Let Him Eat Cake!

My little guy turned one year old on January 4th!! Can you believe it?! I can't!! He's getting to be so big and so capable. He's walking and "talking" and has a sweet, silly, happy personality. He's amazing. . . if I do say so myself!! It was great fun to celebrate his first birthday. We went to my parents' house on Friday for a party. My sister and her family were still there from the holidays, so it was a perfect time to do some partying! And, let me tell you, Oliver loves chocolate cake! He ate a ton of it. Even sucked the icing off of his fingers. It was hilarious. So much fun to watch him dig in and chow down!!

We've had a fun few days of reminiscing about his birth and what a beautiful miracle his is. I couldn't be happier, more proud, or more blessed! Happy Birthday, Buddy!!!

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! We are all moved in and settled in our new home in Kansas. Just in time for my favorite holiday. . . Christmas. I just can't get enough of this holiday. I love the lights. The music. The decorations. The traditions. The cheer. The excitement. And, of course, Santa!! I'm telling you, moving around this time of the year has been a great motivator for me. In just two weeks time, I've completely unpacked, decked the house out for Christmas, and am ready to host our annual "Holiday Open House" on Sunday. So much fun, I can hardly stand it!!!
You see, if it weren't for my love of all things Christmas and my clouded vision that comes from the joy of the season, I would be staring at a number of things that aren't so festive. Like the fact that we had a leak from the hot water heater that flooded our basement last week. Or the fact that running the washing machine made the shower drain overflow Monday night, causing the basement to flood again. Or maybe, the fact that Oliver is getting more teeth, has his first cold, and hasn't been so jolly the last week, to say the least. Or possibly, the fact that our living situation is temporary because we are renting a house that is for sell while we wait for our house to sell in Illinois. Or the fact that while our house is charming, it is TINY, and half of our belongings are still packed, stored in the garage with all the furniture that won't fit. Or even the fact that in a week's time, we lost the house keys once, locked ourselves out of the house once (had to call the realtor at 9:00pm to let us in), and locked the office keys inside the office.
Crazy, huh?!?!
It would be easy to become the grinch if I focused on all that craziness. But, I'm thinking of better things. . . twinkling lights, mistletoe, christmas carols, joy, friendship, and laughter.
It's easy for me to not say "bah hum bug" during the holidays. The real work begins when problems arise and there are no silver bells to distract me. I wondered what I would do then. But then I thought of the perfect scripture. . .
"...Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
May your days be merry and bright too. . . during the holidays and beyond!!

Worth the Ticket

If you haven't seen 'FIREPROOF', the movie, you must go. It is so good. Jarrod and I saw it last night on our date night. We loved it. Great message. Clean content. And, did I mention great message?!! It is full of thought-provoking moments and super great lines that really make you think about your marriage and your relationship with God. We went to a movie theater 40 minutes from our house, and we talked about the movie non-stop all the way home. It was that good!

Just thought I'd give you my two-thumbs up movie review. Go see it. I promise, your relationship to your husband and to your God will be strengthened!!! It's worth the ticket!

Renovation. . . A Step of Faith

Life is crazy but God is good!! Lately, we have been knee-deep in our own version of "Designed to Sell". We have painted the entire outside of our house. Removed carpeting, tile, and a banister from our porch. Sanded, grinded, and painted the concrete on both the porch and the flowerbeds. And, if that wasn't enough, now we're on to the big job. . . the bathroom! We have needed to re-do the bathroom for a long time now, and after yesterday, we realized why we hadn't been jumping at the chance to get started. What a nightmare! At the moment, our bathroom is down to the studs in half the room with debris everywhere. Today, we will be making our bazillionth trip to Lowe's to get more supplies. Water will be turned off again today (why is it that you always have to go the bathroom more when you have no way to do so?!), and poor, little Oliver will have to learn to nap through the mighty hum of the shop vac.

Crazy times, but all for a purpose. Our house must sell. We are moving on. Kansas is calling our name. Jarrod has accepted a preaching position with a wonderful church there, and we are excited for the future. Of course, leaving here is hard. Amazing church. Awesome friends. A great community. It's bitter-sweet, but our faith is in God and in His plan for all of us. We are "stepping out of the boat" and walking toward the new opportunity He's handing us, all while, trusting that He will take care of the precious people here.

Sometimes, it seems that "stepping out in faith" is a lot like our remodeling. Messy. Confusing. Stressful. Hard work. Scary. But all the effort is worth it when the outcome is revealed. Peace. Joy. Excitement. Beauty. It may be down-right frightening to let the Master Builder hammer away a new life/opportunity/outlook for you. But, I believe (and am about to find out for myself) that He has a remarkable masterpiece waiting at the end of the renovation.

