Are you a "Googler"?

Are you a "Googler"?  Each time one of your children get sick, or you hear about an illness or disease do you immediately whip out your phone and start the search?  You scan through symptoms, meanings, and findings hoping to gain an ounce of knowledge.  However, too much of the time you end your search being more confused, overwhelmed, and fearful than you were in the beginning.  All of a sudden your head is swimming with symptoms that fall into several categories.  

"Is my headache a symptom of a common head cold or cancer?"

"Is my sad feeling I have the beginning of clinical depression or am I just having an off day?"

"My child is sniffling and coughing.  I think it's allergies, but it could be that new virus that is going around!"

The list goes on and you start to feel fear creeping in.  The search that was supposed to lead to answers has now led to doubt, worry, and continual questioning.

The internet can be a wonderful thing.  There is truly a lot of good, helpful information to be found, but I have also found that I need to be careful.  Once all of these stories, findings, and symptoms have been "revealed" to me they stick.  So, for example, the next time one of my littles has a headache my mind too often automatically runs to the worst case scenarios that I read on the internet the week before.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart and mind, protect it, not letting evil (fear, doubt, worry) creep in.

So, this is often a struggle of mine.  After talking to many moms out there I have found that they struggle with the exact same thing.  Themselves, their loved one, or their child gets sick and their mind flashes back to a story they heard or a medical finding they just read.  Many moms have a tendency to worry and with that comes the need to fix.  So, where do we often turn?  The internet.  Not always the most reliable source.

As I laid in bed last night, thinking about this, God reminded me of Adam and Eve.  In the Garden of Eden God commanded them, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).  However, as Eve encounters Satan or the serpent in the garden, he says, "You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4).

I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to search for something on the internet and I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to step away.  Then, just as quickly, I hear the voice of temptation saying, "Just type it in.  You will have all your answers.  You can figure it all out on your own."  Eve believed the serpent, she wanted knowledge, despite of what God had commanded.  Yes, from that moment, her eyes were now opened.  Open to fear, awareness of self, doubt, insecurity, and the list goes on...and on.  

We have to be so careful with what we allow our eyes to see and ears to hear.  I think about children and their innocence.  The more they see and hear the more their innocence gets chipped away.  Even as an adult, it is the exact same.  Our "innocence" becomes non-existent the more we search and expose ourselves to the negative.  

As we turn our eyes to the word of God and our voices up in prayer we will begin to truly receive the peace of God that surpasses all "knowledge", for God is the only true knowledge to be had.

Painting with Annie Sloan: "Vintage" Dresser

I have recently seen many posts selling furniture that say, "Painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint".  My immediate thought was Chalkboard paint and I didn't get it.  Apparently I have been living under a rock because I am just now hearing about it. The moment I started researching it I knew I would have to try it out on something, anything.  

You cannot find her paint at your Lowe's or Home Depot, but instead in boutiques and crafty antique type stores.  To avoid shipping costs I packed up Bumble and Hoot and we trekked out to the closest location.  I wanted to see everything in person.  I knew there would be examples, brushes, paints, etc. and I needed to see more than what I could just online.

Now, this paint is NOT cheap.  I believe one liter was $36.  For those of you used to the latex paint at your local Lowe's I may have just lost you and I understand that!  However, according to the Annie Sloan site it says, "Chalk Paint® sticks to just about any surface... wood, concrete, metal, matt plastic, earthenware and much more, inside and outside the home. It dries fast too so you can add second or third coats quickly, and start enjoying your

 revitalised walls, floors and furniture sooner."  Another huge claim is that with chalk paint you can forget needing to sand your piece of furniture or prime it.  A WIN-WIN in my book.  I was also told that the paint really goes a long way and depending on your project you may not even need more than one coat.

Well, I was still a little skeptical, but my mind was totally set on doing this so after researching a hundred different methods of using her paint I went to this cute boutique and bought the paint, a brush, the dark wax, and the soft clear wax (more on that later).

Nearly five years ago, before Bumble arrived, my husband and I went to Babies R Us and picked out a dresser that would match Bumble's crib.  I liked it because it matched her crib, but I always thought we would change out the knobs at some point down the road to "revamp" it, especially if we decided to keep it for ourselves.  As soon as Hoot arrived we bought another dresser that I fell in love with and when we moved recently we decided Bumble's dresser  would now be in our room.  When I saw this paint I knew that this dresser would be my first project.

