Passionate Housewives Desperate for God

A few weeks ago, the head of our ladies' ministry at church asked if I'd be willing to do book reviews for future Ladies' Breakfasts. I thought, "Why not?" and agreed to it. Well, she gave me my first book on Sunday. It's called

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God

Fresh Vision for the Hopeful Homemaker

Jennie Chancey & Stacy McDonald

I'm only half-way through the third chapter, and I am astounded! Every word is truth. This book is unique in that it is written by modern women to a modern audience. I'm not saying that older books are not useful -- on the contrary! It's just part of what makes this book unique among a great deal of what's out there for women. So what's the gist of the book so far? Here's a quick run down:

The authors have taken great care to uncover the deception being fed to women in all formats. Direct references to the movie "Stepford Wives." Indirect references to "talk shows and self-help books"...not to mention the catchy title that makes one think of a currently popular (horrific) show. It's everywhere. People telling women that staying home is worthless, is going nowhere, uses none of your talents, blah blah blah. I would type out all I've read so far if I had time and copyright laws didn't exist!

After a potent chapter portraying a typical housewife's afternoon of chaotic kids, a messy home, an unkempt appearance, and pervading unhappiness with her life as she sits doing nothing except indulging in a novel, the authors move into what they call "Me-ology." Me-ology is a term they use to describe this notion that wives/mothers deserve me-time, that it's a right everyone else should accommodate. Propaganda for Me-ology is everywhere you look in this society. Self, self, self. Happiness, fame, beauty, money, relaxation, success, escape. But it's not just in society -- it can be easily found in churches, on Christian blogs, and from the mouths of Christian motivational speakers. But is it the TRUTH? Where in Scripture are we ever told to think of self before we think of others -- unless it is referring to confrontation of sin?? Check out this awesome paragraph from chapter two "You Mean It's Not All About Me?":

Biblical motherhood means sacrifice, selfless love, and faithful dedication. It means we're there with our families--body, mind, and spirit. To recognize our purpose in motherhood, we must see the godly generations beyond our own children (Gen 24:60, Deut 4:9, 7:9). It means denying ourselves (Matt 16:25) and being consumed with God and His love for us. It means starting each morning on our face in repentance and thanksgiving, pleading for His grace and for the strength to glorify Him in our daily endeavors. It means loving God more than we love our children--and consequently, He will equip us to truly love them and prepare us to serve them through Christ our Lord. It means impacting future generations by our faithfulness now. (p. 21)

The third chapter then delves into "Embracing Your Sacred Calling." And the way the authors dig into what the Biblical calling of wife/mother is truly reveals the sacredness of the role. They point out that women often denote that they are "only a housewife" or "just a homemaker" when asked what they do. But is that how God sees it? Not at all! It hit me while reading that Paul specifically states for women to be "keepers at home" in his letter to Timothy. What's questionable about that?? I never focused on the weight of that instruction because I always breezed by it in agreement. He meant what he said -- that wives need to be keepers of the home. And it is SO easy to become discontent, resentful, bitter, you-name-it when you do not fully embrace the sacred, God-ordained-and-designed role of Wife & Mother. When we begin to understand all the role encompasses and how precious it is to God and to the core of the family, then that is when we will be most happy, things will run most smoothly (even during trials), relationships will be most deep, and God will receive most glory.

I had to stop reading chapter three today because I was so joyfully overwhelmed with encouragement and affirmation! I just started crying and thanking God for the privilege He has given me to stay home and be a helper for my husband and a mother to our children...the opportunity He has given me to be a crowning glory to the man I love and a life-long mentor to the boys I adore. It was also affirmation that the mundane tasks of housewifery are not mundane at all -- which is EXACTLY what my whole senior seminar in Home Ec was about, "From Domestic Duty to Bountiful Blessing." Wanna know the content of my seminar in one easy paragraph? Read what I found in chapter three!

Often we don't view our daily activities biblically. We wrongly believe that the more mundane the task, the less significant it is to God. As difficult as it may be to believe, the hands that tenderly bathe your baby at night are no less holy than the hands that serve you communion on Sunday. Every small act of love to your family--every diaper you change, every meal you prepare, every toilet you scrub, every errand you run, ever fever you tend to, each tooth you pull, every moment of undefiled intimacy with your husband--each one is a holy act when it's done as unto the Lord. (p. 37)

Praise God for that! What more can be said??

