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10 Comments» Continue ReadingThe side of my life I don’t speak much of in this public arena, is the great rewards and heartbreaks of living and loving out the Gospel in ministry and service to others. For some, what The Preacher and I do day by day may be considered a profession, but for us, it is truly a calling and a conviction. John Piper has described it this way: “If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.” I have never known this truth more greatly than I do in this season of my life. You don’t have to be a church minister, a mentor, a counselor, or a Bible scholar to know the weight of Piper’s insight here. You must merely consider the truth of God’s Word as more important than your own, the […]
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» Continue ReadingWho do your boys admire? emulate? talk about constantly? want to be when they grow up? What a blessing it is when our little men seek to be like their fathers, grandfathers, pastors, and teachers. Sometimes my boys’ heroes are men they’ve only met in words on a page: Jesus, Martin Luther, David Livingstone, King Tirian, George Mueller, Odysseus, the Apostle Paul. The books our boys read shape their idea of heroism. It forms who they become. If this is true for our children, it is true for us, as their parents. We are formed by the books we read and the people of honor we encounter. Clearly this begs the question: What are our kids reading? What are we reading? What are they most captured by? What are we most enraptured by? If time spent is any indication, it would prove that books and literature do not serve as […]
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» Continue ReadingToday I have the privilege of introducing my guest Ashley Campbell, of Under The Sycamore. Ashley is a Christian, mother to 3 boys and 1 girl, a talented photographer, avid do-it-yourself-er, and a blogger extraordinaire! She was so gracious to agree to write a guest post for this week’s Raising Boys theme. I hope you are blessed by her creativity, and are inspired to spend time making and creating with your boys today. ********************************************* Guest Post by Ashley, of Under The Sycamore The title of the post Ruth gave me, “Raising Boys…who love to craft” made me laugh a little bit. I love to craft, but it is not on the top 5 list of things my boys love to do. Over the years I have attempted all kinds of crafts with them always hoping they will enjoy it as much as I do. Sometimes they do really get excited about […]
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» Continue ReadingHow could a mom of boys not stop in her tracks to read these taglines to a cookbook: “Feeding Men & Boys” and “Recipes, Strategies & Survival Techniques–Bringing Back The Family Meal.” Lucinda Scala Quinn, author of Mad Hungry, had me at “Feeding Men & Boys.” Men eat differently from women–they eat more, they eat constantly, and they eat passionately…but feeding them well is what many of us love to do and few jobs feel as satisfying. It’s what keeps them healthy, keeps them happy, gives them some of their fondest memories, and teaches them to cook. More than a collection of recipes, Mad Hungry gives inspiration and instruction (to new and seasoned cooks) to the art of cooking for family. As a mother of boys, Lucinda lovingly gives insight to both the logistics and the rewards of including boys in a family-centered culture of cooking. Boys and men who […]
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» Continue ReadingI always love having The Preacher stop by my little blog. His gentle but deliberate leadership in our home makes all the difference as we raise a houseful of cubs. This post is a direct result of something I witnessed just the other day, and asked him to write about for our encouragement. ********************************************************* Guest post by The Preacher Everyone knows that big boys don’t cry, right? That’s funny…. At our house, we have a hard time going more than thirty minutes at a time without someone bawling their eyes out over one thing or another. Is that the case in your house? Well, as a father, it is my job to set things right and let the man-cubs know that crying just isn’t the manly thing to do. Or is it? I usually pull out the “man up” speech when I am tired, and struggling with patience. But in […]
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» Continue ReadingIt’s “Raising Boys” Week at GraceLaced! As you know, this particular theme is dear and significant in my daily life. I hope you will check in all week as we will visit a different aspect of raising boys every day, including a special guest post by The Preacher tomorrow, and a much anticipated guest post from the wonderful Ashley Ann from Under the Sycamore on Thursday! Endless hours could be dedicated to the topic of Raising Boys, and surely, we will only scratch the surface, but I pray this week will be an encouragement to you, whoever the little boys are that you call special in your life. All boys have imaginations. Not all boys foster the ability to use them. Sometimes what appears to be an imagination is not really what the dictionary defines as: “the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects […]
