We're Back!

We had a wonderful time on vacation. It was MUCH colder and rainy than we had hoped; but we still had a great time going here and there and visiting with family and friends. Here is a glimpse into our time away.

We took time to stop and smell the flowers...


We explored interesting places...



Laughed and played together...

and shared many silly moments that are impossible to schedule or plan. Our kids did an amazing job being flexible and rolling with what each day brought to us.

We have memories of Superman and Blue Moon ice cream, peanut butter fudge, and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Bobbers watched for what seemed like hours, fish caught, birds and chickens fed, dogs to run with, and the sweet smell of fresh hay. Fireworks, snap and pops, sparklers, and roasted marshmellows. Lightning bugs, spiders, mayflies, frogs, and baby birds. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandma, and the phrase, "just hug and smile!" And SO MUCH more. Each of us have memories that are special to us in different ways.

I am still processing all that the Lord has and is showing me through this trip. I am hoping to be able to share some of it with you soon; but for now...I'm off to face the mounds of laundry and unpacking to be done!

THANK YOU for praying for us. It was a precious time for our family.

Blessings and peace to you!

Shanda

The Trampoline Principle

A few years back when my dad was going in for a surgery my brother asked me how I was still able to be so happy with all that had transpired in my life. (My husband had just gone through a difficult season with his health.) I heard myself explaining that our life had been like jumping on a trampoline. Our lows had been very low, but our highs were pretty far up there as well. If you have ever jumped on a trampoline you know what I am talking about. When you first jump you don't go down or up very far. The more you jump and invest energy into jumping the lower and higher you get. When a friend is jumping alongside of you, you can actually jump in such a way that causes the other person to soar! It can be a blast where you can do stunts and fun things you could not do on your own or when you are on the ground.

God is faithful not to leave us in the valleys of life. He is also faithful to not allow us to solely live on the mountain tops. It is the balance of both that makes life vivid and full. Along the path between the valleys and mountains, He often blesses us with true friends. Those who laugh with us when we are happy, cry with us when we are sad. Encourage and lift us up when we are down and redirect us if we are wandering down destructive paths. Today I am blessed and thankful for those true friends in life who have jumped beside me on the trampoline of life and helped me to soar. I am purposing anew to be a true friend to others; to look for ways to help them to reach new heights.

If you don't yet have those kinds of friendships in life, pray that God will bring people into your path that you can jump alongside on this trampoline of life. It takes vulnerability, time and energy, but the view is great!

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Proverbs 18:24b "but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother."

Many Blessings!

Shanda

This is a re-post of a previous post.

Marital Moment Issue 37 -Christmas in July

I love the group Switchfoot's song, "This Is Your Life." The chorus is what first grabbed my attention:

"This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be

When the world was younger and you had everything to lose"

A big part of why this song speaks to me is that it puts the responsibility back on me. Steps on my toes so to speak. The Lord often uses music to speak to my heart. The question for this segment is:

"This is your marriage, is it everything you dreamed that it would be when the world was younger and you had everything to lose?"

This is an idea that the Lord gave me awhile back when our marriage needed some "refreshing." Regardless of where you are at in your marriage, it is important that you pursue your spouse; that you are willing to take the initiative in making your marriage all that God intended for it to be. Which leads me back to the title, "Christmas in July!"

We have an opportunity to bless our spouses and deepen our marriages with a very small amount of effort and time by doing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (Christmas in July version) for your spouse!

Here is how it works. For 12 days you : commit to pray for your spouse and you try to give to them in ways that speak their love language. If you are not familiar with "The Five Love Languages" book by Gary Chapman check it out atwww.fivelovelanguages.com/learn.html

Each day you will "give" them something. This does not have to be material gifts. I will give more specific ideas in a moment. On the first day, you simply write a note (or wrap a note in a box) and place it somewhere that they will find it. I chose to tape my notes on the door of our garage where my husband walked in from work each day. This first note welcomes them to the "Twelve Days of Christmas!-Christmas in July!" and presents their first gift.

