The Power of Prayer

I believe in the power of prayer.

When people said they were praying for us after we lost Emerson, I felt full of hope and love. I knew we had an army of people behind us pleading to God for our healing. Each week at the end of our community group discussion, we listen to each other's prayer requests and praises. It's amazing to check in and see the needs of your church family, and the growth that can come from it.

There is something incredible about knowing people are praying for you. When people say they are praying for me, I genuinely hope that they are. I believe the outcome of prayer is something wonderful. I love when people ask if they can pray over me, or if I need prayer. I believe God is using the people around us to comfort us and to build us up through these prayers.

I was once guilty of telling people I was praying for them, without actually following through with the action. I am ashamed of this. How immature of me to claim something so special, but not complete it. I don't think I truly believed at that point, but now

I believe in the power of prayer.

Now, when I tell someone I am praying for them, I mean it with all that I am. I am genuinely curious if their prayer requests are fulfilled. I hope with my heart that what comes of it is truly from God. 

 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

-Mark 11:24 

Friday's Letters [03.15]

Happy Friday, folks!!

Dear 5K, You scare me. You are the first race I have participated in since last year. My goal last year was to run the entire thing, and my goal this year is much the same. So much has happened since that last race. I will be pleased if I can run you without stopping.


Dear Spring, Keep that beautiful weather coming! The fact that I was out in shorts and a T-shirt on Tuesday warms my heart.


 Dear readers, Thank you for your continued support with everything going on in our lives. We really appreciate the prayers for us and for my sweet sister, Mandy. We truly believe in the power of prayer and know that God's hand is in all of it.

Dear community group, Thank you for creating a safe place to share. Your support and love continue to overwhelm me (in a good way). Thank you.

Dear Starbucks man, Thank you for the free drink. I'm sorry the coupon code did not work (who knew Harris Teeter Starbucks stores had different registers?!), but I really appreciate your generosity. I hope your day gets better!

Avoiding Isolation

Isolated is a dangerous place to find yourself. In December our pastor preached on the temptations that exist when you isolate yourself from community and other believers. I nodded along, took my notes, but didn’t think much about it. I mean, heck, everything was going well for me. Fast forward a few weeks and I was faced with a situation that sent me into an isolation mode.

After everything that happened I didn’t want to be around others. I didn’t want any one near me but David and my mom. An introvert by nature, this shouldn’t have been surprising. While I love being around people, I recharge in quiet settings. An afternoon with a book, or an evening in with a small group of friends is much more up my alley than a big night out. I do enjoy going out and spending time with others, but there is a time and place for everything.

Once David went back to work and I was alone again, I no longer wanted to be alone. For the first time in my entire life I craved the energy of others to help me recharge. I made a point to schedule an “adventure” for every day. I met with friends and family for lunch, scheduled a massage (glorious), and found myself at the local coffee shop working. This was new to me. I wasn’t used to needing to fill my hours with the energy of others.

It quickly dawned on me the significance of community. My wonderful husband continually preaches on the beauty community can bring to your life, but like the isolation sermons, I tuned it out because I felt “okay”. Why is it that so often we need such large eye-opening experiences to be reminded of God’s design for us?

In the recent weeks my soul has been exposed to the wonderful way God works through the support and love of our community. They have lessened our burdens in such amazing ways and come around us in such a beautiful way. It is clear God is working in them and we are immensely thankful. We were created for this type of community-to love those around us. The path of isolation that exists in this world is a dangerous one to follow, and just as we are called to love God we should love each other.

While it will not always be easy, I know I must constantly avoid the treacherous engulfment of isolation. I must make a point to ask others for help if I need it and not exhaust myself (physically and emotionally) by seeking independence. He beautifully crafted us to seek one another to lean on and I must learn to follow His plan for me.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

-John 13:34-35

Lessening Burdens

If you know me then you know I don't do well giving up control of things. The oldest child and Type-A personality in me doesn't like to hand over things. I want to have my hand in everything. This experience has taught me to let go of a lot.

