confessions

YOUR TURN!

January 28, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 25 Comments

january

There’s snow on the ground here this morning, but it probably won’t last the day. The kids are home from school due to the “wintry mix” and we’re packing up all your goodies from the Instagram sale. I’ve also been planning and scheming behind the scenes on future content for the blog, so I’m hoping you’ll help me out by filling out this short, less than five minute survey. You can also leave comments on this post, if that’s easier. Thank you so much for your help. I really listen when you speak, so I’m anxious to hear your feedback—especially those of you who don’t normally comment.

The form is anonymous, but if you’d like to leave your email at the end, you will be entered into a giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card. I’ve read some of the responses already (I posted it to Facebook, too) and I’ve already gotten some good ideas for future posts. Y’all are smart, that’s all I can say.

Also, I’m working on the January newsletter, to be released tonight or tomorrow, so if you’re not signed up for it, do so today! Follow this link!

Light It Up

January 20, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 29 Comments

My girls were scheduled to do a few clogging numbers yesterday at a car show in our small town. Yes, you read that right. Trust me. When you live in the foothills of Appalachia and your town is named Bean Station, you’re bound to find yourself at a car show some Sunday clog dancing. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And despite the fact that the our hearts were broken this year when the girl’s dance school closed, we’ve managed to pick up the pieces as best we could and keep dancing here and there. (Thank you Tessa and Heather!) The love, discipline, hard work ethic and overall high standards of Lakeway School of Dance still lives on in my girls. We will be forever grateful.

Before heading out to church, we packed the green t-shirts, the tap shoes, and the cooler full of retro sandwiches. (I was in state of Sunday morning emergency and had to buy the sandwich fixins at the gas station, which meant white bread, somewhat sketchy sandwich meat and Kraft slices. My girls were thrilled at the softness of the bread, but I couldn’t get to the grocery store fast enough this morning to get some respectable meat. The six pack of Oreos, which cost more than a whole pack at the grocery store, totally made up for what was lacking in the throw-back sandwiches.)

We had to scoot out of the service a little early to make it on time to the car show.

When we got there, the sound system was blasting with sixties tunes. The souped up cars and the old men who love them reminded me that there’s something kinda quaint about both. My adorable nephew and my very talented brother in law restore old cars and I know the endless hours of meticulous work that goes into making a car look like that. I scouted the place for a car that might parallel Corey’s beautiful black Camaro, but I didn’t find one quite as stunning and perfect. Or anybody as cute him either!

The girls looked around with wide eyes. They murmured about the difficulty of dancing on that make shift stage to a handful of old men who’d rather be looking at cars.

They did great. They danced like it was a sold out crowd of their peers. They did as they’ve been taught so well by the best of teachers—don’t leave anything on the stage but sweat.

I wander how often we wish our work was for more than just our children, a few blog readers, or an ungrateful boss. How often we wish our time to shine would come—that someone would notice the hard work, the long hours, the faithfulness?

Be sure of this. Someone very important notices. And we’re not here to keep tally or to demand results from the work we do.

We’re just here to do good work, thankful that we have a job to do and someone to do it for—be it one tiny 3 month who can’t say thank you or a handful of men in Carhartt jackets who’d rather be talking carburetors.

Don’t wait until someone important shows up before you do your work well.

Just keep your nose to the grind and do good work.

Don’t do it halfheartedly. Go all out. Bring your A game.

The excellence and integrity with which you do your work will light a fire under those around you.

You will kindle something special in your circle of influence, not just by what you do, but by how you choose to do it.

So, Light it up.

Like it’s dynamite.

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And speaking of doing good work and not squandering our gifts away, did you remember that tomorrow, we’re gonna meet here at my place and share our {UN} words of the year? Whatever word you want to {UN}do in your life, declare it on your blog, or FB, or IG, and share it with us tomorrow, where we’ll link up our posts and share our stories, using the hashtag #unword2014. Hope you’ll join me, Nester, Darlene, and Angela as we kick some words to the curb!

