words – Page 2 – The Bless Your Heart Blog

Happy 4th Birthday, Sawyer

Happy birthday, sweet Sawyer!!

My phone just dinged reminding me it was your birthday…as if I needed a reminder. You are in my heart and on my mind every minute of every day. At age four, I see you in your princess dress and cowboy boots waving your little hand off to the truck drivers as they pass…I smell the scent of my body spray (that you helped yourself to the last time you were in the bathroom) mixed with your coconut Barbie detangler…I feel your sweet, soft hands on my arms or around my neck and the matted fuzz of pink teddy since he’s always near by…I hear your voice singing “Let it Go” and praise and worship without skipping a beat…

You’re the neatest kid I know! You’re a little bit of an introvert like your momma, but when you’re with someone you love and trust – you are on! I feel so blessed to be able to know you the way I do…

I do believe you have the sweetest, most sensitive spirit on the planet! The way you care for me and daddy absolutely melts my heart. I love the way you leave water by my bed when you get up in the mornings and you sneak out, so I can have “a little more sleep.”

You care for my heart just as good as your daddy does. So many nights I have prayed with you before bed and begged the Lord to forgive me where I’ve fallen short and to help make me a better mother and you are always so quick to tell me I’m “the bestest mom in the world.”

You’re so forgiving – you get that from your daddy. You don’t have a grudging or vengeful bone in your body. I can recall several occasions where you’ve gone to bed and hours later called us back upstairs because you felt bad about something or were afraid you hurt our feelings somehow or felt the need to apologize about something.

You care for and protect your baby like his second momma. And? He adores you, sweet one. He wants to be just like you, I know it! Daddy and I love to see you hold his hand and help him down stairs and feed him his snacks. He’s a lucky boy to have a sister as wonderful as you.

I love your creative mind! You absolutely blow me away when it comes to imagination and resourcefulness! I love to watch you sort through the trash in daddy’s pickup to find something to block the sun or gather his old pop cups to make a vending machine in your play kitchen or the way you tape a box to the back of your pedal car to make a trailer to haul trash in. Seriously, who does that?!

Your memory astounds me; it is truly a gift! You remember names and places and things we’ve done better than I do. When you tell a story, it’s specific and succinct and accurate. I love that you can get us to Denver (or get us home) almost better than I can!

I love the way the world is drawn to you. You’re like this cute, curly-haired magnet that just sucks people in! I’m sure I’m a bit biased, but I’m also a keen observer and I don’t see this with other people as much as I see it with you; everywhere we go, people want to come make conversation with you or say hi to you or give you gifts. You have the ability to affect the world for Christ just by being YOU…people see Jesus radiating out of your sweet little face, it’s true.

You have the heart of a worshiper; a little David. Some of my favorite times with you are when we just sing to the Lord as long and as loud as we can. I love when I hear you singing in the other room, expressing your love to Him the way you know best. Sugar, He loves to hear you sing…

I love that you love all things girlie; the bigger the bow, the fluffier the ruffles and the sparklier the shoes, the better! But you also know how to work and you definitely aren’t afraid to get dirty. That will serve you well…

You have made the past four years the best four years of my life, no doubt. On your fourth birthday, I bless you in the name of Jesus! I bless you in your coming in and going out; your lying down and your waking. I speak to your future and I pronounce it blessed! I bless you with rich relationships with people who point you to Christ. I bless you with good health and a long life. I bless you with humility and forgiveness and grace and mercy that is as endless as you give it now. I bless you with obedience, that you would follow the Lord all the days of your life. I bless the work of your hands, that all you would set them to would prosper and bring glory to the Lord. I bless you with a continued love for the word of God and I bless you with His abiding presence in every way, in every day.

YOU are who I want to be like when I grow up…and you? You can stop growing up any time you’d like…

Happy Birthday, Sexy Wrexy!

You are the most handsome of all.

Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever.
Put on your sword, O mighty warrior!

You are so glorious, so majestic!

In your majesty, ride out to victory,
defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!

Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies’ hearts.
The nations fall beneath your feet.

Psalm 45…a word the Lord gave me regarding you many years ago. I pray it over you still, especially on your birthday.

You are a tremendous man of God and the fact that I get to spend my life with you humbles me daily. I don’t know of anyone more loyal, gentle, loving, kind, forgiving, selfless, gracious, merciful, hard-working, even tempered, servant-hearted, encouraging or capable than you. You are the glue that holds our family together. You keep us grounded and rooted in the Lord and lead us in the ways of righteousness.

