Ashes

We sang this song this morning at the weekly chapel at Wycliffe. Today is Ash Wednesday, and although I've never really officially observed the Lenten season, I've been thinking about a lot of things related to Easter and its significance in my life lately. I've been thinking about the purpose of pain, the purpose of difficult seasons in life. Our culture does everything it can to medicate and "cure," fix, and mask periods of pain and hurt in our lives. But sometimes it seems like there's a bigger picture going on. I don't like hurting, I don't like pain, but I understand that sometimes it really is okay to feel and experience pain in our lives.

I'm thinking of all of this in light of the event that's fast approaching...bringing our baby boy into the world. There are so many thoughts I have about this, but this song touched my heart today and I wanted to share it with you. Especially the last verse...

"...from life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny..."



In Christ Alone
by Stewart Townsend and Keith Getty

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

*Disclaimer...Newsboys sings this song on their album "Adoration"...there are many other videos on Youtube that play their version, which is really good too. This video features one of the co-writers of the song on the piano.

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Oh Oncoming Joy!

Okay it's been about a month since we last posted on our blog, and that's been partially because I've wanted to update the layout as well since we hope to be having a few more visitors in the coming month or so. Hope you like the new look.

So what's been going on;
• Virginia is 34 weeks pregnant and more beautiful than ever. I can't believe how fast these 9 months have gone by. V has been amazing. I'm so proud of her and grateful for her. 6 more weeks left!
• Been getting ready for baby. Making/putting up curtains in our room and baby room is the main project for the week, as well as cleaning, shopping for baby stuff, reading, and a whole bunch of other things.
• Had childbirth class last saturday. Of the 20 couples in the class about 15 were having boys. Last night was an anesthesia information class that was very educational.
• Nothing new on my job situation. Still working 25 hours a week. Waiting to hear on about four jobs we have proposals out on.
• Going on a local vacation next weekend. We were hoping to get away sometime before baby came but it just didn't happen with job stuff, the holidays, and general life busyness. Thanks to LastMinuteTravels.com's promotion I was able to get us 2 nights at Disney's Yacht club resort for $2 which is a huge blessing.

Other than that things are pretty normal, or as normal as they can be in preparing for a new baby. Virginia and I are really grateful for your encouragement and friendship during this phase of our life. We are praying for a healthy baby and a healthy mommy. We are excited about sharing him with our family and friends. We are praying that our son grows up to love the Lord and be a witness for His Glory.

Yeah, we're pretty freaking excited! :-)

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New Rocker

My 30 week doc appointment was today and all is well. We start going every two weeks from here on out, hard to believe this little guy will be here in less than 3 months. Our lives have existed in 3 month intervals for the past few years with Andrew in school, it puts into perspective how little time we have until our new addition!

We have lots of work to do in the baby room since right now it just stores all of our miscellaneous moving stuff. I worked on getting things re-packed yesterday, and I have a feeling its going to get worse before it gets better. O-well...I know it will come together soon enough, and he won't really notice anyway.

For Christmas this year, my parents bought our rocking chair, so we've been looking around for the perfect one. We found one today! Here's a pic of what it looks like:

We ordered it in the same pattern fabric only pear green. Its the same brand of gliders that they have at Pickles in Ice Cream in Little Rock, which we were so excited to find here in Orlando. You can see the website on the picture above... www.bestchairs.com. We're decorating the baby room in brown and green, so this will be perfect. Thanks Mom and Dad!

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Bebe Stuff

I finally got around to posting our Thanksgiving pics on Facebook, but there are a few I wanted to put on the blog. We had such a great time visiting Whitney with my mom and dad and Julia. We went to see Whit dance in the New Orleans Ballet production of The Nutcracker. She was incredible, the star of the show. The Nutcracker is always a great experience for our fam since Whitney has been dancing in it since she was 3 or so. We had a wonderful weekend with them.

