Where had the time gone?

Gracious, time just keeps going, doesn't it? I feel like everyday that passes I want to pause and take a snapshot of it. Like if I could literally freeze time just for a few minutes a day so I could remember all of the precious seconds that slip by when I am busy baking, cleaning, wasting time on Facebook. Enough melodrama, moving on. Things haven't stopped in our lives so here is what we are up to. Big is taking violin lessons and really enjoying the easy pace they are learning at. Little is getting ready to start indoor soccer and grateful doesn't even begin to describe how excited I am for the word "indoor." No bugs, no grass, no rain, I can't even. Although his seven year-old little hearts passion is basketball we couldn't find a team to join so soccer will do for now. Matt is happy at is job which says a lot to me and makes him come home in a good mood, even if he is tired a lot of times.
Now, I am excited to share my news. I have been toying around with the idea that I am sure lots of SAHMs do all the time but I'm writing a book. It is actually a book series and have five total planned books for this series. There could be more down the line but we will just have to wait and see were this one goes. I am looking forward to lots of writing and editing. I am going to be babysitting for the next five months during the mornings and will hopefully be writing while the little guy is napping. So there is my exciting news. Can't wait for you to meet the family behind the red door.

Walking with Jesus

I have had some new likes on my blog page so I'd
thought I'd give an update. Things are feeling pretty good lately. We feel settled but in a good way. Like the wind blowing a porch swing on a fall day or the smell of a wood stove when you are walking in the snow. Last semester was great and a crazy adventure. I went back to work part-time, I went back to college and learned ASL (sign language) and I volunteered a few times a week. We started working with the youth at our church and life just feels calm. I am not sure how long it will last. Money still is stretching more than I would prefer, my kids still argue who is going to look in the mirror longer when they brush their teeth, our cars AC only works part of the time. But God is faithful through it all. I am hoping once school starts to begin something I have been quietly working on for a few years though. I have a book series that I have been planning. A few characters, locations, loves and some losses; so we will see how they play out. I have mostly just rambled but I wanted to let you know if you wanted to know. I am hoping to pop in here more now that things feel settled. Enjoy the spray of the sprinkler on these hot summer days.

The Potter's Lamb: It's Been A Year

The Potter's Lamb: It's Been A Year: Well, in all actually it has been more than a year but close enough. I am pretty fuzzy headed today, it has been a long week and now my swee...

It's Been A Year

Well, in all actually it has been more than a year but close enough. I am pretty fuzzy headed today, it has been a long week and now my sweet boy is sick but this has been on my heart for a while now. Our life has gone though a lot of changes in a year.  The spiritual changes have been more than I can count. Even though it has been ten years some people still see the old Brittany. The one who lived in sin, who made many bad choices and chose to have an affair, get pregnant and divorced. They don't see how Christ has changed me, humbled me. None of my own accord but from prayer and the Word of God. It makes me so sad when I see them out. They notice me and look away; I try not to let it hurt when I speak and they look past me and walk away. But I won't lie, sometimes it feels like a burn that you try and ignore and then the fire bites so bad you can only cry out. Thankfully we can cry out to the ultimate Comforter.  I hurt that they are missing out on forgiveness that has so freely been given to them. They are missing the peace that forgiveness brings and more than that they saying they they don't think Christ death and Resurrection was good enough for my sin. I always remind my sweet children one of my favorite quotes: Some people are so poor all they have is money. I think it could also be said that some people are so hurt all they have is hate. We cannot let our hate consume us or we are denying others the forgiveness we so desperately need.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

Happy Mothers Day to Future Moms!

I can't promise you anything. I can't promise you children screaming your name. I can't promise you  sleepless nights from an infant who only wants his mommy. I can't promise you little league pictures, last days of school or mother of the bride dresses. I can only offer word of hope and peace. Comfort when the Word of the Lord is the only place to find comfort. 1 Peter 1:3-5 says, "What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole" Take that promise that God is watching over you. He hears every heartache and sees every tear that falls. God's blessing makes life rich; nothing we do can improve on God. (Proverbs 10:22)
May next year you be woken up to shrill crying and if in twenty years the blessing of children never come, take heart in the one who has overcome the word. 

