Five on Friday: Pastor's Kid Edition

It's been awhile since I shared some of the silly things our kids say, so I'm gonna try and get back to it. With our kids growing up immersed in all things church and God's word and prayer and community, it's really funny to hear some of their thoughts, questions, and observations sometimes. I do feel like we do a pretty good job of making sure family comes first, and we know that our actions speak louder than our words, so we talk a lot about what God is doing in our lives, pray together regularly, and try to explain things to them from a Biblical view. We don't always get it right, but that's where grace comes into play thankfully. So here are a few funnies from our two silly pastor's kids:

one.

Jake was scared one night so Josh went up to make sure he was okay. He explained to him that when he gets scared, he just needs to remember that Jesus is always with him. Jake asked him where Jesus was and Josh explained that Jesus lives in his heart, and he only needs to look there to find him. Jake looked down at his chest and then back at Josh with a concerned look at his face. He then said, "Daddy, I don't think Jesus lives in my heart. He probably lives in my closet."

two.

Lately the kids have been learning about how God made the earth, the sky, the animals, humans, etc. At random, one of them will ask us if God made a certain toy or a TV show or a certain person… stuff like that. The other day Jake looked at me completely serious and asked, "Mommy, did God make poop?" That one I was not prepared for.

three.

One of the worship songs we sing at church is "Your Presence is Heaven to Me." Jake and Lilly both sing the chorus, "Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, your presents are heaven to me." That works, too.

four.

Jake is testing out his vocabulary and trying to figure out what words he can get away with saying and what words are off-limits. Thankfully the bad words are pretty mild, such as stupid, butt, etc. He has always called his… er… boy part a "ting-ting" (thanks to a hilarious comedy sketch that Josh and I both love) and one day he threw that out there to see if he could call someone that. I found myself telling Jake to "not say ting-ting" several times that day. Later we were driving over to the church for an evening service and he got a mischievous grin on his face. "Mommy," he said, "I'm going to say 'ting-ting at church." I really need to learn how to reprimand my child without laughing sometimes!

five.

While we are in service, Jake and Lilly are both back in our KidzPoint ministry where they have their own age-appropriate worship and lessons with some phenomenal leaders. Upon picking Jake up one week, the gals in the preschool room informed me that after teaching the kids about the story of Joseph being thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery by his brothers, Jake told the whole class that "Daddy threw Mommy into a pit once." Yeah… I have no idea!  That kid kills me.

More than anything, we just want our kids to grow up loving the local church, and knowing that they are loved by their church family. We work really hard and they are often with us, but we play hard, too. I just pray that each of them comes to know Jesus in a real, tangible way as they grow up, so that they are not relying on the faith of their parents, but come to have a true faith of their own. As parents, all we can do is lead with our actions and our words, and pray our faces off for them to follow Jesus with all they are. And between the two of them, we may just have a future preacher and a worship leader on our hands. Either way, they are our little world changers!

Jake at age 3 (about a year ago). Sorry for the poor video quality… 
and you have to get past some crazy gibberish to get to the good stuff:

Lilly, age 22 months (also about a year ago). Time, please slow down!:

Five On Friday: Sweet & Funny Lil

Happy Friday! Since I kicked off my Five on Friday adventures with the funny things Jake has been saying lately, I thought Lilly deserved her own post, too. This girl has been using full sentences since she was 16-months-old, so we already have plenty of stories from her 2 1/2 years of life! Plus, she rarely stops talking, so that helps, too. She's such a mess, but goodness I love that girl! Here are some fun little things Lil has been talking about lately:

one.

For the longest time if you would ask Lilly her name, she would say, "Me." But then sometimes we'd say something, such as "Oh gracious!" and she'd respond with "I'm not Gracious, I'm Lilly!" so we knew she knew her own name! Here lately she is finally saying Lilly, but the other day someone told her she was goofy, and she replied, "No, I'm not Goofy. I'm Minnie Mouse!"

two.

On the way to church on Easter Sunday, I was trying to get the kids to talk about Jesus. I asked them who God's kid was, but they weren't really following. Finally I reminded them that God's son was Jesus, and said, "You already know that God loves you very much, so do you think that Jesus, God's son, loves you, too?" Without hesitation Lilly answered, "Yes, mommy. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

three.

One of my favorite things that Lilly has made up is when she informs me that she has lots of snotties in her nose. Here lately she also says "Oh my gosh!" a lot (in context) and it's just so funny to see this tiny person say it seriously!

four.

We went a span of a few weeks during potty training that she could pee on the potty, but she was not grasping the concept of #2 on the potty. I kept her in undies and I would try and keep an eye on her, rushing her to the bathroom if I thought she was about to go (or was already going). One day I caught her, and after already messing up her pants, I put her on the toilet in case she wasn't done. Nothing happened, but she looked at me and said, "I think I really need to learn how to poop on the potty." It was more the way she said it, so seriously, that made me laugh out loud. Thankfully it wasn't long after that when we turned the corner and now do all of our business in the potty. I am one proud mama.

five.