I’ve known you for 13 of your 32 years and am so proud of the man that you were, are and are becoming. On this birthday, I bless you with health and vigor – 32’s not that old! I bless you with boldness to shine the light of Jesus in dark places; boldness to be ok with being so different than the rest of the world (it’s a great thing). I bless you with obedience, that you would continue fulfilling the Lord’s call for you and I pray that you will see the fulfillment of His promises regarding you. I bless you with a sound mind and strong hands to do the work of the Lord. I bless our marriage, that it would fulfill you and honor you and bless you right back. I bless your coming in and going out…with the presence of Jesus in all that you do.

I love you, sweet husband of mine. Happiest of birthdays to you!

Our Humble Abode: Kids’ Room

As much as I love our bathroom, I love the kids’ room even more! It started out just as Sawyer’s room, obviously, but we decided we’d like for them to share a room for a while so we could all be upstairs together. (Our home has two bedrooms upstairs and two bedrooms downstairs.)

One of Wrex’s biggest desires for our home is peace…and the room sharing didn’t really result in a lot of peace. Wryder is a really light sleeper and no matter how much training we did or rules we had, it just wasn’t working out. He was waking up a lot, which would wake us up, which would then wake sister up and peace was hard to find. We separated them for the time being but hope to revisit the room sharing thing soon.

Before:

When we moved in, this room was probably in the worst shape. Between the paint job and the fact that the previous tenants put carpet upstairs by gluing it to the hardwoods, meant that we had some work to do.

View from just inside the door. See the glue tracks from the carpet?

And, again, that paint job... — And, again, that paint job…

Closet and it's paint job. Are you seeing a theme? — Closet and it’s paint job. Are you seeing a theme?

After:

We put in wood flooring and painted everything pink, of course. The walls in this room are thin and strange and the ceiling had a lot of visible joints, so we added faux beams to break the room up a little and hide those seams.

***This room has changed a bit in the three years we’ve lived here, so some pictures are older, while some are newer, but you’ll get the idea.***

Ta-Da! Told you it was pink! This was when it was just Sawyer... — Ta-Da! Told you it was pink! This was when it was just Sawyer…

One of my favorite parts of the room is this little chalkboard. This door is the entrance to the upstairs crawl space and looked kinda silly just hanging out there, so I added some chalkboard paint and the paint cans as chalk holders. (This was prior to the last can being hung).

We decided to take the closet doors off and leave it exposed and I really like how open it is and how it turned out. The dresser is one of my favorite things in the house. I painted two drawers and mod-podged maps on the remaining two – cute and easy!

Who doesn't love maps!? — Who doesn’t love maps?! And shoes, for that matter…

The rest of her room is just lots of pink and colorful things that we love and cherish.

Shelf with things she's made or things people made for her... — Shelf with things she’s made or things people made for her…

These books were two of my mom's favorites when she was growing up which she then gifted to Sawyer... — These books were two of my mom’s favorites when she was growing up which she then gifted to Sawyer…

Artwork from her Aunt Dessa; an interpretation of one of her 3 month old baby pictures... — Artwork from her Aunt Dessa; an interpretation of one of her 3 month old baby pictures…

I love this sweet little rug... — I love this sweet little rug…

Glider and friends...how cute is that bear pillow I thrifted?! — Glider and friends…how cute is that bear pillow I thrifted?!

My mom's baby blanket...another treasure. — My mom’s baby blanket…another treasure.

This little rocker was my mom's, then mine, now Sawyer's... — This little rocker was my mom’s, then mine, now Sawyer’s…

I bought this baby quilt at an auction. I LOVE all the colorful, vintage fabrics!

The ceilings upstairs are really pitched so I knew I needed a really shallow light fixture. I had Wrex shape me one out of wire and then I took strips of scrap fabric and ribbon and started tying it on.

Once Wryder moved in, we didn’t want the poor boy to have to live in a totally pink room, so I painted his half white!

I made these from some thrifted frames, spray paint and some scrapbook paper.

Love my little WD... — Love my little WD…

We used these old grain elevator cups as storage... — We used these old grain elevator cups as storage…

These little guys were in Wrex’s nursery when we was a little guy – awwww!

If you haven't read the Little Blue Truck you NEED to! — If you haven’t read the Little Blue Truck you NEED to!

There are soooooo many fun things in this room (to me) that it was hard to know where to stop and start for this post! Sawyer told me her favorite part of her room is her bed and Wryder, well, he replied in Cantonese and I’m not sure exactly what it meant.

What’s your favorite part of their room?!

