Tag: Family

Williams-Sonoma

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When my husband and I got married, one of the wedding gifts we received was a gift card to an upscale home goods store called Williams-Sonoma.

Maybe you’ve heard of it.

I had heard of it, too…but at the time, the closest brick-and-mortar store was an hour away from us…so I’d never actually been there before.

That all changed one fateful Saturday, shortly after we said “I do,” when my husband and I decided to take a trip to check it out and use our gift card.

It was a day I will never forget.

After a 60 minute trek to the big city, we arrived in the parking lot of the most grandiose mall I had seen in my entire life. 😱

As we unbuckled our seatbelts and climbed out of our little Hyundai, I felt like Dorothy Gale arriving at the Emerald City. 🤩🤩🤩

Arm in arm, we proceeded through the front doors and down the main corridor.

Everything was suddenly in technicolor and it felt like we were walking the yellow brick road.

Our jaws dropped as we passed each consecutive storefront…Gucci, Armani, and Tiffany (oh my!).

I gave my husband a look that said, “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Target anymore.” 😂😂😳

Yes, it seemed as if were actually in Oz…or at least somewhere very close to it — and by the time we finally reached Williams-Sonoma, I was half-expecting to see the Wizard himself.

However, we were immediately greeted by the Wicked Witch of the West (disguised as a pretentious saleswoman) instead.

After looking us up and down, she said, “Welcome to Williams-Sonoma, have either of you been here before?”

“N-n-nooo, this is our first time,” I managed to stutter.

She then insisted on showing us around, which I later realized was sales floor lingo for “I’ll get you my pretty…and your little gift card, too.” 😂

Nevertheless, we obediently followed her as she patronizingly pointed out all of the “must-have” kitchen gadgets and gizmos — things I never even knew existed 😳.

It was like watching one of those models showcase items on The Price is Right…only, the price was so, so wrong…😳.

I did my best to hide my sticker shock with a smile…but the more we browsed, the more it became apparent that a $40 gift card was barely going to be enough for a new set of dish towels.

And that’s when she showed us…the pasta maker.

The $300 homemade pasta maker.

About halfway through her discourse on homemade noodles, my husband and I exchanged glances and I could tell he had had his fill of this saleswoman’s highfalutin mumbo-jumbo.

That’s when he threw his arms up and said, “Thanks, but I’ve got a perfectly good box of Hamburger Helper in the pantry at home.”

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

My face turned as red as a pair of ruby slippers.

We were finally outed for the country bumpkins we are.

I wanted to laugh, cry, and crawl under the table all at the same time…silently wishing I could just click my heels together three times and go back home.

But the saleswoman didn’t flinch — she simply peered over the rim of her Christian Dior glasses and condescendingly rebutted that only uncultured swine eat noodles from a box.

😳😳😳😤😤😤😤

Okay, okay…maybe those weren’t her exact words…but they were close 😂😂😂.

To be honest, I don’t remember what her exact words to us were, but I do remember that what she said made me feel small, insignificant, unsophisticated, and poor.

What happened next, you ask?

Well, we threw a bucket of water on her and walked away while the other customers broke into a rousing rendition of “Ding, dong, the witch is dead.” 🎶🎶🎶

I kid, I kid. 😂

We came really close to doing that, but then we remembered the whole “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord thing. 🤷‍♀️ (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19-21)

So, we just paid for our dish towels and left.

And we’ve never been back since.

Not because of the steep prices. Not because of the long drive. But because of the way we were made to feel.

It’s just like Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

And I couldn’t agree more.

I couldn’t tell you exactly what that saleswoman said…but I can remember exactly how it made me feel.

It’s not just that we didn’t feel welcome — it’s that we were made to feel unwelcome.

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And sadly there’s a lot of visitors who don’t come back to worship with the Lord’s church for that very same reason.

They’ve been made to feel “unwelcome” in one way or another by the church.

But it shouldn’t be that way.

Because the Gospel is for ALL (II Peter 3:9; Mark 16:15), not just for those who are already Christians, but for anyone who might believe (Romans 1:16).

I need to remember, as a Christian who is working for God, that my behavior (both inside and outside of the church building) should not chase away His “customers,” but bring them back!

We should never use our knowledge of the truth or our position as a saved citizen of God’s kingdom to be condescending or dismissive, but in love and humility we should always remember to esteem others higher than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

That’s the kind of love Jesus wants us to have. And that’s the kind of love that will bring people back.

So, let this serve as a reminder to us all — there’s a whole world of people out there who need Jesus. And if we don’t treat them right the first time, we may never get another shot.