And since potty training is on the brain… the other day we were driving home from a friend's house when she told me she needed to go. I asked her if she could hold it until I found some place to start. She looked at her empty hands and with a panicked voice she said, "But Mommy, I have nothing to hold!" The next day we were driving to school when she told me again that she had to go. She followed this up by asking me if I could give her something to hold. Haha! I had a Qdoba rewards card in my cup holder, so I handed it back to her and she was able to "hold it" until we got to her school!

I have been so very blessed with this girl, that is for sure, but I can definitely tell that "sass" is just a built-in girl thing. Sometimes you worry that you're raising a child with an attitude, and I am thankful to know that just like many moms (especially moms of girls), I think I get the brunt of it. I was having one of those weeks where I doubted all of my parenting abilities when Josh and I had to travel out of town. When we travel she usually stays with Gramma, but her Aunt Angie often comes and steals some one-on-one time with her, too. She sent me this text, and it was so very timely and reassuring, and it made my heart so very happy:

Five On Friday: Kids Say the Darndest Things

One of my sorority sisters from my college days writes an incredibly successful and awesome blog called Hello! Happiness. I've been reading it for years now and it's so full of great fashion finds, home decorating, beauty tips, party-planning ideas, and adorable pictures and stories of her cute little family. She is the brain behind the "Five on Friday" link-up that you may have seen on several other blogs, and I have decided to jump on the bandwagon, with a focus on the silly things my kids say. With Jake being 4 and Lilly being a super-chatty 2 1/2-year-old, they are constantly making us laugh. I don't know how many times in a week one of us says, "we need to write that down or we'll forget it." So this is going to be my attempt (and notice I say attempt because I have come to terms with the fact that consistency is not my strong-suit) to document these things that I never want to forget. My "Five on Friday" posts will be about them, their stories and cute phrases, and the ways they make me smile. I hope their antics make you smile, too. 

Here lately, Jake has been on a  bit of a roll with the funny things he says, so this first Five on Friday is dedicated to him:

One.

While in Florida last week, we switched hotels three times. The first hotel was Disney's Art of Animation, so we were pretty sure nothing else would compare. Upon checking into our second hotel, which was an Embassy Suites, Jake put his hands on his hips, looked around the lobby, shook his head, and said (loudly… which is the only volume Jake has), "Wow, Daddy. This joint is nice!" Other guests checking in as well as the staff got a big kick out of it.

Two.

Yesterday I told Jake that he could finish his MarioKart race and could race one more, but then he'd have to turn it off. He was trying to talk me into letting him have more then one race, but I told him no, he could only have the one more. I then said, "Show me how it's done, buddy." He took the expression literally and began to show me how to steer, what buttons to push to make the car go, and how to get "questions" that turn into prizes. He then handed me the wheel and said, "now you try." I was the one who taught him how to play MarioKart, and just love that he took what I said so literally!

Three.

Jake still does not pronounce L's, and they come out as W's instead. I absolutely love it. It will be a sad day when he calls his sister "Lilly" instead of "Wi-wee," because I know that day is probably coming soon. I am going to miss it. A few weeks ago in the car we were practicing letters and I asked him what "whistle" started with. Fully confident, he answered "L." Well played, son. 

Four.

Jake has been watching "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" for awhile now, and so when he plays, he likes to set booby traps, or "movie traps" as he calls them. A couple of days ago, we started correcting him, telling him that it's "booby trap" and not "movie trap." He'd remember for awhile and then later in the day forget again. After correcting him yesterday evening, I heard him repeating the word "booby" under his breath, I guess as a way to remember it. Way to go, Parents, your son is now repetitively saying booby. Awesome.

Five.

Jake's has two favorite "naughty" words right now. The first is "underpants," which I am totally okay with. And the other? Well, I can't really explain it… it's "tutu"… or more like "tooo-toooo" (said in a crazy Jake voice). He loves to call people "too-too" or say, "Haha- you're just a too-toooo!" Yeah, I totally don't get it. Last week he was saying that over and over again and so I finally stopped him and asked, "Jake, what exactly is a too-too?" He thought for a second and then explained quite simply that "it's when there's a lion in your underpants and it roars."                       Well, there you have it.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday - Snow!

Show Us Your Life: Halloween Costumes

Happy Friday! I think I say that every Friday... I guess that's because they always seem to be happy!

Anyhoo... today I am linking up over at Kelly's Korner as part of her "Show Us Your Life" series. The topics are always fun, but I usually forget to participate. Thankfully I popped in over there yesterday and noticed that the next SUYL date was today! And the topic is fun, too- show us your Halloween costumes!

Considering that this was taken on an ordinary Sunday in June...

Dressing up for this family is not a far stretch! BUT... my favorite Halloween costume of ours of ALL TIME has to be our first Halloween when we were mimes!

Not only is this an easy costume option (which I believe we came up with at the very last minute), but it's so much fun, too! We were two of the worst mimes ever and lasted about 30 minutes seconds without talking. We did enjoy acting things out and making total fools of ourselves though!

The Pros: 

It's cheap (black clothes, white gloves, white face paint, black lipstick for lips and eyebrows, eyeliner); everyone LOVED it (although we got robbed in the costume contest... not that I'm bitter or anything! Ha!); it's warm (if you live in a colder place); and you can have tons of fun "miming" all night.

