treasures of the darkness BY NATHALIE

Hi new friends!  I'm so happy to be here today, sharing a little of my story.  First, let me just preface this by saying I met Jessi at the Influence Conference in October, sat in her session, and wept like a wee babe.  And I'm just so thankful for the ministry the Lord has blessed her with, and that the Lord did not allow me to be numb to what the He wanted to show me that day.

My name is Nathalie and I blog over at Afterbelly.com.  I write a lot about my spiritual journey, especially related to motherhood.  I also have the honor of featuring the stories of moms across the country (I hope one day across the globe!) from all walks of life. {I'd LOVE to have you if you'd love to share!}

So now that you know I have mommy blog, you might be thinking that I offer some kind of parenting expertise, advice, or tips.  Well I hate to disappoint you, but I'll be honest. I write much more about my failures and the tension I feel as a parent.  But I'm finding that being vulnerable in my failures and in the midst of struggle helps me walk out my faith, lean into grace, and gather the treasures that rise from the ashes.

My story goes a little (a lot) like this: I dreamed of having children my whole life.  All I wanted to do was be a wife, mom, raise a family, care for our home, and lead us into domestic bliss! Then I had kids....  And I was like, "who are these little terrorists destroying our comfortable life, making me tired, and turning me into this person I don't even recognize anymore who rarely showers and calls yoga pants and a tank top her go-to outfit?!" {insert nervous laughter, a sassy smirk, and an under breath, "no, seriously"}

The truth is, I SO (BIG BIG SO) adore my children. My family is more precious to me than anything on this earth. I wouldn't be the woman I am becoming without them in my life. They are the grace stones that sharpen this wayward heart.  Never a dull moment (pun intended).

I don't know what I thought parenting would be like. I knew it wouldn't be easy. But I had NO INKLING it would be this hard, NO IDEA how selfish I really am, and NO CLUE how blind I was to my hardened heart. 

Sometimes you need the Lord to invade your life with cute little terrorists in order for you to see your UNENDING and DESPERATE NEED FOR A SAVIOR. 

And not in my wildest childhood/single girl/newly married fantasies, could I ever have dreamed or fathomed it would be THIS INCREDIBLE!

Sometimes you need the Lord to completely turn your life upside down in order for you to see that pure joy is birthed from realizing your UNENDING and DESPERATE NEED FOR A SAVIOR. 

What is God using in your life to invade your heart and help you realize your need for Him?

I recently started reading a book by Anne Graham Lotz (The Magnificent Obession) about the life of Abraham.  I used to read Abraham's story of leaving his home and family and think its truths applied only to people who felt God calling them to overseas ministry.  But Anne digs down to the deeper implications. Now I'm seeing its applications reach out even to this SAHM who's pilgrimage lies in the trek from the kitchen to the bathroom...about 1 million times a day. And though I get up every morning and mostly repeat what I did the day before, motherhood STILL OFTEN feels like a foreign country.

"The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." Genesis 12:1

When I read this passage, I realize this was God's charge to me from the moment I saw that first positive pregnancy test. On the day my sweet son was born, If I'd listened, I would have heard the Lord whispering as I kissed his sweet soft pudgy cheeks, "leave everything that is familiar and trust Me. I will show you exactly where to go, how to get there, and provide everything you need."

What is your foreign land? What completely unfamiliar place is God leading you?  Is it a job? A relationship? A ministry? A dream? Motherhood?

I am not a morning person by nature.  But now that my babes are no longer babies and allow me to rest more at night, God is telling me it's time to become a morning person.  That means getting up while it's still dark. That's an oxymoron in my book.  But I've decided to trust Him, even though it seems like something only perky/non-coffee drinking/singing before the birds morning people should do. I dare say, it seems a little dangerous for my kind.

But OH! the treasures I find in those dangerous dark hours. And come to think of it, what an amazing metaphor for those dark hours in our lives.

For me, this year, I've spent many dark hours wrestling with myself, my sin, my circumstances.  Grieving over "supposed-to-bes" and "ought -to-bes".  

So, if you are anything like me at all...if you've ever struggled with the call God has placed on your life...if you've ever become weary of the hardships....if you've ever felt like you're groping your way through the dangerous dark...  Then this is for you:

"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in the secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." Isaiah 45:3

The secret place- where we gather all the hard stuff, hold it up in the Light, and see it for what it really is...

