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

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!

Songs of Christmas; Songs of Truth

It has already begun; the beautiful Christmas songs playing in the stores and on the radio. I'm sure we all have our favorites but last year I realized so many of them have gospel truths smack dab in the middle of them. How cool to have them heard by so many each year!?

{Hark the Herald Angel Sing}
Those angels were harking because a baby boy was born, the baby born to die. As the 2nd verse states, He was ‘veiled in flesh – the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity’ and ‘Jesus, our Emmanuel’. According to Matthew 1:23, Emmanuel is translated ‘God with us’. Jesus Christ, our Emmanuel, the Savior of the world, left His throne and became a man. He left His heavenly home to save us from our sins, which all started in the Garden of Eden. Because that sweet baby was born we can join the triumph of the skies, we can have second birth, and we can be full of peace and joy because God and sinners have truly been reconciled because of the blood of Christ!

{Joy to the World}
I’ve shared before about my tendency to be like Martha when I know I should be more like Mary, so the ‘aha’ moment in this song is the line – “Let every heart prepare Him room”. He has come down to earth to redeem the whole world, if we will but come to Him and accept Him in our hearts. Once you have accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, daily you are relying on Him to give you His strength and wisdom. That is where the Martha syndrome comes into play. The trivialities of life often times seem like the most important things and distract us from God. Especially during Christmas time, there is a tendency to focus on the tree, the presents and the many activities. Jesus' birth is just an after thought. This should not be.. it is His birthday, after all, and you wouldn't have a birthday party for your child and leave your little one at home would you? This carol reminds us to make Jesus at home in our hearts- our first priority over all things. What a great reminder of putting Him first always!

{What Child is This?}
For an onlooker it is natural to ask- who is this child? What's all the fuss about? Scripture tells us of a coming Messiah long before He was born in a manger. There are 300+ prophecies fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. Some of them were prophecies of things like his family lineage, where he would be born, etc.. So who exactly is He? He is the Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Creator of all things, Great High Priest, Savior of the world, The Resurrection and the life, and the righteous judge. It is inconceivable* that the Creator of the universe would come in the flesh (incarnation= in carne {meat or flesh})

"Hail, hail, the Word made flesh, the babe, the Son of Mary"

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So now when you hear those old familiar songs playing in Safeway or other shopping center you can smile to know that the gospel is being spread for all to hear!

Grateful Heart

I don't know about you but there are times when I get discouraged and feel I haven't accomplished the things I wanted to at this point in my life. It's easy to get down on yourself and your situation and start a perpetual pity party. Definitely not a fun place to be! Not only does the situation stay exactly the same but instead of enjoying the moment God has given me, it is thrown away by my own sour attitude.

Last week I was experiencing my own little "party" and nothing was shaking it. Even doing the obligatory thanksgiving craft was not inspiring me to be thankful. But then I came across a family friend who is currently facing some very hard times: health deterioration, searching for a job, losing apartment, etc.. After meeting with him last week I cried. And cried and cried. It's hard to see people suffering in the world especially friends and family members, even if some of them were their own choices.

I called my prayer warriors into action and we have been praying and trying to help with the job search ever since. It is in helping those in need that I am able to see how richly God has blessed us, blessed me, even if I am not where I thought I'd be at this point. God has His perfect timeline for the future and I can rest in that. I am thankful for His presence in my life and being patient with me even when I am incorrigible!

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!!!" :)

Feeling Full

Life is good. Even through the messy and hard times, God is there, providing for and encouraging me along the way. With every step, I know He's by my side. But not only is He there during difficult seasons in life, but He is there in my brightest days too. It is because of Him that I am able to experience such abundant joy. I feel so blessed right now. My heart is full!


God, you are my provider. You have clothed me- when my old pants wore out, some new slacks were given to me. You have provided for me- when money was tight, some unexpected checks came in the mail. You have given me opportunities- when my future was unclear, new jobs and promotions become available. Lord, I know it is through you that I receive all of these blessings. You are a God who gives abundantly. My dear husband is my special gift. Oh Lord, thank you for him. He is always pointing me back to you. Thank you for all of the rich blessings you pour over me. Help me be appreciative of the lot you give me in this life, even when things aren't going my way. Lord you are good through it all. Thank you for your presence in my life. Help me glorify you with the way I live my life. Amen.

