Surpass

There is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It protects your heart, guides your thoughts, and enables freedom. It draws you away from yourself and your own desires and into the perfect plan of the Father. Today, I have experienced this peace unlike any other time in my life.

Today I found out that I miscarried after six and a half weeks of pregnancy. I spent a few hours in the Emergency Room after getting some advice from a doctor. Circumstantially it should have been quite a cruddy day. I was experiencing the first regular signs of miscarriage for about the last 24 hours, lots of abdominal cramping, swelling, being poked and prodded multiple times for an IV, two ultrasounds, hospital smells, tests, and shots.

I won't lie and say that these last two days have been fun. But I will tell you about the peace I am experiencing and where it comes from.

It isn't coincidence that this week I had been meditating on Psalm 34. It is full of exactly what I needed in these moments and I turned to it quite a bit. If you've read it and remember you will know what I am talking about.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

(Psalm 34 ESV)

I LOVE THIS! I could sit in one of those verses for days. Even though this is hard, hurts (emotionally and physically), and doesn't feel fun I am experiencing what that first verse says. Bless the Lord at ALL times. He will deliver me from my fears, he will not let me be ashamed, he will be near to me, he will save me, he will deliver me, and he redeems me. That is where the peace lies. In Jesus. Only in Jesus. In his life and it's perfection, in his death and how it saves us, and in his resurrection showing that he can't be held by death - we are given peace, knowing that HE accomplished it all because we can't. We can't do anything but HE does everything.

Can I get a HALLELUJAH!?

Not only has this strengthened my faith but it has strengthened my marriage. My husband has served me selflessly in these last two days. He has done everything for Siena and I, been so loving and has relied on the Lord. Right now he is memorizing the book of Philippians. He has been speaking it to me all day long. I don't find this a coincidence either.

What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
(Philippians 1:18-21 ESV)

lift up your eyes.

In one of his books, CS Lewis talks about how so often we are content with swimming in a mud puddle when God has a huge ocean ready for our enjoyment. We become fine with sin and icky, muddy waters when we can have clear, Jesus filled, beautiful blue water to enjoy.

I had an experience this weekend that really made me think of this verse. My mom lovingly took Siena (while teething!) on Friday night so that Chris and I could go to an event without her. The next morning we got to sleep in (8:30 - really sleeping in for us!), grabbed McDonalds for breakfast (which he NEVER gives in to!) and then headed over to North Bend to little Mt. Si for a morning hike.

We were about fifteen minutes into the hike when I told Chris to stop. I had realized something. Below my feet was wet, muddy, slippery, rock filled trails. When I was no longer concerned with tripping into the ick, I looked up and was struck by the glorious sight. We were in a beautiful forest. The green of the trees was so bright and the rain coming down made everything so fresh. I was so worried about taking the right step that for the first part of the hike I didn't even look at where we were headed. If I had continued that way for the entire hike I never would have taken in God's creation and the moment that he created for me to take it all in.

When I think about my life, it is a little like this trail. I get too focused on the mucky, dirty, bumpy trail. The hardships and the sin get overwhelming and that is all that I can concentrate on.

But when you lift up your eyes.
My, it's a pretty sight.

Jesus is glorious. Even more glorious than those trees. His scripture is life-giving like the oxygen that comes from the leaves. His presence is fresh and new each time you meet with him.

Why do we keep our eyes on the deep depravity of sin when we can lift our eyes and gaze upon the rich beauty of our Lord?

This is my goal.

pray through it.

I love this man. I love this journey that we are on. It is definitely one that needs faith in Jesus to get through each day. But that's the fun part of giving up every little detail to the Lord. Thats the fun part of giving up every BIG detail too.

I truly believe that nothing I do is more profitable than praying scripture over my husband. Guess what. Today, is the first time I have really sat here and spent time doing it. The Lord led me to 1Timothy 3:1-7. I sat here and prayed over each attribute and prayed that it would penetrate my husbands convictions, character, and competencies.

We know that God's Word (the Bible) is Truth. Praying that our lives reflect the Truth is a way that we can be involved in our sanctification (becoming more like Jesus) process.

Thank you Jesus for allowing us to come before you, to ask for specific things, and to allow you to work and answer me with a yes, no, or later.

24 reasons.

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!

Today is my sweet, loving, passionate husband's 24th birthday. Why yes, he was born on Cinco de Mayo. How sweet is that? Take a bit of advice, if you have a family member whose birthday is also on Cinco de Mayo & they also love Mexican food as much as we do - choose a different restaurant and hop on over to the Mexican place next weekend. We've made that birthday mistake before as everyone is getting their fajitas and margaritas on today.

Like I said, I love my husband - so I'll tell you a few reasons why.