TREASURES OF THE DARKNESS

Are you feeling your way in the dark?
Listen...
He summons you by name to the secret places.  

... so that you know that He is the Lord.

Come. Get your fill, and more, of the glorious riches of the King. 
And lean into the Light. 

  

you influence BY HANNAH

Hello! 
I'm Hannah and I blog over at Simply Add Coffee. I'm wife to Harrison and Mom to our 3-month-old daughter. I’ve been reading the book "Womanly Dominion" by Mark Chanski. Even though I haven't finished it yet, it has been such a challenging and encouraging read. Chanski challenges women to "Play your position" and "Win it!", meaning that we are to find our purpose and work in the place God has placed us to the best of our ability. As women, we have areas of dominion that we are responsible for and that we have the opportunity to have influence over. I wanted to share just a couple of areas in our own homes that we have dominion over.

You influence the atmosphere of your home.

As busy women, wives and mamas we can’t always have a spotless home with a perfectly planned schedule. But we can create an atmosphere of peace and joy in our homes in the way that we clean, organize, plan events and even cook dinner. Does your house feel loud and chaotic? Or is there a sense of order in the midst of real life?

You influence what your children see as important.

If someone were to watch your everyday life, it would be very clear what’s important to you. And guess what, that’s what our kids do. What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Spend time with God? Read blogs? Clean the house? Is it more important for you to make your kids clean their rooms or to teach them about grace? They will pick up on these things.

You influence the way your children treat others.

The way you treat others is the way your kids will treat others (and probably how they will treat you as well!). If we show them how to be respectful and love others, they will see that. This is especially true of the way we treat our husbands - it is a HUGE influence on the way our kids view their Dad.

You influence the way your children see Jesus.

This might be pretty obvious, but I think it’s worth saying. You know what your prayer-life is like, and so do your children. Do they see you spending time in the word and in prayer or do they see you seeking to fulfill your own plans. Are they learning that time with Jesus is something to check off a to-do list, or witnessing a true-love and worship of a Savior? The good news is there is SO. MUCH. GRACE. in living in our households and raising children. And, thankfully, God is sovereign over our families and children. But we have SUCH an opportunity to use our dominion and influence for good! I pray that we all learn to walk in that grace and be women of dominion.

are you willing? BY MEGAN

Hey everyone! I am Megan from over at She Does Justice.

I am so excited that I get to share with all of Jessi's friends today! 
Guest posting can be tricky for me sometimes because it is hard to know what to share... but something has been weighing on my heart lately. It is something that I shared over on my blog last month and it seemed to really hit home with my readers. I want women to be encouraged by my blog. 
I want you to know that YOU can make a difference. 
That you have the exact gifts and skills that you need.
That giving back can fit into your already hectic and messy life. 

Because we are the same. I am just as hectic. Just as messy. Promise. The Lord has used me when I was in a great place and felt like I had it all together. But the Lord has also used me in the hectic and messy spaces too. And in such a beautiful way. When He uses me in the middle of my mess it is almost more special to me. Because in those spaces there can be absolutely no doubt where the glory needs to go. And I'm grateful for that. So here it is, friends. The truth that I really want need you to know. Something has been weighing on my heart lately. A lie that so many of us believe. The lie that we aren't _________ enough to make a difference. 

Fill in the blank here, friends. You probably did as you read that sentence. What lie came to mind? That you aren't significant enough? Good enough? Smart enough? Fit enough? Holy enough? Whatever it was that came to mind......I need you to know that it is a lie. YOU can make a difference. I'm going to say it again......YOU can make a difference. All you need to do is be you. Exactly as you were created to be. Then you need to say yes. 

I think this blog post has stemmed from a lot of comments to me about our adoption. How great we are as people to be doing what we are doing or what an unbelievable humanitarian thing it is. I'll let you in on a little secret..........I am in NO WAY different than you. In NO WAY better. In NO WAY more special. We, friends, are the same. The one little thing that makes me somehow stand out to certain people is that I said one tiny little word. I said yes. The Lord has given me a heart for children that need a family. And He has given you a heart for something. Maybe it is the fatherless, the homeless, the elderly, your neighbors, your family. Maybe He has laid a specific country on your heart or a specific organization. Something that makes you feel more alive. More fulfilled. A cause or a person or an organization that makes your heart beat a little bit faster when you think about the good that they are doing in the world. The Lord gave you that desire. He knit that desire in your heart. And He will use it. If you let him. Are you willing to say yes? Because here is the kicker, if you are willing to say that teeny tiny little word....that teeny tiny little word that is so ridiculously powerful if uttered.....the Lord will use you. And you will make a difference. 

