Wow, I'm blogging my little heart out during naptime! If you're on our Facebook fan page and you're getting bombarded with new posts, you'll know that Little Miss is asleep and I'm getting at it while I can! The Lord has really been working in my life in ways I have really noticed the past few weeks. Sometimes I can feel a little sedentary being at home with our little one, though BLESSED is what I know I am. But being as how I'm at home with her during the day and we don't get out much socially besides my family, it's hard to see sometimes His workings and goings-on in my life; though He continues to provide for us financially and health-wise, all of us, so that I may do so! I know the Lord is continuing to work for the better good of our family, it's me, personally, that I'm talking about. I've been keeping up with prayers though and had the bright idea this week (I don't know why it took so long) that Hayden and I would start praying together too. I'm going to make it part of our bedtime ritual and when we wake up in the mornings. If you read the last post, I mentioned how God made room in our budget for Sasha's testing at the veterinarian's office; if you are a pet owner, you know vet bills can be quite costly. I've also written about how desperate I am to get back in shape physically from my pregnancy, and He has made that an option for me as well by my mom so generously helping me everyday and also giving me the motivation, inspiration, and support from friends to continue on with this journey. Several friends have led me to the My Fitness Pal app, and I love it. I just recently started using it regularly, and I'm kind of addicted. I think it will be a blessing in my weight loss journey. However, the biggest blessing of late that the Lord has bestowed upon me is my new mommy friend, Christi; and maybe even change friend to friendS.
It's so funny to me how God works. Last week, for no ordinary reason other than I thought of it out of the blue, was that I took a picture from my Pinterest board {Faith} and posted it on Facebook. It said, "God's plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day." I pinned it a while ago, and for some reason, God put it on my heart to post it on my Facebook. At the time, I thought, "Maybe someone really needs to see this or hear this today." So I posted it and went on about my day. Later that night, I got a message on Facebook from my aquaintance, Christi. She and her husband Craig had taken Lamaze with Will and I at the hospital. Though it was only four classes, I was really drawn to them because they seemed like good people, and a couple that Will and I would enjoy. We always sat by them in class. We got an email list of everyone that was in class with us. I took it upon myself to email her and say that maybe we can get the babies together or hang out sometime after we recovered from our impending births. She replied that she'd love to; but you know how it goes-- are you really going to do it? I added her to my Facebook a couple weeks later as well. She has been pretty active on my posts, so I know she was seeing everything I was putting out there, but we hadn't made any plans to get together. And then, just earlier this week, the message. She invited me to come to a mommy group she was having at her house on Thursday (yesterday.) She said it's a few friends that get together with their babies, and that they read a chapter a week from a book and discuss the chapter while the babies play. The book they were reading is called "You're Already Amazing" by Holley Gerth and that they were going to discuss chapter five at the next meeting and she'd be making lunch if I'd like to come. Um, yeah! I downloaded the book on my Nook and covered the chapter that morning during Hayden's playtime. I haven't read the previous four chapters (yet), but what I read was, well.... amazing! And I can see why she didn't invite me right off the bat-- it's a book for Christian women. That's not necessarily something you just throw out there to someone if you don't know how deep their faith is. The chapter I read was called "Where are you and where are you going?" It talked about how God led the Israelites out of Egypt on their journey to the Promised Land and it applied it to different areas of our lives; personally, professionally, our families, any issues we're struggling with. Is there any part of your life that you feel like you're still in Egypt? Bonded, enslaved to something? Are you encamped, as the Israelites were for some time (as you probably know, it took them forty years to reach a destination only eleven miles from where they started out.) If you are encamped, you are awaiting the Lord's direction, or you may be healing and resting from weariness while the Lord prepares you for your next journey. Are you setting out? Has the Lord put it on your heart to be on the move? Or have you already reached the Promised Land? This really put a lot in perspective for me. I think I'm in a little of each of these areas in my life. As for Egypt, I have felt "enslaved" or "in bondage" over my weight issues for a long time. I've always worked very hard at it since my early twenties and it's always been an issue for me. I was thin for so long in my life, I don't think I knew how to handle gaining weight. And though I've always been active, it wasn't easy for me to lose. We now know that it's a thyroid issue which I take medication for, but it has followed me for a long time. As long as I'm being proactive in my health, I feel good about it, even if I'm not where I want to be. I know I'm doing something about it. So I feel that of late, I have broken out of that bondage, skipped over the encampment, and I'm now on the move. Professionally-- well, I no longer have a professional life. That was another thing for me to overcome. I worked sixty plus hours a week and I emotionally and physically gave everything I had to those children. I didn't realize how much of myself I gave over until I left. There was some guilt there, and I was sad for a while. I feel like my professional life is encamped; but you know what? I do need rest from that, I do need healing and preparation. When Hayden starts school, I'm unsure if I will go back to teaching. I truly love it, but I don't think it's worth my family. Leaving education is the sole reason that I consider my family life to already be in the "Promised Land." There is no way, absolutely no way, I could give 100% to my job and my family simultaneously. I would be half-assing somebody, so to speak; and neither party deserves that, especially my husband and my child. I would be an exhausted, bitter person to work and live with if I had to pick Hayden up from daycare at 6:00 everyday. That means we would get home, bathe, and she'd go to bed. I know being a stay at home mommy isn't for many of my friends, but it's worth the personal and financial sacrifice to me. I may want to pull my hair out at times; I may really wish I could buy this or that, but I can't-- but when it comes down to it, Hayden is numero uno. Moving homes has also been on the table for us for the past few months. It's been heavily discussed for several reasons. I feel encamped in some ways, but I also feel the Lord is putting it on me to set out, to have faith. I'm hesitant and excited, which is an odd combination of feelings. There is so much about this issue that I will have to tackle in a blog all it's own, but I know it's something I really need to be praying about and seeking God's wisdom.
