My Resting Rock

'If you cannot be settled within yourself when you are alone, you may seek out a wrong relationship that will increasingly unsettle you.' 

A friend on Facebook shared this quote. It made me think about when I met my husband and of the relationships since we have been together that have come and gone. Not just in our immediate circle of friends, family, and church community but in the world as a whole. Marriage just doesn't seem sacred anymore. Not as God intended it to be. In my life, it was not until I spoke with God and said I was at peace with being alone with him and desired him alone, it was not until then did God give me Chris. It is not always easy, marriage, but when it is Christ-centered, He will see you through if you give it all to him. He is jealous for us; He wants us alone but he also wants to bless his children. He desires for our marriages to last and our children to grow up with their mother and father. For all my life and my marriage, I will rest in my God and seek him out in my times of need and in my times great joy and peace. When I am settled with Him alone, I can be settled in my relationships even if the relationships are not settled. 

Psalm 62: 5-8

"5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. 6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." 

Infinite Possibilities

Do you believe it? 

In the deepest part of your soul, do you believe in the awesome power of God and his great love for you? 

He is able to do more than we can fathom. 

Trust in Him and He will be faithful!

Television Wisdom Wednesday: No Fear of the Dark

From the show 

Criminal Minds: 

Kirsten Vangsness who plays Penelope Garcia speaks the opening quote: 

“Hope is faith holding out its hands in the dark.” – George Iles.

When I heard this quote the other night while watching a re-run of Criminal Minds, it reminded me of a scene from M. Night Shyamalan's movie, The Village. Ivy, the main female character, is blind but can 'see' more than most. And what she can 'see' is that a young man named Lucius loves her and she knows it before he can admit it. One night one of the creatures from the surrounding woods comes to the village and it sends the villagers running for their shelters for protection. Here we find Ivy, standing on the front porch, in the dark, with her hand out, waiting in faith that Lucius is coming for her. She knows, without him ever saying it to her, that Lucius loves her so much he will not leave her alone in the dark but will come take her hand to show her the way to safe haven. This quote and this movie scene reminds me of my Savior and a bible verse in Deuteronomy 31: 6 that says, 'Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”'

Change is coming in my 2014

Well Hello There Friends! 

It's been a while since I was on here. Welcome to a New Year! I hope your holidays treated you well. Ours was fun and exhausting, full of friends and family and yummy treats. And gifts....! 

So.... 2014

Here we are a couple days in to the new year. Do you create resolutions or goals with the new year? Some say, 'bleh!', to making goals with the new year. I love it! I need it. I am always revisiting it, adding to it, marking things off and rolling things over to my new Goals list. I think it is good and healthy to think back on what you can improve on and to look forward to what you would like to do and learn and invest energy into. And, I like to pick a word for the title of my New Year's Goals. This year's word: 

Change. 

First change that came for my new year: we turned off our Dish service and are going back to bunny ears. That change came two days early! Why? Well, looking back over the past year, I realized God was talking to me through different avenues telling me that it was becoming too important in my life. I realized I had become addicted. I loved my television time. I have my favorite shows and would even watch reruns over and over again, wasting precious time and getting angry if my T.V. time was interrupted. My addiction was effecting our family life negatively. 

Second change to work on this year came to me after I read a post at Hands Free Mama. In her post, About Hands Free, Rachel writes, 

"Finally after years and years of over-commitment and meaningless information overload, I began to see those things for what they were: Daily Distractions. And with much regret, I realized I’d been holding on to “distractions” tighter than I had been to my own family, my own health, my own happiness–my own “things that matter.”

After reading this post and others on her site, I broke down in tears. God was speaking to my heart. I needed to hear this. I had to take a hard, close look at my daily life and swallow that I am not allowing much time for God or what He desires to be important in my life. And no matter how hard it was to read it and admit it [to myself and others], I needed to make some big changes in my life and choices. Thank God for people like Rachel to share these things and Thank God for his perfect timing!

So.... 2014 for me is Change!

Change how I spend my time. Change who I spend my time with. Allow Change to happen naturally and gracefully. Change.....

What is this New Year for you? What is your word for the year? Let God speak to you and stop long enough to truly hear what He is saying. 

Matthew 6: 19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

30 Days of D.I.Y. Gifts & Decor: Homemade Advent Calendars

Welcome to the weekend of the 16th & 17th of 

Hi All! I have switched my focus onto the up-coming holidays that will be filled with family and friends, love and laughter, giving and receiving! For me, some of the best memories and gifts have been what is handmade and from the heart. And, I love giving and receiving handmade and locally crafted gifts. So, I am going to share a new project every day for the month of November to get y'all (and myself) into the spirit of the holidays! I hope you enjoy the next thirty days with me! I would love to hear if you try any of the projects and how they turned out. <3 Erika

A collection of Handmade Advent Calendars

One of my favorite Christmas time family traditions growing up was the advent calendar. We always bought the chocolate piece filled ones from the store. And that is one of those family traditions I have wanted to pass on to my kids. Granted, I have not been good about it every year but when I saw some of these great ideas on Pinterest, I got motivated!

