Oh how He loves us!

Wow... I didn't think when I wrote that last blog post, that hundreds of people would read it! My friend Heather works for VOM, & sent my blog along to the newsletter department because they had received so much negative feedback from that picture I wrote about. & somehow it ended up on their facebook page!

This was a huge blessing to me... last night, I met with the woman who is discipling me, & I was explaining that yes, I find much eternal purpose in being a wife & a mom, but sometimes I wonder how the Lord wants to use me outside of that. I believe that He does, but sometimes I don't see it. I mentioned that sometimes I feel like a failure, because I don't have this certain character trait or that natural ability. But the Lord revealed to me through this, that He can use me right where I am. A simple wife & mom, blogging about our boring lives & occasionally about what Jesus is teaching me - He can use something like that for His glory & for the encouragement of the saints. Amazing! I am so thankful for that word from Him. Continue in the way that the Spirit leads me, & He will use me, as the part of the Body that I am.

I love when He chooses to show us... "I do love you... you are valuable... & significant in My plan..."

Beauty

I receive a monthly newsletter from The Voice of the Martyrs (if you don't receive it, I recommend you contact them to do so - it's free - www.persecution.com). This month, the cover is a picture of a woman, Yubelina, from Indonesia. She was burned in an attack by Muslims on her Christian village.

Her skin is splotchy & ranges in color from light brown to red to white. Much of it is leathery. Her nose is disfigured. She has a purplish-colored patch of skin in between her bottom lip & the bottom of her chin. Her upper lip is peeling. Her left eye is white & red; her pupil is clearly no longer able to see.

But she is smiling. A huge smile. Joy radiates from her. Why?? She must receive stares. Children are probably afraid of her. The world would call her damaged. Ugly.

Yubelina has figured out where her identity lies. She is a treasured child of the King. She has traded "a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning" (Isa. 61:3). Her smile reveals Jesus.

Yubelina is beautiful. I guarantee she has a joy, a contentment, that no name-brand, trendy clothing; no perfect haircut & makeup; no flawless skin or toned body can bring.

I want to be beautiful like that. I want my face to shine like Moses, because I have been in the presence of God. I want my treasure to lie in heaven & not in the tangible, the material. I want to be joyful & content & full of peace.

Jesus, make it so.

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

Rainy Saturday

It is really yucky out. It's been in the 30's & 40's almost all week, which is REALLY cold for San Antonio, & today it is drizzly too. Yuck.

Elliot has a cold :-( so he has been feeling snotty, sneezing & coughing & sleeping a lot. It is pretty sad.

These two things happened to coincide with our one free Saturday of the month. We had decided to work on the house today, specifically the study, cleaning it out & organizing. We have two old computers that we are in the process of clearing so we can donate them, & I have sorted through all my work stuff, thrown away lots of old unnecessary papers... ah, it feels good to throw things away! Josh & I have also had some work to do today for our jobs, so all in all, it's been a fairly productive, inside kind of day.

We went to the doctor yesterday for Elliot's cough, as a perfectly normal nervous first-time mother would, & found out his weight is 13 pounds, 7 ounces. I measured him today at 25.25 inches. That makes him at the 78th percentile for height, & the 41st percentile for weight. Our little guy is looking long & lean! He's 3 months on Tuesday... crazy.

That's all for now, just thought I'd check in... back to being productive!

Time for Normal

Today is a big fat *sigh* to me. In a good way. Finally, Christmas gift buying is over, traveling is over (for a couple weeks, anyways!), busyness is over... phewwwww. This week, I have time to clean my house, how about that??

I am feeling thankful for newness today, as well. Yes, it's a new year, but that is just a coincidence for me - for me, it's getting back to normal like I mentioned, but also I feel like I'm getting a new start with things - back to eating well, back to exercise (at least, I have high hopes for this one starting soon, I just need to find the time), & back to spending time with the Lord in the morning with my cup of coffee. It's these things that are just good to me! & a good mixture of busyness & laziness have kept those things from being the norm lately. Since Elliot was born, I have felt like I've been in a bit of a funk, unable to get to normal routine & do anything more than the things that were pressing. All I did was take care of Elliot (because his life kind of depends on me), do laundry (because we need clothes), grocery shop (because we need food), & work (because I had a deadline). But in a less pressing way, I NEED to spend time with God every day, in the Word & in prayer; I NEED to exercise; I NEED to be purposeful about eating well. These are not New Year's resolutions to me - this is getting back to normal. This is starting fresh, full of grace. Oh yeah, & the desire to fit into my jeans again, sooner than later. :-)

We rang in the New Year in North Carolina at Zac & Cara's wedding. It was really fun to spend time with them, & their reception was a blast. Elliot did really well the first 3 days, then all that lack of napping & too much car-seating caught up with him, & he didn't do so well the day we came home. But today he's back to normal, sleeping lots. Anyways, Zac & Cara have moved overseas, so no vacations with them for at least a year & a half, but they will resume one day, & until then, plenty of Skype dates.

This month is filling up with fun, less stressful plans, like a Cotton Bowl party Friday, going to College Station, & my birthday :-) . It'll be a good month.