A Clean Slate

Yesterday in church, Pastor Mike encouraged us to refocus our hearts on Him for the new year. 

One of my favorite things he said was making Psalm 19:14 (May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing unto You) even more relevant today:

"May the tweets of my Twitter and the statuses of my Facebook be PLEASING unto Him." 

Even though he was half joking, it really resonated with me. How often do we use our open platform to grumble, complain, gossip, and argue? Maybe, even more than we realize. I don't think that it's all intentional; we often complain without meaning to. 

The weather is too hot. The weather is too cold. I wish it would snow. i hate the rain. I'm tired, I'm hungry. My husband is a grouch. My job wears me out. I need more to do. I need less to do. Did you see what SHE had on? Can you believe he's with HER? 

How much more of His love could we show if our hearts we focused our attention on things which are pleasing to Him? Our faith, family, friends, church -- how often do we brag and lift up these things? Which do we do more often? 

Do you complain about your spouse or do you build him (or her) up? Do you gripe about how awful your kids are behaving, or do you take some extra time to play with them, read to them, or just hold them close? 

My goal isn't to "judge" as people like to throw out, but rather to encourage you to reassess the words of your mouth (or Twitter, Facebook, Blogger) and the thoughts of your heart. Are they pleasing unto Hiim? None of us will always be pleasing to Him....but that's not to say we can't strive to be.

Don't resolve to do things for the year; Resolve to do things differently this day. 

Christmas in our home

So, I realize there are about 14 million different ways that different families celebrate Christmas. That being said, this post isn't meant to boast our ways and condemn yours. This is simply the way WE choose to celebrate and the way we hope to raise Norah to enjoy celebrating. 

First of all, Jesus is the reason for --not just this season-- but all seasons. God sent His Son for us. When we were unworthy and "the least of these," God showed His favor upon us and gave us the ultimate gift. Now, I like to open gifts as much as the next person....but when compared to the gift of an eternity with my Savior, there's really no comparison.

I get caught up thinking of Mary. Can you imagine? Giving birth to a child who would become the Savior of the world? Can you imagine a group of shepherds showing up to worship your young baby? Can you imagine trying to wrap your mind around the idea that they'd been informed by angels as to where your child would be? Can you imagine being chosen by the creator of the universe for this special cause? Mary was a simple girl, living a simple life, no doubt feeling ordinary and boring in some respects. God chose "the least of these" to bring His miracle into the world. 

Secondly, we don't push Santa. Gasp! I know, we're terrible. Santa gets mentioned by family and friends, and that's okay. Santa isn't bad, we just don't want it to become the focus. We didn't do gifts from Santa, we didn't put out milk and cookies, we didn't sprinkle reindeer food in the yard. There's nothing wrong with any of that...just something that we didn't want to press as a priority.

Thirdly, we spent a lot of time with our family; you know, those built-in supporters (whether they agree with your ways or not). There was food, there were gifts, there was lots of laughter. God gives us these people to love and what an undeserved favor for us! Families come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. The mixture makes it all the more special. We love by serving our friends and families. We love by praying for and with our families. That, too, is a special gift from Him.

I want Norah to grow up knowing that what we choose to teach her is Truth; real truth that will stand the test of time. I never want there to be any confusion in her mind. I want her faith to stand strong and for her to know that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. We love because He loved. We live because He lives. There's no greater gift than to know that He lives in me and, because of Him, I can smile, I can laugh, I can celebrate, I can enjoy, I can serve, I can give, I can love. That, to me, Christmas.

Happy birthday, baby girl!

Nothing quite prepares you for being a parent. 

I remember our first Christmas as parents (she was a mere 11 days old). Christmas night provided our first night of seemingly-endless, blood-curdling screams. 

Did I mention it was Christmas? 

Guess what we needed? 

An open store.

Guess what was nowhere around? 

An open store. 

We survived that plus some other, "What in the world should we do with her?" nights....and here we are, 2 years later. We have an adorable toddler who knows more than she should, gets into more than she should, and gives us way more smiles and love than we deserve. 

She wants to use the potty every time the door is open, she runs (as opposed to walking) everywhere she goes, she loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Dora the Explorer. She is genuinely thrilled to see me every morning when i go to get her from her crib. She just started running to me (when I pick her up from the sitter) with open arms and, "Mommy!" She sleeps 12 hours every night AND naps every day. (Um, she rules.) She's the perfect addition to our family and I can't imagine God designing a daughter any more perfect for this mommy.

Whether she's the first of many or the only one I ever have, I'm blessed. I never truly understood the love of The Father until I heard her heartbeat on that very first ultrasound. I would move Heaven and Earth to keep her safe. I always knew I was meant to be a mother, and she has proven that to be true. There's nothing that prepares you to be a parent....and there's also nothing that compares to the joy hat comes from it!

My prayer on your second birthday:

I pray that you will know Christ from an early age (2 Tim 3:15). I pray that you'll receive this most precious gift of salvation. I pray that MY life will be a testament to the grace and unconditional love of our Father. I pray that you'll be kind, loving, and gracious to those around you. I pray that you'll be able to recognize and listen to God's voice; that you will heed His calling on your life and fulfill the plan that He has for you. I promise that you won't miss out on "things" by following hard after Him, but you will be doubly rewarded for your faithfulness and your obedience. You are loved by SO many, and I'm excited to see how God uses your magnetic personality for His glory. I love you!

..and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:15

Trying a new thing...

New Year, a new thing....right?

Well, I guess we'll see.

I needed an outlet beyond my "What's on your mind?" blurb that Facebook greets me with. I hope to write things that encourage, inspire, or (at the very least) amuse you! :)

We shall see.