Hope...

Have you ever prayed for something for a really long time? Have you ever been burdened to pray for something that you had no hope of actually becoming a reality? Do you wonder why you still pray when there doesn't seem to be any hope? Well, I'm here to encourage you to keep on keeping on, my friends. We serve an awesome God and he is mighty to save.

Most of you know, I became a Christian six months after I was married. God used Dan's family and I was basically loved into the kingdom. I never felt judged by them but loved and accepted. They modeled Christ's love and made it possible for me to see God's love for me. I came to a place where I surrendered my life and my walk with Christ began.

Soon after I began my relationship with Christ, I felt like God was telling me I needed to pray for my mom. Specifically, pray that she would accept Christ. If I'm truthful, this seemed like crazy talk to me. She was SO far from God and surrender wasn't in her vocabulary. As a new Christian, in my zeal and excitement, I pushed too hard when talking about God and burned that bridge with her. I didn't feel like I could talk about God without harm to the relationship. God made it clear that my great insights were not going to save my mom. I couldn't save her because only he could and he needed me to back off. So, I agreed to pray but reminded him that it would indeed take a miracle to win my mom.

Over the last 13 years, I would see signs that her heart was softening but then those moments would pass and with it my hope. I would struggle with how much to say. Should I be bold and proclaim his truth or hold my tongue? Does she see something different in my life? Does she see Christ in me? Lord, please give wisdom and your words to say!

My sister informed me a few weeks ago that my mom was reading the Bible I sent to her and was attending church on Sundays. I was excited but didn't want to get my hopes up because I've been here before. Then the shocker came last Monday when my sister let me know that my mom had been baptized. I was speechless. My mom got on the phone and confirmed it. I had a great conversation with her about God, what he is teaching her, and how she is trying to trust him. What? She is reading her Bible everyday and praying. What, what? It seems like a dream and SO surreal. I got off the phone and just stood in my kitchen with no words to say. I was in awe of the God of the universe. He is real. He is at work. He loves us.

So...

Have you been praying for something for a really long time? Have you been burdened to pray for something that you have no hope of actually becoming a reality? Do you wonder why you still pray when there doesn't seem to be any hope? Well, I'm here to encourage you to keep on keeping on, my friends. We serve an awesome God and he is mighty to save.

Counting with Luke

Luke was counting the other day and I was mighty impressed...
"thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight, thirty nine, thirty ten"
That, my friends, makes me laugh.

5 months!

Maddie is five months old today. Crazy! She is still pretty laid back, her default setting is smiling, and she can now roll from her back to her stomach. This was a bittersweet milestone for me. I know there is no where to go but forward from here. She will continue to develop skills that will allow her to be more and more mobile which means more and more independence.

As my mother-in-law says, "The days are long but the years are short." This is SO true. We were up at 4 am yesterday morning due to the time change and it made for a very long day. However, I've watched Luke go from being a baby to a toddler to a little boy in what seems like a blink of an eye. I'm trying to cherish these moments because before I know it she will be gone with a family of her own.

Okay, enough of this serious stuff. Bring on the latest pics :)

3 months

4 months

5 months

I just love her crocked smile. Isn't she too young to be flashing that type of smile? She makes me laugh!

Road Conversations...

For those of you who have had the distinct pleasure of driving with me, you know that I view myself as not having road rage but as having road conversations with my fellow drivers. Sometimes people just need to be educated about the correct way to operate a vehicle. I do this not out of anger but out of care and concern for my fellow drivers. I know you peeps from the south feel the car horn is like yelling and cursing but it really is a great communication tool. A light tap of the horn can communicate things like:

"Hey, don't know if you noticed but the light has turned green and that means you can go. You're welcome :) "

- OR -

"Next time you decide to make a lane change, please look in your mirror and check to make sure you have enough space to enter said new lane. Also, a signal is a great way to let me know you would like to get into my lane. Thank you mighty kindly."

Now, sometimes an education lesson takes on a little different tone. For example, a month ago I was on an access road to get onto 285. It's an access road I used for three years when I lived in Dunwoody. I'm in the far left lane which can turn left or go straight. The light turns green and I accelerate. As I start to go straight, the lady in the lane to the right of me, decides she is going to turn left. Yes folks, I'm going straight and she is trying to turn left in front of me.

I slammed on my breaks when I realized what was happening and managed not to hit her. I'm not sure how I accomplished this feat but I'm thinking it was God's mercy. After I avoided hitting her, I did what anyone would do in that situation. I employed my horn (loud and long) to communicate to her that she was currently a danger to herself and others. I was totally shaking and my heart was pounding in my chest.

As I'm getting onto 285, I start to doubt myself. I start wondering if I was in the wrong. Had the DOT changed the lanes on that access road? Did I not pay attention to the signs because I'm so familiar with the area? OH NO, did I almost hit that poor lady?

These thoughts have been crossing my mind for the last month and I've really felt bad about it. Today I used the access road again. Well, see for yourself:

I wasn't at fault. I had read the signs correctly. Why do I automatically assume I'm in the wrong and beat myself up for a month about it? I have no answer to this question. I just know I will be more cautious in these types of situations. Just because I know I can turn left or go straight, doesn't mean the gal next to me does. Yikes!