Winter Reading and other randoms

January 17, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 10 Comments

{still} On the porch…… openhouse20

On the daily docket…..

oranges

On the weekend menu……(chocolate chip pumpkin muffins!!)

pumpkinmuffins

On the desk……..(and the night stand, countertops, purse, car, bathroom, and everywhere else I can leave them lying!)

winterreading

The Southerner’s Handbook: A Guide to Living the Good Life

God at Work (Redesign): Your Christian Vocation in All of Life

The Antelope in the Living Room: The Real Story of Two People Sharing One Life

The Warrior Ethos

The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

The Business of Heaven: Daily Readings from C. S. Lewis

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

The Cross & the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants

Discipline: The Glad Surrender

Keep a Quiet Heart

The Imitation of Christ (Dover Thrift Editions)

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels

What’s Wrong With The World

Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

All New Square Foot Gardening: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More In Less Space

On the horizon……

onthehorizon

In the mail….

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(My friend, Melanie’s, new book, which is SO awesome and funny and makes me love her even more. Preorder here!)

Also, I’m so excited to tell you my friend, Amy Greene, author of NYT best seller, Bloodroot, and one of my very favorite writers, is releasing her 2nd novel in late February. The novel, Long Man, is sure to become one of your favorites this year. She’s kindly agreed to meet for lunch and chat, so if you have any questions you want me to ask her, let me know! I can’t wait to see her again and talk books and life and Long Man!! Here’s one of many starred reviews of her this highly anticipated novel:

“Unforgettable. Like a classical myth, Greene’s second novel, set in the summer of 1936, transforms a period of cataclysmic history into a gorgeous, tragic tale filled with heroes and heroines . . . Greene’s enormous talent animates the voices and landscape of East Tennessee so vividly, and creates such exquisite tension, that the reader is left devastated.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

My {UN} Word for the Year

January 14, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 51 Comments

Every new year, I find myself planning and scheming for a better liturgy to my days. Because before you know it, your days become your life. And as a mom privileged enough to work from home, I get a pretty huge say in what goes on within these walls everyday. And I don’t just want the days to line up in a pretty row, as something to admire. I want them to count for something. So, while I pondered the meaning of life and enjoyed much Christmas cheer, I unplugged and took a much needed respite and retreat. Then, we got a polar vortex and then I got sick. (Don’t worry a bit. Right before I got sick, I made a few batches of homemade bagels, so all wasn’t lost.)

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As it currently stands, minus a very few outings, I’ve been in my house for 3 weeks straight, and aside from the general demise of my presentation, I’ve been so productive. I think I’ve read 8 books. I’ve written probably 10,000 words. I’ve cooked dozens of meals, totally reorganized my kitchen and office, and spent a lot of time with my peeps. In other words, the forces of life have all converged to send me a New Year’s message—stay home and , do your work and do it well. (If I continue in this current streak, I’m gonna need to invest in some more professional looking pajamas.)

I’m finally settling into an important truth of being a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom—if you want to be productive at home, you must be home. And, then you have to do your work. I know it’s not rocket surgery, but do you know how many barriers there are to this simple formula? SO many.

We are restless people, seeking fulfillment in the next big thing—whether that’s an event, or a new movement in the church, the next spiritual high, a shiny new vacation, or whatever the next, new thing of the hour is. And that thing— that we thought would bring us so much purpose and meaning, never makes good on its promises. And we certainly don’t want to be left out of anything important, so, we’re off to the races, doing what we do best—finding the next new thing. And so the cycle begins again. Our frantic search for something lasting and meaningful is exhausting us and robbing us of the beautiful gifts of everyday life that we are so trained to look past.

In an attempt to fill a perceived void, we often search for “spiritual” fulfillment in the wrong places. Christ has redeemed our work and so right now, the most spiritual thing you can do is your work. Fix the guy’s car who just came into your station, study for your exams, nurse the baby, answer the phones, write the computer program, make dinner, and so on to infinity. You don’t need to search for “spiritual” work. God will redeem the everyday work you do. You are spiritual because of what Christ has done for you.

