welcome warmer weather

As you can see, John is getting bored of this indoor craziness.

He is eating his Moo! book! We are welcoming this warmer weather!

Today we went for a walk at the Art Museum. It was so beautiful. John stood on a big rock and liked watching the people go by on the path.

We also spent a few minutes on the porch. Some neighbors set up their huge speakers (I am talking 10 feet tall), so we basically had an outdoor event going on. John was so cute. He danced to the music and liked watching the kids down the street. He waved at a couple of the kids when they would appear on their scooters.

I am welcoming the warmer weather. Supposedly Spring begins on Sunday. I think it began this week. We saw our neighbor for the first time since Christmas! This winter was way too long! It has been fantastic to get outside and see the world.

Monday I will do more prepping of the backyard for gardening. Yesterday was our first day of raking dead leaves and branches. John loved being out back. Hooray! Hopefully more sunny afternoons back there.

This winter has been pretty depressing in some ways. With sickness, cold days, and others being sick, getting out with other people was rough. It's amazing how the Lord keeps us through times like these. He kept saying to me, "It will get better."

I was thinking tonight about how nice it was of the cashier at Aldi to talk to us today. I have seen her there many times, and she is always nice. It means a lot when people are nice. She made my evening more enjoyable, just being able to thank God for kind people.

My dad called me while John and I were at the store too. He and Mary made it home from their trip. There were so many times this week I went to call my dad, and I couldn't! It was great to hear from him and know he and Mary made it home safely.

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Lastly, I just finished another read through the Gospels. Each one was really special. I think John was my favorite book and Luke my second favorite. Maybe because they are the freshest in my mind!

It was neat to meditate on who Jesus is, what he talked about and how he spent his time. I started reading the Gospels again because I wanted to read about Jesus healing. I can't get into everything I learned. I am not sure everything I learned...but I think the Holy Spirit spoke to me.

Reading through John, Jesus focused so much on repentance, preparing folks for his death and resurrection, warning the Pharisees of their wayward path and showing folks that he really is the Christ prophesied in the Old Testament. Quite amazing.

Jesus always healed. It struck me that healing wasn't really the main attraction. He talked about people's faith healing them. He talked about forgiving sins, then people were healed. He talked about healing on the Sabbath and the Pharisees' way of twisting God's law. It seemed like healing was a means of showing His power or true identity to people. The people who were sick and many times on the the fringe of society were the ones who understood and had faith.

One guy who was blind and Jesus healed him was being questioned by the Pharisees. The guy basically said "duh, Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." He was blind and now he could see. It was that simple. The guy's parents wouldn't say either way, if Jesus was God or not. They were afraid of the Pharisees. I hope my faith can be that pure. Having no fear of man, but only reverence of a good God.

So many thoughts, but most of them aren't really in order. I will end here!

Happy Spring

Grace is much needed these days

Today I was able to read some in Ezra. His humility and sorrow as he cried out to the Lord was inspiring to me. He knew God had and was still sparing them tremendously, and tore his clothes at the site of folks still disobeying the Lord.



I am so thankful for God's grace with us.



With that said, I have been needing a lot of grace when it comes to life these days. It has been a challenge to figure out life with a child. John is so much fun and adorable to boot, but he sure changed my life!



Last night I made up a list of 5 cleaning tasks that pretty much need to be done each week. As of now, Hubie has been doing a lot of the cleaning (thank you!). The idea is that I do one short task each day so that everything gets done on a weekly or monthly basis (I pick one room to dust once a week and vacuum the upstairs one week and downstairs the next, etc).

And I have one catch up day for the days I don't get to the task:) That was Hubie's idea. Smart man, I think.



We have thought a lot about how to heat our house with a baby. Since we live in an older row home with vacant homes on either side of us, our house is hard to heat. In the past we just kept the heat very low. We have a game plan now, but it is still on the colder side for all of us.

I was so proud to make my own leggings for John! They help so much since pants ride up all the time and it is cold on his legs. Progressive Pioneer noted on her blog that she cut the end off of her socks to make her own. I had a couple pairs with holes in the toes, they work perfectly! Just cut off the toe end.

