
We had a lovely Thanksgiving last week. We went to my parents' house and Derek's mom came with us. We ate a lot of food and too much pie, played the A Christmas Story game (you know, like the movie?), and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. And now we have apparently charged full-speed ahead in the countdown for Christmas. I'm still trying to get my bearings. No matter how hard I try to plan ahead, Christmas always manages to catch me a little by surprise each year.
Speaking of surprises, I'm working on a freebie for all of you who are regular readers of my blog (hopefully will be up tomorrow), so I'm going to keep this "currently" short and sweet.
Wrapping...nothing. All the presents arrived in the mail this week, so now I just need to buckle down and get them wrapped! I actually don't enjoy wrapping presents very much. I wish I did, but there are just so many to wrap, it gets overwhelming. I'm going to be recruiting Derek to help me tonight while we watch a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Lighting...Christmas candles. Weirdly, my favorite ones this year are not from Yankee Candle, as per the norm, but instead I'm really enjoying some that I found at TJ Maxx. They have some great scents, and the candles are cheaper than Yankee, so that's a plus! Anything pine scented is my favorite this time of year.
Baking...also nothing, but I am hoping to start on ginger cookies this week. I've learned over the years to keep my Christmas baking to a minimum. I'm always tempted to try a bunch of new recipes, but when I do that I tend to just get overwhelmed. I may bring one new recipe into the rotation though, if things ever slow down enough. I'm thinking some sort of candy recipe.
Sending...a present to my lifelong penpal, Felicia. Keep an eye out, friend! I'm also waiting for photos to arrive in the mail so I can start sending Christmas cards in earnest. I decided this year to just use the boxes of Christmas cards I have collected over the years with a photo tucked inside, instead of our usual photo Christmas card. It's actually been less complicated and stressful this way, not to mention less expensive since I'm using cards I already have!
Enjoying...quiet days at home, especially if it's snowing like it is today. So far the first week of December has been chaotic and a little stressful, but today we have the whole day stretched out ahead of us. We might read some Christmas picture books or bake something or do a Christmas craft. It feels like the world is my oyster when I have a quiet day at home to work with.


Linking up here!

I have been struggling a bit in my devotion time this year.

Do you play with your kids?

(One of my favorite pictures ever of Derek and me, taken at our maternity session with Clarice. Derek thought the pose was awkward, so he stuck his nose into my cheek and sniffed, which made me crack up laughing. We are that couple. Also, you see where Clarice gets her nose-scrunching.)
Last week I admitted that I watch the Bachelor, and I told you the main reason why. Do you want to know one of the secondary reasons? All that ooshy-gooshy stuff reminds me of the days when Derek and I were the ones with the shining eyes that go along with young love.
1. Mornings go better when you start with Bible time.
I used to always do my personal devotions in the morning, but somewhere between the first child and the third, the desperate desire for sleep took over. For the last couple years I have been letting the kids wake me up in the morning. When I do that, I have to jump right into dressing and feeding three little people, and by the time I am finished all thoughts of finding a quiet place for morning devotions have evaporated from my mind.
I have been trying for the last month to do better about getting up before the kids come traipsing into my room in the mornings. Even if I only beat them by fifteen minutes, I feel so much more rested and in control of the day when I start with a quiet time with the Lord. And on the days when I succumb to temptation and hit snooze, I can tell the difference.
Why have I not been buying fresh flowers for the kitchen table for years? I was forced into buying some flowers earlier this month, then I was given some flowers for my last day of work (that's a whole other story - I'm sure I'll be telling you all about it soon). Between those two bouquets, there have been flowers on the table for most of the month - and I love it! It has brought a little springtime into my life while I wait for the outside to catch up. Pink flowers are my personal favorite, even though they don't go with my dining room colors.
3. Current country music stinks.
I used to be a fan, I really did. Back when all the greats were in their heyday, when they sang about family and love stories and hometowns and love of country. But now every time I take a chance and turn the dial to a country station, all I hear about is drinking and hooking up and revenge and how some girl looks in tight jeans. No thank you. Let me know when country artists grow up again and use their words to portray something other than hormonal teenagers.
Scotty Mcreery, you are the one exception that I can find right now. Stay wholesome.
4. That whole "hot coals" thing works.
Here is the verse, just in case it's been a while since you've read it.