1. He is striving to glorify Jesus in everything he does.

(This is one of the very first pictures that I took of him. I stared at this cute picture all the time...)

2. He loves me unconditionally (and there can be some tough stuff to love!)

3. He gets joy from Siena & you can tell by the way that he interacts with her.

4. He loves me enough to do things like paint my nails.

5. He plays the guitar.

6. He always has a song in his head & a perfect one for each moment.

7. He leads me well and by God's grace will continue to do so.

8. He snuggles me at night and lets me put my cold feet on him in bed to warm them up.

9. He loves what I cook.

10. He pushes me to take steps of faith and challenges me to do things out of my comfort zone.

11. He provides for me.

12. He makes me laugh by the silly things he says and does.

13. He accepts my obsession over ice cream.

14. He reads his bible every morning with his coffee and breakfast.

15. He loves adventures.

16. He appreciates weddings.

17. He reads and loves understanding new things.

18. He is a Coug.

19. He is a family man and desires to love and train our child(ren) to know the Lord.

20. He loves to stay healthy (much to my demise of loving fast food).

21. He runs. & runs with me (even a ten miler & I am slow!).

22. He loves me enough to take lots of pictures.

23. He's handsome.

24. He lives his life in a way that others look at and strive after.

I LOVE YOU CHRISTOPHER LEE!

bed.early...

Bed. Sounds good right now. This has been a long day.

At about 3:30/4ish I fed Siena, layed her back in her crib, and came back to bed. Soon after I could tell something was wrong with Chris. Ugh. No! He was JUST sick. He JUST got better.

He got up quickly and went to the bathroom and that's when I knew. My poor husband who was sick for a long time was now sick again. For some reason I just figured he would beat this.

So, we missed church again. It really kills me. I love the community we have here. I love the family that I have in the church. I love how refreshing most Sundays are. But today my call was to love and serve my husband at home while he lay on the couch. I couldn't do much for him except grab him an extra blanket, throw away tissues, make a smoothie, and run my fingers through his hair. Poor guy.

I will be starting up my thankfulness posts again. Hopefully tomorrow. I need to catch my breath from all this sickness. Thats just what it has been. Sick. So.. check back soon for some encouragement from the Word. Because today, I am getting it from other people & I don't have much strength to give it out.






At least I threw in some cute pictures of my sweet mama and her first grandbaby!

earplugs.

You probably will think this is really strange. But it's basically survival mode turned daily routine. When we were living with my in laws for the first two months of Siena's life our little "suite" was on the main floor of the house. So, when I was exhausted and my 17 year old brother in law was watching Cougar basketball I could not sleep. He is THE Cougnumberonefan. My father in law had the idea to grab me a pair of ear plugs and see if that worked any wonders.

Truly, I say thank you Jesus for ear plugs.

Well, ever since... I have used them for all or part of the night. With a young baby you ask??? Yes. I know. My mom also thinks it is very strange. I just feel at peace with Siena's life and these little plugs have helped me get some much needed rest. So, when we moved into this house and our lovely neighbor's owned a rooster with a very messed up internal clock (meaning he goes off from 3am-4pm & is going off right now at 9:19am) my little friends came in VERY handy.

Not only have they helped me sleep, they have also given the hubster and I a few laughs together. I couldn't find one of my favorite pair for days. This was extremely frustrating to say the least. I went out into the living room one day and the other one was sitting there. I got so excited and told Chris, "Yay!!! I found my other ear plug!" We laughed and laughed at how excited I was.

It seems like it has been forever since I last posted. Life has just been busy and yesterday I was sick all day with the flu. Very icky stuff. This weekend was supposed to be filled with three birthday parties and lots of fun stuff. Now I am just queasy and tired and won't be going anywhere today. Oh well, God's plan is better than mine.

loveyou.



