Monday Muse [ on Tuesday ]

Real quick I had to share a new Muse...

Well, not SO new - just something I hadn't had in almost 2 years and rediscovered.

If you happen to live in FL or possibly NJ you know all about Barnie's Coffee. Lucky Ducks. This coffee, "Santa's White Christmas" is probably the BEST flavored coffee I've ever had! It has undertones of butterscotch and all kinds of yummy-ness. And, while its brewing your house will smell amazing!

If you are a coffee lover, check out, www.barniescoffee.com and check out all of their variety. And, if you have a few extra Christmas bucks left over (ahem, does anyone?!) try a sample bag! You won't be disappointed! I have my pound of delish whole beans stored away and I ration it everyday...

Monday Muse: Teenagers

I found this little prayer the other day by St. Francis. Let me share it with you...

"Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace -

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon ...

For it is in forgiving that we are forgiven,

It is in dying that we are born again to eternal life."

**St. Francis**

I am a youth pastors wife. My husband teaches, trains, interacts, loves, corrects, supports and disciplines teens :) So... I teach, train, interact, love, correct, support and discipline teens, too. It really is a team effort and something we don't recommend you do alone. When I came across this prayer the other day the very first line is what caught my attention. "Lord, make me an instrument of THY peace"... hmmm, could it be that God would use me to bring and make peace among people?! Is it my JOB to sow love, pardon and forgiveness? Short answer...yes :) And, oh the opportunity I have as a pastors wife to do these things. (btw, everyone has these opportunities, not just those of us married to ministry men!)

This past weekend I had about 15 teen girls and leaders over for a Christmas cookie baking, movie watching, cocoa sipping time @ our house. It...was...fun. We laughed and talked and goofed off in my VERY crowded kitchen. We had pans full of melting chocolate, corn flakes on the floor.... sprinkles everywhere...it was a blast. A couple of times during the day I almost had to pinch myself that this was really happening. 1) We were in a ministry (that we love!) 2) We have amazing teens! 3) I have such an amazing opportunity to sow peace, love and forgiveness into these girls lives! Even in the little conversations throughout the day I tried to remember this. When we talked about siblings, or parents or boys - there's always a reason/time to speak truth without sounding "preachy". So while "Elf" played on the TV and Bing Crosby sang in the kitchen, and heaps of flour landed on my dining room (carpeted) floor... God was very present, love abounded...and peace was everywhere! So, my muse on this snowy Monday is my teenagers. My girls... the ones I look forward to watching grow up over the next few years. But for now - I am so thankful to have them here in my home, in my heart, in my life. :) Girls if you are reading this... you are precious and I am so thankful for you taking in this new youth pastors wife. :)

Monday Muse: Marriage Conference

I'm completely exhausted this morning, and I have a ton of work to get done - but, I had to take just a few minutes here to share my Monday Muse. Oh, and by the way... Can you believe Thanksgiving is NEXT week!?

Anyway, this past weekend our church put on a marriage conference in downtown Des Moines @ the Embassy Suites. Thrive was the name, getting connected to your spouse was the game. Our speaker, Pastor Nesbitt (http://www.cornerstone-church.com/contact_us/staff_directory.php) did an incredible job of opening up and becoming vulnerable with he and his wife's story - in order to teach and challenge us. Brad and I had a great time together and left feeling challenged and motivated to WORK at our marriage. Remembering that there is none perfect... and no matter how good things are going, there is always work to do :) I won't go into everything that we learned - because it was a lot, but, I will tell you that this was our first outing alone without our Ava girl. Thankfully, some family members offered to take her overnite so we could go - and what a blessing that was! So we had a lovely dinner out with friends, checked into the hotel and just enjoyed our stay surrounded by church friends and good, godly teaching.



During the conference I saw a lot of couples wearing the shirts that say, "I love my wife", "I love my husband", and, I want one. They look like this if you haven't seen them...

I just felt so proud of the people I saw wearing them - and it sounds so silly, probably, but, it really IS a statement. To wear a shirt this day in age where husbands are belittled and marriage as a whole seems so unpopular. I thought it was a beautiful idea and a great testimony. So, hunny, this is on my Christmas list. :) And, the mug!



