Seeing the Silver Lining {A Praise Report}

A month or so ago, I wrote about the growing pains associated with raising a toddler and yes, the struggle is still there, but God has enabled me to grow in this area of my life. He has enabled me to love her and be patient with her. He has given me new eyes and a new heart in the situation.

As I am writing this my little one is throwing a tantrum in her room. This time it was because I looked at her and smiled. : / Being a first time parent, all these things are new to me. At first when she'd throw tantrums I would get frustrated with her and then at myself for getting so mad. Now I can't help but giggle when she throws a fit because she is being so silly. Kicking and screaming for no reason at all.

She is learning and growing and trying to establish herself as a person. She is testing her boundaries and seeing how much control she has in her surroundings. I get that and understand the struggle. I feel the same way in my own life sometimes.

God uses these every day moments to teach unconditional love. Even when Hannah is shoving me away and crying about me not letting her watch Elmo for the umpteenth time, I sit and extend my arms open for her. I wait patiently for my girl to come to her senses and embrace me back. It doesn't happen now because she may still be mad but I will continue to love her and wait for her. Parenthood is a beautiful picture of how the Father deals with us. What a blessing to be able to partake in this journey with the sweet family God has given me to love and teach and also to learn from.

I guess the point of this post is to tell you mamas to hang in there. You're going to have good days and you're going to have bad days. But when you lean on Christ to see you through the challenges, He will be right by your side. I've seen in my life and if you trust in Him, be assured you'll see it in yours too!

                                   Now for a few pics of Hannah's best meltdowns ;)

Happy (or sad) Memorial Day 2013

Apparently she didn't want to play in the barn :(

Hannah hating her drindl

A day in the life {SAHM Style}

7am - Breakfast with this kiddo

9am - Family bible study time

11am - Preparing Daddy's food for work and trying out some new recipes

1pm - Story time and afternoon nap

2pm - Quiet time for mommy :) :) :)

4pm - Quick trip to the store (in her 2nd outfit of the day!)

7pm - Evening workout class - here I come!

9pm - Dinner and sleep before I start it all over again tomorrow

Growing Pains

Motherhood is hard. I don't know if I was naive or just didn't pay attention growing up, but I never knew the struggle involved in raising children. When I was pregnant with Hannah I had visions of a cute, happy baby always playing, eating all her food, sleeping well, etc... Oh brother, what was I thinking!? Don't get me wrong, Hannah is such a blessing but it's not all rainbows and flowers. Sometimes it is and other times it's messy floors and tantrums.

We've had a couple of rough days this week and I was in tears when Jeremy came home last night. I just felt defeated. At 19 months, she has taken on a mind of her own. She doesn't like to eat meat, she gives us kisses but then promptly wipes away our "cooties", and she has just discovered hitting. She is usually an angel but I think the combination of bad behavior has really gotten to me. All of this leads me to be less patient and irritable right back to her which in turn makes me feel worse. I am the adult, I need to be setting the example to her and teaching her to be patient and loving, even to people who don't deserve it.

This morning during our family bible study time, Jeremy reminded me that Jesus paid for our sins. Not just the sins in our past but the ones we currently commit and the ones yet to come. He chose us before the foundation of the world and He knew of the great sinners we would be but He chose us anyways.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

"It is crucial as a mom to ask God for moment by moment wisdom" - Lysa  TerKeurst

I am so happy to be a mother. When the tantrum ends, and she gives me one of her sweet smiles, I know it's all worth it. This is my calling, hard as it may be, and I need to rely on God to help me raise this little rug rat. And in those times when I fail, to rely on Him to pick me back up because this mama can't do this alone!

I'm Back!

My goodness, it's been more than 2 years since I last blogged on here. And a lot has happened in the mean time!

Jeremy and I had a baby. She is a toddler now. She is the sweetest little girl. And sometimes she is not. She is teaching me about love and patience. God knows exactly what I need to learn to be more like Him. 

Since having my little bean, I am a SAHM. It is wonderful but like I mentioned above, it has it's challenges. I am back to blog (with what little time I have available) to share my mommy musings and about the One who helps me get through it all! 


                                                            Baby Bun on her first day of life ;)

 

Christmas 2014

Tebowing

I just gotta come out and say this: I love Tim Tebow! Not only is he an amazing athlete but he is so so so dang real. His faith comes natural to him. To some this is uncomfortable but this guy is living out his faith and is unashamed of his relationship with Jesus. It's AWESOME! I was driving home today when I heard on the radio that after a championship game where he had a bible verse on his face under the eye black, the very next day, John 3:16 was the most searched term on Google. 90 million people looked up the verse that is a summary of the gospel. 90 MILLION! I just had to praise God for this moment in time. Tebow has stood up and set an example for all of us. Praise God for wonderful role models, people who stand up for God now matter who's watching!

