Bondservant of Christ

I know I have been using this blog mostly to keep family and friends up to date with Emily's life and developments; however, today's post is going to be a little different...no pictures...just me sharing what the Lord has been laying on my heart as of late. God has been challenging me on many different levels requiring me to depend on Him and not myself, to find my identity in Him, and to recognize who exactly He is with awe and reverance.

As I was watching Emily play in her exersaucer this morning, I started thinking about all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my family in recent months and years. He orchestrated my steps so that Ben and I would meet and fall in love in college. He knew everything Ben and I would need in a mate, and He made sure we would have our needs met in each other. He has preserved our marriage and made it one where we seek Him together.

I've been given the blessing of wonderful family relationships (moms, dads, sisters, brothers, cousins, grandparents, etc.), and He has had His hand of protection on those I love. My brother-in-law is currently in Afghanistan serving our country as a US Marine. He's been there for 5 1/2 months. He comes home mid-November. His job there has been one with relatively low danger and has been allowed to have almost daily contact with my sister (his wife.) If that's not the hand of God, I don't know what is!

He has provided an awesome church family for Ben and me...a place where we could get involved, make long lasting friendships, and be used by Him. He provided our "Houston parents" (Pastor Bruce & Connie) and just so happens they were in a Gospel singing group for 30 years! He used them to encourage me to sing publicly, to teach me how to, and to provide me opportunity to flex that "blessing muscle" for others. If you had told me a few years ago that I would hold a microphone on stage and sing for congregations of 200+ people, I would have told you you were losing your mind! He brought me out of my comfort zone, and I've been so blessed...much more than those who listen to my songs!

And of course, He watched over my pregnancy with Emily. When I was feeling anxious and nervous about everything going right within the womb and my blood pressure showed my anxiety, He would give me peace. He formed our baby girl and set her into motion, and then He brought her into the world. He was there in the delivery room giving me strength to get through the pain and the tenacity to push with everything I had. Since Emily's birth, I've oftened asked myself why God allowed me to go through so much pain when my friends and acquaintances talked about eating popsicles during their contractions and watching TV between pushes! I think He wanted me to realize I can do nothing and be nothing apart from Him. It was a place of complete and total dependence on the Lord. I could not accomplish what had to be done without Him.

So, with all these blessings and the death of Jesus for me, I've been feeling deep conviction about giving back to Him who has given me so much! I feel in utter debt. Our church has been going through a series called "To Boldy Go." As you can guess, it's about sharing your faith in Jesus Christ with the lost. A few weeks ago, Pastor Bruce gave a really powerful message about this using the story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well and how Jesus did not wait for her to come to Him...He went to her to tell her about the living water; therefore, we shouldn't wait for lost people to come walking into the church building to minister to them. We should boldy go to the lost. I felt very convicted and went to the altar after the sermon to offer myself as a bondservant of Christ. He has given me such an indescribable gift in Jesus Christ and has so carefully woven the tapestry of my life, yet I have kept the gift to myself, never thinking about those who don't know Him...who've never had anyone care enough about them to share their precious Jesus. I prayed the Lord would open my eyes to see opportunities around me in my daily life. Now, this is a really big step for me as I'm a very introverted person. I'm not outgoing and bubbly...I'm not someone who's able to just strike up a conversation with anyone about anything let alone about Jesus! I was apprehensive and a little scared of this commitment to say the least, but I meant it, and I was reminded that He doesn't require us to be able in order to be used; He only requires us to be available. Since that day at the altar, Ben and I have shared Jesus with one person (our car salesman). He hasn't accepted Christ, but we planted the seed. I check in with him from time to time via text message to let him know we are praying for him. Please know I say none of this to brag about the great things we are doing for Christ! I do this to ask you for your prayers for me in my mission. I ask that you pray for my commitment and that He continue to open my eyes to those who are thirsty for Him! I tend to have a very cynical view of the world, but the Lord does not see things the way I do, and I'm working on looking at the world through Jesus' eyes and not my own. So, I need your prayers in that regard as well. I'm also writing this to challenge you. Are you being obedient to the Lord's command to go, tell, and baptize in the name of Jesus?

