The Overflow! Where souls are filled and faith is spilled

Tuesday's Tips: Fourteen Days of Love

1.31.2012

Welcome to Tuesday's Tips, a weekly IDEA SWAP for moms. I hope that when you drop by The Overflow on Tuesdays, you'll find a gold-mine of encouragement and creative ideas excavated straight from the sticky trenches of parenthood.

Of course a SWAP wouldn’t be a true exchange without many voices. So, please consider chiming in the discussion and sharing your own great ideas. If you’ve discovered a tried and true trip that has made motherhood a little easier, a little more exciting, or a bit more meaningful, please let me know. Just leave a comment after this post or send me an email (rbruxvoort@iowatelecom.net) so I can share your idea in the next swap! I'd love to feature you on an upcoming Tuesday. Let the digging begin!

Fourteen Days of Love

A few years ago, my dear friend Sherri shared one of her family's February traditions with me. Because one day just can't contain all the fun ways to celebrate love, Sherri uses the weeks preceding Valentine's Day to "set the mood" and "share the love." From February first to the fourteenth, she showers her kids with fourteen days of love. The idea is simple- each day she leaves one small reminder of her love, tiny tangible treats that say "I love you."

This will be our third year of celebrating fourteen days of love and we haven't tired of this sweet tradition yet. Who couldn't use a few extra smiles in the middle of winter?

I've got a stash of special things hidden in the storage room, and tomorrow I will begin to excavate them one by one. Below is a list of my love gifts this year and the silly messages that I'll attach. For more ideas, check out my past posts on this topic or browse Sherri's blog for creative inspiration. Feel free to copy these ideas or create your own.

No need to be extravagant. Keep it cheap and simple. (A dollar store is a great place to round up inexpensive trinkets). When it comes to the fourteen days of love, it's the idea that counts!

Here's my list...

1. Candy hearts- You've captured my heart.

2. Stickers (and a stick of gum for my older kids)- I'm stuck on you.

3. A bottle of soda- I can't bottle my love for you. Or.. "Soda-ya know how much I love you?"

4. Bath crayons/ nail polish/ highlighters/markers- You color my world. I love you.

5. Chapstick/lip gloss; a Hershey's Kiss- Pucker up! I've got a kiss for you.

6. Gummy Worms- I'm glad you've wormed your way into my heart. Or gummy bears- I love you beary much

7. Fuzzy socks- Nothing will "defeet" my love for you. Let's keep walking together!

8. Hot Chocolate packets - Your love warms my heart.

9. A package with a graham cracker, Hershey's chocolate bar and marshmallows- I couldn't love you S'more.

10. Box of Nerds candy- I'd be a nerd not to love you. (This one is catered to my teens :) )

11. A few coins- You're priceless!

12. Growing bath capsules-My love for you just keeps growing day after day.

13. Small flash light or glow sticks- You light up my world!

14. Bouncy ball- Your love makes me jump for joy!

Let the Loving Begin!

Clip art from: http://www.valentine-clipart.com/valentine_clipart_images/red_heart_with_a_swirl_0071-0904-2000-1164.html

One Ballerina

1.29.2012

She was one ballerina

in a jumble of tutus.

But my gaze was fixed on her.

Of all the slender hands waving in worship, hers were the ones I followed. Of all the pink-toed feet pirouetting in praise, hers made me smile. There were others as lovely and graceful, many as radiant and poised, but she was mine. And I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

The music stopped. Twirling toes grew still. A wave of quiet curtseys fluttered across the stage. And then our eyes met. Her baby blues held mine and she clasped her hands together as if in a silent prayer of thanks. I wiggled my fingers and waved, flashed her a thumbs-up and returned her glowing grin. The words weren’t necessary. She knew.

You are my favorite. You are my girl.

I felt tears welling hot as my heart spilled in prayer.

You see it, don’t you, Lord? The way she lifts her head to Heaven in a knowing gaze. She knows it Father. She knows that you sing over her. Her radiance is the shimmer of the beloved. She dances because she is loved, Lord. She twirls because she is treasured.

