On This Day

On this day I was laying in a hospital bed.

On this day, I was listening to the busy nurses go about their daily tasks.

On this day, I was hoping my sweet little baby inside of me would be able to "stay put" for awhile longer.

On this day, I was preparing myself for my husband to return home without me so he could work while I remained in the hospital for a few weeks. 

On this day, I had no idea what the Lord had planned for me.

On this day, my husband and I cried as the doctors said, "Looks like today is the day you will meet your daughter." 

On this day, I was scared and worried because it was too soon.

On this day, I went to the operating room and briefly saw my sweet, 1 pound 14 ounce, daughter. Then she was whisked away by the doctors and nurses.

On this day, my life was changed forever.

On this day, I became a mother!! 

Today, we celebrate the 9th birthday of our precious miracle girl! Thank you, Lord for blessing us with her! 

Homemade playdough for the win!

I used this recipe and whipped up some playdough for the kiddos. Super quick and easy. I ended up adding a little extra flour because mine started to get really sticky. I added green food coloring and some vanilla extract to add a nice scent :) 

http://www.howweelearn.com/the-best-easy-no-cook-play-doh-recipe/

Pumpkin Everything

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the cooler weather, the clothes and the food:) Pumpkin is in everything! Drinks, desserts, breakfast.. I just adore it.  So this Thanksgiving break I wanted to do something fun and festive for my kiddos. I found this super easy pumpkin pie scented play dough recipe on Pinterest. 

http://www.yourmodernfamily.com/pumpkin-pie-play-dough-diy/

It only took a few minutes to whip up and as you can see by the smiles, it was a hit!!  

Busy Night Dinner

With both soccer and ballet starting up this month (actually started on the same day), I could feel my sanity fleeing when I started thinking about dinner planning! Thankfully I found this recipe. It was SUPER easy and quick. I assembled the sandwiches earlier in the day so all we had to do was toss them into the oven for 10-15 minutes. I made a few changes to suite my family (no poppyseeds, used onion powder instead of grated onion and used sliced cheddar cheese because we don't like Kraft singles). These were a hit and will definitely be on my list of dinners during this busy season!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/hot-roast-beef-sandwiches.html

It's that time again..

Well, it's that time of year again. Summer is almost over and that means back to school. The swimsuits and towels will be replaced with school clothes and homework. It is always a bittersweet time for me. Though I enjoy a much more relaxed schedule and more time with my kiddos, I also look forward to the Fall. I will miss having them around but I get so excited to start another fresh school year.. What new things will they learn this year? What new friends will they make? How will they grow and mature this year?

Thankfully, my kids are still at the age that they look forward to going back to school and getting to see all of their friends that they didn't get to see as much over the Summer months. 

One thing that I do NOT miss over the Summer break is packing lunches and getting clothes ready for the next day. So what do I do when I need fresh ideas.. I turn to Pinterest and Facebook, of course. Here are a couple of ideas that I think will help me out and maybe they will help you as well.  

Happy Back to School :) 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/135389532525299450/

Get them involved in lunches! Proportioned lunch options for kids. Each container has a number listed letting them know how many of each item to add. This gives them some control while still regulating their choices toward healthy!

https://www.facebook.com/mommytalk03/photos/pb.249081688442950.-2207520000.1440113687./1060142914003486/?type=3&theater

Backpacks are hanging, ready to go. With all of the clothes for the week in drawers underneath. Great idea! Though I would probably only do one day at a time or possibly add a second hook to hang clothes on ( I worry about wrinkling:) 

On a Day Like Today

http://proverbs31.org/devotions/devo/giving-my-first-moments-to-god/

 

   I read this devotional today (link is above) and it was encouraging to me! On a day like today when I feel frazzled and not ready to tackle what lies ahead; may I be reminded of the truths in Scripture that say it's not up to me to get through my day, it's only when I rely on HIM that will get me through my day. 

   It also reminded me that I need to start my days before the Lord. I am not a morning person and I have a child who thinks sleeping in is just barely sleeping until 7am. But I need to choose a way to "get with the Lord" before the craziness of my life kicks into full gear. Maybe it's a prayer as I hop into the shower and then a more specific time later in the day.. I just need to do it. My overwhelmed mind and weary heart need it! 

