Lately...

• July has been our busiest month since our move, but definitely a good one. July 4th, a visit from brother in law Steve and his girlfriend Kristen, another visit from my best friend Melissa, and then BBQ and Baptism last night.
• Like I said, my bff came. We went all over Jefferson county, had heart to hearts, ate pizza (mine with anchovies, duh), and went to DC to see monuments and the spy museum. She is splendid.
• Finally, finally, finally, I am learning what life looks like as a family of three. Watching TV shows a couple days late on demand, taking naps where you can get them, Bible stories before bed, enjoying crazy dinners all together, settling into new schedules, going with the flow.
• Melissa introduced us to NY ER or med, or something or other, whatever! It’s an awesome show, and I am addicted.Only in a healthy couple bonding time sort of way though.
• It doesn’t really feel like summer here, and I kind of like it. Only downside is it has been an abnormally cool summer for this region so most days feel too cool to me to go swimming. But! A swimming trip is in our family’s future, I will make it happen. Jefferson Memorial public pool, watch out!
• Looking at baby Halloween costumes. Don’t judge!
• Loving playing with our little guy. He loves to stand, scoot, roll, laugh, babble, smack, and clap. He is a lively little dude, and soooo much fun.
• Savoring the last of this first summer with our HPCC students. 
• Starting lessons with my first piano student tomorrow. I’m on staff at Ellsworth Music here in town.
• We celebrated our 4th anniversary in style, eating and shopping in Shepherdstown, WV, which may or may not be too hip for us old folks! ;)
• William and I have gone on his first play dates with ladies in my neighborhood.
• Eating awesome summer produce….but not from our farmeers market down the street that I STILL haven’t gone to. What. Is. Wrongwithme?
• Thinking about fall family photos in the mountains.
• Walking in the grass…listen TX peeps: THERE ARE NO STICKERS. TURN DOWN FOR WHAT???! Ha jk. But really there are no grass stickers, burrs, thorns, or any variation thereof. Take yo shoes off!
• Little Bill was loving BBQ and Baptism last night, diaper only, giggling, hanging out, rejoicing in the Lord. 8 baptisms, it was awesome.
• Loving life.

Cheers, 4 Years!

This year, we lived in two different states, moved cross country, had our first child, changed jobs, changed churches, heck changed everything! I drug you to the Texas state fair for your first visit, we ate delicious fletchers corndogs and inhaled cholesterol laden air. We ate Whataburger breakfast at 4am before I was induced. We played Battleship. We made budgets work that don't make sense, had crazy schedules, fixed up a falling down house, and often looked at each other thinking, "is this for real?" This year held a lot of growing pains, and a lot of growth. Nothing in our fourth year can we look back and on say we wimped out. The road less traveled has been ever sweeter with you my love. My favorite milestone with you this year has been watching you become a father. You are the best daddy in the world. You are the guy who insists on changing Will's diaper every feeding, had the bassinet on your side of the bed, and loved registering for baby necessities even more than me! You are devoted to him as a father should be, despite the exhausting requirements the Lord's call has placed on your life. I see you, loving for him tirelessly after events, meetings, work days, and practices. And after all that giving, when the house is quiet, you are there in the dim light of the evening loving me too. Life with you only gets more beautiful. You are loyal, faithful, and true.

Here's to many more years, our time in the mountains, our wild adventure with little Bill, and the story of our love. Happy Anniversary Andrew! Thank you for loving me fiercely.

William is 7 Months Old!

What a month this has been with William! No milestone has hit me as hard as my baby turning 7 months old. Something about getting past half a year has made it seem as though having a one year old will soon be upon me. I can't help but hang on tight to these fleeting moments. William is a growing boy, like a weed I'd say. I know he still looks so chubby and cute, but he also looks tall and strong, like a little boy when he's standing with our help.

