♥♥ My Muddy Mama ♥♥

While this picture is nearly 10 years old, it frequently crosses my mind and makes me smile. It captures my mama so well.That's her, in a hole that she dug, fixing a pipe she laid!  I don't remember the exact circumstances of this photo, but it had something to do with her beloved (and quite impressive) fish pond. Do you see the bliss on her face? She has a long history with dirt, and that mud is a badge of honor!

Recently I asked her about the early years of television, to which she should have been a witness. Her response was that she didn't remember spending much time watching it. She was much more interested in playing outside in the dirt.

She's also shared a story about how her sister ran all the way from the pasture to the the house to tell on her for saying a bad word. What caused her to spew that 4 letter word? She'd been making a mud pie, and it had broken apart.

Another time I questioned her about her cousin, Sue, who's now a university professor. She recalled how, when they played together, Sue was usually engrossed in a book while my mom was working on her outdoor playhouse, creating a carpet from moss she'd gathered.

It's no wonder that for years all she wanted was a little Bobcat dirt mover thingy (sometimes I just can't find the right word, you know?). When we'd ask what she'd do with one, she say, "Oh, I just want to be able to move dirt here, and then maybe there." Fascinating - and a little unique?

Oh, how I love my mama. With the exception of my husband, I've no closer friend. She's passed to me some of her interests, such as crafting, playing the piano, and yard sale-ing (I make these words up as I go along). Although I live over 2 hours away from her, I always enjoy and treasure my time with her.

As I reflect on our relationship and her influence on my life, certain occasions come to mind immediately...

• I can see her going to the piano one Sunday in church, beckoning me to follow. While I protested loudly and all the way down the aisle, I sang "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jesus Loves  the Little Children" that Sunday, just as we'd practiced over and over again. At 3 years old, it would be the first of many times that I would sing for my Lord in the years to come.
• I remember her sitting on my bed providing comfort and scripture to me as I cried because I was concerned about whether or not I was really saved. I would depend on and remember that counsel for many years later.
• She was my Girl Scout leader from 3rd -12th grades and was tireless in her efforts to organize wonderful trips to places like Washington, DC, sell ridiculous amounts of Girl Scout cookies, and help us pull off colossal events such as a well-attended medieval fair. She sewed many of my clothes until I began to get overly concerned about being "cool" and having name brands. Then she saw that I had one precious pair of Victoria Vanderbilt jeans to wear as I began junior high school. She later made my prom dress!
• She put together a beautiful wedding for me and my first husband. This included a last-minute rescue of my wedding dress which hadn't turned out as well as we'd hoped when she'd hired a professional seamstress to make it!
• A month later, she became a strong base of support as I began to lose my husband to cancer.  Five months later, she was a rock for me as I was left weak from the grief of losing him. This period of my life is a bit of a blur, but I'll always remember the day I stopped mid-sentence in the middle of a story, realizing I'd already told her that story. Then I realized I'd told it several times before. I looked at her face and saw compassion and patience as she waited for me to continue. I realized that she'd been enduring these repetitions for my sake. She was letting me talk it out, something I later learned is very important for those who are grieving. 
• Within two years, she was shaken when I suddenly became ill. She cared for me daily and took me to the many doctor visits and tests required to determine that I had multiple sclerosis. Then she set out to find all she could about the disease and how to live with it the best way possible.  
• Laden with supplies (including everything from cross stitch kits to finger sandwiches), she traveled over 2 hours to care for me when I was placed on bed rest with my first pregnancy. It was then I learned that, although a grandmother loves her grandchildren, it's her own children that concern her the most.

I could go on and on, and rarely does a day pass that I don't think of her as I mother my own children. God gives us all the mothers we have, and I am so thankful, so very thankful for mine.

If reading this made you think of your mama, talk with her today about something, anything you treasure about her!

How "Making Him Pay" Costs Me

My husband and I recently had an argument. We made up, but soon after, we had another one. Frustrated, I decided to "make him pay." Let me tell you where that took me...

Not only did I allow resentment and anger to dwell in my heart, I actually nursed it by justifying every thought I had about him. As the days went by, the call of the Holy Spirit to forgive Him and repent of my sins grew quieter. Eventually, my heart grew hard, and the anger turned to apathy. I knew I was being selfish and immature, but I didn't care. It was a scary place to be - away from, opposed to my God. 

