happy first birthday, thompson!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Dear Thompson,

It’s 11:12pm on the eve of your first birthday. Daddy and I have been sitting here looking through pictures of the day you were born. My mind is flooded with memories of that day—the sound of first breath leaving your lungs, the look of pride on your dad’s face when he saw you for the first time, the feel of your soft skin against mine, the tears running down my cheeks as I whispered “thank you” to the Lord, the sight of you tipping the scales at 8 pounds, 11 ounces, the praise from doctors and nurses who were amazed I had birthed you without any pain meds :).

You’ve brought such joy to my life! And oh the countless things you’ve taught me in your short 365 days. Your dependence and frailty have taught me to depend solely on my heavenly Father and lean hard on Him; He alone is enough. Your wonder and awe at the most common of daily occurrences has taught me to bask in the beauty of simplicity and ponder the great God behind it all. Your smile and laughter have taught me to lighten up and not take myself too seriously. Your childishness has reminded me what it truly means to have childlike faith. The older I get, the more I realize the less I know…and each day that I grow older, I hope to grow more childlike.

In one moment you changed my life forever. You did what no one else will ever do—you made me a mother. It’s a new hat I wear proudly, and you’ve been incredibly gracious and easy going during my inaugural year. You’ve been a channel through which God has poured out measureless grace and wisdom without reproach. You’ve been the means through which our heavenly Father has demonstrated His faithfulness, provision, lovingkindness, longsuffering, strength, power, and consistency on a daily basis.

I’m so grateful the Lord taught me to breathe deeply and soak in every moment of your first weeks and months of life. They were difficult as I navigated the world of motherhood, but I cherish so many tender moments in my heart—reading Scripture over you as I fed you at two o’clock in the morning, pleading for wisdom from the Lord when parenting a newborn took an unexpected turn, singing hymns and other melodies to you as you drifted to sleep in my arms, praying aloud over your life as I held you before bed and naptime, singing with Daddy each night as he played guitar before bedtime, prayer walking through our neighborhood as you snoozed in your stroller, sneaking back into your room after you fell asleep just to stare at you (I still do that!).

The prayer I pray most often for you is that you will come to know the Lord at an early age and that you will follow Him with your whole heart all the days of your life. I pray the lessons you’ve taught me in this first year will be lessons you learn early in life. I pray the Lord so captures your attention and affections that the allurements of this world do not fascinate you. I pray you live up to your namesake, that you would be a fiery warrior for the sake of Christ. I pray you would have a tender heart that is compassionate and caring, but a fierce spirit that is tenacious and unyielding to stand for truth without compromise. I pray you don’t enter into any seasons of rebellion and that when you sin you are caught quickly. I pray you develop such a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that you respond to His voice immediately when He beckons. I pray you learn obedience through the examples set before you and not through your own mistakes. I pray you have a passion to follow Christ and a maturity to pursue holiness that far surpasses your years. I pray your heart breaks for the least of these and that you share the hope of the gospel with those around you. I pray that you would grow in your knowledge of Christ, coupled with wisdom to make godly decisions. And most of all, I pray you would love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Happy Birthday, T-Rice! It’s such a privilege to be your mom. But with that privilege comes great responsibility. I pray for grace and wisdom to steward your life in a manner worthy of the Lord. I love you, not for what you do or how you make me look, but because you’re my son. Thank you for the most amazing 365 days…I look forward to thousands more.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mama

silence

Ask any woman in society today how she’s doing, and most often she’ll respond, “Busy!” Forget “joyful,” “productive,” “blessed,” and so on. Career women, stay-at-home moms, college students, and senior adults are pulled in so many different directions that their first response is, “Busy.”

I myself find the word rolling off my tongue as I juggle a full-time job, marriage, and new mommyhood. And of course we spin the plate of “faith” along with all those titles. In all the chaos and busyness, there’s a lot of noise: the phone rings, the television blares, the computer hums, text messages beep, traffic buzzes, the washing machine whirls, children sing (and sometimes whine), friends chatter, sirens scream.

Where’s the quiet?