I'm sure much more when I get a chance to continue reading.... :-)

A Lone Picture...+2

(If you've seen this post already, I added two more pictures I received from Matt tonight!)

Well, I got to phone/computer chat with my huzby for quite a while today. It was so nice! He's had trouble e-mailing me pictures, but the one at the end of this post made it through. :-D Here are some highlights from this week's London Livin' (the ones I can remember):

-Big Ben
-Tower of London- Crown Jewels; Imperial Crown, gift from India, sparkles like a whole stadium full of people taking flash pictures!
-World Wars I & II and Holocaust museums
-Houses of Parliament
-Buckingham Palace- saw Queen and her motorcade!
-Westminster Abbey
-British Museum- described as the big room at the end of Indiana Jones movies filled with rich, ancient artifacts (all cleaned up and on display); seven ton head of Ramses; Rosetta Stone



Hopefully, he'll get a chance to e-mail me some pics with HIM in it! :-) He said he'll try to get me one of him in front of Buckingham Palace.

One week down. Trip is 20% over. The longest stay-in-one-place is over. Keep praying for us all! What an experience!

More for Matt

Rather than a squirrel, bird, or even a groundhog...this is the "critter" that caught my attention yesterday while chatting with Jaclyn. WOAH!



While rinsing the strawberries for breakfast this morning, I noticed how large and lovely a few of them were. I thought to myself, "These are just like the ones we used to get in Salinas since we were so close to Watsonville...I bet they're from Watsonville." So I checked...and they are! :-) I guess 2 years of awesome produce will teach you to recognize the origin just by the quality!



For our Daddy!

For Matt

They're not dead -- they're thriving! Let's hope our garden continues to walk the path of the living....

2 Days Down, 32 to Go

And he's off! What you see in the photo is Matt and everything he took on his EuroTravels. That's right. One backpack and a messenger bag. And neither were stuffed at all. The messenger back was quite empty, in my opinion. When you get quick-dry clothes and keep to the basics, you can pack VERY lightly...if you're male. ;-) This is also the shortest I've ever cut/seen his hair. I kinda like it! Saturday and Sunday were full of Wall Street, the stock market, peering in at the Today Show desk (woo hoo!), a visit to the first pizza place in the US, a ferry ride around the Statue of Liberty, and Ground Zero. They weren't able to make it to the Empire State Building, so I suppose SOMETHING will be new to both of us whenever we go for a weekend away. :-) After they finish with this week's desination, I'll list the highlights. Continue to pray for the guys' safety, and for each family to have God's peace and strength during this time away from each other.


Yesterday, the boys and I went to church and then spent the rest of the day with the Zeenders to celebrate Annette's graduation. It was so wonderful to have such distraction and fellowship. Judah had a blast playing -- he loves it over there! This was the first time we have been in the backyard. I had no idea it was so vast! Chris snapped these adorable pictures for us. ::sigh:: I love my boys...and I love that everyone else loves them, too! I pretty much cease to be "momma" when we're over there. :-)

And I confirmed that we found an aunt lurking in our circle of friends. Her name is Emilee. And she gives the boys whatever they want. Before Judah had even had dinner, she asked "Do you want some cake?" What can you do but just appreciate the overflow of love and delight? :-P I remember the first time my oldest nephew Erik asked me for goldfish at 7:30 in the morning (before anyone else was awake). I got up, got him some goldfish, and turned on Pooh for him. Isn't that what any doting aunt would do? Anyway, enjoy the precious pictures of the brothers!

Thank you, God, for pretty nature!

What better to do when the power goes off than to go for a nature walk? I've been wanting to take some pictures to show you all the INCREDIBLE spot God blessed us with. Very residential, but if you walk behind the rows of home, it is a maze of pathways -- you'd never know you were in a city save for the nicely paved paths. Enjoy as much as you can through pics and video! I can't wait to take Aut and Hopie on a walk when they get here...

First, a view from my pillow when I take afternoon naps. Talk about peaceful!



And now, what a walk for us looks like.

My Review of Good Bites Mini Bites

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

A PBJ essential! In one quick motion, this clever gadget quarters sandwiches into perfect, tot-pleasing pieces, while removing the bread crust. It even seals the edges to minimize messy oozing. Ideal for picky eaters; works with peanut butter, grilled cheese, and more. Dishwasher safe.

