Orange Soda and Banana Moon Pies

I have decided to change the look of my blog for awhile.  I'm sure I will change it again a little ways down the road (I get bored quickly with the look of things. I like frequent change.)  I realize the new look is slightly gloomy, but, to me, there is something beautiful and simple about it.

I wanted to thank all of those who read my blog from time to time.  It's neat to see that there are people who are actually interested (even if only slightly, or out of boredom) in what is on this mind of mine.

Today has been a lazy day, along with yesterday.  I only left the house once (to my knowledge), and that was to go on a date with my wonderful husband to see the movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  Very funny movie by the way, even if there were a few parts that had me inconspicuously wiping my eyes.

I have drown my laziness in orange soda and banana moon pies.  Which might explain the slight bit of nausea I have felt -- too much sugar, and not enough of anything else.

I will stop babbling for now.  Until I find more to say.  My brain feels like mush, and is currently lacking in the creativity department.

So long for now!  I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Joyous Laughter

This evening, our home was filled with the joyous sound of laughter.  Both from my husband, Ryan, and I along with our son Liam.  Ryan enjoys playing with Liam in any way he can that will get him to giggle or chuckle.  Most of the time he is satisfied with a small laugh, but strives for the belly laughs. :)

One particular moment, in which we both wish we could have captured with the camera in time, was when Ryan walked into Liam's room to find him in a very interesting position.  With his head on the mattress, Liam had somehow gotten his legs up in the air, with his tummy up against the rails, and was doing a headstand (with his neck) on the side of the crib!  All while playfully screaming. You can imagine the laughter that followed!  How does a 4 and a half month old get into such a predicament??!!  He didn't seem to mind though, but rest assured that I was concerned enough about him injuring himself that I made Ryan quickly move him before he could even get his camera out to take a picture.

The other instances in which we were filled with joy and laughter are just all of the little things that little one's do, but because he is our child, we found them to be the funniest things on earth.  One if these things was the release of a bodily function that just so happened to have been done in a hilarious way (unbeknownst to the little person who did it).  :)

I cherish these moments, and never want to wish them away.

Sniffles, giggles, and laughter.

Sniffles, gags, sneezes, and coughs are parading around our house these days.  The newest addition to our family (he's only been with us for 19 weeks and 3 days - or 4 and a half months, whichever you prefer) is the leader of this parade.  I have spent more time checking to see if he is still breathing than I have been anything else.  It's not a fun feeling.  I get so worried that in the middle of the night, his little nose will be stopped up, and he will have so much drainage in his throat that he will get choked and not be able to breathe.

On a lighter note, I am enjoying watching our little one learn new things.  He is becoming a master at holding things with his hands, and reaching out to grab things.  His form of transportation has long been rolling around from place to place.  And we get all the babbles, coos, giggles, and chuckles we could ever ask for.  I love listening to him talk to himself while I'm busy doing something else.  It sure does make this momma's heart swell.

Pretty soon we are going to have to figure out a method of keeping this crazy boy contained in one location.  The more mobile he becomes, the more I realize just how crazy life is going to get once he is 100% mobile!  I guess that's what they make play pens for - to have a safe place to confine your small child to so they aren't getting into everything every five seconds!

I'm just praying for the dogs, and the day they will no longer be able to mind their own business.  The day when their ears and tails become new toys, and they enter into an eternal game of tag, in which they are never "it".  I foresee many pictures, videos, and laughs to come.

Unconditional

Life as of late has been a new adventure. I am learning how to be a mother. I am learning how to balance being a wife and being a mother at the same time. I am learning how to take control when things get out of control (a.k.a.-every possible area on a child that could expel anything, does. LOL) Most of all, I am learning how to have unconditional love.

