Life is sweet. :)
Xoxo,
Lauren
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Good eats
You guys, I cannot get enough of this:
I know, it's hard to make oatmeal look pretty. But it tastes sooooooo gooooooood. I call this a "healthy snack" but that's not to be confused as a low calorie snack. Healthy because it's oatmeal, peanut butter, and raw honey. Not low calorie because you're looking at around 400 calories before adding the 10-or-so mini chocolate chips. (But for those who are calorie counting, that's good for a meal and half makes a great snack!)
I follow the cooking instructions for my oats as per the container then just stir in 1-2tbsp of peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. There is no foul in adding a few mini chocolate chips or banana chunks, either.
Just don't turn your back... Or you won't get any. Story of my life these days!!!!
Xoxo,
Lauren
I know, it's hard to make oatmeal look pretty. But it tastes sooooooo gooooooood. I call this a "healthy snack" but that's not to be confused as a low calorie snack. Healthy because it's oatmeal, peanut butter, and raw honey. Not low calorie because you're looking at around 400 calories before adding the 10-or-so mini chocolate chips. (But for those who are calorie counting, that's good for a meal and half makes a great snack!)
I follow the cooking instructions for my oats as per the container then just stir in 1-2tbsp of peanut butter and a drizzle of honey. There is no foul in adding a few mini chocolate chips or banana chunks, either.
Just don't turn your back... Or you won't get any. Story of my life these days!!!!
(He has oatmeal cupped in his hands!! Turkey.)
Xoxo,
Lauren
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
when God doesn't seem good anymore
I've had a lot of friends and family who have been facing cancer lately, several others who are struggling with trying to add to their family but keep miscarrying, and have even waded through some crapola myself the past few months as we transitioned out of the military. I didn't write a lot about that there wasn't really anything flattering to write...I wasn't responding with a smile. And when you just feel like wailing on a punching bag for a while, with the name of your struggle posted in big, capital letters on the front of it, you don't feel like getting in touch with your heart. At least you don't when your name is Lauren.
The very, very short of it goes something like this: we emptied our savings and purchased a house and then went through two months of no paychecks. There were other things that happened to cost ridiculous amounts of money that we didn't have. We weren't sure IF there was a job or where the job was. Everything was changing constantly. We were in danger, several times, of losing the house we were going to buy and were then renting. And for the first few months it was easy, but then it wasn't any more. And we were tired. And when you don't know how you are going to take care of two little people entrusted to you, and as you watch your careful stewardship of finances disappear, you find yourself in a pretty dark hole.
So, of course I got to the point of saying "Okay, Lord. I gave you everything. I really, truly trusted you with EVERYTHING. And You're not providing a job. (Oh, sure, He was providing money in amazing ways, and provided our house when we should have lost it, and provided the job faster than it should have happened, we later found out. But that wasn't what I was interested in seeing at the time. I wanted the answer to be a job and a paycheck on time with no delays, and no hardships. Because if you trust God that means you get a free pass, right? Ha. No, very wrong. That's not the way it works.) I said, "I have given my life to You- why is this the way You're playing us?"
My friend, Debbie, is awesomely blogging her way through her experience with breast cancer HERE. And when I read her newest post today, I took a deep breath and nodded "yes." Yes. Yep.
Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Big sigh.
I think we have all asked this question. Struggled with it. Wrestled and fought with it and kicked and spit and screamed at it.
(It's worth saying that the season when I found myself asking that question with my whole heart is also when I learned that worship is the most genuine when you're broken.)
And the conclusion that I got to (after figuratively pounding my fists on God's chest while sobbing and pleading and begging) was this: this world is a broken place with broken, mortal people. God had other plans- but it is what we made it. And being human means you WILL be broke, get sick, experience tragedy, and beyond. That's just life. The choice isn't "do you want pain or no pain?" The question is only "Do you want to do it alone or with God?" The kicker: Being His won't save you from the tragedy. But it will bring you peace, hope, and comfort in the midst of unavoidable tragedy.
I had heard that answer before but always felt it was trite and impersonal and too easy. When I asked that question myself, that answer became profound and strong and the truth I clung to. That paradigm shift, or change in thinking, took God from being the object of my frustration and anger, and allowed me understand His comfort and blessings. It brought a heart grateful for Arms that were carrying me when the journey was long and my legs collapsed underneath me.
You know what? I think it's sort of cool when people ask why God allows bad things to happen: it means they acknowledge He has the power to do something about it. (That's something some would previously have denied, ironically.) Think about it- if God isn't real, or if God is too weak to affect circumstances, we have no beef with Him. But if we believe God is big enough to stop our tragedy, if He is great enough to be Lord over his creation....the truth is that we also have a God bigger than we can understand, who doesn't answer to us, who uses all things to His glory, and who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.