I am not going to go into the whole story, but let's just say I felt a little wronged by someone recently (not my family, so don't think that). So I bought them food, just because, and you should have seen how nicely I was treated after that. Now don't go heaping coals on anyone's head expecting anything in return, because you won't always get seeming evidence of a change of heart. But you know what you will get? A reward from the Lord, and that is something special. Scripture is true, guys.
P.S. I love Proverbs.
5. You can have a "midlife crisis" in your twenties.
I always think of a midlife crisis as a time when you are having an identity crisis. Identity crises are not always tied to aging; they can happen any time a part of your identity is threatened or removed. I have been a little lost the last month or two, because I feel like part of who I am (dental hygienist) is no longer as certain as it has been for the past seven years. And this is a whole post that I have in my drafts, so stay tuned.
6. I have a book problem.
I am in the process of redecorating our room, and we bought a new bed and nightstands, which forced me to remove all the books from the "to-read" pile that had accumulated in my old nightstand.
Those are all the books I have yet to read. And yet I still keep buying more. And signing up for more reviews. It's like a sickness.
7. Springtime doesn't have to be so bad.
Usually I am not a fan of springtime, at least not where I live. The mountains get yucky and muddy this time of year. Spring has always been my least favorite season. However, this could be the year that changes my mind about springtime. It's been gorgeous outside for most of March and April, which is highly unusual. Despite the fact that the lack of moisture (i.e. snow) is concerning, I have to admit that I am finally starting to see the appeal of springtime. It's pretty exciting to see God's creation come to life like it has this year, and it makes me appreciate His creativity more!
Did you learn any lessons in April?
(Also linking up my lessons with Chatting At The Sky.)
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I am so thrilled to be co-hosting the Faith and Fellowship linkup with Susannah from Simple Moments Stick! I have been following Susannah's blog for a few years, and she now has an adorable five month old boy. She and I also have a mutual real-life friend (hi Ashley!), and when I realized this, the song "It's A Small World After All" might have played in my mind.
It's been so fun to watch Susannah's family and blog grow as I've been following over the years, and her Faith and Fellowship linkup is one of my favorites (and one of the few that I've actually participated in since Clyde has been born!
If you have written any faith-related posts in the last week or so, this is the linkup for you! Check it out!
2. Put the button on your blog post or blog so that others can hear about this wonderful group of Godly women.
3. Visit as many blogs as you're able and get to know your sisters in Christ!
Your Host:






GBTB-What I'm Passionate About from Callie on Vimeo.
Linking up with The Girl Behind The Blog link-up here.




You can follow me on Pinterest here.
I have a really hard time thinking of things to feed Wyatt. I just do.
I'm not sure why this is, but we get stuck on the same old foods, over and over again. It doesn't help that Wyatt is a bit of a picky eater right now, but I'm trying to think of more things that I can try to feed him. And honestly not having much luck.
That's why when Melanie at Country Roads mentioned doing a link-up on foods that we feed our toddlers, I was all for it! I'd love to get some more ideas and share about the things that actually do work for us!
So on October 2nd, Melanie and I will be co-hosting a link-up on the subject!
Any post that you want to write about baby and toddler food will qualify for the link-up!
Do you make your own baby food? Tell us about it!
Do you have a balanced menu planned out for your child from day-to-day? Please share your secrets!
Do you have a picky eater? How do you get them to eat what you offer them (or are you still trying to figure that out)? Share some tips (or feel free to ask for some advice)!
Is your baby too young for solids yet? Describe your baby-food plan for when they start!
Do you know of some great recipes or ideas for kid food? Share!
Are you stuck in a rut like I am? Tell us what your go-to meals are and then browse for more ideas!
I'm really excited to see what you all feed your kids regularly, because I'm really hoping to glean some ideas from all of you! So if you have a kid who eats, write up a post about what you feed them and link up on October 2nd!
My final tip would be do know when it’s time to let someone go.
This “tip” is less on friendship itself, and more on keeping your sanity and dignity when a friendship is just not working.
You should not be the only person making an effort. You should not have to deal with repeated backstabbing. You should not have to deal with repeated insulting or insensitive comments or actions on the part of your “friend”. Some people are not good friends, and will never be good friends. Some people forget how to be good friends. You do not have to keep trying to be friends with someone who is repeatedly hurting you, intentionally or neglectfully.
Sometimes you need to let them go.