Stephanie Lynn has a great Pottery Barn inspired one filled with handmade ornaments for everyday. Check her post HERE.

A wrapped children's book for every night that you open and read together!

From Elle Keeps Moving

As a card maker, I really love this idea from Real Simple! Mostly because it would be so easy for me to make since I already have all the items needed!

Cute clothes pins on a simple board with small gifts and/or candies......

At The Life of Jennifer Dawn, you will find this advent calendar tutorial made with little tins that are filled with bible verses and manger pieces. 

This lovely and simple advent is filled with different family activities to do together. Check out the rest of the post by Lindsay at passionate homemaking. 

And, finally, the calendar we are going to make for this year! I love this idea by Erlend at Morning Creativity. I have been saving up our toilet paper rolls for a while now and I think the pile up is starting to bug my hubby. : / I am going to use red and green tissue paper to cover the ends. I think that will look more festive and be more fun for the kids. (But mostly because I have a BUNCH of it from over the years!) And, to go inside each day, along with the small prizes, I am going to put in a bible verse to read with the kids.

Here is the list of bible verses I am going to go by that I found on

Sassy Sawdust by Kim. 

What do you do for Advent? I would love to hear about your traditions! If you stop by an of the sites listed above, let them know you heard about them from Erika at MishMashedMe. Thanks!

You can find all these pins and more on my Pinterest board: 

The most Wonderful time of the Year

Tomorrow: Homemade Marshmallows

I will fear no man! I will fear God alone!

What does it mean to fear? As a society, I believe we think of fear in a negative way. When we fear, we shrink back from some thing or person or situation like they have some kind of power over us. Our fear drives us to be unreasonable and do things we would not otherwise do because we do not see the thing or person or situation as they really are: powerless. The only fear that you and I should have is Fear of the Lord God. To have that reverential awe for the God of all creation and, more specifically, of us. To keep the feeling of respect and wonder for the only one with the true power over every thing and person and situation. Let's take a moment away from the happenings of this world and give thankful praise and worship to God, who is the only all-powerful one we should fear and worship in this fallen world we are briefly in.

One way - through the cross. Picture from MudPreacher.

Deuteronomy 6:13

13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

Deuteronomy 31:6

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Psalms 25:12-14

12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. 13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. 15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

Psalms 33:18-19

18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 

Psalms 56:3-4

3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

Psalms 118: 6

6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalms 128:1-4

1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways. 2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;blessings and prosperity will be yours. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.

Proverbs 3:7-8

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 

Proverbs 8:13

13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 29:25

25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Isaiah 8: 11-13

11 The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: 12 "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, 

Isaiah 41:10-13

10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11 "All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. 

2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

1 Peter 1:17

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

1 Peter 2:17

17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 

Television Wisdom Wednesday: Honoring

As a refresher, here is why I do Television Wisdom Wednesday. : )
'There are some that say there is nothing good that comes from television. Some others think it is just a mind numbing escape from reality. Well, I want to provide tid-bits of wisdom picked up from all my no good, mind numbing t.v. watching just to prove there is a little wisdom to be learned from it all.'


From the show 
Duck Dynasty: 

Phil Robertson - "Don't touch her below the neck until you sign the dotted line."


In honor of their season premiere tonight, I thought it appropriate to have a quote from one of the Robertson's today. And speaking of honor, where has honoring others gone to? Especially when speaking about honoring your loved one. As a refresher (for myself and for y'all), here is the definition and synonyms of honor. 

Honor: high respect for; esteem. Purity; chastity; - a term applied mostly to women, but becoming uncommon in usage. Synonyms: blamelessness, irreproachability, nobility, reputability, respectability, reverence, veneration, virtue. Reverence is a feeling of deep respect and devotion. Veneration is both the feeling and the reverential expression of respect, love, and awe. So, how can we be a more honoring society? By honoring those God put in our lives as God desires us to honor them. And, I believe, that's what Phil is ultimately saying here when he was saying this to his granddaughter's boyfriend. Have a relationship before marriage that is honoring to each other and to God's design for relationships and marriage. Be pure with each other, blameless before man and God in your actions, have that deep reverence for your loved one that their virtue is irreproachable.

(musings on) A Life Worth Giving - Part Two: Giving Generously, a Month Challenge!

So, Part Two: How do we take this God given grace and our joy-filled, thankful hearts and be more generous with our blessings?

Take a moment and think about YOU. Yes, think about you and the gifts God has given to you. What physical, relational, and/or spiritual gifts has God given you? What about the talents and passions you have? How can you take any and every thing God has given you and bless others with it? What has God given to you that makes your Life Worth Giving away? 

Psalms 139: 13-14 ~ 13 

For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.

Me, well, I like to share knowledge that I have picked up along the way that might improve others lives in some way. I like to help, in what ever menial task I can. I like the detailed work others don't so much. I like to garden and cook. I like to throw parties. : ) I love bargain shopping. I don't like to see bad things happening to kids. 

Where do I go from here? How do I give back based on just that little bit about myself. Well, here are just some ideas but I am sure you can take these ideas and come up with so much more.......