Before my parents came to visit two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do some cooking. We made applesauce from the apples we picked. It turned out better this year, as I figured out I needed less water. I didn't even need sugar, it was good tasting. Perfect for baby food too; I froze some for next month when John starts to eat fruits!

I just got John down for his nap. It is taking some finagling to get him to nap these days. Ever since we decided not to rock him to sleep, he has been napping maybe 1 hr or so each day. He had been giving us trouble when we rocked him to sleep anyway, so I guess we just need to figure out his new schedule.

Hubie has been reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child to me and it has some good tips on setting up a nap schedule.
Since John is 5 months now, apprently he needs to nap every 2 1/2- 3 hrs, two to three times a day. The author recommends really tiring the kid out before naps so he will sleep for at least an hour. I tried taking John outside for a walk before each nap yesterday and today. It sort of is working...although he fell asleep eating at 11:45am, so that messed up his afternoon nap. Nonetheless, he is sleeping now!!! I am going to keep up with this plan for a week, and hopefully that will do the trick.
PS, He is also sleeping through the night as of this past week, which is wonderful!

So, I'd better go throw the diapers in the wash since I have the chance. By the way, cloth diapers have been great! I am so glad we decided to use them.

Grandma

Grandma was a special lady. She was quiet, a devoted friend, hard worker and fervent prayer. She was some one I looked up to, and some one I considered a good friend.

Grandma always knew when I called unexpectedly that I might be feeling lonely, overwhelmed, and in need of a listening ear. She gave the best advice.

Grandma never made me feel inferior that I needed her help. She didn't even let on that she knew why I was calling... When I was lonely, she would tell me that she never felt alone when she read her Bible. The Lord would come and be with her. When I was overwhelmed, she would talk about the greatness of the Lord. She would tell me that she prays for me every day, and that she would be lifting my specific need to the Lord. She always listened intently.

I had such a good grandma; her legacy in life in the Lord still lives in my heart.

It has been over a month since her passing. Actually, on the 19th was a month. The same day that marked the anniversary of my mom's passing 11 years ago.

I have been sad thinking of all the special women who have passed in my lifetime. It isn't going to get better, as we will all pass away. The Lord has been showing me that the only way to go on in this life is knowing this life is not the end. God promises to give us eternal life (and abundant life here), and that I will be reunited forever with all my sisters who have passed.

Every morning I wake up to John crying or cooing (hopefully cooing!), and I remember my responsibility as his mom. I could greet him with a tired, frustrated face, or savor his sweet smile as he grins back at me. It's a good reminder for me to choose Joy and Peace during my day. The way I greet little John could determine whether he likes mornings for the rest of his life! Gram was awesome, I never remember spending time with her when she was in a bad mood!

In the last couple months of her life, Gram talked a lot about the Lord coming back for us. She could not wait to see her Jesus and all the family who went ahead of her. When she talked about dying, I told her that wasn't happening for at least 20 years still! But, the Lord knows my grandma- all the ways she served with out any one knowing, all the aches and pains, all the prayers of her heart.

Now that she's gone, I see why she studied about Jesus coming back. She lived a long life and was well acquainted with grief. Jesus' Hope of eternity and Hope for her on earth was so real. Maybe through her prayers, but definitely by the Lord, I am learning the same thing.

And the flame is still burning!

It was our anniversary this past week. We celebrated by going out to French Creek State Park for a couple days. We stayed in a nice cabin and built our first fire together.

See...



Yes, the fire continues in our hearts as well...for each other:) Although we nearly lost it building this sucker together, since either of us really knows what we are doing!

We did have a nice time away. Just the woods, a really nice pool and us! We drove around much of the day Wednesday. It gave us some time to catch up on the year. It was neat talk about how things went.

We had hoped to hike, but due to my bum foot,

(see here)

we took just a short walk.



Thanks for all the support in our first year. The longer I experience being married, the more I realize how God can use it to show us Himself.
Hubie is an awesome husband, seriously! He is extremely loving, considerate, kind, thoughtful, faithful, dependable, the list could go on.
Today he is putting electricity in our living room...ahh..the joys of making a home together:) That part of marriage has been fun for us. One of the fond memories of our first year!