Unfortunately in our society today, it’s probably the most rapidly declining commodity. It’s the rare gem amid the rubble of living, yet for some it’s the awkward silence that frightens us…still all the more beckons us. We’re raising a generation that stumbles around silence, not knowing anything else to do but to snuff it out. So we turn up the radio in our car, and we let the television drone on in the background, and we crank up iTunes in our office, and we mindlessly ramble meaninglessness so as to not deal with silence.

And in the plate spinning and circus juggling and mind numbing and noise blaring, we lose sight of the eternal value of quiet. To be still. To listen. To be wrapped up in silence.

Through the whisper of a summer breeze in the trees, the sunlight cast across toy-strewn floors, or the still moment of silence that hangs heavy in the air and in our hearts, there we find our God. Please don’t misunderstand me; I’m not saying we can’t find God in the busy, chaotic, noise of life. But too often He gets forced into the mold of our routine, and we crowd Him into our conveniences, rather than letting Him invade our agenda.

Furthermore, I believe meeting God in the silence is biblical. Remember Elijah’s great victory on Mount Carmel against the prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18). A huge display of the magnificent power of God as fire fell from heaven amidst the groanings of the people uttering empty pleas to a make-believe god. I’m sure it was quite a noisy sight.

But a few verses later we find Elijah on the run from Jezebel, crumpled in a cave in fear.

“And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:11-13)

In the obvious, thunderous places, Elijah didn’t find God. Not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire. Ironically, it was the low whisper that caught Elijah’s attention, and there he heard the voice of God.

The prophet Isaiah also understood this truth:

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” (32:17)

Let’s dig further into this passage. Look back at verse 9:

“Rise up, you women who are at ease, hear my voice; you complacent daughters, give ear to my speech. In little more than a year you will shudder, you complacent women; for the grape harvest fails, the fruit harvest will not come. Tremble, you women who are at ease, shudder, you complacent ones; strip, and make yourselves bare, and tie sackcloth around your waist. . . . For the palace is forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the watchtower will become dens forever, a joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks; until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” (vv. 9-11, 14-18)

The context of the quiet and rest found in verse 17 is the result of complacent women being stirred to action. I have a feeling that these women weren’t just sitting at home all day watching soap operas. Much like women today, they were probably incredibly busy, spinning lots of plates. But they were deemed complacent about the things of the Lord. Frantic and frazzled about things that didn’t matter, yet lazy for eternal treasures. Wasn’t this true of Mary and Martha? Martha hurried about the kitchen, while Mary sought quiet rest at the feet of Jesus.

Just because we’re busy doesn’t mean we aren’t complacent. Too often we cloak our spiritual apathy with the designer dress of activity. We’re involved. We’re committed. But we’re pulled way too thin, and we can’t remember the last time we enjoyed silence in the presence of the Lord.

This is hard for us because God’s economy is so contrary to the ways of this world. Advancement in righteousness comes peacefully through time spent alone with God. It’s not a frantic, hurried pace that impresses God. Richard Swenson wrote, “We’re all running, but God’s not running after us. He knows that speed does not yield devotion. The presence of God is in inverse proportion to the pace of our lives—meditation, wisdom, and worship are slow, mellow, and deep.”[1]

Notice the reason for the change from complacency to quiet resting places in Isaiah 32: “Until the Spirit is poured upon us…” The shift from our frantic pace to the rest our souls long for is found through the lavish gift of the Holy Spirit. And this gift births within us peace and quietness and trust.

“It first produces quiet; yet how different is this quiet from the slumber and confidence of the inhabitants of Jerusalem who were lulled into a false security! This is a quiet of blessedness, flowing from righteousness, a supreme reposing in the wondrous grace of God. Together with this quiet there is a certainty, so different from the confidence or certainty of the careless women of Zion, for this certainty is founded upon the sure promises of God; it is the work of His own Spirit. And this condition will endure forever.”[2]

Now I know many of you are wondering how in the world you could ever manage to find quiet in your hectic days. Laundry piles up, children demand your attention, dinner won’t cook itself, and you’re in a covenant relationship with a man you haven’t spoken to for longer than two-minute snippets.

