"As you walk along the road, as you lie down..."

I was taking my 7 year old son to the chiropractor today. As we were driving we hit some stop and go traffic randomly. But then I realized why there was traffic in the first place...

A police officer was walking a shirtless man in handcuffs from a vehicle all the way across the median and six lanes. I watched the man's sweaty face... Long streams of cars stretched out on either end all around us. There was a look on his face of shame, like he knew everyone was watching him and this was utter humiliation. I thought about how he to used to be a little boy once.  My heart filled with compassion. I actually felt very embarrassed for him and my heart just went out to this guy whoever he was.

In the passenger's seat, my son was just aghast with excitement and awe. "Mom! Those are handcuffs? A real bad guy! It's my first time seeing a real bad guy? Is he going to jail? Oh my gosh!"  The scandal of it all was utterly fascinating for him.

There is a verse I try to keep close to my heart when it comes to raising children. Deuteronomy 11:18-19 talks about the commands of the Lord: "Fix these words of mine into your mind and being, and tie them as a reminder on your hands and let them be symbols on your forehead. Teach them to your children and Speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up."

 This was a good opportunity to talk about life to my son sitting next to me, as he sat totally scandalized by the idea of bad guys, jail, and handcuffs. In the New Testament, His commands are about how to love one another, just as He loves us. God commands grace and mercy.

It's so important that we teach our little ones about God's ways in the dull, everyday, mundane moments of life. While sitting in traffic, emptying the dishwasher together, waiting at the doctor's office, or (shudder) the DMV. I remember my dad doing that with my sibs and I.

"What are you learning about in your Bible camp?" I asked him.  Like Any smart mom I have my boys signed up for VBS every week all summer. "We are learning that Jesus saves" he replied.

 "And what does Jesus do when you do wrong?" I ask him.  He replied Jesus forgives. "That's right good job!" I told him. I said it doesn't matter how old you are or how many times you do wrong or what you did. Jesus will always forgive you no matter what, if you come to Him. We talked about how, even though sometimes other people may be mad at us, or giving us consequences, we can always run to Jesus and he will not judge us - only give us love.

That is not to say that I don't understand there are consequences to our actions. I am a daughter of a cop. I grew up with an understanding of what law and order is, and why it is necessary to society.  This police officer I am sure was doing right by his job and I am very grateful to have the men in blue around to protect and to serve us at a moments notice.

But on an emotional and spiritual level, I also understand shame. I have a brother with a long list of criminal offenses. I've had an interesting life perspective in that I've seen firsthand both ends of a continuum In society. Heck, I understand shame just because of the fact that I am human! And I Realize that my children will all have their own personal run ins with feeling the shame of doing wrong, because that is a part of life.

It's in those crucial moments that I hope that they will run to Jesus to lay down this burden of guilt. I hope I can raise them so they will understand that they will never be turned away, that His grace is sufficient - even when they deserve nothing. That love is there waiting. And that is my hope for this man as well.

Sweet Curry Veggies and Kale - My Power Salad

I make this salad to just keep in the fridge and take it out for an awesome dinner side. It lasts for days which is exactly the kind of salad that this busy mamma needs to have handy, right?

  I got the idea of combining these exact contents from shopping in the deli section of a near-by deli co-op. I had my baby in the cart and I was salivating at the healthy food behind the glass and I thought, "all these wondrous ready-to-eat sides would be great in my own fridge.  Like this amazing looking power salad with roasted veggies..."

 But, just not for $12 per 1/2 pound.

Not even kidding.

For veggies.

$12....


Oh the benefits of being a SAHM. I can make it all myself, and did. Seriously, make this because it tastes like a treat, and it has every texture!

