Loving my Baby and Learning to Be Myself

I love this time in my son's life. He is now ten months old, and he makes my heart so full! From the time he wakes me up in the morning (with a cry, a whine, a roar, or a MAMA!) to when he falls asleep in my arms at night, he brings a smile to my face. His smile is pretty much the cutest thing in the world, with six teeth, the roundest little charlie brown head, and his little scrunched up nose. :) He loves chasing me around the house, and being chased. He loves playing peek-a-boo with the curtains as I change him. He loves his daddy, and laughs at every little thing Kyle does. He eats all kinds of bits of food, from avocado to canteloupe. And sometimes tries to eat little bits of dust and string and grass, too... :) He's going to be a climber, I can tell. Today I caught him standing on his little Bible, trying to get something on the coffee table. :) At least he had a firm foundation! Haha. He loves his little ducky in the bathtub, and is pretty content in the swimming pool, as long as it's not too cold. I am amazed at how much I love every little thing about him. Even the smallest things he does make me filled with joy.

I'm learning more and more of how God must think about His children. If I have this much love for my little one, how much more must God love me? If every little thing my son does makes me happy, how much more must I make my Father smile? If I will do anything to help him when my son is hurt or scared or sad, how much more must my Father care when I am hurting? If I child-proof my house to keep my little man safe, how much more must my Father protect me, in ways I will never know? Thank you, Father, for the love that is beyond my comprehension!

I had a wonderful time over 4th of July. My aunt, uncle, and cousins were in town from Ohio, and it was so much fun to catch up and show off my son! It's strange that the oldest of the three cousins are now mommies ourselves! It seems like we were just spending all day in the pool, spitting watermelon seeds, and begging our parents to let us have sleep overs. :) We also ended up putting in another house offer last week, and are once again waiting to hear... and still searching in the meantime. We are getting weary of the whole house hunting process, but I have faith that God has good plans for us!

It has also been cool lately to see where God is leading my friends. From overseas teaching, to overseas missions, to med school, to nursing school, to motherhood... it is amazing to see how God has grown us and guided us. I think it is tempting to be jealous of others' opportunities, but I try to remember that God has placed each of us where He will be glorified most.

I have been reading Spectacular Sins (Piper) and Justification and Regeneration (Leiter), and both have really helped me to know God in new ways. I especially recommend the latter for those who want a clearer perspective of what it means to become a Christian and live as one. The author writes about verses I've read thousands of times, but puts them in context of the entire Bible, and has helped me to understand what it means to be a Christian so much better.

A few quotes...

"Sin is a defeated foe. The war against sin has already been one. Like the pockets of resistance that sometimes continue to struggle on in ignorance after the treaty of surrender has already been signed, so sin continues to fight on in our lives with no hope of ultimate victory. Though the believer's conflict with sin may at times be fierce, the final outcome of the battle is assured.
For the Christian, sin is but an early summer snow. Such snows fall occasionally even in the warmer climates, but they are only the death throes of a winter that is past... Christian, sin does not stand a chance in your life! You can fight against it with the confident knowledge that summer, not winter, is approaching! The remnants of sin that you still face are just the vestiges of what you once were; they are not an expression of who you are now, and they will soon pass away forever!" (Leiter 88)

"The Christian is no longer a sinner, but a saint... his true nature - what he really is deep inside - loves God and holiness. That this is actually the case is made obvious by the fact that every true Christian feels miserable and grieved when he does sin. Why does he feel miserable? Precicely because his true nature is to love holiness!
Beloved saint! Do not let the devil tell you that you are worthless and vile as a Christian. You are a child of God - "holy and beloved" in His sight! His very nature ("seed") is within you, and you bear the family likeness! The new birth is a real birth." (Leiter 73)

May all of you believers live as who you really are. Revel in the truth that you are a new person, righteous and holy and loved by God!