House Update

We have made some good progress on the house and are close to having the outside finished - then we can tackle the inside! Looking good so far!

Happy Halloween!

Here's our cute little owl!

Parker's 6th Month

Parker is almost 7 months old and this sixth month has been one of progress! He has learned to crawl, to say dada, to get himself into a sitting position, and to attempt to get his way! He is precious and we are enjoying him!

Revelation

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is....useful..... - I guess that means even the book of Revelation. Zach and I do a bible study together each night. We pick a book of the bible and go through it - when we've finished that one, we pick another one. For sometime now he has been "nagging" me to do the book of Revelation - I would politely decline and make another suggestion. When we finished our last book, he didn't ask, he simply stated we were going to do Revelation next. I grumbled and complained and he did not give in - boo!

What, you might think, do I have against the book of Revelation? Well, for starters, I am rational and logical and it is not. I also have a hard time reading and finding imagery useful - I'm too literal - say what you mean :) The book of Revelation is unappealing to me for these reasons - there are plenty of prophets (I originally typed "profits" - can you tell I'm an accountant hehe) who talk similar to this but I can chalk those up to already having occurred in general and just move on. Revelation, however, may or may not have partially occurred depending on your beliefs.

I fail (perhaps I am wrong) to see the importance of debating the specifics of Revelation. I believe it is God's word and every bit of it is true. However, when I was a child, I would spend hours pondering things - I am nosey and curious and can't stand not knowing something. So I would try to rationalize or logically understand eternity, God, salvation/forgiveness, the devil, why we were created if God knew that we would sin, and the list goes on and on. For these, there is no logically explanation and our finite minds cannot comprehend them. As such, I accepted the truths of God's word and quit thinking about them. They are true and I believe them - but I cannot explain them. I am saved and know I am going to heaven - and even the book of Revelation can't tell me what I will go through between here and there. Because of this, I have kind of had the attitude that I know what I believe and see no need to ponder things that can't be explained - one of which is the book of Revelation.

A good friend of ours was speaking of being asked if he was a premillennialist or a postmillennialist and he said he was a panmillennialist - he believes it will all pan out in the end - and I thought - AMEN!

However, Zach and I began our bible study a few weeks ago and I have been doing Beth Moore's John: 90 Days with the Beloved Disciple. I'm going to be honest with you - I had already completed the Paul study and picked John to do next and never even considered that since he authored Revelation, that there may be some of it in there....well, there is....I just didn't get to it until about a week after Zach and I had started. Beth points out that at the end of each letter to the churches it says "he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" and she goes on to say - as only she can - that it doesn't even say you have to have two ears, just AN ear - so if you have an ear - He's talking to you. FINE - I said - FINE!!!

God really knows how to get your attention and change your mind or attitude - I have been studying Revelation every morning and night for the last two weeks! I have learned - but it has been painful :)

14 PUPPIES!!!

Our dear Beretta had fourteen puppies on Monday night! It is her first litter and I can NOT believe we have 14 puppies! There are 7 black males, 3 black females, 3 chocolate males, 1 chocolate female and zero yellow! They will all be for sale in a few weeks - so if you know someone..... :)

10,000 Reasons

So lately I've been having a tough time. Work has been busy and I've had a couple of situations that have caused me a lot of stress, I got sick after my trip to Atlanta, Parker has been randomly not sleeping through the night and has been waking up EVERY Monday morning around 4 am, our childcare schedule has been off the past 2 weeks, etc., etc. So, I have been exhausted and feeling a little sorry for myself.

I have a friend who is a new(ish) mom of two and has posted a couple blogs lately about her struggles as a busy mom/wife - including lack of sleep affecting her attitude and using it as an excuse, not sharing her burdens, and struggling with not having a clean house. All of these spoke to me, I miss getting all the sleep I want, I am a control freak and don't like to let others help me, and I am OCD (keep your comments to yourself Alison :) ) about my house being clean.

One morning this week I was riding to work (Zach was taking Paker to my sister's) and pouting when Matt Redman's 10,000 Reasons came on. I cranked it up and started singing because I love that song. When it got to the part that says "And on that day when my strength is failing [the end draws near and my time has come] still my soul will sing your praise unending.....10,000 reasons for my heart to find" I got knocked right out of my pity party! 

Also, in Sunday school this past week Jeff said - sometimes God gives us things to make us holy, not happy and man do I need that! And, Bobby preached on JOY.

