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365 Days of Blessings: Days 99-101

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Christie

Have you ever longed for the simple life? The ones where you wouldn’t have to worry about a busted computer or broken phone. The days when you didn’t have to worry about paying $100+ for a license plate sticker, plus a village sticker, on top of all the car repairs you may have.

Ah yes, I have heard many a times people say, “I just wish I could go live like the Amish.” I’ve said it myself sometimes.

Yes, I do long for aspects of my life to be more simple. However, this week I couldn’t help but be grateful and blessed for modern conveniences. I am wrapping up the last three days of blessings together simply because they all go together.

We have had a deep freeze here in Illinois. We have had days where temperatures didn’t even break zero. Each day we have had the blessing of the modern convenience of heat. Each day my little family has woken up to a warm house with heat piped in through a furnace. I didn’t have to go outside and cut down firewood. I didn’t have to light a fire or stoke the fireplace to get my house heated up. No, all I had to do was make sure my thermostat was programmed properly. What a blessing!

We also have the blessing of indoor plumbing. Could you imagine having to go OUTSIDE in below freezing temps just to use the facilities? No thank you!

Along with the blessing of indoor plumbing comes the blessing of running water. When we need water, we don’t have to run down to the creek and lug it back home, or fetch the water from the well. We simply have to turn on a faucet and the water comes.

And not only do we have running water inside our homes, it’s also heated. We don’t have to wait for several pots of water to boil to pour into a tub, so that by the time we have enough water to bathe it might be lukewarm at best. No, we have the blessing of taking hot showers and baths….without any effort.

This week I feel blessed by all these conveniences we have. And not only do we have them, these conveniences are all working. This week is a reminder to be grateful for the little things!

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31 Days of Praying For Your Husband (Part 2)

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Christie

Today begins Week 2 of the 31 Day challenge of “Praying for Your Husband”. If you missed Week 1, that’s okay. You may find the first week’s prayers and scriptures passages here.

Once again, I created a FREE Printable for you. Keep it in a place where you will see it often so that you are reminded to pray for your husband throughout the day.

May the Lord’s blessings be on your marriage as you lift up your husband in prayer!

Day 8 – Pray that your husband will be faithful to his wedding vows. Pray that he will have a desire to cultivate your relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to you, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the church. (Proverbs 20:6; Genesis 2:24)

Day 9 – Pray that your husband will love righteousness and hate wickedness, especially the evils of the culture. Pray that he will recognize and avoid wickedness in his own life, and if necessary, take a clear, strong stand against evil. (Proverbs 27:12; John 17:15; I Corinthians 10:12,13)

Day 10 – Pray that your husband will cultivate strong integrity, and not compromise his convictions. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, that he will be honest in his business dealings, and will never do anything that he needs to hide from others. (Proverbs 20:7, Ephesians 6:10-12)

Day 11 – Pray that your husband will have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant’s heart before the Lord. Pray that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Proverbs 15:33; Ephesians 6:6)

Day 12 – Pray that your husband will speak words that build you and your family and reflect a heart of love. Pray that he will not use filthy language or tell crude jokes. (Proverbs 18:21; Ephesians 4:29)

Day 13 – Pray that your husband will choose healthy, God-honoring activities. Pray that he will not live in bondage to any questionable habits or hobbies, but that he will experience freedom in holiness as he yields to the Spirit’s control. (1 Corinthians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Timothy 2:4)

Day 14 – Pray that your husband will have an eternal perspective – living in light of eternity. Pray that he will reject materialism and temporal values and put God first in his life. (Matthew 6:33; Deuteronomy 6:5; Ephesians 5:16; Psalm 90:12)

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Lessons from Motherhood

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Christie

When my husband and I first heard that a birth family had chosen us to parent their baby, and as the days drew closer to his birth, we received a lot of parenting advice from people. Countless times we heard the phrase, “Your life will never be the same again“…as if to say, “do you know what you’re realling getting into?

As our child is still quite small, we continue to receive parenting advice or remarks from people. So I thought I would take some time to share my thoughts and what I have learned from these comments.

“Don’t you just love getting woken up in the middle of the night?” (sarcastic remark)

My Gavin didn’t sleep through the night until he was about 6 months old. And when I say “sleep through”, I mean he would sleep for 6 to 8 hours at a time. He definitly was not the baby that would sleep for 12 hours straight. So I was up with him every three to four hours. I loved this time with him. It was my opportunity to pray over him. It was even sometimes my only chance to spend time with the Lord.

“Isn’t it just so sad…?”