The Cons: 

I do not want to show you a picture from the end of the night... we looked ROUGH! White facepaint tends to stick to every crease and wrinkle you have, so just beware! Also, I smiled in many photos and not only did it just look... well... strange, but my teeth also did not look all that white next to my white face. But it was worth it.

As for the kiddos, they're the most fun always! Jake has now been both a spider and a dragon:

 And Miss Lilly was Minnie Mouse at just one-month-old (and I was too sleep-deprived to dress up)!

This is the first year that we're going for a full family-affair, but I can't spoil all the fun. All I can say is that we'll be decked out in lots of red spandex... that should be enough to make you wonder! Many folks around here already know what we'll be based on the fact that Jake has lived in his costume for a few weeks now. He loves it!  I'll make sure to post pictures next week!

I can't wait to visit other blogs and see all of their great ideas. I mean, who doesn't love to dress up just for a day? 

Reflections - Change the World!

Wow, is it Thursday again already?  This week has just flown by!

Last week I set out a topic that was not all that deep, but hopefully stirred up something within you.  As my husband often teaches, find the thing that ticks you off and that's probably what makes you tick.  Translation: if there is an issue in this world that breaks your heart, chances are that you'd serve very passionately to work toward that cause and it would fulfill you deeply.  For my husband, TurningPoint Church is the fruit of that... his heart aches constantly for those who do not know the love of Christ and he worked diligently to do something about it.  And for me, helping my husband fulfill his dream was what made my cup run over as well.  Granted, over time and through hearing story after story of what God's love has meant to someone who previously had not known it, my heart breaks for those who are without God as well, and without that, we could've never survived church planting together.  It baffles him that we don't automatically have that big hurt and we don't feel that urge to get everyone into a relationship with Christ, because he had that from day one.  And I know others like that, too.  But for most people, we go through a selfish period first (what can He do for me?), finally realize at some point the impact that having a relationship with Christ has made on our life, and then we start to want that for other people.  I really wish it was the other way around.  But I digress... where was I going with this?

Oh yes, how do I want to change the world?  That was what I put out there last week to reflect on, and for me, it really boiled down to how do I want to change my world (AKA current situation) right now.  You see, over the past year things in my life have been turned upside down in a very good way, but now that the dust is settling, I realize that I have put everyone else ahead of me and am not sure if I'm exactly where I want to be.  Does that make sense?  And hear me out... I think this was (A) completely necessary for this time in our life, (B) a conscious decision that I happily made and have loved, and (C) something that had to transpire in my own life.  Why?  Because, well, I spent the first 29 years of my life living very selfishly, and these past few have taught me the importance of putting others first.  My problems are not that big, my life is not that bad, and even on my worst day, I am more blessed than a large majority of the world.  Yet, I find myself complaining from time to time and a sense of dissatisfaction sets in.  Because like all selfish people (meaning... ALL of us), I want MORE for myself.  Now that the church is in a healthy state and our life is a little more routine (although we really don't know the meaning of that word!) I think it's time to self-assess and evaluate and find out exactly what that MORE that I want actually is.  Do any of us know?

There is a magnet on our refrigerator that says "If you could do anything and know that you could not fail, what would you do?"  A couple of weeks ago, Josh asked me if I had an answer to that question, and it was odd that I read it just about everyday.  So... I thought about it.  And you know what?  It turns out that as we stormed through life like a Tazmanian devil for the past three years, my dreams are still there.  They're still strong.  And the some have even come true!  I am married to a man that I adore, who inspires me to be better and do great things, and does many himself on a daily basis.  I have two incredible children, who I love more than this life.  We have a home, tons of friends, and more love than I could ever ask for.  Those dreams have come true.  And what's left are those "bucket list" types of accomplishments that are so personal they scare the crap out of me.  Some are small... get better at photography, learn to use Photoshop, learn new techniques to decorate cakes.  But then (gulp) there are those big ones that you don't even want to tell anyone for fear that you'll fail.  And then I think of that magnet, and well, at some point you just have to go for it, right?  Because I think the only answer to this dissatisfaction is tackling those things that leave you shaking in your boots.  Things like... (deep breath)... write a book, run a sub-four hour marathon, have a successful ministry (although I'm not sure for whom or on what), wear a post-baby bikini... okay, I just made that last one up, but seriously, how scary is that?  Like I said... BIG stuff.  SCARY stuff.  Stuff that could take YEARS to accomplish.  Stuff that require tons of work, commitment, time, and dedication.  Stuff that leaves me shaking in my boots.

But then I look at my husband and see the satisfaction painted on his face.  Since this dream welled up inside of him, there have been days that he thought he would fail, days that were tough, days when there was not enough time or money, and days that we thought we'd kill each other.  His dream is BIG.  His dream is SCARY.  But he went for it!

So... I think the way to fight dissatisfaction is always to be going after these big, scary things that we're afraid to say out loud.  If your 9-5 is just what gets you a paycheck right now or if you feel stuck in a rut being a stay-at-home parent, keep in mind that the dreams you had before life got crazy are still there- they might just be hiding underneath loads of laundry, piles of bills, or dirty diapers.  But I think they still want to be chased and it's in the chasing that we find contentment.  What are some of yours?

