my happy mug

as i poured another cup of hot, raspberry tea leaf tea (come out now, baby!) i thought about my 'happy mug'. my ever-present, in-all-of-my-jewelry-listings mug. my beautiful cup, with a chip from being knocked onto a dining room chair by chubby, little hands. now with a crack that runs up the inside of it, rendering it useless for liquids. i remember the heartbreaking look on my son's face when he realized what had happened. i remember the letdown i felt, when i saw the little crack and chip. the first thought being to toss it out, it was after all useless now. and then i wondered if maybe a re-purposing would be better. not a total loss, but a change. this lump of clay was created to hold hot chocolate on cold nights, steaming tea for the sickies and on occasion water when the dishes hadn't been done the night before. what good would come from it now? could it have been created to do more then the expected? did the potter look at his molded, painted, glazed, finished product and see the potential? beyond a simple cup?

i like to think that like my 'happy mug', with the ever changing world, my life has more purposes. more then i can know, but what the Potter knew. potential. beyond what is seen. beyond my simple humanity. beyond me.

one year ago

i opened my shop! in honor of that, i will have FREE shipping on everything today at my shop! no matter the size of your order! hurry by and check out my spring line. 

meet me at the beach

sometimes i'm a bitter butt

it's true, i'm bitter. but i still hope. we all do. we were created by a hopeful God, with a hopeful love. so why wouldn't we hope? i find this irritating sometimes, my hope springing up when all i want to do is throw a pity party. when i'm good and cynical. throwing out choice morsels of words that make me feel like my party is just getting started. i start to sink into the feelings, wrapping them around me like a comfy blanket. and then hope, like a bucket of cold water, totally messes with that comfort. sometimes i hate hope. my humanity glares at it, like my four year old glares at me after a time out. how dare it mess with my OBVIOUSLY, justified cynicism. but then when hope has poked at me enough to make me open my eyes and tell it to go away, i see the God behind the hope. the God who loved a people who had wrapped themselves in their pity, and shut their eyes. He loved us enough, to send His Hope to us.

 i'm bitter. i'm bitter at the church for turning it's backs to a people so lost in their bitterness and pity, that they cannot see Hope. a church ignoring the people who have chosen to believe in Hope, to follow Hope, and then are crushed by the people in their own church. not the church building that we're always so proud of. not the church music that we act is a direct link to God's jiving-bones. not the traditions that are beautiful in their own way. i'm upset with the people who make up the church. when did we become so busy, so self-important that not do we only make time for God on sundays, but each other? i'm not sure what version of bible you read, it's pretty irrelevant in this one point. they all shout this out pretty clearly

...LOVE GOD AND LOVE EACH OTHER. 

we weren't meant to take on parenting, marriage, jobs, sickness, money issues, loss and LIFE without each other. i have watched countless friends walk away, get too busy, find flaws that can't be forgiven, and spread words of hurt like a cancer. i'm not unique in this. it's probably happened to you. it happens too often. when this happens enough, the bitterness sinks in, the Hope is hidden from our eyes. i have been blessed with the daddy's family. more godly people you'd have a tough time finding. they have walked beside me in my hurt, my losses, my joy and my hope. it's so natural to them. i can't understand how this is not more natural, to a people who have chosen to seek Hope. does your heart not hurt? aren't you lonely? do you feel like you are screwing your kids up? yes. the answer is yes. you don't have to tell me about it. i'd love to hear, i'd love to help.(or just sit with you and cry. i'm a great crier, plus i bring wine.) but even if you chose to keep these truths to yourself, consider that they are truths for every one else.

this sunday is easter. the day our hope was embodied. Hope that broke free of death and took on our bitterness. have someone over for lunch and share a little hope. 

don't be a bitter butt.

call it morning sickness...

but that picture in my previous blog post, is really stomach turning. esh.

HELLO! i know it's been forever since i popped on here for any amount of time. that damn facebook! :) well, i've taken a break from fb, trying to reconnect with my friends and family in PERSON! or *gasp* over the phone! i know, p-h-o-n-e. i had almost forgotten you could TALK on one of those!

 sooooo, i'll be on here more often i hope. though truthfully, i 'm not sure who comes by anymore. maybe this will be a place of healing and venting more the anything. a very dear, sister of mine has inspired me with her thoughts. her openness to God. her love and hope. her desire to dive into the words of a Father who cares for us. so, for now that will be my goal. to seek and share what i am given.



join me?

my kids eat peas!

it's true you know, they do. in the summer when it's baking hot, my kids LOVE frozen peas. but in the spring/winter/fall months my kids are not into frozen peas so much. so i've been trying different things to sneak them into their favorite foods, without totally dehydrating them and losing all the nutrients. today i found a way! below is how i did it, it's super simple but gets the job done for most kids. it's colorful and makes a great popping sound. :)

1. a box of macaroni and cheese, cooked up as usual
2. frozen peas (i suggest organic for peace of mind)
3. a couple hot dogs (turkey dogs or tofu...whatever)

make the mac n' cheese, but before adding the noodles to the sauce, toss in FROZEN peas and mix up. then add the noodles and cut up hot dogs. let cool slightly and serve. the peas will still be a little chill, and make a fantastic "popping" sound when eaten.

my kids are on their second bowl as i type. :)

earth day...

happy to enjoy the natural light...and this can wait until tomorrow...this will *probably* wait until the weekend...and we might even skip tonight's bath...but earth, here is where we miss each other!