Memoirs of a Moorings

At this very moment....

I'm listening to the sound of those smiling faces above who are now arguing and crying. Thankful that God has blessed this home with children and all the angst (and joy) that comes with it. 

I'm avoiding a sinkful of dishes. But grateful to have dirty dishes and full tummies.

I'm reminded this is my year of Confident Expectation. God has been so very faithful over the past few years and has turned so many impossibles into possibilities that I can't help but trust Him.

I'm writing and rewriting the words in my head for a blog post about how miraculously God has been working in our lives lately.

I'm bursting with some happy news that I'll share soon :-)

I'm digging the new music I've downloaded. Anthony Hamilton's Back To Love, Cottonwood Church's new worship album, Jason Reeves' Caged Birds Set Free, Carl Thomas' Conquer and Jillian Edwards Headfirst. But I've really been longing for some new music from Nichole Nordeman.

I'm loving that my 90-year-old grandmother FaceTimes me on a regular basis.

Still so incredibly happy for a Twitter-turned-in-real-life friend whose life has taken a total 180 since she took a leap of faith. Read her post: all things NEW: a journey of new beginnings.

What about you? What's going on with you at this very moment?

 

Inspired

So totally inspired by these two little faces. Even on my worst (most tired) day, they make me want to be better.

Also:

Inspired by this message & this one.

Inspired by this fun family video.

Inspired by this simple profound lesson.

Inspired by this mother.

Inspired by these prints.

Inspired by this girl's closet.

Inspired by the transformation of this artist & his music & especially this one.

What's inspiring you these days?

So Long Summer...Hello Fall & Back To Blogging

The lazy days of summer are officallly over and I'm dipping my toe back into the world of blogging. We are slowly settling into the school routine two weeks into the school year. 2nd grader LOVES school and Littlest is so ready to go to school already. Hard to believe that Fall starts tomorrow.

Summer was grand. There were lots of snuggles from Littlest. Lots of water play & pool time. Lots of watermelon. Multiple trips to Chick-fil-A. An impromptu adventure to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center where there are sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and we learned quite a bit about the migration of whales and the former Marineland. The boys loved it. So awesome to be able to take a 15 minute drive to the ocean, enjoy the great outdoors and have fun for free.

 
I'm also getting back to my domesticated roots. Lots of cooking and organization going on. Last night's dinner was a family fave: Floretine Stuffed Chicken. Not even sure where I got the recipe. Found it during my first year of marriage when I was a stay-at-home wife. It's easy and tasty & absolutely no seasoning involved other than spaghetti sauce. Give it a try!

Floretine Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, Parmesan cheese and onion and mix thoroughly. Stuff the cavity of each chicken breast with 1/4 of the mixture. (NOTE: Bone-in split breasts usually have a little cavity; if one is not naturally present, use a sharp knife to make a slit in the side of the breast.)
3. Lay stuffed breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with the sauce.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

I've also been pinning myself happy over at Pinterest. So many wonderful ideas and recipes. It's like a creative soul's dream land. I've decided to try my hand at one Pinterest idea a week if time permits. I've already completed some Pinterest-inspired things around the house so I'll be posting those in the near future.

 

A Lil' Game of Catch Up

Ugh. I've been absent. And I hate it. So much to blog. 

I've been absent here, but not from the internet. 

Here are few things that have caught  my eye and touched my heart that I wanted to share.

- Awesome post by G. Craige Lewis on how broken marriages in the church spill over to broken marriages in the home. Good stuff. As my childhood pastor would say "it's tight, but it's right."

- I love the concept of a good deed card for the boys. My mom's idea of encouraging good deeds was a nice spank. I'm trying to do things a little differently than her ;-)

- This post from Ann Voskamp about When You're Waiting For a Message From God touched my heart. "Listen for your life—by listening to your life." It's a long read but well worth it.

- One of my favorite things to do is peek into people's lives and see how they've decorated their homes to glean ideas for my own. My second favorite thing is thing is to see how people pair their clothes up so I can get ideas. This website always offers great ideas on pairing up colors and combos I wouldn't typically think of.

- Watching people get baptized never gets old to me. Send your Spirit Lord!

- My heart has been captured by Pintrest. Got some redecorating ideas up my sleeve and this is the perfect place to build on them. Check my boards out!

- I finally got in the groove with Spotify. Hearing other people's playlists is cool. Check out the few I made here if you are signed up. 

- Speaking of music Dawkins & Dawkins is back with From Now On - this is my kind of gospel music. The boys got me hooked on the Victorious soundtrack 

I'm Not 40 - I'm 18 With 22 Years Experience!