I chose the paint "Old Ochre" after looking at the different sample boards they had in the store.  Oh and I will say that this paint REALLY does go a long way.  What they say is true :)

Okay, after doing a lot of research and listening to a lot of "pros" I decided to buy this little chunky waxing brush.  Some say you can do this with a towel, an old paintbrush, etc.  Do your research and make your own decision.  However, I will say that I felt like I got a very even coat of my clear wax using this brush.  It's not cheap, but I figure if I take care of it, use it on multiple pieces of furniture, and it saves me some heartache then it's worth it.  That and I didn't feel like driving 45 minutes back out to this boutique to get it later if I needed it.  

I decided I may want to keep the top of the dresser and the legs their original color so I went ahead and taped off the top just incase.  I first painted a coat of the Old Ochre all over using a regular paint brush.  Then, once it dried, I painted a second coat.  This second coat I thinned with water, which made it go much further.  Honestly, I probably could have stopped there, but I wasn't 100% sure on the look I wanted so I did another thin coat.  If I would have known how much I wanted sanded off in the beginning multiple coats would not have been needed.

Okay, I was only halfway planning on doing a picture "tutorial" on this project so I only halfway took pictures :)  Forgive me.  

After doing my coats of paint I took my clear wax and put about a tablespoon on a paper plate.  I rubbed my wax brush in the clear wax and wiped it in circles on the plate.  You just want a THIN layer on your brush.  In circular motion, I did square foot sections and then took my clean cloth (old t-shirt, etc.) and cleaned off the extra residue.  When you slide your hand across the waxed area it shouldn't have any "drag".  I did this on one side and then pulled out my dark wax.  The dark wax can be scary, but it's really a lot of fun.  I took my palette knife, smeared some across a plate, and mixed in a little of the clear wax.  By doing this you will have more time to manipulate your wax and achieve your desired look.  If you put dark wax straight onto the paint it will immediately soak in and you will have very little flexibility on where it goes and how your final look will turn out.  I took a smaller paint brush and painted into the edges of the furniture.  After getting it into the crevices (in one small area) I immediately wiped it off with another clean towel or shirt.  I did this whole cycle on each drawer and on both sides.  Once it dried I sanded the edges and corners, to give it that more vintage feel.  The next day I did another layer of the Clear Soft Wax and buffed it to give it a nice final finish.  On a side note, I didn't like the way the sides originally turned out.  They were WAY too dramatic.  So, I mixed some of the Dark Wax with a tad bit of Mineral Spirits which made a nice glaze.  I used that on the sides instead and it turned out so much better.

So to break it down...

*Paint

*Clear Wax coat

*Mix Clear Wax and Dark Wax on plate

*"Paint" Dark Wax in crevices or in open areas (depending on look you want)-be sure to do small areas at a time because it makes it easier to work with!

*Wipe excess Dark Wax off with a clean towel or shirt

*If you want a distressed look, sand the edges and corners that would naturally show wear

*Give it 24 hours to dry and finish with a layer of soft wax following the above instructions.  Buff when done.  Clear Soft Wax can give your piece a nice sheen, not too glossy, but definitely not matte.

You can see the light sanding and how the legs are still the original color.

I got these fancy knobs at Hobby Lobby when they were half off and I LOVE them.  They are exactly the look I wanted!

Don't judge my room because it's not finished, but it's getting there!  We moved in about a month ago and it's been fun putting it all together.

We got the blinds last week and hopefully we'll have some curtains soon.  One thing at a time :)

Love these ceilings.  Thank you Pinterest :)

This is the temporary arrangement I threw together, but it works for now!

One final before and after! I'd love to hear if anyone else has tried Annie Sloan paint and how their projects ended up! Happy painting!

