Living Stones

We had a awesome service on Sunday at church…. Pastor Steve talked about being a living stone in God’s plan. Today I was quite aware of how God has placed people in my life even my co-workers! I had been meaning to send a picture of Morgan’s rolls to a friend at work and I finally had my phone with me when I thought of it, so through that she shared it with another lady and we had a conversation about the heat and how it affects baby’s which totally explains how Morgan has been this past weekend. It is crazy for me to grasp that God is that big to orchestrate something so small to be so effective and at just the right times! Not only that but through the Monvee process of being challenged to spend time alone with God for Matt and what he is learning by doing that and what I selected out of a few books Monvee suggested to me, the timing on what I am reading fits perfectly into what Matt is learning. I am starting to completely forget the phrase ‘by chance’ this happen, it is totally how God has things planned out and worked in to our lives.

It is amazing to consider who God has placed in your life to have an impact on you. Take a few minutes to think about how God has put people into your life for a reason, it could be great things or it could be things that were not so great at the time but you look back on it and you can learn from the lesson you were taught, and see why it happen and why they were in your path.  We are a living stone in Gods large plan, how do you fit into it and how can you use your God given talents to serve in the capacity God wants you to? Another thing that is sticking in my mind from the last few sermons is if I serve others like God wants me to and others are serving like God wants them to, we don’t have to have this selfish mind set, because I will be serving you, so someone will be serving me and meeting my needs. As Pastor Steve said Sunday – STOP BEING CRABBY PEOPLE give grace to those around us and see how it affects our community. What does it do to your heart to be kind to others, to slow down and have a kind conversation? Try it at Wal-Mart with the checkout clerk EVEN THOUGH they are remodeling and things are not in the places they use to be. How do you feel when someone smiles at you or goes out of there way to be kind to you, even though you don't deserve it?

 Here is the picture of Morgan's leg...

What happen to July?

Next Friday is the end of the month! ahhh! here is what we have been up to in July....i had lost my camera the week after we got back ...Matt found it in the chair i sat in by the fire at the lake......here are some pictures finally!

AMAZING check mix we took to staff retreat

 We slept in our tent, we haven't done this in quite a while

 beautiful view of the lake

God's paintings are breathtaking - we sat out here for a while and watched the dragonflies eat the bugs

 Saturday we went to the Minor's and hung out with Morgan's friend Harvey

 And we went for Morgan's first boat ride...not to often does the camera fog up because it is so humid out

 I have seen the windows fog up from the inside...but from the outside???

 Gross picture i know... but this is huge for me...its my planner....i have way to many calendars (5) and i am sick of keeping them all up so i thought about this for a while and i am going to toss out 1 and set up appointments in my phone and utilize that instead of paper. I scheduled my first appointment in my phone today! yaya! big step.

mixed bag

a little rant.... Last week we were in Minnesota and the government had shut down…Matt was hoping to get a chance to fish while we were at the lake. He looked into if they were selling licenses and they were not, it also stated that DNR would be enforcing the law and if we were fishing you could get penalized…while today on Minnesota public radio they were talking about how the DNR is not around…….. So on the government site that Matt was looking at and that the government took time to write up this document in case there was a government shutdown citizens would know what was going on. – or in other words the government can make junk up and citizens believe it, why do we put so much trust in our government that is made up of so much greed and earmarks and not in God? The legislators that have shut down the government are getting paid…but the rest of the people with government jobs are not…..UGH! I try not to pay attention to the news to much because it just annoys me and I have other things I can keep busy with. like reading the bible more and trying to understand God’s hand book on life, instead of following the odd decisions of our government. I know we should all take a personal responsibility to it since we elect people into the government, yadyyadayyada...... Anyways enough of my rant! I feel better now :)

I have no pictures to share this time because I can’t find my camera …I am really hoping it is in the pile of laundry I have yet to do from the weekend. Morgan is enjoying being back at daycare so much that she didn’t nap today…which isn’t uncommon but it makes for one tired little girl.

We really enjoyed our time up at the Norby’s cabin. We have such an amazing staff and a great team that God has assembled! We had perfect weather for being on the lake, we had a little rain 1 night for a bit (we slept in a tent), but it was the perfect rain and I enjoyed the smell of it. We went put-put golfing one night and out to get ice cream the majority of the time we spent in the water. Aaron and Lauren brought up there wonderful hammock so I spent some quite time enjoying the beautiful view, the perfect temperature and more quite time!

Since ‘little bug’ has been sleeping for a little while it is time to get some reading in and then hopefully get some rest!

getting into the swing of things again

We spent the last week in Northern Minnesota at a Staff Retreat for the church..i will hopefully post more on that later. After a week of relaxing and Morgan staying with Grandma and Grandpa ..i don't want to do anything. During the week and into the weekends i get into such a routine that i will put off things that will take me out of my routine because i know how hard it is for me to get back into the routine..i thought taking a nap this morning would help my motivation...nope didn't work, maybe brushing my teeth putting my contacts in and brushing my hair could help kick me in the but again...NOPE....spark (a vitamin drink) and some lunch..nope that didn't work either!! the only productive thing i have done is unpack Morgan's stuff....but the list of other things piles up in my head and i am already stressing my self out for this week because i am putting off so much that it will have to get done through out the week.

