Elliot Lately...

This little guy is just oozing personality these days! He is such a goofball and so funny. It's such a joy to be able to watch him grow and learn. He is changing every day and becoming such a little boy. My heart is over flowing with love for this little one!!

Reflecting on the Gospel

We have been doing a lot of reflecting around here lately. Every morning Adam reads an excerpt from Good News of Great Joy by John Piper and then we read a chapter (which are pretty short) from Come Thou Long Expected Jesus and it has been such a joy.

It has really began to reshape and mold my thinking about the advent season and Christmas. I have never really meditated on the weight and glory of Christmas. I have never really thought about just how magnificent the birth of Christ is, just how pertinent to the Gospel it is! That if Christ would not have been born, he would not have been able to live a sinless life and give of himself completely on the cross. Oh, how much more should we delight in Christmas because of this! This is the beginning-- the beginning of God's redeeming work on the cross. THIS is what mankind was waiting for! And now, because Jesus was born and because he lived the perfect, sinless life and because he died a horrific and brutal death and because he rose again, defeating sin, death and the devil, we are able to wait for him to return!

"The whole of Christ's life was a continual passion; others die martyrs, but Christ was born a martyr. He found a Golgotha, where he was crucified, even in Bethlehem, where he was born; for to his tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as the cross at last. His birth and his death were but one continual act, and his Christmas Day and his Good Friday are but the evening and the morning of one and the same day. From the crèche to the cross is an inseparable line. Christmas only points forward to Good Friday and Easter. It can have no meaning apart from that, where the Son of God displayed his glory by his death. " John Donne The Book of the Uncommon Prayers

Lately.

Kinfolk Volume Six from Kinfolk

I love this little quarterly magazine. It is purposed around a natural approach to small gatherings. It has been a huge source of inspiration for me in regards to hospitality-- particularly in this advent season. It has helped me to embrace old and cultivate new family traditions as we celebrate the beauty and glory of Jesus Christ.

Raising this little man.

Being the mama of a little boy is wonderful. There is something special and unique about the relationship of mother and son, and I can see it developing with Elliot already. I also feel this weight to raising a son. The idea that we are raising a future man here, seems daunting at times. This boy will grow up and be a husband and father (Lord willing) and be called to protect and serve those around him. What does that mean for Adam and myself as his parents? What does this look like in our parenting? For us, it brings us to our knees. We realize how ill-equipped we are and how insufficient our parenting is. Thankfully, we have a faithful and loving God who promises to provide all of our needs. So, it looks like utter dependance on the Lord. There is nothing that we can do-- we need that grace of Jesus Christ every moment of every day (and he's only 8 months old!).



This article has been a great form of encouragement for me.

Gratitude.

I have worked since I was sixteen. Shortly after I turned seventeen, I got a job at Starbucks and worked there until this past February. I loved it (most of the time). I loved the environment; making coffee, working with friends and being able to have conversations with hundreds of customers. It was awesome. So awesome, that I was nervous about becoming a "stay-at-home wife and mama." I was afraid that I would get all stir-crazy and go nuts staying home all of the time. But I love it so much more than I ever loved working. I am so, so blessed that I am able to spend my entire day with Elliot. That I am the one who gets to soothe him when he's sad, who gets to feed him, bathe him, dress him and play with him. That every time he learns something new, I am here to witness it. That I know what every single cry he cries means. It is truly a gift from the Lord, and I take it for granted. In leu of Thanksgiving (it's a little disheartening that it takes a holiday for me to reflect) I have been thinking about all of the ways that God has faithfully and richly blessed us. I have been reflecting on this past year and how difficult and stretching it was at times, but mainly how wonderfully rich and blessed it has been. Being able to stay at home is something that God has really provided for and worked through. There were times throughout my pregnancy that Adam and I said "how in the world is this going to happen?!" But God has continually provided for us and taken care of our needs. My heart is overflowing; God is infinitely good and whether I acknowledge it or not, I am tasting his goodness everyday.




O Lord my God,

When I in awesome wonder

Consider all

The world Thy Hand hath made,

I see the stars,

I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy pow'r throughout

The universe displayed;




Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!





When through the woods

And forest glades I wander

I hear the birds

Sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down

From lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook

And feel the gentle breeze;




And when I think,

That God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die,

I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross,

My burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died

To take away my sin.





When Christ shall come,

With shouts of acclamation,

And take me home,

What joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow

In humble adoration

And there proclaim,

"My God, how great Thou art!"

"comparison is the thief of joy"

I can not tell you how often I need to be reminded of these words. I deeply struggle with an idol of approval. The Lord is so gracious to me and is greatly growing me in this area but, I have so much to learn. I recently read this article and was so encouraged (but also, pretty convicted).

Ever since I became a mom I feel like this issue has become more magnified. Not only do I think people are watching me and judging me, I now think they are watching my child and his every move is somehow a reflection on me. Adam tells me all of the time to "get out of my own head," and he is so right. I am so inward focused. I am so self-consumed.

This article was such a great reminder of the freedom and security that we have in Christ! I don't have to be trapped in this "oh no, what will so-and-so think?" mentality because my identity is found in Jesus Christ-- the King of the universe! If I really believed and rested in this! Oh my, how different my life would be! If the Gospel really and fully has changed my heart, I wouldn't be weighed down by these insignificant fears. But it hasn't. I have to be refocused on Christ constantly; I have to reminded that HE loves me... so much so, that he died for me. This has to sink to in, over and over again. The only way for any of this to happen is through the Lord and not through any of my own attempt, and praise God for that. I am such a train wreck sometimes and I am so grateful that God sees THAT as good--- my total insufficiency for His total sufficiency.

Resting in His grace,

Megan

Life Lately...

According to my iPhone:

1. Elliot is growing so fast. He looked like such a big kid during our Target trip. 2. We had friends over for lunch. It is so sweet to see our kids interact with one another. 3. I ordered these darling earrings from and I love them! They support a pretty great cause, too. 4. I am so excited about the upcoming Advent season! I couldn't wait (we try to follow the "day after Thanksgiving day" rule) any longer and had to put some lights up. 5. We (again, try) to have a nice sit down breakfast together on Saturday mornings. We succeeded this past Saturday. I made my grandparent's Norwegian waffles (I've been eating them as long as I can remember).

fall.

I never realized just how much I love the fall until recently. It used to freak me out that the sun started setting around four (if it even makes an appearance, at all), that I couldn't seem to get warm enough and that the rain never. seems. to. end. The Lord is really showing me how much beauty there is in this season. I am finding so much beauty in spending time as a family at home-- cuddled under blankets, reading by candlelight, enjoying homemade treats together. I am so thankful. I am so blessed.

joy.

These two! I can't get enough.
Elliot is growing and changing so quickly, we can hardly take it all in. He is such a sweet and funny little guy. I am constantly blessed by his sweet demeanor and incessant open-mouthed "kisses." I am so grateful for little moments like these. I love sharing life with my guys, they are really wonderful.

Welcome!

Welcome to my little blog. I have been (randomly) blogging over on Tumblr for a while, but thought that it was time to upgrade. My desire it to share what's happening in our little family and what we're learning along the way.

Thanks for stopping by!

Megan