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!

God Moments

Ever read your bible and find yourself getting excited because you've stumbled upon an amazing verse? Ever just have to tell someone about it because it's too good not to share? Jeremy is usually the person I do my sharing with but there are times when I tell him and it may not be as exciting to him or he is preoccupied with something else and he is clearly not understanding how unbelievably cool it is. Well those are the times when I remember that I shared that moment with the One who I was excited about in the first place. I cherish those God moments, just me and Him, taking in His word and loving every minute of it!

(Side note: Jeremy deserves credit for finding that un-be-lievable passage in Zechariah. Cross that with John 1:14 where the bible says that The Word (i.e. God) became flesh and dwelt among men in their midst. He is truly an awesome God, worthy of our praise!*

A Few Words

My muscles are sore and my heart has been challenged. Both happened while attending a christian wellness workshop this last weekend. We learned from truly anointed women gifted in the word, we feasted on His goodness and we worked our booties off too. Boy was God present in that church gym. It was a very powerful weekend to say the least. Besides working on some tighter glutes :) I also received a few words from the Lord while there.

Our Full Attention

I'm sure most people are well acquainted with the story Jesus tells about the narrow way. At the workshop they shared the verse in the traditional King James version along with The Message. Listen to how the message breaks it down:

"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention."

What a picture, huh!? Our teacher made it even more vivid when she described the narrow way as not just a separate path alongside the broad road but she described the broad way as a rushing river. When we accepted Christ in our lives, we stopped following the crowds that were rushing down and turned around. Just standing and facing the rapid river you are going to encounter some serious resistance and crashing water but expect even more when you take that path back up the river.

He deserves our total attention, not some quick and easy worship time. He should be getting it all. All our time, all our attention and all our praise. In everything we do it should be done for His glory; working out, walking the dog, cooking dinner and even doing laundry. The way to life is vigorous and requires total attention...

Our Hearts Desire

"Delight yourself in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He will act." -Psalm 37:4-5

I don't know how to start this other than to say that I have had some desires, even God honoring ones, that have become idols in my life. The human heart is a factory that produces all kinds of idols. An idol is basically something that replaces God as the ultimate desire of our hearts. Like I mentioned before, although some of our hearts desires may be good and wonderful things, when they become the main focus of our lives or our ultimate source of joy, they have gone on the fast track to becoming those pesky little things God commanded us to stay away from.

“There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.” -Blaise Pascal

Alisa Keeton from Revelation Wellness shared with us that even though many of our desires are good and may have even come from God, that we need to remember that the focus should still be Him. He is the one who is able to honor those desires or give us entirely new ones. When we realize that and rely on Him and not the event or thing we have our hearts set on, our lives will be complete. Trust in Him and He will act...

It was an amazing weekend spent with some inspiring sisters in Christ. The muscle pain will go away but His word will abide forever!

Music to my Ears

One of my favorite things is music. I love to listen to it. I love to sing it. And someday I'd love to play it (my only experience thus far is with the recorder in grade school :P but hopefully that will change soon) Musicals? yes please! All of the above!

I don't know what it is but it just energizes me. Especially when working out. It always seems the time goes by much faster and I can go longer when I have a song playing in my headphones or in my head. And let me tell you, that music gives me the extra push I need, especially while getting ready for my 5K race coming up.

I listen to a whole lotta different genres of music; oldies, old school R&B, country, alternative, soft hits (yes, all the sappy love songs) and of course, my main source of music joy comes from christian music. What is so cool is that within christian music is a whole array of genres so I can listen to christian pop or christian rap or even christian rock. I love it all! And it is all sung for God's glory. That's the way music is meant to be! "Sing to the LORD, you saints of His; praise His holy name." -Psalm 30:4

Here is a sampling of the songs I'm rocking to now:

1. Good Morning- Mandisa
2. High- Lecrae
3. This is the Stuff- Francesca Battistelli
4. Beautiful Things-Gungor
5. Funky Jesus Music- TobyMac
6. Rise Up- Lauren Camey (from this awesome video)
7. Christ is Risen- Matt Maher
8. Carry Me Home- Evan Egerer (My brother-in-law!!!!)
9. Don't Waste Your Life- Lecrae
10. Love Addict- Family Force 5
11. Blessings- Laura Story
12. Heartbeat- Remedy Drive

One day we will all be singing for Him and His awesome majesty. What a glorious day that will be! "Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" -Revelation 5:13

Best. Weekend. Ever.