Cindy,

You were born on October 17th, 2010 at 2:31 in the afternoon. That time was so easy to remember because I was born at 2:32pm. We are one minute and a whole bunch of years apart. I was pretty nervous going to the hospital because I wasn't sure what to expect. But the whole thing was an amazing experience. Jesus was there for us the whole time and helped me to relax and get excited to meet you. The entire lobby was packed out with people to meet you when you arrived. Family and friends who are like family... It was amazing. Miss Heidi was in the delivery room to take sweet pictures of you when you were born. Grammie was there too to support me and of course daddy was too. Our midwife was amazing. A midwife is a person that specializes in labor and delivery. Her name was Debra and she went to Mars Hill and was such a support and help. We also had amazing nurses and one in particular, Kimmie, was a Christian too and so sweet. Debra asked daddy if he wanted to deliver you and he surprised me by saying yes. So the first person who held you was your sweet daddy. We stayed at the hospital for one night and then went to Papa and Grandma's house. I was very tired, sore, and a little stressed. Taking care of a little, precious bundle was a new job for me! You ate every two hours all day long for the first four weeks of your life. You and I would get up in the middle of the night and go into this special little room that Papa and Grandma set up for us. It had your changing table and a rocking chair. I would change your diaper every time (I didn't want it to be the reason you woke up) while you screamed very loud. Then I would nurse you and rock you until you fell asleep. Many many times you would spit up so much after eating that I would have to change you and swaddle you again when you were sleepy. This would wake you up so it would take about an hour to put you back to sleep. Thank you Jesus for my iPhone. I used it a lot in the wee hours of the morning to pass the time. If only I knew how short that time was. Daddy finally taught me how to put you to sleep more quickly. We would hold you upright on our chest and bounce around the room. I would do this for at least ten minutes. Sometimes back and forth through the laundry room and sometimes through the entire downstairs. We did this about five times a night. Sometimes I would think you were asleep but you weren't. Right when I layed you down you woke up and cried and I would do it all over again. There were times in these first few weeks that were very hard. We were just getting used to each other and feeding you was especially hard. A lot of times you weren't able to eat because there was too much milk. You would cry and cry and then I would cry and cry. Daddy would help me to calm down and explain to me that you knew that I was upset and so you didn't want to eat. Eventually we got the hang of it. Baby bell, you are the sweetest gift (apart from knowing Jesus and marrying daddy) that I have ever received. I will love you forever. I am praying that you meet Jesus at an early age and live your whole sweet life praising and glorifying him and making his name great.

Mama

**Cindy is Siena's nickname from Chris off of the nickname Cinderella.... yes we have nicknames from nicknames :)

Whiny Highlander

What a week. Actually, it's been a pretty crazy month. All I can say is thank you Jesus for good family and friends - and complete strangers (who are praying for me & mine ;). I am so grateful. It has been hard to get on my computer in the last few days as we have been super busy. Days filled with lots of craziness.

Wednesday we got to sleep in. If you know about my sweet Siena Joy, you know she has been an amazing sleeper from week four. We had a few hard weeks in the midst of moving and the holidays but she got back on track and was sleeping ten hours straight through. Well, the last two weeks have been a back to newborn stage as she is constantly starving. She has been eating every three hours through the entire day. So... in spite of what others may think (fear of man is really an issue here) we are going to be giving her rice cereal soon. She needs more calories and we want to see if it will help her last longer through the night. I know that many people have differing opinions but I think if it may help, why not try?

Back to Wednesday - we slept in. She actually woke up at 6 to eat and seemed wide awake but boy was I not ready to get up... So, I laid her in her crib and miraculously (Thank you Jesus) she fell back asleep about ten minutes after talking to herself. We all got up around nine and a real evidence that Chris may be on the mend is his desire to go adventure is back. We decided to drive to Snoqualmie Falls to get out and see something in God's creation. I also have a favorite Irish pub in Snoqualmie that I was happy to get to go visit. We got sidetracked with the beauty of the falls and ran into a college friend while looking at Salish Lodge sooo we didn't get to eat the yummy food. We then hurried back to drop Siena off with a sweet friend and get to Chris' dr. appointment. The dr. told us after many questions and an examination that one of two things were true. Chris was either getting over a nasty virus or he may have an issue with his liver. So, please pray & thank you because I already feel your prayers in the way that my hubster is acting and feeling. That night we had community group, which was amazing as we haven't been to church in four weeks...

Thursday, thanks to my amazing husband for a great birthday gift (Yes, my birthday is in April & yes, I just got to use my gift) and for another sweet friend who watched my daughter, I was pampered. I had a facial (delightful!), an eye brow wax (not so delightful but the outcome was very necessary), and a pedi (simply divine). Afterwards I got to stay and hang out at my friends and have dinner with our families.

Aaand... today we had mom's group at my house. I made scrumptious blueberry muffins while I got SJ to sleep in just like the other day... till 10:30! Then, ANOTHER amazing friend watched Siena while I got to pick up my highlander. Ohhh haha. Can't believe I forgot to add that part of the post and it's the title I chose for it. If it's not your baby waking you up every three hours, or your sick husband every few hours, it's your highlander. The alarm went off about 20 times Wednesday night in increments of 5 mins, 20 mins, and sometimes it would wait 2 hours just until you fell into a good and deep sleep. Anyway, I took it in and they can't even figure out the problem. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.I got to spend the rest of the day with a friend who is becoming very dear to me. She is so real, welcoming, warm, and fun to be around. I'm excited to get to spend more time with her!