Reconciled to Christ

The past few weeks I have been convicted. The Holy Spirit just has overwhelmed me about who I am. I am no longer the person I was eight years ago. How lost I was! I didn't even know it. I hated myself and took it out on everyone, the people who loved me the most and I closed myself off from the Holy Spirit. What a lonely place to only have your heart to be your guide.
I have since been reconciled to Redeemer. He wooed me, patiently when I deserved to be cast off as the adulterer I was. Sexual sins are no worse on the sin scale but they tear your heart up more than most any sins since they usually leave other peoples hearts raw, broken.
I is a word I use too much. My journey is nothing with out Christ. He is the One who pulled me out of the darkest pit of my life. I learned so much and gained the most wonderful children from the time I was lost. There is no flow to the post just an outpouring of my heart to tell you that the Light of the world will end the darkest, deepest ocean floor of pain with just a repented heart willing to reconcile to Him.

Time for a Job Change

I am sitting at the computer again trying to think up ways to make extra money. I have had lots of ideas, some that are even pretty good, others that I may still try out. However, I realized that maybe the reason I am not making any money is because that is not what God has called me to do. Maybe he really did call me all the years ago when I dedicated my life to missions to serve on the missions field. So here I am 30, and deciding it's to finally listen and pull a Jonah! 

I am not exactly sure what I'll be doing and how much right away but I know I am called to serve and NOW is the time to start. I forgot to say where, did I? I know that is always important to find out where someone is! Joplin is where I'll be answering the call. The lost are here in this city and they are my neighbors. I was created to tell other people about Christ and His love and I can only do that by loving and befriending the people I see everyday. 

I'm kinda scared. I know who I'll seek out first. His family is the reason I was able to be drawn to Christ in the first place. Jay and Julie St. Clair are home to me. I know with their and my families support I know I will be able to serve Christ and fulfill my calling in life.

It's About That Time of Year!

If you are thinking back to school, then you are kinda right but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about my birthday! (Imagine me saying like Rapunzel in Tangled) It is a little over a month away and here lately I have really been struggling internally about birthday parties. I have no problem when people throw family birthday parties for their kids or when they scheme elaborate surprise parties that cost hundreds of dollar. Whatever works for your family is best for you.

 This year I'd like to invite everyone to celebrate my birthday! Wait, what? You live across the big ocean? We went to high school together and you always thought I was judge-y and weird? Yeah, that was true. But I want us to celebrate because I'm turning 30! We may have cake and I'll go out to eat with my family but I am thinking present right now! Guess what? I already know what I want! You are in luck because I am going to tell you.... Right now! I have two ideas for you. I'd like you to get some groceries and head to Watered Garden Rescue Mission and drop them off. They need everything right now. Don't worry about waiting for my birthday if you get paid tomorrow and it works better for you. You can also help by texting "Irescue1" to 501501 and make your $5 donation today. How easy did I make my birthday gift? 

Now for my friends who live further than a gas tank away from Joplin, MO, please help out your local mission. Here is a helpful link that you can just click on and it will help you locate the food pantries near you! 

So now that you know, let's make a difference! These are children, men and women in our home towns that are going to bed hungry and we can help!

Please if you decide to celebrate with me this year, I'd love to get pictures of your family dropping off food or supplies or even gift cards. Thanks so much for thinking outside the box this year!

Insecure

Have you been there? So insecure that you wonder if you'll ever have true friends or the people you think are your friends really like you. Where I am now, is where I am praying you will never be. Trying to be perfect is impossible but sometimes your heart just refuses to listen to logic. I even know why I have been trying to be perfect. I am trying to make up for my past. You know that past that is gone, that Jesus completely wiped cleaned, yeah that one. I am so insecure about it. I feel like people still see me as that girl who had an affair. Why can I not forgive myself when I know others have? I know the shackle of this sin is open but I just haven't been able to remove it. I wake up ever day and try and figure out how I can atone for my past. Who can I help, what can I clean, what can I give up to somehow cover up every wrong doing that has been shared by the gossip of many. So why am I blogging this, you may ask? Well the reason is two fold. One, I am working on handing this baggage over to The Lord. I have been searching His word and studying as I seek to turn this over to Him. This is way more difficult than I ever imaged it would be. Not because He isn't willing, but because every day I am having to give it back over and over again because my insecurities get the best of me. Second, I want others to know that people who may seem to have it all together struggle with a sin such as pride and forgiveness. My youth minister, my senior year of high school, said something to me that I'll never forget. I'll leave you with it: "What makes your sin so great that Jesus can't forgive you?"

