A Heart Full of Joy

I became an aunt {again} today ❤

My brother texted me a picture and you could see it in his eyes......his heart had instantly doubled in size making perfect room to love his new little boy. What an amazing blessing God gives, as parents, that we get to experience a glimpse into the measureless love He has for us as his children. That's joy I tell ya!

Speaking of joy.....

these 2 fellas filled my cup this weekend. On Saturday morning we did breakfast in Ballard at Portage Bay, ran around in the grass at the Locks and drank strawberry lemonade as we cruised Shilshole Marina {daydreaming about one day having our own sailboat}. I attended a sweet friends baby shower, while Jody took Harrison for a ride in the burley. The evening weather was nice, so we grilled chicken and veggies then proceeded to stay up way too late.

We celebrated the morning of Mother's day at church and the early afternoon relaxing. We hit up the zoo after Harrison's nap and, as you can see, he enjoyed himself. Jody & I concluded the evening with some fresh shrimp on the grill {delicious}.

I will always have mixed emotions when it comes to Mother's day, since I know it is such a hard day for so many women, but this year I have so much to be thankful for. God's timing is perfect and, because of that, there are several girlfriends of mine who will celebrate their first Mother's Day {some with baby in arms and some still in the womb} who struggled with long battles of infertility. I can also celebrate the continued love and support of my own mother and my very precious mother-in-law......what a gift both of those ladies are in my life. I'm also crazy blessed to have the most amazing sister-in-laws who have given me lots of nieces and nephews to love on and continue to be great examples of how to parent well. Though not a woman, my greatest joy comes from my husband who continues to be my biggest cheerleader. He is such an encouragement in my life and is always making me feel like I have this mothering thing in the bag. I respect his patience with me, as I fumble my way through this child raising thing, and his kind words. More joy!

Of course it's not all rainbows and unicorns at the Duvall ranch.....I do have an almost 2 year old......but today I will focus on the gifts and blessings. The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy and Peace {Galations 5:22}......and heaven knows we all need a little bit more of those things in our lives.

Oh remember those fresh shrimp we grilled? Well Jody caught them! Last weekend he went shrimpin' with a buddy of his, on Whidby Island, and they hit the crustacean jackpot. Now, I'm not the hugest lover of food from the sea, but these shrimp are good eatin' and luckily we have a freezer full. We plan on sharing our shrimp harvest with Jim & Jill {my in-laws} when they are in town next week. Why are they going to be in town you ask? Remember I'm having a baby......

next Tuesday!!!! Here's to the JOY of becoming a mother of two ❤

A Love Like That

Good grief.....it hurts me to look at this picture.
I keep playing his fall over & over in my mind and it feels like a sucker punch to the stomach. I opened our door to go outside and, instead of the usual wait for my helping hand, H just stepped right off. He scrapped his little face on the first step and then rolled and hit his head at the bottom. Harrison, of-course, was over the whole event in about 5 minutes but all I wanted to do was hold & kiss him......he was having none of that. Oh how deeply I love that little boy and it's moments like this that confirm that intense love. It got me thinking of the Father's love for us. Oh how it must pain Him to see us hurt and to love a people so much that constantly turn their back on his love. Can you imagine how difficult that must be? When the very essence of who you are is love.

Ephesians 5:1-2 says......Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love is not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

His love is not cautious but extravagant......Don't you love that?
My desire is to love like that.

Finding Our Identity

Our church is currently in the middle of a study, on the book of Ephesians, called Who do you think you are? Finding your identity in Christ. Jody & I have found it so encouraging and convicting, as we dig deep and really work through our own identity issues. Today's sermon focused on what we are saved from, how we are saved and why we are saved. A younger gentleman, who plays in one of our church bands, gave his testimony afterwards and he so simply nailed what it's like to have a relationship with the Lord. He said.....
The more I strive to be like Jesus, the more I feel like myself.
So simple yet exactly how I feel.
Do ya'll have those moments at church when you feel like God is talking directly to you?

My prayer is that everyone who peeks in on my blog, or randomly stumbles upon it, will know that God has given us the greatest gift of all.......and it's free! Our pastor used this example, it's like a person you don't know walking up to you on the street and telling you that they are going to pay all your debts {school loans, mortgage, credit cards, etc.} and, on top of that, any debt you rack up in the future. That's what Jesus did and does for us. We don't deserve it, but because of His grace he gives it to us with no strings attached. His mercy saves us from death, the trespasses of sin, the entrapment of this world, demonic influence, our old sin nature and our own selfish desires. When God saves us, our deepest desires line up with those of the Lord and we......feel like ourselves.

