The ones about the Rothacher Home Archives - Page 88 of 107

Life in Limbo

April 16, 2012 by Jules 4 Comments

God began working in my husband’s life around last Easter. Not in the simple realization of God’s plan of salvation but this inner turmoil of a man who already knew Christ and wanted to know what the heart of God really looks like.

I journeyed through this with him. Watching him read book after book alongside his Bible and commentaries. I waited patiently to see where God was leading our family through my fresh new husband. Radical was of course one of those many books. Life Changing! Another was Kisses from Katie. This is a story of a high school prom queen turned adopted mom of 14 and counting Ugandan children. My heart began to stir. I surrendered to foreign missions years ago. Months before I’d even met Matt {my amazing husband}. To me, that meant I was surrendered to serve wherever God would have me, whether that be in the States or abroad. I thought maybe this is why God had laid that on my heart so many years before now. Where we going to move somewhere like Uganda to love one the masses there who had never heard of Jesus Christ?

With that question lingering in the back of my mind we, as a couple, went to our first Catalyst Conference in October. We listened to strong men and women of faith talk about what it looked like to be leaders in the body of Christ. Katie Davis, the author of Kisses from Katie was there. Her interview gave a brief insight into the normalcy of ministering over in Uganda. Her nervous laugh and passion that came out as she talked stirred my heart even more to step out and do something more than what I was doing now.

In November, Matt came to be and said, “…I think God wants me to be a Pastor.” You have to know what a surprise this was for me to hear {and not erupt into laughter}. I married a YOUTH pastor. The man who hated watching guys with no passion for students use youth pastor possessions as a stepping stone to become “real pastors” one day. The guys who need to have some experience on their résumé but had no real intention of staying in the student ministry for any longer than they had to. Nope, he was a self-proclaimed “Lifer”! Now he thinks God wants him to go be a “real pastor”…

Another few days passed and he came to me again and started asking my option on Church Planting. I, of course, gave him my good ole, “We should be fixing the churches that already exist. We can’t leave them to die. All these tiny churches need to unite, get over tradition, and become kingdom minded and not territory minded!” He didn’t seem to affirm my rants…we’re normally on the same page. I was confused. He didn’t argue any of my points but wasn’t condensed either. I began praying really hard. I assumed he was interested in church planting as an easy alternative to pastoring an existing church. I didn’t want my husband to jump ship into what seemed like no-man’s-land because he was bored, depressed, or tired of fighting the same old stuff. God’s not going to lead a couple in two different directions.

Matt did lots more reading, studying, researching. He came back to me with stats. My heart had been melted and remolded by Christ. Here are just some of the staggering results about church planting.

embedded by Embedded Video

vimeo Direkt

I honestly feel like a missionary stepping out into the deep dark regions of…Arkansas. Bahaha
This is the most unsure we’ve ever been about the possession we are about to step into. We’ve never done anything like this. The failure rate is high. We will have to rely on sporadic funds to live on. We need to sell our current home and find a reasonably surprised home there that will fit our growing family. There are so many unknowns yet God has given us an unexplainable peace that seems to bother most people we speak with.

What is God asking you to step out and do? This new adventure isn’t just for those of us God called to “work” in full-time ministry. As Christians we are all called to minister full-time, with all we have, in everything.

Read more about our journey in these posts:

The New Adventure

The New Adventure {video announcement}

How to Handle a Lifestyle in Limbo

Also linked up at The Better Mom and Graceful.

Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Homemaker, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Sometimes You Have to Rock a Crying Baby

April 9, 2012 by Jules 13 Comments

We’ve long since parted ways with the nursing world. At fifteen months, Samuel no longer takes his sustenance from me, not physically at least. However, I’m learning he still needs his mama in a deep, comforting way.

When he’s hurt, he reaches for me.
When he’s scared, he reaches for his mama.
When he’s tired, he lays his head on my shoulder.

Even though Daddy gives Samuel his bath and often, holds the dropper for him to take his nightly herbs, baby boy still longs for me to put him to bed. Mama is his comforter.

Recently, I have seen an increase in baby boy's need to be cuddled at bedtime, especially since our cross country move. Tonight, I lugged a rocking chair into his bedroom and sat him in my lap. He curled right into me and nuzzled deep. This was a first, and I embraced it.

As Samuel lay burrowed tight, he stared at the cross that hangs daily around my neck. He gazed at it curiously as if he was seeing it for the very first time. He ran his fingers down and across the silver edges, as his eyes drooped heavily, and the lyrics of Amazing Grace slipped through my lips.

As I stroked Sam’s cheek, I wondered if this boy would ever come to know and fear the Lord. This thought was quickly followed by the sobering remembrance of my harsh words and impatient huffs shared often throughout the day, as if Samuel was the absolute biggest inconvenience ever known to man. Gospel-centered living the farthest thing from my mind.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

Tears flowed freely and heavily as I choked out the rest of the hymn. I repented of my selfishness, impatience, and pride. I repented of my unkind words, for the slamming of my spatula, and for yelling at my baby to just leave the toilet seat alone for once! I asked God to forgive me and create in me a new heart! Please, God, renew a right spirit within me!

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

I held my boy tight. I kissed his little head over and over while singing the words my chains are gone, I’ve been set free. At that moment, Samuel looked up at me with searching, knowing eyes and smiled. He reached his little hand up to my mouth and stroked my wet cheek as if he knew his mama was rocking a crying baby who needed comforting.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Leigh Ann’s life goal is to create a home where it is impossible to not think about God. At Intentional By Grace, she blogs about her journey of intentional living in order to make this goal a reality.

She is the wife of almost four years to the man of her prayers, Mark, and mama to a loveable little boy, Samuel. She takes joy in spending her days creating memorable moments with her husband, conducting kitchen experiments, researching every natural alternative known to man, and making her little boy laugh. She does it all by the grace of God.