And he can do that by the way! Stand while holding on to something, I mean. And really well! I think he will begin to pull himself up onto things soon. He could do it now, I just don't think he knows he can. Only with mommy and daddy so far. Which I'm kind of ok with! William has also learned to clap and wave. How fun!! He hasn't crawled yet, but only because his poor head is so heavy and big. He can scoot a bit, and rolls to get where he wants to go. He also is not cross eyed as some of these pictures may suggest, he just is really enamored with my camera. ;)

On a good night William goes to bed at 8 and doesn't get up to nurse until around 5. He goes back to sleep until about 7. He takes two hour or more naps, morning and afternoon, and then takes a cat nap a few hours before bed. I think he will get rid of that third nap soon. He eats lunch and dinner, occasionally breakfast, and nurses every 3 hours or so. He loves food! :) Not a very picky guy, although, his favorites include blends with orange veggies (sweet potatoes, carrots, etc). Green veggies are probably his least favorite but he eats them well enough.

William, it's so fun to watch your personality blossom! You are quiet and easy going, but not afraid to make yourself heard. You are so affectionate and sweet, stroking our faces or laying your head on our shoulders. I can't sneak anything past you, since you're a smart little boy that's always aware of his surroundings. You love your puppy, Cooper, and he loves you right back. During playtime you enjoy watching Baby Einstein videos, playing the recorder or your play piano, and of course chewing on anything and everything. You are very observant and enjoy watching the world from your stroller. A friend to all, you offer up a small smile to passing neighbors and their dogs. You have learned to "talk" which is a lot of fun, and sometimes I think you may be
 saying "mama" to me.

We love you so very much and are very proud of you. It has been a sweet month of visits from friends and family who love you so much, and who you obviously love too. God has blessed us profoundly with such a handsome, loving son. You light up our lives and challenge us to be better parents every day. As the summer starts to wind down I hope we have some extra time to make some more sweet memories with you. A picnic, or a walk by the river, is after all the best when you're around. We love you William!

William is 6 Months Old!

I just put William to bed a little over an hour ago. It's been a busy day, so he fell asleep pretty quickly, but I couldn't resist hanging around for extra snuggles. Such a sweet boy. I'm such a sap, but I miss him even if I'm only gone for an hour! I am soaking up every moment with this kid because I know it will all fly by.

This has been a busy, busy month. Three weeks ago we made our first trip back to Texas. It was so fun to see William interact with his family and friends. He went swimming for the first time too which was a blast! He definitely loves the water, and being outside in general.

William loves to play. He can hold himself in a standing position up against the couch cushion, roll all over the floor, sit unassisted; the works people! I don't even know how I will keep up when he starts to crawl. And he definitely wants to crawl! Tickling is also super fun, nothing better than baby laughs.

(Sweet photo bomb Andrew!) William is 22lbs last I checked, and is incredibly tall. He has his 6 month doctor appointment in a couple days where I will find out his stats. He is still in size three diapers, and has outgrown 3-6 month clothes and now wears 6-9 month and 9 month. He is teething, so I'm not going to attempt to explain a sleep schedule. Sometimes he sleeps pretty much through the night, sometimes he wants to nurse every three hours. Daytime schedule is great, and he is loving his small two meals a day.

I love hearing your voice squeal with delight, blow raspberries, and baby talk with us. Your smile is  breathtaking, few things can make me that happy. I look forward to getting you out of your crib to see your face light up. You make life a blast, and prove the goodness of God to me every single day. Andrew and I are so blessed to be your parents. Although I can hardly stand you getting older, each month brings something new and beautiful and I can't wait to see you grow more and more. Just don't grow up too quickly ok? 

Can I Be A Christian On Facebook?

I joke with Andrew quite a bit about this, as I feel like I could write a book on the topic. Not because my opinion is so awesome, but because God’s Word actually has a good bit to say about our conduct on Facebook. Can you believe it?

Facebook is a love-hate relationship. First of all, I love sharing my life so easily with close friends and family. It’s inter-personal relationships for dummies (like me). Precious pictures, memories, revelations, and life events are shared at the click of the mouse. When I got engaged, married, and when we had our son- all these things were celebrated in part on Facebook. And, I can go back and relive these things whenever I want via my wall and my photos. Or, excuse me, not my wall, my “timeline”, whatever.

