Rawlins Party of 3!

After FIVE weeks-- we're back to bloggin!

The past five weeks have been so incredible! I think this is the first time that I have actually sat down and thought about it. We've experienced a huge love for each other and oh this little bundle has our hearts! We are still adjusting to our sleep schedule- so if you have seen me or will see me soon please dismiss the new mom look. I'm feeling a little hair brained- I've found myself putting things in the cabinet instead of the refrigerator.. I took a dirty plate to my bedroom the other day instead of the dishwasher. And if that's not keeping me on my toes my handsome little man is!
I'm still trying to find myself in this new life. Slowly I'm easing back into society- in between feedings and diaper changes.

I have to be honest- I've been staring at this blog for two weeks now wondering what to write about and I either get interrupted or just can't find where I want to pick up at. So here's a summary of what life has been like for the past 5 weeks...

Levi Fisher joined our family August 27, 2013 at 2:19 p.m. weighing 7 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 20 1/4 inches long. Call me crazy and I promise you I'm not sugar coating.. labor and delivery was amazing. I mean besides getting to meet the most handsome baby ever and being completely overwhelmed with this huge love (I could talk about that forever)- it was such a great experience. I was so anxious about each step (water breaking, epidural, pushing, etc.) that when it was all over with I couldn't believe how I let my imagination get away from me. It played in my favor because literally my family came in to see us and asked how everything went and I believe I said "I could do that 10 more times!!". They all looked at me like I was nuts- maybe it was the drugs talking.

St. Vincent's was top notch. We didn't want to leave!! BUT we did, which was the scariest ride ever. Highway 280 is not fun traveling with a 2 day old baby. We made it home safely and showed Levi his room (which he slept thru). It was so wonderful having him home. It started to sink in that we are responsible for that little guy at that moment. Kinda scary!
And oh that first night at home was a sleepless one. I watched him breathe for hours. I pray every night for angels to take the night shift and watch over him and protect him from bad dreams and harm of any kind. It's the only way I can get any sleep is putting it in his Father's hands.
The hubs stayed home the first week which was so great to have some "us" time. Then life got really scary for me when he went back to work. Thankfully my mom and his mom were over here helping me whenever I needed it and they continue to lend a hand throughout the week. We are very very grateful to live so close to our parents and have their involvement in Levi's life. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't had them the past 5 weeks. And Levi loves them so much.
I'm trying to make a habit of getting out of the house with him as much as possible, but that's easier said than done. Heck taking a shower is on my daily goals.. and sometimes it doesn't happen until daddy gets home. We're a work in progress.
Mommy life is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. And mommy world is not a new concept to me. I was 12 when my youngest brother was born so I had been around the crying, pooping, and lack of sleep but it's totally different being the person responsible for that little being. That being said- oh my goodness I love him. I mean there have been times (4:30 this morning) when I wonder how someone can muster up any more crying and then those big eyes lock with mine- and I just don't want him to go back to sleep. I could look in his blue eyes forever. His sweet little smiles make me wonder how I ever felt happiness before he was here. And sometimes when he's looking really snuggly I just want to kiss him but I try really hard to refrain from waking him.

I could seriously go on for days.
But I won't.
We have finally got on a rotating sleep schedule. I tried to be a hero (or martyr) and wake up with him and stay up until he fell back asleep but then I started going nuts and asked for some help. I had some guilt because B is working so I just felt like I needed to handle it myself so he would wake up and be ready for work in the morning. He squashed all that guilt as soon as I told him. He has been the perfect daddy and hubby. He has still made me feel like his wife even when he comes home to no makeup or shower mommy. And now that we're rotating I feel slightly more like ME again.

 

 

 Which brings me to blogging! God has been so good to us and we're so thankful for every prayer and sweet thought that have been sent our way.

Week 39

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, SO THAT we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I hope and pray that God will bless every word read with grace. I hope His beauty shines through- I pray that the Holy Spirit is presented clearly, and that this is committed to bringing glory to God's kingdom. I pray that He continues to break down my walls and His sweet voice speaks through a southern girl's silly journal.

When I'm under "attack" my go to defense is to whisper "Jesus" until my heart is filled with trust, confidence, and love. His name holds power. It holds submission. Jesus is victorious and the enemy is defeated through His sweet sacrifice. Amazing Grace.

God, thank You for these 39 weeks.
Thank You for bringing me here.
Thank You for overwhelming me right here in my living room- every week.
Thank You for protecting this time with You.
Thank You for using little ole me.
You are perfect God. You exceed my expectations every time and I'm sorry for limiting your power.
God unleash Your greatness to Your people and grant us with understanding, blessing, and guidance. Lord don't ever let us get numb to your love. Jesus continue to fill our days with You. You are all we need.

 

Thank You for our trip to Gatlinburg- Thank You for the time with family. Thank You for the restoration.

Thank You for confirming our suspicions with this sweet picture. Thank You for entrusting us with this gift. Thank You for his heartbeat.

Thank You for the joy in this moment. Thank You for the outpouring of love. Thank You for those who prayed for us constantly. Thank You for being the main ingredient in this recipe.

Thank You for allowing us to feel excited. Thank You for the trust that we learned.

Oh God, thank You for this little boy. Thank You for his plan. Thank You for allowing it to start here.

 

Thank You for our earthly home. Thank You for opening our hearts with an open house. Thank You for distracting us from pain with something so good. Thank You for protecting our decisions.

Thank You for new ministry. Thank You for the opportunity to bless others. Thank You for being the center of this adventure.

Thank You for 5 years filled with love. Like BIG love. Thank You for celebrating with us. Thank You for time.

Thank You for Friday nights. Thank You for filling every Friday night with "us" time. Thank You for the 10 Fridays of love since our anniversary. Thank You for the commitment to You and each other.

Thank You for that boy you picked out for me. Thank You for his heart. Thank You for overwhelming our relationship with Your goodness. Thank You for these sweet memories. Thank You for speaking to us through Dr. Seuss.

Thank You for the generosity of our family and friends. God, You truly blow us away through these angels. Not only with gifts but their presence, prayers, and love. Thank You times a million.

(photo credit to Sweet Julep Photography )

 

Thank You for filling that space between us with You. Thank You for reminding us of your goodness. Thank You for teaching us. Thank You for Your lamp. Thank You for making this far better than what we expected. Thank You for being our beginning and end and everything in between. Thank You for laughter and memories. Thank You for talks. Thank You for plans that didn't work out and prayers that went unanswered. Thank You for clearing away the clutter. Thank You for focus. God let every step with this child start and end with Your love. Let our hearts be open to receive even more love. Show us how to bless others abundantly. Everything we do- we commit to You.

