Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sharing a beautiful devotional from Lysa TerKeurst from Proverbs 31 Ministires.  I was so touched this morning when I read this.  Though I am not a young "mom" anymore, the wisdom that is shared is timeless.  Be blessed, cast your burdens upon the Lord and feel the grace and freedom that come from seeking His wisdom in our daily lives! 



The Formula

by Lysa TerKeurst

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…" Romans 12:2a (NIV)

Devotion:

When I was a young mom, I was desperate for a formula. I truly thought there must be a formula I could plug my family into that would yield great kids. And there were plenty of moms that tried to convince me they had the formula.

"Bottle feed and never let them sleep in your bed."

"Breastfeed until they are 3 and give them the security of sleeping between you and your husband every night."

"Don't ever send them to pre-school. It will be detrimental to their social development."

"Send them to pre-school right away - it's crucial for their social development."

"TV is good."

"TV is bad."

"They must read by age 5."

"Let them take their time learning to read. You'll ruin their love for books if you force them."

"Step in and model healthy conflict resolution when they argue with their siblings."

"Let them handle things on their own."

"Be there 24/7 for your kids."

"Don't be a helicopter mom. Give your kids room to discover who they are without you hovering over them."

Seriously, it's a wonder we moms figure anything out with all the conflicting information and advice we get. I spent the first five years of motherhood convinced I was messing my kids up beyond repair. And it wasn't for lack of trying. Heavens no. I was serious about gathering every morsel of information I could and trying with all my might to decode "the formula."

Well, here's the deal. I now have kids ranging in ages from 22 to 11 and this is my very best advice in regards to the formula. There isn't one.

There is no perfect parenting formula. What works for one kid may not work for another. The seemingly perfect algorithm one family follows could be disastrous for another.

We weren't made to follow formulas. We were made to follow Jesus. Period.

This is true with parenting but it's also true with every other aspect of our lives as well. We were made to follow Jesus' lead in our marriages, our jobs, our ministries, our churches, our friendships, our everything.

In Romans 12:2 Paul so powerfully reminds us, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

We weren't made to be robotic followers of this world's formulas. We were made to be transformed into the unique person God appointed to fulfill the assignments set before us. So, on a practical level what does this look like?

It's a simple woman who humbly acknowledges how much she doesn't know about life and readily admits how much she needs Jesus. Not just in spiritual sense…this woman needs Jesus in every way. All throughout her day, she can be heard whispering heart-felt pleas to her Jesus saying, "Show me the way, show me the way, show me the way."

And as she does this, she loosens her grip on all the formulas thrown at her and courageously embraces His gentle voice behind her saying, "This is the way, now walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21).

Dear Lord, help me to follow You and You alone - not a pre-planned formula. Help me to see that I need You more than anything today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Yummy Quote of the Day.....




This morning while watching KTLA's morning news I heard the sweetest quote....

"Churros in the morning and a moonbeam at night makes the day perfect."  That, my friends, was from Pat Sajak from Wheel of Fortune.  He was describing his perfect little life which consists of filming a bunch of Wheel shows all in a row and having many days off.  In fact, he said his family doesn't even think he works!  LOL......can I have his job?   While I am busy working today, will you make me some churros?  I'll supply the cocoa and moonbeam tonight!


CHURROS

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen



Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for deep frying


1/2 cup sugar


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1/2 stick butter


1 cup water


2 teaspoons sugar*


1 cup all-purpose flour


1 orange, zested


1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg*


4 eggs


Directions


Fill a deep-fryer or large Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees F.


Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a large shallow bowl, set aside.


Combine the butter, water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once it has come to a boil, lower to a medium heat and add the flour, orange zest and nutmeg, stirring constantly until it comes away from the pan and it forms a ball. Transfer dough to a bowl and use an electric mixer to help cool it off. At this point you can whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, until it becomes a smooth batter. Transfer the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Working in batches, carefully pipe 4-inch long ribbons directly into the hot oil to fry. Fry until golden, turning if necessary, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels. Transfer the churros into the sugar/cinnamon mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately while still warm.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Join the Hop.....November 15 to December 15

Join us for the Fab Shop Hop



What an exciting time to join us for some fun and prized.  This is our first time at participating with Fab Shop's cool hop!  Please visit http://www.fabshophop.com/hopmain.asp for instructions on shopping! 
We will be having many items for sale at Blow-out prices! 

Here are just a few fabrics from our newest markdown for this sale!  Hurry for the best selections of Sheri Berry's 12 Joys of Christmas fabrics.  We love the retro - vintage feel of these prints! 

Happy Holiday Hopping!!!!


















Announcing the newest member of Spice Berry Cottage family.


Katelyn Grace Mcclure

Born 9/24/10 

4 lbs 4 ounces, 16 Inches




 


Katelyn arrived 6 weeks early and was delivered by emergency C-Section. We had quite a scare with Larissa (my daughter and best - and only helper at Spice Berry Cottage) having preeclampsia.  Baby Katelyn spent two weeks in the hospital until she was eating well on her own. 

We are so grateful for our precious Katelyn and for God gracing this family with the miracle of this sweet baby girl.  Oh, the wonders of His love! 



Katelyn has been home now for about 7 weeks with her wonderful mommy and daddy and is doing great.  She is now 7 lbs 7 ounces and growing fast. 






Katelyn and her Nana (me) spending the day together.  My dear, sweet cousin designed this adorable collage for me.