My 2 Favorite Guys!

Happy Father's Day to my 2 Favorite Guys in the Whole World!!!


My Dad - who's a super amazing Husband, Father, Grandpa (he helps me homeschool on Fridays!), Chemical Engineer, Deacon, and ABF Leader at our church!

And my husband who is wildly intelligent, successful, visionary, fiercely strong, quick witted, a fun dad, a patient listener, a leader, loyal, trustworthy, dependable, generous, supportive and He loves Jesus!

I love you guys!

Happy Father's Day!

Here's a little something to make you laugh!




Walk with the King!

Celebrating Jesus With Your Kids this Easter

Easter is now only 15 days away and as I walk through all the stores - the bunnies and baskets are EVERYWHERE! I love Easter! Easter has always been a BIG holiday for my family - we do it up like Christmas with a big dinner and huge overflowing baskets! This is the day our Savior rose from the dead - this is HUGE!!!!! One of my favorite activities to do with the children leading up to Easter are these Resurrection Eggs - which can be purchased at your local Christian bookstore, amazon.com and last year I saw them at Walmart!

The store bought Resurrection Eggs come with a booklet and a story for each egg BUT these can also be homemade! A few years ago some women in our church homemade sets of these eggs and gave them out to all the children in Sunday School. Wasn't that lovely of them!!! You could do this too! Here's what you need.

Supplies:

1 dozen plastic Easter eggs

an egg carton

the items listed below

Directions: Fill each egg with the item listed (or a picture of the item) and a print-out of the corresponding scripture(number the eggs). Place the eggs in the decorated egg carton. Open and experience the eggs together with your children.

1. (Bread - crouton) Matthew 26:26 While they were eating Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples. "Take and eat it," He said, "This is My body."

2. (Coins) Matthew 26: 14-15 Then one of the twelve disciples, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, "What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?" They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.

3. (Purple cloth, representing a purple robe) Mark 15:17 They put a purple robe on Jesus. . .

4. (Thorns or toothpick) Matthew 27:29 Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on His head, and put a stick on His right hand; then they knelt before Him and made fun of Him. "Long live the King, of the Jews!" they said.

5. (Scourge-a small piece of rope or thick string) Mark 15:15 Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free for them. Then he had Jesus whipped and handed Him over to be crucified.

6. (Cross) John 19: 17-18a He went out, carrying His cross, and came to "The Place of the Skull," as it is called. (In Hebrew it is called "Galgotha.") There they crucified Him.


7. (Nails) John 20:25b Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the scars of the nails in His hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His side, I will not believe."

8. (Sign) Luke 23:38 Above Him were written these words: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

9. (Sponge) Matthew 27:48 One of them ran up at once, took a sponge. He filled it with vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

10. (Spear) John 19:34 One of the soldiers plunged his spear into Jesus' side, and at once blood and water poured out.

11. (Rock) Matthew 27:59-60 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a new linen sheet, and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.

12. (Empty) Matthew 28:6 He is not here He has risen just as He said.

My favorite part of these eggs is watching the kids as they listen and take it into their hearts. This is a great tool for sharing the gospel with unsaved children or for leading your own child to the Lord. Do you have a fun Easter tradition? Feel free to share it in the comments section!

Walk with the King!

14 Ways to Show Your Husband Love for Valentine's Day

This Sunday is Valentine's Day. Are you ready? Valentines day is the perfect opportunity to shower your man with sweet little notes, surprise gifts, and encouraging words. If you are still looking for a creative ways to show your husband love - here's 14 ideas!

1 - Buy or make your husband a trophy and engrave it with the words "The Best Husband in the World." (I found a cheap trophy at a party supplies store - the kids loved presenting it to daddy)

2- Listen with your husband to "your song". Maybe even invite him to slow dance along.

3 - Plan an all red dinner for the family - spaghetti, strawberries, berry yogurt, fruit punch and red balloons on all the chairs - and don't forget a red candle in the center of your table!

4- Write with sidewalk chalk a love message for your husband on the driveway!


5 - Give your husband a massage as he watches TV. Make sure he has custody of the remote.

6- Write a poem - even if you can't write - it can be goofy. Include in it references to your favorite movies, restaurants, places to go and memories. He will enjoy the trip down memory lane and the laugh!

7- Recreate your first date together. Go to the same place and do the same thing together and stroll down memory lane as you remember how nervous you were!

8- Blow up balloons and put a loving message in each one. Fill your bedroom with balloons as a surprise.

