Almost Done!

Even Josh had to ask me, "are you still taking weekly pictures of her?"

Why yes I am.

Maybe they sit on my camera for weeks.  Maybe she's too wiggly to get good shots.  Maybe I take them in bad lighting just to get 'em done. 

But wouldn't you know it?  I've got them all good and updated.  A certain someone is turning one in a month, and I'd like to involve the pictures somehow in her party decor.


Although I've had moments of UGH when it comes to this project, I'm so thankful that I've done it. Now that Caroline is crawling/climbing/sippy-cup using/into everything, it's precious to me to look back and remember her rocking on all fours (34 weeks) and sitting in a Bumbo seat (19 weeks) and learning to hold up her own head (8 weeks).

These past few sessions have been extra fun since I've gotten to capture a little more of her personality.  She loves, loves, loves to play in the dishwasher (45 weeks) and spoons of any size and shape are her personal favorites.  She's also particularly hard to photograph because she's so dang mobile (44 weeks).  Last week she started clapping (48 weeks).  A lot.  As in, pushing a button on a toy and clapping to the music.  Even the 42 week shot will be fun to remember someday, because I find her standing in her crib so very often.  Because she's a terrible napper and would rather stand there than go to sleep.

At this very moment, it's not so heart-warming.  But I'll look back on it and smile, I'm sure.

The 47 week shot will never be heartwarming for me, since the Michigan-Michigan State game is on the in background.  We lost.  Again.

And there we have it.  Just FOUR MORE WEEKS!

Promises

Yesterday, before our church family, Josh and I promised to teach Caroline to follow Jesus as Lord.

We promised to model our own faith before her.

We promised to demonstrate God's faithfulness to us by being faithful to each other.

We promised to set an example of how to love others.

Our church promised to support us and pray for us and come alongside us throughout this parenting process.


Our parents came into town to be there for the ceremony.


During the middle of the ceremony, Caroline decided she didn't want to be held, and would rather crawl up the stairs.


While all of Caroline's grandparents surrounded her, her dad and grandpas prayed for her.  Again, she didn't want to be held.  So during the prayer we all got on the floor with her.

It seemed right.

I'll never forget it.

God is so good.

James read-along, Chapters 3 & 4

So I'm a little behind on the read-along.  Who's surprised?  Not I.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. James 3:9

The Tongue-Taming section of James.  My-oh-my.  The verses prior to this talk of how a big ship is controlled by a small rudder and forest fires are started by a single spark.  What we say has huge consequences for all of the other parts of our life.  How dare we both praise Jesus AND speak poorly of others?  Jesus, help me.

And I also think that the words that come out of us are very telling of what's inside.  Jesus says in Matthew, For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (12:34). 

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13

There's a significant link here between wisdom and humility.  I love the description of true wisdom, a couple of verses later:
peace-loving
considerate
submissive
full of mercy and good fruit
impartial
sincere

Lord, let these things be said of me.  Just thinking of difficult relationships and issues I've had with others, I ask myself, was this list true of me in that situation?

Not exactly.

But praise Jesus.  He gives wisdom generously without finding fault - if we just ask for it.  (James 1:5) 

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?  James 4:11-12

Hmm... doesn't this sound familiar to the first verse I listed?  Yes, indeedy. 

Leave the judgment to God, and don't speak out against others. 

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  James 4:14-15

A reminder of the fact that my life isn't my own - it is in God's hands and he determines the specifics.  Lest I be too boastful, too quick-to-map-everything-out, too prideful.  Nope, it's God's will for me that matters.

Lora's Baby Shower

A year ago or so my friends Lora and Meribethe threw me a beautiful shower.

And last week I got to return the favor for Lora!  Her baby is due next month and I'm so excited for her and Patrick.

Lora's professional life has centered around reading, learning, and school, so I thought that it would be fun to incorporate some "bookish" elements into the decor.  Also, they're going with mostly primary colors for the nursery, so I wanted to keep that for the shower too.

So...

Alphabet blocks seemed logical - and fun - choice.

And each guest was asked to bring a favorite childrens book as a part of their gift.


I also had fun with the food... like cake pops!

One week before the shower I received a cake pop maker for an early birthday present. I was already planning on making cake pops for Lora's shower, so it was a perfect, timely gift! And it made making them SO easy.

Anyone who knows Lora knows of her Aquafina love! I almost bought Dasani water bottles (gasp!) but thankfully caught the mistake before I left the grocery store. They were easy to "spice up" with paper and ribbon.
 

Lora also has a soft spot for cakes from Dairy Queen.  When I ordered this one (yellow, bottom left) I asked for stripes.  I thought the result was an interesting interpretation of my order.
 
