Thanksgiving in Oklahoma!

We are currently out in Oklahoma visiting Blake's family for the Thanksgiving holiday.  We have been so looking forward to getting out here and seeing everyone.  We come out once a year, either for Christmas or Thanksgiving, so it has been since last Christmas since we've seen everyone.  I have been thinking a lot about our trip last year and how Karis was only a little under 6 months old, just started to roll over, and was so much smaller then.  Now, she's running around and laughing at her big cousins!  She has grown so much, but I know that's how it goes!  

I want to share some videos from our time our so far and will hopefully share some more as the week goes on.  

One thing I was really anxious about was the plane ride out with Karis.  Being her first time on a plane, I was really expecting and preparing for the worst.  We had an hour flight and then a 3 1/2 hour flight.  I prayed for abundant grace and mercy, and the Lord was so gracious to us!  Karis did SO well on both flights!  There were no issues with her ears popping, so was fascinated with looking out the window, she looked through the "Sky Mall" magazines, and we set her up with this..

She's a natural traveler!  However, she does get cranky when she doesn't really nap during the day.  On our day of traveling Karis only slept about 45 minutes on the second flight.  She was a sleepy sleepy girl when we finally arrived.  Here she is while Blake was getting our baggage.

She slept well that first night for sure!  It's been a great trip so far.  We are in Oklahoma City right now visiting Blake's mom and sister's.  Tomorrow we will travel to the Tulsa area to see Sondra, Blake's step-mom.   Finally, we will head to Kansas City to see Blake's Dad's side of the family.  It's going to be a quick visit with everyone, so we'll see about getting more posts on here!  

We miss everyone out in North Carolina but are thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with family in Oklahoma.  Hopefully there will be more to come!  

Currently on my mind....

There have been so many times that I have thought about blogging certain things, but then I get busy doing other things (chasing my walking one year old around, cleaning up the house, taking a nap!) and blogging gets put aside.  But tonight, Blake is taking a break from working on the computer, and so I get a little time to update and share some things!  I am quite excited!  

For the past few weeks, I have been so encouraged and challenged by my time reading in the Bible.  I try every day (although, it doesn't happen every day, but I still try) to take some time while Karis is napping, to just sit, read, journal, and meditate on the Bible.  There are a few verses that I keep coming back to that God has been using so much in my heart and life.  First is Colossians 1:9-12 and also 2 Peter 1:3-8 (I will share more about the 2 Peter verses in a later post).

With Colossians, I have been really challenged in the area of my prayer life by these words...

9 "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding"

10 "so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

There are so many examples in the Bible of great prayers to pray for others.  I was humbled by the fact that not only do I not pray like this for others, but often times I go without praying much for others at all.  Clearly Paul had a huge heart for prayer for the people that he ministered to and cared for, and it is my desire to cultivate a heart like this for the people in my life.  These verses have been so challenging for me, but I have seen growth in my prayers!  God's grace for sure!  We are about to do a book study at church based on the prayers of Paul, so I am very excited to dig deeper into the example of prayer that Paul gives us in the Bible.  I will have to share my learnings on here once we begin (not until October).  I am really looking forward to it!  

So that's one way I have been challenged lately, how about you?  Are there verses or an area that you feel challenged to grow in?  How is the fight for growth and faith going?  I would love to hear!  

One of Karis' many talents...

For a while now Karis has been a pro at drinking from a sippy cup.  She has no problem with chugging her water down!  But, there is something else that she has discovered that she can do with the water she drinks.  Here is evidence of one of Karis' many talents!  

We will have to teach her that this may not be the most polite thing to do at the dinner table with water.  It's cute for now though!  : )  

My poor pregnant mind....

You know you've got a pregnant mind when....

....You have been driving a car for over a year, fill it up with gas a lot, and yet somehow forget for the first time what side the gas tank is on.  Oh the joys of getting back in the car and driving over to a different pump that's on the side where your tank is.  

...You have lived in a town for over 3 years, have eaten at all the available restaurants numerous times, and yet forget for the first time that there is an Arby's in the town.  I LOVE eating at the Arby's here and just ate there a few days ago, but I still forgot for a moment that we even had one.  Man, that's bad!

....You are trying to remember the third item for your list, but you can't remember it.  I totally had three examples to share, but I can't remember the third.  My poor pitiful pregnant mind!  