I've never had a friend like my Jesus! Every imperfect human being in my life...whether it be my parents, my husband, my friends, etc...has let me down in one way or another at some point. Even though they all love me and wish they could be perfect for me, they are human. But my Jesus? My Jesus has NEVER let me down. He has never said anything hurtful to me, He's never forgotten my birthday, He's never screened my phone call, He's never laughed at my tears, He's never made me the butt of a joke, He's never criticized my appearance, He's never told me He doesn't have time to listen to my petty problems, He's never cancelled a date with me because He found something better to do. Instead He offers me a comforting ear, tells me I'm beautiful, answers me when I speak to Him, laughs at my sillyness, delights in my worship of Him, devotes His time to me, knows and provides for all my needs, knit me in my mother's womb, and most importantly thought of me while hanging on the cross. I am my beloved's, and He is mine! I've never had a friend like my Jesus!

Emmy's World

Ok, so I'm really behind on blog posts as I have been reminded by a lot of people lately! ;) A lot has taken place in the last 2 months, so I will do my very best to catch you all up! Here goes nothing!

• At the end of July, we took a trip to Grams and Grandpa's house (Ben's parents) in San Antonio!
• On August 1, a college roommate of mine gave birth to her baby girl, Sophia! They live in the Woodlands. We went to visit them the weekend after she was born. She is so beautiful!
• Then we headed to Conroe for cousin Ryan's 1st birthday party on August 14! We had a blast hanging out with family!
• On August 19, Emily turned 5 months old. She was not scheduled for a doctor's visit, but she was having some digestive issues so we saw Dr. Eisner anyway. She weighed in at 18 lbs. 6 oz.! Since it was not a checkup appointment, they did not take her length or head circumference.
• On August 18, Grams and Grandpa celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary! And on August 20, Mem and Granddad celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary! Such awesome examples of long lasting, godly marriages!
• Emily got her first 2 teeth on August 21! The 2 front teeth on her bottom gums finally poked through! Thank the Lord 'cause they were really hurting her!
• At the end of August, Ben and I bought a "new" car. Not really new, but new to us! We got a 2007 Honda Pilot. It's an SUV, has a TON more room than the Camry I was driving, and is so much easier to get Emily in and out of! Praise the Lord for His provision!
• The next weekend, we took a trip to Mem and Granddad's house (Andrea's parents) in Gatesville. For some reason, I have no pictures of this time with them. Mommy is not always very good at making sure the camera is brought and used!
• September 10 through the 12, Ben went on a bay fishing trip with his company. He got pretty sunburned, but had a good time and caught a lot of fish!
• That same weekend, Katie came down to Houston to spend the next 9 days with us! I really enjoyed having the companionship, and she really helped a lot with Emily...not to mention all the work she did cooking up a spectacular meal for Emily's dedication day!
• Emily was dedicated to our Lord on September 19. The service was beautiful, and she "behaved" so well on stage! Again, praise Jesus!
• On September 19, Emily also turned 6 months old! She visited the doctor for a checkup and more vaccinations...blah. Her weight was 20 lbs. 4 oz. and her length was 27 inches (95th and 85th percentiles respectively)! She's a biggin'! :) They did take her head circumference, but I don't think they told me what it was. She did NOT appreciate the shots, and was extremely fussy the rest of the day. No physical side effects, but boy she was not herself!
• Then on September 25, we went back to Conroe for cousin Logan's 4th birthday party! And I think that puts us up to present day! :)

Busy, busy!

Now for Emily's developments:

• She got her first 2 teeth and is working on the top ones now I believe.
• She can sit up by herself for a few minutes at a time.
• She can roll both ways...back to tummy, tummy to back.
• She scoots on her belly all over the place...no more staying put.
• She's making "b" and "d" sounds. A lot of "dadadada" going on at our house!
• She also loves to blow raspberries and spits on anything and everything around her.
• She's sleeping 10.5 - 11 hours a night. Bedtime is usually at 8:30 at night, and she wakes up some time around 7:00-7:30 in the morning. This is a HUGE blessing for Mommy!
• She takes 2-3 one hour long naps per day.
• She's now taking four 7 oz. bottles and a full jar of baby food split up between 2 feedings per day.
• She's full of smiles, is so much fun, and the biggest blessing of our lives!

