Table Love Part 1

I have been wanting a new dining room table for a couple years now. Every time we plan to purchase one however, we find other ways to spend the money. Last year we had decided that we were finally going to purchase a new one with our taxes. I got so excited, and claimed our "old" table as my craft table. I started to paint and hot glue and Modge Podge without putting anything between my project and the table. And then a couple weeks later, our car died. So then not only could we not get a new table, but the one we already had was ruined on top.

So, I have been debating for the last year on what to do. Every time I sit at, wipe off, or do anything on that table, I curse the table. I want it to die a slow and painful death. This Big Lots piece of junk has got to go. I search Pinterest and drool at all the beautiful farm tables and refurbished tables like these ones.




Then finally last week, the most amazing thing happened. One of the chairs broke.

Then yesterday, another chair broke.

I was in heaven! Finally, I can start looking at tables, or hopefully find an old one for free to paint and sand. Seriously, best day ever!!

So, that's the exciting happenings around here :) Table Love Part 2 coming soon when we actually purchase a table or pick one up from the side of the road. I can't wait! But first... a ten day trip to Michigan is in order!! We leave on Wednesday and I can hardly breath thinking of all the hugs and laughter and fun!

Love,
Danielle

2012 Reading List

I really love to read. But, since I don't have as much time as I used to, I have to work on making it a priority. I have a ton of books that I can't want to dive into but had to whittle it down due to lack of time. So I am making a list of my top 12. I figure one a month is doable :) I am excited to order the first couple on my list today!

1. The Prodical God by Tim Keller

2. Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas

3. Give Them Grace: Dazzling You Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick, Jessica Thompson and Tullian Tchividjian

4. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

5. The Urban Homestead Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

6. Unfashionable Tullian Tchividjian

7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

8. Beyond Charity by John M Perkins

9. Real Marriage by Mark Driscoll

10. Adopted For Life by Russell D. Moore

11. Small Town, Big Micacle: How Love Came To The Least Of These by W.C. Martin

12. Developing The Leader Within You by John Maxwell

I am hoping to do a little gardening and canning for the first time so I am planning on getting a couple books on those subjects soon. I am up for any recommendations!


I also have a couple books on my list to read to the kids. I don't think we have yet to purchase new books for the girls. Everything we read to them is from the thrift store. Even their Beginners Bible is secondhand. But here a couple books I want to purchase for our devotions.


My ABC Bible Verses

The Jesus Storybook Bible


What's on your reading list?

Oh black paint, how I loathe you

For the last few months every morning I wake up and wonder if today is going to be a day that Amara naps. She has always been a good sleeper. She usually took really good naps at home when we kept to our schedule. Then suddenly we moved and everything changed.

The days of both my children napping at the same time so I can get an hour of peace and quiet are gone. I cherish some afternoon time alone because it is usually the only time I ever have to myself. No quiet drives to work, not even a five minute shower in peace. Amara no longer wants to nap or even stay on her bed. I am pretty sure this is common due to her age not to mention all the change in the last year. Generally I just try and keep her in her bed or at least her room. I am learning to adjust to Amara not napping, but I do think that she should be able to lay quietly in her bed and read or play or something.

Well today, that something she chose to do was sneak out of her room, open my craft cabinet (that I have been needing to get a lock for but haven't found the time), climb up the cabinet to the the top shelf, grab black chalkboard paint... thus beginning the massacre. BLACK.PAINT.EVERYWHERE. There are no words. It was sad. I cried (I do that a lot). There was a lot of lecturing and unfortunately yelling. And a lot of scrubbing. And a lot of laundry.

So not only did I not get even fifteen minutes of peace, but I had to do extra work. And as I was scrubbing and crying, I began to wonder if this is the best course for my life. Maybe I should work and put my kids in daycare. Maybe I should do something, anything other than clean up dirty dishes and puke and paint.

Days like this are weary. Weeks like this when I wonder if my house will ever be clean or the laundry ever be completed make me weary. I feel like an episode of Lost where everyday I wake up and think I will have more answers, but instead every night I go to bed with only more questions.

Then A quote I heard recently came to me.

"Anything highly worthy of doing is the hardest thing you can do."

