Gospel Tract Witness Oppertunity - Baby Editon

Photo from Beau-Coup.com

So lately I have been thinking of ways I can share to Gospel more. One statistic that has left an impression in my mind is that the average person has to hear the Gospel about five times before they are really even ready to listen. Its like it takes five times for us to even stop enough to think about it. That being said, I think Gospel Tracts are great segues into getting people to think about life after death. The number one way that I usually share the Gospel is with my life as well as the conversations I have with my friends and family to share the Gospel, and for me this is usually the way I see the most fruit.

However, that being said, God doesn't ask us to pick in choose who we share the Gospel with, the Gospel is for everyone, we are merely asked to share. If I knew I had a life saving cure for my friends terminal illness or even a strangers, how much would I half to hate the person not to share it? Thus, my heart has become more and more open to being bold to share the Gospel to more than just my friends.

Here is where comes in my new passion for ways I can share the Gospel. My newest idea came to me when I was making my list of what to pack in my hospital bag for the birth of my second son. I was reading different comments from mothers about things to bring, and one comment left me thinking. A mother commented that a great thing to bring would be a gift for your labor nurses. Our nurses take care of us, so why not take care of them? She mentioned buying them pizza or bringing some chocolate or something small to show your gratitude for their act of service to you. What and awesome idea! Why did I not think of this before, what a great way to put a smile on someones face, to bless someone. Then I got to thinking....why not share to Gospel with them too? Its a very non threatening way to not only say Thank you but that I care about your life. So how am I going to do it? After a little Pinteresting I came up with this recipe for my thank you gifts.

What you will need for 12 gift/favor bags:

• 2 packages of 6 count of thank you cards from the dollar store...or make your own.
• 3 packages of your favorite chocolates. Since I am having a boy I used chocolates wrapped in blue foil. Lindt Truffles, Dove Chocolates, and Cookies N Cream Hersey's Kisses.
• 12 gospel tracts. (I made my own, and tried to pick something baby themed, for example I did a Gospel tract that focuses on how we are special as individual creations of God, and another Gospel tract about how we can be born into a new life with Christ.)
• 12 paper or celophane gift bags (or gift packaging of your choice) You can buy some cute one's here that may be helpful.
• Stapler

To Assemble:

1.  place chocolates and Gospel Tracts inside celophane bag
2. Fold down top of celophane bag placing thank you cards over the top and then staple the bag shut
3. Hand out to your Nurses!

Want another spin on this idea? You can pretty much do any baby shower favor ideas, but I like chocolate so here is another idea.

Take a Hershey's Candy bar, and wrap the bar with your own wrapping over the existing wraping. On one side print a pretty thank you note, and on the inside of the wrapping print your Gospel Tract.

Here is where I got the basic concept to wrap the Candybar from a Pinterest post.

Hope this inspires you to look for ways to share the Gospel in creative ways. How do you share the Gospel?

P.S. I did not receive any compensation from the brands or products listed in the post above, and I am not endorsing them. They are simply products I have used, or thought would be useful for this project.

Landscape my Yard

This is my dream for my vegetable garden, behind my shed someday....

 Chris and I bought our home March 2010 when snow was covering the yard. That spring after the snow melted we found we were blessed with lots of weeds, a tree stump, wild bushes, and large flower beds to keep us busy. We were also blessed with pregnancy, therefore our yard grew pretty wild last year. This year I swore it would be different but with a 5 month old, I am finding that we are still way behind on our yard.

(Said house...in the fall of 2010 before we bought it...notice the front flower bed has been covered with mulch to hide the monster underneath)

Apart from all the manual labor required there is so much more to gardening then I anticipated. The major problem here is "know how." I simply have no idea what to do with my flower beds? How does one clean them up and prep them for planting? How do you keep weeds away? How can I do this cheaply?  I have googled a few different things and found a lot of mixed information. Therefore I am asking you smart people for some help. Here are the problem areas and the questions I have.

