Five Minute Friday: ANNOUNCE

 This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday. Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week’s prompt is: ANNOUNCE.

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In the spring of 2012 we announced to our family and friends that we were expecting our first child!  For Jeff's family, we gave his mom a 'birthday present' frame that housed a photo of a sonogram.  For mine, we gave my mom a souvenir from a mission trip to Haiti, that we just returned from: a small statue of a pregnant lady.  

Four years later, to the month, we slid another sonogram photo in front of Jeff's mom's eyes while we were looking at children's ministry lessons. Because we had to change our upcoming travel plans to Haiti, due to this pregnancy and the arrival of Zika, we blurted out the reason to my parents over dinner at Cotton Patch. 

Another four years (and two months) later, we had another announcement.  This one was twice as sweet and we recorded the whole thing!

 

I will never get over the privilege of being able to carry a child.  It is an honor that so many aren't afforded. It took us years between babies, not by choice, but the Lord worked it all out in His perfect timing. I don't think any announcements are coming from our house any time soon, if ever again, but these are by far some of my greatest heart moments. 

Praise be to God, for His most precious gifts! 

Five Minute Friday: Still

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday. Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week’s prompt is: STILL.

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No matter how much I get accomplished, there is always more to do. I finish the laundry, just to see another pile growing on the floor. I wash the dishes, only to have more put in as soon as I dry my hands. The older one needs more spelling words practiced. The middle wants another snack. The babies want to eat again, just as soon as I button up my shirt. And for real. Everyone is STILL hungry?!?


I still have emails to answer, calls to return, forms to fill out, teeth to brush, lunches to pack, bottles to clean, and a bed to eventually climb into.


But, every once in a while, in the middle of the never ending to-do list, I am able to pause, take a step back, and peer into our life. I am so grateful for the chaos. Being busy reminds me just how much I have to be thankful for. A wonderful family that I get to be momma to. An amazing husband who, for whatever reason the Lord sees fit, loves me most. A wonderful ministry where I get to see the work the Lord is doing in the hard places in our community and world. And I am in awe of His goodness. Because even in the busyness, His hand is steady.


Stop.

Five Minute Friday: Observant

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week’s prompt is: OBSERVANT.
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Two steel blue eyes look up at me from the plastic box.

Can she feel the love radiating off of every fiber of my being? Even though I can’t touch her?

In the box next to her are another pair of steel blue eyes.

Can she understand how much I love her? That I would give anything in the world to make her happy? To make all of their pain go away?

Their blue eyes pierce my soul and I’m a puddle on the wrong side of the plastic boxes. Both of them are tiny but so mighty.

I can do nothing but sit back and watch. And pray. And marvel at how amazingly wonderful they are and how intricately He has made them.

What a privilege we’ve been given.

I can’t wait to experience the life that’s ahead for these two with the steel blue eyes.


___STOP_____

Five Minute Friday: SUNRISE

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week’s prompt is ONCE.

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One of my favorite things in the world is when the sky changes colors. The black to dark blue, to purple, to orange then pink, and finally light blue. And reversed at the end of the day. My kids know this about me. When we’re together, we all marvel together. If we are apart, they will ask me if I saw it. And if I’m exceptionally busy, they will come and find me, wherever I am and make me stop and come look at the sky. And though it might be a small inconvenience at the time, I am so grateful they help me pause in the midst of the chaos. It’s a sort of reset for us all.

Back when Jude was in school, our drive coincided with the sunrise. Every morning we would thank the Lord for creating the beautiful colors for us to see and acknowledge how the Lord goes out of his way to reveal himself to us, even when we least expect it! Such a beautiful way to begin our day together. 

Five Minute Friday: ONCE

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week’s prompt is ONCE.

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Sometimes the thing is too big. Sometimes it seems too unattainable. Sometimes it seems as if it requires too much of me. It paralyzes me and I don’t even try because it seems too out of reach.

I’ve lived in that train of thought for too much of my life. Too many of my minutes consumed by the weight of the task, no matter how big or small it seems to others.

But what I’ve been noticing is that sometimes all the thing requires is a leap of faith. Not looking at the whole, but staring with one step. My mind doesn’t need to map out the entire journey. My body doesn’t have to take giant leaps at a time. I just have to take the first step. I have to just be courageous once. Sometimes the hardest part of obedience is the beginning. 

Five Minute Friday: GRATEFUL

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up. Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week’s prompt is GRATEFUL.

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2020 has been nothing but a wild ride. An absolute crap-shoot where you have no idea what you’re waking up to. Uncertainty abounds and tensions are at an all time high. 

Yet...

We have so much to be grateful for. Despite all of the hard that happened in 2020, there have been many big amazing things that have happened this year. But for every big praise there are dozens of tiny blessings that go unnoticed because they are so ordinary.

Milk in the fridge.

Gas in my car.

Water in our pipes.

Thank you Lord for being a God of the details. Thank you for thinking of things that I don’t even notice. I take it for granted, but when I take a step back I am overwhelmed with gratefulness that you are a God who sees the big picture.

STOP.

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Five Minute Friday: ANOTHER

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up! Five minutes of free-flow writing shared with whoever wants to read it. This week's prompt is ANOTHER.

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I have missed writing for about a month now...

Just like everyone else, I've been sequestered at home, sheltering in place to keep my family and my community safe.  Of course, as an essential employee in community ministry, we have responsibilities to make sure our children and families are taken care of.  So every other day we are out and about sharing the Gospel and providing snacks bags at our ministry center, drive-through style.

Things are so crazy right now, aren't they?  I'm having a hard time keeping track of the days... There are so many things going on in our world right now, but also, things are crawling.



What day is it?

What work do I need to get done today?

Are we on Day 2 or Day 3 of our school work?

Am I paying enough attention to our three year old, as I'm working from home, helping big brother with homework, and trying to hold it all together?

Are the children watching too much tv?

Have I read a book to the 1st grader today?

Is writing one sentence REALLY worth crying about? Is there more behind his breakdown? How do I make it better?

When is the last time they kids bathed?  When is the last time I bathed?

What am I cooking for dinner?

Am I giving them enough independent play or not enough?

What time should they be in bed, now that schedules are crazy?

They are hungry again?  Seriously, ANOTHER SNACK?!

So much is being asked of us right now.  How can we possibly add any more to our plates?  One thing on top of another.  and another.  and another.

The only way to get through it is to go through it.  So, this I know... We can do it.  We will make it through.  And we will come out of this more connected than ever.

Stop.