Praise to the Lord!

Last night, my brother was involved in a severe car accident. He unfortunately does not know the Lord as his Savior. It was a miracle that he was not killed in this accident. It is quite evident the Lord's hand of protection was on him and his 3 friends. Praise the Lord for saving him! And I pray that he will come to know the Lord as his Savior soon! If you happen to remember this at any time, please  say a prayer for him. God works in amazing ways, and I am just praying that somehow this will all work out to bring him to repentance.

Isaiah 53:6- All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

No More Babies?

Thank the Lord for baby naps! :) I've been wanting to crank out this article for quite awhile now, but haven't had a spare minute it seems here lately to be alone to do it. My sweet baby has decided it's a good nap time, so I've decided it's a good post time.

As anyone knows who has read my blog before, I think the Duggars a such a sweet and Godly family. For a family who I'm sure gets tons of e-mails each and everyday, they still will reply to your e-mails when they have the time. I have had a chance to speak to them before via this format, and they are just as sweet as they are on TV.

Last year around this time, Michelle was giving birth to Josie via emergency c-section due to her development of pre-eclampsia. The world sat back and watched in sadness. Some, however, watched with a smug "I told you so" attitude. I mean, a woman who is delivering her 19th child deserves pre-eclampsia right? She should have known better and quit while she was ahead! (Those are not my views at all, but ones I have unfortunately read on other blogs and message boards.)

What would you say, however, to a young 22 year old mother delivering her first child via forced induction due to her development of pre-eclampsia? Would you say she should just hang it up and let that precious baby be her one and only? Probably not. You would probably say Well, these things happen. It shouldn't happen with the next one.

Why is it that if it's your first, the onset of such a thing as pre-eclampsia "isn't your fault." But if it's your 19th child, "You should have known better!" ?

That 22 year old woman was me. And yes,  I did develop pre-eclampsia at 40 weeks gestation. My  little boy wasn't quite ready to exit at that time, so an induction was done. Trust me, I am not a believer in induction or c-sections at all, unless medically necessary. Mine unfortunately was. A c-section would have been done as well, if I was not so strongly against it. Hours on magnesium and other medications sure took their toll, but I pressed on. 17 hours of labor, and my little boy made his appearance. Praise the Lord!

And ya know what, as soon as the Lord chooses to bless me with another, I will welcome him or her with open arms. And I'm sure if the Lord chooses to bless Mr. and Mrs. Duggar with another one, they will do the same.

Psalm 127:3- Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Little Star by Anthony DeStefano Book Review- Exceptional Christmas Read!

I was just given the awesome opportunity to read "Little Star" by Anthony DeStefano. This is a children's book that focuses on the Star of Bethleham.

A little boy asks his father how to find the Christmas star. His father then tells him the story of the Little Star. The littlest star in the sky might not be the brightest. Or the prettiest. Or even the one you would ever expect to be much of anything. But it seems that those are always the ones that Jesus chooses. This book is great for children as it really teaches them to just be who you are. God can use you no matter who you are, or where you are in life. If you just believe in Him, He can do great things with your life! Since the Little Star believed Jesus was the King, he was the only one with the ability to shine bright enough just for Him. It's a great Christmas read, and definitely one we will keep on our bookshelf to pull out each Christmas to read to the children. I highly recommend it.

The illustrations are exceptional as well. The pictures of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus come to life right on the pages! The pictures were enough to keep my little one entertained. And believe me, that's saying a lot! :)

Just to be clear, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. However, that was no basis on this review. It really is a great book!

Christmas Blah's?

I am beginning to see a case of the Christmas Blah's come into being around here. Christmas should be a time of joy and excitement. But, when you're missing someone special at Christmas, it can make for a less-joyous holiday.

This past February, my PawPaw went to be with Jesus. And in 2008, my Nana also went to be with Jesus. This Christmas is our family's first without either one of them.

Last night while we drove around town listening to Alabama's Christmas album and looking at lights, I was suddenly hit with a sadness I didn't know would happen. They would not be here this Christmas. This was a tradition we had all shared, and suddenly two of the main people would be gone. It was a tough thought.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The Bible promises that God is close to all who are brokenhearted. If you happen to be missing someone special this Christmas, may you also take comfort in this verse as my family  has.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Reason for the Season

This Christmas, I was bit just a little bit by the "buy too much" bug. What do I mean by that? Well, I am aware that some of our family members are buying our family much more than we were able to afford for them this Christmas. You see, this Christmas is the hardest one our family has experienced yet financially. We're not bad off or anything, please don't misunderstand. But, we don't have the finances to purchase the usual amount that we would for others.

So, on the car ride home this evening, my husband so delightfully caught me in this buy too much funk. I was suggesting that "maybe we could just go buy so and so one more thing" when he said something that really made me think.

