Whoops, only on day 6 of this song challenge thing!
I had a great weekend: watched my sweet little chunker learn how to hold his bottle and recover from a nasty cough like a champ (praise GOD!), went to my very 1st Tupperware party (hilarious but so hard not to buy every single thing!), enjoyed early morning trips with our little family to HEB and Wal-Mart (you know you're a parent when you've completed all your errands by 10am), and wrapped up the weekend with a fun dinner/fellowship/playdate with great friends.
Can I choose to just keep Sunday night instead of trading it in for a Monday morning?
Day 6 is supposed to be a song that reminds you of somewhere. I tried to look up "Lubbock, TX in My Rearview Mirror", but I couldn't find a good version :). But this song is just as good; I discovered it towards the end of my senior year of high school, as I was getting ready to move to the middle of nowhere and figure out how to do my own laundry. This song came on the other day while I was in the cafeteria at work, and I said to one of my friends, "This reminds me of college." She replied, "What does...the drug smuggling?"
Liz if you're reading this, you are hilarious.
Day 6: The Road Goes On Forever by Robert Earl Keen
My week was sandwiched by croup and a borderline ear infection (not mine, but I'd trade in a heartbeat, poor Baby). I felt like I was running a marathon, and I really really hate running. It's times like these that if you're not on your guard, you will get knocked down. And I mean hard.
I debated even writing about this situation, but I really mean for it to encourage. I'm not going into specifics because there's a lot I'd love to share on here, but it is the internet after all and some things I'd just rather share with people face to face.
I have a desire that God's given me, and it's something that I've struggled with lately. The timing is just not right at this very moment, and I'm learning to daily wait on the Lord and to place my hope in Him. This is my new favorite verse:
"Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14
But just because I read or memorize this verse doesn't mean my hope is without opposition. Usually the enemy attacks using Doubt. And it's almost worked, several several times. I start to doubt that desire will ever become a reality, I doubt if that desire is really from God, and I begin to doubt myself.
This week, he changed tactics.
This week, I was approached by someone who struck up a conversation with me, and within minutes, managed to tear a major hole in that hope. And by tear, I mean punched, ripped, and stomped on it. Leading to me having, again, incredible doubt and a serious 8th grade-worthy cry fest. But this time was different. I felt shock, hurt, and confusion that hung on my thoughts throughout the entire morning. At first, I was frustrated at the individual. But as I was processing everything later in the day, it hit me.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
I could not get over how blindsided I had been by the whole conversation, and how it had such an intense affect on me. That's when I realized the game had changed. He was no longer using Doubt; that was becoming ineffective. Now he was using Guilt. You see, the odd thing about the conversation I had was that I agreed with the individual. They shared the same basic thoughts I do on the subject, but it was said in such a way that it leads me to believe it was intended to damage. It "validated" my fears and used my own guilt against me. I feel like this attack was calculated and stronger than ones ever have been in the past.
Long, slightly vague story short, we as Believers need to be at the ready. Satan is fighting a battle he will ultimately lose. Something that I've learned from a recent John Eldridge study (check him out if you haven't heard him before, God speaks mighty truth through this man) is that it is dangerous out there in the world. We are at war. There is good, and there is evil. Marriages are crumbling, parents are failing their children, and many are lulled into a dangerous complacency when it comes to being strong in the Faith. I've been guilty of this myself. So I'm writing this to encourage you. Take heart, have courage when you are being oppressed, when all seems hopeless. Christ came to give us Life! He brings Hope, He brings Healing, and He is right there for you just waiting for you to ask Him in.
I am resolving to stand firm. In Christ.
"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with Truth, and having put on the breastplate of Righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of Faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."
Eph. 6:13-17.
I'm still doing the 30 day song challenge, but this song is one of my fav's and is so appropriate for now: Hillsong United -- You'll Come. Enjoy!
My first official Mother's Day was amazing, with just a couple of bumps in the road during the day. Wyatt got sick yesterday with that horrible croup cough I hope he never ever gets again (it scares me every time I hear it), and most of today was spent cuddling him and holding him down while we salined and bulb syringed his nose. He HATES that thing. A week ago, he had a little congestion, and I thought I had tricked him into thinking it was some kind of game. I'd say "Reeeaadddy?!" and he'd hold out his little nose and laugh after I squirted or syringed.