Okay, so that was so not where I had originally planned to go with this post, but sometimes you just have to go with it.  Now that I've put all of that out there, I guess it's time to get started, right?

Please check out Brittany's thoughts on the topic over at Daughter... Wife... Mom... Sis on this.  I think she basically said what I was trying to say before I got off topic and it completely rocked my socks off.  She and I are great friends and pastors wives who live WAY too far apart, but I love coming together like this each week.  We also hope that you shared this week and will link up below!

As for next week, here is what Brittany has challenged us to reflect on this week: 

I'd like for us to meditate on the new Hillsong song...."Cornerstone".....it is just absolutely UH...MAZE.....ING!!!!!!!!  You will not be disappointed.  It talks about God being our anchor and cornerstone in life!  Let's focus on the words of the song and share on what spoke to you most!  

Here is the link and the lyrics: 

CORNERSTONE

My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus' blood and righteousnessI 

dare not trust the sweetest frame

but wholly trust in Jesus' name

-Chorus-

Christ alone, Cornerstone

Weak made strong, in the Savior's love

Through the storm

He is Lord, Lord of All

When darkness seems to hide His faceI 

rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

[Chorus]

He is Lord, Lord of all

[Chorus 2x]

Then He shall come with trumpets sound

Oh, may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone

faultless, stand before the throne 

Reflections - Leadership

Good morning, y'all (that's right... I said it.  I have officially lived in Kentucky for a year so it's time I start using the lingo!).  Did you have a chance to listen to the podcast posted by Brittany last week?  If not, you can find it here.  And if not, I encourage you to jump over there and listen because Christine Caine (the speaker) really knows her stuff and is such an inspiration to men and women all over the world.  For those of you who have never heard of her, she and her family have been in ministry for a long time, but their main focus now is their A21 Campaign, which works to abolish sex trafficking all over the world.  Talk about taking on a really big, ugly problem, right?  And I am embarrassed to admit that until I heard her speak at a conference, I really had no idea how horrific and HUGE this issue is.  Did you know that there are an estimated 20 million people (mostly women and children) imprisoned by slavery today?  Against their will?  From child labor to prostitution, people are still being sold and shipped like cargo to live in bondage and I sit here in the comfort of my cozy living room and complain when my husband has to work late or my children won't nap!  It really puts things into perspective, doesn't it?  Okay, so I did not mean to go into that too much today, but if you did not know about this atrocity that is still occurring worldwide, I encourage you to look into it.  Knowledge is power and bringing awareness to any problem only works toward finding a solution.  And that's what I love about Christine Cain... she refuses to just sit back and let this happen... which brings me to my point today.

You only have to listen to her speak for about two minutes before you hear the point that I'm going to post on today.  She begins to talk about her 5 top qualities for leadership and although all five are great (conviction, confidence, commitment, consistency, and courage), one jumped out at me.  When she talks about confidence, I love that she specifically defined it as "confidence in Christ."  We've probably all been to leadership seminars in our lives, and even though confidence is probably touched upon, have you ever heard it expanded not just to confidence in ourselves and our own abilities, but confidence in Christ.  In God... who created the heavens and the earth and breathed life into you and me.  And ultimately, we can only have confidence in ourselves because all of our gifts and abilities come from Him.  But how many times do we shy away from something because we don't think we're good enough?  Maybe we don't apply for a job because we don't feel qualified or don't join in a discussion because we don't feel smart enough?  It's in these times that we need to take a step back and realize that we can only have confidence in ourselves if we first have confidence in Christ.

A good friend of mine has been going through a lot lately and it has been taking a toll on her emotionally.  Anytime we don't know the outcome of something, it opens the door to the what-if's and she found herself there, which is not a fun place to be.  I listened to her without much advice to give other than just to wait and see, but wish I had more.  Later that day I went home and opened up a new book we just bought for Jake called "Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids" just to skim some of the content.  First off, let me just say that I love this book.  He's still a little young for it, but even though it's geared toward children, I am getting so much out of it!  I think we complicate things as adults, so getting back to the basics is kind of nice sometimes.  But anyway, I "coincidentally" opened it up to the page that had these words:

"I am all around you.  Even when you don't notice Me, I am here.  you may not notice Me because your mind is tied up with other things.  Like worry.  A lot of people believe that worry is just a part of life.  But they are wrong.  Worry is actually a kind of unbelief.  Worrying says you don't believe I am big enough to take care of whatever it is that upsets you so much.  Worrying says you think I need your help.

Wrong!  I am big enough.  I am strong enough.  I love you enough.  Bring your problems to Me.  You can trust Me to take care of you- and whatever you are worrying about!"

