Pretty Lights Pointing to Joy

Every year my church creates an Advent devotion book for the congregation to use as we go through the Advent season. Each devotion is written by a different church member. I wrote the devotion for December 15 in our book, and I want to share it here with you today.

The people who walked in darkness
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

Isaiah 9:2-3

 

When my daughter, Adelaide, was two years old, she was delighted by Christmas lights on houses. Anytime she saw white or colorful lights decorating a house, she would exclaim, “Oh! Pretty lights!” It sounded like, “Oh! Plee-lee lights!” When Adelaide saw more pretty lights, she would tell us again that there were more “plee-lee lights.” It brought her so much joy to see the twinkly lights shining in the darkness. Her delight made such an impact on our family that to this day we continue to quote two-year-old Adelaide when we see Christmas lights.

I smile when I remember young Adelaide’s joy in seeing pretty lights. Her joy was over something small and temporary, but there is a much greater joy to remember as we go through this Advent season and anticipate the arrival of Christmas Day. We are no longer a people walking in darkness. We are no longer trapped in sin. A light has shown, and a Savior has come! God has rescued us from our sin, and He has increased our joy!

Holiday decorations are a small reflection of the real joy of Christmas. When you see Christmas lights decorating houses this season, let them be a reminder of the light that has shone in the darkness. Let them be a reminder of the great gift of salvation and the fullness of joy that is ours in Christ. The joy of pretty lights is fun, but it is fleeting. The joy that we have in knowing Jesus, the true light of the world, is a joy that will last forever. 

Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash

Life with Three

Hello friends! I miss chatting with you regularly in this space. My time and energy is completely maxed out on most days, which leaves little strength or mental clarity for writing a blog post at the end of the day. I am still trying to figure out how to blog in this new season of life with three children. I need to remember to come here occasionally just to write a simple post or share a few pictures from daily life. I can probably manage that better than writing a “real” blog post. So today, here are a few pictures and thoughts on life with three!

Life was hard before we had Stafford. And adding another small member to the family has brought many more challenges. But it has also brought so much joy and laughter. We love having a little one in our family! I know we were happy before Stafford came along, but the happiness has been multiplied now by the simple addition of one family member.

Life with a baby, and now a toddler, has been a good and wonderful transition. It is hard, but it is totally worth it! I am so thankful that the Lord blessed us with this little one.

Someday I will be able to blog more often again. Meanwhile, I’m soaking up the time with my children, falling in bed tired at the end of the day, and thanking the Lord for the blessing of this good life.

Book Review: Picturing Heaven

A few weeks ago Tyndale sent a complimentary copy of Picturing Heaven to me to read and review. This is a new devotion book by one of my favorite authors, Randy Alcorn. This book contains short, one-page devotions, and there is a coloring page for each devotion in the book. 

This book has been encouraging to Adelaide and to me. I'm not one who likes to color very much, but my daughter loves it, so I knew this book would be a good one for us to do together. We enjoy reading the devotion and then talking together while we color the corresponding picture for that day's reading.

Heaven is a topic I have talked about often with my children over the years, especially when they were younger and first starting to grapple with the fact that they have a mom who is disabled and needs a lot of rest. Picturing Heaven is a great way to learn more about Heaven and start more conversations about life, disability, hope, Jesus, and the life to come.

       

Adelaide and I are enjoying reading and coloring our way through this book!

The devotions in Picturing Heaven will help you to set your mind on things above and encourage you to keep an eternal perspective in life. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations, and those who like to color will enjoy coloring the pictures as they reflect on what they have read.

If you want to see more pictures from the book, you can look at a sample of the devotion book Amazon. Or you can download a sample portion from Eternal Perspective Ministries website and do some coloring at home.

Imagine Heaven the way the Bible describes it—a place of exquisite beauty brimming with marvelous detail and intricate patterns; a special dwelling place free of corruption and sin; and a place of both rest and enjoyable, meaningful work. 

Let the power and majesty of Heaven fill your heart with joy as you color these 40 designs carefully interpreted from the pages of Scripture. Savor a respite from daily life as you read and meditate on devotions from best–selling author Randy Alcorn, a leading authority on Heaven. Picturing Heaven will offer you comfort and relaxation, while filling your heart with restful assurance that God prepares a special place for those who love Him.  

Randy Alcorn is an author and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching principles of God's Word and assisting the church in ministering to unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled, and unsupported people around the world. His ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly time, money, possessions, and opportunities to invest in need-meeting ministries that count for eternity. He accomplishes this by analyzing, teaching, and applying biblical truth.