Shamefully, it was at the nudging of friends, not the Holy Spirit, that caused me to seek resolution. Making up with Philip was relatively easy. Restoring intimacy with God was much more difficult. My original sin was compounded by my disobedience to repent, and I found myself terribly ashamed to go to Him. Once I did, He graciously began speaking to me. My daily devotional soon after was based on Psalm 103...

2-3  Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

8- 12 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

What a promise! THAT'S grace! I learned a valuable lesson that I hope I'll never forget: Don't run from God because of your sin. Run to Him! Running from Him compounds the guilt and creates anxiety. Running to Him removes the guilt and restores peace. I still had a little trouble with my "feeler." It took a while for me to feel intimate again, but that's when you have to walk out your faith. I had to stand on the verses above and believe in His forgiveness and love.

Another way God spoke to me was through a book by Cynthia Carrier called Home Sweet Home, which I've had sitting on a shelf for quite some time but had only begun to read. I remembered this book beginning with hard questions about repentance, and since the lack of repentance was the biggest concern I'd had during the situation, I felt compelled to read it.  By the end of the first chapter, I realized that I'd slipped into living a Christian life in which Christ is my Savior, but not really my Lord. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT REVELATION. First of all, I can't have fruit of the spirit in my life if I'm not obeying Him. Second, I remembered how sweet it had been when I was following Him, and I want that life back!

"Making him pay" is deceptively clothed as justice. But we, as Christians and as wives are not called to bring our husbands to justice. In fact we are called to submit to them. That's really hard when you believe you're in the right, but it is possible through prayer. I love this definition of submission by Tony Evans...

“Submission — learning to duck, so God can hit your husband.” — Tony Evans

You can trust God to take care of straightening out our husbands, if He feels it's needed. Hopefully, your husband won't have to "pay," but if he does, let God be the collector!

IMO: My Favorite Hair Spray (and an '80's hair flashback)

Remember this hair style, circa 1987? I LOVED MY BIG HAIR (even though there wasn't a lot of it)! I still remember how I styled it...

1. Apply mousse to freshly washed wet hair.
2. Deftly maneuver a handheld hair dryer in one hand and a round barrel brush in the other to form a big ridge of hair along the crown of your head.
3. Bend over and blow dry the rest until it's completely dry. Fling hair dramatically as you return to an upright position.
4. Tease hair along the aforementioned ridge, and apply hair spray.
5. Use a jumbo pick to pull hair even higher and secure with more hair spray.
6. Bend over and spray the rest of the hair lightly. Return to an upright position quickly to prevent scary big hair.
7. Turn head to one side, pull hair away from ear with brush and freeze in place with several bursts of hair spray. Repeat on other side.

Note: Permed hair was a prerequisite for most of us. The coveted "spiral" perm was every girl's dream, but poor girls like me had to settle for the "curly" perm :)

Ahhh, the good old days. Seriously, I liked the look of big hair - possibly because it made me look taller. As time went on, hair dressers gradually forced  encouraged me to update my style, and at this point it's very different. One thing that's remained the same is my preference for hairspray with staying power.

About a year ago, my administrator noticed me fighting an annoying, loose strand of hair, even after spraying it repeatedly with hairspray. She went to her office and returned with Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine. I was skeptical because I didn't believe that a pump hairspray could set my hair strongly enough. I was wrong! This stuff works, and  it's the best hairpsray I've ever found. It holds all day, without creating a shell on your hair. It's moderately priced, especially if you purchase it at Ulta, where they have a frequent shopper program and coupons. The only down side I've experienced is that sometimes the nozzle head  needs to be cleaned, but it's not a big deal - just run it under hot water or pull off the film with your fingernail.


It may be out of fashion now, BUT should big hair ever return, as they say all fashions do, I am good to go!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Paul Mitchell or Ulta, and I purchased this product myself.

IMO Fridays: My fave shampoo for thinning hair

Source: Uploaded by user via Mikki on Pinterest

Introducing IMO (“In My Opinion”) Fridays at Mom’s Best Nest! These posts will be 100% unsolicited opinions about things I like and use. Hmm…I guess I can kiss goodbye any review opportunities I might have had with these companies…Oh, well! Let’s get started!