It doesn’t mean you aren’t being a good friend. It doesn’t mean you can’t still love them as we are called to love others in God’s Word. It just means you have self-respect. You shouldn’t have to “beg” to be someone’s friend when they are making no effort in the friendship. You don’t have to keep subjecting yourself to pain if your “friend” repeatedly does hurtful things. You shouldn’t do that to yourself.
These are not things that friends do. Move on, and invest in some healthy friendships. Invest in those who care about you and who want to be friends with you too.
Those are the friendships that will last, and those are the friendships you want.
When do you know that it’s time to let a friendship go?
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I’ve had such a fun time doing this series on Friendship, and reading all of the posts you guys have written as well! I feel like there is so much more I could say on the subject (and I’m sure so much more you could say too). Who knows, I might write more on friendship in the future and “add” it to the series.
If you all still have something you want to share about friendship, you have until the end of this week to add your link! Thank you to everyone who decided to link-up – so many wise tidbits from all you ladies. I enjoyed reading every one of your posts!
Other posts (of mine) in this series:
Starting A Friendship
Making Conversation
Maintenance Of Friendship
Life Changes And Friends
Parties - Just Go
Reasons Not To Gossip
When I started this series on friendship, I knew that one thing I wanted to cover was gossip.
Up until recent years, I didn’t have that much experience with gossip – maybe it’s partially because I was homeschooled, and not all of my friends were in the same circles – and that cuts down on a lot of the opportunity to gossip. This was actually a pretty big blessing, because it made those growing up years so much more bearable.
But as I’ve grown older, gotten involved in a bigger church, and met more friends who all seem to know each other, I’ve noticed it more and more, and it becomes more and more of a temptation for me as well. But it has also become more apparent to me why this is such a big problem, and why it should be avoided for the sake of my friendships.
Maybe we should start with a definition.
I like that definition, because I think it makes it clear not only what gossip is, but also what it is not. If someone’s name comes up in a conversation and the conversation quickly turns to everything that’s going on in that person’s life? That would be gossip, and it’s especially bad when the life occurrences that are mentioned happen to be more personal. If it turns to what this person supposedly said to another person? That would be gossip too.
But if a person’s name comes up and the conversation turns to what a sweet, creative, smart, fill-in-the-blank-in-a-positive-way kind of person they are? If the conversation turns to how good they are at their job, how cute their kid is, how nicely their house is decorated? If you haven’t seen the person in forever and you ask how they are doing? I don’t think that qualifies, because it’s not idle, it’s not rumor, and it’s not too much information.
To me, when someone is gossiping about someone the conversation will have one or more of these characteristics: it will be negative, it will nosy, or it will unnecessary/not useful. And it may be unconfirmed or untruthful (though that’s not a requirement).
So now that I’ve clarified a bit about what I’m talking about when I refer to gossip, I think there are a lot of reasons to avoid it.
Gossip separates close friends (Proverbs 16:28).
Julie recently wrote about a story that really illustrates this well. When you know one of your friends has been talking about you behind your back, it’s inevitably going to form distance in your relationship. If you value your friends, you won’t talk about their business to other people, especially not in a negative way. You can’t be close friends with someone that you don’t trust. Which brings us to the next point . . .
Gossip makes you an untrustworthy person (Proverbs 11:13).
I’m not going to trust someone with my personal business if I know they’re just going to pass it on to someone else the first chance they get. Unfortunately I have known a few people like this. One of them (who is no one who reads this blog, so don’t think it’s you!) is the sweetest person – but I try not to tell her anything that I wouldn’t want my entire extended acquaintance to know. Which is a pity, because it’s sad to have to censor myself with one of my friends like that, and it prevents us from getting closer. The others that I know who are this way . . . well, I avoid them all together.
It’s going to cause you to miss out on some friendships.
People don’t like to be gossiped about. I know I don’t. So if I know someone is constantly talking about other people? Well, I’m not going to seek out a friendship with that person, because the next thing you know, she’ll be constantly talking about me to other people, and who needs the drama? I don’t think it’s wrong at all to avoid a gossip this way – it’s something Proverbs even tells us to do (20:19).
It’s going to hinder your current friendships.
Even if you don’t gossip in such a negative way that it hurts your friendships (as I mentioned in my first point), even gossip that seems “harmless” is going to keep you from achieving a level of closeness with your current friendships. I think sometimes certain people might gossip because they think it will bring them closer to the person they are talking to, provide some sort of connection. But that’s simply not true. If I know someone likes to talk about other people, it’s going to make me think anything I say to them could be passed on to others. And if I think something I say to someone has a good chance of being passed on to someone else, I’m just not going to want to tell that person anything too personal. Gossip keeps friendships stuck on a superficial level.