Until Next Year, Cubbie Bear

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

I am a lover of Jesus and believe the Bible to be the inerrant word of God. It is completely whole, lacking nothing, and it is the foundation for which my family and I base our life and make decisions. As followers of Christ, we have chosen to stake our lives and our futures on the fact that we believe in Him and His word and we receive His gift of salvation…not because of anything we’ve done (or will do) but because of His graciousness.

In so doing, I’m also in love with His Word (which is also Him). A Bible teacher once told us that “time IN the word was time WITH the Word.” It’s timeless and true and it’s pages overflow with the love and wisdom and grace and mercy and justice of Jesus.

Sawyer loves to “read” her Bible and it delights my soul! She’ll sit and repeat stories and lessons she knows to me or Wryder or to herself. Sometimes they get a little discombobulated but that’s ok…I have no doubt that the Lord is delighted with her love for His word.

We’re big fans of the Awana programs and Sawyer’s been a member of Cubbies this year. Last night, she had her Cubbies award ceremony and it was so heartwarming to see so many kids who have taken the time to go through these programs and hide the Lord’s word in their hearts. Some of these kids come from non-Christian homes and some from homes where parents don’t have the most intimate relationship with the Lord, yet they work to memorize Scripture together. It’s a beautiful thing…

These leaders and teachers take time every week to help these kiddos grow in their relationships with the Lord by helping them learn Scripture and apply it to their lives.

With her leader, Ms. Rochelle... — With her leader, Ms. Rochelle…

Goo Goo is definitely leaving a legacy of the fear of the Lord with her family... — With Goo Goo, who is definitely leaving a legacy of the fear of the Lord with her family…

Cubbies has been a huge blessing to our family and I pray that if you are in area that has an Awana club that you would sign your children up!

One last hug until next year... — One last hug until next year…

Sweet Sawyer, I pray your love for the Word and your love for Jesus never waiver…that your thirst for His truth would never be quenched. I am so incredibly proud of all you’ve accomplished and learned this year. You inspire me to dig deeper and memorize more. I love you, sweet pea!

Easter Advent: Thursday

***Find previous Easter Advent entries here, here, here and here.***

As Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was full of sorrow. He knew the excruciating pain he was about to suffer as we would take the punishment for every wrong thing anybody had ever done (or would ever do). He knew the weight of what His shoulders would hold and of the heartache that stemmed from all of the sin, brokenness and pain in people’s hearts.

With death awaiting Him, He could’ve prayed a thousand different things – most, probably selfish in nature. Wouldn’t you? If you knew death was knocking on your door, wouldn’t you be pleading or screaming or flat out running away? In that moment though, Jesus prayed with a heart full of trust and submission…“Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Wow. So often we pray differently, don’t we? Our sinful nature likes to pray things that we deem ‘best’ for us, not necessarily what the Lord has for us. His way is always best and we should trust that truth, just as Jesus did.

Garden Prayer

Read: Mark 14:32-42 Luke 22:39-53

Do: Memorize scripture.

—Not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42

—Sing it, eat a piece of candy for each word, create a hand motion for a set of words – whatever it takes, memorize it!

Pray: Lord, thank you that we can pray to you about everything. Help us to pray for Your will to be done in every situation.

Wryder Douglas is ONE!

Oh, my sweet little Wryder Roo – I really, really, really can not believe that you are one! Where, oh where, did that year go?? Too fast, my love…

I loved you the minute I laid eyes on you. You looked just like your sweet sister, which didn’t hurt anything, but despite even that, you already had my heart.

Isn't the the cutest?! He was about 5 hours old here... — Isn’t he the cutest?! He was about 5 hours old here…

From your first minutes out of the womb, you’ve been giving your momma grey hairs…or at least increased adrenal fatigue. 😉 You had low blood sugar and had to keep getting bottle fed to bring that number up, you cried A LOT our very first night at home and “schedule” was not in your vocabulary.

After a few months, we got it all figured out and life got easier. You LOVED to eat (still do) and the only times you cried were when you were starving (or so you thought) or overly tired. I am so thankful that you have always been a good little eater and sleeper!

You are a ball of energy, constantly on the go! You’ve got lots to explore in your little world and you do it with gusto! You keep momma on her toes, that’s for sure. Seven o’clock comes and I am beat…but it is time well spent.

You and sister have a sweet, sweet relationship. Anywhere she is is exactly where you want to be. I pray you two will always be the best of friends..

