Remove Temptation

Being a new mom has taught me so much already. As of late, Caden has become a very active little guy crawling, cruising, climbing, and getting into anything that he can. When he heads for something he shouldn't, Andrew and I try to redirect him to something he can have such as a toy or a snack. However, wouldn't you know it...He just can't get his mind off of what he is not allowed to have & usually attempts to keep going back to it. For instance, the toilet. He is obsessed with the toilet & toilet paper. Just the other day, I had him in our laundry/guest bathroom with me while I was changing laundry over to the dryer. I had my back turned for maybe 30 seconds, I turn to check on him and he had unrolled like half a roll of toilet paper. I must admit, I did laugh because he looked so funny & was so entralled by the toilet paper. We've learned already there are some things we just have to REMOVE out of his site & ability to engage in. We now always keep the bathroom doors closed, have turned our dvd rack to face the wall so he cannot pull them off the shelf, & put a childproof lock on the bathroom cabinet where the cleaners are kept.

And sometimes, this extreme action is what is required for us if we are to truly be free in Christ as He has called us to be free. Remove the temptation. Don't even allow it in your home, in your heart, in your family, in your relationship with your spouse....

Removing the temptation doesn't mean we won't be tempted. In this life, it is a guarantee we will be tempted....some days more than others... However, removing the temptation, is telling the enemy where to to stick it & that he isn't going to win the battle for your soul that day.

Here's to living a life of freedom in Christ!

Grace for today... Hope for tomorrow...

It's been some time since my last post. I miss having the time to just sit down & put my thoughts on "paper." I'm grateful for my husband tonight...keeping the little guy so I can have some "alone" time. So here I am... On a journey of total health... Mind, Soul, Spirit, Body. I've been amazed on this journey truly learning how they all really do work together...& when one area is "under construction" the other areas are challenged.

To me, health=wholeness. So, every day is another opportunity to not just live "partially", but to live in the wholeness that is mine through Jesus work in & through me. Some thing in me finally "gets it" in a way that I never have. I'm currently on a journey of weight loss...not so much for the joy of fitting into a smaller size & being "beach ready" (while that is nice & is definately a motive), rather because I came to the place where I realized & accepted that my "size" was not glorifying God & has hindered me from fully doing the work that He has called me to do.

It has been hard work to say the least. Working out 5-6 times a week is totally kicking my butt. I'm looking forward to when I kick the workout's butt. I just realized in Zumba this morning that I can actually get through a whole class without feeling like I'm going to die afterwards.

I'm thankful for grace because some days, I don't stick to the plan or I allow my emotions to rule over me for too long...& the Holy Spirit brings correction... I am so thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit in me...

Generally, I come from a "large" or "thick" family... & though I've never said it or thought I believed it...one lie that I've dispelled is that this is just my dna to be this size. It is no longer an excuse or line of thinking. And while shedding the lbs in my thirties hasn't shown me the mercy it once did in my twenties... I know it will happen through hard work, grace, & the encouragement that comes from others that are a similiar journey. Accountability is such a beautiful thing.

What's an area in your life that is being challenged & transformed?

every day ordinary

"Every day ordinary"... I've had this phrase €€€€€and surrounding thoughts in my mind all day...every day...the last few days. Let me explain... Andrew and I have put our house up for sale. It has been on the market all of two weeks and today we had our first showing. It is a 120+ year old investment property with three apartments. We currently live in the very large two bedroom apartment. Now...rewind...a little back story for you... Andrew bought this property well before 1. we were married 2. we were even an "us." He bought it in the day that he thought he wouldn't ever be married and was living in the small one bedroom apartment..."bachin'" it up. Through a series of well...a lot of changes...some controlled...some out of our control... just 8 months into our marriage we decided it was best to move into the house... as the two bedroom apartment had become vacant. When we first came into the apartment... I could not believe this was where we were 1. going to live 2. going to raise our baby who was due to be born in June. I saw every imperfection, every thing that needed fixed, every thing that I disliked and I was not happy. I picked it apart room by room...light fixture by light fixture...and so on. At the beginning, I'd ask Andrew constantly, "Can we please replace this? or Can you please fix this?" ...Somewhere along the way (perhaps it was just time or having a baby...or a combination) all of those "things" didn't bother me as much. They weren't the "eye sores" that they once were. Just a part of my every day ordinary life. Until recently...as we've put the house on the market...suddenly I am once again very aware of every imperfection, every thing that needs to be fixed, and every detail that needs changed. I'm reminded that this is often how life is...both in the natural €and the spiritual. There are moments in life when we are bogged down with the weight of our "every day ordinary"...obsessed with it really...then Father time comes along...and perspective begins to change... or in the spiritual...we've been challenged to deal with "x"...we work away...pray away...etc. and it may feel like it will never be over...that there will never be freedom or victory...or peace... and then Father God comes along...reassures us...and we continue on with our "every day ordinary" lives better than we were before because we aren't consumed with all the "stuff" and are learning that in the end most of it doesn't matter anyway. Philippians 4:11 "...For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content..."

