tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66716454105720919862024-03-21T16:23:42.010-07:00A Life of SurprisesNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787522953463100722noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-74143606451737453582013-04-15T14:37:00.000-07:002013-04-15T14:37:28.219-07:00Change of HeartI came across this <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2303588/The-mother-says-having-children-biggest-regret-life.html#ixzz2PuPJefdS" target="_blank">article</a> today about Isabella Dutton, an English woman who wrote on how she regretted having children and saw each decision as a mistake. While the initial headline sounded horrifying, I devoured the article and grew more fascinated about this woman as I read each sentence. Long after I finished reading, her words hung in my brain and I couldn't shake them.<br />
<br />
As I read Isabella's narrative, a strange wave of emotion hit me. Her words were crisp, logical and firm, though emotionally detached. She made her opinions and convictions boldly known and was unapologetic about them. She was eloquent and strong. She felt familiar.<br />
<br />
I realized that she reminded me of myself.<br />
<br />
If you knew me in high school you can attest to the fact that I was an Isabella. I had no desire for children. I vividly remember telling my parents one day that I saw children as "leeches" that do nothing but take. I believe Isabella's word choice is "parasites". My parents were aghast at this concept when I made it known to them and my mom has told me that for a while she was afraid that I wasn't interested in boys at all. That definitely wasn't the case - I was just extremely selfish.<br />
<br />
And that's the key to all of this: selfishness. I find it ironic that Isabella describes the choice to have one child (instead of multiple) as "selfish" but never pegs that word on herself through her journey. She absolutely sees how others could view her as an abomination but she doesn't see the harm in detached, emotion-free mothering while her husband and children know she isn't enjoying any of it.<br />
<br />
There are certain things that Isabella says, mamas, that we cannot argue with. Motherhood is hard. It takes and takes until we feel we cannot give any more. There are times when we need a break, no matter how long our wick of patience is. And whether we want to say so or not, if we chose not to have children, our lives would probably be easier, more convenient and far more peaceful.<br />
<br />
You see, when I met Nick, I still had these feelings about children. I was a freight train headed straight for Europe, then California and film school. I didn't expect God to give me a husband for a long time, if ever, and I never expected (or really even hoped for) children. When Nick entered my life and couldn't stop talking about how much he wanted to be a dad, God derailed that train. He knocked me off what I thought was His plan and showed me a wider spectrum of what He desired for me. I saw how He was slowly breaking me of my selfish heart.<br />
<br />
As most of you know, Nick and I got pregnant with Owen completely unexpectedly on our honeymoon. The night it was confirmed that I was pregnant, I cried. A lot. Though I was okay with having children at that point, we wanted to wait five years. I didn't want to be a mom yet. I as also deathly afraid of being pregnant and childbirth. Once again, Jesus was breaking those walls down.<br />
<br />
Now that I'm almost three years into being a mother, I can tell you that Jesus has changed my heart dramatically over the last five years. Especially since Elizabeth was born, I have become very affectionate toward both of my babies and I am filled with a fierce protection for my brood. Yet I completely relate and agree with Isabella in that if I'm going to parent, I'm going to give it my all. I'm going to stay home with my children, breastfeed as well as I can, teach them well and help them become loving, respectable adults. But to what end?<br />
<br />
For Isabella, she did these things because it as "the right thing to do". She respected her husband's wishes to be a dad because she loved him (which is commendable, by the way). She raised their children because she believed in excellence. But when that task was over, she put her feet up and looked forward to her life of "freedom". It saddens me greatly how empty those goals are. They hold no meaning and leave Isabella talking about how much time she wasted and how much she regrets not doing. Even in her mid-fifties, she still sees parenting as an inconvenience and an undesirable duty.<br />
<br />
Isabella is missing Jesus, and that's what makes her different from me.<br />
<br />
Jesus has shown me great joy through becoming a mother. When I first looked upon Owen after birth, he was amazing to me but I didn't have a clue how to love him. God taught me that over time. And now, my heart bubbles over with thankfulness and awe on a daily basis at what He has chosen to give me that I <i>never, ever </i>could deserve. And the most beautiful thing of all is how He is showing me Himself <i>in</i> my children and teaching me how to be like Him<i> to</i> my children.<br />
<br />
What a beautiful, amazing, incredible, AWESOME display of grace that He has shown me! To free me from my heart of joylessness and death! To teach me how to love! To rid my soul of selfishness (however painful that process may be)!<br />
<br />
Without the realization of God's grace, I would be a mother just like Isabella - going through the motions to please my family but finding no joy in the day-to-day. Even still, on rough days, my selfish, prideful heart will turn in on itself and thoughts creep in about how much easier life would be without "them". But I am so thankful for what is being done in my heart. Thank you, Jesus, for not giving up on me!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sDoGoV9-B4WwGFPFfRvoyt0TTIHgS71w0EGOSTeaZQEjI4Y6hcuyYwZjauncX8GIOxkLKlyVaGDh1TtsvF4UFYU4bECV8IcucKMo8DmCQDeTsrc9dGNYCYYOrD_D0cswk_qjm5DMm28/s1600/482224_4423762163646_1503451976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sDoGoV9-B4WwGFPFfRvoyt0TTIHgS71w0EGOSTeaZQEjI4Y6hcuyYwZjauncX8GIOxkLKlyVaGDh1TtsvF4UFYU4bECV8IcucKMo8DmCQDeTsrc9dGNYCYYOrD_D0cswk_qjm5DMm28/s320/482224_4423762163646_1503451976_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-2974803148480001062013-03-07T15:17:00.001-08:002013-03-07T15:17:06.740-08:00The Real MeOkay, deep breath. This post is definitely Spirit-led and takes a lot of guts for me to share. So here we go. <br />
<br />
You want to know something ridiculous? I have spent hours creating and tweaking my Facebook profile and timeline to make them look the way I want them to. Literally hours. Why? It's kind of for myself, but the deep-down, yucky truth is that I want to look good. To you, to people I don't really know, to friends that are in a similar life stage as me, to those who wish they were in my life stage, etc. It's embarrassing and awful. <br />
<br />
Truthfully, I am really concerned with how I look to others and how I showcase my life to those around me. Sometimes I play it off as me wanting to be missional on the Internet, but really - how many of my online posts are God-glorifying alone... Not just "me-glorifying" disguised as something that looks semi-religious?<br />
<br />
Hi, my name is Rachel and I'm a people-pleaser. <br />
<br />
This is an idolatrous sickness in me that I battle with daily. I'm tired of keeping up appearances and I'm tired of people thinking that my life is perfect because I only show the pretty parts. Granted, I have a lot of genuine joy and thankfulness for where God has me and I absolutely love the gifts He has chosen for my life, but believe me - I'm not spending all day skipping with glee that my primary job is taking care of my family. There are definitely moments where I wish I was single and living in California, doing whatever I feel like. But do I make that known on Facebook? Nope.<br />
<br />
All this being said, I just wanted to take a minute to talk about how NOT picture-perfect my life is, in hopes to be more honest about my life.<br />
<br />
First, I am ridiculously prideful, self-righteous and judgmental. Now that's not something I want to advertise on a daily basis, but there you go. It's a minute-by-minute struggle for me every day. You've heard of the term "critical thinker"? Well in my case, I have a commentator in my head all day and her name is "critical". I wish I could permanently shut her up but the only way to fight it is by shouting biblical truth back at her. It gets exhausting and I don't always win but I'm thankful for the progress the Lord has made with me so far. <br />
<br />
Also, despite whatever I post or advocate, I am NOT the perfect mom with all the right answers. I have very strong options about a lot of things when it comes to parenting but that doesn't mean I know everything or that those opinions are the best for every family. And by the way, as I'm telling you this, I also preaching to myself. See the previous paragraph. <br />
<br />
Another thing I've recently discovered is how addicted to sugar I am. My body is in desperate need of a diet change. Not to lose weight, but to gain energy. I spend so much of my days refueling because of a sugar crash - not because of hunger - and all it does is leave me exhausted, empty and unmotivated. I sincerely desire a woman to be accountable to in this area. Perhaps someone looking for the same type of change as I am. Are you that person? I'm totally serious about this. <br />
<br />
At the end of the day, I'm still a saint in Christ and a sinner in the flesh, just like any other Christian out there. I'm no better than you - just on the same rewardingly exhausting path of sanctification. And please, if you see me projecting an image that is distorted from that truth, please call me out. Seriously. I praise the Lord for any Christian who loves me enough to redirect me to Christ!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-21852152452332494252013-02-25T15:56:00.000-08:002013-02-25T16:00:15.522-08:00Elizabeth's Birth<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, FINALLY I got around to writing this. Thanks to our midwives' copious notes, I was able to recall most </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">everything</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> that transpired the evening of December 17th. So here's our second birth story, written to our beautiful daughter.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">*</span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5208034075330943"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your birth story starts at the beginning of December, when I began having contractions on and off without pain or rhythm. I suspected you might arrive early with all the pre-labor I was experiencing, but you weren’t ready to make your appearance yet. So we waited.</span></b><br />
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5208034075330943"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your due date was December 16th, which was a Sunday. I went in for a midwife appointment on Wednesday the 12th and my blood pressure had started to creep up a little. I had some blood tests done and was encouraged to come back on Friday to see how things were progressing. When we went in on Friday the 14th, we discovered that I was at 4+ centimeters dilated that day and we got really excited – those contractions were actually doing something! And they weren’t even painful! The midwife swept my membranes to encourage labor to start (my blood pressure was still higher than they wanted it to be and they wanted to get things moving) and we went home, thinking it wouldn’t be for long. Your Daddy and I thought for sure that you would arrive either that day or over the weekend.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We waited all weekend and nothing of measure happened. I was still having contractions here and there and I was beginning to get anxious – I was really ready to meet you! We went in to the birth center again on Monday morning and we dropped your brother off at Mooma’s house so we both could have our full attention on you at the appointment. My blood pressure was still threatening my hope for a natural labor and when my midwife checked me again, I had progressed to 6 centimeters! She told us that she really didn’t think it wise to wait any longer and asked if we’d be willing to come back that evening for them to break my water and usher you into this world. Your Daddy and I had absolutely no problem with that and were really excited – you were on your way, whether you knew it or not!</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After the appointment we went back to your Mooma’s house and told her and Poobah the news. They graciously offered to keep Owen while Daddy and I took the afternoon to go on our last date before you arrived! We went to Bellevue Square and walked around, not saying much – probably out of nervousness and excitement. We weren’t there for that long until I couldn’t take it any longer and we went back to enjoy dinner and snuggle your brother before heading to the birth center.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At 6:15 PM we exchanged lots of hugs and kisses and drove to the birth center. When we arrived, Room #3 was all prepped and ready to go. Daddy put some Gatorade in the fridge, I took in some deep breaths of the lavender aromatherapy candles that were burning and we settled in for the evening. Melissa and Mckenzie arrived while we were waiting for things to get started and they got cozied up with snacks and movies in the waiting area.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before breaking my water, Sarah checked me again and I had progressed even further, to 7 centimeters! We all agreed that it was a very good decision to be there that evening to help my body kick-start your arrival. They broke my water at 7:20 and when we saw meconium in the fluid, our thoughts were confirmed – tonight </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">needed</span><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to be the night.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After my water was broken, I went to the waiting area and spent some time chatting with Mel and Mac. I was giddy, antsy and a little shaky, knowing that there was really no going back now. I started feeling consistent contractions and as we talked, they became more and more painful. Eventually I noticed that during contractions I needed to be in certain positions to help get through them so I went back to the room and labored there.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From 8:30 to 9:30 PM I labored on the bed, the contractions getting steadily stronger. The most comfortable position for me was on my side and your Daddy held my hand and spoke softly to me throughout each one. During that time he let me know that Kristina and Mooma had arrived and there was a nice little group of ladies praying for you and I and supporting us as we worked together to bring you into the world. I breathed and shifted positions and stroked my belly and worked through each wave of pain. “Progress”, I kept thinking; “I know we’re making progress”.</span></span></b><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By about 9:40, the contractions were taking my breath away and I was feeling really ready to be done. Then suddenly, at 9:50, my contractions changed; I was being pulled downward. My body was taking over and I couldn’t just breathe anymore – it felt like you were being pulled out of me. I told the midwives, “I think she’s coming.” I was shocked because I knew it couldn’t have been that long that I had been lying there, but this feeling wasn’t about to let go of me. So the next contraction came and I pushed.</span></span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three contractions of pushing and your head was out! Your Daddy said, “She has dark hair, honey! Just like you thought!” I looked down with an expression of what I’m sure was confusion and shock – I didn’t know it was possible to only push a head out and not the whole baby. So we waited a few seconds and when that last contraction came, I gave it all I had. And then, at 10:00 PM on December 17th, there you were! Crying as soon as your feet were out! You were immediately plopped on me and your face was buried in my chest. You were warm and sticky and tiny and I knew instantly that you were much smaller than your brother. I hugged you tight as a warm blanket was tucked over us both and kissed your Daddy with delight – we did it! You were here!</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCJQbzkQxfwhbNICc4HsyWWfN1J-lIeCveaG4dyUFTe-dXzfk1k_UnsWC6zyBP1syUL-ZtUxQaMbxLzwGgG-730Y71HSYev8jZ9ZVxC1nWeKhoriMhxLY4hOOA1rlh3RYw8VsR3nY0t4/s1600/200074_3853182219504_44388873_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCJQbzkQxfwhbNICc4HsyWWfN1J-lIeCveaG4dyUFTe-dXzfk1k_UnsWC6zyBP1syUL-ZtUxQaMbxLzwGgG-730Y71HSYev8jZ9ZVxC1nWeKhoriMhxLY4hOOA1rlh3RYw8VsR3nY0t4/s320/200074_3853182219504_44388873_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then a whirlwind of things happened – your cord was cut, my midwives worked the placenta out, Daddy took you in his arms and I got settled while we all got cleaned up. You fed a half hour after you were born and spent 45 minutes on the first side. Eventually my midwife recommended I detach you before I got a blister! Once you were fed and sleepy, we felt ready to introduce you to your fan club! Mooma came in first, then Mel, Mckenzie and Kristina. Everyone took turns holding you and I think the first consensus was that you looked like me. We weighed you and you came out to be 6lbs 9oz – on the small side, like I suspected!</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At 1:30 AM we snuggled you into your car seat and packed our things. We were ready to go home and sleep in our own beds and prepare for our first day with you. We hugged and waved goodbye to Val, the midwife, Sarah, the student midwife and Mickey, the birth assistant at 1:45 AM and drove home. I snacked on the drive and bathed in the incredible grace that we experienced that evening – what a beautiful night.</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We arrived home at 2:15 AM and got settled. We swaddled you and snuggled you into your bassinet and I was going to feed you before we slept, but there was no waking you up. You were dead to the world and your exhausted mama was definitely okay with that! I laid on my stomach on our bed, relishing in a little luxury I had been deprived of for months, waiting for your Daddy to be ready for bed. I was starting to doze off when he came in and woke me, saying I needed to come into the living room. When I did and looked out our window, thick, fat snowflakes were filling the sky and the ground was sparkling white. It seems that the moment we brought you home, snow started to fall! It covered all that we could see and it was the most beautiful gift I could have received alongside your birth. What a sweet reminder from the Lord that He loves to bless us in the little moments.</span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your daddy and I walked back to our room, snuggled in, thanked Jesus for the incredibly special day that it was and fell asleep listening to your soft breathing next to us. Our little Elizabeth was here and our lives would never be the same!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXUMX6UDibdxLgqoX9gKfYo7wTcRQ77OrfNH-CvddF0KOwJxpT7NBgH9dzXHOIcVVsRhivjchWfnWVCwtdMt-bWQtruHWwm6649bn_dgJ6XD6TMdD1uIsTPKFoiKjL435VBeDQ9ysHd0/s1600/15420_3853185659590_1204778887_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXUMX6UDibdxLgqoX9gKfYo7wTcRQ77OrfNH-CvddF0KOwJxpT7NBgH9dzXHOIcVVsRhivjchWfnWVCwtdMt-bWQtruHWwm6649bn_dgJ6XD6TMdD1uIsTPKFoiKjL435VBeDQ9ysHd0/s320/15420_3853185659590_1204778887_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-29772641731278946382013-01-23T17:21:00.000-08:002013-01-24T15:08:18.934-08:00Thoughts For The Day (Nick)Note: These are simply thoughts I have had today. Some of them are a bit blunt. Feel free to disagree with some things if you would like – as this is not meant to be a post that is
100% error proof.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Foolishness is more than being stupid, that deadly combination of arrogance and ignorance.”<br />
– Paul David Tripp</blockquote>
(If you haven’t ready any of Paul Tripp’s books –
stop reading this now and look him up. Order every book. Read them all. God has
given this man incredible wisdom.)<br />
<br />
You are not your child’s God. When you are frustrated with your child, what is the motivation behind it? Are they disrupting your sovereignty? You need as much grace as your child does.<br />
<br />
I want nothing more than for my family and friends to know the love and grace of God. This world changes all the time. New ideas come. New social norms form. Jesus is constant. You may have a lot of
questions. You may not have received good answers. Don’t let your pride get in
the way to believe that there are no answers. Just because YOU don’t know the
answer, doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer. Don’t base your life on not knowing
the answer. Base your life on the grace of God and pursue him!<br />
<br />
I love being a dad. When I was younger, I didn’t
know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be a dad. By
God’s grace I am one. It is an incredible responsibility, an incredible joy!<br />
<br />
I love my wife. I love how much she pursues God.