Believe me, I know it's hard to believe sometimes when you haven't showered in three days, you are covered in boogers, your house is a mess, and you feel like you are hanging on by a thread. But the only thing that you need to do is say yes. Because friends, He doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. That way the glory can be His and not ours.   1 Corinthians 1:26-29: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

a better version to share BY NADINE

Oh hi! That's me in the photo. I was just casually standing while my friend Danaea tested the light for her clients. It's fun having sweet friends with incredible talent.

Anyway . . .

When Jessi mentioned that she could use a little hand round these here parts (man, sometimes I write things and think about deleting them because they sound very lame but then I keep them because I am very lame and hiding that makes me a different type of lame, right?) this month, I immediately started to think:

. . . but what can I offer?
(and I boldly sent an email saying yes of course I will because my fingers are far bolder than my heart)

In my head, I started listing off all the reasons why I'm a bad choice to be writing here.

• I'm not a pastor's wife, or a wife of anybody, for that matter.
• I'm not a mom.
• I haven't written an eBook.
• I haven't started a network
• insert all the things I haven't done

I heard something stirring in my heart and I firmly ignored it. I kept thinking and making more lists in my mind but that stirring (aka God reminding me of truth) wouldn't quiet itself.  God isn't one to be silent. He isn't one to be slowed.

He is the one who called a man with a stutter to lead thousands into freedom (Moses).
He is the one who called a man with wandering eyes a man after His own heart (David).
He is the one who called a man who once hated Him to follow Him. That same man would write truth that impacts hearts even today (Saul / Paul).

He is the one who made Jessi, a woman whose love for His Gospel makes my heart get giddy.

He is the one who made you. (I'm going to assume you're a lady, okay? K.)

You might be under-qualified for (insert scenario(s) that are over your head and yet so very much on your heart) but I promise that if you lean fully on Jesus, you will make it through.

It's really easy for me to get overwhelmed. I'm practically a master at it. I'm very good at making assumptions about what people are thinking about me and I'm beyond amazing at feeling hurt by things that others had no clue about.

But it's actually easier for me to walk to the cross and look to Jesus.
To drop my burdens.
And to let Him change my heart.

I'm a lot of things.
Fearful tops too many of my lists.
Today, like many before, I'm erasing it from my life of "what makes up Nadine".

Here's a better version to share:

• redeemed by Jesus
• saved through faith
• impacted every moment by grace
• restored to no longer walk in fear
• empowered to write about what the Lord has done

What does your list look like? Does it need to be rewritten? I probably have to rewrite mine almost daily because I'm far too skilled at listening to lies in my head. Repeating the truth of the Gospel (that Jesus died so sinners could receive life) has to happen multiple times per day for me.

I'm so grateful you took the time to read all these words. You didn't have to. I'd love if you come over and visit me on my blog, tweet with me, or look at things I find pretty enough to pin.

the internet + holiness BY EMILY

Hi everyone! 
I'm so excited to be posting at Naptime Diaries today! 
Thanks Jessi, for the opportunity to speak to your lovely readers. I'm Emily, an urban church-planter's wife and mama from Montreal and I blog over at {Our Nest In The City}. You can find me on Twitter too, if you like :) I love guest blogging when given the chance, because it allows me to step out of the comfort zone of my own blog (it's themes and style) and into that of another blog. I get the feeling after reading Naptime Diaries for almost four years that Jessi's readers love a big old dose of TRUTH. I know I often read her posts and leave feeling the good kind of conviction and love her boldness to challenge us readers. 

Today, by God's grace, I want to do the same. Something that's been stirring in my heart for the last year or so (whenever I joined Pinterest, basically) is our perpetual tendency to find scapegoats, heap all of our self blame and responsibility on them, and then feel a whole lot of justification even when nothings been dealt with in the deep down cavities of our hearts. Or maybe it's just me? Let me explain. In the Old Testament a scapegoat was something the people figuratively tossed their sins on, and then the goat took the blame for said sins, and people were restored to right relationship with God. Of course, that was just a glimpse of what was to come in Christ - how he would ultimately take our sins on himself and forever bring us into proper relationship with the Father. But today, I still see Christian women (myself included) using scapegoats instead of the Lamb, and it's done ever so casually that we hardly see it. We heap blame on things instead of looking at our own sin and recalling the truth that it's already been thrown on Christ. 