Before starting EPM in 1990, Randy served as a pastor for fourteen years. He has a bachelor of theology and a master of arts in biblical studies from Multnomah University and an honorary doctorate from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and has taught on the adjunct faculties of both. A New York Times bestselling author, Randy has written more than fifty books, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, and the award-winning novel Safely Home. His books have sold more than ten million copies and have been translated into more than sixty languages.

Randy has written for many magazines, including EPM's Eternal Perspectives. He is active on Facebook and Twitter and has been a guest on more than seven hundred radio, television, and online programs.

Randy resides in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife, Nanci. They have two married daughters and are the proud grandparents of five grandsons. Randy enjoys time spent with his family, biking, snorkeling, underwater photography, researching, and reading.

Follow Randy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/randyalcorn; on Twitter: www.twitter.com/randyalcorn; and on his blog: www.epm.org/blog/

Busy Hands: Matching Cowls

I have not been able to do much crocheting in the past couple of months. I have needed to rest my arms on most evenings instead. So this month I am sharing a crochet project from last year. I made a cowl using a chunky, brown yarn from the gift basket I received from a sweet lady in Georgia.

This picture of Adelaide and me was taken in February of last year. I can't believe how much Adelaide has grown in the past 11 months!

I crocheted the Möbius Cowl from my One Skein Wonders book. I then adjusted the pattern to make a small cowl for Adelaide using the leftover yarn.

These cowls are soft and warm. I usually keep mine in Cordell's basket so that I can pull it out if I get chilly. Warm cowls are great for chilly Minnesota winters! And having matching cowls with Adelaide makes it lots of fun.

How have you been keeping your hands busy lately? Have you been working on any craft projects?

Helping the Healthy Child of a Disabled Parent

Life as a mother with a disabling, chronic illness is incredibly challenging. My body grows weak and tired quickly. I need help every day doing household tasks and caring for my children. This is especially true in the summer months when my children are home all day long.

I was grateful for dear friends and family who stepped up to help me in big ways this past summer. I was especially touched by an offer of help from Justyne, a sweet eleven-year-old girl.

Justyne goes to our church, and she has a special love for my six-year-old daughter, Adelaide. She volunteered to take Adelaide to the pool once a week this summer. What a blessing she was both to Adelaide and to me!

Justyne was helpful to me because she gave me some much needed rest in a quiet house. But she was also a big help to Adelaide. She gave Adelaide a chance to play at the pool, which she otherwise would not have had. Justyne gave her the gift of friendship with an older girl. She also provided Adelaide with exercise on a day when she otherwise might have had to stay indoors all afternoon.

Children of disabled parents need some extra love and practical help. They miss out on special events and activities because a disabled parent is unable to take them. They miss out on common summer activities like going to the park or going to the pool. Sometimes they may even miss out on simple board games at home because a chronically ill parent is not well enough to sit up and play.

Justyne gives us a great example of one way to help the healthy child of a disabled parent. She is also an inspiring example of a kid stepping into disability ministry at a young age. Disability ministry isn’t just something for adults to do; kids can serve families affected by disability too!

When someone like Justyne steps in and helps, it provides much needed playtime. It gives a kid a chance to be a kid. It provides a break from the difficulties of life affected by a disability.

Thank you, Justyne, for your example to all of us. And thank you for loving my daughter so well. You have blessed my whole family!

How can we reach out to the healthy children in families affected by disability?

What ideas do you have of ways that children can be involved in disability ministry?

{This article was originally posted on The Irresistible Church blog}

Busy Hands: County Fair Edition

This year I felt well enough to visit the county fair not just once, but twice! Last year I was not able to attend at all, so I made sure to thoroughly enjoy myself this year! I watched my children having fun on the fair rides. I ate popcorn and cotton candy. I looked at all of the crafts and produce and 4-H fair entries. I visited the vendor tables and collected samples. I petted the goats. I had a wonderful time with my family! My parents were here in August, and they took the children and me to the fair one day while Will was at work. And then Will was able to go to the fair with us on the weekend. 

The county fair is one of my family's favorite events each year. We enjoy entering baked goods, garden produce, and crafts. Throughout the year I work on crochet projects and jewelry to enter at the fair. Some years I am not able to go to the fair, but I always send along some items for entry. It was a bonus that I was able to both attend the fair and turn in craft projects this year!