I love how hard she works for our family. I love that she is wise beyond her
years. I love seeing her as a mommy. I love how she points out my sins. I love
the grace that God has given me in allowing me to marry her.<br />
<br />
I love how Elizabeth is a tiny thing with chubby
cheeks and skinny legs. All she does is sleep, eat, cry, and poop – but all of
it is a miracle.<br />
<br />
I love Owen. I love to wrestle with him. I love how he is learning how to think for himself. I love that I can be his dad and that I have the responsibility to point him to Jesus.<br />
<br />
I am very thankful for the job God has given me and how he has provided for our family. I will always be open to where God
leads me and my family, but I am very satisfied with where I am at – and I don’t
plan on changing in the near future. I’m also pretty good at getting people
amazing deals on insurance!<br />
(shameless plug: <a href="http://www.libertymutual.com/nicholaswalker" target="_blank">http://www.libertymutual.com/nicholaswalker</a>)<br />
<br />
It is baffling to me how Christians have no idea how much they gossip when using social media. This has never been shown more than during election season. I’m sure I also do it on occasion, and I’m sorry for that.<br />
<br />
Speaking of gossip – prayer time does not give
you the right to gossip. STOP IT!!!<br />
<br />
STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT YOUR KIDS ON FACEBOOK!!! They are a blessing, not a burden. Don’t treat them like a burden.<br />
<br />
Are you annoyed with your kid? Look in the mirror.
Where do you think they learned the behavior that annoys you? That’s right…
YOU!<br />
<br />
Other parents frustrate me. They just… frustrate
me. That is the nice way to put it. I’m just simply amazed at how many bad
parents there are. Parents who are completely ruining their children – and they
have no idea that they are doing it. God has given me incredible grace in my
life, and he continues to. However, I have a really hard time giving grace to
other parents (not a good thing).<br />
<br />
I struggle with self-righteousness. I tend to
think I know better than most people – and I tend to prove it through my
actions. Maybe that explains my thoughts today…<br />
<br />
Men who have children need to be better dads. If
you can’t be trusted to be alone with your own child(ren), there is a big
problem. There are incredible resources at your disposal on parenting. Click
away from the pornography website and go to a site that can give you tips on
how to be a good dad.<br />
<br />
Don’t be satisfied if there are major problems
in your marriage. Just like the nerves in our body signal to our brain that
something is wrong (pain) and needs to be changed – a problem in marriage means
something is wrong and needs to be changed! Don’t just wait and hope it gets
better. Here are a couple of obvious problems:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>You rarely have sex with your spouse.</i><br />
<br />
I suppose every couple is different, and there
are certainly special circumstances, but if you are only intimate with your
spouse once every couple weeks or longer, that is usually a problem. Why has it
not been addressed? The problems can run deep, but how about you change
something? You did marry that person for a reason – so at one time you probably
liked them. How about giving grace rather than demanding to be served. How
about viewing intimacy as a way to serve your spouse rather than to serve
yourself. Also, it is very common for the husband to have issues
with lust and pornography if they aren’t having sex with their wife.<br />
<br />
Wives… for crying out loud – have sex with your
husband. I feel like nobody is saying this: Stop being so SELFISH! If you don’t
“enjoy it,” find a way to enjoy it. Talk to him about it. Even tell him what to
do! He is your husband – no need to be shy. Sex is not just about you! If you
rarely have sex with your husband, you are sinning against your husband (unless
you are abstaining from sex mutually – which I’ve rarely heard about…). It can
be complicated, I get it. You may have trust issues. I get it. Withholding sex
because you are bitter towards him for something does not give you the right to
sin. In all the years of listening to husbands complain about their wives not
having sex with them, I have rarely found anyone who would actually approach
the wife.<br />
<br />
Keep the bedroom safe, though. If something in
bed makes the other person uncomfortable, it is not safe. Sex is for intimacy.
Don’t be selfish. It is not about pleasing you. If your spouse is not
comfortable with something – talk about it. Yes, talk about sex. Don’t just
talk to your friends, talk to your spouse! Figure it out! There are probably
underlying reasons why they would be uncomfortable about something – and it is
important to know that.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>You argue often with your spouse.</i><br />
<br />
I’ve heard so many times that if you don’t “fight”
with your spouse, you must not have a healthy marriage. That is a bunch of
crap! You typically fight because one or both of you are being completely
selfish in a moment (or longer) and you care more about yourself than the other
person. I’d say you will almost never “fight” if you are practically giving
grace to your spouse with no expectations.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>You have "communication problems".</i><br />
<br />
I am very introverted. I don’t particularly like
hanging out with a lot of people – and I generally don’t actively look for
people to hang out with. I don’t feel refreshed when having a long talk with
people. I work in sales and need to talk on the phone a lot – but I am very
happy to work via email or other correspondence – and I have found a way to be
successful doing it. All that said, I will talk to my wife about anything. I
will lie in bed and talk to her for hours if she wants. I enjoy talking to her.
I desire to talk to her. I find it incredibly dumb when I hear that husbands
cannot communicate with their wives. Why did you marry them? This is your
spouse. Talk to them. Tell them how you feel. Let your spouse speak into your
life. What are you hiding? REVEAL IT! Let her forgive you and show you grace.
If you have a problem with communication, I believe you are likely hiding
something, or you simply don’t like who you are talking to. That is a problem
if you are married to that person. Don’t just go and sit in groups and whine
and complain about it with other people – actually do something about it! How
do so many married couples not talk? We live in a strange world…<br />
<br />
<br />
All this being said, thankfully you don’t need to be perfect or do
anything to receive God’s grace.Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13787522953463100722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-42226172850780247082012-07-15T21:24:00.000-07:002012-08-24T15:22:45.807-07:00My Goals: 24 x 24I apologize for taking so long to write this. I can't believe it's already been almost two weeks since my birthday! Here is the follow-up to <a href="http://nicknrachel.blogspot.com/2012/07/23-things-i-dont-want-you-to-know-about.html">my last post</a>. I got this lovely idea from my friend and fellow mama-blogger <a href="http://macewen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ally</a>. She posted a list of 25 things she wanted to accomplish by the time she turned 25 and I just adored the concept! So, without further ado, here's next year's "bucket list", so to speak!<br />
<br />
1. Grow in Christ. (I have no idea what this looks like for next year because I have no idea what’s coming our way, but if I look back on my 24th year and see no growth, I’m going to be very sad.)<br />
2. Pray intentionally each morning for my husband, my children and for patience with both.<br />
3. Develop a consistent quiet time routine.<br />
4. Get out of bed and spend some time alone in the mornings before my child(ren) awake.<br />
5. Journal consistently.<br />
6. Spend quality time by myself out of the house.<br />
7. Make a family photo collage to fill a wall in our home.<br />
8. Give birth to our second child fully naturally in a birth center (as planned).<br />
9. Maintain physical health and make my body a priority (example: actually eating three meals a day EVERY day) throughout all the changes my body will go through this next year.<br />
10. Spend more time in the kitchen and make some of my own staples (pancake mix, salsa, spaghetti sauce, baby food, etc).<br />
11. Make a real effort to be on time more often than not.<br />
12. Work out at home on a consistent basis.<br />
13. Achieve softer hands than my husband’s. (I have terrible skin on my hands and it bothers both of us. I want to seek a cure and be consistent about caring for my hands!)<br />
14. Have at least one totally awesome party at our apartment. Hopefully more.<br />
15. Plant a mini-herb garden on our deck. I am dying to grow my own herbs because it is a joke to buy them fresh at the store so I usually just settle for dried herbs in a little plastic tube and I know it’s stunting the potential of my cooking skills.<br />
16. Read at least one book – start to finish – per month.<br />
17. Go on vacation with just Nick.<br />
18. Go on vacation as a family.<br />
19. Pay off both of our student loans and be DEBT-FREE!!!<br />
20. Host at least one holiday at our home – and make it ROCK!<br />
21. Invite someone new to church at least once a month – and follow up with them.<br />
22. Preach the Gospel to Owen every day – when we read books about Jesus, when I’m disciplining him, when we’re eating, praying, resting, playing… I want to show him Jesus every second of every day.<br />
23. Accept imperfection, revel in its glory and thank the good Lord that I do not have to be my own Savior.<br />
24. Have fun and enjoy the blessings God has given me!!!<br />
<div>
<br />
Please hold me to this list, friends! I am all for accountability so please ask how these things are going! How about all of you? What are your short-term or long-term goals?</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-44401895438859060542012-07-02T16:22:00.000-07:002012-07-02T16:22:32.517-07:0023 Things I Don’t Want You to Know About MeI turn 23 years old tomorrow. In honor of my birthday, I thought I would share some things with you that will probably humble me far more than you will even care to read them. I once saw a blogger do this and was inspired to to the same because I have the tendency to make life sound perfect when it is so obviously not. So... here goes!<br />
<br />
1. One of my greatest problems is my pride. I am guilty of often thinking, “Wow, I’m so glad I’m better than that person…” One of the reasons I am sharing this list on the Internet is to try to force some humility upon myself.<br />
<br />
2. When something out of the ordinary happens, my first thought tends to be “How can I make a super clever Facebook post about this?”<br />
<br />
3. I have a terrible, awful fear of man. This results in me being a people-pleaser and very internally critical.<br />
<br />
4. I am far more organized than the average person, but I am almost always late. (Okay, you probably knew this one)<br />
<br />
5. I am a grammar Nazi. If someone misspells something on Facebook or incorrectly uses or omits an apostrophe, I will judge their character for it. No joke.<br />
<br />
6. When I originally typed this, I spelled “grammar” wrong.<br />
<br />
7. I couldn’t tell you the last time I cleaned behind/under my furniture.<br />
<br />
8. Three of my weaknesses are Nilla Wafers, Bugles and Circus Animal Cookies (the pink and white ones). I could eat an entire bag of any of these three snacks in one sitting.<br />
<br />
9. I have left a load of clean laundry in the dryer for four days before folding it. I also once ran a load of dirty laundry in the washer completely without soap.<br />
<br />
10. I have gotten so angry at my cat that I have kicked him.<br />
<br />
11. I have gotten so angry at Owen that I have made him cry.<br />
<br />
12. I was always really unpopular in school because I did my homework and liked my teachers. It didn’t help that they liked me too. In fact, I switched schools in third grade because my only friend at my previous school was my second grade teacher.<br />
<br />
13. Generosity is not a spiritual gift of mine. When I am blessed by a natural gift-giver, I feel really guilty about not feeling like I can return the favor with the same attitude.<br />
<br />
14. I feel guilty a lot.<br />
<br />
15. I am not consistent with reading my Bible every day so when I come across verses that friends share on the Internet throughout the day, I try to tell myself that “that counts”.<br />
<br />
16. Sometimes I really want to hide under a rock and run away from my life.<br />
<br />
17. If there are baked goods in my home, I will eat every single one unless someone else does. On top of that, it usually only takes me two or three days to go through a whole batch of baked anything.<br />
<br />
18. I’m blonde and I really can be dumb.<br />
<br />
19. Example: Owen “happened” because I really, really didn’t understand the Calendar Method. Yep, you heard it from me – MY fault!!<br />
<br />
20. My husband cannot organize anything correctly unless I taught him how.<br />
<br />
21. I love being a photographer, but I can be a really lazy editor.<br />
<br />
22. I avoid sharing the Gospel to strangers pretty much at all cost. I just don’t want to make things “awkward”. (This one makes me want to punch myself in the face just thinking about it)<br />
<br />
23. My own self-created standards are more important in my mind than God’s standards. And I usually don’t even meet my own standards.<br />
<br />
<br />
All this leads to <b>one thing I really DO want you to know about me</b>.<br />
<b><br /></b>
1. I am not defined by my failures… or my successes. Jesus died for every single thing on my list. I am saved by grace – obviously not by my works. I praise my sweet Jesus because I will ALWAYS be a sinner and He will ALWAYS be my Savior.<br />
<br />
<br />