I immediately called her back and read that to her... and then later emailed it.  The words that struck me here are "You don't believe I am big enough to take care of whatever it is that upsets you so much."  Ouch.  Do you ever find yourself there?  Without... wait for it... CONFIDENCE in Christ?  How can we believe that we can accomplish anything if we don't always believe (and know!) that God can do anything.  And not only that, but He can do anything THROUGH us.  We are his hands and feet and the only way He can do good in this world is to use us to do His work.  Which ultimately means that we are far more equipped than we even think, so sometimes we just have to step out of our comfort zone and just go for it!  If we just believed with all our might that we can be used in big ways, we really can be a light into the world and change it for the better.  One of my husband's favorite sayings is, "God does't call the equipped... He equips the called."

Is there something in your life that absolutely bugs you?  Something that breaks your heart that you wish could change?  It could be big or small... not all of us have to be as brave as Christine Cain to tackle a global issue (yet anyway... hee hee) yet there has to be something in your world that could be better.  Taking what we learned last week in this podcast, along with the words found in John 16:33, how can YOU use these things to make a difference?  How can YOU begin to change the world, or even just your current situation if you're unhappy with it?  Draw confidence in CHRIST this week and join us again here next week to share.

Please make sure to visit Brittany over at Daughter...Wife...Mom...Sis to read her take on this week's topic and then link up below or leave a comment to share your own thoughts!

Reflections - Humility

"Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up." (James 4:10)

There could not have been a more perfect verse for me this week.  Or this past month really.  When I saw that this was the chosen topic for this week's Reflections post, I knew that I needed this verse this week.  James is probably my favorite book of the Bible and I've read it several times, but I think I've just skimmed over these particular words in the past.  Thankfully because of this post, I had to sit and chew on it for awhile this week.

This verse comes at an appropriate time because we are approaching the one year anniversary of our move here.  We did not have a Lexington address until August, but in June of 2011 we packed our car with suitcases and moved in with my sister and her family for awhile.  It was official- we were embarking on our church planting adventure.  And over the course of this past year we have done just that... planted. The phrase "church planting" makes it sound so simple.  I mean, how hard is it to plant something?  I guess that all depends on how successful and healthy you want it to be.

Take the parable of the sower for example, found in Matthew chapter 13.  In this story, a farmer plants seeds and the ones that fall on the dirt path get eaten by birds.  The ones that fall on rocky ground grow up quickly but dry out because their roots cannot find the soil.  Any seeds that are planted too close to the weeds are eventually choked out.  But thankfully some of the seeds fall on fertile soil and these are the plants that thrive and can be harvested.

In order for our church plant to thrive, we knew that we would have to have good soil.  In the church planting world that means the right people, the right vision, the right drive, and a whole heck of a lot of work!  It takes huge sacrifices, both on your time and resources, and we poured our hearts and souls into seeing this happen.  And then launch day rolled around and we had 280 people show up!  Amazing!  But guess what?  Our work wasn't done!  Our plant was now just a tiny seedling and it still needed lots of love.  It still needs love everyday, and more sacrifice, and more time and effort.  If we are truly the church, then our work is not just limited to Sundays but to everyday!  We can't stop!  There are too many birds out there waiting to eat those seeds, too many weeds waiting to choke out the new life, and too much rocky ground trying to uproot us.  It takes work every. single. day. to keep this plant healthy and thriving, and that work comes in so many forms.  As a church planting family we wear every hat... my husband is the pastor, the CEO, the accountant, the janitor, the maintenance director, the vision caster, and tries to keep this in balance with being a husband and a father first.  He's done everything from install air conditioning to setting up bank accounts, to running payroll, to designing a website, to making multimedia videos, to auditioning a worship team, to paying bills, to leading meetings, and still spends about 30 hours a week working on his message for the next Sunday.  Meanwhile I am mostly at home working a full-time job, taking care of our two little ones, running the kids' ministry, starting a community moms' group, keeping our house clean, trying to put dinner on the table, and still trying to be a loving wife first.  I'm not going to lie... it's exhausting.  Worth it?  Absolutely.  But exhausting nonetheless.

So what's this got to do with humility?  A LOT.  We live in an "I can do it all myself" society.  Asking for help is a sign of weakness in many people's opinions.  But you know what?  That idea is not from God!  Nope!  It's right there in black and white: HUMBLE yourself before the Lord and HE will lift you up.  It doesn't say juggle a million balls in the air and you'll somehow reach superstar status.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you have to do it all alone!  Right there in print it blatantly tells us that we cannot do it alone.  Nor should we.  And over these past few months I have tried.  I am juggling more balls than I can handle, and I felt that if I admitted that to myself or to anyone else, that would mean that I was failing.  But the truth is, by asking for help I am being more responsible and taking better care of these balls that I am juggling!  Surrounding myself with people who can help gives me more hands to keep them from falling... what a wonderful concept!  I am thankful that I could read this and be reminded that God created me to be many things and to be capable of doing many things, but that He did not create me to do it all.  As a woman, I am constantly comparing myself to others.  Through Facebook, blogs, Pinterest, and other mediums we are bombarded with examples of other women who "have and do it all."  The sad part is that we forget that it's all a facade and behind every one of them is a woman who feels like she's teetering on the edge of disappointing someone or letting someone down.  If we all just slowed down for a moment and asked for help- from God and from each other- just imagine how much less pressure we would have on ourselves!