One of my goals this year was to win a purple ribbon for a crochet project. I have never won a purple ribbon for any of my crocheted items before, so I was thrilled when this infant sweater set received a purple ribbon! I used this free pattern. It's the same pattern I used when Adelaide was a baby. I never made the sweater for Adelaide, though, which I regret.

I entered this baby hat (left) and newsgirl hat (right). I will use the baby hat as a gift for someone. The newsgirl hat is for Adelaide to wear this winter. She even picked out the yarn herself!

I was super excited that my Bristleberry Scarf received a purple ribbon too! I made fingerless gloves out of the yarn remnant, and I will wear these gloves indoors this winter. My medical ID bracelet didn't receive a ribbon.

Since we're talking about the fair and purple ribbons, I want to share Adelaide's exciting fair news! She had never won a purple ribbon at the county fair, and her goal for the fair this year was to win a purple ribbon. She succeeded! Adelaide won a purple ribbon for her caramel candy in the junior division. She was one happy baker!

This fall I am keeping my hands busy by making a shawl. It is slow-going. I have messed up so many times that I have already taken out a total of 8 rows. Agh! Brain fog and crochet don't always mix well. I am also working on creating a little bag to hang on Myrtle. I'll show these to you when I have them finished.

What have you been doing lately to keep your hands busy? Do you ever enter your projects at a fair? If not, you should! It is so much fun!

I Have Survived Summer!

I have survived summer! When September came, I breathed out a big sigh of relief. In the middle of July it felt like summer was never going to end, but the end finally came! The night before the children went back to school I felt such relief and a sense of accomplishment. By God's grace, I had made it through another summer. The children are back in school now, the house is quiet, cool weather is here, and I am ready to get back to blogging.

Thank you so much, friends, for your patience and understanding this summer as I needed to step back from blogging for a time. And thank you for the messages you have sent to me through email, Facebook, and Instagram. I appreciate all of you so much! I am grateful to have such kind readers and friends.

Summer was long and hard, but it was fun and enjoyable too! Summer went much better this year than it did last year. In fact, I was even able to continue improving from my crash in the summer of 2015! I am not doing as well as I was in April 2015, but I am doing better than I was in June of 2016, and for that I am very grateful. I am hoping that I will be able to continue to regain some strength and energy this fall.

We planned for a lot more help and rest for me throughout the summer this time, and it made a big difference. A huge THANK YOU to all of our friends and family who helped out! I would not have been able to continue to regain strength and energy this year without their significant help.

Another thing that really helped this summer was weekly IV fluids and daily Oral Rehydration Salts. Those are two options that I didn't have last summer, and I think being able to stay well hydrated made a difference.

William and Adelaide are back in school now. William is in 5th grade, and Adelaide is in 1st grade! They are growing so quickly! I miss them while they are at school during the day, but the extra rest and quiet is good for me, and the school is good for them.

Now that summer is over, I am hoping to start blogging again once or twice a week. If you would like, you may subscribe here so that you never miss a post.

How was your summer? I'd love to hear from you! Let's catch up!

Five Minute Friday: Easy

It is time for Five Minute Friday! We write for just five minutes, no over-thinking, backtracking, or careful editing. Kate gives us a word, and we write for the joy of writing. Today the word is “easy.”

Being a mom isn’t easy. It takes hard work, dedication, patience, perseverance, love, and everything you have to give. It is hard! And when you add a chronic illness into the mix, it becomes even harder.

There are days when being a mom with a chronic illness is overwhelming because there is so much to do, and there is so much of it that you simply cannot do. The energy that is required during the “little years” pushes you to your limits and beyond. But in time it gets easier.

In time the children grow. They get bigger and stronger. They become more helpful and more skilled in doing chores. We have been doing chores with our children since they were toddlers, but their help during that time was minimal compared to what they can do now. They have become more helpful with each passing year.

Now at the ages of 10 and 6, our children can work alongside us and offer significant help! Last weekend William helped Will move furniture in the house. A few weeks ago I taught Adelaide to clean the bathroom counter, mirror, and toilet. Two weeks ago I taught the children to clean our kitchen floor. The work is the quality you would expect from children, but it is work, and is help. Their contribution to our home is helpful.

Dear chronic illness mamas of little ones, it gets easier. The little years don’t last forever. Hang on! It won’t ever be easy, but it will get easier.

Adventure and Joy

My word for 2015 was “Adventure.” It was a year full of unknowns. We were looking for a new place of ministry, and we were expecting another move. We knew that big changes were coming for our family that year, but we didn’t know exactly what those changes would be or when they would happen.. So before 2015 even began, I determined to embrace the adventure and enjoy the ride!