Stay tuned for a follow-up post in the next few days - I'm going to post a list of things I hope to accomplish in the following year!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-35303361206931530322012-06-18T22:40:00.001-07:002012-06-18T22:40:03.168-07:00Jesus Is EnoughSo, after a week and a half of very hard, tiring work, we decided to forego potty training at this point. It was a hard decision to make, not just because I want this boy potty trained, but because my stubbornness often causes me to push forward on things that don't really need to happen in the timing I created for myself. I just had so much confidence in us - in <i>myself</i> - that I thought this process would be quick and easy so I could just write a blog about how fantastic everything was going. It wasn't. It isn't. And now that we're moving, it's time to let it go.<br />
<br />
Because I turned potty training into a test of just how determined I am as a mother... not about how God is growing Owen and what he needs right now. He is just not at the point where he can communicate to us when he needs to go but he does realize when he has not done things correctly. This just turns into a spiral of frustration and tears, which is not how I want him to think of the potty. So in turning to Jesus and refuting the lies that I am a failure, we are going back to diapers for a couple of months until Owen is really ready to kick this in two days.<br />
<br />
I really had to face this fact last weekend when our moving process started. I am not going to be able to work with Owen every hour of the day while we are packing, moving and needing babysitting throughout the next couple of weeks. My dear husband has been encouraging me in this direction for a few days and I finally really heard him and heard the Lord telling me this. I just needed to reach the point of understanding that this has nothing to do with me. And in that, I experience freedom in Christ! Knowing that He - and only He - is enough and will supply me with the strength and courage to get through not getting through this right now.<br />
<br />
All that to say, we are moving in five days. FIVE DAYS! We have lived in Newcastle for just over two years now and I'm starting to see that it's not all going to be cake and flowers when we go. I love our little community and although I know we already have a great one waiting for us in Fairwood, change is hard. There are so many great things about Newcastle, but God is moving us. And I know He will do great things in our family as we transition to a new community.<br />
<br />
On another note, I wanted to give a quick pregnancy update. I am fourteen weeks now and in my second trimester. I had another appointment today and got to hear the heartbeat for the second time! It was beating very quickly, which makes me wonder if it's a girl! We have six weeks until we can find out the gender and I'm very excited. Not finding out with Owen was really, really fun but it will also be great to know earlier this time around.<br />
<br />
All in all, we are really looking forward to the move this weekend but can definitely use prayer for physical and emotional strength as we embark on the journey of moving and building furniture, adjusting to a new place with a toddler and a cat, packing, unpacking and all the other glorious details that come with moving. I'm very thankful that my strength is not my own - especially in a season such as this!! Jesus IS enough, friends - no matter WHAT the enemy tells you!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-78738629831450260512012-06-07T14:32:00.002-07:002012-06-07T14:32:36.358-07:00A New ChapterI am having trouble beginning this post. It's hard to know where to start. In the last couple of weeks so much has changed for our little family. God is doing a great work in us but I have to admit - it's exhausting! I'll give a little update as to what He's doing but I apologize if it's not very thorough. My mind is so scattered right now.<br />
<br />
Referencing our last post, I am now twelve weeks pregnant and our baby is still healthy, growing and very much alive! I am thankful to be close to the end of my first trimester and seem to be coming out of the sleepy fog that is the beginning of every pregnancy for me. I am so thankful for my husband's patience and understanding during this time because nine times out of ten he comes home to me sitting around like a blob with no idea what I want to do about dinner.<br />
<br />
That's the other thing - most food doesn't really sound good in my first trimester so that whole feeding my family thing? Yeah, it kind of doesn't happen around here for a while. It's highly frustrating when I feel like I can't accomplish a few simple things to serve my family. But again, my husband has been extremely patient with me and lowered his expectations greatly, which has made everything so much easier. Let me tell you, expectations kill marriage. Not that I never have them - far from the fact - but usually when I am upset about something involving Nick, it has to do with me expecting something of him that I either a) did not express to him directly or b) he has never done so why would he start right now? Don't listen to the lies, ladies! Your husband can never and will never completely fulfill you. That's not his job.<br />
<br />
Sorry for the mini-rant there. Didn't see that coming!<br />
<br />
In addition to knowing for sure that our second child is imminent, we finally secured where we will live in this next stage of life. Our lease on our little condo is up at the end of June so we have been searching this last month to find where God wants us to be. We were looking into buying a house for a while but the idea just wasn't sitting right with us. No house was popping out at us and we just couldn't ignore how close we are to paying off our student loans.<br />
<br />
So we decided to listen to the little Dave Ramsey on our shoulder and will be signing our lease this week for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartment in Fairwood. Everything about this place feels right to us and I am really excited to move! It is about 300 square feet larger than our current place, which is going to feel huge. Even though it's an apartment, the layout is great for hosting friends and family and with the third bedroom we aren't going to feel nearly as cramped, even after welcoming our second baby in December. I can't wait to see how God uses our next home to minister to others and grow our family emotionally, physically and spiritually!<br />
<br />
On the side of everything else, my photography business is exploding. This is something I didn't expect this year. I will be shooting more than ten weddings in 2012 in addition to all sorts of family and portrait shoots in between and when I look ahead at my calendar, I start to feel very anxious. Right now I am choosing to blog instead of edit pictures and while that's probably a poor choice for some reasons, it feels really good to just listen to the rain and type out what's going on around me.<br />
<br />
To everyone reading this who has supported my business so far through babysitting, referrals, encouragement, not to mention actually hiring me... thank you. I am so amazed and blessed by being able to do what I love and still be a wife and mom first. It gives me so much joy to know that when I went to film school, this is what God really had in mind for me.<br />
<br />
Among other things, this is what's been taking up my brain recently. Oh, and the fact that today was Day 1 of potty training boot camp for Owen and I. I am totally wiped from this morning but in a few days, I hope to post about our experience. Prayers for perseverance and patience for both parties would be much, MUCH appreciated. It's tough to keep the end goal in mind when it's so easy to get caught up in the little failures along the way.<br />
<br />
Thank you, friends! Love you lots!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-65492093616926843882012-05-21T13:13:00.001-07:002012-05-21T22:26:50.495-07:00Oh Happy Day!<i>Poom. Poom. Poom. Poom.</i><br />
<br />
<i>My heartbeat was quick and forceful as the doppler searched. We all held our breath.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Poom. Poom. Poom. Poom.</i><br />
<br />
<i>I tried not to focus on anything. Owen had decided to put my shoes on and walk around the birthing room. He was actually doing a very good job and keeping balanced. I couldn't help but laugh, even though we were only hearing my heartbeat after a couple minutes of searching. Then...</i><br />
<br />
<i>PewPewPewPewPewPewPewPew...</i><br />
<br />
<i>There it was! The heartbeat!! </i><br />
<br />
This morning was my first appointment with Puget Sound Birth Center. I am now ten weeks pregnant and there is a healthy, growing baby inside of me! This morning was a defining moment for us... neither of our past two pregnancies made it this far. We are pretty sure this baby is sticking around, thanks be to God!<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
My midwife explained something to me today that I hope will be encouraging to any other young moms who may have struggled through a similar situation. For those of us who are young and very fertile, it's common for our bodies to latch on to any fertilized egg that comes our way. Our bodies are so eager to be pregnant that no matter if there is something genetically wrong with the embryo, our bodies will still try as hard as possible to make a safe home for it. This is most likely why multiple miscarriages happen at our age. At least, this is my midwife's hypothesis (after 13+ years of catching babies).</div>
<br />
If you don't know our history, I'll give a little recap. After Owen's first birthday I stopped nursing and we decided to try for a second baby. I got pregnant immediately (which didn't surprise us, given how quickly we got pregnant with Owen) and we got very excited. At seven weeks or so my symptoms waned dramatically but I figured it was just a different pregnancy than Owen's and I didn't worry. I began spotting at ten weeks and after a few days of mild bleeding, we went to the ER and discovered the miscarriage. A month after the miscarriage bleeding stopped, I got pregnant again. We were a little wary of this pregnancy because of how close to the previous one it was, but I felt symptoms for longer. I think I carried to ten weeks again before the spotting started for the second time. I was pretty certain from the start that this was a second miscarriage because my body was processing everything the same way as the first time. So in January, we mourned the loss of another child.<br />
<br />
After two miscarriages so close together, we wanted to wait several months before trying again. Nevertheless, God had other plans and we got pregnant in March - only two months after my second miscarriage. Again, we were wary, but the fact that this pregnancy was unplanned gave me the sense that this one was going to "stick", so to speak. We have been waiting in anticipation over the last several weeks as my symptoms have continued and after today's appointment, we are almost completely certain that we are going to meet this baby in December!!<br />
<br />
I cannot even begin to express my gratitude toward the Lord for this. It's been such an interesting journey in these last nine months... pregnant, not pregnant, pregnant, not pregnant, pregnant... It's just been hard to know what to say to people, what not to say and discerning if I just care too much what people think. I also have had trouble discerning my own feelings throughout all this. I am very good at detaching myself from being "emotional" and looking at the logic behind every situation. But is that skirting around my grief that is real and without sin? It's all so confusing. And I know God is not done with me yet. I'm just not quite sure where He is leading me in it.<br />
<br />
For now, I'm just thankful. Thankful for a new life, thankful for God-given patience, endurance and perseverance and thankful for a wonderful community of friends and family who have been walking faithfully with us through this process. God is so good, even in our pain and suffering. He is always with us and always there to comfort us. And He is always there to rejoice with us. I'm so thankful that I get to rejoice with my God today!<br />
<br />
Oh, and here's a recent picture of our first baby. He is growing up SO fast!! I am definitely ready for another small little containable thing :).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRq2faNjN_9FG6KBFJfUV3B5tfWsUzja4DVqhfFLWBkUSSCI5NGrWPIWW8r4JTBY5AZjD3z7Wy_b12Xb446e5vKj3qT614jxfdeXsvtg3gqpz6pE0fOYDxZZ2jrb_hyphenhyphenYxOSHltuNG5yU/s1600/Happy+boy!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRq2faNjN_9FG6KBFJfUV3B5tfWsUzja4DVqhfFLWBkUSSCI5NGrWPIWW8r4JTBY5AZjD3z7Wy_b12Xb446e5vKj3qT614jxfdeXsvtg3gqpz6pE0fOYDxZZ2jrb_hyphenhyphenYxOSHltuNG5yU/s320/Happy+boy!.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-11577063546573846992011-10-26T15:19:00.000-07:002011-10-26T15:19:23.500-07:00AbundanceWow, after all the love I was shown over my last post, I know it will be impossible to top that. But that's not what it's about now, is it? This is just a friendly update post about what we've been up to. I said I was going to try and blog more, so this is the result of that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nick and I went to Las Vegas a few weeks back. Actually, my miscarriage process started right before we left but didn't really kick into gear until we got home, which was a huge blessing. Nick and I had a ton of fun exploring a crazy new city we had never been to before! We ate some amazing food, saw a few incredible shows and even won a bit of money at the casinos! It was the perfect little anniversary getaway for us and was a good distraction from what we would come home to. Here are a few photos from our trip...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBb1ZwVCH9GMsNs1iO8AhYlD893VhUCIOnZhx4LU8pjutcRMFr1zYWYt8XxT74zhK-L_1QEq38MJcQBvK5SAs4NLq70sZtru8cqTYFWYHtuy7HwCf7CqtUaON8ezDSde8Euc25jQ7DJY/s1600/IMG_7215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBb1ZwVCH9GMsNs1iO8AhYlD893VhUCIOnZhx4LU8pjutcRMFr1zYWYt8XxT74zhK-L_1QEq38MJcQBvK5SAs4NLq70sZtru8cqTYFWYHtuy7HwCf7CqtUaON8ezDSde8Euc25jQ7DJY/s200/IMG_7215.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbMRCluidK8Gj5qjv5OoooTo1951PvsbYZJ00AKwMRov83o1Ai2A4r42KnzEeYtWmu2YVm_00vb5Wy3xdSmlfEayxy1UiGc1KvMPeAUHuhbxxsWQkugKuFu6PJOWY8cBATt-USRWiQIw/s1600/IMG_7258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbMRCluidK8Gj5qjv5OoooTo1951PvsbYZJ00AKwMRov83o1Ai2A4r42KnzEeYtWmu2YVm_00vb5Wy3xdSmlfEayxy1UiGc1KvMPeAUHuhbxxsWQkugKuFu6PJOWY8cBATt-USRWiQIw/s200/IMG_7258.