Very short summaries of the last three thankfulness days...
Wednesday (Day 8) - Being there: Sometimes we need to show our gratitude for people by being physically present for them in a time of need.
Thursday (Day 9) - Involving yourself: Investing your life in small and big ways in other people's lives. Caring for the orphans and the widows. Feeding the homeless. Bringing your sick neighbor a meal.
Friday (Day 10) - Grieving with Gratitude: When a hard thing happens, instead of being angry with God, be thankful for the time that you did have that person/place/thing. Be grateful for the behind the scenes work that he is doing in your life.

JOB Day 8 - List people who have showed you gratitude by being a part of your joys and sorrows
JOB Day 9 - List three ways that people have been kind to you
JOB Day 10 - Write down some things that you are grateful for as a result of a loss you've suffered

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**If you desire to cultivate a heart of thankfulness & are willing to try it for 31 days (give or take - there is always grace here) - post a comment during any of my blogs that relate to thankfulness.
I will send you a gift at the end to show my thankfulness for you. If you are curious what the JOB is read my post here.

Day 7

Good morning. It's not sunny outside but I am feeling accomplished and joyful despite our circumstances. I feel a desire to write as each day I read this book it relates to what I am going through. I've done the dishes, cleaned the kitchen floor, tidied the living room, and then sat down to read. But none of this really matters even though I've checked it off my "list". We have a more pressing item in our lives. Chris continues to feel sick each day. It has progressed to him feeling ill deep in his core and stomach. He finally had his phone appointment today with the doctor and she said she doesn't know anything more. His iron level is low and he has weird enzymes on his liver. This sound familiar to my host of doctor readers?

So... with that she is referring us to internal medicine. He has ultrasounds this Friday and an appointment with the doctor at internal medicine next Wednesday. I asked my sweet husband if he was scared and he said, "no... bummed."

Am I scared? If I sit here and think about it too long, yes. Yes I am. I am so tired of seeing my poor husband shivering on the couch wrapped up in both of our coug blankets. I am tired of seeing him take medicine every 4 hours to control his fevers. I am tired of him barely eating what I make for dinner because he has no appetite. I am tired of him not wanting to take anything for lunch because nothing ever sounds good. I am tired of him being so sick that coffee would make him nauseous and so I don't get to make it for him each night like I always did. I am tired of our relationships being different in this home because he is so tired. I am tired of so many things.

But that is not the point.
And I know it.

I don't know the point yet. Maybe I never will. Maybe this will turn out to be nothing & he will be better tomorrow. Maybe it will turn into something that will change our lives forever. I don't know.

But I know the one who does know.
Do you?

Today's section in the book is so fitting. It is about hoping in Christ. At this moment and at all moments that is all we have to lean on. Or it should be.

I will leave you with a lengthy excerpt from the book because I love it and I cannot write as well as she can. It is so worth reading.

One chilly morning in December 1982 as I was returning home from a walk along the beach, I came to the end of myself. Nothing made sense anymore. I sat down right where I was and sobbed.

"God," I cried out, "who are you? Do you care anything about me? I feel hopeless. I've tried to find you. I want to know you."

Seconds passed. Then, ever so gently, a stream of familiar words came to mind: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". I had read these words of Jesus Christ in John's gospel (14:6) dozens of times. Why did they sound so different now? I wondered. Then I knew. I had never let them in before. I had never heard them for myself.

That winter day I did hear them - for me. I jumped up. "Jesus Christ is the way to God!" I shouted to the waves and sky. And to think I almost missed him! Here was the hope I had been looking for. No higher power, life force, or spiritual guide had offered me such assurance. "O God, thank you for your Son, Jesus," I whispered.

Everything was new in that moment. I was no longer a victim of my husband's actions against me. All have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. That included me. I had known that from Paul's teaching (Romans 3:23) but until today I had never taken it to heart. No wonder I had not fully received this gift before. I had not seen myself as a sinner because I was too preoccupied with the sins others had committed against me. But that day I knew I needed forgiveness as much as anyone else. How grateful I was to know from my own experience that Christ did not come for the righteous but for sinners to repent. I was a sinner, and I prayed that day for forgiveness as I put my hope and trust in Christ as my Savior.

JOB Day 7- Have you received Christ's gift? If so, write down why you are thankful for it. If you haven't, write down where you are on your journey toward Christ.

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**If you desire to cultivate a heart of thankfulness & are willing to try it for 31 days (give or take - there is always grace here) - post a comment during any of my blogs that relate to thankfulness.
I will send you a gift at the end to show my thankfulness for you. If you are curious what the JOB is read my post here.