Maybe the reason I am lazy is because its super hot and humid and we have just been at lake with PERFECT weather, and i want to go back!! Since nothing seems to work i figured i would blog about it and maybe i could type out some reasoning to start moving. I need to get back to running for the 5K in September...but i think that might wait for another day as well.

Before we left Matt's sister was down for a few days - Nova was sad because her flip flop broke!

 We took the dogs out to the Nature Park to get some energy out of them and enjoy the beautiful afternoon

 Aussie found a gofer hole and they wouldn't stop digging! as you can tell my Mable's face she had stuck her face in the hole a few times...Aussie's beagle side definitely came out once he was on the trail of the gofer!

Now that Morgan is down for a nap and I have wrote out how i feel about getting back into the swing of things i think its time to get some stuff done! It is great to see that if i just express how i feel, i feel better and can move on to the next thing or get over my laziness! :)

little messes and little spoons

Morgan decided it was time to make her first mess -  I had an open bottle sitting next to her i turned around to grab something and next thing I here is a bang! sigh!  and the bottle was on the floor and she was looking around like what just happen...of course it was to cute not to take a picture of....and yes cleaning up milk on CARPET in the kitchen is just wrong...good thing Aussie likes to clean up anything that is dropped!

 She thought it was funny ..... we are in big trouble...she seems to love the things she should not play with already!

 Since it rained a lot in the last few weeks and every night it wasn't raining we had something going on or we were just relaxing the yard got a little out of hand.. Matt's mom and Step-Dad Mike we so kind to bring over there Zero-turning radius lawn mower for Matt to 'mow' he was one happy man, it only took 30 mins vs hour and half!! We also enjoyed a wonderful dinner with them and then headed to see his brother in Almost, Maine for the Prairie Repertory Theater and they enjoyed an evening hanging out with Morgan...

 She is starting to get this rice thing down!

  She is also getting the moving thing down...she needs a bigger pad to lay on! She can't wait to catch the pups!

Just Trust Him

A few weeks ago on the way home i was listing to life 96.5 and someone was talking about trusting God with 6 days and taking the sabbath to fully rest, and challenged listeners to ask God to do more with 6 days then with 7, (of course I only caught a small portion of the talk.) He referenced tithing and how when you give your tithe God will do more with it. This really hit home for me because I really struggled with tithing when we started attending our church, until we took Financial Peace University with Dave Ramsey, he challenges you to tithe so Matt and I took the challenge even though we didn't think we had the money to at the time, and boy were we wrong, God blessed us tremendously! With the past proving to me that when I give what is asked God will provide more with less...just like he fed 5000 people with a few fish and loafs of bread. This past Saturday I was beyond lazy, dragging my feet, couldn't get off the couch and I couldn't figure out why i was so uncharacteristically lazy until last night when I got home I had so much motivation I accomplished about what I can accomplish in a Saturday at home.  God really put me in my place this week proving to me that he can do more with 6 days then I can do with 7 and its only day 5 since my beyond lazy day! I challenge you to ponder this your self and see what happens!

Here are some pictures to catch up on what has been happening around the Douglas house hold!

We had our friends Josh and Cammie over on Friday night for pizza and a fire Morgan didn't think it was as fun as the rest of us......

 It was getting to be a late night for Ellie and the dogs, Lulu Bell and Aussie.

 Morgan helped cook supper tonight, she likes to reach for all things on the side of her instead of in front of her she helped me measure out the pasta...shes going to be a great cook!

 We made tomato and broccoli pasta a recipe i got from our E-mealz list, this is super handy it prevents us from having the same thing over and over and when we can't decide what we want to eat we just resort to the list! Plus it helps prevent a overfilled pantry with nothing that really goes together! We had the portion control meal plan which use to be the weight watchers plan - we haven't had a bad recipe yet!!

 Morgan wasn't to impressed when we tried rice cereal again..she didn't get as angry as fast as the last time....i know she is only 4 months old but she has been eating 8 oz ever 2-3 hours so she needs something a little more then formula! We are putting a small amount in a bottle for now until we can get her to take more with a spoon!!

 here is our yummy dinner! I can not believe this came out of my mouth but I told Matt tonight that the steamed broccoli was very flavorful! (yes mom I said the broccoli was good!!) We did a 24 day Advocare challenge to get a kick start on our diet and it changed our eating habits so much that we enjoy healthy things...odd i know!  Matt lost 16ish lbs and i lost 4ish and a few inches!!

 Then it was time for bath...and to wash up all the rolls and places that catch milk!

Little Offerings

	I have decided to call the blog Little Offerings  because life is about the little things, the small offerings we have to give to others, areas what we are strong in and where others are weak, each person brings a little offering each day to life, to their family, job, the people they say hi and smile to at the store. I hope to have little offerings with my blog that can help others in their lives. I got inspiration from a friends blog who writes about her life and often times I feel like she is writing about my life, her offering of sharing her stories help me realize I am not alone in this world and I need other peoples little offerings and life stories.  Below is a blog that was emailed to me by a different friend and where I pulled the term 'Little Offerings' came from. "Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great."     Motherhood as a Mission Field
	Jun 16, 2011 11:00 am  |  by Rachel Jankovic
	There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real. This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home. Home: The Headwaters of Mission If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church. There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions. At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field. Faith Makes the Small Offering Great If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel. Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great. Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now? Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it?  I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel. But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them. It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive. God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers. Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).  I promise not all post will be this long. I don't think I can write that much!