This may sound trite, but I see people using Pinterest and Blogs as a scapegoat for their sins of jealousy, ingratitude, and discontent. So often online, I see ladies (maybe half joking, I can't always tell) say they hate Pinterest because it makes them lust after things they can't have, or how they can't stand blogs because they make them feel badly about their own lives. And I just want to say, to myself and to you, that Pinterest and blogs are not the problem. Our wicked wicked hearts are the problem, and they always have been. Pinterest and blogs aren't guilty for our sins and we can't keep blaming those outlets. If they cause us to sin, it's right and good to set up boundaries to make sure we don't stumble when using those forms of social media, but I repeat, our hearts are the problem. Our hearts are deceitful and can lead us astray, but they've been leading women astray since the beginning of time! Long before social media existed.   

May I humbly suggest that if Pinterest or blogs cause you to sin, that you quickly stop using them, or set up boundaries with them immediately? But alongside that, we must recognize above all that they're not the problem, ultimately. We are to blame for our waywardness, discontent, and covetousness. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Some practical tips to surviving the Internet in holiness

1. Scroll through your blog list. If any blogs cause you to sin, ask yourself why. If it's their blogging style (do they brag about things? Do they condemn you, the reader?), then it might be a blog you should stop following. If it's simply a heart issue, consider taking a break from that blog for a season and begin reading again after you've seen some victory. 

2. If Pinterest causes you to lust or covet, stop follow boards and just pin! I've only ever used Pinterest as a search engine and personal pin board and don't follow anyone. It's a great place to collect my thoughts, ideas, and inspiration, but that's all it is for me. 

3. Make sure you're limiting your time online. No matter how Godly the blogs are, there is such a thing as too much. Plus, Christian blogs are not a substitute for Christian community, God's Word, or studying theology. I can't tell you how much time is "too much", that's for you to pray over and discern. For me, my max for writing + reading blogs is 1 hr/day, but I aim for less than that. 

4. Find life-giving people online and follow them on twitter and in the blogosphere. On top of my friends and favourite bloggers, I follow theologians and pastors because their tweets and posts always bring me back to the Gospel. I'd love to suggest some, so ask me if you're interested! 

5. Confess, Repent, Love the Gospel. If you do find yourself in sin due to blogs or Pinterest or anything else online, confess it to God, repent of your sins, and enjoy the freedom or grace that the gospel affords. 

That's all I have for today! Feel free to visit me over at {Our Nest In The City} anytime! I hope you're all enjoying wisdom and grace as you likewise, enjoy the Internet!

it's coming.

I don't think I've been so excited for a month in so long. 

January 2013 is chock full of things my heart cannot wait to dig into. 

A) Baby4 is COMING. I can barely think about it for 10 seconds without tearing up or giggling in excitement. 

B) My old man is getting older and my oldest babe is getting older too. Two men I sure do love and cannot wait to celebrate. 

C) The Influence Network is launching! We're in the final days of preparing the site, working with our amazing team, and making sure that we're building a ministry that will truly help make your online life mean something. 

D) I've gotten most of my blog written for January and I'm devoting what is left in that space to pray through and work through Be Quiet and Say Something. I'm not sure what else the Lord has for that set of words or for me in it, but there will be some revisiting for sure. 

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All that being said, I'd love to have you around as a reader and if you have a blog + small business to promote - this is a great month to jump in. We have a few sponsors already lined up, but we may take on a few extra since this is such a HUGE month. 

Hope your January is looking bright + full!

upside down kate.

Hi, I'm Kate. 

Jessi is very sweetly sharing her space with me today so that I can share with you the moment in my life when I needed God's grace more than ever. V (which is what I call her over where I blog) is a perfectly healthy and happy girl, I even have a letter from a specialist explaining so. This is the story of before that letter. I just want you to go in knowing that there was a mistake made in diagnosis. Or she was healed (which is what I believe).

   

A little over five years ago, I had a baby girl. And on the day were were to leave the hospital, my whole world came crashing down. 