After all, you know what they say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

Until next time…

– PWAP

Oh, Christmas Tree

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As you may recall, for the last 3 weeks there have been boxes upon boxes of Christmas decor piled high on my living room floor…

Although I came very close to just arranging them in a pyramid formation, sticking a star on top and calling it a day, I am happy to report that I actually mustered up enough time and Christmas cheer this week to finally finish decking the halls. 🎄🎄🎄

Whew. Better late than never. 🤷‍♀️

Last night, as I sat on the couch admiring our freshly trimmed tree, I caught my reflection in one of the shiny red ornaments — and it reminded of something I heard recently on Facebook.

Scrolling through my feed, I ran across a holiday video touting an interesting theory: it boldly claimed that the way you decorate your Christmas tree is a direct reflection of who you are.

(Considering the fact that mine was quite literally reflecting me at the moment, I couldn’t argue there might be something to this… 🤔)

The man in the video asserted that trees decorated with a hodge-podge of handmade family ornaments are a testament to people who have loving homes, while those with more perfectly coiffed trees, do NOT. 😱😱😱

Ouch! 😣

You mean we can’t have it both ways — a loving home and a beautiful tree???? 😩😩😩🎄🎄🎄

Am I the only mom out there who struggles with wanting it both ways? 😔🙋‍♀️

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but I get what he’s saying…and it’s about more than just a Christmas tree — it’s about the age-old struggle between self-sacrifice and self-indulgence.

Maybe having a pretty tree in and of itself isn’t wrong…but the bigger question is, when the two are at odds, which do we choose?…do we love our family or our self more?

When we choose the fancy tree OVER the family tree, our love is misplaced…and if you’re not loving the things that really matter, your tree will reflect that.

And in a way, our Christmas tree is sort of like a microcosm of our lives as well…

How I choose to “decorate” the proverbial tree of my life is a direct reflection on what matters most to me.

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)

This year, our family ended up compromising on decorating the tree — a few fancy ornaments mixed in with handmade ornaments from the kids…and it turned out great.

But with God? There is no compromise.

You have to choose one or the other: hot or cold, God or self. There is no in-between. Jesus says if we are lukewarm, he will spew us out of His mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

We only get one tree and we only get one life — what are the “ornaments” hanging on yours? Do they reflect a love of self or a love of God?

🤔🤔🤔

Jesus Christ died atop a tree for you…and is more than deserving to live at the top of your tree as well.

Fresh cut trees don’t last forever…even the fancy ones. And Jesus is the only thing that can save you from being thrown in the fire at the end of the season.

Is Jesus the star atop the tree of your life?

I hope so, because He is the only real hope you and I have of ever being a true Evergreen.

Until next time…

-PWAP

So Much To Do, So Little Time

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It’s December 12th and this is the current state of my house…🎄🎄📦📦

Boxes everywhere.

Some freshly delivered from Amazon, while others have been sitting there for weeks…ever since the day I brought them down from the attic.

Yes, I am embarrassed to admit that for the past 3 weeks, my family has had to carefully step around boxes of my good intentions piled up in our hallway…each one filled with enough decor to transform an ordinary house into a winter wonderland.

Last night my husband finally decided it was time for an intervention 🤣— suggesting that with less than two weeks left until Christmas, I should just throw in the towel on the rest of my decorating plans…so we can actually have some semblance of a normal living room once again.

In the words of Stephanie Judith Tanner:

How rude.

😂😂😂😂

For your information, the reason I haven’t yet finished the decorating is because I’ve been preoccupied with arguably more important things…such as keeping our kids alive and stuff.

🙄🙄🙄🤣

But if I’m being honest, in my heart of hearts, I know he’s right…😔 we can’t keep living this way…at least not without ending up on an episode of hoarders or something.

I just wish I had time to do it all — enough time to feed my kids AND and set up all 87 pieces my miniature Christmas village. 😂

But I don’t.

I’m only one person and I only have a limited amount of time.

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On a more serious and personal note…my husband’s beloved grandmother unfortunately passed away this week 😔.

It’s times like these that make you stop and pause and think about the very limited time we have here on this earth as well.

We’ve all obviously been thinking a lot about her this weekend…and one thing that struck me is how even though she lived what we would consider “a long, full life,” 90 years still somehow doesn’t seem long enough.

“Don’t blink,” they say.

Because the stark reality is that some of us won’t even live THAT long. None of us is promised tomorrow, let alone 90 years.

With such a limited amount of time…what will we use it for?

Jesus teaches us to use the time we are given to prepare.