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YOnUp2MNcy0NMU-m8PlCMEXbS3T5TODF24b9GZZsnCNbkMNuhZbcNHf6qlnPcaGSKjwGuAQaXjcexVrYLEJ5O2655ix9FTyb_wrUoPYBZIrCe4aTheUlhiW_vC2UaqtcMOYl9dlaaEo/s1600/IMG_7319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YOnUp2MNcy0NMU-m8PlCMEXbS3T5TODF24b9GZZsnCNbkMNuhZbcNHf6qlnPcaGSKjwGuAQaXjcexVrYLEJ5O2655ix9FTyb_wrUoPYBZIrCe4aTheUlhiW_vC2UaqtcMOYl9dlaaEo/s320/IMG_7319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sOApS6nNhuzDLzqisfB-QdAQKQ5IbJVjsf2hiJbAoiusmlseudTSIhlxd6VFFvcnEDYmDpJsGJJEfoO_F1DtFvmdUWmdpzD6dfTJKxb-3RZ0TglbhV_PuxBCsHB_Vp3KSeynWoSQShA/s1600/IMG_7303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sOApS6nNhuzDLzqisfB-QdAQKQ5IbJVjsf2hiJbAoiusmlseudTSIhlxd6VFFvcnEDYmDpJsGJJEfoO_F1DtFvmdUWmdpzD6dfTJKxb-3RZ0TglbhV_PuxBCsHB_Vp3KSeynWoSQShA/s200/IMG_7303.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosvopqzQiWMtE8UtZ4ZKRcIjr6Phc0_GuiwZoPuhOFo21jyX3lQYjLLHr7sGmulWAh7oJHS3XxPzfw7_hq3Fxqg91-Kna9zB2kBJDUqht1YowHaCO-yd1HmvThzmpdw8f6m153UZGC9Q/s1600/IMG_7317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosvopqzQiWMtE8UtZ4ZKRcIjr6Phc0_GuiwZoPuhOFo21jyX3lQYjLLHr7sGmulWAh7oJHS3XxPzfw7_hq3Fxqg91-Kna9zB2kBJDUqht1YowHaCO-yd1HmvThzmpdw8f6m153UZGC9Q/s200/IMG_7317.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4UtNDL-oVGASfRwjIGE-77CQLw3LG_HIWSzgSvMxgC_kWP6-VOWl5YEg9uBb5vBeYSC7wqRL9uxEc1t1ASO6Ci8TBzP5b25mXBFplimt_c05fdNDmlVD734zzii5OArYATaKnmgq7n0/s1600/IMG_7307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4UtNDL-oVGASfRwjIGE-77CQLw3LG_HIWSzgSvMxgC_kWP6-VOWl5YEg9uBb5vBeYSC7wqRL9uxEc1t1ASO6Ci8TBzP5b25mXBFplimt_c05fdNDmlVD734zzii5OArYATaKnmgq7n0/s320/IMG_7307.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Also, a couple of weekends ago Nick and I went with my family to a pumpkin patch in Kent. Owen had more fun than I think he ever has in his entire life. The whole time we were there he was flapping his arms, his eyes were gigantic and he couldn't wipe the grin off his face! It was so much fun to watch him enjoy himself so much!!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIlrxFZkI1guffbLEIOEqt_TnlCPXoqLaG2FRMaZQrko4RlSPlNA00IONB4tU5ps9MaDGqzcKV49CPyAd1LRl384PNXr_G4vVQmeUIDig4hxwhg58fLHlU9RpDz_Z5PTSiWgTWVBhaIg/s1600/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIlrxFZkI1guffbLEIOEqt_TnlCPXoqLaG2FRMaZQrko4RlSPlNA00IONB4tU5ps9MaDGqzcKV49CPyAd1LRl384PNXr_G4vVQmeUIDig4hxwhg58fLHlU9RpDz_Z5PTSiWgTWVBhaIg/s320/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+10.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyN5U5g1n6H0p8U5aY8c6olGBoK86oo2zRf-6hBbn3HAY3I9bBU6LP6luSGrzgwSecPACuWjAve0GitbtmZuVHeyL5x29wOPDD1NnB7j4znkaSZ3icA6MeZ8dfA0DLt1yr-l6GfObfag/s1600/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+26+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyN5U5g1n6H0p8U5aY8c6olGBoK86oo2zRf-6hBbn3HAY3I9bBU6LP6luSGrzgwSecPACuWjAve0GitbtmZuVHeyL5x29wOPDD1NnB7j4znkaSZ3icA6MeZ8dfA0DLt1yr-l6GfObfag/s200/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+26+-+Version+2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6ANMSXosudxlWYfMu7G7qYuLvNJx4-A3u-Ijh7fiaQt120aRV8qyA5htmOqq_Z8QrTX2EAgkBRdcEOktoVfZBb5-1DzPiBd_WQu5tmo_uKZGfT4puEnCHXwFpiExsUOpyV9S-5LyQ2c/s1600/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6ANMSXosudxlWYfMu7G7qYuLvNJx4-A3u-Ijh7fiaQt120aRV8qyA5htmOqq_Z8QrTX2EAgkBRdcEOktoVfZBb5-1DzPiBd_WQu5tmo_uKZGfT4puEnCHXwFpiExsUOpyV9S-5LyQ2c/s200/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+35.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bCtLZeqNXq-BdNXfWPDRa5cVMDKMY4WJ7ZDXlfX5LHJBuAIryYSYoYlQS_4F42q7UvyfeQKg4N7UrRUEtZkMyR3aLdhSgtxOuqRpmEngR8MG17fJpjSU1TNdAc432pFkeMnY_KhNpU8/s1600/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bCtLZeqNXq-BdNXfWPDRa5cVMDKMY4WJ7ZDXlfX5LHJBuAIryYSYoYlQS_4F42q7UvyfeQKg4N7UrRUEtZkMyR3aLdhSgtxOuqRpmEngR8MG17fJpjSU1TNdAc432pFkeMnY_KhNpU8/s320/Pumpkin+Patch+2011+53.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We also had a very funny moment in our home the other day. Owen got into some purple paint without me knowing and he was COVERED in it! Now there are a few purple paint stains on his carpet that I'm not sure will come out... Hopefully we won't have to replace the whole carpet in his room! Ah, the joys of children. This is how I found Owen after putting away what I thought were all the jars of paint in our art bin...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Qszwuar4UrKNOMJR3CTHhBXZgn50xLPgs-UxXVhDCqcUAARrcKk2eQgkbXbympZGXUtSGYdpnIFDVioyWwojKABwGQKbpgQ59vFnSZvkyV9NGcI5WIz7xqNFKri1ko6L4Gw9qb8BAOI/s1600/308488_2039711523870_1576740118_1641584_877224736_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Qszwuar4UrKNOMJR3CTHhBXZgn50xLPgs-UxXVhDCqcUAARrcKk2eQgkbXbympZGXUtSGYdpnIFDVioyWwojKABwGQKbpgQ59vFnSZvkyV9NGcI5WIz7xqNFKri1ko6L4Gw9qb8BAOI/s320/308488_2039711523870_1576740118_1641584_877224736_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You can imagine my shock and horror when I found this little monster banging on our sliding glass door! All I could do was laugh and take pictures of him. The paint had already dried so the damage was done. I love the confused look on his face! He cracks me up. I left him like that for about ten minutes - until Nick got home, so he could see this for himself - and then we promptly plopped Owen in the tub. I'm pretty sure there's still some purple on him. It took some serious scrubbing to get his skin back to the normal color!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I am so blessed by my little family and all God has given us. I am so thankful for the opportunity for little getaways and fun activities that allow me to spend good quality time with my two favorite people in the world. It is such a joy to watch Owen grow and learn and for all three of us grow to love each other more. I love this life I have been given SO much!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-13898408911043236822011-10-10T13:51:00.000-07:002011-10-10T14:11:31.433-07:00Sovereign, Gracious, Glorious!Rest in God's sovereignty. Rely on God's grace. Submit to God's glory.<br />
<br />
These three short sentences are written on a pink sticky note that is fastened to my computer screen which forces me to stare at them every single day. They are a small excerpt from Paul Tripp's book "Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands". They are three of God's greatest truths that we often skew and twist in our sinful hearts. I think I am beginning to understand how to live out these three things more and more every time I read them. Yesterday was one of those days where those three truths were put to the test.<br />
<br />
Nick and I were given the news yesterday that I miscarried our baby.<br />
<br />
There are many emotions I am feeling right now, but the one I keep coming back to is peace. True, my heart is full of sorrow that our baby will never see this earth and snuggle in my arms. True, I am angry that the existence of sin results in unborn children being taken from the womb. But more so, I am full of peace that our good, glorious Savior is holding our baby in heaven <i>right now</i>. I am actually more jealous of my child than I am upset! Our beautiful baby will never experience the sin of the world. He or she will never watch their loved ones die or be in physical pain. They will never be rebellious toward God or go through a season of doubt. Our child is in PARADISE. He or she is just waiting to meet us.<br />
<br />
And that actually brings me JOY.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Knowing that this is all part of God's glorious plan allows me to <b>rest in His sovereignty.</b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Knowing that God will comfort me perfectly allows me to <b>rely on His grace.</b></div>
<br />
Knowing Jesus is loving on our child right now allows me to <b>submit to His glory.</b><br />
<br />
A good friend of ours shared with me that through her miscarriages she relied on Jeremiah 29:11-13 as a reminder of God's truth. This made me smile because not only is it a fabulous verse, but I am so fond of it that we read that verse when we dedicated Owen to Jesus little over a year ago. Here it is:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."</i></blockquote>
Additionally, my best friend reminded me that the middle name we picked out for a boy was Elijah. In the Bible, Elijah never died - he was taken straight up into heaven on a fiery chariot. It brings me hope and joy to think that our baby was able to pass from this world to the next in a similar way. Maybe in a bit less flashy of a manner, but still - without pain and straight to Jesus.<br />
<br />
All in all, I am immensely thankful. I am thankful for our community that is walking with us and being available in this time. I am thankful for caring doctors and midwives who have been alongside me every step of the way. I am thankful for our healthy son who gives me great joy. I am thankful for my supportive, loving, caring husband who is being sensitive to my needs and is constantly checking up on me. But mostly, I am thankful for our sovereign, gracious and glorious God who knows exactly why this is happening, how it will contribute to His plan and how it will bring Him glory.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading, friends. And thank you for your prayers. We are truly blessed.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-61446001368672702522011-09-29T15:18:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:18:19.598-07:00Grace AboundingHello my few but wonderful readers!<br />
<br />
I cannot believe how long it has been since I wrote. I keep feeling this nagging when I get on the computer; "Write! You know you want to!" And it's true - I <i>do</i> want to - I just somehow haven't found the time in a month and a half. Ugh! Not okay. Hopefully this will remedy my absence well and help me start to become more consistent in posting about the amazing life God has given me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FSoIdEHwQcZO_VG99A_NPmxAjtMBShkM-Uh06VrySF8VPl1OVMIleqsypZxo-SnAyh28Ake7FnR9bxSATNJ1Rl2P9ecIJCg_qJhOyr0kcZJzrG9BdE4QT2FjoUikUbydoUl-0sAee1E/s1600/IMG_0449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FSoIdEHwQcZO_VG99A_NPmxAjtMBShkM-Uh06VrySF8VPl1OVMIleqsypZxo-SnAyh28Ake7FnR9bxSATNJ1Rl2P9ecIJCg_qJhOyr0kcZJzrG9BdE4QT2FjoUikUbydoUl-0sAee1E/s1600/IMG_0449.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry-ing to Orcas Island for a wedding</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
What can I say but that God has blessed our little family abundantly since I last updated you. My family of three has become four - Owen is going to be a big brother! My due date is April 30th but I'm hoping for a little girl on May Day. It would just fit in so well with our family (since Owen is a Fourth of July baby). Nick and I are going to find out the gender this time around just to make preparations a little easier. We <i>loved</i> waiting last time but I do want to know if we need to buy some pink accessories or just hang on to what we already have from Owen. We have both of the names picked out so when we come back from our ultrasound we'll know exactly who we'll be meeting in a few short months. If you want to know the names, ask me personally.<br />
<br />
God has given me a wonderful first trimester yet again. I am tired, but not as much as last time. My appetite is a bit smaller but I don't feel sick. Honestly, I forget I'm pregnant most of the time because I'm so busy with Owen. It's nice to have something else to focus on - it'll make this waiting period go all the faster! I am so excited to meet this next little person. It's so amazing to me that though he or she only has webbed fingers right now, in just a few months they will be a whole person. It's so much different the second time around.<br />
<br />
Additionally, God has blessed Nick's and my community group immensely in the last month. The summer was a hard season for us because we were extremely busy and our community group was inconsistent and small. We felt attacked multiple times over the summer and became discouraged. We began to question if we really were supposed to be doing this. But of course we are... God just wanted to work on us first. A month ago, we had four new families visit in ONE week! In one night, our group went from four to twelve. And the most amazing thing to me is that all of our group members are jumping in with two feet and want to get involved and serve immediately! I cannot believe what God was waiting to give to us. Each member of our community group has been a huge blessing to both Nick and I and I am SO excited to see where He leads us in this next season!<br />
<br />
One of the most fun things ever just happened a couple of weeks ago. My best friend Melissa and her husband moved into our apartment complex. Not only that, but Mel's husband Justin got a job <a href="http://www.libertymutual.com/nicholaswalker">where Nick works</a> so they have been able to carpool to work and encourage each other in their careers! It has been so much fun already having our dearest friends live so close but I cannot WAIT until their baby arrives! Mel is due in November so we are getting very close!<br />
<br />
Gosh, now that I'm thinking about everything else that has happened since I last wrote I think I need to just list a few things off...<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I finished my first wedding season as a photographer. I learned a ton, grew in my skills and am very excited with the results of this summer. I cannot wait to give it another go next year! </li>
<li>We went to a lake cabin for the weekend with some friends. Thankfully the three of us were able to get away when summer finally showed up in August! It was a great couple of days filled with relaxing in the water. There was no internet, cable or cell phone service so we really had to depend on each other for entertainment!</li>
<li>I started my own <a href="http://www.marykay.com/rachelwalker/Profile.aspx">Mary Kay business</a>. If you are interested in learning more about the company, purchasing our skin care products or hosting a Mary Kay party (and earning free product!!!), please don't hesitate to contact me!</li>