Now for pictures (I put the date next to the captions so you could determine how old Emily is in each):

Me and my mommy...we hang out a lot! (7/26)

Chillin' in the tub! (7/29)

Eatin' sweet potatoes at Grams and Grandpa's house! (7/30)

All ready for a swim in my Grams and Grandpa's pool! (7/31)

Swimming with Grams! (7/31)

Duncan loves to swim with us too! (7/31)

Duncan about to jump in after the burger toy! (7/31)

I didn't really seem to care much about the pool...not excited, not upset...just there! (7/31)

My bottom gums were hurting pretty bad, so Grams helped me out some! (7/31)

Napping in Grams' boppy pillow! (7/31)

Playing in my exersaucer at Grams and Grandpa's house! (8/1)

Me and cousin Fielding hanging out under the gazebo...he just got engaged a few weeks ago to beautiful Tina! Congratulations, you guys! (8/1)

Playing in my bumbo...in nothing but a diaper...I much prefer to be dressed this way! (8/14)

In my bumbo again, but in a pretty pink dress this time! (8/15)

Daddy liked my pink dress so much that he wanted to take my picture while I had it on...can you tell I like to chew on it??? (8/15)

Right after my last bottle for the day...I was oh so tired and ready for bed! (8/16)

But then Daddy said, "Hey, Emily!" and I decided to wake up and cheese for the camera! (8/16)

Playing on the couch...I don't stay put much anymore! (8/17)

Look how long I am! (9/2)

Pretty eyes! (9/2)

My daddy went on a fishing trip with his company...look how much they caught! (9/11)

Dedication day! Me and Grams before the service! (9/19)

Mommy's got me now...I was such a good girl during the service! (9/19)

All of my family at church before the dedication service...expect for Grandpa...he was taking the picture! (9/19)

My mommy sang "Lead Me to the Cross" at the service with Grannon (Connie), Natalie, and Shelbi! (9/19)

Me with cousin Jessica and cousin Logan...I was very interested in his cool sippy cup! (9/19)

This is all the delicious food my wonderful Aunt Katie made for the festivities after the service! (9/19)

My friend Parker hangin' out in the window! (9/19)

My cousin Ryan beboppin' around the house! (9/19)

Me with my Uncle Elliot and soon-to-be Aunt Bree! They are getting married in less than 2 months! (9/19)

Hangin' out with Mem! (9/19)

Mommy was opening some of the gifts I was given, but I thought this gift bag was way more fun! (9/19)

Still playing with the bag! (9/19)

These are the beautiful altar flowers my Grams and Grandpa gave in my honor! (9/19)

I love to play on the floor...I scoot on my belly all over the place! (9/22)

Look how high up I can get on my arms! Now if I could just get my knees under me, I'd be outta here! (9/22)

It started to get warm in the afternoon, so my mommy took my pants off of me...and then she put them on my head! Silly Mommy! (9/22)

Checkin' in with my peeps on facebook! :)~ I love all things with buttons...the computer, the TV remote, and the playstation controller! (9/24)

I was sitting on the couch...and then I fell over! I'm working on it! (9/24)

All ready for church! Again, Daddy loves it when I'm all dressed up and always wants to take my picture in my pretty dresses! (9/26)

The weather turned nice and cool, so Mommy decided it was time to go outside and get some fresh air! (9/27)

Just playing in the backyard! (9/27)

I will try to be better about posting more often...things just tend to get a little hectic and looking after a 6 month old doesn't always allow for a lot of Mommy time! Also, Mem and Granddad bought us an awesome video camera back in June. Once Ben shows me how to get the videos off the camera, I will post some that we've taken of Emily so you can see her in action! That's all for now! God bless you all!

The Things We Love...

