Classic Christmas Decor!

I am linking up to Glamlife Housewife's Christmas tour. Here is some of this year's decor. I went sort of minimal this year compared to years passed. We had a Christmas party for the teens at our house last Friday so I knew that I wanted to have plenty of room for food, gifts, games, and people. :)

Here are some snowmen that I made for the Christmas party :)

Tuesday Ten

Ten things I am thankful for this Tuesday....

• my sweet, wonderful husband
• the snow we receive that covered everything beautifully
• the smell of a great B&BW candle
• Christmas movies on tv each night leading up to Christmas
• God's grace
• amazing church family
• fellowship and a fun party with the teens of our church
• Isaiah 9:6
• reading the hubs encouraging blogs 
• great shampoo :)

Yummy NYC food

There were lots of wonderful treats to choose from in NYC. They were not all the healthiest choice, but I suppose it is okay to splurge a bit while on vacation. :)

Central Park

I am going to break up our NYC trip into several post.  The first will be some of the beautiful sites from Central Park. It was so picturesque--truly one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Where did the last few months go?!?!?

I have sooo much catching up to do. I want to keep this blog as a journal of our lives so I can look back a few years from now and see what our lives were like. Yikes! I have been failing at this miserably! :) I am back on track starting tonight. I will try to go back and update the big events of the last few months. :)

because I said so.....

*this post is from a guest post I did on our church website. check it out: http://www.elmgrovechurch.org/

I am sure we have all heard that phrase a time or two! I heard it from my parents on occasion when I would question why they wanted me to do something. I am not yet a parent, but I know how frustrating it can be to ask a kid to do something and in return hear "why do I have to?". Sometimes we just want them to do what we ask without asking questions. There are many things in the Bible God tells us we should do ---often, I catch myself asking why. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. In order for us to have true faith, sometimes we must let go of our questions and trust God's plan.




Do you find yourself asking God why? If so, have faith that what He wants for us is what is best.



Let's obey Him and His guidance for our lives and do what He wants.



For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11



~Amanda

just a little laugh for you.....

oh no she didn't!! but wait--what about grace

I can't believe the sight I came home to last night. We pulled into the driveway after church and I noticed the shades on my front window were partially closed. It looked like the love seat had been pushed up against it. We had removed the screens and cleaned the windows on Monday so I assumed that I must have done it when I was working on them.

 So I went inside and walked over to straighted out the blinds and to my horror they.were.destroyed!!! My sweet, innocent, little Macy had literally chewed through two or three of the slats. I could not believe my eyes--I stood there in shock with my mouth wide--Mr. Lane came inside and had the same reaction I did. I took pictures of the damage that I will try to load later.

I just don't know how or why she did it. She NEVER chews on anything but her raw hide toys. I don't know if she was just mad/bored because we had left her or if she was trying to thwart off someone outside.

I was trying to think about what I wanted to blog about and redeeming grace just keep coming to mind.

Romans 5: 1-2 NIV says:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

I think about Macy's situation. I was sooo upset about what she had done. We corrected her and then she wanted outside for a while. She came inside and she ran to me immediately--she knew that she had done something bad, she knew that she did something that hurt/upset me and that it was wrong. She looked at me with those big brown eyes and tried to lick me. She knew this would make things right. :)

As Christians, we can be just like Macy. We do things that we know are not right, that are harmful for us, and things that hurt those we love and most importantly our Heavenly Father.  When we do these things, we know it. It may not always hit us right away but that still, small voice is always there and it will show you.  I often do/say things that I know do not please my Heavenly Father. I speak before thinking and as soon as the words leave my lips I think "oh boy,why did I do that". The problem is, you can't suck those words back in, you can't reverse time, and we rarely get do-overs. But, (don't you love the buts of the Bible--they are most often a 360* of the previous statement) we have One that we can go to with our guilt and shame and confess the things we have done and He is there to pick us up and wrap us in His love once again. 

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13 KJV

Window washing made easy...

