Friday, April 30, 2010

Almost 9 months

My son is almost 9 months old!




He has two teeth.

He crawls.

He pulls up on everything.

He says da da.

He can clap.

He can wave (he just choses not to).

He likes vegetables better than fruit.

He has gorgeous blue eyes and a dimple (Lucky!).

He likes to pull up on a cardboard box that's sitting in his room and yesterday, he pulled a pack of diapers from a shelf, set them in front of the cardboard box and used the diapers as a step to get on top of the box.

Smart, I tell ya.

I think his favorite part of the day is when his daddy gets home. We usually go to the door to meet him and as soon as he sees daddy get out of the car, his face lights up. Of course, when Michael tries to get him, he wraps his arms around my neck in a death grip, but he's still grinning.

Unfortunately, he's reached the age where he can be bribed. I say unfortunately, because I always thought I wouldn't do things like that. You know: Ok honey, if you just stop crying, I'll get you any toy you want or If you'll just stop hitting your sister, I'll buy you an ice cream cone. Ok, it's not that drastic. He has developed a liking for Gerber's puffs and as long as I continue to give them to him, he will give me time to do whatever I need to do. However, if I don't give him another one soon enough, the screaming starts.

I felt bad about this until yesterday. I was trying to give a piano lesson to my cousin and the only way to placate Kade while I gave the lesson was for my cousin's mother to feet Kade puffs while I held him. She asked me once, Is it ok that he's eating this many? and I said Sure (don't worry Gramma. It was only 10 or so.) because really, what choice did we have? After the lesson, I looked down and 5 or 6 of them were on the floor. I guess he spit them out. So, I didn't feel so bad anymore.

Right now, he is napping. I love naptime, but after an hour or so, I start missing him.

Actually, I think I'll go wake him up check on him. Then, maybe we'll go on a walk.

He's a fun guy, my son.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Intolerance

I'm a member of a couple of online mommy forums and as strange as it may sound, I've made some good friends there, been encouraged, and gotten some excellent advice.
Not only do we talk about babies and diapers and breastfeeding, but we also discuss current events, TV shows, husbands, and anything else you can think of.
Recently, someone brought up a very hot button issue and of course, everyone came rushing in to defend their position. This issue happens to be something that even many Christians are divided on. (In my opinion, the Word is very clear on this issue, but of course, I can only speak for myself).
Reading through the pages of the discussion, one thing is obvious: The Christians who hold a certain position are told that their opinion is ignorant, intolerant, outdated, judgmental, close-minded, etc., etc.
In today's world, it is politically correct to be "open-minded". Thefreedictionary.com says that "open-minded" is being "receptive to new and different ideas of the opinions of others." Now, when it comes to parenting styles--hey, I'm open-minded! New teaching theories? Open-minded! Trying new foods? Hey, right here!
When it comes to my faith? Close-minded and owning it! You know why? Because my mind is closed to anything that the Bible blatantly and openly disagrees with. Jesus simply told us to love, and a lot of the time we have to love with our eyes, ears, and minds-closed or our thoughts and emotions would override what we are commanded to do. God never asked me to be open-minded. In fact, he told me what is right and wrong and tells me I had better discern it in the words of others, using the Bible.
Someone once said, "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".
So many people do that these days!
Pick and choose parts of the Bible they agree with and trash the rest.
A little bit of Buddha, a little bit of karma, a little bit of Christianity.
Anything goes.
The Bible says, "Choose today whom you will serve!" (Joshua 24:15 NLT)

Well, "I have decided to follow Jesus" and I'm stickin' to my guns.
Call that intolerant, but it won't be any more intolerant than the treatment Christians usually get.

Jesus said, "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you."
My only commandment is to love in the same way Jesus loves me, which means that, no matter what I do, no matter how imperfect I am, he loves me.
So, I don't have to agree with a person and I sure don't have to like what he/she does, but I will love them nevertheless.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Just sayin'.....

Today was a good day.

Just sayin'......

I woke up, made muffins for my sweet husband, and enjoyed a cup of coffee.

Then, I walked in my bedroom to find my beautiful baby boy lying in the middle of my bed, waiting for his mommy. He grinned when he saw me.

We got ready, drove to the big city, and enjoyed a free lemonade courtesy of our Chik-fil-a calendar.

We went to Babies R Us, armed with coupons and left with 5 outfits for Kade, a pair of shoes, a rear facing mirror, a look book, and a baby shower gift for $50!

When we got home, I gave a piano lesson while Kade played with his grandparents and am getting ready to make pancakes for dinner.

I get to see Michael in an hour and a half!

Today has been a good day.

Just sayin'.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

"All you need is love, love; Love is all you need!"

I love this song! It feels so carefree and happy! However. what I'm about to say might sound jaded at first. Don't write me off; keep reading.

As good and romantic as it sounds to say, love is not all you need--not the kind of love the Beatles were talking about anyways.

I remember one time when my mom said this to me (when I mentioned that I wanted to get married before graduating from college and without any real marketable skills). I thought, "Well, what an old person thing to say! How unromantic!"
Of course, like most things parents say to us that we initially strongly disagree with, we grow up and realize that they were, in fact, right.

The love of my husband is not all I need.

If you think it is, then you try it. No matter how strong the love between you and your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend is, it won't magically produce food for your table or money for your mortgage--unless you have a reality show based on your love. Ha! That's just the kind of world we live in. There are several things we have to have to survive: Oxygen, food, water, and some kind of shelter.

For that matter, I don't even have to have the love of my husband. I want that love, but I don't need it. I desire it, but it's not a necessity.