 

 

We can't wait to meet you little guy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 38

I keep reading "Week 38" over and over.

My heart is overflowing with emotions. I've been told this little bundle could join us any minute now- so everyday I wake up and first praise God for that joy- and then look at that good looking hubby and then I stare at this basketball belly. I mean my life can stop right now. I want to meet this little guy so badly but I feel incredibly blessed to have the privilege of being his provider for the past nine months. And I pray that we are graced with many years to help Levi Fisher see how great our God is. I pray that he is a generation changer- that B and I get to provide a home full of boys that just want to hang out; that we get to watch him be molded by the hands of our Creator and be completely blown away (over and over) by His goodness.
I believe in my heart that God has set our generation up to create big believers. I think He's prepared this huge dream for our kids. I mean like set this world on fire with the love of Christ. I know our world can be so scary, but as our world becomes more black and white and not so much gray- lines are being drawn. Mediocre is a thing of the past. You either take on your God purpose- own it- challenge it- live it.. or you let this world consume you. God is giving us this platform to not blend in- we have to stand out, be the light, and it's gotta be contagious.  It's got to be the place to be. It's got to be just this, overwhelming give me more of THAT. What if God let's us see this world change.. for the good. for the love. for His kingdom.
I'm so excited to hold this little baby and smother him in kisses and I want to relish in every moment He gives me- I do not want to wish this boy's life away. I know it starts at the beginning. I'm excited that even though he won't remember these first few years, it will not only mold how B and I continue to raise him but I know it's going to change our love relationship with our Father. I know He will continue to prepare our hearts for bigger dreams and break off any limits we put on our Saviour. It puts a smile on my face that we get to be a part of His dream. And God has surrounded us with so many other new parents that we get to do life together- I know He has knit us all together so that we would be encouraged constantly.

He is definitely getting ready for his big debut and my back is feeling it! We are having contractions- (regularly) not too painful.. yet. Just enough to get us excited and then they stop- but apparently it's completely normal so we sit and wait til he decides on his birthday. I mean it is a big decision so I can't say I blame him. Mommy and Daddy are just ready to meet this little blessing- oh and about 50+ other people. no biggie.

 

The devil has made his attempt in making me feel trapped and anxious and that was just completely put under my feet today during church. God delivered me from that feeling and my heart claims freedom in His name. It was super tempting to feel "ready for him to be here" and not in an excited way. And I know that is not of God- and He totally freed me of that with several worship songs and a great message on overcoming obstacles.

I'm so excited to hold Levi Fisher Rawlins but until he makes his big decision I'm going to continue to rub my belly and be thankful to have my sidekick with me every second of the day.

 

Praying for God's peace and His continued freedom.

 

Week 37

FULL TERM BABY!
Heck yes!
We made it!

And what a FULL week we had! We progressed slightly- not enough to call the troops but just enough for red alert.. cell phones on ring- on hip- car packed- carseat loaded and nervous/excited mommy and daddy to be! Regardless of whether he comes this week or in 3 weeks-- like hello he will be here.  CANNOT STOP TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH!

And Levi Fisher's room is officially DONE besides his little pictures that will go on the wall! So we wanted to share all our hard work in a few pictures!

This is the incredible barn door my husband built (door and all). This is definitely his favorite feature-- every time B passes his nursery he slides the door "just to make sure it works". I think he's a little proud- and he should be. It is TOTALLY better than I imagined. With a combination of Pinterest tutorials and creativity on our own part, we made it happen. I knew I wanted a sliding door because his old door opened up into the room and blocked the closet door- NOT functional! And I mean this just makes it a little boy's room! His rug is from Lowe's bought at a steal for less than $70! IKR!

These are my little touches to the room. Top Left- we didn't go full on fish theme but kept it simple and clean. One creative Saturday I painted these chevron (waves), bubbles, and little fishies paintings. Nothing too complicated but a good wall filler. We will scatter some more pictures around these to complete this wall. Bottom Left- I crocheted these two separately back before I was preggers and came across them and decided to make them into a cross since the colors matched perfectly and put them in a shadow box. Right- His sweet little initials sit atop his armoire which was the hubs a long time ago  (he painted white).

These are the back corners of his room. We got the lime green chevron curtains from Hobby Lobby. The crates were a last minute decision to screw together and fill the corner for his knick knacks- which is also where his monogrammed pillow that my amazing sister in law made. Such a sweet keepsake. The other corner occupies the hubby's fishing pole lamp which gives off the prettiest light. His changing table was the hub's parents old buffet table that we took the doors off and changed the knobs and of course painted to add a pop of color! We know we may never actually change a diaper on this but it does hold his diapers and wipes SO it is serving a purpose!

His sweet resting place. I'm pretty sure many of us slept in a crib similar to this one. It was B's old crib and we painted it white. The AMAZING crib bumper was made by my cousin- go "Like" Simply Darling on Facebook. She's awesome! Matching pillow from Hobby Lobby- bumper fabric also from Hobby Lobby. He has a chevron quilt and polka dot skirt and sheets all from Target.

And this little gem rests above his crib. The DIY hubby used his jig saw and cut out his name- I know he's pretty fabulous. The oar was found at Hobby Lobby and painted by my sweet little brother.

 

I gotta say, I had a very hard time deciding exactly how I wanted his room to look. I finally decided on the colors and knew that would be the "theme". I knew I wanted to incorporate fishing but didn't want it to be overpowering. I'm so thankful we were able to pretty much do everything ourselves and make it his room- full of hard work and a lot of love. It's not pottery barn but it's our little boy's room and I think it's our favorite room in the house. It has inspired me to fill the other rooms with as much attention----- in due time. :-)

 

 

speaking of due! That bump is about DUE! Levi is settling down a bit- or running out of room! I was able to get some major pampering done this weekend which I am so thankful for. It kind of put me in a relaxed state of mind which I've had to fight off all weekend. All I want to do is sleep.

 

I'm praying that these last days/weeks will be filled with rest that comes from Him. We want to be overwhelmed by His peace. I want to focus on Him- and I think God allowed us to get all our busy work done so that we would have time to really concentrate on His love. I know I've been distracted and even "out of order". As much as I would love to be holding my baby right now I'm so grateful our Father is giving us more moments to just be in His presence. I hope our minds can stop and be graced with still moments of His grace. I'm praying that the hubby and I can turn our eyes to Him this week and soak in His goodness and favor.

 

 

 

Week 36

Please excuse me while I pick my jaw off the ground.
It's hard to grasp we're within 30 days of holding our little tangible prayer.