If anyone is interested in any of the sermons in this series they can be found HERE
If you want to read for yourself, check out the first 2 books of Ephesians HERE

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves , it is the gift of God - not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   Ephesians 2:8-10

Those weeks

Confession....
We're having a rough week at the Duvall house.
By "we're" I'm referring to the Boy & I.
I have been short on patience, very short,  and his listening/obedience has been non-existent.
Sometimes I get so frustrated at my frustration.
I make a bigger deal out of things that should be overlooked.
If I'm honest.....I feel like I'm not doing a very good job.
I fear that one day he's going to look up at me and say "You should really find a new career"
He's, recently, started to toil with my emotions.
When I go to get him from time out, he looks at me with those big blue eyes and says "Hi Mama!"
{Like he hasn't seen me in hours}
How do you discipline that?
He has my heart....and my nose...and my strong will.
Jody told him last night that his mama was kind.....
Hopefully, when he's older, he'll remember my kindness over my frustration.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22, 23 

Verse

Thanks mom!

Be strong

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them. For the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Being a mama.....

I've been thinking a lot lately about this whole SAHM gig I've got going on.
I wrote and deleted several lines trying to express what's going on in my head, and heart, but just couldn't seem to do it justice.
Luckily, I woke up this morning and one of my favorite bloggers figured out just what I wanted to say......

On Being the Queen

I prayed, hard, yesterday that God would show me why he brought us to Seattle and how he would use me here.
He was apparently just waiting for me to ask.
My bible study this morning was on 1. When you're looking for direction & 2. Abram moves to a strange land.....coincidence?.....doubtful.
So maybe some of you are asking these same questions.
Here's what I know.
God promises to instruct us and guide us in the way we should go {Psalm 32:8} and sometimes he calls us away from familiar & comfortable so he can give us his best.

and maybe.....
this SAHM thing is as much for my relationship with my maker as it is for my relationship with my little man.

Good Friday

The Word Became Flesh
John 1: 1-18

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right  to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'" 16 And from his fullness we have all received,  grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Post it Verses

I read this verse on one of my daily stops in the blogosphere {Urban Grace }

.....it's one for the monitor.

You are my refuge...

My mom sent me this excerpt from a devotional a few months back. It now has a permanent place on my bulletin board and will continue to be heavily referenced throughout this 3L year.

Hard times energize some people, yet paralyze others. Look at David. Everything he touched turned to gold: Samuel anointed him to be king; he defeated Goliath; Saul chose him as a musician and warrior; the army loved him and wrote songs about him. Then his life fell apart. He lost his job and his marriage failed; Samuel his old mentor died; his best friend Jonathan couldn't help him, and Saul's soldiers hounded him until he had to hide in a cave. At some point we all do time in the cave! It's where God does some of his best work in molding you into the likeness of Christ. It's where your worst inadequacies confirm that you're out of your depth, and where God sends his power to flow through your weakness. When David prayed"You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living," (Psalms 142:5) he'd no way of knowing there was a crown in his future, or that he wasn't going to die in hiding. For all he knew, this cave he was in right now might be as good as it gets. When you're in a situation you can't fix, can't change and can't escape, trust God! trust God! trust God! As long as your sense of security is tied solely to your success, it'll always be fragile. But when you know that God is with you even at your lowest point, you can handle the cave and come out stronger.

Copy & Paste.....

This is from my cousin Hannah's blog post today {Hope you don't mind me sharing Hannah}. She couldn't have written this at a more opportune time.....

Relationships

What a word! What a concept! God knew He wanted relationship with us. So did the enemy of our souls. That is why he has been undermining trust and truth in relationships since the beginning of time.

If Satan can get us to doubt each other; if he can get us to think and expect the worst of each other; if he can get us to love ourselves more than each other; if he can get us to sabotage our relationships with each other by being overly sensitive, secretive, insensitive, too busy, negative, harsh or sarcastic, then sabotaging our relationship with God is a cinch.

Psalm 133 -

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2. It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. 3. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing - Life forevermore."

How God Works Things Out

Jody received a birthday card from my sweet Grandma today {she was fashionable late.....but it was sweet nonetheless} and I laughed because it could not have been more appropriate.

As we trust Christ

Love him and obey,

Our God supplies

Our needs each day.

As we trust Christ -

Love his pure word,

Our needs are met -

Our prayers are heard.

As we trust Christ -

Trust and not doubt,

God answers prayer

And works things out

-Perry Tanksley

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you, protect you, bless you and grant you victory. Proverbs 3:6

With Love,

Sometimes I need to remind myself....

Philippians 4:6-7

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:35-39

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord