Sibling Shirts Revealed

Before baby boy was born I posted this tutorial on making Sibling shirts.  

Here is how they turned out.

Baby boy was not much on the photo session

but as you can see Big Sister and Big Brother were right there to take care of him!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Up Next Week: 

Basement Organization Project 

Radical: David Platt

Radical by David Platt was not on my summer reading list.  I have heard A LOT about this book both positive and negative.  After reading Jenn Hatmaker's 7, I decided to read Radical for myself.  We had a copy of it in our home so I did not read this book on the Kindle app.  I actually flipped pages during nap times.

Like I said in the previous post, I am not an endorser of prosperity gospel or poverty gospel.  I believe there is a balance between the two that honors Christ.  There is a natural bent within humans to take things to the extreme and to point fingers at others who are not doing things the way that we think they should be done.

I can relate to David Platt's heartbeat for every nation to hear the Gospel.  I can relate to his challenge of making disciples.  I can relate to his belief in the sovereignty of God.  I think that Radical, for the most part is a good book and a good challenge.  I believe he paints some really big brush strokes that may or may not be true, but I can appreciate his work and his heart.

I encourage you to read it for yourself.  And if you are a believer, I encourage you to see other believers as "on the same team".  Unless a believer is doing something against the Word, we are all on the same team.  God chooses to use each of our talents and gifts in different ways and it doesn't mean that one is necessarily better than the other or more Holy.  I think we will all be surprised when we reach Heaven how short we truly fell.

"Don't try to get rich by extortion or robbery.  And if your wealth increases, don't make it the center of your life." Psalm 62:10 

1000 Gifts App

A book I loved is 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I learned so much about thankfulness through her writing and seeing the beauty in the small moments of life.  I was excited the other day to find out that there is a 1000 Gifts App.  Did you know this?

The App allows you to keep your list of 1000 Gifts right at your finger tips.  I used to keep my list in the notes section of my phone (and once it got deleted....sad day).  This App allows you to keep a running list.   If you are a picture person, you can link a picture to your gift as well.

You can share your "gifts" with others through email, text, twitter, facebook or flicker.

I have LOVED this App, as my phone is usually always close by (not so much for pen and paper).

Summer Reading List: 7

I don't know how I did this, but I finished not one 

but TWO books in the first 2 weeks of new baby's life!

Really, I know how I did it....

I read them on my Kindle for iPhone app.

Greatest invention EVER for moms who are up at night.

So like I told you in this post, I have a summer reading list. 

First Up: 7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

by Jenn Hatmaker

I read this book because several of my friends have read it and recommended it.
I also read it because Bloom Book Club did a series of videos with the author, Jenn Hatmaker
And I love reading books through with Bloom Book Club.

I am not an endorser of prosperity gospel nor am I an endorser of poverty gospel.
I believe there is a balance between the two that honors Christ.
I think it is incredible the "fast" journey that God took Jenn Hatmaker and her "Council" of seven girlfriends through.

I appreciate greatly her honest raw heart through this work and her ability to not "pin" this as a must for every reader.  She truly allows room for God to speak to the individual reader in areas of excess.  I believe her thoughts and words to be deep and personally heart felt.

I believe there are areas where her words can pierce deep into the hearts of the American church family.
I also believe there are times that she draws huge lines in the sand and groups every American church into one category and those parts I don't necessarily agree with her but I can still appreciate her work.

I believe we all live in excess.  I believe I live in excess.
But I also believe that we each can channel our excess to something beyond ourselves.
And that process will look different for each individual.
I DO BELIEVE there are American church families who are giving to causes greater than themselves.

I love this experiment.  I think God can personally tailor it for your life.


What My Seven Looks Like:

Food:  Shop at Aldi for a month.  What I save in groceries each week will not go into savings or eating out envelope, but will go to Nothing But the Truth Food Pantry.  At the end of the month I will take my kids to the store and buy with what we saved for kids in our county (who without school in session) have nothing to eat for the day.


Clothes: Clean out my and my husband's closet and give to a local church's  Clothing Closet.  I usually just donate to Good Will but Jenn encourages you to give to a cause.  I know this local church has a great ministry and I am thrilled to take our excess in.


Possessions:  We recently moved and I have a lot of stuff in the basement that I have not gone through and organized.
Stuff that I know I could sell in a garage sale but feel compelled to give toConexion 1040 (an organization that was birthed in the hearts of some of our dear friends).
One thing I am most excited about is giving my daughter's baby bedding to a family
 who will deliver a baby girl end of July.Can't wait to write our the story behind her bedding and the JOY it gives me to pass it along.


Media: Don't be on Internet while my children are awake.
I'll admit this is going to be hard....but I need and want to be present with them for the moments I have been given.


Waste: Buy a larger trash can for our recycle items.
We are great at recycling but lately it is running over and we need a bigger bin.
Use more plastic containers and less ziplocks to store food.


Spending:  I just need to be better all around with my Dave Ramsey envelope system.
 I have to make it a point to go to the bank and divide up the cash.  I CAN DO IT!


Stress:  NO PHONES at the dinner table, kids bed times, kids dates, or family worship nights.
We have a lot going on right now with some real estate properties and it feels like the phone always rings at these crucial moments with our children.
They need to see my husband and I present in the few hours we get each night.....
present with THEM!


Hope you get a change to read 7 and follow along with Bloom Book Club.
I feel I got a better understanding of Jenn Hatmaker
and her book through listening to her via Bloom Book Club Videos.

What we have been up to and what I am learning.

We welcomed Baby Owen into our family

May 30, 2013.

We are adjusting as well as can be.

I am learning A LOT.

1.  Laundry will NEVER be done

2. STUFF will forever be laying out and not in it's place

3. BOYS are different than girls

4. Discipline is HARD!  HARD!  HARD!

5.  Cleaning of our house will NEVER be complete in one day

6.  iPHONES were made for Mom's

7.  I can't please everyone

8.  Jesus is my ONLY way

9.  Do FUN things

10.  Give the dogs some GRACE

I think I "learned" all of these things 2 times before.....

BUT.....

I am learning them again!

#three3andunder