory, you could add chocolate chips or peeled, cubed apples for something extra. 

I will be making these again in the near future! They were ohh so good!!


I also made these Chocolate Turtles. These are so addictive it's not even funny...

INGREDIENTS

- 1 bag Rolo chocolates
- 1 bag mini pretzels
- 1 bag pecan halves

1. Spread desired amount of pretzels on cookie sheet. Place one Rolo chocolate on top of each pretzel. 
2. Bake at 350 4 minutes or until Rolo is softened. 
3. Place pecan halves on top and press into each Rolo.

            Voila! 

We had so much fun with these natural facials:

Banana facial - Mashed banana mixed with approx. 1 tbsp. of honey

Oatmeal facial - 1/2 c. Ground oatmeal, 2 tbsp. honey, and 1/8 c. water.
Grind oatmeal in a blender. Add honey. Stir well. Add water slowly and stir. Add more water/honey according to desired consistency.

My Devotional for the Girls:

Unveiling Your True Beauty

It's very important to take care of ourselves; we do our hair, take care of our skin, our nails, all that fun stuff. But what's even more important is making sure we're taking care of our inner beauty; our heart, our purity, our spirituality...

This is something that is so rare in our world today. Women of this generation are consumed with outer beauty, with what's sexy, and what the guys want.

Rather than allowing the world to define our understanding of true beauty and femininity, we need to learn what God values and what He considers truly beautiful.

Prov. 31:30 "Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." 

1 Peter 3:3-5 "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting of the hair, and of wearing gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves..." 

What God values most is a meek and quiet spirit, and a heart that trusts and seeks after Him.

When we allow God to rebuild our understanding of feminine beauty, our entire outlook and value system has to change. Too often, we allow pop culture to define our understanding of feminine beauty. We've inundated our minds with modern magazines, TV, movies, and the fashion industry -- a world that values the "Victoria Secret model" look and attitude. We're surrounded by peers who applaud self-obsessed, arrogant, sexually-aggressive young women. Enticed and deceived by the Father of Lies, we try to venture as close to those standards as possible, while still somehow maintaining our Christianity.

We can't.

Sometimes people get a bit nervous when the topic of modesty is addressed. Maybe you think, "Would allowing God to reform my beauty cause me to become ugly and boring?" I think when we think of modesty we picture ourselves walking around in gray, tent-like dresses with morose expressions on our makeup-less faces. Our hair maybe pinned back in a tight, unattractive bun. We wonder if God is so consumed with inward beauty that He deems any physical beauty as unhealthy or unspiritual...

{This fear is a repercussion of our failure to teach and clarify... This is never emphasized enough} God does care about our appearance!

Prov. 31:22 "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple." 

In Bible times, silk and purple were highly valued and considered very beautiful! Obviously, God places a high price on the "Prov.31 Woman" and this verse tells us that one of her characteristics was she took care of her appearance! So no, modesty is not wearing ankle length dresses and covering your body from head to toe.

God has a completely different design for your feminine beauty; one that reflects His glory, not the empty charm of this world.

Modesty is about making sure your clothing is covering all the parts of your body that should be saved for your husband's eyes only. However, it goes farther than just your clothing. It's also your attitude and how you carry yourself. Being flirty, overly-flamboyant, always trying to get attention, etc. is not being modest.

It's important to make sure your clothes are not too tight or too revealing, and that your attitude and countenance are becoming of a young lady seeking after God.

In college, I read a lot about missionaries and women of God... Women like Amy Carmichael, Catherine Booth and Narcissa Whitman. If you're unfamiliar with these inspiring, God-honoring women, I highly encourage you to read about them. These women rejected the empty feminine charm of the world and embraced an altogether different kind of beauty - the beauty of Jesus Christ. They showcased femininity as God intended it to be - in all its elegance, grace, nobility and lasting loveliness.

Can you imagine glowing with such a divine inner sparkle that caused everyone around you to be inspired and captivated? This is what it means to reflect the glory of God through our femininity. It's feminine beauty as God intended it to be.

Rather than following the empty, fruitless pattern of our culture, it's time we turn our eyes to the Author of all true beauty.

Develop a closer relationship with God. Walk closer to Him. In doing so, you will unveil your true beauty and shine for Him like never before!

*****

Meet my girls...

Bethany, Maddie, Destiny, Gracie, Jacie, & Gabby

{some girls couldn't make it... we sure missed ya!}

Love you guys!!!

Thank you Cindy Scarcelli for taking awesome pictures for us!

Funny Finds -- Shoe Hunt

So I have a thing for shoes. Every once in a while I look online to see what's new or what's come back in style. I found these on my shoe hunt this week... 

Really? I... Really?!

Willy Wonka...

This is totally a prank Logan would pull on me with a pair of my shoes!

I don't even know...

Little too much Safari love...

 

Nothing like embracing your inner child!

Props for creativity!