9- Take a roll of receipt tape and write a long message writing the things you admire and respect about your husband - then roll it up and put it in a bottle for your husband to open and read. (I made many of these for my husband in college when we were dating long distance. I mailed them in packages.)

10- Try a new sport or activity together... something neither one of you has done before.

11- Raise your glass at dinner, and offer up a toast to the one you love. List the qualities you admire in your husband for your children to hear.

12- Carve your initials in a tree (in your own yard).

13- Read your evening devotions together.

14- Write him a list of ten reasons why you love him and read them out loud to him.

Remember that even when Valentine's day has passed these are things that we can do to spice up ordinary life. Take the time to invest in your man, you will not regret it.

Walk with the King!

I am participating in Marriage Mondays here.

Thrifty Thursday: How to Make a 2009 Time Capsule

Are you looking for a way to make this New Year's Eve meaningful and memorable? Here is a cheap and easy way to bring the family together for a time of reflection on 2009. Every year on New Year's Eve our extended family gets together for sauerkraut, cabbage rolls, games and the making of a time capsule! Then we toast in the New Year with sparkling grape juice! This is our family tradition!

Here's how to make a time capsule:

First get a container - mine is simply a Quaker Oats can cleaned out. Then we decorate the outside of the can by covering it with white paper and allowing the children to draw pictures. Then we mark the can clearly with the date.


Before the party, I remind everyone to bring something for the time capsule. Every child from newborn up through the oldest grandparent comes prepared. Then we sit in a circle and we simply pass the can around and put something inside that represents what God did in the year 2009.


Over the years I have put in ultrasound photos, a Binky my daughter had just given up, a ruler representing growth in my life, verses and many more things. Some others have put in poems, verses, letters to the family, the deed to their house that was paid off that year, photos of children they were ministering to, a rubber ball representing the ups and downs of the year and countless business cards have gone in. The children have put in footballs, awards, school photos and sports photos.


As the capsule is going around, I write down what each person puts into the capsule and what it meant - so we do not forget the significance when we open it someday. Then I seal it with packaging tape and store it in a bin in the attic.


This year after we seal the 2009 time capsule we will open 2003's capsule. I can't wait to remember the great joys of the past and the faithfulness of God as he brought us through past trials. This is always a meaningful moment of sharing and thus far I have not done this without tears! Every year my soul is touched!


So if you want to start a meaningful tradition with your family, try a time capsule as a way to remember God's hand in your life and to draw your family closer together.

Walk with the King into a Happy New Year!

Post-Christmas Pictures

My Favorite Gifts: A Boojiboo Apron from Angela (for all that Tasty Tuesday cooking!), some new running shoes (for some 5K'sI'll be running in the new year) from my husband AND

SNUGGIES from my mom (these are my older sisters - Kristen in the pink and Jennifer in the blue - I'm the baby!)!

I pray you had a very Merry Christmas. I know all of you worked so hard to create a special day for your families. If your Christmas was less than dreamy, it serves as a reminder that all this world offers is empty.

I am so blessed to have received these presents - but if I place my hope in them, I will always be chasing the next rainbow, the next high, the next good thing, rather than chasing my Savior. Nothing this world offers can satisfy our souls like knowing and walking with the King! So as the Christmas lights fade, I pray that the light of Jesus in your heart would shine brightly.

Walk with the King!

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours...

Merry Christmas!

Last Minute Gifts That Are Priceless

Here's some last minute gift ideas that are priceless:

Husband - Give him the gift of a respectful wife. Care for his home as you would care for the Lord's home. Teach his children to love Jesus. Use words to build him up and to show your appreciation. Forgive him of all his shortcomings. Smile at him. Be intimate with him.

Children - Do not treat them as burdens but as blessings. Listen when they talk, answer their questions, look them in the eye, hug them, kiss them, tickle them and pray with them. Teach them God's word. Discipline them and disciple them. Read to them, play games with them, know them. Speak to them in a spirit of kindness and gentleness and role model for them defiant joy in your own life. Most of all - love and respect their daddy and give them a secure home.

God - Commit your life to him. Give him your time, your treasures and your talents to be used for his glory. Obey God's word and respect your husband, love your children, be busy at home and walk in his Spirit and display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Spend time in the Bible and prayer Walking with Your King!

The price tag on these gifts - Priceless. They cannot be bought at the store, they cannot be wrapped in a box, and they cannot be replaced by anyone else. And I am certain they will not be returned!

Walk with the King!

Do You Know Christ?

