My New Sewing Venture

This is not my regular blog entry. Rather, it's a shameless plug for my new sewing venture. I already posted this on Facebook, but I hope to be able to share it with you here on my blog.

Here's what I wrote on Facebook:

I don't even know how or where to begin...I started sewing again, and I made a pillowcase dress for Jenna and had her wear it to church one Sunday. Some of the ladies made a comment about it, and even suggested that I should try to sell it. So that thought has been in my head for months now (this happened in the summer). But with our move into our new home, Becca being born, Joshua starting Kindergarten, I just didn't have time to get any sewing done.

When Jared was home between Christmas and New Year, I had some time on my hands and started tinkering with some sewing projects. My friend, Jen, from church, suggested that I come up with a Spring/Valentine's Day line. So that's what I did. I have a few outfits that I've sewn, and I've put them on Kodakgallery, and maybe I'll post it on Facebook (yikes!).

I guess I feel a little weird "selling" my stuff, for various reasons:

1. I'm not a professional seamstress by any means (there are so many more talented women I know who can sew a lot better than I can, namely, my mother-in-law, Jane, and my sister-in-law, Anne).

2. I don't want people to feel like they HAVE TO buy my stuff. We've all been there...you know, going to those home parties for Tupperware, Pampered Chef, etc., and there seems to be an obligatory feeling of having to purchase something.

3. I know that not everyone will like what I make, cos we all have our own tastes.

4. I'll just feel weird taking money from people I know!

Anyway, I've prayed about it, and from other people's encouragement, I'm going to try and see how it goes. If anything, it will definitely help supplement our family's income. And I feel strongly about setting aside a percentage of my sales to support a ministry.

With that all said and my insecurities exposed, there's a link below to my album in Kodakgallery.com. If you'd like to purchase any of it, please leave a comment above the picture (there's a comment tab), and I'll get back to you. Or you can email or FB me directly. In time, when I gain enough confidence, I'll just list it on Facebook.

(Blog readers, I've uploaded some pics below. Leave a comment or email me if you're interested in any of the items. Thanks!)

Also, if you have any suggestions or comments for me about my new venture, please please let me know! I would love ot hear from you! I'm not business-minded at all, and borrowing a quote, I feel like I'm a "garage seamstress", not a professional one. Again, not sure how this is all going to work. I don't have a system going yet. So, please be patient with me as I work out the kinks.

Thanks for being my guinea pigs! And as always, thanks for being supportive friends!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=2422512721105%3A799868240

Home Beautiful

I don't know how some moms do it. They have kids to look after, countless little details to attend to, playdates to be had, kids to be dropped off at various activities, school and church meetings to attend, AND STILL their homes are neat, organized, and everything in its place.

This is clearly not me. I used to pride myself with being a neat-freak, having a house in order, and everything organized. This was all during the BC period - Before Children. When Joshua came along, I still had a good grasp of getting things done and maintaining a neat home. Then Jenna came, and now Becca...I found myself losing control of what I thought was important. When God blessed us with a new home 6 months ago, I thought to myself, "Great! This is the clean slate I've been looking for. As we move stuff into this empty home, I can take the opportunity to organize things as they come in." Yeah, well...this didn't quite happen.

If you've been to our new home, you'll notice (or not, cos we hide it very well!) that one side of our garage is a mess with unpacked boxes, and just stuff that we want to sell at a garage sale this Spring. I'm not proud of this, but I used to be one of those people who judged others who parked their cars out in their driveway while their garage was occupied with all their stuff. Now, I can empathize. And in our new home, our 4th bedroom door is always closed. Because it's been allocated as the "I-don't-know-where-to-put-this" room. Our rooms are strewn with toys and clothes; the laundry hamper is always overflowing (I equate that to Jesus' miracle of multiplying the fish and loaves...it just keeps coming!).

At the same time, I love to host. In the past, I've been so hesitant to have people over because the house isn't clean or neat enough (or big enough!). Now, I'm embracing my new reality. And I've learned that hospitality is not about the house, but about the heart, and the heart for people. I shouldn't care what people have to say about my messy house, and am learning to let those kind of comments go (especially when one of Joshua's little friends always say, "Wow! You (still!) have a lot of junk in your garage!" And he says it like he's never seen anything quite like it. Nice kid...) I used to think that having a messy house is a reflection of that person. So not true. Now I think that a messy house is a trademark of just being a mom. And whenever I go over to someone else's messy house, I feel so much more at home!

