Long time, no post!

Geez, time can get away from you! I haven't posted in a really long time, mainly because I don't have the access I'd like. As of right now, blogspot isn't blocked on my work computer, so hopefully I'll get a chance to write a little on my breaks.

I just started back to school last week. In previous years, I have really dreaded going back, but for whatever reason it wasn't quite so bad this time. I've absolutely loved being home with my girlies all summer, but going back to having some regular adult conversation has been pretty sweet.

There's not really much new and excited going on, just life. I think sometimes it's nice just to be "living life" though. No drama, no craziness, just calm. We haven't had a lot of that in our 5 1/2 years of marriage, so this is cool. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, because most likely, it won't last for long! :0)

A new baby!!!!!!!!!!!

And no, it's not me!!!!!!!!!! On Wednesday evening (like LATE Wednesday evening after I'd already been in bed for an hour) my brother, Jason, and his wife, Jamie (who happens to be my husband's sister for those who don't know) are going to have a baby! We're so excited for them. The baby will be due in October.

This is such a big deal. They've been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half. Jamie found out she has diabetes and polycystic ovaries, so she's had some health issues that were making it difficult for her to concieve. The doctor assured her she would be able to get pregnant at some point, but after a year and a half, you know her mind had to be swimming with doubt. Our whole family is so pumped and Jason and Jamie are like little kids in a candy store. They're so funny.

Emma, my oldest, is so excited about the baby. She's a little confused about the details, though. When Jamie told her they were getting a baby she immediately stated that it was going to be her brother. When she told the babysitter, she said, "Aunt Jamie is having a baby and it's going to be a brother and he's coming to live at my house." I tried to explain to her that this was Uncle Jas and Aunt Jamie's baby and it would be living at their house with them. She puckered up and cried hysterically! She never would calm down and kept insisting that the baby was ours! I had to leave her with the babysitter and hope that she could console her. Hopefully before the next nine months are over she'll figure it out!!!

The King of Glory rescued me.......

I'm serving as Experience Director this weekend at church. As ED, I listen to the music set our team is doing all week long so I can be familiar with all the words, parts, etc. I've listened to our music all week long and not really paid much attention to more than the info I needed to do my job over the weekend. In rehearsal this afternoon, God spoke to me about the song I'd listened to, but ignored all week long. The third song in our set is "Beautiful the Blood." If you're not familiar with the song, here's the lyrics:

Beautiful the Blood

I never knew death could be so sweet
I never knew surrender could feel so free
I've never seen such meekness and majesty
That the blood of Jesus was bled for me

Now I'll sing freedom for all my days
It's ONLY by the power of the cross I'm raised
The KING OF GLORY RESCUED ME (my favorite line!!!!!!!)

How beautiful the blood flow
How merciful the love shown
The King of Glory poured out
Victorious are we now

Never knew these nails would love unfold
Never knew these wounds would heal my soul
Never seen such beauty and sorrow meet
That the blood of Jesus was bled for me

Now I'll sing freedom for all my days
It's ONLY by the power of the cross I'm raised
The KING OF GLORY RESCUED ME

How beautiful the blood flow
How merciful the love shown
The King of Glory poured out
Victorious are we now

How beautiful You are
How merciful You are
How glorious You are
Christ our Savior

Wow.

God gently got my attention and said, "It doesn't matter where you've been, what you've done, what mistakes you've made. I shed my blood for you. It wasn't easy, but it was what I wanted to do. Not only that, but it's free!"

Aside: It's funny how God talks to you at wierd times. I didn't hear Him during the service or anything profound like that. This little whisper hit me during vocal rehearsal when our vocalists on the team were in the back green room, gathered around a crappy keyboard, ROUGHLY going over the parts for the day. No other instruments, no congregation, no pomp and circumstance. Wierd, huh?

Anyway, so as God was gently nudging me during the rehearsal of the verse, I listened a little more intently to the prechorus. "Now I'll sing freedom for all of my days.....It's ONLY by the power of the cross I'm raised....." The KING OF GLORY RESCUED ME............" That's my favorite line in the whole song, by the way. I don't have to worry because the KING OF GLORY RESCUED ME. THE KING OF GLORY, ALL CREATION, SUPREME BEING OVER ALL. GAVE HIS LIFE. FOR ME. ME. Why me? It doesn't matter! He did and that's all I need to know!

So, now the tears are welling up in my eyes, and I tune in closely to the chorus. "How beautiful the blood flow.... How merciful the love shown.....The King of Glory poured out.....Victorious are we now...." Not only did He rescue me, but I'm free!!!! I owe Him nothing in return except my life. I can be victorious because He loves me. Wow, again. As I sit here and write this, I can't hardly contain the joy in my heart at the reminder from God that He loves me. He loves me regardless. He loves me, no strings attached, no "but" at the end of the statement.

Wow.

