A Little Help From my Friends

Today we are having our first ever blog hop with our East Tennessee Bloggers group!

I’m going to be aging myself with this “cheer” but when I was in Elementary School just a few years ago back in the day, we had this cheer where all the cheerleaders introduced themselves and then it went down the line until everyone had finished….It went something like this “Jump in! Jump out! Introduce yourself! My name is Rebecca, and I’m a cheerleader, and I’ve been cheering for a very long time.” Okay, I was NEVER a cheerleader (or a Fly Girl–If you know the 90’s you’re still following me. And don’t try to pretend like you didn’t want to be a Fly Girl too!), but I sure did pretend! Now I’m REALLY rolling laughing at this, but please hang with me here!

The point of that little digression is to let you know that today on my blog I am introducing some fellow, local bloggers!  I want you to get the chance to read their own words about themselves and their blog and check out their blog for yourself!

So, you all know me, but I want to “jump out” and introduce some of my blogging friends!  Some of them I know personally and others I only follow their blogs, but I can tell you that these ladies can write! If you enjoy blogs, {blog}hop around and read theirs to see if there’s someone that you really can relate to.  You will find inspiring, funny, encouraging & informative things written on these blogs, so get to hoppin’!

Candace from MERCY IS NEW

I’m Candace and I blog at His Mercy is New. I’m married to David and we have 3 children that we homeschool; we live just east of Knoxville where my husband and I met at Carson-Newman College about 15 years ago! On my blog you will find homeschooling posts, great reads, posts about faith and especially encouragement for moms struggling with depression. I pray you are blessed and encouraged each time you visit!

Christina from MOUSE IN YOUR HOUSE

Living in 400-square-feet with our new sweet baby boy. I blog about the hilarious side of parenting, and keep things exciting with DIY and home decorating ideas and projects. I throw in the occasional Q&A with crafty people and dig into lifestyle trends. Grab a cup of coffee and stay a while!

Sarah from SARAHSHEARTSHOME

My name is Sarah and I am a homeschooling mom to three young children. I blog at www.sarahsheartshome.com where I write about daily life as a mom, recipes, homeschooling ,and more. I strive to find Joy in the Journey (as my subtitle indicates.)

Meghan from KMAC CREATIONS

My name is Meghan and I write. Streamlined & slapstick stories of memories made. Not perfectly, but purposefully. Under blankets snuggled, my space for words is covered with stories of family, fashion, homeschool and design. Faith finds its way in too. Always. My blog {http://kmaccreations.com/blog/} documents time honest, hilarious and most certainly hope filled

Melissa from LIFE OFF THE PAVED ROAD

Hello there! I’m Melissa. I am wife to Stacy and homeschooling mom to five children. We live in East Tennessee, just north of Knoxville on land that has been in my family for five generations. Life Off The Paved Road is my online home where I talk about natural living, marriage, parenting, homeschooling, and adoption. I hope you will stop by, hang out for a while and come back to visit from time to time.

Heather from KISER RIDGE FARM

Hi, I am Heather, stay at home mother of soon to be 5 children. We live on a small farm in East Tennessee. We raise chickens, goats, rabbits, hogs, dogs, cats and kiddos. Kiser Ridge Farm is also my herbal shop, where I combine my 15 years of experience in herbal medicine, with my 20 years in Emergency Medicine, researching and mixing natural remedies. My blog is new and so is my business.

Natalie Contributor for KNOXVILLE MOMS BLOG

At Knoxville Moms Blog we are passionate about parenting, community and the city of Knoxville. We strive to provide moms with relevant, timely and fun information about all things mom here in the Knoxville area. We are a collaborative blog written by and for local moms with daily posts on things to do around town, ways to get involved in the community, parenting solutions, personal essays from local moms, local business spotlights, giveaways, and an opportunity to share with one another in the journey of motherhood.

Stephanie from THE MULTI TASKIN’ MOM

Being a wife, mother, full time work-from-homer, and a homeschooling mom, means that I must be able to multi task. Come join in as I share the journey along with several other moms on The Multi Taskin’ Mom:

Sara from HAPPY BROWN HOUSE  &  CHATTANOOGA FAMILIES

Sara is a Chattanooga area blogger that writes about life in the Happy Brown House: homeschool, crafts, kids, adoption, and faith.

Sara is also the blogger behind the site, Chattanooga Families, a blog dedicated to helping local families find resources and local fun. Sara shares the reall nitty-gritty details about local events and places that are relevant to families in the Chattanooga area through a weekly newsletter. Want to know where the best park is or what restaurant has a free kids meal? Chattanooga Families is your answer.

Melissa from FINDING JOY ON THE JOURNEY

Finding Joy on the Journey started as I felt moved to record the blessings that occur in the every day. The beautiful blue sky, the warm sunshine on my face, the sweetness of a good book finished. I used to say, “simple pleasures” in high school and college. Only now they’re deeper than that. It’s deep-seated joy that isn’t based on circumstance. So I write here about joy in the midst of infertility, food allergy frustrations, depression, chronic health problems, and life just not turning out to be what we thought it would. (Is it ever?) The Lord’s name is to be glorified in it all, and that is what I want to do here on my little home on the web. I hope you’ll join me!