I had to post these pics, is this the cutest thing or what? Baby Steger is going to be a cute little Razorback in this outfit, I can't wait to put him in it. His Aunt Julia brought it for us... Thanks Aunt Julia!

Mom knitted these precious booties. She made them with yarn she bought about 10 years ago. She's been waiting for the perfect project for the yarn, and started making them as soon as we told her "its a boy!" I can't wait to bring him home from the hospital in these precious things!

And...here's me being a good girl and drinking my water. This is 26 weeks, time is flying by and we have SO much to do. The next major "to do" will be me organizing all of the hodge podge of boxes that are in the baby room now. 

Love,

V.

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a shadowbox winter

I've said this a few times a few times to a few people this week, but I'll say it again: It's been a really hard week. My company laid off several employees on tuesday thru thursday and dropped the majority of the remaining to part time. It was so hard saying goodbye to the friends that I've made and have enjoyed working with on a daily basis. I've felt sadness this week like I haven't experienced in a long time and it's not all work related. I've felt restless the past few weeks and feel like the firm hand of God is moving in my life in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. It's been hard but very good.

I've heard friends talk about how unstable they feel right now with fear in their voices and hands clasping tightly in hopes that they can keep their world from changing. But if there's one thing I've learned from this past year of financial worries, and housing issues, and the economy, and job uncertainty is that I as much as I want to act like I know what's going to happen, I have no clue -much less any control. I'm just amazed and discouraged sometimes by the ways we as Christians, myself included, can avoid dealing with the real issues and try and make things feel better than they are by repackaging the truth in a watered down form that's easier to swallow. especially when God has so much more Joy for us than we could ever imagine if we just let go.

I'm so grateful for Mitch and Kathy Jackson. I feel like we have experienced true community with them in new ways that directly stem from their willingness to be open to what change God may have for their life. Their friendship is more precious than gold to us and I don't think we'll ever be able to repay them for the multitude of ways God has blessed us with their servant hearts.

VA and I have been processing a lot lately in our preparations for this little one who we're so excited to welcome into our world. I pray for him daily that he will be healthy and grow strong and most importantly develop a relationship with the God of the Universe who is forming him in Virginia's womb as we speak. My son, I look forward to showing you His beauty in the Ozark mountains, His expanse in the Atlantic Ocean, His imagination in the ever changing sky, and His great Love which is found in the Word, and in the value of friendship, and in the commitment of his parents, and in the cold winter nights when Orion is pointing you home.

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Our Boy!!

We had our big ultrasound yesterday. I really didn't know what to expect, but I was so excited to see our baby! We found out quickly that HE is a BOY!!!, then watched for the next hour and half as the tech measured organs and checked to see how everything is going. 

I've seen friends ultrasound pics before, but seriously, I was in awe of that little baby on the screen. He's only about 6 inches long, and weighs 9 ounces, and I barely look pregnant...but there he was...looking like a perfect baby. I'm so excited to be able to say "he" instead of "it"! 

So here's a picture of our son. Andrew posted more on facebook if you want to see. In this one, you can see the top of his head on the right side, with the dark spots being his eyes. The line on the top right is his arm up next to his face. The whole time we watched him, all I could say was, "Wow. This is so amazing. What a miracle."

So, he's right on track, everything is growing and blood is pumping. Like I said, I'm in awe. I'm a proud soon-to-be mommy.

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You move me.

Acts 17: 28 "For in Him we live and move and have our being."

Psalm 36:9 "For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light."

I'm feeling Baby move more and more, and these are the verses that have popped into my head as I think about the miracle of life. I wonder what's going on in there, how is Baby's heart forming? Eyes? Blood vessels? Am I doing all I can do to keep Baby healthy? Oh yeah, HE is the Author of Life. He is creating this person, exactly how He wants. That's a comforting thought. Its a good lesson to learn now: even though I'll always have something I could worry about, He is in control and He is faithful.

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