Mary or Martha

For months I have been posting updates and stories about the boys. This is the first blog about me. For weeks I have been relearning something about myself. Or I should say God has been reteaching me something about myself. Our high school ministry and staff having been talking about abiding in Christ, worship, and a genuine relationship with Christ. Last night I was led to answer the following questions.

Am I am Mary or a Martha? Would I sit at the feet of Jesus or keep busy for Him. Do I a Christian who abides or am I a doing christian? If Christ came and knocked on my door tonight this is how would I respond?

"Jesus come in sit down make yourself at home and I will be right back. I have some amazing girls who I love. I want them to know you the way I know you. I want them to understand just how amazing a relationship with you can be. So Christ please wait and I promise I will be back. It will be worth the wait. "

While this may seem like a great selfless act it makes me a Martha. I love my girls and am so passionate about them abiding in Christ and "getting it". My love and concern for them has taken precedence over my own relationship with Him. Serving is amazing and God has called me to serve but not at the expense of my relationship with Him. I am constantly trying to think of how I can explain things in a way so they click with the girls and help them have a greater understanding of who God is. I am not looking for personal glory, I don't want a best leader trophy. I just want these girls to stop living the expected Christian life and live a genuine Christian life. The irony is that this causes me to live in direct contradiction of the life I am craving for them. Rather than simply living in relationship with God I become the typical American Christian, focused on what I can do. If I really understood who God is than I would stop doing. I would realize that God can and will work in these girls lives, not me. If anything I should spend more time praying for them and less time thinking of the prefect illustration. I would focus first on living the lesson rather than teaching the lesson. If my savior showed up on my door step I should fall to my face in awe and absorb every second, not run out the door. God does not need me to gather the Girls.

Can He not show up on their doorstep, just like mine? Isn't He big enough to reach their hearts without me?

Once again it is time for me to stop doing and start abiding.

Procrastination

As the boys get more mobile I find myself talking about all the things we need to do to baby proof the house, but rarely do I actually get to them. This is the story with lowering the cribs. Three days ago Brad and I discussed how this is long over do. We noted how the only thing keeping the boys from standing in their cribs is that they can't push themselves up from laying down to a sitting position... which means they can't pull themselves up and stand against the rail. However, within the last 48 hours Nathan has perfected this skill. So, we had yet another conversation about how we HAD to change the cribs. But still never got around to it. Today I walked in to check on my crying/supposed to be napping baby just in time to see him sit up and see his little head peak above the crib. Brad and I laughed thinking he was adorable seeing him sitting in his crib and we watched him cry as he pulled himself up and stand against the rail. Yes, I do realize that there is absolutely nothing special or funny about seeing a baby sitting in a crib. But some how when it is your baby everything changes. So apparently after nap time we are dealing with our over procrastination thankful that we caught him in the act before he went overboard.

Some New Favorites

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the boys 6 month photo shoot. Erin McFarland did a great job and always makes it fun.

We Miss Our Uncle Trav!!!!!

See this is what happens when you are not here. When you are not here the is no one to give us margarita flavored fingers. No one to call us Bubba. No one to spoil us by letting us do all the things mommy wont let us do. No one to take us swimming. No one is around to be our favorite uncle. We miss you Uncle Travis. Please some see us soon, we have lots to show you.
We love you!!
Nathan & Andrew