642 Things

In an effort to keep the creative juices flowing, I try to regularly write in a writing prompt book I purchased titled, "642 Things to Write About". Sometimes the prompts are inspiring and thought-provoking, other times they are silly and simply something to write about for the sole purpose of consistency. I will be periodically sharing the results of these writing prompts. Here's what I wrote for today…

"Music soothes the soul…or so they say. Never was there a greater need for the vibration of these strings. Panic has swept in with the arctic waters, reaching every room, hall, staircase…every soul. I was tempted to run, tempted to let fear overtake me, but music soothes the soul…or so they say. As the water creeps in further, leaving nothing untouched, I remember the days of my youth. Selfish days I lived. I wanted nothing more than fame, riches and fun, not unlike many of the poor souls I see here. I pray their life has meant something, that they will be missed and remembered. I will play on. Screaming, running, fighting…gone is the laughter, dancing, and merriment that filled these halls just hours earlier. I wonder if they know…this is our end. I have accepted and embraced it and I will play until I meet that end. Music soothes the soul…or so they say. So let the sound of our instruments carry you to your watery graves deer travelers. We will play on until the instruments we love are swept away and the blood no longer flows to our finger tips. Take comfort that we are here with you and we will meet the same end. You are not alone, because music soothes the soul…or so they say."

…it's fairly obvious what the prompt was. But it was interesting to consider this historic event in a new light. I hope you enjoyed. 

Wednesdays with Rilynn

Since having Rilynn, I've struggled with my desire to "just be a mom" so I can be home for her, and my desire to work and contribute to something I believe in and am passionate about. I consider myself incredibly blessed to work at a place that I can passionately pursue both dreams.

Wednesday's I spend all day with my baby girl and today we spent a good chunk of our morning at our neighborhood park playing and doing a little photo shoot. I'm slightly biased but I think she makes a pretty great model :)

Having fun playing peek-a-boo!

Such a dramatic swinger.

 Mommy, I can see you! 

That look... 

I'm ready for my close-up. 

Loves her swing.

Couldn't love her any more.

Legacy Living

The idea of leaving a legacy has been on my mind. After completing a book study on The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell, I find myself challenged with what's next. It's great to read challenging books, get inspired, set goals, dream of the future…but if it stays a dream without snowballing into action, what was the point? The 21st Law that Maxwell address is "The Law of Legacy", stating that a leaders lasting value is measured by succession. Knowing what legacy you want to leave, and starting to live that legacy today. That's a challenge on multiple levels. 

1. "A leaders lasting value is measured by succession"…it's not all about how well I can do and how much I can accomplish. Who did you influence? How did you leave the world, your sphere of influence, better? How will people remember you? Leaders often spend their time and effort racing towards success, rather than succession. Leadership is at its core, influence. A good leader will be successful because of his or her influence on the people they lead, not because of their ability to problem solve, innovate, or dream big. Those things are important as you lead, but it is ultimately your ability to effectively inspire and influence others, that mark a great leader. 

2. "Know what legacy you want to leave, and start living that legacy today."  I want to live with a purpose, I don't just want to "exist". If I live my life day to day, never looking ahead, never moving towards a goal, I fear I will get to the end of my life not having influenced the way I dreamed I would. So today, I start with where I want to end. What do I want my legacy to be? I want to use music & writing to change the way people see Jesus, Christians, and the church. I want to bridge the gap between the secular world and the church using the things I love and are passionate for. So what do I do today? How can I, today, move one step closer towards that legacy? That's a questions I want to ask myself every day so that when I do come to the end of my life, I can know that I lived my legacy and didn't wait to see what it would be. 

I want my kids, my family, my work, my art, the people I influence, my character, to be the legacy I live and leave. Every day for the rest of my life will be spent with that legacy in mind. I want it to be said of me that I didn't just leave a legacy, but that I lived a legacy.

A Life of Worship

My gosh I did not realize it had been a year since I last posted…time flies when you're having fun! Since my last post my baby girl was born and is now ten and a half months old, which I can hardly believe. She is beautiful and everything I dreamed she would be. She is an incredibly joyful baby and already has a love for life that is absolutely contagious. I love her more than I thought possible.
We also got another dog…another german shepherd mix named Sirius Black. He is all black and on track to be about twice the size of Kiara. He's a bit of a terror but we love him, despite our better judgement! We are loving life and cannot believe how much God has blessed us since we've been married, which will be three years in October.

I have more of a passion than ever to see people worship with reckless abandon, inside and outside of the church. I think we try to keep God, and our worship to Him, confined in a little box that we open up on Sunday mornings and Sunday mornings ONLY.  Worship is something that we live…it's something that defines us. I want my life to truly and literally be a life of worship to Him; in my interactions with my family, in my ministry and the people I encounter through ministry, in all the little things I do every day that become routine. Worship should not start at the first song of a church service. By the time we come together as a congregation, we should have been in a constant state of worship since we left the week before. Can you imagine the impact that kind of worship would have on a church? On a community? It would be life-changing for every individual worshipper and anyone who comes into contact with them. What steps can you take this week to take your worship to the next level?