Do you journey to the grand canyon for the souvenir T-shirt or snow globe with the snowflakes that fall when you shake it? No. The reward of the Grand Canyon IS the Grand Canyon. The wide-eyed realization that you are a part of something ancient, splendid, powerful, and greater than you.

The cache of Christianity is Christ. Not money in the bank or a car in the garage or a healthy body or a better self-image. Secondary and tertiary fruits perhaps. But the Fort Knox of faith is Christ. Fellowshipping with Him. Walking with Him. Pondering Him. Exploring Him. The heart stopping realization that in him you are a part of something ancient, endless, unstoppable and unfathomable. And that He, who can dig the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, thinks you're worth his death on Roman timber. Christ is the reward of Christianity. Why else would Paul make Him his supreme desire? "I want to know Christ." (Phil. 3:10) - Max Lucado, Next Door Savior

Do you know Christ? Have you placed your faith in Jesus, not in your good works, but solely in Jesus' work on the cross and his resurrection? Have you told Him, "Jesus I believe and I am sorry for the sins I have done"? Then you know Christ as your personal Savior.

But that's only the beginning. There is so much more! Open the Bible and read for yourself. Jesus is amazing (that's an understatement!). I am reading through the book of Matthew right now in my morning quiet time. I am amazed that though I've read it numerous times, I continue to learn new things about Jesus and new things about myself!

It's Christmas Eve, a day of remembrance. The Christ child, "Immanuel, God with us" was born so that the God, who carved the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, could know you personally. God went to great lengths to know you...is it so hard to open our Bibles for just 15 minutes a day to know him? It shouldn't be, but I'll be the first to admit that it is.

Do you know Christ? I know President Obama but not personally. I know a lot about him, what he thinks and how he acts. But I can't call him up for a chat on the phone. But then there's my husband. I know all his ways, his likes and dislikes. I know him intimately and we share in a deep and meaningful relationship. Do you know Christ personally? (If you do not and you have questions pertaining to your salvation, please email me at courtney@womenlivingwell.org or talk to your pastor.)

We are about to begin a new year. I love a clean slate! In the new year resolve to know Christ more deeply than you ever have. Resolve to allow Jesus to touch your marriage, parenting and home and transform it. He can do a new thing in your home in the new year! Join me in the journey as we Walk with the King!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Time - There's Not Much Left!

TIME - it's a weird thing to explain. Sometimes it can be dreadfully long - like in the middle of the night with a sick baby. Sometimes it's too short - like time spent with good friends. Sometimes it's hard to manage - and there's just not enough of it. And sometimes you see others doing so much with their time that you wonder where all of yours has gone? Sometimes it flies when you realize your baby is now entering kindergarten and sometimes it is gone - when you lose a loved one.

TIME. Luke 2 says "And while they were there the TIME came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."

Beth Moore says "The time. The time toward which all "time" had been ticking since the kingdom clock struck one. All of Scripture unfolds from the words, "In the beginning, God created..." Since eternity has no beginning, to what did the beginning refer if not to "time."? The words in Luke 2:6 refer to the most important segment of time since the first tick of the clock.

The second hand circled tens of thousands of times for thousands of years, then finally, miraculously, majestically - the time came. God's voice broke through the barrier of the natural realm through the cries of an infant, startled by life on the outside. The Son of God had come to earth, wrapped in a tiny cloak of human flesh."

In 2 days, we will celebrate the time coming and the birth of our Savior who changed all of time forever. There is no one in history who has shaped time more than he has - the calendar revolves around his birth.

It's time today, that we took the time, to spend time, with the one who created time and who entered time to save our souls. But you say "I don't have the time today - my to do list is so long." Remember what Jesus said two chapters later in Luke 4:4 - "Man does not live by bread alone." You may think you don't need him - but he would not have sent his son if you did not NEED him! You need time with Jesus today - don't miss it!

Walk with the King!

The Christmas Version of I Corinthians 13

I came across this Christmas poem about I Corinthians 13 - the Love Passage. For me, the week of Christmas can be the busiest week of my entire year. And though I am trying to make it special and meaningful for the family, I often feel like a failure when my patience is short or things don't go as I envisioned. This poem reminds me of what really matters and what really lasts...Love.

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime: but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity; but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angelsand crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love does not envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love does not yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love does not give only to those who are able to give in return; but rejoices in giving to those who cannot.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust; but giving the gift of love will endure.

---Sharon Jaynes, Celebrating a Christ Centered Christmas

Take some time to meditate on I Corinthians 13 today. If we all would simply apply this passage of scripture - our homes would be a happier place and we would shine like bright stars in a dark world. "They will know we are Christians by our Love." John 13:35

Walk with the King!

