Simplicity

It seems like the last month or so, God has really been speaking to me about simplicity.  Why wouldn't the Christian life reflect simplicity?  Why do we(I) have to have the best, the newest, the latest, and the most expensive?  Why do Christians (I) feel the need to own the biggest, loveliest house on the block complete with granite countertops, a master bathroom "spa", and shiny hardwood floors?  Why do Christians (I) feel the need to have a new outfit every week from the trendiest store at the mall? Why do Christians (I) need to be entertained by the most expensive vacations, fanciest restaurants, and whatever else I find to spend my money on in order to meet this goal?  I know that our flesh falls into the same temptations of the culture, and before long we start looking like the culture around us.  But what about simplicity?  And not because "things" and "stuff" are ultimately bad and evil, but because we should  look different, and we should be using our abundant resources for a greater, eternal good. 
God has been sending me great literature the past month that focuses on this principle/discipline.  If you haven't read Radical by David Platt, you should pick up a copy.  Here's a link to a great article about the early church's views on simplicity, caring for the poor, and not turning simplicity into legalism.  And last, I was given a book by Richard Foster, The Freedom of Simplicity, by my good friend at the beginning of summer that I am going to start reading this weekend.  I'll let you know about it when I get finished. 
I don't exactly know how simplicity is going to look in my life, but I know the Lord will show me!  I will end with a great quote by Clement (this is taken from the article I linked):

"The handmaids of Christ should love simplicity.  Simplicity is the forerunner of holiness.  It smoothes out the inequalities of property.  A holy ornament should surround your wrists, the joy of giving and the diligence of the housewife.  On your feet should glitter untiring zeal in well-doing, and walking in the ways of righteousness.  Your necklaces and chains are modesty and simplicity.  Such jewelry comes from God's workshop."

Sucré

I love sweets.  You may have already discovered that, if you've read my blog for any length of time, especially see this one.  Of course, I not only love sweets when I'm pregnant...I love them ALL of the time!  That's why I'm having to question why I never stopped in Sucré.  It's an incredible "sweets" shop on Magazine St. in New Orleans.  They have gelato, chocolates, and a lot of yummy deserts.  It's the coolest place you've ever been to, too.  If you EVER come to New Orleans to visit me, I promise that we will go to this place(unless you're a diabetic, and then I wouldn't torture you like that!). 



        Here's me about to dig in!


      This desert was called the "Tiffany".  Grandma, I ate this in honor of you.  Dark chocolate and raspberries.


It was SO good!  But not cheap.

Random Facts for Friday

1. Arnold and I get to go on a date tonight! We are going to a restaurant called "Impastatos". This restaurant is run by an older Italian man from Sicily, Joe Impastato. They have a commercial on tv "Fuhget about it!"

2. I have been addicted to mochas, frappes, frappuccinos, iced mochas, and anything with espresso in it lately. I think this stems from the fact that I have had virtually no caffeine in the last 3 1/2 years. I didn't drink any while I was pregnant, either time(accept for maybe a sip of a Coke Arnold had once or twice), and I haven't had any while breastfeeding either time.......accept for this time. Ever since Raegan hit about 8 months, I've given up. I need caffeine to function these days....at least a few times a week. :)


3. I really do love New Orleans weather. Give me hot and humid any day over cold and freezing. But I have to say that the rainy New Orleans summers can be a bummer sometimes.


4. I am learning....and now time for a bit of honesty....to be content even when I read other people's blogs or facebook statuses. Sometimes I feel a twinge of jealousy and start getting discontent. You know the feeling..."wow their kids are really smart, godly, etc.," "wow look at all the nice stuff that person has, their house is gorgeous," "wow, that person gets to do that?" Does this happen to you too? Why is it so hard to be content when we look at other people? The grass always seems greener on the other side, I guess.


5. Peyton has started saying anytime she smells anything, whether it is a pleasant scent when you walk into a store or a dirty diaper in the trash, "Mommy, it smells like skunk". She said this the other week when we walked into Michael's Crafts. As we were driving through the country to get to Monroe, I smelled a skunk and said, "Yuck, I smell a skunk". Now everything smells like a skunk to her

11 Months...Yesterday

Yesterday Raegan turned 11 months old.  I find it hard to believe that she is that old, and that's it almost been a year since we were blessed with a little 6lb. 3oz. bundle of joy.  Raegan has really blossomed these last few weeks.  She's started cruising a lot.  Peyton was walking by this age, and I really thought Raegan would walk even earlier because she wanted to keep up, but she's taking her time.  She's in no rush to walk because she can crawl at warp speed and get carried around the rest of the time. 
Raegan has started having cute little "conversations" with us. "Blah blah wah wah nah nah nah" and then a perplexed look that says, "What do you think about what I just said Mommy?" 
These days you cannot put any outfit on Raegan that may even be a little loose.  She is Houdini and will work her way out of the outfit in record time.  You will look over at her sitting half-naked if you blink. 
Peyton has really been cracking Raegan up lately.  It is hilarious to listen to her cackle at something that is totally not funny(at least to us big humans)--and usually annoying, simply because it generally involves some high pitched loud noise from her older sister. 
Raegan still does not have a tooth or even a hint of one.  But she loves waking up during the middle of the night to remind us that the teeth are trying really hard. 
As I've said before, she is the sweetest little thing in the whole world.  Thank you Lord for our little Raegan.

Bills, Bills, Bills

Sometimes it seems like you just get swamped all at once, you know?  Last week we got a call from our credit card company.  Apparently someone had stolen our numbers from our card and tried to buy almost $300 worth of pest control products off of the internet.  Who steals someone's credit card and tries to buy roach bait?  If I'm going to steal a credit card, I'm going shopping for some designer clothes, shoes, and going to the spa.  Or if you're a guy, at least go to Best Buy! 
Monday we get a past due statement from the electric company.  Apparently the check I sent off in June never made it(thanks USPS...and we want the government to handle healthcare?), so now we not only owe two months worth of bills, but also a nice late fee.  I'm disputing this one. 
Monday after I came home from work, I opened the credit card bill (a different one....don't worry, we're not credit card freaks....we don't have 18 of them, and we hardly ever use them) and discovered that I had not paid the bill from the previous time.  Now, in my defense, there was no record that I ever even received the bill.  In the credit card company's defense, I may have possibly, accidentally thrown away the bill when I came back from vacation and had a huge stack of mail.  Not sure, but it could have happened.  I'm very meticulous in my record keeping, so it had to be an accident of some sort.  Oh well, what do you do? 
Pay the man and keep going.

Washcloths

If you come to my house and ever need to take a shower, you will have a hard time. Peyton takes every one of my washcloths from downstairs everyday and puts her baby dolls and stuffed animals asleep on the floor. The washcloths are blankets for the babies. For her birthday, she's getting a pack of washcloths. What kid wouldn't want a pack for her birthday?

Cheerwine Doughnuts

Our AWESOME friends Michael and Joy saw my post about Cheerwine, a cherry flavored soft drink only found in the Carolinas, and sent me a link to an article about Krispy Kreme's Cheerwine doughnuts. Apparently, Cheerwine and Krispy  Kreme have teamed up and created a Cheerwine filled doughnut that is only available during the month of July in the Carolinas.  Then our awesome friends sent up some.  They are so delicious.  If you live in the Carolinas, I highly recommend you picking up a dozen.

If you're not a fan of Cheerwine, you may not want to bother. These doughnuts taste like the real stuff!