The Joy that You Bring

Honestly, this morning I am torn. Torn between collapsing under the weight of weeks of sickness and exhaustion and turning from that and rejoicing in the Lord and the things he has done. I know what I need to do. But it's not that simple. I have a list of wants in my head that I can't stop thinking about.
-My husband back to normal/cooking us breakfast on days off/helping with chores/kissing me when he walks in the door
-My baby to give me back the 8hours of sleep that I was getting/not being sick
-Energy & the desire to go out and run
I prayed a short prayer this morning after having been up with Siena two times in the night and with Chris for about an hour. Lord, please help me yield to your Spirit. I do not want to have ugliness, pride, selfishness, and greed flow from my heart. I want patience, love, joy, and peace to flow from you into my life. I got out of bed shortly after that to get a shower in - which is a luxury that isn't happening as much when I am taking care of other people constantly. I know. Gross. But other things have been going ahead of my personal hygiene. What I realized was the Lord ordains everything. Even the fact that I am reading this book. When my mom gave it to me - it was not intended for me. Everything was going right & everything had been easy for a few weeks. Everyone was healthy. Siena was sleeping through the night. I had a schedule. I could make Chris breakfast again, make his coffee, and send him out the door with a lunch in his bag. All after having a quiet time & spending time on my blog. Wow. Those were some happy go lucky weeks. What I realize now, is that the Lord knew that those weren't going to last forever. He knew that a time of testing of faith and trial was about to begin. So he gave me this book for a specific reason - that turned out to be completely different than what I had intended. What a sweet sweet Savior we have. Lately I have been a part of a few conversations where we talk about trials and hardship. We have all agreed that those times and seasons in our lives are the ones that the Lord brings greater growth and sanctification. They are not fun. They are not easy. But the have a greater purpose. Now I just need to remind myself of that daily. Day 5 was about God's creation. I'll be honest. While reading this... I was not in the mindset of seeing beauty in God's creation. I was in the mindset of hurry and get your quiet time done before you need to get Siena up and fed. But what she said is so true. Look around. Look at the leaves on the tree, the rain coming down out of the clouds, the high mountain capped with snow. They are so beautiful and they show God's presence. Romans 1 says that everyone is without excuse when it comes to seeing and understanding him. He reveals himself through his creation. I love times of getting out of the city and into the country, hills, and mountains. It brings you back to simplicity and the sweetness of the outdoors, his presence is everywhere. But, this doesn't happen easily for everyone. Where have you neglected seeing God in his creation?

JOB Day 5- Consider the gift in creation that you most notice God and write down your gratitude for that gift


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**If you desire to cultivate a heart of thankfulness & are willing to try it for 31 days (give or take - there is always grace here) - post a comment during any of my blogs that relate to thankfulness.
I will send you a gift at the end to show my thankfulness for you. If you are curious what the JOB is read my post here.

Day onetwo & a gift for you.

Day one was... yesterday. Before I get all teary eyed and tell myself, "I told you so!" about missing a day already let me turn your eyes off of my frustration and onto the project that we are starting.

Yesterday, I sat and read Day One of the Basket of Blessings in my living room. My baby was sleeping and my husband was laying sick on the couch. She first talked about how developing an attitude of thanks takes practice.

First we must choose gratitude; then we will begin to see everything in our lives as a gift, regardless of the circumstances or the appearance. That doesn't mean we're expected to shout "Hallelujah!" when a loved one dies or our home is robbed or we're struck with a terminal illness. That wouldn't be human. But when we foster the habit of giving thanks in all things, as the apostle Paul counsels us in Colossians 3:17, we are able to see how God uses all these experiences for our good. And for that we thank him.

The first question she asks is, "Are you willing to choose gratitude? What will it cost you?"

I think over my day yesterday and realize that my prayer was answered. My heart is already inclining toward gratitude in one day. I know this is not of my own doing because yesterday was not easy. CK is sick and so is little Siena. My sweet husband has felt ill now for about three weeks off and on. He has had intense fevers the past few nights where he is extremely cold and covered in blankets - even telling me to lay the couch cushion on him for more pressure, and extremely hot where he soaks through the sheets. We have already gone through a lot of testing and there is more to come. They cannot figure this out. My first reaction is usually panic mode. This time was different. I was worried if I focused on it, but my first reaction was, Lord, you are in control. Thank your for whatever you are going to do through this. Chris and I have had lots of prayer times over the last few days, giving this illness, our work, our finances, to him. Am I scared you ask? Well, if I give in to my flesh and listen to it instead the answer is yes. But I am choosing thankfulness and gratitude that only comes from the Holy Spirit.