Call me naïve or maybe even idealistic. But I believe we can carve silence into our day. It is said that Susannah Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, spent one hour each day in prayer. She gave birth to 19 children, and ten of them lived past the age of two. If she couldn’t find a quiet spot in her home to pray, she would pull her apron over her head as a sign that the children should not disturb her.

If we can teach our children to eat solid foods and tie their shoes and even surf the web on our smart phones, then we can certainly teach them to observe periods of silence each day. Whether it’s putting your infant or toddler in their crib or playpen with some toys or teaching your children to play alone in their rooms, I believe we’re capable of instilling this type of discipline in our children. We expect other things from them, many of which won’t matter in eternity. So why not teach them now the priceless beauty of silence?

Or maybe it’s during their nap, or maybe you teach them about a special spot where you spend time in quiet reflection. Regardless, not only will your soul be refreshed, but the imprint will be burned on the hearts of your children as they see you setting aside time for silence. Turn off the noise, and attune your heart to hear the voice of God.

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. . . . We need silence to be able to touch souls."

– Mother Teresa

[1] Richard Swenson, “Living Inside the Margin,” The Torch, Spring-Summer 2011, p. 5.

[2] Edward Young, The Book of Isaiah – Volume 2: Chapters 19 to 39, accessed via WORDsearch.

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seven months old

Thompson, you are seven months old. Where has the time gone? This stage of life with you is so much fun! You are eating everything in sight and prefer "table food" over anything else. You still love avocadoes and bananas, but we've also added strawberries, blueberries, chicken, turkey, cheese, yogurt, artichokes, rice, bread, squash, waffles, and much more to your expanding palate. You love it all! The only thing you've ever turned your nose up to was peas. :)



You are rolling all over the place, and occasionally you get one leg underneath your body and try to push off. It won't be much longer before you crawl, but Mommy is happy to keep you immobile for a while longer. You love to chatter and squeal, as you are a very vocal baby. You still sleep 13 hours at night and take two 2-hour naps during the day. You're wearing size three diapers and your clothes are 6-12 months or 12-18 months. You weigh 20 pounds, and you're nearly 30 inches long!

 

Your hair keeps getting lighter, and it's finally long enough to lay down without too much coercing. You are sitting up all by yourself, and you love to spread out and play in the living room floor. Phineas is probably your favorite member of the family, and you absolutely love his puppy kisses.


During the last month, you had the opportunity to meet your great-great-grandmother from Missouri. It's incredible that you have four living grandparents, five living great-grandparents, and three living great-great-grandparents! The picture below represents five generations of Bennetts.

You've become quite the wiggle worm, particularly on the changing table. We keep you distracted with a toy so we can get you changed and dressed. You love to read books and play with your blocks. You still love the bathtub, but you especially enjoy sitting on the floor of the shower while Daddy takes a shower. You laugh and play and splash in your bumbo seat.

 

We can't believe that in a few short months we'll be celebrating your first birthday. Mommy may have already reserved the location for the big event!

We love watching you grow and change and learn new things each day. You brighten our mornings with your smiles and giggles. You are honestly the happiest, most content baby we have ever met. You've spoiled your parents rotten! You've been an incredible gift to this family. We love you, Thompson!

a beautiful mess

The longer Ryan and I are involved in ministry and doing life with other people, the more we are reminded that people are messy. Life is messy.

My life is messy.

Grace covers our self-inflicted messes. And love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

How grateful I am for a loving Father who makes beautiful things out of my mess. And even more, He allows me to walk alongside others as He crafts masterpieces out of their messes too. Galatians chapter 6 paints a beautiful picture of our responsibility to one another as members of the body of Christ.

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. . . So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
– Galatians 6:1-3, 10

We’re called to restore. We’re called to shoulder the burden. We’re called to do good. God will handle the consequences, repair the heart, forgive the sinner, and restore the soul. But we have a part to play in this mess.

It’s a sad indictment of the church that many who find themselves in a mess fear the church is the last place they can turn. We’ve met too many messes with condemnation, ridicule, gossip, and hate, instead of gentleness and good as seen in the passage above.