Hopefully it will all come back to me!  : )  

Friday Videos

These are two new videos of our little girl walking and talking!  During the talking video, it is so cute to hear Karis having a "semi" conversation.  We were laughing so much at this!  She's going to be quite the talker one day....soon probably!  

Update: A wedding, a walking baby, and the bun in the oven

It has been forever again. It always happens with me. What can you do but pick up, brush off, and write a new post! : )

We have had some busy but really fun times in the past few weeks! Here are a few highlights from what's been going on.....

We did some traveling for my friend Summer's wedding! I was excited to be the matron of honor, but with that came some responsibilities that were stretching for me! I planned the bachelorette/lingerie shower (which I have never ever done anything like that before), I ran around doing some last minute things with the lovely bride, and entrusted my child to the gracious care of my mom and sister for the majority of the week we were there! It was crazy at times, but the wedding was wonderful and so much fun! It was one big college reunion for sure! So many faces that I haven't seen in forever, and it was just wonderful to catch up with some of them!

Also big news....Karis is WALKING now! Hello big girl! She started out taking a few steps and would then fall and crawl, but just in the past 2 weeks or so, she has taken off! It has been so much fun to see her discover her new ability and all the cute faces she makes when walking around! A video of this magnificent ability is definitely on the way!

Finally, in the current events in the Hollander family, we found out yesterday that we are going to have a little BOY! We are so excited to add a little fella to our family, and are praying for a continued healthy pregnancy and delivery for the little guy!

So, that's a little update. Things are going well here! I will try my best to post more and be a bit more consistent, but with a walking crazy little girl, we shall see! : )

Karis is One!!!

I can hardly believe the words that I am typing now, my daughter is ONE. It does not seem like a year since she came into our lives. I think having kids, not just getting older, makes time go by so so much faster! This first birthday for my little girl was wonderful! We had cake and several varieties of homemade ice cream! We celebrated Monday night (before her actual birthday I know) with some great friends and family. My mom and step-dad were able to be here which was so nice! We had our old neighbors from our seminary apartment come over, and then lots of folks from our church. There was a house full for sure! I know Karis won't remember it, but with pictures and videos she will be able to look back and see how cared for she was on her first birthday! We are so thankful for everyone that was able to come celebrate, and wish that all our friends and family could have been there with us. For those who couldn't be there, here are some sweet pictures of the birthday girl at her party!






We are so excited to see what the Lord does in our little girl's life! I already see such a fun little personality, and such a friendly spirit within her. She loves people, and I pray that the Lord will use her as a mighty tool for His kingdom. He formed her, He is sustaining her, and He has the plan for her life. We love Karis and are daily blessed by her. It's hard to believe that on her 2nd birthday she will have a little brother or sister! Crazy! God is so good!

Also, for video Friday......

check out this link to a video of Karis enjoying her birthday cake! My mom videoed this for us while Karis was trying to figure out the whole eating cake thing! It's cute!
Click Here!!

New Video

We have this awesome little flip video camera that my step-mom so graciously gave us to use, so we have been able to capture some GREAT videos of Karis in this first months of her little life!  I have loved posting some of these already and I want to get into a better habit of putting them on here.  So, with hope, I am going to try to make Friday's video days here on our little blog.  I know there are some times that I do better than others with posting, so maybe this will help keep me accountable to putting stuff on here!  

So, for the first video for Friday videos.....

I have been meaning to post this for a little while, it is so funny to me!  Karis has discovered a new ability that she really only does when she eats!  It's so funny, hope you enjoy!

Our New Adventure

Well, at the end of my last post I made a comment wondering what the next adventure in the life of the Hollanders will be.  I knew at that moment (although no one else did) that our newest adventure was already beginning.  I found out around June 1st that Blake and I are expecting our second little baby!  We are very excited, but I still have some nervousness about it all as well.  I feel like I have life pretty well figured out with the one little girl.  She's on a great schedule, loves to go out and about, and is really a great easy baby.  So, I just don't know what to expect when the next little Hollander comes around.  I do rest in the fact that this is the Lord's timing and His perfect plan for us.  Children ARE such a blessing from the Lord, and I am so honored that He would see fit for us to prepare for baby number 2. 

