Stepping up to the plate! November 11, 2009

 

Last Sunday was an awesome night.

Well, actually, the entire weekend was pretty fantastic, but this really finished it off. This past Sunday was our first student-led 6:12 service, meaning exactly that: our students planned, orchestrated, organized, implemented (any other big words?) the entire thing. They did great!

I guess technically our leadership students have been doing this all along. Every week, starting an hour or two before the service begins, kids start filing in. They take care of set design, moving chairs, pull out the staging, run the sound booth, etc. What a huge challenge to us as adults?! How many of us make such an effort to get to church early on Sunday mornings to help set up and prepare for our services? Are we just as excited about what God is doing in our our lives?

That night I saw kids speak from their hearts…kids who are trying to figure out a life with a God that forgives, redeems, and restores. I saw students lead and participate in worship, be intentional, come in early and stay late.  I realized, why don’t I have that same attitude, that same excitement for what God is doing? I’m usually focused on whether or not Faith is crying in the nursery, or on my own plans for that day, or just letting myself be distracted or discouraged by life itself.

That particular 6:12 service made me remember a time when I was in high school, and I loved hanging out at church. I wanted to be there for hours. I was willing to serve in any capacity, whether or not I was great at it. I didn’t worry if I got nervous, or had never done it before. My afternoon nap never crossed my mind. I was excited, and I couldn’t wait to show it. I knew God had big plans for my life, and I wanted to dive in headfirst.

So yes, maybe I am an adult stuCo volunteer. But seeing our students step up to the challenge and lead a great service letting themselves be used by a God who also has big plans for their lives is inspiring to me. I want that excitement. That pursuit to know Christ more. The courage to try something new.

So thank you, stuCo leadership, for an awesome 6:12! Can’t wait till next week!

Bringing out the competitive side… November 3, 2009

I’ve always been a little competitive. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to win. To be the best. The favorite. Top choice. However you want to say it. I can’t stand the thought that someone else might be a little better than me. Not the most Christ-like attitude, yes, I know. I’m just being honest.

My husband might say my competitiveness goes so far as to compel me to do whatever it takes to win. He refuses to trust me with a board game. Yes, I admit, in college my best friend and I did manage to win at Battle of the Sexes by adjusting the cards in our favor. That’s all.

I have been good ever since.

Promise.

So Saturday, when the time came to carve our pumpkins for Halloween, of course my competitive nature reared its ugly head again and I wanted to have the best pumpkin. Having a six month old around, though, doesn’t lend itself to competitiveness. True, she slept most of the time we carved pumpkins, but once I accidently broke off my pumpkin’s teeth I knew my chance of “winning” the Great Pumpkin award was over.

Judge for yourself…can you tell which is mine & which is John’s?

 

Halfway There! October 28, 2009

Halfway to Faith’s first birthday!

I can’t believe our sweet baby girl is 6 months old already! Where has the time gone? Parenting is so different than I ever expected; so much more rewarding, more fun, and more difficult than I ever imagined. Posted on my facebook page is a video of Faith just after she was born, with daddy proudly carrying her out. I felt a little sentimental this week, so I opened it and watched. I have to admit, thinking back over those fond memories made my tear up a little. Our baby is growing up and time is going way to fast!

Sunday was a beautiful day outside, so John & I packed up Faith and headed outside with the camera to snap some good pictures while the fall foliage was at its best. They turned out great! It’s amazing looking back at videos like this one and comparing with pictures of her now, to see how far we’ve come. Just to think, in another six months we’ll be celebrating her one year birthday! I know that will definitely be such a bittersweet day for me. And to think, we’ve got so many milestones ahead…walking, talking, school, etc….such an exciting journey and I’m glad I have my husband alongside me for the road ahead!

Here she is at six months…check out those chubby cheeks!

