Hello, Monday.

   I don't know about you, but the beginning of our week has brought rain and puzzles, power naps and laundry, cups of coffee and only getting out of my pajamas for a quick Costco run.  Not too shabby, in my book of Mondays.  And speaking of books....one that you need to go ahead and rocket-launch right to the top of your MUST-READ list is this one, by Francis Chan and his wife Lisa.


   Life has been crazy lately with home projects and car shopping and investing time and effort into our real-life relationships, and a good, solid read was JUST what I needed to re-focus and ground me again.  After our pastor mentioned that he had recently read through it with his wife and highly recommended it, we bought it for a little Valentine's date activity and of course, I just now got around to reading it.

   Oh and by the way, this post is in no way, shape, or form a sponsored post, I am just gushing about it because I truly, honestly loved it SO much and wish everyone I know could have their own copy.  It's slightly laughable to me that I even have to make the whole "this isn't sponsored" disclaimer, but in a day and age when I feel like even my most favorite, genuine, authentic blogs are becoming walking billboards for products and promotions, I just wanted to make my intentions clear from the start.

   Anyway, one night, pregnancy insomnia (and WAY too much peach iced tea) had me up for almost the entire night, and I tore right through it.  And my brain is still spinning and swimming and trying to wrap itself around all of the ideas and inspirations and goals found between its pages.

  I cannot speak highly enough about this book.  It would fall into the category of "marriage books" but is like no other marriage book I've ever read or heard of.  Here's an excerpt from the back:

"Marriage is great, but it's not forever.  It's until death do us part.  Then come eternal rewards or regrets, depending on how we spent our lives.

While we cannot allow lesser things to destroy our marriages, we also cannot allow marriage to distract us from greater things.  

A jealous God asks us to pursue Him first and most.  Jesus was right, we have it all backwards.  The way to have a great marriage is by not focusing on marriage. "  --Francis Chan

   And if it sounds radical, than I guess that's because it kind of is.  It has taken the perspective of focusing on ourselves and our marriages and our families and our happiness and turned it all on its head, and blown my entire ideas WIDE OPEN of what my focus in life should really be.

  I think we all want to "improve" our marriages.  We all want really great ones. I mean, who doesn't? I think the highest two compliments I've ever been paid were:

1. "My wife asked me one time who is a couple a really admire and I immediately thought of you and Randy.  I just want a marriage like that."
2. "Every man deserves to have someone look at him the way you look at Randy."

  But after reading this book and thinking more and more about what it means to have a great marriage, I've realized that my goal should not be to have a marriage relationship that makes people say, "Wow, I wish I had a marriage like that" but rather, my goal should be to have a marriage that causes people to say, "Wow, I wish I served a God like theirs."

   This book won't lay out the best 7 ways to speak your spouse's love language, or how to get them to figure out yours.  This book is all about loving Jesus together, and serving on a mission together so whole-heartedly, it can do nothing else but bring you closer and closer and give you a better marriage than ever before.  Not because you have figured out the keys to love and respect, or know your spouse better than any other human on earth, but because you are both SO single-mindedly focused on your life's mission together.

   I LOVE how it addresses the topic of idolatry, and how that can apply even to something as honorable as loving our children and prioritizing family.  Because the truth is....we want to "raise children who love Jesus far more than they love us.  We want them to trust Him more than us, to enjoy Him more than us, to find more security in Him than in us."

   They make their goals of parenting not about becoming best friends with their children, or having a family unit that is tightly-knit and inseparable, but rather, their primary goal is to teach their children about the glory of God.  They make sure that their children know from an early age that their Daddy and Mommy don't control it all----God does.  All authority belongs to Him.

   And so they need to learn respect, not because Daddy and Mommy say so, but because He alone is truth.  "He alone has immortality.  He alone dwells in unapproachable light.  And because of His sovereignty, authority, power and holiness, we live our lives for His glory and not our own.  

   Our kids must be taught and shown that the world does not revolve around them-----it revolves around Jesus.  We live for Him."

  Man I seriously feel like I could just quote this whole book and that would get rather lengthy.....so instead of going to the trouble, how about you just hop on over to Amazon and check it out?  And then come back here and leave me a comment telling me about how wide-open your world was blown, just like mine.