Opportunities in Odd Places

Okay. . . you'll never believe this one. I had one of those, "I've never experienced this before," moments the other day. For those of you who have nursed your children, you know that sometimes you have to feed them in some pretty unique places. I've fed my son in numerous bathroom stalls, in empty sky boxes at ballgames and workshops, in parked cars in countless parking lots, and the list goes on. But, until the other day, I had never fed Oliver in a room full of caskets. Oh, yeah, you read it right. . . caskets! You see, our church is meeting in a funeral home right now. (Long story. I'll have to blog about that another time.) So, when he needed to be fed the other day, I had to look for a room that was private, and the only space available was the coffin room. It was just me, Oliver, and 14 caskets! Sounds creepy, I know. Oddly, it wasn't. It was peaceful. It was quiet. It was humorous. I am always looking for what to blog about next. I am never quite prepared, however, for the situations that come my way!! I told everyone after church that it wasn't bad, in fact, I'd had fun picking out the caskets I liked best and thought were the prettiest! What a wild experience!

Of course, the crazy-coffin-room-feeding-place made me do a little thinking. Sometimes, we judge people or situations by how they look or how we "think" they are rather than reality. We tend to get "creeped" out when something is out of our comfort zone, and we miss amazing opportunities. Opportunities to share Jesus with someone who desperately wants to know Him. Opportunities to shine in a dark workplace or school or neighborhood. Opportunities during the storms to find peace in the One who is in control. The opportunities are limitless. And, my experience the other day taught me that I don't want to miss any of them!

Just Remember "Peg Leg"

It's a good thing I like to exercise because I'm getting my fair share of it at the moment. No, I'm not trying out a new fitness routine. . . I'm chasing after my eight-month-old. That's right, Oliver is crawling! And, he is on the move! Places to explore. Things to get in to. He started to crawl while we were at my sister's house a couple of weeks ago. It's actually quite a cute sight. He can crawl normal, but he prefers the peg leg method. Hence his new nickname, "Peg Leg" Spencer! I'm sure you can picture it . . . crawling around in normal form except for that one crazy, stiff, straight-as-a-board, left leg. It's amusing. His new ability to get around may keep us on our feet, but it's worth it. It's fulfilling to watch him as he figures out the world around him. He's inquisitive, excited, and busy. He literally can't sit still any longer.

That makes me think. . . shouldn't our lives be like that as Christians?! On the move. People to see. A difference to make. We should be busy and excited and desperate to share Jesus with the world around us. It doesn't matter if we have limitations; we can still accomplish great things for Him. Doubt that thought? Just remember "Peg Leg" Spencer. All we need is one good "leg" to stand on. . . one "dream", one "talent", one "desire", one "purpose", one " ___"(you fill in the blank). Just imagine what would happen if we, as Christians, couldn't sit still any longer either!!

Stinkin' Thinkin'

The other day, I introduced Oliver to one of the great joys from my childhood . . . Zig Ziglar. If you don't know who that is, he is a motivational speaker who created music for kids with positive messages. His songs were all about succeeding in life, making good choices, having great attitudes, being a winner, etc. I loved my Zig Ziglar tape! Seriously, I LOVED my Zig Ziglar tape!! I honestly think it's part of the reason I turned out to be such a crazy optimist. Even as a kid, I loved being positive, and Zig Ziglar knew just how to "pump me up" with inspiration. Our family listened to his tape, "See You at The Top", over and over in the car when we took road trips. I knew every line of every song. Songs like, "Don't Kick the Cat", "Goodbye, Mr. Mediocrity", "Don't Be Flaky Like the Biscuit", "Stop the Stinkin' Thinkin'", and "Dr. M.Y. Self". (Makes you want to borrow my tape, doesn't it?!)
So, the other day, when we were on a small road trip, Jarrod and I gave Oliver his first "Zig Ziglar experience". It was great! My first time to really pass something from my childhood on to my child. Something with meaning, hope, optimism, and worth. And, you know what? I'm pretty sure he liked it!! I suspect he'll be singing the words before long, just like his mommy!

The motivational blast from the past got me thinking. . . It's really important to me to begin, even this early on in his life, to fill Oliver's mind with good things. I want him to be positive even when times are tough. And, boy have times been tough lately. We all go through times like that at some point. Times when discouragement sets in. Times when people let you down. Times when the future is uncertain and the present is unbearable. Times when it would be easy, even understandable, to fill our minds with bitterness and negative thinking. But, instead of getting bogged down with the injustices of life, I am choosing to fill my mind with Christ. With His love. With His promises. And, with His power. As I heard one time, we need to focus less on the mountain and more on the mountain mover! JESUS IS ABLE. I'm going to fill my mind with that thought. And, if that doesn't stop "stinkin' thinkin'" I don't know what will!