Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Ballsy

**Total shout out to Daniel Lough, of Jones Mobile Media, who rocked our world and captured these precious memories in the making of our sweet Coop. Holy Moly, these pictures sure make us count and recount our blessings one by one--
We're coming off Pixar week on Disney, so naturally, when Coop ran shrieking from the bathroom with his undies around his ankles about a bug chasing him, I joined right in acting loony tunes, pretending to be like a bug on Bug's Life. 

How was I to know it was a real life scorpion?!
 
I went ninja bat crazy on that little double-pinchered booger and sent him right up to bug heaven.

Coop cried and asked me why I had to squish him. Then he asked me why I used Daddy's shoe instead of my shoe.

Guess he came in after Chris and Coop played in the leaves? I don't care where he came from, all I know is that I got stung by one when I was about 8, so he sent me into a hissyfit real quick. No body messes with my pistol britches.

Mercy.
I grew up in a teeny tiny Methodist church. Like all good Methodists, we had communion every first Sunday of the month.

12 Stone doesn't so much roll that way, so when we walked in this Sunday and saw the wine and bread baskets, my little old school heart filled with joy.
We are wrapping up a series called iPray. It hit me this past week that my prayers are kinda wimpy. I'm good at praying for God's amazing grace and mercy to wash over us when things fall apart. I'm a pro at praying for mercy in the midst of chaos. I whisper prayers daily for him to make us strong when we are weak and to make us graceful when things don't go the way we had planned.
What I'm absolutely terrible at, is praying boldly and specifically for the things we need. I've learned to pray for Gods sovereignty but have never ever wrapped my head around the idea of actually praying for exactly what we need. I've always felt like I just couldn't do that.

As PK talked, it hit me that maybe God wants me to grow a pair and pray boldly, knowing that He is God.

In our journey of trying to add to our family, I've never once directly asked God for a baby. Isn't that ridiculous? I've cried. I've paced. I've rambled. I've bargained. But what I haven't done, is ask Him for the desires of my heart.

How can we go to God so ballsy? So direct? When Chris was fighting the good fight, I prayed for grace. I prayed for him to be strong. I prayed for "God's will". I prayed for his hair to stay put. I prayed for his pain to ease and for his soul to heal. What I wanted to do was to scream out and pray for him to be washed clean and for God to take the cancer away. But for whatever reason, I struggled so much with that.

It's on my heart that maybe God wants to be the God who provides rather than always being the God who calms us in the storm.

 It feels strange. Really strange. But I'm going to do it. I'm going to go boldly and knock persistently, and know that His Grace is washing over us no matter what His answer may be.
 
"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you". Matthew 7:7

Monday, November 12, 2012

Blog Coma

I completely forgot to blog.

For like a month.
Maybe it's because my computer screen is covered in fleece from Sugar Britches burnin' the midnight oil? Fleece Frenzy! Fleece Frenzy!

Maybe it's because we saddled up with Woody for a rootin' tootin' fun Halloween?
Love him.
Maybe it's because we had an election and I started spending waaayy more time oogling sparkly things and hilariously inappropriate e-cards and ooey gooey triple chocolate chunk desserts on Pinterest trying to escape?
Maybe it's because I discovered Sho Gun's Crispy Roll and had to go and get it 5 times in the past month?
Don't know what happened really, but I've missed this little blog!

Can you even believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner? I can almost smell the spoon cornbread and bacon wrapped green beans bakin in the oven and see the glow of the neon Old Navy sign warming up for Black Friday. Mmm. Thanksgiving!

So very much to be so very thankful for!