I am really liking this guy:

My MIL gave me a starter set to try it out. I knew if she liked it then it was bound to be good. It was sooo easy to use. Mr. Lane even got in on the window washing action.  You simply wet the pad that sticks on to the pole and your windows and wash away. The pad really suds up and it is easy to rinse off. It really takes the hassle out of cleaning your windows. Try it out!

http://www.rightathome.com/Offers...index.aspx

They are giving away 4000 starter kits to first 4000 people to sign up.

It left my windows looking so sparkling clean that I decided to leave the screens off to let more of the beautiful sunshine in. :)

everyone needs compassion...

Everyone does need compassion--such a true statement. We need to feel loved, special, cared for, needed, etc.  Having compassion for the little children in pictures or on tv who are homeless, hungry, without parents, etc. is easy for me. My heart is truly burdened for those children.  Yet, sometimes I catch myself lacking that same compassion for some children I see each week come through the doors of our church.  I think what is wrong with some of these kids. I don't always show compassion towards them. I lose sight of who they are and what they may be going through. I don't always have a clue as to what those precious gifts may have endured that day. I forget that they don't all have loving parents in their lives. I forget that they don't all have someone to hug them and tell them how special they are. Psalm 139:14 reminds us that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Each and every child is special---God made them unique.  Children are a gift from God and as examples in their lives we are responsible for showing them how loved and special they are. My prayer is that each of my children that I come into contact through church will know how much I love them and that they will not forget that, but even more that they will know that Jesus loves them with an incomprehensible love. A love that is so great, pure, and true. He, himself, showed the greatest act of compassion ever given when He died on that cross for me and you.

Happy, Happy Birthday baby

haha! Happy Birthday to my better half! Mr. Lane you are my best friend, my true love, more than I ever deserved or imagined. I admire so many things about you. You are the truest example of Christ-like.  I hope you have the best birthday! You deserve it! Happy 29th! I love you!

my all

Let me start this by saying, I fail Christ everyday. There is not a day that goes by that I don't sin. I know, I know no one is perfect (For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23). I often feel like there is so much more that I should do to serve Jesus. Sure, I go to church every week, read/study scriptures daily, sing in the choir, work with the youth group, etc., but is that my all? Really?

 He truly gave His ALL for ME. Everything He could give He gave for you and me. I feel so unworthy of such love, mercy, and grace. Especially when I consider what give Him in return.  The inkling of time I give Him each week is NOTHING compared to His gift. I want to give my all for Christ---I want to enter His kingdom someday and hear "well done" from Him. I pray that each day I would grow closer in my walk with the Lord and that He would draw me so close to Him that all I can feel is His love surrounding me.

Are you giving Christ your all? What areas in your life need to change/improve in order to give your very best to Jesus?

It's Springtime in Tennessee....

Things I love about spring

• sunshine--good riddence cloudy, dreary days--hello sweet sunshine
• the smell of fresh cut grass
• the look of said grass
• flip flops and sandles
• Mr. Lane's nice tan starts to appear(yeah, I am totally jealous)
• taking Macy for walks/runs (she has become a pro)
• dddddollywood (cheesy, i know)
• flowers
• trees in bloom
• opening all the windows in the house and letting the fresh air in

My World Wednesdays.....

a few daffodils blooming in my dad's front yard

i love spring!!

It's Springtime in Tennessee....

The weather has been so nice here the last couple of weeks. We have been having temps in the upper eights--15-20* higher than the average. So we have seen much evidence that spring has arrived!! I love spring time! It is like a fresh start!! Here is the weeping cherry tree in our front yard. Isn't she a beauty? :) 

We mulched last week so everything is nice and fresh! Mr. Lane's grass has come in really nice this year too! We have just enjoyed being able to get out of the house and take advantage of these warm days. 

Bibles, Bunnies, and Babies, oh my!! Easter recap...