When Gavin was turning one, someone asked me if I cried all the time because he was getting bigger. “Isn’t it just so sad?” she would ask. My answer is no. I didn’t cry all the time and I wasn’t sad that my son was getting bigger. He was growing healthy and strong. I was thankful!

Sure, I miss snuggling with a baby who was simply content laying in my arms. I miss setting him down and knowing he would be right where I put him when I went to pick him up again. I miss when he couldn’t say “no” to me.

Yes, I did shed a few tears as my son was nearing his first birthday. I cried as I typed out blogposts, remembering all the emotions we had leading up to his birth. I cried as thought of Gavin’s sweet birth mother who so sacrificially gave us her son so that he could have a better life than she could give. I cried as I remembered the goodness of the Lord in blessing us with such a precious boy.

But mostly I was excited. I have had so much fun watching my son grow through each new stage of his little life. I love seeing what he will do or say next. I love seeing his boundless energy as he runs through the house and hearing how he says new words.

“Don’t you dread the day when…”

Do you know someone that cries thinking about sending their child off to college and the little one isn’t even two yet?

My friend, don’t borrow trouble for tomorrow. Matthew 6:27 and 34 says, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?…Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (ESV).

Instead of worrying, embrace today!

“Your life will never be the same…”

Most people didn’t share this statement in a positive light. However, it’s true. Our lives will never be the same again. Our lives have gotten better.

The sloppy kisses, the little arms around my kneck, the extra giggles and laughter, the boundless energy and sweet “I uh (love) you’s” from my little guy has made the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, extra laundry and a messy house all worth it.

While my son is still just 20 months old and I know this is just the beginning of motherhood, I can honestly say that so far I have chosen to embrace each stage as a blessing. Each little phase is a blessing that lasts for a little while. I don’t want to waste these blessings away by pining away for “what was” and worrying about what is to come. Because if I do, I probably would miss the joy of what is happening right now.

Posted in Family | Tagged motherhood, parenting, parenting advice, sleep through the night | 9 Comments

365 Days of Blessings: Days 93-98

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Christie

Day 93 – New Years Day

I am grateful for a church open for prayer meeting. What a better way to ring in the New Year than meeting with other believers and praying?

Day 94

Since we’ve had a lot of snow recently, I am blessed that my body is well enough and strong enough to shovel snow. I love the workout I get from shoveling!

Day 95

I am blessed with my own personal workout instructor: my mom! She could probably run circles around me any day. I remember doing aerobics with her when I was little and going on power walks with her when I was in high school. I’d actually have to jog a little to keep up with her. Now as I am in my 30’s, my sister and I will meet her at her gym once a week and she puts us through a grueling workout.

Day 96

My husband and I are blessed with family close by…who are willing to watch our son even at a moments noticed. Thank you mom for watching Gavin today so we could go look at couches!

Day 97

On a day where we woke up to several inches of snow on the driveway, and continued snow throughout the day, we are blessed that we have a garage to keep our cars in. This is my first winter ever that I’ve been able to keep a car in a garage. It’s really nice to not have to clean off the van AND the driveway before we can go anywhere.

Day 98

With high temperatures at -17 degrees this morning, I am so grateful and blessed with a warm house and a furnace that works. I am also so glad that I have no place to go and can stay in the warmth of my home today.

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Praying for our Waiting Adoptive Family

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Christie

Recently I shared where we are at in our adoption process. This journey is long and is proving to be discouraging. I admit, I thought the second adoption would be easier than the first. I thought we would just be updating our home study, taking a few required courses and waiting to be chosen. It has now been months of looking for an adoption agency that will take a “waiting family”.

We know people are praying for us, so I thought I would share specific things you can pray for.

1. Guidance

We pray that God would guide and direct our steps as we continue our search for an agency, and even look for other opportunities to adopt a baby. Sometimes expectant mothers and waiting families connect through word of mouth without an agency! This hasn’t happened for us yet, but we pray that God would guide us to what He has for us.

2. Provision

This request comes twofold. First, and most obvious, we pray for the provision of a baby. Second, we pray for financial provision. It can be so disheartening to look at various agency fees and see the costs. They are so much more than the fees we paid for our first adoption. Quite frankly, I have ruled out many agencies because I felt that their fees were too high.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply ever need of yours according to his riches…” While we don’t know how or when He will provide for us, we take comfort in that He has all those details worked out already.

3. That we would keep our eyes on and trust in Jesus

It is easy to get distracted as we hunt for an agency, worry about the money we need to save, complete boat loads of paperwork and watch the months tick by without seeing a change in our situation. It’s easy to get discouraged when every single week we hear that someone we know will be having a baby, and we have no hope of getting pregnant or see any possibilities of adopting soon.