 


Here's the mantle... who knew kids books could be used for decorations?  
 

I had so much fun planning this shower! Can't wait to meet Baby Kaiser in another few weeks!

James read-along, Chapter 2

There are some hard, kick-you-where-it-hurts passages in James 2.  The words are downright blunt and nothing if not sobering.

But, as someone who believes that Bible is true, perfect, and God's Word, I've got to deal with Chapter 2.  It'd be easy enough to skim over it.

Here's what stuck out to me:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10

Marla calls this a classic "we're all screwed without Jesus" passage. Totally true.  I step one toe out of line - one harsh word, one moment of pride - and I've failed God's high standard.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

What's especially convicting to me about James 2:10 is that, if I truly believe this, I have no business being judgmental. Why think of others are their sins when mine are just as bad?  We all are guilty of breaking all of the law.  It's so easy to think of "big bad sins" and "little somewhat-passable" sins.  That's nonsense.

I'm praying God protects me from pride and judgment as I dig back into James. Just because I happen to be spending a little time in my Bible doesn't mean I'm better than those who aren't. Any sin of mine puts me on completely even footing with every other person on earth... screwed without Jesus.  Small moments of time with Jesus have nothing to do with that.

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17

The second part of James 2 was the real kicker for me this week.  At least four times it mentions that faith without action is dead/useless/no good. 

These verses are really easy to misunderstand.  Don't put the cart before the horse.  James is not saying that a bunch of good works/obedience/mercy-toward-the-poor makes for salvation, or a relationship with God.  Nope, that only comes through a relationship with Jesus.  [See above comments about being screwed without Him.]  James is saying that true faith - the type that leads to life with God - naturally overflows into action.  Just like an apple tree makes apples.  Mercy, service, and giving-'til-it-hurts should spring forth from a life with God, and a true understanding of what He's given me.

The example in the text above is helping the poor - those without clothes and daily food.  In a world where thousands of children die daily from malnutrition and preventable disease, this one hits me.  As in, thousands of Carolines die daily.  A sermon I listened to this week even encouraged me to think, before I make purchases, is this more important than feeding a child?

Yikes.  I don't think much about getting a Starbucks or ordering a cute pair of shoes for my non-walking daughter.  And while it'd easy for me to write that question off as "holy-cow-way-too-radical," isn't faith supposed to be radical?  Lukewarm has never been a good thing.

So, where does that leave me?  I don't know.  I'm wrestling through it.  Starbucks in hand or not.  Sigh.  God's mercy, grace, and forgiveness toward me is there.  Freedom is there.  But chapter 2 of James is there too.  Lord, help me.

I don't think deeds should be done out of guilt.  That's not the point.  They should be the overflow of joy and freedom in Jesus.  And out of a relationship with Him.  So for now I'm going to focus on that relationship-with-Him part.  It's needed - I'm rusty.  We're going to pray as a family for direction on our actions, and our spending.   

And for the official discussion questions...
1. What one verse stood out to you as oh-my-wow (or however you would say it)? See above.
2. What do you think of this quote from DP–”People who claim to be Christians but fail to help poverty-stricken believers are, in fact, not saved.” This is so hard. I listened to that sermon for clarification and was convinced that the man had a point. Faith in Jesus - the true kind - bears fruit. Mercy and forgiveness and love and patience and a host of other things. When we truly know and love Him, we can't help but be led toward these things.
3. What questions/concerns do you have about this chapter? Jesus, what does that mean for me? For us? Right now? In your grace and mercy toward me, show us the way.

An apple core. Also known as...

... 15 minutes of pure entertainment


... delicious


... an excuse to use those two teeth


... and 15 minutes during which her Mama can get dinner ready.


also known as a win-win.

It gets me.

I was sifting through a bunch of newly-printed pictures of Caroline from her 9 month shoot.

And I kept thumbing to this one.


It isn't the kind of shot I'm going to print in wallet sizes and hand them out to family members. I'm not going to hang it on my wall. It wouldn't feel quite right in that context.

But I keep coming back to it.

The sweetness.

The eye rub.

The baby-ness.

The bib overalls and board book.

The tired baby.

But mostly, the innocence.


An innocence I desperately want to protect. An innocence that's been entrusted to us. She's so sweet, so trusting, so joyful. I don't want anything to take those things from her. I just want to protect her.

Like, until she's 30.

It's daunting. We don't want her to grow up too fast, and yet we don't want to her to be so sheltered that she's clueless. How do parents do it? What boundaries to you set? When do you set them? How do you raise a child to be wise, but still protect that little heart?

Lord, help us.

Lord, help us, indeed.