I am having all the wonderful first trimester fun with nausea and tiredness, but hopefully it won't last too much longer!  I am coming in on being 10 weeks along now, so we are close to the second trimester!  Crazy!  I am noticing with this pregnancy how often I forget that I am pregnant.  Karis keeps me busy during the day and half the time I don't even think about the new little one growing.  It was ALWAYS on my mind the first time around, so it's kind of funny now.  We were able to have an initial ultrasound to verify pregnancy a few days ago, and there was a little bean there!  That made it quite real!  It's one thing to take a test at home and a totally different thing to actually see the growing baby!  So exciting, and overwhelming!  We are praying for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  We are trusting the Lord to sustain life and provide for us all the things we need.  I'll keep things updated more on here as things go along!  Looking forward to it all!  

Four Years Today

June 4th, 2005 is a big day in the history of Blake and Heather. It's the day that we took a vow to always love, honor, and cherish one another. We were married at my home church surrounded by so many friends and family. It was a wonderful day. In four years of marriage we have moved three times, worked our first full time jobs, started seminary, work part-time jobs, had a baby, I graduated from seminary, and bought a house. Life is surely rolling! I wonder what the next big adventure will be.......

Before the Throne of God Above

I love my church and am so glad to be a part of this fellowship of believers! I have never felt so clearly what a gift the church is to believers in Jesus until being a part of Treasuring Christ Church. Yesterday was such an encouraging time in the Word, partaking in the Lord's Supper, and worshiping my God through song. I was reminded of what a Savior I have and the grace that He bestowed on me, the chief of sinners.

We sang the Hymn "Before the Throne of God Above" after taking the Lord's Supper, and I was so moved by the truths that lay in these lyrics. Read the hymn below, and worship our great God who, because of Christ, pardons those who trust in Him.

Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high Priest whose name is love, who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His Heart
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased with His blood
My life is hid with Christ on High
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
2 Corinthians 5:21

Sweet Baby Kisses

This video is so sweet of Blake and Karis! She has just recently started giving us "kisses." If we pucker up in front of her she will come at us and give us her baby kisses! It's so great!

An encouraging/convicting quote

I am still in a constant fight against the bent in my heart to be idle. I don't know if I will ever completely overcome, but it is just one more thing in my life to remind me that I need the Lord and His help every single day. I was reading from Elizabeth Elliot's book "Discipline" the other day and I was so challenged by something she said....

" 'I hold me fast by Thee, Ruler of time, King of Eternity' is the expression of faith that my temporality is understood only in the infinite context of eternity. Not even the tiny dewdrop lacks the care and attention of the Lover of all. Shall I then think of any detail of my earthly life, even so little a thing as a minute of one of my hours, as without meaning? How shall I answer to my Master for my time?"

WOW! How shall I answer to my Master for my time? How shall you answer to the Master for your time? What a heart probing and convicting question. It is helpful for me to think on the fact that God is aware of every detail of my life, and He cares about those details. It is easy for me to squander my time away, but I want to be able to answer my Master with words that show that I was a good steward of the time He gave me.

No matter what season of life you may find yourself in, we are to be good stewards of our time, and use it wisely. Here's to perseverance and faith in the fight!

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise,
making the most of your time, because the days are evil."
Ephesians 5:15 & 16

Video of the Kiddos!

Here is a video from our day with Mr. Josiah Massey!  We have had a fun day playing!  

We have one more day with the little fellow, so I will try to get more pictures and videos of the two of them!  We have so enjoyed caring for Josiah.  What an honor to look after him while his mommy and daddy are away!  Thankful for these little lives and praying for them to know and love Jesus!  

The Fight Against Idleness, Day 2....and we have a baby boy!

The next thing that is helping me in my fight against idleness, my fight for productivity in my home, is getting creative to help manage my time.  My friend Lisa shared an AWESOME blog that is quickly becoming a favorite!  It's called Simple Mom, and you can find a link to it here on my site (right hand side, cute picture of a kid holding onto momma's leg)  She has a series that she did on home management and she talks about something she calls a daily docket.  That has been a wonderful tool for me, so helpful in planning out my day!  I was suggest checking out her site, and look for her links to her daily docket.  She also utilizes a home management notebook, which is on my to do list to create.  So many wonderful ideas there!  So, check out her site.  It's wonderful!  