You have always been a happy, smiley, outgoing guy. (You’re a lot like your dad like that). You know nine real words and a LOT of (currently) unintelligible ones. You melt my heart every time you say ‘momma’ or smile at me across the room, and when you race towards daddy when he walks in the door it delights us all!

You are all boy and I love that about you! Granted, it’s taken some getting used to, but it’s a good thing. You hate wearing clothes, you hate having your face washed, you hate having to slow down for anything, you eat everything in sight (good or bad), you bang on everything in sight and the higher/faster/scarier things are, the better!

You’re a big guy! You weigh 26.9 pounds and are 30.5 inches long. My arms and back can attest to this… You have eight teeth and if your behavior tonight is any indication, you have more on the way.

I love you, my sweets! This has been one of the best years of my life all because you were in it. It’s amazing how the Lord multiplies a momma’s love as more kiddos come along and He has done just that with me. I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to love you as much as I did Sawyer and boy-oh-boy, there is no question that I do.

Sweet boy, on this first birthday, I bless you in the name of Jesus. I bless your strong will and head strong personality and I pray that you use them to further the Kingdom of God. I bless your hands and your feet and I pray that they serve the widow, orphan and alien and that they only take you down paths of righteousness. I speak to your future and I pronounce it blessed; that your days would be easy and that you would never stray from Jesus. I bless you with safety and protection and good health. I bless you with rich relationships that will encourage you and exhort you and push you towards the Lover of your soul. I bless you with endless stores of love, kindness, self-discipline, forgiveness, humility and generosity. I bless you with the presence of Jesus in all that you do.

Happiest of birthdays, my handsome little man!

Now, let’s eat some cake!

How in the World Did We Get Here: Epilogue

As much as we love our cute little farmhouse, leaving Denver wasn’t necessarily easy. We have so many incredible friends (who we consider family) that we had to leave behind and that part was heartbreaking. We’re still in Colorado and we’re only three hours away, but we knew things wouldn’t be the same anymore; we can’t just run down the road for every birthday part or baby dedication or weekend get together.

We grew up a lot while we were in Denver…in a lot of different ways…

We worked hard, got out of debt and discovered the freedom that brought…

We found a church home that we loved and the Lord used it to grow us and challenge in so many ways…

I went on my first missions trip and that changed my worldview forever…

We went on our first missions trip together and learned that poor doesn’t just involve your bank account, but your spirit and mindset, too…

I left the working world to become a stay-at-home wife and mom…

We got to be involved with a huge Christian music festival that sought to make Jesus the headliner. We got to see it through from conception to actualization and we learned more than could be put into words…

We had our first baby…

I was involved in several Bible studies with some amazing women whose knowledge and fervor for the Lord forever changed my life…

We just got to do life with people who walked with us, and allowed us to walk with them, through the nasty storms of life – death, divorce, infertility, debt, unemployment, illness, infidelity…and the beauties, too – restoration, redemption, birth, life, success, marriage, freedom. Our bonds with these people were developed and strengthened and intensified and leaving them was hard. Still is…

Some days, my heart still longs to be there instead of here. There are days when the road is muddy and I need milk and I don’t want to load up two kids and drive 20 miles just to pay $5 for a gallon and then pay $4/gallon for fuel to get back home and then get stuck in the driveway and have to haul two kids and two gallons of milk through muck and mire to get to the front door. Yeah, those days, I wish I were in the city.

Or the days where I just wish I could call up a few friends, whose hearts I know and trust because they’re more like sisters, and we could meet at Starbucks or someone’s home and our kiddies could play while we talk about what the Lord is doing and how we need to adjust our lives accordingly and we don’t have to preface anything or explain anything, they just know and get it and understand. Yeah, those days, I miss Denver.

It’s hard moving somewhere new- especially to a small town, where most people are already established, and have been since birth. While we’ve met some incredible people who’ve been more than good to us out here on the plains, it doesn’t always feel the same. And maybe it won’t…ever.

The days when I start questioning or feeling frustrated or lonely or nostalgic, I have to go back to the summer of 2011 and remember His oh-so evident hand in this and it’s there that I find peace that this IS where we’re supposed to be. That’s one of the beauties of obedience…I have the pleasure of understanding that we know that we know that we know that this IS where the Lord called us to…this IS His doing. We were obedient to His urging and calling so we can stand on that. We did what He asked us to do…

When we obey God, we can trust that He will display His goodness and love to us. And He has. Oh, He has…and will.

Luckily, the Denverites still call and come visit and invite us out and our new friends do the same. One of His blessings, indeed.

