Follow the Crumb Trail

Good morning!  And Welcome to any Company Girls who are visiting from Home Sanctuary! :)  This morning I'd like to share a story.

Once apon a time...

Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you a story about a boy and a girl named Hansel and Gretal! What I do have to say, however, does have to do with a crumb trail.

It all began in my coffee mug cupboard. I keep my coffee mugs in a space above my coffee maker, separate from the rest of the dishes. It just makes sense to me. Anyway, the other day I went to grab a mug and noticed it had crumbs around the edges of it. "What?" I thought to myself, "These are supposed to be clean!"

Lo and behold, there were coffee crumbs, (ok, they are technically grounds, not crumbs) there in the cupboard. They must have fallen from the basket that I keep my coffee beans in, on the shelf directly above the mugs. I gently pulled out the mugs and wiped down the surface with a wet cloth, creating a freshly clean space for the mugs. It took me about a minute and a half, but it got me to thinking...where else have I missed lurking crumbs?

A quick look around my kitchen gave me the answer and the idea for today's Small Thing. It's simple. Just "Follow the Crumb Trail." Here are a few suggestions:

Clean the crumb tray in your toaster
Vacuum up the crumbs under the dining room table
Clean the crumbs that collect in the silverware drawer (or maybe that's just my problem!)
Wipe the crumbs off the counters
Wipe the cracker crumbs out of the pantry
Clean the bread crumbs out of the bread drawer (or pantry, or wherever you keep your bread.)
Vacuum the crumbs out of the living room couch/chair cushions

You get the idea. We all have crumbs in our life. Just follow the trail and see where it leads you! Like me, it just might lead you to a happy, crumb-free ending!

Where else do you find crumbs? Let us know!

A Love that Matters

This is not a Valentine's post.  Not that I am anti-Valentine's Day...I have a Valentine that has loved me faithfully for 17 years now.  I even have a special Valentine to give to him, and one for each of my children.

But this post is about something bigger.  It's about a love that is deeper, wider, and higher than we can ever imagine.  This morning, as I was worshiping before the Lord, I felt a fresh wave of His love flow over me.  It was as if He was asking me somewhere in the depths of my heart, "Daughter, do you know how much I love you?"  I wondered at His question.  How could there be any doubt about how much He loves me?  Of course I know!  But then it came again..."Do you really know how much I love you?"

Perhaps after this morning I know a little bit more how great His love is for me.  That's why I wanted to post about my experience here.  Maybe one of you needs to hear today how deeply He loves you.  I pray with Paul that you will "know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."  (Ephesians 3:19)

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Now that's a love worth celebrating!


Blessings in Christ,
Melissa

Menu Monday

Oh yeah, it's that kind of Monday.  I finally have a moment to sit down and post my menu for the week.  I am trying really hard to cook from my pantry as much as possible this month.  Any left over grocery money I have at the end of the month will go towards stock piling (freezer/pantry) during an upcoming trip to Costco and Winco with my mother in law.  It's a fun day trip for us, about an hour away.

Tonight's meal has already been devoured, cleaned up, and leftovers put neatly in the fridge for when hubby gets home.  It was chicken and potatoes with gravy.  Yum!

Tuesday: Kari's Mexican Casserole (A favorite)
Wednesday: Unstuffed Shells
Thursday: Omelets
Friday: Parmesan Chicken
Saturday: Chili and cornbread
Sunday: Chicken Fajitas

I'll be making banana bread tomorrow.  Anyone have a good raisin bread recipe?  My kids love raisin bread, but I don't like how pricey it is in the store.

Have a great week!
~Melissa

Valley Fog

This morning as I was driving the kids to school, I couldn't help but think "Is this heavy fog ever going to lift?"  And then I remembered that I live in a valley.  Allow me to go Wikipedia Weather girl on you for a moment.  Valley fog is the result of a temperature inversion caused by heavier cold air settling into a valley, with warmer air passing over the mountains above.  With calm conditions, (no wind, like now) it can last for days. And it has.  We have been in fog all week.  First, it was freezing fog, and now, thankfully the temperature has risen a bit, but it's very low visibility.