Prepare for what?

Our own death and/or His second coming.

Thankfully, Grandma H. did use her time to prepare and she taught her family to do the same. ❤️

But why doesn’t everyone spend their time this way?

Unfortunately, some people don’t prepare because they simply don’t believe.

But as believers, we know we need to prepare! So, we set out with good intentions, but we need to make sure the time doesn’t slip away from us.

Just as I got side tracked with the Christmas decor, Jesus warns us of doing the same with our very own lives.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus warns that sometimes the “cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” can choke out God’s purpose for our lives (Matthew 13:22).

In other words, when the frivolous things take over our time, we’re in danger of running out of time to devote to the things that really matter — the work of the Lord.

What happens when that happens?

Well, we’ll unfortunately be like the 5 foolish virgins whose lamps weren’t ready for the bridegroom — a parable that warns us to prepare for the second coming of Christ (Matthew 25:1-13).

Because we don’t know how much time we have, we not only need to prepare but prepare with a sense of urgency. Those described in Luke 9:57-62 believed, but didn’t treat their calling with the urgency it called for…why?

Simply put, because it just wasn’t a “convenient” time for them. They thought they had more time…just as Felix did in Acts 24:25.

Life is always going to be full of demands on our time…so, there will never be a more convenient time to follow Christ than the present. In Luke 10:38-42, Mary recognized this, while Martha did not:

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Christ calls us to be a Mary in a Martha world.

So, while seeing those boxes in the hallway may irritate me every time I walk past them, they should actually serve as a reminder that I’ve been trying to put first things first — God and my family. If I’m overcommitted, I’m overcommitted to Christ.

December 25th is coming in less than 2 weeks whether I am prepared for it or not. As much as I would like to turn back the clock (or the advent calendar, for that matter) and somehow magically have time to check off every item on my “to-do” list, that’s not going to happen.

And that’s fine. Because the truth is, those boxes could sit there all year long and it wouldn’t change my eternal salvation one bit. 📦😊

Until next time…

-PWAP

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

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Yesterday was the 57th anniversary of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Wow! Hard to believe that a Christmas special could be running that long and still be popular with generations today as it was back when it first aired.

But nevertheless it has stood the test of time — and I can understand why.

The show has lovable characters, colorful scenes, and a meaningful message.

It’s one of our family’s favorites.

In fact, we love it so much that this year we purchased matching “Charlie Brown Christmas” themed pajamas to wear on Christmas morning. (Yes, we’re one of those annoying families that wears matching PJs 🙄😂).

The day they arrived in the mail, I threw them in the washer to make sure they were fresh and clean for Christmas…but when I pulled them back out, I realized something had gone terribly wrong — ALL of the black ink had mysteriously disappeared! 😱😭😭😤😩😔

I was distraught…and a little puzzled. How is that even possible? 🤔

But instead of marching myself down to the store like a total “Karen” and demanding a full refund, I decided to try to salvage the situation myself…with nothing but a little black Sharpie and sheer determination. I wasn’t going to let this ruin my Christmas spirit.

After all, I was a coloring contest champion back in the day…how hard could it be?

So, I sat down and went to work on it.

Tracing over those faded lines, I started out confidently, slowly and gently following the path with my marker. It was starting to take shape again.

But as time went on, my hand began to tire and cramp from all of that meticulous motion, making it difficult to keep the pen from veering outside of the lines.

Maybe it’s because nowadays our hands are more assimilated to keyboards and mouse pads than to good old paper and pen, but whatever the reason, the process turned out to be more difficult than I originally thought.

Thankfully, to the naked eye, the finished product mirrored the original…even though there were a couple of moments where I came dangerously close to giving Lucy a mustache and Charlie Brown a black eye 😳😂…well, that is a bigger black eye than he’s supposed to have, anyway. 🤣

It was in those difficult moments that I gained a newfound appreciation for the talent of the original Peanuts artist, Charles Schulz.

How did he so effortless draw these characters over and over for decades????

If I’m being honest, I couldn’t even TRACE these cartoons as well as he could DRAW THEM FROM SCRATCH! 🤯

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And then I thought about Jesus.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you..Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” – Luke 2:11-14

This is the time of year that the world chooses to remember the birth of Christ — I mean, that’s what the “Charlie Brown Christmas” special is all about, right? A bunch of kids finding the “true meaning” of Christmas.

But as I traced those lines, my thoughts didn’t stop at the manger — they moved through the life of Christ and the path that he carved out for us through His sinless example.