And on perfect cue- "It is Well" comes on my Pandora.

The Lord has been preparing my heart for this post for a while now. Yesterday. August 3rd marked a year that we had our greatest loss. It was quite possibly the most "real" moments of our lives. Our hearts were opened and shattered and we had nothing to depend on- not even each other- except God. Those feelings and emotions and heartache have washed over me all weekend. I can't dwell on the hurt and ache but what I want to remember is what God did in this house that day.  I have to honor what He allowed to happen that day, because a lot of different things could have happened- but our Father showed us His face that day. God exposed me and Brad. He showed us real love. real dependence on Him. He brought us all to the same page- our love aligned. And we still struggled- every day was hard. Every day that we were weak- He gave us strength. There were so many days filled with tears and numbness. But there continued to be days- He continued to wake us up and give us another day. And so when I think about last year... I have to focus on what God did-- NOT on what the enemy would've liked to happen. And it is only by pure love that the Lord aligned that day to happen 3 days before our church's 21 days of prayer began. When our focus shifts to worship, to heal, to focus on His pure love for His children. I know that wasn't a coincidence- just like it's not a coincidence that we were able to announce this pregnancy at the time that our first baby would have been born- just like we are a month away from celebrating this little baby now. God has allowed a lot of healing by surrounding us with reminders of His great love. It's amazing to experience the rawness of complete dependency on the highest power.
I am just beside myself trying to imagine feeling this huge love for this sweet little boy.
**mushy moment**
As I sit across from my husband, with my headphones in, he's eating Moe's and watching the Braves and has no idea that I'm staring at him ;-) but I love him. God made him for me. He gave us this love and I encourage you ladies to be overwhelmed by the man of your house. Especially if he has experienced a great deal of "life" with you. Let those memories of love, "talks", laughs- just let it wash over you. The enemy would love for us to pick apart everything the other is doing "wrong", but what about all those days they choose to come home to you. None of us are perfect and that's the greatest part of love to me- we love anyways despite our faults. THAT is huge love. And it's God's grace that gives us the power to do so.

Want to know what's behind that bump.... The amazing sliding barn door my hubby started and finished today. Oh my goodness yall it is just the cutest! Next week Levi's room should be as close to complete as it's gonna get minus his little pictures that will fill up the walls. We are pretty proud of his room. Almost everything in his room was a labor of love by one of us (which explains why it has taken so long to finish).

We're definitely going to have to step it up on the rest of the house because his room is way cooler than all our other rooms.

I'm so excited for 21 days of prayer that kicked off today at Church of the Highlands. Monday thru Friday at 6 a.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. you can go to a campus (or online) and join in on an hour of complete prayer and worship. It's so powerful and your heart will be filled with the Holy Spirit. I learned to love prayer from being invited to 21 days of prayer. I was never comfortable or knew what to pray, but when you spend a whole hour devoted to talking to God.. the Holy Spirit will fill your prayer with words and fill your heart with His desires. 

Would love to pray with you if anyone has any prayer requests you can comment or e-mail me at elyserawlins@gmail.com.

 

"In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." Psalm 5:3

Week 35

Well, well, well..... here we are. I really want to have a moment to complain. But instead we shall observe all complaints with a moment of silence.....



Thank you.
Ok so instead we are going to be so super excited that this little boy is joining us in 5 weeks or less! Woohoo! To say that I can't wait is the understatement of the century. Are we ready?..... um, sure- I mean our house is hot mess, his nursery isn't completely complete (lacking curtains), and oh we haven't packed our bags, installed carseat, or registered at hospital. no bigs. O.o
But we will NOT be anxious about anything IN JESUS NAME! amen.

God is too good to be caught up in the little things that make us feel like we'll be ready? I mean HELLO how can you possibly be "ready", to be responsible for another life for the next 18 years.. we're gonna do what seems to work out best.. put it in His hands and pray for our lives to surrender to His will.

And right now I'm praying for God's lamp to light my way. One of my very best friends once enlightened me that God provides a lamp for each step- not for your whole path. So in this situation at 35 weeks, with only 5 weeks to go, naturally all I can think about is the delivery room. But my gracious God keeps reminding me that He lights each day at a time. each step at a time. If He was ready for me to be in the delivery room, I'd probably be there. But He's given me some more time to grow in His trust. And that just really changes my focus.
What an amazing Father we have. And goodness just when we think we're at this intimate place with Him- He just throws this whole other dimension at us. Last year I prayed through many books to help distract from a huge prayer request and God taught me so much (and so much I need to pray up on again). For example, contentment. Um, yea- what is that? We live in this society of DIScontentment. I read through a couple of books on this subject and the Holy Spirit really transformed my heart. And sometimes I think when we learn about something that we automatically expect all our friends and family to jump on board and be transformed by OUR experience. No. That was obviously something that MY heart was lacking and needed attention. I learned that while we learn from each other's experiences- you, as an individual, must have Jesus encounters to really be transformed. And while I remind myself of lessons learned in the past year, contentment is something I have to work at. I have to constantly remind myself of the blessings that surround me. I have to take moments of silence (i.e. beginning of this post) to SILENCE all those complaints. It takes about 2 seconds to think of 5 things to be grateful for. Thankfulness 5 Complaints 0... BOOM.

speaking of BOOM. :-)

He's taken a bit of a growth spurt. And mommy can feel it! So yay for a growing boy! He's still loving to reassure me of his presence. Sweet boy. We have many one sided conversations in which he kindly replies with a body adjustment. B may or may not think I'm a nut for talking to my belly as much as I do. I especially love when he thinks I'm talking to him... um hello trying to talk to my unborn son here. Without complaining- progress has taken a.. downward shift :-) therefore bathroom breaks... ok let's just be honest. it's more like sleep breaks. because too much of my sleepy time is being spent on the porcelain bowl. I think before our next child we will redo our bathrooms what with all the sickness, potty breaks, and normal time spent in the bathroom... more attention should be paid into making it a little more relaxing. I'm positive that's top on the hubby's to do list. HA! Welp..  delaying the bed.

 

Praying that the peace that passes all UNDERSTANDING overwhelms your hearts and you fall to your knees with trust in our perfect Creator.

Week 34

Only 6 weeks left.... yep that has given me a panic attack about 10 times today.
When did this happen!? Where did time go!?
Holy smokes- it's like any day now. Approximately 44 days.
Ready? Nope! Scared out of my mind. Really starting to imagine delivery day, and it's setting in that one day soon it will not be my imagination it will be for real. I mean I'm so excited for Levi to get here it's just incredibly surreal to think that in about 6 weeks he will no longer be protected from the outside world.
I can't wait to hold him and love on him. It's just weird. Everything is freaking me out. For example, what was our dining room has now been transformed into Levi's play area.