From the moment I told my colleagues what happened, they took control of all my work responsibilities. While there are many benefits to being a teacher, easily taking time off is not one of them. My students cannot just sit there and wait for my return like in other careers. I’ve been so blessed in that I’ve been able to step away and take time to heal while others have picked up my slack.

This has been the same case at church. I volunteer as part of the kid’s ministry and share responsibility with another woman. The weekend we were in the hospital both David and I were scheduled to serve at church. She has stepped up in such a beautiful way and removed the stresses that we felt at not being able to serve and leaving others hanging. Not to mention all the wonderful volunteers who have come forth to lessen any burdens we may feel.

Letting go of these responsibilities would have been a challenge for me in any normal situation, but in this one I had no choice. Stepping back now and realizing what these people have done for us brings tears of gratitude to my eyes. Without them we would be fifteen steps behind where we are now in our healing. They have all reminded us in different little ways to step back and take care of ourselves.

We are immensely thankful for these people and pray that one day we can lessen their burdens in the same way they have lessened ours.

Weekend Warriors Part 2

The weekend was so jam packed, I had to split the posts! We kicked Saturday morning off with a city-wide volunteer event called "What If Everyone". The concept is, what if everyone served their community in some way? How neat is that?! David and our friends, Brian and Ginny, decided to help clean up some at North Mecklenburg HS. The theater teacher needed help painting her so we all pitched in and painted. I wouldn't exactly say that I agree with her paint color of choice, but to each his own!

The lovely Easter egg pink/purple

Ginny Q getting her paint on

Brian attacking the walls with some pink

The most intense part was the tearing down of the sectional wall. It was one of those acordian-like doors. What made this one unique was the fact that it had been there since the school was built, in the 1970's! After much sawing and cutting the men finally got it down. Then came the fun part of putting it in the truck. This thing weighed close to 500 lbs, but after much heaving and hoeing they finally got it outside and into the truck. Many props to them!

The vicious wall on the ground

Looking at their handy work. Good job, fellas!

That afternoon David and our wonderful neighbor, Jeff, took on the ceiling fan. I am so grateful for Jeff coming over to help David get this honker hung up! Cool air will be in our house tonight:-) Then we met my fabulous in-laws to watch Florida take on Louisville. While the game didn't have the outcome we were hoping for, it was still fun to watch them play and to visit.

The mess. . .

It works!

Sunday began with another awesome morning at church. While I wasn't able to go into service, I was able to love on some of the sweetest babies in the Nursery. I just love having the opportunity to play with these kids! That afternoon we were back at it in the yard. Four hours of pulling weeds and forty-seven bags of mulch later our yard is on the fast-track to looking good! David has done a stellar job of rehabbing our pitiful yard. When we moved in our grass was dead. Not such a great way to start. After much time and TLC, it is much greener and there are significant less weeds than before. The flowers did not have a very pleasant "re-homing" experience, though. Turns out I don't have quite the green thumb I was hoping for. . . I'll be ecstatic if they last!

It's a work in progress, but we're getting there!

My little flowers

That evening I got to meet our sweet friends' adorable new baby boy. Have you ever held a one-week old. If not, make it a part of your life. What a sweet reminder of the preciousness of life! Momma joined us for later supper and the Kansas/Carolina game. It was an exhausting weekend, but it was wonderful. I loved the opportunity to see family and friends, and soak in this great season of life.

Thankful Thursday-Safe and Sound

Just close your eyes
The sun is going down
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound

-Taylor Swift

coupons

 You know you had a successful trip to the Teeter when you saved more than you spent-whoot whoot!

evening walks

They have returned and I am stoked! This is such a special time for us because it's when we talk life. We get to debrief our days, share our thoughts, and just be. They are particularly wonderful when it is a beautiful 75 degrees out!

brighter evenings

I love that it is staying brighter out even longer. It's so nice not to look out the window at 5pm and see a pitch black abyss!

blog support

I am so thankful for all the support I get from my blog peeps! I still can't get over the fact that anyone wants to hear what I have to say let alone be kind about it. It's a great feeling!