Anyways, that's the gist of the book and how I applied it while reading it (which I think is the whole point of a book like that.) So Hadyen and I set out yesterday morning at 10:45 to journey over to Christi's. I'm a real people person, and I wasn't too nervous, but I had a few flurries. I had really only seen Christi four times in my life, and she was the only person I knew. But Hayden and I showed up, as well as four other girls, plus Christi, and they were all so welcoming and nice. I felt really comfortable. And, if you know me, I just jumped right in to all the conversations. We ate lunch first, a yummy spring greens salad and a chicken casserole, then we sat down on the floor with all our babies on a big comforter and just played with them while we talked about mommy stuff or things going on in our lives. Then we started discussing the book, and I just jumped right in. You can see where it can get pretty personal. But that is the whole point of using the book, the support of friends, and God's presence to work through those things that we need help with. All the girls (except me) go to Clear Creek Community Church, which used to be my church before Will and I started to attend Gateway a couple of years ago. That is how they know each other, and they all volunteer for their small groups (such as high school youth.) At the end we prayed together and then continued to just hang out for an hour or so after. Christi told me it usually ends about 1:00 or 1:30; well, I didn't get home until 2:30! Hayden was a good girl and all the other babies were cute, too. I really enjoyed the company and discussion and being out with other moms my age. I also felt really good about God being so present; I felt closer to Him and I didn't realize until then that I have really been needing that. Maybe being a mommy, I've been moving too fast and He's telling me just to slow down a bit, enjoy it, and most of all, don't forget Him in all of it-- He's the sole reason that I've been so blessed. Hopefully I will continue to meet with these moms, make new friends, and continue on my spiritual journey with Hayden along for the ride.
PS-- Christi did tell me she asked because she saw the picture-- God at work, that was! :)
It's so funny to me how God works. Last week, for no ordinary reason other than I thought of it out of the blue, was that I took a picture from my Pinterest board {Faith} and posted it on Facebook. It said, "God's plans for your life far exceed the circumstances of your day." I pinned it a while ago, and for some reason, God put it on my heart to post it on my Facebook. At the time, I thought, "Maybe someone really needs to see this or hear this today." So I posted it and went on about my day. Later that night, I got a message on Facebook from my aquaintance, Christi. She and her husband Craig had taken Lamaze with Will and I at the hospital. Though it was only four classes, I was really drawn to them because they seemed like good people, and a couple that Will and I would enjoy. We always sat by them in class. We got an email list of everyone that was in class with us. I took it upon myself to email her and say that maybe we can get the babies together or hang out sometime after we recovered from our impending births. She replied that she'd love to; but you know how it goes-- are you really going to do it? I added her to my Facebook a couple weeks later as well. She has been pretty active on my posts, so I know she was seeing everything I was putting out there, but we hadn't made any plans to get together. And then, just earlier this week, the message. She invited me to come to a mommy group she was having at her house on Thursday (yesterday.) She said it's a few friends that get together with their babies, and that they read a chapter a week from a book and discuss the chapter while the babies play. The book they were reading is called "You're Already Amazing" by Holley Gerth and that they were going to discuss chapter five at the next meeting and she'd be making lunch if I'd like to come. Um, yeah! I downloaded the book on my Nook and covered the chapter that morning during Hayden's playtime. I haven't read the previous four chapters (yet), but what I read was, well.... amazing! And I can see why she didn't invite me right off the bat-- it's a book for Christian women. That's not necessarily something you just throw out there to someone if you don't know how deep their faith is. The chapter I read was called "Where are you and where are you going?" It talked about how God led the Israelites out of Egypt on their journey to the Promised Land and it applied it to different areas of our lives; personally, professionally, our families, any issues we're struggling with. Is there any part of your life that you feel like you're still in Egypt? Bonded, enslaved to something? Are you encamped, as the Israelites were for some time (as you probably know, it took them forty years to reach a destination only eleven miles from where they started out.) If you are encamped, you are awaiting the Lord's direction, or you may be