.Ten Things No One Shared With Me Before Becoming a Mommy.

10. That cleaning goldfish crackers ground into the carpet would be a daily thing.

9. That I would not be able to sleep at night until I had checked on, kissed, and tucked in each of my children - even though I had done it just a few hours before.

8. That I may as well wear my swimsuit to give my children a bath, because I end up soaked every. time.

7. That some of my best moments are spent on the couch with children all over me as I read and read and read story books.

6. That every time I make my from scratch macaroni and cheese, my children will raise their eyebrows and sigh about it not being from a box.

5. That my camera would get so much use, and that I would have so little time to do anything with those photos.

4. That I would want to teach my children at home, and that I would delight in it.

3. That some days the house will be a mess, dinner will be cereal, the children and I will all wear sweats, and the world will not stop.

2. That chubby hands that reach out for mine and sticky kisses, just for me, could make my heart burst.

1. That life would be this crazy, this loud, this chaotic and busy, and most of all this wonderful.

Subscribe in a reader

.There is a Season for Everything.

I look forward to the changing of seasons. Each season holds a new kind of delight and gift for me. I am in awe every time a new season bursts in. And every season I find time for one of my greatest guilty pleasures....



books.

A sweet friend of mine was trying to talk me into splurging on a Kindle or a Nook, but I am not sure if I can really trade in the feel, the smell, of books. I am very tactile when it comes to my books and to reading - it is an experience for me, as silly as that sounds. I know books are so expensive. I do use my library a ton, and when I purchase books, I only purchase books that I know I will pass on and on to other people. Books and reading are my guilty pleasure. No matter what, I always make time to squeeze a little reading into everyday.

Right now I am delving into Orphanology - Awakening to Gospel - centered adoption and orphan care by Tony Merida and Rick Morton.



Russell D. Moore (author of Adopted for Life) had this to say about the book :

The orphan is not a cause. The orphan is not an issue. The orphan has a human face, and that face is Galilean. Jesus tells us that when we see the poor, the weak, the vulnerable, the tossed aside, we see Him there. Tony Merida, one of the most brilliant and passionate preachers in evangelical Christianity today, calls us to remember the orphans as we follow Christ.



I feel as if I am joining the rest of the world and jumping on the band wagon with this book, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis. But I could not not read it. I have been following this girl's blog for so long, I just knew that I had to also read her book. A blog only tells so much of our story, there is much left unsaid between the lines.

If you are not familiar with Katie's story, watch this little preview here. (You will need to scroll down to the bottom of my blog and pause my playlist in order to hear the video.)




And as always, I am reminding myself to read everything sandwiched between God's Word and filtered through His Word. As much as I love books, I never want to hunger for or follow another book the way I want to God's Word.

What are you reading? Please share. Some of my favorite books have come at your suggestion.

.We are Making It.

My husband has been gone now for 9 days. We have 2 days left without him. I wasn't sure what to expect or how it would go, but we are making it. We've had help along the way with a few meals, a few visits from family and friends (mostly for my sake so that I could get in a bit of adult conversation), my parents have taken the older children for a few hours, and I have one friend who has called me every single day. (I am not sure how people do this without the body of Christ.) All in all it has not been bad. We have had sickness run its course through our home, and I have had van troubles, and have dealt with nightmares, and kiddos in my bed late at night and early in the morning, and all of the other various things that come with the territory.

But I can see so much of God's grace in my life and even growth in me. A year ago if Jim had told me that he felt God was nudging him to go to Ethiopia and leave his family behind, I am embarrassed to admit that I would have completely flipped out. Now let me be clear, I did have a few panicky moments before Jim left. There were a few times when I over thought the situation and was sure I couldn't do it, but overall I felt such a peace knowing this was exactly what Jim was supposed to be doing. And God has really made that especially clear in this week and a half by myself. I never imagined myself capable of doing this, and truthfully I am not, it was all Christ in me. It is amazing for me to give up trying to control things and just let God completely take over. I know I have talked about that so, so much, but God continues to grow me and stretch me in this area. Every time I surrender another little corner of my life, I am just completely blown away by how freeing and wonderful and at peace it makes me feel. I will say it doesn't really get easier, at least it hasn't for me yet. It is such a battle for me to daily surrender in every area.

And God blessed me these past several days. This verse is such a beautiful, poignant verse. Have you ever really stopped to think about it? His grace is SUFFICIENT - it is enough - it is all that we need. God showed me that over and over while Jim has been away.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

So, while we have had our own fun here at home. Jim has been across the world getting his heart tugged and stretched beyond recognition. When I talk to him via skype I can hear the passion and the brokenness in his voice. He loves the people of Ethiopia. God has placed a great burden in his heart for the true gospel to be spread in that country. Jim learned so much on the trip, and I know that he will be processing for weeks and even months to come. I am praying for his transition back here, as the culture shock is like a severe slap in the face. And he has to jump right back into his normal.

Since Jim has had my beloved Roxie (my dslr) on his trip, I have no photos of my cutie-patooties. Instead I will leave you with photos from Ethiopia that my husband took. What strikes me in these photos, and when I was in Ethiopia myself, was the joy and the beauty. Yes, there is severe suffering and unimaginable poverty and heartache like we cannot even describe here, but umbrella-ing everything is this beauty that I cannot quite put into words. So instead I will let you peak through the lens.

Here is a taste of the heart of Ethiopia: the people. People like you and me that need a Savior.





I often see Jamesy's eyes in the eyes of photos like these. This one especially.




There is absolutely nothing like an African sky. It is breathtaking.