She’s your favorite, Lord, isn’t she?

They streamed down the steps, a wave of blue ballerinas floating on a tidal wave of applause and my heart beat noisy with the weight of truth: That’s how you see me, too, isn’t it, Lord? I am just one woman in a jumble of lives on this spinning globe and you can’t take your eyes off of me.

Hannah glided past, her countenance alight with joy. And I prayed for all of us, the Lord’s daughters dancing on the promise of eternity. May we live as His favorites, each and every one.

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in... the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
-Ephesians 3:18-19

Family Faith and Fun Fridays: Shining for Jesus

1.27.2012

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

-Hebrews 4:12

Welcome to Family Faith and Fun Fridays! As the week winds down and I anticipate more family time over the weekend, I often ask God for one good idea that will enable me to bring the Word to life and bring our family together. Usually, the activity overflows out of something the Lord has been teaching me through His Word during the week. I’d like to invite you to join me and my family in the adventure. Sometimes I’ll post things we’ve tried; other times I’ll post an idea in the works. If you have thoughts to add, suggestions on how to adapt or improve the activity, or your own story to share, please don’t hesitate to comment. I'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!

Shining for Jesus

In this season of Epiphany, I've been pondering Christ's declaration in John 9:5

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And I've been marveling at Christ's invitation to shine brightly for Him. In this wild story of grace, we don't only get to walk in the light, we also get to be the light ourselves.

It's crazy when you think about it. How can we, imperfect people darkened by sin and foolishness, bring His light to this spinning globe? Only by basking ourselves in the Light of the World. First, we must spend time with Jesus; then, we can illuminate our little corner of the world with a reflection of His glory.

In order to illustrate this concept to my children in a simple way, I purchased a package of glow in the dark stars. I placed half of the stars beneath a desk lamp for ten minutes and set the other half of the stars in a dark closet with no light. Then, I brought out both batches of stars and showed them to my children in a well lit room. I asked if them if the stars looked the same. The kids agreed that besides having differing sizes, the stars looked the same.

Next, we turned out the lights. The stars that had been under the lamplight glowed brightly. The ones that had spent time in the dark closet were difficult to see. The kids quickly pointed out the difference.

"Do you know why these stars are glowing more brightly?" I asked as I pointed to the batch illuminating our dark kitchen. "These stars have been soaking in the light." I then told the kids about the batch beneath the lamp and the batch in the dark.

I concluded with this question, "What can these stars teach us about spending time with Jesus, who proclaims He is the Light of the World?"

The kids summed up our simple activity with ease, "We can't shine for Jesus if we don't spend time soaking up His light."

And my teenager added wisely, "The difference in people might not be as visible in the light, but when times get dark, it's really obvious who has been hanging out with Jesus and who hasn't!'

Ah, yes, our lights really do shine brighter in darkness.

We wrapped up our simple lesson with a star-hanging session in every child's bedroom, a glowing reminder of our standing invitation to shine for Him.

How are you shining?

The Overflow: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." -Matthew 5:14

How Falling in Love Improves Your Hearing

1.26.2012

When Luke was little, he padded down the hall early one morning and found me curled up on the corner of our outdated plaid couch where I often began my day. Wrapped in six A.M. stillness, I had seized the fleeting silence and was talking with the Lord. I hadn’t heard his little feet padding down the hall. The feel of my son’s warm body cuddling next to mine interrupted our conversation, and I opened my eyes to greet him with a hug.

“Mommy?” he whispered. “Are you talking to God?”

“Yes, honey,” I replied as I kissed his tousled hair, “I am.” With a sleepy grin he snuggled closer, content to ease into the day on the edge of the couch with me. With one arm enveloping his skinny frame and another resting on my open Bible, I closed my eyes once more and continued my prayers

Soon, a curious voice interrupted, “Mom?”

“Yes, Lukas?”

“Does God talk back?”

My heart responded affirmatively long before my mouth formed the words. After a short pause, I steadily responded. “Yes, buddy, God talks back.”

