Lovin' This!

If you listen to KLOVE, you've likely heard the song "I'm Singing" by Kari Jobe, right? I just discovered her this past week, and I'm in awe of her! Why have I not heard her before??? She's like an adorable, solo artist, American-raised version of Hillsong. LOVE her :)

One of the best parts of her new song, "I'm Singing," is hearing Jadon try to sing along :) I'll get him on video one day soon hopefully. Not really feeling the Youtube users version of her video, since the testimonies cover up most of the lyrics to the song (though the testimonies are great), so I'm posting one of the other songs I really love. I HIGHLY recommend you check out the other videos on her channel, especially the songs We Cry Out, I'm Singing, and Beautiful. Besides having a powerful voice, she's pretty with a capital P :) I CANNOT WAIT to see/hear her play live one day!
Enjoy!


So what'd you think of her, Kacie Jean?

BTW, Auntie Em and Tiffany, I noticed the cutie singing with her (you know, the one with the white button down, tie and vest?) doesn't have a wedding ring. One of you should totally stalk the guy on the Internet and get a date. Seriously. That's how I roll. Where do you think I met Jamie? AOL, baby! Ha! :)

The Holiest of Callings

It doesn't appear that Macy Bleu will arrive, before our scheduled induction on February 4th, unfortunately :/ As Jamie says, "Well, Jadon, it looks like you have one and a half days with us all to yourself." I suppose that puts my heart and mind into a place of reflection on being the mommy of one, and the unknown of being a mommy of two. I am so thankful for this devotional that I came across recently. I could not have written it better myself...

What Motherhood Really Means

Condensed from "Everyday Miracles"
Dale Hanson Bourke

Time is running out for my friend. While we are sitting at
lunch, she casually mentions that she and her husband
are thinking of "starting a family." What she means is
that her biological clock has begun its countdown and
she is being forced to consider the prospect of motherhood.

"We’re taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do
you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say carefully, keeping my
tone neutral.

"I know,' she says. "No more sleeping in on Saturdays,
no more spontaneous vacations..."

But that is not what I mean at all. I try to decide what to tell her.

I want her to know what she will never learn in child birth
classes: that the physical wounds of childbearing heal,
but that becoming a mother will leave an emotional wound so
raw that she will be forever vulnerable. I consider warning
her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking,
"What if that had been my child?" That every plane crash,
every fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of
starving children, she will wonder if anything could be
worse than watching your child die.

I look at her manicured nails and stylish suit and think
that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother
will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting
her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop
her best crystal without a moment’s hesitation.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has
invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by
motherhood. She might arrange for child care, but one day she
will be going into an important business meeting, and she will
think about her baby’s sweet smell. She will have to use every
ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure
her child is all right.

I want my friend to know that everyday decisions will no longer
be routine. That a five-year-old boy’s desire to use the men’s room
rather than the women’s at a restaurant will become a major dilemma.
That issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed
against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in the
rest room. However decisive she may be at the office, she will
second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that
eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will
never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important,
will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would
give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin
to hope for more years--not to accomplish her own dreams, but to
watch her child accomplish his.

My friend’s relationship with her husband will change, but not in
the ways she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you
can love a man who is always careful to powder the baby or who never
hesitates to play with his son or daughter. I think she should know
that she will fall in love with her husband again for reasons she
would now find very unromantic.

I want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your
child learn to hit a baseball. I want to capture for her the belly
laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog for the first
time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it hurts.

My friend’s quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed
in my eyes. "You’ll never regret it," I say finally. Then,
squeezing my friend’s hand, I offer a prayer for her and me and all of
the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this holiest of callings.

This Holiday Season 'Have a Good Time'

Brenden Foster got to see his vision come true, before he passed away on November 21, 2008

"What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." ---Matthew 10:29-31 (NLT)

You know I cannot tell you how many days, if not hours each day that I thank God for this scripture (as well as the many amazing thing He has to say about worry and anxiety). For me, it goes hand in hand. With Jamie being unemployed right now, it would be SO EASY to sit and dwell on finances. And in America at Christmas time, how easy is it to look at all of the things there are in stores and the mall, in ads on TV and newspapers, etc. that we could sit and focus on? "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

Although we truly are without money to buy anybody anything really this Christmas, we refuse to take our eyes off of the true reason for the season. I get a bit (okay a lot) emotional everytime I listen to my Christmas CDs about the birth of Christ. Amazing, isn't it? And my heart truly feels such joy, when I see my little baby boy sitting and watching his Praise Baby Christmas DVD every evening. I dream of the day, when those songs will have real meaning to him, when he comes to understand what a beautiful gift God gave us with the birth of his Son Jesus.

