Family Christmas

You would think by looking at these photos that they were taken about three weeks ago.

Nope.  I took them today. 

Yes.  We still have our Christmas decorations up. 

In fact, I haven't even unplugged the lights outside our living room window.

And, I still have a few more Christmas cards to send out.  :-)

Today, we finally had our Christmas together as a family.

Travel pushed things back.  We didn't want to carry gifts on an airplane.  So, we waited.

The little boy was most excited about the Nerf guns with targets and protective eye glasses

that I found last summer almost new at a garage sale for $5.

I heart garage sales.

But, I am not too excited about all the orange darts I will be finding in the future.

Now...I think it's finally time to start the annual holiday tear down.

Sorry, neighbors.

Embracing the Camera

Last weekend, I found some photos of Jude that I thought

I had lost or accidentally erased...including some favorites.

It was so very good for my heart to find them.

I am sharing this one that Brandon took for Embrace the Camera today.

If you haven't checked out Emily's blog,

she encourages moms to get out from behind the camera occasionally.
It's pretty much every Thursday.

Check it out here:

Accountability

With the husband home, I was able to get out today and do some hiking.

I really needed both the beauty and the exercise.

Somewhere mixed in with the goals I shared earlier,

is the universal New Year's resolution:

I want to exercise more.

Part of the Hello Mornings challenge each morning is to do 4 things:

Get out of bed.

Spend time with Jesus through prayer and reading/studying the Bible.

Exercise.

Plan your day.

I am not too unrealistic to think that I can do them all each day...

especially because the little boy's wake-up time varies.

And, schedules can be inconsistent.

But, it is so good for me to have a plan.

Tsh Oxenreider (Simple Mom) recently wrote an article with some helpful thoughts

to follow through on goals, Two Ways to Make New Years Resolutions Actually Stick. 

In it, she writes of the importance of taking baby steps

as well as the importance of accountability, or making your resolution public.

I know I definitely need the accountability...

and this challenge (and blogging) has already helped with that.

I really want to reshape my mornings...

and as a result, my days.

Also, I am thinking that if I want to change my morning routine,

I am going to need to change my evening routine as well.

So, I will no longer blog every night...

so I can try to make it to bed a little earlier.

I still hope to blog consistently, but I really want to make Jesus first.

I need Him pretty desperately.

What helps you stick with your resolutions?

Home

Brandon came home tonight from a hunting trip...

and we are quite happy about it.

We really like him around.

Happy Centennial, New Mexico!

 

Our beautiful state became a century old yesterday!

We celebrated today by attending the Centennial parade

and hanging out at the farmer's market all day.

And...we were warm in our short-sleeved shirts.  :-)

I love this state.

I am fascinated by its history, its culture and its beauty.

We have breathtaking sunsets, amazing stars, gorgeous colors,

lovely weather, wonderful people, and super fun mountains.

And, we're close to that other country I love so much.

Happy 100th Birthday, New Mexico!

Whole Hearts

I am a big fan of Matt and Sarah Hammitt...and what God is doing through them.  When Bowen was diagnosed with HLHS, they could have responded differently.  Instead, they trusted Him and let Him use their story to touch the lives of countless others...including every person in my family.

Matt visited us in the hospital on the day of Jude's surgery.  At the time, he didn't know that his wonderful wife was my friend from years ago...or that songs from his CD Every Falling Tear were on repeat in Jude's hospital room...and had been used by God to prepare us to love our son when we were so scared to lose him.  He had simply heard that there was a family in a hospital at a stop on his band's tour...a family whose child had congenital heart defects.  And, he made himself available to be used by the Lord through a visit.

The Hammitts have begun a foundation called Whole Hearts.  The foundation's mission statement is to share God’s love by providing education, support, connections, and innovation for the families of a child living with pediatric congenital heart disease—without boundaries of faith, culture, or economic standing.  We saw a glimpse of that through Matt's visit...and I am excited to see how the foundation grows.  I thank God for how He will use Matt and Sarah to bless the families of children born with congenital heart disease.  He already has done so with us...and I will forever be grateful.