Spreading lies about others is just as bad as lying about them yourself.
One of the things that might qualify something as gossip is if it’s just a rumor, or it’s not confirmed as true. You shouldn’t spread information about your friends even if it is true, for all the reasons mentioned above, but it’s especially damaging to spread words that aren’t true. You are participating in lying about other people. That is serious. And even if you didn’t start the rumor, do you think the person who is being rumored about is going to make the distinction? I wouldn’t. Spreading that rumor is going to have the same negative effects on your friendships that I mentioned above, only they’ll be magnified that much more because you not only gossiped, but you gossiped about something that wasn’t even true. The level of hurt and distrust just doubled.
You catch a lot more bees with honey than with vinegar.
I changed it to “bees” rather than “flies” because I think it’s a lot more flattering!
I already talked about how gossip can cause you to miss out on friendships, or hinder your current friendships. The only exception to this might be with other people who like to gossip, but considering everything I already mentioned, are other gossips really worth being friends with anyway? I think you are going to attract a lot more worthwhile friendships if you always have a good word for your friends, as opposed to constantly gossiping about them and their business. Why wouldn’t you want to be friends with someone who looks for every opportunity to encourage her friends or build them up to others (1 Thess. 5:11)? Why wouldn’t you want to be that kind of friend? That kind of friend attracts other quality people, and that is the stuff that true friends are made of.
There is one last reason why we should avoid gossip. It doesn’t have as much to do with friendship, but it is huge for those of us who are Christians. And it’s that gossip is something that displeases God. Just read Proverbs and you’ll see so many verses on how damaging a gossip can be. We are told so many times to encourage one another (Heb. 3:13, 2 Cor. 13:11). We are told to mind our own business (1 Thess. 4:11). We are told (in Ecc. 5:3) that many words (I think this would include many words about other people) is one of the marks of a fool (ouch!). There are so many places in the Bible where gossip is condemned and more godly actions are encouraged. So the biggest reason why we should avoid gossip? Because we should want to live our lives in a way that pleases God. And gossip has no part in that.
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If you have any thoughts on gossip, or any other friendship tips, comment below or write a post and link-up!
I’d actually especially like to hear about ways that you avoid listening to gossip, since that’s not something I covered in this post (and I could use the tips for myself).
Last week is the last week of this link-up, so if you have anything you want to say that’s related to friendship, you have until the end of next week to link your posts up below!
Other posts (of mine) in this series:
Starting A Friendship
Making Conversation
Maintenance Of Friendship
Life Changes And Friends
Parties - Just Go
Do try to go when you are invited to a party.
When I was younger, we listened to Adventures In Odyssey (a radio drama for kids that Focus on the Family produces), and I can never forget this one episode where a somewhat obnoxious kid, Glenn, invites everyone in the school to his birthday party.
And no one comes.
I also vividly remember an episode of Smallville (I didn’t even really watch the show, but I remember this), where it shows the villain as a boy. There were presents and cakes and treats everywhere, balloons and streamers and party hats. Then it showed this adolescent boy, sitting alone and looking at all the untouched party paraphernalia. And he was crying. Because no one came. His dad came and talked with him about it, but you could see the hurt had cut deep.
Both of those stories make me want to cry to this day. Obviously these stories weren’t real occurrences, but every story has a hint of truth to it, and I know this kind of thing has probably happened to others. My heart is so sensitive to the thought of someone being hurt like that; I hate the thought of someone enduring that kind of rejection.
Maybe it’s because there were a few times when I had a party and not many people came. Maybe it’s because ever since I saw that show, and that boy with tears in his eyes (even if it was just an actor), I can’t bear the thought of that ever being my son going through something like that.
When I think about these stories, I can’t help but think that if just one person would come, it would make all the difference in the world.
And I hate the thought of anyone possibly going through such pain when I could prevent it by simply showing up.
If you are invited to a party, go. Unless there is some other event that makes it impossible for you to make it, go. Even if you don’t know the person that well. They invited you because they liked you enough to want you to be there.
Just go. Because what if you are the only person that will? You could be that person who makes a world of difference for someone.
And that’s pretty special.
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Other posts (of mine) in this series:
Starting A Friendship
Making Conversation
Maintenance Of Friendship