On another note, we have been keeping sweet little Josiah Massey while his mommy and daddy are overseas for a little while.  Josiah is a month younger than Karis, so I am getting an idea of what life with twins would be like.  They are both great babies, but even two great babies are TWO BABIES!  I have a much higher respect for mommas with twins now than I did before!  I don't think I would be very productive at all if I had two little ones all the time!  I am trying to make the most of their nap times.....and speaking of that.....the babies are waking up from their morning nap now.  I'm off for now, but I will put some pictures up of the little cuties later!  

Praying for grace and mercy!

The Fight Against Idleness, Day 1

In my last post I talked about wanting to work on not "eating the bread of idleness."  Though there have been (many) moments that the temptation has overtaken me and I have sat too long at the computer, or waited entirely too long at tackling the pile of dishes in the sink, I have seen God's grace helping me in different moments throughout the day!  

Let me take a moment to point out something important.  I credit the fact that I have this desire to be a productive "keeper of the home" only to the grace of God.  If I were left to myself I would be one big ol' cluttery, junky, idle mess!  I know God's Spirit is present and His Word is active, and speaks loud and clear!  It's clear that I am to look well to the ways of my household.  I am thankful for conviction in this area, and thankful for the Spirit's working!  Be encouraged women at the desire within you to keep your home well, it's an evidence of God's grace at work in your life!  Praise Him for it!  

Now to the hleps...

The first thing that has helped me SO much is simply sitting down and planning out my day.  Before I go to bed, I take out a little notebook and write out my day, and I try to get very detailed.  Karis is on a great schedule now, so I pretty much know what time our day is going to start and when she will have feeding times and nap times.  I write these down and then write down the exact things that I want to get done while she is napping.  I have found that having an idea of what I need to get done in the day without planning when it will get done equals it not getting done!  Doing some laundry, making some calls, and putting away dishes are all things that need to happen tomorrow for me.  So, I will be specific in planning out what gets done when so that it gets done.  I have been much more productive during the days that I have a very detailed plan.  This goes down as my number one thing that has helped me, and is helping me in my fight against idleness!  

More of my helps to come! 

Trying Not to Eat the Bread of Idleness

For as long as I can remember, I have not been a fan of cleaning and doing housework. I remember my mom making me clean up my room when company was coming over and actually saying to her that when I was older, had my own house, and had company come over, I would not clean up!

When I got married, I knew Blake's expectation was for me to keep a clean, neat, and organized home. I was afraid, very afraid! I am not organized. I am not a cleaner. I am an unorganized, cluttered, LAZY mess. I know my role as a wife and mother is to take care of my home and manage it well. However, my sinful heart has trouble embracing this. God has been so gracious to convict me from His word concerning this area. My constant prayer request to the girls in my small group is that I would be productive, use my time wisely, and keep my home well. But, I often feel defeated and don't see victory over this area in my life.

My friend Dana (I've mentioned her before, she is just such a wonderful blessing to me!) has a recent post on her blog that the Lord really used in my life. She talks about being thankful for things that she doesn't have, one thing being lots of freetime. She says,

"Free time or moments of boredom... well, If I did have these they would end up being more of a curse than a blessing because knowing my wayward heart I would be idle." You can read the rest of her post here (and I recommend checking it out!).

After I read that line, it was like a knife cutting into me. That's me, my heart is prone to being idle. Plain and simple. That's a huge reason why I don't like to clean and do housework, it's work! But, clearly from God's word this is not how I am to be. Proverbs 31:27 says, "She looks well to the ways of her household; she does not eat the bread of idleness." I not only like to eat the bread of idleness, I feast on it and crave more! I am so convicted by this verse and I want to change. I know that God can change me! I want to look well to the ways of my household and not eat the bread of idleness!

The next bit of blogging is going to be me sharing how my fight against being idle is going. I want to share practical tips of what's working for me, what's not working for me, and just overall how things are going. I am anxious that God is wanting to do something, and I think it's going to be quite a challenge. Would you pray for me!

A brief update

  Well, I wanted to update the blog a little bit, but I am getting quite sleepy.  So, the only current update is a cute new background!  I don't know what it is about this little birdie background, but I thought it was so great!  Coming soon will be updates on our new house (including pictures!) and Karis being 9 months old!  I will blog again soon, I will!  : )  

It's been a little while....

