"just" or MORE

It's been so long since I've blogged I don't know where to start. So let me just talk about what's been on my mind. Over the past few months as I look deeper into God's word He is showing me that I have a real desire not not to "just" be me but to be MORE. What does that mean? I don't want to go through life "just" merely getting by. I want to be as our blog site says, "On fire for God's desire". Every moment of everyday I want to be MORE. MORE through Jesus, MORE of a wife to my husband, MORE of a mom to my children, MORE of a friend, MORE of a daughter, MORE of a sister, MORE of a comforter, listener, MORE of a doer and less of a "just" enough to get by woman in Christ. God says, "I'm "MORE" than a conqueror in Him." So why do I allow myself to "just" be enough? Maybe it's because I'm scared to step out and allow God to have His way with all parts of my life. Maybe it's because I'm not really sure how to step out and be MORE. So I've began to pray about this. About finishing each and every decision and choice that I start, about praying for God to use me even MORE and for me to be entwined so tightly with Christ that I want to do MORE that I seek to be MORE in and through Him. I just started a really good book called Becoming more than a good Bible study girl. By: Lysa Terkeurst. I'm not a reader so to speak. So the fact that I'm already to chapter 11 of this book and I read the introduction pages is a real sign that I wish to be MORE in Christ. I hope that you have a sweetly blessed week. And may we strive to be MORE and not to "just" be.
Thank you for stopping by the GRILL.

Date night

Good morning. Thanks for taking a moment to stop by the grill. If you want to leave a comment for me I would be THRILLED with a capital "T". Can I share a love story with you this morning? Jim and I had a date last night! I know what your probably thinking, "We're married, why do we need to go out on a date? We are together everyday." You know what I have discovered? When your married a great amount of your time and energy is geared toward other people and things besides your relationship with your spouse. Let's be honest us moms tend to be in the room but NOT in the conversation alot of time. I mean even when we are with our husbands talking we tend to be thinking about 100 other things. Like dirty laundry, what needs to be taken out of the freezer for dinner, have the kids finished homework, going thru backpacks for the next day, did anyone feed the dog & cat yet, I can't forget to right out lunch money checks, etc. The list of thoughts that run through my head in a day of things I need to take care of could go on and on. Before we know it we are off to bed to get up the next day and start all over. Nothing at all wrong with all of that wonderful mom stuff, but before I realize it sometimes that wonderful man that God has joined me with to be his help mate through life gets the very back burner. Actually somedays he doesn't even fit on the stove at all with all the other priorities on my list. And then... something wonderful happens. A few nights ago Jim and I mentioned having a date night. Here's the catch.. Jim asked that I be with him on this date not only in body but also my mind! My mind? Did he know what he was asking? He was asking me to stop thinking about everything else for 1 night and concentrate on him. What a request. What a sincere, real, need to have some spouse one on one time alone with my wife request. That was an awakening request for me. My man was saying please give me some attention. My wheels got to turning like crazy. "DATE NIGHT !" I made a commitment to myself that last night was going to be all about my handsome husband. No talk about anything or anyone except us. Jim had already made arrangements with Meme to watch the boys all night. "You have to love Memes or you might have a Gran or Grammy or Grandma. They come with different names but they are GREAT!" I dressed up just for my guy. We went out to eat. Let me say it doesn't matter rather the food was good or bad the night was all about us. The conversation was all about us, the mood was all about us, and can I mention here that my mind was completely focused on how gorgeous my husband is. And what a wonderful man I have beside me. I LOVE date night. I encourage any woman reading this to try it. It's well worth the time invested and you might just learn a little more about your husband in process. Happy dating!
With love in Christ,
Angela

Fun Ladies Night

Thank you for stopping in at The Grill. I'm excited at the possibility that today might just be the day that someone leaves me my very first blog comment. OK, let me admit I once left myself a comment on here. You know, just to make sure it was working! Last night was the first annual ladies dinner at a new Christian School near our home. My children go to public school but I have a dear friend who's son attends this new Christian school. I was blessed to be invited to attend this school fundraiser event. It was such a fun time as you can imagine with a room full of ladies, a secret auction, arts & craft vendors, and some cute little waiters. OH did I mention the really good food and INCREDIBLE desserts!!
Our waiter just happened to be in my opinion the best waiter ever and did I mention he's 11 yrs old and he's my son's best friend.
We had such a fun time. I don't often leave my guys at home for a ladies only night out. I have to say the idea of going out with the girls makes me feel guilty. But last night as I left my men with a crock pot of beef stew I was excited to be going off to have a night full of wives and moms with lots of laughter and talking. I love being home with my family and I miss them when I'm not there, but I must admit once in a while to be in a room full of just women who love our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and hearing a good word about being an ornament for Christ it's an event that I will definitely say yes to again. Have a wonderful weekend friends. And don't forget if you have a second leave me a comment.... I would be thrilled!!!
With love in Christ,
Angela