I still don't exactly know what prompted them to do the ECG that led to LQTS diagnosis, I just know that one moment I was sitting there complaining about how long it was taking to discharge us, the next I was listening to our pediatrician explain that she had been transferred to the NICU with a non-curable heart condition which basically has two symptoms - fainting and death. 

I remember walking back from the NICU at one point, trying to hold back tears while hearing the parents of healthy babies coo and ahh. I hated them. I hated their perfect babies. I hated God for letting this happen to me. And I told him so. The chaplain who came to visit cried as I explained how I felt. He had lost his own baby girl days after she was born because of a heart condition. He wanted me to be grateful. Grateful for this baby who wasn't perfect but who was still here. And I wasn't. I couldn't be. I looked at her and my heart swelled with love at the very same time it shattered around the room. Every single time I looked at her, I thought "I failed in the process of making this baby. I had prayed that she be smart, not that she be healthy". I failed when I wailed, "I can not do this. I am not strong enough. I am not brave enough. I can not love her and lose her. I can not." I failed when I couldn't look at her with her imperfect heart and beam with joy that I had her now. 

I didn't trust in Him, even as I prayed for him to heal her and called others to pray as well. I didn't believe in His grace. I didn't believe she belonged to Him. I didn't believe she was created perfectly by Him - even while I repeated, Psalm 139:13 over and over in my head. I failed. And I am humbled by His love for me in that moment. Even as I pushed against him with all my rage, with every vile, venomous, hateful word I had in my heart - He loved me. He never once looked at me and said, "Her heart is damaged, I can not love her and lose her." He was strong enough and brave enough and He loved me, perfectly without failure - even as I failed. 

And He loved her too. When my healthy, spirited five year old girl screams she hates me because one thing or another didn't go her way, my prayer is to have His patience. And His unfailing love. And I will fail. But He won't.

One Simple Red Stitch.

good morning, y'all! i'm so excited to be here today.

i'm julie, and this right here is my little crew.

i'm wife to that handsome man in the middle, eric. and i'm the proud mama to the little one, Levi.

i blog over at green eggs & hammes. and i have a brand-spankin' new shop one simple red stitch, where i sell all of my creations. most everything in my shop is one of a kind. and everything is durable and adorable! precious things for you & your kiddo's. aprons for you, crayon rolls for your toddlers, onesies for the littlest ones & more!

i had the great privilege to be in Jessi's mentorship group this past fall... and is Jessi not the greatest? ever. i am thankful to be able to say that this internet thing is seriously real, and that she is as awesome as they get.
she and a few others were instrumental in giving me the kick-in-the-pants that was much needed in order to open up my shop.

i needed a lot of encouragement for many reasons. one of them being, do you ever look around the internet and find yourself thinking, "who doesn't write a blog?!" or "who doesn't have a shop?!" it used to just be etsy that was overwhelming, right? but now it's big cartel and store envy and all kinds of other avenues. and sometimes, y'all... sometimes it is hard for me to want to break into all of that talent and say "hey there! i make stuff too!"
i attended the Influence Conference in October, and i loved every second of it... but i won't lie. i found myself occasionally having to fight those confidence battles within myself. that my story is valid. that my value doesn't come from numbers or what others think of me... but rather it comes from the story that He has written just for me. that story is enough. His life in mine is just enough. and His life in all of these other women is just enough, too. embracing the differences & celebrating what God is doing in and through all of these lives.

so when i went to go and open up this little shop of mine: i did a lot of asking of the Lord. we have had quite the past few years in our little family, and i wanted to make sure i wasn't entering into a business for the wrong reasons. i wanted to make sure that He was so involved in the process. and that i was running into the story He wanted for my life.
and question after question to the Lord about One Simple Red Stitch, came the answer "yes".
yes, julie. trust me.
opening up my shop, in a way, became an act of faithful obedience. and i was excited about it, too... truly! i absolutely love what i do. i am thankful that the Lord made me an artist with my sewing machine. but i found myself being so afraid most days leading up to the launch. and i was asking for the peace to step into something scary, and outside of myself in so many ways.
after a few months of prayer and planning. of good days & bad days... we did it. i had the most incredible support from my husband {he built the site himself!} and we put our hearts and our passion and creativity out there on one little URL.

i'm thankful to say that there's peace in the messiest of days. on those days, i remind myself to take my eyes off of me, and onto Him. and when i find that i'm having those moments when i'm comparing myself to others, and thinking "who the heck do i think i am?!" ... i remember that i'm not. but that He is. i'm not the one solely responsible for the growth or decline of my shop. He is.
because He called me to it. He asked me to trust Him. and i'm so glad that He did.

thanks for allowing me to share a little bit of my shop story!
y'all, please pop in & say hi?

i want to offer all of you a coupon code to get a little something for yourself or a loved one for Christmas! 'NAPTIMEDIARIES' gets you 15% off of your entire order until Monday December 17th! all orders should arrive to your doorstep in time for Christmas!