Being a stay at home mom isn't always easy. But it is highly worthy of doing. And God is faithful. I stay at home because I believe it is the best thing for my children and our family. I want to teach them to be Jesus in this hurting world. I stay at home, and work from home, because although the days are hard, I don't want to miss it. I don't want their lives to fly by and I missed it because I was at work and they were being taken care of someone else. I want to witness every part of their lives because I know it will be gone when I blink my eyes.

I don't want to miss the beautiful things. And I don't want to miss the messy parts either.

My thoughts on "Why I hate religion and love Jesus" video

I am not a very deep thinker. My thoughts are pretty simple. So here are some thoughts from a simple thinker like me.

I watched the "Why I hate religion and love Jesus" You Tube video just like the two million others over the last couple days as it bounced from Facebook page to Facebook page. I saw it and thought it was really great. I thought the Spoken Word thing was cool and the whole video was really hip. I too agree that I am not a religious person. I have a relationship with Jesus, not a religion.

I think Jefferson said a lot of right in this video. In fact I think everything he said was pretty right on. I think the problem is that people were taking many things out of context. He said he hates religion. I am pretty sure when he talks about religion he is talking about the so called "Christians." People (like the pharisees) who truly only cared about the law, but not Jesus. I DON'T think he was trying to say organized religion is all bad. It seems many people who watched this thought otherwise.

Yes, Jesus hates religious people. He hates the lukewarm. The people who say they love Jesus, but don't follow him. If you love someone you obey them. It's simple.

Going to church does not make you a Christian.

Not going to church doesn't make you a Christian.

What matters is that you believe Jesus. That you love Jesus.

So many of us say we believe Jesus and that sure, we love Jesus. Sounds nice, right?

I am here to state that if you say you love Jesus, but you don't spend your life trying to obey him, then you do not love him. Sound harsh? Maybe, but it is what the Buble says. Take it or leave it.

I love my husband. Seriously, he is the best. I respect him. And so when he asks me to do something, I do it. Not because I think he is narrow minded and trying to control my life. But because he loves me. And because he wants the best for me. And because he can see things that I can't sometimes.

It is sort of the same with Jesus. If we love Him, if we truly love Him, we will obey him. Will we do it 100% of the time? Of course not. We are sinners. We are human. And that's why there is grace. But we do the best that we can. We try and spend time with Him, we seek His will for our lives. We try and do what He says (which includes being part of the body of Christ (aka church). And when other people around us who are also trying to follow Christ pull us aside and say "Hey, I know that sin you are involved with is fun, or seems harmless. But it's not. And Jesus has a better plan for your life that that sin," we need to try and listen.

So there is it. Take it or leave it. Take Jesus or leave Jesus. But please, don't be how I used to be. Don't tell others you love Jesus just because you want to go to heaven. Don't say you love Jesus, but you love the sin more. That is just not possible. You have to choose. What's it going to be?

I see love: A Tribute to my momma on her Birthday

I remember a few specific times growing up when my mom mentioned she didn't like her hands. She said they had age spots on them and made her look older than she is.

This comment always surprised me. When I look down at my mothers hands, I see many things, but not wrinkles or age spots.

I see her hands brushing my hair as a little girl and putting curlers in it when I wanted to look pretty.

I see the hundreds of laundry her hands folded for me.

I see her hands holding a math book late at night, as her brain spent hours trying to figure out a confusing math equation to teach me during our home school years.

I see her hands with rubber gloves on them as she scrubbed toilets and sinks and bath tubs.

I see her out of the corner of my left eye, as her hands put bandages and drops in my right eye after surgery.

I see her standing at the kitchen, hands chopping up vegetables or putting together one of the thousands of delicious meals she has cooked for me.

I see her back to me, as her hands washed dish after dish.

I see her in the mirror, looking so beautiful standing behind me, as her hands button up my wedding dress.

I see her hand squeezing my hand in a dark hospital room while I am in labor.

I see her hands cradling my sweet Amara Kate, cherishing those first precious moments with her grand child.

I see her in the rocking chair, as her hands hold a children's book and she reads bedtime stores to my girls.