Being Martha

We have finally moved into our new home.  It has been wonderful, but for those of you who have ever moved, even across town, it is a little overwhelming.  You are surrounded by boxes, all taunting you with their sealed tape, letting you know that you are no where near making this house feel like a home.  On top of that you have little crazy people (my children) running around, thrilled to be in a new space, and taking it upon themselves to peruse through the boxes.  I sat there, not knowing where to begin, but thankfully our family came in town and helped tremendously.  
Now a week later, I feel much more settled, but still along a journey.  You can take a look at my attic to know that we are still in the midst of transition.  However, there is something to be said for out of sight, out of mind.
After our family left (tears were definitely shed) a few days passed and our best friends are now visiting.  The Holy Spirit has continually brought a certain passage to my mind during these weeks.  The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-40.  Jesus and his disciples stop at a village where a lady named Martha opens her home to him.  Mary, Martha's sister, "sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he said" (v. 39) while Martha "was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" (v. 40). Martha, obviously irritated with her seemingly lazy sister says, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!" (v. 40).  Jesus replies, "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (v. 41-42).
When Martha was distracted by cleaning, prepping, and getting things ready she becomes outraged that her sister is just sitting and listening to their guest.  Her self-centered response really struck me this morning as I read it.  She says, ""Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  It seems that she is truly doing all of the preparations out of pride, not out of a heart of true service.  She has made it all about herself and less about those around her that she is trying to "serve".  
I totally get it.  You want things perfect.  You have guests arrive and you want things to stay maintained, organized, and for everything to flow perfectly.  However, I don't know how many times God has convicted me of this and just said, "Amber, sit.  Calm your racing mind.  Be here.  Now.  Listen.  Don't let your pride get in the way of just being and truly enjoying those around you."  It is heart check for sure.  God has asked me, "Who are you serving right now by what you are doing?  Are you serving me or are you serving yourself?"
God brought another aspect of this scripture to light this morning as I straightened pillows and scanned my Facebook feed.  There is nothing wrong with these things as a whole, but I know I have a very limited window of time to spend with the Lord in the morning.  God said, "Stop.  Spend time with me" and as He says in the above passage, spending time with Him is truly the "only thing needed".
We tend to busy ourselves with activity.  Our hobbies come first.  Our kid's activities take priority.  The battle to just stay in bed and sleep is a daily struggle.  We have constant adversity when it comes to spending time with God, but there is absolutely nothing more important that we can do in our day.  When we do this everything else is put in the right light, letting you see your family and daily busyness in God's perspective, not your own.  I often feel that once I get x, y, and z completed then (and only then) will I have the time to sit down in His word.  
I absolutely love the visual that this passage allows us to see.  Martha, a flurry of activity buzzing around the home.  Cleaning, cooking, and slowly having her blood pressure rise as she sees Mary doing seemingly nothing at all to help.  Then, you have Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to her guest and taking every word in, as sustenance, as life to her spirit.  These are two depictions of service. One self-centered and one God-centered.  When these times arise, take a moment and question where your heart's motivation is directed.  It is a daily, sometimes minute to minute, question for me, but within this question is an answer that draws me to the feet of Jesus.

Thoughts for Your Weekend

This is actually a piggyback post from my previous entry.  A little cause and effect if you may.  These past few weekends have been full of stuff.  I have been doing photo shoots on the weekends, we have been picking out the details for our home (such a process to build!), we took a trip to North Carolina for my husband's triathlon, and one of the weekends Bumble was sick.  Needless to say, we have done a lot of online church watching.  I definitely have missed the consistency of going, but things have been so busy that honestly the weeks and weekends have all just been running together.

This last Saturday, after a morning shoot, I met my husband and our girls at the pool.  We had a wonderful time, but as 2:30 rolled around my hopes of going to the night service dwindled.  I knew that we needed to get them home, throw them in the bath, and put them down for naps.  Believe me, those girls need their naps.  So by 3:45 I had them down.  Before Bumble crashed she said, "Mom, are we going to church tonight?"  I said, "If you wake up in time, yes we will, but if you are still sleeping when it's time to go, we won't because you really need your rest."  

"Deal!", she said.

It was 5:00 p.m. and still no stirring.  Even the husband was passed out across the bed.  Bumble has a history of getting sick shortly after I run her around too much with errands and activities so after thinking on it I let her sleep.  

My husband woke up and we decided to watch the service online.  At 6:30 p.m. her door popped open and immediately she said, "Mom, are we going to church?"  I explained to her that church started at 6:00 and it's too late now.  That girl was so disappointed.  Not fully understanding, she pleaded her argument that we still needed to go.  

Let the guilt set in.  My child was begging me to go to church.

The next morning, I awoke at 6 a.m. to Bumble in my face.

"Mom, did I wake up early enough for church?"

I was thinking, "Oh yeah, too early."

Instead I said, "Yes, but we watched church last night online.  We're not going today, but we'll go next week."  I know.  Shame on me.

"Mommmm...I want to go.  Please can we go?!"