Family Game Night

Thank you for stopping by "The Grill" today. I'm excited to have you check out our family blog site. Speaking of family I just happen to have one of my very own. And I love talking about them. So here we go: Our 2 youngest children decided that our family needs a "Family EXTREME game night". My husband and our oldest son, and I had know idea what this was going to consist of. So last night we stayed home from our regular Wed night at church night and had "EXTREME GAME NIGHT. Keep in mind our 2 youngest children are 10 and 5 years old. So they went to one of their bedrooms worked for quite a while getting this event all set up complete with a score card. Finally the BIG event began. Our 15 year old son, Jim, and myself followed the boys into the EXTREME ROOM and the games began!! We played extreme magnetic darts, bonus round, and my favorite extreme advanced round which was twirling balloons on a string and tryingo to lasso the bed for 50 points each. They had really put alot of thought into this extreme game night and it was so cute watching the 2 boys explain the rules for each game that they had made up. At the end of the event we were all given a special participation prize.... our very own piece of Halloween candy. When the score card was added up they announced that all 5 of us were winners!!! Isn't that a wonderful way to look at our life in Christ Jesus, We are ALL winners !! May your Thursday be terrific and your coming up weekend be wonderful. And may you feel like the winner you are in our savior Christ Jesus. I would love to hear from you. Do you and your family have special family events, game nights, or a special weekly meal that everyone anticipates for? I would love to hear about them.
Wishing you sweet blessings,
Angela

Time changes fall back

I like the saying fall back spring foward regarding time change. This coming weekend time changes. We gain an hour to get ready for church Sunday morning. I can always use extra time. As we are well into the autumn season with Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving fastly approaching my mind is already calculating when will be a good time for our family to put up our Christmas tree. As a matter of fact as of yesterday I have already ordered this year's Christmas ornaments for my kids. Speaking of that if anyone reading this would care to leave me a comment to let me know if you are like me and think it's really cool to get your kids a new ornament to go on your tree each year. I'm curious how many other moms have this family tradition. For our family the ornaments represent something that relates to each of my sons for that specific year. Enough about Christmas for now it's barely November.


I was thinking about the fact that time falls back an hour, this morning, and it occurred to me how very much I need to also fall back. I need to fall back deeper into the comfort, peace, joy and unconditional love that God offers to me everyday. Not only me but to you too.

Interestingly, after I typed the above I had to stop and get back to work. In the course of today I had the opportunity to pray over email to a very desparate lady who felt hopeless in life. And the above statement came back around to me. God's comfort, peace, joy and unconditional love for each one of us. How wonderful it was for me to be able to share this truth about God with this lady I will probably never meet. And isn't that's how it's suppose to be.... God wants us to share about Him to everyone we come in contact with even if we don't know who they are.

Phil 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Kookies and Kids

Yes, yes ,I know I mis-spelled cookies. Cute don't ya think. So if you happened to see yesterday's post you know that Jim and I are kids-less this week. All three of the boys are spending the week with their grandparents.
I had the most interesting thoughts come to me today. Along with missing my children, I've been thinking cookies lots and lots of cookies. Probably because I have recently said NO to sugar. Since I mentioned cookies you might want to know that white chocolate macadameon nut is my very most favorite. So anyway back to my point.
I started thinking how children and cookies are alot alike. Stay with me here for a minute and I'll explain. No, I haven't gone crazy from missing my boys or insane from the lack of sugar in my body. Although if I had cookies in front of me right now I'm sure I would cave under pressure and eat one!!!!! What !? I said one not a dozen.
Like cookies, children are also filled with all kinds of special ingredients to make them unique, different and extra special.
How 'bout we take a few minutes and just for fun this wonderful Wednesday afternoon compare kids to kookies... shall we?
Cookies all start with a common ingredient flour. Then we throw in sugar, a pinch of salt, white chocolate chunks, chopped nuts and stir it all together and bake. They all come off the pan different but also they all come out delicious and wonderful and just the way that cookies are suppose to be. (Of course for this comparison I'm not mentioning the burnt cookies.)
Children are alot like that we start with a common ingredient God's grace and mercy to allow them to be born to us. Then we throw in tenderness, a pinch of stubborn and rowdy, personality, dependency and stir it all together with love, compassion, approval, encouragement, guidance, discipline and top it all off with the Word of God and teaching them about Jesus Christ. They come out wonderful and exactly the way each one is suppose to be.
Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday.
On fire for God's desire,
Angela

Week with no kids...

So here is the scoop of what's going on this week: My parents went back to East Tennessee this weekend after being back home all last week. When they left Sunday morning they took some very precious cargo. Three pieces of precious cargo as a matter of fact. Three very rare, very original, very unique, very priceless incredible pieces of precious cargo also known as our children. Now don't get me wrong at the first thought of a week alone just the 2 of us. Jim and I were unbelievable excited. Not because we don't adore and love our children incredibly, but because as every parent knows once your children show up in your lives your alone time with your husband or wife is well somewhere in the leftovers of the day. So this anticipated whole week with my husband I must tell you ladies I was almost gitty, like a first date, or a first kiss.
Then it happened Sunday morning came around and the boys loaded up in my parents car and down the drive they went. Jim and I realized then that we missed them already.
Isn't it funny how you can say that you would love to have a vacation with just your spouse and if it was for a night or weekend I think we would all say YES !! But when you start talking about a whole week ... Do you realize a WHOLE week is 7 days. My stars how is a mom suppose to go 7 days without dirty hands to hug and chocolatey faces to kiss. So here we are my gorgeous husband and I we've made it to Tuesday. So what's the rest of the week hold? We don't know but we do know that it's nice to have alone time and it is extremely important and necessary we also know that a whole week without your kids will drive you crazy. Besides no one can make noise the way our sons do. So as we lay in bed and I come to the close of this blog my friends I say kiss your kids and hug them tight tuck them in and say good night. And remember we should always be greatful to God for the blessing of being parents not just parents but parents to our very own special wonderful precious cargo called our children. Have a wonderful week and if you find yourself having a second or two you might want to say a little prayer for Jim and I to finish up the week and really enjoy our time together. Did I mention we will be picking up the boys on Friday.... Hey that's as long as we could wait.
Sweet blessings,
Angela