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~

WYPW

 I have total.writers.block. I have been trying to come up with things to write about. But I've got nada, zilch, zero. It's strange, because in the past, I would literally grab a sheet of paper when thoughts came to me, and now my brain seems to be void of ideas. I do have a theory though. Not only is it a minor case of writers block, but I also think exercising and blogging are inversely proportional. I have been pretty focused on my marathon training and overall fitness level which has actually been pretty fun. It's just that balance thing, ya know?

I celebrated my 32nd birthday on Tuesday. 

I started the morning out with a "boot camp" style workout. I met two of my friends at 5:30 am and I think it definitely set the tone for this year since I am training a marathon. I have heard that women can reach their physical peak after having babies - so here's to that! This was also my first birthday that I wasn't actually looking forward to. I think it is the beginning of "being okay" with getting older. Aging gracefully is a gift from God and I want to age well.  

For Mother's Day, my parents offered me 3 choices.

1. Massage - ahhh, now doesn't that sound nice?

2. Mani/pedi - of which I am in serious need of

3. To have my house cleaned by s.o.m.e.o.n.e. e.l.s.e

#3 took me some serious thought. Because in the past, I would've fought off thoughts like (I am somewhat kidding here), "A Proverbs 31 doesn't need someone else to clean their house," "What a waste of money," and "It's just going to get dirty again." But you get the idea. I had a hard time letting someone else see the grime and actually have to clean it. It just didn't feel right. Well that was then and this is now. After 3 kids, I am just about willing to let anyone do anything for me. So I enjoyed it thoroughly. When I walked in after they were done, it was so heavenly. Having it cleaned that thoroughly was like being given a clean slate. It was like the year of jubilee and now my head is above water. Now the challenge is to maintain it and not have to start from the bottom again. I am so thankful!  I just about lost it though when I saw Reed charge in with dirty shoes, but I maintained my composure. It's like getting the first dent in your new car - it was just a matter of time. 

Patrick is planning a trip to an area outside of Birmingham, which was badly hit by the recent tornadoes. And although I would love to be selfish and say we really need you here, babe, I know they need his help more. I have always admired that one of Patrick's love languages is service. And he's good at it. He's good at coming to the aid of those who need it and I am thankful for his perspective. The church's main goal for this trip is to build connections and relationships with the people there that will need long term help. If you are interested in knowing more, send me an email.

Here are some pictures of the devastation. 

WYPW {On Thursday}

It's that time again, folks. What's Your Point? Wednesday

We are in full race mode as a family. Monday was a normal day. Tuesday felt like it was getting closer but by Wednesday, the reality was sinking in. Wednesday began all of the official events leading up to the race on Saturday.

The spot where his bike will be. #1142

 I went with Patrick and his friend, Jeff, yesterday morning to check-in and pick up their race packets. And let me tell you. If you want to be inspired or completely intimidated then the Ironman village is the place to be. There were so many people that looked like they could eat me for breakfast. I left that afternoon wanting to go for a 100 mile run or something. It was definitely an energetic atmosphere — full of smiles, excitement and fear. One guy I talked to told me how nervous he was about the heat and that since this was his first one, he didn't know what to expect, etc. I was encouraging him and telling him that he would do great, all the while thinking, my husband is going to kick your butt. Is that bad? 

The girls and I have been making posters for the race. Saige and Meadow colored theirs in yesterday and they are so proud of them. Saige asked me if I thought Daddy would like it, and I told her of course because she made it. You should have seen her smile. She is totally smitten by her Daddy. Meadow's sign is crazy, which is of course, appropriate.

Patrick has a new cereal that he eats everyday, sometimes twice a day. It used to be Grape Nuts but for the past 6 months or so it has been Wheaties Fuel. (I am NOT getting paid by Wheaties but if they so happen to come across this, then I would be more than happy to take a years supply worth to fuel my Ironman). There is another boy in our house that likes it too. In fact, it is sometimes the only thing he will eat. He likes it so much, he wants to feed himself just like Daddy and will gently remove my hand from the bowl if I try to help him. I am ALL about independence in this house, but what is a bonus is if they're actually pretty efficient at it and don't make a mess. This is what it used to look like after I would leave Reed alone to eat his cereal.