Community Group

These people are wonderful. The end. The love and compassion they show for us despite our brokenness is inspiring. This is the type of community God called us to live in!

blooming flowers

I love driving around the neighborhood and seeing all the BEAUTIFUL flowers blooming! Puts a big 'ol smile on my face:-)

God

I am immensely grateful for the path that God has chosen for me and the way He leads me down it. He is ALWAYS good!

What are you thankful for this week??

Nutella Cupcakes

Recently it was our turn to provide dessert for our weekly Community Group and I was wracking my brain trying to decide what to bake. Pinterest to the rescue! The recipe below is brought to you by Pinterest and the random assortment of items in our pantry. Let me know what y'all think:-)

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup Nutella, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325F.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar  until light and fluffy. 

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. 

The batter will be thick. It needs to be in order to swirl in the Nutella!

Divide the batter between 12 paper-lined muffin cups.

 Drop a spoonful of Nutella on top of each, and swirl through the batter with a pointy object. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until springy to the touch. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Butter, oil, and sugar

Add eggs and vanilla

Dry ingredients

Dry ingredients mixed in

Dollops of Nutella swirled in

 Finished cupcakes!

Note: I put a little extra Nutella on top as my frosting for the perfect addition of sweet yumminess:-)

Thankful Thursday-Springsteen

To this day when I hear that song
I see you standin' there on that lawn
Discount shades, store bought tan
Flip flops and cut-off jeans

Somewhere between that setting sun
I'm on fire and born to run
You looked at me and I was done
And we're, we're just getting started

-Eric Church

supportive hubby

I can't express how much I appreciate him and his support in all that I do.

the unconditional love of a dog

 there are few things in life that are better than coming home to a happy, jumping pup. This week we're pet sitting Daisy's BFF, so I've had two loving dogs jumping on me!

running

such a good release from all the stresses of life.

community group

these people just rock. The end.

movies

It was nice to treat my students to watching the movie version of our latest novel. I enjoyed the extra time to plan and they enjoyed the downtime to watch!

beautiful weather

I have loved every second of this 70 degree weather. I'm getting stir crazy every time I have to stay inside for a long period of time!

What are you thankful for this week??

Thankful Thursday-No Hurry

There's nothing wrong with an old cane fishing pole
And the smell of early spring
Sit down in a fold-up easy chair
On a quiet shady river bank
Let the world go on without me
Wouldn't have it any other way
Cause I ain't in no hurry today

-Zac Brown Band

friends

I am so excited to get to visit with one of my oldest and dearest friends today! I just wish the other parts of our group could join us. I've known these fabulous girls for twenty years. That's right, twenty years!! 

family visits

We had lots of family in town for David's birthday shindig and the fun continues this weekend when my other sister and her boyfriend come to visit! I love that everyone is close enough that we can get together like this.

date nights

Our schedule has been kind of nutso this month so we decided to do a mid-week date night last night, and it was wonderful. Even something so simple as heading to Olive Garden with my love changed my attitude for the rest of the week. I just love that man!

Community Group

We are so fortunate to have these people in our lives to support us in our struggles and challenge us to grow in our relationship with Christ.

beautiful weather

 Can you ask for anything better than mid-70's after that yucky cold snap?? I think not!

What are you thankful for this week??

Quiet Take Two

One year ago today I wrote about wanting to rid my life of many of the distractions that exist in it. Instead of giving something up for Lent like chocolate or fried foods, I chose to give up distractions. I turned off my radio in the car and shut down many of the distractions that keep me from communicating with God. The purpose of the Lenten season is not to deprive yourself of everything you love and go mad because of it. The purpose is to remember the sacrifice He made for us on the cross and draw closer to Him through that.

In our community group we've been talking in recent weeks about listening to God. I often find myself doing much of the talking and not doing much listening. Think about any solid relationships you have with other people. Are the successful ones the ones that you do all the talking, the ones that you do all the listening, or the ones where there is a balance? I'm going to go out on a whim here and say they're probably the ones with the balance. I need to find that balance in my communication with God.

I am going to be shutting down all distractions again. I will be turning off the radio, my cellphone, and anything else that may cause a distraction. I think these next forty days are going to aid in the growth of my relationship with God in a beautiful way.

