SLI ~ Week 2 (Chapter 3 & 4)

Okay, we're going to do something different this week. I'll post the questions (still straight from Beth Moore's blog), and I"ll write my responses in the comments section. I think my answers may have been distracting...what do you think? Anyway, you can all post your answers there as well...and we can have discussion. Oh so fun!! I thought we'd continue reading 2 chapters a week, and then discussing on Monday. So, this week is chapter 3 & 4.

Here are the questions/assignments:

1. Based on Chapter 3, what tends to be your prominent false positive?

2. Write out the challenge at the end of Chapter 3 again so that you can pound it into your belief system. Beth says it is CRITICAL to our journey! I believe her :)

3. Based on Chapter 4, what biblical character (or statement about him/her) resonated the most with you? Why?

I really learned a lot about myself this week. Or, not really "learned" as much as "examined". I guess I've always known, deep down, what I struggle with; however, it's a little different when you delve into it a bit deeper and start asking "why?". And really, it's not even about asking "why?" as much as it is about asking what it's keeping you from, and how it limits you from accomplishing all that God has perfectly set out before you. Besides the questions above, did any of you have any great revelations this week? Or anything that just really stood out as important that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about where you are on your journey!

Easter Weekend

There was something different about Easter this year for me. I don't know if it was because I'm a mommy now, or if it's because I'm just at a different place on my "walk" with the Lord...but whatever it was, it made this year extra special.

Chris and I have been reading Luke together at night, and we made a point to try to match up the dates this week so that each night we could reflect on in Jesus' final days. We decided to also watch The Passion on Good Friday...I hadn't seen it since it came out in theaters. I think that by doing both of those things, our hearts were opened up to an even deeper appreciation of Crucifixion & the Resurrection. Those things, combined w/ a new church home & the excitement of sharing such a blessed day with Elli just really got to me.

The whole weekend was great, actually! We used our new babysitter on Saturday night and tried out a wonderful restaurant in Starkville. If you live in the area and haven't been to The Veranda, I highly recommend going. The risotto was phenomenal. Yum, so good! And afterwards we made a quick stop by Coldstone to get some ice cream. I haven't been to a Coldstone since we lived in Goldsboro. Way too long in my opinion! Elli, sadly, didn't have such a great night. Apparently I spoke to soon when I said that she doesn't have separation anxiety in my last post. Our sweet babysitter said she cried almost the entire time we were gone. Doesn't that just break your heart?! Poor girl! And then, when we picked her up from the church nursery this morning, the first words out of the sweet little old lady's mouth who was rocking her were, "she cries, ALOT!". So sad! Oh Elli girl, mommy is going to have to start leaving you with people more often!

Our afternoon consisted of a nap, washing the car, taking some pictures down by the lake, and snuggling on the couch just enjoying each other. I hope that all of you had a nice, relaxing Easter as well.

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has RISEN!!"

Luke 24:5

It's Friday but SUNDAY is coming!!!

This video was shown at our church last Sunday and it spoke so deeply to me that I thought I'd share it with all of you today. My prayer, on this Good Friday, is that God never allows my heart to harden to these images or these words, but that I might be aware and thankful daily for the sacrifice that Christ Jesus made so that I could be forgiven.

It's Friday, but Sunday's Coming!

Happy 7 Month Birthday, Elliana!!

Chris and I were talking the other day about how "6 months" still sounds super young, like a baby-baby. But 7 months...that's like, I don't know, not baby-baby anymore. She's just getting so big, and smart, and fun! An absolute doll, I tell ya!

She's still a great sleeper, almost to the point of making me forget how sleep-deprived I was for the first 3 months of her life :) She'll sleep 13 hrs a night if I let her, but as it stands now I try to wake her up after 12. She still takes 3 naps a day of about 1-1.5 hrs each, and gives me the biggest, most beautiful smile ever when I walk in her room to get her out of her crib. She wears size 2-3 diapers, and 9 mo. clothes. She's still not crawling, or even rolling really. She can roll both ways, but she doesn't use that skill to move around...she's pretty content to just hang out on whichever side suits her that day. She sleeps on her tummy, with her little hands folded under her head...precious! And in true lady fashion, she crosses her little feet at every opportunity. She crinkles her nose when she smiles, and (like me) usually has her mouth open when she does it. She LOVES her new "buddy Bert", her jump-a-roo, playing "chase mommy", being "SUPER ELLI!!!", and eating her socks. She's not a big fan of loud noises (she has sensitive ears!), or missing her naps. Being a Daddy's Girl is an understatement, I am constantly in awe of the love that Chris & Elli have for one another. She does great at church in the nursery, and doesn't seem to have too much separation anxiety. We just found our first babysitter (that's not family or a close friend), and we're excited (and a little nervous!) to use her this weekend.

Elli will participate in the Baby Dedication at our church in a few weeks and in preparation for that, Chris and I have to write a letter to her expressing our hopes, dreams, and prayers for her life. I've been thinking a lot about what I will write over the past few days, and I'm excited about actually sitting down w/ Chris and putting our thoughts and feelings on paper. The Lord has used these 7 short months to teach me so much about life, unconditional love, having a sensitive heart, the importance of patience and thankfulness, and recognizing His enormous blessings. This sweet little girl has changed me; shown me, in a different way, how God must look at all of mankind. My child is precious and perfect in my eyes. And we, all of us, have that same favor in His.