It's not decorated or anything.. but this just happened like an hour ago.

We had a very generous baby shower this afternoon and I know I should have come home and taken a load off but I cannot rest when things are not in their place. (not that I'm a neat freak, but all this new stuff in boxes.. can't handle it). Thankfully I sequestered my parents and little brother to help me and B unbox and organize all of Levi's new additions. I think I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing everything has a place.

I'm always blown away by the love and generosity of the people close to us and today was no different. It really made me reflect on where we were a year ago and all the support we've had over the past year. God is so good and He has continued to show us His incredible love. I think we can all take for granted all that God has done for us, I know I do way too often. But it's in those moments of slowing down and seeing the impact that people have on your life that you realize how much our God truly cares for us. The people He has placed in our lives (for whatever amount of time) are instrumental in molding who we become. I looked around today at some amazing women and sat in awe of His kindness. Some I'd known from birth, some from teenage years, and some for five years or less- but they all have helped transform my journey with the Lord. I've always been able to relate to guys more than girls (simply because I can't handle drama) but God has shown me how wonderful it is to be surrounded by Godly women. They've taught me a lot about becoming a mother and a lot about being a loving wife. I'm so grateful for God's hand in putting these women in my path.

Braxton hicks.. not fun.

I know it's not real labor.. a. he's way too high b. I know it'll be way more intense. Just kind of came at an inconvenient time when I've been on a pregnancy high and then I'm around all these women and in pain. So sorry ladies. I hope you'll forgive me. Thankful that Levi was so active today and other people were able to see his... bold movements. Those are the moments when I think yep can't wait for you to be here little guy. ;-)

Thankful for everything coming together and for His peace that will allow me to REST tonight. Praying for continued guidance as we depend on Him more and more everyday.



 

Week 33

Have you ever tried something new?

Have you ever tried something you never thought you would do?

 

 

I'm incredibly thankful for the great God we serve. It's amazing how He knows our hearts and knows exactly what will pierce it and what will stir us up. I mean have you ever thought of that? Our creator- of all man- knows what makes you tick. He knows what lights your fire. He knows your vulnerabilities, your weaknesses, and your temptations- and He uses them all for His glory. He doesn't hold them against us because HE created them. God did not mess up when He made you. He put every quality in you because He knows exactly how your story is going to impact this world for His kingdom. So what I consider weaknesses is probably an insult to Him- it's as if I'm telling the creator of heaven, of the ocean, of our universe that He kinda missed a few screws when making me.

 

This week was a listening week- FOR SURE. And quite frankly this is the first time this week I have reflected on what all happened. God speaks to me but I don't hear Him until about the third time (that I can recognize). Even after I prepared my heart for listening- it still didn't sink in until that last attempt to get my attention. I wonder how long He's actually been trying to get my attention- because I am only aware after 3 firework displays of what He's asking of me.

 

He is stirring something big in my heart. My sweet Father sees so much in me and it's super overwhelming to be actively opening those gifts He has given me. I love getting back to that childlike faith that He asks of us. I'm so glad He has my hand and is leading me through life.

In pregnancy news.....

 

Statement I regret this week: "Acid reflux hasn't really bothered me too much."

 

Dumb. Dumb statement. ESPECIALLY when your sweet hubby finishes off the TUMS bottle without warning his precious preggo wife. Bless. Yea- two mornings of sickness. LOVELY. Sweet Levi is getting a little bigger than mommy's tummy can handle. Thankfully all has been restored and the TUMS now happily reside in a few rooms in the house, just in case. Little man's kicks and punches are becoming a little more.... enthusiastic. And we still love it. Just makes my eyeballs come out of my head a few times a day- but hey boys will be boys. I love when his back is up against my belly, he's already had a few hundred back scratches. We love to rock in his rocking chair- and daddy can't wait for his turn. We're kind of in love with this little boy and with all the planning, decorating, and rearranging- it's nice to stop and look into each others' eyes with disbelief that this is happening.

And it looks like it is happening! :-) It's funny because when he's sideways I look like I've "dropped" and then he'll flip around and be longways and I look like he's taking over my entire torso. He stays longways for the most part- I think he thinks my rib cage is a jungle gym- we're gonna have a talk about that when he comes out. A long talk.

 

You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. John 15:16-17

This verse was brought to my attention my lovely Mary Kay director- this is our unit's focus verse this year and I love it. Overwhelmed to be chosen. Grateful to be appointed. Led to GO!



Week 32

Um, is this rain going to ever stop- I mean really! I feel like we live in the rain forest! ALTHOUGH on a normal Alabama July day it'd be 100 degrees and humidity 1000%- so as far as being pregnant in July goes.. the rain is making it more bearable than anticipated. But enough about the weather! Hope everyone's Independence Day was celebrated properly. Super grateful for those who fight for our freedom both past and present. Proud to personally know some of those great men and women and their families. We spent ours with family and friends pretty much all weekend- so it was a very good weekend.
With holidays though I seem to lose my focus on things- and in a week's time my priority list was shuffled to chaos. Being completely honest-- my mind is in a million places right now. Worship music always brings me back to my center, so I know when I am about to blog after a week like this I need a good 10 minutes of just listening for God's words. I feel like there's a lot of anticipation in the air. And my life is just on the edge of a lot of changes and I am so grateful for this great Rock that keeps me centered.
I'm reminded this week especially of His power in our lives. This week will be filled with a lot of prayer and quiet time with Him- whatever happens in our lives He remains, He lives, He gives us this hope. And sometimes I don't think we're suppose to have the words- I think sometimes when life is at this height of healing, anticipation, and finding our way- our new way.. we're simply suppose to listen for His voice. But our God isn't this "Wizard of Oz" voice- He wants us to be close to Him. He longs for us to sit in His lap and look into His face and wait for His instruction. And to take delight in just sitting with Him. I know when Levi gets here I am going to be simply overjoyed to be in his presence. And that day when he looks up at me and smiles my world will be complete. THAT intimacy- THAT love is what I imagine our God yearns for. The simple yearning to be loved.
The song "Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice just came on and it's kind of a perfect description of this week.

I love that bump. I love looking at it. I love watching that little person make it do waves. I love the kicks and punches that come from it. I love that he got the hiccups for the first time today. I'm completely overwhelmed by the love. I hope I am given many years to show my appreciation and love to God for this great blessing. But for today I hope He is blessed knowing it's all surrendered to Him- and every step taken is guided by His lamp.