He said, "What if it was the babies birthday, but we gave everyone else gifts and didn't even acknowledge him on that day?" Wow.  Sometimes things like that need to be said to hit us right between the eyes.

Now, I know we can't give Jesus actual tangiable gifts. A coffee pot is not on his wish list. But, we can give Him our love, our time, our hearts, etc. We can also remember that this day is HIS day. Not our day.

I don't believe passing out presents is sinful in the least. I do think it is crossing a line when What should I get so and so is on our minds more than Thank you Father for being born for me does. Are we so worried about how we are going to buy one more thing, or about just praising the One who this is all about?

Luke 2:1-14
 ¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
 ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
 ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
 ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
 ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

May your Christmas this year be a little more about Christ and less about us. :)

Favorite Reads for Friday!

This week, there were some great blog posts out there!

First off, I must include this one from Mrs. Fuentes from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. She has a link to get a ladies CD download from Vision Forum for FREE! And you know you can't beat free. :)

Over at the Duggar Family Blog, you can hear their latest radio show with Nina Frey. And I was one of the callers!

If you are still unsure of what to get that little one for Christmas, Kristy at Homemakers Cottage has a great post on faith based gifts for children.

And last but not least, Ms. Meredith ( well, Mrs. Meredith now ) at Striving to Serve at Home became a married woman this past week!

That's all I have for you today. Have a great weekend everyone!

( Oh, and why the Nativity scene? Since Christmas is only a week and a day away, I hope we are keeping our hearts and minds on the true meaning of the season. JESUS. )

Thank the Lord for Homemaking!

I ran across this poem today, and I have to say, I really needed it:

Thank you God, for all I have to do today.
Thanks God, for this sink of dirty dishes,
It shows we have plenty to eat.


Thanks God, for this pile of dirty, stinky, laundry,
It shows we have plenty of clothes to wear.


Thanks God, for those unmade beds in there,
They were warm and so comfortable last night
And I know there are many who have no beds.


Thank God, for this bathroom complete with all the
Spattered mirror, soggy grimy towels and dirty commode,
They are so convenient.


Thanks God, for this finger-smudged refrigerator
That needs defrosting,
It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers
For two or three meals.


Thanks God, for this oven
That absolutely must cleaned today,
It has baked so many things over the years.


The whole family is grateful for that grass that needs mowing,
The lawn that will need raking, we all enjoy the yard.


Thanks God, even for that slamming screen door,
My kids are healthy and able to run and play.


Lord the presence of all these chores awaiting me
Says you have richly blessed my family.
I shall do them all cheerfully
And I shall do them gratefully.


Amen

I do pray each and everyday that we remember that we are called to be mothers! On those days when we don't feel very needed, or even like we are accomplishing much, we are! By being a light in the home, we are not only blessing our husbands and children, but those who happen to visit our homes as well. Walking into a sweet, clean, and put together home is such a blessing! Walking into a dirty, unkempt home is, well, not such a blessing. May we strive each and everyday to be the best homemakers that we can be!

An (Almost) Free Christmas! Could it be?

This Christmas, I was able to save $50.00 on Christmas presents! Wanna know how?? Swagbucks of course!

Swagbucks is a great search engine like tool that gives you free points just for doing what you always do, searching the internet! You can also get points for daily polls, surveys, printing coupons, etc. The ways to earn are endless! For only 450 points, you can get a $5.00 Amazon gift card. For absolutely free! I used these gift cards, coupled with my FREE Amazon Mom trial to get gifts for my child and family members. That gave me free 2 day shipping!

Swagbucks is for everyone. Everyone who owns a computer searches the internet atleast every once in awhile. Why not earn money while you're at it?

Amazon is not the only gift card you can request. There are many other options.

Two rules of thumb I have learned recently about Swagbucks : You can only request two gift cards a day. The gift cards take anywhere from 10-12 days to post to your account. So, request them in plenty of time before you will actually need them. Also, you can only request 5 gift cards to the same store a month.

Swagbucks really does work! I've tried it myself. So, if you want to have a free ( or almost free ) Christmas next year, now is the time to sign up for Swagbucks!

Great Money Saving Deal on Coldwater Creek clothes!

Coldwater Creek has some amazing Christmas deals going on right now! I am a Coldwater Creek lover! Their clothing is so cute, and it's very easy to find modest clothing with them.

The only drawback to this wonderful clothing line is that they are usually very pricey! Not this week. This week they have some already good deals, coupled with their 25% off plus free shipping coupon code. The code is WHH9793. Code is good only until December 17th, so don't delay!

I was able to get this super cute jacket for only $10.00 shipped!

Go here and start shopping now!

Don't forget to log into your Mr. Rebates account to get back 4% as well!