<li>Nick and I celebrated our 2-year wedding anniversary on September 19th. We went out to dinner and afterward ate the top of our wedding cake. Yes, the cake actually tasted good! I guess four layers of saran wrap actually can preserve frosting for that long! We will also be celebrating our anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas next week. I am so excited!!!</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>All in all, I am completely amazed at God's grace upon our family. Our little boy is healthy, growing and charming as ever, Nick's and my marriage is growing and maturing as we learn more about Jesus and each other, I see God's miracles surround me as I hear stories about His grace to others and I am just peaceful. My heart is happy. The love of Christ fills me like no other thing in this world. There is SO much to be thankful for that if I listed off everything when praying at the end of the evening I would never go to sleep.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpLb0pCJhaVCpFlGGdXySNViEU5xVqvUROz1UWus-6ETmjlo0yM_ZvkspaCJWPfDkRmPTIPZ5j-Ji98p1cr-WdnABRaCcSAtSthnh51voWWwqEesAxwb7dpAYVqlsXsJ2-m2XoPqHqms/s1600/IMG_0476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpLb0pCJhaVCpFlGGdXySNViEU5xVqvUROz1UWus-6ETmjlo0yM_ZvkspaCJWPfDkRmPTIPZ5j-Ji98p1cr-WdnABRaCcSAtSthnh51voWWwqEesAxwb7dpAYVqlsXsJ2-m2XoPqHqms/s1600/IMG_0476.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He makes my world a little brighter</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div>So thank you, Jesus. Thank you for being better than the best earthly thing. Thank you for Your grace that covers me, my sins, my family, my community and this world. Thank you for never changing. Thank you for listening to my feeble attempts at praising You when I can never truly praise You to the extent that You deserve. Thank you for loving me more than I could ever possibly love You. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Thank you.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-50030689744153256892011-08-08T14:23:00.000-07:002011-08-08T14:24:11.264-07:00Our Family's Purpose Statement<div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i>We are called to glorify God in all that we say, do and are. We will fulfill this call as a family by pursuing Christ-like </i><b><i>character</i></b><i>, by creating and sustaining a welcoming </i><b><i>home</i></b><i> and by reaching out to serve others in </i><b><i>mission</i></b><i>.</i></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;"><i><b></b></i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><i>Character</i></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Be disciplined in our personal walk with Christ</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Use our individually unique gifts to serve God and others</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Encourage and build one another up</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Exercise humility and be open to learning from others</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Take care of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><i>Home</i></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Utilize it as an active picture of Christ and the Church</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Use it to relax, reenergize and prepare to go back out into the world</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Take care of it so we can open it to serve and welcome others</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><i>Mission</i></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Ceaselessly preach the Gospel through our words and actions</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Serve collectively and individually in areas we truly enjoy</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Be financially wise so we can abundantly bless others</i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><i> - Enjoy each other through quality recreational time</i></div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;"><i><b></b></i></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I owe the inspiration of this fabulous idea to <a href="http://simplemom.net/about/tsh/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Tsh Oxenreider</span></span></a>, the author of my new favorite book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440302634?ie=UTF8&tag=betthiahe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1440302634"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Organized Simplicity</span></span></a>. To all the work-at-home moms out there, this book is for you!!! I highly recommend it for helping you get organized and give you a much more defined sense of purpose in your role as a homemaker.</div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Before this book, I saw my role as a wife and mom as just that - a role I am called to fill. I now see it as a job. And for every job, the best way to be efficient and get the most out of it is to be organized in a way you can understand. This book addresses exactly how to do that. I am totally a fan.</div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As for our purpose statement, I am really excited to use this in our everyday life. My goal is to display it on our wall somewhere so whenever we come into scheduling conflicts, tricky financial decisions or vacation planning we can hold them up to this statement and make decisions based on what we are truly all about. I am very excited to raise our family with a clear goal in mind - hung on the wall for us all to see and reflect on. Above all, our family is all about Jesus, but this will give us some more specifics to refer to when life gets confusing.</div><div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">And then this is where you come in. I wanted to post this on the web so all our friends and family can read this statement... and hold us accountable to it. If you see us acting outside these goals please practice biblical exhortation and let us know where we are failing. Because I know we will... we're human sinners!</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-27477058355699031892011-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:002011-07-26T13:39:16.157-07:00Learning to be BlessedIt's funny how we ask for prayer for certain things and then when those prayers are answered we ask for prayer that we can "handle" the blessings that we've been given.<br />
<br />
For a long time, Nick and I prayed for him to find a consistent job that provided for our family, was fairly close to where we live and was something he enjoyed. Now that he has a job that is all of those things, I find myself praying that I have patience with him as he works more hours and has to spend a little more time away from our family than before.<br />
<br />
I also prayed that my photography business would take off this year. Now that it has, I am constantly praying that I find the time to get everything done around the house as well as finishing up all my photo projects.<br />
<br />
Above all, Nick and I have prayed for comfort since we got married. We've prayed for stability. For peace. For the ability to lay down roots and stay in one location for more than six months. And now that we're all cozied up here in Newcastle and have been for quite some time now, I'm feeling restless. Nick and I watched a sermon by Francis Chan last night about suffering. By the end of his thirty-minute talk, all I wanted was a good dose of pain and persecution so I could feel that much closer to Christ. But that's crazy, right? To pray for affliction? I don't know.<br />
<br />
I just get tired sometimes of being so blessed. And I know that's a terrible thing to feel. I should be at Jesus' feet, weeping out of gratitude for every moment of my silly little life. Instead, I grow complacent. I get frustrated with the day-to-day routine. I actually <i>want</i> something to complain about. Rather, to grow from. But at the same time, I'm afraid of actually asking for God to give me a trial... because I know that He'll give it to me. And while it may sound glamorous to me right now, I don't think that in reality suffering would be very much fun.<br />
<br />
I guess what all this comes down to is I need to learn how to be thankful. I need to learn how to be satisfied with where God has me now and excited to see how He is using this time to grow me, whether I am in a season of suffering or not.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-55531097228518755182011-07-25T15:06:00.000-07:002011-07-25T15:06:50.835-07:00Photo Update: Spring and SummerSince I have been so terrible about updating this blog, I figured I'd do this in two parts. Here is part one, photography coverage of the last few months.<br />
<br />
Here's what's been going on in our lives since Owen started crawling...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3c6kJ637OI2AeyBrCm8AbCQP79_AEu4cfNVRgQka3sdFH1A31kTa5LiNCsjHGK9sMyxOzy4WW5gdYutRAHu9CQ9gFBjNAWWy9mAnHLsauOdvexeDG__mFVlNnJcAbWEmQH5BdHsJ2k8/s1600/IMG_0305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3c6kJ637OI2AeyBrCm8AbCQP79_AEu4cfNVRgQka3sdFH1A31kTa5LiNCsjHGK9sMyxOzy4WW5gdYutRAHu9CQ9gFBjNAWWy9mAnHLsauOdvexeDG__mFVlNnJcAbWEmQH5BdHsJ2k8/s200/IMG_0305.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv67UABQFO_vdasQHxbGgta65v2LirT3soHsABp4OQYjUDmz-bPxfpleuh2TNeD_dg8D91yF9snRcm0aQ0aBA-Ra3NTSVkzoxOcXrBMWTSQUpQwyIvNdebOaPQM1vOqxpUOMkzv3MezzY/s1600/IMG_0291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv67UABQFO_vdasQHxbGgta65v2LirT3soHsABp4OQYjUDmz-bPxfpleuh2TNeD_dg8D91yF9snRcm0aQ0aBA-Ra3NTSVkzoxOcXrBMWTSQUpQwyIvNdebOaPQM1vOqxpUOMkzv3MezzY/s200/IMG_0291.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We adopted a 1-year-old kitty from MEOW Cat Rescue. His name is Remy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MX22POiz3gbFvO5c4J3KQbIoRzmRsXd7-jmmRu7GcD73MdFhZgVSsEYYoDWviVlng0Hw_jgsmKU2Qf7QKS2ujevh2VWokvDMvClklJLaRj_HxhsXlQso2M9S3utrwyArdCdJdWrq3UM/s1600/IMG_0270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MX22POiz3gbFvO5c4J3KQbIoRzmRsXd7-jmmRu7GcD73MdFhZgVSsEYYoDWviVlng0Hw_jgsmKU2Qf7QKS2ujevh2VWokvDMvClklJLaRj_HxhsXlQso2M9S3utrwyArdCdJdWrq3UM/s1600/IMG_0270.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nick and I attended a Mariner's game with his family.</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWnjMESfkcddHASiGkahnBadhimprA6S4reaBm-HbALzPlDtK5-c3-v3ZWA6nMr7tcoQ3_XausChM8T5ztAFQE95duAREQG75Ys-7XeVS10zp1cIlWTUcu3lEbYag4Q0QmeSf-TYx1Os/s1600/IMG_0333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWnjMESfkcddHASiGkahnBadhimprA6S4reaBm-HbALzPlDtK5-c3-v3ZWA6nMr7tcoQ3_XausChM8T5ztAFQE95duAREQG75Ys-7XeVS10zp1cIlWTUcu3lEbYag4Q0QmeSf-TYx1Os/s200/IMG_0333.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLqj6O2Z0Qe59x7zrgqFS8LGzVEMmbhKKthvA25v5vkOQya98Yxc0VyJd58qc5hX2N14zyWaQFNwXx0HoE62-kdHPGriTU_7vtfro-fCZPZ5E_hQgBT_uXEVibciC6WyNZFWn9bI2UoU/s1600/IMG_0347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLqj6O2Z0Qe59x7zrgqFS8LGzVEMmbhKKthvA25v5vkOQya98Yxc0VyJd58qc5hX2N14zyWaQFNwXx0HoE62-kdHPGriTU_7vtfro-fCZPZ5E_hQgBT_uXEVibciC6WyNZFWn9bI2UoU/s200/IMG_0347.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now that Owen is crawling, things have gotten a little busier around the house...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxVNep4RKd2LyBNKZRnDha1OxsWrUZcZeYWhKbmgRFYmmNSmd_-TAsDdUj2Dd04NFKNF-H9aojYyF7VjT_zYuEi1_5lfgiCOWW1VqCR0Iigy-7wSIyz-zuAlOQRGiFxqBW6MJzg5dIQc/s1600/IMG_0399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxVNep4RKd2LyBNKZRnDha1OxsWrUZcZeYWhKbmgRFYmmNSmd_-TAsDdUj2Dd04NFKNF-H9aojYyF7VjT_zYuEi1_5lfgiCOWW1VqCR0Iigy-7wSIyz-zuAlOQRGiFxqBW6MJzg5dIQc/s1600/IMG_0399.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We have a little musician!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyhYg81DBAXcayVpW6Ii4j8aOulSzWQQJTQdQioELqneWYA7OjHdmaXTOcOIb6kUXXzI9d0HKJQb6WHtn45Am-B5obPWk4WgeYRABKjklTO3uO7Er0zNYurOcLEw1ioBDT2I7GEu6JR4/s1600/IMG_0371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyhYg81DBAXcayVpW6Ii4j8aOulSzWQQJTQdQioELqneWYA7OjHdmaXTOcOIb6kUXXzI9d0HKJQb6WHtn45Am-B5obPWk4WgeYRABKjklTO3uO7Er0zNYurOcLEw1ioBDT2I7GEu6JR4/s200/IMG_0371.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEh9dFRwi3pGm9cX51BFJRbci6KuAChFZ9XpO3PBX3DIDoStryjgn0A8Af1lQIeXiHNDTjFfE1vLW18miTfNXt5zgJBEYbObJekrKuz15_q2XLxJAKmUN375prqJpdl-hofHiSqRTyDk/s1600/IMG_0327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrEh9dFRwi3pGm9cX51BFJRbci6KuAChFZ9XpO3PBX3DIDoStryjgn0A8Af1lQIeXiHNDTjFfE1vLW18miTfNXt5zgJBEYbObJekrKuz15_q2XLxJAKmUN375prqJpdl-hofHiSqRTyDk/s200/IMG_0327.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It got warm outside, so Owen has spent less time with clothes on :)</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKAB2KjChxz8ou6wes4E71xTTCqIhmIoFfC9ABrlzS3CU8h_F5NPE1e-_iSRxfru-NNeBWiMw_HYFl3tAVi8rwYiV-uOFUgJhAp1jviqrJsg_Xshc0skYKs2S7wRVpKYPPxw7PTXwN8g/s1600/IMG_0395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKAB2KjChxz8ou6wes4E71xTTCqIhmIoFfC9ABrlzS3CU8h_F5NPE1e-_iSRxfru-NNeBWiMw_HYFl3tAVi8rwYiV-uOFUgJhAp1jviqrJsg_Xshc0skYKs2S7wRVpKYPPxw7PTXwN8g/s1600/IMG_0395.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our little man now knows how to feed himself! Finally!</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbCu6WDU7tl6jimrKrEfjPBopGxpzU_inJu5QR-5aWc8wJ528Oca3RdYA0i29zfsEgBublc3oxDXJquVCNkj3EqJ_DqE8cIpDIQF_aW21wxJT71Ng3A9aJB14bl-kYVqX4o2krSuEPWk/s1600/IMG_0366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbCu6WDU7tl6jimrKrEfjPBopGxpzU_inJu5QR-5aWc8wJ528Oca3RdYA0i29zfsEgBublc3oxDXJquVCNkj3EqJ_DqE8cIpDIQF_aW21wxJT71Ng3A9aJB14bl-kYVqX4o2krSuEPWk/s200/IMG_0366.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVfPO9cgFX6KdaTGfdHxEcC2GPUh4iZ7nKyoZ5mAX4XffW2OTy6Zfdq6INmv1eRHI17aXz07lv1WWKHtZ3A59eEfub1WrtLKbM_NZh3O347jEqIEifPD6ZtUlvav5tQ4Fe6oFtuxxjcA/s1600/IMG_0367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVfPO9cgFX6KdaTGfdHxEcC2GPUh4iZ7nKyoZ5mAX4XffW2OTy6Zfdq6INmv1eRHI17aXz07lv1WWKHtZ3A59eEfub1WrtLKbM_NZh3O347jEqIEifPD6ZtUlvav5tQ4Fe6oFtuxxjcA/s200/IMG_0367.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Owen has discovered the great outdoors... and does NOT like the texture of grass on his sensitive skin!</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawTWKky8iKSEnR8YttCjoBphAq6YqxNqhKzVz0AHxQzvEW4epi_-KJ3cP0y85CDEUC91JLyv3_Sa81X1cl2R3-5w9u2Y2pr1hjnBn0UQon3tew9glVFQPRV-xbHKhgwVYo9aQL-Xu8Rw/s1600/IMG_0380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawTWKky8iKSEnR8YttCjoBphAq6YqxNqhKzVz0AHxQzvEW4epi_-KJ3cP0y85CDEUC91JLyv3_Sa81X1cl2R3-5w9u2Y2pr1hjnBn0UQon3tew9glVFQPRV-xbHKhgwVYo9aQL-Xu8Rw/s1600/IMG_0380.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And on July 4th, Owen celebrated his first birthday! Here he is after his party, eating a pickle and thoroughly enjoying himself.</div><br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-663547851715080512011-05-18T14:38:00.000-07:002011-05-18T14:38:28.524-07:00Owen is Crawling!Yesterday was the big day! Owen has finally figured out how to simultaneously move his knees, arms and feet so he can move forward. It's taken a lot of work but he has finally figured it out! I'm so happy for my little man. It's amazing to see how everything is clicking now with him. While figuring out how to crawl, he's also getting much better at pulling himself up, moving from tummy to sitting and overall being able to maneuver in whatever way he wishes. Yesterday was the first day that I found him sitting up in his crib and this morning, he took his nap on his stomach for the first time. Our little baby is turning into a little toddler! It's so fun to watch, but also so sad... every day he only gets older!<br />
