Summer Bible Study Series {Changing Our Lives}

Summer Bible Study Series 

{Changing Our Lives}

For the sake of putting this on the blog, I'll divide the third Bible study lesson into Part I and Part II.  This study could have taken us two weeks, but we were on a strict timeline to finish in the month of June so we didn't fully cover the second part. 

{Part I}

Changing Our Lives

This is the application of Christian living, the new self , the Christian's walk, living as children of light, and striving to be Christ-like.

Believe in the power in the Word and God’s saving grace and mercy to change our lives.  We can make a man-made list of dos and don’ts but one changes their heart by studying God’s word. 2 Timothy 3:16

New creation, our lives should be a reflection of that change in all we do, there should be a difference

Renews us and Transforms us Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Christian Conduct
Read the following passages below and discuss or write down what things grabbed your attention.
Romans 12: 9-21
Ephesians 4:17-32
Colossians 3:1-17, 4:2-6
1 Thessalonians 5:12-23
Galatians 5:16-26

Think about the verses above. Each gives us a better way of living.

Specific ways in which we see this change.
Look up the following Bible verses.

Our thoughts Philippians 4:8-9, Colossians 3:2

How we handle tests Philippians 4:13

How we handle temptation 1 Corinthians 10:13 (10-12), Ephesians 4:27

How we handle stress and anxiety 1 Peter 5:6-7, Philippians 4:6

Our interaction in our relationships Ephesians 5, 6, Colossians 3:18-25, 1 Peter 3:7-9

How we control our reactions 2 Timothy 1:7, James 1:19-21, 1 Peter 5:8

Self-control is one of the biggest things in changing our lives and being a new creation.

Dealing with difficult situations that we all go through

What are difficult things we go through in our lives?

Disappointment, Adversity, Conflict, Struggles, Loss, Stress

{Part II}

Changing Our Lives

What benefit or blessing would we gain from this change?

We gain--

Community/Support system 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Identity Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 4:5,7

Comfort 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Peace John 14:27, John 16:33

Hope Romans 5:3-5, Ephesians 3:20, Hebrews 6:19, Romans 15:4

Rest Matthew 11:28-30

Patience, Endurance 1 Corinthians 13:4, Romans 12:12

Direction, Guidance Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 6:33, Psalm 37:4

Confidence Romans 8:31-37, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 11:1

Security Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 46:1-3

Self-Control, Power 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Gratitude 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Prayer Philippians 4:6-7

Encouragement 2 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 12:1

In the study I mentioned that a lot of these verses are from New Testament books of the Bible that were letters sent to churches. After the people became Christians it was the encouragement (and correction) they needed to live out the Christian life. Those letters address some of the very same things we struggle with today, and those words can apply to us and help us in our Christian walk.

Below are the links to the other studies

Lesson 1

Bible Study Basics

Lesson 2

Obeying God's Word

Lesson 4

Sharing the Gospel

InstaApril 2015

InstaApril 2015

I made a goal to do a monthly blog post with most of my Instagram photos.  I used to do that weekly, but I've become a slacker.  This month has been filled with spring flowers, tee-ball and baseball (when it's not raining), Easter, spending time with family and friends, celebrating our cousin's birthday, riding bikes, and a little of this and that. By the way, it's been raining cats and dogs. I can't remember the last time we had a week without rain. 

Fall is my favorite season but spring hasn't disappointed me.  I forget how pretty the flowers are this time of year. Thank goodness the Lord has given us the change of seasons.  It's refreshing.

This peony is one of my favorite flowers.  I hope it will survive the move to the new house.  I plan to take it with me. 

You can see why irises provided inspiration for one of van Gogh's famous paintings.  This is the view from my kitchen window.  The birdbath and flowers are between two crepe myrtle trees.  Looking at this helps make the chore of washing dishes not as bad.

I'm not sure what type of iris this is.  I think it might be a Siberian Iris or Japanese Iris, maybe?  Regardless of what it is, it's also one of the favorite flowers in my yard this time of year.

You know we love the Texas Rangers.  I'm pretty sure I took this of the boys on Opening Day 2015.

The boys thought indoor camping might not be so bad after all.  They were testing out the camping equipment at Cabela's.  

Over the Easter weekend the boys had a friend spend the night and we went to the movies.  Home was cute.  We got there early and for the first 15 minutes we had the entire theater to ourselves.  The guys thought that was so cool!

I took this at Will's Easter egg hunt on the playground at school.  He was obviously too busy to stop and look at me for a photo. I understand, hunting eggs is serious business. ;)

The teachers in Will's class had a great idea.  We labeled eggs with the names of each student so everyone had the same amount of eggs, and it made the hunt last longer.

Ben's class hunted eggs on the football field.  

 Ben wasn't the most aggressive egg hunter, which made me laugh.  If it were a race for anything of value, then we'd be in trouble, ha!

The Easter bunny found our house. 

Our cousin had a birthday party at a fun gym.  The boys got to go on a zip line, jump on trampolines and play in a giant treehouse and fort.  Oh yeah, and there was cake and ice cream, too! That's always Will and Ben's favorite part of the party. 

