The Humility of Obedience

"And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross."

Philippians 2:8

In the middle of Philippians 2:8 is a tiny little preposition, the word by. Why did Jesus humble himself by becoming obedient? Why not to become obedient? Or because he was obedient? The Holy Spirit inspired the word 'by' to instruct us. 'To become obedient' places obedience above humility, action above the state of the heart. Instead, the Lord seeks humility by becoming obedient. I believe that the word by unlocks a new understanding of both humility and obedience. 

We gain humility by becoming obedient. If I pray for and seek humility as an antidote to pride in my life, I must become obedient. If I seek to obey God's Word, humility will come out of that desire. 

Obedience is humility in action.  Disobedience places my Self as the highest authority. To obey is to put my desire second and do as I am commanded out of reverence. This is humility displayed through action. 

To seek humility, start by obeying. That one little word, by, gives instruction for gaining humility in life. As the Lord enables us to obey his Word, He will develop in us a spirit of humility. 

How can you put humility into action? What command in God's Word is the Lord asking you to obey?

Productive Anxiety

I don't think of anxiety as a disease. Physical, yes, but not a disease that happens to you. The Lord allowed anxiety in my life to show that He is the only one that has the power to control my little world. He allowed anxiety to drive me to my knees. Now I think of anxiety this way:

Instead of a disease that happens to you, anxiety is a signal for you to pray. 

What other signals do I listen to in life?
- when I feel the signal of hunger, I eat.
- when I am thirsty, I drink.
- my body signals when I need to use the bathroom.
- my phone signals when someone wants to talk to me.
- my car signals when it needs maintenance.

What if anxiety were the signal that we need to pray? 

Instead of waiting for anxiety to go away, we could embrace each moment as an opportunity to turn to the Lord and "cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (1Pet 5:7) Anxiety that leads to prayer becomes productive instead of inefficient and draining. By thinking of anxiety as a signal, rather than a disease, I set myself up for success instead of feeling overwhelmed when the all too familiar symptoms appear.

How does thinking about anxiety as a signal change your perspective?

Quote of the Day

"Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear." 
- Corrie Ten Boom

Friendship

Friends. You have them, you love them, you take them for granted. They change through the years. Rare is the friend who remains over time. In learning to appreciate the instant connections which bring so much pleasure as well as the long term soul knowing friendships, I have identified five things about friendship that enrich our lives.

As a side note, have you noticed that the Church can do this well? The majority of my richest friendships are through my Church community. I love seeing the Church loving on each other!

1. Playmate

Typically the first phase of a friendship, playmates come into your life because you have a shared interest. You enjoy their company, and you start to form bonds based on your hobby, adventures together, or time spent doing an activity together. Perhaps you join a sport, and on the team you find someone who shares your interest in perfecting... Chinese brush painting, of all things. As C.S. Lewis said, “Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."” (Four Loves).

Sweet Potato Teething Biscuits

If you are looking for a way to use up baby cereal, or have a voracious eater on your hands and need more finger food for him, try these sweet potato teething biscuits. They're so yummy I would eat them myself! With some peanut butter spread on top? Sounds delicious.

Your child should be sitting independently and be comfortable with gnashing and chewing food before receiving these biscuits. I would recommend 9-12 months. Even so, keep a close watch - I can't guarantee pieces won't break off and pose a choking hazard!

Sweet Potato Teething Biscuits
1c Baby cereal (any variety. I used oatmeal with sweet potato flavoring)
1c whole wheat flour
1t baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut oil (or oil of your choice)
1c vegetable or fruit puree. I used a whole sweet potato and topped it off to make a full cup with some prune puree.
4-8 tbsp water, milk, or juice

Preheat oven to 425*

1. Mix first 4 ingredients together in a medium size bowl.
2. Add coconut oil and mix it with a fork until in pea size pieces.
3. Add vegetable puree and mix again until there are no large pieces of vegetable or pockets of flour.
4. Begin with 4 tablespoons of liquid and add until pulls together into a sticky dough.
5. Roll dough out and cut into shapes.
6. Bake for approx. 15min, or until lightly browned but not too crispy.