Lukas’s bright blue eyes grew wide with awe and reverently he stammered, “But how do you KNOW it’s him?”

“Remember when we were at that playground filled with lots of people and Daddy went to the parking lot to get the car?”

“Uh huh?”

“Could you see Daddy from where you sat on the swings?”

“No.”

“Well, how did you know it was Dad when he called your name and said it was

time to go?” My son’s big blue eyes looked at me for a moment, and then he giggled.

“Mo-om” he said with more than a touch of exasperation, “He’s my daddy. I just KNOW him!”

I returned his giggle with a smile of my own and quietly replied, “You know

what, buddy? That’s how it is with God too!”

I used to feel that hearing from God was an elusive endeavor accomplished only by giants of faith and people who spent entire days in solitude and prayer. But I'm learning that my ability to listen isn't dependent on time spent in silence but on time spent with my Savior. I don't need to pull out of life to listen, I simply need to spend my life falling in love with the One who loves me most. Then, naturally, as I fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus, my ears will grow more and more in tune to His voice.

Not long ago I browsed a journal filled with letters I had written to my husband during our engagement. I smiled as I revisited the expectations I had held for our life together, and I chuckled at my attempts to put into words what Rob had meant to me after three years of courtship.

My definition of who Rob was then seems rather shallow in contrast to who I know him to be now. Having been high school sweethearts, our relationship was grounded in common activities: cheering one another on at sporting events, hanging out on weekends, and studying side by side. As a twenty-year-old bride, I had defined my groom primarily as my “best friend.”

While my husband still holds that title, my definition of who Rob is has certainly expanded. Eighteen years of marriage, ten relocations, and five children later, Rob has proven himself to be far more than my best friend. He has become my lover, my encourager, my prayer partner, my stability and my delight. Today, one small journal would never hold the pages of words I have gained to describe my husband. Nor would it be adequate space in which to describe my Lord.

Through years of sharing my life with him, I have gotten to know greater depths of God’s character. While the Bible reminds me that I may not always understand the thoughts of a sovereign God (Isaiah 55:8), Jesus promises to be the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:5). According to Bible teacher Beth Moore, “We can’t always know the mind of God, but we can always know the heart of God” (Breaking Free). Just as I continue to learn more and more about the man I married as we share years together, I continue to learn more and more about my Savior as I spend my life with Him. And as I discover His heart on the pages of His Word, I am more apt to recognize His voice on the pages of my life.

The Overflow: “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given--and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given." Mark 4:24

When You Wonder if That Voice is His...

1.24.2012

Last night Lizzy asked me if I had ever "heard God's voice in my ears." I smiled at the distinction made by this child who was once the proud owner of special ears. I confessed that I'd never heard God's voice audibly and admitted that I was afraid I'd fall flat if God's voice ever did thunder in my ears rather than trickle into my heart.

While I have never heard God's voice in my ears, I treasure His whispers to my soul. I used to believe I needed to master some complex formula for hearing from God, but I am discovering that growing familiar with God’s voice is not unlike the voice recognition we develop with the people we love here on earth. The key is in our relationship with the speaker in question. In the end, the real question in hearing from God is not-"How do you know it's Him?" but "How well do you know Him?

One winter’s day a friend and I met for lunch at McDonald’s. Our plan had been to sit and chat while my children entertained themselves on the indoor play structure. Unfortunately every mother in town must have had the same idea on that particular day. By the time we had finished our lunch, a noisy crowd of preschoolers moving through the plastic tunnels and slides had swallowed up my two youngsters. In the midst of refreshing “grown-up talk,” I heard a high-pitched cry.

“Mommy! Mommy!” My ears instantly tuned to the small voice. My eyes scanned the area from where the sound had come, but it was impossible to see anything through the opaque tubes.

“That’s Lizzy,” I told my friend.

“How do you know?” she asked skeptically. “There’s gotta be two dozen kids up there.”