Will and Ben are old enough to take our photo now.  Will took this one just before we ate at Twisted Root--our favorite burger place. 

Ben and Will are all about Minecraft now.  By the way, I totally don't understand it, but I didn't understand their obsession with Angry Birds Star Wars either.  That's neither here nor there.  The point of this photo, is that Ben drew some images of Minecraft and he was very proud.  He likes to draw all sorts of things like this and Ninja Turtles.

I shared this photo on Instagram and I had a "mom moment" processing my thoughts and feelings about the boys growing up.  Will looked so big in this photo.  I know Will and Ben are still little, but they aren't little anymore like babies and toddlers.  They have thoughts and opinions, which they share more and more with us.  With that in mind, I realized that I share fewer photos of them now.  I'm trying to find the balance of respecting their privacy as they get older, while still sharing photos of the them with friends and family because I'm so proud that they are mine.  I don't know if there will ever be balance, but I'm definitely mindful of it now that they are getting older. 

 Back to things that aren't so serious...

Will at bat!

Ben hitting the ball off the tee! 

We've been taking advantage of the sunny days that are few and far between this spring by riding bikes.  Will almost had it down last summer just before he knocked out his front tooth.  Once that happened we took a break from riding bikes.  This spring he picked up right where he left off and he can ride now!  I'm pretty sure I was older than he was when I finally learned.  Ben's not really sure about us taking off the training wheels yet so we'll probably leave them on for a little longer. 

If you were to have a "day in the life" experience with our family by spending the day with us and doing all of our favorite things then our friend Ashley did that very thing this weekend.  We took her shopping at the outlet mall, and then we ate at Rudy's BBQ.  The day wouldn't be complete without a trip to Target and a stop by Whole Foods.  I'd say she really got an authentic experience.

Ben requested a Mohawk at bath time and it was so cute I had to include it on the blog. 

The New Old Farmhouse Update

The update is that there's no update, and that's okay!   We started the new year ready to move forward with our new home, but with most plans in life there's always something out of your control.  That something right now is the rain.  It's been one of the rainiest springs in the last few years, and there's no way to get the bulldozers and equipment needed to start the house to the land.  It's all good and we're counting our blessings.  We have a place to live, we're saving more money to build, and summer will probably be the best time to start the house anyway. 

We might be on hold with the house, but I can still find things that will go inside it.  This weekend I was lucky enough to find some great treasures at an estate sale.  I plan for this bluebonnet print to hang in the guest bedroom above the bed.  The vintage school books will look perfect on the built-in shelves in our new living room.  You know I collect milk glass so I couldn't pass on the vase, and the cats were just cute so they came home with me, too. I don't have a photo of the mid-century flip seat step stool I purchased.  It reminded me of something in my great-grandma's farmhouse, and I knew it would be perfect in my laundry room at the farmhouse.  The boys think the step stool is pretty cool!

I'll leave you with a Bible verse for encouragement.  It's one that helps me when I'm stressed and worried. 

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on him for he cares for you.

Happiness is...

Happiness is Fall!

Like about a million other women in the U.S. my favorite season is fall.  I so love many things about this time of year.  Just look at my Pinterest board "Fall is my Favorite" and you will see images of falling leaves, cozy sweaters, bonfires, pumpkins, old trucks, plaid blankets, stacks of firewood, colorful foliage, and lots of other fall-ish things.  Did you guys read the funny article on buzzfeed about basic white girls and fall?  If you didn't, then you should.  It made me laugh hard!  My teacher BFF Kacie and I were guilty.  I just can't help it.  It's my favorite time of year! 

These photos just reinforce my love of this time of year.  

 This bag of coffee at Target got my attention because of the fall packaging.  I didn't buy it, but I was tempted. It says "COZY" and looks like a cable knit sweater, how did I walk away from it?  

I have an addiction to Bath & Body Works candles.  Especially when they go on sale 2 for $22 and I have a $10 coupon.  My husband doesn't even bother to ask anymore what I'm going to buy.  He knows it's candles.  What do you think about this name?  Perfect for fall!

Sweet baby clothes are my favorite.  My boys are getting too big, but my friend has little guys who still look adorable in matching fall shirts.  These are from my friend's Facebook shop Little Missy Boutique.

What's a post about fall without the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks?

The PSL in all its Autumn glory!

If you are fellow lover of fall, then I hope you are enjoying this time of year as much as I am!

Warby Parker Waterway Collection

You guys might not be familiar with Warby Parker, which is why I'm happy to introduce you.  I first learned about Warby Parker glasses through social media, and then my friends started buying their glasses.  Warby Parker offers affordable eyeglasses and sunglasses, and they are socially conscious with their Do Good program.  Their glasses are stylish and hip, but don't associate them with only being geek chic.  They have numerous styles in different colors, and I'm confident you could find something that suits you.   I visited the Warby Parker store in Dallas last week and picked out my first pair of glasses.  I fell in love with the Sims (in Violet Magnolia color, in case you were wondering).  The only problem I had was limiting myself to one pair, and that's a good problem to have, right?

