Life Update - So many changes!

In the voice of Chandler Bing, "Could there be any more life changes??"  That pretty much sums up the next few weeks of our lives!  When it rains it pours :)  

Upcoming Life Changes:

July 27 - I start back as a 3rd grade teacher at River Bend, where I taught before Luca was born.  

July 27 - Luca starts daycare!  Ahhhh, so many emotions about this one!

July 31 - We close on our house, and Lord willing we close on the house we are buying the same day (pending some inspection related negotiating).

August 5ish - We move into our new house after painting, cleaning, and some repairs are done.  

We have been praying for wisdom about me staying home or going back to work for several months now.   I don't regret my decision to stay home for the first year of Luca's life, because I had no idea how becoming a mother would affect me, both physically and emotionally (and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, a thyroid disease, after Luca was born, which comes with a long list of symptoms that aren't exactly fun).  Let's just say it was a rough first 6 months, and there's no way I could have gone back at the time my maternity leave would have had me go back.  

But now things are getting better, and after many months of praying for wisdom specifically for our financial situation, we have some answers!  The daycare we wanted Luca to go to had an opening the same exact day of the first day my job would start.  I accepted the job, signed Luca up for daycare (well, we are still working on the 10 billion papers to fill out...), and it's all official!  And I'm really excited to rejoin some of the same wonderful teammates that I taught with at RBES!  :)  

We are pretty nervous about so many changes happening all at once, but we serve a God who is constant in the midst of any change, which brings so much comfort.  When I've been sad about leaving our house and getting a new one, Alex reminds me that our family is what creates our home, and wherever we are together, that will be our home :)  

So, the next few weeks will be crazy, but hopefully crazy good.  Prayers are appreciated!

My Journey Through Cynicism

I came across this article:  "Is Christian Cynicism a Spiritual Sickness?" this morning.  It is good.  And it close-to-perfectly describes me lately.  Lately, as in the last few years.  I couldn't put it into words adequately, until I read the article.  It helped me get to the bottom of a few things, including my own cynicism, how it began, and where I go from here.

My Struggle:
I can't pinpoint exactly when my journey away from joy and trust and into cynicism began.  I can, however, articulate the mindset shift that started it all.  Maybe I was watching a tv show where they made fun of Christians for the millionth time.  Maybe another friend or relative made a comment about my ignorance for believing the Bible.  Either way, I had this eye-opening moment where I realized, truly, how the world views Christians.  I realized people think we are dumb.  Like, completely 100% ignorant.  There's very little respect for people who trust in Jesus, and who believe the Bible to be true, therefore adhere to its teaching.

It snowballed from there.  I'm an observer, and once I realized this, I dwelled (dwelt?) on it a lot.  Have you ever had a friend come visit your home or your city for the first time?  And you see it through totally different eyes, and you imagine what they might think of it?  I began to do that with my faith.  

I started to constantly think of what others must think of me, of what I would say.  On Sunday mornings I would sing along, and as I was attempting to worship, these thoughts would enter my brain:  "What would ________ think of these words?  In what way would _________ combat what I'm saying?  How would _________ put me down for believe this?"  And yes, there were specific people in my head.  

As Facebook has become a huge part of most people's lives, so would my thoughts of what my FB friends would think of things I might post there.  Anytime I would think of something that I believe could be an encouragement to other people who believe the Bible, I would immediately scroll through a mental list of which people will think I'm dumb, ignorant, naive, politically incorrect, or even hateful for sharing it.  And then I would usually make the conscious decision not to share it.

This cynicism isn't working for me.  My joy has been replaced by constant thoughts and fears about how I am perceived by people in my life who believe differently.  I have been deeply hurt by comments others have made to me regarding my faith.  There are many Christians around the world as I type this who are suffering unspeakable things for their faith.  I think of these believers each night as I go to bed warm in my comfortable bed, and I pray desperately for them, and I pray that if I'm ever in a situation such as theirs, that God will sustain me, just as He is now.  