Yesterday was my birthday. A milestone birthday at that. And when folks kept asking my age, I admit that I was a bit embarrassed to say my age. 

40. Forty!

I don't feel 40. I don't think I look 40. I don't think I've packed enough living into 40 years. But then I thought about it. What's to be ashamed about? I've made it. I'm wiser. I'm stronger. I'm better on this side. And today, I'm proud to say I've made it this far. Sure, there are a lot more things I want to do. There's been some disappointment, failure & heartache. There are a million more things I want to experience. But I've packed a lot into 40 years: a college degree. Travels across the country. Marriage. Children. A career doing what I love. A solid spiritual walk with God.

I'm much more secure with myself than I was in my 30s and certainly more than when I was in my 20s. Today, I'm settling into 40 and finding it to be a good fit.

Here are 40 lessons I've learned in my 40 years on this earth:

1. Change is good.

2. Failure is not bad, it's simply a chance to learn what works & what doesn't.

3. The grass is NOT greener on the other side. It's either astro turf, high maintenance or not what you thought it was.

4. Forgiveness is a powerful & very necessary thing.

5. Patience is indeed a virtue and should be mastered early in life.

6. Saying no is not selfish.

7. Sometimes being selfish is okay.

8. As parents we are shaping our children's childhood memories now that will live with them forever (make good memories with and for them.)

9. Time does not heal all wounds but God does.

10. Life is hard but God is good.

11. Everyone is dealing with something in life that is not fair. 

12. All problems seem smaller after you go through them. Everything will be alright.

13. Good friends are priceless. Keep them close & nurture the relationship.

14. Getting old doesn't guarantee good sense--wisdom comes from God.

15. The more thankful you are, the more blessings you'll find.

16. Getting out of your comfort zone is scary yet freeing.

17. Prayer (and kindness) are two of our greatest weapons.

18. It's okay to say sorry & ask forgiveness when we've wronged someone...especially to the little people in our lives.

19. Going to sleep with a dirty kitchen and house is not the end of the world. The mess will be waiting to be cleaned up the next day. Enjoy the extra sleep!

20. Mulling over regrets is a time waster.

21. Naps are a gift from God.

22. Stopping to dance to the music is always appropriate wherever you are ;-)

23. Leaving a loving legacy is the greatest gift we can give.

24. Everybody won't like you--and that's okay.

25. Being able to look in the mirror and smile at yourself is priceless.

26. Drives along the California coast are therapeutic.

27. Saving for a rainy day is good, but so is splurging.

28. Being honest, trustworthy and consistent is not easy but you will be better for it.

29. Who cares what size it says as long as it fits good.

30. You can never have enough laughter or hugs.

31. Lying never pays off..never.

32. The truth always come to light one way or another.

33. God has a plan for your life. 

33.  Sometimes you just have to do it scared. 

34. When you come to the cliff's edge, God will indeed give you something solid to stand or or give you wings to fly. He's done it time and time again for me.

35. Kiss and hug those little ones as much as possible because they grow up too fast.

36. Never be too busy to keep in touch.

37. Be the best you because there's nobody who can do it better.

38. God's Word really is true.

39. Love conquers all.

40. 40 is indeed the new 30!

Antracia is 40 from bobbi Merrill on Vimeo.

Take Those Dreams (& God) Out of the Box

There are some people you meet who leave an indelible mark on your heart. Not the kind that you want to wipe off or hide, but the kind that you cherish and touch from time to time just to make sure it's still there...just like a treasured necklace given to you as a gift that is so cute you can hardly believe it's yours.

In my BMAK life (before marriage and kids), I worked for a Southern-California based newspaper called L.A. Focus where I got to meet and interview celebrities and people whose lives were filled with great stories. One of those people is Therea Ordell who I met more than 15 years ago. I'd initially interviewed her mother Terri McFaddin a gifted author, anointed minister and Grammy-winning songwriter (she co-wrote the award winning movie theme, “Men in Black"), who told me her daughter had a story to tell--and BOY did she.

A talented writer and speaker in her own right, Theresa was born with a myriad of health challenges among them being born with three fingers on each hand and orthopedic discrepancies with the length of her legs. What struck me most about her was the miracle-working power of God in her life. I mean....I'd known and met some anointed folks in my life...but they were all older, not my age. But here was this cute little girl around my age who overflowed with God's power.

She has always been an inspiration to me. I don't know if I've ever told her that.