 

Praying that His light draws us near.

And that our ears are prepared for His whisper.

 

Week 31

What an overwhelmingly blessed week we had. I mean I could say that about every week, but this was one of those weeks where you just get a second wind and feel like you're sprinting towards something amazing. And we are. Every day we run another mile towards our ultimate finish line and I hope we are all showered with gold confetti. We are praying constantly for direction and we were definitely given the green light on a couple of things this week and we are so thankful for His peace in those areas.
And then there's those moments that should happen more often when you pray super specific and for a whole minute you believe that only God could make this happen. We were so blessed with one of those moments this weekend. In preparation for selling our house 6 months ago we moved a majority of our furniture out of house to declutter and simplify. Thankfully our cousins offered their basement for storage- but since we are not moving we needed to get all that junk out of their basement. So Friday we began loading things up for a yard sale Saturday. I made one trip while B and a wonderful friend of ours loaded the rest. While making several trips of loading furniture a neighbor of my cousins' walked over and asked the boys where they were taking all the furniture. They explained the whole situation to which the guy explains that he is in the business of buying and reselling things and would like anything we don't sell. He asked for us to give him a call and he would try to come by at our yard sale to have a look at everything and make an offer.

Well Saturday morning came (really early) and we made our signs, staked them out, and prepared for a hot morning. We began to discuss how much we wanted to make that day (hopefully $500) and mentally priced all of our items in order to meet that goal. We started at 8 and planned to end at 1:30 p.m. We probably had 5-10 people stop by and we sold several small items in the total of $48. And then it just kind of stopped. B had called the guy and he said he would try and stop by. We were both a little discouraged by his lack of enthusiasm, but didn't think too much of it. By about 12:30 the heat was just too sizzling for me so I ran in to take a shower and prepare for our baby shower that night.

I get out of the shower, check my phone to see what time it was- 1:08 p.m. And B had texted me stating that ever since we had moved our yard sale sign to a different place people stopped showing up. I rolled my eyes and texted him to move it back then. And then I said quick prayer... Lord if there's anyone that can make this happen it's you. It takes one minute. One moment. One car to provide what we would love to walk away with. God if this is your will we are prepared to give you all the glory and praise and we are so thankful for the opportunity to serve you with what you provide.
I dry off- walk into our bedroom and can hear hubs talking to people outside. I freeze and try to listen in to the wheeling and dealing but can't really hear what's being said.. about 10 minutes later hubby walks in with a big ole grin. He says "well that guy came by and said he wants the rest of our stuff... for $450"

...... I don't know if you can do math but $48 + $450= pretty dang close to $500.

Why I am so amazed by our God shows my lack of faith in His greatness. I am BLOWN away at His goodness. I don't know if he would have offered that amount if I would've prayed that little prayer or not but it sure does feel a whole lot more blessed having it prayed for. I know it's nothing we did and it was all a way for Him to show off how much He wants to bless us. It really convicted me of all the opportunities I turn down that could potentially bless us. Who are we to deny His blessings? I could just feel God saying HELLO been trying to do this in all areas of your life and you keep denying Me! And that's totally where I let the devil creep in and get in my thoughts. He is a LIAR. The Lord you serve can do all things and so can you with Him! Allow Him to do it! You can't win in this life without His hand in it. And it shouldn't be in it. You should be in His hand allowing Him to walk you on His path.
I am so guilty of trying to handle things on my own and put pressure on myself when this great God tells me over and over to chill out and listen for His direction. Listen to "How He Loves" by David Crowder Band.. definitely my favorite song that describes His yearning to be number one in our lives.

The Bump

Levi is such a blessed little boy already. We had our first baby shower last night and we received some much needed additions to fill up his nursery and help us with welcoming him to this world. I think I was most appreciative of the fellowship though. I had a few moments to look around last night and just praise God for the great people we are surrounded by. I reread all our cards today and it just made me feel so humbled to live this life. I am so excited for Levi to be here and meet all these brothers and sisters in Christ who have shaped who B and I are. 

Allow God to bless you this week. 

WEEK 30

I feel so incredibly blessed to have made it to week 30!!!!!! Every week that goes by, it just feels so super surreal and beyond explanation and getting this far just seems like a dream! I think every pregnant woman probably feels appreciative of each passing week some because it's nearing the end and others because they spent another week growing a little person. It's amazing.
And this week we celebrated FIVE YEARS of union with each other and God. Thank you Lord for allowing us to have the memories of the past 5 years! Most marriages begin with pastoral counseling just to get the communication going and lay all the baggage on the line and also to align your hopes and dreams with each other and God. I LOVED every session that we had with our pastor. I know he asked us the ole "SO where do you see yourselves in 5 years?" and honestly I cannot recall my answer.. knowing me it was something along the lines of having at least 2 kids and being more settled in our jobs. My heart and mind were in a completely different place 5 years ago. And I am so grateful for the bit of growth I've been blessed with. At the age of 20 years old... not a lot of life had happened to me yet. Our marriage opened my heart to a new level of love and trust and faith. Not just with my husband but with my Lord and Savior. When we got married I feel like we had a very religious "relationship" with the Lord (which is an oxymoron). We've both still got A LOT of learning to do and man I can't wait to see how He uses us for His kingdom- but the past five years have been spent growing together in our faith. It has been incredible watching my husband become this man of God right before my eyes. I know he prays for me all the time and I'm very grateful for it. But I'm about to be vulnerable.
About 2 & 1/2 years into our marriage I was praying desperately for our hearts to grow stronger in His word. The hubs was in a Bible study with some good friends so he was being fed and encouraged. One night we got in a serious fight about the stealing of the covers. (when I say serious I'm not kidding- in retrospect and probably if you're reading this you think we're idiots but it was tense) I was angry- he was angry and he stomped into the living room leaving me alone in bed. At that moment I began to pray that God would speak to both of us. I prayed that He would provide us with peace and words- and then I prayed specifically for the Holy Spirit to meet my husband 4 rooms over and lead Him back to me with His words. I then received a text message from my hubby (yes 4 rooms over) apologizing and promising to control his anger better and ended with James 1:19-20 "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." I had (at that time) never been that blown away by God. Our relationship between the three of us changed right then. I had never prayed a specific prayer like that and expected an answer. God taught me a lot that night and I'm grateful that it was over the cover monster ;-).
Our journey thus far has been filled to the brim with blessings. God has brought people into our relationship that have helped change the way we view marriage, service, and relationships. We know it has all been in His perfect timing and that makes it all the sweeter. The road hasn't always been a Sunday drive, but that all depends on the perspective. We are thankful to be allowed time to grow in Him and further His kingdom while falling more in love each day. I know I have a lot of growing to do as a wife and I hope God allows me to. We both have some room to grow- but God definitely made my man a servant for Him. B is the most giving servant and I feel incredibly honored to call him mine. Not to mention he's got a pretty cute smile. I hope the Lord allows many many years of falling more in love with Him and understanding His love.