Words hurt.  They wound deeply, and although I am not experiencing persecution in the true physical sense of the word, I do think ridicule is painful, and I think Satan can ultimately use both physical pain and the fear of ridicule or not being accepted as a means to attempt to destroy faith.  Christians in America who aren't experiencing "persecution" like our brothers and sisters around the world must still be JUST as desperate in prayer for our own faith.  We succumb to pressures to be silent and not share our hope all the time.  Many times, we give in and do not share.  That is where I have been for several years.

I tell myself that I'm not ashamed of the gospel, of Jesus, of His words and message, that I simply don't want to be lumped in with a group of people who others think are stupid.  But that is an extremely fine line.  Actually, I don't know if there is a line, just a gray area, and one day you wake up and realize that your life, actions, and words (or lack of words) show that you actually are ashamed of the gospel.  God, forgive me.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."  Romans 1:16-17

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'  Where is the one who is wise?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the debater of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe."  1 Corinthians 1:18-21

Also, Job 38-42.  Just find it and read it.  

I am not interested in arguing, and I would definitely be the world's worst apologist.  People are saved when the Spirit moves and draws them near.  Sometimes that's through apologetics-style conversations, sometimes not.  I am NOT good at those conversations, although that doesn't mean I should never have them.  I'd like to start, however, with sharing my own story of what God has done in my life.

My Story:
I have not blindly accepted any of the things I believe.  A common misconception is that a Christian is simply a Christian because they are born into a Christian family.  My faith was not something I simply got from my parents or others who I was close to.  Yes, this is where I first learned of God, Jesus, the gospel, where these seeds were first planted.  But let me tell you, I am a thinker.  I think ALL the time, my wheels are always turning.  Just ask my husband, it drives him nuts :)  I think deeply and logically about any new idea that comes my way, and that included salvation and all that it meant (and still means).

It was in high school where I first understood the very basics of the gospel.  I understood I was a sinner, I was not a good person, and I needed Jesus to save me.  Even though on the outside I was a "decent person," I had very real sin in my life.  I was terrible to my mother, very disrespectful.  I liked to rationalize it away, but the reality is that it was sin, I was wrong, and I was separated from God because of it and so many other things.  This is where I truly identified myself with Christ, trusting Him only for my salvation, and not in my own good deeds, which the Bible says were like filthy rags anyway.

In college, I continued to grow in my faith, to learn, to read the Bible.  The seeds of truth that were planted in high school had taken root and were growing deep.  Then 2004 happened.  I came home for Christmas break, unsuspecting that anything would be different than it had been my whole life.  We had Christmas as a family, and things were normal as 2003 came to a close.  While I was home, God revealed to me two things from His word and I understood salvation in an entirely new way.  I was reading the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den.  Most people have heard it as kids, if you went to any VBS or church situation.  As I read, it was truly like I had a covering over my eyes before, and suddenly everything made sense.  In my mind's eye, I saw Daniel being thrown in, and these awful ravenous beasts ready to destroy him, yet Daniel was able to say the next morning, "My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him."  Amazing.  When I read the next thing that happened, I was in awe. "Those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions - they, their children, and their wives.  And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones to pieces."  

As I read this, I was weeping as I understood for the first time that God's wrath is real, that those who aren't covered by the blood of Jesus will experience it, and that I have escaped it, because of what my beautiful Jesus has done.  I'm not a scholar, I'm not saying that the lions necessarily represent God's wrath in the historical account of the book of Daniel, but in the moment where I read Daniel 6, I saw that the mouth of God's wrath was shut toward me, as those lions mouths were shut, and that if it wasn't that way, I'd be devoured.  We all deserve a great punishment for our sin, and I had been spared!  What an awe-inspiring thing!  This 10 minute period of my life was more monumental than any other moment has ever been.  God was preparing me.  