I rolled over and saw my husband, mouth wide open, snoring away.  I glanced at the baby monitor and saw Hoot doing the same.  Of course they were, it was 6 a.m. on Sunday, but how could I say no?  My immediate thought was, "I have already seen and heard the service online.  I really enjoyed it, but to go hear it again, when I could just stay in bed, did not seem very appealing."  I reluctantly said that we would go and was immediately met with jumping up and down from Bumble.  She was ecstatic.  I made her breakfast, got her dressed, and glanced out the window.  It looked cloudy, but not crazy.  My husband would stay home with Hoot while we ventured out.  I did not want Bumble to wake up Hoot so I let her wear the shoes that were still in the hallway, which totally did not match, but who cared?  Not this Mom.

We were out the door, actually early (which rarely happens for early service), just in time for it to start sprinkling outside.  Bumble and I ran to the car and I could feel my frustration growing.  How terrible is it that my little girl is just dying to go to church and here I sit in the front seat grumbling because I had to get up earlier than expected and now it was starting to rain?  I kept praying for perspective, the view I knew I should have, but all I could keep doing was focusing on the rain drops that were now pounding on my windshield.  When the rains come down in Tennessee it seems to start flooding fast and people were pulled over on the highway.  I could barely see out of the car, but here we were going to church.  A church service that I had already seen.  Why wasn't I in bed?!

Once we arrived, we ran into the church building, soaking wet.  I checked in Bumble and she excitedly leaped up the stairs, leading to her class.  Once she reached the top she smiled at me and sprinted down the hallway.  In that moment, even though I was a little late, I found the right perspective.  This little girl already has a growing heart for the Lord.  Sure, she may love the crafts they do.  She may love getting to see her friends, but I will tell you what else she loves.  She loves getting in the car and telling us about the things she learned.  She enjoys the conversations that we have about her lessons.  I love it when we are doing seemingly endless errands and she says, "Mom, I will be patient because that's what God wants us to do" or "Mom, the flowers and grass are so beautiful.  God made them for us."  She sees our church as a place of joy, friendships, and a place where she hears about the Lord.  This church has already been such a blessing for us in so many ways.

As I sat in the sanctuary, listening to the worship songs, I thanked the Lord that this little girl already has her heart stirred by Him.  She already has a desire to be here and this desire was on her mind with the first opening of her eyes that morning.  I asked for forgiveness for my attitude and thanked Him for the reminder that it is not all about me, but instead my responsibility and witness to her and her sister.

Just a thought as you prioritize your weekend activities.  I know our family often gets carried away in all of the stuff.  I thank God for my little girl and for reminding me what truly matters.

Have a great weekend!

The Number One Thing We Must Do as a Parent

Yesterday morning, it was Mother's Day, and as everyone was still snoring away I decided to go on a walk.  Since we are living in an apartment still, while we build, I have very little area to "get away" for a little quiet time.  I love bringing my Bible and journal down to the area park so that's just what I did yesterday.  After writing in my journal I went on a mile run and then walked/ran the second.  It was just beautiful.  I cranked up my praise and worship music and used this time as a prayer walk.  Afterward, I headed on over to Panera, with the intention of just grabbing a coffee.  Then, as I approached the counter, those Spinach & Bacon Soufflés were screaming at me to buy one.  How could I say no?  I ended up getting two.

I found a table outside, flipped open my Bible, and my Beth Moore Jesus Devotional (highly recommend any of the devotionals in this series).  As I read the scripture listed for Day 18 I felt myself tearing up and I knew why.  It was not because of the content or the words in this passage.  While they are, of course, very important that is not what did it for me.  I realized, as I read the passage aloud, that it just felt like home.  There was familiarity, like you find with an old friend.  The words on the pages resonated somewhere deep within my soul and I could feel the Holy Spirit well up inside.

With it being Mother's Day this especially meant something to me.  You know why it felt like home?  It was because the words that fill up these pages were engrained in me at a very early age by my parents.  

"Train up a child in the way he should go,

Even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

"Do not let kindness and truth leave you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart."

Proverbs 3:3

We, as Moms, feel "Pinterest pressure".  You know what I'm talking about.  We see a hundred (or thousands) of different ideas when it comes to crafts, cooking, organization, decorating immaculately, working out, and becoming a better person.  A person that we just don't have time to become because we are too busy organizing in a new way or making a hundred different wreaths.  We start wanting to be all things to all people, despite our natural God given talents.  Our kids have a million activities we try to juggle all the while trying to be a calm "Super Mom" at the same time.  We feel torn in a hundred directions.  Don't get me wrong.  If you know me, you know I love all of the things I find on Pinterest.  I love to jump in and start new projects.  It excites me and I enjoy it a ton.  That in itself is not bad.  However, I find myself needing to take a step back and remember what is truly important.  What is truly at stake here?  