In the midst of all this, it is easy to take our eyes of Jesus and to stop trusting in Him. But keeping our focus on Him, waiting on Him, trusting in Him is exactly what we need to keep doing.

During our first adoption, the Lord gave me the verse Psalm 27:13,14. It says, “I am confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord…Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” I have continued to hold onto this verse as we desire a second child. The waiting is so not easy, but it is easier to handle when our eyes are fixed on Jesus and not our circumstances.

4. Time and Energy

Did I mention the boat loads of paperwork above? We are currently filling out an application for an agency, in hopes that they might start showing our profile in 6 months….but it could take up to 18 months. So in the meantime, if we find another agency, we have to apply to them as well. On top of that there are home study sessions, classes we have to take and books we need to read. All of this takes time and energy.

5. Pray for the Birth Family

The decision to place a baby for adoption is not an easy one. I know that Gavin’s birth mom and dad love him with all their heart. They wanted him to have what they couldn’t give him. The birth mom especially struggled with her decision to place Gavin for adoption. For our next adoption, I can only imagine the emotions this precious mother has, and even the emotions of those around her. The least I can do is uphold her in prayer. Will you join me?

As we are in this time of waiting, it is a comfort to know that people are praying for us. In our lowest moments we certainly feel those prayers. So thank you for taking the time to lift our little family up in prayer as we wait to adopt.

Posted in Adoption, Family | Tagged Adoption, waiting for you | 1 Comment

What’s for Dinner…? Week 9

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Christie

Well friends, I don’t know about you but this next week I think I am just going to hibernate. When I look at the weather and see a “high” of -11 (yes, that’s right negative eleven), I think it’s a great time to just not leave the house. It’s either that or I jump on a plane to visit my brother in Florida – which I am highly tempted to do.

Along with these frigid temperatures, I am happy to pull out the comfort foods…as well as look for any and every reason to turn on the oven for added warmth!

Thursday: Leftovers (we had leftover Chicken Fajitas from Monday)

Friday: Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Undecided!

Sunday: Baked Pineapple Chicken with brown rice and homemade biscuits

Monday: Broccoli Cheese Soup served with rice and crusty bread

Tuesday: Beef and Cheddar Pot Pie with Italian Potatoes & Green Beans

Wednesday: To be determined

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31 Days of Praying for Your Husband (Part 1)

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Christie

(photo credit)

Dear Wives,

As we begin this new year, I invite you to join me in a 31 Day Challenge to pray for our husband’s. Proverbs 31:12 says, “She does him good, and not harm…” One way that we can “do good” for our husband’s is to pray for them.

To get you started, the first 7 days are listed below in this post. You may also use this FREE Printable. Print it out and keep it in your Bible, tape it up by your kitchen sink, or place it somewhere will you will see it.

For the month of January, each Wednesday I will be sharing weekly posts with the seven prayers and scriptures for the week. I will also be posting the prayers and Scripture verses daily on Facebook. So if you haven’t “liked” An Everyday Blessing yet, now is your time!

Ladies, praying for my husband is something I know I need to be more intentional about. How about you? How often do you pray for your husband? How specific are you about praying for him?

I am so excited to begin this challenge. There is something special about praying specific prayers for people, especially using Scripture to pray.

Won’t you join me by being intentional about praying for your husband as well?

31 Days of Praying for Your Husband (Part 1)

Day 1 – Pray that your husband will grow spiritually and consider his accountability before the Lord. Pray that he will guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines – Bible reading and study, prayer, meditation, scripture memorization. (2 Peter 3:18, Proverbs 4:23)

Day 2 – Pray that your husband will safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Pray that his heart will be undivided and pure in his commitment to you. (Proverbs 6:23,24,26; Romans 13:14)

Day 3 – Pray that your husband’s relationship with God and His Word will develop and bear fruit in his life. Pray that he will be a man of wisdom and understanding, fearing the Lord. (Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 112:1)

Day 4 – Pray that your husband will have discernment concerning budgeting and investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work. Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family. (Psalm 23:4,5; Hebrews 13:5)

Day 5 – Pray that your husband will be humble and quick to agree with God about his sin. Pray that his heart will be tender toward the voice of the Lord. (Psalm 51:2-4, Micah 6:8)

Day 6 – Pray that your husband will grow in leadership skills in your relationship – protecting and providing for you. Pray that he will lead you wisely and love you sacrificially, so that God will be glorified in your marriage. (Colossians 3:19, Ephesians 5:25-29)

Day 7 – Pray that your husband will work hard to provide for your family, to the best of his ability. Pray that the character qualities necessary for a successful career and ministry will be a growing part of his character – persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, positive relationships with people, determination, etc. (Romans 12:11, 1 Corinthians 15:58)

Posted in Family | Tagged marriage, Praying for Husband | 3 Comments

365 Days of Blessings: Days 90-92

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Christie

Day 90

Last night my husband and I had the blessing on going on a double date with my youngest sister and her husband while my mom watched our kids. Dining out without our son doesn’t happen too often, and it was nice to share it with my sister since we don’t see her that often.

