A Holy Pursuit

I was recently perusing Instagram and came across a young woman’s feed who happened to be an accomplished athlete and claimed “Christian” as her belief system. Cool , I thought, a young woman with a platform to share her faith and apparently not afraid to do so. As I browsed through a few of her photos my first impression was quickly corrected. This young woman’s feed was full of seductive photos of herself, and scantily clad selfies. My original impression turned to disappointment and even a bit of anger. Why would she think it’s ok to post such photos of her body, all the while claiming Christ and likely being followed by many individuals (men and women) who would see those photos? Maybe you think it’s not a big deal. Maybe you think I’m being judgmental. Let me explain my problem with this. As I was growing up I heard all about the need to be modest for the sake of our Christian brothers who struggled with lust. Then I heard all about how modesty is important, but shoul...

Dear Miles, You are four months old! This has been a very eventful month for you, little guy. You started it off with a bout of croup, which seemed to be a lot worse on mama than it was on you. You bounced back pretty quick and have kept your cheerful personality through the whole thing. What made matters worse was daddy had the stomach flu during that time, as well. So mama got pretty worn out, but managed to stay healthy through it all! Here are some of the other notable highlights from this month- Miles{tones} 1. Started rolling over in both directions. 2. Reaching for toys. 3. Putting everything in your mouth and chewing on everything (early teether, perhaps?). 4. Started laughing at Riggins. 5. Love being outside and going for walks. 6. Bath time is one of the highlights of your day and you love to splash in the water. 7. You are now sleeping like a champ! You average 10-12 hours straight at night and take 2-3 naps during the day. 8. You've discovered th...

Dear Miles, Happy three months on the outside, sweet boy! You just keep getting more fun and your little personality is just shining through more and more as time goes on. You are such a pleasure and your third month has been so full of fun!  Here are some of your third month [Miles]tones: -Celebrated your first Christmas! -Started screaming when you're really excited -Went on your first road trip to Indiana (and you slept the whole way there and back) -Started sleeping through the night a little more consistently -Went to a Harlem Globetrotters game with your cousins Eddie, Maria, and Magnolia -Became a champ at self-soothing by sucking on your fingers -Started sucking on your lips (which is super adorable!) -Discovered your tongue and now you stick it out all the time It's crazy to think that you are already 1/4 through your first year of life on the outside. It is so fun watching you continue to grow and develop. Daddy a...

Dear Miles, I cannot express how absolutely adorable it is when you look in my eyes, grin ear to ear, and let out a little baby giggle. You just started doing this the past couple weeks, and it makes my heart melt! Your second month has been full of fun and new things like, celebrating Thanksgiving and getting to meet so many of your extended family members, rolling over from tummy to back, responding to your name and mommy and daddy's voice, laughing and giggling, smiling, babbling and cooing. I'm convinced you have a certain number of "words" to use throughout the day and after you eat seems to be your prime time.  You have started sleeping much better at night (praise the Lord in Heaven, He has heard our prayers) and while we still have a rough night occasionally, overall you are only waking up about twice per night to eat and get a clean diaper. Last night you only woke up once (say whaaat?!) and daddy and I were stoked, to say the least. Another high...

Dear Miles, It's hard to believe you're already over a month old! It's gone so fast for the most part, although at times in the middle of the night it's seemed like forever. But we are so grateful for your little life and so hopeful for your future. We pray faithfully that you will trust Christ at an early age and grow up to love and serve Him with your whole life. That is the only way to be truly satisfied and have purpose in your life, Milan.  Here are a few highlights from your first month on the outside: -You now weigh over 11 pounds (all muscle, I'm sure) -We had family pictures taken by cousin Silvia -So many people showered you/us with gifts and meals and visits (Thank you, everyone!!) -You've been to youth group every Wednesday night since you were two weeks old -You've been to church every week since you were one week old (You usually sleep through those last two, but we won't hold that against you until you're a little ...

Dear Miles, My heart is absolutely overflowing now that you're finally here! You may have kept us waiting a few extra days, but we are so delighted that you've made your debut! Some people have been asking for your birth story, and maybe someday you'll be interested in knowing about it, too. There were a lot of little details, and my sleep-deprived brain might not remember everything perfectly, but I'll give it my best shot. Squirt, your birth story really starts last summer when your daddy and I had started talking about when we wanted to start a family. We were on the self-proclaimed "3-5 year plan", and we were just past 4 years of marriage, so it seemed like the right time. However, our plans were complicated and then delayed when I was told I needed to have a lump in my breast carefully monitored for a few months to make sure it wasn't breast cancer. That was a bit of a scary season for us, Squirt, just waiting to see if the lump grew and then be...

Dear Squirt, I literally cannot believe we’re almost there! We are days away from meeting you, sweet boy, and your daddy and I are so excited! We’ve waited so long, but at the same time, it seems like time has flown by. This trimester has been full of so many good things, including moving into and getting settled into our new home, starting our new LifeGroup, getting maternity pictures taken, finishing our birthing classes, touring the hospital birthing center, three amazing baby showers, and celebrating your grandma’s 60th birthday!   We’ve started our once a week prenatal visits and everything still looks great! You’re always wiggling and our OB doctor comments about your wiggles every time she tries to get your heart-rate. But your head is down, and we’re just playing the waiting game now! We made it to term last week (37 weeks), so anytime you decide to come is great, although I’m all about waiting the full 40 weeks, with all of the benefits that will provide for you....