Just a couple of years back, she got married at the age of 40. An age, when most women would think that God had forgotten about them. This past weekend, I attended her baby shower to celebrate her soon-coming baby girl—a baby that doctors said would never come because she was considered unable to have childrlen at one time.

But she took a leap of faith and spoke a prayer to God (one that she admits she was too scared to even voice for fear of disappointment) but she spoke it anyway (with details) and He honored her request. She is due in May with a baby who doctors say is perfectly healthy and who is amazingly safely surrounded by 11 fibroids that are still in her pregnant womb.

During her shower, she shared her whole testimony of believing God for this miracle baby. How she'd wandered into Baby Gap and bought 2 outfits (1 boy, 1 girl) and tucked those boxes away in the closet without so much as mentioning to God her desire for a baby.

Isn't that what we so often do? Tuck our dreams & desires away in a closet without even bringing them before our Heavenly Father in prayer.

We do the same with God. This Saturday, she said, "It's so easy for us to put God in a box." Her mother had other mothers with "impossible" situations get up and share their testimonies. Then she laid hands on wives who wanted to have babies as well as single women who wanted to get married. It had to be one of the most blessed showers I've ever been to.

So often we look at what the doctors say: "Your window of time for pregnancy is over." We look at what our circumstances say: "You're too old. It's too late. It's too messed up."

But God's name is bigger than infertility, bankruptcy, divorce, broken dreams or whatever it is you may be facing. Theresa's pregnant belly reminded me of that fact.

And His love for us goes far beyond anything we can think of. His love for us is bigger than we can imagine.

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Ephesians 3:20 (The Message Bible)

Let’s never lose sight of just how big, powerful, loving and AMAZING our God is. The same God who parted the Red Sea for the children of Israel to escape from their enemies is the same God who opened up Theresa's womb and it's the same God who came to bring life to the unspoken prayer in your heart. Go ahead...take Him (& those dreams) out of that box and see what He can do.

Click here to get a peek at a bit of Theresa's dynamic teaching.

*photo of me and Theresa at her baby shower

How I Became Addicted To My iPhone

I just had to turn off my iPhone 4. I forgot my charger at home and the battery was running low. Honestly, I feel a little lost without it at my fingertips. I'm an iPhone junkie...I admit it. But it's only because this shiny little piece of technology really is an extension of my brain.

Since I can't use my phone, let me share with you the apps I use to keep me sane. Maybe this will inspire you to get addicted to your smartphone too :) Many of these apps are cross-platform so you don't have to have an iPhone to use them.

Bills On the Table - Late fees and forgotten bills are a thing of the past. I used to put a reminder on my calender, but if I didn't pay the bill right when I got that alert, the forgotten bill syndrome continued. I input every bill and its due date and I get regular pre-alert reminders (and follow up reminders for the past due bills.)

Pocket Money - I'm one of those folks who likes to know my balance down to the penny. Carrying around a traditional check register never worked for me. With this app, I can record tranactions right away for all of my accounts. It even has a desktop companion that it syncs with.

Evernote - I used to be the queen of post it notes. They'd be in my purse, on my dash, on the back of my hand. No more! I use Evernote for all those little pieces of info I need: recipes (so I'll have them handy when I'm in the grocery store), the color makeup I wear, projects I want to work on, the sizes the boys wear, a picture of that dress I need to find accessories for...the possibilties are endless.

mSecure - For the zillions of passwords I need every single day.

2Do- I've used A LOT of to-do systems, but this one really works for me. I group my To-Do items for: The Kids, Home, Work and Personal and get alerts on my phone and computer. And I can sort my to do errands by locatio. No more passing up the drycleaners on the way to the grocery store!

Grocery IQ - Keeps all my shopping lists handy. I have one for groceries and one for Target. My favorite feature is scanning items to add them to my lists and being able to sort by the aisle of my local store so there's no backtracking while I'm shopping.

Google Sync - While not an iPhone app, this tool has been invaluable in helping me remember my work appointments which I always forgot to put on my personal calendar. Now my work calendar syncs automatically to my Google Calendar on my phone. My son's school uses Google Calendar, so I sync that so it shows up on my calendar as well. (this has saved me many a day!)

Navigon MobileNavigator - Love this GPS app which has NEVER let me down. I also love the way it plays nicely with AroundMe. When I find a nearby place, I can send it to Navigon seamlessly.

Rowmote - I hook my MacBook Pro up to the flat screen a lot to watch my shows on Hulu Desktop. This app turns my phone into a remote control. It doesn't get any better than that!

Just a few ways the iPhone helps me out in everyday life.

