WYPW {music, creamer, and encouragement edition}

My kids are LOVING these songs from Daniel Renstrom. I can't even remember exactly how I came across them, some one's blog that I read, I'm sure. But recently the girls have been asking to listen them whenever we are in the van. And I actually don't mind since they don't make me want to bang my head into the steering wheel. The first one titled, Love, Love Love, has a line that says, “He has loved you long before you could have loved Him in return.” This song has sparked a lot of questions from Saige and we have had many good discussions about who Jesus is and why He came to save us. The songs are all very gospel-centered and I have really appreciated the lyrics and the intent behind the songs. On his blog he says, "One of the most fundamental things I want my daughters to know about God is that His action in their life, on their behalf, is an act of His grace. They won’t ever do a thing that could merit it. But praise God He has acted. He sent Christ to weak, feeble people in need of rescue. He has ABSOLUTELY loved us long before we could have loved Him in return." Yeah for good music with good lyrics that get your kids thinking. So my point is this: If you want to feel like a stellar parent and like you're doing a rockin job at sharing the good news, then I highly recommend these songs, because they definitely will give you an ego boost. I am totally kidding. But they are helpful in fostering good conversations. I mean, come on, it's a no-brainer, really. Done. Deal. Give Daniel Renstrom some money. Go. Do it now.

I know I blogged awhile back about a new soy coffee creamer that I was enjoying. Well one of my readers pointed out that the jury was still out concerning the benefits of soy and she mentioned that there was a new REAL coffee creamer in grocery stores now (thanks, Elizabeth!). A couple of weeks later I saw it at Wal-Mart of all places (this, of course, just confirmed to me that going there is always full of surprises). I was happy to give it a try and you know what? It's delicious. There is just regular cream and then they have 3 different flavors — hazelnut, french vanilla, and cinnamon vanilla. My point is this: all of them are wonderful and I am so excited, because now I can clog my arteries with REAL fat and not the chemically-manufactured-trans-fat kind of fat. Yeah for cream!

I found this article, written by Jennifer Smidt and posted on The Resurgence website, extremely encouraging. My point: read it and be encouraged. Here is an excerpt from the beginning:

I often believe my husband has not found an excellent wife. When he tells me I have been short with him lately, overreacting and snapping unnecessarily, I am discouraged at my lack of excellence. Impatience and disrespect have brought embarrassment to him on several occasions.

My task-oriented, performance-driven heart attempts to fix itself by making a list: An excellent wife cooks with organic food (not Velveeta), sews her own clothing (or at least irons her husbands shirts!), speaks only words dripping with grace (and not sarcasm) and reads her Bible for hours on end (okay, minutes?!)).

The list brings more condemnation; concrete evidence that I cannot be an excellent wife on my own. 

While all of these things can be signs of excellence, they are definitely not requirements. Turning to Scripture for comfort and conviction, I am reminded: An excellent wife is not found but forged. No man goes out and finds a woman that is pure wife perfection and marries her. Neither of them truly know what that even looks like yet! 

It is the character of God, and not our husbands, that can be fully and firmly trusted. Our core identity must be anchored in Christ alone.

A godly woman becomes an excellent wife as she understands she is made in the image of God, re-made in the image of Christ and formed over a lifetime of repentance and redemption. Excellence is not measured by a to-do list; it is manifested in the life of a wife who knows Jesus intimately.

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

~cheryl~