I Am NOT a Control Freak

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. Not Me! Monday was inspired by her desire for women to share imperfections and moments we want to forget without feeling shame, all while having a little fun. :) Last week was all goofy, but this week my post will be more serious.

How precious is this kid?



He looks happy and healthy, right? Well, I must tell you, I do NOT worry about him being in the 5th percentile. I do NOT fall into the habit of mentally keeping track of what he eats during the day. I do NOT compare him to other kids his age. Ha...I wish that was the truth sometimes. :)

However, thanks to all these things I do NOT do, I am daily forced to be dependent on the Lord. Scripture says in Psalm 139:

13For you(P) formed my inward parts;
you(Q) knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a](R) Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15(S) My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in(T) the depths of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your(U) book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

Nothing I do or don't do will change the plan that God has for my sweet Caleb. God has numbered his days and has made him the way he was supposed to be...a little string bean! Another piece of Scripture from Matthew 6:

27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his(AT) span of life?[g] 28

Worrying adds NOTHING to my life or Caleb's life.

In addition, I need to be careful where I get my peace from. Lysa TerKeurst, author of the GREAT book I'm reading called The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained, says, "Where this peace starts to slip is when I try and figure God out. I try to reason my way into the peace rather than praying and making the choice to stop all my toil and wondering and leave them in God's hands. Accept each step God puts before me as my temporary assignment, fulfill that part of it, and leave the rest with Him."

I am NOT an analyzer. I do NOT try to talk myself out of certain thoughts by saying things like, "I shouldn't compare him to other babies. He'll tell me when he's hungry. He is growing at his own rate." Yes, that is all true, but I am trying to reason my way into peace rather than simply give it to the Lord and meditate on His truth, not my own.

My prayer is that everyone that reads this, as silly as the premise of Not Me! may be, will seriously consider areas of their lives that are not submitted to the Lord. I am so thankful that God is revealing my control issues to me, as hard as they are to swallow. Let this be my prayer and yours:

Psalm 139
23Search me, O God, and know my heart!
(AG) Try me and know my thoughts![c]
24And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and(AH) lead me in(AI) the way everlasting![d]

I am NOT a control freak. :)

Not Me!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT put my 9 month old in front of the t.v watching Price is Right when I desperately needed a break.

I did NOT laugh when Caleb was playing with his yogurt/peach/banana puke on his high chair tray.

I did NOT carry around a bag of cheesburger Doritos at church on Sunday night begging everyone to try one.

I did NOT get excited about Dancing with the Stars, especially watching Kate Gosselin.

I am NOT a silly, random gal.:)

Daily Bread

I'm reading a GREAT book called The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained. It's all about how to defeat mommy stress and is VERY Christ and Scripture focused. I know a lot of us struggle with our speech, especially as moms and wives. Last night's reading was titled "Did I Really Just Say That?". I know I don't know yet what it's like to say something hurtful to my child, but I sure know what it's like to speak unkindly to my husband. :( The Scripture was as follows:

Lamentations 3:22-24 (English Standard Version)

22(A) The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;[a]
his mercies never come to an end;
23they are new(B) every morning;
(C) great is your faithfulness.
24(D) "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
(E) "therefore I will hope in him."

Psalm 73:26 (English Standard Version)
26(A) My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is(B) the strength[a] of my heart and my(C) portion(D) forever.

The author goes on to say that even Jesus took time to pray each day for His "portion" and discussed something really eye-opening for me. The Lord's prayer says, "Give us this day our daily bread." When the Israelites were wandering in the desert, God rained down manna from heaven, but only enough for one day. He didn't allow them to store it up because He wanted to be their "portion" and for them to recognize their need for Him. Because of that, they developed a real relationship with Him.

So often I get WAY ahead of myself and get overwelmed. Instead, I need to slow down and ask for what I need THAT DAY. Good stuff! Can't wait to share more some other day. :) Get this book!

Spring Temptation

It was GORGEOUS today!! We went on a walk at the Greene, our favorite outdoor mall just down the road from us. It's amazing what sunshine and "warm" weather will do for your mood! I'm really enjoying this stage in Caleb's development. He can stay awake for longer while we go out. While that gets exhausting when we stay home, it's nice when we want an outing like this evening. :)

The little man is changing every day. He's still a little fella, but he is really starting to eat well! He still takes four 8 oz. bottles and seems to really not mind any solids I feed him. :) We're still working on him eating more amount wise, but he likes a variety of food. He gagged on finger food last time I fed him, but that was about a month ago, so we'll see how he does again soon. :) His 9 mo. appointment is on Monday, so we'll see how his head growth is and if he is still gaining weight on his own little curve. :) He's not crawling, but is scooting and turning and likes to stand and support himself on furniture. Oh yeah, and the kid LOVES to talk!!

Marc and I have been challenged and stretched a lot lately, and we're thankful for it! I was recently challenged with this question, "Do I love God for who He is or for what He does?" In other words, do I still love Him the same when things don't go the way I want? WOW! I truly desire to honor God no matter what season of life I'm in, and it's hard. I have recently realized how little my mind focuses on God's word throughout the day. It gets so filled with other things! Being "transformed by the renewing of my mind" is an area I am currently working on. I've been keeping a journal of verses I come across and writing short paraphrases, as well as posting scripture around the house. It's been a huge blessing! Probably the most encouraging verse has been 2 Corinthians 12:9-

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

That's all for now. :)