What a life!

Well as you can tell, I'm not quite the consistent blogger, though I would like to be! Sheesh! Since I last wrote, my son started walking (at 11 1/2 months), turned 1, now likes to run everywhere and most recently decided he wants to climb on EVERYTHING! He keeps me on my toes, that is for sure! It makes me all the more eager to find out what life is like with more children added to the family!
No, seriously, I really am wanting to have more children! At least 3 more! :) I'm beginning to get that itch for baby number two, so Andrew and I are talking about when would be best to start trying! Probably within the next 4-5 months?! Hmmm! We are thinking we should try to wait just a wee bit longer so that when we have our second child, Andrew will be in his last semester of school (3 semesters left!) and therefore, we will be finished paying for school. Of course we are NOT God, and if I get pregnant this month, He will most certainly provide for our every need! And besides, we're not doing a whole lot in the way of trying to prevent getting pregnant, so who knows?! All I know is that God has truly blessed us by giving us Daniel (a honeymoon souvenir!), and whether or not he gives us more children, we will never cease to give him praise! :)
I can't believe how quickly Daniel is growing and developing. It's amazing how much he catches on to what we say and do now! I mean really, he understands a whole lot, and is beginning to communicate so more and more! The other day I put Daniel's coat on, and walked away for a second before zipping it up. I came back to him and he had grabbed the ends on both sides of the coat and was trying to put them together to zip it up himself! What a smartie pants! :) I won't bore you with every little detail of his growth, though I easily could! But I am just completely blown away every day by how much he is growing and learning. It is an amazing thing how God creates and developes little bodies and minds, from the womb to the grave! What a great and mighty God we serve!

The Road Less Traveled

The other night as I lie in bed I found myself thanking the Lord for many undeserved blessings he has poured out upon me. And as I came to the blessing of my husband I found myself amazed and even tearful as I thanked God for giving me such a husband as Andrew. I don't intend for this post to be some sort of "worship" of my husband, but rather I hope to give all honor and praise to God who has shaped and formed my husband from the day he was conceived in his mother's womb, until even now as he shapes his character to reflect that of Christ.

My husband, as many already know, is not an average 21 year old college boy. In fact, my husband has taken the road less traveled among men his age. Presently, Andrew is 21 years old, has been married for 1 year and 7 months, has a 10 month old son (do the math, he's a honeymoon blessing!), works two jobs to support his family, and goes to school full time. Of course, when Andrew first intended to propose to me he was counseled on many sides (Christian and non-Christian alike) not to get married yet. He was counseled to wait at least until he was finished with school, but even more preferably to wait until he got a good steady job out of college and had some money saved up before he tied the knot. Then he would be more comfortable and his responsibilities would become well... less of a burden! Andrew was never counseled (with very few exceptions) to absolutely get married if he felt truly called to do so and if he was biblically ready to be married. He was never encouraged to be sacrificial in taking on such responsibility, but rather to be selfish, waiting until taking on responsibility wouldn't be so "hard." Thankfully, my husband listened to God, proposed to me, and married me 6 months later!

Now when people see us, they think Andrew is crazy! What kind of 21 year old would willingly give up bachelorhood to raise a family?! Andrew could easily still be in the dorms at school, working a part time job, goofing off and just cruising through life. But he didn't choose that path, and the word used to describe Andrew more often than not by others is "crazy" or "insane." But why is that? Why can't people look at Andrew and see what godly character he has? Why can't people see how devoted to his God and family he is, and see how hard he works without a single complaint, knowing God has blessed him with work in order to honor Christ and provide for his family? Unfortunately that's not the first thing MOST people see. Again, I'm not saying this to idolize my husband, but mostly to remind myself (and others) how faithful God is that He would even give men like Andrew such grace and such a heart to do what is honorable, even though it may be incredibly difficult at times.

Because people are right. It is hard to be married, still be in school and have a family! We're not denying that it isn't difficult! As I speak Andrew is at work on less than 5 hours of sleep, broken up between working 3rd shift at UPS and classes this morning. It's incredibly hard for Andrew and myself! But, despite the difficulty, you would not believe how much Christ has sanctified us, and how many opportunities we have had to see how truly faithful God is to his children! Opportunities we would have missed out on had we not had such trials. God is so much more precious to us now than ever before, and I would not miss out on the hardships of a busy, tiring and trying life for the sake of ease. Christ is so beautiful, and it is only by his amazing grace that Andrew and I can endure through these "insane" days and see His beauty!