And here are a few of my favorite apps: Twitter (I've made some great friends via Twitter that I would never have crossed paths with in real life.) PasteFire lets me copy info from my computer to my iPhone without having to type it in. A lifesaver! WhatsApp is like Blackberry Messenger (so much better than texting & its cross-platform!) Bible.is lets me listen to the Bible (great for car rides). I really dig IHOP's Prayer Room and I really dig that they have an app that lets me worship with them on the go. I've been addicted to Words With Friends since it came out and have had no less than 5 games going since I downloaded the app.

That's it for now. Next time, I'll have to share how jailbreaking my iPhone has increased my adoration for it even more.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear how you use your smartphone.

Heart Heavy for Joanne Heim

The internet is amazing place. It enables you to cross paths with people you wouldn't otherwise get to meet in everyday life.

Tonight my heart is heavy for a sweet lady whose path I crossed online. I "met" Joanne Heim through her blog The Simple Wife quite a few years ago. She immediately became one of my favorite reads and people. I loved everything about her: her love for God and His Word; her approach to motherhood & her focus on friendship & the simple things of life. I would leave her comments ad she would hop over to my blog and share a comment.

A gifted writer, I devoured her books, Living Simply and Misplacing God: And Finding Him Again. We eventually started a virtual friendship through blog comments, email messages and Twitter and discovered we both had a love for the music of Tyrone Wells. (Anyone who loves the music of Tyrone Wells is a kindred spirit. On more than one occassion, she'd drop me a line to let me know I was on her heart and that she was praying for me.

Last week, this 38-year-old wife and mother of two daughters had a major stroke and is lying in a coma tonight. Seems one day hasn't passed without her on my mind. There's been a steady prayer on my heart and lips for her and her family.

We promised each other that the next time she was in Southern California, we would meet face-to-face to share a hug and maybe a cup of coffee. I'm praying that God's miracle working power resurrects her and restores her so that one day that meeting can take place.

If you feel led, please say a prayer for sweet Joanne.

Her husband has taken over her blog and provides regular updates here.

 

Remembering Daddy....

"God pours life into death and death into life without a drop being spilled."  ~Author Unknown

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my father's death. This has been such a bittersweet week. Just a few days ago, I celebrated my first-born's 7th birthday. So crazy how life and death can be butted right up next to each other. Such is life...a blend of love and loss. Grief and joy. All rolled into one.

I miss my father more everyday and everyday in such different ways. Mostly, I hate that he's missing out on his grandson's lives. He loved them most. One day I hope they realize just how much.

Today I'm looking back over life with my daddy and honoring him in my own little way.

(Much thanks to my sister for providing many of the picutures.)

~Remembering Daddy.... from NONSuperwoman on Vimeo.

The Power of Memory: Blessings Flood In (Continuing The 1,000 Gift List)

"Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things."  ~Pierce Harris

This past weekend my mother, grandmother and aunt made the six-hour drive from Northern California to visit us in SoCal. On Sunday, we strolled Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and then made an impromptu stop at the beach. It was this sweet little 2 year old's first time since he was a baby. So we rolled up the boy's pants legs and let them splash and be splashed. Pure bliss. I loved that my mother was there to see the joy on their faces.

It was a lovely visit, but one that was bittersweet around the edges because my father was not here to enjoy all of this. Bittersweet that he's gone from us for the rest of our lives. Hurts. Then the hurt subsides a bit when we start reminiscing about him...calling on our memory to bring back the laughter and good times we shared with him.

I love how God gave us a memory and the capacity to recall those perfect little moments of life just when we need them. When my mind wants to stop and cry over the pain my father endured his last days, instead I remember his hearty laughter, his love for these two grandsons of his, his knack for cooking, the way his mind worked like an encyclopedia...then I stop and realize that we are making memories now. Perfect memories on a beautiful Sunday at the beach. Memories that these two little boys will cherish for years to come. Memories that this momma will draw on when her two boys are men.

And I find myself doing that more....calling on my memory to bring up the good to push back the bad. So I continue my 1,000 Gift List: blessings that are flooding my mind even now.

315. A hug from my momma

316. Kissing my 88-year-old grandmother's cheek

317. Soaking up the wisdom of my elders

318. Wrestling boys

319. Dinner plates scraped clean

320. A thank you card with a gift tucked inside for me

321. A 2 year old in his new big boy bed

322. Faith-filled friends

323. Being a prisoner of hope

324. Prayer and repentance

325."Fading" by Audra Lynn

326. Straight talk about God's deliverance

327. Snaggletooth smiles