Driveway Bed, Problem # 1:

As you can see its a cute little bed but a huge mess. First of all those "landscaping bricks" if you call them that, are falling all about and don't seem to hold the bed together very well.

 So What shall I do here

• Remove the bricks and build a new wall? Materials to use?
• Leave them and go with it?
• How should I maintain the area?
• Suggestions of what to plant?
• What should I do to keep the bushes alive/pruned/looking good?
• Before I re-mulch should I lay landscaping paper? or newspaper? If so, do I lay it over the leaves and weeds as is, or clear away as much as possible first?

this is what the bed looks like after I pulled the Dandelions and raked away the leaves

This is what the bed looks like, with leaves and debris, and mulch on top. Do I keep it like this and just throw some more mulch on top? How do I keep the weeds at bay?

Weeds, mulch, messy brick, and some plant I don't know how to care for.

 Side of Garage, Problem # 2:

that stump not attached to the ground...I am sure its a home to many an ant or something like that.

This is where all the weeds in my yard got together and decided to breed. What would you do here? No one will really see it, but just knowing that it is a mess back there frightens me. I often stay up at night fretting about it. I have contemplated just spraying the entire area with RoundUp more than once. I really would like to keep the pesticide usage to a minimum. I thought it might be lovely just to grow like a butterfly garden of sorts back here or should I just get some gravel and pave it down. How should I prep the area either way? What are your thoughts?

 Back of House, Problem # 3:

This is the least of my problems but I could use some suggestions. First off, how do I get rid of these pretty but pesky little purple flowers from intruding on the bed. Second what should I do with this bed, what should I plant here? How should I maintain it?

notice our grass is desperately in need of help as well

you can't even see where the grass starts and the flower bed ends.

close up of those purple flowers

Shady Side of House, Problem # 4:

This area is in danger of becoming a marsh in the summer time. It can retain enough water in this area to make the grass lay flat, while also attracting slugs and the like. Currently it has some sort of little white bell like flower growing up, but it looks a little wild here. What should I do to this bed? How should I plant and maintain it?

Bushes, Shrubs and Wild Trees?, Problem # 5:

What in the world do people do along there fence lines? I mean its nice to have shrubs growing to provide a little bit of privacy but its a little crazy here. What do we do with this area?

I have many more spots requiring help, but these are a good start. I would appreciate any suggestions or words of advice. Also if your ever bored I am sure I can think of some way to keep you busy in my back yard.

I hope to have a vegetable garden some day, but before any of that can begin, we need to do some major clean up.

Thanks for looking.

Thats my favorite vegtable too!

 Photo Credit

I offered to watch three of the most precious children today for my dear friends, as their mom was on a mission trip. I was initially apprehensive because I have my little one already to watch and have never attempted to watch 3 others at the same time. I can easily psych myself up to thinking things will be more difficult then they really are. However, God truly blessed me with a smooth moving day, and Isaac even took a 3 hr nap! I have to admit though that my favorite part of the day was over the lunch hour. The little boy I had been watching had been pretty rambunctious all day and the conversation over lunch just shows you why having little boys makes life so precious.

Me: "So Big Sister, what is your favorite vegetable?"
Big Sister: "That's easy, I love carrots."
Me: "So Little Brother, whats your favorite vegetable?"
Little Brother: "Mac n Cheese" (said with a huge grin)
Me: "Why that's my favorite vegetable too!"

P.S. Lets get you caught up.

Ok Chris and I are parents now. We became parents on 12.15.10 after 5 days of labor! We were super happy when Isaac decided to finally arrive.

 Well our not so little munchkin is growing up fast and is getting bigger and bigger each day.

Here he is at 1 month, and 14 lbs.

And here he is at 2 months and about 15lbs.