But thankfully he has actually gotten quite good at getting the spoon to his mouth and he'll even drink the milk from the bowl instead of dumping it out.  

That's my big boy!

A dear, dear friend our family's, Ms. Dianna (or Ms. Dina, according to the girls) is always so thoughtful. The other day she dropped off at our front door, gifts for the kids. And they were perfect for each one of them. She got Reed an Elmo rake because the kids are always wanting to dig in our front yard and he has never had his own tool and has to use their Dora shovels.

She got Meadow a butterfly. I mean, seriously, doesn't this picture say it all?

And she got Saige, the studious one, a coloring book. 

The beautiful thing is that she knows each of them. She knows them well enough to know what they like and they weren't even a little jealous of what the other siblings got. They were excited about them all but when it came down to it, they were all content to play with what they were given. We love you very much, Ms. Dina!

Happy WYPW!

~cheryl~

What's Your Point? Wednesday

I know that I just posted this yesterday, and I am already posting the next day. I know. I know. And a friend pointed out that it was ironic that my post about cutting back got over 20 comments. Let me assure you, the irony is not lost on me. 

All day yesterday, I felt free, like I was no longer carrying a burden. And even my daughter, Saige noticed and said, "You are happy, Mommy." Wow. Wow. Yes, that broke me up into tiny little pieces and then she ran and hugged me and I just about shattered all over the kitchen floor. I was so remorseful. I hadn't realized how my mood was truly affecting them. But that's what sin does. It wasn't the sin of blogging. It was my selfishness. It was the sin of having to get my agenda done. Oh, Lord, help me with balance. Help me to keep perspective and not let myself get in the way. I want to carry my cross and follow you. My point - sin sucks, and I am thankful for His grace.

It all started with Reed doing downward dog and laughing when he could find you from that position. It has become a standard giggle producer in this house. Now even the baby dolls do it. Aren't these pictures hi-larious??!! My point - I love my kids and they make me laugh all. the. flippin. time. 

I follow Heather of Sit a Spell, who lives in Haiti after moving from Texas. She is so funny, so honest and so encouraging. If you haven't been to her blog, you should. You should go now. 

On Mother's Day, she posted a letter her mother-in-law wrote about having little ones. It was so good. I cried big sloppy tears. It was that good. So I copied it here for you to read. If you want to read the original post, go here. My point - mothers need encouragement like this!

I grow increasingly convinced that God values children much, much more than we do. 

We value a clean floor more than children. We value free time more than children. We value the good dishes more than children. We value going out to eat or watching grown-up television shows more than we value children. 

All the world, including the church, tells us that children are a bother, perhaps even a mistake. If you don’t believe that, introduce a family with many babies into your church and see how long it takes for someone to say, “They know what causes that, don’t they?” 

We have let the world convince us that a large family is a curse, when the Bible clearly teaches that many children are a blessing, a sign of God’s great favor. 

If I had the choice right now, there would be more children in my family. And I think I might be brave enough to let God decide how many. 

I remember that it seemed a little frantic around my house when the children were little. I never got “it all” done, whatever “it all” is. There was not much privacy or money or free time. There was lots of laundry and garbage and stinky stuff. The boys were going to be 2 and 4 forever. It was never going to end. 

Don’t get me wrong - I enjoyed my boys. But it was all colored by that worldly, selfish, hurry-up-and-grow-up attitude. And then it was over. I woke up one morning and they were almost as tall as me. The next day, or so it seemed, they didn’t even live with us. Now there is not much garbage or laundry or stinky stuff. And there is much more privacy and money and free time. 

I’d trade it all in a heartbeat. 

I would do laundry around the clock if it meant I could have one more day with my little boys in my home. I want the piles of blue jeans back. If my family had been larger, perhaps I would have grown in wisdom and learned to treasure the tiny victories and agonies of everyday. Perhaps not, but at least it would have lasted longer. 

You think they’ll be little forever. You can’t imagine being able to handle – afford – care for another little life. But you can. And it will be over before you know it, with plenty of years left to use the good dishes. 

Happy What's Your Point? Wednesday!

~cheryl~

WYPW {On Thursday}

What's Your Point? Wednesday - Thursday Bullet Point Version

I'm a Dirt Bag.

