A Hard Lesson to Learn

This week was a tough one.  We received some terrible news on Tuesday that some dear friends of ours delivered a full term stillborn baby.  This was shocking news indeed.  I felt like it shook me to the core and I'm still in tears every time I think about it.  Baby Maddox was due to enter this world to 2 loving parents anxiously expecting his arrival right before Christmas.  To receive the news that your baby no longer has a heartbeat after carrying it in your womb (successfully I might add) for 39 weeks is beyond unbearable - it's completely incomprehensible.  This is certainly one of those times when you just look up at God and question what His plan could possibly be through this?  It's been a delicate week as all of their friends/family have tried to tenderly minister to their broken hearts.

Needless to say, it has certainly made Chris and I step back and be reminded of the gift we have been given through this baby we are expecting in May.  I feel even more protective of it now than ever before.  I know that God ultimately controls what happens througout this pregnancy and after it is born, just like He did with Maddox, but I can still do everything in my power to protect it as much as possible,  Which brings me to my next point . . .

While sharing my sorrows with a friend this week, she reminded me that the worry for our children doesn't stop after we give birth, it will carry on into the rest of their lives.  She said that it's a daily struggle to wake up and purposefully remember that her son is not her own, he belongs to God, and ultimately it is God's protection and plan for his life that matters most.  She is simply a vessel that has been entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of him for as long as God allows on this earth.  To be honest, I hadn't really thought of that before.  But when hit with the news that we received this week, I am so grateful to have been taught that lesson now.

I'm reminded of the story in the Bible of Hannah and Samuel.  Hannah desperately prayed for a child for a very long time.  After a considerable time of waiting, The Lord blessed her with a son, Samuel.  In her dedication of Samuel to the Lord, she says "I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."

What a sweet reminder of what it is we are specifically called to do as parents.  We can try and hold on to our children as tight as possible and protect them as much as possible, but we'll be doing ourselves a huge favor if we turn them over to the Lord to fulfill His plan for their lives instead.  And it would be a huge disservice to our children if we didn't teach them this valuable lesson about God's sovereignty and perfect plan for us all.  This is not to say that the responsibility of parenthood is easier as a result, but it can certainly be more peaceful.

So to our dear friends, Andrew and Amanda, we are mourning your loss with you but are grateful for the testimony you have shown us as expecting parents and pray that we are able to handle life's tragedies as well as you are thanks to the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the intercession of the holy spirit in our hearts.

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas is upon us in full force!  As previously mentioned, I've been super jazzed about the holidays this year (there's no explanation whatsoever for that except that perhaps I'm just really looking forward to what's to come next year).  This year I wanted to change up the look of our holiday decor a little bit.  Typically it's just the standard array of decorations that we've collected over the years - none of which match or make any decorating sense whatsoever :)  So this year I wanted to spruce the place up a bit!  I spent countless hours on my new favorite website (pinterest) looking for improved decorating ideas.  I think we did pretty good :)  The best part is that MOST (not all) of the decorations were from the Dollar Store of all places!  If you get there early enough, they have an amazing assortment of fabulous holiday finds :)

view of our living room from the dining room

our 2011 mantel

2011 red and gold Christmas tree

our poinsettia and pinecone garland.  I'm especially proud of this project :)  I had found a similar 6' garland at Hobby Lobby on sale (50% off) for $30.  I knew it was going to take a least 3 strands to cover our staircase and spending $90 was completely out of the question!  So I went to Wally world instead and bought an 18' pre-lit garland and 3 6' poinsettia/pinecone garlands, strung them together and voila . . . a $90 concept for a $25 sticker price.  Not a bad compromise at all!

our breakfast nook ready to welcome our guests for dinner

our first Christmas dinner party with our "new" dining room furniture

first time in 8 years we've been able to display our Christmas china!  This means a lot to me as it was a specific gift from my parents when I was first married.

just another view of the living room/foyer from the dining room

All in all, I think we did a pretty good job with the limited resources we had to spare.  It sure it nice and cozy to come home too as well!  It's really beautiful all lit up!  I just love the magic of the holidays :)