Sink Full of Dishes, Heart Full of Love

My sink is full of dishes but that is because we spent a wonderful afternoon with friends. What a blessing it was. Life has been quickly moving along these days and lots of things are on the horizon. What's the dealio with the Egerer family?

I am currently:

*Enjoying the view out our kitchen window right now- LOVE to see the leaves change colors!
*Figuring out how to be a manager in the new role I’ve been given at work
*Planning my BFF’s baby shower – I've been waiting for this - tons of ideas are floating through my mind
*Wishing I had a little one to dress them up like these little cuties


Jeremy is currently:

*Reading lots of BIG books that I can’t even wrap my head around
*Figuring out how to use his love of writing and God’s law into a job
*Possibly going back to school so he is looking into scholarships and such
*Finishing up the sermon he’ll be giving at the convalescence home next weekend

And big news for both of us... we have one more payment to go and then we are completely debt free. We've worked hard the last 3 1/2 years to pay off a HUGE chunk of change and by God's grace we did it. Excited to make that final payment and to finally call Dave's show and scream "We're debt freeeeeee!!!" :)

Home Sweet Home

We moved this weekend! Phheww.... it has been a long hard weekend of packing, moving, unpacking and then cleaning. But we had an awesome team of helpers (our friends and family) who came to help us get the job done. Look at the handsome guy driving that truck! :)

God blessed us SO much in finding our new place. Our old apartment had a mold problem. And when I say mold problem I mean it. It wasn't the regular kind you clean up with a little bleach and water, it was the deep rooted kind in the house. We'd been looking for a new place for a while but nothing was in good condition or matched our price point, until we found this listing. Who woulda thought we'd be able to find a nicer place for less money?! God did!

We also had a few mini miracles this weekend involving our couch. During the loading part of our move I accidentally knocked over the kerosene lamp on our tan suede leather couch. My Mom and Father in law acted fast and came to the rescue with an oil absorber spray. A healthy dousing of that and the spot was gone. No need for a blanket to cover that spot - Yay!! And when the sofa finally made it to our new apartment we had a minor problem; getting it in the door. We now live on the 2nd floor so getting the couch in at a very small angle up those stairs was just not happening. But when the cable guy arrived we mentioned something about the couch and he said it'd be no problem getting it in. After he set up our cable and internet, he went right alongside the guys moving it in. It took taking off the entire front door but they got it through - double yay!!


Today was spent cleaning up the old place and a little of the new and spending some time with my Mom. I am excited moving forward with Jeremy by my side and the wonderful friends and family supporting us along the way. Thanks for all your help guys!

Being Still

I spent Sunday in bed. Sick with some sort of cold. Enjoying some delicious pho but sick nonetheless. But I am thankful for it because it took this cold to help me realize that I sometimes spread myself too thin. I read a book not even a year ago about living simply but the message of the book obviously didn't sink in. I tend to try and do as much as I can in the time I have been given. A few classes here, a coffee date there, and another committee later, I am feeling like I just can't do it all.

Filling your time with an excess amount of activities, leaving little time to refresh leads you to inevitably get burnt out. The time we have in this life is to be used wisely. We must redeem the time and make our actions intentional. If that means cutting a program from my schedule then so be it.

But that is not the only thing that I know I need to be aware of when it comes to my time. I know I squander free time with a minutia of unimportant things, i.e. too much time spent surfing the net for craft ideas, looking for blog material, etc.. As much as I love blogging and working on crafts, the time spent working on them sometimes gets to be too much, leaving little time left for the more important things in life.

Jeremy and I were talking the other night and he said that he didn't know why we fill our time with so many other things and not do what we ought to be doing. God is here and readily available at any moment to talk to, to learn from, etc.. yet time after time you see that we choose to fill a significant chunk of our time on other things and leave just the leftovers for Him.

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth! -Psalm 46:10

This time of being sick and staying home to recuperate has helped me to see that I just need to be still. I just need to lay low and spend time with Him. I can miss a class or move an appointment to another time if it means I am setting my priorities straight. My christian yoga teacher once said "God has not called us to a busy life, but to a purposeful life". I will spend the rest of the time getting better just resting in Him.

Marriage 101

In the last few weeks I have been contemplating marriage and all that it involves. There is a lot more to it than just planning a beautiful wedding and saying 'I do'. But what do you do in a marriage to make it successful? I am not an expert by any means but I do know from my own experience the things that helped our marriage grow and also the things that caused little bumps in the road.

You've heard it said that marriage takes work and boy does it ever. Even the happiest of couples end up in disagreements so it is best to prepare ahead of time for these situations. Jeremy and I have been fairly good at dealing with the various little issues that come up between us, but there are times when it takes a little more work to get past them. Communication is key. I know it sounds clique but it truly is. If one of us is not understanding the other correctly or doesn't know all the facts, it can prolong or even make worse the situation at hand. And be watchful of the tone of your voice when speaking with your spouse. It can have a huge impact on either finding a solution to the problem or escalating it. At times I have snapped at Jeremy for something and that obviously does not accomplish any good. However, when I speak in a calm and kind voice expressing my feelings, we are able to move towards a resolution.

