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Rhythms and goals
Goals. It’s January, so naturally the hot topic is what are we going to strive for this year. I was lamenting a little bit to Bradley the other night that it’s already the middle of January and we’ve yet to talk about 2016. He said we should just skip this year and start planning 2017. While we might not get a chance to sit down with a calendar until sometime in February, I still want to begin the year by at least settling into some good rhythms, and putting together a few goals to get me started. I like the idea of rhythms because it carries with it what I like to call fluid…
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For Your Weekend :: Baby Edition
Tomorrow will be the 38 week marker of this pregnancy. And since it’s my fifth baby, and most likely my last, I thought I would share some things that I find to be essential with a newborn. 1// Diaper Bag. Lately I’ve been using my purse to carry Mason and Jennavieve’s diapers/wipes, and the occasional snack. But now that a baby will be added to our morning therapy visits, a bigger diaper bag is going to be necessary. I have my eye on this one, and haven’t quite decided if it’s worth the cost, but something larger would be helpful. 2//Nursing bras. With Mason and Jennavieve I finally splurged…
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On Waiting for Baby #5
I feel like I’ve been in denial a little bit about the fact that we’re adding another person to our family. Yes, I’m pregnant and there’s no denying that. In fact, my favorite interaction was on my way home from taking the girls to school one morning. This little boy, who I had never seen before, walked up to me and said, “Hey there Ms….what was your name? Oh, Ms Washer.” He then put one hand on my stomach and his other around my back and said, “I see what you got goin’ on there.” Yes, there’s quite a bit goin’ on there and I realized about two weeks ago…
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Day 30:: We are pilgrims together
My daughters, The lessons I’ve shared with you are just a drop in the bucket compared to the number of things that I want you to know. Life is full of joys and sorrows, and nothing I can say could ever fully prepare you for the road that lies ahead. But I can offer you Jesus. The One who has gone before us, making a way for us to have peace with God and to live an abundant life in Christ. As challenging as this life might be, it is not the end. We are pressing forward to an eternity with Jesus, the One who will always be enough. So, I…
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Day 29 :: Remember Who You Are
Today I have the privilege of introducing you to my husband, Bradley. He is a wonderful husband and a loving and patient father to our children. I am incredibly thankful that he is the Daddy to my girls (and Mason). He teaches and loves them well. Bradley wrote a beautiful letter to our girls. One that I hope they will read over and over throughout their lives. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My girls, When I was quite a bit younger, my parents would tell me something whenever we were going to be separated for a period of time. Whether I was heading off to camp, or they were leaving on a trip, they would…
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Day 28 :: Guard your heart
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23 When I was a teenager this verse became my mantra as it pertained to relationships with guys. I didn’t want to ‘give my heart away’ or become emotionally attached to anyone that I didn’t think I could potentially marry. While I’m confident that the Lord used this to protect me from relational heartache, I also think that I misunderstood the point of this verse. Keeping, or guarding, our hearts goes much deeper than protecting it from emotional involvement and/or potential emotional hurt. And it covers a lot more than relationships with the opposite sex. We hear…
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Day 27 :: Guest Post: Choosing to love those who are different
Today I want to introduce to you to my friend Callie. I first met Callie the day after we moved into our apartment in Monterey, when she and her husband invited us over for dinner. Callie (and her husband) loved us well from the beginning. Gifts have randomly appeared on my doorstep over the years, and in the mail, and without even looking I know who sent them. Callie is always looking for ways to serve others, whether through gifts or by simply being a good friend. She’s one of those faithful friends who knows how to love, think of others first, and give unconditionally. Callie is a Navy wife,…
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Day 26 :: The Exhausting work of love
Loving others like we love ourselves is a pretty high calling. One that I struggle with on a daily basis. It’s even hard to love my husband in this way, the one I committed my life to and vowed to love. And my children? I would give my life for them in a heartbeat. But what about when they disobey, ignore my instructions, crack eggs all over the kitchen floor, and get out of bed multiple times before finally settling down? Loving others is exhausting. Why? Shouldn’t it just be easy? Shouldn’t it be a simple overflow of the Love that God has given to us? Yes. And no. Christian…
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Day 25 :: A Sunday Prayer
“Think of others before yourself.” This is an often-repeated phrase in our household. Maybe my kids roll their eyes when they hear it, but it’s something that we want to become a fiber of their being. We want them to treat others as they would want to be treated, yes. But before they can do that, they must truly value others. Our Prayer of Confession this morning at church fit beautifully with what I wanted to share today. As I read through the words of this prayer in church this morning, I was struck again with how self-centered I tend to be. Our hearts need to be healed. My heart needs…
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Day 23 :: Love, think of others first, give unconditionally
The number of lessons I want to teach my children is innumerable. Because we’re all learners. Regardless of how old we might be or how many life experiences we’ve collected along the way, there is always more knowledge to gain and ways that we could grow. Over the next few days I want to spend some time on lessons for my girls about relationships. We all have them. In fact, from the very beginning of Creation relationships were essential to the order of the Universe. God made man in His image — the first God to human relationship. God created woman for man — the first human to human relationship. God…