So this is me officially saying that enough is enough... I have taken on a little more than I can handle and I am in the process of getting help.  If that makes me a failure in someone's eyes then so be it... because I've already been promised that HE will lift me up.  I am perfect in His eyes and those are the only ones that matter.

I hope that this is a verse that you will commit to memory for those times that you feel like your world is spinning out of control.  As my husband would say, "don't forget the Lord of the work when you're doing the work of the Lord."  In other words, do things for a purpose and drop the things that are just weighing you down.  And ask for help if you're overwhelmed, okay?  I promise it will be okay.

If you shared your view on this topic, please link up with us.  You can also check out the fabulous Brittany's thoughts over on her blog "Daughter... Wife... Mom... Sis" (found here).

To piggy-back on this week's topic for next week, we're going to talk about prayer.  I think humility and prayer go hand-in-hand since it's through prayer that we often ask for help.  I really don't have a specific verse or reading for the topic but instead I want you to spend this week reflecting on your prayer life.  How is it?  Do you even have one?  Do you pray only when you need something or do you rejoice and sing praises to the Lord in the good times, too?  What helps you remember to pray?  Do you do it daily or just when you think about it?  My hope is that through this process we can really evaluate and explore where we are at when it comes to prayer.  And if we find that we need to learn more about it to really get to where we want to be, at least we'll have a starting point.  And if you have any references that you can recommend on the topic, please feel free to share them in your post.  Can't wait to hear how God speaks to you this week!

As always, thanks for sharing and for allowing me to share.  I hope this verse blessed you as much as it has blessed me.

Mama's Month - Why I Love Being a Mom

Sorry for disappearing for a few days.  I wanted to do a few posts, I really did, but I was a wee bit busy spending tons of time outside... taking walks:

And lounging at the pool...

And hanging out with family at Grampa and Gramma's new house:

And even enjoying a much-needed girls' night out at a local winery...

See?  Busy... in the best kind of way!  My Memorial Day weekend this year was one of the best ever and really was like a stay-cation.  I've always loved every season, but especially now that I have kids, I think I am becoming a summer person.  Helllllooooo, summer... I'm so glad you're here!

Over these past few days, I've done a lot of thinking about what part of motherhood I would want to do this last Mama's Month post on.  If you're a mom yourself, you know that it's impossible to narrow down what you like best about motherhood!  It's the hardest, best, most rewarding, most frustrating, most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life, so where to start?  So while today won't be the only favorite thing I have to share about being a mom, it's one tiny part of it.

So far, at every single age, I have said that I would freeze time if I could.  I cannot tell you how many times I have said, "This is my favorite age."  Yes, it's true... every single phase has it's challenges, but seeing my son or daughter figure something out or learn something new just blows my mind.  Jake is just a chatterbox these days, stringing together sentences and saying words that I didn't know he knew every single day.  And Lil, still as sweet as can be, is imitating sounds we make, army-crawling at lightning speed, and pulling herself up into a standing position (make it stop!!!).  I am constantly wowed by their little accomplishments... so I can only imagine how much pride I will feel as they get older and accomplish bigger things (by most people's standards anyway).  It's this constant amazement that I love most about motherhood... the daily surprises, and continuous awe, and inexplicable amount of pride, joy, and love that overflows because of this gift.  The Bible promises us that God can do anything and that He is amazing, but motherhood to me is the tangible proof of this promise:

20 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  (Ephesians 3:20)

Because I'm a mom, not only do I know that I can love more than I ever thought possible, I also know that I can do anything and that no challenge is too big or too small.  My oldest child is only a little over two, but already I know that I can change a diaper and field a sales call at the same time.  I can switch from tending to Lilly in a gentle, caring way, to sternly disciplining Jake for climbing on the countertop.  I can build a train track village like a champ, throw a ball better than I ever could (which isn't saying much), and suddenly have cat-like reflexes when one of them trips on something.  I can carry a load of laundry, a child, a laptop, and a coffee cup up and down the stairs... all at the same time.  I can sing nursery rhymes I thought had been long forgotten, use voices when reading stories that I never knew I had, and go from a deep sleep to amazing alertness if one of them needs me in the middle of the night.  I have superhero hearing now and intuition that astounds me.  Yes, my kiddos amaze me daily, but now that I'm a mom, I am in awe about what God can do through me.  Parenthood takes a lot of prayer, but when I pray for strength, He gives it to me.  When I pray for patience, He usually gives Jake a double dose of temper tantrums that week or Lil a rough week of sleep so that I have no choice but to find extra patience. When I pray for peace, I have more moments cuddling sweet Lil as she falls asleep that week.  Through the gift of motherhood, I know more than I ever have, that He delivers.  These feats may be small in some people's eyes, but in mine, they are bigger than I could ever imagine.  And if becoming a mom makes me capable of doing all of this, there is no end to what I might be able to do.

13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philipians 4:13)


There has never been a truer statement, but I didn't know it until I was a mom.  

Reflections - Never Once

Last week the challenge was to meditate on the lyrics of the song "Never Once" by Matt Redman and post about how they spoke to you.  I had never actually even heard this song, so I was pretty excited to delve into the unknown a bit.  And although all of the words are beautiful, the title (which is repeated over and over again throughout the entire song) is what continually jumped out at me.