Good Bites Mini Bites

Handy Dandy

By SpanishMorning from MD on 5/23/2008

 

4out of 5

Pros: Durable, Easy To Clean, Easy To Use

Best Uses: Meals, Toddlers

Describe Yourself: SAHM, Parent of Two or More Children

I once read a tip to crust the bread for picky toddlers because you end up wasting less bread than if you leave it on and they don't eat right up to the crust. This little tool is GREAT for crusting sandwiches. It gets riiiight up to the edge of the crust, better than if you crusted it by hand. My son loves the triangles (he thinks they're cookies!). The only thing I haven't found to be true is that it doesn't really seal the edges as it cuts. No biggie, though.

(legalese)

My Review of Diaper Pail Deodorizers

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

No matter what kind of diaper disposal system you use, odor can leak out (and changing the liner is one foul chore!). No more — just toss in one of our deodorizer disks, and the pail smells fresh and clean for up to 30 days. Baby powder scented.

Diaper Pail Deodorizers

Scentless Diaper Pail

By SpanishMorning from MD on 5/23/2008

 

4out of 5

Pros: Convenient, Scentless

Best Uses: Diaper Changing

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children, SAHM

We finally found a simple diaper pail that meets our needs and saw these as a suggestion to use in the pail. I don't know how it works -- but it makes the pail scentless. I think it touts a baby powder scent, but I smell nothing (which is fine by me). When we take a full bag of diapers out of the pail, the strength of the odor is AMAZING. It makes me realize that these little discs really do work!

(legalese)

My Review of Door Stop 6-Pack

Originally submitted at One Step Ahead

The only safe door stop! Conventional metal door stops can pinch little fingers and their plastic caps are a choking hazard. Our safe replacement Door Stops screw easily into wood. Choose White, Brown, or Almond.

Door Stop 6-Pack

Exactly What's Advertised

By SpanishMorning from MD on 5/23/2008

 

5out of 5

Pros: Useful Application, Easy Use, Strong Construction

Best Uses: Accident Prevention, Toddlers, Infants, Any Room, Crawlers

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children, SAHM

I love it when products are exactly what is advertised. My boys love to pull the caps off the metal spring door stops and sproing away at them (which wakes sleeping babies). My toddler also figured out how to detach the metal springs from the wall! These door stops are very sturdy but give just enough to not dent baseboards when doors are thrown open by kids. They do the job...keeping the door knob from denting or marking up walls. The design is simple and goes with any decor. It takes a bit to screw the door stops into doors, but that's a good thing -- it means they wont' come out easily either!

(legalese)

I Concede + Judah

AI

Congratulations, Aut. ;-) It was either a happy ending or a happy shocking ending. The latter unfolded...and I hope they both come out with great CDs!

More Judah Translations:

pee-kuk: hic-up
kooz me: excuse me
mih-nihn: Christmas
uh sauce: apple sauce
a-da-da: enchilada
bye-nihn: vitamin
cuh-wer: color

Judah Songs:

The other day, I randomly started singing a version of the ABC's for the boys after lunch. Before I could say P, Judah said it! I was so shocked that I didn't keep singing -- and Judah said "kuh-arh-es." More shock and silence! "tee-oo-vee" WHAT?? I said W, X..."Y, Zeeee" I'm sorry, where did he learn that so quickly?

On a different day, I was making lunch and Judah was sitting on the kitchen floor. I started singing "The Lord's Army" for him. When I got to the "yes, sir!" part, he said it before I did! So I kept going and paused every time for him to say "yes, sir!" It was too cute...I think he probably learned that one in nursery.

He's also starting to enjoy "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and requests it by saying "pie-der" and moving his hands all funky.

Judah Antics:

For a week or so, Judah has been doing this weird hand thing (opening and closing quickly and all over the place) and going "oooooooo" in a fluctuating high pitch. I had NO idea what on earth he was doing other than being silly...until we were watching Ratatouille together a couple days ago. There's a part where Chef Skinner is going mad about seeing a rat everywhere, snapping his fingers all in front of his face and going "oooooo" in a fluctuating high pitch. And Judah laughed his head off and repeated it. A-ha! It is just too cute to watch!