Do this (notes and/or gifts) each day for twelve days. It does NOT need to be extravagant or take a lot of effort on your part to make the notes/gift boxes. The idea that you are pursuing your spouse will speak volumes. It is alright to mix in some ideas from what you believe is your spouse's secondary love language.

For example, you may know that physical touch is their primary love language but you also know that words of affirmation are important to them. Mix both throughout your 12 days. Be as creative as you want!

The following examples (below) are ideas you can use as a starting point. Once you get started it will get easier and easier to see your spouses needs and how you can meet them. Your relationship to your spouse is second only to your relationship with the Lord. Let them know that they are a priority in your life.

Commit these 12 days to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to reveal things to you that you would not have thought of on your own.

Feel free to leave comments with any great ideas that you have! I'd also love to pray for you as you invest in your marriage. Click on the "comments" section under this post (or send me a quick e-mail) and leave your name and the name of your spouse. I will commit to praying for your marriage for the next two weeks with you. I have seen how powerful these"Twelve Days of Christmas" can be firsthand. Impactful enough for me to have done it twice already for my own spouse - I hope you will give it a try!

May God richly bless your marriage!

---------------------------------------

Examples litsted by Love Languages:

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

1st Day "On the First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." 3 of the top reasons that I love you!

2nd Day "On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." notes from your children telling what makes them special.

3rd Day "On the Third Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." write out a verse and a note encouraging them with anything they may be pursuing or struggling with

*The main thing to keep in mind for words of affirmation is to be real. Speak compliments from your heart about who your spouse is and why you are thankful for them. What they teach you through their lives, etc. You could even e-mail some of their friends and get them to write out why your spouse is important to them.

QUALITY TIME

1st Day "On the First Day of Chrismtas my true love gave to me..." a warm drink and 20 minutes of uninterrupted conversation. *Be prepared with questions to draw them out in case they don't jump right into conversation. Such as, "Where do you see us in a yr, 5 yrs, etc." "What would you say is the most important activity in your life right now?"

2nd Day "On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." an invitation to play your spouses favorite game. (Checkers, chess, monopoly, on line game, x-box, etc)

3rd Day "On the Third Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." a walk after dinnertime. *If you have children, try to arrange for someone to watch them for 1/2 hr -an hr.

*If this is your spouse's love language, make certain that you are completely focused on them during the times that you are offering. Do not let you cell phone, etc interrupt your focus on engaging with them in conversations or activities. TRY to learn something new that you didn't know about your spouse. They are hoping you will draw them out. Picking up a devotional book for couples may be an excellent thing to introduce and carry on even after the 12 days are finished.

RECEIVING GIFTS

1st Day "On the First Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." a single beautiful flower or rose (for wife) a new music cd by a group you know they love (husband or wife).

2nd Day "On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." a candle to put at the dinner table.

3rd Day "On the Third Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." a favorite photo put into a frame.

*It is important to gradually build up to the 12th day-the last day should be the best or most special gift to your spouse. It can be as simple as picking up their favorite food from a restaurant on the way home or even their favorite drink or coffee, etc. Usually "gift" people communicate about things that they "want." Magazine subscriptions or fruit of the month clubs are great for these kinds of people. Gifts that keep on giving without a lot of continued thought or effort.

ACTS OF SERVICE

1st Day "On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." cleaning up the dishes, table, and floor after dinner.

2nd Day "On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." vaccumming any three rooms of their choice

3rd Day "On the Third Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." Letting your spouse sleep in while you take the kids out for breakfast - like Chick-fil-A, Ihop, etc. Bringing home something for your spouse to eat after waking is an added bonus.

*It is important to give without expecting others to do for you later on. This becomes especially true with this love language. Look for things that mean the most to them for you to do. Remember to smile and have a great attitude even if it means you will be doing an undesirable task.

PHYSICAL TOUCH

1st Day "On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." a neck massage.

2nd Day "On the Second Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." a foot rub.