3 Ways to Put "Merry" in "Merry Christmas"

The word “merry” means cheerful, joyous, and lighthearted. We all want to create a “Merry” Christmas for our families – but is our family experiencing a wife and mommy who is “merry”? Are you smiling at home? Who you are at home, is who you really are. You can smile at church, smile at your neighbors, smile at strangers in the grocery store – but if you aren’t smiling at home – then that’s who you really are.

For the past 12 years of marriage, Christmas has been the season where being "merry" in the midst of the stress from my huge to do list has been a struggle. There’s cookies to bake, parties to attend, presents to wrap and messes from the kids to stay on top of! How can we honor God and not let our stress steal the word “merry” from our Christmas?

1. Tend to your Spiritual needs - Do NOT neglect your time in the word and prayer. If all you can do is read one verse – write it out on a post-it note and carry it with you all day long. Squeeze all the nourishment you can from that one verse through out the day!

I recommend meditating on Galatians 5:22 & 23 which says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” We must be walking in the spirit to have a merry heart!

2. Tend to your Emotional needs - Light a candle and put on classical music (or Christmas music) – it will have a calming effect on the entire family! If you are not able to smile in the midst of your busyness…your inner soul is not at peace.

The Proverbs 31 woman – smiled. Peace comes through prayer. The way to worry about nothing is to pray about everything.

3. Tend to your Physical needs – Get your rest. Studies show that we need at least 7 hours of sleep at night. It is difficult to be pleasant to our husbands and children when we are exhausted. Take a 15 minute bubble bath as soon as all the kids are in bed. The relaxation benefits will far exceed watching television! Extend the bath to 30 minutes and read a good book! Get a little exercise. Studies show even 10 minutes a day up your energy and mood.

Only you can take care of your deep spiritual, emotional and physical needs. No one else can do the list above for you. Use these as tools to help you accomplish all that is piled on your plate this Christmas. May this Christmas be your merriest Christmas ever.

Walk with the King!

Dealing With Loss During the Holidays

For some, you will experience your first Christmas without a loved one. Whether through death, divorce or distance you are dealing with loss. I want you to know that you are not alone.

I am reminded of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who on Christmas day, 1864, received word that his son, a soldier in the Civil War, had been wounded. Just two years before, Henry had lost his wife in a fire. As this devout Christian man sat alone with his grief, on the most joyful of Holy Days, he penned words of hope to challenge his own despair. He called his composition Christmas Bells. Little did he know that those words would someday be set to music and become a blessing to millions of people around the world.

If you are struggling to find peace in the midst of the holidays this song below and my dear friend Kelly's story may comfort you.

Kelly lost her father at the tender age of 10. Following his loss she went through a long journey of pain, sadness and depression. None of us are immune from life's tragedies and Kelly's story of hope and strength in God - is a source of inspiration to me. Read it here!

Walk with the King!

7 Ideas for Creating Christmas Traditions

Warmth, memories and meaning are created through family traditions. Traditions are something we do year in and year out. What makes them meaningful is the anticipation and the certainty that they will take place! If you are in search of a new tradition here are 7 ideas for creating Christmas traditions.

1. Read the Christmas story before opening presents. Every year on Christmas day we get together with my extended family. Before the presents are opened, we read the story of Baby Jesus to the children. Each year we try to be creative. One year we used a birthday cake. Another year we used a poster and stickers to tell the story. Last year we did a skit. Though we did not use costumes, each child had a role and even some of the adults were innkeepers turning away Mary and Joseph.

Here are our little actors getting warmed up!

Another tradition is for the paparizzi to show up!
Count them...that's 5 cameras capturing this moment! lol!

2. Spread the love of Jesus while driving around looking at Christmas lights. Every year before we leave the house to go look at Christmas lights, I have the children color 5-10 pictures of baby Jesus. (click here for coloring pages to print) Then as we drive we search for homes that are displaying the nativity. Each time we find one we clap and cheer. Then we roll down the back window and allow the children to take turns putting their picture in the mail box. I write on each picture "Thank you for displaying the reason for the season." We hope it blesses them as they have blessed us!

3. A Jesus Stocking. A long time friend of mine from Jr. High, Erin, hangs an extra stocking for Jesus and each time someone in the family does something for Jesus they write it down on a slip of paper and place it in the stocking. On Christmas Eve they read them all together! I LOVE this idea!