Let me remind you that this gift was FREE. It wasn't dreamt up in an office full of marketing geniuses who know that we, as Americans, flock to all things green and red, all things peppermint-flavored, and all things "Ho Ho Ho". It was and is more valuable and miraculous than any one of us can truly wrap our minds around.

So here is my challenge. It's a BIG ONE! In honor of an 11-year-old little boy from Seattle named Brenden who died from leukemia last week, in honor of those refugees in the Congo who are living in utter chaos and despair, in honor of little babies starving in Haiti
, (don't want to click the link? Check out a recent picture of a FOUR year old there:

...She's a REAL person, I assure you, my friends...lastly, in honor of the birth of our Saviour, the greatest gift ever...in honor of not just His birth, but of his life, death and resurrection. Will you help me? Will you help me minister to my children (via this blog) as to the importance of giving to those who are less fortunate (James 1:27)?

I don't know how God would have you do this. I know He spoke to mine and Jamie's hearts to buy farm animals to help sustain families through World Vision (He sort of used Jadon with all of his "bock bock" and "baa-ing"). They have an amazing campaign they run each Christmas season where you can purchase these types of gifts (chickens, sheep, cows, goats, even buy a well for a village or a share of well for a family! You can buy an education for a child! Click here to view the catalog.). All of these gifts are attached to the Gospel message too :) That's kind of important to me ;)

Alright I'm trying not to beat a dead horse here, but have you watched the How to Be Rich series I recommended yet? If not, you REALLY should ;) I'm gonna make a fairly bold statement here and say that I don't think any of my blog readers (though I don't know all of you who read this thing) are struggling finacially as much as Jamie and I are right now. That is in no way made to make you pity us. On the contrary, WE ARE RICH! We have TWO cars (fairly crappy no doubt, but they run). We live in an AMAZING home! We will NEVER go hungry! We are EXTREMELY healthy and so are our (almost) THREE kids. We (thankfully) live in a country where my husband can draw unemployment, so we can pay our bills, while he is out of work...nice set up, isn't it? Okay...and the point is that even we, with our VERY limited income, are still able to tithe 10% of what we do have coming in, and on top of that, were able to provide life-saving medications to people who need it, provide a Christian education to our Compassion child, among other things (like shoeboxes full of gifts through Samaritan's Purse).

Please don't hear me wrong. This is NOT about us. But I do dare you to test God (and me too, if you will) on this. "What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?" (1 Corinthians 4:7 NLT). You may think you don't have anything to give...and maybe you can lie to yourself and think you don't have any money to spare (but I'm thinking most of my readers are Americans), but I KNOW you have time to give, right? So do SOMETHING...ANYTHING to truly show the love of Christ this season. What you do is between you and Him, but I think it would be AWESOME if you decided to share (via commenting on this blog) what you have done, in an effort to help teach my kids (so selfish of me I know) what Christmas is really about.

Are you blessed? Do you know that God says He knows all about and cares deeply for the sparrows...and loves and cares about you a million times more than that?!? SOOO comforting! SO AWESOME! Now tell me what you're going to do to "have a good time" this Christmas :)

"A cheerful heart makes a happy face." ---Proverbs 15:13 :)

Ignorance is Not Bliss

Safest plastics for food and beverages

Some plastics are safer to eat and drink from than others. Here's a quick guide to help you make informed choices. If you want to dig deeper, take a look at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Smart Plastics Guide (PDF).

It's worth avoiding the following plastics when you can. You can identify a plastic by looking at the recycling code number that appears inside a triangle at the bottom of many containers.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can leach phthalates, known male reproductive toxicants. It can be identified by code 3. One way to avoid it in the kitchen is by choosing plastic wrap made from polyethylene rather than PVC. If a box is not labeled, find a brand that is or call the manufacturer.

Polystyrene is used in Styrofoam products. It may leach styrene (a neurotoxin) when it comes into contact with hot, acidic, or fatty foods. It's marked with recycling code 6.

Polycarbonate can leach bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with a long list of health concerns. Baby bottles, "sippy" cups, 5-gallon water jugs, and reusable beverage bottles are typically made out of this plastic. Products may be marked with recycling code 7 (also includes any plastic that doesn't fit into the 1 to 6 recycling code categories) and/or the letters "PC."

In response to the widespread concerns about BPA, baby bottles and other items made from alternative materials are springing up. Experts say stainless steel is your best bet for reusable water bottles right now. ThinkSport and Klean Kanteen are two widely available brands.

The following plastics are considered safest for food storage. Glass and stainless steel are also good options.

Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene (PETE), code 1.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE), code 2.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), code 4.

Polypropylene (PP), code 5.