Today is Day two. The portion today that I want to reflect on is something I really struggle with. She says, "Simplicity encourages us to be well, look well, feel well, and do well without making a statement about it." I find myself really struggling with desiring new things all the time. New jeans, new pillows for the couch, new kitchen gadgets ... on and on the list could go. It is not a sin to have nice things but when your mind becomes focused on it, it most definitely is. The apostle Paul says to be content in plenty or in need. Am I? Can I be ok with the "simple" things that I have. Even that statement is ridiculous. I may have "simple" things compared to some Americans - but I own a tv, a MAC, an Iphone, a bed & nice linens, live in a warm home, and have a lot of food in my kitchen. I am not saying this to boast. I am saying this because I think that most of us are this way. We have SO much and we still desire more.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
-John 15:11

Our joy is to be in him not what we own. Be thankful for what you have - big and small. But mostly, be thankful for knowing Christ. If you don't know him yet, he wants to know you. He chose to come to earth for you. He lived a perfect life so that he could die for your sins. He loves you. He wants a relationship with you. Our joy is to know him and know that our eternal life and salvation come from him alone. If you read this and you are questioning, searching, or wondering, please message me on fb or email me @ meganaliciaknight{at}gmail{dot}com.

Lastly, the reason that this book is called Basket of Blessings is because she talks about how someone she knew discussed with her about writing down her blessings. Her and her husband did this from January through November and on Thanksgiving morning they emptied the basket and read everything they had been thankful for over that year. This is such a sweet tradition to start and I am starting today - with a simple canning jar. My Jar of Blessings.

Heres the sweet part: if you decide to join me & I'm talking 31 days (give or take, there is always grace here) to start your own Basket or Jar of Blessings to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness comment on this post. If you do I will send you something at the end of my "31" days.

JOB (Jar of Blessings) Day 1 - One person in your life that has made an impact & why
JOB Day 2- 5 simple gifts you are thankful for

Sweet News...

Jesus tells us to not be anxious about our lives. I really struggle with that. Even down to little weekend trips like we just had. I get anxious that it won't be restful, that we won't have fun together, and that we wished we would have just stayed home.

I really understand why Jesus says do not be anxious. Sometimes cruddy things will happen. But most of the time, the time you spend worrying does nothing but make you feel like your heart is going to jump out of your chest or you end up acting like such a pessimist no one wants to be around you.

This weekend was really really restful. We really enjoyed ourselves. We ate good food, read, and most importantly spent good quality time with amazing people. One of the most restful parts for me was Chris watching Siena with Grandma M so that I could go to Starbucks. I totally just unloaded when I was there, drank coffee, blogged, and read. The night before I was talking to Chris about reading scripture and how I really wanted a bible study because I felt like I was just in one of those seasons of opening my bible and reading whatever was on that page. I've been there before and it's not my favorite place.

He reminded me of something though and it was such a fruitful conversation. He asked me what it would be like if I only had scripture to lean on. Did I think it was enough to sustain me? The words that surpass all cultures, times, and seasons in life. Was it good enough for me?

At first I was a little caught off guard. I explained to him that I needed a study to help me read and get things out of God's Word. But then I started thinking about what he said and it came to me. What he said was true. This does not down-grade any studies out there because I have learned SO much from many that I have done. Studies are good/beneficial/uplifting, but if we didn't have them would we still be filled? The Lord through his Holy Spirit can reveal to me truths through just reading his word. Chris challenged me to just start reading a section of scripture even one or two verses and really meditate on them. So while in Starbucks I just went to Romans where I had been reading the last few days.

I read Romans 1:16 that says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." I am NOT ashamed of the gospel. I read this over and over and over again. Am I ashamed? I cannot be ashamed! It says right in that verse that it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe. If I, someone who believes this, is ashamed of the gospel, how can I tell people? How can I explain that it is the sweetest news that they have ever heard?

Make that my life Jesus.
I am not ashamed of the good news.

1.5

I got an idea a week ago to priceline a hotel for Chris and I's 1.5. Our 1.5 anniversary that is. When we reached our 1 year, it was August and I was 7 months pregnant and super uncomfortable. Chris had planned a getaway to the Salish Lodge that overlooks Snoqualmie Falls. I opted that we waited to go until we had Siena Joy and I was more comfy and ready to actually snuggle up to my sweetie :).

So I began to plan a little getaway for the two of us to celebrate. I was going to have it happen this Friday, the 11th, because I thought that he had Saturday off. Good thing I had procrastinated in getting the hotel because I found out Chris actually had Wednesday (today) off. It was PERFECT! God is so good. 18 months prior to yesterday we were married and exactly 12 months from yesterday I took the pregnancy test and on our 6 month anniversary we found out we were pregnant. So much to celebrate and remember.