You can follow her on twitter @n10tionalgrace or by liking Intentional By Grace on Facebook.

Filed Under: The ones about the Rothacher Home

How-to Make Your Own Playdough Mats {Thoughful Thursday}

April 5, 2012 by Jules 6 Comments

I found these awesome FREE printables on Pinterest {duh} and my kids LOVE them!

You print them out, LAMINATE them, and then have fun.

I like them because they help my children learn to be more creative with Playdough rather than rolling it into "snacks" over and over again then tasting it.

For my older one, it gave her something for her brain to work on as well as her hands. My second child is a more physical learner so when we start working on numbers this will encourage her to pick it up quicker. I think I may make my own giant letters to laminate so she can work on learning those quicker as well!

If you don't have a laminator I would highly recommend getting one. I have the cheapest i could find and it works Great for all the things I want to use it for. It's a "Scott" brand and I found it at Wal-Mart. The refill laminating sheets are {relatively} cheap as well.

Do you have any fun things you do with your kids and their Playdough that encourage creativity and/or learning?
Do you have a laminator? If so, any tips or recommendations?

Sorry, my link-up is messed up and I haven't had time to fix it yet but I'd LOVE to have links to your thoughfulness! Add a link in the comment section below. Thanks!!!

“We love snow! We love snow!”

April 3, 2012 by Jules 5 Comments

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Those kids are too quiet...what are they in to?"

My hubs and I were finally at home with our entire family! Not traveling. Everyone wake {a rarity with 3 kids different nap schedules}. Resting {hear the sarcasm?}.

Jamin, our 1-year-old was playing in the playroom and the girls, our 2 and 3-year-old were playing "house" in the kitchen pantry. We could hear them giggling and singing. Singing Loudly! This was the song they were singing:

{well, singing as well as a 2 and 3-year-old can}

Jamin attempted to join the party a few times but was turned away. Guess his name wasn't on the list. The little tikes car however was invited and shoved right inside our walk-in pantry. Giggles and singing continued until we heard Jamin screeching with disappointment for being rejected yet again. Matt headed in there to make sure he hadn't got his fingers smashed by the eager double duo. Not, no fingers smashed!

Matt yelled from across the house in a frantic yet snarky voice, "Julie! Come see this..." To which I of course replied, "...I don't want to..." as I slowly rose from my chair with hesitance to go "see". Matt replied, "Yeah ya do! ...bring your camera!" I literally snorted as I quickly turned around to grab my camera behind me. This was gonna be good. Matt knows I LOVE tracking my kids childhood via photos {who am I kidding...I take pictures of Everything}.

THIS is what I found:

~~~ "We love snow. We love snow!" ~~~

{note the toddler "Vanna White"ing their project/game/discovery/mess}

They were still dancing in it and showing us how they were playing.
Matt and I hadn't really made it clear that this had been a "bad choice", we were too busing trying not to laugh.

Gross! It was head/hair to toe, LITERALLY!

It was at least 1/4 inch thick.

What is that, you ask?

I'm sure you've figured it out by now: Sugar. Substitute sugar to be exact.

An entire canister of off brand Splenda was a good 15 min or more of Awesome summer fun indoors. Pretending it was snow was genius! Light fluffy snow. Joyfully enjoying childhood in a tiny 4x5 pantry with a canister of sugar and your sister. What bliss! Great science experiment! Good sensory lesson! Wish I'd been invited to the party...maybe Next time! I saved the nasty sugar to use again- for play!

I'm thinking in a more controlled environment I would at least be prepared to spend my Entire morning cleaning it up. Their poor sweaty feet made the entire pantry floor sticky, as well as any where they tracked it before we began the quarantine.

The pantry has no quarter round around the baseboard. Guess where the excess sugar remains?

Matt did bath duty while I swept, swept some more, shook things out, swept pantry, swept the kitchen, swept the dinning room, picked everything off the floors and mopped. Although, if you ever find yourself in this exact situation, don't mop right away!

Remember the photo with the dirty specks on the lens? Yeah, the air was filled with a sweet aroma! Matt mentioned his nose burning when I 1st came into the kitchen but he can't smell {for real} so I didn't think much of it.

I closed the door during my 1st round of sweeping to try to keep Jamin out of the fluffy mess. I soon realized that there was a cloud arising from the pile. THIS is what was disturbing Matt's nose. I quickly found myself unconsciously licking my lips like it was some sort of twitch. Each lick was yummy! My face was covered in sugar dust. My nose was so stopped up from the thick cloud I began to sniff and swallow. Again, tasty! Oddly sweet.

This is why I suggest letting that dust settle before giving it a fresh wet surface to plant it's stickiness down upon.

I love my children and their creativity. They are how ever not allowed to enter the pantry again without permission from a parent ;O)

What amazing shenanigans have your kids gotten into? Please Share!!!

"Every time we teach a child something, we keep him from inventing it for himself" -J. Piaget, 1962

Filed Under: Cleaning, Homemaker, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home Tagged With: mess, moping, sweeping

Homemade Yogurt Melts {Thoughtful Thursday}

March 29, 2012 by Jules Leave a Comment

Have you ever tried Graduates' yogurt melts? Well, I haven't. But my kids have ;o)

I like that these are a healthy snack they can feed themselves as soon as they start eating finger foods. I also like that they're not really messy!

A little while back I saw the next picture on Pinterest {imagine that} as well as it's recipe for making yogurt dipped blueberries that you freeze. Cool! I don't like blueberries or yogurt. But my kids do! Jamin is still working on teeth so I'm not confident in giving him the blueberries so I decided to make my own, homemade, yogurt melts!