A friend recently reminded me of these wise words:

“Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.”
– Proverbs 14:4

Where there is life and fruit and growth, there will be messes. Clean, neat, tidy lives come from hollow souls who aren’t really living. I’m not saying that Christians should be flinging messes right and left. But our maturity in Christ comes with its fair share of messes and growing pains and stumbles and failures.

There was a mess in Abraham’s adulterous rendezvous with Hagar. There was a mess in David’s rooftop proposal to Bathsheba. There was a mess in the belly of a great fish. There was a mess by a charcoal fire as a rooster crowed thrice. But in each story, there was greater grace and redemption beyond the mess. And there have been messes along my journey…and probably a few more in my future.

But it’s one of the beautiful things about community. My favorite part of Galatians 6 is the word “opportunity” in verse 10. In the Greek, this is the word “kairos,” and its meaning will blow you away. The word implies not the convenience of the season, but the necessity of the task at hand, whether the time provides a good, convenient opportunity or not.

Read those words again. Slowly.

The word implies not the convenience of the season, but the necessity of the task at hand, whether the time provides a good, convenient opportunity or not.

The truth of the matter is that other people’s messes are usually not convenient for us. They interrupt our schedules, get in the way of our plans, and disrupt our routines. They require more of us than we’re often willing to give.

But Paul instructed us “as we have opportunity,” knowing it wouldn’t be convenient. Or easy. Or fun. But it’s necessary. And’s it’s costly. It’s the embodiment of love and grace. It’s a picture of God in flesh.

So slow down. Make eye contact. Listen. Become involved in someone else’s mess. And find yourself caught up in a beautiful, thrilling display of the creative, redemptive abilities of our God.

six months old

Thompson, you are six months old! I'll start with one of your five-month pictures, seeing how I neglected to do a blog post on that milestone. :)

You are growing up so quickly, and you continue to be the sweetest, happiest baby on the planet. The biggest change over the past month has been your introduction to solid foods. I prepare your food myself, and so far you've tried avocados, bananas, mangos, pears, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. Your favorites seem to be avocados and bananas. People can't believe you eat avocados...even the nurses at your 6-month visit were shocked! You tried baby yogurt for the first time yesterday and LOVED it. And Daddy and I might have snuck your first bite of a vanilla cupcake over the weekend. (But that's our little secret...you probably liked it too much.)

You are still rolling all over the place, and you're getting better and better at sitting on your own. We think you'll have mastered it very soon. You "swim" on your tummy, and you've just started pulling your knees up under your body, so you'll probably be crawling in no time. You talk and coo and babble constantly, and you're starting to string syllables together and sound as if you're talking in sentences. I'm convinced you've said "Mama" a few times, but Daddy's not buying it.

Daddy has found your best tickle spots, and he can make you laugh louder and harder than anyone else. You are also incredibly fond of Phineas, and you laugh whenever you see him. I think you guys are going to be good friends.

You have transitioned to a 4-hour feeding schedule beautifully. You still sleep from 7:15pm until 8:00am...and some mornings you even sleep until 8:30am! You nurse four times each day, and you eat three solid meals that line up with our family meals. Daddy and I enjoy our time spent around the dinner table with you each day. Some days we are incredibly blessed to share all three meals together as a family of three! You take two 2-hour naps each day, and occasionally you'll catch a late afternoon catnap.

I mentioned this on my Facebook page last week when you officially turned 6 months old. Six months. It feels like an eternity when waiting for something or someone with much anticipation. Yet it passes like a blink of the eyes when enjoying that long-awaited gift. Happy six-month-iversary of your birth, Thompson! :) God has revealed great measures of his grace and limitless depths of his love to us through your precious life. We are honored and overjoyed with the privilege of being your parents.

thompson's nursery

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Joni, is amazingly talented and creative. A few years ago she launched her own company, Chocolate Butterbean, where she creates stationery, invitations, signage, and more that will make you swoon. Having been friends for nearly 25 years, Joni and I had the privilege of walking down the aisle a mere four weeks apart. Plus, we welcomed babies into the world just five weeks apart!