So if you ever meet a young man who has taken the road less traveled and is providing for a wife and child(ren), don't look at him like he's crazy. Shake his hand, look him in the eye, and tell him how his example encourages you to look to Christ more than if he had just been the typical 20-something guy who could care less about responsibility and honor. Whether you think a certain path would be easier than another, never underestimate the plans God has for his children. The path to richest blessing is the one which teaches you to depend upon God more than you have ever needed before!

Just as a side note, I am NOT saying that every single 20 year old guy in college should get married! I truly do believe that some men do indeed need to wait to get married, either because they are not biblically ready to do so, or because God is using him in a great way as a single man through his college years, and possibly even beyond! I know several incredibly godly men who went all through college single and still are single, and their lives absolutely reflect Christ! But I also know all too many guys who date girls on end and have no intention of taking on responsibility. So please know, I would be foolish to think there is only one mold for all Christian men! But our society has had a negative effect on our young man and has done serious damage.

Love Grows Love by Caedmon's Call

I first heard this song when I was about a week or so away from delivering Daniel. I just started bawling when I heard it! It is now one of my favorite songs ever.

you said to put on a happy face on a high school stage
but I read what you really meant in your handwriting on a Bible
waited like you told me though we knew it right away,
it took eight and a half more years to finally say
I fell in love with you and that love became something new
it keeps getting stronger than we ever could have longed love keeps growing more love

when we got the news we had to call our families
and start painting the room a nice, bright blue
our vows they started breathing and they took on flesh and blood
and we held them in our arms and tasted God was good
I fell in love with you and that love became something new
it added a name and it added a smile it keeps getting bigger every further mile
there on your bended knee we sewed the seeds of our history
they're coming up stronger than we ever could have longed
love keeps growing more love

if love is an echo of the heart the heart is a canyon
that stretches wild and free without an end
and breaks through every wall that holds us in

I'm on the other side of the world to see what changed you so
my heart breaks with the broken and it dances with the hope
you told me I would find here but I could not understand
until I'm walking here beside you hand in hand

Christ looks at the heart!

In our women's Bible study at church we are going through the book of Matthew. A common theme that runs through this book is Christ's desire for the heart of the man to be clean, rather than just having an outward appearance of holiness. Christ confronts the Pharisees and Scribes for their hard heartedness and their willingness to break the commandments of God for the traditions of man.

We just read an example of this last Tuesday in Matthew 15. The Pharisees and Scribes came to Jesus in this passage of Scripture, and complained that the disciples break the tradition of men by not washing their hands before they eat. Apparently this was a big deal to them and was cause for scorn. I just LOVE Christ's response to this in verse 3 "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, 'honor your father and your mother,' and, 'whoever reviels father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If anyone tells his father or his mother, what you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.' So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the Word of God. You hypocrites!..." So instead of giving out of their abundance to help out their father or mother, they claim that their money is dedicated to God, and therefore they don't have to honor their parents by providing for them. This is not what God's Word teaches! However, for the Pharisees, as long as outwardly they look like they are really doing a service to God by dedicating their money to God, then they are in the clear. They look pious and therefore they ingnore the commandment of God! It is truly amazing how hard our hearts can be (because we are just like the Pharisees ourselves).

Christ's whole point is that our outward piety will never gain any pleasure from God, no matter how hard we try! We need Christ to transform our hearts, so that we no longer desire the applause of man, but the pleasure of Christ. Of course as Christians we know this, but how often do we forget? I forget too often, and even as a believer in the saving work of Christ I act as though I must work to remain in favor with God. Sure I believe that because of Christ's work I am saved, but then I act as though I need to work to impress God to remain in God's favor! But just as Christ saves us, he also sustains us! We are found in Him and His righteousness and thus can never loose favor with God! What an amazing truth that we can hold dear! I am so thankful for Christ. So THANKFUL!

"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the HEART, and this defiles a person. For ourt of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone." vv 17-20.