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Sadly, most of us have lost the ability to just do our work and enjoy it. We’re so prone to hurrying half-heartedly through our everything we do in order to get to some sort of leisure—that we forget we are a people who are meant to find meaning in work. Our bodies need to work as much as our spirits need to work. And more importantly, the world needs the work we do. When we do our work, for the benefit of someone else and not just for selfish gain, we are living in our true vocation. And THAT, my friends, is a fulfilling way to live, no matter what your actual job is.

I think if we really valued and learned to enjoy our daily labor—remembering that Christ hides Himself in our vocation—we would see the miracle that He works, as He takes the meager offerings of our daily grind and turns them into blessing and nourishment for the world. Maybe if we could see it all as He sees it, we would do our work with a sense of purpose and honor, and pride. Perhaps we’d even be less prone to all the vices that suck us dry. Most of us seem to neither work, nor rest well. We live our lives in the murky middle, running to and fro from activity to activity or clicking to and fro from site to site, in some desperate kami kazi search for anything that means something. When in reality, the thing that means something—doing our work to serve our neighbor—is the thing we’ve so dismissed and belittled.

It’s just to earn a paycheck.

It’s just what pays the bills.

It’s just until I find something better.

We’ve done this same load of laundry a hundred times over. We’ve washed the same dishes, cooked the same meals, wrote the same sermons, doctored the same patients, and walked the same worn path for so long, that we’ve forgotten to see the miracle that happens when we give ourselves over to hard work, for the sake of someone else. This is not just your job. This is your sacred calling. This is holy ground. Lord, give us eyes to see it!

I’ve been writing out my thoughts on vocation to remind myself that this work I do everyday is blessed and ordained by God when it’s done in service of others. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it’s monotonous, at times. Yes, I try everything in my power to get out of it sometimes. But, ultimately, this work is not for my benefit. It’s for the benefit of others. God has provided everything I need in Christ and the only thing left to do is meet my neighbor’s needs. My vocation is just me, doing my daily work, to serve and bless others. And in God’s economy, there are no meaningless jobs or chores—only the work of our hands, redeemed and sanctified by God, to bless those around us.

So, do your work and do it well. Don’t hurry through it. Don’t dismiss it. And most of all, don’t squander it, by wishing that is were more important or glamorous.

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Which brings me to my {UN} word for the year. My friends came up with this great idea to pick a word that we want to ditch in 2014. A word that haunts us, that we want rid of for good. A word we want to {UN}do in our lives.

I love my friends and I love a good challenge, so I picked SQUANDER. I’m tired of squandering—my gifts, my days, my relationships, my joy. I’ve done it so much in my life, that it’s shameful. So, be gone with squandering in 2014!

I want to make everyday count. I want to do my work well.

What are some things we squander?

money
time
resources
talents
gifts
opportunities
friendships

What about you?

Think about your {UN} word for the year and meet us back next Tuesday for a fun little link up!

Visit my friends, Myquillin, Angela, and Darlene as they share their {UN} words, and then join us next week, with your {UN}word!

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If you’re new around here? Thank you for visiting my blog! I’m honored you’re here and I hope you’ll find some encouragement (and some laughter!) for your days. Visit my about page, which highlights some of my popular posts or will at least show you a peak into my crazy people. You can subscribe to this blog by email here. I am currently addicted to Pinterest, so follow at your own risk. I also post updates to Facebook,Instagram, and Twitter.

How to Find God’s Will for Your Life

January 6, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 248 Comments

Grand Christian movements will rise and fall. Grand campaigns will be mounted and grand coalitions assembled. But all together such coordinated efforts will never match the influence of untold numbers of followers of Christ living out their callings faithfully across the vastness and complexity of modern society. ~Os Guiness

I’ve always been one to have goals. I thrive on the New Year, there’s no doubt about it.

I’ve read 3 books already this year and I have written out plans and schemes like there’s no tomorrow. But, I’ve never been much for grand, sweeping movements— in culture or in Christianity. They seem to come and go, and as much as I want a purpose driven life or my best life now or whatever the prevailing movement is of our day, I prefer the small. Always have.

Not there’s anything inherently wrong with coalitions or movements or gatherings, but I think we tend to value the big, because we have often forgotten the value of the small. Part of the problem may be our misguided view of God’s will. Baking blueberry scones seems like a paltry offering to the God of the universe. But then, the family needs breakfast, so I find myself torn. Am I wasting my time and talent on breakfast? Wasn’t I created for so much more?