Waiting to Live

It seems like here lately, all I have been doing is waiting. I have been waiting for the kids to get older so we can play more. I have been waiting for Graham to be in school so I can start a few projects I have in mind. I have been waiting to do pretty much anything big around the house in hopes that we will find out we get to move to the house we are trying to buy. Guess what, I am done waiting! I am going to keep living my life and let thing just happen. When the house people call, great but I am going to be busy cleaning and cooking and playing with the kids. I am not going to be sitting there by the phone, chewing my nails down.Graham is going to be along for the ride on my projects and we are going to have a blast. Things have not always turned out how I expected them so why sit around and wait? What if the house falls through? Would I just quit and stop living and existing? There for awhile it felt like that. I lost all my motivation to cook, clean even read! So, here I go! I am diving back into life. I am going to enjoy every second and make my time intentional! I am going to start budgeting and meal planning, making a list for my days and not letting Graham watch TV all day! Who's with me? Who wants to make everyday count?!

Giving Back!

This is totally huge for me! Since my 30th birthday is coming up... in like 5 months, I thought you might want to be prepared! *wink, wink* So today I decided that I wanted to think of some cool gifts since my awesome sister has been asking me for party ideas and I really like to be prepared!  This Christmas we were able to give some gifts in the kids name to the Gospel of Asia. It was really cool to know that the kids have gifts given in their name! 
So onto my birthday... this year I challenge you to think outside the box for your gifts! If you are wanting some new clothes, check out Sevenly! I got one of these shirts last year for Valentine's Day and I love it!
Each week they select a charity or people group who needs donations and they make these totally awesome shirts that go along with the way you are helping by purchasing one of this limited edition Tee's or Sweatshirts! Seriously, who doesn't love a great conversation piece shirt that helps other people!!! I know Tom's are all the rage but these are amazing! These orange Tom's are so cute and were collaborated with the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Lush is another awesome project that is helping to change people's worlds with purchase! They sell high quality skin care products that a portion goes to some really important charities. Their charity pots allow you the option to pick from a four organizations to help. 

If you want to find more gifts that you can ask for or gift for your friends and family, check out my pinterest board! I will be updating this and looking for more gifts we can give to make a difference!!!

New to Church

Today I watched a few new people at church. I am fairly certain I haven't seen them around but for some reason I was drawn to watching them. They were in my line of sight while singing so it wasn't like I was seeking them out. They looked mildly uncomfortable and for a few reasons they may have stuck out. They came in during the worship and people smiled and said hello as they made there way to their seats and I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for a "un-churched" person to enter into such a house of Worship. The music was loud and some people would be overly friendly just to make sure they weren't rude. 

What would it be like to have never been to church before? I noticed one guy kept looking around. Our church building is large and decorated very tastefully so I am guessing he kept thinking about how large it was and how high the ceilings were. I wonder what would go on in his heart as our preacher spoke about different walls that are put up in our society. How people groups stick with there own culture of people. 

Is the church showing Jesus to new comers? When people walk do we shove Jesus down their throat or do we make him so "pretty" that coming to Jesus is just like winning the lotto? I am not sure were we are as a Church right now, but I totally know were I want the church to be! I want people to see Jesus' love shining out when they walk in the door. Not overwhelming but pure, untainted compassion for what is going on his or her life. I wish I could have met the new people today but I had other and I was glad to see  others from the church were speaking to them. I hope they saw Christ's face when His church spoke to them today.

L'Oreal Paris Magic B.B. Cream Review!