So here is the run down of yesterday:
9am: Siena wakes up, I hurry to make Chris and I lunch
10am: We leave to go visit Daddy's office so they can see Siena Joy
11am: Meet Grandma Sherie and Grandma M at Costco to buy Chinese Chicken Salad and a Magic Bullet
12:15pm: Meet Chris back in MV (Maple Valley) for lunch and let him read this note (that I was going to print off all cute but didn't have time so he read it off my iPhone)

Happy 1.5!
Today it's been 18 months since we married and 12 months since we found out about Siena Joy. You are an amazing man of God. It is incredible to see how he has sanctified, matured, and grown you in these short months of marriage. I feel so blessed to be married to you. You lead me to the Lord when my stubborn flesh doesn't want to. You gently, sometimes strongly take over caring for Siena when I don't have the strength. You love me and show me in so many ways. Because of how amazing you are and how much I love you I pray that tonight you feel loved & cherished.

12:16pm: Chris looks and me and says, "I read it really fast because I thought you were going to say we were pregnant again!" I reply, "...no not yet :)" He still has no idea that anything is happening even though I said tonight
12:45pm: Quick trip to Safeway to pick up ingredients for din
1:15pm: Get home and shower
2:00pm: Shelbs here, fun chat while I race around cleaning and packing our overnight bag
3:30pm: Shelbs leaves, I race around doing my hair, makeup, and continuing to finish cleaning
4:30pm: Mom gets here with Siena and I continue running around finishing details (Chris' outfit on the bed, running stuff for both of us packed, and wine and wine glasses packed - which we didn't end up drinking)
5:30pm: Finish making dinner
6:00pm: Feed SJ
6:30pm: CK gets home confused about why my mom is here
6:35pm: We leave after I get done explaining that we are going on a 1.5 date and act like we will see my mom in a few hours
7:00pm: Arrive at Kerry Park - if you haven't been there, GO! We hadn't been and it has SPECTACULAR views of Seattle - we eat our yummy chicken (recipe courtesy of Stac), rice, and salad
8:00pm: Arrive at the Space Needle - have fun reading on the history and looking at the cool sites, although the entire time I felt like I was on a plane and felt dizzy-ish and scared I was going to die, but it was fun nonetheless
9:30pm: Tell CK there is one more destination and drive by Hotel Max and point to it and say thats our last destination, CK doesn't believe me at first
9:32pm: Find out there is only valet and decide not to care that we spend $30 on parking
9:37pm: Proceed into the hotel - which if you care, is extremely bizarre
9:42pm: Get into our room out of the creepy hallway and we have a nice bed (King size - amazing upgrade from our normal full, yes we sleep in a full) and a huge flat screen (also an upgrade from our tv...)
10:00pm: Won't explain the rest of the details of the night - but we are married
10:00am: Finally we both wake up and get out of bed
10:05am: Brush teeth, get running gear on, and proceed out into chilly but beautifully sunny downtown Seattle
10:20am: Get pieces of fresh apple from two vendors and munch happily on the crisp sweetness
10:25am: Explain to Chris that we should get some fresh donuts from Pike Place, telling him that is why I stuck my debit card in my running pants zippered pocket
10:26am: He looks at me like I'm crazy
10:27am: We don't get donuts and we keep running
11:00am: Stop at Nord to see my dad
11:15am: Get a roof tour of Nord and see all the cool buildings and the water
11:40am: Decide we are getting McDonalds for bfast, my fav
11:55am: Check out of hotel
12:02pm: Realize there is not a drive-through at the MickyD's and get on the freeway
12:20pm: Get into Renton near the MickyD's and realize there is not breakfast anymore
12:30pm: Release mom from babysitting duties, love that woman to pieces
12:45pm: Eat huge omelets, toast, and orange juice that my hubby made for me
1:10pm: Get Siena to sleep
2:15pm: Put Siena into the little crib we borrowed from Sheree and Jon
2:42pm: Realize as I'm writing this that my husband probably knew that MickyD's would be out of bfast once we got to Renton
2:44pm: My baby is still sleeping in her crib... yes I know its only been a half hour but it's the longest she's gone in 6 weeks sleeping alone during the day


This was a wonderful blessing from the Lord. We celebrated, laughed, talked, got creeped out by the hotel, and knew all along that our sweet baby was being cared for.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Jesus.

(Pictures to come)

Whiny Highlander

What a week. Actually, it's been a pretty crazy month. All I can say is thank you Jesus for good family and friends - and complete strangers (who are praying for me & mine ;). I am so grateful. It has been hard to get on my computer in the last few days as we have been super busy. Days filled with lots of craziness.