Saturday morning we got up early (without the sound of a little girl in the other room calling for me) and headed out for some good coffee. Brad whisked me away to a local coffee house called "Amici" and I got one of the best Caramel Macchiato's I've had in a long time :)
Little things like that have always been a big deal in our marriage and it was so cool to be able to just up and go like the good ol' days.
I love my husband. I love his sensitivity to the word and to our ministry. I love his humor, though sometimes more abundant then needed. I love his smile. I love his personality. I love his easy-going-ness. I love him. What a special treat to get to go out, get away from the norm and receive two days full of truth, undistracted and totally focused on each other and moreso our God.

Monday Muse

My Muse today is actually a collection, er, a theme I suppose... FALL.

This past weekend we (Brad, Ava and I) took a journey downtown to take in the sights at the Sculpture Garden. It was a nice time and a perfect fall day. While the art was lovely (confusing at times) and it was neat to read the plaques about what each sculpture really was I couldn't keep myself from finding other little "treasures" along the way. Fall is at its PEAK right now and I loved catching a few peeks at what it had to offer. There were still a few rose bushes clinging for dear life as we rounded one section of the garden... I think the contrast of dead leaves with one brillant red rose is just gorgeous.

Then there was this guy... a late bloomer. It was the teeniest plant I had ever seen, hiding under the rest of the plants. Dying...but, the color was just so pretty. I know - you are probably thinking- wow, she is weird..admiring DEAD or dying plants... it's ok, I am. There's just something about finding beauty in things that intrigues me - always has.

So my muse today is just the beauty of nature in this season. There is SO much of it... everywhere. Hiding in the smallest places, or maybe just right outside your front door. God is good to allow us eyes to see and noses to smell his seasons. :) I am thankful and grateful for two senses that so many people go without. How spoiled I feel today -even now as I look out my window and see the little yellow leaves falling off of our tree... God is good to me in so many little ways.

Monday Muse

Oh Werthers... you've done it again. You've made my life more delicious. :)

My Monday Muse is these amazing "new" chocolates that are put out by Werthers, you know...those delicious hard caramel candies people. They are caramel and chocolate swirled together, and although NOT cheap (almost $3 for like 12 or something...) they are worth every penny. Especially if you hide them and make them last a long, long time. They are amazingly good dipped in hot coffee.

My simple Monday Muse. Anyone else try these?!

My Monday Muse

I'm a scent fanatic. I've always been that strange woman in the grocery store who smells every product and bases her purchase on the one that smells best. I've been known to smell every single pack of dryer sheets or dishwashing liquid on the shelf to make a decision. Ask my hubs! I'm a fanatic about good smelling laundry and have no problem paying a little extra for top quality, amazing smelling softener. I have a bazillion body sprays and lotions and I love using a different every day. Variety is the spice of life. My daughter is always coated in some kind of sweet smelling baby lotion...etc. I think how you smell says things about you.

In my home I'm obsessed with smells - candles and heated oil things are in every room. I read somewhere that each home has a unique smell - I can only hope mine is a good one. My dish towels smell like that great softener I mentioned earlier. I'm also a huge fan of Febreeze and and those old school "Stick ups" in the linen closet, scented with apple or clean linen, of course. I adore the scent of Murphys wood oil soap - and seeing how I have ALL this woodwork now, I'm eager to get scrubbing so my home can carry that scent as well.

I'm sure that more then once my over abundance of scents has offended some sensitive nose. So I do try to tone it down when company is over. But when its just us - I'm obsessed. I love smells and love filling my home with them! Is this a weird post, or what? Ok, I'll get to the point...

My Monday Muse is the "newer" Febreeze Noticeables. They have tons of different "flavors" but I just came across one that is PERFECT for this season and is now sharing its joy in our dining room. It's the Moroccan Bazaar: Ginger and Nutmeg. Ah, DELISH! It seriously just makes me happy...and it IS about the little things in life, right? So, thats my MUSE of the day - I love it and totally recommend it...if you are a scent fanatic like me.