Much as my Sharpie followed the lines on that shirt, we as Christians are to follow those paths that Jesus has outlined for us as well. “…Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24)

He’s carved out the path, we just have to follow it.

But just like my hand did, we will undoubtedly tire and cramp in the process, resulting in mistakes…sins, if you will.

Even in our best efforts to “stay inside the lines,”we will undoubtedly fall short of the original.

But as a Christian (and recovering perfectionist), I have to remind myself that Christ’s sacrifice forgives me of my sins…so it’s less about how well I trace…and more about God’s redeeming grace.

One day, when I meet God and show him my own proverbial “artwork” — what I’ve drawn on the canvas of my life…will it look like a masterpiece?

Probably not…after all, I’m obviously no Charles Schulz. 😂

And I’m definitely not Jesus — His life was and is the only true masterpiece.

But I am a child of God, and I can call Him my Heavenly Father.

And as my Father, when He sees my incomprehensible scribbles, I imagine His reaction to be the same as that of any loving parent whose little child comes to show him a picture they’ve colored: He, with an immeasurable amount of grace, will look at it and say, “Well done.” (Matthew 25:21)

Until next time…

-PWAP

I Came in Like a Wrecking Ball

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A “memory” popped up on my Facebook newsfeed the other day. It was a picture of my youngest son playing in the backyard. 🥰

I love it when those kind of memories pop up — but something about this one in particular brought a smile to my face.

My son, who was about four years old at the time, was pretending to build something, so in true preschooler fashion, he was dressed for the part — wearing one of those bright orange safety vests commonly worn by construction workers (and one of The Village People 🤣).

Right after donning the vest, he had run over to me and proudly announced — “Look, Mom! I’m a destruction worker!” 😬

😂😂😂😂🤣

Now, obviously he meant construction worker…but nonetheless, truer words have never been spoken. 😜🤣

But in all fairness, he’s not the only “destruction worker” in the family…look no further than my oldest son’s bedroom and you will see that my husband and I have managed to spawn not one, but two destruction workers. 🙄🙄🙄

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…and while most of the time I prefer to hold their dad accountable for passing down the destructive genes — I must confess that today I ended up doing a little destructing of my own…😬

You see…after dropping the boys off at school this morning, I stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things.

As I passed the home goods section, there was a large mirror that caught my eye. It was decently priced and I knew just the right place to hang it back at home. 😍

Only problem was finding just the right place to put it in the cart…

Like I said, it was rather large.

So, I tried putting it in the cart this way…and that way… and then the other way… and well, nothing was quite working. 🤔

So I thought, I’ll just set it across the top of the cart like so and just go real slow until I get to the cash register. I’m sure it’ll be just fine.

However…it was, in fact, anything but fine. 😳

With one hand on the mirror and the other commandeering the shopping cart, I bravely pioneered my way toward the end of the aisle.

So far, so good.

But just as I began to turn the corner…things took a “turn” for the worse…literally.

Let’s just say, in the words of Miley Cyrus — “I came in like a wrecking ball!!!!”

🤣🤣🤣🫣🫢😱😭🤦‍♀️

I hadn’t gone more than a few feet before managing to clip the end-cap display with the corner of the mirror, sending two ceramic votives free-falling to the floor. 🫠🫣🫢😵

I cringed as the sound of shattering glass pierced my ears.

Immediately, a man in the next aisle came over to help, followed by a Walmart associate.

Mortified, I knelt down picking up the broken shards and apologized profusely for causing such a scene.

The associate reassured me not to worry, everything would be fine.

As she radioed for backup, she also instructed me not to touch anything (I think she was referring to the broken glass, but at that point I wouldn’t blame her if she had actually meant “please, for the love of all that is good, don’t touch anything else in this store” 😂).

Thankfully, the votives were small and relatively inexpensive…and Walmart was not going to hold me to the old “you break it, you buy it” slogan.

I felt ashamed, yet relieved at the same time.

😔😔😔😔😔🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😌😌😌😌😌

Truly remorseful for my lapse in judgment and thankful for the pardon I had received, I apologized again as I slowly wheeled my buggy away from the scene of the crime vowing to never attempt anything like that again.

In fact, I put the mirror back on the shelf — taking the incident as a sign that that purchasing that mirror was not, in fact, a part of God’s plan for my life…🤣).

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Of course…if you know me at all by now, you know that I couldn’t walk away from this experience without having learned at least a couple of invaluable lessons from it.

One of which is…as alone and singled- out as I felt in that moment, I’m sure I’m not the only one to have ever broken something in a store before. And I probably won’t be the last.