“But that’s her,” I said resolutely as I flipped off my shoes and awkwardly began to maneuver my way through the stuffy kid-sized tunnels. Sure enough, as I followed the desperate voice, I found my normally brave two-year-old daughter hovering at the top of the play structure. After some soft words of assurance, Lizzy spiraled down the twisty slide with her breathless mom following closely behind.

While I would not have recognized the cries of my best friend’s child, I could quickly pick out my daughter’s voice above the crowd. Why? Because our lives are so intertwined. I held her as she squealed her first sounds of life, strained to make sense of her happy baby babble, and rejoiced at the first words that rolled off of her toddler tongue. Her voice has become a regular part of my days. Similarly, my sureness in recognizing the Lord’s voice has evolved because of the intertwining of my life with his. Just as my “mommy ears” have grown sensitive to the cries of my children, so have my spiritual ears become attuned to the voice of my Savior.

It seems too obvious to state, but the more I know Christ, the more I recognize his voice above all others. Christ explained this simple principle in the tenth chapter of John. “I am the good shepherd,” he said, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me… My sheep listen to my voice…and they follow me (v 14, 27).” As my relationship with the Lord has grown, I have realized that the real question of recognizing God’s voice is not “How do you KNOW it’s him?” but rather, “How WELL do you know him?”

The Overflow: Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud,“This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”-Mark 9:7

Tuesday's Tips: Design Your Own Puzzles

Design Your Own Puzzles

Recently, we have been both the creators and the recipients of these marvelously unique "letters."

Inspired by my friend Sherri's great idea, we decided to send some "puzzling letters" to a few of our favorite college students.

We bought some cheap puzzles and painted over them with acrylic paint. (Be sure to choose a light color since you are creating a blank canvas for the drawing and writing).

When the paint dried, the kids drew their own pictures on the puzzle and wrote their own messages to their chosen friends. Josh just wanted to dictate a lengthy tell-all letter on his pieces, while Hannah mixed both pictures and writing.

Once we had finished our correspondence, we pulled apart the pieces, placed them in an envelope, and dropped them in the mail. Before we passed our puzzles off to the postman, however, we added a note explaining the mystery pieces to our chosen recipients.

"Take these little pieces
And fit them together one by one,
Then you will find a message
When your puzzle's finally done."

Right after we had dropped these puzzles in the mail, the kids got to be on the receiving end of this fun idea. Over the weekend, they opened a package filled with four homemade puzzles, an unexpected gift from some of their favorite far-away friends.

The kids had fun putting their own "letters" together and savoring the specially-designed reminders of their friendships. In fact, those puzzles inspired my whole clan to create another round of puzzling correspondence.

Perhaps you could offer a piece of encouragement this week through the simple gift of a homemade puzzle.

New Mercies Each Morning

1.22.2012

When the first snowflakes of the year danced across the gray December sky and settled with a whisper on brittle brown, she stood wonderstruck at the window.

She clasped her pudgy pink hands together in an unplanned prayer of praise and laughed out loud at the sheer gift of it all.

I laughed, too, giddy with the unexpected invasion of joy that had settled upon our ordinary day in the shape of waltzing crystals, iridescent icicles, and powdered-sugar tree branches. I was the one who had been dreading this transformation since October’s days had grown short. I was the one who had been silently mourning the relinquishing of autumn’s gold for winter’s white. But her delight was contagious. And her eyes opened mine.

I bundled her in puffy pink, and we tiptoed across the yard made new. Her steps sunk and crunched, adding soft percussion to the melody of wind and sky.

She touched and tasted. Scooped and patted. Licked chilled white fluff with curious tongue. She giggled as snowflakes melted in her mouth; then clapped her mittened hands together in a rhythmic thump of appreciation.

And I laughed with my littlest one for the second time that day, grateful for her unbridled joy, humbled by the unplanned picture of grace in my front yard.

Surely this is the joy of our salvation--to wake each day to a fresh canvas of hope and scoop with gratitude new mercies falling wordlessly from Heaven’s skies.

The Overflow: The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning. -Lamentations 3:22-23

Tuesday's Tips: Fourteen Days of Love

1.31.2012