What are you doing to draw closer to God in this time?

Thankful Thursday-Dancing Away

For me you'll always be eighteen and beautiful  

And dancing away with my heart

-Lady Antebellum

lazy nights in

I am so grateful for lazy nights in with my love! Very rejuvenating.

sharing

I'm very thankful for my co-worker's great ideas and their willingness to share. It makes my life much easier:-)

Community Group

David and I have been blessed with a community group that challenges and supports us. Very grateful for this fact!

coupons

It's SUPER Doubles at the Teeter this week, which means lots of savings for the Mobleys!

my sweet husband

Very thankful for this man and all the joy he brings me daily.

What are you thankful for this week??

Hummingbird Cake

I am excited to announce that I have completed my first "30 Before 30" task-baking a cake from scratch! A few weeks ago I was flipping through the latest copy of Southern Living (love it!) and I stumbled upon a recipe for something called, "Hummingbird Cake". Thanks to my sweet tooth, I always linger on the dessert recipes a while longer. After scanning through the ingredients I knew I could tackle this and did the old-school version of Pinterest- I just ripped it out of the magazine:-) Our community group takes turns making dessert for each other, and they often become my guinea pigs when I find a new treat. When the email was sent asking for some one to make dessert last week, I jumped at the chance. Let me know what y'all think!

Ingredients 

Cake Batter 

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans 

3 cups all-purpose flour 

2 cups sugar 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3 large eggs, lightly beaten 

1 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large) 

1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain) 

3/4 cup canola oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting 

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened  

1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8-10 minutes or until toasted, stirring halfway through. 

Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir in eggs and next 4 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Sprinkle 1 cup toasted pecans into a greased and floured Bundt pan. 

Spoon batter over pecans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely.

Frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. 

Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. 

Stir in vanilla.  

Frost cake.

Enjoy!

Everything waiting to be prepared!

All the dry ingredients

Going into the oven.

The final slice before it was all demolished!

 

Thankful Thursday-Hands

My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands

-Jewel

my sweet husband

This has been one crazy week for me and I am so grateful for all the ways he has stepped up to help make my life easier!

healthcare

I am so thankful for the fact that whenever I am sick or just need a check-up I can go to the doctor. I don't have to worry about if I can afford it or if my doctor has my best interests in mind like so many others have to worry about.

co-workers

Without these wonderful people and their great senses of humor, I would lose my mind!

caffeine

I saw a quote the other day. . ."caffeine isn't a drug, it's a vitamin", and I couldn't agree more!!

community group

I am very grateful for these people and the way they walk beside in our pursuance of Him.

the weekend

I know this one appears on the list fairly often, but I am so grateful for this time with my love! 

What are you thankful for this week??

Drawing Lines

Yesterday our church was fortunate enough to have Dr. Paul Alexander come speak to us (sermon found here). He challenged our church to do more than just go through the motions. He asked us to look at the world around us, feel for the people we see, and then do something. God really spoke to my heart with this sermon.

It seems that I am great at going through the motions. I go to church every Sunday. I volunteer with our kids' ministry, I participate in a community group each. But after Dr. Alexander's sermon I asked myself, "am I just going through the motions?". With each story he told, I began to question how I act and respond in my every day life. I realized after more reflection that I seem to be drawing lines in my life.

What I mean by "drawing lines" is a bit complicated. It doesn't have to be, thought, I just seem to be making it complicated.  Instead of opening all aspects of my heart and life to God and His works, I am living my life like I can handle it all. Yea, I go through the motions of praying and reading daily, but I don't actually open my life to God to work in. Is this confusing? It's confusing to me too.

For example, each morning I pray for God to work in my classroom. I pray that He moves within me to reach my students and coworkers. Well then I walk into school and I don't think twice about that prayer. I don't later reflect on my day, or how I handle things. I don't revisit that prayer in the evening to thank Him for what He has done even though He is clearly working. I draw lines. I do the same thing in our marriage. I pray daily for Him to work within our marriage, yet I don't actually search for ways to invite Him in. Instead, I draw lines.