Just finishing up the best weekend ever. Seattle had the hottest day of the year on Saturday and Jerm and I enjoy it with my Mom booting around town. Today we got to spend Easter with my wonderful in-laws. Favorite moment of the day was singing hymns at their home while my father-in-law played the guitar. It was a very special moment. And of course, we praised our precious Savior and His resurrection all weekend long. Truly blessed! Thank you, Jesus, for your unfailing and merciful love!!

His Holy Temple

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? -1 Corinthians 3:16

How many of us actually treat our bodies like they are a temple of God? Do we watch what we eat or do we carelessly put in whatever happens to be around? (Chocolate why must you do this to me!?) Or how many of us have would rather lounge around than get up and use our bodies to serve Christ and His kingdom? I have to admit to neglecting the temple I have been given these ways before. But still others will end up fanatical about their bodies and work out too much or engage in yo-yo diets just to get the "perfect body". I have put my body through that treatment as well. Both of these extremes are not healthy and are not good for the body or soul. It is only when we align our thoughts and ways with God's where we find balance and the correct way to handle the gift we've been given.

In her book, Greater Health God's Way by Stormie Omartian, she says, 'Your body is a tool of ministry. Do you think you can serve the Lord better in sickness than you can in health? Do you want to serve Him for a couple of decent years, or would you rather have ten, twenty, or thirty more great ones? Our physical condition can influence our spiritual lives far more than we often realize. If we are disciplined in the care of our physical bodies, we are far more likely to be disciplined in our spiritual lives, too.' Her book has opened my eyes to a lot of different ways we can care for our bodies the way God meant us to with proper exercise, healthy eating, fresh air, plenty of water and rest.

Along with Stormie's book, I have recently taken up something called Holy Yoga which is yoga without all the eastern mysticism thrown in. In exchange, christian meditation replaces that spot. Consider it a work out and devotional all in one. I have really enjoyed myself in this class. Besides the fellowship and teaching I've received, when I practice at home by myself, the quiet time in prayer has been very sweet. The different poses can be somewhat challenging but start with the easier ones and as you get comfortable you can move onto the ones where you twist yourself up like a pretzel. Just kidding, but not really!

Ultimately, the most important thing we can do with our bodies is to glorify God with them in how we treat them physically (with good exercise, healthy food, fresh air and rest) and spiritually (with His Word, quiet time and prayer). It has taken nearly 25 years for me to come to have right thinking when it comes to my body and how I should treat it. And like David I will say, "I praise You because I was fearfully and wonderfully made" and because of that I will give my body to the Lord as "a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God."

Magnalia Christi

In the early 1700's, a pastor by the name of Cotton Mather wrote a book called 'Magnalia Christi Americana' which roughly means, 'the glorious works of Christ in America' about the works of Christ in the New England area. Talk about amazing! 600+ pages and I am in the first chapter still. It's definitely one of those books where I need to read and then re-read paragraphs to understand what's going on. Good exercise for the brain for sure (and also free on google books)!

Last year my pastor suggested we write our own books, like 'Magnalia Christi Nicole; the glorious works of Christ in Nicole' to show His awesome glory and the transforming power He's had in our lives. So that's just what I did!


The way I made our magnalia christi faith books: 1.) take a 3-ring binder, 2.) cover with pretty linen quality paper and 3.) hot glue the two together. It's that easy! I think they turned out real nice. And inside the books I made some forms to get us started telling our story of faith and how He "always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."

Faith Book Title Page
Magnalia Christi Introduction
Faith Timeline
Constructing Faith Timeline

The beauty of this type of faith scrapbook is that you can add empty 3-ring sleeves and add to this as you move along in life. It is truly amazing when you think about just what He has done in your life.