Finally he just turned 3 months and now weighs 16lbs

Songs for Labor: 1st Edition

Ok, so as I prepare for the marathon ahead of giving birth. I have decided to post some songs/verses/etc...of the things I am preparing to help encourage me through my labor. The following song I have heard numerous times but one day on my way to work this song made me cry tears of joy when I consider how faithful God is and how I can trust in his strength through this journey. I was moved by it in a way I had never been before. So this song is a definite at my birth. Here is the youtube video, and lyrics. Hope you enjoy.



Sweetly Broken - Jeremy Riddle

To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of it's suffering I do drink
Of it's work I do sing

For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just

Chorus:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified

You’ve called me out of death
You’ve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I’m reconciled

Chorus:
In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness

(2x’s)
Chorus:

20 Lessons I have learned after 5 years of Marriage

 
Agree or Disagree these are some very valuable lessons that I have learned over the last 5 years of marriage. I may develop on some of these ideas in the future, on how I came to learn these things, but for now here are some things for you to think on. These are not in any particular order...certainly some should have a higher priority than others, but all are equally challenging and helpful for marriage.

1.  Just don't fight
2. Think of ways to serve my spouse, especially when I am pissed off at them, its crucial to try to do an act of service for them when I am irate with them.
3. Schedule times to go to bed early during the week. For chatting and intimacy purposes. ;)
4. Send love notes, texts, e-mails as often as I can think of it
5. Pray for my spouse
6. Ask my spouse tough questions to challenge them in love.
7. Ask my spouse how can I serve you today
8. Remember to tell each other "I love you and am on your side" during a disagreement, fight.
9. If you can't resolve a disagreement before 10:00pm then agree to reconnect on during a scheduled time the next day.
10. Don't spend over $20 without clearing it with my spouse. 
11. Get a google or shared calendar...keep each other in the loop, don't forget to check with them before making plans...you don't belong to yourself anymore.
12. Love God more then my spouse, make sure my relationship with God comes first so I can love my spouse the way God intended.
13. God has always been faithful to provide for His children.God has blessed my marriage, through difficult situations and easy, never forget His faithfulness.
14. Use your time together wisely, and enjoy each other as often as you can.
15. May your marriage be a reflection of God to the world.
16. Stay committed to and serve in your local church together
17. Reassess your the vision/mission of your marriage often, talk about your dreams, and areas that need growth
18. Trust one another, and be open and honest in all things...even sin struggles...give one another grace.
19. Base your standard of beauty off of what your spouse looks like...in other words if he is tall, has curly hair, and a goatee then that is what I am into...that is my standard of physical beauty that everything must measure against.
20. Verbally affirm each other often, Say I love you In ways your spouse will understand everyday...learn their love language if you don't know it in order to learn how to say I love you in ways they will understand.

I am sure there are more lessons I have learned, but these stick out in my mind as the most important, life, and marriage changing lessons I have learned in the last 5 years. Trust me these are things that I myself am still working on. What has marriage taught you? What are some things you and your spouse do to serve each other?

If you don't have anything nice to say...

So today, as I stated on my facebook page, I was thinking about the saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" and how more people should practice this. I would equate nice with the word loving..."If you don't have anything loving to say, don't say anything at all." When I think about this phrase as it relates to loving I am thinking about 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 specifically verse 14. How short a verse yet how per found and challenging. "Do Everything in Love." I can definitely think of times when I haven't said things in love. Even seemingly "good" things like an offer of helpful advice. At first I thought I was doing something to help the individual out, but later after reflection, I realized that it may have been better not to say anything at all, and simply encourage them with a hug, or a prayer, or quality time. I am often one who is quick to speak and slow to listen...I want to fix things, make things better. I am realizing that even though I may think my intentions are good, they may not actually be loving and can result in hurting someone. So this is something I am reflecting, praying, and working through. I challenge you with the same.

Can you think of a time when you thought you were being helpful but realized in the end that it wasn't loving?
What are some practical things you do to try to live out 1 Corinthians 16:14 in your life daily?