 I have my eyes on the Piper sunglasses from the Waterway Collection that's being released today.  This collection will give you even more options from their already excellent selection.

Here's the official word from Warby Parker:

We took five favorites for a quick dip, and 

they’re more refreshing than ever. 
A few favorite silhouettes—Welty, Bensen, Piper, 

Griffin, and Percey—get a kick in the pants 

(temples?) with shoreline shades like Sand 

Castle and Marine Pebble.

Introducing the Waterway Collection—

inspired by warm coastal travels and 

landlocked staycations by the pool. Because 

summer is for relaxing.

The Waterway Collection is available August 5 

online at www.warbyparker.com/waterway 

and in stores and showrooms.

Well said, Warby Parker.

The Waterway Collection made clever changes--think standard Warby Parker style with a summer vibe.

My favorite pair of sunglasses--Piper.

Piper sunglasses in Sand Castle

When Warby Parker sent over the images for me to share with you, this one immediately stood out as a favorite.
The Griffin sunglasses are as fun as this photo.

Griffin sunglasses in Whiskey Tortoise

Bensen in Blue Slate Fade
I'm a big fan of the fade at the bottom.  The change of color is a nice touch.

Percy in Crystal--how very modern chic.

Percy sunglasses

If the blue waters of the Caribbean and traditional tortoise had a baby, it would be the good-looking Welty glasses in Marine Pebble. 

No compensation was received for this review.

My First Mod Podge Project

I tried my first Mod Podge project!

After a few tweaks, it was perfect.

I had 3 old canvases that used to hang in Ben's nursery.  They haven't been up for a while, and I decided to repurpose them and cover them with a few large prints.  The canvases are 12x12.  I ordered 12x16 prints from Sam's Club and used my paper trimmer to make them square.  

I applied the Mod Podge using a foam brush and then attached the photo.  I decided not to put a layer of mod podge on the photos once they were attached.  The photos already had a matte finish.  I've seen tutorials where people did, so it would probably look good.

The only issue was that the photos weren't a true 12 inches in width.  They did not extend all the way to the edge so there was a slight gap.  You could see a small part of the original design in a few places.  It wasn't that noticeable, but I could see it and it bugged me.

I took the advice of my instagram friends who saw the photo above.  I used paint to cover the small sections where the design showed. It blended in perfectly around the edges.

Below you can't tell there was ever anything behind the photos.

It was a quick, simple, affordable project and I'm happy with the end result.  I have three of my favorite photos hanging in our play room. 

Meet Minted

If you are a blogger reading this blog, then Minted is not new to you.  You've probably purchased or received holiday cards from there.  To some people, though, this might be your first introduction to Minted.  Let me introduce you.  I'm sure you'll hit it off.

Like I mentioned above, their cards are amazing, but what I wanted to make sure you check out is their collection of wall art.  If you're like me, it's a little intimidating when trying to select something to hang in your home.  You want it to be special and reflect your personality, but sometimes finding something original is a challenge.  I spent some time looking through all of the wall art prints, and I realized that there are a lot to choose from.  My friends all have very different decorating styles (traditional, rustic, quirky/eclectic, modern), but since there are so many prints it would be easy to find something well-suited for each of their homes. 

If you want to know about the quality of the prints, here's the word from Minted...

Brighten your walls with wall art prints created by our global community of independent artists. All of our art prints are printed in limited edition and are available on museum-quality cotton rag archival paper with archival ink. Minted's wall art is available in a range of colorways and styles and is available framed or unframed. Each art print comes with an artist’s card containing the artist’s statement and certificate of authenticity and is shipped in an acid-free and lignin-free sleeve to ensure your print will stand the test of time.

Sounds good, right?  I thought so. I'd be happy to have one (or maybe 10) in my home.

Before I go, I wanted to introduce you to one more new thing. 

Julep

Julep is Minted's blog.  Be forewarned that you'll be there a while taking in all the eye candy. 

Creative and cute for all of you needing a DIY and design fix!

Just take a look at the Valentine Present Topper below.  They even share the printable for free and give instructions (for someone like me!). 

For sharing this information with you, Minted has given me a shop credit to their site.

Trade Days = Treasure Hunt

We had the perfect day to go on a treasure hunt last Friday.  The local trade days was happening, and we stopped by Friday after school to search for treasures.  The weather was nice, and I was able to convince Mark and the boys to let me prowl around for about an hour.  My guys don't like to go to trade days, but they know that I do so once or twice a year they humor me and go.

 

The first booth I walked into had this milk glass cake stand (pie server) for $10.  You know I have an obsession with milk glass (just a few posts where I've expressed my love for milk glass: here, here, here, here, and here).  Thanks to my dear aunt I have a pretty enviable collection.

 

view of the cake stand from the top 

 

 

I saw this crock just as we were about to leave.  They were covering the tables at the booth getting ready to close for the evening, and I spotted it on the ground under one of the tables.  It was only $2! 

 

 

I really wanted a funnel cake but didn't have time to get one.  Maybe next time...