alone

One of the biggest misconceptions of single women...once I am married, I will no longer be alone The reality of it all...is even when you are surrounded by friends and loved ones, you can still feel incredibly alone. I have felt very alone all day. Near tears many moments as I battle the lonliness I feel. The enemy is quick to use this emotion to isolate you and ultimately get you down We all have lonely days. But, dear one, please never forget that you are not alone! God's grace is sufficient for thee. I am eternally grateful.

Break the Pot

It has been two weeks...

Two weeks ago during Sunday morning church, a man came forward and shared an illustration that has resonated in my spirit every day since.

He was talking about plants that have grown as much as they are going to grow where they are planted because they have become root bound. He shared that the only way for that plant to continue growing into it's "potential" is to actually break the pot that it is in & transplant it. The pot has to be broken because, in essence, the plant has become so comfortable in the pot (root bound) that if you try to remove it without breaking the pot, it is very likely you will do much harm to the plant itself. So the only way for continued growth? Break the pot.

God, break the pot. Plant us where you want us to be planted. Devastate our comfort zones if that is what it takes for us to live in total abandon to Your plans & Your divine will. That we'd truly grow in every place that you plant us. And when the growing stops...let us ask the question, "why?" If it is because we've become "root bound"...Do what You must as we acknowledge our insatiable need & true desire for You.

anticipation as we wait

We are just days away from our "due date" for Baby Caden. This morning at the check-up appointment, we were informed to come back tomorrow morning for another check-up & to prepare ourselves as we may be sent over to the hospital to be induced for delivery.

"Prepare ourselves"...Wow! So surreal. Not that we haven't been preparing, but in so many ways it's felt like this was all indeed a dream...even with my ever growing abdomen.

So here we are...waiting...with much anticipation...feeling like a "ticking time bomb"...Is today the day? Maybe tomorrow? Or the next?

I'm so grateful for my now 14 year old niece, Christine, who has been with us the last week helping get the house ready and keeping me company. I may have just gone stir crazy during the day while Andrew was at work...with all the "anxious waiting."

So...be it tomorrow or the next day or next week... Here we are! About to embark on yet a new adventure...Parenthood.

Lord, give us grace & wisdom as we raise this child to honor you with ALL that he is. Patience & strength as we encounter life's daily challenges. Unconditional love & consistency to give in a world that is often counterfeit.

5 weeks

Just five or so weeks now until Baby Caden arrives. People keep asking..."Are you ready?"

What kind of question is that anyway? First time mom here. How do I even know what to expect or prepare for really? Of course EVERYONE and their mother have had their own handful of advice and I've done a lot of reading. However, I am convinced that no amount of reading or advice prepares one for the journey of parenting that is about to ensue. I'm already trying to condition my mind to live out the "one day at a time" mentality.

"He will grow up so fast!" ...This is a common phrase that has been stated. This I know to be true as I look at all of my nieces...feeling like wasn't it just yesterday they were born? Alas, the oldest will be driving this fall!

Cherish the time. Value the teachable moments...

Even though Caden is now VERY active, as well, my belly seems to be growing by the day...most days it still feels so surreal that Andrew and I are about to be parents.

5 weeks...

I'm reminding myself of an often spoken phrase...."Change is the only constant"

Indeed.

Bring it on.

Thank you for the gift of LIFE, Father. May Andrew and I have the much needed wisdom and grace that we will need as we enter into parenthood.