Happy 7 Month Birthday, my lovely Elliana. You're such a special girl.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Elli's 1st Swing

Trip to Jackson w/ Nana

Elli and I made the trip down to Jackson this weekend to visit with my mom (Nana), and to do a little shopping at the Jackson Spring Market. SO MUCH FUN!! We picked Nana up from the airport on Thursday and started our shopping extravaganza on Friday morning. The Spring Market was in the Jackson Convention Center downtown. Vendors from all over the US set up their booths selling everything imaginable. We got Elli a precious little smocked apron outfit for the summer...oh my gosh is it precious!! I'm all about smocking, by the way :) There was jewelry, clothing, shoes, bags, books, bows, and on and on and on. It was the perfect place for a girls weekend!

Here are a few of my treasures:

LOVE this red cross!! It will be on my mantle shortly, I just have to re-arrange a bit to make it fit :)

And THIS, my friends, is my newest favorite thing EVER!! It's a casserole carrier. Genius! You can't see the inside (thanks to my lazy picture taking), but your casserole dish fits nicely in there, all bundled up w/ fabric that has insulation sewn in. There is also a tile on the bottom that you stick in the oven and heat before transporting it so that your dish stays even warmer. Plus, did you notice the monogramming?! LOVE it!!

As if the Spring Market didn't quench our shopping desires, we headed over to an outdoor mall to top ourselves off....and the Easter Bunny was there!! It was a gorgeous day, so we took some pictures around the area.

Elli and Mr. Bunny

She's getting so big!! She loved looking at that pretty flowers!

My mom and I have a tradition of taking a Girls Trip every year. We've been to Ashville, NC, Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, Belgium, England & Italy...but this year, in Jackson, might have been my favorite. Every place we've been has been wonderful, but this year was even more so because I got to share the experience with Elli. She loves her Nana so very much, and it was incredibly special to spend some quality time together, just the three of us.

Elli's first Girls Trip!!

Mama & Elli is our favorite place...Barnes and Noble!

Elli & Nana...that is one happy girl!

SLI ~ Week 1

I've learned something new this week: reading is not quite as easy as it used to be! Let me clarify a little bit...finding time to read is not quite as easy as it used to be!! Ha! But, I'm so glad that I made the effort b/c I really enjoyed the first 2 chapters of our book. How about you?? While trying to do a little research on what we could talk about here at our little web-meeting, I went straight to the source...Beth, herself! On her blog, she is doing the same thing that we are, only on a MUCH larger scale. The discussion questions/thinking points that we'll use are straight from her so I think we'll really get a lot out of the book! Let's dive in!!

Discussion/Assignment:

**Beth wrote these herself, so the "I" is referring to her.**

1. Write a journal-type entry on the inside cover of your book describing this present season of your life and why you’ve chosen to read a book like this. If you already have a relationship with God, write it in the form of a prayer. I do this almost every time I begin a book that I think could have a considerable impact on my life. When I finish the book, I always go back and read it and it ends up meaning so much to me. Listen, Sister, if you expect little, that’s probably what you’ll get. But if you expect something big from God when you start a journey and you posture yourself to receive from Him, even when frail human beings are thrown in the mix, you’ll end up with something huge. Something life altering.

2. Based on Chapter 1: When was the last time you came face-to-face with our gender’s massive struggle with insecurity? Describe the setting.

For me, the last time I came face-to-face with our gender's (my) massive struggle with insecurity was about a week ago (on my birthday) on the floor of my closet. Let's just say I had a "moment" (or twenty!). Looking back, I'm going to blame it on the poor lighting and the terrible mirror...but in the midst of my total meltdown I felt hideous. I can laugh now, and chalk it up to the 29th birthday blues, but deep down it still hurts a little bit. No woman wants to feel ugly, or fat, or pasty white (can I still blame that on England?!), or all of the above. And though I don't feel that way every day, or even every other day, there are some low moments scattered throughout my month where I feel pretty bad about myself. And let me tell you, Chris just LOVES it when those moments rear their ugly heads!

3. Based on Chapter Two: What part of the definition or description of insecurity resonated most with you and why?

The definition that resonated the most with me was the part that said insecurity is "a deep feeling of uncertainty about our basic worth and our place in the world". Doesn't that just sound awful?! Let me tell you, it's pretty tough to write it. But we're being honest, and it is my sincere prayer that I will truly learn something by exploring this side of myself.

As a military wife, I have found that it's often difficult to find my own identity. It's not easy to have a career when you move all the time. For me, it's even hard to find the motivation to pursue things that I know I won't be able to continue at our next location...wherever that may be. And when I feel that way, it's hard to feel like I have a "place". And I'm not talking about my "place" in my family b/c I truly believe that I have the best job in the world being Elli's mommy & Chris's wife. I'm talking about the doubt in my heart that I am using the gifts that God gave me to the best of my ability. The questions, "am I wasting time", "is this what I should be doing", "am I doing enough", are always in my head.

I'd love to hear what all of you think about these questions & the book in general. Whether you've read the book, are reading it with us, or would just like to leave a comment...I'll treasure your responses. Though I had thought about what I was going to write, it wasn't until I actually sat down to start typing that my true feelings started to come out. Maybe it will be the same with you...and maybe we can overcome some of our own insecurities together :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!!