Bottom line, Jared and I have always wanted our home to have an open door. Anyone is welcome to come. We love to grant people "refridgerator rights", where people are welcome to treat our home as theirs, help themselves to whatever is in the fridge (hence, the term), etc. Mi Casa, Su Casa. Also, it's always been a desire of mine to have an extra bedroom where anyone who needs a place to stay is welcome to stay with us. I just want our home to be a reflection of God's love, His grace, His peace. I want our kids to develop a heart of hospitality and bring friends home after school or church, and that their friends will know that at our home, there is no need of fear nor judgment...just a loving and safe haven.

I really believe that this is what Christ intended for us. To live in fellowship with one another, like the disciples did in Acts 2. To do life together.

In Emilie Barnes' book Keep It Simple for Moms on the Go, she writes (about the home)...

It's your spirit of hospitality, your willingness to share your home and your life in Christ with others. Don't wait until everything is perfect. Something will always need fixing or painting. Love what you have and invite others to share the bounty. Your gracious welcome will fill in the gaps...Your home will always be the most beautiful when you stretch out your arms in welcome!

If you can put up with my messy house, you are welcome anytime!

Hope

Funny how I just mentioned yesterday that I didn't read anything that struck me in my daily devotionals. And funny how God heard that and just bombarded me with truth and treasures today. I guess He struck me out!

I've been reading through the Book of Psalms, and today, I read Psalm 113.

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.
He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
(Ps 113:7-9)

These 2 verses in particularly spoke to me because I've been walking with a couple of my closest friends who are struggling with infertility. It's such a long journey of ups and downs, anxiety, anticipation, disappointment...just a plethora of emotions. I can't imagine what they are going through. Why am I so blessed to have 3 beautiful children, and why God can't just grant them one?

Still, who am I to question God? But these verses in Psalm 113 tells me that even in the midst of tragedy, of difficult times, there is hope. God may not give us the outcome we desire. But He does gives us an outcome - one that we may not expect, but one that still fills the desires of our hearts, if our hearts are open to Him.

In "The Return of the King" of the famed Lord of the Rings trilogy, when the beacons of Gondor were lit, Gandalf mentioned to Pippin that the small lit beacon in the distant represented hope.

I pray that we will all find a small beacon of hope in the midst of our own difficult times. For our God is a God of Hope, and that hope will keep us going.

He waits

So, it's the 2nd week of January, and so far so good...I've been able to keep up with my goals for the year (blogging, working out, etc.). How are you doing with your goals?

I have to admit, I haven't really been struck by anything I've been reading these past few days. Actually, if I'm brutually honest, I have not given enough time and attention to the reading materials. I KNOW that there are treasures to be found, truths to be revealed, and given a nice chunk of time, I will be struck, probably more than once, by what I've read.

Now that school is back in session, and life is back to normality (having Jared home between Christmas and New Year was heaven!), it's taking me a while to jump back into the routine of things. My mornings are usually a blur. I rarely have breakfast before 9am, even though I've been up for a while. Once Jared and Joshua leave the house, I try to get the girls settled and then attempt to sit down for a quick and simple breakfast, and try to get some devotional reading done.

Try is the operative word. Because it seems like every 2 minutes, my 2-year-old is calling out to me, or the baby starts crying and needs to be moved again because she's tired of staring at the multi-colored giraffe hanging from the jungle gym. So, just a couple of days ago, the same said situation occurred. After tending to the girls, I walked back to the kitchen table to resume my breakfast and reading. I looked at the "spread" on my table and had to chuckle. Yep, this is a true picture of when Motherhood tries to meet Godliness! Only moms know that the baby's rattle is very versatile, and can be used as a bookmark when needed. (truth be told, I've used a diaper to wipe up a major spill...it's absorbant! I patted myself on the back for being resourceful!)