What Can I Say But Words

Sawyer has quite the extensive vocabulary for a three year old. I’d say she comes by it honestly…her momma loves words and her daddy never stops talking, so there ya go!

We were talking about some of the funny word variations she’s been using lately, like favilous (fabulous) or dangerful (dangerous), and it made us think of the some of the amusing names she’s had for other things in the past.

Ever since she was a tiny tyke, a blanket has been referred to as a beat and a remote has been a motor. Lick chips are Doritos (because she used to like to just lick the cheesey stuff off before eating the rest) and a guh-jraffe is a giraffe, just pronounced with a hard g. She loves when she gets to use bandits (band aids) and mecimum (medicine). Green beans are bean beans, bacon is known as cracker and for a while, bananas were nummies. She calls ear phones helmets, diapers are sometimes di-dees and the chill museum is also known as the children’s museum. She loves to put her guns up and yell rack attack instead of Wreck ’em Tech, but hey, it’s close enough for me.

All of these cute little mispronunciations and nicknames brings our lives so much joy, just like her! I love that I can have such serious conversations with her and that I can have super silly ones, too. She’s one of my most beloved friends; one of my favorite people on the planet.

She’s just plain favilous!

Pinterest Picks

Pinterest has been neglected lately with the sick kiddos and all…and rightfully so. Regardless, here are my latest faves!

How fun are these?! I'm thinking we need these for bubba's first bday... — How fun are these?! I’m thinking we need these for bubba’s first bday…

I love mailboxes and I love this little storage idea... — I love mailboxes and I love this little storage idea…

Super cute napkin/silverware idea - easy, too! — Super cute napkin/silverware idea – easy, too!

Don't ask me how I know... — Don’t ask me how I know…

This bag...get on my shoulder! — This bag…get on my shoulder!

I am twitterpated over this heart wall hanging... — I am twitterpated over this heart wall hanging…

Those lips...almost as good as Wrexy's... — Those lips…almost as good as Wrexy’s…

Simple, yet adorable, cake topper... — Simple, yet adorable, cake topper…

That’s it. That’s all I got. I’m off to snuggle the babes!

How to Study the Bible: Topical Study

Do you ever find yourself thinking about something someone did or said (or something you did or said) and you wonder, “What does the Bible say about ________?” I feel like I do this a lot, depending on the subject (love, sin, shame, forgiveness, etc.) As a whole, I think we tend to know a little bit about a lot of things or we may know the gist of it, but not the full spectrum of the Lord’s heart on a specific issue…and that’s where topical studies come in.

On our quest to know the Lord more intimately through Biblical study, we’ve looked at inductive studies and personalization. Today, let’s look at topical studies.

Topical study – a study about a specific topic…love, grace, prayer, forgiveness, humility, sin, etc.

It involves the same three basic steps that we saw in the inductive study…

Observation – what does the passage say?
Interpretation – what does the passage mean?
Application – how does the meaning apply to me?

Observation

Choose a topic. Choose something you’re interested in or something you’d like to know more about…or something you need to know more about. Because the Bible is so rich and vast, it’s often best to specify these even more, for example: Jesus’ love for others while on earth (instead of just trying to study love) or intercessory prayer (instead of just trying to study prayer).
Make a list of related words. Since there are so many different version out there, sometimes it’s best to write down synonyms for the topic you’re studying so that you can get a full explanation of the topic. If you’re studying prayer, jot down ask, call, intercession, supplication, etc.
Look up Bible references for your topic. Start with a concordance to look up references to your original word and your synonymous words. Online Bible tools (Bible Gateway, Bible Hub) have made this a lot simpler and faster, as you can do keyword searches and switch from translation to translation with the click of a mouse.
Read each passage and read them in context, meaning the verses preceding and following, so that you get a full picture of what the Lord is truly saying.

Interpretation

Study each reference. Use the inductive method of the 5 w’s and h to get the full effect and meaning of the scripture. If you feel like topics are mentioned that need further cross-referencing, then by all means, research some more!
Write down your observations. What did you learn broadly? What is the Lord’s heart regarding your topic? What did you see brought up consistently throughout Scripture?

Application

Apply what you’ve learned. How did the Lord speak to you during this study? in what ways were you convicted? In what ways do you feel like He’s asking you to make a change or application? Write down several ways that you can apply what you have learned to your self and do just that.

Topical studies can be quite vast but OH SO RICH. We have so much Biblical information right at our fingertips thanks to Bible search engines and study materials available online, that this should be an easy-peasy way to learn more about the Lord. So….hop to it! What topic is calling your name?!