Apparantly that game only lasts a week and really only works when they're snotty but not sick. It took Wade holding down his feet --yes his feet-- and me holding down his arms with my elbows to get all the "junkies" out.
Mother's day present to myself? A nap.
Day 04 - a song that makes you sad
There are two of these, and as I looked them up, they made me too sad to even post them. So I'm just listing them and you can look them up yourself!
1.) Brick by Ben Folds Five: beautiful music, horribly sad lyrics.
2.) Cats In The Cradle by Harry Chapin: A cautionary tale for all you dad's out there!
Day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
I don't really remember how this song became such a pivotal part of our college lives, but this song always reminds me of Renee, my college roomie and amazing friend. Sometimes when it comes on the radio, I'll still text her the lyrics :). So now that I'm feeling sentimental, I'll spend a quick second talking about her!
Renee was the first friend I met at Tech on the way to my very first class at Tech. Since that first class was Biology and it was being held in the largest classroom on campus (seats 400 people and I almost peed my pants from anxiety just walking in there), we sat by each other. And later laughed at someone tripping at the bottom of the stairs, thankful it wasn't us. Later still we learned that the student was deaf and that I was a horrible, horrible person for laughing.
This is a picture she lovingly made and sent me when we used to IM each other in our apartment.
Obviously, a friendship made to stand the test of time.
So here's the song that got us through college and that we "sang" during my wedding reception. Love you Fruits!
Feel free to sing along, I know I will :).
...and just putting the video on here tonite instead of writing about anything legitimate! Just spent a great evening with great friends, and got home in time to go to bed early; somehow it ended up being after 10 already and WAYY past my bedtime!
One quick fun story: Wyatt's new favorite trick is to grab my throat as hard as he can with his chubby little Man-Hand as I'm bending over to lay him in his crib for the night. Then he laughs like it's the funniest thing ever.
Note to future/new parents: this is NOT in Baby 411. But I'm assuming it's good for developing his hand/eye coordination, and not just for learning how to laugh when Mommy says Ow. Right?!
Day 03 - A Song That Makes You Happy
Oh my goodness, there are too many too count. And if you asked me tomorrow, I'd probably say something different. But this is a classic; always guaranteed to make me dance and sing along!
Please excuse the 80's jackets and hair. This is hands-down one of my favorite songs to two-step to!
I know, this song is so popular, and she seems so nice and genuine. But! If you have to ask to be "counted in", please don't do it in time with the song. Or rhyme a million things with "toes". Thank you. :)
Congratulations to my sweet friend, Melissa, who gave birth this morning to their beautiful baby girl Sienna Faith! She is truly a miracle; you can read all about Rick and Melissa's incredible journey here.
1.) My parents delivered my mom's old sewing machine the weekend of my birthday. I'm hoping to bust it out this weekend and start on projects!
2.) Goal of the week: try to remember how to sew before I start on said projects!
3.) Fabric bundles on Etsy = new way to waste spend my time.
4.) Wyatt likes green beans from the Gerber jars, but not the green beans I steamed, pureed, and froze into ice cubes that will last us 2 weeks. Figures. Some of the food highlights from my pregnancy included Tostino's pizza rolls, double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, and chicken fried steak from Grandy's, so I probably should have seen this coming.
To get myself back in blog mode, I'm doing the 30 day song challenge from Facebook! It sounds like fun, it'll be hard to pick only one song per topic!
Day 01 - Your Favorite Song
(It was going to be Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi, but Wade just ruined it by changing the words to "Livin' on Welfare": "Oh, we're halfway there, Ohhh! Livin' On Welfare! Trade my Food Stamps, for cigarettes and alcohol...") (Hope that wasn't too offensive; since I gave 2 hard years of my life to the beloved welfare office, I always joke out of love. Mostly.)
It was a tough choice, but I have to go with Superstition by Stevie Wonder!
3 thoughts before I go to bed and leave you to enjoy the funk: I love Stevie Wonder. I love Sesame Street. And I love that kid in the red shirt on the balcony.