You're a Terrible Mother

Attachments aPreview YouTube video The Mother ‘Hood Official Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me9yrREXOj4&feature=em-share_video_user

A few months back I watched this video.  I'm sure lots of people saw it, since it was floating around on Facebook for awhile. It is clever and entertaining. It is made by a well known baby formula company and jokingly shows different groups of people with varying ideas of what and how is best to feed baby.  But for me it was very thought provoking. It brought to my mind a larger issue than whether to choose formula or breast milk.

The issue it brought to my mind is what I am calling "Mom Shaming."  I'm sure you have heard the term "Fat Shaming" since it is pretty well known right now. It essentially is when someone makes another person feel bad because she is  built a little different than the swimsuit models we see on magazine covers. Don't get me wrong. I, for one, love the idea of teaching women (young and old) to love the body that God gave them. Whether a size 2 or a size 22, we are each unique and need not compare ourselves and think we are somehow "less than" if we don't look exactly like somebody else. But that's not my focus for this post. 

So what do I mean by "Mom Shaming"? We have probably all felt it from time to time. Either by someone intentionally or by us making ourselves feel it.

The list of areas to feel shamed over is large: homeschooling, private or public schooling; breast milk or formula; organic foods or fast food; spanking or time outs; immunization or non immunization; parent led or baby led sleep training; stay at home mom or working mom.. The list goes on and on. 

What I have come to realize in my years of mothering is that each of us are different. Each of us have certain standard and ideas as to how we want to mother our precious children. And that is how it should be!! Aside from something that goes against what the Bible teaches us as parents to do, we should feel the freedom of choosing what is best for OUR family. Sadly though, often times this is not what happens. We hear of the mom who only feeds her kids food that she planted as seeds and grew on her own land organically and suddenly you feel it... The shame that our kids ate fast food that day. 

Whether we choose to home school, immunize, breast feed or not should not be a measuring stick amongst us mommies! We should be cheering each other on in this joyous (yet exhausting) job as Mother. 

If each of us is doing what we think the Lord wants us to do then who is anyone to judge. Being a mom is hard work. It can be discouraging and lonely at times. It is often a thankless job. But it is what we are called to do!! God will give us the grace and strength to do it. 

So instead of feeling shame when we hear that we mother differently than someone else, may we be excited to see a fellow mom doing what has been put in her heart to do. May we root for each other in this glorious task! If we are terrible at growing veggies let us encourage and complement the mom who has the gift of a green thumb. If we choose to use homeopathic ways to help our children get over a sickness instead of a prescription from a doctor, let's not make her feel bad for doing so and instead let her know that we are praying for her child and we are here to help if she needs it. 

I strongly believe there are definite rights and wrongs according to the Bible, but I also believe there are many areas of preference in parenting. My heart in this post is not to point fingers because I have often been guilty of thinking my way is best. My desire is to remind us to look out and see other moms who are parenting in different ways than we are and celebrate that we are all doing our best. Even if it looks totally different. 

So be encouraged if you fall victim to Mom Shaming. Be encouraged that we all have felt it, we all struggle with it and we are all in this thing together! 

Why the Change?

So, I decided to change the name and look of my blog.  I want this blog to remain focused on the Gospel and how it impacts my life. But I also wanted to incorporate a few other things as well. I guess I want to kinda give my blog a few more "splashes" of me.  I want to add baking and cooking posts, crafting posts and just everyday snippets. I have renamed it "My Joyous Mess". When I told my husband the new name his response was "Well, that is completely fitting for our life now."

The new blog name sums up life as I know it now. My life is fun, busy, and yes, it can get messy but it's mine. It's the life I have the joy of living. In good and bad, this is the life God has planned for me.  I have two kids, a husband, an ever mounting pile of laundry, dishes in the sink, and the list goes on and on. But I am striving to live my life filled with joy and thankfulness in the midst of it all. Am I very good at that? Nope. It is a day by day (sometimes minute by minute) choice to enjoy the life I am blessed to have.

There you have it... so here we go! :)

Look Up

It had been a bit of a hard week for me. One of those, " I'm doing everything wrong as a wife/mother," 

"I just can't keep up with the laundry, dishes, and house work," 

"Am I doing anything right?" kind of weeks. 

Everywhere I looked around me I saw something I needed to tend to. From kids dirty pajamas thrown across the floor to a sink piled full of dishes to be washed. I was overwhelmed! It seemed the to do list in my head was a mile long. 

As I stood in my kitchen trying to decipher where and what I needed to turn to for help. The thought popped into my head, "Just look up!". So I did just that... 