I’ve always been tortured by the words GOD’S WILL , for as long as I can remember. Just typing them now gives me a lump in my throat. I’ve always kept a journal and if not for a certain house fire, many of my entries would show that I’ve had ALL THE ANGST about ALL THE THINGS related to finding God’s will for my life.

It seemed like my life was a series of Where’s Waldo for the young, seeking Christian—only it was called Where’s God’s Will and why can I never seem to find it?!?! Not only did I need to find God’s will, but I needed to discern it, somehow know it, locate the center of it, and if at all possible, follow it. Whatever else I did, I surely could not afford to miss it.

Missing it was my worst fear, because then that would set off a series of catastrophic misses that might result in buying the wrong house, having the wrong kids, marrying the wrong spouse, taking the wrong job, or doing the wrong whathaveyou.

I remember being in my first year of college and hearing a message on KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD. Some memories are in bold and that sermon was one of them. The pastor’s voice was strong and harsh—reverberating and echoing in my head for months to come. I wrote down everything he said and tried to make sense of the mystical gibberish. It scared the heebeejeebees out of me, I’ve got no lies to tell.

I was always second guessing EVERYthing in my life, because I wasn’t sure if this friend, or this class, or this date was part of GOD’S WILL for my life or not. It was exhausting. I once questioned whether fuscia was part of God’s will for my life or not. Now it’s called Radiant Orchid and it’s the color of the year. It’s totally God’s will for my life, as you can tell from the photo below. I began to wish there was some kind of meter you could buy, that would turn all the more red as you closed in on something that was part of God’s will for your life. In that very mystic, shrouded view of finding God’s will, I’m sure I missed it. All the time. Guaranteed.

Then, I became Lutheran and learned about calling and vocation.

It totally transformed EVERYTHING about my life. Every. last. thing.

Here’s the short and skinny version.

God’s will is for you to be saved. He has made every provision for that salvation Himself. He has given you everything you need in Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection. You don’t need to do ANYthing to please Him or find Him or discern His will. He is pleased with Jesus and sees you as one redeemed by Christ.

He has placed you in various stations in life and called you to serve your neighbor, since all of YOUR needs have already been met in Him. He has gifted you in certain ways, so that you may serve your neighbor and meet his needs. And the beautiful kicker is this—God hides Himself in your vocation, so that all the service you render to your neighbor, is sacred, because it is, in reality, GOD at work through you, meeting the needs of the neighbor.

I think you should read that again. Because you’re gonna be plagued with self-doubt today. You’re gonna wonder when your big break is coming, when you’re gonna be recognized for your gifts and abilities, when you’re gonna be able to do more than change diapers and wash clothes and bake bread and put away Christmas decorations.

Guess what? God sees your everyday, menial tasks as sacred work. You are His hands and feet at work in the world. That meal you cooked yesterday? It was for Jesus. Those ten diapers you changed? As unto the Lord. And someday, you’ll stand in heaven and say, Lord, when did I make cheeseburger soup for you? And he’ll say WHEN YOU DID IT FOR THE LEAST OF THESE. You are without a doubt, right smack dab in the middle of God’s will when you are doing all the things you do everyday to serve the people around you.

You don’t have to join a big movement. You don’t have to be part of the in crowd. You don’t have to have a big important job that everybody notices. Because the God of the universe has been pleased to use your good works to serve your neighbor.

So, how do you find God’s will for your life?

Ask yourself these two questions: Who is my neighbor (my adorable neighbors are in the photo below!) and what are his needs. Then, set about to meet those needs.

Here’s how it looks at my house.

Who is my neighbor? Stevie. What are his needs? He needs clean scrubs tomorrow, so I better do some laundry. He also needs (and loves!) good food, so I think I’ll make him some homemade bagels and cheeseburger soup.

Another example.

