A New Journal: Be Filled with Joy

I'm a big fan of journaling. In fact, I've been writing in a diary or journal since I was in the fifth grade, and I've kept each and every one of them. They're precious to me—an integral part of my spiritual life and essential to my sanity. Writing things down helps me to remember not only where I've been, but also where I'm going.

A few weeks ago, we went to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend, and as I strolled through the bookstore on campus, I was smitten by this journal by Katie Daisy. I've long been a fan of Katie's work, and her etsy shop is one of my favorites. When we get settled into a new home of our own, I fully intend to fill up my walls with some of her gorgeous and uplifting art.

But all of that's beside the point.

There's something about the blank pages in a brand new journal that makes me want to sit down and write for hours. I love the freshness and the newness—the blank slate—the clean start. It's one of the simplest pleasures in life, and it's one I enjoy immensely.

As for this particular journal, well, I chose it because I need the daily reminder to be filled with joy. If I'm not careful, I can skate my way through an entire day...or week...or month...without stopping to count my blessings or truly experience the joy of the little moments that make up my life.

I know that as far as resolutions go, the beginning of May is a little late to be making one, but oh well. Who says that resolutions are just for new years, anyway? I'm resolved that 2013 (the rest of it, anyway) will be a year of great joy.

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."

—Psalm 51:12

This verse is my anthem. I'm looking for wonder and praying for joy in the everyday moments that make up my life.

What about you?

Until next time, grace and peace.

Adventures in Babyhood: Kendall the 10-Month-Old

Believe it or not, Kendall is 10 and a half months old. I haven't written much about her on here, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to say. She's a sweet and delightful little girl, and she's entering a really fun stage of childhood—to her, everything is new and exciting, and she's fascinated by the most ordinary of objects. Take those bubbles from the other day, for instance. She's learning and growing and changing before my very eyes, and there are all sorts of things about her at this age that I don't want to forget.

I don't want to forget these luminous blue eyes.

I don't want to forget the way she claps her hands in delight.

I don't want to forget her little two-toothed grin.

I don't want to forget these chubby little knees.

I don't want to forget this wide-eyed sense of wonder.

More than anything, I want to remember just how darn sweet she is. She really is an easy-going, good-natured baby. She's always smiling these days, and she's getting pretty vocal. She babbles nonstop and waves with excitement when Dennis and Gran get home from work. She plays peek-a-boo, and I can't help but laugh when she gets mixed up and covers her ears instead of her eyes. Her favorite part of Patty Cake is "throw 'em in the pan!" And if you catch her at the right moment, she'll laugh and laugh and laugh at the silliest things.

She's a girl who loves to eat. Like her sister, she turned her nose up at baby food and dove right in to eating real food. She started out eating English peas and sweet potatoes, but these days she'll eat anything and everything that we put in front of her. I honestly can't think of anything that she's refused to eat. She's a good eater, and for that, I'm glad.

You may or may not remember that I had a really hard time adjusting to the idea of another baby. We weren't exactly planning on having another child so soon, but God knew exactly what He was doing when He sent Kendall to us. I may not have been expecting her to arrive when she did, but I'm so very glad she did. I can't imagine life without my little sweetheart, and now that we're nearly through the first year and moving past the infant stage, life just gets better and better.

She has captured my heart.

I can't wait to see what kind of little lady she will become in the years ahead. I pray that she never loses that wide-eyed sense of wonder, that God will protect and preserve her heart and save it for Himself. I pray that she will become a woman who chases after the Lord with single-minded devotion. And, of course, I pray that God will help me to be the kind of Mama that leads her children to Him.

She has brought such joy into my life, and I couldn't be more grateful for this little sweetheart.

Until next time, grace and peace.

This Everyday Life: Embracing Wonder

I feel like I've been sleepwalking over the past few months, and I'm just now starting to wake up. I mean, I've been here, going through the motions, feeding the girls and changing diapers and playing outside, but at the same time, I haven't been here. I've been missing out on the wonder of everyday life.

The other day, I was reading through the first chapter of Margaret Feinberg's Wonderstruck again, and her words resonated with me. They fit me like a glove - I very well could have written them myself.

"Faith invites us into an enchanting journey—one marked by mysteries of divine beauty, holy courage, irrepressible hope, unending love. But in my life, any sense of the splendor of God had faded. I knew I needed a fresh encounter with God to awaken me from my sleep, to disturb me from my slumber.

And so I prayed for wonder."

—Margaret Feinberg, Wonderstruck

I know I'm not alone here. As I played outside with the girls yesterday, Kendall was absolutely mesmerized by these bubbles. Something so simple and commonplace - and yet they were nothing of the sort to her. She was wonderstruck...and I was convicted. I'm afraid that I've stopped allowing myself to be wonderstruck, not just by God, but by anything at all.

I have stopped expecting to meet God in this everyday life. Instead of straining to hear His voice, I've all but tuned Him out. And that, my friends, has got to change. These days, I'm praying for wonder. I desperately need a fresh dose of it in my life. As a stay at home mom, it's entirely too easy to get sucked into the monotony of wiping snotty noses and fixing peanut butter sandwiches...again.

It doesn't have to be that way, y'all. We can choose to be awestruck instead of rundown, filled with wonder instead of running on empty. It's a matter of perspective.

I don't want to miss out on amazing things simply because I was too groggy to see them. I'm waking up and praying for wonder.

What are you praying for?

Until next time, grace and peace.