This picture is of a sign that hangs above the window over my sink. It struck me. I had been so busy looking out and around  myself that I had neglected to look up. Of course, this had a double meaning. I didn't need to just look up and see those words on my sign. I needed to look up and see Christ. It's in Him I find my comfort, rest, and solutions to my crazy life problems! It's in Him my hope is found!

So remember the next time you feel the tasks closing in on you, look up! You may not have a sign hanging above your window. But you have a Savior in whom all hope is found! 

P.S. I had this sign made by a friend of mine. Her business is called Bushel & A Peck. Check her out on Facebook. She is super talented! https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=142524789262545

Don't Blink

Over the years I have heard many parents tell me how quickly time flies by when you have children. I always believed what they said was true but never fully understood it until I had children of my own. 

Recently in things that I have heard and read I am reminded of the importance of spending time with my kids. Sadly, I don't do it as often as I should. I always think that once the laundry is folded, the dishes are done and the house is clean I will be free to spend time with them. But in this current season of my life, the tasks I listed are very rarely all completed. So I put off time with my kids for another day so I can get caught up.

 I allow the demanding and never ending "voice" of household chores drown out the sweet voices of my littles who are asking me to come and play. My heart is deeply saddened by this! But instead of living in condemnation of falling short of the idea of the "mom I should be". I choose to repent of wrong doing and live in the freedom of the "mom I am". 

I know that the time I have with my children living in my home is limited and I want to cherish my time with them. So I am making myself a plan to set aside at least 5-10 minutes per day for quality time with my kids. I know this sounds small, but it all starts with baby steps, right?!

I know that the laundry and dishes will always be here demanding my attention, but my young children will not be. In fact it's my job as their mother to be training them for when they leave my home. This special time with them will go by in the blink of an eye. And I want to make the most of it.

I love this picture of my kids:) Photo credit: Shae Steffensen 

Identity

 I have been reading "Who Do You Think You Are?" by Mark Driscoll. 

Though I'm not even through the first chapter yet, I am reminded of my sinful tendencies to find my identity in someone or something other than who I am in Christ.

One section of the book stood out to me today and I wanted to share it. In speaking of Adam and Eve he wrote:

"And here is the lie: we will be 'like' God if we'll base our identity upon someone or something else other than God and the grace God bestows upon us. Adam and Eve fell for it. Rather than simply believing that they were already 'like God' because God made them in his 'likeness,' our first parents disbelieved their God-given identity and instead sought to create their own apart from him. The result was the first sin and the Fall. We humans have had an identity crisis ever since, seeking to construct an identity ourselves while forgetting about the one God has already given us. " 

All too often I forget that I have already been given an identity in Christ. I try to find it in being a good mother, wife, friend, church member... Which are all good things to strive to grow in. But if I'm not firmly rooted in the truth that my identity is in Christ, and his finished work on the cross. Then all my striving is in vain! Anything done in my own power will falter. But if I see myself as God sees me (in Christ). I will be a great mother, wife, friend and church member all to His glory! 

Man, am I thankful it's not up to me to earn my place with God. That work was accomplished on the cross! 

So, here is to starting off another week with a renewed mindset. I don't need to try to construct a new identity for myself. I have one... It's in the finished work of Christ on my behalf!! 

Bits and Pieces

As a wife and mother, most times I feel the pressure of keeping my household in perfect order. The pressure to present my family as "all-together" with every piece of our lives in place. The truth is, we live in a fallen world! The possibility of my family and house being perfect is never going to happen.

I was reminded of this in the middle of the night. I had been up with my son a couple of times and my daughter had woken up at least once, as well. All with a sick hubby lying next to me. The Lord graciously reminded me that in my own strength I'm not able to keep it all going. I may be able to put a few pieces together, here or there. But the overall, complete result is up to Christ. It's not my job to prefect my family. It's my job to serve them, care for them and continually point them to the only One who can keep things all together. 

It was was a freeing reminder for this tired momma! Hope it encourages you as well:)   

                            

A Happy Heart

"It's my way or an angry fit will be thrown!" I'm pretty sure this was my son's motto for the day. He may not have voiced those exact words, but his actions and attitude were stating it very clearly. Time after time I went through these steps: Correct, Discipline, Remind him to change his attitude/behavior.

After what seemed like the 5000th time of repeating these steps, it dawned on me! I was leaving out the most crucial and exciting part of the "formula".