-at Hargis 5 years later *sigh*

AND the Bump....

I know it looks like I'm housing twins. I still love it and thankful for that growing watermelon.

 God is great, and He's even greater when you ask Him to be great in YOU!

Where do I see myself in five years?

Let's see.. I'll be 30 and Levi will be about to start kindergarten (good Lord willing)- I hope our hearts are more aligned with His. I pray that 5 years from now God is our source of joy. I pray that God would always be first- then hubs- then kid(s). Most of all... I pray that He allows me more time with that handsome guy, growing in love and faith.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 29

HAPPY HAPPY Father's Day!!!! Oh my goodness! So blessed to hug my daddy's neck today. I love that man to pieces! I will always be his little girl no matter what and I'm so thankful for that. I love thinking about mine and my dad's relationship because he is such a daughter's dream for a dad! Growing up he always called me his "beauty girl" and said I had a "magic smile". I'll never forget my wedding day when he gave me away he kissed my cheek and said "Don't forget your magic smile". :-) I hope we have a little girl one day so I can watch Brad melt in her hands. Something about a daughter and her daddy- just can't be replaced.
Very grateful for my husband and father-to-be... He got his very manly diaper bag/backpack. Every time we go to BuyBuy Baby he has to check out the diaper bags and the strollers. no matter what. So that's what me and Levi decided he needed was his own bag- set with about ten compartments.
I can't wait for B to hold little Levi in a couple of months. He's already such an amazing husband and takes care of me so well- just can't wait for him to have this little boy admiring everything he does.
And to stay with the Father's Day gratitude... doesn't it feel great knowing you've got this huge, all-knowing, perfect Father who is just waiting for you to run in His arms and jump in His lap and tell Him all about your day. Oh man! God's love is just too big to describe and I'm so thankful to be His little princess- forever.

Well, went to the doctor this past week and we are measuring a week ahead- which I know that can change back and forth. So we shall see! UM- LOVE my body pillow! I don't know that I'll ever give it up! It takes up a lot of the bed and makes for some interesting potty breaks BUT so worth it! And yea that bump is getting BIG! I still love it.
So grateful for this week- it was a little bumpier but as always God's love and His truth prevailed. Allowed for some growth and a lot more trust in Him and His great plan. Praying for a big, successful week! So excited already for next week's post!!!! A little 5 year celebration of mine and B's marriage and love! Excited to share how His love has changed our love!!!!

Week 28

Talk about a week of answered prayers!! Yall if you're not praying you need to.. If you're not sure what to pray for.. THAT's what you pray for! I can't tell you how many times I knew I needed to pray but didn't know why- so I just asked the Holy Spirit to give me the words- show me what I need to be praying for. And I've noticed recently that when I'm not getting an answer to a prayer it's because I'm so focused on what I want that I'm really not leaving any room for God's plan! HELLO! I want Him to be the author of my life- NOT ME! So... when it came to our house I have had a super negative attitude about the whole thing up until about 2 weeks ago. Honestly, the main reason why I wanted our house on the market was because I am sick of being a slave to our house payment. The second reason was because we live on the main highway- with a speed limit of 55mph- and I don't want Levi running out in the road. Well about two weeks ago I was talking to my mentor and she asked why we were selling our house and I told her those two reasons. Her response was, "If you're sick of being a 'slave' to your house then why don't you ask God to bless you more?". LONG PAUSE

--This is where that whole praying for the wrong thing comes in--

For about 6 months I have been praying for our house. Not this house but our next house. I have been praying for the people who were suppose to buy this house. I have been praying for that family to fall in love with this house. I have prayed that this house would bless them.
:-)

God answered that prayer today.
I woke up this morning-- began to do the last of the cleaning on each room and while I did, I listened to worship music and I prayed over each room. I prayed that whoever comes through the doors today that they would be blessed, that they would love this house like we loved it when we first saw it. I prayed that the numbers would be just right so that everyone would walk away fairly. I then prayed that if this is where we are suppose to raise our family and call home that we would have a clear answer today.
I believe our God knows what is "clear" to us when we pray something like that-- because not a soul showed up for the open house today. Some might find that discouraging but today I am blown away at His answer. We got home this afternoon and I walked in the door and I fell in love with this house again. I came through that door feeling more blessed than ever. God continues to blow us away with His gifts. He is blessing both of us so that we're not "slaves" to our house payment. Seriously, like blowing us away with opportunities.
We've wanted to put up a fence around our yard for a while but two acres is a lot of fence! So I think we're going to opt for a white picket fence in front of our house, which I am like beyond excited about! I mean who doesn't want a white picket fence with a little gate door and a little boy playing safely and freely in. It brings tears to my eyes to imagine it.
All that to say-- sometimes we need to ask God to change our heart to align with His plan. I never would've thought to pray that God would bless us so that we could stay here. And goodness at things that came out of us having our house on the market. The things we needed to fix or clean out or update- all got accomplished because we were preparing for new buyers. I think that's another reason why I'm so excited because all the hard work that B has put in will be more appreciated by us than anyone else. I had no idea that all those blessings I have been praying over new buyers- were going to be bestowed upon us. Thank you God for surprising us once again. I am so pumped to get our house Levi ready!
BUT first we had to get my body pillow- because after all that cleaning and praying this momma needs some REST! I've already got it wrapped around me and I cannot wait to climb in bed and figure out how this BUMP is going to lay!
I know last week I mentioned taking pictures of flattering vs. unflattering clothes on the bump- maybe next week- God was just a movin too much for me to talk about clothes. So maybe next week! Levi must've learned how to swim because I swear he is swimming laps in there. I just keep feeling rolling and kicking over and over. He's an active little boy so Lord help us when he gets here.

Thank you to all of you who continue to pray for us on our little bumpy road. We feel all of your prayers! We are so excited to fill this house with more love and to finally start REALLY working on Levi's room! God is great! Hope he blesses you more than you can imagine!!!