Since having Vivi Charles (who is absolutely adorable), Joni has started a new venture in all things baby. Her website, Lay Baby Lay, offers daily creative inspiration for modern nurseries, featuring unique style boards with Joni's impeccable eye for design and stunning detail.


Today she is featuring Thompson's nursery, and I couldn't be more thrilled! So scoot over to Lay Baby Lay and take a sneak peek at our fabulous (and uber budget friendly) nursery.

hope

I really wanted to pen a new blog entry before February 16th rolled over to February 17th. But as I sit here on my bed and my fingers dance across the keyboard, my heart is heavy, my mind swollen with sadness...mingled with hope. A short time ago I received word that a dear pastor passed away this evening.


Stunned silence. Grief. Broken heart for his precious wife, children, and grandchildren. Thoughts flooding my mind for the saints whom he shepherded for so many years.


This wasn't my blog topic for tonight, but I can't seem to shake it all from my mind. God interrupted me.


Life is a vapor. My God is eternal. Life is uncertain. My God is a sure foundation.


What is it about interruptions such as these that stop us so abruptly and completely? Those clothes can wait to be hung. Those dishes can be washed in the morning. That new book can be enjoyed another day. For now I am slowed to a place of quiet reflection and pondering.


I reflect and ponder because my attempts at understanding or explaining are finite and futile at best. But this reassuring, resounding truth overwhelms the questions, fears, and grief like a blanket wrapped around the nakedness of my soul: I AM.


He is hope, rest, peace, comfort, joy, a man well-aquainted with grief. He is.


If you know my pastor (who happens to be my boss), then it's no wonder I have been reading a book by Vance Havner. My eyes and my heart rest on these words tonight:

For there is injustice and senseless misery in this world and oceans of bitterness that no smooth proverbs can mitigate and no logic solve. There are hateful situations and wretched circumstances that we cannot make head nor tail of; the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer; fine lives snuff out early and devils live on and on; war and crime and poverty and pain drive men to wonder whether God is deaf or dead. One cannot face such a world with a string of phrases nor unravel its evil with the yardstick of reason. Most of our comforters are pitifully inadequte.

We are not primarily to figure out trouble nor even to bear it--we are to use it and, rightly used, some very fine things can be made of it. . . . The greater our trouble the greater in character we are if we master it. It may be a bitter struggle that drains us of every bit of moral energy at the time. But if we come out sturdier in our hearts, then we have converted it into a blessing and transmuted gall into glory. (In Tune With Heaven, pp. 196-197)

I told a friend tonight that in moments like these, I am even more grateful for hope. Hope that does not disappoint. Hope that moves our tunnel vision beyond the temporal and spreads before our eyes the grand banquet of the eternal. Hope that can tune the heaviest heart to sing a beautiful melody, though its chords may be disonant and its tune frail in places.


And now that my mind has been pondering and grasping for words for well over thirty minutes, you know what is most amazing to me? That my heart longs to burst forth in praise to my gracious God. As if springs of worship find their way through the complexities of my thoughts and burst through to the surface and spill out over my soul. And their cool, soothing streams flow with a refreshing theme: hope.

"Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in You."

Psalm 33:22

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."

Hebrews 10:23

"But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more." 

Psalm 71:14

four months old

Thompson, there are days when we wish we could make time stand still. You have been such a joy over these past four months. In fact, one of your teachers in the nursery today said that you have spoiled us...and you have! You're such a wonderful, good-natured baby, and we are delighted to be your parents.



We'll find out this week how much you weigh and how long you are now. Everyone comments on how big you are! Your hair is most often the topic of conversation. It sticks straight up, and nothing we've tried will make it stay down. You have the most amazing, expressive eyes, and your smile lights up a room. You love to smile and laugh, and you coo and talk to us all the time. We love waking you up in the mornings because you're always so happy and excited to see us. And now you're scooting around in your crib, so we're never quite sure how we'll find you...this morning you had turned almost completely around! You've also rolled over from your tummy to your back, and you're very close to rolling from back to tummy.

