Fresh Start

Blog world...how I miss you! Nothing really on my mind, but I did want to give a little update and get that bittersweet last post off the top of my screen. First off, we are pregnant again! Praise the Lord!!! Tomorrow I go for my first ultrasound and so I am posting this in faith that all is well in the womb. Saturday is my sweet husband's birthday and I am really excited about seeing most of the family over the weekend. (Jennie, we miss you)! I have been exhorted by a dear friend to take a camera and lots of pictures, so I will try to be faithful to do so. I really stink at taking pictures, mainly because I am lazy and self-centered, but hopefully there will be some growth and sanctification in this area and you will get to benefit (wow, that's ambitious...take pictures AND post them to my blog...haha!).

Milestones in my recent life include the following:

1. My chickens (the ones I didn't burn up in last week's fire...oops!) are laying eggs.

2. My garden is growing things!! Peas, cabbage, broccoli, spinach.

3. I took the plunge and bought some yarn at the local yarn store, first time in months that I have even thought of knitting, and I am dreadfully behind in gifts for my two nieces and my other friends who had babies last summer...

4. Oh, this is news...I played the keyboard for church a couple of months ago...and survived. In fact, I get to play about once a month right now. Fairly stressful, but an honor to serve the church in this way. I do love to sing as well, but with my weak keyboard skills, I spend most of the time squinting at the music sheet and wondering if I am on rhythm. Perhaps God is giving me some humble pie for all of the times I grinned at my husband's mistakes. So...laugh at me at your own risk.

I can't think of any more list-type announcements, but I did think of a good purpose for writing this post. The past two days, a wonderful lady in our church has come to my house to bless me and help me straighten up. Straighten up? What am I saying?!! My house looked like an atomic bomb stuffed with dirty clothes landed on it. In fact, my house was so dirty, she left yesterday asking if she could come back to help finish today. Wow. And she told me, practically through tears, what an honor it was to come and serve. Well, friends, I have officially been schooled in loving others. My heart is so encouraged by her attitude. She embodies Christ as she walks out this verse "...in humility consider others better than yourselves" and I am sure that the Lord used her to accomplish so much more than a clean house in my life. I want to post more, but I am tired. Hopefully, I can share later how, among other things, her time in my home time has shown me what gospel-centered parenting looks like. :-) God bless.