"We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done." -Psalm 78:4

My Help, My Shield

"Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You." -Psalm 33.18-22

Lesson Learned

A few weeks back I had my best girlfriend over to my house for some good 'ol quality girl time. These usually involve lots of gabbing, tasty goodies and on occasion re-runs of 'I Love Lucy' (so funny, I can't help it!). I don't remember how we got on the subject but celebrity actresses came up. My hubby walked into the kitchen as we were chatting and mentioned that he thought one of the gals from the show 'Community' was pretty. We don't watch that much tv, let alone the tv show 'Community', so that threw me for a loop.

The next day, the comment Jeremy made began to eat at me. I know that there are plenty of beautiful women out there but to hear my husband say that made me get very self conscious. How can I even compare to a celebrity who spends hours and hours working out and getting hair and makeup done each day? After feeling bad about myself, I felt mad. Who does she think she is, making my husband like her? :) Jealousy is an ugly thing. My emotions came to a boiling point and I had a little tantrum and let out all my frustration. Jeremy and I discussed the issue and I told him I don't want him to think about anyone else except me. Even if there are beautiful women out there.

I quickly realized that this may be a very small illustration of how God is jealous for us and our affection. Our worship and service belong to Him alone, and when we don't do that, God has declared that to be a sin.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." -Exodus 20:4-5

Elsewhere in scripture, it is said that we must 'love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength.' We are to love Him above everything else in this world. He is our Creator and Sustainer, our Rock and our Refuge. He deserves our love and praise. Much like in my marriage, as a wife, I demand my husband to give me his love and to not share that romantic love or interest in any other person. Jeremy and I have a great relationship and we are able to move past any issues or disagreements. That one went down in the books to serve as a reminder not only in our marital relationship but also in our relationship with God. Worship, praise, honor, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Praise God for His everlasting love and the relationship I can have with Him and also the marriage He gave me with my wonderful hubby!

Gift with Purchase

Since becoming a Christian, Christmas is more meaningful because we get to remember and celebrate the incarnation of Christ. Jesus Christ came on a rescue mission to save us. He came to live the life that we couldn’t and die the death we should. Because of this wonderful news, Christians get to live lives redeemed by Jesus to reflect His glory to the world

In recent months, God has spoken in my heart and told me that we should celebrate Christmas a little differently. Not that giving gifts is wrong, but we can't miss the actual reason for the season. One way to glorify God and bring the focus back on Him this holiday season is to give a gift with purchase. What that means is you give an ornament to the cashier who waits on you, with a bible verse attached to it. In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it's easy to forget or neglect those people. This is sure to bring a smile on some checker's face when you give them a gift.

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." -Isaiah 55:11

Try this new tradition and I know you will enjoy truly celebrating the reason for the season!

Giving Thanks

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, so often times, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing
Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more
To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided
And bless each and every person invited

Amen! --Scott Wesemann

AMEN! And Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Thanks to the Lord

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!

So excited!!

I know I am a major dork for getting so excited about this but I just received my first comment from someone other than my best friend, my husband and my Mother-in-law. Not that I don't love and cherish that they read my blog because I DO! :)

But getting back to my excitement, the person who commented was none other than Julie of Joy's Hope. Hers was the first crafting blog I read and I instantly fell in love. Not only does she offer beautiful inspiration, tutorials and recipes (I've tried them all and they are AWESOME!) but she offers hope and the love of Christ. I can't tell you how I've been inspired by her and I don't even know her (It does sound weird saying it out loud).

Something else I've been reflecting on this morning is the body of Christ. I LOVE finding out that so and so is a christian or driving down the road and seeing the Jesus fish on the back of someones bumper because that means we are sisters and brothers. Jeremy and I are so blessed to be a part of a wonderful church with some awesome people. They are not perfect, but they love Jesus and strive to be like Him each day. I guess it just gives me hope seeing all the different kinds of people out there and knowing they too are on fire for Christ. Praise God for His church, may we share His gospel with humility and love. And praise God for the inspiration His church is to fellow believers. You are a real blessing to this world!