Emily turned 4 months old yesterday! I can't believe she's already 1/3 of the way through her first year! Time flies when you're having fun! She had her 4 month check up with Dr. Eisner yesterday. She received the same vaccinations at this visit that she did at her 2 month check up. She did great with the shots. There was some screaming and crying, but it didn't last long, and she had no reaction (other than a lot of sleeping). Her measurements were:

Head circumference: 16 1/2 inches (80th percentile)

Length: 25 6/8 inches (90th percentile)

Weight: 16 lbs. 8 oz. (95th percentile)

She's still a healthy, growing girl! I mentioned to the doctor that for the last few weeks, Emily had only been sleeping about 6 hours at night and would wake up to eat whereas at 3 months, she was sleeping 8-10 hours. The doctor said the formula is just not enough anymore to hold her over at night. She said Emily is a tad heavy for her length, so she wanted to stay away from the cereals...we don't want to chub her up any more while she's still not able to move around and burn those calories. So, she suggested we start her on some veggies and fruits along with a bottle before she goes to bed to get her through the night! So, last night, we debuted solid foods with squash! It was a mess for sure, but so much fun to see her enjoying something new! She looked like such a big girl in her highchair and bib. As far as new things she's doing, we haven't really hit any milestones yet. She's not quite sitting up on her own, but is getting close. She's also getting really, really close to rolling over. I expect that to happen within the next month for sure. Anyway, that's really all the 4 month news, so here's a bunch of pictures from the last month:

Hi! My name's Emily! What's yours?

I still love to swing! I talk alot when I'm swinging!

I'm a future Aggie for sure! I already know how to give the Gig 'Em sign!

I'm ready to go to Wednesday night services at church! The nursery ladies love it when I show up lookin' cute!

Here I am before my friend, Anna's, birthday party...just thinking about all the fun makes me tired!

Anna's little brother, Grady, is only 2 1/2 weeks younger than me...he doesn't like it when I try to hold his hand!

This is my friend Anna and me! She turned two this year!

The birthday girl after the party! Out of gas!

Daddy loves it when I dress up for church!

My dress is so pretty, don't you think?!?

Here I am playing video games with Daddy!

What??? I couldn't find my pacifier...lay off!!!

I like to watch TV in my bumbo!

Here I am belly laughing while Daddy takes my picture. This is my Mommy's new favorite picture...pure joy!

I like to watch So You Think You Can Dance with my Daddy! We're talking about whether the last dancers will get voted for.

Whoa...I didn't know you were there!

Hi!

This is my usual state now...mouth open, hands inserted!

I love playtime with my Daddy...he's so much fun!

Me and my favorite boy! :)

I fall asleep in my car seat almost everytime we head out...I can't help it!

I still love bathtime...like my mohawk?!?

Aaaaaaaaa....Gig 'Em Aggies! A-Whoop!

Here I am just relaxin' in my bumbo next to Mommy! I also love to watch and laugh at Duncan!

I took my pacifier out, my arms went flailing, and this is where it ended up!

Nap time...look how long I am!

Mommy tried to fix my hair in a Pebbles hair-do, but Daddy said it just made me look like a sumo wrestler!

Mommy propped me up to go take care of something, and Daddy was playing video games. When he turned around, he saw me knodding off...I can sleep pretty much anywhere!

Slumped over like a little old man!

I'm getting so good at hold my head up during tummy time!

Hi there!

Here I am getting ready for my big food debut!

I really like my nifty high chair...now I can sit with Mommy and Daddy and be a part of the action!

This new food is the best...kinda messy, but good!

Oh, little Emily! Your Daddy and I love you so much! And we love the little things you do:

• how you smile at yourself in the mirror
• how you crack up laughing when the dog walks by
• how social you are...you always have smiles for anyone and everyone
• the way your face lights up when Daddy comes home from work
• how you do the same thing for either of us when we pick you up from the nursery at church
• how some of your best naps are ones where you're curled up next to Mommy
• how when you wake up in the morning and Mommy comes in to get you, the first thing you do when you see her is smile
• how your arms and legs go flailing when you get excited
• how you love to make big splashes in the bathtub and get Mommy or Daddy all wet
• how when you're fussy and whiney and Mommy starts to sing, you stop everything, watch, and listen intently...you already love music
• how you could probably watch the ceiling fan all day if you didn't have to stop to eat
• your little hands, your little feet, your little ears, your little nose, your little giggles, and pretty much everything else about you!

You're only 4 months old, and there's already so much about you we cherish!

Tomorrow is our 4th wedding anniversary! We've been through and accomplished a lot in the last 4 years, and I love Ben and I think he loves me just as much if not more than our wedding day 4 years ago. I love you, Benji!!! The Lord has been so good to me...He gave me you and then He gave me Emily. Thank you for being my knight in shining armor and loving me even when I'm unlovable! You're more than I could have ever asked for!