Samantha - An American Girl Holiday Movie Review

This movie was so cute! I was able to snag it off of the Swap A Dvd website. As a side note, if you have not joined Swap A DVD yet, it's definately something to consider! We were able to clean out all of the DVD's we were no longer interested in having, and getting a bunch of new ones for only the cost of shipping! Very good deals.

Now, back to the movie. American Girl was coming out around the time that I was no longer interested in that "little girl" stuff anymore. :) I think it's so funny that now that I'm a "big girl", I think all that stuff is cute again. But because of this, I never really jumped on the American Girl bandwagon. I did, however, occasionally read an American Girl book. And Samantha Parkington was by far my favorite American Girl!

This movie is very family friendly. The only thing you might hesitate about was a very few references to Santa Claus at the end of the movie. Since we don't "do" Santa at our house, this will of course be thoroughly explained to our children that this is just fiction. But there was honestly nothing else that would make this unsuitable for children.

This will be one of the DVD's we pull out every Christmas from now on!

Sunday Verse to Ponder

1Peter 3:3-4

³ Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— ⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Facebook Fast Followup

I wrote over a week ago now about how I felt led by the Lord to take a week long fast from Facebook. It has been a week, and I have not logged in once!

In this week, I have noticed that not logging on has increased my time with my son greatly. It also has removed some influences from my life and my home that could have been negative. What I mean by that is this; when you look at other people's lives via their pictures, profiles, etc. you have a sense of "Why don't I have that?"

Maybe you have a friend who is not living as they should with the Lord ( I have one like this ). You will look at their pictures, and stirrings can start in your heart.

You could go out and do that.

Look at all the nice stuff she has because she works and you don't.

Wow. Wouldn't it be nice if you had a bigger income so you could go out to dinner all the time as well?

By saying this, I am becoming very transparent before you. These thoughts are not to diminish my husband in the least. He is an excellent provider and husband. What I am saying is if we don't keep our hearts in check, the devil can enter in quickly and sow seeds of discontentment. Once those seeds are sown, it's very hard to rip them out.

This morning I logged in since it has been a week, and my fast was over. I looked, checked my messages, and quickly logged out. I felt just those few minutes on there were a big time waster. I then prayed and asked the Lord to show me if keeping this was something I should do. I felt such a burden in my heart. Then a thought crossed my mind.

Chelsea, I thought you would use the extra time you had to come and sit and visit with me. Why didn't you do that?



What excuse could I give the Lord for not doing that? Nothing!

I then thought of giving the Lord another week of fasting from this, and focusing all the extra time on Him.

A peace flooded my soul.

So, I'm on another week of fasting. Only this time, the extra time will be focused on my walk with the Lord.

I do hope these posts are helping in some way. I pray we all focus more on our walk with the Lord, and less time on ourselves and our fleshly desires.

Deuteronomy 5:33a: Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you

Where We Are

Are we happy where we are right now? I mean right where God has us.

Whether it be a stay at home daughter.

Or a mother of one.

Or a mother of twelve.

Or a lady waiting for the Lord to bring us the right man.

Are we happy?

This has been on my heart lately as I have a want for another child. My Bubs was conceived so quickly, I just assumed as soon as he was weaned, there would be another little one coming soon. That has not been the case. God has it all figured out though. He knows the perfect time to bless us with another child. If that is His will. If not, He has other plans for us that we don't even know about yet.

But His plans are far better than mine can ever be. I have just a human thought process. Simple in His eyes. He knows exactly what is best for me. What I need to be doing at what moment. If I just open myself up to His leading, I will know a joy that I could never possibly know on my own.

God has not called me to be a leader. He has not called me to a personal ministry. He has called me to Mother. And that is the best thing I can do right now.

I encourage each and everyone to be happy in their current position. If you are in the will of God, there is no better place to be.

Phillipians 4:11-  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

Rich and Creamy Red Velvet Cookies- Great Christmas Recipe!

I took these cookies last night to a Ladies Meeting Cookie Swap, and they were well received!

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3	cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4	cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4	cup sour cream
1	tablespoon red food color
1	egg
3/4	to 1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
1/4	cup chopped nuts

	Print these coupons...
	$0.40 off Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix Plus 49 more...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, cocoa, butter, sour cream, food color and egg until soft dough forms.
2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. Frost cooled cookies with frosting. Sprinkle with nuts. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Some things that I did were: Instead of using just red food coloring, I also made some green ones as well. They tasted just the same, and were a bit more festive than just red. I also did not use nuts. Since some people just don't like nuts, and some are alergic ( my hubby ), I nixed the nuts and just did Christmas sprinkles. Those looked really cute I think. Another little tip would be to flatten the cookies a bit before cooking. The first batch I didn't really do this to, and the tops came out kind of mis-shapen. I just didn't like how they looked. When I flattened the tops, the icing went on much nicer, and the whole cookie had a prettier appearance.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of my own cookies. I thought I would have extra's to bring home, but that didn't happen.