But, I also hate Facebook in many ways. It’s a vice if I have ever seen one. Can anyone think of something technological that’s more addicting? Well, maybe candy crush… but even that gets old for me after a while! (Not that I play that game). I hate that some people only want to be my “friend” so that I can be fodder for their conversation. Even if it’s nice conversation, I don’t want to be the object of someone’s entertainment that doesn’t even speak to me. I hate seeing public displays of lewdness, or verbal battery of other human beings. I hate hearing of spouses that use Facebook to cheat, family that use Facebook to lie, and lonely people who use Facebook for their friend. 

But, the more I think about it, the more I begin to realize that our use of Facebook has higher expectations than my likes and dislikes. Beloved Believers, we have some weighty expectations of holiness! Much like you have to walk the walk and talk the talk at work, school, and play; we have to begin to retake our place as ambassadors for Jesus on Facebook. Myself included! This Sunday our Pastor read about judgement day: we will be accountable for our words, our lives, and the riches (or lack thereof) we have to lay at Jesus’ feet. Let’s focus ourselves for a moment on how we can do Kingdom Work on Facebook, and perhaps gain perspective on the harm we may have done.

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5)

Ok. So, God’s word is clear that our lives with Christ should set us apart, should be consistent, and should be evident before men. But the key here is, that it points people to God. To the Father.

We like to think we have good intentions when we promote “Christian” things. Like politics, schooling, health, even theology and doctrine. But what have we achieved by promoting our hobbyhorses and trying to disguise them as Christ? Dissention. Through and through. Now, I’m all for standing up for your beliefs and for self-expression. But you believer, do not have the liberty to say and do whatever you want whenever you want. You are a bond-servant of Christ. An ambassador to His name. A earthen vessel of His precious Spirit. Before all things, promote Jesus. And if you are considering causing a stir over the Tea Party, vaccinations, standardized testing, sausage ingredients, or Armenianism, just wait. Pray about it. Run your intentions by the Word of God. Because your opinions are not bad!! But perhaps instead of using your public internet platform among a WORLD of non-believers to promote things that divide people and have little to no weight in the kingdom, promote Jesus. 

There is a place to stand up for Christian politics (if you believe in such a thing). It’s when you have your friends over for dinner, when you write your senator (please tell me you don’t just complain on Facebook and fail to write your reps!), when you visit the capitol to advocate for Christian rights, etc. Reposting Facebook articles isn’t changing opinions or legislature- but Jesus can (romans 13). Promote Jesus.

Be salt and light by using your fingers to type out God’s Word as your status (which means a lot more than just reposting it). Be salt and light by publicly encouraging and exhorting other believers. Be salt and light by promoting your church and inviting non believers to attend with you.

Use Philippians 4:8 to determine what you should say and post. And the Holy Spirit. 

Identity in Christ

Often the reason we fail to be salt and light to non-believers through our internet platforms is because we have lost sight of who we are in Christ. We can feign that we are intimately acquainted with Jesus by belittling believers who are “wrong” about this or that. We can feign relationship with Jesus by promoting “Christian” oriented things. We can feign relationship with Jesus by being argumentative and incendiary in the things we post. 

Even more sad, we often lose sight of who we are in Christ by forgetting the value He has placed on us and succumbing to the enemy’s taunts.

Do you look out at the world displayed to you via your computer screen and feel overwhelmed? Depending on what day it is, I can feel any range of emotions. Not measuring up, for one. I don’t have what they have, I can’t have the life experiences they do, I don’t look like her, I’m only a SAHM, or my job takes too much time. Other times I fall into judgement mode. I can’t believe they wore that outfit! That stupid article is posted by some hermit writing on his blogspot from the library internet. They misspell everything. Don’t they ever have anything nice to say? (haha!)

Sometimes it’s just plain anger. God why isn’t my parent/spouse/child/house/life/friend like that?

