my earnest expectation

A few days ago . . . well, 10 to be exact, I decided to try the Bible in 90 days reading challenge. I printed off a schedule from Zondervan and got going! With the amount of time the kids I nanny spend napping, I could probably read the Bible in 60 days, so getting in my reading has been easy-peasy. I absolutely love how much my understanding of Scripture has increased, even in just 10 days. I've read Genesis, Exodus, and today I finished Leviticus and started into Numbers. I am a little excited to get out of the Books of the Law and into the History books. It's not very exciting to me to read about the different offerings that must be made for different sins and what animals you can and cannot eat. It did really make me appreciate that we are no longer under those rules anymore though. Can you imagine?  Genesis has definitely been my favorite by far. I love reading the Creation account, and about the promises God made to Abraham and Israel. Reading so much of it in one sit...

Oh, the inevitable meltdown . . . or tantrum or fit or whatever you wish to call it. They often seem to catch us off guard and in the worst places (usually public places)! It's an embarrassing, frustrating, and awkward situation that even the most perfect mom can't always avoid. Over the years I have witnessed many many of these meltdowns and, of course, I have had to deal with my fair share of them. Definitely not one of the highlights of my day! Timeouts, sending a child to his room, or taking away a favorite toy as punishment is not always an option either. As a nanny, I have worked out a little system for diffusing most of the bombs before they go off. Say something positive. If your child is yelling about how he can't do this or he's so angry about that or life is just unfair, usually the first thing I will try to do is get him to say yes to something. "That made you so angry didn't it?" "Yes! Because I . . ." It may seem strange, b...

So, lately I've been reading a lot more, thanks to my sweet husband buying me a kindle a few months ago. It makes books so much cheaper, not to mention more portable than ever.  Here is a short summary of the last 3 books I have read and what I thought: 1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - loved it! I've always wanted to read the Anne series, but I've never managed to get my hands on a copy. Our last library didn't have it (can you believe it?) and I haven't found it in a bookstore for a reasonable price. Classics can be so pricey sometimes. Thanks to my kindle, I was able to read it for just 50 cents. Happy day! I honestly think the dialogue was the most intriguing part of this novel. Anne's descriptions of life were so captivating and despite being a dreamer and a romantic, she is surprisingly realistic at times. All the "scrapes" she gets into make for a humorous and entertaining story, while also bringing back memories of growing up. Fo...

I have been a nanny for a little over a year now, and I love what I do! I never expected to be a nanny (after all there really isn't a college degree for it), and I actually studied health and fitness in school. I planned for an awesome career as a personal trainer. Probably the next Jillian Michaels. Watch out world! But then in my senior year of college, I did an internship in personal training and began to realize that I really enjoyed my part-time daycare job more. So upon graduation I halfheartedly applied to some training positions, but began to do some research into babysitting full-time. Shortly after I posted my name on care.com, I was hired! And I have loved every minute of it since. But back to my main reason for writing this post. Here are my top 5 favorite perks of being a full-time nanny.  1. I get to play with kids all day long! I really love children and especially the little ones who are just learning to walk and talk and trying new foods. Life is so excit...

Ah, summer! When I was growing up, my dad always liked to mow the lawn in the evenings after an early supper or before a late one. It was cooler, and since his mornings were always busy at the office, the evenings were the perfect time. Us kids would run around barefoot in the moist grass and do cartwheels and somersaults in the sections of the yard he had mowed. The smell of that freshly cut grass has stayed in my mind for all of my 23 years of life. To me, it's the smell of home . . . of safety . . . and happiness.  Living in an apartment complex doesn't lend itself to that sweet smell much, but today when I walked out to get our mail, there it was, sending me spiraling back down memory lane. I couldn't help but grin a little. It really is the little things in life, as the saying goes, that mean the most. I have many wonderful memories of special trips to museums and amusement parks and national monuments, but they don't stand out nearly as much in my mind as those ...

Recently, I spent some time in the book of Obadiah. It's one of the shorter books in the Bible, which is why I chose it. In my mind, I would have a better understanding of a book that I could read and study all the way through in one sitting. So, Obadiah it was. I must admit, I honestly didn't think I would learn much. HA! Little did I know. I can now appreciate the verse that says,  " All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,   that  the man of God may be complete,  equipped  for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) All Scripture. Not just some of it, all of it, praise God! Even Obadiah. Obadiah was sent to tell the people of Edom (also known as Esau's descendants) that they messed up. Big time. When the descendants of Jacob needed help most, the Edomites stood by and watched the destruction happen. Scripture says "Edom was like one of the invaders". The s...

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment ; that ye may approve things that are excellent ; that ye may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness , which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11. A simple prayer. But it was one that Paul prayed often. In previous verses, he says, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you". Every time he remembered the Philippian church he prayed for them. He prayed for their love to abound. Not just to grow, but to abound . He wanted the love of Christ to be so evident in their lives that it spread throughout Philippi. He prayed that they would approve things that were excellent. Basically, that's his way of saying that he prays that they will be able to discern what is best. To be able to look at two options and choose the best one. The one that will bring the most gl...