I Use This Everywhere

Hence the name "Clorox Everywhere Hard Surface Daily Sanitizing Spray". Quite the name, and quite the product! 

I Love this stuff, especially with having kids, but it's good for anyone! Spray it on any hard surface (I admit i've used it on cloth surfaces too, and everything turned out ok), and you're good to go. It's great for kids, just spray down their toys and let it dry or wipe it off, either way and it's sanitized for the next use! I also used it on the high chair and booster seat all the time. It's safe around kids too. 

There's my product I like for the month. :)

What's better than Sacrifice?

I recently decided to get a Holiday job... pick up a few hours at a local store to keep on top of things over the Holiday's... I feel like a high schooler all over again. :)

So the topic of Sacrifice has been on my mind. We talk about this topic a LOT in our campus ministry... in order to do anything significant in this world it means sacrifice usually has to happen somewhere. 

As I was reading today, In Prov. 21:3 it says "To do what is right and just is MORE acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." This is so good. So many times we choose to do something that is convenient at the time, or that feels good at the time, over doing the right or just thing... which usually brings us to a point of needing to sacrifice at a later time to make up for it (ex. buying something on a credit card). But if we just chose from the start to do what is Right and Just, that is more pleasing to God... and usually a sacrifice isn't necessary, you can enjoy the fruits of the good decision.

Just wanted to leave you with that thought for the day. So I'm not asking today "what do you need to sacrifice" but I am asking "what is something you can choose to do today that is right and just, for the Glory of God?"

Follow up to Halloween Question

Great response from everyone! Thanks!

I personally grew up "celebrating" Halloween... as in dressing up and trick or treating, carving pumpkins, etc. I have some great memories of that! (Ross is convinced he never carved a pumpkin until last year, I find that hard to believe)

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert in the area, but in researching it looks like Halloween started as a time to worship the dead, ghosts and evil spirits so they won't get mad. People would sacrifice animals & more, and try to appease them. Then when the the traditions moved to America it took on a new meaning, yet still having the same superstitions of dressing so evil spirits don't recognize them, and leaving food/sweets out by their door to appease the ghosts/evil spirits. Slowly turning into a fun time for kids to run around disguised to get treats and such.

I think it is wise to know why we do what we do. I think there are spiritual implications to everything we do. I don't want to be ignorant to the original intent of why we celebrate the things we do. I also believe God can redeem anything. So I think with me and my family I want to be wise and know why we do what we do, and make sure we have purpose to what we do.

I have no problem with dressing up, and getting/giving candy from neighbors, and carving pumpkins... I just want to make sure my kids know why, and that we set ourselves apart from worldly traditions. We aren't doing it to appease evil spirits, or hide from them. I see this as a chance to be creative and silly and make sure we are pleasing God, not trying to appease the devil. As long as your conscience is clear before God and you do everything to honor Him, we can bring God's redemption to the holiday and turn what was meant for evil into good.

Practically I think this can be done by honoring God with how we dress, but serving/blessing others and by praying to God, and do all things to bring Him pleasure, not praying to spirits or the dead or being concerned with pleasing them. I think this also means not glorifying death, witchcraft, or fear (in costumes/haunted houses/ etc). Let's not be ignorant, and avoid truth, but be knowledgeable and bring redemption to these areas!

Those are just some of my thoughts...

Halloween: Spooky or Cooky?

Growing up in a church, I have heard several different opinions about Halloween. I would like to know your thoughts!

Do you think Halloween is a holiday Christian's shouldn't be involved with?
If Christian's do get involved what is ok, what is not?

Do you celebrate Halloween? Party? Costume? Trick or Treat? Animal Sacrifices? :)

What have you been taught about Halloween? What would you teach your kids about it?

I've been taught several different things, from we can redeem the holiday and just have a costume party/ reason for fellowship... to don't even associate with it since it began as a pagan holiday of worshiping the Devil. Of course it's near impossible in America to avoid anything Halloween because it is one of the highest selling holiday's, candy, costumes, party supplies...etc.

I want to hear your opinions, then I'll share mine!

My Go To Book

Besides the Bible... I have a few books that I frequent. When I first found out I was pregnant with my oldest I didn't even know where to begin to look for baby help. I was recommended many books, but the 2 most helpful were Baby Wise and Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, thanks Hope! 

