WARNING!!! This post contains graphic images!

6:05 A.M.  - I awake from a restless and painful night's sleep (due to a pinched nerve in my neck) to the sound of a toddle howling in his nighttime prison.  I can't move my neck.

6:10 A.M.  - I ascend the "stairs of doom".  With each step, I become more and more aware of what awaits.

6:10 A.M.  - Seconds later, I remove the crabby toddler from his bed and head to the kitchen.  He's following me.

6:11 A.M.  - My fears are confirmed.  The dog has had a severe case of diarrhea, spreading from one end of the kitchen to the other, and into the adjoining bathroom. (Fortunately, he was gated into the kitchen the night before, so that's as far as it went.)

6:15 A.M.  - I am armed with rubber gloves, bleach, and an industrial size roll of paper towel.  The kind you see in gas station bathrooms.  The coffee maker is now brewing.

7:40 A.M.  - The kitchen and bathroom floors are now sanitized, the pain meds have kicked in, and I'm finally pouring a cup of coffee.

No doubt, it was a rough way to start the day.  There was a time in my life when that would have caused me to burst into tears.  But I've learned something since then (unfortunately, I do sometimes forget what I've learned - but today I remembered it).  Praise, in the midst of trial, combined with a call for the Holy Spirit to take control is what gets me through moments like this.  When I'm on my hands and knees cleaning dog yuck and a whiny toddle is trying to climb on my back, I'm praising the Lord.  I'm thanking Him.  Not necessarily for the mess around me, but for the love, patience, and strength He gives me.  It allows me to handle the whole situation with grace and endurance.

By the way, the only "graphic" picture I decide to post was the one of the crabby toddle throwing a fit on the (sanitized) kitchen floor.  The other one was just too...GROSS!

Love Never Fails...

Those are three powerful words that seem to be etched in my brain right now.  Does love ever fail you?  Do you ever fail at love?  Well, when the question is put before me like that, I can answer "yes" on both accounts.  However, there's a key element that needs to be added.  The love of Christ never fails.  Christ-like love can only come from...Christ.  Through the power of His Holy Spirit, we can love like He does; unconditionally.

I can't love like that on my own.  I fail.  I get rude.  I get impatient. I am unkind.  This all happens when I try to love with my human heart; my imperfect, selfish, deceitful heart.

To some, that might sound like self-abuse.  "Don't be so hard on yourself!  You're a good person!"  Am I?  Don't I roll my eyes at my husband?  Don't I snap at my children?  Don't I get annoyed at the person in front of me at the grocery store checkout?  Where's the love!

Sure we all have bad days, but we can overcome the excuses for our behavior when we just realize that we can't love unconditionally...not on our own.  We need Jesus!  I need Jesus!

I leave you with this:

The Greatest Gift

1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

A Married Woman's Advice To The Single Young Ladies

This is not your typical advice.  It has nothing to do with "how to land a man".  It's simply a suggestion in what to look for.  Of course, it is not the most important thing, and you may have your own very well thought out list of qualities that you want to see in your Prince Charming.  So, here's the advice:

Make sure he has a good set of tools and knows how to use them, including power tools.  Yes, this is important, in my opinion.  He can work wonders with those tools and save you lots of money.  Plus, when he builds you a big, beautiful walk-in closet with shelves, racks, and plenty of drawers you can throw your arms around him and say, "oh Honey, it's wonderful!"  Sure you can hire out, and for some jobs it's necessary, but he will feel so much more appreciated if you marvel at his work rather than some other guys.

I have a friend who's husband barely lifts a hammer.  If she needs something done around the house she has to call her dad.  How frustrating! 

And don't give him a hard time if he seems to spend a lot of time at the hardware store.  He's thoroughly thinking out his projects; carefully choosing the right supplies and tools. Not only that, but the amount of tools and the boxes that contain them is insignificant.  He knows what he has and it's just the right amount for him to do what he needs to do...unless he needs to do something new (and needs a new tools for it, which is justified).  You don't want him to say you have TOO many shoes, do you?

Why do I feel the need to share this advice?  Because I have grown to appreciate the value of my very handy husband.  It is a gift.  It's part of what makes him special.  Every time he paints a room, puts up a shelf, fixes something broken I love him that much more.  Yes, he loves the hardware stores and can spend many hours in them.  I've been known to give him a hard time for it, but again, it's part of who he is and I love him so dearly.  This love did not develop on its own.  It has grown through the years and through prayer; a prayer that I would see him as Christ sees him; a very special creation to be loved, respected, and cherished. 

Ladies, anytime you go to the Lord and ask Him to help you see your spouse the way He sees him, your love will grow stronger.  I guarantee it!

Oh, and I also recommend that he be able to back up a trailer.  Very handy, indeed!

So, Christmas is over... Now what?