No, I don't see any sign of age when I look at my mother's hands. I see hundreds of daily chores. Hundreds of memories. I see love.

Hope for tomorrow

I am addicted to reading blogs.

It's true.

I am not quite sure when it started, but the addiction grew fast. Crafting blogs, recipe blogs, adoption blogs, mom blogs, decorating blogs... they get me every time. I do so much less that I ought because I spend lots of time reading about everyone else.

Over the last few months I have been able to realize how much time I was wasting. I decided to continue only reading my three favorites on a daily basis. My most favorite blog (and probably the first one I ever read) is called Under The Sycamore.

Ashley Ann Campbell is a mom of four, amazing DIY'er and in the process of adopting. All those things make my heart so happy! Although I have never met her, I feel like we would be friends in "real life" ;)I am sure everyone thinks that, which is why her blog is so popular! But I don't mind. I feel like she tries to keep things as real as possible. And that is what I love most about her.

Today she wrote a post about her first born who is turning eight. I cried while reading it. I cried because I am an emotional crazy person I really identified with her as a mom while her son was young. Amara is so strong willed. I feel like I correct her all the time. I feel like we often have no fun because she can't have fun without turning something into a game of wills. I worry she is going to grow up and resent me.

I also cried because her son wanted to give all his money away. I SO badly want my kids to grow up with a heart like that. I want them to love the world and the diversity of it. I don't want them to have any prejudice in their heart. I want them to realize that we are so blessed financially as Americans and the majority of the world is not. I want my girls to have brothers and sisters of all different race and color. I want them to know we are all equal and all made in God's image.

On a weary day where I have been spending the majority of my time correcting my strong willed two year old and wondering if she is ever going be anything other than the crazy girl who just drank toilet water, taking a minute to read Ashley's post gave me hope. Hope for tomorrow. And the next day, and the next. If I keep investing in my kids, keep praying for my kids and keep doing the best that I can, they just might turn into some amazing little eight year olds :)




You can find Ashley's blog post from today here: http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2012/01/09/almost-eight/ Read it and stay awhile. I think you will like her as much as I do!

Love,
Danielle

Preaching To The Choir

...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Lately I have been thinking and pondering over my twenty seven years of life. The older I get, the more I long for a full life. A life of adventure. A life of surprises. Like the scripture says, I want to have life to the full.

So often this world tries to tell us that the secret to having an abundant and full life is to have things... lots and lots of things! We need boats and new homes and thing after thing after thing. It is so easy to get caught up trying to make all these "things" bring happiness. Is that what Jesus calls us to?

Or does he call us to serve?

Let's keep reading. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

Who had a more abundant life, Elvis Presley or Mother Theresa? The king had a lot of stuff. Mother Theresa didn't have anything. Elvis traveled all around the world. Mother Theresa spent her time in the slums.

Jesus came so that we may have life. And not just any life, but a FULL life. He laid down his life for us so that we can lay down our lives for others as we serve Him. As we give of ourselves. As we sacrifice until it hurts. Sometimes I don't want to give because I know it is going to hurt. Often I choose the selfish route because it sounds the best for me. That's not living a full life.

Taking time to cook my husbands favorite meal because he has worked his tail off for thirteen hours. Running outside in your pajamas and bare feet to flag down the homeless man with the grocery cart to give him your bottles. Saving up to go on a family mission trip rather than a family vacation. Spend your date night volunteering. These are small things. But you know what our dear Mother Theresa said? "There are no great things. Only small things with great love."

I am preaching to the choir here. So often I choose to be selfish with my time at home. I could be busy serving my sweet girls when instead I am busy serving myself. But I want to change. I want to love greatly. I want to live a full life the way God intended. I know he will honor my desires, even when my flesh is weak.

But we should be prepared. God will take us on an adventure alright, I just don't think it's going to be anything like we expected! ;)

Recapping 2011

I know I am a few days behind since it is already January 5th, but I wanted to recap some of the most memorable things from last year. This post is more for me... to record all the special moments from the year I don't want to forget. Here are some highlights (and a few lowlights) from our 2011:

We had our first big adventure together as a family... our move to northern Michigan.

Our first nephew, baby Thomas, was born.