Marriage is about commitment. You are now married to the one you'll spend the rest of your life with (at least we hope). All too often you hear about people who were married and then are suddenly divorced. What happened to the commitment? In typical marriage vows it plainly says 'I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, pledge to be faithful to you til death do us part.' It saddens me to see so many people walking away from the very ones they vowed to never leave even in the hard times. Our first dance as husband and wife was to a song that speaks of how our marriages are worth fighting for, after all, our marriages are not like gym memberships that you can sign up for and then cancel at any time. The promises that are made and contract that is signed is meant for keeps.

And last but certainly not least, marriage needs plenty of affection. Who cares if you look a little silly calling each other by pet names, you and your 'Cutie pie' or 'Bun Bun' (my name from Jeremy :D ) will keep that fun, loving spirit alive in your relationship. It is about showing love and demonstrating it on a daily basis. Give kisses and hugs often. Do kind things for them throughout the day like helping with the chores or sending a 'I'm thinking about you' text message. It's all the little things that show someone you care.

I feel so honored and blessed to call Jeremy my husband. He is a wonderful man who has been an amazing support and help mate. As christians it is our duty to uphold the biblical principle of one man and one woman in marriage for life. We need to support and help prepare young couples for lasting marriages. What a truly blessed thing God has ordained!

All around

Just found out that my sister and brother-in law are expecting their first child and my other sister-in-law is engaged to be married this fall. Our family is surrounded in love and it feels great. He is so good to us! His love keeps pouring down. Here's to love!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13:13

My Helper

Through whatever I am going through, I am comforted to know that God is always there for me. He is my Helper and my Keeper. In times of joy and distress. What an awesome God we serve. Although He knows we will struggle and screw up all throughout our lives, His love and His grace cover us.


God has, no doubt, been faithful in my life. I am no stranger to trouble or struggle but He has been there to catch me and help me get going again. Praise be to Him who is faithful and whose mercies are new each morning!

Keep Your Chin Up

I think it's so easy to become depressed, whiny, debbie downers in the fallen state we are in. We only think about ourselves, our needs, and wonder why we aren't getting our way. I can't tell you how many times selfishness can rear it's ugly head and enter my life. But God and His word has a way of kicking those thoughts right out of my head.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

What's interesting is that you see it in the bible too! Before I was a christian, I thought the bible was a nice book about holy people living good lives, but it is filled with stories of people with the same problem as me: sin.

They say pride is the greatest sin because it is the root of all other sins, the gateway sin if you will. In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote that "it is pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began."

The battle is for the mind. Whoever controls the thoughts, controls you. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. And 'as a man thinketh, so is he.' Proverbs 23:7

Our negative emotions have a huge impact on us and those around us. It changes our heart and the way we see the world. But if we read God's word and spend time praising Him for our countless blessings everyday, your joy will start to show.

I love how all my personal bible study time, our Sunday sermons & whatever else I read or hear all seems to dovetail together and teach me His amazing truths. God is there leading me and guiding me through His word!

One such example of this is as follows. I have a CD of the radio ministry 'Revive Our Hearts' titled "Lessons from the life of Joshua." What a blessing those teachings have been to me. I have learned so much from them and grown, it's unbelievable, but that's a story for another time. In one particular lesson, Nancy Leigh Demoss explained that as Joshua was nearing the end of his life that he wanted to teach the children of Israel to rely on the Lord, wholeheartedly. He wanted them to see how richly God had blessed them. The way he did this was by reciting or recounting to them the particular blessings and mercy He showed to them. Joshua went on to ask the people to name this day who they would serve. He made a call to action to these people. I really appreciated that. He doesn't want them to just say they believe, but really rely on Him; Choose this day whom you will serve. I've shared this in a previous post, but I can't stress it again; it is vital that we make this decision and give thanks to God for all that He has done!

That very next Sunday our Pastor's sermon was a call to action to recount the great blessings the Lord has done in our lives. We have been going through the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8 when the Children of Israel reached the promised land and it is there where we begin to enter a dangerous place. We begin to think it was us and our power that got us where we are today.

“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end— then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 8:11-20

The call to action to start a journal or scrapbook to remember God's blessings and His work in our lives is an essential one. When we forget about God and the work He has done in our lives, that this ugly sin called pride comes in. "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves." Psalm 100:3 It was and is Jesus who did and has done everything for us. "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:4 Jesus carries our burdens, our sins.