When we moved to Minnesota four years ago, it was for a temporary pastoral position for Will at a church here. Because we knew it was a short-term ministry position, we began looking for a place of long-term ministry soon after arriving in Minnesota in 2012. We have been praying that the Lord would make very clear what He wanted us to do next, and He has made it very clear. God has closed the door to every ministry position that appeared to be a good fit for our family. Much to our surprise, He has led us out of vocational ministry, and He has provided a job for Will right here in Southwest Minnesota. Will has recently accepted a full-time position as a paralegal at a local law firm.

At this point we are not continuing to pursue vocational ministry. The Lord has made it clear that vocational ministry is not what He has for us right now. Although we are very disappointed that we will not currently be engaged in full-time ministry, we are excited to see how the Lord may use us here in Southwest Minnesota, and we are excited for the opportunities that Will has to pursue justice through the practice of law. 

We are grateful for the 15 years that we had in ministry and in preparation for ministry. We trust that the Lord will continue to use our training to further His kingdom through work and lay ministry here in Minnesota.

Photo by Will Lundy, Graphic by Lisa Copen

My word for 2016 is “Joy.” As we face changes this year, I have been working on choosing joy. I want to enjoy this unexpected life we have been given in Minnesota. I want to enjoy my state, my house, my family, and our life here. And when life is hard, I am looking for joy in the midst of the hard things.

2015 was a year of adventure, and 2016 is a year for choosing joy!

Do you choose “one word” for your year? What is your word for 2016?

Busy Hands: Houndstooth Infinity Scarves

This houndstooth scarf was one of my big crochet projects last year. I used this free pattern from the ELK Studio blog. I used a much finer yarn, though, so I had to do more stitches per row to make the scarf the right width. It took me several months to make this scarf. Working with a fine yarn, and switching yarn colors often, took a lot of time, but the finished product was worth it!

Adelaide liked the scarf so much that she asked me to make one for her too. Of course, I was happy to do that! I also made a third houndstooth scarf for my sister, and I gave it to her for Christmas. She is an Alabama fan, so houndstooth is perfect for her. 

I really like the houndstooth crochet stitch. It is pretty and classic. Making these scarves was the first time I had ever tried this particular crochet stitch. I ended up liking the stitch so much that I made a houndstooth walker bag too.

Adelaide and I love to wear our matching scarves! I made Adelaide's scarf a little on the big side so that she can wear it for several years before she outgrows it.

What have you been doing lately to keep your hands busy? Are you working on any fun projects?

Awana

Our family enjoyed another year of Awana at our church. I was not able to attend at all this year, but I was able to help William and Adelaide with their verses at home each week. What a privilege to help them memorize God's Word!

We were gone on The Great Adventure during the Awana parent's night and awards program, so William and Adelaide received their awards after we returned home.

Adelaide finished her second Cubbies book this year. It is hard to believe that my youngest is already finished with Cubbies! She will be in Sparks next year, and she is so excited about that!

William completed his first Truth & Training book. He enjoyed Awana, but chose not to participate in pictures for my blog this time. :) My little boy is growing up!

Adelaide, however, is all about the pictures. She chose this pose for me.

I am so thankful for William and Adelaide. It is an honor and a privilege to be their mom and to love them and teach them about Jesus. I like programs like Awana that assist me in teaching my children.

Does your church have an Awana program? What is your favorite thing about Awana?

Fancy Teatime

"What better way to suggest friendliness - and to create it - than with a cup of tea?" 

- J. Grayson Luttrell

A couple of months ago, Adelaide and I invited our friend, Bethannie, over for afternoon tea. To make teatime even more fun, we decided to dress up and wear hats!

Adelaide wore her new fascinator that we had made the week before. She also wore clip-on earrings from her Great Gramma. She was so excited to wear earrings and a fascinator for the first time!

What a treat it was to have Bethannie come over for a fancy tea party! We had a wonderful time!

Making Little Hats

Last year was a particularly difficult year for me health-wise. Recovering from my "crash" in the winter of 2014 has been a very slow process, but I am excited to say that I am finally making some progress! In the past two months I have had some definite improvements. I have not needed to spend as much time in bed, and my migraines have been lessening in frequency. My body still tires quickly, but at least I have enough energy now to push myself a little and regain some strength.