Emma and Me

Emma and I put up our nativity scene today. Daddy was outside putting lights on the house (don't feel sorry for him, as much as he complains he's pretty proud of himself when they're done) and Miley was asleep, so Emma and I busied ourselves with the nativity. She was so excited to help. She carefully unwrapped every piece and helped me put them all in place. She listened so intently as I told her the story of the baby Jesus. (Well, first she was calling Him "Baby Moses," but that's ok. I straightened her out...) Anyway, she was so quiet and attentive as I told her the story. If you know my Emma at all--she's NEVER quiet and attentive. She's as busy as a bee 24 hours a day. She never sits still. But it was the strangest thing. It was like she knew that what I was telling her was important. She was quite appalled to find out that the baby Jesus was born in a barn, but was ok with it when I told her there were just no hospitals around. (Ok, I know, that's not the exact reason, but she's 3. I had to modify a little. I just don't think she's quite old enough to understand that Herod had a vendetta against all Jewish baby boys and that it just so happened to be tax time....) She was of course most interested in the camel and the sheep, but you know, she still got the story. I told her that Jesus was born to be our "forever friend," and she seemed to really like that part. I know she understood a little because later in the afternoon she reminded me that baby Jesus was in His mommy's tummy just like Miley used to be in mine. That made me smile and warmed my heart to know that she understood--at least in her 3 year old, innocent way.

My favorite time of year

Well, here we are---Christmas time!!!! I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of year. I love winter, I love snow, and I LOVE Christmas! I love Christmas even more now that I have kids. It's so cool to see Emma all excited about Christmas. She keeps asking me if it's Christmas yet. She was so excited when we put up our Christmas tree. She'll go up to the tree and just look at it forever. She'll rearrange all the ornaments ten million times until she has them exactly where she wants them. (I used to get all worked up about my tree looking "perfect" but I realized last year that my babies will only be babies for so many years. There will be plenty of years left for the "perfect" tree when they're older.)

We have a new addition to our home for Christmas this year. We now have a Christmas elf whose name is Rudolph. He came to our house on Thanksgiving night and he's been there ever since. He watches Emma all day long and then at night he goes to the North Pole to see Santa and tell him if she's been good or bad that day. He lands in a different spot in our house every morning and silently watches her each day. You can't touch the Christmas elf though. You can talk to him all you want, but if you touch him, he'll lose his magic and he won't be able to fly to see Santa anymore. I'm telling you, the Christmas elf is quite magical when it comes to getting 3 year olds to listen and behave. EVERY house needs a Christmas elf!!!!

I'm really excited about Christmas for another reason though. I can't wait to tell Emma the true Christmas story. The story of Jesus is the most beautiful story ever told and I want Emma to know the story well. She's really into stories right now and I know she'll love it. I want to make a birthday cake for Jesus with her and show her our nativity and help her learn the story so that she can tell it back to me. There's nothing that will excite a parent's heart more than to hear your baby telling others about Jesus!

Fall pics

We had the day of from school on Veteran's Day this week, so I took my girls to Cape and had their pictures made at Sears. I think they turned out great and I just wanted to share them with you all!

Washing Feet

The message this weekend at church was really awesome. The story is one of my favorites in the Bible, even though I hate feet. The story is in John 13, and it's about when Jesus washes the feet of His disciples as a sign of servitude and love. Jesus does a household chore that no one ever wanted to do. It was disgusting; people walked through mud and dirt and animal poop on a daily basis. Yet, it had to be done, and the Master becomes a slave to prove a point. He picks up the basin, and washed His followers' feet.

Dad compared this story to the only other time a "basin" was mentioned in the Bible. Right before Jesus' crucifixion, the crowd was screaming, "Crucify Him!" Pontius Pilate grabbed a "basin" and literally washed his hands in front of the people and said he was choosing to do nothing about the crucifixion of Jesus. Wow. That took some nerve.

So the question we're faced with, is what are we going to do with our "basin?" Will we wash our hands and choose to do nothing to serve others or will we pick it up and become a servant by washing our friends' and families' feet? Ok, I know what you're thinking. Well, at least I'm thinking it, and I'll be totally honest about it. I hate feet. My brother used to think it was hilarious when we were growing up to stick his stinky, sweaty feet on me. It would LITERALLY make me gag. My dad's feet gross me out. My husband's feet, are actually nice for "man feet" but I still kick him when he puts them on me in bed at night. Right now, I can handle Miley's feet, but even Emma's 3 year old feet gross me out sometimes. I HATE FEET. However, we don't have to actually wash people's feet to have a servant's heart. (PRAISE GOD!!!) We have to simply act on a need when we see it. We should take that next right step and just give whatever we have.

There's this little girl who goes to the babysitter with Emma and Miley. She's two years old and has the prettiest head of blond curls. Her mom and dad are split up and someone different picks her up everyday. She never knows what family member may pick her up at the end of the day, and she asks me every afternoon when I come in where her Mommy is. I have to tell her I don't know. I hate it. She's taken to me though, for whatever reason, and once I tell her I'm not sure where her mom is, she comes to me with arms open wide and says, "I want to hold you." So I pick her up and snuggle and rock her for a few minutes before I take my own girls home. It absolutely breaks my heart. One afternoon with big tears in my eyes, I told Cindy (the babysitter) that I could hardly stand it, that the little girl just breaks my heart. She told me she understands and that it's like that everyday, all day. I just want to bring her home with me and make her mine. To show her stability, consistency, and LOVE. I told Cindy that I'm so glad she watches her because at least there is one place where the little girl knows she'll be every day and that she'll be loved and taken care of. I know it's not much, but holding that little girl every afternoon is what I'm choosing to do with my basin right now. I can't fix her life, I can't take her home with me, I can't make her parents take better care of her, but I can hold her. And love her for a few minutes. That's all I have to give right now, and I'll give it. Gladly. That's all God asks us to do, just the next right thing. Where's your basin? On the table, where you can convienently wash your hands, or on the floor in front of someone, washing their feet?