Some people think love is a necessity. In fact, most of us spend our lives searching for it. We want the love of a friend; we want to be loved and accepted by others; we want to be loved by our parents and our children. If we don't feel that love, we feel like we have failed. We are people who crave love.

Though we still need oxygen, food, water, and shelter, there is only one love we absolutely have to have.

The love of God.

Without it, we have nothing, even if we seem to have everything. Without it, there is a moon crater sized void in our hearts. How many times have you heard an alcoholic or drug addicted person say, that they drink or take drugs to try to fill an emptiness inside? People hoard things, carve their hurt on their wrists, drown themselves in their work, max out their credit cards, and give away their bodies to convince themselves that they only need acceptance; that they only need to breathe, to eat, to drink, to have a roof over their heads on clothes on their bodies.

Not one person on this earth has the love you need.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

This chapter of Corinthians is frequently read at weddings. As much as I love my husband and would like to think we have this kind of love, we don't! We're not always patient or kind; we're not always polite or unselfish. I know that I definitely keep record of wrongs. I mean, do you get where I'm going? I don't know one peson or couple on this Earth who follows this to a tee ALL THE TIME. This is perfect love.

We need this kind of love. We need someone who would allow himself to be beaten, spit on, and brutally murdered so that we can live. We need someone who, in return for this perfect love, asks only for devotion.

You know why people are so skeptical? Because it sounds too good to be true. In this world, there is always a catch, so people can't seem to believe that it's that simple; that someone could love our ugliness, our craziness, our selfishness, and our dirtiness just because. But He does.

It's a paradox isn't it? Love is not all you need, yet, in the end, it is.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Plans

One of the last things I ever expected in life was to have a baby at 24. Michael and I discussed the topic many times before we got married and we thought 5 years was a good plan. Time to get established in our jobs, make some money, buy a house....then have a baby when I was around 28. Plus, I didn't really like babies. Never had. I figured, though, that eventually I would want one and 5 years gave me some time to get used to the idea.

Fast forward a year and a half. Michael and I were at the drive-in (don't worry; this is not going to be the story of how Kade was conceived) and he looked at me during the movie and said, "I love you" and I just thought I want to have a baby with this man. No, really. That's how it happened. A few days later, we were having a heated discussion about something and I said, "Well, I was going to tell you I wanted to have a baby with you, but nevermind!" He immediately softened and said, "Really?!" See, he didn't want to wait 5 years in the first place, but was going along with me.

Now, when I decide I want something, I become engrossed in getting it. I read the books, made the charts, timed the days, and bing-bang-boom, 4 months later, I was pregnant. I can't imagine my life without Kade and I LOVE being a mommy!

However, sometimes I feel really lonely. I have several childhood friends, but NONE of them is at the same place in life as I am. One is married, one is about to get married, one is going after her dream, but no one is a stay at home mom with a baby. I don't feel like I can call them and say, "Oh, guess what?! Kade wanted to nurse all night last night and I think he's getting a tooth!" (no offense if you read this, guys). I don't really have any girlfriends to go to the movies with or out to dinner. Sometimes, I feel really old.

God has blessed me greatly, though, with a group of mommy friends! They're not exactly my age (thought they're not that much older!), but they are godly women and I can relate to them and I really enjoy being in their presence. They are supportive and encouraging. I look forward to getting together with them! See, God always knows our needs, even when it comes to something as seemingly small as friends. I always joke about it, but Michael and I are even in a parents of young children/couples Sunday School class. I never thought that at 24 years old, I would be in a parents Sunday School class! We are the youngest people in there, but we have so much fun!

I made up the most awesome plans for my life, and most of them are turning out completely differently from what I thought and planned. But, boy, is life good....and God is great!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Fear

On Wednesday night, we started a new Bible study at church based on Max Lucado's new book "Fearless". I love the way it's written. It's not preachy or filled with psychobabble; it's very relatable. We began the discussion by naming our biggest fears.

What are your biggest fears?

Some of my little piddly fears are snakes, spiders, bees, and jellyfish as well as my house catching on fire, being burglarized, kidnapped, raped, etc. (I watch too much Law and Order). These things could quite possibly happen, but most likely will not.

My biggest, deepest fears, however, are much more serious. Financial failure, being alone, being an inadequate mother and wife, and losing family members to death rank among the top of my list of biggest fears. The worst part is that I don't have much, if any, control over these things! I mean, if I wanted to--and I have before--I could go into panic mode and worry about them 24/7.

What kind of a life would that be? Would I be living the kind of life Christ has called me to live?

The study talked about the story in the Bible where the disciples and Jesus are out on the Sea of Galilee on a boat, when a terrible, ferocious storm suddenly comes up. Everyone is panicking and wondering where Jesus is when they find him sleeping peacefully underneath the stern of the ship. "Jesus," they said, "don't you care that we're dying?" (paraphrase) Calmly, Jesus got up, rebuked the storm, and then rebuked the disciples for being so upset. The point is that Jesus, being Jesus, knew that there was going to be a storm. He didn't stay up waiting for it, worrying. He took a nap!

In this life, bad things are going to happen to us. Mostly likely, one or more of those bad things might be on our "biggest fears" list. We can sit around worrying about it or we can sit back and trust that Jesus will step in and take control. He's not worried. Why should you be?

In John 14:27, Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

I could find many more verses where God commands us not to worry and not to be afraid. Bottom line: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid!"

We are children of the Most High God, protected under His wing, filled with the knowledge that if and when we are through with this life, we will still celebrate with Him!

In the words of Rich Mullins (and Jesus): "In the world, you will have trouble, but I leave you my peace. That were I am, there you may also be."