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What do marriages and yards have in common?

Marriages and yards, what do they have in common? They both take lots of work!  


The the poem below is framed in my parents home. Their marriage works, it works really well. What an incredible living example they are of a marriage that makes much of Christ.

Marriage Takes Three

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter,
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
Till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first,
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

Author Unknown

I am a firm believer that as a child, my safety and security came from the fact that I knew at the end of the day my parents were not going to divorce.  Now that we have a child, part of our responsibility as parents is to work through the tough issues, the conflict, the disagreements, the arguments, and make our marriage, our home, one that honors and exalts Christ.  Why? He is worthy. If Christ was willing to die, conquer and master sin for me, then I must be willing to always work it out in my marriage.  Even if we didn't have a child, He is worthy, and therefore I must be willing to work at my marriage.  

Check out a great article, "Is the Grass Greener In Other Marriages? 6 Ways to water and tend to our marriages", here. 

Proverbs 14:1 “A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”

I know that I have influence in my home.  My daughter watches my every move, pretty scary.  This makes me want to examine my tone, my attitude, the way I manage my time, the way I treat my husband.  I want to carefully determine what pleases the Lord.  When conflict and disagreements arise, not if, I need to examine myself.  The expectation is the same for my husband.  Marriage should begin with the ownership of the log in our own eye.  We are brilliant at making it someone else' s fault.  We must own our behavior, I will not be at fault for my husband's choices and behaviors, but I am at fault if I allow the conflict to escape without resolving that conflict. 


Am I producing only what is good and right and true?  

Seven months....already?

My sweet girl is seven months today.  I know, can you believe it?  Everyone says they grow up fast but I'm seriously having a hard time believing my girl is 7 months old.  At 6 months, Lydia weighed 14 pounds and 4 ounces.  Maybe now she's up to 15 pounds.  She is rolling all over the place, literally.  She rolls from her back to her tummy and her tummy to her back, all. over. the. place!

 She has just within the past week started sitting up.  She is eating everything she can possibly fit in her mouth cereal, fruits, and vegetables and everything she's eaten she's loved!  She has eaten pears, peaches, apples, bananas, avocado, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, peas, and green beans.  I think that's all.  She's still not a great sleeper at night, but we're working on it.  

Being a mama to this little girl has been much work but much fun!  I just hope we will be able to teach her the important things in life.  We are thankful for you Lydia Ashby Faulk, and our family wouldn't be the same without you.  Glad you joined our family seven months ago today.  We love you!

Jesus, help me as I spend my days, all day, every day with this child, your child.  Help me to show her You in all things and help the love, discipline, structure, and instruction we give her point her to the most important thing: obedience to You.

A Mother's Prayer


God, give me wisdom to see that today is my day with my children.
That there is no unimportant moment in their lives.
May I know no other career is as precious,
No other work so rewarding,
No other task so urgent.
May I not defer it nor neglect it,
But, by thy Spirit, accept it gladly, joyously, and by thy grace realize
That the time is short and my time is now,
For children won’t wait!
-Helen M. Young

You know those days where inadequacy keeps showing up?

Lately I've been having all sorts of self doubts and insecurities that keep creeping up on me.  While I'm going to have to do some internal examining to figure exactly what I am fearing that is causing me to feel insecure, inadequate and doubting myself, I think it's just incredibly personal of the Holy Spirit to have these two words in the scriptures that I read today,


"Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." ~Proverbs 3:25-26


"From the LORD comes deliverance." ~Psalm 3:8


And to think, I almost didn't make time to be still enough to read His word.  His timing could not have been more perfect!  So thankful that He knows me and knows what I need to hear when I need to hear it.

I.love.Fall.

Fall is in the air and that means long sleeve t-shirts, Alabama football, bonfires, leaves changing, cooler temperatures and lots of good baking.  Here's a delicious recipe a friend shared with me that I made recently for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread.  It was yummy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
3.5 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 teaspoon salt
3.5 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (you can sub applesauce)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups pumpkin
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
chocolate chips (mini ones work best)

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  To the beaten eggs, add sugar and oil, then pumpkin.  Add dry ingredients gradually to liquid mixture.  I add however many chocolate chips look good!  Pour into 3 greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Family.

Something amazing happened a little over three years ago.  I met family.  No, we are not blood family, but I think sometimes genetic families have nothing on those built on the blood of Jesus.   

I was introduced to these people, who are now family, through a connection that we had with someone when we lived in Macon, the first time.  God's hand was all over that connection, and these beautiful people have opened their hearts and their lives and let us be a part of their family. We call, we text. We share our good times and walk together through rough times.  They have us into their home on Christmas eve, as if we are part of their family, to have a delicious meal of appetizers and watch It's a Wonderful Life.  Yes, it helps that they are from the great state of Alabama and love Alabama football as much as I do. :) 

This is the family that when I was sent to bed for 11 weeks of my life, they came into my home and completely renovated the room that would become the nursery. 

She is the one that taught me how to make homemade biscuits.  This is the family that provides my husband with his spiritual father.  Bottom line, they love Jesus and therefore they love us, not because we are worth it or because we are easy to love, simply because they are serious about putting their faith in action.  

   

I love the way they love. With everything they are. And when you're hit with that kind of love and acceptance you are never the same.

I'm not the same.

Today, I am simply grateful for my family.  I am missing living in the same town as my family.  Today, I look forward to the next time I get to see my family.  I am thankful for honest, authentic, open conversation and confrontation with my family.  I am humbled by the way my family loves us with their lives. 

Halfway to 1

Growing.....


Today, my firstborn baby girl is halfway to 1.  6 months old today.  This is really happening, can't believe we are already here.  I can't wait to see how much she's grown and developed from the last doctor appointment at 4 months.  To see the trust in her eyes for me, the way she smiles with delight, and finally gives into rest in my arms, with every head she lays on my shoulder, even when she cries at 1 AM or 4 AM and I'm the one that tends to her, my sweet girl is growing.  

Her growing physically happens naturally, all on it's own.  However, her growth spiritually is something that we will have to intentionally invest into her.  What does that look like?  How will we help her to know and see Jesus is the way the truth and the life?  Oh, that her growth in faith would surpass her physical growth.  


It's funny that I pretty much know what she needs and when she needs it: whether it be that she is hungry, sleepy, or just bored.  How much more does the Father know what we need and when we need it in our journey of growth towards him?  Today, I want to know how do you grow your children in faith?  What intentional steps do you take to intentionally invest in the spiritual growth of your child?  I know we will mess up, I know we will make mistakes, but the spiritual growing of my sweet girl is what I want to be about.  


I want to be about taking active, intentional steps in the growing of my relationship with Jesus, my marriage, my friendships, my baby girl.  

Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him.  He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. Hosea 6:3

Linking up today with The Gypsy Mama for 5 minute Friday, "where we write bold and beautiful and free. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not."