She Does Justice

Hi, friends! I am so excited to have this opportunity to share about She Does Justice with the Naptime Diaries crew!   I am Megan.

 

I am a wife. A mother of four. A lover of Jesus. I love to plan. I love to create. I believe in the importance of community. I am an advocate for orphans and for the poor. I want every single person to know that they are loved and important. I aim to act justly. To love mercy. And to walk humbly. When we started the process of adopting our daughter from Africa, I started selling handmade items as a fundraiser. The shop was far more successful than we ever anticipated and have watched it continue to grow. We are still working to get her home with us and I want to use this platform of She Does Justice to love others in a practical way. I want to share my passions. My passion for life. And family. And Jesus. And justice. So I started She Does Justice.

She Does Justice is an advocate for those who need one. It is a space where organizations who are working for the good of others are recognized. It is a community of people who want to show love to the 'least of these'. A place where we strive to show those in need that they are known and loved. I have made it our mission to support organizations who are working to reach those in need, near and far. It doesn't matter how big or small the organization, if I believe in its mission then I want to help support it. 

Each month I will spotlight an organization or individual. At the end of the month I will write a check to that organization taken from the overall sales in the shop that month. Each month I will donate at least 10% of our gross profit to an organization to help further their mission. Our Holiday Cause is a family who is in the process of adopting their sweet baby girl from Taiwan. Check out their story on our blog! The shop is focused on items that work with your lifestyle. Most of the items are handmade and are made by me or other small business owners who have partnered with She Does Justice. 

These items are made with you in mind. I hope you love them just as much as I do! The shop operates as a boutique in how I make and stock items. The fabrics are special ordered so the scarves and headbands are offered in limited quantity. If you see something you like, don't hesitate to purchase it because once it sells out I may not be able to reorder the fabric. New collections will be introduced throughout the year, so check back often! 

So enter in. 
Join me on this journey. 

My hope is that you come alongside She Does Justice, partner with us, to make much of Him and to show love to the least of these. Thanks so much for listening to a bit of my story! I want to extend a special offer to all of you. When you place your order from the She Does Justice Shop, use the coupon code 'NAPTIMEDIARIES' and you will receive 10% off of your order! The coupon code is good through midnight on Monday, December 10th. I hope you'll check out She Does Justice soon!  

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Our #twelvedeals of Christmas are still going strong! Today, for anyone who places an order - you can choose one additional print of your choice and write in the notes of your order which one you'd like! We'll add it to your package for free!

Head over to the shop to take advantage!  

The Albums

Hello, Naptime Diaries friends!  I’m Sarah.  My husband, Andrew, and I are Oklahomans living in Beirut, Lebanon – a city we fell in love with the second we began wandering its streets and interacting with its amazing, resilient people.  We’ve been here almost two years dreaming of seeing Lebanese families discover God together.

Being so far from home, we quickly realized that the online space we wanted to use to capture our favorite moments and share them with our families didn’t seem to be out there.  We wanted something that felt personal – a place just to share with our closest friends and family.  We wanted it to be simple & we wanted it to be beautiful.  But most of all, we wanted a place that felt lasting… so that five, ten, fifteen years from now we can easily gather around it with our kids and remember the amazing moments we’ve had together.  I wanted something like that stack of photo albums on the bottom shelf of a bookcase at my parents’ house.  I loved looking through those albums as a kid… and as a teenager… and if I could get my hands on them today, I would grab a cup of coffee and give half of my afternoon flipping through them…

The day I was born, my parents smiling up at the camera, my brothers down at me in my mom’s arms.  A four year old with bangs cut by my dad, my face squished up against his, crazy smiles on both of us.  First days of school… that classic family moment where your mom insists on taking a picture when you’re already late and nervous, but then, years later, you’re so glad she insisted.