Could he stop it? Yep.
Does he stop it? Not always.
Why? That's not mine to answer. A guy named Job did once. God said THIS. (And that's only one chapter. He continues through chapter 41.)
Why this blog post now? Because I've finally had enough time to process it. Because I've finally found the words I want to use. Because a friend reminded me it was okay for Christians to ask that question. Because no question I'm going to ask, and no answer I'm going to find, is going to result in me finding God to be anything other than who He has already shown himself to be: my God, my Provider, my Comforter, my Friend, my Daddy.
And I'm sitting on the other side watching Him put pieces back together again faster than is logically possible.
God can handle our angry questions. Angry questions mean we're talking.
The very, very short of it goes something like this: we emptied our savings and purchased a house and then went through two months of no paychecks. There were other things that happened to cost ridiculous amounts of money that we didn't have. We weren't sure IF there was a job or where the job was. Everything was changing constantly. We were in danger, several times, of losing the house we were going to buy and were then renting. And for the first few months it was easy, but then it wasn't any more. And we were tired. And when you don't know how you are going to take care of two little people entrusted to you, and as you watch your careful stewardship of finances disappear, you find yourself in a pretty dark hole.
So, of course I got to the point of saying "Okay, Lord. I gave you everything. I really, truly trusted you with EVERYTHING. And You're not providing a job. (Oh, sure, He was providing money in amazing ways, and provided our house when we should have lost it, and provided the job faster than it should have happened, we later found out. But that wasn't what I was interested in seeing at the time. I wanted the answer to be a job and a paycheck on time with no delays, and no hardships. Because if you trust God that means you get a free pass, right? Ha. No, very wrong. That's not the way it works.) I said, "I have given my life to You- why is this the way You're playing us?"
My friend, Debbie, is awesomely blogging her way through her experience with breast cancer HERE. And when I read her newest post today, I took a deep breath and nodded "yes." Yes. Yep.
If God is good, why do bad things happen?
Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Big sigh.
I think we have all asked this question. Struggled with it. Wrestled and fought with it and kicked and spit and screamed at it.
(It's worth saying that the season when I found myself asking that question with my whole heart is also when I learned that worship is the most genuine when you're broken.)
And the conclusion that I got to (after figuratively pounding my fists on God's chest while sobbing and pleading and begging) was this: this world is a broken place with broken, mortal people. God had other plans- but it is what we made it. And being human means you WILL be broke, get sick, experience tragedy, and beyond. That's just life. The choice isn't "do you want pain or no pain?" The question is only "Do you want to do it alone or with God?" The kicker: Being His won't save you from the tragedy. But it will bring you peace, hope, and comfort in the midst of unavoidable tragedy.
I had heard that answer before but always felt it was trite and impersonal and too easy. When I asked that question myself, that answer became profound and strong and the truth I clung to. That paradigm shift, or change in thinking, took God from being the object of my frustration and anger, and allowed me understand His comfort and blessings. It brought a heart grateful for Arms that were carrying me when the journey was long and my legs collapsed underneath me.
You know what? I think it's sort of cool when people ask why God allows bad things to happen: it means they acknowledge He has the power to do something about it. (That's something some would previously have denied, ironically.) Think about it- if God isn't real, or if God is too weak to affect circumstances, we have no beef with Him. But if we believe God is big enough to stop our tragedy, if He is great enough to be Lord over his creation....the truth is that we also have a God bigger than we can understand, who doesn't answer to us, who uses all things to His glory, and who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine.
Could he stop it? Yep.
Does he stop it? Not always.
Why? That's not mine to answer. A guy named Job did once. God said THIS. (And that's only one chapter. He continues through chapter 41.)
Why this blog post now? Because I've finally had enough time to process it. Because I've finally found the words I want to use. Because a friend reminded me it was okay for Christians to ask that question. Because no question I'm going to ask, and no answer I'm going to find, is going to result in me finding God to be anything other than who He has already shown himself to be: my God, my Provider, my Comforter, my Friend, my Daddy.
And I'm sitting on the other side watching Him put pieces back together again faster than is logically possible.
God can handle our angry questions. Angry questions mean we're talking.
Ya got spunk, kid
Today we are headed to the park for kids music and fire trucks they can touch. Thinking it's going to rain, but we're the adventurous sort. Bring it on!
But not without a hat.
Xoxo,
Lauren
(whenever i attach pictures to posts using my blog app on the phone, they sometimes come out blurry. my apologies)
But not without a hat.
Xoxo,
Lauren
Monday, May 20, 2013
the other four-letter "f word"
So I've been thinking....