This week I have been waking up at 4:30 AM (yes, in the morning) in order to go to a boot camp, called Dirt Bag Boot Camp. My amazing, bad mama-jama, hot-mama of a friend, named Wendy, leads it. She's pretty amazing. She's kind, genuine and sarcastic as heck. A good combination, my friend, Jamie, and I decided. Oh, yeah, she also got blindsided into doing it (check out her version of the story here). Don't let Jamie fool you. She is the competitive one. I could care less that she looks great and can do more push ups than I can.  The only reason I am doing it, is to give her an ego boost. It's not like I need it. It's not like I've not been able to extend my arms to do normal everyday functions. It's not as if I almost ran my van into the mailbox because I couldn't turn the steering wheel fast enough. And it's not like I can't put my clothes on in the morning after only 4 days. And of course, my house is not dirty from not being able to bend over to pick things up. And I'm not a horrible mom who feels like she's going to drop her 19 month old because her arms are too tired. No, definitely not me. I am only go because my needy, approval-driven friend needs me to be there. My point - I'm just tryin to help a sister out.

Big Boy Cut.

I took Reed to get his hair cut yesterday. He hasn't been feeling that good this week (he's teething), so he was pretty squirmy in the chair. But the stylist did a great job. I can't get over how grown up it makes him look. I need to do it more often because he has been blessed with a lot of hair and I can't let it go, like I can with the girls. My point - I need to stop being lazy and take care of that poor child, because he sure looks handsome now.

Osama Bin Laden.

When the news was showing pictures of Osama Bin Laden this week, Saige asked if he was Noah from the Bible. No, sweetie, that is most definitely not Noah from the Bible. My point - we need to reread the story of Noah and explain that he wasn't a terrorist.

My New Love.

So I love coffee. I used to work for Starbucks when Patrick and I first got married. I am also a purist. I didn't want to get a digital SLR because I wanted to stick with film. I have never dyed my hair because I'm a purist and well frankly, I'm cheap. When it comes to coffee, I want to keep it simple. I used to drink it black because that's what all the cool kids did. But the older I've got, the more I enjoyed the sweet parts and so my love affair with caramel and cream began. I know that the flavored coffee creamer are horrible for you, but I have had a hard time giving them up. And I get made fun of for putting stuff in my coffee, ahem, Jamie. I go through phases where I don't use it and I'll just use half and half and agave. But I decided to try this the other day and I LOVE it. Yay for Silk being free of lactose, dairy, cholesterol, gluten, eggs, casein, peanuts, MSG and worries! Give it a try. (And no, I was not paid for this advertisement, and although I wish I was banking on all this blogging, sadly, I am not). My point - I am saying No to partially hydrogenated oils with my coffee, thank you very much. 

Getting Ready for the Ironman.

 

Patrick has his race in 16 days. Wow. I can hardly believe it's only about 2 weeks. He's ready, I'm ready and my girls have a paper chain so they know when to be ready. He ran 20 miles the other day, and he'll often pass by the house to fuel. We waited for him and the girls wanted to pass out water. We're getting them ready to volunteer one day. Also, we are ordering T-shirts for the big event. I thought it would be fun to have something his friends and family could wear to show their support. This is what we came up. What do you think? Are they WINNING or what?? Let me know if you want one. We are ordering them today. My point - I am ready to cheer on my IronMan!

The Front

The Back

~cheryl~

What's Your Point? Wednesday

Ahh... it's that time again. My clever friend, Jamie, has started What's Your Point? Wednesday and I am determined to help her take the blogging world by storm. So, why don't you join me and link up here? Don't let the fact that she is funnier than you deter you from participating. I surely haven't.


I am absolutely in love with this song, Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. You may have heard part of it on a commercial. It's like a throw back song to June Carter and Johnny Cash, although the band looks more like The Mamas and The Papas. I know nothing about the band, except the lead singer is named Alex and they first performed together at the Marfa Film Festival. The song just makes me happy and brings a smile to my face every single time. It makes me love my husband more and brings back a lot of memories. It also makes me wish I could whistle. It's pretty lame that I can't whistle. And when I run it makes me feel like I am in a music video. My point —did I mention that I ADORE this song and that I am also a closet hippie?