My brother, Brandon, got married.

Selah had a scary cystic fibrosis test which was negative. Praise the Lord!

A bird got caught in our attic for an afternoon and then proceeded to fly through our house while we were freeing it.

I had to call the police because Mara locked herself in her room.

I had my first experience living in the "country" and was able to take daily walks with the girls to see cows and chickens and horses on our street.

Amara told me to shut up. I cried.

Selah learned to crawl and took her first steps on New Years Eve.

My hardworking husband got a job as store manager.

We had our second, and even bigger family adventure when we moved to New York.

We lived in a hotel for a month... with a two year old and one year old.

Thanks to a certain two year old, around our house pigtails are either called 'toenails' or 'veggie tales' but never pigtails. :)

Amara began referring to her sister as "My Selah". I wonder how long she will think her sister is something she owns.

John and I went on an amazing weekend marriage retreat that we will always cherish.

We became landlords.

I made both of the girls' Halloween costumes this year and Amara went trick or treating for the first time. She was a champ and went up to each house all by herself.

I went away for four whole days without my husband or children to attend a conference for my jewelry business. It was a very refreshing time!

While I was away on that conference, Amara burnt her hand pretty badly.

Last January Mara slipped on the ice and got a very minor scrape on her arm. It took eight months to heal because she would pick at it every night in bed.

My sweet Grandpa, and last remaining blood grandparent, passed away from a long battle with lung cancer.

Selah started talking and can say so many words. Her first few were baby, blanket, duck, stuck (which she pronounces 'duck' so you never know which one she is saying!), please, thank you and help me.

John and I spend our very first Christmas away from our families.


That is a long list, but short compared to the amazing year that we packed full of memories. For me personally, this year has been a time of "cutting the apron strings" from my parents and leaning on my husband as we moved. I also felt John and I grew spiritually as a couple more than ever. We have sought God and have done much praying together. I am excited to see what things God has in store for us in 2012. Do we have any goals? Yes! Lots of crafting, lots of games of Rivals of Catan and... No moving!! ;)

DIY Play Kitchen Tutorial

Last spring I had my heart set on purchasing an adorable red wooden kitchen from Target for Amara's second birthday. Everything about it was just perfect. Everything except the $120 price tag, that is.

While searching for a cheaper alternative I started running across some DIY (do it yourself) play kitchens that are all over the blog world. I was scared to tackle a project this big, but I was determined and talked John into doing most of the work helping me. The project was wayyyy easier than I expected and only cost about $40 to make! We used a nightstand from Goodwill we scored for $6. I don't have a before picture of the nightstand because my memory card broke soon after taking the picture... sigh. But it was just a wooden nightstand you find often at thrift stores. Here is our kitchen after completion.



Supplies Used:
Nightstand (Goodwill)
Plywood (Hobby Lobby)
Canvas Strechers (Hobby Lobby)
Metal bowl (Goodwill)
Wooden letter 'J'(Hobby Lobby)
Black Acrylic Paint (Hobby Lobby)
Wooden pieces (Hobby Lobby)
Handles (Home Depot)
Fabric (Joanne's)
Ceramic Tiles (Home Depot)
Wood Glue (Home Depot)
Paint (Home Depot)
Wooden Dowel (Hobby Lobby)
Plexiglass (Hobby Lobby)

We sanded the nightstand and John attached the plywood to the back of the nightstand with screws. He also attached the canvas stretchers to border the plywood with screws to give it a more finished look. He drilled a circular hole for the bowl for the sink. We used little wooden pieces to act as sink handles. Those were screwed in also so they can turn. For the faucet, we bought a wooden letter 'J' and turned it upside down.

I painted on the grills with black acrylic paint using a bowl I traced onto cardboard. We took the bottom drawer completely off and added a wooden dowel to hang the curtain I sewed. The top drawer we left on, but drilled a rectangle hole and filled it with a piece of plexiglass to act as the oven window.

We also made a window using random pieces of wood, stretcher bard and another dowel. The picture is one we took looking out our field at our home in Northern Michigan. That is my favorite part about the whole project :) Oh, I take that back. The ceramic tiling is my favorite part. John thought that I was going completely overboard when I brought home ceramic tile. I did remind him he just ceramic tiled our back splash in the home we had recently purchased, so this nothing compared to that. So he did it. Because he loves me :) I think it adds so much character!