<br />
Here's a video I took of him crawling this morning. He's crying because right before I started recording he bonked his head on the ground. Although as you can see in the video, he's much more concerned about getting to the XBox remote.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="300" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/1688533424637" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/1688533424637" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-44945090333907901162011-05-16T11:47:00.000-07:002011-05-16T11:53:17.131-07:00So Today......I spent half an hour creating an Excel spreadsheet to plan Owen's weaning process. Am I crazy? Perhaps. But this really does help give me peace about the process. I'm trying not to have expectations about this, but I do think Owen is going to have no problem weaning. For us, scheduled feedings really helped him not be dependent on nursing for comfort so from my experience with him so far, I think he's going to enjoy the independence of drinking from a bottle or sippy cup for every feeding.<br />
<br />
The fun begins on June 1st, when we will start by turning lunch into a bottle feeding!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwfX1eKOKmK0h-OrR4kwvbYsyGhglLnBQUkUjP-0SPrFWxxHm-aTD5u0Nm4TfyUku7HGOs3SGUvUW-FE3LKJ9X_z94QvKusEkbKjrWx8vXSecI0YoU2zx57s_goOY9E_5sm7NFWXGEdw/s1600/Weaning+Schedule+Sheet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwfX1eKOKmK0h-OrR4kwvbYsyGhglLnBQUkUjP-0SPrFWxxHm-aTD5u0Nm4TfyUku7HGOs3SGUvUW-FE3LKJ9X_z94QvKusEkbKjrWx8vXSecI0YoU2zx57s_goOY9E_5sm7NFWXGEdw/s320/Weaning+Schedule+Sheet.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7zmnJ46jaq4rXBLPIWUsG28vb9bzuQHP6H9GNbTEuTBC2H3GwThX3Zy2Xt__wMr76YiVCuJgfTXWZmfZLDva0GE2QZr2zTeENQ0yWfiZDJy2mvoSBqG2E9YYqqiEWRC5KNcASU9WlyM/s1600/Weaning+Schedulep2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7zmnJ46jaq4rXBLPIWUsG28vb9bzuQHP6H9GNbTEuTBC2H3GwThX3Zy2Xt__wMr76YiVCuJgfTXWZmfZLDva0GE2QZr2zTeENQ0yWfiZDJy2mvoSBqG2E9YYqqiEWRC5KNcASU9WlyM/s320/Weaning+Schedulep2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">To all you moms out there that are far more experienced than I; did you use a schedule to wean your child(ren)? If not, how did you go about the weaning process?</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-57176601993562767112011-05-11T12:04:00.000-07:002011-05-11T12:10:56.339-07:00Evidences of God's Grace: From March to MayI admit that I totally fail at keeping this blog updated. The last few months have been non-stop action and quite honestly, I never get to the bottom of my to-do list, which is where "writing a blog" resides. So today, I've rearranged my priority list to try and recount the last three months of our lives. Which is not so easy to do in just a few paragraphs.<br />
<br />
I cannot believe that the last time I wrote we had just gotten back from the Midwest! Since then, Nick has gone on two business trips - one to Phoenix and another to Orlando. Owen and I accompanied him on the first trip to Arizona (after spending a few days in California with the wonderful Laing family first) but he was all by himself in Florida. Nevertheless, it's been a lot of traveling for us in the last few months and while it was really fun, it feels good to know that that season is over.<br />
<br />
Here are some photos from our trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix in March...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hOivlmxdkLDWPVn5yyn30EW3TRQG9iGt5bLyhLGu1DBIC2vGn-e1iZruGQRmLx4LbpHQcsD_7gl9I8snh-9C8vXkIVv-PtpyLQhpbmMtoAvp6eyYTAE68ycqkVb0zNR0fKeWeKL9yWY/s1600/IMG_7576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hOivlmxdkLDWPVn5yyn30EW3TRQG9iGt5bLyhLGu1DBIC2vGn-e1iZruGQRmLx4LbpHQcsD_7gl9I8snh-9C8vXkIVv-PtpyLQhpbmMtoAvp6eyYTAE68ycqkVb0zNR0fKeWeKL9yWY/s320/IMG_7576.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wonderful Laing family</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KAPoRC7ex89DVlVYXcLGJHoOL5FsgzQonL1LbkWxPzYeHU0WWoZm9GEB3EpbldNoEwCtDOnAkmRJQKT3TIaW2DqHa3j9ryvHZDRC42wAOEDqLKysb5ARce8xnfNr2GLcJeWMVkthsMc/s1600/IMG_7410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KAPoRC7ex89DVlVYXcLGJHoOL5FsgzQonL1LbkWxPzYeHU0WWoZm9GEB3EpbldNoEwCtDOnAkmRJQKT3TIaW2DqHa3j9ryvHZDRC42wAOEDqLKysb5ARce8xnfNr2GLcJeWMVkthsMc/s320/IMG_7410.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oPosR0108MFEMmG-J9OIpMAoOLOKbnohFj4kad9IWkHAkdosRh_ZgxTHikfyExRff3rn04j2iV-AU5aXKx0A6vXyVhiR67LRnCfNeGvNoJq9Z6xPv2bu4SjJZ1jArpISCHotPHIpB7o/s1600/IMG_7416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6oPosR0108MFEMmG-J9OIpMAoOLOKbnohFj4kad9IWkHAkdosRh_ZgxTHikfyExRff3rn04j2iV-AU5aXKx0A6vXyVhiR67LRnCfNeGvNoJq9Z6xPv2bu4SjJZ1jArpISCHotPHIpB7o/s320/IMG_7416.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Carissa and Jeremiah Laing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kfYMcdKIpHv_IwedAJ3iCRDtFam-_cTBfOyVUZifX6LQckpwk_Cmkvw0735cCW3PpDhAAh1B7eXi23TCEsgkC5_T5I0zPWRwPviA6vv7YgQEye9W9Ocl3qTTh7rwA86FXxtfbxoviHg/s1600/IMG_7557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kfYMcdKIpHv_IwedAJ3iCRDtFam-_cTBfOyVUZifX6LQckpwk_Cmkvw0735cCW3PpDhAAh1B7eXi23TCEsgkC5_T5I0zPWRwPviA6vv7YgQEye9W9Ocl3qTTh7rwA86FXxtfbxoviHg/s320/IMG_7557.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Laings' slightly satanic cat, Phoenix</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExpBG8OzfnxLx9UO1BbUGIs3Ipkj_3kE4uy5tDJ__7_vrmPCvGWw8WfaPBAur_Hvb_aNcCzfaRS_y9xoBWJHtdAVV8N7k1ko6GPytXhSkWGnXhmdt6K1JNjptfriiICbnl8s9L8rfbyg/s1600/IMG_7579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExpBG8OzfnxLx9UO1BbUGIs3Ipkj_3kE4uy5tDJ__7_vrmPCvGWw8WfaPBAur_Hvb_aNcCzfaRS_y9xoBWJHtdAVV8N7k1ko6GPytXhSkWGnXhmdt6K1JNjptfriiICbnl8s9L8rfbyg/s320/IMG_7579.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Carissa saying goodbye to Owen</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSObPQISIdJzcyd71oLCEjpM-elFOlwZTfJpXJdkSKh1W-aDXp-PePINv-4FoQjCUbAAFz9x1-gDJV5XoHkJRmS6JTN5yVJDXypbQ_qNg6QU8Xt_VmcopsnFtFNQCDbWF8EWfaR0VqgXs/s1600/IMG_7736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSObPQISIdJzcyd71oLCEjpM-elFOlwZTfJpXJdkSKh1W-aDXp-PePINv-4FoQjCUbAAFz9x1-gDJV5XoHkJRmS6JTN5yVJDXypbQ_qNg6QU8Xt_VmcopsnFtFNQCDbWF8EWfaR0VqgXs/s320/IMG_7736.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Very cool cacti at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xrhppjZzMThoJphV0Hbf8ThbABkdR_uJ0591kLExs72GHsaKE9EPm-GYQxgE2sc1Pqe0WhJs6RICfOuOLaNya42skX9Jpoml7CGVV1I-0IK1QNIaWXvazvlCplQTLlsdlO9oRbVVEBo/s1600/IMG_7750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xrhppjZzMThoJphV0Hbf8ThbABkdR_uJ0591kLExs72GHsaKE9EPm-GYQxgE2sc1Pqe0WhJs6RICfOuOLaNya42skX9Jpoml7CGVV1I-0IK1QNIaWXvazvlCplQTLlsdlO9oRbVVEBo/s320/IMG_7750.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Owen napping while touring the Desert Botanical Gardens</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2mElX6WUX-0Xb2ydbGhafJH_lbGb69Hbhcz6bSMAdU1QSrX9mU-C20IklkzpCjHmRRPwBcnIqbSCFECPxyqgx4kUbt1JKynrCIshbCSalfUUBYFgBPPgAAtXLTI-EPjkGFq80B25JeQ/s1600/IMG_7768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2mElX6WUX-0Xb2ydbGhafJH_lbGb69Hbhcz6bSMAdU1QSrX9mU-C20IklkzpCjHmRRPwBcnIqbSCFECPxyqgx4kUbt1JKynrCIshbCSalfUUBYFgBPPgAAtXLTI-EPjkGFq80B25JeQ/s320/IMG_7768.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezjDDfrRxXMipA0dteuyvRI-D6DPziqB2MbvbvWyb5nySnxAOmW46LZBSLPseXQ1Q_2liG4PijKEoZcd40L3V5IdzzXw1RoeeDVeXpmdLBZxkajFXhlIwL2pySF6xMImHSxYCv4zc0hY/s1600/IMG_7810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezjDDfrRxXMipA0dteuyvRI-D6DPziqB2MbvbvWyb5nySnxAOmW46LZBSLPseXQ1Q_2liG4PijKEoZcd40L3V5IdzzXw1RoeeDVeXpmdLBZxkajFXhlIwL2pySF6xMImHSxYCv4zc0hY/s320/IMG_7810.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix05r0NgtiCPhoS8-GhsYUwAuhnI-zn2mbxEPuGNpmonCwUR-JJVJxO9HDlgoKjd_w562cdXvVvdASPQUL6SzrcbsokDhgmW5W4sA20WJxzYQB3lajRKaDklQsM9z7xPXZZRSAfLROqMg/s1600/IMG_7816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix05r0NgtiCPhoS8-GhsYUwAuhnI-zn2mbxEPuGNpmonCwUR-JJVJxO9HDlgoKjd_w562cdXvVvdASPQUL6SzrcbsokDhgmW5W4sA20WJxzYQB3lajRKaDklQsM9z7xPXZZRSAfLROqMg/s320/IMG_7816.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVmxeZPNabFobLl5dY_d7noIdyqzlaH8lQstCF0MA_DknJG4OLr4JDW4wIlvrcgOGu8_K6Z3-2ga_lTZOG-yG2WWnKoQhdb1RaZ3E28hQ36n9Jenn9mSAtYaFOJHQ9wte_-hF9oMd9fA/s1600/IMG_7665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVmxeZPNabFobLl5dY_d7noIdyqzlaH8lQstCF0MA_DknJG4OLr4JDW4wIlvrcgOGu8_K6Z3-2ga_lTZOG-yG2WWnKoQhdb1RaZ3E28hQ36n9Jenn9mSAtYaFOJHQ9wte_-hF9oMd9fA/s320/IMG_7665.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> There was lots of variety at the DBG - I highly recommend visiting!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0d3s1terKapWJA4MD4MDQOyytXrwj9XfZCOl1YaMQz3FcO2WAHnyOHBWdkFIoAsj-zAnEufACVjv8yzTJnBkfcDe0WhGCYNF5fbPFTgtlB034nXeToWrZ0Hn-SJ7teOTu_o8AvsvXEE/s1600/IMG_7785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0d3s1terKapWJA4MD4MDQOyytXrwj9XfZCOl1YaMQz3FcO2WAHnyOHBWdkFIoAsj-zAnEufACVjv8yzTJnBkfcDe0WhGCYNF5fbPFTgtlB034nXeToWrZ0Hn-SJ7teOTu_o8AvsvXEE/s320/IMG_7785.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Saddleback Mountain</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOUWbK4JPKaH7Z_n10j2KRCL1QUJgbu96vfKX_8HoqH7clxUUlS3YkGmI8XrEKjHwlF488Ml6gQurofzuAAsXvn6IYSyvlUo9KzBbBJ7TEcdMWW8_bnGz-f3_JgPGXITCuQArKl3KfsY/s1600/IMG_7885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOUWbK4JPKaH7Z_n10j2KRCL1QUJgbu96vfKX_8HoqH7clxUUlS3YkGmI8XrEKjHwlF488Ml6gQurofzuAAsXvn6IYSyvlUo9KzBbBJ7TEcdMWW8_bnGz-f3_JgPGXITCuQArKl3KfsY/s320/IMG_7885.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr33CTy5FHlgmkO9n71y674Q5SsyCyepCZSJITMtPvxme6WYiAPZCGEhmVVww8EMDTKyGVioIyIPfELEgO5NRGTuPKQs3L0Jl9YjsO6tsfZQ7n40ixbWjibnGfJGbv37_EAGM6rX0kYQc/s1600/Hanging+out+in+the+Ergo+with+Daddy+while+walking+around+in+Tucson..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr33CTy5FHlgmkO9n71y674Q5SsyCyepCZSJITMtPvxme6WYiAPZCGEhmVVww8EMDTKyGVioIyIPfELEgO5NRGTuPKQs3L0Jl9YjsO6tsfZQ7n40ixbWjibnGfJGbv37_EAGM6rX0kYQc/s320/Hanging+out+in+the+Ergo+with+Daddy+while+walking+around+in+Tucson..jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Owen hiking A Mountain in Tucson with Daddy</div><br />
<br />
In the midst of our traveling, life goes on, no matter if you have time for it or not! There has been so much to celebrate about in recent months, it's amazing. Our family has been to a couple of weddings, welcomed friends' new babies and celebrated several holidays. We've been in a season of immense joy. So immense, in fact, that I've had an ongoing cold for six weeks. But no matter how tired I may be, I definitely find the joy to jump out of bed every morning. God is <i>so good</i>.<br />
<br />
Easter was a huge celebration this year. Our church celebrated the holiday by gathering all our campuses together and worshipping at Qwest Field in Seattle! There were 17,500 people there and over 650 were baptized. What an amazing evidence of God's grace! Unfortunately, Nick had to fly out to Florida that morning and missed the celebration but Owen and I were able to be there. It was an amazing experience seeing so many people worshipping Jesus no matter how drizzly the weather was!<br />
<br />
Nick's job is going very well and he will finish training this week. It's been a long journey of classes, seminars, traveling and overtime, but he is now definitely ready to take on the position of an insurance salesman! I'm so thankful for the way he provides for our family. He is finding joy in this job and works very hard to support me staying at home with our beautiful boy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qhL20AF4u2Tuk8BO51kg2URvqWJzcC1fyYKxMX2W0lJTgE0DGRSouAs0FliXVDiislzxde-fdysywDmABmq2lbFLES1LN04zXQqhtpZZsxOf6qx5-scVdaW2Uu3oBdho_iISFzQTtEA/s1600/IMG_8021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3qhL20AF4u2Tuk8BO51kg2URvqWJzcC1fyYKxMX2W0lJTgE0DGRSouAs0FliXVDiislzxde-fdysywDmABmq2lbFLES1LN04zXQqhtpZZsxOf6qx5-scVdaW2Uu3oBdho_iISFzQTtEA/s320/IMG_8021.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My handsome and professional husband</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Speaking of Owen, he is just over 10 months old now. It's hard for me to believe that in less than two months, he will be a year old! This first year has flown by and from what I hear from other parents, it only speeds up from here! Sometimes it feels like the days move slowly but then I look back and feel like he was only born a couple of weeks ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdzvinkXTnGhSCoyOIf4rts0GuB-IJyr_FnUk_dJTCtwvrQa02AdRtR_iMe4z0a8U6XciOSbWmd6hx8RiGLJnjnE6vL0wB2fogG_cznUR0CQLJc4wKH2_0kwj6FT-KuQEIXyYWbDCaJk/s1600/Handsome+Man..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdzvinkXTnGhSCoyOIf4rts0GuB-IJyr_FnUk_dJTCtwvrQa02AdRtR_iMe4z0a8U6XciOSbWmd6hx8RiGLJnjnE6vL0wB2fogG_cznUR0CQLJc4wKH2_0kwj6FT-KuQEIXyYWbDCaJk/s320/Handsome+Man..jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqOAbij_p1LCuPN3yZMawhNqrDh53Ft5bAt33RFonqKHfq6yddOr8gzp_0Ur-kmcuq18tS8qGpUVCHJao3mxDTR2VMFeSWn7udSF5aq4BeseVD3UNPlqsfQzIUkMrBpPO9Fv3uBH12dI/s1600/IMG_8800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqOAbij_p1LCuPN3yZMawhNqrDh53Ft5bAt33RFonqKHfq6yddOr8gzp_0Ur-kmcuq18tS8qGpUVCHJao3mxDTR2VMFeSWn7udSF5aq4BeseVD3UNPlqsfQzIUkMrBpPO9Fv3uBH12dI/s320/IMG_8800.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cutest boy ever.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although Owen is ten months old, he's not moving yet. He seems pretty content just sitting on the floor and playing with his toys. He's starting to learn how to pull himself to standing while holding onto the couch for support. I think he likes standing up tall! This morning we were practicing crawling (for the hundredth time, or so it seems) and he was closer than ever to figuring it out. I think he's right around the corner! I should start looking at TV cabinets this week because as soon as he starts moving, we're going to need a new one! Owen has already spotted the XBox, subwoofer and Playstation as the most coveted items of the living room. We're going to need to lock those away before he breaks one of them!</div><br />