Where does the time go? I mean really! It's been almost a month since I've posted anything, and it does not seem like that long at all! I am reminded more and more how quickly time passes and it is just crazy to me. Today, I was cleaning up Karis' room and packing away some clothes and things that are too small for her now. I know she is growing so fast, and what amazed me more than anything were her little teeny tiny newborn socks! I could not believe that her feet used to fit in some of them! Time is going by so quickly, and I wish I had eyes to really take notice of the little changes and little details as she grows. Before I know it she'll be 5, 13, 21! Oh, I want to take in every moment! This is a picture of my "big" little baby now, already 8 months old!


She's wonderful. I sometimes can't believe that God has entrusted this joy to Blake and I. I want her to grow to be a woman who fears the Lord and who's desire is to glorify her maker.

"....A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
Psalm 31:30

My Funny Little Niece!

I just have to share this, it's too funny not to share! My niece, Dakota, who will be 7 next week, is such a funny girl! But, it's that kind of funny that's not intended to be funny. Does that make sense? She is so genuine in what she says and does, yet sometimes it is so cute and funny! I was talking to my mom tonight and she shared some new stories that are hysterical (well, I thought they were!)

A couple of weeks ago, while my mom was taking Dakota to school, this conversation took place...

Dakota: "Oh no, my mommy has a test this morning and we have not prayed for her!! Ma, (she calls my mom "Ma") let's pray for her."

My mom: "Ok Dakota, let's pray. Dear God, please help Lauren...."

Dakota: breaking into the prayer, "MY mommy"

Mom: "Yes, Dakota's mommy, to do well on her test this morning."

Dakota: "And help my little brother Camden be able to poop, he's having trouble."

Mom: trying to hold back the laughter, "Yes God, help Camden go to the bathroom."

Dakota: "Oh, and my mommy told me that baby Karis has a bad diaper rash, help her too."

She is so stinkin' sweet and cute! I love it!

Then, mom told me this story....

On their way to school (lots of funny stuff going on the ride to school!) Dakota likes to play pretend with my mom. They will play teacher where Dakota is the teacher and mom is the student, or office, or doctor. This particular day they were playing doctor.

Dakota: "Hello, how can I help you today?"

Mom: "Umm...My big toe is hurt."

Dakota: "Ok, which one?"

Mom: "My right toe."

Dakota: "Alright, well have you been here before?"

Mom: "Yes I have."

Dakota: "Does anyone in your household have a gambling problem?"

Mom: "WHAT?"

Turns out that Dakota found a phone book in the back seat, opened it up, and proceeded to read what she saw. Just so happened that helping family members with gambling addiction was there for her to read! Cracks me up! She also could not understand why my mom kept laughing! There are so many funny things that she says and does! I am sure Karis will say some funny stuff too as she grows up, and I hope I will remember to write them down and remember!

Thankful....

I am thankful for so many things....salvation, life and breath, so many things! I wanted to take a moment and share some things that I am oh so thankful for in this particular season of my life. Two things in particular.....

First, I am thankful for moms who have gone before and can help those of us trying to figure things out with new babies! I have said, on numerous occasions, how blessed I feel to have so many godly women to look to for help/advice/encouragement in being a mom. Our church is filled with some amazing mommies! In midst of my questions about making baby food, schedules, sleeping, there is always someone who I can talk to if I need them. So thankful for that. Take for example the following situation. I asked my friends Dana C. and Kari B. for some advice about Karis' sleeping through the night difficulty (more MY difficulty of her not sleeping!) and just wanted some advice about what to do, how to see Christ through this time, and any other insight they could give. Kari asked me how long I was letting her cry in the middle of the night before I was getting up to go to her. I responded, "5, maybe 10 minutes." I only wish I could have seen the look on her face! (she was sitting behind me) She said something to the effect of, "Oh girl, you need to let her cry." They suggested that I let Karis cry for 30 minutes before getting up, and see how she does with that. So, that night we let her cry for 30 minutes, which leads me to my second thankful thing....

I am so thankful that my child has slept through the night for 2 weeks now!!!!! That first night, it took her a good 30 minutes, but then she went right back to sleep! Every night since then, she has slept right through! I am just shocked and amazed, but oh so thankful! She may wimper at some times in the night, but just briefly, and then goes back to sleep. I kept thinking, man we should have let her cry it out months ago! But, I am truly thankful for the lessons learned during that time of getting up in the middle of the night. It was hard, very hard, but God was so good and so faithful to meet me there. I wouldn't trade it (someone remind me of this when we have another kiddo!) I can also clearly sympathize with the other mommies out there that are struggling with lack of sleep. God is sovereign, even over our children's sleeping.

