So that’s it, it’s settled, I’ve joined a church.

So since I was .. mmm .. I’ll say about 7ish-8ish I have been a member of a large Baptist Church.  I remember the very first time we visited on Sunday morning.  The grand staircase seemed to swallow me it was so large.  The sanctuary was filled with rows and rows of pews.  I’d never seen a church so grand.  Slowly and surely my family carved ourselves a little home in the BIG church and there my membership stayed for 20 some odd years.

 Since then a lot has changed.  That church that felt so large outgrew that building, built a new facility and moved, and then sadly split a few years back.  This church is where I met Jesus for the first time, it’s where I was baptized (first group in the new sanctuary, thank you very much)  it’s where I participated in choir, mission trips, bible studies, camps, vbs, youth group, disciple now, world changers, g.a.’s … the list just goes on and on.  This church is where my spiritual foundation was laid.

 But, things change, and I’ve changed, and that great big church hasn’t really met my needs or the needs of my husband for years.  And what’s sad is, it was SO big, I don’t think anyone really noticed when I left. 

So, we began to ‘church shop’ as many young couples do when they are starting their family.  We would go from church to church trying to find our niche.  This church would be too small, that church much too large, this churches music is too old fashion, that churches music is too loud.  It got to a point where I think we began to look for ‘the perfect church’ and we were disappointed week after week.  Well guys, I’m here to tell you, THERE IS NO PERFECT CHURCH!  Church isn’t about the music, it isn’t about the activities, or even the charisma of the preacher, church is about JESUS CHRIST, plain and simple.  I got so caught up in ‘finding the perfect church’ that I was missing a sweet church family that was right in front of me! 

With butterflies in my stomach, a few weeks ago, I walked down front and joined a small Baptist Church that is a little off the beaten path.  I know it was God that urged me to join, because this church is FAR from something I would expect myself to join.  I NEVER thought I would go to a small church, I think I secretly found comfort in the large church. 

 The people in my new church miss me when I’m not there and there are so many opportunities for me to serve and grown, and it’s perfect place for Ebin to grow in the Lord.  But it was a big step from a LARGE church with 20 + years of my membership to a tiny church with no years under my belt. 

The first step is always the hardest, and every week that goes by I am so happy that I joined my new small church!

Mother’s Day and Baby Dedication

Moms treat our messy, crayon drawing like it belongs in an art museum giving it a place of honor on the fridge.  Moms celebrate the first everything… first tooth, first steps, first love.  Moms tell us we can be anything we want to be, and they actually believe it. Moms wake up for 3 AM feedings and later stay awake to make sure we don’t come home at 3 AM.  Moms hold our hands through dark days and jump up and down on exciting ones.  Moms give us a tangible reminder of the fruits of the spirit… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  So Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mom’ out there!

“After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord and he will live there always.” – 1 Samuel 1:22

Ebin was dedicated at church during the morning service on Mother’s Day.  The dedication is a ceremony where Jason and I promise to raise Ebin in a Christian home.  I think it’s so special that my church had baby dedication on Mother’s Day! Very fitting!

 Here are some pics from that day:

my mother made this outfit for my little brother in 1983, I thought it was very fitting for Ebin to wear it 26 years later

 during

the service

  \

me and my mom

me and my littlest man

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from Him.” –Psalms 127:3

It finally happened!

Well, I NEVER thought I would actually get to write this blog, BUT I think it’s safe to say EBIN IS SLEEPING THRU THE NIGHT!!!!  This has been a constant struggle since BEFORE Ebin was born. 

I stopped being able to sleep thru the night at around 6.5 months pregnant.  The sleeplessness was a combination of having to go to the bathroom all night and just being miserably uncomfortable.  I think that restlessness is God’s way of getting a woman ready for the long, tiring task ahead of her, so I really am grateful for that.  However, after 9 months of living sleep deprived, you start to go a little insane. 

For those of you that don’t have children, or are blessed to have a child who slept well from day 1, I know it’s hard to understand what it’s like living in a haze of sleeplessness.  Having an infant has been the single-most exhausting thing I have ever done in my life.  I have 3 full-time jobs.  The first with patients 40 hours a week, the second as a wife, mom, and house-keeper 50 hours a week, and the third as a night nanny 78 hours of the week.  It’s the single most exhausting, yet rewarding, thing I have ever experienced.

But, after all those hours logged as a night nanny, tending to a child that just wouldn’t sleep all the way through the night, I am MORE than ready for Ebin to just SLEEP.  My emotions have gone from hopeful he will sleep, annoyed that he won’t sleep, and then resigned to the fact that I will be tired for the next 18 years.  It’s funny, bc it seems like once I gave up the idea that he would sleep anytime soon, that was exactly when he started sleeping.  It’s been a week now, but he is keeping it up.  Last night he even slept from 10pm to 10am.  OH MY GOSH that was great!!

So I will continue to work with him and keep him on a schedule and hope and pray that he keeps this up.  It’s strange, because I am SO sleep deprived that this week, even when he gave me a full nights rest, I would wake up exhausted.  I think my body doesn’t quite know how to catch up on 9 months of sleep.