The search might be back on again!

I am so disheartened! I am afraid that our search to find a church in our new town might be back on again! Nick and I were really enjoying the Baptist Church in Wentzville but I just don't think it is going to work for our entire family. Max is having such a rough time in the nursery we haven't been able to stay for a whole church service in like 2 months. And honestly, I don't really blame him. I went in and sat with him a few weeks ago after they paged me to come get him because he was freaking out and honestly, it was a total mess. I was sitting there and kids were just running around like crazy people. The two teachers in the room spent the entire time talking to each other and totally ignoring the kids. Several kids came up to Max while I was holding him and tried to take his cup or his book and the teachers just totally ignored it. There was no structure whatsoever. I asked the nursery coordinator about it and she didn't seem too concerned. So, I am afraid we might have to start looking again.

We just can't go to a church that isn't good for our kids. And, since we never get to even sit through a whole service because Max freaks out it really just won't work! It is just so hard to look for a church. Nick and I desperately want to find a church that we can call home and start building relationships. So, please pray for us as our journey continues!

Woo hoo!

So, I have to have a little celebration here. I just bought a pair if size 10 jeans! I haven't worn a 10 since like, high school! I am so excited! Although, to be fair, I haven't done any exercising or dieting. It is all from breastfeeding my little miss. Because, to be honest, I eat horribly and don't exercise at all! Since we live with my grandma there are always delicious sweets around. So, I have desert after every meal and a late night snack of some sweet treat. I know, it is terrible! But, I do feel more encouraged to exercise and eat right now. Because, if I can make this much progress eating like a horse I can probably do even better on a more sensible meal plan. And, since I won't be breastfeeding forever I should probably get back in the habit of eating well again! But, even though I didn't really "earn" this weightloss... it still feels good:-)

"I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said..." Luke 1:38

Every year around Christmas time I read this verse and am always left speachless for a few minutes just pondering Mary's amazing faith. An angel came to her when she was engaged and told her she was pregnant with God's son! And she says, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said." I think back to when I found out I was pregnant with Max... a human baby that was conceived... well, you know, the normal way;-) And my reaction was nothing like Mary's even though I shouldn't have been very suprised at all! I remember thinking God was crazy and what would I do and what would people think (even though I was a married woman!). And yet, Mary, a young, virgin girl accepts God's plan for her with a humble open spirit. She had to have immediately thought, "what will people think?" "what will my parents think?" "will Joseph stay with me" "how will I raise God himself!?"

I have learned so much from this single verse in the Bible. And today I am still praying that in all circumstances I will accept God's will openly and humbly just like Mary did.

Father, help me to be more like Mary. Help me to accept what you have for me with an open and willing heart. Help me to be humble and understand that I do not know what is best. You do! And you want your best for me and my life! Thank you for choosing Mary to give birth to your precious son. Thank you for using her to teach all of us women how to respond to every task you call us to. I love you and am so grateful for all that you do for me and continue to do for me and my family. Amen.

We're Debt Free!

So, I have been wanting to write this post for the past few days but hadn't gotten the chance yet! This is the biggest news to hit the Ramsey house since Sophie Nichole was born almost 4 months ago. So, here it goes...

WE'RE DEBT FREE!!!! WOO HOO!!! Nick and I are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves. It has been on our heart to become debt free for the past few years. We had started reading Dave Ramsey and really exploring the Bible on this issue and came to strongly feel convicted to get out of debt and stay out of debt. I am not saying Nick and I got ourselves out of debt though. God got us out of debt! We followed his leading and made some sacrafices and He provided for us in amazing ways!

It was actually a pretty amazing journey and I see now why God didn't pull us out of debt right away. He had a lot to teach us in the process and we are so much stronger and closer to Him for it. In the beginning when we were trying to get out of debt I know my whole heart wasn't there. I so desperately wanted to believe that we could get out of debt and I could still do everything I wanted to do. I could still go out to eat every week (multiple times a week), still have Target shopping sprees, etc. And, honestly, I started to believe that it would take us forever to get out of debt and that we would never get ahead. But, then something changed. I was praying about our situation and God seemed to let me know that if I was willing to do my part and put my whole heart into this, He would cover the rest. HOLY MOLY DID GOD COVER THE REST!!! He provided lump sum gifts from bonuses or gifts that helped us to really get started. Then He provided Nick with the opportunity to significantly increase his income and He provided me with the opportunity to make a bit of an income. And voila, we are debt free! Which is why I can't take any of the credit! God made this happen and I am so grateful!