FAIR.
I hate that word.
What I mean is, I love the real meaning of the word but hate the way we, as humanity, tend to understand that concept. I think oftentimes the word fair and the word equal are understood to be the same thing. Or are misunderstood to mean the same thing, rather. In reality, they have about as much in common as the word "wood" and "cornucopia." Two different things. In fact, often times true fairness is anything BUT equal.
If I give my my boys and I serving sizes of chocolate for a treat in a way that is fair, Liam would get a small piece, Roman a slightly larger one, and myself a much larger chunk. {Duh. Note to self: I always get the largest chunk of chocolate, boys. Life survival lessons 101.) If I'm being fair, I would give portion sizes that are in direct proportion to each of our sizes. Liam shouldn't have the same amount of chocolate that I do! Not only would it be unhealthy for his little body, it would be unhealthy for him...if you see where I'm going with that. (If you don't, I mean I'd take him out. Brotha won't be havin' nunna mama's brown magic.)
But it's so easy to think that fair means "the same." It's easy to fall into that trap! My mom heart wants Roman to know I love him as much as I love Liam, which means my instinct is to spend the same amount of money on them at Christmas or give the same gift, etc. But that's setting them up for failure!
If we believe fair to mean equal, I know from personal experience that it messes with our understanding of the way God gives gifts. I know from personal experience that it can steal joy when watching a friend be blessed with something we aren't. It can mess with our marriage if we are frustrated feeling our day was more challenging, or that we can't enjoy receiving gifts of time/money/etc from our spouse because we didn't do it for them.... Fair. It gets so ugly.
I am working hard to teach my children that fair means getting what is best for them, not what is equal to others. And darn it, I hope they learn it.
Actually, maybe I should steal ALL of the chocolate in the spirit of teaching .... I think yes.
FAIR.
I hate that word.
What I mean is, I love the real meaning of the word but hate the way we, as humanity, tend to understand that concept. I think oftentimes the word fair and the word equal are understood to be the same thing. Or are misunderstood to mean the same thing, rather. In reality, they have about as much in common as the word "wood" and "cornucopia." Two different things. In fact, often times true fairness is anything BUT equal.
If I give my my boys and I serving sizes of chocolate for a treat in a way that is fair, Liam would get a small piece, Roman a slightly larger one, and myself a much larger chunk. {Duh. Note to self: I always get the largest chunk of chocolate, boys. Life survival lessons 101.) If I'm being fair, I would give portion sizes that are in direct proportion to each of our sizes. Liam shouldn't have the same amount of chocolate that I do! Not only would it be unhealthy for his little body, it would be unhealthy for him...if you see where I'm going with that. (If you don't, I mean I'd take him out. Brotha won't be havin' nunna mama's brown magic.)
But it's so easy to think that fair means "the same." It's easy to fall into that trap! My mom heart wants Roman to know I love him as much as I love Liam, which means my instinct is to spend the same amount of money on them at Christmas or give the same gift, etc. But that's setting them up for failure!
If we believe fair to mean equal, I know from personal experience that it messes with our understanding of the way God gives gifts. I know from personal experience that it can steal joy when watching a friend be blessed with something we aren't. It can mess with our marriage if we are frustrated feeling our day was more challenging, or that we can't enjoy receiving gifts of time/money/etc from our spouse because we didn't do it for them.... Fair. It gets so ugly.
I am working hard to teach my children that fair means getting what is best for them, not what is equal to others. And darn it, I hope they learn it.
Actually, maybe I should steal ALL of the chocolate in the spirit of teaching .... I think yes.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Put on your Sunday clothes
It's a rainy Sunday and a cutoff jean vest adds just enough "rough" to the classy stripes to make it Becker Style. By now you know me well enough to know it can't be too refined. I need just enough grit to keep it real. I guess I like some piece of the outfit that says "even though I'm wearing a fitted skirt and heels, you don't want to mug me. I'll take you out." ;)
Xoxo,
Lauren
Xoxo,
Lauren
Saturday, May 18, 2013
how to: the top knot
Someone is a fancy Nancy up in here! (This girl. what, what!!)
Below is a little video "how to" on the top knot, a la Its Becker Style. There is really a ton of variations on the answer for "how to" but I brought you along while I did mine today, in case you have a hankerin' to try it out!
Below is a little video "how to" on the top knot, a la Its Becker Style. There is really a ton of variations on the answer for "how to" but I brought you along while I did mine today, in case you have a hankerin' to try it out!
HERE is the link for the dry shampoo I mentioned.
Enjoy it! And feel free to pass along any ways you do things differently, if you already rock the top knot. I would love to have a few more tricks up my sleeve. :)
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