{Mommy Journal} The “Yes” Cupboard

I have gleaned a lot of wisdom from experienced mothers throughout this journey thus far. I’m so thankful for God’s design of older women who can mentor and counsel and advise as we first-timers stumble along. I thought as time allows, I would start sharing little parenting tips that have been passed along to me.

An older wise woman in our Bible study, who has several of her own (almost) grown children and currently nannies little ones, strongly recommended having a “yes” cupboard in the kitchen: one cupboard that Caleb was allowed to get into and do anything he wanted with.

“You want him to be in the kitchen with you, don’t you?” she pointed out. “So designating a cupboard that he is allowed to play in is a great way to encourage him to ‘help’ you.”

This was around the age of 8 months, and although I liked the concept, I was skeptical that Caleb would understand the difference between the “yes” cupboard and all the other “no” cupboards. But I gave it a try, and sure enough, through training, Caleb learned within a couple of days which cupboard he had the green light on. He had already been taught that all the cupboards were off-limits, it wasn’t difficult to show him that one special cupboard was his to enjoy.

Now, he frequently joins me in the kitchen and goes straight for his cupboard. I keep the pots and pans, a rice cooker, and a basket of bottle accessories in it. He usually pulls everything out and makes a racket, plants roadblocks for me to maneuver while cooking, and creates memories that I’ll treasure forever.

Protected: {Mommy Journal} A November Day at the Playground

Protected: {Mommy Journal} Caleb Details from 6-10 Months

Walking for Life!

I’m so excited to participate in the Santa Clarita Valley Pregnancy Center’s Walk for Life in just a few weeks! I’ve loved everything I’ve heard about this organization, and I am so thankful for the hard work they put in on the front lines of this important issue. They show the love of Christ and advocate for unborn children in a special way.

Will you consider sponsoring me for this walk? The money donated will go toward saving babies and coming alongside needy moms.

Below is the link, thank you so much in advance! =)

My Fundraising Page

My Wakeup Call: Planned Parenthood’s Undercover Footage

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

By now, I hope you’ve become aware of the extensive footage released so far, depicting Planned Parenthood’s barbaric practices, specifically the sale of baby body parts and intact aborted baby cadavers for profit. I trust you haven’t bought Planned Parenthood’s pathetic attempts to discredit the footage. The gruesome details released, both in the form of graphic conversation and graphic footage, has nauseated me plenty of times over the past weeks since the movies surfaced.

In the coming months, I’d like to continue posting about this issue, so for now I’d just like to make two simple points to “begin the conversation” and offer some practical ways to get involved.

Turning a Blind Eye

I confess that I have been turning a blind eye to the horrific abortion industry for my whole life. I’ve financially supported a pregnancy clinic once in awhile, Walked for Life, and prayed at the Life Chain, and that’s exactly where my defense of the defenseless ends. I am ashamed of my apathy. I’d like to be clear that it is not the fact that Planned Parenthood is selling their aborted babies that has suddenly filled me with what I believe is righteous indignation; rather, God has used these videos to shake me. Babies are being murdered in cold blood, every day, right in my city, and on top of that, they are being sold. I am compelled to be a part of abolishing abortion and protecting life.

I believe that burying our heads in the sand and ignoring what’s going on with Planned Parenthood (and other abortion clinics) is selfish and cowardly. It’s what I’ve been doing for years, but suddenly I can see in living (dead) color the horror that is abortion and I will no longer turn a blind eye. I understand that the videos are brutally graphic and might bring on nightmares; but in my case, having my stomach churn at the site of dead baby organs is what was needed for my wakeup call. So if you’ve been avoiding the movies and articles, and you’re simultaneously doing nothing to oppose abortion and stand up for life, maybe it’s time to sit down and take an honest look at what’s happening.

Planned Parenthood is Evil, Not Good

Planned Parenthood should not be receiving even one bit of support or defense from anyone with any sense of morality. The fact that they provide free HIV testing and contraceptives (which some PP clinics significantly profit from anyway) is a pathetic reason to defend them. If you knew of a group of people that were slaughtering 2-year-olds by dismemberment, but served free lunch to the homeless every day, would you call that group “good”? Planned Parenthood is slaughtering unborn babies that feel pain and are every bit as human as 2-year-olds. So we really shouldn’t even take into consideration anything “good” that they’re doing. It’s 100% irrelevant.