I don't say all this to brag on the fact that Karis is sleeping now, but just to point to the goodness of my God. He is just as good in midst of the difficulty (lack of sleep) as He is in the easier times (sleeping), and He is in control of both! Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, "In the day of porsperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider- God has made the one as well as the other..." I am in a time of "prosperity" but I know days of "adversity" are ahead with this little one (I can already see the sin nature, discipline time is on the horizon...) When those days of adveristy hit, I will seek the Lord in His word, I will seek the Lord in prayer, and I will humbly ask for help and advice from those who have gone before.

So thankful for this time of learning and refining.

More 5:30 am lessons...

It has been a little while since I updated, and there is lots to mention! But first, I want to finish up with more lessons I learned while getting up in the early morning hours with Karis. God was so gracious to reveal these things.

Lesson 3:
In my first 5:30 am lesson post, I mentioned Psalm 103 and how God does not deal with us according to our sins. Further down in this chapter, in verses 14-16, the Bible reminds us that we are only here for a little while:

"For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more."

This truth was important for me. I know that my time with Karis is going to go by so fast. I heard this all the time from people before we had this little girl, and I have tried to take every moment in. However, I was surly ready for the waking up at night to stop! When Karis is older, driving, wearing make-up, etc, I am sure I will miss these days. She's only a tiny baby once, so I am trying to take it all in.

Lesson 4:
I learned that my only true hope is in Jesus. We started giving Karis some baby food, and I thought, "Surely this will help her sleep better." When it didn't make her sleep through the night, I had to really check my heart and realize that I had put hope in that little jar of sweet potatoes. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, and being reminded of this was hard but so so good and helpful.

Lesson 5:
I was reminded of just how sinful I am and how much I desperately need my Savior. There was such anger in my heart towards Karis when she would wake me up, so much selfishness revealed when all I wanted to do was take care of myself and sleep. I wasn't trusting that the Lord was good and that He was "working all things for good for those who love Him." There were times that I was so overwhelmed by the sin in my heart, but I am so thankful that God would reveal these things to me. One night in particular, I had a major anger issue towards Karis (in midst of fussing and crying, she inadverntantly scratched me under my eye). My heart was so angry, but The Holy Spirit convicted me of this, and I confessed my sin to Karis and practiced sharing the gospel with her. I know there are going to be many more times in the course of my life with my children that I will fail them or sin against them. It was good practice to confess and point to the Gospel, as I know I will probably have to do this a lot in the future.

It has been quite a learning time for me. I have prayed that God would use this little life to make me more like Jesus, and I am so thankful for Karis being in my life! I LOVE my daughter so much! I pray that God will continue to reveal sin and help me fight for holiness. I am thankful for His grace and His mercy.

A Quick Picture!

We started feeding Karis some baby food this week, and she has done pretty well with it! Green beans, apples, and sweet potatoes have been her first go with food other than milk or infant rice cereal. Here is a cute picture of my girl enjoying her sweet potatoes today! She's so cute!

5:30 am Lesson #2

This next lesson was learned as I was sitting in the rocker, again feeding Karis, crying and crying out to the Lord that I was just so tired. I felt weak, exhausted, and simply at the end of my rope. In midst of my whining I was reminded that our Lord neither sleeps nor slumbers. He has a constant eye on us. These are the words of Psalm 121 that talk about that fact...

• 1. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains ; From where shall my help come ?

• 2. My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

• 3. He will not allow your foot to slip ; He who keeps you will not slumber.

• 4. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

• 5. The LORD is your keeper ; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

• 6. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.

• 7. The LORD will protect you from all evil ; He will keep your soul.

• 8. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever .

I love these verses and the reminder that we have a God who is ready and available to help us in our time of need, no matter what time that may be! At 5:30, in midst of my exhaustion, I knew that the Lord was available for me to approach through prayer. I knew that He does not sleep nor slumber, and I was and am very thankful for that. It was a moment of worship for me, just being reminded of this characteristic of God. I know that I am weak and need sleep to survive (I am learning this fact about myself more and more as I am up with Karis!), and the fact that God does not need it causes me to be more amazed at Him and who He is!