Craedyn Esther Turns ONE

Time flies FAST, "donut" you know!



Turning ONE is a big deal, "donut" you know!



My baby girl isn't a baby anymore, "donut" I know it!



How did this happen?  How is it possible that Craedyn is ONE already?!



Wasn't I just eating lunch with Coralyn at school and one of her classmates commenting how I could have a baby at any minute?  And despite having contractions off and on all day, I assured him I would NOT be having a baby any time soon?

Wasn't I just doing an online party with my team and telling my midwife I was almost done and THEN I could have this baby?

Wasn't I just pacing our bedroom wishing my water would break because I KNEW, given my labor history, that baby would make her apperance very shortly thereafter?

Wasn't I just holding my brand new baby girl remarking how tiny she was?



Wasn't I just ooohing and aweing over those new baby sounds and cute little baby yawns and stretches?  Wasn't I just blown away at her tiny fingers and toes?



Yes, it seems like just yesterday.  So, how then, can that day have been a year ago (almost) already?!



I may not like to acknowledge how fast this past year has gone, but I can't deny the reality that my baby girl is ONE.  And she's really not a baby anymore.

She has 8 teeth and uses them to eat pretty much anything and everything we eat.
Blueberries are her favorite, though!



She has mastered walking and is moving on to running and climbing.



She is also great at taking books off the shelves, clothes out of the drawers, and stuff out of cabinets.

She has enough hair for the cutest piggie tails.



She may be small, but she is FIERCE and knows how to make her voice heard, loud and clear.
She can say "mama," "dada," and "ba" for ball.
She signs for "milk" and waves and gives high fives.
And she has the absolute most adorable little laugh.



It's a good thing she's cute, because Craedyn has NOT yet mastered sleeping.  She IS getting better at taking at least one good nap a day, but she still gets up 2 or more times during the night.  I guess she just likes me and wants to be near me...ALL.THE.TIME.

She doesn't like me to leave her with anyone else, sometimes not even Daddy!
BUT she is getting more independent and playing on her own so much better now.
And if her sisters will let her, she wants to be right there with them, doing whatever they are doing.  She may be the youngest, but she will NOT be left out!




I could go on and on about how much I love my precious baby girl.
Craedyn fills my heart with joy on a daily basis.  I am beyond blessed to be her mama and am ever so thankful God chose to put her in our family.

We chose her name because it basically means "city on a hill" and reminds us to shine bright for Jesus, sharing our faith and living out our love every day, in all we do.  And with the middle name Esther, Craedyn also reminds us that we are made on purpose for a purpose.  We must be brave and courageous as we live out God's plans for us.  Even when we are scared or nervous or worried or confused or frustrated or discouraged or even terrified, we need not fear.  God is with us, and FOR us.  He is the same God who parted the Red Sea, brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down, used a giant fish to save a drowning prophet, made a blind man see and a lame man walk, raised a dead little girl back to life, and used a baby boy born in a manger to change the course of the entire world.  Craedyn Esther is our daily reminder that God not only loves us, but wants to USE us to showcase His power and glory so that others may also come to know Him in a personal way!



As I look back on this past year, I am also reminded how FAST time flies.  Our time here on earth is FLEETING, and thus I need to live each day with passion and purpose.

Craedyn Esther may only be ONE year old, but she has taught me sooooo very much already "donut" you know it!

ONE Thing

Have you seen those commericals where they mock how just ONE piece of kale or just ONE sit up or just ONE asparagus spear or just ONE thing can make a difference in your health?



It's pretty incredulous really to think that ONE small act can change your entire life.
BUT, I think they are on to something.
In fact, I think I KNOW the ONE thing that can turn your world upside down and right side up again.
I truly believe I have discovered and personally experienced this ONE thing.
And now that I know the "secret," I have to share it with anyone and everyone I can!!!



Guess it won't be a secret anymore!
Actually, THAT is my hope and prayer.
I WANT everyone to know about this ONE thing and to try it and to see what I am talking about firsthand!  I want everyone to use this ONE thing and see the difference it makes in their lives.  I want YOU to do this ONE thing and then go and tell everyone you know too.  We can change the world, ONE person at a time...ONE thing at a time.

Enough talk.
Let's get to it.
What is this ONE incredible, amazing, wonderful, fabulous, life-changing thing I can't keep quiet about?  What is this ONE remarkable thing that you simply most know about right this very second?



GREENS.

Great.
What's so special about these greens?!

To start...
You get 8+ servings of fruits and veggies

For about $1 a day

Did I mention they're ORGANIC and NON-GMO?
Yep, they are!

You're getting EXCELLENT nutrition.
That tastes good!
And there are soooooo many different ways to enjoy the greens.
Check out some of the ways MY family uses them on a DAILY basis!!!