Day 91

Oh the blessing of laundry….or more likely the blessing of a washer and dryer in my own home. How often do I take this for granted?

As the day started out at a whopping zero degrees, I didn’t have to load my car with several baskets of laundry, drag it to the nearest laundry mat and spend a couple hours of my day outside my home.

Nope! Instead I have the luxury of washing and drying clothes in my home, all the while being able to get other things done in between loads. I consider that a big blessing!

Day 92

As we close out 2013, I reflect back on a year of blessings. It wasn’t an easy year, but God has taught me much. I’m learning to trust God for His will and perfect timing. I am learning to rest in His goodness. I am learning that God will continue to carry me through whatever comes my way. I am continuing to learn to abide in Him.

Looking toward the New Year, I am excited to see what God has for me. I am excited that it is a New Year. I can only hope that 2014 will one where my prayers and dreams come true…but if they don’t that’s okay. I’ll still be learning.

As 2014 begins, I reflect on Isaiah 43:19…

“Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

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365 Days of Blessings: Day 89

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Christie

Today my little family has the blessing of celebrating my husband’s birthday!

It never ceases to amaze me to see how God has worked in his life. From the moment I met him, I saw his heart for the Lord and his desire to serve others. He is always looking for ways to reach out to people and be a blessing to them. I am so thankful for the godly example he is to me and our son.

Thursday we had family over to finish our Christmas celebration, so I decided to have a birthday cake for my husband too so we could celebrate with family.

I know, I know! Not enough candles on the cake. But I didn’t want his ice cream cake to melt under the heat of 35 candles!

This year my prayer for my husband:

I pray your walk with the Lord would grow stronger each and every day,

that your love for the Lord would grow deeper. That you would love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

I pray also that “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

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365 Days of Blessings: Days 79-88

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Christie

I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I’ve shared my blessings. The Christmas season is always really busy, jam packed with extra work and lots of activities. Like many of you, I’ve had late nights and early mornings with little downtime in between. Quite honestly, most of my days have been a blur.

While I admit I haven’t kept track of my daily blessings, here is an overview of the last several days.

#1 – Driving around to look at Christmas lights

What a joy it is to have a child to look at the lights with. At 20 months, I loved hearing my son say, “Oh Wow!” or “Oh yeah!!” when he saw houses he liked.

#2 – Winter Wonderland at Bass Pro

One of my favorite things to do at Christmastime is to go to a local outdoor mall and see their Christmas Tree Light show. However, with temperatures being in the single digits (lower with the wind chill factor), we decided to do something indoors instead. So we went to Bass Pro where they have some fun things to do inside.

#3 – A Healthy Christmas

This can easily cover several days! We have had much sickness in our home lately and I am glad to say we are now doing well. But even more than that, it is such a blessing to be healthy for Christmas. Last year all three of us came down with the stomach flu and missed out on some of the family Christmas festivities. I’m so glad we didn’t miss them this year.

#4 – Christmas with Grandparents

My grandparent’s have been in and out of the hospital this year, so it was great that we could celebrate with them in the comfort of a home.

#5 – Technology and Facetime

My husband’s family and my youngest brother live out-of-state. It’s nice to be able to “see” them at least virtually when we can’t spend the holiday’s with them

#6 – Christmas at the Pacific Garden Mission

Growing up my family would always go to the Pacific Garden Mission on Christmas Day and lead their Christmas Worship Service. We haven’t done it in years. One of my cousins decided to revive the ministry this year. It was a blessing to serve with my extended family. It is also a humbling experience knowing how much we have and how little the people at the mission have.

#7 – Spending Time with Family

My family is super close and it is so fun to have time together, especially since my sister travels in with her family. It gets crazy. The kids run and play, laugh and cry. But even better they create memories. Today we had fun ice skating!

#8 – Celebrating the Birth of Jesus

The best blessing we have at Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus. He is THE reason for the season. Jesus offers us the greatest love we could ever receive. His birth brought hope to the world. He is my peace and joy. I am so grateful Jesus, the best gift ever given.

Posted in 365 Days of Blessings | Tagged 365 days of blessings, 365 days of thanksgiving | Comments Off

365 Days of Blessings: Days 99-101

31 Days of Praying For Your Husband (Part 2)

Lessons from Motherhood