The best conjunction of all time.

My single, all time favorite word in the entire Bible is "but".

I swear, it gets me every time. There are huge sections of scripture that are honestly just sad and whiny and pathetic and BLEGH! Like Psalm 13:

"How loooong, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?? I have sorrow! Answer me! Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death" (my very loose paraphrase, of course). And then right when it seems like there's really no hope. No answer, no resolution, or relief.

BUT!!! But, but, but, but, BUT! ...and my heart sings because I know what's coming!!!!

"BUT I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will SING to the Lord, because he has dealt with me bountifully."

And then there is the Ultimate 'But' Passage: Ephesians 2.

Oh, my glory. Take all of the scriptures from me, but please don't take my Ephesians 2 (it's also in Titus 3, so don't take that one either... or Psalm 9... or 5.......)

"...you were dead in your sins, following the prince of the power of the air...we were children of wrath ... BUT GOD! being RICH in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins made us ALIVE together with Christ..."

Oh, oh, OH! I love it. I love that we can mount up all this ick and sin and sorrow. Just keep piling it up. C'mon, throw a little more death in there, a little more pain. Give it all you've got. A little more stress and disappointment. It doesn't matter because, "... He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people." (Heb 2:17)

Jesus died THROUGH all that mess and lived again on the other side. So we can rejoice our brains out because of that one little, seemingly insignificant conjunction, 'but'.

Whew!! And I plan on doing just that for all of eternity.

Read This!!

Here's an awesome article about the awesomeness of reading.

My Whirlwind of Happiness

This past week has been insane in the membrane. (Oh yes. I just said that.)

Literally, every single day on my calendar this week had at least one activity. That doesn't sound like a lot, I know. But some days there were more than two and when one has to organize feedings and naps and know that some of those will have to be rearranged and then in turn plan for the imminent backlash... it can get a little hairy.

But, Oh. Such wonderful activities they were! An extra tutoring session (a little extra dough, yay!), families crashing at our house for the wedding this weekend, a date at the park with friends, family coming to squeeze and love our sweet boy, dinner downtown with my love... it all added up to a din that made my pulse race a bit and my heart expand. In a good way.

Rushing this way and that is not a good routine to get into. But this week, ushering in the beeeautiful spring weather, I feel like I'm singing right along with these crazy birds - in a ecstatic burst of madness and gratefulness that the long winter is OVER!

Meditate, day and night.

I want this kid's love for God's Word.

Yes, I said 'kid'.

This is so cool... think about it.

Read in a comment box as I checked up on 22 Words this morning:

... Dreams, to me, help me grasp infinity.

How else could my brain have an hour-long dream that culminates in a plot point involving a noise that ends up being my alarm clock, the little device that is ringing after I hit snooze nine minutes ago?

How can an hour in my brain fit into nine minutes of "real time"? - reader, Rob Hulson

Handsome Boy

How can I love him SO much? And how is it that my love for him keeps growing??

James, Our Beauty Queen

He's such a pro at waving, that he just does it ALL THE TIME. Also, check out the clapping and the *sort of* pulling up!

Snugglin' with Poppa

Forgotten God

What the soul is in our body, the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, which is the church. - St. Augustine

In reading Chan's Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of The Holy Spirit, God has put into me a fresh and new yearning to be filled with His Spirit. Not just one time, but continually, day in and day out. With every diaper change and (unwanted) face-wipe of food gunk. With every stroke and sniff of his sweet head. With every desperate prayer that, "Oh God, draw his little heart to you." Every seemingly dull moment of my new and young motherhood is suddenly transformed in the light of living in the power of not my strength but His.

It's exciting. It's different. It's terrifying.

For some, it's going to a foreign country to daily risk life and limb to further God's kingdom and tell strangers about the Gospel. For all I know, that could be us in a few years. But for today, March 3, 2010, I need the same Spirit in order to love this little boy. To feed him green beans and peaches. And to feed him the truth that his Momma loves him no matter what.

It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even diobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes. It's safer to commit to following him someday instead of this day. -Page 120

That's my prayer - that I would be desperate for the Holy Spirit's leading every minute of my day. Not for me, but for His Body. For His Church.

"So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church" 1 Cor. 14:12

Cut the Cut!

I'm not very politically savvy or as active as a responsible citizen probably should be, but this hits home directly affecting people that I love.

I emailed some representatives this morning for my small voice to be heard against these proposed budget cuts of the Dept. of Disabilities and Special Needs. I've linked you to a response letter from the DDSN that outlines why these cuts are so frightening.

Long story short, it would put thousands of South Carolinians without their crucial services. This includes children that receive essential therapies and services. Click here if you'd like to email SC reps, too.

James, at 8 months:

• is still ooching/inchworming around. Every once in a while, he'll fully extend his arms and hold the crawling position. He's taking his time and I'm totally fine with that!
• is still sleeping well. We had about a week where he was sleeping straight from 6:30 pm until 9:00 am. He's since gone back to waking up around 7:30, but MAN, that was crazy. I'd like to think that he was making up for his first 6 months of life.
• has started to squeal more and I absolutely love it. Even if he's whining, it's just so cute to me.
• thinks it's HILarious to 'raspberry' his food out of his mouth. If you're the lucky one feeding him, it's not always so funny.
• has added puff snacks to his diet. Also, graham crackers, but that was of his own volition: one of mine that dropped to the floor. Nice.
• has no thought or regard for Momma when Daddy gets home. The squeals, the jumping, the reaching, the grasping, the nuzzling. It's absolutely, positively, Daddy Time with no exceptions. I love it.
• has taken his first baths by himself in the tub and loves it!
• is slowly, but surely getting used to an apple juice bottle during meal times. It's been a long road, this bottle battle... but I'm pretty sure I'm winning. Gotta get some weight on this bod.

My precious boy. My sweet love. My 8 month Daymer-doo.