My Favorite Shampoo: Nioxin
This is a hair care line for those with thinning hair, so if that isn't a concern for you, go check out my post about crock pot meatloaf - it's sooo good! For the rest of us...

Balding or thinning hair is a sensitive subject for women. My husband sports a shiny half-bald head handsomely, but I'm quite certain I wouldn't want ot try it myself. I've never really had a head full of hair, but it never was a concern until my mid-twenties. At that time, I began noticing how much of my scalp could be seen in photographs of me, and it was alarming. I think it might have accelerated during my first husband's illness and passing, but I can't be sure. I dealt with it by keeping my hair permed, cut short, teased and shellacked. Then I learned that color adds volume and helps hide the scalp, so I added that to my regime. Eventually perms went out of style, and I tried to froth my hair up as much as I could  without them.

Several years ago, my scalp seemed to get increasingly more obvious. I'd heard of Nioxin, and I began reading about the experiences of real people on several consumer opinion websites (like epinion.com). It seemed to have really good reviews. Upon asking my hairdresser about it, I was surprised to learn that she'd been using it for a long time and wouldn't want to be without it. Here's how she described it to me: "It's normal for scalps to shed hair and regrow hair daily. This product helps you shed less hair, so you  have more hair on your head at any given time than you would without it."

I decided I'd give it a try. Because several of the consumer reviews had stated that one needed to give it at least 3 months before seeing results, I committed to do just that. I've been using it for over a year now and, like my hairdresser, I'd hate to be without it. It didn't reverse my balding and miraculously produce a full head of hair, but I did see positive results. I now have enough hair to feel comfortable growing it to below my shoulders - something I haven't done in 15 years! While I can still occasionally see my scalp, especially when my "roots grow out," it is remarkably improved from before.

IMO, this stuff is pricey, but I purchase mine at Ulta because of their points card and coupons. I think I can usually get a bottle of shampoo for around $11, but I actually try to buy the biggest unit I can afford, in order to save money. Don't do that until you figure out which level you need - there are several lines for specific hair needs. I use the shampoo and conditioner regularly and occasionally purchase and use the third component, which is a scalp treatment, I think. My hair dresser says the follicle booster is much better than that, but I haven't tried it yet.

Hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions or if you've found someting for this condition that you like. I'd love to hear about it.

One more time...I am in no way affiliated with Nioxin or Ulta. I purchased everything reviewed in this post, and all opinions are my own. 

♥ My Valentine & Our Story ♥

When I was a teenager, I formulated a plan for myself: Marry by age 20, have all my children by age 25. God had another plan.

I was 23 when my first husband died from colon cancer at the age of 25. He was my first love, a strong, handsome and Godly man, and I was heartbroken. But God was with me through his illness and continued to be with me as I mourned his passing, serving as my provider and comforter.

At 25, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was certain that I would be single forever, since I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to take on that responsibility. As my health improved, I began dating again, but I didn't enjoy it. After going through a distressing break-up (well, only one of us was distressed, which was part of the reason it was so distressing), I began to embrace the idea of remaining single for the rest of my life. Okay, embrace is not the right word...it was more like "choke down" the idea. 

Seven years after I became a widow, things began to change quickly! My friend's mom played matchmaker with her friend who had a single son in seminary. Phone numbers were exchanged and a game of phone tag commenced between Philip and me. One day, while visiting my brother, we found him on AOL Instant Messenger. I'll always remember his first word to me. He typed, "Finally!" :) It's the most romantic word I think I shall ever hear!

He felt compelled to share his testimony right then and there...in front of my protective brother and within earshot (we were reading the text aloud) of my mother. In a nutshell: alcohol... marijuana... cocaine... crack... jail... SEMINARY! Well, that was enough to make my brother wary and my mother hysterical! But I sensed that this was worth pursuing.

We spent many hours on the phone before our first date, and I was impressed by his wit and confidence. I was falling in love with him before we even met! In an effort to impress him, I tidied everything I could. I used household scissors to cut weeds from cracks in the driveway. I even polished the brass on a wicker chest in my living room. I had no idea that Brasso turned your fingers BLACK for a week! It was embarrassing for me then, but what an object lesson! To this day, if he catches me obsessing on non essentials, he'll tell me that I'm brass polishing!