Was correction necessary? Yes! Was Discipline necessary? Yes! Did he need to be reminded to change his attitude/behavior? Yes! But the part I forgot to share with my boy is the fact that none of the change can come from him just trying harder!!

I went in to my upset son and talked with him and prayed with him that Jesus would change his angry heart to a happy heart. It was there, kneeling beside a toddler bed, that I finally took the time to explain to him that he can't do it on his own. Jesus died on the cross to take away all of his sins, sins like an angry heart.

We can't just have a "try harder" attitude toward our sin! It will never be enough. But what is enough... Christ's sacrifice on our behalf!!! I'm not going to say that it wasn't a very hard day for my son (and me). But I am so very grateful that the Lord was faithful to remind me of my need for Him. And that I was given an opportunity to share that with my son as well.

Laugh About It

My kids have wanted to get pet fish for quite some time now. I knew that fish were super easy to care for and I also knew my kids would love it. But I just didn't feel like adding on another responsibility (even a little one).

But on Saturday I decided to surprise my kids and let them each pick out their own fish. They were so excited and to be honest, I was too. We went to Petco and they made their selections. My son chose a black and orange fish and my daughter chose a small pink one. We bought some colorful rocks and of course food.

I have very little fish raising experience. I have owned a few in my lifetime, but was not ever very knowledgable. I did know that fish will die at some point. So I decided to tell my kids that sometimes fish die and we don't always know why. I told them that if anything happened to these ones, we would just get more.

The kids were thrilled! They named them "Cupcake" & "Basketball". I felt like the best mom. My kids were pet owners and the fish were still alive after 24 hours!

The excitement was short lived though. We woke up to two dead fish on Tuesday morning. So much for my best mom award I was hoping to receive:) I figured my kids might have a hard time and be sad. I was wrong. When I told my daughter that the fish had died and we have to get new ones, her response was "Ok!" No tears, no sadness, just "Ok!" My son, when I told him, said "Ok, can I get a blue one?"

I just had to laugh! I felt like I had let my kids down and there response showed me otherwise.

So, here we go again! Second round of fish was purchased today. Hopefully we can keep these ones alive a little longer. Lesson learned: sometimes you just gotta laugh! Life can be so overwhelming and serious. It's nice to take the time to laugh and enjoy the moment! Even if that moment is spent buying and re-buying fish.

Meet "Football" & "Lemonade" :)

New Venture, Same Vision

 About a year ago I was talking with my mom about the different options that a stay at home mom has to help make a little extra money for her family. She said that if she would have had any of those options when she was home with my sister and I, she would have jumped at the opportunity!

It is so wonderful to live in a time where there are many things that a wife and mother can do to help make money to help serve her family.

I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with my kids and also have the chance to do something to help bring in a little extra income.

With that being said, I am excited about a new venture that I have begun. I am now an It Works! distributor. We sell skinny wraps and many other natural health and beauty products.

Not only is this company going to help me bring in some extra money, it will give me the opportunity to get my family started on some amazing products!

Don't worry! My blog is not going to turn into an infomercial :) But my business is built by word of mouth. So if you are interested in learning about what I am selling, would like to book a party, or know anyone who may benefit from some great natural products. Please spread the word and send them my way!! You can visit my website at rachelkeller.myitworks.com , find more information on my Facebook page Wrap It with Rachel or send me an email at wrapitwithrachel@gmail.com

Though I have embarked on an exciting new adventure, my vision for my family has not changed! My main focus will still be on my husband and the little people who's feet fill the boots pictured above. My desire to love and care for them the best I can has not changed! By God's grace I now have an exciting new way to serve my family and advance the Gospel in even more arenas of my life.

Spread the Love, and don't forget the googly eyes!

Some of the greatest moments I have with my kids are when we do an unplanned craft project. We don't run to the store for fancy supplies. We go to my super unorganized grocery sack filled with pieces of felt, some sparky paper, pipe cleaners, glue sticks, scissors and of course.. Googly eyes!


At Christmas time it was a red plastic cup reindeer with a red nose, pipe cleaner antlers and the googly eyes.

This time, in honor of Valentine's Day, we made felt heart cards. Yep, with googly eyes again. What can I say, my kids LOVE them!

I wish I could say I had these special moments with my kids really often. Sadly, I allow the craziness of life and tasks around the house to dictate the amount of time I take to build memories. And that's just what it is.. Building memories with my babies that will last longer than the clean dishes/laundry or mopped floors.