So my product today that I am promoting is Baby Wise. They have a whole line of books that are written for their specific developmental stages. I reference these books more than any other, and so far I have found them to be the most helpful.  

I have heard many differing opinions about these books through the years, from it being to strict and unrealistic, harsh or things like that... all I gotta say is you gotta find what works for your baby. Every baby is different. I can speak from experience with that. But I still believe there are basics and great principles and tips you can pull from Baby Wise. That is also one of the reasons I liked reading the Secrets book in addition, because it brought some balance. 

Unfortunately kids don't come in specific manuals, or instructions (that would be awesome though).  So when all else fails I go to the book and implement what I read. More often than not, within a few days I find that it works... it takes patience and a strong will, but it can happen! If you are in the baby rearing stage, don't get discouraged! Stages come and go. My biggest encouragement: Ps. 30:5 "weeping may last in the night, but joy comes in the morning."

There will be break through, you will get a full night of sleep again, they will figure out how to eat well, you will be able to truly enjoy your children, I promise (I am speaking to myself here too, so don't think for a second I have it all together, haha)!! 

Sticks and Stones...

I'm sure you all grew up hearing the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt them." 

I have come to the conclusion that the above phrase is far from the truth. Words have power to them, and we must learn how to tame our tongues.

As it says in Proverbs  The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

I can't even begin to explain how many people, including myself, I have had to work with in ministry and friendship relationships where one or more ruthless words were spoken over them, and it caused a drastic change in who they were as a person, and how they view reality. 

I don't want to teach my kids that saying. We need to realize how much power is behind the words we speak... and are spoken to us. If something was said to you that effected who you are as a person, how you see reality now, you need to address it and not just say that old saying  "I'm rubber. You're glue. What you say bounces off me and sticks to YOU." Because in reality, words to stick, they stick and begin to build up until they come flooding out one day. 

Let's be a people who speak life over people, not death. Let's be a people who deal with what has/ will be spoken to us, repent for believing lies, forgive people, and not walk through day to day life believing what ignorant people say, but believing what our Creator, God says about us. 

Bedtime Battle Breakthroughs!

The boys have been sharing a room for a couple month now and it's been a battle to get them to settle down each naptime and nighttime to sleep. But here and there I get break through. They only take 1 afternoon nap at the same time now, so I have Eli in a pack n play in the guest room for that one, other than that it's official that they are roommates now. 

It took a while for us to figure out the most effective way to get them to bed, and I think we finally did! We put Eli in there first, around 7pm, and give him time to settle down and fall asleep. He's usually out by 7:30, so that is the time we start getting Aiden ready. We read to him in the guest room and pray in there, and started "whisper time" after reading. This gets him in the quiet mode to then go in his room and quietly lay down for bed. It took a few weeks of being consistent with discipline to get him not to wake Eli up to play, but I think it's finally sticking! There were a few weeks there where they would keep each other up until like 9 or 9:30, but now it's usually quiet in there by 8:30 if Eli happens to wake up. Finally!

Aiden did the cutest thing one night.  They were quiet for a while so I thought they had gone to sleep, then I heard Aiden jumping in his bed. I went in and he laid down real fast, then I went over to Eli's crib to try to get him back to sleep and he was holding  a monkey. 

Aiden had obviously given him the stuffed animal... the cute thing is that Aiden has slept with a stuffed animal monkey since he was about 10 months old and he went to the toy bin and got this one out for Eli and he told me "Eli needs a monkey too." 

I love it. I think it's gonna be worth these tough few months to help break down the selfishness that arises when sharing a room, ultimately for a life time of brothers who love each other and enjoy each other. 

If you haven't seen a picture of their room yet, you can see it here if you click through this album.  (It's a Knights and Castle theme with a quote from the awesome book Wild At Heart)

I Can't Get Enough

Many of you share my love for Chick-fil-a, or atleast know how much my hubby and I love that place. I just can't find anything to complain about with that company (besides too many calories in the milkshake), but worth the flavor!

Anywho... This past Monday (Labor Day) I don't know if you heard, but they had free Chicken Strip Day if you wear a College Logo'd T-Shirt! All you had to do was walk up to the counter or go through the drive thru and if you had a college shirt on they would just hand you a box of their new, bigger 3 pack of Chicken Strips! So we decided to not only go for lunch that day, but we made a trip for Dinner too! haha. 