Week 27

Well where in the world did this week go? And hello June! We spent this weekend celebrating my sweet cousin's wedding and it was so gorgeous! We had a bit of a rain scare but it cleared up just in time for the ceremony. So excited for their journey into marriage! B and his catering partner prepared most of the food for the day and it was beautifully done and it was delicious!
I experienced my first pregnancy charley horse early this morning (while sleeping). Those things are no joke and I think I might've scared B to death because I couldn't help but scream and he went into panic/protective mode. Made me love him a little more, after my leg stopped throbbing. I guess I might've possibly stood for a bit too long yesterday and should've accepted one of those seats everyone kept offering. NOTED! Sitting=good Standing=bad
So our house is still on the market and we haven't had too many bites on it. It hasn't really bothered me because honestly haven't had time to let it bother me. We've just been praying about it and knowing that God will provide exactly what we need whether that be here or somewhere else. And He has been so faithful. So much so that we've accepted the fact that this might be where He wants us and He has prepared our hearts and eased our minds on a lot of the reasons why we wanted to sell. If He continues to trust us with this property then we hope to glorify Him and are able to be great stewards of His faithfulness.
Side note B has been replacing some sink parts today and literally just heard from the kitchen "suck it sink!" Love him.
We have so many great memories between these walls, we would ask that you pray for us to be attached to His word through the decision making process. We are praying He makes big things happen!
And there's no greater God that can make it happen than the One we get to serve.
So we have got to get hauling booty on Levi Fisher's room! We have some stuff done but we have a long way to go and 12 weeks to get it done! If he doesn't come early!! I am not one of those people that orders stuff online... like ever but I think I'm going to have to do it. I found the bedding that I want on ETSY and have been holding off out of mere stubbornness. Kinda getting into crunch time on ordering things though so it's decision making time! I definitely have a clear vision for what I want for his little suite and so excited to make it happen.

I finally got some maternity shorts and had to get some maternity shirts for work. Scrubs just are not fun to wear when you have a growing midsection. Especially cause this little booger likes to move around and I think he feels like he is in jail in some of my scrub tops. So be free little Levi!! I might just do a picture each day this week so you can see what clothes can do for or against you. Some days I look 10 months pregnant and the next day I look like a supermodel-- JUST KIDDING I don't own miracle clothes ;-) but seriously there are definitely some items out there that are more flattering than others. 

I can now feel him rolling around in there which is extremely entertaining. I don't know if I want him to come out. I love having him with me. He brings me so much joy just moving and kicking around. The hubs probably thinks I'm nuts because it still gets me so tickled feeling him and watching my belly jump around. I just love it! I don't think I'll be one of those people that has 15 kids however I do love this feeling- we'll see what labor does to that feeling in a few months! For now I'm soaking up this little life growing inside of me!

Well I'm getting this kicking boy to bed!!

Remember that our God is huge. He is powerful and He is able to do mighty and great things!!!

Pray Big Y'all!!!

 

Week 26

Posting from the white sands of Destin, FL! The hubs and I took a much needed weekend getaway to our favorite beach. It has been oh so relaxing! The weather is perfect and Mr. Levi Fisher is just kickin away not letting us forget he is with us.
For a while now, I have been needing to get away to devote some major quiet time to God. And while this weekend is a celebration of 5 wonderful years with the hubs and our last vacay before baby.. being on the beach surrounded by His vast oceans has been devoted to Him. The hubs and I are both on the verge of big things and so we needed to stop and thank God for all that He has given us and ask for guidance for whatever is coming next. We have been so overwhelmingly blessed the past six months- kind of like how overwhelming the ocean is. We know that our next steps will be like a baby's first steps- we'll probably fall down a couple of times and then there will be nothing stopping us. Please be praying for us!
So I have been anxiously awaiting that moment when a stranger asks me when I'm due- so far not a soul has asked without already knowing that I am preggers. And what do ya know- they didn't ask when I am due or what I am having. She asked if I am having twins.... It's okay I laughed. And replied with no I wish! Finally, the bump has become a basketball. I know some people hate when people comment on their pregnant belly- and maybe it will bother me eventually. But I've kind of been begging for it! I was on the beach in my tankini which covered the bump (most of the time) and yes I rubbed my belly 90% of the time! Only because Levi Fisher kicked and punched and rolled around 90% percent of the time. It was quite entertaining. Also entertaining, me getting up out of the sand to visit the restroom every hour. Somehow I still got sunburnt. Mainly my feet are fried which made for some uncomfortable walking which lead to some premature waddling- yep I was that girl. If the bump wasn't enough, my swagger was the pregnant clincher. I can't get offended by comments on the ole bump cause we've still got 3 months to go and nowhere to go but OUT! This chick was not blessed with height so I will most likely look like I am carrying triplets by August. Oh and did you catch that... THREE MONTHS TO GO!! We have officially entered the third trimester!!!!!!!! SUPER SURREAL! So thankful to have made it this far and praying that we are granted three more months of healthy growing.
I'm going to get back to this babymoon! Hope you take the time to remember who this three day weekend is for. Praying for all the men and women who sacrifice their lives for our freedom. Praying for families that they have peace as they remember their loved ones.

Week 25

*Listening to Kari Jobe's "You Are Good"*
This week was so super busy. B and I were blessed with some big opportunities. He and his catering partner had their first wedding- and oh my goodness they did amazing. I mean, yes I am biased, but they were bragged on- not only on their cooking skills but their professionalism. Super thankful that God is developing their dreams into reality. My first Mary Kay party is under the belt. There are definitely some areas I need to work on- BUT I L-O-V-E-D every minute of it. God has blessed me tremendously with this ministry and I am just tickled pink ;-) with this opportunity to serve Him.
God is good y'all.
He is so good, but what happens if we don't accept His goodness? What happens if we don't nurture what He gives us? When Levi Fisher gets here and we don't take him home- what's the point? If we take him home and we don't feed him and don't teach him how things work... what purpose does that life serve? God has given you and me talents and gifts. They're not suppose to be one of those wedding gifts that sit in some cupboard and never get used. This is a gift from your Maker. He has entrusted YOU with responsibility to bless others with that gift. Get excited yall! The Lord felt you are worthy to share talents with people! If you are not sure what those gifts are- PRAY!!! He will reveal it to you in a big way. The devil is going to try to tell you that you can't do that and you aren't worthy- but where in the Bible does it say that you are inadequate of doing big things.. NOWHERE! Over and over we are promised that God put us here to do great and mighty things. In fact, in John 14 Jesus is speaking to His disciples about believing in Him. He says,
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do EVEN GREATER things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12
Kind of a big deal. This man has healed the sick, fed the five thousand, oh and after being killed on a cross- three days later is raised from the dead and lives today. So He intends us to do GREATER things than that? Are we really living to the full? Is God really living in us so that we can do GREAT things for His kingdom? For me- that's going to take me saying no to some things and letting Him have more of me. I'm confident the return on that will be far greater than anything Facebook, TV, or Pinterest can offer me.