Thanks to SheSpeaks and L'Oreal I was able to try their new Pairs Magic B.B. Cream! 
Let me start by saying I am not a huge make-up gal, but I loved L'Oreal's Paris Magic B.B. Cream! I was totally hesitant because it's name ever sounded strange to me, but it was great.
I started off fresh out of the shower with my squeaky clean face and squirted a small amount of the fair cream into my hands and gently covered my face and honestly, it looked like the $35 stuff my sister buys at the expensive store at the mall! I think magic totally fits the bill since my face looked smooth and flawless! I didn't have to reapply later in the day and my face never dried out or felt greasy. When I run out of the sample that SheSpeaks sent me, I am going to be running to the store to pick up some more! And for only around $10.95 a bottle you might just want to pick up your own shade too!

No More AWKWARD!

Have you ever been there? Maybe you know me personally and know that I can be awkward. Maybe you are awkward yourself. Seems to me, I end up in a lot of awkward situations but mostly I attribute that to God having an amazing sense of humor! Well, last night I had a dream and if you dream a lot like me, then you have some super weird dreams. My dream last night was pretty much the most amazing dream I have ever had. I am not sure if you are a Harry Potter movie fan like me but let's just say if you were Harry Potter and I was Snape, I'd give you my magical dream tears so you could have a glimpse of what I saw last night.
The setting was a long table and it was like a Thanksgiving meal with lots of people but no talking. I knew all the people in this dream. Three people other than myself stick out in the dream. One was a boyfriend from high school. He is a great Christian man who is married with kids and very happy. He smiled the whole dream. Also there was my ex-husband, smiling. He was sitting next to his wife and she smiled also. My husband sat beside me and we smiled. We passed food back and forth and smiled. Not a crazy, weird smile, it was a genuine smile. A smile that exuded peace and forgiveness. If you have never broken someone's heart, you won't know what I mean to have extreme forgiveness and I got it in the dream last night. There was no guilt!
The dream allowed me to experience a tiny bit of Heaven. I totally think there will be talking in Heaven unlike my dream. I believe that the joy and peace I experienced is totally real and true! I woke up and it was as if the feeling lightly faded but I will never forget how amazing it felt and I have to tell you, I am looking forward to being called home to Heaven even more!

Are You a Christian or a Christ-Follower?

Some would say that there is no difference, but lately I have heard about these "Christians" that keep being called out for bad behavior. I don't know some of these people and some are even celebrities who claim to know the One who created the stars but that is not for me to judge. Deciding if you are a Christian or a true Christ-follower is important.  Figuring it out means laying it all out there and seeing who you are choosing to be. Am I choosing to be a person who seeks Jesus and serving His people with every breath I breathe? Do I stop and think about where my money is truly going and if it is helping spread His good news to the broken hearted? Is my light shining in the darkness so that people know Jesus because of the love I have shown? Or do I go to church on Sunday and fight with my spouse all week? Do I quote scriptures out of context and enjoy make people feel guilty? Has my pride become so great that Christ no longer lives in me?
For me, it is a choice everyday to wake up and choose to have a relationship with Christ. To be a Christ-follower to me, means that I seek out the lost and the Word of the Lord comes out of me like a balm on a burn. Healing wounds that always come at much to high a cost. The cost of sin is never worth it but the light that Jesus shines in the darkest parts of our hearts cleans and washes away that pain. Is there someone who needs your love and grace today? Christ wants you to follow Him and show the lost the Way.

Salted Carmel Torani Syrup Review

I have to admit, I was super excited to be chosen to do a review on Torani Syrups again this year! As a member of the She Speaks Blogger Community this has been on of my favorite opportunities! This year I was thrilled to try out Salted Carmel and Peppermint! The Salted Carmel has now become a favorite in my household since we make our mock version of the hot chocolate from Starbucks.

These are also great to cook with! This next week I am using the peppermint in cookies to make the Candy Cane cookies for our family cooking party. I think we are going to borrow the recipe from a pinterest post I found here.


There are so much fun and while they smell great, the taste is out of this world! Make sure you check out some of the awesome recipes that that have at there Torani's website. When you are ready to step out and try some new flavor or you want to stick to faithful vanilla, you can get your own $1 coupon here.