But even in the midst of the chaos, God is right there with me. I picture Him sitting across from me, understanding that I'm trying to spend time with Him but at the same time, needing to excuse myself to tend to my children. He sees everything. He sees my heart. He sees my cold, half-eaten bagel, and will honor the sacrifices I make for my children. And He sees yours too.

And no matter how long we take to come back to Him, He waits. Even if it takes 10 minutes, a few days, a season. He waits. And when He sees just a glimpse of us coming around the corner, He will drop everything and sprint toward us with open arms. Just like the father in the parable of the prodigal son...

But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

While I haven't found new treasures in my reading these last few days, I'm still reminded of the truth of who God is. I am so glad we serve a loving, ever-patient, COMPASSIONATE God, don't you? Even if I did use a rattle to bookmark a page in His Word!

The Better Choice

There are task-oriented people and people-oriented people. I used to be the latter, but through the years, and when life got busier and busier, sadly I became more task-oriented. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because things need to get done. This was especially so when I was teaching. I had a spiral notebook just dedicated to my "to-do" lists. There was an element of accountability, as with any job. And so, I made sure that I crossed every "t" and dotted every "i".

Now that I'm a mom, my anality inevitably crossed over. While I love spending time with my kids, I often have an unsettling feeling while playing with them because my mind would wander over to the dishes in the sink, or the laundry that needed to be washed or folded. I wasn't 100% with them, and that isn't fair to them. Jared can attest to the fact that I don't know how to "rest", and I can't rest until things are in order (which is never!). What is rest?! Yes, I'm a freak. I've bought so many books on that topic - you name it, I've got it. I know that rest will give you peace. And it's this peace of God and from God that I long for. After all, He IS the Prince of Peace!

I read a convicting article in Christianity Today last month on the topic of parenting. The author (sorry, but I forgot her name) mentioned a phrase which has resonated with me every day since reading that article. This phrase pops up as a reminder to me whenever Joshua or Jenna come to ask me for my time and attention.

I'm paraphrasing, but it goes something like this...

We all want what's best for our children, our family, our lives. Hence, we tend to choose what's best. But instead of choosing what's best, choose what has eternal value.

In light of eternity, the right choice for me is to say "yes" to playing and spending time with my children and giving them my UNDIVIDED attention. I've really been trying to be mindful of that. They already know that I'm a germaphobic, neat-freak, who needs to be on top of things. But I'd rather they remember me as their mom who is present and loving them unabashedly even if it means playing Tickle Monster for the 10th time that day.

So today, I was desperate to get the 3rd load of laundry done and baby bottles washed and sterilized (yes, desperate because I can get a little over-dramatic over mundane household tasks!). While standing by the kitchen sink doing the dishes, Joshua came up to me and asked if I could play "football guys" with him (it's his favorite Christmas present that he got this year from Jared's parents). That phrase immediately popped in my head: "choose what has eternal value". I said okay to him, and if he could give me 2 minutes to finish the dishes, I'd be right with him and that he better bring his game on! Joshua flashed me the biggest grin which I will always remember and treasure in my heart because I know that I've delighted him with my choice! As he ran to set up the game, he yelled back "I'll be the Packers (of course!), and you be the Raiders!", cos there was a green team and a black team. I quickly finished up what I was doing and then spent the next half hour creating a memory with my son, which I know, is of eternal value.

I'm not saying that a mom should drop everything every time her child(ren) asks them to play. I think we just need to be discerning and make the better choice for that moment. Bottom line, I just want to be more like Mary instead of her sister Martha (even though I'm Martha through and through). While Martha chose to do what she thought was right and best (I'd be cleaning like a crazy person, too, if the Savior of the world was coming to my house!), her sister chose what was eternal. And I hope to hear the same words Jesus said to Mary, "You have chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from you." (Luke 10:42)

I do not want moments with my children to be taken away from me. So, I'm learning to give my children the gift of time and attention...UNDIVIDED attention, by making not just the best choices, but the better ones...the ones with eternity in mind.

By the way, Joshua and I tied the game. Everybody's happy!

Happy birthday to me!