So my advise to you (and mostly to myself) is to enjoy the time with your children. Yes, the house needs to be cleaned and the laundry needs to be done. But don't neglect the small moments of time you do have to build special lifelong memories with your little ones.

Take time today to love on your kiddos, spend some time with them and build lasting memories!

From our crazy, googly eye loving home to yours... Happy Valentine's Day <3

Dare to NOT Compare!

There I was, sitting in my daughter's preschool classroom. Enjoying watching her carefully color her picture. Then is happened.. Her teacher noticed she was not holding her crayon correctly. The teacher helped her fix her finger placement,  then again, and again and again. I glanced over to the girl sitting next to my daughter and the thoughts flooded in, "She wasn't having to get her finger placement corrected!" "She can almost write whole words with very little help!" "What am I doing wrong?"  Should this have been a big deal to me?  No way! This is my sweet daughter's first year at school. She is still learning all the basics and is doing super well.

It hit me on the drive home what was going on in my head and heart in that preschool room. Sinful comparisons. I had gone from taking joy in watching my daughter work to comparing her with others.

Sinfully comparing myself (or in this case, my daughter) to others is not where I would have liked to go in this scenario. But alas, I am a sinner. And yet again, God used this as a chance to reveal my dependence on Him.

I will never be the "perfect" mother. But that's OK because that is not who God has called me to be. He knew when He gave me this great task that I wouldn't be perfect, that I would fall short. But He chose me as the one to mother my daughter. What an honor!

Sinful comparisons not only cause me to lose focus on what I am called to do. It also robs me of joy. How quickly my attitude changed while watching my daughter that day. I was truly having a great time  seeing which colors she picked and watching as she stuck her tongue out while she colored (an adorable thing she does when she is really focused). Then I let the sin of comparing enter in and, with that, the joy was gone and my focus was on myself.

I am so thankful for God's loving care for me on that drive home. He graciously showed me my sin. And the freedom and joy that followed was amazing. Will I ever sinfully compare again? Sadly, I know the answer is yes. But my hope and prayer is that the moments of sinful comparison will be shorter and less often as I grow in God's grace.

Back to Basics

Gospel, gospel, gospel....I think it's important at this point to tell you why I focus so much of my attention on this one little word. You may say, "Isn't the gospel message just for those who do not believe in Jesus yet. My answer to this is Yes and No. 

Yes, unbelievers need to hear the gospel message! They need to know they are separated from God because of their sin. Jesus died to take away their sin. And it's through his perfect sacrifice that they are seen righteous by God and able to go to Heaven. 

I also say no because the gospel message is not just for unbelievers! Even though I believe in Jesus, does that mean I never sin? Does it mean that I never doubt God's love for me? Does it mean that I am suddenly a perfect version of myself with no need for change? Of course not! 

The glorious thing about the gospel message is that it has the power to draw the worst of sinners out of their sin and into a relationship with Christ. But the goodness of the gospel doesn't stop there. It also has the power to breath life and joy into the weary mommy who lost her temper with her children, yet again. 

So that is why I get so excited when talking about the gospel. I have been saved from my sin. I am seen righteous before God because I am viewed through Jesus' finished work on the cross. It is not up to me to save myself. That was done by Jesus! 

                          

                           "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your 

                            own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may

                            boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

That doesn't mean I hit auto-pilot and do nothing. It means that what I do now is not out of a desire to earn salvation or a good standing with God. It is done out of an overflowing of my grateful heart. 

So the next time we mess up and don't respond lovingly to our children. Or we snap at our spouse. Or we lie, steal, worry.. you name it. Look to Christ and remember the grace he gives us everyday in every way. Take your mind Back to Basics and remember the gospel message once more.

                             "And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." 

                               John 1:16

                          

The Name Game

What's with the name?! Well, I am a mom of a 5 year old and a 4 year old (and a wife of a 30 year old:)  Anyone who has or had children these ages knows that free time is limited. 

My hopes for this blog are twofold. First, I hope to give little glances of gospel reminders that may help encourage other mother's in this great task of raising kids. My second hope is that the truth of the gospel will shine through the posts that I put on here.

 I know from time to time I will also post about things other than parenting. Posts may be about sewing, cooking, cleaning or an assortment of other things. But my desire is to remind us all about the importance of the gospel in our daily lives. I titled this blog "Gospel Glance" because that's what I hope it to be. A little look at some really big truths. :)