But as charming as dusty photo albums on a shelf are, they’re not really us anymore.  But what’s inside them - the laughing kids, the family trips, the baseball games -  is totally still us.

We’re thankful for all the online tools that make the thousands of miles between Beirut and Oklahoma seem so much smaller.  But we wanted a place built just for families – and so we decided to build it.  The Albums will be up and running shortly, but in the meantime, please check out our launch page and if you like it, sign up!

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ppsssssts: One More Thing - the winner of our $150 Target Gift Card is Lindsay Falls! Lindsay, we'll be emailing you ASAP! 

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cammie + her wisdom

Hello to Jessi's wonderful readers!  I'm so pleased to be here, taking a small part in the Naptime Diaries community.  Thanks for having me, Jessi.  And...  if I may - I'd like to put in a little plug... RUN DON'T WALK over to the Naptime Diaries shop to snatch up one of the collaborated prints between @NaptimeDiaries and @CoconutRobot.  They are beautifully understated.  My mom and I are ordering four between us. We're picky shoppers - and they're that good.

I'm Cammie, and I blog over at Polka Dotted Peony.  You can expect to find my thoughts on the best things in life, including life hacks, recipes you can count on, and entertaining and hostess tricks.  I'm an operations director by day, but am a people-laughter-abundance person at heart.

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, I'm stopping to reflect today on how to help your holidays have more meaning.

They really race right by, don't they?  Those special dates on the calendar over these coming weeks.  There's a 24 in there, and a 25, of course, which is the really big day.  But then there's the 31 and the 1. And we just had the 22 (which changes every year - so weird).  The dates that stand behind those numbers have real true meaning, and we often miss it, don't we?  For me, the time just moves too fast.  All of a sudden, it's Christmas, and I haven't taken a moment to do any work in my heart.  Sure, Christmas CDs are in my car's player, and there's a tree in my favorite Christmas-tree corner of my home...  gifts are in their special pre-wrapping day hiding spot, and festive get-togethers with friends sprinkle my calendar, but my heart? It's racing to get from here to there, without stopping to take a breath.

I want this year to be different.  And here's my plan.  Won't you join me?

1. Spend time alone reflecting: I know many of you are busy mommas, and the only time you get alone is spent shaving your legs.  That is ok - because a warm shower is also a nice place to reflect.  This year, I'll be spending enough time alone to give my heart a moment to breathe in the beauty of why we celebrate.  Life is beautiful, and we've been given bountiful gifts of people and food and opportunity and love and God and His Son.  For me, I need to be alone in the quiet to really get to the heart of all that. And so I'll be intentional this season with time alone reflecting.  How long has it been since you drank in the story of Christ's birth? I mean, really drank it in? Put yourself in Mary's shoes, in Joseph's shoes (a VIRGIN birth?!)? Think of the expectancy of the Jews - who awaited the coming of their majestic King.  Think of Jesus' humble beginning - born in some horses' home to a couple of kids. It's striking, isn't it? Join me in taking some time to do the work to ready your heart.

2. Instead of a to-do list, make a to-don't list: The nature of the season - its bustle of gift-giving and party going and christmas-light displaying and family gathering also makes it a season of lists.  You'll never get rid of your to-do list, but you are in charge of what you're willing to do this season - how far you'll go.  I haven't done this for this season yet, but I have done this at different times in my life, and it's really quite freeing.  Make a list for yourself of the things you just don't feel the need to do.  Maybe this year, you'll decide to bring the same hostess gift to each get-together you go to.  Stock up on your favorite wine and cocktail napkins for each hostess, and call it a day.  Maybe this year, your pumpkin-scented candles are going to stick around post New Years.  The cinnamon-scented candles can re-appear next year.  Take some time out to think about what's feasible and appropriate for you, and put aside the rest.

3. Assess your traditions: Traditions are beautiful, aren't they? They provide fond memories of family, and time together, and laughter and joy and different-ness.  Right? Maybe we have some that really don't.  Maybe there are some we could emphasize over others.  Maybe there are some we could do away with all together.  Take stock. Be generous, but be choosey.  Give yourself the freedom to keep what works and has meaning for you this season.  

4. Go easy on yourself: No one's asking for perfection but you.


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Thank you Cammie for this beautiful post!