The most important thing I can do as a Mom is point my children toward God through His word, His creation, and my actions.  If my children see me putting a hundred things in front of God and my time with Him that speaks volumes.  I remember being very little and waking up early in the mornings.  Without fail my Mom was sitting at the kitchen table, with all of her highlighters out, pouring through the Bible.  When I would be struggling with something I would find a Post-It note on my mirror the next day with scripture pertaining to my issue.  If I came home from school crying over a boyfriend, she would pray with me, and tell me to journal about it to God.  

The thing is, she was constantly pointing me toward God, and showing me through her actions that He was her number one priority.  It is perfectly fine to jump into projects and take your kids to activities.  Enjoy it ALL.  God gave us all of these things so take it in.  It is just important that we strike the balance, always being sure to put God where He belongs because the other stuff is just stuff, no matter how fun.  As a Mom, we must train up our children in the ways of the Lord...now.  You cannot start too early and you are never too late, even if you have kiddos that are now adults!  Just don't wait because honestly that is ALL that really matters.

Fight the Fear. Fight the Anxiety.

I know that one of my greatest weaknesses is worry and anxiety.  I can be rolling along just fine, a doubt can creep in, and away I go, going to battle with this fear-filled, totally not of God, thought.  I hate how quickly I can get wrapped up in this type of thinking.  I will say that even though this way of thinking has always been looming in the shadows it definitely became front and center when we had the girls.  I experience anxiety when it comes to something happening to them, something happening to me or my husband, our decisions when it comes to school, and the best ways to guide and direct them toward Christ.  When it comes to our day to day activities I feel anxiety when it comes to wanting to get everything done, organized, and nice.  When the hubs walks through the door I want dinner ready to pull out of the oven, all of the laundry put away, the apartment clean, and the girls joyfully playing together (of course neatly, not messing up everything I just cleaned).  Is this reality?

NO.

Absolutely not.  Do I sometimes get one or two out of four?  Sometimes!  On a good night.

I stood in the kitchen, the other night, finishing up making Play-Doh for the girls as the hubs walked in the door from work.  Bumble and Hoot were playing with the first rounds of Play-Doh I had just made, I had a mountain (literally) of laundry stacked on our kitchen island, and a package of ground turkey sitting on the counter.  That ground turkey had great potential, but it still sat in its package, halfway frozen.  I felt accomplishment, while making the Play-Doh for the girls, but the moment he walked in it  all caught up with me.  I gave him a hug and said, "I am sorry that you get the leftovers.  I start off the day good.  I am pretty energized and ready for the day.  About midday, after all of the morning running around, I am getting tired, but still going.  Around 4:00-5:00 I can feel myself on the decline.  By the time you get home, I am tired (and sometimes a little cranky) from the craziness of the day.  I'm just sorry."  He gave me a big hug and told me how he completely understood and how he appreciates all that I do (and I know he does).

Yesterday I was thinking about how God says not to fear, not to be anxious, and to not worry well over a hundred times in the Bible.  If God says something just once you can bet it's pretty important.  To reemphasize something over a hundred times, now we're getting serious.  I have that issue to where when I try not to worry about something that is all I start to think about.  It's like if someone said, "Amber, I want you to close your eyes and not think about a green elephant".  Well, from there on out it would be a battle to think about anything but that dang green elephant.  So, as I sat there, contemplating how NOT to worry I decided to redirect my thinking off of me and onto Him.

I whispered, "I trust in you.  I trust in you with all of my heart and I lean not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).  In Jesus name, all thoughts and things that are not of God, FLEE in Jesus name.  Flee (James 4:7)."

Then, I thought about what God would consider as positive thinking.  Immediately, another dominant concept in scripture was spoken to me.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

As I began to thank God for everything, large and small, in my life and the lives that surround me I was struck with the the correlation between the idea of fear and giving thanks, along with the effects it has on us physically and emotionally.

