Illustration

Last night Kwacha and I had some of our favorite younger people over - Alyssa, Parker and Reagan!  All three of them were in our wedding.  We found out that Parker's fave place to eat is Jimmy Dean's.  (Our friend, Lisa, said that this is why discipleship is important.  ;)  So for his belated birthday present, we took him and his sisters there for dinner and then they came over to our place for games and baking.  (Pumpkin cookies to be exact.)

After the baking, Reagan asked for some paper so she could draw.  Later on she asked for some tape so she could...tape.  When their mom came to pick them up she handed me a "package." 

 

Inside were some pictures and notes she made for us. 

After they left and Kwacha and I were just sitting on the couch, Kwacha started talking about Reagan's package and how sweet it is.  We know she made it for us because she loves us.  It's not perfect; the tape was sticking out, the pictures are simple, but we know the heart behind it and that's what made it sweet. 

Kwacha was saying that it's like us with God.  We seek to please Him in obedience, but it's not perfect.  Our righteousness is like filthy rags, but if we've put our trust in His Son and seek to honor Him, he sees our hearts.  It's a good test for me.  Am I doing what I do, seeking to honor Jesus because I love Him so much?  Or am I doing what I do to seek His favor, to try to earn something?

Reagan's pictures were mainly of fruit and butterflies and pizza, but she also drew something else.  I don't know if you can see it below.  It's right below the pizza.

 

I asked if Reagan wrote "donut".  (I assumed that's what "donet" meant.)  She said "No, it's 'done' with a cross."

I just liked how that summed up what Kwacha said last night.  And I didn't really think about it until this morning.  Jesus has already done it all on the cross.  Now we just get to obey Him in love.

 

And here's what Alyssa was doing while Reagan was drawing.

 

Taking pictures of my silly faces.

 

 

 

Hubba Hubby

 

I've written a lot about the cute little peanut on the way lately, but nothing about my amazing husband.  (And I don't know about you, but I kinda think he looks like a model in the picture up there.)

 

 

I don't even know where to start in explaining to you the kind of man he is.  (Is it bad to brag about your husband?)

 

Anyway, I will just start with a list of things that I have come to love and appreciate about him.  Things I have discovered since we've been married.  Well, I'm sure I saw hints of some of these things before we were even married.

 

• He makes dinner for us when I'm tired.
• He helps me do the dishes.
• Sometimes he even helps me cook.
• He is a really good communicator.
• He helps keep me calm.  A couple of my friends in high school used to call me "Spaz." Not a nickname I appreciated at all, but if I'm being honest, it was true.  I still tend to spaz out if I see a bug in our apartment, or I drop a glass bowl, or I spill something all over the floor.  At other times my temper will come out and Kwacha is just really good at nipping it and reminding me why I DON'T NEED TO FREAK OUT!  (Except he never yells at me.)
• He never yells at me.
• He. doesn't. snore. Seriously!  Read that again!  I used to joke about how if someone ever proposed to me, before responding I would ask if they snore.  When I was younger and our family went on vacation and had to share a hotel room, my dad would snore and I...would cry.  Literally.  I also hate wearing ear plugs.  Seriously, why is God so kind to me.
• He makes sure I eat correctly.  Which is important with ulcerative colitis and gestational diabetes.  I don't always like it at the time, but in the long run I'm very thankful.
• He's affectionate.
• He prays for our daughter.
• He always prays for family/friends at dinner.
• He insists I call him if I ever get home late at night so that he can meet me outside before I get out of my car.
• He thinks and cares about other people. 
• He likes match-making as much as I do.  ;)
• He'll watch shows and movies I like.  Including some chick flicks. 
• He's a leader.  He is faithful to make sure we read together.  Right now it's Proverbs. 
• He seeks after wisdom.
• He is wise!
• He thinks before he speaks and acts.
• He carries the grocery bags, or anything remotely heavy, for me.

Okay, this is even easier than I thought it would be.  It's just flowing.  So I'll stop there for now.  But I can always make another list!  ;)

 

I love you, Kwacha!

Mad About...

Pregnancy!

You better not be thinking that my baby looks like an alien.  (Okay actually you totally can, because I sure think she does right now.)  A friend at work thought her face was her whole body, but that's actually her arms and belly below her face.  I know these things can be hard to decipher.

 

Can I just say that I l.o.v.e. LOVE being pregnant?  I kinda always thought I would but wasn't sure.  I mean -- throwing up, having no energy, gaining weight that can be hard to lose, not to mention the PAIN of CHILDBIRTH!! what's so great about that?  But seriously, so far I have loved every (pretty much) minute of it.

 

By the way, totally lied up there.  I have not always thought I would love it.  When I was a kid I was freaked out at the thought of giving birth.  I had seen enough movies at a young age of women giving birth.  No thanks.  Adoption for me!  I really did tell my mom that I would adopt when I grew up.

However, the older I grew and the more I understood what an amazing thing pregnancy is, I couldn't wait.  I mean, really folks, a tiny little person grows INSIDE of you!  They feed off you, they call your belly home, and they live in there for 9 months!  It's crazy!  Kwacha is just fascinated by the idea that a baby's safest place is it's mothers womb.  You'd think with where technology is today (and it is pretty amazing how they can keep 24 week old babies alive now), they might even do better outside.  But God has created the perfect little environment for these sweet little things.

 

The "profile" shot.  It's really not, the sonographer couldn't get a good profile shot, but I like how she's waving.  :)

 

I know I might feel a little differently in about 20 weeks when I'm not getting any sleep at night but right now I can't wait to meet her. 

 

Here's a full body shot, head on the left, legs on the right.  She's about the length of a banana here head to toe.

 

And, I'm sorry if anyone finds the following inappropriate but....

 

...proof she's a girl!

 

The sonographer told us that in ultrasound school her teacher taught them that when looking for gender, for a girl you look for a hamburger (three lines).  Well, there it is!

I am so thankful that God would allow us to become parents and I pray that she would continue to do well in there so that we can meet her!  His sovereignty is always wise and good, so matter what happens, I am so thankful for the experience He's given us so far!

 

Seek Jesus!

C. H. Spurgeon*** August 23*** Love and Seek True Wisdom*** I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. (Proverbs 8:17) Wisdom loves her lovers and seeks her seekers. He is already wise who seeks to be wise, and he has almost found wisdom who diligently seeks her. What is true of wisdom in general is specially true of wisdom embodied in our Lord Jesus. Him we are to love and to seek, and in return we shall enjoy His love and find Himself. Our business is to seek Jesus early in life. Happy are the young whose morning is spent with Jesus! It is never too soon to seek the Lord Jesus. Early seekers make certain finders. We should seek Him early by diligence. Thriving tradesmen are early risers, and thriving saints seek Jesus eagerly. Those who find Jesus to their enrichment give their hearts to seeking Him. We must seek Him first, and thus earliest. Above all things Jesus. Jesus first and nothing else even as a bad second. The blessing is that He will be found. He reveals Himself more and more clearly to our search.... Happy men who seek One who, when He is found, remains with them forever, a treasure growingly precious to their hearts and understandings. Lord Jesus, I have found Thee; be found of me to an unutterable degree of joyous satisfaction.

Reception Pt. 2

Reception