For me, unconditional love is hard to give. I get angry when people don't follow the rules of the road. I get angry when people treat others unfairly. And the list goes on. So, for me, to show someone love, no matter what they say or do, is not something that comes naturally. However, loving my child unconditionally, so far, has proven to be the easiest thing on earth. There is nothing that compares to the love you have for your child. There is something magical about it. Maybe it has to do with the fact that a single human being (or 2 or 20, depending on how many children you have) possesses both yourself and the one person on earth who is your best friend, your soul mate, the source of your passion, etc.) Two people, combined together to create one person. It's phenomenal. My minuscule little mind cannot always grasp this concept. All I know is, I love my child like I have never loved anyone before. In fact, I have to be cautious that I do not put him above my husband (but that is another topic for another day). 


 Loving my son comes naturally. It's easy. And for now, he loves me back. It's easy to have unconditional love for someone like this. It's easy to love someone who loves you in return. But how easy is it to love someone who hates you? Not very. Well let's not even go that far with it. Let's just ask ourselves: how easy is it to love someone you don't know? Still the answer is the same. Not very. 


Something my child is helping me learn, is how to do this. How to love someone when they don't love you back. How to even love someone who is unlovable. If I can have this kind of love for my child, then I know I am capable. Because the truth is, my child is not perfect. Even at this young age he messes up. He spits up on my nice outfit. He screams when everyone is being quiet. And although these are small things in comparison to the larger things we have to encounter with others, it's a small step in the direction of learning.  


I thank the God I serve for this blessing in my life. I pray I never take him for granted. He is a gift. And I love him. Unconditionally.

Trusting Him With All We Have

Here lately I have been down in the dumps. Down about our humble home, down about money, down about my family having to wear the same few outfits over and over again. Down about a lot of things.

Thankfully God heard my heart's cry, and ordained my next reading in "Crazy Love" to be about this very topic. Only, Francis Chan was not writing about my pity party and how to console these feelings; he was writing about how we need to trust God to take care of us with little. That we need to give God more, and trust that He is going to take care of our needs.

In Deuteronomy 15:10, God tells us to give liberally and to do so in an ungrudging manner. And I started thinking about how much I try to hoard what little we have, in hopes that we will actually have something, and every time I am disappointed when the cup runs dry. But I see where I went wrong. I was under the impression that my life is about gaining more things, gaining a bigger and nicer house that we actually own and not rent, being able to eat out at restaurants, having nice new clothes for every season, etc. But I am quickly seeing my fault. My life is not about THINGS. My life is about serving the One Who gave His life for all mankind. My life is about giving everything I have to His work. My life is about serving OTHERS, not myself. How can I serve others when all I am thinking about is how I can scrounge up enough money to buy a new outfit?? I can't!

My attitude has been completely altered by this society and the message it sends. According to society: Life is all about the "American Dream". Life is all about gaining success. But what is success, really? I am finding myself asking this question more and more.

Jesus teaches us the real success in life. All we have to do is seek Him, and He will reveal it to us. Do you dare to trust Him today, with everything you have?

What The World Thinks

The Bible tells us there is POWER in the name of Jesus.

I always understood this, but just recently, that has taken on a very new meaning.

How ironic is it that people in this world who want NOTHING to do with God, will say things like, "Jesus says not to judge", or "Jesus says to love everybody."
I bet these people don't even realize by saying this, they have just given AUTHORITY to Jesus. They have just unknowingly stated that they think there is credibility in the words of Christ! How exciting is that?! If they are willing to to think there is weight behind those couple of things that Jesus said, then maybe they are willing to hear the rest of the story?!

There is AUTHORITY, and POWER in the name of JESUS CHRIST!!

Get Up and Get Moving

I have been sort down in the dumps the past two months. Down in the dumps about my body. I have struggled this entire pregnancy with changes my body has endured. And now that this child is no longer renting out space in my abdomen, I am still struggling with the image I see staring back at me in the mirror. I hate when I see people for the first time since the baby has been born and I see there eyes glance toward my postpartum tummy.

I realize I just had my son only eight and a half short weeks ago - and I realize I'm going to look like I just had a child. But the truth is, I was hoping I would be one of the small percentage of people who can leave the hospital in their pre-pregnancy jeans. Truth is, I am not one of those people. But my next thought was, I can use nursing to my advantage - effortless calorie burning! Unfortunately, nursing was not possible for us.