Megan from LIFESONG

Hi! I’m Megan, a wife (to one) and homeschooling Mama of three. I am passionate about Jesus, teaching my kids, and taking pictures. But I also love baking, Amazon, reading and writing. My blog is a little of everything – homeschool days, recipes, stories, traditions, and encouragement. We have made East TN home for the past eight years, and we love it here! Come say hello at Lifesong

Edie from LIFE IN GRACE

I’m Edie and I’m a lifestyle blogger, wife, momma, writer, home cook, foodie, keeper of chickens, and reader of many books. I’m a lover of home decor, truth, beauty, goodness, cowboy boots, and all things Appalachian.

Kristen from WHEN AT HOME

I’m Kristen : Stay at home mom, Bible School grad, writer, yoga pants dweller, and obsessive chai drinker. I blog honestly and sarcastically about motherhood and wife-hood and whatever I feel like hood. I’m a little bit random and lotta bit fun.

Stacey from ABIDING WOMAN

Hello, I’m Stacey, and I live with my husband and three daughters in the beautiful hills of East Tennessee. I’m currently expecting my fourth baby! I am very passionate about my walk with Jesus Christ. My heart is to encourage other women to walk closely to Him, and that is my main purpose in my blog, Abiding Woman. As I seek to encourage women to abide in Jesus I also blog about homeschooling, homemaking, fashion and beauty, recipes, marriage, parenting, childbirth, and pieces of my journey.

Thanks for checking out my friends. Don’t forget that you can follow or subscribe to their blogs to receive content when they update. We will be doing a once monthly blog hop on varying subjects, so be sure the check those out!

Delighting in Obedience

For the Proverbs 31 Made to Crave Blog Hop today, I chose the topic “Delighting in Obedience”.

I’m going to throw this out there–I have not been completely obedient even in this study. Currently, I am behind in my reading, but I am trying to catch up! 🙂 I’ve also had a few weak moments in this study of eating healthy and craving God. Maybe you can relate to me today?! That doesn’t mean that it’s over or I (or you) have failed! It just means we need to press on and be OBEDIENT!

So, here’s my take on this subject.

The definition for Delight(ing) is: Great pleasure with synonyms of happiness, joy, glee and gladness.

The definition for Obedience is: Compliance with an order, request or law or submission to another’s authority.

Oh boy, there’s that word SUBMISSION!!!! I don’t say “bad words” on my blog, so I can assure you that submission is NOT a bad word!  We must be happy & joyful about submitting to Jesus’ authority and comply with his request. The way I look at is this–Yes, the Bible is full of laws. As is the world we live in. I slow down when I come near a red light camera because I don’t want to get a ticket in the mail {I’ve never had one and my family would enjoy that too much!}. I know the “danger” ahead of me, so I respond to it. BUT–that is not a CHANGE in my behavior. Why? Because I don’t always drive the speed limit at other times. Basically, I am conditioned to knowing where the cameras are, so I slow down. But if I truly changed I would drive the speed limit ALL THE TIME!

What does this have to do with Made to Crave? EVERYTHING! If I changed my behavior I would not have an issue with eating. Let me just ask you this……Have you ever eaten a salad when you went out with your girlfriends (because they know you are trying to watch what you eat and be healthier), then gone home and eaten potato chips or pulled out that can of frosting in the fridge or bag of cookies from the shelf? It’s the same thing. You are conditioned to being a certain way around others, but still never really changing.

I LOVE the way The Message puts this verse:  “So, since we’re out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we’re free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it’s your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you’ve let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you’ve started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!” Romans 6:16

I don’t want to “live any old way I want”! I want to live how God wants me to live. I want to be Delighting in Obedience to Him. 1 John 2:3 says “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” WOW! That is a powerful verse! If we KNOW God then we KEEP His commands (which means we OBEY him)!  Do I want to please my friends or do I want to please God? Oh friend, this took me a LONG time to figure out! And I have to tell you that I’m okay now with pleasing God, not people. I am far from perfect though.  In Galatians 1:10 it says “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” So according to this I can’t be a servant of Christ if I want to please people!

I must delight in obedience to please the Lord and follow His commands! This means with EVERY area of my life…..even the chocolate, bread, pasta, sugar loving areas (which makes up a WHOLE lot of me if you know what I mean!). I must be willing to follow Him not only when it’s easy {for me}–like being faithful to my husband, but when it’s hard like not eating that brownie or pizza. Although it is horrible & difficult for me to admit–I struggle WAY more with food than with most other areas of my life. I know that my struggle is not secret because the world can see what I look like on the outside, but if God sees what I look like on the inside then He can help me fix what you see on the outside! 🙂 The number on the scale doesn’t define me. The person who looks at me funny when I walk into the gym doesn’t define me. The mom across the street who runs 10 miles a day {and is a size 0} doesn’t define me. God defines me! Oh precious Sister in Christ–let God define you!