My Life

Hi friends! I'm not even sure who all of you are...

I miss this blog. Since August 3rd my life has consisted of nursing, changing, and sleeping my little one. With tons and tons of love I've never known before intertwined with all of that. I'm taking 3 classes - adding a fourth starting in October - trying to keep up with HSL as much as I can and somehow not forgetting that before all of these things, I am a wife. So, as it may be obvious by this point - the blog has taken a back seat. A far back seat. Well, lets call it a no seat.

But - I really miss this blog. There are tons of things churning around inside of me (and not just because I mistakenly ate a chinese sauce with seasame seeds in it last night - ouch!). So I want to TRY to be faithful to update this blog at least once a week. My Amira and I recently spent a whole day reading old blogs/journals/etc - and it was exciting to track our spirtual journey - and in a way I miss recording mine to share with others. So here are the things on mind as of late:

1. Hope Group. I've been feeling lately as though I really want to get back involved with community. I asked Matt if we could join a Hope Group - or, start one. I asked him a couple weeks ago...then let it slide. Then I brought up the idea of maybe revisiting the one we left, but something about that group didn't settle right with us. Something has told us for the past year that it isn't where we belong. So, I thought maybe we should start one. I thought maybe we could invite HSLers. I was a bit nervous - what if no one comes? But then, of course, divine appointment. Our dearest Reid and Laura were talking about how they were looking for a Hope Group - and we talked about it at our Wii party - and decided that starting an intentionally spiritual gathering with the people we already know and love made the most sense. Here - I felt God moving. Yes! Lets pray together, commune together and get in each other's faces about our marriages and walks with God. Lets hold each other accountable, let us laugh and cry and form deep, deep bonds together, deeper even than what has been in the making for the past 5 years. yes - my whole being cries yes to this. And thus, Monday night group. So. Thankful. This past Monday we prayed together and for one another and shared a little bit about what we want in a group. From here on out - we are the group.

2. Sometime back, I was thinking about how I would love to live in another country. Combine this thought with really wanting to know the consequences of my every day actions - as in, I want to be responsible for what I do - not make mindless, uninformed decisions. Part of this started with The Omnivore's Dilemma after my nurtrition class last fall - and part of it stems from just plain NOT knowing so much. Who is adversly affected by my actions? Yes the planet - I care about that - but not just that as much as other people. From the clothes I by and the food I eat and how it is prepared. I want to learn more about that. Stemming from THIS thought (it really is quite the chain) comes the idea of living wisely monetarily. Enter Simple Mom. I love this blog. She frequently writes about not consuming mindlessly and ALSO about how to love your husband/family well. Perfect! A woman after my own heart! (Could this be another Lady in Waiting in the making!?!!?) So - I have a long way to go - but I just want to share that I have been thinking about it.

3. Loving people WELL and by doing so - sharing Christ with them. I want people who don't know the love of Christ to experience it and then crave it and know they can't live without it. Yup. That's it. Simple mission. All consuming sometimes. I want to be ever aware of how Matt and I can serve and love those around us.

4. Zoe. My sweet, sweet Zoe. She gets more fun every day! I'm completely in love with her and I want to be faithful to pray how 1. I can serve her and 2. I can raise her w/Matt to rely on God. I frequently pray that she would be loving of people - all people, especially the forgotten and rejected - and in being so would bring many people to Christ. I pray for her sweet spirit and that she would abide in peace. I want to know how to work together with God to cultivate these things in her - and I think, know, am convicted of the idea that it must largely be by example!

Matt just got home!!! Time to hug! <3