When I finally met him at my front door, I let him in and excused myself to finish getting ready. I vividly recall looking in my bathroom mirror and mouthing, "I could marry this one!" He was so handsome and funny and charming and confident and...(sigh)

As his seminary campus was over six hours away from me, our courtship was limited to weekend dates and many hours on the phone. We knew we wanted to get married within weeks of meeting, and he insists that I proposed to him, while I recall him forcing me to by bringing up the subject, then dodging it. We dated 9 months before marrying.

I'm so glad God brought us together! He knew what I desired and needed in a mate, and He really delivered! I love Philip's wit, wisdom, strength, confidence, and how He truly seeks to honor God as a husband and father in our home. He has made me such a better person, and I am brought to tears when I think about where God brought us from and the dreams we're now realizing together. My best friend, my love, my valentine!

Easy "Baked" Sweet Potatoes

You may want to print this out. It's really complex ;)

Baked Sweet Potatoes

1. Wash them.
2. Wrap them in aluminum foil.
3. Place them in the slow cooker.
4. Cover with slow cooker lid.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. 

I usually fill the cooker full, serve a few of them at the next meal, and place the rest in the refrigerator to take to work for lunch.

My Anti-Resolution for 2012: FROG

http://www.freenaturepictures.com/frog-pictures.php

At this time of year, I often reflect on my walk with Christ during the prior year. There's something invigorating about the new year that inspires us to start anew! The problem with that, for a Christian, is that we are NOT to depend on ourselves to do more, be better, or work harder. Ours is a life of faith in which we are to rely on God. This is the main thing that I need more of in the coming year, as 2011 wasn't my best year to F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On Christ)!

So why is this the ANTI-resolution? F.R.O.G.means that I DO LESS planning, controlling, thinking, worrying, striving, etc. If I am F.R.O.G.ging, you'll see MORE praying, waiting, praising, reading and memorizing God's word, and trusting. You'll also see peace, joy, confidence!

This isn't always easy to do. I am a "fixer" type by nature. But I know from experience that God's way is always the right way and leads to the greatest satisfaction. I do need to tell you that this has to begin with a personal relationship with Jesus. This is a non-negotiable. And it's not something that will go away if you ignore it. Not accepting Him is the same as rejecting Him. Accepting Him as my Savior was the best thing that ever has or will happen to me! 

So, Happy New Year! I pray God's blessings for you and your family in 2012!

My Christmas Prayer for You

Source: Creationswap

Lord,

fill our hearts with

JOY

for the hope that Your birth brought to mankind,

LOVE

for You, family, friends and strangers, and 

PEACE

that enables us to resist greed and striving during this season.

Amen

Merry Christmas!

I'm not going to CHURCH - I'm going to WORSHIP!

"It's cold out."   "I'm tired."

"I don't like the songs they sing."

"I went last week."    "I'll go next week."

Ever had these thoughts invade your mind and heart on Sunday morning?

Listen to this humorous song about the subject...

Seriously, giving in to these thoughts takes us down a slippery slope. One Sunday turns into a year of them, and one day you realize you're spiritually "cold" and "tired."

Christians need each other for fellowship. Check out this story about being warm that was in my devotional this morning (page 106 from John Macarthur's The Ultimate Priority)...

One thing that has helped me resist the excuses is to remember that I'm not going to church, I'm going to WORSHIP. Yes, you can and should worship continually, no matter where you are, but as indicated above, corporate worship blesses us. So when I think about excuses as keeping me away from worship, they don't hold as much sway. In fact, I'm better able to see that they originate either from the adversary or from my flesh, and I'm not to serve either one of them!

Go worship with your church family today. If you don't have one, ask God to connect you to the one He has planned for you. I'm praying for you to go get spiritually warm today :)

Rest in my "MEST"

The ladies over at 5 Minutes for Mom recently sent an email informing me that I'd been listed on their site. I'd filled out a form requesting this a few weeks ago. I was so excited! I followed the link, and sure enough, there I was...only it was listed as Mom's Best Mest. I was a bit mortified as it somewhat altered the image I was seeking. I mean, I know I claim "not perfection," but a MESS? My BEST MESS?? Read More >>