Here are some tips for using all plastics safely:

Don't microwave food plastic containers. Chemicals are more likely to leach out when plastic is heated. "Microwaveable plastic" doesn't guarantee that chemicals won't leach. Cover foods in the microwave with wax paper or a plate. If you do use plastic wrap, then make sure it doesn't touch the food.

Avoid putting hot foods in plastic containers. Let leftovers cool off before storing them in plastic.

Take good care of plastics by not washing them with harsh chemicals, and dispose of scratched and worn containers. Research has shown that older, scratched items will leach more, says Kathleen Schuler at the Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy. (Don't put them in the dishwasher if you want to be completely risk-averse, she suggests.)

New Favorite

In another life, I live in Nashville in the center of the Christian music industry, and I promote concerts and albums for awesome artists like this:

How awesome is Addison Road? See, Christians are NOT what people always think. Some of us aren't old like our grandmas and big nerds like me ;) I wonder if I'll ever live in Nashville and do that kind of work? I feel kind of old for it now that I'm a mom. One thing's for sure, Christian music is a HUGE passion of mine. Maybe Jadon or Macy will sing or play an instrument in the church worship band. Hmmm, I wonder. Wouldn't that be lovely? and fun? Then I'd have a reason to move to Nashville one day...so I can be a "momager" like Lynn Spears or Dina Lohan (Ha! Kidding.) I'd be more of a Jonas Brothers momager ;) and keep my kids grounded in the Lord. Then again, maybe I should just keep my kids in sports here in South Carolina...just look at Katy Perry, for goodness sakes! Come back to us, Katy!

At any rate, hope you like their music...maybe they're coming to a city near you with Building429. If so, you should tell people and go check them out! Nothing better than a great night of worship :)

Why Buy the Cow?

Good news! You no longer have to go to Panera Bread, in order to enjoy their awesome broccoli cheddar soup. You can make it right in your own kitchen, and it won't cost you near as much! I found the most amazing recipe, and thought I'd share :) This recipe serves four, but I doubled it, so we could freeze some for later, and it worked great. At $4.99/bowl, I'm guessing you can now make 8-10 bowls for around $10-12.

Trust me, it tastes identical to what they serve in the restaurant. P.S. I'd skip the nutmeg, but to each his own. Now if I could only perfect the Chick-fil-A sandwich! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

I Heart Mike Seaver

Yesterday, Jamie and I had our FOURTH date, since Jadon was born. Our first date was in February/March, when we went to the House of Blues to see Third Day perform. Our second date was to see the movie "Baby Mama" with Tina Fey way back in April/May, when I was weaning Jadon from nursing. Our third date was just a few weeks ago, when we went to see Steve Fee at our church. And yesterday, we finally made it to see the movie "Fireproof" with Kirk Cameron. You remember Kirk Cameron, right? Mike Seaver from the late 80s/early 90s TV show "Growing Pains?"

Well anyway, I HIGHLY recommend this movie to (1) anyone who is newly married, (2) anyone who has been married for many years, and (3) anyone who plans to one day marry. Yep, that should cover it ;) Go see it! Though I was somehow able to keep my tears in my eyes (they welled up a million times), you could hear people sniffling all around the theater. It's a fairly low-budget film (under $1 million to make), but you will certainly appreciate the message and the acting (especially good old Mike Seaver). (*NOTE: The writers/producers/directors of this movie also made one of our other favorite movies "Facing the Giants." RENT IT!)

If you don't know, Kirk Cameron became a Christian at the age of 17, during his last few seasons on Growing Pains. Jamie and I have been huge fans of his show "The Way of the Master," (a show where he takes to the streets in large cities, mostly in CA to help spread the Good News about Jesus)for years now. We couldn't believe Mike Seaver was a Christian...and such a faithful one at that! So we're fans of Kirk and the new movie...and the two following songs in the videos below that are on the movie's soundrack :)


Love, love, love Warren Barfield...we've met him before in Beckley, WV (Tiff and Tara's old stompin' grounds) :)

And let me say that this is only the SECOND movie that Jamie and I have been to, since December 2006, when we were in CA visiting for Christmas and I was pregnant with Jadon...sad, but true. I suppose we'll be back into the movie theater thing in approximately...oh, 2011, when this baby is 3 years old?!? At that point, we'll be watching Disney movies in the theaters, and well...who really cares? Parenthood is so worth the sacrifice :) Though we can't thank Gramma and Grandpa enough for giving us a few hours after church yesterday to spend some time together at the movies!!! Somehow we even managed to spend a few hours together on Saturday evening at Books-A-Million too! Whoo-hoo! We didn't know what to do with ourselves with all of that time together. We MUST get a few more dates in, before the arrival of our little Princess in a few months...hint, hint ;)