Something New

There is something comforting about a very used Bible.

I have had the same Bible for at least 8 years (I can't remember when I got it, but it was perhaps sophomore year of college). I've been through a lot with that Bible. I see scripture underlined & I can remember when I underlined it & what God was doing in my life at the time. There is a Post-It note in the front of it that has what I had engraved on the inside of Josh's wedding ring, which I placed there before we were even engaged. There are pages that are almost entirely blue because of my markings (mainly in the book of James, Ephesians, & Isaiah). We've been through a lot, me & that Bible.

A couple of months ago, Josh was given three large boxes full of Bibles. (It is neither here or there how he ended up with them.) Last week, we went through the Bibles & picked out a few to keep & boxed up the rest to give away. Among the ones we are keeping are an ESV study Bible, a prophecy study Bible (I have a thing for prophecy & can't wait to spend some time in this one), & even a book of common prayer that I am using as a devotional. But we kept two ESV Bibles that we really liked - they are actually a lot like my old Bible (same translation & manufacturer), but bigger & the print is laid out a bit differently. Josh immediately decided to start using one of these Bibles in place of his other one. But I was hesitant. I knew where all my favorite passages were on the pages of my old Bible - on the left page, on top, for example. I could skim through it & read what was underlined & knew I'd get a treasure. So I sat the new Bible off to the side, & decided I'd save it for when my old one fell apart or something. But I ended up pulling it out the next day, & I've been using it for about a week now.

There is something refreshing about a new Bible.

The pages are blank; my favorite scriptures are not located on the same page they were before. I flip through & there are no pen marks. But now as I open it to a particular page & look for a scripture, I almost read it with new eyes. I'm not reading it through the lens that God has used to speak to me in the past. I am beginning to add some blue ink to the black. God is still reminding me of precious truths He has revealed to me before, but there is a newness, a freshness, to what I read. And it's good, particularly for this season of my life where God is doing a new thing in me, while scraping up some of the old, crusty parts that have been around for far too long.

And part of me can't help but be extremely thankful that I even have the opportunity to own & hold & read a Bible, & even so, more than one. So many believers across the globe would do anything to glimpse the pages that I have in my possession. May I never, ever take for granted the freedom I have to read & know the Word of God.

Lately, spiritually & not

So my last post ended up being pretty accurate. God has used my current life circumstances to refine me already in so many ways! Or rather I should say, we are on the path to refinement. The first week or two was rough, but once I completely surrendered to what God wants to do, it has been so good to see the areas I am lacking & what God wants to do to grow me. So far, I have learned that I have an issue with control that is rooted in a lack of trust in God (which also results in fear & holding too tightly to the things of this world, primarily people). I care too much what people think. & I am learning what it means to glorify God in my life. That is a very short summary of what God is doing in me right now, but I'm excited to see it all worked out. Not that I'll have all these things down anytime soon (or ever), but I know this is going to be a period of much growth & transformation, because God has promised to do those things if we are willing! & I am. So let's do this.

On a more superficial note, over the past couple of weeks, we have turned our study (which is really a formal dining room that we never used for dining) into a playroom. We bought some cube storage pieces from IKEA as well as a cute little kids' table with chairs & a rug that doubles as a place to play with cars (it has a town with roads & buildings on it). I ordered a pocket calendar (the kind that you manually change out every month) to hang on the wall, will buy an easel, & have my eye on a "playroom rules" piece at Hobby Lobby. Once I get all the necessary materials, we will start going through a preschool curriculum. We moved all of the study stuff into the sitting room that is off to the side of our master bedroom, which now feels more like a cozy nook than it did before (study stuff on one side, love seat with lamp & bookcase on the other). I'm excited to have a designated space for playing & learning!

Spiritually Speaking

I've been having a really rough time with this whole no-sleep thing. Isn't it silly? When I see how I'm reacting these days, I think it's ridiculous. It's such a minute thing. But I'm going on 6 weeks of sleep deprivation. (Two nights this week Jack was up every 2 hours. I have had two or three opportunities in the past several weeks to sleep 3.5 hours in a row, but no more.) My body aches because it can't get adequate rest, & my head has that constant "I might just fall asleep any minute" feeling. & I do okay some days, but other days I get so frustrated & even angry that there is no end in sight. Like I said, ridiculous. I'm not a big fan of my attitude. I'm having to do a lot of praying through it. I have had a feeling recently that God wanted to work on me in some areas that needed some refining. Nothing specific. I'm signing up for a Bible study this spring that I thought would lead to some thought-provoking times with the Lord, some good prayer, & maybe I'd come out the other end looking a little prettier spiritually. All neat & clean-like. Hmm, maybe THIS is what God was thinking instead? Oh sheesh. It seems I'm not accepting the challenge very well!