Wednesday we got to sleep in. If you know about my sweet Siena Joy, you know she has been an amazing sleeper from week four. We had a few hard weeks in the midst of moving and the holidays but she got back on track and was sleeping ten hours straight through. Well, the last two weeks have been a back to newborn stage as she is constantly starving. She has been eating every three hours through the entire day. So... in spite of what others may think (fear of man is really an issue here) we are going to be giving her rice cereal soon. She needs more calories and we want to see if it will help her last longer through the night. I know that many people have differing opinions but I think if it may help, why not try?

Back to Wednesday - we slept in. She actually woke up at 6 to eat and seemed wide awake but boy was I not ready to get up... So, I laid her in her crib and miraculously (Thank you Jesus) she fell back asleep about ten minutes after talking to herself. We all got up around nine and a real evidence that Chris may be on the mend is his desire to go adventure is back. We decided to drive to Snoqualmie Falls to get out and see something in God's creation. I also have a favorite Irish pub in Snoqualmie that I was happy to get to go visit. We got sidetracked with the beauty of the falls and ran into a college friend while looking at Salish Lodge sooo we didn't get to eat the yummy food. We then hurried back to drop Siena off with a sweet friend and get to Chris' dr. appointment. The dr. told us after many questions and an examination that one of two things were true. Chris was either getting over a nasty virus or he may have an issue with his liver. So, please pray & thank you because I already feel your prayers in the way that my hubster is acting and feeling. That night we had community group, which was amazing as we haven't been to church in four weeks...

Thursday, thanks to my amazing husband for a great birthday gift (Yes, my birthday is in April & yes, I just got to use my gift) and for another sweet friend who watched my daughter, I was pampered. I had a facial (delightful!), an eye brow wax (not so delightful but the outcome was very necessary), and a pedi (simply divine). Afterwards I got to stay and hang out at my friends and have dinner with our families.

Aaand... today we had mom's group at my house. I made scrumptious blueberry muffins while I got SJ to sleep in just like the other day... till 10:30! Then, ANOTHER amazing friend watched Siena while I got to pick up my highlander. Ohhh haha. Can't believe I forgot to add that part of the post and it's the title I chose for this post. If it's not your baby waking you up every three hours, or your sick husband every few hours, it's your highlander. The alarm went off about 20 times Wednesday night in increments of 5 mins, 20 mins, and sometimes it would wait 2 hours just until you fell into a good and deep sleep. Anyway, I took it in and they can't even figure out the problem. Hopefully it doesn't happen again.

5am, tippy toes & laundry

that is what today is all about.

Siena broke out of her swaddle & woke up at 5am. I fed her because I don't want to spend an hour putting her back to bed. I went back to sleep and drifted in and out because of CK's many snooze attempts and eventually got up to... yes I'll say it on my blog: pump. Afterwards, I realized I hadn't set CK's coffee so I went into the kitchen and all of a sudden he was there.

"How do you get the coffee?" He asked with a grin.
"I stand on my tippy toes." I replied (with a little bit of attitude as you all know)
"You cutest." He said with another smirk.

Yes, I have to get the coffee down while standing on my tippy toes. I cannot reach our highest cabinets and that is where the coffee goes. The coffee I don't drink. The coffee that I make lovingly each morning for my husband unless one of two things happens. 1. I make it the night before - which is amazing if I remember! 2. The baby is up all night and I can't get out of bed to make it.

There is so much laundry all the time. Stacks of laundry waiting to be put in drawers and hung in closets. A huge bin of laundry in the office waiting to be put in. I'm sick of laundry. & usually I love it.

Something I'm thankful for today:
-Mom coming over
-Seeing Ally
-Community group tonight - a party to bid everyone goodbye as we go our separate ways

God is good.

That is what is on my mind right now. I can barely wrap my mind around what that means. But I know He is. He cares for me even when I can't feel it. He loves me even when I am unlovable. He pursues me even when I turn my face from him. He gives me rest even when I have been lazy and don't deserve it. He is good.

I read a recent post that gave me this inspiration. I am combining it with my beautiful friend Ally's post that I read this morning that also was inspiration for writing my own. P.S. you should also read this post as it made me incredibly emotional and made my own sweet mama cry.

January 2010 - My last month alone with my man.














February 2010 - We're pregnant!














March 2010 - A fun date with my husband and we saw these animals.
The funny thing is.. I'm not even sure what they are.
(I could be killed for writing that and being a Geiselman)














April 2010 - Our first glimpse at Siena Joy, when we didn't know
if she was a girl or a boy.














May 2010 - Amazing road trip with the Lantings to celebrate the Garbers!














June 2010 - It's a girl!














July 2010 - Multiple camping trips with the Deans!














August 2010 - Celebrating one year of marriage!














September 2010 - A baby shower, isn't my mom gorgeous??





















October 2010 - Our precious girl was born!




















November 2010 - We meet Maggie Pearl!














December 2010 - Siena's 1st Christmas!