We had a really great Easter! It started out with a wonderful morning service! (not that I am partial to the pastor or anything) :) Then we had a great Easter dinner (again, not that I am partial to the cook). My MIL made a wonderfully, yummy meal. She knows her daughter-in-law too well! She made my FAVORITE chicken EVER!! Love.that.woman. 

See doesn't that make your mouth water!!!

along with some of this yummy goodness :)

one tradition that we always carry on is that we buy MIL a chocolate bunny each Easter

here he is----this is before is eye sockets were plucked out by a sweet little MIL :)

poor bunny big ears--his little eyes didn't stand a chance---I bet he never saw it coming (pun intended) :)

After dinner I went to see a certain sweet little boy and to take him some goodies! 

I tried to have a little outdoor photo session but trying to keep a 22 mo old in one place for any length of time is nearly IMPOSSIBLE!! I did get a couple of good ones though...

isn't he a sweetie! love that smile--makes my day!

We had a truly blessed Easter that we finished off with Communion at church.   As I reminded our little Sunday school class so many times---Jesus did not stay dead!! He is alive!! Isn't that wonderful news!It was a wonderful time to reflect on what Christ did for us on the cross so many years ago--I may never fully understand the depth of His love for me, but I am so thankful for it. 

He is Risen!!

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:6

whistle while you work....or not

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting Show Us Your Life Cleaning edition today.  So check out all of the great tips that the ladies are posting today!  Disclaimer: I am sure this may all have to change once we have children! :)

The first tip I can give is to try and make it not seem like WORK. Turn on the music! David Crowder Band is my first choice when I am cleaning. I am accomplishing two things in one--praising the Lord and cleaning my home. It also helps you to think of how blessed you are to actually have that home to clean! I do have several great tips that I have picked up from different people/places. My mother-in-law is the Queen of Clean! haha! She can get any stain out--no matter what it is!! :)

I don't enjoy doing dishes or putting away the laundry--as Mr. Lane could testify. haha! Thankfully I do have a dishwasher for the days when I have too many dishes to tackle. The laundry is another story though! I enjoy washing and drying--it is the folding and putting away that gets me. I am thankful that Mr. Lane often pitches in and helps with this area!

 I usually deep clean our house on Thursday night after dinner. I often do the majority of our laundry some other day during the week. This frees up the washer and dryer for our bedding, towels, rugs, etc. I try to keep things picked up through the week so it is not too bad when Thursday rolls around. That doesn't always happen! I chose Thursday when we first got married so that our house is clean for the weekends in case we have friends stop by. It also keeps me from spending my Saturday's cleaning. 

I try to always keep the living room and guest bathroom in great shape because the living room is the first room you see when you walk into our house and the guest bath speaks for itself. :)

My Thursday routine usually involves the following:

• 
  
  remove the bedding from our bed and throw it in the washer
• 
  
  give the kitchen a good, deep cleaning--wipe down counter tops, scrub sink, sweep & mop, etc.
• 
  
  clear the dining room table of any mail, papers, etc. that have accumulated(usually those piles are my own) :)
• 
  
  dust the living room--dust and mop the floors
• 
  
  deep clean our master bathroom--scrub sinks, shower, tub, toilet, floors, and wash the rugs
• 
  
  dust and vacuum the master bedroom and guest room

By the time I finish all of this up my bedding is nice and ready to be put back on the bed. I usually only takes me 2-3 hours to get everything cleaned up.

Some tips that I have found work great:

• use old socks on your hands to dust your chair rail and other moldings
• use the hose attachment on your vacuum to clean baseboards
• buy multipurpose items
• keep cleaning products stored in bathrooms, kitchens, etc. for easy access and quick clean ups

I have several tried and true products that I love to use.

Swiffer cloths pick up any hair on any type of hard surface flooring (love these!)

 

I love to use Scrub N' Bubbles in my bathrooms. I usually spray the sinks, tub, shower, and toilet down and go about doing some other small task for a few minutes and come back and wipe and rinse everything. Easy!

I use these in so many locations of our house! Walls, kitchen, bathroom, etc. They work wonders!