Ingredients:

1/2 big bag of Kale, like the kind from Walmart. pick off all the this stalky bits.
1 C. shredded carrots
4 Green Onion stalks, chopped
1 Red Onion
1 orange Bell Pepper,
1 bag of Broccoli
2 TBSP Goji Berries
1 TBSP chopped Walnuts
1 TBSP Sunflower Seeds
Aldi brand Pumpkin Curry Dressing.
1 tsp. Tumeric
1 tsp. (or small packet of) Stevia.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 430 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a big bowl, mix together the shredded carrots, green onions, berries, nuts, and seeds. Set aside.
3. Chop half of the bell pepper into big one-inch peices and put those on the baking tray for roasting. Dice up the rest of the pepper and put that into the salad bowl.
4. slice about 4 very thin long pieces off the red onion and add them to the salad bowl. Chop the rest of the onion into big one-inch sized pieces and put those onto the baking tray for roasting.
5. Add Broccoli to the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, and put into the top rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
6. add the kale, dressing, turmeric, and stevia to the big bowl and toss well.



I promise you'll like my food if this man likes it. He is SO hard to please food-wise. But he did enjoy this salad.

That's Jacksonville behind him. Or Jax as they say. Can we say Jax yet? Are we local and transplanted enough for first name basis?

We're probly not. But soon.

Our Very New Life In Florida

At the airport before my flight down with two of the kids. 

We have been here now for two and a half months. It has been so nice down here! My favorite thing about this place is our weekly visits to ocean! Oh my goodness I could just be in those waves all day long! We like to go on Fridays to Saint Augustine and spend the whole day there.

Our first week here was so helter-skelter. We moved into a charming gated community. I arrived from the plane the day before Easter, so we just didn't celebrate it much because we were unloading the U-haul. Below is a picture of us, the day AFTER Easter. I had cute outfits so I couldn't resist dressing them all up.

I unpacked while nursing, and keeping an eye on my older 3, who were socializing with 3 little neighbor girls that we shared the back fence with. My boys love that there are sidewalks, and we are in a cul-de-sac! They're used to living on a dirt road that they cant ride bikes on because semi-trucks speed past doing 80. This was heaven for my boys - pavement and safe slow drivers!

After a week here it was Hadassah's third birthday. My baby!

 I baked her a cake and thought it would be a good chance to meet some neighbors. I think I will never forget calling out to a neighbor before they pulled out of their driveway, messy spatula in hand, and extending an invite to her party the next day. Then I went out back and called over to the neighbor lady who was sitting in the shade of her patio. That's when I met Gwen. still holding my spatula, with baby on my hip. "Oh, you've got another wee one?" She asked.

Right away I was entranced by her strong Irish accent. She was an adorable little brunette, a few years younger than me, who has only been here one year. She met a navy guy in a pub back in Ireland and they were married in a week, so she could sail back with him to be a step-mother to his 3 little girls.

We spent many evenings on either of our patios with kids running around - she with her "wee pint o' Guinness". Gwen is so laid back, cheerful and funny! We took to each other like long-lost sisters and spent nearly every day together! But sadly she moved only a month after I got here. I haven't made a friend like that since and it's been a tad bit lonely. But that's okay because life here is still so much less stressful!

We go for daily walks as a family. The boys haven't really been on electronics because they are so busy with biking or their scooters, and the little friends they've made around the block. I feel so much better because of all the vitamin D I'm getting. Also while it is humid here, you don't get the clouds of mosquitoes and gnats like back in MN. It's amazing! Mosquitoes are pretty much the Minnesota state bird. We can be drenched in sweaty humid air here and yet not one mosquito!

Other differences from Minnesota. There's a lot of sand in grassy areas because we're close to the ocean, But there isn't much real grass here. It's all crab grass. Northeastern Florida is odd because there are these beautiful palms and other tropical trees and vines... and then you'll also have huge green forests of tall evergreens - much like Up North in MN. There's actually so much about my home state that I also really miss. It's just been so cool being down here though!

I have not seen one snake or alligator, but I hear they're everywhere. Oh, and there is a church on every corner. And all the gas stations have "boiled peanuts". All of them.

Allright that's it for today! See you in two months! Jk... I'm going to try to post once a week! Next up - what inevitably happened with the schools here and my son's ADHD issues....