I started reading "So Long Insecurity" by Beth Moore. I have heard a lot of good things about it & as I mentioned before, felt up to the challenge to work through junk & thought maybe this would present some areas where I need to do that. I've started going through my Bible & writing out scriptures that say something about my identity, or where my worth & value is rooted. It's been good so far. I think I'll have to write them all out here once I have compiled my list.

So if you feel led, there are some ways you can pray for me. Specifically my attitude regarding no sleep. & please pray I & my family would remain healthy, mainly because my immune system is shot when I am not getting enough sleep & I don't want to bring any sickness into our home. Thanks. :)

Food

This blog is written by a woman who went to our church when we were in college. She just wrote this post about how her family is changing their diet & how they are starting to view food & health. It is pretty much the way we are changing now too. Check it out!

Life Lately

I'm exhausted. Ex.Haus.Ted. For the past month, Jack has been sleeping very poorly. Two nights this week, he woke up every 2.5 hours. He won't nap longer than 45 minutes during the day so he is constantly tired. A good part of my day consists of holding him tightly so he'll eventually nap, since he fights it when he's overtired. My brain is literally loopy most of the time - I can't construct basic sentences & I'm always forgetting things. I got sick twice in the past month because my immune system suffers when I'm not sleeping well. It's been rough. But then he stares at me & after a couple of seconds, breaks into a huge smile, which reminds me it's worth it. & perhaps, just maybe, I'll sleep again one day.

Elliot has been pretty funny lately. He says & does things that he sees or hears us, or someone else, do & it usually catches me by surprise that he picked it up at all. Examples would be good, if I could think of any (see first paragraph).

It seems that Jack's reflux has drastically improved! I have tested his tolerance with a little dairy here & there, & until recently, it was met with two days of more spit up & Jack acting like he didn't feel good. But I had a mocha yesterday, with milk, & he seemed fine! I probably can't go eating ice cream, & I'll try to keep eating the way that I have since it's better for me anyways, but it's nice to know that on my birthday I'll be able to eat what I want (which is pasta & this delicious dessert from one of our favorite restaurants). Yum!

I think I thought I had more to write, but as it turns out, this is all that is coming to mind. Maybe I need more coffee. Either way, that's it for now!

Mommies don't get sick days

Vitamin C

Vitamin D3

Elderberry syrup

Tea with honey

Fresh squeezed orange juice

Baths with eucalyptus oil

Who knows if all of this stuff is working... what I really need is about 12 straight hours of sleep! I've been pretty sleep deprived over the past three weeks or so that this cold is really kicking my tail.

I will say, the eucalyptus bath does clear me up really well & relieve some of the tension in my head, until I get out & then it all comes back. If only I could wear a tiny tub full of eucalyptus right below my nostrils....

Juice!

Josh & I received a juicer as an early Christmas present from Josh's parents. There are a lot of kinds of juicers out there, & after doing some research, we decided on the Omega J8006 because we wanted to be able to juice both vegetables and fruits, & wanted it to be easy to use & to clean. Why get a juicer at all, you ask? Josh & I watch a lot of food documentaries & have learned a lot about how we should eat to be healthy. It sounds simple, but really, who does it well? Josh & I do not take in enough, or enough of a variety, of fruits & vegetables. It's hard to do! A juicer makes it easy. You can make any combination you like - I'm currently drinking apple, carrot, celery, cucumber, spinach, & blackberries. The sweetness of the fruit is important. I'm certain I wouldn't drink it without!

Also, Elliot is a super picky eater. Unfortunately we can (very) rarely get him to try anything new, & what he chooses to eat is extremely limited. But throw some spinach, kale, or carrot in some juice & he'll drink it right up! This was a huge factor for us. We use healthy foods & vitamins to boost his immune system, & this helps with the healthy foods part.

I've already used it four times this week. Three times were some mixture of fruits & vegetables, & once we made orange juice. Yum! No more bottled stuff for us. It's really easy to use, & I'd even say fun! I feel healthier already. :)