What Can You Do?

Pray, pray, pray. When you think of this situation, pray. When you see another article on Facebook, pray. When you spot a pro-choice bumper sticker, pray.
Raise awareness. Stay informed and share credible articles about this crucial issue on social media. Talk about it with your friends. The mainstream media is downplaying or ignoring it, so it’s up to us to keep spreading the truth about abortion. A social media war has erupted in response to these videos, and we need to participate.
Support your local pregnancy clinic, financially and/or with your time. There are many needs and ways to get involved.
Find a way to mentor a single mom or parents who really weren’t ready for the responsibility. Help these needy people who have bravely chosen to protect life!
Teach your children about the sanctity of human life and God’s incredible design that begins at conception. Ensure that these important values are being passed down to the next generation.
Join public rallies, walks, or respectful protests. Look into 40 Days for Life, the Life Chain, or find out what events your local crisis pregnancy clinic recommends.
Share the gospel with the unbelievers in your life. Not only should we desire that they be saved, but a regenerated heart can go from being staunchly pro-choice, to seeing human life through a biblical lens.
Consider adoption or support others who are adopting. Mothers who choose life often are unable to care for their babies, which means that adoptive parents are needed!
Get behind politicians who are defending the unborn. Vote for them and pray for them. Sign petitions and/or call your state representatives/senators/governor when a bill pertaining to abortion is being introduced.

Hopefully there’s more to come, but these are just a few initial thoughts. God is using very sad news to stir me to action, and I hope He’s doing the same in you!

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

Never a Time that Wasn’t a Child

I’m sure by now you’ve heard the news that has surfaced regarding Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted baby parts. (To be clear, the gruesome murder of these babies is disgusting and evil whether their organs are sold or not.) I hope to write more about this in the future, but for tonight I simply want to promote this short, poignant speech by one of our country’s senators. Stupid movies go viral every day; let’s encourage Americans to watch something that really matters. These unborn children have no voice, so I’m thankful that bold politicians like Senator Lankford speak for them.

“You can’t say in one moment that’s not a human and then sell it for the next moment as a human organ and say now suddenly it is…There was never a time that wasn’t a child.”

{Mommy Journal} Facing My Fear

With the exciting new addition of Caleb back in November also came a lot of changes. Obviously, life takes a different turn when you add a little one who is entirely dependent on his parents for everything. But another new experience that I had not anticipated came from within myself. I discovered that I can very quickly fall into a pattern of fear and anxiety.

I am aware, of course, that one’s hormones can be crazy after a baby, so I know that some or much of this struggle could be hormone-related. But regardless, it is something I’ve had to learn how to address biblically.

Suddenly, with a child whom I loved more than breath itself in my care, I was easily given to imagining tragic scenarios involving Caleb’s wellbeing. News of turmoil around the globe could start me physically shaking within moments of considering the possible threats to our family’s safety. I can go from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds if I let my thoughts carry me into a pit of despair. It’s a short trip.

As we often say jokingly about trivial matters, “the struggle is real.” And a struggle, it has been. I’ve had to “respond” to each fearful thought with truth and often, direct Scripture quotes. I’ve had to cry out to my God on a regular basis, desperate for His power to remove my anxiety and replace it with peace. And what is exciting is, He has been faithful to do that as I have established a habit of running to Him and His Word.

For quite some time, I had been asking God to give me a deeper desire for the Bible. I wanted to experience the longing and thirst for it spoken of in the Psalms. If I missed spending time in it one day, I wanted to feel as if I had gone without a meal. I was discouraged with my often lukewarm love for Scripture.

In an unexpected way, God has used my fight with fear to grant that request and rekindle in me a deeper love for the Bible. I find myself truly, passionately yearning for it throughout the day. When I run into something that triggers my fear, I am almost immediately desperate for God’s Word. The verses that I have memorized have become like gold, and I am eager to commit more to memory as I stumble upon nugget after nugget hidden in that precious Book.