I'm not writing this entry to brag in any way. I have NOTHING to brag about. I am only writing this to give God the glory He always deserves. And also to encourage any of you with a desire to get out of debt. Pray to God about your desires and He will provide in ways that you never expected. Everyones journey to get out of debt is and will be different and He will always do things in His own perfect timing. But, don't let yourself think you have to do it on your own. Our Heavenly Father wants to be actively involved in this and every other endeavor in our lives!

My Mom

I just have to take a few minutes and talk about how much I love my mom! She is just the most amazing mom ever and I feel so blessed by her!

I have always been close to my mom. But since having children I feel even closer to her. She loves me and my husband and my children so much. She is so supportive of me and everything that I do. One thing that I have come to appreciate so much, especially since becoming a mom, is that my mom doesn't tell me what to do. For me, that is huge! If I ask her a question, she will tell me what she thinks. But, even then follows it by... but I'm not sure, maybe you should ask your pediatrician. This is just so important for me because it makes me feel like she thinks I am a good mom. She trusts my judgment and she believes in me. When I am having a problem with discipline or something she is so amazing. She listens to the problem, talks with me about what I think I should do (never telling me what I should do)and then is my biggest cheerleader! She is there totally just there for support and encouragement.

Now that we live so close I just feel even more blessed by my mom. I still talk to her on the phone at least once a day and now I get to see her a few times a week. I am so grateful for her amazing relationship with my kids. She loves them so much and they love her so much. For Max, going to Grandma and Grandpa's house is the best thing in the entire world. He lives for it! And it makes me so happy that we are able to really help foster that relationship more now that we live closer.

Later today we are headed to Mom and Dad's to help them decorate for Christmas and our whole family is just so excited! Mainly, just to spend time together! So, all I can say is, I love my Mom! And I hope I can be as good of a mom as she is one day!

thoughts from James

The book of James is one of my favorite books in the Bible. There is so much wisdom inside this tiny book. And one thing I love most about it is that this book contains some of the "hard stuff". It talks about the things we in the modern church struggle through the most. Issues like trials, favoritism, faith vs. deeds, taming the toungue, suffering, submission, ect. Everytime I read through James I feel such conviction!

One section in James that really stands out to me is a discussion on boasting about tomorrow. It says:
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 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

We can be so full of ourselves! We can think we know what will happen in our lives! We make all of these big statements which may or may not be true. I love reading this section because it reminds me that God should be acknowledged in all that we do and all that we want to do. In some ways I believe that God has allowed this rough economy to teach all of us this lesson. We do not get to decide our tomorrows.

Quick Vent

Okay, I really hate to use my blog for negative things, but I have to vent for a second! Writing things down is the best form of getting feelings out for me, so here we go....

I sometimes think people don't think being a stay at home mom is a real job! People seem to expect me to just do whatever they need because obviously, I have so much extra time because I am home all day. I would venture to say that I have LESS time since I stay at home all day. When I was going to school I had the opportunity to have 5 or 10 minutes by myself before class to return phone calls or do quick paperwork. Or, I could easily run an errand on my way to or from class because I was all by myself. Now, I don't have the time to do those things. I mean, chances are I will get the time sometime during the day, but I have no idea when that will be. And, there is no gurantee! Infact, the only reason I am getting to type this right now is because I am listening to my poor little girl cry and fight a nap in her crib. Which, as any mother who has let her baby cry it out knows, is heart wrenching!

I know, it is really my issue. I need to set better boundaries with people. I need to learn to say "no". But, I am a people pleaser and that is really hard for me. So, for now, I will just vent about it:-)

I absolutely LOVE being a stay-at-home mom. But, I will not sugar coat it... it is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! And, if you don't think it is a real "job" feel free to come try it out for the next 72 hours and then let me know what you think!