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» Continue ReadingFor Jessica, the winner of the 500th Post Celebration Giveaway, the long wait is over. I’ve finally finished her custom painting. Though my offer was to paint anything her little heart desired, Jessica opted to hand me the reigns and be surprised, sending only a photo of her living room color schema, and a request for flowers. Well, I do like to paint flowers. With rust colored sofas in mind, I painted a bouquet of vibrant icelandic poppies against a luminescent and variegated gray background. To me, it feels like an October’s day…warm sunshine on snow-capped mountains…fire and ice…a blood orange with vanilla bean ice cream. Yup…Artist, poet, and chef…that’s what I am. Congratulations, Jessica. I hope you like it! (And, you can own one of your own if you so please…)
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» Continue ReadingI’m starting to build a repertoire of recipes that will feature the bounty of home-grown veggies I’m hoping to harvest this coming summer. It’s not too early to dream, is it? Zucchini is always a faithful producer in the garden, but often gets overlooked by summer’s end when creativity grows tired. Whet your tastebuds now for zucchini, and you will be more than eager to get those seeds in the ground in a few short months! Stuffed Zucchini with Marinara 4 medium sized zucchini 1 lb. pork, or turkey sausage 1 egg 1 cup bread crumbs, w/ Italian seasonings 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 large jar of marinara sauce 1 package (approx. 16oz) dried whole wheat spaghetti* Preheat oven to 350F. Cook spaghetti as directed; drain, and place in a 9×13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking oil. Set aside. Trim both ends of zucchini […]
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» Continue ReadingI frantically looked to see who had sent me a package. “…it made me think of you.” was the note that accompanied the sweet surprise waiting on my doorstep from West Elm. Nestled safely within the box was a delicate glass ornament that immediately evoked thoughts of terrariums and plants. I admit, I had to google it just to be sure. Photo source: here. Indeed, they are the prettiest, most artistic displays for plants that don’t need anything but air. All I need to do now is to find one of these little guys for my glass bubble. I was amused to find others who have turned air plants into chandeliers, Photo source: here. …wedding favors, Photo source: here. …and even mirrors. Photo source: here. While less is often more, I do confess that I may have my thoughtful friend to blame for this newfound addiction fascination. Just what I […]
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» Continue ReadingI have a little book review for you today. I’m usually not much for writing book reviews (way out of practice!), but with this one, I felt I ought to give some reflection and response. After receiving a rave recommendation from our well-loved pediatrician, I checked out In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, by Michael Pollan, from the library yesterday. I’m writing about it today because it took me exactly four hours to devour the 200 page book in one sitting. I love that Pollan has a simple message, which he delivers with common sense and thoughtfulness. While he does not write from a Christian world-view, every argument he gives for the consideration of food and our eating habits points remarkably to the evidence of a Master Designer…the Creator of the human body and human existence. The book begins with the simple thesis: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. […]
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» Continue ReadingI will readily admit that I do not enjoy baking, due in part, no doubt, to an unimpassioned sweet tooth. I’d much rather fix a rack of lamb than bake cookies any day. However, my boys understand the language of love spoken through the efforts of sweet treats that emerge from the kitchen more than they do from a well-crafted Greek salad. Pity, as I do make a mean Greek salad. For those of you who can’t resist baking on Valentine’s Day, here’s a confection sure to bring a smile to your little loves underfoot, and perhaps to your Valentine. Don’t bother offering me one, thank you. I’ll take a rosy piece of seared Ahi if you’ve got any. Happy Valentine’s Day! Red Velvet Whoopie Pies Cookies 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 2 tablespoons red food color 1 box (4-serving […]
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» Continue ReadingWe’re planning on having a quiet night at home with the boys on Valentine’s Day. I’m so looking forward to expressing to my boys that they exist and love life because their mom and dad exist, love God, and love each other. I think I will express that to my family by grilling up some steaks. That’ll do it, don’t you think? Were I and the Preacher going out to dinner, this would be an ideal ensemble: Inas leather blazer, $183 Maternity Lace Keyhole Jumper, $70 Old Navy Womens Dark Wash Maternity Low-Rise Denim Pencil Skirts, $19 Dolce Vita PERSIUS, $180 red ruby rose clutch bag by red ruby rose | notonthehighstreet.com, 65 GBP Carved Red Coral Rose Ring And, for any of you ladies who may be spending the evening having dinner with your best friends, perhaps this outfit can ward off any unwanted attention: Glamour Kills Keep Calm […]
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Hello, friend...I'm Ruth. Welcome to GraceLaced, where you will find my imperfect, but grace-filled musings on the Gospel, motherhood, crafting, art, domesticity, cooking, and the often-times overlooked joys of finding grace in the everyday of life. Read my full profile here.
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