As you think about how YOU are going to try the greens, think about this...
The greens help to ALKALZIE your pH levels.  THAT means your body won't be in an acidic state, which means you are LESS LIKELY to get sick.

*I am becoming extremely focused on this as my mom just had her kidney removed with a cancerous tumor inside.  Cancer lives in an ACIDIC state.  I may not be able to completely prevent cancer myself, but you better believe I am going to do everything I can to make my body as healthy as possible and avoid cancer.  And I am going to start by using greens EVERY day for the rest of my life!*

Furthermore, on top of the nutrition, your immune system gets a boost.
Personally, I haven't been sick in over 4 years now!  My girls haven't been to the doctor either.  And my hubby hasn't missed a single day of work.  I truly truly truly believe greens have a big part in all this!

I also find that I have MORE ENERGY, without adding caffeine or sugary coffee drinks to my day.  No jitters either.
And certainly no naps.  Don't have time for those.  My girls seem to think I don't need to sleep during the day, or at night for that matter.  I am constantly on the go.  Greens KEEP me going!

Speaking of "going," if you are NOT regular in the bathroom, the greens can help with that too.

If you're looking for a way to cleanse and detox, reset and refresh your system, GREENS should be your first stop.  They get your body healthy from the inside out so you can do all the things you need to do every day - be it playing with your kids or making it through the work day without nodding off at your desk.

One last thing...
As we enter the Holiday Season, we are bombarded with sweets, goodies, special treats, and delicacies that can completely derail our "diet."  Greens can actually help you stay on track with your healthy habits, curbing cravings and causing your body to want the "good stuff" instead.

I am NOT one to promote "dieting."  Rather, I am ALL about a healthy LIFESTYLE.
That is actually another reason I love and promote the greens any time I can.
Putting 2 scoops of greens into a smoothie, a cup of water, some juice, or mixing it up with some yogurt or applesauce takes 2 seconds.  It's fast and easy. TOTALLY do-able, even for busy moms like me.  If I am going to be successful at reaching any health-related goals, I need to do something that I can maintain on a daily basis, not just for 21 days or a month.  Greens allow me to do that.  And feel GOOD, all day long!

Seriously, adding greens to your day is ONE thing you CAN do that WILL make a difference.
Don't believe me?  Try it for 90 days and then tell me you don't see any changes or feel any different.
I double dog dare you!!!!!!



If you have questions or want more information, please let me know.
I am EXTREMELY passionate about HELPING PEOPLE feel their best!  It's the heart of what I do.

When I hear moms talking about being tired and exhausted on a daily basis, I want to shout and wave and jump up and down and put greens in their hands.  THIS is a solution!  TRY IT!!!!!!!

When I hear people sharing how frustrated they are during the holiday season, I want to do the same thing and slam a box of greens packets on the table!

When I hear mamas confused about whether they should eat high fat, low fat, high carb, low carb, meat or no meat, beans or no beans, grains or no grains or only certain grains, I want to cry out that there is a VERY easy way to focus on their health.  I want to hand them a greens container and say, "whatever you decide to do or eat or not eat, please please PLEASE use these!"

We are busy people.
We lead busy lives.
Health can be confusing.  Or frustrating.
GREENS are fast, easy, simple, affordable, and EFFECTIVE.
They truly are ONE thing YOU can do to make your life better.
Again, try them and see for yourself what I mean and why I am so dang passionate about them.

Blueprint for the Wise Man's House

Growing up I learned the words, and actions, to a fun little song about a wise man and a foolish man.  Maybe you've heard the song before, or even sung it yourself.  If not, you can learn it quickly...

More important than the words or fun actions, though, is the LESSON the song is teaching us.  And don't think because it's a KIDS's song that you are too old for what God has to say to us ADULTS through this simple parable Jesus Himself told many, many years ago.



Earlier this week, I was nursing the baby and reading my devotional on my phone.  Before kids I was all about sitting down with an actual Bible, opening it up, turning the pages, writing in a journal, taking notes, doing in-depth studies.  Now, as a busy mom of 4, I have to be realistic about my quiet times.  I NEED them, but they simply can NOT look like they did when I was in college (back when I *thought* I was so busy).  Despite the change in the way I am able to get in the Word and spend time with God every day, these moments - however they happen - are oh so good for my soul.

I am weak, and they strengthen me.
I am weary, and they empower me, keeping me going, one step at a time.
I am frustated, and they encourage me.
I am worried, and they calm me, filling me with that "peace that surpasses understanding."
Really, they are whatever I need that day at that time.