I have been thinking a lot about community, about the body of Christ. I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of local church where authentic believers gather, the gospel is preached, and Christ is honored through preaching of the Word and singing praises to His name. I am thankful that our small community strives to be real and there is a significantly small amount of drama. And it's not because we all get along really well, hold hands and sing Kumbaya together. I believe it's because the elders and leaders have done an excellent job of holding each other accountable. They have each come from different walks of life, they have different preferences about music, style, etc., but they are committed to serving the body. They have set an excellent example for the rest of us. I am at a point in my life where I recognize that no church is going to be perfect. And in our individualistic and consumeristic society we have to fight against the mentality to "church shop." A church isn't going to have every single aspect that fits us to a tea, but it's not about us. We have to persevere through the inevitable tension that happens in church. We need to commit to people, and when friction occurs, don't run from it. But run to the person and talk it out. Beautiful things come from hard discussions. Beautiful relationships come from giving and receiving the hard Love. And developing community takes work. Hard-messy-heart-wrenching-work. So get involved in a small group at church, invite people to lunch, have them over for dinner. Don't wait for someone else to do it, and then complain that no one ever talks to you on Sunday. Like my mom always told me, "If you want to have good friends, you have to be a good friend." I guess my point is if you aren't involved in a local church, you need to be.


Are you a member of a local church? What do you love about your church?
Are you a closet hippie too?


~cheryl~

What's Your Point Wednesday?

Yes. I recognize that it is not Wednesday. But I have this amazing friend who started doing this on her blog. And well, truth be told, I want to be just like her. So in true Jamie fashion, I am a day late as well, but that's not going to stop me. So here is my first edition of WYPW (see what I just did there - that is revolutionary).

The day after I posted that I am going to train for a marathon, my dad asked if he could check my head for fever, just to make sure I was feeling okay. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad.  ;)
I also saw that this guy won the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:03:02 — that is a 4:42 min/mile pace. That is absolutely incredible! Patrick said that if he could run a marathon that fast, for the Ironman, he could doggie paddle the entire swim, jump on a beach cruiser for the bike portion, eat a pizza and still win the race with a run like that. Absolutely amazing. Congratulations, Geoffrey Mutai!

Cj Gunther/European Pressphoto Agency

While I welcome with open arms, the discipline that training for a marathon will provide, I have clenched fists when it comes to the humidity that is upon us. I went for a run yesterday and it was so stinkin hot. I was pushing my 28 pound, 19 month old in a jogging stroller. And it made it even hotter. This is only April, people, and that is just a taste of what is to come.

Next time I run with Reed, I am going to strip him down and not allow him to have anything he can throw out of the stroller. Once again, I was blindsided by the third child and had forgotten what it was like to have a toddler throw EVERYTHING on the ground. And when you're hot and gasping for air and thinking to yourself, "will I ever be able to do a marathon?" — the LAST thing you want to do is keep bending down to pick up shoes, snack trap lids, and sippy cups. I assure you, it is quite frustrating.

I cannot, for the life of me, get into cooking shows and the Food Network. There I said it.

But I have a few shows that I would like to confess that Patrick and I like to watch together. Brace yourselves — Ultimate Fighter, American Idol, Lie To Me, Top Shot and Justified. I just realized that I am a total CLOSET REDNECK.

Timothy Olyphant

I absolutely love Justified. And who doesn't love Timothy Olyphant as Danny Cordray, the Dundler Mifflan client stealer and ex-boyfriend of Pam?  But seriously, I am so intrigued by the Appalachian Mountain culture that the show depicts. The acting is great, the story line is excellent, and I am absolutely certain I lost a few readers over this confession.

Does anyone watch American Idol? I think James, Casey or Lauren could win it all. I'm not sure who my favorite is, but I am ready for Jacob to go home.

I visited my local Wal-Mart again today. We usually shop at the HEB but every now and then I just get this odd desire to pack up all 3 kids and go. This Wallyworld actually carries quite a few organic and healthy snacks that we eat and they are considerably cheaper so I always stock up. And it has to be THE BEST place to people watch. I always come away with a grin. Not a judgmental grin. Just a grin brought on by seeing the eccentric and unexpected.
Maybe it's the redneck in me that is drawn to that place...

Happy WYPW, y'all!


~cheryl~