Several days ago, I was laying on my stomach while playing with the boys. Judah climbed up onto the small of my back and stood up. It felt good, kind of like a mini-massage. (Don't worry, there is a way to tense your muscles to prevent injury.) ;-) He stood there for a few moments and then said "Hee-HOP!" He hopped off my back and spread his legs quickly enough so that he landed stradling my back. Excuse me? Where did he learn THAT, and he's only 2! Talk about coordination. He did it to Matt last night, and it was fun to see what it looks like when your not the one being hee-HOPPED on. :-)

Inconsequential

I use this title so that you know my brain is not fried from TV. :-) Everyone has their shows. Some people go overboard in their love of them, constantly talking about them to anyone or even searching for spoilers everyday. Some people are semi-hardcore, hating to miss any episode and enjoying conversations about the shows. Then there are those who never talk about their shows because they either don't care enough or don't really watch anything. I'm in the middle category! So, to tickle my fancy, I'm going to post my thoughts about a few of our shows...a truly inconsequential post, but fun anyway!

The Office

Now, when Matt and I first saw previews for this show, we thought it looked really dumb and never watched it. Until Rachel told Matt that he'd love it. So we caught one episode -- and Matt has been hooked ever since. I am amused by it whether Matt believes me or not. Like Autumn, it takes alot to make me laugh outloud and even more to make it a hearty outloud. Office is funny, just different. I enjoy it, and I enjoy seeing how hard Matt laughs at it (because I don't get why it's quite THAT funny...). The season finale was this past week. Here are my thoughts: Why didn't Jim still ask Pam to marry him? Who cares if someone else proposed on the same night. Just propose to Pam quietly (still romantic), and tell her that he had planned to ask her that night all along. And it should be interesting to see how things pan out between Jan and Michael now that Jan decided to have a kid after being so against it. Wait, was that the series finale? I heard rumors of that; and if so, they left alot hanging.

House

The season finale was last night. What a tear jerker!!! It was a second part to last week's episode and just as intense. They truly do have a group of good actors on that show. At one point, I had to tell myself that it wasn't real and there was no one to pray for. :-P I can not imagine making the choice to wake the one I love up to say goodbye. I'm glad Cuddy told Wilson to do it. It gave him and the rest of the group closure with Amber. And then, from Amber's perspective, to wake up and have medical knowledge enough to hear symptoms and immediately know you are about to die....yeesh. They did such good character development with her and good relational development between her and House. I went from hating Amber (like everyone else) to having a soft spot for her. She's tough and agressive but still just like the rest of us when it comes to love and fears. And, as Matt well knows, the thing that gets to me MOST in life is reconciliation. So the whole last scene with Amber and House on the bus was just precious. (Jaclyn, you think I'm retarded talking like this about a TV show, right?) As a side note, I think I really like the former plastic surgeon on the team (older slightly balding guy). He seems to have quite a bit of respectful compassion mixed with professionalism. You see it here and there (e.g. doing a tox screen for House without telling anyone, kissing his hand and touching it to Amber when he was saying goodbye to her).

American Idol

Sorry, Aut. Archie's gonna win. :-P I LOVE the song Cook sang first (and well!), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Cook will be a star alright. My guess is he'll be scooped up quickly by some record company. But Archuleta will win the title. God gave that boy talent, period. A smooth, well controlled voice at 17. Does he recognize where it came from? I hope, if not now, that someday he does. When thinking of American Idol and what it embodies, Archuleta is it. That whole modern, pop-ish stardom thing goin' on. I like the choice he made for his second song (from the songwriting competition). It had a little Josh Groban flavor to it, which is perfect for Archuleta. And while I don't agree with the lyrics of the third song Imagine, he sang it beautifully. Sorry, Aut. For what it's worth, I loved Cook's guitar strap on the last song. And if Cook wins, I'll blame it on Autumn's 50,000 text votes. ;-)

Lost

The season finale is next week. ::sigh:: Matt is at work tonight, so we couldn't watch the AI finale together. He'll be in Europe next week -- so we can't watch the LOST season finale together. That's a big deal. Lost has been "our show" since season 1. We missed the December finale together because he was in NZ/Aus. ::sigh:: So, once again, I'll watch it without him. Are any of my readers who live in my area Losties? I'd love to have someone over for the finale!


And there you have it. A side of me most people don't see because I don't usually spend time talking about TV shows to anyone but Matt, Aut, or Momma. Hope I didn't completely bore those who have no idea what I'm talking about! I just wanted to get it out (and kill time while Matt's at work...)

And just so I don't paint myself as a couch potato...today I cleaned three bathrooms, mega dusted the dining room, did some laundry, vaccumed the dining/living/foyer, worked on cards for Matt's trip, went to Target, made dinner.... :-)

one MEGA busy weekend

The post title says it all!