• Listen. Really listen to your kids' (or loved ones) stories
• Coach          
• Offer to watch a busy mom's kids
• Do a family member's chore for them
• Borrow a friends car and return it detailed and with a full tank of gas
• Teach your favorite hobby to a child
• Throw a birthday party for an underprivileged child (or adult) 
• Donate games to a local senior citizen center 
• Visit an elderly person
• Donate blood
• Weed a neighbor's yard
• Buy a gift card and give it to someone you hardly know
• Organize a block party
• Bring a treat into your office for everyone to share
• Give a big, genuine hug
• Give a fresh flower bouquet to your favorite store clerk
• Take a box of toys to a homeless shelter
• Pay for a single mom to get a mani/pedi
• Help a neighbor or friend build a garden box and teach them to grow their own veggies and fruits
• Have a garage sale and donate all the money earned
• Take dinner to a couple with a newborn
• Buy lunch for a coworker
• Volunteer at the hospital
• Send an anonymous encouragement card to someone in the 'snail' mail
• Turn off the t.v. and computer and phones and have a face to face conversation
• Look up and smile to that person walking by. Maybe even say, "Hello!"
• Say to all those you love, "I love you!"

Well, there you go! There is so much more you could do to live a generous life and give back with joy. And, you don't have to have a bunch of money to give generously. Many of the best gifts in life given and received cost nothing but your willingness to be open enough to give. So, here is my challenge to you. Take this list and whatever you have come up with to add to it and give once a week for the next month! Let's see how God works in us and through us. 

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7 ~ 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

(musings on) A Life Worth Giving - Part One

We started a new series at church on Sunday. It's called 'A Life Worth Giving.' James 1: 17 says this: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Every good thing in your life came and comes from God. You didn't pick your family, country you were born into, the natural resources around you, the type of education you would receive or the brain to learn it all with. You didn't give yourself your talents and skills or spiritual gifts and you don't know what the future holds or which paths you will take. God gave you and still gives every good thing in your life. 

So, when was the last time you stopped to thank God for the the blessings in your life? When we stop and say thanks and praise him for ALL he has given us, we realize just how blessed we are and how big his love for us is. When we realize our blessings, I believe it stirs in us a passion to be more generous. What do you have to be thankful for which you have been blessed with that others may not have? A Car(s), a job, a home, food to eat, your family, friends, pet(s), sight, hearing, speech, free time to spend on hobbies and sports, a garden to grow flowers and food, new clothes and shoes, a phone, computer, IPad...... the list of his blessings goes on forever. 

God is good and is love and gives us our blessings freely not because of anything we have done but because of who he is. Give thanks to him for every good thing in your life because he gave it all and still gives what we don't deserve. This is called Grace. 

In Part Two: How do we take this God given grace and our joy-filled, thankful hearts and be more generous with our blessings? 

Television Wisdom Wednesday: Wondrous Variety

From the movie 
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves:

Morgan Freeman as Azeem, a Moor - 

Azeem: Salaam, little one.

Small Girl: Did God paint you?

Azeem: Did God paint me?

[laughs]

Azeem: For certain.

Small Girl: Why?

Azeem: Because Allah loves wondrous varieties.

I love this Robin Hood movie. Some may think it a little cheesy but it has some great moments in it like this one. The innocence of a child who had never seen a person of color asked the question as to why he was different than her. I love Azeems answer. There have been a lot of goings on lately in our country (and in the world quite frankly) that have to do with race and differences. We can not avoid it because we are bombarded by the latest updates all over the t.v. and internet. I like what Pastor Rick Warren posted on his Facebook page about it all, "Racism is stupid. It's an insult to God, arrogantly implying that God goofed-up when he chose to make us all different."

So, what are your thoughts? Do you think that God made mistakes with His creations, making us all different? Or do you think, like Azeem in the movie, that God loves wondrous variety.  

And in case you were wondering, like me, exactly what the definition of Wondrous is 

- Inspiring a feeling of wonder or delight; marvelous. 

that is to be marveled at : extraordinary

I like to think that you and I are God's wondrous creations!

(musings on) My Life, a Living Bible

What is your life story teaching the world about God? You maybe the only bible someone 'reads'. And it maybe a brief read. As some say, first impressions can last a lifetime and those first impressions maybe the only impression some people may get of you and God. God can use our lives just where they are just as they are if we are open to His guidance. Do not try to be perfect, putting on a 'good front', because we are all sinful. Instead, let go and let God lead your life. Turn to Him and others will see and follow. The song For the Sake of the World by Bethel Live is my prayer for a life lived that catches others' hearts on fire for the one, true God. 

For the Sake of the World

I'm laying down my life

I'm giving up control

I'm never looking back

I surrender all

I'm living for Your glory on the earth

This passion in my heart

This stirring in my soul

To see the nations bow

For all the world to know

I'm living for Your glory on the earth

For the sake of the world burn like a fire in me

Light a flame in my soul for every eye to see

For the sake of the world burn like a fire in me

For every knee to bow down

For every heart to believe

For every voice to cry out

Burn like a fire in me

For every tongue to confess

You alone are the King

You are the hope of the earth

Burn like a fire in me

2 Timothy 1: 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.