Africa is a cruel country; it takes your heart and grinds it into powdered stone - and no one minds. Elspeth Huxley

Subscribe in a reader

PS I ended up switching to disqus. My commenting was completely wonky. I had double the comments in my email than what was on the blog. People were telling me they could see comments on posts, others were telling me they could not. In order to streamline I went to disqus. (Although I have yet to figure out how to import old comments) I do not write for comments. Honestly, I would write even if no one else was reading, because I was created to write. Having said that, I do enjoy, and feel so blessed and encouraged, by your sweet comments, and I thank you for reading and interacting. I hope that this system works well for everyone involved. Please let me know if you encounter a problem. Thank you.

.What it Means to Love.

How could I forget Your face
When all it took was just one day
For me to see it wasn't ordinary
I could never be the same

You took my hand and led the way
I didn't even know Your name
But something happened deep inside me
And I knew life would have to change

So how could I go back to life as usual
And how could I return to who I once was
I just want to take your story to the world
‘Cause you have shown me what it means to love

You healed the sick, You calmed the sea
But Your heart was for the least of these
You came to love the lost and broken
Your cross has set the captive free

So how could I go back to life as usual
And how could I return to who I once was
I just want to take your story to the world
‘Cause you have shown me what it means to love

Now I no longer live for myself
Your words are so clear
Help me live it loud enough so they can hear

So how could I go back to life as usual
And how could I return to who I once was
I just want to take your story to the world
‘Cause you have shown me what it means to love

(lyrics by Meredith Andrews from her song What it means to love)

I have never heard a song that defines where I am, right now in my life, so well as this one does. This song is such a mirror of what God has done in our life this past year, and I do NOT want to return to who I once was. Thank you Jesus for touching my heart and opening my eyes in a way that only You could. Thank you for not leaving me where I was.

The song can be found here.

.Homemaking - My Divine Assignment.

Homemaking.

It along with mothering and being a godly wife - and the three go hand-in-hand in my opinion - is what I am most passionate about.

As I stated last week here, I am not perfect, nor am I a perfect mommy, wife or a perfect homemaker. However, I am so very passionate about what I consider to be my Divine assignment. Making my home a safe, soft spot for my family is a holy assignment from God. Check out Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 to read His assignment to us women/mommies yourself. I do not want to start a debate or stir up controversy, but I struggle to see the Divine assignment that I have been called to in any different light. I honor God every time I cook a nutritious meal for my family, every time I sweep away crumbs after a meal, when I fold my husband's t-shirts, and put away my children's tiny socks, each time I scrub the toilet and decorate a corner of our home, I am glorifying God.



God has really burdened me lately to share my passion, my Divine assignment, with other women. I hope to do that more here on my blog, and in real life. I hope to share some of what has made homemaking work for me. It is a lost art for sure, and I look forward to encouraging other women and bringing to light the JOY that can be found in this assignment from God!

I didn't set out to be a homemaker. I had big dreams after I finished my degree in elementary education. My plans were to teach a few years, and then I wanted to go back to school for my masters in teaching. After experiencing college and classes that I truly loved, I longed for more academia. I found a place where I thrived. While there is nothing wrong with that per say, God slowly started working on and softening my heart, and I grew less and less content with working outside the home - trying to juggle two worlds. When I became pregnant with Cadi, I longed for a different journey. Jim and I prayed together and committed this area of our life to God, and I started reading everything I could get my hands on about being a godly wife, mommy, and homemaker. I poured over Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. I know many women have read those same verses and have come to different conclusions. But for myself, I could not ignore my Divine assignment. For the first time in my life I saw being a wife, homemaker and mommying for what it truly is - a ministry. A ministry that both my husband and I see as my priority ministry while my children are young and in our home. Not everyone can see it that way, not everyone will agree, but for me, for our family - this is where God has us.

Everyday is not peachy or rosy. But when I prayerfully give God over my days they truly become glorious and beautiful, and I am able to look past the dirty diapers, the exhausting moments, the piles of laundry and see what is truly there. It is precious, and it is fleeting. I know one day soon I am going to wake up to a quiet home, with no squabbling, but no giggling either, with no crumbs on my floor, but no chubby baby in a highchair, with no alphabet cards strewn across the floor, but no sweet little girl to teach anymore. I don't want to miss my Divine assignment, my glorious calling. I don't want you to miss it either, dear friend. I want to encourage you tired, frazzled mommies to persevere, to see the glorious in the mundane. I want you to embrace this glorious, Divine assignment of being a godly wife, mommy, and homemaker. At the end of the day, I know I will not have missed out on any days spent in an executive office away from my children, or surprisingly now I realize I am not missing out in ministering to other people's children - there may be days for that in the future, if God sees fit. Right now, this moment, my ministry is right here, with a little boy and a little girl who I so desire to share the love of Christ with, my ministry is right here with a husband getting ready for the pastorate, my ministry is right here making my home lovely and welcoming. I feel privileged to have been given such a Divine assignment. I do not take it lightly, and I do not wish these fleeting moments away. I am cherishing them. Every single one - the difficult and the sunny.

"Whatever parents may do for their children, they should at least make their childhood sunny and tender. Their young lives are so delicate that harshness may mar their beauty for ever, and so sensitive that every influence that falls upon them leaves its trace, which grows into the character either as a grace or a blemish. A happy childhood stores away sunshine in the chambers of the heart which brightens the life to its close. An unhappy childhood may so fill the life's fountains with bitterness as to sadden all the after years." J.R. Miller "Homemaking"



Looking forward to storing away sunshine in the chambers of two little hearts.