3rd Day "On the First Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." you can be as intimate as you choose-this is your spouse! Get creative and put some thought into what they enjoy most.

*It is important to give in ways that your spouse is affirmed the most through. Maybe rubbing feet does nothing for you, but means the world to them.

Take the Step; Get into the Arena

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming..." John Leach

How many of us hold onto the criticism of others so tightly that it hinders us from continuing forward into what God has called us to do? Or possibly worse yet, how many have shared their dream, their vision, and developing passion to be shot down before ever taking that first step?

"The credit belongs to the man (or woman) who is actually in the arena..." There will always be critics. Those who would rather tear down and point out fault than allow someone else to succeed. We cannot allow them to be the ones who determine our value (or lack there of.) We can however, look at their words through the light of the Truth and ask God to reveal if He is asking us to change anything. If He is; may we follow His lead. If we find no truth to be in the criticism; we MUST LET THE WORDS GO.

It is amazing how we can receive so many words of affirmation and praise; but the one critical comment has the lasting sting.

This is one of those posts that I have begun to write several times but the timing just didn't seem right. God has released me to post it now.

Today I pray that God will use this post as the person who is waiting off to the side. The one with the water and the rag to wipe your brow. "Press on! Keep your gaze up! But also remember to keep your guard up."

"There is no effort without error or shortcoming..." It is o.k. if your human state has made an appearance. Accept God's love and grace toward you. Humbly make things right if there has been wrong done. Stand strong in who God pronounces you to be and get back into the arena.

If you have not yet stepped into the arena; don't let the idea of one "whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood..." deter you. Those same things that have brought the dust sweat and blood; bring peace, a sense of purpose, and fullness of joy.

Time is up. Take one last drink; you can do this.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)

"But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:33 (NIV)

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

I am praying for your strength to be renewed.

Shanda

Life is Good

On our road trip we saw so many unique, strange, and "questionable" bumper stickers...it always amazes me what people choose to stick onto their vehicles. Sometimes I wonder if they realize that whatever message is stuck to their vehicle may be the only thing that others remember them by.

When you are on a longer road trip you usually spot vehicles that you have passed before along the way. You stop for a bathroom break, gas or food, get back onto the interstate and see vehicles that you had passed awhile ago. You can tell that you have passed them before because of some definable feature about their vehicle: bumper stickers, antlers in the back window, etc.

A close friend of mine had a sticker on the back of her vehicle supporting a member of congress for a very long time. It was how I recognized her vehicle in school pick up lines and around town. When they took it off, I had trouble recognizing her vehicle. It had become a part of how I recognized her.

My husband and I are not big bumper sticking kind of people. I suppose mostly it is because we don't like to deal with the eventual "scraping off" of them when they wear out. However, I believe that we all portray some kind of "message" by who we are, how we dress, and how we treat others.

One of our Mentor Moms at our MOPS group this year did a fabulous devotional on this subject. About how it is important to stop in front of mirrors occasionally and to check the message that your face is sending to those around you. The awesome thing is that if we realize that the message that we are sending is not what we want to be sending, we have the power to choose to change it. It may take some concentrated effort and prayer, but we are able to choose the messages that we are sending others. John 13:34 says, "...By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Our messages are meaningful and important. People send their messages in any way that they can. For some, their life's messages are plastered on the back of their vehicles.

Some of the bumper stickers that stood out to us this trip were: "Back off! I'm emotionally unstable," "It's better to have loved and lost than spent your whole life with the psycho," "People who love Jesus tip the pizza guy," and my favorite, "Life is good." Have you seen any interesting ones lately?

Many Blessings!

Shanda

This is a re-post from a trip we took last summer. (I will let you know what interesting bumper stickers we saw this trip after we return!) Thank you so much to all who are praying for us as we travel!

Just So You Know...