And the same is true when it comes to sin.

I Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind…”

Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Spiritually speaking, we’re all “destruction workers.”

It’s been that way since Adam and Eve…talk about the apple not falling far from the tree. 🙄

And yet, destruction was never God’s plan for any of our lives.

That’s why He sent His Son Jesus to save and pardon us.

There’s no “you break it, you buy it” clause with Jesus around.

Why? Because Jesus already paid the price!

Romans 5:18: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”

Praise God!

That’s not to say that we should just go around “breaking things” on purpose like a bunch of rioters or vandals…as Paul writes, “Should we sin that grace may abound? God forbid!” (Romans 6:1-2)

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus says that the broad way of living that leads to destruction, but the narrow “aisle” leads to life (even for those of us who are more accident-prone 😉).

But how do you find that narrow aisle?

In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Jesus is that narrow aisle. He is the way to salvation and eternal life. And it was Jesus himself who said, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16)

In all my broken, clumsy ways, He has saved me. And He can save you too, if you will only let Him.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall…Jesus really is the fairest one of all.”

Until next time…

-PWAP

The Road Ahead: A Blog About Fog

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This morning, I drove the boys to their first day of school (5th and 1st grade). It was so foggy here that we could barely see down the road in front of us as we pulled out of our driveway.

My oldest son took notice right away, “Wow, this fog is really creepy. It looks like the road just all of the sudden ends!”

He was right.

And if I didn’t know any better, I’d think the same thing myself: surely this is the end of the road — we can’t go any further.

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Sometimes it’s that way in life, too.

Actually — that’s pretty much the way it is in life every day.

Every minute of every day, even.

From day we’re born, we live our lives not knowing what the next second holds for us.

Sometimes that can be a blessing…and sometimes that can be downright scary.

But even though we don’t know what lies ahead…God does.

And even if we can’t see past the fog…God can.

If we believe what Deuteronomy 31:7-8, we can be comforted by the fact that God is not only with His people…but He goes before them to prepare the way as well:

“Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Have faith that though you may not always be able to see the road ahead, it’s still there and that He is the one paving it.

Keep ‘em at 10 and 2 and keep driving forward — just like we did today.

My boys would’ve loved nothing more than for me to turn that car around, give up, and let them go back to bed for the rest of morning, but after spending the last 78 days straight with them, I didn’t care if that road dropped off the face of the earth beyond that fog, we were NOT turning around! 😂

And ya know what happened? The road was there after all. Sure, it had some potholes along the way, but (much to the boys’ dismay 😂) we eventually made it the school!

But in all seriousness…I know a lot of us moms are a little scared today as we drop our kids off at school…not knowing what lies ahead. Praying they will be safe. Praying they will make friends. Praying they will learn and grow and overcome challenges. But not knowing exactly how it will all go.

But God’s commands and promises ring true in this scenario and in every other: Do not worry. Do not fear.

Don’t let fear keep you from moving forward. Take that next step in faith.

Have determination like I did to just keep driving forward come what may…trusting that what’s ahead is better than all that’s behind.

Be hopeful.

Be faithful.

And drive carefully along the path that God has laid out for you in His Word.

And one day you’ll reach a beautiful destination.

Until next time…

-PWAP

You are the Song That I Sing

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My seven-year-old will NOT stop humming. 🙄

In the playroom, in the car, on the toilet, it doesn’t matter where he’s at, the kid comes with a built-in soundtrack…😂.

Couple that with a 10-year-old who has recently learned the art of whistling, and we’re practically one washtub away from having our own jug band.

— that is, a jug band that exclusively covers John Williams’ hits.

😂😂😂

But who exactly is John Williams 🤔, you ask?

(Sounds about as famous as the guy next door, right?)

Well, he’s actually the musical mastermind who composed the scores for such iconic films as Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, E.T., and Raiders of the Lost Ark — which happen to be some of my kids’ favorite movies!

In fact, he’s composed so many well-known movie scores over the years that Apple Music even has a “John Williams’ Essentials” playlist now!

And……..of course we had to listen to it.

So, there we were on a Tuesday afternoon heading home from the grocery store — just a former music major and a couple of music “minors” — humming along down the road to one orchestral arrangement after another…

When all of the sudden, a song came on that I was not expecting to hear AT ALL…in fact, it was a song I hadn’t heard in over 20 years.