Dr. Caroline Leaf, a doctor with over twenty years of brain research, wrote a book that I would highly recommend called Who Switched Off My Brain?.  In her book she says, "A sudden burst of stress lowers immunity.  However, even more ominous is the effect of small amounts of day-to-day stress.  This confuses your immune system, effectively setting in motion the autoimmune response that causes your body to turn on itself."  It is crazy how many different things within ourselves are effected, complicated, and/or destroyed by fear thoughts and anxiety.  She goes on to say, "Your thoughts can sweep away stress, making you more clever, calm and in control of your emotions, or they can do just the opposite!  The choice is yours.  Every thought we think should be weighed carefully, because as we think so are we--'For as he hath thought in his soul, so is he...' (Proverbs 23:7)."

God loves us and wants the very best for us.  Thus, the reason not fearing, not being anxious, and trusting is mentioned over a hundred times throughout scripture.  It's not by accident.  Stress and fear can wreak havoc on the body and mind, driving a wedge in your relationship with God.  On the flip side, the more your trust the closer your relationship becomes.

"A heart that has peace is life to the body, but wrong desires are like the wasting away of the bones."

Proverbs 14:30 NLV

God revealed to me yesterday that the way to experience less fear is to think of Him and Him alone.  To do this, I need to give thanks to Him in all things and in all circumstances.  

The best way to combat fear is with thankfulness.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

I immediately started thanking God for anything and everything.  My family.  The fact that I have laundry to fold.  The roof over my head.  The beautiful weather.  The changing of the seasons.  The new book I bought.  The list goes on and on.  Somewhere in the midst of my thankfulness, my mind got off of me (and my "green elephant") and I felt peace sweep through me as I looked to the God that surrounds me each day and inwardly to the Holy Spirit inside. 

It is a battle that we will continually fight.  However, that is okay because I know that the Lord gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29) as we call out to Him through prayer and thanksgiving.  Thank the Lord that I will never run out of things to be thankful for, no matter my circumstance.

Put On the Armor of God

We are currently building a home.  It has been a fun, not too stressful, process so far!  My husband and I stood, held hands, and prayed from within the framework a few weeks ago, asking and thanking God for a few things.  We, of course, are extremely thankful for the doors that have been opened through this move and the guidance that he has provided in it all.  It is so easy to think that what we have is because of us and what we have done or accomplished.  Often times, I will say to Bumble, "Who got that for you?" and she'll say, "Well, ____ did."  I will say, "Yes, they bought it for you, but God gave them the ability to do so."  Probably a little over her head, but point is, it's not us, or our abilities by our own merit.  We hold on so tightly to the things of this world, things we think we have earned, when it really isn't ours at all.  It is all God's.  So through this process we have been continually trying to loosen our grasp and release our strongholds, handing them over to Him.

Things we prayed for when it comes to our new home (in no particular order):

1.  We prayed that we would be able to show the LOVE of God to others in our home.  We are not sure what that looks like yet, but I see future youth groups meeting, growth groups, family and friends gathering, sharing meals, and laughter.  It is not truly "ours", but instead a vessel to be used to serve the Lord.

2.  We prayed that our girls would grow up to know our creator intimately while living in this home.  We asked that they would have a pure joy for life and that they would desire God above all else.  We prayed that their desire to serve others would come before serving themselves.

3.  We prayed that we would be the kind of parents that God desires us to be.  We asked to be able to show them Christ's love through our marriage and our commitment to one another.  We want our hearts to be open to his Holy Spirit, showing us the doors to walk through as we guide our girls toward Him.  We asked for Him to show us how to be patient with them, love on them, and to create a home that will overflow with joy and laughter.

4.  We prayed that although we are thankful for the gifts He has given us we want our focus to be first and foremost on God.  Period.  Our perspective needs to be eternal, not purely earthly and on the temporal.

5.  We prayed that our trust always be in Him, no matter what this life brings.  We asked that God protect our home and our family, surrounding us with His angels.

It is so important that we pray for our family, our home, guidance, and direction.

In Ephesians 6 it talks about putting on the armor of God.  You wear armor in battle and I will tell you, marriage in general is a battlefield!  In my opinion, even more so in a Christian marriage at times. There is nothing more that Satan would want than to destroy a strong, Christ serving marriage.  It is important that we continually strap on the armor of God, not becoming complacent, and step into battle prepared and ready.

^"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Ephesians 6:11-18

 All of this being said, we decided to place "pieces" of the armor of God all over the framework of our new home.  We had many more scriptures picked out, but it was freezing and I couldn't handle it :)

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Matthew 24:35
"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5
There is nothing more powerful than the word of God.  Don't take it for granted. Lift it up. Surround yourself with it. Be battle ready.