Friday Favorites

My Favorites this week! 

 Baby nursery at VBS

Military planes flying low 

baby toes

Not hating tummy time

The sweet Damato children, Amy Kate and Lucas sure brighten my week! 

Healthy 9 Month check ups! 

New snacks! 

Drinks at Locos with Magoo! (And an old friend living close)

A 4 year old pup! 

An amazing husband, who is my best friend, who truly "gets" me!

College Baseball! Go NOLES! 

Baby kisses

Lunch with Friends, Bread bowl soup! 

Movie night! 

Fridays Favorites!

I have been trying to start this blog for a couple weeks now... I have wanted to start a weekly themed post SO I am going to attempt to account for my blessings weekly with this list!!  

*Lunch with a sweet inspiring friend!

*Portable dvd players that keep a baby from crying on the 2.5 hour trip that turned into 4!!
* Grammie Lou holding my baby! again!
* Husbands who install previously mentioned dvd player... twice ;)
* baby toys
* NAPS (For both babies and me!)
*Husband who kills wasps and spiders!!
*My family!
*Graduations
*Rolling over(finally)
*Boat rides!

*Family walks! 
*Cousins!
*Rainy Days spent in bed!
*Sunny days at the pool!
*New Car Seats
*Fixed AC
*Lunch with old friends
*Church service where we were married!
*Lunch at gordos
*swimming in Florida Springs! 

Twice in a week

Wow, I am setting records, this is the second of three (hopefully) blogs this week. 

So I have had this overwhelming fear since Andy of all the bad things that could happen to him. Things that would take him away from me. Awful things, Awful fear, Awful thoughts. Things I can't control. A fear that is making me seriously considering going to a therapist about because I pray every night that Andy wakes up in his crib the next morning and I can actually sleep with nearly obsessive thoughts of Abductions and SIDS rolling through my head.

  Listening to Christen Price speak tonight at church I realized that  I am something I never would have labeled myself. Controlling. I have always admitted that I fixate on things too much but I never used the term controlling. So boy was I surprised when during "you might be a Redneck  Controlling person if..." a few too many things on the list that applied to me.  Ugh. Self realization is always hard.

Anyways she related her type A personality with Mary in the bible and how Mary never questioned Gods plans for her life, she rejoiced in his plan. Christen talked a lot about motherhood and how hard it would have been for Mary to stand there and watch her son be crucified. A mother's instinct to protect her baby, how she had to let go of control, let go of her plan for him and TRUST.

As we closed with a song, I tasted the tears in my mouth as I prayed and I realized, my fear was selfish and controlling.  I want Andy, but he isn't mine he's God's. While I hope and pray that I have many many decades to share with my son, I know no matter what his life holds it is according to God's Plan.  As I opened my eyes I looked at the Stained glass window in the front left corner of the Traditional Sanctuary. Jesus with Children in his lap. A far better lap than I will ever be able to offer. A message to me that He is in control.  My heart aches for the parents I read about in the news or the stories I hear about my fellow church members losing their child. It is unbearable to think about but it isn't something I should worry about because God will protect him better than I ever can!

I'm Beaming!

Well the other day I had a very vivid dream, I can't remember but a second of it but I remember waking up with a flood of thoughts.  I was talking to a man in my dream and he was encouraging my to share my faith. In the dream he told me that God uses us to channel the light. So I woke up and thought God is the Light, We did an entire study on this, this spring in Small Group and Church.  But that morning as I was lying in bed it hit me really hard. What have I done to share the light? What have I done to embrace the light? To appreciate the light? I have so many blessings but what am I doing as a child of God to pass them on to others?

I recently read a book by Renee Swope called " A confident Heart" and I will admit I may have only read the first two chapters. (ugh, I really mean to read it all - I about jumped up and down when I heard about it on a friends blog! I NEED to read it!) regardless even in the very first few pages it spoke volumes to me.  Loosely she was talking about her struggles with confidence and how she was in a dark place in her life. She said she realized that she could only see these shadows because she had "turned away from The Light." It is so simple and obvious but I need to remind myself of that A LOT!

Since we have moved to Montgomery I feel like I have really turned around, but I don't feel like I am at a point where I can full on face the light, I am standing there sideways turning my head back and forth at my convenience. I have met some truly inspiring Women at Saint James and am proud (excited) to call them friends!

So then I started thinking about when people are really happy they are referred to as Beaming or Glowing. How awesome is that if we really were reflecting the light so much that others noticed and commented on it!  New Goal!