April in Review

April brought a little refreshing rain to the valley, like they say... 

At the beginning of the month I was preparing for a Girl's Night with our high schoolers and in the process, had an epiphany... I am definitely called to be a stay-at-home wife/mommy. Although, the overnight event on Becoming was an amazing time and God graced us with His presence. Here are a few of the girls working on one of our crafts.

We got our taxes done hoping to just break even but thanks to having a baby we actually got a return - just hoping to put it away so we can save up to get a 2nd used vehicle.

Mack turned 5 months on the 23rd - he's becoming a little boy. This last week we've introduced solids, starting with peas - so far so good.

Our church hosted a Beth Moore simulcast, live via satellite.  This powerful one-day event was based on Beth Moore's newest book, So Long Insecurity: you've been a bad friend to us. It was very challenging and encouraging!

Enjoyed another mommy's day out with friends.

Well let me wrap up with an update on my 2010 Goals:

1. For our devotion time we have been reading through a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan - great conversations have led out of this.
2. I have to admit, I got off of my reading plan to make it through the Bible but nonetheless I've still enjoyed reading each morning with Mack - you can never start too early, pouring the Word of God into your child.
3. Faithfully kept up with posting to my blog.
4. Still taking daily pictures of Mack although I haven't been as faithful to get a current picture up on photobucket every day. (They'll be up sooner or later ...)
5. With the unfortunate event of Micah's computer being stolen last month he'd been using mine and therefore I found myself reading a little more this past month - in fact I've worked through 2 books.

• One of the books I read is called "Primal" by Mark Batterson - Primal is broken down into four sections, each digging deeper into the heart, soul, mind, and strength of Christianity. Each chapter flows with personal stories, scientific information, historical case studies, Scripture, and application. Even when he is writing about the intricate details of beta waves and alpha waves, Batterson writes with simplicity. This simplicity does not lead to less impact, rather I believe it pushes you in the opposite direction. You will not be able to read Batterson's thoughts without being challenged and stretched in your understanding of what it means to love God.
• "Shepherding A Child's Heart" by Ted Tripp is the other book I read. The book is divided into two parts. In the first, Tripp lays the foundation for biblical childrearing. He shows that the heart of bad behavior is a sinful heart. He discusses a child's development, showing that a child is shaped by various influnences of his life and that a parent needs to help a child have a Godward orientation. He discusses authority and suggests that, despite our culture's disgust towards authority, a parent must assert himself as being in a position of God-given authority over a child. A child must realize that parents speak not of their own authority, but of God's. He also discusses goals, methods, communication and disciplines.  Where the first part of the book lays a foundation, the second part guides a parent through shepherding a child through three stages of development: infancy, childhood and teenagers. For each of these periods he suggests the training objectives and then procedures a parent should use to attain these objectives. - I would definitely recommend both of these books!

I can't believe we already have a 1/4 of the year underway. Well thanks again for keeping up with me and sticking through to the end of my saga. Until next time... 

Mack - 5 Months

Well we ended last month with a bout of diarrhea and switched formulas in hopes that would help.  Within just a couple of days the diarrhea was gone and my baby was on the road to recovery.  We discovered that Mack has an allergy to milk so we are sticking with a soy base formula for the time being.

Although Mack rolled over for the first time after 3 months he hasn't done so since.  He loves to roll from side to side but has no desire to be on his stomach - we're working with him. He loves being propped into a sitting position and is gaining a lot more control of his upper torso and holding his head quite steady now. By the end of this month Mack should be close to weighing about twice what he did at birth (7.14 lbs).

Mack's eyes now direct his hands and anything he can reach he grabs as well as puts it in his mouth.  He is babbling more than ever, still mainly coos and squeals but working on combining consonants with vowels like "da" or "ma".

We've slowly been working on introducing rice cereal and will work towards vegetables and fruits by the end of the month. We just didn't want to rush it since we found out he had an allergy to milk, we wanted to cross that hurdle first.

Here are a few pictures from this last month. If it were up to him, he'd never wear clothes :)

Axis Girl's Night

April 9th and 10th I led a Girl's Night for our Axis High School girls.  The theme was BECOMING.  We had two sessions the first was BECOMING: A Changed Identity.  We talked about the story of Paul and when he encountered Christ he was transformed, his identity changed (literally).  When we encounter Christ we too should have a change in identity. Group time afterwards was powerful and lives were transformed!


The second session was BECOMING: A Woman of God.  I shared a bit of my testimony and how you don't just become a woman of God overnight, in fact finding our identities in Christ may take the rest of our lives but we have to take a first step.  I am very thankful for 3 very vital people in my life who were instrumental in my process:

• One was Radonna.  She really taught me how to be content in whatever state you find yourself and that I needed to be complete in Christ before I could ever complete someone else.  

• Teri (Pastor Rick’s wife) taught me how to be a supportive helpmate in her reverence for the Lord and her unwavering devotion to Rick.

• Peggy (Rick’s late mother) taught me more than I’ll ever know... it wasn’t a classroom, or a teaching but it was her life that I observed and time spent with her.  I remember wishing I could be just like her right then.  Until I realized it took 60+ years in the making for her to become the woman of God she was.  She taught me how to Be the Woman God wanted me to be for today. I’m only 28 years old but it has taken 28 years to make me into the Woman of God that I am today and many more years to Become the Woman of God He wants me to be.  What I’ve had to learn is to embrace the process!

We ended by talking about how one of life’s most costly and beautiful objects is born out of pain and irritation-the pearl. A tiny piece of sand slips into an oyster’s shell and begins to rub against the soft tissue, causing irritation.  In response to the irritation, the oyster produces a hard substance. This substance eventually develops into one of the world’s most beautiful jewels-a lovely luminous pearl. However, it is a process that we must all embrace!

With 2 sick boys this week and little time to prep for this event, God was so gracious to work in these girl's lives and use me to do so - Thank you Jesus!

An Epiphany

So I had  an epiphany yesterday (a moment of sudden revelation or insight) or rather maybe just a confirmation... 


The week started Monday morning at the Dr.'s office.  All 3 of us had gotten a little under the weather over the weekend.  I think God has given me a special grace as a wife and mom so I could take care of my "boys".  It was a long morning, in fact it was almost 5 hours that we spent at the Dr.'s - they said I was fine, nothing we can do for Mack and Micah is now on 3 antibiotics. Not exactly how I would have liked to go into these week, especially since I have a little extra going on. This Friday I am leading a Girl's Night with our high school girls, this means I have to prepare to speak twice amongst all the other details of organizing an event.  


Tuesday and Wednesday's morning routine was a little different as I got ready for the day, dropped Mack off at my mother-in-laws and went to work with Micah. I had two productive days working on the girl's night but I had this moment... as excited as I am about discipling these youth girls and partnering with Micah in youth ministry, there was no place I would have rather been than at home keeping up with the cleaning and taking care of my baby.  I know that this is just a one time event but if anything I believe it solidified in my that I am doing exactly what I'm called to do - be a stay-at-home wife and mommy.  I couldn't imagine having to get up and go to work every morning and leave my son all day. If I ever doubted my calling, God confirmed that I'm right where I'm supposed to be and I'm so thankful for that.  


Still looking forward to all that God has in store for these girls this weekend and I know He will use me to minister to them.  Micah will get his first experience of being dad alone!