In the meantime

The announcement that they were expecting was adorable. The added twist in the announcement saying that they were expecting twins made it even more delightful, for it is not every day that the Facebook algorithm brings up a "we're expecting twins" announcement! I'm truly happy for the couple who is now awaiting the arrival of not one, but two precious little ones!  But along with the joy in my heart came a twinge of sadness: my heart couldn't help but think back to the time, four years ago now in March, when we were also expecting twins. The thrill of finding out we were expecting was only heightened by the discovery that there were two! For somewhere between 5 1/2 and 12 weeks, I carried our two little treasures, created in God's image and precious in His sight.  But then there was no more growth. There was no more life. The twins were no longer with us. God had taken them from us.  In these bittersweet moments of joy tarnished by sadness, Scrip...

As I write this, we are in the process of breaking Talitha of her pacifier. We're taking one baby step at a time: right now we're trying to limit it to just during the night or nap times. We've been making a game out of throwing it back into her bed after her nap and, many times, she is  a willing participant in our little game. However, as the day progresses, she often casually wanders back into her room and looks and points quite longingly and excitedly at the pacifier lying there in her bed, lost among all the blankets.  I'm not sure what exactly goes through her mind, but it must be something along the lines of "Oh, I just wish I could have that. Mommy, look! There it is! I can see it! Do you see it? It sure would be so nice if I could just have it! Please, oh please!"  The longer she looks at it, the more desperate she becomes.   Sometimes she even throws a fit about it.  "Oh, Mommy, please? I really, really want it."  ...

 Now that I have read the book myself, I can see why Girl, Wash Your Face  is all the rage these days: who doesn't want to be told that nothing stands between you and success? Who doesn't want to be told that you're in control and doing everything right? Who doesn't want to be told that everything for a "better you" lies within you? Yes, in Girl, Wash Your Face,  Rachel Hollis tells her readers all of this and more with her sometimes almost-too-honest style of writing. (Which, by the way, is another significant appeal of the book.) Sure, every so often there are bits of truth that a person might find helpful. Bits such as the truth that we don't have to live up to the expectations of those around us. Or that our happiness isn't found in our surroundings. Or that we are all different, so we all have different strengths and weaknesses and should, consequently, embrace each other's differences. Not only that, but we aren't here on thi...

Whether they're big or small, we all have expectations:     We expect the mail to come every day of the work-week.      We expect our children to obey us.     We expect our fridges to be filled with food and our houses to be warm during the cold winter months.     We expect others to treat us with respect.      We expect exercise and healthy eating habits to help us keep our weight down.      We expect those around us to be there for us when we need them.      We expect life to be filled with joy and happiness.  And when our expectations aren't met, then what?   Sometimes the sting, disappointment, and pain of unmet expectations go deep, way deeper than we ever thought they would. We realize how much importance we were putting on the fulfillment of those particular expectations to bring us joy in life.  We also discover (whether we want to or not) t...

Awhile back, I mentioned using Journibles.   Have I mentioned how much I like them?!? I've recently finished my Galatians-2 Thessalonians  Journible. This is the first time that I've used a Journible for more than a few days and haven't gotten side-tracked. The more I journible , the more I love it and appreciate the simplicity of the concept of copying down Scripture.  I don't know about you, but no matter how many times I've been instructed in the steps of Bible study--Observe, Interpret, Apply--it is still a complicated and confusing process, and one that quickly overwhelms me. Maybe I'm dense, maybe it is my personality, or maybe it is just my learning style. Whatever it is, I need help in simplifying these steps in my mind, and I think Journibles  have helped to do just that Here's why I love the concept behind  J ournible-ing :  1. It slows me down  Because the idea is to copy down every single word of the passage, I not only ...

The Swans are not Silent  is a series of biographies by John Piper, written with the purpose of reminding us of faithful heroes of the faith who have gone before us so that we might learn from them.  Each book is a compilation of three biographical sketches; each book also has a specific theme that is highlighted throughout the individual biographies.  As Piper shares in the Preface to Contending for Our All, "I am deeply thankful to God that the swans are not silent, and that the list of faith-inspiring heroes in Hebrews 11 did not end with the New Testament. God has worked through the lives of countless saints of whom we should say, 'Though they died, they still speak' (cf. Hebrews 11:4)." (page 9) I recently read three books from this series: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy,   Contending for Our All, and Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ (books one, four, and five, respectively.) The undeniably devotional-like quality of these books was an incredib...

Happy Birthday! Thank you for teaching me more about politics. Thank you for teaching me about finances and frugal living.  Thank you for joining me in conversations about analyzing obituaries.  Thank you for wading through all those inheritance borders in the book of Joshua during our evening Bible reading. Thank you for going to work each day without complaining.  Thank you for loving our Little Girl.  Thank you for how your enthusiasm in reading is slowly rubbing off on me.  Thank you for being a shoulder to cry on.  Thank you for never even questioning whether or not we should go to church on Sunday. Thank you for loving the Body of Christ and for being committed to the local church.  Thank you for loving God and helping me learn to love Him more.  Thank you for being my incredibly quirky and goofy husband.  Thank you for encouraging me to keep studying God's Word.  Thank you for not beating around the bus...