A Foundation that Lasts

What's a girl have to do to find the right foundation?  There are so many brands out there, and then within those brands, there are so many choices.  You have to be careful to buy the right color that blends with your skin tone.  Then there's foundations for dry skin, oily skin, old skin, spotty skin and more.  There's liquid foundation, tinted moisturizer, and perfect match.  With all of the choices out there, it's no wonder that I just don't wear it at all. 

But I'm not just talking about makeup here.  In fact, I'd like to address a different foundation all together.  A foundation that lasts beyond any other.

Jesus talked about foundation in Luke 6:46-49:

 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

There are three things I'd like to point out here that lead to a solid foundation in Christ.

1.  First you have to come to Jesus.  Have you accepted Jesus into your heart as Savior?  If not, I would encourage you to do so.  Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Accepting Christ into our heart is the way we receive forgiveness for our sins.  Revelation 3:20 says "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."  All you have to do is say a simple prayer and invite Him in. 

2.   Hear His words.  Reading God's Word on a regular basis helps us grow.  My kids are in Awanas and one of their Discovery lessons was about why God gave us the Bible.  There are many reasons (I won't go into them all here), but one of them is so that we can know how to live.  Psalm 86:11 says "Teach me Your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth; Give me and undivided heart, That I may fear Your name."

3.  Act on His words.  James 1:22-24 says "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."  We can't just read His Word, we have to apply it to our lives on a daily basis.  We have to allow it to change us, making us more like Christ.

Come, Hear, Act.  These are the three invitations of Jesus in this passage.  When we do these things, we will build a foundation that will last forever.  A foundation that will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:6-8

He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
                       
 

Rainy Day Fun

The sun did not shine. 

It was too wet to play. 

So we sat in the house

All that cold, cold, wet day."

-The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss

Here's a little of what happens at our house on a rainy day...

A little 3-D entertainment

Monster Cars and Lincoln Logs

Our very own book fair

Reading Time

Squishies vs. Ninjas

Ninja's Prevail!

Menu Monday

It's been a while since I've done Menu Monday again, so I figure it's about time.  One of these days I'll become more organized and store all my menus and recipes in one place.  I have about 8 weeks worth of menus plus grocery lists in a binder from one year when I got really organized.  I'm not sure what happened, but I lost my motivation.  I guess we all go through seasons!

Here's this week: (I've already been to the grocery store.)
Monday: Crock pot chicken stroganoff over wide egg noodles
Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas
Wednesday: Sausage Rice Casserole
Thursday: Baked Potato Bar
Friday: Bacon-wrapped Chicken in the crock pot
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Leftovers or Breakfast

I'm so excited for Spring, and garden planting!  We don't have much room, but tomatoes are a must.  Beyond that, I don't know.  I am anxious to see if my grapes come back this year.  They should start showing signs of leaves here soon.  (Although it's still getting down to freezing temps at night here.)

Anyone else out there starting their Spring planting?

My March Project(s)

One of my favorite bloggers, Rachel Anne, over at Home Sanctuary, is encouraging her readers to "March to the Finish" in March.  At the beginning of this month she asked us to join her in picking one project that has been put off and take steps to getting it done.  My first choice was the garage mess that has been haunting me since we moved in last June.  We unpacked everything we needed, and the rest of the boxes got stacked in the garage to be gone through at a later date.  We also inherited 50 boxes or so of a game that my husband created with his best friend several years ago.  A lot of them sold, but now there is the question of what to do with the ones that didn't.

Anyway, I've made a little progress on emptying out some boxes, getting rid of trash, and general cleaning.  My next step will be to start opening up boxes and take a good chunk of what we don't use to a local charity.  I wish I could say that I pounded it all out in one weekend, but that would be impossible.  I will say that this project inspired me/my husband to work hard last weekend and get some other things off our list.

1.  He primed our bold blue guest room to ready it for a fresh coat of paint, hopefully this weekend.
2.  We planted some starters for tomatoes and peas.
3.  I raked up the massive leaves pile in our front yard, which filled a large waste can and four more bags.
4.  My husband sprayed around the outside of the house to rid of the annoying box elder bugs and defend against other pests.

In general, we got a lot accomplished around the house.  It was nice to work together as a team and get things marked off our list.

Other things I want to work on this Spring (not necessarily March):
1.  Re-paint the boys' dressers and install new hardware.
2.  Put a splash of color in my daughter's bedroom.
3.  Decorate the downstairs.  (There is currently nothing on the walls.)

I suppose I better stop adding things to my list before I get overwhelmed!  This house is bigger than our last, so I sometimes have a hard time just keeping up with the general housework, let alone getting extra projects done start to finish. 

What projects are currently on your list?  Is there something you need to start, or simply put the finishing touches on that you could mark off your list this month?  I'd love to know.

Have a great weekend!


~Melissa

More than Enough

I was reading in Numbers chapter 16 this morning, when I found yet another example of humility demonstrated in Moses' life. There were three men, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who were rising up against Moses and stirring up trouble among the tribes. They accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves above the rest of God's people and deeming themselves more important than anyone else. Here are a few things about Moses' response that I noticed:

1. First he tried to reason with them. (vs. 4-7)

2. Then he tried to remind them that their God-appointed role was enough. "Then Moses said to Korah, 'Hear now, you sons of Levi, is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also? Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?'"

3. When they continued to speak out against Moses, he burned with a holy anger and asked the Lord not to accept their offering. (vs. 15)

4. When the Lord said he was going to destroy all the people of their tribe, Moses fell on his face and asked him to spare the congregation and only punish the men who were sinning against the Lord. (vs. 22)

5. Moses gave the Lord all the glory for the things He had done. (vs. 28-30)

No wonder Hebrews 3:5 says of Moses "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;"

Priscilla Shirer says of Moses in her book The Resolution for Women "He was called by heaven- an appointment that ordered his priorities, pursuits, and passions. Not perfectly, but persistently."

Moses was far from perfect. He questioned God's intentions several times along the way. But he also knew that he must pursue the calling that God had placed on his life. He knew that he had a role to accept. A part to play in God's grander scheme of things. So he embraced it. Humbly, faithfully, and wholeheartedly.

That's how I want to view God's calling on my life. Passionately, diligently, and without reserve. So that I too, can be considered faithful. Because my God-given assignment in this life is more than enough.

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