So that is that. My favorite DIY project to date, and the first one we did as a couple. Happy creating!

He will overcome!

My sweet Selah. When I found out I was pregnant with her, my firstborn was just a colicky four month old. I was so scared to have two babies at once. I was thankful for this new life growing inside me, but as a mother who was suffering from what I can only guess was Post Partum Depression, sleep deprivation and dealing with the recent loss of my dear father in law, I was not ready for another baby. And I told God that, of course ;) But as always, he already knew the joys Selah would bring to our lives.

She was born a healthy 8lbs 8oz but had trouble nursing from the beginning. And like her sister she was failing to thrive by the time she was six months old. She wasn't gaining weight and was just a little behind on most of her milestones. The Doctor was a little concerned and had us run a few tests.

Every test came back normal. Praise the Lord! We could only attribute her slow weight gain to nursing, since Amara also had trouble nursing and gaining weight. Finally, at eleven months, I gave up and weaned her. We also saw a nutritionist who told us to add butter to the baby food I made. Our tiny girl gained two pounds in one month and was finally almost 16 pounds by the time she turned a year!

This back story is all to tell you that because she was so little, combined with her fearful personality, she was late on her motor skills. She didn't crawl until almost thirteen months and... drum roll please... last week at seventeen months, finally took her first steps on her own!!

Selah is very different from her sister. She doesn't have the natural confidence that Amara has. She is very attached to me and her blanket. I think she was strong enough to walk by fifteen months old, but was too afraid. But when she finally did, all the waiting was worth it to see the sparkle in her bight baby blues when she cautiously took those first couple steps. And do you know why? Because she knew her Mommy was right behind her and her Daddy was right in front of her, waiting for her to come to him.

Since that moment, I have been cherishing those few seconds in my heart. At first I couldn't figure out what those few moments were so special to me. It was in part, because I have been wondering if, down the road, we would find something wrong with our sweet little birdie. But as I thought more about it, I realized fearful Selah taking those first couple steps into her fathers arms is the perfect picture of us as Christians taking steps towards something we know God wants for us yet we are scared to do.

I began looking up scripture that has to do with fear. Most of them are very familiar verses, but when I read them again, they bring such comfort to my soul.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline

I don't have to be afraid to start an adoption when we don't yet have the money. I don't have to be afraid to serve and love on the poor in our community as uncomfortable as it may be at times. I don't have to be afraid to step out and give away money even if it's my last dime. He is right there with us. Those are the things I feel God calling me to do, yet am sometimes afraid to do. What are your yours?

He will overcome!! He is waiting for us to take those first few steps. We can take those steps of faith knowing He is right there waiting for us.

I know this is elementary, but it is something I still often struggle with. I pray that these verses will speak to your heart and nurture your soul as they did mine.

Love,
Danielle

Hello, friend!

This past year has been quite an adventure for our little family! Actually, ever since John and I met we have been flying by the seat of our pants! In five years, we've met, married, welcomed two little precious babies (who are now crazy toddlers!), bought a home, moved four times (twice to different cities) and lived in two hotels.

It has been a crazy ride, and can't wait to see what else God has in store for us!

I am excited about starting this blog to chronicle my adventures including sharing stories about my crazy toddlers, continue to live a more natural way of life, show off my sometimes-original-but-usually-copycat craft projects, and work on making our little city apartment a home.

I have decided to title my blog "Consider It Joy" from the verse in James 1:2&3. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. That is my life verse. I don't think their is anything more powerful than learning to consider ALL things joy; the happy things, the horrible things, the mundane things. As a stay at home mom who doesn't get out of the house much with little kiddos, I struggle with finding joy in the little things. I want to change that and to strive to be filled with joy so that it overflows out of me, I disappear and all that is left is Christ.

Today, I am leaving you with something that makes my heart happy. It is a painting by my favorite artist, Katie Daisy. Her prints are starting to take residence all over my home. This quote seems the perfect way to end my first post.





Love,

Danielle