So I think I lost about ten pounds in water weight last night because I was up every hour last night. And Mr. Levi Fisher's kicks are harder than ever. My mom was sitting across the room from me and could see him kicking. My little brother felt him kick for the first time- he was impressed at his soon-to-be nephew's strength. He is so funny. He turns 13 this week (O.O) and he is so concerned with my well-being. I love that little boy. And this weekend was wonderful because I got to see my older, younger brother and his wifey too. I love when we all get to be together. And after this crazy week it was just perfect to spend some down time with them.

Now that I'm making myself eat more, my energy level has gone up like a whole bunch. Feeling really really good. We passed the glucose test this week- which by the way is disgusting. I am so not good with bad tasting things. She said, you have 5 minutes to finish this drink. PSH! You take one sip of that nasty syrup and its down in 5 seconds without hitting a taste bud. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it. Mr. Levi Fisher is measuring right on target. And between his kicks, heard his heartbeat again. Which is the BEST sound ever. Me and TUMS are like bff now. Holy heartburn. Thankfully relief comes quickly from the chalky tablet.

So grateful for God's presence this week. Praying that we continue to open our lives to obey His plan. Fill your life with great purpose yall!!!

Week 24

Happy Mother's Day! Today was a true delight- especially getting about 20 texts with happy wishes. So thankful for all of those. And to be able to celebrate with my mom and B's mom. It was a blessed day. It was a good week actually. Finished off 24 at the doctor's office due to dizziness- but I'm fine, apparently not eating enough. Then celebrated the big 2-5. WHOA. :) So excited for this year- but very thankful the past year. It was definitely my favorite because I learned a little more about God's love and felt it in a big way. I think this year will be a lot of changes not just with Levi... I can just feel it. God has me praying about it. And with so many things up in the air, MOST of the time I am overwhelmed with peace. I know someone is praying big prayers for me out there because my first reaction to "waiting" is not patience. But God is good and I know His angels are fighting for me.
Mr. Levi is just getting more and more active. I felt him move for the first time standing up.. normally it's only when I'm sitting down or laying down (right before going to bed). I think I'm getting overly attached to his little kicks and jabs. They're so sweet and perfect. I know in a few months I will want him out of me and in my arms but right now I am so content with having him with me all day.
Yesterday we took on the great adventure of registering. It was quite overwhelming. B stayed pretty quiet through the whole store UNTIL we reached the strollers. His eyes lit up at all the wheels. He suddenly became a motor mouth and wanted to test drive them all. :-) I took one for a stroll and it hit me.... oh my goodness-we are having a baby. This is happening. It was so weird. And so wonderful. And as we talked to other couples at the store getting their opinions on things I just needed to sit down and digest that we are parents. We are going to have an opinion on diapers and strollers and monitors. When did this happen? Yep- had a meltdown. Thankfully we were at the end of shooting barcodes so I let it all wash over me in the car. It was a blessed feeling just kind of surreal. okay totally surreal.
We are getting nursery ready, slowly. Hubs moved out the bed that was in there and painted Levi's armoire. Still trying to find bedding- but trying to find a rug first. Which is a lot harder than it sounds. If anyone has suggestions I am open!
"I in them and you in me- so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:23
I saw this on a church billboard and looked it up out of curiosity. And I love it. I'm sure I've heard it before but I am thankful to have read it this week. It is Jesus praying to God. I don't even have words to explain what is going through my head everytime I read it. I just keep reading it over and over.

Week 23

Oh my goodness- you know those wonderful weeks when you're not really sure if you're listening better or if God is just talking louder. Praise God! It was one of those amazing weeks! It was seriously the most encouraging consecutive days. God is teaching me so much right now- I just hope it all sinks in and I don't sit in the classroom and take notes- I want to take action! I've been reminded over and over to not waste time.. LIVE TODAY!
God has presented me with this golden opportunity to sell Mary Kay. I am not Ms. Sales-lady-of-the-year. I have never done anything like this before. I am not business minded. I am a show up- do a great job 9-5, go home, go to bed, wake up and do it again. And so far it has served me well. I have met amazing people and God has taught me something at each job. But lately I have been praying for more. More opportunities to share His love. I have never felt this overwhelming urge to go out of the country to do missions, but I think I would love it. I think my heart would never be the same- but I have come up with excuses and I think God wants all of us to experience that out-of-your-comfort zone ministry. But I think God presents us with opportunities that we are called to seize.
Mary Kay will be my stepping stone and in its own way will be my mission field. I love sharing my story with people. And this company is all about your story and sharing it. What better way to minister to other women! I remember when I was in the 7th grade (I'll never forget it) I KNEW I wanted to be a youth director at a church. Over the years that dream has morphed and now I have this amazing new ministry to be a part of! I hope I can share His love to the ends of the earth through this platform!!
And what better motivation than this beautiful new life growing inside of me. And MAN he is coming to life!!! Those kicks and punches are more frequent and alot stronger! I LOVE it. I love having him with me all day. I even love when he wakes me up at 2:30 am to let me know he's still in there. It kind of makes me think about how God probably feels about us. He is our Father and I'm sure He loves when we just let Him know- Hey Dad! :)

I love getting to know this new kind of love.
What's New?
Besides the more frequent kicking/punching-- not much! We had a very busy weekend celebrating my brother's graduation (War Eagle!) and starting my birthday celebrating today. Yep I'm one of those people that commands birthday attention! I mean come on.. It's the day you're mom spent x hours pushing shoving to get you here! It deserves a little celebrating! 24 was such a great year filled with heart breaks, loss, and this overwhelming joy. It is the year that I am most thankful for... so far. I think 25 is going to be awesome and I can't wait to see what God does.
Good Lord willin and the creek don't rise..
Mary Kay is going to be a prayerful journey. My mind is fighting off so many attacks of the devil. It has kept me in prayer more and forced me to allow Him to carry me. We define our comfort zone not God. He is limitless. His love, His patience, His help... He's got this. We're going to do this together and I can't wait to look at this post in the future and praise Him for giving me bigger opportunities to share His love.
Praying for His love to overtake any doubt or fear you have. Surrender your biggest fear. And as I was encouraged tonight in a Mary Kay conference call.. "Declare war on your stinkin thinkin!" Think big. Think great. God is good!!!