Maybe you are a victim of information overload. Every article or status shakes your faith. Every well developed opinion becomes your opinion too. You absorb every anecdote and idea like a sponge, and then sit confused wondering who in the world you are.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."  Galatians 2:20

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:14-15

This is of course who we are through Jesus: loved, Spirit led, dead to our former self, raised to new life, hidden with Christ (safe from harm), valuable co-inheritor with Jesus, saved, adopted, renewed. And that is enough!

When we regain sight of the blessed promises of God, of who we are because of Jesus, things become much clearer. We don’t need to prove our spirituality to others. We don’t have to measure up. We don’t have to compare, or steep in our emotional overload. He is enough.

Can I be a Christian on Facebook?

Well of course we can. But it’s not an easy task. To be a Christian is not to check a box on your census form, or to attend the church down the street. It’s not having an opinion about politics, schooling, the age of the earth, or sausage ingredients. It’s following Jesus, being a “little Christ”. That means that we must obey the most important commandments (John 14:15), love the Lord with all that you are, and then love people as you love yourself.

Speak truth, promote peace, direct people to Jesus instead of a multitude of other non-solutions. This honors and shows love for God. Speak kindly, encourage others, infuse scripture into your internet platform and presence. This shows love for others. I think that if we (again, me included!) can do this in Christ’s name and by His power, we would see the Spirit move in a mighty away through Christians on the internet.

Wouldn’t that be something, Church?

Lately...(TX edition)

- Eating the best food! Whataburger, Casa Ole, Spring Creek, all the good stuff you just can’t get in good ol’ WV.

- Texas sky is blowing my mind. I never realized the sky was different in TX, but it is, and it’s gorgeous.

- Loving watching my precious boy get to know his family. Getting to know his cousins has been especially hilarious!

-Soaking up this hot sunshine. It’s barely warm here (high of 85-90) but that’s hot for Charles Town.

- Loving our time with precious friends.

- Looking forward to family and friends visiting us this summer. What fun!

- Hoping for an awesome first Independence Day with our little family. We live in a really cool place to experience history and be a patriot.

- Swimming!!! William is a water baby. It’s so so cool.

- Kicking off the summer with a bang. That’s how the Clardys do it! Here’s to the best summer in a long, long time.

William is 5 Months Old

This has been one of my favorite months with our son so far. He is so fun, so expressive, so full of personality. We are truly getting to know him, as he blossoms before our eyes. This month has been filled with many firsts, including first foods. Here he is trying rice cereal for the first time. So much fun! He was a little skeptical at first, but really has started getting into it lately.

He is also starting some fruits, so far we have only tried bananas, but butternut squash is in his future as well.

Playtime is the best time of course, whether that be on the floor rolling allll the way accross the room (what?!!), in the excersaucer, or practicing some sitting up which he is also getting pretty good at. Going out has become so fun with our little guy as well, since he enjoys the sights and sounds of the world around him.

This month we have gone to see downtown Harper Ferry, WV with William which he seemed to enjoy well enough.

Going outside to the backyard is fun too, he likes to lay out on a blanket or hang out in his excersaucer so he can see the world! Isn't that hat awesome? :)

William is still quite a big boy, I don't weigh him every week anymore as I trust he is plenty big enough, but he is wearing a few 3-6mo clothes, 6mo clothes, and some 6-9mo. Still in size 3 diapers, and still waking up once during the night to eat. I'm hoping that will wear off in the next month! Every once in a while he surprises us with a whole night of sleep, but that is few and far between.

William, we truly love you so so much! You are so sweet to your mama and daddy. We love that you reach up to touch our faces, cuddle us with tiny hugs, dig your precious face into our neck, and of course love it when your jolly self tries to rip our skin off with that crazy baby strength of yours, haha! You are becoming such a sweet young man who loves others and loves his family. I'm looking forward to trying new foods with you, watching you pull yourself up and try to crawl, and hearing all your precious baby talk. You are the best baby ever. We love you Andrew William!