You are liking bathtime more, but you refuse to put your feet and legs in the water. When we push them under the water, you immediately draw them up and rest your heels on the surface. It's the funniest thing! You have loved music since you were born. Daddy and I sing you to sleep each night, and you get so excited when you hear Daddy start to play the guitar. When we were at the beach last summer, Daddy picked out a stuffed lion for you. We named him Wrigley, and now you sleep with him each night. We catch you hugging him closely and smiling at him in your crib.


Your class at church is bursting at the seams with new babies, so you got promoted today. Typically they don't promote up until you are sitting up or six months old, but they moved you up early. (Daddy says you're an overachiever like me.) We've gotten used to you being the center of attention, especially at church. When we walk through the Atrium, everyone stops to see you and talk to you...and sometimes they remember to nod in our direction.

We are so grateful for you, Thompson, and we often sit and stare at you, imagining all that God has planned for your life. Even now, we pray that you will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, that you will be fulling pleasing to Him, that you will bear fruit that remains, and that you will increase in the knowledge of the Lord (see Colossians 1:9, 10). We love you, T-Rice!

a valentine project

Thompson and I made Valentines tonight for his wee care workers and Sunday School teachers. I'm so grateful for the men and women who love on our son and take such wonderful care of him each Sunday. So during this special time of year, we want them to know how special they are to us!

I traced Thompson's hand on cardstock for an inexpensive, yet thoughtful Valentine greeting. Coupled with a giant Hersey bar (on sale at Walgreen's 2/$3), we've got sweet Valentines!

(And please disregard the scissors. They were out of Thompson's reach. Besides, we won't let him use the good scissors until his first birthday.)

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:11 



prompts for prayer

One of my favorite things about Christmastime happens around 11:30 each December morning when our mail is delivered. Because I was home on maternity leave during this time, I would anxiously rush out to the mailbox with all the wonder and anticipation of a child on Christmas morning. Hand-addressed envelopes would always catch my eye first, some in hues of crimson or green. I would sort out the letters I suspected of holding the rich gems and rip them open with no concern for their paper overcoats.


Most often I would try to ignore the sender's address to maintain the surprise as long as possible. And there they were...Christmas cards! I particularly love photo cards, the faces of our precious friends and family on display in brilliant colors. Children with grins painted ear-to-ear, a bride and her groom with all the wonder and joy of newly married bliss, and more. Each picture tells a story. Each image captures my heart. I love these cards because I love these people.


Each card finds a special place in a fine china bowl, its creamy white and brown with gold gilded edges provides the perfect home for these delights. I find myself stopping there often, sometimes more than once a day, to thumb through the images and reflect on these sweet ones we love dearly.



As December passes, and Christmas decor is once again packed away, I can't bear to discard these treasures. They sat in the beloved bowl for weeks before I finally came up with an idea. In years past, we've used our cards as prompts to pray for the people pictured. This year, I decided to take that one step further.


I emailed each family who sent us a card and told them we would be praying for them throughout the year. I asked them to reply with some specific requests that we could take before the throne of grace on their behalf. As the replies came in, I wrote the requests on the back of each card. We will select one card each week or so and pray for that family as the Lord brings them to mind throughout the week, especially during mealtimes.


Prayer has a supernatural way of not only tying our hearts to the will and heart of God, but also to the hearts of other people. When I see these precious faces at church or on Facebook or even in the grocery store, I am reminded of their prayer concerns. They are more than that cute family who made a friendly gesture by dropping a Christmas card in our mailbox. Behind the paper smiles are real needs...a son whose mother may lose her job, a wife who longs for her husband to return to church, a parent seeking wisdom in raising her son.


I guess mailing cards at Christmas can be ordinary or predictable. But that's where most of us live...in the ordinary, predictable, routine, day-to-day of life. What ordinary event or gesture or tradition could the Holy Spirit use in your life to prompt you to engage in the supernatural? What mundane task or everyday object could remind you to stop and put the needs of others ahead of your own?

"There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him."
- William Law

thirty

I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago. Surprisingly to me, it wasn't the earth-shattering, end-of-life-as-I-know-it event that some people had made it out to be. Honestly, it was just another day.