My family and I are going to be traveling off and on for most of July. My husband and I have decided that some relatively remote spots are needed at this point in our lives. We are ready to break away from:
the often insane traffic/commute that we deal with,

the combat shopping at the new Wegmans (grocery store - have you EVER heard of police having to direct traffic at a grocery store?!?),

the constant flurry of activities around us,

the phone calls and e-mails from work,

the difficulty of connecting with our children when they are being sweet or good just so they can finally play the computer, X-box, or Wii game that they have wanted to play since the moment that they woke up...

We're ready to break away from ALL of those things (and more); but we are also ready to:

slow down,

take our time exploring interesting places,

play games with our children that we know how to play better than they do,

learn some new games/things together with them,

talk late into the night around a campfire,

lie on our backs and star gaze listening to waves rolling in.

So although we will have internet access here and there during our adventures; my husband and I have made a bit of a pact that we will be minimal in our activity. We are choosing to be intentional about connecting as a family, relaxing, laughing, playing, and taking a vacation.

I have pre-scheduled a few posts - some new and some older- to post while we are traveling; but I will not have the opportunity to be leaving comments on many of your posts for awhile. I wanted to make sure that you knew that there hasn't been any loss of love on my part toward you; I'm just taking a bit of a break.

Please plan to join me on my 1-year "Blogiversary" on July 20th for a giveaway!!

As a friend recently pointed out to me anew; "we often have not because we ask not." So, I've decided to ask. Would you include us in your prayers for safe travels/adventures, strengthening of bonds between our family, and restoration of body and soul?

I would love to be praying for you as well. Please feel free to leave any prayer requests that you may have in the comment section below or you are welcome to e-mail me at ateachableheart@gmail.com.

Many Blessings to each of you!

Shanda

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20, 21

"he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23:3

For my Titus 2 Tuesday ladies...If one of you (who participate regularly) would like to host while I am away; please e-mail me (or mention it in the comment section below). Otherwise we will resume with Titus 2 Tuesdays on July 21st!

Titus 2 Tuesday - We All Need Laughter!

What have learned from another woman this week? (or ever)

Write your own "Titus 2 Post" (linking back here somewhere within the body of your post) and enter your link below!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine..." Proverbs 17:22

When I think of my best friend from growing up, I remember laughter. Heather was such a gift to me from the day we met in the church nursery. I pray that we will one day be two little old ladies still cracking each other up!

I can't remember exactly how old we were, ( I think maybe 4?) but Heather and I were selected to sing, "Jesus Loves Me" during the Christmas Program at our church. Our older sisters were standing behind us; I believe we were kneeling down beside the manger where the song was meant to take place.

The music began, and we got the giggles. Not just little giggles; LOUD / CANNOT STOP kind of giggles. Our sisters, being older and all, knew how unacceptable that was - after all; it was a crucial part of the Christmas Program for the song to be sung! So they began to sing over us. (But we were holding the microphone...)

That was my first of MANY stories of us laughing together. I could quickly list a bunch of phrases like, "That's my own, personal flashlight!" or "Hunch!" But that would mean nothing to you all and I know your reading time is precious.

The bottom line: my childhood/adolescent years/college days/and life would not have been the same without her. She added the element of laughter to the darkest situations and allowed me to belly laugh, snort, and cry all at the same time.

She taught me the power of laughter in a person's life. (Among other things - you will meet her again down the road in other lights I am sure.)

This is actually a dual-purpose post today. I also wanted to introduce you to my blogging friend, Rachel. She is also a Godly friend of mine who understands the value of laughter. When I need a good chuckle, I can (almost) always just read through her comment section of her posts and read the friendly banter between her and her husband, Mr. Daddy.

Rachel hosts a meme on Tuesdays as well called, "True Story Tuesdays." If you are in need of some laughter, check it out! (I didn't want to just talk about laughter and not allow you to experience some!)

On a more serious note, she recently shared the loss of her niece with the blog world and in honor of her sister and her niece she is doing something special. If you would like to be a part of that, you can click here.

What have you learned from another wise woman? ALL of us can learn something from one another. Join in and then go read these posts!
**Please write your "Titus 2 Post" linking back to this post first and then enter your link below.**