Just months later, I would undergo the greatest trial I had ever known.  My family as I had always known it was completely destroyed.  My parents divorced, and months later, my mom passed away.  I have no siblings, so I was alone in my pain.  Have you ever been lonely?  The word lonely seems so inadequate to describe the depths of what I experienced that year.  I also have never experienced the sweetness of God in such ways as I did that year.  After reading Daniel, cement was poured that day over my faith, making it sure and steady.  Every other thing was ripped away from me that year, yet my faith stood strong.  Since that year, I've been slowly rebuilding the pieces of my heart, and I'm not without scars.  But one thing I have learned:  God is faithful and He is good.

Even as I write this, cynical thoughts are already creeping in, saying, "People will argue with you, because you're citing the Bible, and if they don't believe the Bible, then the conservation will go nowhere."  This is probably true, but my silence about what I believe and why I love Jesus stops here.  Think me ignorant if you will, but I will not be ashamed of my God, my beautiful Savior, for one second more.  

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."  Galatians 1:10

"So Jesus said to the Twelve, 'Do you want to go away as well?'  Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'"  John 6:68-69

Luca's Half Birthday!

Our little guy has really grown so much these last 6 months!!  Time is crazy.  It can seem so long or so short depending on what's going on around you.   People say it flies by when you have a little one, and I'm sure that will be true as I look back later, but these 6 months have felt more like a year.  I feel like God has really helped me have a good perspective, not to wish it away, but to enjoy the moments (even the tough ones), because they will zoom by.  Probably once he's on the move time will seem to speed up a lot more than the first 6 months.

Here's a little summary of the last six months since Luca came around:

2 Days before we met Luca, on our way to
our last "preparing for childbirth" class.
FYI:  It didn't help me that much!

Luca's First Day:
July 10, 2014
5 lbs. 5 oz. 19 in.

Random tidbit- My mom had me 3 weeks early on a Thursday at 7:24 pm.  I had Luca 3 weeks early on a Thursday at 7:26 pm.  Crazy!  I wish my mom could have been there to walk through everything with me, and tell me her birth story one more time, but I know even in loss God provides what we need when we need it.  I had sweet friends visit, check on me, and my husband was so awesome and helpful during labor.  

Month 1 - What the Heck Are We Doing

Zombie Papa

Zombie Mama

Luca pulled a bait and switch after about a week.  We knew nothing about babies in general anyway, and I can remember when he was about 5 days old watching a movie in our room while he slept in the pack and play beside the bed.  Cue the Staples phrase, "That was easy."  Ha.  Hahahaha.  Luca did a 180 about 2 days later, started crying, and didn't really stop until he was about 13-14 weeks old.  Rough.  Again, I fought really hard not to wish the time away.  Looking back, there are a few things I would do differently, but for the most part, I think we came out the other side of The Baby Fog pretty much in one piece.

Highlights from Luca's first month:
-I watched every single episode of Downton Abbey Season 4, NY Med, and Boston Med while I fed Luca or pumped in the middle of the night.
-I was so mad that when my child was finally sleeping a little bit longer (like 4 hours instead of 3), I would still have to get up and pump.  Seriously, to me, in that moment, nothing was worse.
-I would wake up, even when he was sleeping well, dreaming that he was smothered in blankets or I was crushing him (we don't co-sleep, so my dreams weren't even possibly happening, but I woke up so panicked every time.
-We were super thankful for the people who brought us a meal - our community group and several other friends were so generous and thoughtful towards us, and it was awesome not to spend too much time thinking about what we were going to eat
-Luca weighed 7 lbs. 8.5 ounces at his 1 month checkup.


Month 2 - There Are No Words
Whew.  Luca's second month was the height of his fussiness.  This was also the month Alex started working two jobs and my dog of 15  years, Poucha, had to be put to sleep.  I think these pictures sum up how we all felt about Month 2.

Highlights from Luca's second month:
-He weighed 9 lbs. 4.5 oz. at his 2 month weight check.
-He cried a lot.

Hulking Out

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Month 3 - Emerging from the Cocoon of Chaos

Highlights from Luca's third month:

-He finally smiled!

-He started sleeping through the night 7 pm to 7 am with a dream feed around 11 pm!  