Try the recipe yourself, and tell me what you think!

Recipe courtesy of BettyCrocker.com.

Loving your husband

I was in my bedroom earlier today working. While I was working, I came upon a letter my husband wrote to me a month or so after we were married.

The letter was so sweet.

Writing about our future dreams and plans together.

Then I realized something: I haven't written him anything like that in awhile. Nothing beautiful written just for him. Nothing that tells him that I am so in love with him. In love more than when we were married.

Today, let's take a little time out, and thank our husbands for being just that: our husbands!

I know I'm not always the easiest lady to live with. I'm sure no one is.

But he does it. He provides for us. He loves us. He cherishes us.

Write him a little note today telling him how much you love him. It will do a world of good for your marriage.

The Beauty of Life and Testimony Musings

As I sit here on a fancy hotel room bed that I could never afford on my own, and listen to the sound of waves crashing against the shore outside, I am humbled by God's beauty and grace.

I am humbled that I would ever be here. For free! My hubby's work provided this room to us as a "Thank You" and a Merry Christmas gift. We are located steps away from the sand and surf. God's creation is truly astounding.

I am also sad. Sad that we just left a party where many professing Christians spent their night gambling and drinking. Now, not to be one to judge, I just have to wonder... Why could their annual Christmas party not have been more God honoring? No mention of the Father was made. None. We didn't even pray before the meal. ( Well, we did privately. ) But there was no public profession of Christ at all.

The same people who will have Bible study twice a week every morning before work were staggering home tonight. It made me think about my own testimony.

Unbelievers especially are watching professing believers like me. What do they see? Do they see someone who practices what she preaches? Or do they see someone who barely ever walks the talk?

I pray that we as Christians can strive to always walk with Jesus, no matter what our circumstances.

Merry Christmas!

Favorite Read for Friday

This Friday, my favorite read comes from Ladies Against Feminism. It's regarding living on only one income. This is a topic on the fore-front of my mind today after a conversation with my mother. She has worked for my whole life, so she is a firm believer in a mother working outside the home being OK. My childhood was scarred greatly from her decision to do this. Coming soon, I will be writing a post on this. For now, enjoy this read.

The "impossibility" of living on one income

Facebook Fast

I've blogged before about the dangers of social media such as MySpace and Facebook. This week, I have chosen to take a Facebook Fast.

One week, No Facebook!

Can I do it?

I sure hope so!

I have made this commitment from my heart to God in an effort to draw closer to Him. If something in your life is drawing you away from the Lord, then I feel that thing, whatever it may be, has got to go! God should be the most important thing in your life.

So, my Facebook is going. Will I miss it? Of course! For some strange reason, in our day and age, we like seeing into other people's lives. That's why reality TV is such big business. Because we want to know about others! Not just know about them, but see what they do in their homes. You can look up people from school, work, and social functions. Before long, you will find you have sat in front of the computer for hours staring at a screen. The dishes are still piled into the sink, and you haven't spent one moment with the Lord that whole day.

I also believe that as a stay at home mommy, it's easy for us to get caught up in it because we see it as a way to communicate with people outside of our home. When you are home with littles all day, have some adult conversation needs is quite understandable. However, we do not need to forsake our husbands, homes, or children in search of this. Everything in moderation.

So, I am beginning my fast today. Is there anything that I can challenge you to fast from in order to deepen your walk with the Lord?

A Kindle for Christmas?

Before even reading this, you must understand: I am a traditionalist. As old-fashioned as they come sometimes. So, my review may be a little biased.

Now, onto the Kindle. Kindle's are Amazon's version of a portable electronic book. You can download a book right onto it, and read it at your leisure. To pay for it, the money comes directly our of your account. It is battery operated. So, if you are somewhere are your battery runs out, no more reading!

My problem with these it is completely takes the romance out of reading! I am a reader by nature. I love books. On a cold day, I love nothing more than curling up with a good book. But curling up with a good Kindle? Definitely not as romantic. You lose the joy of old pages and worn bindings. The smell of old books. The sound of the pages turning.

Yes, it would save room in your house by not having books lying all around. But, what is a house without a bookshelf? Must everything we do nowadays be electronic? Electronics to me are so impersonal.

And from a money saving standpoint, they don't seem to be that good of a deal either. First off, the Kindle itself is approximately $140.00. Each book is approximately $9.99 to download. I can get a book off of PaperBackSwap for only the cost of shipping. Old bookstores are also much cheaper. Even buying a book off of Amazon used is usually cheaper than $9.99. You will find a few exceptions to this, but it's generally the rule.

So, this Christmas, lets think more traditional. Not with all the newest gadgets we can buy, but sticking to what has worked for ages.

(If you would like to look at the Kindle's, I have included a link here. )