Don't know where to start?
1. Thank God for who He is, everything He has done and is doing in your life, and for the fact that He has great things in store for your future.
2. Ask Him to speak into your life, and be willing to obey and act on what He says.
3. Take time just to listen for His voice.
4. Look for opportunities to show His love to the people around you.
5. Commit everything you do this week to Him and for His Glory (it may change some of the things you find yourself doing)

Technology & Truth

So Monday we got the opportunity to do 3D ultrasound and we got great close ups of Rilynn! It was absolutely amazing to be able to see such detailed images of a baby who has not been born yet. This picture was my personal favorite...

… I loved how her face, hand, and foot were all scrunched up together! It was also nice to see that she has a good arch to her foot and not my brother's hobbit-like box feet. We got about 35 pictures of her and were able to deduce that she has her uncle Ryan's full lips, her aunt Lindzy's long fingers, her daddy's chubby baby cheeks, and my basic features! It was so exciting to be able to more accurately imagine what she is going to look like. I can't wait until August to see how accurate these 3D images were and what other family resemblance's she may have :) 

While we were able to watch our baby dance around on a giant projector screen, two questions kept racing through my mind. One, how can people see this and not think it's a baby in there. I believe that anyone considering abortion should be required to have a 3D ultrasound so they can be fully aware of what it is they are "eliminating". We use words like "fetus" in order to de-humanize the babies affected by abortion, mostly to make ourselves feel better, but looking at these pictures, how can anyone argue that the living, kicking, yawning, hiccuping thing in there is NOT a human being? Blows my mind….It's a baby on the inside, and it's the same baby on the outside, and the technology we have today to allow us to see images like these should only make that truth more evident. 

The second question that kept coming to me was…How can anyone experience, first hand or second hand, the miraculous process of human development (pregnancy from the inside) and then birth and not believe in God. There are so many things that have to happen, and happen perfectly, for a human being to be developed, so many details and stages that can't be skipped. How can something so complex be the product of anything other than an Intelligent Designer who knew exactly what, when, and how everything needed to take place? If anything, seeing and feeling our baby grow at each stage, even before she is born, has absolutely validated the fact that there is a God who loves us. He takes the time to stitch each of us together in exactly the way He wants us. It is humbling to think that the Creator of the Universe cares enough about each of us to take a personal interest in us even before we are born into the world. Thinking on this leaves me grateful and awestruck at how amazing the God we serve is. I pray I never take for granted the blessing of being His.

Settled In

Since my last post, we have purchased and moved into our new home! The whole process was eye opening and a great experience for us as a couple. We saw God move and provide in huge ways and I can't believe how much He blessed us in giving us the house we ended up with. It is more than we need or ever expected for our first house! Just goes to show that God wants to bless those He loves (all of us) as long as we are willing to listen for His voice and wait on His timing. We are grateful.

Also since my last post, we found out that our baby is a GIRL!!! Her name is Rilynn Elizabeth and she will be here sometime in August. Found out at my appointment yesterday that she may be due a bit earlier than we originally thought! We will see :) This was her at 20 weeks, about 10 weeks ago. She kicks, wiggles, and moves almost constantly, although I can't say that I mind! Jonathan was flabbergasted the first time he felt her kick and he now loves to watch my belly move when she gets going. We cannot wait to meet her!

My little brother graduated high school this past weekend and will be going to Mary Hardin Baylor in the fall. I can't say I'm pleased about him leaving, but I know it will be a great experience for him and I'm excited to see how God uses him! My silver lining is that he will only be two hours away and he says he will be home a lot…he better be! I love this kid more than anyone can know and I'm so proud of him! He is my best friend and I can't wait to see what the future holds. It's gunna be great! 

Those are the big things happening in my life right now. Change is always happening and it's what we make of it that determines if it's positive or negative. The most important thing to remember is that God is never caught off guard by the ups and downs in our life. He has been in our past, He is with us in our present, and He is already in our future. Our reaction to change is a testimony of our faith and our trust in God as the only thing that does not change. I can confidently say I am excited for whatever the future holds because I know that God is already there and preparing the way! 

Story of My Life

    A little about myself for the first post seems appropriate. The top left picture, is my handsome husband and best friend, Jonathan. He is the love of my life and I cannot imagine being without him! We have been married for almost a year and a half and it has been the best 18 months of my life so far. He is everything I am not and makes my life a fairy tale.

    The top right picture is my lovely puppy, Kiara. She is almost a year and a half old and is a german shepherd mix. We adopted her the Christmas after we were married (she was my Christmas present). She is obsessed with playing frisbee, enjoys chewing wood, and has a limp tail because she was hit by a car on her 1st birthday. She is spoiled rotten and we love her to death!

    The bottom/center picture is our baby!! This picture (the only one I have so far) was taken at 8 weeks. We are now almost 17 weeks pregnant and we find out March 26th if we are having a boy or a girl! The due date has been set for August 19th…6 days before my birthday. I am preparing myself for a long, hot, pregnant summer in the pool!

   We are currently living with my parents while we save to buy our first home. We are hoping to be IN a house by the end of April….we will see. The other parts of my life include my family (amazing parents and a fantastic brother), my church which I love, and also happens to be my place of employment, amazing friends I cherish, and above anything else, my Savior. I could not be more blessed and I am thankful every day for the people God has put in my life and the opportunities He has made available to me. I look to the future with high expectations of what I know He has planned. Ready for an adventure!