Yes, it's my last year in my 30s, as an old friend from grade school reminded me today on Facebook. The way I look at it, I have a choice - to dread the looming big 4-0, or to embrace the life that God has given me...today and everyday! I choose the latter. I choose to look at life half-full instead of half-empty. I choose to look at the positives, instead of the "woe-is-me". While I know that I may fail at times (cos who could stay 100% positive, 24/7, a permanent grin on the face, without pulling something?!), I'm saying that this is something I'd like to aspire to. Those of you who know me, know that I'm more on the serious, anal, Type A, probably undiagnosed OCD type. But I want God to work in me, and with Him, all things are possible.

My inspiration came from reading my daily Kyria online devotional. Let me share...

today's verse
from the New Living Translation
"If you search for good, you will find favor;
but if you search for evil, it will find you!"

Proverbs 11:27

encouragement for today
Do you look for the good, particularly in people? If you do, you will find favor. If you focus on the negative all the time—watch out! The negative will find you. Yes, sometimes you have to search for the good; it's not always apparent. But the search is worth the favor you will experience.

The search is worth the favor you will experience. I love that!

So after putting my mind to looking at the positives, the test began, yes, already this morning...

I didn't expect anything glamourous or super special today, since it's the first day of school, and the first day back to reality. I mean, every school year, the first day of school happened to fall on my birthday. (But I must share that Jared did take me out for lunch today! So, that was special!)

For some reason (again, I think this was a test!), after I picked Joshua up from Kindergarten, the floodgates suddenly opened and I had a 5-year-old whine that he didn't want to go to the restaurant that I had chosen for lunch because they didn't serve nuggets; a 2-year-old having a total meltdown because her Princess purse fell on the ground and was screaming for me to retrieve it (which I couldn't cos I was driving!); and the noise in the van woke the 4-month-old who commenced her ear-piercing cry which just contributed to the cacophany of noise that filled the air! (seriously, if the FBI or CIA needed to interrogate somebody, just leave that person in a room full of whining toddlers. I guarantee that they will break!). So, I took a deep breath, and fumbled for my new Chris Tomlin CD which I got for Christmas, and put it in the CD player. Soon, the world edition of "How Great Is Our God" came on. And it was beautiful. And I'm not kidding, and this may sound hokey, but I felt this peace come over me. Maybe it's the peace that I blogged about in my previous entry. The noise from the kids seemed to fade away...and they eventually did! And I found myself singing and worshipping along.

I've never faced chaos this way before. I usually lose my cool and have had to pull over and stop the van on several occasions to take care of the insanity that resided in my Sienna. But this...this choice of choosing the positive...the choice to just stay calm...I like it. And when I picked Jared up for lunch, I think he was just as surprised at how calm I was.

So, happy birthday to me! It's going to be a good year!

Happy New Year!

My sister-in-law, Rachel, gave me a devotional book for Christmas called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. It's a daily devotion which I hope to be able to commit to doing. At first glimpse, I was relieved to see that each day's devotion was short, and I liked how it had a few verses that I can look up and read for the day. Awesome! I get to: read the Word - check! read the accompanying devotion - check! and perhaps journal when I feel led to - check! There, it shouldn't take me more than 10 minutes, right?

But as I read the introduction to the book, I got to know the author and her journey to search out His presence and her deep desire to dwell in it. Something in my heart stirred. I, too, want that! I want to linger in His presence and know that the Almighty is with me...protecting, comforting, loving me. I'm feeling convicted about my daily check-list, and hope that as I wake each day, I just can't wait to spend time in quiet devotion (maybe when the kids are napping?!), with this book in my hand and a longing in my heart to be with Jesus.

A phrase struck me in the introduction. Sarah recounted a life-changing verse for her, which is Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." She mentioned that alternate readings for "be still" are "relax", "let's go", and "cease striving".

Cease striving...for some reason, that spoke powerfully to me. Every day, I feel like I'm running on a treadmill. Always running, but not getting anywhere. Trying to knock off as many things on my to-do list, trying to be the best mom, wife, friend, but at the end of the day, falling into bed feeling utterly spent and empty. Perhaps if I cease striving, to be still, to just chill out, this peace which God promises, the one that surpasses understanding, will envelope me and give me the rest I so desire. And in my state of rest, maybe, just maybe, I will sense His presence.