B-a-n-a-n-a-s

I have 3 (admittedly half-eaten) loaves of banana bread hanging out on my counter currently.  This is dangerous as I am the only person in the house who consumes them.  Josh isn't a big fan and bananas have not "agreed" with Emma so far (I'll spare you the details..) 

In the end, I will not be accused of wastefulness in regards to these beautiful potassium bread loaves, so all is not lost.

I've had two people recently tell me how they enjoy the adventures I have.  While they aren't the most grand of adventures, I will admit that we conquered both Swedish Disneyland (aka IKEA) and the Pumpkin Patch all in one single weekend.  And we even did some naps on-the-go courtesy of this little beauty...

That's right, the Ergo carrier.  It is magnificent.  My back thanks me every time I wear it.  And if we had an 8 year old son (as pictured above) we'd tote him everywhere on our backs.  Because 8 year old boys deserve a break like anyone else.

We had plans to dress up our favorite 6 month old as a lady bug for Halloween this year and gorge ourselves on sugary treats.  Our plans were thwarted however and we stayed home, ate pot roast, made cookies, and Emma got to dress up as "fussy, teething 6 month old baby" instead.  It was a convincing get up.

The good news was that we finally got cute shots of the teeny one with a pumpkin.  Thumbs up indeed.  Baby sign language is totally paying off.

Also, we're trying to outdo the The Duggars.



 

After our adventures subsided, we received some sad news that's weighed heavy on our hearts involving our church family at New Life. 

Josh and I have done quite a bit of processing, a lot of praying, and had a great date night last Friday enjoying quality time and talking about the practical steps we plan to take to protect our marriage.  We recognize that because we're human we can't just expect a healthy marriage to find us.  We have to pursue it proactively. 

I read a book about spiritual warfare some time ago and it inspired me to pray through Ephesians 6:11-17 each morning, which I condensed a bit so it was easier to memorize..."Put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, have feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, put on the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

I want to walk wisely.  2 Cor 7:1 "Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

I am far from having "perfected" anything in life, but rather than being discouraged by that, or focusing on the sins of others laid bare in public forums, I want to remember the grace and strength offered to us in Christ.  I have to go back to the same hope I talked about having previously when I'm faced with the brokenness in the world and in myself.  There's a verse that talks about God using us, these fragile jars of clay, to show that it is obviously Him at work rather than our human effort.  I am thankful for this.  I am as prone to arrogance as anyone, but more often than not I am reminded of my frailty...in my new role as mom, in my friendships, and in the church that Josh and I have the privilege of serving.  I think in this season especially I am acutely aware of God's ability to supply what I lack, both through His word and through depth of connection with the people in my life.

"Ironically, one problem we often see in the Christian community is that people get more into religion and less into the connectedness the Bible prescribes, with the result that they get sicker.  For the same reason, many people feel disconnected from God because they have not been connected to his Body." - "How People Grow" Cloud & Townsend