-We had our first scary moment when we had to take him to the ER for spitting up blood.  Thankfully he ended up being fine, it was just a precursor to my mastitis that developed a few weeks later.

-He was baby Batman on Halloween.  We ate at BurgerFi.  When you're baby is too young to remember things, you commemorate holidays by doing things you like to do :)  

-After he had escaped every possible swaddle known to babies, Luca must have heard the rumor that if babies roll onto their faces while they're swaddled they get to stop being swaddled.  So that's what he did.  It only took a few days for him to adjust to sleeping unswaddled, and all was well.

-Luca weighed 9 lbs. 14.5 oz. at his 3 month checkup.

"I'm Batman."

Smiles!  What a beautiful sight!

Sweet sick boy after our ER visit

Month 4 - We Have Arrived

Highlights from Luca's fourth month:

-We re-introduced formula.  He wasn't gaining weight well at all suddenly (which I'm pretty sure was a result of the mastitis I mentioned earlier), so Alex worked really hard at getting him to take a bottle, and after about 3 days of attempts + the purchase of one bottle warmer (thanks for the idea Amy Moseley!) he became a pro.  :)

-Luca dropped his dreamfeed.  I went in one night, he wouldn't wake up to nurse, and that was that.  I never did it again, and he kept sleeping all night.  Woo hoo!

-Since crying had previously taken up so much of his time, he now has a lot of extra time on his hands to be very, very silly and cute.

-Luca weighed 10 lbs. 4 ounces at his checkup.  

Goofy baby

More silly faces :)

Month 5 - He's Gaining Weight!

Highlights from Luca's fifth month:
-Luca's first Thanksgiving was spent with our friends the Breges.  It was laid back, fun, and the food was yummy :)
-Our friend Lauren stayed with Luca while we went out to celebrate our anniversary with a yummy steak at Hayes Barton Cafe.  It was so good to get an evening out!
-Luca weighed 12 lbs. 6 oz. (gaining 4 times as much as he had gained the previous month)!  I know nursing is great and free and best for babies, but I'm thankful for the development of formula so that babies can still be healthy when nursing issues come up.

Tummy time is fun.
Well, not really, but mirrors help :)

On our anniversary date :)

Month 6 - Half a Year Already!

Highlights from Luca's sixth month:
-Alex and I got another date night out thanks to our friend Corrinna.  We went to see The Hobbit for Alex's birthday.  We love to go to movies, mostly for the popcorn, and we hadn't been to see one since Luca was born.  It was fun, even though I'm not a fan of LOTR movies generally.  I'm coming around a little, since Alex is good about explaining and I can appreciate the spiritual undertones.
-My dad came for Luca's first Christmas, and we had a good time together celebrating Jesus and his coming to earth to save sinners.  Luca LOVES his Grandpa Dan, and the two of the got some quality time together :)
-Luca will start some rice cereal this week and move on from there to solids.  My baby is growing up!  He loves standing up in his exersaucer and watching Rupert.  It's like a diver in a cage - he can play with Rupert without fear of consequences :)
-Luca currently weighs in at a whopping 13 lbs and is 25 inches long.

Meeting my dad at the airport :)

Yay!  Grandpa is here! 

Alex doesn't like a whole lot of
hoopla for his bday.  I made him a
Nestle Crunch "cake," since that's
just about the only dessert he likes.
The rice is there so the candles
will stand up on the plate...
clearly we're not Pinterest people.

We also couldn't find our lighter, so he
pretended to blow out the candles for
me to get a picture of him with Luca.
My husband is such a good sport :)

If you read this particular blog post, you are probably either family or a very patient and sweet friend of ours ;)  This recollection of events of the last 6 months will help me when I eventually fill in that cute baby book I bought that is collecting dust somewhere in the house.  Baby brain is (almost) as bad as pregnancy brain, and I don't want to forget the details of our sweet baby boy's first 6 months!

I leave you with the month-by-month pictures I took of Luca in the little stick-on ties I got from Etsy: