Beyond Base Level Living

My daughter's tummy growls and she peers into the fridge for something to satisfy her natural craving. I'm hoping it's a healthy snack, not a squirt of chocolate syrup right down the throat. She instinctively reacts to her body's physical cues that let her know she needs sustenance.

She's also 3, screams when she is angry, and is pretty sure the world was created to appease her. She has mastered base-level living. Her goal is moment-to-moment happiness.

So, I'm starting a fast tomorrow and have been pondering the "why" of fasting...as I pound the chocolate chip cookies and chai lattes I will miss so much. I found a great message on fasting by Jason Miller from Granger Community Church. He communicates the concept of living beyond base level here. Jason describes base-level living as filling our lives with the things that our basic senses crave. Jason was clear: when you can't say "no" to base-level desires there is a cost, a high price. We don't only live once...we live forever. For better or for worse. Living at base-level can cost us everything.

Fasting is a classic spiritual discipline that gives us the opportunity to starve our cravings and be sourced in God alone. Cravings that include not only cheeseburgers and milkshakes, but anything that gives us a sense of well-being and fills up our schedules. It's saying "no" to the things we eat so we can feast on the goodness of God. It's the chance to realize that God is my source and not my grande three pump chai latte.

One thing I appreciated that Jason said, is that when we plug into a discipline, we need to check our motives. If we're doing it to look strong or feel strong, we're doing it for the wrong reasons. Just believe I'm going to come out of it changed, and do it to be strong in God alone.

And according to Jason Miller, this is a great time for me to fast. Here is a list of "When to Fast":

-when you want to bring urgency & priority to your prayer life
-when you want to enhance your experience of Scripture
-when you want to prepare for worship
-when you want to prepare for ministry
-when you want to discern God's will or hear his voice
-when you are having a hard time saying no to something destructive & sinful

So, when is it a good time for you to fast?

our favorite mom topic...

Yesterday, a co-worker and friend, D, had the unfortunate opportunity to ride back from lunch with me and 3 good friends...yes, he was the only male in the car. And as things often go, our (of course, I'm referring to the 4 female passengers when I say "our") conversation turned into a descriptive discussion about childbirth (sorry, D!). Why does this happen so often? I feel like, as moms, we proudly share our childbirth stories as if we are telling our own war stories. And why shouldn't we? It's what we do for the world, and I think we should be proud!

Link Love #1

Found this cute website (you know I love the name!), Ellie Bellie Kids: Classic Play for the Modern Child.

As mom to a professional pretender, I love their reversible tutus for little princesses and capes for aspiring superheroes...and I love that they don't have any overly marketed Disney characters on them!

Your Cardboard Testimony

Please take 8 minutes out of your day and watch this video...it will impact your life!




So, what is my cardboard testimony?

side one: LOST IN INSECURITY & SELF SUFFICIENCY

side two: FOUND IN PERFECT LOVE!

What is your cardboard testimony?

your favorite room?

My best three amigas and I had an interesting discussion at one of our recent girl's night outs (**a monthly must for all busy moms). We love to look at design mags and books, and dream of what we can do with our personal spaces. I do a lot of dreaming, my friends who are creative geniuses and are fearless, do a lot of designing and updating in their homes weekly. I posed the question, "what is your favorite room in your home, and WHY?". My good friend, simplygrove, followed that with the question, "what is your favorite room in your friend's homes, and WHY?". We learned a lot about each other in those two simple questions. Not so much about each other's best creative work or design taste, but why we invest the most money and time into certain spaces to create rich memories, and beautiful living.

My response was that my favorite room in our home is our dining room. Partly because I love the drama of our dark table mixed with the romance of creme chairs and curtains, but mostly because I love what we create as a family there. It's a place we endeavor to meet at once daily to invest in each other, have memorable conversations, play board games, color pictures, and probably eat something that the microwave has helped to prepare. I don't have a cooking blog for a reason...not a big fan.

So, what is your favorite room in your home...and WHY?