Saturday:
-Breakfast
-Lowes, Target, Safeway, Michaels
-Lunch, finish tea preparations, shower
-Attend tea from 1:00 to 5:30, garden
-Quick dinner
-Small b-day get together at Nathan and Tara's

Talk about a full day! First, here are a few pictures of the table Tara and I hosted. It was so fun to overcome the challenge of her fine china and my rustic linens, but it turned out uniquely beautiful. We were bummed we couldn't use the red placemats because the table wasn't big enough to fit them all. The tea was so much fun! When I left, my heart was overwhelmed and overflowing with joy from just being with those ladies. Our church is truly ahead of the game when it comes to love and thoughtfulness. I think of Pam and how she is ALWAYS seen taking care of small immediate needs: a tissue for a teary speaker, an e-card for Mother's Day...and not to mention she's the wife of the Care Ministry leader. :-) I think of Tara herself, always gracious in speech and action, constantly thinking of others first. Then there's Meredith, who I'll get to in a moment. The Zeender women who have become my second familiy here. Belinda who faithfully extends herself to me though she oversees the whole Ladies' Ministry, making me feel important though she can not spend the time she wants with each of the women of Hope. All of the ladies are so friendly, accepting, open, and they like to HUG. More and more, I find myself thinking "This must be close to what the church in Acts was like." God is good!

So, Meredith. She's a woman I have not gotten to know very well (yet), but I have seen from afar that she is a woman of God's own heart. Her husband is head of the church website, and Matt & Nathan assist him now. Anyway, she shared her testimony at the tea, focusing on her life's desire for children and their recent loss. On New Year's Day of this year, after 10 years of marriage, they found out they were pregnant for the very first time. Ten weeks later, she miscarried. Meredith shared details of how things went, mentioning that there must have been near 100 people from the church at the hospital with them during the loss. To see her stand there and share such a personal trial was amazing, heartbreaking, and encouraging. God is in control. He knows what is best. He blesses before, during, and after trials. Such grace was given to her, and such inner strength she has obtained. Meredith shared a small related detail at the end of her testimony. When they married 10 years ago, they and some siblings were each given a piece of a christmas cactus their grandmother had grown. Not once in their marriage did that cactus bloom...until the very day they lost their first child. She said it was the most beautiful pink blossom, and we even got to see a picture of it. God is so precious in His ways.

So that's what I did all Saturday afternoon. What did Matt do, you ask? What did he do. :-D He worked on my Mother's Day gift! If you notice in the list of what we did Saturday, a trip to Lowes was included. He decided this year's gift would be flowers in the backyard so that I can have fresh flowers to either look at in the garden or have in a vase. :-) I am THRILLED! So he completely redid the flowerbeds while I was at the tea. Such an amazing, drastic difference in the neatness and cleanliness of the backyard! We can't wait to show our property manager. Today, (Matt's birthday!) we spent the boys' naptime working in the rain, cleaning up the yardwaste and doing a little more flower bed work. It was SO pleasant to work with my hubby like that. Something free, hobby-ish, and at home. And the soft rain made it peaceful, cool, and flying-bug-free. The birds were singing and made it feel like an atrium. Taking dominion over our small piece of earth really felt good. :-) So, here's a tour. The left coloumn are the before pictures while the right column shows the finished product. We got 1 hydrangea, 4 dahlia plants, 1 bell pepper, 1 tomato, oregano, sage, (eventually basil), and my favorite and our prize -- a coral/orange rose bush. ::dreamy sigh:: I never in my life thought I would own something like this. I just hope and pray that Matt and I have green thumbs -- or that God makes those plants overcome any of our misteps or forgetfulness. :-P

The finished product...

We are planning to get some grass seed, and Matt is going to level out the patio stones when he gets back from Europe. We can't WAIT to be able to spend time back there and let the boys run around on safe, even, grassy yard. It'll be a first! Maybe we'll even get to have Elijah's first birthday party outside!

Some close-ups... (Momma, the "blue" hydrangea already has pink edges after being in the ground for 1 day!)



And this is our prized possession that I say small prayers for. God really does care about the small things, and this small thing is a big thing for me. I would LOVE to be a successful gardener -- it gets you closer to creation, which broadens your perspective of just how amazing and huge our God is. And to be successful at having my own coral/orange rose bush? ::another dreamy sigh::



I love my church. I love my Matt. My heart is full of joy. And my God is good!