I am so excited to take this challenge to create a notebook of His workings in my life. God IS faithful with His promises. If we will but keep our chin up and remember that we have a God in heaven looking out for us, helping us with our issues and loving us despite said issues. Praise His holy name for His faithful presence in my life!

Count Your Blessings

Recently, while in personal bible study, listening to various radio ministries and today at our sermon in church, God has been teaching me about His promises and His blessings. It is very easy to get wrapped up in life or miscellaneous stuff going on that we forget about God. 'Spiritual Amnesia' is a tough thing to kick because deep down it is pride. We forget that it was and is God who has done EVERYTHING in our lives and start to think it was our own doing that we have accomplished this or that.

"You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." Deuteronomy 8:17-18

I have much to be so thankful for. God has taken me from a dark and false past into a bright and beautiful future. It is by His power that I am able to have faith and a relationship with Him. He has given me a wonderful husband and helpmate. There are so many things and ways He blesses me every single day!

One of the things our Pastor called us to do was to keep a record of the ways you've seen God working in your life, the everyday miracles. In the book of Joshua, Chapter 24, he reminds the Children of Israel all that the Lord did for them. It is in this time of reflection that we see the insurmountable love that He has for us and also a way of be humbled to see His great power.

"Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope." Ephesians 3:20

For Such a Time as This

My heart is full. Not only has Jesus saved me, comforted me & provided for me with my earthly blessings, but He is present in my life every day! He talks to me daily through His word. It's actually pretty amazing how loudly He speaks to me. I get it Lord, I'm listening!

The last few months, His voice has come from the bible study I am participating in with the women at my church, Esther: It's tough being a woman. I can't tell you how deeply I've been moved and inspired. I guess I'm not surprised, it is God's Word after all! What a blessing Beth Moore is. What a blessing to have a sister like her come beside us to guide us in God's unfailing and amazing Word.

We have almost completed the study and my heart longs for it to continue a little bit longer. The book of Esther gives us an interesting glimpse into the providence on God. God is not mentioned once in the whole book, but He is most certainly on it. He is there when it doesn't seem like He is. According to Merrill Webster's definition of providence, 'God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.' Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary adds, 'In so doing (in His providence) God attends not only to apparently momentous events and people but also to those that seem both mundane and trivial. Indeed, so all encompassing is God's attention to events within creation that nothing happens by chance.'

While the events of Esther's life were coming to a point, she has some decisions to make. Would she stand up for what she believed in (in her case, saving the Jews), or would she just let life pass on by without her. Esther has a choice, she had to face her fears. She had to trust in the Lord to move forward in her life and face the obstacles and trials in her life. We may not have a trial the size of Esther's, but every day is a challenge. Satan wants us to become complacent, backslide, etc.. He wants us to conform to the things of this world. That is why we must remain aware of our situations. Daily take up your cross and follow Jesus.

The sub-title of the bible study is 'It's Tough Being a Woman' and boy can I relate to that! What I've learned through this journey is that yes, sometimes it IS tough being a woman but, trust reverses the detours of adversity into highways of destiny.

"The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment." 2 Peter 2:9

What an awesome God we serve and how exciting to learn more about Him and His loving plan!

My Public Declaration

To my friends and family: I love you and would never dream of doing anything to hurt you, but I love the LORD and seek to do His will.

Within the last couple of years, He has done a work in me. He has changed my heart and my way of thinking. Looking back, it is amazing to see the woman I was and the woman I am today. And it is by no means by my own powers, but of His.

I have discovered that God does exist and He lives. I have discovered that He came to earth and died for you and me. Jesus Christ came to live a sinless life, the life I could NEVER live, to save my wretched soul.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24-25

Again, I am not here to condemn anyone, but I come here in humble prayer that those who read this come to know the God I know. The God of Abraham, the God of the bible. I am so blessed to have His love. I don't know why He calls me, but i humbly accept His word.

Galatians 1

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers with me,
To the churches in Galatia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: 'The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.' And they praised God because of me."

I have found that God has taken me from where I was, in an awful depraved state to where I am today. I am by no means perfect, but I have been born a Child of God. He has called me and made me one of His own.

I am but a humble servant of the Lord. I want only to do His will and further His Kingdom. I have been blessed to have come to this point in my life. I have many family and friends who have lead me here. I come not to condemn you or your beliefs but to share with you the love I have received from Christ himself.

Again, my upbringing has lead me to this point and for that I am eternally grateful, but I move forward with the love of Christ and move past false doctrines and forward onto the perfect and correct Word of God.


"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5

" The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. " Psalm 19:7

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust. " Psalm 18:2



On Sunday, I was baptized into the family of Christ. What a glorious day it was!

Taste and see...

... that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8

God is SO good! Even when things get rough at it feels like he isn't there, he comes and shows me that he IS. God, help me to never forget that. May I finally overcome my 'spiritual amnesia'.