And yet, as soon as I heard the music start, it was like Carpool Karaoke meets the Day of Pentecost (minus James Corden and the Holy Spirit, of course)…and I couldn’t help but sing along:

“Bee ya ma yee ah, 🎶

bee len geisia bee gammah. 🎶

Bee ya ma yee ah, 🎶

bee len geisia tee yamanga…🎶

…Mu ya mah mu yeh, 🎶

Mu ya mah mu yeh, 🎶

Mu ya mah mu yeh, Afrika.” 🎶

The song is called, “Dry Your Tears, Afrika” from the movie Amistad — And in case you hadn’t noticed…the lyrics aren’t in English — they’re in the west-African language of Mende.

But it was no miracle that I was singing along…I knew the words because we sang it in our school choir one year.

And while not miraculous, it was nothing short of impressive.

How is it that over 20 years later, I can’t remember anything my teachers said (in English)…but I can still remember an entire song in MENDE???!!

Let’s just say, hearing it struck a chord in me for the rest of the week.

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The whole experience made me think about how Ephesians 5:19, tells us to “[speak] to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord…” and how God in His infinite wisdom knew the benefits of singing long before we could figure out the science behind it all.

According to Opera North, singing not only enhances our memory, it releases endorphins, enhances lung function, helps you relax, builds a sense of community, lets you express yourself, can help relieve pain, boosts your confidence, and enhances your overall wellbeing!

These benefits are even more apparent when it comes to the developing brains of children.

Kids learn better with music.

In fact, according to an article published in The Washington Post earlier this year, “Music speaks to children in the areas of the brain that process sound and emotion, which are both fully developed at birth,” and “…taps into the emotional and memory centers of the brain, so information and instructions delivered through song are more likely to stick…Consider this: How did you learn your ABCs, and do you still remember them?”

It turns out that the art of making imperfect music with another person…releases feel-good hormones that bond people together. It’s also a surprisingly mindful pursuit. “When you’re making music with other people, your thoughts don’t stray, because you’re drawn into the orbit of synchronization, and that requires focus and attention.”

Which explains why when my kids were toddlers, their pediatrician would end every visit, instructing me to “keep singing to them.”

From a medical standpoint, he knew that it was crucial to their development.

And from a spiritual standpoint, it’s vital to our development as well.

Even if we can’t carry a tune in a bucket, we have to keep singing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” with and to each other…especially our children.

Your kids will remember what they sing, so bring your babies to Bible class, bring your kids to Sunday school. Bring them to worship and let them hear the voices of the saints blending together in praise to God.

It’s never too early — or too late to start.

So, this is yet another reminder to myself as a parent to turn off the KidzBop 2022 for a minute and sing along in the car with some Bible songs, too.

My friend Holly suggested a series of kid’s Bible CDs called “Slugs and Bugs,” that sets Bible verses to music. She said her kids have memorized a ton of scripture this way without even really trying! And now I think I understand why.

We followed her suggestion and started listening to Slugs and Bugs, too…and now my kids have added these to their humming/singing/whistling repertoire as well 😂…and so have I.

Until next time…keep on singing.

-PWAP

Write on My Heart Every Word

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My youngest son (who just turned 7) was sitting on the end of our pew during worship this morning.

He was a little farther away from me than usual, so I couldn’t see exactly what he was doing during church, but it looked like he had his pen and paper out, so I assumed he was listening while quietly drawing one of his world-famous pictures of Jesus. ❤️

Boy, was I wrong…😂.

When the final “amen” was said, he made his way straight over to show me his “artwork.”

Oh, it was artistic alright…but instead of using paper as his canvas, he had used the entire backside of his arm instead…😱🙄🤦‍♀️.

“Look, mom! I got a tattoo!”

As unsightly as it was, part of me was just glad it was only pen and not Sharpie. 🙏🙏🙏

I fussed at him for a minute…and then sent him off to Bible class.

But shortly after I finished preaching to him about his arm…his little arm preached a sermon right back to me…

You see, he was (in his own weird way 🙄) actually on the right track as far as what God desires for us all…

As the church hears the Word of God taught each Sunday, God is making an indelible mark on our innermost being…so, in a way we are each getting tattoos of our own.

Week after week, the Word of God is being tattooed on our hearts…the most intimate place you could EVER get a tattoo!! (Despite what you’ve heard to the contrary…🤭.)

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says:

“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

When we teach, we tattoo. When we learn, we become tattooed.

And whether we realize it or not, our tattoos themselves have the ability teach others, as well.

With one glance, a tattoo can tell the world a little bit about us. It’s a powerful representation of who we are and what we love.

And this is even more true when it comes to tattoos of the heart — because our hearts determine everything else we do:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

For this reason, it’s vitally important to be careful about what we choose to tattoo on our hearts, because unlike my son’s “temporary tattoo,” permanent ones are not as easily removed.