My husband certainly made it a memorable one, pulling off a fabulous surprise dinner with my close friends and family three days after my milestone so I wasn't suspect in the least! But prior to my secret celebration, he arranged for a sitter and took me to Thomasville for dinner at our favorite spot, Jonah's.

I love car rides with my hubby because we never lack for conversation. In true 30 fashion, our chit-chat revolved around that rather unintimidating number. He listed 30 things he loves about me, and we bantered back and forth about the 30 most memorable events throughout our relationship. It was one of those times I wished I had a video camera to record every utterance, every laugh, and every glance because the detailed memory fades too quickly.


The ride home was more of the same. But I pulled out paper and pen when we began discussing 30 things we'd like to instill in our son. This certainly isn't an exhaustive list, though some of you may think it's exhausting! I don't think I can even grasp how valuable this list is or will be to us in the future.



So, to our precious son, full of innocence and potential and wonder, here are 30 things we hope to teach you or instill in you as we shepherd your heart and steward your life. (They occur in no particular order...)

1. Your purpose is to glorify God, and your goal is to live a life worthy of Christ.
2. You are to treat women with dignity and respect.
3. A deep admiration, loyalty, and love for family.
4. You are no more deserving of the love and grace of God than someone else.
5. An understanding of mature, biblical manhood and womanhood.
6. The joy and necessity of Scripture memory.
7. A deep, abiding love and insatiable hunger for the Word of God.
8. The value of close friends.
9. A humble compassion for "the least of these".
10. An understanding of the pricelessness of purity.
11. A comprehension of the vastness of the lost world, coupled with an understanding of the magnitude of the power of the gospel to change lives.
12. The power and freedom of forgiveness.
13. A strong work ethic and an appreciation for doing things with excellence.
14. The value of laughter and fun.
15. Always have God at the bottom of your joy.
16. Circumstances do not hinder the power of Christ.
17. Honor those who've journeyed further than you and spend more time listening to them than talking to them.
18. The importance and timelessness of a thank-you note.
19. The reality that we do not battle against flesh and blood.
20. The ability to dance...and make up an impromptu rap. :)
21. Life and death are in the power of the tounge.
22. The wise see danger and seek refuge, but fools keep going and suffer for it (Proverbs 27:12).
23. God never wastes experiences.
24. Salvation is an act of God from start to finish.
25. The courage to stand for what is right regardless of the sacrifice.
26. Never underestimate the power or consequence of one simple act of obedience or disobedience.
27. How to manage God's time discerningly as priceless gems and how to be a wise financial steward.
28. Dream BIG!
29. The importance of honesty and integrity.
30. You will be shaped by the places you go, the books you read, and the people you meet.

It's a tall order, but we don't want to go wandering through parenthood aimlessly. Maybe in 30 years, when you're pondering 30 things, you can quiz us on our list. By God's grace, we'll instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.

30 has come and gone. But I'm grateful for a milestone turned into a priceless memory.

three months old



Thompson, you are three months old today! Everyone--and I mean everyone--told us how quickly time would pass once you arrived. And they were right! Your daddy and I think you are absolutely the happiest and sweetest baby on the planet. You wake up incredibly happy in the mornings, smiling and cooing at us when we come in to get you. You are sleeping for a 9- or 10-hour stretch at night, while still on a 3-hour feeding schedule during the day. Plus you’re a great napper!

You’ve started talking and smiling a lot more, and we LOVE it! The only time you really fuss or get upset is if you’re hungry. Otherwise, you are incredibly chill, and you’re very flexible and go with the flow. We think you weigh around 15 pounds...we don't know for sure because we won't go to the pediatrician again until your 4-month visit. You wear a size 2 diaper, and you are in 3-6 months and some 6-9 months clothing. I’ve already packed up a bin of clothes that you’ve outgrown that now resides in the attic.

I have started back to work, so Kiki stays with you two days a week. You’ve adjusted very well, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work at home two days a week. You spend Fridays with Daddy, and he loves having you all to himself.

You love playing with the toys hanging above your play gym, and you're also a fan of your bouncy seat. But you're also just content to lie on our bed and look around the room! Daddy and I are so grateful for you, and we love you to pieces!