How is your Monday going, rainy or otherwise?  And any other good reads lately?  I'd love to hear!

   I'm really runnin' out of steam on this Blogtember thing, but that's to be expected, as it is drawing to its close.  I am so glad I did it, but I will be glad to see it end, too.

   The prompt for yesterday was to review a book, place, or product.  I think I'll do one of my favorite reads lately for this one.  If you haven't read the book, Organized Simplicity by Tsh, you need to.  And yes that's her first name and it's not a typo.  My hubs bought me this lovely little number for my birthday after noticing that each and EVERY time we went to a bookstore, I would bring it back to the table to leaf through.  Seriously, every single time.  It is just so good!  It's pretty obvious from the title what it's all about too....tips and advice on living a simpler, more organized life.  


   I am on a simplicity kick lately.  As I go throughout my home and am constantly thinking, "What can I get rid of?  Do we need this?  Do I even like this?  Why does this deserve a place in our home?"  I want to get to the point someday where everything in my home, down to the soap dish and the welcome mat, will fit into at least ONE of these two categories.

A. Is it useful?
B. Is it beautiful?

   It's o.k. if it only truthfully answers yes to one of those, but if it answers no to both of those, than IT NEEDS TO GO.  I certainly have NOT "arrived" (anyone who has been to my home can attest to this), but that is my ultimate goal.  Designer Nate Berkus says "The things we surround ourselves with, tell the story of who we are. The best homes, are put together over time with items that have meaning to us." 


  I could not say a louder amen to that.  Don't go to a store and buy everything you need for your home in one fell swoop.  Let it take time.  The best homes EVOLVE.  And that way, instead of everything being fresh off a shelf at Target, (and just like everyone else's) the pieces, art, textiles and character of your home begin to have meaning for you.  They encapsulate memories and remind you of special events and your many blessings every time you look at or touch them. 

  "Before buying something, ask yourself, is this serving me in my home?  Is this telling the story of who I am?  Does this represent what matters to me?"  -Nate Berkus

   Also as far as a product review goes, I am just loving Pinterest lately.  It is just the perfect place to find inspiration, and then put your own spin on it and re-create it with your own pieces.  It is so much more inspirational to me than walking the aisles of a store to find something for my home.  I honestly cannot walk into a store (or flip through a catalog) and figure out everything I need!  I just gather pieces from here and there, over a long period of time, and then watch them all come together almost on their own.  That is the only way I know how to decorate. 

I was inspired by this image on Pinterest....


     I found the mirror, storage bench, old crate, purple boots, woven basket, books and topiary ALL at Goodwill, or garage sales over the past year or so.   So don't fall into the trap that you have to have a lot of money or you need to walk into a Pottery Barn or Anthropology and sell your soul to have the décor you want!  It just takes some time and patience to collect, rather than acquire.

   Picture a home in your mind that is one of the most cozy, comfortable, refreshing and inspiring places you know of.  Did everything in that house come from a JC Penny's?  Or did things come from here and there, different times, different places, whether they were special vacations or childhood mementos or yard sale finds....each piece reflecting a unique aspect of its owner's personality.  That is what I aspire to reach in the décor of my home.  I'm not there yet, but I hope to one day be.
   I will leave you with one of the best tidbits I garnished from Organized Simplicity.   We always consider the price tag when purchasing an item for our home, but some of the things we give little or no thought to, is the other sacrifices we will have to make for it.  Sure, it only costs $20.  But you're not only spending money here.  It is going to take up square footage in your home, and what is extra square footage worth to you?  It is going to take more money to repair and maintain throughout the years.  It will take precious time and energy to clean, move, rearrange and decorate.  You will spend time, gas, and energy transporting it every time you move.  Once you calculate up ALL of the cost ask yourself....is it worth it?  More time on stuff = less time for your family, others, and yourself.  That's a pretty hefty cost. 

Blessings as you go throughout your day! If you get a chance to, check out Organized Simplicity. 

(And no, this was not a sponsored post.  I'm not that famous. Tsh Oxenreider doesn't know I exist.  She just wrote a really good book and I am blabbing about it, that is all.)