So here I am, two months later, and still looking five or six months pregnant. Ryan and I have started trying to power walk almost every night. I also have been trying to watch my calories; but that's not enough. My weight hasn't budged.

First of all, let me just say, calorie counting is very difficult. I am not one of those people who can see that I've reached my limit for the day (even though it's only 2 o'clock in the afternoon) and then simply not anything until the next day. I have a horrible case of the munchies - and I don't even do drugs! I just LOVE food. I am IN LOVE with food. I love the smell, the taste... everything.

This is a large problem. Especially when every kind of food made available to Americans has enough calories to equal virtually my ENTIRE caloric intake for ONE day. And then, to buy healthy foods, one must be a millionaire.

So what is a person to do? I haven't gotten it all figured out just yet. I am, however, determined to feel better about myself. I don't need to look like a supermodel. And I don't need to be a size zero. Those things are unrealistic. I want goals that are actually achievable.

I have realized about myself that when I set the bar too high, I tend to give up more quickly. So I am going to work my way up to where I would like to be. For now, I will start small.

So here are my goals for this week:

1) Don't worry about having an elaborate workout routine just yet - just focus on getting up off the couch and GET MOVING!

2) DRINK MORE WATER!

Letting Go

Sometimes letting go of things we want to be in control of is one of the hardest things we can do. Why is it so painful to give these things, that have planted seeds of ugly bitterness in our souls, over to the One who heals all wounds?

I wonder why we try so hard to hold on to these things that create darkness in our hearts? Why does it seem better to continue to be bitter, and angry?

Let go of these things. The Master of all things living and dead will heal you. He will repair your broken heart. He will cleanse your infected soul.

Hopelessly, Ridiculously, Passionately....

I have recently started reading "No Compromise" by Melody Green, the story of Keith Green's life journey. It has gotten me thinking about what is really important in life. Granted, I am still in the beginning of the book where Keith is still searching for answers to his spiritual longings. But something about his life not long before he died is what keeps sticking out to me. I didn't know the man personally, but I know his music. So much of his heart is in the lyrics to his songs. Never have I been so convicted while listening to music as I have while listening to any one of the songs written by Keith Green. He was a man very obviously longing after God's own heart, and very obviously distressed with the Christian world around him. And rightly so.

As I continue to find myself being distressed with things I see in this world also, I pray that distress never goes away. The moment I find myself being okay with everything I see going on around me is the moment I have forgotten everything that is of importance in life. I don't want to be the majority. I want to stand out. I want to be hopelessly, ridiculously, and passionately in love with the man who is God, Jesus Christ. My hope is for everyone else in this world to find that same hopeless, ridiculous, passionate love, with the man who is God, as well. If only they could experience Him the way He intended them to.

Where Do Our Passions Lie?

According to some, I am very "passionate" about certain things in life. According to others, I may simply come across as rude and harsh rather than "passionate". One thing that really bothers me is how passionate people are about sports. I have been told it is highly rude of me to speak about my frustration on this topic since many families really enjoy sports and it might come across poorly for me to say how I truly feel about this topic. But others could argue the same about my own passions in life. Granted, I'm not passionate about sports, but I am definitely passionate about a great many things. I'm passionate about trying to help people to see how wrong abortion is, and the fact that it is murder. I am passionate about the typical Christian's lack of concern for others around them, including the homeless and hungry we see on a daily basis. I am passionate about the fact that it is very disheartening for people to call themselves Christians, and then not act like a Christian. This list could go on forever.

Aside from all of those passions, I would say the thing that I'm passionate about that would make me most like a sports fan is photography. Granted I'm not near as passionate as some, just as not all sports fans are as passionate as others. But regardless, there are similarities there. I have no right to get frustrated with people who seem to be more concerned with and involved in sports than they do the dying soul of a person going to hell. For I am no better than they.

It should not matter to me what people are passionate about, it should only matter to me that they are being MORE passionate about Christ and His great commandment for our lives.

Are we (myself included) really and truly giving the majority of our attention to the life we have after this one, and making sure we spread this news to others? Or are we spending the majority of our time enjoying the temporary pleasures of this world?