healing and resting from weariness while the Lord prepares you for your next journey. Are you setting out? Has the Lord put it on your heart to be on the move? Or have you already reached the Promised Land? This really put a lot in perspective for me. I think I'm in a little of each of these areas in my life. As for Egypt, I have felt "enslaved" or "in bondage" over my weight issues for a long time. I've always worked very hard at it since my early twenties and it's always been an issue for me. I was thin for so long in my life, I don't think I knew how to handle gaining weight. And though I've always been active, it wasn't easy for me to lose. We now know that it's a thyroid issue which I take medication for, but it has followed me for a long time. As long as I'm being proactive in my health, I feel good about it, even if I'm not where I want to be. I know I'm doing something about it. So I feel that of late, I have broken out of that bondage, skipped over the encampment, and I'm now on the move. Professionally-- well, I no longer have a professional life. That was another thing for me to overcome. I worked sixty plus hours a week and I emotionally and physically gave everything I had to those children. I didn't realize how much of myself I gave over until I left. There was some guilt there, and I was sad for a while. I feel like my professional life is encamped; but you know what? I do need rest from that, I do need healing and preparation. When Hayden starts school, I'm unsure if I will go back to teaching. I truly love it, but I don't think it's worth my family. Leaving education is the sole reason that I consider my family life to already be in the "Promised Land." There is no way, absolutely no way, I could give 100% to my job and my family simultaneously. I would be half-assing somebody, so to speak; and neither party deserves that, especially my husband and my child. I would be an exhausted, bitter person to work and live with if I had to pick Hayden up from daycare at 6:00 everyday. That means we would get home, bathe, and she'd go to bed. I know being a stay at home mommy isn't for many of my friends, but it's worth the personal and financial sacrifice to me. I may want to pull my hair out at times; I may really wish I could buy this or that, but I can't-- but when it comes down to it, Hayden is numero uno. Moving homes has also been on the table for us for the past few months. It's been heavily discussed for several reasons. I feel encamped in some ways, but I also feel the Lord is putting it on me to set out, to have faith. I'm hesitant and excited, which is an odd combination of feelings. There is so much about this issue that I will have to tackle in a blog all it's own, but I know it's something I really need to be praying about and seeking God's wisdom.Anyways, that's the gist of the book and how I applied it while reading it (which I think is the whole point of a book like that.) So Hadyen and I set out yesterday morning at 10:45 to journey over to Christi's. I'm a real people person, and I wasn't too nervous, but I had a few flurries. I had really only seen Christi four times in my life, and she was the only person I knew. But Hayden and I showed up, as well as four other girls, plus Christi, and they were all so welcoming and nice. I felt really comfortable. And, if you know me, I just jumped right in to all the conversations. We ate lunch first, a yummy spring greens salad and a chicken casserole, then we sat down on the floor with all our babies on a big comforter and just played with them while we talked about mommy stuff or things going on in our lives. Then we started discussing the book, and I just jumped right in. You can see where it can get pretty personal. But that is the whole point of using the book, the support of friends, and God's presence to work through those things that we need help with. All the girls (except me) go to Clear Creek Community Church, which used to be my church before Will and I started to attend Gateway a couple of years ago. That is how they know each other, and they all volunteer for their small groups (such as high school youth.) At the end we prayed together and then continued to just hang out for an hour or so after. Christi told me it usually ends about 1:00 or 1:30; well, I didn't get home until 2:30! Hayden was a good girl and all the other babies were cute, too. I really enjoyed the company and discussion and being out with other moms my age. I also felt really good about God being so present; I felt closer to Him and I didn't realize until then that I have really been needing that. Maybe being a mommy, I've been moving too fast and He's telling me just to slow down a bit, enjoy it, and most of all, don't forget Him in all of it-- He's the sole reason that I've been so blessed. Hopefully I will continue to meet with these moms, make new friends, and continue on my spiritual journey with Hayden along for the ride.
PS-- Christi did tell me she asked because she saw the picture-- God at work, that was! :)
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