Recently, I officially launched my photography business with a Facebook page and website. I have been building up my portfolio for over a year now and finally felt ready to open my business to the public. It has been so fun! I have several projects lined up in the near future and am looking forward to expanding my portfolio even more and learning more about taking pictures as I gain experience. It's pretty fun to start a business where it doesn't even feel like work to me - it's really just a hobby turned professional! I am so blessed to primarily be a wife and mother and take this business as it comes without forcing anything too soon.<br />
<br />
If you haven't taken a look at my Facebook page or website yet, here are the links:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wix.com/rachelwalker/photography">Rachel Walker Photography</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/rachelwalkerphotography">Facebook Page</a><br />
<br />
Nick and I will also be leading a community group starting in a few weeks. This is something we've felt called to do for about a year and a half now and it's so amazing to be able to follow through with that calling! I'm also going to be co-leading a women's Bible study as we launch the new group. I'm very excited about that too. I feel like I'm able to serve our church more than ever and it feels really amazing! I know I'm right on the cusp of learning more about myself and more about Jesus and I'm really looking forward to experiencing that growth.<br />
<br />
There's so much more that has happened in the last several months but I can't cover everything without this post being a whole novel. All I guess I can say is that the Walker family is incredibly blessed. We are surrounded by people who love and support us, a warm, cozy home that feels safe, a job that supports our family well, a church that grows us and challenges us to be more like Christ every day and a family that is in good health and is thriving in the life stage we are currently in.<br />
<br />
God's grace is overwhelming. None of this is deserved, yet all of this is given freely and lovingly. I am in awe. There is no way I could return this kind of love. All I can say is that if you don't know Jesus, there's absolutely <i>no way</i> to experience this joy and peace on earth without Him.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-68688035570471422162011-02-11T19:42:00.000-08:002011-02-11T19:42:13.176-08:00We're Back!My apologies for the lack of posts in the last month. I for one thought that December was supposed to be the craziest time of the year. I guess I was wrong! January was twice as busy as December and it had our family running around like crazy for practically the whole month. And now we're almost halfway through February?? Sheesh!<br />
<br />
Since the beginning of 2011, our family has gone through a lot of changes. Our condo was remodeled in early January which had us displaced from our home for a few days. Nick quit his job at Efinancial and was blessed with an amazing new sales position at Liberty Mutual that we are very excited about. We also took a two-week trip to the midwest to visit family and just got back this week. Not to mention, Owen is sitting up all by himself now and is eating solid foods three times a day. Bananas are his favorite!<br />
<br />
God continues to grow and shape the Walker family as we go through continued change and unexpected twists in life. Nick was hoping to find a new job in the near future, but we had no idea that He was going to bless Nick with such a wonderful job in such a timely manner! Nick's first day at Liberty Mutual was today and he is already extremely excited about what this company has in store for him. I'm just happy that he has found a job that he can get excited about!<br />
<br />
Since I'm all out of words for the evening, here are a few pictures from our trip to the Midwest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGKDNKPDE2swytANpW_8_Q3Ylv__I4Gh_cwckyooaX1cDJuAZa6f-8RyzXaefjQiQ8-M9e1bNpkYBvJ1T1MMiRh3VoO4r0kIvsG5I3O6jlK4_7vWutTf-Qv-JqTl2xM6-L7dPDHIurm8/s1600/IMG_5785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGKDNKPDE2swytANpW_8_Q3Ylv__I4Gh_cwckyooaX1cDJuAZa6f-8RyzXaefjQiQ8-M9e1bNpkYBvJ1T1MMiRh3VoO4r0kIvsG5I3O6jlK4_7vWutTf-Qv-JqTl2xM6-L7dPDHIurm8/s320/IMG_5785.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking out over the frozen lake at cousin Erin & Gerard's house</div><div style="text-align: center;">Papillion, Nebraska </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A5sQvrwQxjHivKn4wOAywilSDwxhR3NHrAlaQWzzgd7VcDaF_iXC6jYXYQ6auS7n_dsxTGQq7OJWbHZRGowV9prKnejWlzIenGBmkycwl2zaBRRr6Wui1DQNbqULXc8IQAKewBFYMbQ/s1600/IMG_5820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0A5sQvrwQxjHivKn4wOAywilSDwxhR3NHrAlaQWzzgd7VcDaF_iXC6jYXYQ6auS7n_dsxTGQq7OJWbHZRGowV9prKnejWlzIenGBmkycwl2zaBRRr6Wui1DQNbqULXc8IQAKewBFYMbQ/s320/IMG_5820.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Owen playing with Daddy on a snowy cold morning</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Papillion, Nebraska</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGNPkREWAoHXY_qtjeZpBoCA1i0PGZCXSjDGDlVAUUCPUXaGG3655lskfag6IQZrDXVqEO4tyARxEwZ6qRFvKlgn7A5-FfUrq3eFGEByQ6zxOJcwi5tuNk2ExzQ3BHZ6iAJ5gqqSgyck/s1600/IMG_6063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGNPkREWAoHXY_qtjeZpBoCA1i0PGZCXSjDGDlVAUUCPUXaGG3655lskfag6IQZrDXVqEO4tyARxEwZ6qRFvKlgn7A5-FfUrq3eFGEByQ6zxOJcwi5tuNk2ExzQ3BHZ6iAJ5gqqSgyck/s320/IMG_6063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three second cousins playing together (L to R: Trevor, Tyler and Owen)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Papillion, Nebraska</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2dOpzScPbqmF27JDbOpZbj6rcY_qF1lJ7LnYeVPo1BZ9x_X9uV05VyiQmLDFPgjEnn-scN1hxOAuqBsW4CAji8hp_7071SG3FTAl6ijDuATuso2HS-SFGKSw3nL62K4NKipLTGyOfIc/s1600/IMG_5861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2dOpzScPbqmF27JDbOpZbj6rcY_qF1lJ7LnYeVPo1BZ9x_X9uV05VyiQmLDFPgjEnn-scN1hxOAuqBsW4CAji8hp_7071SG3FTAl6ijDuATuso2HS-SFGKSw3nL62K4NKipLTGyOfIc/s320/IMG_5861.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tickle time!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Papillion, Nebraska</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcaCfBWVcSJG_8aU8GcPDOyC6MM8RjTFkmj_NTJeG8Fu5Hi3Fge-a2SvwkT9cZ8zjajF6Oc0QGqUh6W_DnqqCq8RhFSFvUMTBUgTpR1EGG4O0b-pQQds7-HK6sV6rW-86MEYf1TmAXhE/s1600/IMG_6131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcaCfBWVcSJG_8aU8GcPDOyC6MM8RjTFkmj_NTJeG8Fu5Hi3Fge-a2SvwkT9cZ8zjajF6Oc0QGqUh6W_DnqqCq8RhFSFvUMTBUgTpR1EGG4O0b-pQQds7-HK6sV6rW-86MEYf1TmAXhE/s320/IMG_6131.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Penguin swimming at the Henry Doorly Zoo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Omaha, Nebraska</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDVmyu859ECmTYXf5yUeYJE6Sw8vpUsZw0q4uZrB4etqqelYmTi-8oeSafz98lReF7z6Ps0sPDqMldmfQFJrbof8W34SwQT8tF6uFeP6Dc8y3ZxXIgOmHgELWTASCNIsbsRvXkTKX7FU/s1600/IMG_6231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDVmyu859ECmTYXf5yUeYJE6Sw8vpUsZw0q4uZrB4etqqelYmTi-8oeSafz98lReF7z6Ps0sPDqMldmfQFJrbof8W34SwQT8tF6uFeP6Dc8y3ZxXIgOmHgELWTASCNIsbsRvXkTKX7FU/s320/IMG_6231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Giant iguana relaxing on a log at the Henry Doorly Zoo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Omaha, Nebraska</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCYFQGl7lX7OTxOX_Mp2fM9wT5-srOUsPSP4oNA4JHSEihmErDkAB9fEx2CA2TnyCEI-luGShIp4U5LC_ZgT-g4yjNDZf9cRMi6NTDPHKQ-zvzOQX-DtoogqLaBYP4_Xt-ALy_IJBaeM/s1600/IMG_6148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCYFQGl7lX7OTxOX_Mp2fM9wT5-srOUsPSP4oNA4JHSEihmErDkAB9fEx2CA2TnyCEI-luGShIp4U5LC_ZgT-g4yjNDZf9cRMi6NTDPHKQ-zvzOQX-DtoogqLaBYP4_Xt-ALy_IJBaeM/s320/IMG_6148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Floating jellyfish at the Henry Doorly Zoo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Omaha, Nebraska</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghf3iXQM4nP23XY38bsA0wBjxV5CfFelBsAkwr6YmmHbiVKWLPtQTsJOzcnMlYK1iFY0TUwOYDryxEHnbBSgTbCbFV6OZXN3_vzt3SupGbByMmfLHZkpXQ7O9e6ByEVwze8NAghwhCP4/s1600/IMG_6271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghf3iXQM4nP23XY38bsA0wBjxV5CfFelBsAkwr6YmmHbiVKWLPtQTsJOzcnMlYK1iFY0TUwOYDryxEHnbBSgTbCbFV6OZXN3_vzt3SupGbByMmfLHZkpXQ7O9e6ByEVwze8NAghwhCP4/s320/IMG_6271.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cousin Izzy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eau Claire, Wisconsin</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD4RwJA-JUNgTEo-jD9eAaJH1vPDf25qIsQ1xTWfDdMklB7RepEAA1OQX_-RiFYC8Seh-3LHRJHvhMigTyxJ95pSJy7EvpCTVr_amnj_WbbD_ycOBY22aYHIwJgd4VB2hAaPlBfNLxq8/s1600/IMG_6315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglD4RwJA-JUNgTEo-jD9eAaJH1vPDf25qIsQ1xTWfDdMklB7RepEAA1OQX_-RiFYC8Seh-3LHRJHvhMigTyxJ95pSJy7EvpCTVr_amnj_WbbD_ycOBY22aYHIwJgd4VB2hAaPlBfNLxq8/s320/IMG_6315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three lovely ladies cozied up on the couch (L to R: Becky, Izzy and Kathi)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eau Claire, Wisconsin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-13464215682384917602010-12-31T07:51:00.000-08:002010-12-31T07:52:03.226-08:00Vote for Owen to be a Gerber Baby!A couple of months back, Nick and I entered Owen into a cute baby contest sponsored by Gerber. There are a few prizes for monthly winners but the grand prize is a $25,000 college scholarship! The voting is now open and every computer can vote once per day for as long as the voting is open! I don't know when voting ends, but for now, vote vote vote!!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.gerber.com/Photo/?entryid=193716&source=10086654&utm_source=Gerber&utm_medium=email&utm_content=PhotoAcceptedReminder&utm_campaign=GerberGeneration#/detail/">VOTE FOR OWEN HERE!</a><br />
<br />
They ask for your email address but no worries - I haven't been spammed by them and I've voted multiple times. They only need your email so you can complete your vote.<br />
<br />
Thanks everyone!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-42466376648867664362010-12-17T09:08:00.000-08:002010-12-17T15:14:30.997-08:00Creating an Emotional Emergency FundIt's been a crazy month here in the Walker family. My car broke down, we discovered a water leak behind our bathroom wall, Nick's job has been unpredictable and now it's Christmas! Someone asked us the other day, "What do you think God is teaching you through all this?" I blinked a couple of times, unsure what to say to that. And now I think I've figured out why.<br />
<br />
Until I was asked that question, I didn't even realize how crazy our month had been. All these challenges seemed small to me. Perhaps that's what God has been revealing to me - things will happen, but as long as you're prepared for the challenges, life won't seem so scary. Nick and I stayed up far too late last night talking about this and came to this conclusion:<br />
<br />
It's important to have an emergency fund in the bank, but even more important to have an emotional emergency fund in your heart and mind.<br />
<br />
Nick and I went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class a year and a half ago - just before we got married - and it immensely helped us shape the way we approach finances as a couple. If you're in need of some unifying of your financial habits as a couple, I highly recommend Dave's books, classes and website. His first "baby step" to reforming your finances is to put $1,000 in the bank to start your Emergency Fund. As he likes to say it, the emergency fund is a "Murphy-repellant". The fact is, stuff <i>will</i> go wrong... but will you be prepared for it?<br />
<br />
What if we could implement this strategy to our marriages, other relationships and the rest of life in general? What if we stocked up our "emergency fund" so when crisis hits we aren't flying off the handle and throwing a pity party for ourselves?<br />
<br />
I know my emotional emergency fund was not prepared enough for the news that I was pregnant with Owen. It took me a while to readjust my thinking to God's will at that time. However, I feel that in the following eight plus months I asked a lot of questions, read a lot of books and spent a lot of time listening to pastors and other wise counselors to emotionally and physically prepare me for Owen's arrival.<br />
<br />
To me, that's how you stock up your emergency fund. By reading good books, conversing with people you respect and learning from others - through their successes and mistakes. If we could constantly be preparing for not only the next life stage, but also other life stages that might happen upon us suddenly - death of a loved one, children, sickness, financial crisis - our emotional emergency fund will be ready to be tapped into when those rough times come. And they will come, because we live in a fallen world and this is as close to hell as those of us who love Jesus will ever get.<br />
<br />