Never Once... think about that phrase.  To me, it's pretty finite, and here it apples to the frequency that God has not been there for you.  Never Once.  When it comes to relationships in our lives, how many times have you let someone down?  How many times have you told someone you'd be there and then something came up and it all fell through?  There is not a single person on the planet who can answer "never once" to those questions.

But God can.

What really moves me is the thought that God has always been there for me, even through the times when I did not deserve His love.  I grew up in a Christian household, but in order to call yourself a follower of anything, you have to actually obey and follow the ways of whomever you're choosing to follow.  Makes sense, right?  Well, let's just say that even though I grew up in a Christian household, at some point I just chose to make my own decisions, carve my own path, and go my own way.  And because we're all born with some sense of right and wrong coupled with the teachings of the Bible from my upbringing, I always  had an inward struggle through these years.  It was as if I was butting heads with God, but didn't want to admit it.  I would try to pray to Him, but actually felt too guilty to do so.  And I would only go to Him when things were at the worst and I would be at my lowest low.  I failed to praise Him for the good, which is something I try to do daily now, and instead only ran to Him in the bad... and felt extremely guilty for treating Him that way.  Any other relationship in the world would not last through that kind of one-sidedness.  But God?  Well, I know now that He just patiently waited on me.  How many times did He leave me?  Never Once.  Sure, sometimes I couldn't feel His presence, and sometimes I felt like He had abandoned me, but looking back, it was probably due to the fact that I did not spend a whole heck of a lot of time seeking Him.  God wants to speak to us, but in order to have a conversation you need to seek His words and His wisdom.  And where do we find this?  In His book of course.  You might not read the right passage or find comfort in the words of your daily reading right away, but if you continue to seek Him through your struggles, you will stumble upon the answer eventually.  That's the beauty of His promise.

I don't know where you are right now in your walk.  Maybe you've been a Christian for as long as you can remember or maybe you are how I was and have a foundation, but no relationship and are living by your own rules.  Maybe you are "all in" or maybe you're just testing the waters and trying to figure out this thing that is so much bigger than ourselves.  But rest in the peace and comfort today that God is there no matter where you're at.  God is with you whether you like it or not in fact!  Seek Him and you will always find Him... and eventually you will see that God will never once let you down and that life is truly easier and more abundantly blessed when we do it His way.  Now that's a relationship that's worth having!

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

(Matthew 7:7-8)

As always, you can check out what Brittany wrote over on her blog (found here).  We also have a friend who has chosen to join us weekly and she's posting over at her blog "Welcome To Deckerville" (found here).  She has a huge heart for God and is going through some pretty tough stuff in regards to their new baby, which she has chosen to share in order to better help and minister to others.  And if you posted on this topic, please link up below or leave a comment.

It was Brittany's turn to pick so here is what we'll be reflecting on this week:

As for next week, I would like to pick a scripture in James 4 and it is just one verse - verse 10

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" 

This is a "life verse" for me and I feel like re-visiting and meditating on it this week!  Sorry for being selfish, but I believe there is POWER and FREEDOM in this verse!  Join us in memorizing this scripture and responding to how it spoke to you this week!  

Mama's Month - Maternity Leave Survival

One of the perks of having a baby is the glorious three months of time off.  Oh yes, time to spend relaxing with your new little one, catching up on reading, tackling projects around the house, and becoming supermom to your new tenant.  

Riiiiiggggggghhhhhhht. 

If you've been there before, then you know as well as I do that it can quickly turn into endless days in your sweats, sleep deprivation, and cabin fever.  You can't remember the last time you brushed your hair or teeth (much less took a shower... what's that?) and there doesn't seem to be an end to the emotional roller coaster ride you're on.  Family and friends are dropping by (or staying with you) and even though you love the company, you're hoping they don't notice the messy house or the fact that you may or may not have poop on your shirt.  Plus, you kind of wish they'd just leave so you can attempt to take a nap.

Well guess what, friends?  You're not alone!  While I don't have a perfect plan that works for everyone, here is the advice that I wish I would have received before the little bambino arrived:

#1 - Throw the rule book out the window

Demand feeding vs. scheduled feeding.  Am I holding my baby too much?  Swaddling vs. not swaddling.  Breastfeeding vs. Bottle feeding.  Is it okay that my baby sleeps better on his belly?  

EVERY baby is different.  If you spend all of your time frantically worrying about whether or not you're doing it "right," you're going to be one stressed out mess!  While it's great to talk to other mommy friends, keep in mind that there is no perfect formula.  If breastfeeding is making you miserable, try a bottle and see if that helps!  Sure there are great nutrients in breast milk, but formula is rich with vitamins and nutrients, too!  If you make your decisions based on YOUR instincts and YOUR baby's preferences (which you will figure out before anyone else) then you're going to enjoy those first few months a lot more.

#2 - Accept Help

I was terrible at this!  I had family staying with us to help take care of Jake, the house, etc., but I insisted on doing everything myself.  My theory was that I would have to do it all eventually, so I might as well get used to it.  Yes, you are going to have to do it all eventually, so give yourself a break while you can! If you have family staying with you, don't be afraid to delegate a little either.  Your mother-in-law probably won't mind throwing in a load of laundry if you need her to.  And trust me, the baby will be in great hands while you take yourself a little nap.

