She's crafty, take 2

Okay, I'm afraid I've started a new addiction of sorts... I am LOVING these FREE beautiful fabric boxes. You know, like the ones you see in the store, that are all pretty, and you think... "that would be a nice way to store all those baby toys... but I'm not paying $35 for one..." Yes, like those. Well. It was Ryan, my brilliant husband, who came up with the idea of me covering some of the cardboard boxes we have. We have so many from moving, etc. And these two lovelies were the results of my efforts so far.

I am working with my hands in delight people. Gotta love that Proverbs 31 woman.

Behold: I am crafty again

I love my husband for many reasons...

This was worthy to be posted on both blogs. My hubby ran 26.2 miles on Sunday. I am blown away by this accomplishment; it reminds me what a dedicated, hard-working man he is. How blessed I am to be married to a man who shows such commitment! I can't imagine running that far (or even wanting to), but he did it. I was going crazy at the finish line because that was MY man, my husband, triumphantly finishing the longest race I can even conceive of. It was a great experience.

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and encouragement. He did a great job!

Worship Wednesday: the importance of morning

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8


There is something about the morning and getting in tune with God. For me, it is crucial to do so. Typically, I need to do it before I do anything else in the day, though lately I have found it quite difficult to get up that early. Today I just couldn't.

Regardless, the morning is such a special time with the Lord. Scripture reaffirms this principle time and time again-- that his mercies are new every morning, that we are to seek Him in the morning, and so on. It's not that He changes as the day goes on. No, He stays the same- Praise Him! But we change, and not for the better.

If I don't start out seeking Him, the likelihood that I will seek Him later in the day is just not very great. I think it goes back to understanding our own tendency to sin... Though we have been made alive in Christ, we are still in our old bodies which are still sin factories, just ready to produce sin at any opportunity. The only way to keep that from happening? Dying to self first and constantly, and living to Christ alone.

So Lord, let me hear Your lovingkindness this morning. I trust in You. Teach me the way in which to walk. I lift up my soul to You.

That's how I worship today.

Mommy Mondays: what you have to do.

I may have shared this story about my mom before. She got up early and was packing me a lunch of my favorites-- chicken salad and such-- when I was headed back to Memphis from Lake J last summer. I was pregnant, but not even showing yet. Life was feeling very full.

As I stumbled into the kitchen at the Allgood House, I said, "Oh mom, you don't have to do that!"

Her reply comes back to me a lot these days. "Sarah, it's never about what you have to do."


She is so right, isn't she? Being a mommy isn't about what you "have to do." Granted, there are many things which frequently must be done. It is a part of it from day one. Baby has to be fed, baby needs time with mom and dad, baby needs diaper changes. There are many, many things that must be done.

But it is also about going the extra mile, isn't it? I can feed my baby, change his diapers, and play with him. But I can also intentionally sing the scriptures to him, play with him lovingly, and devote my time to him. And it is impossible to underestimate the importance of a mommy's attitude.

So last night, when my baby was up wailing at 3:30 in the morning, I was on the verge of a pity party. Now that he regularly sleeps through the night, I hate it when he wakes up in the middle of it. Selfishly, I figure we are beyond that stage, or at least, we should be. Nevertheless, I had to do something. I stumbled my way into the kitchen and fixed that sweet baby a bottle. I decided that if he was waking up he really must need something, since he so rarely wakes up anymore.

All mommies have to do these things sometimes, yes. But it isn't about what you have to do. I am so grateful for a mom and dad who taught me that.

I am blessed, beyond measure, to be the mother of this little boy named Holman. I am thrilled to be the one who changes his diapers, who plays with him, who sings to him, to holds him when he needs me. I am abundantly blessed to have a husband who allows me to stay home and enjoy these early moments of Holman's life. And yes, I am blessed to be the one who gets to go the extra mile for my baby.

That doesn't make me special or praiseworthy. All mommies go the extra mile. There isn't a trophy for going the extra mile. Sometimes, motherhood will feel like one big long extra mile. But it is so worth it.

Sometimes it will be enough just to pause, look at my darling boy, and sigh because I am the one who gets to be called his mother.

But even on the toughest days, I am encouraged by the Word:

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." Colossians 3:23

If my mothering makes Jesus smile, then I know without a doubt, it will be worth it.

Worship Wednesday

Titus 2 instructs us, among other things, to be "pure."


I read in book once that CS Lewis once said, "The good man is sorry for the sins which have increased his need. He is not entirely sorry for the fresh need they have produced."

Today I will praise the Lord for His everlasting kindness and forgiveness. I need Him more today. Or at least, I am more aware of my need. While I'm not really sure about the truth of this quote, or even how Biblical it may be, I have to admit that true repentance and subsequent forgiveness are unmatched in their ability to keep me humbly seeking Him.

As Paul said, it's not like we're supposed to sin so that grace may abound (may it never be!). But instead of wallowing in the ways I frequently fail my God, I can look to Him and be awed by His glorious grace. The grace that washes away all sin- every unrighteousness- as He is making me more like Jesus. I can look to Him and trust that His forgiveness is complete and sufficient. I can cry out to Him, "change me!" and know that He is already in the process of doing just that.

That's why I worship Him today. He is worthy, beyond worthy, to be praised every moment of every day. That's just why I happen to be praising Him today.

Hallelujah to the God of abundant grace!

"He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." Ephesians 1: 4-8a

Why are you worshiping today?

Mommy Mondays: Motivated Me

Just another installment of Mommy Mondays. Okay, so it's only the second one. Still.

I just wanted to share a few things I have gotten motivated to do lately. Sort of all at once. And since I'm a mommy, it counts as "Mommy Monday."

1. I am training for a 5k and getting closer to that goal. I am running the Pumpkin Run in October. I am now able to run 30 minutes straight, with dog and baby along for the run/ride. It is very invigorating, and I feel so accomplished every day I do it.

2. I am now motivated to clean my floors. I used to sweep pretty regularly, but now that Holman scooches EVERYWHERE, it is apparent that sweeping is not quite adequate. When all of his shirts are covered in dog hair, dirt, and who knows what else, it screams out to mom "PLEASE CLEAN THE FLOORS!" I guess it is gross that I used to not clean them. I kind of wish I could spray some kid-safe cleaner onto Holman's belly and let him do it for me. Unfortunately, he tends not to cover the entirety of one area, as he is easily distracted by interesting noises coming from faraway rooms.

3. I am dieting. I did well with baby weight, and actually, I got it all off. But when I stopped nursing, it all mysteriously reappeared on my waistline. I've been dieting for three weeks, and I am feeling fabulous. And I'm not starving. It is a much better system than any diet I've ever tried.

4. I am motivated by what is going on at Highpoint Church lately. God is lighting a fire in our people. I am motivated to "get out of the boat" like Peter did-- to give everything I have to God and see what He does all around me. I am motivated to pray, to seek, to know Him more. This is my life's purpose: to know Him and love Him more every single day.


And right now, I'm not very motivated to go do laundry. But alas, the baby is sleeping, and it must be done. That is it for now. Stay tuned.