 

 

A Change of Heart October 24, 2009

Normally, I  love hate Halloween. Something about the changing of seasons-summer turns to fall, the air turns cooler, Walmart stocks their aisles with candy, and our house gets toilet-papered (thanks guys-you know who you are!), brings back memories. Sometimes I wish I could skip this month.

Many of you may not know, but on Halloween morning nine years ago I lost my dad to a heart attack. I was eighteen. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face in my life so far. Ever since, I can’t help but remember that day as this time of year rolls around.

As I child, I loved Halloween. I was so excited to pick out the best costume ever. I loved glitter, face paint, wigs, and of course, the candy. It was a holiday we always spent as a family trick-or-treating, then giving out candy at our own house. My dad, always the goof-ball, would invent crazy costumes and dress up with us. He would even hide in bushes to make scary noises as kids came up to the door. Crazy, I know. But we loved it and will always remember those times.

Well, this year is different. I have my own child. And it is her first Halloween. I guess you could say I’ve had a change of heart about this holiday. Yes, I remember the significance of it and how it changed my family forever. But it is a fresh slate for Faith. I want her to have fun, enjoy her candy, and make lots of memories with us as a family too.

We’ve been trying on costumes because I want her to have the best one too! I think she’s pretty pumped about it! I know I am…I mean, how you could resist such a cute baby?

Trying to Embrace Change! October 21, 2009

Last night John & I decided to attend a local church revival here in town…a sort of spur-of-the-moment, we’ve-got-a-babysitter sort of deal. I was excited because sometimes I miss being able to sit through a church service without having to keep a baby quiet, or make a quick exit to the nursery because Faith decides to “talk” to random objects/people she sees.

Let me preface by saying, most of my life I have hated change. I get stressed when we rearrange the living room. I despise moving. I dread the thought of ever switching jobs again. Something about dealing with the new and unknown makes me very uncomfortable.

The speaker last night mentioned something that has made me totally rethink my perspective:

Our God is a God of change!

The more I think about this, the more I realize it is true. God changes US, from the very moment we give our lives to him. He works to make us more like Him, He never wants us to stay the way we are. He can take all circumstances and work them for His good (Romans 8:28). He makes us a new creation (2nd Corinthians 5:17).

So now I’m thinking, if our God loves change so much, why shouldn’t I? It’s part of who I am!

What about you? How do you feel about change?

It’s All New! October 20, 2009

So here goes…my very first blog. And I have NO clue what I’m doing! Kind of like my life I guess…that’s why I decided to name my blog “just figuring it out.” Most days that is all I am doing, just a fly by the seat of my pants kind of deal. I guess a formal introduction should make it a little easier to understand what I’m talking about so here goes:

My name is Hillary; I am a 27 year old woman of many roles…wife, mother, daughter, Christian, friend, nurse practitioner, youth worker, etc. I have been married for 7 glorious years (yes, it really has been great, no sarcasm intended!) and just as my husband and I start to figure out the marriage thing we decide it would be nice to add a baby to our family of me, hubby, and our dog Murphy. Well, six months ago our daughter Faith arrived. It was the best day of my life! There are no words to describe the feeling of holding your very own child for the first time with your husband beside you, knowing you are about to embark on the greatest, scariest challenge of all-time.

So fast forward six months and here we are. And I still feel clueless. Yes, I have become a pro at diaper changing, nursing, soothing, and the day-to-day routine of motherhood. But what everyone failed to mention are the details…the emotional rollercoaster ride I’d be on, how attached I’d feel to my child, how guilty I’d feel for working or having to spend time apart, how I’d question every decision I make, how much I worry now over mostly things I have no control over. So I just figure it out as I go.

Mainly the reason I’ve decided to blog is because I have so many thoughts running through my mind that I need an outlet for. But then as I log on, I’m overwhelmed by all the gadgets, widgets, dashboards, etc. It was a feat in itself that I managed to set up my profile! So, again, just figuring it out as I go.

Figuring things out as I go along is my new theme I suppose. It’s working and I’m not messing with it.

 

What things do you “figure out” as you go?