I received two 750ml bottles of Torani Syrups plus a recipe booklet, 5 coupons for $1 off your next Torani purchase as part of a Blogger Community and all opinions are my own!

Different But The Same

We are almost settled since our move back to my hometown. Somethings feel so different, a lot has to do with the fact that a massive tornado destroyed a large part of a city that I will always claim as my hometown. People are different, too. Some see me at the mall and still see a middle school kid with last years coat and messy hair. (Honestly, though I have last years coat and my hair might not look like it has been combed this week...) We never had much money growing up. We weren't the kids who didn't know we were poor, we knew it but it didn't seem to bother us. I only remember one time thinking I wish we had more money up until high school.
So much is the same. We still don't have money. We moved here to be closer to my family and I felt God calling us to something different. I am still not sure what it is, but I know a lot of it has to do with humbling myself before Him and surrendering my will to His. Some may think it is weird, or even wrong but I prayed that God remove my greed by making us poor again.  So far, things are going slow. We have only been here less than a month and money is tight. But the Lord is faithful and provides everything that we need. We haven't gone without food and our account isn't in the negative but by allowing us to by free of excess money, it allow us to make more thought out choices with the money we do have. Is it worth it to go out to eat every week or would our money be better spent on groceries were we can invite families into our home? Are the cute jeans at the mall necessary? Of course not, the ones I have on now fit just fine.
Poor or wealthy makes no difference as long as the Lord is leading your life and serving His people is the calling of your heart.

Flaming Christian

Never have I been known to be politically correct, not because I would ever want to hurt someones feelings but just because things change so much. Someone is almost always offend by someone or thing. So I guess I'll just throw this out there: some people are flaming! Generally when someone says that we automatically think of the homosexual community but that is not who I am speaking of here. I am talking about a Flaming Christian. You know the people they don't have to say that Jesus Christ is Lord of their life but you know right away because how they carry his or herself. They walk into a room and people almost seem to gravitate towards them. They have a love for other people that just spills out of them. I want to be that person! I want to love others so much that people know that there is no room for judgement in my heart. John 13:34-35 ESV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (35) By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” How great would that be? When we are friends with God love just flows out of us!

Nothing to be Proud Of

Sometimes I get caught up in my pride. Hopefully you have never struggled with it. It's kind of weird how pride works. My pride usually hits me on things that if I was honest with myself, I don't really have a reason to be proud of. My struggles here lately have been how smart my daughter is, how adorable my son is, how cute my car is. I have even been prideful about weird things, like I gave up my iPhone and some cable channels to save money. How strange is it to be proud of giving things up? I haven't worked hard and lost 50 lbs, I haven't given the money I saved to the poor, I haven't been reading my Bible and studying like I want to. Pride can be blinding and make you over look the important things in life that truly matter. In the book of James it says, "God opposed the proud but shows favor to the humble." (James 4:6) Opposed by God doesn't sound so great in my book. So in truth, I'll look for ways to see God's hand in my life more and stop thinking of myself as I seek to serve Him with a humble heart.

"Little" Sins That Can Cost You BIG!

Yesterday, being the 4th and all brought back some memories. I don't have any that reflect on freedom but some that made me reminisce. Yesterday was my husband and my anniversary of our first date. It's special to us to just remember how much fun it was eating pizza and watching the fireworks as we felt butterflies in our stomachs. I honestly don't think he said more than 10 words the whole time during dinner!
  Yesterday, was also the 10 year anniversary of me being pulled over for the last time. I started reflecting on how much money I had saved by being a safe driver because if you know me personally you know I am very frugal! After checking out the web I see here I saved at least $161 for not even going 9 miles over! Even for not wearing your seat belt is $20. I can think of a lot of ways to spend that money or even better, save it!
 There are other "little" sins that creep into our lives that can cost us. While scripture doesn't come right out and say it, I believe gambling is a sin and feel like Hebrews 13:5 backs that up saying, " Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” As does Proverbs 28:22  ^"Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty." People who buy lotto tickets spend an average of $150 each year!
I wonder what other little sins are costing us big in life? Even being discontent in life adds up when we try and keep up with the Jones'...
I can't think of a better verse to leave you with than this: 1 Timothy 6:6 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth!"