Which is exactly the reason why my husband always says, “If I ever get a tattoo, I’m getting the words ‘Know Regrets’…because I’d probably end up regretting it…” 🙄😂🤣.

But he’s right in a way…getting a tattoo is a long, tedious, costly, and even painful process…so it is a choice you want to be sure of.

In a lot of ways, the process of tattooing the Word of God on your heart is really no different.

But don’t let that scare you away from becoming His disciple…because I can tell you one thing for sure…it’s something you’ll never regret. ❤️😊

Until next time…

-PWAP

If You Can’t Take The Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen

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It’s no secret…I’m not the world’s best cook.

In fact, if someone took a poll asking who in our family has started the most kitchen fires — hands down, the answer would be…ME!! 🙋‍♀️ 🔥🔥🔥

— Guilty as charged.

I don’t know what it is, but I have always been a little clumsy…a little accident-prone, especially when I’m trying to do more than one thing at a time.

I’m just not that great at multitasking, I guess. 🤷‍♀️

If you read my last post, Living the Meme, I’m sure you’re well aware of how I feel about multitasking in this crazy busy life…and sometimes we have so much going on, we have to put certain things on the “back burner” so-to-speak.

As I was cooking the breakfast for the kids this morning, I was feeling the pressure of multitasking once again — dipping and flipping the pancakes over on the griddle while simultaneously trying not to burn the eggs or start (yet another) fire with bacon grease on the stove. Add hollering at two rowdy kids on a Saturday morning to the mix and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster.

Most of the time, my husband and kids are gracious in regard to my culinary catastrophes.

If their eggs are a little burnt or their bacon extra crispy, they don’t give me too hard a time…mostly they’re just glad I was making them something to eat at all. 😂

It’s just like my mom always said — the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. 😂🤣

And metaphorically speaking, it’s sort of that way with God’s heart too.

You see, He’s given us the “recipe for life” in His “cookbook” — the Bible. 😉

But it’s up to us to gather the ingredients and actually whip it up — even if we’re the not the best chefs in town. It’s important we read and follow the recipe carefully, especially when we’re just starting out.

But as we’re cooking, sometimes we get distracted — whether it be by a phone call, text, knock on the door, or a couple of crazy kids wrestling each other on the couch.

And before you know it, something’s gone awry with the meal you were trying to prepare.

With all the different pots we have on the stove of life, it’s almost inevitable that one will boil over, stick to the pan, or start one of those fun-little grease fires…😳🫢🔥🙄

And that’s where grace comes in.

Like a fire-extinguisher for our souls, God’s grace is there to put out those fires that arise as we’re trying to follow His special recipe.

Even if the blaze is so big that it takes a fire engine to come put it out, God’s got the insurance policy to cover it!

But though grace may be offered free for all…it isn’t a “free-for-all.” Contrary to the beliefs of some, God’s grace is not an insurance policy that covers intentional sin when there is little or no effort on our part to prevent and/or contain the fire.

You have to reach out to that fire extinguisher in order for it to work and you have to be willing to call 911 for help!

Think about it.

Should we TRY to burn the food on purpose?? Should we TRY to intentionally start that kitchen fire???

Insurance won’t reimburse for a 5 alarm fire that was the result of a self-sabotaging act of arson.

And neither will God.

So, then does it make any sense that we should “sin that grace may abound?” God forbid! (Romans 6:2)

In fact, the Bible teaches, “If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26-27)

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The opposite is true as well…turning all the burners off and just “ordering take-out” is not part of God’s plan either.

Just like a family recipe handed down for generations, we should cherish God’s Word and its recipe for our lives. Why settle for a cheeseburger when you could have a home cooked meal??

Are we all going to become the next Rachael Ray or Emeril Legasse in the process?

No, but we have to be trying.

God expects us to follow His recipe to the best of our abilities.

I wonder if that’s why despite his flaws, the Bible refers to David as a man after God’s own heart. (I Samuel 13:14)

He was a cheater and a murderer — talk about some big fires to put out. 😳😳😳🔥

But he repented — and he never stopped seeking God.

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I say all this to say….

Culinarily-speaking, if you’re like me and you’re accident prone in the kitchen — then you’re gonna want a fire extinguisher close by when you’re cooking. 🤣

But spiritually-speaking, if you’re a person who like me who is “sin-prone”…then you’re gonna want to keep Jesus close by. ❤️

Only His precious sacrifice can provide us with the grace we need to keep on cooking…

…and one-day land that 5 star review from the most important critic of all time, God Himself.