I recently heard someone say, "December 26th is the most depressing day of the year."  What a sad statement.  However, I can see why someone might think that.  Think of all the excitement and activity that happens between Thanksgiving and Christmas: the decorations, the Black Friday shopping, the food, the parties, the fun and festive music, the GIFTS!  All that build up, all that excitement, with the climax coming sometime between the dark night hours of Christmas Eve and the morning hours of Christmas day.  The dust settles…or shall I say, the wrapping paper…  You look around your living room, no more packages bulging out from under the tree, mess and clutter littered about, perhaps your thoughts scan your own personal wish list, "did I get what I wanted", or you might think, "well, time to clean up, it's over…"  That warm and fuzzy feeling of doing "good deeds" and giving fades.  When that infamous day, December 26th hits we know what comes next, and days, weeks, months later the gifts are a distant memory… 

Yes, I suppose that can be a depressing way to look at it.  BUT…it doesn't have to be that way.  Christmas should be more that just a day of the year, or even a "season of giving".  It should be a feeling;  a compelling love that is powered by the very Spirit of God within us.  That is, if we choose to make Christ our Lord.  If we realize we are nothing without Him, if we repent of our sinful thoughts and actions, if we truly have a desire to turn from those sinful thoughts and actions and to turn our hearts to the desire of the Lord.  Then, and only then, can we feel the true Christmas "feeling" ALL YEAR THROUGH!

I have to share this with you…this Christmas season could be classified as one of the worst Christmases we Brauns have had in a long time.  By the world's standard of living (which is very shallow and superficial), I would be quite justified in that claim.  Our family has been house bound for many, many days with illness.  We've missed some pretty special Christmas events; parties, church services, Christmas at Heritage Hill, the Old World Christmas at Elkhart Lake…and the list goes on…  We've also had some pretty challenging times with our business.  "Cutbacks" get made here and there.  But with all that said, I can honestly say this about the Christmas of 2012…it has been one of the BEST!  Why?  Because if it was about trusting God more and relying less on my own ability, then so be it.  Just being together as a family had so much more meaning.   Our focus was on growing…through prayer, patience, and simple trust in God's plan.  In the process, He blessed us with special memories as a family that will forever be cherished.

So with that, would I do this Christmas over if I had the chance?  Yes!  Not because of the decorations, gifts, food, or any of that temporary stuff, but because of the lasting and growing love I have experienced from God.  It's a celebration that lives forever, not just a day!  His love NEVER fades, we just have to turn to Him.

The Family That Works Together...

...Stays together.  It goes something like that.  But there really is something to be said for those times when our whole family is working together on a project.  Today was one of those days.  It was "Family Work Day".  In other words, time to get outside and finish up any last minute yard work before the first snow hits.  Today we worked on the burn pile.  All those piles of leaves are finally gone and that land can welcome in its blanket of snow.


These opportunities to work together really aren't about the job that needs to get done.  That's more of a bonus.  It's about teaching a work ethic and an attitude of "work is fun, especially when we work together."  So with that said, everyone has a job; a purpose.  We are all needed and appreciated.  Well...if you're under the age of two you get to stand around and sip hot chocolate and look cute...and maybe fall into a pile of leaves once in awhile.

But for the rest of us...we get the job done and we work as a team.  It's also an opportunity for Dad and Mom to reflect a positive attitude about work.  These days,  it seems that "work" is a dirty word.  "TGIF" and "oh no, it's Monday again" are the norm.  Hey, I like my day of rest just as much as anyone.  I'm so glad God gave us that day!  But the feeling of accomplishing a good job is so rewarding and it is so important to teach that to our children.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."  Colossians 3:23

Hootenannies! A.K.A....Little German Pancakes

It's a Saturday morning tradition in our house to have pancakes, waffles or french toast...but THIS takes it to a whole new level.  And...Oooohhhhhh, the possibilities of fillings are endless...fresh fruits, jams, cinnamon apple sauce, or even a scoop of peanut butter and honey fills them nicely!

1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender.  Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
2. Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
3. Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins (I did more like 18. Gimme Some Oven’s tins were slightly less than half-full.  I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filled it almost full.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
4. Served with your favorite toppings. 

Recipe from realmomkitchen.com 

What If Everything Was Taken Away...

Is Jesus enough?  If everything else in my life was gone, if tragedy struck, would Jesus be enough?  The only way to know the answer to that is to fully submit to Him now; to give Him my all.  "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" - James 4:8.  I don't need the things of this world.  I can imagine living without them, but I can NEVER imagine living without my Lord.  Never.



I freely give up the FaceBook, the Starbucks, the Nordstrom, the ungodly TV, the movies that don't edify, the books that take up wasted space in my brain, the music that turns me away from the Lord.  I...don't...need...any...of...it!  And if the loves ones I cherish so dearly were gone tommow, I would still trust Him with my life.  I just need You, Jesus!