Enjoy!

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disclaimer: This recipe is my own, but I used the following two sources as references:
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/teethingbiscuits.htm
http://boysahoy.com/homemade-teething-biscuits-3/

Mexican Tuna Salad

Hi friends! When babies nap, mommies turn into superwoman trying to accomplish as many things as they can during those precious minutes. You know, super things like showering...and eating real food...and sitting down without another little person touching them. Big Important Things.

While Little A napped this morning, I had enough time for a shower AND lunch. Big deal! Even so, I wanted something quick and easy.  I stumbled upon a super quick and easy sandwich idea: Mexican Tuna Salad. Only 3 ingredients! I served it open face on two pieces of Ezekiel bread, but you could serve it as a traditional sandwich, or on a bed of lettuce.

Mexican Tuna Salad
1 can tuna
2 Tablespoons salsa
1 Tablespoon plain yogurt
salt & pepper to taste

That's it! Pop the ingredients in a bowl, mix it up and top your sandwich with this delicious, protein packed, low fat tuna salad. Open face on toasted bread with a handful of lettuce or spinach on top is a great way to keep the carbs low and add some greens.

Becoming Mom

I wrote this several months ago. It's become a point of reference to see where I was and where I am now. I'll write more about my journey through postpartum depression and anxiety - where I am today and what the journey has meant to me.

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Friends, can I just say it? Mothering is hard. In an instant (well, after several hours of intense labor…), everything changes. I’ve known myself for 26 years. All of a sudden, I have a new identity – Mom. Who is this person called mom? She’s someone unfamiliar to me. She doesn’t feel like me. She even has a different body than the one I knew! I can feel her potential, who she might become, but it’s awfully scary looking at who she is right now and fitting together the pieces of who I knew as myself and my new identity as mom.

My son is two and a half months old. I’ve already forgotten how many weeks that is. I used to know exactly. Now I just say two and a half months. Days run into weeks which run into months, and suddenly I look back at the pictures from his birth and realize he’s grown. I have a feeling this is how I’m going to look back on his childhood in twenty years, and wonder what happened to the little boy in my arms today.

I wasn’t prepared for becoming Mom. How can you? I knew I wouldn’t sleep. I knew he would cry. I knew my marriage would change. I didn’t know that it would feel like my life was shattered into a million pieces which I am only just now beginning to put back together.

Names of God - Dwelling Place

You, Lord, are my dwelling place. My spirit needs a place to dwell. Just as I physically need a place to rest, recuperate, and call home, so does my soul. So where is home for my soul? Is it among the flashy, neon lights of my desires? If home for my soul is on the Vegas strip of my desire, I will end up bankrupt and discouraged. Forgive me, oh Lord, for allowing the brazen, shallow desires of my idol-generating heart to drag me away from my security in You.

No, You are my dwelling place. I can settle in and call you home. Sink my roots deep because I intend to stay a while and make my forever home in the rich, rewarding, quiet power of Your presence. I want to raise my children in Your presence. I want to know satisfaction in Your presence. I want the most comfortable place my soul knows to be home in You. Your Spirit resides in me, help me to abide in You. Amen. 

Names of God - My Refuge

I am learning to take the Bible at face value and really believe it to be true in a literal sense. I plan to start a new series of prayers focusing on the Names of God and what they mean in practical sense while praising God for his attributes.
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Refuge
You are my refuge, Lord. That means when I'm tired of fighting this battle and need a break, you are there. No, really! You are a practical refuge. When I am tired, You will give me rest. This is not just figurative, but very real and true. As my body needs physical sleep so my soul needs your rest. If Scripture says "You are my refuge," then when I am overwhelmed and need rest, I can turn to You and I will have a reprieve. My situation may not change, but my heart will be renewed and refreshed. Help me today to believe your words: You are my refuge and trust that I will find rest in your Word. Amen.