So how are you preparing for the challenges ahead? Are you seeking to build up your emotional emergency fund?Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-87715315464761268062010-11-22T08:23:00.000-08:002010-11-22T08:23:37.812-08:00Christmastime is Here... Before Thanksgiving!Apparently the weathermen have been saying that this winter is going to be a La Niña year. I love La Niña years. Two years ago was also one of these years and because it snowed a foot, everyone ended up stuck at home for a week. This also meant Nick was stuck at my mom's house with me for at least three days. Win!<br />
<br />
This year I am so excited for the cold, it's crazy. It's my first Christmas as the CEO of my own home and we're going to do Christmas the way I want to! Granted, I'll be pulling from a lot of my family's traditions since my mom is the Christmas queen but I'm really excited to take it on as my own adventure this time. I would decorate my house today, but I'm holding off until after Thanksgiving because I really don't do Christmas until the previous holiday is over and taken care of.<br />
<br />
But today it's snowing. This changes everything!!!<br />
<br />
I caved and turned on Vince Guaraldi this morning and Owen is presently cooing and squawking along to the music. I couldn't be a happier Mama. I am sorely tempted to get the Christmas box out of the storage shed outside but I really don't want to go totally crazy. So I'll just listen to all of my wintery music and stare out the window all day as the white flakes stack up on the ground. If I had things my way, It'd snow for two days straight. Thankfully, it looks like it's going to do exactly that!<br />
<br />
Days like today make me realize that if Christmas was considered the fifth season of the year, it would be my very favorite. I'm always tied between summer and winter, but Christmas always wins. If it snowed like this every year in the Seattle area, winter would be my favorite, hands down. I just can't wait until Owen is old enough to love the snow and I get to play outside with him until our faces are pink and chapped and we're ready for a nap and some hot chocolate. Snowy weather will always be my favorite, but children always make it that much better.<br />
<br />
Now Owen just needs a Santa hat.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-17172867611609653972010-11-18T14:00:00.000-08:002010-11-18T14:00:32.561-08:00Baby GigglesWe officially have the cutest baby in the world. Last night before putting him to bed, Auntie Mel got him all hyper and excited and he would not stop giggling! I was lucky enough to get a video of him laughing... so adorable!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyM59LnzlsuBMKsO-7UKKgYzNayWrKcZpRBWGJpsWzNKebYHFEopEWIGWwIwlRpEBZbuRo_LEKwpDFc84mEjw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-89129933881426822642010-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:002010-10-21T16:41:39.225-07:00Pumpkin PickingMy family has always been really into pumpkin picking. Every year we load up the boots and jackets and drive out to Carnation to cut our own pumpkins to take home and carve for Halloween. Now that Nick and I are married, the tradition stays. Especially now that Owen is around - I definitely want him to have those experiences as a kid. Might as well start early!<br />
<br />
This year our pumpkin picking was doubled as a family outing for my Mom's birthday. She got the special treat of carrying Owen around in the Ergo for most of the afternoon. They both loved it - by the end, Owen was falling asleep on Mom's chest in his adorable pumpkin hat. It was so cute!<br />
<br />
Here are a few pictures from our sunny Sunday afternoon at Jubilee Farms.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUDHY3IGxkZFfBym9Z3sKKP1gsSDmwyUXeAssvaRVpc9dkKgRmpbwnoXx8sSiDn-mcUFJyph4scTQVJUGPHCBCFvQjcCEMGhJak8p5ZheRuRYb_9SGBlsvQxT9X2PwxhMRvmKG8owsjk/s1600/IMG_4176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUDHY3IGxkZFfBym9Z3sKKP1gsSDmwyUXeAssvaRVpc9dkKgRmpbwnoXx8sSiDn-mcUFJyph4scTQVJUGPHCBCFvQjcCEMGhJak8p5ZheRuRYb_9SGBlsvQxT9X2PwxhMRvmKG8owsjk/s320/IMG_4176.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zFjV_J9MQ9EyOIKudbvIEci4bUKbBfSEQElPNGH7wdFx3wd5llqffeNjnaGg3unJxmoK6QEPwjg_6oTWpYlw-k0z-Y7o0bUx4INaAF6SXCmaOpgLzMSqLV48ffe7lVOMzO4obR-Bcvs/s1600/IMG_4151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zFjV_J9MQ9EyOIKudbvIEci4bUKbBfSEQElPNGH7wdFx3wd5llqffeNjnaGg3unJxmoK6QEPwjg_6oTWpYlw-k0z-Y7o0bUx4INaAF6SXCmaOpgLzMSqLV48ffe7lVOMzO4obR-Bcvs/s320/IMG_4151.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2QaiCTKluUvObGbbkG-eM8s8q-3FazRURurimc7pazB4MyC8ZjmHMZy58mRUC4JfEZWK3e15SPTnpyz7TMjk1C75sj-7Wq8YPjM-RKDdMDeLn5CrJH7bUIqymBHqW-XVreFjJ5urUuc/s1600/IMG_4162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2QaiCTKluUvObGbbkG-eM8s8q-3FazRURurimc7pazB4MyC8ZjmHMZy58mRUC4JfEZWK3e15SPTnpyz7TMjk1C75sj-7Wq8YPjM-RKDdMDeLn5CrJH7bUIqymBHqW-XVreFjJ5urUuc/s320/IMG_4162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDU7E-DxeNqnUCl6WD3E4MyC1LCHv2yngFCpTAw1lpXtUbuFMFQ3nb8kMLuVP3SgVBpXcSysUt3-wpvICP2AoCrH8YkfLzAugv8ep7sawfjpe7VOIV8jt2dhNcdfwLBYr4TlRwseQC-g/s1600/IMG_4195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDU7E-DxeNqnUCl6WD3E4MyC1LCHv2yngFCpTAw1lpXtUbuFMFQ3nb8kMLuVP3SgVBpXcSysUt3-wpvICP2AoCrH8YkfLzAugv8ep7sawfjpe7VOIV8jt2dhNcdfwLBYr4TlRwseQC-g/s320/IMG_4195.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIFTX16p_TBXa21H06_lcsSS0yh2eYIqDibTnDfyXjHoirxE8WfCCvVKCPMxAb_AioJ5h5lfss5VONQnVR6cOY3RHAqtIjqD4RHvk_9zAgju7T-DQuDTp2JRUgnyxo9m-F_x-ghIjfbA/s1600/IMG_4167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIFTX16p_TBXa21H06_lcsSS0yh2eYIqDibTnDfyXjHoirxE8WfCCvVKCPMxAb_AioJ5h5lfss5VONQnVR6cOY3RHAqtIjqD4RHvk_9zAgju7T-DQuDTp2JRUgnyxo9m-F_x-ghIjfbA/s320/IMG_4167.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPI8_VFfDqry3frmSH3vWX6lkHyE0G40JygGt0XULt-Yfy_3CFJjuNIEvyB3g5L-_EMdwVzoVBHPDTlCu9AEGBi2tQHvnil8vmp7o0598NTiL-dtcWQRCGxlU8Ha0u2EOeE1q_Tal8uw/s1600/IMG_4188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPI8_VFfDqry3frmSH3vWX6lkHyE0G40JygGt0XULt-Yfy_3CFJjuNIEvyB3g5L-_EMdwVzoVBHPDTlCu9AEGBi2tQHvnil8vmp7o0598NTiL-dtcWQRCGxlU8Ha0u2EOeE1q_Tal8uw/s320/IMG_4188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdoTxkG0cm5TmjcrP3WemvVCNjZQmdzK_92nIiN9-hGRTORtCqMHfxNe2d0s3cTkENDNitLoOAJhvyIRTrB2yLYtNrD-D5N8-8_H3pWdk0wOyxsGHlLwCb5dGQEvXiYO2h-JEYUDltz8/s1600/IMG_4199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdoTxkG0cm5TmjcrP3WemvVCNjZQmdzK_92nIiN9-hGRTORtCqMHfxNe2d0s3cTkENDNitLoOAJhvyIRTrB2yLYtNrD-D5N8-8_H3pWdk0wOyxsGHlLwCb5dGQEvXiYO2h-JEYUDltz8/s320/IMG_4199.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTcYML6XLWOwBqAlqaeXSxGQF83kpLv2O-mYc2Ww5Dfc2wWxAXjIOazUFeYMscHOuS5M-Mw3zfQ5A9j7jXA_NQ6D7J0C6VcpgqCG0GtPLJDLlEfp0v3vNWY062KosMWU7Ewu6kXPm5Jk/s1600/Sunglasses+Baby!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTcYML6XLWOwBqAlqaeXSxGQF83kpLv2O-mYc2Ww5Dfc2wWxAXjIOazUFeYMscHOuS5M-Mw3zfQ5A9j7jXA_NQ6D7J0C6VcpgqCG0GtPLJDLlEfp0v3vNWY062KosMWU7Ewu6kXPm5Jk/s320/Sunglasses+Baby!.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85KsMflO1OBIezQef4ciJNMaDmM7JPPnc5emBqwemseowcMT6BZolPVVER-Zr0g2Q99I_FyaAPNn5-FyvIrI3wAdIzTRw6FLMUCbmBSflEIafLSgUmnXWJiUnxKZ7GuwfhZsZvbeX5Dg/s1600/Falling+asleep+all+snuggled+up+with+Mooma..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85KsMflO1OBIezQef4ciJNMaDmM7JPPnc5emBqwemseowcMT6BZolPVVER-Zr0g2Q99I_FyaAPNn5-FyvIrI3wAdIzTRw6FLMUCbmBSflEIafLSgUmnXWJiUnxKZ7GuwfhZsZvbeX5Dg/s320/Falling+asleep+all+snuggled+up+with+Mooma..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6671645410572091986.post-79120578066992489942010-10-08T15:08:00.000-07:002010-10-08T19:32:30.505-07:00Redeeming Martha<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">A few weeks back, Pastor Mark did <a href="http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/luke/mary-and-martha"><span style="color: #67a84c;">a sermon about Mary and Martha</span></a>. If you aren't familiar with the story, Jesus came over to these sisters' home and while Martha was working her butt off to prepare for Jesus' visit there, Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to him preach. Martha got upset and whined to Jesus that her sister wasn't helping her and Jesus rebuked her, saying, "'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'" (Luke 10:41-42). I never really understood the significance of this story for me until Mark dissected it and it hit me over the head like Maxwell's Silver Hammer.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Not only am I totally a Martha, my <i>middle name</i> is Martha. Literally. Well, technically, it's "Marta", but that's just the Swedish spelling of it.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">So what does this mean for me? I am at my happiest when my son is on schedule, I know what's for dinner because I planned it two weeks ago and I have my whole day - heck, <i>week</i> - packed full with activities and chores. I am not a natural rester. But am I choosing the "good portion"? What is the "good portion", anyway?</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The good portion is Jesus. Mary understood that. She could have been helping her sister, but she saw that spending time at Jesus' feet was more important and would actually make a difference in her life. Being a Martha myself, I'm sure she understood that listening to Jesus was a great thing and wanted to do it more than anything, but she was ultimately more concerned with making sure that Jesus had something to eat. I bet Martha was really jealous that her sister could sit and listen because Mary knows that if she doesn't help, it will get done anyway because Martha is such a perfectionist. </div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">This. Is. My. Life.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Though I need to understand that even though getting things accomplished is great, the <i>most important</i> part of my day is the time I spend alone with God. If that doesn't happen, the rest of my day is meaningless. Because unless I'm doing my chores and making my schedules to the glory of God, I haven't done anything to further my relationship with Him or proclaim His name, which is the reason for living.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">This ties in with Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, which says,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">"Meaningless! Meaningless!"</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! </div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Everything is meaningless.</b>" </div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>What does man gain from all his labor</b></div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>at which he toils under the sun?</b></div><div style="font: 16.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 19.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Generations come and generations go,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">but the earth remains forever.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The sun rises and the sun sets,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and hurries back to where it rises.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The wind blows to the south</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and turns to the north;</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">round and round it goes,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">ever returning on its course.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">All streams flow into the sea,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">yet the sea is never full.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">To the place the streams come from,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">there they return again. </div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>All things are wearisome,</b></div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>more than one can say. </b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The eye never has enough of seeing,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">nor the ear its fill of hearing. </div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>What has been will be again,</b></div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>what has been done will be done again;</b></div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>there is nothing new under the sun.</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Is there anything of which one can say,</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">"Look! This is something new"?</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It was here already, long ago;</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">it was here before our time. </div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>There is no remembrance of men of old,</b></div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>and even those who are yet to come</b></div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>will not be remembered</b><span style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><b><br />
</b></span><b>by those who follow.</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">No matter how "great" we are, no matter how scheduled my life is, no matter what gets accomplished or doesn't, the only thing that matters is that all the while, we are praising Jesus. So if I'm going to be in Martha mode for part of my day, I had better get my Mary time in to balance it out. So that's what I'm doing. While doing my best to communicate with and bring praise to Jesus while doing my chores and serving my family, I also have "Mary time" written on my schedule. No, it doesn't defeat the purpose - it simply reminds me that in all my scheduled craziness, alone time with Jesus is the most important thing to "check off the list".</div><div style="font: 11.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 13.0px Trebuchet MS; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I'm learning to sit in solitude. I'm learning to take a time-out from life. I'm learning to disengage from my natural tendency to go, go, go and do, do, do to doing... nothing. God speaks in the silent moments so if I allow for there to be none, I'm successively shutting Him out. It's time for me to get back to being close with my Father, so that's exactly what this Martha is going to do.</div><div><br />
</div></span></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04909591317511074268noreply@blogger.com1