Not only was that an awesome treat and blessing, but I totally enjoyed my experience there. The Chick-fil-a nearest my house always has a little treat for Babies and Toddlers for free... a little tub of Cheerio's! So that kept my little one happy the whole time. My big kid loves their play area the most. And here's the best part to me- they have little single use Purell hand wipes available for the high chairs and near the play area- what could be better?

Seriously, I have yet to find a fast food chain like this one. Sorry to rub it in for my international friends reading this (or those outside the Southern US for that matter). 

Keep doing what you're doing Chick-fil-a, you got a fan!

Overtired... Fact or Fiction?

The concept of a baby or kid being overtired was something my husband and I still don't get. But let me put those rumors to rest... Overtired is NOT a myth... it is real- oh so real!

So what does Overtired look like?

A screaming kid. A whiny kid. A kid who Can't fall asleep.

What? You may be asking, how does that work... they are too tired, so they can't fall asleep?

Yes. We found out about this concept pretty quickly when our oldest kid was newborn and it still holds true to today, over 2yrs and 9 mo. later.

I think it is similar to the adult version of getting a second wind. When you feel that slump and want to fall asleep so bad, but then miss that window of opportunity and when it's time to finally sleep you're wide awake, but grumpy (sometimes). haha.

So how can you fix this overtired problem?

Put them to naps or bed earlier. Right now we have our youngest going to bed at 7pm, and the oldest around 7:45. A lot of people think that is too early, but not for my kids! If they go to bed much later than that, somehow they take longer to fall asleep and/or they end up waking up earlier the next morning. It seems so backwards.

So what is my point? I am just trying to give some motherhood advice. Put those kids to bed! I have a new saying for my 2 yr old... when he whines, I tell him: "when you whine to me it tells me you are tired, so you need to go lay in bed until you are happy." For my little one... it surprises me still how much sleep they really do need.

Sometimes I think this concept is real for me too...

Suggestions Please!

I got an iTunes gift card for my birthday over a month ago from some great friends and just can't figure out what is worth using it for. I have gotten so out of the loop music wise since I have a toddler now and we mainly listen to VeggieTales and Bible songs on CD.

What songs are on your top 10 right now?  What is a must download? I like all types of music... except twangy country. :)

Words of Wisdom

Now that I am getting up there in age (ha!), I thought I would share some truths that have influenced my life in powerful ways. As always, I invite and welcome feedback!

I first heard this from my former college campus pastor, Gabe. When it hit me right between the eyes and sunk into my heart, the way I thought about things, and reacted to things, and handled things changed forever. It is the concept of being Character Driven versus Emotion Driven. A concept that has been long lost in this generation. Here is what I mean:

Character Driven people: 

Do right, feel good

Are Commitment driven

Make Principle based decisions

Actions control Attitude

Believe then See

Create Momentum

Asks, what are my responsibilities?

Steady

Leaders

Emotion Driven people:

Feel good, then do right

Are convenience driven

Make popular based decisions

Attitude controls actions

Have to See to Believe

Wait for Momentum

Asks, what are my rights

Moody

Followers

Which category do you fall under? Which do you wish you had more of? 

What Are Your Thoughts?

My hubby had a great post today, he does Saturday Smackdowns and usually throws somebody/something under the bus in a search for truth and justice... here is his latest on Social Justice Issues, such as Abortion... read here and tell me your thoughts!

Ross' Saturday Smackdown

Mountain Top Moments

It's been a while, I was doing great blogging, but life caught up with me and I've been real busy lately... I hope to make this blog more of a priority as my schedule evens out soon. Anywho... Just got back from being guests at a youth retreat where my hubby got to speak and I got to help lead small groups. It got me thinking about those Mountain Top experiences we get in our lives.

So many times we go on a retreat, or to a conference, or just have an amazing quiet time. And the experience with God may get you pumped up for a few days, or weeks even... but how can we become more consistent? How can we "keep the candle burning" as Wilson Philips sings? (yes I did just reference Wilson Philips!)

I have a few thoughts.