Who is my neighbor? Emme. I am called to be her mother. What are her needs? She needs to learn to clean her room, so I will motivate her and help her by teaching her how to do it. What else does she need? She needs to learn God’s word properly, so she won’t chase after the allusive will of God forever, so I’ll take her to church and to confirmation class and then I’ll teach her at home what it means to live out God’s will.

One more?

Who is my neighbor? You are . What do you need? You need to be encouraged in your work. So, I get up early and sit down at my desk and write, hoping to encourage you.

See, how easy it is. No hokey pokey. No mysterious chasing after something that doesn’t exist. Just plain and simple—meeting your neighbor’s needs.

God’s will for your life is for your to live out your various callings in love toward your neighbor, because He has graciously met all your needs.

So, what’s my New Year’s resolution? To live joyously in my various vocations as mother, wife, teacher, writer, sister, home chef and self-proclaimed home decorator.

Everyday this year, I will ask myself—who is my neighbor and how can I meet his needs?

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ps. In case you didn’t know, this family doctor took the plunge into the world of natural health and essential oils and these oils are BLOWING MY MIND. If you want to feel better, sleep better, strengthen your immune system, reduce your stress, and clear some of the common toxins out of your life, I’d love to walk with you as you get started.

In the month of December (2016) I’m giving away a signed copy of my book along with a $10 product credit (to repay you for the cost of your shipping) to anyone who joins Young Living with me with a Premium Starter kit.

Young Living is giving away a free bottle of Christmas Spirit (my ABSOLUTE favorite Christmas scent and SO GOOD for mood!!) with every starter kit purchase. It’s a great time to join!!

Click here to read more about it!!

Best of 2013, the posts

December 31, 2013 by Edie Wadsworth 14 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I love a good New Year’s Eve at home with the kids. We drag out the party hats, noise makers, the Scrabble game, our favorite tunes from the year, a big ole batch of chocolate fondue and party like it’s 1999. Until about 10 pm, at which point, I have my annual discussion with myself about how in the world anybody ever becomes a night owl. Should I try to stay up until midnight or should I go to bed like somebody who’s got some sense? The girls talked me into staying up last year and I barely made it. I’m thinking of a 10 pm bedtime and an early morning run to start the new year off right. What’s your plan, if you don’t mind my asking? While you ponder, let’s recap the posts of 2013. And my fondue recipe is at the end, so maybe you should just skip right to that?!

The most popular post on my blog for 2013?!?!?!

How to Make the Perfect Pizza Crust—you should try it if you haven’t! I’ve made it 30 times this year I bet. SO good!

how-to-make-homemade-pizza-crust

Coming in at a distant 2nd was my Closet Organizing Tips—which I could use to revisit myself!

closet

Coming in 3rd, which kinda surprised me was How to Knit a Dishcloth. Now would be the perfect time to learn a little about the knitting arts!

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My most pinned and in general talked about post for 3 years running is Grannie’s Fudge Recipe. It’s not too late to taste the heaven!

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The post with the most comments, the most controversial post of the year, and the hardest for me to press publish on was Why I’m Not a Feminist.

A close 2nd in comments and in heart heaviness was Why I Gave Up Homeschooling.

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The easiest and most fun post for me was My Preppy Texas Anthropologized Christmas Tour. And it’s all still making me happy today! I haven’t taken one thing down yet.

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The posts that broke my heart in to pieces were the ones I wrote from Nicaragua. I’ve Got You was especially hard to write.

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I gave away the family jewels when I posted the Quiche Lorraine recipe. Bacon-Fried Ham? That’s how much I love you. Amen. quichelorraine-1

Speaking of the family jewels, this post on Raising Gracious Kids was convicting, mostly to me.

What I love so much about this space is you. Thank you for giving me the courage to stay and keep writing.

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Ruth and I hosted a 31 Days series on Less and More that was challenging and fun!

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Emme and I collaborated on a Teen Room for her. We love how it turned out!

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It was a great year and I can’t wait to see what the new year holds!

Now for the easiest and best fondue EVER! (you don’t need a fancy pan or any fancy chocolate)

In a medium sauce pan, melt:

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Enjoy with strawberries, bananas, angel food cake, and whatever else you feel like dipping in chocolate!

Happy New Year’s EVE!!!