1 out of every 100 children born has a congenital heart defect.  Would you please pray for the Hammitts as they follow the Lord to love in very practical ways the families of these children? It is a very real need to be met.  Would you please pray as well for sweet little Bowen?  You can read more below.
 
Check out this ABC story about Matt and Sarah and Whole Hearts. It is especially cute when Bowen speaks.
Check out their new Whole Hearts website.
Check out Bowen's story.

A Boy's Mom

Because I am his mom...

I get to watch him stick his tongue out when concentrating.

I get to watch his mind work while trying to figure out how to put something together.

I help build the lego sets that might be a tad too complicated for a five-year-old.

I am often asked to "play" legos...which I remain very bad at...but am trying to say "yes" to.

I loved this post: 25 Rules for Moms of Boys.

I am linking up with Emily today:

Hello Mornings

I am so excited that some of you are going to join me in some of my goals.  Thanks!  :-) I am looking forward to the encouragement of simply doing it together.  I am sure we'll all benefit.

If you want to join in on the Hello Mornings challenge but didn't register in time, join our HolaMañanas group on Facebook.  The registration deadline allows them to have time to assign groups. So if you're not joining a group, it is never too late to join.  Even if you have registered and will potentially be signed up for a group, I think you can still change your preferences to "I am part of a pre-planned group" through the original email Kat sent out.  Feel free to invite friends if there is someone you think would like to do it with you.

The challenge doesn't start until the 16th, but I think I might start early.  As evidenced by my late posts, I am a night owl.  I love nights.  But, I tend to love my days a lot better when I try to love mornings.  :-)  So, I am looking forward to this challenge to help me move more in that direction.

If you're reading the Bible chronologically, I am reworking the pdf into bookmarks to use in my Bible.  Let me know if you'd like one when they're done.  We are four days in, and I was already pretty far behind.  I can use all the help I can get. 

This little girl was so happy to see us when we got home tonight.  She is lying on my arms as I type this.  :-)

Upside Down Mazes

Caleb really likes mazes...and he is surprisingly good at them.  His latest book of mazes is a little too simple for him, so Brandon gave him the extra challenge of holding him upside down.  So cute.  These two entertain me all the time.  Who needs movies?  :-)

Tomorrow, we finish the final leg of our annual winter travels as we make the long drive home.  I am really eager to get home.  This week has been really difficult, and I am looking forward to routine again.  I know that things are going to be difficult for a while, but at least we will be home.  I like home. 

Thank you for praying.  Please pray for Ellie as well.  We got to see her at the hospital yesterday, and it was WONDERFUL.  Please pray that her EEG would reveal what they need it to.  You can read more here.  Thanks!

Resolutions

I have been thinking quite a bit about resolutions lately.  I love the idea of making them, but I am pretty awful at keeping them.  Nevertheless, I am trying again this year.

In A Life of Endurance, Randy Alcorn writes about the importance of finishing well.  He makes several points that have been resonating with me over this past month:

• Everyday we're becoming someone -- the question is, who?
• Who you will become will be the cumulative result of the daily choices you make.
• You will become the product of what you choose to delight in and meditate upon.
• Following Christ isn't magic. It requires repeated actions on our part, which develop into daily habits and life disciplines.
• The key to spirituality is the development of little habits, such as Bible reading and memorization and prayer.

Who we become will be the cumulative result of the daily choices we make.  This has been so good for me to think about as I consider setting goals for the new year.  I know who I want to become.  I want to be someone who someday knows Jesus much better than I do today.  I want to grow in my love for Him and for others.  And, I can only do that by making deliberate decisions to seek Him.  And, I can only do that with His help.