Although the newness of this struggle is likely largely postpartum-related, the Holy Spirit has proven more than a match for the thoughts and emotions I have experienced over the past seven months. Hormones may increase my tendency toward anxiety, but the Word of God is powerful enough to subdue my worries and impart peace. It has not been easy, but it has been sanctifying.

Praise God for the sufficiency and relevancy of His Word, His faithfulness to answer when I call, and His unchanging love for me even in my moments of doubting. I serve an incredible Savior.

If this is something you are dealing with, I would love to pray for you and share some of the Scripture passages that have become precious to me during this time.

{General Updates} Blog News & Life Lately

Time has really gotten away from me recently, and my blog has (once again) had a quiet spell. It’s been a crazy wonderful year so far, and I can’t believe we’re almost halfway through it! A few updates for you.

First, I’ve decided to password protect some of my posts.

I’m trying to weed out the possibility for creepers and although password protection isn’t fail-proof, it’s one step toward better protection of Caleb’s privacy and safety. I would love to share the password with you, please just request it. Even if I don’t know you very well, don’t hesitate to ask. You can leave a comment below, or reach me another way if you already have my direct contact info. (Many of my posts will still be open to the public, but I’ll be protecting most of the ones with a lot of Caleb detailing and photos.)

Second, God has been at work in my heart in a number of ways.

Recent months have been a very stretching time for me spiritually, as I’ve had to do battle with my sin and have watched God open my heart and mind to new things I had never given thought to before. I am excited to share more as it is appropriate. One of the things He has been using to grow me is a new-found tendency toward fear and anxiety since Caleb’s arrival seven months ago. Nothing but the truth of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit at work inside me is strong enough to conquer the emotions and thoughts I have been dealing with, but God is proving one day at a time that He has given me the power to overcome this sin. I have seen my desire for His Word grow by leaps and bounds through this season, and I love and appreciate His sovereign care far more now than I did last year. These are amazing silver linings to a difficult time. I hope to write more about this journey more in the weeks to come.

And thirdly, yes, Caleb is seven months old!

He is such a joy to our hearts, and what a little go-getter he is! Cruising along furniture for weeks now, he appears to be heading toward walking from a very young age. He gets bonks and bruises regularly as he pushes the limits of his physical abilities. But my very favorte thing about this current stage? The amazing, wet, gentle kisses he loves to hand out. They melt me!

Finally, I’ve got writings elsewhere!

While I’ve been quiet here on my own blog, I’ve been busy writing for the Glory Books Ministry Women’s Blog! You can check out a feed of my recent posts here. Beginning in July I’ll be a featured author there, so watch for twice-monthly articles.

{Mommy Journal} Today He Swings, Tomorrow He Marries

Caleb turned six months old today. That’s half a year. He’s been in our lives outside of the womb for half a year. How did this happen?

We took him to a little playground in a beautiful park. After he had crawled around on a blanket in the grass for awhile, I put him in a playground swing for the first time. It was the perfect way to celebrate six months and he loved it from the first push.

As I sat there crosslegged in the sand, giving the swing a little shove every now and then and saying “weeeee” as Caleb drifted back and forth, grinning and squealing, I had one of those “mom moments” in a way I hadn’t before.

IMG_0428-2 Suddenly, as I looked at my baby’s big brown eyes and double-chin smile, I saw him posing with his books and pencil on the first day of homeschool, cheesy grin and polo shirt-perfect. I heard him telling me, “I love her, mom” with the most earnest of expressions. And I watched him marrying the girl of his dreams on the happiest day of his life. Then, just as quickly as those visions had hopped through my mind, I was back in the sand at the playground giggling with a little boy who doesn’t even know what school is or who girls are. But he will. And it will be sooner than I realize.

I can’t imagine life without Monkey. It isn’t easy being a mom. Even with a baby who is, on whole, very adaptable and incredibly sweet, life has changed dramatically and I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of things. But there’s no better reason than this precious little life, entrusted into our care by God Himself. Every single sacrifice is more than worth the joy and delight and rewards that come with being Caleb’s mommy. His infant days are already flying by so quickly. Much sooner than I realize, I’ll be taking his kindergarten photo and watching him go on his first date.

But not today. Today I’m sitting in the sand. I’m saying,”weeeee!” And I’m pushing a pudgy six-month-old on his first ride on the swing.