Sometimes my walk with God bears a striking resemblance to the current weather.  There are days, or even weeks, when I feel like I'm stuck in a valley fog.  I have limited visibility, but I have to trust that God, like my headlights, will shine enough into the darkness to show me the correct path.  This is where it is ever so important that I am in His Word on a regular basis.  As Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path."

Just like the weather, our current circumstances can change quickly and unexpectedly.  A valley fog can roll in out of nowhere, but that doesn't mean that we have to stop moving forward.  God is right there with us lighting our path, helping us navigate our way through the fog. 

So the next time you find yourself in a valley with the fog rolling in, don't forget to turn on your headlights!  In other words, crack open your Bible and let His light shine the way.

Blessings,
Melissa

Spilled Oatmeal, Humble Heart

This morning, as the kids were getting their breakfast, LR spilled her entire bowl of un-cooked oatmeal on the floor. Normally I would respond to that in frustration and shortness. Today I was actually surprised at my own reaction. As tears flowed down her face I reassured her that it was going to be ok and that I knew it was only an accident. I grabbed a roll of paper towels and started to mop up the mess on the cabinets and floor and then I noticed some of it was on her little feet and I began to wipe them gently until the oatmeal was gone. Immediately the story of Jesus washing His disciple's feet came to mind.

When he was done washing their feet He said to them, "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." (John 13:13-15)

I don't always respond with the love and tenderness that I did this morning. I often forget about the tiny eyes that are watching me, waiting for my reaction. So what made the difference this morning? I can only give the credit to the One who has washed my feet. He came to earth as a humble servant, and I will do my best to imitate His humility in my life, just as His Word instructs in Philippians 2:5-8.

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.   And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!"

After this morning I will be more aware of little watching eyes. I am thankful that where I fall short, there is grace and forgiveness. For these children are my precious gifts from God and I love them with all my heart.

Blessings,
Melissa

Trusting Him Sight-Unseen

I've just been sitting here listening to the rain on my skylights, thinking about the Israelites in the dessert after God brought them out of Egypt.  What do rain and the dessert have to do with one another?  Well, this morning my quiet time I was reading about how the people were complaining to Moses, even after God had shown His faithfulness and provided miracles on their journey through the dessert time and again.  The Bible says that they grumbled against God, "And in their heart they put God to the test by asking food according to their desire." (Psalm 78:18)

Read how He answered them in Psalm 78:21-29

Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath;

And a fire was kindled against Jacob
And anger also mounted against Israel,

Because they did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.

Yet He commanded the clouds above
And opened the doors of heaven;

He rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them food from heaven.

Man did eat the bread of angels;
He sent them food in abundance.

He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens
And by His power He directed the south wind.

When He rained meat upon them like the dust,
Even winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

Then He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
Round about their dwellings.

So they ate and were well filled,
And their desire He gave to them.

Did you see that progression?  They complained that they wanted food.  God got angry because they didn't believe Him and trust Him for His salvation.  And YET (that's the word of the day), and yet He opened up the heavens and caused it to rain down manna to show them, once again,  that He provides. 

I would love to say that I never grumble.  That I am content in every situation and satisfied with the portion of strength and provision that God gives me for each day.  But then I would just be lying.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says "God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work."  If I believe this promise, which I do, then I can stop worrying about what I need for tomorrow, or the next day, and just be thankful that I have been given enough for today's needs.

I've been reading "The Resolution for Women" by Priscilla Shirer, and she puts it this way in her 1st chapter, Surprisingly Satisfied:

Whatever He's given or not given, He's done for a specific reason-a reason known only to Him perhaps but one you can trust with full confidence, sight unseen.  Every decision you need to make, every task you need to accomplish, every relationship you need to navigate, every element of daily life you need to traverse, God has already perfectly matched up with an equivalent-to-overflowing supply of His grace.

That about sums it up for me.  My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)  So this girl is going to gather up her manna for today and trust Him to provide for tomorrow all that I need.

Trusting Him "sight-unseen,"
Melissa