Until next time…

-PWAP

Living the Meme

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When I saw this meme on Facebook the other day, I had to laugh…and slightly cringe.

Why? Because I could relate. 🫢

When I was little, I always dreamed of being a Disney Princess…and now look at me — here I am a grown-woman relating to the likes of Cruella DeVille. 🙄🙄🙄🙄😂🤣

You know what they say, “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

Okay, maybe I’m being a little melodramatic…but there certainly is some truth there.

My inner Cruella tends to come out when I overcommit.

One such example happened over winter break last year — my boys were playing around in the backyard with the neighbor kids while I was doing some housework inside. I watched them through the window as they played.

Later on, when the kids finally came in for the night, my youngest son informed me that the little neighbor girl had inquired as to my whereabouts — sweetly asking, “Is your mom inside baking holiday treats?”🎄😊🎄

To which my 6-year-old son bluntly replied:

“No. She’s stressed out.”

😳😳😳😳😂😂😂😂😩😩😩😩

Kids say the craziest things, don’t they?? 🤣🤣😬

But, if I’m being completely honest…the sad truth is, he was right — I was “stressed out.” 🤯

It was Christmas after all…and in typical mom- fashion, I was trying to do ALL THE THINGS (decorating, shopping, baking, Elf on the Shelf…need I say more?? 🥴😵‍💫🫠).

I was trying to live up to waaaaaay too many expectations (mostly self-imposed)…and had bitten off more than I could chew.

Let’s just say it wasn’t bringing out the best in me.

In fact, in my quest for Pinterest-worthy Mary Poppins perfection, I had become more like the villain instead of the hero. 😔

And while I’d like to say it’s just the holidays that stress me out…everyday life oftentimes gets to me, too.

Bills, school assignments, work deadlines, never-ending piles of laundry, grocery shopping, budget-balancing, doctors’ appointments, sick kids…after a while on that hamster wheel, it’s easy for your mental space to become a far cry from the “peace that passes all understanding.” 😬😫😔

Despite the often misapplied verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13), I’m writing this blog post to remind myself (and others) that we were never meant to literally do it all!!!!

In fact, when it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders, we would do well to remember that even the Messiah himself (who lived a perfect, sinless life) didn’t “do it all” while he was here on this earth.

Now, I’m not saying He couldn’t have done it all…He could have healed everyone in the world, brought world peace, etc. (Matthew 26:53)…yet, somehow He chose not to.

Which leaves us with one burning question…

Why not????

Why didn’t Jesus do it all while He was here?

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Well, simply stated, He had a mission and He stuck to it: “…the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) — the spiritually lost.

And while he did help people along the way, He never let that detract from His ultimate goal.

Maybe that’s why when a paralyzed man was brought to Him, Jesus initially chose to forgive the man’s sins rather than healing him (Matthew 9:2-8). 🤷‍♀️

You see, He knew that restoring a person’s physical life was good — but that restoring a person’s spiritual life was better.

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Just as Jesus explained to Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, we too have a choice to make between what is good and “what is better.”

With the limited time and resources given to us, we have to choose wisely where to channel our energies as well. We literally can’t “do it all” and still be pleasing to God (Matthew 6:24; Joshua 24:14-15).

If we are burning the candle at both ends so-to-speak, eventually there’ll be no light in us left to shine!

How then will we as followers of Christ be the light of the world as he has called us to be??? (Matthew 5:14)

Just like Jesus, we have a purpose and a calling: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

There will always be laundry to do. Dishes to wash. Crumbs to sweep. There will always be another dollar to make, another bill to pay. Another holiday to decorate for.

All good things in and of themselves.

But when does too much of a good thing…stop being a good thing?

All I’m saying is this — the hamster wheel will always be there…but there may never be another chance to:

– sit and learn at Jesus’ feet

– talk to your neighbor about Jesus’ love and sacrifice.

– help a sick friend.

– teach your children the ways of Jesus while they are still young.

Despite all the distractions of this life…we too should be about our Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

The time is now, and we have to choose carefully how we use it — maybe we’ll never quite master doing “all the things.” But did we do the most important things? The things of God?

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Perhaps you’re like me and have come to realize that the never-ending pressures of this world are insurmountable, as well.

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

When I read verses like this, I’m reminded that in a world that values “keeping up with the Jones’s” (or the Kardashians, for that matter) — keeping up with Jesus makes a whole lot more sense.

Jesus is the difference between “living the meme” and “living the dream” — for eternity.

Until next time…

-PWAP