American Dream?

As New Years approaches (yes, it's approaching. There may be a 12 step program to help you get out of denial. And by "you" I mean "me". Haha). Anyways, as New Years is approaching I'm starting to think about my goals for my 31st year. I don't like the word "resolutions" but if you want to call it that you can. Resolutions, like most things these days has become commertialized. They consist of loosing weight (to become more like ,not to become healthy...), make more money/save more money (/be more greedy because God forbid we give more money...actually, God very much bids giving), find love (even though we already have it. Just gotta look up.), what else...oh quitting bad habbits (and avoid finding help for the reason behind why those bad habbits exist). Very rarely do I hear truly healthy resolutions. Sure the results can make you more physically healthy, but what are the motives?And here's a bigger idea: how many of these resolutions are God centered? The American Dream looks a lot like a resolution. You're thin, for sure, have money and lots of it...maybe several savings accounts not just one and money coming out your assets, you don't dare have any bad habits, you own a house, you have the fancy new gadgets and your kids are perfect. Here's what my American Dream looks like. I'm so thankful just to have a roof over my head, $20 in my purse for play money for the next two weeks, food in the cupboards. I feel rich to have a smart phone and a car and a t.v. and a bed to sleep on. Friends of mine are sleeping on a futon matress on the floor tonight and there's a 16 year old mom with a 9 month old baby sleeping in her car too afraid to spend the night in a shelter for fear they'd call CPS to take her baby away. There are people right next door to my house in the basement of our church who are homeless. My American Dream might not be much but it's certainly God seeking and I am rich. I'm concerned that it will be harder for me to get to heaven than for that camel to go through the eye of a needle.

My husband and I had a discussion about soluting the American flag. Honestly I have a hard time. For me the government is ran by people who are bought by other people living "the American Dream" and are certainly not my voice. I'm dissapoitned in my countrymen. As priveleged as we are to be living in America I think we do a real shotty job of taking care of eachother. So my American Dream has nothing to do with America. And it certainly has nothing to do with money or looks. There's a reason the bible says you can't serve two masters, both God and money. By "money" did he mean the "devil"?

So after all this babble you're probably wondering what my New Years goal is?Give more. Love more. Be self less.

So wanna see something cute?



That's my American Dream



And so is that.

Amen?

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Thanksgiving

There are many things to be thankful for any day of the year. Thanksgiving responses of thankfulness bring out thanks for family, friends, God, salvation. Etc. But today I'm thankful for the little things.

My son was sick last week and my prayer was, "Lord, please keep me from being sick for Thanksgiving. I already don't get to enjoy the traditional food rituals packed full of yummy gluten because of this new dietary restriction (more like jail) so please let me feel good. Amen". It was a selfish prayer. I know. But God wants to fulfill the desires of our heart. This I really know. And God answered my prayer. The day after Thanksgiving I started to feel my sinuses fill up and a chestal cough rise up making me sound like a 90-year-old chain smoker. So today as I blow my nose and become miss-coughs-a-lot I am reminded of my answered prayer and how truly thankful I am for a God who answers me when I call.

On to this gluten free thing...I could choose to be bitter over this new change in life-style. It really is a change in my life. I can't eat out easily anymore, or participate in my great grandmother-in-laws cherry pie. But I have a supportive, encouraging family and wisdom from others who live this life-style. They tried every gluten free item I baked and lifted me up for the good job I did *eh hem*. I get to try new recipes and use the gluten free diet change as an excuse to get those big ticket applyances I've been wanting for years (like a kitchenaid mixer, new bread machine and a vitamix Haha) because now I must become a bakery owner. We live on a very limited income and I could chose to be depressed over the cost of gluten free cooking as one loaf of bread is $5. But my frugality insticts tell me there's other solutions. I could chose to be bitter over the 4 batches of pie crust I threw out to get to the one gluten free pie that was worth eating...barely...or I could chose to be thankful for being able to eat and not starve like many people across the world do on a daily basis including holidays.

So today I'm thankful for the small things which I could easily be just as bitter for. Chosing to see the glass more full than empty is a daily experience for me. Without God my glass would be empty but He fills my cup up daily.

Thank you for you God.

posted from Bloggeroid

Remember me?

Well I've been quiet lately. (which is very unusual for me). We went to the Casting Crown's concert


(That was the best pic we got lol)

The next week we were in Levenworth







The next week was Halloween







I've been making applesauce for a month now, not to mention pumpkin butter and now gluten free recipes (more about that on another post another day)





And it's Thanksgiving already?! Holy time flies Batman! If I blink it'll be Christmas! It's already snowed



Isaac woke up that morning and said, "Daddy! You made it snow! Good job daddy." Ah that kid melts my heart. And he loves his Daddy







I love his daddy too. He took me to see Breaking Dawn tonight. What a man I tell you!

How are you doing?

posted from Bloggeroid