Coffee CubBuster

Yes..... that's right! If you didn't already know or haven't already seen me, we are 13 weeks along in adding to our family! This was not expected at this point in our story. While we definitely wanted more kids, our "perfect" plan would have given us a little more time between Levi's life and the next, but we believe God's plans are ALWAYS perfect. We couldn't be more thrilled, especially since this pregnancy and baby seem to be developing perfectly on target. Many people would be utterly overwhelmed with the thought of caring for another baby when Levi himself will only be twenty months if I deliver full term. However, our experience with Levi and with our whole family history has given us a new precious appreciation for being able to parent, and the idea of bringing home an uncomplicated infant actually seems like a breath of fresh air. Life is always crazy with little ones, but we know without a doubt that God will not give us what we can't han...

The word "vacation" means different things to different people. Some require the absence of responsibility, while others equate vacation to self-spoiling; still others determine vacation based on whether water or adventure is on the agenda. The dictionary defines it as " a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday" ( dictionary.com ). I know many people who would not consider something a vacation if it involved diaper changing, spit up cleaning, and a little hotel laundry doing. I beg to differ.  Once again, it's all a matter of perspective. I think vacations mean much more if you have something bigger than yourself to thank for the rest and recuperation.  When you simply pat yourself on the back for a job well done, you are merely giving yourself a larger load to carry. You subtly and subconsciously add the burden of being able to provide yourself with a future ...

The milk spilled over the top of his feeding bag as I tiredly tried to refill it before breakfast. Milk spilled shortly after when my older one attempted to fill his own cereal bowl. Milk also spilled hours later as I screamed at the sight of ants surrounding our kitchen table; they must have smelled remnants of the old milk spilled. The day would come to a close with the largest out pour of milk into our garage because the grocery bag attendant didn't know I'd open the trunk so quickly allowing two gallons of milk to smack the floor and crack open simultaneously. Now that we were officially out of milk, I was actually relieved. Spills happen in life, but they seem to happen a lot more in the lives of moms.  There are many ways to respond to spilled milk as the expression goes, but I don't think mine ever followed with tears. Frustration is my natural instinct as a relative neat freak. But after the last spill that filled our garage with the stench of milk, I had to laugh ...

Most people would agree that denying a child everything he or she wants is healthy and encouraged. If children were given everything they desired, there would be a lot of toothless, obese, lazy, uneducated adults. Well, hopefully they would desire a few healthy alternatives, but it'd be a pretty spoiled society to say the least. Why then do adults not deny themselves every natural inclination? Why do we get mad when things are taken from us? Why are we astounded when we don't get what we think we deserve? Why are we constantly thinking about how things will affect us? Why do we look first at ourselves in a photograph? Why are we quick to hold on to things we have deemed valuable in our lives? There are many life lessons learned in infancy and childhood that seem to escape us in adolescence. That natural teenage rebellion seems to resurface when we begin making our own living. When we are no longer under the roof of our parents, something happens. We become rebellious toward...

I've mentioned many times what a blessing it's been to experience those things I once feared because then they no longer instill fear. I have also stated multiple times what a blessing it's been to grow in faith through various trials we've experienced the past few years. However, just when you think you have conquered one mountain, there's always a new one around the corner. It's one thing to boast in Christ, but another to take that strength and believe it's all your own. I'm seeing the difficulty in relishing in the Spirit's strength when there are decisions to be made that affect another person. When it comes to the unknown and things are typically out of our hands, it almost becomes easier to embrace faith and trust when there's nothing you can do. When Paul was given a "thorn" in his flesh, he had to succumb to Christ's strength during his own weakness. Paul had to embrace the fact that grace was sufficient. I'm currentl...