WayfaringStrangers

February, to me, is the longest month. March sure can stretch on, too, but at least the crocuses are coming up in March. A few things lately are helping me keep my sanity. And they are... 1. Early bedtime. Like, 8:30 or at least by 9:30. I just never know how many times I'm going to wake up for roll myself over (because, belly) or get up to use the bathroom. It's hard to feel rested, and I know it's only going to get harder after the baby comes... 2. Tea. I started drinking tea a few years ago, and have really enjoyed it this winter. The perfect afternoon pick-me-up (even though decaf) or evening wind-down. What's your favorite tea? 3. These books: A sweet friend gifted me with The Quiet Place by Nancy Leigh DeMoss for my birthday and it is a refreshing devotional. Highly recommend. I ordered Roots and Sky by Christie Purifoy recently and am enjoying that book as well. It's her testimony of the first year living in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse, and t...

This photo caught my eye today. Source It is a photo from World Magazine, of Iraqi police officers grieving the loss of one of their company. Al-Qaeda forces have surged in that country, bringing evil and hate and violence. So raw. I think this photo shows God. These men are not sad because a blob of chemicals in the form of a living human died and turned into a blob of different chemicals. They are stricken with grief because they lost a friend and someone who was made in the image of GOD died (whether they believe it or not, their grief speaks for itself). We mourn the loss of human life because we know that we are more than mere animals. They are mourning evil and injustice in the world. There are a million photos and moments like it. A spouse passes away unexpectedly. Dreams are dashed as a tiny baby goes from life to death inside of his mother. A family buries a daughter shot at school. A family says a long goodbye at the deathbed as cancer wins again. Thous...

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." -Proverbs 19:21 We have had a fun end of the year, wrapping everything up with a trip to our beloved Lexington and then to North Carolina to see my sister and Behn's brother. It was a jolly time and I'm glad we snuck this trip in! I love traveling but I will admit it that it is stinkin' hard with little kids. We are home today and they are both off their rockers being overly tired and off schedule. I'm ready to begin a new year and get everyone settled down again. I am a goal-oriented person, and I love New Years Resolutions/Goals. A new year, a fresh start, new accomplishments to be had. The Lord has taught me, though, not to be naive enough to make the plans and expect them to work out. So, I write my goals with Proverbs 19:21 in mind. I'm making goals- good, realistic goals, I think- but I know that He, Abba, will make His will known to us. He will direct t...

I just love this photo. Love it, love it, love it. My sister-in-law Jess took it last autumn when she and her daughter Lily and my mother-in-law came to visit us in Lexington. Most of the time in pictures, people (including me) want to look their best- put on makeup, cute clothes, creative poses, smiles and giggles. Of course. We want to capture the best of us. But this photo, I love. I am wearing NO makeup. I had let my hair air-dry and hadn't touched it that day. I was wearing a baggy, comfy long sleeve t-shirt to cover up post-partum pooch. We just went out on a walk down the lane, and we took a casual picture, and it's my favorite family photo of us yet. I love that Graham is giving us that typical 'no-i-won't-smile' face and that he's wearing a ball shirt. I love Patrick's newborn fist and face and pumpkin hat. I love Behn in flannel. I love that gorgeous, natural background of the fields and mountains. I love that I remember this as a crisp au...

I'm back! I definitely took a respite from blogging in December. I just didn't feel up to it, and I don't want the blog to become a chore. To be honest, I sort of trudged through December in general. There were some wonderful moments and highlights, but so often I felt tired and overwhelmed. I sort of didn't feel like doing the Christmas hoopla this year. I missed our decorations packed away in storage, and many days I found myself too much in a tired fog to think about advent devotionals or gifts. I still haven't sent the Christmas cards out (this is happening TOMORROW.) There were good memories though. Cousins in Christmas pj's. Family meals. Christmas music. My mom making the house beautiful. Undeserved gifts from those who love me. My cute boys in matching red pj's at the Christmas Eve service, where I stood with the choir and lip-synced because I had pretty much lost my voice during a cold. It was fun to have my brother Tim home and visitors coming ...

When I was pregnant with Graham, Behn and I made the decision that, if possible, I'd stay home with him for at least a year. But we needed my income, so we prayed about how God would provide. And He did! He provided Baby F- Frankie- to come stay with me full-time M-F. Money was still tight, but it was so helpful to have that paycheck. The boys have kind of grown up together. Frankie's always been a little ahead of all his developmental milestones, so Graham had someone to mimic.  They've learned to sit up, crawl, walk, and talk (more Frankie than Graham. Frankie can say a million words!). They eat 'real' food, play with toys, splash in water, and color pictures. They are so big! It's been a fun, hard, exhausting, and rewarding year+. It's much harder to haul 2 kids in and out of the car, keep an eye on 2 little runners at a park, and coordinate the naps of 2 boys. I haven't been able to run errands during the day because taking the 2 of...

The blog's been quiet...but not because there's nothing going on, but because there's stuff going on that we don't feel ready to post about yet. One of those big items is Behn's job search. Behn has a job here in Virginia, and for that we are so grateful. Lots of people don't have jobs in this economy. But the job doesn't really provide enough for our family. This past year has been a test of faith; faith that at time has faltered and sometimes been strong. In it all, God has been working. We absolutely know that the Spirit's work does not depend on the measure of our faith- thank God for that! And this year has been a time to see God provide for our needs when we didn't know how He would. Character-building, witness-building, and humbling. Behn will be done his Master's degree this summer and has been looking for new work in which he can utilize that degree and have more income. Last week, he had a in-person interview in Maryland, in the same ...

These past few months have been full of extreme sanctification for me. Lots of battles going on in my heart. I think I just reached the peak. I just turned down an amazing job offer. It was in foster care. I would have been able to 'use' my college degree (the one I'm still paying for every month). It was my ideal 'dream job,' the one I told people I wanted when I was studying social work. It paid more than Behn and I have ever made. And they picked me. They wanted me to work for them, to help kids in foster care. It hurts so much to say no to this. I even cried. But it was the right decision. I didn't feel 100% at peace with it. It was a long commute, and having to put my boy in daycare would be hard. I know moms work careers all the time, and maybe I will too someday. I even hope so. But not now. I can't put Graham in a daycare of someone I don't even know. And drive 2 hours in the car everyday. Things are so tight financially and we are frustrated and...