Meet God on the Mountain Top, every day! Sure you "met" Him during that experience at a conference, etc... but we need to continue to go meet with him. SPEND TIME WITH GOD CONSISTENTLY! (I am preaching to myself here too). Yeah it's hard work. Mountains are steep, hard to walk and take time and energy. But it's always worth it, isn't it? I'm using it as an analogy here if you didn't get it. Think of every day taking the time to go up on that "mountian" with God. Seek him in your room, or wherever you do it... and know going into it that it's not always going to come easy, so pace yourself (meaning, add it into your daily schedule).

Get Accountable. I don't know about you, but if I don't have someone asking me the tough questions, or checking my blind spots... it's not gonna happen. We all need a wing-man (or wing-woman). We need someone with an outside perspective that can show you your weakness, and can encourage you to overcome it. If your weakness is consistent time with God... make them hold you to it, and vice versa. Make a commitment to yourself and/or with another person to not turn the TV on or Computer on until you have spent your time with God.

Push Through. You may not feel that tingly sensation EVERY time you sit down and read the Word or pray or worship God. But don't give up! Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. That means we have to fight for this relationship with God. We are not always going to feel like it, we are not always going to want to put in the effort to make it to the top of that mountain. But we have to meet with Him if we want Him to meet with us. We have to be forceful and approach His throne with confidence. Just like you have to fight to keep up your friendships, you gotta fight for this one even more. 

When was your last Mountain Top Experience? Any advice to keep the candle burning? 

Favorite Sporting Event?

What is your favorite sporting events to watch?

I would have to say hands down, the most under-rated, most exciting and most unique is the X games. I LOVE the X games! My favorite would have to definitely be the Winter X Games, but summer X Games is pretty fun too. (It's on right now if you haven't noticed)

One thing I look forward to as my boys get older, is their love for the X Games growing.... One of my goals is to take them to the Winter X Games one day when they are older. I would LOVE if they were actually in the events themselves, but I'll be happy watching with them from the side lines too. :) I have already noticed with Aiden when I flip through the channels on TV if an event from the X games is on, he immediately says "STOP!" Love it!

What's your favorite? College football? Olympics? Gymnastics? Ice Skating? Cheerleading Competitions? Golf? I do appreciate all of those, but none compare with X Games for me. :)

Summertime Memories

What were some of your favorite Summer memories growing up?

Here are a list of a few that came to my head. I like getting fresh ideas for not only myself, but so we can start some traditions with the boys.

- Camping & Tubing down rivers
- Drive In Movies (my brother and I would lay in sleeping bags on top of my parents mini-van) so fun!
- Slumber parties, ALL the time.
- POOL DAYS
- Summer vacations... at least one significant trip a summer (NY, DC, Grand Canyon, Vegas, Smokey Mountains, ATL, Keys, Bahamas, to name a few)
- BBQs all the time
- NO SCHOOL
- Summer Camps (Volleyball, Art, Youth Group, etc)
- Busch Gardens & Adventure Island (we lived near it)
- BEACH DAYS

Elmo's Potty Video = Hilarious!

I found this video, and used it to inspire my kid to actually go #2 in the potty. He has got the #1 down pat, but he has this thing about hiding under tables, beds or piano benches to go #2. But alas, today he finally did it, and actually initiated it! 

So you gotta see this music video- it will surely make you laugh! Welcome to my world!

My Story. part 1

This is my story and I'm sticking to it. 

I've been wanting to really put into words what exactly God has done in me through the years. From when he first grabbed a hold of my heart and how it has brought me to where I am today. This will probably turn into a few different posts because I don't know if I can sum it up quickly- there is just too much. I hope you can find some common ground with me in this journey of new beginnings in me.

I'll begin in high school, where I feel like I "met" God for the first time. Don't get me wrong. I grew up in church, very involved in pretty much every aspect church offers, and knew "of" God; but that is way different than knowing God. I was one of those kids that had "frequent alter miles", whenever there was an alter call to "accept Jesus" I was there. But I never felt different. It never sunk in to my heart to actually consider it an encounter with the one true living God. I know this now because I have had that experience. I have had a powerful encounter, and now I will never be the same. I don't think you have met God unless it brings a change in your life. Here's the kicker, it's not about just having an encounter with God either. It's not just about meeting him. It's about what you do once you meet him. Do you get to Know him, do you as a person change? Or do you shake his hand and walk away with the attitude of "I'll just see ya later, when I might need you."? 