Here's to many more years of marriage, each one more intimate and loving than the last.



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It seems that God is up to something in my life. Many things are going wrong with me and with those around me. It seems like every day, something else is happening with my body, a friend, or Hubie and I. Everything can be dealt with in it's own way, but these happenings are just enough to make things frustrating and disheartening. No, I don't think God is causing these things to happen, but I wonder if he has something big planned. This verse encourages me today, thought I'd share. maybe we aren't the only ones feeling this way...

Ephesians 6:10
¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I like the last line, "always keep on praying for all the saints." It helps. Also, taking up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Right on.

He washed it white as snow

Today is Easter Sunday, and I have been blown away by singing and hearing about Jesus cleansing me from all my sins. It is truly amazing! I especially have been moved by the verse in the song "Worthy is the Lamb:"

High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

And the chorus from "Jesus Paid it All:"

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

It has been neat to meditate on Jesus' journey in dieing on the cross and then rising from the dead. I have found extremely meaningful, as I often lose sight of this central event.

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On a whole other note...

Here are some pictures of the bathroom renovation Hubie and I are working on. I have to say, it looks SO much better!

Before.....

During.....


After...

Actually we have more done since this picture, but this was the latest one I could find. We have a tub, shower curtain, cupboard above the toilet and some chair railing put on since this picture.

And here is the kitchen we finished up a few months ago...
Before....

After...


Happy Easter!!

Seedlings and life

Come warm weather, come! I am ready for you to be here! Sunday was a glorious day with sunshine warming my toes. Today, my toes were cold again despite our greatest efforts to wear sandals last week...i guess the weather didn't get the hint.

Our seedlings on the other hand loved the sun from inside our house. They are growing rapidly into beans, lettuce, and cucumbers. It has been fun to see them every morning when I wake up.

Hubie and I hope to build a big planter today for when our seedlings grow up. I am excited about the design Hubie drew up last week! It will be 6 feet long and have a chicken wire fence around the plants to protect them. We are building it about 4 feet off the ground so the sun will hit the plants a little better. Doesn't the idea of fresh beans and cucumbers sound terrific?

On another note, life has seemed like such a whirlwind in the past few weeks. Hubie and I almost finished up remodeling the bathroom at our other house. It was not finished easily. Hubie put in many hours to have a working toilet, bath and sink. I couldn't believe how big the project became. We still have some things to finish up in the weeks to come.

In my last post, I had felt moved to spend consistent time with God. It is funny that when I set my mind to something like that, life gets a little crazier. I have to say, spending time with God has been a real life saver. I haven't done it EVERY day, but it has become a habit for me and I realize when I've missed that time. As always, my relationship with Jesus is always encountering new issues and ideas...which might not be all bad.

I usually Hate Discipline...

I went for a walk on West River Drive today. It was so gorgeous with the sun and snow. Lately a nice walk in the morning has felt so nice.

I am trying to start disciplines in my life that I am able to keep going. I have learned that walking in the mornings helps, because I don't have time to not want to go through out the day...then feel like I am making myself go. The same with reading the Bible and listening to God. I am trying to be consistent with that in the mornings too.

Hubie got me a Joyce Meyers daily devotional book for Valentine's Day this year. I started reading it every morning because it is short, and I tend to enjoy Joyce. One of the days, Joyce wrote about the importance of starting a day with God. Jesus started his day with God, and it seems that many folks believe this is a good idea. I believed it was a great model as well, but never have been able to do this consistently.

Joyce's explanation resonated with me. She e explained that the minute we wake up, the devil is trying to steal life from our days. That makes sense to me. Almost every day I struggle to find joy and peace, stay focused on God, and have the desire to connect with God. It is frustrating to wake up in this state.

For the past couple of weeks, my days have been much better since spending the first chunk of my day with Jesus. Praise God that he finally is able to break through!
Joyce included a couple helpful tips for connecting with God in the morning (they mostly come from the Psalms): praise God, thank God, confess our weaknesses, and invite God to bring his power in the day.

I am praying that I can keep this discipline going, and that years to come, my family will see me spend time with God each morning. That is a big prayer for me (and it seems a lot of people), but I hope you will join me!