#3 - If you're about to snap, you need a nap!

Okay, I didn't even mean to rhyme!  Sleep deprivation is a horrible thing... that's why it's used as a war tactic to torture prisoners.  If you start noticing that you're getting snippy or even angry at those around you (and your child in particular for not giving you any "me-time"), a little snooze will probably do you some good.  If I ended up in tears, it was usually a red flag that I needed an hour or two away from my bundle of joy... and that's perfectly okay and you're a better mom for it!

#4 - Accept the emotional roller coaster 

 There is nothing that will prepare you for the waves of emotion that will sweep over you after childbirth. and the weeks that follow.  In fact, as soon as I stepped foot into our house with Jake and he was handed off to one of the waiting grandparents I went up to my room and sobbed.  Like ugly-crying sobbed.  It was awful.  And my reason?  I didn't want to "share" him with anyone, which is silly I know.  I also had this crazy resentment toward Josh's dad for those first few weeks because I felt like he was "hogging the baby" which he was by no means doing!  I've actually apologized to him for my crazy behavior and now I could not imagine my life without him being nearby!  Everyday I would literally cry tears of joy as I would rock and sing Jake to sleep and then I'd be crying tears of frustration five minutes later.  It's normal... and it's okay.  I do think it's important though to talk to someone about what you're going through.  I know of two good friends now that went through postpartum depression, but never knew it until much later.  If you're angry at your child for being born, or if you feel like you don't like him or her at all, these are signs and there are probably people right under your nose who can help you through it.  Don't bottle it in for the fear that someone might think you're crazy.

#5 - Take a break before finding "normal"

I think the first couple of weeks are the most special weeks of a new parent's life.  Even though you're never dressed or don't have any make-up on, you just get to cuddle and love on your newborn.  You will never get that time back, so allow yourself to have it.  After a week or two, however, face the real world again.  Getting "out there" with or without your child is so important and will do wonders for your sanity. And if you need gas or a gallon of milk, volunteer to go without your child just to get out of the house by yourself for a few.  It will clear your head and make you realize how much you love your child based on how much you miss your child!

#6 - Make "To-Do" lists

Once you're past the two week mark, make short-term and long-term "To-Do" lists.  Not having any sort of schedule at all will result in lots of time watching HGTV (trust me, I know!).  I would record TV shows and allow myself only to watch them while nursing, even if it meant that I could not get through a full program before I was finished... that was just my rule to avoid becoming a couch potato.  Sometimes my daily to-do list would only have one or two things on it, like "go for a walk" or "visit Josh at work" but it made me become intentional about getting up, getting dressed, and getting out of the house.  It also made sure that my house did not turn into a pig-stye!  As for long-term projects, pick one or two things that you've been putting off and take baby steps toward accomplishing the task.  You'll find that projects will progress much more slowly now, so you might as well get used to it!

#7 - Give your body a break

Do you realize that you just had a baby?  Do you understand how amazing your body is???  One of the best things that ever happened to my confidence was childbirth.  I realize that I may never look like I did at 20, but I love the way I look now more than I ever did.  And I care about what goes into my body and how I take care of it more than I ever did.  Even though I'm a bit squishier, I care about my body so much more than I used to.  So wait at least three weeks before looking in a mirror and give yourself some time to just let it be.  And while you try to get the baby weight off, cut yourself some slack and appreciate the fact that God gave you such beautiful gift.

#8 - Know that it will get easier

I can still remember riding in the car with Josh on the way home from church.  Jake was about 12 weeks old and all of the sudden I looked up and felt my head clear.  I looked at Josh and told him that I felt like I as coming out of a cloud... like I had been living in a weird fog and I could finally see again.  I don't think this happens quite so literally for everyone, but understand that you will be so scatterbrained, confused, doubtful, and overwhelmed for a little while, and it's okay.  Eventually your baby will get over his or her colic.  Eventually your baby will sleep through the night.  Eventually you will understand what his or her cry means.  Keep in mind that this won't last forever.

#9 - Show that baby off!

It will happen.  You will walk into a room and suddenly disappear.  For nine months it was all about you, but now it's going to be "Oh hi, baby!" before they even see you.  Instead of letting that bother you, soak it up!  This is something YOU created... how amazing is that?  Great job, mama!

#10 - Believe it when they say that they grow up too fast

I hated this expression before I had kids.  I was always like "yeah, yeah... whatever."  And now Jake is two!  There is a reason people say this... it's so true!  So instead of always wishing for the next thing (I can't wait until he can hold his own bottle, I can't wait until she sleeps through the night, my life will be easier one he can talk, etc.) live IN every phase that you're at.  One day you'll blink and that baby will be a toddler, then a big kid, then a teenager, then off on his or her own.  

I don't think I set out to write ten of these and I probably could write ten more, but again, I wish I had someone who told me this stuff before Jake was born.  If you have advice on how to get the most out of your maternity leave time, I'd love for you to link up with me and share!