So, I have set some goals:

• I want to read the Bible in a year...in chronological order.  I have tried it in the past, but I have never finished it.  So, this year, I am joining up with Joni Eareckson Tada.  
• I want to memorize a small book of the Bible.  I am thinking Philippians, but I am not sure yet.  Ann Voskamp has a Colossians plan that I might try out.  
• I want to make waking up early a habit.  Intentionally waking up instead of letting Caleb be my alarm clock has been so helpful in the past, and this e-book has helped me considerably.  I want to participate in the Hello Mornings challenge again.  I was unable to finish last time due to pregnancy-induced insomnia.  Registration ends tomorrow (1.3.12).

As I look at that list and think about my record with New Year's Eve resolutions, I can easily get discouraged.  But, it's not about perfection.  It's about pursuing Him...the Perfect One who gave His life for all my imperfections.

Let me know if you're interested in joining me on any of these.  :-)

Glory to God

Tonight was the last night of DCC.

It was the only session that Brandon and I attended together,

and the Lord met us there.

I was unable to be at our campus time afterwards because the little boy needed to sleep.

But,  I am beginning to hear amazing stories of the work of God in the lives of our students.

Thank You, Lord.

p.s.  Our friends' daughter, Ellie had a really long seizure today.

They are currently in the hospital with her and are hoping to do an EEG

to determine the cause of the seizures.  Please pray for them.

2011

One year ago today, I never could have imagined what 2011 would bring.  The news of a long awaited pregnancy was still fresh in our minds, and we were busy sharing our excitement with friends and family.  My thoughts were filled with nursery colors, and I was already testing out baby names.

One year later, books on grief and suffering have replaced the baby name books.  Instead of doctor visits, we are expecting many counseling appointments.  And, instead of excitedly telling friends about our news, we are attempting to put into words the answer to the question, "How are you doing?" 

Yet, throughout all that 2011 brought us, the Lord has been faithful.  He has been with us every step of the way, and we know Him better now than we did in 2010.  This past year...with all its pain, suffering and joy...has been a gift.

I don't know what 2012 will bring.  But, I know the One who does. 

And, I want to know Him better this time next year.  So, I am making a few plans for the new year.  I hope to share more soon, but until then...I hope you have a wonderful first day of 2012!  Happy New Year!

Still thankful...

Tonight, I thank God...

for the advice we took today to get away and spend some time together as a family.

for the opportunity to hang out with my brother and his sweet girlfriend up in the mountains.

for the bighorn sheep I spotted as we were driving.

for the beauty of the frozen water we walked through in the "ice castles" at Silverthorne.

for good conversation with my husband as we drove home.

the unbelievable, unforgettable answer to prayer today in the life of someone I love more than words can describe.  Thank You, Jesus!

for this season of suffering and the work that the Lord is doing in my heart through it.

that His promises are true.

the hammer and the nail

The hammer is a useful tool, but the nail, if it had feeling and intelligence could present another side of the story.  For the nail knows the hammer only as an opponent, a brutal merciless enemy who lives to pound it into submission.  To beat it down out of sight and clinch it into place.  That is the nail's view of the hammer, and it is accurate except for one thing:  The nail forgets that both it and the hammer are servants of the same workman.  Let the nail but remember that the hammer is held by the workman and all resentment toward it will disappear.  The carpenter decides whose head shall be beaten next and what hammer shall be used in the beating.  That is his sovereign right.  When the nail has surrendered to the will of the workman and has gotten a little glimpse of his benign plan for the future, it will yield to the hammer without complaint.  


-A.W. Tozer
as quoted in Be Still My Soul

Denver Christmas Conference

Tonight marked the beginning of Denver Christmas Conference 2011.

Each year, college students from all over the region

give five days of their Christmas vacation to gather together

in Downtown Denver for an experience unlike any other. 

They are challenged in their walks with God.
They worship Him.  They serve Him.

And, they leave here forever changed.

I can't believe that this is my job.  :-)

Please pray for the students, the staff, and the speakers at the conference.

Please pray that we would all let the Lord move in and through us.

Thank you!