Watermelon Warrior Princess

Last week was our church camp for youth. I was a little anxious to jump in and get involved as a team leader, since during last year's camp I was 7 months pregnant and was banished to my cabin during the extremely competitive, grueling, and usually dangerous camp games. So, I subjected myself to my team (team "Maz-duh") and to things such as being painted and decorated, running through treacherous obstacle courses, and the infamous eating of the gross food (ok, I only ate gummy bears). But most infamous of all is and was, the tarp games. Huge tarp, baby oil, oatmeal, dish soap, and fighting for slippery things like noodles and fish and greased watermelons...you do the math. One certain round called upon all girl team leaders to represent their teams in a wrestle for the watermelon, and I reluctantly volunteered. As the whistle blew, I held back a bit, assessed the situation, watched the initial squabble unfold. Then something came over me. I crouched down to the mess of arms and legs and hair pulling, and decided to dive in. I was able to slip onto the bottom of the pile and plant myself around the melon, and tried to hold on for dear life. Why were good Christian girls scratching, pulling limbs and hair, jumping on backs, throwing elbow jabs, and grunting? I seriously do not know. But the passion and sheer determination that was displayed by those young female leaders that day makes me want to be a part of where they are going with God! And I know they are all as serious about leading an apathetic culture into a realization of the adventurous life, as they are about wrestling for that watermelon. And we all made up, forgave each other, and have a new-found respect for each other.
So, all of you that were surprised (like jml), I do have a crazy and competitive alter ego...maybe she will write a post on this blog someday.
Go here to see some other really cool things that happened at camp, and to read my other thoughts.

Audrey Caroline's Story

You know that part in my last post about how I went to college to become a Genetics Counselor? It's because of stories like this (have Kleenex in close proximity)...

Audrey Caroline's Story

10 Random Things...

Since I didn't give a lot away in the "about me" section, I thought I'd give you a bit bigger snapshot of who I am:

Ten random things about me...
1. When I was a freshman, me and my friends snuck out the night before our first day of school and climbed the Rangen's tower in Buhl. That was pretty much the extent of my rebellious years.

2. I don't necessarily like shopping. When I go, I am on a mission. None of this browsing, "shopping for fun" business.

3. When I was little, I had a pet hamster named Goobers that died because I didn't clean his cage...poor guy.

4. When I was 5, I told my mom I wanted to be a preacher when I grew up because their weren't any female preachers...that I knew of.

5. I went to college to become a Genetics Counselor...and no, that does not mean "counseling genes".

6. My dream used to be to live on a sailboat and follow the whale migration from hawaii to alaska.

7. I did research for the Fish & Game, which included anesthetizing baby fish, cutting their heads off, and grinding them up in a beaker to find a certain parasite.

8. I love to crump...not that I really know how to, but I like to think I got moves.

9. I love writing...

10. I think God made a mistake...I surely don't deserve this fabulous life, amazing family, and all that I have. Thanks for the wondrous surprises!!

(P.S. I know God is sovereign and doesn't make mistakes. I obviously do make mistakes...just an illustration of my imperfect perception).

Momspit and other handy products

This is a genius idea that I wish I would have thought of. "Momspit" is a no-rinse cleanser for hands and face, inspired by the original. I love the idea behind the product, and thought of a few of my own mommy products for the ridiculous things we do to our children:

1. Poop-in-the-diaper Indicator: You no longer have to quickly grab your sprinting toddler, smell his bum, or even pull the top of the diaper out and peer ever so bravely into the dark abyss of smelliness to look for a friendly deposit, as if peering into a can of worms. This simple and accessible tool is for Moms-On-The-Go that need a quick indicator if it indeed is time for a diaper change.

2. Puke Smeller: Ever wonder if that white spot on your baby's shirt is spit up...or just left over yogurt? Now you can reassure yourself with the confidence of knowing with this easy to use, and yes, accessible tool for Moms-On-The-Go.

3. Mom Spit for Hair: Tame that lame cowlick on your baby's newly sprouted mop with this hair product safe to taste!

Can you think of any other silly things we do to ensure the best for our children?

Home...

Last weekend, my fam and I traveled to my hometown...the town I spent my priceless childhood, the green pastures I played in and scavenged for treasures, the streets I learned to ride my bike on, and the simple and cozy place I called home for the first 18 years of my life. I guess I still call it home.

I realized how much I appreciated my parents planting our family in this one place and nurturing the roots for over 30 years now. It's such a solid place, full of meaningful moments and endless memories. I wondered if my husband and I are doing a disservice to our girls by not yet planting ourselves and letting our roots grow. What do you think?