A few years ago I found one of my diaries from when I was in 8th grade. I read one of the entries. It said something along the lines of there's gotta be more than this. I feel like I'm missing something. I feel like when I read the Bible like "I know I should" it just doesn't make sense. I want to understand what I am reading. I want to know what God is all about. I just don't know where to start. I was in a youth group then, and at this point we had some great youth leaders. In fact I sought out the wife of our youth director back then and asked her how I can get deeper with God. Then they had to move away. And the pursuit of God ended for me (for a while). That was also the summer I was heading into high school- and oh the distractions began. 

I think I funneled my pursuit of God into my pursuit of curiosity, boys and popularity. It all began when I got my braces off (up to that point, I was queen of the dorks, haha). You may laugh at this, but literally that day I got my first kiss. I was a sophomore. And a popular junior kissed me . That was about when I figured out how to mute my conscience. I still had that voice inside me saying "woah, I don't think you can handle this... back off" but the more I ignored that voice, the more I stopped feeling guilty. I went quickly from being the little girl with crushes and swooning with my girlfriends about the cute boy, to manipulating and finding a way to actually get the attention I wanted. 

I can see my hunger for attention and my manipulation started when I was way younger too... just read this story. Ha! Anywho. Looking back now, I see I was sad, lame and pathetic. I began to care more about what people thought of me, caring about my popularity and attention from guys, than being known for something honorable and with integrity. It boils down to the fact that I wanted to be known. I was subconsciously filling this need to be known with friends and guys, while all along the only thing that could satisfy that was being Known by God, the one who knitted me in my mother's womb- cells, bones, and personality. 

Stay tuned for part 2, where I share how I went from my first kiss, where I found that mute button... to some crazy days leading me to my encounter with Jesus.

Stepping Into The Future

I just signed up my 2 boys, ages 2.5 and .5 for their first email accounts. How strange is that? Feel free to send them some fun emails.

aidenmiddleton [dot] gmail [dot] com

elijahmiddleton [dot] gmail [dot] com

I just saw a special on TV and a 6 year old girl was typing 80 WPM- Just watch out, Aiden will beat that by 3! haha. 

You Say It's Your Birthday... nah nah nah nah nah nah nah

Well, it's my birthday too, yeah! (that was way dorky, sorry!)

I had the pleasure of sleeping in today! Thank you to my mom coming to visit!! Anywho, I was just thinking about it, and I have acutally been pretty excited about my birthdays all my life (who doesn't love a day to celebrate life?!) I get excited about most people's birthdays for that matter. 

Here's my question though, when should I start not looking forward to them? My sis-in-law's birthday is a few days away, and I was in the card aisle and could hardly find a card that didn't crack a joke at hating getting older and being depressed. 

I love birthday's... I still love my birthday- is there something wrong with that? What age am I "supposed" to start hating them? This is my 27th and I'm happy! :) 

Finally!

The boys have been sharing a room for a couple month now and it's been a battle to get them to settle down each naptime and nighttime to sleep. But here and there I get break through. They only take 1 afternoon nap at the same time now, so I have Eli in a pack n play in the guest room for that one, other than that it's official that they are roommates now. 

It took a while for us to figure out the most effective way to get them to bed, and I think we finally did! We put Eli in there first, around 7pm, and give him time to settle down and fall asleep. He's usually out by 7:30, so that is the time we start getting Aiden ready. We read to him in the guest room and pray in there, and started "whisper time" after reading. This gets him in the quiet mode to then go in his room and quietly lay down for bed. It took a few weeks of being consistent with discipline to get him not to wake Eli up to play, but I think it's finally sticking! There were a few weeks there where they would keep each other up until like 9 or 9:30, but now it's usually quiet in there by 8:30 if Eli happens to wake up. Finally!

Aiden did the cutest thing one night.  They were quiet for a while so I thought they had gone to sleep, then I heard Aiden jumping in his bed. I went in and he laid down real fast, then I went over to Eli's crib to try to get him back to sleep and he was holding  a monkey. 

Aiden had obviously given him the stuffed animal... the cute thing is that Aiden has slept with a stuffed animal monkey since he was about 10 months old and he went to the toy bin and got this one out for Eli and he told me "Eli needs a monkey too." 

I love it. I think it's gonna be worth these tough few months to help break down the selfishness that arises when sharing a room, ultimately for a life time of brothers who love each other and enjoy each other.