Ephesians 2:8-9

I love these verses. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

I am so thankful for God's unfailing grace--without it I would be so lost. I hate to imagine what I would be without the grace, mercy, love and provision of God. He is so good to us. We just have to believe in Him--all it takes is childlike faith. Yet, as humans we often have such a stuggle with this. We feel that we must do things on our own. It varies from person to person, it may be that new home, promotion, infertility,marriage, or a million other things. We have to come to the realization that we were NOT made to do it on our own. We have a wonderful Creator who is there for us to help with our struggles. We just have to ask.

I often compare it in my mind to something that often happned when I was a little girl. If I wanted something or needed help with something for some reason I was so afraid to ask my dad. Now don't get me wrong, he wasn't some big scary monster, he was loving, giving, and always there for us, but it was still so hard for me to ask him. Sometimes I felt like he worked so hard and I didn't want to bother him for whatever petty issue I felt like I had or other times I felt like he already did so much for us that it wasn't right for me to ask him for something else.  I treat God the same way sometimes. I know my dad would have and has done anything he can to help me.

Our Heavenly Father is the same way. He wants us to come to Him and ask of Him the desires, wants, and needs of our hearts. We were created to commune with God--we cannot be whole if He is not part of our daily lives.  You can't work your way into Heaven. Being a good person doesn't get you into Heaven. Being a Pastor's wife doesn't get you into Heaven. No one can have a relationship with Jesus Christ for you. You must take that step and let go and Let God. Let Him be the decision-maker in your life, let Him guide you in all the paths of your life. It was Him, afterall, who gave you life. Remember, the Bible says that it is a gift of God. Who can turn down a gift? Don't turn down the greatest gift ever offered--Jesus Christ.

If you feel like God has already done too much for you or blessed you too much or that he couldn't possibly care about your life. Just remember the verse below:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Offerings....

I am sitting here trying to decide what I want to blog about and Offerings by Third Day is blaring through my blackberry headphones. I know that God gave the greatest offering ever given to man when Jesus Christ died at Calvary. Sometimes it is hard to imagine what my little 'ol life could do or give as an offering to thank him.  The greatest offering we can give in return is, in fact, our lives. It is so hard for many people to even give a piece of their lives to the cause for Christ, much less dedicate their whole selves to His work.  In Matthew Chapter 19 a young man comes to Christ and asks Him what good thing must he do to obtain eternal life. He had kept the commandments from his youth up. Jesus told him to go and sell what he had and to give it to the poor and that he would have treasures in Heaven. The Bible says that the young man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. Wait a minute, did you read that???? Jesus offered him treasures in HEAVEN if he would just give away his earthly possessions and follow Him. Isn't it amazing how selfish we humans can be!!!!   This is one reason I admire missionaries so much--to give up, in many cases, their homes and day jobs to heed the call of Christ and travel to foreign and often times frightening lands.  I try to make it a priority ever day to offer something to the Lord. In our eyes our offerings don't seem like much--but to God they are everything and they do matter. Just sit for a minute and think about His great mercy and love and try not to offer Him something in return---it may just be a prayer of praise or a thankful heart, but it matters.   Give something to God--He has given so much to and for you.

st. pat's

Happy St. Patricks Day!! Luck of the Irish to ya!! :)

Brayden's big adventure

This is our sweet nephew.

Papaw takes him to the top

and down

down

he goes.

MY World Wednesdays.....

This is my dad. I know most girls will tell you that they have the best dad in the world-but I bet mine could give yours a run for his money! ;) He is a dad like no other! He may not know it but he is truly one of my best friends--I know I can talk to him about anything. A huge part of my world, he has always been there for me, through thick and thin. Even through my smart mouth teenage years. :-) He is a hard worker, dependable, trust-worthy, honest, and is full of integrity. To simply put it--he is awesome! 

My World Wednesdays.....

These are some of our youth group members!!!! three words: BEST.KIDS.EVER.

I truly love these guys and I am sure mr. lane would tell you that I would adopt them all if I could!