When I started feeling better in March, the first thing I did was pull out my craft and hat making supplies! For about three years now I have been collecting supplies for making little hair-pieces and fascinators, and I was so excited to finally have enough energy and enough supplies to make a few little hats. I didn't have the energy to make everything in one day, so I kept the hat-making supplies out for a week and worked on them a little bit each day. Adelaide helped me with some of the hat-making, and we thoroughly enjoyed our girly and crafty time!

These are the four little hats that Adelaide and I made. The top two are for me, and the bottom two are for Adelaide. My hats are feather pads that are secured onto headbands. I also added two antique pins from my Oma. Adelaide's little hats are fascinators, and they will secure onto her head with an alligator clip.

Here is a close up of the black curly goose feather pad on a headband.

These are Adelaide's fascinators. She helped to pick out the feathers and buttons and ribbon. The pink fascinator is her favorite.

We had such a fun week making fancy little hats together. And soon after creating our hats, Adelaide had an occasion to wear her new, pink fascinator! A friend came over for fancy tea, and we each wore a hat. I will share tea party pictures with you next week!

Five Minute Friday: When

Today I am joining the Five Minute Friday writing crew at Kate Motaung's blog. We write for five minutes on the same writing prompt. This week the word is "when."

Yesterday I needed to be in a very quiet house, so Will took the children out for the day. I had to laugh when he texted this conversation to me:

Adelaide (to waitress): My mom has a migraine.
Waitress: I hope she feels better.
Adelaide (to Will): She will when she dies.

Heaven is something that our family is looking forward to. The symptoms of my dysautonomia never go away. Each day Will, William, and Adelaide see how tired I am. They see the pain and fatigue. They wish I could join them for more activities, and they wish I felt better. We have a longing for eternity. Living with dysautonomia is teaching us to keep an eternal perspective.

Our family has often talked about Heaven, the New Earth, and the resurrection bodies that all who believe in Jesus Christ will one day receive. We look forward to the day when I will have a new body and will no longer be plagued by daily migraines, muscle weakness, and intense fatigue. One day, when I have my new body, I will feel better! It is something that I look forward to and greatly anticipate. Life in a broken body on this earth is preparing me to enjoy my resurrection body all the more!

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us...For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:18, 22-23

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Busy Hands: Matching Scarves

This fall a friend sent a yarn care package to me. I have had so much fun working on projects with the new yarn! One of the things I made was an infinity scarf using this pattern. Adelaide saw what I was making, and she asked me to make a matching scarf for her. In fact, she requested that anytime I crochet something for myself, I make a matching item for her too! 

Adelaide and I have had fun wearing our matching scarves. The yarn is soft and silky, making it very comfortable to wear around the neck. I keep this scarf in the basket next to my bed so that I can grab it whenever I get chilly while resting in bed.

What have you been doing this winter to keep your hands busy?

Gramma's Pecan Pie

One of my favorite things to make at Thanksgiving is pecan pie. This year my parents were here for Thanksgiving, and my mom helped Adelaide and me make pecan pie. The recipe comes from my Gramma (my mom’s mother), and we believe that she got the recipe from her mother-in-law. We don’t know how far back this recipe goes, but it has been used for many, many years!

I grew up in the South, and I have tried plenty of pecan pies over the years, but this particular recipe is my favorite. It has been a favorite of our guests as well when my mom or I have served this pie in our homes on numerous occasions. Two years ago I entered this pie in our county fair, and was so excited when it received a purple ribbon!

Today I would like to share the recipe with you! If you are looking for a good pie recipe for Christmas this year (or Thanksgiving next year), I recommend this one. :)

Pecan Pie Ingredients: 

1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 whole eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 9-inch deep dish pie shell  

Directions: 

Combine ingredients in bowl. Pour into deep dish pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. 

Pie is fully cooked when the center of the pie no longer "jiggles" when you gently shake the pie pan. Let pie cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Pecan pies before baking

There are two important differences that my mom and I have noticed in this recipe as compared to some other pecan pie recipes we have seen. One is the butter. Pecan pie tastes so much better when it has butter in it! If you need a diary free pecan pie, you can substitute coconut oil.

The other important thing is finely chopped pecans. These pies might not look as pretty as pecan pies that have pecan halves beautifully arranged on the top, but finely chopping the pecans helps the flavor to spread throughout the pie.

Pecan pie fresh from the oven

We had three generations baking in the kitchen! Since we used Gramma's recipe, we had four generations contributing to these incredible pies!

What is your favorite holiday pie? If you try this pecan pie recipe sometime, I'd love to hear what you think!