Now that I have realized this I am going to open my heart and mind to Him. Instead of just saying a prayer and then living life as if I am in control, I'm going to work to put Him in total control. I'm going to start looking for Him in my life, feeling for the people around me, and doing something about it!

Thankful Thursday-Home

It's been a long hard ride, 

Got a ways to go  

But this is still the place  

That we all call home.  

It's been a long hard ride,  

And I won't lose hope  

This is still the place  

That we all call home.

-Dierks Bentley

It's been a long and hectic week for me, so I apologize if this is brief. . .

the unconditional love of a dog

It's so nice having someone who jumps and does a dance every time I walk in the door regardless of the day.

my job

As long and full as the days may be, at least I have a job.

our marriage

I am so thankful to be married to such an incredible man who puts our family before himself!

the weekend 

After having two four-day weeks back to back and then a five-day week, I am especially grateful for a weekend off!

local produce

This week was the first time in months I've had to buy vegetables at the grocery store thanks to our crop share, and man was I disappointed. I'm looking forward to renewing the share again come April!

continued healing

I am now down to 30mg of prednisone a day (whoot whoot) and am on-track to be completely weaned off in March! 

our community group

I am so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate God with them each and every week.

What are you thankful for this week??

Brown Bag Apple Pie

I must preface this by saying, if you like any type of apple pie you must give this a try! A woman in our community group made it for us one time, and David and I were hooked. I knew I needed to get the recipe for myself to make and share. It was a hit at supper with the Mobleys and I can't wait to make it again:-)

Crust:

 1-1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 cup oil

1tbsp. milk

Filling:

 6 large peeled/sliced apples

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

2 tsp cinnamon

Topping: 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

Crust Instructions:

Mix ingredients and pack in pie plate.

Filling Instructions:

 Mix together and pour into pie shell.

Place filling in unbaked crust.

Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp. flour.

Topping Instructions:

Mix ingredients and pat on top of pie filling.

Place pie in brown bag. 

Fold end and staple.

Bake on cookie sheet for 1 hour at 425.

Enjoy!

Chopped apples ready to be tossed into the pie.

 Crust ingredients waiting to be mixed. 

 She was such a big helper-not!

 The insides all mixed together.

Do we really have to wait an hour??

Thankful Thursday-Everything Is FIne

Everything is fine, fine, fine
Through the sunshine and the rain
I got a peace of mind
You know I can’t complain
I make it a point to thank the Lord
When I got Him on the line
I’m feeling good and everything is fine
-Josh Turner

my students

(yes, they have their moments, but in all honesty these kids rock!)

pistachios

(hello my name is Lauren and I have a new addiction. These things are fantastic!)

evening alone time

(one of my favorite parts of each day is our evening walk. It's nothing more than a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood with the pup, but there is something about that downtime together that really makes my day)

 health
(as my body adjusts to everything I am reminded of how truly wonderful good health can be)

our community group
(I love these people and the truth they bring into our lives. For those of you not involved in one, go get connected!)

What are you thankful for this Thursday??

Thankful Thursday-Way Out Here

We won't take a dime if we ain't earned it
When it comes to weight brother we pull our own
If it's our backwoods way of livin' you're concerned with
You can leave us alone
We're about John Wayne, Johnny Cash and John Deere
Way out here

-Josh Thompson

I'm happy to be back posting about all the blessings I have in my life! I challenge you to take the time to do the same:-)

*seeing the world through a child's eyes*

(I love getting to play pretend and snuggle and do all the fun things kids get to do without a care in the world!)

*my health*

(I am so fortunate to be able to wake up every day without worrying whether I'll be able to make it through the day. Far too many people face those challenges each day)

*our Community Group*

(these people open up their hearts and homes to us and we are blessed to grow with them!)

*my husband*

(he gives so much to our little family without a thought about himself, how many other wives can say that? I cannot wait to see where life takes us)

*my parents*

(spending time with little kids reminds me how hard my parents worked for us and how tired they must have been, but they never let on. The Wardlets are so lucky to have been raised by them!)