4. Put the baby in the manger on Christmas Eve. Another idea came from Heather. She sets up her nativity without baby Jesus and on Christmas Eve they have a special moment as they place baby Jesus in the manger.

5. Cookies for the shepherds. Dorothy leaves cookies out for the Shepherds on Christmas Eve - along with her cookies for Santa!

6. Some traditions come in the form of foods. Growing up we always had pizza and shrimp cocktail at my grandma's house on Christmas Eve. My pastor's wife used to let her kids have sugar cookies for breakfast on Christmas morning (my kids sure would like it if I adopted this tradition!). I read of another who always has Fondue on Christmas and another has orange sherbet! Whatever the special food item is - if you have it year in and year out it will create a tradition and fond memories!

7. Special story books. One of my dearest friends from high school, Holly (a missionary to the Ukraine) says: "We read the book “One Wintry Night” by Ruth Bell Graham. It is 11 chapters, so we read a chapter a day, starting 11 days before Christmas so that chapter 11 falls on Christmas. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a beautifully illustrated picture book which tells the story of Christmas from creation to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each chapter is very short with breathtaking pictures. We usually read it right before bed and then read the last part on Christmas day. It’s powerful!

I hope these ideas inspire you. I'd love to hear what traditions you do with your family. Please share them in the comments section!!!

Walk with the King!

Thrifty Thursday: Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas

Are you looking for some inexpensive Christmas gift ideas? Here's a few fun ones!!

1. Put all the ingredients of a S'more in clear containers with a beautiful bow. Voila the perfect gift for a sweets lover. (S'mores can be safely made in the microwave - 10 seconds and you'll have a succulent dessert!)

2. Make a picture collage. My sisters and I made this collage for my dad on Father's Day and it proudly graces the hallway of my parents home. Each grandchild held a letter in grandpa's name. We made it black and white so we did not have to coordinate outfits or backgrounds or even be together. We each took our photos at home and emailed them to my middle sister who printed them and placed them in the frame.
3. Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Teachers, Pastors, and Sunday School workers.

• “Thanks for giving Sally a hand” tag with hand lotion.
  
• “Thanks a ‘latte’!” tag with a gift card from local coffee shop.
  
• A mug or bowl saying “You are ’souper’! - soup mix, custom decorated soup bowls or homemade soup.
  
• “You are out of this world” tag attached to a Milky Way candy bar.
  
• “You deserve an extra payday!” tag attached to a Payday candy bar.


• “There is no ’sub’stitute for you!” tag attached to a gift card for the local sub shop.
  
• “You are ‘extra’ special” tag with a pack of Extra Gum.
  
• “Thanks for helping Jimmy ‘bloom’” tag with a bouquet of flowers.

4. Make Cookie Jars. My friend Regina gave me these recipes and these are her cookie jars!

Country Oatmeal Cookies in a Jar Ingredients
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:Using a 1 quart or 1 liter jar, layer in the ingredients in the order given. Pack down the jar after each addition to make the ingredients fit. Put the lid on, and cover with an 8 inch circle of fabric. Secure the fabric over the lid using a rubber band, then cover the rubber band by tying a nice piece of ribbon or raffia around the lid.

Attach a tag to the ribbon with the following instructions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup of softened butter, with 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Add the entire contents of the jar, and mix by hand until combined. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

Special Butterscotch Chip Cookies in a Jar
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup high protein crisp rice and wheat cereal
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans


DIRECTIONS:Layer the ingredients in the order given in a one quart wide mouth canning jar. Firmly pack each ingredient in place. It will be a tight fit, but all ingredients will fit in the jar. Use pinking shears to cut an 8 or 9 inch circle from gingham, calico, or a seasonal fabric. Place the fabric over the wide mouth lid and rim and secure with a rubber band. Tie on a raffia or ribbon bow to cover the rubber band.


Attach a card to the ribbon or raffia with the following mixing and baking directions:
Empty jar of cookie mix into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of butter or margarine, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Use hands to mix the wet and dry ingredients together. When completely blended, roll into large walnut sized balls. Place on unprepared cookie sheets and use the palm of your hand to flatten each cookie ball. Bake at 350 in a preheated oven for 8-10 minute.

Other great links:

• More teacher gift ideas from a previous blog post on Women Living Well
  
• Kristi at Run the Earth, Watch the Sky with handmade gift ideas including a collage similar to mine.
  
• Craftbits shows how to make gifts in a mug! What fun!
  

Feel free to share your crafty ideas in the comments section. Hope these were helpful! Remember it truly is the thought that counts!

Acts 20:35 "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Walk with the King!