Funny how God seems to know me so well!  It's like He's my Creator or something?  Almost as if He's right there with me in the midst of the chaos and understands exactly what I am going through and knows exactly what I need.  And I love Him for that.

Yesterday was no different.
I read in 2 Peter 1:5-7

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises.  

Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, 

and moral excellene with knowledge, 

and knowledge with self-control, 

and self-control with patient endurance, 

and patient endurance with godliness, 

and godliness with brotherly affection, 

and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

As I looked at the passage, I noticed it was showing me how to BE the wise man from that song.  Peter lays out how to build a STRONG FOUNDATION so I can STAND FIRM even when the biggest storms with the heaviest rains and craziest winds come.

Before I focus on the layers to the house we should be building, I want to first look back at the verses BEFORE these.  I mean, Peter does start by saying, "In view of all this..."  So we should probably know what "all this" is if we are going to understand what we are building and why.

If we glance back, we see something absolutely incredible

By His divine power, God has given us EVERYTHING we need for living a godly life.

We have received ALL of this by coming to know Him, 

the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.

And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES.

These are the promises that enable you to SHARE HIS DIVINE NATURE 

and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.

Yeah, pretty darn amazing if you ask me!

And in VIEW OF ALL THAT, we are to live a certain way.  We are to RESPOND to those promises.  How do we do that?  Peter gives us the blueprint.  He couldn't lay it out any more clearly for us.

FAITH is our foundation.

It's our bedrock.

It needs to be strong and secure.

And that means it needs to be rooted and grounded in JESUS CHRIST ALONE.

If we trust in anything or anyone other than Him, our foundation will crumble and break away.  Our house will come crashing down as soon as the first rain drop falls.



Only as we lay that foundation of FAITH, will the other layers be able to connect and cement together to create a strong house that will stand any storm that threatens to sideline us from the life God has called us to live.

Once FAITH is laid, we add the next layer - MORAL EXCELLENCE.
We learn what is good and right, then we DO it.

It's not a once and done thing, however.  Rather, a daily, on-going, never ending lifestlye type thing.
SO, as we are doing our best to pursue righteous, holiness, GOODNESS, we keep on learning.  This is where the third layer comes in - KNOWLEDGE.  We have to be in the Word. We have to be spending time with God.  After all, He IS our model of moral excellence, the PERFECT example.  Being WITH Him is the best way to become LIKE Him!

THAT is actually how the next few layers are put in place.  We heard from Paul in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and SELF-CONTROL."  Peter highlights that last one here in the blueprint for our house.

Next, he points out our need for PATIENT ENDURANCE.  I think that is a combination of the patience and faithfulness Paul mentioned in his letter.  We keep going.  We don't quit.  When times get rough, we hold on (that's why a strong faith is so important, to keep us rooted and grounded, firm and secure).  We keep our eyes on Jesus and we continue down the path God has laid out for us. We run our race, walking or even crawling until we cross over that finish line.

Now, the next layer kind of stops me in my tracks.  It seems somewhat daunting. GODLINESS.
Never fear, we don't have to be perfect.  God WILL make us perfect someday, when we reach heaven.  Until then, we simply follow in His steps and let Him mold and shape us, transform us into His image.



As we do, guess what happens?  The next 2 layers are laid!  BROTHERLY AFFECTION and LOVE.
The more we let God FILL us, the more He can FLOW OUT of us.

In fact, ONLY as we spend time with God and let His Word permeate our hearts and minds can we become like Him.  Going back to the ROOTED illustration..as our roots go deeper and deeper into Christ, we grow and produce fruit.  Fruit like self-control, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, patience, peace, joy, and LOVE.  Haven't we heard about those somewhere before?!

I LOVE how God threads truth all throughout His Word, showing us the same concept over and over in different ways.  Jesus explained to His disciples the importance of having our roots in Him, but He used the words REMAIN and ABIDE.  The outcome is the same though - FRUIT.



And fruit is great.  Tastes delicious.  BUT, we can't have fruit without FAITH.  We have to lay that foundation FIRST, then add one layer at a time.  We can't rush to love.  You can't put the roof on the house until the walls are up.

So, today as I type, I am wearing Craedyn in my Lillebaby and swaying back and forth in hopes of getting her to calm down and take a nap. My time with God looks different today than it did 8 years ago, before I became a mom.  I assure you this, though, my FAITH is the same.  Because I serve the same God.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Thank goodness!!!

HE is the ONLY constant in our ever-changing chaotic world.
May we NOT waver or crumble under pressure.
May we NOT look right or left, focusing on the wind and the waves.
Instead, let us be rooted and grounded in Christ.
May we be confident and sure as we hold on to Him, for HE is our anchor.
HE is our foundation.
May we be like the wise man and build our FAITH on Him, in Him.