The Christmas Spirit

                                                                       Source: announceddesign.bigcartel.com via Amber on Pinterest

The Day After Christmas

So many sweet friends have assumed that the holidays would be hard for us.  While I am thankful for their thoughtfulness, I have found it to be quite the opposite.  While the tears still fall daily, my heart has been filled at the same time with the incomparable hope of Jesus, the beauty of the season, and the joy of being together again with people we love very much.

Reading Come Thou Long Expected Jesus has been really good for me this year.  In it, Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes that "the incarnation is the supreme example of fulfilled prophecy, the supreme example of God's faithfulness to His promises."  Mary recognized this when she said, "He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors (Luke 1:54-55)."  God promised Abraham that through him all the nations would be blessed (Gen 12:3).  He fulfilled that promise through the birth of a baby...a baby who would change everything.

Because God became a baby, I have the true hope of eternal life.
Because God became a baby, I am separated from mine only temporarily.
Because God became a baby, I know that other promises He made are true:

And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5

I am making everything new.

Revelation 21:5

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away,

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us

an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So, instead of pain, Christmas has brought much hope.  It has been the day after Christmas, however, that I have been dreading.  I began thinking in early December of the day when I would have to take down the tree and put away the beautiful lights...and the thought made me a little sick to my stomach.

But, the truth is, Christmas may be over but the One we celebrate still lives.

Check out this song by Matthew West and this post by my friend, Holly.

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He made himself nothing...

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, 

he humbled himself 

and became obedient to death -

even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:5-7

When God became flesh, He wasn't welcomed into the world with much fanfare.  Instead, the Creator began His dwelling among His created as a tiny baby born in a stable.  It was a humble beginning, followed by a humble life and a humble death.  And, it was that willingness to be broken...to be killed...by the ones He made that made eternal life possible for us. 

And yet, I think I can live my life apart from Him.  No longer do I sense that desperate need I felt in the hospital, and I no longer turn to Him for help just to make it through the day.  I haven't hungered for the Word as I did before, and no longer does prayer seem as important to me as breathing.

I miss my baby.  Tonight, I am really missing how much the Lord used Jude to drive me to Himself.  There is so much grace in suffering.  There is so much beauty in how everything peripheral and unimportant is pushed aside and we see more clearly than ever the faithfulness of our Lord and His ability to sustain us and strengthen us.  Through suffering, we can see that He is who He says He is.

I need Him.  Yet, in my pride, I subtly begin to think that I don't.  In my comfort, I live my life as if I have everything under control...under my control.  I don't want to live under that illusion.  I don't want to be comfortable.  I want to walk in dependence upon Him...and see His hand at work all around me.

Over the next few days, I am going to take a break from blogging and use the extra time to seek Him.  I want to simply enjoy my Lord and my family as we celebrate the incarnation.

Merry Christmas!

O death, where is your victory?

Our little Jude met Jesus two months ago today.

We miss him as much as ever.

Yet, we are so thankful for this sweet truth

that Brandon read at his graveside today. 

 I tell you this, brothers:

flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,

nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Behold! I tell you a mystery.

We shall not all sleep,

but we shall all be changed, in a moment,

in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound,

and the dead will be raised imperishable,

and we shall be changed.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable,

and this mortal body must put on immortality.

When the perishable puts on the imperishable,

and the mortal puts on immortality,

then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
    “O death, where is your victory?
        O death, where is your sting?”
    The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God,

who gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.
   

(1 Corinthians 15:50-57 ESV)

p.s.  Thanks so much to whomever left the wreath.  It looks beautiful. :-)

Thankful

Tonight, I am thankful for friendships that began about a decade ago

and continue just as strong as ever.

I am thankful for friendships that began at birth

with friends who say things like,

"Someday...when we are married...we will live with my mom and dad."

"No, we will live with mine."

"No, mine."

I am thankful for Purdue basketball games and quality time spent with my Dad...

And, I am thankful for the wonder in a little boy's eyes while seeing Christmas lights.

I am thankful as well for...

late night movie runs to Wal Mart with my Dad,

leftover sausage and egg casserole made by Mom,

and a visit tomorrow to a little grave in a small town cemetery.