Then today, I had lunch with a dear friend who is about to embarq on a new challenge (a showing love for others kind) and it is going to be difficult. She was talking about how a bible study group she has been in has helped prepare her for it,  but also, how hearing the stories of some of the women in that bible study remind her how good she has it. I was later thinking about this - about how good I do have it and how I have done nothing to "have it better". It is by God's grace that I have been redeemed and forgiven (something I would dare to say many in that study haven't yet experienced), that I was raised in a godly home (in America), given the opportunity to go to college, use my skills to work, have a wonderful godly husband, a healthly child, 10,000 more reasons.....

All of these have been a reminder for me: First, I do not have it bad; second, Praise God for santification; third even during these times, my heart can find 10,000 reasons to worship His holy name!  

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

He is my fortess, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 62:5-6

Lake Day!

Last weekend we got together with some good friends we haven't seen in a while. We had a great time eating, skiing, and playing in the water!

A Week of Firsts

(Wrote this last Wednesday and just now getting it posted!)

Parker turned 4 months on Sunday (22nd) - hard to believe it has been 4 months already.

This week Parker got to have his first rice cereal! Also, I am writing this as I sit alone in a hotel room in Atlanta - so I am spending my first night away from him. It has not been easy for me. I had no problem leaving him with family during the day and going back to work.....but being four hours away is getting me! He will start at daycare next week - we will see how I do with that.  Here are a few pics we snapped after church.

Old Friends, New Beginnings

On Saturday I had the chance to catch up with a long time friend, Rachel. Rachel's life after college has been anything but normal! She has lived in numerous countries and has kids who have multiple passports. Crazy for a girl from Glendale! Anyway, because of her adventures, we don't get to see each other often...so I treasure the times we do. Our boys got to "meet" this weekend! We had a great time on Saturday and I left there thinking how great it was that we always just pick up where we left off...as if we talked every day and talk about everything, real things, and can be completely honest. I LOVE that. I am so blessed to have numerous friends from childhood that I am still very close to - they know my good and my bad and love me anyway...and tell me what I need to hear. Girls, I love y'all and Rachel, it was wonderful to see you!!

Our babies (Ella Kate not pictured) they are a month apart - Judah being younger...and longer!

Dug Down Deep

I have been contemplating starting a blog for a while now - I enjoy keeping up with my friends who do have blogs but I am afraid I will not make the time to keep it updated....so here it goes - I'm going to give it a shot! All of my friends have great names for their blogs and I am an accountant....i.e. NOT creative....but I wanted the name to mean something...to me, about me, about my family, to my friends...so I started thinking.

About a year ago I read Joshua Harris' book Dug Down Deep - it is great because he talks about theological matters/terms in ways a normal person (yes I'm normal :) ) can understand. His motiviation for the title comes from Jesus' parable in Luke 6 about the Wise and Foolish Builders. NIV says

46. Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord," and do not do what I say? 47. I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48. He is like a man building a house, who Dug Down Deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.

In order to be "dug down deep", we must understand what we believe and put it into practice. It is so easy to be a surface Christian, a surface friend, a surface person. By default, this is what I am....a surface person - in general, I can get along with anyone, I am not emotional, and I don't like drama - so, surface relationships are for me! BUT Luke 6:47 says "hears my words AND puts them into practice". Mark 12:31....LOVE your neighbor as yourself...... Really? Do I actually have to do that? Just a few years back I realized that I didn't love people. I knew what the second greatest commandment was since I was very young but never REALIZED that I didn't love people. All at once, a Sunday school lesson, a sermon, and a song brought it to my attention....profound right? It was to me - I eagerly shared my new realization with Zach and he says...yeah, I know - WHAT? You know...then why didn't you tell me? (as if I would have listened).

Ephesians 3:17 says "May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. (NLT) This version is on front of a journal I bought a few years back - because it was cute, not because of the verse but I needed this verse in this translation! God's love - my source for my love of others. It took me a long time to understand that love is not an emotion (remember my comment about not being an emotional person), it's action. People know you love because they see what it looks like, not because you tell them you do. My background picture is this:

It is a picture of Zach gazing up at the Angel Tree - a HUGE live oak in Charleston. This tree is amazing and beautiful. According to Wikipedia, it is estimated to be 300-400 years old, stands 65 ft tall, measures 28 ft in circumference, and shades with its crown an area of 17,000 square feet. The tree is thought to be one of the oldest living organisms east of the Mississippi. It has survived hurricanes, floods, and human interference and it's acorns are producing offspring (fruit). This is a tree whose roots are DUG DOWN DEEP! My prayer is that my roots will go down deep into God's love that I may reach out and produce fruit!