Being Kind.

So, this month I've been teaching the 4th and 5th graders in my Kid's Connection class about kindness. And it's going really well. The kids have all identified the "enemies" in their lives, and then brainstormed ways to show kindness, regardless of how they feel toward these unkind individuals. They are really getting it.

Fast forward to now. The more I teach about kindness, the more I've encountered situations where I need to put it into practice in my own life. This month has been both frustrating and enlightening. Not only have I convinced a lot of kids that Jesus wants us to be kind, but I've encountered instance after instance where I need to be kind too; and it's not as easy as it sounds. But the more I teach, the more I learn. Ironically, in order for me to really relate to the lesson, I had to actually learn from it and really start practicing being kind, daily.

This week I am thankful that the Bible applies to everyone. Regardless of how much I think I already know, I will never stop learning and growing.

"Do unto others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31

once upon a Thursday night...

The crib finally arrived! The box was literally bigger than me so I spent a while just staring at it while I waited for Nick to come home from work and start putting it together. It definitely surpassed my expectations though. The crib is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to lay my child in it. 

Priceless photo of the day: Poppa building Bubba's crib :)

~Mrs. S.

In "nesting" mode...

I think I am in love with my latest purchase...

It's an ivory shag 5'x8' rug from TJ Maxx and it is amazing. There were several rugs laying on a few tables in the store so I thought I'd take a look. Peeking out from under a stack of boring rugs was some fluffy amazingness. After several attempts to free it, I feasted my eyes on this beauty. A quick picture text to nessa and a phone call to Nicholas later, I loaded it onto my shopping cart and pushed it up to the check out counter. And the rest is history. :)

Vacuuming, housecleaning and a snack were in order, but finally my living room is home to "The Shag" and I can relax and watch Oprah. See it for yourself below and let me know if you love it too!

Yes I am a little excited but I think it's just the whole nesting thing kicking in. The rocking chair in the above pictures is also a new treasure. It is an antique Nicholas got from a family friend. We plan to use it when our son is born. I need to find a chair cushion for it so any suggestions/ideas are more than welcome. 

Next up for us is choosing a crib. Since the in-laws have graciously informed us that they will be purchasing it as a gift for Nicholas and I, we know need to actually narrow down our choices and select the perfect one. Hopefully that will happen in the near future since I just found the crib bedding set that I plan to use. We'll keep our fingers crossed. Stay tuned for more nesting photos. :)

~Mrs. S.

weekend here I come.

It's Friday, it's Friday! :)

I can't believe it's already been a week since the new year began. Time is flying by and I feel a little lost. This past week, I passed the 24 weeks mark until my little guy is born. That blows me away. I've been trying to read books and research all the things I feel I need to be aware of prior to the little guys arrival, but a lot of things just make me feel even more nervous and apprehensive. I think the plan from here on is to just rely on my doctor for information, and read a few good books on the specific birthing method I have chosen. So if you have some crazy horrific birth story, just give yourself a pat on the back for enduring it but no thanks, please don't share it. :)

Today is filled with potential since it is my day off. Yay! First of all, happy birthday Nessa! It's my sister's birthday. And second, my good friend Sammy promised to visit me today. I am super excited to see her since it's been quite a while since we last visited. I'm also feeling very creative so I may wind down later with a good project or my journal while I catch up with Oprah and Rachael Ray.

But, the day is young and who knows what sort of amazingness I can find my way into....
Have a wonderful weekend folks! :)

~Bethany S.

a matter of the heart.

Happiness is not determined by what one has or lacks. Genuine happiness is developed in the heart and radiates from within. I have come to realize that unhappiness is then an issue of one's heart. If I choose to harbor anger or frustrations in my heart, that anger will eventually overflow onto those around me, instead of showing them the love of Christ. The gospel of Luke states that, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45 ESV)

Simply choosing to cultivate a joyful and contented heart obviously won't fix the problem overnight. It must be a daily choice in which I deny my own selfish whims and fears and allow Christ to live within me. This Christmas season, my prayer is that Christ will continue to teach me to store good treasures in my heart, and not evil ones. There are many situations that arise in my life that I have no control over, but I resolve to dwell only on the good things, giving the things I cannot change to God and trusting that He will work them out for good. 

I hope that you also will choose to allow God to fill your heart with joy and peace and contentment this holiday season, as we reflect on the wonderful gift of His son.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

-1John 1:9 ESV

~Bethany S.

my latest bargain.

Here are a few snapshots of my new bookcase...

In case you missed the previous post, I discovered this little gem at New to You, a thrift store in Old Town Clovis, for just $15. 

I can't wait to fill it with all sorts of lovely books. :)

-Bethany

Wednesday..

This weekend, I found some rubber stamps at a vintage shop in Old Town Clovis. They reminded me of how much I enjoy being creative so I bought them. This brings us to today...

I decided to check out Michael's stamp section to pick up some ink since I've been dying to test my new stamps. I quickly became sidetracked by the large stamp selection, my mind wheels spinning at all the amazing craft possibilities if I owned just a few more. The 40% off sign only reenforced that. After much deliberation, I selected a set of alphabet stamps, a "handmade by: (fill in your name)" stamp, and a chocolate brown ink pad which claimed to cost just $1.99. Well the stamps rang up at full price and the ink pad rang up at $3.99. Great. So now I'm holding up the line asking why nothing is ringing up properly. The cashier acts like I'm crazy but finally sends someone to do a price check. She claims though, that the add only applies to Christmas stamps. No, pretty sure the 40% sign didn't specify but I nod politely and wait patiently to be proven right, which I was. The price checker returned with the 40% off sign that the cashier tried to make me believe I had only imagined. So she was forced to give me the stamps at a discounted price. However, after much more foot-dragging, the price checker couldn't find the $1.99 ink pads. She claimed that only the black ones were that price and my "gold" one was more expensive. I actually had chocolate brown ink. And unless I'm completely insane, each ink pad was in a separate basket with the price labeled directly on that basket. She didn't even bother to bring me the cheaper ink, which I would have gladly taken. Frustrated, I simply purchased the stamps and left. The price checker and cashier didn't even offer any sort of apology for putting me through all that trouble. Needless to say, I am no longer a friend of Michael's. And, I still have no ink for my stamps, which was the whole reason for shopping there.

On a brighter note, I found a bookcase today at a thrift store for a mere $15. It's made of real wood, not particle board, and it's a lovely espresso color. I had to carry it out of the store by myself and drive really slowly the 3 or 4 blocks back to the apartment so it wouldn't slide around in the back of my car but it was worth it. Now I am waiting for Nick to get off work and see my latest amazing deal. 

<3 Bethany.