What I learned in September

Tonight I stumbled upon a blog from a former LCC church friend. She was inspired by yet another author to blog about what she'd learned that month. I really enjoyed reading hers (click here if you're interested), and was inspired to reflect myself on what I'd learned this month. So, as Susan said, "without further ado,"

What I learned in September:

1. Apparently it’s ok to tell complete strangers how fat they are. Actually, I’m still not in agreeance with this fact, but people tell me all the time how large I am. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Or maybe that’s the intense urge to repay the “compliment.”

Me (with mom) at 31 weeks.

2. Jesus, James, and Stephen prayed for their adversaries. See my last post.

3. How to use a sewing machine. Ok, I kinda already knew… from 7th grade Home Economics class. But that was a decade and a half ago. Does that count? I wish you could have been there the first time my bobbin was empty. After attempting to put it back in the machine for thirty minutes (no joke), I gave up and read the manual. It’s really not that hard, people. Which leads me to:

4. I’m a DIY queen. I made these with my new mad sewing skills:

Boppy Cover #1

Boppy Cover #2

Curtains for the nursery

Beckett's Bench Cover

Then there's the Beckett Name Sign I posted about earlier this month. Impressed? Just wait! Next week I hope to do a nursery reveal for ya. There's lots more projects where these came from!

5. Store bought chai is just as good as Starbucks’. And way cheaper. Way way. Walmart, people. Four dollars.

6. I like Justin Timberlake way more than I thought I did. And Jimmy Falon. #hastag #hilarious

7. I am super loved. Correction: WE (Brian and I) are super loved. I knew this already but was overwhelmed with love and support this month. We’ve had THREE awesome showers now. Our friends and family that put them together are truly amazing. I don’t know how new parents without a support group survive parenthood. Supermommies and daddies. That’s what they are. Go you. I couldn’t do this alone.

Morristown Shower,  by Rachel, Katie, & Jennifer

Chicago Shower, by my Mommy

STL Shower, by the Mom & Dad Hill

8. Contractions hurt your tummy. Maybe this seems like common sense to you, but I started having Braxton Hicks this month and I was expecting it to hurt…well... lower. Apparently that part waits til baby is actually exiting. Go ahead and laugh. I’ve never done this before.

There’s more. But it’ll have to wait. Maybe I’ll do this again in October!

#perspective

I've always been a rule follower - a "goodie goodie" of sorts. And my husband has the highest integrity, hands down, of any man I've known. These qualities make it easy to plead "not guilty," and mean it, when chaos erupts and fingers are pointed and lies are told.

Recently, Brian and I have experienced some unexpected and overwhelming madness. Really the details are not necessary, nor clear at this point. What IS clear is the hurt and frustration and intense anger that we've endured. It's not fair. We're innocent in this mess.

And then we went to church tonight. 

It's pretty common knowledge that Jesus prayed for those that were murdering him as he hung there, waiting to die. It may not be as common (or at least I wasn't aware) that James and Stephen did the same. AS these men were being MURDERED, they prayed for their adversaries. Talk about perspective. 

Like it or not, Jesus is just as concerned with our response to wrong doing as he is with the initial adverse behaviors. What that means to me is: Just because I didn't do anything wrong to begin with, doesn't mean I'm not accountable for responding with grace and love. Paul says in Galatians 5:

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Mark, the pastor, pointed out (I'm certain while he was looking directly at me) that impurity encompasses not only the physical, but the mental - impure thoughts, motives, or words. He highlighted hatred, discord, fits of rage, dissension... and the like. The question here is: am I praying for the forgiveness of those who have wronged me, or their demise? Because we all know the latter is always easier to do, and often easier to justify.

Then Paul said: 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [Galatians 5: 22-23]

Jesus, Stephen, and James all prayed for their adversaries AS they were being murdered. I'm not gonna lie, I'm in no mood to pray for certain people. But I do pray that God works on my heart in that direction. 

Beckett Name Sign

Last night, Mom and I embarked on a Hobby Lobby adventure to find some sweet decor for Beckett's new nursery. We had so much fun creating this cutie little wall hanging. 

I've had a couple people ask details on the project, so I figured I'd go ahead and join the world of DIY blogging and share in the fun!  

You'll need:
- Wooden letters. Hobby lobby has various sizes. (These were about $3.50 each)
- Paint for edges
- Paint brushes
- Mod Podge
- Exacto knife or razor blade
- Scrapbook paper or card stock to match your room (1-2 pieces for each letter). I chose navy blues and grays and mixed solids and patterns.

Steps:
1. Paint the edges of all of the letters with paint color of your choice. This will hide the wooden edge of your final product. 2. Cut the scrapbook paper down to a square large enough to cover the letter. You may need to piece two pieces together. 3. Paint a light layer of Mod Podge on the front of the letter 4. Carefully lay the paper over the letter, starting at the top and pressing out bubbles as you lay the rest. Press the paper as smooth as possible. 5. Turn the letter over and use an exacto knife or razor blade to trim the paper down to the letter. 6. Turn the letter back over and paint the top of the paper with more Mod Podge. You may need to press out some bubbles. Be careful when smearing the Mod Podge as some scrapbook paper ink will bleed.

7. Let dry!

I plan to use either finishing nails or 3M to hang the letters on the wall. We have a nifty laser light level that will draw a line on the wall and help to hang the letters evenly. When they're up, I'll make sure to get another picture!